NewzIntel.com

Category: Middle East

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Dangerous escalation in the Middle East – P-001945/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The EU’s Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Operation ASPIDES is an autonomous and purely defensive operation and is not linked to any actions, such as strikes on Yemeni soil, taken by national forces or other operations in the area.

    The objective of the operation is to protect merchant shipping and lives of the seafarers and uphold the freedom of the navigation granted by international treaties.

    EUNAVFOR ASPIDES is not linked to the ongoing escalation in Gaza and Lebanon but aims at contributing to maritime security in the Red Sea, as well as to preventing further escalation through its strictly defensive posture.

    In this context, EU does not view calls to terminate EUNAVFOR ASPIDES or withdraw assets from it as conducive to achieving regional de-escalation. The EU has been consistently calling for a ceasefire in Gaza[1], and does so now with respect to Lebanon as well[2].

    The EU remains firmly committed to a just, comprehensive and lasting peace based on the two-state solution, as reiterated by the European Council in its conclusions of 17 October 2024[3].

    The EU actively supports and engages with international partners on concrete irreversible steps towards the two-state solution reviving a political process to this end, including through the holding of an international peace conference as soon as possible.

    • [1] https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/gaza-statement-high-representative-adoption-un-security-council-resolution_en; https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/06/28/european-council-conclusions-27-june-2024/
    • [2] https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/lebanonisrael-statement-high-representative-escalation-hostilities_en; https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/lebanon-statement-high-representative-latest-developments_en; https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/paris-oecd-and-un/eu-statement-%E2%80%93-lebanon-220th-executive-board-unesco_und_en
    • [3] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/10/17/european-council-conclusions-17-october-2024/
    Last updated: 29 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Urgent need for humanitarian corridors to Gaza for basic necessities and the case of the NGO Music for Peace – E-002063/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    14.10.2024

    Question for written answer  E-002063/2024
    to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
    Rule 144
    Brando Benifei (S&D), Alessandra Moretti (S&D), Annalisa Corrado (S&D), Marco Tarquinio (S&D), Giorgio Gori (S&D), Cecilia Strada (S&D), Lucia Annunziata (S&D)

    The restrictions imposed by the Israeli Government on humanitarian access to Gaza are increasingly becoming a problem for the survival of civilians and constituting a violation of international humanitarian law.

    One such example is the NGO Music for Peace, a civil society organisation registered with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and active in Gaza for many years. One of its shipments – 80 tonnes of essential goods, with a total value of approximately EUR 800 000 – has remained blocked at the NGO’s headquarters in Genoa, Italy since June 2024, due to the lack of support from national and international stakeholders.

    On 1 October 2024, the NGO submitted its packing list to Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), via the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS), but the application remains pending. On 2 October, the NGO was then informed of the new restrictive regulations introduced by the Israeli authorities.

    Given the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza and the principles of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their 1977 Additional Protocols, can the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy say whether:

    He intends to call for the opening of humanitarian corridors as a matter of urgency to allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid to the civilian population in Gaza?

    Submitted: 14.10.2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Commission position on genocide in Palestine – E-002116/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    16.10.2024

    Question for written answer  E-002116/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Jaume Asens Llodrà (Verts/ALE), Estrella Galán (The Left), Vicent Marzà Ibáñez (Verts/ALE), Catarina Martins (The Left), Ana Miranda Paz (Verts/ALE), Merja Kyllönen (The Left), Mounir Satouri (Verts/ALE), Per Clausen (The Left), Marc Botenga (The Left), Anthony Smith (The Left), Hanna Gedin (The Left), Leoluca Orlando (Verts/ALE), Alice Kuhnke (Verts/ALE), Pär Holmgren (Verts/ALE), Villy Søvndal (Verts/ALE), Pernando Barrena Arza (The Left), Catarina Vieira (Verts/ALE), Rima Hassan (The Left)

    • 1.Will the Commission commit to recognising and applying the decisions made by the International Criminal Court in its ongoing investigation into alleged war crimes committed in the Israeli-occupied territories?
    • 2.Does the Commission consider it a priority that EU Member States cease arms exports to Israel and will it do so if it is proven that war crimes or serious human rights violations have been committed?
    • 3.Against the current backdrop of violence and repression in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, is the Commission prepared to impose targeted sanctions on Israel to press for an end to violations of international humanitarian law and of human right, and if not, what other methods of exerting diplomatic pressure is the Commission considering?

    Submitted: 16.10.2024

    Last updated: 29 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ken Iliff: Engineering 40 Years of Success

    Source: NASA

    Editor’s note: This article was published May 23, 2003, in NASA Armstrong’s X-Press newsletter. NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, was redesignated Armstrong Flight Research Center on March 1, 2014. Ken Iliff was inducted into the National Hall of Fame for Persons with Disabilities in 1987. He died Jan. 4, 2016.

    As an Iowa State University engineering student in the early 1960s, Ken Iliff was hard at work on a glider flight simulation.
    Upon examining the final results – which, in those early days of the computer revolution, were viewed on a long paper printout – he noticed one glaring imperfection: the way he had programmed it, his doomed glider would determinedly accelerate as it headed for the ground.
    The culprit was a single keystroke. At the time, programming was based on data that had been painstakingly entered into the computer by hand, on punch cards and piece by piece. Somewhere, Iliff had entered a plus sign instead of a minus sign.
    The seemingly minor incident was to foreshadow great things to come in Iliff’s career.
    Not long after graduation, the West Union, Iowa, native found himself at what was then called simply the NASA Flight Research Center located on Edwards Air Force Base.
    “I just knew I didn’t want to be sitting somewhere in a big room full of engineers who were all doing the same thing,” Iliff said of choosing Dryden over other jobs and other NASA centers. “It was a small center doing important things, and it was in California. I knew I wanted to be there.”
    Once at Dryden, the issue of data tidbits was central to the new hire’s workday. Iliff’s post called for him and many of his colleagues to spend much of their time “reading up” data – a laborious process of measuring data from film using a single reference line and a ruler. Measurements were made every tenth of a second; for a ten-second maneuver, a total of one hundred “traces” were taken for every quantity being recorded.
    “I watched talented people spending entire days analyzing data,” he recalled. “And then, maybe two people would arrive at two entirely different conclusions” from the same data sets.
    As has happened so often at the birth of revolutionary ideas, then, one day Iliff had a single, simple thought about the time-intensive and maddeningly inexact data analysis process:
    “There just has to be a better way to do this.”
    The remedy he devised was to result in a sea change at Dryden, and would reverberate throughout the world of computer-based scientific research.
    Iliff’s work spanned the decades that encompassed some of Dryden’s greatest achievements, from the X-15 through the XB-70 and the tentative beginnings of the shuttle program. The solution he created to the problem of inaccuracy in data analysis focused on aerodynamic performance – how to formulate questions about an aircraft’s performance once answers about it are already known, how to determine the “why?” when the “what happens?” has already happened.
    The work is known as “parameter estimation,” and is used in aerospace applications to extract precise definitions of aerodynamic, structural and performance parameters from flight data.
    His methodology – cemented in computer coding Iliff developed using Fortran’s lumbering binary forerunner, machine code – allowed researchers to determine precisely the type of information previously derived only as best-estimate guesses through analysis of data collected in wind tunnels and other flight-condition simulators. In addition to aerospace science, parameter estimation is also used today in a wide array of research applications, including those involving submarines, economic models, and biomedicine.
    With characteristic deference, Iliff now brushes off any suggestion of his discovery’s significance. Instead, he credits other factors for his successes, such as a Midwestern work ethic and Iowa State University’s early commitment to giving its engineering students good access to the new and emerging computer technology.
    To hear him tell it, “all good engineers are a little bit lazy. We know how to innovate – how to find an easier way.
    “I’d been trained well, and given the right tools – I was just in the right place at the right time.”
    But however modestly he might choose to see it characterized, it’s fair to number Iliff’s among the longest and most distinguished careers to take root in the ranks of Dryden research engineers. Though his groundbreaking work will live forever in research science, when Iliff retired in December he brought to a close his official role in some of the most important chapters in Dryden history.

    His pioneering work with parameter estimation carried through years of aerodynamic assessment and data analysis involving lifting-body and wing-body aircraft, from the X-15 through the M2-F1, M2-F2 and M2-F3 projects, the HL-10, the X-24B and NASA’s entire fleet of space shuttles. His contributions aided in flight research on the forward-swept-wing X-29 and the F/A-18 High Angle of Attack program, on F-15 spin research vehicles, on thrust vectoring and supermaneuverability.
    Iliff began work on the space shuttle program when it was little more than a speculative “what’s next?” chapter in manned spaceflight, long before it reached officially sanctioned program status. Together with a group spearheaded by the late NASA research pilot and long-time Dryden Chief Engineer Milt Thompson – who Iliff describes unflinchingly as “my hero” – Iliff helped explore the vast range of possibilities for a new orbiting craft that would push NASA to its next frontier after landing on the moon.
    In an environment much more informal than today’s, when there were few designations of “program manager” or “task monitor” or “deputy director” among NASA engineers like Iliff and Thompson, a handful of creative, disciplined minds were at work dreaming up a reusable aircraft that would launch, orbit the Earth and return. Iliff’s role was to offer up the rigor of comparison in size, speed and performance among potential aircraft designs; Thompson and Iliff’s group was responsible, for example, for the decision to abandon the notion of jet engines on the orbiter, decreeing them too heavy, too risky and too inefficient.
    Month in and month out, Iliff and his colleagues painstakingly researched and developed the myriad design details that eventually materialized into the shuttle fleet. There was, in Iliff’s words, “a love affair between the shuttle and the engineers.”
    And in a display typifying the charged environment of creative collaboration that governed the effort – an effort many observe wryly that it would be difficult to replicate at NASA, today or anytime – the body of research was compiled into the now-legendary aero-data book, a living document that records in minute detail every scrap of design and performance data recorded about the shuttles’ flight activity.
    Usually with more than a touch of irony, the compiling of the aero-data book has been described with phrases like “a remarkably democratic process,” involving as it did the need for a hundred independent minds and strong personalities to agree on indisputable facts about heat, air flow, turbulence, drag, stability and a dozen other aerodynamic principles. But Iliff says the success of the mammoth project, last updated in 1996, was ultimately enabled by a shared commitment to a culture that was unique to Dryden, one that made the Center great.
    “Well, big, complicated things don’t always come out like you think they will,” Iliff said.
    “But we understood completely the idea of ‘informed risk.’ We had a thorough understanding of risks before taking them – nobody ever did anything on the shuttle that they thought was dangerous, or likely to fail.
    “The truly great thing (about that era at Dryden) was that they mentored us, and let us take those risks, and helped us get good right away. That was how we were able to do what we did.”
    It was an era that Iliff says he was thrilled to be a part of, and which he admits was difficult to leave. It was also, he adds with a note of uncharacteristic nostalgia, a time that would be hard to reinvent today after the intrusion of so many bureaucratic tentacles into the hot zone that spawned Dryden’s greatest achievements.
    A man not much given to dwelling on the past, however, Iliff has moved on to a retirement he is making the most of. Together with his wife, Mary Shafer, also retired from her career as a Dryden engineer, he plans to dedicate time to cataloging the couple’s extensive travel experiences with new video and graphics software, and adding to the travel library with footage from new trips. Iraq ranks high on the short list.
    During his 40-year tenure, Iliff held the post of senior staff scientist of Dryden’s research division from 1988 to 1994, when he became the Center’s chief scientist. Among numerous awards he received were the prestigious Kelly Johnson Award from the Society of Flight Test Engineers (1989), an award permanently housed in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, and NASA’s highest scientific honor, the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Award (1976).
    He was inducted into the National Hall of Fame for Persons with Disabilities in 1987, and served on many national aeronautic and aerospace committees throughout his career. He is a Fellow in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and is the author of more than 100 technical papers and reports. He has given eleven invited lectures for NATO and AGARD (Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development), and served on four international panels as an expert in aircraft and spacecraft dynamics. Recently, he retired from his position as an adjunct professor of electrical engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles.
    Iliff holds dual bachelor of science degrees in mathematics and aerospace engineering from Iowa State University; a master of science in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California; a master of engineering degree in engineering management and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, both from UCLA.
    Iliff’s is the kind of legacy shared by a select group of American engineers, and to read the papers these days, there’s the suggestion that his is a vanishing breed. NASA and other science-based organizations are often depicted as scrambling for new engineering talent – particularly of the sort personified by Iliff and his pioneering achievements.
    But, typical of the visionary approach he applies to life in general as well as to science, Iliff takes a wider view.
    “I remember, after the X-1 – people figured all the good things had been done,” he said, with a smile in his voice. “And of course, they had not.
    “If I was starting out now, I’d be starting in work with DNA, or biomedicine – improving lives with drug research. There are so many exciting things to be discovered there. They might not be as showy as lighting off a rocket, but they’re there.
    “I’ve seen cycles. We’re at a low spot right now – but military, or space, will eventually be at the center again.”
    And when that day comes, Iliff says he hopes officials in the flight research world will heed the example of Dryden’s early years, and give its engineers every opportunity to succeed unfettered – as he had been.
    “Beware the ‘Chicken Littles’ out there,” he said. “I hope the government will be strong enough to resist them.”

    Sarah MerlinFormer X-Press newsletter assistant editor
    Former Dryden historian Curtis Peebles contributed to this article.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal jury convicts Belgrade man of unlawful possession of firearm and ammunition

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MISSOULA — A federal jury on Monday convicted a Belgrade man of a firearms crime after he was accused of illegally possessing two handguns and ammunition while he was the subject of a court restraining order, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

    After a one-day trial that began on Oct. 28, the jury found the defendant, Jordan Charles Kirsch, 34, guilty of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Kirsch faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

    U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for March 12, 2025. Kirsch was detained pending further proceedings.

    “Firearms involved in domestic disputes often lead to tragic results. Here, Kirsch was under a court order of protection restraining him from any violence against the petitioner, and yet he illegally possessed two guns in violation of federal law. I am pleased the jury agreed with us and convicted him, and I am grateful to our prosecution team and law enforcement partners for their work to protect the safety of our fellow Montanans,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.

    In court documents and at trial, the government alleged that on Dec. 19, 2023, a state district court judge in Gallatin County conducted a hearing and issued a final Order of Protection for 10 years against Kirsch. The court’s order found that the petitioner was in danger of harm, restrained Kirsch from committing or threatening to commit any acts of violence to the petitioner and ordered Kirsch not to threaten, harass, abuse, follow, stalk, annoy or disturb the petitioner.

    In April 2024, a court order was issued for Kirsch to be removed from a Belgrade residence and for possession of the residence to be delivered to the petitioner. A sheriff’s office detective conducting surveillance observed Kirsch exit the residence with a black semi-automatic handgun and fire it 10 to 20 times toward a berm near the property. On May 2, 2024, Kirsch was arrested and evicted from the property. A search warrant was executed on the property, and law enforcement found two firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in various calibers.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI, Missouri River Drug Task Force and Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.

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

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: UNRWA, Ukraine, Biodiversity & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (29 Oct 2024) | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

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

    Highlights:
    -Briefings
    -Biodiversity
    -UNRWA
    -Occupied Palestinian territory
    -Security Council
    -Lebanon/Israel
    -Lebanon
    -Financial contribution
    -Ukraine
    -Democratic Republic of the Congo
    -Sudan
    -International Day of Care and Support

    BRIEFINGS
    Tomorrow, you will have a heavy day. We’ve asked Amy Pope, the head of the International Organization for Migration who is currently in Sudan to brief you. She will be here at 11 a.m. vie videoconference from Port Sudan to brief you on her ongoing trip. At noon you will have to deal with me. Then at 1 p.m., there will be a briefing here by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel and that Commission includes Navid Pillay, Miloon Kothari and Chris Sidoti. Then at 2:00 p.m., Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967 will be here live in person in this very room.

