Category: Middle East

MIL-OSI: Viper Energy, Inc., a Subsidiary of Diamondback Energy, Inc., Reports Third Quarter 2024 Financial and Operating Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MIDLAND, Texas, Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Viper Energy, Inc., (NASDAQ:VNOM) (“Viper” or the “Company”), a subsidiary of Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:FANG) (“Diamondback”), today announced financial and operating results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

THIRD QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

Q3 2024 average production of 26,978 bo/d (49,370 boe/d), an increase of 2.4% from Q2 2024
Q3 2024 consolidated net income (including non-controlling interest) of $109.0 million; net income attributable to Viper Energy, Inc. of $48.9 million, or $0.52 per common share
Q3 2024 cash available for distribution to Viper’s common shares (as defined and reconciled below) of $75.4 million, or $0.73 per Class A common share
Declared Q3 2024 base cash dividend of $0.30 per Class A common share; implies a 2.3% annualized yield based on the November 1, 2024, share closing price of $52.16
Q3 2024 variable cash dividend of $0.31 per Class A common share; total base-plus-variable dividend of $0.61 per Class A common share implies a 4.7% annualized yield based on the November 1, 2024, share closing price of $52.16
Total Q3 2024 return of capital of $62.4 million, or $0.61 per Class A common share, represents 83% of cash available for distribution
330 total gross (6.8 net 100% royalty interest) horizontal wells turned to production on Viper’s acreage during Q3 2024 with an average lateral length of 11,866 feet
As previously announced, closed acquisition of certain mineral and royalty interest-owning subsidiaries of Tumbleweed-Q Royalty Partners, LLC and MC Tumbleweed Royalty, LLC on September 3, 2024; closed acquisition of subsidiaries of Tumbleweed Royalty IV, LLC on October 1, 2024 (the “TWR IV acquisition” and collectively with the other Tumbleweed acquisitions, the “Tumbleweed Acquisitions”)
Initiating average daily production guidance for Q4 2024 of 29,250 to 29,750 bo/d (52,500 to 53,000 boe/d)
Increasing full year 2024 average daily production guidance to 27,000 to 27,250 bo/d (48,750 to 49,250 boe/d)

“The third quarter marked a continuation of Viper delivering on its differentiated strategy and value proposition, and was highlighted by both continued organic production growth on our legacy asset base and the closing of the Tumbleweed Acquisitions. As we prepare to head into 2025, we look forward to further delivering on our strategy of consolidating high quality mineral and royalty assets through a disciplined and focused approach,” stated Travis Stice, Chief Executive Officer of Viper.

Mr. Stice continued, “Looking specifically at current operations, activity remains strong across our acreage position as represented by the substantial amount of work-in-progress and line-of-sight wells, and we continue to benefit from Diamondback’s large scale development of our high concentration royalty acreage. We expect our durable production profile, along with our best-in-class cost structure, to continue to highlight the advantaged nature of our business model as we can maintain our strong free cash flow conversion despite the volatility in commodity prices.”

FINANCIAL UPDATE

Viper’s third quarter 2024 average unhedged realized prices were $75.24 per barrel of oil, $0.13 per Mcf of natural gas and $19.89 per barrel of natural gas liquids, resulting in a total equivalent realized price of $45.83/boe.

Viper’s third quarter 2024 average hedged realized prices were $74.27 per barrel of oil, $0.56 per Mcf of natural gas and $19.89 per barrel of natural gas liquids, resulting in a total equivalent realized price of $45.87/boe.

During the third quarter of 2024, the Company recorded total operating income of $209.6 million and consolidated net income (including non-controlling interest) of $109.0 million.

As of September 30, 2024, the Company had a cash balance of $168.6 million and total long-term debt outstanding (excluding debt issuance costs, discounts and premiums) of $830.4 million, resulting in net debt (as defined and reconciled below) of $661.7 million. Viper’s outstanding long-term debt as of September 30, 2024 consisted of $430.4 million in aggregate principal amount of its 5.375% Senior Notes due 2027, $400.0 million in aggregate principal amount of its 7.375% Senior Notes due 2031 and no borrowings on its revolving credit facility, leaving $850.0 million available for future borrowings and $1.0 billion of total liquidity.

Giving effect to the closing of the TWR IV acquisition on October 1, 2024 and the funding of the cash consideration of $458.9 million (of which $43.1 million had previously been paid into escrow, and the remainder was funded at closing with net proceeds from the underwritten public equity offering of Class A common stock that was completed on September 13, 2024, cash on hand, and borrowings under the revolving credit facility), pro forma net debt as of October 1, 2024 was approximately $1.1 billion.

THIRD QUARTER 2024 CASH DIVIDEND & CAPITAL RETURN PROGRAM

Viper announced today that the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Viper Energy, Inc., declared a base dividend of $0.30 per Class A common share for the third quarter of 2024 payable on November 21, 2024 to Class A common shareholders of record at the close of business on November 14, 2024.

The Board also declared a variable cash dividend of $0.31 per Class A common share for the third quarter of 2024 payable on November 21, 2024 to Class A common shareholders of record at the close of business on November 14, 2024.

OPERATIONS UPDATE

During the third quarter of 2024, Viper estimates that 330 gross (6.8 net 100% royalty interest) horizontal wells with an average royalty interest of 2.1% were turned to production on its acreage position with an average lateral length of 11,866 feet. Of these 330 gross wells, Diamondback is the operator of 81 gross wells, with an average royalty interest of 5.1%, and the remaining 249 gross wells, with an average royalty interest of 1.1%, are operated by third parties.

Viper’s footprint of mineral and royalty interests was 32,567 net royalty acres as of September 30, 2024. Giving effect to the closing of the TWR IV acquisition on October 1, 2024, Viper’s pro forma acreage position was approximately 35,634 net royalty acres, of which Diamondback operated approximately 19,227 net royalty acres.

Our gross well information as of October 1, 2024 is as follows, after giving effect to the Tumbleweed Acquisitions and Diamondback’s completed merger with Endeavor Energy Resources, L.P.:

	Diamondback Operated		Third Party Operated		Total
Horizontal wells turned to production⁽¹⁾:
Gross wells	81		249		330
Net 100% royalty interest wells	4.1		2.7		6.8
Average percent net royalty interest	5.1	%	1.1	%	2.1	%

Horizontal producing well count:
Gross wells	2,755		7,969		10,724
Net 100% royalty interest wells	150.1		102.0		252.1
Average percent net royalty interest	5.4	%	1.3	%	2.4	%

Horizontal active development well count:
Gross wells	179		624		803
Net 100% royalty interest wells	10.4		7.3		17.7
Average percent net royalty interest	5.8	%	1.2	%	2.2	%

Line of sight wells:
Gross wells	266		859		1,125
Net 100% royalty interest wells	8.6		13.4		22.0
Average percent net royalty interest	3.2	%	1.6	%	2.0	%

^{(1) Average lateral length of 11,866 feet.}

The 803 gross wells currently in the process of active development are those wells that have been spud and are expected to be turned to production within approximately the next six to eight months. Further in regard to the active development on Viper’s asset base, there are currently 60 gross rigs operating on Viper’s acreage, seven of which are operated by Diamondback. The 1,125 line-of-sight wells are those that are not currently in the process of active development, but for which Viper has reason to believe that they will be turned to production within approximately the next 15 to 18 months. The expected timing of these line-of-sight wells is based primarily on permitting by third party operators or Diamondback’s current expected completion schedule. Existing permits or active development of Viper’s royalty acreage does not ensure that those wells will be turned to production.

GUIDANCE UPDATE

Below is Viper’s updated guidance for the full year 2024, as well as production guidance for Q4 2024.


	Viper Energy, Inc.

Q4 2024 Net Production – MBo/d	29.25 – 29.75
Q4 2024 Net Production – MBoe/d	52.50 – 53.00
Full Year 2024 Net Production – MBo/d	27.00 – 27.25
Full Year 2024 Net Production – MBoe/d	48.75 – 49.25

Share costs ($/boe)
Depletion	$11.50 – $12.00
Cash G&A	$0.80 – $1.00
Non-Cash Share-Based Compensation	$0.10 – $0.20
Interest Expense	$4.00 – $4.25

Production and Ad Valorem Taxes (% of Revenue)	~7%
Cash Tax Rate (% of Pre-Tax Income Attributable to Viper Energy, Inc.)⁽¹⁾	20% – 22%
Q4 2024 Cash Taxes ($ – million)⁽²⁾	$13.0 – $18.0

^{(1) Pre-tax income attributable to Viper Energy, Inc. is reconciled below.}
^{(2) Attributable to Viper Energy, Inc.}

CONFERENCE CALL

Viper will host a conference call and webcast for investors and analysts to discuss its results for the third quarter of 2024 on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. CT. Access to the live audio-only webcast, and replay which will be available following the call, may be found here. The live webcast of the earnings conference call will also be available via Viper’s website at www.viperenergy.com under the “Investor Relations” section of the site.

About Viper Energy, Inc.

Viper is a corporation formed by Diamondback to own, acquire and exploit oil and natural gas properties in North America, with a focus on owning and acquiring mineral and royalty interests in oil-weighted basins, primarily the Permian Basin. For more information, please visit www.viperenergy.com.

About Diamondback Energy, Inc.

Diamondback is an independent oil and natural gas company headquartered in Midland, Texas focused on the acquisition, development, exploration and exploitation of unconventional, onshore oil and natural gas reserves primarily in the Permian Basin in West Texas. For more information, please visit www.diamondbackenergy.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act, which involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding Viper’s: future performance; business strategy; future operations; estimates and projections of operating income, losses, costs and expenses, returns, cash flow, and financial position; production levels on properties in which Viper has mineral and royalty interests, developmental activity by other operators; reserve estimates and Viper’s ability to replace or increase reserves; anticipated benefits or other effects of strategic transactions (including the recently completed TWR IV acquisition and other acquisitions or divestitures); and plans and objectives (including Diamondback’s plans for developing Viper’s acreage and Viper’s cash dividend policy and common stock repurchase program) are forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, the words “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “guidance,” “intend,” “may,” “model,” “outlook,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions (including the negative of such terms) as they relate to Viper are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Although Viper believes that the expectations and assumptions reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made, they involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and, in many cases, beyond its control. Accordingly, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of Viper’s future performance and the actual outcomes could differ materially from what Viper expressed in its forward-looking statements.

Factors that could cause the outcomes to differ materially include (but are not limited to) the following: changes in supply and demand levels for oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids, and the resulting impact on the price for those commodities; the impact of public health crises, including epidemic or pandemic diseases, and any related company or government policies or actions; actions taken by the members of OPEC and Russia affecting the production and pricing of oil, as well as other domestic and global political, economic, or diplomatic developments, including any impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war on the global energy markets and geopolitical stability; instability in the financial sector; higher interest rates and their impact on the cost of capital; regional supply and demand factors, including delays, curtailment delays or interruptions of production on Viper’s mineral and royalty acreage, or governmental orders, rules or regulations that impose production limits on such acreage; federal and state legislative and regulatory initiatives relating to hydraulic fracturing, including the effect of existing and future laws and governmental regulations; physical and transition risks relating to climate change and the risks and other factors disclosed in Viper’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K, which can be obtained free of charge on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s web site at http://www.sec.gov.

In light of these factors, the events anticipated by Viper’s forward-looking statements may not occur at the time anticipated or at all. Moreover, the new risks emerge from time to time. Viper cannot predict all risks, nor can it assess the impact of all factors on its business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by any forward-looking statements it may make. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements made in this news release. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release or, if earlier, as of the date they were made. Viper does not intend to, and disclaims any obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements unless required by applicable law.

Viper Energy, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(unaudited, in thousands, except share amounts)

	September 30,			December 31,
	2024			2023
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	168,649		$	25,869
Royalty income receivable (net of allowance for credit losses)		108,857			108,681
Royalty income receivable—related party		35,997			3,329
Income tax receivable		—			813
Derivative instruments		2,795			358
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		3,882			4,467
Total current assets		320,180			143,517
Property:
Oil and natural gas interests, full cost method of accounting ($1,622,601 and $1,769,341 excluded from depletion at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively)		4,771,268			4,628,983
Land		5,688			5,688
Accumulated depletion and impairment		(1,016,173	)		(866,352	)
Property, net		3,760,783			3,768,319
Funds held in escrow		43,050			—
Derivative instruments		2,727			92
Deferred income taxes (net of allowances)		74,617			56,656
Other assets		4,653			5,509
Total assets	$	4,206,010		$	3,974,093
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	26		$	19
Accounts payable—related party		—			1,330
Accrued liabilities		41,465			27,021
Derivative instruments		901			2,961
Income taxes payable		1,816			1,925
Total current liabilities		44,208			33,256
Long-term debt, net		821,505			1,083,082
Derivative instruments		—			201
Other long-term liabilities		4,789			—
Total liabilities		870,502			1,116,539
Stockholders’ equity:
Class A Common Stock, $0.000001 par value: 1,000,000,000 shares authorized; 102,947,008 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2024 and 86,144,273 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023		—			—
Class B Common Stock, $0.000001 par value: 1,000,000,000 shares authorized; 85,431,453 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2024 and 90,709,946 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023		—			—
Additional paid-in capital		1,429,649			1,031,078
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)		(28,691	)		(16,786	)
Total Viper Energy, Inc. stockholders’ equity		1,400,958			1,014,292
Non-controlling interest		1,934,550			1,843,262
Total equity		3,335,508			2,857,554
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	4,206,010		$	3,974,093

Viper Energy, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(unaudited, in thousands, except per share data)

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2024			2023			2024			2023
Operating income:
Oil income	$	186,750		$	168,008		$	558,203		$	443,927
Natural gas income		823			8,893			8,763			22,974
Natural gas liquids income		20,585			18,713			61,745			47,995
Royalty income		208,158			195,614			628,711			514,896
Lease bonus income—related party		107			97,237			227			105,585
Lease bonus income		1,143			196			2,289			1,730
Other operating income		180			193			461			774
Total operating income		209,588			293,240			631,688			622,985
Costs and expenses:
Production and ad valorem taxes		15,113			12,286			44,720			37,794
Depletion		54,528			36,280			149,821			101,331
General and administrative expenses—related party		2,569			924			7,391			2,772
General and administrative expenses		2,046			956			6,712			3,880
Other operating (income) expense		(236	)		—			(3	)		—
Total costs and expenses		74,020			50,446			208,641			145,777
Income (loss) from operations		135,568			242,794			423,047			477,208
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net		(16,739	)		(10,970	)		(54,736	)		(31,636	)
Gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net		7,410			(2,988	)		5,264			(30,685	)
Other income, net		—			256			—			258
Total other expense, net		(9,329	)		(13,702	)		(49,472	)		(62,063	)
Income (loss) before income taxes		126,239			229,092			373,575			415,145
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes		17,194			21,879			42,729			39,735
Net income (loss)		109,045			207,213			330,846			375,410
Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest		60,128			128,614			181,668			232,294
Net income (loss) attributable to Viper Energy, Inc.	$	48,917		$	78,599		$	149,178		$	143,116

Net income (loss) attributable to common shares:
Basic	$	0.52		$	1.11		$	1.64		$	1.99
Diluted	$	0.52		$	1.11		$	1.64		$	1.99
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic		93,695			70,925			90,895			71,803
Diluted		93,747			70,925			90,989			71,803

Viper Energy, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(unaudited, in thousands)

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2024			2023			2024			2023
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$	109,045		$	207,213		$	330,846		$	375,410
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Provision for (benefit from) deferred income taxes		1,777			355			(505	)		887
Depletion		54,528			36,280			149,821			101,331
(Gain) loss on derivative instruments, net		(7,410	)		2,988			(5,264	)		30,685
Net cash receipts (payments) on derivatives		187			(3,807	)		(2,038	)		(10,019	)
Other		1,390			823			4,470			2,045
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Royalty income receivable		26,163			(23,039	)		2,886			(22,147	)
Royalty income receivable—related party		(1,015	)		(3,047	)		(32,667	)		(1,171	)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		19,107			6,739			14,192			4,156
Accounts payable—related party		—			—			(1,330	)		(306	)
Income taxes payable		(385	)		11,738			(109	)		12,411
Other		(413	)		3,485			1,398			(885	)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities		202,974			239,728			461,700			492,397
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions of oil and natural gas interests—related party		—			—			—			(75,073	)
Acquisitions of oil and natural gas interests		(241,877	)		(51,101	)		(271,052	)		(98,510	)
Proceeds from sale of oil and natural gas interests		(2,967	)		(1,191	)		87,674			(3,166	)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities		(244,844	)		(52,292	)		(183,378	)		(176,749	)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from borrowings under credit facility		375,000			69,000			470,000			260,000
Repayment on credit facility		(552,000	)		(43,000	)		(733,000	)		(162,000	)
Net proceeds from public offering		475,904			—			475,904			—
Repurchased shares/units under buyback program		—			(9,650	)		—			(67,181	)
Dividends/distributions to stockholders		(58,649	)		(25,300	)		(156,553	)		(84,181	)
Dividends/distributions to Diamondback		(64,947	)		(40,200	)		(191,830	)		(127,929	)
Other		—			(4,551	)		(63	)		(5,722	)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities		175,308			(53,701	)		(135,542	)		(187,013	)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		133,438			133,735			142,780			128,635
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period		35,211			13,079			25,869			18,179
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	$	168,649		$	146,814		$	168,649		$	146,814

Viper Energy, Inc.
Selected Operating Data
(unaudited)

	Three Months Ended
	September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024		September 30, 2023
Production Data:
Oil (MBbls)		2,482		2,398		2,037
Natural gas (MMcf)		6,150		5,631		4,900
Natural gas liquids (MBbls)		1,035		983		867
Combined volumes (MBoe)⁽¹⁾		4,542		4,320		3,721

Average daily oil volumes (bo/d)		26,978		26,352		22,141
Average daily combined volumes (boe/d)		49,370		47,473		40,446

Average sales prices:
Oil ($/Bbl)	$	75.24	$	81.04	$	82.48
Natural gas ($/Mcf)	$	0.13	$	0.20	$	1.81
Natural gas liquids ($/Bbl)	$	19.89	$	20.35	$	21.58
Combined ($/boe)⁽²⁾	$	45.83	$	49.88	$	52.57

Oil, hedged ($/Bbl)⁽³⁾	$	74.27	$	80.24	$	81.44
Natural gas, hedged ($/Mcf)⁽³⁾	$	0.56	$	0.64	$	1.47
Natural gas liquids ($/Bbl)⁽³⁾	$	19.89	$	20.35	$	21.58
Combined price, hedged ($/boe)⁽³⁾	$	45.87	$	50.00	$	51.55

Average Costs ($/boe):
Production and ad valorem taxes	$	3.33	$	3.52	$	3.30
General and administrative – cash component		0.83		0.84		0.41
Total operating expense – cash	$	4.16	$	4.36	$	3.71

General and administrative – non-cash stock compensation expense	$	0.19	$	0.19	$	0.10
Interest expense, net	$	3.69	$	4.32	$	2.95
Depletion	$	12.01	$	11.19	$	9.75

^{(1)   Bbl equivalents are calculated using a conversion rate of six Mcf per one Bbl.}
^{(2)   Realized price net of all deducts for gathering, transportation and processing.}
^{(3)   Hedged prices reflect the impact of cash settlements of our matured commodity derivative transactions on our average sales prices.}

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

Viper defines cash available for distribution to Viper Energy, Inc. shareholders generally as an amount equal to its Adjusted EBITDA for the applicable quarter less cash needed for income taxes payable for the current period, debt service, contractual obligations, fixed charges and reserves for future operating or capital needs that the Board may deem appropriate, lease bonus income, net of tax, distribution equivalent rights payments, preferred dividends, and an adjustment for changes in ownership interests that occurred subsequent to the quarter, if any. Management believes cash available for distribution is useful because it allows them to more effectively evaluate Viper’s operating performance excluding the impact of non-cash financial items and short-term changes in working capital. Viper’s computations of Adjusted EBITDA and cash available for distribution may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies or to such measure in its credit facility or any of its other contracts. Viper further defines cash available for variable dividends as at least 75 percent of cash available for distribution less base dividends declared and repurchased shares as part of its share buyback program for the applicable quarter.

The following tables present a reconciliation of the GAAP financial measure of net income (loss) to the non-GAAP financial measures of Adjusted EBITDA, cash available for distribution and cash available for variable dividends:

Viper Energy, Inc.
(unaudited, in thousands, except per share data)

	Three Months Ended September 30, 2024
Net income (loss) attributable to Viper Energy, Inc.	$	48,917
Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest		60,128
Net income (loss)		109,045
Interest expense, net		16,739
Non-cash share-based compensation expense		845
Depletion		54,528
Non-cash (gain) loss on derivative instruments		(7,223	)
Other non-cash operating expenses		(236	)
Other non-recurring expenses		92
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes		17,194
Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA		190,984
Less: Adjusted EBITDA attributable to non-controlling interest		86,613
Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Viper Energy, Inc.	$	104,371

Adjustments to reconcile Adjusted EBITDA to cash available for distribution:
Income taxes payable for the current period	$	(15,416	)
Debt service, contractual obligations, fixed charges and reserves		(8,922	)
Lease bonus income, net of tax		(479	)
Distribution equivalent rights payments		(123	)
Preferred distributions		(20	)
Effect of subsequent ownership changes		(3,963	)
Cash available for distribution to Viper Energy, Inc. shareholders	$	75,448

	Three Months Ended September 30, 2024
	Amounts		Amounts Per Common Share
Reconciliation to cash available for variable dividends:
Cash available for distribution to Viper Energy, Inc. shareholders	$	75,448	$	0.73

Return of Capital	$	62,375	$	0.61
Less:
Base dividend		30,884		0.30
Cash available for variable dividends	$	31,491	$	0.31

Total approved base and variable dividend per share			$	0.61

Class A common stock outstanding				102,947

The following table presents a reconciliation of the GAAP financial measure of income (loss) before income taxes to the non-GAAP financial measure of pre-tax income attributable to Viper Energy, Inc. Management believes this measure is useful to investors given it provides the basis for income taxes payable by Viper Energy, Inc, which is an adjustment to reconcile Adjusted EBITDA to cash available for distribution to holders of Viper Energy, Inc. Class A common stock.

Viper Energy, Inc.
Pre-tax income attributable to Viper Energy, Inc.
(unaudited, in thousands)

	Three Months Ended September 30, 2024
	Three Months Ended September 30, 2024
Income (loss) before income taxes	$	126,239
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest		60,128
Pre-tax income attributable to Viper Energy, Inc.	$	66,111

Income taxes payable for the current period	$	15,416
Effective cash tax rate attributable to Viper Energy, Inc.		23.3	%

Adjusted net income (loss) is a non-GAAP financial measure equal to net income (loss) attributable to Viper Energy, Inc. plus net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest adjusted for non-cash (gain) loss on derivative instruments, net, (gain) loss on extinguishment of debt, if any, other non-cash operating expenses, other non-recurring expenses and related income tax adjustments. The Company’s computation of adjusted net income may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies or to such measure in our credit facility or any of our other contracts. Management believes adjusted net income helps investors in the oil and natural gas industry to measure and compare the Company’s performance to other oil and natural gas companies by excluding from the calculation items that can vary significantly from company to company depending upon accounting methods, the book value of assets and other non-operational factors.

The following table presents a reconciliation of the GAAP financial measure of net income (loss) attributable to Viper Energy, Inc. to the non-GAAP financial measure of adjusted net income (loss):

Viper Energy, Inc.
Adjusted Net Income (Loss)
(unaudited, in thousands, except per share data)

	Three Months Ended September 30, 2024
	Amounts			Amounts Per Diluted Share
Net income (loss) attributable to Viper Energy, Inc. ⁽¹⁾	$	48,917		$	0.52
Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest		60,128			0.64
Net income (loss)⁽¹⁾		109,045			1.16
Non-cash (gain) loss on derivative instruments, net		(7,223	)		(0.08	)
Other non-cash operating expenses		(236	)		—
Other non-recurring expenses		92			—
Adjusted income excluding above items⁽¹⁾		101,678			1.08
Income tax adjustment for above items		1,003			0.02
Adjusted net income (loss)⁽¹⁾		102,681			1.10
Less: Adjusted net income (loss) attributed to non-controlling interests		57,059			0.61
Adjusted net income (loss) attributable to Viper Energy, Inc. ⁽¹⁾	$	45,622		$	0.49

Weighted average Class A common shares outstanding:
Basic					93,695
Diluted					93,747

^{(1) The Company’s earnings (loss) per diluted share amount has been computed using the two-class method in accordance with GAAP. The two-class method is an earnings allocation which reflects the respective ownership among holders of Class A common shares and participating securities. Diluted earnings per share using the two-class method is calculated as (i) net income attributable to Viper Energy, Inc., (ii) less the reallocation of $0.1 million in earnings attributable to participating securities, (iii) divided by diluted weighted average Class A common shares outstanding.}

RECONCILIATION OF LONG-TERM DEBT TO NET DEBT

The Company defines the non-GAAP measure of net debt as debt (excluding debt issuance costs, discounts and premiums) less cash and cash equivalents. Net debt should not be considered an alternative to, or more meaningful than, total debt, the most directly comparable GAAP measure. Management uses net debt to determine the Company’s outstanding debt obligations that would not be readily satisfied by its cash and cash equivalents on hand. The Company believes this metric is useful to analysts and investors in determining the Company’s leverage position because the Company has the ability to, and may decide to, use a portion of its cash and cash equivalents to reduce debt.

	September 30, 2024			Net Q3 Principal Borrowings/ (Repayments)			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023			September 30, 2023
	(in thousands)
Total long-term debt⁽¹⁾	$	830,350		$	(177,000	)	$	1,007,350		$	1,103,350		$	1,093,350		$	680,350
Cash and cash equivalents		(168,649	)					(35,211	)		(20,005	)		(25,869	)		(146,814	)
Net debt	$	661,701					$	972,139		$	1,083,345		$	1,067,481		$	533,536

^{(1) Excludes debt issuance costs, discounts & premiums.}

Derivatives

As of the filing date, the Company had the following outstanding derivative contracts. The Company’s derivative contracts are based upon reported settlement prices on commodity exchanges, with crude oil derivative settlements based on New York Mercantile Exchange West Texas Intermediate pricing and Crude Oil Brent. When aggregating multiple contracts, the weighted average contract price is disclosed.

	Crude Oil (Bbls/day, $/Bbl)
	Q4 2024			Q1 2025			Q2 2025			Q3 2025		Q4 2025
Deferred Premium Puts – WTI (Cushing)		16,000			20,000			20,000			—		—
Strike	$	55.00		$	55.00		$	55.00		$	—	$	—
Premium	$	(1.70	)	$	(1.62	)	$	(1.61	)	$	—	$	—

	Crude Oil (Bbls/day, $/Bbl)
	Q4 2024		Q1 2025		Q2 2025		Q3 2025		Q4 2025
Costless Collars – WTI (Cushing)		4,000		—		—		—		—
Floor	$	55.00	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
Ceiling	$	93.66	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—

	Natural Gas (Mmbtu/day, $/Mmbtu)
	Q4 2024		Q1 2025		Q2 2025		Q3 2025		Q4 2025
Costless Collars – Henry Hub		—		60,000		60,000		60,000		60,000
Floor	$	—	$	2.50	$	2.50	$	2.50	$	2.50
Ceiling	$	—	$	4.93	$	4.93	$	4.93	$	4.93

	Natural Gas (Mmbtu/day, $/Mmbtu)
	Q4 2024			Q1 2025			Q2 2025			Q3 2025			Q4 2025
Natural Gas Basis Swaps – Waha Hub		30,000			60,000			60,000			60,000			60,000
Swap Price	$	(1.20	)	$	(0.80	)	$	(0.80	)	$	(0.80	)	$	(0.80	)

Investor Contact:

Austen Gilfillian
+1 432.221.7420
agilfillian@viperenergy.com

Source: Viper Energy, Inc.; Diamondback Energy, Inc.

The MIL Network –

January 26, 2025

MIL-OSI: Diamondback Energy, Inc. Announces Third Quarter 2024 Financial and Operating Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MIDLAND, Texas, Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: FANG) (“Diamondback” or the “Company”) today announced financial and operating results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

THIRD QUARTER 2024 HIGHLIGHTS

As previously announced, closed merger with Endeavor Energy Resources, L.P. (“Endeavor”) on September 10, 2024
Average production of 321.1 MBO/d (571.1 MBOE/d)
Net cash provided by operating activities of $1.2 billion; Operating Cash Flow Before Working Capital Changes (as defined and reconciled below) of $1.4 billion
Cash capital expenditures of $688 million
Free Cash Flow (as defined and reconciled below) of $708 million; Adjusted Free Cash Flow (as defined and reconciled below) of $1.0 billion
Declared Q3 2024 base cash dividend of $0.90 per share payable on November 21, 2024; implies a 2.0% annualized yield based on November 1, 2024 closing share price of $175.81
Repurchased 2,919,763 shares of common stock in Q3 2024 for $515 million, excluding excise tax (at a weighted average price of $176.40 per share); repurchased 1,029,191 shares of common stock to date in Q4 2024 for $185 million, excluding excise tax (at a weighted average price of $180.13 per share)
Total Q3 2024 return of capital of $780 million; represents ~78% of Adjusted Free Cash Flow (as defined and reconciled below) from stock repurchases and the declared Q3 2024 base dividend
As previously announced, Board approved a $2.0 billion increase to share repurchase authorization to $6.0 billion from $4.0 billion previously

TRP ENERGY (“TRP”) TRADE

On November 3^rd, Diamondback and TRP entered into a definitive agreement under which Diamondback will trade certain Delaware Basin assets and pay approximately $238 million in cash to TRP in exchange for TRP’s Midland Basin assets
TRP’s Midland Basin assets are made up of ~15,000 net acres across Upton and Reagan counties and consist of 55 remaining undeveloped operated locations, the majority of which immediately compete for capital
The asset also includes 18 Drilled Uncompleted Wells (“DUCs”) which provide for additional capital allocation flexibility
The trade is expected to be accretive to both Cash Flow and Free Cash Flow per share and enhances Diamondback’s near-term oil production profile
Expected to close in December 2024, subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions
Jefferies LLC is serving as financial advisor to Diamondback. Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal advisor to Diamondback. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Moelis & Company and RBC Capital Markets are acting as financial advisors to TRP. Clifford Chance US LLP is serving as legal advisor to TRP.

OPERATIONS UPDATE

The tables below provide a summary of operating activity for the third quarter of 2024.

Total Activity (Gross Operated):
	Number of Wells Drilled	Number of Wells Completed
Midland Basin	71	87
Delaware Basin	5	8
Total	76	95

Total Activity (Net Operated):
	Number of Wells Drilled⁽¹⁾	Number of Wells Completed⁽¹⁾
Midland Basin	67	95
Delaware Basin	4	7
Total	71	102
(1) Includes two additional net wells drilled and nine additional net wells completed, respectively, from interests acquired in the Endeavor Acquisition during the first six months of 2024.

During the third quarter of 2024, Diamondback drilled 71 gross wells in the Midland Basin and five gross wells in the Delaware Basin. The Company turned 87 operated wells to production in the Midland Basin and eight gross wells in the Delaware Basin, with an average lateral length of 12,238 feet. Operated completions during the third quarter consisted of 22 Wolfcamp A wells, 21 Lower Spraberry wells, 15 Jo Mill wells, 14 Wolfcamp B wells, 12 Middle Spraberry wells, four Dean wells, four Third Bone Spring wells and three Upper Spraberry wells.

For the first nine months of 2024, Diamondback drilled 211 gross wells in the Midland Basin and 24 gross wells in the Delaware Basin. The Company turned 267 operated wells to production in the Midland Basin and 15 operated wells to production in the Delaware Basin. The average lateral length for wells completed during the first nine months of 2024 was 11,645 feet, and consisted of 72 Lower Spraberry wells, 61 Wolfcamp A wells, 45 Wolfcamp B wells, 40 Jo Mill wells, 34 Middle Spraberry wells, nine Wolfcamp D wells, nine Dean wells, six Upper Spraberry wells, four Third Bone Spring wells, one Second Bone Spring well and one Barnett well.

FINANCIAL UPDATE

Diamondback’s third quarter 2024 net income was $659 million, or $3.19 per diluted share. Adjusted net income (as defined and reconciled below) for the third quarter was $698 million, or $3.38 per diluted share.

Third quarter 2024 net cash provided by operating activities was $1.2 billion. Through the first nine months of 2024, Diamondback’s net cash provided by operating activities was $4.1 billion.

During the third quarter of 2024, Diamondback spent $633 million on operated and non-operated drilling and completions, $52 million on infrastructure and environmental and $3 million on midstream, for total cash capital expenditures of $688 million. Through the first nine months of 2024, Diamondback spent $1.8 billion on operated and non-operated drilling and completions, $128 million on infrastructure and environmental and $8 million on midstream, for total cash capital expenditures of $1.9 billion.

Third quarter 2024 Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA (as defined and reconciled below) was $1.8 billion. Adjusted EBITDA net of non-controlling interest (as defined and reconciled below) for the third quarter was $1.7 billion.

Diamondback’s third quarter 2024 Free Cash Flow (as defined and reconciled below) was $708 million. Adjusted Free Cash Flow (as reconciled and defined below) for the third quarter was $1.0 billion. Through September 30, 2024, Diamondback’s Free Cash Flow was $2.3 billion, with $2.7 billion of Adjusted Free Cash Flow over the same period.

Third quarter 2024 average unhedged realized prices were $73.13 per barrel of oil, $(0.26) per Mcf of natural gas and $17.70 per barrel of natural gas liquids (“NGLs”), resulting in a total equivalent unhedged realized price of $44.80 per BOE.

Diamondback’s cash operating costs for the third quarter of 2024 were $11.49 per BOE, including lease operating expenses (“LOE”) of $6.01 per BOE, cash general and administrative (“G&A”) expenses of $0.63 per BOE, production and ad valorem taxes of $2.91 per BOE and gathering, processing and transportation expenses of $1.94 per BOE.

As of September 30, 2024, Diamondback had $201 million in standalone cash and $115 million in borrowings outstanding under its revolving credit facility, with approximately $2.4 billion available for future borrowings under the facility and approximately $2.6 billion of total liquidity. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had consolidated total debt of $13.1 billion and consolidated net debt (as defined and reconciled below) of $12.7 billion, up from consolidated total debt of $12.2 billion and up from consolidated net debt of $5.3 billion as of June 30, 2024. Effective in September 2024, the Company’s borrowing base and elected commitment was increased to $2.5 billion from $1.6 billion previously.

DIVIDEND DECLARATIONS

Diamondback announced today that the Company’s Board of Directors declared a base cash dividend of $0.90 per common share for the third quarter of 2024 payable on November 21, 2024 to stockholders of record at the close of business on November 14, 2024.

Future base and variable dividends remain subject to review and approval at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors.

COMMON STOCK REPURCHASE PROGRAM

During the third quarter of 2024, Diamondback repurchased ~2.9 million shares of common stock at an average share price of $176.40 for a total cost of approximately $515 million, excluding excise tax. To date, Diamondback has repurchased ~23.3 million shares of common stock at an average share price of $133.48 for a total cost of approximately $3.1 billion and has approximately $2.9 billion remaining on its current share buyback authorization. Subject to factors discussed below, Diamondback intends to continue to purchase common stock under the common stock repurchase program opportunistically with cash on hand, free cash flow from operations and proceeds from potential liquidity events such as the sale of assets. This repurchase program has no time limit and may be suspended from time to time, modified, extended or discontinued by the Board at any time. Purchases under the repurchase program may be made from time to time in privately negotiated transactions, or in open market transactions in compliance with Rule 10b-18 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and will be subject to market conditions, applicable regulatory and legal requirements and other factors. Any common stock purchased as part of this program will be retired.

UPDATED 2024 GUIDANCE

Below is Diamondback’s guidance for the full year 2024, which includes fourth quarter production, unit costs and capital guidance. The Company’s production and capital guidance for the full year 2024 has been updated to give effect to the Endeavor merger, which was completed on September 10, 2024.

	2024 Guidance	2024 Guidance
	Diamondback Energy, Inc.	Viper Energy, Inc.

2024 Net production – MBOE/d	587 – 590 (from 462 – 470)	48.75 – 49.25
2024 Oil production – MBO/d	335 – 337 (from 273 – 276)	27.00 – 27.25
Q4 2024 Oil production – MBO/d (total – MBOE/d)	470 – 475 (840 – 850)	29.25 – 29.75 (52.50 – 53.00)

Q4 2024 Unit costs ($/BOE)
Lease operating expenses, including workovers	$5.90 – $6.20
G&A
Cash G&A	$0.55 – $0.65
Non-cash equity-based compensation	$0.25 – $0.40
DD&A	$14.00 – $15.00
Interest expense (net of interest income)	$0.25 – $0.50
Gathering, processing and transportation	$1.60 – $1.80

Production and ad valorem taxes (% of revenue)	~7%
Corporate tax rate (% of pre-tax income)	23%
Cash tax rate (% of pre-tax income)	15% – 18%
Cash taxes ($ – million)	$240 – $300	$13 – $18

Capital Budget ($ – million)
2024 Total capital expenditures	$2,875 – $3,000 (from $2,350 – $2,450)
Q4 2024 Capital expenditures	$950 – $1,050

Q4 2024 Gross horizontal wells drilled (net)	105 – 125 (100 – 118)
Q4 2024 Gross horizontal wells completed (net)	110 – 130 (102 – 120)

CONFERENCE CALL

Diamondback will host a conference call and webcast for investors and analysts to discuss its results for the third quarter of 2024 on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. CT. Access to the webcast, and replay which will be available following the call, may be found here. The live webcast of the earnings conference call will also be available via Diamondback’s website at www.diamondbackenergy.com under the “Investor Relations” section of the site.

