NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Files Brief Challenging Trump Administration’s Unjustified and Unconstitutional Revocation of Student Visas

    Source: US State of California

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today, as part of a coalition of 19 attorneys general, filed an amicus brief challenging the Trump Administration’s executive orders allowing for the ideologically-motivated revocation of visas for students and faculty who exercise their free speech and association rights. In the past month, the Trump Administration has revoked the visas, and in some cases arrested, detained, and sought to remove, hundreds of visa-holding and legal permanent resident students at higher education institutions for expressing opinions that the Trump Administration disagrees with. In other cases, students have been provided little to no justification for the termination grounds, much less the meaningful opportunity to challenge the sudden denial. In just California, nearly 100 students across the California State University system, University of California campuses, and Stanford University have had their visas revoked. 

    “Students across the country are being aggressively targeted without notice and for no clear reason beyond the President’s political agenda, creating a culture of fear and disrupting our institutions of higher education,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The unjustified and unconstitutional revocation of student visas for expressing their opinions sends a stunning message to campuses across the nation: fall in line or face deportation. I urge the court to put a swift stop to this policy before it can do any further damage.”

    The Trump Administration’s “Ideological Deportation Policy” is based on two Executive Orders (14161 and 14188).These orders direct federal agencies to vet foreign nationals seeking to enter the U.S. based on ideological grounds rather than on direct safety threats. These orders further direct federal agencies to investigate, detain, and deport noncitizen students and faculty who engage in political speech with which the Administration disagrees. Last month, the Trump Administration began using these orders as the basis to begin revoking hundreds of student visas. 

    During the 2023-2024 school year, states represented in the amicus brief hosted over 640,000 international students who supported more than 235,000 jobs and contributed approximately $27.5 billion annually to our economies through tuition, living expenses, and related spending. These noncitizen students not only make substantial economic contributions to the states; they also enrich academic discourse, strengthen our research capabilities, and enhance our global competitiveness. 

    In the brief, Attorney General Bonta and the multistate coalition argues that the Trump Administration’s Ideological Deportation Policy inflicts irreparable harms to the states, is contrary to the public interest, and violates the First Amendment’s protection of free speech, which the Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed extends to noncitizen residents within the United States. The coalition respectfully urges the court to grant a preliminary injunction to stop deportations based on this policy while litigation continues. 

    Attorney General Bonta is committed to upholding the rights and protections of all of California’s residents, including the nearly 11 million immigrants who call California home. He has defended pathways for legal immigration for those fleeing dangerous conditions in their home counties, supported challenges to the early termination of the TPS designation for Venezuela and Haitians, and secured a preliminary injunction in his lawsuit challenging the President’s unlawful executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship.

    Attorney General Bonta has also vigorously defended President Trump’s assault on the rule of law. Last month, Attorney General Bonta, along with 20 other state attorneys general issued an open letter urging the legal community to stand together in defense of the rule of law in response to President Trump’s recent attacks. Attorney General Bonta also issued a separate statement on the need to speak up and push back when our democratic norms are violated, our legal system undermined, and our laws broken. 

    Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Massachusetts, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont in filing the amicus brief. 

    A copy of the brief is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: LaLota Bill Aimed at Expanding VA Care for Vietnam Veterans Passes House

    Source: US Representative Nick LaLota (NY-01)

    Legislation Builds on Northport VA Study Linking Parasite Exposure and Bile Duct Cancer

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Suffolk County),  an 11-year Navy Veteran and Member of the Military Construction and VA Appropriations Subcommittee, released the following statement after his bipartisan Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act passed the House. The legislation, which is co-led by Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY), an Army Veteran and Member of the House Armed Services Committee, instructs the VA to conduct a comprehensive study to determine the prevalence of bile duct cancer among those who served in the Vietnam War and whether it may be connected to exposure to a parasite known as liver fluke during their service. 

    “This week, the House took bipartisan action to do what the VA has refused to for more than six years—acknowledge the suffering of Vietnam Veterans exposed to liver fluke in Southeast Asia. My bill, the Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act, passed with broad support because both sides agree: these heroes deserve answers, not more delay,” said LaLota. “Too many have already died waiting. It’s past time we matched our words with action and gave these Veterans the care and recognition they’ve earned.”

    To read the full text of the bipartisan Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act, click HERE.  

     

    Background:

    LaLota initially introduced the bill during the 118th Congress and it passed the House in September 2024. The Senate failed to act. 

    To watch LaLota’s remarks ahead of the bill’s passage in the House, click HERE.

    In 2018, the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center in New York conducted a groundbreaking study on liver fluke infection among Vietnam Veterans, using a 50-Veteran sample size. Although the study was smaller than most, its findings highlighted an urgent need for a larger-scale investigation, the development of standardized treatment protocols, and expanded access to care for affected Veterans at VA facilities nationwide.

    Following this, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) initiated the Vietnam Era Veterans Mortality Study, comparing mortality rates from cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) between Veterans deployed to the Vietnam War theater and those who served elsewhere. The study suggests a potential link between exposure to parasitic infections, contracted through contaminated freshwater fish, and a heightened risk of cholangiocarcinoma among Vietnam Veterans.

    Despite this evidence, during a Legislative Hearing before the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) indicated that the VA does not support further research on the topic. Additionally, the VA has yet to designate cholangiocarcinoma as a service-connected condition, despite the findings of the Vietnam-era study.

    The Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act seeks to address this gap by requiring the VA, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct a comprehensive study on the prevalence of liver fluke infections among Vietnam Veterans. This legislation aims to ensure that Vietnam Veterans receive the care and recognition they deserve for this debilitating condition.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Concluding Session, Commission on Population and Development Fails to Adopt Text on Ensuring Healthy Lives, Promoting Well-being for All

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    Several Delegates Take Issue with Language Concerning Sexual, Reproductive Health Services, Reproductive Rights

    The Commission on Population and Development failed to adopt an outcome document today as it concluded its fifty-eighth session, with delegates sharply divided about support for sexual and reproductive rights, and some questioning commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

    At the outset of the meeting, Catharina Jannigje Lasseur (Netherlands), Chair of the Commission at its fifty-eighth session, withdrew the draft resolution she had circulated earlier, citing a lack of agreement among delegations.  While noting “strong efforts towards consensus”, she acknowledged: “I see no other possibility at this late hour than to withdraw my proposal.”

    If adopted, that wide-ranging text, titled “Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages” (document E/CN.9/2025/L.4), would have urged Member States to ensure everyone’s right to the enjoyment of the highest-attainable standard of physical and mental health and called on them to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services.  It would have also called on Governments to take concrete measures towards the full implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development.

    The Programme, adopted by 179 countries at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo, set out an ambitious vision about the relationships between population, development and individual well-being.  It recognized that reproductive health and rights, as well as women’s empowerment and gender equality, are cornerstones of development.

    In the contentious discussion that followed the Chair’s withdrawal of her resolution, many speakers expressed regret that the Commission could not adopt a consensus text this year but diverged as to why agreement was not possible.

    Several speakers took issue with language concerning “sexual and reproductive health services”, as well as “reproductive rights”.  The representative of Djibouti said that there is an “ever-growing number of delegations who have come to realize that [these terms] have become — and remain — highly controversial”. Similarly, the observer for the Holy See said:  “This language has always been controversial.”  Nigeria’s delegate said that, despite various calls for the removal of certain language, the facilitators ignored these requests, which concern “cultural and ethical values and core national priorities”.

    Burundi’s delegate underscored that the phrase “sexual and reproductive rights” must not be interpreted to mean the right to abortion.  The term “gender” must be understood as exclusively meaning the biological sexes of male and female.  Further, “a strong family policy” must be at the heart of sustainable development, he said. The representatives of Iran, Cameroon, Belarus and the Russian Federation also said they could not agree with a text that did not incorporate references to the role of the family.

    However, South Africa’s delegate, delivering a statement on behalf of a number of countries, said:  “We are deeply concerned by what we have witnessed in this forum around fundamental rights and issues that have enjoyed long-standing consensus in the United Nations.”  Noting the ongoing challenge to human rights — including the right to development and universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights — she reaffirmed commitment to the International Conference on Population and Development’s Programme of Action.

    Poland’s delegate, speaking for the European Union, also reiterated support to that Programme and the role of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in advancing sexual and reproductive health and gender equality. She stressed the need to ensure that “we live in a world without sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices, where all women and girls can make choices about their life, health and well-being, where the potential of every individual is fulfilled and no mother or infant dies simply because the health system has failed them”.

    Inclusive and resilient health systems, universal healthcare and inclusive sexual health and reproductive services are essential to sustainable development, stressed Sweden’s representative, while France’s delegate stressed that reproductive rights “are what determines access to development for women and girls”.

    The representative of the United States, meanwhile, said that his delegation “rejects and denounces the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and will no longer affirm the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals] as a matter of course”.

    Many delegations, however, took the floor to reaffirm their support for the 2030 Agenda, including the representatives of Chile, Lebanon, Colombia, the Republic of Moldova, the Philippines and Japan.  The representatives of Portugal, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Australia (also speaking for Canada and New Zealand), Norway, Belgium and Luxembourg expressed concern that foundational references to the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs were consistently challenged during negotiations.

    “We cannot become accustomed to delegations picking and choosing from international commitments,” Brazil’s delegate said.  China’s delegate described the rejection of references to the 2030 Agenda as “a regression in the course of history”.

    In the face of such attacks, Germany’s delegate said, it is all the more vital to work together to realize the aspirations collectively agreed upon in the International Conference on Population and Development’s Programme of Action, the 2030 Agenda and the Pact for the Future.  The United Kingdom’s representative warned that “ignoring links between health, climate change and inequality do not make them disappear”, while Uruguay’s delegate observed:  “Sadly, we are living in a time when reason is insufficient.”

    Algeria’s representative sounded a more-hopeful note:  “Thanks to the work of this Commission, it was possible to have an exchange of views and achieve agreements that will undoubtedly facilitate negotiations in the future.”  For his part, the representative of Bangladesh urged:  “Let us not allow short-term differences to undermine our long-term destiny; consensus is not the surrender of national interests, it is the recognition that our fates are intertwined.”

    In her closing remarks, Ms. Lasseur encouraged delegates to reflect upon the larger role of the Commission.  With 116 Member States speaking in the general debate and more than 30 side events, this year’s session featured many examples of positive steps that have been made to implement the International Conference on Population and Development’s Programme of Action, she said.  “This shows that the [Programme and the Commission on Population and Development] are very much alive and kicking,” she said.  Participating in this forum, she added, “really made it clear to me who we are fighting for:  women and girls, often living in rural areas, sometimes in dangerous conflict settings, lacking access to basic healthcare services, not having the basic necessities to live a life of dignity”.

    “How unfortunate then that the Commission’s best efforts could not translate into an action-oriented outcome this year,” said Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA, in her closing remarks.  People are dying because they are denied fundamental rights and choices, food, life-saving medicines and the basic necessities of life, caught up in catastrophes not of their own making, and for women and girls, in battles over their own bodies.

    “In this year, like no other, women and girls expect UNFPA and the United Nations to rush to their rescue,” she said, adding that once again, it will be poor people and the most vulnerable women and girls who will bear the greatest burden of ill health and preventable deaths.  “Who is listening to them?  Who will defend their fundamental rights?” she asked.  Reaffirming the Fund’s commitment to listening to them, she said it will continue to respond “based on what women and girls tell us they need”.

    Also regretting the lack of an outcome document, Bjørg Sandkjær, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, expressed appreciation for the “frank, thoughtful and interactive” discussions held throughout the week.  The Commission heard about important progress in improving people’s health and well-being over the past decades even as it learned about the many health-related SDG targets that are off track.  She noted that these insights will feed into the Economic and Social Council’s activities.

    In other business, the Commission adopted the report of its fifty-eighth session (document E/CN.9/2025/L.3) and the provisional agenda of the fifty-ninth session (document E/CN.9/2025/L.2).  The Russian Federation’s delegate said his delegation was short-handed because one member arrived late due to visa delays and stressed that the United States has a legal obligation to issue visas in a timely manner.

    The Chair said that in the absence of an outcome document, she would prepare a summary of the proceedings.  Iran’s delegate said such a summary should not be considered a representation of the positions of delegations.

    The Commission also adopted a decision (document E/CN.9/2025/L.5), which decided that the special theme for its sixtieth session, to be held in 2027, will be “Population, poverty eradication and sustainable development”.  The Russian Federation’s delegate, noting that eliminating poverty is an important global goal, hailed the consensus by which the Commission chose the theme.

    The Commission then concluded its fifty-eighth session and opened its fifty-ninth session, electing Zéphyrin Maniratanga (Burundi) as Chair and Arb Kapisyzi (Albania), Sasha-Kay Kayann Watson (Jamaica) and Stéphanie Toschi (Luxembourg) as Vice-Chairs.  The nomination of the remaining Vice-Chair, to represent Asia-Pacific States, was deferred to a later date.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Expanding Alberta’s reach with Abu Dhabi office

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Finds Pine Ridge Man Guilty of Assault With a Dangerous Weapon

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Frank Long Black Cat, age 31, of Pine Ridge, South Dakota, of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on April 9, 2025.

    The conviction carries a maximum penalty of ten years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

    Long Black Cat was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2025.

    Evidence at trial established that Long Black Cat used a knife to repeatedly stab another person in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

    This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

    This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Schroeder and Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.

    A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has been set for July 14, 2025.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Myanmar: Military strikes persist amid earthquake response efforts

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Human Rights

    Military operations continue in Myanmar despite ceasefires declared after the recent earthquake that killed more than 3,600 people, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday. 

    “At a moment when the sole focus should be on ensuring humanitarian aid gets to disaster zones, the military is instead launching attacks,” spokesperson Ravini Shamdasani told journalists in Geneva.

    Since the 28 March disaster, military forces have reportedly carried out over 120 attacks, she said, and more than half occurred after a declared ceasefire was due to have gone into effect on 2 April.

    Devastated areas hit

    Most attacks involved aerial and artillery strikes, including in areas impacted by the quake. 

    “Numerous strikes have been reported in populated areas, with many appearing to amount to indiscriminate attacks and to breach the principle of proportionality in international humanitarian law,” she added.

    Myanmar was already facing political, humanitarian, human rights and economic crisis before the earthquake struck.  

    The miliary seized power from the democratically elected government in February 2021 and has been engaged in a brutal civil war with opposition militias.

    Aid obstacles, amnesty appeal

    Ms. Shamdasani said UN human rights chief Volker Türk is calling on the military to remove any and all obstacles to aid delivery and to cease military operations. 

    She noted that areas at the epicentre of the quake in Sagaing, particularly those controlled by opponents of the military, have had to rely on local community responses for search and rescue, and to meet basic needs.

    “As the traditionally festive season of Thingyan and the start of a new year begins on Sunday in Myanmar, we call for common efforts to assist those in greatest need,” she added.

    In this regard, OHCHR called on the military to announce a full amnesty for detainees it has incarcerated since February 2021, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint.

    ‘Perfect storm’ for disease

    Meanwhile, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is worried that the earthquake has created “a perfect storm for the emergence of infectious disease outbreaks.”

    Eric Ribaira, UNICEF Myanmar’s chief of health said that even before the disaster, the country faced outbreaks of vaccine preventable and communicable diseases such as measles, malaria, dengue and cholera.

    “The situation is so much more dangerous now for people, especially children, in these earthquake-affected areas,” he told UN News.

    Mr. Ribaira explained that earthquakes spark population displacement which can lead to overcrowded areas, such as temporary shelters, while water and sanitation systems are disrupted causing contaminated water supplies and poor hygiene conditions.

    Children may also get respiratory infections from dust and debris from collapsed buildings, he added.

    UNICEF is helping to provide clean drinking water and sanitation, as well as necessary supplies so that pregnant women can deliver safely. 

    “So far, we have reached about 700 pregnant and lactating women with newborn and clean delivery kits. And we plan to reach much, much more in the coming days,” said Mr. Ribaira.

    UNICEF and aid partners have also deployed general medical kits to cover approximately 250,000 people for the next three months, but he stressed that more support is critical.

    “The needs are huge, and we must do everything we can to prevent these outbreaks and ensure that women can deliver their babies safely and the general population has urgent medical support when they need it,” he said.

    UN mobilizing aid

    This week, the UN and partners launched a $275 million appeal as an addendum to a humanitarian plan to reach some 1.1 people in Myanmar.

    The earthquake has pushed two million people into reliance on aid. They join nearly 20 million others who already required humanitarian assistance.

    UN agencies, partners and Member States have rapidly mobilized aid, including medical care, shelter, safe water, hygiene kits, and food.

    To further strengthen efforts on the ground, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has allocated an additional $5 million for earthquake response, which follows an earlier disbursement of $5 million. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Goods Council addresses trade concerns and future work, elects new Chair

    Source: WTO

    Headline: Goods Council addresses trade concerns and future work, elects new Chair

    Trade concerns
    The CTG reviewed 35 specific trade concerns (STCs), four of which were raised at the Council for the first time. The new trade concerns were (in alphabetical order):
    European Union – Proposal for a Regulation on Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases (F-gas), Amending Directive
    India – Measures That May Have Unintended Results Equivalent to Quantitative Restrictions
    Philippines – Export Restrictions on Minerals in Their Raw Form
    United States – Reciprocal Tariffs and Other Tariff Measures
    On the first item, the United States and Japan raised concerns regarding the development and implementation of the EU regulation in question.
    On the second item, Thailand expressed concern regarding delays in the issuance of standard marks and import licenses in India for certain products, including wood-based boards and viscosity fibres.
    On the third item, Japan and the United Kingdom raised concerns regarding a bill in the Senate of the Philippines which they said would impose export restrictions on raw minerals.
    On the fourth item, China raised concerns regarding the recent tariff measures announced by the United States. China said that the tariffs ran counter to WTO rules and undermined the multilateral trading system, and it called upon all WTO members to stand together in safeguarding the rules-based system. Twenty members took the floor to comment. Many expressed concerns about the negative economic impact of the tariffs and their compatibility with WTO rules. Many also stressed the importance of resolving trade disputes through dialogue and cooperation within the WTO framework.
    The United States delivered a separate statement on its tariff duties announcements of 2 and 9 April under “other business”. It said that, on 2 April, US President Donald Trump had declared a national emergency under domestic law due to the extraordinary threat to US national and economic security arising from conditions reflected in large and persistent annual US goods trade deficits. The United States said it was not altering or abrogating its WTO tariff bindings or commitments, but rather was taking action it considered necessary for the protection of its essential security interests, and was maintaining the measure pursuant to the essential security exception in the WTO Agreement.
    China replied that it regretted that the US measures had introduced uncertainty into the global economy; there were no winners in the trade war, China said, adding that it was essential to resolve this issue within a cooperative framework. No other member took the floor.
    Trade concerns previously raised in the CTG have covered a wide range of measures relating to trade in goods across the WTO membership, including non-tariff barriers, environmental policies, import taxes, import/export restrictions, national security, halal certification, subsidy schemes, export controls, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, discriminatory domestic taxes, administrative procedures, and trade-disruptive and -restrictive measures.
    They have also encompassed a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, semi-conductors and semi-conductor-manufacturing equipment, and food products, as well as specific products, such as critical minerals, electric vehicles, electric batteries, liquors, air conditioners, apples and pears, cheese, pulses, cosmetics and tyres.
    The full agenda of the meeting is available here.
    Appointment of officers to the subsidiary bodies of the Council for Trade in Goods
    Regarding the election of chairs for the CTG’s 14 subsidiary bodies, the outgoing CTG Chair, Ambassador Clare Kelly of New Zealand, reported on the process and informed members that consultations would continue with a view to finding consensus. Once this was reached, the new Chair would reconvene the meeting to address this agenda item only.
    Future work of the Goods Council
    The Chair reported on the 25 February informal dedicated session on managing trade concern discussions, at which members further discussed ideas and proposals that had been put forward by delegations, as well as on the second informal session on digital tools used in the CTG and its subsidiary bodies, which was held on 7 April.
    The CTG then considered a draft Decision on the recording of the resolution of trade concerns. The Decision would allow for the recording of positive resolutions, based on the existing practices of the Committees on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT). Discussions will continue.
    Secretariat report on status of notifications
    The WTO Secretariat presented a new report on the status of regular/periodic and one-time only notifications in the goods area by members to the CTG. Transparency is a fundamental WTO principle, requiring members to notify various elements of their trade-related measures and policies to the WTO.
    The report reveals an overall submission rate of 77.2 per cent for covered notification requirements, with a higher compliance rate of 82.3 per cent for one-time notifications, and a lower rate of 68.9 per cent for regular/periodic notifications. Detailed submission rates for least-developed country (LDC) members were also provided.
    Several members took the floor to thank the Secretariat for the report and the analysis contained therein.
    Other issues
    The United States raised what it considered to be systemic concerns that the WTO Secretariat was not properly informing and consulting with members prior to undertaking certain activities that are relevant to members’ work in the CTG and its subsidiary bodies. The United States called for a collaborative effort among members to create formal guidance and ensure that the Secretariat remained member-driven, including seeking approval, where appropriate, before engaging in such activities.
    Nineteen members took the floor to comment. In the exchanges, many members reflected the value that they placed on the technical work of the Secretariat, with a shared concern for improving its transparency and communication with WTO members, while balancing the need for efficient Secretariat operations. Several members expressed concerns about any requirement that the Secretariat obtain member approval before undertaking knowledge activities.
    Replying on behalf of the WTO Secretariat, Deputy Director-General Angela Ellard highlighted the launch of a comprehensive transparency portal for members and ongoing efforts to keep them informed about Secretariat activities and to seek their views. The Secretariat remains committed to serving all members impartially and transparently, while continuously improving its services, based on member feedback, DDG Ellard added.
    Election of the Chair
    At the conclusion of the meeting, members elected Mr. Gustavo Nerio Lunazzi of Argentina as Chair of the Goods Council for the upcoming work year.
    The outgoing Chair, Ambassador Clare Kelly of New Zealand, noted that the Goods Council meeting had, as usual, taken place in room W of the WTO, the same room in which General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) negotiators forged the multilateral trading system that members know today, and in which the first important GATT meetings took place. Whenever delegates walk into this room, she said, they should remember that they are walking through history, and have a responsibility not only to preserve, but also to enhance and adapt the legacy of our predecessors to new challenges.

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    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy: Trump Is Dismantling Our Democracy. We Must Come Together And Act Before It’s Too Late.

