NewzIntel.com

Blog

  • MIL-OSI China: Domestic tourist attractions big draw during 8-day break

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Tourists are seen on the Duanqiao Bridge, or the Broken Bridge in the West Lake scenic area during the Spring Festival holiday in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Feb. 3, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    China’s domestic tourist attractions recorded more than 500 million visits during the just-concluded Spring Festival holiday, demonstrating the strong consumption power of the Chinese people at home and abroad.
    Destinations featuring snowy views or Chinese cultural vibes proved to be especially popular during the holiday period, which was the first Spring Festival celebrated after the event was added to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in December.
    Figures released on Wednesday by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism show that during the eight-day break from Jan 28 to Tuesday, trips to domestic tourist attractions increased 5.9 percent year-on-year to around 501 million visits.
    Tourism-related expenditures during the holiday reached more than 677 billion yuan ($93.1 billion), up 7 percent year-on-year, according to the ministry’s statistics.
    Spring Festival, the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar, fell on Jan 29 this year and marked the beginning of the Year of the Snake.
    The ministry said that destinations highlighting folk performances or nighttime amusement events, including lantern shows in the provinces of Anhui and Sichuan, and fireworks shows in Hunan province, were favored by travelers seeking an immersive Chinese cultural experience and a festive atmosphere. Museums were also popular during the holiday.
    Li Jianhua, a 50-year-old resident of Hebei province, spent the holiday in Datong, Shanxi province. The city is known for its historical architecture, well-preserved ancient towns and Buddhist grottoes.
    “I went to the city in October for the first time and went again for Spring Festival,” Li said. “I’ve watched many creative or classic lanterns from the well-protected city walls, which were breathtaking. The traditional cultural vibes hit me. I also bought some cultural and creative products as souvenirs.”
    According to the ministry, destinations with snow views or winter sports activities in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and in northeastern provinces such as Heilongjiang and Jilin were also top choices for holiday travelers.
    Figures from travel agencies showed the popularity of winter tourism during the holiday.
    Travel portal Tuniu said domestic winter tourism was at its peak from early January to the Spring Festival holiday, and travelers living in southern or eastern provinces with milder climates such as Guangdong and Fujian have stronger interest in experiencing “freezing trips”.
    Tuniu said that destinations in northeastern provinces, including Heilongjiang’s Harbin — recognized as China’s winter fairyland — and Mohe, China’s northernmost city, and Changchun in Jilin were among the top destinations for winter attraction enthusiasts over the holiday.
    For overseas traveling, Japan, Thailand, the Maldives and Indonesia remained popular for Chinese people during the long holiday because of their relatively close proximities, friendlier visa policies and lower travel costs, according to Tuniu.
    In addition, both the culture and tourism ministry and travel agencies noticed that the traditional celebrations and cultural vibes of Spring Festival have increased China’s attractiveness to international travelers over the holiday who were interested in experiencing intangible cultural events such as temple fairs, lantern shows and operas.
    Online travel agency Trip.com Group said that most of the inbound international travelers during Spring Festival were from South Korea, the United States, Malaysia and Singapore. They chose Shenzhen and Guangzhou in Guangdong province, as well as Shanghai and Beijing, to experience the bustling holiday.
    It added that ticket bookings for events focusing on intangible cultural programs surged more than sevenfold on the overseas version of its platform during the holiday.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Provinces help facilitate return of migrant workers

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    As China resumes full-scale operations after Spring Festival, authorities across the country are rolling out services to stabilize employment, with Guangdong province leading the way by organizing special trains and buses to help migrant workers return to work.
    In January, Guangdong launched employment initiatives that will run through March, aimed at coordinating and providing services during the peak period of job changes before and after the eight-day holiday, which ended on Tuesday.
    Various levels of human resources and social security authorities in the province plan to organize about 20 special high-speed trains to help migrant workers return to their workplaces.
    Guangdong has more than 43 million migrant workers, including over 24 million from other provinces and regions, according to provincial human resources and social security authorities.
    “I am satisfied with my current job and income in Guangdong,” said Tan Jinying, who has worked in the province for nine years.
    A native of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Tan has actively participated in skills training, continuously enhancing her expertise and business capabilities.
    Starting as a front-line operator in 2014, she has grown into a technical specialist responsible for quality control and inspection.
    “The company I work for has accelerated its transformation and upgrading, with automation continuously improving, helping to enhance efficiency and improve the work environment,” she said.
    Tan was among 600 migrant workers from Guangxi who returned to Guangzhou, Guangdong’s capital, on a chartered high-speed train on Monday.
    To accelerate the development of a high-level talent hub, Guangdong aims to strengthen the talent base of its modern industrial system, said Huang Kunming, Party secretary of the province, at a high-quality development conference on Wednesday.
    The province will implement a talent action plan this year, offering competitive salaries and positions to attract 1 million university graduates for employment and entrepreneurship.
    Similar initiatives have been launched in many regions to ensure a smooth return to work and attract more talent. Chartered buses and trains have been heading to various destinations in recent days.
    In Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi province, a large-scale job fair was held on Wednesday, with more than 300 companies offering over 8,000 job positions. The event also featured livestreamed company presentations, allowing job seekers to learn about corporate culture and work environments in real time.
    Fang Jingtong, a 23-year-old university student in Changsha, Hunan province, expressed her desire to return to her hometown of Taiyuan after graduating in June.
    “Shanxi, known for its rich cultural and tourism resources, offers opportunities for young people like me majoring in visual design,” she said.
    The job fair featured positions in various sectors, including hardware design, marketing planning, operations management and new media, catering to diverse career interests.
    “We hope to recruit more young people skilled in high and new technology,” said Yang Pu, a human resources manager at Foxconn’s Taiyuan Technology Industrial Park.
    The industrial park, one of seven on the Chinese mainland built by Foxconn Technology Group, plans to hire more than 50 engineers, human resources specialists and college graduates.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: PLA wary of ‘joint patrols’ in South China Sea

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    The People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theater Command conducted a routine patrol in the South China Sea on Wednesday, a day after the Philippines and United States militaries conducted a joint exercise in the region.
    Tian Junli, spokesperson for the Southern Theater Command, announced the operation on Wednesday evening, accusing the Philippines of colluding with outside countries to organize “so-called joint patrols”, which Tian claimed destabilize the region.
    The Philippines’ actions, Tian said, were an attempt to endorse its “illegal claims” in the South China Sea and undermine China’s maritime rights and interests. “The theater command forces remain on high alert, resolutely defending national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. Any military activities that disrupt the South China Sea are fully under control,” the spokesperson said.
    On Tuesday, the air forces of the Philippines and the US held “joint patrols” over the South China Sea, according to the Philippines Air Force.
    The same day, the PLA’s Southern Theater Command’s Air Force conducted a routine patrol over Huangyan Island in the South China Sea. Li Jianjian, a spokesperson for the theater command’s Air Force, said the Philippines had worked with outside countries to organize “joint patrols”, further undermining peace and stability in the region.
    On Monday, Tian addressed the passage of a Chinese naval fleet through the Basilan Strait near the Philippines. Tian said the theater command had organized naval and air forces for far-sea exercises via the Basilan Strait. “The relevant operations were conducted in a safe, standardized and professional manner, fully in accordance with international law and international practice,” Tian said.
    Tian criticized the Philippines for “slandering and hyping up” the normal passage of the Chinese naval fleet, adding that such actions violated the normal navigation rights of other countries, including China.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China sees over 2.3B inter-regional trips

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Passengers wait for the train at Hangzhou East Railway Station in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Feb. 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    During the eight-day Spring Festival holiday that ended on Tuesday, more than 2.3 billion passenger trips were made across all regions in China, official data showed Wednesday.
    The total included 96.26 million railway trips, 2.18 billion road trips, 9.41 million waterway trips, and 18.24 million air trips, according to data from the Ministry of Transport, the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd., among others.
    The annual Spring Festival travel rush, known as chunyun in China, is set to break records this year. Between Jan. 14 and Feb. 22, an estimated 9 billion inter-regional passenger trips are expected. The Spring Festival, an occasion for family reunions, fell on Jan. 29 this year.
    In recent years, a notable trend during chunyun has been the surge in the use of new energy vehicles (NEVs), driven by the fast expansion of charging infrastructure and the Chinese people’s growing eco-friendly awareness.
    The State Grid Corporation of China has expected the charging volume for NEVs on the country’s highways to reach a record high during the Spring Festival holiday.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China likely to achieve 5% growth this year

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China is expected to maintain its annual economic growth target at around 5 percent for 2025, the same as last year’s goal, in a bid to shore up market expectations in the face of tepid domestic demand and rising trade protectionism, analysts and executives said.

    The world’s second-largest economy has vowed to enhance countercyclical adjustments, including a more proactive fiscal policy and a moderately loose monetary policy, and provide a strong underpinning for achieving its annual goals, they added.

    Though China’s GDP target will only be officially disclosed during the National People’s Congress session in March, the anticipation for the unchanged growth target comes as China’s major economic hubs — like Beijing and Shanghai as well as the provinces of Guangdong and Zhejiang — have announced GDP growth goals in the vicinity of 5 percent for the year.

    Aside from Qinghai’s relatively lower target of around 4.5 percent, most other provincial-level regions have also set their growth goals at around 5 percent or slightly above 5 percent.

    Notably, the Xizang autonomous region has set the most ambitious growth objective, targeting over 7 percent with an aim to reach 8 percent. Chongqing, along with the provinces of Hainan and Hubei as well as the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, have set their growth goals at around 6 percent for this year.

    “The country is expected to aim for a GDP expansion of around 5 percent, as China is committed to achieving the goal of doubling per capita GDP by 2035, which requires an implied growth rate of no less than 4.6 percent,” said Zhang Ming, deputy director of the Institute of Finance and Banking, which is part of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

    The growth target will also help boost confidence and expectations in the current context of relatively subdued sentiment and provides a framework for policymakers to coordinate resources, Zhang said.

    Moreover, based on data from 2020 to 2024, every 1 percentage point increase in GDP has the potential to create around 2.61 million new urban jobs. A growth rate of around 5 percent could generate over 13 million new jobs, which would significantly alleviate employment pressure, said China Minsheng Bank.

    Through ramping up the intensity of countercyclical adjustments, China can harness its underlying growth potential to meet its 5 percent GDP growth target for 2025, even in the face of potential economic headwinds, said Wen Bin, chief economist at China Minsheng Bank.

    “With external demand likely to face trade barriers tipped by certain economies, China will need to direct its efforts toward unlocking the potential of domestic consumption as the main engine of economic growth,” Wen said.

    China’s consumer goods trade-in programs, which have driven a more than 1 percentage point increase in the annual growth of the country’s total retail sales last year, are set to cover a broader range of consumer goods and offer even more attractive incentives in 2025.

    “China is likely to double the funding for its consumer goods trade-in initiatives this year to 300 billion yuan ($41 billion),” said Wang Qing, chief macroeconomic analyst at Golden Credit Rating International.

    This significant increase in funding is expected to drive a substantial boost in consumption, with Wang forecasting an additional 750 billion yuan in spending in 2025, equivalent to a 1.5 percentage point acceleration in the growth rate of the total retail sales of consumer goods.

    China’s economic growth is poised to outshine the global average this year, underpinned by the dynamism of its innovation-driven private sector and the rapid expansion of future-oriented industries, said Ernesto Torres Cantu, head of international at Citi.

    This dynamism in the private sphere is a key factor behind China’s robust economic performance and the positive sentiment surrounding Chinese companies, he said.

    Meanwhile, such future-oriented industries as artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, green energy and humanoid robots will keep driving the country’s growth forward for years to come, with their impact also being felt worldwide, he added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US federal judge indefinitely blocks Trump’s order ending birthright citizenship

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A federal judge in Maryland on Wednesday indefinitely blocked U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship for undocumented immigrants and foreign visitors with temporary visas.

    Judge Deborah L. Boardman from the United States District Court for the District of Maryland issued a preliminary injunction after a court hearing in Greenbelt, Maryland, in a case filed by civil rights groups seeking to block Trump’s order. The injunction applies nationally.

    “The Maryland lawsuit is one of at least six different federal cases brought against Trump’s order by a total of 22 Democratic-led states and more than half a dozen civil rights groups,” according to The Washington Post.

    Trump signed the order hours after taking office on Jan. 20. It directed federal agencies to halt recognition of citizenship for children born after Feb. 19, if neither parent is a U.S. citizen nor a permanent resident.

    Over 20 states and civil rights groups immediately filed lawsuits challenging the order, calling it blatantly “unconstitutional.”

    On Jan. 23, Senior U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, a federal judge in Seattle, Washington state, temporarily blocked Trump’s executive order for at least 14 days, as lawsuits in Washington state and elsewhere over Trump’s action proceeded.

    The 14th Amendment states that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.”

    Trump’s executive order argued that the 14th Amendment “has always” excluded from birthright citizenship persons who were born in the United States but not “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza condemned in Mideast

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Displaced people are seen on their way home to the north of the Gaza Strip, near al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, on Jan. 28, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Middle East governments and regional leaders on Wednesday roundly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Washington could assume control of Gaza and relocate Palestinians, calling the proposal a breach of international law and a threat to longstanding efforts toward a two-state solution.

    Trump floated the idea during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, stating that the U.S. would “take over the Gaza Strip” and redevelop it, though he offered no specifics on resettling Palestinians.

    “We’re going to develop it, create thousands of jobs, and it’ll be something the entire Middle East can be proud of,” he said.

    In a statement, the Arab League (AL) rejected Trump’s proposal, saying it violates international law and threatens regional stability. The AL reaffirmed that the Palestinian issue remains subject to Arab consensus, emphasizing that one of its key principles is ensuring the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to establish an independent state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

    Trump’s proposal “does not contribute to achieving the two-state solution, which represents the only way to bring peace and security between Palestinians and Israelis, and in the entire region,” the pan-Arab body said.

    Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called the Gaza proposal “unacceptable” and fundamentally flawed. “Even considering such a plan is wrong,” Fidan told the semi-official Anadolu Agency in an interview. “We oppose all initiatives that seek to exclude the people of Gaza from the equation in the region. The idea of displacement is neither acceptable for the region nor for us.”

    Fidan also emphasized Turkey’s firm stance on Palestinian rights, rejecting any efforts to remove Hamas from Gaza’s reconstruction and governance.

    The Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement Wednesday, reaffirming that Saudi Arabia’s position on the establishment of a Palestinian state is non-negotiable. “The country will continue its relentless efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital and will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that,” the statement read.

    “Achieving lasting and just peace is impossible without the Palestinian people obtaining their legitimate rights in accordance with international resolutions, as has been previously clarified to both the former and current U.S. administrations,” it added.

    In a meeting in Cairo, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and visiting Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa urged the continuation of efforts to recover Gaza without forcing Palestinians to leave the enclave, especially as they remain determined to stay. Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s support for Palestinian rights, stressing the need for a fair, permanent political solution based on the two-state framework to end cycles of violence.

    Jordan’s King Abdullah II, in a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman, also rejected any attempts to annex land or displace Palestinians. “We reaffirm the necessity of achieving a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution, which will lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the 1967 borders,” the statement from Jordan’s Royal Hashemite Court said. The king also reiterated Jordan’s support for the Palestinian people in securing their legitimate rights.

    The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced Wednesday its strong rejection of the idea of forcibly relocating Palestinians. The UAE Foreign Ministry said in a statement that any efforts to displace Palestinians are unacceptable and violate their fundamental rights. The UAE reiterated its support for a two-state solution, emphasizing that the establishment of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state is essential for achieving long-term peace and stability in the region.

    Meanwhile, Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said the organization “categorically rejects all calls to displace our people from their homeland.” He stated that the two-state solution, based on international law, remains the only viable path to peace and stability. “We were born here, we have lived here, and we will remain here.”

    Strongly condemning and rejecting Trump’s remarks, Hamas said in a press statement that such rhetoric would escalate tensions in the region and aims to forcibly remove the Palestinian people from their land while justifying U.S. and Israeli control over Gaza. Hamas vowed that neither it nor the Palestinian people would allow any foreign power to impose guardianship over Gaza.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Russia, Ukraine swap 300 prisoners of war

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Russia and Ukraine have swapped 300 prisoners of war in their latest swap mediated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Russian defense ministry said Wednesday.

    The released Russian soldiers are receiving medical care in Belarus and will soon return to Russia, according to the ministry.

    Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that 150 Ukrainians had returned home from Russia as part of the swap.

    Zelensky thanked the UAE for its mediation.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: UN chief rejects ‘any form of ethnic cleansing’ in Gaza

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Palestinian children are seen next to a tent that serves as a temporary shelter at the Al-Yarmouk stadium in Gaza City, on Feb. 5, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law and “avoid any form of ethnic cleansing” in Gaza, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Wednesday.

    At its essence, the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people is about the right of Palestinians to simply live as human beings in their own land, Guterres told a UN committee meeting.

    “We have seen the realization of those rights steadily slip farther out of reach. We have seen a chilling, systematic dehumanization and demonization of an entire people,” he said in remarks at the 2025 session of the committee on the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

    “In the search for solutions, we must not make the problem worse,” Guterres warned. “It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law. It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing.”

    Guterres’ speech came one day after U.S. President Donald Trump proposed that Palestinians will resettle elsewhere and the United States will take over and gain “long-term ownership position” in the war-torn enclave. But the UN chief didn’t mention Trump or his proposal during his address.

    During the meeting, Guterres also called for a full ceasefire in Gaza following the first phase of a truce deal between Israel and Hamas.

    “First, we must keep pushing for a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages without delay,” he said. “We cannot go back to more death and destruction.”

    Highlighting the importance of the two-state solution, the UN chief said, “A viable, sovereign Palestinian State living side-by-side in peace and security with Israel is the only sustainable solution for Middle East stability.”

    Guterres also voiced his concern over the escalating situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. “I am gravely concerned by rising violence by Israeli settlers and other violations,” he said.

    The UN chief stressed the violence must stop, and international law must be respected, and accountability ensured.

    Reiterating the UN’s full commitment to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, Guterres called on the international community to work toward preserving the unity, contiguity, and integrity of the occupied Palestinian territory and the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza.

    Trump floated his plan during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, suggesting that the United States could take control of Gaza and relocate Palestinians, which has sparked widespread defiance and condemnation.

    At Wednesday’s noon briefing, when asked if Guterres believes Trump’s plan amounted to ethnic cleansing, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, responded, “Any forced displacement of people is tantamount to ethnic cleansing.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: OneRepublic pumps up 2025 Chinese Spring Festival Gala

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The American pop/rock band OneRepublic performed their chart-topping song Counting Stars at Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, Hubei province, during the 2025 Chinese Spring Festival Gala.

    Wuhan served as one of the sub-venues for the Gala. The city made a spectacular appearance during the show with a mesmerizing phoenix dance performance.

    Afterward, the Yellow Crane Tower reappeared with OneRepublic standing center stage. Their performance won praise, with comments highlighting the blend of Eastern and Western cultures and the spectacular view of the venue.

    OneRepublic held a live concert at the Wuhan Sports Center on Jan 16. Two days before the event, they posted a video on the Chinese social media platform Weibo of them enjoying the famous local Wuhan hot dry noodles. After the show, the band expressed gratitude for the beauty and wonderful experience in the city.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Shanghai Library East features snake-themed art exhibition

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    An ongoing exhibition at Shanghai Library East is celebrating the Year of the Snake with a display of 270 snake-themed artworks. The exhibition, which is taking place through March 2, explores snake-related myths, legends, history and modern interpretations.

    Co-hosted by Shanghai Library, Shanghai Artists’ Association and Shanghai Animation and Cartoon Association, this marks the third consecutive year of Chinese zodiac-themed exhibitions at the library.

    As one of the 12 animals in the traditional Chinese zodiac, the snake is widely represented in Chinese culture, symbolizing intelligence, rejuvenation and agility. The exhibition features a diverse array of works, including paintings, cartoons, illustrations, engravings and digital art, created by established artists like Dai Dunbang and Zheng Xinyao, star artists on social media, and art students. The exhibits were selected from more than 6,000 submissions from home and abroad.

    Additionally, the library has also introduced snake-themed furnishings and decorations, along with a new interactive game that brings some of the featured artworks to life.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Highly anticipated series highlights themes of sisterhood

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Six Sisters, a highly anticipated TV series, topped the country’s daily ratings on Wednesday, according to industry tracker Beacon.

    The drama, adapted from writer Yi Bei’s 2018 novel of the same name, follows the story of the He family, focusing on He Changsheng and his wife Liu Meixin as they navigate the challenges of raising six daughters.

    After the father dies in a car crash, He Jiali, the oldest daughter, shoulders the burden of raising the large family with her mother and grandmother by taking care of her five younger sisters, helping them to establish their own families and secure jobs.

    Starring actress Mei Ting as the oldest daughter and actor Lu Yi as her husband, the drama debuted on China Central Television’s CCTV-1 and simultaneously streamed on Tencent Video on Feb 3.

    The series, which also stars actresses Vivian Wu and Xi Meijuan as the mother and grandmother, was filmed in Huainan in East China’s Anhui province, capturing some time-honored locations, including Huaishang Dock, Beitou Food Market Street and Huainan Normal University.

    Set in the city, the drama incorporates many local elements ranging from customs to food. For example, satang, a type of rice porridge made with broth, appears in multiple scenes as the mother’s favorite dish.

    Yang Xiaopei, the chief producer and art director of the drama, said that each character has their own story and these tales intertwine to become an indispensable source of strength in each other’s lives. She hopes the project conveys a sense of warmth and strength to audiences.

    Yi, who also serves as the scriptwriter, shared that he employed a comedic narrative style, hoping that the story reflects the societal changes over four decades through the perspectives of ordinary people living in a small city.

    “The stories of the six sisters revolve around universal themes such as birth, aging, illness, death, love, and marriage. However, when placed against a specific backdrop, they take on a unique theme,” Yi added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China to further crack down on online gambling, telecom fraud with relevant countries

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    China will beef up law enforcement cooperation with relevant countries to crack down on online gambling and telecom fraud, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday.

    On the recent string of cross-border telecom fraud and other vicious cases along the Thailand-Myanmar border, China attaches great importance to it and made persistent effort to ask relevant countries to jointly find solutions through consultation, Lin made the remarks at a regular news briefing in response to a related query.

    “China welcomes the robust measures by relevant country. We stand ready to work with Thailand and other countries to beef up law enforcement cooperation, crack down on online gambling and telecom fraud, protect the safety of Chinese citizens overseas and their lawful rights and interests, and keep normal cross-border exchanges between China and relevant countries in order,” said the spokesperson.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China opposes forced displacement of people in Gaza

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    China has all along believed that “the Palestinians governing Palestine” is the fundamental principle of post-conflict governance of Gaza, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday.

    The spokesperson made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to comment on U.S. President Donald Trump’s speech in which he said the U.S. will “take over” and “own” the Gaza Strip after resettling Palestinians living there to neighboring countries, like Jordan and Egypt.

    Lin noted that China has all along believed that “the Palestinians governing Palestine” is the fundamental principle of post-conflict governance of Gaza.

    “We oppose the forced displacement of the people in Gaza, and hope that relevant parties will take the opportunity of the ceasefire and post-conflict governance in Gaza to bring the Palestinian question back to the right track of a political settlement based on the two-State solution, so as to realize lasting peace in the Middle East,” Lin said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Readout of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s Call With Panama’s President

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Department of Defense Spokesman John Ullyot provided the following readout:

    On February 5, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth held a call with Panamanian President José Raul Mulino. They agreed on the strong relationship and many security interests that the United States and Panama share, to include safeguarding the Panama Canal. Secretary Hegseth and President Mulino also agreed to expand cooperation between the U.S. military and Panama’s security forces. They also highlighted the extensive and expanding cooperation between the United States, including the Department of Defense, and the Panama Canal Authority. President Mulino welcomed a future visit by Secretary Hegseth to Panama that will serve to advance our countries’ close ties and ensure our joint defense of the Canal against external threats.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 32-2025: Scheduled Outage: Saturday 08 February to Sunday 09 February 2025 – Multiple Systems

    Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

    06 February 2025

    Who does this notice affect?

    Approved arrangements operators who will be required to view and/or update details of their Approved Arrangement via the Approved Arrangement Management Product (AAMP).

    All clients required to use the Biosecurity Import Conditions System (BICON) during this planned maintenance period.

    All clients required to use the Export / Next Export Documentation (EXDOC/NEXDOC) systems during this planned maintenance period.

    …

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Unambitious and undermined: why NZ’s latest climate pledge lacks the crucial ‘good faith’ factor

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Cooper, Associate Professor of Law, University of Waikato

    New Zealand’s Climate Change Minister Simon Watts speaking during the the recent climate summit in Azerbaijan. Sean Gallup/Getty Images

    The announcement of New Zealand’s new climate pledge under the Paris Agreement was met with sharp criticism last week.

    The agreement commits nations to provide a new pledge, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) every five years. But it also requires each pledge to be a “progression beyond” the previous one.

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced New Zealand would commit to reducing emissions by 51-55% below 2005 levels by 2035, which is only 1-5% above the current NDC of a 50% cut by 2030.

    Technically, the new NDC represents a progression, albeit the smallest possible one. It was criticised as underwhelming and unambitious to combat climate change, raising the question whether the coalition government has done enough to comply with its international obligations.

    The commitments of each member nation should align with the Paris Agreement’s purpose to hold global average temperature rise well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to keep it at 1.5°C.

    But the agreement also requires that each country’s NDC reflects its “highest possible ambition, reflecting its common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national circumstances”.

    Does the government’s announcement to step up emissions cuts by as little as 1% really represent New Zealand’s highest possible ambition in present circumstances?

    In October last year, looking specifically at New Zealand’s potential domestic contribution to the new NDC, the Climate Change Commission advised that emissions cuts of 66% could be achieved without shrinking the economy.

    This excludes potential additional cuts achieved through offshore mitigation – paying for overseas carbon credits or funding other countries to reduce their greenhouse emissions.

    Clearly, deeper cuts are possible and there is room for significantly greater ambition.

    The goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit climate change impacts by holding temperature rise well below 2°C.
    Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

    Bare minimum commitment

    Even if the new NDC meets a minimal requirement for compliance, it is difficult to see how it adheres to the purpose of the Paris Agreement and the level of ambition required.

    New Zealand’s NDC falls short of the commitments offered by other comparable countries and even some developing nations, including the oil and gas producer Brazil, which pledged to cut its emissions by 59-67% by 2035.

    International law has long been guided by the principle of pacta sunt servanda, which translates to “agreements must be kept”. The principle reminds parties to any agreement or convention that all international obligations should be fulfilled in good faith.

    Viewing New Zealand’s new NDC in the context of other recent decisions, it seems the coalition government may be pursuing policies that could undermine climate action while pledging the bare minimum internationally. This would be difficult to characterise as a party acting in good faith.

    Immediately following the new NDC announcement, Resources Minister Shane Jones unveiled New Zealand’s national minerals strategy, along with a list of critical minerals.
    These documents support the government’s goal to double exports from the mineral sector by 2035.

    Despite reassurance in the strategy that minerals production will not come at the expense of our environment, it includes plans to scale up exports of metallurgical coal. But mining more of this coal, then burning it (usually in the process of steelmaking), will add to greenhouse gas emissions.

    Wider concerns about the likely environmental damage and biodiversity loss linked with fast-tracked mining operations continue to be raised.

    Meeting trade obligations

    Last year’s decision to postpone the entry of agriculture into New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme without a robust alternative means that agricultural emissions continue to avoid effective regulation.

    Even recent measures to allow increased road speed limits have been criticised for increasing greenhouse gas emissions as well as worsening air quality and reducing road safety.

    Despite Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s claim to be “all about yes” even on climate change, such decisions are difficult to square with a responsible party to the Paris Agreement acting in good faith.

    The Paris Agreement is clear that emissions pledges are not imposed but are to be determined nationally. The agreement itself lacks an enforcement mechanism, but recently agreed trade deals with the European Union and with the United Kingdom both contain binding and enforceable commitments to the agreement.

    This is a reminder that trading partners are already monitoring New Zealand’s climate actions. Consumer attitudes and trade obligations might become a more powerful lever for climate action in the future. No government should ignore this.

    As the US administration begins to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, now more than ever is the time for other countries to stay focused on its purpose and to match national commitments accordingly.

    Without an NDC in line with the Paris goal, New Zealand’s government is not sending the right message to New Zealanders or to our trading partners and neighbours. It is failing to show international and regional leadership at a time when many Pacific nations are on the frontline of climate-related risk and damage.

    Nathan Cooper 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. Unambitious and undermined: why NZ’s latest climate pledge lacks the crucial ‘good faith’ factor – https://theconversation.com/unambitious-and-undermined-why-nzs-latest-climate-pledge-lacks-the-crucial-good-faith-factor-248877

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: EPW Committee Unanimously Passes Brownfields, Recycling Legislation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee unanimously passed the Brownfields Reauthorization Act of 2025, legislation to reauthorize the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Brownfields program, and the Strategies to Eliminate Waste and Accelerate Recycling Development (STEWARD) Act, legislation to improve our nation’s recycling and composting systems. 

    The Brownfields Reauthorization Act of 2025 was introduced by U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the EPW Committee, and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), and the STEWARD Act was introduced by Chairman Capito, and U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the EPW Committee, and John Boozman (R-Ark.).

    The Brownfields Reauthorization Act of 2025:

    “Rural and underserved communities lack the resources needed to compete with larger entities, putting them in an unfair position. Our bill streamlines the application process to level the playing field. The legislation also modernizes the program’s grant amounts to match current construction costs and project sizes, aligning them with the reality of doing business today,” Chairman Capito said.

    “Cleaning up brownfield sites can be costly and burden our local communities,”Senator Blunt Rochester said. “The Brownfield Reauthorization Act will help us reduce environmental hazards, spur economic development, and support the health and safety of our people. I’m proud to lead this bill alongside Chair Capito, and I’m also honored to carry on the work previously championed by my predecessor, former Senator Carper. Delaware will benefit from this legislation, and I hope to see it signed into law.”

    A one-pager of the legislation is available here.

    The STEWARD Act:

    “For too many Americans, recycling remains out of reach – either because facilities don’t exist in their communities or because the infrastructure to make recycling economically viable is not in place. The STEWARD Act aims to close these gaps by ensuring that recycling services are accessible to all communities. The bill also recognizes that, to solve a problem, you need to measure and understand it first. The data provisions in the STEWARD Act will empower decision-makers to track progress, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions that will drive real change in our nation’s recycling systems,” Chairman Capito said.

    “We are living through a plastic pollution crisis: it’s accumulating in our food, in our water, and in our bodies, and it’s threatening people’s health,” Ranking Member Whitehouse said. “I’m proud to join Chairman Capito and Senator Boozman to lead the STEWARD Act, which is an essential preliminary step in reducing the amount of plastics seeping into our bodies and environment. Recycling is a stopgap in the rising flood of plastic waste, and I look forward to working with my colleagues—on both sides of the aisle—to tackle this issue on all fronts.”

    “Strengthening our commitment to recycling in order to preserve the resources we are blessed with, as well as spur economic growth and encourage industry innovation, benefits all Americans,” Senator Boozman said. “I am proud to see the STEWARD Act advance with bipartisan support as we continue our efforts to encourage sustainable recycling infrastructure systems and practices.”

    A one-pager of the legislation is available here.

    BACKGROUND:

    The Brownfields Reauthorization Act unanimously passed the EPW Committee last Congress in September 2023. The STEWARD Act is the combination of the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act of 2023 and the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act, which both unanimously passed the EPW Committee last Congress in April 2023 and passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent in March 2024.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Readout of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s Call With Singapore Minister of Defense Ng Eng Hen

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Pentagon Spokesman John Ullyot provided the following readout:

    Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Singapore Minister of Defense Ng Eng Hen held an introductory call today to discuss key initiatives across the extensive bilateral defense partnership.

    The leaders exchanged views on the strategic environment in the region and reaffirmed the importance of working together to ensure a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. The Secretary conveyed his appreciation for Singapore’s support for U.S. presence in the region and reaffirmed U.S. commitment for Singapore’s continued military training in the United States.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Readout of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s Call With Philippines Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro, Jr.

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Pentagon Spokesman John Ullyot provided the following readout:

    Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. held an introductory call today to discuss defense cooperation in the U.S.-Philippines Alliance. The leaders discussed the importance of reestablishing deterrence in the South China Sea, including by working with allies and partners. They also discussed enhancing the capability and capacity of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The Secretary reaffirmed the ironclad U.S. commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and its importance for maintaining a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. He pledged to remain in close coordination with Secretary Teodoro.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Takes Questions From the Press

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH: Well, Mr. Prime Minister, it’s great to see you. It was a pleasure to see you last night in the White House as well, and it is the truth that we have no greater ally than the state of Israel. We are honored to stand alongside you, stare down many of the same threats that you do. And under President Trump’s leadership, just like you, we are totally committed to achieving peace through strength through standing with Israel on our side, putting America first and never backing down from anything. That it has been and will continue to be an unbreakable bond between our countries.

    As you know, I’ve had a chance to visit Israel eight or nine times. Spent time with you at the Western Wall. Watched the IDF in action, visited terror tunnels. Understand the proximity, whether it’s the Golan Heights or Hezbollah or the Gaza Strip, the threat that Israeli citizens have been under. And it always struck me, the sense of purpose that permeates the state of Israel living under an existential threat. And have always had a great deal of respect for the response that country has had.

    And now destroying Hamas’s capabilities in Gaza, Hezbollah’s capabilities in the north, damaging the Houthi infrastructure in Yemen and things that are of great importance to America. Those are all of great importance to us, but in September of 2024, killing the man responsible for the 1983 bombing of the Marine Corps compound in Beirut, killing 241 Americans. You have a long memory. We have a long memory and may our relationship continue to endure.

    We’re going to continue to grow our defense industrial base. We’ve supplied munitions that were previously not supplied that are useful in eradicating radical enemies. And we are committed to continuing to do so. So, I hope you’ve noticed here at the Defense Department under President Trump, we are laser focused on reviving the warrior ethos, on rebuilding America’s military, and reestablishing deterrence, which is something you, Prime Minister, have done in your neighborhood in impressive, aggressive and important ways.

    So, it’s an honor to welcome you to the Pentagon on behalf of the Department of Defense. Thank you for spending the afternoon with us, sir.

    PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: Well, thank you, Mr. Secretary. Pete, you’ve been a great and stalwart friend of Israel, and we see President Trump and the team that he’s put together is extraordinary friends, extraordinary patriots of America and therefore also champions of the American-Israel Alliance. I truly believe Israel obviously has no greater friend than the United States. And I think the United States has no better friend than Israel.

    It’s an ally that perhaps is different from any of your allies because we have no compunction about fighting our enemies by ourselves. We’re willing to shoulder the burden of our defense. But by confronting the forces of radicalism and terror and the forces that are anti-American at their core, they call you the Great Satan and they call us the small Satan. We just stand in their way, but you are their great enemy.

    By confronting these various enemies, we are not only defeating those who wish to attack us, but those who wish to attack you as well. And therefore, our victory is your victory, and we are well ahead and well advanced in the pursuit of our war goals that will give security and peace. And that’s the only way you get it in our region and perhaps in many other regions. The only way you get peace and an enduring peace is by being very, very strong.

    And with our alliance with your support, including the decision you just mentioned of supplying Israel the much-needed tools for our defense, we are a lot stronger than we’ve ever been. I thank you for this warm reception. It’s good to see you again and I look forward to our discussions away from the cameras.

    SECRETARY HEGSETH: Good to see you, sir. Welcome to the Pentagon.

    Q: Secretary Hegseth [crosstalk].

    Q: How do you feel about American involvement in Gaza considering your views and worldview?

    SECRETARY HEGSETH: I would just say to the question of Gaza; the definition of insanity is attempting to do the same thing over and over and over again. And as the president and prime minister pointed out last night, the president is willing to think outside the box, look for new and unique dynamic ways to solve problems that have felt like they’re intractable.

    So, we look forward to more conversations about that, creative solutions to that. And as the man tasked with leading the Defense Department here, we’re prepared to look at all options as we’ve said.

    Q: Including directly with [crosstalk]?

    Q: [Crosstalk] to Gaza, Mr. Secretary? Do you have a plan to send troops to Gaza?

    Q: Are you working on options for the president right now that would involve US troops in Gaza?

    SECRETARY HEGSETH: The president is involved in very complex and high-level negotiations of great consequence to both the United States and the state of Israel. And we look forward to working with our allies, our counterparts, both diplomatically and militarily

    to look at all options. But we certainly would not get ahead of the president or provide any details about what we may or may not do. That’s just bad military planning.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Do I have to get it in writing?’ Even with compulsory lessons, some teens are confused about how consent works

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giselle Woodley, Researcher and PhD Candidate, School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University

    Tirachard Kumtanom/Pexels, CC BY

    Consent education has been mandatory in Australian schools since 2023.

    Amid growing public understanding we need to reduce sexual violence and teach young people about healthy relationships, consent is now part of the national curriculum until Year 10.

    But is this education working?

    Our research with teens suggest some young people are not coming away with an adequate understanding of consent or how to use it in their relationships.

    What is consent education supposed to involve?

    Before 2023, consent was taught at the discretion of each school as part of relationships and sexuality education classes. The Morrison government announced age-appropriate consent lessons in 2022, to start in the first year of school.

    The aim is to teach students about the importance of consent, ensuring they understand it is an ongoing agreement between individuals. This means consent needs to be actively sought and freely given.

    It is still largely up to individual schools to work out how they teach the material.

    Consent education is now a compulsory part of Australia’s National Curriculum.
    Wendy Wei/Pexels, CC BY



    Read more:
    Wondering how to teach your kids about consent? Here’s an age-based guide to get you started

    Our research

    This research is part of a broader study of young people’s perceptions of online sexual content and experiences of relationships and sexuality education.

    For our research, we have spoken to 46 Australian teens (aged 11-17) through a mix of interviews and focus groups. The interviews were done between 2021-2023 and the focus groups were held in December 2023.

    As part of this, we asked interviewees what they learned about consent at school. The comments in this article were made after consent education became compulsory.

    ‘Nothing’ about how to speak to peers

    While some young people told us their schools had over-emphasised consent – “like they’ve gone through everything” – other interviewees found the lessons difficult to apply in their lives. As one focus group participant (in a group of mixed genders, aged 14-16) explained:

    [Young people are] taught in a basic stereotypical movie way like ‘no’, ‘stop that’, but they don’t actually teach, like, real-life situations.

    Lauren* (14) added young people were only taught “if you didn’t want to have sex, then just say no”. As she explained, teens need more practical advice on how to respond to potential partners. This includes:

    more focus on examples of other people asking for sex and what [to] do if you were asked to have sex with someone [or] on how to say ‘no’.

    Another participant (from a focus group of mixed-genders, aged 14-16) noted how saying “no” was more complex than what school lessons suggested and teens could be taught how to advocate for themselves:

    Especially for non-confrontational people ‘cause my friend, [a] creepy guy was being really weird to her, and she wouldn’t say anything about it ‘cause she’s so nice and other people had to step up for her because she wouldn’t tell him that she didn’t want it.

    Interviewees said they wanted more advice on how to handle real-life situations around consent.
    ArtHouse Studio/Pexels, CC BY

    ‘We don’t want to get in trouble’

    Interviewees told us how consent is often discussed within the context of unwanted sex and sexual assault, or as Tiffany (15) explained “all the negative things”. This may contribute to fears about sexual activity.

    Young people also saw consent as a means to avoid “getting into trouble”, rather than checking the comfort and willingness of their sexual partners.
    As Warren (17) told us:

    My friend group that I hang out with, we’re very big on consent. That’s because we’ve heard of cases where people might not have got consent, then they’ve got in trouble because of it […] we don’t want to get in trouble for doing the wrong thing […]

    In response to discussions about affirmative consent laws, and the need to demonstrate consent has been sought and given, Warren continued:

    I don’t know how I’d go about getting it every time, like, if I just invited a girl over [do] I have to get it in writing or something?

    He added he and his friends were thinking about having partners sign a form during their end-of-school celebrations:

    if we bring girls back, we want them to sign a consent form or something like that. That’s an idea we had.

    There are several issues with teens thinking they need a written form for sex. Not only is it transactional and impractical, it could create an idea someone is not “allowed” to withdraw consent at any time. It also presents consent as a simple box-ticking exercise for “yes” or “no”, when it should be based on mutual respect and care, as part of an evolving discussion.

    Going beyond consent

    We only interviewed a modest sample of students from Perth. But our study feeds into other research suggesting “consent” in itself may not stop or prevent sexual violence. That is, even if one partner says “yes” it does not mean the sex is free from coercion or is pleasurable.

    Other Australian studies have found young people can demonstrate high levels of knowledge about consent but may not know how to apply it.

    This suggests young people need more skills and knowledge than simply being told to “seek consent” – a low bar for ethical sex. Consent education also needs to explore communication skills, self-confidence, pleasure, love and relationship dynamics: all topics teens tell us they want to learn about.

    This should not be taken as a criticism of passionate, hardworking teachers and schools. But it suggests they need more support and training to provide consent education in ways young people can actually use.

    *names have been changed.

    Imogen Senior from Body Safety Australia, Gracie Cayley from the Kids Research Institute, Associate Professor Debra Dudek and Dr Harrison W. See from Edith Cowan University contributed to the research on which this article is based.

    This study was funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project Adolescents’ perceptions of harm from accessing online sexual content (DP 190102435). Primary funding was received from the ARC. The focus groups, were part-funded by Edith Cowan University’s School of Arts and Humanities: School research investment fund as part of the Love Studies’ Teenagers, Consent, and Sex Education project. Giselle Woodley is a member of Bloom-Ed, a relationships and sexuality education advocacy group, whose views are not expressed here. Giselle is also an expert advisor for ‘On your terms’ a consent study run by the Australian Human Rights Commission and funded by the Commonwealth Department of Education.

    Lelia Green is part of the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Project funding scheme (project DP190102435). The views expressed here are those of the authors and not necessarily of the Australian government or the ARC.

    – ref. ‘Do I have to get it in writing?’ Even with compulsory lessons, some teens are confused about how consent works – https://theconversation.com/do-i-have-to-get-it-in-writing-even-with-compulsory-lessons-some-teens-are-confused-about-how-consent-works-248771

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Charges – Assault police – Casuarina

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force have arrested a 25-year-old female in relation to a public disturbance at the Casuarina Bus Interchange yesterday.

    About 4:20pm, police received reports of the woman allegedly throwing objects at members of the public and threatening workers with an edged weapon.

    She was apprehended by security until police arrived and arrested her. During the arrest, she allegedly spat at an officer and kicked 2 other attending officers.

    She was charged with Going Armed in Public, Damage to Property, Assault Police, Assault a Worker, Resist Police in Execution of Duty and Disorderly in a Public Place and is to appear in Darwin Local Court on 6 Feb 2025.

    Superintendent Vicki Koum said, “We will not stand for our officers being assaulted while they are out serving and protecting the Territory”.

    “This is abhorrent behaviour that will not be tolerated.”

    Police urge anyone who witnesses crime or anti-social behaviour to contact police on 131 444 or in an emergency dial 000. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or through https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Palestinians have long resisted resettlement – Trump’s plan to ‘clean out’ Gaza won’t change that

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

    U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a news conference in the White House on Feb. 4, 2025. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

    President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the U.S. should “take over” Gaza, displace its current population and turn the enclave into “the Riviera of the Middle East” is unsettling – in both a literal and, to Palestinians, a very personal sense.

    The remarks, which followed earlier comments in which the president expressed a desire to “clean out” Gaza, have been taken by some Middle East experts as a call to “ethnically cleanse” the strip of its 2.2 million Palestinian inhabitants. They worry that such talk will bolster the hopes of Israel’s far-right settlers and their supporters in government, who want to remove Palestinians from Gaza and build Jewish-only settlements on the enclave’s beachfront property.

    Following Trump’s remarks, Riyad Mansour, Palestinian envoy to the United Nations, stated: “Our homeland is our homeland.” He added, “I think that leaders and people should respect the wishes of the Palestinian people.”

    As a scholar of modern Palestinian history, I know that calls to remove the Palestinians from Gaza are not new – but neither is Palestinians’ determination to remain in their homeland. For almost 80 years, Palestinians in Gaza have resisted various proposals to displace them from the enclave. In fact, those plans have often spurred resistance to occupation and removal.

    A people already uprooted

    Most people in Gaza are the product of displacement in the first place.

    In 1948, over 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes when the state of Israel was established and a war between the new country and its Arab neighbors erupted.

    These Palestinians became nationless refugees, placed under the care of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency. In the Gaza Strip, the agency set up eight refugee camps to care for over 200,000 Palestinians who had been forced out of over 190 towns and villages.

    Palestinian refugees are seen fleeing violence in 1948.
    Bettman/Getty Images

    In December 1948, the U.N. General Assembly adopted Resolution 194 stipulating that “the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date.”

    While Israeli leaders initially expressed a willingness to allow some refugees back, they rejected the refugees’ wholesale return. They argued that doing so would undermine Israel’s security and dilute its character as a “Jewish state.”

    As such, Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, looked for ways to “motivate the refugees to move eastward” toward Jordan. He hoped that by moving refugees further away from Israel, they would be less likely to return.

    At first, the United States called upon Israel to repatriate a substantial number of refugees. But with Israel consistently refusing to do so, leaders in Washington started turning to the idea of resettlement. They hoped that the promise of economic prosperity could induce large numbers of refugees to move to other Arab countries – and give up on the idea of returning home. For example, in 1953, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles drew up plans to resettle Palestinian refugees in Syria as part of a large water management project there.

    Likewise in 1961, the recently formed U.S. Agency for International Development began funding an irrigation project in Jordan, bringing in Palestinian refugees to work as farmers. U.S. officials hoped that the refugees would start to identify as Jordanians, rather than as Palestinians, and agree to permanently resettle in Jordan.

    But it did not work. A survey taken five years later found that the refugees still identified as Palestinians and wished to return to their homeland.

    Rejecting resettlement

    A further war between Israel and neighboring countries in 1967 resulted in Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which had been under Jordanian rule, as well as the Gaza Strip, which had been previously administered by Egypt.

    It also sparked a renewed sense of Palestinian national identity, especially among younger generations who increasingly took up guerrilla-style tactics in a bid to force Israel, and the international community, to recognize their right to return.

    In response, Israel looked to resettlement as a way to reduce the Palestinian population in territories it now occupied. In 1969, the Israeli government drew up secret plans to permanently transfer up to 60,000 Palestinians from Gaza to Paraguay. The scheme came to an abrupt halt when two Palestinians confronted the Israeli ambassador in Asunción about being brought to Paraguay under false pretenses.

    Meanwhile, between 1967 and 1979, far-right Israeli Jewish settlers established seven settlements in Gaza. They hoped to see Palestinians removed from the strip so the land could be incorporated into their vision of a “greater Israel.”

    Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Israeli officials proposed various plans to remove refugees from the camps and resettle them elsewhere. This included a 1983 plan to dismantle refugee camps in the occupied Palestinian territories and resettle their inhabitants in better housing in towns and cities.

    But Palestinian refugees firmly rejected the offer because it would have required them to give up their refugee status and relinquish their right of return.

    The Oslo negotiations of the 1990s rejected the notion of removing Palestinians from Gaza. In fact, keeping the refugees in Gaza was central to the premise of a two-state solution. At the same time, questions over the right of refugees to return to their original homelands in what is now Israel were shelved.

    No money can ‘replace your homeland’

    But with hopes of a two-state solution long since faded, resettlement plans have reemerged.

    Shortly after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas gunmen in Israel that sparked the widespread bombing and siege of Gaza, the Biden administration asked Congress to fund “the potential needs of Gazans fleeing to neighboring countries.” The news outraged many Palestinians, who saw it as giving Israel a green light to carry out what many viewed as an attempt to ethnically cleanse Gaza.

    In October 2024, far-right Jewish settlers gathered on the border of Gaza and called for the reestablishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza that had been dismantled in 2005. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called upon Israel to “encourage emigration” of Palestinians from Gaza. He proposed telling the Palestinians there: “We’re giving you the option, leave to other countries, the Land of Israel is ours.”

    Palestinians have responded with their feet. As soon the ceasefire went into effect on Jan. 19, 2025, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who had been displaced to southern Gaza walked for hours to reach their homes in northern Gaza. Hundreds posted videos of cleaning out their damaged homes so they can live there once again.

    The road to recovery in Gaza will be long. The U.N. estimates that rebuilding Gaza will cost US$50 billion and take at least 10 years.

    I believe Palestinians want help rebuilding, not resettlement. Many of them have already vehemently rejected Trump’s call to move out. As one Palestinian told The Guardian newspaper: “We would rather die here than leave this land.” He insisted, “No amount of money in the world can replace your homeland.”

    Resettlement schemes have a long history, yet Palestinians have thwarted them at every turn. There is no reason to think that this time will be any different.

    Maha Nassar is affiliated with the Foundation for Middle East Peace.

    – ref. Palestinians have long resisted resettlement – Trump’s plan to ‘clean out’ Gaza won’t change that – https://theconversation.com/palestinians-have-long-resisted-resettlement-trumps-plan-to-clean-out-gaza-wont-change-that-249193

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Votes NO On Advancing Trump’s Pick to Lead Commerce Department

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    02.05.25

    Cantwell Votes NO On Advancing Trump’s Pick to Lead Commerce Department

    Lutnick supports Trump’s tariffs & waffled on his commitment to allocate chips funding & preserve NOAA; In WA state, every 2 in 5 jobs are tied to trade

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Finance Committee, voted against advancing Howard Lutnick, President Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of the Department of Commerce, to the full Senate for consideration.

    In a committee markup today, Sen. Cantwell expressed her concerns with Lutnick’s support for President Trump’s proposed tariffs. She also pointed to Lutnick’s failure to commit to fully allocating the funds approved by Congress under the Cantwell-led CHIPS & Science Act, as well as his waffling on whether he’d protect NOAA – including NOAA’s crucial missions and functions, and the workforce delivering those services to the American people.

    Sen. Cantwell had previously questioned Lutnick on these topics in a committee hearing last week – video of that hearing is HERE.

    ON TRADE & TARIFFS

    “Tariffs and trade wars are a major problem for my state, where two out of every five jobs are tied to trade-related industries,” Sen. Cantwell said in today’s committee meeting. “The Commerce [nominee] has said he’s advocating for the president’s policy [that] would cost my constituents $5 billion or more. We need a secretary that understands that these products and these issues need coalition building, not throwing down gauntlets that will lose jobs for my farmers.”

    Yesterday, Sen. Cantwell delivered a speech on the Senate floor calling for the United States to repudiate the trade philosophy of Trump — whose proposed 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico and 10% tariff on goods from China would spark a trade war, drive up costs for American consumers, harm domestic businesses across hundreds of industries, and compromise the United States’ global leadership in the free trade ecosystem. A video of that speech is HERE; a transcript is HERE.

    In Washington state, two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and related industries. In 2023, the state imported $19.9 billion of goods from Canada – primarily oil, gas, lumber, and electrical power — making our northern neighbors Washington state’s largest trade partner. Also in 2023, the state imported $1.7 billion in goods from Mexico, including motor vehicles, vehicle parts, and household appliances. More information about how President Trump’s proposed tariffs will impact businesses and consumers in the State of Washington is HERE.

    ON CHIPS & SCIENCE FUNDING

    “Over the last four years, there has been much investment in infrastructure [for] manufacturing that this committee has supported. Semiconductor expansion — $450 billion right here in the United States, thanks to the CHIPS & Science Act — and Mr. Lutnick, in various answers to various members of the committee, did not give a full commitment to making sure this money continues to go out the door,” Sen. Cantwell said in today’s committee meeting.

    Sen. Cantwell was the main architect and key negotiator of the CHIPS & Science Act. In her position as Commerce chair, she was instrumental in securing the science R&D funding authorizations in the 11th hour of negotiations. A key component of the legislation is the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hubs) program that was authored by Sen. Cantwell to strengthen U.S. economic and national security with investments in regions across the country. Earlier this month, the American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center (AAMMC) in Spokane was awarded $48 million from the program to establish the first-of-its-kind testbed facility in the United States focused on developing advanced thermoplastic materials – new types of lightweight, heat-moldable, and recyclable materials that can replace metal in aircraft parts. The AAMMC will serve as the nation’s hub for creating and testing these innovative materials that are essential for more rapidly building fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft. 

    ON DISMANTLING NOAA

    “[NOAA] makes up more than 60% of the Commerce budget. When asked for the record if NOAA should be dismantled, as called for in [Project 2025], Mr. Lutnick would only say, if confirmed, he would figure it out. Given how central NOAA is for providing accurate weather forecasting, managing our fisheries, protecting our fishermen from Russian and Chinese illegal fishing, I was looking for a stronger commitment,” Sen. Cantwell said today.

    Project 2025 calls for NOAA to be “dismantled and many of its functions eliminated,” calling it part of the “climate change alarm industry.” NOAA provides critical services to the Nation including weather forecasts, extreme storm tracking and monitoring, tools to enable communities to adapt to sea level rise and climate change, supporting fisheries management, and conserving marine mammals and other protected species.

    Sen. Cantwell is a champion of NOAA and helped secure $3.3 billion in NOAA investments in the Inflation Reduction Act to help communities prepare for and adapt to climate change, boost science needed to understand changing weather and climate patterns, and invest in advanced computer technologies that are critical for extreme weather prediction and emergency response. Her Fire Ready Nation Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen NOAA’s ability to help forecast, prevent, and fight wildfires, passed the Commerce committee unanimously today and now heads to the full Senate for consideration.

    Video of Sen. Cantwell’s remarks on her Lutnick vote is HERE; audio is HERE; and a transcript is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Calls For Immediate Hearings on DOGE Treasury Access

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    02.05.25

    Cantwell Calls For Immediate Hearings on DOGE Treasury Access

    Joins letter from 19 Senators to Republican leaders of Senate Finance, Senate Banking committees

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Finance and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, joined fellow members of the Senate Committee on Finance and of the Senate Banking Committee in sending a letter to Finance Chair Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Banking Chair Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), requesting immediate hearings about reports that officials associated with Elon Musk gained access to sensitive U.S. Treasury payment systems.

    “The Treasury Department’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service’s payment systems control the flow of more than $6 trillion in annual payments to households, businesses and other entities nationwide,” the lawmakers write. “Putting this system in the hands of unaccountable political actors raises significant economic and national security risks.”

    “We ask that the Finance Committee and Banking Committee swiftly schedule hearings to allow Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to answer critical questions about the risks posed by Musk and DOGE’s access to the Bureau of Fiscal Service’s payment systems,” the lawmakers conclude.

    On Sunday, Sen. Cantwell released a statement regarding reports that Musk and his DOGE team had accessed these systems: “This threatens the privacy and funds owed to every American taxpayer and Social Security recipient. Congressional Republicans cannot continue to turn a blind eye as to how their own constituents’ private financial records are handled,” she said.

    The full text of the letter is HERE and below:

    Dear Chairman Crapo and Chairman Scott:

    We write requesting that the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs immediately hold hearings to examine reports that officials associated with Elon Musk and the so-called U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”) have gained access to systems that control payments to millions of American citizens, including Social Security, Medicare, tax refunds, and payments to small businesses.1 It is critical that the Senate understands this threat to the stability of a payment system that millions of Americans rely upon and that is critical to America’s global financial standing.

    The Treasury Department’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service’s payment systems control the flow of more than $6 trillion in annual payments to households, businesses and other entities nationwide. These payment systems cover 87% of all federal payments and process more than a billion payments annually and are responsible for the distribution of Social Security and Medicare benefits, tax refunds, payments to federal employees and contractors, including competitors of Musk-owned companies, and thousands of other functions.

    Putting this system in the hands of unaccountable political actors raises significant economic and national security risks. Information in these systems is critical to the Department’s management of the national debt. The takeover by Mr. Musk and his associates was achieved by engineering the ouster of a key official responsible for managing the extraordinary measures the Department has been taking to avoid a default. A misstep with these payment systems could lead to a technical default with a wide range of devastating consequences, from seniors missing Social Security payments to a global financial meltdown that costs trillions of dollars and millions of jobs.

    Furthermore, granting access to Mr. Musk and his team – who may not have appropriate security clearances – access to this system risks exposing the sensitive tax and financial information of nearly every American. The Treasury payment system “includes sensitive personal information about the millions of Americans who receive Social Security checks, tax refunds and other payments from the federal government.” It is not clear why these individuals were granted unfettered access to such data, what they could do with it once inside the system, and what protections are in place to ensure the Department has been complying with its legal obligations under the Privacy Act, 26 U.S.C. 6103, as well as other statutes and Treasury regulations and policies that protect such sensitive information about millions of Americans.

    Finally, we are deeply concerned that following the federal grant and loan freeze earlier this week, as well as Musk’s own comments on social media, officials associated with Musk may have intended to access these payment systems to illegally withhold payments authorized by law, and to circumvent the court orders prohibiting that freeze from going into effect. We ask that the Finance Committee and Banking Committee swiftly schedule hearings to allow Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to answer critical questions about the risks posed by Musk and DOGE’s access to the Bureau of Fiscal Service’s payment systems.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: One Year from Expiration of New START Nuclear Treaty, Sen. Markey Introduces Resolution to Avoid New Arms Race with Russia and China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Resolution Text (PDF)

    Washington (February 5, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Senate co-chair of the bicameral Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, today introduced a resolution to recommit the United States to arms control agreements to prevent a new nuclear arms race, one year before the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the United States and Russia will expire. Unless a new agreement is in place by early 2026, there will be no legal limits on U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear forces, reversing decades of work to reduce the risk of nuclear war. Representatives Bill Foster (IL-11), John Garamendi (CA-08), and Don Beyer (VA-08) are leading the resolution in the House. Reps. Garamendi and Beyer are the House co-chairs of the Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group.

    “The Trump administration has an historic opportunity to initiate high-level talks for a new pact and prevent a dangerous and costly nuclear arms race,” said Senator Markey. “I urge President Trump to work with Russia to replace New START and to talk with China about arms control. We are just one year away from losing New START and with it, all legal limits on Russian nuclear forces. There is no time to wait.”

    “As a physicist, preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons has always been one of my top priorities,” said Representative Foster. “Russia’s suspension of the New START Treaty and Putin’s rhetoric about the potential use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine should have the entire international community on high alert and should serve as the impetus for us to pursue substantive nuclear arms control dialogue. American leadership is desperately needed to prevent escalation and avoid an unrestrained nuclear arms race.”

    “For far too long, nuclear weapons have threatened our country. Our leadership has long recognized that arms control is the most effective way to ensure American security. In today’s environment, it’s more important than ever that we begin to treat arms control with the same dedication we give our nuclear modernization and begin a constructive dialogue for a New START Treaty. We must strive for a more peaceful future, one without the existential threat of nuclear weapons,” said Representative Garamendi.

    “Now more than ever, it is absolutely critical that we redouble our commitment to nuclear nonproliferation,” said Representative Beyer. “The New START treaty is our last major nuclear arms control agreement, and with rising instability overseas the ingredients are there for a runaway nuclear arms race that endangers us all.  This resolution demonstrates broad bicameral support for a renewal of New START and further arms control talks with other nuclear arms states that will help avert the potential global catastrophe that is a nuclear exchange.”

    On May 17, 2024, the Working Group co-chairs led their colleagues in a letter to President Joe Biden urging support for commonsense limits on the world’s two largest nuclear stockpiles, and to continue renewed efforts to restart arms control talks with the Russian Federation and other nuclear states.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Markey, Hirono, Duckworth, Rep. Fletcher Reintroduce Right to Contraception Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Bill Text (PDF) | Watch: Senator Markey’s Remarks

    Washington (February 5, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP) Committee’s Subcommittee on Primary Health & Retirement Security, along with Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), today reintroduced the Right to Contraception Act, legislation that would create a statutory right to obtain and use contraceptives and ensure health care providers have a right to provide contraceptives, contraception, and share information about this essential care. The legislation is led by Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) in the House.

    In July 2022, the Right to Contraception Act passed the House (220-195). That same month, Republicans blocked an attempt in the U.S. Senate to pass the bill by unanimous consent. They did the same in June 2023. In June 2024, Republicans blocked Senate Democrats’ attempt to pass the bill on the floor.

    “The right to contraception is essential for people’s freedom to make decisions about their lives and their health without politicians getting in the way,” said Senator Markey. “Contraception is essential not only for sexual and reproductive health, but also to treat a wide array of medical conditions and decrease the risk of certain cancers. The Right to Contraception Act will protect the right for people to get contraception and for providers to give it in the face of President Trump and Republicans’ relentless attacks on reproductive justice.”

    “I am proud to introduce the Right to Contraception Act in the 119th Congress in response to the real threats to accessing birth control in Texas and across our country,” said Congresswoman Fletcher. “With 200 original co-sponsors in the House, the Right to Contraception Act reflects the position of the vast majority of Americans who rely on contraception of all kinds to plan their families and their lives. Efforts to restrict access to birth control are not about reflecting the will of the people, they are about taking away the freedom, dignity, and autonomy of all Americans. As a representative from a state intent on taking our reproductive rights away, I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress and do everything I can to protect and restore the health, privacy, dignity, and autonomy of women and families across our country.  We will not give up.”

    “Contraception is essential health care that millions of people across the country rely on,” said Senator Hirono. “The Right to Contraception Act simply protects patients’ right to access contraception, as well as providers’ right to provide it. I’m proud to join Senator Markey and Representative Fletcher in reintroducing this important bill. The right to control your own body, free from government interference, is as fundamental as it gets, and we’ll continue doing everything we can to protect the reproductive rights of all Americans.”

    “Ever since the Supreme Court threw out Roe v. Wade, we’ve seen extreme MAGA Republicans across the country work to roll back health care and tear reproductive freedom away from Americans—which has cruelly threatened birth control, plan B, IUDs and other forms of contraception,” said Senator Duckworth. “I refuse to let my daughters grow up in a world with fewer rights than I had. As MAGA Republicans continue their anti-choice, anti-science crusade, it is as important as ever that the Senate acts to codify the right to contraception into law so that every American in every state—regardless of their skin color, zip code or income—has equal access to basic, necessary health care. I’m proud to join Senators Markey and Hirono in reintroducing our Right to Contraception Act to do just that.”

    “Nobody wants Donald Trump rifling through their medicine cabinet,” said Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05). “Democrats’ Right to Contraception Act is as clear-cut as it gets. This is about the health, freedom, and dignity. Republicans once again have a chance to show us where they stand: on the side of health care bans or on the side of the American people.”

    “Affordable, accessible contraception is one of the building blocks for people to be able to make ends meet and get what they want out of life. And now that the Supreme Court has eliminated the constitutional right to abortion, Republicans at every level of government are targeting contraception access – including by threatening to gut Medicaid, the country’s biggest payer of reproductive health care coverage like contraception. We will keep fighting to pass the Right to Contraception Act to keep the government out of our business and out of our exam rooms,” said Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (CA-51).

    “It feels like every day we wake up to someone trying to take away another fundamental right. We have an extremist president, a submissive Republican Congress, and a radical Supreme Court that wants to undo decades of progress. That means it is up to us to protect the rights we once believed were secure—including access to contraception,” said Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05). “I am co-leading the Right to Contraception Act to protect the millions of people who use contraception every day to safeguard their health, the health of others, or manage medical conditions. We must continue to protect the freedom to make personal healthcare decisions.”

    “Access to birth control should be a given, but with extreme Republicans chipping away at women’s reproductive rights by the day, we have no choice but to enshrine this protection into law,” said Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02). “I will always stand up for our fundamental rights and freedoms, and that’s why I’m proud to be co-leading the Right to Contraception Act.”  

    “Everyone, no matter their ZIP code, should be able to get the birth control they need, when they need it. At a time when reproductive freedom is under attack across the country, this bill will help people make their own health care decisions and get birth control without government interference. We’re grateful to Sens. Markey, Hirono, and Duckworth and Reps. Fletcher, Jacobs, Craig, and Williams for reintroducing the Right to Contraception Act and for their continued leadership in the fight to make sexual and reproductive health care more accessible. Now is the time to safeguard birth control for our freedom and well-being,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

    “Republicans promised on the campaign trail that they wanted to protect contraception, but there isn’t a single Congressional Republican who has signed on to the Right to Contraception Act. Actions speak louder than words and refusing to back this commonsense bill is a refusal to listen to what voters overwhelmingly support across party lines. No matter what they say, Republicans never had any intention of protecting the fundamental right to contraception. Thank you to Senators Markey, Duckworth, and Hirono and Representatives Fletcher, Craig, Williams, and Jacobs for introducing this essential legislation, and to all of our champions in Congress for reaffirming their commitment to protecting reproductive freedom,” said Mini Timmaraju, President and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All.

    “The Right to Contraception Act is a vital safeguard for the fundamental freedom to make personal health decisions. As a physician, I see daily how contraception empowers patients to protect their health, plan their families, and shape their futures. Rep. Fletcher’s leadership in advancing this legislation is critical to securing this essential right for all Americans,” said Dr. Dara Kass, Emergency Medicine Physician and Board Member for Americans for Contraception.

    “As an OB-GYN, I’ve seen firsthand that the right to birth control is essential for the well-being of my patients, their families and their communities. For nearly six decades, birth control has allowed millions of people to manage health conditions, plan if and when to have children and achieve their career and educational aspirations. Not surprisingly, birth control is incredibly popular and those who attack it are spreading misinformation and disinformation in order to justify their attacks. If policymakers truly mean what they say regarding support for contraception, there is no clearer way to meaningfully demonstrate that support than by co-sponsoring and passing the Right to Contraception Act,” said Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley, MD, MPH, CEO of Power to Decide.

    “Threats to contraceptive access are on the rise—misinformation, distortion of science, funding cuts, restrictions on young peoples’ access, and more. Plus, the network of family planning providers who deliver reproductive health care to thousands is facing unprecedented attacks. Contraception helps people who want to have a baby have well-timed, healthier pregnancies, and more agency in their relationships, education, work life, and finances. That’s why Americans overwhelmingly support contraceptive access. Congress must meet the moment and enshrine the right to contraception into law,” said Clare Coleman, President and CEO of the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association.

    “The Right to Contraception Act is needed now more than ever as an essential safeguard to protect birth control rights and access. President Trump and extremist members of Congress, state legislators, and judges have all made it clear — they are intent on going after contraception. In just the last two weeks, President Trump unraveled efforts to expand access to birth control, and critical guidance on prescribing contraception has vanished from federal websites. And we are seeing more targeted efforts against birth control in state legislatures, the courts, and on social media. This legislation is critical to push back against these attacks and ensure everyone maintains the right to access the birth control they need, when they need it,” said Gretchen Borchelt, Vice President for Reproductive Rights and Health at the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC). 

    The Right to Contraception Act is endorsed by Power to Decide, National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, National Women’s Law Center, Guttmacher Institute, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America), Population Connection Action Fund, Americans for Contraception, Advocates for Youth, National Partnership for Women & Families, American Public Health Association, American Humanist Association, National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health , Center for Biological Diversity, Ibis Reproductive Health, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Upstream USA, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, National Health Law Program, SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, Reproductive Health Access Project, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Upstream USA, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, Center for American Progress, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, All* Above All, and Center for Reproductive Rights.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Celebrates National Girls and Women in Sports Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    February 5, 2025

    Washington D.C. – Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) released the following statement today celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day. 

    Senator Lummis joined President Donald J. Trump and others at the White House for the signing of the Executive Order: Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports

    “The far left’s attack on female athletes is the women’s rights issue of our time,” said Lummis. “Wyoming is home to a long list of trailblazers who have paved the way for women’s rights. On National Girls and Women in Sports Day, I celebrate our fearless female athletes and will continue to work to reverse the woke policies that threaten the safety of women and girls on the playing field.”

    Read Senator Lummis’ recent op-ed with Riley Gaines in Fox News discussing the importance of protecting women’s sports. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NPS, Industry Research Leads to First in Persistent, Ocean Acoustic Data Collection Technology

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    MONTEREY, Calif.  –  

    The team’s successful development of an innovative, self-powered autonomous underwater drone, known as the Persistent Smart Acoustic Profiler (PSAP) Voyager, has already delivered large swaths of oceanographic and passive acoustic data primed for NPS student research since it was deployed for the first time off the coast of Kona, Hawaii, in early November of 2024

    Naval forces have an inherent operational reason to be quiet and stealthy at sea. Retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. John Joseph, a researcher in the NPS Department of Oceanography and principal investigator on the project, said the effort has been funded by the school’s Consortium for Unmanned Systems Education and Research (CRUSER), which is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research.

    “PSAP started as a CRUSER project a few years ago when Yi Chao, Seatrec CEO and a well-known oceanographer, gave a talk at NPS about their energy-harvesting system,” said Joseph, who recognized an opportunity to combine the school’s expertise in undersea acoustics and research instrumentation with Seatrec’s innovative energy harvesting technology.

    NPS excels at conducting applied research in the operating environment. For the first time, PSAP offers an ability to collect and send oceanographic and passive acoustic monitoring data in near real-time for an unlimited period, thanks to the profiler’s ability to harvest energy from the temperature differences in the ocean, enough to fully power the instrumentation indefinitely.

    “Theoretically, PSAP can be deployed once, communicate its acoustic information to remote operators in near real time for limitless periods without requiring retrieval to offload data, refreshment – such as swapping batteries or data storage, or replacement,” explained Joseph. “These characteristics greatly reduce lifecycle costs of a continuous acoustic monitoring effort.”

    Empowering student research and discovery is central to the institution’s efforts with industry partners, and the PSAP Voyager’s ongoing operational test – which can be monitored via the Seatrec website – has provided a trove of data for potential research.

    “Now that we have a sizable amount of oceanographic and acoustic data collected by PSAP, we plan to have students in the undersea warfare and meteorology and oceanography curricula to use these data for thesis research,” said Joseph.

    The role of acoustic sensing in Naval operations is far-reaching and fundamental to U.S. Navy and Marine Corps operations at sea, including undersea sensing and detection.

    “Passive acoustic listening has many operational and research applications in the Navy, and our students at NPS conduct applied research to meet naval-unique needs for at-sea operations that require measurements of ambient noise, understanding the composition of soundscapes and monitoring of marine mammals,” said Joseph. The autonomy and endurance of the PSAP Voyager “provides an unprecedented opportunity to collect acoustic data in real-time for very long periods in remote areas without the expense and logistical tail of ship support.”

    “Sound is used to ‘see’ underwater and is vital to understanding the ocean and monitoring the movement of natural and man-made objects,” added Yi Chao, Ph.D., Seatrec’s CEO and Founder in a recent news release. “Previously, hydrophones required power from expensive underwater cables from shore or ships but our PSAP Voyager untethers hydrophones and provides nearly unlimited persistent monitoring of the ocean in an extremely economical way.”

    While the technology promises to be useful for improving maritime domain awareness, it will also enhance U.S. naval oceanographic models for operational planning used to improve own-force sonar system performance.

    (This news story does not constitute an endorsement of Seatrec or its products and services by the Naval Postgraduate School, the Department of the Navy, or the Department of Defense.)

    MIL Security OSI –