About Diamondback Energy, Inc.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act, which involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding Diamondback’s: future performance; business strategy; future operations (including drilling plans and capital plans); estimates and projections of revenues, losses, costs, expenses, returns, cash flow, and financial position; reserve estimates and its ability to replace or increase reserves; anticipated benefits or other effects of strategic transactions (including the recently completed Endeavor merger and other acquisitions or divestitures); and plans and objectives of management (including plans for future cash flow from operations and for executing environmental strategies) are forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, the words “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “guidance,” “intend,” “may,” “model,” “outlook,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions (including the negative of such terms) as they relate to Diamondback are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Although Diamondback believes that the expectations and assumptions reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made, they involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and, in many cases, beyond Diamondback’s control. Accordingly, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and Diamondback’s actual outcomes could differ materially from what Diamondback has expressed in its forward-looking statements.

Factors that could cause the outcomes to differ materially include (but are not limited to) the following: changes in supply and demand levels for oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids, and the resulting impact on the price for those commodities; the impact of public health crises, including epidemic or pandemic diseases and any related company or government policies or actions; actions taken by the members of OPEC and Russia affecting the production and pricing of oil, as well as other domestic and global political, economic, or diplomatic developments, including any impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war on the global energy markets and geopolitical stability; instability in the financial markets; inflationary pressures; higher interest rates and their impact on the cost of capital; regional supply and demand factors, including delays, curtailment delays or interruptions of production, or governmental orders, rules or regulations that impose production limits; federal and state legislative and regulatory initiatives relating to hydraulic fracturing, including the effect of existing and future laws and governmental regulations; physical and transition risks relating to climate change; those risks described in Item 1A of Diamondback’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on February 22, 2024, and those risks disclosed in its subsequent filings on Forms 10-Q and 8-K, which can be obtained free of charge on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov and Diamondback’s website at www.diamondbackenergy.com/investors.

In light of these factors, the events anticipated by Diamondback’s forward-looking statements may not occur at the time anticipated or at all. Moreover, Diamondback operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment and new risks emerge from time to time. Diamondback cannot predict all risks, nor can it assess the impact of all factors on its business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by any forward-looking statements it may make. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this letter or, if earlier, as of the date they were made. Diamondback does not intend to, and disclaims any obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements unless required by applicable law.


Diamondback Energy, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(unaudited, in millions, except share amounts)

	September 30,			December 31,
		2024			2023
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents ($169 million and $26 million related to Viper)	$	370		$	582
Restricted cash		3			3
Accounts receivable:
Joint interest and other, net		233			192
Oil and natural gas sales, net ($109 million and $109 million related to Viper)		1,197			654
Inventories		126			63
Derivative instruments		42			17
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		51			110
Total current assets		2,022			1,621
Property and equipment:
Oil and natural gas properties, full cost method of accounting ($21,971 million and $8,659 million excluded from amortization at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively) ($4,771 million and $4,629 million related to Viper and $1,623 million and $1,769 million excluded from amortization related to Viper)		79,718			42,430
Other property, equipment and land		1,417			673
Accumulated depletion, depreciation, amortization and impairment ($1,016 million and $866 million related to Viper)		(18,082	)		(16,429	)
Property and equipment, net		63,053			26,674
Funds held in escrow		43			—
Equity method investments		377			529
Derivative instruments		38			1
Deferred income taxes, net		62			45
Investment in real estate, net		81			84
Other assets		71			47
Total assets	$	65,747		$	29,001
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable – trade	$	198		$	261
Accrued capital expenditures		641			493
Current maturities of long-term debt		1,000			—
Other accrued liabilities		857			475
Revenues and royalties payable		1,444			764
Derivative instruments		34			86
Income taxes payable		289			29
Total current liabilities		4,463			2,108
Long-term debt ($822 million and $1,083 million related to Viper)		11,923			6,641
Derivative instruments		79			122
Asset retirement obligations		493			239
Deferred income taxes		9,952			2,449
Other long-term liabilities		18			12
Total liabilities		26,928			11,571
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock, $0.01 par value; 800,000,000 shares authorized; 292,742,664 and 178,723,871 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively		3			2
Additional paid-in capital		34,007			14,142
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)		3,427			2,489
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)		(8	)		(8	)
Total Diamondback Energy, Inc. stockholders’ equity		37,429			16,625
Non-controlling interest		1,390			805
Total equity		38,819			17,430
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	65,747		$	29,001


Diamondback Energy, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(unaudited, $ in millions except per share data, shares in thousands)

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
		2024			2023			2024			2023
Revenues:
Oil, natural gas and natural gas liquid sales	$	2,354		$	2,265		$	6,629		$	6,063
Sales of purchased oil		282			59			698			59
Other operating income		9			16			28			62
Total revenues		2,645			2,340			7,355			6,184
Costs and expenses:
Lease operating expenses		316			226			825			618
Production and ad valorem taxes		153			118			413			421
Gathering, processing and transportation		102			73			261			209
Purchased oil expense		280			59			696			59
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion		742			442			1,694			1,277
General and administrative expenses		49			34			141			111
Merger and integration expense		258			1			273			11
Other operating expenses		35			47			68			113
Total costs and expenses		1,935			1,000			4,371			2,819
Income (loss) from operations		710			1,340			2,984			3,365
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net		(18	)		(37	)		(101	)		(130	)
Other income (expense), net		89			33			87			61
Gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net		131			(76	)		101			(358	)
Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt		—			—			2			(4	)
Income (loss) from equity investments, net		6			9			23			39
Total other income (expense), net		208			(71	)		112			(392	)
Income (loss) before income taxes		918			1,269			3,096			2,973
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes		210			276			685			648
Net income (loss)		708			993			2,411			2,325
Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest		49			78			147			142
Net income (loss) attributable to Diamondback Energy, Inc.	$	659		$	915		$	2,264		$	2,183

Earnings (loss) per common share:
Basic	$	3.19		$	5.07		$	12.00		$	12.01
Diluted	$	3.19		$	5.07		$	12.00		$	12.01
Weighted average common shares outstanding:
Basic		204,730			178,872			187,253			180,400
Diluted		204,730			178,872			187,253			180,400


Diamondback Energy, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(unaudited, in millions)

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
		2024			2023			2024			2023
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$	708		$	993		$	2,411		$	2,325
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Provision for (benefit from) deferred income taxes		51			10			180			185
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion		742			442			1,694			1,277
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt		—			—			(2	)		4
(Gain) loss on derivative instruments, net		(131	)		76			(101	)		358
Cash received (paid) on settlement of derivative instruments		(4	)		(24	)		(36	)		(62	)
(Income) loss from equity investment, net		(6	)		(9	)		(23	)		(39	)
Equity-based compensation expense		16			13			49			40
Other		20			3			77			(23	)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable		106			(256	)		61			(218	)
Income tax receivable		—			103			12			267
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		(11	)		(8	)		78			5
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		(395	)		(28	)		(490	)		46
Income taxes payable		(36	)		23			(51	)		4
Revenues and royalties payable		95			53			109			139
Other		54			(33	)		104			(12	)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities		1,209			1,358			4,072			4,296
Cash flows from investing activities:
Drilling, completions, infrastructure and midstream additions to oil and natural gas properties		(688	)		(684	)		(1,934	)		(2,052	)
Property acquisitions		(7,791	)		(168	)		(7,994	)		(1,193	)
Proceeds from sale of assets		207			868			459			1,400
Other		106			(1	)		103			(14	)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities		(8,166	)		15			(9,366	)		(1,859	)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds under term loan agreement		1,000			—			1,000			—
Proceeds from borrowings under credit facilities		1,011			1,015			1,185			4,466
Repayments under credit facilities		(1,073	)		(1,332	)		(1,333	)		(4,368	)
Proceeds from senior notes		—			—			5,500			—
Repayment of senior notes		—			—			(25	)		(134	)
Repurchased shares under buyback program		(515	)		(56	)		(557	)		(709	)
Repurchased shares/units under Viper’s buyback program		—			(10	)		—			(67	)
Proceeds from partial sale of investment in Viper Energy, Inc.		—			—			451			—
Net proceeds from Viper’s issuance of common stock		476			—			476			—
Dividends paid to stockholders		(416	)		(149	)		(1,316	)		(841	)
Dividends/distributions to non-controlling interest		(59	)		(25	)		(157	)		(84	)
Other		(5	)		(7	)		(142	)		(34	)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities		419			(564	)		5,082			(1,771	)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		(6,538	)		809			(212	)		666
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period		6,911			21			585			164
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	$	373		$	830		$	373		$	830


Diamondback Energy, Inc.
Selected Operating Data
(unaudited)

	Three Months Ended
	September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024		September 30, 2023
Production Data:
Oil (MBbls)		29,537			25,129		24,482
Natural gas (MMcf)		66,519			51,310		49,423
Natural gas liquids (MBbls)		11,918			9,514		8,943
Combined volumes (MBOE)⁽¹⁾		52,541			43,195		41,662

Daily oil volumes (BO/d)		321,054			276,143		266,109
Daily combined volumes (BOE/d)		571,098			474,670		452,848

Average Prices:
Oil ($ per Bbl)	$	73.13		$	79.51	$	81.57
Natural gas ($ per Mcf)	$	(0.26	)	$	0.10	$	1.62
Natural gas liquids ($ per Bbl)	$	17.70		$	17.97	$	21.02
Combined ($ per BOE)	$	44.80		$	50.33	$	54.37

Oil, hedged ($ per Bbl)⁽²⁾	$	72.32		$	78.55	$	80.51
Natural gas, hedged ($ per Mcf)⁽²⁾	$	0.60		$	1.03	$	1.62
Natural gas liquids, hedged ($ per Bbl)⁽²⁾	$	17.70		$	17.97	$	21.02
Average price, hedged ($ per BOE)⁽²⁾	$	45.43		$	50.89	$	53.74

Average Costs per BOE:
Lease operating expenses	$	6.01		$	5.88	$	5.42
Production and ad valorem taxes		2.91			3.26		2.83
Gathering, processing and transportation expense		1.94			1.90		1.75
General and administrative – cash component		0.63			0.63		0.51
Total operating expense – cash	$	11.49		$	11.67	$	10.51

General and administrative – non-cash component	$	0.30		$	0.44	$	0.31
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion per BOE	$	14.12		$	11.18	$	10.61
Interest expense, net	$	0.34		$	1.02	$	0.89

(1) Bbl equivalents are calculated using a conversion rate of six Mcf per one Bbl.
(2) Hedged prices reflect the effect of our commodity derivative transactions on our average sales prices and include gains and losses on cash settlements for matured commodity derivatives, which we do not designate for hedge accounting. Hedged prices exclude gains or losses resulting from the early settlement of commodity derivative contracts.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

ADJUSTED EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA is a supplemental non-GAAP financial measure that is used by management and external users of our financial statements, such as industry analysts, investors, lenders and rating agencies. The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) attributable to Diamondback Energy, Inc., plus net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest (“net income (loss)”) before non-cash (gain) loss on derivative instruments, net, interest expense, net, depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion, depreciation and interest expense related to equity method investments, (gain) loss on extinguishment of debt, if any, non-cash equity-based compensation expense, capitalized equity-based compensation expense, merger and integration expenses, other non-cash transactions and provision for (benefit from) income taxes, if any. Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of net income as determined by United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Management believes Adjusted EBITDA is useful because the measure allows it to more effectively evaluate the Company’s operating performance and compare the results of its operations from period to period without regard to its financing methods or capital structure. The Company adds the items listed above to net income (loss) to determine Adjusted EBITDA because these amounts can vary substantially from company to company within its industry depending upon accounting methods and book values of assets, capital structures and the method by which the assets were acquired. Further, the Company excludes the effects of significant transactions that may affect earnings but are unpredictable in nature, timing and amount, although they may recur in different reporting periods. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to, or more meaningful than, net income as determined in accordance with GAAP or as an indicator of the Company’s operating performance or liquidity. Certain items excluded from Adjusted EBITDA are significant components in understanding and assessing a company’s financial performance, such as a company’s cost of capital and tax structure, as well as the historic costs of depreciable assets. The Company’s computation of Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies or to such measure in our credit facility or any of our other contracts.

The following tables present a reconciliation of the GAAP financial measure of net income (loss) attributable to Diamondback Energy, Inc. to the non-GAAP financial measure of Adjusted EBITDA:

Diamondback Energy, Inc.
Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) to Adjusted EBITDA
(unaudited, in millions)

	Three Months Ended
	September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			September 30, 2023
Net income (loss) attributable to Diamondback Energy, Inc.	$	659		$	837		$	915
Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest		49			57			78
Net income (loss)		708			894			993
Non-cash (gain) loss on derivative instruments, net		(135	)		(46	)		52
Interest expense, net		18			44			37
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion		742			483			442
Depreciation and interest expense related to equity method investments		15			23			18
Non-cash equity-based compensation expense		24			26			21
Capitalized equity-based compensation expense		(8	)		(7	)		(8	)
Merger and integration expenses		258			3			1
Other non-cash transactions		(72	)		6			(12	)
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes		210			252			276
Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA		1,760			1,678			1,820
Less: Adjustment for non-controlling interest		104			103			78
Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Diamondback Energy, Inc.	$	1,656		$	1,575		$	1,742

ADJUSTED NET INCOME

Adjusted net income is a non-GAAP financial measure equal to net income (loss) attributable to Diamondback Energy, Inc. plus net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest (“net income (loss)”) adjusted for non-cash (gain) loss on derivative instruments, net, (gain) loss on extinguishment of debt, if any, merger and integration expense, other non-cash transactions and related income tax adjustments, if any. The Company’s computation of adjusted net income may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies or to such measure in our credit facility or any of our other contracts. Management believes adjusted net income helps investors in the oil and natural gas industry to measure and compare the Company’s performance to other oil and natural gas companies by excluding from the calculation items that can vary significantly from company to company depending upon accounting methods, the book value of assets and other non-operational factors. Further, in order to allow investors to compare the Company’s performance across periods, the Company excludes the effects of significant transactions that may affect earnings but are unpredictable in nature, timing and amount, although they may recur in different reporting periods.

The following table presents a reconciliation of the GAAP financial measure of net income (loss) attributable to Diamondback Energy, Inc. to the non-GAAP measure of adjusted net income:

Diamondback Energy, Inc.
Adjusted Net Income
(unaudited, $ in millions except per share data, shares in thousands)

	Three Months Ended September 30, 2024
	Amounts			Amounts Per Diluted Share
Net income (loss) attributable to Diamondback Energy, Inc.⁽¹⁾	$	659		$	3.19
Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest		49			0.24
Net income (loss)⁽¹⁾		708			3.43
Non-cash (gain) loss on derivative instruments, net		(135	)		(0.66	)
Merger and integration expense		258			1.26
Other non-cash transactions		(72	)		(0.35	)
Adjusted net income excluding above items⁽¹⁾		759			3.68
Income tax adjustment for above items		(12	)		(0.06	)
Adjusted net income⁽¹⁾		747			3.62
Less: Adjusted net income attributable to non-controlling interest		49			0.24
Adjusted net income attributable to Diamondback Energy, Inc.⁽¹⁾	$	698		$	3.38

Weighted average common shares outstanding:
Basic					204,730
Diluted					204,730

(1) The Company’s earnings (loss) per diluted share amount has been computed using the two-class method in accordance with GAAP. The two-class method is an earnings allocation which reflects the respective ownership among holders of common stock and participating securities. Diluted earnings per share using the two-class method is calculated as (i) net income attributable to Diamondback Energy, Inc, (ii) less the reallocation of $6 million in earnings attributable to participating securities, (iii) divided by diluted weighted average common shares outstanding.

OPERATING CASH FLOW BEFORE WORKING CAPITAL CHANGES AND FREE CASH FLOW

Operating cash flow before working capital changes, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, represents net cash provided by operating activities as determined under GAAP without regard to changes in operating assets and liabilities. The Company believes operating cash flow before working capital changes is a useful measure of an oil and natural gas company’s ability to generate cash used to fund exploration, development and acquisition activities and service debt or pay dividends. The Company also uses this measure because changes in operating assets and liabilities relate to the timing of cash receipts and disbursements that the Company may not control and may not relate to the period in which the operating activities occurred. This allows the Company to compare its operating performance with that of other companies without regard to financing methods and capital structure.

Free Cash Flow, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, is cash flow from operating activities before changes in working capital in excess of cash capital expenditures. The Company believes that Free Cash Flow is useful to investors as it provides measures to compare both cash flow from operating activities and additions to oil and natural gas properties across periods on a consistent basis as adjusted for non-recurring tax impacts from divestitures, merger and integration expenses, the early termination of derivative contracts and settlements of treasury locks. These measures should not be considered as an alternative to, or more meaningful than, net cash provided by operating activities as an indicator of operating performance. The Company’s computation of Free Cash Flow may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. The Company uses Free Cash Flow to reduce debt, as well as return capital to stockholders as determined by the Board of Directors.

The following tables present a reconciliation of the GAAP financial measure of net cash provided by operating activities to the non-GAAP measure of operating cash flow before working capital changes and to the non-GAAP measure of Free Cash Flow:

Diamondback Energy, Inc.
Operating Cash Flow Before Working Capital Changes and Free Cash Flow
(unaudited, in millions)

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
		2024			2023			2024			2023
Net cash provided by operating activities	$	1,209		$	1,358		$	4,072		$	4,296
Less: Changes in cash due to changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable		106			(256	)		61			(218	)
Income tax receivable		—			103			12			267
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		(11	)		(8	)		78			5
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		(395	)		(28	)		(490	)		46
Income taxes payable		(36	)		23			(51	)		4
Revenues and royalties payable		95			53			109			139
Other		54			(33	)		104			(12	)
Total working capital changes		(187	)		(146	)		(177	)		231
Operating cash flow before working capital changes		1,396			1,504			4,249			4,065
Drilling, completions, infrastructure and midstream additions to oil and natural gas properties		(688	)		(684	)		(1,934	)		(2,052	)
Total Cash CAPEX		(688	)		(684	)		(1,934	)		(2,052	)
Free Cash Flow		708			820			2,315			2,013
Tax impact from divestitures⁽¹⁾		—			64			—			64
Merger and integration expenses		258			—			273			—
Early termination of derivatives		37			—			37			—
Treasury locks		—			—			25			—
Adjusted Free Cash Flow	$	1,003		$	884		$	2,650		$	2,077

(1) Includes the tax impact for the disposal of certain Midland Basin water assets and Delaware Basin oil gathering assets.

NET DEBT

The Company defines the non-GAAP measure of net debt as total debt (excluding debt issuance costs, discounts, premiums and unamortized basis adjustments) less cash and cash equivalents. Net debt should not be considered an alternative to, or more meaningful than, total debt, the most directly comparable GAAP measure. Management uses net debt to determine the Company’s outstanding debt obligations that would not be readily satisfied by its cash and cash equivalents on hand. The Company believes this metric is useful to analysts and investors in determining the Company’s leverage position because the Company has the ability to, and may decide to, use a portion of its cash and cash equivalents to reduce debt.

Diamondback Energy, Inc.
Net Debt
(unaudited, in millions)

	September 30, 2024			Net Q3 Principal Borrowings/ (Repayments)			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023			September 30, 2023
	(in millions)
Diamondback Energy, Inc.⁽¹⁾	$	12,284		$	1,115		$	11,169		$	5,669		$	5,697		$	5,697
Viper Energy, Inc.⁽¹⁾		830			(177	)		1,007			1,103			1,093			680
Total debt		13,114		$	938			12,176			6,772			6,790			6,377
Cash and cash equivalents		(370	)					(6,908	)		(896	)		(582	)		(827	)
Net debt	$	12,744					$	5,268		$	5,876		$	6,208		$	5,550

(1) Excludes debt issuance costs, discounts, premiums and unamortized basis adjustments.

DERIVATIVES

As of November 1, 2024, the Company had the following outstanding consolidated derivative contracts, including derivative contracts at Viper Energy, Inc. The Company’s derivative contracts are based upon reported settlement prices on commodity exchanges, with crude oil derivative settlements based on New York Mercantile Exchange West Texas Intermediate pricing and Crude Oil Brent pricing and with natural gas derivative settlements based on the New York Mercantile Exchange Henry Hub pricing. When aggregating multiple contracts, the weighted average contract price is disclosed.

	Crude Oil (Bbls/day, $/Bbl)
	Q4 2024	Q1 2025	Q2 2025	Q3 2025	Q4 2025	FY2026
Long Puts – Crude Brent Oil	82,000	52,000	33,000	10,000	—	—
Long Put Price ($/Bbl)	$57.44	$60.00	$60.00	$60.00	—	—
Deferred Premium ($/Bbl)	$-1.52	$-1.48	$-1.50	$-1.63	—	—
Long Puts – WTI (Magellan East Houston)	35,000	58,000	46,000	22,000	—	—
Long Put Price ($/Bbl)	$57.57	$56.21	$55.22	$55.00	—	—
Deferred Premium ($/Bbl)	$-1.61	$-1.58	$-1.56	$-1.64	—	—
Long Puts – WTI (Cushing)	125,000	138,000	109,000	38,000	—	—
Long Put Price ($/Bbl)	$57.28	$56.63	$55.73	$55.00	—	—
Deferred Premium ($/Bbl)	$-1.61	$-1.58	$-1.56	$-1.50	—	—
Costless Collars – WTI (Cushing)	46,000	13,000	—	—	—	—
Long Put Price ($/Bbl)	$60.87	$60.00	—	—	—	—
Short Call Price ($/Bbl)	$89.91	$89.55	—	—	—	—
Basis Swaps – WTI (Midland)	43,000	58,000	45,000	45,000	45,000	—
Basis Swaps – WTI (Midland)	$1.18	$1.10	$1.08	$1.08	$1.08	—
Roll Swaps – WTI	40,000	—	—	—	—	—
Roll Swaps – WTI	$0.82	—	—	—	—	—

	Natural Gas (Mmbtu/day, $/Mmbtu)
	Q4 2024	Q1 2025	Q2 2025	Q3 2025	Q4 2025	FY 2026
Costless Collars – Henry Hub	398,261	690,000	630,000	630,000	630,000	80,000
Long Put Price ($/Mmbtu)	$2.78	$2.53	$2.49	$2.49	$2.49	$2.50
Ceiling Price ($/Mmbtu)	$6.53	$5.41	$5.46	$5.46	$5.46	$5.95
Natural Gas Swaps – Henry Hub	13,370	—	—	—	—	—
Natural Gas Swaps – Henry Hub	$3.23	—	—	—	—	—
Natural Gas Basis Swaps – Waha Hub	471,630	650,000	590,000	590,000	590,000	10,000
Natural Gas Basis Swaps – Waha Hub	$-1.11	$-0.80	$-0.83	$-0.83	$-0.83	$-1.25

Investor Contact:
Adam Lawlis
+1 432.221.7467
alawlis@diamondbackenergy.com

The MIL Network –

January 26, 2025

MIL-OSI: Letter to Stockholders Issued By Diamondback Energy, Inc.

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MIDLAND, Texas, Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

Diamondback Stockholders,

This letter is meant to be a supplement to our earnings release and is being furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and released to our stockholders simultaneously with our earnings release. Please see the information regarding forward-looking statements and non-GAAP financial information included at the end of this letter.

Endeavor Closing:
Diamondback closed the Endeavor transaction on September 10^th, which began the next chapter of the Company’s short history. In just under two months, the Diamondback and Endeavor teams have worked quickly towards a seamless integration. We onboarded more than 1,000 employees, moved over 650 combined offices and began working as one functional organization in the first week post-close.

The teams have already begun sharing best practices, which we witnessed in our first pro forma quarterly operations reviews a few weeks ago. At a high level, we have essentially merged two teams of basin experts. While we were once competitors, we can now share best practices and learnings from years of drilling and completing wells in the Midland Basin with what we believe is more combined data and basin experience than any competitor. This is a synergy that could not be modeled in our spreadsheet when the deal was announced, but I am confident this will accrue to the benefit of our stockholders in short order.

We are ahead of schedule in delivering the operational synergies we promised in conjunction with the merger. Our drilling and completions teams have already implemented the two most significant operational synergies: clear fluids for drilling and SimulFrac for completions. All our development in the fourth quarter will be executed with SimulFrac completions crews, with spot crews to be used for single-well tests like the Barnett Shale in the Midland Basin. On the drilling side, as of today, all of our rigs are operating with clear fluid drilling systems, and we have already seen wells on legacy Endeavor acreage drilled below post-synergy-expected cost per lateral foot.

At time of deal announcement, we promised to drill and complete wells for $625 per lateral foot in 2025 on Endeavor’s acreage. I can say that today, in real time and two months post-announcement, we are averaging $600 per lateral foot across the combined Company – above expectations and ahead of schedule.

We are also actively learning from the Endeavor teams. On the execution front, we are optimistic about application and integration of some early learnings around the post-completion, drill-out process and believe there to be significant best practices to be shared across the combined production operations groups. We are also closely studying the various completion designs from the two companies and are confident the combination of the best completion design with the lowest cost execution will be a winning formula.

As a result, I could not be more excited about the early progress from integration and remain confident in the team’s ability to meet or exceed the synergies promised at deal announcement.

TRP Energy (“TRP”) Asset Trade:
Our new combined acreage footprint has given us the flexibility to look at different opportunities across the Permian Basin. This is exemplified by a trade we just executed, where we signed an exchange agreement with TRP that allows us to play offense in our backyard by swapping a PDP-heavy asset in the Delaware Basin for a Midland Basin asset with more near-term development potential. In exchange for our Vermejo asset and ~$238 million in cash, we will receive TRP’s Midland Basin asset, which consists of approximately 15,000 net acres located in Upton and Reagan counties. The asset we will acquire in this trade has 55 remaining undeveloped operated locations, the majority of which compete for capital right away. The trade is expected to be accretive to our 2025 Cash Flow and Free Cash Flow per share and will high grade our inventory. We expect this trade to close by year-end, subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions.

We will also continue to look for ways to improve our asset base, whether it be through traditional trades to be able to drill longer laterals and increase operated working interests or “out of the box” ideas such as TRP.

Third Quarter Operational Performance:
I am proud of our team’s ability to execute regardless of the circumstances and the third quarter was no exception. Our team put operations first even as many moved offices, integrated new team members and began to understand a large new asset. We are currently running 20 drilling rigs and expect to be down to 18 operated rigs by year-end. What we originally expected to drill with 22 – 24 rigs in 2025, we now expect we can drill with closer to 18 rigs. This is purely based on continued efficiency gains, a testament to the prowess of our drilling organization.

On the completions side of the business, we are currently running four SimulFrac crews, three of which are electric. We continue to exceed our original key performance indicators for 2024. We are completing on average nearly 4,000 lateral feet per day per crew, 30% more than we originally planned heading into the year. This increase is driven by higher pumping hours per day, higher average pump rates, lower swap times per stage and faster move times between pads.

Production:
For the quarter, Diamondback produced 321.1 MBO/d (571.1 MBOE/d), above the high end of the guidance range of 319 – 321 MBO/d (565 – 569 MBOE/d) that we released in October. As a reminder, this third quarter production incorporates twenty-one days of legacy Endeavor production. Well performance continues to meet or exceed expectations in our core Midland Basin position, setting us up well to continue to execute and achieve additional capital efficiency gains.

For the fourth quarter of 2024, we expect to produce 470 – 475 MBO/d (840 – 850 MBOE/d). This includes a minor contribution from Viper’s closed acquisition of Tumbleweed. It also shows we expect to hit pro forma production expectations sooner than originally expected.

Capital Expenditures:
In the third quarter, we spent $688 million on capital expenditures, which is in the middle of our updated guidance range of $675 – $700 million. For the fourth quarter, we expect to spend $950 – $1,050 million of capex.

The macro environment for oil prices and near-term global oil supply and demand dynamics remains volatile at best and tenuous at worst. Diamondback’s base case 2025 plan is still what was laid out with the Endeavor merger announcement in February (“generate oil production of 470 – 480 MBO/d (800 – 825 MBOE/d) with a capital budget of approximately $4.1 – $4.4 billion”), with oil production expected to increase by approximately 5 MBO/d due to contribution from the Viper Tumbleweed acquisition.

On the other hand, we are actively working all our options for 2025, including continuing to refine this base case plan. Should oil prices weaken from current levels, we will make the correct capital allocation decision and focus on Free Cash Flow generation and capital efficiency over oil volumes. Our size, scale, cost structure and inventory quality position us well for whatever direction the macro decides to take. Our return of capital program, combined with a strong balance sheet, allows us to increase stockholder returns when volatility increases.

Operating Costs:
Total cash operating costs decreased slightly quarter over quarter to $11.49 per BOE. Lease operating expense (“LOE”) in the third quarter was $6.01 per BOE, within our annual guidance range of $5.90 – $6.40 per BOE. Cash G&A was $0.63 within our annual guidance range of $0.55 – $0.65 per BOE. We have announced a preliminary look at run rate pro forma operating expenses and expect to solidify these numbers when we update the market for 2025 unit cost guidance. DD&A increased quarter over quarter to $14.12 as a result of the Endeavor assets being added to our balance sheet.

Financial Performance and Return of Capital:
Diamondback generated $1.2 billion of net cash provided by operating activities and operating cash flow before working capital changes of $1.4 billion. Adjusted Free Cash Flow was $1.0 billion. Unique to this quarter, we adjusted Free Cash Flow upwards to account for two one-time items: $258 million of merger and integration expense and $37 million of costs associated with unwinding a portion of our outstanding swap to floating interest rate hedges.

We will return ~78% of that Adjusted Free Cash Flow to stockholders through our base dividend and share repurchases. Our willingness to go above our base 50% return threshold was driven by our opportunistic share repurchase program, as we bought back ~$515 million worth of common stock at an average price of $176.40 / share in the third quarter. This includes 2 million shares repurchased for ~$350 million at a price of $175.11 per share in conjunction with the September secondary offering, where legacy Endeavor stockholders sold approximately 14.4 million shares. Diamondback’s participation in the offering is consistent with our opportunistic repurchase methodology, leaning into our repurchase program when we view our stock to be attractively valued at mid-cycle oil pricing.

We have continued to be active repurchasing shares in the fourth quarter, and quarter to date have bought back over $185 million worth of shares at an average share price of approximately $180.13.

As previously announced, our Board recently increased our share repurchase authorization to $6.0 billion from $4.0 billion previously. This gives us the flexibility to allocate capital appropriately and buy back shares in times of market stress.

Balance Sheet:
At quarter-end, we had approximately $13.1 billion of gross debt and $12.7 billion of net debt. We ended the quarter with $2.6 billion of liquidity at Diamondback, as we increased our borrowing base and elected commitments on our revolving credit facility to $2.5 billion from $1.6 billion previously.

In September, we also received upgrades from two of the three rating agencies, as S&P upgraded us to BBB from BBB- and Fitch moved us to BBB+ from BBB. Moody’s remained at Baa2.

As we have stated previously, our near-term goal is to lower consolidated net debt below $10 billion, which we expect to achieve through Free Cash Flow generation and proceeds from non-core asset sales. Our long-term priority is to maintain a leverage ratio of approximately 0.5x at mid-cycle oil pricing, or approximately $6 to $8 billion of net debt. We feel we can achieve this goal within the next couple of years solely by dedicating 50% of Free Cash Flow to debt paydown, while reserving the ability to flex up stockholder returns through opportunistic stock repurchases at times of excessive market volatility or one-time events such as secondary equity sell-downs.

Other Business:
We continue to use our equity method investments as valuable tools to improve our core operating business while also generating impressive returns, adding significant cash to our balance sheet. As we previously announced in July, Energy Transfer LP completed its acquisition of WTG Midstream Holdings LLC (“WTG”). Additionally, during the third quarter we completed the sale of our 4% interest in the Wink to Webster Pipeline.

With the sales of WTG and Wink to Webster complete, we now have three equity method investments remaining in our portfolio: the EPIC crude pipeline (“EPIC”), the BANGL Y-grade NGL pipeline and the Deep Blue sustainable water management company. We recently increased our ownership in EPIC from 10.0% to 27.5% and are excited about the growth potential of this long-haul crude pipe as well as our other investments. As such, we do not feel now is the right time to monetize these assets.

We continue to believe we can add significant value to our minerals company Viper (NASDAQ: VNOM) and Deep Blue through the potential drop down of Endeavor overrides and minerals to Viper and the sale of Endeavor’s extensive water infrastructure to Deep Blue, potentially accelerating our de-leveraging efforts in early 2025.

We are also excited about what we see as the next wave of equity method investments for Diamondback: power generation and potentially data center development. By leveraging our 65,000 surface acres in West Texas, cheap natural gas and abundant supply of produced water, we believe we can be a premier partner in this new wave of development. By generating our own in-basin power, we can solve two long-term issues that have plagued the Permian Basin: the need for natural gas egress and cheap, reliable electricity. We look forward to updating our stockholders on our progress on these initiatives in the coming quarters.

Closing:
2024 has been a transformative year for Diamondback. We are intensely focused on delivering on the promises we made to the market around synergies and believe, eight weeks in, we have a significant head start relative to original expectations.

Thank you for your ongoing support and interest in Diamondback Energy.

Travis D. Stice
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

Investor Contact:
Adam Lawlis
+1 432.221.7467
alawlis@diamondbackenergy.com

Forward-Looking Statements:

This letter contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding future performance; business strategy; future operations (including drilling plans and capital plans); estimates and projections of revenues, losses, costs, expenses, returns, cash flow, and financial position; reserve estimates and its ability to replace or increase reserves; anticipated benefits or other effects of strategic transactions (including the recently completed Endeavor merger and other acquisitions or divestitures); the expected amount and timing of synergies from the Endeavor merger; and plans and objectives of management (including plans for future cash flow from operations and for executing environmental strategies) are forward-looking statements. When used in this letter, the words “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “guidance,” “intend,” “may,” “model,” “outlook,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions (including the negative of such terms) are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Although Diamondback believes that the expectations and assumptions reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made, they involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and, in many cases, beyond Diamondback’s control. Accordingly, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual outcomes could differ materially from what Diamondback has expressed in its forward-looking statements.

Factors that could cause the outcomes to differ materially include (but are not limited to) the following: changes in supply and demand levels for oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids, and the resulting impact on the price for those commodities; the impact of public health crises, including epidemic or pandemic diseases and any related company or government policies or actions; actions taken by the members of OPEC and Russia affecting the production and pricing of oil, as well as other domestic and global political, economic, or diplomatic developments, including any impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war on the global energy markets and geopolitical stability; instability in the financial markets; concerns over a potential economic slowdown or recession; inflationary pressures; higher interest rates and their impact on the cost of capital; regional supply and demand factors, including delays, curtailment delays or interruptions of production, or governmental orders, rules or regulations that impose production limits; federal and state legislative and regulatory initiatives relating to hydraulic fracturing, including the effect of existing and future laws and governmental regulations; physical and transition risks relating to climate change; those risks described in Item 1A of Diamondback’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on February 22, 2024, and those risks disclosed in its subsequent filings on Forms 10-Q and 8-K, which can be obtained free of charge on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov and Diamondback’s website at www.diamondbackenergy.com/investors.

In light of these factors, the events anticipated by Diamondback’s forward-looking statements may not occur at the time anticipated or at all. Moreover, Diamondback operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment and new risks emerge from time to time. Diamondback cannot predict all risks, nor can it assess the impact of all factors on its business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by any forward-looking statements it may make. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this letter or, if earlier, as of the date they were made. Diamondback does not intend to, and disclaims any obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements unless required by applicable law.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This letter includes financial information not prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), including free cash flow. The non-GAAP information should be considered by the reader in addition to, but not instead of, financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of the differences between these non-GAAP financial measures and the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures can be found in Diamondback’s quarterly results posted on Diamondback’s website at www.diamondbackenergy.com/investors/. Furthermore, this letter includes or references certain forward-looking, non-GAAP financial measures. Because Diamondback provides these measures on a forward-looking basis, it cannot reliably or reasonably predict certain of the necessary components of the most directly comparable forward-looking GAAP financial measures, such as future impairments and future changes in working capital. Accordingly, Diamondback is unable to present a quantitative reconciliation of such forward-looking, non-GAAP financial measures to the respective most directly comparable forward-looking GAAP financial measures. Diamondback believes that these forward-looking, non-GAAP measures may be a useful tool for the investment community in comparing Diamondback’s forecasted financial performance to the forecasted financial performance of other companies in the industry.

The MIL Network –

January 26, 2025

MIL-OSI: Par Pacific Holdings Reports Third Quarter 2024 Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

HOUSTON, Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PARR) (“Par Pacific” or the “Company”) today reported its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2024.

Net Income of $7.5 million, or $0.13 per diluted share
Adjusted Net Loss of $(5.5) million, or $(0.10) per diluted share
Adjusted EBITDA of $51.4 million
Record logistics financial results driven by record refining throughput
Liquidity increased by $112.1 million while repurchasing $21.9 million of common stock

Par Pacific reported net income of $7.5 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to $171.4 million, or $2.79 per diluted share, for the same quarter in 2023. Third quarter 2024 Adjusted Net Loss was $(5.5) million, compared to Adjusted Net Income of $193.4 million in the third quarter of 2023. Third quarter 2024 Adjusted EBITDA was $51.4 million, compared to $255.7 million in the third quarter of 2023. A reconciliation of reported non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures can be found in the tables accompanying this news release.

“Our third quarter financial results reflect a challenging summer refining margin environment,” said Will Monteleone, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Despite the cyclical downturn, refining system throughput set a quarterly record, our retail and logistics segments delivered consistently strong financial results, and our Hawaii SAF project has entered the construction phase. We are focused on improving operating and capital efficiency while prioritizing safe and reliable operations.”

Refining

The Refining segment reported operating income of $19.0 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $194.8 million in the third quarter of 2023. Adjusted Gross Margin for the Refining segment was $142.2 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $350.6 million in the third quarter of 2023.

Refining segment Adjusted EBITDA was $20.1 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $233.6 million in the third quarter of 2023.

Hawaii
The 3-1-2 Singapore Crack Spread was $11.00 per barrel in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $23.39 per barrel in the third quarter of 2023. Throughput in the third quarter of 2024 was 81 thousand barrels per day (Mbpd), compared to 82 Mbpd for the same quarter in 2023. Production costs were $4.58 per throughput barrel in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $4.50 per throughput barrel in the same period of 2023.

The Hawaii refinery’s Adjusted Gross Margin was $6.10 per barrel during the third quarter of 2024, including a net price lag impact of approximately $5.1 million, or $0.68 per barrel, compared to $13.47 per barrel during the third quarter of 2023.

Montana
The RVO Adjusted USGC 3-2-1 Index averaged $14.14 per barrel in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $29.65 in the third quarter of 2023. The Montana refinery’s throughput in the third quarter of 2024 was 57 Mbpd, compared to 55 Mbpd for the same quarter in 2023. Production costs were $11.61 per throughput barrel, compared to $10.83 per throughput barrel in the same period of 2023.

The Montana refinery’s Adjusted Gross Margin was $12.42 per barrel during the third quarter of 2024, compared to $26.49 per barrel during the third quarter of 2023.

Washington
The RVO Adjusted Pacific Northwest 3-1-1-1 Index averaged $15.48 per barrel in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $35.00 per barrel in the third quarter of 2023. The Washington refinery’s throughput was 41 Mbpd in the third quarter of 2024, compared to 41 Mbpd in the third quarter of 2023. Production costs were $3.50 per throughput barrel in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $3.77 per throughput barrel in the same period of 2023.

The Washington refinery’s Adjusted Gross Margin was $1.76 per barrel during the third quarter of 2024, compared to $12.30 per barrel during the third quarter of 2023.

Wyoming
The RVO Adjusted USGC 3-2-1 Index averaged $14.14 per barrel in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $29.65 per barrel in the third quarter of 2023. The Wyoming refinery’s throughput was 19 Mbpd in the third quarter of 2024, compared to 20 Mbpd in the third quarter of 2023. Production costs were $7.00 per throughput barrel in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $6.46 per throughput barrel in the same period of 2023.

The Wyoming refinery’s Adjusted Gross Margin was $13.65 per barrel during the third quarter of 2024, including a FIFO impact of approximately $(4.7) million, or $(2.63) per barrel, compared to $37.01 per barrel during the third quarter of 2023.

Retail

The Retail segment reported operating income of $18.3 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $13.3 million in the third quarter of 2023. Adjusted Gross Margin for the Retail segment was $42.6 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $38.2 million in the same quarter of 2023.

Retail segment Adjusted EBITDA was $21.0 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $16.7 million in the third quarter of 2023. The Retail segment reported sales volumes of 31.2 million gallons in the third quarter of 2024, compared to 31.1 million gallons in the same quarter of 2023. Third quarter 2024 same store sales fuel volumes decreased by (1.4)% while merchandise revenue increased by 3.8%, compared to third quarter of 2023.

Logistics

The Logistics segment reported operating income of $26.2 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $20.7 million in the third quarter of 2023. Adjusted Gross Margin for the Logistics segment was $36.3 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $35.3 million in the same quarter of 2023.

Logistics segment Adjusted EBITDA was $33.0 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $29.1 million in the third quarter of 2023.

Liquidity

Net cash provided by operations totaled $78.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, including working capital inflows of $67.2 million and deferred turnaround expenditures of $(15.6) million. Excluding these items, net cash provided by operations was $26.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024. Net cash provided by operations was $269.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. Net cash used in investing activities totaled $(28.3) million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, consisting primarily of capital expenditures, compared to $(5.7) million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. Net cash used in financing activities totaled $(46.8) million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to $(92.9) million for the three months ended September 30, 2023.

At September 30, 2024, Par Pacific’s cash balance totaled $183.0 million, gross term debt was $546.0 million, and total liquidity was $632.5 million. Net term debt was $363.0 million at September 30, 2024. In the third quarter of 2024, the Company repurchased $21.9 million of common stock.

Laramie Energy

In conjunction with Laramie Energy LLC’s (“Laramie’s”) refinancing and subsequent cash distribution to Par Pacific during the first quarter of 2023, we resumed the application of equity method accounting for our investment in Laramie effective February 21, 2023. During the third quarter of 2024, we recorded $(0.3) million of equity losses. Laramie’s total net loss was $(4.2) million in the third quarter of 2024, including unrealized losses on derivatives of $(0.4) million, compared to $(4.7) million in the third quarter of 2023. Laramie’s total Adjusted EBITDAX was $9.9 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $15.4 million in the third quarter of 2023.

Conference Call Information

A conference call is scheduled for Tuesday, November 5, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. Central Time (10:00 a.m. Eastern Time). To access the call, please dial 1-833-974-2377 inside the U.S. or 1-412-317-5782 outside of the U.S. and ask for the Par Pacific call. Please dial in at least 10 minutes early to register. The webcast may be accessed online through the Company’s website at http://www.parpacific.com on the Investors page. A telephone replay will be available until November 19, 2024 and may be accessed by calling 1-877-344-7529 inside the U.S. or 1-412-317-0088 outside the U.S. and using the conference ID 4223997.

About Par Pacific

Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PARR), headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a growing energy company providing both renewable and conventional fuels to the western United States. Par Pacific owns and operates 219,000 bpd of combined refining capacity across four locations in Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies, and an extensive energy infrastructure network, including 13 million barrels of storage, and marine, rail, rack, and pipeline assets. In addition, Par Pacific operates the Hele retail brand in Hawaii and the “nomnom” convenience store chain in the Pacific Northwest. Par Pacific also owns 46% of Laramie Energy, LLC, a natural gas production company with operations and assets concentrated in Western Colorado. More information is available at www.parpacific.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release (and oral statements regarding the subject matter of this news release, including those made on the conference call and webcast announced herein) includes certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to qualify for the “safe harbor” from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements about: expected market conditions; anticipated free cash flows; anticipated refinery throughput; anticipated cost savings; anticipated capital expenditures, including major maintenance costs, and their effect on our financial and operating results, including earnings per share and free cash flow; anticipated retail sales volumes and on-island sales; the anticipated financial and operational results of Laramie Energy, LLC; the amount of our discounted net cash flows and the impact of our NOL carryforwards thereon; our ability to identify, acquire, and develop energy, related retailing, and infrastructure businesses; the timing and expected results of certain development projects, as well as the impact of such investments on our product mix and sales; the anticipated synergies and other benefits of the Billings refinery and associated marketing and logistics assets (“Billings Acquisition”), including renewable growth opportunities, the anticipated financial and operating results of the Billings Acquisition and the effect on Par Pacific’s cash flows and profitability (including Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Net Income and Free Cash Flow per share); and other risks and uncertainties detailed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and any other documents that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Additionally, forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, trends, and uncertainties, such as changes to our financial condition and liquidity; the volatility of crude oil and refined product prices; the Russia-Ukraine war, Israel-Palestine conflict, Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, Iranian activities in the Strait of Hormuz and their potential impacts on global crude oil markets and our business; operating disruptions at our refineries resulting from unplanned maintenance events or natural disasters; environmental risks; changes in the labor market; and risks of political or regulatory changes. We cannot provide assurances that the assumptions upon which these forward-looking statements are based will prove to have been correct. Should one of these risks materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements, and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are current only as of this date. We do not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein or any other forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. We further expressly disclaim any written or oral statements made by a third party regarding the subject matter of this news release.

Contact:
Ashimi Patel
VP, Investor Relations & Sustainability
(832) 916-3355
apatel@parpacific.com


Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) (in thousands, except per share data)

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
		2024			2023			2024			2023
Revenues	$	2,143,933		$	2,579,308		$	6,142,236		$	6,048,444
Operating expenses
Cost of revenues (excluding depreciation)		1,905,200			2,174,385			5,422,875			5,038,211
Operating expense (excluding depreciation)		147,049			145,183			444,389			330,146
Depreciation and amortization		31,879			35,311			96,679			87,887
General and administrative expense (excluding depreciation)		22,399			23,694			87,322			66,148
Equity earnings from refining and logistics investments		(3,008	)		(3,934	)		(12,846	)		(4,359	)
Acquisition and integration costs		(23	)		4,669			68			17,213
Par West redevelopment and other costs		4,006			3,127			9,048			8,490
Loss on sale of assets, net		—			—			114			—
Total operating expenses		2,107,502			2,382,435			6,047,649			5,543,736
Operating income		36,431			196,873			94,587			504,708
Other income (expense)
Interest expense and financing costs, net		(23,402	)		(20,815	)		(61,720	)		(51,974	)
Debt extinguishment and commitment costs		—			—			(1,418	)		(17,682	)
Other income (loss), net		1,253			(43	)		(1,447	)		301
Equity earnings (losses) from Laramie Energy, LLC		(336	)		—			2,867			10,706
Total other expense, net		(22,485	)		(20,858	)		(61,718	)		(58,649	)
Income before income taxes		13,946			176,015			32,869			446,059
Income tax expense		(6,460	)		(4,600	)		(10,496	)		(6,741	)
Net income	$	7,486		$	171,415		$	22,373		$	439,318

Weighted-average shares outstanding
Basic		55,729		60,223		57,283		60,241
Diluted		56,224		61,404		58,070		61,144

Income per share
Basic	$	0.13	$	2.85	$	0.39	$	7.29
Diluted	$	0.13	$	2.79	$	0.39	$	7.18


Balance Sheet Data (Unaudited) (in thousands)

	September 30, 2024		December 31, 2023
Balance Sheet Data
Cash and cash equivalents	$	182,977	$	279,107
Working capital (1)		542,690		190,042
ABL Credit Facility		511,000		115,000
Term debt (2)		546,021		550,621
Total debt, including current portion		1,043,706		650,858
Total stockholders’ equity		1,254,026		1,335,424

______________________________
(1) Working capital is calculated as (i) total current assets excluding cash and cash equivalents less (ii) total current liabilities excluding current portion of long-term debt. Total current assets include inventories stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value.
(2) Term debt includes the Term Loan Credit Agreement and other long-term debt.

Operating Statistics

The following table summarizes key operational data:

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
		2024			2023			2024			2023
Total Refining Segment
Feedstocks throughput (Mbpd) (1)		198.4			198.2			186.3			164.6
Refined product sales volume (Mbpd) (1)		216.2			217.3			200.2			178.7

Hawaii Refinery
Feedstocks throughput (Mbpd)		80.7			82.3			80.4			80.9

Yield (% of total throughput)
Gasoline and gasoline blendstocks		25.6	%		26.5	%		26.0	%		26.7	%
Distillates		38.3	%		42.1	%		38.1	%		40.8	%
Fuel oils		32.0	%		26.5	%		32.0	%		28.0	%
Other products		0.7	%		2.1	%		0.3	%		1.5	%
Total yield		96.6	%		97.2	%		96.4	%		97.0	%

Refined product sales volume (Mbpd)		93.5			90.0			87.8			89.2

Adjusted Gross Margin per bbl ($/throughput bbl) (2)	$	6.10		$	13.47		$	10.06		$	14.74
Production costs per bbl ($/throughput bbl) (3)		4.58			4.50			4.66			4.46
D&A per bbl ($/throughput bbl)		0.25			0.65			0.47			0.68

Montana Refinery
Feedstocks Throughput (Mbpd) (1)		57.2			55.4			49.2			57.1

Yield (% of total throughput)
Gasoline and gasoline blendstocks		46.5	%		50.5	%		49.5	%		49.6	%
Distillates		34.7	%		27.7	%		31.7	%		28.2	%
Asphalt		11.0	%		14.7	%		9.3	%		14.4	%
Other products		4.0	%		3.4	%		4.4	%		3.5	%
Total yield		96.2	%		96.3	%		94.9	%		95.7	%

Refined product sales volume (Mbpd) (1)		60.3			63.5			53.4			62.5

Adjusted Gross Margin per bbl ($/throughput bbl) (2)	$	12.42		$	26.49		$	14.15		$	27.74
Production costs per bbl ($/throughput bbl) (3)		11.61			10.83			13.16			10.10
D&A per bbl ($/throughput bbl)		1.82			1.63			1.69			1.69

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
		2024			2023			2024			2023
Washington Refinery
Feedstocks throughput (Mbpd)		41.1			41.0			37.9			40.5

Yield (% of total throughput)
Gasoline and gasoline blendstocks		23.6	%		22.8	%		24.0	%		23.4	%
Distillate		35.3	%		34.6	%		34.5	%		34.6	%
Asphalt		17.4	%		20.1	%		18.6	%		19.4	%
Other products		19.7	%		18.8	%		19.3	%		18.8	%
Total yield		96.0	%		96.3	%		96.4	%		96.2	%

Refined product sales volume (Mbpd)		42.4			44.2			39.6			43.3

Adjusted Gross Margin per bbl ($/throughput bbl) (2)	$	1.76		$	12.30		$	4.03		$	9.91
Production costs per bbl ($/throughput bbl) (3)		3.50			3.77			4.28			4.00
D&A per bbl ($/throughput bbl)		1.81			1.79			2.00			1.81

Wyoming Refinery
Feedstocks throughput (Mbpd)		19.4			19.5			18.8			17.7

Yield (% of total throughput)
Gasoline and gasoline blendstocks		43.7	%		46.7	%		45.7	%		46.0	%
Distillate		49.0	%		47.1	%		48.1	%		47.3	%
Fuel oils		3.4	%		2.5	%		2.5	%		2.5	%
Other products		2.3	%		1.7	%		2.2	%		1.7	%
Total yield		98.4	%		98.0	%		98.5	%		97.5	%

Refined product sales volume (Mbpd)		20.0			19.6			19.4			18.3

Adjusted Gross Margin per bbl ($/throughput bbl) (2)	$	13.65		$	37.01		$	14.42		$	28.88
Production costs per bbl ($/throughput bbl) (3)		7.00			6.46			7.30			7.34
D&A per bbl ($/throughput bbl)		2.43			2.41			2.51			2.69

Market Indices ($ per barrel)
3-1-2 Singapore Crack Spread (4)	$	11.00		$	23.39		$	14.04		$	19.45
RVO Adj. Pacific Northwest 3-1-1-1 Index (5)		15.48			35.00			19.49			28.51
RVO Adj. USGC 3-2-1 Index (6)		14.14			29.65			17.79			25.96

Crude Oil Prices ($ per barrel)
Brent	$	78.71		$	85.92		$	81.82		$	81.93
WTI		75.27			82.22			77.61			77.28
ANS (7)		80.26			89.25			83.49			82.57
Bakken Clearbrook		74.41			83.58			76.22			79.38
WCS Hardisty		59.98			65.42			62.20			60.75
Brent M1-M3		1.31			1.27			1.22			0.74

Retail Segment
Retail sales volumes (thousands of gallons)		31,232			31,137			91,186			87,710

______________________________
(1)   Feedstocks throughput and sales volumes per day for the Montana refinery for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 are calculated based on the 92 and 122-day periods for which we owned the Montana refinery during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively. As such, the amounts for the total refining segment represent the sum of the Hawaii, Washington, and Wyoming refineries’ throughput or sales volumes averaged over the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, plus the Montana refinery’s throughput or sales volumes averaged over the periods from July 1, 2023 to September 30, 2023 and June 1, 2023 to September 30, 2023, respectively. The 2024 amounts for the total refining segment represent the sum of the Hawaii, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming refineries’ throughput or sales volumes averaged over the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024.
(2)   We calculate Adjusted Gross Margin per barrel by dividing Adjusted Gross Margin by total refining throughput. Adjusted Gross Margin for our Washington refinery is determined under the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) inventory costing method. Adjusted Gross Margin for our other refineries is determined under the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) inventory costing method.
(3)   Management uses production costs per barrel to evaluate performance and compare efficiency to other companies in the industry. There are a variety of ways to calculate production costs per barrel; different companies within the industry calculate it in different ways. We calculate production costs per barrel by dividing all direct production costs, which include the costs to run the refineries including personnel costs, repair and maintenance costs, insurance, utilities, and other miscellaneous costs, by total refining throughput. Our production costs are included in Operating expense (excluding depreciation) on our condensed consolidated statements of operations, which also includes costs related to our bulk marketing operations and severance costs.
(4)   We believe the 3-1-2 Singapore Crack Spread (or three barrels of Brent crude oil converted into one barrel of gasoline and two barrels of distillates (diesel and jet fuel)) is the most representative market indicator for our operations in Hawaii.
(5)   We believe the RVO Adjusted Pacific Northwest 3-1-1-1 Index (or three barrels of WTI crude oil converted into one barrel of Pacific Northwest gasoline, one barrel of Pacific Northwest ULSD and one barrel of USGC VGO, less 100% of the RVO cost for gasoline and ULSD) is the most representative market indicator for our operations in Washington.
(6)   We believe the RVO Adjusted USGC 3-2-1 Index (or three barrels of WTI crude oil converted into two barrels of USGC gasoline and one barrel of USGC ULSD, less 100% of the RVO cost) is the most representative market indicator for our operations in Montana and Wyoming.
(7)   ANS crude price influences the Hawaii Refinery’s financial performance. Beginning in September 2024, the ANS index has been updated from a Platts marker to an Argus marker to better reflect the prompt ANS market.

Non-GAAP Performance Measures

Management uses certain financial measures to evaluate our operating performance that are considered non-GAAP financial measures. These measures should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes or alternatives to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures or any other measure of financial performance or liquidity presented in accordance with GAAP. These non-GAAP measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies since each company may define these terms differently.

We believe Adjusted Gross Margin (as defined below) provides useful information to investors because it eliminates the gross impact of volatile commodity prices and adjusts for certain non-cash items and timing differences created by our inventory financing agreements and lower of cost and net realizable value adjustments to demonstrate the earnings potential of the business before other fixed and variable costs, which are reported separately in Operating expense (excluding depreciation) and Depreciation and amortization. Management uses Adjusted Gross Margin per barrel to evaluate operating performance and compare profitability to other companies in the industry and to industry benchmarks. We believe Adjusted Net Income (Loss) and Adjusted EBITDA (as defined below) are useful supplemental financial measures that allow investors to assess the financial performance of our assets without regard to financing methods, capital structure, or historical cost basis, the ability of our assets to generate cash to pay interest on our indebtedness, and our operating performance and return on invested capital as compared to other companies without regard to financing methods and capital structure. We believe Adjusted EBITDA by segment (as defined below) is a useful supplemental financial measure to evaluate the economic performance of our segments without regard to financing methods, capital structure, or historical cost basis.

Beginning with financial results reported for the second quarter of 2023, Adjusted Gross Margin, Adjusted Net Income (Loss), and Adjusted EBITDA also exclude our portion of interest, taxes, and depreciation expense from our refining and logistics investments acquired on June 1, 2023, as part of the Billings Acquisition.

Beginning with financial results reported for the fourth quarter of 2023, Adjusted Gross Margin, Adjusted Net Income (Loss), and Adjusted EBITDA excludes all hedge losses (gains) associated with our Washington ending inventory and LIFO layer increment impacts associated with our Washington inventory. In addition, we have modified our environmental obligation mark-to-market adjustment to include only the mark-to-market losses (gains) associated with our net RINs liability and net obligation associated with the Washington Climate Commitment Act (“Washington CCA”) and Clean Fuel Standard. This modification was made as part of our change in how we estimate our environmental obligation liabilities.

Beginning with financial results reported for the fourth quarter of 2023, Adjusted Net Income (loss) excludes unrealized interest rate derivative losses (gains) and all Laramie Energy related impacts with the exception of cash distributions. We have recast Adjusted Net Income (Loss) for prior periods when reported to conform to the modified presentation.

Beginning with financial results reported for the first quarter of 2024, Adjusted Net Income (loss) also excludes other non-operating income and expenses. This modification improves comparability between periods by excluding income and expenses resulting from non-operating activities.

Adjusted Gross Margin

Adjusted Gross Margin is defined as operating income (loss) excluding:

•		operating expense (excluding depreciation);
•		depreciation and amortization (“D&A”);
•		Par’s portion of interest, taxes, and depreciation expense from refining and logistics investments;
•		impairment expense;
•		loss (gain) on sale of assets, net;
•		inventory valuation adjustment (which adjusts for timing differences to reflect the economics of our inventory financing agreements, including lower of cost or net realizable value adjustments, the impact of the embedded derivative repurchase or terminal obligations, hedge losses (gains) associated with our Washington ending inventory and intermediation obligation, purchase price allocation adjustments, and LIFO layer increment and decrement impacts associated with our Washington inventory);
•		Environmental obligation mark-to-market adjustments (which represents the mark-to-market losses (gains) associated with our net RINs liability and net obligation associated with the Washington CCA and Clean Fuel Standard); and
•		unrealized loss (gain) on derivatives.

The following tables present a reconciliation of Adjusted Gross Margin to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, operating income (loss), on a historical basis, for selected segments, for the periods indicated (in thousands):

Three months ended September 30, 2024	Refining			Logistics		Retail
Operating income	$	19,005		$	26,164	$	18,274
Operating expense (excluding depreciation)		122,054			3,334		21,661
Depreciation and amortization		22,623			5,925		2,680
Par’s portion of interest, taxes, and depreciation expense from refining and logistics investments		658			861		—
Inventory valuation adjustment		14,057			—		—
Environmental obligation mark-to-market adjustments		(4,432	)		—		—
Unrealized gain on commodity derivatives		(31,772	)		—		—
Gain on sale of assets, net		—			—		—
Adjusted Gross Margin (1)	$	142,193		$	36,284	$	42,615

Three months ended September 30, 2023	Refining			Logistics		Retail
Operating income	$	194,847		$	20,736	$	13,315
Operating expense (excluding depreciation)		116,949			6,135		22,099
Depreciation and amortization		24,278			7,708		2,766
Par’s portion of interest, taxes, and depreciation expense from refining and logistics investments		821			698		—
Inventory valuation adjustment		72,823			—		—
Environmental obligation mark-to-market adjustments		(50,153	)		—		—
Unrealized gain on commodity derivatives		(8,995	)		—		—
Adjusted Gross Margin (1)	$	350,570		$	35,277	$	38,180

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024	Refining			Logistics		Retail
Operating income	$	82,811		$	64,579	$	45,323
Operating expense (excluding depreciation)		365,031			11,847		67,511
Depreciation and amortization		66,584			19,893		8,471
Par’s portion of interest, taxes, and depreciation expense from refining and logistics investments		2,037			2,550		—
Inventory valuation adjustment		(6,419	)		—		—
Environmental obligation mark-to-market adjustments		(18,199	)		—		—
Unrealized loss on commodity derivatives		34,061			—		—
Loss (gain) on sale of assets, net		—			124		(10	)
Adjusted Gross Margin (1)	$	525,906		$	98,993	$	121,295

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023	Refining			Logistics		Retail
Operating income	$	502,123		$	54,035	$	42,009
Operating expense (excluding depreciation)		252,802			13,178		64,166
Depreciation and amortization		59,827			17,801		8,577
Par’s portion of interest, taxes, and depreciation expense from refining and logistics investments		821			905		—
Inventory valuation adjustment		126,799			—		—
Environmental obligation mark-to-market adjustments		(174,111	)		—		—
Unrealized gain on commodity derivatives		(487	)		—		—
Adjusted Gross Margin (1)	$	767,774		$	85,919	$	114,752

______________________________
(1) For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, there was no impairment expense in Operating income. For the three months ended September 30, 2024 and the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, there was no (gain) loss on sale of assets recorded in Operating income.

Adjusted Net Income (Loss) and Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted Net Income (Loss) is defined as Net income (loss) excluding:

•		inventory valuation adjustment (which adjusts for timing differences to reflect the economics of our inventory financing agreements, including lower of cost or net realizable value adjustments, the impact of the embedded derivative repurchase or terminal obligations, hedge losses (gains) associated with our Washington ending inventory and intermediation obligation, purchase price allocation adjustments, and LIFO layer increment and decrement impacts associated with our Washington inventory);
•		Environmental obligation mark-to-market adjustments (which represents the mark-to-market losses (gains) associated with our net RINs liability and net obligation associated with the Washington CCA and Clean Fuel Standard);
•		unrealized (gain) loss on derivatives;
•		acquisition and integration costs;
•		redevelopment and other costs related to Par West;
•		debt extinguishment and commitment costs;
•		increase in (release of) tax valuation allowance and other deferred tax items;
•		changes in the value of contingent consideration and common stock warrants;
•		severance costs and other non-operating expense (income);
•		(gain) loss on sale of assets;
•		impairment expense;
•		impairment expense associated with our investment in Laramie Energy; and
•		Par’s share of equity (earnings) losses from Laramie Energy, LLC, excluding cash distributions.

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as Adjusted Net Income (Loss) excluding:

•		D&A;
•		interest expense and financing costs, net, excluding unrealized interest rate derivative loss (gain);
•		cash distributions from Laramie Energy, LLC to Par;
•		Par’s portion of interest, taxes, and depreciation expense from refining and logistics investments; and
•		income tax expense (benefit) excluding the increase in (release of) tax valuation allowance.

The following table presents a reconciliation of Adjusted Net Income (Loss) and Adjusted EBITDA to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, net income (loss), on a historical basis for the periods indicated (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
		2024			2023			2024			2023
Net income	$	7,486		$	171,415		$	22,373		$	439,318
Inventory valuation adjustment		14,057			72,823			(6,419	)		126,799
Environmental obligation mark-to-market adjustments		(4,432	)		(50,153	)		(18,199	)		(174,111	)
Unrealized loss (gain) on derivatives		(31,196	)		(9,116	)		33,756			(1,151	)
Acquisition and integration costs		(23	)		4,669			68			17,213
Par West redevelopment and other costs		4,006			3,127			9,048			8,490
Debt extinguishment and commitment costs		—			—			1,418			17,682
Changes in valuation allowance and other deferred tax items (1)		5,707			—			9,238			—
Severance costs and other non-operating expense (2)		(1,490	)		615			14,648			1,685
Loss on sale of assets, net		—			—			114			—
Equity (earnings) losses from Laramie Energy, LLC, excluding cash distributions		336			—			(1,382	)		—
Adjusted Net Income (Loss) (3)		(5,549	)		193,380			64,663			435,925
Depreciation and amortization		31,879			35,311			96,679			87,887
Interest expense and financing costs, net, excluding unrealized interest rate derivative loss (gain)		22,826			20,936			62,025			52,638
Laramie Energy, LLC cash distributions to Par		—			—			(1,485	)		(10,706	)
Par’s portion of interest, taxes, and depreciation expense from refining and logistics investments		1,519			1,519			4,587			1,726
Income tax expense (benefit)		753			4,600			1,258			6,741
Adjusted EBITDA (3)	$	51,428		$	255,746		$	227,727		$	574,211

______________________________
(1)   For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, we recognized a non-cash deferred tax expense of $5.7 million and $9.2 million, respectively, related to deferred state and federal tax liabilities. This tax benefit is included in Income tax expense (benefit) on our consolidated statements of operations. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, we did not have any adjustments to our valuation allowance and other deferred tax items.
(2)   For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, we incurred $13.1 million of stock-based compensation expenses associated with accelerated vesting of equity awards and modification of vested equity awards related to our CEO transition and $2.3 million for an estimated legal settlement unrelated to current operating activities.
(3)   For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, there was no change in value of contingent consideration, change in value of common stock warrants, impairment expense, impairments associated with our investment in Laramie Energy, or our share of Laramie Energy’s asset impairment losses in excess of our basis difference. Please read the Non-GAAP Performance Measures discussion above for information regarding changes to the components of Adjusted Net Income (Loss) and Adjusted EBITDA made during the reporting periods.

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted Adjusted Net Income (Loss) per share (in thousands, except per share amounts):

	Three Months Ended September 30,					Nine Months Ended September 30,
		2024			2023		2024		2023
Adjusted Net Income (Loss)	$	(5,549	)	$	193,380	$	64,663	$	435,925
Plus: effect of convertible securities		—			—		—		—
Numerator for diluted income (loss) per common share	$	(5,549	)	$	193,380	$	64,663	$	435,925

Basic weighted-average common stock shares outstanding		55,729			60,223		57,283		60,241
Add dilutive effects of common stock equivalents (1)		—			1,181		787		903
Diluted weighted-average common stock shares outstanding		55,729			61,404		58,070		61,144

Basic Adjusted Net Income (Loss) per common share	$	(0.10	)	$	3.21	$	1.13	$	7.24
Diluted Adjusted Net Income (Loss) per common share	$	(0.10	)	$	3.15	$	1.11	$	7.13

______________________________
(1) Entities with a net loss from continuing operations are prohibited from including potential common shares in the computation of diluted per share amounts. We have utilized the basic shares outstanding to calculate both basic and diluted Adjusted Net Loss per common share for the three months ended September 30, 2024.

Adjusted EBITDA by Segment

Adjusted EBITDA by segment is defined as Operating income (loss) excluding:

•		D&A;
•		inventory valuation adjustment (which adjusts for timing differences to reflect the economics of our inventory financing agreements, including lower of cost or net realizable value adjustments, the impact of the embedded derivative repurchase or terminal obligations, hedge losses (gains) associated with our Washington ending inventory and intermediation obligation, purchase price allocation adjustments, and LIFO layer increment and decrement impacts associated with our Washington inventory);
•		Environmental obligation mark-to-market adjustments (which represents the mark-to-market losses (gains) associated with our net RINs liability and net obligation associated with the Washington CCA and Clean Fuel Standard);
•		unrealized (gain) loss on derivatives;
•		acquisition and integration costs;
•		redevelopment and other costs related to Par West;
•		severance costs and other non-operating expense (income);
•		(gain) loss on sale of assets;
•		impairment expense; and
•		Par’s portion of interest, taxes, and depreciation expense from refining and logistics investments.

Adjusted EBITDA by segment also includes Gain on curtailment of pension obligation and Other income (loss), net, which are presented below operating income (loss) on our condensed consolidated statements of operations.

The following table presents a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA by segment to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, operating income (loss) by segment, on a historical basis, for selected segments, for the periods indicated (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30, 2024
	Refining			Logistics		Retail		Corporate and Other
Operating income (loss) by segment	$	19,005		$	26,164	$	18,274	$	(27,012	)
Depreciation and amortization		22,623			5,925		2,680		651
Inventory valuation adjustment		14,057			—		—		—
Environmental obligation mark-to-market adjustments		(4,432	)		—		—		—
Unrealized gain on commodity derivatives		(31,772	)		—		—		—
Acquisition and integration costs		—			—		—		(23	)
Par West redevelopment and other costs		—			—		—		4,006
Severance costs and other non-operating expense		—			—		—		(1,490	)
Par’s portion of interest, taxes, and depreciation expense from refining and logistics investments		658			861		—		—
Other income, net		—			—		—		1,253
Adjusted EBITDA (1)	$	20,139		$	32,950	$	20,954	$	(22,615	)

	Three Months Ended September 30, 2023
	Refining			Logistics		Retail		Corporate and Other
Operating income (loss) by segment	$	194,847		$	20,736	$	13,315	$	(32,025	)
Depreciation and amortization		24,278			7,708		2,766		559
Inventory valuation adjustment		72,823			—		—		—
Environmental obligation mark-to-market adjustments		(50,153	)		—		—		—
Unrealized gain on commodity derivatives		(8,995	)		—		—		—
Acquisition and integration costs		—			—		—		4,669
Par West redevelopment and other costs		—			—		—		3,127
Severance costs and other non-operating expenses		—			—		580		35
Par’s portion of interest, taxes, and depreciation expense from refining and logistics investments		821			698		—		—
Other loss, net		—			—		—		(43	)
Adjusted EBITDA (1)	$	233,621		$	29,142	$	16,661	$	(23,678	)

	Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024
	Refining			Logistics		Retail			Corporate and Other
Operating income (loss) by segment	$	82,811		$	64,579	$	45,323		$	(98,126	)
Depreciation and amortization		66,584			19,893		8,471			1,731
Inventory valuation adjustment		(6,419	)		—		—			—
Environmental obligation mark-to-market adjustments		(18,199	)		—		—			—
Unrealized loss on commodity derivatives		34,061			—		—			—
Acquisition and integration costs		—			—		—			68
Severance costs and other non-operating expenses		642			—		—			14,006
Par West redevelopment and other costs		—			—		—			9,048
Loss (gain) on sale of assets, net		—			124		(10	)		—
Par’s portion of interest, taxes, and depreciation expense from refining and logistics investments		2,037			2,550		—			—
Other loss, net		—			—		—			(1,447	)
Adjusted EBITDA (1)	$	161,517		$	87,146	$	53,784		$	(74,720	)

	Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023
	Refining			Logistics		Retail		Corporate and Other
Operating income (loss) by segment	$	502,123		$	54,035	$	42,009	$	(93,459	)
Depreciation and amortization		59,827			17,801		8,577		1,682
Inventory valuation adjustment		126,799			—		—		—
Environmental obligation mark-to-market adjustments		(174,111	)		—		—		—
Unrealized gain on commodity derivatives		(487	)		—		—		—
Acquisition and integration costs		—			—		—		17,213
Severance costs and other non-operating expenses		—			—		580		1,105
Par West redevelopment and other costs		—			—		—		8,490
Par’s portion of interest, taxes, and depreciation expense from refining and logistics investments		821			905		—		—
Other income, net		—			—		—		301
Adjusted EBITDA (1)	$	514,972		$	72,741	$	51,166	$	(64,668	)

________________________________________
(1) For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, there was no change in value of contingent consideration, change in value of common stock warrants, impairment expense, or impairments associated with our investment in Laramie Energy. For three months ended September 30, 2024 and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, there was no loss (gain) on sale of assets.

Laramie Energy Adjusted EBITDAX

Adjusted EBITDAX is defined as net income (loss) excluding commodity derivative loss (gain), loss (gain) on settled derivative instruments, interest expense, gain on extinguishment of debt, non-cash preferred dividend, depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion, exploration and geological and geographical expense, bonus accrual, equity-based compensation expense, loss (gain) on disposal of assets, phantom units, and expired acreage (non-cash). We believe Adjusted EBITDAX is a useful supplemental financial measure to evaluate the economic and operational performance of exploration and production companies such as Laramie Energy.

The following table presents a reconciliation of Laramie Energy’s Adjusted EBITDAX to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, net income (loss) for the periods indicated (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
		2024			2023			2024			2023
Net income (loss)	$	(4,239	)	$	(3,479	)	$	(4,296	)	$	54,048
Commodity derivative (income) loss		(5,234	)		1,889			(15,821	)		(32,951	)
Gain (loss) on settled derivative instruments		5,584			2,775			14,220			(1,433	)
Interest expense and loan fees		5,745			5,783			15,783			14,742
Gain on extinguishment of debt		—			(3,454	)		—			6,644
Non-cash preferred dividend		—			—			—			2,910
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion		8,128			9,248			24,683			22,465
Phantom units		(217	)		2,425			(503	)		3,171
Loss (gain) on sale of assets, net		(8	)		239			(8	)		307
Expired acreage (non-cash)		157			—			722			112
Total Adjusted EBITDAX (1)	$	9,916		$	15,426		$	34,780		$	70,015

______________________________
(1) For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, there was no exploration and geological and geographical expense, bonus accrual, or equity-based compensation expense.

The MIL Network –

January 26, 2025

MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘Hell Is Breaking Loose’ in Lebanon, All-Out War Must Be Avoided, Secretary-General Tells Security Council

Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Security Council meeting on Lebanon, in New York today:

Hell is breaking loose in Lebanon. As I told the General Assembly yesterday, we should all be alarmed by the escalation. Lebanon is at the brink.

Of course, the Blue Line has seen tensions for years. But, since October 2023, exchanges of fire have expanded in scope, depth and intensity.

Hizbullah and other non-State armed groups in Lebanon and the Israel Defense Forces have exchanged fire on an almost daily basis — with Hizbullah indicating that they would require a ceasefire in Gaza to cease hostilities.

The exchanges of fire have been in repeated violation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006). The daily use of weapons by non-State armed groups is in violation of Security Council resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1701 (2006).

Lebanese sovereignty must be respected and the Lebanese State must have full control of weapons throughout Lebanese territory. We support all efforts to strengthen the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Since October 2023, nearly 200,000 people within Lebanon and over 60,000 from northern Israel have fled their homes. Many lives have been lost. All this must stop.

The communities of northern Israel and southern Lebanon must be able to return to their homes, and live in safety and security, without fear.

Since the emergency Council session on Lebanon on 20 September — in the wake of the remote detonation of pagers and hand-held radios used by Hizbullah across Lebanon — hostilities have escalated dramatically.

The past weekend saw heavy exchanges of fire endangering civilians on both sides of the Blue Line — with Israel Defense Forces striking approximately 400 Hizbullah targets in Lebanon, while Hizbullah launched hundreds of missiles, rockets and drones into northern Israel.

Monday was the bloodiest day in Lebanon in a generation. The Israel Defense Forces said that it struck some 1,600 Hizbullah targets. Many civilians were killed, and many, many more were injured. Since then, Israel continued its deadly strikes across Lebanon, including in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health reported that 569 people were killed on Monday and Tuesday — including 50 children and 94 women. Over 1,800 people were injured. Lebanese authorities report a total of 1,247 deaths since October 2023. Two colleagues from UNHCR [Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] were among those killed in yesterday’s bombing.

Today, further strikes killed at least another 50 people and injured more than 200. Meanwhile, roads are clogged as families desperately seek safety. Many are stranded at the Beirut airport.

The Ministry of Interior of Lebanon has reported that over 90,000 people have fled southern and eastern Lebanon towards Beirut and the north-west, with 30,000 people in shelters.

At least $170 million is needed to respond to growing numbers of displaced and mounting humanitarian needs. The people of Israel have endured also repeated attacks from Hizbullah and others.

According to Israeli officials, since last October, more than 8,300 rockets, around 1500 anti-tank missiles and hundreds of explosive unmanned aerial vehicles have targeted Israel — with 49 Israeli deaths and hundreds injured.

Hizbullah continues to launch drone and increasingly high calibre missile and rocket attacks on military targets and residential areas in Israel.

Earlier today, they launched a ballistic missile targeting Mossad headquarters near Tel Aviv.

The ongoing rocket attacks have injured several people in Israel, with homes and other structures damaged.

Diplomatic efforts have intensified to achieve a temporary ceasefire — allowing for delivery of humanitarian relief and paving the way for the resumption of more durable peace. We fully support these efforts.

Earlier this week, the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon — Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert — travelled to Israel for consultations, underscoring that military escalation is in no one’s interest.

The Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL — General Aroldo Lazaro — has continued his close engagement with the parties, supporting humanitarian access wherever possible and continuing to urge immediate de-escalation.

Despite the dangerous conditions, our peacekeepers remain in position. To mitigate the risk to Mission personnel, most civilian personnel have temporarily relocated north of the Litani River. A few critical staff members remain in the Mission’s area of operations, together with the blue helmets.

I want to reiterate our sincere gratitude to our peacekeepers — civilian and military — who serve along the Blue Line, as well as to all the troop-contributing countries.

I implore the Council to work in lock-step to help put out this fire. The parties must immediately return to a cessation of hostilities and take real action towards full implementation of resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1701 (2006).

Civilians must be protected. Civilian infrastructure must not be targeted. The safety and security of all UN personnel and assets must be ensured. International law must be respected.

To all sides, let us say in one clear voice: Stop the killing and destruction. Tone down the rhetoric and threats. Step back from the brink.

An all-out war must be avoided at all costs. It would surely be an all-out catastrophe. The people of Lebanon — as well as the people of Israel — and the people of the world — cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Ukraine, Lebanon & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (4 Nov 2024)

Source: United Nations (Video News)

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:
-Occupied Palestinian Territory
-Lebanon/Israel
-Lebanon/Humanitarian
-Ukraine
-Ukraine/Humanitarian
-Security Council
-Rosemary DiCarlo/Japan
-West and Central Africa
-Democratic Republic of the Congo
-Deputy Secretary-General
-World Urban Forum
-Counter-Terrorism
-Resident Coordinator – Honduras
-NY marathon
-Briefings today

Occupied Palestinian Territory
In Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is deeply concerned about persistent reports of mounting casualties, with the number of Palestinians being killed and injured especially high in North Gaza Governorate, where the Israeli military operations are continuing.
In a statement on Saturday, Catherine Russell, the UNICEF, Children’s Fund head, said that more than 50 children had reportedly been killed in Jabalya over the previous two days alone, after strikes leveled two residential buildings sheltering hundreds of people.
Meanwhile, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that, for the past month, Israeli authorities have only allowed humanitarian access to Jabalya, Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun on an exceptional basis, leaving us unable to confirm the conditions of people inside and we worry for their safety.
OCHA warns that the already limited humanitarian supplies entering Gaza have dwindled even further since October. Private imports are virtually banned, and Israeli authorities are only allowing the use of three entry points – Kerem Shalom, Gate 96, which is near Deir Al-Balah and Erez West. Furthermore, humanitarian colleagues can only access these border areas by highly dangerous routes. The use of most roads leading to these entry points has either been banned by the Israeli authorities or rendered unsafe due to the ongoing hostilities.
The routes available are often in poor condition and prone to armed looting fueled by the breakdown in public order and safety.
Our humanitarian colleagues note that supplies reaching the northern crossing at Erez West can only be sent to Gaza city, as requests to deliver them to besieged areas in North Gaza governorate are being consistently denied and rejected.
For its part, the World Food Programme warns that as winter approaches, the lack of food and other vital humanitarian supplies entering the Gaza Strip could soon escalate into famine unless immediate action is taken. In October, the World Food Programme has only been able to reach 42 per cent of the 1.1 million people targeted for food assistance in Gaza, with reduced rations due to dropping aid levels.

Lebanon/Israel
An update from UNIFIL, who is noting with continued concern the airstrikes by the Israel Defense Forces across Lebanon over the weekend, including in the South, in Sidon, Baalbek and Beirut, resulting in several casualties. In southern Lebanon, the peacekeepers report that IDF operations have continued, involving clashes with Hizbullah. Meanwhile, they also report that Hizbullah has continued to launch drones and dozens of rockets South, into Israel.
The increasing impact on civilians is of grave concern and we condemn the loss of civilian lives. All actors must adhere to international law and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. UNIFIL premises also continue to be impacted. On 2 November, a UN position near Markaba, in Sector East, sustained damage to its prefabricated containers and perimeters caused by demolition operations being undertaken by the IDF.
A nearby explosion also damaged a UN vehicle at the [UNIFIL] Naqoura Headquarters, with no injuries reported. We once again remind all actors of the inviolability of the UN premises and their responsibility to protect UN peacekeepers.
We urge the parties to halt the violence immediately. The United Nations continues to support efforts towards a ceasefire and a diplomatic solution.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=04%20November%202024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHC60gr1Lo8

MIL OSI Video –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: UN Chief on World Urban Forum 12th Session | United Nations

Source: United Nations (Video News)

I am pleased to take part in the World Urban Forum.
It is fitting that you are gathering in Cairo – an enormously vibrant megacity and a magnet for
innovation and creativity for over a thousand years.
I thank the Government of Egypt for hosting the 12th Forum.
Dear Friends,
You represent urban areas which are home to more than half of humanity.
You are on the frontlines of shaping a more inclusive, connected and resilient world.
And you are at the heart of where lasting change happens.
As your theme rightly puts it: “It all starts at home”.
Real progress begins at the local level.
On the ground.
In communities and people’s lives.
World leaders have just adopted the Pact for the Future.
It is an important new tool to advance our vital work, accelerate the SDGs, and address
inequalities.
It calls for ensuring adequate, safe and affordable housing for all — and supporting developing
countries to plan and implement just, safe, healthy, accessible, resilient and sustainable cities.
We need this more than ever.
Cities generate 70 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. And municipal waste is set to rise by
two-thirds within a generation.

2

Not only are cities powerful engines of social and economic development, they are also catalysts
of sustainable solutions.
I see local and regional authorities as a crucial part of the answer on so many issues and at every
level, including at the United Nations.
We can all benefit from your insights and ideas.
That’s why I created the UN Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governments.
I know over the next five days this Forum will have the chance to delve into the complexities and
opportunities of sustainable urban development.
I invite you to seek innovations and inspiration and take them back to your communities.
And to help develop infrastructure and public services for all, including women and girls.
Local actions are the building blocks for future green, just and resilient cities.
Together, let’s make sustainable urbanization a reality.
And let’s ensure that no one and nowhere is left behind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCMY9xtiPak

MIL OSI Video –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Address by Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy Shri Pralhad Joshi on Seventh General Assembly of ISA
Source: Government of India

Posted On: 04 NOV 2024 6:32PM by PIB Delhi

Hon’ble Ministers, Vice Presidents of the ISA Assembly

Ambassadors, High Commissioners, Honorary Consuls, Director General, Other Excellencies and Esteemed Delegates

It is a pleasure to stand before you today at the 7th General Assembly of the International Solar Alliance. Today, we are at a crucial point in our mission to reshape the global energy future.

Today we also celebrate the Power of the Sun. It is amazing to reflect on how harnessing solar energy has been a vital part of cultures globally for centuries.

In ancient Egypt, the sun god Ra was worshipped, symbolising life and energy. In the early 13th century in South America, the sun god, Inti was considered the ancestor of the Inca people.

Whether it be the Aztec civilisation, or the African traditions, Sun is personified and worshipped through dances and offerings.

Just like the Olympics, the Pythian Games were also part of ancient Greece. In Greek mythology, Apollo was the god of sun and light. He was worshipped through various festivals, including the Pythian Games.

Similarly, in India, the sun has held a sacred place in our culture, with the worship of Surya, deeply embedded in our traditions. To this day, we continue to pay our respect to the Sun God, through festivals like Makar Sankrant, or by reciting Gayatri Mantra or by practising Surya Namaskar every morning.

Our ancestors utilised solar energy in various forms, from solar heating techniques to architecture designed to capture sunlight effectively. Throughout India, you will find temples dedicated to Surya God anywhere and everywhere you go.

As we move forward, let us draw inspiration from these rich traditions and continue to promote solar energy, embracing its potential to transform lives and protect our planet. Together, we can harness the sun’s energy, furthering the wisdom of our ancestors while paving the way for a sustainable future.

Solar energy, once just a vision, is now a powerful reality, leading the world toward a cleaner and more sustainable path. The progress we have made together is undeniable, and the true potential of solar energy is unfolding, showing us just how transformative it can be.

In 2024, the global solar sector is set to reach approximately 2 terawatt of installed solar photovoltaic capacity. This marks an extraordinary leap from just a decade ago when solar was still considered a small segment within global energy markets. In 2023, solar energy contributed 5.5% of the global power, with its role in the energy mix expanding rapidly.

This rapid growth is fuelled by record-breaking investments. Global solar investments have grown from $144 billion in 2018 to $393 billion in 2023 and are expected to reach $500 billion by the end of 2024.

These investments are not only adding new capacity but are also driving down the cost of energy from solar worldwide. Today solar power has become the most affordable source of electricity in many regions, even surpassing coal and gas.

This cost-effectiveness is fuelling a global surge in solar ambitions, with several countries emerging as frontrunners in the field. Countries like the United States with more than 130 GW of installed solar capacity, and regions like the European Union (Germany and Spain collectively contribute over 250 GW of solar capacity) are also making good progress.

It gives me immense pride that India is also swiftly advancing its renewable energy capabilities. India’s journey is one of bold vision and relentless progress.

Under India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s leadership, India has set ambitious renewable energy targets, and achieved remarkable milestones along the way. Last month, India reached an impressive 90 GW of installed solar capacity, moving steadily forward towards its broader goal of 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030.

India is also setting its sights on new horizons, with a target to produce 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030, supported by 125 GW of renewable energy capacity. We have approved 50 solar parks with a total capacity of nearly 37.5 GW and identified potential offshore wind energy sites to reach our 30 GW goal by 2030.

India’s Union Budget for 2024-25 reflects this commitment, with a 110% increase in funding for solar power projects and targeted support for initiatives like the PM-Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. This, along with exemptions on critical mineral imports, underscores our resolve to lead in solar innovation.

India has one of the best schemes globally for Solar rooftop installation. We are empowering communities to generate their own renewable energy.

In fact, the PM-KUSUM scheme is already transforming rural landscapes, enabling farmers to irrigate with solar power and sell surplus energy, advancing both livelihoods and sustainable agriculture. Furthermore, our Production Linked Incentive scheme is strengthening India’s solar manufacturing sector, fostering a self-reliant supply chain.

With these initiatives, India is not just contributing to a global energy transition but is setting a benchmark for sustainable growth. I am proud to say that we are making a tangible impact on the ground. This commitment to progress aligns seamlessly with the goals of the International Solar Alliance.

As a coalition of 120 Member and Signatory countries, ISA has been at the forefront of mobilising resources and facilitating the deployment of solar projects worldwide, particularly in Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States.

I am also pleased to share that ISA has successfully completed 21 out of 27 demonstration projects. This showcases our collective ability to make significant strides in solar energy deployment and support sustainable development across the globe.

I congratulate ISA and dedicate to the world 11 demonstration projects and the 7 STAR C centres launched today. It will help us expand the strong network of institutional capacities within ISA member states.

One of our innovative flagship initiatives in 2024 has been the launch of the Solar Data Portal. This platform delivers real-time data on solar resources, project performance, and investment opportunities across countries. It is providing transparent and actionable insights, thereby transforming how governments, investors, and developers engage with solar projects.

Another flagship initiative of ISA is the establishment of the Global Solar Facility. This facility aims to unlock commercial capital for solar projects in underserved regions, especially in Africa. With a pilot project already underway in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and commitments of $39 million from India, ISA, Bloomberg, and CIFF, we are on track to operationalise this initiative by COP29.

In addition to this, the SolarX Startup Challenge has successfully identified and supported innovative, scalable solutions for the solar sector. In September, we announced 30 winners from the Asia and Pacific edition, and preparations are underway to host the 3rd Edition of the challenge for the Latin America and the Caribbean region.

Besides these initiatives, ISA continues to expand knowledge-sharing. Our monthly ISA Knowledge Series and the Green Hydrogen Innovation Centre, launched at the G20 Ministerial, are advancing solar energy research and development.

Our efforts have been brought to life through global events organised by ISA, like the International Solar Festival and CEO Caucus. At the upcoming COP29, we will host a pavilion called the Solar Hub where we shall be organising numerous high-level sessions to encourage global participation.

The ISA is guided by the Towards 1000 strategy which aims to mobilise $1,000 billion of investments in solar energy solutions by 2030. This is our strategy to:
- Deliver energy access to 1,000 million people
- Installation of 1,000 GW of solar energy capacity
- Mitigate emissions to the tune of 1,000 MT of carbon dioxide every year.
Excellencies, ladies, and gentlemen, the path ahead is clear, and the time for action is now. As we look to the future, I urge all of us – governments, international organisations, private sectors, and civil society – to continue working hand in hand to accelerate the solar revolution.

Our nations come in all shapes and sizes, much like the diverse fingers of a hand. Yet, when we join together, we form a fist that represents strength and unity. ISA is your partner, and together, we have the power to shape a brighter, more sustainable future for generations to come.

As President of the International Solar Alliance, I take immense pride in the progress we have made together. The achievements of 2024 have set the stage for even greater advancements in the years to come. With your continued support, I am confident that ISA will continue to lead the world in making solar energy the foundation of our clean energy future.

With these words, I thank you, and look forward to the fruitful discussions ahead as we embark on this next chapter of our shared solar journey.

Thank you.

******

Navin Sreejith

(Release ID: 2070668) Visitor Counter : 58

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –
January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Fifteen Charged in Lorain County Drug Trafficking Ring That Distributed More Than 42,000 Fentanyl Pills

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

CLEVELAND – Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials have unsealed an indictment that charged 15 members of a Drug Trafficking Operation (DTO) based in Lorain County, Ohio.

According to court documents, the DTO was allegedly trafficking fentanyl in counterfeit pill form in the cities of Elyria and Lorain and the surrounding Northeast Ohio areas. This announcement was made by United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko, DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville Greene, FBI Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen, and Lorain Police Department Chief James P. McCann.

The investigation that led to the indictment took place over the last year and a half. Agents apprehended individuals in a series of coordinated arrests. They seized large quantities of fentanyl that included thousands of fentanyl pills made to look like legitimate prescription medications. Agents also discovered cash and several illegally possessed firearms during the investigation.

“Given its extreme potency, fentanyl is extraordinarily dangerous—it has poisoned and killed over 3,500 Ohioans in 2023 alone. Distributing it disguised as legitimate prescription medication, as the indictment alleges the defendants did here, is particularly condemnable because it heightens the overdose danger for those who ingest it,” said United States Attorney Lutzko. “I commend the incredible cooperation among our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to take thousands of these deadly pills off the streets. Their dedication and hard work led to a successful disruption of this organization, helping to make our neighborhoods safer and free from the criminals who peddle these poisons on our streets.”

The following defendants were charged in the 19-count indictment:

Ronald Whittaker, 31, Cleveland, Ohio

Tyvez McCullum, 30, Elyria, Ohio

Ivan Barrios, 45, Lorain, Ohio

Tavon Martin, 28, Lorain, Ohio

Jaivon Wint, 27, Lorain, Ohio

Katlynn Caudill, 22, Lorain, Ohio

Nicholas Thomson, 47, Elyria, Ohio

Max Kennedy, 19, Wellington, Ohio

Jordan Johnson, 29, Elyria, Ohio

Angela Shuck, 35, Lorain, Ohio

Stacey Thomson, 48, Elyria, Ohio

Tyrone Phillips, 25, Elyria, Ohio

Joseph Kushner, 32, Berea, Ohio

Nicholas Burkholder, 29, Elyria, Ohio

Aubrey Brown, 29, Elyria, Ohio

According to the indictment, from about May 2023 to October 2024, the defendants conspired to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, mixtures and substances containing amounts of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance.

It is alleged that McCullum and Whittaker led the conspiracy. After receiving pill supplies from Whittaker, McCullum would redistribute the fentanyl pills to the others listed in the indictment. Those individuals would, in turn, further distribute the fentanyl pills to their own networks throughout the Elyria and Lorain region. The named defendants are allegedly responsible for the distribution of at least 4,406.25 estimated grams of fentanyl and/or 42,793 blue fentanyl pills.

“We will continue leveraging every available resource to disrupt, dismantle and defeat Drug Trafficking Organizations spreading deadly poisons in Ohio. Our collaboration with local, state and federal partners is not just about enforcement, but it’s about safeguarding the future of our communities and ensuring they remain safe and drug-free,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville Greene.

“Illegal drugs are devastating lives and corrupting communities all across northern Ohio,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “This indictment underscores the commitment not only of the FBI, but our multi-agency partners who work collaboratively to identify local drug traffickers and disrupt and dismantle their drug trafficking networks.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, each defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the DEA, FBI Cleveland Division, HSI, City of Lorain Police Department, City of Elyria Police Department, Lorain County Drug Task Force, United States Marshals Service, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, and the Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert F. Corts and Paul Hanna for the Northern District of Ohio.

MIL Security OSI –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s video message to the World Urban Forum [scroll down for Arabic version]

Source: United Nations

Download the video: https://s3.amazonaws.com/downloads2.unmultimedia.org/public/video/evergr…

I am pleased to take part in the World Urban Forum.

It is fitting that you are gathering in Cairo – an enormously vibrant megacity and a magnet for innovation and creativity for over a thousand years.

I thank the Government of Egypt for hosting the 12th Forum.

Dear Friends,

You represent urban areas which are home to more than half of humanity.

You are on the frontlines of shaping a more inclusive, connected and resilient world.

And you are at the heart of where lasting change happens.

As your theme rightly puts it: “It all starts at home”.

Real progress begins at the local level.

On the ground.

In communities and people’s lives.

World leaders have just adopted the Pact for the Future.

It is an important new tool to advance our vital work, accelerate the SDGs, and address inequalities.

It calls for ensuring adequate, safe and affordable housing for all — and supporting developing countries to plan and implement just, safe, healthy, accessible, resilient and sustainable cities.

We need this more than ever.

Cities generate 70 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. And municipal waste is set to rise by two-thirds within a generation.

Not only are cities powerful engines of social and economic development, they are also catalysts of sustainable solutions.

I see local and regional authorities as a crucial part of the answer on so many issues and at every level, including at the United Nations.

We can all benefit from your insights and ideas.

That’s why I created the UN Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governments.

I know over the next five days this Forum will have the chance to delve into the complexities and opportunities of sustainable urban development.

I invite you to seek innovations and inspiration and take them back to your communities.

And to help develop infrastructure and public services for all, including women and girls.

Local actions are the building blocks for future green, just and resilient cities.

Together, let’s make sustainable urbanization a reality.

And let’s ensure that no one and nowhere is left behind.

Thank you.

*****

يسعدني أن أشارك في المنتدى الحضري العالمي.
         إنه لمِن الملائم أن تجتمعوا في القاهرة – هذه المدينة الضخمة النابضة بالحياة والمستقطبة للابتكار والإبداع على مدى أكثر من ألف عام.
         أشكر حكومة مصر على استضافتها للمنتدى الثاني عشر.
         أيها الأصدقاء الأعزاء،
         أنتم تمثلون المناطق الحضرية التي تسكنها أكثر من نصف البشرية.
         ما يعني أنكم في طليعة مَن يرسمون ملامح عالم أكثر شمولاً وترابطاً وقدرةً على التكيف.
         وأنكم موجودون في قلب المكان الذي تحدث فيه التغييرات الدائمة.
         إن الموضوع الذي اخترتموه للمنتدى يعبّر أصدق تعبير بأن ”كل الأمور تبدأ من البيت“.
         فإحراز التقدم الحقيقي يبدأ أول ما يبدأ على المستوى المحلي.
         على الأرض.
         داخل المجتمعات المحلية وفي حياة الناس.
         لقد اعتمد قادة العالم للتو ميثاق المستقبل.
         وهو أداة جديدة هامة الغرض منها هو الدفع بعملنا الحيوي والتعجيل في تحقيق أهداف التنمية المستدامة والتصدي لأوجه عدم المساواة.
         وهو يدعو إلى ضمان توفير السكن الملائم والآمن والميسور التكلفة للجميع، وإلى دعم البلدان النامية في تخطيط وتنفيذ مدن عادلة وآمنة وصحية وميسورة التكلفة ومستدامة وقادرة على التكيف.
         ونحن اليوم أحوج ما نكون إلى ذلك أكثر من أي وقت مضى.
         فالمدن تولّد 70 في المائة من انبعاثات غازات الاحتباس الحراري. ومن المتوقع أن يزيد حجم النفايات البلدية بنسبة الثلثين خلال جيل واحد.
         بيد أن المدن ليست محركات قوية للتنمية الاجتماعية والاقتصادية فحسب، بل هي أيضا محفِّزات للحلول المستدامة.
         إنني أرى في السلطات المحلية والإقليمية جزءا أساسيا من الحل في العديد من القضايا وعلى جميع المستويات، بما في ذلك في الأمم المتحدة.
         ويمكننا جميعا الاستفادة مما تبدونه من آراء متبصّرة وتطرحونه من أفكار نيِّرة.
         ولهذا السبب أنشأتُ فريق الأمم المتحدة الاستشاري المعني بالحكومات المحلية والإقليمية.
         أنا أعلم أن هذا المنتدى سيحظى خلال الأيام الخمسة المقبلة بفرصة الخوض في ما تحمله التنمية الحضرية المستدامة من تعقيدات وما تتيحه من فرص.
         لذ، أدعوكم للسعي إلى استنباط الابتكارات وتلمُّس الأفكار الملهِمة كي تحملوها معكم إلى مجتمعاتكم المحلية.
         كما أدعوكم إلى تطوير البنى التحتية والخدمات العامة للجميع، بما في ذلك للنساء والفتيات.
         إن ما تتخذونه من إجراءات محلية سيشكل اللبِنات الأساسية لبناء مدن خضراء وعادلة وقادرة على التكيف في المستقبل.
         فلنعمل معاً كي نجعل من التحضر المستدام حقيقة واقعة.
         ولنضمن ألا يتخلف أحد، في أي مكان، عن الركب.
         شكراً لكم.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Mornings with Maria to Discuss Failed Economic and Foreign Policies of Biden-Harris Administration

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
NASHVILLE, TN—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking and Foreign Relations Committees, today joined Mornings with Maria on Fox Business to discuss the failed economic and foreign policies of the Biden-Harris Administration and their sharp contrast with the successful policies of the Trump Administration.

*Click the photo above or here to watch*
Partial TranscriptHagerty on the failed economic policies of the Biden-Harris Administration: “Well, the economic policies of this Administration under Kamala Harris have been an absolute disaster for America. If you look at it, 72 percent of American people think that this country is on the wrong track, and the number one issue, Maria, is the fact that real wages have gone down. Inflation has destroyed and devastated families here in America, and I think the only thing keeping the market up right now is the anticipation, and frankly, the sheer hope that President Trump gets reelected on Tuesday.”
Hagerty on the failed foreign policies of the Biden-Harris Administration: “Well, if you look at the foreign policy of this Administration, it’s absolutely pathetic. Under President Trump, we had no wars. Under [Joe] Biden and [Kamala] Harris, this has been a complete disaster. It goes back to the failed withdrawal from Afghanistan where Kamala Harris was the quote, ‘last voice in the room.’ That was an absolute disgrace and a disaster that embarrassed our nation like nothing in our lifetimes, Maria. And that invited and precipitated, I think, and emboldened our adversaries around the world. You look at what happened with Iran: the day that this Administration came into office, they stopped enforcing sanctions against Iran. I worked very closely with President Trump and in his Administration to impose maximum sanctions on Iran, to put maximum pressures on them, to get our allies to stop buying oil from Iran. It worked. What we did was we made Iran basically broke. We stopped the funding of Hamas, stopped the funding of Hezbollah, the Houthis had no funds. We saw peace break out in the Middle East. President Trump was able to move our embassy to Jerusalem. He was able to take out Soleimani and Al-Baghdadi. He even did the Abraham Accords, which was the foundation, I think, of peace and prosperity in the Middle East. Iran could do nothing about it. As soon as [Joe] Biden comes into office, as soon as [Kamala] Harris comes into office, they start allowing the funds to flow, and we have terrible wars outbreaking in the Middle East.”
Hagerty on Kamala Harris running conflicting advertisements on Israel stance: “Well, she wants to [have it both ways]. It’s a complete lack of integrity. And if you talk about having it both ways, we have seen her flip-flop on every major policy. It’s like an avatar, Maria. The media have helped support this. Again, the partisan media, not yourself, have helped support creation of a candidate that’s nowhere close to where Kamala Harris from San Francisco, the most liberal Senator in the United States Senate, has been for her entire political career. Now they’re trying to create something entirely different, entirely false. They send one message into Michigan. They’ll send a completely different message into Pennsylvania to try to appeal to Jewish voters. I think the American public can see right through this.”
Hagerty on Iran changing its nuclear policy to produce nuclear weapons: “Well, I remind you, we wouldn’t be in a position for Iran to respond at all were President Trump in office because we brought Iran to its knees. That’s got to happen again. If Kamala Harris gets into office, I think Iran’s going to have free range to do whatever they want to do, because they’re going to continue to allow Iran to bring billions of dollars in. They’re going to continue to allow them to pump [oil]. They’re going to continue to allow Iran to sell weapons to Russia. Iran has had free reign under Kamala Harris, and at the same time, you see her bringing in people like Liz Cheney, others that all want to see war breakout in the Middle East. I think what we’ve got to do is look directly at what the past has shown us. We’ve got a track record with President Trump That has delivered peace and prosperity. We’ve got a track record with Kamala Harris that has delivered nothing but agony and war in the Middle East and around the world.”
Hagerty on the top priority of a second Trump Administration: “Well, for me, Maria, our foreign policy is derived directly from the strength of our economy. We have the most amazing, the most prosperous economy in the world. Access to that economy is absolutely critical. President Trump understands that. Let’s get our economy moving again. That’s what the people of America need to see. We need to see security at our southern border. We have a national security risk like we’ve never seen before. No one’s better than you in reporting on this. But then we’ve got to turn around and deal with strength and credibility with our adversaries. No one in the world believes that Kamala Harris can deal with Vladimir Putin, can deal with Xi Jinping, can deal with the Ayatollah. She has no credibility whatsoever. President Trump has and will.”

MIL OSI USA News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Watson Lake — Watson Lake Secondary School Youth Hunt

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

This October, students from Watson Lake Secondary School (WLSS)’s grade 12 class participated in an on the land hunting adventure on Kaska Traditional Territory alongside Watson Lake RCMP and Yukon conservation officers.

Following the success of the youth hunt collaboration in 2023, the First Nations School Board met with key stake holders and purchased canvas wall tents, stoves, and a Utility Task Vehicle (UTV), ensuring the program could continue.

This year, the hunt was held the week of October 7 to 11. David Dickson, Land and Language Connector for WLSS, organized Elders to attend the camp for the week to share the knowledge of the area, traditions, and culture of the Kaska Nation. Elder Agnes Chief, who was born at Frances Lake, told of stories about living off the land and making the long journey down the Frances River to Watson Lake for supplies. Students also learned about the community of Frances Lake and the forts that existed during the fur trade.

Elder Charlie Dickson, taught the students about traditional methods of preparing a moose head. Elder Agnes Chief taught about local, traditional medicines, where to find them and how to prepare them for consumption.

The youth were shown how to field dress and care for meat. They learned about giving thanks to the animals and the traditional ways of giving respect to the harvested moose. The harvested meat was shared throughout the community, benefiting Elders, students, community members, Liard Aboriginal Women Society, and the First Nations Health Program. The First Nations Heath Program will use the meat for traditional meals and will be shared among all three Yukon Hospitals for patients.

“Traditions being passed down to the younger generation is what life is all about, I was very honoured to be apart of such a meaningful hunt. Seeing Elders and youth interact together brought back so many memories from when I was young. Being raised to hunt was always apart of my upbringing, and now that I’m older and able to provide for my family it has taken on a whole different meaning. Being that role model to my kids but also being a strong woman role model for young lady hunters is also very empowering. Seeing the young ladies dive in with no fear of getting dirty was very heart filling and made me proud” – Nicole Donovan from First Nations Health Program

“The Yukon Territory provides unparalleled access to incredible outdoor recreation opportunities. The WLSS Grade 12 Youth Hunt, with the support of the Watson Lake RCMP Detachment, Yukon Conservation Officer Services, Liard First Nation, First Nations School Board, and local community members, is an impressive joint-effort to ensure that the next generation is exposed to these amazing opportunities. The experiences, skills, ethics, and knowledge shared with the youth will stay with them for the rest of their lives, and hopefully provide some youths with the first step to taking on the age-old tradition of being a provider to one’s family and community. As a Conservation Officer, I believe that there is no experience more fulfilling to a young man or woman than putting hard work into a hunt, and as a result, providing wholesome food for their family and community. There is a deep sense of pride instilled in a young person when they experience the incredible sense of accomplishment that comes from a hunt. That is the greatest benefit of the youth hunt, and I am optimistic that all of the participating youth will carry that sense of accomplishment and pride with them for the rest of their lives.” – Yukon Conservation Officer, Parker Antal

“The continued success of this program could not have been achieved without the community support of Liard First Nations, First Nations School Board, Liard Aboriginal Women Society, WLSS, Yukon Conservation Officer Services, and the community volunteers. We look forward to 2025. ” – Sergeant Jordan Cropper, Detachment Commander Watson Lake RCMP

“It’s important for me to be part of this initiative, on my traditional territory. I am happy to participate. Sógá sénlá’.” – David Dickson, Land and Language Connector with the First Nation School Board

MIL Security OSI –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Defeat ISIS Mission in Iraq and Syria – Past 60 Days

Source: United States Central Command (CENTCOM)

Nov. 4, 2024
Release Number 20241104-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TAMPA, Fla. – Since August 29, in partnership with security forces in Iraq and Syria, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) conducted 95 Defeat ISIS (D-ISIS) operations, some of which included unilateral strikes in Syria. These operations resulted in 163 terrorists killed and 33 captured, including over 30 senior and mid-level ISIS leaders.

These successful operations resulted in the seizure of significant enemy materiel that could aid in future disruptions.

Sustained pressure on ISIS leaders has constrained their ability to operate and to plan attacks.

“Alongside our coalition and Iraqi partners, we will continue to aggressively pursue these terrorists and disrupt their capability to conduct operations against U.S. interests, as well as those of our allies and partners,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command.

MIL Security OSI –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Virginia Company and Two Senior Executives Charged with Illegally Exporting Millions of Dollars of U.S. Technology to Russia

Source: US State Government of Utah

Eleview International Inc., Oleg Nayandin, 54, of Fairfax, Virginia, and Vitaliy Borisenko, 39, of Vienna, Virginia, made their initial appearance today in the Eastern District of Virginia pursuant to a now unsealed complaint charging them with conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act.

“As alleged, the defendants — a Virginia company and two of its senior executives — conspired through three evasion schemes to circumvent the export restrictions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “U.S. companies are responsible for complying with laws that protect our national security. The National Security Division is committed to holding accountable individuals and companies who violate these laws and place financial profit over our collective security.”

“This company allegedly used not one, not two, but three different schemes to illegally transship sensitive American technology to Russia,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “Today’s charges, against both the company and two top executives, are a prime example of our work to bring to justice both the companies and the corporate executives alleged to have circumvented our rules in search of a fatter bottom line.”

“We must not allow critical systems and technologies to be transferred to anyone who may use them against America and our global partners,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Guarding against these transfers is imperative, and violations of the laws that protect our national security will be met with ardent prosecution.”

“Export control evasion schemes put the American public at risk by concealing the true recipient,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. “In this instance, HSI, working in partnership with our colleagues at Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, uncovered this scheme was supporting a sanctioned country, thus threatening our national security and the safety of other countries. HSI is dedicated to preventing technology with military applications from falling into the wrong hands.”

According to the complaint, between approximately March 2022 and June 2023, Eleview International Inc. (Eleview), allegedly a Virginia-based company that operated a freight consolidation and forwarding business; Nayandin, the owner, president, and CEO of Eleview; and Borisenko, who oversaw the day-to-day operations of Eleview’s freight forwarding business, conspired to illegally export goods and technology from the United States to Russia by transshipping them through three countries bordering or near Russia.

As alleged, the defendants operated an e-commerce website that allowed Russian customers to order U.S. goods and technology directly from U.S. retailers, who shipped the items to Eleview’s warehouse in Chantilly, Virginia. The defendants then consolidated the packages before shipping them to the Russian customers, often using other freight forwarders as intermediaries, in exchange for a fee. After the Department of Commerce imposed stricter export controls in response to Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the defendants began shipping items to purported end users in Turkey, Finland, and Kazakhstan, knowing that the items were ultimately destined for end users in Russia. To facilitate these illegal exports, the defendants made numerous false statements to the Department of Commerce and other freight forwarders about the end users and ultimate consignees of the items in these shipments.

As part of the conspiracy, the defendants engaged in three export-control evasion schemes, each specific to a different intermediary country. In the Turkey scheme, the defendants exported about $1.48 million worth of telecommunications equipment to a false end user in Turkey, knowing that the equipment was intended for a Russian telecommunications company that supplied the Russian government, including the Federal Security Service, or FSB. The telecommunications equipment that the defendants illegally exported as part of the Turkey scheme had military applications, including use by the Russian military to create and expand communication networks in its war effort against Ukraine.

In the Finland scheme, the defendants exported about $3.45 million worth of goods purchased to Russia through Eleview’s e-commerce website to a false end user in Finland that neither purchased nor sold goods. Before consolidating the packages into larger pallets for shipment to Finland, the defendants affixed to each package a label with a Russian postal service tracking number so that the Russian postal service could easily ship the package to the customer in Russia. The goods that the defendants illegally exported as part of the Finland scheme included “high priority” items that the Department of Commerce has identified as particularly significant to Russian weaponry, including the same type of electronic component found on Russian “suicide” drones used to destroy Ukrainian tanks and jets.

In the Kazakhstan scheme, the defendants exported about $1.47 million worth of goods to Russia through an entity in Kazakhstan that advertises its ability to deliver goods to Russia. The goods that the defendants illegally exported as part of the Kazakhstan scheme included controlled dual-use items.

If convicted, Nayandin and Borisenko each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The BIS and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gavin R. Tisdale and Amanda St. Cyr for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case with past assistance provided by then-First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh.

The case is being coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force and the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Justice and Commerce Departments designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder Holds Press Briefing

Source: United States Department of Defense

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: All right. Good afternoon, everyone. Looks like there’s something wrong with this side of the room here since everybody’s on this side of the room, but OK. All right. Well, just a few things at the top and I’ll be glad to take your questions. So as many of you saw in the statement that we released on Friday, Secretary Austin ordered the deployment of additional ballistic missile defense destroyers, fighter squadrons, and tanker aircraft and several US Air Force B-52 long range strike bombers to the US Central Command area of responsibility.

These forces will begin to arrive in the coming months as the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group prepares to depart, some of which have already begun to flow into theater as highlighted by the arrival of the B-52 bombers over the weekend. These deployments are in keeping with our commitments to the protection of US citizens and forces in the Middle East, the defense of Israel, and de-escalation through deterrence and diplomacy.

These movements build on the recent decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense Missile Defense system to Israel, as well as DOD’s sustained Amphibious Ready Group / Marine Expeditionary Unit posture in the Eastern Mediterranean and demonstrate the flexible nature of US global defense posture and US capability to deploy worldwide on short notice to meet evolving national security threats.

Secretary Austin continues to make clear that should Iran, its partners or its proxies, use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every measure necessary to defend our people.

Shifting gears, tomorrow is Election Day and DOD stands prepared to support state and local authorities as required. Of note, Secretary Austin approved a request last week from the District of Columbia for D.C. National Guard troops to support the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services from November 5 through 13. For those of you who have covered the defense beat for a while, you know that it is routine practice for the DOD to authorize the D.C. National Guard to support or augment security for large scale events in the district and activated Guardsmen will remain under the command and control of the D.C. National Guard.

