NewzIntel.com

Category: United States of America

  • MIL-OSI Security: Gallup Man Charged with Voluntary Manslaughter for Fatal Shooting

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Gallup man is facing federal charges following a fatal shooting during an altercation.

    According to court documents, on May 26, 2025, Herman Smith, 37, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, shot and killed John Doe during an altercation.

    Smith is charged with voluntary manslaughter and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Smith faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Burkhead is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Gallup Man Charged with Voluntary Manslaughter for Fatal Shooting

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Gallup man is facing federal charges following a fatal shooting during an altercation.

    According to court documents, on May 26, 2025, Herman Smith, 37, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, shot and killed John Doe during an altercation.

    Smith is charged with voluntary manslaughter and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Smith faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Burkhead is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Charged After Killing of Attempted Carjacking Victim in Tucson, Arizona

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TUCSON, Ariz. – Julio Cesar Aguirre, 42, of Mexico, was charged by criminal complaint on July 2, for Attempted Carjacking, Use and Discharge of a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence, and Alien in Possession of a Firearm. Aguirre had his initial appearance in federal court in Tucson today.

    According to the complaint, Aguirre shot and killed a male driver with a 9mm caliber handgun, while attempting to carjack the victim’s Toyota Tundra on the morning of June 30, in Tucson, Arizona.

    Tucson Police Department (TPD) officers who were called to the scene spoke with witnesses before being directed to a nearby residence for a potential burglary. When they arrived at the home, the residents explained that a Hispanic male with a bleeding arm, matching Aguirre’s description, had entered their backyard and threatened them with a gun, demanding they turn over their vehicle to him. The individual later fled.

    Shortly thereafter, TPD officers located Aguirre, who was hiding in a nearby storage shed. Officers also found a Smith & Wesson 9mm caliber pistol within Aguirre’s reach. Aguirre was taken into custody without further incident.

    A search of Aguirre’s record revealed that he is a Mexican citizen, illegally present in the United States. Aguirre was arrested over 10 times from 2007 to 2013 for immigration-related crimes and was last removed from the country in 2013 pursuant to a court order.

    The federal prosecution of this case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

    TPD and the FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson office are conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution on the federal charges. TPD and the Pima County Attorney’s Office will have an ongoing and parallel investigation into additional felony state charges, including homicide.

    A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    CASE NUMBER:          25-MJ-06320-MAA
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-110_Aguirre

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Charged After Killing of Attempted Carjacking Victim in Tucson, Arizona

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TUCSON, Ariz. – Julio Cesar Aguirre, 42, of Mexico, was charged by criminal complaint on July 2, for Attempted Carjacking, Use and Discharge of a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence, and Alien in Possession of a Firearm. Aguirre had his initial appearance in federal court in Tucson today.

    According to the complaint, Aguirre shot and killed a male driver with a 9mm caliber handgun, while attempting to carjack the victim’s Toyota Tundra on the morning of June 30, in Tucson, Arizona.

    Tucson Police Department (TPD) officers who were called to the scene spoke with witnesses before being directed to a nearby residence for a potential burglary. When they arrived at the home, the residents explained that a Hispanic male with a bleeding arm, matching Aguirre’s description, had entered their backyard and threatened them with a gun, demanding they turn over their vehicle to him. The individual later fled.

    Shortly thereafter, TPD officers located Aguirre, who was hiding in a nearby storage shed. Officers also found a Smith & Wesson 9mm caliber pistol within Aguirre’s reach. Aguirre was taken into custody without further incident.

    A search of Aguirre’s record revealed that he is a Mexican citizen, illegally present in the United States. Aguirre was arrested over 10 times from 2007 to 2013 for immigration-related crimes and was last removed from the country in 2013 pursuant to a court order.

    The federal prosecution of this case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

    TPD and the FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson office are conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution on the federal charges. TPD and the Pima County Attorney’s Office will have an ongoing and parallel investigation into additional felony state charges, including homicide.

    A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    CASE NUMBER:          25-MJ-06320-MAA
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-110_Aguirre

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Charged After Killing of Attempted Carjacking Victim in Tucson, Arizona

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TUCSON, Ariz. – Julio Cesar Aguirre, 42, of Mexico, was charged by criminal complaint on July 2, for Attempted Carjacking, Use and Discharge of a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence, and Alien in Possession of a Firearm. Aguirre had his initial appearance in federal court in Tucson today.

    According to the complaint, Aguirre shot and killed a male driver with a 9mm caliber handgun, while attempting to carjack the victim’s Toyota Tundra on the morning of June 30, in Tucson, Arizona.

    Tucson Police Department (TPD) officers who were called to the scene spoke with witnesses before being directed to a nearby residence for a potential burglary. When they arrived at the home, the residents explained that a Hispanic male with a bleeding arm, matching Aguirre’s description, had entered their backyard and threatened them with a gun, demanding they turn over their vehicle to him. The individual later fled.

    Shortly thereafter, TPD officers located Aguirre, who was hiding in a nearby storage shed. Officers also found a Smith & Wesson 9mm caliber pistol within Aguirre’s reach. Aguirre was taken into custody without further incident.

    A search of Aguirre’s record revealed that he is a Mexican citizen, illegally present in the United States. Aguirre was arrested over 10 times from 2007 to 2013 for immigration-related crimes and was last removed from the country in 2013 pursuant to a court order.

    The federal prosecution of this case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

    TPD and the FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson office are conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution on the federal charges. TPD and the Pima County Attorney’s Office will have an ongoing and parallel investigation into additional felony state charges, including homicide.

    A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    CASE NUMBER:          25-MJ-06320-MAA
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-110_Aguirre

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Labor Day Weekend Triple Murder in 2021 Yields Guilty Verdict for Six People

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced that Erwin Dubose, Kamar Queen, Damonta Thompson, William Johnson Lee, and Mussay Rezene, all of Washington, D.C., and Toyia Johnson, of Rockville, MD, were found guilty today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on all charges for the September 4, 2021 Labor Day weekend murders of 31-year-old Donetta Dyson, 24 year-old Keenan Braxton, and 37-year-old Johnny Joyner in front of 633 Longfellow Street, NW.

                On July 3, 2025, a jury found Dubose, Queen, Johnson Lee and Thompson guilty of charges including conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, three counts of first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, and three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.  The jury found defendant Johnson guilty of tampering with physical evidence and being an accessory after the fact to assault with intent to kill while armed. The jury found defendant Rezene guilty of tampering with physical evidence and being an accessory after the fact to first degree murder while armed.

                “This senseless violence will not be tolerated in this city,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “These thugs put innocent bystanders in harm’s way, proving their total inhumanity. Today’s verdict upholds the DC U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts to stop these horrific crimes and we look forward to taking these criminals out of society for a significant amount of time.”

                According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 7:33 p.m., on September 4, 2021, Thompson drove Dubose, Queen and Johnson Lee, to the 600 block of Longfellow Street, NW. Those three men got out of the vehicle, crept to the corner of Longfellow and 7th Streets, NW, and began indiscriminately shooting into a neighborhood gathering. The three shooters ran back to the waiting vehicle Thompson was driving and fled the scene. The three victims, Ms. Dyson, Mr. Braxton and Mr. Joyner, were killed and another three victims sustained non-lethal gunshot wounds from the shooting.

                Shortly after the homicide, an associate of Dubose, Toyia Johnson, who rented the vehicle Thompson was driving at the time of the incident, began placing multiple 911 calls in which she falsely reported the suspect vehicle stolen. Shortly after midnight on September 6, 2021, Dubose and Rezene drove to the 4500 block of Eads Street, NE and set fire to the vehicle. The evidence established that triple homicide was in retaliation for a shooting that occurred an hour prior in the 800 block of Oglethorpe Street, NE.

                Joining the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Colleen Kukowski and Charles R. Jones, who prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Labor Day Weekend Triple Murder in 2021 Yields Guilty Verdict for Six People

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced that Erwin Dubose, Kamar Queen, Damonta Thompson, William Johnson Lee, and Mussay Rezene, all of Washington, D.C., and Toyia Johnson, of Rockville, MD, were found guilty today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on all charges for the September 4, 2021 Labor Day weekend murders of 31-year-old Donetta Dyson, 24 year-old Keenan Braxton, and 37-year-old Johnny Joyner in front of 633 Longfellow Street, NW.

                On July 3, 2025, a jury found Dubose, Queen, Johnson Lee and Thompson guilty of charges including conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, three counts of first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, and three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.  The jury found defendant Johnson guilty of tampering with physical evidence and being an accessory after the fact to assault with intent to kill while armed. The jury found defendant Rezene guilty of tampering with physical evidence and being an accessory after the fact to first degree murder while armed.

                “This senseless violence will not be tolerated in this city,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “These thugs put innocent bystanders in harm’s way, proving their total inhumanity. Today’s verdict upholds the DC U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts to stop these horrific crimes and we look forward to taking these criminals out of society for a significant amount of time.”

                According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 7:33 p.m., on September 4, 2021, Thompson drove Dubose, Queen and Johnson Lee, to the 600 block of Longfellow Street, NW. Those three men got out of the vehicle, crept to the corner of Longfellow and 7th Streets, NW, and began indiscriminately shooting into a neighborhood gathering. The three shooters ran back to the waiting vehicle Thompson was driving and fled the scene. The three victims, Ms. Dyson, Mr. Braxton and Mr. Joyner, were killed and another three victims sustained non-lethal gunshot wounds from the shooting.

                Shortly after the homicide, an associate of Dubose, Toyia Johnson, who rented the vehicle Thompson was driving at the time of the incident, began placing multiple 911 calls in which she falsely reported the suspect vehicle stolen. Shortly after midnight on September 6, 2021, Dubose and Rezene drove to the 4500 block of Eads Street, NE and set fire to the vehicle. The evidence established that triple homicide was in retaliation for a shooting that occurred an hour prior in the 800 block of Oglethorpe Street, NE.

                Joining the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Colleen Kukowski and Charles R. Jones, who prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Labor Day Weekend Triple Murder in 2021 Yields Guilty Verdict for Six People

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced that Erwin Dubose, Kamar Queen, Damonta Thompson, William Johnson Lee, and Mussay Rezene, all of Washington, D.C., and Toyia Johnson, of Rockville, MD, were found guilty today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on all charges for the September 4, 2021 Labor Day weekend murders of 31-year-old Donetta Dyson, 24 year-old Keenan Braxton, and 37-year-old Johnny Joyner in front of 633 Longfellow Street, NW.

                On July 3, 2025, a jury found Dubose, Queen, Johnson Lee and Thompson guilty of charges including conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, three counts of first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, and three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.  The jury found defendant Johnson guilty of tampering with physical evidence and being an accessory after the fact to assault with intent to kill while armed. The jury found defendant Rezene guilty of tampering with physical evidence and being an accessory after the fact to first degree murder while armed.

                “This senseless violence will not be tolerated in this city,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “These thugs put innocent bystanders in harm’s way, proving their total inhumanity. Today’s verdict upholds the DC U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts to stop these horrific crimes and we look forward to taking these criminals out of society for a significant amount of time.”

                According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 7:33 p.m., on September 4, 2021, Thompson drove Dubose, Queen and Johnson Lee, to the 600 block of Longfellow Street, NW. Those three men got out of the vehicle, crept to the corner of Longfellow and 7th Streets, NW, and began indiscriminately shooting into a neighborhood gathering. The three shooters ran back to the waiting vehicle Thompson was driving and fled the scene. The three victims, Ms. Dyson, Mr. Braxton and Mr. Joyner, were killed and another three victims sustained non-lethal gunshot wounds from the shooting.

                Shortly after the homicide, an associate of Dubose, Toyia Johnson, who rented the vehicle Thompson was driving at the time of the incident, began placing multiple 911 calls in which she falsely reported the suspect vehicle stolen. Shortly after midnight on September 6, 2021, Dubose and Rezene drove to the 4500 block of Eads Street, NE and set fire to the vehicle. The evidence established that triple homicide was in retaliation for a shooting that occurred an hour prior in the 800 block of Oglethorpe Street, NE.

                Joining the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Colleen Kukowski and Charles R. Jones, who prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FORMER EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE RESIDENT SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR CHILD PORN CRIMES

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Daniel R. McCaffrey, 41, formerly of Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for the transportation of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and abusive sexual contact with a minor female who had not yet reached 12 years of age. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

    U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “There is no penalty severe enough for those who harm our children, and my office will continue to aggressively pursue maximum punishment for these types of crimes.  This disgusting defendant not only victimized children online, he also sexually abused a child he had access to on Eglin Air Force Base. The substantial sentence that has been imposed reflects the severity of his crimes, but it cannot make up for the grave harm he has inflicted upon the most vulnerable members of our community. I am deeply appreciative of the incredible work of the agents and investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations to bring this heinous criminal to justice.”

    A jury found McCaffrey guilty of these charges after a federal trial.  Trial records reveal the defendant maintained a child pornography collection on a hidden micro SD card in his residence, where he lived with his then wife and two minor daughters.  McCaffrey’s wife was active duty United States Air Force at the time.  Multiple witnesses testified about the victimization McCaffrey personally inflicted upon the minor female to whom he had access. The child pornography he possessed reflected his penchant for minor females under the age of 12 years old.

    “The FBI is committed to protecting the most vulnerable individuals in our communities, and especially our kids,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley. “Those who abuse innocent children should know that the FBI and our partners will never stop working to identify you, and we will coordinate the full force of our resources to seek justice for your victims.”

    McCaffrey’s sentence of imprisonment will be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release and a requirement to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.  

    The case involved a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Office of Special Investigations of the United States Air Force.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FORMER EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE RESIDENT SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR CHILD PORN CRIMES

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Daniel R. McCaffrey, 41, formerly of Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for the transportation of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and abusive sexual contact with a minor female who had not yet reached 12 years of age. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

    U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “There is no penalty severe enough for those who harm our children, and my office will continue to aggressively pursue maximum punishment for these types of crimes.  This disgusting defendant not only victimized children online, he also sexually abused a child he had access to on Eglin Air Force Base. The substantial sentence that has been imposed reflects the severity of his crimes, but it cannot make up for the grave harm he has inflicted upon the most vulnerable members of our community. I am deeply appreciative of the incredible work of the agents and investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations to bring this heinous criminal to justice.”

    A jury found McCaffrey guilty of these charges after a federal trial.  Trial records reveal the defendant maintained a child pornography collection on a hidden micro SD card in his residence, where he lived with his then wife and two minor daughters.  McCaffrey’s wife was active duty United States Air Force at the time.  Multiple witnesses testified about the victimization McCaffrey personally inflicted upon the minor female to whom he had access. The child pornography he possessed reflected his penchant for minor females under the age of 12 years old.

    “The FBI is committed to protecting the most vulnerable individuals in our communities, and especially our kids,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley. “Those who abuse innocent children should know that the FBI and our partners will never stop working to identify you, and we will coordinate the full force of our resources to seek justice for your victims.”

    McCaffrey’s sentence of imprisonment will be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release and a requirement to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.  

    The case involved a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Office of Special Investigations of the United States Air Force.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: THREE INDICTMENTS RETURNED FOR PREVIOUSLY DEPORTED ILLEGAL ALIENS IDENTIFIED IN RECENT IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TALLAHASSEE & PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – United States Attorney John P. Heekin announced today that three previously deported aliens have been indicted separately by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States.

    Freddy Bravo Galvez, 32, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Tallahassee in June 2025, after previously being deported in 2013 and 2020.

    Marco Tulio Gonzalez-Oliva, 25, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Fort Walton Beach in March 2024, after previously being deported in 2023.

    Jose Alfredo Morales-Huerta, 48, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Pensacola in June 2025, after previously being deported in 2019.

    The penalty for illegally reentering the United States after deportation is a maximum of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

    The cases are being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Eric Mountin, Jessica Etherton, and Brooke DiSalvo are prosecuting the cases.

    An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt.  All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Number of internally displaced breaks new record with no let-up in conflicts, disasters

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    “These figures are a clear warning: without bold and coordinated action, the number of people displaced within their own countries will continue to grow rapidly,” said Amy Pope, Director General of the International Organization for Migration.

    The recent rise in conflicts worldwide – particularly in Sudan, the Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, Ukraine and Palestine has pushed millions more into displacement, adding to the tens of millions who already live in protracted displacement in countries such as Afghanistan, Colombia, Syria and Yemen. 

    Disasters surging

    The number of displaced by disasters has risen massively, climbing from 26.8 million last year to 45.8 million. “The number of disaster displacements in 2024 was nearly double the annual average of the past decade,” said a new report issued by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).

    Almost 30 countries and territories have reported unprecedented disaster displacement – with cyclones accounting for more than one in two people forced from their homes. The United States alone makes up about one in four of those displaced globally by disasters.

    With the frequency, intensity and duration of weather hazards continuously worsening owing to climate change, there is little to suggest that the trend will not continue.

    “This report is a call for preventive action, to use data and other tools to anticipate displacement before it happens and for the humanitarian and development sectors to work together with governments to develop longer-term solutions to prevent displacement,” Ms. Pope stressed.

    Conflict and violence

    Displacement caused by conflict and violence remains high and continues to be a major cause for displacement, too – although it did decrease slightly in 2024, compared to the previous 12 months.

    Over 20 million conflict-related displacements have been recorded and almost half of these stem from Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    “These latest numbers prove that internal displacement is not just a humanitarian crisis; it’s a clear development and political challenge that requires far more attention than it currently receives,” said Alexandra Bilak, director of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: World Refugee Day: telling their stories

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    While hotspots include Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Palestine, displacement affects every region of the world.

    In the lead-up to World Refugee Day, Friday, the UN is spotlighting the importance of solidarity with refugees through support, solutions, and the power of storytelling.

    Zahra Nader: Reporting from exile

    Ahead of World Refugee Day, UN News spoke with Zahra Nader, a journalist from Afghanistan.

    At age six, Nader and her family fled to Iran after the Taliban first took power, where she was denied access to education and faced racism.

    Returning to Afghanistan years later, the stark contrast between life in exile and the opportunity to attend school ignited her passion for journalism and advocacy.

    In August 2021, while she was pursuing a PhD in Canada, the Taliban regained control, shattering her dreams of returning home to teach and conduct fieldwork.

    “I felt as a journalist who grew up in Kabul, who became a journalist there, I have a right and responsibility to tell these stories of women in Afghanistan,” she said. “This is really inhuman, for half of the population of a country to be stripped of their basic human rights because they were born female.”

