Category: Natural Disasters

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: How ancestral insights can strengthen early warnings

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Four practical actions to integrate indigenous and local knowledges into early warning system monitoring and forecasting 

    For generations, many Indigenous peoples and local communities have developed localized methods to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to disasters. Drawing on deep traditional knowledge and experience of their surroundings, they use ecological, hydro-meteorological, and celestial indicators to monitor and forecast environmental changes. These traditional approaches have become central components of some effective early warning systems (EWS), especially when integrated with scientific methods. This powerful combination of traditional and scientific knowledge is already proving successful across the globe.

    In Vanuatu, the world’s most disaster-prone nation, communities are turning to their ancestral wisdom to build resilience. Facing cyclones, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes every year, Vanuatu’s people have relied for centuries on natural signs to predict danger. Traditional knowledge holders observe changes in wind patterns, cloud formations, and animal behavior. This traditional knowledge is now being integrated with modern science through tools like the ClimateWatch App. Local Civil Society Organizations across Vanuatu use the app alongside Provincial Traditional Knowledge calendars to collect valuable environmental data. Through this initiative, communities can systematically document and monitor traditional indicators including animal behavior, plant changes, and celestial signs to enhance early warning capabilities.

    In Indonesia’s Simeulue Island, “smong” is a traditional warning system for tsunamis, shared in local songs and stories. The word specifically describes the sequence of tsunami warning signs: first an earthquake, then the sea receding, followed by a giant wave. This knowledge originated after a devastating tsunami in 1907 and was preserved through oral traditions. The power of this traditional knowledge was proven during the 2004 tsunami – when a 9.2 magnitude earthquake struck and the sea receded, all 70,000 Simeulue residents recognized these ancestral warning signs of smong and immediately fled to higher ground. While devastating waves claimed many lives across the Indian Ocean, the people of Simeulue survived thanks to their preserved traditional warning system.

    These traditional methods deliver concrete results – saving lives, protecting crops, and building climate resilience. Furthermore, by recognizing and incorporating trusted sources of wisdom, an integrated system can gain the confidence and acceptance of the local community it serves. Yet despite their vital importance for community-based solutions, these important sources of knowledge are often overlooked in early warning systems on a global scale.

    To address this gap, UNDRR’s Handbook on the use of risk knowledge for multi-hazard early warning systems 2024 offers the four practical actions below to successfully integrate local and indigenous knowledge into monitoring and forecasting activities.

    1. Inform 

    Introduce scientific monitoring and forecasting methods to the local population.

    Communities must understand how their local knowledge can validate, support and strengthen forecasting models. This knowledge sharing should emphasize the mutual benefits of combining modern and local knowledge to predict hazards.

    2. Consult

    Hold key informant interviews with local knowledge holders, community leaders, and local disaster management council members to better understand existing local knowledge systems for hazard monitoring and forecasting.

    Community consultations through focus group discussions can reveal key insights on precursors to specific hazards. For example, in Southern Africa, drought forecast data has been collected from local knowledge on trees and plants through structured questionnaires at household level. Convenings such as Regional Climate Outlook Fora enable regional experts and local/national practitioners to discuss scientific forecasts.

    3. Involve 

    Use crowdsourcing platforms to harness community involvement in monitoring hazards and reporting environmental variables.

    In Tanzania, community disaster management committees or local volunteers in the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery project utilize WhatsApp and Telegram to share real-time flood information and coordinate responses. Malawi uses the Weather Chasers WhatsApp group to gather local knowledge on weather disasters by encouraging community members to share real-time weather observations, which helps verify forecasts and improve EWS. Participatory modeling, such as in Dar-es-Salaam’s urban flood management, engages communities directly. Local knowledge holders contribute to defining impact thresholds, ensuring EWS alignment with local contexts.

    Local communities should be engaged through an interactive modelling process. In Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, local populations are directly engaged in participatory mapping efforts, resulting in more accurate flood models and a more resilient society. Local knowledge holders should also contribute to defining impact thresholds, ensuring EWS alignment with local context.

    4. Cooperate 

    Integrate exposed communities into the process of identifying hazard indicators, drawing on their environmental and scientific knowledge.

    Integrated systems depend on cooperation between communities using local forecasting systems and scientific communities. By proposing multiple evidence-based forecasting approaches, systems can foster community ownership and trust.

    Building resilient futures by integrating local and Indigenous Knowledges

    To draw on all relevant knowledge systems to protect communities, policymakers must recognize local and Indigenous Knowledges as critical resources for disaster resilience. This means providing dedicated funding for community-led early warning initiatives and fostering partnerships between scientific institutions and local knowledge holders.

    With climate change set to bring even more unprecedented challenges, this combination of traditional wisdom and modern science will be increasingly vital for effective disaster risk reduction. Success stories worldwide demonstrate that when local knowledge is respected and incorporated, early warning systems become more sustainable, trusted, and impactful, creating stronger, more resilient communities for generations to come. 

    Read the full handbook here 

    MIL OSI United Nations News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Charges – Drug and firearm offences – Katherine

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has charged an 18-year-old male with drug and firearm offences on Friday.

    Northern Substance Abuse Intelligence Desk members conducted a lawful search on a residence in Katherine East on Friday, where police located and seized 1.7 kilograms of Cannabis, drug paraphernalia, fireworks, ammunition and two firearms

    He was arrested without incident and has since been charged with:

    •             Supply Schedule 2 Dangerous Drug – Commercial Quantity

    •             Possess Schedule 2 Dangerous Drug – Commercial Quantity

    •             Possessing Tainted Property

    •             2 x Possess / Use Firearm whilst unlicensed

    •             Possess Ammunition without permit or license

    •             Fail to meet storage requirements

    •             Possess Fireworks outside approved period

    He was remanded to appear in Katherine Local Court today.

    Detective Senior Sergeant Byron May said “The contribution by the community to disrupt this offending is essential to a safer territory.

    “Anyone with information on the supply of alcohol or drugs to our communities can call police on 131 444. You can anonymously report through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or through https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah distributes sanction letters to 20 lakh beneficiaries of PMAY Gramin (Phase-2) and Maharashtra’s first instalment to 10 lakh beneficiaries in Pune, Maharashtra

    Source: Government of India

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah distributes sanction letters to 20 lakh beneficiaries of PMAY Gramin (Phase-2) and Maharashtra’s first instalment to 10 lakh beneficiaries in Pune, Maharashtra

    For the first time in the country, the dreams of 20 lakh beneficiaries receiving their own homes, is being fulfilled simultaneously

    Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched Phase-2 of the PM Awas Yojana, under which Maharashtra received the highest number of homes

    Along with the homes, by providing toilets, Modi ji has safeguarded the dignity and self-respect of the poor

    Under the Modi government’s target of providing 5 crore homes to women, backward classes, SC, ST, and the other economically weaker by 2029, 3 crore 80 lakh homes have already been given

    Under the leadership of Shri Devendra Fadnavis ji, Shri Eknath Shinde ji, and Shri Ajit Pawar ji in Maharashtra, Centre has implemented all welfare schemes in the state

    Posted On: 22 FEB 2025 7:44PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah distributed sanction letters to 20 lakh beneficiaries and the first installment to 10 lakh beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana ‘Gramin’ (Phase-2) in Pune, Maharashtra today. The event was attended by Union Minister of State for Cooperation Shri Murlidhar Mohol, Maharashtra Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Shri Eknath Shinde and Shri Ajit Pawar, along with several other dignitaries.

    In his address, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that it is the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi which has led to India witnessing for the first time, simultaneous allocation of 20 lakh homes to the beneficiaries. He said that 20 lakh houses have been allotted, and before the event concluded, Maharashtra also distributed their first installment to 10 lakh beneficiaries. He emphasized that the joint efforts of the central and state governments are turning the dream of home ownership for 20 lakh people into reality.

     

    Shri Shah said that along with the house, beneficiaries will also receive toilets, solar panels, and soon gas cylinders, and it has been possible because of the work carried out by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis.

    Shri Amit Shah remarked that Prime Minister Modi has set a target to make India a fully developed nation by 2047, ensuring growth of every citizen, shelter for his family, and access to basic infrastructural facilities.

     

    He noted that under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Phase-2, Maharashtra has been allotted the highest number of houses. Shri Shah said that the homes signify the realization of dreams of development and they serve as the first step toward the progress of future generations.

    Union Home Minister said that by providing homes and toilets, Prime Minister Modi has safeguarded the dignity and self-respect of the poor. Under the “Housing for All” scheme, a target has been set to allocate 5 crore houses to women, backward classes, SC, ST, and other economically weaker sections by 2029, out of which 3 crore 80 lakh families have already been provided homes. He said that under the scheme, Maharashtra was initially allotted 13.50 lakh houses, which has now increased to 19.50 lakh houses, and arrangements have been made to ensure that all these houses are provided in a timely manner.

    Prime Minister Modi has ensured food security for millions by providing 5 kg of free food grains per person per month for the last 10 years, home security by providing houses to 4 crore families, and electricity access by bringing light into the homes of 4 crore people.

     

    Additionally, 13 crore toilets have been constructed to enhance the dignity of mothers, 36 crore Ayushman Bharat cards have been distributed for ensuring healthcare security, and 1 crore ‘LakhpatiDidis’ have been empowered, helping poor women gain self-reliance. Shri Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Modi has uplifted 25 crore people above the poverty line.

    Shri Amit Shah highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has initiated several infrastructure projects for Maharashtra’s development. He noted that under the leadership of Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Shri Eknath Shinde, and Shri Ajit Pawar, the government has effectively implemented all welfare schemes across Maharashtra.

    He added that various irrigation projects have helped Maharashtra tackle droughts, 11 Vande Bharat trains have been launched, and under the Amrit Bharat Scheme, 128 railway stations are being redeveloped.

    Shri Shah said that Metro projects in Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur are progressing rapidly, and new airports in Shirdi and Sindhudurg are under construction. He added that the Atal Setu Trans-Harbour Link is an engineering marvel and will serve as a model worldwide. Union Home Minister said that India’s largest and the world’s biggest container port is being developed in Maharashtra at an estimated cost of ₹76,000 crore under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.

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    RK/VV/ASH/PS

    (Release ID: 2105552) Visitor Counter : 37

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Text of the Vice-President’s address at 65th Convocation of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Excerpts)

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 22 FEB 2025 7:27PM by PIB Delhi

    I’m extremely pleased to be at this university and there are two very special reasons.

    One – The name of the university says it all, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University and then, the city where it is located is also very, very significant. These two things define what we stand for. Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj the name we got only recently. Belated, delayed but then reflects changing times that Bharat home to one-sixth of humanity is getting back into its groove. It is on way to securing its glory. I therefore feel privileged to be associated with this great occasion, 65th Convocation of this great university.

    In last decade, Bharat has seen growth, exponential economic rise, phenomenal infrastructural upsurge, deep digitalisation, technology penetration of unknown scale globally accoladed. No nation in the world has grown so fast in economy and development in the last decade as Bharat has done. The strides we have made in our economy were beyond contemplation few years back. Our jump from 10th or 11th number in global economy status to 5th and on the way to becoming the third in a year or so ahead of Japan and Germany. This nation therefore is full of hope and possibility. India is no longer a nation with potential, it is a nation on the rise, the rise is unstoppable and the rise is incremental.

    Our youth have bountiful opportunity, it is your turn. You are the most important stakeholder in democracy. Our Viksit Bharat is no longer a dream, it is our object. We all are marching towards that object. Some of us will drop on the way on account of age but those before me, young minds, you will be in driver’s seat. You will have to fire on all cylinders the engine of growth. I have no doubt, if not before at 2047 when Bharat celebrates centenary of its independence, India will be a developed nation.

    Now let me indicate to you boys and girls, A developed Nation status is globally not defined but if you look around and find the various elements and parameters, the challenge is daunting, but achievable and implementable. We will have to increase our per capita income eightfold and, time therefore for all of us to move fast, move with commitment that commitment requires that we first believe in our Nation. Nation has always to be the first. We cannot keep National interest subservient to personal interest, to partisan interest, to commercial interest. Commitment to Nationalism is non-negotiable because it is directly connected to our freedom.

    Therefore I call upon you to make your contributions in a massive way. Now an issue arises. What can individuals do? But let me tell you, individuals define a Nation by their discipline, by their decorum, by being good citizens. But let me indicate to begin with ‘Panch Pran’ and these ‘Panch Pran’ you will find are best in our civilizational ethos. They are essence and if I may say, nectar of our civilizational knowledge and worth, and one is, which is very easy, if we practice. Fact is, we are not practising, we have to practice, believe and work day in and day out.

    Social transformation will come when we will have social harmony. Social harmony will define unity in diversity. This will convert our caste, creed, religion, the divisive situations to appear into a force of unity. Let us generate social harmony at all costs. Let us believe in family values, respect our elders, our parents, our neighbours, our neighbourhood. We are a different civilisation, by nature we are not materialistic, we are spiritualistic, we are religious, we are ethical. We are role model to rest of the world, and that model has been in operation for thousands of years. So please imbibe family values, nurture family values, respect your elders, respect your parents, and that cultural strength will give you stamina to contribute for the Nation. A seed of patriotism will automatically blossom. Third, Environmental protection– Now we know it, Climate Change menace, the plant is cliffhanging its existential challenge. धरती माँ के अलावा कोई और स्थान हमारे पास नहीं है। We are trustees, we have recklessly exploited it with the result, the danger is blooming, the time bomb is ticking. We have to do our bit.

    Prime Minister has given a call ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’, If we do it sincerely, and many are doing, in millions they are doing it. It will be a game changer but let us believe in environmental protection. Every Nation can be powerful only if it is Aatmanirbhar and for that we must believe in Swadeshi. Let us be Vocal about Local.

     Our Constitution has given us fundamental rights but passage to fundamental rights has to be earned and that passage is when you perform fundamental duties, when you perform civic duties. Just imagine, in a country like ours, public order is challenged, public property is burned, people take to agitations where redress lies not on the street, but either in court of law or in theatres of legislature.

     Time has come for every Indian to assess and audit performance of institutions. Mindset has to be changed, you have to be a very powerful pressure group. You have to ask, your public representatives, the bureaucracy, the executive, are you doing your job? Public representatives are elected through a massive exercise. For what? To engage in debate, dialogue, discussion, work policies for your welfare. Not to disturb function. Are they really doing it? If they are not performing their job, well you have a job cut out for them because now you have the power of social media.

     

    मेरी दृढ़ मान्यता है कि हमको संकल्प लेना पड़ेगा कि हम सदैव इस बात को याद रखेंगे कि हम भारतीय हैं, भारतीयता हमारी पहचान है, राष्ट्रवाद हमारा धर्म।

    राष्ट्र विरोधी ताकतें जो हमारे प्रजातांत्रिक मूल्यों पर कुठाराघात करती हैं, जो हमारे संविधान की आत्मा को धूमेल करना चाहती हैं, जो हमारी संस्थाओं को बदनाम करती हैं, जब वो कुठाराघात हमारे मूल आधार पर करती हैं, ऐसी ताक़तों के ऊपर हमारा प्रतिघात होना चाहिए। ये हर व्यक्ति का कर्तव्य है।

     

    Look around the challenges we are seeing. हमारे भारत में, करोड़ों की संख्या में, ऐसे लोग रह रहे हैं, जिनकों यहां रहने का अधिकार नहीं है। वो किसी न किसी रूप में, अपनी आजीविका का सृजन कर रहे हैं। They are making their livelihood here, they are making demands on our resources, on our education, health sector, housing sector और अब तो बात आगे बढ़ गई है। They are intervening our electoral process. हमारी प्रजातांत्रिक व्यवस्था के अंदर, वो महत्वपूर्ण अंग बनते जा रहे हैं। निर्णायक अंग बनते जा रहे हैं। हम सबका कर्तव्य है, कि हम देश में इस प्रकार की मानसिकता का विस्तार करें। एक ऐसे वातावरण और वायुमंडल का निर्माण करें कि हर भारतीय इस बात के लिए सजग हो जाए।

     

    जब दूसरा देश उन लोगों को यहां भेजता है, अपने देश के कानून के हिसाब से। और वो लोग कौन हैं? हमारे उन लोगों को भ्रमित करकर, लालच दिखाकर, लाभ देकर, उनको ठग कर वहां ले गए। कुछ देशों ने पाया गलत है, वापस भेज दिया पर यह परंपरा दशकों से चल रही है। पर यह काम हम कब शुरू करेंगे? हर भारतीय के मन में यह प्रश्न आना चाहिए, कि हम इसको अति शीघ्र शुरू करेंगे। यह बहुत बड़ी चुनौती हमारे सामने हैं।

    एक नई बात और है, हर व्यक्ति का अधिकार है किस धर्म का पालन करे, हर व्यक्ति का अधिकार है मनमर्जी से धर्म अपनाये पर लालच देकर, लोभ by allurement, by temptation conversion होता है और उसका उद्देश्य होता है We will get supremacy by changing demography of the Nation। इतिहास साक्षी है, दुनिया के कुछ देश उदाहरण हैं। आप मेरे से ज्यादा समझदार हैं, जानकार है, पता लगा सकते हैं। देश का रूप ही मिट गया, वहां जो majority community थी, गायब हो गई।

    We cannot allow this demography invasion, organic demographic growth is acceptable, but if this is disruptive with the sinister design to control, हमारे कान खड़े हो जाने चाहिए। हमारे लिए चिंतन-मंथन का विषय है। हमारा दर्शन, जो सदियों पुराना है, उसको चुनौती है।

    Boys and girls, there is another challenge and please read between the lines, see behind the screen. In a systemic manner. The President is ridiculed, the Prime Minister is ridiculed, my position is ridiculed. Our institutions are tainted. Be it Election Commission or Judiciary. These are activities which are being undertaken by those at their heart, National interest is not there.

    Recently, it has been revealed authoritatively that our elections were sought to be doctored, manipulated. ऐसी परिस्थिति में मेरा आग्रह रहेगा हर व्यक्ति से सजग रहे, सोचिए, पर्दाफ़ाश करें। And I appeal to organisations concerned, time has come to engage into deep investigation, thorough investigation at micro level, expose everyone connected with these sinister designs aimed at destabilizing our nation, trying to manipulate our democracy.

     

     

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    JK/RC/SM

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah addresses the valedictory function of Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of Janata Sahakari Bank Limited in Pune, Maharashtra

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah addresses the valedictory function of Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of Janata Sahakari Bank Limited in Pune, Maharashtra

    Revered Shri Moropant Pingale, by establishing Janata Sahakari Bank, sowed a seed that has now grown into a banyan tree, connecting 10 lakh people

    Janata Sahakari Bank has realised the concept of ‘big bank for small people’

    Today, the bank’s deposits exceed ₹9,600 crore, which reflects the trust people have in the bank

    The only way to develop one’s family and contribute to the country’s progress without capital is through cooperation

    In the past 3 years, the Modi government has worked on making the cooperative model marketable and has provided direction for cooperative development

    The concept of setting up a cooperative clearing house for the first time in the country is set to be completed within the next 2 years

    After the formation of the umbrella organization, the clearing of cooperative banks located in any part of the country will be done through cooperative banks themselves

    Posted On: 22 FEB 2025 7:09PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addressed the valedictory function of Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Janata Sahakari Bank Limited in Pune Maharashtra today. Union Minister of State for Cooperation, Shri Murlidhar Mohol and several other dignitaries including the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers of the state, Shri Eknath Shinde and Shri Ajit Pawar were present, on the occasion.

    In his address, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that the trust earned by Janata Sahakari Bank is a matter of pride for all of us. He said that Janata Sahakari Bank was established by revered Shri Moropant Pingale, a prominent thinker and renowned RSS worker, who lived a selfless life and never backed out of any challenge. Shri Shah said that the seed sown by Shri Moropant in the form of establishment of this bank has now grown into a huge banyan tree, connecting 10 lakh people. He said that it is a testament of the strength and good conduct of the organization. He further stated that Janata Sahakari Bank has sent a positive message across the country, showing that there is no limit for any institution’s progress when it works with transparency, dedication, and integrity.

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has made two resolutions before the nation – to make India a fully developed nation by 2047 and to make the country a 5 trillion-dollar economy by 2027. He mentioned that without the development of the cooperative sector, these resolutions will remain incomplete. He emphasized that if the development of every individual and prosperity in every home do not take place, then these two resolutions could remain unfulfilled. Shri Shah said that providing work to every person according to their abilities and connecting them with the country’s development to make every family prosperous is only possible through a cooperative movement.

    Shri Amit Shah said that the mantra of the Ministry of Cooperation given by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is ‘Sahakar se Samriddhi’. He said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has provided many basic facilities tocrores of people of the country during the last 10 years. He further stated that now these people want to contribute for the development of the country. He emphasized that the only way to develop one’s family and contribute to the country’s progress without capital is through cooperation. Shri Shah remarked that the essence of cooperation is pooling together small amounts of capital to achieve something large. He highlighted that Janata Sahakari Bank is a prime example of this, as it has made the concept of ‘big bank for small people’.

    The Union Minister of Cooperation said that the Modi government has given specialimpetus to the cooperative movement in the last 3 years. He said that India’s model of cooperatives has been made marketable, and the Modi Government is bringing the Cooperative University Bill to empower our youth with cooperative education. He also stated that the government wants to integrate cooperative innovation and make it a driving force for the country’s development. He added Prime Minister Modihas played a key role in providing the right direction to cooperative development.

    Shri Amit Shah said that embracing the newer technologies by the cooperatives is imperative for continued growth. He said that there are a total of 1465 Urban Cooperative Banks in the country out of which 460 are in Maharashtra alone. He said that an umbrella organization for Urban Cooperative Banks, National Urban Co-operative Finance and Development Corporation (NUCFDC), was under consideration for a long time and now the work has been completed to mobilize an amount of Rs. 300 crore for this organization. Shri Shah said that this umbrella organization will be able to provide all kinds of support to the cooperative banks. He said that for the first time, a clearing house for Cooperative Banks has been envisaged in the country which is set to be completed in the next 2 years.

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the Ministry of Cooperation has taken several steps to enhance the business of urban cooperative banks. He mentioned that Aadhaar-enabled payment system has been opened for cooperative banks, the limits for gold loans and housing loans have been enhanced, and a provisionfor one-time loan settlement has been introducedfor cooperative banks. He further added that after the formation of an umbrella organization, clearing for any cooperative bank located anywhere in the country will be done through cooperative banks themselves. Shri Shah also stated that to address the growing competition from nationalized banks, small financing banks, and NBFCs, the Government is setting up a monitoring committee to strengthen governance and incorporate technological innovations in Cooperative Banks.

    Shri Amit Shah said that after its establishment in 1949, Janata Sahakari Bank became a scheduled cooperative bank in 1988, adopted core banking in 2005, became a multi-state scheduled cooperative bank in 2012, and also got the honor of starting the country’s first cooperative demat institution. He mentioned that with 71 branches, 2 extension counters, 1,75,000 members, and over 10 lakh satisfied customers, this is not just a bank, but a large family. He stated that today, the bank’s deposit exceeds ₹9,600 crore, which reflects the trust people have in the bank. Shri Shah also highlighted that Janata Sahakari Bank has never backed out, be it in terms of social service, during Latur earthquake, or the Kolhapur-Sangli floods, or the COVID-19 pandemic.

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    RK/VV/ASH/PS

    (Release ID: 2105536) Visitor Counter : 66

    Read this release in: Hindi

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  • MIL-OSI USA: California to launch first-in-the-nation digital democracy effort to improve public engagement

    Source: US State of California 2

    Feb 23, 2025

    Pilot program to help LA recover and rebuild together

    What you need to know: Governor Newsom will debut a first-in-the-nation deliberative democracy program to help community members directly influence and inform the ongoing Los Angeles firestorm rebuilding and recovery. Engaged California is a new program that will bring together community voices and viewpoints supported by digital platforms — empowering Californians to help inform policy decisions and program design. 

    LOS ANGELES — Governor Gavin Newsom today announced California’s upcoming launch of a bold, innovative program that will bring Californians together to engage, interact, and share ideas to help shape government services and collectively create policy solutions. Engaged California is a program to support community conversations about important topics using digital platforms. With this new initiative, the state will lead the nation in deliberative democracy, better ensuring decisions are centered on the people’s voices. As part of California’s all-in response to the firestorm, this pilot program is being launched now for survivors and the greater Los Angeles community. 

    “Government works better when we build it together – and this means making it easier for everyone to be involved.  After years of development, I am excited to launch this new pilot program to help create a town hall for the modern era – where Californians share their perspectives, concerns, and ideas geared toward finding real solutions. We’re starting this effort by more directly involving Californians in the LA firestorm response and recovery. As we recover, reimagine, and rebuild Los Angeles, we will do it together.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    How Engaged California works

    In California, we know a strong democracy takes work. We build it through practices that spark conversation and solve problems. With Engaged California, we will better empower Californians to have honest, respectful discussions on important topics to help create more responsive and people-driven policies and programs. The program is modeled after successful digital democracy efforts in Taiwan, which used digital tools to help increase consensus-building and build governance powered by the people.

    The foundation of the program will encourage participation from Californians across all walks of life to interact with each other to find common ground and help set priorities for state government action. The program will help people to directly voice their concerns and ideas, and improve policymakers’ and administrators’ efforts to listen to Californians outside of election cycles and to be more responsive to their concerns.

    “Fire survivors are looking for answers, and California is gearing up to meet them where they are,” said Government Operations Secretary Amy Tong. “We have to think differently to bring us closer to those we serve, especially those whose voices we may be missing through traditional channels.”

    Engaged California is different from a poll or town hall, and is not designed to mimic social media. The platform is the intersection between technology, democracy, and state government. The end goal is to encourage more discussions as a new way to find common ground, a process known internationally as deliberative democracy.

    The launch of Engaged California will initially focus on the response to the Los Angeles firestorms, bringing together community members to help influence response efforts and better address issues based on community experiences and voices. 

    “The launch of this program and our first deliberation will help us hear from the people we serve,” said California Office of Data and Innovation Director Jeffery Marino. “Far from just a technical tool, this is an innovative approach to foster greater collaboration and co-creation between the people of California and their government.”

    The Government Operations Agency, the California Office of Data and Innovation (ODI), in partnership with Carnegie California, the West Coast office and program of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, are leading the development of this program and its supporting deliberative engagement tools. The state is also partnering with the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, and community organizations to help ensure the program is accessible for community members who may be harder to reach. 

    Other program design partners and advisors for this initiative include scholars and leaders from the American Public Trust, the Berggruen Institute, Stanford University’s Deliberative Democracy Lab, UC Berkeley, Harvard University’s Center for Internet and Society, the San Francisco Foundation, Project Liberty Institute and the Kapor Center.

    What our partners are saying

    Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar, President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: “The future of democracy depends on finding new ways for public officials to become more responsive to the people, to bridge divides, and to harness emerging technologies that can help solve problems and improve lives in California and around the world.  This effort brings us closer to that future by helping to strengthen democracy’s capacity for both deliberation and action on the issues that matter most.” 

    Nathan Gardels, Editor-in-Chief of Noema Magazine and Co-Founder of the Berggruen Institute’s Think Long Committee for California: “Engaged California is a new tool the Office of Data and Innovation has been developing over the last two years that is intended to be a permanent feature of state government. Engaged California is a three-way tool that enables policymakers and administrators to listen to average citizens outside of election cycles and be responsive; it invites citizens to directly voice their concerns and proposals on an ongoing basis; and it is a platform that encourages and enables Californians from all walks of life to interact with each other to find common ground.” 

    Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s first Digital Minister and creator of vTaiwan: “Instead of just one idea dominating the conversation of the entire population, we can have thousands of different ideas and meld them together into something that is working with the people, not just for the people. And the digital participation infrastructure that enables this, I see a great future in California continuing to lead in this direction.” 

    Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger: “I am excited to be part of the new Engaged California pilot program, which will harness the power of technology to strengthen my connection with Eaton Fire survivors and ensure their voices shape our recovery efforts. This innovative platform will help us better understand the community’s priorities as we focus on a swift and effective rebuilding process in Altadena. I look forward to leveraging this tool to drive meaningful engagement and deliver the support and resources our residents need.” 

    This announcement builds on the strong digital tools California has implemented to help address and streamline response. In addition to offering disaster recovery services in person, the state is providing survivors with the same services online through its ca.gov/lafires website.

    To learn more, visit engaged.ca.gov.

    Recent news

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    News Sacramento, California –Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Mayumi Kimura, of Temecula, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Woman Veterans at the California Department of Veterans Affairs. Kimura has been the Founder and Director…

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Andrew “Andy” Nakahata, of San Francisco, has been appointed Chief Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer at the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank….

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Video: Need Assistance After The Wildfires Sign Language

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    This resource is specifically designed for the Deaf community, offering clear steps on how to request assistance from FEMA if you have experienced losses due to the recent wildfires in Los Angeles County.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBttF55nX9o

    MIL OSI Video

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: 76 gang patches seized by Police under new law

    Source: New Zealand Government

    In the three months since the Government’s new gang laws came into effect Police have seized 76 patches, 67 firearms, and laid 337 charges for insignia breaches.

    Police Minister Mark Mitchell, and Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith say that Police have done an outstanding job of enforcing the new laws and holding gang members to account for the misery they inflict on other Kiwis. 

     “We all know how a gang member earns their patch. Before the changes, gang members felt empowered and used their patches to intimidate law-abiding New Zealanders. Since the Gangs Act came into effect, we have seen patches disappear from our streets,” Mr Mitchell says. 

     “We passed these laws to improve public safety, and they have done exactly that. We have seen a 52 per cent increase in firearms seizures when compared to the same period last year. I commend Police for the good work they are doing.” 

     “These new laws have given Police additional tools to go after gang members that intimidate New Zealanders and create new victims,” Mr Goldsmith says. 

     “We make no apologies for getting tough on gangs. This legislation is meant to be uncomfortable. If you don’t like it, don’t break the law, it’s that simple. Gang members want all the rights of being a New Zealander, but accept none of the responsibilities. 

     “This is an essential part of ensuring there are 20,000 fewer victims of serious violent crime by 2029 alongside a 15 per cent reduction in serious repeat youth offending.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: One in all in at Warracknabeal to fight fires

    Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

    Geoff Ward (left)

    Warracknabeal Fire Brigade volunteers were among many on the Western Victoria fireground over recent weeks, with some younger members experiencing their first strike team deployment.

    With up to six strike teams sent across the Little Desert National Park and the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park fires throughout December to February, Captain Cam Whelan said helping hands extended beyond them too.

    “I want to acknowledge the efforts of those in the background organising crews, the partners and children waiting bravely at home, the ones who stayed behind for coverage and the people that walked away from their businesses to get on the truck,” Cam said.

    The brigade’s presence was also felt significantly at the Horsham Incident Control Centre (ICC) and at local callouts, where members were exposed to a new world of logistics, from delivering vehicles and food, to gathering resources and distributing them to different staging areas.

    On the edge of the fire, Cam said although there was a lot of land to track out in the landscape, they were prepared and ready for when it came out of the scrub.

    “Due to the sheer scale of the fire, most of our tasks included working along the containment lines to extinguish it when it arrived, and asset protection and observation,” Cam said.

    “One of the best things to come out of this fire situation was the community focused approach and the knowledge that was coming through to manage the fires from brigade members and local landholders.”

    Brigade member and disability support worker Geoff Ward was quick to jump on strike teams to the Grampians fire prior to Christmas, before Little Desert and Glenisla in the new year.

    “At Little Desert our role was to stop the spread of fire as soon as it spotted out of the park into private land. We were sent to do asset protection at the duck farm and we put out lots of spot fires in the stubble from the ember attacks,” Geoff said.

    With a strong Championship running team and with Cam being a school teacher, Warracknabeal have had an influx of younger members who have stood up to be firefighters.

    “I was so proud of how well our new senior firefighters responded, they’re only just over 18 and have now gone out on multiple strike teams. They’ve really helped the backlog of older members who still have to run a business or go to work,” Cam said.

    Geoff said Cam has been the main driver for the program and that it has already been a huge asset to the brigade, with many members coming through junior ranks.

    “We had lots of younger members out on the trucks, and the experience for them out there would have been invaluable. It’s pretty overwhelming the first time you see a big firestorm,” Geoff said.

    “There’s quite a bit of training to do for people, and often, people have got kids, or they’re married, and they don’t see that they have time, but these young ones seem to be ready to undertake it, and they’ll absorb everything they’re told. It’s great.”

    Submitted by CFA media

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police put pressure on gangs

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police have filed over 3000 charges against gang members since the introduction of the Gangs Act in late November.

    Between 21 November 2024 and 19 February 2025, Police filed 337 charges for insignia breaches and 3037 charges for other offending including serious violence, drugs, and firearms.

    Police Commissioner Richard Chambers says the charges are a result of targeted enforcement action against those causing fear and harm in our communities.

    “Our expectations around this legislation have been clear from the very beginning — if you wear a gang patch in public, or display a sign or symbol associated with a gang, you can expect Police attention — and these numbers demonstrate that.

    “They also paint a picture of other very serious offending committed by those in or connected to gangs, including possession of illicit drugs and unlawful firearms and violence.”

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Police Minister Mark Mitchell, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Commissioner Chambers are today visiting the Gang Disruption Unit in Counties Manukau to celebrate the success of Operation Nickel – a nationally-led plan to support all Police staff with the new enforcement powers.

    Operation Nickel ran from 21 November 2024 to 31 January 2025.

    “Police around the country have done an outstanding job from planning right through to implementation on the frontline,” Commissioner Chambers says.

    “Nationwide, we continue to see generally high levels of compliance with the Act.

    “In the months before the legislation came into effect, Police met with gangs to ensure they were clear on our enforcement approach and to encourage them to make good choices.