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
    [embedded content]
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) spoke on the U.S. Senate floor to sound the alarm about Trump’s coordinated effort to dismantle the pillars of American democracy. Murphy warned attacks on journalists, universities, lawyers, and the business community are eroding the institutions that hold leaders accountable—paving the way for a fake democracy where elections still happen, but only one side ever wins.
    “Most of the time, there is not a singular moment when the executive dramatically seizes power,” Murphy said. “There’s not normally a brazen attempt to burn down the Parliament building. No, instead democracies die when gradually, often quietly and methodically over time, the structures that hold the executive accountable–for corruption, for thievery, for wrongdoing–are dismantled. Dismantled so that citizens can no longer hold the executive accountable. Dismantled so that the political opposition never has enough room to maneuver meaningfully. There are still elections. The executive doesn’t try to stuff the ballot box. Occasionally, at lower levels, the opposition still wins. But what happens is that those structures of accountability are either so degraded or so completely co-opted by the regime that the truth is just buried and the political opposition loses the basic tools that it needs to win.”
    Murphy warned authoritarian regimes begin by targeting the press—and that Trump is following the same playbook: “From Hungary to Belarus to Venezuela – countries that have elections but elections where one party just keeps on winning –  these are places journalists are subject to [a] non-stop harassment campaign from the regime, such that people just stop doing journalism, or journalists stop telling the full truth. Last month, for instance, the Turkish President Erdogan locked up 11 journalists simply for covering the protests against Erdogan’s jailing of the top opposition leaders. Now Trump has not started jailing journalists, but the pace of harassment in the first 60 days of his second term is alarming. He’s denied access to government buildings, including the White House, to journalists who don’t use pre-approved language from the White House. He is preferencing credentials to partisan journalists who simply parrot his party line. His FCC has begun to deliberately harass media companies that are owned by political opponents of the President.”
    Murphy underscored the chilling similarities between autocratic regimes’ attacks on universities and Trump’s own crackdown on higher education: “Universities, over the long history of democracy, have been the place where protest – especially youth protest – begins. They are a thorn in the side of leadership. The famous Tiananmen Square protests in China were, of course, started by university students. So it’s no surprise that if you want to crush democracy, you need to crush the independence of universities. That’s why Trump’s decision to target universities that permit criticism of President Trump is so bone-chilling. He pretends like he’s standing up to anti-Semitism on campuses, but what he’s really trying to do is make clear that protest against his policies on campuses will result in federal funding being cut off. Columbia University was forced to agree to a stunning list of free speech concessions in order to gain assurances from President Trump that their federal funding would continue. They had to agree to allow campus police to arrest protestors. They had to essentially agree to receivership – federal receivership – over an academic department that houses professors who are critical of Trump and his policies. Effectively, the President of the United States got to pick the person who will oversee the Columbia department on the Middle East, South Asian and African Studies as well as the Center for Palestine Studies. That is extraordinary. That’s not what happens in a healthy democracy–the leader of the country micromanaging academic departments at major universities to assure that academic work aligns with the regime.”
    Murphy also highlighted the striking parallels between Trump’s campaign against law firms and autocrats who silence legal opposition: “Maybe there’s not a lot of love for lawyers in this country, but lawyers are the ones that bring the lawsuits to stop the thievery and illegality. Lawyers are compelled, by their oath, to stand up for the Constitution. Putin arrested Nalvalny’s lawyers right on the eve of Navalny’s trial. In Venezuela, Maduro routinely harasses and detains lawyers – human rights lawyers – because he knows those are the ones that will hold him accountable. In Tunisia, the regime stormed the offices of the Bar Administration to intimidate the legal profession into silence. Here in America, Trump is engaged in a shameless campaign of extortion against any major law firm that has taken a position against Trump or Trump’s interests. What he is doing is extraordinary, and it is mind blowing to me that it is just being ignored by my Republican colleagues. He’s going firm by firm – and not to every firm, just to the firms that have represented Democrats or brought cases against him – and he’s telling them that if they don’t fall in line and stop doing work to oppose him, their clients will lose access to federal work. That is extortion.”
    He concluded: “If journalists are constantly looking over their shoulder and unable to report on the truth; if protest is suppressed, even moderately, at universities; if lawyers start giving cover, instead of uncovering corruption and illegality in the regime. If companies start being mouthpieces for the regime, as a price of doing business. If all that happens, then we are not a real democracy anymore. We are a fake democracy. Elections still happen– like in Turkey, like Hungary, like Venezuela – but the rules are going to be tilted and dissent will be suppressed so much that the same side – Trump’s side – wins over and over and over. And this should matter not just to Democrats – not just to members of the minority party – this should matter to Republicans as well. We swear an oath to uphold the constitution and it’s time for us to see the game that is being played…Only if we come together are we going to have a chance to save ourselves from the fate that has befallen so many other countries that have slowly, too quietly, seen their countries transition from real democracy to fake democracy.”
    A full transcript of his remarks can be found below:
    MURPHY: “Thank you, Mr. President. 
    “Mr. President, I was sitting with the CEO of one of America’s biggest and most influential companies last month, and I asked him a simple question: what could President Trump do that would be a bridge too far for you? What attack on democracy or the rule of law could Trump make that would cause you to speak up?
    “His answer was pretty simple and it was pretty confident. He said that if Trump were to ignore a Supreme Court ruling, that would cross the line. He was reflecting a familiar theme. That until President Trump thumbs his nose definitively at a court ruling, then his attacks on democracy are troubling, but not lethal. It’s normal politics up until that dramatic confrontation between the executive branch and the judicial branch for which the Constitution, as we know, really has no prescribed remedy.
    “And for many Americans, they might breathe a sigh of relief that America’s most influential private sector leaders would rise up to defend democracy if this confrontation that we worry about came to pass. Combined with a massive public mobilization, we could be saved.
    “But I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief. The opposite: I’m deeply worried that we have really spent little time studying the paths that democracies take when they collapse. Most of the time, there is not a singular moment when the executive dramatically seizes power. There’s not normally a brazen attempt to burn down the Parliament building. No, instead democracies die when gradually, often quietly and methodically over time, the structures that hold the executive accountable–for corruption, for thievery, for wrongdoing–are dismantled. Dismantled so that citizens can no longer hold the executive accountable. Dismantled so that the political opposition never has enough room to maneuver meaningfully. There are still elections. The executive doesn’t try to stuff the ballot box. Occasionally, at lower levels, the opposition still wins. But what happens is that those structures of accountability are either so degraded or so completely co-opted by the regime that the truth is just buried and the political opposition loses the basic tools that it needs to win.
    “In every democracy that stops being a democracy, then, there’s a familiar story. There are four institutions that the regime attacks, and attacks relentlessly, until those structures of accountability are so disintegrated that even though elections continue to happen, the same party or the same person wins power election after election And those four institutions are the press, the legal profession, universities, and the business community. If you degrade or co-opt these four institutions, you never need a high stakes fight with the top court in your country. You don’t need to burn the Reichstag down. You can still have elections. But only one party will win.
    “So that’s why this CEO’s ‘assurance’ frankly sent a chill down my spine. Because our democracy isn’t at risk of dying. It isdying. As we speak. We are watching it die.
    “It is not too late to save it. Let me say that again – it is not too late to save our democracy. But we can’t continue to close our eyes and think that our democracy can survive a coordinated assault on those four key institutions of accountability. Democrats and Republicans need to see what is happening before our eyes, rise up, and defend the independence of journalists, of lawyers, of universities, and of the private sector.
    “So I want to spend a minute or two to walk you through what President Trump is doing, and how it frankly–chillingly–mirrors the tactics other leaders have used to transition real democracy into pretend, fake democracy.
    “It always starts with journalists. From Hungary to Belarus to Venezuela – countries that have elections but elections where one party just keeps on winning –  these are places journalists are subject to [a] non-stop harassment campaign from the regime, such that people just stop doing journalism, or journalists stop telling the full truth. Last month, for instance, the Turkish President Erdogan locked up 11 journalists simply for covering the protests against Erdogan’s jailing of the top opposition leaders. 
    “Now Trump has not started jailing journalists, but the pace of harassment in the first 60 days of his second term is alarming. He’s denied access to government buildings, including the White House, to journalists who don’t use pre-approved language from the White House. He is preferencing credentials to partisan journalists who simply parrot his party line. His FCC has begun to deliberately harass media companies that are owned by political opponents of the President.
    “But Trump’s campaign to destroy independent journalism has a darker and more menacing side. Because Trump isn’t just trying to intimidate journalists so that they’ll be afraid to tell the truth. He’s also trying to destroy the concept of truth itself. And again, this is a key facet of leaders who are elected who are trying to transition democracies away and into something very different. How do you destroy truth? Well, that’s why the Secretary of Defense looks into the camera and tells the American public that the text messages that everybody read – filled with classified information and war plans – did not include classified information and war plans. The White House wants you to believe that 1+1 does not equal 2 any longer. That you should doubt even the clear things you see with [your] eyes. That nothing is real and nothing is true. That if you’re a supporter of the regime and I tell you that one plus one equals three, then one plus one equals three. Those weren’t war plans. Those weren’t classified documents.
    “That’s also why the official position of White House on key issues – like tariffs – changes every hour. Because if the ground truth just changes constantly, then there’s no truth at all. Journalists are made to look foolish by reporting a true thing at 9am that becomes untrue at 10am. Journalism loses its credibility when the facts being distributed by the White House change all the time. Trump says the tariffs are permanent. Journalists report, ‘the president says the tariffs are permanent.’ An hour later, Trump says, ‘I never said they were permanent. They’re not permanent. I’m cutting deals.’ They write that he’s cutting deals. An hour later, they’re suspended, no more tariffs. When the truth changes constantly, it’s hard to believe that there’s anything true any longer.
    “Second, universities are always – always – the target of would-be autocrats. Again, in Turkey, the government has terminated thousands of professors, just because they criticize the government. In Hungary, one of the nation’s most prestigious universities was forced to move out of the country because President Orban attacked it so ceaselessly for fomenting protest against his government.
    “Universities, over the long history of democracy, have been the place where protest – especially youth protest – begins. They are a thorn in the side of leadership. The famous Tiananmen Square protests in China were, of course, started by university students. So it’s no surprise that if you want to crush democracy, you need to crush the independence of universities. 
    “That’s why Trump’s decision to target universities that permit criticism of President Trump is so bone-chilling. He pretends like he’s standing up to anti-Semitism on campuses, but what he’s really trying to do is make clear that protest against his policies on campuses will result in federal funding being cut off. Columbia University was forced to agree to a stunning list of free speech concessions in order to gain assurances from President Trump that their federal funding would continue. They had to agree to allow campus police to arrest protestors. They had to essentially agree to receivership – federal receivership – over an academic department that houses professors who are critical of Trump and his policies. Effectively, the President of the United States got to pick the person who will oversee the Columbia department on the Middle East, South Asian and African Studies as well as the Center for Palestine Studies. That is extraordinary. That’s not what happens in a healthy democracy–the leader of the country micromanaging academic departments at major universities to assure that academic work aligns with the regime.
    “And now, having successfully forced Columbia to bend the knee and quell dissent on their campus, Trump is targeting other universities. Some of them will sign similar agreements, giving President Trump power over those campuses. But frankly, all Trump has to do is make an example of a handful of universities, and others will simply comply and obey in advance. Why, as an academic president, when you’ve got federal dollars that employ people at your university, would you permit a major protest against a Trump policy if you know that that’s going to jeopardize federal funds? Or maybe you allow it, because you don’t want to so brazenly stand in the way of free speech, but you just make sure that it’s not too big a protest, or it’s not too critical. You police speech to be on the right side of the regime. That is what happens in all of these fake democracies, and that is what’s happening here.
    “But controlling speech on campuses is not enough. Controlling and intimidating journalists is not enough. You’ve got to go after the lawyers too. Now maybe there’s not a lot of love for lawyers in this country, but lawyers are the ones that bring the lawsuits to stop the thievery and illegality. Lawyers are compelled, by their oath, to stand up for the Constitution. Putin arrested Nalvalny’s lawyers right on the eve of Navalny’s trial. In Venezuela, Maduro routinely harasses and detains lawyers – human rights lawyers – because he knows those are the ones that will hold him accountable. In Tunisia, the regime stormed the offices of the Bar Administration to intimidate the legal profession into silence.
    “Here in America, Trump is engaged in a shameless campaign of extortion against any major law firm that has taken a position against Trump or Trump’s interests. What he is doing is extraordinary, and it is mind blowing to me that it is just being ignored by my Republican colleagues. He’s going firm by firm – and not to every firm, just to the firms that have represented Democrats or brought cases against him – and he’s telling them that if they don’t fall in line and stop doing work to oppose him, their clients will lose access to federal work.
    “That is extortion. This body, Republicans and Democrats, should stand up against it. But it is working. Several law firms have signed deals with Trump that obligate them to support – guess what? Causes aligned with Donald Trump. Paul Weiss was targeted by an executive order and struck a deal. But so did Skadden – they struck a deal with Trump before they’d even been targeted. Already, collectively, these firms have pledged – think about this – about a quarter of a billion dollars of pro bono work to file cases in coordination with the President of the United States’s political interests. 
    “And just like what happened with universities, there’s a lot of extra compliance that’s happening. I know for a fact that firms that have already signed these agreements with Trump have gone above and beyond the terms of the agreements to quiet their criticism of the government. And no doubt, every single major law firm will think twice before bringing an action against an illegal or corrupt action of the President, in fear of Trump retaliating against their business. That’s the point. The point is to try to crush dissent. The point is to try to stand in the way of anybody who is going to hold Trump accountable by using the power – the official power granted to him by the people of the United States – to try to signal retaliation against anyone who dares oppose him.
    “But collective action–it can be a powerful tool. Together, the collective might of our universities and our law firms is significant. So they could choose to band together and decide to sign no agreements with Trump; to refuse to let the President of the United States dictate the terms of their speech, their business and their defense of the rule of law. 
    “And I don’t want to make the victim the perpetrator. This is all Trump’s fault, what he is doing to extort political loyalty from universities and law firms.  
    “But instead of their being collective action on behalf of these industries, the opposite is happening. In the legal profession, when Paul Weiss was targeted, the other big firms didn’t rise to their defense, they started making calls to Paul Weiss clients and lawyers, using Trump’s assault as a means to poach business or partners. That’s shameful, acting like ravenous vultures. Putting your profits first instead of your country’s interests or the interest of the legal profession, which pledges before a court to stand up for the rule of law. 
    “Instead, these big firms are aiding and abetting the destruction of the rule of law by doing Trump’s work for him, making targeted firms even more vulnerable by working behind the scenes to strip them bare for parts. There are good, patriotic lawyers at many of these high-priced firms who know this is wrong, and they should speak up. Some of them already have. 
    “And now, finally, Trump is coming for the rest of the private sector. Listen, I have no idea what the Trump tariff policy is. The constantly shifting positions of the last week are an embarrassment. It’s complete incompetent malpractice that has jeopardized jobs and retirement savings and college funds all across this country. 
    “But the tariffs are complicated and convoluted and hard to understand likely because they aren’t actually economic or trade policy. They are a political tool– this one designed to force every major company to come before Trump to plead for tariff relief in exchange for giving Trump the company’s political loyalty, no different than what’s happening in the legal progression or in America’s universities.  A tariff can be written very easily to favor one industry over another, or one company over another, and the confusing nature of the tariff regime is a means for Trump to require every major company in the country to come on bended knee to him to get the relief they need.
    “And that loyalty pledge could be anything – the purchase of Trump crypto coin, public support for Trump’s economic policies, donations to his political campaign. But having watched what Trump has done, one by one, to universities and law firms, why would we assume the tariffs aren’t just simply a tool to do the same thing to big companies?
    So what I’m trying to say here is that you don’t need a Battle Royale between the President and the Supreme Court for democracy to die. If journalists are constantly looking over their shoulder and unable to report on the truth; if protest is suppressed, even moderately, at universities; if lawyers start giving cover, instead of uncovering corruption and illegality in the regime. If companies start being mouthpieces for the regime, as a price of doing business. If all that happens, then we are not a real democracy anymore. We are a fake democracy. Elections still happen– like in Turkey, like Hungary, like Venezuela – but the rules are going to be tilted and dissent will be suppressed so much that the same side – Trump’s side – wins over and over and over. 
    “And this should matter not just to Democrats–not just to members of the minority party–this should matter to Republicans as well. We swear an oath to uphold the constitution and it’s time for us to see the game that is being played.
    “The good news is that the rules have NOT been fully rigged yet. There is still time – not loads of it – but there’s still time for this body to set a tone that causes the kind of massive public outrage necessary to stop this campaign of destruction in its tracks.
    “But that requires those of us who believe that the threat to democracy is urgent to act like it. That means saying to our Republican colleagues that we’re not going to act like business as usual. That we’re not going to proceed to legislation unless we have agreement – Republicans and Democrats –  to stop this assault on free speech and dissent. It requires the minority party to say that right now. Only if we come together are we going to have a chance to save ourselves from the fate that has befallen so many other countries that have slowly, too quietly, seen their countries transition from real democracy to fake democracy. 
    “I yield the floor.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Mike Levin Reintroduces Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Lagoons, Estuaries, and Enhance Coastal Communities

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

    April 11, 2025

    Washington, D.C.- Today, U.S. Representatives Mike Levin (CA-49), Brian Mast (FL-21), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1), and Jen Kiggans (VA-2) reintroduced the bipartisan Resilient Coasts and Estuaries Act, which would revitalize federal efforts to strengthen and protect lagoons and estuaries. This bill would reauthorize and enhance the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP) and require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to work toward designating five new National Estuarine Research Reserves and to enhance the Reserve System.

    Congress established the CELCP to provide grants to state and local governments to protect coastal and estuarine areas deemed to have conservation, recreation, ecological, historical, or aesthetic value. This program supports locally driven efforts to protect coastal and estuarine lands for conservation, research, and recreation. CELCP’s authorization expired in fiscal year 2013 and other federal funding mechanisms ran out in 2017.

    The Resilient Coasts and Estuaries Act would revive funding for CELCP at $60 million per year and expand the eligibility for program to include nongovernmental organizations. The bill would prioritize funding for projects in communities that lack resources for coastal hazards, areas threatened by climate change, and areas that might help mitigate the effects of environmental changes through blue carbon storage.

    The Resilient Coasts and Estuaries Act would also support and expand the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS), which the Tijuana River Estuarine Research Reserve is a part of. The NERRS is a network of 30 coastal sites covering 1.4 million acres designated to protect and study estuarine systems. The Reserves specialize in research and data monitoring to support conservation and management efforts locally and around the country.

    “As the proud representative of a coastal community, I know the critical role lagoons and estuaries play in safeguarding against environmental hazards and enhancing our local economy,” said Rep. Levin. “This bill restores a common-sense measure to protect coastal and estuary habitats. As we continue to find creative solutions to combat coastal erosion and rising sea levels, and protect our environment, I’m eager to work with my colleagues on this bipartisan bill to advance this priority for our communities.”

    “Healthy estuaries are important to thriving coastal communities and a robust economy,” said Rep. Bonamici. “This bipartisan effort to conserve and rehabilitate these vital ecosystems will improve resilience along our country’s waterways and coasts, and I thank my co-sponsors for their support.”

    “Coastal Virginia is blessed to be home to a large network of estuaries and other wetlands that act as critical barriers against hurricanes, tropical storms, and other natural disasters,” said Congresswoman Kiggans. “Through this important legislation, we can provide state and local governments the resources they need ensure these lands in southeast Virginia and around the country are protected. I’m proud to join my colleagues on this bipartisan effort to preserve our wetlands and support our coastal communities!”

    “Estuaries are an essential part of our community. The problems facing the Indian River Lagoon, Caloosahatchee, St. Lucie, and Lake Worth Lagoon have shown repeatedly that our work to protect and restore our waterways is not over,” said Rep. Brian Mast. “I’m proud to support the bipartisan Resilient Coasts and Estuaries Act to reauthorize a successful program that allows us to better safeguard our coastal environments for future generations to come.”

    “With over 80 percent of America’s population living in coastal states, millions of hunters and anglers rely on coastal habitats to support recreational passions and economies. The Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program and the National Estuarine Research Reserve System have provided vital state and local stewardship for these habitats, safeguarding at-risk ecosystems and promoting public access for all. The TRCP is proud to support the bipartisan Resilient Coasts and Estuaries Act, and we commend Reps. Levin, Mast, Bonamici, and Kiggans for working to reauthorize common-sense conservation funding,” said Joel Pedersen, President and CEO, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

    “Surfrider applauds Representative Levin and the introduction of this bill to establish a Coastal and Estuarine Resilience and Restoration Program. For too long our shorelines and coastal wetlands have been overlooked as critical natural defenses against climate change. This bill will help bolster the resilience of vulnerable coastal ecosystems and communities from the impacts of sea level rise and climate change while protecting the rich habitats and wildlife that they support,” said Zach Plopper, Sr, Environmental Director, Surfrider Foundation

    “We welcome the reintroduction of the Resilient Coasts and Estuaries Act which reauthorizes critical programs that will increase conservation of coastal land, improve estuarine data and research, and provide more public access and recreational opportunities in an era of massive coastal change. By balancing the protection, conservation, responsible use, and sustainable economic development of America’s coasts and ensuring every state can manage its own coastal zone, coastal communities and habitats can thrive into the future.” said Derek Brockbank, Executive Director of Coastal States Organization.

    “Thank you to Representatives Levin, Mast, Bonamici and Kiggans for their leadership; they know that as the challenges facing our coasts intensify, we need strong, effective programs that protect people, places, and economies,” said Rebecca Roth, director of the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association (NERRA). “The National Estuarine Research Reserve System and the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program are time tested initiatives that consistently meet coastal community needs with training, science, data, education, land protection and more. Reauthorization of these programs will ensure they remain a cornerstone of our national policy, a value added for states, and a direct benefit to local communities and economies for generations to come.”

    “Healthy estuaries support our coastal communities and serve as nurseries and feeding grounds for birds, fish, and other wildlife,” said Romaric Moncrieffe, marine conservation policy manager at the National Audubon Society. “The Resilient Coasts and Estuaries Act will fund the essential federal programs that protect coastal habitats from threats like sea-level rise, flooding, and erosion.”

    The bill would provide support for several estuary habitats in the 49th District and Southern California, including the San Mateo Lagoon, San Luis Rey River, and San Elijo Lagoon. Additionally, the bill would provide support to the Tijuana River Estuarine Research Reserve, which supports ecosystem management and the cleanup of the Tijuana River Valley.

    The Resilient Coasts and Estuaries Act is endorsed by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Coastal States Organization, National Estuarine Research Reserve Association, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Surfrider Foundation, Oceana, National Audubon Society, American Sportsfishing Association, National Wildlife Federation, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, American Fly Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA), American Shore & Beach Preservation Association, Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.), American Fisheries Society, North American Falconers Association, International Game Fish Association, Land Trust Alliance, Wild Salmon Center, and Angler Action Foundation.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Apollo 13 Launch: 55 Years Ago

    Source: NASA

    NASA astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert launch aboard the Apollo 13 spacecraft from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 11, 1970. The mission seemed to be going smoothly until 55 hours and 55 minutes in when an oxygen tank ruptured. The new mission plan involved abandoning the Moon landing, looping around the Moon and getting the crew home safely as quickly as possible. The crew needed to go into “lifeboat mode,” using the lunar module Aquarius to save the spacecraft and crew. On April 17, the crew returned to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near Samoa.
    Image credit: NASA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Joins Multistate Coalition in Opposing Tennessee Anti-Abortion Law

    Source: US State of California

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in support of a challenge to Tennessee’s “abortion trafficking” law, which threatens to punish medical providers and residents alike for providing information or assistance to certain patients within Tennessee seeking to access lawful abortion care outside of Tennessee. In the brief, filed in Welty v. Dunaway, the coalition writes in support of plaintiffs-appellees, arguing that the law will chill the free flow of information and threaten access to safe and effective abortion care within their borders.  

    “Tennessee’s abortion laws are among the most restrictive in the nation. There are no exceptions for victims of rape or incest, despite the overwhelming support for those exceptions among Democrats and Republicans alike,” said Attorney General Bonta. “My fellow attorneys general and I are supporting the challenge to Tennessee’s so-called ‘abortion trafficking’ law because we have a sovereign interest in protecting access to safe and legal abortion care within our borders and preserving the free flow of information about that care. We will not be bullied by Tennessee or any other state.”

    Tennessee’s law, which took effect on July 1, 2024, purports to impose criminal and civil penalties on anyone who “recruits” a minor for the purpose of procuring an abortion, obtaining abortion medication, or concealing an abortion from the minor’s parents or legal guardian — even if the abortion at issue is accessed legally out of state. The plaintiffs-appellees in Welty v. Dunaway successfully obtained a preliminary injunction from a federal district court, blocking enforcement of this provision. Tennessee appealed and the case is now pending in the Sixth Circuit. 

    In their amicus brief, the attorneys general urge the Sixth Circuit to affirm the lower court’s injunction, writing that: 

    • Their States have chosen to preserve access to abortion care within their borders by enacting statutes that protect abortion access and by amending their constitutions to expressly guarantee the right to access abortion care. California’s Constitution, for example, explains that “[t]he state shall not deny or interfere with an individual’s reproductive freedom in their most intimate decisions, which includes their fundamental right to choose to have an abortion.”
    • Their States have received a surge of out-of-state patients, including patients from Tennessee, seeking reproductive care that they cannot access in their home states. Indeed, interstate travel for abortion care in the United States has nearly doubled since 2020.  
    • In light of the prohibitions on abortion care in Tennessee and other States, more and more individuals are turning to organizations, helplines, abortion funds, and other forms of assistance to secure abortion care. But these trusted individuals and organizations may choose to significantly limit their communications, or even to not speak at all, when threatened with harsh civil and criminal liability under laws like Tennessee’s. 
    • If medical providers and other residents of their States are not able to counsel individuals within Tennessee about their ability to obtain legal abortion care, those individuals — and especially minors — will face increased barriers to accessing safe care. This can result in delays in patients’ ability to access care, leading to increased health risks, lifelong complications, and death.  
    • By hampering the flow of information about lawful abortion care, Tennessee’s law increases the risks associated with such care, thus impairing their States’ commitment to ensuring safe and effective abortion care is available within their own borders. The U.S. Supreme Court has long recognized that a State has no authority to prevent its residents from accessing abortion care in other States where it is legal — much less from accessing and sharing information about such care.

    Attorney General Bonta has joined two multistate amicus briefs challenging a similar Idaho law in Matsumoto v. Labrador when that case was before the district court in 2023 and the Ninth Circuit in 2024.

    In filing today’s amicus brief, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

    A copy of the amicus brief can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: In trade war with the US, China holds a lot more cards than Trump may think − in fact, it might have a winning hand

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Linggong Kong, Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science, Auburn University

    When Donald Trump pulled back on his plan to impose eye-watering tariffs on trading partners across the world, there was one key exception: China.

    While the rest of the world would be given a 90-day reprieve on additional duties beyond the new 10% tariffs on all U.S. trade partners, China would feel the squeeze even more. On April 9, 2025, Trump raised the tariff on Chinese goods to 125%.

    The move, in Trump’s telling, was prompted by Beijing’s “lack of respect for global markets.” But the U.S. president may well have been smarting from Beijing’s apparent willingness to confront U.S. tariffs head on.

    While many countries opted not to retaliate against Trump’s now-delayed reciprocal tariff hikes, instead favoring negotiation and dialogue, Beijing took a different tack. It responded with swift and firm countermeasures. On April 11, China dismissed Trump’s moves as a “joke” and raised its own tariff against the U.S. to 125%.

    The two economies are now locked in an all-out, high-intensity trade standoff. And China is showing no signs of backing down.

    And as an expert on U.S.-China relations, I wouldn’t expect China to. Unlike the first U.S.-China trade war during Trump’s initial term, when Beijing eagerly sought to negotiate with the U.S., China now holds far more leverage.

    Indeed, Beijing believes it can inflict at least as much damage on the U.S. as vice versa, while at the same time expanding its global position.

    A changed calculus for China

    There’s no doubt that the consequences of tariffs are severe for China’s export-oriented manufacturers – especially those in the coastal regions producing furniture, clothing, toys and home appliances for American consumers.