    BIODIVERISTY
    This morning, the Secretary-General is in Cali, in Colombia, where he is attending the high-level segment of the 16th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16). In his remarks, he highlighted that nature is life, and yet we are waging a war against it, a war where there can be no winner. He is in fact about to deliver those remarks and he is expected to warn that no country, rich or poor, is immune to the devastation inflicted by climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation and pollution, adding that these environmental crises are intertwined, they know no borders.
    The Secretary-General noted that when the Framework was adopted two years ago in Montreal, the world made bold commitments to living in harmony with nature by mid-century. He said that we must now turn these promises into acts.
    This morning, he had a series of bilaterals. He met with Leslie Voltaire, the President of the Transitional Presidential Council of Haiti. They agreed on the need to expedite the political transition towards holding elections. In the meeting, the Secretary-General appealed to Haitian stakeholders to set aside their differences and work together for Haiti’s peace and security.
    This afternoon, the Secretary-General will engage in discussions with indigenous people and local communities, as well as representatives of civil society, including youth and women.
    And I think he just met with Gustavo Petro, the President of Colombia.  Tomorrow, on the sidelines he will speak at an event on plastic pollution organized by the UN Environment Programme. He will also speak to journalists at a press conference before heading out of Cali and coming back to New York.

    UNRWA
    You saw that last night we issued a statement in the Secretary-General’s name in which he expressed his deep concern at the adoption yesterday by the Israeli Knesset of two laws concerning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, better known to all of us as UNRWA, and the laws which, if implemented, would likely prevent UNRWA from continuing its essential work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as mandated by the General Assembly of these United Nations.
    The Secretary-General emphasized that UNRWA is the principal means by which essential assistance is supplied to Palestine refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. There is no alternative to UNRWA.
    He calls on Israel to act consistently with its obligations under the Charter of the UN and its other obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and those concerning the privileges and immunities of the United Nations. National legislation cannot alter those obligations. He is bringing this matter to the attention of the General Assembly and will keep the Assembly closely informed on the situation as it develops. 
    Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner General of UNRWA, added that these bills will only deepen the suffering of Palestinians, especially in Gaza, where people have been going through more than a year of sheer hell. He said that these bills increase the suffering of the Palestinians and are nothing less than collective punishment. Mr. Lazzarini also sent a letter to the President of the General Assembly to express those concerns in detail.

    Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=29%20October%202024

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvOsMwPEo38

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Israel on UNRWA/Gaza – Security Council Media Stakeout | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Informal comments to the media by Danny Danon, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations, on UNRWA, Gaza & other topics.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJmE3mHnsSs

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Counterterrorism: Protection of human rights – Press Conference | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Press conference by Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.

    ———————————–

    The Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms while Countering Terrorism, Ben Saul, today (28 Oct) said, “wars on terror are back with a vengeance, along with their catastrophic humanitarian consequences.”

    Saul, talking to reporters in New York after briefing the General Assembly’s 3rd committee, emphasized the “support for those wars by states which failed to use their influence to prevent violations of international law by other states.”

    He said, “over the past year, I’ve been concerned about excessive counter-terrorism laws in many countries which are misused against political activists, civil society, journalists, universities, students. Often combined with unfair trials and judiciaries which are not independent.”

    Responding to a reporter’s question, Saul said, “we’ve called on all states not to provide weapons or munitions to Israel because that would breach the obligation of other states to ensure respect for humanitarian law. It would breach obligations under the Genocide Convention to prevent genocide, and it would breach for parties to the Arms Trade Treaty their obligations not to provide weapons to another state where they would be used to commit violations of international law.”

    Special Rapporteurs are part of the Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council and work on a voluntary basis. They are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent of any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx6ymFOvIPw

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Iran: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the execution of Jamshid Sharmahd

    Source: Council of the European Union

    The EU issued a statement condemning in the strongest terms the execution in Iran of German-Iranian national Jamshid Sharmahd, and reiterating its call on Iran to refrain from any future executions and to end the distressing practice of detaining foreign civilians and dual nationals with a view to making political gains.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: LEBANON: At least 2 children killed every day in five weeks of war

    Source: Save the Children

    Over 100 children have been killed by Israeli airstrikes in five weeks of war – an average of two children a day – said Save the Children. In the latest violence, at least 60 people, including two children, were killed overnight on Monday in Israeli strikes on Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley, one of the deadliest incidents in the Bekaa since conflict escalated on 23 September.
    More than one million people – about one fifth of the population – have been forcibly displaced from their homes and about 2,700 people, including over 150 children, killed and more than 12,500 injured since October last year according to the Ministry of Public Health.
    Jennifer Moorehead, Save the Children’s Country Director in Lebanon said:
    “We’re plunging into a humanitarian crisis that is first and foremost a children’s crisis. We’re starting to see the same pattern we’ve witnessed in over a year of war in Gaza: mass casualty events with civilians, including children; health workers killed while on duty; more than 50 attacks on healthcare facilities; UN installations attacked, and journalists targeted.
    “Israeli airstrikes have expanded into densely populated areas, severely damaging critical infrastructure and creating mass displacement. The conflict has left over 25% of Lebanon under Israeli military displacement orders. On a daily basis, evacuation warnings are issued, many with little notice, giving families little time to escape before bombardments begin. In Beirut, we’re still seeing thousands of displaced children and families sleeping in the open air with their belongings piled around them, unable to find shelter or a safe place to go.
    “The longer the conflict lasts, the more challenging it will be for children to regain a sense of normalcy. Six out of 10 public schools have been repurposed as shelters for the displaced, with the beginning of the school year now postponed to November 4, and possibly longer. Every day away from the classroom, is a growing threat to children’s long-term physical and mental wellbeing. By law, children must be off-limits in war and must be protected. There is no time to waste, we urgently need a ceasefire now.” 
    Save the Children has been working in Lebanon since 1953. Since October 2023, we’ve been scaling up our response in Lebanon, supporting displaced Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian children and families, and now have escalated an emergency response throughout the country in 194 collective shelters. Since October 2023, we’ve supported more than 110,000 people, including 47,000 children, with cash, blankets, mattresses and pillows, food parcels, water bottles and kits containing essential hygiene items. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DeLauro Statement on Israel Banning UNRWA

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03)

    Today, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) released a statement in response to Israel’s parliament passing legislation to ban the United Nation’s Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA):

    “The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is indispensable in addressing Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, as well as maintaining stability in the West Bank. Israel’s decision to enact legislation to halt UNRWA operations and cease all cooperation is dangerous, short-sighted, and would leave innocent Palestinians even more vulnerable to the devastating impacts of this war. At a time when we are already failing to meet the urgent needs of Gazans, this action further undermines UNRWA, fosters distrust in our international institutions, and fuels animosity toward Israel from its neighbors. This crisis is costing far too many innocent lives, including at least 60 people – mostly women and children – killed in a single strike on Tuesday in northern Gaza. The toll on civilian lives is tragic and underscores the need for uninterrupted humanitarian support.

    “As nearly 2 million Gazans continue to face starvation, this action would intensify an already dire crisis. It further threatens the health of Gazans, interrupting vital healthcare efforts, such as the World Health Organization’s polio vaccination campaign, which depends on UNRWA infrastructure and support and Israeli cooperation. Further destabilized Palestinian communities and friction with the United Nations jeopardizes regional security and isolates Israel globally.

    “UNRWA must be able to continue its lifesaving work. The agency has expressed commitment to working with Israel to ensure that its operations are not used by Hamas.  Our focus should be placed on the proposed reforms laid out in the Colonna Report to ensure the organization’s neutrality in a difficult working environment, not scapegoating a critical humanitarian actor.

    “Achieving peace and stability in the region requires an immediate ceasefire, a dramatic increase in humanitarian aid reaching civilians in need, and the release of the hostages held by Hamas.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi encourages more China-Finland cooperation in emerging industries

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

    Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who is on a state visit to China, in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 29, 2024. Xi held talks with Stubb in Beijing on Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

    BEIJING, Oct. 29 — China welcomes Finland to actively participate in the Chinese modernization process and expand cooperation in emerging industries, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday.

    Xi made the remarks as he held talks with visiting Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Beijing.

    He called on both sides to expand cooperation in green transformation, information technology, digital economy, artificial intelligence and new energy, and build a new pattern of mutually beneficial cooperation in the new era.

    Xi noted that Finland was one of the first Western countries to establish diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China and the first Western country to sign an intergovernmental trade agreement with China.

    “As the world is undergoing accelerated changes unseen in a century and the risks and challenges facing humanity are increasing, the future-oriented new-type cooperative partnership between China and Finland holds exceptional value and should be cherished and advanced,” Xi said.

    China-Finland practical cooperation got off to an early start, has yielded fruitful results and demonstrated great potential, he said.

    China is willing to further expand people-to-people exchanges with Finland, and has decided to apply the unilateral visa-free policy to Finland, he added, noting that China welcomes more Finnish friends to visit for business, tourism and study.

    Xi said both China and Finland love peace and advocate multilateralism and free trade, adding that China is willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with Finland on climate change, biodiversity conservation, global sustainable development, artificial intelligence governance and other issues.

    Noting that next year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the European Union (EU), Xi called on Finland to continue to play an active role in promoting the sound and stable development of China-EU ties.

    Stubb said he is very pleased to visit China shortly after taking office and meet with Xi again after 14 years.

    He noted that the global landscape has changed profoundly since their last meeting and China has made remarkable accomplishments.

    Finland abides by the one-China policy and is willing to have a good celebration with China of their 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year, Stubb said.

    He added that Finland will work with China to deepen practical cooperation in areas like economy and trade, green energy, and sustainable development.

    Finland appreciates the major initiatives and concepts proposed by China to address global challenges, and will advance multilateral exchanges and coordination with China, Stubb said.

    The economies of the EU and China are closely interconnected, and “decoupling” or a “new Cold War” is not in the interest of any party, Stubb said, noting that Finland is willing to play an active role in promoting the sound development of EU-China relations.

    The two leaders had an in-depth exchange of views on the Ukraine crisis and the conflict between Palestine and Israel. Xi expressed China’s readiness to work with all concerned parties, including Finland, to continue playing a positive role in promoting a peaceful settlement of the crises.

    After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of multiple documents on bilateral cooperation in such areas as education, water resources, environmental protection, circular economy and agricultural and food products.

    The two sides issued the Joint Action Plan between China and Finland on Promoting the Future-oriented New-type Cooperative Partnership 2025-2029.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who is on a state visit to China, in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 29, 2024. Xi held talks with Stubb in Beijing on Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who is on a state visit to China, in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 29, 2024. Xi held talks with Stubb in Beijing on Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who is on a state visit to China, in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 29, 2024. Xi held talks with Stubb in Beijing on Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who is on a state visit to China, in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 29, 2024. Xi held talks with Stubb in Beijing on Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and his wife Suzanne Innes-Stubb prior to the talks between Xi and Stubb at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 29, 2024. Xi held talks with Stubb, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 29, 2024. Xi held talks with Stubb in Beijing on Tuesday. After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of multiple documents on bilateral cooperation. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 29, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China vows to deepen counterterrorism, law enforcement cooperation with Egypt

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

    BEIJING, Oct. 29 — China is willing to work with the Egyptian side to deepen cooperation on counterterrorism and law enforcement, Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong said Tuesday.

    Wang made the remarks when co-chairing the second ministerial meeting between China’s Ministry of Public Security and Egypt’s Ministry of Interior with Mahmoud Tawfik, Egypt’s interior minister.

    Wang expressed the hope that the two sides will strengthen personnel exchanges, deepen cooperation on counterterrorism, improve the law enforcement capacity, crack down on transnational crimes, actively protect the safety of each other’s citizens and major projects in their countries, strengthen coordination and cooperation on multilateral occasions, and firmly support and safeguard each other’s core interests.

    Tawfik said Egypt highly appreciates the Global Security Initiative and is willing to strengthen practical cooperation with China to safeguard the common interests of the two countries.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Speech by FS at Cathay Pacific Airways Cocktail Reception in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (English only) (with photo/video)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Cathay Pacific Airways Cocktail Reception in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia today (October 29, Riyadh time):Lavinia (Chief Customer and Commercial Officer of Cathay Pacific, Ms Lavinia Lau), ladies and gentlemen,     Good evening. I am delighted to be here, with you, tonight, just one day after the exhilarating inaugural flight of Cathay Pacific’s relaunched Hong Kong to Riyadh service.     For that, for reconnecting Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia through this vital new route, and the huge potential it brings, I am grateful to Cathay Pacific. Your dedication to excellence in service is internationally recognised. And this flight resumption is a clear testament to Cathay’s commitment to Hong Kong and our strategic development.     I can tell you that the high-powered delegation I’ve brought with me to Riyadh is equally exciting. They count more than 100 Hong Kong financial, business and entrepreneurial leaders, eager to connect with Saudi business. With you.     During our three-day stay here in Riyadh, we’re meeting with business, finance and technology companies, with investors and government leaders, too. Our goal is clear: to expand ties with Saudi Arabia, building friendship and exploring the many mutually beneficial collaboration opportunities this renewed connection will surely create.     The new service, in short, marks a new chapter for the ever-growing ties between our two cities, our two regions.     It helps, and enormously, that Hong Kong is the global gateway to China. We are also part of China’s “Air Silk Road” initiative, seeking to enhance connectivity, economic and trade cooperation, as well as cultural exchange with countries and regions along the Belt and Road.     Saudi Arabia sits at the crossroad between three continents. The resumption of flights underlines the strategic importance of the country’s location, and will boost economic, cultural, business and people-to-people ties between Saudi Arabia and China, Hong Kong included; and all the more so, between the East and West.     With this reinstated service, I know the people of Hong Kong would be eager to dive into all sorts of adventures around different Saudi cities, your timeless culture, deserts, World Heritage sites and so much more. And, yes, Hong Kong also looks forward to welcoming you to Asia’s world city, the East meets West centre of international cultural exchange. And good times, too.     Ladies and gentlemen, please join me now in a toast: to Cathay Pacific, to the continuing growth of Hong Kong-Saudi ties and to the promising future that awaits our two economies and peoples.     I know you will enjoy this very special evening.     Thank you.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: FS leads Hong Kong delegation to Future Investment Initiative (with photos/video)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    FS leads Hong Kong delegation to Future Investment Initiative (with photos/video)
    FS leads Hong Kong delegation to Future Investment Initiative (with photos/video)
    *********************************************************************************

         ​The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan yesterday (October 29, Riyadh time) led a delegation from the financial and innovation sectors on a visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.     Mr Chan, along with the delegation, attended the first day of the 8th edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII). He was one of the speakers in the panel discussion titled “Is the Global South Now the Engine of Growth?”. This session focused on how the Global South could promote economic innovation, build resilience, and maintain growth while addressing the complexities of the international environment and the challenges of climate change.     During the discussion, Mr Chan stated that as an international financial centre, Hong Kong is actively promoting the development of green finance and green technology. He emphasised that Hong Kong could provide capital support for infrastructure and green projects in the Global South and guide funding to new projects through innovative financial products, such as securitised loans.     In response to a question, Mr Chan noted that a number of countries in the Global South are considering how to manage risks related to their trade and reserve currencies. Some are increasingly using their own currencies more for settlements. He mentioned that Hong Kong is collaborating with multiple central banks to launch the Project mBridge, aiming for faster, more cost effective, and more secure cross-border payments and settlements. He also pointed out that digitalisation and green transformation will be significant trends for the future development of the Global South, and investing in suitable projects in these areas will yield long-term returns. Furthermore, the development of fintech will help make financial services more accessible and inclusive, facilitating leapfrog development for developing countries. Hong Kong can contribute to the Global South in these areas.     During the FII, Mr Chan witnessed, together with the Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia, Mr Khalid Al-Falih, the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement between the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation and Beta Lab, a venture capital firm focused on deep technology in Saudi Arabia. Both parties will share resources, recommend startups to each other, facilitate connections within their startup networks, and jointly engage in market promotion and events.     A number of delegation members also spoke at various sessions of the FII, promoting Hong Kong’s unique advantages as a “super connector” and “super value-adder,” and how it can connect the Mainland and global capital markets and investors in multiple ways.     In the evening, Mr Chan and the delegation members attended a reception hosted by the Cathay Pacific; as well as a reception organised by the Hang Seng Investment Management to celebrate the upcoming listing of its exchange-traded fund.     Mr Chan will continue his visit in Riyadh today (October 30, Riyadh time).

     
    Ends/Wednesday, October 30, 2024Issued at HKT 9:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China renews anti-dumping duties on imported ethanolamines

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) on Tuesday announced its decision to renew anti-dumping duties on ethanolamines imported from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

    The duties were initially introduced in 2018 for a period of five years as such imports had caused substantial damage to China’s domestic industry.