    “The high level of compliance we’re seeing now reflects the fact most gangs have exercised good judgement. We acknowledge and continue to encourage that.

    “It’s a positive start, and my staff continue to follow up reported breaches, either at the time of the offence or at a later date.

    “The policing of gangs is and will remain an all-of-Police priority.”

    As announced last year, the work of Operation Cobalt will be continued through District staff including Gang Disruption Units and coordinated by the National Gang Unit.

    Operation Cobalt ran across all 12 Police districts for two and a half years. In that time, 107,073 charges were filed.

    “I want to acknowledge the hard work, dedication and successes of all those staff involved in Operation Cobalt over the past two and a half years, from national coordinators to frontline teams that have made a real impact in combatting gang-related crime,” Commissioner Chambers says.

    “It’s pleasing to see the NGU, and District Gang Disruption Units up and running, assisting with search warrants, investigations and helping apprehend priority offenders.

    “Police will take every opportunity to enforce the law. The pressure on gang members is not going away.”

    POLICING GANGS – BY THE NUMBERS

    Op Nickel/Gangs Act (21 November 2024 – 19 February 2025):

    • 76 patches seized
    • 316 additional insignia items seized
    • 337 insignia breach charges under Gangs Act
    • 3037 other charges against gang members (including drugs, firearms, serious violence)
    • 67 firearms seized from gang members

    Note: No dispersal notices, non-consorting charges or prohibition orders have been issued.

    Operation Cobalt (June 2022 – December 2024):

    • 1,954 search warrants
    • 1,069 warrantless searches
    • 107,073 charges filed
    • 143,610 IONs issued (traffic-related offending)
    • 757 firearms seized

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Hochul was a guest on CBS’ “Face the Nation”.

    Source: US State of New York

    Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul was a guest on CBS’ “Face the Nation”.

    AUDIO: The Governor’s remarks are available in audio form here.

    A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:

    Margaret Brennan, CBS News: We turn now to Trump’s clash with Democratic governors. Joining us now from Albany, New York, is the Governor, Kathy Hochul. Good morning to you, Governor.

    Governor Hochul: Good morning.

    Margaret Brennan, CBS News: I know you were just here in Washington and you met privately with President Trump. In the past, you’ve said the relationship doesn’t have to be adversarial. Was your meeting with him adversarial? And what was your top message?

    Governor Hochul: It wasn’t an adversarial meeting, but I was very clear — especially after I found that the Trump Administration had ended a program that was put in place, congestion pricing, by the duly elected members of our Legislature representing the voice of the people — and with a tweet, he claims that he is the king and therefore he has the power to destroy it. And I have a problem with that characterization, because we labored under a king 250 years ago, and as I said, we’re not going back there.

    So I wanted to take my case to him directly and let him see the benefits of this program, because our city is paralyzed with gridlock. And we had a path forward to be able to make the City move again, and it’s working. I wanted to just have that opportunity to convey that, but I don’t know that we’re very persuasive on that front, but that’s okay. The people in my state need to know I’m willing to take the fight wherever I have to.

    Margaret Brennan, CBS News: So just to explain for our audience, congestion pricing — you’re talking about this $9 toll you put on people driving into lower Manhattan, below 60th Street. Your fellow Democrat, Phil Murphy of New Jersey, says he doesn’t like this policy. He actually asked President Trump to stop it. President Trump’s office says this is discriminatory against working class people. How do you respond to that?

    Governor Hochul: I respond this way: With all due respect to the State of New Jersey, they do not tell us in New York what to do, nor does Washington when it comes to policies that we believe are going to reduce congestion, move along vehicles; emergency vehicles are moving faster and air quality is improving. So I have arguments that are important, but no one else should be able to second guess us, because that’s not how our system of laws and states was set up. I’m the Governor of New York. I will deal with the internal issues before me without interference from New Jersey, or indeed, the federal government.

    Margaret Brennan, CBS News: So this is going to the courts?

    Governor Hochul: Oh yes, it’s going to the courts. And I believe we will be victorious in the courts and this program will continue.

    Margaret Brennan, CBS News: You know, this is not the only standoff between the State and federal government, and the tension here. I know you were in Washington with other governors who were meeting with the President this week. Federal funds account for about 40 percent of your state’s budget. President Trump is threatening to withhold federal funds to governors in order to force compliance with his agenda. Here’s what he said to the Governor of Maine. Take a listen.

    President Donald Trump: Is Maine here, the Governor of Maine?

    Governor Janet Mills: Damn right I am. Yeah, I’m here.

    President Donald Trump: Are you not going to comply with it?

    Governor Janet Mills: I’ll comply with the state and federal law.

    President Donald Trump: Well I’m — we are the federal law. You better do it. You better do it, because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t.

    Margaret Brennan, CBS News: That was about transgender athletes on girls sports teams. Are you Democratic governors going to start to work together on this? Is there legal pushback?

    Governor Hochul: What he is doing, as they’ve described it, is flooding the zone. They’re attacking California when it comes to FEMA dollars, they’re filing lawsuits in Illinois, they’re going after Maine on this, and they’re coming after programs that have been duly put in place in the State.

    What they’re trying to do is create this theater of all kinds of activity that is trying to be a distraction to us. And when someone floods the zone in a football game, what you need to have is the defenders be very disciplined, smart, but also stand their ground. And that’s exactly what New York governors — the Governor of New York — will do in cooperation with our governors.

    We’re not going to sit idly by and let our rights be attacked. We’ll work with you when there’s common ground, no doubt about it. Let’s build great projects and infrastructure. There’s areas where we’re going to work with you on immigration and getting the violent criminals off our streets. We do not dispute that. But don’t think that you can just come in and bully us around and not expect a reaction from governors.

    Margaret Brennan, CBS News: You know that when it comes to your state, there’s been a lot of focus on Manhattan and the Department of Justice, because of Eric Adams and the ongoing legal issues he has. In the past week, four Deputy Mayors resigned. Seven federal prosecutors resigned after the Trump justice department moved to dismiss those five counts of federal corruption indictments against Mayor Adams. You know, the allegation is that the dismissal of the charges was related to a quid pro quo around immigration compliance. Did you discuss this case at all with the President when you were in the room with him one on one?

    Governor Hochul: No, I did not. In fact, it’s — we’re waiting for the decision by a judge on whether he’s going to accept the recommendation for a dismissal. So that’s still in litigation. But I will say this: We are not allowing the Trump Administration to interfere in the operations of our city. And the legal problems that the Mayor is facing because of the Trump Administration and the phrasing they have used — and indeed, an interview that was done by one of his representatives on national television saying that he’s basically got the Mayor under his control — that’s concerning. And I have to be able to put in safeguards.

    Of course everyone says I had the option to remove him. I still hold that option to remove him. It is an extraordinary power, and I know there’s a lot of people disappointed and angry, and want something done immediately. But I will always stand on the fact that we are a nation of laws, and one individual — the Governor of New York — should not use her voice and her will to override the will of the voters. We have an election in a few months in a primary. I’m going to let the voters decide, but I’m also going to be very cognizant. I need to keep an eye on this situation, especially the way the Trump Administration has telegraphed that they want to get into our operations, and I have to be the firewall to stop that.

    Margaret Brennan, CBS News: So having said that, does that mean you do believe there was a quid pro quo understanding with Eric Adams?

    Governor Hochul: I am going by what the perception could be. I cannot let the integrity of the administration in the City of New York be undermined by perception that the Trump Administration actually created. They created this perception. The reality I will never know. But as long as there’s the faith of New Yorkers that has been undermined by what the Trump Administration is doing trying to give the appearance of holding the city hostage — that’s exactly what they’re trying to do.

    Again, they’re trying to create chaos, but we have to be smart as Democrats and as leaders, and parse through all this and just go do what’s right. That will always be my North Star.

    Margaret Brennan, CBS News: Governor Hochul, thank you for your time this morning.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Global: Sea-level rise: a new method to estimate the probability of different outcomes – including a worst case

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Benjamin P. Horton, Director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University

    Here is a depressing fact: over the coming decades, sea-level rise will continue to threaten ecosystems, communities and cities. No matter how quickly we reduce our carbon emissions, our past emissions commit us to ongoing sea-level rise, given the long-drawn-out impact of climate warming on the oceans and ice sheets. Just how bad it gets, however, will depend on our current and future emissions.

    Even as we strive for net-zero emissions, we must prepare for devastating possibilities. But decision-makers face a major obstacle: the specific rate and magnitude of future sea-level rise is deeply uncertain. Different methods produce different projections of long-term sea-level rise. The problem of reconciling these different methods and projections has undermined planning to protect people from future sea-level rise.

    In a recent paper published in Earth’s Future, we and our colleagues tackle this problem. We propose a new method that combines the complementary strengths of different sea-level projections. We use our method to quantify the uncertainty of future sea-level rise. It allows us to estimate a “very likely” range. “Very likely” means that there is a 9-in-10 chance (90% probability) that future sea-level rise will lie within this range, if our future emissions follow an assumed emissions scenario.

    Under a low-emissions scenario that corresponds to approximately 2°C warming above pre-industrial levels, global sea level will “very likely” rise between 0.3 and 1.0 metres by the end of this century. Under a high-emissions scenario that corresponds to approximately 5°C warming, global sea level will “very likely” rise between 0.5 and 1.9 metres. Given that we will likely exceed 2°C warming, preparing for more than a metre of sea-level rise by 2100 is, therefore, necessary.

    Adapted from Grandey et al. (2024).
    Benjamin P. Horton and Benjamin S. Grandey, CC BY-ND

    The challenge of poorly understood processes

    Our method builds on and complements the current reference document for many decision-makers: the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report IPCC 6AR. For five emissions scenarios, the IPCC published a most-likely “median” projection and a “likely” range. “Likely” means that there is at least a 2-in-3 chance (66% probability) of sea-level rise within this range. The “likely” range may understate the risk of more extreme possibilities, a weakness that can be addressed by a complementary “very likely” range. However, the IPCC did not estimate a “very likely” range because poorly understood ice sheet processes posed a challenge. We address this challenge, to provide decision-makers with more reliable estimates of future possibilities.

    Many processes contribute to sea-level rise. Of particular importance are ice sheet processes in Greenland and Antarctica. Some of these ice sheet processes are well understood, but others less so. We have only a poor understanding of processes that could drive abrupt melting of ice, producing rapid sea-level rise.




    À lire aussi :
    We used 1,000 historical photos to reconstruct Antarctic glaciers before a dramatic collapse


    Climate models and ice sheet models, such as those used in the IPCC 6AR, are very good at simulating well-understood processes, such as thermal expansion of the ocean. The IPCC used model-based projections to derive a reliable median projection and “likely” range. However, these models often neglect poorly understood processes that could cause the ice sheets to melt much faster than we expect. To complement the models, experts can provide alternative projections based on their understanding of these processes. This is known as expert elicitation. Therefore, the use of models and expert elicitation can provide complementary sea-level projections, but planners have great difficulty deciding when and where to apply the two different approaches.

    In our paper, we have developed a novel method to combine the complementary sea-level projections from models and experts. We use our method to quantify the full uncertainty range of future sea-level rise using a probability distribution. This is how we can estimate a “very likely” range and explore the question, “What high-end sea-level rise should we plan for?”

    A high-end projection

    To make informed judgements, decision-makers often need information about low-likelihood, high-cost possibilities. A high-end projection of sea-level rise is especially useful when planning long-lasting critical infrastructure that is vital for the functioning of society and the economy. A high-end projection can also highlight a catastrophic risk associated with unrestrained carbon dioxide emissions.

    We define our high-end projection as the 95th percentile of the probability distribution under the high-emissions scenario. Our high-end projection of global sea-level rise is 1.9 metres by the end of this century.

    Our high-end projection complements existing high-end projections of 21st century sea-level rise. The IPCC 6AR included two: 1.6 metres and 2.3 metres. Our projection of 1.9 metres falls between these two values.

    In contrast to the IPCC 6AR, we estimate the probability of reaching the high-end projection. If our future emissions follow the high-emissions scenario, we estimate that the probability of reaching 1.9 metres by the end of this century is 5% (1 in 20). Considering that the high-emissions scenario is unlikely, our high-end projection can be interpreted as a worst-case outcome. We also estimate the probability of exceeding 1.0 metres by the end of this century: 16% (about 1 in 6) under the high-emissions scenario, and 4% (1 in 25) under the low-emissions scenario.

    Reducing the uncertainty

    Through climate science, we have learned much about the Earth’s climate system. However, we still have much more to discover. As our understanding improves, the uncertainty in sea-level rise should reduce. Therefore, the “very likely” range of future sea-level rise should narrow, due to the ongoing research efforts of the climate science community.

    In the meantime, we need to identify potential solutions that can reduce coastal flood risk in ways that support the long-term resilience and sustainability of communities and the environment, and reduce the economic costs associated with flood damage. Alongside local adaptation, the best way to mitigate sea-level rise is to slow down climate change by implementing the commitments laid out in the Paris Agreement in 2015.

    If we can limit warming to well below 2°C, consistent with the agreement, we estimate that the probability of reaching 1.9 metres by the end of the century shrinks to less than 0.2% (1 in 500). The more the world limits its greenhouse gas emissions, the lower the chance of triggering rapid ice loss from Greenland and Antarctica, and the safer we will be.

    This research is supported by the National Research Foundation, Singapore, and National Environment Agency, Singapore under the National Sea Level Programme Funding Initiative (Award No. USS-IF-2020-3) and Ministry of Education, Singapore, under its AcRF Tier 3 Award MOE2019-T3-1-004.


    Created in 2007 to help accelerate and share scientific knowledge on key societal issues, the Axa Research Fund has supported nearly 700 projects around the world conducted by researchers in 38 countries. To learn more, visit the website of the Axa Research Fund or follow @AXAResearchFund on X.

    Benjamin P. Horton was supported by the Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund: MOE2019-T3-1-004.

    Benjamin S. Grandey’s research is supported by the National Research Foundation, Singapore, and National Environment Agency, Singapore under the National Sea Level Programme Funding Initiative (Award No. USS-IF-2020-3).

    ref. Sea-level rise: a new method to estimate the probability of different outcomes – including a worst case – https://theconversation.com/sea-level-rise-a-new-method-to-estimate-the-probability-of-different-outcomes-including-a-worst-case-250180

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: How to teach hope when democracy is retreating

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Joel Westheimer, University research chair in democracy and education, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

    In the wake of Donald Trump’s reelection, the United States has lurched further toward a democratic crisis.

    Institutions once considered stable now feel precarious. The assault on truth — already well underway — has intensified, with political leaders openly flouting constitutional principles, suppressing dissent and dismantling democratic safeguards.

    The rhetoric of grievance and retribution has become the soundtrack of public discourse.

    The U.S. is not alone. Across the globe, democracy is in retreat. The list of nations such as Hungary, Poland, Brazil and India where autocrats and aspiring autocrats have tried to erode democratic norms is growing. Far-right movements in France, Germany, Finland and elsewhere, bolstered by economic anxieties and digital disinformation, stoke resentment and fear.




    Read more:
    What does Donald Trump’s win mean for his brand of populist authoritarianism?


    People, exhausted by economic precarity and what author, activist and documentarian Astra Taylor calls the deliberate manufacturing of insecurity, are drawn to the false promise of strongman rule. The desire for stability — however undemocratic — threatens to eclipse commitments to liberty and justice.

    For educators or civic leaders who teach young people about democracy these are not abstract concerns. Civic educators’ struggles to foster students’ civic engagement and strengthen their commitments to democratic institutions and the growing crisis in democracy makes these efforts even harder.

    As a professor of democracy and education, and as an educator, I cannot promise young people that their efforts will always succeed. But I can assure them that whether in the face of victories or defeats, they are walking a powerful and worthwhile path.

    The risk of civic despair

    One popular approach to strengthening commitments to democracy is to engage students in community projects that address difficult societal challenges.

    Some teachers take students to engage in community work that is deeply tied to the curriculum, through approaches known as action civics or service learning.

    But when young people take on social action projects — especially those aimed at addressing systemic injustices — the experience can backfire if it leads only to frustration and failure.

    Studies have shown that students who participate in civic initiatives that do not produce tangible change often become less likely to engage in civic life in the future.

    When efforts to improve conditions in their schools, communities or governments meet bureaucratic obstacles or outright resistance, young people do not always emerge more energized. Instead, many walk away discouraged, cynical and convinced that the system cannot be moved.

    This is not to say that teachers, parents or other adult mentors should avoid encouraging activism — far from it. But if educators fail to prepare students for the realities of social change — that it can be slow and difficult — we risk reinforcing exactly the kind of disengagement we seek to combat.

    If young people see the struggle for justice only as a series of disappointments, it’s easy to understand why they may turn away.

    Redefining hope

    To counter this despair, we need to redefine what it means to hope.

    We need to cultivate the kind of hope that sustains action despite uncertainty — the kind that fuels long-term struggles for justice, even when victories are slow in coming.




    Read more:
    6 ways to build resilience and hope into young people’s learning about climate change


    Václav Havel, the Czech playwright and political dissident who later became president, wrote that hope is not the same as choosing struggles that are headed for quick success: “Hope … is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.”

    This distinction is vital. As I explore in my book about education for democracy, hope is not a guarantee of success, but the insistence that working for justice is meaningful in and of itself. When we work collectively on projects we believe in, we form bonds that are valued and energizing.

    Howard Zinn, the late historian and activist, echoed this idea when he urged us to “hold out, even in times of pessimism, the possibility of surprise.”

    Being part of something bigger

    History is filled with unexpected turns, reversals and moments when change happens against all odds. As German theorist and activist Rosa Luxemburg wrote, before the revolution, everyone says it’s impossible. After, they say it was inevitable.

    The singer-songwriter Holly Near expressed this artfully in her anthem to the many social change movements that have existed for as long as there have been things to improve. Change does not always happen at broadband speeds, but knowing one is part of a timeless march toward good goals makes much of what we do worthwhile. In her song “The Great Peace March,” Near sings:

    “Believe it or not / as daring as it may seem / it is not an empty dream
    To walk in a powerful path / neither the first nor the last / great peace march.”

    Social change is about connecting with one another and being part of something larger than ourselves — a “powerful path” that stretches beyond any single moment or movement.

    Hope as a practice

    So how do we teach hope? How do we equip young people not just to work for change, but to sustain that work over the long haul?

    First, we must be honest about setbacks. Too often, we romanticize past movements, presenting them as linear progressions toward justice. We do young people a disservice when we erase the years of struggle, failure and uncertainty that preceded social victories. A more honest history includes moments of despair as well as triumph.

    Second, we must frame civic action as an ongoing practice rather than a single event. Students should see their work as part of a continuum.

    Finally, we must model hope ourselves. Young people are watching us. If we meet today’s challenges with cynicism and resignation, they will learn that democracy is a lost cause. But if we demonstrate an enduring commitment to engagement and justice, they will see that democracy is not something we inherit; it is something we build.

    We can promise young people that to engage in the work of justice is to be part of a legacy that stretches across generations. And that, I believe, is hope worth teaching.

    Joel Westheimer receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    ref. How to teach hope when democracy is retreating – https://theconversation.com/how-to-teach-hope-when-democracy-is-retreating-249926

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s tariff and land grab threats signal U.S. expansionist ambitions

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ilan Kapoor, Professor, Critical Development Studies, York University, Canada

    When U.S. President Donald Trump first suggested Canada should become the 51st American state, the federal government dismissed it as just a joke. Finance Minister Dominic Leblanc insisted it was “in no way a serious comment.”

    Similar skepticism was expressed by political leaders across the world when Trump talked about seizing Greenland and the Panama Canal in early January, by military force if necessary, to buttress U.S. national security. He also floated the idea of taking over Gaza to transform it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

    Now that Trump has carried through on his aggressive economic threats — launching a trade war with China and raising the possibility of similar conflicts with Canada, Mexico and the European Union — his imperialist expansionism is in plain sight.

    Canadian leaders have come to realize that Trump’s actions may not be a temporary or minor irritant, but rather an attack on Canadian sovereignty itself.

    The failure to take Trump’s words seriously is reminiscent of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s skepticism in 1938 that Hitler would actually risk world war despite the latter’s aggressive rhetoric, annexation of Austria and threats to Czechoslovakia and Poland.

    What, then, have been the signs of Trump’s expansionist tendencies? American economic and military might, albeit declining relative to emerging powers like China and India, still provides a solid basis for the projection of U.S. supremacy. But there are also two new key elements at play.

    A billionaire-corporate administration

    The Trump administration appears to operate with a distinctly corporate mindset, treating the nation like a business empire. Trump has stacked his administration with private sector leaders and corporate billionaires such as Elon Musk, Doug Burgum and Howard Lutnick.

    Like other billionaires, their immense business success has been founded not on mainstay competitive market practices like productivity or cost-cutting, but on predatory and cannibalistic ones.

    These include controlling resources like oil, gold, diamonds and coltan to secure production inputs; buying out competitors to monopolize markets and patents; and deliberately breaking up and destroying companies through mergers and acquisitions with little regard for the resulting job losses.

    It is within this framework that Trump’s allegations about buying Greenland and Gaza, annexing Canada through “economic force” and capturing the Panama Canal need to be seen.




    Read more:
    Billionaires and loyalists will provide Trump with muscle during his second term


    Under the guise of national security, the idea is not simply to safeguard borders, but to engage in economic expansionism and real estate development, aided by the U.S. military when needed. Taking control of land, waterways and mineral wealth is critical to building “America’s Golden Age” of corporate capitalism.

    This approach seems to be a mainly business one, with little concern for the social costs (recession, unemployment, violence) produced by such imperialistic ventures. In line with his infamous book, The Art of the Deal, Trump appears to view foreign nations and domestic opponents alike as obstacles to be callously bullied, degraded, manipulated, exploited and finally vanquished.

    American nationalist populism

    The Trump administration’s imperial ambitions lie in the nationalist populism that propelled Trump and his allies into power for the second time.

    Trump’s populism has successfully tapped into widespread anxieties among Americans — job insecurity, food prices, the housing crisis — by promising to soothe their worries through the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) agenda.




    Read more:
    Trump’s view of the world is becoming clear: America’s allies come second to its own interests


    Like other right-wing populist movements around the globe — Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s in Turkey, Viktor Orbán’s in Hungary and the Brexit campaign in the U.K. — the MAGA movement has sought to unify the U.S. by identifying and targeting perceived national enemies. These include so-called “illegal” migrants, transgender people and the country’s largest trading rivals: Mexico, Canada and China.

    By blaming these groups, especially those seen as contributing to America’s economic decline, MAGA whips up nationalist sentiment in the form of suspicion, aggression and vengeance. The result is a deeply polarized nationalist discourse in which one is either a loyal supporter or an enemy; a believer or a “woke” liberal.