Similarly, around the nation, approximately 60 National Guardsmen from six states have been activated by their state governors and state active-duty status for election support with roughly another 600 Guardsmen from 17 states on standby if needed. Again, as you know, the National Guard has ongoing and long-standing relationships with local, state and federal agency partners and has assisted with national special security events like Election Day and Inauguration Day for many years. For more information about individual state responses and activations, I would direct you to the individual states.

And finally, the Department is proud to celebrate National Native American Heritage Month. This November, we honor the contributions and sacrifices of native peoples who have served our country. The contributions of these fellow Americans have been pivotal in some of the most critical moments in our nation’s defense.

As just one of many examples, the US Marine Corps Navajo code talkers using their native language to develop an unbreakable communication code during World War II, played a decisive role in the Battle of Iwo Jima. Their example of duty and honor continues to inspire current and future generations of Americans to serve with the same resolve and pride.

And with that, I’ll be glad to take your questions. Start with AP, Lita.

Q: Thank you, Pat. Two things, one on Ukraine, North Korea. Can you say whether any North Korean troops have been observed in combat or over the line in Ukraine? And I believe State has said that the number is about 10,000. Is that what you believe are in the Kursk region right now? And then I have a—

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Sure, a couple updates. So we believe that there are now at least 10,000 DPRK forces in the Kursk Oblast. Recognizing that as we continue to assess DPRK presence on the ground, those numbers could go up slightly, in terms of the total number of DPRK troops in Russia. We’ve seen the press reports about alleged combat ops. We’re looking into those, but at this point cannot corroborate those reports. But as you heard Secretary Austin say last week, should these troops engage in combat support operations against Ukraine, they would become legitimate military targets.

Q: So have you seen any additional North Korean forces heading for eastern Russia? Do you see another wave of influx?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: I don’t know that I would call it a wave, but as we look at those numbers, we think that the total number of DPRK forces in Russia total could be closer to around 11,000 to 12,000, with about 10,000, at least 10,000 right now in the Kursk Oblast. OK. And you said you had a follow-up?

Q: Just on Iran, have you seen any movement indications or any suggestions that Iran has been taking steps to do any type of retaliatory action against Israel?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Yeah. So in terms of whether or not Iran does anything, I’m not going to speculate, nor will I discuss intelligence assessments from here. I think we as the US government have been very clear that we believe Iran should not respond to Israel’s retaliation if they choose to do so. We of course will support Israel and their defense.

Natasha?

Q: Thanks, Pat. So senior Ukrainian officials have said that they are observing some very small, limited numbers of North Korean troops, things like engineers, for example, in the occupied territories in eastern Ukraine. Are you not prepared to corroborate that at this point?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Yeah. Again, we’re looking into all of that, but at this point, just can’t corroborate those reports.

Q: OK. And also, we’re about a week away from the deadline that was set by Secretary Austin and Secretary Blinken with regard to Gaza. The State Department just said that they have not yet seen enough being done in northern Gaza in terms of humanitarian aid. Does the Secretary agree with that?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Well, I think as you highlight, at the State Department on Thursday, when Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin addressed this, both of them highlighted that we believe more needs to be done in terms of getting humanitarian assistance into Gaza and to the Palestinian people. I’d point you to Secretary Blinken’s remarks in terms of sort of the rundown of where things stand on that front.

But even in his call last week on Thursday with Minister Gallant, Secretary Austin continues to reinforce how important it is to ensure that humanitarian assistance can flow and flow faster into Gaza. And so that will continue to be something that we will remain focused on. Constantin?

Q: Thanks, Pat. Just one follow up on the National Guard deployments. You said Guardsmen have been put on active orders from six states. Can you say what those six states are?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: I don’t have that list here in front of me. Let me just double check, Constantin, make sure. I don’t have that list here in front of me, but we can certainly get that for you.

Q: OK. And then sort of on the same vein, is the Department of Defense providing any cyber resources or capabilities for election monitoring or sort of anti-misinformation efforts?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Well, as you know, US Cyber Command does play a role in terms of supporting our elections. I’d refer you to them to go into details and there are National Guard elements that do support US Cyber Command, but they can provide you more details on that.

Q: Thank you.

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Thank you. Noah?

Q: A couple clean up questions on North Korea, the 11,000 to 12,000 number that you said, that leaves a bandwidth between those in Kursk and those still in eastern Russia. Do you expect those remaining troops to head toward Kursk in the coming days?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Yeah. I mean, again we fully expect, just based on what we’re seeing, that these forces will go to the Kursk region, that they will provide some kind of capability. All indications are that they will provide some type of combat or combat support capability. Again, remains to be seen exactly how they will be employed. I’d point you to the comments that were made on Thursday in terms of things like UAV ops, artillery, infantry. So again, should they be employed in combat, they will become legitimate military targets and we would fully expect that the Ukrainians would do what they need to do to defend themselves and their personnel.

Q: And do all of those in Kursk that are North Korean troops have Russian uniforms and equipment at this point as you understand?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: My understanding is that all of these forces are being issued Russian uniforms and Russian equipment.

Q: One more follow up on the Middle East. The deployments that were announced on Friday, are these based on new assessments of the threat that Iran may pose within a retaliation toward Israel or possibly American troops? Or is this simply about trying to reinforce the US force posture there given that the carrier will depart in the coming weeks?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Well, I think as we highlighted in our statement and as I highlighted at the top here, we are deploying these forces to the region to preserve our ability to protect our forces, support the defense of Israel and also act as a deterrent capability. And so out of due diligence in ensuring that we continue to be prepared to meet our commitments, deploying and rotating these forces in as we look ahead down the road and prepare for the departure of the Abe (sic).

OK. Mike.

Q: Yeah, these North Korean units, do you know if the soldiers are filling blanks spots in the Russian line or will they be deploying and operating as their own particular units?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: So a couple of things. It’s TBD (sic). We’ll see exactly how these forces are integrated into Russian operations and how they’re committed to the battlefield, assuming that they are. In terms of replacement for Russian forces, I’d point you back again to what Secretary Austin highlighted in terms of the significant casualty rates that we’re seeing among Russian forces.

So insomuch as that these are potentially forces that are coming in to replace the massive numbers of losses that Russia is experiencing, I think that’s probably a fair assessment and I certainly would not want to be a North Korean soldier.

Q: Right. But my point is, I mean, are they going to be inserted into already existing Russian units as just spare body, spare body, spare body, or will there be North Korean battalion fighting here and North Korean battalion here, or do you not know at this point?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Yeah, we don’t know at this point, and we’ll see. We anticipate in the relatively near future we will know more as we see how Russia and North Korea opt to employ these forces. OK. Charlie?

Q: Thank you, General. Adding to that, do you anticipate or are you even tracking whether or not this may just be the first of many North Koreans that will be headed to Russia? That’s my first question. My second question is regarding Iran’s threats of retaliation, they said that it will come from Iran or Iranian-backed militias, which we’ve already seen in Iraq.

First of all, have you seen an uptick in the tempo of drone attacks from Iranian-backed militias there against Israel and or against US forces? Does it look orchestrated and how much of it is a concern that bigger stuff might be headed there like ballistic missiles?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Yeah, on your first question, that is definitely something that we’re keeping a close eye on. I don’t have anything right now to pass along in terms of whether or not DPRK will or won’t send additional forces. And I’m not going to speculate on whether they do, but definitely something we’re keeping a close eye on. As far as the threats that have been communicated in the press and in social media about the potential for Iran to launch attacks from Iraqi territory, what I would say is that over the last year, we’ve seen Iran backed militia groups sporadically launch missiles and one-way attack UAVs from Syria and Iraq towards Israel.

The vast majority of those have been intercepted or fail in flight. And while we’ve recently observed an increase in one way attack UAVs assessed to be against Israel, at this stage, we would not characterize these as large numbers. And so we continue to remain vigilant, and we remain ready to defend US forces and Israel from these threats.

Q: And are you tracking any movement of ballistic missiles in and out of that region?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: I don’t have anything to pass along in terms of intelligence assessments from this podium, but again, we stand ready to support the defense of Israel and would encourage Iran not to launch any type of retaliatory attack.

Luis?

Q: We’ve been talking about the 10,000 troops in Kursk, but can you give us some context please? This 10,000, how much will they augment the Russian presence there? Will they be a significant portion of the presence there in that particular oblast? Are they a very small component? Just something so that we can understand what adding 10,000 North Koreans to that battle space means.

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Sure. I think to do that, you have to go back in time a little bit. And if you recall, when Ukraine conducted their offensive into Russian territory into the Kursk Oblast and they continue to hold Russian territory in Kursk and they have made the decision to hold that territory at risk and continue to defend it. And so what we saw in the early days of that Ukrainian offensive was a very muddled Russian response in terms of trying to push the Ukrainians back. And for the most part, they have not been able to push the Ukrainians very far. They’ve taken some incremental amounts of territory back but nothing that we would categorize as significant. So placing these additional 10,000 to 11,000 to 12,000 forces in Kursk is definitely something from a combat capability standpoint that could be significant, but a lot of that will depend on how those forces are employed, how they’re integrated into the Russian command and control.

And of course, if the Ukrainians—if the past is any indicator of the future, the Ukrainians are battle hardened veterans who know how to fight. And so every indication that they will continue to defend Ukrainian sovereignty and continued to defend Kursk, the territory that they’ve taken. And so we’ll see how that plays out.

Q: Numerically and size-wise, numerically, is it, the infusion of these 10,000 additional troops at a minimum, is that really significant to the force that you said have been making incremental gains?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Well, I think, again, if you want to talk numbers and again, numbers can be misleading because look what Ukraine did when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and how a small number of forces to date have been able to largely defeat the strategic objectives of what was and is the largest army in Europe.

So again, a lot of that just depends on how Russia opts to employ those forces, how well they’re integrated, what kind of combat experience they have. And so we’ll see. In the meantime, we continue to consult very closely with our allies and partners. And we also continue to ensure that we’re working with Ukraine and some 50 nations to rush security assistance to Ukraine, to defend Ukrainian sovereignty both here and elsewhere in the battlefield.

Let me go to the phone real quick here. Let’s go to Dan Lamothe, Washington Post.

Q: Hey, General. Thanks for your time today. There’s often a perception in the Pentagon and across Washington that aircraft carriers deter Iran and the lack of one in the region, emboldens them. Two questions, I guess, related. Does Secretary Austin see these newly announced deployments on Friday to the region as sufficient to deter Iran with a carrier group potentially coming?

And can you put this decision in context of how you’re looking at broader threats in the Pacific and other regions? Thanks.

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Yeah. Thanks, Dan. So when it comes to us force deployments around the world, while there’s understandable focus on particular types of equipment and vessels to include aircraft carriers, at the end of the day, it really comes down to our people and the capabilities that we provide. And so the capabilities that we’re deploying into the region will provide a significant amount of capability on par with what we’ve been doing in the Middle East region since the October 7th attacks over a year ago.

And so certainly as we look at global force management and our national security commitments around the world, that’s always taking into account in terms of how we can meet those commitments and ensure we have what we need to protect our people. And in this case, also support the defense of Israel.

Let me go to Jeff Schogol, Task and Purpose.

Q: Yeah. Thank you. Two separate questions. Now that the election is upon us, is the Defense Department satisfied that all overseas troops and their spouses have the access they need to federal absentee ballots? Also, how should one describe the coalition between North Korea and Russia? Is it an alliance or is it more friends with benefits?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Thanks, Jeff. Let me take your question on voting first. So first of all, we continue to recommend all voters register and request an absentee ballot. Those deadlines vary depending on states. And as you know, we do have a robust education program in terms of getting the word out on how service members and their families can obtain their absentee ballots no matter where you are, whether it’s overseas or whether it’s stationed outside of your state.

Just speaking from personal experience as a Florida resident, I can tell you, I received multiple emails over many weeks, reminding me to register and to request my ballot. It arrived early. I had plenty of time to submit that. If a service member has requested a ballot and it hasn’t arrived, they can use the federal write-in absentee ballot immediately at FVAP.gov/FWAB, and this acts as a back-up ballot.

And again, that information is provided on multiple occasions through multiple mechanisms. So again, encourage folks to get out and vote and make sure that their voice is heard. As far as the relationship between Russia and North Korea goes, we definitely continue to monitor this.

The level of cooperation between the two remains concerning, but in many ways transactional. And so again, this is something we’ll keep a close eye on, and I’ll just leave it there. OK. Yes, sir.

Q: Thank you, General. Last week as you said that Secretary Austin all times (sic) he urged for a ceasefire in Lebanon as quickly as possible. So do you think we need more time, that Israel needs more time to stop this war to achieve their goals? How long do you believe that will take, this war? Is it, as you said before, it was a limited operations, but now almost a month starting this war, so do they need more weeks and months or maybe we’re going to see like what’s happened in Gaza like over a year for this war? Thank you.

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Yeah, I won’t speak for Israel. But Secretary Austin and others have been very clear that we believe that a ceasefire and the resolution of tensions in the region through diplomatic means are required as soon as possible. And so as you’ve seen with the State Department and the US envoy, Mr. Hochstein, going to the region, this continues to be something that is a top priority for the US, working with partners in the region to include Israel. And we’ll continue to communicate that to our Israeli counterparts.

As you saw from our readout, this was also something that came up in the phone call between Secretary Austin and Minister Gallant last week. Thank you.

OK. Let me go to Heather from USNI.

Q: Thank you so much. I was hoping you could give a couple more details about the plans with Abe (sic) and then whether or not it’s planning to leave within the next couple of weeks, the next week. And then Harry S. Truman is on its way over to the Middle East, Mediterranean area, but it’s making stops along its way.

Is this an indication that we don’t feel that there needs to be an aircraft carrier in the region very quickly? What does this indicate in terms of how much the Houthi threat remains in the Middle East?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Yeah. Thanks, Heather. As far as deployment timelines go, as a matter of policy and operational security, we’re not going to talk specifics on when the Abraham Lincoln strike group will depart the US Central Command area of responsibility. As for the Truman, as you highlight, continues to operate in the North Atlantic.

Again, I’m not going to get into its particular movements or forecast those. And in terms of the message it sends, it just demonstrates the flexibility and versatility of the US military and our ability to meet our national security commitments and provide robust capability around the world and flex as needed.

And again highlighted by the fact that you have B-52 bombers that are now in the AOR, the CENTCOM AOR, that are multi-versatile and can provide an incredible amount of capability in support of those efforts. So again, it’s about capability and it’s about our people and we’re confident that we have the right force posture to support our national security requirements.

Ashley?

Q: Just a quick follow up on the announcement on troops at the Middle East, are there any plans to send additional troops into Israel or to man assets there?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: I don’t have anything to announce at this point. Yeah. Thanks.

Sir?

Q: Thank you. General. Do you anticipate any direct Israeli attack on Iranian paramilitary groups in Iraq as they continuously launch UAVs into Israel? I mean, did you send any message to these groups in Iraq?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: As I’m sure you can appreciate, I won’t speak for Israeli operations on what they may or may not do. I can tell you that what we’ve seen in the past is them—as I highlighted earlier, intercept threats that are heading towards Israel, but in terms of potential future military action by Israel, that’s a question for them to address. OK.

Q: Might that not be something that CENTCOM would engage in, the potential attack or if you want to call it a preemptive strike?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Well, again, without getting into hypotheticals or speaking to Israeli operations, US Central Command and the Department of Defense regularly have conversations with Israel as it relates to the defense of Israel and how we can work together to support that effort. And as I highlighted earlier, if we do see threats emanating from other regions, we’re prepared to support the defense of Israel and have, as we’ve demonstrated in the past.

Howard Altman, War Zone.

Q: Hey. Thanks, Pat. A couple things I wanted to drill down a little bit on the North Koreans in Kursk. Images appeared online that shows a North Korean troop killed in that, in Kursk. And then my other question is, has there been any change in the US warship presence in the Red Sea to protect shipping commercial shipping?

And if so, how has that changed? Any change in operation—I forget what the name is, the operation protecting ships in the Red Sea?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Thanks, Howard. On your first question, again, I’ve seen those press and social media reports. Again, we’re looking into them, but I cannot corroborate those reports at this time. As it relates to force posture in the Red Sea and elsewhere, I’m not going to get into specifics in terms of which ships are there and what their movement plans are, other than to say, yes, we do maintain robust capability to support Operation Prosperity Guardian and support our efforts to support freedom of navigation and the safety of mariners in the region. OK.

Do one more. Yes, ma’am?

Q: Just a quick follow-up, Pat, on Luis’ questions. What’s the US estimate on the number of Russian forces in the Kursk region?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: I don’t have a number to provide to you.

Q: Ballpark?

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: I don’t even have a ballpark number other than to say, broadly speaking, what we saw in the past was essentially a conglomeration of various units on the Russian side to include territorial defense forces attempting to push the Ukrainians back.

Q: I think I was just trying to get a sense of kind of perspective, right? Is it now almost largely North Korean troops their equal number of both? I mean, I think that’s kind of what we’re trying to figure out.

PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Sure. And I just don’t have a number to pass along here. I mean, keeping in mind again that what we’re talking about here is Russian territory writ large, right? So I mean this is inside Russian interior lines and theoretically, Russia could have made the decision a long time ago to move large number of Russian forces to address this threat.

But it demonstrates a couple of things. One, the fact that Russia has not made recovery of its sovereign territory a priority, and number two, the fact that Russia finds itself in a situation where they now have to hire out to get additional forces to deal with this issue, which as Secretary Austin has highlighted, is an indication of the dire straits they’re in when it comes to personnel.

So thank you very much, everybody. Appreciate it.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi

Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi.

Prime Minister Trudeau and High Commissioner Grandi discussed the unprecedented nature of the current global refugee crisis, which is fuelled by more intense and longer lasting conflicts and the growing effects of climate change. The Prime Minister recognized the valuable role that the High Commissioner and his office (UNHCR) play in providing protection and humanitarian assistance to refugees and other forcibly displaced people.

Prime Minister Trudeau expressed his concern over the growing humanitarian impacts arising from the situation in the Middle East and acknowledged the important role that the UNHCR is playing in responding to the needs of those forcibly displaced in both Lebanon and Syria. The two leaders also discussed the human dimension of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including its impacts on internally displaced people and refugees. Additionally, Prime Minister Trudeau expressed his concern over the humanitarian impacts of the crisis in Sudan and underscored Canada’s support for those affected by it.

The Prime Minister strongly underscored Canada’s commitment to the UNHCR and its support for the organization’s work to make a positive difference in the lives of refugees. Prime Minister Trudeau thanked the High Commissioner for the UNHCR’s dedication to protecting the most vulnerable in difficult circumstances.

The two leaders reaffirmed the strong partnership between Canada and the UNHCR, and they agreed to stay in close contact.

Associated Links

MIL OSI Canada News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Attorneys General stand in support for National Veterans and Military Families Month
Source: Washington State News

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As we celebrate National Veterans and Military Families Month this November, the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) proudly supports the efforts of state and territory attorney general offices in their commitment to military families. The NAAG Veterans Affairs Committee is dedicated to protecting and assisting our nation’s veterans by actively pursuing those who exploit veterans, servicemembers, and their families, providing vital assistance on legal issues related to deployments and general military service, and ensuring that veteran health benefits are protected and accessible.

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Co-Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee, stated: “Our military and veteran families deserve not only our appreciation but our commitment to help them access the resources they deserve. Too many of our veterans have significant legal needs but cannot afford counsel — which is why I created an Office of Military and Veteran Legal Assistance in Washington to connect veterans and military members with volunteers within the legal community. Helping veterans is a non-partisan calling, and I am grateful for the partnerships with attorneys general across the country to help those who have worn the uniform. As someone who comes from a family of veterans, this work is deeply personal to me. I am proud to partner with anyone willing to answer the call and help address the unmet legal needs of our nation’s heroes.”

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, Co-Chair of NAAG’s Veterans Affairs Committee, added: “As a veteran myself, who’s been in the National Guard for more than 28 years and was deployed to Iraq, I understand the sacrifices that families and veterans go through in service to our country. They’re willing to give everything they have to protect us, so we’re happy to do whatever we can to support them.”

This month recognizes the sacrifices and contributions of service members, veterans, and their families and highlights the resources available to them. We encourage everyone to join us in supporting military families by exploring available resources and finding ways to contribute to their well-being. The nation’s attorney general offices offer a range of services to support military families, including:
- Preventing Fraud: Protecting military families and their hard-won benefits from scams and fraud through education and enforcement actions.
- Providing Free Legal Clinics: Offering free legal clinics to help military families navigate legal issues, from housing disputes to family law matters.
- Supporting Military Spouses and Dependent Children: Providing resources and assistance to address the unique needs of military spouses, children, and survivors of service members, including educational support and healthcare services.
- Defending Voting Rights: Ensuring that service members and their families can exercise their right to vote, no matter where they are stationed. The Attorney General community remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting these families and ensuring they have access to the resources they need.
For more information about services available to veterans and military families in Washington, visit the Attorney General’s Military and Veteran Resources page. Qualifying veterans and service members, and their families can apply for civil legal assistance with the Office of Military and Veteran Legal Assistance.

More information on national efforts is available on NAAG’s Veterans and Military page.

-30-

Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

About the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG): The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) is a nonpartisan organization of the attorneys general of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. NAAG provides a forum for the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and insights on legal and law enforcement issues, and fosters bipartisan collaboration among its members to address common challenges and advance the rule of law.

Media Contact:

Brionna Aho, Communications Director, (360) 753-2727; Brionna.aho@atg.wa.gov

General contacts: Click here

Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

MIL OSI USA News –
January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Safety, Security of United Nations Personnel, Property Must Be Guaranteed, Secretary-General Reiterates

Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

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

Against the backdrop of the ongoing hostilities in southern Lebanon and despite attacks that have hit United Nations positions, injuring a number of peacekeepers in the past several days, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers remain in all positions and the UN flag continues to fly. The Secretary-General pays tribute to the dedicated personnel of UNIFIL.

The Secretary-General reiterates that the safety and security of UN personnel and property must be guaranteed, and that the inviolability of UN premises must be respected at all times without qualification. In a deeply worrying incident that occurred today, the entrance door of a UN position was deliberately breached by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) armoured vehicles.

UNIFIL continuously assesses and reviews all factors to determine its posture and presence. The mission is taking all possible measures to ensure the protection of its peacekeepers. UNIFIL’s role and its presence in southern Lebanon is mandated by the UN Security Council. In this context, UNIFIL is committed to preserving its capacity to support a diplomatic solution based on resolution 1701 (2006), which is the only possible way forward.

The Secretary-General reiterates that UNIFIL personnel and its premises must never be targeted. Attacks against peacekeepers are in breach of international law, including international humanitarian law. They may constitute a war crime.

He calls on all parties, including the IDF, to refrain from any and all actions that put our peacekeepers at risk. The Secretary-General takes the opportunity to reiterate the call for a cessation of hostilities and the full implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).

MIL OSI United Nations News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: You Are ‘on the Front Line of Peace’, Says Secretary-General, in Solidarity Message to United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon

Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

The following solidarity message by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon was issued today:

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of speaking with representatives of your countries here in New York. Today, I want to speak to you directly.

I want to say to you what I said to them: I am full of admiration and gratitude to the men and women of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). I am so proud of you — and I know your countries are proud of you, too.

You should know that here in New York, we are all very aware of your bravery during some of the most challenging moments in the history of UNIFIL. I have been crystal clear: the safety of United Nations personnel is our highest priority.

And all parties have an obligation to ensure the safety of our personnel. The inviolability of UN premises must be respected, at all times.

Attacks against UN peacekeepers are completely unacceptable. They are in breach of international law, against international humanitarian law and may constitute a war crime.

Despite all the challenges, UNIFIL remains in its positions. Every day you keep the blue flag flying — and ensure the primacy of international law. I am in constant contact with General Aroldo Lázaro — assessing the latest developments.

Our path forward is clear. We need an immediate ceasefire and the full implementation of resolution 1701 (2006). The men and women of UNIFIL are tirelessly working to give our diplomatic efforts a fighting chance.

You are not just on the Blue Line in Lebanon, you are literally on the front line of peace. Thank you for your service.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Avoid ‘All Out War’ in Lebanon, Stop ‘Tit-for-Tat Violence’ Engulfing Middle East, Secretary-General Tells Security Council

Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, in New York today:

The raging fires in the Middle East are fast becoming an inferno. Exactly one week ago, I briefed the Security Council about the alarming situation in Lebanon. Since then, things have gone from bad to much, much worse.

As I told the Council last week, the Blue Line has seen tensions for years. But since October, exchanges of fire have expanded in scope, depth and intensity.

I stated that the almost daily exchanges of fire by Hizbullah and other non-State armed groups in Lebanon and the Israel Defense Forces are in repeated violation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).

I emphasized that the daily use of weapons by non-State armed groups is in violation of Security Council resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1701 (2006).

And I stressed that Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected and the Lebanese State must have full control of weapons throughout Lebanon.

In the few short days since then, we have seen a dramatic escalation — so dramatic that I wonder what remains of the framework this Council established with resolution 1701 (2006).

Israeli forces have conducted relentless air strikes across Lebanon — including Beirut.

The United States and France — with the support of several other countries — have proposed a temporary ceasefire, allowing for the restart of negotiations.

Israel refused that proposal and stepped up its strikes, including bombing the Hizbullah headquarters where its leader was killed.

Hizbullah has continued rocket and missile attacks on Israel.

And yesterday, the Israel Defense Forces conducted what it stated were “limited incursions” into southern Lebanon.

UNIFIL [United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon] peacekeepers remain in position, and the UN flag continues to fly despite Israel’s request to relocate [it].

I reiterate our deep appreciation to the military and civilian members of our UN peacekeeping force — UNIFIL — and to troop-contributing countries. The safety and security of all UN personnel must be ensured.

Civilians are paying a terrible price — which I utterly condemn. Since last October, more than 1,700 people have been killed in Lebanon — including over 100 children and 194 women.

Over 346,000 people are confirmed to have been displaced from their homes. Government estimates put this number as high as 1 million. Another 128,000 people — both Syrian and Lebanese — have crossed into Syria.

The UN has mobilized all its capacities to provide urgent humanitarian aid in Lebanon and I ask the international community to fully fund our appeal.

Since 8 October 2023, Hizbullah attacks on Israel have killed 49 people — with over 60,000 people displaced from their homes.

It is absolutely essential to avoid an all out war in Lebanon which would have profound and devastating consequences.

Yesterday, Iran launched approximately 200 ballistic missiles towards Israel. It stated it was in response to the killings of Hassan Nasrallah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp commander, Abbas Nilforoushan, last week — as well as that of the Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran in July.

Millions of people across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory were forced to seek shelter. One person was killed from the Iranian strikes — a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank.

As I did in relation to the Iranian attack in April – and as should have been obvious yesterday in the context of the condemnation I expressed — I again strongly condemn yesterday’s massive missile attack by Iran on Israel.

These attacks paradoxically do nothing to support the cause of the Palestinian people or reduce their suffering.

Almost one year has passed since the atrocious 7 October 2023 acts of terror by Hamas and the taking of hostages.

Since last October, Israel has conducted in Gaza the most deadly and destructive military campaign in my years as Secretary-General. The suffering endured by the Palestinian people in Gaza is beyond imagination.

At the same time, the situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, continues to deteriorate with Israeli military operations, construction of settlements, evictions, land-grabs and intensification of settler attacks — progressively undermining any possibility of a two-State solution.

And simultaneously, armed Palestinian groups have also used violence. Hamas has continued to launch rockets, and just yesterday seven Israelis were killed in a terror attack in Jaffa.

The events of the past week, the past month and indeed nearly the past year make it clear:

It is high time for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, with the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, the effective delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza and irreversible progress to a two-State solution.

It is high time for a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon, real action towards full implementation of Security Council resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1701 (2006), paving the way for diplomatic efforts for sustainable peace.

It is high time to stop the sickening cycle of escalation after escalation that is leading the people of the Middle East straight over the cliff.

Each escalation has served as a pretext for the next. We must never lose sight of the tremendous toll that this growing conflict is taking on civilians.

We cannot look away from systematic violations of international humanitarian law. This deadly cycle of tit-for-tat violence must stop. Time is running out.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Each Day that Passes Only Deepens Misery, Suffering of Lebanon’s People, Secretary-General Tells Conference, Urging Ceasefire, Hostage Release

Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the International Conference in Support of Lebanon’s People and Sovereignty, in Paris today:

Monsieur le President, excellencies, friends of Lebanon,

I welcome this initiative by [France] President [Emmanuel] Macron and underscore our commitment to realizing the aims of this conference and supporting the people of Lebanon.

We do so in the context of a region that is reeling, and Lebanon in utter turmoil.

The past year has brought daily exchanges of fire across the Blue Line.

We are gravely concerned about the safety and well-being of civilians on both sides of the Blue Line — but we must recognize that the conflict has recently taken on an entirely different nature and scale.

Each day that passes only deepens the misery and suffering of people in Lebanon.

Since last October, over 2,300 people have been killed in Lebanon, and at least 50 in Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan.

More than half of the deaths in Lebanon have occurred since the dramatic escalation in Israeli strikes on 23 September.

Many of those killed were children and women. More than 1.2 million people have been displaced or affected in Lebanon. And in the last year, more than 60,000 have been displaced in Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan.

We see continued intense aerial bombardment by Israel in densely populated areas in Lebanon — including Beirut — and ground incursions across the Blue Line … as well as ongoing missile, drone and rocket attacks by Hizbullah into Israel.

An immediate ceasefire is needed now — along with meaningful steps towards full implementation of Security Council resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1701 (2006).

The sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected.

Civilians must be protected.

Civilian infrastructure must not be targeted.

Obligations under international law must be upheld.

I urge friends of Lebanon to support the ongoing humanitarian response efforts, including by providing rapid funding of the Lebanon Flash Appeal.

I call on Lebanon’s leaders to take resolute steps towards ensuring fully functional State institutions to address the country’s pressing political and security challenges.

And I encourage partners to strengthen their support for those State institutions, including the Lebanese Armed Forces, which are a vital part of a secure — and peaceful — path forward.

I salute the brave women and men of our peacekeeping force in Lebanon — UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) — and the UN family across the country, who are striving to implement their mandates in such challenging conditions.

Let me be clear: Attacks against UN peacekeepers are completely unacceptable.

They are in breach of international law, against international humanitarian law and may constitute a war crime.

I also pay tribute to humanitarian workers working to help communities in dire need.

Excellencies, we know what is happening in Lebanon today is not an isolated phenomenon.

We had the abhorrent terror attacks by Hamas on 7 October and the taking of hostages.

Since then, Israeli military operations in Gaza have caused death and destruction at a speed and scale beyond anything in my years as Secretary-General.

We have seen the impacts from Syria to Iraq to Yemen.

Now we see the growing threat of a major conflagration between Israel and Iran that would upend the entire region.

We need a ceasefire in Lebanon — as we need a ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate release of all hostages.

Escalation after escalation is leading to the unimaginable for the people of the region — including the people of Lebanon for whom we have all come together today.

Let us show our solidarity with action to ease the suffering and push for peace.

Thank you.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Int’l petroleum expo opens in UAE

Source: China State Council Information Office

The 2024 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC), a premier oil and gas industry event, kicked off on Monday, highlighting the themes of artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainable energy transition.

In his keynote address, United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Sultan Al Jaber, emphasized the transformative impact of AI, describing it as an “era-defining innovation” reshaping productivity and accelerating energy transition.

The ADIPEC 2024 has introduced a new “AI Zone” featuring top tech companies, including Microsoft and Accenture, to showcase solutions for sustainable energy management.

Sharif Al Olama, undersecretary for energy and petroleum affairs at UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, added that despite the growth of renewable energy, traditional oil resources continue to play a critical role in ensuring global energy stability.

“Even as renewables grow, oil remains the largest fuel source,” Al Olama said, highlighting UAE’s approach to maintaining a balanced energy mix.

The four-day event is anticipated to attract 184,000 participants from 164 countries, including ministers, more than 200 industry leaders, and over 2,200 exhibitors representing key energy players.

Hundreds of Chinese companies, including PetroChina, China National Offshore Oil Corporation, are participating the exhibition, showcasing technological advancements in digitalization, decarbonization, and renewables in the evolving landscape of the global energy industry.

Key topics at the ADIPEC this year also cover decarbonization, digital innovation, and mobilizing capital for clean energy projects, with an emphasis on bridging financing gaps in emerging markets to support a sustainable and equitable energy future.

MIL OSI China News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI China: 12th World Urban Forum kicks off in Egypt

Source: China State Council Information Office

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi (at the podium) speaks at the opening ceremony of the 12th session of the World Urban Forum in New Cairo, Egypt, on Nov. 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

The 12th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12) kicked off on Monday in New Cairo, Egypt, marking the forum’s first return to Africa in more than two decades.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said this year’s WUF convenes at a critical time, as successive global crises, including devastating wars, have catastrophic repercussions for cities and urban communities.

This requires efforts and political will to establish peace, terminate conflicts, and prioritize development, and reconstruction, he added.

Noting the ongoing wars and conflicts in the Middle East, primarily the war in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, he urged urgent response to end the bloodshed and destruction, and to embark on processes of reconstruction and development.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the Israeli offensive has damaged 80 percent of facilities, hospitals, and buildings in the Gaza Strip. He noted more than 150,000 Palestinians were either killed or wounded, calling on the international community to take their responsibilities to stop the Israeli offensive.

At the opening ceremony, the Egyptian president announced the launch of the “National Smart Cities Strategy” and the “National Green Urbanization Strategy,” which aim to reinforce ongoing national endeavors in promoting urbanization.

Co-organized by the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) and the Egyptian government, the WUF12 will run until Friday, attracting attendees such as government officials, academics, business people, community leaders, urban planners and civil society representatives. A delegation led by Chinese Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Ni Hong also attended the opening ceremony.

The WUF was established in 2001 by the United Nations to examine urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies. The first WUF was held in Nairobi, Kenya in 2002.

During the conference, Azerbaijan was announced as the next host for the forum.

MIL OSI China News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Gaming the news: How interactive journalism is changing how we tell stories to the next gen

Source: University of South Australia

05 November 2024

The Ramping Rush game.

Journalists have long used newspapers, radio, television, magazines and, more recently, the internet to entertain and inform the public on the stories that matter most. But what if there’s a richer, more compelling and interactive way to share and address real world issues?

A University of South Australia academic is exploring how video games are being developed in journalism as a more interactive way to engage younger audiences and tell impactful stories.

Dr Ben Stubbs, a senior lecturer in journalism and creative writing at UniSA, has created a news game – Ramping Rush: Ambulance Rescue – to explore one of South Australia’s most important health issues: ambulance ramping.

The game was led by UniSA’s Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments (IVE) and developed by computer science and media and literature students from around the world as part of a virtual internship.

Ramping Rush: Ambulance Rescue is a free and online single-player game that aims to demonstrate the impact of ramping – an issue that has given rise to countless media reports in recent years as the state’s hospital system strains under pressure. Ramping occurs when ambulances are made to queue outside overcrowded hospital emergency departments, leaving patients with a prolonged wait upon arrival.

In the game, the player steps into the shoes of a busy paramedic, racing against time to rescue patients while dealing with long hospital waits and ramping delays.

The aim is for the player to make snap decisions and save as many lives as possible before getting stuck in traffic or being held up at clogged emergency departments. However, the player soon learns that it’s impossible to save the patients and ‘win’ the game as the ramping situation is too dire.

By demonstrating the challenges of ramping through a gaming scenario, the team hopes to capture the attention of younger audiences, particularly school students, who are less likely to engage in traditional media.

Dr Stubbs, an experienced journalist who has written for publications including The New York Times, The Guardian and Sydney Morning Herald, says the video game was created to engage younger audiences with important and current community issues.

“Interactive news games are another way for people to think about real world issues in a fun and engaging way,” he says.

“We know that people have been moving away from traditional news for a long time now and how people are consuming news is constantly changing.

“Video games are just another way to think about the potential of alternative journalism when traditional forms might only reach certain audiences.”

Last year saw the biggest increase in the number of Australians playing video games, from 67% (17 million) in 2021 to 81% (21 million) in 2023. Nearly 95% of Australian households have a device for playing video games while 91% of parents play with their children to connect as a family.

Meanwhile, the journalism landscape has experienced significant change in recent decades, with traditional reporting formats like newspapers in decline. In Australia only 18% of people still read newspapers, with online news now attracting the majority of audiences.

“Shifting attitudes towards news consumption is driving demand for new outlets such as games,” Dr Stubbs says.

“News video games are not entirely new to journalism. For example, after the September 11 terrorist attacks, a game was created to help people understand the complexities of modern warfare.

“Similarly, ABC created The Amazon Race’ in 2019 to showcase the realities of working in a pressure-cooker environment such as Amazon’s Melbourne warehouse.”

UniSA has recently added a module all about news games to the Innovations in Visual Journalism course which will be part of the online Bachelor of Journalism program in 2025.

“I think there’s great potential with news games,” Dr Stubbs says. “In our research we found games on everything from the Syrian civil war, remembrance around the Madrid train bombings, identifying fake news, games on the realities of living with a low income, managing a sweatshop factory, pirate fishing, distracted driving and managing COVID misinformation.

“Creating new and timely additions to the video news portfolio is an important step in remaining connected to the next generation.”

Ambulance Rush: Ramping Rescue is available to play on itch.io.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Contact for interview: Dr Ben Stubbs, Senior Lecturer, UniSA E: Ben.Stubbs@unisa.edu.au
Media contact: Melissa Keogh, UniSA Media M: +61 403 659 154 E: Melissa.Keogh@unisa.edu.au

MIL OSI News –

January 26, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: A new campaign rewards young gamers on Roblox for engaging with the US election. What does it mean for global politics?

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanne Orlando, Researcher: Digital Literacy and Digital Wellbeing, Western Sydney University

Alex Photo Stock/Shutterstock

If historical trends are anything to go by, most young people in the United States will not vote at this week’s presidential election. For example, at the 2016 presidential election, less than half of Americans aged 18 to 29 cast their ballot.

But a new campaign on the hugely popular online gaming platform Roblox aims to encourage young people in the US to get out and exercise their democratic right on Tuesday.

The “Virtual Vote” initiative is a partnership between Roblox game developers and a national political non-profit organisation called HeadCount.

It has already engaged thousands of Roblox users – and it may mark the beginning of an entirely new way young people worldwide learn about and engage with real-life politics.

The ultimate virtual universe

Roblox is an online gaming platform where people can create an avatar, play a library of user-created games and socialise. Its developers describe it as the “the ultimate virtual universe”.

It has roughly 79.5 million reported daily users globally and is valued at US$38 billion.

The online gaming platform is especially popular among young people. However, it also poses a number of safety risks, including grooming and cyberbullying.

Because of this, some governments have cracked down on Roblox. For example, earlier this year, it was banned in Turkey.

Now the 2024 US presidential election has also entered the Roblox virtual gaming universe.

From games to politics

Virtual Vote is billed as the “first immersive civic engagement campaign”.

Justin Hochberg, CEO of Virtual Brand Group (which develops games for Roblox) and the founder of Virtual Vote stated that his goal was simple:

With 57% of gamers discovering global fashion, sports and entertainment brands while playing, this initiative meets Gen Z where they are to make a difference for the world’s biggest brand — #America.

Virtual Vote was launched just four weeks ago in partnership with Headcount, a long-standing, not-for-profit youth voter engagement platform in the US. Other organisations – many of which are prominent in the online brand and content space – have also come on board.

Players engage with Virtual Vote via popular games on Roblox, such as Livetopia, which has 4.7 billion user visits, and Karlie Kloss’s Fashion Klossette, which has 33.1 million total visits.

Upon entering Virtual Vote, players meet Sam the Eagle, a guide who encourages them to check their voter registration status. Through Sam, players explore interactive maps showing state-specific voting rules and timelines.

Virtual Vote is also a form of gaming and entertainment with big rewards and prizes for players who engage with it. Up for grabs is a trip to Hollywood to meet television presenter Jimmy Kimmel, VIP tickets to see musician Sabrina Carpenter, a snowboarding trip with champion American snowboarder Jamie Anderson, as well as limited-edition merchandise and content to play within Roblox.

In the four weeks since its launch, Virtual Vote has had a strong response from Roblox users. More than 500,000 people have played the mini game so far – almost 4,000 of whom subsequently checked their voter registration status.

Shaping political viewpoints online

Platforms like Roblox, with their massive global youth audiences, are becoming increasingly important for shaping political views and real-world political engagement.

Children and young adults immersed in these virtual worlds may be unknowingly absorbing information and perspectives that could influence their future voting decisions.

Right now, the focus is on voter registration. However, given the huge impact it’s having, there is clear potential for such campaigns to become much more persuasive and biased.

In future, we could see kids vying for rewards within online games or social media that may subtly shape their political viewpoints, which they then carry into how they vote as adults.

This phenomenon has flown under the radar for the current US election. But its impact could be significant. Even more so since young people currently get so much of their news from social platforms.

For example, the current trend on TikTok of women “cancelling out” the pro-Trump votes of their partners reinforces a gender binary for voting habits. These trending videos are fun, comedic, give minimal factual information. But some of them are getting up to two million views each.

Similarly, election-themed videos – many of which have been identified as misinformation – on the popular online video platform YouTube have racked up millions of views in recent weeks.

Exacerbating this situation is that young people often use social media, watch YouTube and play games on Roblox in combination. This can mean triple the impact of how these platforms can shape their political views.

Online games and platforms are constantly shape-shifting and looking for new ways to engage with ever bigger global audiences.

So wherever we live in the world, a campaign like Virtual Vote – seeking to achieve real-world political influence through an online video game platform – are important to pay attention to.

Given the impact of Virtual Vote on so many young people, in such a short period of time, we can expect to see more political influence in their play. Shaping elections in the online space has just taken a new step.

Joanne Orlando has received funding from the Office of the eSafety Commissioner.

– ref. A new campaign rewards young gamers on Roblox for engaging with the US election. What does it mean for global politics? – https://theconversation.com/a-new-campaign-rewards-young-gamers-on-roblox-for-engaging-with-the-us-election-what-does-it-mean-for-global-politics-242901

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Hehe Culture ambassadors honored for promoting cultural exchange

Source: China State Council Information Office 2

The 2024 Global Forum on Hehe Culture was held in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, on Saturday.

Essam Sharaf (C), former Egyptian prime minister and Orchid Awards recipient, Erik Solheim (R), former U.N. under-secretary-general, and Piet Steel (L), honorary chairman of the Europe-Asia Center and a member of the Board of Directors of Special Olympics, are honored ambassadors of Hehe Culture during a forum in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, on Nov. 2, 2024. [Photo/China.org.cn]
To honor the contributions of those in promoting Chinese cultural values and facilitating cultural exchange, the forum’s organizing committee named three distinguished global figures as ambassadors of Hehe Culture. They were Essam Sharaf, former Egyptian prime minister and Orchid Awards recipient, Erik Solheim, former U.N. under-secretary-general, and Piet Steel, honorary chairman of the Europe-Asia Center and a member of the Board of Directors of the Special Olympics .
Launched at the 2023 Global Forum on Hehe Culture, the Cultural Ambassadors of Hehe Culture program is a joint initiative by China International Communications Group, the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Zhejiang Provincial Committee, the CPC Taizhou Municipal Committee, and the Taizhou municipal government, as part of their efforts to implement the Global Civilization Initiative. Every year, the program honors individuals who champion Chinese traditional culture, foster cultural exchange, and contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

MIL OSI China News –

January 26, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Year End Review 2024: Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation,

Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 25 JAN 2025 10:14AM by PIB Delhi

The Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of JalShakti has been working relentlessly towards achieving the vision and mission of making India a ‘Water Secure Country’ as envisioned by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi. The Ministry of Jal Shakti, formed in 2019 by bringing together all water related departments and organizations under one umbrella Ministry, has been playing a pivotal role in implementation of a focused strategy towards making India ‘Water Secure’ while ensuring optimal utilization of precious and scarce water resources across the nation. During the year2024, the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has undertaken several new initiatives and achieved significant outcomes/milestones. Following is some of the key achievements of the Department in 2024:

National Mission forClean Ganga (NMCG)

National Mission for Clean Ganga, in the year 2024, completed 25 projects which resulted in the completion of a cumulative total of 303 projects, sofar, and also sanctioned 39 new projects amounting to ₹ 2,056 crore, bringing the cumulative total to 488 projects sanctioned worth ₹ 39,730 crore. In sewerage infrastructure, 12 projects for the creation/ rehabilitation of 305 MLD sewage treatment capacity have been sanctioned between January to December 2024. In the same period, 16 projects for the creation/ rehabilitation of 750 MLD sewage treatment capacity have been completed. Till date, a total of 203 sewerage infrastructure projects have been sanctioned in the Ganga Basin for the creation of 6,255 MLD sewage treatment capacity and the laying of a 5,249 km sewer network.

Other key achievements during the year 2024 are as follows:

(A) Inauguration and Laying of Foundation Stones Sewerage infrastructure projects by Hon’ble Prime Minister (Under Nirmal Ganga)

On 25^thJanuary 2024, the Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated the following projects with a cumulative cost of ₹ 790.5 Crores from Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh.

Construction of 30 MLD STP at Masani, Mathura (under Hybrid Annuity-basedPPP (HAM) model under Namami Gange Program), Rehabilitation of existing (30 MLD at Trans Yamuna and 6.8 MLD STP at Masani, Mathura) total 36.8 MLD and Construction of 20 MLD TTRO plant (Tertiary Treatment and Reverse Osmosis Plant), Masani, Mathura

Construction of 58 MLD STP with 264 km and sewerage Network at Moradabad

On 1st March 2023, the Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated three projects worth
₹ 575 crore from Hooghly, West Bengal. These projects include, 40 MLD STP work with Interception & Diversion at Bally, West Bengal, 60 MLD STP work with Interception & Diversion at Kamarhati and Baranagar Municipalities, West Bengal and 65 MLD STP work with Interception & Diversion at Howrah.

On 2^nd March 2024, the Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated twelve projects worth ₹ 2,189 crore from Aurangabad, Bihar. These projects include 60 MLD STP and 162 km sewerage network at Saidpur, Patna, 60 MLD STP at Pahari, Patna, 93 km sewerage network at Pahari Zone IVA (S), Patna, 116 km sewerage network at Pahari Zone V, Patna, 180 km sewerage network at Beur, Patna, 96 km sewerage network at Karmalichak, Patna, 11 MLD STP at Barh, Patna, 10 MLD STP at Sultanganj, Bhagalpur, 9 MLD STP at Naugachia, Bhagalpur, 3.50 MLD STP at Sonepur, Saran, 32 MLD STP at Chhapra, Saran.

On 10^th March 2024, the Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated three sewage projects worth ₹ 1,114 crore from Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. These projects include 72 MLD STP and I&D network work at Naini (District-G, 42 MLD), Phaphamau (District-F, 14 MLD) and Jhunsi (16 MLD), Prayagraj, 30 MLD STP and I&D network work at Jaunpur and 45 MLD STP and I&D network work at Etawah.

On 2^nd October 2024, the Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for ten sewage treatment plant (STP) projects with a total cost of ₹ 1,555 crore. Among these, five projects worth ₹ 534.25 crore were inaugurated across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Additionally, laid the foundation stone for five more projects across Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh, amounting to ₹ 1,021 crore.

(B) Inauguration and Laying of Foundation Stones Sewerage infrastructure projects by Hon’ble Union Minister of Jal Shakti (Under Nirmal Ganga)

On 4^th January 2024, the Hon’ble Union Minister for Jal Shakti inaugurated 14 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) with a 2.4 km Interception & Diversion (I&D) Network worth ₹ 77.36 crores in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh.

On 18^th January 2024, the Hon’ble Union Minister for Jal Shakti laid the foundation stone for the 220 MLD Meerut sewage treatment plant (STP) with interception and diversion (I&D) project worth ₹ 370 crore in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.

Training on Occupational Health & Safety Audit

NMCG organized 9 virtual safety training program and trained more than 1,500 officials on “Occupational Health and Safety Audit (OHSA)” From January 2024 to December 2024, to ensure workplace safety and compliance.

Activities Under Biodiversity Conservation (Under Aviral Ganga)

The programme has sanctioned projects focused on protecting and rehabilitating fishery, turtles, crocodiles, and dolphins. Projects Sanctioned in the year 2024 are as under :

Advancing Rescue System for the protection of stranded Ganges river Dolphins.
Conservation, Reintroduction, and Rehabilitation of threatened Turtles along ganga basin.

· Expanding Conservation Breeding Programme of Freshwater Turtle and Gharial at Kukrail Rehabilitation Centre, Lucknow

NMCG, in partnership with CIFRI, has successfully implemented fish ranching programs for Indian Major Carps and other species. In 2024, notable achievements include – Ranching of Indian Major Carps (IMC): 49.25 lakhs, Mahseer: 7,370, Hilsa: 42,117 and Hilsa tagging: 1,387 nos.

Important Activities (under Jan Ganga)

Launch of Namami Niranjana Abhiyan: NMCG launched the “Namami Niranjana Abhiyan” on 20^th February 2024, aimed at ensuring the perennial flow of the Niranjana (Falgu) river and bolstering the ongoing efforts of the “Niranjana (Falgu) River Recharge Mission”. The Falgu river, revered as Niranjana in Bodhgaya and Falgu in Gaya, originates from Belgadda in the Simaria block of Chatra district, Jharkhand, holding profound significance in the Hindu Sanatan religion. Pilgrims partake in rituals such as PindDaan and Tarpan for their ancestors using water from the Falgu river.
Celebration of International Day of Yoga: On the occasion of the International Day of Yoga, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) organized ‘Ghat Par Yoga’ at BSF Camp, Zero Pushta, Sonia Vihar in Delhi on the bank of River Yamuna on 21^st June, 2024. Over 1,000 people participated in the event including officials and staff from the NMCG, NGOs under the Yamuna Action Plan (YAP-III) of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the Border Security Force (BSF), Ganga Vichar Manch, various other NGOs, as well as students and children.
8^thIndia Water Week 2024: The 8^th edition of India Water Week (IWW) 2024 was held during 17-20 September 2024, in New Delhi, on the theme “Partnerships and Cooperation for Inclusive Water Development and Management.” This prestigious international event has become a key platform for collaboration in water resource management. The event was inaugurated by the President of India, alongside Hon’ble Union Minister of Jal Shakti, and Hon’ble Minister of State for Jal Shakti.

Ganga Utsav- A River Festival 2024: On 4^th November 2024, the 8th edition of Ganga Utsav was organized by NMCG at scenic Chandi Ghat in Haridwar to promote the conservation of the Ganga River, emphasize its cultural and spiritual importance, and raise public awareness about cleanliness. The event was inaugurated by Hon’ble Union Minister of Jal Shakti in the august presence of the Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Hon’ble Uttarakhand Minister for Women & Child Welfare, Secretary, DoWR, RD & GR, Ministry of Jal Shakti, and DG, NMCG. This eighth edition of the event was the first time held on the riverbank, with celebrations extending across more than 110 districts in the Ganga basin states.The event featured participants from diverse spheres, including students, scientists, spiritual leaders, and more.
9^th India Water Impact Summit: The 9^th India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) & 2^nd Climate Investments and Technology Impact Summit were organised jointly by NMCG & c-Ganga from 4^th to 6^th December 2024 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

International Collaboration

Meeting with German Delegates: On 9^th May 2024, a meeting was held with the Deputy Head of the Economic Division, German Embassy to discuss the current status of projects aimed at rejuvenating the Ganga River, supported through bilateral cooperation between India and Germany.
Workshop on Strengthening Quality Infrastructure for Water Monitoring of the Ganges River II: NMCG in association with Physikalisch- Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) under Indo-German Technical Cooperation Programme organised a 6-day training programme from 22^nd July to 31^st July 2024.
Inception Workshop for District Ganga Plans: On 5^th July 2024, NMCG in association with GIZ organized an inception workshop for the District Ganga Plans. The workshop aimed to create comprehensive District Ganga Plans (DGPs) based on a River Basin Management approach, which has been prepared for four pilot districts.
Smart Laboratory for Clean Rivers (SLCR): The Smart Lab for Clean Rivers (SLCR) has been set up under the Green Strategic Partnership between India and Denmark to bring global solutions on current challenges in the field of clean river water, conduct collaborative research and development to fit in real environment through Living lab approach and creation of platform between Government authorities, academic institutions and technology providers for knowledge sharing and co-creation to achieve clean river water.
Meeting of the Joint Review Committee: On 9^th October 2024, the first meeting of the Joint Review Committee (JRC) under the India-Israel Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was held under the chairmanship of DG, NMCG, to address priority areas such as reducing non-revenue water, urban water management through IoT and AI, wastewater treatment, and sewage sludge management.

Development of knowledge products (Under Gyan Ganga)

The ‘River Atlas for Ganga Main Stem Districts’, an in-house developed knowledge product of the GKC was launched by the Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti on 09^thDecember 2024 during the 13th Empowered Task Force Meeting. The atlas comprises maps of River Ganga and its tributaries, covering five main stem states in the Ganga basin – Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. This comprehensive Atlas is essential for the effective implementation of policies and programs and accurate planning and informed decision-making.

National Water Mission (NWM)

MoU with Girganga Parivar Trust (Girganga) has been signed on 22.10.2024 on Pro bono basis. They have committed to build 11,111 bore well recharge and 11,111 check dams.
MoU with Sarkaritel.com/jalprahari.in has been signed on 13.12.2024 on Pro bono basis. They have committed for generating awareness on Water Conservation in the public.
MoU with Vyakti Vikas Kendra India (VVKI), the Art of Living has been signed on 16.12.2024 on Pro bono basis. They have committed for creating of Water recharge structure with the help of implementing many River Rejuvenation Programs through Government scheme MGNREGA

Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune
Central Soil and Material Research Station, New Delhi
National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee
Central Water Commission, New Delhi

Publication of research/ technical reports – 281 Nos.
Organisation of Trainings and workshops – 94 Nos.
Training of people for capacity building- 2623 persons
Publication of high impact technical report & research papers – 18 Nos.

13 new research schemes has been recommended by Standing Advisory Committee and approved by Secretary (WR).
The research project “Hydro-geological Assessment and Socio-Economic implications of Depleting Water Resources in tourist towns of Uttarakhand” has been completed.
The research project “Irrigation Efficiency Improvement through On–farm Water Management” has been completed.
The research project “Dynamic Downscaling to study Climate Change Impacts on
Water Resource in India” has been completed.

National Water Development Agency (NWDA): Inter-Linking of Rivers Project

Under National Perspective Plan (NPP) formulated by Government of India, 30 inter-basin water transfer links (16 Peninsular and 14 Himalayan component) have been identified by National Water Development Agency for preparation of Feasibility Reports. Detailed Projects Reports (DPRs) of 11 links, Feasibility Reports (FRs) of 26 links and Pre-Feasibility Reports (PFRs) of all the 30 links have been prepared. The Inter-Linking River (ILR) Programme has been taken up on high priority by Government of India. The works related to ILR projects are already in progress. Five links have been identified as priority links by Govt. of India viz., Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP), Modified Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal Link Project (MPKC) and Godavari-Cauvery (G-C) Link Project (comprising of 3 link systems).

System studies of four link projects viz.; Manas-Sanksoh-Teesta-Ganga (MSTG) link, Ganga-Damodar-Subernarekha (GDS) link, Subernarekha-Mahanadi (SM) link and Farakka-Sunderbans (FS) link have been initiated and the work of these four links has been awarded to IIT, Guwahati, NIT, Patna, NIT, Warangal and NIH, Roorkee respectively. Inception Reports have been submitted in June, 2023 by all the four Institutes. The draft final reports of MSTG and GDS have been submitted by the respective Institutes. The system studies of Mahanadi-Godavari link have been completed by NIH, Roorkee and the Final Report has been submitted in May, 2023. Awarding of work for system studies of southern linkage initiated, however, it may be taken up after finalization of quantity of water that can be transferred from MSTG, GDS, FS and SM link projects to Mahanadi river, as per system studies.

Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP): is the first inter-linking of rivers (ILR) project for which implementation has been initiated. The project will be of immense benefit to the water starved Bundelkhand Region, spread across the States of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh which includes districts of Panna, Tikamgarh, Niwari, Chhatarpur, Sagar, Damoh, Datia, Vidisha, Shivpur&Raisen and Banda, Mahoba, Jhansi & Lalitpur respectively. The status of KBLP is as given below:

Subsequent to signing of tripartite agreement in year, 2021, Govt. of India approved implementation of the project in December, 2021 at an estimated cost of Rs. 44,605 Crore with central support of Rs. 39,317 Crore.
With allocation of budget under RE of FY 2021-22, the implementation of the project has started.
Steering Committee and Ken-Betwa Link Project Authority (KBLPA) were been constituted vide Gazette Notification dated 11.02.2022.
KBLPA HQ Office is set up at Bhopal with three more offices at Chhatarpur, Panna and Jhansi, which are fully functional with regular CEO/ACEOs, Director (Fin.) and other officials.
Six meetings of Steering Committee and Six meetings of KBLPA have been held so far.
Initially the focus is on land acquisition, R&R, fulfilling the compliances to the conditions of forest clearance and wildlife clearance.
Greater Panna Landscape Council (GPLC) under Chief Secretary, Govt. of MP has been constituted for implementation of Landscape Management Plan through various stakeholders. Its first meeting was held on 05.09.23. Sub-Committee of GPLC was constituted on 16.10.2023 and its 1^st& 2^nd meetings were held on 17.10.2023 & 29.11.2023 respectively.
Planning for an Integrated Research and Learning Centre (IRLC) at Panna has already been initiated by WII.
The Monitoring Committee for R&R works of KBLP under Secretary, DoLR, MoRD has been constituted.
Collector, Chhattarpur has made payment of Rs. 197.23 Crore to the affected Families. Whereas, Collector Panna has made payment of Rs.76.82 Crore to the affected families of Panna. The remaining Land Acquisition Payment for Private land in both the districts are in Progress.
The work for engagement of Project Management Consultant (PMC) is in process. 9 bids were received for PMC, Result of Technical Evaluation of Bids was published on the CPP Portal on 22.08.2024. The Financial Proposals of the 5 technically qualified firms were opened on 10.09.2024. 20 meetings of Consultancy Evaluation Committee (CEC) for hiring PMC have been held so far. 20^th meeting of CEC was held on 11.09.2024 for financial evaluation of bids. After financial and technical evaluation of bids received, recommendations of the CEC have been submitted to DoWR,RD&GR, MoJS for approval on 13.09.2024.
A Technical Advisory Group for KBLP (TAG-KBLP) for KBLPA has been constituted to review and advise KBLPA on various planning and technical matters on implementation of various components of the link project. 10 meetings of TAG have been held so far.
The tender document for the main component of the project i.e. Daudhan dam and its Appurtenant works (EPC mode) was finalized by Technical Advisory Group of KBLP and the Tender Evaluation Committee (TEC) and floated on CPP portal on 11.08.2023. The complete proposal of technical and financial evaluation of bids was sent to Ministry of Jal Shakti that has been approved by Ministry. Subsequently, KBLPA has issued Letter of Acceptance to M/s NCC Limited for the work of Daudhan dam on 28.11.2024.
Stage–II Forest Clearance for diversion of 6017.00 ha of forest land for development of KBLP has been accorded by MoEF& CC on 03.10.2023.
The draft tender for EPC execution of Ken-Betwa Link Canal is prepared in two packages and circulated to State Governments of MP and UP for their comments/suggestions. Suggestions from Govt. of UP have been received.
PTR has accepted total 6017 ha non-forest land Transferred/ Mutated. Notification of 6017 ha has been completed by Forest Department under section-29 of Indian Forest Act-1927 and has been published.
Land in submergence: 3239 ha (Govt. Land: 1784.67 ha + Private Land 1454.33 ha) of land is coming under submergence area of Daudhan Dam. Private land of 1454.33 ha and Government land of 1604.429 ha has been mutated in favour of WRD, MP. Balance 180.241 ha Government land is likely to be transferred to WRD, MP soon.
Land Acquisition for Ken Betwa Link canal (99 villages of MP and 10 villages of UP) is under progress.
The work on State specific components like Lower Orr, Kotha Barrage and Bina Complex Multipurpose Project is already in progress. Head Works of Lower Orr has been completed whereas Head Works for Kotha & Bina are ongoing.

Cumulative Progress (%) upto December, 2024

Lower Orr : 67.00
Kotha Barrage: 59.00
Bina Complex: 50.20

The preparation of DPRs of components of UP likes two barrages, renovation and modernization of Tanks of Mahoba district, renovation and modernization of three weirs and ken command system is in progress.
Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji laid the Foundation Stone of KBLP on 25.12.2024 at Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh).
The project is planned to be completed in 8 years by March, 2030.

Modified Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal Link Project (MPKC):

PFR has been circulated to concerned States. The work of DPRs is under progress.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed on 28.01.2024 amongst States of MP, Rajasthan and Govt. of India.
Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) of Modified Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal link project has been signed on 05.12.2024 amongst States of MP, Rajasthan and Govt. of India. Subsequently Hon’ble Prime Minister declared the signing of the agreement on 17^th December, 2024 at Rajasthan.

Godavari-Cauvery (G-C) Link Project (comprising of 3 link systems):

Modified proposal for transfer of 4189 MCM of water from Godavari along with supplementation in Krishna basin through Bedti-Varda link (524 MCM) has been studied by NWDA.
Draft DPR of the modified /revised proposal has circulated to the concerned State/UT during Jan., 2024.
Draft MoA has been prepared for implementation of the project and circulated to concerned State/UT for perusal and observation during April, 2024.
Concerted efforts are being made for building up consensus amongst the States/UT for signing of MoA for the early implementation of this link project.

8^th India Water Week 2024:

IWW-2024 was successfully organized/held from 17^th to 20^th September, 2024 at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
The theme of the 8^th India Water Week is “Partnerships and Cooperation for Inclusive Water Development and Management”.
The mega event was inaugurated by the Hon’ble President of India.
The four-day multi-disciplinary conference comprises of Ministerial Plenary, Global Water Leaders’ Plenary (2), Country Forum (4), Water Leaders Forum (9), Practitioner’s Forum (8), Startup Forum, Youth Forum, Water Convention (18) one-day study tour and concurrently organized exhibition. Denmark, Australia and Israel were the Partner Countries. There were 15 Partner States viz.; Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, J&K, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana.

More than 4500 delegates from India & abroad participated in the IWW-2024. About 215 delegates from 40 countries participated in the conference. Parallel to the conference, in the exhibition 143 Exhibitors from Central, States Government, Public Sector undertakings, Private Firms, NGOs, Startups and Schools etc. showcased their technologies.

Central Water Commission (CWC)

(i) Central Water Commission has undertaken sedimentation assessment studies of selected reservoirs located in various States using Satellite Remote Sensing technique under the plan scheme “Research & Development Programme in Water Sector”. It is planned to take up the studies in respect of 80 reservoirs during 2021-26. Accordingly, the work of carrying out the study for the first batch of 40 reservoirs was outsourced. Due to non-availability of either the desired water levels or satellite data for a reservoir on date of satellite pass, study in respect of 31 reservoirs was feasible which has been completed and reports published during 2022 to 2024. Besides this sedimentation studies in respect of 30 reservoirs have been completed in-house using Remote Sensing Techniques. Furthermore, a Google Earth Engine-based tool has also been developed by CWC officers, in-house under Smart Water Resources Modelling Organization (SWRMO) – Centre for Excellence, to automate the assessment of sedimentation in the live storage zone of reservoir.

(ii) A World Bank (WB) and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) team conducted the Mid-Term Review (MTR) mission for the Second Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP-2) between January 17 and May 3, 2024. The mission held discussions with Implementing Agencies (IAs) in Bhubaneshwar (Odisha), Surat (Gujarat), and New Delhi and undertook field visits to selected dams in Gujarat (Ukai) and Odisha (Hirakud, Rengali). The wrap-up meeting was held in New Delhi, chaired by Joint Secretary, D/o WR, RD&GR, Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) and attended by Project Director, Central Water Commission (CWC), members of the Central Project Management Unit (CPMU), the Engineering and Management Consultant (EMC), and representatives of all Implementing Agencies (IA). As part of the mission, a detailed exercise on the use of the rapid risk assessment tool for Indian dams, in compliance with the National Dam Safety Act 2021, was carried out between March 5 and May 3, 2024.

(iii) The quarterly dialogues on Coastal Area Management, initiated as per the direction of the Chairman, Central Water Commission (CWC) was held in April and May 2024.These dialogues brought together stakeholders from various levels of government, research institutions, and relevant departments to discuss pressing issues such as coastal erosion, salinity ingress, and the need for robust data collection and management. The dialogues provided a platform for sharing information, best practices, and innovative solutions from all stakeholders. As an outcome of the Quarterly Dialogue, CWC has published a report titled “Status Report on Coastal Area Management- An Indian Perspective, Region Issues & Remedial Measures”. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges and initiatives related to coastal management in India. The report highlights the significant impacts of coastal erosion and salinity ingress, emphasizing the need for robust data collection, effective mitigation strategies, and increased collaboration among stakeholders.

(iv) A Smart Water Resources Modelling Organization acts as Centre of Excellence to grow as a pioneering hub for developing in-house expertise and innovation in tackling diverse problem statements and studies in water sector and directly reports to Chairman, CWC.

(v) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 06.06.2024between Central Water Commission (CWC) and IIT, Roorkeefor research work related to Irrigation Efficiency Assessment, Water Accounting studies, Cropped Area Mapping, Water Auditing, Urban Flood Forecasting & Risk Management, Urban Flood Inundation & Hazard Mapping, etc. These works will be carried out through mutual consultations and collaboration, leveraging the expertise and resources of both institutions.

(vi) A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Central Water Commission (CWC) and Space Application Centre (SAC) in the field of hydrology and water resources management, leveraging remote sensing and collaborative research efforts for mutual benefit on 08^th July,2024.

(vii) Support for Irrigation Modernization Program (SIMP): Central Water Commission (CWC), DoWR, RD & GR has taken up an initiative Support for Irrigation Modernization Program (SIMP) with technical assistance from theAsian Development Bank (ADB) to modernize Major/ Medium Irrigation (MMI) projects in the country.

(viii) SIMP is proposed to be taken up in 4 phases. SIMP Phase-1 concluded on 31.12.2021 under which 4 MMI projects have been identified for inclusion under 1st batch of projects for preparation of Irrigation Modernization Plans (IMPs) out of the 57 proposals received from 14 States and 2 UTs. The entire process including the preparation of IMPs, Detailed Project Report (DPRs), detailed designs and final implementation/ project execution is expected to be completed by Phase-4. Implementation of the project would lie with the concerned States who would have an option to either fund it from their own resources or they can avail loan facility from ADB or any other financial institutions.

(ix) SIMP Phase-2 was initiated from November 2022. Irrigation Modernization Plan (IMP) of four projects namely VanivilasaSagara Project, Karnataka, Palkhed Project Maharashtra, Purna Project, Maharashtra and Loharu Lift Irrigation Project, Haryana have been prepared. As a 1st step for preparation of IMPs, FAO developed RAP-MASSCOTE (Rapid Appraisal Procedure-Mapping System and Services for Canal Operation Techniques) workshops were organized to assess the present status of the identified four projects. The findings of RAP MASSCOTE workshops and issues related to Batch 1 SIMP projects were discussed in a mid-term workshop organized by ADB and CWC on 09.06.2023 at New Delhi.

For capacity building under SIMP phase-II, the following activities were organized:

From 6th to 10th November 2023, a five days training on modernization and design of Pipe Distribution Networks (PDN) was organized at Panchkula/ Chandigarh. 22 Engineers from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab and CWC participated in the training.
On 15th and 20th December 2023, a Webinar on Irrigation Modernization and Design of PDN Systems was organized.
A Training on Asset Management Planning for Irrigation Schemes was held from 8^th to 12^th January 2024 at WALMI, Aurangabad.
A training on new technologies in Agriculture and Water Practices was held from 22^nd to 25^th January 2024 at HIRMI, Kurukshetra, Haryana.

The Preliminary Project Reports (PPR) of all the four projects has been submitted by ADB to the concerned project authorities. PPR of Loharu, Haryana is under process with Govt department. PPR of Palkhed and Purna, Maharashtra is under process in Planning Department of Haryana, PPR of VVS, Karnataka is under process with state finance Govt of Maharashtra.

PPRs are to be finalized by the states and submitted to DEA. After necessary approval from DEA, action for phase-3 will be taken up for preparation of DPRs.

(x) A Training program on the application of Rapid Risk Assessment tool, in association with the World Bank for the officers of the core group was held during April 22, 2024 – May 3, 2024 at Auditorium, 1st floor, CWC Library Building, Near Sewa Bhawan, Sector-1, R K Puram, New Delhi. Total 66 officials nominated by CWC, NDSA and States / DRIP IAs for taking forward the assignment of carrying out the Rapid Risk Assessment of specified dams in the country.

GLOF and Flood forecasting activities: –

CWC finalized the criteria for Risk Indexing of Glacial Lakes in the Indian Himalayan Region in September 2024, which provide a comprehensive methodology for identifying and categorizing Glacial Lakes based on factors such as Glacial Lake size, Glacial Lake type, Side slope, Snout distance from GL etc. and the potential socio-economic impacts of a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood.

In the year 2024, 2 new stations (Inflow) have started functioning. Currently CWC is providing flood forecast at 340 stations (200-level forecasting stations & 140-inflow forecasting stations). During the period from 1st April to 30.11.2024, 10415 (i.e. 7093 Level and 3322 Inflow) forecasts were issued, out of which 9947 (95.5%) forecasts were found within the accuracy limit (±0.15m for level forecast and ±20% for inflow forecast).During flood season, CWC operates the Central Flood Control Room on 24×7 basis at its headquarter in New Delhi and 36 Divisional Flood Control Rooms spread throughout the country for monitoring flood situation. On an average, about 10,000 forecasts are issued during flood season every year by the CWC. Normally, these forecasts are issued 6 to 30 hours in advance, depending upon the river terrain and location of the flood forecasting sites and their base stations. In addition to conventional flood forecasting techniques, mathematical model forecasting based on rainfall-run off methodology is being used for some areas. This has enabled CWC to issue 7-day advance flood advisory.

Automated online 7-day flood advisory for all the level and inflow forecasting stations is maintained. “Flood Situation for next seven days” in respect of stations likely to be above warning level has been added in the “Daily Flood Situation Report cum Advisory” based on the 7-day advisory.

Flood Plain Zoning

In order to have a reasonable degree of protection, floods need to be managed through both structural & non-structural measures so as to reduce the losses. Non-structural measures are planned activities to modify susceptibility due to flood related damages. These are meant to keep people away from floods. Flood Plain Zoning is one of the main non-structural measures for management of floods worldwide.

A technical committee under the chairmanship of Member (RM) was constituted during November 2022 for formulation of ‘Technical Guidelines on Flood Plain Zoning’ . After due deliberations, the committee submitted the guidelines to Ministry. The guidelines is presently under circulation to the states for their comments/review. Once implemented, these guidelines shall serve as a valuable document in guiding the states in framing their own legislation in protecting their rivers from future encroachments.

Hydrological Studies:

The success of a project is largely governed by the hydrological inputs. The success of a project is largely governed by the hydrological inputs. The Hydrological Studies Organization (HSO), a specialized unit under Design and Research (D&R) Wing of CWC, carries out hydrological studies in respect of the water resources projects in the country. The inputs in Detailed Project Report (DPR) or Pre- Feasibility (PFR) stage are made available in the form of:

Water availability/yield studies.
Design flood estimation.
Sedimentation studies.
Diversion flood studies.

The country has been divided into 7 zones and further into 26 hydro- meteorologically homogeneous sub-zones and flood estimation models are developed for each subzone to compute the design flood in ungauged catchments. So far, flood estimation reports covering 24 sub-zones have been published. During the year 2024- 25, technical examinations of hydrological aspects of DPRs in respect of 88 projects have been carried out in CWC. Out of this, 46 projects have been cleared and comments were issued for 17 projects. Rest of the projects are under examination.

Some of the major works carried out during this period are:

• Flood frequency analysis & carrying capacity of Yamuna River from Hathnikund Barrage to Delhi.

• Hydrology Chapter for Bakchachuu HEP, Ringyang HEP, &RimbiKhola HEP has been submitted.

• 100 yr& 500 yr Return Period flood of Chandrawal River under Ken Betwa Link project.

• Water Availability of the untapped catchment between alignment of feeder canal, Mahalpur barrage and Navnera Barrage Under MPKC link.

Technical Assistance / Advice tendered

HSO has provided secretariat assistance to various technical/ expert committees for undertaking special studies on various aspects related to water resources development and management. Some of the important contributions during the year 2024- 25 are as under:

Hydrological Studies for Ponnaiyar River Basin, to resolve the interstate issue between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Hydrological modeling for heavy rainfall across the Yamuna River catchment in July 2023 caused significant runoff and discharge, leading to rapid water level rises. In this study estimated submergence areas for different return-period floods, analyzed embankment overtopping, and identified drainage congestion and afflux of existing structures using 2-D modeling for the river reach between 21 km upstream of Wazirabad barrage and 10 km downstream of Okhla barrage.

Hydrological modeling for tackling issues related to high intensity rainfall, riverine flood, drainage and interrelated issues in urban areas.

Planning and Design of Water Resources Projects

CWC is actively associated with design of majority of the mega water resources projects in India and neighboring countries, viz., Nepal and Bhutan by way of design consultancy or in the technical appraisal of the projects. At present CWC is provided design consultancy to 94 projects. Out of this, 31 projects (including 3 from neighboring countries) are at construction stage, 35 projects (including 2 from neighboring countries) are at DPR stage and 28 projects involve special problems.

National Committee on Seismic Design Parameters: –

The National Committee on Seismic Design Parameters (NCSDP) was constituted by MoWR Order dated 21 st October, 1991 with the objective to recommend the seismic design parameters for the proposals received from the dam owners. Member (D&R), CWC is the chairman of the committee with 12 other experts from various engineering disciplines from different technical institutions and Government organizations as its members. Director (FE&SA), CWC is the member Secretary of NCSDP. The 38th meeting of NCSDP was held on 10.05.2024 at CWC, New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Member (D&R) wherein six projects were cleared.

Further, a special meeting of NCSDP was held on 05.06.2024 wherein the Guideline for Preparation and Submission Of Site-Specific Seismic Study Report of River Valley Project To National Committee On Seismic Design Parameters was revised comprehensively to be in line with the International practices.

National Register of Large Dams:

Before enactment of Dam Safety Act 2021, Dam Safety Organisation (DSO) , CWC compiled and maintained the register of large dams across the country in the form of National Register of Large Dams (NRLD) based on information provided by State Govts. / PSUs. After enactment of Dam Safety Act 2021, the NDSA has been mandated to maintain National level database of all specified dam in the country. The National Register of Specified (Large) Dams 2023 was released by Hon’ble Vice President of India in International Conference on Dam Safety held during 14th-15th September 2023 at Jaipur. As per NRLD- 2023, there are 6138 constructed and 143 under construction dams in the country. The NRLD, 2023 is available on CWC’s website and can be accessed by l ink- https:// cwc. gov. in/ publication/nrld.

Technical Examination of Instrumentation aspects of the projects:

Hydroelectric project:-

Detailed Project Report (DPR)/ construction drawings of 29 river valley projects in various States/ countries namely Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Odisha, Sikkim Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir, Bhutan and Nepal were examined, out of which 4 projects have been cleared with respect to instrumentation aspects and remaining 25 projects are at various stages of examination.

Pumped storage Project:-

Detailed Project Report (DPR)/ construction drawings of 42 river valley projects in various States/ countries namely Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh were examined, out of which 6 projects have been cleared with respect to instrumentation aspects and for remaining 36 projects, clearance from instrumentation aspects is no longer required as per the latest CEA guidelines.

Standing Technical Advisory Committee of CSMRS

The Standing Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) was constituted under the Chairmanship of Member (D&R), CWC for providing an overall perspective and guidance in technical scrutiny of research schemes being undertaken at CSMRS. The STAC is composed of 11 members drawn from various public sector institutions and is headed by Member (D& R), CWC. The 39th Standing Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) meeting of CSMRS was held on 25.10.2024

Other Seismic works:

Work related to technical evaluation and critical examination of web-based tool Seismic Hazard Assessment Information System (SHAISYS) being developed by IIT Roorkee and CWPRS Pune under DRIP is being carried out. A meeting is proposed on 18th December 2024 under the chairmanship of Member (D&R), CWC with the expert of IIT Roorkee at CWC, New Delhi regarding way forward for development of SHAISYS.

CWC Activities under National Hydrology Project (NHP):

Study on “Physical based Mathematical Modelling for estimation of Sediment Rate and Sediment Transport in Seven River Basin” has been completed.

Extended Hydrological Prediction (multi week forecast) for Yamuna, Narmada and Cauvery basins is in progress.

Reservoir Sedimentation Studies using Hydrographic survey for 32 reservoirs” under Phase-I has been completed. Works of Phase II: Consists of 87 reservoirs in 10 states (Rajasthan, Gujrat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, and Odisha is under progress.
Supply, Installation, Testing & Commissioning (SITC) of 93 Nos. ADCP (14 + 29 + 50 in three phases) for the measurement of discharge at the HO sites of CWC has been completed. Further procurement of additional 46 no’s ADCP and 8 no’s Total station is in under progress.
Supply, Installation, Testing & Commissioning (SITC) of 32 velocity radar sensors for modernization of discharge observations has been completed.
7 no’s of Water Quality Equipment (ICP-MS and GC-MS) have been commissioned and installation & Commissioning of 3 more Water Quality Equipment (1 GC-MS and 2 ICP-MS) is under process.
Consultancy services for “Early Flood Warning System Including Inundation Forecast in Ganga Basin” is in progress.
Consultancy services for Development of Decision Support System near to real time for Integrated Reservoir Operation System of Ganga Basin” has been completed.
Real Time Data Acquisition System (RTDAS) for Narmada Control Authority (NCA) and Arunachal Pradesh comprising of network of 48 & 50 no’s hydro meteorological Stations respectively has been commissioned.
Reservoir Sedimentation Studies using Hydrographic survey for 32 reservoirs” under National Hydrology Project, Phase-I have been completed and reports published and under Phase II studies in respect of 87 reservoirs are taken up.

DAM REHABILITATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROJECT (DRIP) Phase-II and III

Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) is an externally aided project with financial assistance from the World Bank, targeting rehabilitation of some of the selected dams of the Country along with accompanying institutional strengthening component.

Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (Phase-II & III):

Based on the success of DRIP Phase- I, Ministry of Jal Shakti initiated another externally funded scheme, DRIP Phase-II and Phase-III. The Union Cabinet has approved the Scheme on October 29, 2020.

The scheme has provision for rehabilitation of 736 dams located in 19 States (Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, and three Central Agencies (Central Water Commission, Bhakra Beas Management Board, and Damodar Valley Corporation). It is a State Sector Scheme with Central component, with duration of 10 years, to be implemented in two Phases i.e. Phase- II and Phase-III, each of six years duration with an overlap of two years. The budget outlay is Rs 10,211 Cr (Phase II: Rs 5107 Cr; Phase III: Rs 5104 Cr) with rehabilitation provision of 736 dams. Out of this cost, Rs. 7,000 crore is an external loan and Rs. 3,211 crores would be borne by the respective participating States and the three Central agencies. The funding pattern of scheme is 80:20 (Special Category States), 70:30 (General Category States) and 50:50 (Central Agencies). The scheme also has provision of Central Grant of 90% of loan amount for special category States (Manipur, Meghalaya and Uttarakhand). The DRIP Phase-II and III Scheme is 10 years duration, proposed to be implemented in two Phases, each of six-year duration with two years overlapping. Each Phase has external assistance of US$ 500 M. The Phase-II of the scheme is being co-financed by World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), with funding of US$ 250 million each. The loan agreement by World Bank was signed on August 04, 2021 with 10 States (Gujarat, Kerala, MP, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Chhattisgarh) and became effective from 12th October, 2021. In addition to 10 States, four States (Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Karnataka) have been notified by World Bank for inclusion under this scheme in June 2022 and their loan declared effective in January 2023.

The loan agreement by AIIB was signed on 19th May, 2022 with 10 States (Gujarat, Kerala, MP, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Chhattisgarh) and declared effective on 29th December, 2022 by AIIB.

Inclusion of four States (Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Punjab, Telangana) and two Central Agencies (BBMB and DVC) is under process.

Important project achievements include approval of PSTs of 139 dams costing Rs 3715 Cr by the World Bank. The contract(s) amounting approximately Rs 2906 Cr have been awarded by various Implementing Agencies and an amount of Rs 1487 Cr spent as on 30.11.2024 on various project activities including dam rehabilitation, institutional strengthening and project management activities

A training on DRIP Ph-II &Ph-III was given to 40 officers of Punjab WRD on 12th June 2024 at Shahpur Kandi. Few topics were covered like Overview of DRIP Ph-II &Ph-III scheme; dam structural problems & their identification; Procurement procedures; Hydro-Mechanical structural problems; PST preparation; Financial Management of DRIP scheme etc.

A three days training on DFR organized during 8th to 10th July, 2024, in which 22 participants from seven (7) states and CWC participated.

The Management Information System (MIS-with 05 modules) was officially rolled out to SPMU on 14^th August 2024. In this regard a virtual MIS demonstration was organized on 14th August 2024 in which concerned officials of CPMU, SPMU, and EMC participated.

2^nd meeting of National Level Steering Committee (NLSC) on DRIP Phase-II and III chaired by Secretary, DoWR, RD and GR were held on 25.09.2024 at New Delhi to discuss the progress and issues of DRIP Scheme.

3^rd meeting of Technical Committee of DRIP Phase II and III was held on 18.10.2024 under the chairmanship of Member (D&R), CWC at Dehradun, Uttarakhand in which nodal officer and Project Director of DRIP IAs participated. Deliberations in respect of technical matters with regard to pertaining to implementation of the scheme were held during the meeting.

National Task Force for Integrated Water Resources Development and Management

National Task Force for Integrated Water Resources Development and Management (NTFIWRDM) has been set up by DoWR, RD & GR vide its OM dated 25.11.2024.

Sustainable development of water resources and its efficient management is the key to water security and economic growth. As a country, aspiring to be the world leader with the most powerful economy, challenges like increasing population, economic growth, industrialization and urbanization are bound to result in increased and conflicting demands for various purposes across the country. Moreover, the vagaries of climate change have already started to affect the water sector adversely. In the wake of ever-growing challenges in the water resources sector, it has become necessary to prospectively assess the projected water use for various purposes. In view of above, Department of Water Resources, RD & GR has set up a National Task Force for Integrated Water Resources Development and Management (NTFIWRDM) on 25.11.2024 under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Member, Niti Aayog with members from various Govt. Departments and experts from different organisations; thereby comprehensively covering various domains of water resources. Chief Engineer, BPMO, CWC is the Member Secretary of the NTFIWRDM. The NTFIWRDM – 2024 is expected to complete its work within 24 months, with interim reports submitted at yearly intervals.

(xxii) LIST OF IMPORTANT PUBLICATIONS OF CWC during 2024

Sl. No.	Publication	Released during
1	Water Sector at a Glance-2022	Aug-2024
2	Water & Related Statistics-2023	Sept-2024
3	Water Sector at a Glance-2023	Sept-2024
4	National Register of Major & Medium Irrigation Projects in India-2024	Sept-2024
5	Compendium on Sedimentation of Reservoirs in India	August 2024
6	Assessment of Area Affected Due to Floods in India	July 2024
7	Report on Flood Damage Statistics (1953-2022)	July 2024
8	Assessment of Area Affected Due to Floods in India [Part II: Assessment at Sub-District Level]	September 2024
9	Criteria for Risk Indexing of Glacial Lakes in Indian Himalayan Region	September 2024
10	Status Report on Coastal Area Management – An Indian Perspective, Regional Issues & Remedial Measures	September 2024

Central Ground Water Board (CGWB):

National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM)

Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) is implementing National Aquifer Mapping and Management program (NAQUIM), which envisages mapping of aquifers (water bearing formations), their characterization and development of Aquifer Management Plans to facilitate sustainable management of ground water resources. Out of 32 lakh sq km of the entire country, entire mappable area of 25 sq lakh km has been covered under this programme. NAQUIM outputs are shared with various stakeholders including the District Authorities. Building on the experiences of the NAQUIM, the NAQUIM 2.0 has been initiated from the year 2023-24 which emphasizes on detailed mapping and implementable management plans for identified priority areas. CGWB has completed 68 such studies (covering nearly 40,000 sq km) in year 2024.

In order to create infrastructure for data generation under NAQUIM, a Project has been approved by the Public Investment Board (PIB) with an outlay of Rs 805 Cr for implementation by CGWB during the period 2022-2026. As of now, tenders amounting approximately Rs. 550 Cr have been awarded.

One of the components of the project involves the construction of 7000 piezometers and the installation of Digital Water Level Recorders with telemetry devices for strengthening and automation of groundwater monitoring networks in the country. Construction of piezometers for strengthening groundwater monitoring has been initiated in 15 states (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, MadhyaPradesh, Chhattisgarh, UttarPradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, WestBengal, Odisha and Jammu&Kashmir). A total of 1796 piezometers have been constructed till 31st December 2024.

Another component of the project involves construction of 1135 Exploratory Wells (EW) and Observation Wells (OW) for completing the data gap in the NAQUIM project area for which work has been initiated under all awarded packages in 11 states (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Assam). A total of 319 EW/OWs have been constructed till 31st December 2024.

Ground Water Resources

The Ground Water Resource Assessment for the water year 2024 was carried out jointly by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and States/UTs, through the web-based automated application “INDIA-GROUNDWATER RESOURCE ESTIMATION SYSTEM (IN-GRES) for the entire country. The assessment provides the state wise ground water resource scenario and insights required to adopt an integrated and sustainable ground water management in the Country.

As per the assessment, the total annual groundwater recharge in the country has been assessed as 446.90 billion Cubic Meter (BCM). The annual extractable ground water resource has been assessed as 406.19 BCM. The annual groundwater extraction for all uses is 245.64 BCM. The average stage of groundwater extraction for the country stands at 60.47 %. Out of the total 6746 assessment units (Blocks/ Mandals/ Talukas) in the country, 4951 (73.4 %) assessment units are categorized as ‘Safe’. 711 (10.5 %) assessment units are categorized “Semi-critical’’, 206 (3.05 %) assessment units, have been categorized as ‘Critical’ and 751 (11.1%) assessment units have been categorized as ‘Over-exploited’. Apart from these, there are 127 (1.8%) assessment units, which have been categorized as ‘Saline’ as major part of the ground water in phreatic aquifers in these units is brackish or saline.

Key Highlights:

Total Annual GW Recharge has increased (15 BCM) substantially and Extraction has declined (3 BCM) in 2024 from 2017 assessment. There is slight reduction in recharge and increase in extraction in the present assessment year compared to the preceding year.
Recharge from Tanks, Ponds and WCS has shown a consistent increase in the last five assessments. In the year 2024, it has increased by 0.39 BCM w.r.t. 2023.
With respect to the year 2017, there is an increase of 11.36 BCM in recharge from Tanks, Ponds & WCS (from 13.98 BCM in 2017 to 25.34 BCM in 2024).
The percentage of Assessment Units under Safe Category have increased from 62.6% in 2017 to 73.4 % in 2024 (The percentage of Safe assessment units was 73.14 % in 2023).
The percentage of Over Exploited Assessment units have declined from 17.24 % in 2017 to 11.13 % in 2024 (The percentage of OE Assessment units was 11.23% in 2023)

The Union Minister for Jal Shakti released “National Compilation of Dynamic Ground Water Resources of India 2024” on 31^st December, 2024.

High resolution aquifer mapping and management in Arid areas of India

The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has undertaken high resolution aquifer mapping in the arid regions of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Haryana using advanced heliborne geophysical surveys. Under Phase I of the project, an area of 97,637 sq. km has been surveyed, covering 40,313-line km across 92 blocks in these states.
Based on the heliborne geophysical survey results, Gram Panchayat-level information of saturated/de-saturated, saline/fresh aquifers, groundwater potential zones, drilling sites, and managed aquifer recharge sites has been identified. Detailed reports have been prepared for 39 out of 92 blocks, comprising 20 blocks in Gujarat, 11 in Rajasthan, and 8 in Haryana.
A Coffee Table Book on the Summary of the findings of Heliborne Survey Phase I was released on 19.09.2024 in India Water Week-2024 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi by the Hon’ble Minister of State, Jal Shakti.

Artificial Recharge Activities

Groundwater augmentation through artificial recharge in identified water stressed areas of Rajasthan, comprising Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Alwar, Jhunjhunu & Sikar districts of Rajasthan has been taken up in three phases

Phase-1: Two large dams have been constructed:
- Zoned Earth Fill Dam with Clay Core, Indroka, Mandore, Jodhpur
- Concrete Gravity Dam, Bastawa Mata, Balesar, Jodhpur.
Phase-2: 82 WHS (Stone Masonary Check Dams (MCD), Anicuts, Concrete Check Dams (CCD & Recharge shafts) have been constructed in certain water stressed blocks of Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Sikar district.
Phase-3: 39 WHS (Check Dam, Anicut, Model Talab) have been constructed certain water stressed blocks in Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Alwar districts of Rajasthan to know the concentrated effect of artificial recharge.

Regulation of Ground Water extraction

The primary role of Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) is to regulate groundwater resource exploitation in the country. The Authority has been regulating groundwater development and management by way of issuing ‘No Objection Certificates’ for groundwater extraction to industries, infrastructure projects, Mining Projects, registration of drilling rigs etc., and framed guidelines in this connection.

Development of a new portal for NoC issuance to ground water users i.e. BhuNeer APP, which is an advanced version of the application processing software of CGWA for issuing NOC to ground water users of Industries, Infrastructure & Mining projects and Bulk Water Supply. The motto of developing this portal is to provide users a smooth experience with new features and functionalities.

Rajiv Gandhi National Ground Water Training & Research Institute (RGNGWTRI)

It is the training wing of CGWB and functions as a `Centre of Excellence’ with the national role of capacity building of Officers and Officials of CGWB, other Central Govt. Depts., State Govt. Depts., Public Sector Undertakings, Non-Governmental Organizations, Academic institutions and other stake holders through three arms -Tier I (National Level), Tier II (State Level) and Tier III (Block level) trainings.

During the last 10 years, from 2012-13 to 2024-25(As on 24.12.2024) a total of 1711 training courses (Tier-I, Tier-II & Tier-III) were organized (Male 83,330 + Female 30,369 = 1,13,699 Participants) by RGNGWTRI, Raipur.
The institute has also conducted Four trainings for foreign nationals, during the last 10 years

Development of three Indigenous Softwares as part of Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2022- a significant step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat

Smart India Hackathon (SIH), a nationwide initiative envisioned under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister is an important mega annual event among students to provide solutions through innovations for specific challenges identified by different organizations. It is an annual event organized by the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell, All India Council for Technical Education, along with partners. Based on problem statements shared by CGWB and under the mentorship of CGWB scientists, following three software applications were developed by engineering students as a part of Smart India Hackathon (SIH)

Hydra-Q: A Standalone desktop application for analysis, visualization and interpretation of hydrochemical data.
Aqua Probe: A Standalone desktop application for Pumping Test data analysis.
OASIS-G: Online application System for Stable Isotope Studies-Ground Water

The software applications can be accessed / downloaded from CGWB website (https://www.cgwb.gov.in/freewares-groundwater-data-analysis).

These freeware applications will be useful for students, researchers and groundwater professionals. So far, the software that are used for such kind of analysis are developed mostly in countries other than India. This is a significant step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat and is likely to reduce India’s dependence on foreign software.

Aquifer Management for Augmentation and Sustainability of Urban Water Supply- Faridabad

CGWB has taken up a study on augmentation of water supply to Faridabad city through sustainable ground water development in active Yamuna flood plain in 2024. CGWB has signed MoU with Faridabad Metropolitan Development Authority (FMDA)

Ground Water Quality Analysis

The comprehensive assessment of Ground Water Quality conducted by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) provides valuable insights that can guide remedial actions and inform future planning by various stakeholders. Notably, this report on Ground Water Quality is the first to implement a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for groundwater quality monitoring, which ensures consistency in data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Additionally, the use of internationally recognized methods significantly bolsters the credibility and technical rigor of the findings. On December 31, 2024, Sh. CR Paatil, Hon’ble Union Minister of Jal Shakti, unveiled the Annual Groundwater Quality Report, 2024.

Key Highlights:

In terms of cation chemistry, calcium dominates the ion content, followed by sodium and potassium. For anions, bicarbonate is the most prevalent, followed by chloride and sulphate. This indicates that overall water in the country is of Calcium-Bicarbonate type.
Some regions face sporadic contamination of nitrates, fluoride, and arsenic.
Seasonal trends observed in parameters like Electrical Conductivity (EC) and fluoride provide evidence of positive monsoon recharge effects, which improve water quality.
From an agricultural perspective, the analysis of Sodium Adsorption Ration (SAR) and Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC) reinforces the generally favorable suitability of groundwater for irrigation, with over 81% of samples meeting safe thresholds. However, localized issues of high sodium content and RSC values demand targeted interventions to prevent long-term soil degradation.
100% of ground water samples in North-Eastern States are in excellent category for irrigation.

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for 2021-26 with an outlay of ₹93,068 Crore to benefit about 22 lakh farmers

Against a target of 34.63 Lakh Ha irrigation potential of 25.80Lakh Ha (approx.74.5%) created through AIBP works of the prioritized projects during 2016-17 to 2023-24
Nine (09) new MMI projects and two (02) new National projects have been further included under PMKSYAIBP.

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)- Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP):

The Government of India on 27.07.2016 approved funding of the 99 prioritized irrigation projects (and 7 phases) with an estimated balance cost of Rs. 77,595 Crore (Central share- Rs. 31,342 crores; State share- Rs. 46,253 crores) for completion in phases. The works include both the AIBP and CAD works. Funding arrangement for both Central Assistance (CA) and State Share made through NABARD under Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF). Targeted Irrigation Potential to be created under the scheme is 34.63 Lakh ha. An expenditure of Rs. 68891 crore (upto March 2024) has been reported to be incurred by the concerned State Governments on these projects since 2016-17. In January 2020, Ministry of Finance conveyed the continuation of ongoing centrally sponsored scheme up-to 31.03.2021.

Physical Progress: Against the target of 34.63 Lakh Ha. Irrigation Potential of about 25.80 Lakh ha. has been created through AIBP works of the prioritized projects during 2016-17 to 2023-24. The potential created during 2024-25 shall be available only after the end of cropping season.

Project Completed under PMKSY-AIBP: AIBP works of 62 prioritized projects out of identified 99 projects (and 7 phases) were reported to be completed till date.

The Government of India has approved implementation of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for 2021-26 with an outlay of ₹93,068 Crore on date 15-Dec-2021 to benefit about 22 Lakh farmers. The Union Cabinet has approved central support of ₹37,454 Crore to States and ₹20,434.56 Crore of debt servicing for loan availed by Government of India for irrigation development during PMKSY 2016-21. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme, ‘Har Khet Ko Paani’ and Watershed Development components have been approved for continuation during 2021-26. Total additional irrigation potential creation targeted during 2021-26 under AIBP is 13.88 Lakh hectare. Apart from focused completion of 60 ongoing projects including their 30.23 lakh hectare command area development, 9 additional projects have been taken up till date. Also, two national projects, namely Renukaji Dam Project (Himachal Pradesh) and Lakhwar Multipurpose Project (Uttarakhand) have also been included for central funding of 90% of works of water component under the scheme.

Inclusion of new Major/Medium Irrigation (MMI) projects as well as funding of National Projects under AIBP.

Financial progress requirement is dropped for inclusion of a project underAIBPand only physical progress of 50% to be considered.

Advanced stage (50% physical progress) criteria are relaxed for projects having command area of 50% or more in Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP), tribal, Desert Development Programme (DDP), Flood prone, Tribal area, Flood prone area, left wing extremism affected area, Koraput, Balangir and Kalahandi (KBK) region of Odisha, Vidarbha& Marathwada regions of Maharashtra and Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh & Uttar Pradesh, as also for Extension Renovation Modernization (ERM) projects and also for States with net irrigation below national average.

Reimbursement is allowed for due central assistance in subsequent year also.

Project completion permitted with physical progress of 90% or more.

Online Management Information System (MIS) has been developed for monitoring of the projects. A nodal officer for each of the 99 priority projects has been identified who updates the physical and financial progress of the project regularly in the MIS.

GIS based Application has been developed for geo-tagging of project components. Remote Sensing Techniques have been used for digitization of the canal network of the projects. Further, the Cropped Area estimation in the command of 99 priority projects is being carried out annually through remote sensing.

To resolve the issue of Land Acquisition (LA) and increase water conveyance efficiency, use of Underground Pipeline (UGPL) has been actively promoted. Guidelines for Planning and Design ofPiped Irrigation Network were released by this Ministry in July, 2017.

Pari-passu implementation of Command area development works in the commands of these projects is envisaged to ensure that the Irrigation Potential Created could be utilized by the farmers. New Guidelines bringing focus on Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) have been brought out. Further, transfer of control and management of irrigation system to the Water Users’ Association (WUA) has been made necessary condition for the acceptance of CADWM completion.

The Financial Progress under PMKSY-AIBP is as follows:

Funds Released	2016-17 to 2023-24	2024-25 (so far)	Total
Central Assistance for AIBP projects including special and National Projects	18550.98	629.22	19180.20
State Share	33830.83	180.60	34011.4
Total	52,381.81	809.82	53191.6

Special Package for Maharashtra: A Special Package approved on 18.07.2018 which provides Central Assistance to complete 83 Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) projects and 8 Major / Medium Irrigation Projects in drought prone districts in Vidarbha and Marathwada and rest of Maharashtra in phases up to 2023-24 (extended till March-25). The overall balance cost of the said projects as on 1.4.2018 is estimated to be Rs.13651.61 Crore. Total CA is estimated to be Rs. 3831.41 Crore including reimbursement for expenditureduring 2017-18Balancepotentialof 3. 77 Lakh Ha would be created on completion of these schemes. CA of Rs. 2901.63 crores have been released under the scheme so far. Under the scheme, 53 SMI and 2 MMI projects have been reported to be completed by the State Government of Maharashtra. Overall irrigation potential of 1.66 Lakh ha. has been reported to be created through all these projects during 2018-19 to 2023-24. Further potential created during 2024-25 shall be available only after the end of cropping season.

Modernization of Command Area Development & Water Management (M-CADWM):

The Ministry of Jal Shakti is reviewing the CADWM programme to make it more relevant in the current context of water use efficiency and agricultural productivity. The proposed change is a proposed smart irrigation scheme which envisages transforming the existing command (whether rain fed or gravity based) to a Pressurized Piped Irrigation Command (PPIC) by providing pressurized irrigation water from Established source to Farm Gate below Minor (Tertiary) Level Network. This will make the entire command area micro-irrigation ready with robust back-end infrastructure using Surface Water. The farmers shall be empowered by creating a Water User Society, which will also be an “economic entity”.

The Scheme will develop suitable models for different Agro-Climatic zones, integrating various sources of water, and different levels of water availability, covering both areas of assured irrigation and protected irrigation. These models will pave the way for development of a National Plan for Modernization of water management in rural area in general and irrigation services in particular based on integrated, sustainable, efficient and inclusive water management.

Polavaram Irrigation Project: Polavaram Irrigation Project was declared as National Project under Section 90 of AP Reorganization Act, 2014, which came into force on 1^st March 2014. The project with 2467.50 m of earth-cum-rock fill dam and 1121.20 m long spillway aims at irrigating 2.91 Lakh ha in erstwhile East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, West Godavari and Krishna districts besides several other benefits envisaged by it. Central Government is funding 100% of the remaining cost of the irrigation component of the project, as on 01.04.2014. Government of Andhra Pradesh is executing the irrigation component of the project on behalf of Government of India. The approved cost of the Project as per Revised Cost Committee (RCC) is Rs 29,027.95 cr at 2013-14 PL and Rs 47,725.74 cr at 2017-18 PL up to FRL i.e. EL +45.72 m. After declaration as National Project, a sum of Rs. 15,605.96 cr has been released for execution of Polavaram Irrigation Project so far.

The Union Cabinet has approved the revised cost of the PIP in its meeting held on 28.08.2024, with water storage upto EL + 41.15 m at a cost of Rs. 30,436.95 cr with balance central grant for the project limited to Rs. 12,157.53 cr. Further, an amount of Rs. 2,348 cr has been released on 09.10.2024 as advance payment to GoAP on account of execution of Polavaram Irrigation Project in addition to the reimbursement of Rs 15,605.96 cr made to GoAP.

As reported by Water Resource Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, an expenditure of Rs 18,348.84 cr has been incurred on the project works up to 30.11.2024, after declaration of Polavaram irrigation project (PIP) as National Project.

Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal)

Atal BhujalYojana (Atal Jal) is a Central Sector Scheme of Government of India with an outlay of Rs 6000 Crore, with focus on community participation and demand side interventions for sustainable ground water management in identified water stressed areas in 8203 water stressed Gram Panchayats of 229 administrative blocks/Talukas in 80 districts of seven States in the country viz. Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The scheme, partly funded by the World Bank, is being implemented from 1.04.2020 for a period of 6 years.

This unique scheme aims at increasing the capacity of States to manage their ground water resources and for ensuring their long-term sustainability with active participation of the local communities through a mix of top-down and bottom-up approaches. It also envisages convergence of various ongoing schemes for implementation of interventions for improving ground water availability with emphasis on demand management and also to inculcate behavioral changes in the community to ensure optimal use of available water resources.

The launch of Atal Bhujal Yojana heralds a change in the Government policy for ground water management by emphasizing the importance of community participation in planning, execution, and monitoring of scheme activities; convergence of ongoing schemes for implementing interventions aimed at improving ground water availability; focus on demand side management through improving water use efficiency and incentivizing participating States for awareness creation among the masses on the importance of ground water.

Atal Bhujal Yojana also envisages improving the capacity of States for ground water governance through strengthening of institutions dealing with ground water management, improving ground water monitoring networks, creation of awareness among the public on the importance and criticality of ground water resources and building the capacity of the grass root level stakeholders to plan and utilize the available resources in a judicious manner. It also addresses the gender perspective by making it mandatory to include women in all activities of the scheme.

Atal Bhujal Yojana is expected to improve ground water conditions in the target areas and to contribute significantly to ensure ground water sustainability for interventions planned under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). It is also expected to contribute to the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s goal of doubling farmers’ income and to result in optimal use of ground water by the stakeholders in the long-run.

Further, to bridge the gap in the data availability at the GP level for better water management across India, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation in collaboration with Ministry of Panchayati Raj has taken the initiative to expand water budgeting exercise to non-Atal Jal areas as well by their inclusion in the Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs).

Key achievements under Atal Bhujal Yojana are as follows:

Public disclosure of data in all the Atal Jal GPs through various modes of disclosure viz., central/state web portals, display board at each GP, social media, wall paintings, distribution of pamphlets/brochure, public meetings and Atal Jal Mobile application.
States have used innovative measures like Groundwater Data Information Dissemination Centers, QR codes, social media, etc., to disseminate the groundwater related data to public.
Community led Water Budget and WSPs prepared for all the 8203 GPs and updated on yearly basis.
Groundwater monitoring system has been strengthened at GP level by providing equipment like Digital Water Level Recorders, water level indicators, rain gauges, water quality testing kits, water flow meters etc. In addition, piezometers have been constructed in GPs for monitoring of water levels.
A total of 49 State level, 410 District level, 1152 Block level and 99,406 GP level trainings have been conducted so far.
Awareness and sensitization at GP level through innovative Information Education and Communication practices like narrowcasting in Haryana, folk dances/songs in Karnataka, Jal dindis in Maharashtra, Ratri Choupals in Rajasthan have been used to drive the message of sustainable groundwater management.
Investment of Rs. 4355 Crore towards implementation of interventions proposed under WSPs through convergence.
An area of around 6.7 lakh Hectares has been brought under efficient water use practices including Drip, Sprinkler, Mulching, Crop Diversification etc.
More than 70,000 wells are being monitored for water level at GP level and shared with community.
More than 90,000 existing Water Conservation and Artificial Recharge structures have been mapped.
813 GPs in 47 Blocks have shown improvement in ground water level.
A total of Rs.3420.57 Cr. has been disbursed to the States since the inception of the scheme. A total of Rs.2863.98 Cr. has been utilized by the States since the inception of the scheme.
Sixth meeting of National Level Steering Committee (NLSC) for implementation of Atal Bhujal Yojana was held on 07 June 2024.

Minor Irrigation Statistics: Progress under the scheme “Irrigation Census”:

Minor Irrigation Census conducted quinquennially in order to create a sound and reliable database on groundwater and surface water minor irrigation schemes in the country. The Minor Irrigation Census is conducted under the centrally sponsored scheme “Irrigation Census” with 100% central funding through which State Statistical Cells constituted under different States/UTs are also supported.

The sixth Minor Irrigation Census and the first Census of Water bodies covering all water bodies in the country, both rural and urban have been completed. All India and State-wise report on 6^th Minor Irrigation Census and First Census of Water Bodies has been published and are available at the Department website ‘https://jalshakti-dowr.gov.in’. Key results have been disseminated on Bhuvan portal and the state wise unit level data has also been disseminated on Open Government Data (OGD) platform.

During 2024, the following progress under the scheme “Irrigation Census” has been achieved:

7^th Minor Irrigation Census and 2^nd Census of Water Bodies are underway, along with two new censuses: the 1^st Census of Springs and the 1^st Census of Major and Medium Irrigation Projects, with reference year 2023-24.
An all-India Workshop on these Censuses was held in 2023, with participation from all States and Union Territories. NIC has developed a mobile/web application for these censuses, with pilot testing successfully conducted in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Meghalaya in month of October, 2024.
Six regional workshops for training of trainers for upcoming censuses are being conducted at regional centers in Tripura, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and West Bengal from December, 2024 to January, 2025 to provide training to trainers at State level for further capacity building.
Grands-in-aid to States/UTs were released timely on receipt of proposals from eligible States/UTs.

Flood Management Wing (FM):

Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP):

The “Flood Management Programme (FMP)” and “River Management Activities and Works related to Border Areas” (RMBA) under operation during XII Five Year Plan were merged as “Flood Management and Border Areas Programme” (FMBAP) for the period 2017-18 to 2019-20 and further extended up-to March, 2021. Cabinet further approved the continuation of FMBAP scheme during 2021-22 to 2025-26 with an outlay of Rs. 4100 Crore (FMP-Rs. 2940 Crore and RMBA – Rs. 1160 Crore).

Since the inception of FMBAP (till December 2024), Central Assistance of Rs. 7136 crores have been released to States/UTs under FMP component of Flood Management & Border Area Programme (FMBAP) scheme and Central Assistance of Rs. 1258.73 crores have been released to UTs/States under RMBA component of FMBAP scheme.

Completion of balance works of North Koel Reservoir Project: DoWR, RD & GR has taken up the long pending project for completion of balance works of North Koel Reservoir Project, Bihar and Jharkhand. In August, 2017 the Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for balance works of North Koel Reservoir Project at an estimated cost of Rs. 1622.27 crore during three financial years from the start of the project. Subsequently, at the request of both State Governments, certain other components were found necessary to be included in the project. Complete lining of Right Main Canal (RMC) and Left Main Canal (LMC) was also regarded essential from technical considerations to derive envisaged irrigation potential. Thus, the works of Gaya distribution system, lining of RMC and LMC, remodeling of enroute structures, construction of a few new structures and onetime Special Package for R&R of Project Affected Families (PAFs) were to be provided for in the updated cost estimate. Accordingly, Revised Cost Estimate of the project was prepared. Out of the cost of balance works of Rs. 2430.76 crore, the Central would provide Rs.1836.41 crore. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval to the proposal to complete the balance works of North Koel Reservoir Project at a revised Cost of Rs. 2,430.76 crore on 04.10.2023. Project will provide irrigation benefit to 114,021 hectares of land annually in drought prone areas of Aurangabad and Gaya districts of Bihar and Palamau and Garwa districts of Jharkhand. Project also has the provision for supply of 44 MCM water for drinking and industrial water supply. The execution of balance works of the project on turnkey basis by M/s WAPCOS Ltd., a CPSU under DoWR, RD & GR as Project Management Consultant (PMC). 10% works on dam & appurtenant, 100% of additional works of Mohammad Ganjbarrage, 86% works on left main canal and works on Right Main Canal in Jharkhand Portion & 18% works on Bihar portion have been completed.

India and Bangladesh Matters

A Treaty was signed by the Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh on 12th December, 1996 for the sharing of Ganga/Ganges waters at Farakka during the lean season. As per the Treaty, the Ganga/Ganges waters is being shared at Farakka (which is the last control structure on river Ganga in India) during lean period, from 1^st January to 31^st May every year, on 10-daily basis as per the formula provided in the Treaty. The validity of Treaty is 30 years. The sharing of water as per the Treaty is being monitored by a Joint Committee headed by Members, JRC from both sides. The following India-Bangladesh Joint Committee Meetings have been convened.

The 83^rd meeting of the Joint Committee on sharing of the Ganga/Ganges waters at Farakka was held at Dhaka on 24^th January, 2024 after a visit to the joint observation site at Hardinge Bridge, on 24th January, 2024.
The 84^th meeting of the Joint Committee on sharing of the Ganga/Ganges Waters at Farakka was held at Kolkata on 7^th March, 2024 after visit to the joint observation sites at Farakka on 5^th March, 2024.
The 85^th meeting of the Joint Committee on sharing of the Ganga/ Ganges waters at Farakka was held at Dhaka (Bangladesh) on 14^th November, 2024 for the finalization of Annual Report of the lean/dry season of the year 2024.

During the 83^rd and 84^th Joint Committee meetings, the Indian delegation was led by Mr. Atul Jain, Commissioner (FM), Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Ministry of Jal Shakti. During the 85th Joint Committee meeting, the Indian delegation was led by Mr. Sharad Chandra, Commissioner (FM), Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of the Republic of India and Member, India-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission. The Bangladesh delegation was led by Dr. Mohammad Abul Hossen, Member, India-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD)

Cleaning of river is a continuous process and Government of India is supplementing the efforts of the State Governments in addressing the challenges of pollution of rivers by providing financial and technical assistance. Assistance is provided to State Governments for abatement of pollution in identified stretches of various rivers (excluding river Ganga and its tributaries) under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) on cost sharing basis between the Central & State Governments for taking up various pollution abatement works relating to interception & diversion of raw sewage, construction of sewerage systems, setting up of sewage treatment plants, low cost sanitation, river front/bathing ghat development, etc.

Project for ‘Pollution Abetment River Banganga at Katra’ in Jammu & Kashmir at a cost of Rs.92.10 crore was sanctioned.
Project for ‘Pollution Abetment and Conservation of river Mindhola at Surat’ in Gujarat at a cost of Rs.98.51 crore was sanctioned.
Project for ‘Interception & Diversion of Sewerage Water from Existing Drains to Nearest STP for Treatment Purposes in Jodhpur City for Pollution Abatement of River Jojari at Jodhpur’ in Rajasthan at a cost of Rs.13.10 crore was sanctioned.
Project for ‘Sewer rehabilitation of old and deteriorated pipes by Trenchless CIPP Technology for main trunk sewer lines heading towards Nandari and Salawas STPs for pollution abatement of Jojari River at Jodhpur’ in Rajasthan at a cost of Rs.51.99 crore was sanctioned.
Project for ‘Design of Complete Sewerage System and Proposal of Development of New STP for Jhalamand Area, Jodhpur for pollution abatement of river Jojari at Jodhpur’ in Rajasthan at a cost of Rs.53.63 crore was sanctioned.
Project for ‘Establishing and Commissioning of 30 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at Nandari for pollution abatement of river Jojari at Jodhpur’ in Rajasthan at a cost of Rs.53.86 crore was sanctioned.
Project for ‘Rejuvenation of Imphal-Manipur River and Faecal Sludge and Septage Management at 27 ULBs’ in Manipur at a cost of Rs.92.39 crore was sanctioned.
Project for ‘Elamkulam sewerage project for rejuvenating Chitrapuzha River through restoration of natural streams/outfalls carrying sewage/pollutants-Construction of STP 17.5 MLD’ in Kerala at a cost of Rs.47.53 crore was sanctioned.
Project for ‘Perandoor Sewerage Project for Rejuvenating Periyar River through Restoration of Natural Streams/Outfalls Carrying Sewage/Pollutants—Construction of 19 MLD STP (Part 1)’ in Kerala at a cost of Rs.49.78 crore was sanctioned.
Project Management Consultant has been appointed for implementation the project of ‘Pollution abatement and conservation of River Nag at Nagpur, Maharashtra’ sanctioned at a cost of Rs.1,926.99 crore with Japan International Cooperation Assistance.
Project for pollution abatement of river Devika and Tawi at Udhampur, Jammu & Kashmir sanctioned for Rs.186.74 crore has been completed 3 sewage treatment plants (STPs) with total capacity of 13.06 mld constructed under NRCP.
Project for pollution abatement of river Tapi at Surat, Gujarat sanctioned for Rs. 971.25 crore has been completed 11 sewage treatment plants (STPs) with total capacity of 208.97 mld constructed under NRCP.
Central Assistance amounting to Rs. 425 crores released to various State Governments/Agencies for implementation of projects under NRCP.
Stakeholder Consultation Workshop on Guidelines for National River Conservation Plan and DPR Preparation held on 06th May, 2024 in the presence of Secretary, DoWR, RD & GR. The recommendation and suggestions of the stakeholders are under review and accordingly will be proposed in the revised guidelines of NRCP and DPR guidelines.
First meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) was held on 31.05.2024 under the Chairpersonship of Secretary, DoWR, RD & GR at Nagpur under the project Condition Assessment and Management Plan of Six River Basins (Cauvery, Periyar, Narmada, Mahanadi, Godavari and Krishna).
The project “Assessment of ecological status of 7 rivers viz. Narmada, Mahanadi, Godavari, Cauvery, Periyar, Pamba and Barak for conservation planning” has been entrusted to Wild Life Institute of India (WII) at a sanctioned cost of Rs. 24.56 crore in September, 2020. The project broadly aims to spearhead river conservation in above seven Indian rivers for biodiversity conservation and maintenance of ecosystem services. Intensive ecological studies will be carried out in the seven prioritized river basins of India and ecological status will be assessed. Stake Holders workshops of NRCD- WII held at Bengaluru, Karnataka Cauvery River basin.

External Affairs & International Cooperation (EA&IC)

DoWR, RD & GR has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with different countries on cooperation in the field of water resources management and development. For effective implementation of activities under the various signed MoUs, to enhance the collaboration under the MoU, certain activities were undertaken including Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting, the details of which is as follows –

MoU with Denmark – The MoU between India and Denmark on Cooperation in the field of Water Resources Management was signed on 12.09.2022. Two projects namely “Centre of excellence on Smart Water Resources Management (CoESWaRM)” and “Smart Laboratories on Clean River (SLCR)” have been identified under the MoU. Indian side Joint Working Group was formed on 05.08.2024. First Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting under the MoU was held on 05^th December 2024. In the meeting, it has been agreed to have organizational division at PMU level into two sub-thematic areas under the existing Centre of Excellence (CoE).

MoU with European Union – The MoU between India and the European Union on Water Cooperation was signed on 01.10.2016. Three JWG meetings have been convened so far. Third Meeting of JWG was convened on 12.07.2023 virtually. The 6th EU-India Water Forum meeting was held on 18.09.2024 during the 8th India Water Week in New Delhi. The forum inter-alia explored trilateral collaboration between East Africa, India and the EU to address water challenges in regions like Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika.

MoU with Israel: The MoU between India and Israel on Water Resources Management and Development Cooperation was signed on 11.11.2016. A Joint Review Committee (JRC) (Now Steering Committee) has been formed on 20.02.2024 to assess the activities and progress of the projects identified for implementation under the MoU. 1^st meeting of the JRC was convened on 9th Oct 2024 recommending the proposal for the “Establishment of India-Israel Centre of Water Technology (CoWT)”.

MoC with Japan (Water Resources): The Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between India and Japan in the area of Water Resources was signed on 11.12.2019. Two meetings of Joint Working Group (JWG) have been convened so far. 2nd JWG meeting was held on 14.11.2024. In the meeting both sides agreed for extension of the MoU and to identifying additional areas for collaboration.

MoU with Morocco- The MoU between India and Morocco on cooperation in the field of Water Resources was signed on 14.12.2017. Four JWG meetings have been convened so far. Fourth JWG meeting was convened on 20.09.2024. It was agreed upon that both the countries will share their experiences, analysis, findings, policies and developments in the field of water resources in its next meeting of JWG.

Bilateral Meetings of Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti with the Ministers of Foreign Nations during India Water Week 2024 in New Delhi: –

Denmark: Mr. C.R. Paatil, Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti met with H.E. Mr. Morten Bødskov, Denmark’s Minister of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs. Denmark’s Minister reaffirmed Denmark’s commitment to sustainable water solutions and highlighted the expertise of Danish companies in water management. The Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti proposed collaborative initiatives to develop scalable technologies for water challenges, suggesting pilot projects at the district level.
Guyana: A significant meeting took place between Mr. C. R. Paatil, Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti and Mr. Collin D. Croal, Hon’ble Minister of Housing & Water, Guyana. It was agreed upon that both the countries will share their experiences, policies and developments in the field of water resources
Tanzania: Mr. C. R. Paatil, Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti, India met with Mr. Mathew Andrea Kundo, Deputy Minister of Water, Tanzania. The Tanzanian Minister proposed discussions on a new project to transport water from Lake Victoria, estimated at $600 million, to address water challenges in Tanzania. Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti assured that this proposal would be deliberated upon in the Ministry positively.
Zimbabwe: A productive meeting took place between Mr. C. R. Paatil, Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti and Mr. Vangelis Peter Haritatos, Hon’ble Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe’s Minister sought innovative financing options beyond traditional avenues such as EXIM etc. Hon’ble Minister for Jal Shakti assured that these matters would be deliberated upon positively, emphasizing that improvements in Zimbabwe’s irrigation sector would significantly enhance food security across Africa.

Barhmaputra & Barak (B&B) Wing

Expert Level Mechanism (ELM)

During the visit of the Hon’ble President of the People’s Republic of China to India on November 20-23, 2006, it was agreed to set up an Expert-Level Mechanism to discuss interaction and cooperation on provision of flood season hydrological data, emergency management and other issues regarding trans-border Rivers as agreed between them. Accordingly, the two sides have set up the Joint Expert Level Mechanism through a Joint Declaration by both the countries.

The ELM meetings are held alternately in India and China every year. Fifteen meetings of ELM have been held so far. The 15^th meeting of ELM was held at Beijing, China during 13^th-14^th August 2024. The GoI delegation was led by Shri S.K. Sinha, Commissioner (B&B), DoWR, RD & GR, Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Chinese delegation was led by Mr. Hao Zhao, Director General of the International Economic & Technical Cooperation and Exchange Centre, Ministry of Water Resources, People’s Republic of China. Representatives of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and Central Water Commission (CWC) had also participated in the meeting.

(ii) INDIA-BHUTAN COOPERATION

Joint Group of Expert (JGE) on Flood Management:

A Joint Group of Expert (JGE) on Flood Management has been constituted between India and Bhutan to discuss and assess the probable causes and effects of the recurring floods and erosion in the southern foothills of Bhutan and adjoining plains in India and recommend to both Governments appropriate and mutually acceptable remedial measures. Ten meetings of JGE have been held so far. The 10^th meeting was held during 28^th-29^th February, 2024 at New Delhi, India. The GoI delegation was led by Shri S. K. Sinha, Commissioner (B&B), Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD& GR), Ministry of Jal Shakti, GoI and the RGoB delegation was led by Mr. Karma Dupchu, Director, National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM), RGoB.

Joint Technical Team (JTT) on Flood Management:

In accordance with the decision taken during the first meeting of JGE, a Joint Technical Team (JTT) on Flood Management between the two countries was constituted. The purpose of JTT is to assess the field situation and provide technical support to JGE on flood management. Eight meetings of JTT have been held so far. The 8^th meeting of JTT was held during 18^th–20^th November, 2024 at Chalsa, Jalpaigudi, West Bengal. The Indian delegation was led by Shri G.L. Bansal, Chief Engineer, Brahmaputra Basin Organisation (BBO), Central Water Commission, GoI and the Bhutanese delegation was led by Dr. SingayDorji, Chief of Meteorological Services Division (MSD), National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology, RGoB.

Joint Experts Team (JET) on Flood Forecasting:

A Joint Experts Team (JET) consisting of senior officials from the Government of India and Royal Government of Bhutan(RGoB) continuously reviews the progress and other requirements of a network of 36 hydro-meteorological sites located in the catchments of trans-border rivers Puthimari, Pagladiya, Sankosh, Manas, Raidak, Torsa, Aie and Jaldhaka. So far, JET has met 38 times alternately in India and Bhutan since its reconstitution in 1992 and the last JET meeting i.e. 38^th meeting was held at Mandarmani, West Bengal, India during 10^th-11^th December, 2024.

The Indian delegation was led by Shri Subhrangshu Biswas, Chief Engineer, Teesta&Bagarathi-Damodar Basin Organisation (T&BDBO), Central Water Commission, GoI and the Bhutanese delegation was led by Mr. Karma Dupchu, Director, National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM), RGoB.

13. NERIWALM

The North Eastern Regional Institute of Water and Land Management (NERIWALM), under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, continued its vital contributions to water and land management across North East India in 2024. As the only institute of its kind in the region, it upheld its mandate of capacity building and skill enhancementfor efficient management of water and land resources for irrigation and agriculture.

During the year (January to December, 2024), the institute organized 76 training programmes, reaching 3,173 beneficiaries. Among these were induction-level courses for newly recruited engineers from the Irrigation and Agriculture Departments of Assam, as well as the Brahmaputra Board. A faculty development program on advancements in agriculture and water management was also conducted. NERIWALM collaborated with leading national institutions and agencies to host a two-day National Seminar on Advances in Irrigation Technologies and Management, fostering knowledge exchange and innovation.

In research and development, the institute undertook a diverse range of projects sponsored by state and central government departments. Key initiatives included the preparation of State-Specific Action Plans for 19 states, evaluations of PMKSY-AIBP and PMKSY-HKKP irrigation projects in Assam and Meghalaya, research project on farmer participation in irrigation management in Manipur, studies on good water management practices and study on the impact of climate change on dam-related hydro-geomorphic and social aspects in Arunachal Pradesh.

NERIWALM’s academic program also progressed with the enrollment of 15 students in the M.Tech course on Water Resource Management for the 2024-25 session. The institute further strengthened its credentials by developing e-learning modules on water resource management for the i-GOT platform. NERIWALM was accredited as “EXCELLENT” under the Capacity Building Commission’s National Standards, while its Soil and Water Laboratory achieved NABL accreditation.

14. NATIONAL HYDROLOGY PROJECT

National Hydrology Project (NHP), with support from the World Bank, envisages establishing a system for timely and reliable water resources data acquisition, storage, collation and management. It has pan-India coverage with 48 Implementing Agencies (IAs) {12 from Central Government (including 3 from River Basin Organisations) and 36 from States/ UTs}. It will also provide tools and systems for informed decision making for water resources assessment, planning and management. The National Hydrology Project has been approved with an outlay of Rs. 3,679.77 Crore as a Central Sector Scheme with 100% grant to State Governments and Central Implementing Agencies. The project originally had a duration of 8 years from 2016-17 to 2023-24. However, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance has accorded approval for extension of project till Sept-2025 within the same allocation.

Broad objectives of NHP include: a) To improve the extent, quality, and accessibility of water resources information; b) To create decision support system for floods and basin level resource assessment/planning; and c) To strengthen the capacity of targeted water resources professionals and institutions in India.

Under the ongoing NHP, almost 22960 Real Time Data Acquisition System (RTDAS) surface water and ground water stations have already been installed in the country. Besides, 46 Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) packages have been commissioned; almost 5667 piezometers constructed; 134 stationary as well as mobile water quality labs have been developed/procured/maintained and put into operation;
high-resolution DEMs, CORS network as well as Geoid model have also been developed. Furthermore, Bathymetric surveys of 464 important reservoirs of the country covering 162 BCM have also been taken up under NHP of which 373 studies have already been completed. Further 36 State Data Centres / Regional data centres / knowledge centres, etc. have been completed under the ongoing NHP. The need for development & maintenance of appropriate institutional framework both at the Central as well as State level for water resources information system intended for collection, collation and dissemination of the database was given shape in the ongoing NHP. As envisaged in the Cabinet note, the National Water Resources Informatics Centre (NWIC) has been created in 2018 and is now functional. Additionally, the formation of the State Water Informatics Centres for development of respective State Water Resources Information Systems was expedited in the ongoing NHP. Till date almost 19 SWICs have already been formed with a few more under process. The information system covering hydro-meteorological, hydro-geological, sedimentation, morphological and water quality data is also important in the context of various studies being done under NHP which
include IT Applications, Digital Products, geospatial hydro products, etc.

15. Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) scheme

Under the Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) scheme, since 12th plan onwards, 7282 schemes are ongoing with an estimated cost of ₹ 16113.560 crores. Central Assistance (CA) of Rs. 9009.169 crores have been released to states up-to March, 2024. Further, 4965 schemes have been reported to be completed up-to March, 2024. Target irrigation potential creation of these schemes is 11.58 L Ha and out of this, 8.59 L Ha is reported to be created till March, 2024.

16. Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies scheme

Under the Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies scheme, since 12th plan onwards, 3075schemes are ongoing with an estimated cost of Rs. 2834.692 crore. Central Assistance (CA) of Rs. 554.279Crore has been released to states up to March, 2024. Further, 2192 water bodies have been reported to be completed up to March, 2024. Target irrigation potential restoration of these schemes is 2.41 L Ha and out of this, 2.00 L Ha is reported to be restored till March, 2024

18. Mass Communication Internship programme

DoWR, RD & GR undertook internship programme in mass communication on during 2024. Students pursuing Degrees or are Research Scholars enrolled in recognized University/Institution in the field of Mass Communication in India are given opportunity to apply as “interns”. The Internship Programme provided short term exposure to “selected candidates” to be associated with the Department’s work related to media/social media activities. The objectives of the programme are to well acquaint the “Interns” with the working of the Department in field of media/social media related activities etc. and simultaneously the “interns” to supplement the process of mass publicity of this Department to create awareness about importance of development and management of water resources in holistic manner.

03 interns were selected for an initial period of 6 months under the program.

*****

Dhanya Sanal K

Director

(Release ID: 2096022) Visitor Counter : 29

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 26, 2025

MIL-Evening Report: Jonathan Cook: Israel kills the journalists. Western media kills the truth of genocide in Gaza

Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. –

Western publics are being subjected to a campaign of psychological warfare, where genocide is classed as ‘self-defence’ and opposition to it ‘terrorism’. Jonathan Cook reports as the world marked the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists at the weekend.

ANALYSIS: By Jonathan Cook

Israel knew that, if it could stop foreign correspondents from reporting directly from Gaza, those journalists would end up covering events in ways far more to its liking.

They would hedge every report of a new Israeli atrocity – if they covered them at all – with a “Hamas claims” or “Gaza family members allege”. Everything would be presented in terms of conflicting narratives rather than witnessed facts. Audiences would feel uncertain, hesitant, detached.

Israel could shroud its slaughter in a fog of confusion and disputation. The natural revulsion evoked by a genocide would be tempered and attenuated.

For a year, the networks’ most experienced war reporters have stayed put in their hotels in Israel, watching Gaza from afar. Their human-interest stories, always at the heart of war reporting, have focused on the far more limited suffering of Israelis than the vast catastrophe unfolding for Palestinians.

That is why Western audiences have been forced to relive a single day of horror for Israel, on October 7, 2023, as intensely as they have a year of greater horrors in Gaza — in what the World Court has judged to be a “plausible” genocide by Israel.

That is why the media have immersed their audiences in the agonies of the families of some 250 Israelis — civilians taken hostage and soldiers taken captive — as much as they have the agonies of 2.3 million Palestinians bombed and starved to death week after week, month after month.

That is why audiences have been subjected to gaslighting narratives that frame Gaza’s destruction as a “humanitarian crisis” rather than the canvas on which Israel is erasing all the known rules of war.

Western media’s human-interest stories, always at the heart of war reporting, have focused on the far more limited suffering of Israelis than the vast catastrophe unfolding for Palestinians. Image: www.jonathan-cook.net

While foreign correspondents sit obediently in their hotel rooms, Palestinian journalists have been picked off one by one — in the greatest massacre of journalists in history.

Israel is now repeating that process in Lebanon. On the night of October 24, it struck a residence in south Lebanon where three journalists were staying. All were killed.

In an indication of how deliberate and cynical Israel’s actions are, it put its military’s crosshairs on six Al Jazeera reporters last month, smearing them as “terrorists” working for Hamas and Islamic Jihad. They are reportedly the last surviving Palestinian journalists in northern Gaza, which Israel has sealed off while it carries out the so-called “General’s Plan”.

Israel wants no one reporting its final push to ethnically cleanse northern Gaza by starving out the 400,000 Palestinians still there and executing anyone who remains as a “terrorist”.

These six join a long list of professionals defamed by Israel in the interests of advancing its genocide — from doctors and aid workers to UN peacekeepers.

Sympathy for Israel
Perhaps the nadir of Israel’s domestication of foreign journalists was reached last month in a report by CNN. Back in February whistleblowing staff there revealed that the network’s executives have been actively obscuring Israeli atrocities to portray Israel in a more sympathetic light.

In a story whose framing should have been unthinkable — but sadly was all too predictable — CNN reported on the psychological trauma some Israeli soldiers are suffering from time spent in Gaza, in some cases leading to suicide.

Committing a genocide can be bad for your mental health, it seems. Or as CNN explained, its interviews “provide a window into the psychological burden that the war is casting on Israeli society”.

In its lengthy piece, titled “He got out of Gaza, but Gaza did not get out of him”, the atrocities the soldiers admit committing are little more than the backdrop as CNN finds yet another angle on Israeli suffering. Israeli soldiers are the real victims — even as they perpetrate a genocide on the Palestinian people.

One bulldozer driver, Guy Zaken, told CNN he could not sleep and had become vegetarian because of the “very, very difficult things” he had seen and had to do in Gaza.

What things? Zaken had earlier told a hearing of the Israeli Parliament that his unit’s job was to drive over many hundreds of Palestinians, some of them alive.

CNN reported: “Zaken says he can no longer eat meat, as it reminds him of the gruesome scenes he witnessed from his bulldozer in Gaza.”

Doubtless some Nazi concentration camp guards committed suicide in the 1940s after witnessing the horrors there — because they were responsible for them. Only in some weird parallel news universe, would their “psychological burden” be the story.

After a huge online backlash, CNN amended an editor’s note at the start of the article that originally read: “This story includes details about suicide that some readers may find upsetting.”

Readers, it was assumed, would find the suicide of Israeli soldiers upsetting, but apparently not the revelation that those soldiers were routinely driving over Palestinians so that, as Zaken explained, “everything squirts out”.

Banned from Gaza
Finally, a year into Israel’s genocidal war, now rapidly spreading into Lebanon, some voices are being raised very belatedly to demand the entry of foreign journalists into Gaza.

This week — in a move presumably designed, as November’s elections loom, to ingratiate themselves with voters angry at the party’s complicity in genocide — dozens of Democratic members of the US Congress wrote to President Joe Biden asking him to pressure Israel to give journalists “unimpeded access” to the enclave.

Don’t hold your breath.

Western media have done very little themselves to protest their exclusion from Gaza over the past year — for a number of reasons.

Given the utterly indiscriminate nature of Israel’s bombardment, major outlets have not wanted their journalists getting hit by a 2000lb bomb for being in the wrong place.

That may in part be out of concern for their welfare. But there are likely to be more cynical concerns.

Having foreign journalists in Gaza blown up or executed by snipers would drag media organisations into direct confrontation with Israel and its well-oiled lobby machine.

The response would be entirely predictable, insinuating that the journalists died because they were colluding with “the terrorists” or that they were being used as “human shields” — the excuse Israel has rolled out time and again to justify its targeting of doctors in Gaza and UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.

But there’s a bigger problem. The establishment media have not wanted to be in a position where their journalists are so close to the “action” that they are in danger of providing a clearer picture of Israel’s war crimes and its genocide.

The media’s current distance from the crime scene offers them plausible deniability as they both-sides every Israeli atrocity.

In previous conflicts, western reporters have served as witnesses, assisting in the prosecution of foreign leaders for war crimes. That happened in the wars that attended the break-up of Yugoslavia, and will doubtless happen once again if Russian President Valdimir Putin is ever delivered to The Hague.

But those journalistic testimonies were harnessed to put the West’s enemies behind bars, not its closest ally.

The media do not want their reporters to become chief witnesses for the prosecution in the future trials of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, at the International Criminal Court. The ICC’s Prosecutor, Karim Khan, is seeking arrest warrants for them both.

After all, any such testimony from journalists would not stop at Israel’s door. They would implicate Western capitals too, and put establishment media organisations on a collision course with their own governments.

The Western media does not see its job as holding power to account when the West is the one committing the crimes.

Censoring Palestinians
Journalist whistleblowers have gradually been coming forward to explain how establishment news organisations — including the BBC and the supposedly liberal Guardian — are sidelining Palestinian voices and minimising the genocide.

An investigation by Novara Media recently revealed mounting unhappiness in parts of The Guardian newsroom at its double standards on Israel and Palestine.

Its editors recently censored a commentary by preeminent Palestinian author Susan Abulhawa after she insisted on being allowed to refer to the slaughter in Gaza as “the holocaust of our times”.

Senior Guardian columnists such as Jonathan Freedland made much during Jeremy Corbyn’s tenure as leader of the Labour party that Jews, and Jews alone, had the right to define and name their own oppression.

That right, however, does not appear to extend to Palestinians.

As staff who spoke to Novara noted, The Guardian’s Sunday sister paper, The Observer, had no problem opening its pages to British Jewish writer Howard Jacobson to smear as a “blood libel” any reporting of the provable fact that Israel has killed many, many thousands of Palestinian children in Gaza.

One veteran journalist there said: “Is The Guardian more worried about the reaction to what is said about Israel than Palestine? Absolutely.”

Another staff member admitted it would be inconceivable for the paper to be seen censoring a Jewish writer. But censoring a Palestinian one is fine, it seems.

Other journalists report being under “suffocating control” from senior editors, and say this pressure exists “only if you’re publishing something critical of Israel”.

According to staff there, the word “genocide” is all but banned in the paper except in coverage of the International Court of Justice, whose judges ruled nine months ago that a “plausible” case had been made that Israel was committing genocide. Things have got far worse since.

Whistleblowing journalists
Similarly, “Sara”, a whistleblower who recently resigned from the BBC newsroom and spoke of her experiences to Al Jazeera’s Listening Post, said Palestinians and their supporters were routinely kept off air or subjected to humiliating and insensitive lines of questioning.

Some producers have reportedly grown increasingly reluctant to bring on air vulnerable Palestinians, some of whom have lost family members in Gaza, because of concerns about the effect on their mental health from the aggressive interrogations they were being subjected to from anchors.

According to Sara, BBC vetting of potential guests overwhelmingly targets Palestinians, as well as those sympathetic to their cause and human rights organisations. Background checks are rarely done of Israelis or Jewish guests.

She added that a search showing that a guest had used the word “Zionism” — Israel’s state ideology — in a social media post could be enough to get them disqualified from a programme.

Even officials from one of the biggest rights group in the world, the New York-based Human Rights Watch, became persona non grata at the BBC for their criticisms of Israel, even though the corporation had previously relied on their reports in covering Ukraine and other global conflicts.

Israeli guests, by contrast, “were given free rein to say whatever they wanted with very little pushback”, including lies about Hamas burning or beheading babies and committing mass rape.

An email cited by Al Jazeera from more than 20 BBC journalists sent last February to Tim Davie, the BBC’s director-general, warned that the corporation’s coverage risked “aiding and abetting genocide through story suppression”.

Upside-down values
These biases have been only too evident in the BBC’s coverage, first of Gaza and now, as media interest wanes in the genocide, of Lebanon.

Headlines — the mood music of journalism, and the only part of a story many of the audience read — have been uniformly dire.

For example, Netanyahu’s threats of a Gaza-style genocide against the Lebanese people last month if they did not overthrow their leaders were soft-soaped by the BBC headline: “Netanyahu’s appeal to Lebanese people falls on deaf ears in Beirut.”

Reasonable readers would have wrongly inferred both that Netanyahu was trying to do the Lebanese people a favour (by preparing to murder them), and that they were being ungrateful in not taking up his offer.

It has been the same story everywhere in the establishment media. In another extraordinary, revealing moment, Kay Burley of Sky News announced last month the deaths of four Israeli soldiers from a Hezbollah drone strike on a military base inside Israel.

With a solemnity usually reserved for the passing of a member of the British royal family, she slowly named the four soldiers, with a photo of each shown on screen. She stressed twice that all four were only 19 years old.

Sky News seemed not to understand that these were not British soldiers, and that there was no reason for a British audience to be especially disturbed by their deaths. Soldiers are killed in wars all the time — it is an occupational hazard.

And further, if Israel considered them old enough to fight in Gaza and Lebanon, then they were old enough to die too without their age being treated as particularly noteworthy.

But more significantly still, Israel’s Golani Brigade to which these soldiers belonged has been centrally involved in the slaughter of Palestinians over the past year. Its troops have been responsible for many of the tens of thousands of children killed and maimed in Gaza.

Each of the four soldiers was far, far less deserving of Burley’s sympathy and concern than the thousands of children who have been slaughtered at the hands of their brigade. Those children are almost never named and their pictures are rarely shown, not least because their injuries are usually too horrifying to be seen.

It was yet more evidence of the upside-down world the establishment media has been trying to normalise for its audiences.

It is why statistics from the United States, where the coverage of Gaza and Lebanon may be even more unhinged, show faith in the media is at rock bottom. Fewer than one in three respondents — 31 percent — said they still had a “great deal or fair amount of trust in mass media”.

Crushing dissent
Israel is the one dictating the coverage of its genocide. First by murdering the Palestinian journalists reporting it on the ground, and then by making sure house-trained foreign correspondents stay well clear of the slaughter, out of harm’s way in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

And as ever, Israel has been able to rely on the complicity of its Western patrons in crushing dissent at home.

Last week, a British investigative journalist, Asa Winstanley, an outspoken critic of Israel and its lobbyists in the UK, had his home in London raided at dawn by counter-terrorism police.

Though the police have not arrested or charged him — at least not yet — they snatched his electronic devices. He was warned that he is being investigated for “encouragement of terrorism” in his social media posts.

Police told Middle East Eye that his devices had been seized as part of an investigation into suspected terrorism offences of “support for a proscribed organisation” and “dissemination of terrorist documents”.

The police can act only because of Britain’s draconian, anti-speech Terrorism Act.

Section 12, for example, makes the expression of an opinion that could be interpreted as sympathetic to armed Palestinian resistance to Israel’s illegal occupation — a right enshrined in international law but sweepingly dismissed as “terrorism” in the West — itself a terrorism offence.

Those journalists who haven’t been house-trained in the establishment media, as well as solidarity activists, must now chart a treacherous path across intentionally ill-defined legal terrain when talking about Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Winstanley is not the first journalist to be accused of falling foul of the Terrorism Act. In recent weeks, Richard Medhurst, a freelance journalist, was arrested at Heathrow airport on his return from a trip abroad. Another journalist-activist, Sarah Wilkinson, was briefly arrested after her home was ransacked by police.

Their electronic devices were seized too.

Meanwhile, Richard Barnard, co-founder of Palestine Action, which seeks to disrupt the UK’s supply of weapons to Israel’s genocide, has been charged over speeches he has made against the genocide.

It now appears that all these actions are part of a specific police campaign targeting journalists and Palestinian solidarity activists: “Operation Incessantness”.

The message this clumsy title is presumably supposed to convey is that the British state is coming after anyone who speaks out too loudly against the British government’s continuing arming and complicity in Israel’s genocide.

Notably, the establishment media have failed to cover this latest assault on journalism and the role of a free press — supposedly the very things they are there to protect.

The raid on Winstanley’s home and the arrests are intended to intimidate others, including independent journalists, into silence for fear of the consequences of speaking up.

This has nothing to do with terrorism. Rather, it is terrorism by the British state.

Once again the world is being turned upside down.

Echoes from history
The West is waging a campaign of psychological warfare on its populations: it is gaslighting and disorientating them, classing genocide as “self-defence” and opposition to it a form of “terrorism”.

This is an expansion of the persecution suffered by Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder who spent years locked up in London’s Belmarsh high-security prison.

His unprecedented journalism — revealing the darkest secrets of Western states — was redefined as espionage. His “offence” was revealing that Britain and the US had committed systematic war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Now, on the back of that precedent, the British state is coming after journalists simply for embarrassing it.

Late last month I attended a meeting in Bristol against the genocide in Gaza at which the main speaker was physically absent after the British state failed to issue him an entry visa.

The missing guest — he had to join us by zoom — was Mandla Mandela, the grandson of Nelson Mandela, who was locked up for decades as a terrorist before becoming the first leader of post-apartheid South Africa and a feted, international statesman.

Mandla Mandela was until recently a member of the South African Parliament.

A Home Office spokesperson told Middle East Eye that the UK only issued visas “to those who we want to welcome to our country”.

Media reports suggest Britain was determined to exclude Mandela because, like his grandfather, he views the Palestinian struggle against Israeli apartheid as intimately linked to the earlier struggle against South Africa’s apartheid.

The echoes from history are apparently entirely lost on officials: the UK is once again associating the Mandela family with terrorism. Before it was to protect South Africa’s apartheid regime. Now it is to protect Israel’s even worse apartheid and genocidal regime.

The world is indeed turned on its head. And the West’s supposedly “free media” is playing a critical role in trying to make our upside-down world seem normal.

That can only be achieved by failing to report the Gaza genocide as a genocide. Instead, Western journalists are serving as little more than stenographers. Their job: to take dictation from Israel.

Jonathan Cook is an award-winning British journalist. He was based in Nazareth, Israel, for 20 years and returned to the UK in 2021. He is the author of three books on the Israel-Palestine conflict, including Disappearing Palestine: Israel’s Experiments in Human Despair (2008). In 2011, Cook was awarded the Martha Gellhorn Special Prize for Journalism for his work on Palestine and Israel. This article was first published in Middle East Eye and is republished with the author’s permission.

This article was first published on Café Pacific.

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 26, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Crossbenchers cancel their membership of airlines’ elite lounges

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Crossbench independents Allegra Spender, Helen Haines and Kate Chaney have declared they are pulling out of the elite lounges run by Qantas and Virgin, amid the ongoing spotlight on privileges politicians receive from the airlines.

Allegra Spender, the member for the Sydney seat of Wentworth, also said she’d write to ask Qantas and Virgin not to give free upgrades to parliamentarians. It was “time to end the upgrades”.

She said all sides of politics enjoyed the perks, and both major parties had blocked greater competition from Qatar Airways.

Airlines operated under government policy and ministerial decisions, she said. “The public is understandably losing trust in politicians to make those decisions impartially when they’re being given free upgrades from the companies they’re supposed to regulate.”

Spender urged a review of the ministerial code of conduct. Tighter rules were needed about what politicians could accept. The code should also be extended to shadow ministers. There should as well be much more transparency over the diaries of ministers, she said.

“This is the only way to deal with the perception – and potential reality – of decisions being influenced by perks.”

But Labor MP Luke Gosling, from the Darwin seat of Solomon, accused her of grandstanding. “It’s a bit rich from the people with harbour views who either drive or have less than a one-hour flight,” he told the ABC.

Haines, from the Victorian regional seat of Indi, said she was quitting the lounges because she wanted “to remove any possibility of an actual or perceived conflict of interest” in her work as an MP.

“The reality that airlines offer these kinds of perks because ultimately they want to get something in return does not sit well with me and I want to continue to contribute to creating a culture of transparency and accountability through my actions as well as my words.”

Haines said she wanted “to see more rigorous rules around MP disclosures of upgrades and I think a ban on soliciting free flight upgrades is more than reasonable”.

Chaney, who holds the Western Australian seat of Curtin, said with the media attention on the issue “we need to do everything we can to rebuild trust in politicians making decisions in the public interest”.

Another crossbencher, Monique Ryan, from the Melbourne seat of Kooyong, who dropped her Qantas chairman’s lounge membership last year on integrity grounds, said she welcomed the discussion about the impact of corporate largesse on MPs’ decision-making.

“I am deeply concerned about lobbying and its potential to impact government decision making. Free upgrades and airline hospitality are lobbying practices that we have taken for granted for a long time, and it is important that we re-examine them — especially given public concerns about conflicts of interest.”

Meanwhile there is no indication of when opposition transport spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie, who was leading the charge against the prime minister over his upgrades, will produce a list of her own. She has said she has written to three airlines to check what upgrades she has had.

Michelle Grattan 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. Crossbenchers cancel their membership of airlines’ elite lounges – https://theconversation.com/crossbenchers-cancel-their-membership-of-airlines-elite-lounges-242782

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 26, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Global forum celebrates Hehe Culture in historic city

Source: China State Council Information Office 2

The 2024 Global Forum on Hehe Culture is held in Taizhou, eastern China’s Zhejiang province, on Nov. 2, 2024. [Photo/China.org.cn]
The 2024 Global Forum on Hehe Culture convened Saturday in Taizhou, an eastern Chinese city in Zhejiang province, where this philosophy originated.
The forum, themed “Hehe Culture and New Model for Human Progress,” brought together participants from home and abroad, including politicians, think tank experts, and youth leaders.
The ancient Chinese concept of Hehe Culture represents dual meanings of harmony: The first “He” symbolizes peace and balance, while the second represents unity and cooperation, according to “Keywords to Understand Hehe Culture,” a book released at a previous session of the Global Forum on Hehe Culture.
Zhu Yongxin, vice chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and executive vice chairperson of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the forum.
In his address, Zhu emphasized the importance of promoting Chinese culture while maintaining a people-centered approach. He called for strengthening cultural confidence, deepening cultural exchanges and promoting the progress of civilizations. He also advocated adhering to the philosophy of harmony and unity, and promoting the building of a global community of shared future.
Wang Wenxu, a member of the Standing Committee of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), said in a speech that while Hehe Culture originates in China, it belongs to the world. Amid the ongoing transformations unseen in a century, Hehe should serve as an approach to addressing issues such as development imbalances, governance challenges, and geopolitical conflicts.
“We must look to Hehe as a philosophy facilitating inclusive cultural exchange, a way of pursuing mutual benefits for all countries and parties, and a solution to global security and governance challenges,” he highlighted.
Essam Sharaf, former prime minister of Egypt and winner of the inaugural Orchid Awards, delivered a speech at the forum. He expounded on the concept of a global community of shared future, saying that “[it] means all countries have equal sovereignty – none can intervene in the internal affairs of others; that countries should jointly manage global affairs democratically, rather than through the dictates of the most powerful states; that countries should engage in ‘win-win cooperation’ to ‘build a world of common prosperity.’”
“Hehe Culture can play an important role in guiding the efforts aiming at building a community of a shared future where everyone can enjoy a prosperous future,” he added.
Yu Tao, vice president of China International Communications Group (CICG), also shared his insights in a speech. He said Hehe Culture is one of the valuable assets of Chinese wisdom and a shared achievement of global civilization. With its enduring relevance, Hehe Culture has gained renewed vitality. It fosters strength for safeguarding peace and stability, advancing cooperation and promoting mutual learning among civilizations.
“Looking to the future, we should advocate peaceful coexistence to develop a new global security perspective grounded in mutual respect and dialogue, promote win-win cooperation to build open, inclusive, and universally beneficial dynamics for global development, and encourage diversity and harmony to create a vibrant, mutually enriching global civilization,” Yu said.
Li Yueqi, secretary of the CPC Taizhou Municipal Committee, echoed the idea that Hehe Culture is a brilliant gem within the tapestry of traditional Chinese culture. It is woven into the daily lives of Taizhou people and permeates all aspects of the city’s development, serving as an important foundation of its cultural identity.
In his speech, Li expressed hope that the forum would foster deeper and broader cooperation and exchange regarding Hehe Culture.
The event featured five parallel sessions that addressed sister city partnerships, Sinology studies, youth programs, academic research, and family traditions.
Forum organizers named new cultural ambassadors and launched an initiative to strengthen ties among sister cities. Officials also unveiled a new collection of poems titled “Cold Hill’s Poetry.”
In addition, participants toured local historic sites showcasing Hehe Culture heritage.
The forum, established in 2021, has emerged as a significant platform for international cultural dialogue.

MIL OSI China News –

January 26, 2025

Category: Middle East

Associated Links

The ultimate virtual universe

From games to politics

Shaping political viewpoints online

(xxii) LIST OF IMPORTANT PUBLICATIONS OF CWC during 2024

Expert Level Mechanism (ELM)