    Following the end of the term last year, the MOC launched investigations to review the anti-dumping at the request of the domestic industry.

    The MOC said in a ruling that if the duties were terminated, the dumping practice and related damage would likely continue or reoccur.

    The duties will be levied for another five years starting Wednesday.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hezbollah appoints Naim Qassem as new chief

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Hezbollah announced on Tuesday the election of Naim Qassem as party secretary-general, succeeding Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli raid on the party’s headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburb on Sept. 27.

    “Hezbollah’s Shura Council agreed to elect His Eminence Sheikh Naim Qassem as Hezbollah’s secretary-general,” said Hezbollah in a statement.

    The statement pledged “to work together to achieve Hezbollah’s principles and goals and to keep the flame of resistance shining and its banner raised until victory is achieved.”

    Qassem has been Hezbollah’s deputy secretary-general since 1991 and is considered one of the party’s prominent theorists.

    Qassem, 71, was born in 1953 and is from the village of Kafr Fila in the Iqlim al-Tuffah region of southern Lebanon. He is married and has six children.

    He studied under senior Shiite scholars in Lebanon while pursuing a master’s and bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Lebanese University and worked as a chemistry teacher for several years in secondary schools.

    Qassem began his political career in the 1970s as he joined the Amal movement, a Lebanese political party and former militia affiliated with the Shia community of Lebanon. He was one of the secretaries of the movement’s leadership council and resigned from it after the Iranian Islamic Revolution in 1979.

    He participated in the founding meetings that led to the formation of Hezbollah in 1982 and served on the group’s Shura Council for three terms, where he was responsible for the educational and scouting programs within the group in Beirut.

    Qassem was appointed as the Deputy Secretary-General of Hezbollah when Sayyed Abbas al-Moussawi assumed the position of General Secretary in 1991 and remained in the position after Israel assassinated al-Moussawi, who was succeeded by Nasrallah in 1992.

    Qassem has been the general coordinator of Hezbollah’s parliamentary election campaigns since the group first participated in 1992.

    He has authored many books, the most prominent of which was in 2005 the book “Hezbollah,” which presents the party’s goals, history, and political vision in various matters.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: At least 12 killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    An injured boy is seen at a hospital after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, on Oct. 29, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    At least 12 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City, Palestinian sources reported on Tuesday.

    Israeli aircraft targeted a shop in the crowded Al-Sahaba market in eastern Gaza City, which was bustling with vendors and shoppers, according to local sources and eyewitnesses.

    Paramedics reported that medical teams retrieved six bodies from the site, and more than 20 individuals with various injuries were transported to hospitals in the city.

    In addition, six were killed and dozens of others wounded in an Israeli strike on a gathering of Palestinians awaiting the arrival of aid on Al-Bahr Street near al-Khaldi mosque in Gaza City, according to paramedics.

    The Israeli army has not commented on the incidents yet.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: All nations should ensure universal, consistent application of int’l humanitarian law: Chinese ambassador

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    All nations should translate their political commitments under the Geneva Conventions into concrete actions, ensuring the universal and consistent application of international humanitarian law, China’s permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland said on Tuesday.

    Chen Xu made the remarks at the 34th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent held from October 28 to 31. Chen highlighted the unprecedented severity of the current global humanitarian situation, stressing that all parties should uphold genuine multilateralism and jointly advance the cause of global peace and progress for humanity.

    Addressing the Palestine-Israel conflict, he emphasized that achieving an immediate and lasting ceasefire is crucial to alleviating humanitarian suffering, urging major powers with influence over the parties involved to play a constructive role.

    He also underscored that civilians and civilian infrastructure must not be targets in military operations, and that safe, unimpeded humanitarian access should be ensured in conflict areas to protect humanitarian organizations and their staff.

    Developed countries should take on greater responsibilities in providing support and assistance to developing countries, he said.

    Chen reaffirmed China’s longstanding commitment to upholding and implementing international humanitarian law, its active involvement in global humanitarian aid, and its consistent role as an advocate, participant, and contributor to international humanitarian efforts.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: 16 Palestinians killed in Israeli attack on house in N. Gaza

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    At least 16 people were killed in an Israeli attack on a house in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said Tuesday.

    A brief statement issued by the Civil Defense said that Israeli aircraft bombed a house near the Beit Lahia Square. The residents had called for civil defense and medical services, but unfortunately, there are no such services in northern Gaza now, said the statement.

    The Israeli army has not commented on this incident yet.

    Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others taken hostage.

    The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza has risen to 43,061, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Tuesday.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hamas says open to agreements on permanent ceasefire in Gaza

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Hamas expressed on Tuesday its openness to any agreements or ideas for establishing a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

    Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, said in a televised speech that the movement is open to any agreements or ideas that would end the suffering of the people in Gaza and establish a permanent ceasefire.

    Abu Zuhri added that the agreements or ideas should include the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the entire Gaza Strip, the lifting of the blockade, and the provision of relief, support, and shelter for the population, as well as reconstruction and a serious prisoner swap deal.

    He added that the movement has responded to mediators’ requests to discuss new proposals regarding a ceasefire and prisoner exchange. The Hamas official noted that his group has already held some meetings on this topic and that additional meetings will follow.

    On Sunday, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi announced a proposal for a two-day ceasefire in Gaza to exchange four Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, with plans for negotiations within ten days to work toward a permanent truce.

    Sisi’s announcement came as efforts continue to resume Gaza ceasefire negotiations. Recently, a Hamas delegation discussed “ways to overcome obstacles” blocking the truce in Cairo.

    Since the outbreak of the conflict between Hamas and Israel in October last year, Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have been working to mediate a ceasefire in Gaza.

    Several rounds of talks in this regard have been held in Doha and Cairo over the past months but failed to produce any serious agreements to end the yearlong conflict.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: UN agencies voice strong opposition to Israel’s ban on UNRWA operations

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    United Nations (UN) agencies and related organizations voiced strong opposition on Tuesday to Israel’s ban on the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

    The Knesset, the Israeli parliament, passed two laws on Monday. One barred the UNRWA from activity in Israel. The law stipulates that UNRWA could not “operate any institution, provide any service, or conduct any activity, whether directly or indirectly” within Israeli territory. Another banned Israeli authorities from any contact with UNRWA.

    At a press conference held by the UN office in Geneva, Amy Pope, director general of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said that for decades, UNRWA has provided essential services such as education and healthcare to residents in Gaza, playing a crucial role in their daily lives.

    Pope emphasized that IOM’s focus is on providing humanitarian aid to displaced persons, including shelter, hygiene supplies, and necessary protection support, which significantly differs from UNRWA’s functions. “UNRWA is absolutely essential.”

    Wider healthcare services across Gaza face serious risks, according to Tarik Jasarevic, spokesperson for the World Health Organization. Jasarevic said that of the 13,000 UNRWA staff in Gaza, approximately 3,000 are healthcare workers.

    James Elder, spokesperson for the UN Children’s Fund, said that if UNRWA is unable to operate, it is likely that the humanitarian system in Gaza will collapse, adding that “a decision such as this suddenly means that a new way has been found to kill children.”

    Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said that the Israeli decision “is wrong for a number of reasons,” but first and foremost for the millions of Palestinians.

    Laerke warned that if this decision is “implemented, this would add to the acts of collective punishment that we have seen imposed on Gaza.”

    Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed ongoing concerns about Israel’s compliance with international law.

    Laurence pointed out Israel’s obligations under a series of human rights treaties, emphasizing that without UNRWA, the provision of food, shelter, healthcare, and education services to the majority of Gaza’s population “would grind to a halt.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China extends duties on imported ethanolamines

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) on Tuesday announced its decision to renew anti-dumping duties on ethanolamines imported from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

    The duties were initially introduced in 2018 for a period of five years as such imports had caused substantial damage to China’s domestic industry.

    Following the end of the term last year, the MOC launched investigations to review the anti-dumping at the request of the domestic industry.

    The MOC said in a ruling that if the duties were terminated, the dumping practice and related damage would likely continue or reoccur.

    The duties will be levied for another five years starting Wednesday.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hamas says open to agreements on permanent ceasefire

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Hamas expressed on Tuesday its openness to any agreements or ideas for establishing a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

    Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, said in a televised speech that the movement is open to any agreements or ideas that would end the suffering of the people in Gaza and establish a permanent ceasefire.

    Abu Zuhri added that the agreements or ideas should include the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the entire Gaza Strip, the lifting of the blockade, and the provision of relief, support, and shelter for the population, as well as reconstruction and a serious prisoner swap deal.

    He added that the movement has responded to mediators’ requests to discuss new proposals regarding a ceasefire and prisoner exchange. The Hamas official noted that his group has already held some meetings on this topic and that additional meetings will follow.

    On Sunday, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi announced a proposal for a two-day ceasefire in Gaza to exchange four Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, with plans for negotiations within ten days to work toward a permanent truce.

    Sisi’s announcement came as efforts continue to resume Gaza ceasefire negotiations. Recently, a Hamas delegation discussed “ways to overcome obstacles” blocking the truce in Cairo.

    Since the outbreak of the conflict between Hamas and Israel in October last year, Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have been working to mediate a ceasefire in Gaza.

    Several rounds of talks in this regard have been held in Doha and Cairo over the past months but failed to produce any serious agreements to end the yearlong conflict.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Interview with Loretta Hart, 94.7 The Pulse

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    LORETTA HART, HOST: As we celebrate 50 years of community radio in Australia, we’re featuring women doing great things in the sector and those making an impact on it. One such woman is my next guest, someone who is a champion for all things community broadcasting, the Honourable Michelle Rowland, Minister for Communications. Welcome to the program.

    MICHELLE ROWLAND, MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS: Great to be with you. 

    HART:  And we’ve also been joined by Libby Coker in the studio as well, our Federal Member for Corangamite. Welcome, Libby.

    LIBBY COKER, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR CORANGAMITE: Welcome to you too. It’s great to be with you.

    HART: And look, I can’t go past that we actually got our station manager. Leo. Leo, welcome back from long service leave.

    LEO RENKIN, 94.7 STATION MANAGER: Thank you, Loretta. It’s been a very entertaining first day.

    HART: Absolutely. So, Michelle, you know, we know that the Labor Government introduced community radio back in the ‘70s. Can you share with us the importance of community broadcasting and radio, what- the importance it holds for the Government of today?

    ROWLAND: It’s absolutely an essential part of our media ecosystem, and I think it is opportune to reflect when Gough Whitlam started community broadcasting 50 years ago, it was referred to as experimental. So this was a step into the unknown about what can be done with this very valuable resource we call spectrum. I think it was one of the wisest moves that’s been made in communications regulation in this country, because where community broadcasting fits in in this whole ecosystem is it provides the heavy lifting that’s been done on media diversity. We are one of the most concentrated media ownership markets in the world, and to have hundreds of community broadcasters right around Australia serving localism, supported by volunteers, having connections with community.

    I’m really privileged to be here, just seeing the connections that you have with individuals, with community, how you reflect the local area. You try and think of another media format that can do that. You can’t. You can’t do it on a digital platform. You can’t do it in a profit making commercial broadcasting sense. It’s done through people who want to make a difference. Meeting Marwa, earlier from Syria, one of your stars. Clearly, that’s been life changing for her and she’s found a place here. I just think that says it all. It says everything about community broadcasting, community radio. It really does bring people together. Congratulations to The Pulse for clearly doing it so well. You really are the epitome of why we support this sector.

    HART:  Thank you so much. You used the word experimental, and I know we’re 50 years on, but I would say it still feels experimental. We have this opportunity to bring in new voices, to try new things to be nimble, which is such an exciting place for us to be. I’m wondering, Michelle, you know, as we move into this on demand lifestyle, I watch everything these days on – when it suits me on the TV, people are into their podcasts. Where do you see community radio fitting into this on demand space?

    ROWLAND: I think community radio is going to continue to innovate. Everyone thought radio was going to die with the advent of the iPod and then the iPhone, but community radio has really still found its place. You can find the app; you can listen to it anywhere you want. We’ve introduced a prominence framework in Australia as well to make local content easier to find. I think that the sector will continue to adapt, and I think it does it through two ways. Firstly, it is that local element, but it also is able to connect. It’s two-way. It’s not television. It’s two-way. When you have those personalities that are able to engage, continue to innovate through innovations like podcasting. Podcasting is one of those things, you know, it took off a few years ago, as did- we saw it with the ABC developing iView to have a library. Community broadcasting is doing the same thing, and it’s that kind of innovation that is going to keep it strong. But the key thing here, I’m sure Libby will agree, you need people. You need people, which goes to the whole reason why we’re doing the first really deep sustainability dive into the sector. You can’t operate for profit, but sponsorships are harder to come by. Volunteerism is on the decline, that’s just a fact. So we’ve got to look at new ways of support, and you’ve got to be able to attract people to be part of this. You’re doing it so well here. I could tell as soon as I walked in – you’re very lucky, Libby, to be representing such a special electorate.

    COKER: Yeah. Thanks, Michelle. I’m very fond of The Pulse. It’s been a place where people can come together and it fills a unique niche in this region. We have commercial radio, but we are also quite limited in our range of media. So if you want to have an in-depth interview on an issue, you really need to come to The Pulse to do that. I wish you all the best, and hope you continue to go from strength to strength and be here for another 50 years. It’s an impressive effort.

    HART:  Thank you, Libby. We will hold you to helping us.

    COKER: Yes, I know you will.

    LEO RENKIN CO-HOST: Just one thing that we haven’t really mentioned is the people who go on from the community radio station as well. Like we have Stefan, who’s gone back to Serbia and now presents TV over there. We also have Michelle Rimmer, you might see who’s an ABC reporter over in the UK – they all get their start somewhere like here. It’s very important because most commercial stations and there’s very limited opportunities at the ABC to get experience, and without it, there would be a lot of people who couldn’t go on and make a career out of radio. I think it’s one of the most underrated, important things that happen, not only radio, TV they go onto as well.

    HART: Couldn’t agree more.

    RENKIN: Yeah. That’s part of I think that thing is getting harder and harder to get experience, particularly for people in the media. I think that’s one of the things that we often forget about. You know, coming to a place like we’ve spoken about Marwa this morning, coming to a place where you can then get a chance to go ahead and do those things in media. Without it, as you mentioned before, it’s not a very diverse sector in the media field.

    ROWLAND: I think it’s great that people who are in community broadcasting, like Rove McManus, you know, he got his start on community TV. They go on to great things. But we also want them to stay.

    RENKIN: Exactly.

    ROWLAND: To nurture others as well. So it becomes a virtuous cycle.

    RENKIN: That’s right. They get picked very quickly, yeah.

    HART:  That’s right. I keep telling Marwa not to be so good because SBS is going to find her. She’s our most downloaded program and does an amazing job for her community. But I think that’s right. I mean, and we’re really proud of the links that we’re making with Deakin to support young journalists, students, and those in communications and marketing to come in. I want to give a shout out we had a young man, Cooper Watkins. Cooper came and did an eight-week intro to broadcasting program with us. Just on the weekend, he hosted an hour program with three interviews, and then on Monday, did six interviews for a two-hour program. And he’s just finished his journalism degree. But he is eager to get his hands on these buttons, to get behind the microphone and to get experience.

    So you’re right, Leo. I think that whilst we can have diverse voices, we can have underrepresented stories being given some air, but we’re also a training ground. But you’re right, Michelle, we want people to stay as well. Yeah.

    RENKIN: I’ve got Loretta chained to the desk actually.

    [Laughter]

    I think one of the underrated things about community radio is, like we’ve seen this morning, a diverse group of people coming together, and I think that’s very important for social cohesion as well. We often think of everyone in the community being different, but a place where they can come together and be different is a very special thing to have.

    ROWLAND: Couldn’t agree more.

    HART:  Michelle, just lastly, what can we look forward to- as community broadcasters, what can we look forward to the Albanese Government supporting and providing in this space?

    ROWLAND: Well, I want to reiterate that this is a government that doesn’t just say we support community broadcasting. We’ve backed that up with $23 million in funding. We want to continue to make sure that this sector remains strong. The first Bill I actually presented to the Parliament as Minister was on community broadcasting to help ease some of that regulatory burden. We have the sustainability review that’s being finalised by my Department now. I think it’s been really important to go out and to consult with the sector about what their needs are. When that comes through, I’m sure it will have some really practical suggestions in there for reform.

    But as Libby will tell you too, you know, we want to be judged on our delivery. It’s really something to be able to go to- I’ve lost count of how many community radio stations I’ve been to or have been on around Australia. But I want to be clear to your listeners. We’re a Government of delivery. We’re not afraid of the hard reforms. There are hard things happening in the media at the moment. This sector is under great challenge through the multinational digital platforms, under great stress through just the transition as well. It’s not the advertising market that it used to be. It is hard. There has to be that adaptation across mainstream media, but also by every part of the ecosystem, including community and just discussions today. This is an area that’s not without its challenges, even here in Geelong.

    But I can give you this commitment that we want to follow through on ensuring sustainability. We are going to have to make some hard decisions. But you can be assured that with good people like Libby backing you up in the Parliament as well, I think that this is a universally supported sector. It’s one that actually goes right across the aisle. You get people from regional areas and from metro areas who do support community radio. So I think that the proposals that we will put up, I’m confident that they’ll have strong support. There’s always a need to do more. Let’s be clear. I want to do expectations management. There’s always a need to do more. With hundreds of community radio stations across Australia with so many thousands of volunteers, we do have to remember I think come back to first principles. This is the fourth estate. It’s about making sure that authentic Australian voices, entertainment, and news get out there. We’re in an era of mis- and disinformation that is harmful to our democracy. This fourth estate that you support here is the front row of that fight against it. That’s one of the key reasons why I’m so passionate about it.

    RENKIN: Can I just add to that, Loretta?

    HART: Yeah, well, you can, but you’ve got 30 seconds.

    RENKIN: Sorry, 30 seconds. We found in COVID that we did have enormous amount of people come to us from different ethnic groups and want us to promote the vaccination programs and things that were going on because the only information they were referring to was online stuff, information from their own country. So for example, they were getting information from Croatia about what was going on, and then trying to think that was what was going to go on in Australia. Well, it was completely wrong. So we had some of our presenters come in and say, we have to get this message out, we have to get this message out. I think that’s one of the things that we- you know, when you said before about being the fourth pillar, I suppose, is that we can provide information from local community groups and for the local community groups, the best thing they know is word of mouth. And if it comes from one of the representatives, and then-

    ROWLAND: They trust. 

    RENKIN: They trust, exactly.

    HART:  They do indeed. It’s been a very fantastic conversation this morning. Thanks so much to Leo. Thanks very much to Libby Coker. And also thanks so much, Michelle, for being here, our Federal Minister for Communications. It’s been wonderful to have you in the studio with us.

    ROWLAND: Absolute pleasure.

    COKER: Thank you.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Egypt marks major achievement with malaria-free certification, but need for global R&D remains significant, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Egypt marks major achievement with malaria-free certification, but need for global R&D remains significant, says GlobalData

    Posted in Pharma

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Egypt as being malaria-free, following a near 100-year endeavour by the Egyptian government. Egypt is the third country to be declared malaria-free in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, and the 44th country globally. However, hundreds of millions of cases of malaria are still reported worldwide each year. These staggering numbers reinforce a global need for research and development, particularly for malaria vaccines, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Stephanie Kurdach, Infectious Disease Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Egypt’s malaria-free certification is a significant achievement, as this is a country which once recorded millions of cases. Unfortunately, the global burden of malaria remains high.”

    The WHO reported nearly 250 million cases of malaria and over 600,000 malaria-related deaths worldwide in 2022.

    In order to be certified malaria-free by the WHO, a country must prove that there has been no local transmission of any human malaria parasites for at least the past three consecutive years. Additionally, a country must maintain a fully functional surveillance and response system to prevent the re-establishment of indigenous transmission.

    Egypt’s efforts to reduce mosquito-borne diseases began in the 1920s, when the country prohibited agricultural crops near homes. Other efforts over the past 100 years have included opening a malaria control station, recruiting thousands of healthcare workers, launching a public health surveillance project, and public education.

    Kurdach continues: “To address the global burden of malaria and work towards global eradication, research and development is critical. Just as Egypt remains obligated to maintain surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment efforts throughout the nation, other nations plagued by malaria are in dire need of robust surveillance systems, diagnostic tools, affordable health care, and malaria vaccines.”

    There are currently only two malaria vaccines which are WHO prequalified* and recommended for use in children: GSK’s Mosquirix and Serum Institute of India’s R21/Matrix-M.

    According to GlobalData, there are 12 other malaria vaccines currently in Phase II development, including vaccines from BioNTech, GSK, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the University of Oxford. No new malaria vaccines are in Phase III development or pre-registration.

    Kurdach concludes: “There is a serious global unmet need for malaria vaccines, which is evidenced by the late-stage development pipeline. Egypt’s malaria-free certification serves as a reminder and call to action that malaria elimination is possible with increased research and development.”

    *The recommendations of Mosquirix and R21/Matrix-M by the WHO are relatively recent and occurred in 2021 and 2023, respectively.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: FS visits Saudi Arabia

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Financial Secretary Paul Chan led a delegation from the financial and innovation sectors on a visit to Saudi Arabia and attended the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh.

    While participating in a panel discussion during the conference, Mr Chan stated that Hong Kong is actively promoting the development of green finance and green technology.

    He emphasised that the city could provide capital support for infrastructure and green projects in the Global South and guide funding to new projects through innovative financial products, such as securitised loans.

    In response to questions raised at the panel discussion, Mr Chan highlighted that Hong Kong is collaborating with multiple central banks to launch Project mBridge, aiming for faster, more cost effective, and more secure cross-border payments and settlements.

    He also witnessed the signing of a strategic co-operation agreement between the Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation and a venture capital firm there. The signatory parties will share resources, recommend startups to each other, facilitate connections within their startup networks, and jointly engage in market promotion and events.

    In the evening, the Financial Secretary attended two receptions. One such function was hosted by Cathay Pacific.

    Mr Chan noted that the goal of his visit is to expand ties between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia, adding that the resumption of flights between the two places yields huge potential.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: US elections: Editorial writers at LA Times, Washington Post resign after billionaire owners block Kamala Harris endorsements

    Democracy Now!

    This is Democracy Now!, “War, Peace and the Presidency.” I am Amy Goodman, with Juan González:

    The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post newspapers are facing mounting backlash after the papers’ publishers announced no presidential endorsements would be made this year. The LA Times is owned by billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, and The Washington Post is owned by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.

    National Public Radio (NPR) is reporting more than 200,000 people have cancelled their Washington Post subscriptions, and counting.

    A number of journalists have also resigned, including the editorials editor at the Los Angeles Times, Mariel Garza, who wrote, “How could we spend eight years railing against Trump and the danger his leadership poses to the country and then fail to endorse the perfectly decent Democrat challenger — who we previously endorsed for the U.S. Senate?”

    Veteran journalists Robert Greene and Karin Klein have also resigned from the L.A. Times editorial board.

    At The Washington Post, David Hoffman and Molly Roberts both resigned on Monday from the Post editorial board. Michele Norris also resigned as a Washington Post columnist, and Robert Kagan resigned as editor-at-large.

    David Hoffman, who just won a Pulitzer Prize for his series “Annals of Autocracy,” wrote, “I believe we face a very real threat of autocracy in the candidacy of Donald Trump. I find it untenable and unconscionable that we have lost our voice at this perilous moment.”

    David Hoffman joins us now, along with former Los Angeles Times editorials editor Mariel Garza.

    David Hoffman, let’s begin with you. Explain why you left The Washington Post editorial board. Oh, and at the same time, congratulations on your Pulitzer Prize.

    DAVID HOFFMAN: Thank you very much.

    I worked for 12 years writing editorials in which I said over and over again, “We cannot be silent in the face of dictatorship, not anywhere.” And I wrote about dissidents who were imprisoned for speaking out.

    And I felt that I couldn’t write another editorial decrying silence if we were going to be silent in the face of Trump’s autocracy. And I feel very, very strongly that the campaign has exposed his intention to be an autocrat.

    JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, David Hoffman, is there any precedent for the publisher of The Washington Post overruling their own editorial board?

    DAVID HOFFMAN: Yeah, there’s lots of precedent. It’s entirely within the right of the publisher and the owner to do this. Previous owners have often told the editorial board what to say, because we are the voice of the institution and its owner. So, there’s nothing wrong with that.

    What’s wrong here is the timing. If they had made this decision early in the year and announced, as a principle, they don’t want to issue endorsements, nobody would have even blinked. A lot of papers don’t. People have rightly questioned whether they actually have any impact.

    What matters here was, we are right on the doorstep of the most consequential election in our lifetimes. To pull the plug on the endorsement, to go silent against Trump days before the election, that to me was just unconscionable.

    JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Mariel Garza, could you talk about the situation at the LA Times and your reaction when you heard of the owner’s decision?

    MARIEL GARZA: Certainly. It was a long conversation over the course of many weeks. We presented our proposal to endorse Kamala Harris. And, of course, there was — to us, there was no question that we would endorse her. We spent nine years talking about the dangers of Trump, called him unfit in 5 million ways, and Kamala Harris is somebody that we know. She’s a California elected official.

    We’ve had a lot of conversations with her. We’ve seen her career evolved. We were going to — we were going to endorse her. And there was no indication that we were going to suddenly shift to a neutral position, certainly not within a few weeks or months of the election.

    At first, we didn’t get a clear answer — sounds like it’s the same situation that happened at The Washington Post — until we pressed for one. We presented an outline with — these are the points we’re going to make — and an argument for why not only was it important for us, an editorial board whose mission is to speak truth to power, to stand up to tyranny — our readers expect it.

    We’re a very liberal paper. There is no — there is no question what the editorial board believes, that Donald Trump should not be president ever.

    AMY GOODMAN: Mariel, I wanted to —

    MARIEL GARZA: So, it was perplexing. It was mystifying. It was — go ahead.

    AMY GOODMAN: Mariel, I wanted to get your response to the daughter of the LA Times owner. On Saturday, Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong’s daughter Nika Soon-Shiong posted a message online suggesting that her father’s decision was linked to Kamala Harris’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza.

    Nika wrote, “Our family made the joint decision not to endorse a presidential candidate. This was the first and only time I have been involved in the process.

    “As a citizen of a country openly financing genocide, and as a family that experienced South African Apartheid, the endorsement was an opportunity to repudiate justifications for the widespread targeting of journalists and ongoing war on children,” she wrote.

    Her father, Patrick Soon-Shiong, later disputed her claim, saying that she has no role at the Los Angeles Times. Mariel Garza, your response?

    MARIEL GARZA: Look, I really don’t know what to say, because I have — that was — if that was the case, it was never communicated to us. I do not know what goes on in the conversation in the Soon-Shiong household. I know that she is not — she does not participate in deliberations of the editorial board, as far as I know. I’ve never spoken to her.

    We all know how she feels about Gaza, because she’s a prolific tweeter. So, I really can’t say. And this is part of the bigger problem, is we were never given a reason for why we were being silent.

    If there was a reason — say it was Israel — we could have explained that to readers. Instead, we remain silent. And that’s — I mean, this is not a time in American history where anybody can remain silent or neutral.

    JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, David Hoffman, this whole issue has been raised by some critics of Jeff Bezos that his company has a lot of business with the US government, and whether that had any impact on Bezos’s decision. I’m wondering your thoughts.

    DAVID HOFFMAN: I can’t be inside his mind. His company does have big business, and he’s acknowledged it’s a complicating factor in his ownership. But I can’t really understand why he made this decision, and I don’t think it’s been very well explained. His explanation published today was that he wants sort of more civic quiet, and he thought an endorsement would add to the sense of anxiety and the poisonous atmosphere.

    But I disagree with that. I think, like in the LA Times, I think readers have come to expect us to be a voice of reason, and they’ve looked to endorsements at least for some clarity. So, frankly, I also feel that we’re still lacking an explanation.

    AMY GOODMAN: You know, you have subtitle, the slogan of The Washington Post, of course, “Democracy Dies in Darkness.” It’s being mocked all over social media. One person wrote, “Hello Darkness My Old Friend.”

    David Hoffman, your response to that? But also, you won the Pulitzer Prize for your series “Annals of Autocracy,” and you talk about digital billionaires, as well, and what this means. How does this fit into your investigations?

    DAVID HOFFMAN: You know, I would hope everybody would understand and acknowledge that we’ve done a lot of good for democracy and human rights. You know, I’ve had governments react sharply to a single editorial. When we call them out for imprisoning dissidents, it matters that we are very widely read.

    And that’s another reason why I feel this was a big mistake, because we actually were on a path, for decades, of championing democracy and human rights as an institution.

    And, you know, I have to tell you, I wrote a book in Russia about oligarchs. I understand how difficult it is when you have a lively and independent group of journalists. And ownership really matters. And, you know, we’re not just another widget company.

    This is actually a group of very, very deep-thinking and oftentimes very aggressive people that have a desire to change the world. That’s the kind of journalism that The Washington Post has sponsored and engaged in.

    In 2023, we published a series of editorials that took a look deep inside how China, Russia, Burma, you know, other places — how these autocracies function. One of the findings was that many of these dictatorships are using technology to clamp down on dissent, even things as tiny as a single tweet.

    Young people, young college students are being thrown in prison in Cuba, in Belarus, in Vietnam. And I documented these to show how this technology actually isn’t becoming a force for freedom, but it’s being turned on its head by dictatorship.

    AMY GOODMAN: We have to leave it there, David Hoffman, Washington Post reporter, stepped down from the Post editorial board when they refused to endorse a presidential candidate; Mariel Garza, LA Times editorials editor who just resigned.

    I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.

    This programme is republished under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States Licence.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Israel/OPT: Law to ban UNRWA amounts to criminalization of humanitarian aid

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Reacting to the news that the Israeli parliament has passed a law to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from operating inside Israel, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, said:  

    “This unconscionable law is an outright attack on the rights of Palestinian refugees. It is clearly designed to make it impossible for the agency to operate in the Occupied Palestinian Territory by forcing the closure of the UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem and ending visas for its staff. It amounts to the criminalization of humanitarian aid and will worsen an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.

    “UNRWA has played an indispensable role in offering, food, water, medical aid, education and shelter to the nearly 2 million Palestinians in Gaza who have been forcibly displaced, subjected to an engineered famine, and stand at serious risk of genocide as a result of Israel’s relentless offensive in the last 12 months. This law flies in the face of the International Court of Justice order to Israel to ensure sufficient humanitarian assistance and facilitate basic services.

    “UNRWA has been a lifeline for Palestinian refugees in the occupied Gaza Strip and the West Bank and in neighbouring countries throughout the 75 years since its foundation. The plight of the Palestinian people would be even more severe if not for UNRWA’s tireless work over the last three quarters of a century.

    “This appalling, inhumane law will only exacerbate the suffering of Palestinians, who have endured unimaginable hardship since the horrific attacks by Hamas and other armed groups in southern Israel one year ago, and whose need for global support is greater than ever. The international community must be quick to condemn it in the strongest possible terms and exert any influence they have on the Israeli government to repeal it.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI China: Yemeni Houthi group launches drone strike on Israeli industrial zone

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Yemen’s Houthi group claimed on Tuesday that its forces conducted a drone attack targeting an industrial zone in Ashkelon, southern Israel.

    Yahya Sarea, the group’s military spokesman, announced on the Houthi-operated Al-Masirah television channel that the operation was executed by the group’s drone air force unit, describing it as a “qualitative military operation.”

    “The drones successfully reached their designated targets in the industrial zone of the Israeli enemy in the Ashkelon area, south of occupied Palestine,” Sarea stated.

    Meanwhile, the IDF reported on Tuesday that a drone launched from Yemen exploded in an open area in Ashkelon with no casualties.

    The Yemeni military spokesman emphasized that the Houthi forces would persist with their military operations in response to what he described as “Israeli crimes” in Gaza and Lebanon. He indicated that such operations would continue until “the aggression stops, the siege on the Gaza Strip is lifted, and the aggression on Lebanon stops.”

    Since October 2023, the Houthi group has been conducting intermittent missile and drone attacks against Israeli targets. The group has also targeted vessels in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, and Gulf of Aden that it claims have connections to Israel.

    MIL OSI China News –