    A lethal imperial set-up

    The combination of U.S. global power, nationalist populism and the Trump administration’s corporate-driven, predatory approach makes for a dangerous dynamic.

    This mix is fuelling a form of economic expansionism that is now beginning to manifest itself. The impending trade wars, potential dismantling of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (which Trump initiated in 2018 to avoid unilateral trade moves by its signatories) and the brazen disregard for the socioeconomic consequences of foreign territorial control, such as the forced displacement of Palestinians, are all signs of this.

    While many assumed Trump’s administration would be protectionist and isolationist, a more troubling and nefarious reality is emerging. His administration appears to be intent on securing America’s industrial dominance through trade wars while expanding it through hawkish economic imperialism.

    There is a clear ruthlessness to this approach, with a willingness to pressure not only America’s perceived enemies but also its allies. “America First” is starting to looks like “America Above All Others” as Trump attempts to bully U.S. rivals into subordination, with disturbing echoes of past authoritarians.

    Unravelling American imperial designs

    Many obstacles could prevent Trump’s aggressive expansionism from fully taking shape. While the key ingredients may already be there, and some have begun to be deployed, that doesn’t mean they will come to fruition.

    The Trump administration’s policymaking process is often chaotic and theatrical, prioritizing short-term political gains over long-term strategy. This instability undermines any consistent efforts at expansion.

    There is also the risk that Trump’s trade wars will backfire. They could end up causing hardship to U.S. companies and consumers through higher food and energy prices, job losses in key industries like agriculture and auto manufacturing, and increased stock market instability. Such consequences could negatively affect Trump’s corporate allies.

    Meanwhile, Trump’s economic and military rivals could forge new alliances to challenge his attempts at global supremacy. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, for instance, recently met with the head of NATO and other European allies to strengthen trade and security ties.

    The first step to any countermoves by Trump’s foreign adversaries will be seeing his regime’s designs for what they are: chaotic, perhaps, but serious expansionist ones.

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

    ref. Trump’s tariff and land grab threats signal U.S. expansionist ambitions – https://theconversation.com/trumps-tariff-and-land-grab-threats-signal-u-s-expansionist-ambitions-249924

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: While the U.S. threatens tariffs and builds walls around its economy, China opens up

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Shaun Narine, Professor of International Relations and Political Science, St. Thomas University (Canada)

    The United States is threatening to impose tariffs on its major trading partners. In the meantime, China is consolidating its position as the world’s manufacturing and technological innovation hub by increasing trade with the Global South.

    If the American role in globalization has been to consume the world’s products and resources by building on a foundation of ever-increasing debt, China’s has been to make tangible goods for the international market.

    China is opening up its economy, especially to the nations of the Global South.

    Effective December 2024, China eliminated all tariffs on goods from the least developed countries. Chinese Premier Li Quang has also described China as an economic opportunity for global investment.

    The centre of Asian trade

    China’s trade surplus with the rest of the world is almost US$1 trillion dollars. Its share of global exports was 14 per cent in 2023, compared to 8.5 per cent for the U.S.

    China is working with regional states to make itself the centre of Asian trade. China’s Belt and Road Initiative is funding infrastructure in about 150 countries as Chinese companies invest internationally, both to avoid American tariffs and diversify their markets.

    At the moment, China accounts for 35 per cent of the world’s manufacturing. By 2030, the United Nations projects this will rise to 45 per cent.

    China has achieved this status by building efficient, high-quality infrastructure.

    It’s also fostered highly competitive and innovative technological and commercial ecosystems. The recent emergence of DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup that is dramatically disrupting the sector, illustrates this reality.

    China also controls global industrial supply chains in a host of critical areas.

    The Chinese powerhouse

    Despite its ongoing economic slowdown, China’s economy grew by almost five per cent in 2024 and has potential to grow further as it transitions to a high-tech economy.

    By 2030, the country will have what’s known as a consuming class of 1.1 billion people, making it the world’s largest consumer market.

    Only 7.8 per cent of the population has the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree, but China produces about 65 per cent of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) graduates globally on an annual basis.

    China is also leading the world in most new technologies and industries, but there is room for infrastructure investment in smaller cities and rural areas. Because China is a global leader in using automation and AI, it will also need to lead in managing these technologies’ social and economic effects.

    China has economies of scale that no other country — except India — can match. Its manufacturing dominance is the logical outcome of introducing an increasingly technologically sophisticated country with a vast population to the modern global system.

    The first Donald Trump administration used tariffs to try to draw investment into the U.S. and stimulate domestic industry. He believed tariffs would create more manufacturing jobs, shrink the federal deficit and lower food prices.

    The second Trump administration has returned to tariffs, again with the goal of pulling jobs and investment from other countries into the U.S.

    Trump has threatened to slap tariffs on Canada, Mexico and the European Union.

    He’s already put 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S. and imposed additional 10 per cent tariffs on all Chinese goods. He’s also threatening tariffs on Taiwan, attempting to strip it of its semiconductor industry.

    Trump is basically demanding that other countries address trade imbalances by buying more expensive American exports in exchange for unimpeded access to the U.S. market.

    He’s trying to recreate an American industrial dominance that existed only under unique circumstances after the Second World War. Similarly, the historical circumstances that led to China’s decline in the 19th and 20th centuries are long past.

    To compete with China’s advantages, the U.S. needs a competent and effective government capable of long-term planning. Under Trump, the U.S. is losing this already-weak capacity every day.

    American debt

    The U.S. is the world’s largest consumer economy because both the government and Americans go into extraordinary debt to finance their consumption.

    Currently, the American national debt is more than $36 trillion while consumer debt was $17.5 trillion in 2024.

    The U.S. can accumulate enormous debt because of the American dollar’s status as the world reserve currency. But the U.S. has weaponized the dollar by freezing the dollar assets of sovereign states and using the dollar’s reserve status to apply American laws and sanctions beyond its borders.

    This has created a major push — led by the BRICS countries of Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates — to replace the U.S. dollar with other financial instruments.

    In response, Trump has threatened 100 per cent tariffs on any countries that try to drop the U.S. dollar.

    The American economy has grown through pumping up asset bubbles, but there’s been a decline in most measures of social well-being in the U.S. This aligns with increasing American social, political and economic instability.

    Chinese products dominate

    China’s exports to the Global South exceed its exports to the western world. Chinese companies and products are dominant in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

    To the Global South, there are clear benefits to accessing affordable, high-quality technology and industrial products from China. The industrialized world can also benefit significantly from Chinese manufacturers, but possibly at the cost of its own established industrial capacity.

    While some states may block Chinese imports to protect their industries, China’s increasing manufacturing dominance means that every country will need at least some Chinese products to develop or to sustain industry. It would be next to impossible for most countries to definitively cut all trade with China.

    The world is entering a new era of globalization. For many states, that means trying to keep from being economically undermined by the U.S. while deciding how to manage the economic and political costs and benefits of engaging with China’s massive industrial capabilities.

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

    ref. While the U.S. threatens tariffs and builds walls around its economy, China opens up – https://theconversation.com/while-the-u-s-threatens-tariffs-and-builds-walls-around-its-economy-china-opens-up-245012

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 80 good citizens lauded

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Police held the Good Citizen Award Presentation Ceremony 2024 today to commend 80 citizens who assisted the force in fighting crime and upholding law and order.

    Additionally, this year’s Good Citizen of the Year Award was presented to nine awardees for their bravery when they volunteered to help in evacuating residents trapped in a building during a No. 3 alarm fire that broke out on Jordan Road in Yau Ma Tei last year.

    The Force also presented the Good Organisation Award to seven organisations in recognition of their efforts in supporting Police’s publicity work on anti-deception and crime prevention, as well as crime detection.

    Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Commissioner of Police Siu Chak-yee said the spirit of good citizenship can be put into practice in everyday life. He appealed to all sectors of the community to be united, genuine and sincere in preventing and combatting crime, in order to weave a safety net for the community.

    Themed “Good Citizen – Good Stories – Everywhere”, this year’s Good Citizen Award Scheme highlighted that the stories of good citizens can be found everywhere.

    A corresponding video series, Hidden Good Citizen, featuring the stories of four groups of such awardees who were also invited to participate in the production, was launched, Police added.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: DRC: People are trapped in a climate of insecurity amidst clashes in Uvira

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    In recent days, the security situation around the city of Uvira, in South Kivu province of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has rapidly deteriorated, reaching a critical point on 15 February. Residents describe scenes of looting, increased violence, and clashes within the city between the Congolese army (FARDC) and the Wazalendo fighters. Medical facilities have not been spared from gunfire, impacting patient care. Staff from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) who were present at the onset of the clashes testify to the situation.

    “When we heard the shots, we had to take cover quickly, as did the patients, and we had to stop our activities, which delayed their care and treatment,” says an MSF colleague. “The next day, gunfire was coming from everywhere, so we had to stay at home. But the hospital [Uvira’s general referral hospital] was starting to receive a lot of wounded, so we came to the hospital as reinforcements, taking the risk of catching a stray bullet.”

    Since 17 February, the region’s hospitals have been faced with an influx of wounded people, receiving around 10 people a day, including civilians, per structure. Despite the insecurity, Ministry of Health staff continue to provide emergency care, and a large number of staff from other hospital departments have come to help with surgery and the operating theatre. In all, more than a hundred injured people have been treated in just a few days.

    “This week, the city became unlivable, with gunfire from morning to night,” explains an MSF staff member. “Personally, I’ve lost track of the days because we have all been affected. Some of my colleagues were victims of all this chaos, some have been robbed at home by armed men.”

    The chaos in the city and the incessant gunfire have severely impacted the roads and people’s ability to move. This lack of mobility prevents even emergency responders from intervening in time. Ambulances face difficulty moving around, but they continue to pick up lifeless bodies on the roads whenever they can.

    On several occasions, the general referral hospital of Uvira has been caught in the crossfire, seriously endangering patients and staff. The night before last, medical activities had to be interrupted again, and patients had to take shelter to avoid being hit. Armed men also entered the hospital premises roaming and firing inside.

    “These violations and the extreme climate of insecurity that has persisted for several days are unacceptable,” says Caglar Tahiroglu, MSF activities coordinator in Uvira. “We call on all parties to the conflict to respect the protection of civilians, medical personnel and infrastructures as soon as possible so that we can continue to provide medical care to the population.”

    The city of Uvira, which shares a border with Burundi, is on the brink of chaos. Several waves of displacement have been observed amid a climate of distress. Burundian authorities estimate that more than 35,000 people have been on the move since the beginning of February.

    “The first days, I saw entire families leaving their homes with luggage, heading in different directions,” says an MSF medical staff member. “Then I saw the streets empty and become completely deserted. People are afraid. They have very little information about what is actually happening, and they have been affected by the rapid escalation of the crisis in the country, and they imagine all possibilities. Access to food is becoming critical because economic activities have been blocked for six days. We do not know what tomorrow holds for us.”

    Amid persistent insecurity, MSF was forced to reduce its teams in Uvira, where we had been supporting the Ministry of Health in diagnosing and treating patients suffering from mpox for several months. Faced with the influx of wounded and the shortage of equipment, MSF is redirecting some activities to support the care of war-wounded people by delivering vital medical equipment to several medical facilities in the Uvira health zone.

    Staff were anonymised for our colleagues’ protection and safety.

    MIL OSI NGO

  • MIL-OSI China: From Wukong to Ne Zha, powerhouse IPs make waves in China’s consumer market

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Amid the immense popularity of “Ne Zha 2,” fans of the Chinese blockbuster are facing a race against time to purchase blind boxes featuring the film’s main character, as stocks quickly deplete both online and at retail locations.

    “Ne Zha-themed products sell out quickly as soon as they are put on the shelf. Recently, we’ve seen dozens of people signing up for pre-sales every day,” said a staff member at Pop Mart, China’s popular toy maker, in Beijing.

    Like “Black Myth: Wukong,” the country’s first 3A video game taking the world by storm in 2024, “Ne Zha 2” has become another cherished domestic creation rooted in traditional Chinese culture. Both cultural phenomena have successfully turned fan enthusiasm for their intellectual properties (IPs) into lasting profits.

    As of Saturday, the sequel to the Chinese mythical franchise “Ne Zha” has seen its box office revenue worldwide, including presales, surpass 13 billion yuan (about 1.8 billion U.S. dollars), securing the eighth spot on the list of highest-grossing films of all time worldwide, according to ticketing platforms.

    Beyond the silver screen, the animation is also making waves in other areas of the consumer market. Sales of its merchandise on Taobao, a leading e-commerce platform in China, surpassed 50 million yuan earlier this month.

    Noticing the surge in demand for “Ne Zha 2” merchandise, an authorized manufacturer in Dongguan, located in south China’s Guangdong Province, quickly ramped up production after the film’s Chinese New Year release, aiming to seize the significant market opportunity created by the rise of Chinese IP.

    “We have received orders for nearly 1.4 million sets of peripheral products. While operating overtime every day to produce the products, our factory is also developing new items based on the film,” said Chen Qi, general manager of the company, noting that the company hopes to cooperate with more domestic brands to develop IP derivatives in the future.

    This growing interest in domestic IPs is reflected across factories in China, where companies are shifting their focus from exports to tapping into the expanding opportunities within the domestic market.

    This year, China’s IP derivatives market is expected to exceed 500 billion yuan, CITIC Securities said in a research report.

    More than 49,000 enterprises in China are involved in the trendy toy economy, with approximately 13,000 of them having registered in 2024, according to Tianyancha, a corporate information provider.

    The rapid growth of China’s trendy toy market highlights the country’s strengths in IP, supply chain capabilities and consumer potential, said Li Yongjian, a researcher at the National Academy of Economic Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

    “Ne Zha 2” isn’t the first IP to spark a surge in merchandise consumption in China. In 2023, another domestic hit, “The Wandering Earth 2,” raised over 140 million yuan through crowdfunding for its merchandise.

    Moreover, in January, Chinese retailer MINISO launched a store themed around “Black Myth: Wukong” in Beijing, attracting considerable attention as fans eagerly queued to purchase limited-edition items.

    As the IP economy continues to grow, retailers like MINISO are capitalizing on the cultural and emotional appeal of beloved franchises.

    Ye Guofu, founder of MINISO, said that Chinese consumers, especially younger generations, are increasingly prioritizing the emotional value attached to products, and this shift is expected to further drive the demand for IP-based merchandise.

    These IPs not only showcase the depth of China’s cultural heritage but also demonstrate how modern technology and creativity can breathe new life into ancient stories, making them relevant and appealing to today’s generation. This synergy between tradition and innovation has laid a solid foundation for the booming IP derivatives market.

    “Traditional culture needs to be revitalized with a modern touch,” said “Ne Zha 2” director Yang Yu, also known as Jiaozi, adding that literary classics are the most valuable source of cultural IPs for animated films.

    Zhao Xinli, dean of the Advertising School at the Communication University of China, noted that with the vast potential of the domestic consumer market, a well-established animation production system and the rich heritage of China’s traditional culture, the country’s cultural industry is set for an even brighter future. 

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s blockbuster ‘Ne Zha 2’ hits Fiji screens

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Chinese animated film “Ne Zha 2” has been a hit with audiences in Fiji since its release on Thursday in the island nation.

    The blockbuster has seen its box office revenue worldwide, including presales, surpass around 1.8 billion U.S. dollars. It has dethroned Disney’s 2024 picture “Inside Out 2” to become the highest-grossing animated movie of all time globally.

    “It was really awesome. So far it would be the best, I would say, it’s on a par with the Hollywood blockbusters,” said Anesh Chand, a Fijian doctor who watched the animation at Damodar Cinema in Suva, capital of Fiji, on Saturday night.

    Chand told Xinhua that he once studied medicine in China for five years, so he was particularly aware of the Chinese herbs in the film, as well as traditional Chinese medicine philosophies, such as Yin and Yang, water and fire.

    Cliff Prasad, group marketing manager of Damodar Cinemas, told Xinhua that “Ne Zha 2” performed very well at the box office in Fiji and the occupancy rates exceeded expectations.

    The cinema had been supposed to schedule only two screenings on the premiere day, but due to hot online pre-sales, the cinema temporarily arranged three additional screenings, Prasad said.

    The manager said the film was very popular, with a large part of the audience made up of local students.

    “I really love the special effects, world-class! It was one of the best, I’d say, animations I’ve seen in a long time,” said Fijian girl Katriena.

    Fiji’s Minister for Housing and Local Government Maciu Nalumisa also watched the Chinese animated film on Saturday.

    “I came with my nephew and my son. They really like the movie,” Nalumisa told Xinhua. “It’s any of the best movies in terms of animation I’ve come across.”

    Mr. Sang, a Chinese audience who had watched “Ne Zha 2” four times, said the film is full of creativity in special effects and cultural expression.

    “Every time you watch the movie, you will have a new feeling,” he said. “The world is not black or white.”

    A sequel to the 2019 hit “Ne Zha 1,” “Ne Zha 2” continued to build on the beloved Chinese mythology surrounding the character and has been celebrated as a milestone for Chinese animation.

    Set after the events of the first film, it follows Nezha and Aobing as their souls are saved but their physical forms face dissolution. With the help of the immortal Taiyi Zhenren, who uses the Seven-Colored Lotus to reconstruct their bodies, the two heroes must face numerous challenges.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Spokesperson slams Australia for slandering China’s lawful military exercises

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense on Sunday condemned Australia’s unfounded claims regarding China’s lawful military exercises in waters near Australia.

    Spokesperson Wu Qian made the remarks in response to a media query about Australia’s accusation of three Chinese warships’ recent activities and live-fire drills on the high seas near Australia.

    “Australia’s claims are completely unfounded,” Wu said, stating that the Chinese naval exercise took place in high seas far from Australia’s coastline.

    Wu added that China’s live-fire training was conducted with repeated safety notices that had been issued in advance.

    The spokesperson emphasized that China’s actions were entirely in accordance with international law and established practices and would not impact aviation safety.

    “Despite being fully aware of the fact, Australia has unjustly criticized China and deliberately exaggerated the issue, and we are astonished and strongly dissatisfied with this,” Wu said.

    China hopes Australia will approach the relations between the two countries and their militaries with an objective and rational attitude, show more sincerity and professionalism, and make genuine efforts to contribute to the stable development of these ties, he added. 

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-Evening Report: Caitlin Johnstone: Israel pushes new atrocity narrative just as ceasefire deadline approaches

    Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific.

    COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone

    A new narrative is being aggressively pushed by Israel and its apologists to justify resuming the Gaza genocide, conveniently just as an important deadline for ceasefire negotiations draws near.

    The Israeli “Defence” Force (IDF) is now claiming that the Israeli children Kfir and Ariel Bibas “were both brutally murdered by terrorists while being held hostage in Gaza, no later than November 2023.”

    IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari told the press on Friday that, “Contrary to Hamas’ lies, Ariel and Kfir were not killed in an airstrike. Ariel and Kfir Bibas were murdered by terrorists in cold blood.

    “The terrorists did not shoot the two young boys, they killed them with their bare hands. Afterward, they committed horrific acts to cover up these atrocities.”

    Anyone who has been following the events in Gaza over the last year and a half will be unsurprised to learn that Israel provided no evidence to support these incendiary claims.

    Benjamin Netanyahu released a video statement in his signature American English waving around an enlarged photograph of the children and talking about what savage monsters the Palestinians are.

    “Hamas murdered them in cold blood,” Netanyahu says, while the camera zooms in on the adorable little redheads. “As the prime minister of Israel, I vow that I will not rest until the savages who executed our hostages are brought to justice. They do not deserve to walk this earth.

    “Nothing will stop me. Nothing.”

    Sabotaging ceasefire negotiations
    This happens just as Netanyahu has been working to sabotage ceasefire negotiations by adding new non-starter demands that were not in the original agreement, just as sources in Israeli media predicted he would do upon his return from Washington earlier this month.

    The six-week-long first stage of the ceasefire deal with Hamas is set to expire at the beginning of March next weekend

    This is obvious babies-on-bayonets atrocity propaganda, being released at the most convenient of times. After Israel has been caught lying about beheaded babies and mass rapes and so much more, only an idiot would take any of these claims on faith.

    But it’s doing the job. Now everywhere you look you’ll see Israel supporters calling to end the ceasefire and reignite the Gaza holocaust to avenge these innocent children. I just saw an article from Tablet Magazine titled “Their Time Is Up,” subtitled “The murder of the Bibas children caps off an 18-month catalog of horrors that has told us exactly who our Palestinian neighbors are.

    “Backed by a friend in the White House, Israel must secure its future through strong unilateral action.”

    Most likely cause of death
    All this despite the fact that we know the most likely cause of the children’s death was the fact that their own government was raining military explosives on places where hostages were being held during that time.

    Hamas reported back in November 2023 that the Bibas children had been killed in an Israeli airstrike along with their mother. In December 2023 it was reported in the mainstream press that Hamas had offered to return their bodies to Israel but Israel had refused, telling the press that “Israel will not address propaganda-based reports coming from Hamas”.

    You don’t need to trust Hamas or anyone else to deduce that a woman and two children being killed by Israeli airstrikes in an area where many women and children were being killed by Israeli airstrikes every day is a much more likely scenario than Palestinian resistance fighters spontaneously deciding to murder children with their bare hands instead of using them as negotiating leverage as planned.

    As journalist Muhammad Shehada recently noted on Twitter, Israel already has an established track record of lying about Hamas killing hostages who were actually killed in Israeli airstrikes.

    In December 2023, Israel informed the families of three hostages that they had been murdered by Hamas. The mother of one of the hostages kept digging and eventually discovered that they had died of asphyxiation when IDF troops “gassed” the tunnel they were hiding in.

    Last September, the IDF admitted that they had killed the hostages in an airstrike and lied about it.

    Three weeks ago Shehada correctly predicted in an article with Zeteo that Israel was preparing to use the Bibas deaths as an excuse to terminate the ceasefire, long before any of this started.

    Shehada noticed the way pro-Israel narrative managers had been pushing the line that great vengeance must be exacted upon Gaza if it turns out the Bibas children have been harmed, despite Hamas having announced their deaths more than a year ago.

    They knew those children were dead, so after the ceasefire was announced in late January they began circulating the narrative that discovery of their demise would be a valid reason to end it.

    Israel forces shoot dead 2 Palestinian children
    Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinian children in the West Bank just yesterday  —  both of them shot in the back. You could be forgiven for not knowing that this happened, because the Western political/media class has been too focused on the deaths of two little white kids to pay attention to such trivialities.

    Israel needs to keep “discovering” new Hamas atrocities from 2023 because otherwise it just looks like one-sided atrocities being committed by Israel this whole time. First it was beheaded babies, then later it was “We’ve discovered Hamas did mass rapes!”, and now it’s the Bibas kids.

    They need to do this because the Hamas attack was the last time anything happened where Israel could frame itself as the victim, so they’ve been milking it and milking it and milking it for as long as possible while committing orders of magnitude worse abuse in Gaza.

    It’s all designed to drum up outrage, and to draw sympathy toward Israel and away from the obvious victims who Israel has been abusing, displacing and mass murdering for a year and a half.

    As calls to rain vengeance upon Gaza grow louder, remember this: the Bibas kids aren’t the reason, they’re the excuse. The excuse to advance pre-planned agendas against the Palestinians that have been in place since long before those children were born.

    Caitlin Johnstone is an Australian independent journalist and poet. Her articles include The UN Torture Report On Assange Is An Indictment Of Our Entire Society. She publishes a website and Caitlin’s Newsletter. This article is republished with permission.

    This article was first published on Café Pacific.

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI China: Hamas says Israel’s delay in prisoner release ‘flagrant violation’ of truce deal

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Hamas accused Israel on Saturday of violating the terms of a Gaza ceasefire agreement by delaying the release of a seventh group of Palestinian prisoners, calling the move a “flagrant violation” of the truce.

    In a statement, Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif Al-Qanou claimed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government “continues to procrastinate and delay” agreed-upon prisoner releases. He said Hamas had cooperated with mediators to advance the exchange process, including releasing six Israeli hostages in three separate batches earlier on Saturday.

    “We call on the mediators and guarantors of the agreement to exert pressure on the occupation (Israel) to respect the ceasefire agreement and implement its provisions without procrastination or delay,” the spokesman added.

    The Israeli government has postponed the release of 602 Palestinian prisoners agreed as part of the latest hostage-prisoner swap.

    Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, citing a political official, said Netanyahu has decided to postpone the release until concluding security consultations scheduled for Saturday evening, without specifying the reason for the delay or a new timeline for the release. 

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese FM: Two-state solution key to Gaza peace

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    A lasting peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be achieved through the two-state solution, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a phone conversation with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Saturday while returning from the Group of 20 (G20) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa.

    During the conversation, Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, held in-depth discussions on regional issues with Abdelatty.

    Abdelatty provided an update on the latest developments in Gaza, noting that Egypt is committed to promoting the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement and is working with other Arab countries to develop a reconstruction plan. He emphasized that Egypt opposes the forced displacement of the Palestinian people.

    China is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and the council’s rotating president this month, and Arab countries highly value China’s unique and important role, Abdelatty said, adding that Arab countries hope for China’s support in restoring peace and rebuilding Gaza.

    Wang said that China is a friend of Arab countries and a comprehensive strategic partner of Egypt. He expressed China’s support for the just position of Arab nations and opposition to the forced displacement of the Palestinian people, calling for the full and effective implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

    Gaza is part of Palestinian territory, and any future arrangement concerning it must respect the will of the Palestinian people while adhering to the principle of “Palestinians governing Palestine” in post-conflict governance, Wang said, stressing the urgency of formulating reconstruction and governance plans.

    China appreciates the efforts of Egypt and other Arab countries, he added.

    Only by adhering to the two-state solution can the root causes be fully resolved and a lasting peace ultimately achieved, Wang noted.

    The two sides also exchanged views on issues related to Sudan and Syria.

    MIL OSI China News

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ARMOND BURNETTE (“BURNETTE”), age 35, of New Orleans, pled guilty on February 11, 2025 to a three-count indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).

    BURNETTE faces a maximum penalty of (20) years imprisonment, at least three (3) years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000, for possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances; and a maximum penalty of fifteen (15) years  imprisonment, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.00 for the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  BURNETTE also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee per count.

    According to court documents, on June 23, 2023, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers observed BURNETTE who was wanted for multiple attachments, walking in the French Quarter.  NOPD officers approached BURNETTE but he fled and was arrested a short time later.  BURNETTE was found in possession of  a plastic bag with twenty-one (21) individually wrapped baggies containing fentanyl, and 3.39 grams of cocaine.  On April 25, 2024, NOPD officers conducting a drug investigation, observed BURNETTE exit a silver BMW in the 600 block of Iberville and enter a bar wearing a backpack.  Officers met BURNETTE as he was exiting the bar without the backpack.  Officers located the bag, that contained a firearm, near a poker machine inside the bar.

    Officers opened the bag and found a firearm.  Thereafter, officers searched the silver BMW and recovered one bag containing seven bags of fentanyl, a digital scale, and a small amount of methamphetamine.

    After searching the backpack , officers also recovered six dosages of Tapentadol, ecstasy pills, approximately 4 grams of cocaine, and  a stolen .40 caliber Smith & Wesson firearm.

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

    The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.  Assistant United States Attorney Michael E. Trummel of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI China: Israel strikes Lebanon-Syria border crossings, accuses Hezbollah of weapons smuggling

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The Israeli military said on Saturday it conducted airstrikes targeting border crossings between Syria and Lebanon, accusing Hezbollah of using the routes to smuggle weapons into Lebanon.

    In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the crossings were exploited by Hezbollah “in attempts to illegally transfer arms,” calling such activities “a blatant violation of the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon” effective since Nov. 27, 2024.

    The IDF vowed to “continue operating to neutralize threats to Israel” and prevent Hezbollah, which it labeled a “terrorist organization,” from “rebuilding its military capabilities.”

    The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the Israeli strikes hit locations in Syria’s rugged Qalamoun region near the Lebanese border. The monitor described the sites as historically significant for Hezbollah’s alleged arms transfers from Syria to Lebanon.

    No casualties or damage have been reported yet. There were no immediate official statements from Syrian or Lebanese authorities, or Hezbollah. 

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Israel suspends release of Palestinian detainees

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Israel announced early Sunday that it had postponed the release of Palestinian detainees, who were set to be freed Saturday under the ceasefire agreement until more hostages are released.

    Israel was expected to release about 620 Palestinian detainees on Saturday after Hamas freed six hostages earlier in the day. The six were the final batch of living hostages scheduled to be released in the first phase of the three-phase deal.

    However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that it had been decided to delay the release of Palestinian detainees scheduled for Saturday “until the release of the next hostages is secured, without the disgraceful ceremonies.”

    The decision followed what the statement described as “Hamas’ repeated violations, including the disgraceful (hostage release) ceremonies that dishonor our hostages and the cynical use of hostages for propaganda purposes.”

    Both Hamas and Israel have been accused of using captives for propaganda, with Hamas parading hostages on stage and Israel attaching derogatory inscriptions to bracelets and T-shirts worn by Palestinian prisoners and photographing them in demeaning poses.

    A total of 63 hostages remain in Gaza, with more than half presumed dead, according to Israeli data.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese FM reaffirms two-state solution as key to lasting peace in Gaza

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A lasting peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be achieved through the two-state solution, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a phone conversation with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Saturday while returning from the Group of 20 (G20) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa.

    During the conversation, Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, held in-depth discussions on regional issues with Abdelatty.

    Abdelatty provided an update on the latest developments in Gaza, noting that Egypt is committed to promoting the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement and is working with other Arab countries to develop a reconstruction plan. He emphasized that Egypt opposes the forced displacement of the Palestinian people.

    China is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and the council’s rotating president this month, and Arab countries highly value China’s unique and important role, Abdelatty said, adding that Arab countries hope for China’s support in restoring peace and rebuilding Gaza.

    Wang said that China is a friend of Arab countries and a comprehensive strategic partner of Egypt. He expressed China’s support for the just position of Arab nations and opposition to the forced displacement of the Palestinian people, calling for the full and effective implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

    Gaza is part of Palestinian territory, and any future arrangement concerning it must respect the will of the Palestinian people while adhering to the principle of “Palestinians governing Palestine” in post-conflict governance, Wang said, stressing the urgency of formulating reconstruction and governance plans.

    China appreciates the efforts of Egypt and other Arab countries, he added.

    Only by adhering to the two-state solution can the root causes be fully resolved and a lasting peace ultimately achieved, Wang noted.

    The two sides also exchanged views on issues related to Sudan and Syria.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bogalusa Man Indicted for Federal Drug and Gun Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – FERNANDO BRISTER (“BRISTER”), age 35, and resident of Bogalusa, Louisiana was indicted on January 31, 2025, announced Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson.  Count One of the indictment charged him with distribution of Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C).  Count Two charged him with being a felon in possession of firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1), 924(a)(8), and 942(e).

    If convicted, BRISTER faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least 3 years of supervised release for Count One.  For Count Two, BRISTER faces not less than 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release.  BRISTER also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to both counts.

    According to court documents, on January 31, 2023, BRISTER knowingly and intentionally distributed methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, to an undisclosed person.  On February 6, 2023, BRISTER was a felon and  knowingly possessed a Glock Model 43, nine–millimeter caliber pistol and ammunition.

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

    Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

    The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Washington Parish Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crime Unit. 

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Guilty of Machinegun Possession

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LADONTE RICHARDSON (“RICHARDSON”), age 22, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on February 13, 2025, to possession of  a machinegun, announced Acting U. S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.

    RICHARDSON faces a maximum term of 10 years of imprisonment, and/or a fine up to $250,000, up to 3 years of supervised release, and $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

    According to court records, on August 29, 2023, RICHARDSON posted a photo on his Instagram page with three train emojis, along with an emoji of a cellphone.  Investigators believed this to be an advertisement for selling Tapentadol pills, which are commonly referred to as “trains.”  On September 7, 2023, RICHARDSON posted another advertisement for drugs.  Based upon these posts, on September 8, 2023, a Federal Bureau Investigation (“FBI”) Task Force Officer (“TFO”) obtained  a search warrant for RICHARDSON’s Instagram account that showed RICHARDSON possessing firearms.  Specifically, on September 17, 2023, RICHARDSON live streamed himself on a video brandishing a firearm with a laser sight.  On September 21, 2023, an arrest warrant was issued for RICHARDSON for two counts of second-degree murder that occurred on December 7, 2022.  U.S. Marshals located and arrested RICHARSON in New Orleans.  A search of his residence revealed the same firearm brandished by RICHARDSON on his Instagram page, in a bedroom dresser.  The firearm was equipped with a switch.  The firearm was also stolen. 

    RICHARDSON admits possessing and knowing it was a machine gun.

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

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Salt Springs — RCMP investigates fatal crash in Salt Springs

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Pictou County District RCMP is investigating a fatal crash that occurred in Salt Springs.

    On February 20, at approximately 3:45 p.m., RCMP officers, fire services, and EHS responded to a report of an overturned vehicle in the river under Hwy. 104 near West River East Side Rd.

    Responders located a Dodge Grand Caravan on its roof with two injured people inside. Fire services recovered the driver, a 75-year-old man, and the passenger, a 73-year-old woman, both of Cheticamp.

    The woman was pronounced deceased at the scene. The man suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to hospital via EHS LifeFlight.

    The preliminary investigation is ongoing and is being assisted by the Nova Scotia RCMP Collision and Reconstruction Service team.

    Anyone who witnessed the crash or has dashcam footage of a white Grand Caravan in the area on February 20 is asked to contact Pictou County District RCMP at 902-485-4333. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones at this difficult time.

    MIL Security OSI