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  • MIL-OSI Banking: 🇮🇱 Zion Oil & Gas Update: January 30, 2025

    Source: Zion Oil and Gas

    Headline: Zion Oil & Gas Update: January 30, 2025

    January 30, 2025

    Dear Zion Shareholders and Supporters,

    We are pleased to bring you the latest update as we continue progressing toward the next critical phase of operations at our Megiddo-Jezreel #1 (MJ-01) well.

    As we have previously shared, logistical and geopolitical challenges necessitated an operational pause at the wellsite over recent months. Thankfully, we are preparing to launch our targeted re-completion work on the MJ-01 well in Q1 as expected. Our rig crew is informed and scheduled to arrive in Israel in the latter part of February to commence rig startup procedures. This includes minor repairs and maintenance, as well as drilling out the temporary plug that has been sealing MJ-01 during the pause. Once this work is complete, the team will focus on preparing both the location and the wellbore for the upcoming recompletion operation.

    While our crew carries out these preparations, the necessary stimulation, well testing, and nitrogen equipment will be transported from various locations in Europe to Israel. Based on current projections, we anticipate receiving this equipment on-site in March, subject to final availability and shipping schedules.

    Following equipment arrival, our plan is to proceed with rigging up, setting a bottom plug, and installing a swell plug, which is an essential step to isolate the targeted zone of interest. Once the plug has properly set, we will run in hole with the stimulation equipment, stimulate the zones, and initiate flowback operations.

    Flowback duration will depend on well response; if all key components come together as expected, we anticipate completing these operations in early Q2.

    While there are always variables in an operation of this nature, our team remains optimistic about the timeline and continues working diligently to achieve success.

    As always, we deeply appreciate your ongoing support and prayers. We remain steadfast in our mission and will continue to provide updates as we progress.

    Warm regards,
    Rob Dunn
    CEO
    Zion Oil & Gas, Inc.

    I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me and heard my cry.”
    Psalm 40:1 NASB

    “Then they said, “Let us arise and build.” So they put their hands to the good work.”
    Nehemiah 2:18b NASB

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Voluntary Contributions to Peacebuilding Fund ‘Remain Paramount’, Secretary-General Stresses, Urging Countries Provide Additional Support

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the opening of the ambassadorial-level formal meeting on the annual report and election of officers of the Peacebuilding Commission, in New York today:

    It is a pleasure to be here with you today.  I wish to start by congratulating the Member States that have recently been elected to the Peacebuilding Commission.  I also congratulate Brazil for leading the Peacebuilding Commission during its eighteenth session and welcome Germany’s candidacy for the chair of the nineteenth session.

    Our world is in trouble.  We see spreading conflicts and widening geopolitical divisions.  We face a deepening climate crisis and widening inequalities.  We are confronting the proliferation of weapons and the spread of disinformation. All of this and more makes the work of the Peacebuilding Commission more critical than ever.

    I want to salute the Commission for its vital advisory role to the Security Council, including in the context of UN mission transitions. I also recognize your important convening role within the UN and beyond — engaging civil society, the private sector, international and regional organizations, and financial institutions.

    Now we have the chance to consolidate and expand that work. The Pact for the Future charts a course to reforming international cooperation — including by prioritizing prevention, mediation and peacebuilding.  It seeks to break siloes by advancing coordination with regional organizations, developing innovative approaches and fostering the full participation of women, youth and marginalized groups in peace processes.  And fundamentally, the Pact calls for strengthening the Peacebuilding Commission.

    This year’s Review of the Peacebuilding Architecture offers an opportunity to further advance these efforts and strengthen the role of the Peacebuilding Commission — namely its relationship with the Security Council.

    My recent report on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace lays out concrete suggestions around inflection points where the Commission can help catalyse national efforts.  This includes working to fully empower the Commission to mobilize political and financial support for nationally owned peacebuilding and prevention strategies.

    As the review unfolds, I encourage the Commission to draw on its rich experience to guide deliberations at the General Assembly and Security Council — with actionable recommendations towards strengthening the peacebuilding architecture and transforming people’s lives.

    This brings me to a vital issue:  financing.  The General Assembly’s approval of assessed contributions to the Peacebuilding Fund marks an important step.  But, it is still a far cry from the “quantum leap” of $500 million per year that is needed.  As many Member States have highlighted, voluntary contributions remain paramount — and I encourage countries to provide additional support to the Fund.

    Given the urgent and expanding needs for peacebuilding support, I trust that the Review of the Peacebuilding Architecture will further examine how to ensure the predictability, adequacy and sustainability of the Fund — including by exploring innovative financing mechanisms, public-private partnerships and blended funding models.

    We must never waver in our commitment to pursue, achieve and sustain peace.

    The Peacebuilding architecture — consisting of the Peacebuilding Commission, the Peacebuilding Support Office and the Peacebuilding Fund — working together with UN country teams, are essential tools to help translate aspirations into reality.

    I look forward to continuing to work with you all to strengthen our peacebuilding architecture and help build a world of peace and prosperity for all largely thanks to your precious intervention.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Violent Illegal Alien Arrested After Release from Local Jail Despite Federal Arrest Warrant

    Source: United States Attorneys General 12

    A Mexican citizen who had been in local custody after pleading guilty to assault charges, and was released from custody by the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office after the sheriff’s office refused to honor a federal arrest warrant, has been arrested and taken into custody by federal law enforcement.

    “The Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office in Ithaca, NY, a self-described sanctuary city, appears to have failed to honor a valid federal arrest warrant for a criminal alien with an assault conviction,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove. “Yesterday, despite the warrant, a defendant with no legal status and a history of violence was released into the community. Federal agents risked their safety and pursued the defendant in unsafe conditions. Today, they were successful in recapturing the defendant. I applaud the U.S. Attorney’s commitment to investigate these circumstances for potential prosecution, and the efforts of the agents who were able to arrest the defendant under wholly avoidable circumstances. The Justice Department will not tolerate actions that endanger law enforcement and make their jobs harder than they already are, as they work to protect us all. We will use every tool at our disposal to prevent sanctuary city policies from impeding and obstructing lawful federal operations designed to make America safe again and end the national crisis arising from four years of failed immigration policy.”

    Jesus Romero-Hernandez, 27, was charged in a federal criminal complaint on Jan. 8, 2024, with illegally reentering the United States after a prior removal.

    Because Romero-Hernandez was then in the custody of the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office in Ithaca, New York, awaiting resolution of New York State assault charges, U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) provided a copy of a federal arrest warrant, signed by a U.S. Magistrate Judge, to the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office.

    On Jan. 28, after Romero-Hernandez’s New York State assault charges were resolved by his plea of guilty to assault in the third degree and a sentence of time-served, the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office refused to honor the federal arrest warrant and released Romero-Hernandez before ICE-ERO arrived to pick him up and bring him to federal court in Syracuse to be arraigned on the pending federal criminal complaint.

    Today ICE-ERO apprehended Romero-Hernandez with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

    The charges in the complaint pending against Romero-Hernandez are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York is looking into the circumstances surrounding his release.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Baker Hughes Declares Increased Quarterly Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON and LONDON, Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Baker Hughes (NASDAQ: BKR) announced today that the Baker Hughes Board of Directors declared an increased quarterly cash dividend of $0.23 per share of Class A common stock payable on Feb. 21, 2025, to holders of record on Feb. 11, 2025.

    The dividend reflects a 10% increase, or $0.02, compared to the same quarter last year.

    Baker Hughes expects to fund its quarterly cash dividend from cash generated from operations.

    About Baker Hughes:
    Baker Hughes (NASDAQ: BKR) is an energy technology company that provides solutions to energy and industrial customers worldwide. Built on a century of experience and conducting business in over 120 countries, our innovative technologies and services are taking energy forward – making it safer, cleaner and more efficient for people and the planet. Visit us at bakerhughes.com.

    For more information, please contact:

    Investor Relations

    Chase Mulvehill
    +1 346-297-2561
    investor.relations@bakerhughes.com

    Media Relations

    Adrienne M. Lynch
    +1 713-906-8407
    adrienne.lynch@bakerhughes.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: “Stunning dedication”: first ocean sanctuary in Marshall Islands announced

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    FRIDAY 31 JANUARY 2025 — The Republic of the Marshall Islands has announced its first marine protected area in the Pacific Ocean, a “stunning dedication to ocean protection for Pacific heritage”, says Greenpeace.

    The country’s first national ocean sanctuary, which covers 48,0002 kilometres of ocean – bigger than Switzerland/more than 260 times the size of the Marshall Islands’ land mass – puts the Marshall Islands on the podium as a leader in ocean protection on the world stage.

    Shiva Gounden, Head of Pacific at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: “Greenpeace congratulates the Republic of Marshall Islands on this stunning dedication to ocean protection for Pacific heritage.

    “The ocean is a living heritage, connecting the Pacific’s past, present and future. Protecting the ocean means protecting its treasures – the livelihoods, legacy, cultural heritage and future of Pacific people – for generations to come.

    “The Marshall Islands are unique and rich in life, but are threatened by colonialism, a heating ocean, and the devastating and ongoing impacts of nuclear testing by western nations. 

    “The Marshall Islands has a long history as champion for ocean protection, resisting the encroaching threat of deep sea mining by declaring support for a precautionary pause. We now need all nations to follow suit and stop deep sea mining before it starts.

    “The Pacific must be protected; a thriving ocean is a thriving people.” 

    The area around atolls Bikar and Bokak, as well as the nearby deep sea, will be fully protected from fishing, allowing a safe haven for marine life to recover and thrive.

    Marine sanctuaries are crucial to sustaining ocean health around the world. Greenpeace is urging governments worldwide to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty quickly to achieve the 30×30 target and start developing proposals for marine protected areas in the high seas.

    —ENDS—

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Global: International students’ housing challenges call for policy action

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Edward R. Howe, Professor, School of Education, Thompson Rivers University

    Canada is a top destination for international students, with over one million studying at various levels in 2023. International students contribute billions of dollars to the Canadian economy and much more to our social fabric.

    But recent policy changes and increased public scrutiny have created a challenging environment for these students and the higher education institutions that host them.

    After a decade of rapid growth, the federal government has implemented a two-year cap on international student permits, reducing undergraduate admissions by 35 per cent in 2024 and an additional 10 per cent in 2025.

    This controversial decision aims to address growing concerns about the impact of international students and unchecked immigration on Canada’s economy, housing and public services.

    An ongoing longitudinal research study at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) , which engages international students’ views and experiences through both surveys and interviews, sheds light on the lived experiences of international students amid these dramatic policy shifts. I have led this research with international graduate student research assistants.

    Shifts from 2016 to 2024: housing

    The first round of our study drew on a 2016 survey of more than 100 international students at TRU, and interviews with 14 from the same pool. We recently surveyed a further 215 international TRU students and conducted in-depth interviews with 14 more participants from various nations including India and China, across a range of undergraduate and graduate programs.

    Our newest research findings revealed major challenges faced by international students, particularly in housing and finances. This echoes other findings that indicate the housing situation for international students has worsened over the past decade.

    Over 55 per cent of students reported difficulties finding suitable accommodations, with many experiencing systemic racial discrimination in the rental market. Financial struggles were also prevalent, with about one-third of participants indicating insufficient financial support or uncertainty about their financial situation.



    Read more:
    International students are not to blame for Canada’s housing crisis

    Racism, concern for post-graduate work

    On a positive note, fewer students reported experiencing racism on campus in 2024 than in 2016.

    In 2016, when students were asked to say to what extent they agreed with the statement “I encountered racism at university,” there were a wide range of statements: 14 per cent strongly agreed and 21 per cent agreed; 25 per cent strongly disagreed; 16 per cent disagreed and 23 per cent were undecided.

    This was the only question that had such a pattern of responses spread evenly across the five-point scale. In 2024, only 13.5 per cent agreed or strongly agreed with this statement.

    But in interviews, many students commented upon encountering racism and exploitation when job hunting or searching for housing accommodations. For example, one student reported that when seeking to renegotiate a lease due to problems with a roommate, the landlord threatened to take action to revoke their student visa.



    Read more:
    International university grads speak about aspirations and barriers

    In surveys and interviews, students lamented the dearth of co-op programs, work-integrated learning and experiential opportunities for their future success in Canada. This aligns with recent data from the Canadian Bureau for International Education, which found that 70 per cent of international students plan to apply for post-graduate work permits, and 57 per cent intend to seek permanent residency.

    Students’ thoughts on ‘internationalization’

    Our recent study also asked students their thoughts on “internationalization,” as universities and government policy have used this term to promote Canada as an international, global and multicultural society with globally focused curricula and opportunities for international study abroad.

    Students’ responses fell into three main themes: cross-cultural exchange, mutual learning and community building, and personal growth through international experiences. These findings were consistent across different nationalities and genders, suggesting a shared understanding of internationalization among diverse student groups.

    A student carrying a backpack walks on campus at Trinity Western University in Langley, B.C., in 2017.

    To address these challenges and support international students, our research recommends that universities continue to diversify their pools of international students by increasing scholarships for students from marginalized regions.

    This matters in the wake of the recent announcement to reduce immigration targets from 485,000 in 2024 to 365,000 by 2027. This policy direction creates uncertainty for many international students hoping to build their futures in Canada.

    This shift comes as public support for immigration has dramatically decreased, reaching an all-time low. Fifty-eight per cent of Canadians now believe the country accepts too many immigrants — a 31-point increase since 2022.

    We also suggest fostering deeper cross-cultural understanding among university staff and domestic students, establishing program-specific student support centres with peer mentoring. The fragile school-to-work transition needs to be better facilitated through co-op education and other work-integrated learning opportunities. Action from policymakers to address systemic barriers in housing and employment is also needed.

    Welcoming destination for global talent

    International students contribute significantly to Canada’s economy, cultural diversity and multicultural society.

    Government, educators, universities and employers have roles to play in reframing the “internationalization” of higher education. There is a need to balance economic rationales with social and academic outcomes, including a focus on global citizenship education for all students.

    In the shadow of Donald Trump’s second presidency in the United States, which is amplifying xenophobic rhetoric and action against migrants, and amid major shifts in Canada’s federal landscape, it is important to take inventory of how changing government immigration policies can have a profound impact on Canada.

    It is crucial to consider the perspectives of international students. Their insights matter for helping to shape policies and practices that affect their educational experiences, future opportunities in Canada and the very social fabric of Canada.

    By addressing students’ challenges and the barriers they encounter, and by supporting their successes, we can ensure that Canada remains a welcoming destination for global talent.

    Surbhi Sagar and Athira Pushpamgathan contributed to this research and co-authored this story.

    Edward R. Howe 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. International students’ housing challenges call for policy action – https://theconversation.com/international-students-housing-challenges-call-for-policy-action-230833

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Understanding the backlash against corporate DEI — and how to move forward

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Camellia Bryan, Assistant Professor, Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources Division, Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia

    United States President Donald Trump recently issued an executive order to end federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. In the days since, Trump has even tried to blame a deadly Washington, D.C., plane crash on DEI hiring practices, without citing any evidence. He was swiftly criticized for his statement.

    In the corporate world, DEI programs aimed at addressing systemic barriers that have historically disadvantaged marginalized groups are facing growing resistance, with backlash becoming increasingly visible in workplaces and in public discourse.

    High-profile companies like Amazon, Meta, McDonalds and Target have been cancelling their DEI programs since last year. Although others, like Costco and Apple, have said they’re retaining theirs.

    The backlash against DEI isn’t just about individuals rejecting change; it reveals deeper tensions in how people see themselves and their place in society.

    Our research explores these tensions. We find that while social identity threat — the discomfort people feel when their identity is challenged — can lead to backlash, it can also present an unexpected opportunity for learning and growth. Understanding this dynamic offers a path forward for organizations struggling to balance DEI efforts with employee buy-in.

    What drives DEI backlash?

    Backlash often emerges from employees who belong to dominant social identity groups that hold disproportionate access to power and resources. Examples include white people in North America, men in patriarchal societies or heterosexual individuals in hetero-normative cultures.

    For these employees, DEI initiatives can sometimes feel threatening. Why? Because such efforts highlight inequalities and challenge assumptions about fairness, merit and the status quo. When someone identifies strongly with their group — whether as a white person, a man or a member of another dominant identity — they may see DEI initiatives as attacks on their assumptions. This discomfort is known as social identity threat.

    For instance, when a company introduces a gender equity policy aimed at addressing women’s under-representation in leadership, some men might perceive this as unfair. Their response — whether it’s skepticism, defensiveness or outright resistance — reflects a defensive reaction to that threat.

    Beyond defensiveness: A path to learning

    Traditional approaches to managing DEI backlash often focus on mitigating threat: providing reassurance, avoiding confrontation or encouraging self-affirmation (“DEI isn’t about you; it’s about everyone”). Yet these approaches miss an important point: social identity threat doesn’t have to result in defensiveness or backlash. It can also inspire reflection, learning and growth.

    Our research draws on transformational learning theory, which explains how adults change their understanding of the world in response to disorienting experiences.

    According to this theory, when people encounter information that challenges their assumptions, they can engage in a process of deep reflection. By questioning their beliefs and seeking out new perspectives, individuals can develop more accurate, inclusive interpretations of themselves and others.



    Read more:
    Businesses must stop caving to political pressure and abandoning their EDI commitments

    Real-world examples of transformation

    Consider the story of Caolan Robertson, a former alt-right filmmaker in the United Kingdom.

    For years, Robertson worked with extremist figures to produce anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim content that garnered millions of views online. Then, in 2019, Robertson saw media coverage of mosque shootings, where 51 people were killed by a white supremacist. The tragedy rattled him.

    In Robertson’s own words, the event forced him to confront his assumptions about white identity and how it can be involved in violence and extremism. What began as an overwhelming sense of disorientation turned into a period of deep reflection. Robertson eventually rejected his old beliefs, began speaking out against extremism, and co-founded an organization to help others de-radicalize.

    Similar learning occurs on smaller scales in workplaces every day. For example, a male manager who initially feels threatened by gender equity policies might, over time, come to recognize the barriers women face at work and become an advocate for change. Or a white employee who feels uncomfortable during discussions about racism might come to see how privilege has shaped their experiences.

    Creating conditions for growth

    So how can organizations turn social identity threat into an opportunity for learning rather than backlash? We propose three strategies:

    1. Foster a “learning-oriented” DEI climate
    Organizations must shift how they frame DEI initiatives. Instead of treating these efforts as compliance-driven checkboxes, companies should position DEI as a chance for employees to learn, grow and contribute to a more inclusive workplace. A strong diversity climate — where differences are valued, and conversations about identity are encouraged — creates a safe space for reflection. Our research shows that when employees feel that diversity is part of their organization’s mission, they’re more likely to approach identity threats as a learning opportunity.

    2. Encourage dialogue across perspectives
    One of the most effective ways to challenge harmful assumptions is through dialogue across perspectives — open conversations where employees with different lived experiences share their perspectives and provide feedback. This kind of dialogue requires psychological safety: employees need to feel secure enough to express their views, even when those views are incomplete or flawed. Importantly, these conversations don’t always have to occur between dominant and marginalized group members. Dialogue with other dominant-group colleagues who have already reflected on their identities can also provide valuable insights.

    3. Support incremental progress
    Transformational learning doesn’t happen overnight. Employees may initially engage in surface-level reflection, revising specific assumptions without challenging deeper systems of inequality. Over time, they may progress to deep-level reflection, critically analyzing the foundational beliefs that shape their identity. Organizations can support this incremental progress by recognizing small steps and encouraging continued learning.

    Discomfort: A powerful motivator for change

    The backlash to DEI efforts is often framed as evidence that the initiative is failing, but it can also be understood as a natural part of the learning process.

    Social identity threat is uncomfortable, but it can serve as a powerful motivator for change when organizations provide the right tools and support.

    Companies that ignore backlash risk deepening resistance and undermining their DEI goals. However, organizations that embrace discomfort as an opportunity for growth can transform their workplaces into spaces where employees are not only more inclusive but also more reflective, empathetic and engaged.

    Backlash isn’t the end of the story — it’s the beginning of a conversation.

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

    – ref. Understanding the backlash against corporate DEI — and how to move forward – https://theconversation.com/understanding-the-backlash-against-corporate-dei-and-how-to-move-forward-246117

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General Calls on All Conflict Parties in Myanmar to Exercise Maximum Restraint

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

    Four years since the military seized power and arbitrarily detained members of the democratically elected Government on 1 February 2021, the situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate, with devastating consequences for civilians.

    The Secretary-General condemns all forms of violence and calls on all parties to the conflict to exercise maximum restraint, uphold human rights and international humanitarian law, and prevent further incitement of violence and intercommunal tensions.  He reiterates his concern regarding the military’s stated intention to hold elections amid intensifying conflict, including aerial bombardment and widespread human rights violations and without conditions that permit the people of Myanmar to freely and peacefully exercise their political rights, including safety and security.

    Over 19.9 million people in Myanmar — more than one third of its population — need humanitarian assistance, compared to 1 million before the military took over four years ago.  Unimpeded access must be assured to enable the UN and its partners to continue to deliver humanitarian assistance and essential services.

    The Secretary-General renews his calls for greater cooperation among all stakeholders to bring an end to the hostilities and help the people of Myanmar forge a path towards an inclusive democratic transition and return to civilian rule.  The Secretary-General also appeals to countries in the region to grant access to safety and protection for those fleeing conflict and persecution and for the international community to provide greater support to countries, including Bangladesh, hosting refugees from Myanmar.

    The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy, Julie Bishop, remains actively engaged with all stakeholders, in close cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in the search of a Myanmar-led resolution to the crisis.

    A viable future for Myanmar must ensure safety, accountability and opportunity for all its communities, including the Rohingya, and address the root causes of conflict, discrimination and disenfranchisement in all its forms.  The Secretary-General reaffirms the unwavering support of the United Nations to the people of Myanmar in these efforts.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Committee on the Rights of the Child Holds Sixteenth Informal Meeting with States

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Committee on the Rights of the Child this afternoon held its sixteenth informal meeting with States.  Committee Experts discussed the Committee’s draft general comment on realising children’s rights through access to justice and effective remedies, its communication and simplified reporting procedures, and its work on artificial intelligence and on children in armed conflict, among other topics. 

    Ann Marie Skelton, Committee Chair, opening the meeting, said since the last meeting with States, the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child was marked in 2024 by many commemorations across the world, highlighting the global dedication to children’s rights. The Committee had not considered it to be a good moment to celebrate children’s rights, which were under much pressure from around the world, including due to gang violence and conflict. However, the Convention demonstrated a common commitment to upholding and advancing the rights of children. States that were in situations of armed conflict still came to the Committee for the dialogues, including during the last year, where difficult but constructive conversations had been held. 

    Also providing opening statements were Committee Experts Hynd Ayoubi Idrissi, Benoit Van Keirsbilck, Sopio Kiladze and Mikiko Otani. 

    Finland, Mexico, South Africa, Chile, Ukraine, Luxembourg and Pakistan participated in the discussion.

    Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, while webcasts of the public meetings can be found here.  The programme of work of the Committee’s ninety-eighth session and other documents related to the session can be found here.

    The Committee will next meet in public on Friday, 31 January, at 5 p.m. to adopt its concluding observations and recommendations on the reports of Slovakia, Eritrea, Honduras, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Peru, the Gambia and Ecuador, which were reviewed during the session, and publicly close the ninety-eighth session.

    Opening Statements by Committee Experts

    ANN MARIE SKELTON, Committee Chair, said since the last meeting with States, the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child was marked in 2024 by many commemorations across the world, highlighting the global dedication to children’s rights.  The Committee had not considered it to be a good moment to celebrate children’s rights, which were under much pressure from around the world, including due to gang violence and conflict.  However, the Convention demonstrated a common commitment to upholding and advancing the rights of children.  States that were in situations of armed conflict still came to the Committee for the dialogues, including during the last year, where difficult but constructive conversations had been held. 

    Since the last meeting with States, the status of ratification of and accession to the Convention had not changed; the Convention had been ratified or acceded to by all States except the United States. There had only been one new ratification of one of the Committee’s Optional Protocols during the last year, with Kazakhstan ratifying the Optional Protocol on the communications procedure. Since the last meeting, the Committee had not received any new initial reports under the two substantive Optional Protocols; 36 initial reports were still overdue under the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict, and 46 were overdue under the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

    The Committee had reviewed 23 States party reports since the last meeting with States.  The cancellation of the pre-sessional working group due to the liquidity crisis had slowed down the backlog of reports, which would be 62 at the end of the session. 

    In August 2024, the Committee signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child to further strengthen the cooperation between the two Committees.  In June 2024, a joint statement was issued with that Committee on the situation of children in armed conflict, with a particular focus on education.  The Committee also took concrete steps to strengthen its cooperation with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children in Armed Conflict and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, by signing cooperation agreements with their two offices.

    Ms. Skelton said the Committee was frustrated at the late announcement and cancellation of the pre-session due to the liquidity crisis.  It meant that some States that had been scheduled were unable to attend.  Treaty body strengthening had reached a key moment with the adoption of the treaty body resolution in December 2024.  The Committee would continue to discuss the possibility of adopting a predictable calendar during 2025.  The discontinuance of meetings in hybrid or online format had a negative impact on the participation of civil society organizations, national human rights institutions, and United Nations agencies in the Committee’s work, preventing the Committee from engaging with children around the world. The support of States to ensure the continuation of the meetings would be appreciated. 

    HYND AYOUBI IDRISSI, Committee Expert, speaking on inquiries relating to the Optional Protocol on communications, said the Committee would continue with a normal follow-up as described in the Optional Protocol.  There had been two investigations, one with a country visit and one which was duly completed, with the report currently being adopted.  The Committee had completed two requests to undertake investigations but would not initiate investigations on the requests received. 

    BENOIT VAN KEIRSBILCK, Committee Expert, said currently 52 States had ratified the Optional Protocol on individual communications, but the rate and level of ratification remained low, and this should be improved.  The Committee encouraged States to ratify the Optional Protocol and to provide legal avenues for children to address violations of child rights.  Around 259 cases had been registered and 163 decisions had been adopted.  When views were adopted, in the majority of cases, the Committee found a violation of children’s rights, but there were numerous cases where a positive solution had been found for the child.  The Committee’s jurisprudence showed how the Convention had contributed to children’s rights, with the climate change case being a notable example. 

    The Optional Protocol on individual communications had supported more than 100 children to access education, and prevented children from returning to countries where they would suffer serious human rights violations. Challenges were continuing to affect the Optional Protocol, most notably the lack of resources affecting the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.  The Committee would welcome support from States in this regard, particularly by supporting positions of junior professional officers to support the work of the petition section.  The Office’s lack of capacity had had an increase on the backlog, which was becoming increasingly worrying. 

    The Committee was currently working on a general observation, focusing on the rights of the child to have access to the justice system and effective legal recourse.  Broad consultations had been conducted in 2024, and more than 300 contributions had been received from across the globe.  More than 100 consultations had been held, including many with children, which had led to the implementation of a report.  A first draft had been compiled and subjected to discussions within the Committee, and the Committee had launched a new round of consultations on the text, which would then be adopted in a plenary system. 

    SOPIO KILADZE, Committee Expert, said the explosion of artificial intelligence had created a wide range of opportunities for children, but it also created significant challenges to children’s rights, including safety.  Last year the Committee had decided to focus its work on children and artificial intelligence to allow the Committee to support State parties on positive dynamics in artificial intelligence, in line with child rights.  For this reason, since last year, the topic of artificial intelligence was addressed during the dialogues with each State party, in different contexts.  The Committee had established excellent cooperation with key partners in the artificial intelligence space and had held a closed event in September 2024 for sharing information on child online protection.  As a follow-up, a Working Group on artificial intelligence and child rights was recently created.  The Committee was also working on a joint statement on artificial intelligence and child rights, which would be the first of its kind.  State parties’ contribution to this statement was crucial. 

    MIKIKO OTANI, Committee Expert, said the Committee’s biennial report to the General Assembly included a thematic section on children’s rights and armed conflict, which reflected that the reporting period had been marked by a serious violation of children’s rights in conflict settings.  Close to half a billion children lived in conflict zones around the world, which was double the number from 1990.  During the reporting period, the Committee reviewed reports by several States parties in conflict or post-conflict and made several detailed recommendations concerning children in armed conflict in its concluding observations. 

    Last year, the Committee participated in the Geneva policy workshop on children in armed conflict.  The Committee also decided to take a more holistic response to children in armed conflict during dialogues with States parties, which allowed the Committee to address broader issues of children in armed conflict.  As of now, 37 States parties to the Optional Protocol on children in armed conflict had overdue initial reports.  The Committee had decided to use the simplified reporting procedure to encourage the submission of overdue reports by States parties. 

    Ms. Skelton said five Committee members would soon be leaving the Committee, including Mikiko Otani, Luis Ernesto Pedernera Reyna, Velina Todorova, Zara Ratou and herself.

    Statements and Questions by States Parties

    In the ensuing discussion, speakers representing States parties said they appreciated the opportunity to engage with the Committee and reiterated their support to the Convention and the treaty bodies.  It was regretful that there were no more ratifications on the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure.  The Committee’s support to implementing the Convention was highly appreciated, and the efforts of the Committee in contributing to the enhancement of children’s rights was commended.  One speaker particularly commended the Committee’s commitment to protecting children in the online environment. 

    The situation of children in armed conflict was extremely worrying, and the Committee’s efforts to strengthen the protection of these children were welcomed.  Speakers wished every success to those Committee members who were ending their mandate.  Some speakers noted that hybrid meetings were an important tool for the participation of civil society, children and those from least developed countries. 

    Questions asked in the discussion included: whether the Committee was currently applying the position adopted on mid-term follow up and if so, how did it work in practice?  Was the Committee engaging with civil society on this procedure? Had the Committee sought ideas to pool resources from other regional bodies affected by the liquidity crisis? How could the Committee be involved in monitoring violations committed against Ukrainian children?  Would it be possible to hold a general discussion on the further ratification by States of the Optional Protocol on children in armed conflict?  The Committee’s insights on how to strengthen the rights of children in Gaza were welcomed. 

    Responses by Committee Experts 

    ANN MARIE SKELTON, Committee Chair, said in the agreement signed with the African Committee of Experts, the Committees could consider doing joint follow-up visits in Africa.  Both groups were interested in each other’s jurisprudences under each communication procedures and would like the opportunity to learn from each other in this regard.  The Committee remained open to any suggestions from Ukraine and said days of engagement could be a possibility.  The Committee had been following discussions about the proposal for an open-ended working group dealing with education and did intend to engage in this process. 

    HYND AYOUBI IDRISSI, Committee Expert, said the Committee hoped to see progress in the implementation of recommendations made on individual communications.  The Committee would issue an A, B or C status on cases, depending on whether recommendations had been met.  The issue of the presentation of mid-year reports had not yet arisen.

    MIKIKO OTANI, Committee Expert, said the Committee had realised that more cooperation and synergy had needed to be created among the Geneva mechanisms.  The issue of children and armed conflict was being raised more frequently in the Universal Periodic Review, which gave Member States the opportunity to strengthen the Committee’s recommendation. 

    BENOIT VAN KEIRSBILCK, Committee Expert, said the Committee’s decisions on individual communications took place at two levels.  The requests often involved a demand to overhaul and change processes to ensure greater access to justice.  The Committee wanted children to have recourse at a national level, which could help them satisfy their requests and needs.  In a particular context, the Committee had continued to work with the Council of Europe, providing support to Ukrainian child refugees.  The Committee needed to ensure close contact with the Ukrainian authorities, which was how the Committee could ensure the rights of the child could be upheld during the regretful conflict. 

    ANN MARIE SKELTON, Committee Chair, said the Committee was hopeful that the current ceasefire would lead to a lasting peace so that children’s shattered lives could begin again.

    ___________

    CRC.25.09E

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; 
    not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Where’s the “culture of yes” on climate ambition?

    Source: Green Party

    The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security.

    “This new NDC is the closest thing the Government could do to breaking the Paris Agreement and walking away from our international climate commitments without actually doing it,” says the Green Party Co-Leader and Climate Change spokesperson, Chlöe Swarbrick. 

    “The expert, independent Climate Change Commission demonstrated how reductions of over 70 per cent are completely achievable, making it completely ridiculous for the Government to suggest that 51 per cent is the best we can do.

    “Where’s Christopher Luxon’s much-talked-about ambition and ‘culture of yes’ when it comes to protecting the climate necessary for life as we know it?

    “We have the plan, we have the tools, and we have the vision – it’s been laid out for everyone by the Climate Change Commission. All that’s missing is the political willpower. 

    “This Government loves to compare our ambition to other countries – but only when it suits them. The UK has just set a target of reducing their emissions 81 per cent by 2035. We can do the same, or even better.

    “Christopher Luxon has consistently told us all he’s committed to our climate targets and goals. The Paris Agreement requires all signatories to consistently ratchet up ambition. The rhetoric isn’t matching reality.

    “That reality of climate change is now impossible to ignore. Every decision this Government makes to keep fossil fuels on life support and delay the transition contributes to the growing frequency and intensity of climate change charged extreme weather, ultimately costing us all the more dearly.

    “This ‘culture of yes’ should be about saying ‘yes’ to a thriving future. ‘Yes’ to a liveable planet. ‘Yes’ to the kind of ambition that once upon a time made us world-leaders,” says Chlöe Swarbrick.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2 Disaster Recovery Centers Remain Open This Week

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: 2 Disaster Recovery Centers Remain Open This Week

    2 Disaster Recovery Centers Remain Open This Week

    COLUMBIA, S.C. – Although the deadline to apply for FEMA Individual Assistance has passed, the Disaster Recovery Centers in Chester and Greenwood counties remain open until Jan. 31. Chester County Gateway Conference Center, 3200 Commerce Drive, Suite A, Richburg, SC 29729Open Jan. 30-31, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.Greenwood CountyUnited Way of the Lakelands, 929 Phoenix St., Greenwood, SC 29646Open Jan. 30-31, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. FEMA is encouraging South Carolinians affected by Hurricane Helene to visit these centers for in-person assistance as soon as possible. You can visit any open center to meet with representatives of FEMA, the state of South Carolina and the U.S. Small Business Administration. No appointment is needed. Homeowners and renters in Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Cherokee, Chester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Hampton, Jasper, Kershaw, Laurens, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Union and York counties and the Catawba Indian Nation can apply for federal assistance.The quickest way to receive updates is to go online to DisasterAssistance.gov. You can also visit a Disaster Recovery Center, or use the FEMA App for mobile devices or by calling toll-free 800-621-3362. The telephone line is open every day, and the help is available in many languages. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service. For a video with American Sign Language, voiceover and open captions about how to apply for FEMA assistance, select this link.FEMA programs are accessible to survivors with disabilities and others with access and functional needs. 
    martyce.allenjr
    Thu, 01/30/2025 – 19:17

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DBEDT NEWS RELEASE: VISITOR INDUSTRY CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT IN DECEMBER 2024

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DBEDT NEWS RELEASE: VISITOR INDUSTRY CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT IN DECEMBER 2024

    Posted on Jan 30, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM

    KA ʻOIHANA HOʻOMOHALA PĀʻOIHANA, ʻIMI WAIWAI A HOʻOMĀKAʻIKAʻI

     

    RESEARCH AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS DIVISION

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

     

    JAMES KUNANE TOKIOKA

    DIRECTOR

    KA LUNA HOʻOKELE

     

    1. EUGENE TIAN

    CHIEF STATE ECONOMIST

     

    VISITOR INDUSTRY CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT IN DECEMBER 2024

     

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    January 30, 2025

     

    HONOLULU – According to preliminary statistics from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), there were 910,055 visitors to the Hawaiian Islands in December 2024, a 5.5 percent growth compared to the same month last year. Total visitor spending measured in nominal dollars was $2.04 billion, up 4.7 percent from December 2023. December marked the fifth straight month with year-over-year growth in both visitor arrivals and expenditures. Total visitor arrivals in December 2024 represent a 95.5 percent recovery rate from pre-pandemic December 2019 (952,441, -4.5%) and total nominal visitor spending increased compared to December 2019 ($1.75 billion, +16.6%).

    In December 2024, 892,000 visitors arrived by air service, mainly from the U.S. West and U.S. East. Additionally, 18,055 visitors arrived via out-of-state cruise ships. In comparison, 847,257 visitors (+5.3%) arrived by air and 15,191 visitors (+18.9%) came by cruise ships in December 2023, and 941,128 visitors (-5.2%) came by air and 11,313 visitors (+59.6%) came by cruise ships in December 2019.

    The average length of stay by all visitors in December 2024 was 9.10 days, which was shorter than December 2023 (9.34 days, -2.7%) and December 2019 (9.27 days, -1.9%). The statewide average daily census was 267,000 visitors in December 2024, compared to 259,938 visitors (+2.7%) in December 2023 and 284,924 visitors (-6.3%) in December 2019.

    In December 2024, 452,023 visitors arrived from the U.S. West, an increase from December 2023 (424,808 visitors, +6.4%) and December 2019 (418,520 visitors, +8.0%). U.S. West visitor spending of $922.4 million grew compared to December 2023 ($856.3 million, +7.7%) and was much higher than December 2019 ($697.6 million, +32.2%). Daily spending by U.S. West visitors in December 2024 ($230 per person) increased compared to December 2023 ($226 per person, +1.9%) and was considerably more than December 2019 ($180 per person, +27.7%).

    In December 2024, 228,169 visitors arrived from the U.S. East, up from December 2023 (209,574 visitors, +8.9%) and from December 2019 (215,358 visitors, +5.9%). U.S. East visitor spending of $609.4 million increased from December 2023 ($557.6 million, +9.3%) and December 2019 ($488.3 million, +24.8%). Daily spending by U.S. East visitors in December 2024 ($264 per person) was higher than December 2023 ($259 per person, +2.1%) and December 2019 ($217 per person, +21.5%).

    There were 70,825 visitors from Japan in December 2024, a slight growth from December 2023 (70,348 visitors, +0.7%), but significantly fewer than December 2019 (136,635 visitors,
    -48.2%). Although there were slightly more visitors in December 2024, their shorter length of stay (6.19 days, -5.5%) and lower daily spending ($238 per person, -4.0%) resulted in decreased total Japanese visitor spending ($104.4 million, -8.7%) compared to December 2023. Total Japanese visitor spending ($210.9 million, -50.5%) was down considerably and daily spending ($260 per person, -8.5%) was less compared to December 2019.

    In December 2024, 53,203 visitors arrived from Canada, a decrease from December 2023 (57,885 visitors, -8.1%) and December 2019 (64,182 visitors, -17.1%). Visitors from Canada spent $129.9 million in December 2024, compared to $158.6 million (-18.1%) in December 2023 and $129.6 million (+0.2%) in December 2019. Daily spending by Canadian visitors in December 2024 ($225 per person) was slightly lower compared to December 2023 ($227 per person, -0.8%), but significantly more than December 2019 ($159 per person, +41.7%).

    There were 87,779 visitors from all other international markets in December 2024, comprising visitors from Oceania, Other Asia, Europe, Latin America, Guam, the Philippines, the Pacific Islands and other regions. In comparison, there were 84,643 visitors (+3.7%) from all other international markets in December 2023 and 106,434 visitors (-17.5%) in December 2019.

    Air capacity to the Hawaiian Islands in December 2024 (5,366 transpacific flights with 1,194,302 seats) increased compared to December 2023 (5,121 flights, +4.8% with 1,127,084 seats, +6.0%), but declined from December 2019 (5,676 flights, -5.5% with 1,252,958 seats,
    -4.7%).

    Calendar Year 2024

     

    A total of 9,689,113 visitors arrived in calendar year 2024, a slight growth from 9,657,607 visitors (+0.3%) in 2023. Total arrivals decreased 6.7 percent when compared to 10,386,673 visitors in 2019.

    In 2024, total visitor spending was $20.68 billion, down slightly from $20.73 billion (-0.2%) in 2023, but higher than $17.72 billion(+16.7%) in 2019.

    VIEW FULL NEWS RELEASE AND TABLES

     

    Statement by DBEDT Director James Kunane Tokioka

     

    Hawai‘i’s tourism industry in 2024 continued to recover from the August 2023 Maui wildfires. Data from August to December 2024, which shows year-over-year growth in both arrivals and visitor spending, is encouraging. For calendar year 2024, total arrivals (9,689,113 visitors, +0.3%) rose slightly while total visitor expenditures ($20.68 billion, -0.2%) were just shy by 0.3 percent of the 2023 level.

    The cruise industry performed exceptionally well in 2024 with 168,035 visitor arrivals to Hawai‘i by cruise ships, surpassing 2023 (157,612 visitors, +6.6%) and pre-pandemic 2019 (143,508 visitors, +17.1%) and became the second-highest annual arrivals by cruise ship since the cruise visitor data were recorded in 1999 (the highest cruise visitor arrivals occurred in 2013 when 170,987 visitors came).

    Looking forward into 2025, we expect visitor arrivals to be impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires. Los Angeles is Hawai‘i’s largest source market, accounting for 9.1 percent of all visitor arrivals in 2024 and 30.2 percent of all visitors from California. Our hearts go out to everyone who lost a loved one, home or place of business in the fires. Governor Green has reached out in support and aloha to California Governor Newsom to offer relief for Los Angeles wildfire survivors and first responders.

    # # #

     

     

    Media Contacts:

     

    Laci Goshi 

    Communications Officer

    Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

    Cell: 808-518-5480

    Email: [email protected]

     

    Jennifer Chun

    Director of Tourism Research

    Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

    Phone: 808-973-9446

    Email: [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican Citizen Pleads Guilty To Illegally Transporting Undocumented Aliens

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Angel Ramon Lopez-Hernandez (36), a citizen of Mexico, has pleaded guilty to being paid to transport undocumented aliens to further their illegal presence in the United States. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

    According to the plea agreement, on December 11, 2024, a trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol stopped a Ford Explorer on I-75 in Columbia County. Lopez-Hernandez was driving the vehicle, which contained four passengers. Because Lopez-Hernandez and the passengers did not appear to speak English and because the trooper suspected that Lopez-Hernandez was transporting aliens who were unlawfully present in the United States, he contacted U.S. Border Patrol agents for assistance. At the scene, the agents questioned Lopez-Hernandez and the passengers about their citizenship and immigration status. Lopez-Hernandez and two of the passengers stated that they were citizens of Mexico and that they were illegally present in the United States.

    The vehicle’s odometer showed that the mileage at the time of the stop was 401,996. Database checks reflected that Lopez-Hernandez had purchased the vehicle on September 22, 2022, and that the mileage at the time of the purchase was 158,016, meaning that the vehicle had been driven more than 9,000 miles per month since Lopez-Hernandez had purchased it.

    During later questioning, Lopez-Hernandez stated that he was being paid to transport the passengers and admitted that he had previously been paid to transport undocumented aliens, including from North Carolina to Florida. The passengers stated that they had entered the United States illegally and that they had paid for assistance in crossing the Mexican border and being transported to Florida, where they expected to find work.

    This case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cybercrime websites selling hacking tools to transnational organized crime groups seized

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – A total of 39 domains and their associated servers have been seized in a coordinated effort involving an international disruption of a Pakistan-based network of online marketplaces selling hacking and fraud-enabling tools a group known as Saim Raza (aka HeartSender) operated, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei along with Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI.

    The seizures occurred Jan. 29 and were conducted in coordination with the Dutch National Police.

    According to the affidavit filed in support of these seizures, Saim Raza has used these cybercrime websites since at least 2020 to sell phishing toolkits and other fraud-enabling tools to transnational organized crime groups who used them to target numerous victims in the United States, resulting in over $3 million in victim losses. 

    “Almost everyone has a friend or loved one that has been affected by these types of computer hacks,” said Ganjei. “These scams not only target businesses but individuals as well and cause significant hardship to the victims. Even though these people reside abroad, the use of these websites made it easy for them to spread their malicious hacking tools for a fee. However, today we have significantly disrupted their ability to harm others.”

    The Saim Raza-run websites operated as marketplaces that advertised and facilitated the sale of tools such as phishing kits, scam pages and email extractors often used to build and maintain fraud operations. Not only did Saim Raza make these tools widely available on the open internet, it also trained end users on how to use the tools against victims by linking to instructional YouTube videos on how to execute schemes using these malicious programs, making them accessible to criminal actors that lacked this technical criminal expertise. The group also advertised its tools as “fully undetectable” by antispam software.

    The transnational organized crime groups and other cybercrime actors who purchased these tools primarily used them to facilitate business email compromise schemes wherein the cybercrime actors tricked victim companies into making payments to a third party. Those payments would instead be redirected to a financial account the perpetrators controlled, resulting in significant losses to victims. These tools were also used to acquire victim user credentials and utilize those credentials to further these fraudulent schemes. The seizure of these domains is intended to disrupt the ongoing activity of these groups and stop the proliferation of these tools within the cybercriminal community.

    The FBI Houston Field Office is conducting the investigation. The Justice Department appreciates the cooperation and significant assistance law enforcement partners in the Netherlands have provided.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Rodolfo Ramirez and Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lexington Attorney Indicted for Embezzling at Least $2.5 Million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – An attorney working as a bookkeeper for three Massachusetts companies has been indicted by a federal grand jury for embezzling at least $2.5 million from the companies.    

    David Smerling, 74, of Lexington, was indicted on three counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. He was previously charged by criminal complaint on Jan. 13, 2025.  

    According to the indictment, between January 2016 and May 2020, Smerling embezzled more than $2.5 million from the companies by transferring funds first to a bank account owned by one of the victims that Smerling controlled before moving the money to bank accounts in his own name, or directly from the companies’ accounts to bank accounts in his own name. The indictment also alleges that Smerling concealed his scheme by changing the mailing address on the victims’ bank statements to his home address and refusing to share the online banking password for the victims’ accounts.  

