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  • MIL-OSI Global: Kids care deeply about our planet, so adults need to start listening

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jen Kostuchuk, PhD Candidate, Sociology, University of Victoria

    “I wish adults knew that I really care about the environment and want to help, but I sometimes feel like my ideas don’t matter because I’m just a kid.”

    This is what a nine-year-old respondent told us when we asked how they feel about the environment.

    In today’s current political climate, many adults seem resigned to climate catastrophe and even dabble in climate change denialism. However, our survey of 1,000 youth aged eight to 14 from Canada and the United States found that children care deeply about the planet and are ready to take action.

    The findings from our report were produced as part of an ongoing study with the Humanity in Motion Society, a Canadian non-profit organization focused on engaging youth as key stakeholders in advancing environmental stewardship.

    Almost 90 per cent of the kids we spoke to recognize climate change as a real and urgent problem, calling for intergenerational collaboration and bolder environmental mitigation and adaptation commitments.

    It turns out that our nine-year-old respondent speaks for many children. Kids know what’s at stake, want a seat at the table and need adults to act with them.

    What kids told us

    Some of the kids in the survey talk about the action they want adults to take to tackle climate change. (Humanity in Motion Society)

    Many of the kids told us they regularly take action to mitigate their carbon footprint, including recycling, embracing reusable items and conserving energy. Their accounts are consistent with numerous academic studies on youth involvement in environmental citizenship.

    However, many understand individual action alone is not enough. In fact, most kids recognize that systemic accountability is necessary to tackle the climate crisis. As one kid in Grade 6 shared:

    “I wish big industry and governments would stop asking us to do something when they continue to fly in private jets [and] drill for oil and more; we are asked to recycle.”

    Kids have a deep understanding of current political issues, including the cost-of-living crisis and the harmful “drill baby drill” sentiments, but also underscore a stark disconnect: while we instil environmentally responsible values in our children, elected leaders remain consistently inactive on these very same issues.



    Read more:
    The oil and gas industry has been lying about global warming for decades — accountability is long overdue

    Kids play active roles in knowledge sharing

    The kids in this study display impressive knowledge about the steps that need to be taken to address the climate crisis. Our findings demonstrate that youth are not just passive recipients of knowledge but, rather, play an active role in being climate communicators.

    For example, two thirds of our respondents say their friends learn about climate change directly from them. Even though many children note that they do not have climate clubs at school, they are curious about the role of big oil, deforestation and corporate greed in the ongoing climate crisis.

    In addition to teachers and parents being the most influential sources of knowledge for children, social media content has an impact on kids’ environmental behaviour and feelings of empowerment.

    Specifically, our data shows that talking to others online has a significant positive relationship with reported sustainable behaviour, and that watching videos has a significant positive relationship with how much kids feel they can make a difference. One young girl reflected on using Tiktok for insights on climate change while also capturing an awareness among her generation:

    “I would say if there’s a really big issue, like, I know there’s something called the Climate Clock in New York…I mean, the thing with social media, you never know what’s true and untrue, but that thing [Climate Clock] came on my ‘For You’ page…and everybody in the comments, they were saying ‘this is very real, we have to do something about it.’”

    This shows that kids would benefit greatly from spaces to continue in-person environmental discussions with adults in the room. One young respondent captured the potential for meaningful engagement:

    “There are a lot of things that can be done, curriculum integrations…sustainable skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and maybe explore the ecosystems and biodiversities and actually encourage students to design and implement climate-friendly projects and carry out field trips and organize visits to renewable energy sites or environmental organizations and sometimes, maybe occasionally, the school can invite climate experts, activists or scientists.”

    These ideas were shared by others who called on adults to lead more experiential approaches to climate education inside the classroom and beyond.

    Adults can help by providing opportunities in the classroom and beyond for kids to discuss cliamte change.
    (Shutterstock)



    Read more:
    Teachers need bolder action from our school boards to educate in and for a climate emergency

    Five calls to action

    Here are five ways to help bring about change:

    1. Adults need to step up. Adults play a critical role in shaping how youth engage in climate action. Our report found that teachers and parents, in addition to the internet, are among the most influential learning sources for youth today. Kids often take pro-environmental values, actions and cues from their parents.

    2. Apathy is not an option if we want change. Youth are looking to leaders and elected officials to invest heavily in infrastructure and education to improve our environment.

    3. Intergenerational collaboration promotes better environmental values. Despite the consequences of climate change, youth share a sense of optimism and emphasize the need for intergenerational responsibility.

    4. Provide spaces for youth to take leadership roles and engage in climate dialogue. Kids want to do more to build a sustainable future, but don’t know where to begin. Providing opportunities in the classroom and beyond are critical next steps to raise the next generation of climate leaders.

    5. Promote bold action. Kids should be able to answer the call of many climate activists who recognize the need to pursue a greener economy by working together.

    Our survey findings highlight a hopeful message about young people’s engagement in climate action, underscoring their impressive knowledge of the systemic changes required to address the crisis.

    As adults across the political spectrum bicker about climate policy, young people are growing impatient and hoping to lead the way. Our results refocus attention on the future we’re creating and challenge us to listen seriously to children when they seek to address what may be their generation’s greatest crisis.

    Sean Lyons has received funding from Mitacs in support of an earlier iteration of the study discussed here.

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

    – ref. Kids care deeply about our planet, so adults need to start listening – https://theconversation.com/kids-care-deeply-about-our-planet-so-adults-need-to-start-listening-257304

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Preventing urinary tract infections after menopause: What every woman should know

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Erin A. Brennand, Gynecologist & Associate Professor, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary

    There is more information available about urinary tract infections today than ever before. (Shutterstock)

    After menopause, urinary tract infections (UTIs) can be more frequent, yet most Canadian women (82 per cent in a recent survey) don’t realize the two are associated.

    At the Sex, Gender and Women’s Health Research Hub, our team’s advocacy aims to increase awareness and highlight proven strategies to help prevent UTIs for women later in life.

    Why are UTIs more common after menopause?

    The main culprit for increased UTIs in menopausal women is the drop in estrogen levels. Estrogen plays a crucial role in maintaining urinary tract tissue health.

    As estrogen declines, the lining of the urethra — the tube through which urine flows out of the body — becomes thinner and more fragile. Also, there are fewer infection-fighting blood cells in the urinary tract, and mucosal immunity — the specialized immune defences present at the mucosal surfaces lining the urinary tract that include physical and chemical barriers, cellular receptors and antibodies — is reduced.

    This weakens the local immune response, making it easier for bacteria to cause infections. Additionally, changes in vaginal flora — the bacteria that naturally protect against infections — results in the urinary tract being vulnerable.

    Knowledge is power during menopause.
    Servier Medical Art, CC BY

    Other factors can contribute to UTI risk at this stage of life, too. Women whose bladder muscles have weakened with age, or who have developed pelvic organ prolapse, can experience incomplete bladder emptying. This leads to urine retention and an increased chance of bacterial growth.



    Read more:
    Women having surgery to treat pelvic organ prolapse don’t always need a hysterectomy

    Similarly, if women experience urinary incontinence, the leakage and moisture on incontinence pads or underwear can create an environment where bacteria thrive. And while sexual activity itself does not directly cause UTIs, it can introduce bacteria into the urinary tract, increasing the risk of infection.

    Signs of a UTI

    Bacteria in the urine without symptoms is called asymptomatic bacteriuria. It is not a UTI and should not be treated; a UTI is only diagnosed when bacteria and symptoms are both present. The most obvious symptoms include:

    • A new, strong, persistent urge to urinate;
    • A burning sensation while urinating;
    • Frequent urination in small amounts;
    • Pelvic discomfort or pressure.

    In severe cases, UTIs can lead to kidney infections, so when symptoms include fever, chills and back pain, it is essential to seek immediate medical attention.

    For women in their 80s or older, or sometimes younger women who are living with medical conditions such as dementia, urinary tract infections can manifest as behavioural changes such as confusion, withdrawal or reduced appetite. However, new onset delirium should always be investigated by a medical team rather than assumed to be a UTI.

    Evidence-based strategies to prevent UTIs

    Several medical and lifestyle interventions can make a significant difference:

    1. Vaginal estrogen therapy

    One of the most effective ways to prevent recurrent UTIs in postmenopausal women is vaginal estrogen therapy, which delivers small doses of estrogen directly to the vaginal tissues through creams, tablets or rings. Studies have shown that vaginal estrogen can restore the natural protective barrier of the urinary tract, reducing UTI risk significantly. It can be used by breast cancer survivors as it does not have the same risks associated with menopause hormone therapy (MHT).

    2. Non-antibiotic prevention

    Methenamine hippurate (one gram orally, twice-a-day) is effective in reducing UTIs by creating an environment that prevents bacterial growth. In Canada, women need to obtain this medication from a compounding pharmacy.

    3. Low-dose antibiotic
    Doctors may prescribe low-dose antibiotics – about half the standard dose – for several months. If sexual activity is a trigger for UTIs, antibiotics can be used episodically after sex. However, antibiotics can cause side-effects and create antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
    4. Diet supplements
    Scientific evidence on consuming cranberry-based products to prevent UTIs is mixed. Some studies suggest that certain compounds in cranberries (proanthocyanidins, or PACs) prevent bacteria from adhering to the bladder lining, while others show no benefit. If trying these products, women should choose brands with high concentrations of PACs, the active ingredient.

    Similarly, probiotics, especially those containing Lactobacillus strains, may help maintain a healthy vaginal microbiome, which in turn can lower UTI risk. However, research is still evolving.

    5. Hygiene and lifestyle habits
    Though there is limited evidence, simple everyday habits may help in preventing UTIs:

    • Staying hydrated – Drinking water helps to flush bacteria from the urinary tract. For women who drink a low volume of fluids each day (less than 1.5 litres), increasing water intake may help.
    • Urinating regularly – Avoid holding urine for long periods and aim to void every three to four hours during the day.
    • Urinating after sex – This helps clear bacteria introduced during intercourse.
    • Choosing breathable underwear – Cotton underwear and loose-fitting clothes reduce build up of moisture, which in turn reduces bacterial growth.

    More innovations on the horizon

    Vaccines are one of the most promising developments for preventing recurrent UTIs. In one early trial, overall recurrences decreased by 75 per cent for women given an oral vaccine, with no major side-effects reported.

    Trials are currently under way in Canada, and researchers hope vaccines will provide a more effective and long-term solution.

    Treatment and support for UTIs.
    People illustrations by Storyset, CC BY

    When to see a doctor

    Any woman who is experiencing frequent UTIs — defined as two infections in six months or three in a year — in menopause should talk to their doctor or primary care provider. Together, they can determine the best preventive targeted strategies.

    Knowledge is power, and there is more information available today than ever before. UTIs are not an inevitable part of aging. With the right combination of medical treatments and lifestyle changes, women can reduce postmenopausal risk.

    Erin A. Brennand receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Calgary Health Foundation, and the MSI Foundation (all paid to institution).

    Jayna Holroyd-Leduc has received funding from CIHR and Alberta Innovates. She holds the BSF Chair in Geriatric Medicine at the University of Calgary.

    Pauline McDonagh Hull 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. Preventing urinary tract infections after menopause: What every woman should know – https://theconversation.com/preventing-urinary-tract-infections-after-menopause-what-every-woman-should-know-255762

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Blind box toys are booming: Are they just child’s play or something more concerning?

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Eugene Y. Chan, Associate Professor of Marketing, Toronto Metropolitan University

    Collectible figurines on display at Pop Mart in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, on April 29, 2025. (Shutterstock)

    If you’ve seen videos of people tearing into tiny toy packages online, or noticed teens obsessing over pastel-coloured figurines at the mall, you’ve probably encountered the global craze for blind box toys.

    These small collectibles — usually figures of cartoonish characters — are sold in sealed packaging that hides which specific item is inside. You might get the one you want, or you might not. That uncertainty is part of the thrill.

    Unlike traditional toys, these figures are marketed as collectibles. Many are part of themed series, with some designs labelled as “rare” or “secret,” appearing in as few as one in every 144 boxes. This sense of exclusivity fuels repeat purchases and has spawned a resale market where rare figures can command hundreds of dollars.

    Popular among children and adults alike, blind box toys have grown into a billion-dollar industry. One of the more popular brands is Pop Mart, a Chinese toy company founded in 2010 known for its collectible designer toys sold in mystery packs.

    Gen Z consumers, in particular, have embraced blind box toys both as a nostalgic pastime and as a form of legitimate collecting. The proliferation of unboxing videos on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, where creators open dozens of blind boxes on camera, has added to their appeal.

    For many fans, these toys offer more than just cuteness: they also provide suspense, surprise and a rush of dopamine with every box opened. But how did this niche product become a global obsession?

    From Tokyo streets to western malls

    The origins of blind box toys trace back to East Asia. Capsule toy vending machines called gashapon originated in Japan in the 1960s. By the 1980s, they had become a cultural fixture. These machines dispense small toys in opaque plastic balls, with customers never quite sure which item they’ll receive.

    In the early 2010s, Chinese companies like Pop Mart adapted the gashapon model for the mainstream retail space. Instead of vending machines, they began selling artist-designed vinyl toys in blind boxes at dedicated boutiques.

    A tourist uses a gashapon machine in Osaka, Japan, in 2024. Gashapon machines are similar to the coin-operated toy vending machines seen outside grocery stores and other retailers in North America.
    (Shutterstock)

    Pop Mart’s success helped transform the blind box into a mainstream commercial phenomenon. Characters like Molly, Skullpanda and Dimoo became instant hits, combining Japanese kawaii esthetics with western pop art sensibilities.

    Pop Mart figures have since developed a cult-like following. Many consumers treat the toys as affordable art objects, displayed in cabinets, on purses or traded online.

    Today, blind box retail stores have expanded globally from Asia to Europe and North America. In October 2024, Pop Mart opened its first store in the Midwestern United States, located on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile at The Shops at North Bridge. The store offers exclusive products and taps into the growing demand for collectibles among American consumers.

    The psychology behind the mystery

    What makes blind box toys so hard to resist?

    Their success relies on a psychological principle known as variable-ratio reinforcement — the same reward pattern that makes slot machines so addictive.

    You never know exactly when you’ll score the item you’re after, but the possibility that the next box might contain it keeps people coming back. This unpredictability keeps people engaged, especially when the potential reward is framed as rare or valuable.

    Cconsumer psychology research also suggests that anticipation plays a major role. Studies show that dopamine, the brain’s reward chemical, spikes not just when we get what we want, but when we anticipate it. The sealed packaging, the suspense of unwrapping and the hope for a rare figure all heighten this effect.

    Sonny Angels on display in a store in Shenzhen, China, in March 2019.
    (Shutterstock)

    For younger collectors, the excitement of “the chase” can foster compulsive buying habits. This effect is amplified by the social influence of watching unboxings online or seeing friends complete their sets, and it becomes a powerful loop.

    Even when buyers don’t get the figure they want, the sunk cost fallacy — the feeling that they’ve already invested too much time or money to walk away — keeps them buying more.

    The hidden costs of blind boxes

    As blind box toys surge in popularity, they have drawn criticism from consumer advocates, psychologists and environmentalists alike.

    Some worry that blind boxes normalize gambling-like behaviours, especially among children. The randomness, excitement and promise of rare rewards closely mirror the mechanisms behind loot boxes in video games — another product that has sparked global concern over youth exposure to gambling psychology.

    Several countries, including Belgium and the Netherlands, have regulated loot boxes under gambling laws. Blind boxes, though currently unregulated, may be next in line for scrutiny.



    Read more:
    Blind bags: how toy makers are making a fortune with child gambling

    There are also environmental concerns. Many blind box toys come in excessive packaging — plastic wraps, foil bags, cardboard boxes — most of which is discarded immediately. The collectibles themselves are often made of non-recyclable plastics, raising questions about sustainability in an era of rising consumer awareness over waste.

    Even among adult fans, some critics question whether blind boxes are designed less to bring joy and more to trigger compulsive consumption. The joy of collecting, they argue, is increasingly overshadowed by the mechanics of engineered desire.

    What should we make of the blind box boom?

    Blind box toys are not inherently harmful, and for many, they’re a source of fun, nostalgia and self-expression. They also offer an accessible way for consumers to engage with designer art in a collectible, miniature form, as many of them are created by individual artists.

    But blind box toys also raise deeper questions about how modern marketing leverages psychological triggers associated with gambling, especially when it comes to children.

    As these toys continue to gain traction in the West, it’s worth asking more critical questions, like: are we buying into mystery or are we being sold obsession and compulsion?

    The blind box trend reflects broader shifts in how products are marketed, how value is perceived and how consumer behaviour is shaped in a digital, attention-driven economy. Understanding the forces at play may be the first step toward more informed — and perhaps more mindful — collecting.

    Eugene Y. Chan 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. Blind box toys are booming: Are they just child’s play or something more concerning? – https://theconversation.com/blind-box-toys-are-booming-are-they-just-childs-play-or-something-more-concerning-257611

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Construction set to begin on South Tuggeranong Health Centre

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Our CBR is the ACT Government’s key channel to connect with Canberrans and keep you up-to-date with what’s happening in the city. Our CBR includes a monthly print edition, email newsletter and website.

    You can easily opt in or out of the newsletter subscription at any time.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: How Israel manufactured a looting crisis to cover up its Gaza famine

    By Muhammad Shehada

    Since the onset of its genocide, Israel has persistently pushed a narrative that the famine devastating Gaza is not of its own making, but the result of “Hamas looting aid”.

    This claim, repeated across mainstream media and parroted by officials, has been used to deflect responsibility for what many human rights experts have called a deliberate starvation campaign.

    Even after Israel fully banned the entry of food, water, fuel, and medicine on March 2, Tel Aviv continued to maintain that Hamas looting, not Israeli policy, was to blame for the humanitarian catastrophe.

    But that narrative has now been discredited by Israel’s internal reporting. Last week, the Israeli military admitted internally that out of 110 looting incidents they documented, none were carried out by Hamas.

    Instead, the looting was done by “armed gangs, organised clans” and, to a lesser extent, starved civilians.

    Those very gangs and clans are backed by Israel; they enjoy full Israeli army protection and operate in areas Israel deems “extermination zones”, where any Palestinian trying to enter would be killed or kidnapped on the spot.

    The gangs had vanished during the two-month ceasefire but conveniently re-emerged as soon as Israel was pressured into allowing a limited trickle of aid to enter. The timing is no coincidence; Israeli policy has deliberately weaponised anarchy to preserve the conditions for starvation.

    This pushed even the UAE to strongly condemn Israel after the army forced an Emirati aid convoy to drive through a “red zone” where Israel-backed gangs looted 23 out of 24 trucks.

    So why does Israel continue to cling to a demonstrably false narrative while openly engineering a looting crisis through its proxies? Because the myth of “Hamas looting” serves a critical strategic purpose: to whitewash and legitimise a new plan that institutionalises starvation for blackmail, ethnic cleansing, collective punishment, and mass internment through a shell Israeli organisation.

    This is coupled with another alarming tactic of recruiting warlords, drug dealers, and criminals to create a puppet “anti-terror” force.

    Israel’s looting myth
     The “looting” talking point is devoid of any logic, as Hamas would be able to do very little with thousands of tons of looted aid.

    Israel and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee both claim Hamas uses the looted aid to buy new weaponry. But where would they buy such weapons from when Gaza is fully sealed off by Israel, and Rafah — the city of smuggling tunnels — is under full Israeli control?

    Israel claims Hamas sells looted aid on the black market. But, again, what would they do with the money? Virtually nothing is allowed into Gaza except a trickle of food.

    Israel also claims Hamas uses looted aid to recruit new militants, but Hamas doesn’t operate this way. The group depends on utmost secrecy and discipline in its operations.

    Each new member passes through a long process of vetting, training, and tests to minimise the risk of infiltration. It would compromise Hamas to recruit people openly, whose only attachment to the group is bread rather than ideological commitment.

    Perhaps most damning is that Israel has never captured a single instance of Hamas looting aid, despite subjecting Gaza to the most meticulous surveillance on earth. Israeli predator drones cover every inch of the enclave every minute of the day, yet there is nothing to show for Israel’s claims.

    Hamas is also aware that hijacking and looting aid trucks could lead to Israel bombing the vehicles and diverting them from their predetermined route.

    The Israeli army has done this on countless occasions when it fired at or bombed humanitarian convoys under the pretext that Hamas policemen came near the trucks. Ironically, those law enforcement officials were actually trying to prevent looting when they were targeted.

    Israel’s allies reject the narrative
     Israel’s strongest supporters have refuted the “Hamas looting” claim. President Joe Biden’s humanitarian envoy, David Satterfield, admitted in February of last year that “no Israeli official has . . . come to the administration with specific evidence of diversion or theft of assistance delivered by the UN”.

    Satterfield reiterated last Tuesday that Israel has never privately alleged or offered evidence of Hamas stealing aid from the UN and INGO channels. Israel’s ambassador to the EU, Haim Regev, said in mid-October 2023 that “there’s no evidence EU aid went to Hamas”.

    Cindy McCain, World Food Programme’s chief and widow of one of the most pro-Israeli GOP senators, forcefully rejected Israel’s narrative on Sunday, saying that looting “doesn’t have anything to do with Hamas . . .  it has simply to do with the fact these people are starving to death”.

    The Washington Post, meanwhile, reported last week that “Israel has never presented evidence publicly or privately to humanitarian organisations or Western government officials to back up claims that Hamas had systematically stolen aid brought into Gaza”.

    An internal memo jointly drafted by UN agencies and 20 INGOs in April, and viewed by The New Arab, stated that “there is no evidence of large-scale aid diversion”.

    Gangs and scarcity are responsible for looting
     While Israel failed to show any evidence of Hamas stealing aid, the only documented organised systematic looting happening in Gaza right now is by Israeli-backed criminal gangs who enjoy full protection from the Israeli army, according to the Washington Post, Financial Times, Ha’aretz, and the UN.

    A UN memo said these gangs established a “military complex” in the heart of Rafah after Israel fully depopulated the city. Humanitarian officials say the looting often happens right in front of Israeli troops and tanks, less than 100m away, who take no action until the local police arrive, with Israeli troops then opening fire at them.

    Israel not only provides protection and backing to these criminal gangs but has created the perfect conditions for looting to thrive through scarcity and a collapsing state of law and order.

    Currently, a single bag of wheat flour sells for about 1,500 NIS ($425), which makes it profitable for gangs to loot and sell on the market. These astronomical prices are driven by scarcity after Israel banned all food from entering Gaza for nearly 80 days, then allowed less than 20 percent of what Gaza needs on a normal day for basic survival after intense international pressure.

    During the ceasefire, however, when Israel was allowing 600 trucks to enter per day, prices went back to normal and looting disappeared because it was no longer profitable due to the abundance of food, and because the police were able to resume their work.

    Manufactured crisis to advance genocide
     The engineered looting crisis has long served as a convenient excuse to cover up the deliberate weaponisation of starvation against Gaza’s entire population, allowing Israel to distract from its restrictions on the entry of aid and the spread of famine by saying Hamas is to blame for stealing aid.

    But now, this manufactured crisis is serving a second objective: to justify a dystopian ‘aid plan’ Israel is implementing in Gaza that has been condemned and boycotted by every UN agency and humanitarian organisation working in the enclave, as well as donor countries.

    A joint UN-INGO memo warned that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation would facilitate the use of aid for forcible expulsion, by telling Gazans the only way they can receive food is by moving south to Rafah on Egypt’s border.

    GHF, which Israeli opposition leaders said was an Israeli shell funded by Mossad, began its operations last Tuesday after being rocked by two scandals in one day.

    GHF’s CEO had resigned on Sunday in protest of the organisation violating the principles of humanitarianism, while the organisation shut down its registered headquarters in Switzerland as soon as Swiss authorities launched an investigation.

    Images coming out of the GHF’s militarised aid distribution site were immediately likened to concentration camps, where hundreds of emaciated Gazans were crowded into metal cages like cattle under the boiling sun, surrounded by armed US mercenaries, Israeli troops, and sand dunes.

    Alarmingly, people who received aid noted the presence of Arabic speakers in addition to American mercenaries. Last week, the Israel-backed Islamic State-linked gang leader Yasser Abu Shabab emerged in Rafah again after a long disappearance.

    Abu Shabab, a drug dealer and wanted criminal previously arrested multiple times by the local police, was the primary suspect in the systematic looting of aid under Israeli protection. This time, however, he emerged in a brand new uniform and military gear and started a Facebook page promoting himself in English and Arabic to mark a new “anti-terror” force operating in Israel-controlled Rafah.

    Additional pictures viewed by The New Arab showed multiple armed men dressed in the same uniform as Abu Shabab armed with M-16s standing in front of a humanitarian convoy.

    The unravelling of Israel’s “Hamas looting” narrative lays bare a chilling truth: starvation in Gaza is not collateral damage — it is a calculated weapon in a broader campaign of collective punishment and displacement.

    By cultivating chaos, empowering criminal gangs, and then manipulating the humanitarian crisis they manufactured, Israel seeks to maintain extreme restrictions on aid, while externalising blame and avoiding accountability.

    It is the machinery of genocide disguised in bureaucratic language and carried out under the watchful eyes of the world.

    Muhammad Shehada is a Palestinian writer and analyst from Gaza and the European Union affairs manager at Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor. The article was first published by The New Arab. On X at: @muhammadshehad2

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Services scheme applications open

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme has opened a new round of funding for non-profit-distributing organisations, with applications being accepted from today until August 31.

    Eligible professional bodies, trade and industrial organisations and research institutes may apply.

    With a total allocation of $200 million, the scheme offers subsidies to non-profit-making industry-led projects that increase exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong’s professional services and external counterparts, promote relevant publicity activities, and enhance the sector’s standards and external competitiveness.

    The scheme is open to a wide range of professional services including accounting, legal and dispute resolution, architecture, engineering, healthcare, information and communications technology, design as well as technical testing and analysis. Applications are welcome from both sector-specific projects and cross-sectoral projects.

    The maximum grant for each approved project is $3 million or 90% of the total eligible project cost, whichever is lower.

    As of early May 2025, more than 120 projects had been funded, covering project deliverables in Hong Kong and elsewhere.

    The Government has also set aside $50 million to launch the Professionals Participation Subsidy Programme under the scheme.

    The programme aims to subsidise Hong Kong’s major professional bodies to participate in activities organised by the Government and the Trade Development Council with a view to promoting Hong Kong’s competitive edge and professional services to the Mainland and overseas markets.

    The scheme and the programme both accept applications all year round, with submissions processed on a quarterly basis.

    A briefing session will be held this month for organisations interested in applying for funding via the scheme. Contact the secretariat on 3655 5418 or by email for enquiries. 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Heavy rains affect nearly 5,000 people in China’s Yunnan province

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    KUNMING, June 1 (Xinhua) — Rain-triggered floods and geological disasters have hit Gongshan County in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, affecting 4,857 people as of 9 p.m. Saturday, local authorities said.

    According to the county flood and drought control headquarters, 1,342 people have been evacuated, and no casualties have been reported yet.

    At least 27 homes were damaged and 16 bridges were blown up or destroyed. Road traffic was interrupted in 97 places, with 54 of them restored.

    According to preliminary estimates, economic losses amounted to about 87.54 million yuan (about 12.18 million US dollars).

    Two tourist attractions in the county were temporarily closed, leaving 638 tourists stranded in the tourist areas. Of these, more than 500 people who remained in Bingzhongluo Township have already started returning home.

    Damage assessment and subsequent disaster relief efforts are still ongoing. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: D. Trump to Announce New NASA Administrator Nominee

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    WASHINGTON, June 1 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump will soon announce a new candidate to lead the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) after his decision to withdraw the nomination of Jared Isaacman, a close ally of Elon Musk, the White House said Saturday.

    “After careful review, I am withdrawing Jared Isaacman’s nomination to lead NASA,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I will soon announce a new nominee who will live up to the mission and put America first in space.”

    Late last year, Trump named billionaire and amateur astronaut J. Isaacman as his candidate to head NASA. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved his nomination in late April.

    J. Isaacman, a close associate of I. Musk and a major client of his company SpaceX, has purchased several private space flights from the company for hundreds of millions of dollars. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Death toll from Indonesia quarry landslides rises to 19

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    JAKARTA, June 1 (Xinhua) — The death toll from Friday’s quarry landslides in Indonesia’s West Java province rose to 19 on Sunday, but fresh landslides have suspended the search for six missing people, officials said.

    West Java Provincial Disaster Management Agency spokesman Hadi Rahmat Harjasasmita said two more bodies were found by rescuers on Sunday at the Gunung Kuda mine in Bobos village, Cirebon regency.

    He said that in order to ensure the uninterrupted operation of search services and the provision of emergency assistance, a state of emergency was introduced on May 30, which will end on June 6.

    The search and rescue operation has been suspended due to fresh landslides at the quarry, said Mamang Fatmono, acting head of the provincial search and rescue department’s operations unit.

    “We are facing a difficult task today. At 11:10 a.m., new landslides occurred, so the search operation was suspended. The search operation will resume tomorrow,” he told Xinhua. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s trade-in consumer goods sales exceed 1.1 trillion yuan

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) — China’s trade-in consumer goods sales totaled 1.1 trillion yuan (about 153.1 billion U.S. dollars) in the first five months of this year, data from the Ministry of Commerce showed Sunday.

    According to the department, during the reporting period, the nationwide program to replace old consumer goods with new ones led to a significant increase in the number of transaction volumes, including 4.12 million vehicles, 77.62 million units of home appliances and 56.63 million units of digital products such as mobile phones and others.

    The program, part of China’s broader efforts to boost domestic demand, has contributed to a robust rise in consumer spending in the country, the ministry said.

    As noted in the Government’s March 2025 work report, stimulating consumption was identified as one of the top priorities for the year.

    Retail sales of consumer goods, a key measure of the country’s consumption, rose 4.7 percent year-on-year in January-April 2025, faster than the 4.6 percent growth recorded in the first quarter of this year, official data showed. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: PNG faces deadline for fixing issues with money laundering and terrorist financing

    ANALYSIS: By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent

    Papua New Guinea has five months remaining to fix its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CTF) systems or face the severe repercussions of being placed on the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) “grey list”.

    The FATF has imposed an October 2025 deadline, and the government is scrambling to prove its commitment to global partners.

    Speaking in Parliament, Prime Minister James Marape said Treasury Minister, Ian Ling-Stuckey had been given the responsibility to lead a taskforce to fix PNG’s issues associated with money laundering and terrorist financing.

    “I summoned all agency heads to a critical meeting last week giving them clear direction, in no uncertain terms, that they work day and night to avert the possibility of us getting grey listed,” Marape said.

    “This review comes around every five years.

    “We have only three or four areas that are outstanding that we must dispatch forthwith.”

    PNG is no stranger to the FATF grey list, having been placed under increased monitoring in 2014 before successfully being removed in 2016.

    Deficiencies highlighted
    However, a recent assessment by the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) highlighted ongoing deficiencies, particularly in the effectiveness of PNG’s AML/CTF regime.

    While the country has made strides in establishing the necessary laws and regulations (technical compliance), the real challenge lies in PNG’s implementation and enforcement.

    The core of the problem, according to analysts, is a lack of effective prosecution and punishment for money laundering and terrorism financing.

    High-risk sectors such as corruption, fraud against government programmes, illegal logging, illicit fishing, and tax evasion, remain largely unchecked by successful legal actions.

    Capacity gaps within key agencies like the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary and the Office of the Public Prosecutor have been cited as significant hurdles.

    Recent drug hauls have also highlighted existing flaws in detection in the country’s financial systems.

    The implications of greylisting are far-reaching and potentially devastating for a developing nation like PNG, which is heavily reliant on foreign investment and international financial flows.

    Impact on economy
    Deputy Opposition leader James Nomane warned in Parliament that greylisting “will severely affect the economy, investor confidence, and make things worse for Papua New Guinea with respect to inflationary pressures, the cost of imports, and a whole host of issues”.

    If PNG is greylisted, the immediate economic fallout could be substantial. It would signal to global financial institutions that PNG carries a heightened risk for financial crimes, potentially leading to a sharp decline in foreign direct investment.

    Critical resource projects, including Papua LNG, P’nyang LNG, Wafi-Golpu, and Frieda River Mines, could face delays or even be halted as investors become wary of the increased financial and reputational risks.

    Beyond investment, the cost of doing business in PNG could also rise. International correspondent banks, vital conduits for cross-border transactions, may de-risk by cutting ties or scaling back operations with PNG financial institutions.

    This “de-risking” could make it more expensive and complex for businesses and individuals alike to conduct international transactions, leading to higher fees and increased scrutiny.

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

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Serious crash at Stockport

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Police are at the scene of a serious crash at Stockport.

    Emergency services responded to reports of a single vehicle crash on Twin Rivers Road, Stockport about 8.45pm on Sunday 1 May.

    Major Crash investigators are attending the scene.

    Twin Rivers Road will be closed overnight, near Ayliffe Bridge Road, while police investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.

    Motorists are advised to avoid the area.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Minister welcomes Constitutional Court’s decision on Leadership Act

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa has welcomed the Constitutional Court’s ruling to extend the validity of the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act (TKLA) for an additional two years, allowing more time to finalise replacement legislation.

    In a statement on Friday, the department said as the apex court in South Africa, the Constitutional Court holds the authority to interpret, protect, and uphold the Constitution. 

    “In this matter, the Court has granted supplementary, just, and equitable relief to prevent the imminent expiry of the suspension period related to the declaration of constitutional invalidity of the TKLA,” the department said. 

    The Constitutional Court’s decision suspends the declaration of invalidity of the TKLA until 29 May 2027, allowing additional time for the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Bill (TKLB) to be concluded. 

    “This two-year extension enables CoGTA and Parliament to conduct thorough consultations and finalise the legislative process. In response, Minister Hlabisa has requested the Department of Traditional Affairs to intensify efforts to expedite the Bill’s completion,” the department said. 

    The TKLB is a critical piece of legislation. It seeks to formally recognise the Khoi and San communities and their leadership structures, while also addressing the deficiencies of the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act, No. 41 of 2003.

    The department emphasised that, once enacted, the bill will provide a legal framework to recognise and regulate Traditional and Khoi-San leadership institutions, clearly outlining their roles, responsibilities, and engagement with the government. This represents both a responsibility and an opportunity to promote inclusive governance.

    Similar to the TKLA, the TKLB repeals and replaces the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act as well as the National House of Traditional Leaders Act, No. 22 of 2009. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Phil Goff: Israel doesn’t care how many innocent people, children it’s killing

    COMMENTARY: By Phil Goff

    “What we are doing in Gaza now is a war of devastation: indiscriminate, limitless, cruel and criminal killing of civilians. It’s the result of government policy — knowingly, evilly, maliciously, irresponsibly dictated.”

    This statement was made not by a foreign or liberal critic of Israel but by the former Prime Minister and former senior member of Benjamin Netanyahu’s own Likud party, Ehud Olmet.

    Nightly, we witness live-streamed evidence of the truth of his statement — lethargic and gaunt children dying of malnutrition, a bereaved doctor and mother of 10 children, nine of them killed by an Israeli strike (and her husband, another doctor, died later), 15 emergency ambulance workers gunned down by the IDF as they tried to help others injured by bombs, despite their identity being clear.

    Statistics reflect the scale of the horror imposed on Palestinians who are overwhelmingly civilians — 54,000 killed, 121,000 maimed and injured. Over 17,000 of these are children.

    This can no longer be excused as regrettable collateral damage from targeted attacks on Hamas.

    Israel simply doesn’t care about the impact of its military attacks on civilians and how many innocent people and children it is killing.

    Its willingness to block all humanitarian aid- food, water, medical supplies, from Gaza demonstrates further its willingness to make mass punishment and starvation a means to achieve its ends. Both are war crimes.

    Influenced by the right wing extremists in the Coalition cabinet, like Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s goal is no longer self defence or justifiable retaliation against Hamas terrorists.

    Israel attacks Palestinians at US-backed aid hubs in Gaza, killing 36. Image: AJ screenshot APR

    Making life unbearable
    The Israeli government policy is focused on making life unbearable for Palestinians and seeking to remove them from their homeland. In this, they are openly encouraged by President Trump who has publicly and repeatedly endorsed deporting the Palestinian population so that the Gaza could be made into a “Middle East Riviera”.

    This is not the once progressive pioneer Israel, led by people who had faced the Nazi Holocaust and were fighting for the right to a place where they could determine their own future and be safe.

    Sadly, a country of people who were themselves long victims of oppression is now guilty of oppressing and committing genocide against others.

    New Zealand recently joined 23 other countries calling out Israel and demanding a full supply of foreign aid be allowed into Gaza.

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters called Israel’s actions “ intolerable”. He said that we had “had enough and were running out of patience and hearing excuses”.

    While speaking out might make us feel better, words are not enough. Israel’s attacks on the civilian population in Gaza are being increased, aid distribution which has restarted is grossly insufficient to stop hunger and human suffering and Palestinians are being herded into confined areas described as humanitarian zones but which are still subject to bombardment.

    People living in tents in schools and hospitals are being slaughtered.

    World must force Israel to stop
    Like Putin, Israel will not end its killing and oppression unless the world forces it to. The US has the power but will not do this.

    The sanctions Trump has imposed are not on Israel’s leaders but on judges in the International Criminal Court (ICC) who dared to find Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu guilty of war crimes.

    New Zealand’s foreign policy has traditionally involved working with like-minded countries, often small nations like us. Two of these, Ireland and Sweden, are seeking to impose sanctions on Israel.

    Both are members of the European Union which makes up a third of Israel’s global trade. If the EU decides to act, sanctions imposed by it would have a big impact on Israel.

    These sanctions should be both on trade and against individuals.

    New Zealand has imposed sanctions on a small number of extremist Jewish settlers on the West Bank where there is evidence of them using violence against Palestinian villagers.

    These sanctions should be extended to Israel’s political leadership and New Zealand could take a lead in doing this. We should not be influenced by concern that by taking a stand we might offend US president Donald Trump.

    Show our preparedness to uphold values
    In the way that we have been proud of in the past, we should as a small but fiercely independent country show our preparedness to uphold our own values and act against gross abuse of human rights and flagrant disregard for international law.

    We should be working with others through the United Nations General Assembly to maximise political pressure on Israel to stop the ongoing killing of innocent civilians.

    Moral outrage at what Israel is doing has to be backed by taking action with others to force the Israeli government to end the killing, destruction, mass punishment and deliberate starvation of Palestinians including their children.

    An American doctor working at a Gaza hospital reported that in the last five weeks he had worked on dozens of badly injured children but not a single combatant.

    He noted that as well as being maimed and disfigured by bombing, many of the children were also suffering from malnutrition. Children were dying from wounds that they could recover from but there were not the supplies needed to treat them.

    Protest is not enough. We need to act.

    Phil Goff is Aotearoa New Zealand’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs. This article was first published by the Stuff website and is republished with the permission of the author.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Three killed, dozens injured in hospital fire in Hamburg, Germany

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BERLIN, June 1 (Xinhua) — A fire broke out overnight at a hospital in the Hohenfelde district of Hamburg in northern Germany, killing three patients and injuring more than 50 others, local authorities confirmed Sunday.

    According to the Hamburg Fire Department, two victims are in life-threatening condition, another 16 people were seriously injured and 36 were slightly injured.

    The fire started in the geriatric ward on the first floor of the hospital and spread to the second floor. Firefighters received information about the fire shortly after midnight.

    Thick smoke from the fire spread through all floors of the building, prompting a massive emergency response. Firefighters carried out rescue operations through open windows and the fire was completely extinguished early Sunday morning.

    The cause of the fire is being investigated. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Bridge bombings in Bryansk and Kursk regions classified as terrorist attacks — Russian Investigative Committee

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    Moscow, June 1 (Xinhua) — The blowing up of bridges in Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk regions has been classified as a terrorist attack, Russian Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said on Sunday.

    “On May 31, 2025, at 10:50 p.m., on the Vygonichi-Pilshino railway section in the Bryansk region, as a result of an explosion, the structure of the road bridge collapsed, the debris of which fell on a passenger train passing underneath. As a result of the incident, people were injured and killed,” noted S. Petrenko.

    In addition, she reported that in the Zheleznogorsk district of the Kursk region on June 1, 2025, at about 03:00, a railway bridge was also blown up, causing a passing train to fall onto the road. As a result of the incident, the driver and his two assistants were injured.

    In the statement, S. Petrenko noted that, on the instructions of the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, criminal cases on the facts of incidents in the Bryansk and Kursk regions were transferred to the Main Investigative Department of the agency.

    “The Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia has instructed investigators from the Main Investigative Department of the agency to investigate the criminal cases on these incidents. At present, employees of the Investigative Committee of Russia are working at the scene of the incident, conducting urgent investigative actions aimed at establishing all the circumstances of the incident,” S. Petrenko summed up. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Minister appoints Ithuba Holdings to run national lottery for 12 months

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Trade, Industry and Competition Minister, Parks Tau, has appointed Ithuba Holdings (RF) (Pty) Ltd as the temporary national lottery and sports pool operator for 12 months.

    This as the Minister on Wednesday announced the success conclusion and appointment of Sizekhaya Holdings (RF) (Pty) Ltd (“Sizekhaya”) as the fourth national lottery and sports pools operator. However, Sizekhaya’s appointment takes effect on 1 June 2026.

    “Sizekhaya’s appointment takes effect on 1 June 2026 and requires that there be transition from the third national lottery and sports pools operations to the fourth national lottery and sports pool licence operations.
    “On advice of the National Lotteries Commission, I also authorised that a temporary licensee must be appointed in terms of section 13B of the Lotteries Act, 1997. 

    “I am pleased to report that I have concluded, on advice of the Commission, successful negotiations with Ithuba Holdings (RF) (Pty) Ltd and have signed a temporary licence Agreement for them to operate the National Lottery and Sports Pool for a period of 12 months with effect 1 June 2025,” said the Minister in a statement on Saturday.

    The temporary licence will ensure the continuation of the lottery operations in the period that transition is required from the third to the fourth licence operations. 

    In addition, the Minister said he takes issue with the judgement of the High Court of 21 May 2025 which found that the Temporary Licence Request for Proposal (RFP) was not valid and has appealed this judgment. 

    “However, in its judgment of 21 May 2025, the court accepted that it is in the public interest that the National Lottery should continue to operate to raise revenues to fund worthy causes notwithstanding that the court was not satisfied with the RFP process. Additionally, another court affirmed my power to appoint a temporary licensee in its judgement of 30 May 2025,” said Minister Tau.

    It is in the context of both the 21 and 30 May 2025 judgments that the Minister received and accepted the advice from the Commission that he appoint a temporary licence operator on an urgent basis.

    “I am pleased that the National Lottery operations will not be interrupted during transition from the third to [the] fourth licence operations and that worthy causes will continue to receive support,” said the Minister. –SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: President Ramaphosa pays tribute to Ma Shope

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the late Ma Gertrude Shope as a pillar of the nation, a matriarch of the revolution, and a torchbearer of women’s emancipation.

    President Ramaphosa delivered a moving eulogy at her Special Official Funeral held at the Great Hall of the University of the Witwatersrand on Saturday.

    Ma Shope, who passed away last week at the age of 99 at her home in Gauteng, was laid to rest with honours befitting her immense contributions to South Africa’s liberation and to the global fight for justice and gender equality. 

    READ | Special Official Funeral Category 1 declared in honour of Ma Gertrude Shope

    President Ramaphosa paid tribute to Shope’s life of commitment to the struggle against apartheid and the advancement of women’s rights. 

    “We are here to bed farewell to Mama Gertrude Shope, Isithwalandwe, freedom fighter, trade unionist, icon of the women’s movement. 

    “Her passing comes less than a week after we buried Cde Lungi Mngaga-Gcabashe, the Deputy President of the ANC Women’s League. To have lost two women leaders – izintsika (pillars) – in such close succession is a great loss. And yet, even amidst our grief we take comfort in the legacies they left behind,” the President said. 

    President Ramaphosa said Ma Gertrude will not only be remembered by her name but her legacy that she left behind. 

    “We gather not just to remember the name Getrude Shope. We gather to honour a life that helped to shape our country’s democracy.

    “Mama Getrude Shope’s life is and was intertwined in the fabric of our of democracy. Hers was a life that was quietly and unshakably committed to the struggle for our people’s liberation,” the President said. 
    A former teacher who became an outspoken opponent of Bantu Education in the 1950s, Shope joined the African National Congress (ANC) and played a pivotal role in organising women against the apartheid state. 

    She was among the leaders who mobilised the historic 1956 Women’s March to the Union Buildings, helping galvanise more than 20000 women to demand an end to the pass laws.

    “To witness the dehumanising of black children in the classroom struck her to the core. She refused to accept the dictates of her role to impart inferior education that prepared black children for little more than a life of menial labour,” said the President.

    Forced into exile in 1966, Shope worked across Africa and the globe to build solidarity for the anti-apartheid movement. As head of the ANC Women’s Section in exile and later President of the ANC Women’s League, she pushed for the centrality of gender equality in the liberation struggle and in the country’s post-apartheid constitutional framework.

    Quoting from an interview Shope gave in the early 1980s, the President reminded the nation of her enduring message: “We are not declaring war on men… men are also victims. Together, men and women must change their attitudes to each other.”

    Women’s rights

    The President acknowledged the progress South Africa has made in advancing women’s rights, noting that the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Report recently referred to the country as a “beacon of hope.” 

    “This progress was not achieved by chance. Gertrude Shope and others made it happen. She birthed and mothered it. She nurtured it with discipline, wisdom and responsibility.

    “This progress is the result of deliberate policies implemented by successive democratic governments since 1994,” he said. 

    However, the President also cautioned that despite South Africa having made progress in advancing women’s rights, persistent inequalities, violence against women, and economic disparities continue to threaten that progress.

    “Women are still more likely to be poor than men. Women are still more likely to be unemployed than men. Women are the primary victims of intimate partner violence, abuse, rape and other forms of sexual violence.

    “Ma Shope’s life’s work is not yet complete. It is up to us to take forward women’s struggles for full equality, for freedom from violence, and for the right to live in security, comfort and peace. And like Ma Shope said all those years ago, this is not a struggle that must be waged by women alone. Men must be at the frontlines of the fight for gender equality,”the President said. 

    Ma Shope’s legacy, the President said, endures not only in institutions like the ANC Women’s League and the Gertrude Shope Peacebuilding Programme, but also in the daily activism of countless women and girls across the country.

    In closing, President Ramaphosa repeated Ma Shope’s call to action: “The time for women to be found in the kitchen is long past. Let us, together with our menfolk, correct the wrongs and ills of our society.” – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Power system remains stable

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The power system remains stable with Eskom’s Kusile’s Unit 1 expected to improve the country’s energy availability factor (EAF).

    “Kusile Unit 1 is officially back online today, following its successful reconnection to the repaired flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) system and permanent stack, which had been out of service since 31 March 2025. 

    “Once ramped up to full capacity, this unit will contribute 800MW back to the national grid and further improve the Energy Availability Factor (EAF).  Once Unit 1 reaches full capacity, the station will deliver its total combined output of 4 800MW to the national grid,” Eskom said in a statement on Friday.

    The Kusile Power Station is located in Mpumalanga.

    In its update, the power utility said that the power system is stable and continues to demonstrate resilience. It added that system constraints remain, and that adequate emergency reserves are in place and strategically deployed to support demand during the morning and evening peak winter periods. 

    A total of 2 930MW of generation capacity is expected to be returned to service ahead of the evening peak on Monday, 2 June 2025, to further stabilise the grid.

    Meanwhile, the Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF), which measures the capacity lost due to unplanned outages, stands at 28.60% for the financial year to date (1 April to 29 May 2025). 

    “This represents a slight increase of ~0.2% compared to 28.43% recorded over the same period last year. The marginal increase is primarily due to delays in returning units from planned maintenance.

    For the financial year-to-date, planned maintenance has averaged 6 197MW, representing 13.25% of total generation capacity. This reflects a decrease from the previous week, but a 2.6% increase compared to the same period last year.”

    The Open-Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) load factor increased to 12.70% this week, compared to 7.65% in the previous week (16 to 22 May 2025). 

    The financial year-to-date Open-Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) load factor reflects a 0.4% increase compared to the year-to-date figure from the previous week. 

    “The diesel expenditure is still within budget for the current financial year. Diesel usage is expected to decline further as more units return from long-term repairs and maintenance activities are reduced, increasing available generation capacity,” said Eskom.

    Additionally, the utility’s Winter Outlook, published on 5 May 2025, covering the period ending 31 August 2025, remains valid. 

    “It indicates that load shedding will not be necessary if unplanned outages stay below 13 000MW. If outages rise to 15 000MW, load shedding would be limited to a maximum of 21 days out of 153 days and restricted to Stage 2.

    “While load shedding remains suspended and electricity demand continues to rise during the winter period, Eskom urges the public to avoid illegal connections and energy theft.

    These activities often lead to transformer overloads, equipment failures, and in some cases, explosions and extended outages—prompting the need for load reduction to protect the network. 

    “To help maintain a stable electricity supply this winter, customers are encouraged to purchase electricity only from Eskom-accredited vendors and take responsibility by regularising their electricity usage.”

    The power utility encouraged eligible households to register for free basic electricity with their local municipalities.

    Any illegal activity impacting Eskom’s infrastructure should be reported to the Eskom Crime Line at 0800 112 722 or via WhatsApp on 081 333 3323. –SAnews.gov.za 
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Deputy Minister to provide update on Presidential Youth Employment Initiative

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Sunday, June 1, 2025

    Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli will on Monday provide an update on the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI).

    “Now in its fifth year, the PYEI remains one of South Africa’s most significant and innovative responses to the youth unemployment crisis. The briefing will provide an update on key achievements, lessons learned and plans to scale impact across government and private sector partnerships,” the Presidency said ahead of Monday’s briefing.

    The update on the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) Fourth Quarter Report is set to take place at the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) head office in Pretoria.
    The Deputy Minister will present and reflect on the report from January to March 2025.

    Key highlights will include: 
    •    The earning opportunities secured for youth in the fourth quarter.
    •    Progress on the Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund.
    •    New tools supporting township entrepreneurs.
    •    Strategies to address persistent youth unemployment in a low-growth economy.

    At a briefing to on the PYEI third quarter report in February, the Deputy Minister said the initiative remains a cornerstone of national efforts to address the persistent challenge of youth unemployment by ensuring that young South Africans have access to economic opportunities.

    READ | PYEI makes progress in creating opportunities for youth

    At the time, Mhlauli said progress has been made in unlocking earning opportunities and equipping young people with the necessary skills and resources to succeed in the labour market.  –SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: New beginning for Matjiesfontein community

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Deputy Minister Sello Seitlholo has commended the Department of Water and Sanitation’s (DWS) efforts to restore dignified sanitation to the community of Matjiesfontein under the Laingsburg Local Municipality in the Western Cape. 

    The Deputy Minister handed over a newly completed Matjiesfontein Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) worth R 19 871 997,00 and a newly constructed sewer pump station to the municipality. 

    He was accompanied by the Executive Mayors of Central Karoo District Municipality and Laingsburg Local Municipality, Counvillors Johanna Botha and Amanda Kleinbooi.

    The department, through its Water Services Infrastructure Grant (WSIG) funded the construction of Matjiesfontein WWTW, which relied on water conservancy tank for many years serviced by Laingsburg Municipality, but the system was no longer feasible to maintain because it was labour-intensive and had constituted high-cost maintenance. 

    In a statement on Saturday, the department said the conservancy tank system infrastructure aged over time and deteriorated, posing environmental and public health risks to the community. The system was also unstable and inefficient as it was underperforming and non-compliant in terms of effluent quality.  

    DWS together with the Laingsburg Municipality as the implementing agent, worked together to construct the new facility that will showcase modern engineering and water science. At its core, the Matjiesfontein WWTW has a Modified Ludzack-Ettinger (MLE) Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) system. 

    The department explained that this cutting-edge treatment technology combines biological nutrient removal with advanced membrane filtration, ensuring highly efficient removal of organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphates from the wastewater.

    The WWTW has been designed to treat up to 150 kilolitres per day, with hydraulic and biological components configured to accommodate future growth. This is a significant upgrade from the existing 52.5 kilolitres per day capacity of the aging package plant that it replaces.

    Progress 

    The new WWTW capacity reflects the town’s projected growth up to the year 2035 and aligns with national service delivery targets to eliminate unsafe sanitation practices and reduce reliance on labour-intensive conservancy tank systems.

    Seitlholo said the handover of the WWTW marks not just the culmination of a complex engineering project, but the beginning of a new era for Matjiesfontein, one in which public health, environmental stewardship, and sustainable development are strengthened through state-of-the-art water infrastructure.

    “With this new facility, the Department of Water and Sanitation is confident that the treated effluent will meet all regulatory standards, and this improvement will not only protect public health but will also safeguard our natural watercourses. The Matjiesfontein WWTW is not merely a technical facility, but also a symbol of progress and a model of what can be achieved through strategic collaboration between local government, engineers, and national departments”, the Deputy Minister said. 

    Laingsburg Municipality Mayor Kleinbooi also applauded the collaboration between the national and provincial DWS in its persistent work to ensure that the lives of community members of Laingsburg and Matjiesfontein are improved by advanced completed infrastructures. 

    She said the new sewer Laingsburg pump station and Matjiesfontein WWTW will restore the dignity of the people. 

    “It is with great honour to have Deputy Minister in our midst to hand over these state-of-the-art projects to our humble towns. Today marks more than a handover of these projects by the Deputy Minister, but it also symbolises the power of partnerships between local and national governments. 

    “It also marks a symbol of dignity being restored to our people we serve. Let us all continue to work together to improve the lives of our people and forge ahead to do more to unlock the full potential of Laingsburg,” Kleinbooi said.

    Deputy Minister Seitlholo also visited the new main sewer pump station in Laingsburg, which replaced the ageing old pump stations with no backup generators. The new pumpstation was necessary because of increased demand due population growth and will pump treated effluent for irrigation and to the Wastewater Treatment Works in Laingsburg. 

    Laingsburg WWTW was also upgraded to align with current upgrades in the new pump stations to ensure improved final effluent quality. The new plant will also boost treatment capacity to 40 litres per second. 
    The Deputy Minister concluded his visit by engaging with community members of Matjiesfontein, urging them to take pride in and protect the new infrastructure from damage or vandalism. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: KZN learners shine at South African Youth Water Prize finals

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The Department of Water and Sanitation has crowned two Grade 11 learners from Adam’s College in KwaZulu-Natal as the 2025 national winners of the South African Youth Water Prize. 

    The department hosted the 2025 National South African Youth Water Prize (SAYWP) finals on Friday at the Protea Hotel Rhodesfield in Kempton Park where Elihle Msomi and Snazo Nzama claimed top honours.

    In a statement on Saturday, the department said this prestigious competition continues to empower young South Africans to become future leaders in the water and sanitation sector through science and innovation.

    Their project, titled “The Aqua Crusader”, is an innovative water education and awareness campaign aimed at promoting responsible water use within communities.

    As national champions, Msomi and Nzama will represent South Africa at the international Stockholm Junior Water Prize in Sweden this August. Their achievement marks a significant milestone in youth participation in science-led solutions to environmental challenges. 

    Deputy Director-General Dr. Risimati Mathye praised the learners, teachers, and parents for their dedication, saying the competition showcased the depth of talent among the country’s youth.

    “It is truly inspiring to witness such passion and innovation from young people. As a country facing water scarcity, climate change and drought, we need this kind of energy and thinking. We are committed to creating more opportunities for young people to get involved in the water and sanitation sector,” he said.

    The Department of Water and Sanitation reaffirmed its strong commitment to attracting young talent to the sector. All provincial SAYWP winners were awarded a total of 16 bursaries to pursue careers in science, engineering and related fields that are essential for the future of the country’s water resources.

    Speaking with joy and pride, Nzama said: “I am truly excited and over the moon. I never imagined we would achieve this, but through God’s grace and the support of our families, teachers and friends, we made it. I can now follow my dream of becoming a microbiologist. I hope our story inspires others. We are the future of this country, and we must lead by example.”

    Msomi added: “When they announced that KwaZulu-Natal had won, it felt like a dream. All our hard work and sleepless nights were worth it. I am especially grateful for the bursary, which will allow me to pursue civil engineering and make a real impact in the sector.”

    As the department congratulated the two young innovators, it also celebrated the role of educators and mentors who help unlock the potential of young South Africans. 

    “The department will continue working closely with the Department of Basic Education to strengthen water education and create more pathways for young people to participate meaningfully in the sector,” it said. – SAnews.gov.za

     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Mining in Motion to Host African Ministers Driving Extractive Sector Growth

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    ACCRA, Ghana, June 1, 2025/APO Group/ —

    The upcoming Mining in Motion summit – Ghana’s premier gathering for mining stakeholders, scheduled for June 2 – 4, 2025, in Accra – will feature local and regional ministers who will participate in panel discussions, investment forums and exclusive networking sessions aimed at showcasing opportunities within the artisanal gold mining sector.

    The event will feature local ministers including Hon. Emmanuel Buah, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Ghana; Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, Minister for Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development, Ghana and Hon. Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation Ghana. Their participation showcases Ghana’s commitment to engaging with international stakeholders to support mining sector growth, job creation, and GDP expansion.

    Regional ministers include Colonel Ousmane Abarchi, Minister of Mines, the Republic of Niger; Hon. Wilmot J. Paye, Minister of Mines and Energy, Republic of Liberia; Hon. Godard Motemona Gibolum, Deputy Minister of Mines, Democratic Republic of Congo; Hon. Abdiwahab Abdi Omar, Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources and Petroleum, Republic of Somalia; Hon Dr Keneth Zikhale Ng’oma, Minister of Mines, Malawi; Kourouma Aboubacar, Vice Minister of Mines and Geology, Guinea-Conakry. Their participation underscores the commitment by African mineral-rich countries to strengthen cooperation on mining sector growth.

    The summit will also welcome ministerial-level figures such as Moses Michael Engadu, Secretary-General, Africa Minerals Strategy Group and Ousmane Mbaye, President of Chamber of Mines, Senegal.

    Organized by the Ashanti Green Initiative – led by Oheneba Kwaku Duah, Prince of Ghana’s Ashanti Kingdom – in collaboration with Ghana’s Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, World Bank, and the World Gold Council, with the support of Ghana’s Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the summit offers unparalleled opportunities to connect with industry leaders.

    Stay informed about the latest advancements, network with industry leaders, and engage in critical discussions on key issues impacting small-scale miners and medium- to large-scale mining in Ghana. Secure your spot at the Mining in Motion 2025 Summit by visiting _www.MiningInMotionSummit.com. For sponsorship opportunities or delegate participation, contact Sales@ashantigreeninitiative.org.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese peacekeepers to Lebanon complete Exercise Tiger 2025 2025-06-01 18:03:16 On May 28, local time, the Exercise Tiger 2025 was conducted at the camp of the 23rd Chinese Peacekeeping Force to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense

      BEIRUT, June 1 — On May 28, local time, the Exercise Tiger 2025 was conducted at the camp of the 23rd Chinese Peacekeeping Force to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

      Organized by the security and training departments of the UNIFIL, the exercise included tabletop exercise and on-site drill, with the scenario set as a large-scale conflict breaking out in the mission area and the UNIFIL employees and their relatives evacuating to the Chinese peacekeeping force’s camp to seek safety.

      The exercise effectively tested the Chinese Battalion’s security defense and comprehensive support capabilities in the event of large-scale armed conflict breaking out in the mission area.

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    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: County in China’s Liaoning promotes ecological and industrial transformation

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

    County in China’s Liaoning promotes ecological and industrial transformation

    Updated: June 1, 2025 17:39 Xinhua
    An aerial drone photo taken on May 30, 2025 shows an ecological comprehensive management project in Daleng Township of Zhangwu County in Fuxin, northeast China’s Liaoning Province. Located on the southern edge of the Horqin sandy land, Zhangwu County was once plagued by sand and dust storms. For more than 70 years, people here have made unremitting efforts in transforming the ecological environment of this area to win the tough battle against desertification. The forest coverage rate of Zhangwu has increased from 2.9 percent to more than 30 percent, while the number of dusty days per year has fallen to single digits. In recent years, Zhangwu County has promoted its ecological and industrial transformation, and increased local income by developing forestry and under-forest economy. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on May 29, 2025 shows a willow-silkworm cultivation project in sandy field in Dade Township of Zhangwu County in Fuxin, northeast China’s Liaoning Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A staff member checks the growth of a grafted pine tree of a demonstration project in Dade Township of Zhangwu County in Fuxin, northeast China’s Liaoning Province, May 29, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on May 29, 2025 shows a seedling cultivation base of Liaoning Research Institute of Sand Control and Utilization in Zhangwu County of Fuxin, northeast China’s Liaoning Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on May 29, 2025 shows villagers maintaining irrigation device at a wheat and soybean rotation planting field in Xinglongshan Township of Zhangwu County in Fuxin, northeast China’s Liaoning Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on May 29, 2025 shows a photovoltaic and sand-control project in Zhanggutai Township of Zhangwu County in Fuxin, northeast China’s Liaoning Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A villager checks the growth of wheat at a wheat and soybean rotation planting field in Xinglongshan Township of Zhangwu County in Fuxin, northeast China’s Liaoning Province, May 29, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on May 30, 2025 shows a wild jujube plantation project in Wufeng Township of Zhangwu County in Fuxin, northeast China’s Liaoning Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • GIFT Nifty hits record $102.35 billion turnover in May

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    GIFT Nifty recorded its highest-ever monthly turnover of $102.35 billion (₹8,75,098 crore) with 2.10 million contracts traded in May, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) announced on Sunday.

    Marking a new milestone, GIFT Nifty continues to establish itself as a benchmark in India’s equity market growth story. This achievement surpasses its previous record of $100.93 billion set in April this year.

    “This milestone reflects the growing global interest and trust in GIFT Nifty as a benchmark for India’s growth story. We are glad to witness the success of GIFT Nifty and express our sincere gratitude to all the participants for their overwhelming support in making GIFT Nifty a successful contract,” the NSE said in a statement.

    Trading volumes on NSE International Exchange (NSE IX) have seen exponential growth since the full-scale launch of GIFT Nifty operations on July 3, 2023. Since then, GIFT Nifty has recorded a cumulative volume of over 43.28 million contracts, with a total cumulative turnover of $1.93 trillion as of May 2025.

    NSE IX, an international multi-asset exchange set up at GIFT City on June 5, 2017, is regulated by the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA). The exchange holds a dominant market share of over 99 per cent in GIFT IFSC, highlighting its strong leadership position.

    NSE IX offers a diversified portfolio of products, including Indian single stock derivatives, index derivatives, currency derivatives, depository receipts, and global stocks.

    Meanwhile, the NSE has achieved another significant milestone—becoming the largest unlisted company in India with over 100,000 shareholders, according to recent industry data.

    For the financial year ending March 31, 2025 (FY25), the NSE reported a 17 per cent year-on-year increase in consolidated total income, reaching ₹19,177 crore.

    —IANS

  • Bridges collapse in 2 Russian regions bordering Ukraine, 7 dead

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Two bridges collapsed in different Russian regions bordering Ukraine, derailing trains and killing at least seven people and injuring dozens, Russian authorities said early on Sunday, while a Russian politician called Kyiv a “terrorist enclave”.

    Reuters could not independently confirm whether the incidents in the neighbouring regions were related. The areas in Russia’s south have been subject to frequent attacks by Ukraine during the war that Russia started with its full-scale invasion more than three years ago.

    Seven people were killed and 69 injured when a highway bridge collapsed onto railway tracks, derailing an approaching train in the Bryansk region late on Saturday, Russian emergency ministry and regional officials said.

    Russia’s Railways initially posted on the Telegram messaging app that the Bryansk bridge collapse was the result of an “illegal interference in the operation of transport”, but the post was later removed.

    Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz said on Telegram that 47 people were hospitalised. Three children were among those injured with one in serious condition, he said.

    The collapse in the Kursk region occurred early on Sunday while a freight train was crossing the bridge, Alexander Khinshtein, acting governor of the region, and Russian Railways said on Telegram.

    “Part of the train fell onto a road underneath the bridge,” Khinshtein said. He added that the locomotive caught fire, which was quickly extinguished. One of the drivers sustained leg injuries, and he and the team operating the train were taken to a local hospital, Khinshtein added.

    He posted a photo of derailed carriages on a damaged bridge over a road.

    Andrei Klishas, a senior member of the Federation Council, Russia’s upper chamber of parliament, said on the Telegram messaging app that the incident in Bryansk shows that “Ukraine has long lost the attributes of a state and has turned into a terrorist enclave.”

    Russia’s Baza Telegram channel, which often publishes information from sources in the security services and law enforcement, reported, without providing evidence, that according to preliminary information, the Bryansk bridge had been blown up.

    Prominent Russian military blogger Semyon Pegov, who uses the name War Gonzo, called the Bryansk collapse “sabotage.”

    Since the war began in February 2022, there have been continued cross-border shelling, drone strikes and covert raids from Ukraine into the Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod regions that border Ukraine.

    Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations said on Telegram that efforts to find and rescue victims in the Bryansk incident continued throughout the night, and that some 180 personnel were involved in the operation.

    Among those killed was the locomotive driver, Russia’s state news agencies reported, citing medics.

    Social media pictures and videos showed passengers trying to help others climb out of the Bryansk train’s damaged carriages in the dark and firefighters looking for ways to reach passengers.

    The train was going from the town of Klimovo to Moscow, Russian Railways said. It collided with the collapsed bridge in the area of a federal highway in the Vygonichskyi district of the Bryansk region, Bogomaz said. The district lies some 100 km (60 miles) from the border with Ukraine.

    U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Moscow and Kyiv to work together on a deal to end the war, and Russia has proposed a second round of face-to-face talks with Ukrainian officials in Istanbul on Monday.

    Ukraine has not committed to attending the talks, saying it first needed to see Russia’s proposals, while a leading U.S. senator warned Moscow it would be “hit hard” by new U.S. sanctions.

    (Reuters)

  • Piyush Goyal commences official visit to France, Italy to boost economic ties

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal began his three-day official visit to France on Sunday as part of a five-day tour of France and Italy from June 1 to 5. The visit is aimed at further strengthening India’s strategic and economic partnerships with key European nations.

    During his stay in France, the Minister will hold bilateral meetings with senior French officials, including Minister of Economy Eric Lombard and Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin. The discussions will focus on enhancing Indo-French economic ties, trade collaboration, and exploring investment opportunities in priority sectors.

    As part of his engagements, Goyal will participate in the India-France Business Round Table and the India-France CEO Forum. He is expected to meet senior leadership from leading French companies such as Vicat, TotalEnergies, L’Oréal, Renault, Valeo, EDF and ATR. The forums aim to deepen industry-level cooperation and foster greater dialogue between businesses from both countries.

    Speaking ahead of the visit, Goyal said, “France is a longstanding partner in India’s growth journey. This visit is an opportunity to reinforce our economic collaboration, encourage two-way investments, and support innovation-led partnerships.”

    The Minister will also represent India at the informal gathering of World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministers, held on the sidelines of the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting in Paris. He will articulate India’s views on key global trade issues, including reform of the multilateral trading system and inclusive growth.

    Goyal will hold a series of bilateral meetings with international counterparts during the visit. These include the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, and Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Commerce Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Kasabi.

    The Minister will also meet Israel’s Minister for Trade and Investment Nir Barkat, Nigeria’s Minister for Trade, Industry and Investment Dr. Jumoke Oduwole OON, and Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mr. Mauro Luis Iecker Vieira. These interactions are expected to advance India’s global trade outreach and provide momentum to the ongoing India-EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations.

    In addition, Goyal will engage with senior EU officials, including European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič and Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen. The talks will focus on boosting India-EU cooperation in trade, technology, and agriculture.

    Goyal will continue the second leg of his visit in Italy from June 3, where further engagements with industry leaders and government officials are scheduled.

  • Operation Sindoor: India’s Military Doctrine of Offensive Defence

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In the annals of India’s military history, Operation Sindoor marks a decisive departure from the doctrine of strategic restraint. Triggered by the barbaric Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of Indian civilians and tourists, this operation was meticulously crafted as a calibrated military-political response. It did not seek territorial gain nor a prolonged conflict it was a limited, high-impact military reprisal meant to enforce deterrence, inflict punitive costs, and collapse the artificial distinction between so-called “non-state actors” and the Pakistani state that harbours, trains, and directs them. This operation represents a maturing Indian statecraft where kinetic power is exercised with precision, proportionality, and political clarity. India’s strategic objective was not war it was redefinition. By shifting the cost-benefit calculus of cross-border terrorism and signalling that every future provocation will invite asymmetric retaliation, Operation Sindoor has ushered in a new era in subcontinental geopolitics.

    Precision Strikes: Surgical, Not Symbolic

    The first phase of Operation Sindoor commenced in the early hours of May 7, 2025. Leveraging a composite air package of Rafale multirole fighters, Sukhoi-30MKIs, and Mirage-2000 aircraft, the Indian Air Force conducted precise, intelligence-led strikes deep inside Pakistani territory. These were not blind retaliations they were carefully selected targets identified through layered ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) systems, including satellite imagery, HUMINT, and SIGINT.

    The use of SCALP missiles from Rafales and BrahMos supersonic missiles from air platforms ensured surgical delivery with minimal collateral damage. Terrorist enclaves in Bahawalpur, Muridke, and Kotli, Skardu etc., regions long known to host training camps, ammunition dumps, and communication nodes were decimated. Over 100 confirmed militant casualties, including senior leadership figures from proscribed outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, marked a devastating blow to the Pakistani terror-industrial complex. What distinguished these strikes from past episodes was their surgical nature and strategic framing. India did not seek to provoke full-scale war, nor did it act in anger. It acted with method, legality, and legitimacy framing the strikes as a response to an act of war perpetrated through proxy actors by a complicit state. This legitimacy ensured global understanding, if not overt support.

    The Dogfight: Honouring the Fog of War

    Later that night, tensions escalated into an aerial dogfight over contested between two countries. Both sides scrambled assets, leading to a kinetic engagement involving BVR (Beyond Visual Range) and close-range exchanges. India lost some air assets, and so did Pakistan. However, all Indian pilots were accounted for, is a testament to India’s rapid SAR protocols, operational preparedness, and strong morale. The air engagement is a reminder that operations however well-planned carry risks. Air dominance is not simply about superior machines but real-time decision-making, jamming, radar countermeasures, and pilot skill. India emerged from the engagement with its credibility intact. The enemy was bloodied, morale hit, and escalation managed.

    Air Defence Triumph: Holding the Line

    On May 8 and 9, 2025, Pakistan attempted retaliatory missile strikes and indulged in drone warfare by Turkish drones but India’s integrated air defence network held firm. Systems like the indigenous Akash SAMs, S-400 Triumf batteries, L-70 anti-aircraft guns, and the command-and-control network Akashteer worked in seamless coordination to intercept and neutralize incoming aerial threats. These systems represented a layered shield—short, medium, and long-range defences working in tandem. Not many Indian casualties were reported across these two days. While it is tempting to credit hardware alone, this success was equally a victory for Indian military doctrine, training, radar discipline, and force synergy across the Army, Air Force, and strategic command. The S-400 system, sourced from Russia, showed its full battlefield integration with Indian command doctrine, while Akash and L-70 systems, developed by DRDO and BEL, demonstrated India’s growing self-reliance in air defence. These engagements proved that India is no longer reactive. It can now predict, pre-empt, and neutralize threats without waiting for external validation or international permission.

    Airbases Neutralized: A Blow to Pakistani Air Power

    The most daring component of Operation Sindoor came in the early hours of May 10, 2025. In a pre-dawn mission, India struck eleven Pakistani airbases with BrahMos cruise missiles and stand-off weapons. Airstrips, hardened aircraft shelters, radar systems, and command centers were targeted based on precise ISR data. These strikes disrupted the Pakistan Air Force’s sortie capability, grounded multiple squadrons, and paralyzed operational momentum.

    These weren’t merely punitive. They were strategic de-capacitation measures, designed to ensure that Pakistan could not sustain a second or third wave of escalation. Post-strike imagery, open-source analysis, and leaked intercepts confirm major damages at bases like Rahim Yar Khan, Sargodha, Bholari, Jacobabad & Nur Khan Airbase. Significant PAF infrastructure, including JF-17 hangars, SAAB Awacs, and early-warning systems, were taken offline.

    As per noted Defence & Security expert Shishir Gupta in HT, “India’s S-400 air defence system in Adampur went into action no less than 11 times during Operation Sindoor and destroyed a Pakistani SAAB-2000 airborne early warning system as far as 315 kilometres away deep in Pakistan”. He further goes on to report that “Indian Air Force also has proof of its missiles having downed one C-130 J medium lift aircraft, a JF-17 and two F-16 fighters on ground and in the air” & “..The Indian strikes took out a Chinese-made LY-80 air defence system using a HARPY kamikaze drone at Lahore, while an Indian missile took out the prized HQ-9 (Chinese version of S-300) at Malir in Karachi.”

    This phase also demonstrated India’s maturing offensive deterrence posture. The use of standoff missiles allowed deep strikes without exposing aircraft to enemy radar or engagement zones. The message was clear: India possesses both the will and the capability to cripple Pakistan’s retaliatory framework without boots on the ground.

    Redefining Deterrence: The End of “Plausible Deniability”

    Perhaps the most far-reaching impact of Operation Sindoor is the collapse of the false firewall Pakistan erected between its army and its jihadi proxies. For decades, GHQ Rawalpindi operated in the grey zone training, equipping, and deploying terrorists while pretending innocence. India, until now, often responded diplomatically, seeking proof and global condemnation. That model is now obsolete. By treating the Pahalgam attack as a state-sanctioned act of war, India has established a new doctrine: no differentiation between non-state actors and the state that shelters them. This strategic redefinition collapses the ambiguity that Pakistan exploited for decades and forces it to absorb the consequences of proxy warfare. This is more than retaliation it is deterrence by punishment. The world, too, is watching. While global powers may issue standard calls for restraint. The legitimacy of India’s counter-strikes is enhanced by its commitment to proportionality, non-targeting of civilian infrastructure, and avoidance of war escalation.

    Indus Waters Treaty in Abeyance: Weaponizing Asymmetry

    One of the boldest geopolitical moves during Operation Sindoor was India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance. Long hailed as an example of transboundary cooperation, the IWT has persisted even through wars. However, in the face of repeated Pakistani provocation, it has become a one-sided symbol of Indian restraint. By moving to suspend water flows or delay data sharing and project clearances, India has signalled that economic levers are now part of the strategic toolkit. This asymmetric tool non-lethal but deeply consequential gives India leverage without inviting kinetic escalation. It allows New Delhi to exert economic, agricultural, and psychological pressure on Pakistan’s heartland in a prolonged conflict scenario. This step also sends a larger message: India will now integrate all dimensions of national power military, diplomatic, economic, technological into its response architecture.

    A Strategic Template for the Future

    Operation Sindoor is not just a successful operation it is a template. India has for the first time demonstrated where there was Rapid force mobilization with surgical precision, multi-platform integration of air, missile-based assets, Resilience and transparency in combat engagements, Defensive superiority using indigenous and imported systems, Asymmetric escalation through economic and hydrological tools and Geopolitical signalling without diplomatic fallout. This holistic approach marks India’s arrival as a mature regional power capable of defending its interests across the spectrum from grey-zone threats to full-spectrum deterrence. It is no longer about reactive diplomacy. India now leads with strength, speed, and clarity.

    Noted International Defence Expert, John Spencer in his Article, “India’s Wake-Up Call: Why US Defense Reform Must Match the Speed of Modern War”, in Small War Journal has quoted as below:

    “India’s overwhelming success demonstrated something more enduring than airpower. It validated a national defense doctrine built around efficient domestic industrial strength. And most significantly, it delivered a clear message to its strategic rival. Pakistan a Chinese proxy by armament, alignment, doctrine was completely outmatched. Its Chinese-made air defense systems could not stop, detect, or deter India’s precision strikes. In Sindoor, India didn’t just win. It demonstrated overwhelming military superiority against a Chinese-backed adversary.”

    Reflecting on the Brahmos strikes of Indian Russian joint venture and its integration with domestic Indian systems under Make in India Program, he goes on to highlight that, “In the skies over Pakistan, India didn’t just dominate. It redefined regional deterrence. India didn’t just talk about reform. It executed it. And it won. India has become a master of the physics of lethality. The United States can learn from their success and model some of their changes for its own needs. India’s success—and Ukraine’s innovation—should be a wake-up call. They are building the warfighting models of the future. The US is still operating with Cold War machinery and Gulf War assumptions.”

    Further in an Article dt 29th May 2029 on X, titled “India’s Operation Sindoor: A Battlefield Verdict on Chinese Weapons—And India’s Victory”, John Spencer goes on to write about India’s weapon systems used and exclaimed that:

     “India fought as a sovereign power wielding precision tool it designed, built, and deployed with unmatched battlefield control. Pakistan fought as a proxy force, dependent on Chinese hardware that was built for export, not for excellence. When challenged, these systems failed—exposing the strategic hollowness behind Islamabad’s defense posture. ….Operation Sindoor wasn’t just a military campaign. It was a technology demonstration, a market signal, and a strategic blueprint. India showed the world what self-reliance in modern warfare looks like and proved that “Atmanirbhar Bharat” works under fire.”

    Conclusion: Sindoor as a Strategic Line Drawn

    One of the articles written by Royal United Services Institute titled, “Calibrated Force: Operation Sindoor and the Future of Indian Deterrence”, on 21st May 2025 sums it up perfectly. It states that rather than serious analysis of India’s targeting methodology, command intent, or escalation thresholds, the western media coverage has focused instead on the air-to-air engagement that led to the probable loss of some Indian Air Assets. Undue prominence was given to the performance of specific platforms, with little regard for the broader operational context or the rules of engagement that shaped the encounter. Arguably more impressive than the operation’s reach was its restraint on the first day.

    The article on goes on say, “According to Indian officials, pilots operated under strict rules of engagement that prohibited initiating attacks on Pakistani aircraft or pre-emptively suppressing air defence systems. It suggests a political leadership determined to signal its intent with clarity: India was not interested in initiating a conflict with the Pakistani state, but rather in degrading a specific ecosystem of terrorist violence that exists in the country. In effect, India accepted heightened operational risk in pursuit of clear strategic messaging. Such discipline in the face of a capable adversary is neither automatic nor easy. Yet it may well have prevented a broader escalation spiral. That alone deserves more analytical attention than it has received”.

    There is a media narrative of Chinese experts in Bloomberg exulting on performance of Chinese platforms presents a distorted narrative as part of information warfare. The target here is to drown the Indian strategic success and overwhelming air-superiority of the Indian Airforce crippling Pakistani Airbases and infrastructure, taking out Chinese defence systems of which we have clear satellite imagery and proof. In any air-combat there are bound to be losses, the Americans have faced F-16 losses operated by Ukraine, American MQ-9 reaper drones were taken out by Houthis in Yemen, even the Chinese air defence systems of Pakistan were taken out by Indian Airforce in Operation Sindoor. Many of these narratives in international media are shaped by commercial interests of respective military-industrial complexes.

    However, what should matter is that the overall objective of targeted military operation carried out by India between 7th to 10th May 2025 has been achieved. Indian strategic objectives have been met without getting trapped into an elongated war like Vietnam, Afghanistan, Syria or Ukraine. Pakistan must remember that Operation Sindoor is not over yet and no amount of aid from IMF, World Bank, military aid from China (amounting to 80% its military hardware) or a Crypto deal with US corporations would be able to protect it from Indian response to state sponsored terrorism abetted by Pakistani military-intelligence apparatus.

    Operation Sindoor is a watershed in India’s military and geopolitical evolution. It transformed tragedy into a moment of clarity, demonstrating that the Indian state will no longer absorb terror as the cost of diplomacy. Every attack will now invite disproportionate retaliation measured not in rhetoric but in military and economic terms. By operationalizing deterrence, neutralizing terror nodes, blunting enemy retaliation, and avoiding escalation into war, India has delivered a sophisticated, high-impact campaign that redefines conflict dynamics in South Asia. The message is now loud and clear: There will be no safe havens. No immunity through proxies. And no peace without accountability. India has drawn a red line in blood and steel. Operation Sindoor thus showcases clinical execution of India’s military doctrine of Offensive Defence

     

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China and Mongolia Start Mutual Recognition of AEOs

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    HOHHOT, June 1 (Xinhua) — China and Mongolia on Sunday formally launched mutual recognition of authorized economic operators (AEOs), according to the Hohhot Customs Office in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

    An Authorized Economic Operator is an enterprise recognized by customs authorities as law-abiding and trustworthy. Having received the AEO status, an enterprise can enjoy conveniences in customs clearance.

    Once mutual recognition of AEO status is achieved between China and Mongolia, the paperwork will be simplified, the number of inspections of goods will be reduced, and priority customs clearance will be possible. This step is expected to not only significantly reduce the cost of cross-border trade between enterprises in the two countries, but also ensure the safety and smoothness of supply chains.

    According to statistics, from January to April 2025, 326 Chinese enterprises that had obtained the status of authorized economic operator were engaged in export activities with Mongolia, with the export value amounting to nearly 1.6 billion yuan (about 222.69 million US dollars), or about 15.5 percent of China’s total exports to Mongolia.

    According to available information, as of the end of April this year, there were 6,479 enterprises in China that had received AEO status, whose trade volume accounted for 38.5 percent of the country’s total import and export volume recorded during the same period.

    Meanwhile, China has signed mutual recognition agreements for AEO status with 31 economies covering 57 countries and regions around the world, including 38 countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –