NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Community projects countering racism receive $300,000

    Community-based organizations throughout B.C. have received grants from the Province to fund projects countering racism and promoting multiculturalism.

    Under the annual B.C. Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Grants program, projects that battle racial inequity and foster intercultural understanding in B.C. are receiving a total of $300,000 to cover direct costs.

    Organizations have applied for as much as $5,000 for projects using the arts, education, awareness and interactive campaigns to help reduce racism and promote diversity. To be eligible, projects were required to begin by April 1, 2025, and wrap up by March 31, 2026.

    Projects receiving funding this year include:

    • Intersectional Advocacy Resources – the non-profit agency Independent Living Vernon will gather and create advocacy information resources to help Indigenous and racialized people navigate large government systems;
    • Harmonies of Unity: A Convergence of Indigenous and Korean Traditional Arts – hosted by the Garden of Compassion Society in Port Moody, this cultural event will feature traditional performances and art exhibitions from Indigenous and Korean communities;
    • B.C. Black Film Festival – a weekend-long Black film festival planned for fall 2025 in Victoria, featuring projects of Black filmmakers, producers and artists from B.C.;
    • Building Bridges: Thriving Communities – the Chilliwack-based non-profit agency Love Without Borders will help refugees and marginalized communities by providing housing, employment opportunities, education and a support network; and
    • Antisemitism Legal Helpline – Access Pro Bono Society of B.C. connects people who have experienced antisemitism with trauma-informed volunteer lawyers to help identify next steps or available remedies. The grant will enable in-person visits to smaller, more rural Jewish communities.

    This grant program is part of the Province’s ongoing efforts to advance multiculturalism and build a more welcoming and equitable B.C. for all. Other government anti-racism initiatives include:

    • the Racist Incident Helpline, launched last year, which helps connect people who have experienced racism with community support and resources;
    • the Resilience BC Anti-Racism Network, which connects communities with information, supports and training needed to respond to and prevent future incidents of racism and hate; and
    • the Anti-Racism Act, which the Province is implementing with the aim of dismantling systemic racism in government programs and services.

    Learn More:

    For the complete list of 2024-25 B.C. Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Grant recipients, visit: http://news.gov.bc.ca/files/2024-25Anti-RacismGrants.pdf

    To access the Racist Incident Helpline, visit: https://racistincidenthelpline.ca

    To learn more about the Resilience BC Anti-Racism Network, visit: https://www.resiliencebc.ca

    To learn more about the Anti-Racism Act, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/30655

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Poplar man sentenced to seven years in prison on assault and gun charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREAT FALLS – A Poplar man who broke into a house on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and assaulted a resident was sentenced today to 85 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    Marion Wallace Runs Through, Jr., 33, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to assault with a dangerous weapon and use (by brandishing) of a firearm during a crime of violence.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided.

    The government alleged in court documents that on the evening of November 21, 2023, Runs Through and a co-defendant went to a remote residence on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Runs Through carried with him an AR-15 style rifle. He met with two other co-defendants outside the home. While still outside the residence Runs Through fired one round into the ground and six into the air. He and a co-defendant then broke into the residence. The defendant assaulted the two occupants of the home, striking them with the rifle while demanding access to a safe. The victims identified the assailant as the man with face tattoos. Runs Through has noticeable face tattoos. While Runs Through was the only assailant armed during the home invasion, one witness heard a co-defendant tell Runs Through to “Kill the white guy! Shoot him! Shoot him!” Runs Through then pointed the rifle at the witness, but did not pull the trigger.

    Runs Through was arrested the next day at his parents’ house and law enforcement found an assault rifle. The weapon was purchased in North Dakota by a cousin of one of the co-defendants.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case and the investigation was conducted by the FBI, BIA, ATF and Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law & Justice.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Aptorum Group Limited Announces Receipt of Nasdaq Notification Regarding Minimum Bid Price Deficiency

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Hong Kong, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aptorum Group Limited (NASDAQ: APM), a leading Biotechnology company, today announced that it has received a notification from the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC dated 15 April 2025 regarding non-compliance with the minimum bid price requirement of $1 per share, as per Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2).

    The notification does not immediately affect the listing or trading of the company’s shares on Nasdaq. Aptorum Group Limited has been granted a 180-calendar-day grace period, until 14 October 2025, to regain compliance with the continued listing requirements.

    During this period, Aptorum Group Limited intends to evaluate all available options to restore compliance, including, if necessary, a reverse stock split. The company is committed to maintaining its Nasdaq listing and will take all reasonable measures to achieve compliance within the stipulated time frame.

    About Aptorum Group Limited

    Aptorum Group Limited is a pharmaceutical company, which engages in the discovery, development, and commercializing of therapeutic assets to treat diseases with unmet medical needs.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements reflect the company’s current expectations and projections about future events and are based on assumptions. Actual results may differ materially from those projected.

    For further information, please contact: investor.relations@aptorumgroup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Rubio meets with Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono

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

    Secretary of State Marco A. Rubio meets Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono at the Department of State, on April 16, 2025.

    ———-
    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
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/statedept
    Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/statephotos/

    Subscribe to the State Department Blog: https://www.state.gov/blogs
    Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
    Subscribe to The Week at State e-newsletter: http://ow.ly/diiN30ro7Cw

    State Department website: https://www.state.gov/
    Careers website: https://careers.state.gov/
    White House website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/
    Terms of Use: https://state.gov/tou

    #StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QphXzldDZ0

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: HILL STREET, PORT ELLIOT (Building Fire)

    Source: South Australia County Fire Service

    Issued on
    17 Apr 2025 01:35

    Issued for
    PORT ELLIOT near Victor Harbor on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

    Warning level
    Advice – Avoid Smoke

    Action
    Smoke from PORT ELLIOT Fire is in the Hill Street and Tottenham Court Road area.

    Smoke can affect your health. You should stay informed and be aware of the health impacts of smoke on yourself and others.

    Symptoms of exposure includes shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing, burning eyes, running nose, chest tightness, chest pain and dizziness or light-headedness.

    If you or anyone in your care are having difficulty breathing, seek medical attention from your local GP. If your symptoms become severe, call 000.

    More information will be provided by the CFS when it is available.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Defends Social Security Benefits for Millions of Americans

    Source: US State of New York

    EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James joined a coalition of 20 other attorneys general in fighting back against the unlawful layoffs and chaotic mismanagement at the Social Security Administration (SSA) that has threatened Americans’ ability to access their Social Security benefits. Attorney General James and the coalition filed an amicus brief in American Association of People with Disabilities v. Dudek seeking to block the staff layoffs implemented by Acting SSA Commissioner Leland Dudek and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The attorneys general assert that the staffing cuts jeopardize continued Social Security payments for millions of Americans.  

    “Millions of New Yorkers rely on Social Security benefits to ensure they can put food on the table, keep a roof over their head, and access quality health care,” said Attorney General James. “Elon Musk, DOGE, and the administration are yet again launching an attack on our most vulnerable communities. My office is standing up to defend everyday Americans’ ability to access the Social Security benefits they depend on.”

    Many Americans rely on Social Security benefits to meet their most basic needs, including food, shelter, and health care. Social Security is also the pathway to eligibility for a number of other vital safety net programs, including Medicaid and Medicare, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Nearly nine out of 10 people aged 65 and older were receiving a Social Security benefit as of December 31, 2024. Approximately 3.7 million New Yorkers receive Social Security benefits annually, including retirement, survivor, and disability payments.

    In the brief, Attorney General James and the coalition explain that staff cuts are exacerbating SSA’s problems rather than improving its efficiency. Approximately 2,800 SSA employees have already retired or taken early buyouts promoted by DOGE. The resulting reduction in SSA’s workforce has led to longer lines at field offices, longer wait times on phones, and frequent website crashes for online users. The layoffs and reorganization measures have delayed benefits and limited SSA’s ability to meet the needs of beneficiaries with disabilities.

    Acting Commissioner Dudek’s erratic management has led to nationwide confusion as announcements of office closures have been made only to be rolled back days or even mere hours later. The Trump administration and DOGE continue to falsely claim that SSA has paid out billions in improper payments, and that millions of deceased people are receiving benefits. In reality, less than one percent of total benefits paid between 2015 and 2022 were improper, according to SSA’s Inspector General’s Office. The coalition argues that Acting Commissioner Dudek and DOGE’s actions have created unnecessary confusion and chaos nationwide.

    In February, Attorney General James sent a letter to Acting Commissioner Dudek after SSA announced plans to close the White Plains hearing office and reduce services at the Poughkeepsie field office. These offices provide for New Yorkers throughout the Hudson Valley and serve as a central hub for seven counties, including Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester. Eliminating the office would have harmed thousands of vulnerable New Yorkers.

    Joining Attorney General James in submitting the brief are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: RTI to Exhibit and Speak at DeviceTalks Boston 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Real-Time Innovations (RTI), the infrastructure software company for smart-world systems, will exhibit at DeviceTalks Boston 2025, taking place April 30–May 1 at the Boston Convention Center. At booth #700, RTI will demonstrate how its Connext® software enables intelligent connectivity across complex, distributed medical systems—from remote robotic surgery to next-generation monitoring, imaging, and beyond.

    On day one of the event, RTI CEO Stan Schneider will join NVIDIA’s Senior Director of Business Development for Healthcare, David Niewolny, for a discussion on how next-generation, edge-AI systems operate. NVIDIA provides the AI brain, while RTI delivers the connectivity nervous system for intelligent physical systems. Attendees will learn how AI is being integrated into today’s most advanced systems and what it takes to make them work in real time.

    RTI will also co-present with MedAcuity at the co-located Robotics Summit on “Advancing Remote Surgery: Tackling Latency, Precision, and Security Issues.”

    At booth #700, RTI will demonstrate remote teleoperation technology in collaboration with MedAcuity. The demo will highlight how Connext® software enables real-time control of an off-site robotic arm, showcasing the potential of low-latency connectivity in remote surgery applications.

    With its proven track record among leading healthcare innovators, Connext provides the data backbone that accelerates development and unlocks the potential of intelligent, distributed systems.

    Event Details

    What: RTI at DeviceTalks 2025, Booth #700
    When: April 30 – May 1, 2025
    Where: Boston Convention Center, 415 Summer St, Boston, MA 02210

    Speaking Session Details
    What: Advancing Remote Surgery: Tackling Latency, Precision, and Security Issues
    When: April 30, 2025, from 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM (EDT)
    Where: Room 260, Robotics Summit (co-located with DeviceTalks Boston)
    Who: Darren Porras, Market Development Manager at RTI, and Tom Amlicke, Technical Director, Robotics at MedAcuity

    What: Inside the Machine: How AI Operates in MedTech
    When: April 30, 2025, from 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM (EDT)
    Where: Room 162A, DeviceTalks Boston
    Who: Stan Schneider, CEO at RTI, and David Niewolny, Senior Director of Business Development for Healthcare at NVIDIA

    For more information about RTI at DeviceTalks or to meet with one of our experts, please visit this link.

    About RTI

    Real-Time Innovations (RTI) is the infrastructure software company for smart-world systems. RTI Connext® is the world’s leading software framework for intelligent distributed systems. Uniquely, Connext users can build systems that combine advanced sensing, fast control, and AI algorithms.

    With 2,000 customer designs, RTI excels at getting customers to production. RTI software runs over 300 autonomous vehicle programs, supports dozens of automotive ADAS and software-defined architectures, controls the largest power plants in North America, integrates over 500 major defense programs, drives a new generation of MedTech systems and robotics, and underlies Canada’s air traffic control and NASA’s launch control systems.

    RTI runs a smarter world.

    RTI is the market leader in products compliant with the Data Distribution Service (DDS™) standard. RTI is privately held and headquartered in Silicon Valley with regional offices in Colorado, Spain, and Singapore.

    Download a free trial of the latest, fully-functional Connext software today: www.rti.com/downloads

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: The Board of Directors has resolved to carry out directed issues of units totaling approximately SEK 25 million and a fully underwritten rights issue of units of approximately SEK 15 million

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, NEW ZEALAND, HONG KONG, JAPAN, SINGAPORE, SOUTH AFRICA, SOUTH KOREA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL OR WOULD REQUIRE REGISTRATION OR ANY OTHER MEASURES. PLEASE REFER TO IMPORTANT INFORMATION AT THE END OF THE PRESS RELEASE.

    The Board of Directors of Terranet AB (”Terranet” or the ”Company”) has today, April 16 2025, with authorization from the annual general meeting on May 21, 2024, decided to carry out a directed issue of 2,956,297 units consisting of B-shares and warrants of series TO9 B to a number of qualified investors of approximately SEK 8.8 million (the “First Directed Issue”). The Board of Directors of the Company has further, subject to subsequent approval by the Annual General Meeting, resolved on a directed issue of 5,461,210 units consisting of B-shares and warrants of series TO9 B to members of the Company’s Board of Directors and management as well as external investors, of approximately SEK 16.2 million (the “Second Directed Issue” and together with the First Directed Issue, the “Directed Issues”). One unit in the Directed Issues consists of thirty-three (33) B-shares and five (5) warrants of series TO9 B. To compensate the shareholders who do not participate in the Directed Issues, the Board of Directors of Terranet, subject to subsequent approval by the Annual General Meeting, has resolved on a fully secured rights issue of a maximum of 13,880,714 units consisting of B-shares and warrants of series TO9 B, which, if fully subscribed, will provide the Company with approximately SEK 15 million before deduction of issue costs (the “Rights Issue”). One unit in the Rights Issue consists of twelve (12) B-shares and three (3) warrants of series TO9 B. The Directed Issues and the Rights Issue are carried out at the same subscription price, with the subscription price set at SEK 0.09 per B-share. Through the Directed Issues, Terranet will raise approximately SEK 25 million before deduction of issue costs, and upon full subscription of the Rights Issue, Terranet will raise approximately SEK 15 million before deduction of issue costs. The notice to the Annual General Meeting will be published through a separate press release.

    Comments from Management
    “We are at a very exciting stage as we intensify our commercialization journey with the goal of signing our first agreement to initiate commercialization during this year. In 2024, Terranet achieved success and delivered on previously set milestones with excellence, laying the foundation for the collaborations and ongoing dialogues with leading industrial players in the market. The capital raise enables us to take the next step from a development-stage company to a commercial enterprise, and I see this as an attractive opportunity to personally take part in this journey together with well-renowned investors who recognize the strong potential of Terranet’s technology”, says Lars Lindell, CEO of Terranet.

    Comments from the Board of Directors
    “We are grateful for the strong confidence shown by our shareholders. Their support has enabled a capital raise on favorable terms with committed and reputable investors, despite an eventful and volatile stock market. Given full subscription of the issued warrants, the capital raise secures our liquidity through the second quarter of 2026. This strengthens our negotiating position and provides a solid foundation for converting the potential and interest in our technology into real shareholder value”, says Torgny Hellström, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Terranet.

    Summary of the Directed Issues and the Rights Issue:

    • The First Directed Issue comprises a maximum of 2,956,297 units. Subscribers in the First Directed Issue include, among others, Hunter Capital AB (publ) (“Hunter”). One unit in the First Directed Issue consists of thirty-three (33) B-shares and five (5) warrants of series TO9 B. The subscription price in the First Directed Issue is SEK 2.97 per unit, corresponding to SEK 0.09 per B-share, which represents a premium of approximately 4.0 percent compared to the volume-weighted average price of the Company’s B-share on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market between April 7, 2025, and April 11, 2025. The First Directed Issue will provide Terranet with approximately SEK 8.8 million before deduction of issue costs.
    • The Second Directed Issue comprises a maximum of 5,461,210 units and is directed to members of the Board of Directors, management, and external investors, including Johannes Schildt (one of the founders of Kry), White Eye AB, and Scan Invest Limited (“Scan”). One unit in the Second Directed Issue consists of thirty-three (33) B-shares and five (5) warrants of series TO9 B. The subscription price in the Second Directed Issue is SEK 2.97 per unit, corresponding to SEK 0.09 per B-share, which is the same subscription price as in the First Directed Issue. The Second Directed Issue will provide Terranet with approximately SEK 16.2 million before deduction of issue costs.
    • The Board of Director’s resolution on the Second Directed Issue is conditional upon approval by the Annual General Meeting, scheduled for May 23, 2025. Notice of the Annual General Meeting will be published through a separate press release.
    • The Rights Issue comprises a maximum of 13,880,714 units. One unit in the Rights Issue consists of twelve (12) B-shares and three (3) warrants of series TO9 B. The warrants are issued free of charge.
    • The subscription price per unit in the Rights Issue is SEK 1.08 per unit, corresponding to SEK 0.09 per B-share. The subscription price per B-share is the same as in the Directed Issues. Upon full subscription, the Rights Issue will provide Terranet with approximately SEK 15 million before deduction of issue costs.
    • The right to subscribe for units in the Rights Issue shall, with preferential rights, be granted to shareholders in proportion to the number of B-shares they already own, where one (1) existing B-share entitles the holder to one (1) unit right, and eighty-six (86) unit rights entitle the holder to subscribe for one (1) unit.
    • The last day of trading in Terranet’s B-shares including the right to receive unit rights in the Rights Issue is April 25, 2025. The B-shares will be traded excluding the right to receive unit rights from April 28, 2025.
    • The subscription period for the Rights Issue runs from May 27, 2025, up to and including June 11, 2025.
    • The Rights Issue is covered by subscription commitments of approximately SEK 35.2 thousand, corresponding to 0.2 percent of the Rights Issue, and underwriting commitments of approximately SEK 15 million, corresponding to approximately 99.8 percent of the Rights Issue. Thus, the Rights Issue is covered to 100 percent by subscription commitments and underwriting commitments. Hunter has entered into a underwriting commitment amounting to approximately SEK 7.5 million. Furthermore, Scan has also entered into a underwriting commitment amounting to approximately SEK 7.5 million.
    • The full terms and conditions of the Rights Issue, including additional information about the Company, will be available in an information memorandum expected to be published around May 26, 2025 (the “Memorandum”).
    • The purpose of the Rights Issue is to finance the continued development of the BlincVision product, prepare for future commercialization, and repay an existing interest-bearing debt of approximately SEK 8 million.

    Background and rationale in summary
    Terranet is in an expansion phase with the development of BlincVision and has achieved several important milestones in 2024, including successful tests and partnerships with leading players in the automotive industry. To take the next step, financing is required to complete the development of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and continue the development towards volume production in collaboration with potential future partners.

    In order to carry out the necessary development work required to commercialize BlincVision and repay the Company’s outstanding interest-bearing debt of approximately SEK 8 million, the Board of Directors of Terranet has identified a need for additional capital. Therefore, the Directed Issues and the Rights Issue are being carried out. The proceeds from the Directed Issues and the Rights Issue will primarily be used for:

    •        Repayment of outstanding loans, approximately 20 percent.
    •        External development costs for components for BlincVision, approximately 25 percent.
    •     In-house development work as well as market and sales activities for BlincVision, approximately 25 percent.
    •        Investments in tangible fixed assets, approximately 10 percent.
    •        Working capital, approximately 20 percent.

    The First Directed Issue
    The Board of Directors of Terranet has today, with the support of the authorization from the Annual General Meeting on May 21, 2024, resolved to carry out the First Directed Issue, which comprises a maximum of 2,956,297 units at a subscription price of SEK 2.97 per unit, corresponding to SEK 0.09 per B-share. Each unit in the First Directed Issue consists of thirty-three (33) B-shares and five (5) warrants of series TO9 B. The warrants are issued free of charge. Through the First Directed Issue, the Company will raise approximately SEK 8.8 million before issue costs. The right to subscribe for units will be granted exclusively, deviating from shareholders’ preferential rights, to Hunter and Milad Pournouri.

    The Board of Directors has placed great emphasis on ensuring that the subscription price for the First Directed Issue is market-based in relation to the current share price. After negotiations at arm’s length between the Company and the intended investors, the subscription price has been set at SEK 2.97 per unit, corresponding to SEK 0.09 per B-share, which represents a premium of approximately 4.0 percent compared to the volume-weighted average price of the Company’s B-share on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market between April 7, 2025, and April 11, 2025. Considering this, the Board of Directors concludes that the subscription price is market-based and reflects the demand for the Company’s B-shares.

    The Second Directed Issue
    Further, the Board of Terranet has today, subject to approval by the Annual General Meeting scheduled for May 23, 2025, resolved to carry out the Second Directed Issue. The Second Directed Issue comprises a total of 5,461,210 units and is being implemented, among other things, to enable subscriptions by members of the Company’s Board of Directors and management. Since members of the Company’s board of directors and management are subject to Chapter 16 of the Swedish Companies Act (2005:551) (the so-called Leo Act), the Second Directed Issue requires approval from a shareholders’ meeting in the Company. For the decision of the shareholders’ meeting to be valid, at least nine-tenths of both the votes cast and the shares represented at the meeting must vote in favor of the decision. Following approval at the Annual General Meeting, the right to subscribe for units in the Second Directed Issue will be granted to CEO Lars Lindell, CFO Dan Wahrenberg, CCO Jonas Renander, CTO Pierre Ekwall, Chairman of the Board Torgny Hellström, and Board member Magnus Edman, as well as the current shareholder Oliver Aleksov and external investors Johannes Schildt, White Eye AB, Scan, Alex Ghafori, and Max Björs.

    The subscription price for the Second Directed Issue is SEK 2.97 per unit, corresponding to SEK 0.09 per share, which is the same subscription price as in the First Directed Issue. Through the Second Directed Issue, Terranet will raise approximately SEK 16.2 million before issue costs. Each unit in the Second Directed Issue consists of thirty-three (33) B-shares and five (5) warrants of series TO9 B. The warrants are issued free of charge.

    Deviation from shareholder’ preferential rights
    The reasons for the deviation from shareholders’ preferential rights and the targeting of the Directed Issues to the Board of Directors, management, existing shareholders, and qualified investors are as follows. Prior to the decision on the Directed Issues, the board carefully examined and considered alternative financing options, including raising capital solely through a rights issue. However, after a comprehensive assessment and considering that a directed issue allows the Company to receive capital sooner, the Board of Directors believes that new issues carried out with a deviation from shareholders’ preferential rights, combined with a rights issue, are a more favorable option for the Company and its shareholders than a rights issue alone. Therefore, the Board of Directors’ assessment is that it is in the best interests of both the Company and its shareholders to proceed with the Directed Issues.

    The reason the Directed Issues is aimed at selected institutional and private investors is that such an issue further diversifies and strengthens the Company’s shareholder base. The reason why one existing shareholder is given the opportunity to participate is that this investor has been a shareholder in the Company for a long period and continues to show great interest in the Company. All of the investors in the Directed Issues have expressed long-term interest and commitment to the Company, which the Board of Directors believes provides security and stability for both the Company and its shareholders. At the same time, other shareholders are given the opportunity to subscribe to units on the same terms through the Rights Issue.

    The Company is in an important phase and requires financing to ensure its long-term operations. According to the Board of Directors’ assessment, a more extensive and isolated rights issue would require significantly more time and resources to execute and would also entail a higher risk of a negative impact on the share price, particularly considering the current volatile and challenging market conditions. From a shareholder perspective, an isolated rights issue thus poses a risk of a negative effect on the share price compared to a directed issue combined with a rights issue. In view of the market volatility, the Board of Directors has assessed that a rights issue, without the Directed Issues, would need to be considerably larger and would therefore also require greater underwriting commitments from an underwriting consortium, which would result in additional costs and/or further dilution depending on the type of compensation for such underwriting.

    Considering the above, the Board of Directors’ collective assessment is that the reasons for carrying out the Directed Issues in combination with a compensation issue in the form of the Rights Issue outweigh the reasons for conducting a more extensive isolated rights issue.

    The Board of Directors has, in connection with the decisions on the Directed Issues, placed significant emphasis on ensuring that the subscription price is market-based in relation to the prevailing share price. After arm’s length negotiations between the company and the qualified investors, the subscription price has been set at SEK 2.97 per unit, corresponding to SEK 0.09 per B-share, which represents a premium of approximately 4.0 percent compared to the volume-weighted average price of the company’s B-share on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market between April 7, 2025, and April 11, 2025. Considering this, the board assesses that the subscription price is market-based and reflects the demand for the company’s B-shares.

    The Rights Issue
    To compensate shareholders who do not participate in the Directed Issues, the Board of Directors, subject to subsequent approval by the annual general meeting, has decided to carry out the Rights Issue of up to 13,880,714 units, which, if fully subscribed, could raise approximately SEK 15 million before deduction of issue costs. One unit in the Rights Issue consists of twelve (12) B-shares and three (3) warrants of series TO9 B. The warrants are issued free of charge.

    Those who are registered as shareholders in Terranet on the record date of April 29, 2025 will receive one (1) unit right for each (1) existing B-share, and eighty-six (86) unit rights will entitle the holder to subscribe for one (1) unit. The subscription price in the Rights Issue will be SEK 1.08 per unit, corresponding to SEK 0.09 per B-share, which is the same subscription price as in the Directed Issues. Participants in the Directed Issues will not receive any unit rights in the Rights Issue for the units subscribed through the Directed Issues.

    In the event that not all units are subscribed through the exercise of unit rights, the Board of Directors will decide on the allocation of units subscribed without the support of unit rights, within the framework of the maximum amount of the Rights Issue. The allocation will be made as follows:

    • First, allocation will be made to those who have subscribed for units using unit rights, regardless of whether the subscriber was a shareholder on the record date. In case of over-subscription relative to the number of unit rights each person used for subscription, allocation will be made based on the number of unit rights exercised, and if this cannot be done, by drawing lots.
    • Second, allocation will be made to others who have subscribed for units without the support of unit rights. If they cannot receive full allocation, it will be done based on the number of units they have subscribed for, and if this cannot be done, by drawing lots.
    • Lastly, any remaining units will be allocated to the underwriters who have entered into underwriting commitments in relation to the size of their respective underwriting commitments, and if this cannot be done, by drawing lots.

    The subscription period will run from May 27, 2025, up to and including June 11, 2025. Trading in unit rights will take place on the Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market from May 27, 2025, up to and including June 5, 2025, and trading in BTU (paid subscribed units) will take place on the Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market from May 27, 2025, up to and including June 30, 2025.

    The Company will prepare and publish the Memorandum in connection with the Rights Issue.

    Warrants of series TO9 B
    Each warrant of series TO9 B gives the right to subscribe for one (1) new B-share in the Company. One (1) warrant of series TO9 B entitles the holder to subscribe for one (1) B-share in the Company at a subscription price of SEK 0.18 (equivalent to 200% of the subscription price per B-share in the Directed Issues and the Rights Issue). The subscription for B-shares using the warrants of series TO9 B will take place during the period from December 1, 2025, up to and including December 15, 2025.

    If all warrants of series TO9 B are fully utilized within the framework of the units offered, the Company may receive an additional maximum of approximately SEK 15.1 million. The warrants are intended to be admitted to trading on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market.

    Subscription commitments and underwriting commitments
    The Rights Issue is covered by 0.2 percent of subscription commitments, corresponding to approximately SEK 35.2 thousand, and by approximately 99.8 percent of underwriting commitments, corresponding to approximately SEK 15 million. Hunter has entered into a underwriting commitment amounting to approximately SEK 7.5 million. Furthermore, Scan has also entered into a underwriting commitment amounting to approximately SEK 7.5 million.Thus, the Rights Issue is fully covered by subscription commitments and underwriting commitments. The entered subscription commitments and underwriting commitments are not secured by bank guarantees, pledges, or similar arrangements. Subscription commitments have been entered into by Chairman of the Board of Directors Torgny Hellström, CFO Dan Wahrenberg, and CTO Pierre Ekwall. For the underwriting commitments, a underwriting compensation of twelve (12) percent of the underwritten amount will be paid in the form of units. The subscription price for the underwriting compensation amounts to SEK 1.08 per unit, corresponding to SEK 0.09 per B-share, which is the same as the subscription price in the Rights Issue. No compensation is paid for the subscription commitments that have been entered into.

    The Board considers it favorable for the Company to offer compensation to the underwriters in the form of units instead of cash, as it positively impacts the Company’s liquidity. The subscription price in the directed issue to the underwriters was negotiated at arm’s length during the arrangement of the underwriting commitments, in consultation with the financial advisor and after an analysis of usual market factors.

    Shares, share capital and dilution
    Through the First Directed Issue, the number of B-shares in the Company will increase by 97,557,801 B-shares, from 1,193,741,451 B-shares to 1,291,299,252 B-shares. The Company’s share capital will thus increase by SEK 975,578.010, from SEK 11,937,414.510 to SEK 12,912,992.520. The newly issued shares in the First Directed Issue will result in a total dilution effect of approximately 7.6 percent of the number of B-shares and votes in the Company.

    Through the Second Directed Issue, the number of B-shares in the Company will increase by 180,219,930 B-shares, from 1,291,299,252 B-shares to 1,471,519,182 B-shares. The Company’s share capital will increase by SEK 1,802,199.300, from SEK 12,912,992.520 to SEK 14,715,191.820. The newly issued shares in the Second Directed Issue will result in a further dilution effect of approximately 12.2 percent of the number of B-shares and votes in the Company. The dilution effect, the specified number of B-shares and the share capital before and after the Second Directed Issue, consider the B-shares issued in the First Directed Issue.

    The Directed Issues will result in a total dilution effect of 18.9 percent of the number of B-shares and votes in the Company. Through the Directed Issues, the number of B-shares in the Company will increase by 277,777,731 B-shares, from 1,193,741,451 B-shares to 1,471,519,182 B-shares. The Company’s share capital will thus increase by SEK 2,777,777.310, from SEK 11,937,414.510 to SEK 14,715,191.820.

    Upon full subscription in the Rights Issue, the number of B-shares in Terranet will increase by up to an additional 166,568,568 B-shares, from 1,471,519,182 B-shares to 1,638,087,750 B-shares, and the share capital will increase by up to SEK 1,665,685.680, from SEK 14,715,191.820 to SEK 16,380,877.500. For existing shareholders who do not participate in the Rights Issue, this corresponds to an additional dilution effect of approximately 10.2 percent of the votes and share capital in the Company upon full subscription.

    The total dilution effect from full subscription in the Rights Issue, together with the Directed Issues, amounts to approximately 27.1 percent.

    Upon full exercise of all warrants of series TO9 B within the scope of the offered units, the number of B-shares in Terranet will increase by up to an additional maximum of 83,729,677 B-shares, from 1,638,087,750 B-shares to 1,721,817,427 B-shares, and the share capital will increase by up to SEK 837,296.770, from SEK 16,380,877.500 to SEK 17,218,174.270. Full exercise of all warrants of series TO9 B would result in an additional dilution effect of up to 4.9 percent.

    Preliminary timetable for the Rights Issue

    April 25, 2025 Last day of trading in B-shares including the right to receive unit rights
    April 28, 2025 First day of trading in B-shares excluding the right to receive unit rights
    April 29, 2025 Record date for the Rights Issue
    May 26, 2025 Disclosure of the Memorandum
    May 27, 2025 – June 5, 2025 Trading with unit rights
    May 27, 2025 – June 11, 2025 Subscripition period
    May 27, 2025 – June 30, 2025 Trading in paid subscribed units (BTU)
    June 13, 2025 Preliminary date for publication of the outcome in the Rights Issue

    Annual General Meeting
    The Board of Directors’ resolution regarding the Second Directed Issue and the Rights Issue is subject to approval by the Annual General Meeting, which will be held on May 23, 2025. A notice of the Annual General Meeting will be published in a separate press release.

    The Memorandum
    The complete terms and conditions of the Rights Issue, as well as other information about the Company, will be set out in the Memorandum, which will be published by the Company prior to the commencement of the subscription period. The Memorandum is expected to be published on the Company’s website, www.terranet.com, around May 26, 2025.

    Advisers
    Mangold Fondkommission AB is the financial advisor to Terranet in connection with the Directed Issues and the Rights Issue. Eversheds Sutherland Advokatbyrå AB is the legal advisor to the Company in connection with the Directed Issues and the Rights Issue.

    For more information, please contact:
    Dan Wahrenberg, CFO
    E-mail: dan.wahrenberg@terranet.se

    This information is such that Terranet AB is required to make public in accordance with the EU’s Market Abuse Regulation (MAR). The information was made public by the Company’s contact person above on April 16, 2025, at 18:00 CET.

    About Terranet AB (publ) 
    Terranet’s goal is to save lives in urban traffic. The company develops innovative technical solutions for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Autonomous Vehicles (AV). Terranet’s anti-collision system BlincVision laser scans and detects road objects up to ten times faster than any other ADAS technology available today.
    The company is headquartered in Lund, with offices in Gothenburg and Stuttgart. Since 2017, Terranet has been listed on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market (Nasdaq: TERRNT-B). Follow our journey at: www.terranet.se

    Certified Adviser to Terranet is Mangold Fondkommission AB.

    Important information
    The release, announcement or distribution of this press release may, in certain jurisdictions, be subject to restrictions. The recipients of this press release in jurisdictions where this press release has been published or distributed shall inform themselves of and follow such restrictions. The recipient of this press release is responsible for using this press release, and the information contained herein, in accordance with applicable rules in each jurisdiction. This press release does not constitute an offer, or a solicitation of any offer, to buy or subscribe for any securities in Terranet in any jurisdiction, neither from Terranet nor anyone else.

    This press release does not constitute or form part of an offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States. The securities referred to herein may not be sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and may not be offered or sold within the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. There is no intention to register any securities referred to herein in the United States or to make a public offering of the securities in the United States. The information in this press release may not be announced, published, copied, reproduced or distributed, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, within or into Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, Singapore, South Africa, the United States or in any other jurisdiction where such announcement, publication or distribution of the information would not comply with applicable laws and regulations or where such actions are subject to legal restrictions or would require additional registration or other measures than what is required under Swedish law. Actions taken in violation of this instruction may constitute a crime against applicable securities laws and regulations.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Human connections to seagrass meadows date back 180,000 years, study reveals

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Benjamin Jones, Chief Conservation Officer, Project Seagrass & Research Affiliate, Swansea University

    Benjamin Jones/Project Seagrass, CC BY

    For millennia, humans lived as hunter-gatherers. Savannas and forests are often thought of as the cradle of our lineage, but beneath the waves, a habitat exists that has quietly supported humans for over 180,000 years.

    Archaeological evidence suggests that early humans migrated along coasts, avoiding desert and tundra. So, as Homo spread from Africa, they inevitably encountered seagrasses – flowering plants evolved to inhabit shallow coastal environments that form undersea meadows teeming with life.

    Our recently published research pieces together historical evidence from across the globe, revealing that humans and seagrass meadows have been intertwined for millennia – providing food, fishing grounds, building materials, medicine and more throughout our shared history.

    Our earliest known links to seagrass date back around 180,000 years. Tiny seagrass-associated snails were discovered in France at Paleolithic cave sites used by Neanderthals. Too small to be a consequence of food remains, these snails were likely introduced with Posidonia oceanica leaves used for bedding – a type of seagrass found only in the Mediterranean. Neanderthals didn’t just use seagrass to make sleeping comfortable – 120,000 year old evidence suggests they harvested seagrass-associated scallops too.

    A bountiful supply of food

    Seagrass meadows provide shelter and food for marine life, such as fish, invertebrates, reptiles and marine mammals. Because they inhabit shallow waters close to shore, seagrass meadows have been natural fishing grounds and places where generations have speared, cast nets, set traps and hand-gathered food to survive and thrive.

    Long before modern fishing fleets, ancient communities recognised the value of these underwater grasslands. Around 6,000 years ago, the people of eastern Arabia depended on seagrass meadows to hunt rabbitfish – a practice so prevalent here that remnants of their fishing traps are still visible from space.

    Seagrass meadows have even been directly harvested as food. Around 12,000 years ago, some of the first human cultures in North America, settling on Isla Cedros off the coast of Baja California, gathered and consumed seeds from Zostera marina, a species commonly called eelgrass. These seeds were milled into a flour and baked into breads and cakes, a process alike to wheat milling today.

    Further north, the Indigenous Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, as far back as 10,000 years ago, developed a careful and sustainable way of gathering eelgrass for consumption. By twisting a pole into the seagrass, they pulled up the leaves, and broke them off near the rhizome – the underground stem that is rich in sugary carbohydrates. After removing the roots and outer leaves, they wrapped the youngest leaves around the rhizome, dipping it in oil before eating. Remarkably, this method was later found to promote seagrass health, encouraging new growth and resilience.



    Read more:
    Seagrass, protector of shipwrecks and buried treasure

    Today, seagrass meadows remain a lifeline for coastal communities, particularly across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Here, fishing within seagrass habitats is shown to be more reliable than other coastal habitats and women often sustain their families by gleaning – a fishing practice that involves carefully combing seagrass meadows for edible shells and other marine life. For these communities, seagrass fishing is vital during periods when fishing at sea is not possible, for example, during tropical storms.

    When seagrasses returned to the sea around 100 million years ago, they evolved to have specialised leaves to tolerate both saltwater submergence and periods of time exposed to the sun during tidal cycles. This allowed seagrasses to flourish across our coastlines, but also made them useful resources for humans.

    Seagrass leaves, once dry, are relatively moist- and rot-proof – properties likely discovered by ancient civilisations when exploring the uses of plants for different purposes. Bronze age civilizations like the Minoans, used seagrass in building construction, reinforcing mudbricks with seagrass. Analysis of these reveal superior thermal properties of seagrass mudbricks compared to bricks made with other plant fibres – they kept buildings warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

    These unique properties may have been why early humans used seagrass for bedding and by the 16th century, seagrass-stuffed mattresses were prized for pest resistance, requested even by Pope Julius III.

    By the 17th century, Europeans were using seagrass to thatch roofs and insulate their homes. North American colonialists took this knowledge with them, continuing the practice. In the 19th century, commercial harvesting of tens of thousands of tonnes of seagrass began across North America and northern Europe.

    In the US, Boston’s Samuel Cabot Company patented an insulation material called Cabot’s “Quilt”, sandwiching dried seagrass leaves between two layers of paper. These quilts were used to insulate buildings across the US, including New York’s Rockefeller Center and the Capitol in Washington DC.

    A legacy ecosystem – and a living one

    The prevalence of seagrass throughout human civilisation has fostered spiritual and cultural relations with these underwater gardens, manifesting in rituals and historical customs. In Neolithic graves in Denmark, scientists found human remains wrapped in seagrass, representing a close connection with the sea.

    Our new research tells us that seagrass meadows are not just biodiversity hotspots or carbon storage systems. They are ancient human allies. This elevates their value beyond conservation – they’re repositories of cultural heritage and traditional knowledge. They were practical, valuable, and deeply integrated into human cultures.

    We have depended on seagrass for 180,000 years – for food, homes, customs – so investing in their conservation and restoration is not just ecological, it’s deeply human.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Nicole Foster receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Training and mobility actions.

    Oscar Serrano receives funding from the Spanish National Research Council

    Benjamin Jones 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. Human connections to seagrass meadows date back 180,000 years, study reveals – https://theconversation.com/human-connections-to-seagrass-meadows-date-back-180-000-years-study-reveals-253307

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Alsobrooks Leads Maryland Democratic Delegation in Pushing Sec. Kennedy for Answers on Disastrous Mass Layoffs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Glenn Ivey – Maryland (4th District)

    CONTACT 

    Connor Lounsbury 

    connor_lounsbury@alsobrooks.senate.gov

    WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Angela Alsobrooks led the Maryland Democratic Delegation – U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and Representatives Steny Hoyer, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, Glenn Ivey, Sarah Elfreth, April McClain Delaney, and Johnny Olszewski (all D-Md.) in expressing outrage and demanding answers regarding the mass terminations of civil servants at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In a letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Senator Alsobrooks and her colleagues questioned the extent of the devastation and consequential impacts these mass layoffs will have on the state and country. 

    “This reckless reduction in force and Department reorganization comes at a time when measles is spreading in communities across the country, avian flu is proliferating throughout our livestock populations, families are experiencing a childcare availability and affordability crisis, and cities across the country are still reeling from opioid and fentanyl overdoses. Instead of showing leadership on these concurrent emergencies and fulfilling the Department’s mission, this Administration has crippled the very teams and entire divisions that combat public health challenges, prevent disparities, and ensure that our families and children are safe,” the lawmakers wrote.

    “Maryland has already been hard hit by attacks to NIH research…This medical research funds new life-saving cures for Maryland patients – from our newborns to our seniors, from children battling rare cancers to our servicemembers injured in battle. It funds thousands of Maryland jobs, and to arbitrarily cut it threatens Maryland’s health, safety, and economy. Slashing research funding will ultimately harm patients and even cost lives,” continued the lawmakers. 

    The lawmakers are requesting Secretary Kennedy meet with them to answer these questions by May 1, 2025.

    You can read the full letter to Secretary Kennedy here or below: 

     

    Dear Secretary Kennedy: 

    We write with shared concerns regarding the plan you announced on March 27, 2025, to begin yet another extensive round of mass terminations of civil servants at the Department of Health and Human Services (Department or HHS), along with an irrational and dangerous reorganization of the staff and operating divisions of the Department. In the weeks since that announcement, thousands of HHS employees have been summarily fired, wreaking havoc and chaos on our public health system. These actions are having a devastating and disproportionate impact on our state of Maryland. We demand a full and comprehensive analysis on what these cuts will mean for access to care, critical services, and lifesaving research in the state. We also demand an in-person meeting with you to discuss these concerns and the impact of the Department’s actions on our constituents. According to the announcement, cuts would include at least 3,500 full-time employees at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 2,400 employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1,200 employees at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and 300 employees at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). 

    According to the Maryland Department of Labor, preliminary data shows at least 2,755 jobs were cut in 11 federal offices located across the state, with an impact rippling across multiple counties.

    This reckless reduction in force and Department reorganization comes at a time when measles is spreading in communities across the country, avian flu is proliferating throughout our livestock populations, families are experiencing a childcare availability and affordability crisis, and cities across the country are still reeling from opioid and fentanyl overdoses. Instead of showing leadership on these concurrent emergencies and fulfilling the Department’s mission, this Administration has crippled the very teams and entire divisions that combat public health challenges, prevent disparities, and ensure that our families and children are safe. 

    The latest reductions are part of a multipronged attack on our state, as the Department has abruptly terminated billions in critical public health grants, including $200 million to Maryland that would go towards vaccination programs, disease surveillance, and alleviating health disparities. The critical services the Department is responsible for were already threatened from the Administration’s initial haphazard firings of probationary employees by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk’s Fork in the Road policy, which forced thousands of Department staff to resign or retire early. Now, the Administration is further decimating the teams of civil servants that work to make Americans healthy and safe every day. 

    As you well know, the FDA, NIH, CMS, and multiple other HHS agencies are headquartered in Maryland, and these cuts pose a direct threat to our constituents, Maryland’s economy, and all Americans. 

    At the FDA, headquartered in White Oak, the Administration has annihilated the Center for Devices and Radiological Health and the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research – which the Maryland medical device and pharmaceutical industries rely on for the safe and timely approval of their products or therapeutics for patients. The Administration has also attacked the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products – which plays a critical role in prevention and harm reduction for Maryland youth. The FDA communications team that writes alerts about contaminated drugs and warnings to emergency room doctors about emerging threats was also terminated — which will have dire consequences for patient care. Across the FDA, thousands of Maryland based staffers that help to keep our food and health systems safe have been summarily dismissed, by an Administration only purporting to want to “Make America Healthy Again.” 

    At the NIH, based in Bethesda, this Administration has compounded its efforts to undermine the excellence of our crown jewel of scientific and medical research, with yet another round of terminations. This Administration has decimated NIH Institutes by firing leadership and critical staff to the point of non-functionality, including the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Institute on Aging, and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. 

    Maryland has already been hard hit by attacks to NIH research. In February, the NIH unveiled a new indirect cost rate guidance that would cap indirect cost rates that Maryland researchers rely on to sustain their groundbreaking, life-saving research, studies, and patient clinical trials. It also arbitrarily froze or terminated research grants in the state and has delayed the review of NIH grant applications. This medical research funds new life-saving cures for Maryland patients – from our newborns to our seniors, from children battling rare cancers to our servicemembers injured in battle. It funds thousands of Maryland jobs, and to arbitrarily cut it threatens Maryland’s health, safety, and economy. Slashing research funding will ultimately harm patients and even cost lives. 

    Attacks to the NIH are only the beginning of cuts to our health research infrastructure. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), based in Rockville, is critical for tracking data on healthcare outcomes and conducting research to improve the safety of patient care has been taken apart by DOGE. The Administration plans to merge AHRQ with another operating division at the Department and gut its budget, all while firing half of its employees. 

    The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), based in Rockville, has already faced hundreds of layoffs. The Department dismissed 10 percent of SAMHSA’s workforce during the first rounds of firings, and the Administration plans to further reduce the agency by up to 50 percent. While Maryland has made significant progress in preventing and reducing opioid overdose-related deaths, Baltimore City still has a death rate nearly double that of any other large city in the country. Now, the Administration is pulling the rug from underneath our state and the dozens of community-based organizations on the ground that rely on SAMHSA for training, resources, and technical assistance that helps with opioid use disorder prevention and treatment services. 

    CMS, based in Woodlawn, faced hundreds of cuts to staff, including the elimination of the Office for Minority Health and the Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights, which respectively helps address health disparities across the country and resolves discrimination complaints. Employees at CMS’ Innovation Center (CMMI) were fired and a third of the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination office, which helps serve the over 160,000 Marylanders that are dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid were let go. CMS is responsible for overseeing coverage for over 160 million Americans through Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace. This includes 1.6 million Marylanders who rely on Medicaid and CHIP for lifesaving health coverage. Any attack on CMS represents a threat to Marylanders’ and the nation’s access to care. 

    At the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), headquartered in Rockville, 500- 600 civil servants were fired, compromising HRSA’s mission to improve care for vulnerable and low-income communities. The Maternal and Child Health Bureau was wiped out by staffing cuts, crippling efforts to combat the maternal mortality crisis. Maryland women’s health disparities, including maternal morbidity, remain higher than national averages, and will only be exacerbated by this action. DOGE has also reportedly fired 40 percent of the Bureau of Primary Health Care, which oversees the Health Center Program that provides high quality, accessible primary and preventive medical, behavioral and dental services to all people, regardless of income or insurance status. Maryland’s sixteen Federally Qualified Health Centers deliver comprehensive primary healthcare to more than 360,000 patients across Maryland. That access to care in our state are at risk without civil servants to effectively run the program. 

    The Indian Health Service (IHS), which is also headquartered in Rockville, was not mentioned in initial reporting regarding the HHS reorganization or reduction in force. In fact, longtime civil servants in the Senior Executive Service (SES) have reported that their duty stations have been reassigned to remote IHS locations ranging from Alaska to South Dakota. While these locations suffer from high vacancy rates, the Department is pushing staff that do not have the qualifications or background for available IHS roles into an ultimatum: relocate your family across the country for a job that does not actually exist, or leave the Department. 

    Additionally, the Department fired approximately 500 staffers at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the April 1 wave of terminations, paralyzing the Department’s ability to effectively operate its human services programs. As you know, most program and support staff were eliminated in five regional offices around the country. While ACF’s Region 3 Office – which serves Maryland – remains open for now, staff in Region 3 will likely have to absorb the work and caseload of now shuttered Regions 1, 2,5, 9 and 10. This will put an untenable strain on their ability to support states like Maryland in operating child support, family assistance and child welfare programs, and providers operating Head Start and child care programs. 

    This is in addition to the nearly two hundred probationary ACF employees who have been on administrative leave since mid-February, and because of this Administration, are still unable to 3 provide states like Maryland with the technical assistance needed to operate critical programs, increasing the financial burden on already-struggling households. Head Start serves seven thousand children in Maryland. Thousands more families rely on the availability of affordable, quality childcare in the state – availability which is endangered when the civil servants that help providers adapt to workforce challenges or monitor for abuse and neglect in our state’s facilities are shamefully fired or prevented from doing their jobs. 

    Also at ACF, the Department terminated the entire Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) staff, threatening the timely disbursement of millions of dollars to states like Maryland, to help thousands of our constituents stay safe in the coming summer months. More than 18% of Maryland households are energy burdened; the Maryland Office of Home Energy Programs received a record number of energy assistance applications last year. Likewise, the Department eliminated the Office of Family Assistance – undermining the ability for the nearly 28,000 Maryland families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to receive critical support without interruption. 

    Both the dismantling of the Administration for Community Living and the slashing of reportedly half of the staff that work on federal aging and disability programs at the Department will cause real harm to programs in Maryland that support some of our state’s most vulnerable communities – seniors and individuals with disabilities. This includes programs that prevent elder abuse, connect seniors with nutritious meals, and provide supports to caregivers – like the Maryland Caregiver Navigation Grant. 

    Perhaps most galling, is that you have admitted that many of these firings at the Department are in error, telling reporters “We’re going to do 80% cuts, but 20% of those are going to have to be reinstated, because we’ll make mistakes.” Further reporting found that HHS has no intention of actually reinstating a significant number of the staffers that have been fired or rectifying the mistakes it has made – calling into question your control of the situation and understanding of the Department’s reorganization. As the Secretary, you are ultimately responsible for answering for both these “mistakes” and any harm that comes from your destruction of our public health workforce and infrastructure. 

    As such, we request an in-person meeting with you no later than May 1, 2025, to discuss these concerns. We also request comprehensive answers to the following questions, including details on the reductions at the Department to date, and your plans for additional workforce reductions and reorganization. 

     

    1. For each of the below agencies, please specify since January 20, how many Maryland residents: received a RIF notice or were terminated on the basis of their probationary status? Please also specify how many more Maryland residents the agency intends to respectively terminate:  

    • SAMHSA 
    • FDA  
    • NIH 
    • CDC 
    • CMS 
    • IHS
    • HRSA  ‘
    • ACF 
    • ACL 
    • AHRQ 

    2. For each of the below agencies, please specify since January 20, how many Maryland residents are currently on administrative leave pending termination:  

    • SAMHSA 
    • FDA
    • NIH 
    • CDC 
    • CMS 
    • IHS
    • HRSA 
    • ACF 
    • ACL 
    • AHRQ 

    3. For each of the below agencies, please specify the number of Maryland residents who participated in the Deferred Resignation Program:  

    • SAMHSA 
    • FDA 
    • NIH
    • CDC 
    • CMS 
    • IHS 
    • HRSA 
    • ACF 
    • ACL 
    • AHRQ

     

    4. Please describe the reduction in force plans at the IHS headquarters and at IHS locations across the country.

    5. Please provide a detailed description of impact analysis performed to determine the impact on cancer research as a result of NIH Reductions in Force. 

    6. Please provide a detailed description of impact analysis performed to determine the impact on vaccine development and research as a result of FDA Reductions in Force. 

    7. Please provide a detailed description of the impact analysis performed regarding reductions in staffing to ACF services and programs, including technical assistance to states and childcare providers, childcare costs and child safety, supports for survivors of violence, and the effectiveness of the TANF and LIHEAP programs. 

    a. Please provide a detailed description of the analysis performed by the Department describing how LIHEAP staffing reductions will not lead to higher energy costs for Marylanders. 

    b. Please provide a detailed plan for how the Department plans to ensure that there is no delay due to case backlogs experienced by the state of Maryland or Maryland human services providers due to staff reductions at ACF? 

    8. Please provide a detailed description of the analysis performed by the Department describing how the staffing reductions to HRSA will not impact Maryland FQHCs, or access to affordable care in Maryland communities. 

    9. Please provide a detailed description of the analysis performed by the Department describing how the staffing reductions to CMS will not impede Marylander’s access to Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP and the ACA Marketplace. 

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Stairway to jail over GST fraud

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    A Melbourne man has been sentenced to 2 years and 11 months imprisonment after obtaining over $390,000 in fraudulent GST refunds and attempting to obtain a further $330,000, as well as failing to comply with a court order.

    Acting Deputy Commissioner Kath Anderson commended the latest outcome under the ATO-led investigation Operation Protego.

    ‘There are no ifs, ands or buts here – if you don’t run a business, you don’t need an ABN and you cannot claim GST refunds. This is fraud,’ Ms Anderson said.

    ‘Fraud against the ATO is not tolerated and we continue the fight against criminals seeking to exploit the tax system.’

    Joshua Merrett was sentenced for one count of obtaining a financial advantage by deception, one count of attempting to obtain a financial advantage by deception and one count of failing to comply with an order. The failing to comply with an order charge was due to Mr Merrett refusing to provide his phone passcode to the Australian Federal Police after they seized his phone.

    Mr Merrett had registered for an Australian Business Number (ABN) for a business that specialises in staircase manufacturing and antique furniture repairs. Between June 2021 and June 2022, he submitted 31 business activity statements (BAS) containing false information. This resulted in $394,801 in refunds being paid within a 3-month period, which triggered an audit and account lock down.

    In addition, he attempted to obtain over $330,000 in GST refunds, however this was stopped by the ATO.

    Mr Merrett tried to avoid ATO auditors but could not escape the consequences of his deceptive actions. Two months following the last GST refund being paid, ATO investigators and the Australian Federal Police conducted a search warrant at Merrett’s residence. The search showed no evidence of any commercial activity, or sales or purchases consistent with running a business.

    He was ordered to be released after serving 1 year and 8 months, upon entering into a recognisance to the sum of $1,000 on condition he be of good behaviour for a period of 2 years. He was also ordered to pay reparations to the amount of $392,917.74.

    This conviction is not the end of the story for Mr Merrett. The debt from the fraudulent GST returns is still on his record and the ATO will continue to chase it down, which includes seizing any future refunds.

    This matter was prosecuted by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) (CDPP) following a referral from the ATO.

    The ATO reminds the community that GST fraud is not a victimless crime. Those who engage in this illegal activity are actively taking away funds that would otherwise be used for essential services such as healthcare, infrastructure, and education.

    The ATO will continue to pursue those who commit fraud through criminal investigations and debt recovery actions to enforce repayment.

    As part of Operation Protego, the ATO has taken compliance action against more than 57,000 alleged offenders, and those involved in this fraud have already been handed in the order of $300 million in penalties and interest.

    As of 31 March 2025:

    • 103 people have been convicted with a range of sentencing outcomes, including jail terms of up to 7 years and 6 months and with orders made to restrain real property.
    • The ATO has 3 individuals currently under active investigation.
    • The ATO has finalised 61 investigations and referred 51 briefs of evidence to Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.

    You can confidentially report suspected tax crime or fraud to us by making a tip-off online or call 1800 060 062.

    For more information about Operation Protego visit ato.gov.au/GSTrefundfraud.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Honors Advocates During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    INDIANAPOLIS— On April 10, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana recognized 22 members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies at a private ceremony. The ceremony honored professionals who have gone above and beyond to advocate for the rights and well-being of crime victims, and have demonstrated exceptional commitment to supporting survivors, raising awareness, and driving positive change in their communities.

    “This ceremony is a small token of our appreciation for the selfless dedication of those working tirelessly to ensure victims’ voices are heard, guiding them through the often-complex federal criminal justice process, and providing critical resources and emotional support,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Their work reflects the power of compassion, resilience, and advocacy in making a tangible difference in the lives of those affected by trauma and injustice.”

    The categories and honorees are listed as follows:

    Federal Law Enforcement Victim Assistance Award recognizes the recipient’s commitment to ensuring victims’ rights are upheld, providing them with compassionate support throughout investigations, and working to ensure they receive necessary resources and assistance. The recipient of this award demonstrates exceptional dedication to both the investigative process and the well-being of victims, working tirelessly to navigate the complex legal landscape while offering empathy and advocacy. It highlights their key role in bridging the gap between law enforcement and victims, helping to secure justice and support in the aftermath of crime.

    Awarded to:

    • Vanessa Hassler, Special Agent, FBI
    • Russell Warlick, Special Agent, FBI

    Victim Advocate Award honors the tireless efforts of victim advocates who work on the front lines, offering emotional support, resources, and guidance to those affected by trauma. Whether providing advocacy during legal proceedings, connecting victims with necessary services, or ensuring their voices are heard, the recipient of this award goes above and beyond to ensure that victims’ rights are upheld, and their well-being is prioritized.

    Awarded to:

    • Suzanne O’Malley, Project Manager, Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence
    • Linda Crocheron, Victim Advocate Administrator, Marion County Prosecutor’s Office
    • Jessica Zotz, Victim Specialist, FBI

    Assistant United States Attorney Victim Assistance Award honors the outstanding efforts of an AUSA in providing exceptional support and advocacy for victims throughout the federal legal process. This prestigious award recognizes a deep understanding of the emotional and psychological challenges faced by victims, going above and beyond their legal duties to offer guidance, support, and resources. This distinction highlights the integral role AUSAs play in balancing the pursuit of justice with the compassionate treatment of victims.

    Awarded to:

    • Jayson W. McGrath, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana
    • Peter A. Blackett, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana

    Support Professional Victim Assistance Award recognizes exceptional contributions to supporting victims of crime throughout the legal process, particularly in cases involving trauma or violence. This award honors the recipient’s dedication to managing the logistical and administrative aspects of cases, while also offering emotional support and compassion to victims during often difficult and overwhelming legal proceedings.

    Awarded to:

    • Sarah Helbig, Paralegal Specialist, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
    • Natoyia Sims, Financial Litigation Paralegal Specialist, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.

    Victim Assistance Trial Team Award recognizes the exceptional collaboration and dedication of a team working to support victims throughout the trial process. This award honors the collective efforts of law enforcement, legal professionals, victim advocates, and support staff who work together to ensure victims are informed, supported, and treated with dignity during legal proceedings. The recipients of this award have demonstrated outstanding teamwork in navigating the complexities of criminal trials, while prioritizing the needs and well-being of victims.

    Awarded to:

    U.S. v. Demetris Campbell

    • Tiffany J. Preston, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana
    • Carolyn Haney, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana
    • Lawrence D. Hilton, Former Assistant U.S. Attorney
    • Len Rothermich, Special Agent, FBI
    • Austin Sahly, Special Agent, FBI
    • Kayla Whitaker, Paralegal Specialist
    • Maurine Bwambok, Victim Witness Specialist
    • Matthew Pankonie, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department

    U.S. v. Angela Baldwin

    • Kathryn Olivier, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana
    • Bradley Shepard, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana
    • Andrew Willmann, Special Agent, FBI
    • Sarah Helbig, Paralegal Specialist
    • Kathy Well, Systems Manager

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA response to US State Department’s reaffirmation of staunch support for Taiwan in wake of increasing Chinese pressure

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    March 19, 2025  

    In response to media inquiries regarding China’s recent joint combat readiness patrols near the Taiwan Strait, the United States Department of State reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to Taiwan across decades and administrations. It stressed that the United States would continue to support Taiwan in the face of China’s military, economic, information, and diplomatic pressure campaigns, as well as reiterating that the United States, along with international partners, staunchly supported cross-strait peace and stability and opposed any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion. It also pointedly noted that China could not issue brazen and irresponsible threats toward Taiwan and still expect the international community to believe in China’s self-proclaimed role as a stabilizing force in a turbulent world.
     
    Regarding China’s comments on the 20th anniversary of its so-called “Anti-secession Law,” the US State Department cited public remarks by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in which he indicated that the United States would not alter its long-standing position of opposing any unilateral, forced, compelled, or coercive change to the status of Taiwan. The United States further emphasized that what had changed was the threat that China posed to Taiwan, including what Beijing referred to as a set of 22 judicial guidelines to impose criminal punishments on diehard Taiwan independence separatists, issued last year. In particular, the US State Department added that over the past 20 years, China’s intimidation campaign against Taiwan and Taiwan’s supporters in the United States and elsewhere had gone global, threatening free speech, destabilizing the Indo-Pacific region, and eroding norms that had underpinned the cross-strait status quo for decades. The US State Department said that in the face of such provocative and irresponsible actions by China, the United States remained committed to maintaining its ability to deter aggression and resist any use of force or other forms of coercion to protect the Taiwanese people from intimidation and harm. 
     
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung thanks the US State Department for reaffirming the United States’ staunch commitment to Taiwan, opposing the use of force or coercion to alter the status quo, and explicitly calling out China’s brazen and irresponsible threats, as well as its attempts to unilaterally change the status quo. 
     
    Recent actions have repeatedly proven that it is China that causes trouble across the Taiwan Strait and around the globe and seeks to unilaterally change the status quo. The international community sees through China’s ruse of attempting to deflect attention away from its own disruptive behavior and hypocrisy to bolster its reputation. 
     
    Taiwan, as a responsible member of the international community, will continue to work with the United States to jointly safeguard peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and the region. Taiwan urges nations worldwide to demonstrate collective concern over China’s military threats, lawfare and other gray-zone tactics, and unilateral actions that escalate regional tensions.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Mfume Joins Maryland Democratic Delegation in Pushing Sec. Kennedy for Answers on Disastrous Mass Layoffs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Kweisi Mfume joined the Maryland Democratic Delegation – U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, Senator Angela Alsobrooks and Representatives Steny Hoyer, Jamie Raskin, Glenn Ivey, Sarah Elfreth, April McClain Delaney, and Johnny Olszewski (all D-Md.) – in expressing outrage and demanding answers regarding the mass terminations of civil servants at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Senator Alsobrooks led this letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., where the lawmakers questioned the extent of the devastation and consequential impacts these mass layoffs will have on the state and country. 

    “This reckless reduction in force and Department reorganization comes at a time when measles is spreading in communities across the country, avian flu is proliferating throughout our livestock populations, families are experiencing a childcare availability and affordability crisis, and cities across the country are still reeling from opioid and fentanyl overdoses. Instead of showing leadership on these concurrent emergencies and fulfilling the Department’s mission, this Administration has crippled the very teams and entire divisions that combat public health challenges, prevent disparities, and ensure that our families and children are safe,” the lawmakers wrote.

    “Maryland has already been hard hit by attacks to NIH research…This medical research funds new life-saving cures for Maryland patients – from our newborns to our seniors, from children battling rare cancers to our servicemembers injured in battle. It funds thousands of Maryland jobs, and to arbitrarily cut it threatens Maryland’s health, safety, and economy. Slashing research funding will ultimately harm patients and even cost lives,” continued the lawmakers. 

    The lawmakers are requesting Secretary Kennedy meet with them to answer these questions by May 1, 2025.

    You can read the full letter to Secretary Kennedy here or below: 

    Dear Secretary Kennedy: 

    We write with shared concerns regarding the plan you announced on March 27, 2025, to begin yet another extensive round of mass terminations of civil servants at the Department of Health and Human Services (Department or HHS), along with an irrational and dangerous reorganization of the staff and operating divisions of the Department. In the weeks since that announcement, thousands of HHS employees have been summarily fired, wreaking havoc and chaos on our public health system. These actions are having a devastating and disproportionate impact on our state of Maryland. We demand a full and comprehensive analysis on what these cuts will mean for access to care, critical services, and lifesaving research in the state. We also demand an in-person meeting with you to discuss these concerns and the impact of the Department’s actions on our constituents. According to the announcement, cuts would include at least 3,500 full-time employees at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 2,400 employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1,200 employees at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and 300 employees at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). 

    According to the Maryland Department of Labor, preliminary data shows at least 2,755 jobs were cut in 11 federal offices located across the state, with an impact rippling across multiple counties.

    This reckless reduction in force and Department reorganization comes at a time when measles is spreading in communities across the country, avian flu is proliferating throughout our livestock populations, families are experiencing a childcare availability and affordability crisis, and cities across the country are still reeling from opioid and fentanyl overdoses. Instead of showing leadership on these concurrent emergencies and fulfilling the Department’s mission, this Administration has crippled the very teams and entire divisions that combat public health challenges, prevent disparities, and ensure that our families and children are safe. 

    The latest reductions are part of a multipronged attack on our state, as the Department has abruptly terminated billions in critical public health grants, including $200 million to Maryland that would go towards vaccination programs, disease surveillance, and alleviating health disparities. The critical services the Department is responsible for were already threatened from the Administration’s initial haphazard firings of probationary employees by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk’s Fork in the Road policy, which forced thousands of Department staff to resign or retire early. Now, the Administration is further decimating the teams of civil servants that work to make Americans healthy and safe every day. 

    As you well know, the FDA, NIH, CMS, and multiple other HHS agencies are headquartered in Maryland, and these cuts pose a direct threat to our constituents, Maryland’s economy, and all Americans. 

    At the FDA, headquartered in White Oak, the Administration has annihilated the Center for Devices and Radiological Health and the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research – which the Maryland medical device and pharmaceutical industries rely on for the safe and timely approval of their products or therapeutics for patients. The Administration has also attacked the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products – which plays a critical role in prevention and harm reduction for Maryland youth. The FDA communications team that writes alerts about contaminated drugs and warnings to emergency room doctors about emerging threats was also terminated — which will have dire consequences for patient care. Across the FDA, thousands of Maryland based staffers that help to keep our food and health systems safe have been summarily dismissed, by an Administration only purporting to want to “Make America Healthy Again.” 

    At the NIH, based in Bethesda, this Administration has compounded its efforts to undermine the excellence of our crown jewel of scientific and medical research, with yet another round of terminations. This Administration has decimated NIH Institutes by firing leadership and critical staff to the point of non-functionality, including the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Institute on Aging, and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. 

    Maryland has already been hard hit by attacks to NIH research. In February, the NIH unveiled a new indirect cost rate guidance that would cap indirect cost rates that Maryland researchers rely on to sustain their groundbreaking, life-saving research, studies, and patient clinical trials. It also arbitrarily froze or terminated research grants in the state and has delayed the review of NIH grant applications. This medical research funds new life-saving cures for Maryland patients – from our newborns to our seniors, from children battling rare cancers to our servicemembers injured in battle. It funds thousands of Maryland jobs, and to arbitrarily cut it threatens Maryland’s health, safety, and economy. Slashing research funding will ultimately harm patients and even cost lives. 

    Attacks to the NIH are only the beginning of cuts to our health research infrastructure. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), based in Rockville, is critical for tracking data on healthcare outcomes and conducting research to improve the safety of patient care has been taken apart by DOGE. The Administration plans to merge AHRQ with another operating division at the Department and gut its budget, all while firing half of its employees. 

    The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), based in Rockville, has already faced hundreds of layoffs. The Department dismissed 10 percent of SAMHSA’s workforce during the first rounds of firings, and the Administration plans to further reduce the agency by up to 50 percent. While Maryland has made significant progress in preventing and reducing opioid overdose-related deaths, Baltimore City still has a death rate nearly double that of any other large city in the country. Now, the Administration is pulling the rug from underneath our state and the dozens of community-based organizations on the ground that rely on SAMHSA for training, resources, and technical assistance that helps with opioid use disorder prevention and treatment services. 

    CMS, based in Woodlawn, faced hundreds of cuts to staff, including the elimination of the Office for Minority Health and the Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights, which respectively helps address health disparities across the country and resolves discrimination complaints. Employees at CMS’ Innovation Center (CMMI) were fired and a third of the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination office, which helps serve the over 160,000 Marylanders that are dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid were let go. CMS is responsible for overseeing coverage for over 160 million Americans through Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace. This includes 1.6 million Marylanders who rely on Medicaid and CHIP for lifesaving health coverage. Any attack on CMS represents a threat to Marylanders’ and the nation’s access to care. 

    At the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), headquartered in Rockville, 500- 600 civil servants were fired, compromising HRSA’s mission to improve care for vulnerable and low-income communities. The Maternal and Child Health Bureau was wiped out by staffing cuts, crippling efforts to combat the maternal mortality crisis. Maryland women’s health disparities, including maternal morbidity, remain higher than national averages, and will only be exacerbated by this action. DOGE has also reportedly fired 40 percent of the Bureau of Primary Health Care, which oversees the Health Center Program that provides high quality, accessible primary and preventive medical, behavioral and dental services to all people, regardless of income or insurance status. Maryland’s sixteen Federally Qualified Health Centers deliver comprehensive primary healthcare to more than 360,000 patients across Maryland. That access to care in our state are at risk without civil servants to effectively run the program. 

    The Indian Health Service (IHS), which is also headquartered in Rockville, was not mentioned in initial reporting regarding the HHS reorganization or reduction in force. In fact, longtime civil servants in the Senior Executive Service (SES) have reported that their duty stations have been reassigned to remote IHS locations ranging from Alaska to South Dakota. While these locations suffer from high vacancy rates, the Department is pushing staff that do not have the qualifications or background for available IHS roles into an ultimatum: relocate your family across the country for a job that does not actually exist, or leave the Department. 

    Additionally, the Department fired approximately 500 staffers at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the April 1 wave of terminations, paralyzing the Department’s ability to effectively operate its human services programs. As you know, most program and support staff were eliminated in five regional offices around the country. While ACF’s Region 3 Office – which serves Maryland – remains open for now, staff in Region 3 will likely have to absorb the work and caseload of now shuttered Regions 1, 2,5, 9 and 10. This will put an untenable strain on their ability to support states like Maryland in operating child support, family assistance and child welfare programs, and providers operating Head Start and child care programs. 

    This is in addition to the nearly two hundred probationary ACF employees who have been on administrative leave since mid-February, and because of this Administration, are still unable to 3 provide states like Maryland with the technical assistance needed to operate critical programs, increasing the financial burden on already-struggling households. Head Start serves seven thousand children in Maryland. Thousands more families rely on the availability of affordable, quality childcare in the state – availability which is endangered when the civil servants that help providers adapt to workforce challenges or monitor for abuse and neglect in our state’s facilities are shamefully fired or prevented from doing their jobs. 

    Also at ACF, the Department terminated the entire Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) staff, threatening the timely disbursement of millions of dollars to states like Maryland, to help thousands of our constituents stay safe in the coming summer months. More than 18% of Maryland households are energy burdened; the Maryland Office of Home Energy Programs received a record number of energy assistance applications last year. Likewise, the Department eliminated the Office of Family Assistance – undermining the ability for the nearly 28,000 Maryland families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to receive critical support without interruption. 

    Both the dismantling of the Administration for Community Living and the slashing of reportedly half of the staff that work on federal aging and disability programs at the Department will cause real harm to programs in Maryland that support some of our state’s most vulnerable communities – seniors and individuals with disabilities. This includes programs that prevent elder abuse, connect seniors with nutritious meals, and provide supports to caregivers – like the Maryland Caregiver Navigation Grant. 

    Perhaps most galling, is that you have admitted that many of these firings at the Department are in error, telling reporters “We’re going to do 80% cuts, but 20% of those are going to have to be reinstated, because we’ll make mistakes.” Further reporting found that HHS has no intention of actually reinstating a significant number of the staffers that have been fired or rectifying the mistakes it has made – calling into question your control of the situation and understanding of the Department’s reorganization. As the Secretary, you are ultimately responsible for answering for both these “mistakes” and any harm that comes from your destruction of our public health workforce and infrastructure. 

    As such, we request an in-person meeting with you no later than May 1, 2025, to discuss these concerns. We also request comprehensive answers to the following questions, including details on the reductions at the Department to date, and your plans for additional workforce reductions and reorganization. 

    1. For each of the below agencies, please specify since January 20, how many Maryland residents: received a RIF notice or were terminated on the basis of their probationary status? Please also specify how many more Maryland residents the agency intends to respectively terminate:  

    • SAMHSA 
    • FDA  
    • NIH 
    • CDC 
    • CMS 
    • IHS
    • HRSA  ‘
    • ACF 
    • ACL 
    • AHRQ 

    2. For each of the below agencies, please specify since January 20, how many Maryland residents are currently on administrative leave pending termination:  

    • SAMHSA 
    • FDA
    • NIH 
    • CDC 
    • CMS 
    • IHS
    • HRSA 
    • ACF 
    • ACL 
    • AHRQ 

    3. For each of the below agencies, please specify the number of Maryland residents who participated in the Deferred Resignation Program:  

    • SAMHSA 
    • FDA 
    • NIH
    • CDC 
    • CMS 
    • IHS 
    • HRSA 
    • ACF 
    • ACL 
    • AHRQ

    4. Please describe the reduction in force plans at the IHS headquarters and at IHS locations across the country.

    5. Please provide a detailed description of impact analysis performed to determine the impact on cancer research as a result of NIH Reductions in Force. 

    6. Please provide a detailed description of impact analysis performed to determine the impact on vaccine development and research as a result of FDA Reductions in Force. 

    7. Please provide a detailed description of the impact analysis performed regarding reductions in staffing to ACF services and programs, including technical assistance to states and childcare providers, childcare costs and child safety, supports for survivors of violence, and the effectiveness of the TANF and LIHEAP programs. 

                    a. Please provide a detailed description of the analysis performed by the Department describing how LIHEAP staffing reductions will not lead to higher energy costs for Marylanders. 
     

                    b. Please provide a detailed plan for how the Department plans to ensure that there is no delay due to case backlogs experienced by the state of Maryland or Maryland human services providers due to staff reductions at ACF? 

    8. Please provide a detailed description of the analysis performed by the Department describing how the staffing reductions to HRSA will not impact Maryland FQHCs, or access to affordable care in Maryland communities. 

    9. Please provide a detailed description of the analysis performed by the Department describing how the staffing reductions to CMS will not impede Marylander’s access to Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP and the ACA Marketplace. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Culture can build a better world: four key issues on Africa’s G20 agenda

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ribio Nzeza Bunketi Buse, Associate Professor, University of Kinshasa

    The cultural and creative industries are a growing source of income and job creation around the world, generating tens of millions of jobs. The cultural sector is also linked to soft power, to relations between countries.

    Because of this, culture is an active part of the agenda of the G20 global economic forum. Under the presidency of South Africa in 2025, the G20 has chosen four key culture focus areas: heritage restitution; socio-economic strategies for inclusivity; digital technologies; and climate action.

    Here, as a scholar of the sector, I outline why these four priorities are relevant to both the G20 and the African continent, and to South Africa itself as the host country, in the light of current global trends and issues.

    G20 and culture

    The relationship between culture and development is increasingly emphasised. The 2022 Unesco World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – or Mondiacult – recommended that culture be a “stand-alone” sustainable development goal.

    This proposal is underlined by the UN’s Pact for the Future, adopted in 2024. The 17 sustainable development goals, adopted by the UN in 2015, are to ensure peace and prosperity for all people by 2030. They include goals like zero hunger and reduced inequalities.

    Read more: What is Mondiacult? 6 take-aways from the world’s biggest cultural policy gathering

    As the global order shifts, new actors from the global south are emerging as the Brics group. However, the G20 is the only forum that includes countries from both the global north and south.

    The G20, like the G7 and Brics, has a tradition of including culture among the items for discussion at ministerial level, supported by a working group.

    Under Brazil’s presidency in 2024, the G20 Culture Working Group highlighted the relationship between education and culture. This was in line with Unesco’s Framework for Culture and Arts Education. Taking over the G20 presidency, South Africa has expanded on the cultural agenda.

    Cultural heritage

    Priority 1: the safeguarding and restitution of cultural heritage to protect human rights.

    This relates to cultural property, mainly stolen during colonisation and displayed in global south museums. It’s one of the key issues in the heritage sector today.

    After years of demands by formerly colonised countries, there’s a growing list of high profile objects being sent back home. France returned 26 Dahomey Kingdom royal treasures to Benin and the saber of El Hadj Omar Tall to Senegal; 119 Benin bronzes came from the Netherlands to Nigeria. Akan cultural objects were restituted from Japan to Côte d’Ivoire.

    This global issue has particularly affected African countries. South Africa, too, knows its importance, with the repatriation of the human remains of Saartjie Baartman by France.

    Statues of the Kingdom of Dahomey returned to Benin by France. Gerard Julien/AFP/Getty Images

    The Mondiacult 2022 declaration calls the return of cultural heritage an “ethical imperative”. It’s part of the respect for cultural rights and human rights.

    For South Africa, one of the most influential countries on the continent, this is a good way to support the 2023 position of the African Union (AU) on the urgent return of this heritage. Improving the relationship between the global north and south requires this kind of debate.

    Inclusive development

    Priority 2: integrating cultural policies in socio-economic strategies to ensure inclusive, rights-based development.

    The importance of cultural goods and services in national and international trade has been highlighted many times. Statistics show they make up a healthy share of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

    A 2021 study found that the cultural and creative industries contributed 4.3% to South Africa’s GDP. At African level, they are estimated to generate US$45.35 billion in income and 15.87 million jobs. According to the 2024 UN Creative Economy Outlook, exports of creative services globally rose to $1.4 trillion in 2022, an increase of 29% since 2017. Exports of creative goods reached US$713 billion, an increase of 19%.

    Read more: South Africa has taken over the G20 presidency from Brazil – what lessons can it learn?

    With the development of an African Continental Free Trade Area, the AU revised its plan for action on cultural and creative industries.

    South Africa can play a leading role in this priority, having drafted a national policy paper on trade agreements involving the creative and cultural industries. The country’s Creative Industries Vision 2040 aims for an annual growth rate of 6.8% of GDP for these industries.

    However, the creative economy should be rights-based development and inclusive of local communities, young people and women. The G20 countries will need to work together to support policies that enhance sustainability and equity for creative workers. This is especially important in Africa where the creative economy is largely informal and unprotected.

    Digital technologies

    Priority 3: harnessing digital technologies for the protection and promotion of culture and sustainable economies.

    Digital technology is transforming the creative economy value chain. In my survey of the COVID era’s harsh impact on creative workers, I found that digital media, online games, music and audiovisual content were able to be resilient. Their value chains, from creator to user, don’t require high levels of face-to-face interaction, and online tools can be used effectively.

    Maliyo, a games development company in Lagos, Nigeria. Olympia de Maismont/AFP/Getty Images

    In 2024 the UN Conference on Trade and Development reported that, in 2022, the most exported creative services globally were software services (41.3%), research and development (30.7%), advertising, market research and architecture (15.5%), audiovisual services (7.9%), information services (4%) and cultural, recreational and heritage services (0.6%).

    While digital technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) can be seen as a threat to creativity and intellectual property, they can also be used to promote respect for communities and creators. The development of monitoring software for collecting music rights payments is an example.

    In 2021 the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization adopted a recommendation on the ethics of AI. It proposes that AI tools be used for the benefit of the promotion, preservation, enrichment and accessibility of intangible or tangible cultural heritage. This issue is crucial because Mondiacult 2022 declared that culture is a “global public good” and the G20 must fund research and development of the most appropriate and advanced AI tools.

    Climate change

    Priority 4: the intersection of culture and climate change – shaping global responses.

    The challenges of climate change require a range of responses. Intangible cultural heritage (like oral traditions, social practices, rituals) can help to teach how ancient societies organised their relationships with nature and how they dealt with changes.

    The Herds, touring the world from central Africa for climate awareness. Hardy Bope/AFP/Getty Images

    Art, theatre, film, gaming and many other cultural forms can educate and raise awareness about this urgent issue. The African continent has a rich cultural diversity and is a potential source of many unexpected and insightful solutions.

    Keeping it relevant

    These four priorities reflect what is important on the continent. Africa will benefit from the collective efforts of the G20 countries in implementing such priorities. The presence of the AU as a permanent member of the G20 will support South Africa’s leadership and advance the continent’s cause.

    The challenge to the culture working group is to come up with relevant recommendations that can be endorsed by the G20 Ministerial Meeting. The 2024 G7 Ministerial Meeting on Culture, along with the AU and the African Development Bank, has set the tone. Their Naples Statement on culture for the sustainable development of Africa and the world notes that the G7 countries “intend to work with African governments to harness culture as a key driver of sustainable development”.

    A G20 summit on African soil cannot do less. It has all the potential it needs to support the African cultural sector in a variety of ways.

    – Culture can build a better world: four key issues on Africa’s G20 agenda
    – https://theconversation.com/culture-can-build-a-better-world-four-key-issues-on-africas-g20-agenda-253864

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign Minister Lin hosts banquet for delegation from New Zealand All-Party Parliamentary Group on Taiwan

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    Foreign Minister Lin hosts banquet for delegation from New Zealand All-Party Parliamentary Group on Taiwan

    • Date：2025-04-15
    • Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

    April 15, 2025

    No. 096

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a luncheon on April 15 for a delegation from the New Zealand All-Party Parliamentary Group on Taiwan. On behalf of the Taiwan government, he sincerely welcomed the delegation and thanked the New Zealand Parliament for its long-standing and staunch cross-party support of Taiwan. 

     

    Minister Lin emphasized that Taiwan and New Zealand shared the values of freedom, democracy, and human rights. He added that under the Taiwan-New Zealand economic cooperation agreement (ANZTEC), economic, trade, investment, cultural, and indigenous exchanges had continued to grow steadily. In the face of authoritarian expansionism in the Indo-Pacific region, Minister Lin recognized and thanked New Zealand for repeatedly affirming the vital importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and for firmly supporting Taiwan’s participation in the international community. He expressed confidence that moving forward, both countries would continue working hand in hand to promote regional security and prosperity.

    The delegation was led by Senior Whip of the National Party Stuart Smith. He stated that his first trip to Taiwan had been in 2015 and that he was visiting again now to witness Taiwan’s political and economic development over the past decade. Noting that both Taiwan and New Zealand sought free trade and upheld universal values, he indicated that at a time when countries worldwide were facing geopolitical challenges and trade barriers, exchanging views on issues of common concern was particularly important for New Zealand as it responded to global changes. Labour Party Member of Parliament Tangi Utikere, cohead of the delegation, said that the visit would facilitate the New Zealand Parliament’s understanding of the current state of Taiwan-New Zealand relations and allow it to draw on Taiwan’s experience, making development on both sides more successful.

     The New Zealand All-Party Parliamentary Group on Taiwan was established in 2023 and first sent a cross-party delegation of parliamentarians to Taiwan in 2024. This year, the delegation will remain in Taiwan from April 13 to 18, calling on President Lai Ching-te, meeting with representatives of relevant government agencies, and visiting sites of political, economic, and cultural interest to further the Taiwan-New Zealand partnership. (E)

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Apple surpasses 60 percent reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple surpasses 60 percent reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions

    April 16, 2025

    UPDATE

    Apple unveils environmental progress, surpassing 60 percent reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions

    Ahead of Earth Day, Apple hits new milestones in emissions reductions, clean energy, and recycled materials

    Customers are invited to recycle devices in-store with a special offer through May 16

    Apple today announced that the company has surpassed a 60 percent reduction in its global greenhouse gas emissions compared to 2015 levels, as part of its Apple 2030 goal to become carbon neutral across its entire footprint in the next five years. The company achieved several other major environmental milestones, including the use of 99 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets and 99 percent recycled cobalt in all Apple-designed batteries.1 Apple shared this and other progress in its annual Environmental Progress Report, published today.

    “We’re incredibly proud of the progress we’re making toward Apple 2030, which touches every part of our business,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives. “Today, we’re using more clean energy and recycled materials to make our products than ever before, we’re preserving water and preventing waste around the world, and we’re investing big in nature. As we get closer to 2030, the work gets even harder — and we’re meeting the challenge with innovation, collaboration, and urgency.”

    Apple’s 2030 strategy prioritizes cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent compared with its 2015 baseline year, before applying high-quality carbon credits to balance the remaining emissions. Last year, Apple’s comprehensive efforts to reduce its carbon footprint — including the continued transition of its supply chain to renewable electricity and designing products with more recycled materials — avoided an estimated 41 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

    As Apple celebrates Earth Day with its teams, partners, and customers around the world, including with a special offer for users who bring in devices for recycling, here’s a look at the progress the company is making across its environmental initiatives.

    Accelerating Clean Energy in Apple’s Supply Chain

    There are now 17.8 gigawatts of renewable electricity online in Apple’s global supply chain, thanks to the company’s long-standing collaboration with its suppliers to transition to 100 percent renewable energy for their Apple production by 2030. The renewable energy procured by Apple suppliers avoided 21.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2024, an over 17 percent increase from the previous year. Additionally, suppliers avoided nearly 2 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions last year by working with Apple to optimize their energy efficiency.

    Driving Cleaner Semiconductor Production

    In addition to transitioning suppliers to clean energy, Apple is working across its supply chain to reduce the direct climate impact of industrial processes. This includes the manufacturing of semiconductors and flat-panel displays, both of which emit highly potent fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-GHGs). Today, Apple is announcing that 26 of its direct semiconductor suppliers have committed to abate at least 90 percent of F-GHGs from their facilities with Apple-related production by 2030. Many of these facilities also serve additional customers, helping this progress ripple beyond Apple. Additionally, 100 percent of the company’s direct display suppliers have made the same pledge. In 2024, display and semiconductor suppliers abated 8.4 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, and the new commitments will accelerate that progress in the coming years.

    Expanding the Use of Recycled and Renewable Materials

    Apple continues to use more recycled and renewable materials across its products, helping drive down their carbon footprint without compromising quality or performance. Earlier this year, Apple surpassed 99 percent on the way toward its 2025 goals to use 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets and 100 percent recycled cobalt in all Apple-designed batteries. Magnets are by far the most significant use of rare earth elements in Apple products overall, and Apple-designed batteries comprise over 97 percent of Apple’s total cobalt use. Apple is committed to sourcing both recycled and primary minerals responsibly, and drives high human rights and environmental standards across its supply chain.

    Eliminating Millions of Metric Tons of Waste

    In 2024, suppliers participating in Apple’s Zero Waste program redirected approximately 600,000 metric tons of waste from landfills, bringing the total to 3.6 million metric tons since the program’s inception in 2015. That is equivalent to eliminating 4.5 million square meters of landfill space. Apple and its suppliers are innovating to further accelerate progress, from deploying recyclable protective films and reusable trays in manufacturing to recovering valuable metals from waste liquids generated during printed circuit board manufacturing.

    Innovating to Reduce Product Emissions

    Apple’s environmental progress continues to show up in its products. Earlier this year, the company introduced the new MacBook Air with over 55 percent recycled content overall, the most in any Apple product. Last year, Apple introduced its first-ever carbon neutral Mac with the new Mac mini. And customers can choose a carbon neutral option of any Apple Watch in any material. Apple’s carbon neutral products are the result of innovations to significantly reduce carbon emissions across their three biggest sources — materials, electricity, and transportation — before using high-quality carbon credits from nature-based projects to balance the small amount of remaining emissions.

    Saving Billions of Gallons of Water Each Year

    Apple and its suppliers have saved over 90 billion gallons of fresh water since launching the Supplier Clean Water Program in 2013, which promotes water reuse, efficiency, and other initiatives at facilities around the world. The average reuse rate by participating suppliers was 42 percent last year, saving 14 billion gallons of fresh water in 2024 alone. Across Apple’s corporate operations, the company has set a target to replenish 100 percent of freshwater withdrawals in high-stress locations by 2030. Apple has now initiated long-term partnerships amounting to over 40 percent of that target. This includes support for new and ongoing replenishment projects in the U.S., India, and Africa, which together are expected to deliver nearly 9 billion gallons in water benefits over the next 20 years.

    Celebrating Earth Day with Apple

    To celebrate Earth Day, Apple is offering customers and users a series of ways to learn and take action to protect the planet — from helping take part in recycling important materials, to enjoying content that celebrates Earth.

    Through Apple Trade In and free recycling programs available at Apple Store locations around the world, customers can bring in the Apple products they no longer use for credit or to be responsibly recycled. From now until May 16, customers can receive 10 percent off an Apple accessory when they recycle an eligible item in-store.2

    On April 22, Apple Watch users can earn an Earth Day limited-edition award by completing any workout of 30 minutes or more, encouraging them to get outside and stay active. Apple Fitness+ offers thousands of workouts and meditations that can be done anytime, anywhere, including outside. On April 21, a new Time to Walk episode celebrating Earth Day will feature actress and climate advocate Shailene Woodley, and users can discover a collection of Time to Run episodes with Fitness+ trainers through Lake Tahoe; Zion National Park; Kona, Hawaii; and Yellowstone National Park, or enjoy an ocean breathing meditation with Fitness+ trainer Jessica Skye.

    On the Apple TV app, customers can also enjoy movies and shows celebrating Earth in “The Future Is Up to Us,” a room that features family-friendly favorites, portraits of changemakers, and awe-inspiring Apple Originals like The Last of the Sea Women. And this Earth Day, Apple TV+ highlights the wonders of our planet through a slate of award-winning original series, specials, and shorts, including Jane, Stillwater, Earthsounds, Earth at Night in Color, Tiny World, Prehistoric Planet, The Secret Lives of Animals, Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth, and many more.

    Through a new Earth Day collection in the Tips app, users can learn about planet-friendly actions available on iPhone, including how to identify plants in the Photos app, customize and download Maps for a journey outdoors, save electricity at home, and more.

    For additional information about Apple’s environmental efforts, visit apple.com/environment.

    1. Recycled materials are certified to standards that conform to ISO 14021, and all cobalt claims use mass balance allocation.
    2. Offer available to customers who recycle an eligible device and purchase a new eligible accessory in the same transaction between April 16, 2025, and May 16, 2025. Only at Apple Store locations. Additional restrictions apply. For full terms and conditions of the offer, visit apple.com/trade-in.

    The information covered in this release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding our goals, targets, commitments, and strategies. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. More information on risks, uncertainties, and other potential factors that could affect our business and performance is included in our filings with the SEC.

    Press Contacts

    Sean Redding

    Apple

    s_redding@apple.com

    Chloe Sweet

    Apple

    chloe_sweet@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi puts forward three-point proposal on building high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with shared future

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Xi puts forward three-point proposal on building high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with shared future

    PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, April 16 — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday put forward a three-point proposal on building a high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with a shared future.

    Xi made the remarks during his meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

    First, Xi urged the two countries to adhere to strategic independence and carry out high-level strategic coordination.

    Second, both countries should build synergy for development and set a model for high-quality development cooperation, Xi said.

    Third, Xi called for both sides to carry forward their friendship from generation to generation and deepen exchanges and mutual learning between the two civilizations.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: US government officially notifies Taiwan of latest arms sale

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    US government officially notifies Taiwan of latest arms sale

    Date：2024-11-30
    Data Source：Department of North American Affairs

    November 30, 2024 
    No. 443 

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has received official notification from the United States government that its executive branch has informed Congress of a US$385 million arms sale to Taiwan, including spare parts and support for F-16 aircraft and active electronically scanned array radars as well as improved mobile subscriber equipment follow-on support. MOFA warmly welcomes this news and thanks the US government for continuing to provide the weaponry and services needed for Taiwan’s defense and for honoring its security commitments as outlined in the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances.
     
    This is the 18th arms sale to Taiwan announced during the Biden administration. It continues the US policy of normalized arms sales that ensure Taiwan has adequate self-defense capabilities and reliable defense capacity in response to China’s threats. The sale highlights the US government’s firm support for bolstering Taiwan’s defense resilience and its high regard for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
     
    Taiwan will continue to demonstrate its commitment to self-defense in response to China’s recurrent military pressure and gray-zone intrusion in the waters and airspace around Taiwan. It will strengthen national defense and whole-of-society resilience, staunchly defend its free and democratic way of life, seek peace through strength, and deepen its close security partnership with the United States. MOFA welcomes further concrete action by the United States and other like-minded partners that advances peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific. (E)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Africa’s traditional fermented foods – and why we should keep consuming them

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Florence Malongane, Senior lecturer, University of South Africa

    Fermentation is a process where microorganisms like bacteria and yeast work together to break down complex carbohydrates and protein into simpler, more digestible forms.

    The fermentation process not only extends the shelf life of food but also enhances its nutritional content. During fermentation, beneficial microorganisms produce essential vitamins and minerals.

    Fermented foods have many benefits and have been shown to reduce inflammation and infections.

    As nutrition researchers we undertook an in-depth assessment of fermented African foods and their potential to improve human health cost-effectively.

    By gaining a deeper understanding of the diverse microbiomes present in various fermented indigenous African foods, we aim to enhance human health through targeted dietary interventions.

    Going back in history

    Fermentation as a preservation method can be traced back a long way.

    In the Middle East, between 1,000 and 15,000 years ago, people moved from foraging and hunting to organised food cultivation and production.

    Evidence of the alcoholic fermentation of barley into beer and grapes into wine dates back to between 2000 and 4000 BC.

    In the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent milk was fermented to create yoghurt and other sweet and savoury fermented milks. White cabbage pickles and fermented olives are very popular in the Middle East.

    In India and the Philippines, rice flour was fermented to produce products like noodles.

    Africa’s traditions

    In Africa, fermented foods hold great cultural significance and health benefits, yet this topic has not been thoroughly researched.

    Foods are mostly fermented at home and trends vary by region.

    The primary ingredients in African fermented foods are mainly cereals, tubers and milk.

    Most of the fermented foods are plants that grow on their own in the wild and are often considered weeds in cropped and cultivated land. These include amaranths, Bidens pilosa, cleome and Corchorus species. The increased availability of African indigenous foods could expand the range of commercially available fermented African foods.

    While some products like marula beer have entered the commercial market, the overall consumption of fermented foods among Africans has declined.

    This drop is largely due to the widespread availability of refrigeration systems and a growing loss of interest in traditional African foods.

    Harvesting baobab fruits in Limpopo province in South Africa. Getty Images

    Improving health in Africa

    Fermented root plants such as cassava and yam have been shown to decrease creatinine levels, which may indicate enhanced renal function and kidney health. This suggests that the fermentation process not only enriches these root plants with probiotics, but also promotes better physiological responses in the body.

    Among the diverse array of fruits native to Africa, baobab and marula are the most popular fermented fruits. Fermenting them enhances their protein and fibre content. Consuming fermented baobab fruits has been shown to reduce the activity of α-amylase, an enzyme that may have implications for regulating blood sugar.

    Millet, maize, African rice and sorghum are the most fermented grains in Africa. When these foods are fermented, they can help reduce blood glucose levels, serum triglycerides and cholesterol.

    Amahewu is a traditional beverage produced through the fermentation of sorghum or maize, mostly enjoyed in South Africa and Zimbabwe for its tangy flavour and smooth texture.

    In Kenya, a similar fermented cereal beverage known as uji is made of millet and flavoured with milk, adding to its rich and nutritious profile.

    Ghana boasts its own version called akasa, which is prepared from a combination of sorghum, corn and millet and known for its unique taste and cultural significance.

    In Sudan, the beverage referred to as abreh varies in preparation but shares the same essence of fermentation, while in Nigeria, ogi is another fermented cereal paste, from similar small grains like sorghum and millet, which produce a creamy beverage.

    Fermenting sorghum and millet provides essential nutrients and supports metabolic health and gut function.

    In Nigeria, fermented cereal beverages are widely used to control diarrhoea in young children.

    Sour milk is the most fermented food in Africa, celebrated for its rich flavour and numerous health benefits.

    During the fermentation process, bacteria convert the milk sugar, called lactose, into lactic acid.

    Kulenaoto, a traditional fermented milk drink enjoyed in Kenya, is known for its creamy texture and slightly tangy flavour. South Africa produces sour milk known as amasi. Nigeria and Togo share a common fermented dairy product known as wara, which is made from fermented soybeans and is often served as a snack.

    In Ghana, nyamie is a rich, thick yogurt-like product. In Cameroon, pendidam is a unique fermented milk product that is cherished for its distinctive taste and nutritional benefits, making it a staple in many households.

    Regular consumption of fermented sour milk can play a significant role in weight management, decreasing visceral (gut) fat, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.

    Moreover, fermented milk offers valuable protection against folate deficiency.

    Looking forward

    African fermented foods could be the easiest and least expensive way of introducing beneficial microbes to the gastrointestinal tract, replacing expensive pharmaceutical probiotics.

    These processes should be encouraged, and younger generations need to be exposed to the benefits of these traditions.

    Vanishing plants could be preserved and distributed through seed banks.

    The tradition of fermentation should be encouraged at both household and commercial levels to promote overall health.

    – Africa’s traditional fermented foods – and why we should keep consuming them
    – https://theconversation.com/africas-traditional-fermented-foods-and-why-we-should-keep-consuming-them-243287

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South Africa’s coalition government is at risk of crumbling: why collapse would carry a heavy cost

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Vinothan Naidoo, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Administration, University of Cape Town

    South Africa’s multi-party government of national unity (GNU), which emerged in the wake of the May 2024 elections, marked a turning point in the country’s political history. It took South Africans back to the 1990s, when the country showed that political opponents could find common cause.

    The formation of the government of national unity expressed the hope that the country could do it again.

    But just nine months into its term, the good will and pragmatism which marked its formation have worn thin. A major budget impasse between the two major actors, the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA), threatens the coalition.

    South Africans have long been accustomed to viewing the world of politics, governance and bureaucracy through the lens of a top-down “strong” state – a vicious apartheid state, an East Asia style developmental state, or a collusive “predatory state”.

    But as recent analyses we co-authored with others have detailed, the vision of a top-down politically cohesive state no longer fits South Africa’s realities.

    The government of national unity promised the hope that the country was embracing an approach that is key to success for almost all inclusive constitutional democracies. That is – abandon “all or nothing” confrontation, and instead pursue pragmatic bargains to achieve mutually agreeable policy outcomes.

    At the most basic level, the government of national unity achieved this, at least for a while. The sharing of cabinet ministries between multiple parties created a diverse platform for executive power-sharing that was not dictated by a single dominant party, and which prevented the risks of parties building institutional fiefdoms.

    In our view, failure to overcome deeply ingrained political differences could set off a downward spiral in the country.

    Achievements on the governance front

    On governance, the government of national unity created the space to pursue two sets of gains.

    The first comprises the potential benefit of bringing together unlikely bedfellows.

    The former opposition parties brought into a power-sharing arrangement were bound to be performance-driven, given the country’s long deteriorating government performance and ethical integrity. They had made “good governance” and criticism of the ANC central to their political brands.

    New “outsider” eyes brought into formerly cloistered and factionalised ANC-run departments created the possibility of a new urgency to perform.

    It’s too soon to tell whether this is happening, but anecdotal evidence suggests there are some green shoots.

    The second governance gain comprises the crucial task of building a capable and professional state bureaucracy. The challenges include being able to pay the public sector wage bill, fostering a culture of delivery, and consolidating the bloated network of government departments.

    Based on their party manifestos and public utterances, members of the government all aim to professionalise the public service.

    Detailed technical work is already happening on issues such as training and competency assessment, transferring powers of appointment from politicians to senior public servants, and instituting checks in the recruitment and selection process. The National Assembly’s recent adoption of the Public Service Commission Bill forms part of this agenda.

    But a prolonged legal dispute between the DA and ANC over the latter’s policy of “deploying” party members into state employment risks scuppering progress. It also leaves a key question unanswered: what role, if any, should political parties have in the recruitment and selection of public servants?

    Policy

    The government of national unity has struggled to create effective mechanisms to translate agreement on a broad agenda of policy priorities into specific outcomes. This came at a higher cost than expected.

    Still, it has made gains in challenging policy areas. These gains have repeatedly been undermined by the perverse determination of sections within both the ANC and the DA to engage in brinkmanship.

    On health, both parties agree on the principle of universalising access. They differ on how to achieve this. But at least one seemingly intractable sticking point has been resolved. Both sides agree that private medical aid schemes need to be retained as part of a broader strategy of pursuing health system reform.

    On basic education, the public spat over the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill overshadows the potential to agree on balancing the autonomy of school governing bodies with the oversight role of provincial departments.

    Read more: South Africa has a new education law: some love it, some hate it – education expert explains why

    On land expropriation, the emotive rhetoric which followed the signing of the Expropriation Bill and the unwelcome and toxic intervention of international actors has overshadowed technical concerns which can be resolved.

    On pro-growth policies: Operation Vulindlela, a joint Presidency and National Treasury initiative to unblock constraints in targeted economic sectors, has made significant strides. It has laid the groundwork for new rounds of growth-supporting infrastructural reforms and has the potential to build cohesion in the government of national unity. However, the DA’s attempt to lobby for a greater role in the strategic oversight of Operation Vulindlela in exchange for supporting the budget risks souring relations with the ANC.

    What now?

    A thriving inclusive society depends on powerful actors visibly committed to co-operation.

    For all of the challenges confronting the government of national unity, it was built on a foundation of pragmatism. For the sake of South Africa’s future, it remains vital to build on this foundation. Obsolete top-down governing approaches must go. Pathways to performance must be lifted above political grandstanding. Constructive solutions should supersede ideological rigidity. South Africa has done it before. It can do it again.

    – South Africa’s coalition government is at risk of crumbling: why collapse would carry a heavy cost
    – https://theconversation.com/south-africas-coalition-government-is-at-risk-of-crumbling-why-collapse-would-carry-a-heavy-cost-254302

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Alan Wilson defends President Trump’s authority to restructure federal workforce and return control of education to the statesRead More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson joined a multistate friend-of-the-court brief defending President Trump and Secretary Linda McMahon in New York v. McMahon. The case arises from a challenge by several Democrat-led states seeking to reinstate federal employees placed on administrative leave and stop upcoming reductions-in-force. The lawsuit seeks to block the administration’s efforts to reduce the size of the U.S. Department of Education, thereby returning power to the states. 

    The brief, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, argues that the Constitution vests authority over the federal workforce in the President under Article II, and that the states, not the courts, should lead on education policy.  

    “President Trump was elected to clean up bloated federal agencies and put power back where it belongs, with the states and the people,” said Attorney General Wilson. “This lawsuit is nothing more than an attempt to tie the hands of the President and preserve the failing status quo in education.” 

    The brief makes clear that managing executive branch employees is a core presidential power, and that Congress created a specific legal process, under the Civil Service Reform Act, for federal employment disputes. The plaintiffs in the case are attempting to bypass that process by asking the courts to reinstate federal workers without following established rules. 

    The coalition also points out that some states have shown major academic gains after reclaiming control over education policy. Mississippi and Louisiana have seen dramatic improvement in reading and math scores, proof that restoring authority to the states can lead to real results for students. 

    “South Carolina knows what our students need better than Washington bureaucrats do,” Attorney General Wilson said. “We’re proud to stand with President Trump as he fights to drain the swamp and empower states to fix a broken education system.” The brief cautions the court against interfering in the constitutional separation of powers, noting that the President must be free to manage the federal workforce and set policy priorities without judicial micromanagement.  

    South Carolina joined Montana, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Texas in filing the amicus brief. 

    Read the full brief here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Multibeam Grows International Presence

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SANTA CLARA, Calif. and YOKOHAMA, Japan, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — To address rising global demand for its E-Beam Lithography (EBL) production systems, Multibeam has established a new sales presence in Japan. President Ken MacWilliams announced the move in Yokohama today during his keynote address at Photomask Japan, the leading symposium on photomask and next-generation lithography mask technology.

    The development marks a new phase in Multibeam’s growth strategy. It follows the launch of the company’s multicolumn EBL production system and inaugural shipment to foundry leader, SkyWater Technology.

    The move aligns with the urgent imperative for faster chip design and manufacturing cycles. The trend is driving interest in Multibeam’s direct-write EBL technology for its proven ability to speed time to production and radically cut operational costs. Demand is especially evident in the advanced packaging arena where the system can be used to enable a scalable path beyond Moore’s Law, transcend conventional mask reticle limits, and drive much higher chip-to-chip performance levels than previously achievable. In addition, there is growing interest from the power, photonics and MEMs sectors for the system’s significant depth of focus capability which allows for faster, seamless patterning over warped wafers and high-topography surfaces.

    “A dedicated sales presence in Japan will help us better serve our local customers while giving us a strong position in this thriving IC innovation ecosystem,” said Dr. David K. Lam, Multibeam CEO. “It’s an essential part of our strategy to harness the surging interest in our technology’s unique enabling capabilities from semiconductor companies in the US and international markets. We’re excited to take this significant step.”

    Multibeam’s platform revolutionizes EBL with new productivity advantages, while enabling high resolution, fine features, wide field of view, and large depth of focus. The chief productivity driver is the novel architecture which employs multiple miniature columns that operate individually and in parallel, with an advanced control system directing the beams to achieve maximum accuracy, quality, and speed. Throughput is more than 100 times greater than conventional EBL systems, making the MB platform the highest productivity high-resolution maskless lithography system on the market. With Synopsys EDA embedded into the systems, a mix and match dynamic can also be employed, where a portion of layers are printed with masks and others are patterned with Multibeam. It gives manufacturing leaders a breakthrough solution to enable rapid development of new IC designs, rapid time to market, and accelerated IC innovation.

    About Multibeam

    Multibeam helps semiconductor leaders accelerate chip innovation with the industry’s first Multicolumn E-Beam Lithography (MEBL) system built for volume production. The technology enables applications like rapid prototyping, next-generation advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration, chip ID and traceability, high-mix quick-turn manufacturing, high-performance compound semiconductors, high-efficiency silicon photonics, 3D MEMS structures, and more. Led by Dr. David Lam and headquartered in Silicon Valley, the company is privately held and led by a team of semiconductor equipment and patterning technology experts. For more information, visit www.multibeamcorp.com.

    Japan Sales Contact: Nobutada Miura; Email: nmiura@multibeamcorp.com

    U.S. Sales Contact: Roger Van Art; Email: rvanart@multibeamcorp.com

    Media/Analyst Contact (U.S.): Shani Williams; Email: swilliams@multibeamcorp.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/511f7ddc-9749-41ab-a039-87e532a69008

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Fiji defence minister draws flak for six-week trip to meet peacekeepers

    RNZ Pacific

    Fiji’s Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs is facing a backlash after announcing that he was undertaking a multi-country, six-week “official travel overseas” to visit Fijian peacekeepers in the Middle East.

    Pio Tikoduadua’s supporters say he should “disregard critics” for his commitment to Fijian peacekeepers, which “highlights a profound dedication to duty and leadership”.

    However, those who oppose the 42-day trip say it is “a waste of time”, and that there are other pressing priorities, such as health and infrastructure upgrades, where taxpayers money should be directed.

    Tikoduadua has had to defend his travel, saying that the travel cost was “tightly managed”.

    He said that, while he accepts that public officials must always be answerable to the people they serve, “I will not remain silent when cheap shots are taken at the dignity of our troops, or when assumptions are passed off as fact.”

    “Let me speak plainly: I am not travelling abroad for a vacation,” he said in a statement.

    “I am going to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our men and women in uniform — Fijians who serve in some of the harshest, most dangerous corners of the world, far away from home and family, under the blue flag of the United Nations and the red, white and blue of our own.

    ‘I know what that means’
    Tikoduadua, a former soldier and peacekeeper, said, “I know what that means [to wear the Fiji Military Forces uniform].”

    “I marched under the same sun, carried the same weight, and endured the same silence of being away from home during moments that mattered most.

    “This trip spans multiple countries because our troops are spread across multiple missions — UNDOF in the Golan Heights, UNTSO in Jerusalem and Tiberias, and the MFO in Sinai. I will not pick and choose which deployments are ‘worth the airfare’. They all are.”

    He added the trip was not about photo opportunities, but about fulfilling his duty of care — to hear peacekeepers’ concerns directly.

    “To suggest that a Zoom call can replace that responsibility is not just naïve — it is offensive.”

    However, the opposition Labour Party has called it “unbelievably absurd”.

    “Six weeks is a long, long time for a highly paid minister to be away from his duties at home,” the party said in a statement.

    Standing ‘shoulder to shoulder’
    “To make it worse, [Tikoduadua] adds that he is . . . ‘not going on a vacation but to stand shoulder to shoulder with our men and women in uniform’.

    “Minister, it’s going to cost the taxpayer thousands to send you on this junket as we see it.”

    Tikoduadua confirmed that he is set to receive standard overseas per diem as set by government policy, “just like any public servant representing the country abroad”.

    “That allowance covers meals, local transport, and incidentals-not luxury. There is no ‘bonus’, no inflated figure, and certainly no special payout on top of my salary.

    As a cabinet minister, the Defence Minister is entitled to business class travel and travel insurance for official meetings. He is also entitled to overseas travelling allowance — UNDP subsistence allowance plus 50 percent, according to the Parliamentary Remunerations Act 2014.

    Tikoduadua said that he had heard those who had raised concerns in good faith.

    “To those who prefer outrage over facts, and politics over patriotism — I suggest you speak to the families of the soldiers I will be visiting,” he said.

    “Ask them if their sons and daughters are worth the minister’s time and presence. Then tell me whether staying behind would have been the right thing to do.”

    Responding to criticism on his official Facebook page, Tikoduadua said: “I do not travel to take advantage of taxpayers. I travel because my job demands it.”

    His travel ends on May 25.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Africa’s traditional fermented foods – and why we should keep consuming them

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Florence Malongane, Senior lecturer, University of South Africa

    Fermentation is a process where microorganisms like bacteria and yeast work together to break down complex carbohydrates and protein into simpler, more digestible forms.

    The fermentation process not only extends the shelf life of food but also enhances its nutritional content. During fermentation, beneficial microorganisms produce essential vitamins and minerals.

    Fermented foods have many benefits and have been shown to reduce inflammation and infections.

    As nutrition researchers we undertook an in-depth assessment of fermented African foods and their potential to improve human health cost-effectively.

    By gaining a deeper understanding of the diverse microbiomes present in various fermented indigenous African foods, we aim to enhance human health through targeted dietary interventions.

    Going back in history

    Fermentation as a preservation method can be traced back a long way.

    In the Middle East, between 1,000 and 15,000 years ago, people moved from foraging and hunting to organised food cultivation and production.

    Evidence of the alcoholic fermentation of barley into beer and grapes into wine dates back to between 2000 and 4000 BC.

    In the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent milk was fermented to create yoghurt and other sweet and savoury fermented milks. White cabbage pickles and fermented olives are very popular in the Middle East.

    In India and the Philippines, rice flour was fermented to produce products like noodles.

    Africa’s traditions

    In Africa, fermented foods hold great cultural significance and health benefits, yet this topic has not been thoroughly researched.

    Foods are mostly fermented at home and trends vary by region.

    The primary ingredients in African fermented foods are mainly cereals, tubers and milk.

    Most of the fermented foods are plants that grow on their own in the wild and are often considered weeds in cropped and cultivated land. These include amaranths, Bidens pilosa, cleome and Corchorus species. The increased availability of African indigenous foods could expand the range of commercially available fermented African foods.

    While some products like marula beer have entered the commercial market, the overall consumption of fermented foods among Africans has declined.

    This drop is largely due to the widespread availability of refrigeration systems and a growing loss of interest in traditional African foods.

    Improving health in Africa

    Fermented root plants such as cassava and yam have been shown to decrease creatinine levels, which may indicate enhanced renal function and kidney health. This suggests that the fermentation process not only enriches these root plants with probiotics, but also promotes better physiological responses in the body.

    Among the diverse array of fruits native to Africa, baobab and marula are the most popular fermented fruits. Fermenting them enhances their protein and fibre content. Consuming fermented baobab fruits has been shown to reduce the activity of α-amylase, an enzyme that may have implications for regulating blood sugar.

    Millet, maize, African rice and sorghum are the most fermented grains in Africa. When these foods are fermented, they can help reduce blood glucose levels, serum triglycerides and cholesterol.

    Amahewu is a traditional beverage produced through the fermentation of sorghum or maize, mostly enjoyed in South Africa and Zimbabwe for its tangy flavour and smooth texture.

    In Kenya, a similar fermented cereal beverage known as uji is made of millet and flavoured with milk, adding to its rich and nutritious profile.

    Ghana boasts its own version called akasa, which is prepared from a combination of sorghum, corn and millet and known for its unique taste and cultural significance.

    In Sudan, the beverage referred to as abreh varies in preparation but shares the same essence of fermentation, while in Nigeria, ogi is another fermented cereal paste, from similar small grains like sorghum and millet, which produce a creamy beverage.

    Fermenting sorghum and millet provides essential nutrients and supports metabolic health and gut function.

    In Nigeria, fermented cereal beverages are widely used to control diarrhoea in young children.

    Sour milk is the most fermented food in Africa, celebrated for its rich flavour and numerous health benefits.

    During the fermentation process, bacteria convert the milk sugar, called lactose, into lactic acid.

    Kulenaoto, a traditional fermented milk drink enjoyed in Kenya, is known for its creamy texture and slightly tangy flavour. South Africa produces sour milk known as amasi. Nigeria and Togo share a common fermented dairy product known as wara, which is made from fermented soybeans and is often served as a snack.

    In Ghana, nyamie is a rich, thick yogurt-like product. In Cameroon, pendidam is a unique fermented milk product that is cherished for its distinctive taste and nutritional benefits, making it a staple in many households.

    Regular consumption of fermented sour milk can play a significant role in weight management, decreasing visceral (gut) fat, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.

    Moreover, fermented milk offers valuable protection against folate deficiency.

    Looking forward

    African fermented foods could be the easiest and least expensive way of introducing beneficial microbes to the gastrointestinal tract, replacing expensive pharmaceutical probiotics.

    These processes should be encouraged, and younger generations need to be exposed to the benefits of these traditions.

    Vanishing plants could be preserved and distributed through seed banks.

    The tradition of fermentation should be encouraged at both household and commercial levels to promote overall health.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Africa’s traditional fermented foods – and why we should keep consuming them – https://theconversation.com/africas-traditional-fermented-foods-and-why-we-should-keep-consuming-them-243287

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Have Trump’s tariffs affected his popularity? Here’s what approval data shows

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Paul Whiteley, Professor, Department of Government, University of Essex

    When Donald Trump launched a trade war on April 2, he produced enormous volatility in stock markets around the world, but since then upheaval in the bond market has forced him to row back on some of his tariffs.

    Investors traditionally consider US Treasury bonds to be a safe asset with a guaranteed return and therefore preferable to stocks when the latter are falling in price. However, instead of buying these bonds investors have been selling them, and this produced a rapid fall in their price.

    While stock prices have recovered somewhat in Europe and Asia they have continued to fall in the US. But what do US consumers make of all this? Has the shifting of the bond market and economic uncertainty affected voter confidence, and approval, in the US president?

    A round up of recent polls suggest US voters expect to see higher prices for goods as a result of the tariffs, with 75% expecting short-term price hikes, and 48% long-term. While 51% like Trump’s trade goals, only 37% approve of his approach. Meanwhile, 91% of Republicans think the president has a clear plan for tariffs and trade, but only 16% of Democrats and 43% of independent voters do. Republican voters are also much more willing to take a longer time to make up their minds about Trump’s trade policy, with 49% saying they will assess it in a year’s time or longer, compared to 36% of independents and 21% of Democrats who are willing to wait that long.

    The latest Morning Consult poll on April 14 gives Trump his lowest approval rating yet for his second term, at 45%. A few weeks ago it was clear from the polls that there were massive differences between Democrats and Republicans when it came to approval for Trump’s handling of his job. An Economist/YouGov poll completed on March 18 showed that 6% of Democrats, 90% of Republican and 37% of independents approved of his performance at that time.

    A more recent Economist/YouGov poll, completed on April 8 after the trade war began, shows a significant change in the views of independent voters. The Democrat and Republican approval/disapproval ratings are about the same as in the earlier survey by the Economist, but approval among voters who class themselves as independents has fallen by 5% to 32%.

    Put simply, the nonaligned voters in America have shifted against Trump over tariffs. This is significant because they are the largest political group in the US, at 37% of electors compared with 34% Democrats and 29% Republicans. Also significant is that, according to Morning Consult, the average voter is more likely to hold positive than negative views about Democrats in Congress, for the first time since the 2024 election, at 47% to 46%.

    If this shift continues, and independent voters support Democrat candidates in the 2026 mid-term elections, it means that the Democrats are likely to take control of Congress. This will give them greater opportunity to block presidential initiatives to introduce new bills, which must be passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate to became law

    If, at some point, the Democratic party wanted to try and impeach Trump they would need far more Congressional votes than they currently have. The Republicans currently have majorities in both Houses. Impeachment requires a simple majority in the House of Representatives, but a two-thirds majority in the Senate, so it is not an easy thing to do.

    That said, the point is often made that Trump is a transactional politician and as a result attracts little personal loyalty from many of the people around him, particularly in Congress. However, if his approval ratings started to rapidly deteriorate, and the midterm elections turn into a disaster for their party, some Republicans may be ready to turn on Trump.

    Presidential approval and mid terms

    We can get an idea of the likelihood of a midterm swing by looking at the relationship between presidential approval and support for the president’s party in all 20 midterm elections since the second world war.

    Presidential approval in October and changes in House seats in November midterm elections in the US (1946-2022)

    The chart above compares presidential approval ratings in the month prior to elections with seat changes in the president’s party in the House of Representatives. There are 435 members of the House, and they are all up for re-election next year.

    It is clear that there is a strong positive relationship between presidential approval and the success of his party in the mid-term elections (correlation = 0.57). In other words when the president is popular his party does well and when he is unpopular it does badly.

    Donald Trump did rather badly in the midterm elections in 2018 during his first term of office. On that occasion the Republicans lost 40 House seats, a significantly greater number than the post-war average loss of 23 seats for Republican presidents. The last time the Republicans lost more seats than 2018 was in 1974 after Gerald Ford took over from Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal.

    Currently, the president’s current approval ratings might suggest that the loss of seats by Republicans is likely to be greater in next year’s midterm elections than it was in 2018. In October 2018 Trump’s approval rating was 41%, whereas it currently stands at 45% (with 52% disapproving) in the Economist/YouGov survey.

    However, the current approval rating does not take into account the medium to longer term effects of the economic turmoil and market instability triggered by his policies. Tariffs, in particular, are very likely to increase inflation and slow economic growth both in the US and the rest of the world. This is likely to damage his approval ratings.

    In the UK Conservative prime minister Liz Truss spooked the bond market in the autumn of 2022 by proposing large unfunded tax cuts. She was rapidly removed by her party from the job of leader and prime minister. This was followed by a crushing defeat for the party in the 2024 election. The same could happen to the Republicans, although the voters will have to wait until next year to make their presence felt.

    Paul Whiteley has received funding from the British Academy and the Economic & Social Research Council.

    – ref. Have Trump’s tariffs affected his popularity? Here’s what approval data shows – https://theconversation.com/have-trumps-tariffs-affected-his-popularity-heres-what-approval-data-shows-254725

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Foreign Minister Lin hosts banquet for delegation from New Zealand All-Party Parliamentary Group on Taiwan

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Foreign Minister Lin hosts banquet for delegation from New Zealand All-Party Parliamentary Group on Taiwan

    Date：2025-04-15
    Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

    April 15, 2025
    No. 096
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a luncheon on April 15 for a delegation from the New Zealand All-Party Parliamentary Group on Taiwan. On behalf of the Taiwan government, he sincerely welcomed the delegation and thanked the New Zealand Parliament for its long-standing and staunch cross-party support of Taiwan. 
     
    Minister Lin emphasized that Taiwan and New Zealand shared the values of freedom, democracy, and human rights. He added that under the Taiwan-New Zealand economic cooperation agreement (ANZTEC), economic, trade, investment, cultural, and indigenous exchanges had continued to grow steadily. In the face of authoritarian expansionism in the Indo-Pacific region, Minister Lin recognized and thanked New Zealand for repeatedly affirming the vital importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and for firmly supporting Taiwan’s participation in the international community. He expressed confidence that moving forward, both countries would continue working hand in hand to promote regional security and prosperity.

    The delegation was led by Senior Whip of the National Party Stuart Smith. He stated that his first trip to Taiwan had been in 2015 and that he was visiting again now to witness Taiwan’s political and economic development over the past decade. Noting that both Taiwan and New Zealand sought free trade and upheld universal values, he indicated that at a time when countries worldwide were facing geopolitical challenges and trade barriers, exchanging views on issues of common concern was particularly important for New Zealand as it responded to global changes. Labour Party Member of Parliament Tangi Utikere, cohead of the delegation, said that the visit would facilitate the New Zealand Parliament’s understanding of the current state of Taiwan-New Zealand relations and allow it to draw on Taiwan’s experience, making development on both sides more successful.

     The New Zealand All-Party Parliamentary Group on Taiwan was established in 2023 and first sent a cross-party delegation of parliamentarians to Taiwan in 2024. This year, the delegation will remain in Taiwan from April 13 to 18, calling on President Lai Ching-te, meeting with representatives of relevant government agencies, and visiting sites of political, economic, and cultural interest to further the Taiwan-New Zealand partnership. (E)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Culture can build a better world: four key issues on Africa’s G20 agenda

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ribio Nzeza Bunketi Buse, Associate Professor, University of Kinshasa

    The cultural and creative industries are a growing source of income and job creation around the world, generating tens of millions of jobs. The cultural sector is also linked to soft power, to relations between countries.

    Because of this, culture is an active part of the agenda of the G20 global economic forum. Under the presidency of South Africa in 2025, the G20 has chosen four key culture focus areas: heritage restitution; socio-economic strategies for inclusivity; digital technologies; and climate action.

    Here, as a scholar of the sector, I outline why these four priorities are relevant to both the G20 and the African continent, and to South Africa itself as the host country, in the light of current global trends and issues.

    G20 and culture

    The relationship between culture and development is increasingly emphasised. The 2022 Unesco World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – or Mondiacult – recommended that culture be a “stand-alone” sustainable development goal.

    This proposal is underlined by the UN’s Pact for the Future, adopted in 2024. The 17 sustainable development goals, adopted by the UN in 2015, are to ensure peace and prosperity for all people by 2030. They include goals like zero hunger and reduced inequalities.



    Read more:
    What is Mondiacult? 6 take-aways from the world’s biggest cultural policy gathering

    As the global order shifts, new actors from the global south are emerging as the Brics group. However, the G20 is the only forum that includes countries from both the global north and south.

    The G20, like the G7 and Brics, has a tradition of including culture among the items for discussion at ministerial level, supported by a working group.

    Under Brazil’s presidency in 2024, the G20 Culture Working Group highlighted the relationship between education and culture. This was in line with Unesco’s Framework for Culture and Arts Education. Taking over the G20 presidency, South Africa has expanded on the cultural agenda.

    Cultural heritage

    Priority 1: the safeguarding and restitution of cultural heritage to protect human rights.

    This relates to cultural property, mainly stolen during colonisation and displayed in global south museums. It’s one of the key issues in the heritage sector today.

    After years of demands by formerly colonised countries, there’s a growing list of high profile objects being sent back home. France returned 26 Dahomey Kingdom royal treasures to Benin and the saber of El Hadj Omar Tall to Senegal; 119 Benin bronzes came from the Netherlands to Nigeria. Akan cultural objects were restituted from Japan to Côte d’Ivoire.

    This global issue has particularly affected African countries. South Africa, too, knows its importance, with the repatriation of the human remains of Saartjie Baartman by France.

    The Mondiacult 2022 declaration calls the return of cultural heritage an “ethical imperative”. It’s part of the respect for cultural rights and human rights.

    For South Africa, one of the most influential countries on the continent, this is a good way to support the 2023 position of the African Union (AU) on the urgent return of this heritage. Improving the relationship between the global north and south requires this kind of debate.

    Inclusive development

    Priority 2: integrating cultural policies in socio-economic strategies to ensure inclusive, rights-based development.

    The importance of cultural goods and services in national and international trade has been highlighted many times. Statistics show they make up a healthy share of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

    A 2021 study found that the cultural and creative industries contributed 4.3% to South Africa’s GDP. At African level, they are estimated to generate US$45.35 billion in income and 15.87 million jobs. According to the 2024 UN Creative Economy Outlook, exports of creative services globally rose to $1.4 trillion in 2022, an increase of 29% since 2017. Exports of creative goods reached US$713 billion, an increase of 19%.



    Read more:
    South Africa has taken over the G20 presidency from Brazil – what lessons can it learn?

    With the development of an African Continental Free Trade Area, the AU revised its plan for action on cultural and creative industries.

    South Africa can play a leading role in this priority, having drafted a national policy paper on trade agreements involving the creative and cultural industries. The country’s Creative Industries Vision 2040 aims for an annual growth rate of 6.8% of GDP for these industries.

    However, the creative economy should be rights-based development and inclusive of local communities, young people and women. The G20 countries will need to work together to support policies that enhance sustainability and equity for creative workers. This is especially important in Africa where the creative economy is largely informal and unprotected.

    Digital technologies

    Priority 3: harnessing digital technologies for the protection and promotion of culture and sustainable economies.

    Digital technology is transforming the creative economy value chain. In my survey of the COVID era’s harsh impact on creative workers, I found that digital media, online games, music and audiovisual content were able to be resilient. Their value chains, from creator to user, don’t require high levels of face-to-face interaction, and online tools can be used effectively.

    In 2024 the UN Conference on Trade and Development reported that, in 2022, the most exported creative services globally were software services (41.3%), research and development (30.7%), advertising, market research and architecture (15.5%), audiovisual services (7.9%), information services (4%) and cultural, recreational and heritage services (0.6%).

    While digital technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) can be seen as a threat to creativity and intellectual property, they can also be used to promote respect for communities and creators. The development of monitoring software for collecting music rights payments is an example.

    In 2021 the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization adopted a recommendation on the ethics of AI. It proposes that AI tools be used for the benefit of the promotion, preservation, enrichment and accessibility of intangible or tangible cultural heritage. This issue is crucial because Mondiacult 2022 declared that culture is a “global public good” and the G20 must fund research and development of the most appropriate and advanced AI tools.

    Climate change

    Priority 4: the intersection of culture and climate change – shaping global responses.

    The challenges of climate change require a range of responses. Intangible cultural heritage (like oral traditions, social practices, rituals) can help to teach how ancient societies organised their relationships with nature and how they dealt with changes.

    Art, theatre, film, gaming and many other cultural forms can educate and raise awareness about this urgent issue. The African continent has a rich cultural diversity and is a potential source of many unexpected and insightful solutions.

    Keeping it relevant

    These four priorities reflect what is important on the continent. Africa will benefit from the collective efforts of the G20 countries in implementing such priorities. The presence of the AU as a permanent member of the G20 will support South Africa’s leadership and advance the continent’s cause.

    The challenge to the culture working group is to come up with relevant recommendations that can be endorsed by the G20 Ministerial Meeting. The 2024 G7 Ministerial Meeting on Culture, along with the AU and the African Development Bank, has set the tone. Their Naples Statement on culture for the sustainable development of Africa and the world notes that the G7 countries “intend to work with African governments to harness culture as a key driver of sustainable development”.

    A G20 summit on African soil cannot do less. It has all the potential it needs to support the African cultural sector in a variety of ways.

    Ribio Nzeza Bunketi Buse 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. Culture can build a better world: four key issues on Africa’s G20 agenda – https://theconversation.com/culture-can-build-a-better-world-four-key-issues-on-africas-g20-agenda-253864

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Gaza has become a mass grave for Palestinians and those helping them

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    Jerusalem – As Israeli forces resume and expand their military offensive by air, ground and sea on the Gaza Strip, Palestine, forcibly displacing people and deliberately blocking essential aid, Palestinian lives are once again being systematically destroyed, warns Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). A series of deadly attacks by Israeli forces have shown a blatant disregard for the safety of humanitarian and medical workers in Gaza.

    We call on Israeli authorities to immediately lift the inhumane and deadly siege on Gaza, protect the lives of Palestinians, humanitarian and medical personnel, and for all parties to restore and sustain the ceasefire.

    “Gaza has been turned into a mass grave of Palestinians and those coming to their assistance. We are witnessing in real time the destruction and forced displacement of the entire population in Gaza,” says Amande Bazerolle, MSF emergency coordinator in Gaza. “With nowhere safe for Palestinians or those trying to help them, the humanitarian response is severely struggling under the weight of insecurity and critical supply shortages, leaving people with few, if any, options for accessing care.”

    Over 50,000 people have been killed since October 2023, nearly a third of whom are children, according to the Ministry of Health. Since the resumption of hostilities on 18 March, more than 1,500 people have been killed, according to local authorities.

    According to the United Nations, at least 409 aid workers, most of whom were UNWRA staff, the main provider of humanitarian aid in Gaza, have been killed since October 2023. Eleven MSF colleagues, some while on duty, have been killed since the start of the war, including two in just the past two weeks.

    In the latest instance of a ruthless attack by Israeli forces on aid workers, the bodies of 15 emergency responders and the ambulances they were traveling in were found in a mass grave on 30 March in Rafah, southern Gaza. The group was killed by Israeli forces while trying to assist civilians caught in shelling on 23 March. Recent publicly shared evidence has shown that the workers and their vehicles were clearly marked and identifiable, challenging the initial claims given by Israeli authorities.

    “This horrific killing of aid workers is yet another example of the complete disregard shown by Israeli forces for the protection of humanitarian and medical workers. The silence and unconditional support of Israel’s closest allies further emboldens these actions,” says Claire Magone, General Director of MSF France. 

    MSF considers that only international and independent investigations can bring to light the circumstances of, and the responsibilities for, these attacks on aid workers.

    Although the situation has already been catastrophic for over 18 months, over the past three weeks, MSF has witnessed several incidents involving the killing of humanitarian and medical workers. The coordination of humanitarian movements with Israeli authorities, known as the Humanitarian Notification System, an already imperfect mechanism, has become more unreliable and is now barely affording any protection guarantees.

    Notified locations, in which humanitarians have informed Israel of their presence, such as health facilities where we work, compounds of humanitarian stakeholders, and MSF offices and guesthouses have been hit by shells or bullets. Areas near healthcare facilities have been subjected to strikes, fighting and evacuation orders.

    Medical facilities are not exempt from attacks and evacuation orders by Israeli forces. MSF teams have had to leave many facilities, while others continue operating with staff and patients trapped inside, unable to leave safely for hours at a time.

    On 7 April, MSF teams and patients found themselves trapped in the MSF field hospital in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza. Rockets were launched by Hamas in close proximity to our field hospitals in Deir Al-Balah endangering both patients and staff and leading to an evacuation order of the area by Israeli forces, who also carried out strikes near the compounds of Al-Aqsa and Nasser hospitals. We strongly denounce these actions by the warring parties and call on them to respect and protect healthcare facilities, patients and medical staff.

    Since 18 March, MSF has not been able to return to Indonesian hospital in northern Gaza where our teams were set to begin paediatric care but had to flee the field hospital, which was set up right next to the compound. MSF mobile clinics in north Gaza were suspended, and in the south, teams have been unable to return to Al-Shaboura clinic in Rafah.

    The full siege on Gaza has depleted food, fuel and medical stocks. MSF is especially facing shortages in medications for pain management and chronic illnesses, antibiotics and critical surgical materials. The lack of fuel replenishment across the Strip will lead to the inevitable suspension of activities as hospitals rely on generators for electricity to keep critical patients alive and conduct lifesaving operations.

    “Israeli authorities have deliberately blocked all aid from entering Gaza for over a month. Humanitarians have been forced to watch people suffer and die while carrying the impossible burden of providing relief with depleted supplies, all while facing the same life-threatening conditions themselves,” says Bazerolle. “There is no way they can carry out their mission under such circumstances. This is not a humanitarian failure — it is a political choice, and a deliberate assault on a people’s ability to survive, carried out with impunity.”

    Israeli authorities must end their collective punishment of Palestinians.

    We urge Israel’s allies to end their complicity and stop enabling the destruction of Palestinian lives.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: The Beginning and End of Summer Make Me Anxious

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Time to bolster ourselves for another year of climate crisis and action

    FILE PHOTO (2024): A thermal image (inset) shows surface temperatures reaching as high as 61.1℃ along Plaza Miranda and Quiapo Church. The Philippines has been experiencing severe El Niño, aggravated by the climate crisis. © Greenpeace

    I used to enjoy Holy Week—the Visita Iglesia in the day, candlelit nights, the circulating bands of door-to-door prayer squads greeted by every household with whispers and reverence. This was the 90s, the height of the long summer blackouts. Even if your family had AC, you wouldn’t have enjoyed it most nights. I remember playing in the streets. It was very hot, but not intolerable. Patintero under the moon, taguan under stars.

    This is obviously a whole lot of children’s-book nostalgia, but there must be some truth to the feeling. I bring it up because I don’t look forward to summer anymore. Now, all I can think of when the days start getting warmer is the inevitable heat stroke I’ve gotten every year since 2020, more record-breaking temperatures, the bloated Meralco bills. I don’t remember daytime ever being so white hot and skin searing that every moment outdoors in the hours around noon feels like an assault. And while we know relief will come in a few months–it will be in the form of torrential rains capable of submerging all the cars in my neighborhood.

    In other words, the beginning and end of summer gives me, an adult in my 40s, anxiety. Right now is the end of the short season of reprieve: after the storms but before the high heat–which will be lifted by a new round of typhoons and supertyphoons.

    FILE PHOTO (2020): A man rests on debris following the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses, international name ‘Vamco’ in Rodriguez town in Rizal province east of Manila, Philippines. Typhoon Ulysses battered the northern Philippines with heavy rains and strong winds knocking out power in several provinces including areas in Metro Manila and leaving thousands homeless and damaged or destroyed establishments along its path as it blew west. © Basilio Sepe / Greenpeace

    It is not lost on me that I am privileged: I live in a relatively sheltered, less flood-prone area of the capital. Millions of Filipinos live in impoverished communities hit hard and often by extreme weather that causes sickness, destruction, loss of livelihood and life. For many, this relentless cycle could be interpreted as a Sisyphean ordeal—endure one disaster after another and try to rebuild, only to be met with new threats and new loss. The reality of climate change looms large, with anxiety hanging thick in the air, never far from mind.

    Do you remember Frank Nicol Melgar Marba, the teacher and public servant from Dinagat Islands? He made headlines joining a transnational climate lawsuit against a French fossil fuel company. In 2021, Super Typhoon Odette, one of the strongest recorded storms on Earth, destroyed Frank’s family home, and left them traumatized. He once told the press: “Whenever there’s news of a typhoon coming our way, my grandmother still shakes in fear.”

    Polls and studies stretching back a decade tell us this is increasingly becoming the norm. The majority of the nation is worried about the climate crisis. Many Filipinos, especially the young, are burdened by climate anxiety.

    In 2013, Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) killed thousands and displaced millions in Eastern Visayas. A year later, a study found that an estimated 800,000 people in affected areas were reported to be suffering from anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

    Many may still be feeling the effects to this day. Social Weather Stations (SWS) conducted a poll in 2023 which determined that 8 in 10 Filipinos believe climate change poses dangers to physical and mental health. 87% say they have personally experienced climate impacts in the past three years. 81% consider climate change a threat to their mental well-being.

    It does not help that much needed climate action by world governments is sluggish and lackluster. Majority of governments are missing deadlines for crucial greenhouse gas emissions cuts. Almost half of corporations around the world abandoned pledged climate targets and got away with it scott free. Fossil fuel consumption is on the rise, which is heating the planet. The heating planet is driving more energy consumption which then prompts the release of more emissions. It feels like being alive today–facing the notion of this escalation of climate change and its consequences–comes in two flavors: 1) aware and in despair or 2) blissfully ignorant, possibly in denial.

    Despite all of this, though, the kids seem to be alright–to a degree. True to the trope (and no, please don’t bring the resilience thing into this) Filipinos, especially the youth, are powering through even the worst circumstances. Climate anxiety is translating to climate awareness, which, in the best of cases, translates to motivation to act.

    The same cadre of local and international pollsters have found that Filipino youth are some of the most eager to do their part in addressing climate change. The 2023 SWS, for instance, says 74% of respondents agree with the statement: “People like me can do something to reduce climate risks.” Another survey from 2023 said 81% of Filipino young people are aware their actions could make a positive change in improving climate policies in the country.

    FILE PHOTO (2020): Children wearing protective masks stay inside a modular tent at the Rosauro Almario Elementary School in Tondo, Manila evacuation center. About 22 families living in flood-prone areas in San Juan were forced to evacuate due to super typhoon Rolly, international name Goni. © Basilio Sepe / Greenpeace

    I wonder if today’s young people ever got to experience childhood summers like mine. Or were they, armed early with access to all the world’s information, too addled by early onset awareness of what we’ve done to the environment? Give them a platform, place, and opportunity to channel anxiety into something. Give them support, encouragement, solidarity. Join them. Action, especially collective action, bodes well for the planet, and can ease a little panic.

    Holy Week is for rest and fortification–mental, emotional, or spiritual–for the year ahead. It’s an opportunity to decide, in the quiet of our own company, or in the company of family and friends, on who to vote for in the coming elections, on what we can do to contribute; if it is in us to be brave, for ourselves and for others, in the midst of a crisis larger than any of our fears.

    You might want to check out Greenpeace Philippines’ petition called Courage for Climate, a drive in support of real policy and legal solutions in the pursuit of climate justice.

    Courage for Climate

    The climate crisis may seem hopeless, but now is the time for courage, not despair. Join Filipino communities taking bold action for our planet.

    Make an Act of Courage Today!

    Pocholo Goitia is a writer and environmental advocate from Quezon City.

    MIL OSI NGO –