    The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Gun Control and Federal Controlled Substances Acts Violations

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – TROY LOCKE (“LOCKE”), age 34, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on January 15, 2024, by United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter, after previously pleading guilty to nine different counts related to federal drug and firearms violations, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

    According to court records, undercover ATF agents made several, camera recorded, controlled purchases of crack cocaine and firearms from LOCKE in July and August 2023. During one of the purchases, LOCKE had a gun in his lap. During another, LOCKE sold an AR style rifle for $1,000 to an undercover ATF agent.  After these controlled purchases, the ATF executed a search warrant at LOCKE’s residence and found him in possession of two more firearms, including an assault rifle with an extended magazine. LOCKE had several prior felony convictions, that prohibited him from possessing firearms.  In total, LOCKE sold the agents over 120 grams of crack cocaine and illegally possessed three different firearms.

    Judge Vitter sentenced LOCKE to 120 months imprisonment, ordering that he serve 60 months on each of Counts 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9, to run concurrently, and another 60 months on Count 5, to run consecutively.  Judge Vitter also imposed a 5-year term of supervised release and ordered that LOCKE pay a $900 mandatory special assessment fee. 

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

    The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  United States Attorney David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel and PSN Coordinator, handled the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Oak Ridge Financial Services, Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year of 2024 Results, Quarterly Cash Dividend of $0.12 Per Share

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OAK RIDGE, N.C., Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Oak Ridge Financial Services, Inc. (“Oak Ridge”; or the “Company”) (OTCPink: BKOR), the parent company of Bank of Oak Ridge (the “Bank”), announced unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2024, and a quarterly cash dividend of $0.12 per share.

    Full Year 2024 Highlights

    • Earnings per share of $2.06 for 2024, compared to $2.10 for 2023.
    • Return on equity of 9.27% for 2024, compared to 10.38% for 2023.
    • Dividends declared per common share of $0.44 for 2024, compared to $0.30 for 2023.
    • Tangible book value per common share of $23.02 as of year-end 2024, compared to $22.78 at the end of the prior quarter-end, and $21.36 as of year-end 2023.
    • Net interest margin of 3.83% for 2024, compared to 3.86% for 2023.
    • Efficiency ratio of 67.7% for 2024, compared to 68.8% for 2023.
    • Loans receivable of $508.4 million as of December 31, 2024, up 6.9% (annualized) from $500.2 million as of the prior quarter-end, and up 10.2% from $461.9 million as of December 31, 2023.
    • Nonperforming assets to total assets of 0.53% as of December 31, 2024, compared to 0.45% as of the prior quarter-end end and 0.07% as of December 31, 2023.
    • Nonperforming assets were $3.5 million as of December 31, 2024, compared to $2.9 million as of the prior quarter-end end and $461,000 as of December 31, 2023. $2.8 million of the $3.0 million increase in nonperforming assets from the prior year end to the current year end were due to the guaranteed and nonguaranteed balances of six Small Business Administration (“SBA”) 7(a) loans that moved to nonaccrual status during the third and fourth quarters of 2024. The balances as of December 31, 2024, of SBA nonperforming loans guaranteed and unguaranteed by the SBA were $2.1 million and $700,000, respectively.
    • Securities available-for-sale and held-to maturity of $104.4 million as of year-end 2024, up 7.5% (annualized) from $102.4 million as of the prior quarter-end, and down 5.6% from $110.6 million as of year-end 2023.
    • Total deposits of $531.3 million at quarter-end end, up 16.2% (annualized) from $510.5 million as of the prior quarter-end, and up 7.7% from $493.1 million as of year-end 2023.
    • Total short and long-term borrowings, junior subordinated notes, and subordinated debentures of $58.2 million at quarter-end end, down 67.96% (annualized) from $70.2 million as of the prior quarter-end, and unchanged from $58.2 million as of year-end 2023.
    • Total stockholders’ equity of $63.0 million as of year-end 2024, up 0.6% (annualized) from $62.9 million as of the prior quarter-end, and up 8.0% from $58.3 million as of year-end 2023. At December 31, 2024, the Bank’s Community Bank Leverage Ratio (CBLR) was 11.04%, down slightly from 11.18% as of December 31, 2023. A bank or savings institution electing to use the CBLR will generally be considered well-capitalized and to have met the risk-based and leverage capital requirements of the applicable capital regulations if it has a leverage ratio greater than 9.0%.
    • Ranked #8 in 2024 North Carolina Small Business Administration (SBA) 7(a) loan production.
    • Recognized as one of American Banker’s Top 100 Publicly Traded Community Banks under $2 billion in assets. The rankings were based on three-year return on average equity (ROAE), a key measure of shareholder return, for 2021 to 2023.

    Tom Wayne, Chief Executive Officer, announced, “While our full-year earnings per share for 2024 decreased slightly to $2.06 compared to $2.10 for 2023, we saw significant positive developments. In 2024, we achieved loan growth of 10.2%, alongside strong deposit growth of 7.7%. Our tangible book value per common share increased to $23.02, up from $21.36 at the previous year-end. We declared cash dividends of $0.44 per common share, up from $0.30 in 2023. We implemented a 50,000 share repurchase program and repurchased 25,100 shares during 2024. Our net interest margin remained stable at 3.83% for 2024, and our capital and liquidity positions remained strong. Despite an increase in nonperforming assets to $3.5 million at the end of 2024, $2.8 million of this was due to six SBA loans moving to nonaccrual status, with $2.1 million guaranteed by the SBA. We are pleased to be ranked #8 in North Carolina for SBA 7(a) loan production and recognized among American Banker’s Top 100 Publicly Traded Community Banks under $2 billion in assets. We owe these accomplishments to our dedicated employees and the invaluable support of our Board of Directors. I am thankful for their continued commitment to serving our clients and ensuring the Bank’s enduring strength and success.”

    A quarterly cash dividend of $0.12 per share of common stock will be paid on March 3, 2025, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 18, 2025, which represents the 25th consecutive quarterly dividend paid by the Company. “We are pleased to pay another quarterly cash dividend to our stockholders,” said Mr. Wayne. “Paying stockholders a portion of our earnings reflects our continuing commitment to enhance stockholder value.”

    The Company adopted and implemented a share repurchase program in the third quarter of 2024. There were no shares repurchased during the third quarter of 2024. During the fourth quarter of 2024, the Company repurchased a total of 25,100 shares for $321,000.

    For 2024 and 2023, net interest income was $23.7 million and $22.1 million, respectively, and the net interest margin was 3.83% in 2024 compared to 3.86% in 2023, a decrease of three basis points. For the three months ending December 31, 2024 and 2023, net interest income was $6.3 million and $5.7 million, respectively. For the three months ending December 31, 2024, the net interest margin increased 13 basis points to 3.92%, compared to 3.79% in 2023.

    For 2024, the Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $1.4 million, compared to a provision for credit losses of $727,000 in 2023. For the three months ending December 31, 2024, the Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $514,000, compared to a provision for credit losses of $432,000 in the same period in 2023. The allowance for credit losses as a percentage of total loans was 1.05% on December 31, 2024 and 2023. Nonperforming assets represented 0.53% of total assets on December 31, 2024, compared to 0.07% on December 31, 2023. The recorded balances of nonperforming loans were $3.5 million on December 31, 2024, compared to $461,000 on December 31, 2023. The $3.0 million increase in nonperforming loans from December 31, 2023 to December 31, 2024, was primarily attributable to six SBA 7(a) loans totaling $2.8 million moving to nonaccrual status during the third quarter of 2024, of which $2.1 million is guaranteed by the SBA. The SBA loans are also secured by real estate and personal guarantees.

    Noninterest income totaled $3.2 million and $3.9 million for 2024 and 2023, respectively. There were increases and decreases in components of noninterest income from 2023 to 2024, with the following categories significantly contributing to the overall net decrease: Service charges on deposit accounts were $234,000 for 2024 compared to $169,000 in 2023. The increase was due to a new deposit account fee established in 2024 that was not in effect during 2023. Income from Small Business Investment Company investments were $211,000 for 2024 compared to $395,000 in 2023. The Company received fewer income distributions from Small Business Investment Company investments in 2024 compared to 2023. Other service charges and fees were $380,000 for 2024 compared to $524,000 in 2023. The decrease is due to fees realized on a sold deposit relationship in 2023 with no comparable fees in 2024.

    Noninterest income totaled $784,000 and $918,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. There were increases and decreases in components of noninterest income from 2023 to 2024, with the following categories significantly contributing to the overall net decrease: Service charges on deposit accounts were $836,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, compared to $628,000 in the 2023 quarter. The increase was due to a new deposit account fee established in 2024. Income from Small Business Investment Company investments was $209,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, with no comparable income in 2024. The Company received fewer income distributions from Small Business Investment Company investments in 2024 compared to the 2023 quarter.

    Noninterest expense totaled $18.3 million and $17.9 million for 2024 and 2023, respectively. There were increases and decreases in components of noninterest expense from 2023 to 2024, with the following categories significantly contributing to the overall net increase of $409,000: Occupancy expense was $1.3 million for 2024 compared to $1.1 million in 2023. The increase in occupancy expense is mostly due to higher property maintenance expenses in 2024 compared to 2023. Equipment expense was $595,000 for 2024 compared to $872,000 for 2023. The decrease in equipment expense is mostly due to lower equipment depreciation expense in 2024 compared to 2023. Data and items processing expense was $2.3 million for 2024 compared to $2.0 million for 2023. The increase in data and items processing expense is mostly due to higher software licensing fees paid or payable to our core processing vendor. Professional and advertising expenses were $1.2 million for 2024 compared to $1.4 million for 2023. The decrease in professional and advertising expenses is mostly due to decreases in information technology contracted services in 2024 compared to 2023. Telecommunications expense was $278,000 for 2024 compared to $438,000 for 2023. The decrease in telecommunications expense is mostly due to the reduction in unnecessary or redundant telecommunications expenses.

    Noninterest expense totaled $4.7 million and $4.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. There were increases and decreases in components of noninterest expense from 2023 to 2024, with the following categories significantly contributing to the overall net increase of $267,000: Salaries were $2.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to $2.1 million for 2023. The increase in salaries is mostly due to higher salaries and incentive payments to employees for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. Employee benefits were $370,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to $270,000 for 2023. The increase in employee benefits is mostly due to higher expenses related to the Bank’s employee stock ownership plan and employee benefits for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. Occupancy expenses were $321,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2024 compared to $274,000 for 2023. The increase in occupancy expense is mostly due to higher property maintenance expenses in the three months ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. Equipment expense was $134,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2024 compared to $214,000 for 2023. The decrease in equipment expense is mostly due to lower equipment depreciation expense in the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to 2023. Data and items processing expense was $602,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2024 compared to $494,000 for 2023. The increase in data and items processing expense is mostly due to higher software licensing fees paid or payable to our core processing vendor.

    About Oak Ridge Financial Services, Inc., and Bank of Oak Ridge
    At Bank of Oak Ridge, we pride ourselves on knowing your name when you walk through our door. Whether in-person or through our digital offerings, managing your financial well-being is easy, safe, and convenient. We are the longest-running employee-owned community bank in the Triad and have served community members, local businesses, and non-profit organizations since 2000. Learn more about what makes Bank of Oak Ridge the Triad’s community bank by visiting one of our convenient locations in Greensboro, High Point, Summerfield, and Oak Ridge.

    Oak Ridge Financial Services, Inc. (OTC Pink: BKOR) is the holding company for Bank of Oak Ridge. Bank of Oak Ridge is a member of the FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender.

    Awards & Recognitions | Best Bank in the Triad | Triad’s Top Workplace Finalist | 2016 Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Business Ethics | Triad’s Healthiest Employer Winner

    Banking for Business & Personal | Mobile & Online Banking | Worldwide ATM | Debit, Credit + Rewards | Checking, Savings & Money Market | Loans + SBA | Mortgage | Insurance | Wealth Management

    Let’s Talk | 336.644.9944 | www.BankofOakRidge.com | Extended Interactive Teller Machine Hours at all Triad Locations

    Forward-looking Information This earnings release contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of the Company. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are based on the beliefs and assumptions of the management of the Company and on the information available to management at the time that these disclosures were prepared. These statements can be identified by the use of the words “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate” and “believe,” variations of these words and other similar expressions. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, (1) competition in the Company’s markets, (2) changes in the interest rate environment, (3) general national, regional or local economic conditions may be less favorable than expected, resulting in, among other things, a deterioration in credit quality and the possible impairment of collectability of loans, (4) legislative or regulatory changes, including changes in accounting standards, (5) significant changes in the federal and state legal and regulatory environment and tax laws, and (6) the impact of changes in monetary and fiscal policies, laws, rules and regulations. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

               
    OAK RIDGE FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
    (Dollars in thousands, except share data)
      December 31,
    		   September 30,
    		   December 31,
    		      
      2024   2024   2023      
    ASSETS (unaudited)   (unaudited)   (audited)      
    Cash and due from banks $ 8,075     $ 10,522     $ 7,792        
    Interest-bearing deposits with banks   13,102       11,308       12,633        
    Total cash and cash equivalents   21,177       21,830       20,425        
    Securities available-for-sale   85,714       83,769       91,849        
    Securities held-to-maturity, net of allowance for credit losses   18,662       18,668       18,706        
    Restricted stock, at cost   3,439       4,006       2,404        
    Loans receivable   514,292       505,521       466,796        
    Allowance for credit losses   (5,388 )     (5,354 )     (4,920 )      
    Net loans receivable   508,904       500,167       461,876        
    Property and equipment, net   8,664       8,827       8,366        
    Accrued interest receivable   3,135       3,098       2,580        
    Bank owned life insurance   6,268       6,244       6,178        
    Right-of-use assets – operating leases   2,166       2,242       2,466        
    Other assets   5,553       4,613       4,544        
    Total assets $ 663,682     $ 653,464     $ 619,394        
    LIABILITIES          
    Noninterest-bearing deposits $ 119,851     $ 114,152     $ 99,702        
    Interest-bearing deposits   411,464       396,346       393,442        
    Total deposits   531,315       510,498       493,144        
    Federal Funds purchased   1,725       –       –        
    Short-term borrowings   18,000       52,000       40,000        
    Long-term borrowings   22,000       –       –        
    Junior subordinated notes – trust preferred securities   8,248       8,248       8,248        
    Subordinated debentures, net of discount   9,983       9,973       9,943        
    Lease liabilities – operating leases   2,166       2,242       2,466        
    Accrued interest payable   709       1,021       1,154        
    Other liabilities   6,546       6,579       6,091        
    Total liabilities   600,692       590,561       561,046        
    STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY          
    Common stock   26,733       27,100       26,736        
    Retained earnings   37,771       36,575       33,365        
    Net unrealized loss on debt securities, net of tax   (1,771 )     (412 )     (1,580 )      
    Net unrealized gain (loss) on hedging derivative instruments, net of tax   257       (360 )     (173 )      
    Total accumulated other comprehensive loss   (1,514 )     (772 )     (1,753 )      
    Total stockholders’ equity   62,990       62,903       58,348        
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 663,682     $ 653,464     $ 619,394        
    Common shares outstanding   2,736,770       2,732,720       2,732,020        
    Common shares authorized   50,000,000       50,000,000       50,000,000        
               
               
    OAK RIDGE FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
    (Dollars in thousands, except share data)
      Three Months Ended
    		   For the year ended
      December 31,
    		   September 30,
    		   December 31,
    		   December 31,
    		   December 31,
      2024   2024   2023   2024   2023
    Interest and dividend income:          
    Loans and fees on loans $ 8,212     $ 7,971     $ 6,999     $ 31,076     $ 25,150  
    Interest on deposits in banks   217       275       240       887       903  
    Restricted stock dividends   64       67       45       241       186  
    Interest on investment securities   1,279       1,402       1,493       5,578       5,215  
    Total interest and dividend income   9,772       9,715       8,777       37,782       31,454  
    Interest expense          
    Deposits   2,700       2,758       2,168       10,268       6,242  
    Short-term and long-term debt   786       961       925       3,777       3,155  
    Total interest expense   3,486       3,719       3,093       14,045       9,397  
    Net interest income   6,286       5,996       5,684       23,737       22,057  
    Provision for credit losses   514       261       432       1,361       727  
    Net interest income after provision for credit losses   5,772       5,735       5,252       22,376       21,330  
    Noninterest income:          
    Service charges on deposit accounts   234       231       169       836       628  
    Gain on sale of securities   19       –       –       19       77  
    Brokerage commissions on mortgage loans   –       –       –       –       43  
    Insurance commissions   125       169       121       553       462  
    Gain on sale of Small Business Administration loans   –       –       –       –       475  
    Debit and credit card interchange income   285       292       301       1,174       1,225  
    Income from Small Business Investment Company investments   –       111       209       211       395  
    Income earned on bank owned life insurance   23       23       23       90       82  
    Other Service Charges and Fees   98       98       95       380       524  
    Total noninterest income   784       924       918       3,263       3,911  
    Noninterest expenses:          
    Salaries   2,198       2,287       2,112       8,962       8,777  
    Employee Benefits   370       310       270       1,294       1,177  
    Occupancy   321       358       274       1,325       1,092  
    Equipment   134       143       214       595       872  
    Data and Item Processing   602       607       494       2,255       1,959  
    Professional & Advertising   298       332       295       1,249       1,377  
    Stationary and Supplies   21       32       36       131       129  
    Telecommunications   65       71       48       278       438  
    FDIC Assessment   118       118       110       460       418  
    Other expense   441       438       448       1,711       1,612  
    Total noninterest expenses   4,568       4,696       4,301       18,260       17,851  
    Income before income taxes   1,988       1,963       1,869       7,379       7,390  
    Income tax expense   461       460       392       1,706       1,648  
    Net income and income available to common shareholders $ 1,527     $ 1,503     $ 1,477     $ 5,673     $ 5,742  
    Basic income per common share $ 0.56     $ 0.54     $ 0.54     $ 2.06     $ 2.10  
    Diluted income per common share $ 0.56     $ 0.54     $ 0.54     $ 2.06     $ 2.10  
    Basic weighted average shares outstanding   2,744,609       2,761,870       2,732,720       2,752,991       2,728,094  
    Diluted weighted average shares outstanding   2,744,609       2,761,870       2,732,720       2,752,991       2,728,094  
               
               
    OAK RIDGE FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
    Selected Financial Data
      As Of Or For The Three Months Ended,
      December 31,
    		   September 30,
    		   June 30,
    		   March 31,
    		   December 31,
      2024   2024   2024   2024   2023
    Return on average common stockholders’ equity1   9.63 %     9.56 %     8.57 %     9.31 %     10.44 %
    Tangible book value per share $ 23.02     $ 22.78     $ 21.95     $ 21.56     $ 21.36  
    Return on average assets1   0.91 %     0.91 %     0.80 %     0.88 %     0.95 %
    Net interest margin1   3.92 %     3.81 %     3.81 %     3.79 %     3.79 %
    Efficiency ratio   64.6 %     67.9 %     70.0 %     68.3 %     65.2 %
    Nonperforming assets to total assets   0.53 %     0.45 %     0.08 %     0.06 %     0.07 %
    Allowance for credit losses to total loans   1.05 %     1.06 %     1.06 %     1.03 %     1.05 %
    1Annualized                                      
                                           

    Contact: Skylar Mearing, Marketing Director
    Phone: 336.662.4840

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: AI Visionary James Altucher: Elon Musk’s ‘Project Colossus’ Marks the Beginning of America’s AI Renaissance [Video Presentation]

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Renowned AI expert James Altucher has declared Elon Musk’s Project Colossus to be the “single most transformative leap forward in technology since the invention of the Internet.” In a video presentation, he explains that as the United States accelerates its efforts to maintain global dominance in artificial intelligence, Project Colossus stands as the cornerstone of this strategy. Developed by Musk’s xAI and headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, the supercomputer’s immense computational power is driving innovation across medicine, energy, and national defense.

    Altucher, a 40-year veteran of emerging technologies, sees Project Colossus as a defining project of the decade. “This isn’t just about AI; this is about leveraging technology to solve humanity’s greatest challenges,” Altucher said. “From extending human lifespans to addressing global energy shortages, this project is putting the United States back on the map as the leader in technological innovation.”

    The Powerhouse of Innovation: Inside Project Colossus
    Located in an unassuming facility in Memphis, Project Colossus boasts over 100,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs, making it the most powerful supercomputer in the world. It has already surpassed global competitors in computational power, including projects from Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft. Plans are underway to double its capacity in 2025, further cementing its role as the foundation for America’s technological resurgence.

    The Hidden Powerhouse: The Role of a Critical Partner
    While Elon Musk and xAI take center stage, Altucher notes the importance of an often-overlooked technology company that powers Project Colossus. “This company provides the critical infrastructure that allows all of these advanced AI chips to function as a single, unified system,” Altucher revealed. “Without it, Musk’s vision for Project Colossus wouldn’t be possible. It’s the silent enabler behind this revolution.”

    Applications Across Industries
    Altucher highlights Project Colossus’s role in tackling some of America’s most urgent challenges:

    • Healthcare: Accelerating medical research and improving disease detection.
    • Energy: Optimizing energy grids to create sustainable systems.
    • Manufacturing: Boosting efficiency and reducing supply chain bottlenecks.
    • Defense: Strengthening national security through advanced AI-powered analytics.

    “This project is more than just an achievement in computing—it’s a foundation for solving problems that impact everyday Americans,” Altucher said.

    About James Altucher
    James Altucher of Paradigm Press Group is a leading authority on artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. With over four decades of expertise, Altucher has helped shape public understanding of transformative trends, making him one of the most trusted voices in the AI space.

    Media Contact:
    Derek Warren
    Public Relations Manager
    Paradigm Press Group
    Email: dwarren@paradigmpressgroup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Thales will provide the French Navy with sovereign anti-submarine warfare sonobuoys

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: Thales will provide the French Navy with sovereign anti-submarine warfare sonobuoys

    • Thales has signed a contract with the French defence procurement agency (DGA) to supply the French Navy with several hundred SonoFlash sonobuoys. ​
    • Manufactured in France in collaboration with French SMEs, the SonoFlash sonobuoy strengthens France’s strategic and capability ambitions in the field of anti-submarine warfare. ​
    • Deployed from a maritime patrol aircraft (such as the ATL2) or a helicopter (for example an NH90), the SonoFlash sonobuoy enables the detection of submarines. It is fully interoperable with the Flash dipping sonar and the CAPTAS family of towed array sonars.

    Thales will enhance the anti-submarine warfare capabilities of the French Navy by providing several hundred SonoFlash sonobuoys. These expendable sonar buoy are the only such models to offer both active and passive modes: they are equipped with a powerful low-frequency emitter and a receiver with high directivity.

    Combined with the FLASH dipping sonar, the SonoFlash sonobuoys will enable an airborne platform to search for the presence of submarines over a greater range, and offer greater responsiveness to the evasive manoeuvres of these platforms.

    The high-performance communication systems of the SonoFlash enable all surface ships and aircraft, as well as acoustic support centres equipped with a sonobuoy processing system, to receive the data collected by the buoy.

    “Through its SonoFlash sonobuoy and the CAPTAS and FLASH sonars, Thales is proud to contribute to the development of the French anti-submarine warfare sector. The excellence of Thales’s offerings solutions in this field is recognised worldwide and is being put to the service of the French Navy in a context of renewed tensions at sea.” ​ said Sébastien Guérémy, Vice President of Underwater Systems activities, Thales.

    In March 2021, The French defence procurement agency (DGA) awarded Thales a contract to develop, qualify and manufacture the SonoFlash air-droppable sonobuoy: French Navy strengthens anti-submarine warfare capabilities with SonoFlash sonobuoy from Thales | Thales Group

    About Thales

    Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies specialising in three business domains: Defence & Security, Aeronautics & Space and Cyber & Digital. It develops products and solutions that help make the world safer, greener and more inclusive.

    The Group invests close to €4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key innovation areas such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, cloud technologies and 6G.

    Thales has close to 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2023, the Group generated sales of €18.4 billion.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Spain’s secure communications satellite SpainSat NG I successfully launched

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: Spain’s secure communications satellite SpainSat NG I successfully launched

    • Starting in the second half of this year, SpainSat NG I will provide services to Spain’s Armed Forces, international organizations such as the European Commission or NATO, and governments of allied countries.
    • Thales Alenia Space, together with Airbus Defence and Space, has led the construction of this satellite and its twin, SpainSat NG II, which is also scheduled for launch in 2025.
    • The company has been responsible, among other activities, for the integration of the Communication Module for both satellites along with Airbus in a clean room built for this purpose at its facilities in Tres Cantos, Madrid. To date, this has been the largest satellite system ever integrated in Spain.

    Madrid, January 30, 2025 – The secure communications satellite SpainSat NG I has been successfully launched early this morning by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral (Florida). An unprecedented milestone for the Spanish space sector.

    The SPAINSAT NG program, owned and operated by Hisdesat Servicios Estratégicos S.A., comprises two satellites, SpainSat NG I and II. Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), together with Airbus Defence & Space, has led the execution and construction of both satellites, SpainSat NG I and its twin, SpainSat NG II, which will be launched this fall. The two satellites will be positioned in different geostationary positions to operate in X-band, military Ka-band, and UHF, providing coverage to two-thirds of the Earth’s surface, from the United States of America to Singapore. It will provide services for the next 15 years.

    Thales Alenia Space in Spain has been responsible for the UHF and military Ka-band payloads and the integration of the Communication Module for the two satellites along with Airbus. The Communication Module is the main body of the satellite, which embarks the communication payloads that give purpose to the mission.

    © Airbus

    Specifically for this mission, the company built an assembly and integration clean room at its site in Tres Cantos, Madrid, inaugurated in 2021, where the Communication Modules of the two satellites have been integrated. These advanced cutting-edge facilities represent a qualitative leap in Spain’s space industry capabilities for the assembly and integration of large space systems, something within the reach of a few space powers worldwide.

    Being the largest satellite system ever integrated in Spain, the SpainSat NG I Communication Module weights more than 2 tons and measures 6 meters high, and is fully equipped with cutting-edge technology in the field of space communications, comprising hundreds of sophisticated electronic units.

    The company has also designed and manufactured in Spain, France, Italy, and Belgium over 200 of electronic and radiofrequency units that are an integral part of the communications payloads and the satellite’s telecommand and telemetry system. Among them are the UHF processor, the heart of the UHF-band payload; the Transparent Digital Processor (DTP) that interconnects the X-band and military Ka-band payloads; and the Hilink unit, responsible for providing a high-speed service link that will facilitate a quick reconfiguration of the payloads.

    The SPAINSAT NG program

    SpainSat NG I is one of the most advanced secure communications satellites in Europe and ranks among the most innovative in the world. It is expected to begin to provide services early in the second half of 2025 to the Spanish Armed Forces, international organizations such as the European Commission in the GOVSATCOM program, NATO, and other allied governments.

    Its mission is to ensure effective command and control of Armed Forces operations over a large portion of the Earth’s surface, guarantee communication capability in theatres of operations lacking communication infrastructure, ensure secure governmental communications in any operational environment (air, maritime, land), and provide strategic space capabilities to third nations.

    The SpainSat NG satellites, which will replace the current Hisdesat communications satellites, Spainsat and XTAR-EUR, will be capable of providing secure satellite communications with maximum protection against interference or other threats, including a high-altitude nuclear event, with maximum flexibility thanks to its real-time software-defined payload.
     

    About Thales Alenia Space

    Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space delivers cost-effective solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere connections and positioning, monitor our planet, enhance management of its resources and explore our Solar System and beyond. Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping to build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the parent companies’ Space Alliance, which offers a complete range of services. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of approximately €2.2 billion in 2023 and has around 8,600 employees in 8 countries, with 16 sites in Europe.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Make a noise or work with the system? New research reveals 4 ways to create real change for nature

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lily van Eeden, Lecturer, RMIT University

    Ecosystems and species across the natural world are in serious trouble. The vast majority of Australians want more government action, but it’s not being delivered.

    Take, for example, the federal government commitment to end extinctions via its Nature Positive plan. Or consider its promise to overhaul Australia’s environmental legislation and create a new independent regulator. Progress on both has faltered.

    The biodiversity crisis calls for systemic change in humanity’s relationship with nature. This requires bold policy action from governments. Our new research examined how everyday people can help achieve this.

    We mined the insider knowledge of politicians, senior public servants and environmental advocates. The participants were Victoria-based, but their advice applies more broadly.

    Here, we present a recipe for achieving real, lasting change for the natural world.

    1. Be prepared for a long haul

    Change can take a long time. Be willing and able to see out the process. As one government interviewee told us:

    [Change] is not going to happen by one research paper, one meeting, one event, it’s gonna be a whole range of things over a sustained period of time.

    Also, find support. Our interviewees told us the most successful campaigns often happen when like-minded individuals band together. This provides the social support needed to stay the course.

    Remember, change is possible. As one government interviewee told us, this is especially true in marginal seats, where “constant ongoing campaigning at every level” can shift the dial.

    There is very likely a community group advocating for nature near you. These groups sometimes link up with larger, better-funded environment groups, to access their resources and networks.

    Change happens when like-minded people band together.
    Yuri A/Shutterstock

    2. Know the system

    Identify who you need to influence. The person holding the lever might not be a politician, but a public servant. Or public servants might rally for a cause internally, sometimes partnering with community groups.

    So how do you find this key person? Build your networks. Start talking to people in your community and get to know your local elected representatives. Find out what they care about and pitch your message to appeal to their values and concerns.

    One interviewee told us community groups would benefit from knowing more about how the system works:

    What are the bits that can actually change? […] Community members can be a bit aggressive in trying to drive through their challenge without understanding why they’ve been ignored in the past, or feel that they’ve been ignored.

    As another government interviewee told us:

    People don’t see how much power they have if they just use their voice and use it in a constructive way.

    3. Be strategic

    Choose whether to work with the government, or challenge it publicly.

    Environmental advocates can work alongside government to design solutions together. For example, a community group might work with their local council to design and implement management of a bush reserve. Big non-government environment groups often work in this way, relying on strong relationships with government insiders to achieve change.

    The opposite strategy is an “outsider” approach, which, at the extreme end, might include physically disrupting industry. Think chaining yourself to a tree in a forest pegged for logging or ramming a ship into a commercial whaling vessel.

    A less extreme outsider approach might be seeking to get your issue into the media to build public interest to get something on the political agenda.

    Both approaches have their merits in the right context. As one staff member of an environment group told us:

    We’re going to put on the suits […] and we’re not going to scale their buildings and release confidential information that they’ve given us to the media […] I don’t judge those that have that theory of change, because we need both, we need the really extreme advocacy to make us look mainstream and medium and reasonable.

    4. Seize the moment

    Identify when your advocacy might be most effective. It might be an upcoming election or budget, or when a policy is being reviewed.

    Or it might be something less predictable, such as a bushfire, flood or other environmental disaster. In those cases, nature conservation issues are suddenly all over the media. It might be a chance for real change.

    Effective advocates know how to identify, create, and be prepared for these windows. As one staff member at an environmental group told us:

    Some organizations talk about making change. But that’s a harder exercise. Often it’s a sort of a
    catching a wave of something else, or waiting for the opportunity.

    The upcoming federal election is one such opportunity. The lead up is a good time to advocate for nature. Speak with your local politician and their competitors about the change you want to see.

    If not us, who?

    These are well-tested, effective actions you can use to achieve positive policy change for the environment. But remember, the system is dynamic. New methods and approaches will emerge as technologies, modes of communication and other factors evolve.

    Governments, however, are a permanent fixture in the system. They stand to benefit politically by engaging with community and advocacy groups. So there is enormous potential for everyday people to genuinely make a difference.

    Environmental crises can seem overwhelming, but we can – and must – try to make a difference. Because, as the old adage goes: if not us, who? And if not now, when?

    The authors acknowledge Fern Hames and Kim Lowe for their contributions to this article.

    Lily van Eeden receives funding from the Australian Research Council. Lily was previously employed by the Victorian government.

    Liam Smith is a Councillor on the Biodiversity Council.

    Sarah Bekessy receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Ian Potter Foundation and the European Commission. She is a Lead Councillor with The Biodiversity Council, a board member of Bush Heritage Australia, a member of the WWF Eminent Scientists Group and an advisor to ELM Responsible Investment, the Living Building Challenge and Wood for Good.

    – ref. Make a noise or work with the system? New research reveals 4 ways to create real change for nature – https://theconversation.com/make-a-noise-or-work-with-the-system-new-research-reveals-4-ways-to-create-real-change-for-nature-248226

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Ricketts Celebrates President Trump’s Signing of Laken Riley Act with Sarah’s Law

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE)celebrated President Trump’s signing of the Laken Riley Act, with Sarah’s Law included. Ricketts made the comments while on a conference call with Nebraska media.
    “Today, President Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law. This is landmark legislation,” Ricketts said. “It’s a turning point in our fight to secure our border and keep Americans safe. It’s the strongest immigration legislation signed into law in decades. It closes the dangerous loopholes that have allowed criminal illegal aliens to roam our country and hurt innocent Americans.”
    Ricketts highlighted the inclusion of Sarah’s Law in the legislation. Sarah’s Law is named in honor of Sarah Root. In 2016, Sarah was killed in Omaha by a drunk driver illegal alien named Eswin Mejia. She was killed just hours after graduating from Bellevue University.Due to a loophole in federal law, Mejia posted bail, was released from jail, and was never held accountable for his crime. Sarah’s Law, named in honor of Sarah Root, eliminates that loophole.
    “Sarah’s Law – originally introduced by Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa – requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement – or ICE – to detain illegal aliens criminally charged with killing or seriously injuring another person,” Ricketts continued. “It also requires that ICE must make reasonable efforts to notify victims’ families when they encounter a illegal alien covered by the law. Sarah’s Law puts the safety and security of Americans first.”
    “Last November, Americans spoke loudly and clearly,” Ricketts closed. “They demanded change. They demanded border security. Thanks to President Trump and Senate Republicans, Americans are getting what they voted for. Sarah’s Law is now the law of the land.”
    [embedded content]
    TRANSCRIPT:
    Senator Ricketts: “Today, President Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law.
    “This is landmark legislation.
    “It’s a turning point in our fight to secure our border and keep Americans safe.
    “It’s the strongest immigration legislation signed into law in decades.
    “It closes the dangerous loopholes that have allowed criminal illegal aliens to roam our country and hurt innocent Americans.
    “The inclusion of Sarah’s Law is a crucial component of this legislation.
    “Nine years ago, Sarah Root was killed in a car crash in Omaha by an illegal alien named Eswin Mejia (Meh-he-uh).
    “Just hours before, Sarah had graduated from Bellevue University. She was 21 years old.
    “She had her whole life ahead of her. She had her life taken from her by an illegal alien drunk driver.
    “Her killer’s blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit.
    “Due to a loophole in federal law, he posted bail, was released from jail, and was never seen again.
    “He was never held accountable for the tragedy he caused.
    “That’s wrong. It should have never happened.
    “Sarah’s Law will end that loophole.
    “Sarah’s Law – originally introduced by Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa – requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement – or ICE – to detain illegal aliens criminally charged with killing or seriously injuring another person.
    “It also requires that ICE must make reasonable efforts to notify victims’ families when they encounter a illegal alien covered by the law.
    “Sarah’s Law puts the safety and security of Americans first.
    “For years, members of the Nebraska and Iowa delegations pushed for this law.
    “For years, Senate Democrats blocked it.
    “Last November, Americans spoke loudly and clearly.
    “They demanded change. They demanded border security.
    “Thanks to President Trump and Senate Republicans, Americans are getting what they voted for.
    “Sarah’s Law is now the law of the land.
    “The tragic stories of Laken Riley and Sarah Root are painful reminders of the consequences of failed open border policies.
    “These women had bright futures ahead of them.
    “Laken was a dedicated nursing student.
    “Sarah was a recent college graduate.
    “Both were taken from their loved ones far too soon.
    “Both were killed by illegal aliens who should never have been allowed in our country.
    “By passing the Laken Riley Act with Sarah’s Law included, we’ve taken action to prevent such tragedies from happening again.
    “It will put Americans first and keep Americans safe.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: UK: Government’s failure to protect victims of slavery in new Immigration Bill is ‘rank hypocrisy’

    Source: Amnesty International –

    In response to the Government’s Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill introduced today, Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty International UK’s Refugee and Migrant Rights Director, said:

    “For the Government to choose to keep even small parts of the Illegal Migration Act is rank hypocrisy.

    “As the Prime Minister and all who serve under him must know, human rights are for everyone not just your friends and they are for all times not just for when it suits.

    “The Government must safeguard adults and children who’ve suffered the trauma of human trafficking, torture and war – not trample all over them out of political convenience.

    “Keeping parts of this atrocious legislation signals a similar disdain for human beings and the rule of law so viscerally demonstrated by the last Government – particularly given it is the people most vulnerable to exploitation who are once again the target.”

    A reversal of roles

    Less than two years ago Yvette Cooper as Shadow Home Secretary stood in Parliament to oppose the Government’s Illegal Migration Act 2023 in its entirety, including because under it victims of modern-day slavery would be left without any protections as was expressly stated in the motion she moved from the opposition front bench when the Act received its Second Reading in the House of Commons (Hansard HC, 13 March 2023 : Col 582). Less than two years later, the bill she has today introduced fails to remove harmful provisions of the 2023 Act including section 29, which widens the exclusion, first created by the Nationality and Borders Act 2023, of victims of slavery and human trafficking from vital protections.

    View latest press releases

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Sierra Leone: Authorities must release and guarantee fair trial for TV personality detained under accusations of insulting the President and First Lady

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Reacting to the ongoing detention of Hawa Hunt, a Sierra Leonean-Canadian artist and reality television personality who was arrested on live television in December and charged with insulting the President and First Lady in a social media video, Michèle Eken, senior researcher at Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa office, said:

    “Hawa Hunt has now been detained for over a month. Her multiple requests for bail have been refused while her mental health is being affected, according to her lawyer. We call on the Sierra Leonean authorities to release Hawa Hunt and observe all due process guarantees for her in line with international standards, including her right to be brought in front of a court promptly. A criminal defendant may be detained pending trial only when necessary and proportionate to their offences, and non-custodial arrangements such as bail, should be preferred.  

    “Amnesty International has already expressed its concern about the law used to prosecute Hawa Hunt – the Cyber Security and Crime Act 2021. Several cases of possible violations of the right to freedom of expression under the Cyber Security and Crime Act have previously been reported. Offences such as libel and defamation should be decriminalized. Sierra Leonean law should be brought into line with the country’s international human rights obligations.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Canada: Temporary visa programme enables abuse migrant workers, treating them as disposable, report finds

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Programme (TFWP) is designed in a way that facilitates shocking abuse and discrimination of migrant workers, Amnesty International said in a new report today.

    The report, ‘Canada has destroyed me’: Labour exploitation of migrant workers in Canada, exposes the impact of the TFWP, which allows employers to hire migrant workers, primarily for low-paid jobs, across various sectors, including agriculture, food processing, the care system, construction and hospitality. TFWP visas tie workers to a single employer who controls both their migration status and labour conditions.

    People who currently employed or have worked under the programme told Amnesty International that, after arriving in Canada, they were forced to work long hours without rest and received lower pay than agreed. they were often assigned tasks not included in their contract and suffered physical, sexual and psychological abuse. Many of them worked in unsafe conditions, lacked access to adequate housing and healthcare, and faced discrimination in the workplace. Most of them were unable to access effective remedies for the abuses they endured.

    “The abuse experienced by migrant workers in Canada is deeply troubling, especially for a country that claims to be a leader when it comes to protecting human rights,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns at Amnesty International. “Many migrant workers have told us they came to Canada hoping to secure a better future, yet instead, they felt they were treated like slaves. These workers are vital for putting food on the country’s tables and caring for the elderly. They deserve much better.”

    Many migrant workers have told us they came to Canada hoping to secure a better future, yet instead, they felt they were treated like slaves. These workers are vital for putting food on the country’s tables and caring for the elderly. They deserve much better.

    Erika Guevara-Rosas, Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns at Amnesty International.

    Many migrant workers under the TFWP work and live in remote locations and therefore depend on their employer for accommodation and access to health insurance or transportation to get medical care. They face termination of their contracts and a swift repatriation if they fall sick, suffer injuries or are no longer considered fit for the job.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: At a Glance – World Cancer Day 2025 – 4 February: The burden of cancer is increasing – 30-01-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Three years after its launch, Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan is positively impacting lives by fostering collaboration and advancing prevention, early detection, treatment and care while enhancing the quality of life for cancer patients. Nevertheless, cancer remains a major public health challenge, with cancer cases continuing to rise, reflecting population ageing as well as changes to people’s exposure to risk factors.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Infection prevention and action against antimicrobial resistance, including innovative therapies – E-000213/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000213/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    András Tivadar Kulja (PPE)

    In September 2024, Member State leaders and global counterparts committed, under the UN’s Political Declaration on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), to reduce the estimated 4.95 million deaths associated with bacterial AMR by 10 % by 2030.

    Considering the outlined need for ‘stepping up’ efforts on preventive health and advancing work on AMR in collaboration with Member States, as stated in the mission letter addressed to the new Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare:

    • 1.How will infection prevention efforts beyond traditional water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and vaccination programmes specifically addressing AMR be integrated into the Commission’s broader preventive health agenda, and what binding legislative actions is the Commission planning to adopt to ensure the EU meets the UN’s 2030 target for reducing deaths associated with AMR?
    • 2.How does the Commission plan to enhance research efforts and conduct impact assessment campaigns on innovative AMR therapies, such as bacteriophages, antimicrobial peptides, gene editing technologies and modern probiotics to ensure faster and equitable access to the most effective treatments across Europe?
    • 3.What measures will the Commission implement to strengthen the monitoring and reporting of antimicrobial use in animal welfare, ensuring alignment with the EU’s AMR reduction targets?

    Submitted: 20.1.2025

    Last updated: 30 January 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Ensuring the introduction of the Entry/Exit System (EES) is practicable – E-000210/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000210/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Lukas Mandl (PPE)

    As part of the Entry/Exit System (EES), the EU plans to standardise the entry and exit of third-country nationals, including their additional data such as biometric data, and to check and manage the digital information centrally. These new entry and exit standards must be introduced simultaneously at all Schengen external borders (water, rail, road and air). The entry and exit procedure for travellers to and from countries outside the Schengen area will be significantly more extensive and time-consuming compared to conventional passport and visa checks, due to the recording and digital verification of core and additional information and will, generally speaking, require more space to be made available. The introduction of the Entry/Exit System has been delayed time and time again in recent years.

    • 1.When was the Entry/Exit System originally planned to be rolled out, how often did delays occur, what is the current implementation status, and are there plans for a possible trial operation?
    • 2.What impact has the introduction of the Entry/Exit System had on the duration of the entry and exit procedure for third-country nationals, and what technology is planned to be used to optimise the whole process?
    • 3.What is the total cost of the Entry/Exit System – in terms of construction, hardware and software, maintenance, personnel and other expenses – expected to be?

    Submitted: 20.1.2025

    Last updated: 30 January 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – EU funding for the UNRWA, links to terrorism and the need for investigation and alternatives – E-002052/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has been providing life-saving services in Gaza and across the region in line with the mandate adopted by the UN General Assembly[1]. The European Council reaffirmed repeatedly that these services were essential[2].

    Following the very serious allegations against several UNRWA staff regarding their possible involvement in the 7 October 2023 terrorist attacks, the Commission reviewed its funding decision for UNRWA.

    The Commission has engaged with UNRWA’s Commissioner General and welcomed his commitment to tackle the serious issues at stake, including through the adoption of an Action Plan to implement the recommendations of the Independent Review Group (IRG)[3], and the swift follow up on the UN Office of Internal Oversight Service report on the allegations against UNRWA’s staff[4].

    Upon fulfilment by UNRWA of the conditions agreed for the 2024 EU funding, the Commission disbursed in three tranches a total of EUR 82 million, the last of which in October 2024.

    Additionally, a top-up of EUR 10 million was disbursed on 20 December 2024, following progress by the Agency on the implementation of the recommendations of the IRG and of the EU system Audit.

    In accordance with the Financial Regulation[5], all relevant agreements concluded with recipients of EU funds include tools to ensure the sound financial management of the EU budget. Entities implementing EU funds also need to comply with EU restrictive measures[6]. Furthermore, as a follow up of the review of funding to Palestine[7], some of safeguards have been further reinforced[8].

    There is no role for the EU Agency for asylum — which assists Member States in applying laws related to asylum, international protection and reception conditions — in providing support to refugees from Palestine.

    • [1] https://www.unrwa.org/content/general-assembly-resolution-302
    • [2] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/70880/euco-conclusions-2122032024.pdf; https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/2pebccz2/20241017-euco-conclusions-en.pdf
    • [3] https://www.unrwa.org/resources/reports/colonna-report-and-action-plan
    • [4] https://www.un.org/unispal/document/unrwa-investigation-statement-05aug24/
    • [5] Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast), OJ L, 2024/2509, 26.9.2024.
    • [6] Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
    • [7] This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue.
    • [8] https://neighbourhood-enlargement.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-11/Communication%20to%20the%20Commission%20on%20the%20review%20of%20ongoing%20financial%20assistance%20for%20Palestine.pdf

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: 2030 Agenda implementation: FDFA assesses progress at federal and cantonal levels and in organisations

    Source: Switzerland – Federal Administration in English

    Every four years, Switzerland presents to the other UN member states how it is progressing in implementing the 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In its country report, which will be presented in mid-2026, it will also draw on information from the cantons, communes and organisations from the business community, the financial centre, academia and civil society. All relevant actors have until the end of May 2025 to submit details of their activities via the ‘SDGital2030’ digital platform.

    MIL OSI Europe News –