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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI USA: Confirmation of Three Cabinet Members

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced the confirmation of three members of her cabinet.

    “New Yorkers deserve smart, experienced professionals at every level of government, and these leaders have distinguished themselves as public servants,” Governor Hochul said. “Our Administration is laser focused on making New York safer and more affordable, and these three commissioners will play pivotal roles in our work to improve the lives of all New Yorkers. “

    The following Commissioners were confirmed by the Senate:

    • Willow Baer, Office For People With Developmental Disabilities
    • Amanda Lefton, Department of Environmental Conservation
    • Denise Miranda, Division of Human Rights

    About Commissioner Willow Baer

    Willow Baer was confirmed by the New York State Senate on May 21 to serve as Commissioner of the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities. Commissioner Baer has been serving as Acting Commissioner since July 2024.

    Commissioner Baer is honored to lead OPWDD. Previously, she served as OPWDD’s Executive Deputy Commissioner and oversaw the agency’s operational management, including planning, fiscal planning and oversight, and policy development. She was also responsible for oversight of agency staff in a broad range of capacities, including direct care support, clinical and medical staff in residential and non-residential settings, maintenance and operations.

    Commissioner Baer has served twice as Assistant Counsel to Governor Hochul, overseeing legal priorities and legislation across the fields of Human Services and Mental Hygiene. Additionally, she previously served as General Counsel to OPWDD, General Counsel and Deputy Commissioner for the Office of Children & Family Services, and as Counsel to the NYS Justice Center.

    Commissioner Baer was named one of PoliticsNY and amNY’sMetro 2024 Power Players in Health Care and was presented with the 2025 Distinguished Public Service Award by the New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation.

    Commissioner Baer has spent her entire career working to protect and advocate for underrepresented populations. She will continue the agency’s work to ensure that New York is a state that is inclusive, supportive, and one that those with developmental disabilities live with meaningful choice and are proud to call home.

    About Commissioner Amanda Lefton

    Amanda Lefton was confirmed by the New York State Senate on May 28 to serve as Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Commissioner Lefton has been serving as Acting Commissioner since February 2025.

    Commissioner Lefton’s diverse career spans the public and private sectors, including previously serving as the Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) within the Department of the Interior. Under her leadership, BOEM developed and implemented an ambitious federal offshore wind program creating a new industry of family supporting jobs and generational opportunity. Her collaborative approach brought together various stakeholders to responsibly manage the nation’s critical offshore energy and mineral resources.

    Prior to her role as BOEM Director, Lefton served as the First Assistant Secretary for Energy and Environment for New York, where she led the State’s environmental and climate initiatives overseeing a portfolio of executive agencies including the DEC. She has also worked for The Nature Conservancy in New York as the Deputy Policy Director and climate mitigation lead, the Rochester Regional Joint Board of Workers United and the New York State Assembly and New York State Senate. Lefton comes to the DEC from RWE, one of the world’s leading players in the offshore wind sector, where she was the Vice President of Offshore Development, U.S. East.

    Originally from Queens, Commissioner Lefton grew up on Long Island and holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University at Albany. She now resides in the Capital Region with her wife and stepchildren.

    About Commissioner Denise Miranda

    Denise Miranda was confirmed by the New York State Senate on May 29 to serve as Commissioner of the Division of Human Rights. Commissioner Miranda has been serving as Acting Commissioner since March 2024.

    Under Commissioner Miranda’s leadership, the Division has launched ambitious efforts to overhaul the agency’s discrimination complaint intake and case management processes while also implementing vital organizational changes and operational improvements. These essential upgrades will result in a bolder, more powerful, and more efficient Division that is prepared to protect the rights of all New Yorkers at a time when that mission has never been more critical.

    Since Commissioner Miranda’s appointment, the Division has increased staffing levels agencywide by more than 50 percent, expanded education and outreach initiatives, and launched new units essential to advancing the agency’s work. These initiatives have been supported by Governor Hochul’s historic investments. The Governor has more than doubled the Division’s funding during her time in office, including an $11 million increase in the FY26 Enacted Budget.

    Prior to this, Commissioner Miranda served as the Executive Director of the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs for seven years. She oversaw the agency’s operations, which included investigations into abuse and neglect, criminal prosecutions, and administrative disciplinary proceedings. Under her leadership, the Justice Center managed the care of over one million individuals, with a workforce of more than 425 employees and a $41 million operating budget.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: NANO Nuclear Files Six New Patent Applications Related to its Proprietary ZEUS™ Microreactor

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NANO continues work to expand its intellectual property portfolio

    New York, N.Y., May 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) (“NANO Nuclear” or “the Company”), a leading advanced nuclear energy and technology company, today announced that it has filed six new utility patent applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) related to its ZEUS™ microreactor.

    ZEUS™ is being designed as a solid‑core battery reactor with a fully sealed core that uses a highly conductive moderator matrix to dissipate fission heat. As designed, there is no fluid inside the core, which lowers the risk typically associated in‑core coolant accident scenarios.

    Figure 1 – Rendering of NANO Nuclear Energy’s ZEUS™ Advanced Portable Nuclear Microreactor

    The ZEUS™ design calls for all reactor and support systems to fit within a standard shipping container, creating the potential for exceptional transportability to sites lacking conventional energy infrastructure. The unit is also designed to deliver thermal energy directly for heat applications or convert it to electricity, making it adaptable for a wide range of needs, including district heating, power generation and non‑electric uses such as hydrogen production.

    “These patent applications for ZEUS reaffirm our commitment to strengthening NANO Nuclear’s intellectual property portfolio,” said Prof. Massimiliano Fratoni, Senior Director and Head of Reactor Design of NANO Nuclear. “The applications are directed towards safeguarding ZEUS’s key processes and components, which would not only benefit our own program but also contribute to progress across the entire advanced nuclear reactor industry.”

    “We’re pleased to file these new patent applications, which reflect the hard and excellent work of our engineering and technical teams to advance our goal of bringing next‑generation microreactors, like ZEUS™, from development to commercialization,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer of NANO Nuclear.”

    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:

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    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 related to the anticipated benefits of the patent applications described herein. 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 fuel 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, gain registered intellectual property protection for, 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 (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 –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Hurricane season is here, but FEMA’s policy change could leave low-income areas less protected

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ivis García, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, Texas A&M University

    Hurricane Harvey inundated the Cottage Grove neighborhood of Houston in 2018. Scott Olson/Getty Images

    When powerful storms hit your city, which neighborhoods are most likely to flood? In many cities, they’re typically low-income areas. They may have poor drainage, or they lack protections such as seawalls.

    New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward, where hundreds of people died when Hurricane Katrina broke a levee in 2005, and Houston’s Kashmere Gardens, flooded by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, are just two among many examples.

    With those disasters in mind, the Federal Emergency Management Agency made a big change to its Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide in 2023. The agency began encouraging cities, towns and counties to address equity in their hazard mitigation plans, which outline how they will reduce disaster risk.

    Local governments have an incentive to follow those federal guidelines: Those that want to receive FEMA hazard mitigation assistance – money which can be used to repair aging infrastructure like roads, bridges and flood barriers – or funding from other programs such as dam rehabilitation have to develop local mitigation plans and update them every five years.

    Hurricane Irma flooded Immokalee, Fla., in 2017. The community, home to many farmworkers, had infrastructure problems before the storm, and recovery was slow.
    AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

    The new guidance required cities to both consider social vulnerability among neighborhoods in their disaster mitigation planning and involve socially vulnerable communities in those discussions in ways they hadn’t before.

    However, as the U.S. heads into what forecasters predict will be an active 2025 hurricane season, that guidance has changed again. The Trump administration’s new FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide 2025 talks about public involvement in planning but strips any mention of equity, income or social vulnerability. It mentions using “projections for the future” to plan but removes references to climate change.

    Who is most at risk in hurricanes, and why

    Hurricanes and other storms that cause flooding don’t affect everyone in the same way.

    A legacy of redlining and discrimination in many U.S. cities left poor and minority families living in often risky areas. These neighborhoods also tend to have poorer infrastructure.

    In the past, local mitigation plans just focused on fixing roads or protecting property in general from storm damage, without recognizing that socially vulnerable groups, such as low-income or elderly populations, were more likely to be hardest hit and take much longer to recover.

    Low-income neighborhoods in Puerto Rico have been slow to recover from 2017’s Hurricane Maria.
    Ivis Garcia

    The FEMA 2023 guidance encouraged communities to consider both the highest risks and which neighborhoods would be least able to respond in a disaster and address their needs.

    The equity requirement was designed to ensure that local plans didn’t just protect those with the most wealth or political influence but considered who needs the help most. That might mean providing information in multiple languages in emergency alerts or investing in flood prevention in neighborhoods with aging infrastructure like roads, bridges and flood barriers.

    How New York City’s 2024 plan helped

    New York City’s 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan, for example, included a thorough social vulnerability assessment to identify neighborhoods with high percentages of people who were living in poverty or were older, disabled or weren’t fluent in English.

    Knowing where disaster risk and social vulnerability overlapped allowed the city to boost investments in flood protection, emergency communication and cooling centers during summer heat in neighborhoods such as the South Bronx and East Harlem. These neighborhoods historically faced some of the greatest risks from disasters but saw little investment.

    The NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice mapped the risk of storm surge flooding in the 2020s (purple) and 2080s (dark blue), and neighborhoods that fall under the city’s ‘disadvantaged communities’ criteria. A 1% risk means a 1% of chance of flooding in any given year, also referred to as a 100-year flood risk.
    NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice

    Further, New York’s plan calls for expanding outreach and early warning systems in multiple languages and enhancing infrastructure in areas with high concentrations of Spanish speakers. These kinds of changes help ensure that vulnerable residents are more likely to be better protected when disaster strikes.

    Why is FEMA dropping that emphasis now?

    FEMA’s reasoning for the guidance change in 2025: make it quicker and easier to get plans approved and unlock federal funding for projects like flood barriers, storm shelters and buyouts in areas at high risk of damage.

    It’s a pragmatic move, but one that raises big questions about whether residents who are least able to help themselves will be overlooked again when the next disaster strikes.

    And FEMA isn’t alone — other agencies, like the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and its Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery program, have made similar changes to their own disaster planning rules. Community Development Block Grant funds for disaster recovery are flexible and can be used for things like rebuilding homes and businesses, restoring infrastructure and helping local economies recover.

    What this means for low-income areas

    Some experts worry that the changes might mean low-income and other at-risk communities will be ignored again when cities develop their next five-year mitigation plans. Research from the Government Accountability Office shows that when something is required by law, it gets done. When it’s just a suggestion, it’s easy to skip, especially in places with fewer resources or less political will to help.

    But the short-lived rules may have already helped in one important way: They made cities and states pay attention to social vulnerability, climate change and the needs of all their residents.

    Many local leaders have learned the value of using data to understand where socially vulnerable residents face high disaster risks. And they have a model now for involving communities in decision-making. Even if those steps are no longer required, the hope is that these good habits will stick.

    Where and how communities invest in disaster protection affects who stays safe and who faces higher risks from flooding, hurricanes and other disasters. When government policy shifts, it’s not just about paperwork – it’s about real people.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Hurricane season is here, but FEMA’s policy change could leave low-income areas less protected – https://theconversation.com/hurricane-season-is-here-but-femas-policy-change-could-leave-low-income-areas-less-protected-256985

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Detroit’s population grew in 2023, 2024 − a strategy to welcome immigrants helps explain the turnaround from decades of population decline

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul N. McDaniel, Associate Professor of Geography, Kennesaw State University

    The Mexican-American community in southwest Detroit held a rally in March 2025, asking ICE to leave the immigrant community alone. Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    Detroit’s population grew in 2024 for the second year in a row. This is a remarkable comeback after decades of population decline in the Motor City.

    What explains the turnaround? One factor may be Detroit’s efforts to attract and settle immigrants.

    These efforts continue despite a dramatic national shift in tone toward new arrivals. This includes executive orders from the second Trump administration targeting immigrant communities, international students and their universities, and cities in which immigrants live.

    We study urban geography and immigrant integration. Despite these federal policy shifts, our own research and that of others has found that local leaders in cities across the U.S. are actively working to bring immigrants in and help them become part of local communities, generally for economic reasons.

    Our recent publications on immigrant integration and immigrant community engagement show how and why cities adapt to changes in their population and economies.

    Detroit and other former immigrant gateway metro areas such as Buffalo, New York; Cleveland, Ohio; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and St. Louis, Missouri experienced significant immigration in the early 20th century. These population booms were followed by a period of decline in immigration numbers.

    Now these cities are using branding strategies to construct inclusive identities designed to attract and retain immigrants. It may be surprising to think of a city branding itself, but local governments often work with private nonprofits to shape and manage their city’s image. They try to build a unique and desirable identity for the city, differentiate it from competitors, and attract new businesses, residents and tourists this way.

    Here are three reasons why Detroit and other cities want to welcome immigrants:

    1. Encouraging economic growth and attracting talent

    Immigration has a positive impact on the economy, research shows.

    Local leaders in Detroit recognize that in a global economy, a thriving industrial sector and robust labor market are linked to the contributions of immigrant communities. They also understand that the growth of these communities brings positive economic ripple effects.

    Immigrants are more likely than the general population to own their own businesses. Organizations such as Global Detroit encourage entrepreneurship through programs such as the Global Talent Retention Initiative, Global Talent Accelerator and Global Entrepreneur in Residence and provide resources for small businesses.

    Immigrants also fill labor needs, from high-tech fields such as engineering and research to manual labor sectors such as construction and food service.

    The City of Detroit Office of Immigrant Affairs promotes economic development and immigrant integration through education, English as a second language programs, economic empowerment and community resources.

    These efforts are paying off by attracting immigrants to the city.

    This economic impact extends to tourism as well. The region’s marketing campaigns embracing diversity shape how visitors perceive the region. The Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau spotlights the unique experiences the city’s diverse neighborhoods offer to tourists.

    2. Enhancing community and regional resilience

    Regional resilience describes a region’s ability to withstand and adapt to challenges such as economic shocks and natural disasters. Cities like Detroit that are still trying to bounce back from deindustrialization know from experience how critical this is.

    Immigration contributes to regional resilience, research shows. In addition to supporting local economies and strengthening the labor force, the arrival of immigrants in Detroit has helped offset native-born population decline, stabilizing the overall population and bolstering local tax bases.

    According to our analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro area grew by 1.2%, from a total population of 4,291,843 in 2010 to 4,342,304 in 2023.

    According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the Detroit metro area’s native-born population decreased by 58,693 people during that 13-year period, while the foreign-born population increased by 109,154. The top five countries of origin for immigrants in the metro area are India, Iraq, Mexico, Yemen and Lebanon.

    From 2023 to 2024, the metro area’s population gained 40,347 immigrants and lost 11,626 native born residents – resulting in a population gain of 28,721.

    Efforts to welcome immigrants in Detroit and its surrounding communities contributed to this trend of immigrant population growth offsetting overall population decline.

    3. Promoting social cohesion and enhanced civic engagement

    Successful place brands are rooted in inclusion and a strong civil society. Detroit’s rich tapestry of cultures in areas such as Dearborn and Hamtramck creates a vibrant regional identity.

    Organizations such as Global Detroit’s Welcoming Michigan actively support local grassroots efforts to build mutual respect and ensure that immigrants are able to participate fully in the social, civic and economic fabric of their hometowns.

    Examples include Global Detroit’s Social Cohesion Initiative, Common Bond and Opportunity Neighborhoods. These initiatives help bring neighborhood residents of various backgrounds together to share their cultures, support each other’s small businesses and socialize. Such programs strengthen the region’s democratic foundations and enhance its appeal as a welcoming and inclusive place to live.

    Forging a way forward

    Detroit has found that welcoming immigrants and integrating them into the life of the city is one way to navigate the economic, political and cultural challenges it faces.

    And it is not alone in embracing this strategy. Other cities practicing similar strategies include Baltimore; Boise, Idaho; Charlotte, North Carolina; Dallas; Dayton, Ohio; Louisville, Kentucky; New Orleans; Pittsburgh; Roanoke, Virginia; and Salt Lake City.

    Although not all cities choose to pursue such strategies, in those that do, local leaders signal a region ready for a globalized future.

    Paul N. McDaniel previously received funding from the National Geographic Society, served on the Content Advisory Board for the Welcoming Standard and on the Steering Committee for Welcoming America’s One Region Initiative, and is a member of the American Association of Geographers.

    Darlene Xiomara Rodriguez was co-PI on funding received from the National Geographic Society and served on the national pilot program with Welcoming America One Region Initiative’s Steering Committee and Program Evaluation Team.

    – ref. Detroit’s population grew in 2023, 2024 − a strategy to welcome immigrants helps explain the turnaround from decades of population decline – https://theconversation.com/detroits-population-grew-in-2023-2024-a-strategy-to-welcome-immigrants-helps-explain-the-turnaround-from-decades-of-population-decline-255557

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: An important step towards technological leadership: key scientific and technological projects approved

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    In March of this year, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, following the presentation of the University Development Program at the Council of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation entered the leading group of universities participating in the Priority 2030 program.

    The Priority 2030 program to support higher education institutions was relaunched this year with an emphasis on achieving technological leadership in Russia by combining the efforts of the state, business, and universities in implementing joint projects. The key performance indicator for participants is the integrated technological leadership index (ITL). ITL is calculated based on the volume of extra-budgetary R&D and scientific and technical services, commercialization of the results of intellectual activity and work.

    In order to achieve technological leadership, in accordance with the approved Strategy and Program for the University Development until 2030 with a perspective until 2036, SPbPU will concentrate its efforts on three key scientific and technological areas (KSTD), as well as on the transformation of engineering education.

    During the two months of the program’s implementation, a great deal of organizational work was done to launch key scientific and technological projects, the Office of Technological Leadership was organized, headed by Oleg Rozhdestvensky, and the SPbPU Technological Leadership Council was created and began its work under the chairmanship of the Rector of SPbPU, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrey Ivanovich Rudskoy.

    For each of the key scientific and technological areas, chief designers (director heads) have been approved:

    KNTN-1 “System Digital Engineering” – development of technologies and products superior to foreign analogues, based on digital twin technology andCML-Bench® Digital Platform. Chief Designer, Head of the Department — Vice-Rector for Digital Transformation, Head of the SPbPU PISh “Digital Engineering” Aleksey Borovkov; KNTN-2 “New Materials, Technologies, Production” — creation of science-intensive industries for the repair and manufacture of products for various purposes. Chief Designer, Head of the Department — Director of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport Anatoly Popovich; KNTN-3 “Artificial Intelligence for Solving Cross-Industry Problems” — development of digital platform solutions for analyzing multimodal data. Chief Designer, Head of the Department — Vice-Rector for Research Yuri Fomin; Transformation of Engineering Education — maximizing SPbPU’s contribution to the formation of world-class Russian engineering education and the spatial development of the country. Head of the Department — Vice-Rector for Educational Activities Lyudmila Pankova.

    In mid-May, the Technology Leadership Council approved projects within key scientific and technological areas.

    Projects of KNTN-1 “System digital engineering”:

    The creation of industry technologies of systemic digital engineering based on the CML-Bench® digital platform, the head-A. A. Sebelev, write “Digital Engineering”;
    Systemic digital engineering and the development of unmanned aviation systems, components and materials, the head – M. Yu. Korchkov, write “digital engineering”;
    Systemic digital engineering of products and the development of digital doubles in the field of energy engineering, the leader – N. N. Minin, write “Digital Engineering”;
    Improving the quality and reliability of the construction of foundations on perennial frozen soils based on computer modeling of the stability of a drilling pile, the head – A. A. Alkhimenko, write “digital engineering”;
    Development of a comprehensive technology for obtaining composite structures by overprinting for the manufacture of aviation technology products, the head – I. A. Kobykhno, write digital engineering;
    Development of advanced methods for the design of equipment of atomic and thermonuclear reactors, leaders-V. S. Modestov, V. A. Rozhansky, Physics and Mechanical Institute;
    High -speed modem for small spacecraft, head – S.V. Zavyalov, Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications;
    The use of systemic digital engineering tools in the development of advanced medical devices, the head – M. A. Zhmailo, writes “digital engineering”;
    Development of new generation burners for pyrolysis furnaces, leader – Yu. V. Aristovich, writing “digital engineering”;
    Development of mathematical models of compressor equipment and software based on them for digital design, optimization, development of products on virtual and physical stands, forecasting the operating modes and possible malfunctions during operation, the head – A. A. Drozdov, and the Institute of Energy.

    Projects of KNTN-2 “New materials, technologies, production”:

    Scientific and technological foundations for the creation of science-intensive production, repair and manufacture of parts for power engineering for civil and special purposes. Stage 2025, leader — P. A. Novikov, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport; Development of scientific and technological foundations of additive production and repair of parts from compact materials, leader — O. V. Panchenko, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport; Development of technology for forming SHAR-LINZA glass, leader — A. V. Semencha, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport; Development of scientific foundations for the creation of composite materials based on foam aluminum, leader — S. V. Ganin, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport; Study of the possibility of increasing the productivity of an in-pipe robotic diagnostic complex when monitoring long sections of a gas pipeline, leader — O. A. Shmakov, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport.

    Projects of KNTN-3 “Artificial intelligence for solving cross-industry problems”:

    Automation of Seismic Data Processing Using Artificial Neural Networks, Head — I. A. Zhdanov, Scientific Department; Digital Platform for Transport Systems Data Analysis Using Hybrid Artificial Intelligence, Head — M. V. Bolsunovskaya, Digital Engineering PISh; Multi-agent Decision Support Systems in Industry and Construction, Head — A. M. Gintsyak, Digital Engineering PISh; Flexible Life Cycle Management System for Power Plant Equipment Using Predictive Analytics Tools, Head — I. D. Anikina, Institute of Power Engineering; Artificial Intelligence Technologies for Retrosynthetic Analysis of Big Data on Structure-Biological Activity Relationships, Head — A. S. Timin, Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology.

    All approved projects correspond to the priority areas of scientific and technological development of the country, are based on existing personnel and scientific and technological reserves, are aimed at developing the most important science-intensive technologies, and have undergone a rigorous external expert assessment.

    In addition, all selected projects are built in the logic of the qualified partnership model, where the university acts as a qualified performer and its development within the model, as well as interaction with a qualified customer (industrial partner) is carried out within the framework of the RUN-CNANGE-DISRUPT methodology. RUN is an ongoing activity, CNANGE – DISRUPT mean “targeted changes” and “breakthrough”, which are achieved with the help of a scientific and technological reserve formed on a systemic basis, the introduction of digital and technological platforms, and a focus on frontier engineering tasks.

    Over the past few years, we have managed to build sustainable cooperation with dozens of industrial partners, with whom we develop advanced technologies and launch joint educational programs. Based on this experience and the results of our teams, we have formed three key scientific and technological areas that allow us to follow the Polytechnic mission – “creation of knowledge and implementation of developments to ensure technological leadership of Russia.” Concentration of efforts and resources on three scientific and technological areas and building all processes in this logic is the basis of our transformation in the scientific and technological sphere, – commented the head of the SPbPU Office of Technological Leadership Oleg Rozhdestvensky.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: SPbGASU specialists awarded the St. Petersburg Government Prize for their contribution to the development of education

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Evgeny Rybnov, Alexander Solodkiy and Stanislav Evtyukov (fourth, third and second from the right) at the awards ceremony

    On May 29, in the assembly hall of Smolny, the Governor of St. Petersburg, Alexander Dmitrievich Beglov, ceremoniously presented the St. Petersburg Government Prizes for achievements in the field of higher and secondary vocational education.

    In the nomination “Scientific achievements that contribute to improving the quality of training specialists and highly qualified personnel”, the laureates were the rector of SPbGASU Evgeny Ivanovich Rybnov, the head of the department of transport systems and road and bridge construction Stanislav Sergeevich Evtyukov and professor of the department of transport systems and road and bridge construction Alexander Ivanovich Solodkiy. They were awarded the high award for the study “Scientific support for the formation of competencies of highly qualified personnel in the field of intelligent transport systems”.

    One of the most important tasks of the Russian transport system is to ensure maximum efficiency of the transport and road complex by more fully satisfying the needs of the economy and citizens for safe and efficient transport services. This task can be achieved through two mutually complementary areas of activity: the development of transport infrastructure and the introduction of technologies for organizational management of the transport system using modern information, telecommunications and telematic technologies – intelligent transport systems (ITS).

    The paper evaluates the effectiveness of Russian practice in implementing ITS. An algorithm has been developed for creating cooperative ITS, in which, based on high-speed wireless communication, interaction between vehicles, with the infrastructure and with all participants in the passenger transportation processes is carried out.

    The obtained results have been implemented in the system of training and retraining highly qualified personnel, are used in the development of state requirements for the qualifications of experts and specialists in the field of ITS, as well as teachers of the three-level system of training drivers/operators of vehicles, and have been tested at scientific and practical conferences of various levels.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Chair appointed to independent Fatal Accident Inquiry review

    Source: Scottish Government

    Action to improve investigations into deaths in prison custody.

    Retired Sheriff Principal Ian Abercrombie has been appointed to chair an independent review of the system of Fatal Accident Inquiries (FAI) into deaths in prison custody.

    The review will aim to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of investigations into deaths in prison and ensure those affected are treated in a trauma-informed way.

    The review which was commissioned by Justice Secretary Angela Constance, in consultation with the Lord Advocate, will also identify barriers that families face in engaging with the FAI process and address the time it takes for them to be completed.

    An advisory group, recommended by the Chair and appointed by the Justice Secretary, will support Sheriff Principal Abercrombie. Its membership is expected to be agreed and announced within weeks.

    The Justice Secretary said:

    “A review of the FAI system was a key action from the Government’s consideration of the FAI inquiry determinations into the tragic deaths of Katie Allan and William Lindsay.

    “Families have been let down and their experience of the system has added to their grief. Their voices will be heard and listened to during this independent review.

    “The remit of the review will consider issues surrounding FAIs held into deaths in prison custody.

    “Maintaining the pace of reform is essential, which is why I have asked to receive the report by the end of this year.”

    Sheriff Principal Abercrombie said:

    “I am pleased to be leading this review. I understand that concerns have been raised about how the FAI system currently operates in relation to deaths in prison custody.

    “As an independent chair, ably assisted by my Advisory Group, I am looking forward to hearing from all those with experience or knowledge of the system.”

    Background

    Sheriff Principal Abercrombie graduated with an LLB Hons from the University of Edinburgh in 1978 and joined the Faculty of Advocates in 1981. He has served as a Curator of the Advocates Library and was a member of the disciplinary committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, and of a Scottish Law Commission advisory group.

    He is a former member of the Scottish Civil Justice Council. He became a QC in 1993 and was appointed a sheriff in 2009. He became Sheriff Principal of South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway in 2014. He retired from this role in 2020.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: CERo Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. Doses First Patient with CER-1236 in Phase 1 Clinical Trial for Acute Myeloid Leukemia and is Advancing Through Protocol-Defined Evaluations

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CERO Chief Medical Officer to discuss trial protocol in poster at the American Society for Clinical Oncology Conference

    The first patient has been dosed and is advancing through protocol-defined evaluations

    SOUTH SAN FRANSCISCO, Calif., May 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CERo Therapeutics Holdings, Inc., (Nasdaq: CERO) (“CERo” or the “Company”) an innovative cellular immunotherapy company seeking to advance the next generation of engineered T cell therapeutics that employ phagocytic mechanisms, announces it has dosed the first patient in its Phase 1 clinical trial of CER-1236.  The patient was dosed at the lead trial site in a study focused on patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).  Now more than seven days post-infusion, monitoring continues for key safety, tolerability, and efficacy endpoints.  The study will be featured in a poster being presented at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology being held in Chicago May 30-June 3, 2025. 

    Abhishek Maiti, M.D., assistant professor of Leukemia at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, is the lead investigator of the trial. He worked with Cero team on publishing the novel preclinical data in Clinical Cancer Research.

    The first-in-human, multi-center, open label, Phase 1/1b study is designed to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of CER-1236 in patients with acute myeloid leukemia that is either relapsed/refractory, or in remission with measurable residual disease, or newly diagnosed patients with TP53 mutated MDS/AML or AML. The two-part study has begun with dose escalation to determine the highest tolerated dose and recommended dose for Phase 2, followed by an expansion phase to evaluate safety and efficacy.  Primary outcome measures include incidence of adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs), incidence of dose limited toxicities and estimation of overall response rate (ORR), complete response (CR), composite complete response (cCR), and measurable residual disease (MRD).  Secondary outcome measures include pharmacokinetics (PK).

    Robert Sikorski, M.D. Ph.D., CERo Therapeutics’ Chief Medical Officer remarked, “The completion of first-in-human dosing represents a clinical development milestone for CER-1236, a novel autologous CAR-T therapeutic candidate targeting TIM 4L.  Protocol-specified evaluations of safety, pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and efficacy endpoints are in progress.  We look forward to communicating results as data matures.”

    A peer-reviewed manuscript with robust preclinical data was published earlier in Clinical Cancer Research. The Company is presenting a poster that outlines the Phase 1/1b study at the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2025 Annual Meeting in Chicago May 30-June 3, 2025 at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center. The abstract for the poster, titled, “First in human study of autologous chimeric engulfment receptor T-cell CER-1236 targeting TIM-4-L in acute myeloid leukemia (CertainT-1)” can be found here.  The poster session, at which Dr. Sikorski will be present, is being held June 1st, and is titled, “Hematologic Malignancies – Leukemia, Myelodysplastic Syndromes and Allotransplant.”

    CERo CEO Chris Ehrlich concluded, “We are grateful for the participation of our first patient and to the many people who have worked tirelessly to reach this milestone, including our CERO team, our consultants and study sites.  We look forward to discussing additional outcomes, which we continue to believe will validate the scientific work performed to date with CER-1236.”

    About CERo Therapeutics Holdings, Inc.

    CERo is an innovative immunotherapy company advancing the development of next generation engineered T cell therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. Its proprietary approach to T cell engineering, which enables it to integrate certain desirable characteristics of both innate and adaptive immunity into a single therapeutic construct, is designed to engage the body’s full immune repertoire to achieve optimized cancer therapy. This novel cellular immunotherapy platform is expected to redirect patient-derived T cells to eliminate tumors by building in engulfment pathways that employ phagocytic mechanisms to destroy cancer cells, creating what CERo refers to as Chimeric Engulfment Receptor T cells (“CER-T”). CERo believes the differentiated activity of CER-T cells will afford them greater therapeutic application than currently approved chimeric antigen receptor (“CAR-T”) cell therapy, as the use of CER-T may potentially span both hematological malignancies and solid tumors. CERo has commenced clinical trials for its lead product candidate CER-1236 for hematological malignancies.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This communication contains statements that are forward-looking and as such are not historical facts. This includes, without limitation, statements regarding the financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of management for future operations of CERo. These statements constitute projections, forecasts and forward-looking statements, and are not guarantees of performance. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this communication, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “strive,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. When CERo discusses its strategies or plans, it is making projections, forecasts or forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on the beliefs of, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to, CERo’s management.

    Actual results could differ from those implied by the forward-looking statements in this communication. Certain risks that could cause actual results to differ are set forth in CERo’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and the documents incorporated by reference therein. The risks described in CERo’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission are not exhaustive. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all such risk factors, nor can CERo assess the impact of all such risk factors on its business, or the extent to which any factor or combination of factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. You should not put undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements made by CERo or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. CERo undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Contact:
    Chris Ehrlich
    Chief Executive Officer
    chris@cero.bio

    Investors:
    CORE IR

    investors@cero.bio

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Doctors’ illnesses not linked: CHP

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Regarding an acute gastroenteritis incident involving three oncologists at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), the Centre for Health Protection (CHP), having completed its investigation, confirmed today that the illnesses of the three doctors were not related.

     

    On February 10, the CHP received a notification from PMH that three doctors in its oncology department had developed acute gastroenteritis symptoms, and one of them unfortunately passed away on February 7.

     

    PMH’s preliminary investigation revealed that a stool sample from one of the doctors, who had mild symptoms, tested positive for Shiga toxin genes by nucleic acid testing. Hence, the hospital suspected that the cluster might be associated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection.

     

    The CHP immediately conducted a comprehensive epidemiological investigation with the help of an expert team led by Hong Kong University Chair of Infectious Diseases Prof Yuen Kwok-yung.

     

    For the doctor suspected of having a STEC infection but with mild symptoms, the CHP found that the bacterial culture of the doctor’s stool sample did not grow any viable STEC bacteria.

     

    Additionally, the CHP collected 34 environmental samples as well as 27 food samples from the oncology department and relevant food premises at PMH, all of which were negative for STEC.

     

    The CHP also enhanced surveillance on the oncology department’s staff, and detected no other related cases.

     

    Based on the available information, apart from confirming that there was no STEC outbreak in PMH’s oncology department, the CHP determined that there was no linkage between the illnesses of the three doctors.

     

    Concerning the doctor’s cause of death, PMH’s pathology department conducted an autopsy and pathological examination, but the post-mortem examination could not determine the exact cause of the pathological changes that led to his death.

     

    Separately, experts from the Hong Kong University Department of Microbiology detected group C rotavirus in various tissue samples of the deceased using nucleic acid testing. However, the virus was not detected in the stool samples of the other two doctors.

     

    The experts were of the view that the initial acute gastroenteritis in the late doctor was caused by group C rotavirus. They also said that the direct relationship between group C rotavirus and the cause of death was uncertain, while other contributing factors could not be ruled out.

     

    According to the Hospital Authority, there have been no deaths from rotavirus infection in public hospitals in the past 10 years, the CHP added.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sol 4553: Back to the Boxwork!

    Source: NASA

    Written by Lucy Thompson, Planetary Geologist at University of New Brunswick
    Earth planning date: Tuesday, May 27, 2005
    We return to planning today after a successful long weekend and about 42 meters of drive distance (about 138 feet). We planned four sols of activities on Friday to keep Curiosity busy, while the U.S.-based science team and engineers took time off yesterday for the Memorial Day holiday. As we got to admire the new workspace and drive direction view in front of the rover this morning, I realized that we have now driven about 35 kilometers (about 22 miles) and climbed more than 850 meters (2,789 feet) in elevation since landing nearly 13 years ago, and we continue to do exciting science on Mars, having recently driven onto new terrain. 
    The so-called boxwork structures are a series of resistant ridges observed both from orbit and in long-distance rover imaging (see Ashley’s blog here). Not only are the ridges of interest (do they indicate enhanced fluid-flow and cementation?), but the outcrop expression in general changed after we drove over a shallow trough onto the rocks that host the ridges.
    This plan will continue characterization of the interesting boxwork terrain. We had an example of a more resistant, ridge-like feature in our workspace today (see accompanying image). The composition of the ridge will be investigated using ChemCam (target “Sisquoc River”) and APXS (target “Palo Verde Mountains”), with accompanying Mastcam and MAHLI images. We will also acquire Mastcam imaging of a trough-like feature surrounding a bedrock slab, as part of our ongoing documentation of such structures, as well as of an apparent resistant boxwork ridge in the distance (“Lake Cachuma”). And a first for our mission, we are planning the longest-distance ChemCam remote imaging mosaic that we will have acquired — 91 kilometers (almost 57 miles) away! The intent is to compare the long-distance view from the ground with HiRISE orbital images in an attempt to create a 3D view. We also managed to squeeze in a Navcam large dust-devil survey before the planned 24-meter drive (about 79 feet). Once we arrive at our new location, MARDI will take an image of the terrain beneath the rover.
    The plan is rounded out with the standard REMS, DAN and RAD activities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Dust Devil Photobombs Perseverance!

    Source: NASA

    Written by Athanasios Klidaras, Ph.D. candidate at Purdue University, and Megan Kennedy Wu, Senior Mission Operations Specialist at Malin Space Science Systems

    To celebrate her 1,500th Martian day (“Sol”) exploring the red planet, the Perseverance rover used its robotic arm to take a selfie of the rover and the surrounding landscape. But when team members reviewed the photo, they were surprised to find that Perseverance had been photobombed!  
    As the rover sat at the “Pine Pond” workspace, located on the outer rim of Jezero crater, which it has been exploring for the past several months, the Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering (WATSON) camera on the end of its arm was used to acquire a 59-image mosaic of the rover. This is the fifth “selfie” that Perseverance has acquired since landing on Mars in 2021. The rover’s robotic arm is not visible in the self portrait because — just like a selfie you would take with your own cellphone camera — rover operators make sure not to have the arm get “in the way” of the body of the rover. This is even easier to do on Mars because Perseverance needs to take 59 different images at slightly different arm positions to build up the selfie, and the elbow of the robotic arm is kept out of the way while the images are acquired. You can find more details about the Sol 1500 selfie here, and this YouTube video shows how the rover arm moves when these activities take place. 
    While snapping away, Perseverance was photobombed by a dust devil in the distance! These are relatively common phenomena both on Mars and in Earth’s desert regions, and form from rising and rotating columns of warm air, which gives the appearance of a dust tornado. Just like many other weather patterns, there is a peak “season” for dust-devil activity, and Jezero crater is in the peak of that season now (late northern spring).  The one seen in the selfie is fairly large, about 100 meters, or 328 feet, across. While Perseverance regularly monitors the horizon for dust-devil activity with Navcam movies, this is the first time the WATSON camera on the end of the robotic arm has ever captured an image of a dust devil! 
    The dark hole in front of the rover, surrounded by gray rock powder created during the drilling process, shows the location of Perseverance’s 26th sample. Nicknamed “Bell Island” after an island near Newfoundland, Canada, this rock sample contains small spherules, thought to have formed by volcanic eruptions or impacts early in Martian history. Later, this ancient rock was uplifted during the impact that formed Jezero crater. Now that the rover has successfully acquired the spherule sample the science team was searching for, Perseverance is leaving the area to explore new rock exposures. Last week, the rover arrived at an exposure of light-toned bedrock called “Copper Cove,” and the science team was interested to determine if this unit underlies or overlies the rock sequence explored earlier. After performing an abrasion to get a closer look at the chemistry and textures, the rover drove south to scout out more sites along the outer edge of the Jezero crater rim.    

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Tests New Ways to Stick the Landing in Challenging Terrain

    Source: NASA

    Advancing new hazard detection and precision landing technologies to help future space missions successfully achieve safe and soft landings is a critical area of space research and development, particularly for future crewed missions. To support this, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) is pursuing a regular cadence of flight testing on a variety of vehicles, helping researchers rapidly advance these critical systems for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.  
    “These flight tests directly address some of NASA’s highest-ranked technology needs, or shortfalls, ranging from advanced guidance algorithms and terrain-relative navigation to lidar-and optical-based hazard detection and mapping,” said Dr. John M. Carson III, STMD technical integration manager for precision landing and based at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. 
    Since the beginning of this year, STMD has supported flight testing of four precision landing and hazard detection technologies from many sectors, including NASA, universities, and commercial industry. These cutting-edge solutions have flown aboard a suborbital rocket system, a high-speed jet, a helicopter, and a rocket-powered lander testbed. That’s four precision landing technologies tested on four different flight vehicles in four months. 
    “By flight testing these technologies on Earth in spaceflight-relevant trajectories and velocities, we’re demonstrating their capabilities and validating them with real data for transitioning technologies from the lab into mission applications,” said Dr. Carson. “This work also signals to industry and other partners that these capabilities are ready to push beyond NASA and academia and into the next generation of Moon and Mars landers.” 
    The following NASA-supported flight tests took place between February and May: 

    Identifying landmarks to calculate accurate navigation solutions is a key function of Draper’s Multi-Environment Navigator (DMEN), a vision-based navigation and hazard detection technology designed to improve safety and precision of lunar landings.  
    Aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard reusable suborbital rocket system, DMEN collected real-world data and validated its algorithms to advance it for use during the delivery of three NASA payloads as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. On Feb. 4, DMEN performed the latest in a series of tests supported by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, which is managed at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. 
    During the February flight, which enabled testing at rocket speeds on ascent and descent, DMEN scanned the Earth below, identifying landmarks to calculate an accurate navigation solution. The technology achieved accuracy levels that helped Draper advance it for use in terrain-relative navigation, which is a key element of landing on other planets. 

    Several highly dynamic maneuvers and flight paths put Psionic’s Space Navigation Doppler Lidar (PSNDL) to the test while it collected navigation data at various altitudes, velocities, and orientations.  
    Psionic licensed NASA’s Navigation Doppler Lidar technology developed at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and created its own miniaturized system with improved functionality and component redundancies, making it more rugged for spaceflight. In February, PSNDL along with a full navigation sensor suite was mounted aboard an F/A-18 Hornet aircraft and underwent flight testing at NASA Armstrong.  
    The aircraft followed a variety of flight paths over several days, including a large figure-eight loop and several highly dynamic maneuvers over Death Valley, California. During these flights, PSNDL collected navigation data relevant for lunar and Mars entry and descent.  
    The high-speed flight tests demonstrated the sensor’s accuracy and navigation precision in challenging conditions, helping prepare the technology to land robots and astronauts on the Moon and Mars. These recent tests complemented previous Flight Opportunities-supported testing aboard a lander testbed to advance earlier versions of their PSNDL prototypes. 

    Researchers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, developed a state-of-the-art Hazard Detection Lidar (HDL) sensor system to quickly map the surface from a vehicle descending at high speed to find safe landing sites in challenging locations, such as Europa (one of Jupiter’s moons), our own Moon, Mars, and other planetary bodies throughout the solar system. The HDL-scanning lidar generates three-dimensional digital elevation maps in real time, processing approximately 15 million laser measurements and mapping two football fields’ worth of terrain in only two seconds.  
    In mid-March, researchers tested the HDL from a helicopter at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with flights over a lunar-like test field with rocks and craters. The HDL collected numerous scans from several different altitudes and view angles to simulate a range of landing scenarios, generating real-time maps. Preliminary reviews of the data show excellent performance of the HDL system. 
    The HDL is a component of NASA’s Safe and Precise Landing – Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE) technology suite. The SPLICE descent and landing system integrates multiple component technologies, such as avionics, sensors, and algorithms, to enable landing in hard-to-reach areas of high scientific interest. The HDL team is also continuing to test and further improve the sensor for future flight opportunities and commercial applications. 

    Providing pinpoint landing guidance capability with minimum propellant usage, the San Diego State University (SDSU) powered-descent guidance algorithms seek to improve autonomous spacecraft precision landing and hazard avoidance. During a series of flight tests in April and May, supported by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, the university’s software was integrated into Astrobotic’s Xodiac suborbital rocket-powered lander via hardware developed by Falcon ExoDynamics as part of NASA TechLeap Prize’s Nighttime Precision Landing Challenge.  
    The SDSU algorithms aim to improve landing capabilities by expanding the flexibility and trajectory-shaping ability and enhancing the propellant efficiency of powered-descent guidance systems. They have the potential for infusion into human and robotic missions to the Moon as well as high-mass Mars missions.  

    By advancing these and other important navigation, precision landing, and hazard detection technologies with frequent flight tests, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate is prioritizing safe and successful touchdowns in challenging planetary environments for future space missions.  
    Learn more:  https://www.nasa.gov/space-technology-mission-directorate/  
    By: Lee Ann ObringerNASA’s Flight Opportunities program

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Split Supreme Court Blocks Oklahoma’s Catholic Charter School

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    In April 2025, the Supreme Court heard arguments about whether the nation’s first religious charter school could open in Oklahoma. The St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School would have been funded by taxpayer money but run by a local archdiocese and diocese. Several justices appeared open to the idea during questioning, leading some analysts to predict a win for the school.

    They were proved wrong on May 22, 2025, when the court blocked St. Isidore. The one-sentence, unsigned order did not indicate how individual justices had voted, nor why, simply declaring it was a split 4-4 decision that leaves in place the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s ruling against the school. Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself from the case. Her former employer, the University of Notre Dame, runs a law clinic representing the school’s supporters.

    Ever since the proposed school started making headlines, attention has focused on religion. Critics warned a decision in the school’s favor could allow government dollars to directly fund faith-based charter schools nationwide. In part, the justices had to decide whether the First Amendment’s prohibition on government establishing religion applies to charter schools.

    But the answer to that question is part of an even bigger issue: Are charters really public in the first place?

    The Supreme Court’s order applies only to Oklahoma, so similar cases attempting to open religious charter schools may emerge down the road. As two professors who study education law, we believe future court decisions could impact more than issues of religion and state, determining what basic rights students and teachers do or don’t have at charter schools.

    Dueling arguments

    In June 2023, the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved St. Isidore’s application to open as an online K-12 school. The following year, however, the Oklahoma high court ruled that the proposal was unconstitutional. The justices concluded that charter schools are public under state law, and that the First Amendment’s establishment clause forbids public schools from being religious. The court also found that a religious charter school would violate Oklahoma’s constitution, which specifically forbids public money from benefiting religious organizations.

    On appeal, the charter school claimed that charter schools are private, and so the U.S. Constitution’s establishment clause does not apply.

    Moreover, St. Isidore argued that if charter schools are private, the state’s prohibition on religious charters violates the First Amendment’s free exercise clause, which bars the government from limiting “the free exercise” of religion. Previous Supreme Court cases have found that states cannot prevent private religious entities from participating in generally available government programs solely because they are religious.

    In other words, while St. Isidore’s critics argued that opening a religious charter school would violate the First Amendment, its supporters claimed the exact opposite: that forbidding religious charter schools would violate the First Amendment.

    Are charters public?

    The question of whether an institution is public or private turns on a legal concept known as the “state action doctrine.” This principle provides that the government must follow the Constitution, while private entities do not have to. For example, unlike students in public schools, students in private schools do not have the constitutional right to due process for suspensions and expulsions – procedures to ensure fairness before taking disciplinary action.

    Charter schools have some characteristics of both public and private institutions. Like traditional public schools, they are government-funded, free and open to all students. However, like private schools, they are free from many laws that apply to public schools, and they are independently run.

    Because of charters’ hybrid nature, courts have had a hard time determining whether they should be considered public for legal purposes. Many charter schools are overseen by private corporations with privately appointed boards, and it is unclear whether these private entities are state actors. Two federal circuit courts have reached different conclusions.

    In Caviness v. Horizon Learning Center, a case from 2010, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit held that an Arizona charter school corporation was not a state actor for employment purposes. Therefore, the board did not have to provide a teacher due process before firing him. The court reasoned that the corporation was a private actor that contracted with the state to provide educational services.

    In contrast, the 4th Circuit ruled in 2022 that a North Carolina charter school board was a state actor under the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. In this case, Peltier v. Charter Day School, students challenged the dress code requirement that female students wear skirts because they were considered “fragile vessels.”

    The court first reasoned that the board was a state actor because North Carolina had delegated its constitutional duty to provide education. The court observed that the charter school’s dress code was an inappropriate sex-based classification, and that school officials engaged in harmful gender stereotyping, violating the equal protection clause.

    If the Supreme Court had sided with St. Isidore – as many analysts thought was likely – then all private charter corporations might have been considered nonstate actors for the purposes of religion.

    But the stakes are even greater than that. State action involves more than just religion. Indeed, teachers and students in private schools do not have the constitutional rights related to free speech, search and seizure, due process and equal protection. In other words, if charter schools are not considered “state actors,” charter students and teachers may eventually shed constitutional rights “at the schoolhouse gate.”

    When courts have held that charter schools are not public in state law, some legislatures have made changes to categorize them as public. For example, California passed a law to clarify that charter school students have the same due process rights as traditional public school students after a court ruled otherwise.

    Likewise, we believe states looking to clear up charter schools’ ambiguous state actor status under the Constitution can amend their laws. As we explain in a recent legal article, a 1995 Supreme Court case involving Amtrak illustrates how this can be done.

    Lebron v. National Railroad Passenger Corporation arose when Amtrak rejected a billboard ad for being political. The advertiser sued, arguing that the corporation had violated his First Amendment right to free speech. Since private organizations are not required to protect free speech rights, the case hinged on whether Amtrak qualified as a government agency.

    The court ruled in the plaintiff’s favor, reasoning that Amtrak was a government actor because it was created by special law, served important governmental objectives and its board members were appointed by the government.

    Courts have applied this ruling in other instances. For example, the 10th Circuit ruled in 2016 that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was a governmental agency and therefore was required to abide by the Fourth Amendment’s protection from unreasonable search and seizure.

    Since the Supreme Court did not release any reasoning for its order, we do not know how the justices viewed the “government actor” question in the case from Oklahoma. That said, we believe charter schools fail the test set out in the Amtrak decision. Charter schools do serve the governmental purpose of providing educational choice for students. However, charter school corporations are not created by special law. They also fall short because most have independent boards instead of members who are appointed and removed by government officials.

    However, we would argue that states can amend their laws to comply with Lebron’s standard, ensuring that charter schools are public or state actors for constitutional purposes.

    Originally published in The Conversation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rosneft supports social projects for children and teenagers in Russian regions

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Rosneft and its subsidiaries, within the framework of cooperation agreements with Russian regions, are implementing projects aimed at creating a modern social infrastructure and a favorable environment for the development of medicine, mass sports, culture, educational projects and the upbringing of the younger generation.

    Bashneft supports the construction and reconstruction of children’s institutions within the framework of a cooperation agreement with the Republic of Bashkortostan. For example, in 2024, the Children’s Art Center in the village of Verkhneyarkeevo in the Ilishevsky District was reconstructed, a multifunctional educational center was built in the village of Elan-Chishma in the Yermekeyevsky District, Ufa kindergarten No. 2 was improved, and a multifunctional sports and health complex was built on the territory of the Republican Engineering Boarding School in Ufa.

    In the Samara Region, with the support of Rosneft, the reconstruction of schools No. 28 and No. 29 in Syzran, the Harmony gymnasium in Otradny and school No. 24 in Samara has been completed. Thanks to the help of oil workers, the children’s surgical department and the perinatal center of the Syzran Central City Hospital have been equipped with high-tech equipment. They now have an operating table, an operating shadowless lamp and an open resuscitation system for newborns.

    With the support of Rosneft, a new building of the Small Academy of Sciences with modern laboratories, a biotechnology center with laboratories for genomics and the study of ancient DNA, an IT center, a library, a TV studio, a sports hall and a gym was built in Yakutia. Children’s playgrounds and sports grounds were also opened in Yakutsk, Tas-Yuryakh, Myndyb and elsewhere. In the sponsored school of the Botuobuinsky nasleg of the Mirninsky district, in the school where children of indigenous peoples study, the robotics rooms, 3D modeling, and the press center were renovated, a stadium was built and the assembly hall was reconstructed.

    Under the agreement with the government of Yugra, Rosneft supports the construction and reconstruction of educational and sports institutions in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug. In 2024, a kindergarten, the Lider and MediaQuant youth clubs, and an outdoor sports and play complex were opened in Nizhnevartovsk.

    RN-Yuganskneftegaz is implementing a comprehensive program to support children and young people. In 2024, School No. 9 in Khanty-Mansiysk received modern equipment, including interactive panels and equipment for physics lessons. Much attention is paid to the development of children’s sports: ten sports schools in Yugra received almost a thousand units of modern hockey equipment, including sticks, skates and protective helmets. A modern sports complex was opened in the village of Lyamina.

    In Achinsk, with the support of the Company, major repairs are underway at the inpatient department of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Center for the Protection of Motherhood and Childhood No. 2.

    A project IT laboratory has been opened in Udmurtia and two sports halls have been renovated in School No. 12 in the city of Votkinsk in Udmurtia. The laboratory is equipped with modern technology, including an interactive panel, a 3D printer, a laser 3D scanner and all the necessary software.

    In addition, the Company creates “Rosneft-classes” in the regions of its operations based on the best educational institutions: schools, lyceums and gymnasiums. As part of the project, students receive a high-quality general secondary education. Schoolchildren in grades 10-11 study according to programs with in-depth study of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computer science. The project is aimed at career guidance and motivation of teenagers to enter universities in the Company’s core specialties and subsequent employment of graduates at Rosneft enterprises.

    In the completed academic year, 2.7 thousand schoolchildren studied in 118 Rosneft-classes. The project is being implemented in 56 general education organizations located in 47 cities and towns in 20 regions of Russia.

    In anticipation of International Children’s Day, volunteers of the Company and its subsidiaries are organizing dozens of festive events aimed at developing sports and a healthy lifestyle, and the cultural and patriotic education of youth.

    Kuibyshev Oil Refinery presented an educational interactive project “City of Safety”. Hundreds of children and teenagers have already taken part in it. In a game format, children learn the rules of safe behavior in various life situations, including road traffic and the Internet.

    Workers of the Novokuibyshevsk Oil Refinery organized a holiday for children from social institutions of the city with quizzes dedicated to oil professions. Oil refiners annually organize an ecological family festival “Ecofest” for city residents; this year the festival brought together more than 400 schoolchildren.

    Volunteers of the Syzran Oil Refinery brought gifts to the children of the center for helping children left without parental care. Samaraneftegaz organized a holiday for the children of employees called “Hello, Summer!” with the participation of representatives of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, who conducted a safety lesson in an entertaining manner.

    Employees of the Saratov Oil Refinery conducted an interactive lesson “Ecology” for kindergarten children and donated sports equipment to the social rehabilitation center “Vozvrashchenie”.

    Slavneft-Krasnoyarskneftegaz organized a city football tournament in Krasnoyarsk, during which 150 children had the opportunity to play at a professional stadium. In Krasnoyarsk Krai, oil workers delivered gifts to kindergarten children in the remote village of Kuyumba, overcoming a difficult route by helicopter and special equipment.

    Orenburgneft volunteers conducted a series of eco-lessons as part of the Eco-School environmental marathon, where students were told about a responsible attitude towards the environment.

    Tyumenneftegaz organized a big family day out in the fresh air with sports games, master classes and treats. Volunteers of Kharampurneftegaz organized an excursion to the zoo and an environmental quiz for the children of the Siyanie Severa family center. Volunteers of the corporate institute in Tomsk together with Tomsk Polytechnic University organized a quest game for schoolchildren of the city called “Oil Journey: from the Deposit to the Gas Station”. In a game form, the participants got acquainted with oil and gas professions, and as a reward, the winners received additional points for admission to the university.

    Rosneft Scientific Institute in Ufa is implementing a volunteer project called “Social Tutor”. For the fifth year in a row, the institute’s employees have been voluntarily tutoring children from low-income families online.

    Employees of Rosneft-Stavropol together with representatives of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate held road safety lessons for preschoolers. At the Rosneft gas station in Stavropol Krai, young guests received educational books with creative tasks “Travel with a Polar Bear Cub” as a gift. In Arkhangelsk, RN-North-West organized an educational event “Children for Safe Roads”, where children studied traffic rules and tried themselves in the role of drivers.

    Rosneft employees take an active part in all-Russian and regional campaigns, including the New Year’s “Wish Tree”, “Help Go to School”, “Give a Child a Holiday”, “Spring Week of Kindness”, “Warmth for Children”, “A Backpack for a First-Grader”, “Let’s Get a Child Ready for School”, “There Are No Other People’s Children”, “Santa Claus in Every Home”, “A Gift for School”, “A Gift from Santa Claus” and others.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft May 30, 2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “AI and machine learning are powerful technologies, but not everyone has learned how to apply them”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    The global education industry’s revenue growth could reach 4% in the coming years thanks to the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies. In addition, AI reduces the working hours of teachers by 4-5 times. HSE experts explained how teachers and administrative staff of universities are mastering neural networks, bots and other tools and why there is no need to be afraid that AI will replace them.

    AI is being introduced into higher education

    According to data research HSE and Yandex Education, 49% of students already use generative technologies, and 54% of university employees are confident that these skills will positively influence the career development of students. However, AI technologies are actively used not only by students, but also by teachers and administrative staff.

    Possible scenarios for the use of AI by teachers:

    work with educational programs, curricula, individual modules and topics;

    development of educational content: presentation materials, tests, essay topics;

    assessment of written work and analysis of students’ skills.

    Possible scenarios for the use of AI by university administrations:

    optimization of the educational schedule;

    consulting students on organizational issues and applicants on admission issues;

    analytics and forecasting of educational results;

    creation of marketing content;

    management of local regulatory documents, generation of documents upon request.

    Features of training teachers in AI tools

    Mass training of teachers is not an easy task. To teach such a demanding audience, highly qualified lecturers are needed, and this is a limited resource. Teachers from different faculties and areas expect to receive subject knowledge and specific tools that will allow them to automate the execution of various tasks right now. And all listeners want to hear about cases that are directly related to their field, explained Evgeny Sokolov, scientific director of the Center for Continuous Education, head of Department of Big Data and Information Retrieval HSE Faculty of Computer Science.

    “This complexity is not new at all: we have extensive experience in corporate training in the field of AI, and there we also always hear a request for very specific recommendations and very close cases,” says Evgeny Sokolov. “And this always requires elaboration and explanation. Yes, AI and machine learning are extremely powerful technologies that have already proven themselves and that may have great prospects. But not everyone has learned to use them, not everyone has bright examples of implementation. And therefore we can explain what it is and how it works, show how it brings a lot of benefits in other areas, and then together think about transferring this experience.”

    In total, in 2024, HSE trained 1,750 teachers, researchers, and administrative staff from all campuses to work with artificial intelligence for free. The training was conducted as part of the Priority 2030 strategic academic leadership program. Employees could choose one of the areas based on their level of training — from prompting and Python programming to machine and deep learning.

    Here are some of the applied skills that students learn:

    using generative models to simplify and automate work;

    data analysis and visualization;

    using Python for editing and generating text files: contracts, memos in pdf and word;

    Sending Emails with Python;

    creation of telegram bots to collect information from students, etc.

    The core of the teaching staff of the programs was made up of specialists Faculty of Computer Science HSE University. The organization of advanced training programs was carried out by Center for Continuous Education of the Faculty of Computer Science, and administrative support for all courses was provided by Center for Advanced Studies.

    The Center for Continuous Education of the Faculty of Computer Science trains not only HSE employees. Employees of the Irkutsk National Research Technical University passed advanced training program “Python for automation and data analysis”, and employees of the Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service – program advanced training “Modern approaches and methods of teaching the course “Digital Literacy””.

    How Teachers Are Using AI in Their Work

    Project work plays a significant role in the programs. Students reflect on how AI methods can be useful in their tasks, formulate corresponding ideas and receive feedback from experts. These are ideas about simplifying teaching routines, restructuring disciplines and new research tasks.

    Then these proposals begin to receive full implementation. Within the framework of the program, each student prepares a final project on the implementation of neural networks in work processes, some of which are already successfully used in practice.

    For example, the course “Venture Capital” has an assistant based on the bot-psychologist “Anna”. The AI assistant interacts with students, helps answer difficult questions and improve psychological preparation for interaction with investors. Using the assistant has improved the quality of students’ training and provided new tools for discussing the psychological aspects of entrepreneurship.

    Another example is the use of AI to create educational materials. Tools such as Narakeet and invideo AI reduce the time it takes to create presentation-quality video materials by more than 10 times. Teachers now have a wider range of ready-made templates and ideas for visual presentation of lecture material. All this makes the educational process more visual and understandable for students.

    According to teachers, after training they use AI to prepare notes, presentations, cases and tests, check assignments, work with databases, search for scientific literature, and translate texts.

    “Useful content, accessible presentation of the material, as well as patience with our pace and questions. I was genuinely interested in the tools presented in the course, I will study and apply them further in my work. To be honest, I did not even guess that the speed of a heart attack can be predicted by the voice, and about some other discoveries that have already been implemented in practice. So special thanks for keeping us informed of human technical progress,” noted Anastasia Pyatachkova, Deputy Head of the Asia-Pacific Sector. Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies HSE.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Appointments to Committee on the Promotion of Racial Harmony

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs has appointed three new members to the Committee on the Promotion of Racial Harmony (CPRH), a Government spokesman announced today (May 30). Three incumbent members have also been reappointed to the Committee in the same appointment exercise. Their term of office will run from June 1, 2025, to May 31, 2027.
     
         The following is a list of the non-official members of the CPRH:
     
    New members:
     
    Ms Zareenah Ho Sau-yin
    Ms Jody Kwok Fu-yung
    Ms Kalsoom Syed
     
    Reappointed incumbent members:
     
    Mr Zaman Minhas Qamar
    Ms Himeshika Samaradivakara
    Mr Deep Singh Vinner
     
    Other incumbent members:
     
    Mr Mohammad Ilyas
    Mr Vishal Melwani
    Mr Syed Mohammed Mohiuddin
    Mrs Marina Rai
    Ms Tika Rana
    Mr Baljinder Singh
    Mr Yeung Tsz-hei
    Mr Eric Yuon Fuk-lung
     
         The CPRH is a non-statutory advisory body set up to advise the Government on matters relating to fostering racial harmony in the community and to enhance mutual understanding among people of different ethnic origins. Chaired by the Deputy Director of Home Affairs, the Committee includes representatives from the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, the Education Bureau, the Labour Department and the Information Services Department. The Race Relations Unit of the Home Affairs Department provides secretariat support to the Committee.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CHP follows up on a pulmonary tuberculosis case involving a secondary school student

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    ​The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (May 30) following up on a confirmed case of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) involving a secondary school student and reminds members of the public to seek medical advice promptly if they have symptoms, such as persistent cough, blood in sputum, weight loss, fever and night sweating. Those diagnosed with TB should follow their doctor’s instructions and complete the entire course of anti-TB treatment. 

    On May 14, the CHP received a notification from Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) that an 18-year-old male secondary school student with good past health had attended QEH the previous day (May 13) due to shortness of breath, persistent cough, blood in sputum, fever and weight loss. He was admitted to the hospital for treatment on the same day. His sputum specimen tested positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The patient did not receive Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine as recommended by the Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme.

    The patient was discharged against medical advice on May 25. He was referred to the CHP’s Chest Clinic for follow-up as he needed to continue receiving directly observed treatment. He attended the Chest Clinic on May 26 for consultation and received one dose of anti-TB treatment, but did not continue to attend as scheduled. Medical staff of the Chest Clinic repeatedly reminded the patient and his family of the importance of continuing the treatment. Since the patient has only received anti-TB treatment for a short period of time, discontinuing the treatment would worsen the infection, increase the risk of transmission and emergence of drug-resistant TB, posing a public health threat. Given the above, the CHP issued an Isolation Order today and the patient was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital for isolation and treatment.

    The CHP is arranging screening for teachers, staff and students of the same grade as the patient at the school. No other cases of infection have been recorded so far.

    “TB is an airborne disease. When a TB patient coughs or sneezes, small droplets containing the tubercle bacilli are generated and spread in the air. If another person breathes in these small airborne droplets, he or she may be infected with the germ. However, prolonged exposure is usually the prerequisite for the disease to be effectively transmitted. Members of the public should always be vigilant against TB and adopt a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet, avoid smoking and alcohol, and have suitable exercise and adequate rest to minimise the chance of contracting the disease. BCG vaccine is effective in preventing serious cases of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (such as TB meningitis). Parents should arrange for their children under 15 who have not received the BCG vaccine to get vaccinated as soon as possible,” the Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui, said.

    People with symptoms such as persistent cough, blood in sputum, weight loss, fever and night sweating should seek prompt medical advice. Early identification of TB cases and prompt initiation of anti-TB treatment remain the mainstay of TB control. The Chest Clinics under the CHP provide TB patients with free outpatient consultation and treatment. If TB disease is diagnosed, the patient should strengthen their respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, and receive TB treatment under the doctor’s advice.

    The CHP will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate actions.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ‘Oxford Travel Options’ website launches for residents, visitors, and commuters

    Source: City of Oxford

    A new website has launched to help anyone who lives in, works in, or visits Oxford to find alternatives to travelling by car around the city. 

    Oxford Travel Options, aims to provide Oxford residents, commuters, visitors and businesses with information and advice on alternatives to travelling by car. 

    The website has been created by the Zero Carbon Oxfordshire Partnership and Low Carbon Oxford North, with support from the Low Carbon Hub. 

    The site includes information on different ways of travelling around the city, which is updated regularly. It covers everything from explaining different bus ticket types, cycling and walking routes, to online journey planners, lift share apps, information on wheelchair bus access, and cargo bike hire. It also includes advice for employers on supporting staff travel. 

    The website also features real stories from local people, with case studies and advice on a range of topics from travelling with kids to finding a liftshare buddy, and finding cheaper and healthier ways to travel.   

    The Zero Carbon Oxfordshire Partnership is a group of Oxfordshire’s leading institutions and employers working together to achieve zero carbon emissions across the county by 2050, including the universities, NHS trusts, councils, large businesses, further education, and community organisations. 

    Low Carbon Oxford North is a community climate charity set up by local residents to support ambitious CO2 cuts through local action. 

    Low Carbon Hub is a social enterprise out to prove we can meet our energy needs in a way that’s good for people and good for the planet. They provided funding to Low Carbon Oxford North for the project through their Community Grants Programme, which supports local action on climate change.  

    Transport is the second largest contributor to Oxford’s emissions, accounting for 23% of emissions. In order for Oxford to become a net zero city by 2040, a shift from private car use towards increased public transport-use is needed, as well as cycling, walking, working-from-home, and car sharing. 

    The need for the website was identified by the Partnership’s Sustainable Travel working group, which supports sustainable travel initiatives with employers, and by Low Carbon Oxford North through their work with Oxford residents. 

    Funding for the creation of the website has come from the Zero Carbon Oxfordshire Partnership and Low Carbon Hub. Ongoing management of the website will be funded by the Foundation for Integrated Transport and the Zero Carbon Oxfordshire Partnership.  

    “Transport is one of Oxford’s biggest sources of carbon emissions, and we know that helping people shift how they travel – even in small ways – is key to tackling this. The website brings together local travel advice to help people choose low-carbon options that fit their daily lives, including guidance for employers supporting staff to travel more sustainably. The Sustainable Travel Working Group identified the need for a central, user-friendly resource like this, and it’s great to see that idea now brought to life. We hope it will be a useful tool for employers, residents and visitors alike to make more confident, informed choices about how they travel.” 

    Jerry Woods, Champion of the ZCOP Sustainable Travel working group

    “We know from working with Oxford residents that there are lots of people in Oxford who would like to drive less and would value some support in making changes – and this is exactly what Oxford Travel Options is intended to do. The site makes it easier for people to access the huge variety of resources and services Oxford offers in support of sustainable travel.  We know people rely on cars for lots of reasons – we also know that small changes to our travel habits can save money, reduce stress and improve happiness, as well as improving air quality and reducing carbon emissions. This is not an ‘all or nothing scenario’. We hope that by providing lots of useful information, the website will encourage people to have a try and see how it goes!” 

    Carey Newson, Trustee of community climate charity Low Carbon Oxford North

    “I am delighted to welcome this fantastic initiative from ZCOP. Healthy and sustainable travel options improve every aspect of people’s lives: mental and physical health and wellbeing, educational outcomes, independence and resilience in young people, cleaner air, safer streets, better public transport, and much else.  

    “Part of the county council’s long-term transport strategy for Oxfordshire is to enable residents to feel the many benefits of walking and cycling, and using public and shared transport. The travel options website is an example of organisations working together to inspire others to try something new, one journey at a time.”  

    Councillor Andrew Gant, Cabinet Member for Transport Management at Oxfordshire County Council

    “We know from working with the city’s biggest employers that residents & their staff want information on how to travel into and across Oxford conveniently and sustainably. This new website aims to compile this information into one accessible place. I hope that residents will find it useful for journey planning & will encourage them to try different ways of getting to work and around the city.”

    Councillor Anna Railton, Deputy Leader, and Cabinet Member for a Zero Carbon Oxford, Oxford City Council

    “The University of Oxford is pleased to be part of the ZCOP Sustainable Travel Working Group and to support the launch of the Oxford Travel Options website. This resource makes sustainable travel simple and accessible for everyone in Oxford. With so many staff and students travelling daily, it provides valuable support to help make greener travel choices easier. It’s encouraging to see partners across the city collaborating on this initiative.” 

    Ed Wigzell, Sustainable Travel Manager, University of Oxford

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: IAEA Teaches Fukushima Students Environmental Remediation

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    The lectures, based on the IAEA Safety Standards, covered the basics of radiation and radiation monitoring, environmental remediation and decontamination and radioactive waste management. Students also attended a workshop in which they used different devices to detect and measure radiation in various environmental samples such as soil and minerals.

    “I would expect that the IAEA lectures will motivate Fukushima Prefecture university students to learn more about environmental radiation as a subject and the current state of environmental remediation in the prefecture,” said Hiroshi Aoki, then Director General of the Fukushima Prefectural Centre for Environmental Creation.

    “We hope the younger generation will learn from the collective knowledge and experience of the IAEA and apply this to the next steps for reconstruction and revitalization in Fukushima Prefecture, which would also contribute to international nuclear safety,” added Kenichiro Tanaka, Director of the International Nuclear Cooperation Division at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    The programme, a pilot exercise that took place at the end of 2024, was requested by the Government of Japan under a cooperation agreement with the IAEA that started in 2012 and will run until 2027. Under the agreement, the IAEA has been assisting Fukushima Prefecture in activities related to radiation monitoring, environmental remediation, decontamination and waste management, in line with IAEA safety standards.

    “After the lectures I hope to be able to share accurate information about radiation with those around me, when the topic comes up on television or other media,” said Hiroki Furuchi, a student at Higashi Nippon International University.

    The feedback from this first course will be collected and used by the IAEA to further adapt the content to the prefecture’s needs in line with IAEA Safety Standards, before returning to Fukushima to continue the programme at more universities in 2025.

    Read more about the cooperation between Fukushima Prefecture and the IAEA on radiation safety since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident here.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Closure of Riverside Theatre a Major Loss

    Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

    Statement by TUV Vice Chairman and Causeway Councillor Allister Kyle:

    “It is deeply disappointing that Ulster University has chosen not to work constructively with the council to explore options to keep the Riverside Theatre open. Instead, the university presented a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum: unless council agreed to take on the lease, full running costs, and liabilities, the theatre would close in summer 2025.

    “This is not a partnership—it’s an offload. And once again, it reflects the ongoing marginalisation of Coleraine in favour of the university’s Jordanstown and Magee campuses.

    “The Riverside Theatre has meant a great deal to me personally. I’ve enjoyed many performances there over the years, and I know how much it matters to the people of this area. It’s Northern Ireland’s fifth-largest theatre and the oldest professional venue outside Belfast. It has hosted remarkable talent—including our very own James Nesbitt, who began his career on its stage.

    “It didn’t have to come to this. I firmly believe a solution could have been found if the university had been willing to engage properly. But council cannot be expected to shoulder all the costs and risks, particularly when we lack the specialist expertise to run such a venue.

    “It’s also regrettable that no support or intervention came from Stormont’s Department for Communities, despite the cultural and economic importance of the theatre.

    “The closure of the Riverside will be a massive loss to Coleraine and the wider Causeway Coast and Glens area—not just in terms of the arts, but in the vibrancy, identity, and opportunities it brought to our community.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: May medals of GUU sportswomen

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    Students of the State University of Management successfully performed at the XXXVII Moscow Student Sports Games.

    Our wonderful girls brought several medals to the university’s collection.

    In the fencing competition, in which representatives of 22 capital universities took part, Sofia Tarasova emerged as the best, and Daria Fedotova won bronze.

    At the Summer Athletics Championships, Margarita Lazareva won silver in the 3000-meter run.

    We congratulate our charming athletes and wish new victories to all students of the State University of Management!

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: James Bamberg is appointed to the ACNRA Board

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    James Bamberg is appointed to the ACNRA Board

    The Secretary of State has appointed James Bamberg as a Board Member for the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives. This is a 4 year term from 10 March 2025 to 9 March 2029

    James Bamberg

    James (Jim) Bamberg is an historian and author who was formerly the official historian of BP plc. He wrote two volumes of BP’s official history published by Cambridge University Press and a third unpublished volume. He was also responsible for BP’s archives, in which capacity he proposed and managed the relocation of the archives to the University of Warwick and their opening to public access. On leaving BP he joined Harvard Business School as the Alfred D. Chandler International Visiting Scholar in Business History. He afterwards worked as an independent consultant and formed his own historical consultancy company, Storica Ltd.

    Jim holds a first class honours degree and a PhD in history from the University of Cambridge, as well as an honours degree in Fine Art from Goldsmiths, University of London. He has been a Visiting Fellow at the University of Reading; a Research Associate at the University of Cambridge; President of the Association of Business Historians; and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

    Remuneration and Governance Code

    Board Members will be remunerated at a rate of £386 per day. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments.

    The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. James has declared no significant political activity.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sir Loyd Grossman’s (CBE) term as The Royal Parks Chair extended for 9 months

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Sir Loyd Grossman’s (CBE) term as The Royal Parks Chair extended for 9 months

    The Secretary of State has extended Sir Loyd’s third term for a further 9 months, from 01 June 2025 to 28 February 2026, while the process to appoint a new permanent Chair of The Royal Parks is run.

    Sir Loyd Grossman CBE

    Loyd is a broadcaster, entrepreneur and writer who has a long association with the arts and heritage sectors. He is Chair of The Royal Society of Arts and a Vice President of the Churches Conservation Trust.

    Loyd’s past appointments include as a board member of English Heritage, the Museums and Galleries Commission and the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. He has been Chairman of the Churches Conservation Trust, Chair of the Heritage Alliance, Chairman of National Museums Liverpool and Vice Chair of the Royal Drawing School. He was awarded a Knighthood in the King’s New Year Honours List for services to heritage in 2024. He was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to heritage in 2015.

    Remuneration and Governance Code

    The Chair of The Royal Parks is not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Sir Loyd Grossman has not declared any significant political activity.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “HSE and VTB Partnership: Cooperation to Solve Applied Problems”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    © Higher School of Economics

    A project session dedicated to scientific and technological cooperation between the university and VTB Bank was held at the Higher School of Economics. HSE employees presented a wide range of projects that will help ensure the bank’s technological leadership. For example, this includes creating 3D avatars based on a person’s photo or solutions to reduce employee stress levels. In total, 21 projects were taken on by the bank. The next meeting of VTB and HSE representatives will take place in September.

    The session was attended by experts from the “Testing New Technologies” stream, as well as experts from the data analysis and modeling departments and the digital development operating model of VTB and representatives of the bank’s technology partner, IT holding T1.

    The strategic session began with a welcome from the host.

    “HSE is a large university. We have five campuses, including an online campus. HSE has more than 55 thousand students, almost 4.5 thousand teachers and researchers, and the university carries out more than 600 research projects annually. These projects give us more than 3,000 publications, and it is very pleasing that HSE published 40% of Russian A* reports on artificial intelligence last year,” said Igor Sokolov, Director of Research and Development at HSE, a little about what the university is today. According to him, the university conducts more than 150 unique fundamental studies annually and more than 270 applied projects are done for organizations, ministries and departments.

    Most of the projects at HSE are implemented by research departments (the largest is Institute for Statistical Research and Economics of Knowledge), the contribution of faculties is growing annually, and one of the goals of the strategic session is their active involvement in interaction with partners, noted Igor Sokolov.

    At the beginning of the program “Priority 2030“HSE’s revenue from research and development from all sources amounted to 5 billion rubles. By 2030, the university has set an ambitious goal of doubling this amount “on a parity basis: half from the state assignment, half from applied research,” he also said. “At the moment, we expect that applied research at HSE will slightly outpace the state assignment, including with the participation of partners such as VTB Bank,” Igor Sokolov added.

    Director Center for commercialization of developments and technology transfer HSE University Anton Yanovsky, in turn, noted that HSE is a university that knows how to make intellectual products and sell them under a license model. According to him, HSE already has a fairly large package of products from various fields – from expert analytics, medical applications, genetic tests to linguistic applications and sensory testing systems.

    The list of such products is constantly growing. “Our task is not just to transfer the results of scientific research to the customer, but also to create products together with them that can be sold in series,” Anton Yanovsky noted. If we consider the dynamics of the development of relations with business partners, the university has a growing number of licensing deals, he added.

    “VTB is actively developing interaction with technological innovations from the open market, including through work with scientific schools. Today, the bank has built its own system for working with innovations, several teams that have colossal expertise in research, testing and piloting innovative technological solutions. The bank has a fairly high appetite for using breakthrough technologies to solve business problems,” said Deputy Head of the IT Architecture Department, Vice President of VTB Andrey Kovalenko.

    The heads of the VTB Accelerator teams, the VTB Innovation Studio and the VTB Technology Laboratory shared their expertise on how to build effective cooperation with the bank, and also reviewed HSE projects for the potential development of partnership.

    Among the solutions presented by HSE employees were projects to create a visual search system within videos, an educational chatbot, a model for generating 3D avatars based on a person’s photograph, as well as projects for solutions to reduce employee stress. A total of 32 projects were reviewed, 5 of which were from the HSE campuses in Perm and St. Petersburg. Following the review, 21 projects were included in the framework of the mutual cooperation agreement. Representatives of VTB and HSE agreed that the next strategic session will be held in the fall.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Thailand aims to become regional hub for AI, digital innovation: deputy PM

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BANGKOK, May 30 (Xinhua) — Thailand is advancing a national transformation strategy and aiming to become a regional hub for artificial intelligence (AI) and digital innovation, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Economy and Society Prasert Chantharawongthong said in a video message Thursday at the Huawei Thailand Digital and AI Summit 2025.

    He pointed to the important role of AI and digital innovation in Thailand’s long-term development strategy, noting that the country’s digital economy is growing rapidly and will expand by 7.3 percent in 2025.

    “Under the ‘Economic Growth Engine of Thailand’ program, we aim to enhance national competitiveness, create a safe digital environment, and nurture a new generation of digital talent,” said P. Chantharawongthong. Thailand aims to strengthen its digital infrastructure, create a safe digital environment that protects users’ rights and enjoys public trust, and develop human capital by training talent and developing AI developers over the next two years, he added.

    In support of the country’s talent development policy, Chinese tech giant Huawei and Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University are collaborating to develop AI-focused curricula, develop ICT infrastructure, and transform the university into a fully integrated smart campus.

    “This collaboration with Huawei reflects our strong commitment to digital transformation in education and preparing our students and staff for the future digital economy,” said Parichat Sthapitanonda, vice president of the university.

    Huawei Technologies Thailand CEO Li Xiongwei pointed to the transformative power of AI for society. “By collaborating with government, industry, and academia, Huawei aims to advance all sectors, from agriculture to healthcare to finance,” he said.

    The summit brought together more than 2,000 participants, including government leaders, global tech leaders and academics, to explore the next phase of Thailand’s digital economy, powered by AI, cloud innovation and cross-sector collaboration. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • Astronomers scrutinize a star behaving unlike any other

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Astronomers have spotted a star acting unlike any other ever observed as it unleashes a curious combination of radio waves and X-rays, pegging it as an exotic member of a class of celestial objects first identified only three years ago.

    It is located in the Milky Way galaxy about 15,000 light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Scutum, flashing every 44 minutes in both radio waves and X-ray emissions. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km).

    The researchers said it belongs to a class of objects called “long-period radio transients,” known for bright bursts of radio waves that appear every few minutes to several hours.

    This is much longer than the rapid pulses in radio waves typically detected from pulsars – a type of speedily rotating neutron star, the dense collapsed core of a massive star after its death. Pulsars appear, as viewed from Earth, to be blinking on and off on timescales of milliseconds to seconds.

    “What these objects are and how they generate their unusual signals remain a mystery,” said astronomer Ziteng Wang of Curtin University in Australia, lead author of the study published this week in the journal Nature.

    In the new study, the researchers used data from NASA’s orbiting Chandra X-ray Observatory, the ASKAP telescope in Australia and other telescopes.

    While the emission of radio waves from the newly identified object is similar to the approximately 10 other known examples of this class, it is the only one sending out X-rays, according to astrophysicist and study co-author Nanda Rea of the Institute of Space Sciences in Barcelona.

    The researchers have some hypotheses about the nature of this star. They said it may be a magnetar, a spinning neutron star with an extreme magnetic field, or perhaps a white dwarf, a highly compact stellar ember, with a close and quick orbit around a small companion star in what is called a binary system.

    “However, neither of them could explain all observational features we saw,” Wang said.

    Stars with up to eight times the mass of our sun appear destined to end up as a white dwarf. They eventually burn up all the hydrogen they use as fuel. Gravity then causes them to collapse and blow off their outer layers in a “red giant” stage, eventually leaving behind a compact core roughly the diameter of Earth – the white dwarf.

    The observed radio waves potentially could have been generated by the interaction between the white dwarf and the hypothesized companion star, the researchers said.

    “The radio brightness of the object varies a lot. We saw no radio emission from the object before November 2023. And in February 2024, we saw it became extremely bright. Fewer than 30 objects in the sky have ever reached such brightness in radio waves. Remarkably, at the same time, we also detected X-ray pulses from the object. We can still detect it in radio, but much fainter,” Wang said.

    Wang said it is thrilling to see a new type of behavior for stars.

    “The X-ray detection came from NASA’s Chandra space telescope. That part was a lucky break. The telescope was actually pointing at something else, but just happened to catch the source during its ‘crazy’ bright phase. A coincidence like that is really, really rare – like finding a needle in a haystack,” Wang said.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Polytechnic University remembers: 80 years of Victory through the eyes of the SPbPU Student City

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    University youth have always played a key role in preserving historical memory and perpetuating the feat of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Students and staff of the Student City were no exception – they actively participated in university events dedicated to the anniversary of the Great Victory. In an effort to preserve the memory of the Student City’s contribution during the war, the united student council of the SPbPU dormitories initiated its own projects aimed at education and preserving the historical heritage.

    Information stands telling about the role of students during the war were placed in all the dormitories and hotels of the Student City. These stands became not only a tribute to memory, but also an opportunity for new generations of students to touch the pages of the past. Particular attention was paid to memorial sites – ceremonial flower-laying ceremonies were held at the dormitories on Lesnaya Street, as well as at the “Blockade Well” on Nepokorennykh Avenue.

    In addition, a series of videos was prepared for social networks, revealing the heroism of those who lived in dormitories during the war years. Thanks to living testimonies, archives and photographs, we can understand at what incredible cost in the conditions of war students continued to study and live.

    The beginning of the war

    From the recollections of Flight Research Institute student Zalman Reznikov-Levit: June 22, 1941. A clear, gentle, sunny day. The student campus “on Flyugov” was quiet. An examination session was underway. Everyone was sitting with their notes, preparing to take the next exam. The session was coming to an end. I was preparing “Electric Drive”, which was due tomorrow, Monday, June 23. The morning was clear and calm. Suddenly the radio announced that at 12 o’clock the Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR, Comrade V. M. Molotov, would speak on the radio. I felt anxious… For the next day, a table was set up in the student campus on the street opposite the canteen near building No. 5, where the registration of volunteers for the student division of the people’s militia began. The registration of those wishing to participate lasted for several days. There were a lot of people around the registration tables, a crush, noise.

    Simultaneously with the announcement of the attack of Nazi Germany on our country, the People’s Commissar of Foreign Affairs of the USSR V. M. Molotov read the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the mobilization of persons born between 1905 and 1918 into the Red Army. As the director of the Student City Iraida Grigoryevna Otto recalled, military tables were organized in the premises of the factory-kitchen on a voluntary basis. The staff of the Student City delivered summonses to persons who had to appear at the recruiting stations. The administration also created self-defense groups in the Student City with the help of public organizations. They consisted mainly of women and children aged 12 to 17. The duties of the participants in these groups, in addition to regular duty, included sealing windows with paper tape, filling sandbags, and keeping watch in the attics.

    Student City Buildings

    Student canteen #6, located in the third dormitory, was transferred to the hospital. The hospital’s service personnel were housed in part of the second academic building. In the first days of the war, the V and VI buildings of the Student City were occupied by an evacuation hospital. As TVN worker P. Fomin recalls, it was there that he was treated for his wounds. 85% of the glass in the building had been replaced with plywood, the heating no longer worked, and there was no water. Due to the lack of fuel, the heat supply to the Student City buildings ceased, and the remaining students heated their rooms with temporary shelters. On December 31, 1941, due to improper use of a “potbelly stove”, the IV building caught fire. A third of the building burned down, and two fires that occurred in January completely destroyed the IV building of the Student City.

    The commander of the 7th company was a career firefighter A. Kudryavtsev, and the political instructor was a polytechnic student Valentin Vernitsky. The platoon headquarters was located in the Red Corner of the first building of the Student City on Lesnoy, 65. From September 11, the entire regiment was transferred to barracks. As student Vera Sharova recalls, the female firefighters lived in two rooms on the fifth floor of the first building of the Student City, and the guys lived with the company leadership in the basement of a building on the corner of Lesnoy Prospekt and 1st Murinsky. Every day, the platoon fighters gathered at the command post, from where they went on patrol.

    In addition, a tank regiment was located in the Student City. It stayed in the main building for only 12 days, after which it was transferred to the VII Corps of the Student City, located at 14 Pribytkovskaya Street. This street no longer exists. It is built up with houses, including the institute’s dormitories. Regular scheduled classes had effectively ceased by November 1941 due to the small number of groups. Lectures were often held in the apartments of teachers or in student dormitories.

    Before the war, flowers and seedlings were grown on the territory of the Polytechnic. So by the summer of 1941, gardeners had everything ready for growing flowers. But the war messed up their plans. It was too late to start planting vegetables; they were planted in the spring. Gardening was transformed into a subsidiary farm of the institute, and its staff increased. Already from mid-July 1942, the institute’s employees were harvesting.

    Victory Day

    Two o’clock in the morning. The dormitory was quiet, almost everyone was asleep. But as soon as the radio announced the capitulation of Nazi Germany, all the students and teachers were on their feet. The corridors began to stir, people congratulated each other, kissed each other. Songs thundered throughout the corridor, – a quote from the newspaper “Polytechnic” from May 16, 1945.

    After the announcement of Victory at 2:20 a.m. a rally was organized, after which dancing and singing began. The fun continued until six o’clock in the morning.

    By the way, the restoration of the Polytechnic buildings began in the summer of 1944. Workshop No. 1 was tasked with repairing the metal roof of the first and second academic buildings, and then the Main Building and the dormitories on Lesnoy. Special teams were created, which were joined by students arriving from evacuation.

    This page of the history of the Great Patriotic War is forever inscribed in the fate of the university and the Student City, becoming a symbol of the contribution to the education of a strong, courageous generation of defenders of the Motherland.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How trafficked American guns fuel Mexico’s cartel violence – podcast

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Gemma Ware, Host, The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation

    More than two thirds of guns recovered at Mexican crime scenes originate in the U.S. For decades, Mexico has struggled with staggering levels of gun violence fueled in large part by weapons trafficked across its northern border.

    Now an investigation published by The Conversation has arrived at a new estimate of the scale of this illicit gun trade between the U.S. and Mexico in 2022: 135,000 guns.

    Investigative journalist Sean Campbell and Topher McDougal, a professor of economic development at the University of San Diego, spent a year combing through multiple databases and court documents and conducting interviews to understand how the flow of guns works.

    Their investigation reveals where in the U.S. the guns are coming from, what impact these American guns are having in Mexico, and how difficult it is for American law enforcement agencies to prosecute those trafficking guns across the border.

    Listen to Campbell and McDougal talk about their investigation on The Conversation Weekly podcast.

    You can read the full investigation here.

    This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware. Mixing and sound design by Eloise Stevens and theme music by Neeta Sarl.

    Newsclips in this episode from PBS News, CGTN, France24, ABC 7 and NewsNation.

    Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our RSS feed or find out how else to listen here. A transcript of this episode is available on Apple Podcasts.

    Sean Campbell and Topher McDougal do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations.

    – ref. How trafficked American guns fuel Mexico’s cartel violence – podcast – https://theconversation.com/how-trafficked-american-guns-fuel-mexicos-cartel-violence-podcast-256746

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From working class pubs to sold-out stadiums: how darts has become a major international sport

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Joshua McLeod, Senior Lecturer in Sport Management, Deakin University

    Few sports have witnessed a transformation as dramatic as darts in recent years.

    From its origins as a pub game stereotypically played with cigarette and beer in hand, darts is now serious business.

    With surging television ratings and huge demand for live events, the growth of darts continues to leave many sports looking on in envy.

    There has been a combination of factors at play – not least one exceptionally prodigious teenager. Before discussing those factors, it’s worth taking a closer look at the numbers.

    Becoming big business

    Darts sits alongside a select few sports to have achieved significant commercial growth over the past decade.

    While not at the scale of sports such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Formula 1, the rise of darts has been prolific.

    In the United Kingdom, a record-breaking peak of 3.7 million viewers watched the 2024 Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) World Championship final. It was Sky Sports’ highest-ever non-soccer broadcast.

    In addition to the PDC World Championship – the sport’s premier knockout event – viewership records were also broken across the 2024 Premier League Darts season, a league-format competition featuring weekly fixtures between top-ranked players.

    On the UK’s Sky Sports, the 15 most-watched nights in the competition’s history all occurred that year.

    The PDC World Championship and Premier League Darts sit alongside the World Matchplay as the “Triple Crown” of most important darts events.

    Outside the UK, darts viewership also continues to grow.

    The Netherlands remains a strong and expanding heartland, while in Germany, viewership for the World Championship final has increased eightfold since 2008.

    In Australia, precise viewing figures are not widely available, but the Foxtel Group’s landmark four-year deal with the PDC in 2023 suggests rising demand.

    Surging audiences are translating into significantly larger broadcast deals.

    In 2025, Sky Sports reportedly outbid Netflix to secure a new £125 million (A$260.3 million) deal for exclusive UK coverage of the PDC for 2026–30. That was double the size of the previous deal.

    In contrast, many other sports face stagnation or even sharp declines in media rights value.

    For instance, the UK Super League rugby’s rights on Sky Sports fell from £40 million (A$83.3 million) per season in 2021 to £21.5 million (A$44.5 million) in 2024.

    Similarly, in soccer, the French Ligue 1’s TV deal with DAZN collapsed due to underwhelming subscriber numbers. Meanwhile, ESPN walked away from its long-standing agreement with Major League Baseball after unsuccessfully trying to cut its US$550 million (A$848 million) annual payment down to $200 million (A$309 million).

    Prize money in darts has also exploded.

    Next year, the winner of the two-week long World Championship will bank £1 million (A$2.08 million) – doubling this year’s purse.

    The prize money was £60,000 (A$124,960) in 2005, representing a 1,567% increase over 20 years.

    Tickets are also hot property. Premier League and World Championship sessions often sell out within minutes worldwide: the UK, Bahrain, New York and even Wollongong have become key stops in darts’ international calendar.

    The recipe for success

    Like Formula 1 and the UFC, darts benefits from being privately operated.

    Without the typical bureaucracy and conflicting interests seen in many traditional sport governing bodies, the PDC can respond more quickly to audience preferences and market opportunities.

    This streamlined, commercially driven approach has been key to darts’ growth.

    The sport has been expertly tailored to modern audiences.

    One of darts’ best-known selling points is the live event experience. The entertainment-first approach is known for loud music, the showmanship of player walk-ons, fancy dress from the crowd and yes, often plenty of alcohol.

    The lines are blurred between sport and party and fans love it.

    Culturally, darts is seen by many as fun, relatable, and rooted in working-class culture. After all, its heritage is in the pub.

    Darts is ideally suited to modern sport media consumption habits: PLD matches last only 20–30 minutes and the up-close TV product works perfectly for social media highlight clips.

    It is also one of the few sports where women compete directly against men.

    This adds another layer of interest for fans and has helped elevate stars such as Fallon Sherrock, who made headlines in 2019 by becoming the first woman to win a match at the PDC World Championship, eventually reaching the final 32.

    A prodigy emerges

    The so-called “Littler Effect” has given darts’ profile a significant boost.

    The emergence of talented teenager Luke Littler has broken new ground for the sport and drawn global interest.

    The English prodigy, who has quickly risen to fame, is by far the sport’s biggest star, but it would be unfair to say darts is a one-man band.

    Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen enjoy significant profiles while Phil Taylor is regarded as the sport’s greatest player. Australia’s Simon “The Wizard” Whitlock also forged a successful career.

    There is also colourful two-time world champion Peter Wright.

    Where to from here?

    The success of darts reveals much about modern sports audiences and their preferences.

    Darts does not rely on traditional ideas of athletic excellence, nor does it fit the Olympic ideal.

    Yet, darts is thriving while many traditional sports are stagnating.

    Darts’ success stems from remaining authentic to its working-class roots while evolving into an engaging commercial product suited for television, short-form content and digital media.

    For darts to fully achieve its global potential, the next step has to be continued international growth. Although it has grown steadily in markets like Australia and throughout Asia, the UK remains darts’ dominant base.

    As the global sports marketplace becomes more fragmented and competitive, darts is well positioned to continue growing.

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

    – ref. From working class pubs to sold-out stadiums: how darts has become a major international sport – https://theconversation.com/from-working-class-pubs-to-sold-out-stadiums-how-darts-has-become-a-major-international-sport-254807

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Block Grant for Scottish Government hits £50 billion

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Block Grant for Scottish Government hits £50 billion

    The block grant for the Scottish Government this year is £50 billion following Main Estimates 2025-26 published on Thursday.

    The Scottish Government already had the largest real terms spending review settlement in the history of devolution of £47.7 billion. Following revisions at the Spring Statement and Main Estimates, the Treasury has now confirmed the latest settlement is £50 billion.

    Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray said:

    The UK Government delivered the largest spending review settlement in the history of the Scottish Parliament, now Scots rightly expect to see that record finding deliver better results like lower NHS waiting lists, better attainment in Schools, more police on the beat and more housing.

    I was very concerned this week to see that attainment targets for Scottish schools have been reduced and housebuilding has fallen by 4,000, meanwhile police officer numbers are lower than when police Scotland was established and 800,000 Scots are on an NHS waiting list.

    Where the UK government has responsibility for public services, we are seeing NHS waiting lists fall, more housing being built and more bobbies on the beat, all part of our Plan for Change. This historic funding deal for the Scottish Government should be delivering similar results.

    Background:

    • Main Estimates was published on Thursday, providing the Scottish Government with £572m in additional funding in 2025-26, including £454m through the Barnett formula.
    • It also confirmed the Scottish Government’s £1.8bn RDEL depreciation funding in 2025-26, including student loans.
    • This is on top of a record settlement of £47.7 billion for 2025-26 at Autumn Budget 2024.
    • This additional funding brings SG’s overall 2025-26 block grant funding to £50 billion.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –