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Category: Asia

  • MIL-OSI Global: What the spiralling trade war means for relations between the US and China

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Harper, Lecturer in International Relations, University of East London

    Donald Trump has partially walked back on his so-called “liberation day” tariffs on nearly all US imports after fears mounted that the move would result in a global recession and much higher borrowing costs for the US government.

    On Wednesday, April 9, a mere 13 hours after his higher rate of “reciprocal tariffs” had come into effect, Trump announced they would be paused for 90 days.

    “I thought that people were jumping a little bit out of line, they were getting yippy, you know … a little bit afraid,” Trump said to reporters outside the White House. Markets soared immediately upon hearing the news.

    But at the same time, a volatile new stage in America’s trade war with China has emerged. The White House has excluded China from the pause and has hiked tariffs on all Chinese imports to 125%. This, Trump says, is because Beijing has shown “disrespect” to Washington and global markets.

    Beijing, which has declared it will “fight to the end if the US side is bent on going down the wrong path”, was quick to respond. It has announced duties of 84% on American products and services, and has even floated the possibility of banning the import of Hollywood films.

    What China’s response has shown is that it is no longer the same country as it was in 2017, when Trump managed to obtain some trade concessions from it by imposing tariffs. Beijing seems more willing to strike back at Washington, as well as showing signs of being more proactive in its response to American measures.

    The impact of China’s response has not yet been fully realised, but tariffs have already raised the spectre of increased prices in the US. Many of the clothing and consumer electronics that Americans buy are shipped from China. It’s possible that far from boosting Trump’s popularity, these tariffs may eventually end up reversing it.

    At a fundraising dinner in Washington, less than a day before he shelved plans to hike tariffs on US trading partners, Trump insisted: “I know what the hell I’m doing.” But his subsequent loss of face in pausing tariffs for other countries may mean he has no option but to double down on a tit-for-tat trade war with China.

    China is his administration’s go-to villain, and any delay or reversal in responding to Chinese retaliation will be a humiliation to Trump’s strongman image. This suggests a tumultuous period ahead for relations between China and the US.

    Expect more hostility

    The tariffs will probably have a mobilising effect on the Chinese population. A 2022 survey on public opinion in China found that people born after 1990 are more likely to hold an unfavourable view of the US compared with previous generations. The survey concluded that Trump’s actions during his first term were much more to blame than propaganda.

    Beijing has also traditionally invoked the history of the “unequal treaties” forced upon its ailing Qing dynasty in the late 19th century as a means to mobilise its population against western policies. This has been aided by how the economic demands made by Trump to China are, in the mind of the Chinese leadership, reminiscent of the demands made by the western powers of that period.

    Fears of again falling prey to foreign powers play a significant role in Beijing’s policies, encapsulated by what is known as China’s “never again mentality”. This mentality could be used as a means to unify the Chinese population against an outside enemy, in a way similar to how many US politicians have attempted to cast China as a foe.

    Beijing appears to be banking on the Chinese population’s supposed ability to withstand greater hardships than western consumers as being able to give it a key advantage over Washington. However, with China’s prosperity being a comparatively recent development, this ability will be put to the test.

    Trump’s tariffs against traditional American allies will also play into Beijing’s hands on the international stage. Tokyo has discussed reducing its holdings of American treasuries, while simultaneously bolstering trade ties with China. These moves would have been unthinkable even a year ago – Japan has long been a key US ally and a regional rival of China.

    Equally unthinkable is the possibility that the EU will follow a similar path. Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, has called on Brussels to review its relationship with China. Moves aimed at sidelining China may end up isolating the US instead.

    And, perhaps most concerningly, the tariffs may also undermine America’s ability to prevent a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. One of the key factors deterring an invasion was the threat of a 100% tariff on Chinese goods. With Trump’s tariffs on China already exceeding this, Beijing has less incentive to not go after Taipei.

    What liberation day has shown us is that the Chinese-American relationship has entered a stage of protracted competition, a phase that Beijing has been preparing for over the past decade. Faced with a choice between humiliation on the international stage or economic disaster at home, it would appear neither side is willing to back down.

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

    – ref. What the spiralling trade war means for relations between the US and China – https://theconversation.com/what-the-spiralling-trade-war-means-for-relations-between-the-us-and-china-254311

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Hopes of a ‘Brexit benefit’ from tariffs were short-lived. Here’s what Trump’s pause means for the UK

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Maha Rafi Atal, Adam Smith Senior Lecturer in Political Economy, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow

    The US has decided – again – to upend the global trading system. With the latest raft of tariffs just beginning to kick in, and after a week in which markets worldwide fell precipitously, the Trump administration announced that it would be suspending high tariffs on nearly 60 countries for 90 days.

    The announcement is only a partial reprieve. High tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, as well as on global imports of steel, aluminium and automotives, remain, as does a 10% baseline tariff on all imports. US tariffs remain the highest they have been since the Great Depression, at levels unprecedented since the modern trade system was created after the second world war.

    Before the pause, the UK was already in line for the 10% rate – which some commentators described as a Brexit benefit when compared to the EU’s prospective 20%.

    While markets soared on the news of the pause, the damage is was already done. The subsequent rally is recouping some, but not all, losses incurred due to the tariffs already.

    Businesses that had prepared for tariffs by bulk-buying imported components ahead of time will have made cuts elsewhere to pay for it. They will not easily be able to reverse course.

    The implications for the UK of the latest developments are mixed. All the tariffs imposed on direct UK exports to the US (chiefly steel, automotives and aircrafts, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment) remain in place.

    While the US represents the second-largest market for UK goods, the majority of UK exports are in services (like banking and insurance), which the tariffs do not target. If tariffs were to hit direct UK-US goods trade only, the UK would likely be able to weather the shock.

    Unfortunately, that’s not how trade works in the 21st century. Instead, two-thirds of trade takes place in what are known as “global value chains”. These are complex networks through which companies move the component parts of products between their own facilities around the world and those of their subcontractors.

    Many UK businesses supply components that are incorporated by companies overseas into finished goods ultimately destined for the US. When the US imposes tariffs on those goods, UK manufacturers suffer too – even if direct UK exports to the US remain unchanged.

    Global value chains will also reorient in response to trade barriers, as already took place in Asia during Trump’s first term. If businesses reroute their supply chains to avoid the tariff markets, the UK (which is not imposing retaliatory tariffs) could become a “sacrifice zone” (a place where cheaply made, poor-quality or environmentally harmful items are dumped or disposed of, “sacrificing” the wellbeing of local people) for excess supply, undercutting domestic producers.

    Yet choosing not to retaliate is key to the UK’s diplomatic strategy. It hopes to stay close to the US in the hope of preferential treatment.

    The UK’s pursuit of a US trade deal has been politically sensitive since the previous Trump administration.
    JessicaGirvan/Shutterstock

    So far, that strategy is yet to bear fruit. The UK hopes to avoid the tariffs through a US trade deal, an objective that the countries have pursued since the UK left the European Union.

    The US has repeatedly sought access to the UK agrifood market, a demand that has always been refused due to political opposition to importing American beef and chicken.

    The sticky Brexit issue

    Brexit adds to this complexity, as the Windsor framework requires food products sold in Northern Ireland to conform to European Union standards. The more standards in the rest of the UK diverge from those of the EU (as they would have to do to secure a US trade deal), the more onerous the checks in the Irish Sea would become.

    Keir Starmer’s government has also sought to renegotiate parts of the agreement with the EU, seeking tighter economic ties that will require closer regulatory alignment. Pursuing deregulation to meet US trade demands, however, makes that unlikely.

    The tariffs compound this dilemma. If the higher rates return after 90 days, Northern Irish exports to the US will face a lower rate than those from the Republic of Ireland. But US imports to Northern Ireland will be hit with EU tariffs while imports to the rest of the UK will remain tariff-free.

    That will create some opportunities. Businesses might choose to operate in Northern Ireland to access a lower tariff rate on their US exports while also producing goods for the EU market.

    But it also creates risks. With three different tariff regimes in Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, goods flowing across both the Irish Sea and the Irish land border could require additional checks. This would risk the very thing the Windsor Framework was meant to avoid.

    Given these risks, a 90-day reprieve is a window of opportunity. But with US government policy that can change on a dime (or a post), the UK risks being caught between the rival powers of the US and EU – and trampled in the crossfire.

    Maha Rafi Atal is a volunteer organizer with the US Democratic Party.

    – ref. Hopes of a ‘Brexit benefit’ from tariffs were short-lived. Here’s what Trump’s pause means for the UK – https://theconversation.com/hopes-of-a-brexit-benefit-from-tariffs-were-short-lived-heres-what-trumps-pause-means-for-the-uk-254307

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal, Schakowsky, Espaillat, Panetta Introduce Legislation to Protect Immigrant Survivors of Violence

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), and Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) today introduced the Working for Immigrant Safety and Empowerment (WISE) Act to protect immigrant survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and gender-based violence. The bill would ensure that immigrants have access to protections intended by the bipartisan Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Trafficking Victim Protection Act (TVPA), and other federal and state laws. The bill would also move to ensure survivors pursuing relief are not detained or deported before their applications are fully adjudicated.

    “The Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign has sowed immeasurable fear in immigrant communities, driving survivors of crime to hide in fear of deportation. That simply cannot be the case,” said Jayapal. “Immigrant women are significantly more likely to suffer domestic violence, nearly three times the national average. Especially in the current environment, it is critical that we take steps to ensure that survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and gender-based violence are protected. The WISE Act would improve protections for immigrant witnesses and victims of crimes and foster safe communities — the opposite of what Trump is pushing.”

    “Our immigrant communities are under attack by the Trump administration, and immigrant women faced with domestic violence make up one of the most vulnerable populations. These women should not feel forced to stay in violent, life-threatening intimate partner relationships because of their tenuous immigration status,” said Schakowsky. “I am proud to co-lead the WISE Act to help ensure that all victims of domestic violence, regardless of immigration status, have access to the public resources and support they need to escape abuse.”

    “Immigrant families are facing tremendous challenges in light of the Trump administration, and we are working to combat these dangerous anti-American policies daily. Immigrant victims of domestic violence, trafficking, and gender-based assaults are particularly vulnerable and deserve protections regardless of their immigration status,” said Espaillat. “Immigrant survivors are less likely to report a crime in fear of detention and deportation, especially in this political climate, which makes them even more vulnerable to such abuse and exploitation. These crimes are dehumanizing and reprehensible, and we must do all that it takes to ensure protections are in place and victims feel empowered to seek assistance. I am proud to join my colleagues, once again, to introduce legislation this Congress to reaffirm our commitment to victims of violence when they need our help the most.”

    “Our criminal justice system works when victims and witnesses have the will and confidence to come forward and testify to hold criminals accountable,” said Panetta.  “In addition to being scared of retribution by criminals, there also are times when undocumented individuals are fearful of deportation due to their cooperation with law enforcement.  That is why U and T visas are critical to putting away bad guys and giving people faith in our criminal justice system.  I’m proud to be a part of the reintroduction of the WISE Act, which includes my Immigrant Witness and Victim Protection Act to strengthen safeguards and expand the availability of U and T visas.  By ensuring that victims and witnesses have access to the protections of our government in their cooperation with law enforcement, we can hold criminals accountable and strengthen trust in our justice system.”

    This bill introduction comes after President Donald Trump, in a proclamation for National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, blamed sexual violence on undocumented immigrants. However, studies have found zero evidence to support a link between undocumented immigrants and a rise in crime rates.

    Immigrant women and children are particularly vulnerable to domestic violence, and the rate of abuse against immigrant women is nearly 49 percent, three times the national average. While domestic violence is a consistently underreported issue, immigrant survivors are significantly less likely to report these crimes due to fear of deportation. 

    The WISE Act would strengthen protections for immigrant survivors by:

    • Eliminating arbitrary caps on the U Visa and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS).
    • Expanding qualifying crimes for the U Visa to include hate crimes, child abuse, and elder abuse as well as grant protections for abused children, stepchildren, spouses, and parents of immigrant survivors.
    • Granting work authorization to survivors while their applications are pending.
    • Prohibiting detention and deportation of immigrant survivors while their cases are pending.
    • Limiting the use or disclosure of information pertaining to a pending immigrant survivor’s VAWA, T, U, or SIJ applications.
    • Restricting immigration enforcement at certain protected areas including any domestic violence shelter, rape crisis center, supervised visitation center, family justice center, or victim services providers, among other locations.
    • Ensuring survivors have the support necessary to thrive and reduce reliance on abusers by providing access to certain assistance, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), and Medicaid.

    The legislation is sponsored by Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-At Large), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Greg Casar (TX-35), Sean Casten (IL-06), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Grace Meng (NY-06), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Kelly Morrison (MN-03), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), and Nikema Williams (GA-05).

    The WISE Act is also endorsed by Alianza Nacional de Campesinas; Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence; ASISTA Immigration Assistance; Bend the Arc: Jewish Action; Center for Gender & Refugee Studies; Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law; Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP); Church World Service; Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA); Coalition on Human Needs; End SIJS Backlog Coalition; Esperanza United; Esperanza United; Freedom Network USA; Just Detention International; Just Solutions ; Justice for Migrant Women; Justice in Motion; Kids in Need of Defense; Legal Momentum, The Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund; Make the Road States; Naila Amin Foundation; National Alliance to End Sexual Violence; National Council of Jewish Women; National Immigrant Justice Center; National Immigration Law Center; National LGBTQ Institute on Intimate Partner Violence; National Network To End Domestic Violence; National Partnership for New Americans.org ; National Resource Center on Domestic Violence; Oxfam America; Refugees International ; Sisters of Mercy Justice Team; Tahirih Justice Center; The Advocates for Human Rights; Ujima, The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community; VALOR; We Are All America; Women’s Refugee Commission; Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights; Al Otro Lado; Asian Resources, Inc.; Ayuda; California Partnership to End Domestic Violence; Center for Domestic Peace; Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault; Daya Inc.; DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Domestic Abuse Center; Domestic Violence Project | Urban Justice Center; East Bay Sanctuary Covenant; Equality California; Estrella del Paso; Gray’s Trauma-Informed Care Services Corp; Healthy Alternatives to Violent Environments; Her Justice; IL Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights; Immigrant Children Advocates’ Relief Effort (ICARE); Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef); Immigration Center for Women and Children; Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault; Jane Doe Inc.; Just Neighbors; Los Angeles LGBT Center; Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault; Maitri; Make the Road Connecticut ; Make the Road Nevada ; Make the Road New Jersey ; Make the Road New York ; Make the Road Pennsylvania ; Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence; Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault; National Organization for Women-Nassau County chapter; National Organization for Women-New York State; Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence; Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence; Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC); Northwest Workers’ Justice Project; Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence (OAESV); Ohio Domestic Violence Network; Pennsylvania Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Network; Raksha, Inc; Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network; Sanctuary for Families; Silver State Equality; Survivor Justice Center (formerly known as Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice); The Immigration Project; The Women’s Law Center of Maryland, Inc.; Utah Domestic Violence Coalition; Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; Violence Free Minnesota; Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance; Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault; Womankind; Workers Center of Central New York and; ZeroV.

    If you or a loved one are experiencing domestic violence, help is available at 800-799-7233 or by texting START to 88788. 

    Issues: Immigration, Public Safety & Criminal Justice

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Upcoming IADC Conferences in May 2025

    Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC

    Headline: Upcoming IADC Conferences in May 2025

    The Asia Pacific region continues to position itself as a dynamic and vibrant market where rapid economic and demographic growth will sustain demand for oil, and gas drilling and exploration in Asia in the foreseeable future.
    However, the industry needs future-ready leaders to drive the transformation to ensure the industry is equipped with relevant competencies and capabilities in order to overcome current and future industry challenges.

    Collaborative efforts and partnerships; continuous innovation and investment with regard to attracting and retaining a competent and skilled workforce; and also the implementation of new technologies and practices that work will all be crucial in addressing those evolving challenges with achieving cost and operational efficiencies, sustainability and meeting stakeholder expectations.

    The IADC HSE & Sustainability Asia Pacific 2025 Conference & Exhibition, which will be held on 14-15 May 2025, will explore the critical challenges that drilling professionals face in this environment. In the face of prolonged low oil prices, how can companies high-grade their assets, right-size their organizations and equip their employees with the right competencies, all while staying on the cutting edge of the digital oilfield evolution?

    • DATE: 14-15 May 2025
    • LOCATION: Bangkok, Thailand 
    • VENUE: Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel

    MIL OSI Economics –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: First Federal Savings Bank Awarded $27,500 in Funds to Habitat for Humanity Through FHLBank Indianapolis Grant Program

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EVANSVILLE, Ind., April 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First Federal Savings Bank, a member bank of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis (FHLBank Indianapolis), awarded Habitat for Humanity $27,500 in grant funds through the Community Multiplier – Member Match Program.

    A press conference and check presentation ceremony were hosted on Wednesday, April 9 at 3:30 PM CST at First Federal Savings Bank’s corporate headquarters located at 5001 Davis Lant Drive Evansville, IN 47715.

    The $27,500 grant will support Habitat for Humanity’s educational assistance programs for current and prospective homeowners.

    “We are proud to partner with Habitat for Humanity in support of their educational assistance programs for current and prospective homeowners,” said Courtney Schmitt, VP, Marketing Manager at First Federal Savings Bank. “Homeownership is a cornerstone of financial stability, and by investing in these programs, we are helping individuals and families build stronger, more secure futures. This partnership reflects our ongoing commitment to empowering communities through financial education and support.”

    Beth Folz, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Evansville stated “We were excited to hear from First Federal Savings Bank that we had been selected to receive this wonderful grant from the Community Multiplier program. We are thrilled for the future Habitat homeowners who will be impacted by the financial education programs that we can offer due to this tremendous support.”

    The Community Multiplier – Member Match program is FHLBank Indianapolis’ newest program offering, designed to support targeted affordable housing initiatives that fall outside of FHLBank Indianapolis’ other grant programs.   Community Multiplier offers grants between $25,000 and $125,000 for non-profit organizations headquartered in Indiana or Michigan who partner with an FHLBank Indianapolis member financial institution on targeted affordable housing initiatives. With a 10% matching funds commitment from the member financial institution, FHLBank Indianapolis is providing grants between $25,000 and $125,000. The program opened March 27, 2025 with a $5 million allocation and is available until October 1, 2025, or until funds are exhausted.

    About First Federal Savings Bank Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender

    First Federal Savings Bank was established on Evansville, Indiana’s Westside in 1904. A community bank offering eight locations in Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, and Henderson County. First Federal Savings Bank is also proud to offer Home Building Savings Bank locations in Daviess and Pike County.

    Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis: Building Partnerships. Serving Communities.

    FHLBank Indianapolis is a regional bank included in the Federal Home Loan Bank System. FHLBanks are government-sponsored enterprises created by Congress to ensure access to low-cost funding for their member financial institutions, with particular attention paid to providing solutions that support the housing and small business needs of members’ customers. FHLBanks are privately capitalized and funded and receive no Congressional appropriations. FHLBank Indianapolis is owned by its Indiana and Michigan financial institution members, including commercial banks, credit unions, insurance companies, savings institutions and community development financial institutions. For more information about FHLBank Indianapolis, visit www.fhlbi.com and follow the Bank on LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter) at @FHLBankIndy.

    The MIL Network –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/KAZAKHSTAN – “We have to be a bit like children”: Sister Irena’s mission in the villages around Almaty

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Thursday, 10 April 2025

    Almaty (Agenzia Fides) – “First saints, then missionaries,” Saint Giuseppe Allamano, founder of the Congregations of the Consolata Missionaries and Missionary Sisters, used to say. And that is the first gift we should ask for every day, says Sister Irena Candida De Alberto Solomone, originally from Africa, who, for three years, has been proclaiming the Gospel with four other sisters in the outskirts of Almaty, Kazakhstan’s most populous city.Kazakhstan, a crossroads of peoples and cultures in the heart of Asia, is a young country, as young as its Catholic community. A small flock (only 1% of the 19 million inhabitants are Catholic) that coexists peacefully with other faith communities (more than 70% of the population is Muslim, and 26% is Orthodox Christian).The current parish in Kazakhstan “is a parish composed primarily of the descendants of immigrants from Europe. But gradually, people born here are also asking to become part of the community”.Sister Irena is originally from Mozambique, where her vocation matured, as she tells Fides: “It is difficult to explain exactly how my vocation was born. Since childhood, when I attended catechism classes and, above all, prepared for the sacrament of Confirmation, I understood that Jesus is a person to be loved. With Confirmation, one becomes an active part of the Church, and every baptized person must assume responsibility. That is why, immediately after my Confirmation, I became a catechist in my parish.”At the time, Irena was 16 years old and had realized that “the Church is the place where one can fully live one’s faith. Like the other girls, I went to school, played basketball, and practiced dancing. But I felt a growing desire to give my life to God. After high school, at the age of 19, I decided to join the Consolata Missionary Sisters. In 1993, at the age of 24, I became a nun.”During these years, Irena also made the decision to go as a missionary “far from home, outside of Mozambique.”The Congregation of the Consolata Missionary Sisters provides for a period of several years before receiving the mandate: “My first destination was Italy, then I received the mandate and was initially destined for the United States of America. I lived there for 17 years.” In 2017, her destination changed: Asia. Sister Irena lived in Afghanistan for several years, then in 2022 she moved to the steppes of Kazakhstan: “I did not expect this. The Congregation’s project is to expand the missions, that is, to spread the Gospel where Christ is not yet known, where the Church is not yet developed.”But what does it mean to proclaim the Gospel in a country where the vast majority of the population belongs to another religion? For Sister Irena, it is “a precious opportunity,” because the charism of the Consolata Missionary Sisters is precisely to “reach those places and people where the Church’s presence is lacking, where there is a need to hear the Good News.””The best attitude,” adds the missionary sister, “is to have an open heart and an open mind. Since arriving here, we have realized that we have to be a bit like children. That means we have to start our lives a little bit anew: from studying the local language to exploring the places and culture of this country. This already leads us to the encounter with the Kazakh people. A people made up of many ethnic groups, but all with open hearts and open minds.” All activities “must take place on the church grounds. But they allow us to keep our facilities open. And that is a blessing in itself.”The community of sisters to which Irena belongs is also multi-ethnic, like the context in which the sisters are called to live their missionary vocation: Sister Irena lives with Sister Claudia from Colombia, Sister Dorota from Poland, and Sister Argentina from Mozambique. They are accompanied by two priests, Father Simon from Poland and Father Ladislaus from Korea.There are a total of seven villages around the city of Almaty where the Consolata Missionary Sisters work. And in Almaty, according to Sister Irena, “the government organizes many interfaith meetings. Father Simon often participates in these events so that we can maintain peaceful relations with everyone.”The Diocese of Almaty covers a total area of 711,600 km² and has 11 parishes. Of the 7,350,240 inhabitants, 42,000 are Catholics (0.6% of the total population). In the village of Janashari, “we have a playground and a facility that can accommodate about 20 people.” And even this playground, where people of other religions come together, becomes a place of encounter and dialogue for us.””And today,” adds the missionary sister, “we have some seminarians who will soon be ordained deacons.” And the veneration of saints or the Virgin Mary “has also begun to spread. That is beautiful, and we are only at the beginning.” (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 10/4/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Miller Questions USTR Representative Jamieson Greer on New Tariffs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) participated in a Ways and Means annual hearing with the United States Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer following the release of President Trump’s Trade Policy Agenda.
     

    Click Congresswoman Miller continued by highlighting the importance of promoting U.S. digital trade while combatting China. 

    “I have greatly appreciated your leadership in protecting American digital companies abroad. You and I agree about the dangers of South Korea’s anti-competitive policies toward American digital companies. I intend to re-introduce legislation that seeks to ensure that American companies are not being harmed by one of our closest allies, while Chinese companies are left unscathed. The digital trade sector is rapidly growing, and it is important we do not lose market share to China in this critical field. Several countries are considering legislation that mimics the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, which has undisputably caused a “digital winter” for American tech companies operating in Europe. What are your plans to address these harmful policies and to ensure the prosperity of American digital trade? Do you think that digital trade will play a part in the imminent trade discussions regarding the “Liberation Day” tariffs?” asked Congresswoman Miller.

    “I understand that there’s obviously a national conversation going on about how digital trade should be regulated, and there are lots of views on that. We’re not going to outsource that regulation. We’re not going to let the European Union or [South] Korea, or any other jurisdiction set the rules for digital trade. It will be us, and they won’t be able to do it in a way that’s discriminatory. That is impermissible, especially when we have, as you noted, the Chinese competition out there. If we’re going to have companies that operate in this space and are so competitive in this space, we need to make sure that they’re American companies, right? This is certainly something that we can talk about in any negotiations that come up,” said Ambassador Greer.

    Congresswoman Miller then asked about USTR’s commitment to building up the U.S. critical mineral supply. 

    “We have historically forged some of our strongest alliances based on procuring critical minerals which are difficult or nearly impossible to obtain in the U.S. Will you commit to exploring great discussions and partnerships with like-minded partners to protect and build up our critical minerals today?” asked Congresswoman Miller.

    “Yes,” said Ambassador Greer.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Minister Smyth signs a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a Joint Economic Commission between Ireland and the United Arab Emirates

    Source: Government of Ireland – Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation

    10th April 2025

    Niamh Smyth, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with His Excellency Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, on the 10th of April in Dubai establishing a new Joint Economic Commission between Ireland and the United Arab Emirates. 

    Joint Economic Commissions are a valuable forum for officials to discuss and exchange information and consult on trade and economic issues. This agreement builds on longstanding links and cooperation between the two countries and enhances the bi-lateral relationship between Ireland and the UAE.  

    Bilateral trade between Ireland and the UAE with a value of nearly €8 billion annually, positions the UAE as Ireland’s largest trading partner in the Arab world. 

    Minister Smyth said:

    “I would like to thank our Ambassador, Alison Milton, and her staff for their work in promoting our bilateral relations in the region. The warm reception I received today from Minister Thani Al Zeyoudi and his team is a reflection of the friendship that has grown over the last fifty years of diplomatic relations between Ireland and the UAE. It is very fitting that this agreement is being signed on the same day as Ireland is marking 50 years of diplomatic relations with the UAE.

    “In that time, both of our countries have enjoyed sustained growth in our respective economies. That growth would not have been possible without our State Agencies, Enterprise Ireland, Bord Bia, the IDA, and Tourism Ireland, who work tirelessly to promote Ireland here in the UAE. Through these collective efforts, the bilateral relationship has reached truly remarkable heights. 

    “The Joint Economic Commission will give a new forum for further collaboration in areas such as trade and investment, aviation, education and research, renewable energy and green technology, healthcare and life sciences. Once fully established, it will serve as a vehicle to enhance internal cooperation and coordination, strengthening Ireland’s partnership with one of the most dynamic economies in the world, and one with huge potential for increased bilateral trade and investment.”

    His Excellency Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi said:

     “The relationship between the UAE and Ireland is one of mutual respect and shared ambition. With a foundation built on trade and cooperation, we are well-positioned to explore new avenues for investment and collaboration. The signing of this MoU is a testament to our commitment to enhancing bilateral relations and unlocking the significant potential that exists between our two countries.”

    Notes to the Editors

    Ireland currently maintains active Joint Economic Commissions (JECs) with China, Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Korea which facilitate dialogue at official level across a range of economic, trade, investment, innovation and science and technology fields. This signing of this agreement with the UAE establishes a new JEC.

    JECs provide a valuable forum for exchanges and experience-sharing regarding economic and industrial policies. They can act as a platform to progress mutually beneficial trade and investment promotion, raise market access or regulatory issues and support closer cooperation in priority areas such as science, innovation and technology, education, connectivity, labour markets, green and digital transformations, supply chain resilience, tourism and culture, agriculture and food security, health, aviation and aerospace, and cybersecurity. The format allows partners to receive a response on important trade and investment issues, to discuss WTO developments and to increase awareness of our countries and respective enterprise and economic priorities among key decision makers. A JEC can also provide a mechanism for progressing matters proposed already, for example, under previously suggested MoUs. 

    On the Irish side, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment continue to lead on establishing and coordinating Ireland’s approach to JECs. In general, JECs meet on a biennial basis, at senior official level, with location alternating between the partners.

    ENDS

    Back to Department News

    Back to Top

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM call with Prime Minister Ishiba of Japan: 10 April 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    PM call with Prime Minister Ishiba of Japan: 10 April 2025

    The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of Japan Shigeru Ishiba this morning.

    The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of Japan Shigeru Ishiba this morning.

    On trade, the leaders agreed that a trade war does not benefit anyone, and that now is the time for a cool, calm and pragmatic approach.

    They agreed on the importance of likeminded partners such as the UK and Japan to work closely together to lower trade barriers. Through trading blocs such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and working bilaterally, there are many options to accelerate growth.  

    The Prime Minister wished Prime Minister Ishiba success for the launch of the Osaka Expo next week, and they discussed the UK pavilion focussed on innovation, which underpins the UK-Japan bilateral relationship. 

    On defence and security, the leaders discussed deeper cooperation, welcoming the progress of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) and reaffirmed their commitment to deliver the next generation of fighter jets.   

    The Prime Minister thanked Prime Minister Ishiba for Japan’s support for the Coalition of the Willing in support for Ukraine. 

    They agreed to keep in close touch.

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    Published 10 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government Procurement 90 Per Cent from Saskatchewan; 99 Per Cent Canadian

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on April 10, 2025

    The Government of Saskatchewan’s commitment to procuring from Saskatchewan based companies remains strong. Historically, Saskatchewan has awarded nearly 90 per cent of all procurements to Saskatchewan companies over the past five years. When Saskatchewan companies bid, that number has jumped to 95 per cent. In the same period, the province has awarded more than 99 per cent of procurements to Canadian companies, with less than one per cent awarded to US companies. For SaskBuilds’ major projects, all general contractors were Canadian and the majority were from Saskatchewan.

    “Our government will always put Saskatchewan people and Saskatchewan companies first,” SaskBuilds and Procurement Minister David Marit said. “With the vast majority of our procurement going to local businesses, we will continue to support local contractors and industries during this turbulent time.”

    The Ministry of Highways is also committed to Saskatchewan companies. In the 2024-25 construction year, over 96 per cent of the value of awarded contracts went to Saskatchewan companies.

    Saskatchewan’s Crown Corporations’ record of buying Saskatchewan is also strong. In the first three quarters of 2024-25, the Crown sector awarded $1.2 billion, or 75 per cent, of procurements to Saskatchewan suppliers. About three per cent of procurement came from the United States over the same period.

    As previously announced, Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan will be ensuring that the $43 million worth of VLTs and slot machines they will be procuring in 2025-26 will not be sourced from the United States. To date, 720 VLTs have been ordered from a Canadian subsidiary of a multi-national company that will assemble the VLTs in Mexico using Canadian, Mexican and Asian inputs.

    The Crown sector’s commitment to supporting Saskatchewan workers and businesses is also reflected in the recent announcement that SaskPower is accelerating the procurement of 10,000 tons of steel from EVRAZ over the coming months.

    SaskBuilds and Procurement continues to work through the details of implementing reporting and remains committed to getting the best value for the taxpayer dollar through the fair and transparent procurement process.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal jury convicts South Dakota man of sexually abusing two victims on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREAT FALLS — A federal jury yesterday convicted a South Dakota man of multiple crimes involving the sexual abuse of two victims on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    After a two-day trial, the jury found the defendant, Farron Gene American Horse, Sr., 40, guilty of sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact as charged in an indictment. On the more serious charge of sexual abuse, American Horse faces up to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and not less than five years to life of supervised release.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The Court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for July 17, 2025. American Horse will remain in custody pending further proceedings.

    “Protecting the public on our Native American reservations has been, and remains, a top priority for the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office here in Montana, especially vulnerable victims like those in this case. The defendant’s decision to abuse the children he was supposed to be caring for, is abhorrent and tragic. The jury’s guilty verdict should serve as a warning to others who would abuse others that they will be caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I want to thank the Assistant U. S. Attorneys and staff in our office, and the law enforcement agents from the FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services for their hard work on the case.” U.S. Attorney Alme said.

    The government alleged at trial and in court documents that American Horse sexually abused the victims in September and October 2020 in Hays, on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. In the summer of 2020, American Horse went to live with a woman and her family in Hays and helped look after the children. In October 2020, one victim, identified as Jane Doe 1, who had attained the age of 12 years but had not yet reached the age of 16 years, disclosed being sexually abused by American Horse while spending the night at the woman’s residence. About this time, another victim, identified as Jane Doe 2, who also had attained the age of 12 years but had not yet reached the age of 16 years, disclosed that American Horse had touched her while she was sleeping at the woman’s home weeks earlier.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: MENG HAILS NASA ASTRONAUT – WHO RECENTLY VISITED QUEENS – FOR ARRIVING AT INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Grace Meng (6th District of New York)

    QUEENS, NY – Today, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) hailed NASA Astronaut Jonny Kim – who recently visited Queens – for arrivingat the International Space Station this morning in his first spaceflight.  

    In October 2022, Meng brought Kim to the borough where he met and spoke with local students at Francis Lewis High School in Fresh Meadows and the Queens College School for Math, Science and Technology in Flushing. Meng and Kim also hosted a luncheon with local Korean American leaders in Flushing.

    During his trip to Queens, Meng introduced him to the students, and Kim talked about becoming an astronaut, space exploration, overcoming challenges and his remarkable life and career.  

    “I remember seeing the excitement from Queens students when Jonny Kim came to their school and how they were inspired by his story,” said Meng. “I’m thrilled to now see him arriving in space and I wish him all the best in this important mission.”

    Kim arrived at the International Space Station with two Russian cosmonauts and is scheduled to stay aboard the orbital outpost for eight months. During the mission, he will conduct scientific research in technology development, Earth science, biology, human research and more. 

    A child of South Korean immigrants, Kim was selected by NASA in 2017 after serving as a U.S. Navy SEAL, receiving the Silver Star and Bronze Star and earning a medical degree from Harvard Medical School. 

    Meng is the top Democrat on the House subcommittee that funds NASA and is proud to have secured money for the space agency to fund missions like these.    

    Kim’s full bio can be viewed here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mrvan Announces Community Conversations Schedule

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank J. Mrvan (IN)

    Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Frank J. Mrvan announced his Community Conversations to be held throughout Indiana’s First Congressional District on Thursday, April 24, 2025. 

    Congressman Mrvan stated, “I invite residents to attend one of my Community Conversations that I will be holding on April 24, 2025.  I believe these opportunities allow me to hear directly from constituents and better represent our collective interests in our nation’s capital.  Additionally, I will provide a brief update on the 119th Session of Congress and my work on the House Appropriations Committee.”

    Thursday – April 24, 2025

    • 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Michigan City – City Hall Council Chambers, 100 East Michigan Boulevard, Michigan City, IN 46360
    • 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Memorial Opera House, 104 Indiana Avenue, Valparaiso, IN 46383
    • 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Indiana University Northwest, Bergland Auditorium in the Savannah Center, 65 West 33rd Avenue, Gary, IN 46408

    Please note that all times listed are Central Standard Time.  

    Additional Community Conversations are planned to be held in other locations in Indiana’s First Congressional District in the coming months.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 10 April 2025 Departmental update Worldwide rally for maternal and newborn health marks World Health Day 2025

    Source: World Health Organisation

    On the occasion of the World Health Day 2025 dedicated to the theme of Healthier beginnings, hopeful futures, over 100 global offices of the World Health Organization (WHO) have organized wide-ranging public advocacy actions in collaboration with Member States, communities, health workers, partner and donor agencies and civil society organizations.

    The unprecedented global action to defend maternal and newborn health care services highlights the importance of protecting critical maternal, newborn health related services that are increasingly under threat of funding challenges affecting the global health sector.
     

    World Health Day 2025 actions by WHO offices

    African Region

    • Angola launched a dynamic Facebook live event and media campaign with UNICEF and UNFPA and partners.
    • Burundi orchestrated a 10-day celebration featuring refugee clinic visits, school disease screenings, and maternal health workshops.
    • Central African Republic hosted a presidential-level celebration launching maternal health roadmap with nationwide media coverage.
    • Chad mobilized 250 UN volunteers for the campaign, culminating in a ministerial ceremony and refugee camp celebrations.
    • Republic of the Congo featured a high-profile Walk the Talk event with the Regional Director to launch a maternal death management system, among other events.
    • Comoros held a joint event with the Directorate of Family Health.
    • Côte d’Ivoire spotlighted reproductive health of disabled women through powerful exhibitions and data showcases.
    • Eritrea conducted knowledge competitions and community visits to maternal waiting homes led by Minister of Health, among other events.
    • Eswatini organized community dialogues on maternal issues with strategic media placements across multiple platforms.
    • The Gambia commemorated through media engagements on national radio and TV networks.
    • Guinea implemented nationwide vaccination campaigns alongside free consultations and high-level advocacy efforts.
    • Lesotho engaged the Prime Minister in a community event complemented by university debates and a scientific symposium.
    • Liberia held a Walk the Talk event with the Ministry of Health.
    • Madagascar combined official ceremonies with free health care services, video broadcasts, among many other activities including an energetic Zumba fitness event.
    • Malawi delivered a bilingual media campaign featuring the Minister of Health addressing maternal and neonatal health priorities.
    • Mali showcased perinatal clinic facilities through an official ceremony and comprehensive media coverage.
    • Mauritania blended cultural performances with scientific panels on reproductive health in a high-impact ceremony.
    • Nigeria: WHO Nigeria, MOH and partners organized a walk to sensitize on improving maternal and newborn health, ending preventable deaths, and prioritizing women’s long-term well-being.
    • South Sudan: amidst the ongoing security concerns, no public events were held but advocacy messages were disseminated.
    • Republic of Sierra Leone facilitated the First Lady’s visit to a maternal hospital alongside diplomatic tours of health monitoring facilities.
    • South Africa produced impact videos and coordinated joint statements with the National Department of Health across media platforms.
    • Uganda published compelling human-interest stories on maternal health alongside policy dialogues and community health check-ups, among many other events (see here).
    • Zambia released a presidential video message highlighting maternal health partnerships and community outreach initiatives (also see here and here).
    • Tanzania: WHO joined the Ministry of Health and partners for the climax of National Health Week.

    WHO Region of the Americas/Pan American Health Organization

    • The Bahamas launched the SIP+ maternal health initiative through a strategic press conference and social media campaign.
    • Belize hosted a media breakfast with the Ministry of Health featuring targeted video content for multiple platforms.
    • Chile partnered with the Ministry of Health for a nationwide campaign launch with sustained media presence.
    • Colombia showcased traditional midwifery alongside technical experts in a ministerial panel on maternal mortality reduction.
    • Cuba celebrated zero maternal deaths in Villa Clara province through a festival and a multi-agency scientific symposium.
    • Guatemala secured vice presidential participation for a high-profile campaign launch at the national palace.
    • Guyana transformed the Rosignol Health Centre into a community hub with a health fair and live social media coverage (also see here).
    • Haiti launched a National Health Week with the Prime Minister featuring themed days and nationwide health fairs.
    • Suriname combined a public health fair with a technical forum on Perinatal Health Information System implementation.
    • Trinidad and Tobago placed strategic advertorials in major newspapers highlighting SIP implementation success.

    WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region

    • Bahrain coordinated joint UN-Ministry of Health events with a cross-platform media campaign, among other events (see here and here).
    • Djibouti celebrated the dual milestone of World Health Day and 40 years of WHO presence with a maternal health focus.
    • Jordan launched a Let’s talk about health video from the WHO country office staff to share insights and inspire change.
    • Iraq designed a comprehensive Health Week with daily themes engaging youth, media, and community volunteers.
    • Kuwait secured prime national TV coverage with coordinated social media messaging (see here and here).
    • Oman mobilized a multi-ministry response integrating higher education institutions in maternal health initiatives.
    • Pakistan engaged government officials in high-visibility events complemented by human interest stories and op-eds.
    • Tunisia implemented Health Champions Week featuring centre visits and a bilingual media campaign.

    WHO European Region

    • Republic of Armenia combined provincial and ministerial leadership in a women’s health event with national TV coverage.
    • Republic of Azerbaijan inaugurated a cutting-edge simulation laboratory at Azerbaijan Medical University with national television coverage.
    • Bosnia and Herzegovina distributed ministerial certificates alongside strategic op-eds in local newspapers.
    • Bulgaria honoured Bulgarian nurses through a campaign supporting a new national nursing strategy with UNICEF amplification.
    • Cyprus launched the National Mental Health Strategy alongside breastfeeding advocacy initiatives.
    • Czechia leveraged World Health Day to amplify a national alcohol action plan through high-profile press events.
    • Estonia published influential op-eds supporting early childhood vaccination with a multi-stakeholder social media campaign.
    • Hellenic Republic unveiled WHO European Quality Standards for child/youth mental health services with expert consultation.
    • Hungary launched a targeted campaign on heatwave impacts during pregnancy featuring expert recommendations.
    • Kazakhstan mobilized the Ministry of Health and Astana Medical University for a dynamic Walk the Talk event.
    • Kyrgyz Republic engaged university students through specialized talks on maternal and newborn health priorities.
    • Montenegro secured a national television interview alongside a smoking cessation initiative for pregnant women.
    • North Macedonia combined a media briefing with a doctors’ association and prime-time national TV news coverage.
    • Republic of Moldova produced a national TV health series complemented by school campaigns and a breastfeeding caravan.
    • Romania showcased kangaroo mother care through a strategic partners exhibition and technical roundtables.
    • Serbia illuminated Belgrade Tower with campaign messaging alongside prime-time media interviews.
    • Türkiye lit the iconic Atakule landmark while hosting a university seminar with the Ministry of Health and UN agencies.
    • Turkmenistan organized a bicycle marathon and youth dialogue with health network members.
    • Republic of Uzbekistan unveiled a maternal health mural at the National Center of Mother and Child with a influencer video series.

    WHO South-East Asia Region

    • Bangladesh hosted a national event at Osmani Memorial Auditorium with a newspaper supplement and district-level activities.
    • Bhutan combined a team-building hike with a celebration featuring video messages from the Minister of Health.
    • India showcased achievements in reducing maternal and child mortality rates through a regional webinar (also see here).
    • Indonesia celebrated 75 years of WHO partnership through an online talk show and targeted social media campaign.
    • Nepal highlighted mortality rate reductions through ministerial messages and video testimonies.
    • Sri Lanka delivered a specialized webinar series on maternal health topics with technical policy briefs.
    • Thailand focused on preterm infant care through a Department of Health event featuring regional voices.
    • Timor-Leste launched the Every Newborn Action Plan alongside a Ministry of Health–WHO exhibition and technical seminar.

    WHO Western Pacific Region

    • Cambodia connected health workers nationwide through a virtual gathering with parliamentary engagement.
    • China secured ministerial leadership for a National Health Commission event featuring the Director-General’s video remarks.
    • Lao People’s Democratic Republic published a joint WR/Minister of Health opinion piece with a planned UN partner MCH event.
    • Mongolia simultaneously launched the Healthy Newborn Initiative and the Cervical Cancer Elimination Programme.
    • Independent State of Papua New Guinea implemented a comprehensive activity series including regulatory workshops and violence prevention initiatives.
    • South Pacific coordinated a joint release with regional partners while launching the WHO South Pacific LinkedIn platform.
    • Solomon Islands celebrated maternal and child health achievements with medical workers and ministry officials.
    • Socialist Republic of Viet Nam partnered with the Young Physicians Association for a Hanoi event with strategic opinion pieces in the national media.

    Worldwide actions exemplified above, among many others, generate a strong response to the global call issued by UN agencies on World Health Day, raising alarm on the threat of major backsliding of maternal and newborn health.

    World Health Day 2025 marks WHO’s 77th birthday and kicks off a year-long campaign on maternal and newborn health. WHO urges governments and the health community to ramp up efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and to prioritize women’s longer-term health and well-being.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Labor Leaders Introduce Bill to Raise Minimum Wage

    Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)

    Headline: Labor Leaders Introduce Bill to Raise Minimum Wage

    The Raise the Wage Act of 2025 would gradually raise the minimum wage to $17 by 2030 and give roughly 22 million Americans a long-overdue raise.

    As originally released by the Committee on Education and Workforce, Democrats

    WASHINGTON – Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, introduced the Raise the Wage Act of 2025.  According to the Economic Policy Institute, the Raise the Wage Act would gradually raise the minimum wage to $17 by 2030 and give roughly 22 million Americans a long-overdue raise.

    After more than fifteen years with no increase in the federal minimum wage—the longest period in U.S. history—millions of our nation’s workers are working full-time jobs but are still struggling to make ends meet.  The Raise the Wage Act is good for workers, good for business, and good for the economy.  When we put money in the pockets of workers, they will spend that money at local businesses. 

    “No person working full-time in America should be living in poverty.  The Raise the Wage Act will increase the pay and standard of living for nearly 22 million workers across this country.  Raising the minimum wage is good for workers, good for business, and good for the economy.  When we put money in the pockets of American workers, they will spend that money in their communities,”said Scott.

    “The $7.25 an hour minimum wage is a starvation wage. It must be raised to a living wage – at least $17 an hour,” Sanders said. “In the year 2025, a job should lift you out of poverty, not keep you in it. At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, we can no longer tolerate millions of workers trying to survive on just $10 or $12 an hour. Congress can no longer ignore the needs of the working class of this country. The time to act is now,”said Sanders.

    TheRaise the Wage Act of 2025would:

    • Gradually raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $17 by 2030.
    • Index future increases in the federal minimum wage to median wage growth to ensure the value of minimum wage does not once again erode over time.
    • Guarantee tipped workers are paid at least the full federal minimum wage by phasing out the subminimum wage for tipped workers, which will ensure decent, consistent pay without eliminating tips.
    • Guarantee teen workers are paid at least the full federal minimum wage by phasing out the rarely used subminimum wage for youth workers.
    • End subminimum wage certificates for workers with disabilities to provide opportunities for workers with disabilities to be competitively employed and participate more fully in their communities.

    The Raise the Wage Act of 2025 has 142 original House co-sponsors, including Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Greg Casar (TX-35), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Alma S. Adams (NC-12), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-00), Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Donald S. Beyer (VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Shontel M. Brown (OH-11), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Salud O. Carbajal (CA-24), André Carson (IN-07), Sean Casten (IL-06), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), James E. Clyburn (SC-06), Herbert Conaway (NJ-03), Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11), Joe Courtney (CT-02), Angie Craig (MN-02), Jason Crow (CO-06), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-03), Suzan K. DelBene (WA-01), Christopher R. Deluzio (PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Bill Foster (IL-11), Valerie P. Foushee (NC-04), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Al Green (TX-09),  Steven Horsford (NV-04), Steny Hoyer (MD-05), Val T. Hoyle (OR-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Bill Keating (MA-09), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Timothy M. Kennedy (NY-26), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Summer Lee (PA-12), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), John W. Mannion (NY-22), Doris O. Matsui (CA-07), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Sarah McBride (DE-At Large), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), James P. McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Grace Meng (NY-06), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Joseph D. Morelle (NY-25), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Frank J. Mrvan (IN-01), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Joe Neguse (CO-02), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19),Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Deborah K. Ross (NC-02), Patrick Ryan (NY-18), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Janice D. Schakowsky (IL-09), Bradley Scott Schneider (IL-10), Terri A. Sewell (AL-07), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Darren Soto (FL-09), Melanie A. Stansbury (NM-01), Haley M. Stevens (MI-11), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Thomas R. Suozzi (NY-03), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill N. Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Nikema Williams (GA-05), and Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).

    The Raise the Wage Act of 2025 has been endorsed by 85 organizations including, AFL-CIO, American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), American Council of the Blind, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), American Friends Service Committee, American Public Health Association, Americans for Democratic Action (ADA), Autistic People of Color Fund, Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network, Care in Action, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research (CLEAR), Clearinghouse on Women’s Issues, Coalition on Human Needs, Communications Workers of America (CWA), Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd U.S. Provinces, the Council for Global Equality, Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR), Demos, Economic Policy Institute (EPI), Equal Pay Today, Family Values @ Work, Feminist Majority Foundation, First Focus Campaign for Children, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), The General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church, Gig Workers Rising, Indivisible, Institute for Policy Studies’ Poverty Project, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), Justice for Migrant Women, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Legal Momentum, Milwaukee Area Service & Hospitality Workers Union, MomsRising, Movement Advancement Project (MAP), National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, National Association of Social Workers, National Black Worker Center, National Center for Law and Economic Justice (NCLEJ), National Coalition for the Homeless, National Council of Jewish Women, National Disability Institute, National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA),  National Education Association (NEA), National Employment Law Project (NELP), National Employment Lawyers Association, National Immigration Law Center (NILC), The National Partnership for Women & Families, National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, New Disabled South, Oasis Legal Services, One Fair Wage, Oxfam America, Patriotic Millionaires, People Power United, Popular Democracy in Action, Pride at Work AFL-CIO, Public Advocacy for Kids, Public Justice Center, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Southern Poverty Law Center, Union for Reform Judaism, UNITE HERE, United Autoworkers (UAW), United Church of Christ, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), United for Respect, United Steelworkers (USW), Voices for Progress,  Worker Justice Center of New York, Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group, Working Partnerships USA, Workplace Fairness, Workplace Justice Lab, and Worksafe.

    To read the bill text for the Raise the Wage Act of 2025, click here.

    To read the fact sheet on the Raise the Wage Act of 2025, click here.

    To read the section-by-section Raise the Wage Act of 2025, click here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Assessing the Global Climate in March 2025

    Source: US National Oceanographic Data Center

    March Highlights:

    Temperature

    The March global surface temperature was 2.36°F (1.31°C) above the 20th-century average of 54.9°F (12.7°C), making it the third-warmest March on record. According to NCEI’s Global Annual Temperature Outlook, there is a 6% chance that 2025 will rank as the warmest year on record. 

    Land and Ocean Temperature Percentiles for March 2025 (°C). Red indicates warmer than average and blue indicates colder than average.

    It was the second-warmest March for the global land air temperature and the second-warmest March for the global ocean surface temperature. Europe and Oceania had their warmest Marches on record, and Africa ranked third warmest.

    March temperatures were above average across much of the global land surface, particularly over the Arctic, Alaska, the eastern U.S., most of Europe, northwest Africa, and Australia. Much of central Canada and eastern Asia were much colder than average, and a few other areas such as southern Africa were slightly below normal. Sea surface temperatures were above average over most areas, while parts of the eastern tropical Pacific and parts of the Southern Ocean were below average.

    Surface Temperature Departure from the 1991–2020 Average for March 2025 (°C). Red indicates warmer than average and blue indicates colder than average.

    Snow Cover

    The Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent in March was well below average, ranking seventh smallest on record. Snow cover over North America and Greenland was below average (by 170,000 square miles), and Eurasia was also below average (by 550,000 square miles). A lack of snow cover was particularly obvious over the United States and Europe.

    Sea Ice

    Global sea ice extent was the second smallest in the 47-year record at 6.60 million square miles, which was 780,000 square miles below the 1991–2020 average. Arctic sea ice extent was below average (by 340,000 square miles), ranking lowest on record and Antarctic extent was below average (by 440,000 square miles), ranking fourth lowest on record.

    Map of the Arctic (left) and Antarctic (right) sea ice extent in March 2025.Map of the Arctic (left) and Antarctic (right) sea ice extent in March 2025.Map of the Arctic (left) and Antarctic (right) sea ice extent in March 2025.Map of the Arctic (left) and Antarctic (right) sea ice extent in March 2025.

    Tropical Cyclones

    Eight named storms occurred across the globe in March, which was slightly above the long-term average of six. A record five named storms occurred in the southwestern Indian Ocean while four occurred in the Australian region (one storm traversed the two basins).

    For a more complete summary of climate conditions and events, see our March 2025 Global Climate Report or explore our Climate at a Glance Global Time Series.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Update 285 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has carried out five deliveries of equipment and other technical assistance over the past week as it remains fully focused on helping to prevent a nuclear accident during the military conflict in Ukraine, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

    Since the beginning of the conflict more than three years ago, the IAEA has now organised a total of 125 such shipments to 29 counterparts in Ukraine, including its nuclear power plants (NPPs), the national operator Energoatom, the country’s regulator, technical support organizations and laboratories, emergency services, organizations handling radioactive material,  as well as health centres offering medical care to plant personnel and others.

    “This technical support is an important component of the IAEA’s overall efforts aimed at ensuring nuclear safety and security in Ukraine. We will continue to provide such critical assistance to Ukraine, prioritizing areas where it is most urgently needed, thanks to the generous donor support,” Director General Grossi said.

    In recent days, the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology received equipment to enhance nuclear security at the site, the South Ukraine NPP received a whole body counter to monitor internal exposures of its operating staff, USIE Izotop – which manages radioactive material intended for medical, industrial and other purposes – received a forklift to support the safe handling and transport of radioactive material, and the Khmelnytskyy and Rivne NPPs received influenza medication and dental care equipment.

    These deliveries were provided with funding from Japan, the United Kingdom and the European Union. Since the start of the conflict, equipment worth almost 17 million euros has so far reached Ukraine. The IAEA is preparing further assistance for delivery.

    At Ukraine’s nuclear sites, frequent air raid alarms and the sound of explosions in the distance continued to highlight persistent risks to nuclear safety. On the night of 9 April, according to information from the site, eight drones were detected flying within 4 km of the South Ukraine NPP.

    At the Zaporizhzhya NPP (ZNPP), the IAEA team based at the site has continued to conduct regular walkdowns to monitor and assess nuclear safety and security, including to the dry spent fuel storage where the team observed the safety and security arrangements, the on-site radiation monitoring laboratory, and on-site warehouses.

    The team also discussed with the plant upcoming electrical maintenance activities as well as staffing levels, training and qualifications at the ZNPP.

    At the Khmelnytskyy and Rivne NPPs, one reactor at each site remains in shutdown for refuelling. On 5 April, two units at the Rivne site had to temporarily reduce their power output due to grid limitations, highlighting the ongoing difficulties caused by the fragile energy infrastructure. Also this past week, the team at the Khmelnytskyy NPP rotated.

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: World Expo: Getting ready as an exhibitor 

    Source: International Chamber of Commerce

    Headline: World Expo: Getting ready as an exhibitor 

    Share this:

    In recent years, World Expo organisers and pavilion hosts have designed immersive exhibition experiences and transported pioneering technology, like flying cars, across borders.  

    As the opening in Osaka approaches, preparations for a range of events, trade shows or global fairs in other corners of the world are underway. 

    Your guide to securing an ATA Carnet 

    If you are planning to temporarily import professional equipment, samples or exhibition materials for similar happenings, here’s everything you need to know to secure your ATA Carnet, your international customs documents for duty- and tax-free temporary import of goods. 

    Step 1: Planning and inventory check

    Start by making a detailed list of all the items needed for your presence at the World Expo or another global event—display stands, promotional materials, demo equipment and branded merchandise. 

    Check these guidelines to know whether your items are eligible for an ATA Carnet. ATA Carnets cover almost everything (except consumables and giveaways) including:  

    • goods for use at trade fairs, shows, exhibitions  
    • professional equipment  
    • commercial samples  
    • personal effects and goods for sports purposes 

    Step 2: Contacting your national ATA Carnet issuing body  

    • Find your national guaranteeing association, short NGA, through a simple online search. NGAs are authorised by your Customs administration and affiliated with the international guarantee chain managed by the International Chamber of Commerce. 
    • Get your Carnet application form and a list of requirements from your NGA. 
    • Check with your local chamber of commerce if info sessions to clarify the process are available. 

    Tip: If you plan to attend multiple trade fairs before and after the World Expo, confirm if the same Carnet could be used for multiple destinations. 

    Step 3: Submitting the ATA Carnet application  

    • Fill out the application with: 
      • A complete list of goods (with serial numbers, values and descriptions). 
      • Your planned entry and exit dates. 
      • A security (either a deposit, guarantee made by a bank or an insurance company depending on the rules of the issuing body. The security will be discharged upon your return if the temporary admission is regularised correctly). 
    • The issuing body processes your request within a few days and delivers your ATA Carnet to you. 

    Step 4: Shipping and pre-departure logistics  

    • Book a freight forwarder familiar with ATA Carnets to ensure smooth customs clearance. 
    • Add the Carnet document to your shipment paperwork and make multiple copies. 
    • Check the host country’s customs regulations to ensure compliance and avoid last-minute issues. Your freight forwarder might be able to help. 

    Step 5: Using the ATA Carnet at the border 

    • Upon arrival, present the Carnet document to local customs officials. 
    • They stamp the importation counterfoil and detach the importation voucher, allowing your goods to enter duty-free. 
    • After setting up your pavilion or booth, keep the Carnet in a secure place— you will need it again for re-export. 

    Step 6: Re-exporting and refund 

    • After the event, pack all your items and head to customs before leaving Japan. 
    • Present your Carnet to have the exit stamped—this confirms you re-exported everything as required. 
    • Once back home, return the Carnet to your issuing body and receive your security deposit refund. 

    In 2024, 204 224 ATA Carnets were issued worldwide, allowing goods worth $32 billion to pass through customs checkpoints – duty free and tax free for up to one year. Its efficiency was highlighted during the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, when hundreds of thousands of pieces of equipment were imported for the Games using ATA Carnets.   

    As the one and only globally unified customs document, the ATA Carnet is the backbone of global events, trade shows, sports competitions and more, allowing smooth customs clearance of professional equipment without the need for a guarantee, bond, or cash deposit at borders. 

    Learn more about the ATA Carnet and find your local contact point in +80 countries and territories

    MIL OSI Economics –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Banking: World Expo: Getting ready as an exhibitor 

    Source: International Chamber of Commerce

    Headline: World Expo: Getting ready as an exhibitor 

    Share this:

    In recent years, World Expo organisers and pavilion hosts have designed immersive exhibition experiences and transported pioneering technology, like flying cars, across borders.  

    As the opening in Osaka approaches, preparations for a range of events, trade shows or global fairs in other corners of the world are underway. 

    Your guide to securing an ATA Carnet 

    If you are planning to temporarily import professional equipment, samples or exhibition materials for similar happenings, here’s everything you need to know to secure your ATA Carnet, your international customs documents for duty- and tax-free temporary import of goods. 

    Step 1: Planning and inventory check

    Start by making a detailed list of all the items needed for your presence at the World Expo or another global event—display stands, promotional materials, demo equipment and branded merchandise. 

    Check these guidelines to know whether your items are eligible for an ATA Carnet. ATA Carnets cover almost everything (except consumables and giveaways) including:  

    • goods for use at trade fairs, shows, exhibitions  
    • professional equipment  
    • commercial samples  
    • personal effects and goods for sports purposes 

    Step 2: Contacting your national ATA Carnet issuing body  

    • Find your national guaranteeing association, short NGA, through a simple online search. NGAs are authorised by your Customs administration and affiliated with the international guarantee chain managed by the International Chamber of Commerce. 
    • Get your Carnet application form and a list of requirements from your NGA. 
    • Check with your local chamber of commerce if info sessions to clarify the process are available. 

    Tip: If you plan to attend multiple trade fairs before and after the World Expo, confirm if the same Carnet could be used for multiple destinations. 

    Step 3: Submitting the ATA Carnet application  

    • Fill out the application with: 
      • A complete list of goods (with serial numbers, values and descriptions). 
      • Your planned entry and exit dates. 
      • A security (either a deposit, guarantee made by a bank or an insurance company depending on the rules of the issuing body. The security will be discharged upon your return if the temporary admission is regularised correctly). 
    • The issuing body processes your request within a few days and delivers your ATA Carnet to you. 

    Step 4: Shipping and pre-departure logistics  

    • Book a freight forwarder familiar with ATA Carnets to ensure smooth customs clearance. 
    • Add the Carnet document to your shipment paperwork and make multiple copies. 
    • Check the host country’s customs regulations to ensure compliance and avoid last-minute issues. Your freight forwarder might be able to help. 

    Step 5: Using the ATA Carnet at the border 

    • Upon arrival, present the Carnet document to local customs officials. 
    • They stamp the importation counterfoil and detach the importation voucher, allowing your goods to enter duty-free. 
    • After setting up your pavilion or booth, keep the Carnet in a secure place— you will need it again for re-export. 

    Step 6: Re-exporting and refund 

    • After the event, pack all your items and head to customs before leaving Japan. 
    • Present your Carnet to have the exit stamped—this confirms you re-exported everything as required. 
    • Once back home, return the Carnet to your issuing body and receive your security deposit refund. 

    In 2024, 204 224 ATA Carnets were issued worldwide, allowing goods worth $32 billion to pass through customs checkpoints – duty free and tax free for up to one year. Its efficiency was highlighted during the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, when hundreds of thousands of pieces of equipment were imported for the Games using ATA Carnets.   

    As the one and only globally unified customs document, the ATA Carnet is the backbone of global events, trade shows, sports competitions and more, allowing smooth customs clearance of professional equipment without the need for a guarantee, bond, or cash deposit at borders. 

    Learn more about the ATA Carnet and find your local contact point in +80 countries and territories

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 10 April 2025 Donors making a difference in support of WHO’s global work for better nutrition for all

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Nutrition is a critical part of health and development at every stage of life. Better nutrition is related to improved infant, child and maternal health, stronger immune systems, safer pregnancy and childbirth, lower risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, and longevity. Healthy children learn better. People with adequate nutrition are more productive and can create opportunities to gradually break the cycles of poverty and hunger.

    Today, the world faces a double burden of malnutrition that includes both undernutrition and overweight. Undernutrition as well as obesity result in diet-related noncommunicable diseases.

    WHO’s support to initiatives to tackle malnutrition is not possible without funding. For core work like this, WHO needs sustainable financing that is predictable, flexible and resilient, enabling the Organization to have the greatest impact where it is needed most.

    In parallel to providing fully flexible funding, donors also invest in specific WHO activities across the globe to address malnutrition. The examples reveal a wide range of donor support, not only in emergency contexts with vulnerable or displaced populations but also as a long-term and deeply embedded concern for many countries. This support is even more vital in the face of rising conflict, poverty, food insecurity and rising food prices coupled with easy access to cheap and highly processed foods across all income levels.

    Bridging gaps in health and nutrition services for internally displaced people (IDPs) and crisis-affected communities in Amhara, Ethiopia

    Bridging gaps in health and nutrition services for IDPs and crisis-affected communities in Amhara, Ethiopia. Photo by: WHO/Nitsebiho Asrat

    The Amhara region of Ethiopia has faced a severe humanitarian crisis since November 2021. Nearly a million IDPs are scattered across 38 collective sites and host communities, alongside hundreds of thousands of refugees and returnees.

    Ongoing public health emergencies have exacerbated the already critical demand for basic essential health and nutrition services. Availability and access to services are severely limited. WHO, in collaboration with regional government authorities, deployed Mobile Health and Nutrition Teams (MHNTs) to bring essential services to the most vulnerable populations.

    As needs increased, the number of MHNTs expanded to 19, comprising 132 health workers, in April 2024. This was made possible through funding from the European Commission Humanitarian Aid, the United States Agency for International Development, the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (UN CERF), and the People and Government of Japan.

    Read the full story.

    Stabilisation centres are a lifeline for Sudan’s malnourished children

    WHO Regional Director Dr Hanan Balkhy at the WHO-supported nutrition stabilisation centre in Port Sudan which is providing life-saving care for many infants suffering from acute malnutrition. Photo by: WHO/Inas Hamam

    In 2024, almost a year after conflict erupted in Sudan, nearly 25 million people needed humanitarian assistance. Of these, 18 million people faced acute hunger, 5 million of them at emergency levels.

    In 2024, WHO provided medical supplies and technical support to 121 state-run stabilisation centres in Sudan and supported 11 with operating costs. About 3.5 million children under 5 years – every 7th child in Sudan – experience acute malnutrition. Stabilisation centres are a lifeline to more than 100 000 children who are severely acutely malnourished and suffer from medical complications.

    Since the conflict erupted in April 2023, WHO has trained 1 942 nutrition cadres and distributed over 2 300 severe acute malnutrition kits to help treat more than 28 000 children. WHO was able to do this thanks to the generous financial assistance of the Italian Development Cooperation, Japan and the United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. This ensured life-saving support, much more of which is needed to address the staggering numbers of Sudanese children in need.

    Read the full story.

    Nutrition services included in the emergency health response in Syria

    WHO team visits a health centre in Maskaneh village in rural Aleppo, meeting with health and community workers and beneficiaries, 2024. Photo by: WHO/Farah Ramada

    WHO welcomes US$ 5.5 million funding received from UN CERF to enhance its integrated multisectoral emergency response in Syria. The funding will enable WHO to continue delivering life-saving healthcare services to the most vulnerable populations in conflict-affected regions of the country.

    The support aims to reduce morbidity and mortality by ensuring access to essential health care, including advanced nutrition services, and by delivering health services to people in need in north-west and north-east Syria, including sub-districts in Aleppo, Al-Hasakeh, Dar’a, Deir-ez-Zor, Idleb and Lattakia.

    The funding supports around 1.8 million people in prioritized areas, aiming to improve access to primary and secondary health care and to bolster emergency referral systems. The focus is on children experiencing malnutrition, providing essential supplies to nutrition stabilisation centres and hospitals, and on strengthening the capacity of local health care workers for mental health, gender-based violence, and communicable diseases.

    Read the full story.

    Life-saving health supplies and services to over 5 million people across drought-affected states in Somalia

    EU ECHO-funded project helped equip 11 nutrition stabilisation centres, 2024. Photo by: WHO/Somalia I.Taxta

    WHO and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), with funding from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (EU ECHO) supported Somalia’s Federal and State Ministries of Health to provide life-saving health supplies and services to over 5 million people across drought-affected areas of Banadir, South West, Jubbaland and Galmudug states. WHO supported 63 stabilisation centres for treatment of severe acute malnutrition with medical complications, treating over 25 000 children across the country in these centres. 84% of these children survived.

    The 24-month project increased access to health and nutrition services for IDPs in camps and host communities and addressed the needs of pregnant and lactating women, elderly individuals, and children under 5 in drought and conflict-affected areas.

    Essential medical supplies were procured and distributed for severe acute malnutrition with medical complications in children, essential health and severe malnutrition kits, and to support detection and response to outbreaks. The project helped equip 11 nutrition stabilisation centres across target districts with severe acute malnutrition kits, with an average cure rate of 94.25% in children under 5.

    Read the full story.

    Benin: nutrition and health monitoring to bolster children’s health

    WHO-supported health screenings help safeguard children’s physical and intellectual well-being in Benin’s primary schools, 2023. Photo by: WHO/D. Akomatsri

    Every day, all primary and pre-primary pupils in Benin’s state schools receive a hot meal, courtesy of the National Integrated School Feeding Programme. An associated nutritional and health monitoring campaign is carried out biannually offering a package of services, including micronutrient supplementation, deworming, and hygiene promotion in schools.

    The campaign reached 60 schools in 2023, with support from WHO, the World Food Programme and the United Nations Children’s Fund. This helped detect and treat cases of malnutrition amongst pupils, with 13 986 children screened and 1 367 cases of malnutrition detected, including 390 severe acute cases and 975 moderate acute cases.

    By linking medical care to the school feeding scheme, Benin’s Ministry of Health aims to address both the physical and intellectual health of schoolchildren. WHO, through the French Muskoka Fund, is supporting this initiative to monitor health and nutrition amongst schoolchildren in a bid to help entrench health promotion in schools.

    Read the full story.

    Protecting children from the harmful effect of food marketing in Malaysia

    Policymakers, civil society organizations, academics and industry representatives participated in the consultative seminar. Photo by: WHO

    Malaysia has the highest rate of childhood overweight or obesity in ASEAN, yet children continue to be exposed to aggressive marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages. Over 30% of children aged 5-17 years old were classified as overweight or obese in 2022.

    This trend is coupled with a significant portion of children growing up stunted, creating a double burden of malnutrition. Addressing the double burden of malnutrition demands collaboration across different sectors and levels of society.

    In Malaysia, the Pledge on Responsible Advertising to Children was launched in 2012 and it included 15 food and beverage companies which committed to not marketing unhealthy foods to children aged 12 and below.

    To identify ways to better protect children in Malaysia from the harmful effects of food marketing, WHO and the Nutrition Division, Ministry of Health convened over 60 policymakers, academics, industry and civil society representatives in September 2024. Stakeholders discussed key challenges and barriers to policy implementation, and developed strategies and recommendations while strengthening collaboration.

    This works is thanks to invaluable flexible, unearmarked funding to WHO.

    Read the full story.

    Nine Latin American and Caribbean countries intensify efforts to curb obesity

    Lady measuring her weight. Photo by: iStock/klvn

    The WHO Region for the Americas (PAHO/AMRO) has the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity in the world, with 67.5% of adults and 37.6% of children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 experiencing overweight or obesity. The WHO Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity and forthcoming Technical Package to stop obesity aims to halt rising obesity rates through a comprehensive approach combining regulatory, fiscal, and multisectoral strategies.

    In the Americas, 9 countries are pioneering this initiative: Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay. Lessons learned are expected to serve as a model for future expansion across the region.

    PAHO and these countries are implementing a series of measures including the application of front-of-package warning labels, regulation of marketing for unhealthy food products, promotion of breastfeeding, regulation of foods offered in schools, and adoption of fiscal policies that promote healthy diets. Along with monitoring and learning, PAHO continues to provide technical assistance, capacity-building, and intersectoral coordination.

    This work is thanks to invaluable flexible, unearmarked funding to WHO.

    Read the full story.

    Thailand fighting obesity – changing the system to save lives

    The Minister of Public Health, DOH Director-General and other officials, together with WHO Representative to Thailand showed strong commitment to fight against obesity. Photo by: Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand

    In recent years, Thailand is facing an escalating obesity trend that threatens the health of its future generations. In the span of just two decades, the rate of obesity in school children has surged from 5.8% to 15%. The situation amongst adults is equally alarming, with 42% falling into the obese category by 2020. Noncommunicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, and stroke now claim 400 000 lives annually and account for 74% of all deaths in Thailand.

    Recognizing the urgent need for action, Thailand has taken bold and innovative steps to curb this epidemic. The Ministry of Public Health (MPOH) has rolled out a comprehensive policy that aims to drive changes in 4 systems.

    The priority interventions will focus on improving the quality of school lunch programme, changing food marketing to reduce sugar, fat, and salt, strengthening health services system to provide better prevention and management of obesity-related conditions, and modifying the environment to increase physical activity. Thailand has also tightened its national definition of obesity. While WHO’s definition states that “a body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese”, in Thailand citizens with BMI greater or equal to 25 are registered as obese – which allows the health stakeholders to expand the reach and support to broader population groups.

    Show less Show more

    Promoting healthy diets and increased physical activity are key strategies which are supported by Global Regulatory and Fiscal Capacity Building Programme (RECAP), a collaborative project between the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) and WHO, supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the European Union. In addition, Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL) partners with WHO to promote healthy diets through evidence-based interventions.

    Strong leadership, multi-sectoral action and development partners’ support are crucial in bending the obesity curve in the country.

    Read the full story.

    Fast forward: Nutrition for Growth 2025 Summit

    WHO announced 13 ambitious commitments across 8 key areas at the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit, hosted by the Government of France. Stakeholders pledged US$ 27,55 billion in global funding for nutrition. This moment of global solidarity showcases growing support to improve health and well-being for all through nutrition.

    127 delegations, including the governments of 106 countries, together with international and civil society organizations, development banks, philanthropic organizations, research institutions, and businesses, joined forces in Paris to help put an end to the malnutrition scourge, which hinders countries’ economic and social development and traps communities in an intergenerational cycle of poverty.

    A few amongst numerous examples of pledges are: €750 million in projects supported by France (between now and 2030), €6.5 billion to fight malnutrition mobilized by the European Union, of which €3.4 billion was allocated by the European Commission. Other countries, including Madagascar, Côte d’Ivoire, Guatemala, and Bangladesh also made noteworthy political and financial commitments to tackling the burden of malnutrition in their countries. The development banks are also on board, particularly the World Bank and the African Development Bank, which pledged US$ 5 billion and US$ 9.5 billion respectively until 2030. Philanthropic organizations, civil society organizations and the private sector account for a substantial share of financial commitments. Philanthropic organizations will raise more than US$ 2 billion in the coming years to combat malnutrition. As follow up builds, participants expect more than 500 commitments to be made overall.

    WHO’s eight commitments reflect our dedication to tackling malnutrition and promoting health and well-being worldwide. Read more on commitments.

    Acknowledgements

    WHO’s work is made possible through all contributions of our Member States and partners. WHO thanks all donor countries, governments, organizations and individuals who are contributing to the Organization’s work, with special appreciation for those who provide fully flexible contributions to maintain a strong, independent WHO.

    The donors and partners acknowledged in this story are (in alphabetical order) the African Development Bank, Bangladesh, Côte d’Ivoire, the EU ECHO, European Commission Humanitarian Aid, French Muskoka Fund, the Government of France, Guatemala, the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), Italian Development Cooperation, Japan, Madagascar, Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), UNCERF, the USA Agency for International Development, and the World Bank.

    WHO’s support to initiatives to tackle obesity and malnutrition would not have been possible without funding. To continue to support core work like this, WHO needs sustainable financing, that is, predictable, flexible, and resilient. This will allow WHO to have the greatest impact where it is needed most.

    More on nutrition and obesity

    Draft recommendations for the prevention and management of obesity over the life course, including potential targets

    Follow-up to the political declaration of the third high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases – Annex 12

    Obesity and Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists | Obesity | JAMA | JAMA Network

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Jimmy Panetta Calls Out Trump Administration Trade Policy Chaos, Impact on Working Families

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif)

    Washington, DC – United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) recently questioned U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at a recent House Ways and Means Committee. During his line of questioning, Rep. Panetta called out the faulty economic data behind the Trump Administration’s chaotic tariff policies. 

    During the hearing, President Trump announced on social media that the Administration would place a 90-day pause on new tariffs on most nations, while raiding tariffs on China to 125 percent.  U.S. Trade Representative Greer said he was not informed about this new trade policy.

    “It is the largest self-inflicted wound to our economy in history, a self-inflicted wound that if it stays in place, it could constitute the largest tax increase on working families in more than 40 years, costing households more than $3,800,” said Rep. Panetta.  “I know that the president is saying, ‘we’re getting screwed,’ but the fact is, Trump is screwing us with these incoherent and inchoate tariffs.  In the short term and in the long term, domestically and internationally, and for our economy and for our national security, they are making us weaker.”

    Rep. Panetta questions the Administration’s top trade representative.
    Click play on the above video or click HERE to watch his remarks.

    A transcript of Rep. Jimmy Panetta’s remarks during the Ways and Means Committee hearing is below:

    “Before this week, talked to a lot of my colleagues about you.  They actually said a lot of good things about you. You had a good reputation until this week, I have to say, because I actually wanted to work with you on solutions when it comes to free trade agreements.  I think we still can once we get past this, and I hope that’s the case, but unfortunately, you’re defending a policy here from President Trump that’s absolutely incoherent.

    “It’s a self-imposed tariff regime of ten times the amount of tariffs that were in place before this president took office.  It is the largest self-inflicted wound to our economy in history, a self-inflicted wound that if it stays in place, it could constitute the largest tax increase on working families in more than 40 years, costing households more than $3,800.

    “Per year, a self-inflicted wound that prompted one of the largest three day moves on the markets since World War II, and it’s a self-inflicted wound that’s leading investors to expect a severe economic slowdown. Eight years ago, this president talked about American carnage.  Little did we know that he would create economic carnage that is spreading something similar across the entire global economy.

    “Now the reason for these tariffs is based on a national emergency that we have trade deficits according to him and you.  Unfortunately, the president’s thinking about trade is reflected in this policy. This weekend, after the markets tanked, after a small businesses fretted and after the president played golf all weekend, the president said, I consider any trade deficit a loss.

    “That type of scorecard thinking combined with the president’s 40-year fetish for tariffs.  That has put this policy in place and put us in the global economy in this position.  Now, I know the president is painting all trade deficits as bad, but they are a product of larger macroeconomic factors relating to a number of things as you know well, savings, investments, cultural demographics, and so on.

    “But the President is acting completely irrational when it comes to trade deficits.  He believes that trade deficits are subsidies paid by Americans to other countries.  His scorecard ignores our trade surpluses and services to the tune of $250 billion annually.  He is oblivious to the relationship of trade deficits to foreign investment in America in that when we send dollars abroad for goods and services, most of those dollars ultimately come back to America, and he refuses to grasp that tariffs are taxes paid by American importers and Americans, not foreigners.

    “A perfect example of this unreasonableness is our reasonable trade deficit with Canada.  The reason we have a trade deficit with Canada is because starting with FDR, we entered into an agreement that would sell US oil at well below market prices.  We entered into and maintain that deal because we may and we maintain the trade deficit with Canada so that we can buy cheap oil, which is a huge benefit for America.

    “And if we took that oil out of our trade relationship, guess what?  We’d have a trade surplus.  Yet Trump says we’re getting ripped off even though we are actually getting the benefit of that sweetheart deal.  Now, absolutely, sometimes a trade deficit is a loss.  Foreign trade barriers are a problem that includes tariffs and non-tariff barriers, but there are ways to remedy these things.

    “Free trade agreements don’t require a tariff policy that cripples our economy.  Yet due to the President’s fetish for tariffs and superficial thinking on trade deficits, the president has imposed a trade policy that makes the global baseline of 10% with countries that have trade surpluses like Singapore, Australia, Netherlands.

    “Countries we have free trade agreements are getting tariffs at 10%.  Countries that are free trade countries are getting tariff at 10%.  It does not make sense.

    “If other countries eliminate their tariffs and we eliminate ours, that’s just deal making. And we don’t raise revenue and businesses don’t relocate to the us. If it’s a permanent revenues source and you want to relocate to the us, then going to have these tariffs permanently and there are not going to be any deals.

    “So, what is clear is that you can’t have it both ways.  Additionally, tariffs undermine our national security as we’re seeing in the Indo-Pacific region.  Look, I know the president wants to bring back the rust belt.  I get that.  But a big part of that is political.  It’s nostalgia.  And nostalgia, as they say, is the rust of memory.

    “We are not victims here.  Our economy is the envy of the world, partly because it was our choice to invest in other countries over saving.  It was our choice to have bilateral trade deficits.  This is not some unexpected crisis here.  This is no extraordinary or unusual threat.  This is because we chose to invest in other countries where labor is cheaper and therefore products are cheaper.

    “And as we know it’s okay for working families to want to pay low prices for products in this country.  I know that the president is saying, ‘we’re getting screwed,’ but the fact is, is that Trump is screwing us with these incoherent tariffs.  That in the short term and in the long term, domestically and internationally, and for our economy and for our national security, they are making us weaker.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Amata Welcomes House Passage of Bipartisan Veterans Bills, and Peace Officers Memorial Service Resolution

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative for Western Samoa Congresswoman Aumua Amata

    Headline: Amata Welcomes House Passage of Bipartisan Veterans Bills, and Peace Officers Memorial Service Resolution

    Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata, who serves as Vice Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee (HVAC), is welcoming House passage of a slate of bipartisan Veterans bills from the Committee, and letting American Samoa’s veterans know about these efforts, which are now sent to the Senate for consideration.

    Discussing Veterans’ issues recently with VA Secretary Collins, HVAC Chairman Bost and other key Members

    “We have made a commitment to our Veterans as a nation, and continue to push for improvements in the access and delivery of services to all who served,” said Congresswoman Amata. “We want consistency, care, and competence in our national services to Veterans through laws, oversight, and ongoing reform efforts at the VA.”

    The Deliver for Veterans Act, H.R. 877, passed unanimously, is sponsored by Congressman James Moylan (Guam), with Congresswoman Aumua Amata (American Samoa), Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds (CNMI), and Congressman Ed Case (Hawaii) as original cosponsors. This bill would cover the delivery costs, including the islands, for major equipment for disabled veterans such as a specially equipped automobile. 

    The Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act, H.R. 1039, passed 412-0, requires the VA to make communications with Veterans clearer and more user friendly. Sponsor Congressman Tom Barrett, R-Michigan, said in a House speech, “Our veterans served the United States military, with honor. They shouldn’t need a lawyer or specially trained advocate to explain a claims letter to them.”

    The Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act, H.R. 586, passed by a vote of 411-0, requiring the VA to conduct an epidemiological study, create a report on the prevalence of cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) in veterans who served in the Vietnam theater, and submit this information to Congress. 

    The Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act of 2025, H.R. 970, requires the VA to review every five years and report on the maximum coverage available under the Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance and Veterans’ Group Life Insurance programs, taking into account the average percentage by which the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased over that five years. 

    In other action, the House unanimously passed necessary legislation authorizing the use of U.S. Capitol grounds for the National Peace Officers Memorial Service in May. The concurrent resolution authorizes the National Fraternal Order of Police to sponsor two public events on Capitol grounds: the 44th Annual National Peace Officers Memorial Service, and the National Honor Guard and Pipe Band Exhibition. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: More support for export trade set

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    In view of the reckless tariff imposition by the US, including the further increase in the so-called reciprocal tariffs, the Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation (ECIC) today introduced measures to support the export trade in Hong Kong and help enterprises expedite their expansion into new markets.

    From now until June 30 next year, the ECIC will extend the free pre-shipment cover for holders of the Small Business Policy (SBP), while offering a 50% discount on pre-shipment risks to cover premiums for non-SBP holders.

    In addition, to reduce costs and assist exporters in tapping into Association of Southeast Asian Nations markets, the ECIC will reduce the premium rates for new markets, brining the rates in line with those for traditional major markets.

    Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau said: “The US has been repeatedly changing its policies, increasing tariffs within days and imposing the so-called reciprocal tariffs against Hong Kong notwithstanding that we have never implemented any tariffs. It is totally illogical and ungrounded, once again showing the US’ bullying act for suppressing its competitors.

    “I call upon the business community to unite and face the challenges together, with a view to jointly counteracting the unreasonable coercion of the US.”

    Further to the Policy Address initiative on increasing the maximum indemnity percentage of the ECIC to 95%, the measures rolled out by the ECIC today can help accelerate Hong Kong companies’ expansion into new and diversified markets, he remarked.

    Since the US’ announcement of the so-called reciprocal tariffs last week, Mr Yau has met representatives of major local chambers of commerce, small and medium enterprise associations, as well as representatives of industries that are more affected by the tariffs, including the jewellery, textiles and garment, food, and aluminium industries, to listen to their views and discuss measures in response to the incident.

    The bureau stressed that it will maintain close liaison with the business community to jointly respond to the US’ unreasonable coercion. It will also provide support to the small and medium enterprises through various funding schemes and support measures in managing cash flow, enhancing competitiveness and expanding into more diversified markets.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Young Women 4 Peace Initiative presented in Tashkent

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: Young Women 4 Peace Initiative presented in Tashkent

    Participants of the Young Women 4 Peace: Empowering Central Asian Young Women Initiative event in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 8 April 2025. (OSCE) Photo details

    Taking an additional step towards empowering young women from Central Asia and Afghanistan to play an active role in peacebuilding and conflict resolution, the Young Women 4 Peace: Empowering Central Asian Young Women Initiative arrived in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from 8 to 10 April.
    Bringing together regional voices and perspectives to promote peace and security through youth leadership and cross-border collaboration, the three-day programme included a high-level opening with EU and OSCE representatives, as well as Uzbek authorities, and an interactive panel discussion on strengthening networks of young women.
    ”As we mark the 25th Anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, we invest in women by bringing their perspectives on peace and security to the forefront, ensuring that their voices are heard and their right to be included in building peace is respected,” said Dr. Lara Scarpitta, OSCE Senior Adviser on Gender Issues. ”Lasting peace requires the active participation of all voices in society, including those of young women. For too long, their unique perspectives and capabilities in peace and security have been overlooked. This must change, and it starts with initiatives like this one.”
    The Young Women for Peace Initiative is funded by the European Union, testifying to the strong partnership between the EU and the OSCE on gender equality, and the special attention to promoting regional approaches, especially in Central Asia.
    “Last week, at the first ever EU-Central Asia summit, the Presidents of all five Central Asian countries expressed their commitment to deepening regional co-operation. The EU works together with Central Asia on their shared path to the future, in the fields of economic integration, water, energy, digitalisation, transport, raw materials, and promoting people-to-people contact. The Young Women for Peace Initiative is a shining example,” said Toivo Klaar, Ambassador of the European Union to Uzbekistan. “The history of the European Union has proven that regional integration fosters peace and prosperity. History has also proven that women play a crucial role.”
    The event in Tashkent included intensive training sessions dedicated to the collaborative development of cross-border project proposals focused on innovative approaches to women’s empowerment and inclusion in peacebuilding processes. It was organized with the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, and welcomed by national authorities.
    “The OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan has developed a comprehensive agenda of activities in the coming months to identify the challenges ahead and to promote Women Peace and Security Agenda by supporting the implementation of the National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 at the national and regional level and empower women leaders in the security sector and judiciary,“ said Ambassador Antti Karttunen, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan.
    “We have established a new starting point – a point from which young women in Central Asia will continue to build a world based on dialogue, equality and solidarity. Their voices are the future of the region,“ said Dilnoza Muratova, Deputy Director of the National Human Rights Centre of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
    Young women will present the outcomes of their collaborative projects in Vienna in September 2025, showcasing what young women can achieve in building a more secure world, when given the right platform and support.
    The event was also supported by the Finnish OSCE Chairpersonship, which made gender equality and improving opportunities for youth key priorities.
    “​​​​​​​Gender equality and the meaningful participation of women are essential for building more peaceful and resilient societies. We know that when women are involved in peace processes and the security sector, the outcomes are more sustainable. Gender equality and improving opportunities for youth is not only a matter of rights, but also of results,“​​​​​​​ said Saara-Sofia Sirén, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Gender.
    Launched in 2024, Young Women 4 Peace is a two-year, transformative initiative implemented under the OSCE Gender Issues Programme’s WIN for Women and Men – Strengthening Comprehensive Security through Innovating and Networking for Gender Equality project, funded by the European Union. The initiative empowers 18 young women aged 18 to 30 from five Central Asian countries and Afghanistan.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Surge In Global Defense Budgets Having Significant Impact On The Global Military (UAS) Drone Market

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., April 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – The global unmanned aerial system (UAS) military drones market has been rising steadily over the past years and it is projected to continue substantially into the next decade at least. A recent report from one such industry insider said that the surge in global defense budgets has had a significant impact on the global market. As political tensions rise worldwide, nations are investing in cutting-edge unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to bolster their defense and security capabilities. Increased defense expenditure has allowed countries like the United States, China, and other NATO members to allocate substantial funds to advanced drone programs, enhancing surveillance, supporting combat missions, and improving autonomous drone features.  Geopolitical tensions, especially in regions like Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe, are driving a significant demand for military drones. As nations seek to strengthen their surveillance, intelligence, and tactical capabilities, military drones have become integral to modern defense strategies.  Active companies in the markets this week include: Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO) (CSE: DPRO), Unusual Machines, Inc. (NYSE American: UMAC), General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS), and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT).

    The report continued: “North America, with the United States leading the charge, dominates the military drone market. This leadership is driven by significant investments in advanced military technologies, a strong defense budget, and the presence of key industry players like General Atomics and Northrop Grumman. The U.S. military continues to strengthen its drone capabilities, emphasizing the development of state-of-the-art systems for a range of missions, including surveillance, reconnaissance, and combat operations. Moreover, the country is strategically investing in autonomous systems and artificial intelligence, ensuring its drones remain at the forefront of modern warfare and maintain a technological edge on the global stage… The U.S. military remains the largest operator of drones… These drones play a vital role in a wide range of operations, including reconnaissance, surveillance, combat, and logistics.”

    Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO) (CSE: DPRO) and SafeLane Global Enter into Multi-Year Agreement with Draganfly as the Preferred Global Provider of Landmine Mapping Drones and Aerial Survey Services – First Ukraine Landmine Aerial Survey Contract Underway– Draganfly Inc. (FSE: 3U8A) (“Draganfly” or the “Company”), an industry-leading developer of drone solutions and systems, today announced that it has been selected by SafeLane Global Ltd. (“SafeLane”) as its preferred unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and aerial survey provider.

    SafeLane, a world-renowned specialist in explosive threat mitigation, is one of only two private organizations licensed by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense to conduct landmine and explosive ordnance clearance operations in Ukraine. With over 30 years of experience across more than 60 countries, SafeLane supports governments, humanitarian organizations, and commercial clients in the clearance and disposal of landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and explosive remnants of war (ERW), both on land and underwater.

    Under the agreement, Draganfly will provide advanced drone solutions, including UAVs, specialized sensors, and data analysis services, to support SafeLane’s global mine action initiatives. The collaboration aims to enhance the speed, accuracy, and safety of explosive threat detection and removal operations in high-risk environments.

    “We are honored to be selected as SafeLane’s UAS partner,” said Cameron Chell, President and CEO of Draganfly. “This partnership represents a significant opportunity to leverage Draganfly’s technology to support critical humanitarian and defense efforts. Together, we will work to deliver scalable, innovative solutions for global landmine action.”

    The companies will co-develop joint intellectual property and standard operating procedures tailored for aerial mine detection and clearance. SafeLane will lead proposal submissions and operational deployment, while Draganfly will provide technology, mission planning, piloting, and survey analysis.

    According to the Landmine Monitor 2023, more than 60 million landmines remain buried across over 60 countries, posing a persistent threat to civilians, especially children, who account for nearly half of the casualties. Ukraine is currently one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world.

    “Draganfly’s drone-based technology will significantly increase the safety and efficiency of our operations,” said Asa Gilbert, Director of Business Development at SafeLane. “This partnership is a critical step in helping communities recover from the legacy of conflict.”

    The collaboration further positions Draganfly as a key player in the defense and humanitarian sectors, supporting efforts to create safer environments in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions.  CONTINUED… Read this full press release and more news for Draganfly at:  https://draganfly.com/news/

    Other recent developments in the defense/military industries of note include:

    Unusual Machines, Inc. (NYSE American: UMAC), a drone and drone components manufacturer, recently announced it filed its Form 10-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 and provided the following letter to its shareholders from CEO Allan Evans.  Dear Shareholders,  This shareholder letter follows the completion of our fiscal year 2024. This is our first year being public. It has been an excellent fourth quarter and an incredible year. We continue to see great interest in the company and receive questions from shareholders. We would like to take this opportunity to provide context and deeper insights into our operations and what these represent for Unusual Machines’ future.

    Unusual Machines revenue for the fourth quarter revenue was over $2.0 million which represents a sequentially quarter over quarter increase of approximately 31%. This is our best revenue quarter of all time (again) and was done while improving gross margins slightly to 28%. With the launch of our Blue Framework products, approximately 15% of our Q4 revenue was from enterprise sales. Our total revenue of $5.65M for FY2024 exceeded our target of $5M for 2024 by 13%. This growth was achieved without customer concentration as no single customer represented more than 5% of our total revenue for 2024.

    Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS), a technology company specializing in defense, national security, and global markets, recently announced the groundbreaking of Kratos’ Hypersonic System Indiana Payload Integration Facility (IPIF) in Crane, Indiana. This state-of-the-art 68,000-square-foot office, laboratory, integration and test complex will support critical hypersonic vehicle and payload activities and systems for the Multi-Service Advanced Capabilities Hypersonic Testbed (MACH-TB) program. The project demonstrates Kratos’ commitment to advancing hypersonic system payload integration and test capabilities and expanding crucial infrastructure needed to accelerate the time to Mach 5+ flight testing.

    Eric DeMarco, President and CEO of Kratos, said: “The Kratos Hypersonic System Indiana Payload Integration Facility represents a strategic investment in our Nation’s hypersonic infrastructure, workforce and capabilities. Kratos is committed to achieving, if not exceeding, the MACH-TB program’s primary goals, which include, increasing the cadence of flight tests and to mature and qualify advanced hypersonic technologies. Kratos’ IPIF will provide a vital commercial launch vehicle environmental test and assembly capability to supplement existing DoD and NASA facilities.”

    Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) recently announced that it will webcast live its first quarter 2025 earnings results conference call (listen-only mode) on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at 11 a.m. ET.  James Taiclet, chairman, president and CEO; Jay Malave, chief financial officer; and Maria Ricciardone, vice president, Treasurer and Investor Relations, will discuss first quarter 2025 results, provide updates on key topics and answer questions.  First quarter 2025 results will be published prior to the market opening on April 22.

    The live webcast will be available at www.lockheedmartin.com/investor and the accompanying presentation slides and relevant financial charts will also be available on the same website prior to market open.

    An on-demand replay of the webcast will be available through Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at www.lockheedmartin.com/investor, and a podcast will be available here.

    General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), recently announced that it has expanded its technology partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) through a new Strategic Collaboration Agreement to drive digital modernization, deliver efficiencies and advance government missions.

    GDIT and AWS will collaborate to develop cutting-edge cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud migration and modernization solutions to accelerate digital transformation for defense, intelligence and civilian agencies. Government agencies will benefit from AWS’s cloud computing environment, widely considered to be one of the most secure available today, to support their unique missions. GDIT will leverage its research and development labs to collaborate with AWS on emerging technologies such as quantum, edge computing and high-performance computing.

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    DISCLAIMER:  FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels.  FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein.  FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security.  FNM’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities.  The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material.  All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks.  All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release.  FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers.  Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks.  For current services performed FNM was compensated twenty five hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by Draganfly Inc. by a non-affiliated third party.  FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

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    The MIL Network –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Stronger Immunization Policies Needed as Vaccine Confidence Falls Singapore | 10 April 2025 Issued by the APEC Health Working Group A new APEC report raises concerns over declining vaccine confidence and uptake across the region, increasing the risk of preventable disease outbreaks and underscoring the urgent need for stronger immunization policies and cross-border collaboration.

    Source: APEC – Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation

    A new APEC report raises concerns over declining vaccine confidence and uptake across the region, increasing the risk of preventable disease outbreaks and underscoring the urgent need for stronger immunization policies and cross-border collaboration.

    Findings from the updated APEC Regional Dashboard on Vaccination Across the Life-Course reveal gaps in vaccine access, financing and data collection, with only eight economies meeting the 95 percent measles herd immunity threshold in 2023—a 27 percent drop from 2022. The dashboard also highlights a decline in vaccine confidence, with adults in at least 16 APEC economies increasingly questioning the safety, effectiveness and importance of vaccines.

    “Strengthening life-course immunization is critical to building resilient healthcare systems and ensuring economic sustainability across APEC economies,” said Dr Victor Yosef Melt Campos, Chair of the APEC Health Working Group.

    “A well-vaccinated population is not only healthier but also more productive, contributing to stronger communities and a more robust workforce,” Dr Campos added. “Investing in immunization helps economies safeguard public health, enhance social well-being, and create a foundation for sustainable growth and prosperity.”

    Developed by the APEC Vaccines Task Force under the Health Working Group, the dashboard tracks progress on the APEC Action Plan on Vaccination Across the Life-Course, a regional strategy that supports member economies in expanding vaccine access, strengthening immunization programs and preparing for future health challenges.

    The dashboard highlights the need to expand immunization programs beyond childhood to include adolescents, adults and at-risk groups. Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic underscore the importance of scalable, adaptable strategies to strengthen vaccine uptake across different population segments.

    Gaps in data collection and assessment remain a critical challenge, according to the dashboard. Only one-third of APEC economies currently track the indirect benefits of vaccination, despite growing evidence that adult vaccines can return up to 19 times their initial investment.

    Additionally, just over half of APEC economies have a comprehensive framework to assess both the economic and social benefits of immunization. Strengthening evidence-based policymaking and ensuring that vaccine investments align with broader economic and public health goals will be key to improving immunization outcomes across the region.

    The dashboard also underscores the importance financial sustainability for immunization programs. The dashboard highlights best practices, including free vaccines for older adults, multi-year procurement contracts and tax levies to support vaccine programs.

    Pandemic preparedness remains a key priority. While 90 percent of APEC economies have established preparedness strategies, fewer have introduced catch-up vaccination plans to address routine immunization disruptions. Strengthening surveillance systems, harmonizing regulatory frameworks and ensuring rapid vaccine deployment in response to outbreaks will be essential to mitigating future health crises​

    With 2025 marking the halfway point for both the APEC Action Plan on Vaccination Across the Life-Course and the WHO Immunization Agenda 2030, the dashboard urges member economies to accelerate efforts to strengthen immunization systems. Sustainable and adaptable policies will be essential to ensuring resilient vaccination programs amid evolving public health challenges.

    The APEC Vaccines Task Force remains committed to fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing to support economies in enhancing immunization coverage. For more information, visit this page or contact [email protected].

    For further details and media inquiries, please contact:
    [email protected] 

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: HTX Margin Unveils Strategies for Sustained Success Amidst Crypto Market Volatility

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, April 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HTX, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, today announced significant growth in its margin trading platform, demonstrating its effectiveness in navigating the current volatile market conditions. The platform reported a 60% year-over-year increase in trading volume and a 16% increase compared to the previous quarter, with a remarkable 565% year-over-year and 79% quarter-over-quarter surge in margin loan users.

    HTX’s robust margin trading growth stems from key competitive advantages, notably its lower loan interest rates and enhanced flexibility compared to other platforms. For example, its USDT margin loan interest rate stood at 3.99% on April 3, below the market average of 4.38%.

    Crucially, HTX maintained relatively low and stable rates even during periods of significant market volatility, a contrast to competitors whose rates often experienced sharp increases.. This stability not only reduces costs for users but also provides crucial support for maintaining long-term positions.

    Whether you’re quick-scoping for short-term gains or planning your next big move on the charts, HTX’s margin trading tools deliver both flexibility and performance, catering to both short-term trading strategies and long-term investment plans. The platform’s sophisticated risk management system and innovative features are designed to maximize potential gains while effectively mitigating risks

    Technological Advancements Enhance User Experience on HTX

    HTX didn’t just stop at offering solid margin trading but was on a mission to revolutionize the user experience throughout 2024. Key upgrades include:

    • Dynamic Interest Rates (Jan 2024): Borrowing costs that adjust on the fly, based on real-time demand and the usage of collateral.
    • Smart Risk Management (Feb 2024): A brand-new margin feature and a cutting-edge risk engine that uses smart algorithms to keep volatile markets in check.
    • Liquidation in Batches (Mar 2024): An optimized liquidation process where liquidation is automatically paused when your account’s risk ratio reaches 150%, minimizing losses during extreme market conditions.
    • Insurance Fund (May 2024): A safety net that automatically covers losses for positions under 20 USDT, making it safer even for smaller players.

    These developments are all about cutting trading costs, enhancing security, and creating a more user-centric trading environment.

    HTX also boasts the latest upgrade for margin trading – the merging of the auto borrowing and repayment processes into a one-click “Auto” feature. This demonstrates HTX’s keen understanding of user needs and aims to simplify the trading process.

    The revamped trading interface now offers users a clear choice between Manual and Auto modes, reducing complexity and allowing traders to concentrate on their strategies.

    This upgrade is proven to the exchange’s ongoing commitment to improving its margin trading services, focusing on smarter and more convenient trading tools through improvements in both design and functionality.

    Looking Ahead: HTX’s Next Wave of Margin Trading Innovation

    HTX Margin’s evolution from a basic lending service to a comprehensive margin trading powerhouse—complete with high leverage, dynamic rates, phased liquidation, and an insurance fund—has taken just under two years.

    HTX is committed to continuous innovation in this area. In the second quarter of 2025, a comprehensive upgrade to HTX’s margin trading platform is anticipated. This upgrade will introduce the flexibility to seamlessly switch between isolated and cross margin modes, along with advanced tools for intelligent fund allocation and automated risk management.

    Plus, a major overhaul of HTX’s margin trading interface is on the horizon, featuring a new real-time profitability dashboard slated for launch by late Q2 or early Q3. This feature promises to provide a better trading experience and data display, helping you fine-tune strategies and manage your trades like a true crypto veteran.

    In a market where volatility is the new normal, HTX’s margin trading service provides more than just a tool—it offers a strategic advantage. By combining cutting-edge technology with a user-focused approach, HTX is empowering cryptocurrency enthusiasts to not only navigate market uncertainty but to capitalize on opportunities within it.

    Contact:
    Ruder Finn Asia
    glo-media@htx-inc.com

    Disclaimer: This press release is provided by HTX. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/736d2b57-f9c5-4581-a9b2-a3667faa4c1e

    The MIL Network –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: U.S. Navy Task Force 70, Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 131 join Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force for bilateral training after memorandum signing

    Source: United States Navy

    PHILIPPINE SEA – The U.S. Navy’s expeditionary Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 131, operating under Task Force 70, joined surface and air forces from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) for bilateral training south of Okinawa, Japan, on April 3, 2025.

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: ASM announces details of the Q1 2025 conference call and webcast

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Almere, the Netherlands
    April 10, 2025

    ASM International N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) will report its first quarter 2025 financial results at approximately 6:00 p.m. CET on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.

    ASM will host the quarterly earnings conference call and webcast on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. CET.

    Conference-call participants should pre-register using this link to receive the dial-in numbers, passcode and a personal PIN, which are required to access the conference call.

    A simultaneous audio webcast and replay will be accessible at this link.

    About ASM International

    ASM International N.V., headquartered in Almere, the Netherlands, and its subsidiaries design and manufacture equipment and process solutions to produce semiconductor devices for wafer processing, and have facilities in the United States, Europe, and Asia. ASM International’s common stock trades on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange (symbol: ASM). For more information, visit ASM’s website at www.asm.com.

    Contacts  
    Investor and media relations Investor relations
    Victor Bareño Valentina Fantigrossi
    T: +31 88 100 8500 T: +31 88 100 8502
    E: investor.relations@asm.com E: investor.relations@asm.com

    The MIL Network –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: ETHWomen Returns for Its 3rd Year: A Free, Female-Focused Web3 Event in Toronto, Part of Blockchain Futurist Conference and Canada Crypto Week

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, April 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ETHWomen, a leading Web3 event championing inclusivity and female participation in Web3, returns for its third year on May 13, 2025, in Toronto, Canada. Presented by Blockchain Futurist Conference and Canada Crypto Week, ETHWomen continues its mission to empower women in blockchain by providing free access to educational panels, networking opportunities, and industry connections.

    In an industry that remains heavily male-dominated, ETHWomen is designed to break barriers by fostering a welcoming environment for women interested in Web3—whether they are developers, entrepreneurs, or simply curious about the space. The event encourages new talent to explore blockchain and cryptocurrency while also serving as a hub for women already making an impact to connect and collaborate.

    Blockchain4Her, a global initiative led by Bitget to empower and uplift women in blockchain, has been announced as a platinum sponsor of ETHWomen. As part of the partnership, Blockchain4Her will host the ETHWomen Happy Hour — creating a supportive and welcoming atmosphere where women in Web3 can build connections, exchange knowledge, and drive innovation in the decentralized space.

    Blockchain4her is proud to drive real-world impact and support women in technology through a special activation at ETHWomen. Attendees will receive custom B4H pins, and for each participant who wears one and shares it on social media, Bitget Wallet will donate $10 to a local women’s charity. This initiative fosters solidarity and creates tangible impact, providing support for women in technology.

    “Blockchain4Her is more than just an initiative — it’s a movement for real change. Our goal is to reshape the future of Web3, ensuring that women aren’t just participants but leaders at the forefront of innovation,” said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget and initiator of Blockchain4her $10M initiative. “Through our sponsorship, we hope to empower women to come join us as we build bridges to a decentralized world that thrives on diverse voices.”

    Continuing the momentum of industry leaders supporting inclusivity in Web3, Unicoin, a next-generation asset-backed cryptocurrency, joins ETHWomen 2025 as a Platinum Sponsor, furthering its commitment to empowering women in Web3. As the official ETHWomen Stage Sponsor, Unicoin will help create a platform for influential voices shaping the future of blockchain.

    ETHWomen 2025 will feature panels, discussions, and fireside chats led by top female leaders in Web3, including:

    • Lisa Loud – Executive Director, Secret Network
    • Jelena Djuric – Co-Founder & CEO, Noble
    • Elena Sinelnikova – Co-Founder, CryptoChicks & Metis
    • Annelise Osborne – Chief Business Officer, Kadena
    • Koleya Karringten – Executive Director, Canadian Blockchain Consortium
    • Amanda Wick – Founder & CEO, Association for Women in Cryptocurrency
    • Justyna Osowska – Founder, Women in Blockchain Canada
    • Jamie Jung – Co-Founder, Women in Web3 Korea

    This uplifting event is supported by community partners including CryptoChicks, The Association for Women in Crypto, Growth for Girlies, and Shibwomen—organizations dedicated to inclusivity, education, and opportunities for women in blockchain.

    Following ETHWomen in Toronto on May 13, 2025, the next edition will take place in Greater Miami, Florida, on November 5-6, 2025, expanding its mission of empowerment and innovation to a global stage. Registration is now open for both Toronto and Miami, welcoming women from all industries to dive into Web3, blockchain, AI, and the future of technology.

    For more details and to secure your spot, visit ethwomen.com.

    Media inquiries: Laura Leparulo – laura@futuristconference.com

    Wire Service Contact:

    IBN
    Austin, Texas
    www.InvestorBrandNetwork.com
    512.354.7000 Office
    Editor@InvestorBrandNetwork.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b4856b9a-542d-40fd-817a-94f59967f5a6

    The MIL Network –

    April 11, 2025
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