    Amid tariffs, China’s President Xi Jinping senses a historic opportunity.
    Carlos Barria/AFP via Getty Images

    But since Trump first launched a tariff increase on China in 2018, a number of underlying economic factors have significantly shifted Beijing’s calculus.

    Crucially, the importance of the U.S. market to China’s export-driven economy has declined significantly. In 2018, at the start of the first trade war, U.S.-bound exports accounted for 19.8% of China’s total exports. In 2023, that figure had fallen to 12.8%. The tariffs may further prompt China to accelerate its “domestic demand expansion” strategy, unleashing the spending power of its consumers and strengthening its domestic economy.

    And while China entered the 2018 trade war in a phase of strong economic growth, the current situation is quite different. Sluggish real estate markets, capital flight and Western “decoupling” have pushed the Chinese economy into a period of persistent slowdown.

    Perhaps counterintuitively, this prolonged downturn may have made the Chinese economy more resilient to shocks. It has pushed businesses and policymakers to come to factor in the existing harsh economic realities, even before the impact of Trump’s tariffs.

    Trump’s tariff policy against China may also allow Beijing a useful external scapegoat, allowing it to rally public sentiment and shift blame for the economic slowdown onto U.S. aggression.

    China also understands that the U.S. cannot easily replace its dependency on Chinese goods, particularly through its supply chains. While direct U.S. imports from China have decreased, many goods now imported from third countries still rely on Chinese-made components or raw materials.

    By 2022, the U.S. relied on China for 532 key product categories – nearly four times the level in 2000 – while China’s reliance on U.S. products was cut by half in the same period.

    There’s a related public opinion calculation: Rising tariffs are expected to drive up prices, something that could stir discontent among American consumers, particularly blue-collar voters. Indeed, Beijing believes Trump’s tariffs risk pushing the previously strong U.S. economy toward a recession.

    U.S. President Donald Trump looks at Chinese President Xi Jinping during the plenary session at the G20 Summit on July 7, 2017, in Hamburg, Germany.
    Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

    Potent tools for retaliation

    Alongside the changed economic environments, China also holds a number of strategic tools for retaliation against the U.S.

    It dominates the global rare earth supply chain – critical to military and high-tech industries – supplying roughly 72% of U.S. rare earth imports, by some estimates. On March 4, China placed 15 American entities on its export control list, followed by another 12 on April 9. Many were U.S. defense contractors or high-tech firms reliant on rare earth elements for their products.

    China also retains the ability to target key U.S. agricultural export sectors such as poultry and soybeans – industries heavily dependent on Chinese demand and concentrated in Republican-leaning states. China accounts for about half of U.S. soybean exports and nearly 10% of American poultry exports. On March 4, Beijing revoked import approvals for three major U.S. soybean exporters.

    And on the tech side, many U.S. companies – such as Apple and Tesla – remain deeply tied to Chinese manufacturing. Tariffs threaten to shrink their profit margins significantly, something Beijing believes can be used as a source of leverage against the Trump administration. Already, Beijing is reportedly planning to strike back through regulatory pressure on U.S. companies operating in China.

    Meanwhile, the fact that Elon Musk, a senior Trump insider who has clashed with U.S. trade adviser Peter Navarro against tariffs, has major business interests in China is a particularly strong wedge that Beijing could yet exploit in an attempt to divide the Trump administration.

    Chinese and U.S. flags fly at a booth during the first China International Import Expo on Nov. 6, 2018, in Shanghai.
    Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images

    A strategic opening for China?

    While Beijing thinks it can weather Trump’s sweeping tariffs on a bilateral basis, it also believes the U.S. broadside against its own trading partners has created a generational strategic opportunity to displace American hegemony.

    Close to home, this shift could significantly reshape the geopolitical landscape of East Asia. Already on March 30 – after Trump had first raised tariffs on Beijing – China, Japan and South Korea hosted their first economic dialogue in five years and pledged to advance a trilateral free trade agreement. The move was particularly remarkable given how carefully the U.S. had worked to cultivate its Japanese and South Korean allies during the Biden administration as part of its strategy to counter Chinese regional influence. From Beijing’s perspective, Trump’s actions offer an opportunity to directly erode U.S. sway in the Indo-Pacific.

    Could China’s dragon economy slay Trump’s tariffs?
    Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images

    Similarly, Trump’s steep tariffs on Southeast Asian countries, which were also a major strategic regional priority during the Biden administration, may push those nations closer to China. Chinese state media announced on April 11 that President Xi Jinping will pay state visits to Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia from April 14-18, aiming to deepen “all-round cooperation” with neighboring countries. Notably, all three Southeast Asian nations were targeted with now-paused reciprocal tariffs by the Trump administration – 49% on Cambodian goods, 46% on Vietnamese exports and 24% on products from Malaysia.

    Farther away from China lies an even more promising strategic opportunity. Trump’s tariff strategy has already prompted China and officials from the European Union to contemplate strengthening their own previously strained trade ties, something that could weaken the transatlantic alliance that had sought to decouple from China.

    On April 8, the president of the European Commission held a call with China’s premier, during which both sides jointly condemned U.S. trade protectionism and advocated for free and open trade. Coincidentally, on April 9, the day China raised tariffs on U.S. goods to 84%, the EU also announced its first wave of retaliatory measures – imposing a 25% tariff on selected U.S. imports worth over €20 billion – but delayed implementation following Trump’s 90-day pause.

    Now, EU and Chinese officials are holding talks over existing trade barriers and considering a full-fledged summit in China in July.

    Finally, China sees in Trump’s tariff policy a potential weakening of the international standing of the U.S. dollar. Widespread tariffs imposed on multiple countries have shaken investor confidence in the U.S. economy, contributing to a decline in the dollar’s value.

    Traditionally, the dollar and U.S. Treasury bonds have been viewed as haven assets, but recent market turmoil has cast doubt on that status. At the same time, steep tariffs have raised concerns about the health of the U.S. economy and the sustainability of its debt, undermining trust in both the dollar and U.S. Treasurys.

    While Trump’s tariffs will inevitably hurt parts of the Chinese economy, Beijing appears to have far more cards to play this time around. It has the tools to inflict meaningful damage on U.S. interests – and perhaps more importantly, Trump’s all-out tariff war is providing China with a rare and unprecedented strategic opportunity.

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

    – ref. In trade war with the US, China holds a lot more cards than Trump may think − in fact, it might have a winning hand – https://theconversation.com/in-trade-war-with-the-us-china-holds-a-lot-more-cards-than-trump-may-think-in-fact-it-might-have-a-winning-hand-254173

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Myanmar, Occupied Palestinian Territory & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (11 April 2025)

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

    Highlights:
    People of African Descent
    Myanmar
    Occupied Palestinian Territory
    Syria
    Sudan
    Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Gabon
    Colombia
    International Maritime Organization
    Passover
    International Day of Human Space Flight
    Financial Contributions

    PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT
    On Monday at 10 am, the 4th session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent that will kick off here at Headquarters under the theme “Africa and people of African descent: United for reparatory justice in the age of Artificial Intelligence”. We will have the Chef de Cabinet, Courtenay Rattray will deliver the Secretary-General’s remarks.
    Over one thousand participants have registered to attend the session which will continue until Thursday next week. There will be discussions on reparatory justice for Africa and people of African descent; human rights of women and girls of African descent; policymaking and systemic racism; digital justice, as well as on the bicentennial of the “Haitian independence debt.” Side events and cultural performances are also planned.
    A report on the Forum will be presented both to the Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly later this year. As usual, the meetings will all be broadcast on the UN webcast platform.

    MYANMAR
    In Myanmar – and just two weeks after the country was hit by two earthquakes, we and our partners have launched a $275 million appeal, which is an addendum to the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan to reach 1.1 million people with urgent aid and assistance.
    The earthquakes have pushed 2 million human beings into critical need of assistance and protection – that’s in addition to the 19.9 million people who were estimated to need humanitarian aid prior to this disaster.
    UN agencies, partners and Member States, have rapidly mobilized aid – including medical care, shelter, safe water, hygiene kits, and food.
    To further strengthen efforts on the ground, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund has allocated an additional $5 million for the earthquake response, on top of the $5 million already provided a few weeks ago.
    And the UN Human Rights Office today said civilians are continuing to suffer as military operations persist, despite ceasefires declared after last month’s tragic earthquake.
    At a moment when the sole focus should be on ensuring humanitarian aid gets to disaster zones, the military is instead launching attacks, that was what our human rights colleagues said. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called on the military to remove any and all obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian assistance and to of course cease military operations.

    OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
    Moving to the situation in Gaza, our humanitarian colleagues tells us that earlier today, Israeli authorities issued two new displacement orders covering vast areas in northern and southern Gaza. Together, these areas span more than 24 square kilometres – roughly the size of everything south of Central Park here in Manhattan.
    Several medical facilities and storage sites containing critical supplies are located within the newly designated displacement zones. And OCHA warns that this could have life-threatening consequences for people in urgent need of care.
    With this latest development, OCHA reports that more than two thirds of the Gaza Strip is either under active displacement orders or designated as “no-go” zones – that’s areas where humanitarian teams are required to coordinate their movements with Israeli authorities.
    This leaves Palestinians with less than a third of Gaza’s area to live in – and that remaining space is fragmented, it’s unsafe and it’s barely livable following 18 months of hostilities, which are ongoing. Overcrowded shelters which are in terrible conditions, service providers are struggling to operate, and resources are being depleted.
    The UN Human Rights Office today said that the nature and scope of the Israeli evacuation orders in Gaza raise serious concerns that Israel intends permanently to remove the civilian population from these areas in order to create a “buffer zone.”
    OCHA reminds us that today marks 40 days since Israeli authorities imposed a full closure on the entry of cargo into Gaza. Since then, no one – including we and our humanitarian partners – have been permitted to bring in supplies, regardless of how critically needed those items may be.
    Everything is running extremely low: Bakeries have shut down, life-saving medicines have run out, and water production has been drastically reduced.
    Israel, as the occupying power, as the Secretary-General said earlier this week, has clear obligations under international law, and these include ensuring food, medical care and public health services are available.

    Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=11%20April%202025

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQlHmFk0Euc

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: KEEL LAYING OF THIRD NEXT GENERATION OFFSHORE PATROL VESSEL (YARD 3039)

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 8:27PM by PIB Delhi

    Keel Laying ceremony of Yard 3039, the third Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (ex-GRSE) was held at GRSE Ltd, Kolkata on 11 Apr 25 with Shri Sugata Ghosh Dastidar, IDAS, Financial Advisor (Defence Services) as the Chief Guest. Cmde P R Hari (Retd), Chairman & Managing Director, GRSE and other senior officials from the Indian Navy and the Shipyard were present for the event.

    The contracts for indigenous design and construction of eleven NGOPVs were concluded on 30 Mar 23 with Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL), Goa and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, with seven ships to be constructed by Lead Shipyard GSL and four ships by Follow Shipyard GRSE.

    The NGOPVs, with an approximate tonnage of 3000T, are designed for Coastal Defence & Surveillance, Search and Rescue operations, Protection of Offshore Assets and Anti-Piracy missions. Keel Laying of these vessels marks a significant milestone in the overall project timeline. The eleven NGOPVs are being built in consonance with the nation’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India and are poised to augment the Indian Naval maritime prowess.

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Auction for Sale (re-issue) of (i) ‘6.79% GS 2031’, (ii) ‘6.98% GOI SGrB 2054’ and (iii) ‘7.09% GS 2074’

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 8:38PM by PIB Delhi

    The Government of India (GoI) has announced the sale (re-issue) of (i) “6.79% Government Security 2031” for a notified amount of ₹11,000 crore (nominal) through price based auction using multiple price method, (ii) “6.98% GOI SGrB 2054” for a notified amount of ₹5,000 crore (nominal) through price based auction using multiple price method and (iii) “7.09% Government Security 2074” for a notified amount of ₹14,000 crore (nominal) through price based auction using multiple price method. GoI will have the option to retain additional subscription up to ₹2,000 crore against each security mentioned above. The auctions will be conducted by the Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai Office, Fort, Mumbai on April 17, 2025 (Thursday).

    Up to 5% of the notified amount of the sale of the securities will be allotted to eligible individuals and institutions as per the Scheme for Non-Competitive Bidding Facility in the Auction of Government Securities.

    Both competitive and non-competitive bids for the auction should be submitted in electronic format on the Reserve Bank of India Core Banking Solution (E-Kuber system) on April 17, 2025. The non-competitive bids should be submitted between 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. and the competitive bids should be submitted between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

    The result of the auctions will be announced on April 17, 2025 (Thursday) and payment by successful bidders will be on April 21, 2025 (Monday).    

    The Securities will be eligible for “When Issued” trading in accordance with the guidelines on ‘When Issued transactions in Central Government Securities’ issued by the Reserve Bank of India vide circular No. RBI/2018-19/25 dated July 24, 2018 as amended from time to time.

     

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister of State for Finance Shri Pankaj Chaudhary inaugurates 16 toilets and drinking water facilities under supervision of Varanasi Commissionerate of the Lucknow CGST Zone

    Source: Government of India

    Union Minister of State for Finance Shri Pankaj Chaudhary inaugurates 16 toilets and drinking water facilities under supervision of Varanasi Commissionerate of the Lucknow CGST Zone

    Government of India committed to gender-sensitive sanitation, education, and vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047: MoS Shri Pankaj Chaudhary

    Modern sanitation and safe drinking water would enhance attendance and instil confidence among girl students towards women empowerment: CBIC Member Shri Surjit Bhujbal

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 8:37PM by PIB Delhi

    Under the Cleanliness Mission of the Government of India, Union Minister of State for Finance Shri Pankaj Chaudhary inaugurated 16 toilets and drinking water facilities — 3 in Government Girls Inter College and 13 across Kasturba Gandhi Vidyalayas — in Maharajganj district, today.

     

     

    The project was executed under the overall supervision of the Varanasi Commissionerate of the Lucknow CGST Zone, with help from the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and the Central Public Works Department (CPWD). The project began in FY 2022-23 and was completed in March 2025, benefiting over 5,000 girl students from remote rural areas.

    The facilities located at the different remote locations of the district were formally inaugurated and handed over to the beneficiary schools today by Shri Chaudhary, in presence of Shri Surjit Bhujbal, Member, CBIC; Shri P.K. Katiyar, Chief Commissioner Lucknow Zone; and Shri Vinish Chaudhary, CGST Commissioner Varanasi.

     

     

    In his address on this occasion, Shri Chaudhary emphasised the Government of India’s unwavering commitment to gender-sensitive sanitation, education, and the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047. Shri Chaudhary underlined the role of Swachchta in building a clean, inclusive, and empowered India.

     

     

    In his address on at the occasion, Shri Bhujbal said that the availability of modern sanitation and safe drinking water would not only enhance attendance and confidence among girl students but would also stand as a meaningful step towards women empowerment.

     

     

    Commending the CPWD for their exceptional coordination and commitment, Shri Bhujbal said CPWD beat the administrative, logistical and geographical challenges to ensure timely project delivery, and shared that the project was efficiently completed within the allocated budget and resulted in a noticeable cost savings.

    The CBIC, in its continued commitment to the Swachh Bharat Mission, has successfully undertaken 3,062 Swachchta projects over the past six years, with a vision to support a defecation-free and cleaner India. In FY 2023-24, CBIC completed 197 projects out of the 40.39 crore allocated budget, utilising Rs. 36.70 crore towards key initiatives such as record digitisation, construction of Divyang-friendly toilets, and creation of workplace facilities like creches.

     

    CBIC also actively contributes to a cleaner and greener society through plantation drives, public art, and park renovations. Under initiatives like Swachchta Hi Sewa and Swachchta Pakhwada, workshops have been conducted, e-office adoption has increased, and efforts towards effective records management and disposal of obsolete stock have been accelerated.

    These initiatives reaffirm CBIC’s commitment to the national vision of Swachh Bharat and sustainable development.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting signs a MoU with Government of Maharashtra to establish Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) in Mumbai

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 6:08PM by PIB Mumbai

     

     Mumbai, April 11, 2025

    The Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Maharashtra, Maharashtra Film, Stage & Cultural Development Corporation Ltd. (MFSCDCL) and the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) for the establishment of a world-class institute dedicated to the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) sector i.e. Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) in Mumbai.

    The MoU was signed between Chief Secretary of Government of Maharashtra Ms. Sujata Saunik and Secretary, Information and Broadcasting Sh. Sanjay Jaju and was exchanged in the presence of the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Sh. Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting   Sh. Ashwini Vaishnaw today.

    Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis stated that Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) in Mumbai — a first-of-its-kind institute will focus on nurturing talent and innovation in creative industries.

    IICT will be located at the Dadasaheb Phalke Film City, Goregaon, and shall serve as a centre of excellence for education, research, innovation, and skill development in the AVGC-XR domain recognizing the importance of fostering the growth and development of this sector in the country and envisioning India to become one of the top global players in this field. Union Minister Shri Vaishnaw stated that the first Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), established in Mumbai—the capital of the creative economy and entertainment sector—will serve as a catalyst for the city’s entertainment industry, facilitating its global expansion.

    The IICT has already been set up as a not-for-profit Section 8 company with equity participation from Government of India (48%), Government of Maharashtra (through MFSCDCL) (14%), and leading industry bodies – Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), holding 26% each.

    Government of India has already provided an initial one-time budgetary grant of ₹391.15 crore for infrastructure development and initial operations. The IICT shall operate in a self-sustaining mode thereafter. The institute shall also benefit from a 10-acre land parcel leased by MFSCDCL for 30 years at Dadasaheb Phalke Film City, symbolizing a significant step forward in building a digital media and creative technology ecosystem.

    Key highlights of the MoU include:

    1. Establishment of an AVGC-XR centre with a strategic focus on education, skilling, industry development, and research & innovation.
    2. Formation of a Governing Council and Board of Directors with representatives from Government and Industry.
    3. Development of specialized councils on Academia, Skilling, Industry Development, and R&D to ensure sectoral alignment and global competitiveness.
    4. Commitment to fostering public-private collaboration and attracting international partnerships.

     

    IICT will be a world-class premium institute for the media and entertainment sector similar to the IITs and IIMs for technology and management. A temporary campus of IICT is being set up at the NFDC premises in Mumbai and will start operation soon. By producing a consistent flow of highly skilled content creators, the IICT will firmly establish India’s standing as a leading global centre for the creative economy

    The MoU marks a significant milestone under the Government’s efforts to boost the digital economy, empower creative professionals, and generate high-value employment in emerging sectors.

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    Sayyid Rabeehashmi/Sriyanka Chatterjee/Parshuram

     

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal delivers Keynote Address at 9th Global Technology Summit

    Source: Government of India

    Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal delivers Keynote Address at 9th Global Technology Summit

    India offers unparalleled trade and investment opportunities: Shri Goyal

    India’s decision not to join RCEP has been vindicated by recent developments: Shri Goyal

    India will always work within the WTO framework, but WTO reforms are essential: Shri Goyal

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 7:52PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal delivered the Keynote Address at the 9th Global Technology Summit today in New Delhi, where he highlighted the opportunities that lie ahead for India in reshaping global trade, especially with trusted partners such as the United States.

    Calling India the fastest-growing large economy in the world, Shri Goyal said, “There is a delta of opportunity that India offers. In the next two to two-and-a-half decades, India will grow eight times, supported by the aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians. This creates a massive domestic demand and offers the benefits of scale that are being recognised globally.”

    Shri Goyal shared that in the last two years alone, at least eight high-level delegations have visited India, signalling the world’s growing interest in forging stronger trade relationships with the country.

    The Minister underscored that India’s current tariff protection measures are directed mainly at non-market economies that engage in unfair trade practices. “India is well-positioned to engage in bilateral partnerships with countries that value reciprocity, trust, and fair play,” he stated.

    Refuting concerns about external pressure on India’s trade decisions, Shri Goyal said, “There is no pressure. India being in a position of such opportunity is in itself very exciting. While our exports today form a relatively small share of our GDP, our strong domestic market and aspirational youth are ready to take Indian industry global.”

    On China, Shri Goyal affirmed, “India will always put its interests first. As of now, there is little FDI from China, and historically too, Chinese investments have been minimal. Our efforts are focused on integrating with developed economies that adhere to honest business practices.” He reiterated that India’s decision not to join the RCEP in 2019 has been vindicated by current global trends.

    Speaking on India’s talent base, he noted, “India has a vast pool of STEM graduates, with 43% being women. If undue pressure is exerted, Indian innovators will rise to the occasion with R&D-driven solutions better suited to our needs than what others can offer.”

    On the global trading order, Shri Goyal stated, “The world cannot be viewed through a single lens. While developed nations enjoy prosperity, developing and least-developed countries must be given time and support to catch up. The WTO must recognise this and evolve accordingly.”

    India remains committed to multilateralism, he added. However, reforms at the WTO are essential. Shri Goyal cited the need to reassess the definition of “developing countries” and called for clarity on e-commerce rules, agriculture decisions, and fisheries negotiations. “Unless those who have caused overfishing are willing to scale down, emerging economies will never get a fair chance,” he noted.

    Reiterating India’s support for WTO principles, he said, “India will always work within the WTO framework. Our bilateral agreements, including with the US and EU, operate within its scope.”

    On FTAs, Shri Goyal emphasised that while timelines are aspirational, national interest cannot be compromised to meet deadlines. “Every action must be equitable, fair, and mutually beneficial,” he said.

    Regarding the EU FTA, the Minister acknowledged progress but pointed out challenges, especially around non-trade issues being linked with climate regulations. “Europe must reconsider the non-tariff barriers it has created. These are becoming trade hurdles not just for India but for the global economy,” he warned.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: EPD welcomes court’s dismissal of application to substitute applicant of judicial review on EIA report of San Tin Technopole

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    ​The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) welcomes the High Court’s decision today (April 11) to dismiss the application to substitute the applicant of the judicial review on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report of San Tin Technopole.

    The spokesman said that the EPD had been vetting all EIA reports in strict accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance and its Technical Memorandum. The department will continue to strictly implement the statutory EIA process and ensure that the EIA reports fulfil all statutory standards and requirements before approval is given.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Winners of WAVES 2025 – Theme Music Competition, Create in India Challenge announced

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 6:34PM by PIB Mumbai

     

    Mumbai, 11th April 2025
     

    The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in collaboration with the Indian Music Industry, today announced the winners of the Theme Music Competition, one of the 32 WAVES – Create in India Challenge series. The debut World Audio and Video Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025) is scheduled to be held in Mumbai from 01st to 04th May 2025.

     

    The competition, designed to spotlight India’s diverse musical talent, received hundreds of entries from across the country. A distinguished jury selected six winners after a rigorous evaluation of their originality, musicality, and alignment with the WAVES theme.

    The jury for the competition included celebrated names from the Indian music industry: Somesh Kumar Mathur – Hindustani classical vocalist and mentor; Saandip Bakchu – Playback singer and Tollywood actor; Gulraj Singh – Composer and music producer in Bollywood.

     

    Winners of the Theme Music Competition

    Position

    Name(s)

    City

    State

    Winner

    Kunal Kundu & Allapp Sardarh

    Kolkata

    West Bengal

    1st Runner-Up

    Vivek Dubey

    Mumbai

    Maharashtra

    2nd Runner-Up

    Bhavaganesh Thambiran

    Coimbatore

    Tamil Nadu

    3rd Runner-Up

    Jayananthan R

    Chennai

    Tamil Nadu

    4th Runner-Up

    Jayananthan R

     
    (Second Composition)

    Chennai

    Tamil Nadu

    5th Runner-Up

    Deep Rajesh Dabare

    Pune

    Maharashtra

    About WAVES

    The first World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES), a milestone event for the Media & Entertainment (M&E) sector, will be hosted by the Government of India in Mumbai, Maharashtra, from May 1 to 4, 2025.

    Whether you’re an industry professional, investor, creator, or innovator, the Summit offers the ultimate global platform to connect, collaborate, innovate and contribute to the M&E landscape.

    WAVES is set to magnify India’s creative strength, amplifying its position as a hub for content creation, intellectual property, and technological innovation. Industries and sectors in focus include Broadcasting, Print Media, Television, Radio, Films, Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, Sound and Music, Advertising, Digital Media, Social Media Platforms, Generative AI, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Extended Reality (XR).

    Have questions? Find answers here  

    Stay updated with the latest announcements from PIB Team WAVES

    Come, Sail with us! Register for WAVES now

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Better Infrastructure, Better Technology, Better Trains– Indian Railways Set to boost better services in Mumbai suburban network

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 6:18PM by PIB Mumbai

     

    : Mumbai, April 11, 2025

     In a media interaction on the theme Themed “Better Infrastructure, Better Technology, Better Trains” held today in Mumbai, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis and the Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics and IT, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw jointly addressed the press to highlight the transformative progress in railway infrastructure across Maharashtra. Indian Railways’ commitment to modernization, improved commuter experience, and enhanced regional connectivity, with a special focus on the Mumbai Suburban Railway Network.

    Better Infrastructure:

    Union Minister Shri Vaishnaw emphasized that infrastructure development is the cornerstone for increasing suburban services. Projects worth nearly ₹17,000 crore, covering more than 300 kilometers of new lines, are currently underway at a rapid pace. These initiatives aim to decongest existing lines, improve service frequency, and cater to the ever-growing demand of Mumbai’s suburban commuters.

    Better Technology:

    Shri Vaishnaw announced the upcoming launch of Kavach 5.0, a state-of-the-art safety and signaling system tailored for the suburban section. Kavach 5.0 is expected to significantly reduce the inter-train headway, enabling more trains to run safely and efficiently.

    Better Trains:

    In a major upgrade to passenger comfort, the Union Minister revealed that 238 new Air-Conditioned suburban rakes will soon be introduced. These rakes have been uniquely designed keeping in mind the needs of Mumbai’s commuters, promising a more comfortable and reliable travel experience.

    Maharashtra CM Shri Fadnavis also elaborated that Mumbai One Card, will soon be launched, which is a single and all integrated card set to transform public transport across MMR region for passengers traveling in suburban trains, metro rails, mono-rail, BEST buses, etc.

    Together this infrastructure, technology, and rolling stock advancements are expected to increase the number of suburban services, dramatically improving daily transit for millions of Mumbaikars.

    First Indian Institute of Creative Technology, an institute of National Importance in creative sphere will come up at Mumbai and this will be transformative for Indian Creative industry to make it a world class infrastructure hub.

    Strategic Rail Projects in Maharashtra:

    A major announcement during the interaction was the doubling of the Gondia–Ballarshah railway line, a 240 km strategic corridor with an investment of ₹4,819 crore. This key project connects Vidarbha and Marathwada, easing congestion and enabling faster passenger and freight movement. It will also strengthen Maharashtra’s rail links with Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, boosting regional trade and integration.
    This major infrastructure push was announced on April 7, 2025, when the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, had approved four projects of Ministry of Railways with total cost of Rs. 18,658 crore (approx.).

    Shri Vaishnaw stated today that this transformative project is set to play a pivotal role in enhancing passenger and freight connectivity between northern and southern India. The approved project encompasses comprehensive upgrades along the 240 km of existing track, including modernization of 29 railway stations, construction of 36 major bridges, 338 minor bridges, and 67 Road under-bridges (RUBs) to streamline operations and enhance safety.  

    “With this doubling, connectivity between North and South India will be vastly improved. Aspirational districts in the region will witness rapid development”, stated Shri Vaishnaw. The Union Minister further stated that this will be a game-changer for both passenger commuters and industries dependent on rail logistics. He also said that this upgradation will boost regional economy and tourism.-

    Other notable railway projects include:

    In addition, 132 stations across Maharashtra are being redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. Of the 1,300 stations nationwide under this initiative, many are nearing completion, with significant progress reported at many others.

    A Vision for the Future:

    These ambitious undertakings—alongside the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train, Dedicated Freight Corridors, and large-scale station redevelopment works—are set to revolutionize transportation in Maharashtra.

    The Indian Railways has committed an unprecedented ₹1,73,804 crore of investment in the state, underscoring Maharashtra’s strategic importance in the national rail network and its future growth trajectory.

    Maharashtra CM underlined the importance of WAVES (World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) preparations in view of inauguration by Hon’ble PM in the month of May this year, importance of a record budget allocation by Indian Railways to Maharashtra, benefits to the region by doubling of railway line between Gondia – Ballarshah stations. He also announced running of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Glorious Maratha Tour train by IRCTC soon. A special curated tour to showcase the glorious history and the grand heritage of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj along with other cultural and pilgrimage destinations of Maharashtra in 10 days journey by Bharat Gaurav Tourist train was also stated by the Maharashtra CM.

    ***

    SR/SC/PK

     

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government welcomes court’s decision to dismiss application to substitute applicant of judicial review on EIA report of San Tin Technopole

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Government welcomes court’s decision to dismiss application to substitute applicant of judicial review on EIA report of San Tin Technopole 
    A spokesman for the Development Bureau said that with the judicial review set aside, the uncertainty for the development of San Tin Technopole has been removed. The Government will continue to press ahead with this flagship project of the Northern Metropolis, so as to deliver innovation and technology land in full steam with a view to creating strong impetus for Hong Kong’s economic growth. San Tin Technopole will also become a modern new development area with industrial development, ecological conservation and a livable environment.
    Issued at HKT 21:59

    NNNN

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Namami Gange Mission 2.0: 7 major sewerage infrastructure projects completed in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi in the 2nd half of FY 2024-25

    Source: Government of India

    Namami Gange Mission 2.0: 7 major sewerage infrastructure projects completed in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi in the 2nd half of FY 2024-25

    With the commissioning of these projects, the total capacity under Namami Gange Program stands at 3722 MLD and total number of STPs commissioned at 157

    The total cost of these projects is ₹1772 crore

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 7:23PM by PIB Delhi

    Under Namami Gange Mission 2.0, the completion of 7 major projects in the second half of FY 2024–25 marks a significant achievement. Located in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Delhi, these projects primarily focus on preventing sewage from entering rivers, thereby improving water quality and rejuvenating the rivers. Additionally, other projects in Uttarakhand has been partially ready for operation. The completed projects mark an important step in infrastructure advancement in sewerage treatment and would lead to furtherance of the objective of river rejuvenation. With the commissioning of these projects, the total capacity under Namami Gange Program stands at 3722 MLD and total number of STPs commissioned at 157.

    47.70 MLD STP at Farrukhabad

     

    The total cost of these projects is ₹1772 crore, aiming to enhance wastewater treatment in various regions. In Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh, the rejuvenation of the Ganga has received fresh momentum. Here, a state-of-the-art STP with a capacity of 47.70 MLD and an interception and diversion network has been set up at a cost of ₹261 crore —taking a major step towards restoring the Ganga’s natural purity.

    33 MLD STP at Ayodhya

    In the sacred city of Ayodhya, a 33 MLD capacity STP and interception & diversion network have been established at a cost of ₹222 crore to make the Saryu River clean and uninterrupted. This initiative will not only uphold the city’s religious significance but also contribute to environmental balance. Additionally, in Muzaffarnagar district, a 32.50 MLD capacity STP along with an interception and diversion network has been completed with the total project cost of ₹234 Crore. This project will aid in the rejuvenation of the Kali West and Hindon rivers. These projects are based on the Hybrid Annuity Model, which not only ensures their success but also enhances their environmental effectiveness.

    10 MLD STP at Bakhtiyarpur

     

    In Bihar too, major projects have been started for the conservation of the Ganga River. In Bakhtiyarpur, a 10 MLD STP and an interception & diversion network have been constructed at a cost of ₹85 crore, offering hope for pollution-affected areas. In Fatuha, a 7 MLD STP has been established under a ₹35.49 crore project, improving the region’s drainage system. Similarly, in Phulwari Sharif, a 6 MLD STP project has been launched at a cost of ₹46 crore, taking another step toward cleanliness and sustainable development. All three projects are based on the DBOT (Design-Build-Operate-Transfer) model.

    32.50 MLD STP at Muzaffarnagar

     

    In Delhi, the construction of Asia’s largest STP with a capacity of 564 MLD and an interception & diversion network has been completed at a cost of ₹666 crore. This ambitious project, aimed at conserving the Yamuna River, is based on the DBOT model and follows NGT norms using A2O (Anaerobic-Anoxic-Oxic) technology.

    6 MLD STP at Phulwari sharif

     

    In the first half of the financial year 2024–25, eight pollution control projects namely: Patna-Danapur, Patna Maner, Kairana, Lucknow, Munger, Mirzapur, Ghazipur and Bareily were completed. Thus, a total of 15 ambitious projects have been successfully completed in the financial year 2024–25. These projects have been implemented at a total cost of ₹3,184 crore.

    10 MLD STP at Fatuha

     

    These accomplishments represent significant progress in achieving cleaner rivers and improved urban sanitation, while also reinforcing the mission’s core objective of sustainable and holistic river rejuvenation.

    564 MLD STP at Okhla

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    Dhanya Sanal K

    Director

     

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CULMINATION OF FIRST EDITION OF NAVAL COMMANDERS’ CONFERENCE 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 7:19PM by PIB Delhi

    The first edition of the biannual Naval Commanders’ Conference 2025 concluded today in New Delhi. The week-long apex-level conference, held from 05 to 11 Apr 25 in two phases at Karwar and New Delhi, engaged the commanders in deliberations on security challenges in the maritime domain and review of Indian Navy’s operational preparedness. The Hon’ble Raksha Mantri, Shri Rajnath Singh, presided over the inaugural session of the conference at Karwar, with the Chief of the Defence Staff, Defence Secretary, senior MoD officials and Naval Commanders in attendance. The Hon’ble Raksha Mantri, while acknowledging the Navy’s centrality in India’s Maritime Security stated that “just like the oceans have no boundaries, there is no limit to Navy’s roles and responsibilities – the Indian Navy will have to assume full responsibility for the entire IOR.”

    https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2119284

    The first phase of the conference at Karwar also coincided with the flag-off of IOS Sagar by the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri. The landmark voyage of IOS Sagar represents India’s strong commitment to cooperation and collaboration with IOR nations, and aptly reflects the growth of Government of India’s vision of SAGAR to MAHASAGAR (Mutual And Holistic Advancement for Security Across the Regions). While at Karwar, Shri Rajnath Singh also inaugurated nine state-of-the-art marine piers, eight residential buildings and several important utilities, created as part of Project Seabird. The first phase concluded with a review of Indian Navy’s operational readiness and modernisation plans, wherein the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri acknowledged Indian Navy’s crucial role as a principle enabler of peace and security in the Indian Ocean Region.

    The second phase, chaired by Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff, commenced at Nausena Bhawan in New Delhi on 07 Apr 25. The proceedings featured comprehensive assessment of operational, materiel, logistics, human resources, training and administrative aspects. The Indian Navy’s Space Vision, Indian Naval Air Publication, Indian Navy’s Operational Data Framework, and a compendium for veterans, ‘Navy for Life and Beyond’, were the publications released on the occasion.

    https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2120559

    The conference facilitated interaction of the Naval Commanders with the Chief of the Defence Staff, Chief of the Army Staff and Chief of Air Staff, who shared their assessment of the operating environment, outlining readiness levels to counter evolving security challenges, through strong convergence and Tri-Service synergy. Additionally, Shri Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary, and Shri Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa, also engaged with the Commanders. Whereas the Foreign Secretary offered insights into the shifting global order and its implications for maritime security in the IOR, Mr Amitabh Kant underscored Navy’s significance in national growth and in India’s emergence as the ‘Preferred Security Partner’ in the region.

    On the sidelines of the conference, Naval Commanders also interacted with several subject matter experts and strategic thinkers during the Sagar Manthan event on 07 Apr 25. The event centered around India’s strategic vision of MAHASAGAR and focused on Indian Navy’s key role in fueling national maritime growth.

    Overall, deliberations at the first edition of Naval Commanders’ Conference 2025 re-affirmed Indian Navy’s commitment to a safe, secure and rules-based maritime environment amidst emerging geopolitical challenges, while reinforcing its steadfast pursuit of being a Combat Ready, Credible, Cohesive and Future Ready force.

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    VM/SPS                                                                                                        83/25

    (Release ID: 2121045) Visitor Counter : 61

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Centre operationalises dedicated ‘Global Tariff and Trade Helpdesk’ to assist stakeholders in navigating emerging trade issues

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 7:18PM by PIB Delhi

    The Department of Commerce and DGFT are actively tracking developments in global trade, particularly in relation to tariff changes, import surges, and export-related challenges. Given the evolving trade landscape and the introduction of various tariff and counter-tariff measures, there may be both new export opportunities and heightened

    import pressures from specific countries or product sectors. Exporters and importers experiencing such shifts are encouraged to share their inputs and suggest potential support measures. In this context, DGFT has operationalised a dedicated ‘Global Tariff and Trade Helpdesk’ to assist stakeholders in navigating emerging trade issues.

    The ‘Global Tariff Challenges Helpdesk’ would look into issues relating to Import and Export Challenges, Import Surges or Dumping, EXIM Clearance, Logistics or Supply Chain Challenges, Financial or Banking issues, Regulatory or Compliance Issues, and Other Issues or Suggestions. The Help desk would also collect and collate trade-related

    issues concerning other Ministries/Departments/Agencies of Central Government and State Governments and will co-ordinate to seek their support and provide possible resolution(s).

    Export-Import community may submit information on the DGFT website and submit information relating to their issues on which support is required using the following steps—

    1. Navigate to the DGFT Website (https://dgft.gov.in) — > Services — > DGFT Helpdesk Service
    2. ‘Create New Request’ and select the Category as ‘Global Tariff and Trade and Issues’
    3. Select the suitable sub-category (Import Challenges, Export Challenges, Import Surges or Dumping, EXIM Clearance, Logistics or Supply Chain Challenges, Regulatory & Compliance Issues, and Other Issues and Suggestions), enter the other relevant details and submit.

    Alternatively, issues may be sent to email id: dgftedi[at]nic[dot]in with the subject header: ‘Global Tariff and Trade Helpdesk’, or call the Toll-Free No at 1800-111-550

    The status of resolutions and feedback may be tracked using the status tracker under the DGFT Helpdesk Services. Email and SMS would also be sent as and when the status of these tickets are updated. Trade stakeholders are encouraged to make appropriate use of these support facilities.

     

    *****

    Abhishek Dayal/Nihi Sharma

    (Release ID: 2121040) Visitor Counter : 106

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy Meets Chhattisgarh CM Shri Vishnu Deo Sai

    Source: Government of India

    Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy Meets Chhattisgarh CM Shri Vishnu Deo Sai

    Emphasis on Mining-Led Economic Growth, Critical Mineral Development, and CSR Outreach.

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 7:15PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy was on a two-day visit to South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) to review mining operations, assess CSR initiatives, and strengthen coordination with state authorities. The visit aimed to boost coal production, promote sustainable mining practices, and ensure inclusive development in the region.

     

    On the second day of his visit to Chhattisgarh, Shri G. Kishan Reddy held a high-level meeting with the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Shri Vishnu Deo Sai. The deliberations focused on accelerating mining-led economic growth in the state and addressed key areas such as fast-tracking land acquisition for mine expansion, expediting environmental clearances, and the development of integrated rehabilitation and resettlement sites. The strategic importance of critical mineral development in Chhattisgarh was also a key highlight of the discussion.

    The meeting was attended by senior dignitaries including Shri Amitabh Jain, Chief Secretary, Chhattisgarh; Ms. Rupinder Brar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal; Shri B.P. Pati, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Coal; Shri P.M. Prasad, Chairman, Coal India Limited; Shri Harish Duhan, CMD, SECL; and other senior officials from both central and state governments.

    Earlier in the day, Shri Reddy interacted with NEET aspirants supported under SECL’s flagship CSR initiative, ‘SECL Ke Sushrut’. The scheme offers free residential coaching to meritorious students from coal belt regions aspiring to pursue careers in medicine. The Minister lauded the students’ achievements and reaffirmed the government’s resolve to foster educational opportunities for youth in coal-bearing areas.

     

     

    At the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital in Raipur, the Minister also met with young beneficiaries and families under ‘SECL Ki Dhadkan’, a CSR program providing free treatment and surgeries for congenital heart defects (CHD). Shri Reddy commended SECL for its life-saving initiatives and reiterated that coal PSUs will continue to support health and social welfare through meaningful interventions.

    In a separate review meeting with officials from the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) and the Geological Survey of India (GSI), the Minister assessed ongoing exploration activities and survey progress. Strategies for unlocking the mineral potential of Chhattisgarh through advanced exploration and better coordination were discussed.

    The visit of the Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy underscores the Government’s strong commitment to harnessing the potential of mining for inclusive and sustainable development. It reflects a clear vision of aligning the coal sector’s growth with national priorities of sustainability, social equity, and regional progress. By bridging policy with grassroots impact from accelerating mineral exploration to empowering young aspirants and saving lives through healthcare the visit reaffirms the Government’s unwavering resolve to transform mining regions into hubs of prosperity, resilience, and inclusive growth

                             ***

    Shuhaib T

    (Release ID: 2121036) Visitor Counter : 79

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PRESIDENT OF INDIA ADDRESSED THE MEMBERS OF THE INDIAN COMMUNITY IN SLOVAKIA YESTERDAY

    Source: Government of India

    PRESIDENT OF INDIA ADDRESSED THE MEMBERS OF THE INDIAN COMMUNITY IN SLOVAKIA YESTERDAY

    BEFORE LEAVING FOR NEW DELHI INTERACTS WITH INDIAN BUSINESS DELEGATION

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 6:53PM by PIB Delhi

    Yesterday (April 10, 2025), the President addressed the members of the Indian Community at a Reception hosted by the Ambassador of India to Slovakia at Bratislava. The accompanying Minister of State, Smt. Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya as well as Members of Parliament, Shri Dhaval Patel and Smt. Sandhya Ray were present on the occasion.

    Addressing the enthusiastic gathering of Indian community members, the President said that relations between India and Slovakia are based on mutual respect and shared democratic values. She was happy to note that over the years, India and Slovakia has witnessed a steady growth in economic, political and cultural ties.

    The President informed gathering about her fruitful meetings with the President, the Prime Minister and the Chairman of the National Council of Slovakia. She said that during those meetings ways to further advance our bilateral relations in various fields were discussed. She told the community members that during the interactions, Slovak leaders expressed great respect for the hard work of the Indian community and their valuable contribution to the development and progress of Slovakia.

    The President appreciated the Slovak friends of India for their important role in further strengthening the friendly relations and mutual understanding between India and Slovakia. She was happy to note that India’s heritage and traditions are quite popular among Slovak people. She said that from Yoga and Ayurveda to Indian cuisine, the love for Indian culture in Slovakia is a testament to the growing strong ties between the people of the two countries. She expressed confidence that the translation of the Upanishads into the Slovak language would provide another opportunity for the Slovak people to connect with the ancient teachings of India.

    Today morning, the President interacted with the Indian Business delegation before leaving for New Delhi.

    Please click here to see the President’s Speech-

     

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    MJPS/SR

    (Release ID: 2121032) Visitor Counter : 39

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India hosts 8th Meeting of Joint Committee on ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA)

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 6:38PM by PIB Delhi

    India hosted the 8th meeting of the AITIGA Joint Committee to review the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, from April 07 to 11, 2025. The event was conducted in a hybrid format. The meeting was co-chaired by Shri Rajesh Agrawal, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India and Deputy Co-Chair Dr. Sugumari S. Shanmugam Senior Director Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, Malaysia. The meeting saw participation from delegates representing ASEAN countries, including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

    The committee’s primary objective was to advance the ongoing review of the AITIGA, aiming to modernize the agreement to be more effective, user-friendly, and conducive to trade. Five out of eight Sub-Committees (SCs) under the AITIGA JC also conducted hybrid meetings on the margins of the 8th AITIGA JC. Out of which, four SCs, namely Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation (SC-CPTF); Sub-Committee on Economic & Technical cooperation (SC-ETC); Sub-Committee on National Treatment and Market Access (SC-NTMA); and Sub-Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SC-SPS) met in New Delhi, India, while the Sub-Committee on Rules of Origin (SC-ROO) met in Jakarta, Indonesia, facilitating progress in textual discussions and progressing in groundwork for tariff negotiations.

    ASEAN remains a pivotal trade partner for India, accounting for approximately 11% of India’s global trade. In the fiscal year 2023-24, bilateral trade between India and ASEAN reached USD 121 billion.

    The next AITIGA JC meeting is scheduled for June 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, continuing the collaborative efforts to enhance ASEAN-India economic integration.

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    Abhishek Dayal/Nihi Sharma

    (Release ID: 2121030) Visitor Counter : 123

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, addresses the inaugural session of the two-day National Level Review Meeting in Shillong, Meghalaya

    Source: Government of India

    Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, addresses the inaugural session of the two-day National Level Review Meeting in Shillong, Meghalaya

    Initiatives and formulation of strategies to further strengthen and modernise the Cooperative Sector across the country discussed during the Review Meeting

    Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and guidance of Union Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah Ministry is committed to promoting cooperative-led economic growth

    Gujarat and Maharashtra are shining examples of how dairy can empower women and improve child nutrition

    Role of national-level cooperative institutions such as NCEL, NCOL, BBSSL, NCCF, and NAFED pivotal in enhancing the cooperative ecosystem and driving innovation and inclusivity

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 6:24PM by PIB Delhi

    The Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, addressed the inaugural session of the two-day National Level Review Meeting in Shillong, Meghalaya. The Review meeting, held on 10-11 April 2025, discussed initiatives and formulation of strategies to further strengthen and modernise the Cooperative Sector across the country.

     

    Speaking at the inaugural session, Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah the Ministry is committed to promoting cooperative-led economic growth with robust inter-state cooperation to realize the vision of “Sahakar Se Samriddhi.” He stressed on collating the PAN numbers of all cooperative societies of the country to enable more accurate representation of the cooperative sector in the national GDP. Dr. Bhutani reaffirmed the Government’s unwavering commitment to strengthening and advancing the cooperative ecosystem in the country.

    The Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation said that White Revolution 2.0 is one of the flagship initiatives, aimed at rural upliftment through the dairy sector. States like Gujarat and Maharashtra are shining examples of how dairy can empower women and improve child nutrition. He said that we are partnering with institutions like Amul and NDDB to support states Assam, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and other states in expanding dairy infrastructure. The economic potential of animal husbandry now exceeds that of traditional crop cultivation.

    Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani said that passing of the bill to establish India’s first Tribhuvan Sahkari University is a historic move. This university will standardise cooperative education across states and uplift over 250 existing cooperative institutions.

    Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, and Chief Secretary, Govt. of Meghalaya, along with senior officials, took part in a tree plantation drive under the initiative “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” initiative in International Year of Cooperatives.

    The meeting brought together key stakeholders including representatives from States and Union Territories, officials from cooperative federations, financial institutions, and policymakers, fostering a collaborative platform for knowledge exchange and strategic alignment.

    The States Review Session spotlighted the pivotal role of national-level cooperative institutions such as NCEL, NCOL, BBSSL, NCCF, and NAFED in enhancing the cooperative ecosystem and driving innovation and inclusivity.

    Director of IRMA, Anand (Gujarat), outlined the vision of Tribhuvan Sahkari University, the strategic objectives, and proposed institutional structure. The session reflected the Ministry’s long-term commitment to developing world-class cooperative education and research infrastructure.

    A dedicated workshop on the International Year of Cooperatives 2025, focusing on strategic priorities such as benchmarking cooperative societies, impact assessment, and the formulation of a Business Reform Action Plan for the upcoming fiscal year. Delegations from Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Uttarakhand shared best practices and innovations in cooperative development.

    The focus areas of the two-day sessions were on expansion of banking services for cooperative societies and ensure doorstep banking services via micro-ATMs along with provision of zero-interest loans through RuPay Kisan Credit Cards to members of Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS), Dairy Cooperative Societies and other Cooperative institutions, and strengthening of Rural Cooperative Banking. Expansion of time-bound establishment of Multi-Purpose Agriculture Cooperative Societies (MPACS), Dairy and fishery cooperatives, Grain Storage Plan, digital transformation of PACS and Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (ARDBs) with an aim to improve transparency, operational efficiency, and service accessibility was also discussed. An analytical discussion was also held on the impact of NCDC’s schemes and the realignment of its strategic direction with broader national development priorities.

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    RK/VV/PR/PS

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    Read this release in: Hindi

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Smt. Annpurna Devi Visits Kra Daadi District; Emphasizes Centre’s Commitment to Holistic Development of Northeast India

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 5:40PM by PIB Itanagar

    Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Annpurna Devi undertook an official visit to the Kra Daadi district of Arunachal Pradesh on Friday, where she engaged in a series of developmental programs and community interactions.
     

    The Hon’ble Union Minister was accorded a warm and vibrant welcome by the local community with traditional songs and a captivating Nukkad Natak themed on Poshan Abhiyan, performed by local artists, highlighting the importance of nutrition and health awareness.

    During her address to the gathering at the 7th Poshan Pakhwada event, Smt. Annpurna Devi reaffirmed the Centre’s unwavering resolve to bring development to every corner of the northeastern region of the country, echoing the Government’s guiding principle of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, aur Sabka Prayas.” She stated, “Under the National Health Mission, the Government is actively conducting special initiatives to bolster health and family welfare across all aspiring districts, with particular emphasis on the Northeast.”

    In a major boost to maternal welfare, the Union Minister handed over payment approvals under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), reiterating the Government’s focus on supporting mothers during and after pregnancy to ensure a healthier future generation.

    She also shared noteworthy budgetary developments, highlighting a remarkable increase in the Gender Budget allocation. “The total Gender Budget allocation for schemes targeted towards women’s empowerment has been significantly enhanced from ₹3.27 lakh crore in Budget Estimates 2024–25 to ₹4.49 lakh crore in Budget 2025–26. The Gender Budget’s share in the overall Union Budget has also seen a substantial increase from 6.8% to 8.86%,” she noted.

     

    The visit was also graced by several esteemed dignitaries, including Smt. Dasanglu Pul, Hon’ble Minister for Women and Child Development, Science & Technology and Cultural Affairs, Government of Arunachal Pradesh; Shri Balo Raja, Hon’ble Minister for Land Management, Civil Aviation and Urban Affairs, Government of Arunachal Pradesh; Smt. Mimum Tayeng, IAS, Commissioner, Women and Child Development, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh, and the Deputy Commissioner, Kra Daadi district.

    The visit of the Union Minister to Kra Daadi underlines the Government of India’s resolve to empower women, promote child welfare, and ensure balanced development across all regions, especially the strategically vital and culturally rich Northeast.

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    PD

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