    Channeling that pain into action, she founded Zan Times, an Afghan women-led newsroom in exile documenting human rights abuses in Afghanistan, particularly those affecting women.  

    Despite limited funding and growing risks to her reporters, Nader continues her work to ensure that Afghan women are seen and heard.

    She described the situation in Afghanistan as “the most severe women’s rights crisis of our time”, calling international action insufficient and warning that inaction emboldens the Taliban and its misogynistic ideologies.  

    Despite her trauma and current inability to return, Nader remains optimistic and urges young Afghan women to resist through learning and preparing for a better future.

    “I am hopeful, and I want to be also part of that change, to envision a better future for Afghanistan, and do my part to make that future happen.”  

    Barthelemy Mwanza: From survival to leadership

    On Thursday, UN Video featured the story of Barthelemy Mwanza, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who is now a youth leader and advocate.

    At 18, Mwanza was caught between pressure to join an armed tribal group involved in nationwide conflict and his father’s plea to stay out of the fight, a decision that could have cost him his life.

    To survive, he fled to the Tongogara refugee camp in Zimbabwe.

    Emotionally overwhelmed from being displaced from his home country, “It really made me cry to say ‘Where am I?’” Mwanza said. “Later on, I was like, ‘Till when will I continue to cry? Shouldn’t I look at the future?’”

    He began volunteering with UNHCR, leading more than 5,000 young refugees through initiatives tackling gender-based violence, youth protection, and climate action.

    Now resettled in Ohio, United States, Mwanza continues to collaborate with UNHCR to elevate refugee voices, inspire climate action and share his story.

    Empowering and advocating for refugees on a global stage “was one of my dreams, and now I can really see that it’s coming to life,” he concluded.  

    © UNHCR/Nicolo Filippo Rosso

    Barthelemy Mwanza Ngane is a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is currently living in Akron, Ohio, US.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Pandemic accord can be a ‘gamechanger’ for marginalised communities, says youth advocate

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Mr. Hassan and his fellow Youth Councillors advise and actively engage with the WHO Director-General and the agency’s senior leadership, designing and expanding the agency’s programmes and strategies.

    In an interview with UN News ahead of the 2025 World Health Assembly – the UN’s highest forum for global health – Mr. Hassan, who was born and raised in Texas, USA,  explains why he started iCure, a global non-profit organisation designed to ensure that all people receive access to preventative medical screening, and how the pandemic treaty could radically improve care for vulnerable communities.

    This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

    Courtesy of Rehman Hassan

    Rehman Hassan: 10 years ago, my grandfather passed away from heart disease. I saw how he was treated differently because of the way that he presented himself, as an immigrant and a person of colour. He was very knowledgeable, but he had limited literacy, and he wasn’t necessarily told what all his options were. I felt that the doctors tried to rush him into surgery and that they forced him to be anaesthetized because they believed he was moving around too much, when in fact he was just in pain and uncomfortable.

    I’m convinced that he didn’t get the care that he deserved and that really resonated with me, because I wanted to make sure that no one else felt that way. I saw that, as a young person, my role could involve working at a community level, mobilising other young people to promote things like good diet or exercise, and advocate for those who need help.

    That’s how iCure started, and it has blossomed into an international movement. We have hosted a youth fellowship programme with around 65 young people from all over the world, from Vietnam to Qatar to Puerto Rico, discussing the health issues they’re seeing and how to address them, as trusted members of their communities, to bridge the kinds of information gaps that are very common in many marginalized communities, especially amongst low income people and immigrants.

    UN News: Tell me about your personal experience during the coronavirus“>COVID-19 pandemic?

    Rehman Hassan: The pandemic was, for many people across the world, a deeply difficult, scary, intense process. I was living with my grandparents who were immunocompromised, and I knew that they were at significant risk. Whilst we had a lot of vaccines in the US, there was a lot of pandemic disinformation and misinformation; presenting it as something that had a low mortality rate and that we could ignore.

    In addition, we had a major winter storm in Texas that froze the state for almost two weeks. We didn’t have access to electricity, gas or water. Our house was flooded and ultimately was destroyed. This combination of the climate crisis and the pandemic meant that many people, especially in my community, were left behind and did not receive the resources that they needed.

    Children in Mexico received food baskets during the COVID-19 pandemic (file, 2022)

    UN News: The WHO says that the pandemic preparedness treaty, if and when it is adopted, will be a breakthrough for health equity and make a real difference on the ground. Do you agree?

    Rehman Hassan: I definitely think it’s a game changer. I got involved with the treaty process through the WHO Youth Council, where I represent an organisation [ACT4FOOD, a global youth-led movement to transform food systems] that primarily focuses on access to food, the social determinants of health and how we can promote change at the community level.

    The text of the treaty spells out the efforts that need to be taken at a community level, and each member state has an obligation to make sure that the most vulnerable get access to support or care, as part of their pandemic response plans.

    There is a commitment to early detection: if we can detect pandemics early, then we can ensure that everyone has access to the care and resources they need.

    UN News: It’s likely that there will be another pandemic in our lifetimes. Will we manage it better than the last one?

    Rehman Hassan: We’re definitely seeing an acceleration of pandemics and extreme events that ultimately undermine equity.

    I think that the World Health Assembly and the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body for the pandemic treaty have done an incredible job of understanding what went wrong during the COVID-19 pandemic, and previous pandemics, and then looking at how we can craft an instrument that will address those inequities or prevent them from happening in the first place.

    If member states deliver a meaningful treaty, I think it would significantly improve and facilitate a much better pandemic response than what we saw during last time.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Countries set to adopt ‘vital’ pandemic preparedness accord

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    The stakes are high for this year’s World Health Assembly, the UN’s premier health forum, where officials will tackle a sweeping agenda – from pandemic readiness and climate-related health risks to mental health, maternal care, and environmental justice. But with geopolitical tensions running high, international collaboration on these and other vital issues will be tested.

    Here are some of the key areas set to dominate discussion:

    1. ‘Cautious optimism’: Signing off on a pandemic accord

    The coronavirus“>COVID-19 pandemic showed that there are stark inequities in access to diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines, both within and between countries. Healthcare services were overwhelmed, economies were severely disrupted and nearly seven million lives were lost.

    This was the motivation for countries to come together to work on an accord to ensure that the world handles the next pandemic in a fairer and more efficient way. When the delegates arrive in Geneva on Monday 19 May, they will thrash out the text of the agreement, which Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), described as “vital for future generations.”

    If the agreement is adopted, it will be a major breakthrough in the way the world handles pandemics and health crises. Negotiations, though, remain politically delicate: several nations, including the United States, have raised concerns about national sovereignty and intellectual property rights. Still, in recent weeks, Dr. Tedros has expressed “cautious optimism” that consensus can be reached.

    © UNDP Malawi

    A woman wearing a mask, Malawi.

    2. Climate Change: An existential threat

    The climate crisis isn’t just about rising temperatures – it’s putting lives at risk. Extreme weather and disease outbreaks are on the rise, threatening the health of millions. An action plan created by WHO calls for climate and health policies to work together, strengthens resilience, and ensures funding to safeguard vulnerable communities.

    A draft version of the plan was released following a resolution adopted at the 2024 conference and, this year, delegates are expected to finalise the draft, which includes strategies to adapt to and mitigate climate-related health risks.

    3. Health for all: Getting universal health care back on track

    Ensuring that all people have affordable access to the full range of quality health services they need is one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which all UN Member States signed up to in 2015. However, the health target is way off track: in fact, improvements to health services have stagnated over the last ten years.

    Nevertheless, universal health care (UHC) will be a top priority at the Assembly, where delegates will discuss strategies to strengthen primary healthcare systems, secure sustainable financing and provide care for vulnerable populations.

    © WHO/Panos/Eduardo Martino

    4. Healthy Beginnings: Maternal and newborn health

    Close to 300,000 women lose their life during pregnancy or childbirth each year, while over two million babies die in their first month of life. In April, WHO launched a year-long campaign to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths.

    Titled “Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures”, it will urge governments and the health community to ramp up efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and to prioritize women’s longer-term health and well-being.

    Expect new targets and renewed commitments to end preventable deaths to be announced at the Assembly.

    5. Closing the gaps: Noncommunicable diseases

    Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, kill tens of millions of people each year. Around three-quarters of those deaths are in low and middle-income countries.

    Many lives could be saved if more countries had strong national responses, providing detection, screening and treatment, as well as palliative care.

    In preparation for a WHO meeting on NCDs and mental health in September, delegates will review the way the UN health agency collaborates with governments, civil society, and the private sector to prevent and control these diseases, and address ways to improve access to essential medicines and health technologies.

    WHO/Eduardo Martino

    6. Getting the finances in order

    This year has been described as one of the most challenging ever at the UN, which is being buffeted by extreme pressures on its finances. The US, a major donor announced that it would be leaving WHO in January, and other countries have also cut development and aid funding.

    This year’s Assembly will see Member States negotiating a 50 per cent increase in the base budget, something that has been in the works since the 2022 meeting. If a funding boost is approved, it will provide a vital boost at a challenging time. WHO is also seeking additional voluntary contributions, and additional pledges are anticipated from member states and philanthropic organisations.

    Follow the sessions at the World Health Assembly here. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Guterres welcomes election of Pope Leo ‘at a time of great global challenges’

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    His Holiness Pope Leo XIV – born Robert Francis Prevost – is the first person from the United States to lead the Catholic Church, although he also holds Peruvian citizenship after working in the Latin American country for many years.

    He was selected by cardinals voting at the Vatican and later greeted thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square with a message of peace.

    Strong voices needed

    Mr. Guterres extended heartfelt congratulations to the new pontiff and Roman Catholics everywhere. 

     “The election of a new Pope is a moment of profound spiritual significance for millions of faithful around the world, and it comes at a time of great global challenges,” he said.

     “Our world is in need of the strongest voices for peace, social justice, human dignity and compassion.”

    Building on the legacy

     The Secretary-General said he looks forward to building on the long legacy of cooperation between the UN and the Holy See – nurtured most recently by the late Pope Francis – to advance solidarity, foster reconciliation, and build a just and sustainable world for all.

     “It is rooted in the first words of Pope Leo,” he noted.  “Despite the rich diversity of backgrounds and beliefs, people everywhere share a common goal: May peace be with all the world.”

    © FAO/Giuseppe Carotenuto

    António Guterres, UN Secretary-General (fourth from right) greets an official in front of St. Peter’s Basilica at the funeral of Pope Francis.

    Pope Leo, 69, was born and grew up in the midwestern city of Chicago and spent years working as a missionary in Peru, before becoming a bishop and then rising to head the international Order of St. Augustine.

    He became a cardinal in 2023 and went on to run the Vatican office that selects and manages Catholic bishops worldwide. 

    He succeeds Pope Francis – the first Pope from Latin America – who died in April after serving for 12 years.

    Following his death, the UN Secretary-General recalled that “Pope Francis was a transcendent voice for peace, human dignity and social justice” who “leaves behind a legacy of faith, service and compassion for all — especially those left on the margins of life or trapped by the horrors of conflict.” 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN chief calls for major reforms to cut costs and improve efficiency

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Briefing Member States in New York on Monday Mr. Guterres outlined wide-ranging effort to revamp how the UN system operates – cutting costs, streamlining operations, and modernizing its approach to peace and security, development and human rights.

    “These are times of peril,” he said, “but they are also times of profound opportunity and obligation. The mission of the United Nations is more urgent than ever.”

    Three main objectives

    Launched in March, the UN80 Initiative centres on three priorities: enhancing operational efficiency, assessing how mandates – or key tasks – from Member States are implemented, and exploring structural reforms across the UN system.

    The conclusions will be reflected in revised estimates for the 2026 budget in September this year, with additional changes that require more detailed analysis presented in the proposal for the 2027 budget.

    ‘Meaningful’ budget reductions

    Mr. Guterres said the changes are expected to yield “meaningful reductions” in the overall budget. For example, the departments for political and peacekeeping affairs could see a 20 per cent reduction in staff by eliminating duplication.

    This level of reduction, he said, could serve as a benchmark across the UN system – while also considering unique factors for each department.

    Additional examples include consolidating all counter-terrorism work within the main Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), ending building leases and relocating posts away from expensive “duty stations” where cost of living is high.

    “There might be immediate, one-off costs involved in relocating staff and providing potential termination packages,” he said, “but by moving posts from high-cost locations, we can reduce our commercial footprint in those cities and reduce our post and non-post costs.”

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres briefs on the UN80 Initiative.

    Efficiencies and upgrades

    The first workstream focuses on efficiencies and improvements, developing a new model that improves consolidation, looks at centralising services, relocating to cheaper locations, and expanding the use of automation and digital platforms.

    Mr. Guterres said departments the UN’s headquarters in New York and Geneva have been asked to review whether some teams can be relocated to lower-cost duty stations, reduced or abolished.

    Reviewing mandates

    The second workstream involves a review of how existing mandates are being carried out – not the mandates themselves, which are the purview of Member States only.

    A preliminary review identified more than 3,600 unique mandates for the Secretariat alone. A full and more detailed analysis is now underway.

    Mr. Guterres emphasised that the sheer number of mandates – and the bureaucracy needed to implement them – places a particular burden on smaller Member States with limited resources.

    “Based on this work, Member States may wish to consider the opportunity to conduct themselves a review of the mandates,” he added.

    Structural change

    The third workstream – focused on structural reform – is already underway, Mr. Guterres said.

    Nearly 50 initial submissions have already been received from senior UN officials, reflecting what Mr. Guterres described as “a high level of ambition and creativity.”

    Key work areas have been identified for review. These include peace and security, development, human rights, humanitarian, training and research and specialised agencies.

    UN Photo/Manuel Elías

    A wide view of the informal meeting of the General Assembly plenary that heard a briefing by the Secretary-General on the UN80 Initiative.

    Not an answer to liquidity crisis

    Mr. Guterres also touched on the UN dire cashflow situation, noting that the initiative “is not an answer” to the months-long liquidity crisis but by being more cost effective, it should help limit the impact.

    “The liquidity crisis is caused by one simple fact – the arrears,” he said, adding that structural reform is not the answer to a fundamental failure by some Member States to pay what they owe on time to meet running costs.

    Unpaid dues

    According to information provided by the UN Controller to the General Assembly’s Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), only $1.8 billion has been received against the $3.5 billion regular budget assessments for 2025 – a shortfall of around 50 per cent.

    As of 30 April, unpaid assessments stood at $2.4 billion, with the United States owing about $1.5 billion, China ($597 million), Russia ($72 million), Saudi Arabia ($42 million), Mexico ($38 million), and Venezuela ($38 million). An additional $137 million is yet to be paid by other Member States.

    For the peacekeeping budget (which runs on a July-June cycle), including prior-period arrears, the unpaid amount totals $2.7 billion. For the International Tribunals, total contribution outstanding was $79 million as of 30 April.

    Close consultation

    The Secretary-General told Member States he would be consulting with them  closely and regularly on the cash crisis and needed reforms, seeking guidance  and presenting concrete proposals for countries to act on.

    UN staff members and their representatives are being consulted and listened to, he added: “Our concern is to be humane and professional in dealing with any aspect of the required restructuring.”

    In conclusion, he highlighted that the UN80 Initiative is a “significant opportunity” to strengthen the UN system and deliver for those who depend on it.

    In response to the suggestion that the UN should focus on just the one key pillar of peace and security, he said it would be wrong to ditch development and human rights – all three are essential he underscored.

    “Let us seize this momentum with urgency and determination, and work together to build the strongest and most effective United Nations for today and tomorrow.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN rights office ‘horrified’ by deadly violence at Gaza food distribution sites

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    The UN human rights office (OHCHR) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory on Wednesday called on the Israeli military to cease the use of lethal force near aid convoys and food distribution sites.

    It cited “repeated incidents” of Palestinians being shot or shelled while seeking food, warning that such attacks could constitute war crimes under international law.

    “We are horrified at the repeated incidents, continuously reported in recent days across Gaza, and we call for an immediate end to these senseless killings,” the office said in a statement.

    Hundreds killed

    Since 27 May, when the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an initiative backed by Israel and the United States began food distribution in southern Gaza – bypassing the established UN-led system – hundreds have been killed and many more wounded near four distribution points or while waiting to pick up aid.

    In one of the deadliest recent incidents, Israeli military reportedly shelled a crowd waiting for UN food trucks in southern Gaza on 17 June, killing at least 51 people and injuring some 200 others, according to Gazan health authorities.

    A day earlier, three Palestinians were reportedly killed and several injured in a similar incident in western Beit Lahiya.

    “There is no information to suggest that the people killed or injured were involved in hostilities or posed any threat to the Israeli military or to staff of GHF distribution points,” OHCHR said.

    Protect civilians, aid workers

    The UN World Food Programme (WFP), which has managed to dispatch only 9,000 metric tons of food within Gaza over the past month – a fraction of what is required for the 2.1 million people in need – echoed calls for immediate protection of civilians and aid workers.

    “Far too many people have died while trying to access the trickle of food aid coming in,” the agency said in a separate statement.

    “Any violence resulting in starving people being killed or injured while seeking life-saving assistance is completely unacceptable.”

    Massive scale-up needed

    The UN emergency food relief agency said the fear of starvation and desperate need for food is causing large crowds to gather along well-known transport routes, hoping to intercept and access humanitarian supplies while in transit.

    “Only a massive scale-up in food distributions can stabilize the situation, calm anxieties and rebuild the trust within communities that more food is coming,” it said, calling urgently for safer convoy routes, faster permissions, restored communication channels and additional border openings.

    “The time to act is now. Delays cost lives. We must be allowed to safely do our jobs,” the agency said.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN reiterates call for urgent de-escalation amid Iran-Israel conflict, worsening Gaza crisis

    Source: United Nations 2

    In a joint call to de-escalate, UN agencies have warned that further conflict risks triggering new displacement in a region already strained by decades of war and instability.

    The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) noted military strikes have led people in both Iran and Israel to flee their homes in search of safety from tit-for-tat missile strikes.

    “Movements have been reported from Tehran and other parts of Iran, with some choosing to cross into neighbouring countries,” the agency stated. Meanwhile, “shelling has caused people in Israel to seek shelter elsewhere in the country and in some cases abroad.”

    “This region has already endured more than its share of war, loss, and displacement – we cannot allow another refugee crisis to take root,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. “The time to de-escalate is right now. Once people are forced to flee, there’s no quick way back – and all too often, the consequences last for generations.”

    UNHCR urged countries in the region to respect the right to seek asylum and ensure humanitarian access to those affected, while calling on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

    Nuclear risks rise as Iran facilities hit

    The conflict escalated sharply following Israeli airstrikes on multiple Iranian nuclear-related sites in the past week, including a centrifuge manufacturing workshop in Esfahan, according to the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

    “This is the third such facility that has been targeted over the past week,” Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi confirmed, noting that the facility had been under IAEA surveillance as part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – the nuclear deal signed with Iran in 2015, which the United States pulled out of in 2017.

    “We know this facility well. There was no nuclear material at this site and therefore the attack on it will have no radiological consequences,” he said. However, Mr. Grossi warned that continued strikes on nuclear infrastructure are severely undermining nuclear safety and security.

    “Though they have not so far led to a radiological release affecting the public, there is a danger this could occur.”

    The IAEA has been tracking damage to sites in Esfahan, Arak, Karaj, Natanz and Tehran since the Israeli military campaign against Iran began on 13 June.

     The agency has been providing regular updates to the UN Security Council, which has yet to reach consensus on a response. On Friday, ambassadors debating the escalation heard during an emergency meeting in New York UN Secretary-General António Guterres warn that if fighting escalated it could “ignite a fire no one can control.”

    Gaza in ruins, Palestinians face starvation

    The mounting regional crisis is unfolding against the backdrop of the war in Gaza, where humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate.

    On Saturday, the head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, painted a grim picture of life in the enclave during an address to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul.

    “In Gaza, two million people are being starved,” he said bluntly. “The newly created, so-called ‘aid mechanism’ is an abomination that humiliates and degrades desperate people. It is a death-trap, costing more lives than it saves.”

    Lazzarini described a territory devastated by nearly two years of conflict, with more than 55,000 reported dead by local authorities in the Strip – the majority of them women and children.

    Survivors, he said, “are shadows of their former selves; their lives forever changed by unspeakable trauma and profound loss.”

    In the occupied West Bank, displacement and destruction of public infrastructure are altering the demography of Palestinian camps, he added, in what he described as an effort to erase the prospect of a Palestinian State under the UN-backed two-State solution and strip Palestinians of refugee status.

    UNRWA in the crosshairs

    “UNRWA has become an objective of this war,” Mr. Lazzarini warned, citing the deaths of at least 318 of the agency’s staff in Gaza since the 7 October terror attacks on Israel by Hamas and other militants, the expulsion of international staff, and a campaign of disinformation aimed at crippling its funding.

    Despite these pressures, UNRWA continues to provide lifesaving services, including over 15,000 health consultations per day, waste management and shelter support.

    UNRWA’s financial situation is now “dire,” the agency chief said. “Without additional funding, I will soon have to take unprecedented decisions affecting our operations across the region.”

    He appealed to Member States to act urgently: “The sudden loss or reduction of UNRWA’s services will only deepen suffering and despair across the occupied Palestinian territory. It might spark unrest in the neighbouring countries. This is something that the region cannot afford, especially now.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN chief ‘gravely alarmed’ by US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites

    Source: United Nations 2

    “I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today,” said the UN chief, reiterating that there is no military solution.

    “This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security.”

    President Donald Trump delivered a televised address to the nation from the White House at 10pm local time and said that Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan had been “totally obliterated” describing the long-range bombing raid as a “spectacular military success.”

    President Trump called on Iran’s leadership to now “make peace” and return to negotiations over its nuclear programme or suffer a far greater wave of attacks.

    Iranian authorities have yet to confirm the extent of the damage to the three sites in central Iran. Earlier in the day, Iran’s foreign minister reportedly warned the US against any involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict which erupted on 13 June.

    Deadly strikes

    At least 430 Iranians are believed to have been killed during waves of strikes since then with around 3,500 injured, according to figures from the Iranian health ministry.

    In Israel, 24 civilians have died in the retaliatory attacks according to local authorities with more than 400 missiles reportedly fired towards the country.

    B-2 bombers were involved in the US strikes, President Trump confirmed, dropping so-called “bunker buster” bombs on the uranium enrichment site at Fordow which is buried deep inside a mountain south of the capital Tehran.

    ‘Avoid a spiral of chaos’

    In his statement, the Secretary-General reiterated his concerns voiced in the Security Council during Friday’s emergency meeting on the crisis that the conflict “could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world.”

    He called on all Member States to de-escalate the situation which threatens the stability of the Middle East and beyond, calling for everyone to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and international law.

    “At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos,” he added calling for an immediate return to negotiations between the warring parties.

    “There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace.”

    The UN human rights chief Volker Turk echoed the UN chief’s statement on social media early on Sunday saying that it was now “of utmost importance for all parties to exercise the fullest restraint in order to avoid the untold human rights impacts of a widening conflict on civilians across the region.”

    UPDATE: No sign of radiation level increase beyond sites

    Meanwhile, the head of the UN’s atomic energy agency, IAEA, said in a statement on Sunday that there was no sign of any health-impacting radiation resulting from the US strikes beyond the three Iranian sites targeted, citing Iranian nuclear energy authorities.

    Director General Rafael Grossi noted that the sites had all contained enriched uranium verified by IAEA inspectors “to different levels” and confirmed that “radioactive and chemical contamination” may have occurred inside the facilities hit.

    Read our UN News explainer on the role and importance of the IAEA here.

    “In view of the increasingly serious situation in terms of nuclear safety and security, the Board of Governors will meet in an extraordinary session tomorrow, which I will address,” Mr. Grossi said.

    “As of this time, we don’t expect that there will be any health consequences for people or the environment outside the targeted sites,” he added. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Force Will Not Bring True Peace: Chinese Foreign Minister

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    PARIS, July 5 (Xinhua) — War is not a solution to the Iranian nuclear issue, and preemptive strikes obviously have no legitimacy, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said on Friday, stressing that force will not bring true peace.

    He made the statement here at a joint press conference with his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot.

    Asked about the situation in the Middle East, Wang Yi said the recent military conflict between Israel and Iran should not be repeated. He stressed that the abuse of military force will only lead to new conflicts and the accumulation of more hatred. The United States has set a bad precedent by openly attacking the nuclear facilities of a sovereign state, the Chinese diplomat added.

    He warned that if such actions lead to a nuclear catastrophe, the entire world would suffer the consequences. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN’s lifesaving programmes under threat as budget crisis hits hard

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Member States had paid just $1.8 billion towards the UN’s $3.7 billion regular budget for 2025, as of 9 May. Including unpaid contributions from previous years, total unpaid assessments stand at approximately $2.4 billion as of 30 April.

    The United States is the largest debtor at about $1.5 billion, as the Trump Administration is withholding funds to cut what it sees as unnecessary spending.

    Other major contributors with unpaid dues include China ($597 million), Russia ($72 million), Saudi Arabia ($42 million), Mexico ($38 million) and Venezuela ($38 million). An additional $137 million is yet to be paid by other Member States.

    The UN’s separate peacekeeping budget faces a similar crisis, with $2.7 billion in unpaid assessments as of 30 April.

    Amidst the fiscal challenges, Secretary-General António Guterres in March launched the UN80 initiative to improve efficiency, streamline operations and reduce costs – including a possible 20 per cent staff cut through eliminating duplication.

    Women, health, refugee support at risk

    The situation is equally concerning at UN agencies and programmes, which have their own budgets and funding channels.  

    The UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, for instance has warned that women and girls in crisis zones – such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Haiti, Sudan and Afghanistan – are already suffering from shrinking support.

    Cuts have slashed the ability to hire midwives, supply essential medicines, deploy health teams, and provide safe spaces for survivors of sexual violence.

    In Mozambique, nearly 750,000 displaced persons and refugees are in urgent need of protection, but the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) warns it may have to suspend essential services, including healthcare, education, and support for survivors of gender-based violence, with only one-third of its funding appeal met.

    HIV/AIDS programs are also at risk. In Tajikistan, UNAIDS Country Director Aziza Hamidova reports that 60 per cent of HIV programme support is in jeopardy. Community health centers have already closed, outreach has been cut, and access to PrEP testing and counseling has dropped sharply.

    Dwindling funds for crisis response

    The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) – which leads UN’s response to crisis – is raising alarms over the cascading impact of funding gaps.

    In Sudan, only 13 per cent of the $4.2 billion needed for 2025 has been received, forcing 250,000 children out of school. In the DRC, gender-based violence cases have surged 38 per cent, but programmes are shutting down. In Haiti, cholera response efforts risk collapse. Meanwhile, just 25 per cent of Ukraine’s 2025 humanitarian appeal has been funded, jeopardizing critical services.

    UN Emergency Relief Coordinator and head of OCHA, Tom Fletcher, has already announced staff cuts and scaling back of some country programmes.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Germany’s Annalena Baerbock elected President of the 80th General Assembly

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    She assumes the role at a challenging time, with ongoing conflicts, faltering development goals, mounting financial pressures, and the upcoming selection of the next Secretary-General.

    Ms. Baerbock received 167 votes following the secret ballot. Fourteen delegations abstained.

    She becomes the first woman from the Western European group to hold the post and the fifth woman overall to lead the General Assembly. The presidency rotates among the world body’s five regional groups.

    At 44 years, Ms. Baerbock is also one of the youngest leaders to secure the top job.

    Crucial juncture

    Ms. Baerbock’s election comes at a critical juncture for the multilateral system, spearheaded by the United Nations.

    With the Security Council deadlocked – especially on moves to help end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza – the Assembly has become a vital forum for diplomatic engagement and consensus-building, even without binding authority on peace and security issues.

    As conflicts rage, the Assembly has passed a series of resolutions calling for ceasefires, humanitarian access and the protection of civilians.

    Many now see the Assembly as an essential platform for accountability and maintaining international focus on intractable crises, especially through the “Veto Initiative” adopted in 2022 which ensures that issues blocked by permanent members on the Security Council are debated in the Assembly as a priority.

    A power wielded by the five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – a veto (or negative vote) can block Council action even when all other members support a motion.

    Pledge to be an honest broker

    In her acceptance speech, President-elect Baerbock acknowledged the current global challenges and pledged to serve as “an honest broker and a unifier” for all 193 Member States, emphasising her theme of “Better Together.”

    She outlined three priorities for her presidency: making the Organization more efficient and effective; advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; and making the Assembly a “truly inclusive forum”.

    She called for a UN “that embraces everyone. I see the diversity of the General Assembly as our strength. This is the place where all nations come together and where every country has a seat and a voice.”

    She also highlighted the importance of promoting gender equality, multilingualism, and engagement with civil society and youth.

    UN Video | Annalena Baerbock elected to lead 80th session of the UN General Assembly

    UN80 initiative

    Ms. Baerbock also touched on the UN80 initiative, which was launched by Secretary-General António Guterres in March.

    “The UN80 Initiative should not be a mere cost-cutting exercise,” she said, stressing the need for bold ambition and readiness to take difficult decisions.

    “Our common goal is a strong, focused, nimble and fit-for-purpose organization. One that is capable of realising its core objectives – we need a United Nations that delivers on peace, development and justice.”

    A career defined by multilateralism

    In congratulating Ms. Baerbock, current President Philemon Yang described her as a leader defined by “an unwavering commitment to multilateralism”, praising her “Better Together” vision.

    Mr. Yang, who steered the Assembly through a year marked by the Summit of the Future and persistent global crises, expressed confidence in her ability to build trust and foster dialogue across divides.

    Secretary-General António Guterres said Mr. Yang’s successor was taking the gavel amid a “difficult and uncertain moment for the multilateral system,” noting she was only the fifth woman to lead the body.

    The UN chief warned that “conflicts, climate catastrophe, poverty and inequality continue to challenge the human family,” and called on the Assembly to unite in forging common solutions.

    UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

    Annalena Baerbock, President-elect of the eightieth session of the UN General Assembly, speaks to the media following her election.

    The world parliament

    The General Assembly remains the UN’s most representative body, where each Member State has an equal voice – and an equal say in decisions.

    While its resolutions are non-binding, the GA – as the acronym goes in New York – helps define global diplomatic norms, convenes dialogues on worldwide challenges and holds the Security Council to account.

    The 80th session, starting 9 September, is expected to be pivotal – not only for sheer number and intensity of crises ongoing – but for advancing long-term reforms, including the UN80 initiative and the selection of the next Secretary-General before his term ends in 2026.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Nations adopt historic pledge to guard against future pandemics

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    The effects of the devastating coronavirus“>COVID-19 pandemic are still being felt. Around seven million people died, health systems were overwhelmed, and the global economy was practically driven to a standstill.

    The global turmoil prompted a stunned international community to pursue an agreement aimed at preventing such a catastrophic event from happening again – and ensuring the world is far better prepared in the future.

    The landmark decision was made at the World Health Assembly, the annual meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO).

    Although the formal adoption was on Tuesday, the WHO’s Member States overwhelmingly approved the agreement on Monday (124 votes in favour, zero objections, 11 abstentions).

    This meant that, rather than a nail-biting vote with last-minute surprises (ahead of the conference, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, only felt able to express “cautious optimism”), the adoption by consensus had a celebratory feel.

    “The agreement is a victory for public health, science and multilateral action,” declared Tedros. “It will ensure we, collectively, can better protect the world from future pandemic threats.

    “It is also a recognition by the international community that our citizens, societies and economies must not be left vulnerable to again suffer losses like those endured during COVID-19.”  

    WHO/Christopher Black

    WHO Member States approved the first-ever Pandemic Agreement on 19 May 2025

    ‘Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’

    The pandemic laid bare gross inequities between and within countries, when it came to diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines, and a core aim of the agreement is to plug gaps and treat any future pandemics in a fairer and more efficient way.

    “Now that the Agreement has been brought to life, we must all act with the same urgency to implement its critical elements, including systems to ensure equitable access to life-saving pandemic-related health products,” announced Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, Secretary of the Philippines Department of Health, and President of this year’s World Health Assembly, who presided over the Agreement’s adoption.

    “As COVID was a once-in-a-lifetime emergency, the WHO Pandemic Agreement offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build on lessons learned from that crisis and ensure people worldwide are better protected if a future pandemic emerges.”

    The issue of national sovereignty has been raised several times during the process of negotiating the accord, a reflection of false online claims that WHO is somehow attempting to wrest control away from individual countries.

    The accord is at pains to point out that this is not the case, stating that nothing contained within it gives WHO any authority to change or interfere with national laws, or force nations to take measures such as banning travellers, impose vaccinations or implement lockdowns.

    WHO/ Christopher Black

    WHO Member States approved the first-ever Pandemic Agreement on 19 May 2025

    11 abstentions and a US no-show

    11 countries abstained, including Poland, Israel, Italy, Russia, Slovakia and Iran. Following the vote, the abstaining countries were given the opportunity to explain why they took this decision.

    The Polish delegate explained that they could not support the treaty ahead of a domestic review, whilst Russia raised the issue of sovereignty as a concern. Iran’s representative said that “key concerns of developing countries were not addressed,” and that they regretted the “lack of binding commitments on unhindered access and equitable access to medical countermeasures, technology transfer and knowhow, and continued silence on negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on health systems.”

    During the high-level segment which preceded the vote, a notable intervention came from the United States which has begun the year-long process of withdrawing from the WHO, and did not take part in the vote.

    In a video addressed to the Assembly, US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy excoriated the WHO, accusing the UN agency of having “doubled down with the Pandemic Agreement which will lock in all of the dysfunction of the WHO pandemic response…we’re not going to participate in that.”

    Next steps

    The adoption has been hailed as a groundbreaking step, but this is just the beginning of the process.

    The next step is putting the agreement into practice, by launching a process to draft and negotiate a Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system (PABS) through an Intergovernmental Working Group.

    The result of this process will be considered at next year’s World Health Assembly.

    Once the Assembly adopts the PABS annex, the agreement will then be open for signature and consideration of ratification, including by national legislative bodies. After 60 ratifications, it will enter into force.

    Other provisions include a new financial mechanism for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, and the creation of a Global Supply Chain and Logistics Network to “enhance, facilitate, and work to remove barriers and ensure equitable, timely, rapid, safe, and affordable access to pandemic-related health products for countries in need during public health emergencies of international concern, including pandemic emergencies, and for prevention of such emergencies.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN faces deepening financial crisis, urges members to pay up

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    With a growing shortfall in contributions – $2.4 billion in unpaid regular budget dues and $2.7 billion in peacekeeping – the UN has been forced to cut spending, freeze hiring, and scale back some services.

    Officials warned that this risks eroding the UN’s credibility and its capacity to fulfil mandates entrusted to it by Member States.

    Switzerland, speaking also on behalf of Liechtenstein, said the issue goes beyond accounting. “Each delay in payment, each hiring freeze, each cancelled service chips away at trust in our ability to deliver,” the delegate said.

    Retain unspent funds as ‘protective buffer’

    One proposed solution is to allow the UN to temporarily keep unspent funds at year’s end, instead of returning them to Member States as credits. Currently, this return is mandatory – even if the funds arrive late in the year, giving the UN little time to spend them.

    The suggested change would act as a buffer to keep operations running, particularly in January when payments tend to lag.

    Delegates also backed limited use of “special commitments” — emergency funding tools — early in the year to bridge gaps caused by delayed contributions.

    While these fixes may help, several speakers, including those from Kazakhstan, Norway, and the United Kingdom, emphasized that the root cause is the continued late or non-payment of dues.

    Norway noted such temporary measures won’t solve the underlying problem and urged Member States to support bold financial reforms.

    ‘Real operational risks’

    The European Union stressed that the crisis is not abstract. “These are real operational risks,” its delegate said, adding that the burden cannot fall solely on countries that pay on time.

    Singapore, speaking for the Southeast Asian group of nations, ASEAN, echoed concern that the UN’s liquidity problems have become routine.

    He cited the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific’s (ESCAP) need to shut its offices for three months and suspend travel and hiring.

    Particularly troubling to many was the fact that one country – unnamed in the meeting but widely known to be the United States – is responsible for over half of all unpaid dues, reportedly withholding funds for political reasons.

    Russia called for more transparency in how the UN manages cash-saving measures, cautioning against actions taken without Member State input.

    Paying dues

    Catherine Pollard, the UN’s top management official, noted that since 9 May, a handful of countries have paid in full across several budget categories, while the number of nations which have paid in full for the regular budget stands at 106 for the year.

    Still, with only 61 countries having met all their obligations in full, the message from Member States was clear: without broad, timely financial support, the UN’s ability to serve the world – especially in times of crisis – is at serious risk.

    For full coverage of all meetings at the General Assembly, Security Council and elsewhere at UN Headquarters please visit our Meetings Coverage Section here. You can find the full report on this meeting, here.  

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN awards 2025 Mandela Prize to Brenda Reynolds and Kennedy Odede

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Secretary-General António Guterres will present the award to Brenda Reynolds and Kennedy Odede on 18 July, Nelson Mandela International Day.

    Established in 2014, the prize is awarded every five years to two individuals whose work reflects the late South African President’s legacy of leadership, humility, service, and unity across borders.

    “This year’s Mandela prize winners embody the spirit of unity and possibility – reminding us how we all have the power to shape stronger communities and a better world,” said Mr. Guterres.

    Brenda Reynolds

    A Status Treaty member of the Fishing Lake Saulteaux First Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada, Brenda Reynolds has spent decades advancing Indigenous rights, mental health, and trauma-informed care.

    Linda Dickinson Photography

    Brenda Reynolds, 2025 Mandela Prize winner.

    In 1988, she supported 17 teenage girls in the first residential school sexual abuse case in Saskatchewan. Later, she became a special adviser to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), helping shape survivor support and trauma responses.

    She is most recognised for her key role in Canada’s court-ordered Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and her subsequent development of the Indian Residential School Resolution Health Support Program—a national initiative offering culturally grounded mental health care for survivors and families.

    In 2023, she was invited by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the European Union to share her expertise on trauma and cultural genocide.

    Kennedy Odede

    Living in Kenya’s Kibera Slum for 23 years, Kennedy Odede went from living on the street at 10 years old to global recognition when he was named one of TIME magazine’s 2024 100 Most Influential People.

    His journey began with a small act: saving his meagre factory earnings to buy a soccer ball and bring his community together. That spark grew into Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), a grassroots movement he now leads as CEO. SHOFCO operates in 68 locations across Kenya, empowering local groups and delivering vital services to over 2.4 million people every year.

    Mr. Odede is also a New York Times bestselling co-author and holds roles with USAID, the World Economic Forum, the Obama Foundation, and the Clinton Global Initiative.

    Kennedy Odede, 2025 Mandela Prize winner

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Asia-based criminal network cons Thai woman in US out of $300,000

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Wannapa Suprasert received a call from scammers who drew her into an elaborate false narrative involving identity theft, an international police investigation and the threat of a criminal trial.

    She was told that she and family members could face jail time: “They made a threat that they would be tapping my phone. The mind is very powerful because once you’re in that delusion, I guess I couldn’t think clearly and I was just very concerned about my family safety,” she said.

    It began on a Friday afternoon in March 2024 when Ms. Suprasert, who goes by the name of Bow, received a call from a woman claiming to work at the Thai embassy in Washington DC, in the United States.

    She was told that a copy of her passport, which she had recently renewed, had somehow fallen into the wrong hands and that she was facing the danger of identity theft.

    During that same call, she was transferred to an official working for what she was told was the Thai Central Investigation Bureau in Bangkok.

    She was told to provide identity cards and other personal details, including bank accounts, as part of the supposed investigation.

    Prime suspect

    And then came a shocking twist: “I was told I was a suspect in an international money laundering scheme,” Bow said, “and they demanded that I prove my innocence.”

    Part of the proof involved the transfer of money from her own bank account to the scammers’ account.

    “They promised to give it back; they said that had to do a deeper dive investigation into the money, which I didn’t quite understand because I thought I can just send them my pay stub and then they can see that I earned the money in the US legally,” she said.

    Bow was understandably stunned and frightened but had the composure to call the Thai embassy back to get more information – and clarify what appeared to be her dire legal situation.

    It was Friday afternoon in San Francisco on the West Coast, where she lives, and due to the time difference, the Thai embassy on the East Coast had already closed.

    It was only later she realized that the scammers’ call had been carefully timed.

    Sophisticated sting

    “I guess the story just kind of built from there and that’s how I ended up sending five wires totaling over $300,000,” she said.

    Bow fell victim to a sophisticated operation which according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is being increasingly adopted by international organized crime networks to con the unsuspecting out of thousands of dollars.

    UNODC said that the transnational organized crime groups in Asia which carry out these types of scams are expanding their operations deeper into the region and far beyond.

    “We are seeing a global expansion of East and Southeast Asian organized crime groups,” said Benedikt Hofmann, UNODC Acting Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

    “This reflects both a natural expansion as the industry grows and seeks new ways and places to do business, but also a hedging strategy against future risks should disruption continue and intensify in the region,” he added.

    The three-month-long scam that Bow endured resulted not just in the loss of over $300,000 but also intense emotional despair which led to depression, sleepless nights and nightmares.

    Bow has come to terms with the reality that she will not get her money back.

    There is nothing US law enforcement can do to recover the funds, and she decided against hiring a private investigator.

    In going public with her story, she hopes that others can learn from her experience.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Iran-Israel crisis: IAEA chief calls for access to damaged nuclear sites

    Source: United Nations 2

    Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was addressing the agency’s Board of Governors, amid fresh reports of new Israeli missile strikes on Iranian military sites in Tehran and elsewhere earlier on Monday. Iranian weapons fire has also been reported across Israel. 

    Mr. Grossi – who also addressed an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Sunday – insisted that the agency’s weapons inspectors should return to Iran’s nuclear sites and account for their stockpiles.

    There is particular concern about 400 kilogrammes of uranium enriched to 60 per cent by Iran.

    Under the terms of a 2015 nuclear deal with the international community, Iran is permitted to enrich the naturally occurring radioactive material to less than four per cent.

    “Craters are now visible at the Fordow site, Iran’s main location for enriching uranium at 60 per cent, indicating the use of ground-penetrating munitions; this is consistent with statements from the United States,” he told the IAEA Board of Governors. “At this time, no one including the IAEA, is in a position to have fully assessed the underground damage at Fordow.”

    Mr. Grossi said that taking into account the highly explosive payload used in the US attacks, “very significant damage is expected to have occurred” to the highly sensitive centrifuge machinery used to enrich uranium at Fordow.

    Several sites hit

    Fordow is one of several nuclear-related sites across Iran that are known to have been damaged in the strikes by the United States, including those in Esfahan, Arak and Tehran.

    In comments to the UN Security Council in New York on Sunday, the IAEA chief said that although radiation levels remained normal outside these nuclear facilities, deep concerns remained about Iran’s operational nuclear plant at Bushehr.

    Any strike on Bushehr could trigger a massive radiation release across the region –  “the risk is real”, Mr. Grossi said.

    Eleven days after Israel launched air and missile strikes at Iranian military and nuclear sites, some 430 people are believed to have been killed in Iran, most of them civilians.

    According to Israeli reports, 25 people have been killed and more than 1,300 injured by Iranian missile strikes.

    Terror and hoarding

    Inside Iran, many people are sleep-deprived after 10 days of Israeli strikes and afraid that they have nowhere to go.

    Testimonies shared with UN News of events indicate that internet access is extremely limited and that people are queueing for hours to stock up on food and fuel. “Even bread has been scarce at times,” said one Iranian national, who noted that many of those with dual nationality have been leaving the country.

    The crisis has also increased problems for the elderly and infirm – “not for lack of money, but because their caregivers have disappeared”, she added.

    Meanwhile in Israel, civilians impacted by Iranian missile attacks have spoken of their shock at the destruction of their homes, echoing calls for peace in Iran.

    “We came to try to evacuate some equipment left at our flats, which were totally collapsed by the direct heat of the missile yesterday morning,” one Israeli resident said in an online testimony published on Monday. “So, that’s it, the entire house is gone.”

    Another resident explained that he was returning to his apartment which had been “totally destroyed by a missile landed under my window – and luckily I wasn’t here.”

    Explained: Why striking nuclear facilities risks catastrophe

    IAEA safety experts have warned repeatedly that armed attacks on nuclear infrastructure – enrichment facilities or reactors – risk damaging containment systems and could lead to the release of dangerous levels of radioactive or toxic materials.

    “Armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place and could result in radioactive releases with grave consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the State which has been attacked,” IAEA chief Mr. Grossi told the agency’s Board of Governors on Monday.

    Even well-fortified facilities are not immune from structural or systemic failure when subjected to extreme external force, such as missile strikes, the UN nuclear watchdog has said.

    A range of threats

    The potential consequences include localised chemical exposure and far-reaching radioactive contamination, depending on the nature of the site and the strength of its defensive barriers.

    At enrichment or conversion facilities, the primary hazard often comes from uranium hexafluoride (UF₆). If struck and exposed to moisture, this radioactive compound of uranium and fluorine can break down into hydrogen fluoride – a highly toxic gas that can cause burns and respiratory damage.

    Radiation risks at these enrichment sites are typically lower than at reactors, although chemical hazards can have severe local impacts, IAEA said.

    In contrast, reactor cores and spent-fuel pools hold large inventories of fission products which result from nuclear reactions, such as iodine-131 and cesium-137. A breach here could result in large-scale radioactive dispersal, especially if cooling systems fail. 

    Different sites and risks

    Iran’s nuclear programme includes a range of facilities with varying risk profiles, reports indicate. The Bushehr nuclear power plant, Iran’s only operational commercial reactor, remains undamaged but contains significant radioactive material under IAEA safeguards.

    Research reactors including the Tehran facility are smaller, while the Arak heavy-water reactor, struck recently, held no nuclear material at the time.

    Enrichment plants at Natanz and Fordow are fortified and underground, limiting the spread of radiation despite recent damage. However, conversion sites such as Isfahan involve uranium hexafluoride (UF₆), raising the risk of toxic chemical exposure if containment is breached.

    International legal frameworks and UN resolutions strongly prohibit military action against peaceful nuclear facilities. The IAEA stresses that any such strike endangers not just national safety, but regional and global stability.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Ukraine: Ceasefire a critical first step on the road to durable peace

    Source: United Nations 2-b

    Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo addressed ambassadors alongside UN deputy relief chief, Joyce Msuya, who updated on the dire humanitarian situation in the country amid ongoing Russian attacks.

    Ms. DiCarlo said the meeting was taking place at a potential inflection point in the three-year war, as the past few weeks have seen intensified shuttle diplomacy towards a possible peace deal. 

    ‘Glimmer of hope’

    “These initiatives offer a glimmer of hope for progress towards a ceasefire and an eventual peaceful settlement,” she said.

    “At the same time, we continue to witness relentless attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns.”

    Russian forces have carried out recent deadly strikes, such as the massive, combined missile and drone attack last week on several regions, including the capital Kyiv.  

    Multiple residential buildings in the city were hit. At least 12 people were reported killed and more than 70 others injured, including children, making it the deadliest attack on the capital in nine months. 

    This followed several other deadly strikes, including one in Sumy city on Palm Sunday that reportedly killed 35 people.  Another in Kryvyi Rih killed 18, including nine children – the deadliest single strike against children since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.

    The UN human rights office, OHCHR, verified that as of 24 April, 151 civilians have been killed, and 697 injured so far this month in Ukraine. 

    Verification is ongoing, but numbers are expected to surpass the March figures, which were already 50 per cent higher than in February.

    She also noted recent media reports quoting local Russian authorities that indicate civilian casualties in the Kursk, Bryansk and Belgorod regions in Russia, including alleged Ukrainian strikes on 23 and 24 April that reportedly killed three people in the Belgorod region.

    “We condemn all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, wherever they occur,” she said.

    Diplomatic efforts encouraged

    Ms. DiCarlo noted that the UN Secretary-General has repeatedly called for de-escalation and a durable ceasefire in Ukraine.

    “In this regard, we are encouraged by the diplomatic efforts underway,” she said.

    “We take note of yesterday’s announcement by the Russian Federation of a 72-hour truce planned for the period from 8 to 10 May.”

    It follows a similar Russian announcement on 19 April of a 30-hour Easter truce, “and Ukrainian authorities reportedly agreed to mirror any such steps, reiterating their earlier support for a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the United States,” she said.

    “Regrettably, hostilities continued during Holy Week, with both sides accusing each other of violations.”

    She recalled that a month earlier, the Secretary-General welcomed separate announcements by the US, Russia and Ukraine regarding a 30-day moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure and the resumption of negotiations on the safety of navigation in the Black Sea.

    “Despite these commitments, however, attacks against energy infrastructure persisted,” she said. 

    Political will valuable

    Ms. DiCarlo said the continued exchange of prisoner of war by both sides – including the largest to date, when 500 people were swapped on 20 April – “shows that with political will, diplomacy can yield tangible results even in the most difficult circumstances.”

    She concluded her remarks by pointing to the forthcoming 80th anniversary of the Second World War, which serves as a reminder “with even greater urgency” of the centrality of the UN Charter and international law in safeguarding peace and security.

    “The Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine stands as an egregious challenge to these fundamental principles, jeopardizing stability in Europe and threatening the broader international order,” she said.

    “What is needed now is a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire as a critical first step towards ending the violence and creating the conditions for a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace.”

    UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

    Joyce Msuya, UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, briefs the Security Council meeting on maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine.

    Millions in need

    Ms. Msuya reported that the humanitarian situation in Ukraine has worsened despite ceasefire opportunities. Overall, nearly 13 million people need assistance.

    “So far this year, not a single day has passed without civilians being killed or injured in attacks,” she said. 

    The operating environment also remains highly dangerous for humanitarians. 

    Aid workers under attack

    “From 1 January to 23 April, there were 38 verified security incidents impacting humanitarian staff within 20 kilometers of the frontline. This has left three aid workers dead and 21 injured while delivering life-saving assistance,” she said.

    Ms. Msuya reiterated earlier calls for the Council to take urgent, collective action on Ukraine in three areas.

    She urged ambassadors to ensure the protection of civilians – including humanitarian and health workers – and critical infrastructure. 

    Her second point stressed the need to increase financial support for humanitarian operations as underfunding is forcing critical programmes to scale down. 

    Finally, she called for a just peace: “Every effort, whether aimed at a temporary pause or a lasting agreement, must prioritize the protection and needs of civilians.” 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: World News in Brief: Global growth slows, deadly Ukraine attacks, Haiti hurricane hunger risk, legal migration for refugees

    Source: United Nations 4

    Growth is projected to weaken to 2.3 per cent, or nearly half a percentage point lower than expected at the start of the year, according to the Global Economic Prospects report.

    “The global outlook is predicated on tariff rates close to those of late May prevailing,” it said.

    “Accordingly, pauses to previously announced tariff hikes between the United States and its trading partners are assumed to persist.”

    Although a global recession is not expected, average global growth is on track to be the slowest of any decade since the 1960s.

    Poor countries suffer

    Growth forecasts are being slashed in nearly 70 per cent of all economies, with the poorest countries most affected.

    In most developing countries, nearly 60 per cent, growth should average 3.8 per cent in 2025 before reaching an average 3.9 per cent in the following two years – more than a percentage lower than the average in the 2010s.

    The slowdown will impact efforts by developing countries in areas such as job creation, poverty reduction and closing income gaps with richer economies.

    “The world economy today is once more running into turbulence. Without a swift course correction, the harm to living standards could be deep,” said Indermit Gill, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist.

    The report calls for rebuilding trade relations as “economic cooperation is better than any of the alternatives – for all parties,” he said.

    Countries are also urged to improve business climates and to promote employment by ensuring workers are equipped with necessary skills.

    At least three dead in new Russian drone assault on Ukrainian cities 

    A massive new wave of Russian drone attacks has killed at least three civilians and left Kyiv, Odesa and Zaporizhzhia engulfed in clouds of thick smoke, aid teams said on Tuesday. 

    The attack was reportedly one of the largest since Russia’s full-scale invasion more than three years ago.

    In an online update, the UN aid coordinating office, OCHA, said that a maternity ward in Odesa had come under fire, causing injuries and widespread damage to homes. 

    Another terrible night

    The UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, underscored the impact of the violence on civilians, citing 16-year-old Sonya from Kyiv in an online post. “It was a terrible night,” she said. “The sounds were so frightening – a buzzing sound that was getting closer and explosions every five minutes.”

    Russia has intensified its airstrikes on Ukraine in recent days. 

    According to Moscow, it stepped up its bombing campaign in retaliation for Ukraine’s surprise drone attacks deep inside Russian territory last week codenamed operation spiderweb.

    Amid the ongoing conflict, UN humanitarian teams and partners continue to work to help civilians in cities across Ukraine.

    They provide first aid, protection services, food, construction materials and other support including counselling and legal advice.

    Haiti: Hurricane season is here, but there are no food supplies

    The World Food Programme (WFP) has reported that for the first time ever, it has no prepositioned food supplies in Haiti for the hurricane season, which lasts from June to November. 

    WFP also said staffers do not have the financial resources to respond quickly to an emergency weather event in the country. 

    Other UN agencies have prepositioned water and sanitation kits for 100,000 and health supplies for 20,000 people. However, these are not sufficient, especially in the absence of food, to meet needs during an emergency. 

    “The current lack of contingency stocks and operational funds leaves Haiti’s most at-risk communities dangerously unprotected at a time of heightened vulnerability,” Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a briefing Tuesday. 

    Famine-like conditions

    Food insecurity and malnutrition are already rampant, with over half the population facing acute hunger. Haiti is one of five countries worldwide which is experiencing famine-like conditions. 

    Continuing armed violence by gangs in the capital and in other regions has displaced over one million people, compounding the hunger crisis and limiting access to other basic services such as clean water and health care. 

    UN agencies in the country estimate that they will need $908 million to continue providing life-saving resources in Haiti, but currently, they have only received $78 million in emergency support. 

    Refugees find hope through legal migration

    Nearly one million refugees from eight countries with high asylum recognition rates were granted entry permits to 38 destination countries between 2019 and 2023, according to a new report from UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Safe Pathways for Refugees. 

    These permits were issued through existing systems for work, study, or family reunification.

    “Refugees are using the same legal channels that millions rely on every day,” said Ruven Menikdiwela, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection. 

    “We don’t need new systems – just safer access to the ones already in place.”

    In 2023 alone, nearly 255,000 permits were issued, marking a 14 per cent increase from 2022 and the highest number recorded since tracking began in 2010. 

    Countries such as Germany, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Sweden have played a leading role. 

    UNHCR is urging States to remove obstacles for refugees and integrate them into regular migration systems. It also calls for stronger partnerships to expand access to legal pathways amid growing displacement and strained asylum systems. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –