Category: China

MIL-OSI China: China, UK pledge to jointly address climate change

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

BEIJING, March 17 — Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang met with Ed Miliband, UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, in Beijing on Monday. The two sides agreed to enhance cooperation in jointly addressing climate change.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said developing stable and mutually beneficial relations between China and the UK serves the common interests of the two peoples, facilitates global economic growth, and promotes joint efforts to address global challenges.

China is ready to work with the UK to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries, consolidate the momentum for improvement and development of bilateral ties, deepen cooperation in areas such as financial services, trade and investment, and low-carbon development, and jointly address climate change to better benefit the people of both countries and the world, Ding added.

Miliband said the UK government sincerely hopes to enhance engagement with China, is committed to developing a long-term and constructive bilateral relationship, and stands ready to strengthen cooperation with China on energy security and addressing climate change.

MIL OSI China News –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Durbin Lead Push to Save Task Force Combating Threats to Election Officials

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

Padilla, Durbin Lead Push to Save Task Force Combating Threats to Election Officials

Senators to Attorney General: “In this challenging environment for election officials, it is essential to our democracy that they can continue to rely on [DOJ] to uphold the law”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led 29 Democratic Senators in urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to continue the essential work of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Election Threats Task Force, which directs the Department’s efforts to protect election officials from rising threats and acts of violence.
The Senators’ letter comes as the Trump Administration has significantly rolled back the federal government’s capacity to fight against foreign and domestic election security threats. On Attorney General Bondi’s first day in office, she disbanded the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Foreign Influence Task Force, hindering efforts to address secret influence campaigns waged by China, Russia, and other foreign adversaries. Additionally, the Administration has fired or put on leave dozens of officials responsible for combating foreign election interference at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and has reportedly frozen all of CISA’s ongoing election security work. The Administration has also defunded CISA’s nationwide program to train local officials and monitor threats through the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center.
“Given the recent disturbing personnel and policy decisions at the Department and the lack of transparency about the future of the Task Force, we request an immediate update on the status and activities of the Task Force, as well as what resources will be provided to ensure its important work continues so that election officials of both parties can safely administer our elections,” wrote the Senators.
“Recent surveys have found that one in three election officials reported facing threats, harassment, and abuse. Similarly, 48 percent of local election officials know of someone who has left their job because of fear for their safety—a troubling loss of institutional knowledge needed for the smooth running of elections. Election workers continue to fear for their safety, so it is critical that the work of the Task Force continues to deter and counter these threats. In this challenging environment for election officials, it is essential to our democracy that they can continue to rely on the Department to uphold the law,” continued the Senators.
In addition to Senators Padilla and Durbin, the letter was also signed by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
As Ranking Member of the Rules Committee, which has oversight over federal elections, Senator Padilla has fought against President Trump’s unprecedented attacks against election security. Last month, he pressed senior officials at CISA for answers after they fired employees who have worked to combat election misinformation. During his first business meeting as Rules Committee Ranking Member, Padilla highlighted threats to election security and the importance of free and fair elections. Additionally, Padilla expressed serious concerns about the dangerous implications for elections following President Trump’s executive order purporting to bring independent regulatory agencies under total control of the White House. Padilla previously denounced the illegal firing of Federal Election Commission (FEC) Chair Ellen Weintraub and led 10 Democratic Senators to demand President Trump rescind his attempt.
Full text of the letter is available here and below:
Dear Attorney General Bondi:
We write to strongly urge you to continue the critical law enforcement work of the Department of Justice’s Election Threats Task Force, which protects election officials from ongoing threats and acts of violence. Given the recent disturbing personnel and policy decisions at the Department and the lack of transparency about the future of the Task Force, we request an immediate update on the status and activities of the Task Force, as well as what resources will be provided to ensure its important work continues so that election officials of both parties can safely administer our elections.
The Task Force was established in the wake of the 2020 election cycle when election officials across the political spectrum began facing unprecedented threats of violence intended to thwart the peaceful transfer of power that is the hallmark of our democracy. In close collaboration with state and local law enforcement, the Task Force has assessed thousands of complaints of suspected threats of violence and investigated and prosecuted violent offenders. Over the years, these threats have not only continued but escalated. The Task Force has investigated fentanyl-laced letters, bomb threats, and swatting incidents—serving as a legacy of the 2020 election and impacting the ways election officials interact with voters in their communities.
Recent surveys have found that one in three election officials reported facing threats, harassment, and abuse. Similarly, 48 percent of local election officials know of someone who has left their job because of fear for their safety—a troubling loss of institutional knowledge needed for the smooth running of elections. Election workers continue to fear for their safety, so it is critical that the work of the Task Force continues to deter and counter these threats. In this challenging environment for election officials, it is essential to our democracy that they can continue to rely on the Department to uphold the law.
Moreover, the federal government’s ability to fight election interference has been greatly hampered in the early weeks of this Administration. Dozens of officials at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), who are responsible for combatting foreign election interference, have been fired or put on leave. CISA has also reportedly frozen all of its ongoing election security work, including defunding its nationwide program to train local officials and monitor threats through the “Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center.” Additionally, on your first day in office, you signed a directive disbanding the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, which was aimed at responding to secret influence campaigns waged by China, Russia, and other foreign adversaries.
We request a response on the status and future plans of the Election Threats Task Force, the extent of resources and personnel dedicated to its work, and how it plans to incorporate related work previously led by CISA and the Foreign Influence Task Force by March 31, 2025.
Sincerely,

MIL OSI USA News –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Reed Votes for HALT Fentanyl Act to Keep Fentanyl A Schedule I Drug & Help Curb Trafficking, Overdoses and Deaths

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Senate voted 84-16 to pass a bipartisan bill last week that will permanently classify fentanyl-related substances, or ‘copycat’ fentanyl knock-offs, as Schedule I substances under the Controlled Substances Act. The current temporary Schedule I classification will expire this fall unless the U.S. House of Representatives takes action, approves the bill, and sends it to the president’s desk to be signed into law.
U.S. Senator Jack Reed joined 83 of his Senate colleagues in voting to pass the bipartisan Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act or HALT Fentanyl Act (S.331) to ensure law enforcement and prosecutors continue to have a key tool needed to combat the scourge of crime, overdoses, and deaths caused by fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances.
The HALT Fentanyl Act aims to close loopholes exploited by drug traffickers who smuggle substances with chemical compositions similar to fentanyl but are different enough to evade legal penalties. The bill also ensures researchers can continue to test fentanyl-related substances and incentivizes medical research to benefit patients with conditions such as advanced cancer and neurological disorders and ensure they are able to access necessary opioid therapies.
“I voted for the HALT Fentanyl Act to help save lives and close loopholes that cartels and drug smugglers have exploited to flood our communities with deadly fentanyl and fentanyl copycats. This isn’t about going after low-level dealers or putting more people in jail. Rather, it gives law enforcement the tools they need to stop cross-border traffickers, combat cartels, and keep lethal drugs off our streets while also allowing researchers to study and develop new strategies for preventing overdoses and treating addiction,” said Reed, a co-leader of the Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act, a sanctions and anti-money laundering law aimed at combatting the fentanyl crisis.
In addition to retaining Schedule I status for street fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances, the legislation includes provisions related to fentanyl research, controlled substance dispensing, and criminal penalties for fentanyl-related substance crimes. Lawful fentanyl uses for currently-accepted medical practices would retain its Schedule II classification.
The HALT Fentanyl Act is endorsed by the Drug Enforcement Association of Federal Narcotics Agents, the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, the Major County Sheriffs of America, the National Alliance of State Drug Enforcement Agencies, the National High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Directors Association, the National Narcotic Officers Associations’ Coalition, and the National District Attorneys Association
An epidemic of synthetic opioids, including illegal fentanyl largely manufactured in Mexico from raw materials supplied by China, have made overdoses the leading cause of death among Americans 18 to 45 years old.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there were 107,543 overdose deaths in the United States in 2023. Fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances accounted for nearly 75,000 of those deaths.
Traffickers are continually altering the chemical structure of fentanyl to evade regulation and prosecution, sometimes with tragic results. Since 2013, China has been the principal source of fentanyl, fentanyl-related substances, and the precursor chemicals from which they are produced. Chinese fentanyl product is commonly shipped to Mexico and smuggled into the U.S.
Traffickers have favored fentanyl-related substances to try and skirt current U.S. laws against trafficking fentanyl and fentanyl analogues. In 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized nearly 12,000 pounds of illicit fentanyl, including fentanyl powder and more than 78 million pills laced with illicit fentanyl. The 2023 seizures were equivalent to nearly 389 million lethal doses of fentanyl.
A similar version of the bill passed the House last month on a vote of 312-110. The amended version that passed the Senate must now be approved by the full U.S. House of Representatives.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Leads Legislation to Extend Reporting Deadline for Emergency Tribal Care

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
Las Vegas, Nev. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), members of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, reintroduced legislation to extend the reporting deadline for Indian Health Service (IHS) patients who seek emergency care outside of IHS facilities. The IHS Emergency Claims Parity Act would extend the emergency notification requirements of IHS’s Purchased and Referred Care (PRC) program from within 72 hours to 15 days.
“Medical emergencies are emergencies – people can’t choose when and where they occur,” said Cortez Masto. “In a crisis, IHS patients should be able to seek care at the closest hospital without worrying about having to fill out burdensome paperwork after an emergency.”
IHS beneficiaries are subject to a number of restrictive rules when seeking outside care; however, few of these rules are as problematic as the emergency reporting deadline. Currently, in emergency cases, the patient must notify the PRC office within 72 hours of receiving outside care. Native American patients determined to be elderly or disabled are given 30 days to notify the IHS of emergency medical care received from non-IHS medical providers or at non-IHS medical facilities.
The IHS Emergency Claims Parity Act would increase the window for timely consideration of emergency care payments to 15 days for all IHS beneficiaries. This excludes reporting requirements for patients considered to be elderly or disabled, which will stay at 30 days.
You can find the full text of the legislation here.
Senator Cortez Masto has long been a champion for Tribal communities and led efforts to provide Native American communities across Nevada with access to quality health care. Last year, the Senate passed her legislation to make it easier for IHS to recruit and retain medical workers. She helped secure over $1 billion in coronavirus relief funding for the Indian Health Service to combat the pandemic and $125 million in additional funding for Tribes and urban Indian health organizations within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to address the mental health needs of Native communities. She has also cosponsored legislation to help address health disparities for Native Americans in urban areas and expand access to physician training to address the state-wide doctor shortage. The Senator has continuously highlighted the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW), and she was instrumental in passing Not Invisible Act and Savanna’s Act into law.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI: Greystone Housing Impact Investors LP Announces Regular Quarterly Cash Distribution

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

OMAHA, Neb., March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On March 17, 2025, Greystone Housing Impact Investors LP (NYSE: GHI) (the “Partnership”) announced that the Board of Managers of Greystone AF Manager LLC (“Greystone Manager”) declared a cash distribution to the Partnership’s Beneficial Unit Certificate (“BUC”) holders of $0.37 per BUC.

The cash distribution will be paid on April 30, 2025 to all BUC holders of record as of the close of trading on March 31, 2025. The BUCs will trade ex-distribution as of March 31, 2025.

Greystone Manager is the general partner of America First Capital Associates Limited Partnership Two, the Partnership’s general partner. Distributions to the Partnership’s BUC holders, including regular and any supplemental distributions, are determined by Greystone Manager based on a disciplined evaluation of the Partnership’s current and anticipated operating results, financial condition and other factors it deems relevant. Greystone Manager continually evaluates the factors that go into BUC holder distribution decisions, consistent with the long-term best interests of the BUC holders and the Partnership.

About Greystone Housing Impact Investors LP

Greystone Housing Impact Investors LP was formed in 1998 under the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act for the primary purpose of acquiring, holding, selling and otherwise dealing with a portfolio of mortgage revenue bonds which have been issued to provide construction and/or permanent financing for affordable multifamily, seniors and student housing properties. The Partnership is pursuing a business strategy of acquiring additional mortgage revenue bonds and other investments on a leveraged basis. The Partnership expects and believes the interest earned on these mortgage revenue bonds is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes. The Partnership seeks to achieve its investment growth strategy by investing in additional mortgage revenue bonds and other investments as permitted by its Second Amended and Restated Limited Partnership Agreement, dated December 5, 2022, (the “Partnership Agreement”), taking advantage of attractive financing structures available in the securities market, and entering into interest rate risk management instruments. Greystone Housing Impact Investors LP press releases are available at www.ghiinvestors.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements in this press release are intended to be covered by the safe harbor for “forward-looking statements” provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by use of statements that include, but are not limited to, phrases such as “believe,” “expect,” “future,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “foresee,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “estimates,” “potential,” “continue,” or other similar words or phrases. Similarly, statements that describe objectives, plans, or goals also are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond the control of the Partnership. The Partnership cautions readers that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, implied, or projected by such forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: defaults on the mortgage loans securing our mortgage revenue bonds and governmental issuer loans; the competitive environment in which the Partnership operates; risks associated with investing in multifamily, student, senior citizen residential properties and commercial properties; general economic, geopolitical, and financial conditions, including the current and future impact of changing interest rates, inflation, and international conflicts (including the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war) on business operations, employment, and financial conditions; uncertain conditions within the domestic and international macroeconomic environment, including monetary and fiscal policy and conditions in the investment, credit, interest rate, and derivatives markets; adverse reactions in U.S. financial markets related to actions of foreign central banks or the economic performance of foreign economies, including in particular China, Japan, the European Union, and the United Kingdom; the general condition of the real estate markets in the regions in which the Partnership operates, which may be unfavorably impacted by pressures in the commercial real estate sector, incrementally higher unemployment rates, persistent elevated inflation levels, and other factors; changes in interest rates and credit spreads, as well as the success of any hedging strategies the Partnership may undertake in relation to such changes, and the effect such changes may have on the relative spreads between the yield on investments and cost of financing; the aggregate effect of elevated inflation levels over the past several years, spurred by multiple factors including expansionary monetary and fiscal policy, higher commodity prices, a tight labor market, and low residential vacancy rates, which may result in continued elevated interest rate levels and increased market volatility; the Partnership’s ability to access debt and equity capital to finance its assets; current maturities of the Partnership’s financing arrangements and the Partnership’s ability to renew or refinance such financing arrangements; local, regional, national and international economic and credit market conditions; recapture of previously issued Low Income Housing Tax Credits in accordance with Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code; geographic concentration of properties related to investments held by the Partnership; changes in the U.S. corporate tax code and other government regulations affecting the Partnership’s business; and the other risks detailed in the Partnership’s SEC filings (including but not limited to, the Partnership’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K). Readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements.

If any of these risks or uncertainties materializes or if any of the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements proves to be incorrect, the developments and future events concerning the Partnership set forth in this press release may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date of this document. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our expectations and beliefs to change. The Partnership assumes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this document or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, unless obligated to do so under the federal securities laws.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Karen Marotta

Greystone

212-896-9149

Karen.Marotta@greyco.com

INVESTOR CONTACT:

Andy Grier

Senior Vice President

402-952-1235

The MIL Network –

March 18, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: The cumulative exports (merchandise & services) during April-February2024-25 is estimated at USD 750.53 Billion, as compared to USD 706.43 Billion in April-February2023-24, an estimated growth of 6.24%

Source: Government of India (2)

Ministry of Commerce & Industry

The cumulative exports (merchandise & services) during April-February2024-25 is estimated at USD 750.53 Billion, as compared to USD 706.43 Billion in April-February2023-24, an estimated growth of 6.24%

The cumulative value of merchandise exports during April-February2024-25 was USD 395.63 Billion, as compared to USD 395.38 Billion during April-February2023-24, registering a positive growth of 0.06%

The cumulative Non-Petroleum exports in April-February2024-25 valued at USD 337.01Billion registered an increase of 6.43% as compared to USD 316.64Billion in April-February2023-24

Major drivers of merchandise exports growth in February2025 include Electronic Goods, Rice, Mica, Coal & Other Ores, Minerals including processed minerals, RMG of all Textiles and Coffee

Electronic Goods exports increased by 26.46% from USD 3 Billion in February2024 to USD 3.79 Billion in February2025

RMG of all Textiles exports increased by 3.97 % from USD 1.48 Billion in February 2024 to USD 1.53 Billion in February 2025

Rice exports increased by 13.21% from USD 1.05 Billion in February2024 to USD 1.19 Billion in February2025

Marine products exports increased by 3.40% from USD 0.49 Billion in February 2024 to USD 0.51 Billion in February 2025

Mica, Coal & Other Ores, Minerals including processed minerals exports increased by 24.25% from USD 0.40 Billion in February2024 to USD 0.50 Billion in February2025

Coffeeexports increased by 22.32% from USD 0.15 Billion in February2024 to USD 0.18 Billion in February2025

Posted On: 17 MAR 2025 6:44PM by PIB Delhi

India’s total exports (Merchandise and Services combined) for February2025* is estimated at USD 71.95 Billion, registering a positivegrowth of 3.16 percent vis-à-vis February2024.Total imports (Merchandise and Services combined) for February2025* is estimated at USD 67.52 Billion, registering a negative growth of (-)11.34 percent vis-à-vis February2024.

Table 1: Trade during February2025*

		February2025 (USD Billion)	February2024 (USD Billion)
Merchandise	Exports	36.91	41.41
Merchandise	Imports	50.96	60.92
Services*	Exports	35.03	28.33
Services*	Imports	16.55	15.23
Total Trade (Merchandise +Services) *	Exports	71.95	69.74
	Imports	67.52	76.15
	Trade Balance	4.43	-6.41

* Note: The latest data for services sector released by RBI is for January2025. The data for February2025 is an estimation, which will be revised based on RBI’s subsequent release. (ii) Data for April-February2023-24 and April-September2024 has been revised on pro-rata basis using quarterly balance of payments data.

Fig 1: Total Trade during February2025*

India’s total exports during April-February2024-25* is estimated at USD 750.53 Billion registering a positive growth of 6.24 percent. Total imports during April-February2024-25* is estimated at USD 839.89 Billion registering a growth of 7.28 percent.

Table 2: Trade during April-February2024-25*

		April-February2024-25 (USD Billion)	April-February2023-24 (USD Billion)
Merchandise	Exports	395.63	395.38
Merchandise	Imports	656.68	621.19
Services*	Exports	354.90	311.05
Services*	Imports	183.21	161.71
Total Trade (Merchandise +Services) *	Exports	750.53	706.43
	Imports	839.89	782.90
	Trade Balance	-89.37	-76.47

Fig 2: Total Trade during April-February2024-25*

MERCHANDISE TRADE

Merchandise exports during February2025 were USD 36.91 Billion as compared to USD 41.41 Billion in February2024.
Merchandise imports during February2025 were USD 50.96 Billion as compared to USD 60.92 Billion in February2024.

Fig 3: Merchandise Trade during February2025

Merchandise exports during April-February2024-25 were USD 395.63 Billion as compared to USD 395.38Billion during April-February2023-24.
Merchandise imports during April-February2024-25 were USD 656.68 Billion as compared to USD 621.19 Billion during April-February2023-24.
Merchandise trade deficit during April-February2024-25 was USD 261.06 Billion as compared to USD 225.81 Billion during April-February2023-24.

Fig4: Merchandise Trade during April-February2024-25

Non-petroleum and non-gems & jewellery exports in February2025 were USD 28.57Billion compared to USD 29.99Billion in February2024.
Non-petroleum, non-gems & jewellery (gold, silver & precious metals) imports in February2025 were USD 35.02Billion compared to USD 33.96Billion in February2024.

Table 3: Trade excluding Petroleum and Gems & Jewellery during February2025

	February2025 (USD Billion)	February2024 (USD Billion)
Non- petroleum exports	31.10	33.19
Non- petroleum imports	39.07	44.03
Non-petroleum & Non-Gems & Jewellery exports	28.57	29.99
Non-petroleum & Non-Gems & Jewellery imports	35.02	33.96

Note: Gems & Jewellery Imports include Gold, Silver & Pearls, precious & Semi-precious stones

Fig 5: Trade excluding Petroleum and Gems & Jewellery during February2025

Non-petroleum and non-gems & jewellery exports in April-February2024-25 were USD 310.09 Billion, compared to USD 286.55 Billion in April-February2023-24.
Non-petroleum, non-gems & jewellery (gold, silver & precious metals) imports in April-February2024-25 were USD 415.85 Billion, compared to USD 388.82 Billion in April-February2023-24.

Table 4: Trade excluding Petroleum and Gems & Jewellery during April-February2024-25

	April-February2024-25 (USD Billion)	April-February2023-24 (USD Billion)
Non- petroleum exports	337.01	316.64
Non- petroleum imports	489.96	458.80
Non-petroleum &Non Gems& Jewellery exports	310.09	286.55
Non-petroleum & Non Gems & Jewellery imports	415.85	388.82

Note: Gems & Jewellery Imports include Gold, Silver & Pearls, precious & Semi-precious stones

Fig 6: Trade excluding Petroleum and Gems & Jewellery during April-February2024-25

SERVICES TRADE

The estimated value of services export for February2025* is USD 35.03 Billion as compared to USD 28.33Billion in February2024.
The estimated value of services imports for February2025* is USD 16.55 Billion as compared to USD 15.23Billion in February2024.

Fig 7: Services Trade during February2025*

The estimated value of service exports during April-February2024-25* is USD 354.90 Billion as compared to USD 311.05 Billion in April-February2023-24.
The estimated value of service imports during April-February2024-25* is USD 183.21 Billion as compared to USD 161.71 Billion in April-February2023-24.
The services trade surplus for April-February2024-25* is USD 171.69 Billion as compared to USD 149.34 Billion in April-February2023-24.

Fig 8: Services Trade during April-February2024-25*

Exports ofTobacco (26.76%), Electronic Goods (26.46%), Mica, Coal & Other Ores, Minerals Including Processed Minerals (24.25%), Coffee (22.32%), Rice (13.21%), Jute Mfg. Including Floor Covering (12.41%), Other Cereals (11.65%), Meat, Dairy & Poultry Products (6.7%), Carpet (4.87%), Rmg Of All Textiles (3.97%), Marine Products (3.4%), Spices (0.98%) and Fruits & Vegetables (0.87%) record positive growth during February2025 over the corresponding month of last year.
Imports of Silver (-75.04%), Gold (-61.98%), Pearls, Precious & Semi-Precious Stones (-41.61%), Coal, Coke & Briquettes, Etc. (-35.63%), Petroleum, Crude & Products (-29.59%), Iron & Steel (-23.37%), Transport Equipment (-16.93%), Newsprint (-12.43%), Artificial Resins, Plastic Materials, Etc. (-6.21%), Professional Instrument, Optical Goods, Etc. (-5.01%), Machine Tools (-3.68%), Fruits & Vegetables (-0.93%) record negative growth during February2025 over the corresponding month of last year.
Services exports is estimated to grow by 14.10percent during April-February2024-25* over April-February2023-24.
Top 5 export destinations, in terms of change in value, exhibiting positive growth in February2025 vis a vis February2024 are U S A (10.37%), Australia (76.19%), Japan (26.55%), Brazil (10.85%) and Nigeria (10.75%).
Top 5 export destinations, in terms of change in value, exhibiting positive growth in April-February2024-25 vis a vis April-February2023-24 are U S A (9.1%), U Arab Emts (5.19%), U K (12.47%), Japan (21.67%) and Netherland (3.68%).
Top 5 import sources, in terms of change in value, exhibiting growth in February2025 vis a vis February2024 are Thailand (145.45%), China P Rp (7.83%), Brazil (162.18%), Ireland (117.17%) and Oman (30.24%).
Top 5 import sources, in terms of change in value, exhibiting growth in April-February2024-25 vis a vis April-February2023-24 are U Arab Emts (29.21%), China P Rp (10.41%), Thailand (42.4%), U S A (7.23%) and Russia (4.9%).

*Link for Quick Estimates

***

Abhishek Dayal/ Abhijith Narayanan

(Release ID: 2111954)

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 18, 2025

MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – EU dependence on critical raw materials and impact on European industry – E-000995/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-000995/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Daniel Buda (PPE)

The European Union is heavily dependent on imports of critical raw materials which are essential for the technology industry, battery manufacturing, renewable energy and other strategic sectors. In particular, the dependence on China and other third countries poses major economic and geopolitical risks, especially in the context of global trade tensions. Romania harbours significant reserves of these raw materials, but mining and processing are still underdeveloped, and investment in this field is limited. If no concrete measures are taken, there is a risk that the EU’s competitive position will weaken in the long term.

1.Having regard to the EU’s goal of reducing its dependence on critical raw materials from China and other third countries, what strategies is the Commission implementing to stimulate the mining, processing and recycling of these materials within the Union?

2.How will the Commission support Romania, a country with significant potential in this field, in developing its industrial capacities for the extraction and refining of critical raw materials?

3.Furthermore, are there plans to encourage the creation of an integrated European supply chain industry for these resources?

Submitted: 7.3.2025
Last updated: 17 March 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – ENISA agreement with the Republic of Korea – E-001002/2025

Source: European Parliament

Question for written answer E-001002/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
César Luena (S&D)

Cyber threats have no borders and to combat them it is imperative to cooperate with regions and countries with which we share the values of defence of democracy and freedom and which respect human rights and the rule of law.

In this regard, in 2023, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) signed agreements in the areas of capacity building, exchange of best practices and increasing situational awareness with its counterparts in Ukraine as well as with the US Agency for Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security (CISA).

In 2024, following the second Digital Partnership Council, the EU and the Republic of Korea agreed to continue cooperation in the area of cybersecurity. The 2024 review of the Republic of Korea’s cybersecurity strategy includes joint cybersecurity actions with like-minded countries.

Given that Russia, China and North Korea are carrying out increasingly aggressive and sophisticated criminal cyber activities that also affect the EU:

Does the Commission intend to encourage ENISA to sign an agreement with the Republic of Korea similar to those signed with Ukraine and the US?

Submitted: 7.3.2025

Last updated: 17 March 2025

MIL OSI Europe News –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Competitiveness in the field of artificial intelligence – E-000992/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-000992/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Daniel Buda (PPE)

France is to invest EUR 109 billion in artificial intelligence and hence become a European leader in that field, with the caveat that over-regulation could stifle innovation in Europe. France’s plan targets the construction of data centres, developing the production of semiconductors and supporting start-ups. In the meantime, the USA and China continue to dominate the AI race, making huge investments and rapid advances in this sector.

1.Given the investments announced by France and the intensification of global competition in the field of artificial intelligence, what concrete measures will the Commission implement to boost investment and innovation in AI throughout the European Union in order to avoid our falling behind the rest of the world?

2.Is there a coordinated plan, similar to France’s initiative, for the development of infrastructure, the start-up ecosystem and semiconductor production across the EU?

Submitted: 7.3.2025
Last updated: 17 March 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SED mourns passing of Dr Lee Shau-kee

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

SED mourns passing of Dr Lee Shau-kee
Dr Choi said, “Over the past decades, Dr Lee had exhibited extensive generosity in setting up the Hong Kong Pei Hua Education Foundation and the Lee Shau Kee Foundation, donating to various tertiary institutions, and secondary and primary schools in Hong Kong and Mainland China for campus expansion, facility improvements, and the establishment of various scholarships that have benefited numerous students. The education sector is deeply inspired by Dr Lee’s commitment to the country, his passion for education and dedication to nurturing outstanding talent.”

Dr Choi firmly believed that the philanthropist, who had made enormous contributions to the community, will be remembered fondly by Hong Kong people.
Issued at HKT 23:51

NNNN

Categories24-7, Asia Pacific, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Government special administrative region, MIL OSI

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Indian Railways’ financial condition is good, providing more subsidy to passengers: Union Railway Minister

Source: Government of India

Indian Railways’ financial condition is good, providing more subsidy to passengers: Union Railway Minister

The cost of travel per kilometer by train is ₹1.38, but passengers are charged only 73 paise.

This year, 1,400 locomotives have been produced, which is more than the combined production of America and Europe.

By March 31, Indian Railways, with 1.6 billion tons of cargo carriage, will be among the world’s top 3 countries.

Important steps have been taken to prevent incidents like the New Delhi Railway Station accident in the future: Union Railway Minister

Posted On: 17 MAR 2025 8:28PM by PIB Delhi

Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, today, during the discussion on the working of the Ministry of Railways in the Rajya Sabha, highlighted the achievements of Indian Railways and its future plans. He said that Indian Railways is not only providing safe and quality services to passengers at affordable fares but is also making a distinct identity at the global level. He also mentioned that in India, railway fares are lower compared to neighboring countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, whereas in Western countries, they are 10 to 20 times higher than in India.

Regarding the subsidy being given to rail passengers, the Railway Minister said that currently, the cost of travel per kilometer by train is ₹1.38, but passengers are charged only 73 paise, meaning 47% subsidy is provided. In the financial year 2022-23, passengers were given a subsidy of ₹57,000 crore, which increased to approximately ₹60,000 crore in 2023-24 (provisional figure). Our goal is to provide safe and better services at minimal fares.

Highlighting the benefits of railway electrification, the Union Minister said that despite the increasing number of passengers and freight transport, energy costs have remained stable. Indian Railways is working on the target of achieving ‘Scope 1 Net Zero’ by 2025 and ‘Scope 2 Net Zero’ by 2030. He informed that the export of locomotives manufactured at the Madhepura factory in Bihar will soon begin. Currently, Indian Railways’ passenger coaches are being exported to Mozambique, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, while locomotives are being sent to Mozambique, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. Apart from this, bogie underframes are being exported to the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, France, and Australia, while propulsion parts are being sent to France, Mexico, Germany, Spain, Romania, and Italy.

This year, 1,400 locomotives have been produced in India, which is more than the combined production of America and Europe. Along with this, 2 lakh new wagons have been added to the fleet. The Minister stated that in the financial year ending March 31, Indian Railways will transport 1.6 billion tons of cargo, making India one of the top three countries in the world, including China and America. This reflects the increasing capacity of the railway and its significant role in the logistics sector.

Talking about railway safety, Union Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw said that 41,000 LHB coaches have been prepared, and all ICF coaches will be converted into LHB coaches. Long rails, electronic interlocking, fog safety devices, and the ‘Kavach’ system are being implemented rapidly. Thanking Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Shri Vaishnaw stated that earlier, the railway used to receive ₹25,000 crore in support, which has now increased to more than ₹2.5 lakh crore, leading to significant infrastructure improvements. Meanwhile, 50 Namo Bharat trains are being manufactured, offering both AC and non-AC options for short-distance travel.

Regarding the recent accident at New Delhi Railway Station, the Union Railway Minister informed the House that a high-level committee is investigating this tragic incident. CCTV footage and all data have been secured, and facts are being examined by talking to about 300 people. Important steps have been taken to prevent such incidents in the future.

The Minister said that our government is committed to the poorest of the poor. That is why the number of general coaches is being increased by 2.5 times compared to AC coaches. According to the current production plan, there is a program for the manufacturing of 17,000 non-AC coaches. Along with this, he stated that the financial condition of Indian Railways is good, and continuous efforts for improvement are ongoing. The railway has successfully overcome the challenges related to the COVID pandemic. The number of passengers is increasing, and freight transport is also rising. Now, railway revenue is about ₹2.78 lakh crore, and expenses are ₹2.75 lakh crore. Indian Railways is covering all major expenses from its own income, which has been made possible due to the better performance of the railway.

In his concluding remarks in the Rajya Sabha, Shri Vaishnaw assured that the railway would emerge as a more modern, safe, and environmentally friendly transportation system in the future.

****

Dharamendra Tewari/Shatrunjay Kumar

(Release ID: 2112013) Visitor Counter : 60

Read this release in: Hindi

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Trump shrugs off stock market slump, but economic warning signs loom

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Conor O’Kane, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Bournemouth University

bodrumsurf / Shutterstock

During Donald Trump’s first term as US president, he regularly referred to rising stock markets as evidence of the success of his economic policies. “Highest Stock Market EVER”, Trump wrote on social media in 2017 after record gains. “That doesn’t just happen!”

And after securing a second term in November 2024, some of Trump’s close advisers told the New York Times that the president “sees the market as a barometer of his success and abhors the idea that his actions might drive down stock prices”.

This, in addition to a broader economic policy agenda committed to lower regulation and significant tax cuts, had Wall Street investors bullish about their prospects under the new Trump administration.

But fears of an escalating trade war have seen the S&P 500, an index of the leading 500 publicly traded companies in the US, drop more than 10% from its February 2025 high. A decline of this magnitude in a major index is what professional traders refer to as a “correction”. In less than a month, roughly US$5 trillion (£3.9 trillion) has been wiped off the value of US stocks.

So, what exactly is driving down stock prices? Economists cite the president’s brinkmanship, as well as his start-stop approach to tariffs with Canada and Mexico, as having rattled global investors. Some commentators believe this “chaotic” trade agenda has created huge uncertainty for consumers, investors and businesses.

In view of such policies, a recent JP Morgan report said that US economic policy was “tilting away from growth”, and put the chances of a US recession at 40%, up from 30% at the start of the year. Moody’s Analytics has upped the odds of a US recession from 15% to 35%, citing tariffs as a key factor driving the downturn in its outlook.

Any economic downturn would have an adverse impact on the profitability of US corporations, and the declining share prices reflect the negative outlook from investors.

So far, the Trump administration appears unfazed by the US stock market decline. In an address to Congress on March 4, Trump declared his use of tariffs was all about making America rich again. “There will be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that,” he said.

The White House has, since then, announced that some short-term pain may be necessary for Trump to implement his trade agenda successfully, which is designed to bring manufacturing jobs back to the US.

So, should we read this economic turbulence as a temporary blip? Or is it symptomatic of a more fundamental shift in the US economy?

Change of strategy

Stephen Miran, who was recently confirmed as chairman of Trump’s council of economic advisers, wrote a paper in November 2024 titled: A User’s Guide to Restructuring the Global Trading System. The paper gives us an insight into the Trump administration’s wider economic strategy.

It sets out Trump’s desire “to reform the global trading system and put American industry on fairer ground vis-a-vis the rest of the world”. Miran cites persistent US dollar overvaluation as the root cause of economic imbalances.

Miran does not believe that tariffs are inflationary, and argues that their use during Trump’s first presidential term had little discernible macroeconomic consequences. He does concede that tariffs may eventually lead to an appreciation – or further overvaluation – of the US dollar. However, Miran sees the extent of that appreciation as “debatable”.

He sees tariffs as a tool for leverage in trade negotiations. The administration could, for example, agree to a reduction in tariffs in exchange for significant investment is the US by key trading partners. China investing in car manufacturing in the US is specifically mentioned in his analysis.

Miran also states his belief that tariffs can be used to raise tax revenues from foreigners in order to retain low tax rates on American citizens.

Some economists agree that the US dollar is overvalued. A combination of its role as the world’s reserve currency, as well as the attractiveness of the US economy as an investment destination, fuels demand for the US dollar and makes it stronger.

A strong US dollar has made American manufacturing exports less competitive. This has cost American jobs. The “rust belt” states of the north-eastern and mid-western US have experienced a decline in manufacturing employment over the past 40 years, which is evidence of this.

However, it is worth noting that the many US manufacturers who import manufactured parts or components to make their products do benefit from a stronger dollar. This is because it makes the parts and materials they are importing cheaper. US mortgage holders and investors also benefit from a stronger dollar through lower interest rates on loans.

Steven Englander, the head of research and strategy at Standard Chartered bank, believes there are some contradictions in the Trump administration’s approach.

In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Englander said: “The problem for the new administration is that it simultaneously wants a weaker dollar, a reduced trade deficit, capital inflows, and the dollar to remain the key currency in international reserves and payments.”

Reduced trade deficits and capital inflows would typically strengthen the US dollar, as does its position as the world’s reserve currency.

As Miran says in his paper: “There is a path by which the Trump administration can reconfigure the global trading and financial systems to America’s benefit. But it is narrow, and will require careful planning, precise execution, and attention to steps to minimise adverse consequences.”

Only time will tell whether the Trump administration can successfully navigate this “narrow” path. In the meantime, the recent turbulence in US stock prices appears to be acceptable to the Trump administration in their pursuit of reforming the global financial system.

Conor O’Kane 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. Trump shrugs off stock market slump, but economic warning signs loom – https://theconversation.com/trump-shrugs-off-stock-market-slump-but-economic-warning-signs-loom-251988

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Why we are so scared of space – and how this fear can drive conspiracy theories

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tony Milligan, Research Fellow in the Philosophy of Ethics, King’s College London

klyaksun/Shutterstock

There are many home-grown problems on Earth, but there’s still time to worry about bad things arriving from above. The most recent is the asteroid 2024 YR4, which could be a “city killer” if it hits a heavily populated area of our planet in the early years of the next decade.

The chances of that happening are now estimated to be around 0.001%. But there was a brief moment after the asteroid’s discovery last year when the estimated danger of a direct hit crossed the 1% threshold of comfortable risk.

There’s a need to worry about planetary defence if we are to avoid going the way of the dinosaurs. But there are many other things that could kill us, including climate change and wars. So what is it about space that grabs our attention? And how do these fears affect us – individually and as a society?

In the long run, something big will hit us, unless we can redirect it. The responsibility for preparation begins with us.

Yet preparation also carries risks. Daniel Deudney, a professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University in the US, has warned that the technologies used for planetary defence can not only guide asteroids away from Earth – they can also guide them towards it as a tool in a military conflict.

As explained in his book Dark Skies, Deudney’s solution is to reverse, regulate and relinquish most of our human activities in space for several centuries to come. The more we do in space, he believes, the greater the likelihood that states will end up in catastrophic conflict. “The avoidance of civilisation’s disaster and species extinction now depends on discerning what not to do, and then making sure it is not done,” he writes.

He ultimately argues space expansion has come too soon, and we must reverse the process until we are ready. That said, he thinks we may still need some form of planetary defence, but that it can be limited.

Holding off for centuries is an unlikely option though. The chances of an asteroid strike may well be too high. And the political interest in space expansion is, at this point, irreversible.

Fear of space has grown alongside space programs. Worries about asteroid strikes and over-militarisation lean into deeper fears about space as the unknown. Yet they also lean into worries about the self-destructive side of humanity.

Both fears are very old. One of our earliest traceable human tales, the story of the Cosmic Hunt dating back at least 15,000 years, combines the two.

An indigenous Sami version, surviving in Scandinavia, describes how a great hunt in the skies would go wrong if the hunter is impatient and fires an arrow which misses its target and accidentally strikes the pole star. This would bring the canopy of the night sky crashing down to Earth. Again, fears about misguided human actions and the threat from above fuse.

We can see this in modern technologically driven fears such as UFOlogy. Some hard-core believers in UFOs are not only concerned about hostile visitors, but about secret collaborations among scientists on Earth, or, an entire conspiracy to keep the truth from the public.

Without belief in a conspiracy to suppress the evidence, the whole idea falls apart. But without belief that there is actually something to fear from space, there is nothing for the conspiracy to be about. Fear of space is a necessary part of this picture.

This is an idea neatly captured in recent times by the Chinese science fiction author Cixin Liu, who compares space to a “dark forest” in which alien civilisations are trying to hide from each other.

All of this presupposes something of a bunker mentality, an over-separation of Earth and space, or sky and ground. This is something I have referred to as ground bias. The bias allows space to appear as a threatening outside, rather than something that we, too, are part of.

Alien viruses

The rationalisation for such fear shifts about and is not restricted to asteroids, aliens, meteors and runaway military conflict. There is even a theory that viruses come from space.

When COVID sceptics went looking for an idea to explain why mask wearing was pointless, what many of them struck upon was an obscure theory put together by the astrophysicists Fred Hoyle and Chandra Wickramsinghe in 1979.

Some believe Covid came from space.
Viacheslav Lopatin

The duo ultimately had a good idea which they followed up with a bad idea. The good idea was that the components for the emergence of life may have come from space. The bad idea was that they came ready formed, as viruses and bacteria, and that they are still coming.

According this theory, well known pandemics of the past (such as the lethal 1918 flu pandemic and even epidemics in antiquity) were apparently the result of viruses from space and could not be the result of person-to-person transmission – least of all from asymptomatic carriers.

The COVID version involved a meteor exploding over China. In an interview, Wickramsinghe claimed “a piece of this bolide containing trillions of the COVID-19 virus broke off from the bolide as it was entering the stratosphere” releasing viral particles which were then carried by prevailing winds.

The idea illustrates the way in which fears about space are used to drive anxiety about human failings or wrongdoing. COVID scepticism has since gone all the way into the White House.

But fears about space can also be used to critique those in power. In our own times, they are used to fuel narratives about billionaires with private space agendas and presidential access, wealthy space tourists and even wealthier prospective colonisers of Mars and beyond. It is a tempting narrative, but one that sees Earth as closed system, which should not be opened to the outside.

We may, at some level, be afraid of space itself. We certainly have an exaggerated sense our our Earthly separateness from it. And there are some particular things that we do have cause to worry about. But there is also the risk that a fear of space can combine with suspicions about governments, leading us to embrace conspiracy theories as a way to consolidate different kinds of worries into a single, manageable, set of beliefs.

Tony Milligan receives funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement No. 856543).

– ref. Why we are so scared of space – and how this fear can drive conspiracy theories – https://theconversation.com/why-we-are-so-scared-of-space-and-how-this-fear-can-drive-conspiracy-theories-252195

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 18, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Scientific misconduct is on the rise. But what exactly is it?

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nham Tran, Associate Professor, School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney

PowerUp/Shutterstock

German anaesthesiologist Joachim Boldt has an unfortunate claim to fame. According to Retraction Watch, a public database of research retractions, he is the most retracted scientist of all time. To date, 220 of his roughly 400 published research papers have been retracted by academic journals.

Boldt may be a world leader, but he has plenty of competition. In 2023, more than 10,000 research papers were retracted globally – more than any previous year on record. According to a recent investigation by Nature, a disproportionate number of retracted papers over the past ten years have been written by authors affiliated with several hospitals, universities and research institutes in Asia.

Academic journals retract papers when they are concerned that the published data is faked, altered, or not “reproducible” (meaning it would yield the same results if analysed again).

Some errors are honest mistakes. However, the majority of retractions are associated with scientific misconduct.

But what exactly is scientific misconduct? And what can be done about it?

From fabrication to plagiarism

The National Health and Medical Research Council is Australia’s primary government agency for medical funding. It defines misconduct as breaches of the Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research.

In Australia, there are broadly eight recognised types of breaches. Research misconduct is the most severe.

These breaches may include failure to obtain ethics approval, plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification and misrepresentation.

This is what was behind many of Boldt’s retractions. He made up data for a large number of studies, which ultimately led to his dismissal from the Klinikum Ludwigshafen, a teaching hospital in Germany, in 2010.

In another case, China’s He Jiankui was sentenced to three years in prison in 2019 for creating the world’s first genetically edited babies using the gene-editing technology known as CRISPR. His crime was that he falsified documents to recruit couples for his research.

The “publish or perish” culture within academia fuels scientific misconduct. It puts pressure on academics to meet publication quotas. It also rewards them for greater research output, in the form of promotions, funding and recognition. And this can mean research quality is sacrificed for quantity.

Honest mistakes

But not all research misconduct is premeditated. Some is the result of honest mistakes made by scientists.

For example, Sergio Gonzalez, a young scientist at the Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier in France, mistakenly uploaded several wrong images to an academic paper and its supplementary material. This didn’t have any effect on the findings of the paper, which were based on the correct images.

But it still represented a case of image duplication and misrepresentation of data. This lead to the journal retracting the paper and launching an investigation. The investigation concluded the breach was unintentional and resulted from the pressures of academic research.

Fewer than 20% of all retractions are due to honest mistakes. Researchers usually contact the publisher to correct errors when they are detected, with no major consequences.

The need for a national oversight body

In many countries, an independent national body oversees research integrity.

In the United Kingdom, this body is known as the Committee on Research Integrity. It is responsible for improving research integrity and addressing misconduct cases. Similarly, in the United States, the Office of Research Integrity handles allegations of research misconduct.

In contrast, Australia lacks an independent body directly tasked with investigating research misconduct. There is a body known as the Australian Research Integrity Committee. But it only reviews the institutional procedures and governance of investigations to ensure they are conducted fairly and transparently – and with limited effectiveness. For example, last year it received 13 complaints, only five of which were investigated.

Instead Australia relies on a self-regulation model. This means each university and research institute aligns its own policy with the Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research. Although this code originated in medical research, its principles apply across all disciplines.

For example, in archaeology, falsifying an image or deliberately reporting inaccurate carbon dating results constitutes data fabrication. Another common breach is plagiarism, which can also be applied to all fields.

But self-governance on integrity matters is fraught with problems.

Investigations often lack transparency and are carried out internally, creating a conflict of interest. Often the investigative teams are under immense pressure to safeguard their institution’s reputation rather than uphold accountability.

A 2023 report by the Australia Institute called for the urgent establishment of an independent, government-funded research integrity watchdog.

The report recommended the watchdog have direct investigatory powers and that academic institutions be bound by its findings.

The report also recommended the watchdog should release its findings publicly, create whistleblower protections, establish a proper appeals process and allow people to directly raise complaints with it.

Research credibility is on the line

The consequences of inadequate oversight are already evident.

One of the biggest research integrity scandals in Australian history involved Ali Nazari, an engineer from Swinburne University. In 2022 an anonymous whistleblower alleged Nazari was part of an international research fraud cartel involving multiple teams.

Investigations cast doubt on the validity of the 287 papers Nazari and the other researchers had collectively published. The investigations uncovered numerous violations, including 71 instances of falsified results, plagiarism and duplication, and 208 instances of self-plagiarism.

Similarly, Mark Smyth, formerly of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, fabricated research data to support grant applications and clinical trials. An independent inquiry concluded he used his reputation, status and authority to bully and intimidate junior colleagues.

If Australia had a independent research integrity body, there would be a clear governance structure and an established and transparent pathway for reporting breaches at a much earlier stage.

Timely intervention would help reduce further breaches through swift investigation and corrective action. Importantly, consistent governance across Australian institutions would help ensure fairness. It would also reduce bias and uphold the same standards across all misconduct cases.

The call for an independent research integrity watchdog is long overdue.

Only through impartial oversight can we uphold the values of scientific excellence, protect public trust, and foster a culture of accountability that strengthens the integrity of research for all Australians.

Nham Tran has received funding from Australian Research Council.

– ref. Scientific misconduct is on the rise. But what exactly is it? – https://theconversation.com/scientific-misconduct-is-on-the-rise-but-what-exactly-is-it-247352

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Lankford Leads Package of Bills to Counter China’s Predatory Tactics

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) introduced a package of bills to tackle China’s predatory tactics on American farmland, college campuses, and lending practices.
“China continues to buy up American farm land, steal our patents, and expand their authoritarian world view. America will demonstrate to the world our values and maintain our economic and military strength to assure the globe has the best opportunity for freedom. No one in China should doubt America’s resolve and commitment to liberty,” said Lankford.
Background:
This package of bills includes the Belt & Road Oversight Act to establish a Country China Officer at each embassy worldwide tasked with tracking China’s investment, particularly investment in critical infrastructure funded through predatory lending practices.
The Security and Oversight for International Landholdings (SOIL) Act will provide oversight and transparency of purchases of US agricultural land that threaten national security. Oklahoma has over 7,000 licensed marijuana grows. The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) believes that 2,000 of those farms have a Chinese connection. The marijuana market in Oklahoma has ushered in other serious crimes like human trafficking, forced labor, and money laundering. Lankford is joined on the SOIL Act by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Jim Risch (R-ID), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).
Senator Blackburn also joined the Countering Adversarial and Malicious Partnerships at Universities and Schools (CAMPUS) Act, which prohibits joint research between US universities and universities in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) with connections to the Chinese military, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The bill notably prohibits Department of Education funds for K-12 schools partnering with PLA-linked entities, as well as federal contracts and research dollars for universities that partner with PRC military enterprises.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 18, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: What is the rules-based order? How this global system has shifted from ‘liberal’ origins − and where it could be heading next

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Latham, Professor of Political Science, Macalester College

Global order? Put a pin in it. Getty Images

The phrase “international rules-based order” has long been a fixture in global politics.

Western leaders often use it to describe a framework of rules, norms and institutions designed to guide state behavior. Advocates argue that this framework has provided the foundation for decades of stability and prosperity, while critics question its fairness and relevance in today’s multipolar world.

But what exactly is the international rules-based order, when did it come about, and why do people increasingly hear about challenges to it today?

The birth of a universal vision

The rules-based international order, initially known as the “liberal international order,” emerged from the devastation of World War II. The vision was ambitious and universal: to create a global system based on liberal democratic values, market capitalism and multilateral cooperation.

At its core, however, this project was driven by the United States, which saw itself as the unmatched leader of the new order.

The idea was to replace the chaos of great power politics and shifting alliances with a predictable world governed by shared rules and norms.

Central to this vision was the establishment of institutions such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. These institutions, alongside widely accepted norms and formalized rules, aimed to promote political cooperation, the peaceful resolution of disputes, and economic recovery for countries damaged by war.

However, the vision of a truly universal liberal international order quickly unraveled. As the Cold War set in, the world split into two competing blocs. The Western bloc, led by the United States, adhered to the principles of the liberal international order.

Meanwhile, the Soviet-led communist bloc established a parallel system with its own norms, rules and institutions. The Warsaw Pact provided military alignment, while the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance managed economic cooperation. The communist bloc emphasized state-led economic planning and single-party rule, rejecting the liberal order’s emphasis on democracy and free markets.

Emerging cracks

When the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990s, the liberal international order appeared to have triumphed. The United States became the world’s sole superpower, and many former communist states integrated into Western institutions. For a brief period, the order’s universal vision seemed within reach.

By the 1990s and early 2000s, however, new cracks began to appear.

NATO expansion, the creation of the World Trade Organization and greater emphasis on human rights through institutions such as the International Criminal Court all closely aligned with Western liberal values. The spread of these norms and the institutions enforcing them appeared, to many outside the West, as Western ideology dressed up as universal principles.

In response to mounting criticism, Western leaders began using the term rules-based international order instead of liberal international order. This shift aimed to emphasize procedural fairness – rules that all states, in theory, had agreed upon – rather than a system explicitly rooted in liberal ideological commitments. The focus moved from promoting specific liberal norms to maintaining stability and predictability.

New challenges to the status quo

China’s rise has brought these tensions into sharp relief. While China participates in many institutions underpinning the rules-based international order, it also seeks to reshape them.

The Belt and Road Initiative and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank illustrate Beijing’s efforts to establish alternative frameworks more aligned with its interests. These initiatives challenge existing rules and norms by offering new institutional pathways for economic and political influence.

Meanwhile, Russia’s actions in Ukraine – especially the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the 2022 invasion – challenge the order’s core principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Western inconsistencies have long undermined the credibility of the rules-based order. The 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, widely criticized for bypassing international norms and institutions, exemplified a selective application of the rules. This double standard extends toward Washington’s selective engagement with international legal bodies and its inconsistent approach to sovereignty and intervention.

An uncertain future

Supporters argue that the rules-based order remains vital for addressing global challenges such as climate change, pandemics and nuclear proliferation.

However, ambiguity surrounds what these “rules” actually entail, which norms are genuinely universal, and who enforces them.

This lack of clarity, coupled with shifting global power dynamics, complicates efforts to sustain the system.

The future of the rules-based international order is uncertain. The shift from “liberal” to “rules-based” reflected an ongoing struggle to adapt a complex web of rules, norms and institutions to a rapidly changing international environment.

Whether it evolves further, splinters or endures as is will depend on how well it balances fairness, inclusivity and stability in an increasingly multipolar world.

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

– ref. What is the rules-based order? How this global system has shifted from ‘liberal’ origins − and where it could be heading next – https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-rules-based-order-how-this-global-system-has-shifted-from-liberal-origins-and-where-it-could-be-heading-next-250978

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senators Coons, McCormick introduce bipartisan, bicameral bill to combat the flow of fentanyl

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) introduced the Joint Task Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic Narcotics Act of 2025 to combat the flow of fentanyl coming into American communities that is killing hundreds of thousands of Americans. This legislation would improve federal coordination to?combat this crisis, with a particular focus of responding to China’s central role in producing fentanyl precursors and laundering drug money.
In addition to Senators Coons and McCormick, the bill is cosponsored by Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.). Representatives Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Neal Dunn (R-Fla.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), and Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) cosponsored the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Fentanyl?continues to claim lives every day and?devastate?communities in Delaware and across the country,” said Senator Coons. “We know China is contributing to this crisis, and I’m proud to support the introduction of this bipartisan bill to determine how agencies can best coordinate to eliminate redundancies, maintain safeguards, and make our law enforcement efforts to address China’s role as effective as possible.”
“Fentanyl killed nearly 4,000 Pennsylvanians last year and over 200 Americans each day,” said Senator McCormick. “This legislation would empower our federal government to coordinate all the tools at its disposal to combat the trafficking of lethal fentanyl that is ruining American families. I’ve heard from too many families who have lost their loved ones to fentanyl overdoses, I refuse to allow it to continue.”
“The CCP is the leading force behind the fentanyl crisis, and the United States is failing to respond while they profit from the loss of American lives. This Joint Task Force will pool resources across the federal government and respond to this crisis with everything from sanctions to joint drug raids to keep this deadly substance out of our communities,” said Representative Newhouse. “This task force will help President Trump and his administration accomplish his goal of stopping the flow of fentanyl from China across our northern and southern borders.”
“The U.S. government must take decisive action at every link of the illegal synthetic narcotic supply chain, beginning with China,” said Representative Auchincloss. “This Task Force would provide a coordinated framework to hold bad actors accountable for the state-sanctioned poisoning of Americans.”
Improving federal coordination is critical to combatting fentanyl. This legislation establishes a Joint Task Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic Narcotics, which will be composed of representatives from the Departments of Justice, Treasury, Homeland Security, State, Commerce, Defense, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and any other agency deemed appropriate. Together, these agencies can conduct joint operations, enforce sanctions, disrupt trafficking networks, and address the central role of the People’s Republic of China in the opioid crisis.
As Co-Chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, Senator Coons has worked across the aisle in the Senate to address America’s fentanyl crisis. He introduced the bipartisan Fentanyl Safe Testing and Overdose Prevention Act with Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) in 2023, which aims to prevent deaths from fentanyl poisoning by increasing access to fentanyl test strips. Senator Coons also hosted a Senate Law Enforcement Caucus roundtable last year with Senator Cornyn to hear on-the-ground perspectives on the fentanyl and xylazine crises from Delaware and Texas and discuss ways to support law enforcement and public health officials. He also introduced a resolution designating May 7, 2024, as National Fentanyl Awareness Day with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to raise awareness and educate the public regarding the dangers posed by counterfeit fentanyl pills.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Security Council Extends Mandate of United Nations Mission in Afghanistan, Unanimously Adopting Resolution 2777 (2025)

Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

The Security Council today decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) until 17 March 2026, also welcoming its ongoing efforts in the implementation of its mandated tasks and priorities.

Unanimously adopting resolution 2777 (2025) (to be issued as document S/RES/2777 (2025)), the Council stressed the importance of the Mission’s continued presence and called on all relevant stakeholders to coordinate with it to ensure the safety, security and freedom of movement of UN and associated personnel throughout the country. The 15-member organ also requested that the Secretary-General report every three months on the situation in Afghanistan and the implementation of UNAMA’s mandate.

Speaking after the adoption, Afghanistan’s representative expressed support for UNAMA’s vital role, adding that the text rightfully acknowledges his country’s multifaceted challenges, which range from a devastating economic crisis to rampant human rights violations. Further, it highlights “the heartbreaking reality” that Afghan women and girls continue to be deprived of their most basic rights. The presence of UNAMA and other UN agencies is essential for humanitarian aid and delivery, human rights protection and facilitating dialogue.

“The Taliban’s continued failure and unwillingness to address the situation to establish a just, inclusive and representative system of governance” has impeded his country’s prospects for peace and isolated it, he added. Highlighting the need to fight terrorism and strengthen the banking and financial systems, he said it is vital to enable the use of Afghanistan’s Central Bank assets through a legitimate Government. After over three years of political stalemate, initiating an inclusive political dialogue remains a priority, alongside other aspects of the Mission’s mandate, he added.

Council members who spoke today welcomed the unanimous adoption, with the representative of Denmark, Council President for March, who spoke in her national capacity, observing: “In one united, strong voice, we showed the Afghan people that we have not forgotten them.” As the Taliban continues to systematically persecute women and girls, she said, it was important for her delegation that the text reflect their deteriorating human-rights situation.

Somalia’s delegate, also speaking for Guyana, Sierra Leone and Algeria, said the renewal reflects the Council’s united commitment in fostering stability and prosperity in Afghanistan. He encouraged the international community to enhance coordination to address the various challenges Afghanistan faces.

The representative of the Republic of Korea drew attention to the “three key elements” his delegation wanted to see reflected in the renewal, welcoming that all are present in today’s text. First of these was the preservation of UNAMA’s robust, comprehensive mandate. Additionally, updated preambular language reflecting the Council’s views on the various challenges facing Afghanistan “marks the first update of its kind since 2022”, he noted. He also expressed hope that new language on natural hazards will assist UNAMA in addressing the wide-ranging, destabilizing impacts of climate and environmental challenges. Lastly, he emphasized the importance of “maintaining the Council’s vigilance on the situation in Afghanistan through quarterly reporting”.

The text, China’s delegate said, captures the Council’s “positions, expectations and concerns” regarding the current multiple challenges in Afghanistan “in light of the evolving circumstances”. Further, it notes the problems confronting Afghanistan — such as insufficient economic and humanitarian funding, as well as blocked aid — and reiterates the necessity to help rebuild the national banking and financial system. It also emphasizes that women should enjoy equal rights in public life. Underlining the need for “more engagement” with the interim Government to “achieve positive interactions”, he also expressed hope that such Government will respond to the international community’s “legitimate concerns”.

The representative of Pakistan recalled a recent attack on a passenger train in his country, and emphasized: “Throughout the attack, the terrorists were in direct contact with their handlers in Afghanistan, from where the attack was planned and directed.” The Taliban Government “has not been effective” in eliminating Da’esh, has tolerated several other terrorist groups “and is complicit in the cross-border attacks against Pakistan by the TTP [Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan], together with the BLA [Balochistan Liberation Army] and the Majeed Brigade”, he stated.

Noting that the text just adopted expresses concern over the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan and demands that the country’s territory not be used to threaten any State, plan or finance terrorism or shelter or train terrorists, he said the Council and its counter-terrorism machinery must secure implementation of such decisions.

The representative of the United States said this adoption ensures that UNAMA remains a partner for the people of Afghanistan. “It is up to the Taliban to demonstrate they are willing to take the necessary steps to meet their counter-terrorism commitments and respect Afghanistan’s international legal obligations,” she added.

The representative of the Russian Federation, however, stressed the need to maintain pragmatic cooperation between the Mission and the de facto authorities. Describing the text as “a collective product emphasizing support for the Afghan people”, she said it was the result of efforts to find “compromise solutions with due regard for the reality on the ground”. “The main thing is that the tasks of UNAMA remain unchanged”, she added.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Kabaddi World Cup: City hosts opening of international spectacle

Source: City of Wolverhampton

WV Active Aldersley staged the opening ceremony and first games of the tournament today (Monday 17 March, 2025).

The opening ceremony featured live music by students from Wolverhampton Music Service, local dance acts and a parade of athlete from across the world who are taking part.

The host nation England men’s team then got the live action underway with the first group stage game against Hungary. A number of other men’s and women’s games then took place featuring teams including India, Poland, China and the USA.

It’s the first time that the Kabaddi World Cup has been hosted outside of Asia and Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Resident Services, said it was a very proud moment for the city of Wolverhampton to host the festivities.

He said: “The ceremony and opening games were spectacular to witness. It’s a real honour to have the Kabaddi World Cup taking place on our doorstep and we can’t wait to host the semi-finals and finals this weekend.

“It’s exciting to welcome fans not just from Wolverhampton but from far and wide to our city, as well as the millions tuning in online to watch the action. This is a global celebration of sport and cultures and we’re proud to be the home for it.”

Wolverhampton is also hosting day two of the tournament tomorrow (Tuesday) before the action takes to the road with games being hosted in Coventry, Birmingham and Walsall. The tournament then returns to Wolverhampton on Saturday for the semi-finals and Sunday for the finals, third place play-off and closing ceremony.

Councillor Gakhal added: “Events of this scale help support the local economy and help put the city on the map, so I encourage everyone to snap up the final remaining tickets while they can.”

Tickets are still available for this week and information on how to purchase can be found at Kabaddi World Cup England 2025.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI: Kuaishou Kling AI Integrates DeepSeek, Lowering the Entry Barrier for AI-Powered Creative Content

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

HONG KONG, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kuaishou Technology (“Kuaishou” or the “Company”; HKD Counter Stock Code: 01024 / RMB Counter Stock Code: 81024), a leading content community and social platform, recently announced the full integration of DeepSeek-R1 into its large video generation model, Kling AI. This integration enables users to effortlessly transform their creative ideas into professional prompts for video and image generation with DeepSeek’s assistance in generating or optimizing prompts, facilitating the creation of high-quality creative videos. In text-to-video scenarios, Kling AI DeepSeek Inspiration Version works seamlessly with the “Inspiration Word Bank” feature, providing users with granular control over scenes, lenses, shots, lighting, and atmosphere and thereby enhancing expressiveness.

As a next-generation AI creative studio developed by Kuaishou, Kuaishou Kling AI has been continuously iterated and upgraded since its launch last year. While maintaining its lead in model capabilities and generation effects, Kuaishou Kling AI has unveiled an array of rich creation features and creative activities. The integration of DeepSeek will further lower the entry barrier for AI creative content and enhance creation efficiency.

In December 2024, Kuaishou Kling AI officially launched the Kling AI 1.6 model, featuring upgraded video generation capabilities and significantly enhanced effects. Users can access the new features via the web portal (Chinese version: https://klingai.kuaishou.com; English version: https://klingai.com) or by searching for and downloading KLINGAI from the app store.

About Kuaishou

Kuaishou is a leading content community and social platform in China and globally, committed to becoming the most customer-obsessed company in the world. Kuaishou uses its technological backbone, powered by cutting-edge AI technology, to continuously drive innovation and product enhancements that enrich its service offerings and application scenarios, creating exceptional customer value. Through short videos and live streams on Kuaishou’s platform, users can share their lives, discover goods and services they need and showcase their talent. By partnering closely with content creators and businesses, Kuaishou provides technologies, products, and services that cater to diverse user needs across a broad spectrum of entertainment, online marketing services, e-commerce, local services, gaming, and much more.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may”, “might”, “can”, “could”, “will”, “would”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “forecast”, “intend”, “plan”, “seek”, or “timetable”. These forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, may include our business outlook, estimates of financial performance, forecast business plans, growth strategies and projections of anticipated trends in our industry. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Group and are stated herein on the basis of the outlook at the time of this press release. They are based on certain expectations, assumptions and premises, many of which are subjective or beyond our control. These forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect and may not be realized in the future. Underlying these forward-looking statements are a large number of risks and uncertainties. In light of the risks and uncertainties, the inclusion of forward-looking statements in this press release should not be regarded as representations by the Board or the Company that the plans and objectives will be achieved, and investors should not place undue reliance on such statements. Except as required by law, we are not obligated, and we undertake no obligation, to release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements that might reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release or those that might reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
Kuaishou Technology
Investor Relations
Email: ir@kuaishou.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/67878873-5371-4b09-b951-63f292978c1b

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bbd00047-a6cb-4395-b015-4e93b651da10

The MIL Network –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK and Philippines upgrade trade relationship through inaugural talks
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

UK and Philippines upgrade trade relationship through inaugural talks

UK and the Philippines today hold first Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) in London.
UK and the Philippines today held inaugural Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) talks in London aimed at boosting trade and investment

JETCO aims to realise potential for UK businesses to sell more to the Philippines, one of the fastest growing economies in Asia

News follows recent win for UK beef industry after Philippine ban on UK beef was lifted in addition to the lifting of a poultry ban with both worth a combined £80m over five years.

Ministers from the UK and the Philippines met in London today [Monday 17 March] for trade talks under the first Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) meeting.

The Philippines is one of the fastest growing economies in Asia and has the second largest population in Southeast Asia, presenting huge opportunities for British businesses. The JETCO aims to upgrade our bilateral trade relationship, currently worth £2.8 billion annually.

At today’s meeting, Minister for Trade Policy and Economic Security Douglas Alexander and Philippine Undersecretary Allan B. Gepty of the Department of Trade and Industry agreed to pursue closer cooperation and increased trade across sectors including infrastructure, renewable energy, agriculture and technology.

They also committed to progressing work towards a government-to-government Financing Framework Partnership that will unlock up to £5 billion of potential financing from UK Export Finance (UKEF) to support the delivery of sustainable public infrastructure and improve access to UK expertise and technology in the Philippines.

Minister for Trade Policy and Economic Security Douglas Alexander MP said:

Today’s talks signify an important new chapter in our trading relationship with the Philippines, one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies.

Deepening our trade with partners like the Philippines and showing that the UK is open for business in Asia is vital for this Government’s mission to deliver economic growth.

I look forward to working with the Philippines and to deliver trading opportunities that will benefit both our economies.

Agriculture is an important area for bilateral trade – the Philippines is the fourth largest export market for UK pork after the EU, US, and China.

Ministers highlighted investment opportunities in the Philippines for UK agricultural companies and promoted imports of UK meat in light of the recent removal of bans on beef and poultry exports from the UK, worth £80 million over five years.

The talks are part of the government’s mission to deliver economic growth as part of the Plan for Change.

The International Meat Trade Association (MTA) said:

MTA welcomes the inaugural JETCO between the UK & the Philippines which will deepen our trading relationship with an important partner.

We were delighted that last year the Philippines lifted the ban on UK poultry meat, as well as lifting the temporary ban on UK beef.

We hope the trade partnership between our countries can continue to grow from strength to strength.

Opportunities in offshore renewable energy featured heavily in discussions. In 2024, the UK was the largest single investor in the Philippines, driven mainly by investments in renewables.

Such opportunities for UK companies were enhanced in 2022 with the removal of foreign equity restrictions for renewable energy companies.

The JETCO also celebrated growing digital and tech trade and emphasised the UK’s commitment to supporting the Philippines in its economic development, including through the upcoming launch of an Export Handbook for Philippine businesses in the processed agrifood and fish sectors.

Background

The methodology for the valuation of market access barriers is published in a DBT analytical working paper. In some cases, estimates may have been sourced externally from industry.

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Published 17 March 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: India, Japan and UAE defy global deal downturn in early 2025, reveals GlobalData

Source: GlobalData

India, Japan and UAE defy global deal downturn in early 2025, reveals GlobalData

Posted in Business Fundamentals

The global deal landscape has slowed during the first two months of 2025, with overall deal volume dropping 9% compared to the same period last year. Europe has seen a sharp contraction, while India, Japan and the UAE have shown resilience despite the broader downturn, reveals GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “This decline is indicative of a challenging environment, influenced by factors such as geopolitical tensions, inflationary pressures and macroeconomic conditions that have dampened deal-making sentiments.”

An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database revealed that all the deal types under the coverage, mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity and venture financing, registered decline in volume during January-February 2025 compared to January-February 2024.

M&A deal volume has seen a year-on-year (YoY) decrease of about 9% during January-February 2025, signaling a cautious approach from businesses that may be reevaluating their growth strategies amid the uncertainty.

Similarly, the number of private equity deals have contracted by about 3%, suggesting that investors are becoming more selective in their investments, possibly prioritizing quality over quantity in the current market conditions.

Venture financing deals have also taken a hit, with the YoY decline in volume pegged at about 9%, reflecting a tightening of capital availability for startups and emerging companies, which often rely on such funding to fuel innovation and growth.

Bose adds: “Even though the intensity varied widely but all the regions experienced subdued deal activity during the review period. Meanwhile, the trend remained a mixed bag among different countries with some showcasing improvement in deal volume while some experiencing decline.”

Europe has been particularly hard hit, with a staggering YoY decline of around 16%. This downturn is reflective of the ongoing economic challenges faced by the region, including energy crises and inflation, which have created an uncertain investment climate.

In contrast, North America, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and African region have shown relative resilience, with modest declines of around 4%, 8% and 4%, respectively. Meanwhile South and Central America have experienced a contraction of around 13%.

The US, while still leading in deal volume, has seen a decline of around 3%. The UK and China, however, have faced more significant challenges, with decline of around 20% each. Notably, India, Japan and the UAE have bucked the trend and showcased improvement in deal activity during the review period.

Bose concludes: “While global deal activity slows, markets like India, Japan, and the UAE show resilience, driven by stable economies and demand for innovation. Going forward, we may see a more region-specific deal landscape, with investors focusing on growth opportunities in emerging markets while exercising caution in more uncertain economies.”

MIL OSI Economics –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: COMLOG WESTPAC Holds Awards Ceremony, March 13, 2025 [Image 11 of 11]

Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

Issued by: on

SINGAPORE (Mar. 13, 2025) Rear Adm. Todd F. Cimicata, left, Commander, Logistics Group Western
Pacific/Task Force 73 (COMLOG WESTPAC/CTF 73), names Master-at-Arms 1st Class Jonathan Wade,
COMLOG WESTPAC Sailor of the Quarter (SOQ), during an awards ceremony on Sembawang Naval
Installation, Mar. 13, 2025. COMLOG WESTPAC supports deployed surface units and aircraft carriers, along
with regional Allies and partners, to facilitate patrols in the South China Sea, participation in naval exercises
and responses to natural disasters. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Jennings/Released)

Date Taken: 03.13.2025

Date Posted: 03.14.2025 03:07

Photo ID: 8915341

VIRIN: 250313-N-YV347-1017

Resolution: 7172×4781

Size: 25.47 MB

Location: SG

Web Views: 13

Downloads: 1

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This work, COMLOG WESTPAC Holds Awards Ceremony, March 13, 2025 [Image 11 of 11], by PO2 Jordan Jennings, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

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MIL Security OSI –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: King, Collins Praise Passage of Bipartisan Bill to Combat Illicit Fentanyl Trafficking

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and the Select Senate Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), and Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and member of SSCI and the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today lauded the passage of bipartisan legislation that would crack down on illegal fentanyl trafficking. The Halt All Lethal Trafficking (HALT) of Fentanyl Act will permanently classify fentanyl-related substances (FRS) — any substance that is structurally related to fentanyl by one or more listed modifications — as Schedule I controlled drugs. These drugs have no current accepted medical use and have a high potential for abuse.
A permanent scheduling classification of FRS is required to make penalties for drug-related crimes clear and enforceable under the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The legislation would also streamline the process for scientists seeking approval from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to research those substances. The bill passed the Senate in a 84-16 vote.
“Opioids like fentanyl have devastated families and communities across Maine and the country for far too long,” said Senator King. “As we continue working to combat the fentanyl and overdose crisis, commonsense bills like the HALT Fentanyl Act will pave a the way toward a safer tomorrow. I am thankful to my colleagues for putting partisanship aside and recommitting to keeping our families out of harm’s way.”
“The fentanyl epidemic has devastated lives and wreaked havoc on communities all over the United States, including here in Maine,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan legislation will permanently classify fentanyl analogues as a Schedule I substance, ensuring law enforcement always has the tools they need to combat the scourge of fentanyl and hold cartels accountable.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there were 107,543 overdose deaths in the United States in 2023. Fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances accounted for nearly 75,000 of those deaths. Since 1999, the overdose crisis has increasingly been characterized by deaths involving these illicitly manufactured synthetic opioids, which are commonly sold through illicit drug markets for their fentanyl-like effect, and are often mixed with heroin or other drugs, such as cocaine, or pressed in to counterfeit prescription pills. The New England Journal of Medicine estimated that 22 teenagers died of overdoses each week in 2022.
Since 2013, Maine has experienced tragically significant growth in total deaths from fentanyl-related overdoses. In 2021, 77% of all drug overdoses in Maine were due to fentanyl. The University of Maine estimates fentanyl to be 25 times more potent than oxycodone and 50-100 times more potent than heroin.
However, there have recently been positive downward trends for overdose deaths in Maine and nationwide. Overall, the CDC found that drug overdose deaths in the United States decreased by three percent in 2023, the first annual decrease since 2018. Drug overdose deaths in Maine decreased by nearly 16% over this same period; this was the first year-over-year reduction in fatalities since 2018. Provisional data from the CDC also shows that overdose deaths for last year decreased 25% nationwide and 24% in Maine.
As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Select Senate Committee on Intelligence, Senator King has previously supported legislation to combat illicit drug use and decrease overdoses. He is a cosponsor of the Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention Act, bipartisan legislation that is designed to stop dangerous synthetic drugs like fentanyl and carfentanil from being shipped through our borders. Senator King also cosponsored the INTERDICT Act, bipartisan legislation to help halt the flow of illicit fentanyl from Mexico, China and other nations around the world into the United States. During an open hearing of the Select Senate Intelligence Committee last year, Senator King pressed Avril Haines, the former Director of National Intelligence and Christopher Wray, the former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), about what the intelligence community is doing to halt the flow of illicit drugs — including fentanyl — from Mexico, China and other nations into the United States.
Senator Collins has also been working to combat the fentanyl epidemic for years. Senator Collins is a cosponsor of the FEND Off Fentanyl Act , which was signed into law last year. This bill disrupts the flow of fentanyl into the United States, including by requiring the President to sanction criminal organizations and drug cartels involved in trafficking fentanyl and its precursors. Last Congress, she also introduced the Fighting Illicit Goods, Helping Trustworthy Importers, and Netting Gains (FIGHTING) for America Act to crack down on fentanyl smuggling.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Response to RFI on Development of AI Action Plan

Source: US State of New York

overnor Kathy Hochul today announced New York State’s comments in response to the request for information on the development of an Artificial Intelligence Action Plan from the Trump Administration. As a global leader in AI and related technologies, New York has driven advancements that have furthered America’s national and economic security, expanded the safe deployment and use of AI, created high-quality jobs, and expanded access to high performance computing systems. New York is home to world-renowned research institutions, pioneering AI companies, and a thriving innovation ecosystem that has led to increased economic productivity thanks to transformative breakthroughs in AI, semiconductors, and quantum networking and computing. As the federal government develops an AI Action Plan, New York urges the Trump Administration to prioritize global competitiveness and commercialization, intellectual property and research security, and energy innovation and sufficiency.

“The United States is in a race with China and the rest of the world in the global AI revolution, and with our first-in-the-nation Empire AI Consortium, New York is leading the way. With our world-class innovation economy, energy grid investments, and protection of artists and creators intellectual property rights we stand ready to ensure that AI is a force for good, not just for huge global companies,” Governor Hochul said. “New York is continuing to help New Yorkers launch businesses and access good jobs in this growing economy while building an AI future that is safe, sustainable, and globally competitive. We welcome opportunities to collaborate with the Trump Administration to advance those goals.”

Governor Hochul’s commitment to advancing New York’s leadership in AI builds on her broader agenda to expand cutting-edge technology development in the Empire State. Last year, Governor Hochul appointed IBM CEO Arvind Krishna and Girls Who Code CEO Dr. Tarika Barrett as co-chairs of the newly created Emerging Technology Advisory Board (the Board) — an independent group of industry leaders tasked with informing and accelerating New York’s transformation into a hub for growth and innovation. The Board released its initial recommendations in December 2024.

New York State Director of State Operations and Infrastructure Kathryn Garcia said, “We want to harness AI technologies to benefit people and organizations across New York State. As a leader in AI and emerging technology, New York has been making the investments necessary to ensure the U.S. has a comparative advantage over global competitors.”

New York State Chief Cyber Officer Colin Ahern said, “New York is strong in industry talent, academic expertise, and innovative ideas. We want to ensure those resources strengthen our state and nation and are not siphoned off by our adversaries. Strong research security and intellectual property protections will help make sure the benefits of AI help New Yorkers and Americans.”

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “New York will continue to leverage our thriving innovation ecosystem to develop and commercialize AI that creates quality jobs, attracts additional investments, and further strengthens our economic security.”

The Governor previously signed New York’s historic Green CHIPS legislation to drive semiconductor research, development and manufacturing in New York State and announced a $10 billion partnership to bring next-generation chips research to NY CREATES’ Albany NanoTech Complex. The Governor has continued to advance a $620 million Life Science Initiative to support innovation in biomedical research. Additionally, through strategic investments such as the $113.7 million Battery-NY initiative, Governor Hochul has fueled the growth of the sustainability, green technology and energy storage economies in New York State.

The Governor’s innovation agenda has catalyzed major public and private investments, transforming New York’s economy and creating good-paying jobs of the future. GlobalFoundries recently announced an $11.6 billion investment to expand its chip manufacturing campus in New York’s Capital Region, creating 1,500 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs. In 2022, Micron announced a 20-year, $100 billion investment to create a megafab campus in Central New York, creating 50,000 new direct and indirect jobs and unlocking hundreds of millions of dollars in community benefits.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: 17 March 2025 Statement Third meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the upsurge of mpox 2024

Source: World Health Organisation

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) is hereby transmitting the report of the third meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) Emergency Committee (Committee) regarding the upsurge of mpox 2024, held on Tuesday, 25 February 2025, from 12:00 to 17:00 CET.

Concurring with the advice unanimously expressed by the Committee during the meeting, the WHO Director-General determined that the upsurge of mpox 2024 continues to meet the criteria of a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) and, accordingly, on 27 February 2025, issued temporary recommendations to States Parties.

The WHO Director-General expresses his most sincere gratitude to the Chair, Members, and Advisors of the Committee.

Proceedings of the meeting

Sixteen (16) Members of, and two Advisors to, the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) Emergency Committee (Committee) were convened by teleconference, via Zoom, on Tuesday, 25 February 2025, from 12:00 to 17:00 CET. Fourteen (14) of the 16 Committee Members, and one of the two Advisors to the Committee participated in the meeting.

On behalf of the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Deputy Director-General welcomed Members of and Advisors to the Committee, as well as Government Officials designated to present their views to the Committee on behalf of the ten invited States Parties – Burundi, Canada, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Nepal, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (United Kingdom).

In his opening remarks, the WHO Deputy Director-General recalled that, on 14 August 2024, the upsurge of mpox was determined to constitute a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). He noted that, over the three years from 1 January 2022 through 31 January 2025, almost 130 000 confirmed cases of mpox, including over 280 deaths, were reported to WHO from 130 countries and territories in all six WHO Regions, including seven countries and territories that had reported their first mpox cases since the previous meeting of the Committee on 22 November 2024. The WHO African Region, where some States Parties are continuing to experience sustained community transmission, accounts for 61% of the cases and 72% of the deaths reported globally over the past 12 months.

The WHO Deputy Director-General highlighted that, since the last meeting of the Committee, the epidemiological situation continues to be volatile. Despite observed improvements pertaining to several aspects of the response – emergency coordination, surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, empowerment of communities, furthering equitable access to medical countermeasures and tools – several critical challenges had emerged, including: (a) rising geopolitical instability in the DRC due to escalating conflict affecting mpox response operations resulting in temporary pauses in operation, relocation of staff and restricted access to affected populations; (b) concurrent health emergencies requiring States Parties and partners to respond (e.g. Sudan virus disease outbreak in Uganda); and (c) uncertainties related to the pause in financial support from the United States of America (United States) occurring in the broader landscape of declining foreign assistance. To date, globally, one-third of the funds supporting the response to mpox had been pledged by the United States. Without sufficient funds, the ability of States Parties, WHO and partners to maintain, sustain, and expand the response to mpox would be compromised.

The Representative of the Office of Legal Counsel then briefed the Members and Advisors on their roles and responsibilities and identified the mandate of the Committee under the relevant articles of the IHR. The Ethics Officer from the Department of Compliance, Risk Management, and Ethics provided the Members and Advisors with an overview of the WHO Declaration of Interests process. The Members and Advisors were made aware of their individual responsibility to disclose to WHO, in a timely manner, any interests of a personal, professional, financial, intellectual or commercial nature that may give rise to a perceived or actual conflict of interest. They were additionally reminded of their duty to maintain the confidentiality of the meeting discussions and the work of the Committee. Each Member and Advisor was surveyed, with no conflicts of interest identified.

The meeting was handed over to the Chair who introduced the objectives of the meeting, which were to provide views to the WHO Director-General on whether the event continues to constitute a PHEIC, and if so, to provide views on the potential proposed temporary recommendations.

Session open to representatives of States Parties invited to present their views

The WHO Secretariat presented an overview of the global epidemiological situation of mpox, including all circulating clades of monkeypox virus (MPXV). Outside the WHO African Region, cases of mpox reported to WHO are associated with the spread of MPXV clade IIb, with a decline in the number of cases reported in recent months. In the WHO African Region, amid the circulation of multiple MPXV clades, the still growing number of cases reported monthly is driven by the spread of MPXV clade Ib. Since the Committee last met, on 22 November 2024, exported travel-related cases of confirmed MPXV clade Ib infection have been detected in eight additional countries outside the WHO African Region.

The WHO Secretariat then focused on the three countries reporting most cases of MPXV clade Ib since January 2024 – the DRC (over 15 000 cases, including cases in areas where MPXV clade Ia is circulating); Burundi (over 3000 cases, with a sustained decrease reported weekly and a geographic shift to the administrative capital Gitega since the Committee last met); and Uganda (nearly 3000 cases, with an exponential increase in and around the capital Kampala since the Committee last met). Notwithstanding changes in the case definition of mpox cases, uneven surveillance coverage (including due to the conflict in the eastern provinces of the country), and limited laboratory testing capacity in the DRC introducing some challenges in the interpretation of data , the number of mpox cases reported weekly is plateauing and the geographic distribution of cases, in all provinces in the country, remained very similar to the situation presented at the previous meeting of the Committee. Mathematical modelling work suggests that, since the PHEIC was determined in mid-August 2024 in the DRC, the transmission rate has decreased in certain health zones of the North Kivu and South Kivu Provinces, as well as in some health zones of the capital Kinshasa where vaccination efforts are underway.

The spread of MPXV clade Ia and Ib, in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Kinshasa Provinces of the DRC, as well as in Burundi and Uganda, appears to have started among adults, including through sexual networks involving commercial sex workers and their clients, disproportionately affecting the 20–39 years age group. Since then, in North Kivu and South Kivu Provinces of the DRC, more age group became affected reflecting community transmission through close contact, including household, whereas, in the capital Kinshasa, the spread has remained within the adult population. In Burundi and Uganda, the age distribution of mpox cases shows a bimodal pattern, with high incidence observed among young adults and younger children. This pattern reflects both ongoing sexual transmission and close contact transmission in household settings. The strikingly high proportion of cases among younger children (0-9 age group) observed in Burundi is possibly attributable to transmission occurring within health care facilities settings.

In addition to the three aforementioned countries, community transmission of MPXV clade Ib is also observed in Kenya, Rwanda, and Zambia, while travel-related imported cases have been reported both, by countries in the WHO African Region (Angola, Zimbabwe, with cases in Tanzania being under investigation), and by 14 countries in the five remaining WHO Regions. Most travel-related imported cases are male and, in instances where limited secondary transmission in the country of importation has occurred, a few children have been infected through household contact, including child-to-child transmission on one occasion. The five imported cases with sole travel history to the United Arab Emirates may signal wider mpox transmission in that country.

Mortality associated with the different MPXV clades in the WHO African Region, and notwithstanding the limitation of surveillance and laboratory diagnostics in the DRC, clade Ia accounts for the majority of fatal cases (1345), corresponding to an average case fatality rate (CFR%) of 2.5-3%, being highest in children under 1 year of age (4–5%). The CFR attributed with clade Ib infection remains very low at around 0.2%, and similar to the that attributed to clade IIb, with recorded deaths associated with specific risk factors such as uncontrolled HIV and other comorbidities.

The WHO Secretariat also noted an increase in mpox cases reported in West African countries since the PHEIC was determined in mid-August 2024, including the first cases of mpox, due to MPXV clade IIa, reported by Sierra Leone.

The WHO Secretariat presented the assessed risk by MPXV clades and further expressed in terms of overall public health risk where any given clade/s is/are circulating, as: Clade Ib – high public health risk in the DRC and neighbouring countries; Clade Ia – moderate public health risk in the DRC; Clade II – moderate public health risk in Nigeria and countries of West and Central Africa where mpox is endemic; and lade IIb – moderate public health risk globally.

The WHO Secretariat subsequently provided an update on response actions taken together with States Parties and partners since the Committee last met. In addition to the overview provided by the WHO Deputy Director-General, and in the epidemiological overview, the WHO Secretariat provided details on progress and challenges focusing on the aspects of the response outlined below.

The coordination of emergency operations by the WHO Secretariat was readjusted – including based on action reviews and leveraging the comparative advantages of WHO, State Parties, and partners –prioritizing a flexible, agile, and delivery-focused response. However, while decentralized field operations have intensified, such shifts take time, particularly in specific settings in the DRC and amid changes in geopolitical partnerships. The operational decentralization continues to emphasize increased laboratory diagnostic support, increased dissemination of standards and guidance to deliver safe clinical care, and empowering communities to enhance their efforts to protect themselves from risks associated with mpox.

Additionally, through the Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM), WHO and partners (Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)) are continuing coordinated and multifaceted efforts to prioritize access to and roll out mpox vaccines in an equitable manner.

With the WHO Mpox global strategic preparedness and response plan, September 2024-February 2025 (SPRP) reaching the end of its initial timeframe, and considering the response strategy it outlines as still fit for purpose, the WHO Secretariat is planning to release an extension of the plan in the coming weeks.

In September 2024, the WHO Secretariat launched an appeal for US$ 87.4 million to support mpox response efforts WHO appeal: mpox public health emergency 2024 with US$ 65.5 million raised by the time of this meeting. The contribution from the United States had accounted for 33% of the funds raised, of which US$ 7.5 million is currently inaccessible due to the freeze of funds from the United States. As part of planning for the extension of the SPRP, the WHO Secretariat is conducting a review of available resources to address priority needs and mitigate potential future gaps in the delivery of the response. While the above-mentioned freeze is expected to primarily impact operations in Burundi, the Central African Republic, the DRC, the Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda, broader challenges are anticipated for the second and third quarters of 2025. Given the evolving epidemiological situation and challenges noted above, the reduction in predictable and flexible funding throughout 2025 will put at risk the progress of the mpox response to date.

Representatives of Burundi, the DRC, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Uganda updated the Committee on the mpox epidemiological situation in their countries and their current control and response efforts, needs and challenges, including those related to the freeze of the funds from the United States. The use of mpox vaccine is contemplated in the response plans of the DRC, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. In Burundi, following action review, community-based interventions that are being strengthened in areas experiencing high incident of mpox include risk communication and awareness raising.

Members of, and the Advisor to, the Committee then engaged in questions and answers, revolving around the issues and challenges enumerated below, with the presenters from States Parties and the WHO Secretariat, as well as with representatives of States Parties invited to submit a written statement to the Committee ahead of the meeting – Canada, China, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

Funding – The Committee reiterated the importance of efforts to mobilize domestic financial resources to support mpox response activities. Burundi and the DRC indicated the funds allocated to the response by their respective Governments, also providing details of specific activities supported. The DRC indicated that, at present, the freeze of the funds from the United States is impacting the transportation of clinical specimens and laboratory diagnostics, with a decline in the testing rate, and that the Government is exploring solutions with other partners. The WHO Secretariat added that alternative funding sources are being explored with non-traditional donors.

Age distribution of mpox cases – The WHO Secretariat indicated that (a) there are studies ongoing to determine the secondary attack rate by age group and type of exposure; (b) at least in Burundi, there is no evidence of large outbreaks in settings where children are congregating and, hence, supporting evidence of child-to-child transmission; and (c) in the South Kivu Proving of the DRC, it remains unknown the extent to which transmission to children is occurring beyond the household setting.

Impact of vaccination on transmission – The DRC indicated that, at present, there is no information about whether the use of the limited amount of mpox vaccine available is being effective in interrupting mpox transmission.

The DRC – The DRC indicated that, due to insecurity and to decrease in laboratory testing rate, any apparent decrease of the number of reported mpox cases may represent an artifact and should be interpreted with caution. The WHO Secretariat highlighted that, being mpox a relatively mild illness, the rate of underreporting is unknown and that the trends of mpox surveillance data are critical to monitor the evolution of the situation. With respect to detection of a new MPXV clade Ia lineage in Kinshasa, the WHO Secretariat indicated that the strain, similarly to clade Ib, has increased human-to-human transmission potential.

Uganda – Uganda elaborated on the shift of the dynamics of mpox transmission from lower to higher income groups. The initial spread of MPXV clade Ib initiated long-distance truck drivers, it continued in fishing communities, and then within commercial sex networks in the capital Kampala. The fact that more affluent individuals are now affected poses a public health risk both, nationally and internationally. Therefore, the use of mpox vaccine is focused among sex workers in Kampala.

Nigeria – Nigeria indicated that, in the context of the mpox response, the human health and animal health sectors are working very closely and that, despite the numerous research initiatives, to date, there is no evidence of animal involvement in sustaining the mpox outbreak in the human population. Nigeria, with a population of 200 million persons, indicated that 20 000 doses of mpox vaccine have been used in the country, targeting health care workers, female sex workers, and men who have sex with men.

The United Arab Emirates – Considering that, in five instances, travel-related imported cases of MPXV clade Ib infection had sole travel history to the United Arab Emirates, the representative of the country (a) indicated that the National IHR Focal Point reported to WHO the first case of MPXV clade Ib infection; (b) briefly described the surveillance, laboratory diagnostic, case management, and risk communication approaches in place; (c) indicated that mpox vaccine is available to health care workers and as a post-exposure measure; and (d) recalled that the country is bilaterally supporting the response efforts of some African countries.

The United Kingdom – The United Kingdom (a) described the detection, investigation, and clinical and public health management of the travel-related imported mpox cases; and (b) highlighted that the countries of origin of the imported cases are systematically informed about the occurrences.

Deliberative session

Following the session open to invited States Parties, the Committee reconvened in a closed session to examine the questions in relation to whether the event constitutes a PHEIC or not, and if so, to consider the temporary recommendations drafted by the WHO Secretariat in accordance with IHR provisions.

The Chair reminded the Committee Members of their mandate and recalled that a PHEIC is defined in the IHR as an “extraordinary event, which constitutes a public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease, and potentially requires a coordinated international response”.

The Committee was unanimous in expressing the views that the ongoing upsurge of mpox still meets the criteria of a PHEIC and that the Director-General be advised accordingly

The overarching considerations underpinning the advice of the Committee are (a) the insecurity in the eastern provinces and in the capital of the DRC – the State Party epicenter of the MPXV clade Ib outbreak –, hampering mpox response field operations and with the potential to morph into a larger scale humanitarian response; (b) the freeze of funding by the United States both, of specific mpox response activities as well as of other, directly or indirectly related, aid interventions; and (c) the continuing detection of travel-related imported mpox cases in States Parties within and outside the WHO African Region.

On that basis, the Committee considered that:

The event is “extraordinary” because of (a) the persistent, if not increasing, challenges in gauging the actual magnitude and trend of the MPXV clade Ib outbreak, especially in the DRC. This is thwarting the ability to assess progress, if any, towards controlling the spread of mpox and to adjust response interventions. The Committee’s reading is that, overall, the epidemiological situation is worryingly similar to that observed in November 2024; (b) the unfolding dynamics of MPXV clade Ib transmission, resulting in the shift in age groups affected and, hence, posing challenges in timely targeting response interventions; (c) the co-circulation and the risk of mutations of MPXV clades in the context of sustained community transmission; and (d) the possibility of change in the severity of disease resulting from food insecurity and interruption in the delivery of HIV-related care due to the freeze of aid.

The event “constitutes a public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease” because of (a) the doubling of the number of States Parties having detected travel-related imported cases of MPXV clade Ib infection since the Committee last met, both in the WHO African Region and in all five other WHO Regions; (b) the possible influx of refugees from the eastern provinces of the DRC into neighbouring countries.

The event “requires a coordinated international response” because of the needs (a) to mobilize, and optimize the use, of financial and other resources to sustain response efforts, at the required level, in the medium term, following the freeze of funding by the United States; and (b) to continue facilitating and increasing equitable access to mpox vaccines and diagnostics.

The Committee subsequently considered the draft of the temporary recommendations proposed by the WHO Secretariat

Anticipating the possibility that the WHO Director-General may determine that the event continues to constitute a PHEIC, the Committee had received a proposed set of revised temporary recommendations ahead of the meeting. This reflected the proposal to extend most of the temporary recommendations issued on 27 November 2024. The Committee indicated that it would be giving them further consideration with a view to share its advice in that regard with the WHO Director-General as soon as possible. In such a way, should the WHO Director-General determine that the event continues to constitute a PHEIC, he could proceed, without delay, with issuing such communication together with a prospective revised set of temporary recommendations.

The Committee agreed to finalize the report of its third meeting during the week of 3 March 2025.

Conclusions

The Committee reiterated its concern regarding the continuing spread of MPXV in and beyond Africa, considering global geopolitical developments, the humanitarian situation in the DRC, as well as the foreseeable options and opportunities to secure sustainable funding to support response efforts. The Committee considered that the determination by the WHO Director-General that the upsurge of mpox still constitutes a PHEIC would be warranted. However, the Committee cautioned about the possible unintended consequences of determining an event to constitute a PHEIC for extended periods of time, since this could undermine the global public health alert function intrinsic to such a determination and reduce the leverage of a PHEIC in boosting domestic and international response efforts for future events. To that effect, the Committee reiterated the need to elaborate on considerations, related to the three criteria defining a PHEIC, that would inform its future advice to the WHO Director-General as to the termination of this PHEIC.

The Incident Manager for mpox at WHO headquarters, on behalf of the WHO Deputy Director-General, expressed his gratitude to the Committee’s Officers, its Members and Advisor and closed the meeting.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Rescuing Nigeria: how to break the cycle of decline and bring progress

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Omano Edigheji, Associate Professor of Practice, University of Johannesburg

Nigeria has abundant human and natural resources but remains mired in underdevelopment. There are high levels of poverty, corruption, unemployment and inequality. The country is currently witnessing a rise in ethnic militias and terrorism, adding to the threats posed by armed herdsmen’s deadly clashes with rural communities over land.

The nation suffers from poor economic management and a political leadership that has failed to promote structural transformation of the economy and politics.

I am a political scientist with research specialisation in the political economy of development. In my view, Nigeria’s social, economic and political crises stem from the absence of a grouping of people who put the country’s interests first. I call this grouping a developmentalist coalition.

I argue that for Nigeria to realise its potential and forge a prosperous shared future, like-minded individuals motivated by the ideology of development nationalism must come together in a coalition.

Development nationalism refers to the commitment to advancing one’s country and ensuring its prosperity. This includes enhancing the capabilities of its people so they can reach their potential and contribute to national progress. Individuals like this put loyalty to their country above other identities or considerations.

This coalition must focus on enhancing the nation’s productive capacity and uplifting the well-being of its citizens. Together, they can break the cycle of underdevelopment and achieve lasting progress.

And this can be measured through the creation of a predictable governance structure characterised by the rule of law and the provision of essential public goods to citizens.

Read more: Book review: Nigeria has democracy but not development. How to fix it

Developmental nationalism

Developmentalist coalitions shape political and economic affairs in most developed nations. In China, Malaysia, Mauritius, South Korea, Singapore and other countries that have tried to catch up with advanced nations, developmental nationalism has played a significant role.

In some cases, a developmentalist elite creates its own political party. An example of this is the People’s Action Party founded by Singapore’s first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, and his colleagues. The Labour Party in Norway, a coalition mostly of workers and farmers, is another example.

In other instances, members of this elite join different political parties. When developmentalists are the dominant political elite, any party in power ensures that it upholds standards that reflect the core principles upon which the country is founded.

Developmental elites articulate values that define and bind their nations. They provide moral and political leadership, as Nelson Mandela did in South Africa.

Most of these elites want to have inclusive economic and political institutions that help them achieve their development objectives.

Read more: Calls to restructure Nigeria’s federal system are missing the point: the country needs good governance, not reform

Why Nigeria needs developmentalist coalitions

Since Nigeria became independent from Britain in 1960, most of those who have overseen the country’s political and economic landscape have not acted in a nationalistic or patriotic manner.

Instead, they have followed their self-interest and exploited the Nigerian state for personal gain.

As a result, the economy remains undiversified, with a small and declining manufacturing sector, thereby missing out on the potential for job creation.

Successive administrations in the last 26 years have allocated less funding to the education sector than the 26% of the national budget recommended by Unesco.

The political elite have not built an economy that will create decent jobs for the youth. Also, they have fostered an education system that produces graduates who do not have the skills to start enterprises.

Most young Nigerians are engaged in the informal sector, with its associated problems: unstable jobs, hazardous working conditions, and a lack of decent wages. Most youths are underemployed and in low value-added economic activities. This means Nigeria is missing out on the potential benefits of its youthful population.

About 70% of Nigeria’s population of over 200 million are under 30 years old, and 41% are younger than 15.

Political leaders have failed to create an environment that allows them to achieve their full potential.

In Nigeria, the issue is not the lack of individuals focused on development. These people exist across all segments of the Nigerian society, including government. The real problem is that they haven’t formed a coalition.

As a result, they cannot act collectively and cohesively to invest in Nigeria’s greatest asset: its people; and to promote industrialisation.

Now is the time to form the developmentalist coalition to change the governance and development trajectory of the country.

Read more: Is Nigeria in danger of a coup? What the country should do to avoid one – political analyst

What to do

In Nigeria, a broad-based coalition of developmentalist elites needs to be led by individuals with a clear vision for development and national cohesion.

Members of this coalition could establish a political party to contest elections, gain political power, and use their positions in government to develop the nation.

Party members must be disciplined and subordinate their personal ambitions to those of the party and the national interests. The party must not become an empire of powerful individuals: instead, its organs must be allowed to function.

Establishing this coalition is the way to end Nigeria’s endemic corruption and build a robust manufacturing sector and a thriving digital economy.

It also needs to promote agro-allied industry, investment in infrastructure, job creation and poverty reduction.

This coalition should aim to transform Nigeria’s democracy into a system where political parties and elected representatives genuinely serve the people.

– Rescuing Nigeria: how to break the cycle of decline and bring progress
– https://theconversation.com/rescuing-nigeria-how-to-break-the-cycle-of-decline-and-bring-progress-251639

MIL OSI Africa –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Rescuing Nigeria: how to break the cycle of decline and bring progress

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Omano Edigheji, Associate Professor of Practice, University of Johannesburg

Nigeria has abundant human and natural resources but remains mired in underdevelopment. There are high levels of poverty, corruption, unemployment and inequality. The country is currently witnessing a rise in ethnic militias and terrorism, adding to the threats posed by armed herdsmen’s deadly clashes with rural communities over land.

The nation suffers from poor economic management and a political leadership that has failed to promote structural transformation of the economy and politics.

I am a political scientist with research specialisation in the political economy of development. In my view, Nigeria’s social, economic and political crises stem from the absence of a grouping of people who put the country’s interests first. I call this grouping a developmentalist coalition.

I argue that for Nigeria to realise its potential and forge a prosperous shared future, like-minded individuals motivated by the ideology of development nationalism must come together in a coalition.

Development nationalism refers to the commitment to advancing one’s country and ensuring its prosperity. This includes enhancing the capabilities of its people so they can reach their potential and contribute to national progress. Individuals like this put loyalty to their country above other identities or considerations.

This coalition must focus on enhancing the nation’s productive capacity and uplifting the well-being of its citizens. Together, they can break the cycle of underdevelopment and achieve lasting progress.

And this can be measured through the creation of a predictable governance structure characterised by the rule of law and the provision of essential public goods to citizens.

Read more:
Book review: Nigeria has democracy but not development. How to fix it

Developmental nationalism

Developmentalist coalitions shape political and economic affairs in most developed nations. In China, Malaysia, Mauritius, South Korea, Singapore and other countries that have tried to catch up with advanced nations, developmental nationalism has played a significant role.

In some cases, a developmentalist elite creates its own political party. An example of this is the People’s Action Party founded by Singapore’s first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, and his colleagues. The Labour Party in Norway, a coalition mostly of workers and farmers, is another example.

In other instances, members of this elite join different political parties. When developmentalists are the dominant political elite, any party in power ensures that it upholds standards that reflect the core principles upon which the country is founded.

Developmental elites articulate values that define and bind their nations. They provide moral and political leadership, as Nelson Mandela did in South Africa.

Most of these elites want to have inclusive economic and political institutions that help them achieve their development objectives.

Read more:
Calls to restructure Nigeria’s federal system are missing the point: the country needs good governance, not reform

Why Nigeria needs developmentalist coalitions

Since Nigeria became independent from Britain in 1960, most of those who have overseen the country’s political and economic landscape have not acted in a nationalistic or patriotic manner.

Instead, they have followed their self-interest and exploited the Nigerian state for personal gain.

As a result, the economy remains undiversified, with a small and declining manufacturing sector, thereby missing out on the potential for job creation.

Successive administrations in the last 26 years have allocated less funding to the education sector than the 26% of the national budget recommended by Unesco.

The political elite have not built an economy that will create decent jobs for the youth. Also, they have fostered an education system that produces graduates who do not have the skills to start enterprises.

Most young Nigerians are engaged in the informal sector, with its associated problems: unstable jobs, hazardous working conditions, and a lack of decent wages. Most youths are underemployed and in low value-added economic activities. This means Nigeria is missing out on the potential benefits of its youthful population.

About 70% of Nigeria’s population of over 200 million are under 30 years old, and 41% are younger than 15.

Political leaders have failed to create an environment that allows them to achieve their full potential.

In Nigeria, the issue is not the lack of individuals focused on development. These people exist across all segments of the Nigerian society, including government. The real problem is that they haven’t formed a coalition.

As a result, they cannot act collectively and cohesively to invest in Nigeria’s greatest asset: its people; and to promote industrialisation.

Now is the time to form the developmentalist coalition to change the governance and development trajectory of the country.

Read more:
Is Nigeria in danger of a coup? What the country should do to avoid one – political analyst

What to do

In Nigeria, a broad-based coalition of developmentalist elites needs to be led by individuals with a clear vision for development and national cohesion.

Members of this coalition could establish a political party to contest elections, gain political power, and use their positions in government to develop the nation.

Party members must be disciplined and subordinate their personal ambitions to those of the party and the national interests. The party must not become an empire of powerful individuals: instead, its organs must be allowed to function.

Establishing this coalition is the way to end Nigeria’s endemic corruption and build a robust manufacturing sector and a thriving digital economy.

It also needs to promote agro-allied industry, investment in infrastructure, job creation and poverty reduction.

This coalition should aim to transform Nigeria’s democracy into a system where political parties and elected representatives genuinely serve the people.

Omano Edigheji receives funding from organisation

Research Grant from The Ford Foundation

– ref. Rescuing Nigeria: how to break the cycle of decline and bring progress – https://theconversation.com/rescuing-nigeria-how-to-break-the-cycle-of-decline-and-bring-progress-251639

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: The US military has cared about climate change since the dawn of the Cold War – for good reason

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Paul Bierman, Fellow of the Gund Institute for Environment, Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Vermont

Military engineers managing supply routes in Greenland in the 1950s paid attention to the weather and climate.
US Army/Pictorial Parade/Archive Photos/Getty Images

In 1957, Hollywood released “The Deadly Mantis,” a B-grade monster movie starring a praying mantis of nightmare proportions. Its premise: Melting Arctic ice has released a very hungry, million-year-old megabug, and scientists and the U.S. military will have to stop it.

The rampaging insect menaces America’s Arctic military outposts, part of a critical line of national defense, before heading south and meeting its end in New York City.

Yes, it’s over-the-top fiction, but the movie holds some truth about the U.S. military’s concerns then and now about the Arctic’s stability and its role in national security.

A poster advertises ‘The Deadly Mantis,’ a movie released in 1957, a time when Americans worried about a Russian invasion. The film used military footage to promote the nation’s radar defenses along the Distant Early Warning line in the Arctic.
LMPC via Getty Images

In the late 1940s, Arctic temperatures were warming and the Cold War was heating up. The U.S. military had grown increasingly nervous about a Soviet invasion across the Arctic. It built bases and a line of radar stations. The movie used actual military footage of these polar outposts.

But officials wondered: What if sodden snow and vanishing ice stalled American men and machines and weakened these northern defenses?

In response to those concerns, the military created the Snow, Ice and Permafrost Research Establishment, a research center dedicated to the science and engineering of all things frozen: glacier runways, the behavior of ice, the physics of snow and the climates of the past.

It was the beginning of the military’s understanding that climate change couldn’t be ignored.

Army engineers test the properties of snow on Greenland’s ice sheet in 1955, a critical determinant of mobility on the ice and one that changes rapidly with temperature and climate.
U.S. Army

As I was writing “When the Ice is Gone,” my recent book about Greenland, climate science and the U.S. military, I read government documents from the 1950s and 1960s showing how the Pentagon poured support into climate and cold-region research to boost the national defense.

Initially, military planners recognized threats to their own ability to protect the nation. Over time, the U.S. military would come to see climate change as both a threat in itself and a threat multiplier for national security.

Ice roads, ice cores and bases inside the ice sheet

The military’s snow and ice engineering in the 1950s made it possible for convoys of tracked vehicles to routinely cross Greenland’s ice sheet, while planes landed and took off from ice and snow runways.

In 1953, the Army even built a pair of secret surveillance sites inside the ice sheet, both equipped with Air Force radar units looking 24/7 for Soviet missiles and aircraft, but also with weather stations to understand the Arctic climate system.

The public reveal of U.S. military bases somewhere – that remained classified – inside Greenland’s ice sheet, in the February 1955 edition of REAL.
Paul Bierman collection.

The Army drilled the world’s first deep ice core from a base it built within the Greenland ice sheet, Camp Century. Its goal: to understand how climate had changed in the past so they would know how it might change in the future.

The military wasn’t shy about its climate change research successes. The Army’s chief ice scientist, Dr. Henri Bader, spoke on the Voice of America. He promoted ice coring as a way to investigate climates of the past, provide a new understanding of weather, and understand past climatic patterns to gauge and predict the one we are living in today – all strategically important.

Henri Bader describes drilling high on Greenland’s ice sheet in 1956 or 1957 in a Voice of America recording (National Archives), “The Snows of Yesteryear,” and a movie (U.S. Army). Created by Quincy Massey-Bierman.

In the 1970s, painstaking laboratory work on the Camp Century ice core extracted minuscule amounts of ancient air trapped in tiny bubbles in the ice. Analyses of that gas revealed that levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere were lower for tens of thousands of years before the industrial revolution. After 1850, carbon dioxide levels crept up slowly at first and then rapidly accelerated. It was direct evidence that people’s actions, including burning coal and oil, were changing the composition of the atmosphere.

Since 1850, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have spiked and global temperatures have warmed by more than 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit (1.3 Celsius). The past 10 years have been the hottest since recordkeeping began, with 2024 now holding the record. Climate change is now affecting the entire Earth – but most especially the Arctic, which is warming several times faster than the rest of the planet.

Since 1850, global average temperature and carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have risen together, reflecting human emissions of greenhouse gases. Red bars indicate warmer years; blue bars indicate colder years.
NOAA

Seeing climate change as a threat multiplier

For decades, military leaders have been discussing climate change as a threat and a threat multiplier that could worsen instability and mass migration in already fragile regions of the world.

Climate change can fuel storms, wildfires and rising seas that threaten important military bases. It puts personnel at risk in rising heat and melts sea ice, creating new national security concerns in the Arctic. Climate change can also contribute to instability and conflict when water and food shortages trigger increasing competition for resources, internal and cross-border tensions, or mass migrations.

The military understands that these threats can’t be ignored. As Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro told a conference in September 2024: “Climate resilience is force resilience.”

A view of aircraft carriers docked at the sprawling Naval Station Norfolk show how much of the region is within a few feet of sea level.
Stocktrek Images via Getty Images

Consider Naval Station Norfolk. It’s the largest military port facility in the world and sits just above sea level on Virginia’s Atlantic coast. Sea level there rose more than 1.5 feet in the last century, and it’s on track to rise that much again by 2050 as glaciers around the world melt and warming ocean water expands.

High tides already cause delays in repair work, and major storms and their storm surges have damaged expensive equipment. The Navy has built sea walls and worked to restore coastal dunes and marshlands to protect its Virginia properties, but the risks continue to increase.

Planning for the future, the Navy incorporates scientists’ projections of sea level rise and increasing hurricane strength to design more resilient facilities. By adapting to climate change, the U.S. Navy will avoid the fate of another famous marine power: the Norse, forced to abandon their flooded Greenland settlements when sea level there rose about 600 years ago.

Norse ruins in Igaliku in southern Greenland, illustrated in the late 1800s while flooded at spring tide by sea level, which had risen since the settlement was abandoned around 1400.
Steenstrup, K.J.V., and A. Kornerup. 1881. Expeditionen til Julianehaabs distrikt i 1876. MeddelelseromGrønland

Climate change is costly to ignore

As the impacts of climate change grow in both frequency and magnitude, the costs of inaction are increasing. Most economists agree that it’s cheaper to act now than deal with the consequences. Yet, in the past 20 years, the political discourse around addressing the cause and effects of climate change has become increasingly politicized and partisan, stymieing effective action.

In my view, the military’s approach to problem-solving and threat reduction provides a model for civil society to address climate change in two ways: reducing carbon emissions and adapting to inevitable climate change impacts.

The U.S. military emits more planet warming carbon than Sweden and spent more than US$2 billion on energy in 2021. It accounts for more than 70% of energy used by the federal government.

In that context, its embrace of alternative energy, including solar generation, microgrids and wind power, makes economic and environmental sense. The U.S. military is moving away from fossil fuels, not because of any political agenda, but because of the cost-savings, increased reliability and energy independence the alternatives provide.

Solar panels generate power on many U.S. military bases. This array at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, Calif., generates enough power for more than 15,000 homes and has a backup battery system to provide power when the sun isn’t shining.
Frederic J . Brown/AFP via Getty Images

As sea ice melts and Arctic temperatures rise, the polar region has again become a strategic priority. Russia and China are expanding Arctic shipping routes and eyeing critical mineral deposits as they become accessible. The military knows climate change affects national security, which is why it continues to take steps to address the threats a changing climate presents.

Paul Bierman receives funding from the US National Science Foundation, this work in part supported by grant EAR-2114629.

– ref. The US military has cared about climate change since the dawn of the Cold War – for good reason – https://theconversation.com/the-us-military-has-cared-about-climate-change-since-the-dawn-of-the-cold-war-for-good-reason-246333

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Remembering China’s Empress Dowager Ling, a Buddhist who paved the way for future female rulers

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Stephanie Balkwill, Associate Professor of Asian Languages and Cultures, University of California, Los Angeles

In sixth-century China, a woman known to history as Empress Dowager Ling ruled over an empire called the Northern Wei. Historians do not know her birth name or in what year she was born, but they do know that she served as empress dowager between 515 and 528. As the spouse of a ruling emperor prior to his death, she retained the title of empress dowager in her widowhood.

She ruled on behalf of her young son, the heir to the throne; however, her regency was interrupted by a coup d’etat from 520 to 525. Although the empress dowager was expected to rule only as a regent, historical records indicate that she administered court in her own name. These same records also reveal that she adopted a personal pronoun – “zhen 朕,” otherwise known as the Chinese “royal we” – that was reserved for the exclusive use of the emperor.

In my recent book, “The Women Who Ruled China,” I offer an overview of these historical sources and records that document her life, including a translation of her biography retained in the official chronicle of the Northern Wei. Using these sources, I argue that even though the Empress Dowager’s rule was problematic and short – resulting in her assassination – she laid the foundation for other, more successful female rulers across medieval East Asia.

Capitalizing on different cultural traditions

In the late fifth century, the capital city of the Northern Wei was moved from its northern location in modern-day Datong, China, to its southern location in Luoyang, a city at the very heart of Han Chinese culture and history; however, the people who ruled the empire were not ethnically Han Chinese.

Known as the Taghbach, this group migrated south from the Mongolian steppe and ruled a multiethnic and multicultural empire from Luoyang, the world’s largest city and the former capital of the Eastern Han dynasty. The Northern Wei empire adopted laws, institutions and policies from both Taghbach and Han Chinese traditions.

This cultural hybridity enabled the empress dowager to rule directly: On one hand, the Chinese court system rooted in the Han dynasty had long included the position of empress dowager, even though none of the women who held it had ruled directly. On the other, Taghbach culture had no formal position of empress dowager prior to its adoption of court ranks in the Northern Wei, but it did have a long tradition of women in public life. These women served in the military and advised on political matters.

Multiple sources of evidence indicate that Taghbach women had a high degree of personal autonomy and political power, with no source suggesting otherwise.

A well-known story about Taghbach woman appears in the legend of Mulan, who is said to have dressed as a man so that she could serve in the military in place of her father. The Mulan legend is widely recounted in Chinese literature and inspired a fictional character in two Walt Disney movies based on the Chinese fable.

As a historian of gender in this period, I believe that the Mulan legend does not accurately depict Taghbach women. Instead, it is a Chinese story that emphasizes a form of gender transgression that makes sense only within Chinese and Confucian culture. Unlike Chinese culture, Taghbach culture had long known women warriors who could ride horses and shoot arrows without concealing their gender.

Empress Dowager Ling was not a warrior, but she embraced martial symbols of her own power that were available to women in Taghbach culture but not in Chinese culture. For example, she was an accomplished archer and famously drove her own horse cart, which was just as splendid and imposing as was the emperor’s cart.

In the Confucian culture of Han China, such actions were considered highly inappropriate for women, but Empress Dowager Ling carried them out while holding the Chinese title of empress dowager. Her rule, like her empire, was culturally hybrid. That blend of cultural traditions enabled her to take power in a way that neither Chinese nor Taghbach women had done before.

A Buddhist ruler

By the time of the reign of the Northern Wei empire, both Taghbah and Chinese cultures had become deeply familiar with Buddhism, a religion that they had inherited from India in a long process of cultural exchange along the Silk Road. The empire had integrated methods of Buddhist statecraft into its own forms of governance.

Simply put, what this meant was that the ruler of the empire legitimized his reign through Buddhism, portraying himself either as a Buddha or as a patron of Buddhists – their texts and institutions. This was a type of governance that was widely practiced in premodern East Asia.

The bodhisattva Maitreya, considered to be the Buddha of the future.
Rogers Fund, 1982/The Metropolitan Museum, New York

Even though Buddhist statecraft was widespread in the empress dowager’s time, she was the first woman to directly legitimate her independent rule through Buddhism. As a patron of Buddhism, she commissioned majestic Buddhist architecture. Perhaps seen by her populace as a Buddhist figure herself, she symbolized her co-rule with her son by using a Buddhist visual motif of two Buddhas sitting side by side, a representation that came to be known as the rule by “Two Sages,” meaning tandem rulers depicted in the guise of buddhas. The source for the image was the popular Buddhist text, the “Lotus Sūtra.”

She also attempted to put her own granddaughter on the throne after the death of her son. As I argue in my book, she did so by capitalizing on the idea that first her son, and then her granddaughter, were thought of as the bodhisattva Maitreya, a being of infinite compassion who is believed to be the future Buddha.

The empress dowager’s legacy

Empress Dowager Ling was largely unsuccessful in her bid for power. Her rule was short and contested. She was murdered, and her empire was toppled within 13 years of her rule. For five of those years, she was not in power because of a coup d’etat.

However, about 150 years after the assassination of the empress dowager, another woman would rise to rule China independently, this time taking the title of “emperor.” That woman is known as Empress Wu, or Emperor Wu Zhao, and she is undoubtedly the most famous woman in all of Chinese history. Numerous historical sources attest to her life, work and rule.

What those sources tell us, however, is that she ruled using the very same strategies as Empress Dowager Ling. Investing her own family heritage in distant links to the Taghbach, she also positioned herself as a “Two Sage” ruler alongside the emperor in precisely the same way that Empress Dowager Ling did. She was also able to successfully establish herself as the bodhisattva Maitreya by using Buddhist texts known to Empress Dowager Ling and her court.

She patronized the very same Buddhist structures as did Empress Dowager Ling, including the Buddhist caves at Longmen, just outside of Luoyang. However, she accomplished what Empress Dowager Ling could not – holding onto power successfully. I argue her success was possible because Empress Dowager Ling had paved the way.

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

– ref. Remembering China’s Empress Dowager Ling, a Buddhist who paved the way for future female rulers – https://theconversation.com/remembering-chinas-empress-dowager-ling-a-buddhist-who-paved-the-way-for-future-female-rulers-251132

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 18, 2025

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Category: China

February2025

April-February2024-25

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