NewzIntel.com

Category: Security

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Opening of He Kura Toi Tangata: 50 years of the Waitangi Tribunal

    Source: New Zealand Governor General

    Toitū Kāhui tangata

    Ka Haea te ata,

    ka Hāpara te ata

    Ka korokī te manu

    Ka wairori te kutu

    Ko te ata nui, ka horaina

    Ka Taki te umere,

    He po, he po, he ao

    ka awatea.

    E koro, ….Matiu,

    Kua tatū mai ō rahi ki te whakanui i te kaupapa o te rā, arā , Te Taraipiunara o Waitangi rima te kau tau ki muri, whakaara mai ai.

    Hoki wairua mai!, Hoki wairua mai!

    Hoki wairua mai!

    Koutou, tātou kua tatū mai i runga i te reo karanga o te rā,

    Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa

    [Be alert for this is a gathering of great significance. As the dawn breaks, and we hear the birds call, we move from the time of darkness to the new era of enlightenment. Each new dawn enables us to embrace new knowledge, to be inspired by the possibilities that rise in front of us.

    Matiu(Rata) We have arrived to celebrate 50 years of the Waitangi Tribunal, which was begun under your watch. Return in spirit to embrace your people, as we celebrate its journey.]

    To one and all gathered here today, greetings.

    I specifically acknowledge:

    Distinguished members of the judiciary, including the Honourable Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann, Chief Justice of New Zealand, and

    The Honourable Chief Justice Debra Mortimer, Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia,

    Ministers of the Crown,

    Members of Parliament,

    Ngati Kawa, Ngati Rahiri, Ngati Hine and Ngati Kuri representatives,

    Bishop Te Kitohi Pikaahu and Dame Claudia Orange.

    I am truly honoured to take part in the opening of this exhibition commemorating the first 50 years of the Waitangi Tribunal.

    How fitting that He Kura Toi Tangata begin its tour of Aotearoa here in Waitangi – te pito te whenua – where Te Tiriti, the foundational document for the Tribunal’s work, was conceived in its English and te reo Māori iterations – and was signed by rangatira, as well as my earliest antecedent in this role, Captain William Hobson.

    Kō ngā tahu ā ō tapuwai inanahi, hei tauira mō āpōpō. The footsteps laid down by our ancestors create the paving stones upon which we stand today.

    Retrospectives challenge us to consider and compare how we were in the past, with how we are today. This exhibition will prompt us to reflect on the impacts and achievements of the Waitangi Tribunal over the past 50 years, and the ways they are woven through our story as a nation.

    From its small beginnings; to the gradual additions to its powers, Members and support staff; to its ground-breaking reports – the Tribunal has become a vital forum for the airing of concerns about a wide range of issues; for the seeking of redress for past wrongs; and for exploring the meaning of Te Tiriti as it pertains to the contemporary world.

    The Tribunal has achieved so much, whether it be in greater public awareness of Te Tiriti and te ao Māori, in contributions to legislative development and new institutions, and of course, in the Treaty Settlement process.

    Tonight, I particularly want to pay homage to those claimants who spent many decades of their lives toiling on behalf of their hapu or iwi – often at great personal cost – and sometimes not living long enough to see the resolution of those claims.

    In addition, I want to acknowledge all who have been involved in working with the Tribunal, including those behind the scenes. Sir Doug Graham observed that the Treaty Settlements in the 1990s would not have been possible without the Tribunal’s research and deliberations – which, incidentally, included research undertaken by our current Minister of Justice, the Honourable Paul Goldsmith, during his time with the Tribunal. The research done by, and presented to the Tribunal over its 50 years is an immensely valuable resource for all New Zealanders.

    On behalf of the people of New Zealand, I thank Members – past and present – for their willingness to grapple with complex histories and contentious issues, and to make recommendations that have often been at the leading edge of the practical application of te Tiriti.  As Sir Doug said: “They have done their country proud”.

    I hope the more difficult moments were balanced by moments of intense satisfaction – whether it be enabling histories to be heard and recorded for posterity – or providing a forum for debate about emerging societal, cultural or environmental issues.

    There is so much to learn from the lessons of history uncovered during the Tribunal process. The Tribunal’s recommendations have, in turn, become part of the historical record.

    If Matiu Rata could have been with us tonight, how proud he would have been to celebrate his legacy with you all – and to honour the people who played their part in taking the Waitangi Tribunal forward on its journey.

    Congratulations to everyone here tonight who has been involved in the Tribunal process to date, as well as all those involved in the making of this powerful and timely exhibition. I am delighted to now formally open He Kura Toi Tangata: 50 years of the Waitangi Tribunal, 1975-2025. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Destroyer Squadron 50 Assumes Operation Prosperity Guardian Mission

    Source: United States Naval Central Command

    MANAMA, Bahrain —

    Combined Maritime Forces’ (CMF) Combined Task Force (CTF) 153 handed over responsibility for Operation Prosperity Guardian, the presence and information-sharing mission to counter unlawful Houthi attacks on maritime shipping in the Red Sea region, to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 50, Feb. 1.

    DESRON 50, the surface warfare task force under U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, will continue OPG’s commitment to freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab, and Western Gulf of Aden.

    “CMF’s CTF-153 has done a spectacular job leading OPG and I thank all of the members who committed to this important mission,” said Vice Adm. George Wikoff, commander of CMF. “There will be no change to the important role OPG contributes to regional maritime security.”

    “DESRON 50 brings immediate continuity to the mission,” Wikoff said.

    More than 20 nations participated in OPG, providing ships, personnel, and information support since the focused operation was announced in December 2023. Wikoff said CMF personnel who participated in OPG, “performed their duties with exceptional professionalism.”

    The Joint Maritime Information Center, established in February 2024 as part of OPG’s information sharing mission, will expand its role within the CMF as an authoritative information source for regional maritime reporting.

    “Through dialogue and building close relationships with industry and with CMF, JMIC continues to provide real-time information to enable informed decisions, contributing to overall domain awareness,” said Capt. Lee Stuart, JMIC Director.

    Combined Maritime Forces, a 46-nation naval partnership, is headquartered in Bahrain and is the world’s largest multinational naval partnership, committed to upholding the rules-based international order at sea. It promotes security, stability and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters, encompassing some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Resistance to mining grows in El Salvador as environmentalists’ face persecution

    Source: Council on Hemispheric Affairs – Analysis-Reportage

    Update on El Salvador

    by CISPES

    First published January 31, 2025

    Despite a unanimous October ruling in their favor, five anti-mining activists from the community of Santa Marta will be back on trial on February 3. The retrial sets a dangerous precedent, allowing the Attorney General to move a case to a different jurisdiction through an appeal in search of a guilty verdict. It also comes amidst growing resistance to a December law opening the country to metals mining which reverses a historic national ban on mining passed in 2017.

    At a January 8 press conference, supporters of the Santa Marta 5, as well as leaders of the anti-mining struggle throughout the country, denounced increased harassment and suspicious activity related to mining in the districts of Santa Marta and nearby San Isidro. Since the January 2023 arrests, the organizations have maintained that the trial against the Santa Marta 5 is related to the reactivation of mining. “We have been saying that this case is intended to weaken or eliminate opposition to mining in Cabañas, which has proven to be true with the approval of the new law,” said the University of Central America’s Andrés McKinley.

    “The mask is off,” said Vidalina Morales, president of the Santa Marta Social and Economic Development Association (ADES), who have been warning about the government’s intent to overturn the mining ban for years.

    Morales warned that unknown vehicles have begun entering the community, which is close to a former mining operation. “Our peace of mind as residents of Santa Marta is constantly being threatened by the presence of people from outside our community interrupting our privacy.

    At night there is a lot of activity in our community and we want to denounce this publicly because we [also] experienced this situation prior to the capture of our comrades.”

    The increased activity in the community, according to Morales, has stoked fears that there could be additional criminalization of activists, which could take the shape of additional members of the community being added to the February trial. Other Santa Marta residents report that the Attorney General’s office is building a case against up to 40 additional Santa Marta community members, including Vidalina Morales.

    According to ADES spokesperson Alfredo Leiva, members of the San Isidro community have reported an increased military presence in the areas previously identified by mining interests. “They are sending us the message that it is no longer the companies that are going to protect these areas, but the state, through the army… So the message to the communities is that there may be more repression– not only through judicial processes but also through direct [violent] acts.”

    The new mining law requires the Salvadoran state to operate any new mines (likely through  public-private partnerships, which are permitted under the law), opening the door to further direct confrontation between communities defending their lands and a law enforcement apparatus that has seen its budget and personnel balloon under Nayib Bukele’s government. A State of Exception that eliminates civil liberties and further empowers the police and military has also been in place since March 2022. The State of Exception has been repeatedly used to militarize organized communities, including Santa Marta, and led to the detention of Morales’s son in 2023.

    Speaking at a January 15 press conference, ADES member Peter Nataren denounced the role of the United States in supplying equipment to the Salvadoran Armed Forces. “We, as a community, have privately asked U.S. authorities on multiple occasions to please stop equipping the Salvadoran military, for example, with helicopters and drones. At this point, our only option is to make that public because we know this has now become an issue of communities defending their land on one side and the military on the other.”

    “People are not going to let their land be taken away or their water polluted. So that is going to lead to violence and the current U.S. ambassador has been equipping the Salvadoran army, which he has been doing since he arrived,” Nataren continued.

    Nataren explained that U.S. mining companies Titan Resources Limited and Thorium Energy Alliance signed an agreement with the Salvadoran government. He called on U.S. organizations to pursue the details of the agreement under U.S. law, as it has been classified as confidential for five years in El Salvador.

    Resistance to the Mining Law Grows

    Following the initial wave of protests against the mining law in December, Salvadorans have taken to the streets in greater numbers to show their opposition to the measure. A January 12 march, convened by the Popular Rebellion and Resistance Bloc (BRP) in commemoration of the 1992 Peace Accords, highlighted the member-organizations’ opposition to the mining law. The march drew thousands of participants and ended with an impromptu rally at the steps of the National Library.

    On January 19, thousands more attended a rally, also held at the National Library, convened by a new group of young Salvadorans called the Voice of the Future Movement. While the crowd was largely made up of young people, including students from the University of El Salvador, a January 22 survey by the Francisco Gavidia University revealed that only 23.5% of all Salvadorans support the new mining law.

    Rally organizers, along with the Catholic Church and student organizations have been circulating a petition of Salvadorans who oppose the mining law, which has already gathered tens of thousands of signatures. The Catholic Church, as well as leaders in the Episcopal, Lutheran, and Baptist Churches, have been outspoken against mining, with San Salvador Archbishop José Luis Escobar Alas calling it “a life or death situation.”

    According to Alfredo Leiva, in the absence of a law prohibiting metals mining, the only option left is for communities to band together. “In such a small, densely populated, and deforested country, mining is akin to suicide. Therefore, if we want to continue living in this country, we need to organize ourselves creatively because the legal instrument that we had to prohibit mining no longer exists.”

    Original article: https://cispes.org/article/resistance-mining-grows-environmentalists%E2%80%99-trial-approaches

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff, Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats Demand Answers From Trump Administration on Purging of DOJ and FBI Officials

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Schiff, Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats Demand Answers From Trump Administration on Purging of DOJ and FBI Officials

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) joined U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and all other Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in demanding answers from Trump Administration nominees and acting officials on the removal or reassignment of career law enforcement officials across the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

    Last week, the Trump Administration reportedly purged dozens of DOJ and FBI officials involved in prosecuting Donald Trump and the January 6 rioters, and they are now threatening additional action against thousands of employees across the country who worked on investigations related to the attack on the Capitol. The Senators wrote to Pam Bondi, President Trump’s nominee to be the Attorney General of DOJ; Kash Patel, nominee to be the Director of the FBI; Todd Blanche, nominee to be Deputy Attorney General; Acting Attorney General James McHenry; and Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll regarding the mass purging.

    “We have grave concerns about the removal or reassignment across the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of senior career civil servants who have served honorably under multiple administrations, regardless of the President’s party,” wrote the Senators. “The removals and reassignments from their positions of a significant number of experienced, nonpartisan Department officials with invaluable national security expertise without any comparable replacements one day into the second Trump Administration presents an alarming threat to national security.”

    “As America faces a heightened threat landscape, these shocking removals and reassignments deprive DOJ and the FBI of experienced, senior leadership and decades of experience fighting violent crime, espionage, and terrorism,” continued the Senators. “As the FBI Agents Association stated in response to reports about the removal of FBI officials: ‘Dismissing potentially hundreds of Agents would severely weaken the Bureau’s ability to protect the country from national security and criminal threats and will ultimately risk setting up the Bureau and its new leadership for failure.’ Moreover, the firing of dozens of federal prosecutors and hundreds of agents will cripple FBI field offices and U.S. Attorney’s offices across the country. We can only assume these decisions are intended to prevent the Department from investigating national security and public corruption, while also serving as political retribution against the President’s perceived enemies and stoking fear among the dedicated and talented workforce in our nation’s premier law enforcement agency.”

    As many as 20 senior DOJ officials were reassigned or removed, including the veteran career deputy assistant attorneys general in the Department’s National Security Division.

    Over the weekend, thousands of FBI personnel across the country were asked to complete a questionnaire by today, Monday, February 3, at 3 p.m. The survey asks for their job title, whether they worked on a case related to the January 6th attack on the Capitol, “if they were involved in the arrest of a Jan. 6 suspect, if they testified at a trial, if they interviewed witnesses, if they conducted surveillance on suspects and more.” It has also been reported that the Acting FBI Director is being advised by an advisory committee comprised of partisan political operators, including an Elon Musk affiliate. This is a stark departure from the longstanding tradition that the FBI Director is the only political appointee in the Bureau.

    The purge of experienced career prosecutors and agents has recently expanded to include the removal or forced retirement of all six executive assistant directors (EADs), including the EADs who oversee the National Security Branch, Intelligence Branch, and the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. It also includes the assistant Directors and the Special Agents in charge of at least four major field offices. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove ordered these actions in a January 31, 2025 memo, stating, “I do not believe the current leadership of the Justice Department can trust these FBI employees to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully.”

    Additionally, over a dozen senior DOJ prosecutors were fired after receiving memos from Acting Attorney General McHenry, stating “Given your significant role in prosecuting the President, I do not believe that the leadership of the Department can trust you to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully.”

    The Senators emphasized that the Senate Judiciary Committee has a constitutional obligation to perform oversight over the Department and its components, and to provide advice and consent on the nominations of officers to lead it. To that end, they requested information to be returned to the committee in response to the removal of FBI and DOJ officials. They also requested answers from these individuals about their involvement. 

    In addition to Senators Padilla, Schiff, and Durbin, the letters were signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

    Full text of the letter to Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi is available here.

    Full text of the letter to FBI Director nominee Kash Patel is available here.

    Full text of the letter to Deputy Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche is available here.

    Full text of the letter to Acting Attorney General McHenry and Acting FBI Director Driscoll is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Remains located, identified as woman missing since March

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Attribute to Waikato Western Area Commander Inspector Will Loughrin:

    Police can confirm the remains of a woman missing since March 2024 have been found in the Pureroa Forest in Waikato.

    Police were alerted to the discovery by a local hunter on Monday evening, 27 January.

    Police can now confirm the remains are those of 79-year-old Judy Donovan.

    Judy was laying bait with a group in the forest on 23 March last year when she became separated.

    That afternoon, Search and Rescue teams, including Land Search and Rescue, Police Search and Rescue, and dog units, were deployed to the area.

    The search for Judy was suspended in April last year after a large-scale, weeks-long search. The choice to suspend a search is always a tough one. It involves the assessment of a number of factors, including consultation with survivability experts.

    In May, Police and a cadaver dog deployed to the area again, however, they were unable to locate her. 

    Judy’s family has been advised of the discovery, and they are being offered support at this incredibly emotional time.

    A post-mortem examination has been completed along with the formal identification process.

    As the matter is with the Coroner, we are unable to provide further comment.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Coalition’s tax-free lunch plan could cost $250 million or $10 billion – depending on who’s doing the sums

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dale Boccabella, Associate Professor of Taxation Law, UNSW Sydney

    Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

    The 1980s are remembered for many things including power suits, the Ford Falcon and the long lunch.

    The last was thanks to a generous interpretation of tax law as it applied to food and entertainment at “business meetings”. Bosses could deduct the cost of lunch with colleagues and contacts for tax purposes.

    The Hawke government ended that when it made sweeping changes to tax law the mid 80s including the introduction of a fringe benefits tax.

    But the long lunch might return under a Coalition government.

    Its estimated cost to the budget, however, swings wildly. The Parliamentary Budget Office puts the figure at A$250 million, while a government-commissioned study by Treasury says it could be between $1.6 billion and $10 billion .

    The different estimates result from varied modelling of how many businesses would seek the deduction and the average amount each would claim. Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor on Tuesday said it would cost less than $250 million. He said the Treasury estimates were “straight nonsense”.

    Angus Taylor said Treasury’s estimates were “straight nonsense”
    Mick Tsikas/AAP

    The actual cost may also depend on whether the deduction would be limited to employees or could include spending on their family members and on clients. These things are not yet clear.

    One thing that is clear, however, is higher spending at hospitality venues should bring in more tax from businesses to offset the lost deduction revenue.

    Whatever rules emerge, enforcing them could be expensive. Some small businesses might be tempted to inflate their expenditure, or simply “reclassify” usual food and drink costs to make them eligible for a deduction.

    Opposition leader Peter Dutton announced the plan late last month. He said small businesses could claim deductions for meals and entertainment. This would be available to businesses with a turnover under $10 million and excluded alcohol.

    The deduction would be capped at $20,000 a year. The policy would run initially for two years and would presumably be reviewed with a view to extending it or making it permanent.

    Dutton gave two reasons for reintroducing the exemption to the FBT. First, it was an incentive that would help retain and reward employees. Employees can get a “little bit of a return”, Dutton said at the time. Second, it would boost hospitality spending.

    Overwhelmingly, this policy is an incentive for small businesses. However, tax policy experts argue the tax system should not use targeted tax breaks to promote a particular economic activity.

    One major concern is this plan runs counter to the reasonably clear boundary our income tax system has established between private consumption expenditure (not deductible) and income producing expenditure (deductible).

    The 1985 deduction denial for entertainment expenditure is a central part of this framework; it squarely recognised the private consumption character of the expenditure and it has stood for 40 years in tax law. Serious analysis should be done before changes are made.

    Also, it might lead to claims of “what about me?” Think, for example, of a small business taxpayer with a turnover of $12 million who misses out. What about an independent contractor who falls short of being a business?

    It looks like the technical way the tax deduction is to be achieved will depend on who benefits from the food and entertainment. If the beneficiary is a customer of the small business, the small business will be given a deduction. If the employee benefits, the small business will get an exemption for the benefit and obtain a deduction for the expenditure.

    Peter Dutton said in his announcement last month the Coalition was doing this in a way to ensure small businesses “are not dragged into a complicated tax jungle”.

    Fringe benefits tax is complicated and compliance costs are high.
    Shakirov Albert/Shutterstock

    The complexity of fringe benefits tax is well known. Compliance costs are high and mistakes are made by taxpayers and tax agents. The complexity is greatest for entertainment spending where income tax interacts with fringe benefits tax and the GST.

    Without knowing the proposed rules, there is a chance a small business incurring entertainment expenditure can avoid being brought into a “tax jungle” if they keep employees and customers at separate entertainment events.

    If they do combine the two, some complications arise, but they are not insurmountable. In any event, tax agents and their clients tend to get used to their specific situation over time. Excluding alcohol does add a slight complication, though, because of the different treatment it will attract.

    Overall, the concerns about this policy are real and substantial. It is worth recalling that there are many examples of poor tax policy getting into legislation, and despite the significant evidence about them, they are not removed.

    The capital gains tax discount is a good example. This discount has overwhelmingly delivered a tax break to high income earners. And the amount of the lost revenue is continually increasing. Let us think before running this risk with the proposed “long lunch” tax break.

    Dale Boccabella 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. Coalition’s tax-free lunch plan could cost $250 million or $10 billion – depending on who’s doing the sums – https://theconversation.com/coalitions-tax-free-lunch-plan-could-cost-250-million-or-10-billion-depending-on-whos-doing-the-sums-247999

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: (WIP) Growing ESG complexity in the year ahead: what companies can expect

    Source: Allens Insights

    ESG continues to evolve 10 min read

    As stakeholder expectations on Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) issues continue to evolve, we are seeing a movement build from voluntary standards to domestic regulation. Concurrently, the opposition to ESG-related action is adding to uncertainty and complexity when it comes to legal compliance and alignment with global high watermarks.

    In this Insight, we take stock of the ESG journey and reflect on the trends to look out for in 2025 and beyond.

    Key takeaways

    • Growing uncertainty around upcoming ESG legislation is expected to raise complexity and costs for companies in achieving regulatory compliance. The shift from a more global consensus on climate and environmental commitments, ESG due diligence and reporting requirements may result in deeper fragmentation of laws across jurisdictions, presenting new challenges for companies navigating competing pro- and anti-ESG regulatory trends.
    • Companies that are revisiting their sustainability and ESG-related claims and commitments amid heightened reputational and legal exposures over ‘greenwashing’ risk will need to continue to balance accuracy and appropriateness of public commitments with the risk of being perceived as laggards by their stakeholders, including scrutiny of perceived ‘greenhushing’ or ‘greywashing’.
    • Litigation risk remains a key challenge for businesses navigating ESG obligations and evolving stakeholder expectations. Potential claims are expanding to include directors’ duties and emerging intersectional ESG issues, including nature and biodiversity, human rights and plastics. Non-judicial forums such as complaints to OECD National Contact Points are likely to remain attractive for stakeholders seeking behavioural change.
    • Regardless of whether companies and their directors elect to recalibrate their ESG policies, companies should ensure they are satisfied that their chosen course of action is in the best interests of the company, and retain evidence to support that view and regarding the reasonable grounds for key decisions.

    Who in your organisation needs to know about this?

    Boards; general counsel and legal; sustainability; regulatory and compliance; cultural heritage and communities teams; external affairs.

    A recap of 2024

    New ESG legislation, an uptick in regulatory enforcement and the rising expectations of investors and other stakeholders are elevating ESG issues to the top of boardroom agendas.

    In 2024, we saw the multi-jurisdictional trend of new ESG due diligence and reporting laws continue in places like the EU and California, adding to recent regulatory developments in Australia, the US, the UK, Canada and elsewhere. Australian companies have been responding, even if not directly in scope, as these new legal requirements flow through from customers and clients.

    Combating alleged ‘greenwashing’ and ‘bluewashing’—being claims that environmental and social disclosures are false, misleading or have no reasonable basis—has become an enforcement priority for Australia’s corporate regulators. In November 2024, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) confirmed greenwashing and misleading conduct involving ESG claims would remain an enforcement priority in 2025.

    Activists and strategic litigants have deployed strategies in and out of the courtroom seeking to influence corporate behaviour. While the majority of cases have commenced in the US, Australia consistently comes a close second, with cases increasingly focusing on the intersection between the environment and human rights, including the rights of First Nations peoples.

    Alongside these developments, the backlash against ESG action increased in 2024 and was a key issue during elections in the US and across the EU. In the US, laws have been passed restricting ESG-related investment decisions, which have impacted investment flows, while legal challenges have delayed the implementation of the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s climate-related financial disclosure rules. Some financial institutions and asset managers are moving away from membership of voluntary ESG commitments, such as the Net Zero Asset Managers and Net Zero Banking Alliance initiatives.1 

    Looking ahead to 2025

    Deregulation may increase uncertainty and complexity for companies

    The conversation around deregulation is already becoming more pronounced in 2025, in light of recent political developments and as ESG regulatory changes take effect.

    Upon commencing his second term in office on 20 January 2025, President Trump’s executive orders have so far included:

    • withdrawing the US from the Paris Agreement (for a second time); and
    • revoking the country’s financial commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the US International Climate Finance Plan.

    His nominations to environmental protection and corporate regulatory agencies may foreshadow a further rollback of measures on:

    • anti-pollution;
    • emissions reduction; and
    • climate-related financial disclosures.

    The wave of new executive orders has already sought to wind back the Biden Administration’s ESG policies (including those encouraging the uptake of electric vehicles).

    In the EU, the outcome of a new omnibus proposal aiming to streamline various Green Deal sustainability regulations is due to be released by 26 February 2025. It is possible the proposal will include delays in implementation, while a recently leaked European Commission strategy paper for streamlining the Commission’s regulatory processes suggests there may be a greater focus on reducing the regulatory burden for small and medium-sized companies.

    This uncertainty around upcoming ESG legislation is likely to mean increased complexity and costs for companies associated with achieving regulatory compliance. A move away from a more global consensus on ESG due diligence and reporting requirements may result in deeper fragmentation of laws across jurisdictions. Companies will continue to face challenges in navigating these pro- and anti-ESG regulations across different jurisdictions.

    At the same time, disasters such as the Los Angeles fires will keep ESG issues in the public consciousness, and deregulation is unlikely to be aligned with the evolving high watermark to which stakeholders are holding companies to account. We anticipate an increase in ESG litigation as activists continue to pursue behavioural change by governments and companies in the courts.

    ESG as a ‘dirty word’: greenhushing and greywashing

    While many companies continue to take voluntary action on ESG issues, some are revisiting their ESG commitments in light of the increasingly contested and politicised environment, as well as the heightened reputational and legal exposures associated with sustainability and ESG-related public claims and commitments.

    The paring back of existing commitments will continue to be scrutinised by regulators and civil society, and we anticipate that allegations of ‘greenhushing’ or ‘greywashing’ may develop.

    ‘Greenhushing’ refers to deliberately withholding information about sustainability goals and achievements.

    ‘Greywashing’ refers to setting strategies and policies that are too watered down, unambitious, qualified or ambiguous to result in meaningful change. 

    ASIC Chair Joe Longo has described greenhushing as ‘just another form of greenwashing’, which ‘risks misleading by omission’, referring to the annual Net Zero Report issued by South Pole which highlighted a substantial decrease in climate communications across a number of sectors.

    Companies will need to continue to balance accuracy and appropriateness of commitments while maintaining flexibility in the changing political environment, with the risk of being perceived as laggards by their stakeholders.

    The ESG litigation field expands

    Despite the mixed successes of recent ESG claims, we expect activists will continue to pursue strategic litigation to extract concessions from governments and companies and effect behavioural change.

    ESG claims have expanded beyond the traditional higher-emitting sectors. Stakeholders are looking more widely at targets and potential claims with the objective of disrupting capital flows, including scrutinising companies’ exposure through their financing activities and broader value chains. We expect that financial institutions will remain a target of stakeholder scrutiny, and that claims and complaints will continue to explore the intersection between climate change and issues such as nature and biodiversity, human rights and plastics. The use of new technologies such as AI and carbon capture and storage (or CCS) is also attracting activist scrutiny.

    In 2025, decisions from the International Court of Justice and Australian courts may clarify legal obligations related to climate change, particularly in tort law, potentially impacting future corporate liability for alleged climate change impacts.

    Non-curial avenues such as the OECD National Contact Points and UN Special Procedures are already a well-tested forum on ESG issues. Complainants are likely to be interested in exploring the recent updates to the OECD Guidelines on matters such as climate change and biodiversity. The Australian National Contact point may also be utilised by stakeholders in response to the three-year modified liability regime under the new mandatory climate-related financial reporting regime introduced from 1 January 2025, which prevents private litigation in respect of certain ‘protected statements’ for a period of time.

    International discussions will continue to influence private actors

    Despite failures by state parties to reach agreement at 2024’s UN biodiversity and plastic forums, discourse surrounding the negotiations appears to be sharpening corporate and civil society focus, including through an uptick in plastics-related litigation and campaigns. The next UN biodiversity COP taking place in Rome in February this year, and international negotiations will continue on a treaty to address the full lifecycle of plastic—from production to design and disposal.

    Another emerging focus area for companies is Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), particularly in the life sciences and mining sectors. A new treaty on genetic resources and traditional knowledge was concluded at the international level in 2024 under the auspices of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which will require inventors to disclose the source of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge in patent applications. After many years of diplomatic efforts by countries including Australia, this is the first multilateral treaty specifically relating to traditional knowledge, and efforts continue to protect traditional cultural expressions at the international level. It remains to be seen how this significant step at the international level will affect the discourse concerning the need for sui generis ICIP legislation in Australia.

    Subject matter trends 

    Implications of US exit from international climate change commitments and shift in domestic energy policy

    The United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement introduces a new element of uncertainty for global efforts to address climate change. It remains to be seen whether the Trump Administration’s decision will leave the US as an outlier in international climate and energy policy, or if it may have a broader chilling effect on global cooperation on climate change and other emerging environmental issues.

    President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, has already reaffirmed that ‘Europe will stay the course’ and reaffirmed the EU’s commitments to the Paris Agreement. A net zero-focused bipartisan alliance of 24 State Governors has also vowed to sustain and advance climate action in the US.  

    The new US administration has also embarked on a significant gear change in US domestic energy policy.

    • Executive orders have been effected to declare a ‘national energy emergency’.
    • This expedites the permitting of oil and gas projects (specifically in Alaska) and temporarily suspends new federal offshore wind leasing pending an environmental and economic review.
    • The US Federal Reserve has also withdrawn from the Network for Greening the Financial System—an international group of central banks, including the Reserve Bank of Australia, that analyses the economic fallout from climate change.
    • The Office of Management and Budget also ordered a temporary pause on grant funding by federal agencies for activities implicated by the new executive orders, including renewable energy and climate and atmospheric research programs. The order was subsequently rescinded after an urgent legal challenge by non-profits successfully sought an injunction.

    These changes are likely to lead to legal challenges, further adding to the uncertainties faced by businesses navigating the new energy policy environment. As the Trump Administration seeks to encourage investment in the oil and gas sectors, we also expect stakeholders to intensify their scrutiny of companies’ exposure to higher-emitting projects.

    Methane emissions

    International initiatives to reduce methane emissions have been gaining industry and national support:

    • the World Bank’s Global Flaring and Methane Reduction (GFMR) Partnership is now active in over a dozen countries and has been endorsed by 57 companies.
    • the Global Methane Pledge launched at COP26 in 2021 by the EU and US has received 159 country endorsements as of 2024, including Australia’s.

    Several countries have moved to impose stricter regulations on methane emissions. In May 2024, the EU introduced its Methane Regulation requiring increased monitoring, detection and reduction of methane emissions. Additional import restrictions will extend to gas imported into the Eurozone from 2027. In November 2024, the United States Environmental Protection Agency announced new regulations on the emission of methane from crude-oil and natural gas facilities.

    New and expanded gas projects (and related infrastructure and supply chains) remain a focus of campaigning and shareholder activism on fugitive methane emissions by organisations such as Market Forces.

    Biodiversity and nature

    Countries are moving to implement their national commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

    • Australia’s Nature Repair Market is set to open for business in 2025, operating in a similar fashion to the existing carbon market, to incentivise projects to protect and restore the environment through biodiversity credits.
    • The EU’s Regulation on Nature Restoration entered into force in August 2024, and the Canadian Government has moved to legislate a Nature Accountability Bill as part of its 2030 Nature Strategy released in June 2024.
    • However, the future of the Canadian bill is now uncertain due to the suspension of all parliamentary business after Parliament was prorogued on 6 January 2025 following the resignation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. While Canada’s next general election is scheduled for 20 October 2025, opposition parties have foreshadowed a no-confidence motion when the next parliamentary session resumes on 24 March which, if successful, may trigger an early vote.

    Several jurisdictions are also moving to address deforestation in supply chains, with measures including import restrictions and due diligence requirements.

    • The EU’s Regulation on Deforestation-free Products will enter into effect from 30 December 2025 and require certain commodities and derived products to be ‘deforestation-free’ if placed, made available on or exported through the EU common market.

    The UK is also developing its own Forest Risk Commodity Regulation,2 which would also impose commodity-based restrictions and due diligence requirements.

    Plastics pollution and the circular economy

    A growing number of jurisdictions are introducing restrictions on plastic products, including single-use and microplastics.

    • The EU’s Single Use Plastic Directive came into force in 2024, and the European Commission has proposed additional measures to prevent the unintentional release of plastic pellets.
    • In the US, the State of California has commenced proceedings against Exxon Mobil and PepsiCo Inc in relation to allegedly misleading the public regarding plastics pollution.
    • In Australia, the ACCC commenced enforcement proceedings against Clorox Australia Pty Ltd in April 2024 for alleged greenwashing over claims relating to its ‘GLAD’ plastic bag products.
    The right to water

    From the Murray-Darling Basin to the Great Barrier Reef and beyond, we expect to see preservation of, and access to, water resources increase in priority for stakeholders as an issue that crosses geographical and jurisdictional boundaries.

    Access to water and sanitation is recognised as a fundamental human right by the UN General Assembly, and stakeholders are raising issues around water security, water quality, contamination by microplastics and Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) chemicals, access to water resources for agriculture, and ensuring First Nations peoples’ interests and connection to water are taken into account.

    Modern slavery reporting reforms

    In December 2024, the federal Attorney-General’s Department (AGD) published the Government’s response to the 2023 statutory review of the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) (MSA). The response follows the appointment of Australia’s first national Anti-Slavery Commissioner, who is expected to lead in the implementation of modern slavery reporting reforms.

    The Government has agreed (in full, in part, or in principle) to 25 of the 30 recommendations from the review, including the need to strengthen the compliance and enforcement framework under the MSA. The Government agreed in principle to the introduction of a penalty regime—details are not yet available, but the Government is expected to consult with stakeholders in 2025.

    One issue that remains unresolved is the status of proposals for mandatory human rights due diligence (HRDD) by reporting entities under the MSA. The Government has ‘noted’ the recommendation to introduce HRDD; however, it has indicated that the AGD will engage with stakeholders on HRDD as part of the next stage of implementation.

    The introduction of mandatory HRDD would align Australia with a number of jurisdictions that have introduced supply chain due diligence requirements, most notably the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive adopted by the European Parliament in 2024. The Canadian Government has proposed new supply chain due diligence legislation, while a parliamentary review of the UK’s modern slavery legislation has recommended the introduction of due diligence obligations.

    The timeline for legislative amendments to the MSA may be complicated by the federal election, which is due to occur before 17 May 2025.

    Navigating AI in the employment context

    As AI technologies advance, companies will need to navigate the social issues raised due to the use of AI in the workplace.

    Already, we are seeing increasing use of AI in hiring practices such as the screening of job applications. Based on how the algorithm was trained, AI can perpetuate biases, potentially leading to harmful or discriminatory outputs for individuals, groups or communities and arguably resulting in adverse human rights impacts.

    In the US, we are seeing court cases alleging unlawful discrimination where AI tools have been used for hiring, insurance claims and rental applications.3 We anticipate Australian businesses may face similar claims if AI is used without accounting for the risk of inherent bias.

    The rate of change brought by advancements in AI technology is not only front of mind for employers, but also for employees concerned about its implications. In October 2024, it was reported that Cbus and its employees had agreed to a first-of-its-kind enterprise agreement dealing with protections for employees if or when the super fund introduces AI technologies. The agreement contains an agreed definition of AI, and provides that Cbus must consult with staff on any changes that impact them in relation to AI.

    Rights of First Nations peoples

    In 2025, the Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs is set to continue its inquiry into the Truth and Justice Commission Bill 2024. The Bill seeks to establish a Commission to make recommendations to Parliament on historic and ongoing injustices against First Nations Australians. The Australian Law Reform Commission is also taking submissions as part of its review of the ‘future acts’ regime in the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), with a final report to be delivered by December 2025. For more, see our Insight.

    There are increasing demands on industry to consult First Nations stakeholders in their decision-making and operations, and to engage in benefit-sharing with Traditional Owners, with an emerging focus on the clean energy sector. The First Nations Clean Energy Network has published Best Practices Principles to help First Nations communities in Australia to share in the benefits of renewable energy projects, including calling for Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) standards to apply throughout the lifecycle of projects.

    We expect that international, ‘soft law’ standards will continue to evolve. For example, the International Council of Mining and Metals (ICMM) recently updated its Indigenous Peoples and Mining Position Statement to emphasise the responsibility of mining companies to achieve FPIC through meaningful engagement and good faith negotiation with Traditional Owners. Although the new standard goes beyond the current position in the Native Title Act and many cultural heritage laws in Australia, it is possible it will become a benchmark for mining companies in Australia—see our Insight.

    Addressing misconduct impacting First Nations peoples also remains an enforcement priority for ASIC.

    Diversity and inclusion

    Diversity, equity and inclusion policies and initiatives have also become the subject of backlash in the United States through three executive orders signed by President Trump, with one executive order foreshadowing regulatory action to ‘encourage’ private sector employers to dismantle diversity programs that have been based on federal anti-discrimination law.

    This backlash has already placed diversity on the political agenda in Australia, and the discussion around diversity policies and initiatives is likely to increase in the lead-up to the federal election this year.

    Company culture and governance issues in the spotlight

    Corporate culture is an ongoing boardroom issue and recent examples underscore the importance of accountability, transparency and strong and ethical corporate governance.

    • Cultural concerns: in the wake of federal Respect@Work reforms, a number of prominent Australian brands have been in the spotlight regarding whistleblower complaints on cultural issues. Widespread media reporting has led some companies to launch internal investigations to respond to shareholder concern and address reputational damage in the community.
    • Regulatory scrutiny: in addition to reputational damage, there is also now a real prospect of scrutiny from regulators in relation to corporate cultural issues. In its updated enforcement priorities announced on 14 November 2024, ASIC reaffirmed its commitment to addressing governance and directors’ duties failures as an enduring enforcement priority for 2025. As an example, ASIC commenced proceedings against Regional Express Holdings Limited and several of its directors for engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct and for contraventions of continuous disclosure obligations in relation to ASX announcements about the company’s financial position prior to entering into voluntary administration in July 2024.
    Navigating complexities in AI and ESG reporting

    As ESG reporting obligations expand in Australia and overseas, AI will become an increasingly attractive tool for companies seeking to reduce the time needed for data gathering and drafting.

    However, the use of AI may also present legal, regulatory and reputational risk:

    • Environmental impacts associated with the training and use of AI models. This includes increased demand for electricity consumption; the water footprint associated with training and maintaining AI models; and electronic waste generation.
    • Susceptibility to bias, which may result in errors that could lead to misleading statements or discriminatory outputs.
    • Privacy concerns from the use of sensitive or personal information without consent. Privacy law reforms introduced in late 2024 require companies to disclose when they will be using AI automated decision-making (see our Insight).
    • Human rights implications such as discrimination or potential harm to vulnerable groups such as children or workers in the AI supply chain.
    • Regulatory scrutiny on the use of AI, as indicated by the increased regulatory guidance available to companies, including Australia’s new Voluntary AI Safety Standard, the European Parliament’s AI regulations, and ASIC’s report on ‘Governance arrangements in the face of AI innovation’.

    Actions you can take now

    • Regardless of whether ESG policies are recalibrated in light of growing uncertainty around legislative frameworks and the anti-ESG backlash, companies and directors should ensure they are satisfied that their chosen course of action is in the best interests of the company, and gather evidence to support that view.
    • The influence of new legislation is being felt on companies even where not directly in scope. Consider adopting a higher water mark approach appropriate to the company’s risk profile and appetite to future proof against evolving stakeholder expectations and regulatory requirements.
    • Understand the scope of the company’s voluntary commitments and what these entail, including in international law.
    • When refreshing policies and procedures, look at these through the lens of emerging areas of focus. Consider if your policies fit for purpose and reflect emerging risk areas.
    • Consider the role of legal—privilege can be a useful tool where appropriate, given the regulatory and risk environment.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Tuberville Joins “The Megyn Kelly Show” to Advocate for Senate Leadership to Schedule Title IX Legislation for a Vote

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined “The Megyn Kelly Show” to discuss the need for the Senate to quickly bring his Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, or S.9, to the floor for a vote. The U.S. House of Representatives passed similar legislation on a bipartisan basis in January. 

    Senator Tuberville’s interview comes ahead of National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Wednesday, February 5.

    Excerpts from Senator Tuberville’s interview can be found below, and his full interview can be viewed here.

    KELLY: “Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama has been on the frontlines working to pass the legislation and he has been working for years—I went back and looked at the number of times he’s tried to bring this up when nobody wanted to hear from him, when it appeared to have no chance of passing, he brought it up, he brought it up again, he brought it up again. He has been like a dog with a bone on this—a true ally to women and girls everywhere, and there’s a reason, I think. He’s got a historic background in the sports world as a former head coach for several college football teams, Senator Tuberville—Coach Tuberville—welcome to the show.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you, Megyn. Thanks for having me on. And what a great subject we’re going to talk about.”

    KELLY: “I’m your huge fan at like the number of times you have tried to push this boulder up the hill really makes me respect you, even though you knew there was no way a Democrats-controlled Senate was going to give you a vote. But then, GOP wins control of the Senate—and what we’ve seen since you guys got control of the House and the Senate is the House passed it, and it got massaged a bit, they passed it again and said ‘Yeah, okay here we go, back to you guys in the Senate’ and we’ve been waiting—I’ve been waiting to see a vote by the GOP-controlled Senate on this thing because it’s much better—notwithstanding Trump’s executive orders—if it can become law. Law that can’t just be undone by an executive order four years from now. So why aren’t we seeing a vote?”

    TUBERVILLE: “Well, exactly right, Megyn. A lot of people don’t realize that an executive order, which President Trump signed almost a couple of weeks ago defining gender, by the way, and he even come out and said, ‘Listen, we have to have a bill within thirty days,’ because if you don’t know this, executive orders only last as long as that president’s there. So, we got some work to do. This is the third time—third time’s the charm. […] 79% of the people in this country—Republican and Democrat—say it is wrong for men or boys to participate in women’s sports. We’ve got the majority on our side. As you said—we’ve got to get it to the floor. John Thune told me he’s going to get it to the floor. He hasn’t done it. Now, it’s time to put up or shut up. We’ve got to get it on the floor so people can see. If it’s not going to pass, we’ll do it again, but we’ve got to get people on the record because this is something that’s very dear to the heart of all parents across the country and it’s dead wrong.”

    KELLY: “Would John Thune not want it to come to the floor—he certainly wouldn’t want to protect Democrats—he must know of Republicans who are not ready to vote for this thing.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Well, leadership is actually co-sponsors of this, and I think at the end of the day, John Thune’s been overwhelmed. Obviously, you’ve got President Trump breathing down his neck, you’ve got the […] House pushing things over—we’re trying to do reconciliation. The Laken Riley Act needed to be passed because it was so important with the border being under attack and we’re losing so many young men and women to fentanyl and all those things. But now is the time to act on this. We can’t wait any longer. 50 years of Title IX—it has been decimated by Biden and the Democrats and all the far-left progressives. I grew up in this business of coaching. I saw what it did for young girls, older girls—it’s created leaders across this country.” […]

    KELLY: “Is there some belief that this can’t pass, and they only want wins right now? They only want to put legislation on the floor that can get through?” 

    TUBERVILLE: “Yeah, and put yourself in John Thune’s position and the leadership of the Senate. They’re looking at things ‘Hey, let’s win early. Let’s get on the scoreboard early.’ But the problem with this is we’ve already won because President Trump pushed this out there. Now’s the time to put pressure on the Democrats. Time and time again, 4 or 5 times if we have to, even before the next election—get them on [record on] the vote that they’re going to vote against girls and women [by] having them participate against men and boys. It’s devastating to sports. It’s devastating to the lives of young people—there has been rapes in dressing rooms and showers. […] It’s going to become a common thing if you don’t stop this now. You let this landslide keep going—we’re going to have huge problems getting it stopped. So, it’s important that we stop it now, President Trump’s hot on the trail on this with his Executive Order. […] 50 years ago was the first time we ever said, ‘Okay, let’s give women […] an opportunity.’ […] And it’s the best thing that ever passed out of this place we call ‘the Swamp’ here in Washington, D.C. But again, we’re going to keep fighting for it…I’m going to continue to push leadership—John Thune, John Barrasso—they’re on my side on this, but again, you might have hit the nail on the head a while ago when you said, ‘They might just want to win.’ Well, we’ve had two losses in the last two votes that weren’t Laken Riley. So hey, let’s not worry about winning or losing on this—let’s get it out there where people can see what’s going on.’”

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Arrests and impounds following poor driving in Auckland

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police have made arrests and seized vehicles after reports of dangerous driving through parts of south Auckland today.

    Just before 11.30am, the public began reporting dirt bikes blocking a Manurewa intersection at Great South and Weymouth roads.

    Police have established the movements were part of a funeral procession moving from Manurewa to Pukekohe.

    “A group of vehicles were observed heading south on State Highway 1 driving in an unsafe manner,” District Shift Commander, Senior Sergeant Nick Ewen says.

    “The Police Eagle helicopter deployed and monitored the driving behaviour from overhead.”

    Police staff on the ground intercepted the vehicles in the Pukekohe area.

    Senior Sergeant Ewen says three people were arrested on the roadside, with four vehicles also being impounded.

    “Those arrested will be facing driving-related offences in court,” he says.

    “Counties Manukau staff have also impounded a further two dirt bikes at an address.

    “This is a great outcome, and it sends a message that Police and the wider community will not accept dangerous or unsociable behaviour on our roads.”

    Senior Sergeant Ewen says Police would like to hear from any members of the public as enquiries continue.

    “If you witnessed the driving behaviour or have dashcam footage, we need to hear from you,” he says.

    If you have footage or information to assist Police, please call 105 using the reference number P061507502.

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 02.03.2025 Sen. Cruz Announced as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the announcement of subcommittee assignments for the 119th Congress on the Committee. Sen. Cruz will be the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, as well as a member of the Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism and the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues.
    Sen. Cruz said, “As the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, I intend to pursue a robust oversight agenda and hearings schedule, with a focus on countering the Chinese Communist Party’s predatory practices toward our African partners. I will also focus on addressing threats posed by terrorist groups, freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, illicit finance across the continent, and diplomacy targeting us and our allies by malign actors. I look forward to also continuing work on other subcommittees strengthening strategic partnerships across the Middle East and the Western Hemisphere.”
    BACKGROUND
    The Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittees Sen. Cruz sits on holds jurisdiction over the following areas:
    Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy:
    The subcommittee deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with countries in Africa (except those, like the countries of North Africa, specifically covered by other subcommittees), as well as regional intergovernmental organizations like the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States. This subcommittee’s regional responsibilities include all matters within the geographic region, including matters relating to: (1) terrorism and non-proliferation; (2) crime and illicit narcotics; (3) U.S. foreign assistance programs; and (4) the promotion of U.S. trade and exports.
    In addition, this subcommittee has global responsibility for health-related policy, including disease outbreak and response.
    Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism:
    This subcommittee deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with the countries of the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and Central Asia, as well as regional intergovernmental organizations. This subcommittee’s regional responsibilities include all matters within the geographic region, including matters relating to: (1) terrorism and non-proliferation; (2) crime and illicit narcotics; (3) U.S. foreign assistance programs; and (4) the promotion of U.S. trade and exports.
    In addition, this subcommittee has global responsibility for counterterrorism matters.
    Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues:
    This subcommittee deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with the countries of the Western Hemisphere, including Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, Cuba, and the other countries in the Caribbean, as well as the Organization of American States. This subcommittee’s regional responsibilities include all matters within the geographic region, including matters relating to: (1) terrorism and non-proliferation; (2) crime and illicit narcotics; (3) U.S. foreign assistance programs; and (4) the promotion of U.S. trade and exports. In addition, this subcommittee has global responsibility for transnational crime, trafficking in persons (also known as modern slavery or human trafficking), global narcotics flows, civilian security, democracy, human rights, and global women’s issues.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: McKee refocuses training for real estate agents

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has acknowledged today’s High Court decision which saw Janet Dickson’s claims in her case against the Real Estate Agents Authority dismissed.
    “As a matter of principle, Mrs Dickson chose not to complete the compulsory professional development topic Te Kākano (The Seed) – which introduced real estate professionals to Māori culture, language, customs, and the Treaty of Waitangi. Under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008 the REA is required to cancel a real estate agent’s licence if they do not complete their CPD requirements. Mrs Dickson applied for an exemption from completing Te Kākano and that application was denied. She therefore faced the prospect of not being able to practise as a real estate agent for five years.
    “I sent a Letter of Expectation to the Real Estate Authority Board in February last year clearly outlining that CPD requirements should be relevant to the job of real estate agents.
    “I advised the Board that I did not consider the mandatory CPD topic in 2023 – Te Kākano (The Seed) – to meet my expectation of being relevant to the real estate profession.
    “It is critically important to me that the Real Estate Authority can demonstrate that its services materially improve outcomes for all New Zealanders and that they represent value for money.
    “This case has shed light on an overly harsh punishment for real estate agents who have not completed the CPD requirements,” Mrs McKee says.
    “No other profession imposes a five-year disqualification period on individuals for failing to complete their CPD requirement. It is a disproportionate response that stops people from working in their chosen profession.
    “The Regulatory Systems (Occupational Regulation) Amendment Bill which I introduced to Parliament in December last year addresses this by removing that clause from the Real Estate Agents Act 2008, creating consistency with other regulated professions.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 13 Alleged Meth, Cocaine Traffickers Charged In 15-Count Indictment

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    Thirteen alleged drug traffickers operation out of the Texas Panhandle were federally charged in DEA-led Operation Put It In Reverse, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham.

    Those charged in a 15-count indictment filed include:

    • Juan Gabriel Castro, aka “Big Boy,” charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine

    • Luis Gilberto Garcia, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine,  possession with intent to distribute cocaine

    • Terry Deon Noble, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, distribution of methamphetamine

    • David Dewayne Keelin, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine

    • Charlotte Ann Villanueva, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    • Kody Ryan Patterson, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    • Melissa Lynn Nelson, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    • Joshua James Tarver, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine,

    • Danny James Wise, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    • Christopher Steven Conley, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    • Reba Lynn McLaughlin, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    • Mario Socorro Martinez, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    • Alfredo Olivares Jimenez, aka “Freddie,” charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    The defendants were arrested last week.

    Over th course of the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 70 kilograms of methamphetamine, four kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of fentanyl, $70,000 in assets, and eight firearms.

    “These arrests demonstrate the continued resolve of DEA Amarillo Resident Office to investigate this organization to the fullest extent possible,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez.  “Local street dealers, transporters, bulk suppliers, and anyone in between should know DEA is committed to holding everyone in this organization, and others like it, accountable for selling deadly drugs to our communities.”

    An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

    If convicted, the defendants face as much as twenty years to life in federal prison.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division – Amarillo Resident Office conducted the investigation with the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigation and Highway Patrol Divisions, the Amarillo Police Department, the Randall County Sheriff’s Department, the Potter County Sheriff’s Department, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Agents of the Texas Attorney General’s Office (OIG),  Texas Game Warden Officers, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the United States Marshal’s Service, and Texas State Probation – Amarillo. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Marie Bell is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Continues Push to Reauthorize Program Supporting Rural Idaho Counties

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) led U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) and 17 other Senate colleagues in reintroducing legislation, S. 356, to reauthorize the U.S. Forest Service’s Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination Program (SRS) through Fiscal Year 2026.  The legislation has strong bipartisan backing.
    “The SRS program is a vital lifeline for rural counties where federal lands generate insufficient revenue for important local services,” said Crapo.  “Failure to reauthorize the program puts most of Idaho’s counties in a precarious position with a lack of fudning for schools, road maintenance, public safety, and search and rescue operations.  I urege botht the Senate and House to take up this measure expeditiously, and remain committed to finding a viable long-term solution that provides more certainty to rural county governments in the future.”
    “Idaho’s counties rely on SRS funding for schools and road maintenance,” said Risch. “The federal government made a promise to rural communities, and until we can bring historic timber revenue back to these areas, Congress has an obligation to fulfill that promise. Congress must immediately reauthorize SRS.”
    “This is urgent business for the Oregonians living and working in counties that have long depended on millions of dollars from these federal funds for local schools, roads, law enforcement and more,” said Wyden, who co-authored the SRS legislation in 2000.  “I’m glad this bill is being reintroduced right at the start of this new Congress in this bipartisan spirit, and I strongly urge our House colleagues to act with the same urgency and bipartisan ethic to reconnect this proven lifeline ASAP for rural communities in Oregon and nationwide.”
    “Our bipartisan bill provides reliable funding that is crucial to keeping schools and libraries open, maintaining roads, restoring watersheds, and ensuring there are police officers and firefighters to keep rural?communities safe,”?said Merkley.  “Congress must swiftly pass this bill to extend the SRS program so Oregon communities can maintain access to these important lifelines and resources.” 
    “Reauthorizing Secure Rural Schools for three years will help counties with large tracts of federal forests meet the needs of residents and visitors,” said National Association of Counties Executive Director Matthew Chase.  “Without SRS, counties would face, on average, an 80 percent drop in resources for infrastructure improvement, education programs and forest health projects.  Many rural counties and school districts are already making difficult decisions due to a lack of funds. Counties applaud the leadership of Senators Crapo and Wyden and look forward to prompt passage of this vital legislation.”
    Additional co-sponsors of the bill include Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire), John Curtis (R-Utah), Patty Murray (D-Washington), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), Tim Sheehy (R-Montana), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada).
    Crapo, Wyden, Risch and Merkley introduced the legislation in the 118th Congress and the Senate unanimously passed it in November 2024.  It did not receive a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives before the end of the Congress.  The program needs to be reauthorized as soon as possible to avoid a gap in funding for rural counties that rely on the program for much-needed services.
    Congress enacted SRS in 2000 to financially assist counties with public, tax-exempt forestlands.  The U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management administer the funds.  The totals are based on a formula including economic activity, timber harvest levels and other considerations that vary from county to county.  SRS payments are critical to maintain education programs for many rural counties that contain federal lands exempt from property taxes.
    Text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Man faces charges over series of thefts

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police have put a halt on an alleged crime spree in east Auckland, valued in the thousands.

    On Monday afternoon, Police caught up with the offender in the Botany area and have so far laid 15 charges.

    Senior Sergeant Simon Cornish, Counties Manukau East Intelligence Manager, says it is estimated more than $10,000 in property had been stolen. 

    “We have been aware of a vehicle of interest that had allegedly committed petrol drive-offs late last year and into January,” he says.

    “There have been reports in recent weeks of work vehicles being targeted in the East Tamaki area.”

    Senior Sergeant Cornish says handbags, wallets, tools, and camera gear had allegedly been stolen from vehicles.

    At this stage Police believe seven people have fallen victim to the man, with at least four petrol-drive offs allegedly committed.

    “Yesterday afternoon, a victim quickly contacted 111 and provided us information about a vehicle an offender was leaving the East Tamaki area in,” Senior Sergeant Cornish says.

    “A number of units deployed to the Botany area, including the Police Eagle helicopter, and the vehicle was stopped on Te Irirangi Drive.”

    A 34-year-old man was arrested and faces numerous charges in the Manukau District Court.

    Those charges include theft ex-car, theft and fraud offences relating to stolen credit cards.

    He was appearing the Manukau District Court today.

    Senior Sergeant Cornish says further charges cannot be ruled out as enquiries continue.

    “This is a great outcome, and it sends a message to those who are continuing to commit offending – it’s only a matter of time before we are catching up with you.”

    ENDS. 

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Arrests made in relation to Ōpōtiki homicide

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Please attribute to Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Wilson:

    Two men have been arrested in relation to the death of a man on Church Street, Ōpōtiki on Saturday morning.

    Yesterday evening, a 31-year-old patched Mongrel mob member was arrested and charged with murder. He appeared in court this morning and has been remanded in custody ahead of his next appearance at the Tauranga District Court on 26 February.

    A 25-year-old man was also arrested on Sunday afternoon. He has been charged with assault and is due to reappear in the Whakatane District Court on 12 February.

    Police are not seeking anyone else in relation to the death.

    Additional Police resources from the wider Bay of Plenty District have been in Ōpōtiki since Saturday morning assisting with inquiries and providing reassurance to the public.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Member of Puyallup Tribe sentenced to 13 years in prison for shooting death of his friend

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tacoma – A member of the Puyallup Tribe was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 13 years in prison for the fatal shooting of someone he considered a friend, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Dennis Jacobsen, 32, was arrested shortly after the shooting on October 21, 2021. Jacobsen was originally charged with unlawful possession of a firearm because of convictions for robbery and unlawful firearms possession in Pierce County Superior Court. In June 2024, Jacobsen pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and using a firearm during a crime of violence.

    At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said, “This is a tragic story of illicit drug use and a firearm. The lives of the loved ones of the victim will carry this loss for years.”

    According to records filed in the case, both Jacobsen and the victim had been drinking and using drugs the morning of the shooting. The two were seen together outside the victim’s home within the confines of the Puyallup reservation. The two men walked behind the home and witnesses heard three gunshots. The victim was shot once in the arm and twice in the head, at least once at close range. Witnesses then saw Jacobsen run from behind the house, get in a vehicle and drive away.

    When police went to Jacobsen’s residence, they found the handgun with one bullet still in the chamber. The ammunition matched the type of ammunition used in the shooting.

    In asking for the 15-year sentence, Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg wrote to the court, “The impact of (the victim’s) killing has been felt deeply in the community. His girlfriend was pregnant with his son at the time of the killing. She can now only show her son the photographs of his father. (The victim’s) parents are now without a son and the greater Puyallup community has lost another tribal member to a violent tragedy.”

    Jacobsen will be on five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

    The case was investigated by the Puyallup Tribal Police and the FBI.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Clinton County Felon Sentenced to 65 Months for Unlawful Firearm Possession

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Richard Brundige, age 46, of Ellenburg Depot, New York, was sentenced today to 65 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing a rifle as a previously convicted felon.

    United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, United States Marshal David McNulty, and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement,

    As part of his prior guilty plea, Brundige admitted that on December 12, 2022, he possessed a Marlin Model 336W lever action rifle and 17 rounds of ammunition. Brundige has four felony convictions in New York that prevented him from lawfully possessing the rifle. Brundige committed this offense while a fugitive from justice following a conviction in 2019.

    The United States Marshal Service and New York State Police investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carling Dunham prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘Grieving and crying’ as people on either side of Gaza conflict come together

    Source: United Nations 4

    Peace and Security

    Two people who have fought on opposing sides of the decades-old conflict between Palestinians and Israel have come to together through “grieving and crying” to discuss how Israeli Jews and Palestinians can live side by side in peace.

    Given the brutality of the recent conflict in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, it has become increasingly difficult to imagine a durable peace. Yet, that remains the aim of a remarkable grassroots organization called Combatants for Peace.

    The organization, which has been nominated for two Nobel Peace Prizes, is made up of Israelis and Palestinians who once embraced violence but have since turned to peace and dialogue as the only solution to healing the wounds of both communities.

    Several of the members of Combatants for Peace were invited to UN Headquarters at the end of January by the UN Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions, including Mai Shahin and Elik Elhanan.

    Ms. Shahin, a Palestinian peace activist and therapist with over 12 years of experience on conflict resolution, fought against Israel in the Second Intifada, a major uprising of Palestinians in the occupied territories which begin in the year 2000.

    Elik Elhanan is a teacher at City College of New York. In the late 1990s, he served in an Israeli Special Forces unit. In 1997, his 14-year-old sister was killed in Jerusalem by a suicide bomber.

    During their visit, they shared their stories with Conor Lennon from UN News, who started by asking them if dialogue between the members of Combatants for Peace has become more difficult, given the intensity of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

    This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

    Soundcloud

    Mai Shaheen: Even though there might be disagreements, dialogue has been one way of solving and ending the occupation for many years, so it is normal for me to be sitting with another human being who just happens to be Israeli Jewish.

    Elik Elhanan: Combatants for Peace has been around for a while. The 7 October 2023 attacks and the subsequent violence and crimes against humanity in Gaza tested our mettle. But it wasn’t our first test of this sort.

    We’ve been trying to find a way to communicate and dialogue since 2005. There is no absence of conflict, but we try to live with it and around it. Over the last 20 years, this has become my community. These are my brothers and sisters. These are my peers. These are the people I go to when I need advice. And these are the people I go to when I need support.

    I trust Mai and I trust the other Palestinian members. We’re grieving for two communities and fighting for two communities. As a result of our long engagement together, this feels natural.

    UN News: But have the conversations between Combatants for Peace in the two communities changed since 7 October?

    Mai Shaheen: For us it was very clear, even on the day itself, that we had to meet. Now more than ever. Actually, the work we had been doing for so many years came to fruition on 7 October. We soon began discussing how to bring everything we have learned and worked for, and how to walk our talk in front of the Israeli and Palestinian community. There were many conversations and meetings, a lot of grieving and a lot of crying.

    © UNICEF/Eyad El Baba

    A car filled with belongings heads back to Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.

    Non-violent dialogue has been one of the most crucial strategies that we have been using in Combatants for Peace. We don’t just talk about politics; we connect deeply with each other and allow the pain and the grieving to come.

    As Palestinians, we held the space for the Israeli activists who were going from one funeral to another. They needed to come with their frustration, anger, pain and grief. And we understood that this is the time to show our communities that nonviolent resistance is actually the only way for both of us to live together as equals.

    Elik Elhanan: I was in New York during the events of 7 October, and I was terrified for both communities. My family comes from the kibbutzim in the South. I know people in Gaza. Many of our members have families and friends in Gaza and we could feel that the Israeli reprisals would be insane and disproportionate and criminal. It was terrible.

    I held on to one hope, that the Combatants for Peace would survive. As I said, this is not our first test, but it’s the worst, and there were many moments where we thought that the organization would not survive this level of atrocities.

    It was the ability of members, usually from the Palestinian side, to stretch out a hand that saved the movement. So, even in this darkest of moments, a sliver of hope remains.

    I lost my sister in 1997 to a Hamas suicide bombing. I am familiar with this side of the conflict, and I am familiar with being the aggressor of this conflict. I could never find a place of forgiveness for my actions and a place for my grief in Israeli society.

    However, my Palestinian friends in Combatants for Peace were able to give me this space, and the fear of losing it was the worst fear I have ever experienced. And the joy that is still around is definitely what gives me hope in the everyday.

    UN News: Can you remember if there was a particular moment when you decided that violence was not the answer?

    Elik Elhanan: Ther was not a specific moment. It took time and patience and there were a lot of pangs along the way. After the murder of my sister, when I was in the midst of all the rage and pain, members of my unit and my commanding officer visited me. They didn’t have anything to say, any vision except more death, more killing.

    I remember very clearly officers from my unit telling me to get over it quickly and come back to the unit. “You’ll feel like a whole person again. We’re going out to Lebanon. You’ll get even”. The Palestinians who killed my sister are from the area of Nablus. How is fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon going to alleviate my pain or redeem her death? What is this vision of a world completely dominated by senseless violence?

    That transactional violence depressed me more than I can explain. I was in a violent and angry sort of depression for many years until during the Second Intifada. As a young student in Paris, I met Palestinian students and we started working together, and protesting against the violence. We insisted that dialogue and peace negotiations based on equality and justice are not dead. It’s in this moment that something opened up in me.

    Mai Shaheen: 13 years ago I was fortunate to meet a community of Palestinians and Israelis who had the vision and the dream to live together. That was my first time meeting normal Israelis who are not military, who are not investigating me or terrorizing me at checkpoints.

    I started reflecting on my own story and realized that, even when I chose violent resistance, my intention was not to kill. We have never had anything against the Jewish people or the Jewish nation. We are against occupation. We are against oppression. We are against the separation wall and the checkpoints. Our Israeli partners are saying the same.

    © UNICEF/Eyad El Baba

    Children and their families wait in Al Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, for the green light to begin their journey back home to Gaza City and the northern areas, after 15 months of displacement.

    UN News: Is the political class in Israel and Palestine listening to what you’re saying?

    Mai Shaheen: We had a big solidarity campaign in August, and we were joined by members of from the Knesset. We hope to have more changemakers in politics.

    Elik Elhanan: I should point out that the politicians that support us in the Israeli system are from the very far left of the political map. These are the Jewish and Palestinian members of the Communist Party and the coalition around it. Unfortunately, in mainstream Israeli political system, we have a lot of silent support, but few of them have the courage to support us openly and vocally.

    I think that is because they believe we, as Israelis, need more unity, strength and togetherness. I think what we need is a principled opposition. We can see that in the popular reaction to our work both in Israel and in Palestine, and I hope that politicians both in Israel and around the world will follow.

    UN News: The idea of a two-state solution, an Israeli and Palestinian state existing peacefully side by side, has been the United Nations position for decades. Is it still possible?

    Mai Shaheen: The real solution is everybody living freely on one land, like in America or Europe, with Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, non-believers all living together freely and respectfully.

    Elik Elhanan: Reality changes and perspective changes. In Combatants for Peace, we began building a joint political language for Israelis and Palestinians to function together in a single political system. This experience has changed me. I like sharing my political landscape with Palestinians, with their experience and their intelligence and their particular understanding of history and politics.

    We don’t have a position paper on this subject. That is a job for others, possibly people in this building. We are here to say that the solution is through negotiation, and a peace process, not through violence, war, ethnic cleansing and genocide.

    Anything is better than what’s going on now.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Man critically injured in Birkenhead

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police are responding to a serious assault in Birkenhead this afternoon.

    Just after 2pm, a man was located with injuries on Birkenhead Avenue by a member of the public.

    Waitematā Field Crime Manager, acting Detective Inspector Simon Harrison says an investigation is now underway to determine what has occurred.

    “At this early stage we believe the man has sustained stab wounds and he has been taken to Auckland City Hospital in a critical condition,” he says.

    Police would like to hear from the public who may have seen an incident unfold this afternoon.

    “Anyone who may have witnessed something taking place at an address or on the street should contact us,” acting Detective Inspector Harrison says.

    “We would also like to hear from anyone with information about a vehicle seen fleeing the scene a short time afterward.”

    Police have closed part of Birkenhead Avenue, near the intersection with Onewa Road.

    A scene examination will take place this afternoon as part of the investigation, acting Detective Inspector Harrison says.

    “Our investigation is still in the early stages in determing exactly what has taken place in Birkenhead this afternoon.

    “The public will see an increased presence of our staff in the area, and we appreciate the public’s understanding while our staff carry out their work at the scene.”

    Anyone with information is asked to contact Police on 105 using the reference number P061509544.

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Man arrested after machete located in Waitangi

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Eagle-eyed patrols got more than they bargained for after spotting a wanted man, allegedly carrying a machete down the inside of his pants.

    Police staff patrolling as part of Operation Waitangi noticed the man, who had a warrant for his arrest, walking along Selwyn Street, Paihia on Sunday afternoon.

    Northland District Prevention Manager, Inspector Dean Robinson, says officers quickly arrested the man and during a search located a machete on the inside of his pants.

    “This is a great result and another example that we are committed to keeping offensive weapons such as these out of the community.

    “Police opposed this man’s bail and he has been remanded in custody until his next appearance.”

    Police remind our communities to report any suspicious behaviour to Police on 111 immediately, or 105 after the fact.

    A 31-year-old man has been remanded in custody and will reappear in Whangārei District Court on 19 February charged with possession of an offensive weapon.

    ENDS.

    Holly McKay/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Arrests – Firearm incident – Coconut Grove

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested three offenders after a serious assault with a firearm occurred in Coconut Grove overnight.

    Around 7:05pm, police received reports that a 23-year-old man had been seriously injured by offenders who had arrived in a black Mazda 3 at a residence on Litchfield Court, Coconut Grove.

    On Police and St John Ambulance arrival it was confirmed that the man had been shot in the legs. The victim was conveyed to Royal Darwin Hospital in a stable condition while detectives identified the alleged offenders were known to the victim.  

    Shortly after the incident, police confirmed that the vehicle involved was not stolen and was allegedly being borrowed by someone who was not the registered owner.

    Multiple units, including detectives from the Crime Command, the Territory Response Group, Katherine general duties and the Northern Investigations Section deployed and began tracking the vehicle.

    Shortly before 4am, a tyre deflation device was successfully deployed outside Katherine and two men, aged 19 and 22, and a 22-year-old woman were arrested without incident.

    Multiple edged weapons were found within the vehicle but the firearm allegedly used has yet to be located.

    Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst said, “Major Crime and Northern Investigations teams are continuing to investigate this targeted attack and we are urging anyone with information to come forward.

    “I would like to commend every officer involved in the safe apprehension of these alleged offenders.

    “Anyone with information, particularly on the whereabouts of the firearm, can make contact with police on 131 444 and quote reference P25034096.” 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fatal crash: Inglewood

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police can confirm one person has died following a crash in Inglewood this morning.

    The crash involving a pedestrian and a vehicle was reported just after 8am.

    Sadly, the pedestrian died at the scene.

    The road has since reopened.

    Inquiries to determine the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Mile Plains — UPDATE: Missing person found safe

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The 22-year-old woman who was reported missing this past Saturday from Three Mile Plains has been found safe.

    The RCMP thanks Nova Scotians for assisting with missing persons files through social media shares and offering tips.

    File #: 2025-135395

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: White Supremacist Leader Found Guilty of Conspiring to Destroy Regional Power Grid

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Baltimore, Maryland – After a six-day trial, a federal jury found Brandon Russell, 29, a resident of Orlando, Florida, guilty of conspiracy to damage an energy facility.

    Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office announced the jury’s verdict.

    “Hate-fueled violence has no place in a civilized society. Brandon Russell went well beyond his First Amendment rights, orchestrating a terrorist plot that would have harmed thousands of innocent people,” Barron said.  “It won’t always be popular, but this office will do the right thing, the right way, for the right reason.”  

    “Brandon Russell, a self-proclaimed National Socialist, conspired to ‘lay waste to the city of Baltimore’ through violence and destruction of critical infrastructure. Today’s verdict reinforces there is no tolerance for those who seek to harm our communities and use violence to further hate-filled beliefs,” DelBagno said. “I am proud of the tremendous work by FBI Baltimore’s Joint Terrorism Task Force which led this investigation. The FBI remains diligent in protecting Marylanders from national security and public safety threats every single day in conjunction with our dedicated law enforcement and private sector partners.”

    According to evidence presented at trial, from at least November 2022 to February 3, 2023, Russell conspired to carry out attacks against critical infrastructure, specifically transformers located within electrical substations, in furtherance of Russell’s racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist beliefs. Russell posted links to open-source maps of infrastructure, which included the locations of electrical substations, and he described how a small number of attacks on substations could cause a “cascading failure.” Russell also discussed maximizing the impact of the planned attack by hitting multiple substations at one time.

    Russell recruited a Maryland-based woman, Sarah Beth Clendaniel, to carry out the attacks in Baltimore and elsewhere. They planned to damage energy facilities involved in the transmission and distribution of electricity and to cause a significant interruption and impairment of the Baltimore regional power grid. The intended monetary loss associated with the planned attacks would have exceeded $75 million. Clendaniel identified five substations to target, and Russell attempted to secure a weapon for Clendaniel. Clendaniel stated that if they hit a number of substations all in the same day, they “would completely destroy this whole city,” and that a “good four or five shots through the center of them . . . should make that happen.” She further added, “[i]t would probably permanently completely lay this city to waste if we could do that successfully.”

    Russell faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to damage an energy facility. Senior United States District Judge James K. Bredar will determine the sentence after accounting for the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not been scheduled. On September 25, 2024, U.S. District Judge Bredar sentenced Clendaniel, to 18 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for conspiring with Russell to damage or destroy an energy facility in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1366(a), and a concurrent sentence of 15 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and 3 years of supervised release, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).

    U.S. Attorney Barron commended the Baltimore FBI Field Office for its outstanding work in the investigation and praised the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Maryland State Police, the Baltimore County Police Department and the Tampa, Washington, and New York Field Offices of the FBI for their valuable assistance. Mr. Barron also thanked the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked the prosecution team for their hard work and diligence in the case.

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach. To report a Maryland-based hate crime, contact the FBI Baltimore field office at (410) 265-8080 or www.tips.fbi.gov.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Otaika homicide: Man charged as Police seek sightings of vehicle of interest

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    A man has been charged with murder over a Maungatapere teenager’s death in Otaika last week.

    Several search warrants have been carried out over recent days in the homicide investigation into the death of 18-year-old Kyle Jenkins.

    Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Pilmer, of Whangārei CIB, says a person of interest was being spoken to as of late yesterday.

    Enquiries have culminated in a 20-year-old man being charged in the early hours of the morning.

    “This man been charged with Kyle’s murder and will be appearing in the Whangārei District Court today,” he says.

    “This is a significant development in our investigation which has progressed rapidly in recent days, along with information that has been coming from public appeals.”

    Kyle’s family has been advised of an arrest being made.

    “Our thoughts are with his family, as they continue to grieve the loss of a son and prepare for his funeral today,” acting Detective Senior Sergeant Pilmer says.

    • POLICE SEEK SIGHTINGS OF VEHICLE

    The investigation team is seeking sightings of a vehicle of interest in the homicide investigation.

    That vehicle is a red Daihatsu. It has since been recovered by Police through the course of the investigation.

    It is distinctive, with faded red panels on the front driver’s side of the vehicle.

    Police are revising the window of interest to investigators.

    “We need to hear from anyone who saw this vehicle in the Otaika Valley Road and Mangakahia Road areas on Tuesday 28 January, between 8.15pm and 9.15pm,” acting Detective Senior Sergeant Pilmer says.

    “If you have dashcam footage, or can assist with the movements of this vehicle, please contact us.”

    The public should expect to see Police deployed back into the area later today.

    It will have been a week since Kyle was allegedly murdered.

    “Police will be conducting checkpoints in the Otaika Valley Road area tonight, as well as an area canvass as part of our appeal,” acting Detective Senior Sergeant Pilmer says.

    An online portal has been set up for any footage or photographs to be uploaded.

    Please go to https://distant.nc3.govt.nz

    Anyone with further information should call Police on 105 and reference the file number 250129/0335.

    Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police appeal for information in relation to missing person, Thomas Basire

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Attributable to Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Todd, Hutt Valley Area Investigations Manager:

    Police are appealing for the publics assistance to identify an associate of a Hutt Valley man, missing for over two months.

    28-year-old Tom Basire, was last seen wearing the clothing pictured, walking towards Petone on the stop bank near the Ewen Bridge on Railway Ave, 24 November 2024

    Police have been told that Tom would occasionally visit an associate that lives in Petone.  No other details of this associate are known, and Police are asking for the public’s help to identify this person.

    Last week, Police’s Search and Rescue Team oversaw a search of the Hutt River and riverbank. Police can now advise, no items of interest were located in this search, however, footage which was taken during the search continues to be analysed.

    Police have previously advised that it is out of character for Tom to not be in contact with his family, especially missing seeing his family on his birthday in December.

    Both Police and Tom’s family have serious concerns for his wellbeing and would like to see him return safely

    If you have any information on Tom’s whereabouts or the identity an associate of his from the Petone area, please update us online now or call 105, quoting reference number 241213/6143.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RI Delegation Calls on Trump Administration to Swiftly Implement New Law Increasing Social Security Benefits for Public Service Employees

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    CRANSTON, RI – U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse along with Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo today joined with union officials to call on the Trump administration to swiftly implement a new law that increases Social Security benefits for public service employees.  The event took place at National Education Association Rhode Island’s headquarters.

    “Thousands of hardworking Rhode Islanders who have dedicated their lives to serving our communities deserve the reassurance that they won’t be short-changed on their Social Security benefits. That’s why I worked for years with my colleagues to pass this legislation and ensure that millions of teachers, postal workers, firefighters, police officers, and other dedicated civil servants get the benefits they have earned,” said Reed.  “I’m glad we were able to finally deliver this correction and it is imperative that the Trump Administration acts urgently to implement this law.  We will be watching closely.  I’m committed to protecting and strengthening Social Security to ensure all Americans are able to retire with the dignity and financial security they have earned.”

    “We worked for years to pass this law to finally increase Social Security benefits for retired teachers, police officers, and firefighters across Rhode Island,” said Whitehouse, a founding member of the Expand Social Security Caucus and a longtime cosponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act.  “This change will strengthen the middle class, and we are going to keep after the Trump administration to swiftly implement it.  I will continue doing everything in my power to protect and expand the benefits seniors have earned over a lifetime of hard work.”

    “For too long, public servants—teachers, firefighters, and police officers—have been unfairly shortchanged on the Social Security benefits they have rightfully earned,” said Magaziner. “With the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, we’ve corrected this injustice and delivered long-overdue relief to thousands of Rhode Islanders.”

    “The Social Security Fairness Act is a critical new law that expands earned benefits for Rhode Islanders for the first time in over 20 years,” said Amo. “It fixes an oversight where public employees — including teachers, firefighters, and police officers — paid into Social Security but received far less than what they planned for in retirement. I promised to work to get it across the finish line upon arriving in the House. I proudly signed a discharge petition that forced House Republicans to bring the Social Security Fairness Act to the floor — and I was thrilled to vote yes when it passed the House in November last year.”

    All four members of Rhode Island’s congressional delegation cosponsored the Social Security Fairness Act, which President Biden signed into law in January. 

    The Social Security Fairness Act eliminated the Windfall Elimination Provision, which reduced Social Security benefits for retired or disabled workers if they also receive pensions from public sector jobs that are not covered by Social Security.

    The bill also eliminated the Government Pension Offset, which reduced Social Security spousal benefits for retired public servants who receive pensions from employment that was not covered by Social Security.

    More than 8,600 Rhode Islanders who receive government pensions but also contributed to Social Security through private-sector employment stand to benefit from the legislation.

    “This hard-fought, long-awaited legislation exemplifies government working for the people by correcting a provision that unfairly penalized workers for their public service,” said National Education Association Rhode Island President Val Lawson. “The Social Security Fairness Act will significantly improve the lives of our educators and education support professionals.”

    “The labor movement has been organizing for this victory for decades.  It shows that we will never give up, no matter how long it takes,” said Patrick Crowley, President of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO. “Thank you to the entire Congressional Delegation for their support for Rhode Island public services workers.”

    Today, we stand united in this victory, honoring the countless hours of advocacy, resilience, and unwavering determination it took to repeal the WEP/GPO legislation. This journey has been long, but together, we’ve fought for fairness and justice for every worker who dedicated their life to public service. Our success is a testament to the strength of solidarity and the belief that when we stand together, we can change the course of history,” said Maribeth Calabro, President of the RI Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals. “We are grateful for the support of our Congressional delegation, to ensuring that members have these benefits.”

    “On behalf of the national Repeal WEP/GPO Task Force committee, and as one of the three founding committee members along with John Pernorio, RI ARA and Roger Boudreau, RIAFT-R, I extend our sincerest thanks and appreciation to our RI federal House of Representatives members and Senators for their sponsorships and continued support to achieve passage of the Social Security Fairness Act,” said Rose Marie Cipriano, President of the RI Association of Retired Principals. “After forty-two years penalizing public service workers, predominantly educators, fairness was achieved January 5, 2025, when former President Biden signed HR 82 into law.  Over three million retirees will no longer have to endure a sixty percent reduction to their owed Social Security benefits.  Our RI Congressional delegation’s commitment and respect for all public service workers will forever be acknowledged.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 51st Fighter Wing completes readiness exercise, ACE dispersal despite heavy snowfall

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea  –  

    Despite historical snowfall during Korea’s Lunar New Year holiday, the 51st Fighter Wing completed its first wing readiness exercise of 2025, Beverly Herd 25-2, generating combat airpower from both Osan and Kunsan Air Bases, Jan. 26 – 31.

    Wing exercises like BH 25-2 are a necessary and recurring requirement in Korea, where continuous robust readiness is vital to deterring aggression and maintaining stability in the region. Throughout the week, base personnel strengthen their skills in multiple areas, practicing everything from proper protective gear wear, weapons handling, and small unit tactics; to defending the base and rapidly launching combat aircraft in response to threats.

    In addition to base-specific scenarios, the 51st FW also executed an Agile Combat Employment deployment in support of the exercise, sending F-16 Fighting Falcons and a detachment of supporting personnel to operate out of Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea.

    “It’s vital that we exercise our ability to generate airpower from any location,” said Col. William McKibban, 51st FW commander. “Partnering with our wingmen at Kunsan strengthens readiness across the peninsula and lets us refine how we rapidly deploy airpower from outside our home base.”

    “The relationship between the Kunsan and Osan is rock solid,” said Col. Peter Kasarskis, 8th FW commander. “Being able to synchronize on readiness exercises like this only makes us stronger and gives Kunsan vital training on our ability to receive follow-on forces.”

    Large force exercises like BH 25-2 often involve multiple units and simulate enemy threats across a variety of contingency scenarios. This iteration, however, Mother Nature herself decided to become an exercise player, bringing realistic scenarios to the wing in the form of record snowfall across the Republic of Korea.

    According to the 51st and 8th Operational Support Squadron Weather Flights, Osan Air Base experienced a total of 9 inches of snow, while Kunsan received approximately 5 inches, stressing and validating exercise player’s abilities to continue contingency operations in unplanned weather conditions.

    During the week, personnel across the base worked to keep walkways and facilities clear while 51st CES personnel worked 24-hour operations to keep roadways and the airfield open, supporting both exercise and real-world operations.

    “Without the ‘dirt boys’ specialized skill set on snow removal and Rapid Airfield Damage Repair, the flying mission would not be possible,” explained Master Sgt. Walter Urbina Hernandez, 51st CES horizontal repair section chief. “We must project airpower effectively while ensuring seamless launch and recovery operations for critical cargo and personnel aircraft moving to and from the port.”

    Simultaneously at Kunsan, ACE-deployed 51st FW Airmen battled similar weather conditions while working out of unfamiliar facilities, working with minimal personnel and equipment to generate F-16 airpower in response to BH 25-2 training scenarios.

    “Even though Kunsan is another U.S. Air Base, it poses different challenges for our Osan personnel,” said Capt Terrell Willis, 51st FW Mission Assurance Officer. “Exercising our ability to rapidly deploy aircraft, personnel, and cargo from Osan to different locations across the peninsula increases the survivability and lethality of our forces.”

    Korean weather officials cited the 2025 Lunar New Year week as having had a heavier than normal snowfall in relation to previous years, making it one of the snowiest Lunar Near Years in 30 years. Despite this, Osan Air Base suffered no damage or degradation to its facilities or aircraft.

    “In many ways, inclement weather actually enhances our training,” said Lt. Col. Andrew Myers, 51st CES Commander and BH 25-2 Wartime Operations Center Defensive Director. “Learning to adapt operations to unpredictable events is an essential skill, so exercising our tactics, techniques and procedures during heavy snow is extremely valuable to reinforcing our agile mindset.”

    The 51st FW concluded the exercise on Friday, Jan. 31; metaphorically, and in some cases, literally clearing the way for the remaining planned exercises this year.

    “The whole point of exercises like this is to prepare our airmen to generate combat airpower under any conditions, including when under attack, snowed in by weather, or both,” said McKibban. “We will continue to regularly practice and stress-test our readiness, and a little bit of bad weather isn’t going to stop us. Team Osan is ready to fight tonight to defend the peninsula and our nation, no matter what.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cope North 25 Send Off

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    MISAWA AIR BASE, AOMORI, Japan  –  

    As Cope North 25 approaches, members of the 35th Logistics Readiness Squadron (LRS) and Traffic Management Office (TMO) are ensuring the seamless shipment of essential cargo to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. The annual multinational exercise strengthens ties between the U.S., Australia and Japan, enhancing interoperability and regional security in the Indo-Pacific.

    “Right now, the squadrons are getting ready to ship their cargo off to go and support the mission for Cope North over in Guam,” said Senior Airman Rhett Hammon, 35th LRS inbound cargo technician. “What we’re doing here is ensuring that everything that is being shipped is strapped, packaged and weighed properly, and we’re working with the loadmasters to get them ready to go.”

    Cope North 25 serves as a platform for combined air tactics, techniques and procedures, ensuring participating nations can operate effectively in real-world scenarios. To facilitate this, LRS and TMO personnel are responsible for coordinating logistics, verifying load safety, and processing necessary documentation.

    “Our responsibility here is to train the base on how to prepare their cargo and get all the paperwork together in order to ship it out when the time comes, be it exercise or deployment,” said Staff Sgt. Shanks, 35th LRS air transportation technician.

    Much of the cargo consists of maintenance tools and equipment crucial to the 13th Fighter Generation Squadron’s ability to sustain operations during the exercise.

    “Without sending this cargo there, they would not even be able to participate, or it would severely limit their capabilities to meet their objectives in the exercise,” Shanks said.

    Beyond logistical coordination, Cope North 25 also provides a valuable experience for participating Airmen.

    “This will actually be my first time going to Cope North, but I’m excited to go and support everyone up there and learn new things outside of my comfort zone,” Hammon said.

    As preparations continue, Misawa Air Base remains committed to ensuring mission success, strengthening alliances, and contributing to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Alleged Armed Carjacker Charged After Arrest

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Parren Hawkins, 33, of Washington, D.C., was charged today in Superior Court with armed carjacking in connection with an incident, yesterday, in Northeast D.C. The charge was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

               According to documents filed in court, at approximately 2:47 a.m. on February 2, 2025, police officers were dispatched to 331 15th Street NE, where they located the victim of an armed carjacking. The victim told the officers that the defendant approached him as he sat in his vehicle, pointed a black handgun at him and told him to get out of the vehicle. The victim complied. The defendant then demanded money and took the victim’s wallet and cell phone before fleeing northbound on the 400 block of 15th Street, NE. The victim flagged down a passerby and called 911.

               As police were interviewing the victim, Prince George’s County Police observed the stolen vehicle in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Officers began pursuing the vehicle until the defendant ultimately crashed into a curb. The driver fled on foot and police caught him on Darrington Road with a handgun in his possession.

                Hawkins was presented in court today and ordered detained.

                The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaniqua Butler is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –