NewzIntel.com

Category: Natural Disasters

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 10/19/2024 Blackburn Receives Update on Flooding Repairs Along Nolichucky River

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) met with local and state officials to receive an update on repairs following the devastating damages caused by Hurricane Helene. In Washington County, Senator Blackburn met with families who have lost loved ones, homes, and businesses during the destruction alongside Governor Bill Lee and Deputy Governor and Commissioner of Transportation for Tennessee Butch Eley. In Greene County, Senator Blackburn received an update on the reconstruction of Kinser Bridge, which was washed away in the Nolichucky River during the storm.
    “Our staff is working every single day to help people with flood recovery, and right now people are trying to get things cleaned up and cleaned out so they can make assessments about rebuilding and what recovery is going to look like. Our goal at the federal level is to continue to work with FEMA to get these projects completed as quickly as possible. We continue to lift up those who have felt the wrath of this storm in prayer.” – Senator Blackburn
       
    Click here to download this photo of Senator Blackburn, Governor Lee, and First Lady Maria Lee. 

    RELATED:  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: 3 killed in trail ride shooting in U.S. state of Mississippi

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Three people were killed and eight others injured on Saturday during a trail ride shooting in Holmes County, the southern U.S. state of Mississippi, authorities said.

    The incident occurred when at least two people opened fire into a crowd of 200 to 300 people celebrating Holmes County Consolidated School’s homecoming football win at an outdoor event several hours after the game ended.

    Holmes County Sheriff Willie March said the shooting followed an argument among several young men.

    The sheriff said police officers are searching for the suspects in connection to the shooting and an investigation is underway. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A technical fix to keep kids safe online? Here’s what happened last time Australia tried to make a ‘clean’ internet

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Houlihan, PhD Candidate in History, Monash University

    Prostock Studio / Shutterstock

    For anyone who has been online in Australia longer than a decade or so, the discussion around current proposals to set a minimum age for social media use might trigger a touch of déjà vu.

    Between 2007 and 2012, the Rudd–Gillard government’s efforts to implement a “Clean Feed” internet filter sparked very similar debates.

    Beset by technical problems and facing fierce opposition, the Clean Feed was eventually abandoned in favour of laws that already existed. Will the proposed social media ban face a similar fate?

    How to regulate cyberspace

    The question of how to regulate a cyberspace occupied by both adults and children has puzzled governments for a long time. Traditional controls on physical media are difficult to apply to online spaces, particularly when so much online media comes from overseas.

    As early as 1998, an Australian Broadcasting Authority report noted a key difficulty in online regulation. Namely, balancing adults’ access to legal online spaces and content with restrictions on childrens’ access to age-inappropriate material and bans on illegal content.

    The Clean Feed proposal attempted to address parental concerns about age-inappropriate websites. First raised in 2006 by Labor in opposition, it became a campaign promise at the 2007 election.

    The proposal aimed to solve the issue of overseas content. Australian authorities could already require website owners in Australia to take down illegal content, but they had no power over international sites.

    To address this, the Clean Feed would require internet service providers to run a government-created filter blocking all material given a “Refused” classification by the Australian Classification Board, which meant it was illegal. Labor argued the filter would protect children from “harmful and inappropriate” content, including child pornography and X-rated media. The Australian Communications and Media Authority created a “blacklist” of websites that the filter would block.

    Technical trouble

    The Clean Feed was plagued by technical issues. Trials in 2008 revealed it might slow internet speeds by up to 87%, block access to legal websites, and wouldn’t block all illegal content.

    While the effect on speeds was improved, the 2008 trials and others in 2009 revealed another problem: determined users could bypass the filter.

    There were also fears the blacklist would be used to block legal websites. While the government maintained the filter would only target illegal content, some questioned whether this was true.

    Internet service providers were already required to prevent access to content that had been given a Refused classification. This, along with unclear government statements about removing age-inappropriate material, led many to believe the blacklist could be more far-reaching.

    The government also planned to keep the list secret, on the grounds that a published list could become a guide for finding illegal material.

    The blacklist

    In 2009, the whistleblowing website Wikileaks published a list of sites blacklisted in Denmark. The government banned those pages of Wikileaks, and in response Wikileaks published what it said was the Australian government blacklist. (The government denied it was the actual blacklist.)

    Newspapers noted that around half the websites on the published list were not related to child pornography.

    Wikileaks published what it claimed was the government’s planned ‘blacklist’ of websites, along with a rationale for publishing the list.
    Wikileaks

    The alleged blacklist also contained legal content, including Wikipedia pages, YouTube links, and even the website of a Queensland dentist. This lent weight to fears the filter would block more than just illegal websites.

    More debates emerged surrounding how the Refused classification category was applied offline as well as on the internet.

    In January 2010, the Australian Sex Party reported claims from pornography studios that customs officials had confiscated material featuring female ejaculation (as an “abhorrent depiction” or form of urination) and small-breasted adult women (who might appear to be minors). Many questioned whether these should be banned, and if such depictions would be added to the blacklist – including members of hacker-activist group Anonymous.

    Operation Titstorm and the end of the Clean Feed

    While Anonymous members had already protested the Clean Feed, this new information sparked a new protest action dubbed Operation Titstorm.

    On February 10 2010, activists targeted several government websites. The Australian Parliament site was down for three days. Protesters also mass-emailed politicians and their staff the kinds of pornography set to be blocked by the filter.

    While Operation Titstorm gained media attention, other digital activists (such as Electronic Frontiers Australia and other members of Anonymous) criticised its illegal tactics. Many dismissed the protest as juvenile.

    In February 2010, hacker-activists from Anonymous launched denial-of-service attacks and email campaigns in protest of proposed internet filters.
    WIkipedia

    However, one participant argued that many protesters were children, who had used these methods because “kids and teenagers don’t really get the chance to voice their opinions”. The protesters may have been the very people the Clean Feed was supposed to protect.

    The government abandoned the Clean Feed in 2012 and used existing legislation to require internet service providers to block INTERPOL’s “worst of” child abuse list. It remains to be seen whether the social media minimum age will similarly crumble under the weight of controversy and be rendered redundant by existing legislation.

    The same, but different

    The Clean Feed tried to balance the rights of adults to access legal material with protecting children from age-inappropriate content and making cyberspace safer for them. In a sense, it did this by regulating adults.

    The filter limited the material adults could access. Given it was government-created and mandatory, it also decided for parents what content was age-appropriate for their children.

    The current proposal to set a minimum age for social media flips this solution by determining what online spaces children can occupy. Similar to the filter, it also makes this decision on parents’ behalf.

    The Clean Feed saga reveals some of the difficulties of policing the internet. It also reminds us that anxiety about what Australian youth can interact with online is nothing new – and is unlikely to go away.

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

    – ref. A technical fix to keep kids safe online? Here’s what happened last time Australia tried to make a ‘clean’ internet – https://theconversation.com/a-technical-fix-to-keep-kids-safe-online-heres-what-happened-last-time-australia-tried-to-make-a-clean-internet-241371

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: How light helped shape our skin colour, eyes and curly hair

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mike Lee, Professor in Evolutionary Biology (jointly appointed with South Australian Museum), Flinders University

    Pictrider/Shutterstock

    Welcome to our ‘Light and health’ series. Over six articles, we look at how light affects our physical and mental health in sometimes surprising ways.

    For most of our evolutionary history, human activity has been linked to daylight. Technology has liberated us from these ancient sleep-wake cycles, but there is evidence sunlight has left and continues to leave its mark.

    Not only do we still tend to be awake in the daytime and sleep at night, we can thank light for many other aspects of our biology.

    Light may have driven our ancestors to walk upright on two legs. Light helps explain the evolution of our skin colour, why some of us have curly hair, and even the size of our eyes.

    As we’ll explore in future articles in this series, light helps shape our mood, our immune system, how our gut works, and much more. Light can make us sick, tell us why we’re sick, then treat us.

    Million of years of evolutionary history means humans are still very much creatures of the light.

    We stood up, then walked out of Africa

    The first modern humans evolved in warm African climates. And reducing exposure to the harsh sunlight is one explanation for why humans began to walk upright on two legs. When we stand up and the Sun is directly overhead, far less sunshine hits our body.

    Curly hair may have also protected us from the hot Sun. The idea is that it provides a thicker layer of insulation than straight hair to shield the scalp.

    Early Homo sapiens had extra Sun protection in the form of strongly pigmented skin. Sunlight breaks down folate (vitamin B9), accelerates ageing and damages DNA. In our bright ancestral climates, dark skin protected against this. But this dark skin still admitted enough UV light to stimulate vital production of vitamin D.

    However, when people colonised temperate zones, with weaker light, they repeatedly evolved lighter skin, via different genes in different populations. This happened rapidly, probably within the past 40,000 years.

    With reduced UV radiation nearer the poles, less pigmentation was needed to protect sunlight from breaking down our folate. A lighter complexion also let in more of the scarce light so the body could make vitamin D. But there was one big drawback: less pigmentation meant less protection against Sun damage.

    How our skin pigmentation adapted with migration patterns and changing light.

    This evolutionary background contributes to Australia having among the highest rates of skin cancer in the world.

    Our colonial history means more than 50% of Australians are of Anglo-Celtic descent, with light skin, transplanted into a high-UV environment. Little wonder we’re described as “a sunburnt country”.

    Sunlight has also contributed to variation in human eyes. Humans from high latitudes have less protective pigment in their irises. They also have larger eye sockets (and presumably eyeballs), maybe to admit more precious light.

    Again, these features make Australians of European descent especially vulnerable to our harsh light. So it’s no surprise Australia has unusually high rates of eye cancers.

    We cannot shake our body clock

    Our circadian rhythm – the wake-sleep cycle driven by our brains and hormones – is another piece of heavy evolutionary baggage triggered by light.

    Humans are adapted to daylight. In bright light, humans can see well and have refined colour vision. But we see poorly in dim light, and we lack senses such as sharp hearing or acute smell, to make up for it.

    Our nearest relatives (chimps, gorillas and orangutans) are also active during daylight and sleep at night, reinforcing the view that the earliest humans had similar diurnal behaviours.

    This lifestyle likely stretches further back into our evolutionary history, before the great apes, to the very dawn of primates.

    The earliest mammals were generally nocturnal, using their small size and the cover of darkness to hide from dinosaurs. However, the meteorite impact that wiped out these fearsome reptiles allowed some mammalian survivors, notably primates, to evolve largely diurnal lifestyles.

    If we inherited our daylight activity pattern directly from these early primates, then this rhythm would have been part of our lineage’s evolutionary history for nearly 66 million years.

    This explains why our 24-hour clock is very difficult to shake; it’s so deeply ingrained in our evolutionary history.

    Successive improvements in lighting technology have increasingly liberated us from dependence on daylight: fire, candles, oil and gas lamps, and finally electric lighting. So we can theoretically work and play at any time.

    However, our cognitive and physical performance deteriorates when our intrinsic daily cycles are disturbed, for instance through sleep deprivation, shift work or jet lag.

    Futurists have already considered the circadian rhythms required for life on Mars. Luckily, a day on Mars is around 24.7 hours, so similar to our own. This slight difference should be the least of the worries for the first intrepid martian colonists.

    How would humans cope on Mars? At least they wouldn’t have to worry too much about their body clocks.
    NikoNomad/NASA/Shutterstock

    Light is still changing us

    In the past 200 years or so, artificial lighting has helped to (partly) decouple us from our ancestral circadian rhythms. But in recent decades, this has come at a cost to our eyesight.

    Many genes associated with short-sightedness (myopia) have become more common in just 25 years, a striking example of rapid evolutionary change in the human gene pool.

    And if you have some genetic predisposition to myopia, reduced exposure to natural light (and spending more time in artificial light) makes it more likely. These noticeable changes have occurred within many people’s lifetimes.

    Light will no doubt continue to shape our biology over the coming millennia, but those longer-term effects might be difficult to predict.

    Mike Lee receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Hermon Slade Foundation

    – ref. How light helped shape our skin colour, eyes and curly hair – https://theconversation.com/how-light-helped-shape-our-skin-colour-eyes-and-curly-hair-237240

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Abandon Ship! The importance of being prepared.

    Source: US Coast Guard (video statements)

    In early August, crewmembers of the USCGC William Chadwick (WPC-1150) responded to the distress call of the Fishing Vessel Three Girls. The crew of the Three Girls abandoned ship after a fire broke out in the engine room and were prepared by deploying a life raft, wearing survival suits, deploying an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), and firing off flares while waiting to be rescued by the Chadwick.

    Interviews conducted Sept. 26, 2024.

    (U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Diolanda Caballero)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23YQwCoBTUk

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Urgent: Last remaining hospitals in northern Gaza under siege as people are trapped story Oct 20, 2024

    Source: Doctors Without Borders –

    Tens of thousands of people remain trapped in Jabalia camp under daily bombing, including six of our staff unreachable due to electricity blackout. At least one of MSF’s colleagues died after sustaining injuries from shrapnel. 

    “When hospitals are attacked, their infrastructure destroyed, and the electricity cut off, the lives of patients and medical staff are under threat.”

    Hundreds of people in need of vital care must urgently be evacuated as their lives are in danger. Essential items, including food, are only entering in quantities that are largely insufficient for the population in the north of the Strip.

    “This is purely and simply a collective punishment imposed on Palestinians in Gaza, who must choose between being forcibly displaced from the North or killed,” said Halford. “We fear that this will not stop. Israel’s all-out war on Gaza seems to have no end in sight. Israel’s allies bear a heavy responsibility for this dire situation, caused by their unwavering support for the war. They must immediately do everything in their power to obtain a sustained ceasefire. Not tomorrow, not in a week. Now.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New Zealand celebrates epic sporting weekend

    Source: New Zealand Government

    New Zealanders have a huge amount to be proud about after five national sporting teams celebrated historic wins over the weekend, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop says.

    “In New Zealand’s history there haven’t been too many sporting weekends like the one we’ve just seen, with epic wins from Team New Zealand, the White Ferns, the Black Caps, the Silver Ferns and the Paddle Ferns,” Mr Bishop says.

    “I know lots of Kiwis will be bleary-eyed today after a couple of long nights watching our teams go up against the best, but I bet they’re as stoked at the results and as proud of our teams as I am.

    “The excitement started around 1am Sunday morning when Emirates Team New Zealand, who were on match point, took to the water off Barcelona with INEOS Britannia. Kiwi sailing fans with long memories were probably pretty nervous at this point, and they probably chewed through their fingernails as the Brittania clawed their way back to dead even around the midway mark – but Team New Zealand’s Taihoro was dominant in the end, finishing 37 seconds ahead. This three-peat victory by Team New Zealand was the first time any team has won the Cup three times in more than 30 years – a brilliant achievement by the team.

    “The next sporting victory was on Sunday evening from the Black Caps who took out the first test in the series against India. This was just New Zealand’s third win against India in India ever, and our first since 1988. The Hutt Valley’s own Rachin Ravindra (deservedly Man of the Match) made a century in the first innings and helped chase down the target in the second innings, finishing unbeaten. 

    “There was also sporting action in Wellington on Sunday evening with the Silver Ferns taking on the world champion Diamonds in the Constellation Cup. The Ferns were dominant from the start, playing a bold attacking game which showed in the final score of 64-50 – the highest the Silver Ferns have ever scored against the Diamonds in regular time. The Ferns and the Diamonds have been pretty even in recent years so a 14 goal victory is an awesome achievement. While there are still three games to go, this is a brilliant start.

    “That wasn’t all for Sunday evening though: over in China the Paddle Ferns, our women’s national Canoe Polo team, took on Italy in the final of the Canoe Polo World Cup and stormed home with the silverware. The final score of 6:1 shows how strong the Paddle Ferns were – continuing a long and proud history of excellence in the sport. 

    “And then to round out a truly amazing sporting weekend, at 3am Monday morning the White Ferns, led by Sophie Devine, stepped up to face South Africa in the women’s T20 World Cup final in Dubai and absolutely smashed it, bringing home their first World Cup since the One Day International in 2000. Amelia Kerr’s 43 runs off 38 balls, and then taking 3 wickets for 24 set our team up for their magnificent performance. 

    “All in all, I think this was a weekend that will go down in New Zealand’s sporting annals. All five teams should know that their country is enormously proud of them. 

    “And I think Kiwi sports fans can be forgiven if they’re caught yawning at work today, after so much sporting excitement packed into one weekend!”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: New Report on Circumstances Resulting in UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld’s Death in 1961

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    A new report concerning the investigation into the conditions and circumstances resulting in fatal crash in 1961that killed then-United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld assesses it to remain plausible that an external attack or threat was a cause, a United Nations spokesman said today. The report, written by the designated Eminent Person, Mohamed Chande Othman, notes that the alternative hypotheses that appear to remain available are that the crash resulted from sabotage, or unintentional human error. Spokesman Farhan Haq said the Secretary-General calls for renewed resolve and commitment to pursue the full truth of what happened on that fateful night in 1961.

    ————————–

    One of the most enduring mysteries in United Nations history – the 1961 plane crash that killed Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld and all on board as he sought to broker peace in the Congo – will linger on, with a new assessment announced today (18 Oct) suggesting that “specific and crucial” information continues to be withheld by a handful of Member States.

    According to the UN’s Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, “significant new information” has been submitted to the inquiry for this latest update.

    This included probable intercepts by Member States of communications related to the crash, the capacity of Katanga’s armed forces, or others, to mount an attack on SE-BDY and the involvement of foreign paramilitary or intelligence personnel in the area at the time.

    It also included additional new information relevant to the context and surrounding events of 1961.

    Over the years, the UN General Assembly has mandated a series of inquiries into the death of Hammarskjöld and those of his party. The most recent, in December 2022, was led by Mohamed Chande Othman, former Chief Justice of Tanzania, with the formal title of “Eminent Person.”

    Othman, Haq said, “assesses it to remain plausible that an external attack or threat was a cause of the crash,” and “notes that the alternative hypotheses that appear to remain available are that the crash resulted from sabotage or unintentional human error.”

    However, Haq continued, Othman assessed so far that it is “almost certain” specific, crucial and so far undisclosed information exists in the archives of Member States.

    He noted that Othman has not received, to date, specific responses to his queries from some Member States believed to be holding useful information.

    Haq said, “the Secretary-General has personally followed up on [Mr. Othman’s] outstanding requests for information and calls upon Member States to release any relevant records in their possession,” and added that “with significant progress having been made, the Secretary-General calls on all of us to renew our resolve and commitment to pursue the full truth of what happened on that fateful night in 1961.”

    Appointed at just 47 years old, Hammarskjöld of Sweden remains the youngest UN Secretary-General.

    Widely regarded as a visionary diplomat and reformer, Hammarskjöld is credited with strengthening the role of the newly established UN during a period of intense global tensions, including the drive to decolonise Africa and Asia.

    His leadership was pivotal during the tumultuous events of 1956. He led a ceasefire mission to the Middle East and continued through the Suez crisis, where he helped negotiate the withdrawal of foreign forces from Egypt and oversaw the deployment of the Organization’s first emergency peacekeeping mission, the UN Emergency Force.

    Hammarskjöld was known for his integrity and dedication to public service, earning the Nobel Peace Prize for developing the UN into an effective and constructive international organization capable of giving life to the principles and aims expressed in the UN Charter.

    Hammarskjöld served as Secretary-General from April 1953 until his death aged 56, when the chartered Douglas DC6 aircraft he was travelling in with others, registered as SE-BDY, crashed shortly after midnight on 17-18 September 1961, near Ndola, then in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia).

    He was en route to negotiate a ceasefire between UN peacekeepers and separatists from the breakaway Congolese region of Katanga, and possibly even a peace agreement encompassing the whole of newly independent Congo.

    Fourteen of the 15 passengers died on impact, and the sole survivor succumbed to their injuries a few days later.

    An initial inquiry by Rhodesian authorities reportedly attributed the crash to pilot error but the finding was disputed.

    On Friday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres transmitted Othman’s latest report to the Assembly.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqA7GqfAIPY

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Mitigating climate change impact by strengthening EU solidarity mechanisms – E-001992/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001992/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Vladimir Prebilič (Verts/ALE), Rasmus Andresen (Verts/ALE), Thomas Waitz (Verts/ALE), Lena Schilling (Verts/ALE), Gordan Bosanac (Verts/ALE), Jutta Paulus (Verts/ALE), Matjaž Nemec (S&D), Matej Tonin (PPE)

    The devastating floods that affected Slovenia in August 2023, as well as the more recent flooding across Austria, Poland and other European countries, have illustrated the increasing frequency and severity of climate-related disasters across Europe. While the EU’s solidarity mechanisms, including the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF), have provided vital assistance in response to such events, the scale of these crises across Europe demands a comprehensive review of existing frameworks to ensure faster and more effective responses, as well as better preparedness.

    The Slovenian example proves that the aid provided is indeed insufficient for recovery as the total estimate of the direct damage is approximately EUR 9.9 billion, while EU aid amounts to less than 5 % of that sum.

    • 1.Are there any plans to increase funding or flexibility within the EUSF or related instruments to ensure rapid and adequate responses to larger-scale or more frequent climate-related disasters such as floods, fires and droughts? Could improvements be made to streamline cross-border cooperation, resource sharing, and coordination between Member States in disaster preparedness and response?
    • 2.What measures or climate adaptation initiatives has the Commission put into its disaster response frameworks to reduce future risks and improve resilience at both national and EU levels?

    Submitted: 8.10.2024

    Last updated: 21 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kansas City Man Pleads Guilty to Three Fentanyl Overdose Deaths

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

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to distributing fentanyl, which resulted in three overdose deaths in Belton and Raymore, Mo., as part of a drug-trafficking conspiracy.

    Tiger Dean Draggoo, 24, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and three counts of distributing fentanyl resulting in death.

    By pleading guilty today, Draggoo admitted that he distributed fentanyl on Sept. 3, 2022, the use of which caused the death of another person. Draggoo admitted that he distributed fentanyl between Aug. 22 and Sept. 13, 2022, the use of which caused the death of another person. Draggoo admitted that he distributed fentanyl between Dec. 7 and 20, 2022, the use of which caused the death of another person.

    Draggoo also admitted that the government’s evidence of the total amount of drugs he is responsible for distributing or possessing is at least 22,364 pills that contained a total of 2,460 grams of fentanyl.

    Victim #1 Fatality

    On Sept. 4, 2022, Cass County, Mo., sheriff’s deputies found a juvenile, identified in court documents as “Victim #1,” deceased in her bedroom. An autopsy report identified “Fentanyl Intoxication” as the cause of death. Investigators determined that Draggoo was selling fentanyl pills to the victim and had supplied her with fentanyl pills on the evening of Sept. 3, 2022.

    Victim #2 Fatality

    On Sept. 13, 2022, a deceased person, identified in court documents as “Victim #2,” was found in the Belton residence where she lived with her mother. A blue pill was found in her bedroom, which was tested and determined to contain fentanyl. An autopsy report identified the cause of death as “Acute Fentanyl Toxicity.” Investigators learned that Draggoo was selling fentanyl pills to Victim #2. Draggoo typically would drop off pills near midnight at Victim #2’s bedroom window, and cell phone GPS information indicated Draggoo was in the area of Victim #2’s residence at approximately 12:20 a.m on Sept. 13, 2022.

    Attempted Arrest of Draggoo

    On Sept. 22, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted surveillance of Draggoo’s apartment and attempted to arrest him. Draggoo got into a Jeep Renegade driven by his brother, co-defendant Colt Justin Draggoo, 21, of Kansas City, Mo. Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the vehicle, but the vehicle fled. Tiger and Colt Draggoo later returned to the apartment complex, but when an officer drove into the parking lot, Tiger Draggoo ran into the apartment building and was able to escape.

    Colt Draggoo was arrested. Officers found a loaded Springfield Armory 9mm handgun sitting on the driver’s seat of the Jeep. A laundry bag in the back seat contained two fire safes that had a total of $184,500 in cash. Colt Draggoo has pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy.

    Officers searched Tiger Draggoo’s apartment and found 17 firearms, including two machine guns, ammunition of various calibers, $246,769 in cash, a ballistic vest with plates, a money counter, numerous pills that contained fentanyl, eight suspected LSD tabs, and marijuana. The 17 firearms included a Del-Ton 5.56-caliber rifle (converted into a machine gun), a Glock switch (used to convert a Glock pistol into a machine gun), three Marlin .22-caliber rifles, a Norinco 7.62-caliber rifle, a Mosin-Nagant rifle, an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 .223-caliber rifle, a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, an Armscorp USA .308-caliber rifle, a Century Arms 7.62-caliber rifle, a Herbert Schmidt .22-caliber revolver, a New England Firearms .22-caliber revolver, a Kimber 9mm pistol, a Glock 9mm pistol, a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol, and a Metro Arms .45-caliber pistol.

    Victim #3 Fatality

    On Dec. 20, 2022, Raymore police officers were dispatched to a residence in Raymore regarding a non-breathing female, identified in court documents as Victim #3. Victim #3 was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced deceased. A small jewelry box in Victim #3’s bedroom contained three broken segments of a blue pill that were tested and determined to contain fentanyl. An autopsy report identified the cause of death as “Acute Fentanyl Toxicity.” Investigators learned that Tiger Draggoo had been selling fentanyl to Victim #3 since as early as May 31, 2022. The last Facebook Messengers conversation between Tiger Draggoo and Victim #3 occurred on Dec. 7, 2022, when they agreed to meet and an amount of $50 was agreed upon.

    Arrest of Draggoo

    Tiger Draggoo was arrested at his residence on Jan. 20, 2023. Tiger Draggoo was in possession of almost $2,000 in cash in his billfold and pockets. Officers searched Tiger Draggoo’s apartment and recovered pills from the toilet. Officers also found suspected psilocybin mushrooms, 144 grams of yellow THC wax, and more than $62,000 in additional cash. Officers searched Tiger Draggoo’s Honda Accord and found three handguns, a Palmetto State Armory multi-caliber rifle, an unregistered short-barreled 12-gauge shotgun, and $1,250 in cash. Officers searched his girlfriend’s Jeep Renegade, which was located at the apartment complex, and found a backpack that contained more than $82,000 in cash.

    Under federal statutes, Tiger Draggoo is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, the Raymore, Mo., Police Department, the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Zimbabwe’s ZiG: devaluations won’t fix a currency that’s in trouble because of government overspending

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Jonathan Munemo, Professor of Economics, Salisbury University

    The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe devalued the ZiG by 43% on 27 September 2024. This weakened the official exchange rate from 13.9 ZiG per US dollar to 24.4 ZiG per US dollar.

    The ZiG (Zimbabwe Gold) is the nation’s newest currency and was launched in April 2024.

    The unexpected devaluation was prompted by the need to contain resurgent exchange rate pressure which started back in August due to higher food import costs and a slide in mineral export sales. The central bank decided to ease this pressure by lowering the value of the currency instead of burning reserves to keep its value steady at 13.9 ZiG per dollar.

    The strain on the ZiG has intensified in the aftermath of the devaluation. It has weakened even further to more than 26 ZiG per dollar as of 18 October. This has raised speculation that it will continue to weaken.

    This would have a number of negative consequences. It would keep upward pressure on import prices, hurting households and businesses. If this happened, Zimbabwean households already hit by falling paycheques and savings might cut back further on spending.

    The strain on the currency also risks reigniting inflation. The risk comes after monthly inflation ticked up to 1.4% in August and then climbed to 5.8% in September. Resurgent inflation would also increase costs for businesses and threaten to stifle investment. That was on display in 2000-08 and 2019-20 when price instability dampened economic activity and created a costly business environment which discouraged investment.

    A further risk factor from currency instability is that it would deter foreign investors worried about the ZiG as a reliable store of value. The prospect of declining business investment, loss of confidence in the ZiG, and anaemic consumption would in turn be a major drag on economic activity. Economic growth in 2024 is expected to slow down to 2% from 5% last year. El Niño-induced drought, lower mining prices, and macroeconomic instability are among the key reasons.

    This is the sixth time Zimbabwe’s authorities have attempted to establish a stable national currency in the past 15 years. The history of failed attempts has cast a long shadow on the ZiG. The recent devaluation has not eased concerns about Zimbabwe’s struggles to develop and maintain a domestic currency that can be widely used for transactions and as a store of value on a voluntary basis.

    I have long thought the devaluation was inevitable. Authorities must confront the fundamental causes, which are rooted in a loss of faith in the ability of government to manage spending. In particular, its habit of printing money, overspending on its budgets and failing to expand the economy.

    Interventions

    The ZiG is part of a multicurrency system which allows individuals to use other major currencies including the US dollar, euro, South African rand and pound sterling.

    To increase the ZiG’s uptake, authorities imposed a number of measures. The new unit has to be used for paying a portion of company taxes and most government services. Fines are issued to traders unwilling to accept ZiG payments.

    Measures like these are not sufficient because they do not consider the real problems hindering success of the Zimbabwe dollar.

    The central bank also announced that it aims to slow the ZiG’s decline by imposing currency controls and raising the benchmark policy rate (the rate used to implement its monetary policy) from 20% to 35%. The jump in the cost of borrowing triggered by these measures will further weigh on business investment and consumer spending.

    Gains to Zimbabwean exporters from a cheaper ZiG are unlikely to be substantial because of an El Niño-induced drought which has devastated crops in southern Africa. And dollar earnings for Zimbabwe’s mineral exports have been hurt by lower commodity prices. The agriculture and food sector contributes about 17% to GDP and 40% of total export earnings on average, while mining accounts for about 12% of GDP and 80% of total exports.

    My worry is that a cheaper ZiG may not juice exports and reduce the trade shortfall of US$1,453 million recorded last year, given the hit to commodity prices and adverse impact of drought on agricultural production. A bigger trade deficit will keep downward pressure on the currency. The weaker ZiG could however boost inbound tourism.

    To retain a stable domestic currency, authorities will have to address deeper structural causes rooted in the country’s long history of printing money to pay for government overspending amid slow economic expansion. That means:

    • slashing the budget while giving greater spending priority to health, education, public infrastructure and other critical investments.

    • government weaning itself off dependence on printing money to finance fiscal deficits

    • supporting credible policies for more sustainable and private-sector led growth and policies for capturing more revenue from growth.

    Precedents

    This is not the first time that the Zimbabwe dollar has been unstable and weak. In the 2000s, printing money to finance government deficit spending produced periods of high inflation amid slow growth, making the currency weak and unstable.

    The currency eventually collapsed in 2009 due to hyperinflation and the US dollar became the official currency.

    Another local currency (the RTGS dollar) was later introduced in 2019. With the power to print more money restored, inflation rapidly accelerated and surpassed 500% in 2020. This made the new Zimbabwe dollar highly unstable and its value quickly deteriorated.

    As a result, the US dollar continued to be the dominant currency used in transactions and as a store of value. Inflation remained elevated until April 2024, when the ZiG was launched as the new national currency. Its value is backed by gold and foreign currency reserves.

    At first the move seemed to have tamed inflation. But widespread voluntary use of the ZiG failed to materialise. That’s because people are still wary of the government’s power to print money, which had been the key driver of inflation and currency instability.

    What policy makers can do

    Authorities must tackle the root causes of the nation’s currency struggles once and for all. Steps that can be taken to resolve longstanding structural factors include:

    • Re-prioritising public spending by undertaking deep fiscal reforms that will divert more resources towards spending on health, education, public infrastructure and other critical investments needed to boost growth. These reforms should also aim to capture more revenue from growth, for example, through tax reforms.

    • Implementing reforms to address corruption and improve governance is essential for imposing the discipline necessary to push back against covering fiscal deficits by printing money and for restoring faith in government institutions.

    • Pursuing credible policies for more sustainable and private-sector led growth. Strong growth expands tax revenues and gives the government more policy space to spend on essential services and critical investment needs.

    Devaluation and other measures that have been imposed to support the ZiG are not the solution.

    Jonathan Munemo 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. Zimbabwe’s ZiG: devaluations won’t fix a currency that’s in trouble because of government overspending – https://theconversation.com/zimbabwes-zig-devaluations-wont-fix-a-currency-thats-in-trouble-because-of-government-overspending-241686

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Zimbabwe’s ZiG: devaluations won’t fix a currency that’s in trouble because of government overspending

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Jonathan Munemo, Professor of Economics, Salisbury University

    The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe devalued the ZiG by 43% on 27 September 2024. This weakened the official exchange rate from 13.9 ZiG per US dollar to 24.4 ZiG per US dollar.

    The ZiG (Zimbabwe Gold) is the nation’s newest currency and was launched in April 2024.

    The unexpected devaluation was prompted by the need to contain resurgent exchange rate pressure which started back in August due to higher food import costs and a slide in mineral export sales. The central bank decided to ease this pressure by lowering the value of the currency instead of burning reserves to keep its value steady at 13.9 ZiG per dollar.

    The strain on the ZiG has intensified in the aftermath of the devaluation. It has weakened even further to more than 26 ZiG per dollar as of 18 October. This has raised speculation that it will continue to weaken.

    This would have a number of negative consequences. It would keep upward pressure on import prices, hurting households and businesses. If this happened, Zimbabwean households already hit by falling paycheques and savings might cut back further on spending.

    The strain on the currency also risks reigniting inflation. The risk comes after monthly inflation ticked up to 1.4% in August and then climbed to 5.8% in September. Resurgent inflation would also increase costs for businesses and threaten to stifle investment. That was on display in 2000-08 and 2019-20 when price instability dampened economic activity and created a costly business environment which discouraged investment.

    A further risk factor from currency instability is that it would deter foreign investors worried about the ZiG as a reliable store of value. The prospect of declining business investment, loss of confidence in the ZiG, and anaemic consumption would in turn be a major drag on economic activity. Economic growth in 2024 is expected to slow down to 2% from 5% last year. El Niño-induced drought, lower mining prices, and macroeconomic instability are among the key reasons.

    This is the sixth time Zimbabwe’s authorities have attempted to establish a stable national currency in the past 15 years. The history of failed attempts has cast a long shadow on the ZiG. The recent devaluation has not eased concerns about Zimbabwe’s struggles to develop and maintain a domestic currency that can be widely used for transactions and as a store of value on a voluntary basis.

    I have long thought the devaluation was inevitable. Authorities must confront the fundamental causes, which are rooted in a loss of faith in the ability of government to manage spending. In particular, its habit of printing money, overspending on its budgets and failing to expand the economy.

    Interventions

    The ZiG is part of a multicurrency system which allows individuals to use other major currencies including the US dollar, euro, South African rand and pound sterling.

    To increase the ZiG’s uptake, authorities imposed a number of measures. The new unit has to be used for paying a portion of company taxes and most government services. Fines are issued to traders unwilling to accept ZiG payments.

    Measures like these are not sufficient because they do not consider the real problems hindering success of the Zimbabwe dollar.

    The central bank also announced that it aims to slow the ZiG’s decline by imposing currency controls and raising the benchmark policy rate (the rate used to implement its monetary policy) from 20% to 35%. The jump in the cost of borrowing triggered by these measures will further weigh on business investment and consumer spending.

    Gains to Zimbabwean exporters from a cheaper ZiG are unlikely to be substantial because of an El Niño-induced drought which has devastated crops in southern Africa. And dollar earnings for Zimbabwe’s mineral exports have been hurt by lower commodity prices. The agriculture and food sector contributes about 17% to GDP and 40% of total export earnings on average, while mining accounts for about 12% of GDP and 80% of total exports.

    My worry is that a cheaper ZiG may not juice exports and reduce the trade shortfall of US$1,453 million recorded last year, given the hit to commodity prices and adverse impact of drought on agricultural production. A bigger trade deficit will keep downward pressure on the currency. The weaker ZiG could however boost inbound tourism.

    To retain a stable domestic currency, authorities will have to address deeper structural causes rooted in the country’s long history of printing money to pay for government overspending amid slow economic expansion. That means:

    • slashing the budget while giving greater spending priority to health, education, public infrastructure and other critical investments.

    • government weaning itself off dependence on printing money to finance fiscal deficits

    • supporting credible policies for more sustainable and private-sector led growth and policies for capturing more revenue from growth.

    Precedents

    This is not the first time that the Zimbabwe dollar has been unstable and weak. In the 2000s, printing money to finance government deficit spending produced periods of high inflation amid slow growth, making the currency weak and unstable.

    The currency eventually collapsed in 2009 due to hyperinflation and the US dollar became the official currency.

    Another local currency (the RTGS dollar) was later introduced in 2019. With the power to print more money restored, inflation rapidly accelerated and surpassed 500% in 2020. This made the new Zimbabwe dollar highly unstable and its value quickly deteriorated.

    As a result, the US dollar continued to be the dominant currency used in transactions and as a store of value. Inflation remained elevated until April 2024, when the ZiG was launched as the new national currency. Its value is backed by gold and foreign currency reserves.

    At first the move seemed to have tamed inflation. But widespread voluntary use of the ZiG failed to materialise. That’s because people are still wary of the government’s power to print money, which had been the key driver of inflation and currency instability.

    What policy makers can do

    Authorities must tackle the root causes of the nation’s currency struggles once and for all. Steps that can be taken to resolve longstanding structural factors include:

    • Re-prioritising public spending by undertaking deep fiscal reforms that will divert more resources towards spending on health, education, public infrastructure and other critical investments needed to boost growth. These reforms should also aim to capture more revenue from growth, for example, through tax reforms.

    • Implementing reforms to address corruption and improve governance is essential for imposing the discipline necessary to push back against covering fiscal deficits by printing money and for restoring faith in government institutions.

    • Pursuing credible policies for more sustainable and private-sector led growth. Strong growth expands tax revenues and gives the government more policy space to spend on essential services and critical investment needs.

    Devaluation and other measures that have been imposed to support the ZiG are not the solution.

    – Zimbabwe’s ZiG: devaluations won’t fix a currency that’s in trouble because of government overspending
    – https://theconversation.com/zimbabwes-zig-devaluations-wont-fix-a-currency-thats-in-trouble-because-of-government-overspending-241686

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI China: Seawater intrusion incurs waterlogging on China’s northern coasts

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    High tides have poured seawater onto the land in coastal cities in northeast and north China’s Liaoning and Hebei provinces and Tianjin Municipality from Monday, submerging streets and triggering waterlogging.
    In Liaoning, the cities of Dalian, Yingkou, Panjin, Jinzhou and Huludao have suffered urban waterlogging, after the high tide.
    “I’ve lived in the neighborhood for more than 40 years, and I’ve never seen such a severe tidal upsurge,” said Zhang Xinghua, a fisherman at the Erjiegou neighborhood of Panjin.
    Zhang said the neighborhood is located in a low-lying area prone to attacks by tidal waves, especially when nearing winter, but this time the tides were “surprisingly large.”
    The city’s fire department on Monday dispatched 25 fire trucks and 150 firefighters, who took rubber boats for the search and rescue of people trapped in the waterlogging. By Monday night, 72 people were rescued and more than 120 were evacuated.
    As the tides ebbed Monday evening, seawater gradually retreated. Xinhua reporters saw water pumps still working round the clock on the streets in Panjin to drain water.
    “We are still checking risks in low-lying areas. No casualties have been reported,” said Liu Songlin of the sub-district office in Erjiegou.
    Meanwhile, seawater poured into residential houses on Monday in Luannan County, Tangshan City, Hebei Province. Local residents said they have not seen such a large tide in around 30 years.
    In the Binhai New Area of Tianjin Municipality, buses had to temporarily adjust regular routes to avoid the waterlogging area.
    The Liaoning provincial marine monitoring and forecasting center issued a Level-IV sea tide warning at 4 p.m. Monday, saying affected by a cold spell and cyclone, large waves up to 2.5 to 3.5 meters high would appear in the northern part of the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea from Monday night to Tuesday.
    Zhou Guanbo, a senior engineer at the China’s National Meteorological Center, attributed the seawater intrusion in Panjin and other places to storm surge superimposed with astronomical tide. This natural phenomenon leads to abnormal rise in tide water.
    He warned that seawater may affect drinking water safety, agricultural production and industrial production. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Hurricane Helene and Milton damages will significantly impact profitability of US insurers, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Hurricane Helene and Milton damages will significantly impact profitability of US insurers, says GlobalData

    Posted in Insurance

    Recent hurricanes Helene and Milton that have struck the US resulted in widespread devastation, claiming hundreds of lives and causing huge property damages. Hurricane Helene, which struck Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 storm on September 26, 2024, resulted in catastrophic flooding throughout Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Ohio. The parts of the US were battered again by Hurricane Milton on October 9, 2024.  As a result, US insurers are expected to witness higher claims in 2024 across general insurance lines, which could significantly impact their profitability, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    As per the Office of Insurance Regulation, a total of 112,926 insurance claims for hurricane Helene have been filed as of October 9, 2024, with estimated insured losses amounting to $1.1 billion. Among these claims, 52,070 pertain to private passenger automobiles, followed closely by 50,672 residential property claims. Additional reported damages encompass commercial vehicles and commercial property losses.

    Manogna Vangari, Insurance Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Hurricane Milton was a formidable storm that resulted in a landfall to the south of Tampa Bay, near Siesta Key, leading to multiple tornadoes, particularly across South Florida. The hurricane Milton presents a considerable risk to the densely populated region of Florida that might result in even higher costs than those associated with Hurricane Helene. According to the White House briefing, the damage from Hurricane Milton is estimated to be more than $50 billion.”

    Property insurance claims are expected to account for a 12.9% share of the total general insurance claims in 2024, amounting to $227.5 billion. However, with these events, the actual claims in 2024 might increase once the complete impact of both hurricanes is realized. As a result, the overall profitability of the general insurance industry in the US is expected to be significantly impacted, with the average combined ratio exceeding 100% in 2024.

    According to GlobalData’s Global Insurance Database, the US general insurance industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.1% over 2024–28, from $2.4 trillion in 2024 to $3.1 trillion in 2028, in terms of gross written premiums (GWP).

    In the US, standard homeowners’ policies do not encompass flood coverage and must be acquired separately, often directly from the federal government. Flood insurance is mandated for homes situated in high-risk areas as determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), particularly if the mortgage is government-backed.

    As per the Insurance Information Institute, nearly 6% of US homeowners possess flood insurance. In several counties across Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina that were recently inundated by the effects of Helene, less than 1% of households have flood insurance. Nearly two-thirds of these policies are provided through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) administered by FEMA, while the remaining are secured through private insurers.

    The aftermath of hurricanes Helene and Milton has cast a spotlight on the significant deficiencies within the US flood insurance framework and the ensuing repercussions. As climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of flooding, the need for comprehensive flood risk management has become increasingly critical.

    Vangari concludes: “The recent spate of natural disasters may result in higher-than-anticipated claims for US insurers and reinsurers in 2024 and 2025. The escalating incidence of such significant events is projected to drive the need for a comprehensive flood risk cover, which will support general insurance growth over the next five years.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Detroit Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Drug Trafficking and Discharging Firearm at Drug Deal

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HONOLULU – United States Attorney Clare E. Connors announced that Gabriel Antone Eberhardt, 42, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jill A. Otake to 30 years in federal prison—including 12 years for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine and a consecutive 18 years for discharging a firearm in connection with the distribution of heroin—as well as 5 years of supervised release. The court also ordered that Eberhardt forfeit his interests in $250,000 in drug proceeds, multiple firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and a vehicle. Additional firearms and ammunition were administratively forfeited by the government.

    According to court records, from October 2019 to June 30, 2021, Eberhardt, a/k/a “Stacks,” co-led a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in Honolulu that distributed large amounts of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine. Eberhardt’s DTO obtained the drugs from suppliers in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, who mailed the drugs to Honolulu. The DTO distributed the fentanyl—a potent synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than heroin—in mixtures with heroin and in counterfeit oxycodone tablets. In connection with a heroin distribution on October 21, 2019, Eberhardt admitted he fired several shots from a semi-automatic pistol at a person accompanying his drug customer. One of the rounds struck the victim’s torso, requiring medical attention. The victim survived the shooting.

    During an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and the Honolulu Police Department (HPD), agents made dozens of controlled purchases of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine from the conspirators, and executed 15 search warrants on residences, rental storage units, and parcels. As a result of the controlled purchases and warrants, law enforcement agents seized 6.5 kilograms of fentanyl, 6.4 kilograms of heroin, 2.8 kilograms of methamphetamine, seven firearms, including assault rifles and semi-automatic pistols, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a vehicle, and more than $250,000 in cash drug proceeds. 

    In addition to Eberhardt, the following conspirators were prosecuted in the District of Hawaii:

    • Jared Northern, a/k/a “White Boy Jay,” a/k/a “Gage,” 25, of Honolulu, pled guilty to conspiracy and two counts of distribution of controlled substances, and on May 15, 2024, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release;
    • Zakiyyah Mareus, a/k/a “Kai,” 27, of Miami Gardens, Florida, pled guilty to conspiracy, and on August 8, 2024, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release;
    • Isaiah Marks, a/k/a “Seh,” 25, of Honolulu, pled guilty to conspiracy and two counts of distribution of controlled substances, and on January 18, 2023, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and four years of supervised release;
    • Tishanah Iwalani Kaio-Barrozo, 33, of Honolulu, pled guilty to distribution of controlled substances, and on June 7, 2022, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and three years of supervised release;
    • Michael Garrett, a/k/a “Sideburns,” a/k/a “Burns,” 41, of Romulus, Michigan, pled guilty to conspiracy, and on March 28, 2024, was sentenced to three months in federal prison and five years of supervised release;
    • Jennifer Ashcraft, a/k/a “Jessie,” a/k/a “Jess,” 33, of Honolulu, pled guilty to conspiracy and is scheduled for sentencing on November 22, 2024;
    • Martzes Junior, a/k/a “Green,” 43, of Southfield, Michigan, pled guilty to conspiracy and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime and is scheduled for sentencing on November 26, 2024;
    • Lynden David Lightburn, a/k/a “Soulja,” 51, of Los Angeles, pled guilty to conspiracy and is scheduled for sentencing on December 6, 2024; 
    • Jason Darnell Smith, a/k/a “Famous,” a/k/a “Sweets,” 41, of Detroit, Michigan, pled guilty to conspiracy and is scheduled for sentencing on December 9, 2024; and
    • Robert Adams, a/k/a “Tre,” a/k/a “Tre Block,” a/k/a “Block,” a/k/a “TBlock,” a/k/a “Ray Smith,” 37, of Philadelphia, pled guilty to conspiracy and is scheduled for sentencing on February 26, 2025. 

    “Increasingly, the influx of illegal, deadly narcotics through transnational distribution operations is accompanied by gun violence, which has exponentially harmful consequences for our community,” said United States Attorney Clare E. Connors. “This large-scale prosecution reflects the highest level of cooperation among multiple federal and local law enforcement entities, and today’s sentence affirms that there will be accountability for those who profit from causing such harm in our state.”

    “Today’s sentencing represents years of collaboration between multiple law enforcement agencies to bring down one of Hawaii’s most dangerous drug operations,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “This case serves as a warning that we will use every resource available to make our communities safer by dismantling their operations and bringing their members to justice.”

    “Gabriel Eberhardt, a leader of a greed-driven drug trafficking organization, will be off our streets and behind bars for a very long time,” said DEA Los Angeles Field Division Deputy Special Agent in Charge Anthony Chrysanthis. “I want to thank DEA investigators and all state and local law enforcement partners, who worked tirelessly and with urgency to bring these criminals to justice.  However, our job here is not complete. We will continue to investigate, pursue and take apart these operations.”  

    “Mr. Eberhardt’s egregious actions were exacerbated by his using a firearm to shoot a person in furtherance of his drug trafficking,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “When search warrants were executed for this operation, seven firearms were recovered, including semiautomatic rifles and handguns, which further shows the dangers to the community posed by Mr. Eberhardt and his co-conspirators. This significant sentence was clearly warranted.”

    “Sending illegal drugs in the mail harms our communities and endangers postal workers, said USPIS Inspector in Charge Stephen Sherwood. “Postal inspectors will not allow the U.S. Mail to be misused to facilitate drug trafficking activities. I want to express my gratitude to our law enforcement partners for their teamwork to disrupt and dismantle this dangerous drug trafficking organization.”

    “The success of this investigation is directly attributable to multi-agency cooperation and the shared commitment to making Honolulu safer for our residents and visitors,” said HPD Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan. “The Honolulu Police Department will continue to work closely with our Federal partners to identify, disrupt, and dismantle drug trafficking organizations operating across Oahu.”

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    The case was investigated by FBI, DEA, ATF, USPIS, and HPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig S. Nolan is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Seattle man sentenced for string of marijuana dispensary robberies

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Seattle – A 19-year-old Seattle-area man, was sentenced October 18, 2024, to 90 months in prison for a series of seven armed robberies of marijuana dispensaries, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Caiden James Charlton was arrested in June 2023, in connection with three armed robberies in May and June 2023. He pleaded guilty in July 2024 admitting his involvement in all seven robberies. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones imposed three years of supervised release to follow prison.

    “This defendant and his juvenile accomplices targeted small businesses – marijuana dispensaries – across our region. With guns drawn they frightened employees grabbing cash and product and in one case even stealing the safe,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “This dangerous conduct cannot be tolerated.”

    According to records filed in the case, Charlton pleaded guilty in July 2024 to committing three pot shop robberies on May 30, 2023, The first robbery was of Herb’s House on NW 65th Street in Seattle. The second was West Seattle Cannabis and the third robbery was of Hashtag Cannabis on Nickerson Street in Seattle. On June 10, 2023, Charlton and an accomplice robbed Oz Cannabis on Stone Way in Seattle. The next day, June 11, 2023, Charlton robbed Novel Tree MJ in Bellevue, and on June 12, he robbed Seaweed Cannabis in Edmonds, Washington. Finally, on June 21, he and accomplices robbed Dockside Cannabis in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. In each of the robberies, surveillance video shows clothing, tattoos, and jewelry that was linked to Charlton. Victims of the robberies noted distinctive face tattoos around Charlton’s eyes that were not concealed by his mask.

    In each of the robberies, one of two intruders displayed a handgun and ordered the dispensary staff to open safes or empty the till. In addition to money, the suspects stole a large amount of marijuana products. In some cases, the safes at the dispensaries could not be opened due to time locks used to discourage robberies. In one case, the robbers stole the safe by detaching it from the floor.

    The robbery crew would run to a getaway car after the robberies – two of the cars had been reported stolen.

    In asking for an eight-year prison sentence Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg wrote to the court, “The offense conduct in this case is extremely serious. Charlton went on a violent crime spree, robbing seven marijuana dispensaries over the course of 30 days. During each robbery, he and/or his accomplices were armed with firearms and used them – brandishing the guns, pointing them directly at the victims, etc. It is very fortunate that no one was shot or otherwise injured. The Court is well aware that similar robberies often end up with shootings and/or deaths, when victims act in ways not expected by the perpetrators or with the accidental discharge of a firearm.”

    Some the robbery victims wrote to the court about the trauma the robberies caused in their life. One owner wrote, “… these robberies destroyed the business my wife and I worked to build over the nine plus years…. When they walk into a business with guns and demand money and product, the impact goes way beyond the loss of money and product.”

    The case was investigated by the FBI, the Seattle Police Department, and the Bellevue Police Department, as well as the King County and Snohomish County Sheriffs’ Offices.

    The case was prosecuted by former Assistant United States Attorneys Erin H. Becker and Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cordova Man Sentenced in Connection with $5.9 Million Insurance Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Memphis, TN – Christopher C. Brown, 47, of Cordova, Tennessee, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $5,214,302.00 in restitution after his conviction related to a multi-year scheme to defraud four insurance companies.  Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

    While operating a music recording business on Monroe Avenue in Memphis, Brown made claims to Main Street Assurance Company for alleged losses of over $340,000 due to water damage and a purported burglary at the business location.  Main Street paid Brown’s claims.  Brown then obtained insurance coverage for the same business location from Markel Corporation.  Brown made a claim to Markel for $2,840,000 for alleged fire damage to the location, and the claim was honored.

    Brown then formed a limited liability corporation named Tattooed Millionaire Entertainment (TME).  This action allowed Brown to apply for insurance coverage without disclosing his previous insurance claims.  Through TME, Brown purchased a second Memphis property at Rayner Street which had previously housed a well-known recording studio known as the House of Blues.  Brown obtained insurance coverage for the Rayner property and music recording business from Hanover American Insurance Company.  Brown later filed a claim with Hanover for purported damages from an arson fire that damaged the Rayner property, and Hanover paid him $2,200,000 on that claim.

    During this time, Brown also obtained vehicle insurance from Progressive Insurance on a 1985 diesel bus.  He later filed a claim with Progressive alleging that the bus had been stolen.  Progressive paid Brown $109,580 in settlement of that claim.

    In Brown’s claims with the four victim insurance companies, Brown made false statements and representations.  This included the submission of fake or altered documents to the companies.

    In September 2023, Brown pled guilty to mail fraud.  On October 17, 2024, United States District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Brown to 27 months of incarceration followed by 2 years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $5,214,302.00 in restitution.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren said, “Insurance fraud schemes like this cheat honest companies and their policyholders.  These schemes also raise the cost of insurance for everyone and make it harder for people to obtain needed insurance in the first place.  Whenever fraud like this occurs in the Western District of Tennessee, this office will be prepared to hold offenders accountable for such crimes of dishonesty.”

    Inspector in Charge Tommy D. Coke, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Atlanta Division, said, “This defendant misused the U.S. Mail to defraud four insurance companies of millions of dollars.  I believe this sentence will send a message that this type of crime is serious and let criminals know that our agency will continue to hold them accountable for their actions.”  

    This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorneys David Pritchard and Tony Arvin who prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated this case.

    ###

    For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Van Nuys Man Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine via Darknet Marketplaces and Possessing Guns

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man who admitted in court documents to causing one fatal fentanyl overdose was sentenced today to 248 months in federal prison for using darknet marketplaces to sell hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of fentanyl-laced pills and cocaine to buyers nationwide.

    Brian McDonald, 23, of Van Nuys, whose aliases include “Malachai Johnson,” “SouthSideOxy,” and “JefeDeMichoacan,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald. 

    McDonald pleaded guilty on July 17 to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He has been in federal custody since May 2023.

    “This defendant led a drug-trafficking operation that used the dark corners of the internet to ship large quantities of fentanyl-laced pills – with deadly consequences,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “My office will continue using every tool under federal law to prosecute and imprison criminals who prioritize greed over human life.” 

    From at least April 2021 until May 2023, McDonald and others conspired to sell fentanyl and cocaine via darknet marketplaces such as “White House Market,” “ToRReZ” and “AlphaBay.” McDonald, using aliases, created vendor profiles on these marketplaces to sell illegal drugs in exchange for cryptocurrency.

    McDonald created, monitored, and maintained the darknet vendor profiles, including by updating drug listings and shipment options, tracking drug orders received online, and offloading Monero cryptocurrency received as drug deal payments into cryptocurrency wallets that McDonald controlled. 

    McDonald recruited and hired accomplices to help with packaging and shipping the narcotics that they sold on the darknet. McDonald directed other co-conspirators on how to package and ship the narcotics, and he assisted them in the packaging and shipping. Specifically, McDonald purchased bulk quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, and then directed the activities of other co-conspirators to help sell these drugs on the dark web. 

    Among other activities, McDonald directed co-conspirators in receiving and tracking orders placed for fentanyl and cocaine on his dark web vendor profiles, packaging drug orders, and shipping drug orders to customers though the United States Postal Service. Over the course of the conspiracy, McDonald knowingly oversaw and carried out hundreds of drug sales involving the distribution of large quantities of both fentanyl and cocaine, including hundreds of thousands of fentanyl-laced pills that collectively contained more than 12 kilograms of fentanyl.

    As part of the conspiracy, McDonald distributed fentanyl-laced pills to victim Z.S., who ingested a fentanyl-laced pill sold to Z.S. by McDonald, which in turn resulted in Z.S.’s death. 

    McDonald also possessed firearms, specifically two gold-plated handguns – one without a serial number – to protect his drug trafficking business and the proceeds of drug sales made on darknet marketplaces.

    Ciara Clutario, 23, of Burbank, has pleaded guilty to a federal criminal charge in this case and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 13, 2025.

    The FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this matter as part of JCODE. The Justice Department established the FBI-led JCODE team to lead and coordinate government efforts to detect, disrupt, and dismantle major criminal enterprises reliant on the darknet for trafficking opioids and other illicit narcotics, along with identifying and dismantling their supply chains. 

    Assistant United States Attorney Declan T. Conroy of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Armed Robber Gets 10 Year Prison Sentence

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Antone Watkins, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for armed robbery and other firearm-related offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

    Watkins was found guilty by a Superior Court jury on July 3, 2024.

                Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno sentenced Watkins to 120 months in prison for armed robbery, 120 months for each of the two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, 78 months for assault with a dangerous weapon, and 36 months for unauthorized use of a vehicle. Each sentence will run concurrent to each other. In addition, Judge Salerno imposed that Watkins serve five years of supervised release.

                According to the government’s evidence, at around 10:47 p.m., on June 17, 2022, the victim was led into an alley near Howison Place and N Street SW. In that alley, Watkins brandished a firearm and hit the victim across the face with it, chipping his tooth. Watkins and two others then robbed the victim of his cash, chains, watch, and car keys. Video footage showed Watkins running from the alley, getting into the victim’s truck, and driving off. Further video footage showed Watkins only a few minutes later rummaging through the victim’s belongings in the truck. Police arrested Watkins on September 15, 2022, and he has been detained since.

                In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. Invaluable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Probation Office from early in the case and through the trial. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Levy and Gregory Evans, who prosecuted the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Rubb, who investigated the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader of multistate drug trafficking ring sentenced to 15 years

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was sentenced Oct. 18 to 15 years in prison and five years’ supervised release for leading a multistate drug trafficking ring that trafficked kilos of heroin into Alaska and used firearms to further the conspiracy.

    According to court documents, in 2020, Samuel Frederick Davis, 32, purchased heroin and counterfeit Percocet pills in Las Vegas, Nevada. Davis then packaged the drugs and shipped them to his distributors in Anchorage. The drugs were then distributed in Alaska, and the proceeds were deposited into co-conspirators’ bank accounts or returned to Nevada.

    When law enforcement contacted Davis on Dec. 11, 2020, he attempted to flee in a vehicle but continued on foot before his arrest. After his arrest, law enforcement searched the defendant’s mother’s home in Anchorage and discovered approximately $65,000 in drug proceeds, a pistol, a drum magazine and multiple types of ammunition.

    During the investigation, law enforcement seized roughly 3.8 kilos of heroin and over $140,900 in drug proceeds. In total, the drug trafficking organization was responsible for trafficking at least 8.2 kilos of heroin into the state.

    “The defendant and his enterprise trafficked kilos of dangerous drugs into our state and used firearms to safeguard their illegal operations,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Mr. Davis’ sentence is the final piece of justice in this case. My office, in partnership with our law enforcement partners, will continue to uncover and dismantle drug trafficking organizations that pose a threat to our communities.”

    “Drug traffickers have no regard for the safety of our communities,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tabacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “They exacerbate this with firearms to ‘protect’ their illegal actions, further endangering citizens. ATF will continue to work with our local, state and federal partners to investigate and dismantle these drug trafficking rings.”

    “Heroin is a dangerous drug that shatters lives for the profit of traffickers like Mr. Davis,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Seattle Field Division. “This sentence shows the seriousness of Mr. Davis’ drug trafficking crime as well as the determination of the DEA and our partners in stopping this evil.”

    “The trafficking of drugs into Alaska is a crime with many victims,” said Anchorage Police Department Lieutenant Jack Carson.  “The drugs Mr. Davis, his co-conspirators and other drug dealers import into the state are directly linked to hundreds of deaths each year. Mr. Davis’ arrest makes the streets of Anchorage a safer place.” 

    Co-conspirators in this case include:

    • LC Shelton Johnson-Witlow IV, 25, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
    • Delmar Spencer, 46, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.
    • Dwayne Smith Jr, 25, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and interference with commerce by robbery and was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.
    • Jorge Luis Rodas, 45, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and was sentenced to six and a half years’ imprisonment.
    • Jaheim Randolph, 23, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment.
    • Frank Mota-Rijo, 41, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.
    • Kyin Sumpter-Boyd, 27, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, being a felon in possession and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.

    The ATF Seattle Field Division and Anchorage Field Office, the DEA Seattle Field Division and Anchorage Field Office, the Alaska State Troopers and the Anchorage Police Department investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Brickey, and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kayla Doyle and Michael Ebell prosecuted the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New film highlights the dangers of school gate parking

    Source: City of Leeds

    School pupils across Leeds are asking parents, carers and the wider community to rethink their travel habits on the school run, with the help of a new short film. 

    The film, created by Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, features dashcam footage from a fire engine cockpit navigating streets outside four Leeds schools during pick-up time. In the footage, parked vehicles clog the roads, highlighting the challenges that emergency services can face when attending incidents at drop-off and pick-up times. 

    To watch the film, visit: Dangerous parking puts lives at risk (youtube.com) 

    Parking on pavements, grass verges and narrow roads not only causes congestion but also obstructs access for other road users and blocks public footpaths. This can force pedestrians and vulnerable road users into the road, increasing the risk of collisions. 

    Former Children’s Mayor Mohammed, narrates the film, giving voice to the concerns of young people across Leeds who want to travel safely and sustainably to and from school. The message to parents and carers is clear: choose walking, cycling and wheeling when you can, park further from school gates and drive to school less often to create safer spaces for everyone.  

    Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport, and sustainable development, said: 

    “It’s great to see the emergency services working with our safe and sustainable travel team to raise awareness of issues around dangerous and inconsiderate parking at pick-up and drop-off times at schools in Leeds. 
     
    “We want Leeds to be the best city for all young people to grow up in and ensuring a safer journey to school is a key part of that.  
     
    “If we encourage parents and carers to choose walking, cycling or wheeling, or to park further away from school gates, we can help improve road safety in local communities and create a better environment for families to travel safely and sustainably to and from school.” 

    Safe roads is one of five themes underpinning Vision Zero, the council’s ambition to eliminate serious and fatal road injuries in Leeds by 2040. Leeds now has 17 School Streets in operation to restrict vehicle traffic on the streets outside schools and make it easier and safer for families to choose walking, cycling and wheeling as their mode of transport.  

    Last year, 28,955 school children across Leeds participated in 596 sessions that the council’s road safety trainers delivered to promote safe and sustainable travel. Where possible, the council is delivering schemes and initiatives, like School Streets and parking campaigns to improve the local environment to enable children to use the skills they learn. 

    To achieve Vision Zero everyone needs to play their part. Walking, cycling or wheeling to school, or parking further away and walking in can make the environment around schools safer for everyone. Pledge to show your dedication to eliminate road deaths here.   

    To watch the film, visit: Dangerous parking puts lives at risk (youtube.com) 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Beyond survival: Helping children and adults cope with the traumas of war in Lebanon

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    “My daughter is only 14, but with all the difficulties we’ve faced, she’s reacting like an adult to the bombings,” says Ezdihar, a displaced mother in Lebanon. “She’s had to grow up quickly.”

    On the night of 28 September, Ezdihar and her family were having dinner at home in the southern suburbs of Beirut when they received an alert about an imminent strike by Israeli forces. While her husband went to care for his mother, Ezdihar took her children and, with neighbours, sought refuge in central Beirut.

    After spending a night on the streets, they moved into the Azarieh shelter, a repurposed commercial building now housing around 3,500 displaced people. Today, they are among 1.2 million people displaced by the war between Hezbollah and Israel, according to Lebanese authorities.

    Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is attending to the medical and mental health needs of people living in collective shelters like Azarieh, including children like Ezdihar’s daughter. She is one of a generation navigating a landscape of fear and uncertainty, in which children are hit the hardest. 

    The mental health impacts of war and displacement

    In less than a month since the escalation of war, more than 2,300 people have been killed in Lebanon, with the majority of deaths occurring in the last 3 weeks. More than 11,100 have been injured, according to health authorities.

    The violence and destruction people are witnessing can have lasting impacts on psychological and emotional well-being, especially for children. Like Ezdihar’s daughter, countless children across Lebanon have had to grow up quickly under the harsh realities of war, including being uprooted from their homes, having their schooling disrupted, being separated from their friends, and losing access to basic necessities like food and shelter.

    Ezdihar, a displaced mother in Lebanon “My daughter is only 14, but with all the difficulties we’ve faced, she’s reacting like an adult to the bombings.”

    “Many parents are observing behavioural issues in their children—anger, aggression, and other troubling behaviors—which heightens concern for their well-being,” said Amani Al Mashaqba, MSF’s mental health activity manager in the Bekaa governorate.

    Children are not the only ones in need of mental health support, however. Many of MSF’s patients report feeling overwhelmed and traumatised by the constant threat of violence, expressing deep concerns about their future in an unstable environment.

    Grief over lost family members and the pain of separation due to displacement further compound their distress. Others worry about managing chronic health conditions or the possibility of missing a year of school. These experiences have had a significant impact on people’s mental health.

    “People are expressing a strong need for mental health services, particularly for trauma,” Al Mashaqba added. “It’s affecting their daily lives, from sleep disturbances to appetite loss.”

    MSF teams are responding by providing general and mental healthcare to displaced people, including psychological first aid and psychoeducation through our mobile medical units across the country. However, getting people to acknowledge their struggles and express vulnerability isn’t always easy.

    Many feel they should remain resilient in the face of hardship, as our mental health teams have observed. Convincing them that it is okay to experience emotions has been a challenge at times, particularly for young boys who are commonly taught to suppress their feelings.

    An MSF staff member organises activities for children in Azareh shelter. Beirut, Lebanon, 11 October 2024.
    Antoni Lallican/Hans Lucas

    To further extend this support, MSF has also launched a helpline through which people can receive remote assistance from clinical psychologists who help manage trauma-related symptoms such as anxiety and grief.

    A helpline for healing

    The MSF helpline allows us to reach people who are unable to access our services in person, particularly in the south of Lebanon, where heavy bombardments and mobility restrictions make travel difficult. This accessibility is crucial during such a volatile period, as many individuals are on the move and face barriers to accessing care including the high cost of transportation and cultural stigma surrounding mental health.

    Many of the helpline callers are parents facing difficulty trying to help their children cope during the war, often while noticing changes in their children’s behavior.

    Parents are struggling to explain the frightening sounds of bombs and gunfire to their kids, at times resorting to misleading explanations in an effort to reassure them. Gunfire, for example, may be described as “happy shooting,” such as shots fired in celebration during weddings. Our helpline psychologists equip parents with strategies to communicate honestly and create safe spaces for their children to express their feelings.

    “While we must be realistic about the situation, we also need to normalise their feelings,” explained Al Mashaqba. “It’s important for parents to listen to their children and understand how the sounds affect them. They can encourage kids to share their feelings through drawing or talking.”

    Facing increasing demand, the helpline has seen a dramatic rise in calls, from five calls a day in the beginning to as many as 80 in a single afternoon. Overall, the helpline has received nearly 300 mental health calls, the majority coming in the last two weeks alone.

    In addition, our mobile teams have facilitated psychological first aid group sessions for nearly 5,000 individuals as of 21 October, and more than 450 people have benefitted from individual mental health sessions.

    Our teams also provide psychological first aid, which includes active listening and techniques for stress relief, allowing patients to express their feelings and concerns. Along with critical medical and mental healthcare, our teams are also distributing essential items such as mattresses and hygiene kits to displaced people.

    A country in crisis

    This current war comes on the heels of a prolonged economic crisis that left over 80 per cent of the Lebanese population living below the poverty line and in urgent need of assistance. The healthcare sector has faced severe challenges, with public services deteriorating and private healthcare becoming increasingly unaffordable.

    “One of my psychologists shared that when a woman learned our services are free, she began to cry,” Al Mashaqba noted. “People are often unaccustomed to having access to these kinds of resources without the financial burden.”

    Moreover, Lebanon is home to a significant number of refugees, including 1.5 million Syrians and over 200,000 Palestinians, many of whom have faced repeated displacements. For these individuals, the fear of deportation and the struggle to find safety can be overwhelming.
     
    “Some have told me they would rather die than experience the trauma of being a refugee again,” Al Mashaqba said.

    MSF is conducting ongoing needs assessments for internally displaced people, and as the situation evolves, our teams are working closely with partners and hospital networks to provide comprehensive support wherever possible.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Put safety first at Halloween

    Source: Northern Ireland Direct

    Date published:

    Put safety first at Halloween. Fireworks, candles and sparklers can be dangerous, so make sure they are used safely. Follow the Firework Code to keep safe.

    Fireworks 

    Fireworks are dangerous and can set fire to buildings and clothing. They can also cause serious injury, particularly to your hands and face.

    You must have a licence to buy or use fireworks.

    Fireworks can cause fear and distress, especially for older people and more vulnerable members of the community.

    Fireworks can also traumatise pets and farm animals.

    Low noise fireworks may be available to buy from your local registered retailer.

    There’s more information at the following link:

    Firework safety advice

    Fireworks should only be lit in a safe and controlled environment by a responsible adult.

    You should:

    • follow the Firework Code
    • only buy fireworks marked with a CE mark
    • not drink alcohol if setting off fireworks
    • keep children well away from fireworks
    • always supervise children around fireworks
    • keep pets and animals indoors 
    • keep fireworks in a sealed box or tin when not in use
    • only use fireworks one at a time 
    • keep fireworks away from anything that could cause them to light 
    • follow the manufacturer’s instructions on each firework and use them one at a time
    • only light fireworks outside in an open space
    • light them at arm’s length using a taper and stand well back
    • never go near a firework that has been lit, even if it hasn’t gone off – it could still explode
    • never put fireworks in your pocket
    • never throw fireworks

    Sparklers

    Sparklers may seem harmless but they burn at very high temperatures.

    To a young child, the heat from a sparkler is similar to the heat from a welding torch.

    You should:

    • store sparklers in a closed box in a cool, dry place
    • never give sparklers to children under the age of five
    • always supervise children using sparklers
    • always light sparklers one at a time 
    • keep sparklers at arm’s length, away from faces, and wear gloves (preferably leather)
    • never hold a sparkler in your hand while also holding a child 
    • never wave sparklers near someone, as you could burn them
    • plunge burnt out sparklers hot end down into a bucket of water (sparklers stay hot for a long time)
    • not take sparklers to public displays 

    Fancy dress costumes

    Fancy dress costumes can be highly flammable.

    If you’re making your own don’t use flammable materials such as black plastic bags.

    Look out for costumes that are labelled ‘Low Flammability’ ‘BS5722’ or have the European code ‘BS EN 14878’.

    If a child is wearing a fancy dress costume this Halloween:

    • make sure they are properly supervised at all times
    • keep them away from fireworks and naked flames 
    • avoid using a naked flame or candle in pumpkins or turnips – use a torch, glow stick or battery-operated candle
    • choose a costume and mask that doesn’t restrict your or your child’s vision
    • avoid a costume with long, trailing fabric
    • make sure they wear woollen tights or ‘heavy’ trousers (jeans) and a woollen jumper under the costume
    • make them aware of ‘stop, drop and roll’ – to quickly try to put the flames out if clothing does catch on fire try (and also to stop the flames from rising towards their face)

    Fireworks and the law

    Fireworks must be bought from a licensed dealer, who is required to keep record of sales.

    Fireworks bought from other sources could be of a sub-standard quality, presenting an even bigger risk of injury.

    It is also essential that you have a licence when buying any fireworks.

    You can find a list of licensed dealers on the fireworks page.

    For any enquiries on the use of fireworks, phone the fireworks helpline. 

    More useful links

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE Mission to Montenegro continues to support development of police e-learning platform

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: OSCE Mission to Montenegro continues to support development of police e-learning platform

    Participants of the one of the workshops the OSCE Mission to Montenegro organized for the Ministry of Interior officials to create, maintain and manage the police e-learning platform, Podgorica, October 2024. (OSCE/Miloš Uljarević) Photo details

    As part of the continuous support to the Ministry of Interior to improve its learning opportunities for police officials, in May and October 2024 the OSCE Mission to Montenegro organized three training cycles for 29 Ministry officials to create, maintain and manage the e-learning platform, developed with the Mission’s support.
    The Ministry’s e-learning platform provides online and hybrid learning opportunities on a variety of topics relevant for policing, including non-discrimination, human rights, as well as lectures on combatting stereotypes.
    In May, through the first training session, the Mission supported the Ministry’s officials who managed the e-learning platform in adapting and uploading the courses on “Safety and health at work and first aid assistance”, “Basic training course in the field of fire protection” and “English language course for police officers”. In October, two training sessions were organized for the platform’s content creators, which equipped them with skills to create and upload training content, as well as to use advanced options for video content to be inserted in the created course.
    These training courses will be followed by a six-week mentorship process with the Mission’s experts, during which each of the participants will develop a course within their own field of expertise, to be posted on the platform or further developed by the Ministry’s Directorate for police training and development.
    In 2022, the OSCE Mission provided to the Ministry of Interior the technical equipment to host the e-learning platform, while in 2023 it trained 15 officials on the platform’s use, thus reducing the government’s training and education expenses.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How finance can be part of the solution to the world’s biodiversity crisis

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Emma O’Donnell, Research Assistant, Environmental Change Institute and PhD Candidate, Nature-based Solutions Initiative, University of Oxford

    Nature loss should be treated with the same urgency as climate change. NOBUHIRO ASADA/Shutterstock

    More than half of the world’s total GDP is at least moderately dependent on nature. Yet arguably, there is no economy (or life) without nature. A quarter of animal and planet species are now threatened, and 14 out of 18 key ecosystem services – including fertile soils to grow food, flood and disease control and regulation of air and water pollution – are in decline.

    These ecosystem services are essential and have no easy substitutes. Despite this, almost US$7 trillion (£5.4 trillion) per year is spent by governments and the private sector on subsidies and economic activities that have a negative impact on nature – including intensive agriculture and fossil-fuel subsidies. This compares to only US$200 billion that is spent on nature-based solutions (just a third of what is estimated to be needed).

    Although the biodiversity crisis has often been overshadowed by climate change on the global stage, the tide is turning. In 2022, the Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity framework was adopted with its overarching goal to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.

    At the end of October 2024, the signatories of the framework will again come together at the UN’s Cop16 biodiversity conference in Cali, Colombia, to negotiate the implementation of their targets. To make progress towards these goals, Cop16 aims to align finance with the framework; effectively ensuring finance is part of the solution rather than the problem.

    To do this, the flow of finance will need to be redirected. A central lever in this is the pricing of risk. Financial institutions face significant risk, both from the degradation of ecosystem services (physical risks) and the social responses to degradation, including regulation and changing consumer demand (transition risks). Yet these risks are not fully priced into financial decisions.

    On top of this, corporations do not disclose their nature-related risks, dependencies and impacts, making it difficult for financial institutions to understand the implications of their investments. Together, this means that finance continues to flow unhindered into riskier activities.

    Central banks are now starting to highlight risks from nature to financial institutions and to explore the areas where these risks manifest in the financial system.

    The financial risks are real

    Earlier this year, we published the first study of the seriousness of nature-related financial risks.

    We found that, for the UK, nature-related shocks could cause a 6% decline in GDP by 2030 under scenarios such as soil health decline or water scarcity putting pressure on global supply chains. And there could be a drop in GDP of more than 12% in the scenario of an antimicrobial resistance or pandemic shock, driven by increased human-wildlife interaction due to habitat loss and deforestation.

    These results are equal to or even greater than the UK’s 6% decrease in GDP after the 2008 financial crisis and 9.7% during the 2020 COVID lockdowns.

    We also found that nature-related financial risks were of a similar scale to climate-related risks. Nature loss and climate change occur in parallel, amplify and compound each other. As such, it is essential that solutions look to solve both challenges simultaneously. After all, what is the point of having a cooler planet that is no longer livable?

    Of its 23 targets for 2030, the GBF includes two goals that specifically address finance. Target 18 aims to reduce incentives for financial flows that damage nature by at least US$500 billion per year and scale up incentives for nature-positive financial flows. And target 19 aims to mobilise US$200 billion per year for restoring and protecting nature, including at least US$30 billion from international finance flowing from developed to developing countries. A further target, target 15, calls for the disclosure of nature-related risks, dependencies and impacts by firms.

    COP16 gets under way in Cali, Colombia.

    So, what do we need from Cop16 to pull the financial risk lever?

    First, there must be international recognition that the long-term, widespread and often irreversible risks of the biodiversity crisis are not being priced by the financial system, despite progress on the integration of climate risks. This can cause a buildup of systemic risks and lead to financial instability; as such, there must be a global consensus that central banks play a key role in taking proactive measures to manage this.

    Second, at the individual, corporate and financial institution level, firms must manage and disclose their nature-related financial risks, alongside their climate risks.

    Third, similar to transition finance for net zero, financial institutions must begin to engage actively with clients to explore opportunities to support their transition towards more nature-positive activities and reflect this within their transition plans.

    Securing financial resilience and nature and climate goals are synonymous; and all are essential for securing economic growth and sustainable development globally.

    Emma O’Donnell receives funding from the UK Natural Science Research Council.

    Jimena Alvarez receives funding from UK Natural Environment Research Council.

    Nicola Ranger receives funding from the UK Natural Environment Research Council, Climate Arc and EU Horizon

    – ref. How finance can be part of the solution to the world’s biodiversity crisis – https://theconversation.com/how-finance-can-be-part-of-the-solution-to-the-worlds-biodiversity-crisis-241829

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Kim Jong-un sends North Korean troops to fight in Ukraine – here’s what this means for the war

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ra Mason, Lecturer in International Relations and Japanese Foreign Policy, University of East Anglia

    It is still unclear how many North Korean soldiers will find their way onto the killing fields of eastern Ukraine. What is clear is that the drive to recruit fighting forces from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is at least in part politically motivated. But is it also a tactical masterstroke that will boost the Russian war machine’s chances of a definitive victory?

    The political aspect appears straightforward. The use of foreign forces from an enemy of the United States demonstrates a clear show of opposition towards the Washington-led global order. It also deals a further blow to the myth that the Russian Federation is isolated, as an international pariah, in a world led by western powers.

    But despite boosting troop numbers, there are multiple problems with these would-be mercenaries from the far east joining Putin’s forces on the front line in Europe. North Korea is impoverished and authoritarian. This means its personnel are mostly poorly equipped, unmotivated and undernourished. Where and how they are deployed will, therefore, likely be critical.

    If sent into new theatres of war against state-of-the-art Nato-supplied weaponry, it could effectively mean waves of ill-prepared cannon fodder being thrown into the meat grinder of Donbas’ trenches. Most would surely be killed by FPV (first-person view) drones or western tank fire.

    Defections could well pose an additional risk. If commanded outside the immediate control of Korean officers in the field, some will doubtless view this as a chance to escape oppression and poverty in their homeland. Desertions en masse to the Ukrainian side might become a possibility. Even more so if identified and directed how to surrender by Ukrainian, or other, special forces on the ground.

    Considering these seemingly obvious flaws, it would be easy to assume the deliberate showcasing of training camps in eastern Russia for North Korean soldiers is little more than a political gimmick. One that is designed to strike fear into an already struggling Ukrainian army and poke its western backers in the eye. At the same time, there may be cause to think there is more to this move than pure politics.

    Rules of engagement

    The difference between supplying artillery shells for Russian guns and putting bodies on the line is stark.

    But this fundamental difference does not necessarily mean that there is no tactical value to the deployment of Korean forces on the battlefield. The key likely lies in where and how they are deployed.

    There is the immediate question of international law. Or, perhaps more importantly, how Nato countries might respond to further breaches of the established rules of engagement by Russian directed foreign forces. For sure, use of Korean mercenaries to fight in the Donbas region, which is recognised by western allies as Ukrainian territory, would constitute a gross violation.

    The response from Nato could be rapid and definitive, as it would effectively justify proportionate use of force, including foreign personnel, to counter any subsequent Russian advances. This would likely result in an own goal for Putin. Any initial advantage gained would quickly be lost as friends of Ukraine justifiably enter the fray to push back an illegal Moscow-Pyongyang alliance of aggression. Escalation thereafter would also be a serious and grave concern.

    Conversely, if deployed in a combination of technical and logistical roles, or primarily to defend Russian territory, the utility of additional manpower becomes more credible. Not least, it would seem legitimate from an international legal perspective for Russia to seek assistance from alliance partners in repelling Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region of southwestern Russia.

    This could deal a double blow to Kyiv. On the one hand it would likely supply sufficient personnel to rapidly finish off the already threadbare Ukrainian forces holding on to captured sovereign Russian territory. At the same time, Moscow’s own military machine would be able to focus its entire attention on the already growing advances being made along the Donbas front.

    Distraction from the end game

    North Korea’s influence on the international stage has grown since the start of the war in Ukraine as its massive stockpiles of ammunition proved significant in Russia’s attritional tactics. In that respect, the addition of foreign fighters may add a further factor in Moscow’s favour if skilfully deployed and directed.

    Ultimately, however, the limited dispatch of inexperienced Korean troops to a war zone in which they have no legal or moral basis to be sent is unlikely to prove decisive. As it stands, with or without the help of forces supplied by North Korea’s despotic leader, Kim Jong-Un, Russia’s brutal military advance looks set to grind on.

    In these regards, the arrival of North Koreans to Europe’s worst war for a generation is probably little more than another bizarre episode in this cruel conflict. The real concern is how authoritarian states such as Russia and North Korea can be transformed into something resembling civilised societies that might pursue more positive foreign policy pathways.

    Ra Mason 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. Kim Jong-un sends North Korean troops to fight in Ukraine – here’s what this means for the war – https://theconversation.com/kim-jong-un-sends-north-korean-troops-to-fight-in-ukraine-heres-what-this-means-for-the-war-241876

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Azerbaijan, violation of human rights and international law and relations with Armenia – B10-0139/2024

    Source: European Parliament 2

    Nathalie Loiseau, Petras Auštrevičius, Helmut Brandstätter, Benoit Cassart, Olivier Chastel, Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová, Bernard Guetta, Karin Karlsbro, Ľubica Karvašová, Marie‑Agnes Strack‑Zimmermann, Hilde Vautmans, Lucia Yar, Dainius Žalimas
    on behalf of the Renew Group

    B10‑0139/2024

    European Parliament resolution on the situation in Azerbaijan, violation of human rights and international law and relations with Armenia

    (2024/2890(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    –  having regard to its previous resolutions on Azerbaijan and on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh,

    –  having regard to the relevant documents and international agreements, including but not limited to the United Nations Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and the Alma-Ata Declaration of 21 December 1991,

    –  having regard to the Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions of the Election Observation Mission to the Early Presidential elections held on 7 February 2024 and to the Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions of the International Election Observation Mission of the Early Parliamentary Elections in Azerbaijan held on 1 September 2024,

    –  having regard to the report of 29 March 2023 by the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance on Azerbaijan and to the memorandum of 21 October 2021 by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights on the humanitarian and human rights consequences following the 2020 outbreak of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh,

    –  having regard to the orders of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of 22 February 2023, of 6 July 2023 and of 17 November 2023 on the request for the indication of provisional measures for the application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v Azerbaijan),

    –  having regard to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict,

    –  having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

    A. whereas the choice of Azerbaijan’s capital Baku as the venue for the 29th United Nations Climate Change conference (COP29), scheduled to take place from 11 to 22 November 2024, has sparked controversy, notably owing to Azerbaijan’s worsening human rights record, as well as recent and blatant violations of international law, including aggressive behaviour towards its neighbour Armenia; whereas in the lead-up to this major international conference, the Azerbaijani authorities have intensified their repression of civil society organisations, activists, opposition politicians and the remaining independent media through detentions and judicial harassment;

    B. whereas civil society organisations list over 300 political prisoners in Azerbaijan, including Gubad Ibadoghlu, Anar Mammadli, Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, Tofig Yagublu, Ilhamiz Guliyev, Aziz Orujov, Bahruz Samadov and Akif Gurbanov; whereas there are credible reports of violations of prisoners’ human rights, including detention in inhumane conditions, torture and refusal of adequate medical care;

    C. whereas in recent years, the Azerbaijani authorities have imposed increasingly stringent restrictions on civil society organisations; whereas activists, journalists, political opponents and others have been imprisoned on fabricated and politically motivated charges;

    D. whereas Gubad Ibadoghlu, a political economist, opposition figure and one of the finalists for the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, was arrested by Azerbaijani authorities in July 2023 and remained in detention until 22 April 2024, when he was transferred to house arrest; whereas his health has deteriorated significantly since his arrest, as a result of torture, inhumane detention conditions and refusal of adequate medical care, thus endangering his life; whereas the health of Gubad Ibadoghlu’s wife, Irada Bayramova, continues to deteriorate as a result of the physical violence she suffered during her detention by the Azerbaijani authorities;

    E. whereas the Azerbaijani regime appears to extend its repressive actions beyond its borders; whereas, since 2020, Mahammad Mirzali, an Azerbaijani dissident blogger, has been the target of several assassination attempts in France; whereas, on 29 September 2024, Vidadi Isgandarli, a critic of the Azerbaijani regime living as a political refugee in France, was attacked in his home and succumbed to his injuries two days later; whereas the Azerbaijani authorities have also engaged in politically motivated prosecutions of EU citizens, as seen in the case of Théo Clerc, prompting at least one Member State to formally warn its citizens against travelling to Azerbaijan owing to the risk of arbitrary detention;

    F. whereas according to the Election Observation Mission led by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), the early presidential election held on 7 February 2024 took place in a restrictive environment and was marked by the stifling of critical voices and the absence of political alternatives; whereas Azerbaijan held early parliamentary elections on 1 September 2024 in what the OSCE/ODIHR-led International Election Observation Mission described as a restrictive political and legal environment that did not enable genuine pluralism and resulted in a contest devoid of competition; whereas in the period leading up to the parliamentary elections, several government critics were detained;

    G. whereas according to Reporters Without Borders, virtually the entire media sector in Azerbaijan is under official control, with no independent television or radio broadcasts from within the country, and all critical print newspapers shut down; whereas the authorities continue to suppress the last remaining independent media and repress journalists who reject self-censorship;

    H. whereas media legislation in Azerbaijan has become increasingly repressive, with the February 2022 media law effectively legalising censorship; whereas several other laws affecting the media also violate the country’s international obligations with regard to freedom of expression and press freedom; whereas public criticism of the authorities is subject to severe penalties;

    I. whereas in September 2023, after months of the illegal blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan launched a pre-planned, unjustified military attack on the territory, forcing over 100 000 ethnic Armenians to flee to Armenia, which amounts to ethnic cleansing; whereas as a result, Nagorno-Karabakh has been almost entirely emptied of its Armenian population, who had been living there for centuries; whereas this attack represents a gross violation of human rights and international law, a clear breach of the trilateral ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020 and a failure to uphold commitments made during EU-mediated negotiations;

    J. whereas the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh lost their property and belongings while fleeing the Azerbaijani military push in 2023 and have been unable to recover them since; whereas actions amounting to ethnic cleansing have continued since then; whereas the EU has provided humanitarian aid to people displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh; whereas credible reports confirm the organised destruction of Armenian cultural and religious heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh; whereas Azerbaijani leaders and officials repeatedly use hate speech against Armenians;

    K. whereas both Azerbaijan and Armenia are bound by international humanitarian law and the Third Geneva Convention protects prisoners of war from all forms of torture and cruel treatment; whereas reports indicate that 23 Armenian prisoners are currently being held in Azerbaijani prisons, including eight former leaders of the unrecognised Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, some of whom have received long prison sentences;

    L. whereas in February 2023, the EU deployed the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) to observe developments at the international border with Azerbaijan; whereas Azerbaijan has refused to cooperate with EUMA and the mission has been the target of disinformation by Azerbaijani authorities and government-controlled media; whereas Azerbaijan occupies territories internationally recognised as Armenian;

    M. whereas Armenia and Azerbaijan have engaged in negotiations on a peace treaty, the normalisation of their relations and border delimitation, both before and after the 2023 attack on Nagorno-Karabakh; whereas, despite mediation efforts by the EU and others, no peace agreement has been signed between Azerbaijan and Armenia; whereas, although both governments have stated that they are close to an agreement, recent remarks by the Azerbaijani President indicate that Baku is not eager to conclude the negotiations;

    N. whereas the EU fully supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both Azerbaijan and Armenia and actively supports efforts towards a sustainable peace agreement between the two countries, achieved by peaceful means and respecting the rights of the population concerned;

    O. whereas since Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Azerbaijan has deepened its relations with Russia, including political and economic ties, as well as increased cooperation between their intelligence services; whereas Russia has openly backed Azerbaijan in its aggressive behaviour towards Armenia; whereas there are worrying reports of Russian gas being rebranded as Azerbaijani for sale in the EU;

    P. whereas Azerbaijani leaders have engaged in anti-EU and anti-Western rhetoric; whereas Azerbaijan has intensified its disinformation campaigns targeting the EU and its Member States, with a specific focus on France; whereas Azerbaijan has actively interfered in European politics under the guise of ‘anti-colonialism’, notably in overseas countries and territories such as New Caledonia;

    1. Strongly condemns the domestic and extraterritorial repression by the Azerbaijani regime against activists, journalists, opposition leaders and others, including EU nationals, which has noticeably intensified ahead of COP29; urges the Azerbaijani authorities to release all persons arbitrarily detained or imprisoned on account of their political views, to drop all politically motivated charges, and to cease all forms of repression, both within and beyond Azerbaijan;

    2. Reiterates its call for the Azerbaijani authorities to lift the travel ban and drop all charges against Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu; calls on Azerbaijan to ensure that he receives an independent medical examination by a doctor of his own choosing and to allow him to receive treatment abroad;

    3. Expresses deep concern about the choice of Baku as the host city for COP29, given Azerbaijan’s flagrant violations of fundamental rights, democracy and international law; considers that Azerbaijan’s ongoing human rights abuses are incompatible with its hosting of COP29; urges the EU to use COP29 as an opportunity for the international community to remind Azerbaijan of its international obligations and to condemn and meaningfully address the country’s human rights record in their interactions with the Azerbaijani authorities;

    4. Demands that the organisers of COP29 ensure that human rights and fundamental freedoms are fully enshrined and guaranteed in the Host Country Agreement; calls for the EU and its Member States to do their utmost to ensure that United Nations Climate Change Conferences are not hosted in countries with poor human rights records;

    5. Reminds the Azerbaijani authorities of their obligations to respect fundamental freedoms, and calls on them to repeal repressive legislation that drives independent non-governmental organisations and media to the margins of the law; reminds the Azerbaijani Government of its international obligations to safeguard the dignity and rights of detainees, ensuring that they receive adequate medical care, are detained in humane conditions and are protected from any mistreatment;

    6. Reiterates its call for EU sanctions to be imposed under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime on Azerbaijani officials who have committed serious human rights violations;

    7. Insists that any future partnership agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan be made conditional on the release of all political prisoners, the implementation of legal reforms, and the overall improvement of the human rights situation in the country;

    8. Calls on the EU Special Representative for Human Rights to request meetings with political prisoners in Azerbaijan;

    9. Reaffirms its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both Azerbaijan and Armenia; reiterates its demand for the withdrawal of Azerbaijan’s troops from the entirety of Armenia’s sovereign territory; calls on Azerbaijan to unequivocally commit to respecting Armenia’s territorial integrity;

    10. Expresses its support for the activities of the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) and underscores the important role it plays; reiterates its concern regarding the repeated smear campaigns originating from Azerbaijan against EUMA; calls on EUMA to continue to closely monitor the evolving security situation on the ground, provide transparent reporting to Parliament and actively contribute to conflict resolution efforts; calls for the EU and its Member States to strengthen EUMA’s mandate, increase its size and extend its duration;

    11. Urges Azerbaijan and Armenia to promptly sign a peace treaty – before COP29 – in order to resolve their long-lasting disputes; warns Azerbaijan that any military action against Armenia would be unacceptable and would have serious consequences for the partnership between Azerbaijan and the EU;

    12. Calls for the full implementation of all orders issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), including the 17 November 2023 order indicating provisional measures regarding the safe, unimpeded and expeditious return of people who fled Nagorno-Karabakh; recalls that the decision to host COP29 in Baku was made after Azerbaijan failed to comply with the abovementioned ICJ order as well as those of 7 December 2021 and of 22 February 2023; reiterates its call on the Azerbaijani authorities to allow the safe return of the Armenian population to Nagorno-Karabakh, to provide robust guarantees for the protection of their rights and to refrain from any inflammatory rhetoric that could incite discrimination against Armenians; urges the Azerbaijani authorities to release all 23 Armenian prisoners of war detained following Azerbaijan’s retaking of the Nagorno-Karabakh region;

    13. Reiterates its call for the EU institutions and the Member States to continue to offer assistance to Armenia to deal with the refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh;

    14. Expresses deep concern regarding the preservation of cultural, religious and historical heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh following the massive exodus of its Armenian population; urges Azerbaijan to refrain from further destruction, neglect or alteration of the origins of cultural, religious, or historical heritage in the region;

    15. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the President, Government and Parliament of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the President, Government and Parliament of the Republic of Armenia, the Director-General of UNESCO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the United Nations and the Council of Europe.

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the People’s Republic of China’s misinterpretation of the UN resolution 2758 and its continuous military provocations around Taiwan – B10-0140/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Miriam Lexmann, Sebastião Bugalho, Rasa Juknevičienė, Danuše Nerudová
    on behalf of the PPE Group

    B10‑0140/2024

    European Parliament resolution on the People’s Republic of China’s misinterpretation of the UN resolution 2758 and its continuous military provocations around Taiwan

    (2024/2891(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to its previous resolutions on the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Taiwan,

    – having regard to the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence, approved by the Council on 21 March 2022,

    – having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 16 September 2021 entitled ‘The EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific’ (JOIN(2021)0024),

    – having regard to the EU’s ‘One China’ policy,

    – having regard to the statement of 23 September 2024 by the Chair of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting,

    – having regard to the joint declaration by the G7 Defence Ministers of 19 October 2024,

    – having regard to the urgency motion on Taiwan passed by the Australian Senate on 21 August 2024,

    – having regard to the motion on UN Resolution 2758 passed by the Dutch House of Representatives on 12 September 2024,

    – having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 (XXVI) of 25 October  1971,

    –  having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

    A. whereas UN Resolution 2758 was passed by the UN General Assembly on 25 October 1971 and shifted official recognition from the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the People’s Republic of China (PRC);

    B. whereas since then, most countries have shifted recognition from Taiwan to the PRC; whereas today, Taiwan, while not being a member of the UN, maintains diplomatic relations with 11 of the 193 UN member states, and with the Holy See;

    C. whereas following the adoption of UN Resolution 2758, Taiwan lost its right to participate in multilateral forums, such as the World Health Organization;

    D. whereas through their statement of 23 September 2024, the G7 members, among other things, underlined their support for ‘Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations as a member where statehood is not a prerequisite and as an observer or guest where it is’;

    E. whereas in recent years, the PRC has deliberately distorted UN Resolution 2758, persistently claiming that the PRC’s ‘One China’ principle allegedly has international endorsement through this resolution, which would entail that Taiwan is part of the PRC;

    F. whereas the EU continues to maintain its own ‘One China’ policy position, which is different from the PRC’s ‘One China’ principle; whereas the EU’s long-standing position has been to support the status quo and a peaceful resolution of differences across the Taiwan Strait, while encouraging dialogue and constructive engagement;

    G. whereas Taiwan has never been part of the PRC; whereas the Republic of China was established in 1912 and the PRC was established in 1949;

    H. whereas over the past decade, the PRC has persistently tried to increase its influence over international institutions, using this to sideline Taiwan and prevent Taiwanese passport holders, including journalists, non-governmental organisation workers and political activists, from accessing international institutions; whereas the PRC exercises transnational repression by misusing extradition treaties to target Taiwanese people abroad and therefore put them at risk of arbitrary persecution and human rights abuses;

    I. whereas the EU and Taiwan are like-minded partners that share common values, such as freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law;

    J. whereas Taiwan is a vibrant democracy, with a flourishing civil society; whereas Taiwan held peaceful and well-organised elections on 13 January 2024;

    K. whereas the PRC is a one-party state that is entirely controlled and ruled by the Chinese Communist Party; whereas the Chinese People’s Liberation Army is the military of the Chinese Communist Party and not an army of the PRC’s Government;

    L. whereas on 14 October 2024, the PRC launched a large-scale military drill, named Joint Sword-2024B, that simulated a blockade of Taiwan; whereas during this exercise, a record number of 153 PRC aircraft,18 warships and 17 PRC coastguard ships were detected around Taiwan;

    M. whereas on 23 May 2024, the PRC launched a military drill called Joint Sword-2024A, coming just days after the inauguration of Lai Ching-te as the new President of Taiwan;

    N. whereas over the past years, the PRC has held similar military drills around Taiwan; whereas these military drills have increased in intensity and have been moved closer and closer to Taiwan’s mainland; whereas during a previous drill in August 2022, the PRC also fired missiles into the exclusive economic zone of Japan;

    O. whereas on top of military pressure, the PRC has long been pursuing a sophisticated strategy of targeting Taiwan with foreign information manipulation and interference, including hybrid and cyber attacks with the goal of undermining Taiwan’s democratic society;

    P. whereas the PRC, under the leadership of Xi Jinping, has said that it will not renounce the use of force to seek unification with Taiwan; whereas the PRC is engaging in a historically unprecedented military build-up that is continuously shifting the power balance in the Indo-Pacific; whereas this is negatively affecting cross-Strait stability;

    Q. whereas the PRC is supporting Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, in particular through the exportation of dual-use goods to Russia, and the ongoing involvement of PRC-based companies in sanctions evasion and circumvention;

    R. whereas in a speech on 10 October 2024, Taiwan’s national day, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te stated that the PRC has ‘no right to represent Taiwan’ and reiterated that the two sides are ‘not subordinate’ to each other; whereas the PRC has justified its recent military exercise by claiming that President Lai Ching-te is pursuing a separatist strategy;

    S. whereas the PRC’s increasingly aggressive behaviour, in particular in its own neighbourhood, such as the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, poses a risk to regional and global security; whereas the PRC has for many years promoted an alternative narrative, challenging democratic values, open markets and the rules-based international order; whereas the PRC’s growing influence in international organisations has impeded positive progress and further excluded Taiwan from rightful and meaningful participation in international institutions;

    T. whereas through its 2021 strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, the EU and its Member States increased their presence in the region, including a higher military presence and the continued passage of military ships through the Taiwan Strait;

    U. whereas the EU is Taiwan’s fourth largest trading partner after the PRC, the United States and Japan; whereas in 2022, Taiwan was the EU’s 12th biggest trading partner; whereas the EU is the largest source of foreign direct investment in Taiwan; whereas Taiwanese investments in the EU remain below their potential;

    V. whereas members of the Australian Senate and of the Dutch House of Representatives have recently adopted motions concerning the distortion of UN Resolution 2758 by the PRC, and called for support for Taiwan’s greater participation in multilateral organisations;

    1. Reiterates that Taiwan is a key EU partner and a like-minded democratic ally in the Indo-Pacific region; commends Taiwan and the Taiwanese people for their strong democracy and vibrant civil society, demonstrated once more by the peaceful and well-organised elections of 13 January 2024;

    2. Strongly condemns the PRC’s military exercises of 14 October 2024, its continued military provocations against Taiwan and its continued military build-up that is changing the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific, and reiterates its firm rejection of any unilateral change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait; reiterates its call for the EU and its Member States to ensure, through clear and consistent signalling, that any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, particularly by means of force or coercion, will not be accepted;

    3. Opposes the PRC’s constant distortion of UN Resolution 2758 and its efforts to block Taiwan’s participation in multilateral organisations; calls for the EU and its Member States to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in relevant international organisations, such as the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change;

    4. Underlines that UN Resolution 2758 takes no position on Taiwan; strongly rejects and refutes the PRC’s attempts to distort history and international rules;

    5. Strongly underlines that the EU’s ‘One China’ policy corresponds to UN Resolution 2758, while the PRC’s ‘One China’ principle is not endorsed by it;

    6. Reiterates its strong condemnation of statements by Chinese President Xi Jinping that the PRC will never renounce the right to use force with respect to Taiwan; underlines that the PRC’s use of force or threats or other highly coercive measures to achieve unification contradicts international law; recalls that neither Taiwan nor the PRC is subordinate to the other; expresses grave concern over the PRC’s use of hostile disinformation to undermine trust in Taiwan’s democracy and governance; reiterates its previous calls for the EU and its Member States to cooperate with international partners in helping to sustain democracy in Taiwan, keeping it free from foreign interference and threats; underlines that only Taiwan’s democratically elected government can represent the Taiwanese people on the international stage;

    7. Condemns the PRC’s systematic grey-zone military actions, including cyber and disinformation campaigns against Taiwan, and urges the PRC to halt these activities immediately; calls, in this regard, for cooperation between the EU and Taiwan to be deepened further in order to enhance structural cooperation on countering disinformation and foreign interference;

    8. Reiterates its call on the Member States to increase the frequency of freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and to deepen security dialogues with Taiwan to deter Chinese aggression against the democratic island;

    9. Reiterates its call on the Member States to engage in meaningful and structural technical cooperation with Taiwan’s National Fire Agency and National Police Agency and with local administrations in the field of civil protection and disaster management;

    10. Reiterates its call on the Member States to engage in meaningful and structural technical cooperation with Taiwan in the field of whole-of-society defence;

    11. Recognises the importance of Taiwan in securing global supply chains, especially in the high-tech sector where Taiwan is the leading producer of semiconductors, and calls for the EU and its Member States to engage in closer cooperation with Taiwan;

    12. Calls on the Commission to launch, without delay, preparatory measures for negotiations on a bilateral investment agreement with Taiwan;

    13. Condemns all forms of pressure and threats of reprisals, including economic coercion, regarding the independent right of the EU and its Member States to develop relations with Taiwan, in line with their interests and shared values of democracy and human rights, without foreign interference;

    14. Welcomes visits by former and current Taiwanese politicians to Europe, including the recent visit of former President Tsai Ing-wen to the European Parliament on 17 October 2024; welcomes, furthermore, continued exchanges between its Members and Taiwan and encourages further visits by official European Parliament delegations to Taiwan; also encourages further exchanges between the EU and Taiwan at all levels, including political meetings and people-to-people encounters; encourages, in this light, increased economic, scientific and cultural interactions and exchanges, focusing, among other areas, on youth, academia, civil society, sports, culture and education, as well as city-to-city and region-to-region partnerships;

    15. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the governments of the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan.

     

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Text of the Vice-President’s address at Concluding Ceremony of International Festival on Indian Dance, New Delhi (Excepts)

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 22 OCT 2024 2:07PM by PIB Delhi

    Coming here on this occasion, I get a feeling of sublimity. It is the essence of human life; it is a heavenly feeling. I am grateful to the Honourable Culture Minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for having made available such an opportunity to me to know about what has been transacted during the last six days. One assurance I can hold out, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is a game changer.

    He gets into his job with passion, mission and he is good at execution. I have seen the positive impact of his ministry when I was in Meghalaya last week. He has not been in the saddle for long but this gives as an indication of the shape of things to come and from every perspective. Bharat home to one-sixth to humanity, this aspect is more important than anything else.

    We have a global identity nurtured over centuries and the most inalienable facet, emotive facet, rich facet is our cultural identity.

    The presence of a very distinguished parliamentarian, an actor of reckoning, but her identity globally is only by her great commitment to dance. I am referring to Hon’ble Member of Parliament Hema Malini Ji.

    Her presence is electrifying because while she has been in various roles, in films and otherwise, her heart, soul and mind have always been in sync when it comes to dance. And dance, I can say, is her everlasting and first love.

    Dr. Padma Subramaniam, people look for civilian awards and to be honoured with the second-highest civilian award of this nation and that too in this great field, your presence means a lot to us.

    Dr. Sandhya Purecha, she is deep into it, you must have heard her. She is committed to it. This is the second time I am attending her function and I am sure things will always be on an incremental trajectory.

    My greetings and salutations to those celebrities, dignitaries who are of the dais. They represent our cultural wealth. They are premium ambassadors of this nation within and outside.

    Friends, nothing can be more delightful than to celebrate human expressions through art forms and the six days of deliberations. Mind-scratching, I am told by the Hon’ble Minister, have been extremely fruitful.

    All awardees, civilian or otherwise, converged at one place to analyze and address issues so that our culture is nurtured, it is blossomed, and it makes our identity globally more important. I have no doubt the deliberations will go a long way in shaping further course of action. And it is also an occasion to look to those who are committed to dance music, but are in suffering of some kind. We need to handhold them. We need to create a new interest in them.

    I know sometimes it is so vital to provide fiscal assistance because they are so deep into their art and culture, dance and music, they forget about it. I’m sure this will be looked into.

    I am sure the Honourable Minister would generate a mechanism that all stakeholders for dance and music or culture as a whole come on the same page. They work in tandem and togetherness to generate an ecosystem where our artists in these domains feel comfortable financially and otherwise. And we manage to see an explosion of real talent that lies in villages Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

    I am told that over 200 artists and scholars from 16 plus nations have performed various Indian dance forms and shared insights. The Utkarsh performance featuring 300 tribal performers was acclaimed by the President of India. I commend the organisers for this event. I must make by way of transgression, a brief reference, to an extremely talented chief minister, Mr. Sangma of Meghalaya. When I was there, at Raj Bhavan, all the tribes of Meghalaya performed, all of them. They performed one after the other. They performed in unison. They performed in harmony. And this reflected that house over maybe the divisiveness, the unity brought about by culture, by dance and music is impregnable. It is lasting. It is soothing. It is a seamless connection of the heart and soul of the people.

    Dance and Music are natural connecting modes. They bring about a friendship beyond language or other barriers.

    Bharat means a gold mine of fine arts. The world recognises it, we feel it. This festival testifies to dance’s universal appeal, featuring global artists with unique perspectives. It underscores that Indian art educates, uplifts and inspires offering a model of inclusivity in a divided world.

    The greatest challenge the planet faces today is lack of inclusivity. Lack of inclusivity in thought, in politics, in economic development. India has emerged as a global beacon of inclusive growth. A growth that is benefiting by good governance, Affirmative policies, the most vulnerable, the marginalized, the weakest, and that has given the nation a mood of hope and possibility, something that was lacking a few years back. In a world grappling with conflicts and transgressions, discord, there is ray of light. When the tunnel is of transgressions, conflagrations, we find light of dance and music that unites people across cultural barriers.

    Culture, dance, and music are universal languages of mankind. They are understood all over.

    as you mean without having to take recourse to the language or dialect that is specific to individuals.

    Performing arts have the power to unite, power to heal, power to inspire, power to motivate. Dance artists are cultural and peace ambassadors. They promote dialogue. They promote discussion. They lay great ground for soothing diplomatic maneuvers.

    Distinguish audience, our civilization has always valued various forms of expression. I am taking it in a wider connotation, our civilisation depth is always to lend your ears to the other point of view, never be dismissive about it. There will be occasions when you will find on introspection that the other point of view is the correct point of view.

    Dance is considered divine as described in Bharat Muni’s Natya Shastra and when you feel divinity, when you experience sublimity, when you rise about heart and mind, or in conversation with your soul, then you realise the existence of pure life. It gives a different meaning altogether, generating peace and harmony all around.

    When we look into our historical perspectives, ancient Indian centres like Patliputra, Puri, and Ujjain fostered dance forms. India shared its message of peace and unity through Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, through scriptures and art forms globally.

    Let me reflect, our culture was a feast during our G20 presidency. 200 hundred locations in this great country when we had G20 presence. every state of the Union, every Union territory and therein you found something very great. The state government, the Union territory administration and the central government were on the same page as never before and that was a grandiose success.

    Indian dances have been performed worldwide for millennia, including Chinese and Greek courts. The Ramayana spread to Southeast Asia is visible at Angkor Wat in Cambodia. On my first maiden visit outside this country, as Vice President, I went to Cambodia to attend an ASEAN meeting. When I went to Angkor Wat, unbelievable! You look at what has been carved out in stone. As if everything was speaking. Amazing and believable! One has to see to believe. I saw it myself. This can turn out to be a great facet of cultural diplomacy and art does not define dominance. Art defines integration. Culture, music, art, they unite. They never dominate. 

    Bharat is a living civilization with geniuses like Tansen, Tagore, Purandar Drasa and Swami Haridas. But there was a time in our history, 400, 500 years back, where music was discarded by the then rulers. Our most precious treasure was antithetical to their values.

    We suffered that kind of repression. But our belief throughout has been that in every part of this great land, those who nurtured, blossomed furthered because of dance music were held in high esteem. And I’m so happy and delighted that in the last 10 years, the recognition extended to eminent, deserving personalities from this domain is very commendable and soothing.

    This will help come over challenges of day to day life. They will help us to nurture our indomitable spirit.

    Post-Independence, our founding fathers mandated the preservation of cultural heritage in the Constitution. It is reflected in the directive principles of state policy.

    India is rising. The rise is exponential. The economic upsurge is stunning. The world organizations are echoing in us. We are moving towards a destination which people of my generation never dreamt of. What we have today was not thought of even a decade ago. In that situation, it is our bounden duty. It is ordainment of our civilization that our art and heritage are made to shine as symbols of identity and influence. There must be our cutting edge when we deal with people to people contact. UNESCO recognizes eight Indian dance forms as intangible cultural heritage, including Kalbeliya, Garba and Chow. I don’t subscribe to this. We have many more. They are calibrating from their perspective. We must go much beyond that.

    Yoga’s global recognition, marked by International Yoga Day, reflects India’s role in promoting wellbeing. A thought occurred to the Prime Minister. The thought was put on the global platform. In the shortest time, the largest number of nations converged, and what we see now, yoga is doting every part of the globe that gets sunshine.

    Indian wisdom is coming to the rescue of billions.

    Our cultural revival integrates ancient wisdom with contemporary practices cementing India’s image as a cultural powerhouse.

    I congratulate the Ministry of Culture, ICCR and Sangeet Natya Academy for their efforts. However, And this is a time to be extremely proactive, time not to be complacent. We need to discover, nurture and find that it does not go into extinction. Lesser known dance forms, they need to create retention.

    Go to any part of the state and you will find every district having its own identity.

    Like one district, one product, you will find one district, one cultural event relating to culture, dance, music. I am amazed sometimes when I see the instruments, how hard they have worked to preserve those instruments, how skillfully they play, how they mesmerize you, how they release your stress and tension for a time. When you attend to them you find you are in a different world altogether. We have to focus on that. Let us give them a new lease of life.

    We have to also be in overdrive in a group to ensure that our youth get involved with Indian dance, music and the kind. This will also cut into the menacing habits our youth get into. Drugs to name one. A person who is involved in these finer arts either as a performer or as onlooker is surcharged with positivity, welfare of humanity, and I am sure this too will be attended.

    As I said, which is more important, your ministry does not stand alone. You have to get all the stakeholders be it the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Civil Aviation any ministry must have the role of Gajendra Singh Shekhawat because we need to spread our culture, disseminate the knowledge of it and wider the knowledge, wider the dissemination greater will be the impact.

    Additionally, I urged the honorable minister and I requested particular manuscript experts and dance scholars to work together in rediscovering lost dance manuscripts. I was happy to note what the honorable minister conveyed to me. The giants, the Padmavadis, the great exponents over the last six days have brainstormed to address the challenges and to find out. what can be done.

    I would particularly emphasise that we are in the grip of another industrial revolution and that revolution is technology.

    Technology, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, machine learning, blockchain and the kind. They help refine our artistic talent. and the effort should be made in a structured scientific manner, employment for generating opportunities in the field of culture, art, dance, music.

    These endeavours, particularly promoting rural folk dance forms and rediscovering ancient heritage will serve a large interest of the nation. While institutional efforts are invaluable, collective action is crucial for cultural revival involving individual efforts, community engagement and international collaboration.

    I am sometimes amazed when people hold great functions, they think of a different mode of music, different mode of dance. Ignoring the wealth we have with us, once it catches up, they will know what gain they have got. Let us recognize this as the beginning of a commitment to nurture our artistic heritage.

    Let us pledge to ensure it blossoms to new heights, the heights that are due to it. Art and culture are vital to our existence, shaping our identity and relationships. Dance is both a window to our past and a pathway to our future. Together let’s celebrate the enduring relevance of Indian dance and arts, ensuring they continue to enrich our lives and the world.

    I will conclude by making one observation, India’s rise is phenomenal, Infrastructure development is unbelievable. From the time I faced a situation as a minister and a member of parliament in 1990, where foreign exchange reserve was one billion US dollars, now it has crossed 700 billion.

    I saw Jammu and Kashmir as a minister in 1990, we didn’t see even two dozen people on the road, two crore people went there last year as tourists. In this big change we must have proportionate development of our culture.

    Thank you so much.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PRESIDENT OF INDIA PRESENTS NATIONAL WATER AWARDS

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 22 OCT 2024 1:56PM by PIB Delhi

    The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu presented the fifth National Water Awards in New Delhi today (October 22, 2024).

    Speaking on the occasion, the President said that water is a basic necessity and a fundamental human right for every individual. A clean and prosperous society cannot be built without ensuring access to clean water. The unavailability of water and poor sanitation have a greater impact on the health, food security and livelihood of the underprivileged.

    The President said that despite the well-known fact that fresh water resources are available in limited quantities on earth, we ignore water conservation and management. These resources are getting polluted and depleted due to manmade reasons. She was happy to note that the Government of India has taken many steps to promote water conservation and water harvesting.

    The President said that water conservation is part of our tradition. Our ancestors used to build ponds near villages. They used to build reservoirs in or near temples so that the stored water could be used in case of water shortage. Unfortunately, we are forgetting the wisdom of our ancestors. Some people have encroached upon reservoirs for personal gain. This not only affects the availability of water during drought but also creates flood-like situations when there is excessive rainfall.

    The President stressed the need to remember that conservation and enhancement of water resources is the collective responsibility of all. Without our active participation, it is not possible to build a Water-Secure India. She highlighted that we can make significant contributions through small efforts. For example, we should not leave the taps of our houses open, keep in mind that water does not overflow from the overhead water tank, make water-harvesting arrangements at homes, and collectively renovate traditional water reservoirs.

    The President said that the National Water Awards is a commendable step towards promoting relevant approaches and actions towards water resources. She expressed confidence that the “Best Practices” of the awardees would reach the masses through this event.

    The National Water Awards aim to create awareness among the people about the importance of water and motivate them to adopt the best water usage practices. The fifth National Water Awards were presented in nine categories – Best State, Best District, Best Village Panchayat, Best Urban Local Body, Best School or College, Best Industry, Best Water User Association, Best Institution (other than school or college), and Best Civil Society.

    Please click here to see the President’s speech – 

     

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