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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Appointment of Churches Conservation Trust members: 1 August 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Appointment of Churches Conservation Trust members: 1 August 2025

    The King has approved the nomination of Trustees of the Board of the Churches Conservation Trust.

    The King has approved the nomination of Bishop Andrew Rumsey, Dr Ingrid Samuel OBE, Lord (Stephen) Parkinson of Whitley Bay, Michael Bithell JP, Vivienne King and Reverend Canon Timothy Goode.

    Andrew Rumsey read history at the University of Reading before training for ordination at Ridley Hall, Cambridge and doctoral studies at King’s College, London. Ordained in 1997, he has held a variety of parish posts in London and Southwark and was appointed Suffragan Bishop of Ramsbury in 2018. Andrew is the joint National Church of England Lead for Church and Cathedral Buildings, and is a writer, musician and champion for Anglican heritage.

    Dr Ingrid Helene Samuel OBE was educated at McGill University, Canada, obtaining BA in History, she then gained a M Litt and PhD in Modern History at Jesus College, Cambridge. In 2004 Ingrid was Head of Culture for the London Olympic Bid and between 2005 – 2011 has held several roles in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport including Head of Properties and Ceremonial Branch, Head of Heritage, and Head of Heritage and Architecture. Additionally, in 2011 she took up the role of Placemaking and Heritage Director with the National Trust.

    Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, obtaining an MA in History. From 2021-2024 Stephen was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media & Sport, and previously was Political Secretary to the Prime Minister and Special Adviser to the Home Secretary.

    Michael Bithell JP was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford, completing a MA in Engineering Science and post-graduate studies in Manufacture and Management at Cambridge University. Now retired, Michael was Group Finance Director of United Westminster and Grey Coat Foundation from 2015 to 2022. Previously, he worked for Deloitte LLP for 23 years, as Director, National Quality & Risk; and Director, Corporate Finance Government & Infrastructure. He has a number of voluntary and non-executive positions, including as a member of London Diocesan Synod, Finance Committee and Non-Property Investment Committee, as a Magistrate and an Honorary Steward of Westminster Abbey.

    Vivienne King was educated at Keele University obtaining a BSoc Sci in Law and Politics in 1983, subsequently completing a Legal Practice Course at the College of Law in 1985. In 2010 and 2012 she completed a Corporate Finance Programme with Cranfield University and in 2021 undertook Business Sustainability Management with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. After seven years as Real Estate Associate with Herbert Smith Freehills, Vivienne joined The Crown Estate in 1994 as a Senior Solicitor and was subsequently Director of Business Operations & General Counsel. She was CEO of the Soho Housing Association from 2016 to 2020, CEO of Revo and then Head of Real Estate Social Impact at The Good Economy. In March 2024 Vivienne founded Impactful Places, an independent sustainability consultancy.

    Timothy Goode has been the Canon for Congregational Discipleship and Nurture at York Minster since September 2023. Previously he was Rector of St Margaret’s Lee in South East London, and a member of General Synod and Archbishops’ Council. Tim is a member of the National Disability Task Group, which advises the Archbishops of Canterbury and York on disability issues and he led the first debate on disability at the General Synod in July 2022. Tim was a secondary school teacher at the Roehampton Institute and Director of Music of Homefield School from 1995-2007. He trained for ministry at Ripon College Cuddesdon and served his title at Croydon Minster, in the Diocese of Southwark and was ordained priest in 2010. From September 2012 to May 2018, he was Team Vicar of St Luke’s Whyteleafe and St Peter and St Paul, Chaldon, part of the Caterham Team ministry. From 2013 to 2021 he was additionally the Southwark Diocesan Disability Advisor. Tim was made an Honorary Canon of Southwark Cathedral in September 2020 and has been a trustee of the Churches Conservation Trust since November 2020. He has now been re-appointed in the role for a second term until October 2028.

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    Published 1 August 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Mandela Month ends on a high note in the North West

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Mandela Month ended on a high note when communities and learners in the North West province receives blankets and school shoes from the Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Kenny Morolong.

    The action-packed day for Morolong and his entourage started in Tlapeng Ward 19, near Taung, where 200 elderly women received the blankets from the Deputy Minister.

    During the handovoer on Thursday, Morolong said former President Nelson Mandela was a global man, whose spirit of ubuntu was celebrated throughout the world.

    “Nelson Mandela taught us that education is the only weapon we can use to fight poverty.

    “Today, as we are wrapping up  Nelson Mandela Month. The United Nations General Assembly resolved that 18 July will be celebrated as  International Nelson Mandela Day. We are here to celebrate the life of an icon, a global icon, the only man referred to as the father of the nation,” Morolong said.

    Nelson Mandela, the Deputy Minister said, made significant strides in the struggle against apartheid.

    “We are celebrating the life of Mandela by spending time with those that he loved most — the elderly and the kids.”

    Morolong said Nelson Mandela encouraged people to take care of those who are less privileged.

    “We are proud today that we are tempting to follow in his big footsteps and we are proud that we are upholding to his values and teachings.”

    Morolong encouraged the community to take care of children and the elderly.

    One of those who received a blanket, Mme Bettina Seloko from Tlapeng, spoke to SAnews.

    “It is very cold. One cannot sleep well because it’s cold. With the blanket I have received today, I am going to sleep well, as I will be feeling warm.

    “Government must continue to provide for the poor and those who are unemployed.”

    From Tlapeng village, the Deputy Minister proceeded to Anvonster informal settlement, where he handed over school shoes to learners. From there, he proceeded to Mmabana Cultural Centre, where he also handed over school shoes to learners from different schools.

    Morolong said giving learners shoes was a way of encouraging them to attend school.

    “Our former President Nelson Mandela has taught us that we should look after each other,” Morolong said.

    The Deputy Minister also visited Kamogelo Primary School, where he also handed over school shoes.

    This year’s Nelson Mandela International Day on 18 July was celebrated under the theme: ‘It’s still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity’.

    During the month of July, government encourages citizens to donate their time to make a difference in their communities.

    Earlier this year, Morolong received 470 pairs of school shoes from Capital Centric, on behalf of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), which were donated to learners.

    Nelson Mandela International Day has enjoyed years of global support and solidarity since it was launched in 2009. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Government welcomes renewable energy investments initiative 

    Source: Government of South Africa

    The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has applauded the launch of a research project investigating how private renewable energy investments in South Africa contribute to equitable social development.

    “Projects like Communities and the Private Renewable Energy Sector: Distributing Social Development Benefits in South Africa (COM-PRES),which support South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), are not only welcome, but are encouraged as the knowledge that will be generated will contribute to driving innovation and investment that bolsters South Africa’s renewable energy capacity,” George said on Friday.

    COM-PRES is a four-and-a-half-year research project, which was launched on 31 July 2025, led by Danish-based social researcher, Dr Marianne S. Ulriksen from the University of Southern Denmark. 

    It will be implemented locally, in partnership with the Centre for Social Development in Africa, at the University of Johannesburg and the Centre for Social Science Research at the University of Cape Town.

    The South African government strongly focuses on integrating renewable energy projects with social development initiatives, particularly through the REIPPPP, which is also part of the country’s ambitious just energy transition agenda.

    “COM-PRES aims to understand how private-sector renewable energy projects can address inequality in affected and surrounding South African communities through novel mandatory community trusts and social development interventions,” Ulriksen said.

    According to Ulriksen, the knowledge and ideas generated at the community level – working collaboratively with community members, local stakeholders and independent power producers – will feed back to national stakeholders, with the aim of providing practical recommendations for designing and managing renewable energy investments to enhance socio-economic outcomes and relations between communities, the industry and government.

    “South Africa can develop a resilient, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable energy sector that also supports our efforts to drive sustainable economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The renovated National Road 1 between Kinshasa, Kwango and Kwilu is boosting economic activity in the south-west of the Democratic Republic of Congo

    Source: APO

    In Kikwit, in Kwilu province in the south-west of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the “lower town” market is bustling. No-one seems bothered by the sun, which is at its zenith. Motorcycles, tricycles, goods trucks and street vendors intermingle in a constant, noisy ballet, signs of the economic dynamism of this city located more than 600 kilometres from the capital, Kinshasa.

    In the distance, men can already be seen busy loading huge blue plastic drums onto large trucks lined up in single file at the edge of the market. Their destination: Kinshasa, via National Road No. 1 or RN1.

    Modeste Mafangala, a road haulier, makes no secret of his satisfaction with a recent major change in his daily life: the repair of the Kinshasa–N’Djili–Batshamba section of the RN1.

    “Before, it was very difficult to get from here to Kinshasa. You could spend a week or two on the road. But now the road is good. The goods we’re loading today will arrive at their destination the next day, either by bus, truck or motorcycle,” he says, visibly relieved.

    The project to renovate the 622-kilometre section of RN1 between Kinshasa, N’Djili and Batshamba was financed to the tune of $70.2 million by the African Development Fund, the African Development Bank Group’s concessional financing window. The project addresses the major challenge of opening up rural areas to trade in goods and services. Long isolated due to poor road conditions, the provinces of Kwango and Kwilu now enjoy better connectivity with the capital and with each other.

    This improvement greatly facilitates interprovincial trade and creates momentum for regional economic integration. The impact on transport conditions is particularly evident. The journey between Kinshasa and Kikwit, and even Batshamba, now takes just six hours. In addition to reducing travel times, the improved road quality has also led to a significant reduction in the number of accidents.

    “Back then, hauliers would spend days on end trying to reach Kikwit or Tshikapa,” explains Jean Luemba, project implementation coordinator in Kinshasa.  “But today, they get there in less time and save money on fuel and even spare parts, because with all the potholes on the road, vehicles used to suffer significant damage. You could say that hauliers are now getting their money’s worth.”

    But the benefits of the project go far beyond simply repairing the road. An integrated approach to development has multiplied the positive impacts for the people living in the project area. Schools now have access to drinking water, health centres have been built, rural markets refurbished, agricultural tracks upgraded, and several villages equipped with boreholes.

    At the Don Bosco Institute in Kenge, for example, the project has changed the daily lives of the students. A drinking water borehole with a standpipe has been installed in the schoolyard, so the students can now enjoy their breaks without worrying about finding water to drink.

    Espérance Anga, a student in the 4th grade general mechanics class, said: “This is a very good thing for us. Before, we had trouble getting drinking water during breaks. We used to buy water in bags from the canteen. Now, thanks to the borehole, it’s much easier.”

    The RN1 renovation project is a major infrastructure initiative that is expected to have positive effects on socioeconomic development in the Democratic Republic of Congo. By connecting Kinshasa to the provinces of Kwango and Kwilu, the road facilitates travel and trade, with a knock-on effect on the daily life of communities and economic activity.

    “Today, people living along the road can get more value from their daily produce. They can sell more easily because vehicles now have direct access to their villages. One mother, for example, no longer needs to travel to Kinshasa or the market to sell a bag of cassava or charcoal: she can sell it in front of her house. It’s a real change in their daily lives,” says Jean Luemba.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

    Media files

    .

    MIL OSI Africa –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Free events for families in Plymouth parks this August

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Fit and Fed on tour in Central Park

    Throughout August, parks and green spaces in Plymouth will be filled with fun, free activities for families.

    These events are a great opportunity to keep kids entertained during the summer holiday while also finding out more about the support that’s on offer for parents and carers across the city.  

    The popular Fit and Fed programme will go on tour every Tuesday during August, taking place from 10am to 2pm:

    • Victoria Park on Tuesday 5 August
    • Ernesettle Green on Tuesday 12 August
    • Tothill Park on Tuesday 19 August
    • Central Park on Tuesday 26 August.

    Hundreds of free healthy lunches will be available for children at each event, offered on a first come, first served basis.

    Organised by Plymouth Active Leisure and Plymouth City Council with support from Plymouth Argyle Community Trust and St John’s Ambulance, Fit and Fed on Tour features a huge range of activities for children to enjoy.

    This includes inflatables, slime making, scrap art sessions, cycling, mini golf and archery. Local organisations such as Peninsula Dental School and Plymouth Libraries will also be on hand with games, activities and lots of advice and guidance for parents and carers.

    Councillor Sue Dann, Cabinet Member for Sport and Leisure, said: “Fit and Fed is a lifeline for many families during the summer holidays. It’s about making sure children have access to healthy food, safe spaces to play, and opportunities to stay active and engaged.

    “I’m delighted that we’re working with Plymouth Active Leisure to take Fit & Fed on tour once again this year so that even more families can access support right in the heart of their communities.”

    Plymouth Family Hubs will then be hosting ‘Play and Beyond’ events on Wednesdays throughout August, which also take place between 10am and 2pm:

    • Devonport Park on Wednesday 6 August
    • Hillcrest Park (near Hillcrest Close) in Plympton on Wednesday 13 August
    • Freedom Fields Park on Wednesday 20 August
    • Bond Street Park in Southway on Wednesday 20 August
    • Deans Cross Playing Fields in Plymstock on Wednesday 27 August.

    The Family Hubs teams from Barnardo’s, Action for Children and LARK will be on hand at these events providing fun activities for children of all ages, including face painting, bouncy castles, football, STEM activities and storytelling sessions.

    There will also be lots of advice available about infant feeding and learning activities to try at home with younger children. Young parents can also find out more about the local support available to them.

    Staff will also be on hand to showcase all the support on offer at your local Family Hub, including parenting workshops, courses and more.

    Councillor Jemima Laing, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care said: “We’re really excited to be bringing free, family-friendly fun to local communities across Plymouth this August.

    “These events are a brilliant way to keep children active and entertained during the summer holidays, while also connecting parents and carers with the fantastic support available to them.”

    Plymouth Family Hubs are also hosting free pop-up sessions with lots of activities and storytelling at The Little Box, outside The Box on Tavistock Place. All families are welcome, but the activities are aimed at pre-school age children. The sessions will include ideas for activities that parents and carers can try at home with their children.

    Drop in to the sessions anytime between 9.30am and 3pm, with stories at 10am, 11.30am and 1pm, every weekday from 4 to 8 August and 11 to 15 August.

    Find out more about Plymouth Family Hubs at www.plymouth.gov.uk/family-hubs or follow Plymouth Family Hubs on Facebook.

    Find out more about Fit and Fed programme at www.plymouth.gov.uk/fit-and-fed. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Extremists use gaming platforms to recruit – study

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    New research published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology reveals how extremist groups are exploiting the popularity of video games to recruit and radicalise impressionable users.

    The study shows that gaming-adjacent platforms, which allow users to chat and live stream while playing, are being used as “digital playgrounds” for extremist activity and that video game players are being deliberately “funnelled” by extremists from mainstream social media platforms to these sites, in part because of the challenges faced in moderating them.

    The research was carried out by Dr William Allchorn and Dr Elisa Orofino, senior research fellows at Anglia Ruskin University’s International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute (IPPPRI), and includes interviews with platform content moderators, tech industry experts and those involved in preventing and countering violent extremism.

    It found that far-right extremism is the most common ideology shared on these gaming-adjacent platforms. This includes content promoting white supremacy, neo-Nazism and anti-Semitism, often accompanied by misogyny, racism, homophobia and conspiracy theories, including references to QAnon.

    Islamist extremism was also reported, though less frequently, alongside “extremist-adjacent” material such as the glorification of school shootings – all content that violates the terms of service of mainstream platforms but often evades detection.

    The study explains that hyper-masculine gaming titles, such as first-person shooter games, have particular appeal to extremists, and highlights how the unique nature of online gaming brings together strangers with a common interest.

    After initial contact, funnelling takes place where interactions move to the less regulated gaming-adjacent platforms, providing an environment where extremists can socialise, share propaganda and subtly recruit.

    One interviewee in the study explained how grooming might start: “That’s where you have matchmaking. It’s where you can build quick rapport with people. But that’s the stuff that very quickly moves to adjacent platforms, where there’s sort of less monitoring.”

    A recurring concern among participants was the danger of younger users coming under the influence of extremist influencers, who combined streaming live game play with extremist narratives.

    Participants highlighted that law enforcement need to better understand how these platforms and their subcultures operate, and also emphasised the importance of educating parents, teachers and children about the risks of online radicalisation.

    Moderators who took part in the study expressed frustration at inconsistent enforcement policies on their platforms and the burden of deciding whether content or users should be reported to local law enforcement agencies.

    In-game chat is unmoderated, but the moderators still report being overwhelmed by the volume and complexity of harmful content, including the use of hidden symbols often used to circumvent banned words.

    AI tools are being used to assist with moderation, but they struggle to interpret memes or when language is ambiguous or sarcastic. Phrases such as “I’m going to kill you” may be common in gameplay, but difficult for automated systems to interpret in context.

    “These gaming-adjacent platforms offer extremists direct access to large, often young and impressionable audiences and they have become a key tool for extremist recruitment.

    “Social media platforms have attracted most of the attention of lawmakers and regulators over the last decade, but these platforms have largely flown under the radar, while at the same time becoming digital playgrounds for extremists to exploit.

    “The nature of radicalisation and the dissemination of extremist content is not confined to any single platform and our research identified a widespread lack of effective detection and reporting tools.

    “Many users don’t know how to report extremist content, and even when they do, they often feel their concerns aren’t taken seriously. Strengthening moderation systems, both AI and human, is essential, as is updating platform policies to address content that is harmful but technically lawful. Decisive action works and platforms can be doing more to help curb the spread of extremism.”

    Dr William Allchorn, Senior Research Fellow at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU)

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Polytechnic University summed up the results of the competition “Best Teacher in the Eyes of Students-2025”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    At the initiative of the student community, the Polytechnic University traditionally held the “Best Teacher through the Eyes of Students” competition from June 5 to July 12.

    The competition has been held at the university since 2021 and this year it celebrated a small anniversary – five years. As usual, students nominate teachers for participation in the competition who, from their point of view, best meet such approved criteria as “Personal interest in the subject”, “Openness to everything new”, “Pedagogical excellence”, “Culture of interaction with students”, “Commitment to the traditions of the Polytechnic University”, etc. However, this year, only graduating students who received their diplomas this year could vote for teachers. For each of the nine criteria of the competitive selection, the students had to nominate only one teacher.

    “Our university is changing, and the rules for the “Best Teacher in the Eyes of Students” competition are changing along with it,” explained SPbPU Vice-Rector for Educational Activities Lyudmila Pankova. “In this anniversary year for the competition, it was important for us to find out which teachers remain in the hearts of graduates leaving the university on their way to a new, big life.”

    Perhaps the most important change in the rules of the competition was that student voting was transferred to the Telegram bot “Digital Pelican” of the Trade Union of Students of SPbPU.

    “We think it is important that our students have taken responsibility not only for developing the evaluation criteria for the competition, but also for its implementation,” noted Elena Zima, Director of the Education Quality Center. “This significant step in improving the competition procedure will increase the university students’ confidence in the competition results and their involvement, which will undoubtedly contribute to improving the overall culture of education quality at the Polytechnic.”

    494 Polytechnic graduates took part in the voting. The winners and prize winners were 10 teachers from seven institutes: GI, IBSiB, IKNK, IPMEiT, IFiM, IFKSiT, IE. All of them will receive cash prizes. The results of the competition are also taken into account in the rating of the faculty. The award ceremony for teachers will traditionally take place on Knowledge Day, September 1.

    The winners of the competition in the nomination “Best of the Best” were:

    Anton Pavlovich Shaban (IPMEiT); Sergey Aleksandrovich Vazhnov (IE); Elmira Alyarovna Nazarova (IPMEiT).

    Full list of winners and prize winners of the competition posted on the website of the Center for Education Quality.

    Congratulations to the winners! We wish you creative success, new discoveries and new victories!

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    August 5, 2025

  • Vice Admiral CR Praveen Nair assumes charge as Controller Personnel Services

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Vice Admiral CR Praveen Nair, AVSM, NM, has assumed charge as the Controller Personnel Services (CPS) at the Indian Navy on July 31. On taking over the new responsibility, the senior officer paid homage at the National War Memorial in New Delhi, honouring the sacrifices of India’s brave soldiers.

    Commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1991, Vice Admiral Nair is a specialist in Communications and Electronic Warfare. Over his distinguished career spanning more than three decades, he has held several key command, operational, and staff appointments.

    A Surface Warfare Officer, the Flag Officer’s sea tenures include service on INS Krishna, INS Kora, and INS Mysore. He has served as Fleet Electronic Warfare Officer and later as Fleet Communications Officer of the Western Fleet, during which he was awarded the Chief of the Naval Staff commendation for his contribution to the non-combatant evacuation of Indian nationals from Beirut during the Israel-Lebanon conflict in July 2006.

    Vice Admiral Nair has commanded INS Kirch (Missile Corvette), INS Chennai (Guided Missile Destroyer), and INS Vikramaditya (Aircraft Carrier). He has also served in various important shore appointments, including as Directing Staff at the Naval War College, Goa, Officer-in-Charge at Signal School, and Commodore (Personnel) at the Directorate of Personnel, Naval Headquarters. He was also a member of the Indian Naval Strategic and Operational Council (INSOC), the Indian Navy’s think tank.

    An alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and the US Naval War College, Newport, USA, Vice Admiral Nair has been the recipient of several prestigious international awards, including the Robert E. Bateman International Award, Vice Admiral James H. Doyle Military Operations and International Law Prize, and the International Leadership Prize. He holds an M.Phil. in Defence and Strategic Studies from Mumbai University.

    He was awarded the Nao Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty) in 2000 and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in January 2025.

    Upon promotion to Flag rank, Vice Admiral Nair served as Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Policy and Plans), where he played a pivotal role in formulating the Maritime Capability Perspective Plan (MCPP 2022–37) and Maritime Infrastructure Perspective Plan (MIPP 2022–37). He subsequently commanded the Western Fleet in 2023–24 and led Operation Sankalp to safeguard India’s maritime interests in the region.

    Before assuming his current post, he served as the Commandant of the Indian Naval Academy.

    August 5, 2025

  • Lt Gen Pushpendra Singh assumes charge as Vice Chief of Army Staff

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Lieutenant General Pushpendra Singh has taken over as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff. He assumed the new responsibility on July 31, 2025, following his tenure as Director General Operational Logistics & Strategic Movement at the Army Headquarters.

    Commissioned into the 4th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) in December 1987, Lt Gen Pushpendra Singh brings with him over 38 years of rich experience in operational and strategic roles across the Indian Army.

    An alumnus of La Martiniere College, Lucknow University, and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, the General Officer has served in several key operations including OP PAWAN, OP MEGHDOOT, OP ORCHID, and multiple tenures in OP RAKSHAK.

    He has commanded a Special Forces unit in the Kashmir Valley and along the Line of Control, an Infantry Brigade, and a Mountain Division during OP SNOW LEOPARD along the Line of Actual Control. He also served as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of a Corps based in Himachal Pradesh, responsible for sensitive areas including Jammu, Samba, and Pathankot.

    Lt Gen Singh has undergone extensive training during his career, including the Staff Course at DSSC Wellington, Higher Defence Management Course at CDM Secunderabad, and the Advance Professional Programme in Public Administration at IIPA. He holds a Master’s in Management Studies from Osmania University and a Master’s in Philosophy from Punjab University.

    In recognition of his exemplary service, he has been decorated with the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and a Bar to the Sena Medal.

     

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCSD to present lecture series “Shanghai, Shanghai – A Reminiscence of Chinese Pop”

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

         The Leisure and Cultural Services Department will launch a lecture series entitled “Shanghai, Shanghai – A Reminiscence of Chinese Pop” from October to November. The six-lecture series, curated and hosted by Dr Jim Chang, will take audiences to revisit the Chinese popular songs (or “shidaiqu”) that emerged and flourished in Shanghai from the 1920s to 1940s and remain popular nowadays, along with their iconic figures, through concise and easily comprehensible explanations. Accompanied by classic song sharing, the programme will also elaborate on the cultural ties between Shanghai and Hong Kong’s popular music scenes. 

         Details of each lecture are as follows:

    Lecture 1: Li Jinhui and the “Minyue Concert”
    ——————————————————–
    Date: October 21 (Tuesday)

         Li Jinhui, hailed as the “Father of Chinese Popular Music”, introduced a novel genre of “sinofied jazz” to China and composed “Drizzle” (or “Mao Mao Yu”), which has been described as “the first Chinese popular song”. He also established the song and dance troupe Minyue Concert, which became a cradle for a generation of musical and cinematic stars. The speaker will introduce this great musician and his troupe, and explore their influences on the creation and development of Chinese popular music. 

    Lecture 2: Li Jinguang and his “Tuberose”
    ———————————————
    Date: October 28 (Tuesday)

         The “Tuberose”, composed and written by Li Jinguang, renowned as the “King of Song”, and originally sung by Li Hsiang-lan, has become a timeless hit across China and beyond with its ethereal melodies. Famous singers, including Teresa Teng, have covered this classic. The speaker will guide the audience through the fascinating origins of this evergreen masterpiece.  

    Lecture 3: The Romance of Chen Gexin
    ———————————————
    Date: November 4 (Tuesday)

         Chen Gexin, renowned Shanghai composer-lyricist, created timeless classics including “Rose, Rose, I love You”, “Everlasting Smile”, “Shanghai By Night”, “Gong Xi Gong Xi”, and more. The speaker will lead audiences to look back at the life of the “Immortal of Song”, whose brief 40-year lifespan left an indelible mark on old Shanghai’s popular music scene. 

    Lecture 4: Engrossing Shanghai Tunes
    ———————————————
    Date: November 11 (Tuesday)

         In the early 20th century, Shanghai’s music scene groomed countless renowned artists, laying the foundation for a distinguished style named “Hai pai” (Shanghai-style) in the new era. By the 1940s, artists from different backgrounds, such as the Li (Li Jinhui) School, academic schools and the Japanese War of Resistance composers, together made contributions to create a glorious decade for the popular music of old Shanghai. In this lecture, the speaker will give an overview of the music development of this period, and introduce several beloved masterpieces. 

    Lecture 5: The Gorgeous Li Hsiang-lan
    ———————————————–
    Date: November 19 (Wednesday)

         Coloratura soprano Li Hsiang-lan was one of the Shanghai’s “seven great singing queens” in the 1940s. Her family background, identity and growth experiences made her life truly legendary. The speaker will guide audiences to walk through the first half of the extraordinary journey of her life as a “beauty among beauties”, and to appreciate her alluring voice back in the old Shanghai period. 

    Lecture 6: A Tale of Two Cities
    ———————————————
    Date: November 25 (Tuesday)

         In the 1940s and 1950s, many Shanghai entrepreneurs, intellectuals and musicians moved to Hong Kong, including famous composers Li Houxiang, Yao Min, and Wang Fu-ling, bringing along the Shanghai soundscape to the city. The speaker will explore their profound impact on the development of Hong Kong’s popular music culture. 

         Dr Chang joined the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra as a sheng musician after graduation from university. He has been the President of the Hong Kong Library Association, and retired as the Chief Librarian of the Hong Kong Central Library. Dr Chang is currently a part-time lecturer in the Academy of Music of Hong Kong Baptist University and the Honorary Artist-in-Residence in the Department of Cultural and Creative Arts of the Education University of Hong Kong. 

         All lectures will be conducted in Cantonese and will start at 7.30pm in AC2, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Each lecture will run for about one hour and 30 minutes. Tickets priced at $80 (for each lecture, with free seating) are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings and concessionary schemes, please call 3166 1288. For programme enquiries, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_1877.html.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Parliament Approves land sublease for Kabale University expansion

    Source: APO


    .

    Parliament has approved a motion allowing Kabale Regional Referral Hospital sublease five acres of land to Kabale University, clearing the way for the university to expand its Faculty of Medicine.

    The Minister of Health, Ruth Aceng presented the proposal during the plenary sitting of Thursday, 31 July 2025.

    Kabale University made the request in August 2022.

    The university aims to build new teaching and medical facilities, including specialized clinics, patient wards, lecture halls and operating rooms.

    Aceng said the move is a major boost for medical training and healthcare in southwestern Uganda noting that Kabale Regional Referral Hospital serves over 2.4 million people, including patients from Rwanda.

    “This is more than just a land deal, it is an investment in better healthcare, stronger medical education and growth for the Kigezi sub-region and beyond,” Aceng said.

    She noted that the expansion will help the university train more doctors and nurses for the region, addressing a critical shortage of healthcare workers in districts like Kabale, Kanungu, Ntungamo, Kisoro and Rukungiri.

    Currently Kabale University’s medical school operates out of run-down hospital building that is set for demolition.  Aceng emphasised that the sublease will allow the university to create a modern medical school and teaching hospital.

    “This will improve training, enhance research, and bring better healthcare closer to the communities that need it most,” she said.

    The Koboko Municipality MP, Hon. Charles Ayume said the motion was timely considering the state of the Medical school and its symbiotic relationship with the Regional Referral Hospital.

    “A Medical school and hospital have a symbiotic relationship where they all benefit. The University does the teaching but the hospital benefits from extra services of lecturers and students during their training,” said Ayume adding that, “We had queried the type of doctors that will come from that dilapidated building”.

    Tororo District Woman MP, Hon. Sarah Opendi asked fellow legislators to look into the status of Regional Referral Hospitals across the country, saying most are performing way below the capacity of a regional referral hospital.

    “Kabale Regional Referral Hospital is challenged in terms of space and infrastructure, it remains a 100 bed capacity hospital which is below the requirement of a regional referral hospital,” Opendi said.

    She noted that most of the regional referral hospitals are understaffed between 25 to 30 percent staffing level, praying that it should be addressed in the next budget cycle.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

    MIL OSI Africa –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: A university bookshop in Ibadan tells the story of Nigeria’s rich publishing culture

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Assistant Professor, Harvard University

    Driven by a desire to explore Nigeria’s literary and cultural history beyond the metropolis of Lagos, I took a road trip to Ibadan, once the most important university town in the country. Ibadan, in Oyo State, was the first city in Nigeria to have a university set up in 1948.

    Ibadan is where the Mbari Club once gathered, an experimental space where Nigerian writers, artists and thinkers – among them Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, JP Clark, Christopher Okigbo, Uche Okeke, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Mabel Segun and South Africa’s Es’kia Mphahlele – met, debated and dreamed in the 1960s and 70s.

    It’s the city where celebrated Nigerian artist and architect Demas Nwoko imagined and built his utopias. Where the Oxford University Press and Heinemann Educational Books established their west African headquarters.



    Read more:
    Chimamanda’s Lagos homecoming wasn’t just a book launch, it was a cultural moment

    Books have always been a form of cultural currency in Ibadan. The presence of major publishers meant that bookshops were not just retail outlets, but intellectual salons, sites of encounter and exchange.

    So while in Ibadan I visited cultural spaces and independent bookshops but it was the charms of the University campus that mostly captured my imagination. And my favourite place was the University of Ibadan Bookshop. At this campus bookshop I lingered the most, in awe and wonder. Its eclectic range of books, journals, public lecture pamphlets, novels, poetry collections and monographs excited me.

    Today, when the global publishing economy has increasingly digitised and centralised, the bookshop feels almost radical just by existing. It’s a reminder that intellectual life in Africa is not peripheral or derived from the west. It is present, prolific and profoundly local. To walk through the shelves of this bookshop was to encounter a history of African thought written and produced on its own terms.

    As a scholar of African literature and archives, my research traces the hidden lives of spaces that have shaped publishing and archives. University bookshops have been overlooked but are essential nodes in the continent’s intellectual history.

    A snapshot of Nigeria

    This campus bookshop gives a snapshot of Nigeria as a print country. Here we witness the nation through its printed matter. A nation of prolific publishing. I found the literary output in the Ibadan campus bookshop not only vast but exuberant and unrelenting. It reflects the texture of the Nigerian personality: loud, boisterous, layered and insistent. Stacks upon stacks of books.

    In these stacks, it dawned on me that beneath the surface lies a vibrant, ongoing literary discourse that is unmistakably Nigerian, and sadly not resonant far beyond its borders. These are books you don’t see on reference lists of “popular” and “influential” scholarship that privileges work produced and imported to Africa from the Euro-American academy.

    I was especially intrigued with how the Nigerian academic and writer does not tire in producing academic and cultural journals. There are journals for every subject under the sun.

    While the critical framework of African literature is too often shaped by the global north (see critiques by Ato Quayson, Biodun Jeyifo, Simon Gikandi and Grace Musila) in Ibadan, I saw a distinctly local and deeply African critical discourse rooted in place, language and lived experience. To walk into the University of Ibadan Bookshop is to step into legacy. Its shelves bear the weight of decades of African thought, theory and storytelling.

    Despite being housed in an ageing building, it has stayed defiant. Even though floods destroyed books and computers worth a small fortune in 2019, the bookshop is still standing proudly. And there was pride too among the staff who were eager to help or answer any questions about the books.

    More than bookshops

    The University of Ibadan bookshop reminded me of the bookshop from my undergraduate days in Zimbabwe. Even though our campus bookshop was much smaller, I used to find pleasure going there in between lectures. It often felt like walking into a vault of African knowledge and memory.

    Our bookshop at Midlands State University stocked old, canonical books alongside current literature. On occasion, rare, out-of-print secondhand books would appear on the shelves. The bargain sales also meant I spent most of my money there.

    But to call these spaces on African university campuses “bookshops” hardly does them justice. They are hybrid cultural ecosystems that function as part bookshop, part print shop, stationer, library and sometimes even archive. They have long served as vital nodes in the circulation of African knowledge and thought.

    Yet this ecosystem is rapidly eroding, undermined by the rise of internet culture, artificial intelligence, piracy and harsh economic conditions. The result is a slow but devastating disappearance of African intellectual memory. As scholars remind us, digital platforms are not neutral. They are structured by algorithms that often marginalise black and African knowledge. So, the loss of these analogue spaces is more than nostalgic, it is epistemic erasure.

    In this digital age, there is something vital about the physical presence of bookshops on African campuses. Thanks to them, as a student, for me literature was the serendipity of discovery, the tactile feel of books, the beautiful persistence of a local knowledge system that was relatable and produced by people like me.



    Read more:
    Nigerian architect Demas Nwoko on his award-winning work: ‘Whatever you build, it should suit your culture’

    On the way out of the city, we stopped at Bower’s Tower. From there you can see Ibadan’s sprawling layout, the ancient hills from which the settlement was built, and its red roofs.

    The view reflected the complexity and density of ideas the city has nurtured. And despite shifts in Nigeria’s publishing geography from here to Lagos and Abuja, Ibadan still matters. It’s a city that remembers, that archives, that holds on to knowledge.

    Tinashe Mushakavanhu 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. A university bookshop in Ibadan tells the story of Nigeria’s rich publishing culture – https://theconversation.com/a-university-bookshop-in-ibadan-tells-the-story-of-nigerias-rich-publishing-culture-262050

    MIL OSI –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: A university bookshop in Ibadan tells the story of Nigeria’s rich publishing culture

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Assistant Professor, Harvard University

    Driven by a desire to explore Nigeria’s literary and cultural history beyond the metropolis of Lagos, I took a road trip to Ibadan, once the most important university town in the country. Ibadan, in Oyo State, was the first city in Nigeria to have a university set up in 1948.

    Ibadan is where the Mbari Club once gathered, an experimental space where Nigerian writers, artists and thinkers – among them Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, JP Clark, Christopher Okigbo, Uche Okeke, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Mabel Segun and South Africa’s Es’kia Mphahlele – met, debated and dreamed in the 1960s and 70s.

    It’s the city where celebrated Nigerian artist and architect Demas Nwoko imagined and built his utopias. Where the Oxford University Press and Heinemann Educational Books established their west African headquarters.

    Read more: Chimamanda’s Lagos homecoming wasn’t just a book launch, it was a cultural moment

    Books have always been a form of cultural currency in Ibadan. The presence of major publishers meant that bookshops were not just retail outlets, but intellectual salons, sites of encounter and exchange.

    So while in Ibadan I visited cultural spaces and independent bookshops but it was the charms of the University campus that mostly captured my imagination. And my favourite place was the University of Ibadan Bookshop. At this campus bookshop I lingered the most, in awe and wonder. Its eclectic range of books, journals, public lecture pamphlets, novels, poetry collections and monographs excited me.

    Books are cultural currency in Ibadan. Tinashe Mushakavanhu

    Today, when the global publishing economy has increasingly digitised and centralised, the bookshop feels almost radical just by existing. It’s a reminder that intellectual life in Africa is not peripheral or derived from the west. It is present, prolific and profoundly local. To walk through the shelves of this bookshop was to encounter a history of African thought written and produced on its own terms.

    As a scholar of African literature and archives, my research traces the hidden lives of spaces that have shaped publishing and archives. University bookshops have been overlooked but are essential nodes in the continent’s intellectual history.

    A snapshot of Nigeria

    This campus bookshop gives a snapshot of Nigeria as a print country. Here we witness the nation through its printed matter. A nation of prolific publishing. I found the literary output in the Ibadan campus bookshop not only vast but exuberant and unrelenting. It reflects the texture of the Nigerian personality: loud, boisterous, layered and insistent. Stacks upon stacks of books.

    In these stacks, it dawned on me that beneath the surface lies a vibrant, ongoing literary discourse that is unmistakably Nigerian, and sadly not resonant far beyond its borders. These are books you don’t see on reference lists of “popular” and “influential” scholarship that privileges work produced and imported to Africa from the Euro-American academy.

    Stacks upon stacks of books greet one. Tinashe Mushakavanhu

    I was especially intrigued with how the Nigerian academic and writer does not tire in producing academic and cultural journals. There are journals for every subject under the sun.

    While the critical framework of African literature is too often shaped by the global north (see critiques by Ato Quayson, Biodun Jeyifo, Simon Gikandi and Grace Musila) in Ibadan, I saw a distinctly local and deeply African critical discourse rooted in place, language and lived experience. To walk into the University of Ibadan Bookshop is to step into legacy. Its shelves bear the weight of decades of African thought, theory and storytelling.

    Despite being housed in an ageing building, it has stayed defiant. Even though floods destroyed books and computers worth a small fortune in 2019, the bookshop is still standing proudly. And there was pride too among the staff who were eager to help or answer any questions about the books.

    More than bookshops

    The University of Ibadan bookshop reminded me of the bookshop from my undergraduate days in Zimbabwe. Even though our campus bookshop was much smaller, I used to find pleasure going there in between lectures. It often felt like walking into a vault of African knowledge and memory.

    Our bookshop at Midlands State University stocked old, canonical books alongside current literature. On occasion, rare, out-of-print secondhand books would appear on the shelves. The bargain sales also meant I spent most of my money there.

    A distinctly Nigerian book conversation. Tinashe Mushakavanhu

    But to call these spaces on African university campuses “bookshops” hardly does them justice. They are hybrid cultural ecosystems that function as part bookshop, part print shop, stationer, library and sometimes even archive. They have long served as vital nodes in the circulation of African knowledge and thought.

    Yet this ecosystem is rapidly eroding, undermined by the rise of internet culture, artificial intelligence, piracy and harsh economic conditions. The result is a slow but devastating disappearance of African intellectual memory. As scholars remind us, digital platforms are not neutral. They are structured by algorithms that often marginalise black and African knowledge. So, the loss of these analogue spaces is more than nostalgic, it is epistemic erasure.

    In this digital age, there is something vital about the physical presence of bookshops on African campuses. Thanks to them, as a student, for me literature was the serendipity of discovery, the tactile feel of books, the beautiful persistence of a local knowledge system that was relatable and produced by people like me.

    Read more: Nigerian architect Demas Nwoko on his award-winning work: ‘Whatever you build, it should suit your culture’

    On the way out of the city, we stopped at Bower’s Tower. From there you can see Ibadan’s sprawling layout, the ancient hills from which the settlement was built, and its red roofs.

    The view reflected the complexity and density of ideas the city has nurtured. And despite shifts in Nigeria’s publishing geography from here to Lagos and Abuja, Ibadan still matters. It’s a city that remembers, that archives, that holds on to knowledge.

    – A university bookshop in Ibadan tells the story of Nigeria’s rich publishing culture
    – https://theconversation.com/a-university-bookshop-in-ibadan-tells-the-story-of-nigerias-rich-publishing-culture-262050

    MIL OSI Africa –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: NANO Nuclear Selected for Inclusion in the Solactive Global Uranium & Nuclear Components Total Return Index, Qualifying It for Inclusion in the Prominent Global X Uranium ETF (“URA”)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    With over $4 billion in net assets, the Global X Uranium ETF is the world’s preeminent ETF providing investors broad exposure to companies involved in uranium mining and the production of nuclear components

    New York, N.Y., Aug. 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) (“NANO Nuclear” or “the Company”), a leading advanced nuclear energy and technology company focused on developing clean energy solutions, today announced that it has been selected for inclusion in the Solactive Global Uranium & Nuclear Components Total Return Index, following the Index’s semiannual review and subsequent rebalancing.

    Effective as of August 1, 2025, NANO Nuclear’s common stock will be included in the Solactive Global Uranium & Nuclear Components Total Return Index, an Index of Solactive AG which tracks the price movements in shares of companies that have (or are expected to have) exposure to the uranium industry. This particularly includes uranium mining, exploration, uranium investments and technologies (such as NANO Nuclear’s micro modular nuclear reactors under development) related to the uranium industry

    The Solactive Global Uranium & Nuclear Components Total Return Index serves as a benchmark for exchange-traded funds (or ETFs) and other investment products, with NANO Nuclear’s inclusion reflecting its growing presence in the global nuclear energy and uranium supply chain.

    As a result of this addition, NANO Nuclear’s common stock now qualifies for inclusion in the prominent Global X Uranium ETF (ticker “URA”), with approximately $4 billion in net assets, which passively tracks the Solactive Global Uranium & Nuclear Components Total Return Index. Notably, the Global X Uranium ETF is the world’s preeminent ETF providing investors broad exposure to companies involved in uranium mining and the production of nuclear components.

    Figure 1 – NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. Selected for inclusion in the Solactive Global Uranium & Nuclear Components Total Return Index, qualifying it for inclusion in the prominent Global X Uranium ETF (“URA”)

    “Our team has executed well on our stated strategic priorities, strengthening our market position and building collaborations that support our long‑term growth and valuation,” said Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear. “Inclusion in Solactive’s Global Uranium & Nuclear Components Total Return Index and the Global X Uranium ETF marks these achievements and is another positive step in our trajectory, highlighting our expanding role in the global nuclear energy industry. It is a testament to the hard work being done by our team to steadily grow our company, advance our technologies, and deliver value to our shareholders both now and in the future.”

    “This is an important milestone for NANO Nuclear, and we are proud to be included in Solactive’s coverage of the nuclear and uranium industry,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer of NANO Nuclear. “We continue to take proactive steps to advance NANO Nuclear’s various development programs and initiatives and create shareholder value. This inclusion increases our visibility in the public markets and connects us with investors who are interested in this growing sector. We look forward to leveraging this exposure as we continue to grow and progress our business plans.”

    About NANO Nuclear Energy, Inc.

    NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) is an advanced technology-driven nuclear energy company seeking to become a commercially focused, diversified, and vertically integrated company across five business lines: (i) cutting edge portable and other microreactor technologies, (ii) nuclear fuel fabrication, (iii) nuclear fuel transportation, (iv) nuclear applications for space and (v) nuclear industry consulting services. NANO Nuclear believes it is the first portable nuclear microreactor company to be listed publicly in the U.S.

    Led by a world-class nuclear engineering team, NANO Nuclear’s reactor products in development include patented KRONOS MMR™Energy System, a stationary high-temperature gas-cooled reactor that is in construction permit pre-application engagement U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in collaboration with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U. of I.), “ZEUS”, a solid core battery reactor, and “ODIN”, a low-pressure coolant reactor, and the space focused, portable LOKI MMR™, each representing advanced developments in clean energy solutions that are portable, on-demand capable, advanced nuclear microreactors.

    Advanced Fuel Transportation Inc. (AFT), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is led by former executives from the largest transportation company in the world aiming to build a North American transportation company that will provide commercial quantities of HALEU fuel to small modular reactors, microreactor companies, national laboratories, military, and DOE programs. Through NANO Nuclear, AFT is the exclusive licensee of a patented high-capacity HALEU fuel transportation basket developed by three major U.S. national nuclear laboratories and funded by the Department of Energy. Assuming development and commercialization, AFT is expected to form part of the only vertically integrated nuclear fuel business of its kind in North America.

    HALEU Energy Fuel Inc. (HEF), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is focusing on the future development of a domestic source for a High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel fabrication pipeline for NANO Nuclear’s own microreactors as well as the broader advanced nuclear reactor industry.

    NANO Nuclear Space Inc. (NNS), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is exploring the potential commercial applications of NANO Nuclear’s developing micronuclear reactor technology in space. NNS is focusing on applications such as the LOKI MMR™ system and other power systems for extraterrestrial projects and human sustaining environments, and potentially propulsion technology for long haul space missions. NNS’ initial focus will be on cis-lunar applications, referring to uses in the space region extending from Earth to the area surrounding the Moon’s surface.

    For more corporate information please visit: https://NanoNuclearEnergy.com/

    For further NANO Nuclear information, please contact:

    Email: IR@NANONuclearEnergy.com
    Business Tel: (212) 634-9206

    PLEASE FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES HERE:

    NANO Nuclear Energy LINKEDIN
    NANO Nuclear Energy YOUTUBE
    NANO Nuclear Energy X PLATFORM

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

    This news release and statements of NANO Nuclear’s management in connection with this news release contain or may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “potential”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. In this press release, forward-looking statements relate to the anticipated benefits of NANO Nuclear’s inclusion in the index and ETF described herein and its plans and goals generally. These and other forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For NANO Nuclear, particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following: (i) risks related to our U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) or related state or non-U.S. nuclear licensing submissions, (ii) risks related the development of new or advanced technology and the acquisition of complimentary technology or businesses, including difficulties with design and testing, cost overruns, regulatory delays, integration issues and the development of competitive technology, (iii) our ability to obtain contracts and funding to be able to continue operations, (iv) risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to technologically develop and commercially deploy a competitive advanced nuclear reactor or other technology in the timelines we anticipate, if ever, (v) risks related to the impact of U.S. and non-U.S. government regulation, policies and licensing requirements, including by the DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, including those associated with the recently enacted ADVANCE Act and the May 23, 2025 Executive Orders seeking to streamline nuclear regulation, and (vi) similar risks and uncertainties associated with the operating an early stage business a highly regulated and rapidly evolving industry. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement, and NANO Nuclear therefore encourages investors to review other factors that may affect future results in its filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov and at https://ir.nanonuclearenergy.com/financial-information/sec-filings. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

    August 5, 2025

  • President Murmu graces 45th convocation of IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, urges graduates to lead with compassion and innovation

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    President Droupadi Murmu attended the 45th convocation ceremony of the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad on Friday, commending the institute’s nearly century-long legacy and its contribution to national development through education, research, and innovation.

    Addressing the gathering, President Murmu lauded IIT (ISM) Dhanbad for its transformation from a premier institution in mining and geology to a multidisciplinary hub of higher learning and technological advancement. She noted that the institute has nurtured a strong academic ecosystem aligned with the needs and aspirations of society.

    “IIT (ISM) has an important role in the holistic development of the country. Beyond producing skilled engineers and researchers, it must foster professionals who are compassionate, sensitive, and purposeful,” she said.

    Highlighting the growing challenges facing the nation and the world—including climate change, resource scarcity, digital disruption, and social inequality – the President called for leadership from premier institutions like IIT-ISM in developing sustainable and innovative solutions.

    She also emphasized India’s potential to emerge as a technological superpower, driven by its vast human resources and the rapid spread of digital skills. “To harness the full potential of our youth, we must ensure our education system is practical, innovation-oriented, and aligned with industry needs,” she said.

    President Murmu underscored the importance of cultivating a “patent culture” alongside strengthening research, development, and start-up ecosystems. She advocated for an interdisciplinary approach in education to nurture holistic thinking and creativity among students.

    Urging graduates to go beyond personal success, the President called on them to use their knowledge for the greater public good. “Build a stronger and more just India—where progress is inclusive – and a greener India – where development respects the environment,” she said. “Let your actions reflect not just intelligence, but empathy, ethics, and excellence. Innovation driven by compassion is what truly transforms the world.”

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: 04.08.2025 ANO “ARSG NO” will hold a deposit auction.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    CategoriesEconomics, Mil-SOSI, Moscow, Russia, Russian Economy, Russian Federal, Russian Language, Moscow Exchange, University life /

    Post Navigation

    Archives

    Parameters
    Date of the deposit auction 08.08.2025
    Placement currency Rub
    Maximum amount of funds placed (in placement currency) 330,000,000
    Placement period, days 177
    Date of deposit 05.08.2025
    Refund date 01/29/2026
    Minimum placement interest rate, % per annum 16
    Conditions of imprisonment, urgent or special Urgent
    Minimum amount of funds placed for one application (in placement currency) 330,000,000
    Maximum number of applications from one Participant, pcs. 1
    Auction form, open or closed Open
    Basis of the Treaty General Agreement
    Schedule (Moscow time)
    Preliminary applications from 10:00 to 10:10
    Applications in competition mode from 10:10 to 10:20
    Setting a cut-off percentage or declaring the auction invalid until 10:40
    Additional terms

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Magadan Region will present a project on the contribution of Kolyma to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War at the Far East Street within the framework of the EEF

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    At the exhibition “Far East Street”, which will be held in Vladivostok from September 3 to 9 as part of the anniversary, tenth Eastern Economic Forum, Magadan Region will present its opportunities for the development of tourism and recreation – both already implemented and promising projects. The organizer of the exhibition is the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the office of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of Russia in the Far Eastern Federal District.

    “The Magadan region shows stable positive dynamics. The region is the “golden heart” of the Far East. The State Duma has adopted in the first reading a bill on the creation of an advanced development area in the region. The preferential regime will stimulate shipbuilding and ship repair, logistics, tourism and other industries. The economy provides an opportunity to develop the social sphere, and therefore, to qualitatively change people’s lives. On behalf of the President, the Magadan master plan is being actively implemented. You can see how the city is changing. Those who come to the region are greeted by a new beautiful airport. You can learn about how the Magadan region is changing, what plans it has for the future, what makes it attractive to investors and tourists at the “Far East Street” exhibition, so that after the EEF you can come and see with your own eyes the northern beauty of nature, get to know the responsive, brave and kind people living in Kolyma,” said Deputy Prime Minister – Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Eastern Economic Forum Yuri Trutnev.

    Guests of the pavilion will be able to get acquainted with the culture and life of the indigenous peoples of the North, and learn about the traditions and way of life that are preserved and developed in the region.

    “The Magadan Region is not only rich in mineral resources and industrial potential, but also unique nature, history, culture and character of the Kolyma people. At the EEF, we will show how the region is developing today and what it plans for the future. The focus is on the economy, tourism, social sphere, opportunities for investors and, of course, the traditions of indigenous peoples. All this is an integral part of our Kolyma,” said Magadan Region Governor Sergei Nosov.

    The concept of the Magadan Region pavilion is based on the economic, cultural and natural features of the region. The exposition consists of three zones: the main and small pavilions, as well as podiums with regional expositions.

    A three-meter copy of the sculpture “Time” will become a traditional component. The five-meter original – a mammoth by sculptor Yuri Rudenko – stands in Magadan on the shore of Nagaev Bay. The “skin” of the monument is covered with various metal parts – gears, bearings – and resembles a clock mechanism. On the podium in front of the pavilion there will be a screen on which films dedicated to the natural beauty of Kolyma will be shown, as part of the projects “Far East – Land of Adventure” and “Paths of the Far East”, as well as a stele with the name “Magadan Region”.

    The main site of the region consists of three zones. The first will introduce visitors to the achievements of the Magadan Region in the economic and social spheres over ten years, including projects implemented with the support of the Ministry for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic. The second will host a demonstration of bone-carving art products of the indigenous peoples of the North living in the region. At the site, you can take a selfie against the backdrop of a golden waterfall, symbolizing the main industry of the Magadan Region – the extraction of precious metals.

    The third zone is the space for the placement of a thematic block, introducing visitors to the tourist sites and routes of the region, including the Talaya sanatorium. Visitors will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the best examples of traditional culture and purchase the products they like.

    The small pavilion will introduce guests to the recently opened art space “Rynda” in Magadan, where you can buy re-esterified fish oil – omega-3, which is produced in the capital of Kolyma at the “Omega-Si” plant. The second zone will host an exhibition and sale of jewelry and souvenirs. The third space, “Kolyma – from Victory to Victory”, will introduce visitors to facts about the role of Kolyma in the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, as well as its contribution to ensuring the success of the country during the special military operation.

    In addition, the exposition of the Magadan Region will be complemented by an installation installed on the embankment, stylized as the Mayak Park, located in Nagaev Bay, created with the help of a single presidential subsidy. Various activities, games, master classes and karaoke are also planned for the pavilion guests.

    The 10th Eastern Economic Forum will be held on September 3–6 at the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok. During these days, the exhibition will be available to forum participants, and on September 7, 8, and 9, it will be open to everyone. The EEF is organized by the Roscongress Foundation.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Peking University’s Belt and Road Research Institute Opens in Xinjiang

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    URUMQI, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) — The opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Research Institute of Peking University-Xinjiang was held in Kashgar, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Friday. The establishment of the institute is aimed at further and thorough promotion of the joint construction of the Belt and Road, promoting high-quality development in Xinjiang and building a new pattern of opening up to the outside world in the region.

    Vice Chairman of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region People’s Government and Secretary of the Kashgar Prefecture Party Committee Nie Zhuang delivered a speech at the event, saying that the establishment of the research institute is of great significance for both Xinjiang and Kashgar.

    “I am confident that the institute will promote the integrated development of education, science and technology, as well as the training of highly qualified personnel in the region, accelerate the transformation of Kashgar into a springboard for opening up to the West, and promote modernization in Xinjiang,” he said.

    Piao Shilong, vice-president of Peking University, said the university attaches great importance to the construction of the institute, integrating interdisciplinary advantages and implementing a new model of establishing research institutes away from the home campus.

    “In the future, the institute will conduct in-depth research in key areas such as energy and mineral resources, ecological environment, regions and countries, historical archaeology, strengthening the consciousness of the Chinese nation and new structural economy,” Piao Shilong added.

    He also noted that the institute will strive to provide reliable scientific, technological and intellectual support for the high-quality development of Xinjiang and build it into a leading talent pool and innovation hub covering Central and South Asia and countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. -0-

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CS meets I&T stakeholders

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Committee on Education, Technology & Talents (CETT), led by Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki, met stakeholders in the innovation and technology (I&T) sector today to discuss promoting the integrated development of education, technology and talent.

    At the meeting, Mr Chan introduced the CETT’s work plan to representatives from I&T parks, I&T enterprises and State Key Laboratories.

    He told them that the CETT, building on the “eight centres” concept, is dedicated to cultivating and attracting talent, and aims to leverage talent chains, innovation chains, industrial chains and capital chains to drive technological and industrial innovation, with a view to advancing high-quality development and accelerating Chinese modernisation.

    On the theme of attracting high-quality I&T talent, he said the CETT will lead the I&T sector in revamping its positioning and planning. Specifically, the committee will enhance the Technology Talent Admission Scheme, and introduce arrangements under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme to bring sought-after talent to Hong Kong.

    Attendees were also briefed on the Government’s establishment of a new I&T system that takes the city’s “three major I&T parks and five key research and development institutes” as its framework, and on various other initiatives to enhance the I&T ecosystem and enlarge the local I&T talent pool.

    Mr Chan said: “The Government will continue to take forward the development under the principle of ‘promoting technology with talent, leading industries with technology, and attracting talent with industries’.

    “The Government will also grasp the opportunities arising as the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science & Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone enters its operational phase soon and continue to expedite the development of I&T industries, to provide development opportunities for local I&T talent as well as those coming to Hong Kong.”

    He added that the Government will make good use of existing talent admission schemes to promote Hong Kong as a focal point for international high-calibre talent, contributing to the I&T development of both Hong Kong and the country at large.

    Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong, Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin and Acting Secretary for Labour & Welfare Ho Kai-ming also attended today’s meeting. Prof Sun and Mr Ho briefed the stakeholders on the Government’s ongoing efforts and measures to attract I&T talent.

    I&T stakeholders at the meeting expressed support for the committee’s work and said they will work with the Government to leverage industry resources in attracting global talent.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic University in the top five in metallurgy according to URAP rating

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    SPbPU has strengthened its position in the international Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP) rating, entering 9 subject areas. The greatest progress was achieved in physics and metallurgy: Polytechnic University improved its world indicators by 10 and 47 positions, respectively, entering the top 5 in metallurgy among Russian universities. The university also entered the top ten in Russia in materials science, moving up two notches.

    The Polytechnic University has the strongest school of metallurgy and materials science, which is confirmed by high results in national and international rankings. At our university, we preserve the traditions of the old scientific school, combining them with modern technologies and opportunities. Our scientists and students have access to advanced equipment, participate in joint projects with leading research groups and industrial partners. Polytechnic University graduates are in demand at the largest metallurgical enterprises of the country, making a significant contribution to the development of the industry and the technological leadership of the country. We are constantly updating educational programs, providing training for specialists that meet the most pressing needs of the industry, – comments the rector of SPbPU Andrey Rudskoy.

    The URAP ranking methodology is entirely based on academic productivity, which is based on the university’s publication activity. The evaluation indicators include the quality and quantity of publications, citation, and the effectiveness of international research cooperation.

    Research groups, teachers and students of SPbPU regularly publish the results of their work in leading scientific journals, because the assessment of academic excellence allows demonstrating the level of scientific and educational potential of the university. Despite the difficulties that Russian universities face in terms of publication activity, we at SPbPU try to support our employees in their desire to realize their scientific potential, and we also support scientists from other universities, providing the opportunity to publish in periodicals of our university, – noted Vice-Rector for Human Resources Policy Maria Vrublevskaya.

    Let us recall that the university’s position in the Ranking by Academic Performance rating is also taken into account for ranking universities in the ranking Global Aggregate Rating, according to the results of which Polytechnic University is among the top 3% of the best universities in the world.

    You can find out more about the rating results by link.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The results of the selection for the All-Russian project “Professional Team of the First” have been summed up

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Official website of the State –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    On August 1, 2025, the results of the selection for the All-Russian project “Professional Team of the First” were announced, the correspondence stage of which is carried out by the State University of Management together with the Russian Movement of Children and Youth “Movement of the First”.

    The project is a comprehensive professional development program, in which about 3,000 curators of primary branches of the “First Movement” at universities and colleges, responsible for educational work and youth policy, students aged 16 to 25 years old, participate in the correspondence stage.

    The correspondence stage will be held in the format of an online course on the topic: “Management of the primary branch of the “First Movement” based on an educational organization.” As part of the course, project participants will undergo training with mandatory study of disciplines, midterm testing and complete project work. Successful completion of the correspondence course gives the right to participate in the competitive selection for full-time training – participation in forums that will be held in eight federal districts of the Russian Federation.

    Participants invited to the online course have already been sent letters with further instructions and access to the Digital Corpus of the State University of Management. You can view the list of those selected according to the instructions.

    We wish everyone fruitful learning!

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: From ‘God Emperor Trump’ to ‘St. Luigi,’ memes power the politics of feeling

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Stuart J. Murray, Professor of Rhetoric and Ethics | Professeur titulaire en rhétorique et éthique, Carleton University

    Why do images of Donald Trump as a galactic emperor or Luigi Mangione as a Catholic saint resonate so deeply with some people? Memes don’t just entertain — they shape how we identify with power, grievance and justice in the digital age.

    A meme is a decontextualized video or image — often captioned — that circulates an idea, behaviour or style, primarily through social media. As they spread, memes are adapted, remixed and transformed, helping to solidify the communities around them.

    Trump, the meme pope

    Days after Pope Francis’s death in April 2025, Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself in papal regalia on Truth Social. The White House’s official X account then shared it, amplifying its reach.

    Trump quickly dismissed it as a joke, but the image lingered.

    Two days later, another emerged: Trump as galactic emperor, blending Star Wars aesthetics with the visual rhetoric of Warhammer 40,000, a popular dystopian sci-fi franchise featuring authoritarian rulers, imperial armies and endless war.

    Trump memes like these once circulated semi-ironically in social media subcultures like Reddit and 4chan under the banner “God Emperor Trump.”

    But what might previously have seemed like absurdist cosplay now carries the symbolic weight of executive power, blending religious and imperial imagery to project Trump as a mythical figure, not just a politician.

    In-jokes

    As I’ve argued in an article on MAGA and empathy, these memes draw on cultural codes not to parody power but to usurp it as instruments of official political communication.

    Fact-checking can’t stop them. We know they are factually untrue, but they feel true and consolidate a shared sentiment among Trump’s base.

    The meme is not a joke — it’s an in-joke only the in-group understands.

    And that’s the point.

    A meme is an accelerant, delivering compressed emotional payloads, short-circuiting debate and reinforcing people’s political identifications. Propelled by algorithms and designed to go viral, memes solicit immediate responses — outrage, loyalty, disgust, amusement.

    Memes don’t ask what’s true or what’s just.

    Instead, they curate — and encode — emotional alignment, replacing liberalism’s democratic ideal of reasoned public discourse with viral attachment: grievance recoded as identity.

    Elon Musk and weaponizing empathy

    On Feb. 20, 2025, days after Trump appointed Elon Musk to head his new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Tesla founder appeared at the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual gathering of conservative activists and officials from across the U.S.

    At the conference, Musk brandished a chainsaw, declaring: “I have become the meme!.” An image of him holding the chainsaw later actually became a meme.

    The image projects libertarian efficiency and masculine bravado, but it more than just mocks bureaucracy — it glorifies cutting ties to domestic, global and humanitarian responsibilities.

    Far from being merely a meme, it advances a policy of neglect that intentionally lets others die.

    Experts estimate that DOGE’s purge of USAID could result in 14 million preventable deaths over the next five years, disproportionately affecting marginalized populations whose historical exploitation helped generate the wealth now wielded as power.

    Individuals vs. the collective

    But we are not meant to feel empathy. In early 2025, Musk called empathy “the fundamental weakness of western civilization,” claiming it is “weaponized by the left.”

    Yet Musk doesn’t reject empathy entirely — only empathy for individuals, which he said risks “civilizational suicide.”



    Read more:
    MAGA’s ‘war on empathy’ might not be original, but it is dangerous

    Instead, Musk believes we must have empathy for “civilization as a whole.” Such rhetoric — sacrificing individuals for the collective — recalls a chilling Nazi-era slogan: Du bist nichts, dein Volk ist alles (“You are nothing, your people are everything”). Musk has also drawn criticism for making public Nazi salutes and ethno-nationalist statements advocating for white people.



    Read more:
    How Elon Musk’s chatbot Grok could be helping bring about an era of techno-fascism

    Mangione, the meme martyr

    If Trump and Musk memes stage fantasies of absolute power, Mangione memes reply with fantasies of redemptive rupture.

    Accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Mangione has been lionized in memes that champion vulnerability and social justice, opposing the billionaire class — figures like Trump and Musk — who put profits over people.

    These memes appear to oppose the MAGA meme machine, encoding class struggle as quiet defiance and anti-authoritarianism. Unlike Musk’s chainsaw-wielding bravado, which seems to mask a fragile ego, Mangione memes project a humble, rebellious heartthrob.

    Yet, like Trump and Musk, Mangione has become a brand. His face adorns T-shirts and “St. Luigi” prayer candles, capitalizing on the popular meme that emerged soon after his arrest. This commodification mirrors right-wing meme economies, even if the message differs.

    Emotional saturation

    Mangione memes have helped raise over $1.2 million for his legal defence.

    They don’t just reflect feeling — they organize it, channelling it into cultural, political and literal currency, including a Luigi crypto coin ($LUIGI) and a musical.

    These memes share MAGA meme tactics: relentless repetition and emotional saturation. Instead of encouraging thoughtful debate, they rally communities around shared grievances, acts of defiance and collective faith.

    Feeling our way through the feed

    From MAGA to Mangione, meme-mythologies often function as rationalizations of violence — whether framed as righteous, purifying or revolutionary. But what unites Trump’s papal cosplay, Musk’s chainsaw and Mangione’s martyrdom isn’t their message but their form.

    Whether cloaked in MAGA nostalgia or social justice sentiments, memes that appear to resist power often reproduce the structures that made that power so intoxicating in the first place.

    We’ve seen how official White House and Department of Homeland Security social media memes have become increasingly cruel, sinister, polarizing and even radicalizing.



    Read more:
    ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ showcases Donald Trump’s penchant for visual cruelty

    Meanwhile, some liberals on the left continue to promote what is known as the “marketplace of ideas” — the belief that truth will prevail if all ideas are allowed to circulate freely. But reason doesn’t always triumph over power. And memes aren’t just ideas: they’re technologies that bypass deliberation to shape our feelings, identities and ways of communicating.

    Consumed by media

    We no longer “consume” media: we’re a function of the algorithms and AI powering today’s platforms. Like memes, AI tools like large language models can churn out plausible content that is nonetheless hateful, divisive and patently untrue.

    Musk’s “I have become the meme” therefore reveals a paradox: he claims to master the meme, but no one can control its circulation or uptake. Trump and Mangione, too, are less individuals than avatars — produced by a digital culture that pre-shapes our perceptions of them.

    The violence, however, is very real. If one violent act doesn’t justify counter-violence, it nonetheless structures and occasions it. Each side claims it is just.

    Memes don’t ask: can we intentionally let others die and still be just? Answering this question is nearly impossible in a meme world. The answer will be a meme. And it will be a joke.

    Stuart J. Murray receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. From ‘God Emperor Trump’ to ‘St. Luigi,’ memes power the politics of feeling – https://theconversation.com/from-god-emperor-trump-to-st-luigi-memes-power-the-politics-of-feeling-260388

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Flawed notions of objectivity are hampering Canadian newsrooms when it comes to Gaza

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Gabriela Perdomo, Assistant Professor, Mount Royal University

    The response of Canada’s legacy news media to the Israeli government’s military action in Gaza for more than 640 days points to a problem within major Canadian news organizations, according to a new Canadian book, When Genocide Wasn’t News.

    In the book, journalists — some writing under pseudonyms — say their newsrooms have been severely hampered by a culture of fear and an adherence to a notion of objectivity that no longer serves the public.

    Israel’s relentless military actions in the Gaza Strip following the Oct. 7, 2023 attack and taking of 251 hostages by Hamas should be prominently featured news. The Israeli Defence Forces’ illegal attacks on children, hospitals and aid workers should also be making constant headlines. But news coverage on these attacks is scarce or misleading.

    I research and teach media, monitor the news and edit an online publication about journalism in Canada. My PhD thesis focused on Latin America and examined how the mandate to be objective can be confusing in times of war. I also explored questions about how journalists understand and apply objectivity in different contexts.

    I found journalists who support peace efforts can easily be accused of being “biased” in favour of those promoting peace.

    Not all wars covered equally

    Not all wars are covered the same. Noureddine Miladi, a media and communications professor at Qatar University, found Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 received far greater coverage in mainstream media than the war in Gaza. Part of this difference in coverage lies in the ability to send reporters to cover events first hand, which is impossible in the Gaza Strip, where outside journalists are banned from entry.



    Read more:
    The chilling effects of trying to report on the Israel-Gaza war

    Another major factor affecting coverage is how newsrooms understand and apply their norms, including objectivity. Journalism production is influenced and impacted by the dynamics of place and power that surround it.

    As Carleton University journalism professor Duncan McCue argues, an unexamined adherence to objectivity can perpetuate colonial points of view. University of British Columbia journalism professors Candis Callison and Mary Lynn Young, authors of a book about journalism’s racial reckoning in Canada, also make this argument.

    Accusations of antisemitism

    Accusations of bias can have an outsized impact on reporting and be used to silence journalists.

    According to some journalists, there is an atmosphere of fear when it comes to reporting on the Middle East in mainstream newsrooms in Canada. Some have self-censored in response to threats.

    Not only do journalists say they are facing threats, they also face a context in which governments, such as the province of Ontario, are adhering to definitions of antisemitism that equate it to criticism of Israel.

    In Canada, news organizations and individual journalists attempting to report on the violence in the Gaza Strip are being accused of antisemitism by groups such as Honest Reporting, according to the Canadian Press Freedom Project. This means almost anyone reporting on the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza will receive hundreds of messages claiming the report is antisemitic.

    Since many scholars and the United Nations Special Committee to investigate Israeli practices have called the Israeli government’s methods “consistent with genocide, including use of starvation as weapon of war,” urgent reporting is needed — and it’s not antisemitism to call out what experts have labelled global injustices.

    Left-wing bias?

    The culmination of decades of this type of criticism of news media has included a right-wing narrative that accuses media of a liberal bias. The trope of the liberal media as a threat has had a steady hold of the public imagination across North America since the Cold War.

    Reporters who focused on stories about human rights, questioned the tactics and budgets of the military industrial complex or challenged the mistreatment of socialist activists as being unpatriotic were accused of having a liberal, left-wing, even communist, slant.

    This isn’t a phemomenon limited to North America. Latin American politicians have a long history of using “left-wing bias” labels as a powerful tool to intimidate journalists.



    Read more:
    How news coverage influences countries’ emergency aid budgets – new research

    What do journalists owe peace?

    Research shows that audiences value objective journalism, or reporting that they deem non-partisan and keeps opinions at bay. But consumers also increasingly value journalism that is empathetic and emotionally resonant.

    After United States President Donald Trump was first elected in 2016, journalism scholars recognized that a major failure of news coverage during the presidential campaign was not calling things what they were. For example, journalists used euphemisms such as “he misspoke” instead of reporting that Trump was lying, contributing to a crisis of relevance in journalism.

    According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Israel-Gaza war has killed more journalistsr than in any other conflict it’s documented. But the allegedly deliberate targeting of journalists in Gaza, of whom at least 225 have been killed, has garnered little attention in newsrooms, despite calls by dozens of independent journalists to make the issue more visible.

    This is another unprecedented set of events that should be reported on for Canadian audiences.

    How will Canadian newsrooms do better? One idea could be that newsrooms join forces to fend off accusations of bias and antisemitism. They could start with reclaiming objectivity as a practice of information-gathering and moving away from objectivity as an ideal of dispassionate reporting.

    They could also embrace, instead of fear, journalism’s liberal roots and reclaim journalism from a standpoint of clarity where actions against the rule of law, abuses of power, war profiteering, crimes against humanity — any illiberal acts — clearly fall on the wrong side of the liberal-democratic balance and therefore demand to be denounced. As veteran CBC journalist Carol Off has said, we need to denounce illiberal acts as anti-democratic ideology.

    Every inhabitant of Gaza remains in imminent peril today, and the media have a responsibility to inform us about it.

    Gabriela Perdomo 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. Flawed notions of objectivity are hampering Canadian newsrooms when it comes to Gaza – https://theconversation.com/flawed-notions-of-objectivity-are-hampering-canadian-newsrooms-when-it-comes-to-gaza-260552

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Why Donald Trump has stopped some conflicts but is failing with Ukraine and Gaza

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham

    In yet another twist in his unpredictable decision making, US president Donald Trump has dramatically shortened his original 50-day ultimatum to Vladimir Putin to call a ceasefire in Ukraine to a mere ten days. It’s an unmistakable sign of Trump’s frustration with the Russian leader who he now appears to view as the main obstacle to ending the war.

    Progress has been similarly limited on another of Trump’s flagship foreign policy projects: ending the war in Gaza. As a humanitarian catastrophe engulfs the territory, Trump and some of his Maga base are finally challenging Israel’s denials that, after almost two years of war, many Gazans now face a real risk of starvation.

    In neither case have his efforts to mediate and bring an end to the violence borne any fruit. But not all of Trump’s efforts to stop violence in conflicts elsewhere in the world have been similarly futile. The administration brokered a ceasefire between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which the two countries’ foreign ministers signed in Washington on June 27.

    The US president has also claimed to be behind the ceasefire between India and Pakistan in May after the two sides had engaged in several days of fierce combat following a terror attack in Indian-administered Kashmir by a Pakistan-backed rebel group. And, drawing a clear parallel between this conflict and the border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand in July, Trump announced he had pushed both countries’ leaders to negotiate a ceasefire.

    All of these ceasefires, so far, have held. By contrast, the ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, to which Trump contributed in January, even before he was inaugurated for his second term, broke down in March and fighting has escalated ever since. A short-lived ceasefire in Ukraine in April was barely worth its name given the countless violations.

    Mixed record

    Three factors can explain Trump’s mixed record of peacemaking to date. First, the US president is more likely to succeed in stopping the fighting where he has leverage and is willing to use it to force foreign leaders to bend to his will. For example, Trump was very clear that there would be no trade negotiations with Thailand or Cambodia “until such time as the fighting STOPS”.

    The crucial difference, so far, with the situation in the war against Ukraine is that Trump has, and has used, similar leverage only with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky. This led to a US-Ukraine agreement on a 30-day ceasefire proposal just two weeks after the now-notorious row between Trump and Zelensky in the Oval Office.

    The mere threat of sanctions against Russia, by contrast, has done little to persuade Putin to accept whatever deal might Trump offer him. Trump’s threats – which he has never followed through on – did not work in January or May. The Kremlin’s initial reactions to the latest ultimatum from the White House do not indicate a change in Putin’s attitude.

    A second factor that may explain why Trump has had peacemaking success in some cases but not others is the level of complexity of US interests involved. When it comes to US relations with Russia and Israel, there is a lot more at stake for Trump.

    The US president still appears keen to strike a grand bargain with Russia and China under which Washington, Beijing and Moscow would agree to recognise, and not interfere in, their respective spheres of influence. This could explains his hesitation so far to follow through on his threats to Putin.

    Similarly, US interests in the Middle East – whether it’s over Iran’s nuclear programme or relations with America’s Gulf allies – have put strains on the alliance with Israel. Trump also needs to weigh carefully the impact of any move against, or in support of, Israel on his domestic support base.

    In the deal Trump brokered between Rwanda and the DRC, the issues at stake were much simpler: access for US investors to the mineral riches of the eastern DRC. Just days into his second term, Trump acknowledged that the conflict was a “very serious problem”. Congo’s president, Felix Tshisekedi, responded by offering the US access to minerals in exchange for pushing Rwanda to a deal to end the invasion and stop supporting proxy forces in the DRC.

    This leads to the third factor that has enabled Trump’s peace-making success so far: simpler solutions are easier to achieve. Thailand and Cambodia and India and Pakistan can go back to the situation before their recent fighting. That does not resolve any of the underlying issues in their conflicts, but returns their relations to some form of non-violent stability.

    It is ultimately also in the interests of the conflict parties. They have had a chance to make their violent statements and reinforce what they will and won’t tolerate from the other side. The required investment by an external mediator to end battles that have achieved what the warring sides want anyway – to avoid further escalation – is consequently quite limited.

    Complex conflicts

    Getting to any kind of stability in Ukraine or the Middle East by contrast requires prolonged engagement and attention to detail. These conflicts are at a stage in which a return to how things were before is not in the interests of the parties or their external backers. Nudging warring parties along on the path to agreement under such conditions requires a well-designed process, which is absent in Ukraine and failing in Gaza.

    Thanks to funding and personnel cuts, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, is now required to perform multiple roles. Trump relies on personal envoys with at best limited foreign policy expertise, while insisting he makes all the decisions. This ultimately suggests that the White House simply may not have the bandwidth for the level of engagement that would be necessary to get to a deal in Ukraine and the Middle East.

    This is a self-inflicted opportunity lost, not only for the United States but also for the long-suffering people of Ukraine and the Middle East.

    Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

    – ref. Why Donald Trump has stopped some conflicts but is failing with Ukraine and Gaza – https://theconversation.com/why-donald-trump-has-stopped-some-conflicts-but-is-failing-with-ukraine-and-gaza-262241

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Encore Capital Group® Announces Findings of its Third Economic Freedom Study

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN DIEGO, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Encore Capital Group, Inc. (Encore) (Nasdaq: ECPG), an international specialty finance company, today announced the findings of its third Economic Freedom Study. The latest study surveyed over 6,000 adults in Encore’s largest markets, the United States and United Kingdom, about their feelings toward their personal finances and the economy.

    Respondents were asked what causes them the most financial stress and the best ways to address their challenges, including attitudes toward working with debt collection companies to resolve past-due debt. The latest study also examines credit score awareness and financial literacy. The research was commissioned by Encore and conducted by Morning Consult.

    A detailed report of the findings is available on Encore’s website. Key highlights from the study include:

    • Most U.S. and U.K. adults feel somewhat or very positive about their personal financial futures, but they are less optimistic about their respective national economies. Nearly half (49%) of U.S. adults say their outlook on the future of the national economy is somewhat or very negative, compared to just over two-thirds (67%) of U.K. adults.
    • “Being debt-free” was the most-selected definition of economic freedom for adults in both countries, chosen by 27% of both U.S. and U.K. adults. Being debt-free was the most-selected definition for every generation in both countries except U.K. Gen Z adults, among whom “having the independence to do/buy what I want” was the most-selected definition (25%).
    • While U.S. adults are more aware of their credit scores than U.K. adults, most adults in each country desire a free way to check their credit score. Over four in five U.S. adults (83%) say they know their credit score, compared to just over half (51%) of U.K. adults. Of those who say they know their credit score, roughly half or more in each country report having a “good” or better rating.
    • Nearly three in 10 (29%) U.S. adults and just under one in five (19%) U.K. adults report currently having past-due debt, especially younger and low-income adults. Most adults with past-due debt in both countries say it will take a long time to pay back most or all of their balance.
    • Today, significantly more U.S. and U.K. adults are requesting help to repay past-due debt compared to the 2022 Encore Economic Freedom Study, and significantly more signal intentions to work with debt collection companies to resolve their debt.

    “Our company supports consumers who are actively dealing with financial stress every day, which makes these findings especially important for us,” said Ashish Masih, Encore’s President and CEO. “By understanding how consumers are thinking and feeling about their finances, which priorities matter most to them, and how they plan to address past-due debt, we can better fulfill our Mission to help them on their path to economic freedom.”

    The survey found that as U.S. consumers are accumulating credit card debt at record levels, and U.K. consumers continue to feel pessimistic about their national economy, adults in both countries are facing high economic concern and are focused on building emergency funds.

    “We continue to be focused on meeting consumers where they are, and we’re well-positioned to help them,” Masih said. “We lead with empathy, tailor solutions to pay off past-due debt to consumers’ unique circumstances, always seek to understand the consumer’s needs and provide access to support in times of hardship.”

    The survey’s findings affirm Encore’s approach to working with consumers. For example, about one-quarter (24%) of adults in both countries said that receiving a discount on debt owed would be most helpful to getting out of debt. Nearly the same number in both countries said having more time to pay off debt would be most helpful, followed by learning better financial habits.

    Midland Credit Management (MCM), Encore’s U.S. subsidiary, published its Consumer Bill of Rights almost 15 years ago, and it remains the only one of its kind in the industry. It clearly defines how MCM will suspend collection activities when a consumer demonstrates that they are experiencing significant financial hardship due to medical issues, natural disasters, job loss or other challenges. Similarly, Cabot Credit Management, Encore’s U.K. and European subsidiary, has a Sensitive Support Team in the United Kingdom, which includes specialists trained to work with consumers facing mental or physical illness resulting in significant financial hardship. The team’s goal is to ensure a consumer’s debts don’t become a barrier to their physical or financial recovery or well-being.

    “It is heartening to see consumers prioritizing being debt-free and showing a willingness to seek help, learn new financial skills and work with companies like Encore to achieve it,” Masih said. “The approach we take with consumers, including working with them one-on-one and tailoring solutions to meet their unique needs and circumstances, aligns well with the findings of the study.”

    The Economic Freedom Study online survey was conducted from April 24-May 2, 2025, among 6,406 adults, including 3,192 U.S. adults and 3,214 U.K. adults. The U.S. and U.K. samples are weighted on age, gender, education, race/ethnicity and region to reflect the demographic makeup of their respective adult (18+) populations according to most recently available census data from each country. The margin of error for the total sample in each country is plus or minus 2 percentage points.

    About Encore Capital Group, Inc.
    Encore Capital Group® is an international specialty finance company that provides debt recovery solutions and other related services across a broad range of financial assets. Through our subsidiaries around the globe, Encore purchases or services portfolios of receivables from major banks, credit unions and utility providers.

    Encore partners with individuals as they repay their debt obligations, helping them on the road to financial recovery and ultimately improving their economic well-being. Encore is the first and only company of its kind to operate with a Consumer Bill of Rights that provides industry-leading commitments to consumers. Headquartered in San Diego, Encore is a publicly traded NASDAQ Global Select company (ticker symbol: ECPG) and a component stock of the Russell 2000, the S&P Small Cap 600 and the Wilshire 4500. More information about the company can be found at http://www.encorecapital.com.

    Contact
    Faryar Borhani
    Vice President, Chief Communications Officer
    press@encorecapital.com

    The MIL Network –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi signs order to commend military units, individuals

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

    BEIJING, July 31 — Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission, has signed an order to award citations for merit to two military units and five individuals.

    An office of Troop 63920 of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was honored with a first-class citation for merit, while Ding Yang from Troop 92853 of the PLA received a first-class citation for merit in defense-related science and technology.

    Troop 96712 of the PLA was awarded a second-class citation for merit.

    Wang Haidou from the former Army Academy of Armored Forces, Gao Yuqi from the Army Medical University, Yang Zichun from the Naval University of Engineering, and Chen Wei from the Institute of Military Medicine under the Academy of Military Sciences, were honored with third-class citations for merit in defense-related science and technology.

    MIL OSI China News –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Kinshasa Sets the Stage: “The Rumba Route for Peace” Connects Tourism and Culture

    Source: APO


    .

    Held under the High Patronage of His Excellency President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, the “Rumba Route for Peace” Festival (16-18 July) brought together representatives from across the globe to celebrate the power of music to heal, connect, and inspire across borders—an approach deeply echoed in UN Tourism’s advocacy for using culture as a bridge between people and nations. The event was also in full alignment with UN Tourism’s “Agenda for Africa: Tourism for Inclusive Growth”.

    Where Rhythm Meets Global Leadership

    At the Opening Ceremony, the Festival was inaugurated by President Tshisekedi, following keynote remarks by the Honorable Didier M’Pambia Musanga, Minister of Tourism; the Honorable Yolande Elebe Ma Ndembo, Minister of Culture, Arts, and Heritage; and UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.

    With the participation of government leaders, private sector giants like Sony Music Entertainment and Spotify (virtually), and institutions such as the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), UNESCO, Sound Diplomacy, ConcertsSA, and the University of La Plata in Argentina, panel sessions explored bold ideas and practical solutions.

    UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Tourism can be a channel for establishing peace and understanding. In Kinshasa, we showcased the power of music to bring people together, as well as the power of tourism to create opportunities, protect and celebrate unique cultures and embrace positive transformation through innovation.”
    His Excellency Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo said: “By uniting the rhythms of the world and the treasures of our territories, this gathering reflects the ambition to build bridges between peoples through art, exchange, and discovery.”

    Panels Centre Youth, Innovation and Culture

    The four high-level panels delved into music tourism’s power to drive peace, protect artists’ rights, boost economic development, and harness the digital revolution to amplify cultural heritage. From “Transatlantic Rhythms for Peace” to “From Vinyl to Viral,” each session reinforced the critical role of youth, innovation, and fair ecosystems in shaping the future of creative industries.

    A standout moment of the Congress was the “Fair Play” Masterclass, led by ARIPO, which underscored the critical importance of copyright and related rights protection. The session empowered 100 artists and creative entrepreneurs with practical tools to build fairer, more sustainable music economies across Africa and beyond.

    The Festival also featured performances by artists from across Africa, including Angola, Kenya, South Africa, and Zimbabwe and offered hands-on experiences such as an immersive rumba initiation, inviting participants to connect with heritage through movement, flavor, and sound.

    Hon. Didier M’Pambia Musanga, Minister of Tourism, Democratic Republic of the Congo said: ““This festival is a platform for exchange, sharing and discovery that crosses races and generations, embodying the spirit of a modern DRC open to the world.”

    Presidential Audience as UN Tourism Supports Education

    In Kinshasa, UN Tourism reaffirmed its strong commitment to a creative, youth-led, and sustainable future, notably through the awarding of 100 scholarships in Destination Marketing via its UN Tourism Academy. This initiative reflects a long-term investment in empowering the next generation of African tourism professionals and innovators.

    An audience with President Tshisekedi further reflected the high-level national support for leveraging culture and tourism as strategic pillars of development. 

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism).

    MIL OSI Africa –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Holding on through multiple displacement: A journey of strength and survival amid conflict in Sudan

    Source: APO


    .

    In the crowded gathering site at Al-Zaeem Al-Azhari School in Port Sudan, 41-year-old Marwa Hassan Saeed holds her daughter close—both weary from a long, painful journey of displacement. Once a teacher at an international school in Khartoum, Marwa’s life was upended by conflict and crisis. A divorced mother of four, she has faced each challenge alone, including the daily struggles of caring for her youngest daughter, who lives with cerebral atrophy. 

    Life was already difficult, but the outbreak of violence in mid-April 2023 turned it into a series of desperate moves. From Khartoum to Northern State, then to Madani, and finally to Port Sudan, Marwa and her children fled time and again to seek safety. Each step of the way, resources grew scarcer, hope harder to hold onto. Since the start of the current conflict, which has persisted for two years now, large numbers of civilians have been forced to flee, including people who were already internally displaced. As of 5 June 2025, over 7.7 million people have been internally displaced across Sudan, many of them uprooted multiple times as the conflict continues to escalate (Sudan situation). In Madani, Marwa’s family had found a fragile sense of stability—until fighting erupted again. Displaced for the third time, Marwa arrived in Port Sudan with little more than her determination to keep her children safe. Her daughter, who typically gained only one kilogram per year due to her condition, lost half her body weight during the journey—her small body weakened by stress, malnutrition, and the complete absence of medical care. 

    In Port Sudan, the family finally found a moment of relief, a much-needed support with kitchen ware. In February and March, right before the holy month of Ramadan, Marwa received essential kitchen supplies through a distribution led by UN Women in a partnership with SCEFA and with funding from the Government of Japan. This support enabled her to cook meals for her family and participate in communal food-sharing traditions—an especially important practice during Ramadan, when families and neighbors gather around large, shared plates to break their fast together. For Marwa, the distribution restored not just her ability to feed her children, but also her sense of dignity and connection to her community. Before the intervention, Marwa struggled to prepare proper meals for her children due to a complete lack of basic cooking utensils. With only limited items available in the overcrowded gathering site, preparing and sharing food, especially in a culturally appropriate way, was nearly impossible 

    “The cooking utensils I received made such a difference,” Marwa shared. “When you are a mother trying to care for children in a place that is not your home, even the smallest support helps you stand again. I’m not the only one. There are so many women here who have lost everything and still wake up every morning to provide for their families. We just need a little more help to keep going.” 

    Despite all she has endured, Marwa continues to show remarkable resilience. Her story is a testament to the courage of displaced women across Sudan who, even in the face of unimaginable hardship, continue to care for their children and rebuild their lives.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women – Africa.

    MIL OSI Africa –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Zimbabwe sets strategic course for capacity development on sustainable soil management

    Source: APO


    .

    Zimbabwe has made significant strides towards strengthening its agricultural resilience and soil management capacity through the launch of a new project titled “Capacity Development on Sustainable Soil Management in the Global South.”

    Following the successful high-level launch of the project this week, Zimbabwe has taken a decisive step forward with a two-day inception meeting that built momentum by defining the strategic direction and technical roadmap for project implementation.

    This initiative, supported by the People’s Republic of China under the South-South Cooperation framework is implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Zimbabwe.   

    “This meeting provided a critical platform to align our shared vision and technical priorities. It allowed us to present the strategic foundations of the project, define synergies among national institutions and key stakeholders, while collectively endorsing a clear roadmap for implementation,” said Patrice Talla, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa and Representative to Zimbabwe.

    “This process marks a strategic, co-created and coordinated start to delivering sustainable soil management solutions for Zimbabwe,” added Talla.

    The meeting brought together key directorates and departments from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development (MLAFWRD). The Agricultural Research, Innovation and Specialist Services (ARISS) was represented by the Chemistry and Soil Research Institute (CSRI) whilst the Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) was represented by the department of Agricultural, Technical and Extension Services (AGRITEX), Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (MUAST) and international partners including the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS).

    Defining technical priorities and implementation framework

    The inception meeting was strategically structured to align technical dialogue with policy priorities. The meeting featured expert presentations on the distribution and management of red soils in Zimbabwe, the current state of soil laboratories and information systems, and comparative insights from China’s red soil management practices.

    These sessions laid the technical foundation for the project, ensuring that all stakeholders had a shared understanding of the scientific context and implementation framework. The meeting transitioned into a participatory planning phase, where stakeholders engaged in group discussions to define workplans for site identification, soil mapping, laboratory analysis, field trials, and farmer trainings through the Global Soil Doctor Programme.

    “This collaborative approach ensured that the project’s implementation plan was not only technically sound but also nationally owned and contextually relevant. The structure of the meeting strategically contributed to the project’s overall objectives, clarifying roles, and setting a clear, actionable roadmap for effective implementation of the project,” said Emmanuel Chikwari, Head of the CSRI.

    As the project moves into its implementation phase, the focus now shifts to delivering on three strategic priority areas: upgrading soil laboratories and developing digital soil maps; demonstrating sustainable soil and fertilizer management practices through field trials and extension training; and facilitating international knowledge exchange through workshops and technical cooperation. These actions will operationalize the project’s vision and deliver tangible outcomes for Zimbabwe’s soil health and agricultural resilience.

    Harnessing the power of South-South Cooperation and learning

    “This project is a powerful demonstration of how South-South Cooperation can drive innovation and capacity development in sustainable agriculture. As an implementing partner, Marondera University is proud to contribute to the rollout of this initiative by applying research, training, and field-evidence-based learning to improve soil management,” said Esther Masvaya, from MUAST.

    “The inception meeting has set a clear, co-owned and co-created direction for implementation, ensuring that Zimbabwe’s soil economy benefits from inclusive planning, shared expertise, and a strong culture of learning that will drive lasting impact,” said Sibongile Mangena-Chikore, Chief Agronomist, AGRITEX.

    FAO and its implementing partners will continue to refine the project’s strategic direction, monitoring progress and learning through regular workshops and field implementation activities.

    “Sustainable soil management is a pivotal activity towards enhanced agricultural production and productivity in the context of climate change. This project is a game changer, especially in the management of red soils in Zimbabwe, which have not received much attention in the past,” said Obert Maminimini, FAO Project Coordinator.

    Through its strong foundation in South-South Cooperation, the project also creates a platform for Zimbabwe to share its experiences, innovations, and lessons learned with other project countries in the Global South, fostering mutual learning and advancing sustainable soil management across regions.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Office for Africa.

    MIL OSI Africa –

    August 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “I felt like an expert” — a RUDN University master’s student about participating in a scientific and practical school at the Eurasian Economic Forum

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peoples’Friendship University of Russia –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    How to bring products of the Belarusian company SinRubEnergo, which produces energy equipment, to the Armenian market? A team of students had to think up a business strategy with such a task at a scientific and practical school that took place during the Eurasian Economic Forum in Minsk. It was this team that included a master’s student of the RUDN University Faculty of Economics, Khafiza Nigmatullaeva.

    All participants of the school, and this is more than 50 people from different universities of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, were divided into five groups. They represented the member countries of the Eurasian Economic Union: Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Each of the groups, except Belarus, developed a project to bring the products of “SinRubEnergo” to the market of the country they were assigned. And the “Belarus” team got the market of Uzbekistan. The company for which the students prepared the projects is a resident of the industrial park “Great Stone”. Therefore, the defense of the works took place on the territory of this park.

    “Armenia is probably one of the most difficult countries to implement such a project, given its political and economic peculiarities. Despite this, we managed to develop an effective and comprehensive plan, which was highly praised by the jury. We competently distributed the tasks among ourselves, relying on the strengths of each: one participant specialized in legal issues, another in marketing, someone confidently worked with analytics and data visualization,” – Khafiza Nigmatullaeva, Master’s student of the Faculty of Economics of RUDN (International Trade, 1st year).

    Logistics and flexibility

    During the tour of the Great Stone, Hafiz, along with another member of the team, was discussed with the residents of the park, how can they use their potential to solve logistics problems. And at a meeting with the Deputy General Director of the North-Western Administrative District of the Industrial Park Development, Arthur Detkov, they found out how appropriate to cooperate with logistics resident companies compared to attracting external operators. “As a result, we reached one of the resident companies, which not only confirmed the possibility of organizing transportation from Belarus to Armenia, but also prepared preliminary calculations of the cost of logistics operations. This has become a significant contribution to the project, since it is logistics that often represents one of the most complex parts of such strategies and requires an accurate miscalculation. Our approach, based on creativity, flexibility and ability to quickly find practical solutions, was also marked by the jury. In addition, one of the members of the commission, Oleg Tabanyukhov, praised our proposals to improve the legal regime of the industrial park and even asked to send our ideas to him. This is largely the merit of our colleague Diana Silchenko – students of the Belarusian Economic State University. In general, I want to emphasize the high level of training and involvement of all members of the team. Working with them was easy and truly productive. The projects of other teams were also very strong, I hope our ideas will be useful to Sinrubenergo, Hafiz Nigmatullaeva, undergraduate of the Faculty of Economics RUDN (direction “International Trade”, I Course).

    Debate on customs rates

    According to the RUDN student, the program of the scientific and practical school was very intense and did not end with work on projects. Every day, students were given excursions, including a visit to the Minsk Tractor Plant and the BelGee automobile plant (a joint Belarusian-Chinese production facility), where they saw the process of assembling cars. The school participants also attended lectures by Belarusian government officials and business representatives. Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic Kirill Masharsky spoke about the work of the EAEU and his experience in public service. And Director of OJSC Giprosvyaz Anton Alekseev talked to students about digital trends in economic development.

    “Another memorable event was the simulation of the Eurasian Economic Commission. During the business game, we had a lively debate on the issue of extending zero customs duties on electric vehicles. This allowed us to feel like experts and representatives of our country. I am sincerely glad that I took part in the scientific school. Here, each student was able to apply their theoretical knowledge in practice, work in a team, discuss current topics with other participants and experts. I am sure that such initiatives play an important role in building professional confidence, developing communication skills and accumulating real-life experience,” — Khafiza Nigmatullaeva, Master’s student at the Faculty of Economics of RUDN (International Trade, 1st year).

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    August 5, 2025
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