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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s Vice Premier Calls for High Level of S&T Independence to Promote High-Quality Development

    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

    WUHAN, May 15 (Xinhua) — Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang has stressed the need for China to accelerate its achievement of a high level of scientific and technological self-sufficiency, build a modernized industrial system, and promote high-quality development.

    Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour of Hubei Province in central China from May 12 to 14.

    After visiting three scientific and technological enterprises, he noted the central role of enterprises in scientific and technological innovation and called for more innovation resources to be directed to enterprises, helping them overcome difficulties and problems.

    According to the Vice Premier of the State Council, it is necessary to deepen the integration of scientific and industrial innovation, expand high-quality scientific and technological supply, improve the stability and safety of production and supply chains, and accelerate the transition of industry to high-tech, intelligent and environmentally friendly production.

    At Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Jiufengshan Laboratory, Ding Xuexiang learned about the innovative higher education system and the development of scientific journals. He emphasized the importance of strengthening the links between basic research, technological development and practical application, pointing to the need to solve key and common technological problems and to more widely apply scientific achievements into practice.

    During the inspection of the Gezhouba Dam, Ding Xuexiang said that restoring the ecological environment of the Yangtze River should remain a priority. He called for strengthening wastewater and solid waste management, promoting green upgrading of shipping equipment, and reducing pollutant emissions at source to protect the river’s water quality. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: This election, young people held the most political power. Here’s how they voted

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Intifar Chowdhury, Lecturer in Government, Flinders University

    This election, a lot of focus was directed at young voters. With Millennials and Gen Z now making up a larger share of the electorate than Baby Boomers, this was deserved.

    But for all the attempts to reach these cohorts, whether through TikTok, influencers or podcasts, how did they actually vote?

    Preliminary analysis of electorates with high shares of young people suggests the youth vote was complex and nuanced. The voting bloc continued its unpredictability, with support fragmented across parties, candidates and age groups.

    Analysing voting patterns

    On May 9, I analysed the Australian Electoral Commission’s (AEC) electoral division results alongside youth enrolment statistics, to explore how the youngest electorates voted.

    Rather than treating voters aged 18–44 as a single, homogeneous bloc, I separated them into Gen Z (aged 18–29) and Millennial (aged 30–44) categories. Evidence suggests that generation is more useful for analysis than age alone.

    Electorates with higher shares of young people tended to favour the left, particularly Labor. Even in Liberal-held seats that didn’t change hands, there were clear swings against the Coalition.

    Of course, electoral outcomes are shaped by more than age or generational factors. Seat-level voting reflects a complex mix of influences.

    But while we await individual-level public opinion data, the best available insights come from examining electoral division characteristics using Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census data.

    What happened?

    Surprisingly, the Greens lost three of the country’s most youth-concentrated electorates: Melbourne, Brisbane and Griffith.

    In Melbourne – still the electorate with the highest share of Gen Z voters – the Greens retained the largest primary vote, but lost the seat on preferences.

    However, in Griffith, Labor had a higher primary vote, while in Brisbane, both major parties outpolled the Greens.

    These electorates also have high percentages of renters, public servants, and residents earning above $90,000 a year – demographics that did not necessarily advantage the Greens. In fact, higher-income areas showed a slight lean towards the Liberals.

    Other electorates with large youth shares also showed interesting dynamics. In La Trobe and Lindsay, both held by the Liberals but with growing shares of Millennials and renters, there were swings against the party.

    Labor experienced swings against them in seats such as Solomon, Wills and Pearce.

    Wills maintained a strong Greens primary vote, while Solomon recorded a significant independent vote. This is consistent with high shares of renters, public servants against the Coalition and tertiary-educated women, who are more likely to support minor parties and independents.

    These patterns suggest a quiet divergence between Millennial and Gen Z voters. Millennials, while more likely than older generations to support progressive parties like Labor and, to a lesser extent, the Greens, do not show the same enthusiasm for independents. This indicates Millennials remain more aligned with traditional party politics.

    In contrast, Gen Z voters appear more willing to abandon major parties altogether. This is a generational difference in values and political socialisation, but also a broader shift toward issue-based, campaign-sensitive, less predictable polling.

    A fragmented young electorate

    Even when we take into account the demographic makeup of seats, for a deeper analysis, disentangling the effects of overlapping factors is important. For example, as researcher Nicholas Biddle points out, age and renting are often correlated, so which variable is doing the explanatory work? Is it youth itself, housing tenure, or something else entirely? I dug deeper.

    This further exploration revealed housing and employment factors played a role, even when we account for generational differences.

    Electorates with high shares of renters were significantly more likely to support Labor and less likely to vote Liberal. Public-sector workers leaned clearly towards Labor and away from the Coalition.

    Meanwhile, higher-income electorates (earning more than $90,000 a year) showed a slight, but not statistically significant, movement toward the Liberals and independents, and away from Labor and the Greens.

    Electorates with a larger share of overseas-born residents also leaned modestly toward Labor, likely reflecting swings in areas with significant Chinese populations.

    It’s difficult to know much about gender yet as we don’t have access to the right data. But we can find the intersecting effect of gender with other variables, such as higher education.

    This revealed one of the most striking findings: the strongest positive predictor of a Greens or independent vote, removing all other variables, was the share of university-educated women. These voters consistently turned away from both major parties.

    By contrast, electorates with more tertiary-educated people overall, but not specifically women, were more likely to stick with the major parties.

    With younger generations containing more university-educated women than ever before, this is sobering news for both Labor and the Liberals.

    Big takeaways

    One mistake we keep making is treating the youth vote as a single bloc. This election reminds us there are two generations within the youth base.

    Gen Z are still in their political formative years and they’re showing signs of drifting further from the major parties.

    But Millennials, while still firmly left-leaning, seem to remain anchored to the two-party system.

    Perhaps it’s a sign of political “adulting” – a recognition that minor parties and independents can struggle to wield power in the lower house.

    Labor can still bank on Millennials, for now. But Gen Z, especially those who are highly educated, are the cohort to watch. They’re less loyal, and far less convinced that the traditional party structure speaks to them.

    There’s no way to sugarcoat it for the Liberals: there’s no good news here in their current form.

    But no party can get complacent.

    The modern Australian electorate may lean left overall, but it’s also increasingly disillusioned with the majors. Preferential voting may mask this shift, but it doesn’t halt it.

    The Greens, meanwhile, also have some soul-searching to do. Their campaign didn’t collapse, but their primary vote stalled.

    To become a serious third party in the House of Representatives, the Greens must grow their primary vote and find a way to hold onto their volatile, youthful base as it ages.

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

    – ref. This election, young people held the most political power. Here’s how they voted – https://theconversation.com/this-election-young-people-held-the-most-political-power-heres-how-they-voted-255769

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Banning young people from social media sounds like a silver bullet. Global evidence suggests otherwise

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jasleen Chhabra, Research Fellow, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne

    Monkey Business / Shutterstock

    Around 98% of Australian 15-year-olds use social media. Platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram are where young people connect with friends and online communities, explore and express their identities, seek information, and find support for mental health struggles.

    However, the federal government, seeking to address concerns about young people’s mental health, has committed to ban under-16s from these platforms from later this year.

    There is no doubt social media presents risks to young people. These include cyberbullying, posts related to disordered eating or self-harm, hate speech, and the basic risk of spending long hours scrolling or “doomscrolling”.

    But is banning young people really the answer? We reviewed 70 reports from experts in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada to understand what they recommend – and found broad agreement that a ban may not address the real problems.

    Humans preventing harm

    The overall verdict is that we need a much more thoughtful response than just a ban: only a coordinated approach between governments, regulators, tech companies and young people themselves will address youth mental health and online safety.

    We should be asking what we can do to make online spaces safer for young people, not jumping straight to removing them entirely.

    Content moderation is one area in need of urgent attention. Young people regularly report being exposed to harmful and age-inappropriate content on social media, while platforms replace moderation staff with cheaper AI systems.

    Automated processes have their place, but many recommendations in our review emphasised the importance of human moderators to keep up.

    Data and endless advertising

    A second issue exists around the collection and use of user data. Tech platforms have built their business model around user engagement and ad revenue.

    To keep users scrolling (and watching ads), companies collect large amounts of user data to deliver highly personalised feeds.

    Many experts advocate against the widespread collection and use of young people’s data, particularly for delivering advertising materials that promote dieting, unregulated supplements and cosmetic procedures. Posts like these often appear in an endless stream, interspersed between non-harmful and entertaining content.

    Starting with safety

    Alongside greater regulation of advertising material, many experts emphasised the need to consider “safety by design”.

    In other words, social media should be designed from the outset to prevent harming users. It may mean the end of “addictive” features such as infinite scrolling, frequent push notifications, and auto-play videos.

    Regulators also need the tools and power to hold platforms to account.

    That includes financial penalties, more transparent reporting from big tech companies, and taking proactive steps to keep harmful material off these platforms – not just taking down content after the fact.

    Age-checking tech troubles

    Our review did find a small number of reports that recommend barring young people from social media. However, experts questioned the feasibility of age verification technology and raised privacy concerns.

    The federal government has passed the buck to social media companies for actually implementing age verification of users.

    Platforms must take “reasonable steps” to restrict access by under-16s. It is unclear what these steps will be, but the prospect of facial recognition or digital ID checks raises serious privacy concerns.

    Others argue that banning under-16s from social media will drive them to less regulated online spaces, including online forums such as the notorious 4Chan, where some pages have an explicit “no rules” policy.

    It is also important to acknowledge that many young people find important support and communities on social media. Taking away social media may present risks to mental health in these circumstances.

    Listening to young people

    An age ban sounds decisive but comes with its own set of questions.

    In the absence of social media, where do young people questioning their sexual or gender identity go to find information and support? What would a ban mean for young people who engage with news on social media?

    There is little evidence about what impact a ban will have on young people, particularly those from diverse backgrounds.

    What’s more, young people have had minimal input into the policy. They have the insight to offer practical, real-world insights into what works and what does not.

    A blanket ban does nothing to make social media platforms safer for users. It might just delay problems and expose young people to an avalanche of harm when they log on at the age of 16.

    A ban brings its own risks

    The push to ban social media for under-16s is driven by genuine concerns. But unless it is a part of a broader, more thoughtful approach to online safety, it risks doing more harm than good.

    If we want a healthier digital environment, we can’t just lock out young people and hope for the best.

    Vita Pilkington receives funding from the Melbourne Research Scholarship and the Margaret Cohan Research Scholarship, both awarded by the University of Melbourne.

    Zac Seidler has been awarded an NHMRC Investigator Grant. He is also the Global Director of Research with the Movember Institute of Men’s Health. He advises government on men’s health, masculinities, violence prevention and social media policy.

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

    – ref. Banning young people from social media sounds like a silver bullet. Global evidence suggests otherwise – https://theconversation.com/banning-young-people-from-social-media-sounds-like-a-silver-bullet-global-evidence-suggests-otherwise-256587

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A trial is testing ways to enforce Australia’s under-16s social media ban. But the tech is flawed

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexia Maddox, Senior Lecturer in Pedagogy and Education Futures, La Trobe University

    De Visu/Shutterstock

    Australia’s move to ban under-16s from social media is receiving widespread praise. Other countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Singapore and Japan, are also now reportedly considering similar moves.

    The ban was legislated in November 2024 and is due to take effect in December 2025. The law says social media platforms can’t use official IDs such as passports to check Australian users’ ages, and shouldn’t track Australians. But it doesn’t specify the alternative.

    To test alternative methods, the federal government commissioned a trial of currently available technologies designed to “assure” people’s age online. Run by the Age Check Certification Scheme, a UK-based company specialising in testing and certifying identity verification systems, the trial is in its final stages. Results are expected at the end of June.

    So what are the technologies being trialled? Are they likely to work? And how might they – and the social media ban itself – alter the relationship all of us have with our dominant forms of digital communication?

    Dead ends for age verification

    Age verification confirms a person’s exact age using verified sources such as government-issued IDs. Age assurance is a broader term. It can include estimation techniques such as analysing faces or metadata to determine if users meet age requirements.

    In 2023 the federal government rejected mandating verification technologies for age-gating pornography sites. It found them “immature” with significant limitations. For example, database checks were costly and credit card verification could be easily worked around by minors.

    Nonprofit organisation Digital Rights Watch also pointed out that such systems were easily bypassed using virtual private networks – or VPNs. These are simple tools that hide a user’s location to make it seem like they are from a different country.

    Age assurance technologies bring different problems.

    For example, the latest US National Academies of Sciences report shows that facial recognition systems frequently misidentify children because their facial features are still developing.

    Improving these systems would require massive collections of children’s facial images. But international human rights law protects children’s privacy, making such data collection both legally and ethically problematic.

    Flawed testing of innovative tech?

    The age assurance technology trial currently includes 53 vendors hoping to win a contract for new innovative solutions.

    A range of technology is being trialled. It includes facial recognition offering “selfie-based age checks” and hand movement recognition technologies that claim to calculate age ranges. It also includes bespoke block chains to store sensitive data on.

    There are internal tensions about the trial’s design choices. These tensions centre on a lack of focus on ways to circumvent the technology, privacy implications, and verification of vendors’ efficacy claims.

    While testing innovation is good, the majority of companies and startups such as IDVerse, AgeCheck, and Yoti in the trial, will likely not hold clout over the major tech platforms in focus (Meta, Google and Snap).

    This divide reveals a fundamental problem: the companies building the checking tools aren’t the ones who must use them in the platforms targeted by the law. When tech giants don’t actively participate in developing solutions, they’re more likely to resist implementing them later.

    Google recently proposed storing ID documents in Google Wallet for age verification.
    nitpicker/Shutterstock

    Unresponsive tech companies

    Some major tech companies have shown little interest in engaging with the trial. For example, minutes from the trial’s March advisory board meeting reveal Apple “has been unresponsive, despite multiple outreach attempts”.

    Apple has recently outlined a tool to transmit a declared age range to developers on request. Apple suggests iOS will default the age assurance on Apple devices to under 13 for kids’ accounts. This makes it the responsibility of parents to modify age, the responsibility of developers to recognise age, and the responsibility of governments to legislate when and what to do with an assured age per market.

    Google’s recent Google Wallet proposal for age assurance also misses the mark on privacy concerns and usefulness.

    The proposal would require people over 16 to upload government-issued IDs and link them to a Google account. It would also require people trust Google not track where they go across the internet, via a privacy-preserving technology that remains a promise.

    Crucially, Meta’s social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram also do not let you login with Google credentials. After all, they are competitors. This raises questions about the usefulness of Google’s proposal to assure age across social media platforms as part of the government’s under-16s ban.

    Meanwhile, Google is also suggesting AI chatbots should be directly targeted and available to children under 13, creating something akin to a “social network of one”, which are out of scope of the ban.

    Rather than engage with Australian age verification systems, companies such as Apple and Google are promoting their own solutions which seem to prioritise keeping or adding users to their services, or passing responsibility elsewhere.

    For the targeted platforms that enable online social interactions, delay in engagement fits a broader pattern. For example, in January 2025, Mark Zuckerberg indicated Meta would push back more aggressively against international regulations that threaten its business model.

    A shift in internet regulation

    Australia’s approach to banning under-16s from using social media marks a significant shift in internet regulation. Rather than age-gating specific content such as porn or gambling, Australia is now targeting basic communication infrastructure – which is what social media have become.

    It centres the problem on children being children, rather than on social media business models.

    The result is limiting childrens’ digital rights with experimental technologies while doing little to address the source of perceived harm for all of us. It prioritises protection without considering children’s rights to access information and express themselves. This risks leaving the most vulnerable children being cut off from digital spaces essential to their success.

    Australia’s approach puts paternal politics ahead of technical and social reality. As we get closer to the ban taking effect, we’ll see how this approach to regulate social communication platforms offers young people respite from the platforms their parents fear – yet continue to use everyday for their own basic communication needs.

    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. A trial is testing ways to enforce Australia’s under-16s social media ban. But the tech is flawed – https://theconversation.com/a-trial-is-testing-ways-to-enforce-australias-under-16s-social-media-ban-but-the-tech-is-flawed-256332

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Viral ‘Hongdae boy’ videos expose the fringe group of South Korean men trying to sleep with foreign women

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanna Elfving-Hwang, Associate Professor (Korean Society and Culture), Dean International (Korea), Curtin University

    Shutterstock

    If you’re on TikTok, you may have come across “Hongdae boys” or “Hongdae guys” recently. In a social media context, the term refers to a group of young South Korean men who prey on foreign women (particularly white women) visiting the Hongdae area in Seoul’s Mapo district.

    Largely made viral by popular South Korean TikToker Sean Solo (@itsseansolo) creating parodies of these men, Hongdae boys are depicted as men who make brazen (and slightly awkward) attempts at picking up unsuspecting tourists or foreign students.

    Some of these women, who are often viewed as sexually “available”, have sometimes been inspired by K-dramas or K-pop idols to visit Korea in search of the perfect South Korean boyfriend.

    So what’s behind the rise of Hongdae boy videos? And is Seoul turning into a place to avoid if you’re a young female traveller? Well, no. But Sean Solo’s parodies of this recognisable type of South Korean man shouldn’t be dismissed as purely comedy.

    A trend warranting further attention

    Much of the funny viral Hongdae boy content is aimed squarely at foreign audiences. In fact, your average South Korean is more likely to associate the phrase “Hongdae man” (Hongdae namja) with the “Hongdae look” that showcases carefully curated streetwear inspired by hip-hop, rap and vintage elements.

    Hongdae, a famous nightlife spot, is very popular with foreign visitors and South Korean students. In the 1990s it became the cradle of the underground and indie music scene, and remains a buzzing centre for arts and culture.

    Come nighttime, however, it has a reputation for becoming hookup central. There are even “hunting bars” (hunting pocha) where single men and women can go to try and find a match.

    While Hongdae guys are by no means representative of all Korean men (a point Sean Solo emphasises) the fact these men exist, and have become a recognisable part of Hongdae’s nightlife, speaks to serious broader issues of misogyny and gendered thinking.

    Ongoing issues for South Korean women

    South Korea has a reputation for being socially conservative, and K-dramas have emphasised this squeaky clean image. But in recent years, a growing number of South Korean women have spoken out about issues of sexual harassment and violence, including a crisis of digital sex crimes.



    Read more:
    AI is fuelling a deepfake porn crisis in South Korea. What’s behind it – and how can it be fixed?

    This has led to public demonstrations expanding on the global #MeToo movement.

    We’ve also seen the rise of the so-called 4B movement (also called the “Four Nos”). Described as more of an individual lifestyle choice rather than an organised movement, the aim of 4B is to push back against societal standards imposed on South Korean women regarding marriage, childbirth and relationships.

    As Asian studies expert Min Joo Lee notes, foreign women who are married to Korean men and living in Korea are often exoticised as dutiful housewives aspiring for “tradition”, while South Korean women are seen as troublesome and demanding.

    Gender equality issues have also been used as a political football by some politicians. For instance, recently impeached President Suk Yeol Yoon’s 2022 presidential campaign relied on a narrative of male disempowerment to mobilise the vote of young, disaffected men.

    Another setback came in late 2023, when the Supreme Court delivered a final verdict in a case deemed significant for the country’s #MeToo movement. It involved Seo Ji-hyun, a former prosecutor who, in 2018, filed a lawsuit seeking damages against a former male senior prosecutor who she accused of sexual harassment and abuse of power. The court dismissed her claims.

    Foreign fantasies and reality

    For foreign women unaware of South Korea’s gender inequality issues, and who expect the sugar-coated image of Korean men they’ve seen in K-pop or K-dramas, the reality of the hookup culture may come as a shock.

    The disjuncture between reality and the foreign fantasy of South Korea has increasingly been of interest to social commentators and researchers like myself. My own research on the topic has identified a kind of “global Koreanness” that has taken on a life of its own in the imaginations of non-Korean fans overseas.

    The Hongdae boy narrative is similar to the 4B movement in that it is fuelled by attention from outside South Korea. While the 4B movement was widely reported in Western media, it was driven by a relatively small group of courageous women who didn’t actually get mainstream attention in South Korea.

    Nonetheless, having a spotlight on these women still amplified their struggle to fight back against gendered ideas of what’s expected of them. These are ideologies that might treat them as objects to be looked at and “consumed” (such as with K-pop idols), or expect them to prioritise marriage and childbearing, over their own careers, to address a declining population.

    Hongdae boy videos, both comedic and otherwise, may have a similar effect. They’re drawing attention to the gendered expectations many South Korean women face, and the ways in which they are dismissed in their pursuit for equality.

    Joanna Elfving-Hwang receives funding from the Core University Program for Korean Studies through the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and Korean Studies Promotion Service of the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS-2022-OLU-2250005).

    – ref. Viral ‘Hongdae boy’ videos expose the fringe group of South Korean men trying to sleep with foreign women – https://theconversation.com/viral-hongdae-boy-videos-expose-the-fringe-group-of-south-korean-men-trying-to-sleep-with-foreign-women-256475

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: So your primary school child has a ‘boyfriend’ or ‘girlfriend’. Should you be worried?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cher McGillivray, Assistant Professor in Psychology, Bond University

    Karhut/Shutterstock

    If you have a child in primary school you may not be expecting to help them manage romantic relationships. Surely this is an issue for the high school years?

    While young children do not experience romantic love in an adult sense, they can still express interest in having a “boyfriend” or “girlfriend”. Some children may talk about a “crush” or even say they are “dating” another child.

    Is this normal? Why do kids do this? And what are some healthy boundaries to talk about?

    Why do kids do this?

    It is quite normal for children in primary school to engage in playful relationships or express interest in having crushes or a “boyfriend” or “girlfriend”.

    This is a way for children to explore their world.

    At this stage of their development, different types of social interactions help children work out emotions and social norms in a safe and imaginative way. It also helps them practice social bonding (how we form close attachments to others) and understanding interpersonal dynamics.

    So, just as children might play games such as “mums and dads” or “sisters and brothers”, they might also play at having a boyfriend or girlfriend, or even stage a mock wedding ceremony.

    Are there other reasons?

    Children are of course also influenced by the movies, fairy tales, books and the TV they consume and by watching older siblings or students at school.

    Seeing Ariel and Prince Eric fall in love in The Little Mermaid may prompt children to act this out. Similarly they might act “spinjistu” moves in the playground after watching Ninjago.

    Psychologist Erik Erikson has also suggested children aged 5–12 are at a stage where they seek approval from adults and peers (approval from friends becomes even more important in high school). Having a “boyfriend” or “girlfriend” may be a way for children to feel socially competent and accepted.

    There could also be peer pressure involved. For example, “all the other Year 4 kids have a boyfriend at the moment, so I will have one too”.

    Children can be influenced by movies or stories they consume. And then act them out in play.
    Altrendo Images/ Shutterstock

    So what are some healthy boundaries to encourage?

    While playing at having boyfriends or girlfriends is quite normal during pre-puberty, it’s important to make sure children are staying within healthy boundaries.

    If they are expressing physical affection – such as hugging or holding hands – it’s important this is appropriate and everyone is consenting. The old playground game of “catch and kiss” is no longer OK, given kisses are effectively being forced on the player who is caught.

    Once children start puberty, childlike feelings of attachment can give way to romantic feelings and more intense relationships. This is when you might start to see children having “proper” relationships.

    At any stage of development, keep talking about what consent looks like, feels like and sounds like. This will vary depending on their age, but the basic principles remain the same.

    Throughout these conversations, emphasise no one ever has to do anything or be in a situation that makes them uncomfortable.

    Keep talking to your child about the importance of only touching friends or other people if they indicate it is OK.
    Monkey Business Images/ Shutterstock

    How can you talk to your child?

    When you are talking to your child, do not to make fun of their feelings or be angry with them.

    If they are exploring their feelings or being curious about relationships, it’s important they feel safe to do so without judgement. They should be able to talk about big or complex things without shame, embarrassment or fear of getting in trouble. Remember, a certain behaviour may not be appropriate, but the child themselves is not “weird” or “bad”.

    If a child feels as though they can’t talk about these feelings or issues, they may feel as thought they are the problem or they are “wrong”. This can lead to poor self-esteem.

    You could ask “what do you like about that friend?” to try and remove the label of boyfriend or girlfriend. It could help to talk about your own experiences, for example, “I had a few close friends in primary school and we did everything together rather than having a ‘boyfriend’ or ‘girlfriend’”.

    If you are worried something inappropriate is happening, you can talk to the parent of the other child or the school to get them to help encourage new boundaries for all the children involved.

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

    – ref. So your primary school child has a ‘boyfriend’ or ‘girlfriend’. Should you be worried? – https://theconversation.com/so-your-primary-school-child-has-a-boyfriend-or-girlfriend-should-you-be-worried-256111

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: How accurate are my medical records? You might be surprised how often errors creep in

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sheree Lloyd, Senior Lecturer in Health Services Management, University of Tasmania

    DC Studio/Shutterstock

    Medical records of hundreds of patients at a Sydney hospital’s cancer genetics service have been reviewed following irregularities related to care by a single specialist.

    According to St Vincent’s Hospital, in about 520 records, there were matters such as poor documentation, incomplete correspondence and a lack of genetic counselling.

    In about 20 records, there were errors that carried potential risk – even if, ultimately, there had been no harm to patients – such as providing incorrect information and advice.

    Every now and again, cases like these make the headlines. Some examples of flawed medical records relate to individual human error. Some relate to issues in how electronic patient record systems are designed.

    These and other reasons mean errors can arise when records are created, accessed and shared.

    A huge potential for errors

    Health-care records describe the symptoms, conditions or problems being treated. They contain details about a patient’s medication, diet, mobility, social history, family concerns, observations, test results and language spoken. Health-care workers also document the plan to restore health, and progress. So entries must be correct, complete and timely.

    However, the scale of health-related communication and documentation is vast.

    Each day on average in Australia there are more than 33,000 hospitalisations, more than 112,000 out-patient services provided and more than 24,000 visits to emergency departments.

    Each month there are millions of specialist letters and discharge summaries shared to My Health Record

    Every interaction with a health-care professional requires notes to be made in a medical record.

    For example, a patient in a metropolitan public hospital is likely to be seen by at least three teams of nurses in a day, two or more junior doctors or registrars, as well as a specialist. Physiotherapists, speech therapists and other allied health workers may also be involved in someone’s care. Health-care teams record notes on paper, in electronic health records or a combination.

    There are also the millions of medical records updated in general practice, or by allied health workers outside hospitals.

    In hospital, multiple staff work in a team, each needing to consult and update a patient’s medical record.
    Rido/Shutterstock

    What type of errors are common?

    Accurate and timely medical records are supposed to allow staff to make safe clinical decisions, and to provide high-quality and continuous care. However, errors have been discovered in several audits and studies, including those related to medications.

    One review looked at how adverse drug reactions were recorded in electronic health records at one large Australian hospital. It found half of the reactions recorded lacked the minimum information required to inform clinicians about future treatment. One-third of records misclassified the type of reaction.

    A study of medication charts in Australia and New Zealand found at least one simple error on the medication charts of about 94% of the records reviewed. These included illegible drug names, missing information and inadequate documentation of allergies.

    One study from the United States found written errors, such as unclear documentation or not using plain language, were among the most common communication errors in the records analysed.

    What happens when there are errors?

    Errors in health-care records can spread, affecting how health-care professionals communicate with each other about the patient, potentially affecting care.

    Missing or inaccurate records can affect evidence collected as part of criminal, coronial or medical negligence investigations.

    As some hospital funding relies on the number and types of patients and interventions recorded, inaccurate records can affect health budgets.

    With inaccurate records, national and international collection of correct health-care information can be compromised.

    What causes errors?

    Errors in health-care records are caused by missing or incomplete information, including when health-care workers do not document changes.

    Difficulty in quickly finding important information, or delays in reporting new information, can contribute to errors, misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. This could be due to the ease of use of the electronic health record, the bulky or disorganised paper record or that health workers are busy.

    Health-care teams report using a mixed record systems (using both paper and electronic records) can cause problems.

    Then there’s “note bloat”, when staff copy and paste information from one place to another. This allows wrong information to perpetuate. This is a well-known hazard leading to errors, stress and wasted time.

    Abbreviations used in health-care records, particularly in medication charts, can be misunderstood or misinterpreted.

    An Australian study found one in three medication errors were technology-related and due to poor design or functionality.

    A Swedish study involved patients reviewing notes in their own medical records. It found almost 36% of patients found an error and more than 26% found an omission. About 18% of patients were offended by the content of the notes.

    Errors can arise when there are both paper and electronic records.
    val lawless/Shutterstock

    What can we do?

    Improving the accuracy of medical records is not just health workers’ responsibility, although clearly they have a major role to play. Their workplaces, the IT companies that design the electronic systems, even patients, can also play a role.

    Health workers can make sure medical records are complete, accessible, accurate, readable and long-lasting.

    Workplaces, such as hospitals, can highlight in training and education the importance of documentation and how poor practices can lead to errors, and contribute to safety and quality problems.

    IT companies can design electronic health records that support how health workers need to communicate with each other, and the way they work.

    Patients can ask their health provider to correct errors found in their records, including in My Health Record.

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

    – ref. How accurate are my medical records? You might be surprised how often errors creep in – https://theconversation.com/how-accurate-are-my-medical-records-you-might-be-surprised-how-often-errors-creep-in-256233

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Meet the Space Ops Team: Christine Braden

    Source: NASA

    Christine Braden values new experiences that broaden her perspective; a mindset that has guided her 26-year career at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where she currently serves as a senior systems engineer in the Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program. In her role, Braden works with engineering teams to develop commercial space stations that will prioritize the safety of astronauts while maximizing cost-effectiveness and the scientific research capabilities onboard. 
    Managed by NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, the program supports the development of commercially owned and operated space stations in low Earth orbit from which the agency, along with other customers, can purchase services and stimulate the growth of commercial activities in space. Designing and developing these space stations is the first step of NASA’s two-phase approach, enabling the agency to certify stations and procure services as one of many customers.
    With a bachelor’s degree in Technical Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Braden brings a strong engineering foundation to her work. However, her role unique because it allows her to merge technical expertise with her creative instincts. 
    “My team must think outside the box to define new ways that ensure that the commercial providers’ technical integrations, requirements, development, and operations are designed to the highest degree possible,” said Braden.
    Recently, she proposed a certification and systems engineering architecture that redefines how companies will interface with NASA and each other in an evolving landscape. Braden’s hybrid approach strikes a balance, allowing companies to innovate while favoring shared assurance and accountability. It also gives NASA situational awareness of the companies’ design, tests, mission, and operational approaches. As a result of her efforts, Braden was recognized with an “On the Spot” award.

    Looking ahead, Braden envisions a world where commercial space stations are a hub for science and technology, spacecraft are more efficient, spaceflight is more accessible, humans are back on the Moon, and Mars is the next frontier. In reflecting on these agency-wide goals, Braden finds that working with passionate team members makes her day-to-day work truly special and enjoyable.
    “I am a part of a small, close-knit team that works together to make these advancements in space exploration happen for the world,” said Braden. “Working at NASA is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that not only defines my working life going forward but also provides me with an experience I can share with some truly amazing people.” 

    Christine Braden
    Senior Systems Engineer, Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program

    Outside of work, Braden is inspired by her faith, which encourages her to see things from new perspectives and try to understand people from all walks of life. Additionally, Braden is a lifelong learner who loves listening to podcasts, watching documentaries, and reading web articles. She is eager to learn everything from music and dance to plants and animals. 
    “When I look through scientific websites where new planets and galaxies are discovered, it makes me think of ways humanity may expand itself to the stars, and ways that we can preserve the life we have here on Earth,” said Braden.
    On the topic of preservation, one of Braden’s many hobbies is antique restoration. “It reminds me of my dad and grandfather restoring homes together during my childhood and gives me hope that I can inspire my children as they watch me follow in our family’s footsteps,” said Braden. Her other hobbies include gardening and family activities such as puzzles, board games, watching television, playing video games, hunting, and traveling.
    As a driven individual known for her creativity and curiosity, Braden’s fresh ideas and spirit are key in guiding the agency’s progress into new frontiers. 
    NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate maintains a continuous human presence in space for the benefit of people on Earth. The programs within the directorate are the hub of NASA’s space exploration efforts, enabling Artemis, commercial space, science, and other agency missions through communication, launch services, research capabilities, and crew support.
    To learn more about NASA’s Space Operation Mission Directorate, visit: 
    https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/space-operations

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement from Governor Josh Stein on Proposed Cuts to SNAP

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Statement from Governor Josh Stein on Proposed Cuts to SNAP

    Statement from Governor Josh Stein on Proposed Cuts to SNAP
    lsaito

    Raleigh, NC

    Today Governor Josh Stein released the following statement on proposed federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): 

    “SNAP helps 1.4 million North Carolinians put food on the table. Congress’s proposed cuts are unprecedented and would make North Carolina pay up to $700 million to continue current benefits, all so that the wealthiest Americans can receive even bigger tax cuts. If Congress goes forward with these plans, our state will be forced into perilous budget decisions – should North Carolinians lose access to food, or should we get rid of other essential services? I urge our members of Congress to reject this budget proposal so that North Carolina families don’t go hungry.” 

    Currently, the federal government covers 100% of food benefits for SNAP participants. Now, Congress has proposed shifting food benefit costs to states for the first time in the program’s history. North Carolina footing $700 million in SNAP benefits for the first time would be the equivalent of 8,900 K-12 public school teacher positions.

    Four in five families participating in SNAP in NC have either a child, a senior, or an adult with a disability in the household. Each dollar in support for paying for groceries through SNAP frees up household resources for other essential needs like rent, utilities, or child care.

    SNAP contributes nearly $2.8 billion to North Carolina’s economy, and has a multiplier effect, with every $1 invested in SNAP benefits generating between $1.50 and $1.80 for local economies. SNAP cuts would mean people have less to spend at NC’s more than 9,200 SNAP retailers, which would hurt farmers, the larger food distribution pipeline, and local economies overall, especially in rural areas and small towns.    

    SNAP is playing a vital role in supporting western North Carolinians impacted by Hurricane Helene. The 25 western NC counties most impacted by Helene still have higher enrollment in SNAP in April 2025 than they did in September 2024 before the storm hit. Notably, immediately after the storm, SNAP received169,000 applications – the highest number of applications since Hurricane Florence in 2018.

    Last week, Governor Stein sent a letter to Congress laying out the implications for North Carolina if SNAP cuts move forward. Click here to read his letter. 

    Click here to learn more about the impact of proposed SNAP cuts on North Carolina.

    Click here to view county enrollment data for the SNAP program. 

    May 15, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Legislation considered under suspension of the Rules of the House of Representatives during the week of May 19, 2025

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives announces bills that will be considered under suspension of the rules in that chamber. Under suspension, floor debate is limited, all floor amendments are prohibited, points of order against the bill are waived, and final passage requires a two-thirds majority vote.

    At the request of the Majority Leader and the House Committee on the Budget, CBO estimates the effects of those bills on direct spending and revenues. CBO has limited time to review the legislation before consideration. Although it is possible in most cases to determine whether the legislation would affect direct spending or revenues, time may be insufficient to estimate the magnitude of those effects. If CBO has prepared estimates for similar or identical legislation, a more detailed assessment of budgetary effects, including effects on spending subject to appropriation, may be included.

    CBO’s estimates of the bills that have been posted for possible consideration under suspension of the rules during the week of May 19, 2025, include:

    • H.R. 217, CHIP IN for Veterans Act of 2025, as amended
    • H.R. 658, To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish qualifications for the appointment of a person as a marriage and family therapist, qualified to provide clinical supervision, in the Veterans Health Administration.
    • H.R. 1147, Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act, as amended
    • H.R. 1223, ANCHOR Act
    • H.R. 1263, Strengthening the Quad Act
    • H.R. 1286, Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act, as amended
    • H.R. 1364, ASSIST Act of 2025, as amended
    • H.R. 1453, Clean Energy Demonstration Transparency Act of 2025
    • H.R. 1578, Veterans Claims Education Act of 2025, as amended
    • H.R. 1701, Strategic Ports Reporting Act
    • H.R. 1815, VA Home Loan Program Reform Act, as amended
    • H.R. 1823, VA Budget Shortfall Accountability Act, as amended
    • H.R. 1969, No Wrong Door for Veterans Act, as amended
    • H.R. 2201, Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma Claims Act, as amended

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The rebrand that went full circle: HBO Max to New HBO Max

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Omar H. Fares, Lecturer of Marketing in the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Wilfrid Laurier University

    The HBO Max rebrand saga highlights how quickly brand equity can be undermined when recognition cues are disrupted. (Shutterstock)

    Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) recently announced the streaming app Max will revert to the name HBO Max this summer. The move comes only two years after HBO was dropped from the brand name.

    The announcement has sparked a wave of commentary of social media, including self-aware humour. HBO’s social media team posted memes from shows like Friends and Euphoria, joking that the company had finally “come home.”

    HBO Max launched in 2020, promising big-budget series alongside the Warner film catalogue. In May 2023, the service’s name was shortened to “Max” after the US$43 billion merger that created Warner Bros. Discovery.

    Many viewers and analysts questioned the loss of a label long associated with award-winning television. When WBD CEO David Zaslav announced the return to HBO Max on May 14, he argued the original three letters still carry unique weight with audiences worldwide.

    The major U-turn offers a clear lesson for marketers: when a rename threatens familiarity, consistency and clear messaging, customers will push back.

    Brand familiarity: A memory shortcut

    The HBO Max rebrand saga highlights how quickly brand equity can be undermined when recognition cues are disrupted. Although the 2023 name change aimed to reflect a broader content mix, it unintentionally distanced the platform from its most recognizable asset.

    HBO, as both a name and a legacy, had become shorthand for a specific kind of quality — one that audiences weren’t ready to see stripped away.

    Brand familiarity may be described as the ease with which consumers recognize, recall and understand a name based on prior experience. In marketing, brand familiarity is a key factor in driving consumer confidence and supporting stronger emotional ties.

    In other words, when the existing memory structures are already in place, it reduces the cognitive effort that typically results in a more favourable action. Dropping “HBO,” a label linked to award-winning dramas for decades, removed a trusted shortcut and left viewers asking whether the service had changed its focus.

    Consistency as a pillar of trust

    One of the key drivers of brand engagement is brand consistency, which is the uniform application of brand elements such as colours, logo and tone. This consistency is typically associated with trust and loyalty.

    The shift from HBO Max to Max disrupted this consistency, leading to confusion about the platform’s identity and offerings. Consumers who associated HBO with certain types of content were unsure what to expect from Max.

    To make matters even more challenging, Max not only changed its name but shifted from the purple-and-black palette of HBO Max to blue, then to silver-on-black before finally circling back. Each redesign forced viewers to get used to a new look and tone, eroding the sense of continuity that subscription services rely on.

    Keeping the audience informed

    Missteps in messaging can sink even well-researched rebrands. Communications firm Edelman’s 2023 Trust Barometer points out that silence during change amplifies speculation and negative assumptions.

    The quick collapse of Gap’s 2010 logo makeover offers a classic example. The retailer unveiled a new mark without preparation, then reverted within a week after a backlash.

    A direct parallel can be drawn between that episode and the confusion that followed the Max launch, where any reasoned arguments for the shorter name never reached much of the audience.

    By contrast, the 2025 reversal was accompanied by plain statements from Warner Bros. Discovery, intensive press outreach and humour that admitted the misstep which is a communication style more likely to rebuild trust.

    Lessons for marketers

    Customer research should always precede radical changes to familiar signals, because the goodwill embedded in a long-running name is not easily replicated.

    Any shift in title or visual identity must be matched by consistent deployment across every touch point, from app icons to ad copy, otherwise confusion undercuts the strategy.

    Finally, customer perceptions cannot be an afterthought. Clear, timely messages that are supported by a tone that suits the brand’s personality will help audiences understand what is changing and why it benefits them, turning potential backlash into renewed engagement.

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

    – ref. The rebrand that went full circle: HBO Max to New HBO Max – https://theconversation.com/the-rebrand-that-went-full-circle-hbo-max-to-new-hbo-max-256777

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Eric Branderiz Joins Symbotic’s Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WILMINGTON, Mass., May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Symbotic Inc. (Nasdaq: SYM), a leader in A.I.-enabled robotics technology for the supply chain, today announced the election of Eric Branderiz to its Board of Directors, effective May 14, 2025.

    Mr. Branderiz joins Symbotic’s Board following a nearly 30-year career in public and private company finance and accounting, including in high-growth environments in industrial technology. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Enphase Energy. Prior to Enphase Energy, Mr. Branderiz was Vice President, Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer at Tesla. He has held senior finance and accounting roles at SunPower Corporation, Knowledge Universe Corporation, Spansion and Advanced Micro Devices, after beginning his career at Ernst & Young.

    “On behalf of the Board, I am thrilled to welcome Eric to Symbotic,” said Rick Cohen, Chairman and CEO of Symbotic. “Eric brings deep financial expertise and a track record of success, guiding companies through critical stages of growth and playing a pivotal role in helping newly public organizations to achieve significantly greater scale. I look forward to working with him as we continue bringing our cutting-edge robotics and A.I.-powered automation technology to diverse customers and settings globally.”

    “I’m honored to join Symbotic’s Board at such an exciting point in the company’s trajectory,” said Mr. Branderiz. “Symbotic is a leader in its field with one-of-a-kind automation technology, and I look forward to leveraging my experience at growth-oriented technology companies to support Symbotic’s continued innovation and its rapid momentum.”

    Mr. Branderiz currently serves on the Board of Directors of Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation and Fortive Corporation. He is a Certified Public Accountant in California, and received his bachelor’s degree in Business Commerce with an emphasis on Accounting from The University of Alberta.

    About Symbotic

    Symbotic is an automation technology leader reimagining the supply chain with its end-to-end, A.I.-powered robotic and software platform. Symbotic reinvents the warehouse as a strategic asset for the world’s largest retail, wholesale, and food & beverage companies. Applying next-generation technology, high-density storage and machine learning to solve today’s complex distribution challenges, Symbotic enables companies to move goods with unmatched speed, agility, accuracy and efficiency. As the backbone of commerce, Symbotic transforms the flow of goods and the economics of the supply chain for its customers. For more information, visit www.symbotic.com.

    Media Contact
    mediainquiry@symbotic.com

    Investor Contact
    Charlie Anderson
    Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Development
    ir@symbotic.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: BIO-key Reports Q1’25 Revenue of $1.6M and Improved Cash Position of $3.1M; Hosts Investor Call Tomorrow, Friday May 16th at 10am ET

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOLMDEL, N.J., May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BIO-key® International, Inc. (Nasdaq: BKYI), an innovative provider of workforce and customer Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions featuring passwordless, phoneless and tokenless Identity-Bound Biometric (IBB) authentication, announced results for its first quarter (Q1’25). BIO-key will host an investor call tomorrow, Friday, May 16th at 10:00am ET (details below).

    BIO-key CEO, Mike DePasquale commented, “Our revenue rose approximately 10% sequentially vs. Q4’24, as we continue our transition to selling high-margin BIO-key branded products in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Year-over-year revenue decreased 25% due to a $1.2M two-year contract with a long-term financial services customer we closed in Q1’24, as compared to $690k recorded in Q1’25 from the customer’s addition of incremental biometric capabilities. We expect revenue from this customer to increase significantly in the next two-year period commencing in 2026, due to their expanding deployment and the addition of our one-to-many fingerprint-only biometric ID system that requires no card or account number for client Identification.

    “Our gross margin remained healthy in Q1 at 83%, and we reduced our selling, general and administrative expense by 23% year-over-year. Our cash position increased substantially to $3.1M reflecting proceeds from warrant exercises early in Q1’25. Since December 31, we have also reduced the principal balance on our outstanding note payable. These balance sheet improvements provide solid footing for BIO-key as we pursue new growth opportunities.”

    Q1 Highlights

    Mr. DePasquale continued, “Moving forward, we are seeing growing traction for our identity bound biometric solutions in defense/security and financial services applications that require the highest levels of security. In these use cases, our customers are drawn to our unique ability to authenticate the individual seeking data or network access rather than alternate factors that are far more prone to being compromised. We now support secure biometric authentication for a number of national and international defense and police organizations and are working to leverage these powerful endorsements in our business development efforts.

    “We continue to build our base of government and government related customers who appreciate the flexibility, ease of use and ability to support multiple authentication factors that create a compelling return on investment profile. We see growing interest in our unique passwordless, phoneless and tokenless authentication solutions, which meet the most pressing security and usability challenges.

    “We have built a solid presence in state, local and educational (SLED) markets domestically, as we now serve over 100 institutions with over 4M end users. In Q1’25 the Wyoming Department of Education deployed PortalGuard IDaaS, adding up to 20,000 SaaS end users. Additionally, many existing higher ed customers are migrating from our on-premises solution to PortalGuard IDaaS, further expanding our base of recurring revenue.

    “Building on this, we executed a strategic partnership and Joint Purchase Agreement in Q1’25 with California’s Education Technology Joint Powers Authority (Ed Tech JPA), resulting in PortalGuard becoming an approved solution for the alliance’s 195 K-12 schools and districts, servicing over 2.6M students. Importantly, BIO-key solutions are uniquely positioned to comply with California’s Phone-Free Schools Act (AB-1326) policies limiting or prohibiting smartphone use in schools by July 2026. Most competing solutions rely on phone authenticators or hardware security keys, neither of which are practical solutions for schools.

    “From a strategic standpoint, we are excited about the revenue and margin potential in EMEA now that we have refocused our efforts on BIO-key solutions in those markets. Our transition away from Swivel Secure licensed solutions beginning in the second half of 2024 resulted in some challenging year-over-year revenue comparisons but we fully expect to return our EMEA performance to growth and enhanced margins over the remainder of 2025.

    “Based on the security, flexibility, ease of deployment and compelling ROI provided by our solutions, we feel well positioned to deliver improved top- and bottom-line results in 2025. However, given the timing of large customer orders or renewals, our financial performance is likely to fluctuate on a quarter-to-quarter basis. Given increasing interest in our biometric solutions, growing adoption of passwordless, phoneless and tokenless IAM solutions, our improved balance sheet, strong margin profile, and revenue traction in EMEA markets, we are very optimistic about our growth outlook. We also continue to seek opportunities to reduce costs and lower our breakeven level to support our path to positive cash flow and profitability.”

    Financial Results

    Total revenues decreased to $1,607,159 in Q1’25 from $2,181,203, mainly due to the impact of $1.2M in Q1’24 revenue from a 2-year renewal contract with a long-term financial services customer vs. $690k from this customer in Q1’25. License fee revenue decreased to $1,098,758 in Q1’25 from $1,950,434 a year ago, reflecting the variance in revenue from the long-term financial services customer, as well as the impact on revenue of transitioning from selling third-party Swivel Secure products and services to BIO-key products, in the EMEA region.

    Service revenues increased to $272,598 in Q1’25 from $213,122 in Q1’24, including approximately $265,000 and $193,000, respectively, of recurring maintenance and support revenue, and $8,000 and $20,000, respectively, of non-recurring custom services revenue. The recurring revenue increase of $72,000 or 37% was due to incremental support services for a large customer service agreement. Non-recurring custom services decreased due to the removal of a large Swivel Secure customer.

    Hardware sales increased to $235,803 in Q1’25 from $17,647 in Q1’24, due largely to increased purchases of fingerprint biometric scanners in support of certain customers’ expanded deployments in Q1’25.

    Gross profit decreased to $1,327,661 in Q1’25 from $1,881,560 in Q1’24, reflecting gross margins of 82.6% and 86.3%, respectively. The gross profit decline is due primarily to lower revenue in Q1’25 as well as the impact of higher levels of lower margin hardware revenue.

    BIO-key reduced its Q1’25 operating expenses by $422,195 to $1,968,299 from $2,390,494 in Q1’24, due to reductions of $410,449 in SG&A and $11,746 in research, development and engineering. Q1’25 SG&A expenses decreased 23% to $1,372,524 from $1,782,973 in Q1’24, reflecting reductions in administration, sales personnel costs, and professional service fees. The RD&E decrease was due primarily to lower rent costs.

    Reflecting lower revenues which was partially offset by lower operating costs, BIO-key’s Q1’25 net loss increased to $736,545, or ($0.16) per share, as compared to $510,285, or ($0.32) per share, in Q1’24.

    Balance Sheet

    As of March 31, 2025, BIO-key’s total current assets improved to $4.6M, including $3.1M of cash and cash equivalents, $0.8M of net accounts receivable and due from factor, and approximately $358,000 of inventory. This compares to total current assets of $1.9M at December 31, 2024, including approximately $438,000 of cash and cash equivalents, $0.8M of net accounts receivable and due from factor, and $378,000 of inventory.

    Conference Call Details

    Date / Time: Friday, May 16th at 10 a.m. ET
    Call Dial In #: 1-877-418-5460 U.S. or 1-412-717-9594 Int’l
    Live Webcast / Replay: Webcast & Replay Link – Available for 3 months.
    Audio Replay: 1-877-344-7529 U.S. or 1-412-317-0088 Int’l; code 6501265
       


    About BIO-key International, Inc.     (www.BIO-key.com)

    BIO-key is revolutionizing authentication and cybersecurity with biometric-centric, multi-factor identity and access management (IAM) software securing access for over forty million users. BIO-key allows customers to choose the right authentication factors for diverse use cases, including phoneless, tokenless, and passwordless biometric options. Its hosted or on-premise PortalGuard IAM solution provides cost-effective, easy-to-deploy, convenient, and secure access to computers, information, applications, and high-value transactions.

    BIO-key Safe Harbor Statement

    All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical facts are “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”). The words “estimate,” “project,” “intends,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are made based on management’s beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management pursuant to the “safe-harbor” provisions of the Act. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those included within or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, our history of losses and limited revenue; our ability to raise additional capital to satisfy working capital needs; our ability to continue as a going concern; our ability to protect our intellectual property; changes in business conditions; changes in our sales strategy and product development plans; changes in the marketplace; continued services of our executive management team; security breaches; competition in the biometric technology and identity access management industries; market acceptance of biometric products generally and our products under development; our ability to convert sales opportunities to customer contracts; our ability to expand into Asia, Africa and other foreign markets; our ability to migrate Swivel Secure customers to BIO-key and Portal Guard offerings; our ability to execute definitive agreements with Fiber Food Systems and/or its customers to utilize our access management solutions; our ability to integrate our solutions into any of Fiber Food System’s offerings; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the duration and extent of continued hostilities in Ukraine and its impact on our European customers; the impact of tariffs and other trade barriers which may make it more costly for us to import inventory from China and Hong Kong and certain product components from South Korea; delays in the development of products, the commercial, reputational and regulatory risks to our business that may arise as a consequence of the restatement of our financial statements, including any consequences of non-compliance with Securities and Exchange Commission and Nasdaq periodic reporting requirements; our temporary loss of the use of a Registration Statement on Form S-3 to register securities in the future; any disruption to our business that may occur on a longer-term basis should we be unable to continue to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting, and statements of assumption underlying any of the foregoing as well as other factors set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and other filings with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to disclose any revision to these forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

    Engage with BIO-key


    Investor Contacts

    William Jones, David Collins
    Catalyst IR
    BKYI@catalyst-ir.com or 212-924-9800

    BIO-KEY INTERNATIONAL, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
    (Unaudited)
     
        Three Months Ended  
        March 31,  
        2025     2024  
    Revenues                
    Services   $ 272,598     $ 213,122  
    License fees     1,098,758       1,950,434  
    Hardware     235,803       17,647  
    Total revenues     1,607,159       2,181,203  
    Costs and other expenses                
    Cost of services     98,144       138,849  
    Cost of license fees     72,885       148,221  
    Cost of hardware     108,469       12,573  
    Total costs and other expenses     279,498       299,643  
    Gross profit     1,327,661       1,881,560  
                     
    Operating Expenses                
    Selling, general and administrative     1,372,524       1,782,973  
    Research, development and engineering     595,775       607,521  
    Total Operating Expenses     1,968,299       2,390,494  
    Operating loss     (640,638 )     (508,934 )
    Other income (expense)                
    Interest income     3       5  
    Loan fee amortization     (60,000 )     –  
    Interest expense     (35,910 )     (1,356 )
    Total other income (expense), net     (95,907 )     (1,351 )
                     
    Loss before provision for income tax     (736,545 )     (510,285 )
                     
    Provision for (income tax) tax benefit     –       –  
                     
    Net loss   $ (736,545 )   $ (510,285 )
                     
    Comprehensive loss:                
    Net loss   $ (736,545 )   $ (510,285 )
    Other comprehensive income (loss) – Foreign currency translation adjustment     6,803       (62,275 )
    Comprehensive loss   $ (729,742 )   $ (572,560 )
                     
    Basic and Diluted Loss per Common Share   $ (0.16 )   $ (0.32 )
                     
    Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding:                
    Basic and diluted     4,702,421       1,615,323  
     
    BIO-KEY INTERNATIONAL, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
     
        March 31,     December 31,  
        2025     2024  
        (Unaudited)          
    ASSETS                
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 3,133,752     $ 437,604  
    Accounts receivable, net     803,277       718,229  
    Due from factor     40,450       74,170  
    Inventory     357,842       378,307  
    Prepaid expenses and other     254,285       278,648  
    Total current assets     4,589,606       1,886,958  
    Equipment and leasehold improvements, net     122,986       140,198  
    Capitalized contract costs, net     375,705       409,426  
    Deposits and other assets     7,976       7,976  
    Operating lease right-of-use assets     67,142       73,372  
    Investments     5,000,000       5,000,000  
    Intangible assets, net     1,020,261       1,097,630  
    Total non-current assets     6,594,070       6,728,602  
    TOTAL ASSETS   $ 11,183,676     $ 8,615,560  
                     
    LIABILITIES                
    Accounts payable   $ 568,836     $ 818,187  
    Accrued liabilities     1,042,411       1,278,732  
    Note payable     762,151       1,525,977  
    Government loan – BBVA Bank, current portion     138,667       132,731  
    Deferred revenue, current     928,291       773,267  
    Operating lease liabilities, current portion     25,260       24,642  
    Total current liabilities     3,465,616       4,553,536  
    Deferred revenue, long term     136,931       196,237  
    Government loan – BBVA Bank – net of current portion     11,666       44,762  
    Operating lease liabilities, net of current portion     42,410       48,994  
    Total non-current liabilities     191,007       289,993  
    TOTAL LIABILITIES     3,656,623       4,843,529  
                     
    Commitments and Contingencies                
                     
    STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY                
                     
    Common stock — authorized, 170,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding; 5,814,041 and 3,715,483 of $.0001 par value at March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively     582       372  
    Additional paid-in capital     137,514,825       133,030,271  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     56,093       49,290  
    Accumulated deficit     (130,044,447 )     (129,307,902 )
    TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY     7,527,053       3,772,031  
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY   $ 11,183,676     $ 8,615,560  
     
    BIO-KEY INTERNATIONAL, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
    (Unaudited)
     
        Three Months Ended March 31,  
        2025     2024  
                     
    CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:                
    Net loss   $ (736,545 )   $ (510,285 )
    Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used for operating activities:                
    Depreciation     21,782       23,808  
    Amortization of intangible assets     76,245       78,005  
    Amortization of capitalized contract costs     46,545       38,665  
    Amortization of Note Payable     60,000       –  
    Interest payable on Note     35,173       –  
    Operating leases right-of-use assets     6,230       13,686  
    Share and warrant-based compensation for employees and consultants     52,488       47,790  
    Stock based directors’ fees     9,002       9,003  
    Bad debts     15,000       100,000  
    Change in assets and liabilities:                
    Accounts receivable     (85,048 )     399,749  
    Due from factor     33,720       91,070  
    Capitalized contract costs     (12,824 )     (158,005 )
    Inventory     20,465       5,545  
    Prepaid expenses and other     24,363       (63,513 )
    Accounts payable     (259,571 )     (116,012 )
    Accrued liabilities     (236,321 )     (104,257 )
    Deferred revenue     95,718       455,868  
    Operating lease liabilities     (1,734 )     (14,033 )
    Net cash used in operating activities     (835,312 )     297,084  
    CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:                
    Capital expenditures     (4,570 )     (1,869 )
    Net cash used in investing activities     (4,570 )     (1,869 )
    CASH FLOW FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:                
    Offering costs     (248,783 )     (13,470 )
    Proceeds for exercise of warrants     3,813,057       1,400  
    Receipt of cash from Employee stock purchase plan     –       –  
    Repayment of government loan     (35,047 )     (41,821 )
    Net cash used in financing activities     3,529,227       (53,891 )
                     
    Effect of exchange rate changes     6,803       (62,275 )
                     
    NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS     2,696,148       179,049  
    CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF PERIOD     437,604       511,400  
    CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF PERIOD   $ 3,133,752     $ 690,449  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Satellite Images Could Provide Early Volcano Warnings 

    Source: NASA

    Scientists know that changing tree leaves can indicate when a nearby volcano is becoming more active and might erupt. In a new collaboration between NASA and the Smithsonian Institution, scientists now believe they can detect these changes from space.
    As volcanic magma ascends through the Earth’s crust, it releases carbon dioxide and other gases which rise to the surface. Trees that take up the carbon dioxide become greener and more lush. These changes are visible in images from NASA satellites such as Landsat 8, along with airborne instruments flown as part of the Airborne Validation Unified Experiment: Land to Ocean (AVUELO).
    Ten percent of the world’s population lives in areas susceptible to volcanic hazards. People who live or work within a few miles of an eruption face dangers that include ejected rock, dust, and surges of hot, toxic gases. Further away, people and property are susceptible to mudslides, ashfalls, and tsunamis that can follow volcanic blasts. There’s no way to prevent volcanic eruptions, which makes the early signs of volcanic activity crucial for public safety. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, NASA’s Landsat mission partner, the United States is one of the world’s most volcanically active countries.

    When magma rises underground before an eruption, it releases gases, including carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. The sulfur compounds are readily detectable from orbit. But the volcanic carbon dioxide emissions that precede sulfur dioxide emissions – and provide one of the earliest indications that a volcano is no longer dormant – are difficult to distinguish from space. 
    The remote detection of carbon dioxide greening of vegetation potentially gives scientists another tool — along with seismic waves and changes in ground height—to get a clear idea of what’s going on underneath the volcano. “Volcano early warning systems exist,” said volcanologist Florian Schwandner, chief of the Earth Science Division at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, who had teamed up with Fisher and Bogue a decade ago. “The aim here is to make them better and make them earlier.”
    “Volcanoes emit a lot of carbon dioxide,” said volcanologist Robert Bogue of McGill University in Montreal, but there’s so much existing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that it’s often hard to measure the volcanic carbon dioxide specifically. While major eruptions can expel enough carbon dioxide to be measurable from space with sensors like NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2, detecting these much fainter advanced warning signals has remained elusive.  “A volcano emitting the modest amounts of carbon dioxide that might presage an eruption isn’t going to show up in satellite imagery,” he added.

    Because of this, scientists must trek to volcanoes to measure carbon dioxide directly. However, many of the roughly 1,350 potentially active volcanoes worldwide are in remote locations or challenging mountainous terrain. That makes monitoring carbon dioxide at these sites labor-intensive, expensive, and sometimes dangerous. 
    Volcanologists like Bogue have joined forces with botanists and climate scientists to look at trees to monitor volcanic activity. “The whole idea is to find something that we could measure instead of carbon dioxide directly,” Bogue said, “to give us a proxy to detect changes in volcano emissions.”
    “There are plenty of satellites we can use to do this kind of analysis,” said volcanologist Nicole Guinn of the University of Houston. She has compared images collected with Landsat 8, NASA’s Terra satellite, ESA’s (European Space Agency) Sentinel-2, and other Earth-observing satellites to monitor trees around the Mount Etna volcano on the coast of Sicily. Guinn’s study is the first to show a strong correlation between tree leaf color and magma-generated carbon dioxide.
    Confirming accuracy on the ground that validates the satellite imagery is a challenge that climate scientist Josh Fisher of Chapman University is tackling with surveys of trees around volcanoes. During the March 2025 Airborne Validation Unified Experiment: Land to Ocean mission with NASA and the Smithsonian Institution scientists deployed a spectrometer on a research plane to analyze the colors of plant life in Panama and Costa Rica.

    Fisher directed a group of investigators who collected leaf samples from trees near the active Rincon de la Vieja volcano in Costa Rica while also measuring carbon dioxide levels. “Our research is a two-way interdisciplinary intersection between ecology and volcanology,” Fisher said. “We’re interested not only in tree responses to volcanic carbon dioxide as an early warning of eruption, but also in how much the trees are able to take up, as a window into the future of the Earth when all of Earth’s trees are exposed to high levels of carbon dioxide.”
    Relying on trees as proxies for volcanic carbon dioxide has its limitations. Many volcanoes feature climates that don’t support enough trees for satellites to image. In some forested environments, trees that respond differently to changing carbon dioxide levels. And fires, changing weather conditions, and plant diseases can complicate the interpretation of satellite data on volcanic gases.

    Still, Schwandner has witnessed the potential benefits of volcanic carbon dioxide observations first-hand. He led a team that upgraded the monitoring network at Mayon volcano in the Philippines to include carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide sensors. In December 2017, government researchers in the Philippines used this system to detect signs of an impending eruption and advocated for mass evacuations of the area around the volcano. Over 56,000 people were safely evacuated before a massive eruption began on January 23, 2018. As a result of the early warnings, there were no casualties.
    Using satellites to monitor trees around volcanoes would give scientists earlier insights into more volcanoes and offer earlier warnings of future eruptions. “There’s not one signal from volcanoes that’s a silver bullet,” Schwandner said. “And tracking the effects of volcanic carbon dioxide on trees will not be a silver bullet. But it will be something that could change the game.”
    By James RiordonNASA’s Earth Science News Team
    Media contact: Elizabeth VlockNASA Headquarters

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Selects Student Teams for Drone Hurricane Response and Cybersecurity Research

    Source: NASA

    NASA has selected two more university student teams to help address real-world aviation challenges, through projects aimed at using drones for hurricane relief and improved protection of air traffic systems from cyber threats. 
    The research awards were made through NASA’s University Student Research Challenge (USRC), which provides student-led teams with opportunities to contribute their novel ideas to advance NASA’s Aeronautics research priorities.   
    As part of USRC, students participate in real-world aspects of innovative aeronautics research both in and out of the laboratory.  
    “USRC continues to be a way for students to push the boundary on exploring the possibilities of tomorrow’s aviation industry.” said Steven Holz, who manages the USRC award process. “For some, this is their first opportunity to engage with NASA. For others, they may be taking their ideas from our Gateways to Blue Skies competition and bringing them closer to reality.” 
    In the case of one of the new awardees, North Carolina State University in Raleigh applied for their USRC award after refining a concept that made them a finalist in NASA’s 2024 Gateways to Blue Skies competition.  
    Each team of students selected for a USRC award receives a NASA grant up to $80,000 and is tasked with raising additional funds through student-led crowdfunding. This process helps students develop skills in entrepreneurship and public communication. 
    The new university teams and research topics are: 
    North Carolina State University in Raleigh 
    “Reconnaissance and Emergency Aircraft for Critical Hurricane Relief” will develop and deploy advanced Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) designed to locate, communicate with, and deliver critical supplies to stranded individuals in the wake of natural disasters. 
    The team includes Tobias Hullette (team lead), Jose Vizcarrondo, Rishi Ghosh, Caleb Gobel, Lucas Nicol, Ajay Pandya, Paul Randolph, and Hadie Sabbah, with faculty mentor Felix Ewere. 
    Texas A&M University, in College Station 
    “Context-Aware Cybersecurity for UAS Traffic Management” will develop, test, and pursue the implementation of an aviation-context-aware network authentication system for the holistic management of cybersecurity threats to enable future drone traffic control systems.  
    The team includes Vishwam Raval (team lead), Nick Truong, Oscar Leon, Kevin Lei, Garett Haynes, Michael Ades, Sarah Lee, and Aidan Spira, with faculty mentor Sandip Roy. 
    Complete details on USRC awardees and solicitations, such as what to include in a proposal and how to submit it, are available on the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate solicitation page. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA, French SWOT Satellite Offers Big View of Small Ocean Features

    Source: NASA

    The international mission collects two-dimensional views of smaller waves and currents that are bringing into focus the ocean’s role in supporting life on Earth.
    Small things matter, at least when it comes to ocean features like waves and eddies. A recent NASA-led analysis using data from the SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) satellite found that ocean features as small as a mile across potentially have a larger impact on the movement of nutrients and heat in marine ecosystems than previously thought.
    Too small to see well with previous satellites but too large to see in their entirety with ship-based instruments, these relatively small ocean features fall into a category known as the submesoscale. The SWOT satellite, a joint effort between NASA and the French space agency CNES (Centre National d’Études Spatiales), can observe these features and is demonstrating just how important they are, driving much of the vertical transport of things like nutrients, carbon, energy, and heat within the ocean. They also influence the exchange of gases and energy between the ocean and atmosphere.
    “The role that submesoscale features play in ocean dynamics is what makes them important,” said Matthew Archer, an oceanographer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Some of these features are called out in the animation below, which was created using SWOT sea surface height data.

    [embedded content]
    This animation shows small ocean features — including internal waves and eddies — derived from SWOT observations in the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. White and lighter blue represent higher ocean surface heights compared to darker blue areas. The purple colors shown in one location represent ocean current speeds.NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio

    “Vertical currents move heat between the atmosphere and ocean, and in submesoscale eddies, can actually bring up heat from the deep ocean to the surface, warming the atmosphere,” added Archer, who is a coauthor on the submesoscale analysis published in April in the journal Nature. Vertical circulation can also bring up nutrients from the deep sea, supplying marine food webs in surface waters like a steady stream of food trucks supplying festivalgoers.
    “Not only can we see the surface of the ocean at 10 times the resolution of before, we can also infer how water and materials are moving at depth,” said Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, SWOT program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
    Fundamental Force
    Researchers have known about these smaller eddies, or circular currents, and waves for decades. From space, Apollo astronauts first spotted sunlight glinting off small-scale eddies about 50 years ago. And through the years, satellites have captured images of submesoscale ocean features, providing limited information such as their presence and size. Ship-based sensors or instruments dropped into the ocean have yielded a more detailed view of submesoscale features, but only for relatively small areas of the ocean and for short periods of time.
    The SWOT satellite measures the height of water on nearly all of Earth’s surface, including the ocean and freshwater bodies, at least once every 21 days. The satellite gives researchers a multidimensional view of water levels, which they can use to calculate, for instance, the slope of a wave or eddy. This in turn yields information on the amount of pressure, or force, being applied to the water in the feature. From there, researchers can figure out how fast a current is moving, what’s driving it and —combined with other types of information — how much energy, heat, or nutrients those currents are transporting.  
    “Force is the fundamental quantity driving fluid motion,” said study coauthor Jinbo Wang, an oceanographer at Texas A&M University in College Station. Once that quantity is known, a researcher can better understand how the ocean interacts with the atmosphere, as well as how changes in one affect the other.
    Prime Numbers
    Not only was SWOT able to spot a submesoscale eddy in an offshoot of the Kuroshio Current — a major current in the western Pacific Ocean that flows past the southeast coast of Japan — but researchers were also able to estimate the speed of the vertical circulation within that eddy. When SWOT observed the feature, the vertical circulation was likely 20 to 45 feet (6 to 14 meters) per day.
    This is a comparatively small amount for vertical transport. However, the ability to make those calculations for eddies around the world, made possible by SWOT, will improve researchers’ understanding of how much energy, heat, and nutrients move between surface waters and the deep sea.
    Researchers can do similar calculations for such submesoscale features as an internal solitary wave — a wave driven by forces like the tide sloshing over an underwater plateau. The SWOT satellite spotted an internal wave in the Andaman Sea, located in the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean off Myanmar. Archer and colleagues calculated that the energy contained in that solitary wave was at least twice the amount of energy in a typical internal tide in that region.
    This kind of information from SWOT helps researchers refine their models of ocean circulation. A lot of ocean models were trained to show large features, like eddies hundreds of miles across, said Lee Fu, SWOT project scientist at JPL and a study coauthor. “Now they have to learn to model these smaller scale features. That’s what SWOT data is helping with.”
    Researchers have already started to incorporate SWOT ocean data into some models, including NASA’s ECCO (Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean). It may take some time until SWOT data is fully a part of models like ECCO. But once it is, the information will help researchers better understand how the ocean ecosystem will react to a changing world.
    More About SWOT
    The SWOT satellite was jointly developed by NASA and CNES, with contributions from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the UK Space Agency. Managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, JPL leads the U.S. component of the project. For the flight system payload, NASA provided the Ka-band radar interferometer (KaRIn) instrument, a GPS science receiver, a laser retroreflector, a two-beam microwave radiometer, and NASA instrument operations. The Doppler Orbitography and Radioposition Integrated by Satellite system, the dual frequency Poseidon altimeter (developed by Thales Alenia Space), the KaRIn radio-frequency subsystem (together with Thales Alenia Space and with support from the UK Space Agency), the satellite platform, and ground operations were provided by CNES. The KaRIn high-power transmitter assembly was provided by CSA.
    To learn more about SWOT, visit:
    https://swot.jpl.nasa.gov
    News Media Contacts
    Jane J. Lee / Andrew WangJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.626-491-1943 / 626-379-6874jane.j.lee@jpl.nasa.gov / andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov
    2025-070

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders, Murray, Baldwin, Scott, DeLauro Decry Trump Administration’s Illegal Firings, Cuts at AmeriCorps

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    WASHINGTON, May 15 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, alongside Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, today sent a letter to the Interim Agency Head of AmeriCorps calling for the immediate reversal of layoffs and grant terminations that have debilitated the agency’s core functions and run counter to its longstanding, bipartisan support in Congress.
    “While a recent court order instituted a 14 day temporary restraining order on staff reductions at AmeriCorps, the damage of firing staff and eliminating $400 million in grants has already been felt across the country,” wrote Sanders, Murray, Baldwin, Scott and DeLauro. “The grant terminations and potential issues awarding fiscal year 2025 grant funding will have a catastrophic impact on the ability of AmeriCorps members to carry out work in communities all over the country — responding to natural disasters, serving as classroom teachers, providing tutoring services, and helping build housing in rural communities.”
    Late last month, President Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE illegally terminated over a thousand AmeriCorps grants to states, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations across the country – totaling nearly $400 million, or roughly 41% of the agency’s grant funding. Grantees were not given statutorily required notices before these grants were terminated. The cuts are already seriously impacting communities where AmeriCorps projects were ongoing as well as their selfless members and volunteers.
    Last year, nearly 200,000 AmeriCorps volunteers prepared today’s students for tomorrow’s jobs, connected veterans to services, fought the opioid epidemic, helped seniors live independently, rebuilt communities after disasters and led conservation efforts nationwide.
    “We urge the swift reversal of the termination of NCCC members’ service terms so that they can get back to helping communities,” concluded the lawmakers. “These illegal grant terminations attempt to supersede congressional intent at the expense of communities in need of crucial services. More than 1,000 programs will be forced to close and over 32,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers will be released from their service terms early… Further, by laying off nearly the entire agency staff, AmeriCorps is violating the law.”
    Read the full letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Space Cloud Watch Needs Your Photos of Night-Shining Clouds 

    Source: NASA

    Noctilucent or night-shining clouds are rare, high-altitude clouds that glow with a blue silvery hue at dusk or dawn when the sun shines on them from below the horizon. These ice clouds typically occur near the north and south poles but are increasingly being reported at mid- and low latitudes. Observing them helps scientists better understand how human activities may affect our atmosphere.
    Now, the Space Cloud Watch project is asking you to report your own observations of noctilucent clouds and upload your own photographs. Combined with satellite data and model simulations, your data can help us figure out why these noctilucent clouds are suddenly appearing at mid-low latitudes, where temperatures are usually too warm for them to form.
     “I find these clouds fascinating and can’t wait to see the amazing pictures,” said project lead Dr. Chihoko Cullens from the University of Colorado, Boulder Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics. 
    Did you see or photograph any night-shining clouds? Upload them here. Later, the science team will transfer them to a site on the Zooniverse platform where you or other volunteers can help examine them and identify wave structures in the cloud images.
    If you love clouds, NASA has more citizen science projects for you. Try Cloudspotting on Mars, Cloudspotting on Mars: Shapes, or GLOBE Observer Clouds!

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ‘Doctors Academy’ Graduates Win College Scholarships

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Nineteen Senior Doctor Academy graduates in the Class of 2025 on May 14 received their honorary white coats and diplomas from the Health Career Opportunity Programs (HCOP) at UConn Health.

    The event’s keynote speaker was City of Hartford’s Ebony Jackson-Shaheed, MPH, director of Health & Human Services (Photo by John Atashian).

    At this year’s Academic Year Closing and Annual Recognition Ceremony the keynote speaker was City of Hartford’s Ebony Jackson-Shaheed, MPH, director of Health & Human Services.

    Also, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving generously presented a grant of $15,000 in support of the HCOP programs.

    The Doctors Academy is part of the highly successful Health Career Opportunity Programs (HCOP) founded over two decades ago by physician-scientist Dr. Marja Hurley, where middle school and high school students of all backgrounds receive in-depth education in the health sciences and career path mentorship on Saturdays and in the summer. The Doctors Academy is one of 14 Health Career Opportunity Programs that are part of the Aetna Health Professions Partnership Initiative (HPPI).

    Senior Doctors Academy graduates accepted their diplomas from keynote speaker the City of Hartford’s Ebony Jackson-Shaheed, MPH and Dr. Marja Hurley (Photo by John Atashian).

    Meet the Doctors Academy Graduates

    “I am looking forward to pursuing a career in genetics and surgery,” says Class of 2025 Doctors Academy graduate Javel Stewart, 18, of Hartford who has been part of HCOP since the 8th grade.

    “The idea of being able to help people fight illness and disease inspired me to enter medicine. I became interested in HCOP’s great explorations program after a school guidance counselor recommended it to me as she knew I was interested in medicine,” recalls Stewart.

    Javel Stewart is headed to UConn this fall. She graduated from the Senior Doctors Academy of HCOP on May 14.

    “My favorite part of HCOP was being able to meet and connect with like-minded peers.”

    After graduating from Classical Magnet School this spring, Stewart looks forward to attending UConn.

    “I am very excited to go to UConn this fall, and I’m looking forward to all the new knowledge I will gain,” Stewart exclaims.

    (Photo by John Atashian).

    Stewart is the winner of a large Hartford Promise Scholarship, also the newly established UConn Freedman Award established by UConn Health Board of Director Joel Freedman, and the Friends of the Department of Health Career Opportunity Programs – Boake L. Plessy, Ph.D., Scholarship.

    “I am very excited to have received scholarships to UConn in addition to the Hartford Promise Scholarship,” she happily shares.

    (Photo by John Atashian).

    And Stewart’s words of wisdom for other young people wishing to follow in her footsteps to also pursue future careers in medicine: “Some advice to the CT youth is to never give up. You might not see the results right away, but trust the process. Keep asking questions, keep showing up for yourself, and don’t be afraid to aim high.”

    “One of the most meaningful communities I’m a part of is the Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP),” heartwarmingly shared Class of 2025 Doctors Academy graduate Jeneika Lugg, 18, of Hartford who is originally from Jamaica.

    Jeneika Lugg is UConn Hartford bound. She graduated from HCOP’s Senior Doctors Academy on May 14, 2025.

    Now a senior at Achievement First Hartford Academy, she joined the Doctors Academy back in the 9th grade. “This community is especially meaningful to me because it feels like a family. It is a welcoming environment where no one feels excluded, and everyone is respected for who they are.”

    Lugg will be attending UConn Hartford in the fall. She is enrolled in the special Verto Huskies Pathway, a program that provides high achieving students the opportunity to study abroad with Verto Education, and then seamlessly transfer to UConn for the remainder of their college experience.

    “This fall I’m very excited to go to UConn and I’m happy to be given the opportunity to go study abroad for my first semester in Spain through Verto Education. This is very exciting for me since I’m being introduced to a new culture, language, food, and people,” says Lugg.

    HCOP program graduates of the Senior Doctors Academy (Photo by John Atashian).

    At UConn, Lugg hopes to study biological sciences or areas of neuroscience, and also explore her longtime interest in art.

    Lugg is also an excited recipient of the large Hartford Promise Scholarship, as well as a Jacob L. and Lewis Fox Scholarship.

    “I was awarded the Hartford Promise Scholarship and Fox Scholarship. I was excited for this because it allowed a better affordability for school,” says very thankful Lugg.

    Lugg also applauds the HCOP program for her great educational experience.

    Senior Doctors Academy graduates (Photo by John Atashian).

    “When I first heard about HCOP, I was eager to join, especially with my interest in the medical field. The program has not only expanded my academic knowledge but also provided a deeper understanding of medicine in the real world. It has equipped me with valuable skills in public speaking, research, and medical practices, while offering opportunities to learn from doctors and their personal journeys,” says Lugg.

    She added, “What I love most about this program is how it consistently encourages us to pursue our dreams. The staff fosters an open-minded approach, urging us to reach for the stars and beyond. They are like a supportive family, cheering for our growth and success, always wanting the best for us. The students, too, contribute to this sense of community, as we all share similar goals and support one another, making it feel more like a team than a competition.”

    Lugg’s advice to other Connecticut youth like her: “Keep striving, keep pushing and know that no dream is too big to not reach. It might seem a lot or impossible but in the end you will be amazed by the great results and accomplishments.”

    Class of 2025 Graduates of the Senior Doctors Academy celebrating at HCOP’s annual Closing Ceremony (Photo by John Atashian).

    Like Stewart and Lugg all the successful Senior Doctors Academy graduates in the Class of 2025 are following in the footsteps of hundreds and hundreds of successful HCOP graduates.

    Dr. Marja Hurley and her very dedicated HCOP team are very proud of all the graduating students and share a special thank you to the parents who get the students up on Saturdays to get to the program.

    “I am so proud of this year’s graduating class, and thankful for all the support of their parents. We also are especially grateful of the Hartford Foundation, the City of Hartford, and for all the generous scholarships bestowed on our amazing students this year,” says Hurley. “Congratulations to all our talented students.”

    Dr. Marja Hurley sharing her congratulations with the students and parents attending HCOP’s annual Closing Ceremony on May 14, 2025 (Photo by John Atashian).

    UConn School of Medicine Dean Dr. Bruce T. Liang shared during the event, “A special thanks to the amazing leadership of Dr. Marja Hurley, along with her talented HCOP team, for making the Doctors Academy and all the successful HCOP Programs of the Aetna Health Professions Partnership Initiative possible. Your hard work is keeping these programs thriving to new heights and always inspiring the next generation of youth and future doctors.”

    (Photo by John Atashian).

    Liang added, “I wanted to share a heartwarming congratulations with all our graduates, and with your supportive families. We are all so proud of your inspiring academic success, and tireless commitment and determination that you have demonstrated. Whether you are dreaming of becoming a future physician, dentist, or scientist — you are well on your way! And UConn is so grateful to be part of your journey! Make sure to come back and join our health care workforce.”

    Congratulations to the Class of 2025 graduates of the Great Explorations, Jumpstart, and Junior and Senior Doctors Academy!

    (Photo by John Atashian).

    Other scholarship recipients this year of the John & Valerie Rowe Scholarship are Senior Doctors Academy graduates Valeria Buzzigoli and Anousha Hashim.

    Also, Friends of the Department of Health Career Opportunity Programs – Boake L. Plessy, Ph.D., Scholarship recipients include Maham Chaudhary, Alec-Raive Gordon, and Javel Stewart.

    The Class of 2025 Senior Doctors Academy graduated 19 Connecticut high school students at its Closing Ceremony on the evening of May 14, 2025. Graduates are pictured here with keynote speaker Ebony Jackson-Shaheed, MPH and Dr. Marja Hurley (Photo by John Atashian).

    The Class of 2025 Senior Doctors Academy graduates include:

    Sunita Amiri

    Safia Ali

    Gabrielle Bridgewater

    Valeria Buzzigoli

    Maham Chaudhary

    Sabra Dewar

    Alec Gordon

    Anousha Hashim

    Meera Kannan

    Jeneika Lugg

    Elissa Matthews

    Tyler McGraw

    Marko Paxi

    Xavier Rosario

    Genesis Rowe

    Genessis Sanclemente

    Javel Stewart

    Sama Thapa

    Kaelyn Williams

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Experts of the Committee on the Rights of the Child Commend Indonesia on Child-Friendly Cities, Raise Questions on Mandatory Hijab Rules in Some Schools and the Prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Committee on the Rights of the Child today concluded its review of the combined fifth and sixth periodic reports of Indonesia, with Committee Experts commending the State on child-friendly cities, while raising questions on mandatory hijab rules in some schools and how the country was tackling the high levels of female genital mutilation. 

    Philip Jaffe, Committee Vice-Chair and Taskforce Member, said there had been many advancements in recent years to support children’s laws in Indonesia, including the national developmental planning, and the ambitious long-term “golden Indonesia” plan.  It was pleasing to see there were child-friendly cities included within this plan.  As of 2023, 459 out of 514 municipalities had conducted evaluations concerning child rights clusters which should be rejoiced. 

    Mr. Jaffe noted that the Committee was concerned about discrimination based on religion; could the State comment on situations of enforced mandatory hijab rules, even for non-Muslim girls, in some provinces? 

    Thuwayba Al Barwani, Committee Vice-Chair and Taskforce Member, said it was disturbing that 24 provinces had forced girls to wear the hijab and that those who did not were forced to leave school, and it was estimated that around 150,000 schools still enforced this rule.  Was this decision left to the provinces to apply? 

    Suzanne Aho, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said the Committee had received information that some women were carrying out female genital mutilation on infants of three or four months old.  Was there a body which had the authority to prevent this and to prosecute these midwives? It seemed not enough action was being taken to put an end to these abusive practices.  Another Expert asked if there had there been any court decisions prosecuting the practice of female genital mutilation?  A Committee Expert said there seemed to be little evidence that programmes for female genital mutilation were having an effect.  How did the Parliament ensure laws in this regard were implemented? 

    Concerning the hijab, the delegation said the incident which had occurred in a public school did not reflect national policy in any way, and the Government had acted swiftly in response.  Following the incident, three Ministries issued a joint ministerial decree which ensured that no student, teacher or school staff were forced to wear religious attire against their will.  The policy aimed to uphold national unity, religious tolerance and freedom belief. The Government had also consistently emphasised the importance of creating a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students. 

    The delegation said Indonesia recognised that female genital mutilation was a critical issue affecting the health and wellbeing of Indonesian women and girls, with a regulation specifically forbidding this practice.  An action plan from 2020 to 2030 facilitated cooperation between the Government, civil society and community leaders, and incorporated a robust monitoring framework to ensure effective and sustainable interventions. Since 2021, Indonesia had systematically collected data on female genital mutilation, and the latest survey indicated a decrease from around 50 per cent in 2021 to around 48 per cent. Nowadays, the coordination of efforts to prohibit female genital mutilation was becoming stronger, with many sectors supporting this cause.

    Introducing the report, Muhammad Ihsan, Assistant Deputy for Policy Formulation and Coordination for Child Protection, Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection of Indonesia, said currently, Indonesia was implementing the national human rights action plan for 2021–2025, which identified children as one of the priority groups that required targeted protection and policy intervention.  The adoption of law no. 12 of 2022 on the crime of sexual violence represented a major step forward in strengthening legal protection for children from sexual violence by holding perpetrators accountable. Since the amendment of the marriage law in 2019, which raised the minimum legal age of marriage to 19 for both men and women, Indonesia had also taken concrete preventive measures, including the enforcement of the national strategy for the prevention of child marriage. 

    In closing remarks, Rinchen Chopel, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, congratulated the delegation of Indonesia for the productive dialogue.  The establishment of the Ministry of Human Rights would go a long way in reinforcing the current institutions in place and disseminating the Committee’s concluding observations. 

    In his closing remarks, Munafrizal Manan, Director-General for Human Rights Services and Compliance, Ministry of Human Rights of Indonesia, said the Ministry was a new entity in the current administration which aimed to ensure the protection, promotion and fulfilment of human rights.  Indonesia’s participation underscored the strong commitment of the Government to the protection of children’s rights in the country. 

    The delegation of Indonesia was comprised of representatives from the Ministry of Human Rights; the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection; the Ministry of Health; the Ministry of National Development Planning; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Coordinating Ministry of Political and Security Affairs; the Coordinating Ministry for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Correction; and the Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the United Nations Office at Geneva. 

    Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, while webcasts of the public meetings can be found here.  The programme of work of the Committee’s ninety-ninth session and other documents related to the session can be found here.

    The Committee will next meet in public at 3. pm on Thursday, 15 May to begin its consideration of the combined fifth and sixth periodic report of Iraq (CRC/C/IRQ/5-6).

    Report

    The Committee has before it the combined fifth and sixth periodic reports of Indonesia (CRC/C/IDN/5-6).

    Presentation of Report

    ACHSANUL HABIB, Ambassador, Chargé d’affaires a.i., Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, expressed appreciation to all members of the Committee for engaging with Indonesia in the constructive dialogue on the promotion and protection of the rights of children in the country.  Mr. Habib then introduced the delegation.  Indonesia’s participation in the dialogue reflected the State’s commitment to upholding its obligations under the Convention. 

    MUHAMMAD IHSAN, Assistant Deputy For Policy Formulation and Coordination for Child Protection, Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection of Indonesia, said the fulfilment of the rights of the child continued to be a fundamental aspect of human capital development in Indonesia.  Indonesia’s national priorities related to the rights of the child encompassed strategies such as the improvement of the quality of education, health, and nutrition; the expansion of social protection and child welfare; and the promotion of inclusive development, especially in frontier and least developed regions.  These priorities were reflected in the 2025-2029 national medium-term development plan and the 2025-2045 long-term development plan.

    To achieve these priorities, Indonesia had implemented key policies and programmes, including the free nutritious meals programme which provided daily balanced meals to school-aged children to combat malnutrition and stunting.  Since its implementation in January 2025, the programme had reached 2.2 million school-aged children through 726 nutrition service units across 38 provinces, aimed at reaching 78.3 million school-aged children by the end of 2025.  Another policy, the “Ruang Bersama Indonesia” or Indonesia shared space initiative, aimed to serve as a collaborative community platform to strengthen participation, protection, and educational spaces for women and children at the village level. 

    Currently, Indonesia was implementing the national human rights action plan for 2021–2025, which identified children as one of the priority groups that required targeted protection and policy intervention.  The adoption of law no. 12 of 2022 on the crime of sexual violence represented a major step forward in strengthening legal protection for children from sexual violence by holding perpetrators accountable.  Since the amendment of the marriage law in 2019, which raised the minimum legal age of marriage to 19 for both men and women, Indonesia had also taken concrete preventive measures, including the enforcement of the national strategy for the prevention of child marriage.  This mechanism had proven effective with the decrease of the national child marriage rate from 10.35 per cent in 2020 to 6.92 per cent in 2023. 

    The Unit for the Crimes Related to Women and Children and Human Trafficking had been upgraded to a full-fledged Directorate under Indonesia’s National Police, further enhancing its capacity to investigate, respond, and prevent violence against children and women.  The Government had established the Subnational Technical Implementation Units for the Protection of Women and Children across 38 provinces and 514 municipalities.  The Units provided essential services, including temporary shelter, psychological counselling, health care, and legal support.  To address gaps in protection at the local level, the Government was taking steps to advocate for sufficient budget allocations for child protection and provide capacity building and technical guidance for child protection professionals.

    The Government was determined to strengthen online child protection at the national level and was adopting a comprehensive regulation that outlined medium-term measures to create a safer digital environment for children.  Measures to regulate and guide the responsibilities of electronic system operators in upholding child safety standards were also being implemented.  Efforts were also underway to enhance digital literacy among children and parents, equipping them with the knowledge needed to supervise and navigate online spaces safely.

    Mr. Ihsan hoped the dialogue would result in valuable recommendations for Indonesia’s future endeavours to advance the rights of the child in the country, while taking into consideration religious, social and culture values.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    RINCHEN CHOPEL, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, said Indonesia used to be the leading country for healthcare in Asia; he had visited Indonesia in his previous professional career and had emulated their healthcare programmes in his country of Bhutan.  The Committee was here as a partner to work towards creating a safer Indonesia for its children. 

    PHILIP JAFFE, Committee Vice-Chair and Taskforce Member, said there were 80 million children living in Indonesia.  There had been many advancements in recent years to support children’s laws, including the national developmental planning, and the ambitious long-term “golden Indonesia” plan.  It was pleasing to see there were child-friendly cities included within this plan.  As of 2023, 459 out of 514 municipalities had conducted evaluations concerning child rights clusters which should be rejoiced.  Was progress being made on the remaining 55 municipalities?  What was being done beyond the evaluation in terms of implementation?

    The Convention seemed to be the only human rights convention not ratified by law or enacted by parliament; what could be done about this?  Could it be expected that Indonesia’s reservations to the Convention would be dropped?  What efforts were being made to harmonise all legislation with the provisions of the Convention?  Could the Government create the momentum needed for this harmonisation?  Could more information be provided on the regulation regarding coordination on child protection? 

    What was the percentage of gross domestic product allocated to social protection?  Were budgetary allocations tied to Indonesian child profiling, elaborated by the Indonesia Statistics entity?  From reports, there was proportionately more budget being allocated to urban areas, between 15 to 20 per cent more; could this concern be addressed?  How was data collection shared among ministries and integrated into policy? Were there any programmes to support the dissemination of the Convention at a national level, including in schools? 

    Were there complaints mechanisms in place for children in alternative care, schools and detention facilities?  Where could children formulate complaints?  Were there civil society organizations which could assist children in this regard?  Were there any plans to ratify the Optional Protocol on the communications procedure? Had the Government been proactive in setting standards within the private sector in areas which affected children’s rights, including the agricultural sector and the tourism sector?

    The Committee acknowledged that steps had been taken to reduce discriminatory practices, but had also received some disturbing information.  How many dispensations were granted in the various provinces when it came to child marriage?  What programmes were undertaken to reduce discrimination against children with disabilities?  The Committee was concerned about discrimination based on religion; could the State comment on situations of enforced mandatory hijab rules, even for non-Muslim girls, in some provinces?  What was being done to provide guidance to relevant authorities on the best interests of the child? 

    What was being done to assist Indonesian children who may be in camps in Syria?  How many were left there?  How many had returned?  What was being done to integrate them?  What was being done to reduce disparities in mortality rates in different areas, particularly rural areas?  How much were children participating in the “golden Indonesia plan?”

    There had been some great strides in birth registration, but there were also difficulties in remote areas, and around 10 to 15 per cent of children did not have complete birth certificates.  How was this being addressed?  What programmes had been put in place to combat religious intolerance? 

    SUZANNE AHO, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said high levels of violence occurred against children in Indonesia via corporal punishment and torture. Regulations had been drawn up to deal with these issues, but were they actually implemented in practice?  Did the population know about them?  Were people responsible for violence against children punished by law?  Was there a law in Indonesia which prohibited corporal punishment against children? 

    Could dispensations be used to circumvent the law and enact a child marriage?  Why were so many dispensations given?  The Committee had received information that some women were carrying out female genital mutilation on infants of three or four months old.  Was there a body which had the authority to prevent this and to prosecute these midwives? It seemed not enough action was being taken to put an end to these abusive practices.  Was there a law or legal provision focused on preventing the sexual abuse of children by tourists who came to Indonesia from other countries?

    Was the helpline 129 accessible to children?  Who ran this number and coordinated the calls and action taken?  How were they trained?  What had been done in Indonesia to tackle online sexual exploitation? Were there rehabilitation programmes for children who had been the victims of sexual exploitation?  Were there specialised staff to help them? How many centres were available? How did children access these services? How were sexual predators punished? Were they deported from the country? 

    Was there a stipulated legal procedure for officially opening an orphanage?  Were there certain conditions which needed to be met before an orphanage could be opened?  Were orphanages subject to regular checks and supervision?  In certain cases, could children return to their families from the orphanages?  There were difficult situations for children living with disabilities who were sometimes subject to forced sterilisation. What was being done to protect those children? What support was given to the families of children living with disabilities? 

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said 55 Indonesian municipalities did not fulfil the 24 indicators which determined child-friendly cities.  There was a team in place to assess this.  Indonesia had a national coordinator who dealt with the monitoring and implementation of the Convention.  Dispensations were typically given to children between the ages of 17 and 18 years old to allow them to be married.  The State did not envisage many dispensations provided to children younger than these ages.

    Indonesia’s commitment to advancing child health and wellbeing was reflected in its State budget. Substantial funding had been allocated to improving maternal health.  In 2023, 64 per cent of children were covered by some form of health insurance. The number of neonatal deaths in Indonesia had decreased over the past 30 years.  The three key causes of death were infection, respiratory and cardiovascular causes, and prematurity.  Programmes were in place to address these key areas.  All neonatal deaths in Indonesia were reviewed. 

    The Government was committed to ensuring that access to mechanisms for recovery was fulfilled for child trafficking victims.  The oversight mechanism assigned specific roles and responsibilities to various ministries and government institutions.  The arrest of child perpetrators by the police needed to be conducted in a humane manner, taking into account the child’s specific needs. Detention of children in the criminal juvenile justice system could only be carried out as a last resort. 

    The Indonesia Government recognised the suffering vulnerability of children associated with the foreign terrorist fighters, who were victims of circumstances beyond their control, often exposed to violence, exploitation and trauma.  The State aimed to uphold their rights and protection. Around 400 Indonesian children and women resided in two camps in Indonesia.  Repatriation was considered on a case-by-case basis based on security and the children’s needs.  A taskforce had been established to handle issues associated with the foreign terrorist fighters, including taking responsibility for citizens abroad associated with this group. 

    Since its ratification of the Convention, Indonesia had made a significant effort to incorporate it into its legal system, most notably through the 2023 law on child protection.  Indonesia’s National Police had established a Directorate for crimes against women, children and human trafficking.  The Child Protection Commission had been established in four provinces.

    The incident which had occurred in a public school did not reflect national policy in any way, and the Government had acted swiftly in response.  Following the incident, three Ministries issued a joint ministerial decree which ensured that no student, teacher or school staff were forced to wear religious attire against their will.  The policy aimed to uphold national unity, religious tolerance and freedom belief.  The Government had also consistently emphasised the importance of creating a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students. 

    Indonesia had made significant legal advancement in protecting children from sexual exploitation, both offline and online.  The child protection law expressly prohibited all forms of sexual exploitation against children and mandated that victims be provided with psychological and rehabilitation services.  The law also criminalised grooming and other kinds of exploitation conducted online. Several policies had been adopted aimed at creating a safe tourism environment for children, including guidelines for the prevention of the exploitation of children in tourism settings.

    Indonesia recognised that female genital mutilation was a critical issue affecting the health and wellbeing of Indonesian women and girls, with a regulation specifically forbidding this practice.  An action plan from 2020 to 2030 facilitated cooperation between the Government, civil society and community leaders, and incorporated a robust monitoring framework to ensure effective and sustainable interventions.  Since 2021, Indonesia had systematically collected data on female genital mutilation, and the latest survey indicated a decrease from around 50 per cent in 2021 to around 48 per cent.  

    A strategy emphasised the obligation of health workers, community leaders and families to protect women from the harmful practice, and a circular issued prohibited midwives from providing such services. 

    Indonesia’s regulatory framework prohibited corporal punishment against children, although there was no specific legal provision in this regard.  The Minister of Education had issued a comprehensive policy in 2023 aimed at preventing and responding to violence in education settings.  A taskforce had been established in 27 provinces with the aim of creating a safer educational environment.  A regulation was issued regarding birth certificates for children of unknown origins and unregistered marriages. 

    In March 2025, the President of Indonesia launched the Government regulation on the governance of electronic system implementation in child protection to protect children in the digital space.  The policy emphasised the presence of the State in creating a safe, child-friendly digital space. 

    Indonesia regularly held coordination meetings on the rights of the child, and reporting of the implementation of the Convention.  The Ministry of Law and Human Rights took part in training programmes for law enforcement personnel on human rights.  Out of the 382 courts in Indonesia, 377 courts provided child-friendly courtrooms.  There were 23 child-friendly religious courts.  Reporting of the implementation of the Convention was regularly provided to all stakeholders, at the national and provincial levels.  The Ministry of Human Rights regularly conducted dissemination activities relating to human rights, and involved a children’s forum where they could have their voices heard. 

    Ensuring equitable access to health care services in all regions remained a national priority.  Mobile health services and cluster island-based services, among others, were designed to overcome geographical barriers.  Through the special doctor deployment programme, more than 600 paediatricians had been placed in Government-owned hospitals in underdeveloped regions.  School operational assistance supported the funding of schools in the most remote regions, covering primary, secondary, speciality and vocational schools. 

    A process had been established for the reunification of children in alternative care.  The Government extended assistance, including financial aid, to the child and their family to ensure a successful reunification. 

    The Government had taken significant steps to uphold the reproductive rights of persons with disabilities, particularly focusing on preventing forced sterilisation practices. The enactment of the sexual violence crime law, which explicitly prohibited forced contraception and sterilisation, requiring consent of the individual, was a landmark achievement in this regard.  However, challenges remained, as reports indicated this practice was still found, particularly affecting women with psychosocial disabilities in care institutions. Efforts were being made to monitor and enforce compliance with the law, including through conducting monitoring of facilities and developing mechanisms to address violence. 

    Special protection was provided to children belonging to minority groups, enabling them to practice their own culture and religion and use their own language.  If children from these groups experienced trauma and violence, the State was obligated to provide social rehabilitation. 

    Questions by Committee Experts

    THUWAYBA AL BARWANI, Committee Vice-Chair and Taskforce Member, welcomed the enactment of the disability law in 2016.  However, there was concern that its implementation was not translated into the national agenda.  Were there any plans by the Government to rigorously implement and monitor regulations regarding the enactment of this law?  There were reports that three per cent of children in Indonesia lived with a disability; had recent data been collected on disability?  How was the Government planning to tackle the data issue for disability? 

    Reports indicated that at least 57,000 people in Indonesia had been shackled at least once in their lifetime.  Was this accurate?  Was the Government planning to fully ban this practice?  What was being done to educate the country on the negative impacts of shackling on all persons, including children?  What was the Government doing to improve the access of children with disabilities in the education system?  What nutritional programmes were in place to address the issues of stunting and wasting of children with disabilities?  What programmes were in place to support families with children with disabilities and encourage them not to send them to institutions but to keep them at home?

    The steps taken by Indonesia to improve education were appreciated, but there was still more work to be done.  What was being done to ensure that all children could complete their education?  How was the Government increasing school enrolment and preventing dropout?  Was there research which addressed the reasons that children and adolescents were out of school?  What were the main obstacles which prevented the Government implementing the policy of free primary education? 

    It was disturbing that 24 provinces had forced girls to wear the hijab and that those who did not were forced to leave school, and it was estimated that around 150,000 schools still enforced this rule.  Was this decision left to the provinces to apply?  Was the decree by the three Ministries binding to all schools?  What strategies were in place to ensure school retention and reintegration, particularly for victims of child marriages?  How was the Government strengthening the quality of education, including by reforming its school curriculum?  Was human rights education included in the mandatory school curriculum and in teacher training? 

    SUZANNE AHO, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said poverty in the country was a major concern.  Were there any measures envisaged to bring down the level of poverty?  How many years was the programme providing food supposed to run?

    RINCHEN CHOPEL, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, said there had been significant investment in Indonesia’s health sector since the 1990’s.  However, in recent times Indonesia had been consistently underinvesting in its health sector.  What was the ground reality like?  What was being done to address regional disparities, including by improving health infrastructure and increasing the number of qualified health professionals?  How were infant and young child feeding practices being promoted? 

    The high rate of early pregnancy was concerning, as was the criminalisation of abortion, except in cases of rape or danger to the mother.  What measures were being adopted to provide free contraception and decriminalise abortion?  Indonesia had capital punishment for trafficking of illegal drugs, but their use was on the rise by adolescents.  What was being done to address this issue?  HIV/AIDS represented a pressing issue in Indonesia; given Indonesia’s comprehensive approach to care, what was not working in this regard? 

    Indonesia was experiencing a high rate of suicide, but had limited access to services.  What steps were being taken to tackle this issue? What could be done to further protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex children? Indonesia was one of the top 50 countries in the world where children were at risk of climate risk degradation, with 20 million exposed to coastal flooding and 15 million exposed to heatwaves. What was the current status of the national climate change policy and disaster contingency plans?  Were they informed by child rights impact assessments? 

    It was encouraging that the State party hosted a large number of refugees, particularly Rohingya women and children.  What was the mandate and capacity of the national taskforce on refugee response? What was the Government’s position on the 1951 United Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol?  What were the ground realities of children belonging to indigenous communities?

    The Committee was concerned about the significant numbers of children engaged in child labour. What measures were being taken to effectively implement the existing laws, including those which prohibited the economic exploitation of children, including by establishing labour inspectorates? The adoption of the Presidential Regulation in 2023 on the national action plan for human trafficking was welcomed. How was it ensured that noncustodial sentences were taken for children whenever possible? 

    PHILIP JAFFE, Committee Vice-Chair and Taskforce Member, asked why Indonesia did not make a pledge at the ministerial conference in Bogota?

    SUZANNE AHO, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, asked if training was provided to police and security services on the use of violence?  Child marriages still seemed to be taking place on the island of Sumba; had the State been able to address the forced marriage situation there?  Was there a way to speed up the birth registration process?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said medical and social rehabilitation were vital for child victims of violence. The implementation of the reintegration of children who had experienced violence included several stages, including preparing children to return to their families and to interact within their social environment. 

    Indonesia had taken significant strides to integrate the rights of persons with disabilities into its national planning.  A dedicated programme for persons with disabilities outlined two key approaches on ensuring access to basic services and protection from violence, and ensuring an inclusive approach to development.  The fragmentation of data on disability was compounded by the lack of a standard definition of disability across sectors.  Indonesia’s unique geographical characteristics, particularly the remote areas, posed challenges for data collection and resulted in gaps in data coverage.  Capacity building activities were underway to equip staff with the necessary tools and skills to better gather and analyse disability data. 

    The health law prevented any forms of violence or shackling against persons with disabilities. Such acts should be punished in accordance with law.  In 2024, 1,794 cases of shackling had been reported with 23 of those being children. Awareness raising had become the main priority to combat shackling in Indonesia, as these practices were mainly conducted due to a lack of education and understanding of those with psychosocial disabilities. 

    Indonesia had introduced programmes to lower the prevalence of child wasting and stunting. As a result of these initiatives, stunting and wasting rates had fallen between the period of 2018 and 2023.  A programme was in place to provide daily nutritious meals to school-age children to combat child malnutrition which remained prevalent in several regions.  By 2029, the Government aimed to expand the programme to serve an estimated 83 million children daily, making it one of the most ambitious social schemes globally. 

    Since the rollout of the programme, student feedback had been an important element for the Government.  The initial phase had attracted criticism from youth regarding taste, portion and variety, and the Government recognised this was not a trivial concern.  Every meal served was carefully formulated by certified nutritionists and the Government was working to improve the points raised. 

    The sudden scale of the programme rollout had resulted in breaches in food safety protocols, including hygiene standards.  The Government responded swiftly by deploying health inspectors to conduct evaluations and temporarily halted meal distribution pending safety clearance. Medical care and financial compensation were provided to victims and their families.  Following this incident, standards had been introduced on food hygiene and the emergency protocol, a revised manual was issued for meal production, and a centralised digital platform was under development to support the programme and monitor incidents. 

    Indonesia was making strides in promoting breast feeding as a key strategy in reducing stunting and improving child nutrition.  There were more than 4,000 breast feeding trainers across 38 provinces, with plans to increase this number.  The draft ministerial regulation on exclusive breast feeding was currently being developed.  These efforts were part of Indonesia’s commitment to ensuring every child’s right to nutrition. 

    In 1999, the Government ratified International Labour Organization Convention 138 concerning the minimum age of employment; the Government had set the minimum age of employment to 15 years, with an exception for 13-year-olds who were undertaking light work.  Sanctions were in place for those who violated provisions for child labour, including prison for two years or heavy fines. 

    The 2025 to 2029 national development plan included a key indicator for preventing child labour, with the objective to reduce the child labour rate to 1.65 per cent by 2029. The Government was committed to protecting domestic workers, including through two laws enacted in 2017 and 2015 respectively, which prohibited the employment of domestic workers under the age of 18.  The bill on the protection of domestic workers was included in the national legislation as a priority. 

    The national action plan on gender and climate change encouraged children’s participation and education on climate change related matters.  The climate action campaign, which mobilised actions on air pollution and the water crisis, had engaged around 2,500 children.  The resilient education framework aimed to make schools safer and better prepared during natural disasters.  Guidelines had been published to ensure that children’s needs were prioritised in disaster preparedness efforts.  The Government had expanded access to programmes aimed at strengthening teachers’ skills, subject matter expertise, and cultural sensitivity. 

    Indonesia had undertaken several initiatives in the spirit of international solidarity and commitment, including the regulation adopted in 2016 concerning the handling of refugees abroad.  This regulation served as an operational guideline to ensure the protection and fulfilment of basic needs for refugees.  As of December 2024, there were more than 3,000 refugee and asylum-seeking children residing in Indonesia, with 186 of them registered as unaccompanied. The State was committed to ensuring that refugee children had access to school age education.  As of September 2023, 808 refugee children were registered in accredited public schools and more than 1,300 were involved in skilled training.  The State had consistently provided humanitarian assistance to refugees and would continue to do so, and regularly participated in regional dialogues on the issue of shared responsibility. 

    Contraceptive drugs and methods could only be delivered by health workers and other trained personnel.  The Government continued to strengthen the supply and distribution of contraception devices.  Infrastructure was being improved to provide unhindered access for those in remote areas. Pregnant students’ right to education was fulfilled through the provision of alternative education offerings. To address the reproductive health needs of women and girls, the Government had established a clear legal and regulatory framework allowing abortion under strict circumstances. Abortion was allowed up to 14 weeks in cases where the mother’s life was at risk or in cases of rape.

    Indonesia recognised that the early detection of HIV was critical in eliminating mother to child transmission.  HIV services were being integrated into the broader maternal and child health framework through enhancing the capacities of healthcare workers to conduct early screening of HIV during the pregnancy and ensuring appropriate treatment.  Between 2021 to 2024, the percentage of pregnant women tested for HIV rose from 51 per cent to 71 per cent.  The positive rate among those tested was 0.2 per cent.  The State ensured that all mothers living with HIV received the care they need to live healthy lives and raise healthy children. 

    The Government had initiated the funding of schools in remote areas.  From 2021 to 2025, the total number of students enrolled in educational institutions rose from 39.4 million to 52.5 million, reflecting an increase of around 33 per cent.  This significant growth reflected improved retention rates and a strong transition of children into a higher level of learning. 

    Questions by Committee Experts

    RINCHEN CHOPEL, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, asked if Indonesia had already increased the age of criminal responsibility to 14?  Regarding abortion, while rape and threat to the mother’s life was covered, the issues of incest and foetal impairment were not mentioned; could more information be provided?  Indonesia had the highest rate of early pregnancy in south-east Asia, which was concerning, possibly due to barriers to contraception for children. This issue needed to be addressed. Was Indonesia aware of the Committee on the Rights of the Child’s general comment 36 on children’s rights and the environment, with a special focus on climate change?  The Government was urged to study this general comment and roll it out. 

    THUWAYBA AL BARWANI, Committee Vice-Chair and Taskforce Member, said she had read a study which stated that poor families sent their children, especially girls, to Madrasas which taught only Islamic studies; what would be the fate and future of these girls?  This perpetuated the poverty cycle.

    SUZANNE AHO, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said there were children who had been detained with adults and became victims of violence in prison settings.  Would the State aim to tackle the issue of female genital mutilation head-on?  What was the State doing to combat child prostitution? 

    PHILIP JAFFE, Committee Vice-Chair and Taskforce Member, asked if the mandate of the Child Protection Commission only covered the promotion of children’s rights, or if children were able to make complaints?  What was the difference between the child protection index and the Indonesian child’s profile?  Were there efforts to make the helplines more accessible to children in remote areas? The National Commission on Violence against Women reported that 73 regulations of enforced hijab were still active in August 2023; what had happened since then? 

    A Committee Expert said Indonesia had a national action plan on human rights from 2021 to 2025; had there been any mid-term assessment or evaluation of this plan? Could the Convention and its protocols be invoked in national courts?  Had there been any court decisions prosecuting the practice of female genital mutilation? 

    Another Expert asked if juvenile courts existed in Indonesia?  What type of alternative care was offered to children who needed to be separated from their families?  How were children of incarcerated parents supported? 

    A Committee Expert said there seemed to be little evidence that programmes for female genital mutilation were having an effect.  How did the Parliament ensure that laws in this regard were implemented? Had there been programmes on positive masculinity in schools?  Was HIV/AIDS screening mandatory before marriage? 

    Another Expert asked from what age could exceptions be provided for child marriage?  How many girls had received these exceptions?  Did the girls have an opportunity to oppose the decision?  The children in the Syrian camps were suffering on a daily basis and needed to be repatriated urgently.  When would they be repatriated and what programmes would be put in place to reintegrate them? 

    A Committee Expert asked what plans and strategies the Government had implemented to ensure strict regulations, better teachers’ training, and robust reporting mechanisms to protect children from violence and abuse in education settings? 

    Another Committee Expert asked if different cases were handled by different judges depending on the age of the child? Were there alternative penalties other than incarceration provided? 

    An Expert asked if the Government policy on protecting victims of crime, particularly sexual exploitation, had improved?  Was there anything being done to specifically assist and rehabilitate victims of sexual violence? 

    Responses by the Delegation 

    The delegation said Indonesia already had an effective complaints mechanism regarding the Convention. Access to justice was enhanced by a complaints channel established through the dedicated human rights communications surface.  Since 2020, it had received around 2,800 submissions of complaints.  The National Commission for the Protection of Children had a system which allowed anyone to submit their complaints through WhatsApp. Indonesia had proactively contributed to the Bogota ministerial conference by providing feedback on the document and participating in the conference.  However, it was regretful that the document was not the result of a participatory project between all Member States of the United Nations, which was why Indonesia did not make a pledge during the conference. 

    There were 30 medical indications of abortion, and foetal impairment was one of the indications. Incest was included as an indication if it was determined that the girl had been unfit to provide consent, in which case it was considered as sexual violence.  Indonesia had heard that one of the big community organizations had announced providing circumcision for boys and girls at an event; in response the Government had pushed the organization to cancel circumcision for girls with support from many sectors.  Nowadays, the coordination of efforts to prohibit female genital mutilation was becoming stronger, with many sectors supporting this cause. 

    The national human rights action plan was one of the national policies of the Indonesian Government in realising the fulfilment, respect and enforcement of human rights. It was designed to respond to the society’s evolving human rights conditions.  The current plan had targets in four groups consisting of women, children, persons with disabilities, and indigenous groups, with measures outlined for each group to ensure equality was achieved. 

    There were challenges regarding the foreign terrorist fighters, as many identification documents had been burned.  At the Indonesian border, there was an evaluation of individuals and the security situaiton on the ground.  The Indonesian Government needed to ensure security for the children and those facilitating their repatriation.  All Ministries were involved in the reintegration, rehabilitation and de-radicalisation of returnees.  A programme was in place to help children recover from trauma, facilitate their reintegration in Indonesian society, and combat religious ideologies.  All repatriations needed to be carried out with the best interests of the child in mind, including keeping in mind if it was in their best interests to be separated from adults. 

    Indonesia did not tolerate underage marriage; while cultural traditions were respected, they needed to respect human rights principles.  Child marriage was prevalent in Sumba, and the Government was working intensively with the community and community leaders to tackle this issue, including by conducting awareness raising campaigns.

    The annual budget for legal aid had been elevated in 2025.  Madrassas were part of the religious-based schools and were equal to public schools.  Their curriculum followed the national system of education.  Two ministries, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, were responsible for education, and directed the schools under their authorities to establish taskforces to deal with the issue of violence at school.   

    The child protection law affirmed the right of all children to be raised by their parents, with separation only enacted as a last resort.  The correctional nutrition house programme had been introduced to prevent stunting at an early life stage and empowered incarcerated women with knowledge in nutrition. 

    The National Narcotics Board had been conducting activities on drug usage, targeting students. The prevention programme for juveniles in youth correctional centres included anti-drug awareness, with at least one session per year conducted on a regular basis. 

    The Government had enacted the juvenile justice system law to ensure judicial processes were carried out in the best interests of the child.  To ensure protection, incarcerated children were placed in separate settings from adults.  Child cases were managed separately to avoid delays and children’s overexposure to court environments. 

    In 2015, eight Ministries signed a memorandum of understanding to create better synergy in accelerating the legislation for birth certificates, both for children in Indonesia and abroad.  A circular had been issued to all health facilities mandating medical workers to provide information on birth registration and certificates at the time of birth.  Outreach visits were conducted to the families of newborns to ensure their birth registration was processed.  These measures ensured every newborn automatically received a birth certificate and national identity card. 

    Closing Remarks

    RINCHEN CHOPEL, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, congratulated the delegation of Indonesia for the productive dialogue.  The establishment of the Ministry of Human Rights would go a long way in reinforcing the current institutions in place and disseminating the Committee’s concluding observations.  The Committee would continue to urge the Government to reconsider its decision not to ratify the Optional Protocol on individual communications. It was also concerning that Indonesia had not reported on the other two Optional Protocols since 2014; the Government was urged to do so urgently.  Mr. Chopel wished the delegation a safe journey home and relayed the Committee’s good wishes to the children of Indonesia.

    MUNAFRIZAL MANAN, Director-General for Human Rights Services and Compliance, Ministry of Human Rights of Indonesia, said the Ministry of Human Rights was a new entity in the current administration which aimed to ensure the protection, promotion and fulfilment of human rights.  Mr. Manan extended sincere gratitude to the Committee for the collaborative and open dialogue.  Indonesia’s participation underscored the strong commitment of the Government to the protection of children’s rights in the country.  The delegation had taken note of the Committee’s comments and advice and would ensure they were translated into concrete actions.  The State was committed to ensuring that children could enjoy their rights and reach their full potential. 

    ACHSANUL HABIB, Ambassador, Chargé d’affaires a.i., Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, conveyed appreciation to the Committee for the instructive engagement.  The delegation would submit any extra responses within 48 hours, and looked forward to receiving balanced concluding observations and recommendations.  Mr. Habib thanked all those who had made the dialogue possible. 

    ___________

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; 
    not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

     

    CRC25.011E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Co-Leads Multistate Amicus Brief Challenging the Trump Administration’s “Anti-DEI” Executive Orders

    Source: US State of California

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today co-led a coalition of 18 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education v. Trump in support of a challenge to the Trump Administration’s executive orders targeting programs that incorporate equity, inclusion, diversity, and accessibility (Anti-DEI EOs). In their brief, the attorneys general urge the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to uphold the district court’s decision granting the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction.  

    “In California we recognize the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, especially when it comes to ensuring that all Californians have an equal opportunity to thrive and feel empowered to contribute to society,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The Trump Administration’s attempt to remove programs and policies that combat discrimination and promote economic and social benefits is frankly un-American. Programs and practices that incorporate diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are critical to states, as they not only drive innovation and economic growth, but also provide essential benefits to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

    In January 2025, President Trump issued two Executive Orders targeting “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” (DEIA) and “equity-related grants or contracts.” While the Anti-DEIA EOs did not define these or other key terms, they directed: (1) executive agencies to terminate equity-related grants or contracts; (2) agencies to require contractors and grantees to certify that they do not run DEIA programs that, in the Administration’s view, violate federal antidiscrimination laws; and (3) the U.S. Attorney General to take steps to discourage private-sector use of DEIA, including deterring such initiatives and promoting compliance investigations. The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland later issued a preliminary injunction, finding that the plaintiffs were likely to prevail on their claims that the challenged provisions were unconstitutionally vague under the Fifth Amendment and infringed on the plaintiffs’ freedom of expression in violation of the First Amendment.

    In the amicus brief, the coalition urges the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to affirm the district court’s decision granting the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction, arguing that:

    • DEIA principles and practices are grounded in longstanding antidiscrimination laws and provide important benefits to states, their residents, and their businesses.
    • The vague and unclear directives set forth in the challenged provisions harm states, which have begun to receive notices from federal agencies that threaten billions of dollars in federal funding for essential services like basic K-12 education, highway infrastructure, public health, workforce development, and environmental protections.
    • The challenged provisions create a chilling effect on private entities, which must decide whether, in the face of these vague terms and threats, to continue to provide essential services upon which states’ residents rely.
    • Abandonment of these programs will cause immeasurable harm to states and their residents, who rely on practices and programs that advance and support diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility to combat discrimination and to secure extensive economic, social, and educational benefits.

    Attorney General Bonta co-led the filing of today’s brief along with the attorneys general of Illinois and Massachusetts. They are joined by the following states: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

    A copy of the brief can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: India and Pakistan have agreed a precarious peace – but will it last?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alex Waterman, Lecturer in Peace Studies and International Development, University of Bradford

    India and Pakistan stepped back from the brink of catastrophe on May 10 after a US-brokered ceasefire brought rapidly escalating hostilities between the two countries to an end. But tensions are still running high.

    The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, said on May 12 that India has only “paused” its military action against Pakistan and would “retaliate on its own terms” to any attacks.

    The latest episode in the long-running conflict between these nuclear powers was triggered on April 22. Militants from a group known as the Resistance Front, which India says is a proxy for the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist group, killed 26 tourists in the picturesque resort town of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir. India alleges Pakistan’s involvement, which it denies.

    The fact that India and Pakistan were able to agree to a ceasefire as escalations spiralled is reason for optimism. It shows that internal calculations and international pressure can pull the two parties back from the brink. However, the ceasefire represents an incredibly precarious peace. Can it be sustained?

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Recent experience shows that sustained ceasefires are possible between the two states. In February 2021, India and Pakistan’s militaries signed a ceasefire to end four months of cross-border skirmishes. The agreement was a reaffirmation of an original ceasefire understanding from 2003.

    Only two violations were recorded across the line of control separating Indian- and Pakistani-administered Kashmir for the rest of the year, dropping to one in 2022. This compared to 4,645 such incidents in 2020.

    The reduction led to optimism that armed rebellion in Kashmir, which both India and Pakistan claim in full, was in persistent decline. In March 2025, just one month before the deadly Pahalgam attack, security sources in India estimated that there were only 77 active militants operating on the Indian side of the border.

    The drop in violence was a result of combined international and domestic pressure on Pakistan. The Financial Action Task Force, an organisation that monitors countries’ efforts to tackle terrorist financing and recommends financial sanctions against non-compliant states, added Pakistan to its “grey list” in 2018.

    This listing forced Pakistan to introduce a string of policy measures to curb terrorism financing. Pakistan was removed from the list in 2022 due to significant improvements in its counter-terrorism framework.

    But, as the Kashmir conundrum is at the heart of Pakistani national identity, it has often been employed as a political strategy to shore up domestic support. And in recent years, as Pakistan’s powerful army has grappled with overlapping economic and political crises, this strategy has been rolled out again.

    The popularity of Pakistan’s army, for example, diminished significantly following the arrest of Pakistan’s leader, Imran Khan, in 2023. This has prompted army chief Asim Munir to use tensions with India to deflect attention.

    Munir has called Kashmir “our jugular vein”, and has promised not to “leave our Kashmiri brothers in their historical struggle”. These comments followed an increase in the number and frequency of insurgent attempts to cross the border into India after India’s May 2024 general elections were held peacefully in Kashmir, a rare occurrence since the separatist insurgency began in 1987.

    These cross-border operations are allegedly carried out by Pakistan’s so-called Border Action Teams, comprised of Pakistani special forces and militants from insurgent groups. Pakistan has never acknowledged the existence of such teams.

    By April 1, tit-for-tat firing across the line of control had also already surpassed the total number of incidents in 2023 and 2024 combined.

    Fragile peace

    The latest ceasefire was agreed in the context of hostilities escalating beyond previous levels. Military strikes were launched outside Kashmir itself at military bases deep in Pakistani territory and in north-western India.

    Certain actions by Islamabad were also widely interpreted as attempts to signal the country’s nuclear capabilities. These included the decision to convene the National Command Authority, the body responsible for control and use of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.

    The move may not have been a genuine alert. But the possible willingness to resort to nuclear threats is particularly concerning as, unlike India, Pakistan does not have a “no-first use” nuclear weapons policy.

    India, as an aspiring political and economic power, has clear interests in preserving the ceasefire. New Delhi wants to project itself as rational and responsible, worthy of a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

    At the same time, some of the decisions taken by India after the Pahalgam attack may compel further support for the insurgency in Kashmir. This brings with it the risk of further escalation between India and Pakistan in the future.

    India has suspended the Indus Water Treaty, which governs the use of water from the Indus River. Pakistan lies downstream from India and is heavily dependent on the river for irrigation and public consumption.



    Read more:
    India-Pakistan conflict over water reflects a region increasingly vulnerable to climate change

    Intervention from global powers such as the US may again be able to prevent future hostility from spiralling out of control. However, substantive talks are unlikely.

    The US, which is in advanced negotiations with New Delhi over reducing tariffs on Indian imports, has offered to act as a mediator. This has been welcomed by Pakistan. But India maintains that, on the question of Kashmir, it would prefer bilateral talks rather than involving a third party.

    While the Trump administration initially signalled a hands-off approach to relations between India and Pakistan, deeming it “none of our business”, it is now clear how rapidly matters can escalate between them.

    The US and other interested parties like China will probably continue in their efforts to regulate and manage the conflict, openly or covertly, even if deeper resolution appears unlikely.

    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. India and Pakistan have agreed a precarious peace – but will it last? – https://theconversation.com/india-and-pakistan-have-agreed-a-precarious-peace-but-will-it-last-256618

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Birthright citizenship case at Supreme Court reveals deeper questions about judicial authority to halt unlawful policies

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Cassandra Burke Robertson, Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Professional Ethics, Case Western Reserve University

    The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether a single federal judge should have the power to temporarily halt presidential policies across the entire country. Rudy Sulgan, The Image Bank/Getty Images

    When one judge blocks a president’s policies nationwide, alarm bells ring. Should a single judge wield this much power? Can they halt policies across the entire country after just a quick first look at whether they might be illegal? The Supreme Court now faces these critical questions.

    In a lively session on May 15, 2025, filled with justices’ questions that at times interrupted the attorneys appearing before them, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case stemming from President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship, the provision in the Constitution’s 14th Amendment that says all children born in the United States are granted citizenship.

    While the underlying lawsuit involves birthright citizenship, the immediate question before the court was about a legal tool called a “nationwide preliminary injunction.” This allows a single federal judge to temporarily halt presidential policies across the entire country – even before fully considering whether those policies are constitutional.

    Three judges had stopped the president’s attempt to deny birthright citizenship to babies born to mothers who lack legal permanent residency in the United States. It was the Trump administration’s appeal of those injunctions that was argued before the justices on May 15, with the administration asserting that “universal injunctions compromise the Executive Branch’s ability to carry out its functions,” and that it’s unconstitutional for federal judges to issue them.

    The justices also grappled with a key question: How much should judges consider whether a policy is likely constitutional when deciding whether to issue these temporary blocks? The National Immigration Law Center, which supports the use of nationwide injunctions, wrote in its filing with the court that granting the administration’s request to bar such injunctions would “tie the hands of the judicial branch in the face of unlawful executive action.”

    What exactly are these injunctions, and why do they matter to everyday Americans?

    Immediate, irreparable harm

    When presidents try to make big changes through executive orders, they often hit a roadblock: A single federal judge, whether located in Seattle or Miami or anywhere in between, can stop these policies across the entire country.

    These court orders have increasingly become a political battleground, increasingly sought by both Republicans and Democrats to fight presidential policies they oppose.

    And while the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to limit judges’ power to issue nationwide preliminary injunctions, Congress has also held hearings on curtailing judges’ ability to issue the injunctions.

    When the government creates a policy that might violate the Constitution or federal law, affected people can sue in federal court to stop it. While these lawsuits work their way through the courts – a process that often takes years – judges can issue what are called “preliminary injunctions” to temporarily pause the policy if they determine it might cause immediate, irreparable harm.

    A “nationwide” injunction – sometimes called a “universal” injunction – goes further by stopping the policy for everyone across the country, not just for the people who filed the lawsuit.

    Importantly, these injunctions are designed to be temporary. They merely preserve the status quo until courts can fully examine the case’s merits. But in practice, litigation proceeds so slowly that executive actions blocked by the courts often expire when successor administrations abandon the policies.

    Legislation introduced by GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley would ban judges from issuing most nationwide injunctions.
    Sen. Chuck Grassley office

    More executive orders, more injunctions

    Nationwide injunctions aren’t new, but several things have made them more contentious recently.

    First, since a closely divided and polarized Congress rarely passes major legislation anymore, presidents rely more on executive orders to get substantive things done. This creates more opportunities to challenge presidential actions in court.

    Second, lawyers who want to challenge these orders have gotten better at “judge shopping” – filing cases in districts where they’re likely to get judges who agree with their client’s views.

    Third, with growing political division, both parties aim to use these injunctions more aggressively whenever the other party controls the White House.

    Affecting real people

    These legal fights have tangible consequences for millions of Americans.

    Take DACA, the common name for the program formally called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which protects about 500,000 young immigrants from deportation. For more than 10 years, these young immigrants, known as “Dreamers,” have faced constant uncertainty.

    That’s because, when President Barack Obama created DACA in 2012 and sought to expand it via executive order in 2015, a Texas judge blocked the expansion with a nationwide injunction. When Trump tried to end DACA, judges in California, New York and Washington, D.C. blocked that move. The program, and the legal challenges to it, continued under President Joe Biden. Now, the second Trump administration faces continued legal challenges over the constitutionality of the DACA program.

    More recently, judges have used nationwide injunctions to block several Donald Trump policies.

    While much of the current debate focuses on presidential policies, nationwide injunctions have also blocked congressional legislation.

    The Corporate Transparency Act, passed in 2021 and originally scheduled to go into effect in 2024, combats financial crimes by requiring businesses to disclose their true owners to the government. A Texas judge blocked this law in 2024 after gun stores challenged it.

    In early 2025, the Supreme Court allowed the law to take effect, but the Trump administration announced it simply wouldn’t enforce it – showing how these legal battles can become political power struggles.

    A polarized Congress rarely passes major legislation anymore, so presidents – including Donald Trump – have relied on executive orders to get things done.
    Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

    Too much power or necessary protection?

    Some critics say nationwide injunctions give too much power to a single judge. If lawyers can pick which judges hear their cases, this raises serious questions about fairness.

    Supporters argue that these injunctions protect important rights. For example, without nationwide injunctions in the citizenship cases, babies born to mothers without legal permanent residency would be American citizens in some states but not others – an impossible situation.

    Congress is considering legislation to limit judges’ ability to grant nationwide injunctions.

    The Trump administration has also tried to make it expensive and difficult to challenge its policies in court. In March 2025, Trump ordered government lawyers to demand large cash deposits – called “security bonds” – from anyone seeking an injunction. Though these bonds are already part of existing court rules, judges usually set them at just a few hundred dollars or waive them entirely when people raise constitutional concerns.

    Under the new policy, critics worry that “plaintiffs who sue the government could be forced to put up enormous sums of money in order to proceed with their cases.”

    Another way to address the concerns about a single judge blocking government action would be to require a three-judge panel to hear cases involving nationwide injunctions, requiring at least two of them to agree. This is similar to how courts handled major civil rights cases in the 1950s and 1960s.

    My research on this topic suggests that three judges working together would be less likely to make partisan decisions, while still being able to protect constitutional rights when necessary. Today’s technology also makes it easier for judges in different locations to work together than it was decades ago.

    As the Supreme Court weighs in on this debate, the outcome will affect how presidents can implement policies and how much power individual judges have to stop them. Though it might seem like a technical legal issue, it will shape how government works for years to come – as well as the lives of those who live in the U.S.

    This is an updated version of a story originally published on April 3, 2025.

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

    – ref. Birthright citizenship case at Supreme Court reveals deeper questions about judicial authority to halt unlawful policies – https://theconversation.com/birthright-citizenship-case-at-supreme-court-reveals-deeper-questions-about-judicial-authority-to-halt-unlawful-policies-256726

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Welcoming US scientists and researchers to Europe after Trump administration budget cuts – E-001093/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The EU is a safe and attractive place for global researchers, and the Commission is working to further enhance the attractiveness of the EU as a place to conduct cutting-edge research. For example, by supporting the implementation of the new European framework for research careers[1], including the new European Charter for Researchers[2], with a view to retaining EU talents and attracting international ones, including from the US[3].

    Several initiatives are in the pipeline to further attract international talents. This includes a new ‘Choose Europe for Science’ Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA)[4] already in 2025 to provide excellent researchers coming to Europe with pathways to stable employment[5], increasing the funding for European Research Council (ERC)[6] grantees who move to Europe from abroad, as well as a visa strategy.

    At the same time, EURAXESS[7] continues to provide personalised support to incoming researchers, covering topics such as visas, relocation, career development, pensions, and family integration.

    Furthermore, the European Research Area (ERA) Talent Platform[8] as a one-stop-shop for researchers ensures the visibility of the attractive environment of European careers, and a Research and Innovation Careers Observatory (ReICO)[9] will provide as of mid-2025 data from EU Member States and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD) countries on research careers to support additional evidence-based policies. Targeted communication activities are currently being assessed.

    A proposal for a legislative ‘ERA Act’ is expected in the 3rd quarter of 2026, which will include measures to further strengthen researchers’ careers and mobility, including the freedom of scientific research, thereby enhancing Europe’s attractiveness for researchers.

    The upcoming advanced digital skills academies under the Digital Europe Programme will include the possibility of establishing fellowship schemes, allowing PhD students and young professionals to work in EU-based companies.

    • [1] Council Recommendation of 18 December 2023 on a European framework to attract and retain research, innovation and entrepreneurial talents in Europe, OJ C C2023/1640, 29/12/2023.
    • [2] https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/hrexcellenceaward/european-charter-researchers .
    • [3] Measures include for example a Mutual Learning Exercise ( https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/statistics/policy-support-facility/psf-challenge/mutual-learning-exercise-research-careers ) under the Horizon Europe Policy Support Facility supporting the exchange of good practices by Member States, a Horizon Europe Talent Ecosystems pilot call https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-WIDERA-2024-ERA-02-03?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094503,31094502&frameworkProgramme=43108390&callIdentifier=HORIZON-WIDERA-2024-ERA-02&order=ASC&pageNumber=1&pageSize=50&sortBy=identifie supporting attractive careers for early-career researchers, the HR Excellence in Research award https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/hrexcellenceaward to improve working conditions in organisations employing researchers, based on the principles of the European Charter for Researchers, and the enhancement of the RESAVER https://www.resaver.eu/ complementary pension scheme for researchers.
    • [4] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_657 .
    • [5] The MSCA also provide a wide range of training, mobility and career development opportunities that are already available and open to researchers of all nationalities, including US researchers. See https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/.
    • [6] https://erc.europa.eu/about-erc/erc-glance.
    • [7] https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/ .
    • [8] https://ec.europa.eu/era-talent-platform/ .
    • [9] https://ec.europa.eu/era-talent-platform/reico/ , developed in partnership with the OECD with Horizon Europe support.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Disarming Hezbollah is key to Lebanon’s recovery − but task is complicated by regional shifts, ceasefire violations

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Mireille Rebeiz, Chair of Middle East Studies and Associate Professor of Francophone and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Dickinson College

    Slain Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah looms large in Lebanon. Anwar Amro/AFP via Getty Images

    Within a span of two weeks from late April to early May 2025, Israel launched two aerial attacks ostensibly targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon: The first, on April 27, struck a building in Beirut’s southern suburbs; the second, an assault in southern Lebanon, left one person dead and eight others injured.

    While the attacks may not be an aberration in the long history of Israel’s military action in Lebanon, the latest episodes were notable given the context: Israel and Hezbollah have been nominally locked in a truce for five months.

    As an expert on Lebanese history and culture, I believe the latest violations clearly show the fragility of that ceasefire. But more importantly, they complicate the Lebanese government’s mission of disarming Hezbollah, the paramilitary group that remains a powerful force in the country despite a series of Israeli targeted killings of its senior members. That task forms the backbone of a nearly 20-year-old United Nations resolution meant to bring lasting peace to Lebanon.

    The long road to a ceasefire

    In the aftermath of Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Hezbollah vowed solidarity with the Palestinian movement, resulting in a running series of tit-for-tat attacks with Israel that escalated into a full-blown war in the fall of 2024.

    On Oct. 1, 2024, Israel invaded Lebanon – the sixth time since 1978 – in order to directly confront Hezbollah. That operation led to the killing of an estimated 3,800 Lebanese people and the displacement of over 1 million civilians. The damage to Lebanon’s economy is estimated at US$14 billion, according to the World Bank.

    Hezbollah lost a lot of its fighters, arsenal and popular support as a result. More importantly, these losses discredited Hezbollah’s claim that it alone can guarantee Lebanon’s territorial integrity against Israel’s invasion.

    The United States and France brokered a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel on Nov. 27, 2024. The agreement was based in part on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which was adopted in 2006 to end that year’s 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah. The resolution had as a central tenet the disarmament of armed militias, including Hezbollah, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon.

    The 2024 ceasefire built on that resolution. It required Hezbollah’s retreat beyond the Litani River, which at its closest point is about 20 miles from northern Israel. In return, and by February 2025, Israel was to gradually withdraw from Lebanese territories in order to allow the Lebanese army to take control of areas in the south and to confiscate all unauthorized weapons – a nod to Hezbollah’s arsenal.

    Yet, Israel maintained the occupation of several posts in southern Lebanon after that deadline and continued to launch attacks on Lebanese soil, the most recent being on May 8, 2025.

    The challenge of disarming Hezbollah

    Despite these violations, large-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah has not resumed. But the next step, a lasting peace based on the laying down of Hezbollah arms, is complicated by a series of factors, not least the sectarian nature of Lebanese politics.

    Since its inception in 1920, Lebanon’s governance has been defined by a polarized and formally sectarian political system, which seeded the roots of a decades-long civil conflict that began in 1975. A series of invasions by Israel in response to attacks from Lebanese-based Palestinian groups exacerbated sectarianism and instability.

    From this mix, Hezbollah emerged and became a powerful force during the late 1980s.

    The Taif Agreement, ending Lebanon’s civil war in 1989, formally recognized the state’s right to resist the Israeli occupation of Lebanese territories – and with it Hezbollah’s presence as a force of resistance. An uneasy coexistence between the government and Hezbollah emerged, which often spilled over into violence, including assassinations of important public figures.

    More recently, Hezbollah was responsible for a two-year political vacuum as it mobilized members to repeatedly block opposition candidates for the vacant presidency in the hopes of installing a leader that would support its agenda.

    A view from the southern Lebanese district of Marjeyoun shows smoke billowing from the site of Israeli airstrikes on May 8, 2025.
    Rabih Daher/AFP via Getty Images

    In January 2025 that standoff ended when Lebanon’s parliament elected army chief Joseph Aoun, a Maronite Christian, as president.

    The acquiescence of Hezbollah and its allies was in part a sign of how much the power of the Shiite militia had been diminished by Israel during the conflict.

    But it is also the result of a widespread general understanding in Lebanon of the need to end the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel’s war. The new president has brought much-needed hope to a battered country – one that has been plagued by numerous crises, including a collapsed economy that by 2019 had pushed 80% of the population into poverty.

    But Aoun’s presidency signals the changing political environment in another key way; unlike his predecessors, Aoun has not endorsed Hezbollah as a legitimate resistance movement.

    Further, Aoun has announced his intentions to disarm the group
    and to fully implement resolution 1701.

    To this end, Aoun has made impressive gains. According to state officials, the Lebanese army had by the end of April 2025 dismantled over 90% of Hezbollah’s infrastructure south of the Litani River and taken control over these sites.

    Yet Hezbollah’s chief, Naim Kassem, doggedly rejects calls to disarm and integrate the group’s fighters into the Lebanese armed forces.

    Even in Hezbollah’s weakened position, Kassem believes only his movement, and not the Lebanese state, can guarantee Lebanon’s safety against Israel. And Israel violations of the ceasefire only play into this narrative.

    “We will not allow anyone to remove Hezbollah’s weapons,” Kassem said after one recent airstrike, vowing that the group would hand over weapons only when Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon and ended it’s air incursions.

    Can Lebanon’s new president, Joseph Aoun, untangle the Gordian knot of Lebanese politics?
    Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images

    The challenge going forward

    Yet countries including the United States and Qatar – not to mention Israel – consider Hezbollah’s disarmament a prerequisite to both peace and much-needed international assistance.

    And this makes the task ahead for Aoun difficult. He will be well aware that international aid is desperately needed. But pressing too hard to accommodate either Israel’s or Hezbollah’s interests risks, respectively, exacerbating either domestic political pressures or jeopardizing future foreign investment.

    To complicate matters further, the situation in Lebanon is hardly helped by developments in neighboring Syria.

    The fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad in December 2024 has added another element of regional uncertainty and the fear in Lebanon of further sectarian violence. Although Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has vowed to protect all religious groups, he was not able to prevent the massacre of Alawite civilians in several coastal towns – an attack that triggered a fresh wave of refugees heading toward Lebanon.

    The removal of Assad was another blow for Hezbollah, a strong Assad ally that benefited from years of Syrian interference in Lebanon.

    The challenge of international relations

    For now, a return to full-scale war in Lebanon does not appear to be on the table.

    But what comes next for Lebanon and Hezbollah depends on many factors, not least the state of Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza and any spillover into Lebanon. But the actions of other regional actors, notably Saudi Arabia and Iran, matter too. Should Saudi Arabia be encouraged down the path of normalizing relations with Israel – a process interrupted by the Oct. 7 attack – then it would impact Lebanon in many ways.

    Any deal would, from the Saudi perspective, likely have to include a solution to the question of Palestinian statehood, taking away one of Hezbollah’s main grievances. It would also likely put pressure on Lebanon and Israel to find a solution to its long-standing border dispute.

    Meanwhile, Iran, too, is seemingly turning to diplomatic means to address some of its regional issues, with nascent moves to both improve ties with Saudi Arabia and forge forward with a new nuclear deal with the U.S. This could see Tehran turn away from a policy of trying to impose its influence throughout the region by arming groups aligned with Tehran – first among them, Hezbollah.

    Mireille Rebeiz is affiliated with the American Red Cross.

    – ref. Disarming Hezbollah is key to Lebanon’s recovery − but task is complicated by regional shifts, ceasefire violations – https://theconversation.com/disarming-hezbollah-is-key-to-lebanons-recovery-but-task-is-complicated-by-regional-shifts-ceasefire-violations-255671

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why we’ve fallen out of love with dating apps

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Anh Luong, Assistant Professor of Business Analytics, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick

    pathdoc/Shutterstock

    Dating apps have transformed how people meet romantic partners. But they seem to be falling out of favour.

    Data shows that last year, four of the biggest dating apps in the UK lost over a million users between them. And research my colleague and I worked on suggested that this is because people have become frustrated and bored with digital matchmaking.

    The frustration is usually the result of inconsiderate behaviour from other app users. And the boredom appears to stem from a growing belief that the AI used by these apps seems to prioritise short-term engagement metrics over meaningful connections.

    This marks a significant shift from earlier online dating websites, which were notably more transparent about how they tried to establish authentic connections. Often this was through detailed answers to compatibility quizzes or personality assessments.

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    For example, OkCupid.com (founded 2004) asked users a wide range of multiple-choice questions. It then went further by also asking them to specify the responses to those same questions they wanted to see from prospective partners.

    In contrast, today’s dating apps increasingly rely on less transparent AI which seems to be based on simplistic engagement metrics (number of swipes, frequency of texts, time spent on the app) rather than a path to genuine compatibility.

    The result is often a selection of vague, fleeting connections that do not amount to meaningful relationships. And the business model of today’s dating apps – selling increased visibility and access to matches – creates a challenging environment for many users to find the matches they want.

    Because of this, many users experience a sense of dissatisfaction which manifests itself in four stages.

    It begins with what I call a “boredom cycle”. General boredom prompts many daters to use the app in the first place, but resulting conversations often turn into uninspired and lacklustre exchanges. This adds to the boredom, which then spreads and grows throughout the entire dating app network.

    After that is a general sense of disappointment, as users become jaded from regular “ghosting” (cutting off communication without notice), “flaking” (cancelling dates at the last minute), and mundane message exchanges which don’t lead to actual dates.

    This all leads to a third stage of “algorithmic cynicism”. At this point, users become increasingly sceptical of dating app algorithms, suspecting that their primary function is to encourage the purchase of certain features rather than to establish authentic connections.

    Finally, communication fatigue kicks in. Users go through the motions of swiping and texting with a sense that there are no better alternatives. It all becomes a somewhat hollow experience which ultimately drives many away from the platforms completely.

    Swipe on, swipe off

    Research has also shown that the initial rise of online dating usage among millennials coincided with early enthusiasm about social media. But this enthusiasm has diminished.

    Social media users are now increasingly suspicious (and vigilant) about the risks of misinformation, scams, and offensive content.

    ‘And how’s the algorithm working out for you guys so far?’
    Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock

    Despite all of this, people still seek connections through dating platforms – whether for casual or long-term partnerships. So perhaps the issue is not with digital dating itself, but with how the industry uses AI. And an alternative is possible.

    In related research on human-AI joint decision-making, my colleagues and I found that when people interact with an imperfect AI system, but also receive clear feedback about the their own behaviour patterns and how the AI responds, they can help to correct errors.

    That research focused on financial decisions, but dating apps could do a similar thing by openly providing daters with personalised insights about how AI algorithms are responding to their activity. This is something that no dating app currently does.

    Instead, they let users adjust certain filters, such as age, location and ethnicity. But then they use AI to create “revealed preferences” based on people’s patterns of engagement with the app, like swiping and messaging. These “revealed preferences” seem to greatly influence the kinds of profiles that the dating apps’ AI recommends.

    For example, even if someone says they are keen to date people across a wide age range, the app may still end up recommending profiles of a narrower age group, because the user has tended to swipe right on those in the past. Because of this, users have expressed concerns that the AI could be adding unwanted limitations to their potential dating pool.

    In the AI of the beholder

    Indeed, our research shows that a cynical view of dating app algorithms is a key reason why something as potentially exciting as finding a romantic partner can become so dreadfully boring.

    Addressing this issue, by simply explaining to daters how AI interprets their use of the app (the swipes, the matches, and actual dates) could be a valuable selling point. Giving users freedom to adjust other filters besides demographics, such as those related to their values and interests, could further increase interest.

    This would represent a return to the more transparent match-making principles of earlier dating websites, but with the benefits of the latest technology.

    Our research suggests that as dating app users grow ever more discerning, they will demand greater transparency and an improved overall dating app experience. The industry’s future may ultimately depend on whether companies can shift focus from impersonal engagement metrics to fostering authentic connections.

    And platforms which embrace transparency and empower users could make many fall in love with dating apps all over again.

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

    – ref. Why we’ve fallen out of love with dating apps – https://theconversation.com/why-weve-fallen-out-of-love-with-dating-apps-249333

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The roots of dementia can start in childhood – prevention should be a lifelong goal

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Scott Chiesa, Senior Research Fellow and Alzheimer’s Research UK David Carr Fellow, UCL

    Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock

    More than 60 million people are estimated to be living with dementia, resulting in over 1.5 million deaths a year and an annual cost to the global healthcare economy of around US $1.3 trillion (almost £1 trillion).

    Despite decades of scientific research and billions of pounds of investment, dementia still has no cure. But what of the old saying that prevention is better than cure? Is preventing dementia possible? And if so, at what age should we be taking steps to do so?

    Despite what many believe, dementia is not simply an unavoidable consequence of ageing or genetics. It is estimated that up to 45% of dementia cases could potentially be prevented by reducing exposure to 14 modifiable risk factors common throughout the world.

    Many of these risk factors – which include things like obesity, lack of exercise, and smoking – are traditionally studied from middle age (around 40 to 60 years old) onwards. As a result, several of the world’s leading health bodies and dementia charities now recommend that strategies aimed at reducing dementia risk should ideally be targeted at this age to reap the greatest benefits.

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    We argue, however, that targeting even younger ages is likely to provide greater benefits still. But how young are we talking? And why would exposure to risk factors many decades before the symptoms of dementia traditionally appear be important?

    To explain, let’s work backwards from middle age, starting with the three decades covering adolescence and young adulthood (from ten to 40 years old).

    Many lifestyle-related dementia risk factors emerge during the teenage years, then persist into adulthood. For example, 80% of adolescents living with obesity will remain this way when they are adults. The same applies to high blood pressure and lack of exercise. Similarly, virtually all adults who smoke or drink will have started these unhealthy habits in or around adolescence.

    This poses two potential issues when considering middle age as the best starting point for dementia-prevention strategies. First, altering health behaviour that has already been established is notoriously difficult. And second, most high-risk individuals targeted in middle age will almost certainly have been exposed to the damaging effects of these risk factors for many decades already.

    As such, the most effective actions are likely to be those aimed at preventing unhealthy behaviour in the first place, rather than attempting to change long-established habits decades down the line.

    The roots of dementia

    But what about even earlier in people’s lives? Could the roots of dementia stretch as far back as childhood or infancy? Increasing evidence suggests yes, and that risk factor exposures in the first decade of life (or even while in the womb) may have lifelong implications for dementia risk.

    To understand why this may be, it’s important to remember that our brain goes through three major periods during our lives – development in early life, a period of relative stability in adult life, and decline (in some functions) in old age.

    Most dementia research understandably focuses on changes associated with that decline in later life. But there is increasing evidence that many of the differences in brain structure and function associated with dementia in older adults may have at least partly existed since childhood.

    For example, in long-term studies where people have had their cognitive ability tracked across their whole lives, one of the most important factors explaining someone’s cognitive ability at age 70 is their cognitive ability when they were 11. That is, older adults with poorer cognitive skills have often had these lower skills since childhood, rather than the differences being solely due to a faster decline in older age.

    Similar patterns are also seen when looking for evidence of dementia-related damage on brain scans, with some changes appearing to be more closely related to risk factor exposures in early life than current unhealthy lifestyles.

    Taken together, perhaps the time has come for dementia prevention to be thought of as a lifelong goal, rather than simply a focus for old age.

    A lifelong prevention plan

    But how do we achieve this in practical terms? Complex problems require complex solutions, and there is no quick fix to address this challenge. Many factors contribute to increasing or decreasing an individual’s dementia risk – there is no “one size fits all” approach.

    But one thing generally agreed upon is that mass medication of young people is not the answer. Instead, we – along with 33 other leading international researchers in the field of dementia – recently published a set of recommendations for actions that can be taken at the individual, community and national levels to improve brain health from an early age.

    Our consensus statement and recommendations deliver two clear messages. First, meaningful reductions in dementia risk for as many people as possible will only be achievable through a coordinated approach that brings together healthier environments, better education and smarter public policy.

    Second – and perhaps most importantly – while it’s never too late to take steps to reduce your risk of dementia, it’s also never too early to start.

    Scott Chiesa receives funding from an Alzheimer’s Research UK David Carr Fellowship.

    Francesca Farina receives funding from the Alzheimer’s Association and the University of Chicago.

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

    – ref. The roots of dementia can start in childhood – prevention should be a lifelong goal – https://theconversation.com/the-roots-of-dementia-can-start-in-childhood-prevention-should-be-a-lifelong-goal-255845

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Cockney Yiddish: how two languages influenced each other in London’s East End

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nadia Valman, Professor of Urban Literature, Queen Mary University of London

    Yiddish is a familiar presence in contemporary English speech. Many people use or at least know the meaning of words like chutzpah (audacity), schlep (drag) or nosh (snack).

    These words have been absorbed into English from their original speakers, eastern European Jews who migrated to Britain in the late 19th century, through generations of living in close proximity in areas like London’s East End.

    Linguistics scholars have even theorised that elements of a Yiddish accent may have influenced the cockney accent as it evolved in the early 20th century. Phonetic analysis of cockney speakers recorded in the mid-20th century suggests that East Enders who grew up with Jewish neighbours spoke English with speech rhythms typical of Yiddish.

    A distinctive pronunciation of the “r” sound is thought to have originated among Jewish immigrants and spread into the wider population.

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    But, as we explore in our new podcast, cockney reshaped the Yiddish language too. This can be seen in surviving texts from the popular culture of the Jewish immigrant East End, including newspapers and songsheets, where songs, poems and stories dramatise the thrills and challenges of modern London.

    The Yiddish music of London’s East End brought together the Yiddish language and Jewish culture of eastern Europe with the raucous, irreverent style of the cockney music hall. Theatres and pubs overflowed with audiences eager to see the immigrant experience in Whitechapel represented in all its perplexity and pathos, with a good measure of slapstick comedy.

    A Yiddish music hall song from around 1900 jokes that East Enders live on “poteytes un gefrayte fish” – a Yiddish version of the cockney staple fish and chips. The song lists the many novelties that immigrants encountered on arriving in the metropolis: trains running underground, women wearing trousers and people speaking on telephones.

    Yiddish music hall song ‘London hot sikh ibergekert’ (London has turned itself upside down) performed by the author’s (Vivi Lachs) band Katsha’nes.

    Yiddish was also the language of street protest in the Jewish East End. During the “strike fever” of 1889, when workers throughout east London were demanding better pay and working conditions, the Whitechapel streets resonated with the voices of Jewish sweatshop workers singing:

    In di gasn, tsu di masn fun badrikte felk rasn, ruft der frayhaytsgayst (In the streets, to the masses / of oppressed peoples, races / the spirit of freedom calls).

    This song was penned by the socialist poet Morris Winchevsky, an immigrant from Lithuania who spoke Yiddish as a mother tongue but preferred to write in literary Hebrew. In London he switched to writing in the vernacular language of Yiddish in order to make his writing more accessible to immigrant Jewish workers. The song became a rousing anthem in labour protests across the Yiddish-speaking world, from Warsaw to Chicago.

    The decline of Yiddish

    Yet from the earliest days of Jewish immigration to London, the Yiddish-language culture of the East End was a focus of anxiety for the Jewish middle and upper class of the West End. They regarded Yiddish as a vulgar dialect, detrimental to the integration of Jewish immigrants in England.

    While they provided significant philanthropic support for immigrants, they banned the use of Yiddish in the educational and religious institutions that they funded.

    In 1883, budding novelist Israel Zangwill was disciplined by the Jews’ Free School, where he worked as a teacher, for publishing a short story liberally sprinkled with dialogues in cockney-Yiddish.

    By the 1930s Yiddish had begun to decline. As Jews moved away from the East End, local Yiddish newspapers folded and publications dwindled.

    The Yiddish writer I.A. Lisky, who wrote fiction for a keen but diminishing readership in the London Yiddish newspaper Di tsayt, movingly described a young woman and her grandmother who each harbour complex hopes and worries but cannot communicate: “Ken ober sibl nit redn keyn yidish un di bobe farshteyt nor a por verter english. Shvaygt sibl vayter.” (But Sybil spoke no Yiddish, and her grandmother knew only a few words of English. So she remained silent.)

    Yiddish-language newspapers like Der Fonograf flourished in the early 20th century East End.
    Courtesy of Jewish Miscellanies website.

    Jewish writers of the postwar period were haunted by the sense of a lost connection to the Yiddish language and culture of previous generations.

    The novelist Alexander Baron, who grew up in Hackney, remembered his grandparents reading Yiddish literature and newspapers, and his parents speaking Yiddish when they did not want their children to understand what they were saying.

    In his novel The Lowlife (1963) the narrator’s vocabulary is peppered with Yiddish words. But these fragments are all that remains of his link to the East End where he was born. When he returns to these streets, he feels that “my too, too solid flesh in the world of the past is like a ghost of the past in the solid world of the present; it can look on but it cannot touch”.

    Yiddish in London today

    If you walk through the north London neighbourhood of Stamford Hill today, you’ll hear Yiddish on the streets and see new Yiddish books on the shelves of the local bookshops. Although they have no connection to the Victorian Jewish East End, the ultra-orthodox Hasidic community who live there speak Yiddish as their first language.

    And for a younger generation of secular Jews, Yiddish is also acquiring a new appeal. They look to past traditions of Jewish diasporism to forge an identity rooted in language, culture and solidarity with other minorities rather than nationalism.

    London is one centre of this worldwide revival: the Friends of Yiddish group established in the East End in the late 1930s is now flourishing in its contemporary incarnation as the Yiddish Open Mic Cafe. And Yiddish is once again a language that anyone can learn.

    The Ot Azoy Yiddish summer school is in its 13th year, and new Yiddish language schools are thriving, including east London-based Babel’s Blessing, which teaches diaspora languages including Yiddish and offers free English classes to refugees and asylum seekers. The annual Yiddish sof-vokh hosts an immersive weekend for Yiddish learners.

    Yiddish culture too is being rejuvenated. Projects we have been involved with include the Yiddish Shpilers theatre troupe, the Great Yiddish Parade marching band, which has brought Winchevsky’s socialist anthems back onto London’s streets, and the London band Katsha’nes, which has reimagined cockney Yiddish music hall songs for the 21st century.

    If Yiddish was once reviled as a debased, slangy mishmash, full of borrowings and adaptations, it’s precisely for those qualities that it is celebrated today.

    Nadia Valman received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council for research included in this article.

    Vivi Lachs received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council for research included in this article.

    – ref. Cockney Yiddish: how two languages influenced each other in London’s East End – https://theconversation.com/cockney-yiddish-how-two-languages-influenced-each-other-in-londons-east-end-252779

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Putin dodges peace talks in Istanbul as Russia pushes for territorial concessions from Ukraine

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sam Phelps, Commissioning Editor, International Affairs

    This article was first published in The Conversation UK’s World Affairs Briefing email newsletter. Sign up to receive weekly analysis of the latest developments in international relations, direct to your inbox.

    Demands by British, French, German and Polish leaders in Kyiv last weekend that Russia agree to a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine or face possible “massive” sanctions went down in Moscow about as well as you’d expect. In an address from the Kremlin, Russian president Vladimir Putin lambasted European powers for talking to Russia “in a boorish manner and with the help of ultimatums”.

    He did, however, offer a counter-proposal: an invitation for Ukraine to take part in direct talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul. Putin called the talks “the first step towards a long-term, lasting peace”. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, accepted the invitation and announced he would attend the talks in person. He challenged Putin to do the same.

    But on the eve of the talks it was announced that, no, Putin wouldn’t attend and a junior delegation would be sent in his place. Zelensky, who is in Turkey anyway for talks with the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has called the Russian envoy “phony” and accused Moscow of sending “stand-in props”.

    Putin’s no-show, alongside Russia’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire as a precursor to negotiations, probably says all you need to know about whether Moscow truly intends to bring the war to an end. But, regardless, the talks are the first to take place directly between the two warring parties since the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

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    The Russian delegation in Istanbul is being led by Vladimir Medinsky, a Putin aide who led the previous round of direct peace talks with Ukraine. This is evidence, as Stefan Wolff and Tetyana Malyarenko also point out, that Russia wants the talks to be based on the same framework as in 2022 – namely, forcing Ukraine to accept significant restrictions on its military and sovereignty.

    Wolff and Malyarenko, who are two regular contributors to our coverage of the war in Ukraine, explain that Russia’s territorial demands have become more contentious since the start of the war. Russia’s current position is that it sees international recognition of Crimea, Sevastopol, the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, and the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions as part of Russia as “imperative”.

    This is a non-starter for Ukraine. But Wolff and Malyarenko suggest there could be some flexibility on accepting that some parts of Ukrainian territory are under temporary Russian control in exchange for peace.

    The problem, they write, is that much of the territory Russia currently occupies, including Crimea and land on the shores of the Azov Sea, is of key strategic value for Russia. Donetsk and Luhansk, meanwhile, have substantial economic value because of the resources located there.

    In any case, there is no guarantee that territorial concessions from Kyiv now would put a permanent end to the war, write Wolff and Malyarenko. This is because it “does not address the fundamental issue of how to deal with a vengeful and revisionist autocracy on Europe’s doorstep”.



    Read more:
    Territorial concessions will be central to any Ukraine peace deal, and to Russia’s long-term plan

    Lasting peace between India and Pakistan, two countries that regularly clash over control of the disputed Kashmir region, is proving equally tricky to find. Several rounds of military strikes, prompted by a terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir in April that killed at least 31 people, have recently brought the nuclear powers closer to war than they have been in decades.

    The Trump administration initially expressed reluctance to get involved, saying it was “none of our business”. But as hostilities rapidly escalated, raising the prospect of nuclear war, US officials stepped in and talked down the two countries. A ceasefire was agreed that, for almost a week now, seems to have held.

    Alex Waterman and Sudhir Selvaraj, experts on peace studies at the University of Bradford, say the ceasefire represents an “incredibly precarious peace”.

    That ceasefires have been agreed – and respected – by the two parties before is cause for optimism, they write. But cross-border tensions have increased in recent years. Waterman and Selvaraj argue this has been part of a strategy used by Pakistan’s powerful army to deflect attention away from political and economic crises at home.

    Tensions remain high and may, at some point, spill over again. Some of the decisions taken by India after the recent terror attack, for instance, such as the suspension of a treaty governing water sharing of rivers in the Indus basin, could compel further support for militant groups in Kashmir. Despite a US offer to mediate talks between the two countries, deeper resolution looks a way off.



    Read more:
    India and Pakistan have agreed a precarious peace – but will it last?

    Donald Trump, meanwhile, is wrapping up his four-day tour of the Middle East. His visit has seen him sit down with the Saudi crown prince and the Qatari emir (as well as Syria’s leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa) to discuss bolstering economic and security ties.

    In that sense, the trip has been a resounding success. Trump signed a US$142 billion (£107 billion) arms deal with Saudi Arabia and agreements with Qatar that, according to the White House, will “generate an economic exchange worth at least US$1.2 trillion”.

    Adam Hanieh, a professor of political economy at the University of Exeter, explains that arrangements like these are part of a long history in which the Gulf monarchies have supported the architecture of US global power.

    In this piece, Hanieh explores how the vast amounts of income generated by the Gulf’s nationalised petroleum industries in the 20th century was invested into US financial markets. Gulf states, he writes, were essential contributors to the growth of the US as a global financial power.

    The US promised military protection in return, resulting in a web of American military bases across the region. As Trump’s lavish welcome in the Middle East shows, the relationship between the US and Gulf monarchies looks robust.

    But much has changed in the past two decades, says Hanieh, referring to China’s rise as a global manufacturing hub. The Gulf is a critical energy lifeline for Beijing, while China’s demand for oil, gas and petrochemicals will be a vital part of the Gulf’s economic future.



    Read more:
    Not every US president gets a free private jet, but the Gulf states have boosted US economic dominance for decades

    Trump is no stranger to competition with China, as his first five months in office have shown. Tit-for-tat tariffs that the US and China imposed on each other quickly snowballed into heavy duties, as high as 145% on Chinese goods looking to enter the US.

    However, after weeks of signalling that tariff levels could reduce, US and Chinese officials announced this week that US tariffs on Chinese goods would drop to 30% for a period of 90 days, while Chinese tariffs on US products would drop back to 10%. Trade negotiations between the two countries will continue.

    We asked Chee Meng Tan, an assistant professor of business economics at the University of Nottingham, what the deal means for China. He says the tariff reduction has provided China with much-needed relief as it attempts to repair its ailing economy.

    But China will ultimately hope to bring US tariffs down to around 10%, in line with the rest of the world. And, as Tan explains, there is more China can do to persuade the Trump administration to cut tariffs further. Ensuring the flow of critical minerals to the US and assuring its support for US agriculture, an important political support base for Trump, will be key.

    China needs to engage with the US and lower US tariffs as much as possible. But it will want to look at other options, writes Tan, rather than relying on an unpredictable Trump. The next 90 days are a big deal for Beijing.



    Read more:
    China-US trade war: the next 90 days are a big deal for Beijing as it seeks long-term solutions

    Jonathan Este is on holiday.

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    – ref. Putin dodges peace talks in Istanbul as Russia pushes for territorial concessions from Ukraine – https://theconversation.com/putin-dodges-peace-talks-in-istanbul-as-russia-pushes-for-territorial-concessions-from-ukraine-256504

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Denmark’s oysters are transforming foodies into citizen scientists

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dominique Townsend, Visiting Researcher, School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton

    Lea Meilandt Mathisen, CC BY-NC-ND

    This year 80 people put on their waders, grabbed buckets and quadrats (square metal frames), and splashed through the clear shallow waters. Once they reached one of the many sampling locations, marked by miniature floats, they threw their quadrats into the shallow water, ready to collect all the sea life that landed inside their quadrats.

    No one had any idea what they might find living on the seabed until they reached into the water. Nearby, kids peered down at the seabed using underwater scopes, grandparents chuckled as they returned for a second forage.

    This citizen science project combines coastal ecology and gastronomy. Our groups returned to the sorting stations to identify, count, weigh and measure each bucket of creatures and algae. A typical bucket might contain four living Pacific oysters, nine dead, a brush-clawed shore crab, four folded sea squirts and a handful of snails.

    Then, we sat down together to eat a gourmet oyster dinner, prepared by Denmark’s top chefs. Organised by a shellfish gastrotourism association called Danmarks Skaldyrshovedstad, this oyster hunt (Østerjagten 2025) is a new annual festival held at the Salling Sund Bridge in the Danish Limfjorden, a 110-mile strait of water in northern Denmark.

    Citizen scientists gather flora and fauna samples from the seafloor.
    Lea Meilandt Mathisen, CC BY-NC-ND

    The invasive Pacific oysters people had collected from the seabed then went on to be shucked and cooked. They were served au gratin, with wild flavour combinations, ranging from blueberry and blue cheese to shavings of prosciutto with strawberries and lime.

    Most people told us they came along because of the quirkiness of this event, and the promise of gourmet food. Less than one in five people stated their interest in marine research as their reason for joining. Nobody attended the event just for the science.

    As a coastal change researcher, this result was exciting – we were reaching an audience that might not normally engage. Even after participating, many people didn’t feel like citizen scientists. But when asked what they had learnt, most recalled facts about coastal ecology, as well as new ways to cook oysters.

    A delicious plate of Pacific oysters served au gratin.
    Lea Meilandt Mathisen, CC BY-NC-ND



    Read more:
    How citizen science is shaping international conservation

    Eating aliens

    Back to the basket sample contents. Pacific oyster, brush-clawed shore crab, folded sea squirts: none are native to the Limfjorden or Danish waters. So many people were shocked to find out that their baskets were full of invasive species – these “alien species” are non-native and can compete with the resident species for both food and space.

    Despite an increase in the number of empty Pacific oysters shells we found this year compared to last (indicating more oyster deaths), temperatures are rising in this estuary system. This means that conditions are becoming more suitable for the Pacific oysters and the other invasive creatures, many of which originate in warmer waters.

    Individual Pacific oysters were measured by hand.
    Lea Meilandt Mathisen, CC BY-NC-ND

    All oysters provide ecosystem services; improving water quality, forming new habitats and protecting coastlines from erosion by reducing wave energy. As Pacific oysters are bigger, rougher, tougher and much faster growing than native European oysters, they can have a greater impact on the environment.

    This, however, is not necessarily a good thing. As Pacific oysters take over European oyster and blue mussel beds, birds which once fed on these species are left without vital food sources. The thick shells mean they have no predators once they reach a certain size. Beach goers can also be affected as the razor-sharp shells occupy previously sandy bathing areas.

    Farming of the Pacific oyster has been banned in Denmark since 1998, yet despite this measure, Pacific oyster beds are now widespread and prevalent across Denmark’s estuaries. A single oyster can release between 50 and 200 million eggs during a spawning event each year meaning it is impossible to control them.

    A young citizen scientist holds a small shore crab.
    Lea Meilandt Mathisen, CC BY-NC-ND

    While children were discovering the joy of sea squirts, other marine scientists and I could have tougher conversations with adults about climate change. We explained that warming temperatures are clearly visible in the here-and-now of local monitoring data.

    The Limfjorden is made up of a series of fjords and islands in northern Denmark which link the North Sea to the Kattergat (the sea between Denmark and Sweden). This area is characterised by undisturbed coastlines and rolling hills, as well as some famous geological sites. It is a popular holiday destination for those that enjoy being in nature, some Danish hyggelig (comfort) and seafood.

    But the Limfjorden is subject to numerous pressures: eutrophication (when extra nutrients in the water cause toxic algal blooms), changing climate, fishing, dumping of dredged materials and the arrival of invasive species. Its resilience to these may serve as an ecological bell weather for the rest of the world’s coasts.

    Our event highlights how we’ll have to deal with environmental issues together. One feedback form still sits on my desk, the participant wrote in Danish: “Forskning er alle mands projekt og at det har effekt.” This translates to “research is everyone’s project and it has an effect”.

    This edible approach offers a new way of communicating complex issues such as biodiversity and the introduction of alien species. Oyster hunt-style events such as this offer an excellent opportunity for scientists like us to provide some food for thought.

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    Camille Saurel receives funding from the European Union, Danish Government and research councils.

    Pedro Seabra Freitas receives funding from the European Union, Danish Government and Research Councils, Aage V. Jensen Naturfond.

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

    – ref. How Denmark’s oysters are transforming foodies into citizen scientists – https://theconversation.com/how-denmarks-oysters-are-transforming-foodies-into-citizen-scientists-255828

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –