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Category: Middle East

  • MIL-OSI China: Syria, Iran discuss ways to support Lebanon

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh (R) holds talks with his Iranian counterpart Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, in Damascus, Syria, Oct. 5, 2024. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua)

    Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday discussed ways to support Lebanon amid the ongoing Israeli military offensive in Lebanon.

    According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, Assad emphasized the strategic relationship between Syria and Iran during his meeting here with Araghchi and his delegation.

    The president underlined the importance of their alliance in confronting challenges, particularly Israeli actions in the region.

    He praised Iran’s strong response to “Israeli violations” and reaffirmed Syria’s commitment to resisting what he described as “occupation.”

    Both sides also stressed the need for coordinated efforts to halt the attacks and aid displaced Lebanese civilians.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: President of Cypriot House of Representatives to visit China

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Annita Demetriou, president of the House of Representatives of Cyprus, will lead a delegation to visit China from Oct. 8 to 13 at the invitation of Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese culture draws crowds at Jordan’s diplomatic charity bazaar

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The Chinese Embassy’s pavilion at the 60th Diplomatic Charity Bazaar in Jordan attracted throngs of visitors on Saturday, offering a glimpse into Chinese culture through an array of exhibits including food, beverages, clothing, and traditional ornaments.

    Chen Chuandong, the Chinese Ambassador to Jordan, expressed satisfaction with his embassy’s participation, highlighting the shared tradition of charitable giving in both Chinese and Arab cultures. “We hope to spread love to those in need through this event,” Chen said.

    The bazaar, inaugurated by Princess Basma bint Talal, featured 37 foreign diplomatic missions. The princess toured the event alongside ambassadors and diplomatic representatives, viewing handmade products and foods that showcased global cultural diversity.

    Visitors flocked to the Chinese pavilion, drawn by its diverse offerings. “The interest reflects the visitors’ appreciation for Chinese art and cuisine, and underscores the friendship between our peoples,” Chen noted.

    Mai Al-Nasour, a regular attendee, told Xinhua that she visits the bazaar annually to experience different cultures. “I’m particularly interested in Chinese green tea,” she said.

    Proceeds from the bazaar support orphans cared for by the Mabarrat Um Al Hussein Charity. Founded in 1958, Mabarrat Um Al Hussein is a home for disadvantaged orphaned boys, established by the late Queen Zein Al Sharaf, mother of Princess Basma.

    The annual event serves not only as a platform for cultural exchanges but also raises funds to support the charity’s educational programs for orphans. A fixture on Amman’s cultural calendar, the bazaar continues to promote solidarity and cooperation in assisting those in need, while offering a unique opportunity for cultural diplomacy.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Palestinians want to choose their own leaders – a year of war has distanced them further from this democratic goal

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Maha Nassar, Associate Professor in the School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies, University of Arizona

    A Palestinian university student casts a ballot in Gaza City in 2006. Abid Katib/Getty Images

    Over the summer as Israel continued to bombard Gaza, representatives from 14 Palestinian factions, including the two main parties – Hamas and Fatah – met in China. Following the most inclusive talks in years, all the parties agreed to a future unity government and to hold national elections.

    Such talk of “day after” governance may seem fanciful as the current war marks its first anniversary. The idea of holding Palestinian elections seems a long way off given the current destruction and humanitarian crisis, especially in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, any democratic process including Hamas – whose leadership Israeli forces have spent a year trying to eliminate following the the group’s attack of Oct. 7, 2023 – would be vehemently opposed by Israel. As such, it should come as little surprise that 72% of Palestinians recently polled said they saw no hope of the provisions agreed to in China being implemented any time soon.

    But the alternative “day after” plan for Gaza reconstruction being pushed by the United States – “revitilzing” the Palestinian Authority, the Fatah-led body that semi-governs parts of the West Bank – also seems like a non-starter. Critics of that plan warn that a simple reshuffling of existing figures would further delegitimize the deeply unpopular authority.

    As a scholar of Palestinian history and politics, I see talk of reforming existing bodies or propping up a unity government made up of the same players as missing a larger point: Palestinians are increasingly frustrated by their political representation; they want the opportunity to choose their own leaders.

    Even before the attack of Oct. 7, surveys showed that Palestinians were dissatisfied with governance they viewed as corrupt and dysfunctional. And as the war drags into a second year, the latest polls indicate that support for Hamas has dropped moderately; yet support for its main rival, Fatah, has risen only slightly. More than a third of those polled do not support either party.

    Divided leadership

    Despite talk of a unity government, Palestinian leadership is as bitterly divided as it has been for decades.

    Following a brief conflict in 2007, the Palestinian Authority split into two. The secular Fatah party, led by Mahmoud Abbas, controlled the authority in the West Bank, while its Islamist rival, Hamas, governed in Gaza.

    Since then, Palestinian representatives have held over a dozen reconciliation talks to try to bridge the divide, the last taking place in Beijing in July 2024. While several of these meetings have yielded joint agreements, such as the recent “Beijing Declaration,” none have led to the different factions working more closely together.

    A generation of Palestinians have never experienced a national vote.
    Hani Alshaer/Anadolu via Getty Images

    The current Palestinian Authority president, 88-year-old Abbas, is especially unpopular. First elected in 2005 to a four-year term, he unilaterally extended his term in 2009, declaring he would remain in office until the next election. But he has not allowed elections to be held since then. Summing up the views of many, analyst Khaled Elgindy described Abbas today as “an erratic and small-minded authoritarian with a virtually unbroken record of failure.”

    That helps explain why, according to a September 2024 poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, 84% of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip want Abbas to resign.

    When asked about a hypothetical presidential election between the leaders of both Hamas and Fatah, 45% of Palestinians reported they would rather just sit out the election. The question had to be hypothetical – elections are not even on the horizon. In fact, Palestinians in the West Bank or Gaza have not voted in presidential or legislative elections since 2006. And three-quarters of Palestinians see no prospect of elections taking place any time soon.

    Absence of elections

    That pessimism among Palestinians over having a democratic say in how they are governed has grown in recent years. It has no doubt been knocked further by a year of relentless Israeli bombardment and internal political dysfunction.

    A glimmer of hope for greater democratic representation had appeared in January 2021, when Abbas announced that legislative elections would be held later that year.

    Many on the candidate lists then were third-party figures and independents. Young Palestinians were especially excited – half of all eligible voters would have been aged 18 to 33, and it would have been their first opportunity to chose leaders who could claim to speak for them.

    But with less than one month before election day, Abbas postponed the vote indefinitely. While he blamed Israel for the postponement, other Palestinians also pointed to interference from Egypt and Jordan.

    Palestinian men cast ballots in 2006, the last time Palestinians were able to vote in national elections.
    Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images

    With no elections in sight, Palestinians have undertaken several grassroots initiatives to try to enact democratic reforms from the ground up.

    For example, in November 2022, a Palestinian Popular Conference was held in several cities. It called for reforming Palestinian institutions to be more democratically representative of the 14 million Palestinians living around the world. Meetings were held in Gaza and Haifa, and Palestinians from around the world joined in person and virtually.

    But Palestinian Authority forces in the West Bank violently cracked down on the gathering in Ramallah and detained several conference leaders. The harsh repression signaled to many that Abbas and the Palestinian Authority were scared of an alternative, democratically elected Palestinian leadership emerging.

    Maintaining the occupation

    Many Palestinians see Abbas and his government as a “puppet authority,” propped up by Israel and the United States.

    Despite its name, the body does not have the “authority” that governments typically have. It cannot collect its own taxes, control its own border or protect its own citizens. Rather, Israel collects taxes in the West Bank and decides when – and whether – to hand them over to the Palestinian Authority. Israel has to authorize what enters and exits the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

    And, as has been evident throughout the current war, the Israeli military has pretty much free rein to invade “Area A”, the parts of the West Bank that are supposed to be under full Palestinian Authority security control.

    Yet Palestinians in the West Bank are not even able to express their opposition to these measures. In recent years, the Palestinian Authority has grown increasingly repressive, arresting a growing number of Palestinians on political grounds.

    Moreover, in the year since the Oct. 7 attacks, the Palestinian Authority has allowed Israel to arrest and detain over 7,000 Palestinians in the West Bank. Many are held for months without charge or trial and subjected to widespread torture and sexual abuse, according to Israeli human rights group B’Tselem.

    As such, the Palestinian Authority is viewed by many Palestinians as little more than a “subcontractor” of the Israeli occupation.

    Looking ahead

    So what does the the “day after” the conflict look like for Palestinians, and their hopes for democratic political representation?

    The International Court of Justice’s recent ruling that Israel’s occupation is illegal and that settlers must withdraw from the West Bank has given added legitimacy to Palestinians’ demand to end the occupation once and for all.

    But a future Palestinian government will only be credible if it represents the will of the people.

    Mussa Abu Marzuk, a senior member of Hamas, signs the Beijing Declaration as China Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Fatah Vice Chairman Mahmoud al-Aloul look on.
    Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images

    To be sure, holding Palestinian elections to achieve this aim would be difficult given the ongoing Israeli occupation and the widespread destruction in Gaza. But it is clear that elections are what Palestinians want. When elections were last touted in 2021, 93.3% of eligible voters registered – only to have their hopes later dashed.

    At the reconciliation talks held in Beijing, all 14 Palestinian parties agreed to “prepare for the holding of general elections under the supervision of the Palestinian Central Elections Committee as soon as possible.”

    While Israel, the U.S. and regional actors worry that elections could legitimize Hamas’ rule over the Gaza Strip, that would not necessarily be the case. The latest polls show that only 36% of respondents in Gaza said they would prefer that outcome.

    For now, many Palestinians believe the first step should be the formation of a national reconciliation government that can negotiate reconstruction.

    But to have any chance of succeeding, such a body would need to be Palestinian-led. A government consisting of the same old actors forced upon Palestinians by the U.S. or Israel would suffer from crippling legitimacy problems.

    One thing is certain: The death and destruction of the past year have shown that the old approaches to Palestinian politics have not worked. Perhaps it is time for a new approach, one that centers Palestinian representation.

    Maha Nassar was a 2022 Palestinian non-resident fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace and currently serves on its board of directors.

    – ref. Palestinians want to choose their own leaders – a year of war has distanced them further from this democratic goal – https://theconversation.com/palestinians-want-to-choose-their-own-leaders-a-year-of-war-has-distanced-them-further-from-this-democratic-goal-239463

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: VATICAN/ANGELUS – Middle East, the Pope: Let us unite in prayer against the diabolical plots of war

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Italy –

    Source: The Holy See in Italian

    Sunday, October 6, 2024

    Vatican Media

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – “Let us unite with the power of Good against the diabolical plots of war”. This is the invitation that Pope Francis addresses to the entire planet at the end of the Angelus. An Angelus prayed on the eve of what the Pontiff himself has indicated as a day of prayer, fasting and penance to invoke from God the gift of peace. The date, obviously, is not chosen by chance: on October 7 of a year ago, with the terrorist attack against the population in Israel, to which the Bishop of Rome renewed his closeness, the conflict in the Holy Land was reignited. “Let us not forget that there are still many hostages in Gaza, for whom I ask for their immediate release” adds Francis who recalls how “since that day the Middle East has fallen into ever more serious suffering, with destructive military actions that continue to affect the Palestinian population. This population is suffering greatly in Gaza and in other territories. These are mostly innocent civilians, all people and they must receive all the necessary humanitarian aid”. “I ask for an immediate ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon”, the new appeal of the Pope who invites us to pray “for the Lebanese, especially for the inhabitants of the south, forced to leave their villages”. “I appeal to the international community to put an end to the spiral of revenge and to never repeat attacks, like the one carried out by Iran a few days ago, which can plunge that region into an even greater war”, the Pontiff underlines. “All nations have the right to exist in peace and security, and their territories must not be attacked or invaded, sovereignty must be respected and guaranteed by dialogue and peace, not by hatred and war”, continues the Pope who recalls this afternoon’s appointment. Francis will in fact go to Santa Maria Maggiore, with the Synod Fathers, to pray the Rosary for peace in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. (FB) (6/10/2024)Share:

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Translation: VATICAN – Pope announces a Consistory: 21 new Cardinals in December

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Italy –

    Source: The Holy See in Italian

    Sunday, October 6, 2024

    Vatican Media

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – “I am pleased to announce that on December 8th I will hold a Consistory for the nomination of new Cardinals”. Surprisingly, as has often happened in these years of pontificate, Pope Francis, at the Angelus, announces the imposition of the red hat. In total, 21 monsignors will receive the purple: 10 are European, of which 4 are Italian; 6 are from the American continent, of which 5 are South American, 4 Asian, two African. Of these, only one, having reached the age limit, will not be an elector in a future conclave. Among them also Bishop Baldassarre Reina who from today, as specified by the Pontiff, will hold the role of new Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome, thus succeeding Cardinal De Donatis, appointed Major Penitentiary last April. Here are the names of the new Cardinals: H.E. Monsignor Angelo Acerbi, Apostolic Nuncio; H.E. Monsignor Carlos Gustavo Castillo Mattasoglio, Archbishop of Lima, Peru; H.E. Monsignor Vicente Bokalic Iglic, C.M., Archbishop of Santiago del Estero, Primate of Argentina; H.E. Mons. Cabrera Gerardo Cabrera Herrera, O.F.M., Archbishop of Guayaquil, Ecuador; H.E. Monsignor Natalio Chomalí Garib, Archbishop of Santiago de Chile, Chile; H.E. Mons. Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, S.V.D, Archbishop of Tokyo, Japan; H.E. Monsignor Pablo Virgilio Siongco David, Bishop of Kalookan, Philippines; H.E. Monsignor Ladislav Nemet, S.V.D., Archbishop of Beograd -Smederevo, Serbia;H.E. Mons. Jaime Spengler, O.F.M, Archbishop of Porto Alegre; H.E. Monsignor Ignace Bessi Dogbo, Archbishop of Abidjan, Ivory Coast; H.E. Monsignor Jean-Paul Vesco, O.P., Archbishop of Alger, Algeria; H.E. Mons. Paskalis Bruno Syukur, O.F.M, Bishop of Bogor, Indonesia; H.E. Mons. Joseph Mathieu, O.F.M. Conv., Archbishop of Tehran Ispahan, Iran; H.E. Monsignor Roberto Repole, Archbishop of Turin, Italy; H.E. Monsignor Baldassare Reina, from today Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome; H.E. Mons. Francis Leo, Archbishop of Toronto, Canada; H.E. Mons. Rolandas Makrickas, Coadjutor Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore; H.E. Mons. Mykola Bychok, C.Ss.R., Eparch of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne of the Ukrainians; Rev. Father Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe, O.P, theologian; Rev. Father Fabio Baggio, C.S., Under-Secretary of the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development; Mons. George Jacob Koovakad, Official Secretary of State, responsible for Papal Trips. In total, in these almost twelve years of pontificate, Pope Francis has created 142 cardinals of which 113 electors. From Sunday 8 December 2024, the College of Cardinals will be enriched with new members and will therefore be composed of 256 members, of which 141 electors and 115 non-electors. The biographies of the new cardinalsS. E. Monsignor Tarcisio Isao KIKUCHI, S.V.D., Archbishop of Tokyo (Japan). He was born on 1 November 1958 in the prefecture of Iwate, diocese of Sendai. He studied in Japan. He made his perpetual profession in the Congregation of the Missionaries Verbiti in March 1985 and was ordained a priest in March 1986. He completed his studies at the “Spiritual Institute of Sacred Heart” in Melbourne (Australia). He was: 1986-1992: Missionary in the dioceses of Accra and Koforidua, in Ghana; 1993-1994: Trainer and vice-prefect of Verbiti postulants in Japan, and director for vocations of the Institute; 1994-1999: Provincial Councilor of the Verbiti. Since 1994: Teacher at Nanzan University, member of the “International Aid Committee” of the Episcopal Conference of Japan. Since 1996 he has been Coordinator of the “Justice and Peace” Office in the Asia and Pacific area of ​​the Verbiti. Since 1998: Member of Caritas Japan and representative of the Japanese Bishops for various international conferences and meetings. Since 1999: Provincial Superior of the Verbites in Japan (second mandate since 2002). Executive Director of Caritas Japan. Member of the committee for the ongoing formation of the clergy of the diocese of Nagoya. Prior to his installation as archbishop of Tokyo in 2017, he had served as bishop of Niigata since 2004, when he was first appointed as bishop.H.E. Monsignor Pablo Virgilio SIONGCO DAVID, Bishop of Kalookan (Filipinas) He was born in Betis, Guagua, Pampanga, in the archdiocese of San Fernando, on 2 March 1959. He was ordained a priest on 12 March 1983 for the archdiocese of San Fernando. After a year as assistant parish priest, he was Director of the Mother of God Counsel Seminary until 1986. From 1986 to 1991 he studied abroad, obtaining a licentiate and then a doctorate in Holy Theology at the Catholic University of Louvain, and attending courses at the Ecole Biblique de Jerusalem where he graduated. Upon returning to his homeland he held various management and teaching roles in the educational team of the archdiocesan seminary. In 2002 he became director of the seminary’s Theology Department, continuing to teach Sacred Scripture. In the same year he was elected Vice-President of the Association of Catholic Biblical Scholars of the Philippines and Vice-President of the Archidiocesan Media Apostolate Networks. He is the author, at both an academic and popular level, of several publications on Sacred Scripture. On 27 May 2006 he was appointed titular bishop of Guardialfiera and auxiliary of San Fernando by Benedict XVI, and was consecrated the following 10 July. On 14 October 2015, he was appointed Bishop of Kalookan (Philippines).H.E. Monsignor Paskalis Bruno SYUKUR, O.F.M., Bishop of Bogor (Indonesia) He was born on 17 May 1962 in Ranggu, in the diocese of Ruteng, on the Island of Flores (Indonesia). After primary school, he attended the Pius X minor seminary in Kisol. He completed his philosophical studies at the Faculty of Driyakara Philosophy in Jakarta, then continued his theological studies at the Faculty of Theology in Yogyakarta. He made his solemn profession with the Franciscans Minor on 22 January 1989. He was ordained a priest on 2 February 1991. He then held the following roles: 1991-1993: Ministry in the parish of Moanemani, diocese of Jayapura (West Papua); 1993-1996: Studies for the Licentiate in Spirituality at the Antonianum, in Rome; 1996-2001: Master of Novices at Depok; 1998-2001: Guardian of the O.F.M. Community in Depok and Member of the Provincial Council; 2001-2009: Provincial Minister in Indonesia; since 2009: General Definitor of the O.F.M. for Asia and Oceania in Rome. On 21 November 2013, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of the diocese of Bogor (Indonesia).S. E. Mons. Dominique Joseph MATHIEU, O.F.M. Conv., Archbishop of Tehran Ispahan (Iran) He was born on 13 June 1963 in Arlon, Belgium. After his high school studies, he entered the Order of Friars Minor Conventual. He made his solemn profession in 1987 and was ordained a priest on 24 September 1989. Since 2013 he has been incardinated in the Provincial Custody of the East and of the Holy Land. Within his Order, he held various positions: Vocational Promoter, Secretary, Vicar and Provincial Minister of the Belgian Province of the Conventual Friars Minor, becoming General Delegate after unification with the Province of France; Rector of the National Sanctuary of Saint Anthony of Padua in Brussels and Director of the related Confraternity. He was also President of two different non-profit associations linked to the presence of the Conventual Friars Minor in Belgium, with roles of responsibility in the Catholic School of Landen. He was President of the Central European Federation of Conventual Friars Minor and a member of the International Commission for the Economy of his Order. Having moved to Lebanon in 2013, he was Custodial Secretary, Formator, Master of Novices and Rector of Postulants and Candidates in the Provincial Custody of the East and the Holy Land. Since 2019 he has been General Definitor and General Assistant for the Central European Federation of Conventual Friars Minor. On 8 January 2021, he was appointed Archbishop of Tehran Ispahan (Iran).H.E. Mons. Jean-Paul VESCO, O.P., Archbishop of Alger (Algeria) He was born in Lyon (France) on 10 March 1962. He obtained a degree in Law and practiced law in a lawyer’s office in Lyon, until the choice to enter the Order of Preacher Fathers. In 1995 he began his novitiate year and made his first religious profession on 14 September 1996. He was ordained a priest on 24 June 2001 in Lyon. He arrived in the diocese of Oran (Algeria) on 6 October 2002 at the convent of Tlemcen. In 2004 he was chosen as a delegate of the diocese for the preparation of the Interdiocesan Assembly of Algeria (AIDA). Since 2005 he has been Vicar General of the same diocese and since 2007 he has also assumed the office of diocesan bursar. On 16 October 2007 he was elected Superior of the Dominican Community of Tlemcen, a position he held until January 2011, when he was elected Provincial Superior of France. On 1 December 2012, he was appointed Bishop of Oran (Algeria), until 27 December 2022, when the Holy Father appointed him Metropolitan Archbishop Alger (Algeria).H.E. Mons. Ignace BESSI DOGBO, Archbishop of Abidjan (Ivory Coast) He was born on 17 August 1961 in Niangon-Adjamé, Diocese of Yopougon. He was ordained a priest on 2 August 1987. He has held the following positions: parish ministry (1987-1989); License in Exegesis from the Pontifical Biblical Institute of Rome; diocesan director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (1993-1995); Vicar General of Yopougon (1995-2004); parish priest of Yopougon Cathedral (1997-2004); Professor of Biblical Languages ​​in the Saint Paul Major Seminary of Abadjin Kouté; Diocesan Spiritual Assistant of the J.E.C. He was elected Bishop of the Diocese of Katiola on 19 March 2004 and received episcopal consecration on the following 4 July; President of the Episcopal Conference (2017-2023); since 2017, Apostolic Administrator ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Korhogo; from 2021 to 2024, Metropolitan Archbishop of Korhogo. On 20 May 2024, he was appointed Archbishop of Abidjan (Ivory Coast).H.E. Mons. Carlos Gustavo CASTILLO MATTASOGLIO Archbishop of Lima (Peru) He was born in Lima on 28 February 1950. Having entered the Santo Toribio major seminary of Mogrovejo of the archdiocese of Lima, he was sent to Rome for his ecclesiastical studies where, in 1979, he obtained a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and, in 1983, in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He was ordained a priest, incardinating in the archdiocese of Lima on 15 July 1984. He obtained the licentiate in 1985 and, in 1987, the doctorate in dogmatic theology, again from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He has held the following positions: Professor of Theology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (from 1987 to the present); Councilor of the National Union of Catholic Students (1987-1998); Parochial vicar in the parish of San Francisco de Asís (1987-1990); Parochial vicar of the parish of La Encarnación (1990-1991); Archdiocesan head of the University Pastoral of Lima and collaborator at the parish of San Juan Apóstol (1991-1999); Vicar for youth ministry of Lima, organizer of the vicar for youth and responsible for vocational ministry (1996-1999); National Councilor of the Episcopal Commission for Youth of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference (1990-2001); parochial vicar of the parish of San Juan Apóstol (1999-2001); National councilor for youth ministry (2000); parish priest of the parish of Virgen Medianera (2002-2009); Director of relations with the Church and member of the University Council of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (2003-2006); Parish priest of the parish of San Lázaro (2010-2015). On 25 January 2019 Pope Francis appointed him Metropolitan Archbishop of the archdiocese of Lima (Peru).H.E. Monsignor Vicente BOKALIC IGLIC C.M., Archbishop of Santiago del Estero (Primado de la Argentina). He was born on 11 June 1952 in Lanús (Buenos Aires). In 1970 he entered the Congregation of the Mission (Lazarists). He studied philosophy at the Jesuit Maximo College in San Miguel, and theological studies at the Seminary of Buenos Aires. He took his perpetual vows on 5 June 1976. Ordained a priest on 1 April 1978, he was in charge of the vocational and youth ministry of Buenos Aires and, since 1981, he has also exercised the office of Parish Vicar of Nuestra Señora de la Medalla Milagrosa. From 1983 to 1986 he was a formator and bursar, and from 1987 to 1990 superior in the Seminary of the Congregation of the Mission. From 1991 to 1993 he worked again in the Nuestra Señora de la Medalla Milagrosa Parish, from 1994 to 1997 he was a missionary in the Prelature of Deán Funes and, from 1997 to 2000, Superior of the Seminary of his Congregation in San Miguel. Missionary and parish priest in the diocese of Goya from 2000 to 2003, from December 2003 to December 2009 he exercised the office of Provincial Superior of the Congregation of the Mission. Then he was sent again to the Nuestra Señora de la Medalla Milagrosa Parish in Buenos Aires. On 15 March 2010 he was appointed titular bishop of Summa and auxiliary of Buenos Aires (Argentina). He received episcopal consecration on May 29 of the same year. On 23 December 2013, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Santiago del Estero (Argentina). On 22 July 2024, the Holy Father elevated the Diocese of Santiago del Estero (Argentina) to the rank of Primatial Archdiocese of Argentina, and appointed him the first Archbishop of Santiago del Estero (Argentina).H.E. Mons. Luis Gerardo CABRERA HERRERA, O.F.M., Archbishop of Guayaquil (Ecuador). He was born in Azogues on 11 October 1955. He attended the Franciscan minor seminary in Azogues and Quito, studied philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador and he obtained a Doctorate in philosophy from the Antonianum in Rome. He was ordained a priest on 3 September 1983. He held the following roles: assistant to the Master of Novices O.F.M. and then novitiate master of Riobamba; member of the Provincial Council of the Order, responsible for vocational pastoral care and the formation of aspirants of the Franciscan province; Director of the philosophical-theological institute “Card. B. Echeverría” of Quito; Secretary of the ecumenism sector of the Episcopal Commission of Magisterium and Doctrine of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference. In August 2000 he was elected Provincial Minister of the Franciscans of the Province of Ecuador and Vice President of the Conference of Religious. From 2003 until 2009 he was Definitor of the Franciscan Order and Delegate of the Minister General for the Franciscan Provinces of Latin America and the Caribbean. On 20 April 2009 he was appointed Archbishop of Cuenca, receiving episcopal consecration the following 4 July. In the period 2001-2014 he was Vice-President of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference. Since 24 September 2015 he has been Archbishop of Guayaquil (Ecuador).H.E. Monsignor Fernando Natalio CHOMALÍ GARIB Archbishop of Santiago de Chile (Chile) He was born on 10 March 1957 in Santiago de Chile. After graduating in Civil Engineering from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, he completed his philosophical and theological studies at the Pontifical Major Seminary of Santiago. He received priestly ordination on 6 April 1991 for the Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile. He held the following positions and carried out further studies: Licentiate in Moral Theology at the Pontifical Alphonsian Academy in Rome; Doctorate in Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome; Master in Bioethics at the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences in Rome; Parish vicar; Episcopal Delegate for University Pastoral; Professor of Moral Theology and Bioethics in the Faculties of Theology and Medicine of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and in the Major Seminary; Parish Priest of Santa María de la Misericordia; Moderator of the Curia and President Delegate of the Economic Council of the Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile; Member of the Pontifical Academy for Life (since 2001). On 6 April 2006 he was appointed titular bishop of Noba and auxiliary of Santiago de Chile, receiving episcopal consecration the following 3 June. On 20 April 2011 he was appointed Archbishop of Concepción and, on 25 October 2023, Archbishop of Santiago de Chile. He is currently Vice President of CECH.S.E. Mons. Jaime SPENGLER, O.F.M., Archbishop of Porto Alegre (Brasil) He was born on 6 September 1960, in Blumenau, in the State of Santa Catarina, in the diocese of the same name. He did his Franciscan postulancy in Guaratinguetá (1981) and his novitiate in Rodeio (1982); he made his perpetual profession in 1985 and was ordained a priest on 17 November 1990. He completed his studies in philosophy at the São Boaventura Philosophical Institute in Campo Largo and those in theology, first at the Franciscan Theological Institute in Petrópolis (1986- 1987) and then at the Theological Institute of Jerusalem (1987-1990), where he obtained a license in Sacred Scripture. Subsequently he obtained a degree in Philosophy in Rome, at the Pontifical Athenaeum Antonianum (1995-1998). He has held the following positions: Professor in the Franciscan Novitiate in Rodeio, Master of Postulants (1990); Professor in the Postulancy and Parish Vicar in Guaratinguetá (1991-1994); Professor and Vice-Rector of the São Boaventura Institute of Philosophy in Campo Largo (2000-2003); Religious Assistant of the Federação Brasileira das Irmãs Concepcionistas (2001-2002); local superior and parish vicar of the Senhor Bom Jesus Parish, in the archdiocese of Curitiba (2004-2006), Professor of Philosophy at the São Boaventura Faculty in Curitiba (2000-2003); Vice-president of the Franciscan Association of Ensino Senhor Bom Jesus in Campo Largo and Guardian of the Local Convent. On 10 November 2010 he was appointed titular bishop of Patara and auxiliary of Porto Alegre. He received episcopal ordination on 5 February 2011. On 18 September 2013, he was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Porto Alegre (Brazil).H.E. Mons. Francis LEO, Archbishop of Toronto (Canada) He was born on 30 June 1971 in Montreal (Canada). In 1990 he entered the Seminary obtaining the Baccalaureate in Philosophy (1992), the Licentiate and then the Doctorate in Theology (2005), with specialization in Marian Studies, obtained at the International Marian Research Institute (IMRI), University of Dayton (Ohio ). He was ordained a priest on December 14, 1996 for the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Montreal. After his priestly ordination, he was Deputy Parish Priest of Notre-Dame-de-la-Consolata (1996-2001); Administrator of the Parish Saint-Joseph-de-Rivière-des-Prairies (2003-2005); Chaplain of the Roscelli School and religious teacher of the Collège Reine-Marie (2003-2005); Parish priest of Saint-Raymond-de-Peñafort (2005-2006). From 2006 to 2008 he was sent to the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome. Having entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See, he worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Australia (2008-2011) and then at the Study Mission of the Holy See in Hong Kong (2011-2012). Returning to Montreal in 2012, he was appointed Director and Professor of Dogmatics of the Major Seminary, Director of the Department of Canon Law of the IFTM and Vice President of the Diocesan Work for Vocations. From 2013 to 2015 he was a member of the Presbyteral Council. From 2015 to 2021 he was General Secretary of the Canadian Episcopal Conference. In 2021 he received the role of Vicar General and Moderator of the Archdiocesan Curia of Montreal. On 16 July 2022 he was appointed titular bishop of Tameda and auxiliary of Montreal, and was consecrated the following 12 September. On 11 February 2023 he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Montreal.S.E. Monsignor Mykola BYCHOK, C.Ss.R., Bishop of the Eparchy Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne of the Ukrainians. He was born on 13 February 1980 in Ternopil in Ukraine. He entered the Redemptorist Order in July 1997, and trained in Ukraine and Poland, obtaining a license in Pastoral Theology. On 17 August 2003 he took his final vows, and on 3 May 2005 he was ordained a priest in Lviv. He has held the following positions: missionary in the Mother Church of Perpetual Help in Prokopyevsk in Russia, Superior of the Monastery of St. Joseph and Parish Priest of the Mother Parish of Perpetual Help in Ivano-Frankivsk in Ukraine, Bursar of the Redemptorist Province of Lviv and since 2015 Vicar of the Parish of St. John the Baptist in Newark, NJ, Archeparchy of Philadelphia of the Ukrainians. On 15 January 2020 he was appointed Bishop of the Eparchy Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne of the Ukrainians. On 7 June 2020 he was consecrated bishop by His Beatitude Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk in St. George’s Cathedral, Lviv. On 12 July 2021, the feast of Saints Peter and Paul in the Julian Calendar, he was enthroned as the third bishop of the Eparchy of Melbourne by His Grace Peter Comensoli, Archbishop of Melbourne, in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Melbourne.S. E. Monsignor Ladislav NEMET, S.V.D., Archbishop of Beograd – Smederevo, (Serbia) He was born on 7 September 1956 in Odžaci, in the Diocese of Subotica (Serbia). In 1977 he entered the Society of the Divine Word and was ordained a priest on 1 May 1983. He obtained a Doctorate in Dogmatic Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He held the following positions: Missionary in the Philippines; Teacher in Poland, Austria and Croatia; Collaborator of the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the UN in Vienna; Provincial of the Hungarian Province of the Society of the Divine Word; General Secretary of the Hungarian Episcopal Conference. He was appointed Bishop of Zrenjanin on 23 April 2008. In 2021, he was re-elected for a second term as President of the International Episcopal Conference of Saints Cyril and Methodius; furthermore, he is Vice President of the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe (CCEE).H.E. Mons. Rolandas MAKRICKAS, Coadjutor Archpriest Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore He was born in Biržai, Lithuania, on 31 January 1972. Ordained a priest on 20 July 1996 for the Diocese of Panevėžys, from 1996 to 2001 he was under-secretary of the Lithuanian Episcopal Conference and head of the National Committee of the Great Jubilee of 2000. He obtained a Doctorate in Ecclesiastical History from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 2004. Having entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on 1 July 2006, he worked at the Pontifical Representations in Georgia, Sweden, the United States of America and Gabon, and at the General Affairs Section of the Secretariat of State. From 15 December 2021 to 19 March 2024 he was extraordinary commissioner for the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. On 11 February 2023 he was appointed titular Archbishop of Tolentino and on the following 15 April he received episcopal ordination, in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, from Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness. On 19 March 2024 he was appointed by the Holy Father Coadjutor Archpriest with right of succession of the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.H.E. Mons. Baldassare REINA, auxiliary bishop of Rome, former vice-gerent and, from today, Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome. He was born on 26 November 1970 in San Giovanni Gemini, in the province and Archdiocese of Agrigento. He entered the Archbishop’s Seminary in 1981. In 1995 he obtained a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology and in 1998 a Licentiate in Biblical Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome. He was ordained a priest on 8 September 1995. From 1998 to 2001 he was Diocesan Assistant of Catholic Action and Vice-Rector of the Archbishop’s Seminary of Agrigento. From 2001 to 2003 he was parish priest of the Blessed Mary Virgin of Itria in Favara. From 2003 to 2009 he was Prefect of studies of the San Gregorio Agrigentino Theological Study and from 2009 to 2013 Parish Priest of S. Leonead Agrigento. From 2013 to 2022 he was Rector of the Major Seminary of Agrigento. He also held the following roles in the Diocese: Teacher of Sacred Scripture at the Institute of Religious Sciences; Permanent teacher at the San Gregorio Agrigentino Theological Studio; Director of the Culture Office; Canon of the Cathedral Chapter; Member of the Presbyteral Council and of the College of Consultors. On 27 May 2022, he was appointed titular bishop of Acque di Mauritania and auxiliary of Rome. On 6 January 2023, the Holy Father appointed him Vicegerent of the Diocese of Rome.H.E. Mons. Roberto REPOLE, Archbishop of Turin (Italy) He was born in Turin on 29 January 1967. Having entered the Seminary at the age of eleven, he completed his high school studies at the Minor Seminary, obtaining his classical high school diploma at the Valsalice Salesian High School in Turin in 1986. He studied philosophy and theology at the archiepiscopal seminary of Turin and received presbyteral ordination on 13 June 1992. From 1992 to 1996 he was parochial vicar at the parish of Gesù Redentore and collaborator of the parish of Ss. Nome di Maria in Turin. He continued his studies in systematic theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, obtaining his licentiate in 1998 and his doctorate in 2001 with a thesis on the thought of Henri de Lubac in dialogue with Gabriel Marcel. Since 2001 he has taught systematic theology at the parallel Turin branch of the Theological Faculty of Northern Italy and the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences of the same city. Canon of the Royal Church of San Lorenzo in Turin since 2010, he was president of the Italian Theological Association from 2011 to 2019; dean of the Turin section of the Theological Faculty of Northern Italy and collaborator of the Santa Maria della Stella parish in Druento. On 19 February 2022, Pope Francis appointed him the 95th Metropolitan Archbishop of Turin and Bishop of Susa, thus uniting the two sees in person as bishops. On 7 May 2022 he received episcopal ordination. In September 2022, the Permanent Episcopal Council of the CEI appointed him as a member of the Episcopal Commission for Catholic Education, School and University. In October 2022 in Aosta the bishops of Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta elected him vice president of the Episcopal Conference of Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta (CEP).R.P. Timothy Peter Joseph RADCLIFFE, OP, theologian Born in London in 1945, he joined the Dominican order in 1965. After completing his studies in Oxford and Paris, he began teaching sacred Scripture at the University of Oxford. Ordained a priest in 1971, actively involved in the peace movement, he also carried out pastoral ministry among AIDS sufferers. From 1982 to 1988 he was prior of the convent of Oxford, then provincial of England from 1988 to 1992, and finally master general of the order founded by Saint Dominic from 1992 to 2001. Orator, lecturer, preacher and writer of international fame, he is member of CAFOD (agency of the Catholic Church of England and Wales, involved in charitable support and development in overseas countries) and of the theological commission of international Caritas. He has received honorary degrees from Oxford University and other academic institutions in France, Italy and the United States. In 2007 he was awarded the Michael Ramsey Prize for theological writings.R. Fr Fabio BAGGIO, C.S., under secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. He was born in Bassano del Grappa in 1965 and, in 1976, entered the Scalabrini-Tirondola Seminary of the Missionaries of San Carlo, making his perpetual profession in 1991. The following year he was ordained a Priest. In 1998 he obtained a doctorate in Church History from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. From 1995 to 1997, in Santiago de Chile, in addition to exercising the pastoral ministry, he held the position of Advisor to the Episcopal Commission for Migration of Chile (INCAMI). Subsequently, until 2002, he was Director of the Department for Migration of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, also covering, in 1999, the role of National Secretary of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, Pontifical Mission Societies Argentina. On 14 December 2016 he was appointed Under-Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. On 23 April 2022, the Holy Father confirmed him as Under-Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development also with responsibility for the Migrants and Refugees Section and Special Projects Mons. George Jacob KOOVAKAD, Official of the Secretary of State, responsible for Papal Trips. He was born in Chethipuzha (India) on 11 August 1973. He was ordained a Priest on 24 July 2004, incardinated in Changanacherry. Graduated in Canon Law. Having entered the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See on 1 July 2006, he was assigned to the Apostolic Nunciature in Algeria, as Attache. On March 2, 2009, he was transferred to the Apostolic Nunciature in Korea until February 2012, when he was transferred to the Apostolic Nunciature in Iran. On February 16, 2015, he was transferred to the Apostolic Nunciature in Costa Rica. Since July 10, 2020, he has worked in the Secretariat of State, General Affairs section. on 10 July 2020. From 2021, Pope Francis has entrusted him with the organization of papal trips.H.E. Mons. Angelo Acerbi, Apostolic Nuncio He was born on 23 September 1925 in Sesta Godano (Italy) and was ordained a priest on 27 March 1948 for the then Diocese of Pontremoli. Having entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1956, he served in the Papal Representations in Colombia, Brazil, France, Japan and Portugal, as well as in the Council for Public Affairs of the Church of the Secretariat of State. St. Paul VI, on June 22, 1974, appointed him an apostolic pro-nuncio in New Zealand and apostolic delegate in the Pacific Ocean, assigning him the headquarters of Zella and the personal title of Archbishop; The same Holy Pontiff, on the following 30 June, conferred him the episcopal ordination in the papal basilica of San Pietro in the Vatican. St. John Paul II, then, sent him as Nunzio to Colombia – where, together with other diplomats, he was hostage for six weeks by the guerrillas of the Movimiento 19 de Abril – and, subsequently, in Hungary and Moldova and in the Netherlands. From 2001 to 2015 he held the office of prelate of the Sovereign Military Hospital Order of San Giovanni di Jerusalem of Rhodes and Malta.

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hurricane Helene update #9 from Congressman Edwards

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11)

    Dear Friend,

    Happy Sunday. If you’ll give me a point of privilege, I’d like to skip the business talk today and share a bit of positivity. Regardless of your beliefs, Sundays are an opportunity to reflect and be grateful for the blessings in our lives.

    Today, I’m grateful that I get to represent such strong, resilient, salt-of-the-earth people who continue to show up for each other. I’m grateful for the thousands of people from across the country who have come to serve and help our mountains, and I’m grateful for the local leaders who are working day and night to help us recover and achieve a new normal.

    I’m curious, what are you grateful for today?

    Today’s update includes the longest list of food and water distribution sites yet. It also includes more information on county trash pickup/debris removal, plans to rebuild and reopen I-40 into Tennessee, and where to find free internet.

    Today is update number nine, with more information to follow in the coming days. Please make sure to read everything and share it with your friends and family.

    • Supplying drinkable water remains a top priority for emergency crews.
      • 93 water systems are on a boil advisory.
      • 37 treatment plants have reported having no power and 41 systems are out of water.
        • Water restoration trends continue to move in a positive direction.
    • Today, October 6, 12 combined teams from the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be conducting infrastructure assessments on public water supplies in the following counties:
      • Buncombe
      • Henderson
      • McDowell
      • Polk
      • Rutherford
      • Yancey
        • The results of these assessments are expected on October 7 and will provide insight into the necessary steps to restore water services in each county.
    • The state of North Carolina is continuing to provide a minimum of 40 trailer loads of water and 20 trailer loads of food daily through at least October 6, per their promise to the people of Western North Carolina.
      • I’m in conversation with NC Emergency Management to negotiate a new commitment for the people of Western North Carolina since the state’s initial promise of 40 trailers of water and 20 trailers of food expires today.
    • The Federal Emergency Management Agency has promised 120 truckloads a day of food and water with no specified end date.
      • To date, FEMA has shipped 13 million meals and 13 million liters of water utilizing the $20 billion in funds that I helped to draft and pass for disaster relief just two days before Hurricane Helene hit.
    • Walmart is hosting activities at the following locations:
      • Hendersonville, NC Store 1242
        • 250 Highlands Square Dr., Hendersonville, NC 28792
          • Portable restrooms
          • Serving hot meals at 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. daily
      • Arden, NC Store 1179
        • 60 Airport Rd., Arden, NC 28704
          • Portable restrooms
          • Laundry
          • Showers
          • Wi-fi hotspot and charging stations
      • Resource pick-up locations are listed below by county. As I learn more, I will keep you posted:
        • Buncombe County
          • Buncombe County has begun water distribution at multiple sites. Each will be available daily from 1:00 -7:00 p.m.:
            • Pack Square Park – you MUST bring your own container for this site
              • 80 Court Plz., Asheville, NC 28801
            • William W. Estes Elementary School
              • 275 Overlook Rd., Asheville, NC 28803
            • Sand Hill-Venable Elementary
              • 154 Sand Hill School Rd., Asheville, NC 28806
            • North Windy Ridge Intermediate School
              • 20 Doan Rd., Weaverville, NC 28787
            • Fairview Elementary
              • 1355 Charlotte Hwy., Fairview, NC 28730
          • The following major feeding site is available in Buncombe County, where citizens can access food, water and other basic necessities:
            • Biltmore Baptist Church
              • 35 Clayton Rd., Arden, NC 28704
                • Distribution and bulk pickup for volunteers looking to take bulk loads of supplies to in-need community members
                  • Saturday hours: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
                • Community drive-thru for anyone in the community needing supplies
                  • Saturday hours: 3:00-6:00 p.m.
            • First Baptist Church – Weaverville
              • 63 N. Main St., Weaverville, NC 28787
                • Hot showers available from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
                • Unlimited clean drinking water is available, bring your own container.
                • Supplies and bottled water.
                • Hot lunch served at 1:30 p.m.
          • Food and drinking water are available from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily at the following locations:
            • Asheville Middle School
              • 211 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
            • Ingles
              • 550 NC-9, Black Mountain, NC 28711
                • This location also has handwashing stations and portable restrooms
            • Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center
              • 121 Shiloh Rd., Asheville, NC 28803
            • Lucy Herring Elementary
              • 98 Sulphur Springs Rd., Asheville, NC 28806
            • Oakley Elementary School
              • 753 Fairvew Rd., Asheville, NC 28803
        • Haywood County
          • The following locations are providing community members with essential resources such as but not limited to, food, water, cleaning products, baby formula, and pet food, Monday through Fridays:
            • Pigeon Community Center
              • 450 Pigeon St., Waynesville, NC 28786
                • Also offering hot meals every day at 2:00 p.m.
                • Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
            • Cruso Community Center
              • 13186 Cruso Rd., Canton, NC 28716
                • Daily Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
            • First United Methodist Church
              • 566 S. Haywood St., Waynesville, NC 28786
                • Includes shower access.
                • Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
            • Maggie Valley Pavilion
              • 3935 Soco Rd., Maggie Valley, NC 28751
                • Daily Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
            • Woodland Baptist Church
              • 545 Crabtree Rd., Waynesville, NC 28786
                • Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
            • Bethel Elementary School
              • 4700 Old River Rd., Canton, NC 28716
                • Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
            • Jonathan Valley Elementary School
              • 410 Hall Dr., Waynesville, NC 28786
                • Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
                • Monday through Friday
          • The following location offers hot meals daily:
            • Maggie Valley Fire Department
              • 2901 Soco Rd., Maggie Valley, NC 28751
          • The following location offers showers daily from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.:
            • Calvary Baptist Church
              • 2701 Soco Rd., Maggie Valley, NC 28751
        • Henderson County
          • Henderson County has stood up Resource Hub locations for water distribution and other supplies as they become available.
          • Distribution will be taking place daily from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 6 at the following locations:
            • Etowah Elementary: 320 Etowah School Rd., Etowah, NC 28729
            • Rugby Middle School: 3345 Haywood Rd., Hendersonville, NC 28791
            • East Henderson High School: 150 Eagle Pride Dr., East Flat Rock, NC 28726
            • North Henderson High School: 35 Fruitland Rd., Hendersonville, NC 28792
            • Mills River Town Hall: 124 Town Center Dr., Mills River, NC 28759
            • Fletcher Town Hall: 300 Old Cane Creek Rd., Fletcher, NC 28732
          • Each family unit will be provided supplies for one day’s meal and water as available.
          • Individuals are asked to enter the drive-through and remain in your car unless otherwise instructed by volunteers to ensure an efficient process.
        • Jackson County
          • In partnership with the Red Cross, the following is available for citizens of Jackson County:
            • The Boys & Girls Club of the Plateau are providing shelf-stable meals at the following location:
              • 558 Frank Allen Rd., Cashiers, NC 28717
              • Hours of operation to come.
              • The Canada Fire Department is distributing emergency supplies at the following location:
                • 149 Charleys Creek Rd., Tuckasegee, NC 28783
                • Hours of operation to come.
        • Madison County
          • The following locations are offering food, water, and some supply distribution in Madison County:
            • Beech Glen Community Center
              • 2936 Beech Glen Rd., Mars Hill, 28754
              • Daily hours: Unable to locate daily hours at this time.
            • Center Community Center
              • 1300 Grapevine Rd., Marshall, NC 28753
              • Daily hours: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
            • Ebbs Chapel Community Center
              • 281 Laurel Valley Rd., Mars Hill, NC 28754
              • Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
            • Enon Baptist Church
              • 174 Ammons Branch Rd., Marshall, NC 28753
              • Open Sunday 12:00-4:00 p.m.
            • Freedom Christian Church
              • 7350 US 25/70 Bypass, Marshall, NC 28753
              • Daily hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
              • This location offers additional resources such as hygiene products, blankets, clothes, cleaning supplies, diapers, pet food, etc.
            • Laurel Community Center – also has supplies
              • 4100 NC 212 Hwy., Marshall, NC 28753
              • Daily Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
            • Revere-Rice Community Center
              • 3980 Revere Rd., Marshall, NC 28753
              • Daily hours: 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Mon-Sat)
            • Spring Creek Community Center
              • 13075 NC 209 Hwy., Hot Springs, NC 28743
              • Daily hours: 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
              • This location also has additional resources such as pet food, livestock feed and hay.
            • Walnut Community Center – also has supplies
              • 46 School Rd., Marshall, NC 28753
              • Daily hours: Unable to locate daily hours at this time.
            • N.C. Cooperative Extension – Madison County Center
              • 258 Carolina Ln., Marshall, NC 28753
              • Daily hours: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
              • This location is offering drive-thru food distribution only.
        • McDowell County
          • McDowell County has established multiple points of distribution that are open daily from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 4:00-6:00 p.m., depending on supply levels.
          • Distribution takes place daily at the following locations:
            • Former TJ’s Discounts – North Cove
              • 8153 US 221 N., Marion, NC 28752
            • Old Fort Town Hall
              • 38 Catawba Ave., Old Fort, NC 28762
            • New Manna Baptist Church
              • 225 E. Court St., Marion, NC 28752
            • Solid Rock Free Will Baptist Church – Dysartsville 
              • 7860 NC 226 S., Nebo, NC 28761
            • Zion Hill Baptist Church
              • 1036 Zion Hill Rd., Marion, NC 28752
          • Hot meals are also being provided at the following location:
            • Grace Community Church
              • 5182 US 70 W., Marion, NC 28752
                • Lunch is served every day from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
                • Dinner is available from 4:00-5:30 p.m.
          • First Baptist Church of Marion is offering hot showers, air conditioning, and areas to charge devices.
            • Current hours: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 2:00-5:00 p.m., Monday-Saturday.
        • Polk County
          • The following locations are offering food and water distribution for residents in need from 1:00-5:00 p.m.:
            • Mill Spring/Green Creek Community
              • 25 International Blvd., Mill Spring, NC 28756
            • Columbus Community
              • 95 Walker St., Columbus, NC 28722
            • Saluda Community Bus Parking Lot
              • 214 E. Main St., Saluda, NC 28773
            • Tryon Community
              • 301 N. Trade St., Tryon, NC 28782
            • Sunny View
              • 86 Sunny View School Rd., Mill Spring, NC 28756
        • Rutherford County
          • The following locations are open from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. for citizens to get food and emergency supplies:
            • Thomas Jefferson High School
              • 2527 US-221A Hwy., Mooresboro, NC 28114
            • Florence Baptist Church
              • 201 S. Broadway St., Forest City, NC 28043
            • Rutherford County Health Department
              • 221 Callahan Koon Rd., Spindale, NC 28160
            • Gilkey Church of God
              • 255 Oak Springs Rd., Rutherfordton, NC 28139
            • Parks, Recreation, & Lake Office
              • 658 Memorial Hwy., Lake Lure, NC 28746
            • Lake Lure Baptist Church
              • 6837 US-74 ALT, Lake Lure, NC 28746
            • Ingles at Lake Lure – meals only
              • 276 NC-9, Lake Lure, NC 28746
                • Offers hot meals at 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. and 4:30-6:30 p.m.
                • Also offers showers, restrooms, a mobile health van, a tool trailer, a charging station (please bring your own charging cord), and wi-fi.
            • Father’s Vineyard – also has shower and charging stations
              • 724 Oakland Rd., Spindale, NC 28160
            • Spencer Baptist Church – water distribution only
              • 187 N Oak St., Spindale, NC 28160
            • United Way of Rutherford County – water distribution and charging stations only
              • 668 Withrow Rd., Forest City, NC 28043
            • The Church at Sapphire – through October 10
              • 620 Whitewater Rd., Sapphire, NC 28774
              • Daily hours: 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
            • Little River Baptist Church – through October 11
              • 51 Little River Church Rd., Penrose, NC 28766
              • Breakfast hours: 8:00-10:00 a.m.
              • Lunch hours: 12:30-2:00 p.m.
              • Dinner hours: 6:00-7:30 p.m.
            • Cedar Mountain Community CenterTransylvania County
              • 10635 Greenville Hwy., Cedar Mountain, NC 28718
              • Breakfast hours: 9:00-11:00 a.m.
              • Lunch hours: 12:00-2:00 p.m.
              • Dinner hours: 4:00-6:00 p.m.The following locations are providing hot meals to county residents:
            • Balsam Grove Community Center – daily until power is fully restored
              • 8732 Parkway Rd., Balsam Grove, NC 28708
              • Daily hours: 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
          • Bottled water is available daily at local fire departments and 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Anchor Baptist Church located at:
            • 3232 Hendersonville Hwy., Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
          • Water filling stations can be found at the following locations:
            • City Sports Complex
              • 824 Ecusta Rd., Brevard, NC 28712
              • Daily hours: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
            • Cedar Mountain Outpost
              • 8431 Greenville Hwy., Brevard, NC 28712
              • No posted daily hours.
            • Territory Brevard
              • 43 S. Broad St, Brevard, NC 28712
              • No posted daily hours.
            • DD Bullwinkles
              • 60 E. Main St., Brevard, NC 28712
              • No posted daily hours.
            • First United Methodist Church
              • 325 N. Broad St., Brevard, NC 28712
              • Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
            • Pisgah Forest Baptist Church
              • 494 Hendersonville Hwy., Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
              • Daily hours: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
            • Newfound Artisan
              • 22 W. Jordan St., Brevard, NC 28712
              • Through today, October 6.
              • Hours: 12:00-5:00 p.m.
          • Food, water, and other supplies such as hygiene products are being distributed at the following locations:
            • Anchor Baptist Church
              • 3232 Hendersonville Hwy., Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
              • Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
            • The Church at Sapphire
              • 620 Whitewater Rd., Sapphire, NC 28774
              • Through October 10.
              • Daily hours: 12:00-4:00 p.m.
        • Yancey County
          • Yancey County has transitioned to one centralized distribution site for water, food and ice located at the following address:
            • Altec
              • 150 Altec Rd., Burnsville, NC 28714
          • Mobile laundry facilities are available in the GO Grocery parking lot located at the following address:
            • 631 W Hwy. 19E Bypass, Burnsville, NC 28714

    • Additionally, the following counties have resources for where to take debris waste.
      • Buncombe
        • Curbside collection will begin Monday for City of Asheville sanitation customers.
          • There will be no recycling pick up until the recycling plant is operational.
          • Residents can use both recycling and trash carts for household waste.
            • The following materials cannot be collected at this time: Mud, construction debris, concrete and other bulky or hazardous items.
          • Debris collection is estimated to start in mid-October.
        • The Town of Black Mountain Public Works Department has secured four 15-yard dumpsters located in two sites for Black Mountain residents to throw away household trash ONLY:
          • Tractor Supply: 125 Old US Hwy. 70 E., Black Mountain, NC 28711
          • Ingles: 550 NC-9, Black Mountain, NC 28711
          • Please Note: Yard waste, bulk item, separate recycling and debris collection are not available at this time. 
      • Haywood
        • Household waste will be accepted at the Materials Recovery Facility at 247 Recycle Rd., Clyde and at Convenience Centers at Jonathan Creek, Beaverdam, Bethel, Hazelwood, Mauney Cove, Jones Cove and Highway 110.
        • White Oak Landfill has reopened.
      • Henderson
        • Henderson County Transfer Station is open and accepting storm debris with normal fees.
        • Henderson County has begun curbside storm debris removal to county residents as a free service.
          • The county will pick up storm debris for free if it is pushed to the right of way of a property.
        • Storm debris includes tree branches, leaves, logs, building materials, furniture, paint etc.
          • Please be patient.
          • The county will pick up storm debris for free as quickly as possible.
      • Madison
        • The Hot Springs collection center is operating on normal hours for household trash ONLY:
          • Monday: 7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
          • Wednesday: 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
          • Friday: 7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
          • Saturday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
        • Hot Springs trash pickup is returning to Mondays like usual.
          • Please only use this pickup service if you cannot bring it to the collection center yourself.
          • The pickup service is being led by volunteers at this time.
      • Polk
        • The Polk County landfill is open Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
          • 322 Landfill Rd., Mill Spring, NC 28756
          • The service fee is waived through October 8.
          • Beginning on October 9, drop off of residential trash will be $10.
        • GFL trash services will continue on the regular schedule. However, certain areas may be inaccessible due to ongoing power outages from Hurricane Helene.
          • Two dumpsters are located on Gibson Street for immediate trash disposal due to road inaccessibility.
      • Transylvania
        • The City of Brevard has resumed regular trash pickup.
      • Yancey
        • The Riverside and East Yancey Recycling Centers were expected to resume operations by yesterday, October 5.
        • No update has been published, but I will keep you posted once I have received confirmation that the facilities have been reopened.

    • The North Carolina State Board of Elections has provided pertinent information and recommendations for voters in the Helene disaster area during the 2024 general election.
      • To review information on voting in the 2024 general election after Hurricane Helene, you can follow this link.
        • The site provides information on absentee voting, how to change your polling location, county board of elections, office closures and more.
        • For any additional questions on voting post-hurricane, please contact your county Board of Elections.
          • Please note: Your county Board of Elections is the best place to get any questions answered.
            • I have been permitted to share the above, nonpartisan information but am prohibited from answering any questions related to the 2024 general election.

    • USPS anticipates continued improvement of mail delivery operations with local recovery efforts, to include power, connectivity, and roads.
    • There are some facilities unable to provide full retail and mail delivery due to road closures and current conditions.
      • No drop shipments will be accepted at any of the locations listed below.
        • The following sites are closed:
          • Barnardsville – 28709
          • Cedar Mountain – 28718
          • Hot Springs – 28743
          • Rosman – 28772
          • Swannanoa – 28778
        • The following sites are closed with alternative facilities listed:
          • Alexander – 28701
          • Alternative location: 270 N. Main St., Weaverville, NC 28787
            • Daily hours M-F: 8:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
            • Open Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
          • Bat Cave – 28710
            • Alternative location: 1800 Four Season Blvd., Ste. 11, Hendersonville, NC 28739
              • Daily hours M-F: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
              • Open Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
          • Chimney Rock – 28720
            • Alternative location: 2432 Memorial Hwy., Lake Lure, NC 28746
            • Daily hours M-F: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., closed 12:00-1:00 p.m.
          • Edneyville – 28727
            • Alternative location: 1800 Four Seasons Blvd., Ste. 11, Hendersonville, NC 28739
              • Daily hours M-F: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
              • Open Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
          • Gerton – 28735
            • Alternative location: 1352 Charlotte Hwy., Fairview, NC 28730
              • Daily Hours M-F: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
              • Open Saturdays: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
          • Green Mountain – 28740
            • Alternative location: 670 W. Main St., Burnsville, NC 28714
            • Daily hours M-F: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
            • Open Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
          • Marshall – 28753
            • Alternative Location: 270 N. Main St., Weaverville, NC 28787
              • Daily hours M-F: 8:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
              • Open Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
          • Micaville – 28755
            • Alternative location: 670 W. Main St., Burnsville, NC 28714
              • Daily hours M-F: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
              • Open Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
          • Montreat – 28757
            • Alternative location: 2 Tucker Rd., Ridgecrest, NC 28770
              • Daily hours M-F: 12:30-4:30 p.m.
          • Penland – 28765
            • Alternative location: 899 Oak Ave., Spruce Pine, NC 28777
              • Daily hours M-F: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
              • Open Saturdays: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
        • The following sites are attempting delivery where safe to do so:
          • Arden – 28704
          • Asheville London Rd. – 28803
          • Asheville S&DC – 28810
          • Black Mountain – 28711
          • Brevard – 28712
          • Burnsville – 28714
          • Candler – 28715
          • Clyde – 28721
          • Columbus – 28722
          • East Flat Rock – 28726
          • Etowah – 28729
          • Fairview – 2873
          • Fletcher – 28732
          • Hendersonville Annex – 28792
          • Horse Shoe – 28742
          • Lake Toxaway (cash only/PO box) – 28747
          • Marion – 28752
          • Mars Hill – 28754
          • Old Fort – 28762
          • Rutherfordton – 28139
          • Saluda – 28773
          • Sapphire – 28774
          • Spruce Pine – 28777
          • Tryon – 28782
          • Weaverville – 28787
        • Due to internet outages and connectivity issues, the following sites are providing retail services with cash only, PO Box only:
          • Dana – 28724
          • Enka – 28728
          • Flat Rock – 28731
          • Hendersonville MPO – 28739
          • Lake Lure (OIC) – 28746
          • Little Switzerland – 28749
          • Mountain Home – 28758
          • Naples – 28760
          • Pisgah Forest – 28768
          • Ridgecrest – 28770
          • Skyland – 28776
          • Zirconia – 28790
          • Bostic – 28018
      • Multiple United Parcel Service (UPS) sites continue to be affected by power, flooding, and downed trees/power and lines/storm related obstacles.
        • The Hendersonville and Asheville UPS buildings in North Carolina are currently operational and are being powered by portable generators.
        • Delivery of packages in these areas is increasing as road conditions improve daily.

    • The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response under the Department of Health and Human Services has activated the Emergency Prescription Assistance Program (EPAP) for North Carolinians as of Friday, October 4.
      • The EPAP program helps uninsured residents replace prescription medication or certain medical equipment lost or damaged during Hurricane Helene.
      • Through the program, uninsured residents can:
        • Request a free 30-day supply of certain prescription medications at any EPAP-participating pharmacy which can be renewed every 30 days while the EPAP is active.
        • Replace certain medical equipment and supplies such as canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, blood sugar meters and blood sugar test strips for diabetics.
          • Uninsured North Carolina residents affected by the recent hurricane can call the EPAP hotline, 855-793-7470, or visit the EPAP website to check their eligibility, determine if their medications or medical equipment are covered, or locate a participating pharmacy.
      • Prescription Pad is open from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and filling prescriptions for Yancey County residents at the following location:
        • 730 E. Main St., Burnsville, NC 28714
    • For individuals able to safely travel to fill a prescription, CVS at the following locations are actively open as of October 2:
      • 324 Long Shoals Rd., Arden, NC 28704
      • 505 Smokey Park Hwy., Asheville, NC 28806
      • 371 Asheville Hwy., Brevard, NC 28712
      • 3450 Hendersonville Rd., Fletcher, NC 28732
      • 1605 Four Seasons Blvd., Hendersonville, NC 28792
      • 2001 Spartanburg Hwy., Hendersonville, NC 28792
      • 111 S Main St., Rutherfordton, NC 28139
      • 773 Russ Ave., Waynesville, NC 28786
    • You can also use this link to locate non-CVS pharmacy locations open to the public by county.
    • How to Acquire a Prescription:
      • If a store is closed, you can still call the number and the pharmacy’s phone lines have been rerouted to a nearby CVS Pharmacy that is open to help patients access their prescriptions.
      • Patients can visit any CVS Pharmacy for assistance with immediate prescription needs.

    • There is a field hospital with physicians, nurses and paramedics who can treat patients at the Burnsville Fire Department. The address is as follows:
      • 305 Pineola St., Burnsville, NC 28714
    • The following urgent cares are open and accessible for community members with non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries:
      • Locations open between 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.:
        • Mercy Urgent Care Weaverville
          • 61 Weaver Blvd., Weaverville, NC 28787
        • Mercy Urgent Care West Asheville
          • 1201 Patton Ave., Asheville, NC 28806
        • Mercy Urgent Care Waynesville
          • 120 Frazier St., Ste. 6, Waynesville, NC 28786
      • Locations open between 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.:
        • Mercy Urgent Care Brevard
          • 22 Trust Ln., Brevard, NC 28712
      • Locations open between 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.:
        • Mercy Urgent Care Columbus
          • 140 West Mills St., Columbus, NC 28722
      • Locations open between 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.:
        • Mobile Urgent Care Clinic
          • 12 Florida Ave., Black Mountain, NC 28711
        • Mental Health & Basic Medical Support Center
          • 130 Montreat Rd., Black Mountain, NC 28711
        • Pardee Urgent Care
          • 45 Hendersonville Hwy., Ste. A, Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
      • Locations open from 12:00-5:00 p.m.
        • Hot Springs Elementary School – Art Room (mental health services only)
        • 63 N. Serpentine Ave., Hot Springs, NC 28743

    • Legionnaires, Sons of the American Legion members and Legion Posts that have been displaced from their primary residence due to damage sustained during Hurricane Helene may be eligible for financial assistance through the American Legion.
      • Legionnaires and Sons of the American Legion members may be eligible for up to $3,000.
      • Legion Posts may be eligible for up to $10,000.
        • To learn more or to request assistance, please use this link.
        • Applications must be submitted within 90 days of the disaster: Dec. 26, 2024.
    • The Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville and Master Sergeant Jerry K. Crump VA Clinic in Forest City are open for essential and emergency services.
      • Veterans can:
        • Visit the Asheville VA Hospital pharmacy for medication refills or:
        • Call the Regional Clinical Contact Center at (855) 679-0074 and press 1 for pharmacy representatives.
      • Local pharmacies in the VA’s community care network will also fill written prescriptions, or prescriptions as they appear on an active VA prescription bottle that is not older than six months and has available refills, to provide a 30-day supply.
    • Hickory and Franklin outpatient VA clinics are now operating regularly.
      • Due to the damage and personal losses caused by Hurricane Helene to the staff of the VA, it will take some time to bring staffing to full capacity.
      • Please be patient as the VA works to rebuild their workforce.

    • The United States Department of Agriculture is beginning to put together a list of resources for farmers and other agricultural industry members.
      • If your agricultural operation has been impacted by Hurricane Helene, you can review this link, farmers.gov, for emergency and disaster assistance programs.
    • On Monday, October 7, at 11:00 a.m., USDA is hosting a virtual briefing to share information on disaster assistance programs.
      • You can join the event on Microsoft Teams using this link.
      • Add the event to your calendar: Google, iCal, or Outlook.

    • 141,000 customers remain without power in Western North Carolina.
    • As work on substations conclude, Duke Energy is moving personnel to work on the power grid’s thousands of miles of lines and poles that serve individual homes and businesses.
      • This work can feel slower because the same amount of work restores fewer customers.
    • For more information on Duke Energy’s power restoration efforts, you can review the following links:

    • A “DO NOT DRIVE” message remains in place from the North Carolina Department of Transportation for most of Western North Carolina.
      • Unless it is an emergency, please do not travel to the hardest hit communities.
      • Cherokee, Graham, Clay and Swain counties ARE FULLY OPEN to people who can access them through safe routes.
        • Please DO NOT try to visit or travel through the areas hardest hit by the storm such as Henderson and Buncombe counties.
    • USDOT approved an initial $100 million in Emergency Repair funds to NCDOT.
      • Damage to our mountain roads exceeds $100 million but USDOT’s investment is a significant and most welcome start.
      • Since Friday, NCDOT has deployed an additional 450 employees to help respond to storm damage.
      • A total of 2,050 DOT employees are working to restore and repair road access in WNC.
      • NCDOT also has more than 50 personnel from neighboring states on the ground providing assistance.
    • There are currently about 650 road closures, 109 of which are to primary routes.
      • About 300 bridges have been identified for further investigation and at least one-third will need to be replaced.
    • NCDOT and Tennessee DOT are collaborating on a long-term plan for reconstruction of I-40 in the Pigeon River Gorge.
      • NCDOT is in the process of contracting a project to stabilize the westbound lanes of I-40 where the eastbound lanes no longer exist to mitigate the risk of further damage.
      • NCDOT is working to expedite these repairs to restore mobility to the area as soon as possible.
    • Air traffic has sustained at 300 percent above pre-hurricane levels in Western NC.
      • NCDOT’s aviation division continue to work to make sure flight operations are safe coming into and out of airports, including by:
        • Scheduling landing/unloading times and aircraft parking so aircraft are spaced out and to reduce the risk of incidents.
        • Establishing a first of its kind “corridors in the sky” to separate civilian and military aircraft in the air.
        • Having search and rescue partners use short, time and location specific restrictions on air operations to enhance safety when multiple helicopters are engaged in search and rescue efforts.
      • The state of North Carolina is NOT turning away civil aviation support so long as it has been coordinated through the proper channels with NC Emergency Management.
        • If you or someone you know is interested in providing civil aviation support and don’t know where to coordinate your efforts, please call my office and we will help you get in touch with the right folks.
    • NCDOT has launched a detour map to show motorists how to get around closures on I-26 and I-40 at the Tennessee border.
      • You can access the map here.

    • Internet providers are working with local energy and cell providers to restore service for customers across Western North Carolina.
    • To mitigate the lack of service, Optimum, formerly Altice USA, has set up an Optimum Wi-Fi Trailer that is open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the following locations:
      • 717 S. Grove St., Hendersonville, NC 28792
      • 1800 Four Seasons Blvd., Hendersonville, NC 28792
    • The following locations are offering free public wi-fi:
      • First Baptist Church – Weaverville
        • 63 N. Main St, Weaverville, NC 28787
      • Downtown Franklin
        • The Town of Franklin has free wi-fi on the town hill area in downtown.
      • Transylvania County Library – 24/7
        • 212 S. Gaston St., Brevard, NC 28712
      • Newfound Artison through today, October 6
        • High-speed internet and charging outlets
        • Available 12:00-5:00 p.m.
      • The Yard Brevard
        • 284 Railroad Ave., Brevard, NC 28712
      • Brevard Visitor Center
        • 175 E. Main St., Brevard, NC 28712
        • Available daily from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

    • Verizon was able to restore service in the Waynesville area.
      • They will be moving the portable cell sites and satellite connections that were in Waynesville to Lake Junaluska, Iron Duff, and other areas north of Waynesville to provide service for the residents and first responders there.
    • Engineers have finally been able to clear access for equipment in Rutherford County near Chimney Rock and Lake Lure.
      • Providers are currently assessing the extent of the damage and starting repairs.
    • Even though you may have service again, you may notice it is different from your pre-storm service.
      • The temporary connection links put in place as a temporary fix while the fiber is being repaired can accommodate smaller amounts of traffic.
        • Network capacity on temporary connection links may be maxed out more frequently, so service providers are encouraging customers to use the network sparingly to maintain room for first responders and community members who still need to reach help or critical resources.
        • Support and recovery personnel are also encouraged to minimize cell usage.
      • Service providers are working to add additional capacity to cell sites and move mobile assets where needed to accommodate data increases, so I am requesting a little more patience on their behalf as providers work to fully restore our community’s network.
    • Cell service providers have implemented disaster roaming for any phone located in Western North Carolina to maximize phone service for all users.
      • Disaster roaming allows users to connect to any mobile network during a disaster when other networks are down.
        • This allows users to access emergency services, such as 911, even when their own network is out.
      • If you have service one moment, but experience a reduction in service the next, try restarting your phone to jumpstart disaster roaming again.
    • UpCycle Tech in Transylvania County is offering free computers and phones for use at the following location:
      • 470 Asheville Hwy., Brevard, NC 28712
    • AT&T has deployed its Mobile Connectivity Center to the following location:
      • Sam’s Club: 645 Patton Ave., Asheville, NC 28806
        • The Mobile Connectivity Center is an air-conditioned mobile unit open to the public, equipped with laptops, charging stations and wi-fi.
        • The public can use the center for various needs including contacting your insurance company, filling out paperwork or connecting with loved ones.
    • Verizon has deployed Wireless Emergency Communication Centers to help hurricane survivors stay connected to their friends, family and other important contacts.
      • Wireless Emergency Communication Centers are generator-powered mobile units that have device charging and computer workstations, along with wireless phones, tablets, and other devices available for use.
      • Verizon’s Wireless Emergency Communication Centers have been set up at the following locations:
        • A-B Technical Community College
          • 340 Victoria Rd., Asheville, NC 28801
        • Asheville YMCA
          • 30 Woodfin St., Asheville, NC 28801
        • Family Justice Center
          • 35 Woodfin St., Asheville, NC 28801
        • Groce United Methodist Church
          • 954 Tunnel Rd., Asheville, NC 28805
      • Verizon also has charging stations at the following locations:
        • YMCA of Western North Carolina
          • 348 Grace Corpening Dr., Marion, NC 28752
            • Two charging stations at this location
        • WNC Agricultural Center
          • 761 Boylston Hwy., Fletcher, NC 28732
            • Three charging stations at this location
        • A-B Technical Community College
          • 340 Victoria Rd., Asheville, NC 28801
          • One charging station at this location
    • T-Mobile has set up satellite cellular on light trucks (SatCOLTs), providing cellular voice and data along with wi-fi and charging stations at the following locations:
      • Asheville Middle School
        • 211 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
      • Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center
        • 285 Livingston St., Asheville, NC 28801
      • First Baptist Church
        • 130 Montreat Rd., Black Mountain, NC 28711
    • Additional T-Mobile satellite cell on trucks are located in Hendersonville and at a Tractor Supply Co. in Asheville, with others planned for Mission Hospital in Asheville, Cherokee County Emergency Operations Center in Murphy, and in Cherokee.

    • More than 1,500 North Carolina National Guard soldiers and airmen have been deployed to provide support to Western North Carolina so far.
      • The total number of deployed guardsmen will continue to increase over the coming days.
    • The National Guard has deployed a military liaison officer to each of the affected counties to aid in communication and coordination with each county EMS.
    • Although airspace is limited due to ongoing missions by the National Guard and Department of Defense, a process has been established for private pilots seeking to fly in humanitarian relief to coordinate with local authorities.
      • If you are looking to fly in resources and don’t know where to turn, call my office and we will get you in contact with the right coordinators.
    • On October 2, the Secretary of Defense authorized the movement of up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers, including soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division from Ft. Liberty (formerly Ft. Bragg).
      • Many of these soldiers have arrived in Western North Carolina and are supporting the delivery of food, water and other critical aid to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene.
        • 400 soldiers have already been stationed in Western North Carolina.
        • Hundreds of others are positioned nearby, prepared to assume tasks and missions as they are requested by counties and assigned by NC Emergency Management.
      • The Department of Defense has also committed 22 helicopters to assist with search and rescue operations.
    • Here are a few key phone numbers from the NCNG:
      • HOTLINE: 888-892-1162
      • Emergency management watch: 919-733-3300
      • Donated goods: 919-825-2474
        • These lines have very high call volumes. If you do not get through the first try, keep calling.

    • Asheville Regional Airport closed mid-day on Friday, September 27, due to risk of flooding.
    • Commercial flights at Asheville Regional Airport have resumed.
    • If you parked your car in an Asheville Regional Airport lot and could not retrieve the vehicle due to the storm, great news – none of the airport’s lots flooded and all cars are fine.
      • Stay safe and pick up your car when you are able.
    • PLEASE NOTE:
      • No general aviation pilots are allowed to land at Asheville Regional Airport without prior clearance from FEMA to ensure the safety of aircraft and personnel.
        • Supply deliveries by civilian pilots ARE permitted to land at Asheville Regional Airport so long as they have prior clearance from FEMA.
        • FEMA is not turning away any pilot that has gone through the proper channels to coordinate delivery and ensure the safety of his fellow aircraft and personnel.

    Federal Nutrition Programs

      • SNAP
        • North Carolina was granted a waiver for the 10-day reporting requirement for the replacement of food purchased with SNAP benefits lost because of the hurricane.
        • This waiver provides additional time beyond the standard 10-day time frame for households to report food losses and receive replacement benefits for food that was destroyed and previously purchased with SNAP benefits.
      • Child Nutrition
        • The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction was approved for a waiver pertaining to the child nutrition programs.
          • Under the waiver approval, NCDPI’s local program operators may:
            • Serve meals in a non-congregate setting
            • Adjust the time of meal service
            • Allow parent pick-up
            • Allow service of meals at school sites
      • Food and Nutrition Services Program
        • People and families in North Carolina who are enrolled in the Food and Nutrition Services program can now use their EBT card to purchase hot food.
          • This flexibility will remain in effect until November 3.
      • Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, & Children (WIC)
        • Families participating in WIC who may have relocated to a new area can go to any NC WIC agency to:
          • Have a new eWIC card issued
          • Request replacement breastfeeding supplies or breast pumps
          • Request replacement food that was purchased with current WIC benefits and lost due to Hurricane Helene

    • If you own a medical practice in NC-11 and are experiencing financial hardship due to Hurricane Helene, the North Carolina Medical Society will be reactivating its Financial Recovery Program (FRP) to help you recover and open your doors again.
      • The FRP will be back online to provide much needed assistance soon.
      • More information to follow.
    • The Department of Health and Human Services through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made available:
      • Accelerated payments to Medicare Part A providers affected by Hurricane Helene
      • Advance payments to Medicare Part B suppliers affected by Hurricane Helene

    • For county leaders: This is a reminder to make sure your Emergency Operation Center has submitted the request for gasoline, food, water, cell service deployables, etc. with North Carolina Emergency Management to have your request processed and resources delivered.
      • My office stands ready to assist with checking the status of your request if the county or municipality has not heard back from NC Emergency Management within 24 hours.

    North Carolina received a Major Disaster Declaration for the following counties: Buncombe, Clay, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania and Yancey counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

    People with damage to their homes or personal property who live in one of the above-listed counties should apply for Individual Assistance through FEMA, which may include upfront funds to help with essential items like food, water, baby formula and other emergency supplies.

    • Funds may also be available to repair storm-related damage to homes and personal property, as well as assistance to find a temporary place to stay.

    Individual Assistance provides financial aid and services to eligible individuals and households that have been affected by a disaster to assist with the recovery process. Individuals can officially begin applying for Individual Assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or by calling the application phone number at 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585) between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. EST.

    • To date, FEMA has paid out more than $26 million in housing and other types of assistance to more than 19,000 North Carolina households.

    • Residents trying to connect with family members may call NC 211 (or 1-888-892-1162 if calling from out-of-state) to report missing loved ones or request a welfare check.
    • People in the impacted areas can indicate that they are safe by reporting themselves safe through Red Cross Reunification by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
      • Please only use 911 for life-threatening emergencies so the lines remain open for critical situations.
    • If you are still trying to locate a friend or family member, please complete this form to notify local officials of their missing status.
      • The form was created by Buncombe County but information is being shared amongst all counties.
      • Regardless of which county your loved one was last known to be in, you can still submit the form.
        • Buncombe County will share the information with the appropriate officials to initiate search and rescue efforts.
      • United Way is also fielding missing person/welfare check requests.
        • Text PERSON to 40403 to add a loved one to search and rescue efforts or fill out this form.

    For information on the status of utilities, debris sites, etc., we want to share the following resources. As communications are restored and more information becomes available, these sites will continue to be updated.

      • Filing FEMA claims and appeals (a process which can be overwhelmingly bureaucratic and burdensome)
      • Replacement of lost or destroyed legal and government documents, including driver’s licenses and identification cards
      • Medical and insurance claims
      • Home repair contracts
      • Utility disputes related to restoration of services
      • Consumer protection issues like construction fraud, price-gouging on repairs and identity theft
      • Housing issues such as unlawful eviction and foreclosures
      • Bankruptcy
      • Probate and clearing title for survivors living in generational homes without a clear title
      • Family law cases and children in need of services (unfortunately, domestic violence tends to rise following a natural disaster)
    • If you need civil legal assistance, please contact Legal Aid of North Carolina via the following toll-free hotline:
      • (866) 219-LANC or (866) 219-5262
        • The hotline is available from:
          • 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; and 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Monday and Thursdays.
        • Constituents can also apply online at legalaidnc.org/get-help/ between 1:00-4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday.

      • IRS has extended various filing deadlines for taxpayers in impacted areas, including 2024 individual/business returns, certain quarterly estimated income tax payments, and certain payroll/excise taxes.
      • Tax relief for qualified payments, disaster-related losses:
        • IRS released provided guidance to taxpayers on how to address disaster-related losses in their 2024 tax return, as well as providing guidance on how qualified disaster relief payments – like government assistance payments – are generally excluded from gross income.

    • For those unable to evacuate to a safe location or in need of a place to go, the following shelters are currently open and available as of October 5:
      • Buncombe
        • A-B Technical Community College
          • 340 Victoria Rd., Asheville, NC 28801
        • Gold’s Gym
          • 801 Fairview Rd, Asheville, NC 28803
        • WNC Agricultural Center
          • 1301 Fanning Bridge Rd., Fletcher, NC 28732
      • Haywood
        • Haywood County Government Armory
          • 285 Armory Dr., Clyde, NC 28781
      • Henderson
        • Edneyville Elementary School
          • 2875 Pace Rd., Hendersonville, NC 28792
        • Henderson County Recreation Center
          • 708 S. Grove St., Hendersonville, NC 28792
      • Madison
        • Madison Early College High School
          • 5374 US Hwy 25-70, Marshall, NC 28755
      •  McDowell
        • Glenwood Baptist Church
          • 1550 Glenwood Baptist Church Rd., Marion, NC 29640
        • YMCA of Western North Carolina
          • 348 Grace Corpening Dr., Marion, NC 28752
      • Polk
        • Polk County High School
          • 1681 NC 108 Hwy. E., Columbus, NC 28722
      • Rutherford
        • Rutherfordton/Spindale Central High School
          • 641 US 221 Hwy. N., Rutherfordton, NC 28139
      • Transylvania
        • Transylvania Parks & Rec
          • 1078 Ecusta Rd., Brevard, NC 28712
      • Yancey
        • Blue Ridge Elementary
          • 910 Cane River School Rd., Burnsville, NC 28714
        • Cane River Middle School
          • 1128 Cane River School Rd., Burnsville, NC 28714

    With my warmest regards,

    Chuck Edwards
    Member of Congress

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Gen Z knowledge about the Holocaust matters for ongoing reconciliation with a troubled history

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Regan Lipes, Extended Sessional Instructor, English and Comparative Literature, MacEwan University

    Since last Oct. 7, the world has seen mass death catalyzed by terrorist attacks in Israel, Israel’s mission to recover hostages still being detained and retaliation in Gaza — and now a long-dreaded war erupting through the Middle East.

    As a scholar of Jewish and Holocaust literature, in the past year following Oct. 7, I have been aware that how students engage with the history of the Holocaust has been impacted.

    Eighty thousand Israelis remain displaced from their homes in the north. Over 40,000 Palestinians have now been killed in Gaza, and and following a United Nations expert accusing Israel of acts of genocide, UN delegates have amplified calls for an immediate ceasefire.

    Others assert Israel’s actions are a defensive response. While all Israeli citizens have been affected by violence in Israel, Israel is a Jewish state, and the kind of violence and hate directed at Israel is being felt by Jews globally. For many Jews the Oct. 7 attacks themselves resonated hauntingly of Kristallnacht, with the Jewish people again put in a position of needing to defend their right to exist.



    Read more:
    Holocaust comparisons are overused — but in the case of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel they may reflect more than just the emotional response of a traumatized people

    The definition of genocide acknowledged in the international Genocide Convention drew on the term coined by Polish-born lawyer Raphael Lemkin who fled persecution of the meticulously orchestrated genocide against European Jewry during the Second World War.

    Globally, we are seeing a time of re-aligning geopolitics, including both the Global South and West becoming increasingly aware of pro-Palestinian perspectives. Many Gen Zs have been quick to rally against Zionism.

    At the same time, Holocaust denialism, antisemitic hate acts and terrorist threats have accompanied a rise in anti-Israel sentiment — with frightening effects on Jews globally, sometimes fanned by propagandists seeking to exploit and augment conflict and polarization.

    Even before events of the past year, as the 1940s recede in time, fewer and fewer Gen Zs have identified themselves as feeling knowledgeable about the Holocaust. The way knowledge is transmitted must adapt with the times.

    Memory through time

    In 2019 I was the faculty fellow for a partnership between the Auschwitz Jewish Center and the Museum of Jewish Heritage (MJH). As a scholar I have had the benefit of meeting with Holocaust survivors to learn about their experiences.

    During my fellowship, the ongoing question rattling in my brain was how to safeguard the lived testimonies of survivors as their numbers dwindle.

    When I teach literature of the Holocaust and second-generation efforts to preserve memory, I have noticed students’ limited knowledge of the Holocaust when I do an informal poll of what they know already. Many students admit an awareness limited exclusively to Hollywood films.

    Six-part documentary

    Director Joe Berlinger’s recent documentary Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial is conscious of deficits in Gen Z education and seeks to remedy this.

    ‘Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial,’ documentary by Joe Berlinger.

    Berlinger’s six-part Netflix documentary takes a unique approach to examining and exploring Hitler’s rise to power and the lasting global impact.

    He frames this analysis by using the writings and broadcasts of journalist and foreign corespondent William L. Shirer, who authored the iconic The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (1960), in concert with narration from Shirer’s granddaughter, Deirdre van Dyk.

    Within the context of her grandfather’s historically significant coverage of the European political landscape throughout the 1930s and 40s, van Dyk is able to offer insights regarding how Shirer spoke about this period going beyond his public writings.

    Preserving history

    On an online discussion panel organized by the MJH in July 2024, Berlinger acknowledged the plethora of documentaries examining the Second World War, but explained that this work is a targeted effort to preserve history while connecting and resonating with Gen Z viewers.

    Van Dyk’s participation plays a key role in bridging the present with the lived experience of Shirer, a witness of Nazi corruption and totalitarianism.

    Similarly second- and third-generation Holocaust survivors are instrumental in ensuring that their parents and grandparents’ suffering and trauma can be used to caution current learners who will be the politicians, jurists and educators of the future about dangers of antisemitism.

    Online discussion with director Joe Berlinger with Museum of Jewish Heritage.

    Alberta initiative

    An initiative in Alberta, the Second Voices Project is working to help Gen Z students understand the Holocaust in a way that feels authentic and less like distant history.

    The initiative, with the support of the Government of Alberta, uses video testimony given by survivors, and pairs this with discussion, commentary and observations provided by their children and grandchildren.

    Robert Jackson, chief counsel of the International Military Tribunal (IMT) at Nuremberg, noted in his opening statement at the Nuremberg Trial in 1945:

    “The wrongs which we seek to condemn and punish have been so calculated, so malignant and so devastating that civilization cannot tolerate their being ignored because it cannot survive their being repeated.”

    Jackson’s remarks now seem prophetic as society reexamines how best to impart this vital knowledge.

    Increased consciousness

    When the Second Voices Project travels to secondary and post-secondary institutions it is with the hope that seeds for increased tolerance and social consciousness be planted.

    ‘The Pages In Between’ by Erin Einhorn.
    (Simon and Schuster)

    During the winter 2024 semester, in a Jewish literature course I taught, I saw the Second Voices Project in action. The course sees students examine the search for resolution in untenable situations, with reporter Erin Einhorn’s The Pages In Between.

    They grapple with depictions of trauma and extreme loss in Cynthia Ozick’s short story The Shawl and examine how American-born Jews negotiated feelings of misplaced guilt following learning about the extent of the Holocaust.

    Accompanied by a Holocaust education specialist from the Jewish Federation of Edmonton, my students met second-generation survivor and retired physician Dr. Francie Cyngiser.

    Cyngiser’s parents survived the Nazi concentration camps, and she brought her father, Sidney Cyngiser’s, recorded Shoah Foundation testimony, narrated by her son and nephew, to my class.

    Sidney Cyngiser was dedicated to combating Holocaust denial by sharing his story. Instead of simply watching a video of Cyngiser testifying, the documentary was contextualized for students by inter-generational survivors not much younger than their parents.

    Addressing trauma fatigue

    Although Berlinger’s viewers cannot speak directly with van Dyk the way my students did with Dr. Cyngiser, his documentary is an important innovation to engage Gen Z learners.

    To appeal to this targeted viewership, the Shirer family consented to use AI voice approximations of William Shirer’s writings to help narrate Berlinger’s documentary. Although original recordings from his news broadcasts also feature prominently, many of his diaries, smuggled out of Nazi Germany at great risk, needed vocalization for the film.

    By adapting, Holocaust educators can also combat trauma fatigue which can impair capacity for awareness, recognition and response. In Germany, where Holocaust education is mandatory, feelings of frustration over inherited guilt for the Holocaust can breed apathy and resentment.

    Both pro-Zionist and Zionist-critical Jews have highlighted that such sentiments are dangerous in the current global climate.

    Apathy fails to serve any humanitarian function and dangerously anaesthetises all sides to the pain of others.



    Read more:
    Middle East student dialogue: As an expert in deep conflict, what I’ve learned about making conversation possible

    The German term Vergangenheitsbewältigung describes the process of ongoing reconciliation with a troubled history. The past is a reality that humanity as whole must contend with, but a lack of understanding is fertile ground for denial, revisionism and antisemitism.

    I cannot help but wonder if greater awareness of Holocaust history, and political and cultural histories of how to safeguard human rights, would promote more tolerance and compassion universally.

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

    – ref. Gen Z knowledge about the Holocaust matters for ongoing reconciliation with a troubled history – https://theconversation.com/gen-z-knowledge-about-the-holocaust-matters-for-ongoing-reconciliation-with-a-troubled-history-235296

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A year of devastation: with hope and trust shattered, what can bring an end to the violence in Israel-Palestine?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eyal Mayroz, Senior Lecturer in Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney

    On October 7 2023, Hamas launched a savage attack on southern Israel, massacring around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 240 people. The following day, I wrote in an analysis for The Conversation:

    For many Palestinians, this weekend’s events offered Israelis a small taste of what their own lives have been like under decades of occupation. However, the early celebrations will likely soon turn into anger and frustration as the numbers of Palestinian civilian casualties will continue to rise. Violence begets violence.

    As the Israeli retaliation had only just begun, no one could have imagined how devastating it would end up being for the people of Gaza. There are now well over 40,000 Palestinians dead, mostly civilians, and countless wounded. Nearly 2 million people have been displaced within the coastal strip.

    The ferociousness of the Israel Defence Forces’ aerial bombings – and its subsequent ground invasion of Gaza – triggered intense global pressure to stop the violence. This was coupled with a worldwide campaign to end Israel’s decades-long illegal occupation of Palestinian territories.

    This popular movement was able to place its agenda at the forefront of the international media’s attention and sustain it there for many months.

    A year later, however, concern for the people of Gaza – and for the dozens of Israeli hostages still locked up in Hamas’ tunnels – has begun to wane. The world’s focus is shifting to the fast-expanding misery along the Israel–Lebanon border, and to a possible full-scale war between Israel and Iran.

    As the fighting in Gaza grinds on with no end in sight, the prospects for resolving the most intractable conflict in the world between Israeli-Jews and Palestinians seem ever dimmer. But is it so?

    One conflict, two peoples and many onlookers

    In a century-long struggle between two societies over the same small parcel of land, the cycle of violence has barely stopped.

    The challenges today remain frustratingly robust – entrenched territorial claims, grave errors by leaders on both sides and many missed opportunities. Years of polarising narratives have also bred mistrust, competing accounts of victimisation, debilitating fears and animosity — to the point of mutual dehumanisation.

    On the Israeli-Jewish side, there’s a strong sense of an existential security threat, compounded by the inter-generational trauma of the Holocaust and ongoing fears of terrorist attacks. This sharply contrasts with Palestinians’ experiences of decades of dispossession, humiliation, continuous rights violations and feelings of abandonment by the world.

    To further undermine a solution to the conflict, religious and radical nationalist influences – on both sides – have turned an already complex, asymmetric conflict into an unyielding impasse.

    Over the years, international failures to help resolve the conflict drove many states to recalibrate their foreign policies away from constructive engagement. Arguably, this was to avoid harmful impacts to their reputations over future failures, or accusations of bias, from one or both sides.

    Fear, victimhood and tit-for-tat revenge

    The 1948 Nakba, or “catastrophe”, followed by decades of oppressive Israeli occupation, have inflicted immeasurable suffering on Palestinians. In turn, this occupation has also inflicted significant and often unappreciated damage to Israel’s social fabric, cohesion, economy, international standing, security and moral stature.

    Hamas’ brutal massacres and Israel’s vicious retaliations have only exacerbated these effects, for both sides. And they are now threatening to extinguish what tiny hope may have existed before October 2023 for a path towards a liveable future for both people.

    Should the tit-for-tat cycle of violence continue, the blowback will hurt not only Israel’s efforts to attain safety and security for its citizens, but the prospects for a political future for the Palestinians, as well.

    Arguably, existential fear may be the most underappreciated and damaging element behind the conflict’s intractability.

    Outside observers tend to view security concerns rationally, and as a national concern, based on the threat to the state or to the people as a whole.

    But in the Israel-Palestine conflict, people react to such fears emotionally, focusing first on their own safety. And the fear is ever-present – a rocket exploding in my house, or my child being shot at by a sniper on the way to school.

    These worries and experiences have been etched in the minds of generations of Palestinians and Israelis. We need to appreciate this fact to make sense of how both sides have dehumanised one another and excluded the “other” from their spheres of moral concern, particularly following the October 7 attack and in the weeks and months after.

    The late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, assassinated in 1995 by a Jewish extremist for engaging in peace efforts, once said you don’t make peace with friends, but with enemies.

    However, absent a minimum sense of safety and trust – if not in the other side, than at least in the mediators and future outside guarantors – the security arrangements required to sustain a peace agreement would be difficult, if not impossible, for both sides to agree on.



    Read more:
    10 books to help you understand Israel and Palestine, recommended by experts

    Entrenched views and dangerous simplifications

    As the war in Gaza has not yet ended, a detailed assessment of the successes and failures of the campaign for a Palestinian state is still ahead of us.

    During the fighting, misinformation and disinformation have been rife. With both sides waging a propaganda war, the manipulation of facts ratcheted up divisions and increased polarisation between “pro-Israel” and “pro-Palestine” groups across the globe.

    Selectively embracing information that could validate one’s own position and omitting or rejecting everything else have become the norm.

    Once we choose a side, we can go to great lengths to defend its actions. Our conditioned responses challenge or cast doubt on any claim or information put forth by the other side. And the more emotionally invested we become, the harder it is for us to empathise with the suffering of the “other”.

    Simplistic misconceptions, for example, that an aggressor cannot also be a victim or vice versa, have added fuel to the fire and to the conflict’s polarisation. This has had negative consequences for empathy, reconciliation, trust and peace-building.

    We could debate without end who has suffered more. But how useful would that be, at this stage, for the prospects of a future peace?

    Despite the strong emphasis in the global debate on the “pro-Palestinian” versus “pro-Israeli” dichotomy, an important reality is that meeting the basic needs of one side could never be achieved without addressing those of the other.

    These needs for peace, safety, security and dignity are mutual. As such, they should be promoted in the public debate over the incompatible needs ramped up by minorities in the two camps.

    Rather than taking sides, efforts should focus on reconciling both parties’ objectives: a ceasefire in Gaza, an end to the unjust occupation, self-determination for Palestinians, and safety and security for Israelis.

    As the future welfare of one side is inextricably linked to the security needs of the other, zero-sum solutions won’t achieve anything. Rather, they will only fan the suspicions, animosities and victimhood grievances on both sides, and lead to more violence.



    Read more:
    Why is the Gaza war tearing us apart?

    It’s the world’s turn

    Most Palestinians and Israelis have lost what little desire or capacity they had prior to October 7 for trusting or empathising with the misery of the other. The anger, fear and suffering today are too overwhelming.

    In the short term, meaningful solutions must come from the outside.

    In addition to a critically needed change of leadership on both sides, it is time for more sincere collaborative efforts by key states in the international community.

    It is time to replace years of empty condemnations with more meaningful and sustained commitments.

    It is time to help both societies, through carrots but also strong sticks, to free themselves from the chokeholds of illusory, all-or-nothing radical ideologies that have brought so much suffering and devastation to all.

    It is time for a better future for both Palestinian and Israeli children, even at the price of painful concessions. And concessions will have to be made on both sides for the promise of a lasting peace.

    To pressure governments to do more, protests should continue, but their voices should call for peace for all and against harming innocents on all sides, regardless of who they are.

    Peace, or at this stage an end to violence, has to come first – even if this would slow down (not prevent!) accountability and justice for all victims.

    Hate comes easily in the face of injustices. It is hard to empathise with the misfortunes of “others” who may or may not have brought their miseries upon themselves. But selective denunciation of crimes perpetrated by the other side, based on one’s support or rejection of a cause, is not only morally flawed, but counterproductive.

    Those who have been severely aggrieved by this human tragedy may struggle to apply the same yardstick to others, certainly in the near future. But the rest of us can, and should, do better.

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

    – ref. A year of devastation: with hope and trust shattered, what can bring an end to the violence in Israel-Palestine? – https://theconversation.com/a-year-of-devastation-with-hope-and-trust-shattered-what-can-bring-an-end-to-the-violence-in-israel-palestine-239204

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: News story: PM statement on one-year anniversary of the October 7th attacks

    Source: United Kingdom – Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street

    Words from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, on the one-year anniversary of the October 7th attacks.

    7 October 2023 was the darkest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust. One year on, we stand together to remember the lives so cruelly taken. 

    Over a thousand people were brutally murdered. Men, women, children and babies killed, mutilated, and tortured by the terrorists of Hamas. Jewish people murdered whilst protecting their families. 

    Young people massacred at a music festival. 

    People abducted from their homes.

    Agonising reports of rape, torture and brutality beyond comprehension which continued to emerge days and weeks later. 

    As a father, a husband, a son, a brother – meeting the families of those who lost their loved ones last week was unimaginable. Their grief and pain are ours, and it is shared in homes across the land. 

    A year on, that collective grief has not diminished or waned.

    Yet their strength and determination to cherish the memories of those they had lost continues, and our determination to bring those still captive home endures. I stand firm in our commitment to bring the hostages home, and we will not give up until they are returned.

    One year on from these horrific attacks we must unequivocally stand with the Jewish community and unite as a country. We must never look the other way in the face of hate. 

    We must also not look the other way as civilians bear the ongoing dire consequences of this conflict in the Middle East. I reiterate my call for immediate ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, and for the removal of all restrictions on humanitarian aid into Gaza.

    We will not falter in our pursuit of peace and on this day of pain and sorrow, we honour those we lost, and continue in our determination to return those still held hostage, help those who are suffering, and secure a better future for the Middle East.

    Updates to this page

    Published 6 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Telephone interview with Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the State of Israel.

    MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –

    The President of the Republic spoke with Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the State of Israel, this Sunday, October 6.

    On this occasion, the President of the Republic and the Israeli Prime Minister discussed the situation in the Middle East at length, in complete frankness and with respect for the friendship between France and Israel. The two leaders acknowledge their differences of view as well as their desire to be well understood by each other.

    The President of the Republic reiterated to the Israeli Prime Minister that France’s commitment to Israel’s security is unwavering and reminded him of the mobilization of French military resources to defend it during the attacks carried out by Iran in recent months. On the eve of the first anniversary of Hamas’ terrorist offensive against Israel, he expressed the solidarity of the French people with the Israeli people, particularly the victims, the hostages and their loved ones. Like everyone, Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorism. Attacks against Israel and its citizens must cease, whether they are carried out by Iran or its proxies in the region.

    The President of the Republic also told the Israeli Prime Minister of his conviction that the time for a ceasefire has now come. The arms deliveries, the prolongation of the war in Gaza and its extension to Lebanon cannot produce the security expected by the Israelis and by everyone in the region. We must immediately produce the decisive effort that will allow us to develop the political solutions necessary for the security of Israel and everyone in the Middle East.

    The President of the Republic and the Israeli Prime Minister have agreed to remain in contact. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, will meet with Israeli officials tomorrow and will report to the President of the Republic in the coming days. France will continue to act in trust with Israel and all of its regional and international partners interested in building a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM statement on one-year anniversary of the October 7th attacks

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Words from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, on the one-year anniversary of the October 7th attacks.

    7 October 2023 was the darkest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust. One year on, we stand together to remember the lives so cruelly taken. 

    Over a thousand people were brutally murdered. Men, women, children and babies killed, mutilated, and tortured by the terrorists of Hamas. Jewish people murdered whilst protecting their families. 

    Young people massacred at a music festival. 

    People abducted from their homes.

    Agonising reports of rape, torture and brutality beyond comprehension which continued to emerge days and weeks later. 

    As a father, a husband, a son, a brother – meeting the families of those who lost their loved ones last week was unimaginable. Their grief and pain are ours, and it is shared in homes across the land. 

    A year on, that collective grief has not diminished or waned.

    Yet their strength and determination to cherish the memories of those they had lost continues, and our determination to bring those still captive home endures. I stand firm in our commitment to bring the hostages home, and we will not give up until they are returned.

    One year on from these horrific attacks we must unequivocally stand with the Jewish community and unite as a country. We must never look the other way in the face of hate. 

    We must also not look the other way as civilians bear the ongoing dire consequences of this conflict in the Middle East. I reiterate my call for immediate ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, and for the removal of all restrictions on humanitarian aid into Gaza.

    We will not falter in our pursuit of peace and on this day of pain and sorrow, we honour those we lost, and continue in our determination to return those still held hostage, help those who are suffering, and secure a better future for the Middle East.

    Updates to this page

    Published 6 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Donalds Condemns The Iranian Regime’s Ballistic Missile Attack On The State Of Israel

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL)

    Donalds Condemns The Iranian Regime’s Ballistic Missile Attack On The State Of Israel

    Naples, Fla., October 1, 2024

    NAPLES, Fla. – Today, Congressman Donalds issued the following statement condemning the Iranian regime’s ballistic missile attack on the State of Israel:

    “Just four years ago, the regime of Iran and its terrorist apparatus were broke and incapacitated due to a coordinated campaign of Trump ‘Maximum Pressure.’ Over the past four years, Biden-Harris appeasement has emboldened our adversaries and terrorists across the globe. Appeasement does not work; appeasement has never worked; and appeasement must end. Today, the terrorist regime of Iran targeted 10 million innocent Israeli civilians with nearly 200 ballistic missiles. This brazen escalation is unacceptable. Israel should do everything in its power to ensure national security and I stand with Israel in this mission.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Video: Rubio Remembers October 7, 2023 Terrorist Attacks

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

    Video: Rubio Remembers October 7, 2023 Terrorist Attacks

    Oct 6, 2024 | Press Releases

    This year marks the first anniversary of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks against Israel. 32 Americans died in those attacks, and four of the Americans taken hostage that day remain in captivity.

    U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a video remembering the attacks and supporting Israel’s effort to defeat the terrorist organizations responsible.

    A transcript of the video is below.

    One year ago, a terrorist group named Hamas launched a barbaric and unprovoked assault against Israel. The attack resulted in over 1,000 deaths. 

    Hamas’s campaign of violence involved the mass rape of young women, the mutilation of tiny babies and children, and the slaughtering of countless families. They used innocent Israelis and Palestinians as human shields. And when the loved ones of the dead begged for the bodies to be returned home, Hamas refused. 

    This group is deprived of any moral conscience. They are driven by one goal: the destruction of Israel. And for their backers in Iran, this destruction is only the first step in a multi-stage plan to dominate the Middle East and to destabilize the West. 

    October 7th, 2023 was the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. But one thing needs to be made clear: the United States will always stand with Israel. We should not just support their right to defend themselves. We must support their right to destroy Hamas, and we must support their right to fight back against the Iran-backed group Hezbollah. 

    Israel is our strongest ally in the Middle East, and their enemies are our enemies. We must provide them with whatever it takes to defeat Hamas, and to demonstrate strength and clarity against those who threaten Israel and threaten America. Because if we don’t stand by our friends, then we are standing by our enemies.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New Zealand marks anniversary of 7 October

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters are renewing New Zealand’s calls for restraint and de-escalation, on the first anniversary of the 7 October terrorist attacks on Israel.

    “New Zealand was horrified by the monstrous actions of Hamas against Israel a year ago today,” Mr Luxon says.

    “Then, as now, we remain appalled by Hamas’ brutality and the taking of hostages.”

    “Hamas’ terrorist attack set in motion an absolutely unacceptable cycle of violence and human suffering,” Mr Peters says.

    “We continue to reiterate that a ceasefire, endorsed by the United Nations Security Council, is the best way to protect civilians on all sides.

    “New Zealand also renews its call for the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages by Hamas.”

    “New Zealand remains concerned by the escalating hostilities across the Middle East”, Mr Luxon says.

    “We again call for restraint, the protection of civilians, and the upholding of international humanitarian law by all parties.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Readout of Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s Trip to the G7 Interior Minister’s Meeting in Italy

    Source: US State of Vermont

    Deputy Attorney General (Deputy AG) Lisa Monaco traveled to Mirabella Eclano, Italy, on Oct. 3-4 for the G7 Interior Ministers Meeting, where she highlighted the importance of international partnerships in supporting the rule of law and protecting against persistent global threats.

    The Deputy AG described the current threat environment to her G7 colleagues as a time where the threats have never been more diverse — from more aggressive actors — and all fueled by international conflicts and emerging, disruptive technologies — especially cyber and AI. She urged the ministers to stay united against threats posed by autocratic nations like Russia, Iran, and China looking to project power at home and abroad through transnational repression, malicious cyber activity, the abuse of emerging technologies, such as AI and cryptocurrencies, and malign foreign influence — especially in a global election year.

    The Deputy AG joined her colleagues in committing to deepening international collaboration against these threats, as well as against terrorism, malign cyber actors, and synthetic drugs such as fentanyl. She shared how the Justice Department is targeting the broader ecosystem that allows cyber criminals and malign nation state actors to flourish — by prioritizing disruptions and placing victims first — and also highlighted how the Department is tackling all aspects of the deadly fentanyl supply chain, in every part of the globe, to protect innocent lives.

    Ahead of the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s brutal October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel, the Deputy AG and Ministers unequivocally condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all forms, both online and offline. They pledged to continue the information sharing and law enforcement partnerships that are integral to thwarting acts of terror around the world. 

    The Deputy AG and ministers also met virtually with Ukrainian Interior Minister, Ihor Klymenko, and reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine and their resolve to hold Russia accountable for the war crimes and atrocities it is perpetrating in its war of aggression. She reiterated the need for sustained coordination in these efforts and underscored the Justice Department’s continued efforts to deprive the Russian war machine of funding and supplies. She joined the other ministers in announcing new efforts to help Ukraine build the rule of law and fight corruption, including through a new G7 Anti-Corruption Task Force.

    As part of their efforts to build cooperation and coordination among the G7 to promote the rule of law around the world, the Deputy AG and Ministers discussed common frameworks to harness the promise of AI while also protecting against the perils of its abuse. The Deputy AG cautioned that AI is changing how crimes are committed, from intensifying cyberattacks, to making fraud scams more believable, to creating child exploitative material, to supercharging malign foreign influence in elections.

    On the margins of the G7 Ministerial, the Deputy AG held several bilateral meetings, including with United Kingdom Home Secretary Yvette Cooper; Canadian Minister of Public Safety Dominic Leblanc; German Minister of Interior Nancy Faeser; and European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson. The Deputy AG also met with the G7 host, Italian Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi, to thank him for his leadership of the G7 and his hospitality. In all these discussions, the Deputy AG reinforced the steadfast commitment of the Justice Department to partnerships that uphold the rule of law and strengthen democracies around the world. 

    Italian Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi welcoming Deputy AG Monaco to the G7 Ministerial. Photo credit: Italian Ministry of the Interior. 
    Deputy AG Monaco with UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. Photo credit: UK Home Office. 
    Deputy AG Monaco with G7 leaders. Photo credit: Italian Ministry of the Interior.
    Deputy AG Monaco meeting with Italian Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi. Photo credit: Italian Ministry of the Interior.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Official ceremony held in Bridgetown to mark 48th anniversary of Barbados crime

    THOUSAND OSI Translation. Region: Spanish/Latin America/UN –

    Source: Republic of Cuba

    Official ceremony celebrated in Bridgetown for the 48th anniversary of the Barbados crimeBRIDGETOWN, Barbados – (October 6, 2024). This morning the official ceremony took place in Bridgetown for the 48th anniversary of the mid-flight explosion of Cubana de Aviación aircraft 455, which fell into the territorial waters of Barbados on October 6, 1976 and where 73 people were lost. life because of this terrorist act.  The Monument erected to the victims was also the scene to commemorate the 2nd anniversary of the CARICOM-Cuba Anti-Terrorism Day, as a result of the agreement adopted by the CARICOM countries and Cuba at the Summit held in December 2022. Government figures attended, members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Island, members of the Cuba Barbados Friendship Association and the Pan-Africanist Movement, representatives of Barbadian social institutions and youth organizations, Cuban residents and members of the Barbados state mission, to pay posthumous tribute to the victims of such a horrendous crime. The Honorable Sandra Husbands, Acting Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados, began the oratory at this solemn event, remembering the tragedy that occurred almost five decades ago, shortly after the nations that members of CARICOM had initiated diplomatic relations with the Republic of Cuba. Although this terrorist action was designed to create terror in the Caribbean community, it instead strengthened the commitment to establish lasting bilateral and regional relations with Cuba, our brother country. “During these almost 50 years, relations between Cuba and Barbados have witnessed of the good relations that we maintain, which have been consolidated because we defend honor and integrity in an international context full of hardships, obstacles and challenges and only united can we overcome the fear that terrorist acts like this instill, “said the dignitary. She mentioned the multiple examples of Cuba’s solidarity with Barbados, with the CARICOM countries and with the rest of the world and ratified the commitment to continue strengthening the fraternal relations between the CARICOM countries and the Republic of Cuba. Emotional and heartfelt were the words of the Ambassador of Cuba in Barbados, Yanet Stable Cárdenas when she expressed: “Tears came to our eyes every time we listened to the recording of the black box, the only survivor of the explosion and witness to the barbarism in mid-flight. «Stick to the water, Felo, stick to the water! “We put ourselves in the families’ shoes when they were confirmed that unfortunately the plane in which their loved ones were traveling had suffered a terrorist attack, and we felt their pain as our own. The imprint of terror marks us when we imagine the orphanhood that shadowed the days of those children whose father or mother were taken away by terror; when parents, after losing their only daughter in that criminal act, gave up living; when a young man lost his only sister, when a bride was left waiting; when a life that had just germinated in the womb of a woman never saw the light; when many families were left with open arms waiting eternally for the return of their loved ones.” “…the hatred, intolerance and fanaticism that fueled that act continue to run rampant. The children of Palestine and other Middle Eastern countries today suffer the prejudices of terror and darkness. “The threats to the Cuban Revolution and the acts of aggression under the blockade and the inclusion of Cuba on the list of alleged countries sponsoring terrorism remain in force, without valid arguments and without reasons that support such genocidal acts against a people that defends its independence, fights for its dreams of justice for Cuba and for the world.” “The Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples has called the Day for Peace, against the blockade and Terrorism, For a Free Palestine!; For a Cuba without blockade!; For a future of peace and sovereignty! The defense of peace is urgent.” “Today the Memorial erected to the martyrs of the Cubana de Aviación plane is a witness to the commemoration of the Second Anniversary of the “CARICOM-Cuba Day against Terrorism,” declared during the VIII CARICOM-Cuba Summit. , held in Barbados in December 2022. This represents the reason and the voice of condemnation of terrorism in any of its manifestations, to never forget the victims of these acts and maintain the commitment of Caribbean people to Peace. Cuban President, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, said in his speech before this Monument on December 6, 2022 and I quote: «Cuba does not forget either. We denounce, in all open forums, that the same hatred of those who guaranteed impunity to terrorists moves those who, in unacceptable offenses to the victims, continue to cause pain to Cuba, by inscribing their names on a spurious list of sponsors of terrorism. This site, this memorial, confirms that Cuba can only be on the list, if it existed, of the victims of terrorism” and paraphrasing the eternal Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, when he gave his historic speech on October 15, 1976, we would say today : When energetic and virile peoples cry, injustice trembles!” Mrs. Geneva Ross-Tyndall, Consul General (ag) of Guyana in Barbados, for her part, also gave a speech condemning terrorism, reflected on what fragile and fleeting that is life when in each of those 73 victims, including the eleven Guyanese, who were mostly young students, full of promise, who aspired to become doctors and engineers. In all of them, a dream, a hope, a future was broken. The youngest victim was only nine years old. This profound loss that occurred near Payne’s Bay brought the harsh reality of terrorism to the shores of Barbados. He said that “decisive measures are urgently needed to protect our region and guarantee that the Caribbean remains a sanctuary of peace. The far-reaching effects of terrorism are being felt in many nations and remind us of our common vulnerability, shared vulnerability.” He also expressed that “we live in a world plagued by divisions, but we must draw strength from our collective unity. Together we can foster a spirit of solidarity that drives us to take crucial action. We must challenge the forces of hatred and violence that seek to disrupt our harmony and cultivate environments of understanding and tolerance.” “Peace is the highest aspiration of human civilization, and world peace is based on respect and human dignity, on the rights of each individual to create a just, equitable and peaceful world. Through solidarity, vigilance and open dialogue, we can confront this global threat and work towards a safer future for all.” Ambassador Wayne McCook, Deputy Secretary-General, CARICOM Single Market and Trade, thanked the Government of Barbados, on behalf of the Caribbean Community, the possibility of “gathering once again in this serene place of remembrance, the Memorial erected to the 73 victims, to commemorate and reflect, while reaffirming the declaration to maintain our commitment to preserve the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace.” The closing words of the solemn ceremony were pronounced by His Excellency. Mr. David Comissiong, Ambassador of Barbados to CARICOM,   who said that “the event was horrific, it traumatized the nation of Barbados, and the people had to fulfill the sad duty of trying to recover the bodies of the territorial sea from the waters of the territorial sea. destroyed of the seventy-three victims. The painful and unforgettable tragedy forever united Cuba, Guyana, North Korea, Venezuela and Barbados. He expressed that “this solemn and sacred occasion is conducive to highlighting our mutual solidarity and sending a strong message on a global scale that we must strive to achieve a world in which mutual respect and peace prevail and the seeds of hatred, intolerance and terrorism are eliminated.”“This horrible Cuban tragedy turned out to be a catalyst that motivated our Caribbean Community to establish one of the fundamental pillars of our collective Foreign Policy: proclaiming that the Caribbean must be a Zone of Peace.” “CARICOM/Cuba Against Terrorism Day is, therefore, a day in which it is expected that the Republic of Cuba, the 15 full Member States of CARICOM and the 5 Associate Member States of CARICOM, participate in activities to highlight the importance of the fight against terrorism. In his speech he alluded to the multiple terrorist and genocidal acts that have been perpetrated against the peoples of the Middle East and exclaimed that once again, we raise our Caribbean voices and demand that the international institutions that have been established to intervene when excessive and illegal acts of national and international terrorism are perpetrated, act now to put an end to the barbarity “It merits the occasion to denounce the oldest case of terrorism in our own Caribbean region, State terrorism against the Republic of Cuba.” “The ridiculous inclusion of Cuba as a State sponsor of terrorism has only served to reinforce the effects of “illegal US blockade by increasing Cuba’s difficulties in participating in international trade, carrying out financial operations and acquiring basic products of first necessity for its people.” “It is this terrible and undeserved situation that led Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley to make the following statement about Cuba during her speech on September 27, 2024 before the United Nations General Assembly”:-.«And, Mr. President , you cannot come to this platform, unfortunately, (…) and not have to ask for a pardon for the people of Cuba. It is unacceptable, it is inconceivable. And that it continues today is a mark on our international conscience. The Cuban people continue to face the most dire economic circumstances, and this is a direct consequence of their exclusion and their designation as a State sponsor of terrorism. And I have stated that our only knowledge of terrorism and Cuba is, in fact, the downing of the Cubana plane off the waters of Barbados, where Cubans, Guyanese and Koreans died. My friends, Cuba has been a valuable partner, helping us when we needed it most, providing nurses and doctors in pandemics and other essential workers when the world community needed it, and also when towns in southern Africa had to be liberated! The reality is that we must continue to call resolutely for the embargo to be lifted, and we will condemn it year after year because, quite simply, it is wrong!’ Mr Comissiong concluded his emotional speech by demanding on behalf of the Government and people of Barbados and In fact, on behalf of the entire Caribbean Community, that the Government of the United States of America end its illegal blockade against Cuba and remove Cuba from the list of State sponsors of terrorism of the United States Department of State The event concluded when the speakers, all together, placed wreaths, not only to pay tribute to the victims of Cubana de Aviación Flight 455, but also to evoke the urgent need to join forces to put an end to terrorism together. Cubaminrex – EmbaCuba Barbados)

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s message to mark one year since the attacks of 7 October 2023 [scroll down for Arabic, Chinese, French, Hebrew, Russian and Spanish]

    Source: United Nations – English

    ownload the video: https://s3.amazonaws.com/downloads2.unmultimedia.org/public/video/evergreen/MSG+SG+/SG+4+Oct+24/MSG+SG+1+YEAR+ANNIVERSARY+OF+OCT+7+ATTACKS+04+OCT+24+EN.mp4

    Today marks one year since the horrific events of October 7th when Hamas launched a large-scale terror attack in Israel killing over 1,250 Israelis and foreign nationals, including children and women. 

    More than 250 people were abducted and taken to Gaza, including many women and children.  
     
    The October 7th attack scarred souls – and on this day we remember all those who were brutally killed and suffered unspeakable violence – including sexual violence – as they were simply living their lives.  
     
    This is a day for the global community to repeat in the loudest voice our utter condemnation of the abhorrent acts of Hamas, including the taking of hostages.  
     
    Over the course of the past year, I have met with the families of hostages…learned more about the lives, hopes and dreams of their loved ones … and shared in their anguish and pain.

    I cannot imagine the torture they are forced to endure every day.  I demand once again the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. 

    Until then, Hamas must allow the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit those hostages. 
     
    The 7th of October is naturally a day to focus on the events of that awful day.  I express my solidarity with all the victims and their loved ones.

    Since October 7th, a wave of shocking violence and bloodshed has erupted.

    The war that has followed the terrible attacks of one year ago continues to shatter lives and inflict profound human suffering for Palestinians in Gaza, and now the people of Lebanon. 

    I have spoken out about this often and clearly. 

    It is time for the release of the hostages.  Time to silence the guns.  Time to stop the suffering that has engulfed the region.  Time for peace, international law and justice.

    The United Nations is fully committed to achieving those goals.

    In the midst of so much bloodshed and division, we must hold on to hope. 

    Let us honour the memory of the victims, reunite families and end the suffering and violence in the whole Middle East.

    And let us never stop working for a lasting solution to the conflict where Israel, Palestine and all other countries of the region can finally live in peace and dignity and with respect for one another. 

    ***

    Download the video with Arabic subtitles: https://s3.amazonaws.com/downloads2.unmultimedia.org/public/video/evergreen/MSG+SG+/SG+4+Oct+24/MSG+SG+1+YEAR+ANNIVERSARY+OF+OCT+7+ATTACKS+04+OCT+24+AR.mp4

                يصادف اليوم مرور عام على الأحداث المروعة التي وقعت في السابع من تشرين الأول/أكتوبر عندما شنت حماس هجوماً إرهابياً واسع النطاق في إسرائيل أسفر عن مقتل أكثر من 1,250 من الإسرائيليين والرعايا الأجانب، بينهم أطفال ونساء.
                وجرى في هذا الهجوم اختطاف أكثر من 250 شخصا، بينهم العديد من النساء والأطفال، واقتيادهم إلى غزة.
                لقد خلّف هجوم السابع من تشرين الأول/أكتوبر ندوبا غائرة في النفوس – وها نحن في يومنا هذا نستحضر ذكرى جميع أولئك الذين قُتلوا بوحشية وتعرضوا لعنف يجلُّ عن الوصف – بما فيه العنف الجنسي – بينما كانوا يعيشون حياتهم كأي إنسان عادي.
                إنه يوم يكرر فيه المجتمع الدولي بأعلى صوته إدانتنا المطلقة للأفعال الشنعاء التي قامت بها حماس، بما في ذلك اختطاف رهائن.
                ولقد التقيت على مدار العام الماضي بعائلات الرهائن.. تعرفت بدرجة أكبر على حياة أحبائهم وآمالهم وأحلامهم، وشاطرتهم معاناتهم وألمهم.
                ولا أستطيع أن أتخيل العذاب الذي يُجبرون على تحمله كل يوم. وأطالب مرة أخرى بالإفراج الفوري وغير المشروط عن جميع الرهائن.
                وحتى ذلك الحين، يجب أن تسمح حماس للجنة الدولية للصليب الأحمر بزيارة هؤلاء الرهائن.
                ومن الطبيعي أن يكون يوم السابع من تشرين الأول/أكتوبر يوما للتركيز على أحداث ذلك اليوم البغيض. وإنني أعرب عن تضامني مع جميع الضحايا وأحبائهم.
                ولقد اندلعت منذ السابع من تشرين الأول/أكتوبر موجة مروعة من العنف وسفك الدماء.
                ولا تزال الحرب التي أعقبت الهجمات الرهيبة التي وقعت قبل عام تعصف بحياة الفلسطينيين في غزة وتُلحق بهم معاناة إنسانية بالغة، هم وشعب لبنان الآن.
                وهو أمر كثيرا ما تحدثتُ عنه بوضوح.
                لقد حان الوقت لإطلاق سراح الرهائن. حان الوقت لإسكات البنادق. حان الوقت لوقف المعاناة التي اجتاحت المنطقة. حان وقت السلام والقانون الدولي والعدالة.
                والأمم المتحدة ملتزمة تمام الالتزام بتحقيق تلك الأهداف.
                ويجب علينا، في خضم الكثير من سفك الدماء والانقسام، أن نتشبث بالأمل.
                دعونا نكرّم ذكرى الضحايا، ونُعِدْ لم شمل العائلات ونضع حدا للمعاناة والعنف في الشرق الأوسط بأكمله.
                دعونا لا نتوقف أبدًا عن العمل من أجل التوصل إلى حل دائم للنزاع يمكِّن إسرائيل وفلسطين وجميع الدول الأخرى في المنطقة من أن تنعم أخيرا بالعيش في سلام وكرامة واحترام لبعضها البعض.

    ***

    今天是10月7日可怕事件发生一周年，那一天哈马斯在以色列发动大规模恐怖袭击，造成1 250多名以色列人和外国国民死亡，其中包括儿童和妇女，另有数千人受伤。
    250多人被绑架并带到加沙，其中有许多妇女和儿童。
    10月7日袭击事件在人们的心灵上留下了创伤——今天，我们缅怀所有那些被残忍杀害和遭受无比凶狠暴力——包括性暴力——的人，毕竟他们当时只是在过自己的生活。
    今天，国际社会应当再次以最响亮的声音强烈谴责哈马斯的恶行，包括劫持人质行为。
    在过去一年里，我会见了人质家属，与家属同哀，对其亲人的生活、期许和梦想有了更多的了解。
    我无法想象他们每天被迫承受的折磨。我再次要求立即无条件释放所有人质。
    在此之前，哈马斯必须允许红十字国际委员会探视这些人质。
    10月7日自然是注重探讨那可怕一天所发生事件的日子。我向所有受害者及其亲人表示慰问。
    10月7日之后爆发了一波令人震惊的暴力和流血事件。
    一年前可怕袭击之后发生的战争至今仍在摧毁生命，给加沙巴勒斯坦人、如今又给黎巴嫩人民造成深重的人类痛苦。
    我经常明确地谈到这一点。
    现在是时候释放人质了。是时候平息枪炮声了。是时候结束席卷该地区的苦难了。和平、国际法和正义的时候到了。
    联合国完全致力于实现这些目标。
    面对如此众多的流血和分裂，我们必须坚守希望。
    让我们缅怀受害者，促成家人团圆，终止整个中东的痛苦和暴力。
    让我们永远不要停止为持久解决冲突而努力，使以色列、巴勒斯坦和该地区所有其他国家最终都能在和平、尊严和相互尊重中生活。
    ***
    Un an s’est écoulé depuis les terribles événements du 7 octobre, ce jour où le Hamas a lancé une attaque terroriste de grande ampleur en Israël, tuant plus de 1 250 Israéliens et ressortissants étrangers, y compris des femmes et des enfants.
    Plus de 250 personnes, dont beaucoup de femmes et d’enfants, ont été enlevées et emmenées à Gaza.
    L’attaque du 7 octobre a frappé les esprits. En ce jour, nous nous souvenons de toutes celles et de tous ceux qui ont été brutalement tués ou subi des violences indicibles – y compris des violences sexuelles – alors qu’ils vivaient simplement leurs vies.
    Aujourd’hui est le jour où la communauté internationale doit redire haut et fort qu’elle condamne catégoriquement les actes odieux commis par le Hamas, y compris la prise d’otages.
    Au cours de l’année écoulée, j’ai rencontré les familles des otages et en ai appris davantage sur la vie, les espoirs et les rêves de leurs proches, tout en partageant leur angoisse et leur peine.
    Je n’imagine pas les tourments qu’ils doivent endurer chaque jour. J’exige une fois encore la libération immédiate et inconditionnelle de tous les otages.
    Tant qu’ils n’auront pas été libérés, le Hamas doit permettre au Comité international de la Croix-Rouge de leur rendre visite.
    Le 7 octobre est bien sûr un jour où l’on se concentre sur les événements de ce jour atroce. J’exprime ma solidarité avec toutes les victimes et leurs proches.
    Depuis le 7 octobre, une terrible vague de violence et d’effusion de sang a éclaté.
    La guerre qui a suivi la terrible attaque de l’année dernière continue de briser des vies et d’infliger de profondes souffrances aux Palestiniens de Gaza et, aujourd’hui, au peuple libanais.
    Je me suis exprimé à ce sujet de façon claire et répétée.
    L’heure est venue de libérer les otages. L’heure est venue de faire taire les armes. L’heure est venue de mettre fin aux souffrances qui engloutissent la région. L’heure est à la paix, au droit international et à la justice.
    L’Organisation des Nations Unies est pleinement déterminée à atteindre ces objectifs.
    Au milieu de tant d’horreurs et de divisions, nous devons garder l’espoir.
    Honorons la mémoire des victimes, réunissons les familles et mettons fin à la souffrance et à la violence dans l’ensemble du Moyen-Orient.
    Ne cessons jamais d’oeuvrer en faveur d’une solution durable au conflit, afin qu’Israël, la Palestine et tous les autres pays de la région vivent enfin dans la paix, la dignité et le respect mutuel.
    ***

    Download the video with Hebrew subtitles: https://s3.amazonaws.com/downloads2.unmultimedia.org/public/video/evergreen/MSG+SG+/SG+4+Oct+24/MSG+SG+1+YEAR+ANNIVERSARY+OF+OCT+7+ATTACKS+04+OCT+24+HB.mp4

    היום אנחנו מציינים שנה מאז האירועים הנוראיים של ה-7 באוקטובר, כאשר חמאס פתח במתקפת טרור נרחבת על ישראל, שבא נהרגו למעלה מ-1,250 ישראלים ואזרחים זרים, כולל ילדים ונשים..
    יותר מ-250 בני אדם נחטפו ונלקחו בני ערובה לעזה, רבים מהם נשים וילדים.
    הפיגוע ב-7 באוקטובר צילקה נשמות – וביום הזה אנחנו זוכרים את כל מי שנהרג באכזריות ואת אלה שסבלו מאלימות שאין לתאר – כולל אלימות מינית – בזמן שהם פשוט חיו את חייהם.
    זהו יום שבו הקהילה הבין–לאומית תחזור בקול הרם החזק ביותר שלנו בגינוי מוחלט למעשיו המתועבים של חמאס, כולל לקיחת בני ערובה.
    במהלך השנה האחרונה, נפגשתי עם משפחות החטופים, ולמדתי יותר על חייהם, ועל התקוות והחלומות שלהם ועל  יקיריהם, והשתתפתי בייסורים שלהם, ובכאב שלהם
    אני לא יכול לדמיין את העינויים שהם נאלצים לסבול מדי יום. אני קורא ודורש שוב את שחרורם המיידי וללא תנאים של כל החטופים.
    עד אז, אני קורא לחמאס לאפשר לצלב האדום לבקר את כל בני הערובה.
    ה-7 באוקטובר הוא כמובן יום להתמקד באירועים של אותו יום נורא. אני מביע את הזדהותי עם כל הקורבנות ויקיריהם.
    מאז ה-7 באוקטובר פרץ גל של אלימות מזעזעת ושפיכות דמים.
    המלחמה שבאה בעקבות הפיגועים הנוראים של ה7.10 ממשיכה לנפץ חיים ולגרום לסבל אנושי עמוק לפלסטינים בעזה, וכעת לתושבי לבנון.
    דיברתי על זה לעתים קרובות ובאופן ברור ונחרץ.
    הגיע הזמן לשחרור החטופים. הגיע הזמן להשתיק את הרובים. הגיע הזמן להפסיק את הסבל שאפף את האזור. הגיע הזמן לשלום, לחוק בינלאומי ולצדק.
    האו”ם מחויב במלואו להשגת מטרות אלו.
    בתוך כל כך הרבה שפיכות דמים ופילוג, עלינו להחזיק בתקווה.
    בואו נכבד את זכר הקורבנות, נאחד משפחות ונסיים את הסבל והאלימות בכל מזרח התיכון.
    ולעולם לא נפסיק לפעול למען פתרון יציב וקבוע לסכסוך שבין ישראל, פלסטין וכל שאר מדינות האזור, שיוכלו כולם סוף סוף לחיות בשלום ובכבוד זה ליד זה.
     

    Сегодня исполняется год со дня ужасных событий 7 октября, когда ХАМАС совершило в Израиле масштабное террористиче-ское нападение, в результате которого погибли более 1250 израильтян и иностранных граждан, включая детей и жен-щин.
    Более 250 человек были похищены и увезены в Газу, среди них много женщин и детей.
    Нападение 7 октября оставило неизгладимый след в сердцах людей, и сегодня мы вспоминаем всех тех, кто просто жил своей жизнью и был жестоко убит или подвергся чудовищному наси-лию, в том числе сексуальному.
    В этот день мировое сообщество должно вновь во всеуслы-шание осудить омерзительные действия ХАМАС, включая захват заложников.
    В течение прошедшего года я встречался с семьями заложни-ков, узнал о жизни, надеждах и мечтах их близких и разделил их страдания и боль.
    Я не могу представить, какой пытке они подвергаются еже-дневно. Я вновь требую немедленного и безоговорочного осво-бождения всех заложников.
    Пока же ХАМАС должна разрешить Международному коми-тету Красного Креста посетить заложников.
    Как и следовало ожидать, 7 октября посвящено событиям того ужасного дня. Я выражаю свою солидарность со всеми жертвами и их близкими.
    Начиная с 7 октября поднялась волна ужасающего насилия и кровопролития.
    Война, последовавшая за ужасными нападениями годичной давности, продолжает ломать жизни и причинять глубокие чело-веческие страдания палестинцам в Газе, а теперь и народу Ливана.
    Я много раз прямо говорил об этом.
    Пора освободить заложников. Пора сложить оружие. Пора положить конец страданиям, охватившим регион. Настало время мира, международного права и справедливости.
    Организация Объединенных Наций всецело привержена до-стижению этих целей.
    В разгар такого кровопролития и в условиях непримиримых разногласий мы должны сохранять надежду.
    Давайте почтим память погибших, воссоединим семьи и по-ложим конец страданиям и насилию на всем Ближнем Востоке.
    И не будем прекращать усилий, направленных на долгосроч-ное урегулирование конфликта, чтобы Израиль, Палестина и все другие страны региона смогли наконец жить в мире и достоин-стве, уважая друг друга.

    ***
    Hoy hace un año de los terribles sucesos ocurridos el 7 de octubre, el día en que Hamás perpetró en Israel un atentado terrorista a gran escala que causó la muerte a más de 1.250 ciudadanos israelíes y extranjeros, entre ellos niños, niñas y mujeres.
    Más de 250 personas fueron secuestradas y llevadas a Gaza, muchas de ellas mujeres, niñas y niños.
    El atentado del 7 de octubre dejó graves secuelas anímicas y, por eso, hoy recordamos a todas aquellas personas cuyas vidas cotidianas se vieron truncadas por una muerte brutal y por actos indescriptibles de violencia, incluida violencia sexual.
    En esta fecha, la comunidad mundial alza su voz para reiterar su absoluta condena de los abominables actos cometidos por Hamás, incluida la toma de rehenes.
    A lo largo del último año me he reunido con las familias de los rehenes… he podido conocer mejor la vida, las esperanzas y los sueños de sus seres queridos… y he compartido su angustia y dolor.
    Pero no puedo ni imaginar la tortura que tienen que soportar día tras día. Y exijo una vez más la liberación inmediata e incondicional de todos los rehenes.
    Hasta que llegue ese momento, Hamás debe permitir que el Comité Internacional de la Cruz Roja visite a los rehenes.
    El 7 de octubre es, naturalmente, una fecha para reflexionar sobre los sucesos de aquel espantoso día. Por mi parte, me solidarizo con todas las víctimas y sus seres queridos.
    Aquel 7 de octubre desencadenó una oleada de violencia y derramamiento de sangre de proporciones aterradoras.
    La guerra que siguió a los terribles atentados de hace un año sigue destrozando vidas e infligiendo un profundo sufrimiento a la población palestina de Gaza, y ahora también al pueblo del Líbano.
    A este respecto, me he expresado de forma muy clara y en numerosas ocasiones.
    Ya es hora de liberar a los rehenes; es hora de silenciar las armas; es hora de poner fin al sufrimiento que devora la región. Ha llegado la hora de la paz, el derecho internacional y la justicia.
    Las Naciones Unidas mantienen su pleno compromiso de lograr esos objetivos.
    En medio de tanta sangre derramada y tantas disensiones, hemos de aferrarnos a la esperanza.
    Honremos la memoria de las víctimas, reunamos a las familias y pongamos fin al sufrimiento y la violencia en todo Oriente Medio.
    Y tratemos sin descanso de alcanzar una solución duradera del conflicto que permita a Israel, Palestina y todos los otros países de la región vivir por fin en paz y con dignidad, respetándose mutuamente.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Could NZ foreign policy be Trumped? Why the government will be hoping Kamala Harris wins the US election

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert G. Patman, Professor of International Relations, University of Otago

    Getty Images

    One of the political ironies of the race for the White House is that the foreign policy interests of New Zealand’s centre-right government are probably best served by Democratic candidate Kamala Harris winning.

    Since the end of World War II, all New Zealand governments have supported multilateralism and an international rules-based order enshrined in the institutions of the United Nations.

    The relationship with the United States has reflected that, and tends to outlast the periodic fluctuations associated with changes in government and policy in Wellington or Washington.

    New Zealand’s current National-led coalition inherited close relations with the US, too. American visitor numbers were second only to Australians last year. The US is our third largest export market. And the two countries remain strategically linked within the Five Eyes intelligence sharing arrangement.

    Nevertheless, one of the key foreign policy goals of the coalition is to strengthen alignment with traditional allies such as the US. Given the very different worldviews of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, the November 5 election will have a large bearing on how successful any push for closer relations with the US can be.

    Closer relations in the balance

    On the one hand, Republican candidate Trump is opposed to multilateral institutions, unless they explicitly serve US national interests. And he wants to reverse the impact of globalisation by constraining immigration, free trade and global governance.

    Nationalist slogans like “America First” promise a return to a so-called golden era of patriotism and sovereignty: a top-down world where the greatest power of all is unencumbered and free to assert its dominance.

    On the other hand, Harris would seem to support a more traditional US foreign policy agenda. This recognises the importance of international institutions and alliances in a world where “isolation is not insulation”.

    Whoever occupies the White House next, then, is likely to have a significant impact on New Zealand foreign policy.

    Isolation and dominance: Trump plays the immigration card at Republican National Convention in July 18.
    Getty Images

    Power plays and the Pacific

    First, Trump’s belief in an international system run by great powers would seem to be a recipe for depriving smaller states like New Zealand of a voice on international issues that affect them.

    Second, New Zealand’s regional focus on ties with Pacific Island nations – underpinned by close people-to-people links and a significant proportion of the country’s overseas development aid programme – is more likely to be complemented by a Harris foreign policy.

    Outgoing president Joe Biden reversed decades of US neglect of much of the Pacific, which had played to the advantage of other external powers – notably China.

    The Biden team launched the annual US-Pacific Islands Summit in 2022. And Kamala Harris played an active role in delivering US$800 million in development and climate assistance to Pacific Island nations in 2022-23.

    Whether Trump will maintain this enhanced diplomatic and economic engagement in the Pacific (and elsewhere) is questionable. Similarly, after Biden rejoined the Paris Climate Accord, Trump will probably quit it for a second time.

    Kamala Harris hosts Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House in September.
    Getty Images

    AUKUS and Ukraine

    Third, the New Zealand government faces the delicate task of navigating relations with an increasingly assertive China – the country’s biggest trade partner – while pursuing its goal of moving closer to the US.

    Since March 2023, successive New Zealand governments have been considering joining an arrangement to share advanced defence technologies under pillar two of the AUKUS security partnership that aims to deter a rising China in the Indo-Pacific region.

    It remains to be seen how China would react if New Zealand did join. But Trump’s insistence on US primacy in any multilateral agreement could make it more difficult for the government to win domestic support for pillar two membership.

    Even outside the AUKUS debate, Trump is more likely to insist allies spend more on defence than they did traditionally.

    Fourth, New Zealand has a big stake in the failure of Russia’s attempted annexation of Ukraine. Wellington’s interests are clearly more in line with Harris’ pledge to maintain support for Ukraine to restore its territorial integrity.

    Trump’s promise to end the war within 24 hours, on the other hand, could probably only be achieved by giving Vladimir Putin what he wants.

    The Middle East and the UN

    Finally, there do not seem to be substantive policy differences between Trump and Harris on the catastrophic situation in Gaza, and increasingly Lebanon.

    There remains a slim possibility a Harris administration might recognise unconditional support for the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu is not sustainable for a superpower whose foreign policy is supposed to be driven by universal values and respect for international law.

    But this would be near impossible for Trump. Indeed, he would probably provide Netanyahu with even greater support.

    Overall, the foreign policy interests of the National-led coalition seem to align more with a Harris presidency than one led by Trump.

    But even if Harris wins, the alignment of interests will not be perfect. US exceptionalism – an informal ideology that claims the nation is a political exemplar for the rest of the world – and Washington’s veto power in the UN security Council are likely to remain constraining factors on the New Zealand-US relationship.

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

    – ref. Could NZ foreign policy be Trumped? Why the government will be hoping Kamala Harris wins the US election – https://theconversation.com/could-nz-foreign-policy-be-trumped-why-the-government-will-be-hoping-kamala-harris-wins-the-us-election-240538

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Commemorating victims of 7 October attacks

    Source: Scottish Government

    First Minister expresses sympathy as he calls for peace.

    First Minister John Swinney expressed his sympathy to the Jewish community as he remembers all those who lost their lives in the Hamas 7 October terror attacks a year ago.

    Since the attacks, the Scottish Government has consistently called for the immediate release of all hostages, a ceasefire in Gaza, the urgent provision of humanitarian aid to all who need it, and a two-state solution with sovereign Israeli and Palestinian states.

    The First Minister said:

    “The atrocious attacks carried out by the terrorist organisation, Hamas, on 7 October resulted in the worst single loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust. Jewish communities across the world, including here in Scotland, are deeply traumatised by the attacks,

    “As we remember those who died, I express my sympathy to the Jewish community and all those who mourn. 

    “I also remember the thousands of innocent people who have been killed in the crisis over the last year. Now more than ever, an immediate ceasefire is needed in Gaza, and the Middle East.

    “As communities across Scotland reflect on the 7 October terrorist attacks and the subsequent loss of further innocent life that has followed, I pledge the unwavering support of my government to ensure our communities remain united, that all communities are kept safe and that we live in a Scotland where people of all faiths, and none, can live in peace.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: 4th Russian-Chinese Energy Business Forum brings together executives of major companies, government officials and industry experts

    Source: Rosneft

    Headline: 4th Russian-Chinese Energy Business Forum brings together executives of major companies, government officials and industry experts

    Government officials from the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China and executives from over 100 major Russian and Chinese companies have attended the 4th Russian-Chinese Energy Business Forum.

    The reports on the development of energy cooperation between the two countries at the Forum were presented by Igor Sechin, Executive Secretary of the Commission for the President of the Russian Federation on the strategy of development of the fuel and energy industry and environmental safety, Chief Executive Officer of Rosneft Oil Company; Alexander Novak, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation; Han Zheng, Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China; Dai Houliang, Chairman of the CNPC Board of Directors; CEOs of Russian and Chinese companies. The Forum was also attended by ministers and government officials from the two countries, as well as representatives of the scientific community.

    The strong participation once again confirmed the RCEBF’s status as the most important platform for shaping the key areas of energy dialogue between Russia and China.

    The Forum was held in a face-to-face distance format at two venues in Moscow and Beijing, with a video bridge between them.

    UPWARD DEVELOPMENT

    President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation and President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China sent greetings to the Forum participants, in which they noted the positive dynamics of the development of Russian-Chinese energy cooperation.

    In particular, Vladimir Putin noted in his address that, despite the complexity of the international situation, relations between the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China continue to develop in an upward direction. The energy sector remains one of the key and most dynamic areas of economic cooperation between the two countries.

    “The Russian-Chinese Energy Business Forum plays an increasingly prominent role in expanding cooperation in such an important sector, facilitating regular dialogue between representatives of government agencies, leading industry corporations, banking institutions and expert circles of the two countries. One of the Forum’s most vital activities is the creation of the “Atlas of Russian-Chinese Energy Cooperation Investments”. There is no doubt that the development of this unique information and analysis platform opens up new opportunities for mutually beneficial commercial initiatives,” reads the address of the Russian President.

    CORNERSTONE OF CHINA-RUSSIA COOPERATION

    In his welcoming address to the Forum, China’s President Xi Jinping declared energy to be the cornerstone of cooperation between China and Russia.

    According to the PRC President, Beijing intends to build a closer partnership with Moscow in the energy sector. “The energy engagement between China and Russia is a cornerstone of practical cooperation between the two countries and also serves as an effective force for global energy security,” reads Xi Jinping’s address.

    Russia and China’s energy cooperation demonstrates sustainability despite external challenges, the PRC President said.

    “In the face of external risks and challenges, Russia and China are intensifying interaction and coordination, promoting major cooperation projects, demonstrating the high sustainability of Russian-Chinese energy cooperation,” reads Xi Jinping’s address.

    UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES

    Igor Sechin, Executive Secretary of the Commission for the President of the Russian Federation on the strategy of development of the fuel and energy industry and environmental safety, Chief Executive Officer of Rosneft Oil Company, delivered an address at the opening of the 4th Russian-Chinese Energy Business Forum devoted to the development of the energy dialogue between the two countries.

    By the end of this year, the trade turnover between Russia and China may reach $180-190 billion, Rosneft CEO believes. According to him, the figure has already reached $153.9 billion in ten months.

    Thus, Igor Sechin added, the goal of reaching $200 billion in trade turnover may be achieved even earlier than in 2024, as previously planned.

    Igor Sechin noted that Xi Jingping’s 2015 proposal at the rostrum of the UN to create a “community of one destiny for the humankind”, which underlay Chinese foreign policy (as part of the preamble to China’s Constitution), was a worthy response to the challenges of the growing turbulence. “The Western opponents cannot or do not want to understand the great humanitarian meaning of this idea, rejecting the concept of common destiny because of certain ideological considerations,” Igor Sechin believes. “They do not want to understand that it is not about a uniformity, which is naturally alien to the Chinese cultural tradition.” “All phenomena develop together and do not impede one another, all principles are effected together and do not contradict one another,” says a Chinese wisdom. “China simply tells the world: “We are all in the same boat.” And it turns out that China is working to unite humanity, while the West is working to divide it,” Igor Sechin said.

    Rosneft CEO noted that China, like Russia, had always been against unilateral sanctions and economic pressure, which turned into selfish promotion of one’s own selfish interests, and had always advocated the universal and equal application of international law. “Nevertheless, we see that the PRC is subjected to commercial discrimination. The goal is openly set to stop China’s technological development and prevent China from becoming the Number 1 technological power,” the head of Rosneft believes. No wonder the 20th CPC Congress has paid so much attention to security, which is becoming a political priority.

    Rosneft CEO emphasised the unique opportunities that the cooperation offers in terms of ensuring China’s and Russia’s economic security in sensitive areas. “In the field of resource supply, including energy resources, Russia is a reliable supplier with a huge potential that is capable of expanding. As for production and technological logistics, our partnership here seems to be the most protected in terms of security,” Igor Sechin said.

    Russian energy companies, Sechin said, were ready to cooperate with Chinese partners in all areas—“in coal, in gas, in oil, in electricity and through Rosatom.”

    Rosneft CEO noted that the Company had always promoted integral cooperation with Chinese partners along the entire technological chain: that is exploration and production, refining, power generation, sales at potential markets, including retail sales. “As a rule, such cooperation implies exchange of shares, setup of joint ventures, supply of equipment, and technological partnership,” he said.

    POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH IN ENERGY EXPORTS

    Russia’s oil exports to China in January-October 2022 increased by 9.5% year-on-year to reach almost 72 million tonnes. This put Russia in second place among the suppliers of this fuel to Beijing, only slightly behind Saudi Arabia (73.8 million tonnes), Igor Sechin said.

    For his part, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak acknowledged the possibility of building new oil pipelines to China.

    Rosneft CEO also reminded the audience about the Vostok Oil project that “would provide long-term, reliable, and guaranteed energy supplies to Asia’s growing economies.” The project should produce 115 million tonnes of oil by 2033, equivalent to 2.5% of current world production.

    Russia also retains great potential for increasing hydrocarbon exports. For example, Sechin estimates that Rosneft alone has more than 2 trillion cubic metres of gas reserves in Eastern Siberia and the Far East that could be delivered to China.

    According to Igor Sechin, Russian pipeline gas deliveries could increase by 60% this year. The figure will exceed 100 billion cubic metres a year in the foreseeable future, and Rosneft CEO is confident that this is not even the limit.

    Executive Secretary of the Presidential Commission on the strategy of development of the fuel and energy industry Igor Sechin noted the prospects for liquefied natural gas: “Today Russia exports to China relatively small volumes of LNG, but in the future, the volume of LNG supplies may become comparable to our supplies from pipeline projects.”

    For his part, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) Chairman Dai Houliang pointed to the importance of proper operation of oil pipelines from Russia to China and the Yamal LNG project, in which CNPC has a stake.

    “The implementation of the Sino-Russian gas pipeline through the Far East route and the Arctic LNG-2 project should also be accelerated,” he added.

    Furthermore, according to Igor Sechin, Russia accounts for almost a quarter of China’s coal imports—53 million tonnes in the first ten months of this year. Only Indonesia supplies more coal to the PRC.

    China buys from Russia not only hydrocarbons, but also electricity. Between January and October, its supplies grew by 33% and set a new record.

    SETTLEMENTS IN NATIONAL CURRENCIES

    As Alexander Novak noted, Russia and China were switching to settlements in national currencies when trading energy resources: “This work helps to prevent risks and facilitate the transformation of the rouble and yuan to the status of world reserve currencies.” In addition, the two countries’ central banks are working on a settlement system outside SWIFT.

    A significant step in the development of settlement in national currencies was Rosneft’s 2022 placement of an issue of bonds in yuan totalling 15 billion. According to bank analysts, this was the largest corporate bond market placement in the Russian market ever.

    Executive Secretary of the Presidential Commission on the strategy of development of the fuel and energy industry Igor Sechin noted that settlements under foreign economic contracts, primarily for the supply of energy products, had been promptly adapted to the new conditions. “I consider it important to develop clearing payments between China and Russia, which could then be joined by other interested countries (EAEU, SCO, BRICS). The existence of an independent settlement system is an important component of financial sovereignty in the contemporary world,” the head of Rosneft said.

    INVESTMENT ATLAS

    A significant contribution to the development of energy cooperation between the two countries was the publication of the Atlas of Russian-Chinese Energy Cooperation Investments. This document is a comprehensive and practical guide to the implementation of joint projects. Its first part, presented at the previous Forum by the Russian side, was devoted to a review of the current state and prospects of development of the fuel and energy complex of the Russian Federation.

    During the 4th Russian-Chinese Energy Business Forum, Zhang Jianhua, Head of the State Energy Administration of the People’s Republic of China, gave a presentation on the Chinese part of the Atlas.

    The Forum brought together over 300 representatives of major Russian and Chinese companies in the oil and gas, power, coal, nuclear and renewable energy sectors, heads of federal executive authorities, power equipment manufacturers, and representatives of the financial and IT sectors. The participants discussed in detail the key issues of bilateral cooperation in the energy sector. On the sidelines of the Forum, contracts were discussed and concluded between Russian and Chinese partners on energy supply, technology development, joint research, personnel training, and involvement of Chinese companies in the procurement of goods, works and services for projects implemented in Russia.

    The Russian-Chinese Energy Business Forum has been held since 2018, in line with the agreements reached by President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation and President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China. The two leaders outlined the main objective of the Forum, that is to expand cooperation, find new areas for investment and implement promising projects in the energy sphere in Russia and China.

    Since its inception, the Forum takes place under the auspices of the Commission for the President of the Russian Federation on the strategy of development of the fuel and energy industry and environmental safety and the State Energy Administration of the People’s Republic of China, and is co-organised by Rosneft and China National Petroleum Corporation.

    Rosneft
    Information Division
    November 29, 2022

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: 4th Russian-Chinese Energy Business Forum brings together executives of major companies, government officials and industry experts

    Source: Rosneft

    Headline: 4th Russian-Chinese Energy Business Forum brings together executives of major companies, government officials and industry experts

    Government officials from the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China and executives from over 100 major Russian and Chinese companies have attended the 4th Russian-Chinese Energy Business Forum.

    The reports on the development of energy cooperation between the two countries at the Forum were presented by Igor Sechin, Executive Secretary of the Commission for the President of the Russian Federation on the strategy of development of the fuel and energy industry and environmental safety, Chief Executive Officer of Rosneft Oil Company; Alexander Novak, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation; Han Zheng, Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China; Dai Houliang, Chairman of the CNPC Board of Directors; CEOs of Russian and Chinese companies. The Forum was also attended by ministers and government officials from the two countries, as well as representatives of the scientific community.

    The strong participation once again confirmed the RCEBF’s status as the most important platform for shaping the key areas of energy dialogue between Russia and China.

    The Forum was held in a face-to-face distance format at two venues in Moscow and Beijing, with a video bridge between them.

    UPWARD DEVELOPMENT

    President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation and President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China sent greetings to the Forum participants, in which they noted the positive dynamics of the development of Russian-Chinese energy cooperation.

    In particular, Vladimir Putin noted in his address that, despite the complexity of the international situation, relations between the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China continue to develop in an upward direction. The energy sector remains one of the key and most dynamic areas of economic cooperation between the two countries.

    “The Russian-Chinese Energy Business Forum plays an increasingly prominent role in expanding cooperation in such an important sector, facilitating regular dialogue between representatives of government agencies, leading industry corporations, banking institutions and expert circles of the two countries. One of the Forum’s most vital activities is the creation of the “Atlas of Russian-Chinese Energy Cooperation Investments”. There is no doubt that the development of this unique information and analysis platform opens up new opportunities for mutually beneficial commercial initiatives,” reads the address of the Russian President.

    CORNERSTONE OF CHINA-RUSSIA COOPERATION

    In his welcoming address to the Forum, China’s President Xi Jinping declared energy to be the cornerstone of cooperation between China and Russia.

    According to the PRC President, Beijing intends to build a closer partnership with Moscow in the energy sector. “The energy engagement between China and Russia is a cornerstone of practical cooperation between the two countries and also serves as an effective force for global energy security,” reads Xi Jinping’s address.

    Russia and China’s energy cooperation demonstrates sustainability despite external challenges, the PRC President said.

    “In the face of external risks and challenges, Russia and China are intensifying interaction and coordination, promoting major cooperation projects, demonstrating the high sustainability of Russian-Chinese energy cooperation,” reads Xi Jinping’s address.

    UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES

    Igor Sechin, Executive Secretary of the Commission for the President of the Russian Federation on the strategy of development of the fuel and energy industry and environmental safety, Chief Executive Officer of Rosneft Oil Company, delivered an address at the opening of the 4th Russian-Chinese Energy Business Forum devoted to the development of the energy dialogue between the two countries.

    By the end of this year, the trade turnover between Russia and China may reach $180-190 billion, Rosneft CEO believes. According to him, the figure has already reached $153.9 billion in ten months.

    Thus, Igor Sechin added, the goal of reaching $200 billion in trade turnover may be achieved even earlier than in 2024, as previously planned.

    Igor Sechin noted that Xi Jingping’s 2015 proposal at the rostrum of the UN to create a “community of one destiny for the humankind”, which underlay Chinese foreign policy (as part of the preamble to China’s Constitution), was a worthy response to the challenges of the growing turbulence. “The Western opponents cannot or do not want to understand the great humanitarian meaning of this idea, rejecting the concept of common destiny because of certain ideological considerations,” Igor Sechin believes. “They do not want to understand that it is not about a uniformity, which is naturally alien to the Chinese cultural tradition.” “All phenomena develop together and do not impede one another, all principles are effected together and do not contradict one another,” says a Chinese wisdom. “China simply tells the world: “We are all in the same boat.” And it turns out that China is working to unite humanity, while the West is working to divide it,” Igor Sechin said.

    Rosneft CEO noted that China, like Russia, had always been against unilateral sanctions and economic pressure, which turned into selfish promotion of one’s own selfish interests, and had always advocated the universal and equal application of international law. “Nevertheless, we see that the PRC is subjected to commercial discrimination. The goal is openly set to stop China’s technological development and prevent China from becoming the Number 1 technological power,” the head of Rosneft believes. No wonder the 20th CPC Congress has paid so much attention to security, which is becoming a political priority.

    Rosneft CEO emphasised the unique opportunities that the cooperation offers in terms of ensuring China’s and Russia’s economic security in sensitive areas. “In the field of resource supply, including energy resources, Russia is a reliable supplier with a huge potential that is capable of expanding. As for production and technological logistics, our partnership here seems to be the most protected in terms of security,” Igor Sechin said.

    Russian energy companies, Sechin said, were ready to cooperate with Chinese partners in all areas—“in coal, in gas, in oil, in electricity and through Rosatom.”

    Rosneft CEO noted that the Company had always promoted integral cooperation with Chinese partners along the entire technological chain: that is exploration and production, refining, power generation, sales at potential markets, including retail sales. “As a rule, such cooperation implies exchange of shares, setup of joint ventures, supply of equipment, and technological partnership,” he said.

    POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH IN ENERGY EXPORTS

    Russia’s oil exports to China in January-October 2022 increased by 9.5% year-on-year to reach almost 72 million tonnes. This put Russia in second place among the suppliers of this fuel to Beijing, only slightly behind Saudi Arabia (73.8 million tonnes), Igor Sechin said.

    For his part, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak acknowledged the possibility of building new oil pipelines to China.

    Rosneft CEO also reminded the audience about the Vostok Oil project that “would provide long-term, reliable, and guaranteed energy supplies to Asia’s growing economies.” The project should produce 115 million tonnes of oil by 2033, equivalent to 2.5% of current world production.

    Russia also retains great potential for increasing hydrocarbon exports. For example, Sechin estimates that Rosneft alone has more than 2 trillion cubic metres of gas reserves in Eastern Siberia and the Far East that could be delivered to China.

    According to Igor Sechin, Russian pipeline gas deliveries could increase by 60% this year. The figure will exceed 100 billion cubic metres a year in the foreseeable future, and Rosneft CEO is confident that this is not even the limit.

    Executive Secretary of the Presidential Commission on the strategy of development of the fuel and energy industry Igor Sechin noted the prospects for liquefied natural gas: “Today Russia exports to China relatively small volumes of LNG, but in the future, the volume of LNG supplies may become comparable to our supplies from pipeline projects.”

    For his part, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) Chairman Dai Houliang pointed to the importance of proper operation of oil pipelines from Russia to China and the Yamal LNG project, in which CNPC has a stake.

    “The implementation of the Sino-Russian gas pipeline through the Far East route and the Arctic LNG-2 project should also be accelerated,” he added.

    Furthermore, according to Igor Sechin, Russia accounts for almost a quarter of China’s coal imports—53 million tonnes in the first ten months of this year. Only Indonesia supplies more coal to the PRC.

    China buys from Russia not only hydrocarbons, but also electricity. Between January and October, its supplies grew by 33% and set a new record.

    SETTLEMENTS IN NATIONAL CURRENCIES

    As Alexander Novak noted, Russia and China were switching to settlements in national currencies when trading energy resources: “This work helps to prevent risks and facilitate the transformation of the rouble and yuan to the status of world reserve currencies.” In addition, the two countries’ central banks are working on a settlement system outside SWIFT.

    A significant step in the development of settlement in national currencies was Rosneft’s 2022 placement of an issue of bonds in yuan totalling 15 billion. According to bank analysts, this was the largest corporate bond market placement in the Russian market ever.

    Executive Secretary of the Presidential Commission on the strategy of development of the fuel and energy industry Igor Sechin noted that settlements under foreign economic contracts, primarily for the supply of energy products, had been promptly adapted to the new conditions. “I consider it important to develop clearing payments between China and Russia, which could then be joined by other interested countries (EAEU, SCO, BRICS). The existence of an independent settlement system is an important component of financial sovereignty in the contemporary world,” the head of Rosneft said.

    INVESTMENT ATLAS

    A significant contribution to the development of energy cooperation between the two countries was the publication of the Atlas of Russian-Chinese Energy Cooperation Investments. This document is a comprehensive and practical guide to the implementation of joint projects. Its first part, presented at the previous Forum by the Russian side, was devoted to a review of the current state and prospects of development of the fuel and energy complex of the Russian Federation.

    During the 4th Russian-Chinese Energy Business Forum, Zhang Jianhua, Head of the State Energy Administration of the People’s Republic of China, gave a presentation on the Chinese part of the Atlas.

    The Forum brought together over 300 representatives of major Russian and Chinese companies in the oil and gas, power, coal, nuclear and renewable energy sectors, heads of federal executive authorities, power equipment manufacturers, and representatives of the financial and IT sectors. The participants discussed in detail the key issues of bilateral cooperation in the energy sector. On the sidelines of the Forum, contracts were discussed and concluded between Russian and Chinese partners on energy supply, technology development, joint research, personnel training, and involvement of Chinese companies in the procurement of goods, works and services for projects implemented in Russia.

    The Russian-Chinese Energy Business Forum has been held since 2018, in line with the agreements reached by President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation and President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China. The two leaders outlined the main objective of the Forum, that is to expand cooperation, find new areas for investment and implement promising projects in the energy sphere in Russia and China.

    Since its inception, the Forum takes place under the auspices of the Commission for the President of the Russian Federation on the strategy of development of the fuel and energy industry and environmental safety and the State Energy Administration of the People’s Republic of China, and is co-organised by Rosneft and China National Petroleum Corporation.

    Rosneft
    Information Division
    November 29, 2022

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Kamala Harris maintains narrow lead in key states in US presidential race

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne

    The United States presidential election will be held on November 5. In analyst Nate Silver’s aggregate of national polls, Democrat Kamala Harris leads Republican Donald Trump by 49.3–46.2, a slight gain for Trump since last Monday, when Harris led Trump by 49.3–46.0.

    Joe Biden’s final position before his withdrawal as Democratic candidate on July 21 was a national poll deficit against Trump of 45.2–41.2.

    In economic data, the US added 254,000 jobs in September and the unemployment rate slid 0.1% to 4.1%. The unemployment rate had peaked at 4.3% in July.

    The US president isn’t elected by the national popular vote, but by the Electoral College, in which each state receives electoral votes equal to its federal House seats (population based) and senators (always two). Almost all states award their electoral votes as winner-takes-all, and it takes 270 electoral votes to win (out of 538 total).

    Relative to the national popular vote, the Electoral College is biased to Trump, with Harris needing at least a two-point popular vote win to be the Electoral College favourite in Silver’s model.

    In the key states, Harris remains ahead in Silver’s poll aggregates by one to two points in Pennsylvania (19 electoral votes), Michigan (15), Wisconsin (ten) and Nevada (six). If Harris wins these four states, she probably wins the Electoral College by at least 276–262. Trump leads by 0.5 points in North Carolina (16 electoral votes), one point in Georgia (16) and 1.2 points in Arizona (11).



    Read more:
    Kamala Harris the slight favourite to win US election as she narrowly leads in key states

    In Silver’s model, Harris has a 56% chance to win the Electoral College, unchanged since last Monday’s article. The FiveThirtyEight model was more favourable to Harris in September, but now gives her a 55% chance to win. It’s close to a 50–50 probability for either candidate, but Harris remains a slight favourite.

    There are still more than four weeks to go until the election, so there’s time for the polls to change and for one candidate to have a decisive Electoral College advantage on election day. Or the polls could be understating either Harris or Trump, in which case the candidate that benefits from the poll error could have a decisive win.

    Thumping lead for LNP in Queensland

    The Queensland state election is on October 26. A Freshwater poll for The Financial Review, conducted September 26–29 from a sample of 1,067, gave the Liberal National Party (LNP) a 56–44 lead, a five-point gain for the LNP since the previous Freshwater poll in July 2023.

    Primary votes were 43% LNP (up three), 30% Labor (down four), 12% Greens (up one), 8% One Nation (up one) and 7% for all Others (down one).

    Labor Premier Steven Miles had a net approval of -5, while LNP leader David Crisafulli had a +15 net approval. Crisafulli led Miles by 46–38 as preferred premier.

    The poll asked about the federal leaders’ Queensland ratings, with Anthony Albanese at net -17, while Peter Dutton was at net zero. Queensland is a Coalition-friendly state at federal elections relative to the national results.

    Federal Newspoll quarterly data

    On September 30, The Australian released aggregate data for the four Newspolls taken from July to September, which had a combined sample size of 5,035. The Poll Bludger said the Coalition led in New South Wales by 51–49, unchanged on the June quarter.

    In Victoria, Labor led by 52–48, a two-point gain for the Coalition. In Queensland, the Coalition led by an unchanged 54–46. In Western Australia, Labor led by an unchanged 52–48. In South Australia, Labor led by 54–46, a one-point gain for Labor.

    The Poll Bludger’s BludgerTrack data shows the results by educational attainment. In the September quarter, Labor led by 53–47 among university-educated people, a one-point gain for Labor. With TAFE-educated people, there was a 50–50 tie, a one-point gain for the Coalition. Those with no tertiary education favoured the Coalition by 51–49, a one-point gain for the Coalition.

    Coalition gains lead in Morgan poll

    A national Morgan poll, conducted September 23–29 from a sample of 1,668, gave the Coalition a 51–49 lead, a 1.5-point gain for the Coalition since the September 16–22 Morgan poll.

    Primary votes were 38% Coalition (up 0.5), 30% Labor (down two), 13.5% Greens (up one), 4.5% One Nation (down 0.5), 9.5% independents (steady) and 4.5% others (up one).

    The headline figure uses respondent preferences. But if preferences were assigned using the 2022 election flows, Labor led by 51.5–48.5, a 0.5-point gain for the Coalition. There was an unusually large gap last week between the two measures.

    Resolve poll on Middle East conflict

    Voting intentions have not yet been released from a national Resolve poll for Nine newspapers that was conducted October 1–5 from a sample of 1,606. Regarding the political response in Australia to the Middle East conflict, 22% thought Dutton and the Liberals had responded best, 18% Albanese and Labor and 6% Adam Bandt and the Greens, while 55% said none had responded best or were unsure.

    On Australia’s actions, 23% thought we should voice in-principle support for Israel, 12% Gaza and 65% both or none. On accepting refugees, 52% don’t want any refugees accepted, 24% would accept refugees from either Israel or Gaza, 13% Gaza only and 11% Israel only.

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

    – ref. Kamala Harris maintains narrow lead in key states in US presidential race – https://theconversation.com/kamala-harris-maintains-narrow-lead-in-key-states-in-us-presidential-race-240117

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: 11 killed, 17 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    This photo taken on Oct. 6, 2024 shows destroyed buildings after Israeli airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

    Eleven people were killed and 17 others injured Sunday evening in Israeli airstrikes targeting different areas in Lebanon, according to Lebanese official and military sources.

    According to the Ministry of Health, six people were killed and 13 others injured in an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in the village of Kayfoun in Aley district, Mount Lebanon Governorate.

    Another Israeli airstrike killed five people and injured four others when an Israeli drone launched an air-to-ground missile on a motorcycle traveling at the northern entrance to the town of Marjeyoun, east of southern Lebanon.

    “An Israeli air strike destroyed a mosque in the village of Yaroun in the central sector of the border area this afternoon,” according to the military sources, who required anonymity.

    The Israeli army has been carrying out extensive operations in Lebanese territory intending to diminish Hezbollah’s military capabilities and facilitate the return of Israelis to the northern region of the country along the border with Lebanon.

    Since Oct. 8, 2023, Hezbollah and the Israeli army have been exchanging fire across the Lebanese-Israeli border. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: From cheeky thrill to grande dame – the Moulin Rouge celebrates 135 years of scandal and success

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Will Visconti, Teacher and researcher, Art History, University of Sydney

    Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec At the Moulin Rouge – The Dance, 1890 Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec/Wikimedia Commons

    When the Moulin Rouge first opened on October 6 1889, it drew audiences from across classes and countries.

    The Moulin offered an array of fin-de-siècle (end-of-the-century) entertainments to Paris locals and visitors. Located in Montmartre, its name, the “red windmill”, alluded to Montmartre’s history as a rural idyll. The neighbourhood was also associated with artistic bohemia, crime, and revolutionary spirit. This setting added a certain thrill for bourgeois audiences.

    From irreverent newcomer to a French institution, the Moulin Rouge has survived scandal, an inferno and found new ways to connect with audiences.



    Read more:
    How the Eiffel Tower became silent cinema’s icon

    Red and electric

    In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was not the only red landmark to open in Paris. The Eiffel Tower, built as part of the Universal Exhibition and originally painted red, had opened earlier that same year. What set them apart, however, was their popularity.

    The Moulin Rouge was an instant hit, capitalising on the global popularity of a dance called the cancan. Dancers like Moulin Rouge headliner La Goulue (“The Glutton”, real name Louise Weber) were seen as more appropriate emblems for the city than the Tower, which many considered an eyesore.

    In an illustration from Le Courrier Français newspaper, a dancer modelled on a photograph of La Goulue holds her leg aloft, flashing her underwear with the caption “Greetings to the provinces and abroad!”.

    Every aspect of the Moulin spoke to the zeitgeist, from its design to the performances, the use of electric lights that adorned its façade, and its advertising.

    Its managers, the impresario team of Joseph Oller and Charles Harold Zidler, had a string of successful venues and businesses to their names. They recognised the importance of modern marketing, using print media, publicity photographs, and posters to spark public interest.

    Among the most iconic images of the Moulin is Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s 1891 poster. At its centre is La Goulue, kicking her legs amid swirling petticoats.

    Henri Toulouse-Lautrec’s 1891 poster.
    Shutterstock

    She certainly can cancan

    Found primarily in working-class dance halls from as early as the 1820s, the cancan became a staple of popular entertainment the world over.

    Part of the dance’s thrill lay in the dancers’ freedom of movement and titillation of spectators, as well as its anti-establishment energy. Women used the cancan to thumb their nose at authority via steps like the coup de cul (“arse flash”) or coup du chapeau (removing men’s hats with a high kick).

    The cancan was not the only attraction at the Moulin. There were themed spaces, sideshows, and variety performances ranging from belly dancers and conjoined twins to Le Pétomane (“The Fartomaniac”) who was a flatulist and the highest-paid performer. People watching was equally popular.

    Famous farter, Le Pétomane (Joseph Pujol).
    Wikimedia Commons

    Scandals, riots, and royalty

    Over the years, the Moulin has been no stranger to controversy.

    In its early years, it cultivated an air of misbehaviour and featured in pleasure guides for visiting sex tourists.

    In 1893 it hosted the Bal des Quat’z’Arts (Four-Arts Ball) held by students from local studios. Accusations of public indecency were made against the models and dancers in attendance, and violent protests followed after the women were arrested.

    In 1907 the writer Colette appeared onstage at the Moulin in an Egyptian-inspired pantomime with her then-lover, Missy, the Marquise de Belbeuf. When the act culminated in a passionate kiss, a riot broke out.

    Historical footage shows the Moulin Rouge as it was.

    Kicking on and on

    Over time, the Moulin Rouge shows changed their format to keep pace with public taste, though the cancan remained. The venue hosted revues and operettas, and various stars including Edith Piaf, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Liza Minnelli.

    Famous guests have included British royalty: from Edward VII (while Prince of Wales) to his great-granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II, and her son, Prince Edward.

    Since its opening, the Moulin’s fortunes have waxed and waned.

    In 1915 the Moulin Rouge burned down but was rebuilt in 1921. Its famous windmill sails fell off overnight earlier this year but were swiftly repaired.

    In the 1930s, it survived the Depression and rise of cinema (also capturing the attention of several filmakers). It also survived the Nazi occupation of Paris in the 1940s.

    By the early 1960s, Jacki Clerico was managing the Moulin’s show after his father had revamped the venue as a dinner theatre destination. The younger Clérico oversaw additions like a giant aquarium where dancers swam with snakes, and its now-famous “nude line” – a chorus of topless dancers – in its shows.

    In 1963, the Moulin Rouge struck upon a winning formula: revues, all named by Clérico with titles beginning with the letter “F” – from Frou Frou to Fantastique and Formidable. Since 1999, the revue Féerie (“Fairy”, also a French genre of stage extravaganza) has been performed almost without interruption.

    The Moulin Rouge or ‘red mill’ today, with its famous windmill.
    Rafa Barcelos/Shutterstock

    Ticket sales were boosted thanks to Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film Moulin Rouge! and more recently Moulin Rouge! The Musical.

    Since COVID, the Moulin Rouge management have diversified. The windmill’s interior has been rented out via AirBnB and the Moulin’s dance troupe has performed on France’s televised New Year’s Eve celebrations. This year, the Moulin Rouge and its dancers were part of the Paris Olympics celebrations, dancing in heavy rain.

    Though people have come to appreciate the Eiffel Tower too, the Moulin Rouge can still argue its status as the pinnacle of live entertainment in the French capital: immediately recognisable, internationally visible, and quintessentially Parisian.

    Will Visconti is the author of Beyond the Moulin Rouge: The Life & Legacy of La Goulue (2022), published by the University of Virginia Press.

    – ref. From cheeky thrill to grande dame – the Moulin Rouge celebrates 135 years of scandal and success – https://theconversation.com/from-cheeky-thrill-to-grande-dame-the-moulin-rouge-celebrates-135-years-of-scandal-and-success-239849

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: White  House Appoints 2024-2025 Class of White  House  Fellows

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    The President’s Commission on White House Fellows is pleased to announce the appointment of the 2024-2025 class of White House Fellows. Founded in 1964, the White House Fellows program offers exceptional young leaders first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the Federal government. Fellows spend a year working with senior White House Staff, Cabinet Secretaries, and other top-ranking Administration officials, and leave the Administration equipped to serve as better leaders in their communities. Fellowships are awarded on a non-partisan basis.
    This year’s Fellows advanced through a highly competitive selection process, and they are a remarkably gifted, passionate, and accomplished group. These Fellows bring experience from across the country and from a broad cross-section of professions, including from the private sector, state government, academia, non-profits, medicine, and the armed forces.
    Applications for the 2025-2026 Fellowship year will be accepted starting November 1, 2024. The application link and additional information is available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/get-involved/fellows/.
    Class of 2024-2025 White House Fellows
    Patrick Branco is from Kailua, Hawai‘i, and is placed at the Department of the Navy. He has been the Director of External Affairs with Hawai‘i Green Growth, a United Nations (UN) hub catalyzing action on the UN Sustainable Development Goals for the Asia-Pacific region. Branco is the first from Hawai‘i to receive the Congressman Rangel International Affairs Fellowship, funding his master’s degree at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He served at the State Department in Colombia, Pakistan, Venezuela and the Secretary of State’s Operations Center. In 2020, he was elected to the Hawai‘i State House of Representatives. Branco currently serves as a U.S. Navy officer reservist and is proficient in Spanish, Korean, and Hawaiian.
    Nicholas Dockery is from Indianapolis, Indiana, and is placed at the Office of the First Lady: Joining Forces Initiative. With a distinguished career in the Infantry and Special Operations Community, Nick has deployed to numerous combat zones and operational areas worldwide. For bravery and wounds in combat, Nick was awarded two Silver Stars and two Purple Hearts. His military experience is complemented by his academic and advisory roles; he served as a research fellow at the Modern War Institute and as an advisor to the Military Times Charitable Foundation. Nick has received the West Point Nininger Award for Valor at Arms, the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award, and the title of 2022 Soldier of the Year. An advocate for equine therapy, Nick passionately supports its use in helping veterans cope with PTSD. Nick holds a Master of Public Policy from Yale University and a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
    Tawny Holmes Hlibok, Esq. is from West Palm Beach, Florida, and is placed at the Domestic Policy Council. As a third-generation Deaf person and attorney, she is a dedicated advocate for deaf children’s education rights and language equity including access to sign languages. Tawny is a tenured associate professor in Deaf Studies at the world’s only university for the Deaf, Gallaudet University, where she recently won $3.75 million funding to lead a national implementation and change center for early intervention with deaf babies and their families in partnership with HRSA and NICHQ. She also serves as the executive director of the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf.
    DeAnna Hoskins is from Cincinnati, Ohio, and is placed at the Department of the Army. She has served as President/CEO of JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA), a national nonprofit that empowers people directly impacted by the criminal justice system. DeAnna is a nationally- recognized advocate and policy expert who has shifted the national narrative on the disparities and limitations of having a criminal background. She has served as Senior Policy Advisor and as Deputy Director of the Federal Interagency Reentry Council at the U.S. Department of Justice. DeAnna was also the founding Director of Reentry for Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners in Ohio.
    Michael Kennedy is from Morehead City, North Carolina, and is placed at the United States Coast Guard. As a nurse practitioner, her career involves direct patient care while leading process improvement in rural and underserved settings. Michael attended Lenoir Community College to become a Registered Nurse and later earned a B.S. Nursing from Barton College. Witnessing disparities in practice led Michael to East Carolina University for an M.S. Adult Nurse Practitioner, Post-M.S. Nursing Leadership, Doctorate of Nursing Practice, and Post-DNP Nursing Education. To better serve her community, Michael completed a Post-M.S. Adult-Gerontological Acute Care NP and Post-DNP Psychiatric-Mental Health NP at Duke University. Michael is a Great 100 Nurse and Bonnie Jones Friedman Humanitarian Award recipient.
    Hoa Nguyen is from Silver Spring, Maryland, and is placed at the National Economic Council and the United States Coast Guard. At Montgomery College, she is an associate professor and chair of the business department, where she helped implement a zero-textbook-cost Business degree, saving students thousands of dollars in education costs. Under her leadership, faculty and students have won multiple local, state and national awards and recognitions. Hoa also co-led numerous initiatives that led to the launch of the Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Taskforce at the college. Hoa received a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Arizona.
    Amnahir Peña-Alcántara is from Bronx, New York, and is placed at the Department of Commerce: National Institute of Standards and Technology. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University funded by the NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program and the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship. Her research focuses on polymer blends for stretchable electronics. She graduated from MIT with a bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering, and was a researcher at Northwestern University, Oxford University, and MIT. She has interned in wearable technology and textile fabrication companies in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, and India.
    Padmini Pillai is from Newton, Massachusetts, and is placed at the Social Security Administration. Padmini is an immunoengineer bridging the gap between discoveries in immunology and advances in biomaterial design to treat human disease. She has led a team at MIT developing a tumor-selective nanotherapy to eliminate hard-to-treat cancers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Padmini was featured in several media outlets including CNBC, The Atlantic, and The New York Times to discuss vaccination, immunity, and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on vulnerable communities. Padmini received her Ph.D. in immunobiology from Yale University and a B.A. in biochemistry from Regis College.
    Maddy Sharp is from San Diego, California, and is placed at the Office of the Second Gentleman. She is a physician leader committed to securing a healthier and more equitable future for all Americans. She has served as a health policy fellow for Senator Amy Klobuchar and a policy research fellow for Secretary John Kerry. Madison has performed clinical work and research in Nicaragua, Jordan, and the Navajo Nation to reduce health disparities and championed policies to enhance healthcare delivery. She completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Madison holds an M.D. from the Yale School of Medicine and B.A. from Yale University, where she captained the NCAA Division I field hockey team.
    Jason Spencer is from Medford, New York, and is placed at the Department of Commerce. Jason is a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy serving as an Information Warfare and Intelligence Officer. At sea, he was assigned to aircraft carriers and destroyers deployed to the Middle East and Europe. Ashore, Jason served as Targeting Officer and Aide-de-Camp to the Commander of U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and later as Aide-de-Camp to the Commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet in Hawaii. At the Pentagon, he served as Senior Intelligence Briefer for the Chief of Naval Operations – Intelligence Plot and as an Executive Officer to the Joint Staff’s Director for Intelligence. Jason earned a B.A. in international studies and political science from Virginia Military Institute, an M.A. from the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, and an M.P.A. from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
    Nalini Tata is from New York City, New York, and is placed at the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs. She is a neurosurgery resident at New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center/Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she helps treat the spectrum of emergency and elective neurosurgical conditions between a level I trauma center and a world-renowned cancer institute. Her published work spans clinical and non-scientific journals with a focus on advancing equity in access to care. Her career in neurosurgery and long-standing interest in public policy are closely bound by a deep-rooted dedication to public service. She received her BSc in neurobiology from Brown University, MPhil from the University of Cambridge, M.D. from Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, and MPP in Democracy, Politics, and Institutions from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
    Alexander Tenorio is from Los Angeles, California, and is placed at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He is a neurological surgery resident at the University of California, San Diego. He is the proud son of Mexican immigrants and dedicated to improving health disparities. He has led a research team investigating neurological traumatic injuries at the U.S.-Mexico border with his published work featured in the Los Angeles Times and New York Times. In his commitment for health equity, he partnered with Hospital General de Tijuana in Mexico to improve their neurosurgical care. He earned an M.D. from the University of California, San Francisco and B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.
    Zachary White II is from Birmingham, Alabama, and is placed at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He is a Radiation Oncology resident physician and cancer researcher at Stanford University. Passionate about health equity, Zach co-chairs Stanford Medicine’s GME Diversity Committee, promoting diverse medical trainees’ recruitment and development, and provides health education to communities to improve health literacy. Zach graduated summa cum laude from Tuskegee University with a B.S. in biology and earned an M.S. in biomedical and health sciences from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He received his M.D. from the University of South Alabama, where he served as class president.
    Ryan Wisz is from Aiken, South Carolina, and is placed at the Central Intelligence Agency. He is a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy serving as a Submarine Warfare officer. At sea, he has served aboard Attack and Ballistic Missile submarines and has deployed seven times, including missions vital to national security. Ashore, he has served as aide-de-camp to the Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and as the Submarine Squadron Engineer in San Diego, California. Prior to military service, he was a Page in the South Carolina House of Representatives and Senate. He received his B.S. in economics from the University of South Carolina and is a Distinguished Graduate from the Naval Postgraduate School with his MBA and published master’s thesis. He has received numerous personal and unit awards during his Navy service, is active in local tutoring, and passionate about financial education and physical fitness.
    Mark York is a seventh-generation farmer from Lake Wilson, Minnesota, and is placed at the Department of Defense Office of Strategic Capital. He is a Ph.D. candidate in computer science at Harvard, where he researches crowdsourcing and reinforcement learning algorithms in collaboration with MIT. He is the co-founder and President of Farm Yield Africa, a non-profit providing tractor services and microcredit to 1,500 farmers in Ghana since 2016. Mark has worked as a consultant, and before that he led a data science team at a startup building agricultural risk models. He began his career at Cargill as a commodity trader and data scientist. Mark studied agronomy and mathematics at South Dakota State University, where as Student Body President he introduced legislation at the state and local level.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: G7 Leaders’ Statement on Recent Developments in the Middle  East

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    We, the Leaders of the G7, express deep concern over the deteriorating situation in the Middle East and condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s direct military attack against Israel, which constitutes a serious threat to regional stability.
    We unequivocally reiterate our commitment to the security of Israel. Iran’s seriously destabilizing actions throughout the Middle East through terrorist proxies and armed groups—including the Houthis, Hezbollah, and Hamas— as well as Iran-aligned militia groups in Iraq, must stop. Yesterday we discussed coordinated efforts and actions to avoid escalation in the area.
    A dangerous cycle of attacks and retaliation risks fueling uncontrollable escalation in the Middle East, which is in no one’s interest. Therefore, we call on all regional players to act responsibly and with restraint. We encourage all parties to engage constructively to de-escalate the current tensions. International humanitarian law must be respected.
    On the eve of the tragic anniversary of Hamas’ attacks on October 7, 2023, we condemn once again in the strongest possible terms such unjustified acts of deliberate violence and stand with the families of the victims and the hostages taken by Hamas.
    We also reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the unconditional release of all hostages, a significant and sustained increase in the flow of humanitarian assistance, and an end to the conflict. We fully endorse the efforts by the US, Qatar and Egypt to reach such a comprehensive deal, in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2735. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic, and tens of  thousands of innocent lives have been lost. We reiterate the absolute need for the civilian population to be protected and that there must be full, rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access, as a matter of absolute priority. We will continue working to set the conditions for a durable peace, leading to a two State solution, where Israel and Palestine coexist side-by-side in peace, with security for both.
    We are also deeply concerned about the situation in Lebanon. We recall the need for a cessation of hostilities as soon as possible to create space for a diplomatic solution along the Blue Line, consistent with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. This is the only path to durably de-escalate tensions, stabilize the Israel-Lebanon border, fully restore the sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability of Lebanon, and return displaced citizens to their homes with safety and security on both sides. We urge all actors to protect civilian populations. We are committed to providing humanitarian assistance to address the urgent needs of civilians in Lebanon.
    We also express our deep condolences to the families of the civilian victims in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon.  
    We underscore the importance of the United Nations in resolving armed conflict and mitigating the humanitarian impact in the Middle East. In this regard, we acknowledge the role of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to restore peace and security. We are committed to reinforce our support to the mission, pursuant to applicable UN resolutions.
    We will continue to be in close contact with all actors to this end.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Statement by G7 Leaders on Recent Developments in the Middle East

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Prime Minister of Canada – in French

    We, the G7 leaders, express our deep concern about the deteriorating situation in the Middle East and condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s direct military attack on Israel, which poses a serious threat to the stability of the region.

    We unequivocally reiterate our commitment to Israel’s security. Iran’s highly destabilizing actions across the Middle East, through proxy terrorist groups and armed groups, such as the Houthis, Hezbollah, and Hamas, and militias sympathetic to Iran, must cease. Yesterday, we discussed concerted measures and efforts to prevent escalation in the region.

    A dangerous cycle of attacks and retaliation risks uncontrollable escalation across the Middle East, which is in no one’s interest. We therefore urge all regional actors to act responsibly and with restraint. We encourage all parties to engage constructively to de-escalate current tensions. International humanitarian law must be respected.

    On the eve of the tragic anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attacks perpetrated by Hamas, we once again condemn in the strongest possible terms these unjustified acts of deliberate violence and stand with the families of the victims and the hostages held by Hamas.

    Furthermore, we reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the unconditional release of all hostages, a significant and sustained increase in the flow of humanitarian aid and an end to the conflict. We fully support the efforts of the United States, Qatar and Egypt to reach such a comprehensive agreement, in line with United Nations Security Council resolution 2735. The situation in Gaza is dire and tens of thousands of innocent lives have been lost. We reiterate the absolute need to protect the civilian population and to allow full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access. We will continue our efforts to create the conditions for a lasting peace that will lead to a two-State solution, where Israel and Palestine can live side by side in peace and security.

    Furthermore, we are deeply concerned about the situation in Lebanon. We recall the need for [a cessation of hostilities as soon as possible in order to create space for] a diplomatic solution along the Blue Line, in line with UN Security Council resolution 1701. This is the only way to de-escalate tensions in a sustainable manner, stabilize the border between Israel and Lebanon, fully restore Lebanon’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability, and allow displaced citizens to return home safely on both sides of the border. We urge all relevant actors to protect civilian populations. We are also determined to provide humanitarian assistance to Lebanese civilians to meet their urgent needs.

    Furthermore, we offer our sincere condolences to the families of the civilian victims in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon.

    We underline the importance of the United Nations in resolving armed conflicts and mitigating the humanitarian consequences in the Middle East. In this regard, we recognize the role of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in restoring peace and security. We are determined to strengthen our support to the mission, in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions.

    To this end, we will remain in close contact with all stakeholders concerned.

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cobertura de la NASA del lanzamiento de Europa Clipper a una luna de Júpiter

    Source: NASA

    Read this release in English here.
    La NASA ofrecerá cobertura en directo, en inglés y en español, de las actividades previas al lanzamiento y del lanzamiento de Europa Clipper, la misión de la agencia para explorar Europa, una luna helada de Júpiter. La cobertura del lanzamiento se ofrecerá también en español. La NASA prevé que el lanzamiento se dé a las 12:31 p.m. EDT (hora del este) del jueves, 10 de octubre, a bordo de un cohete SpaceX Falcon Heavy desde el Complejo de Lanzamiento 39A en el Centro Espacial Kennedy de la NASA en Florida.
    Más allá de la Tierra, Europa, una luna de Júpiter, es considerada uno de los entornos con más potencial para la habitabilidad del sistema solar. Tras un viaje de aproximadamente 1.800 millones de millas (unos 2.900 millones de kilómetros), Europa Clipper entrará en órbita alrededor de Júpiter en abril de 2030. Desde ahí, la nave espacial llevará a cabo un estudio detallado de Europa para determinar si este mundo helado podría presentar condiciones adecuadas para la vida. Europa Clipper es la mayor nave espacial que la NASA ha desarrollado para una misión planetaria. Transporta un conjunto de nueve instrumentos y un experimento gravitatorio, los cuales investigarán un océano bajo la superficie de Europa que los científicos creen que contiene el doble de agua líquida que los océanos de la Tierra.
    Para consultar el calendario de eventos en directo y las plataformas en las que se retransmitirán, visita:
    https://go.nasa.gov/europaclipperlive
    El plazo para la acreditación de los medios de comunicación para la cobertura presencial de este lanzamiento ya finalizó. La política de acreditación de medios de la NASA está disponible en línea (en inglés). Si tienes preguntas sobre la acreditación de los medios de comunicación, envía un correo electrónico a: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.
    La cobertura de la misión de la NASA es la siguiente (todas las horas son del este y están sujetas a cambios en función de las operaciones a tiempo real):
    Martes, 8 de octubre
    1 p.m. – Entrevistas presenciales, abiertas a los medios de comunicación acreditados para este lanzamiento.
    3:30 p.m. – Sesión informativa científica de Europa Clipper de la NASA con los siguientes participantes:

    Gina DiBraccio, directora en funciones, División de Ciencias Planetarias, Sede de la NASA
    Robert Pappalardo, científico de proyecto, Europa Clipper, Laboratorio de Propulsión a Chorro de la NASA (NASA JPL)
    Haje Korth, científico adjunto de proyecto, Europa Clipper, Laboratorio de Física Aplicada de la Universidad Johns Hopkins
    Cynthia Phillips, científica de proyecto, Europa Clipper, NASA JPL

    La cobertura de la conferencia de prensa científica se retransmitirá en directo en NASA+ y en el sitio web de la agencia, Aprende cómo ver contenidos de la NASA a través de diversas plataformas, incluidas las redes sociales.
    Los representantes de los medios de comunicación podrán formular preguntas tanto presencialmente como por teléfono. El espacio disponible en el auditorio para la participación en persona será limitado. Para obtener el número de teléfono y el código de acceso a la conferencia, los medios de comunicación deberán ponerse en contacto con la sala de prensa de la NASA en Kennedy a más tardar una hora antes del comienzo del acto: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
    Miércoles, 9 de octubre
    2 p.m. – Panel social del NASA Social en el centro Kennedy, con los siguientes participantes:

    Kate Calvin, científica jefe y asesora principal sobre el clima, sede de la NASA
    Caley Burke, analista de diseño de vuelos, Programa de Servicios de Lanzamiento de la NASA
    Erin Leonard, científica del proyecto Europa Clipper, NASA JPL
    Juan Pablo León, ingeniero de banco de pruebas de sistemas, Europa Clipper, NASA JPL (León es hispanohablante)
    Elizabeth Turtle, investigadora principal, instrumento de sistema de imágenes de Europa, Europa Clipper, APL

    Esta mesa redonda se transmitirá en directo a través de las cuentas de la NASA en YouTube, X y Facebook. Los miembros del público pueden hacer preguntas en línea publicando en las transmisiones en vivo de YouTube, X y Facebook o usando el hashtag #AskNASA.
    3:30 p.m. – Conferencia de prensa de la NASA previa al lanzamiento de Europa Clipper (tras la finalización de la revisión del estado de preparación para el lanzamiento), con los siguientes participantes:

    Administrador asociado de la NASA Jim Free
    Sandra Connelly, administradora adjunta, Dirección de Misiones Científicas, Sede de la NASA
    Tim Dunn, director de lanzamiento, Programa de Servicios de Lanzamiento de la NASA
    Julianna Scheiman, directora para misiones científicas de la NASA, SpaceX
    Jordan Evans, gerente de proyecto, Europa Clipper, NASA JPL
    Mike McAleenan, meteorólogo de lanzamiento, 45º Escuadrón Meteorológico, Fuerza Espacial de EE.UU.

    La conferencia de prensa previa al lanzamiento se retransmitirá en directo en NASA+, el sitio web de la agencia, la aplicación de la NASA, y YouTube.
    Los representantes de los medios de comunicación podrán formular preguntas tanto presencialmente como por teléfono. El espacio disponible en el auditorio para la participación en persona será limitado. Para obtener el número de teléfono y el código de acceso a la conferencia, los medios de comunicación deberán ponerse en contacto con la sala de prensa de la NASA en Kennedy a más tardar una hora antes del comienzo del acto: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
    5:30 p.m. – Transmisión del despliegue de Europa Clipper de la NASA a la plataforma de lanzamiento. La retransmisión en vivo (en inglés) estará disponible en NASA+, el sitio web de la agencia, la aplicación de la NASA, y YouTube.
    Jueves, 10 de octubre
    11:30 a.m. – La cobertura en inglés del lanzamiento empezará en NASA+ y el el sitio web de la agencia.
    11:30 a.m. – La cobertura en español del lanzamiento empezará en NASA+ y el canal de YouTube en español de la NASA.
    12:31 p.m. – Lanzamiento.
    Cobertura de audio
    El audio de las conferencias de prensa y de la cobertura del lanzamiento, ambos en inglés, se transmitirá por los circuitos «V» de la NASA, a los que se puede acceder marcando 321-867-1220, -1240 o -7135. El día del lanzamiento, el «audio de la misión», es decir, las actividades de la cuenta atrás sin los comentarios de los medios de NASA+ sobre el lanzamiento, se retransmitirá por el 321-867-7135.
    Cobertura de vídeo en directo previa al lanzamientoLa NASA proporcionará una conexión de vídeo en directo del Complejo de Lanzamiento 39A aproximadamente 18 horas antes del despegue previsto de la misión en el canal de YouTube de la sala de prensa de la NASA en Kennedy. La transmisión será ininterrumpida hasta que comience la emisión del lanzamiento en NASA+.
    Cobertura del lanzamiento en el sitio web de la NASALa cobertura de la misión el día del lanzamiento estará disponible en el sitio web de la agencia. La cobertura incluirá enlaces a retransmisiones en directo (en español e inglés) y actualizaciones del blog que comenzarán no antes de las 10 a.m. del 10 de octubre, a medida que se cumplan los hitos de la cuenta regresiva. Poco después del despegue se podrá acceder a vídeos y fotos del lanzamiento en streaming a demanda.
    Siga la cobertura de la cuenta regresiva en el blog de Europa Clipper (en inglés). Si tiene alguna pregunta sobre la cobertura de la cuenta atrás, póngase en contacto con la sala de prensa Kennedy llamando al 321-867-2468.
    Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en español, comuníquese con María José Viñas: maria-jose.vinasgarcia@nasa.gov, Antonia Jaramillo: antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov o Messod Bendayan: messod.c.bendayan@nasa.gov
    Asistencia virtual al lanzamiento
    Los miembros del público pueden registrarse para asistir virtualmente a este lanzamiento. El programa de invitados virtuales (en inglés) de la NASA para esta misión también incluye recursos curados de lanzamiento, notificaciones sobre oportunidades o cambios relacionados, y un sello para el pasaporte de invitado virtual de la NASA después del lanzamiento.
    Observación y participación en redes sociales
    Haz que la gente sepa que estás siguiendo la misión en X, Facebook e Instagram utilizando los hashtags #EuropaClipper y #NASASocial. También puedes mantenerte conectado siguiendo y etiquetando estas cuentas:
    X: @NASA, @EuropaClipper, @NASASolarSystem, @NASAJPL, @NASAKennedy, @NASA_LSP, @NASA_ES (en español)
    Facebook: NASA, NASA’s Europa Clipper, NASA’s JPL, NASA’s Launch Services Program, NASA en español
    Instagram: @NASA, @nasasolarsystem, @NASAKennedy, @NASAJPL, @NASA_ES (en español)
    Para más información en español sobre la misión:
    https://ciencia.nasa.gov/europaclipper
    -fin-
    Karen Fox / Molly Wasser/ María José ViñasSede, Washington202-358-1600karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser.nasa.gov  / maria-jose.vinasgarcia@nasa.gov
    Leejay LockhartCentro Espacial Kennedy, Florida321-747-8310leejay.lockhart@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Statement by G7 Leaders on Recent Developments in the Middle East.

    MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –

    We, the G7 leaders, express our deep concern at the deteriorating situation in the Middle East and strongly condemn Iran’s direct military attack on Israel, which poses a serious threat to regional stability.

    We unequivocally reiterate our commitment to Israel’s security. Iran’s deeply destabilizing actions throughout the Middle East, through terrorist proxies and armed groups – including the Houthis, Hezbollah, and Hamas – as well as Iran-aligned militias in Iraq, must cease. Yesterday, we discussed coordinated efforts and actions to prevent escalation in the region.

    A dangerous cycle of attacks and retaliation risks fueling an uncontrollable escalation in the Middle East, which is in no one’s interest. We therefore call on all regional actors to act responsibly and with restraint. We encourage all parties to engage constructively to de-escalate current tensions. International humanitarian law must be respected.

    On the eve of the tragic anniversary of the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, we once again condemn in the strongest terms these acts of deliberate and unjustified violence and remain in solidarity with the families of the victims and the Hamas hostages.

    We also reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the unconditional release of all hostages, a significant and sustained increase in humanitarian assistance, and an end to the conflict. We fully support the efforts of the United States, Qatar, and Egypt to reach a comprehensive agreement, in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2735. The situation in Gaza is dire, with tens of thousands of innocent lives lost. We reiterate the absolute imperative to protect the civilian population. For this, full, rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access is a top priority. We will continue to work to establish the conditions for a lasting peace, leading to a two-state solution, where Israel and Palestine coexist side by side in peace and security.

    We are also deeply concerned about the situation in Lebanon. We reiterate the need for a cessation of hostilities as soon as possible to create the conditions for a diplomatic solution along the Blue Line, in line with United Nations Security Council resolution 1701. This is the only way to sustainably de-escalate tensions, stabilize the border between Israel and Lebanon, fully restore the sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability of Lebanon, and allow the return of displaced citizens to their homes in safety, on both sides. We urge all actors to protect civilian populations. We commit to providing humanitarian assistance to address the urgent needs of civilians in Lebanon.

    We also express our sincere condolences to the families of the civilian victims in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon.

    We underline the importance of the United Nations in resolving armed conflicts and mitigating the humanitarian impact in the Middle East. In this regard, we recognize the role of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in restoring peace and security. We commit to strengthening our support to the mission, in line with the relevant United Nations resolutions.

    We will continue to stay in close contact with all stakeholders to this end.

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI