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Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom cuts more red tape by further streamlining permitting laws to accelerate rebuilding Los Angeles

    Source: US State of California 2

    Feb 13, 2025

    What you need to know: Governor Newsom today issued an executive order to cut more red tape and continue streamlining rebuilding, recovery, and relief for survivors of the Los Angeles area firestorms. 

    SACRAMENTO — Today, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to further cut red tape and streamline the rebuilding and recovery of homes in communities impacted by the recent Los Angeles area firestorms. The order clarifies existing exemptions, further facilitates local streamlining efforts, and implements additional recommendations by state agencies.

    “We will not let overly strict regulations get in the way of rebuilding these communities. The state stands with its local partners to ensure that we cut red tape and make recovery as easy as possible.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Expanding on previous executive orders to suspend California Coastal Act and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) permitting requirements and expand the availability of temporary housing, today’s order further clarifies and expands the scope of those suspensions under the Coastal Act and CEQA, in close coordination local governments and to provide the full scope of flexibility those governments have requested. The order also provides additional flexibility to facilitate rebuilding, including extending the duration of permits, ensuring homeowners can access the building plans for their homes, and allowing homes recently approved for development under modern building safety standards, including fire protection standards, to be rebuilt to the approved specifications.

     Additionally, the order implements recommendations by state agencies provided in response to the Governor’s January 12 executive order, which directed agencies to identify state permitting requirements that may be suspended to accelerate recovery efforts.

    “I will not allow red tape to stand in the way of Angelenos who want to rebuild their homes,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. “From allowing LA to automatically reissue permits for homes built in the last few years to quickly getting copies of building plans in the hands of residents who lost theirs in the fire, I am proud to partner with Governor Newsom to help Angelenos get back home.”

    “I deeply appreciate Governor Newsom’s action to expedite the rebuilding process for families impacted by the devastating Los Angeles wildfires,” said Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger. “His executive order provides much-needed regulatory relief, ensuring that homeowners can rebuild their homes efficiently and without unnecessary delays. By clarifying permit waivers, streamlining access to original plans, and extending key deadlines, the state is demonstrating its commitment to being a critical partner in our local recovery efforts. Los Angeles County stands ready to work alongside the Governor and state agencies to ensure a smooth and swift rebuilding process for our affected residents.”

    “Governor Newsom is once again stepping up for Los Angeles County in our moment of greatest need by working with us to alleviate every hurdle possible in the rebuild process,” said Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath. “We will continue this successful, coordinated partnership to deliver results our communities deserve. Our focus remains on our residents, and their ability quickly and safely rebuild their homes and communities.”

    The executive order issued today:

    • Updates the Governor’s previous executive orders waiving permitting requirements under the Coastal Act and CEQA by clarifying the scope of the waivers and that local planning or permit approval is determinative of eligibility for these suspensions.
    • Expedites rebuilds of recently constructed homes by allowing them to be rebuilt to approved specifications. 
    • Helps speed access to original plans held by local planning and building departments, to minimize delays in rebuilding. 
    • Extends deadlines for construction permits, to limit the administrative burden for homeowners seeking to rebuild. 

    Extends deadlines related to local housing element rezoning requirements for Los Angeles County so local government staff can focus fully on issuing permits for rebuilding efforts.

    Historic recovery and rebuilding efforts — faster than ever before 

    • Cutting red tape to help rebuild Los Angeles faster and stronger. Governor Newsom issued an executive order to streamline the rebuilding of homes and businesses destroyed — suspending permitting and review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act. The Governor also issued an executive order further cutting red tape by reiterating that permitting requirements under the California Coastal Act are suspended for rebuilding efforts and directing the Coastal Commission not to issue guidance or take any action that interferes with or conflicts with the Governor’s executive orders. The Governor also issued an executive order removing bureaucratic barriers, extending deadlines, and providing critical regulatory relief to help fire survivors rebuild, access essential services, and recover more quickly.
    • Providing tax and mortgage relief to those impacted by the fires. California postponed the individual tax filing deadline to October 15 for Los Angeles County taxpayers. Additionally, the state extended the January 31, 2025, sales and use tax filing deadline for Los Angeles County taxpayers until April 30 — providing critical tax relief for businesses. Governor Newsom suspended penalties and interest on late property tax payments for a year, effectively extending the state property tax deadline. The Governor also worked with state– and federally-chartered banks that have committed to providing mortgage relief for survivors in certain zip codes.
    • Fast-tracking temporary housing and protecting tenants. To help provide necessary shelter for those immediately impacted by the firestorms, the Governor issued an executive order to make it easier to streamline construction of accessory dwelling units, allow for more temporary trailers and other housing, and suspend fees for mobile home parks. Governor Newsom also issued an executive order that prohibits landlords in Los Angeles County from evicting tenants for sharing their rental with survivors displaced by the Los Angeles-area firestorms.
    • Mobilizing debris removal and cleanup. With an eye toward recovery, the Governor directed fast action on debris removal work and mitigating the potential for mudslides and flooding in areas burned. He also signed an executive order to allow expert federal hazmat crews to start cleaning up properties as a key step in getting people back to their properties safely. The Governor also issued an executive order to help mitigate risk of mudslides and flooding and protect communities by hastening efforts to remove debris, bolster flood defenses, and stabilize hillsides in affected areas. 
    • Safeguarding survivors from price gouging. Governor Newsom expanded restrictions to protect survivors from illegal price hikes on rent, hotel and motel costs, and building materials or construction. Report violations to the Office of the Attorney General here.
    • Directing immediate state relief. The Governor signed legislation providing over $2.5 billion to immediately support ongoing emergency response efforts and to jumpstart recovery efforts for Los Angeles. California quickly launched CA.gov/LAfires as a single hub of information and resources to support those impacted and bolsters in-person Disaster Recovery Centers. The Governor also launched LA Rises, a unified recovery initiative that brings together private sector leaders to support rebuilding efforts. Governor Newsom announced that individuals and families directly impacted by the recent fires living in certain zip codes may be eligible to receive Disaster CalFresh food benefits.
    • Getting kids back in the classroom. Governor Newsom signed an executive order to quickly assist displaced students in the Los Angeles area and bolster schools affected by the firestorms.
    • Protecting victims from real estate speculators. The Governor issued an executive order to protect firestorm victims from predatory land speculators making aggressive and unsolicited cash offers to purchase their property.
    • Helping businesses and workers get back on their feet. The Governor issued an executive order to support small businesses and workers, by providing relief to help businesses recover quickly by deferring annual licensing fees and waiving other requirements that may impose barriers to recovery.

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Text adopted – Repression by the Ortega-Murillo regime in Nicaragua, targeting human rights defenders, political opponents and religious communities in particular – P10_TA(2025)0017 – Thursday, 13 February 2025 – Strasbourg

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Parliament,

    –  having regard to its previous resolutions on Nicaragua,

    –  having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

    A.  whereas since 2018, the Nicaraguan regime has systematically, repeatedly and arbitrarily persecuted human rights defenders (HRDs), opposition and religious representatives, among others; whereas over 5 600 NGOs have been dissolved, including religious groups – mainly Catholic – and their assets confiscated;

    B.  whereas imprisoned political opponents, along with HRDs, have been expelled from the country, stripped of their nationality and deprived of their political rights; whereas since 2018, 245 members of the clergy have been arbitrarily arrested or expelled, including Bishop Rolando Álvarez, Sakharov Prize finalist;

    C.  whereas in January 2025, the regime passed a constitutional reform that eliminates the separation of powers and political pluralism, establishing an Ortega-Murillo co-presidency that controls all branches of government, independent institutions and the media, and ignores adherence to international human rights conventions and treaties;

    1.  Strongly condemns the Ortega-Murillo regime’s widespread, systemic human rights violations against its population, democratic opposition, students, civil society organisations (CSOs) and its persecution of religious leaders, primarily Catholic; urges the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained, and the restoration of the rule of law and the legal status of all organisations, freedoms and the rights of exiled individuals, including their safe return; insists that these are essential conditions for any prospect of meaningful dialogue;

    2.  Denounces the use of statelessness and exile as a weapon against dissenting voices; reiterates the need to end restrictions on civic space and to respect the right to dissent;

    3.  Calls on the Ortega-Murillo regime to reverse its constitutional reform and all repressive laws institutionalising totalitarianism, to fully respect its international human rights obligations, and to implement the recommendations made by the UN Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua; calls for its mandate to be extended;

    4.  Calls for the EU to include specific guarantees of human rights compliance when allocating EU funds, including through multilateral and financial institutions, and to ensure that the funds do not contribute to strengthening the Ortega-Murillo regime;

    5.  Highlights the key role played by CSOs, HRDs, the Catholic Church and journalists in Nicaragua; calls for the EU to reinforce its regular dialogue with them, including those in exile, to support their vital work, as well as countries receiving migrants fleeing Nicaragua, such as Costa Rica;

    6.  Calls on the Member States, in accordance with the Rome Statute, to open investigations through the International Criminal Court into the Ortega-Murillo regime for crimes against humanity;

    7.  Reiterates its demand that the democratic clause of the EU Association Agreement be triggered; rejects any prospect of holding any parliamentary dialogue with members of Nicaragua’s regime-controlled National Assembly;

    8.  Reiterates its call to expand the list of sanctioned individuals to include Ortega, Rosario Murillo and their inner circle;

    9.  Calls for the immediate extradition of Alessio Casimirri to Italy;

    10.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, Commission, the VP/HR, the Member States and the Nicaraguan authorities.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Text adopted – Further deterioration of the political situation in Georgia – P10_TA(2025)0019 – Thursday, 13 February 2025 – Strasbourg

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Parliament,

    –  having regard to its previous resolutions on Georgia, in particular that of 28 November 2024 on Georgia’s worsening democratic crisis following the recent parliamentary elections and alleged electoral fraud(1),

    –  having regard to Georgia’s status as an EU candidate country, granted by the European Council at its summit of 14 and 15 December 2023,

    –  having regard to Article 78 of the Georgian Constitution, which demands the implementation of all possible measures to guarantee Georgia’s complete integration into the EU and NATO,

    –  having regard to the final report of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on the parliamentary elections held in Georgia on 26 October 2024,

    –  having regard to Rules 136(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,

    A.  whereas the democratic backsliding in Georgia has dramatically accelerated since the parliamentary elections of 26 October 2024, which were deeply flawed and marked by grave irregularities, and failed to meet international democratic standards and Georgia’s OSCE commitments; whereas these elections violated the democratic norms and standards set for free and fair elections, failing to reflect the will of the people and rendering the resulting ‘parliament’, and subsequently the ‘president’, devoid of any democratic legitimacy; whereas from the very beginning of its activity, the current Georgian parliament has operated as a one-party (Georgian Dream) organ, which is incompatible with the essence of pluralistic parliamentary democracy;

    B.  whereas Article 2 of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement(2) concerns the general principles of the agreement, which include democratic principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms;

    C.  whereas Article 78 of the Georgian Constitution states that the constitutional bodies must take all measures within the scope of their competences to ensure the full integration of Georgia into the European Union;

    D.  whereas the President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, publicly condemned the parliamentary elections as rigged, declared that she would not recognise them and called for an international investigation; whereas the current Georgian regime, led by the Georgian Dream party and its founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili, has orchestrated an unconstitutional usurpation of power, systematically dismantling democratic institutions, undermining judicial independence and eroding fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, thereby deepening Georgia’s political and constitutional crisis;

    E.  whereas Georgia has officially held the status of EU candidate country since December 2023; whereas on 28 November 2024, Irakli Kobakhidze announced that Georgia would delay initiating accession talks with the EU and reject its financial assistance until the end of 2028, disregarding the country’s constitutional commitment to European integration and effectively undermining Georgia’s sovereign Euro-Atlantic aspirations;

    F.  whereas on 28 November 2024, peaceful mass anti-government protests began across the country, demanding new, free and fair elections, an end to political violence and repression, and the return of the country to its European path; whereas the protests have been taking place without interruption for over 75 days;

    G.  whereas on 14 December 2024, the de facto parliament held a ‘presidential election’ with a single candidate from the Georgian Dream party, former footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili, elected with 224 out of 225 votes cast;

    H.  whereas Georgia’s self-appointed authorities have plunged the country into a fully fledged constitutional and political crisis, as well as a human rights and democracy crisis; whereas this has been marked by the brutal repression of peaceful protesters, political opponents and media representatives, with judges, prosecutors and police officers actively fabricating politically motivated administrative and criminal charges against protesters, journalists and opposition figures detained during peaceful anti-government demonstrations; whereas, as of December 2024, more than 460 people have been arrested or punished since the protests began, with this number growing by the day;

    I.  whereas riot police deliberately lacking force identification numbers have forcefully dispersed protesters with tear gas and water cannons; whereas numerous journalists have reported being targeted and beaten, and having their equipment destroyed and personal items stolen; whereas dozens of protesters have been brutally assaulted, and several hundred people have been arrested; whereas Georgia’s Public Defender has revealed that 80 % of those detained reported experiencing violence and inhumane treatment at the hands of law enforcement officers; whereas despite international condemnation, the illegitimate Georgian Government has awarded medals to officials involved in the crackdown;

    J.  whereas independent media outlets, including TV Formula, TV Mtavari and TV Pirveli, face severe operational and financial constraints due to the regime’s interference, while dozens of media representatives are being subjected to various forms of intense physical and psychological pressure; whereas numerous violent attacks on journalists have been documented, including the severe beatings of Aleksandre Keshelashvili, Maka Chikhladze and Giorgi Shetsiruli, and the harassment of detained journalist Saba Kevkhishvili; whereas on 12 January 2025, the Georgian authorities arrested journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, who has been in pre-trial detention since then and is on hunger strike in solidarity with all political prisoners in Georgia; whereas she faces between four and seven years in prison;

    K.  whereas, on the night of 14 January 2025, Giorgi Gakharia, opposition leader of the For Georgia party and former Prime Minister, and Zviad Koridze, journalist and Transparency International activist, were physically assaulted by Georgian Dream officials in separate incidents at the same venue in Batumi;

    L.  whereas on 2 February 2025, Nika Melia, a leader of the pro-European Akhali party, and Gigi Ugulava, the former mayor of Tbilisi, were arrested during the anti-government protests and subjected to physical violence in detention; whereas on 12 January 2025, Elene Khoshtaria, leader of the Droa political movement, was detained in Batumi;

    M.  whereas the de facto Georgian authorities have used disproportionate force and excessive violence against peaceful protesters and resorted to arbitrary mass arrests to thwart dissent; whereas independent human rights organisations have reported the systemic mistreatment of detainees, including torture; whereas to date, not a single law enforcement official involved in the brutal crackdowns, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment has been brought to justice;

    N.  whereas the self-appointed authorities introduced new draconian legislation that came into force on 30 December 2024 and amended the Criminal Code, the Code of Administrative Offences and the Law on Assemblies and Manifestations, imposing further arbitrary restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, introducing, among other things, hefty fines for putting up protest slogans and posters, and granting police the power to detain individuals ‘preventively’ for 48 hours on suspicion of planning to violate the rules governing public assembly; whereas on 3 February 2025, the Georgian Dream party unveiled further draft legislation designed to tighten control, ramping up penalties for a variety of offences directly targeting protestors, critics and political dissent, such as harsher punishments for ‘insulting officials’, the criminalisation of road blocks and an increase in the duration of administrative detention from 15 to 60 days;

    O.  whereas on 27 January 2025, the Council decided to suspend parts of the EU-Georgia visa facilitation agreement for Georgian diplomats and officials, but failed to impose individual sanctions in response to the continued crackdown; whereas the Hungarian and Slovak Governments have been consistently blocking impactful EU-wide sanctions, preventing the remaining 25 Member States (EU-25) from effectively introducing sanctions against the self-appointed Georgian authorities;

    P.  whereas several Member States, including Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Czechia, have imposed bilateral sanctions on some Georgian politicians, judges and other officials responsible for the brutal crackdown on protesters, violations of human rights and abuse of the rule of law; whereas in December 2024, the United States sanctioned Bidzina Ivanishvili, alongside Georgia’s ‘Minister of Internal Affairs’ Vakhtang Gomelauri and Deputy Head of the Special Tasks Department Mirza Kezevadze, for their involvement in brutal crackdowns on media representatives, opposition figures and protesters; whereas the UK and Ukraine have imposed similar sanctions on high-level Georgian officials; whereas Ivanishvili, through hastily adopted laws tailored to his personal situation, is moving his offshore assets to Georgia in anticipation of further sanctions;

    Q.  whereas on 29 January 2025, Georgian Dream announced that it would withdraw its delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) after it demanded new, genuinely democratic parliamentary elections, the release of political prisoners and accountability for perpetrators of violence; whereas UN experts have condemned the pattern of repression and human rights violations in Georgia, while the OSCE has called this suppression a serious breach of the right to freedom of assembly;

    R.  whereas the ruling Georgian Dream party convened the new parliament in violation of the country’s constitution, resulting in a boycott of parliament by the opposition; whereas on 5 February 2025, the self-appointed ‘parliament’ voted to approve the early termination of the mandates of 49 out of 61 members of parliament, representing the Coalition for Change, Strong Georgia and the United National Movement, in order to strip them of their immunity and facilitate their arrest and prosecution; whereas the same ‘parliament’ established a commission to punish former ruling party United National Movement;

    S.  whereas a growing number of civil servants have been dismissed after speaking out against the halting of Georgia’s EU accession process; whereas Georgian Dream has amended laws on public service, simplifying procedures to dismiss public servants, several of whom have been dismissed for participating in protests, in a clear attempt to silence critical voices;

    1.  Condemns the Georgian Dream ‘authorities’ and urges them to immediately cease the violent repression of peaceful protesters, political opponents and media representatives; underlines that Georgia’s self-appointed authorities are currently violating fundamental freedoms, basic human rights and the core international obligations of the country, thereby undermining decades of democratic reforms driven by the country’s political class and civil society; considers Georgia as a state captured by the illegitimate Georgian Dream regime; expresses deep regret over the fact that the ruling Georgian Dream party has abandoned its path towards European integration and NATO membership; recalls that the ongoing democratic backsliding and adoption of anti-democratic laws has effectively suspended Georgia’s EU integration process; reiterates its unwavering support for the Georgian people’s legitimate European aspirations and their wish to live in a prosperous and democratic country;

    2.  Does not recognise the self-proclaimed authorities of the Georgian Dream party established following the rigged election of 26 October 2024, which was neither free nor fair, was held in violation of democratic norms and standards, and did not reflect the will of the people of Georgia; underlines that the extensive electoral fraud has undermined the integrity of the election process, cast doubt on the legitimacy of the result and eroded public trust, both domestically and internationally, in any new government;

    3.  Calls for the EU and its Member States, as well as national parliaments and interparliamentary institutions, not to recognise the legitimacy of the Georgian Dream one-party parliament and their appointed president; calls, therefore, on the international community to join the boycott of the self-proclaimed Georgian authorities;

    4.  Continues to recognise Salome Zourabichvili as the legitimate President of Georgia and representative of the Georgian people; praises her efforts to peacefully steer the country back towards a democratic and European path of development; calls on the President of the European Council to invite President Zourabichvili to represent Georgia at an upcoming European Council meeting and at the next European Political Community summit;

    5.  Underlines that the settlement of the current political and constitutional crisis in Georgia can only be achieved by way of new parliamentary elections; demands that new elections take place in Georgia within the next few months in an improved electoral environment, overseen by an independent and impartial election administration and monitored through diligent international observation to guarantee a genuinely fair, free and transparent process; encourages the Member States and EU officials to firmly demand new elections and to make any future engagement explicitly conditional on setting a new date for parliamentary elections and establishing a mechanism to ensure they are free and fair;

    6.  Calls on the Council and the Member States, particularly the EU-25 on a bilateral and coordinated basis, to impose immediate and targeted personal sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, his family and his companies, and to freeze all his assets within the EU for his role in the deterioration of the political process in Georgia, enabling democratic backsliding and acting against the country’s constitutionally declared interests of Euro-Atlantic integration; calls on the French Government to strip Bidzina Ivanishvili of the Legion of Honour and impose individual sanctions on him; welcomes, in this regard, the sanctions imposed bilaterally by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Czechia, as well as those already imposed by the US and the UK;

    7.  Calls for the EU and its Member States, in particular the EU-25 on a bilateral and coordinated basis, to impose personal sanctions on the officials and political leaders in Georgia responsible for democratic backsliding, electoral fraud, human rights violations and the persecution of political opponents and activists, including Irakli Kobakhidze, Shalva Papuashvili, Vakhtang Gomelauri, Mayor of Tbilisi and Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party Kakha Kaladze, and Chair of the Georgian Dream party Irakli Garibashvili; calls for them to extend these sanctions to judges, including those of the Constitutional Court of Georgia who are passing politically motivated sentences, and representatives of the law enforcement services, as well as to financial enablers tacitly or openly supporting the regime and the owners of regime-aligned media outlets, including TV Imedi, Pos TV and Rustavi 2 TV, for their role in spreading disinformation and seeking to manipulate public discourse in order to sustain the current ruling party’s authoritarian rule;

    8.  Calls on the Council and the Member States to impose sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili’s network of enablers, elite entourage, corrupt financial operatives, propagandists and those facilitating the repressive state apparatus, including, among others, Ekaterine Khvedelidze, Uta Ivanishvili, Tsotne Ivanishvili, Bera Ivanishvili, Gvantsa Ivanishvili, Alexander Ivanishvili, Shmagi Kobakhidze, Ucha Mamatsashvili, Natia Turnava, Ivane Chkhartishvili, Sulkhan Papashvili, Giorgi Kapanadze, Tornike Rizhvadze, Ilia Tsulaia, Kakha Bekauri, Lasha Natsvlishvili, Vasil Maglaperidze, Grigol Liluashvili, Mikheil Chinchaladze, Levan Murusidze, Irakli Rukhadze, Tinatin Berdzenishvili, Tamaz Gaiashvili, Anton Obolashvili and Gocha Enukidze;

    9.  Maintains the view that the measures taken so far by the EU in response to the flagrant democratic backsliding and reneging on previous commitments does not yet fully reflect the severity of the situation in Georgia and the latest developments; welcomes the Council’s decision to suspend visa-free travel for Georgian diplomats and officials, but considers it as only a first step, which must be followed by tougher measures; deplores the obstruction by the Hungarian and Slovak Governments of the Council decisions on introducing sanctions against individuals responsible for democratic backsliding in Georgia;

    10.  Emphasises that respect for fundamental rights is vital to the EU’s visa liberalisation benchmarks; reiterates its call on the Commission and the Council to review Georgia’s visa-free status, with the possibility of suspension if it is considered that EU standards on democratic governance and freedoms are not being upheld;

    11.  Strongly condemns the brutal violence and repression used by Georgia’s ruling regime against peaceful protesters since 28 November 2024; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and those detained during the anti-government protests; demands the release of journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, who has been on hunger strike for over four weeks now because of her unjust detention and risks facing critical, irreversible and life-threatening consequences; denounces the assault and beating of former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, resulting in his hospitalisation, followed by the arrest on 2 February 2025 of political leaders including Nika Melia and Gigi Ugulava, as a shocking escalation of state-orchestrated violence by Georgian Dream and its allies against peaceful demonstrators and political opponents; reminds of the detention of Elene Khoshtaria on 12 January 2025 in Batumi;

    12.  Reiterates its solidarity with the people of Georgia and its vibrant civil society in fighting for their legitimate democratic rights and for a European future for their country; urges the Georgian Government to reverse its current political course and return to implementing the will of the Georgian people for continued democratic reforms that would reopen the prospect of future EU membership;

    13.   Strongly condemns the enactment of draconian legislation that imposes unjustified restrictions on freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, and demands the annulment of such recently adopted repressive legislation; urges the Georgian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all individuals detained for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights to freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, and to ensure prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into all allegations of unlawful and disproportionate use of force by the law enforcement agencies; considers that the Georgian justice system has been weaponised to stifle dissent, instil fear and silence free speech;

    14.  Calls for the ‘Georgian authorities’ to take immediate action to ensure the safety and freedom of journalists and to investigate all instances of violence and misconduct by law enforcement agencies; emphasises the importance of fostering a democratic environment where media, civil society and the opposition can operate freely without fear of retaliation or censorship;

    15.  Demands an independent, transparent and impartial investigation into police brutality and the excessive use of force against peaceful demonstrators; calls for those responsible for human rights violations, including law enforcement and government officials ordering acts of repression, to be held fully accountable before the law;

    16.  Denounces the launch of an investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office on 8 February 2025 into non-governmental organisations accused of aggravated sabotage, attempted sabotage and assisting foreign and foreign-controlled organisations in hostile activities aimed at undermining the state interests of Georgia, for which they could receive multiple-year sentences; views this action as further escalation of repression by the regime, misuse of the judicial system and accelerated democratic backsliding;

    17.  Condemns the broader campaign of attacks by the Georgian authorities vilifying civil society organisations and reputable international donors that support democracy, the rule of law and the protection of human rights in Georgia;

    18.  Denounces the termination by Georgian Dream of the mandates of 49 opposition members of parliament as a sign of further democratic backsliding, and considers this the latest move in Georgian Dream’s attack on political pluralism in the country;

    19.   Welcomes PACE’s decision to challenge the credentials of Georgia’s parliamentary delegation due to democratic backsliding and human rights abuses; supports PACE’s call for Georgia to immediately initiate an inclusive process involving all political and social actors, including the ruling party, the opposition and civil society, to urgently address the deficiencies and shortcomings noted during the recent parliamentary elections and to create an electoral environment conducive to new, genuinely democratic elections to be announced in the coming months;

    20.  Notes that Georgia, once a front runner for Euro-Atlantic integration, is undergoing an accelerated process of democratic backsliding, in a seemingly deliberate attempt to demonstrate that the will of the Georgian people no longer determines the country’s future, which could result in the country taking the Belarussian path of political development, transitioning from the current authoritarian state to a dictatorial regime;

    21.  Deplores the decision of Irakli Kobakhidze to suspend accession talks and reject EU funding until the end of 2028; recalls that all polls consistently show the overwhelming support of the Georgian population for a Euro-Atlantic future; expresses strong support for the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the Georgian people;

    22.  Calls for an immediate and comprehensive audit of EU policy towards Georgia due to the democratic backsliding; calls on the Commission to review the EU-Georgia Association Agreement in the light of the self-declared Georgian authorities’ breach of the general principles, as laid down in Article 2, namely respect for democratic principles, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms; points out that non-fulfilment of obligations may result in the conditional suspension of economic cooperation and privileges afforded by the Agreement;

    23.  Welcomes the Commission’s decision to cease all budgetary support to the Georgian authorities and to suspend the initiation of any future investment projects; encourages the Commission to terminate all financial support for ongoing projects; calls for a moratorium on all investment projects in the field of connectivity; calls on the Commission to start identifying economic sectors of relevance to the oligarchic interests that support and sustain the current authoritarian rule, with a view to a potential future decision about restrictive measures or economic sanctions; calls on the Commission to start identifying connectivity projects that support and sustain the current authoritarian rule and to consider their suspension until a rerun of the parliamentary elections;

    24.  Condemns the climate of intimidation and polarisation fuelled by statements by Georgian Government representatives and political leaders, as well as by attacks against political pluralism, including through disturbing cases of intimidation and violence against the Georgian democratic political forces and repeated threats to ban opposition parties, to arrest their leaders and even ordinary supporters, and to silence dissent; underlines that anything but the full restoration of Georgia’s democratic standards will entail a further deterioration of EU-Georgia relations, make any move towards EU accession impossible and result in additional sanctions;

    25.  Calls on the Commission to swiftly redirect the frozen EUR 120 million originally intended as support for the Georgian authorities to enhance the EU’s support for Georgia’s civil society, in particular the non-governmental sector and independent media, which are increasingly coming under undue pressure from the ruling political party and the authorities, as well as to support programmes supporting democratic resilience and electoral integrity; calls for the EU’s funding mechanisms to be adjusted to take into account the needs that arise in a more hostile and anti-democratic environment; highlights the urgency of the need to support civil society in the light of growing repression and the suspension of activities of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and therefore urges the Commission to ramp up support without delay;

    26.  Expresses deep concern about the increasing Russian influence in the country and about the Georgian Dream government’s actions in pursuing a policy of rapprochement and collaboration with Russia, in spite of its creeping occupation of Georgian territory; deplores, in this regard, the growing anti-Western and hostile rhetoric of the Georgian Dream party’s representatives towards Georgia’s strategic Western partners, including the EU, and its MEPs and officials, and Georgian Dream’s promotion of Russian disinformation and manipulation;

    27.  Strongly reiterates its urgent demand for the immediate release of former President Mikheil Saakashvili on humanitarian grounds, specifically for the purpose of seeking medical treatment abroad; emphasises that the self-appointed authorities bear full and undeniable responsibility for the life, health, safety and well-being of former President Mikheil Saakashvili and must be held fully accountable for any harm that befalls him; calls, furthermore, on the Georgian Dream authorities to ensure that Members of the European Parliament are granted unhindered access to Mikheil Saakashvili;

    28.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the self-appointed authorities of Georgia.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Text adopted – Escalation of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo – P10_TA(2025)0020 – Thursday, 13 February 2025 – Strasbourg

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Parliament,

    –  having regard to its previous resolutions on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),

    –  having regard to the statement by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on behalf of the EU of 25 January 2025 on the latest escalation in eastern DRC,

    –  having regard to the statement by G7 foreign ministers of 2 February 2025 on the escalation of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo,

    –  having regard to the press statement of the UN Security Council of 26 January 2025 on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,

    –  having regard to the special session of the UN Human Rights Council of 7 February 2025 on the human rights situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,

    –  having regard to the communiqué of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union of 28 January 2025 on the recent developments in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo,

    –  having regard to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women of 18 December 1979,

    –  having regard to the Partnership Agreement of 15 November 2023 between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, of the other part(1),

    –  having regard to Rule 136(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,

    A.  whereas in January 2025, the armed rebel group M23, backed by Rwandan forces, further advanced in the eastern DRC and seized the regional capital city of Goma; whereas violence between rebel groups and the Congolese army increased sharply, causing a high number of civilian casualties; whereas an estimated 3 000 deaths occurred during the offensive on Goma; whereas approximately 800 000 internally displaced people were sheltering at that time in densely populated displacement sites around the city;

    B.  whereas M23 announced a unilateral ceasefire to begin on 4 February 2025; whereas fighting has nonetheless continued, Goma airport remains closed, air traffic management equipment is damaged and humanitarian access is still limited; whereas there are reports that the mining town of Nyabibwe in South Kivu has been captured by M23; whereas M23 leaders have declared their intention to continue advancing in the DRC; whereas the latest advances of M23 mark an alarming escalation of the devastating conflict in the eastern DRC, a violation of territorial integrity and an escalation in violence, leading to a dire humanitarian crisis, human rights violations and the further destabilisation of the country;

    C.  whereas the region has been plagued by decades of cyclical violence, causing a security and humanitarian crisis; whereas after a ceasefire that lasted several years, the M23 fighters took up arms again at the end of 2021; whereas martial law has been in force since 2021 in the eastern DRC and the civilian government has been replaced by the military; whereas the M23 forces have been expanding their presence in the eastern DRC, setting up new governance administrations and taxation systems, establishing military training camps and exporting minerals directly to Rwanda; whereas the long-term consequences of the terrible 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi are still fuelling violence, hatred and forced displacements today;

    D.  whereas on 23 and 24 January 2025, M23 fired on positions of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), which resulted in the deaths of 13 peacekeepers deployed with MONUSCO and the peacekeeping mission led by the Southern African Development Community (SADC);

    E.  whereas the UN Group of Experts concluded in its June 2024 report that the deployment of the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) ‘violates the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’ and that the RDF’s ‘de facto control and direction over M23 operations also renders Rwanda liable for the actions of M23’;

    F.  whereas the seizing of Goma has led to significant displacement of civilians; whereas over 500 000 people are estimated to have been displaced since early January 2025; whereas thousands of Congolese people had previously fled to the city to escape violence and have been further driven from camps for internally displaced people into makeshift tents or forced to sleep out in the open; whereas the safety of internally displaced people is now seriously threatened, with women and girls suffering disproportionately;

    G.  whereas the deputy head of the UN peacekeeping force based in Goma has reported on the mass rape and killing of women inmates inside Goma’s Munzenze prison, and it is estimated that hundreds of women were raped and many burned alive in the prison;

    H.  whereas women and girls in the DRC face increased levels of sexual and gender-based violence, resulting in there being one victim of rape every four minutes; whereas the staff of Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, which receives many survivors of sexual violence, is alarmed about the deteriorating security situation in the area and about the security of the staff and patients in Panzi Hospital itself;

    I.  whereas the seizure of Goma triggered violent protests in Kinshasa, with dozens of protesters attacking embassies and calling on the international community to halt the advance of M23;

    J.  whereas the conflict in the DRC is at risk of regional spillover; whereas a peacekeeping deployment from the East African Community Regional Forces withdrew in 2023; whereas the SADC deployed a peacekeeping mission to the DRC in December 2023 with troops from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi; whereas at least 20 peacekeepers were killed during the M23 advance on Goma; whereas on 6 February 2025, Malawi announced the withdrawal of its troops from this mission;

    K.  whereas it is widely acknowledged that Rwanda is active in the conflict in the eastern DRC, including through its de facto control of M23, to which it supplies weapons, logistical support and troops; whereas UN experts estimate that there are between 3 000 and 4 000 Rwandan troops operating with M23;

    L.  whereas North Kivu is a resource-rich region, with vast supplies of critical raw materials including cobalt, gold and tin, which are necessary for the global digital and energy transition; whereas Goma is a major transport and trading hub for the export of minerals; whereas the UN estimates that around 120 tonnes of coltan are being moved by M23 to Rwanda each month; whereas UN experts further estimate that M23 is financed by around EUR 288 000 per month generated through its control of the mineral trade in the DRC; whereas the rebel groups often recruit child soldiers in a blatant violation of international law and humanity;

    M.  whereas the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigations in the DRC have focused on alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed mainly in the eastern DRC, in the Ituri region and the North and South Kivu Provinces, since 1 July 2002; whereas the DRC made a second referral to the ICC in May 2023 concerning alleged crimes committed in North Kivu since 1 January 2022;

    N.  whereas on 8 February 2025 at a joint summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the regional blocs of southern Africa, the SADC, and eastern Africa, the East African Community (EAC), called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, demanded the withdrawal of uninvited foreign armed forces from the DRC territory, urged all warring parties to hold peace talks within five days, and demanded the reopening of Goma airport and other key routes to facilitate humanitarian aid; whereas the African Union is set to address the matter at a meeting in Addis Ababa on 14 February 2025; whereas other mediation efforts are ongoing, notably by France, which aims to bring all actors to the negotiation table;

    O.  whereas the Foreign Affairs Council of the Council of the EU is expected to exchange views on the situation in the DRC on 24 February 2025;

    P.  whereas between 2021 and 2024, the EU provided EUR 260 million in funding to Rwanda, with an additional EUR 900 million pledged under the Global Gateway strategy; whereas following the latest developments in the eastern DRC, the EU declared that it stood ready to boost emergency assistance, particularly for the newly displaced populations in and around Goma, and on 28 January 2025, the Commission announced new humanitarian support for the DRC with an initial amount of EUR 60 million for 2025; whereas the EU is trying to intensify its presence in the region, including through its recent support for the ‘Green Corridor Kivu-Kinshasa’ programme via a Global Gateway initiative, which aims to help establish a sustainable 2 600 km corridor connecting the eastern DRC to Kinshasa and the Atlantic Coast, covering 540 000 km2;

    Q.  whereas the EU has formed raw materials partnerships with several countries, including the DRC, Rwanda and other countries in the region; whereas these partnerships are focused on, among other things, advancing due diligence and traceability, cooperation in fighting against the illegal trafficking of raw materials, and alignment with international environmental, social and governance standards; whereas Parliament, unlike the Council, was not given the opportunity by the Commission to share its political assessment of the decision to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rwanda or to provide technical feedback on the draft MoU;

    R.  whereas the DRC Foreign Affairs Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner and Nobel Prize laureate Denis Mukwage briefed Parliament on 5 February 2025, at an extraordinary meeting of the Delegation to the Africa-EU Parliamentary Assembly (DAFR) and the Committee on Development, on the occupation of the eastern DRC and the dire humanitarian impact on the local population and internally displaced people;

    S.  whereas the Council appointed Johan Borgstam as the EU Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region on 1 September 2024; whereas on 30 January 2025, DAFR organised an extraordinary hearing with the EU Special Representative and Bintou Keita, Head of MONUSCO;

    T.  whereas prior to recent developments, the DRC faced one of the largest displacement crises in Africa, with 6,7 million internally displaced persons, including 4,6 million in South and North Kivu; whereas the DRC also hosts over 520 000 refugees and asylum seekers from neighbouring countries, while 1,1 million refugees from the DRC are being hosted in neighbouring countries in the region, more than half of them in Uganda; whereas the recent surge in violence has internally displaced over half a million people since the beginning of the year; whereas given the severe overcrowding in the displacement sites where people remain and the lack of water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure, the risk of a cholera outbreak is extremely high, along with that of a rapid spread of the Mpox epidemic;

    1.  Strongly condemns the occupation of Goma and other territories in the eastern DRC by M23 and the RDF as an unacceptable breach of the DRC’s sovereignty and territorial integrity; urges the Rwandan Government to withdraw its troops from DRC territory, as they are in clear violation of international law and the UN Charter, and to cease cooperation with the M23 rebels; demands that Rwanda and all other potential state actors in the region cease their support for M23;

    2.  Strongly condemns the indiscriminate attacks with explosive weapons in populated areas of North Kivu by all parties, including on displacement camps and other densely populated areas near Goma, as well as the unlawful killings, rapes and other apparent war crimes, forced labour, forced recruitment and other abusive practices committed by M23 with the support of the RDF and by the armed forces of the DRC, the FARDC;

    3.  Is appalled by the shocking use of sexual violence against women and girls as a tool of repression and weapon of war in the eastern DRC as well as the unacceptable recruitment of child soldiers by the various rebel groups; demands that these matters be addressed by the international community without delay; strongly reiterates that any attack against UN-mandated forces is inexcusable and might be considered a war crime;

    4.  Calls for an immediate end to the violence, particularly the mass killings and the use of rape as a strategic weapon of war; calls on the DRC and Rwanda to investigate and appropriately prosecute those responsible for war crimes, including sexual violence, under the principle of command responsibility;

    5.  Is extremely concerned by the critical humanitarian situation in the country; calls for the immediate reopening of Goma airport to re-establish humanitarian operations and bring in supplies via the airport and the land border; calls for the creation and immediate opening of humanitarian corridors and for all parties, including armed groups operating in the eastern DRC, to allow and facilitate full humanitarian access based on needs and humanitarian principles, including ensuring that civilians and displaced people are not denied access to items essential for their survival;

    6.  Emphasises that humanitarian workers must be able to operate safely to deliver life-saving assistance to Congolese civilians, and that the safety of medical facilities must be preserved; stresses that this is a central obligation under international humanitarian law, and that perpetrators violating these obligations should be held to account; underlines that Rwanda and the neighbouring countries have a special responsibility to facilitate humanitarian access to the region;

    7.  Strongly condemns the attack on diplomatic institutions of the EU, its Member States and civil society organisations, such as political foundations in Kinshasa; underlines that the protection of civilians and diplomatic staff must be guaranteed;

    8.  Expresses concern over the lack of coherence in the EU response to the Great Lakes region’s crises and calls on the Council to reassess the implementation of its renewed EU Great Lakes strategy; recalls that the EU and its special representative for the region are ready to assist all mediation efforts;

    9.  Welcomes the increased humanitarian support pledged by the EU, notes that this still falls far short of meeting the basic needs for food, water, medical assistance and shelter in the eastern DRC, especially in the light of the recent termination of support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); calls on the Commission and the international community to significantly step up financial support for urgent and life-saving assistance;

    10.  Regrets that the EU has not taken appropriate measures to sufficiently address the crisis and effectively press Rwanda to end its support for M23, and that it has instead taken steps – including the signing in February 2024 of an MoU on sustainable raw materials value chains without sufficiently discussing the conflict, and the decision to top up support for Rwanda’s deployment in Mozambique under the European Peace Facility (EPF) – that have failed to demonstrate sufficient safeguards and that have contributed to sending an inconsistent message to the Rwandan authorities;

    11.  Urges the Commission and the Council to immediately suspend the EU-Rwanda MoU on sustainable raw materials value chains until Rwanda proves that it is ceasing its interference and its exportation of minerals mined from M23-controlled areas; calls on all actors to increase transparency and to effectively ban the entry of all blood minerals into the EU;

    12.  Calls on the Commission to render the future re-activation of cooperation on critical raw materials conditional upon Rwanda joining the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, which the DRC is already part of;

    13.  Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that the current Conflict Minerals Regulation(2) is strongly enforced and on the Commission to propose a revision of the EU rules, with the aim of ensuring the highest standards of traceability and transparency;

    14.  Notes that parliamentary oversight and civil society involvement in the preparation, signing and implementation of raw material MoUs and roadmaps are essential for an inclusive process with adequate scrutiny, and must become part of the MoU;

    15.  Calls on the Commission, the Member States and the international financial institutions to freeze direct budget support to Rwanda subject to it meeting conditions on, among other things, humanitarian access and the breaking of all links with M23; urges the Commission and the Member States to freeze their military and security assistance to the Rwandan armed forces to ensure that they do not contribute directly or indirectly to abusive military operations in the eastern DRC; calls strongly, in particular, for a review of the EU’s renewed support under the EPF to ensure that troops deployed in northern Mozambique and benefiting from EPF support, as well as their commanders, have been properly vetted and have not been involved in the eastern DRC or in other human rights violations, with a view to suspending the support if it is found to contribute directly or indirectly to abusive military operations in the eastern DRC;

    16.  Urges the Commission and all Member States to ban the transfer of weapons to the Rwandan forces and M23 and to ensure greater transparency of trade in EU weapons;

    17.  Urges the Council to expand sanctions against senior M23 commanders, leaders of other armed groups and senior officials from the DRC and Rwanda – including Major-General Eugene Nkubito, the commander of the RDF’s 3rd Division, and Major-General Ruki Karusisi, RDF Special Force Commander, identified in the June 2024 report of the UN Group of Experts, and Major-General Emmy K. Ruvusha, Commander of the Rwanda Security Forces, identified in the June 2023 report of the UN Group of Experts – and from other countries across the region, as being responsible for or complicit in recent serious abuses by their forces or those for which they have command responsibility;

    18.  Urges the European External Action Service (EEAS), the Member States and the Government of the DRC to take immediate action to prevent sexual violence and improve care for survivors, including by adapting the national legal framework to guarantee access to medical abortion care; draws attention to the health needs of pregnant women, notably those who are displaced and out of reach of medical support; calls on the EEAS and the Member States to further prioritise the disbursement of humanitarian support for women and girls in the region;

    19.  Calls on the Commission to continue supporting anti-corruption efforts and the strengthening of governance in the DRC;

    20.  Commends the Prosecutor of the ICC’s announcement that the ICC will continue to investigate alleged crimes committed by any person, irrespective of affiliation or nationality; reiterates the EU’s unwavering support for the ICC and calls on the Council and Commission to fulfil their obligations to ensure the functioning and effectiveness of the ICC;

    21.  Reiterates its full support for MONUSCO in protecting civilians and stabilising the region; urges the EU to cooperate with all actors on the ground, in particular MONUSCO, to ensure the protection of civilians in the eastern DRC; calls on the UN to work towards a stronger mandate for MONUSCO in order to enable peacemaking; calls on the UN to ensure the protection of civilians and respect for international humanitarian law, particularly given the increased risk of gender-based violence, and to preserve the safety of humanitarian staff, health workers and medical facilities;

    22.  Calls on the UN to take immediate and specific measures to protect Panzi Hospital and its patients and staff;

    23.  Welcomes the special session of the UN Human Rights Council of 7 February 2025 on the human rights situation in the east of the DRC; supports the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry into serious violations committed since January 2022;

    24.  Reiterates its condemnation of hate speech and xenophobia, as well as ethnic-based politics; underlines that all those responsible for sustaining armed conflict, instability and insecurity in the DRC must be held accountable;

    25.  Is concerned about the consequences of Russian interference in the conflict and more widely in the region, and about the increasing presence of disinformation campaigns; condemns, in particular, efforts by Russia to foster anti-Western sentiment through the dissemination of fake news on social media about Western players;

    26.  Expresses its concern about the increasing presence of Chinese actors in the mining sector of the DRC and the region acting without respect for economic and social responsibilities, and recalls that European industries and companies in the region will only have long-term security of supply if a long-lasting and peaceful solution to the conflict is found;

    27.  Recalls that only an inclusive and regional approach will be able to address and tackle the multifaceted, long-standing problems in the region; strongly welcomes the joint SADC and EAC peace summit in Dar es Salaam on 8 February 2025; reiterates, in this regard, its full support for the Luanda and Nairobi processes and calls upon all Great Lake countries, in particular the DRC and Rwanda, to urgently pursue negotiations within these frameworks; emphasises that any solution must also address the root causes of the conflict, including, but not limited to, the illicit trafficking of natural resources; calls on the Commission and the Member States to fully support national and regional initiatives, such as the initiative of the Congolese Catholic and Protestant leaders, and the Luanda Process; underlines that regional organisations, such as the African Union, the SADC and the EAC, must play a central role in all of these efforts; underlines also that a lasting solution requires a reform of the DRC security sector, with a better organised DRC army and administration;

    28.  Calls on the international community and all actors involved to use the Addis Ababa framework agreement and to organise an international conference for peace in the eastern DRC and the Great Lakes region; stresses that this ‘Business for Peace’ conference will have the unique feature of having the private sector around the peace negotiation table, since the war is about strategic minerals; underlines that business people can have significant leverage to push their countries to act for peace; believes that the business for peace approach can help us move forward in finding a solution;

    29.  Calls for the cancellation of the 2025 International Cycling Union (UCI) Road World Championships in Kigali if Rwanda does not change course;

    30.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Government and Parliament of Rwanda and of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the African Union, the secretariats of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Southern African Development Community and the East African Community, and other relevant international bodies.

    (1) OJ L, 2023/2862, 28.12.2023, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_internation/2023/2862/oj.
    (2) Regulation (EU) 2017/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2017 laying down supply chain due diligence obligations for Union importers of tin, tantalum and tungsten, their ores, and gold originating from conflict-affected and high-risk areas (OJ L 130, 19.5.2017, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/821/oj).

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: USDA Secretary Brooke L. Rollins Welcome Event Highlights 01/14/25

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

    Highlights from new Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins’ first event with USDA employees, February 14, 2025.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldgtl8R6QnM

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: This Week at Interior February 14, 2025

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

    This Week: President Trump signs an Executive Order officially renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America; the Bureau of Land Management says the federal grazing fee for 2025 will remain the same as last year; cold temperatures off the coast of Florida send U.S. Geological Survey scientists and volunteers into rescue mode; The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service marks a milestone; this Monday is a “fee free” day at a public lands site near you; and we’re showing a little Valentine’s Day love for the great outdoors in our social media Picture of the Week! Make sure you follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X!

    http:/www.facebook.com/usinterior
    http:/www.instagram.com/usinterior
    http:/www.x.com/Interior

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kma6ty9Uzxs

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Wright joins FOX Business’s Charles Payne – February 13th, 2025

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

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWwFvAyRqK0

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Progress Being Made in Western North Carolina as Water Debris Removal Continues

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

    FEMA is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plus state and local partners to remove debris to help communities of western North Carolina recover from #Helene.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHFy2GzCBT8

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: VA Did You Know: Adapted Housing Grants

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

    Did you know? Veterans with certain service-connected disabilities may apply for grants to build an adapted home or install ramps, widen doors, or make other modifications to live more independently.

    To learn more, visit https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geH6cG6dF6s

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: 🐶 Tails of Fast Travel ✈️…#traveling #funny #valentines

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

    Who’s your paw-some travel partner? Whether it’s your bestie or your four-legged BFF (or both!), TSA PreCheck is the purr-fect way to get you two through the airport faster—no barking about long lines.

    Check out these famous doggone duos and see how much more fun and efficient your travels can be when you’re on the fast track. 

    With TSA PreCheck, you and your bestie will be able to fetch a quicker, easier airport security experience—no more ruffing it or sniffing around for a shortcut. Just sit, relax, and paws for a moment to appreciate how much easier travel can be! 

     

    Get TSA PreCheck now and take your travels to the next bark-level together! 

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

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Breathing Threads : Fashion Show at Bharat Tex 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 16 FEB 2025 12:37PM by PIB Delhi

    The office of the Development Commissioner for Handlooms Ministry of Textiles, Government of India organized a fashion event titled “Breathing Threads” to feel the pulse of craftsmanship, to honour a living legacy, to witness the timeless elegance of Indian handlooms in modern silhouettes.

    The event was organized at amphitheatre in Bharat Mandapam on the sidelines of Bharat Tex 2025 in association with Vaishali S Couture, Vaishali S Threadstories Private Limited, Mumbai and in coordination with Handloom Export Promotion Council.Vaishali S Couture is a 24-year-old brand dedicated to reviving old and dying hand weaving techniques and bringing them to the top global luxury stages by inserting innovation, creativity, and a very high level of quality.

    The beauty of Handloom and the mission of the brand is also its sustainability and zero waste strategy, in line with what are the living habits of Indian villages.

    The Indian hand-woven textiles are the untapped wealth of the country, and it is just a question of showcasing them in a more modern and global language that will set them back to the most admired luxury fashion stages around the globe.

    The show carried fabrics woven in the villages from 5 different states viz. West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka & Rajasthan and 20 models in 30 looks showcased these weaves, draped in 7 different weaving techniques: Chanderi, Maheshwari, Jamdani, Khun, Benarasi, Kota Doria, Murshidabad. Each weave was creatively embellished with unique textures and cording.

    The show was the testament of how much skill and hard work, together with creativity is needed to make a hand-woven fabric, and at the same time how a craft can be elevated to being one of the global luxury brands.

    The show was a great success and demonstration of the power of Indian heritage textiles when given a global language, to the mesmerised eyes of buyers from overseas countries such as Australia, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Srilanka, Bangladesh, Kuwait, Chile etc. besides the stake holders of Indian textile industry with the unwavering support of the Development Commissioner for Handlooms, the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.

    ***

    Dhanya Sanal K

    (Release ID: 2103763) Visitor Counter : 13

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addresses the ET Now Global Business Summit 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addresses the ET Now Global Business Summit 2025

    Today, be it major nations or global platforms, the confidence in India is stronger than ever: PM

    The speed of development of a Viksit Bharat is remarkable: PM

    Many aspirational districts have now transformed into inspirational districts of the nation: PM

    Banking the unbanked, Securing the unsecured and Funding the unfunded has been our strategy: PM

    We have transformed the fear of business into the ease of doing business: PM

    India missed the first three industrial revolutions but is ready to move forward with the world in the fourth: PM

    In India’s journey towards becoming a Viksit Bharat, our government sees the private sector as a key partner: PM

    25 crore Indians have risen out of poverty in just 10 years: PM

    Posted On: 15 FEB 2025 10:31PM by PIB Delhi

    The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressing the gathering at the ET Now Global Business Summit 2025 in New Delhi today, recounted that in the last edition of ET Now Summit, he had humbly stated that India would work at a new speed in their third term. He expressed satisfaction that this speed is now evident and receiving support from the country. He thanked the people of Odisha, Maharashtra, Haryana and New Delhi for showing immense support for the commitment to Viskit Bharat. He acknowledged this as a recognition of how the citizens of the country are shoulder-to-shoulder in the pursuit of the goal of a developed India. 

    “Today, be it major nations or global platforms, the confidence in India is stronger than ever”, exclaimed Shri Modi, who returned yesterday from his visit to France and the USA. He added that the sentiment was reflected in the AI Action Summit in Paris as well. The Prime Minister remarked, “Today, India is at the center of the Global Future Discussions and also leading in some as well”. He added that this was a consequence of a new revolution of reforms in India since 2014. Shri Modi highlighted that India entered in the top 5 largest economies in the world in just the last decade, denoting the speed of development of Viksit Bharat. He added that people would soon witness India becoming the 3rd largest economy in the world in a few years. He emphasized that this was the necessary pace for a young country like India and stressed that India was moving ahead with this very speed. 

    Prime Minister remarked that previous dispensations avoided reforms, with a mindset of not wanting to undertake hard work. He added that today the reforms being undertaken in India was with full conviction. He highlighted that there was rarely any discussion about how major reforms could bring significant changes to the country. He pointed out that living under the burden of colonialism had become a habit in India. Even after independence, remnants of the British era continued to be carried forward. He cited an instance where phrases like ‘justice delayed is justice denied’ were heard for a long time, but no concrete steps were taken to address this issue. The Prime Minister highlighted that over time, people became so accustomed to these things that they didn’t even notice the need for change. He added that there was an ecosystem that doesn’t allow discussions about good things to take place and puts energy into preventing such discussions. Shri Modi emphasized that in a democracy, it is crucial to have discussions and debates about positive things. However, he added that a narrative has been created that saying something negative or spreading negativity is considered democratic, whereas if positive things are discussed, democracy is labeled as weak. He stressed that it was essential to come out of this mentality.

    Highlighting that until recently, the penal codes in India dated back to 1860 which aimed at strengthening colonial rule and punishing Indian citizens, Shri Modi noted that a system rooted in punishment could not deliver justice, leading to prolonged delays. He remarked that since the implementation of the new Indian Judicial Code 7-8 months ago, noticeable changes have occurred. For example, a triple murder case was resolved in just 14 days from FIR to sentencing, resulting in life imprisonment. Similarly, a case of a minor’s murder was concluded within 20 days. The Prime Minister pointed out that in Gujarat, a gang rape case registered on October 9, 2024 saw a charge sheet filed by October 26, and today, the court has convicted the accused. He cited another example from Andhra Pradesh, wherein a crime involving a 5-month-old child, the court sentenced the perpetrator to 25 years, with digital evidence playing a crucial role. In another case, the e-prison module aided in locating a rape and murder suspect who had previously served time for a crime in another state, leading to a swift arrest. He said now there were numerous instances where people are now receiving timely justice.

    Pointing to a major reform undertaken related to property rights, Shri Modi referred to a UN study indicating that the lack of property rights in a country is a significant challenge. He pointed out that millions worldwide lack legal property documents, and having property rights helps reduce poverty. He noted that previous governments were aware of these intricacies but avoided such challenging tasks. He emphasized that this approach doesn’t build or run a country. Shri Modi said the Swamitva Yojana was initiated, in which over 3 lakh villages in the country underwent drone surveys, and over 2.25 crore people received property cards. He remarked that due to the Swamitva Yojana, property worth ₹100 lakh crore has been unlocked in rural areas. This property existed earlier but couldn’t be utilized for economic development due to the lack of property rights, he added. Shri Modi highlighted that due to the absence of property rights, villagers couldn’t obtain loans from banks. He added that this issue has now been permanently resolved and today, there are numerous reports from across the country on how people benefit from Swamitva Yojana property cards. The Prime Minister shared a recent conversation with a woman from Rajasthan who received a property card under the scheme, and her family had been living in a small house for 20 years, and after receiving the property card, she secured a loan of around ₹8 lakh from a bank. With this money, she started a shop, and the income now supports her children’s higher education. Recounting another instance from another state, he said that a villager used his property card to obtain a loan of ₹4.5 lakh from a bank and bought a vehicle to start a transportation business. In another village, a farmer used a loan against his property card to set up modern irrigation facilities on his land. The Prime Minister highlighted many such examples where villages and the poor have found new income avenues due to these reforms. He termed these as real stories of reform, perform, and transform that don’t usually make headlines in newspapers and TV channels.

    Remarking that after independence, numerous districts in the country were left untouched by development due to poor governance, Shri Modi said instead of focusing on these districts, they were labeled as backward and left to their fate. No one was willing to address their issues, and government officers were sent there as punishment postings, he noted. “We changed this approach by declaring over 100 districts as Aspirational Districts”, said the Prime Minister. He added that young officers were sent to these districts to improve governance at the micro-level, who worked on indicators where these districts lagged behind and implemented flagship government schemes in mission mode. “Today, many of these aspirational districts have become inspirational districts”, he said. Citing an instance, Shri Modi said that in 2018, only 26% of elementary schools in Barpeta, Assam, had the correct student-to-teacher ratio, which is now 100%, He added that in Begusarai, Bihar, the number of pregnant women receiving supplementary nutrition was 21%, and in Chandauli, UP, it was 14%, while today, both districts have achieved 100%. The Prime Minister also noted the remarkable improvement in child immunization campaigns. In Shravasti, UP, the percentage increased from 49% to 86%, while in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, it rose from 67% to 93%. He highlighted that seeing such successes, 500 blocks in the country have now been declared aspirational blocks, and rapid work is underway in these areas.

    Acknowledging the decades of experience in business of the industry leaders at the summit, the Prime Minister recalled how the business environment in India used to be a part of their wish list and emphasized the progress made in the last 10 years. He highlighted that a decade ago, Indian banks were in crisis, and the banking system was fragile, with millions of Indians outside the banking system. “India was among the countries with the most challenging access to credit”, he added. “Government’s strategy to strengthen the banking sector: Banking the unbanked, Securing the unsecured, and Funding the unfunded”, outlined Shri Modi. He noted that financial inclusion has significantly improved, with nearly every village now having a bank branch or banking correspondent within a 5-kilometer radius. He cited the example of the Mudra Yojana, which has provided around ₹32 lakh crore to individuals who couldn’t obtain loans under the old banking system. He highlighted that loans for MSMEs have become much easier, and even street vendors have been linked to easy loans while the loans given to farmers have more than doubled. The Prime Minister remarked that while the Government is providing large numbers and amounts of loans, the banks’ profits are also increasing. He contrasted this with 10 years ago, when reports of record bank losses and editorials of newspapers expressing concern over NPAs were common. He added that today, from April to December, public sector banks have recorded a profit of over ₹1.25 lakh crore. Shri Modi emphasized that this isn’t just a change in headlines but a systemic change rooted in banking reforms, demonstrating the strengthening pillars of the economy.

    “Over the past decade, our Government has transformed the ‘fear of business’ into ‘ease of doing business’, underscored the Prime Minister.  He highlighted the benefits industries have gained from the establishment of a Single Large Market through GST. He emphasized that there has been unprecedented development in infrastructure over the past decade, leading to reduced logistics costs and increased efficiency. Shri Modi pointed out that the Government has eliminated hundreds of compliances and is now further reducing compliances through Jan Vishwas 2.0. To reduce Government interference in society, a Deregulation Commission is also being established, he added.

    Highlighting that India is witnessing a significant transformation related to future preparedness, Shri Modi remarked that during the first Industrial Revolution, India was under the grip of colonial rule. He added that during the second Industrial Revolution, while new inventions and factories emerged worldwide, local industries in India were being destroyed, and raw materials were being taken out of the country. He pointed out that even after independence, conditions did not change much. When the world was moving towards the computer revolution, in India, one had to obtain a license to buy a computer, he noted. “Although India couldn’t benefit much from the first three Industrial Revolutions, the country is now ready to match steps with the world in the Fourth Industrial Revolution”, the Prime Minister emphasized.

    “Our Government considers the private sector a crucial partner in the journey towards a Viksit Bharat”, exclaimed the Prime Minister. He noted that many new sectors have been opened up for the private sector, such as the space sector, where many young people and startups are making significant contributions. He highlighted that the drone sector, which was closed to the public until recently, now presents vast opportunities for the youth. The commercial coal mining sector has been opened to private firms, and auctions have been liberalized for private companies, he added. The Prime Minister remarked that the private sector plays a significant role in the country’s renewable energy achievements, and the Government is promoting private sector participation in the power distribution sector to enhance efficiency. He also underlined that a significant change in the recent budget is the opening of the nuclear sector for private participation.

    Prime Minister remarked that today’s politics has become performance-oriented and the people of India have clearly stated that only those connected to the ground and delivering results will sustain. He emphasized that the Government must be sensitive to people’s problems and noted that previous policymakers lacked sensitivity and willpower. He added that their Government has understood people’s issues with sensitivity and taken necessary steps with passion and enthusiasm to resolve them. Shri Modi cited global studies showing that over the past decade, the provision of basic amenities and empowerment has helped 25 crore Indians rise out of poverty. He added that this large group has become part of the neo-middle class, now dreaming of their first two-wheeler, first car, and first home. He further added that to support the middle class, the recent budget increased the zero tax threshold from ₹7 lakh to ₹12 lakh, strengthening the entire middle class and boosting economic activity. “These achievements are possible due to a proactive and sensitive government”, exclaimed Shri Modi.

    “The true foundation of a developed India is trust and this element is essential for every citizen, every government, and every business leader”, emphasised Shri Modi. He highlighted that the Government is working with full strength to instill confidence among the citizens. He added that Innovators were being provided with an environment where they can incubate their ideas, while businesses were assured of stable and supportive policies. The Prime Minister concluded by expressing hope that the ET Summit will further strengthen this trust. 

     

     

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CDS Gen Anil Chauhan concludes a significant visit to Aero India 2025, boosting India’s strategic defence partnerships and capability development

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 15 FEB 2025 5:50PM by PIB Delhi

    Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan held multiple high-level engagements at Aero India 2025, demonstrating India’s willingness to forge strategic defence partnerships. Key interactions included meetings with General Kevin B Schneider, Commander Pacific Air Force (USA), Lord Vernon Coaker , Minister of State it’s f Defence (UK) and Air Vice Marshal Suraya Marshall (UK), Lt Gen Ibrahim Nasser Al Alawi (UAE), Maj Gen Duong Van Yen (Vietnam), Maj Gen Ro Jone Kalouniwai Logavatu (Fiji), General Paul Velentino Phiri (Malawi), Lt Gen Salum Haji Othman (Tanzania) and Vice Admiral Exon Oswaldo Ascencio Albeno (El Salvador). The discussions centered on enhanced military cooperation, capacity building, and strategic partnerships in the defence sector.

    The CDS engaged extensively with global defence industry leaders, conducting strategic discussions with executives from major aerospace companies including Saab AB, Airbus, Israel Aerospace Industries, BAE Systems, Dassault Aviation, and Rolls Royce. These interactions centered on indigenous manufacturing, technology transfer, and the development of niche capabilities under India’s Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.

    General Chauhan also visited various defence pavilions, engaging with both Indian and foreign defence equipment manufacturers, MSMEs, and startups. He witnessed impressive displays of military aircraft from friendly foreign countries and received comprehensive briefings on the capability and performance parameters, including the F-35 from the USA, MRTT from Germany, A400 from Spain, SU-57 from Russia and H125 from France, underlining India’s commitment to fostering international defence collaboration while strengthening domestic capabilities.

    In a notable development, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh had unveiled a landmark document on ‘Network Centric Multi Domain Operations’ in the presence of key military leadership. This pivotal document, created by Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff , outlines the roadmap for preparing the Indian Armed Forces for future warfare, emphasizing decision superiority in an increasingly data-centric environment amidst rapidly evolving military technologies.

    The visit of General Chanegriha Said, Minister Delegate to the Minister of National Defence and Chief of Staff of Algeria’s People’s National Army, marked a significant milestone in Indo-Algerian defence relations. During his comprehensive tour of India’s vital defence establishments and industrial complexes, General Chanegriha expressed strong satisfaction with the similarities in military traditions and cultures between both nations, setting the stage for enhanced military cooperation and defence modernization initiatives.

    Aero India 2025 has emerged as a landmark event in India’s defence ecosystem, showcasing the nation’s growing stature as both a significant market and an emerging producer of defence technology. The unprecedented participation of military leaders from diverse nations, coupled with engagements with global defence industry giants, underscores India’s pivotal role in shaping international defence partnerships. The exhibition’s success not only highlights India’s commitment to achieving self-reliance in defence manufacturing but also positions the country as a reliable partner for joint development and production of advanced military systems, marking a significant step toward realizing the vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World.’

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES), IEIC and WinZO launch the Tech Triumph Season 3 to showcase India’s gaming innovation at global platforms

    Source: Government of India

    World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES), IEIC and WinZO launch the Tech Triumph Season 3 to showcase India’s gaming innovation at global platforms

    Win in Tech Triumph Season 3, the Nation’s biggest gaming competition, and get a chance to showcase your talent at the Game Developers Conference 2025 in San Francisco from March 17-21

    WAVES offers a golden opportunity: Submit your form by February 20, registrations closing soon, don’t miss your chance

    Posted On: 15 FEB 2025 5:32PM by PIB Delhi

    Aspiring to build a career in the gaming industry but struggling with the right platform and funding? The World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) offers Tech Triumph Season 3 an incredible opportunity to showcase your talent, whether you’re in India or abroad! Open to both domestic and international participants, this challenge now has an extended application deadline of February 20, 2025.

    Winners of the country’s largest gaming competition will get a chance to showcase their product, IP and technology at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2025 in San Francisco from March 17th to 21st, and later at WAVES in India on a fully sponsored basis.

    Tech Triupmh Program

     The Tech Triumph Program (TTP), has been launched by the Interactive Entertainment and Innovation Council (IEIC) in partnership with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) as part of the Create in India Challenge Season – 1. In the run-up to the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES), this Challenge will identify, recognize, and showcase India’s gaming talent at the international platform of WAVES and India Pavilion at the Game Developer Conference, 2025.

    Over 1,000 Already Registered as Tech Triumph Season 3, India’s gaming ecosystem is set to make a lasting impact on the international stage, advancing the nation’s ambitions for a dynamic and globally recognized ‘Made in India’ tech industry.

    This initiative aligns with India’s vision of becoming a global powerhouse in gaming technology and intellectual property, bolstered by the growth of India’s AVGC and (Extended Reality) XR sectors, which now contribute significantly to the economy. According to a FICCI-EY report, digital and online gaming grew the most within the Indian media sector.

    For more information please visit: https://www.thetechtriumph.com/

     Stages of the contest

    1. Feb 20, 2025 – Game Submission
      Register for the contest
    2. Feb 23, 2025 – Expert Evaluation
      Shortlisted candidates pitch to the jury
    3. Feb 28, 2025 – Grand Finale
      Result declaration
    4. March 5, 2025 – Gearing Up for Events
      Prepare with us for global showcase

    Eligibility Criteria

    Open to all entities or individuals within the interactive entertainment ecosystem, including developers, studios, startups, and tech companies focused on PC, console, and mobile games, alongside gaming-related technologies. Participants can be at any stage of development but must have at least a working prototype.

    Gaming studios and Esports – Individual Developers, studios, Indie startups creating games (pc/mobile/console) and entities involved in esports, including event production and talent management, esports clubs and esports influencers.

    Business of Gaming – Businesses developing solutions for functions critical for gaming companies: payments, security, live ops, engagement, distribution, monetization, localization, quality assurance, legal and financial services.

    How to Participate

    Step 1: Game Submission: Initiate your journey by submitting your game through the contest form available on the official contest website.

    Step 2: Expert Evaluation: Our esteemed panel of experts will meticulously review all submissions, shortlisting the finest entries for the pitching round. Following the pitches, the final results will be unveiled by the distinguished jury.

    Step 3: Gearing Up for Events: Upon announcement of the winners, our organizers will promptly get in touch to guide and assist them in gearing up for their prominent showcase at the events.

    About different seasons of Tech Triumph

    The Tech Triumph is a contest to identify and empower the top gaming and interactive entertainment innovators.

    THE TECH TRIUMPH: BHARAT SEASON 3

    TTT Bharat Season 3 aims to make India grow as a leader in tech on the world stage by providing opportunities to innovators to present at global platforms. TTT focuses on fostering cutting-edge innovations, offering participants a platform to showcase their technologies at the global stage.

    THE TECH TRIUMPH: BHARAT SEASON 2

    Season 2 of The Tech Triumph Bharat, offered developers a platform to showcase Bharat’s evolving gaming ecosystem at the India Pavilion during Gamescom LATAM 2024 in São Paulo, Brazil.

    THE TECH TRIUMPH: BHARAT SEASON 1

    Season 1 of Bharat Tech Triumph, a collaboration between WinZO and IGDC, provided developers with a stage to present Bharat’s thriving gaming landscape at GDC 2024 in San Francisco, USA.

    TTP Winners Shine on Global Stages

    In past editions, TTP by WinZO & IEIC has empowered 10 winners to showcase their games at prestigious global events like GDC 2024 (India Pavilion), Gamescom (Germany & Brazil) and the Brazil Gaming Show. With guidance from top industry and government leaders—including former Secretary to the Government of India Rohit Kumar Singh, Ambassador to Brazil Suresh K Reddy, Info Edge co-founder Sanjeev Bhikchandani, and Kalaari Capital MD Rajesh Raju participants have gained invaluable mentorship and the opportunity to shine on an international stage.

    What is the Game Developers Conference (GDC)

    The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is the world’s premier event for developers who make the games we love. GDC is the destination for creativity, innovation, and excellence.

    Over the past 30 years, GDC has brought thousands of developers together to learn, grow, and connect. Whether you’re a game developer, industry leader, or company looking to grow your reach and realize your potential, GDC is the place for you.

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Coalition leading narrowly in four polls and would likely win an election held now

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne

    A national Newspoll, conducted February 10–14 from a sample of 1,244, gave the Coalition a 51–49 lead, unchanged from the previous Newspoll, three weeks ago. Primary votes were 38% Coalition (down one), 31% Labor (steady), 12% Greens (steady), 7% One Nation (steady) and 12% for all Others (up one).

    Newspoll previously used 2022 election preference flows, but they have adjusted for stronger One Nation preferences to the Coalition at the Queensland state election. The one-point drop in the Coalition’s primary vote suggests Labor gained, but preference flow changes affected the unchanged two-party estimate.

    The graph below shows Labor’s two-party vote for each pollster’s headline voting intentions. As the pollsters are making adjustments to the 2022 election preference flows, I don’t think it’s useful anymore to use the 2022 flows as a baseline.

    I’ve revised some of the previous iterations of Morgan and Essential so they use their headline respondent preferences. The four new polls included since the last federal update are Newspoll, the YouGov MRP below and last week’s Morgan and Redbridge polls.

    All polls have the Coalition leading by about 51–49. Labor had a better result (a 50–50 tie) from Morgan two weeks ago, but last week it reverted to a Coalition lead. Labor can recover this lead by the election that is due by May, but they’re currently losing.

    In Newspoll, Anthony Albanese’s net approval slid one point to a new low of -21, with 58% dissatisfied and 37% satisfied. Peter Dutton’s net approval was up one point to -10. Albanese led Dutton by 45–40 as better PM (44–41 previously).

    The graph below shows Albanese’s deteriorating ratings in Newspoll. The plus signs mark the data and a smoothed line has been fitted.

    In more bad news for Labor, just 34% said they deserved to be re-elected, while 53% said it’s time to give someone else a go.

    YouGov has Coalition winning the most seats

    YouGov conducted a national MRP poll (multi-level modelling with post-stratification) from January 22 to February 12 from an overall sample of over 40,000. MRP polls are used to estimate the outcome in each House of Representatives electorate using huge samples and modelling.

    YouGov’s central forecast if the election were held now is the Coalition winning 73 of the 150 lower house seats, three short of a majority. Labor would win 66 seats, independents eight, the Greens one and others two. At lower limits, the Coalition could win 65 seats and Labor 59, while at higher limits the Coalition could win 80 and Labor 72.

    The overall vote share in this MRP poll was 51.1–48.0 to the Coalition, a 3.2% swing to the Coalition since the 2022 election. Primary votes were 37.4% Coalition, 29.1% Labor, 12.7% Greens, 9.1% One Nation, 8.9% independents and 2.8% others.

    YouGov is using respondent preferences for its MRP polls, and it has a weakening of flows to Labor from both Green and One Nation voters compared with 2022. By 2022 election preference flows, this poll would be 50.2–49.8 to Labor.

    Labor’s primary vote is down most in its once safe working-class seats. But the Coalition is not likely to regain any of the seats taken by teal independents at the last election.

    Redbridge and Morgan polls

    The Poll Bludger reported last Tuesday that a national Redbridge poll, conducted February 3–7 from a sample of 1,013, gave the Coalition a 51.5–48.5 lead, a 1.5-point gain for the Coalition since early November. Primary votes were 40% Coalition (up two), 31% Labor (down three), 11% Greens (steady) and 18% for all Others (up one).

    Coalition supporters were more firm in their voting intentions (61% solid, 34% soft) than Labor supporters (51% solid, 39% soft). The poll suggested a 9% two-party swing against Labor in the outer suburbs, but this would have been based on a small subsample. Other swings were 5% against Labor in inner and middle suburbs, no change in provincial cities and a 3% swing to Labor in rural areas.

    The Poll Bludger reported Sunday that a Redbridge and Accent Research poll of 20 marginal seats, conducted February 4–11 from a total sample of 1,002, gave the Coalition a 52–48 lead (51–49 to Labor across these seats in 2022). Primary votes were 43% Coalition, 33% Labor, 12% Greens and 12% for all Others.

    A national Morgan poll, conducted February 3–9 from a sample of 1,688, gave the Coalition a 51.5–48.5 lead by headline respondent preferences, a 1.5-point gain for the Coalition since the January 27 to February 2 poll.

    Primary votes were 40.5% Coalition (up two), 29% Labor (down one), 11% Greens (down 0.5), 4% One Nation (down 1.5), 9.5% independents (down one) and 6% others (up two). This is the lowest support for the Greens in this poll since November 2022. By 2022 election preference flows, the Coalition led by 51.5–48.5, a two-point gain for the Coalition.

    UAP can’t register for election

    Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party (UAP) voluntarily deregistered during this term, and were unable to re-register under this name. Palmer and the UAP’s only federal parliamentarian, Victorian Senator Ralph Babet, challenged this law, but the High Court last Wednesday denied the challenge.

    Babet was elected in 2022 and won’t be up for election as his six-year term expires in June 2028. The coming election will be a normal one for the full House and half the Senate, not a double dissolution where all senators are up for election.

    The UAP could still register under a different name, but their registration would need to be completed before writs are issued for the election. If the election is on May 17, the latest possible date, writs would need to be issued by April 14.

    Victorian Labor retains Werribee at byelection

    I previously covered the February 8 Victorian state byelections for Werribee and Prahran. On the election night count, Prahran was a Liberal gain from the Greens, with Labor ahead in Werribee but not certain to hold.

    Over 2,000 additional postals have been counted in Werribee, and Labor increased its lead, and now leads by 50.8–49.2 against the Liberals, a 10.2% swing to the Liberals since the November 2022 state election.

    Left-wing parties will do badly in Germany

    I covered next Sunday’s German election for The Poll Bludger on Saturday. The conservative CDU/CSU and far-right AfD are the top two parties in the polls, with the governing centre-left SPD and the Greens trailing.

    In Canada, Mark Carney is almost certain to be elected Liberal leader, replacing Justin Trudeau. In recent weeks, the Liberals have closed the gap on the Conservatives, but still trail by a large margin. US and UK polls were also covered.

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

    – ref. Coalition leading narrowly in four polls and would likely win an election held now – https://theconversation.com/coalition-leading-narrowly-in-four-polls-and-would-likely-win-an-election-held-now-249694

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese superconducting quantum computer receives over 20M global visits

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    A visitor takes photos of an Origin Wukong superconducting quantum computer model at the 2024 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, east China’s Anhui Province, Sept. 20, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    China’s independently developed third-generation superconducting quantum computer, Origin Wukong, has received more than 20 million remote visits globally, passing an important milestone in the country’s quantum computing development, China Science and Technology Daily has reported.
    According to the Anhui Quantum Computing Engineering Research Center, users from 139 countries or regions have accessed Origin Wukong remotely, with the United States, Russia, Japan and Canada showing the highest levels of user activity. Among these countries, the United States is leading in foreign user visits.
    Origin Wukong has completed more than 339,000 quantum computing tasks since it went into operation on Jan. 6, 2024, covering a wide range of industries, such as finance and biomedicine.
    The quantum computer is powered by Wukong, a 72-qubit indigenous superconducting quantum chip. It is one of the country’s most advanced programmable and deliverable superconducting quantum computers.
    Wukong’s name was inspired by the mythological Sun Wukong, the legendary Monkey King, who had the ability to transform into 72 different forms, symbolizing the computer’s powerful and versatile capabilities.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Hochul Speaks at the 2025 Caucus Reception

    Source: US State of New York

    Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul delivered remarks at the 2025 Caucus Reception.

    VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

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

    PHOTOS: The Governor’s Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

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

    Alright. Looks like a party — something you haven’t done all weekend yet, right? Yeah, I can see the bags under your eyes. And the day is still young. So, I just cherish this event. I truly do. In fact, the entire weekend is so energizing for me. I think I’ll have gone to maybe 10 events; you’ve gone to many more. But it gives us a chance to reconnect with who we are. To think about the people who came before us and the journey that got us to where we are today. But also ask the question, “Where are we going now?”

    And where we are going now depends on the leadership we have in our state. And I want to give a special shout out, and I think she’s still here, to our Attorney General, Tish James, who has taken on the fight. There she is. We are so damn lucky at this particular moment in time, to have her courage, her defiance and her willingness to go into court and take on whatever comes our way out of Washington. So I want to give her a round of applause again. She’s an extraordinary leader.

    And who else is leading the State? Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins is here! She’s an unbelievable leader and represents the entire state with such heart and passion and a belief in lifting people up. I want to thank her for being such a great friend. We also have the Majority Leader of the Assembly, Crystal Peoples-Stokes, who I’ll be introducing in a few minutes. There she is. We’re going to talk about her a lot in a couple minutes. But, we also have a guy named Carl Heastie, too. I love our speaker, I don’t know if he could be here today, but there’s a common denominator. You know, Carl’s a good guy. He’s great. We love him.

    But there’s a lot of strong women out here, aren’t there? Okay, a lot of strong women who, to get up in this place and be elected in a statewide position or a major role like the Majority Leader, it takes guts. But I want to say right now is: if there was ever a moment in our state history that required guts, it is right now. And I’m proud to lead this state with incredible partners. And Latrice Walker, unbelievable weekend. Congratulations to all you’ve done here. I know Assemblymember Solages, I’ve seen her a whole lot. I know she’s coming in and out, but I want to thank my administration. I know we heard from our DOT Commissioner Dominguez. You heard from our district attorney. I mean, what a rock star Eric Gonzalez is. Also, Steven Raga, our assemblymember. Thank them. But also give it up for people like Stacey Lynch and my entire team who are here.

    Well, let’s get down to business. Hell of a week, friends. Hell of a week. Started out with the Attorney General in Washington on national television telling everybody she’s bringing charges against me because I’m standing up to uphold the laws of our state that are duly enacted by our Legislature and I’m sworn to uphold. But you’re coming after me for saying that I think that people who are here, living here, working here, contributing to our economy, should not be able to drive to work or get their kids to a doctor’s appointment? No, I am not I’m not opening up our DMV database to you, because I don’t know—

    Now, we know why they would want it. But here’s how I’m going to broaden the issue: There are a lot of good people in law enforcement. I’m not going to say there are not. But what we have right now in Washington — people from Elon Musk and DOGE getting access to our IRS records now and all this information — do you really want them to have access to the DMV so they can find out something about your 16 year old daughter who has a permit in my database? I mean, this is broader than just the immigrant community. This is a scary thought. These are state records about state people, and I have to protect them.

    And then, right around the same time, I’m getting papers from the great state of Louisiana, telling me I’m supposed to turn over an abortion provider, a courageous woman who lives right in the Hudson Valley, and turn her over to face prosecution — facing 15 years in jail. Over my dead body will you get her from me.

    And yes, I will say this: There’s a storm in Washington. It’s complicated. New York City is very complicated. But I want to tell you this: I’ve been in the elective office for 31 years, and maybe the toughest thing I had to do in that was also to raise a couple of teenagers, okay? You know what I’m saying, parents? I’m used to being the eye of the hurricane. That’s my place where I live. So we’re going to calm it all down, okay? We’re going to be okay, because you have strong leaders who know how to take it to the mat. And I’m ready to say, “Let’s get ready to rumble.” I will fight for New Yorkers with every breath of my body. So when you’re feeling under siege and you have communities that are anxious and worried, say, “Don’t worry. Our governor’s got this. She’s got this. She’s been there. She’s experienced, and she has great people around her.”

    So I just need to let everybody know we’re going to be okay. And all we have to do after a weekend like this, is call on those who came before us under tougher times. I mean, think about tiny little Harriet Tubman who, with such courage, she didn’t just come back and save her neck, she went back to Maryland countless times, freeing slaves, being hounded by bloodhounds, going through the swamps at night, trying to find her way north in the dark — touching the side of the tree, you could feel the moss grows on the north side, so she touched it, she knew where she was going.

    I read that book when I was eight years old. That’s part of who I am. Her story — I believe in people like that, and Sojourner Truth. Her voice was so critical back then. We need the Sojourner Truths of today. Where’s the Harriet Tubman of today to lead us out of darkness into light and into freedom? That’s what we have to do, everyone. And those people are in this room.

    Because someday, history is going to look at us. How do we measure up to these courageous people — the people who started the Underground Railroad and brought people through Crystal Peoples-Stokes hometown and mine, freeing people over to Canada, because otherwise they’re going to be killed or returned to slavery — that’s where we come from, right Crystal? The Underground Railroad, Mary Talbert was there. Great hero. The NAACP, guess where it started? Yes, in Buffalo, New York. The Niagara Movement. And I’m not going to brag more about Buffalo just because — but it’s also got the best football team in America. But, deal with it Eddie. Eddie, I’ve had enough crap from you. Deal with that. Alright, there you go.

    So, I say this: This is a time of celebration to get reenergized, to get fired up, to believe in our purpose here today, because that’s why God put us on earth. No other reason, no other reason we’re taking up space on this earth than to lift up the lives of others. To make this place better. And New York State will always lead the nation as we have throughout history. Don’t worry about us, or as Crystal is fond of saying, “Lift as you climb.” That’s her saying. Lift as you climb. That’s not just, “Climb for your sake of getting the power and the glory yourselves.” It’s making sure God’s power and glory is there to lift up others.

    And that’s one of the reasons I love this woman so much. She comes from the streets of Buffalo. She’s tough. I was an elected official throughout most of her career. I saw what you had to endure. The discrimination and the hatred she had to endure, even just being a woman in a position of power in Erie County when there were very few women who could step up and do this.

    She ran for Congress back in ‘96. I campaigned with her. She’s been through the trials and tribulations, but when she sets her mind to something, do not get in her way. She fought to make sure we had a legal cannabis system that dealt with social equity to give everybody a chance to overcome what they had been through.

    She fought to make sure our streets are safer, that we could heal communities that have been severed by infrastructure. Robert Moses divided the black and white community in Buffalo, and in the 1950s nobody stood up to it and they let it happen. Crystal says, “We’re bringing back our cities, we’re healing them once again, so we can reunite our black and brown communities.” So, I need to say this, as she often says, this is her motto: “God be the glory.” And I thank God. I thank God every day that he put Crystal Peoples-Stokes on our earth, in my city, in our State Legislature.

    Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Crystal Peoples-Stokes!

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China remains constructive force in changing world

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC) concluded on Sunday. In interviews with Xinhua, Chinese experts attending the MSC said the event addressed numerous emerging global uncertainties, while China reaffirmed its commitment to being a constructive force in a changing world.

    A security report was released ahead of the conference with a focus on multipolarization and its U.S. section noted that the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump “promises more selective, often unilateral, international engagement, only when narrowly construed US interests are at stake.”

    And it also stated that the administration’s “toying with the idea of coercively absorbing Greenland, Panama, and Canada” suggests it will not feel bound by key international norms.

    Wang Junsheng, a researcher at the Institute of Asia-Pacific and Global Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the key focus of the conference was the uncertainties stemming from the Trump administration. He said the administration’s past statements and acts have indicated a disrespect for international order and a disruption of the existing international system.

    The report stated that the Trump administration’s indifference toward United Nations’ agencies and climate change will negatively impact the Global South countries.

    Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University of China, said the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization not only undermined the authority and effectiveness of the global governance system but also dampened the momentum for multilateral cooperation. This, he argued, has deepened the fragmentation of the international order and hastened the world’s shift toward a more disordered state.

    During his speech at the MSC, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance criticized European countries, including Germany, on issues concerning democracy and immigration. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday criticized Vance for interfering in German politics. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Saturday emphasized that Europe would not accept external imposition.

    Wang Junsheng said Vance’s speech was condescending, undermining the principle of equal exchanges between nations. He added that Vance’s blatant interference in Germany’s internal affairs violates other’s sovereignty and reflects unilateralism, which could provoke diplomatic tensions.

    Xiao Qian, deputy head of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, said Vance’s speech failed to address issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and tariffs, disregarding the concerns of countries in Europe and beyond. European officials and scholars have expressed deep disappointment.

    Wang Junsheng said the Russia-Ukraine conflict remained a key issue at this year’s MSC. While the Trump administration has been pursuing a negotiated resolution, widespread concerns persist in Europe regarding the fairness and justice of the U.S. proposal, its potential to achieve lasting peace, and whether it primarily serves American interests.

    With regard to U.S. wielding the big stick of tariffs, Wang Yiwei said this move has undermined the global free trade regime and World Trade Organization rules, fueled trade protectionism and economic nationalism, disrupted global supply chains, and heightened uncertainties in the development of world economy.

    Addressing the “China in the World” session of the MSC, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pledged that China will remain a global stabilizing factor and a constructive force in the transformation of the world. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, elaborated on China’s four key views regarding multipolarity, including advocating equality among nations, respecting the rule of international law, practicing multilateralism, and upholding openness and win-win cooperation.

    The Chinese experts said Wang’s speech addressed concerns of all parties and provided the greatest certainty in this uncertain world. China’s proposal to promote an equal and orderly multipolar world was widely discussed and received high praise from attendees.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Generative AI is already being used in journalism – here’s how people feel about it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University

    Indonesia’s TVOne launched an AI news presenter in 2023. T.J. Thomson

    Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has taken off at lightning speed in the past couple of years, creating disruption in many industries. Newsrooms are no exception.

    A new report published today finds that news audiences and journalists alike are concerned about how news organisations are – and could be – using generative AI such as chatbots, image, audio and video generators, and similar tools.

    The report draws on three years of interviews and focus group research into generative AI and journalism in Australia and six other countries (United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland, Germany and France).

    Only 25% of our news audience participants were confident they had encountered generative AI in journalism. About 50% were unsure or suspected they had.

    This suggests a potential lack of transparency from news organisations when they use generative AI. It could also reflect a lack of trust between news outlets and audiences.

    Who or what makes your news – and how – matters for a host of reasons.

    Some outlets tend to use more or fewer sources, for example. Or use certain kinds of sources – such as politicians or experts – more than others.

    Some outlets under-represent or misrepresent parts of the community. This is sometimes because the news outlet’s staff themselves aren’t representative of their audience.

    Carelessly using AI to produce or edit journalism can reproduce some of these inequalities.

    Our report identifies dozens of ways journalists and news organisations can use generative AI. It also summarises how comfortable news audiences are with each.

    The news audiences we spoke to overall felt most comfortable with journalists using AI for behind-the-scenes tasks rather than for editing and creating. These include using AI to transcribe an interview or to provide ideas on how to cover a topic.

    But comfort is highly dependent on context. Audiences were quite comfortable with some editing and creating tasks when the perceived risks were lower.

    The problem – and opportunity

    Generative AI can be used in just about every part of journalism.

    For example, a photographer could cover an event. Then, a generative AI tool could select what it “thinks” are the best images, edit the images to optimise them, and add keywords to each.

    Computer software can try to recognise objects in images and add keywords, leading to potentially more efficient image processing workflows.
    Elise Racine/Better Images of AI/Moon over Fields, CC BY

    These might seem like relatively harmless applications. But what if the AI identifies something or someone incorrectly, and these keywords lead to mis-identifications in the photo captions? What if the criteria humans think make “good” images are different to what a computer might think? These criteria may also change over time or in different contexts.

    Even something as simple as lightening or darkening an image can cause a furore when politics are involved.

    AI can also make things up completely. Images can appear photorealistic but show things that never happened. Videos can be entirely generated with AI, or edited with AI to change their context.

    Generative AI is also frequently used for writing headlines or summarising articles. These sound like helpful applications for time-poor individuals, but some news outlets are using AI to rip off others’ content.

    AI-generated news alerts have also gotten the facts wrong. As an example, Apple recently suspended its automatically generated news notification feature. It did this after the feature falsely claimed US murder suspect Luigi Mangione had killed himself, with the source attributed as the BBC.

    What do people think about journalists using AI?

    Our research found news audiences seem to be more comfortable with journalists using AI for certain tasks when they themselves have used it for similar purposes.

    For example, the people interviewed were largely comfortable with journalists using AI to blur parts of an image. Our participants said they used similar tools on video conferencing apps or when using the “portrait” mode on smartphones.

    Likewise, when you insert an image into popular word processing or presentation software, it might automatically create a written description of the image for people with vision impairments. Those who’d previously encountered such AI descriptions of images felt more comfortable with journalists using AI to add keywords to media.

    Popular word processing and presentation software can automatically generate alt-text descriptions for images that are inserted into documents or presentations.
    T.J. Thomson

    The most frequent way our participants encountered generative AI in journalism was when journalists reported on AI content that had gone viral.

    For example, when an AI-generated image purported to show Princes William and Harry embracing at King Charles’s coronation, news outlets reported on this false image.

    Our news audience participants also saw notices that AI had been used to write, edit or translate news articles. They saw AI-generated images accompanying some of these. This is a popular approach at The Daily Telegraph, which uses AI-generated images to illustrate many of its opinion columns.

    The Daily Telegraph frequently turns to generative AI to illustrate its opinion columns, sometimes generating more photorealistic illustrations and sometimes less photorealistic ones.
    T.J. Thomson

    Overall, our participants felt most comfortable with journalists using AI for brainstorming or for enriching already created media. This was followed by using AI for editing and creating. But comfort depends heavily on the specific use.

    Most of our participants were comfortable with turning to AI to create icons for an infographic. But they were quite uncomfortable with the idea of an AI avatar presenting the news, for example.

    On the editing front, a majority of our participants were comfortable with using AI to animate historical images, like this one. AI can be used to “enliven” an otherwise static image in the hopes of attracting viewer interest and engagement.

    A historical photograph from the State Library of Western Australia’s collection has been animated with AI (a tool called Runway) to introduce motion to the still image.
    T.J. Thomson

    Your role as an audience member

    If you’re unsure if or how journalists are using AI, look for a policy or explainer from the news outlet on the topic. If you can’t find one, consider asking the outlet to develop and publish a policy.

    Consider supporting media outlets that use AI to complement and support – rather than replace – human labour.

    Before making decisions, consider the past trustworthiness of the journalist or outlet in question, and what the evidence says.

    T.J. Thomson receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is an affiliate with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making & Society.

    Michelle Riedlinger receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada’s Global Journalism Innovation Lab. She is an affiliate with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making & Society.

    Phoebe Matich receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is a post-doctoral research fellow within the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making and Society.

    Ryan J. Thomas 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. Generative AI is already being used in journalism – here’s how people feel about it – https://theconversation.com/generative-ai-is-already-being-used-in-journalism-heres-how-people-feel-about-it-247232

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Gamified building sites provide safer, more accessible learning opportunities for UniSA students

    Source: University of South Australia

    17 February 2025

    Construction education is being transformed with immersive virtual learning environments, allowing University of South Australia students to safely and freely navigate building sites and connect theory to practice.

    The virtual site visits create a realistic digital environment where architecture and construction students can explore the complexity of construction sites from a first-person perspective, like a video game.

    Through the UniSA-developed SiteSeer program, students experience the full fabrication process and learn to translate two-dimensional plans into three-dimensional structures, bridging the gap between plans and built reality.

    UniSA Senior Lecturer: Architecture Dr Sean Pickersgill says the development of the gamified platform was born out of the logistical challenges often faced by academics when co-ordinating physical construction site visits as part of students’ practical learning.

    “Organising physical site visits for students is challenging because there’s no way to ensure that all students receive the same experience without organising a site visit for the entire class. This is where co-ordination challenges arise because there’s no guarantee that a construction site’s schedule will align with the students’ learning progress,” he says.

    “Then there’s the organisational complexity of arranging student access to construction sites which requires significant liaison with builders and there’s also safety and liability concerns with having students on site.

    “There’s also the difficulty of students’ travelling to building sites, sometimes outside of regular teaching hours. For some students it’s impractical, especially if they rely on public transport or have long commute times, and because of that in the past we’ve observed higher absentee rates as students are reluctant to attend.

    In response to these complexities, four UniSA academics developed an original digital platform, called OnSite, in 2015. Capturing five stages of the construction process – site set out, slab, single-storey wall framing, double-storey wall framing and roof framing.

    The project evolved over the next decade, with more than 1000 first year students engaging in the gamified platform as part of a first-year introductory course on Australian construction practices.

    In 2024, OnSite advanced into a new digital model, SiteSeer, containing more than 70 distinct phases of the construction process of a small, double-storey studio. A mixture of timber frame and brick veneer, the new structure demonstrates a broad scope of construction phases a first-year student is expected to understand.

    The newest current version achieves an even greater level of simulated realism with detailed elements such as bins, vegetation and tools providing an additional aspect of authenticity to the experience.

    Dr Pickersgill says construction and architecture students observing real-world methods echoes the apprenticeship model where trade skills are learned alongside skilled craftspeople.

    “Tertiary architecture and building degrees face challenges in providing this first-hand experience due to time restraints – but this foundational knowledge is critical,” he says. “SiteSeer is allowing students to explore every detail of the environment and gain an in-depth insight to each building stage, all within one seamless platform.

    “We’re diversifying and elevating learning in the digital age.”

    For more information on SiteSeer, read the research paper: Sean Pickersgill, Andrew Lymn-Penning, Damian Madigan, and Darcy Holmes. 2024. Virtual Site Visits through Gamification for AEC Students: Perspectives on Practice. In SIGGRAPH Asia 2024 Educator’s Forum (SA ’24). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 2, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1145/3680533.3697062

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contact for interview: Dr Sean Pickersgill, Senior Lecturer: Architecture, UniSA E: Sean.Pickersgill@unisa.edu.au
    Media contact: Melissa Keogh, Communications Officer, UniSA M: +61 406 659 154 E: Melissa.Keogh@unisa.edu.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Côte d’Ivoire: Canada Strengthens Partnership with the African Development Bank During High-Level Meeting

    Source: African Development Bank Group
    The African Development Bank welcomed Andrew Smith, Director General for the Pan-African Bureau at Global Affairs Canada, to Côte d’Ivoire on Friday, 7 February. This marked a significant step forward in the partnership between Canada and the African Development Bank Group.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Statement on Firings at the U.S. Department of Agriculture

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, released the following statement on reports that the Administration has fired U.S. Department of Agriculture employees.

    “U.S. Department of Agriculture employees support farmers and ranchers, invest in rural communities, prevent wildfires, protect our natural resources, and more. It is one thing to institute reforms. It is another to mandate across-the-board layoffs that stop or delay work on avian flu, wildfires, rural hospitals, and loans for farmers and ranchers. This will hurt U.S. agriculture and rural Americans just when our farmers are getting hit by animal disease, the threat of Trump tariffs, and no updated Farm Bill.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: President Donald J. Trump Approves Kentucky Emergency Declaration

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that an emergency exists in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and ordered Federal assistance to supplement Commonwealth and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, and landslides beginning on February 14, 2025, and continuing. 

    The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population. FEMA will provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all 120 counties of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
     
    Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide, at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.  Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding. 
     
    Mr. Jeremy Slinker of FEMA has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.
     
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/BURUNDI – Appointment of Bishop of Bubanza

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Saturday, 15 February 2025

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – Pope Francis has appointed Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Ntakarutimana, O.P., until now Coordinator of the Council for the creation of the Catholic University of Burundi, as Bishop of the Diocese of Bubanza (Burundi).His Exc. Msgr. Emmanuel Ntakarutimana, of the Order of Preachers, was born on 30 December 1956 in the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Gitega. After studying Philosophy at the Major Seminary of Bujumbura and Theology at the Université Catholique Du Congo in Kinshasa, he obtained a Doctorate in Fundamental Theology at the Université de Fribourg in Switzerland.He made his first profession in Ibadan, Nigeria on September 28, 1981, his perpetual vows in 1984 in Rweza (Burundi) and was ordained a priest in Gitega on August 23, 1987.He has held the following positions: Professor of Fundamental Theology at the Major Seminary of Gitega (1986-1989); Secretary of the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace (1988-1990); Master of Students at the Inter-African Formation House of the Dominicans in Kinshasa (1991-1993); Advisor to the Superior and Coordinator for Africa of the Order of Dominican Fathers (1993-1999); Coordinator of the Ubuntu Center for the Promotion of Peace and Reconciliation in Bujumbura (2001-2015); Director of the Office of the Episcopal Conference for Evangelization (2015-2021); since 2021, Coordinator of the Council for the creation of the Catholic University of Burundi. (Agenzia Fides, 15/2/2024)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Murkowski and Sullivan Recognize Elizabeth Peratrovich Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski

    02.16.25

    Anchorage, AK – U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-AK) are honored to recognize February 16th as “Elizabeth Peratrovich Day” through a Senate resolution. The national recognition celebrates the historic Alaska civil rights leader who played an integral role in the Alaska Territorial Legislature’s passage the Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945—decades before the signing of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. This is the third consecutive year that Elizabeth Peratrovich Day will be nationally recognized. 

    “Whether it be her work to integrate public schools, laying the groundwork for ANCSA, or securing the right to vote for Alaska Natives, Elizabeth Peratrovich left an indelible mark on Alaska’s history,” said Senator Murkowski. “Senator Sullivan and I are honored to lead this resolution in Congress to nationally commemorate her extraordinary contributions to Alaska.”

    “Elizabeth Peratrovich changed Alaska’s history—and our country’s history—for the better, fighting tirelessly for racial equality decades before the passage of the national Civil Rights Act in Congress,” said Senator Sullivan. “Her courage and leadership was a shining light in a dark chapter of history when Alaska Native people were routinely discriminated against and denied equal rights in our state. Elizabeth Peratrovich’s legacy as a civil rights leader continues to inspire generations of Alaskans to speak out against injustice and listen to voices that may be silenced or ignored. I look forward to the unanimous passage of our resolution for the third year in a row to recognize February 16 as Elizabeth Peratrovich Day nationwide—an incredible, fitting tribute to this great Alaskan and American.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu joint statements to the press

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    Secretary of State Marco A. Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joint statements to the press in Jerusalem, Israel, on February 16, 2025.

    Transcript: https://www.state.gov/secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-and-israeli-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu/
    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

    The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

    Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statedept
    X: https://x.com/StateDept
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    Subscribe to the State Department Blog: https://www.state.gov/blogs
    Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
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    #StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5M6LOM2a3s

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-Evening Report: In Afghanistan, families are forced to sell children to survive. Trump’s USAID cuts will be devastating

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University

    The dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) is a serious blow to the soft power of the United States and disastrous for many poor countries where it helps provide humanitarian, health and educational services.

    One country whose citizens will bear the brunt of it is Afghanistan, under the misogynistic and draconian rule of the Taliban.

    According to United Nations reports, more than half of Afghanistan’s estimated 40 million population is dependent on international handouts for their survival. Most of the remaining barely earn enough to exist.

    USAID has played a critical part in alleviating the suffering of Afhghans since the hasty retreat of the US and its allies from the country and the return of the Taliban to power in mid-2021.

    Since then, the United States has been the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, amounting to US$3.71 billion (A$5.8 billion), channelled through UN agencies and other international organisations. USAID has been responsible for delivering a large proportion of it.

    The effects are already being felt. A major midwifery program has closed, while “secret schools” for girls and the American University of Afghanistan has suspended classes.

    US aid, along with help from other donors, has also been critical in keeping mass starvation at bay.

    Aid propping up the Taliban

    Indeed, not all the aid has directly been delivered to the needy. The Taliban have creamed off a portion of it in the process of permitting and supervising its delivery.

    As widely reported, the group has indirectly received some US$40 million (A$63 million) a week of donor funds. The United Nations says it’s unavoidable that some money makes its way to Afghanistan’s central bank, which is under the control of the Taliban.

    This aid money, together with US$7 billion (A$11 billion) worth of light and heavy arms left behind by the US and its allies, has been crucial in enabling the Taliban to enforce its extremist rule, despite lacking domestic and international legitimacy.

    US President Donald Trump’s objection to the flow of any American aid to the Taliban is well placed. He has criticised the Biden administration for its chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and failure to curtail the indirect benefits of American aid to the group.

    He has called for an end to American money going to the Taliban and for the return of US military equipment from the group. He has even floated the idea of retaking the strategically important Bagram air base outside Kabul, which he claims is now under Chinese influence.

    Further, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who both served in Afghanistan, have vowed to continue to fight terrorism around the world. Waltz believes terrorist groups are regrouping in Afghanistan under the Taliban and the Pentagon may need to send US troops back there.

    A halt to any aid that can advantage the Taliban is absolutely imperative. Countering the group is vital to combating violent extremism and terrorism.

    Afghans still desperately need aid

    However, this effort needs to be managed in ways that do not deprive the needy people of Afghanistan.

    Afghanistan’s economy, industries, reconstruction projects and work opportunities have virtually collapsed, while many schools have been closed or transformed into religious institutions.

    The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimates that in the last three years, Afghanistan’s economy has contracted by 27%, with staggeringly high unemployment and inflation.

    Living conditions are so bad that some families are selling their children in order to feed the rest of the family.

    No section of the society is in more desperate need than girls and women, who have been stripped of all their basic rights to education, work and public life. They are not even allowed to speak in public or pray outside the four walls of their homes. As put by actor Meryl Streep, a cat has more freedom than women in Afghanistan.

    This has caused a mental health crisis among women in Afghanistan, with rising numbers of suicides.

    What can be done?

    The disembowelling of USAID will have far-reaching consequences for the people of Afghanistan.

    If the Trump administration wants to achieve its anti-Taliban objectives, it needs a two-pronged policy approach:

    • identify new ways to continue humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan in ways that don’t benefit the Taliban

    • increase pressure on the Taliban by strictly enforcing international sanctions and maintaining its isolation on the international stage.

    The suspension of American aid has already resulted in a devaluation of the Afghani currency. This has prompted the Taliban to impose severe restrictions on the transfer of dollars out of the country.

    Some analysts predict that if the economy continues to worsen, it will impact the Taliban’s ability to govern.

    In turn, this could strengthen civil and armed opposition groups – including the women’s Purple Saturday movement, which stands for a free and legitimately governed Afghanistan. These groups have increasingly become active in different parts of the country.

    Amin Saikal 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. In Afghanistan, families are forced to sell children to survive. Trump’s USAID cuts will be devastating – https://theconversation.com/in-afghanistan-families-are-forced-to-sell-children-to-survive-trumps-usaid-cuts-will-be-devastating-249713

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Warren, Gillibrand, Smith, and Schumer Demand Trump & Elon Halt Cuts to HUD Workforce, Press for Answers on HUD’s Capacity to Meet Critical Functions & Deliver Essential Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Senators warn major staffing cuts will decimate HUD’s ability to deliver basic services, staffing cuts cannot be easily reversed and will worsen ongoing national housing crisis

    Washington, D.C. – Today U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, led a letter—alongside Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development, and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)—demanding that U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner halt any further staff cuts at the agency, noting that additional staffing reductions would further exacerbate the housing crisis and would likely prevent HUD from being able to meet critical functions like supporting disaster recovery efforts.  

    “We are deeply alarmed and troubled by reports that you terminated hundreds of probationary employees on Friday and are planning to cut the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) workforce by 50 percent or nearly 4,300 staff,” wrote the Senators. “Initial reports suggest no program office would be spared, with staffing cuts ranging from 10 percent to 84 percent. Some of the most drastic reductions impact areas that support highly vulnerable people, including seniors, homeless veterans and families, and people with disabilities, and provide billions of dollars to cities and counties across the country. Without sufficient staff to run these programs, community and economic development projects, disaster recovery efforts, and housing development across the country will be delayed and could come to a grinding halt.”

    The Senators went on to note that building existing staffing levels at HUD took years of excruciating and incremental progress in order to meet basic and critical functions of the agency, “Between 2012-2019, HUD’s staffing levels fell by over 20 percent. During that time, independent audits from the HUD Office of Inspector General and U.S. Government Accountability Office repeatedly pointed to capacity gaps across HUD. This includes not having enough staff to support communities devastated by disasters, not having enough staff to meet HUD’s legal obligations under the Fair Housing Act, and not having enough staff to process applications that would allow for more housing to be built faster.[1] Congress has worked to address these inadequacies inch by inch through the annual Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. As a result, at the start of your tenure as Secretary, HUD’s staffing capacity was near its 2012 levels with a dedicated workforce ready to advance HUD’s mission. So much of that hard-fought progress has been wiped away in less than three weeks, and between the deferred resignation program and termination of probationary employees, overall staffing levels will be cut by 13 percent at HUD.”

    “President Trump’s reckless threats of blanket tariffs on friendly nations could drive up housing costs, deter new development, and slow rebuilding efforts in disaster-impacted communities. Freezing already obligated funds, cancelling necessary program contracts, and hastily gutting HUD’s workforce will inevitably lead to costly delays, and many housing projects will fall apart completely, only making our current housing crisis worse. We urge you to immediately stop any additional cuts to HUD’s workforce,” emphasized the Senators in their letter to Turner.

    The Senators went on to demand that Secretary Turner provide answers regarding HUD’s existing capacity, its justification for recent terminations, whether any plans were put in place to ensure continuity of critical services HUD provides following seemingly indiscriminate mass layoffs, and more.

    The full letter can be read HERE and below.

    Dear Secretary Turner:

    We are deeply alarmed and troubled by reports that you terminated hundreds of probationary employees on Friday and are planning to cut the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) workforce by 50 percent or nearly 4,300 staff.Initial reports suggest no program office would be spared, with staffing cuts ranging from 10 percent to 84 percent. Some of the most drastic reductions impact areas that support highly vulnerable people, including seniors, homeless veterans and families, and people with disabilities, and provide billions of dollars to cities and counties across the country. Without sufficient staff to run these programs, community and economic development projects, disaster recovery efforts, and housing development across the country will be delayed and could come to a grinding halt.

    Between 2012-2019, HUD’s staffing levels fell by over 20 percent. During that time, independent audits from the HUD Office of Inspector General and U.S. Government Accountability Office repeatedly pointed to capacity gaps across HUD. This includes not having enough staff to support communities devastated by disasters, not having enough staff to meet HUD’s legal obligations under the Fair Housing Act, and not having enough staff to process applications that would allow for more housing to be built faster.[2] Congress has worked to address these inadequacies inch by inch through the annual Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. As a result, at the start of your tenure as Secretary, HUD’s staffing capacity was near its 2012 levels with a dedicated workforce ready to advance HUD’s mission. So much of that hard-fought progress has been wiped away in less than three weeks, and between the deferred resignation program and termination of probationary employees, overall staffing levels will be cut by 13 percent at HUD. 

    Upon your confirmation, you spoke of the “opportunity to restore HUD to its core mission of supporting strong and sustainable communities and quality, affordable homes — serving our nation’s most vulnerable”.[3] In your address to HUD’s workforce on February 6, you highlighted the many challenges facing HUD and communities: a housing affordability crisis, homelessness,

    and disaster recovery efforts.[4] On his very first day in office, President Trump signed an executive order to pursue actions to “lower the cost of housing and expand housing supply”.[5] We could not agree with you more that we need to focus on addressing all of these challenges head on, but nearly every action this Administration has taken to date on housing are completely counter to these goals. President Trump’s reckless threats of blanket tariffs on friendly nations could drive up housing costs, deter new development, and slow rebuilding efforts in disaster-impacted communities.[6] Freezing already obligated funds, cancelling necessary program contracts, and hastily gutting HUD’s workforce will inevitably lead to costly delays, and many housing projects will fall apart completely, only making our current housing crisis worse.

    We urge you to immediately stop any additional cuts to HUD’s workforce. We also request that the Department respond to the following by no later than Friday, February 21.

    1. How many probationary employees were terminated – by office, division, and branch?
    2. What factors did HUD consider in determining which probationary employees would and would not be terminated on February 14?
    3. Were there any exceptions for offices that already lack sufficient capacity to address HUD’s legal obligations, statutory mandates, and for the purposes of public safety, law enforcement, and security?
    4. What steps did the Department take to ensure the continuity of programs for families and communities prior to terminating hundreds of employees?
    5. What role did you personally play in directing and reviewing employee lists vis-à-vis the DOGE team and vis-à-vis the political appointees leading each office component?
    6. How much notice was provided to terminated employees?
    7. If terminations were conducted under 5 C.F.R. § 315.804, what justification was provided to employees as the reason for their termination? 
    8. Consistent with the staffing review you are conducting in response to the February 11 executive order, please provide HUD’s comprehensive list of the functions performed by each office that are mandated by statute or related to public safety and law enforcement, as well as the current number of staff associated with those functions.[7]
    9. For the employees who have accepted the deferred resignation offer, what is the estimated cost to taxpayers to pay those employees for not working through the end of the year?
    10. The Committees on Appropriations intentionally funds each HUD program office separately to support program execution and fulfillment of HUD’s mission. How are the costs of the deferred resignations and planned reductions in force “necessary expenses” and consistent with appropriation law?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Presidential Message on the 2025 Daytona 500

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>Today, I look forward to joining tens of thousands of American Patriots in Daytona Beach, Florida, for the “Great American Race”—the legendary Daytona 500—and the official start to the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series.

    This iconic race showcases the fastest, most fearless drivers in motorsports, who represent our Nation’s love of tradition, competition, and automotive innovation. The Daytona 500 brings together people from all walks of life—from lifelong racing fans to first-time spectators—they all join in celebrating a shared passion for speed, adrenaline, and the thrill of the race. From the roar of the engines on the track to the echo of “The Star-Spangled Banner” soaring through the stands, the Daytona 500 is a timeless tribute to the speed, strength, and unyielding spirit that make America great. That spirit is what will fuel America’s Golden Age, and if we harness it, the future is truly ours.

    Since the very beginning, NASCAR has carried forth a proud tradition of honoring our heroic Service members for their unwavering courage. While fans from around the world gather today at Daytona International Speedway, we extend our unending gratitude to the selfless men and women in uniform who risk their lives to keep us safe. When the engines start or the checkered flag waves, and all 500 thrilling miles in between, our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and Guardians stand ready to defend cherished traditions like this—and for that, we are truly thankful.

    Melania and I send our best wishes for a safe and successful race. May God bless our Armed Forces, and may He continue to bless the United States of America.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Presidential Message on Susan B. Anthony Day, 2025

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>Today, we celebrate the birthday of Susan B. Anthony, a warrior for women and hero of Equality, Justice, and the Constitutional rule of law.

    For her entire life, Susan B. Anthony was fiercely devoted to the principle that every American, regardless of race or sex, is born with the God-given right to enjoy the blessings of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Years later, her fearless crusade for Equality culminated in the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment of the Constitution, which blocked states from denying citizens the right to vote on the basis of sex. Throughout her storied life, she also emerged as a champion of the abolitionist movement and a tireless advocate for the sanctity of life.

    As President, I have already taken historic action to advance the sacred causes that Susan B. Anthony cherished so deeply. I was honored to sign an Executive Order safeguarding women’s sports—ensuring the survival of free and competitive spaces for female athletes. Additionally, I was proud to order the end of taxpayer-funded abortion—a big win for the most vulnerable among us.

    While my Administration continues to honor the legacy of Susan B. Anthony and promote our shared cause of Liberty and Justice for all, I also want to thank our Nation’s First Lady, Melania Trump, for previously hosting a White House celebration with America’s youth to honor the centennial anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. I know she looks forward to continuing to help empower and support girls and women in the United States and around the globe.

    Today, Melania joins me in paying tribute to Susan B. Anthony’s perseverance, leadership, and monumental achievements. Let us continue her life’s work of creating a culture that celebrates the enduring triumph of Freedom, the dignity of life, and the full glory of the American promise.

    MIL OSI USA News –