Category: Education

MIL-OSI Global: Investors value green labels — but not always for the right reasons

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Vasundhara Saravade, Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of the Environment, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

Imagine you are choosing between two similar investment options. One has a green label, promising to fund climate-friendly projects and assets. The other offers a slightly higher return, but has no green label. Which do you choose?

My recent study explored this question. My co-researchers and I found that, for most retail investors — individual, non-professional investors — the presence of a green label mattered more than the actual environmental impact of the bond or the higher financial return of a non-green option.

This finding raises critical questions about how sustainable finance is marketed and whether green labels alone are enough to drive real environmental change.

Green bonds and retail investors

Green bonds are a financial tool designed to fund environmentally friendly projects. Institutional investors and governments have embraced them, but their adoption by everyday retail investors remains low.

The Canadian market was one of the first to provide access to retail-level green bonds, but demand for such bonds was always oversubscribed. Low interest rates made it difficult to balance investor returns with lending profits. This imbalance squeezed sustainable investment firms like CoPower, which ultimately led to its green bond model winding down.

With the urgent need to attract capital for climate financing, the role of retail investors is now a key topic of discussion. In 2021, these investors accounted for 52 per cent of global assets under management in 2021 — a figure expected to jump to nearly 61 per cent by 2030. This presents a massive opportunity to mobilize private capital toward sustainable finance.

However, before retail investors venture into the green bond market, the sustainable finance sector must address a key question: do people invest in green bonds because they believe in their environmental benefits or simply because of the “green” label?

And, more importantly, does the green label alone persuade retail investors to accept a “greenium” — choosing a lower-return green bond over a higher-return non-green bond — like professional investors do?

The ‘green-label effect’ is real

To determine this, my co-researchers and I conducted an experiment with over 1,000 self-identified retail investors to see how different framing techniques — such as labels, environmental impact and reporting descriptions — shaped their willingness to invest in green bonds.

Our study identified a “green label effect.” Most retail investors relied on green labels as a shortcut to save time and avoid having to evaluate the environmental impact of a bond. Investors often relied on simplified decision cues like labels and financial returns to navigate complex financial information.

Read more:
Sustainable finance: Canada risks being left behind in low-carbon economy

However, a small subset of environmentally conscious investors researched the validity of green bonds and aligned their investments with their values, even at the cost of lower returns.

This highlights the need for green bonds that offer a competitive return, given that a majority still invest based on financial returns in addition to labelling. Labelling alone is not enough to drive mainstream retail investment in sustainable finance.

Our study also found that certain types of personal characteristics made people more likely to invest in labelled green bonds, even if those bonds had the lowest financial returns. Investors with a high-risk tolerance were more likely to invest in green bonds.

Additionally, previous investment experience played a role. Those who had moderately invested in stocks, had none to high levels of experience investing in bonds.

The greenwashing challenge

Our findings highlight both the potential and pitfalls of sustainable finance. The popularity of green-labelled bonds suggests that retail investors are open to sustainable investment and would help to drive growth in this market considerably.

However, the fact that many choose labels without finding out whether the bond is actually green raises concerns about greenwashing. This practice occurs when companies exploit sustainability branding and use green labels on non-green bonds to avoid delivering environmental impact.

If investors rely too much on green labels without verifying the actual impact of their investments, they may inadvertently support projects that fail to make a meaningful difference.

As green finance regulations evolve, governments must strengthen labelling standards and transparency. This would ensure that labelled green bonds deliver on their promises.

Stronger green taxonomies and consumer oversight mechanisms would help prevent misleading claims, protect investors and ensure sustainable finance can scale quickly. Without these safeguards, green bonds could lose credibility and fail to scale effectively.

What should policymakers do?

To expand the green bond market and align it with Canada’s climate goals, policymakers could introduce tax-free government green bonds or green infrastructure bonds. These would incentivize retail investors and raise their awareness of sustainable finance.

Policymakers could allow banks to add green bonds to registered products like tax-free savings accounts or registered retirement savings plans. They could create new green registered products that would encourage individual-level savings and investment, like the first home savings account.

Making verified climate-related financial disclosures easier to use could help retail investors better understand the impact of green products. This would reduce reliance on labels alone and encourage more informed decision-making.

Green bonds have the potential to be a powerful tool in the fight against climate change, but only if they’re backed by real accountability. As our study shows, labels matter a lot — but what’s behind them matters most.

Vasundhara Saravade is affiliated with the Smart Prosperity Institute.

– ref. Investors value green labels — but not always for the right reasons – https://theconversation.com/investors-value-green-labels-but-not-always-for-the-right-reasons-251021

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Booker’s Joint Address Guest, Cameron McKenzie, Fired Federal Worker of Blairstown, New Jersey

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) will be joined by Cameron McKenzie at President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress this evening. Against the backdrop of increased and uncharacteristic forest fires in New Jersey, McKenzie abruptly lost his job in the United States Forest Service as part of wider DOGE purges across the federal government workforce. As a result of losing his job, Cameron is now planning to sell his home in Blairstown, New Jersey.
“Cameron McKenzie believed deeply in the work he was doing with the United States Forest Service. He was taking care of our environment and serving as a steward to one of our nation’s most valued treasures. Unfortunately, Cameron’s post was part of Elon Musk’s wider effort to purge the federal workforce, and its impact extends beyond the void left in the Forest Service and every other federal agency. Cameron’s future is now uncertain, and he will have to sell his home in Blairstown. What Musk is doing is hemorrhaging our nation’s talented workforce and unduly harming people and communities nationwide, including New Jerseyans. It is my honor to be joined by Cameron this evening, and it is my hope that his courage and resilience are recognized for what they are: patriotic,” said Senator Booker.
Cameron McKenzie is a graduate of Princeton University and Yale University and lives and works in Blairstown, New Jersey. Upon receiving his master’s degree in forestry, he successfully applied to the highly competitive and prestigious Presidential Management Fellowship Program (PMF), whereupon he was assigned to serve in the United States Forest Service as a Community Engagement Specialist. The position afforded him the opportunity to manage U.S. Forest Service outreach programs across more than twenty national forests in the midwestern and northeastern United States. Unfortunately, Cameron’s job with the Forest Service was terminated following wider DOGE purges across the federal government workforce. His story, and those of former federal workers, was featured in a February story in The New York Times.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Safeguarding and strengthening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages in schools

Source: Australian Ministers for Education

The Albanese Labor Government is delivering $11 million in grants to strengthen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language education in primary schools as part of its commitment to Closing the Gap.

More than 40 communities across Australia will benefit from 26 projects under the First Nations Languages Education Program through community-driven collaborations to teach local languages.

The initiative recognises that each community will have different aspirations and needs for teaching and sustaining First Nations languages.

The two-year projects will support the development of more than 100 trainee language educators and partnerships with more than 70 schools.

The Program has been developed in partnership with First Languages Australia (FLA), the national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.

The Program aims to progress Target 16 of Closing the Gap, to support a sustained increase in the number and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages being spoken.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare:

“This is all about strengthening the teaching of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.

“It’s important we safeguard and strengthen local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages in community.

“That’s why we’re providing funding to help more young Australians develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the first languages and cultures of this country.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy:

“As a proud Yanyuwa Garrwa woman, I know the importance of languages in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, the world’s oldest continuing cultures.

“This investment in community led organisations will mean more First Nations languages are taught in schools, ensuring they thrive into the future.”

Quotes attributable to First Languages Australia CEO, Beau Williams:

“The First Nations Languages Education Program has empowered communities to design projects tailored to what they need, using the knowledge, people and resources they have available.

“The program is a great investment in community led organisations and initiatives and will contribute to the revitalisation and maintenance of our languages.”

Quotes from program participants

Applicant- South Australia

“Our language has not been used as an everyday language for some time. There are no fluent speakers, only two speakers confident in the use of grammar structures, and 10-12 speakers with pronunciation skills.

“Within the next five years, it is hoped that there will be enough language teachers for our language to be taught as a language in primary classrooms within the region.

“It is our hope that a broader and larger part of the community will be able to connect to the language stolen from their ancestors and them. They will have the opportunity to teach it to their children and their grandchildren.

“We will be able to reconnect with our way of passing on knowledge from Elders and old ones to our young people.”

Applicant- Queensland

“Our language is a highly endangered language, with less than 10 elderly speakers remaining and three speakers working on this project. We recall our childhood, when we started going to school the government took our language away from us, we weren’t allowed to speak our language at school. Now, the school is helping us to bring our language back as part of healing and walking together as a community.”

MIL OSI News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Yuri Trutnev: All-Russian competition “Far East – Land of Adventure” will be extended to the Arctic

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Yuri Trutnev took part in the award ceremony for the winners of the second season of the All-Russian travel competition “The Far East – Land of Adventure”

March 5, 2025

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Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev announced this at the National Center “Russia” during the award ceremony for the winners of the second season of the All-Russian travel competition “Far East – Land of Adventure”. The order to expand the competition to Arctic territories was given by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I congratulate the winners and everyone who took part in the competition. Thank you for traveling, because it makes the world a better place, it makes your life better. You convey love for Russia, you convey love for our Far East. I am sure that the competition will continue. We will see many more wonderful films. The competition began with applications from two hundred people, this year the number of participants has tripled and amounted to more than six hundred people. At first glance, it seems that it is up to the person himself to decide where he will go to travel. But this is not so. With each route that travelers took through the Far East of our country, which they talked about and about which they made a film, people increasingly discover the beautiful Far Eastern territories,” Yuri Trutnev opened the ceremony.

At the end of December, the application period for participation in the second season of the All-Russian competition for the best trip “The Far East – Land of Adventures” ended. In total, the organizing committee received 664 films, which is three times more than in 2022. Most often, participants went on a trip to the Sakhalin Region, where 142 films about active travel were shot. In addition, 112 films about adventures in the Khabarovsk Territory, 110 in the Kamchatka Territory, 70 in the Primorsky Territory, 57 in the Amur Region, 46 in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), 42 films in the Republic of Buryatia, 26 in the Trans-Baikal Territory, 21 in the Jewish Autonomous Region, 20 and 18 films each in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and Magadan Region were admitted to the jury’s evaluation.

The best video materials were selected by the jury members, including: TV journalist, author and host of the TV show “Neputevye Zametki” Dmitry Krylov, Arctic traveler, video blogger Bogdan Bulychev, TV host Valdis Pelsh, head of the project “More than a Journey” Olesya Teterina, State Duma deputy, author and host of the TV show “How the World Works” Timofey Bazhenov, producer of the VK project “Places” Nikita Afinogenov and other experienced travelers. The chairman of the jury was the editor-in-chief of the TV channel “My Planet” Nikolay Tabashnikov. In addition, the winners of the first season of the competition took part in the evaluation of the works: Elena Poddubnaya, Ernest Leonidov, Alisa Slyshchenko.

The Grand Prix (the best trip to the Far East) was awarded to Moscow resident Ilya Bolshakov, a senior research fellow at the Geological Faculty of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, for a trip to the Sakhalin Region. On the Kuril Island of Onekotan, the traveler visited the extinct Krenitsyn volcano, which is also called a “volcano within a volcano” and is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. “As a child, I did not dream of becoming a traveler. I did not dream of mountains or tents. I grew up as an ordinary child. It is even more amazing now to realize that I have become a geologist. And together with my friends, I spent 26 days last summer on an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean. During this time, we walked more than 200 km, covered 15 km by water and conquered one of the most unusual mountains on Earth,” the traveler said.

In the nomination “Best Hiking Trip”, the first and third places were awarded to trips around the Sakhalin Region. Both travelers are residents of Moscow. The first place was taken by Anastasia Kolonskaya for her trip around the Sakhalin Region. The contestant covered 100 km in ten days, inspired by the picturesque expanses of Kunashir Island. During her trip, she saw the Tyatya volcano, the columnar rock (kekur) Monakh, or, as it is also called, the Devil’s Finger, Cape Stolbchaty and many other places. The film was shot in the format of reading hiking notes and supplemented with the author’s sketches. Third place went to Grigory Gorchakov, who traveled to the northern Kuril Islands and delighted the jury with views of untouched, wild nature. Second place was awarded to Nikita Bulanov, a resident of Buryatia, for a trip around his region. An eight-minute video about the filming of the movie “Along the Taiga, Lake and Steppe” about a journey through the picturesque places of the republic and the difficult history of one family was submitted to the competition.

First place in the nomination “Best Water Journey” was awarded to Viktor Kitsan. He submitted an eight-minute film “Home” about family, love, strength and a journey across the Sea of Japan. Second place in the nomination was awarded to Valery Reitenberg, a resident of Khabarovsk Krai, for a journey to the Kuril Islands. Third place was awarded to a journey across Kamchatka Krai. Vyacheslav Borisovsky, a resident of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, presented the film “Kamchatka. On Distant Shores”. The route of the journey on a sailing yacht ran from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky through Vilyuchinsky Bay, where the author took photographs of the volcano of the same name, to Cape Kekurny to photograph the life of walruses and listen to the bay.

Two places in the nomination “Best Winter Trip” – the second and third – were taken by trips around Buryatia. The awards were received by residents of the region. Buda Tsydypov, who took second place, is engaged in organizing hiking tourism with a focus on mountaineering, helps in organizing ecological trails in the Eastern Sayan Mountains. He presented a route for climbing the highest peak of the Sayan Mountains, Munku-Sardyk. Third place was received by Elihan Batotsyrenov. He sent to the competition the film “Nukhen Daban – The Path of Discoveries” about the journey of a group of ten brave explorers through the majestic mountains. First place in the nomination was awarded to Mikhail Nepogodin, a resident of the Khabarovsk Territory, for a trip through the Badzhalsky Range – a mountain range located in the Verkhnebureinsky District.

The winner in the category “Unlimited Possibilities” was Elena Zinovieva, who traveled around Kamchatka with her son. “My son has been blind since birth, but this does not stop us from traveling around Kamchatka. The most desired moment was when we crossed the Sea of Okhotsk by plane. The joyful emotions of the child when I tell him where we are flying are worth a lot. I am the child’s eyes and am always next to him,” says the traveler.

12-year-old Diana Abazova won in the nomination “Best Children’s Travel”. The young resident of Khabarovsk Krai traveled to the place of power of her native region – Mount Magloy, considered sacred by the Nanai people.

In the nomination “Best Journey with Marine Life” the winner was Muscovite Valentin Morozov for his trip to see bowhead whales in Wrangel Bay in Khabarovsk Krai.

“A lot has been said about the unique nature of the Far Eastern regions. But I want to emphasize how incredible the people of the Far East are. In the ocean, in the mountains, in the harsh taiga, it is impossible to lie or dissemble. The feeling of elbow, support both in one’s own strength and in those who are nearby – this is what distinguishes the Far East and helps the region to develop rapidly. And of course, only such people, with a powerful character and a huge soul, can be allowed close to the mysterious inhabitants of the sea depths,” noted the Minister for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic Alexey Chekunkov.

The winner of the special nomination “Best Trip to Chukotka” was Nikita Bereznyakov. He presented the film “On Foot in Chukotka. In the Footsteps of Ancient Eskimos”.

“Chukotka is a special region in the Far East: a new day begins astronomically here, the sun rises. We have magnificent, unforgettable nature, one of the largest nature reserves “Beringia”, along the shores of which whales migrate. You can come and take pictures with them. When we established this nomination, we really wanted many films to be made. It is impossible to make a good film if you do not love the place you are talking about, if you do not love Chukotka. And love is very easily transmitted. And it really worked out. Many thanks to those who did it,” emphasized the Governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Vladislav Kuznetsov.

The non-competitive prize for “Best Nature Film” was awarded to the full-length film “Fire Fox”.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: PHILADELPHIA – Governor Shapiro to Visit Temple University Health System to Highlight Proposed Investments to Grow Pennsylvania’s Nursing Workforce

Source: US State of Pennsylvania

March 06, 2025 – Philadelphia, PA

ADVISORY – PHILADELPHIA – Governor Shapiro to Visit Temple University Health System to Highlight Proposed Investments to Grow Pennsylvania’s Nursing Workforce

Governor Josh Shapiro will visit Temple Women & Families to highlight the major investments his 2025-26 Budget Proposal would make to address the ongoing nursing shortage – including $5 million to support workforce initiatives to educate, train, and recruit nursing professionals.

Governor Shapiro’s budget proposal puts growing our workforce front and center, building upon previous investments to support the demand for reliable health care services throughout the state.
Under the Governor’s leadership, Pennsylvania has expanded workforce development and increased funding for vo-tech programs, career and technical education (CTE), and apprenticeships by nearly $65 million. Today, Pennsylvania invests 50 percent more in workforce development than when the Governor took office, equipping workers with the skills needed for high-demand jobs.

WHO:
Governor Josh Shapiro
Secretary Nancy A. Walker, Department of Labor & Industry
Senator Christine Tartaglione
Representative Jason Dawkins
Michael Young, President and CEO of Temple University Health System
Chaudron Carter, Chief Nursing Executive of Temple University Health System

WHEN:
Thursday, March 6, 2025 at 11:00AM

WHERE:
Temple Women & Families
1331 East Wyoming Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19124

LIVE STREAM:
pacast.com/live/gov
governor.pa.gov/live/

RSVP:
Press who are interested in attending must RSVP with the names and phone numbers for each member of their team to ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Issues Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Guidance for Schools

Source: US State of New York

EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today led a coalition of 14 attorneys general in issuing guidance to K-12 schools, colleges, and universities outlining the benefits, legality, and importance of common diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) policies and practices in education. The guidance comes in response to concerns expressed by some educational institutions following an executive order and a U.S. Department of Education (DOE) “Dear Colleague” letter threatening schools that continue to uphold DEIA policies and programming. In the guidance issued today, Attorney General James and the coalition remind educational institutions and entities that their lawful efforts to seek and support diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible educational experiences cannot be rendered illegal by an executive order or a letter from DOE – neither of which can make or change the law.

“The administration cannot ban diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts with a ‘Dear Colleague’ letter,” said Attorney General James. “Schools and educational institutions can rest assured that they are well within their legal rights to continue building inclusive learning environments for their students. My office will always stand up for the rule of law and defend New Yorkers from threats.”

The Trump administration, in its efforts to dismantle diversity initiatives, has sought to misinterpret and improperly expand the U.S. Supreme Court’s narrow ruling in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College (SFFA). In their guidance, the attorneys general clarify that the administration’s recent executive order and communications from DOE do not change the law with respect to higher education policies.

The attorneys general also emphasize that higher education institutions are well within their rights to continue to seek and cultivate diverse student bodies and equitable outcomes for students. In the guidance, the coalition clarifies that while SFFA limited the ability of higher education institutions to consider an applicant’s race as a “plus” factor for admission, schools can still work to diversify their applicant pools and student bodies through recruitment efforts. The guidance also notes that institutions do not have to ignore race when identifying prospective students for outreach and recruitment programs, provided such programs do not give students preference based on race and that all students have the same opportunity to apply and compete for admission. Attorney General James and the coalition assure schools that they can continue to target outreach to potential applicants based on a wide range of characteristics, such as academic interests, geographic residency, financial means and socioeconomic status, family background, and parental education level.

The attorneys general are also encouraging K-12 schools to strive for a school climate where all students feel safe, supported, respected, and ready to learn. School leaders can do this by reviewing their current practices to ensure that their district complies with anti-discrimination, anti-bullying, and civil rights laws, and by adopting programs and policies that incorporate best practices and meet the needs of their communities. In addition, the attorneys general identify steps schools can take to ensure that all students, including those from historically underrepresented backgrounds, are prepared for college and careers.

Joining Attorney General James in issuing this guidance are the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Mr Pavel Zeman rejoins Eurojust as National Member for Czech Republic

Source: Eurojust

Commenting on his return to Eurojust, Mr Zeman stated: I’m very pleased to come back to Eurojust as it is a unique and necessary institution. I see three goals I want to contribute to: the continuation of effective support to practitioners, the development of Eurojust and the creation of a good working environment. To achieve that, we need perfect cooperation between the National Desks and the administration. Everybody must bear in mind that Eurojust is only successful if our clients – the practitioners – are satisfied with our support. And I want Eurojust to succeed.

The new National Member for the Czech Republic graduated in Law at the Charles University of Prague in 1998 and became a public prosecutor in 2001. Mr Zeman specialised in cross-border judicial cooperation in criminal matters and later joined the Prosecutor General’s Office. With the entry of the Czech Republic into the European Union, he became the country’s first National Member at Eurojust.

Mr Zeman was appointed Prosecutor General in 2011, holding this position until 2021. Subsequently, he became a specialised prosecutor in cybercrime, the criminal liability of legal entities and war crimes. He lectures on cybercrime, corporate liability, plea bargaining, judicial ethics and war crimes. He also provides training to prosecutors on media-related matters.

Mr Zeman left the prosecution service in 2024 to lead the Internal Audit Department of the Czech National Bank. Early this year, he returned to the Prosecutor General’s Office, and as of 1 March was appointed Czech National Member at Eurojust. He remains affiliated with Prague Charles University as well as a lecturer at the Czech and Slovak judicial academies. In addition to his mother tongue, Mr Zeman speaks English, German, French, Slovak and Russian.

MIL Security OSI –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Cohen Renew Push to Help Improve School Bus Safety and Protect Our Kids
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
March 04, 2025

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST)— and U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) reintroduced legislation to help keep our kids safe as they travel to and from school. The School Bus Safety Act of 2025 would implement safety recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to make school buses safer by ensuring there are seat belts at every seat and buses are equipped with safety measures like stability control and automatic braking systems. The bill would also create a grant program to help school districts modify school buses to meet these important safety modifications.

“No parent should have to worry about the safety of their children when they get on a school bus—but school buses often lack seat belts and other basic safety equipment that every parent demands,” said Senator Duckworth. “Nothing is more important than protecting our children, which is why I’m proud to be reintroducing the School Bus Safety Act with Rep. Cohen to help prevent school bus accidents, make accidents less severe and implement other commonsense safety recommendations that will save lives.”

“There is no more precious cargo than children entrusted by their parents for a bus ride to school,” said Rep. Cohen. “The commonsense measures recommended by the NTSB and called for in this legislation will save young lives. I am pleased to reintroduce this legislation with Senator Duckworth to make school buses across the country safer while helping financially strapped school districts modify their school bus fleets to meet the new specifications. We’ve seen too many deaths and serious injuries in school bus accidents in Tennessee and elsewhere, and it is past time we act to protect young lives.”

The School Bus Safety Act would require the Department of Transportation issue rules requiring all school buses to include:

A 3-point safety belt, which includes a seat belt across a lap as well as a shoulder harness to help protect passengers by restraining them in case of a collision.

An Automatic Emergency Braking System, which helps prevent accidents and crashes by detecting objects or vehicles ahead of the bus and braking automatically.

An Event Data Recorder (EDR) that can record pre- and post-crash data, driver inputs, and restraint usage and when a collision does occur.

An Electronic Stability Control (ESC) System that will use automatic computer-controlled braking of individual wheels to assist the driver remain in control of the vehicle.

A Fire Suppression System, which addresses engine fires.

A Firewall that prohibits hazardous quantities of gas or flame to pass through the firewall from the engine compartment to the passenger compartment.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 1,082 people have died in school transportation-related crashes between 2013 and 2022, which saw a total of 976 crashes.

Full text of the legislation can be found on Senator Duckworth’s website.

Duckworth has long pushed for improving school bus safety, originally introducing this legislation in 2018 and again in 2023.

-30-
MIL OSI USA News –
March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Patrushev took part in a joint meeting of the Supervisory and Trustee Boards of MGIMO

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

The annual joint meeting of the supervisory and trustee boards of MGIMO of the Russian Foreign Ministry took place in Moscow. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev took part in it.

Dmitry Patrushev took part in a joint meeting of the Supervisory and Trustee Boards of MGIMO.

March 5, 2025

Previous news Next news

“Since 2018, MGIMO and the Ministry of Agriculture have had an agreement to establish a basic department. Its key objective is to train highly qualified specialists with an understanding of the international specifics of trade and promotion of agricultural products. Over 130 people have graduated in six years. These are professionals who successfully work as representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture abroad, as well as in leading companies in the industry. I think that the competition for these areas will only increase. Agricultural markets are of serious interest today, and we are ready to develop this area,” Dmitry Patrushev noted.

The meeting was chaired by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Members of the Supervisory Board and Trustees of MGIMO heard a report by MGIMO Rector Anatoly Torkunov “On the University’s Activities in 2024 and the Main Provisions of the MGIMO Development Program “Priority. Technological Leadership” for 2025-2036.”

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: DLNR News Release – STUDENT FILM SHOWCASE BRINGS FOCUS TO CLIMATE ACTION, March 5, 2025
Source: US State of Hawaii

DLNR News Release – STUDENT FILM SHOWCASE BRINGS FOCUS TO CLIMATE ACTION, March 5, 2025

Posted on Mar 5, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

KA ‘OIHANA KUMUWAIWAI ‘ĀINA

JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR

DAWN CHANG
CHAIRPERSON

STUDENT FILM SHOWCASE BRINGS FOCUS TO CLIMATE ACTION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 5, 2025

HONOLULU — The Sustainability Film Series: Student Film Showcase, an event highlighting action and engagement around climate change mitigation, takes place this Sunday, March 9, at the Doris Duke Theatre in Honolulu. Community members are invited to attend free of charge.

The Sustainability Film Series, presented by the Hawaiʻi State Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission (CCMAC) in collaboration with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Institute for Sustainability and Resilience, the Better Tomorrow Speaker Series and the Honolulu Museum of Art, showcases a selection of short films on climate action created by students from the School of Cinematic Arts at UH Mānoa.

Following the screenings there will be a Q&A with the filmmakers, offering an opportunity for the community to engage with the creative minds behind the films.

The series explores contemporary topics and aims to inspire public engagement on important social and environmental issues impacting Hawaiʻi and the Pacific region. Through thought-provoking films and a lively panel discussion, the event seeks to build connections among students and the broader community to support cooperative action toward lasting climate change solutions.

Event details:
- Date and Time: Sunday, March 9, 5:00 p.m.
- Location: Doris Duke Theatre at the Honolulu Museum of Art
- Admission: Free with registration
- Register online at www.honolulumuseum.org/events
# # #

RESOURCES

(All images/video courtesy: DLNR)

Flyer: attached

Event Registration (direct link): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sustainability-film-series-student-film-showcase-tickets-1236615031849?aff=oddtdtcreator

For more information, contact Bill Unruh, Climate Outreach Leader at: [email protected].

Media Contact:

Ryan Aguilar

Communications Specialist

Hawaiʻi Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

808-587-0396

Email: Dlnr.comms@hawaii.gov

MIL OSI USA News –
March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: NEWS RELEASE: DBEDT REDUCES HAWAI‘I ECONOMIC GROWTH RATE TO 1.7 PERCENT FOR 2025
Source: US State of Hawaii

NEWS RELEASE: DBEDT REDUCES HAWAI‘I ECONOMIC GROWTH RATE TO 1.7 PERCENT FOR 2025

Posted on Mar 5, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM

KA ʻOIHANA HOʻOMOHALA PĀʻOIHANA, ʻIMI WAIWAI A HOʻOMĀKAʻIKAʻI

RESEARCH AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS DIVISION

JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA

JAMES KUNANE TOKIOKA

DIRECTOR

KA LUNA HOʻOKELE
1. EUGENE TIAN
CHIEF STATE ECONOMIST

DBEDT REDUCES HAWAI‘I ECONOMIC GROWTH RATE TO 1.7 PERCENT FOR 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 5, 2025

The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) released its first quarter 2025 Statistical and Economic Report today. In the report, DBEDT adjusted its economic growth projections for 2025 to 1.7 percent, lower than the 2.0 percent projected in the previous quarter. The downward adjustment was mainly due to the expected slowdown in tourism growth, higher projected consumer inflation and increasing policy uncertainty at the national and international levels. Economic growth is expected to reach 2.0 percent in 2026 and to continue steady growth to 1.8 percent in 2028. The labor market is expected to remain stable, with low unemployment.

The resilience of Hawaiʻi’s economic growth in the next few years will rely on the strong performance of construction, real estate, health care, professional services, and the continued recovery of tourism.

Economic Recovery Status

As measured by real gross domestic product (GDP), Hawai‘i’s economy rebounded to exceed pre-pandemic (first three quarters of 2019) levels by 1.5 percent during the first three quarters of 2024. Hawai‘i’s overall economy was fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels by the third quarter of 2023. By comparison, the U.S. economy has been fully recovered since the first quarter of 2021. Hawaiʻi was the second-slowest state in terms of economic recovery from the 2019 COVID recession. The U.S. economy was 12.6 percent higher than the 2019 level for the same indicator during the same period.

While tourism-related sectors (Accommodation, Transportation, Retail Trade, Recreation, and Food Services) have only recovered to 94.5 percent of pre-pandemic levels as of the third quarter of 2024, non-tourism sectors have shown firm growth. Compared to real GDP in the last quarter of 2019, the Information sector has grown by 35.1 percent; the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector by 25.0 percent; the Agricultural sector by 14.9 percent, and the Health Care and Social Assistance sector by 12.9 percent. The Wholesale Trade, Utilities, Accommodation and Food Services, and Other Services sectors are still below real GDP levels for the first three quarters of 2019.

Compared to 2019, statewide non-agriculture annual average payroll jobs were still short by 20,900 jobs in 2024. However, Construction annual average payroll jobs were above 2019 levels by 4,000 jobs, Health Care and Social Assistance by 2,900, and Private Educational Services by 700. Job counts in all other sectors were still lower than the levels in 2019. Retail Trade lost the most jobs at 6,900, followed by Financial Activities at 3,200, and Accommodations at 3,000.

During 2024, total visitor arrivals recovered 93.3 percent from the levels of 2019. Visitors from the U.S. increased by 6.7 percent, while international visitor recovery was 64.9 percent. The recovery rate of Japanese visitors was 45.7 percent and for Canadian visitors, the recovery rate was 80.2 percent.

Visitor arrivals to the island of Maui during 2024 were 76.6 percent of the level in 2019. Arrivals to O‘ahu were at 94.5 percent and arrivals to Hawai‘i Island were at 98.0 percent of the same period 2019 levels. Visitor arrivals to Kaua‘i were flat between the two periods.

Construction Industry Continues Booming

Statistics in the construction industry were great in 2024 and will have positive impacts on activities in 2025 and beyond. DBEDT estimates that construction activity in 2025 will be stronger than previously expected for several reasons:
1. The value of all building permits approved in 2024 increased by 27.1 percent from 2023 and most of these projects will be under construction in 2025.
2. The number of residential housing units authorized in 2024 increased by 78.1 percent as compared with 2023, and it was the highest in the past 17 years.
3. Construction completed as measured by the state contracting tax base increased 20.3 percent during the first 10 months of 2024 from the same period in 2023. DBEDT estimated that total construction value in 2024 could be over $14 billion.
4. Based on preliminary estimates, construction industry payroll jobs increased 9.2 percent in 2024 as compared with 2023.
5. A significant number of government construction projects are either ongoing or in the pipeline to be started.
6. More than 1,000 hotel units are either under construction or will start construction, with plans to open in 2025 and 2026.
Home Sales and Prices Continue Increasing

After declining 26 percent in 2023, Hawai‘i home sales as recorded at the Bureau of Conveyances increased 15.1 percent during 2024. Sales of single-family homes increased 14.3 percent and sales of condominium homes increased 15.9 percent. The average sale price of single-family homes was $1,093,445 during 2024, representing an 8.1 percent increase compared to 2023. The average sale price for condominium homes was $797,674, representing an increase of 5.7 percent from the year before.

Tourism Industry Growth is Likely to Slow Down

According to the airline schedules, total air seats to the state will decrease by 1.1 percent during the first 10 months of 2025. The decrease is mainly due to the decrease in flights from international locations, especially from Japan. The number of air seats on international flights is expected to decrease by 5.5 percent during the first 10 months of 2025 as compared with the same period in 2024. Air seats will decrease 5.5 percent from Japan, decrease 5.1 percent from Canada, and decline 3.2 percent from the Other Asia market, but will increase 1.7 percent from the Oceania market (Australia and New Zealand).

The number of scheduled air seats from the continental U.S. is flat during the first 10 months of 2025, an increase of a mere of 0.1 percent. While air seats from the U.S. East will increase 2.7 percent, seats will decrease by 0.2 percent from the U.S. West market. Part of the decrease in the air seats from the U.S. West market is the result of flight consolidations between Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines after their merger.

Labor Market Remains Stable

In 2024, the unemployment rate decreased 0.1 percentage point from the previous year’s 3.0 percent, to reach 2.9 percent. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Hawai‘i was among the 17 U.S. states without statistically significant unemployment rate changes from December 2023 to December 2024 (seasonally adjusted). Hawai‘i’s unemployment rate was the 10^th lowest in the U.S. during 2024.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, Hawai‘i’s non-agricultural wage and salary jobs averaged 645,800 jobs, an increase of 10,400 jobs or 1.6 percent from the same quarter of 2023. In 2024, average non-agricultural wage and salary jobs increased 0.9 percent or 5,500 jobs from the previous year. The job increase in the fourth quarter of 2024 was due to job increases in both the private sector and the government sector. In that quarter, the private sector added about 8,600 non-agricultural jobs compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. The number of jobs increased the most in Construction, which added 3,400 jobs or 8.9%, followed by Health Care and Social Assistance, which added 2,100 jobs or 2.8 percent, Food Services and Drinking Places, which added 1,900 jobs or 2.9 percent, Professional and Business Services, which added 1,400 jobs or 2.0 percent, and Accommodations, which added 700 jobs or 1.8 percent in the quarter.

The average number of weekly initial unemployment claims was 1,090 during 2024, lower than the weekly average experienced in 2019 at 1,200. All counties have seen decreased and stable unemployment claims, but the average weekly unemployment claims for Maui County numbered 204 during 2024, 42 percent higher than the 2019 level of 144.

DBEDT expects that the labor market conditions will remain stable and that the unemployment rate will improve slightly in 2025.

Consumer Inflation Remains High

Honolulu consumer inflation, as measured by the Honolulu Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (CPI-U), was 4.4 percent in 2024, 1.4 percentage points higher than the state’s inflation rate in 2023. This measurement was 1.5 percentage points above the 2.9 percent U.S. inflation rate.

In 2024, Honolulu consumer inflation was mainly driven up by Housing which increased 7.1 percent compared to 2023, and Food and Beverages (3.8 percent). Housing normally accounts for 50 percent of Honolulu consumer inflation.

In January 2025, the Honolulu consumer inflation rate was at 4.1 percent, still higher than the U.S. consumer inflation at 3.0 percent. Honolulu consumer inflation in January 2025 was mainly in transportation (+6.8 percent), housing (+4.4 percent), and food and beverages (+4.4 percent).

National and International Economic Conditions

U.S. real GDP increased at an annual rate of 2.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the fourth quarter a year ago, according to the latest estimate released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Real GDP increased 2.8 percent in 2024 from the 2023 annual level.

Policy uncertainty with respect to the imposition of tariffs and potential trade wars have negatively impacted the U.S. and global outlook for growth and inflation.

According to the most recent (February 2025) economic projections by the top 50 economic forecasting organizations published in Blue Chip Economic Indicators, U.S. economic growth is expected to be 2.2 percent in 2025 and 2.0 percent in 2026.

In February 2025, compared to January 2025, the Blue Chip International Consensus Forecasts for economic growth have been revised downward for 2025 in Canada and for the European countries. It was revised upward (0.1 percentage point) for Japan. The projected Japanese exchange rate was maintained at around 148.1 yen per dollar in 2025.

The Federal Reserve kept its fed funds rate (FFR) target unchanged at its January 28-29 FOMC meeting. The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rates twice last year, reducing the Federal Funds rate by 75 basis points to a range of 4.5 percent to 4.75 percent. The market expectations of the future number and magnitude of cuts by the Federal Reserve have been reduced in recent surveys. Inflation expectations have also been revised upward.

Forecasting Results

In the newly released report, DBEDT predicts that the economic growth rate for Hawai‘i, as measured by the year-over-year percentage change in real GDP, to slow down to 1.7 percent in 2025, reflecting policy uncertainty at the national and international levels. Economic growth is expected to reach 2.0 percent in 2026 and will show steady growth to around 1.8 percent in 2028.

Visitor arrivals are projected to increase by 1.0 percent in 2025 and will grow at a stable pace of around 2 percent each year between 2026 and 2028. Full recovery in arrivals will not happen until 2028 when 10.4 million visitors will come to the state. Visitor spending is projected to be $21.3 billion in 2025 and is expected to increase to $23.7 billion by 2028.

Non-agriculture payroll jobs are expected to grow by 1.2 percent in 2025, with growth of 1.1 percent, 1.0 percent and 0.9 percent in 2026, 2027, and 2028, respectively. A full recovery of non-agriculture payroll jobs is expected to occur in 2027, when the total will reach 658,800 jobs, surpassing the 2019 total of 658,600.

The state unemployment rate is expected to be 2.9 percent in 2025 and will improve to 2.7 percent in 2026, and 2.6 percent in 2027 and 2028. Personal income is expected to grow at 4.9 percent in 2025, 4.8 percent in 2026, 4.6 percent in 2027 and 4.5 percent in 2028.

As measured by the Honolulu Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers, inflation is expected to be at 3.9 percent in 2025, which is higher than the projected U.S. consumer inflation rate of 2.7 percent for the same year. Hawai‘i consumer inflation is expected to decrease to 2.9 percent by 2028.

Hawai‘i’s population is expected to increase by 0.2 percent each year for 2025 and 2026 and at 0.3 percent each year for 2027 and 2028.

Statement of DBEDT Director James Kunane Tokioka

While the domestic and international economic outlook has become more uncertain, we expect Hawai‘i’s economy to demonstrate resiliency. In addition to firm performance in the construction industry, we will continue to see growth in other industries including professional services and healthcare. We expect that the tourism industry will continue to recover in the next few years, even if at a slower pace than previously anticipated.

With the income tax reform and the increase in the supply of affordable housing, we expect that living in our state will be more affordable and support our state’s workforce formation and retention.

The full report is available at dbedt.hawaii.gov/economic/qser/.

# # #

Media Contacts:

Dr. Eugene Tian

Research and Economic Analysis Division

Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism
Phone: 808-586-2470
Email: [email protected]

Laci Goshi

Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

Cell: 808-518-5480

Email: [email protected]

MIL OSI USA News –
March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI NGOs: Strengthening Rights Respecting Societies through Human Rights Education

Source: Amnesty International –

Year after year, Amnesty International investigates and challenges human rights violations around the world. Our work uses different approaches to address chronic and immediate violations, including research, advocacy, campaigning, and education. Each year, through our extensive human rights education (HRE) programming, Amnesty International reaches millions of children, young people and adults in diverse communities to build knowledge and understanding to strengthen rights-respecting societies. This blog shares an overview of the scope and reach of Amnesty’s HRE in 2023, achieved in collaboration with local communities, teachers, schools and students, and other national and international partners. (Please note we are currently collating data from our HRE work in 2024 to be published later this year). In 2023, Amnesty International’s HRE reached almost 6 million people. Our HRE interventions ranged from strengthening human rights knowledge through social media to more in-depth programming through in-person community workshops, human rights-friendly schools and after-school clubs, trainings, and e-learning.

Human Rights Education (HRE) is not just about learning laws and policies, it is about equipping individuals with the tools to challenge injustice, advocate for equality, and build resilient communities. Despite numerous challenges in 2023, from political repression to environmental crises, Amnesty International’s HRE initiatives have thrived and have proven to be a catalyst to drive meaningful transformation in different societies. You can read a detailed account of the HRE work in 2023 in our annual report: Amnesty International: State of Human Rights Education 2023. Below, you can read just some of the key actions and outcomes of our collaborative HRE work that took place in 2023:

MIL OSI NGO –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Introduced Resolution Recognizing National Social And Emotional Learning Week
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
March 05, 2025

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced a resolution designating the week of March 3, 2025, as National Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Week. SEL is centered on developing the self-awareness, ability to manage emotions, and interpersonal skills necessary for school, the workplace, and life. Research shows that SEL promotes student academic outcomes, self-efficacy, and positive mental health, especially for students who have experienced trauma, by helping them cope and thrive. A 2024 study found that 84 percent of employers say job candidates must demonstrate social and emotional skills—with the majority of employers stating that these types of skills were the most important.

“In 2025, kids are weighed down by significant stress at home, in their communities, and in school settings. We are facing nothing short of a national youth mental health crisis. It’s critical that we focus on social and emotional learning to help students succeed both inside and outside the classroom,” Durbin said. “Teachers must have the tools to help students develop resiliency and life skills. I’m introducing this resolution to designate this week as National Social and Emotional Learning Week and raise awareness around the need to support students’ social and emotional well-being.”

The National Social and Emotional Learning Weekresolution would:

Recognize the role that social and emotional learning plays in promoting academic achievement, mental and behavioral health, and future career success for students;

Express support for expanding access to social and emotional learning for students and teachers;

Encourage the identification of opportunities among federal agencies to advance social and emotional learning to support the academic success and overall well-being of students, educators, and their communities; and

Recognize March 3 through March 7, 2025, as National SEL Week.

The resolution is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Angus King (I-ME), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).

Durbin has long been a champion for SEL and an advocate for improving services for youth mental health and mentorship. Durbin has worked across the aisle to introduce the RISE from Trauma Act, which would dramatically increase funding for community-based efforts to prevent and mitigate the impact of trauma, and expand training and workforce development efforts to support health care, education, social services, first responders, and community leaders to foster resilience and deliver services to heal the impact of trauma.

Durbin is also the author of the Mentoring to Succeed Act. The legislation would provide competitive grants to school-based mentoring programs that train mentors in SEL and help at-risk students develop life skills.

Full text of the resolution is available here.

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MIL OSI USA News –
March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to observational study of severity of menopause symptoms and cognition and behavioural impairment later in life

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

March 5, 2025

An observational study published in PLOS One looks at menopause symptom severity and late-life cognitive function and behavioural impairment.

Prof Aimee Spector, Professor of Clinical Psychology of Ageing, UCL, said:

“Some important limitations of this study include the risk of bias in the self-reporting of both menopausal symptoms and cognitive function. The average age of women in the study was 64 – with the oldest being 88 – and the average age of menopause is 49, therefore they are being asked to recall symptoms from a long time before. Further, ‘cognitive function’ was measured by their subjective rating of their own memory rather than the use of objective tests for memory change that could be assessed over time.

“Whilst they found an association; there is no evidence that the menopause symptoms led to the cognitive changes and there could be many possible reasons why people with more menopause symptoms may experience more cognitive changes, such as depression or physical health conditions. I don’t think that the study can tell us anything about menopause symptoms and the risk of dementia, as subjective cognitive complaints do not imply that the person has or will get dementia.”

Dr Sheona Scales, Director of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:

“This study adds to our understanding of how menopause may relate to brain health for women in later life. It suggests that women who experience more menopausal symptoms, report greater cognitive and behavioural changes as they age. However, this study does not show that these women are more likely to go on to develop dementia.

“Dementia is caused by diseases in the brain, and while menopause could play a role in our brain health, we need more research to understand if and how this influences dementia risk. Some symptoms of menopause, like ‘brain fog’ or forgetfulness, are similar to early dementia symptoms.

“Long-term studies will be key to determining whether menopause-related changes have lasting implications, and whether interventions like hormone replacement therapy could play a protective role.

“With women making up two-thirds of people in the UK living with dementia, it is crucial that we invest in research that explores why women are more at risk of developing the condition. We advise anyone concerned about menopause symptoms or changes in their memory, thinking and behaviour to speak to their doctor for further advice.”

Prof Tara Spires-Jones, Director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Group Leader in the UK Dementia Research Institute, and President of the British Neuroscience Association said:

“This study by scientists at the University of Calgary looked at data from 896 people and compared menopausal symptom burden with cognitive and behavioural function. Authors observed that menopausal symptoms were associated with poorer cognitive function and worse behavioural symptoms in mid to late life. While this study is on a very important topic of why women are at higher risk of dementia than men, there are several important limitations to this work that limit its impact. This study relied on people self-reporting their symptoms and only looked at a single time point an average of 15 years after menopause onset. This type of study cannot determine whether the observed higher menopause symptom burden caused the changes in cognition and behaviour. Further research is needed to understand whether experiences in menopause are linked to dementia risk.”

Prof Robert Howard, Professor of Old Age Psychiatry, UCL Division of Psychiatry, UCL, said:

“Irresponsible reporting of the conclusions of this study could cause considerable anxiety in women who have experienced troubling symptoms during their own the menopause. Hopefully, a little unpacking of what the study actually showed will be reassuring. The results suggest that women who self-reported more severe symptoms associated with their menopause were more likely to subsequently self-report more subjective complaints about their memory, concentration and difficulties with thinking. There are much more likely (and obvious) explanations for this association than the suggestion that a difficult experience of menopause is a risk factor for dementia.”

Prof Eef Hogervorst, Professor of Psychology, Loughborough University, said:

“This is not the first paper to suggest that severe vasomotor symptoms are associated with increased risk for dementia, although this is a contentious area of research.

“Observational studies cannot indicate causality so we cannot say that more severe menopause symptoms will lead to later cognitive issues or dementia.

“One explanation for this association could be that women have worse sleep or different cardiovascular profiles, both of which could be associated with dementia risk. Women who are stressed can have worse flushes too, which is associated with poorer long-term outcomes for brain and heart.

“What we do know from research and treatment trials in particular is that healthy lifestyles including some types of exercise, reducing stress, prioritising sleep, healthy diets, not smoking and limiting alcohol are the best ways to reduce vasomotor frequency and severity, can independently improve both quality of life in perimenopausal women and also reduce risk for dementia.”

Dr Claire Lancaster, Lecturer in the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Brighton & Sussex Medical School, said:

“This research suggests the number of different menopause symptoms experienced by females in mid-life predicts self-reported cognitive change and mild behavioural symptoms approximately 15-years later. The result is interesting given existing evidence linking vasomotor symptoms specifically to AD pathologies such as amyloid. The authors suggestion a decline in estrogen may affect both brain health directly, plus wider systems (e.g., inflammation, vascular function) which in turn have knock-on effects on brain health certainly warrants future research.

“When considering this result, however, it is important to note that menopause symptoms are being reported retrospectively by participants, and that participants report whether they experienced the symptom as a simplistic ‘yes’ or ‘no’, rather than the scale collecting information on severity and frequency of menopause symptoms. As such, results may not truly reflect women’s experiences of menopause, specifically their bodies ability to cope with a decline in estrogen. Cognition and behavioural impairment (e.g., apathy, social withdrawal) are also collected via self-report. In general, females in this sample report very little cognitive decline from their past self – as reflected by the mean and standard deviation of scores on the E-Cog II Scale, plus limited behavioural symptoms. For example, cognitively healthy older adults from the ADNI cohort report a mean score of 54 on the E-COG II*, which is far greater than the mean score of 11 reported here. As such, readers must ask whether the cognitive and behavioural indices reported here truly represent increased risk for dementia as suggested by the authors. This casts doubt on whether data presented here are adequate to claim number of symptoms predicts subsequent dementia risk – on the face of this study alone, I would say no.

“Whilst the statistics are robust, it is worth noting that moderating health and lifestyle factors weren’t controlled for. For example, physical activity is suggested to improve physiological symptoms of menopause plus is reported to be protective against neurodegenerative disease in later life. Alcohol consumption confers a negative association with menopause symptoms and dementia risk in contrast. This further blurs confusion.

“The million dollar question when considering sex differences in Alzheimer’s risk is whether hormone replacement therapy can reduce dementia risk. Data reported here suggests there is no real association with HRT use and subjective cognitive change. Research into the effects of HRT on late-life cognition is very inconsistent at present. I would argue this study collects insufficient data about HRT use (e.g., time of onset relative to menopause, duration of use), including the context for it’s use (spontaneous vs. medical menopause) to be able to really comment on this question. All this being said, the results add to a growing body of research suggesting mid-life endocrine changes are important for cognitive health in later years.”

*https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.12274

‘Menopausal symptom burden as a predictor of mid- to late-life cognitive function and mild behavioral impairment symptoms: A CAN-PROTECT study’ by Jasper F. E. Crockford et al. was published in PLOS ONE at 19:00 UK time on Wednesday 5^th March.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0301165

Declared interests

Prof Aimee Spector: I am leading a review group for the World Health Organisation – their role being to review the evidence of HRT on dementia risk, to inform the new WHO guidelines.

Prof Tara Spires-Jones: I have no conflicts with this study but have received payments for consulting, scientific talks, or collaborative research over the past 10 years from AbbVie, Sanofi, Merck, Scottish Brain Sciences, Jay Therapeutics, Cognition Therapeutics, Ono, and Eisai. I am also Charity trustee for the British Neuroscience Association and the Guarantors of Brain and serve as scientific advisor to several charities and non-profit institutions.

Prof Robert Howard: No conflicts of interest.

Prof Eef Hogervorst: I have worked for NICE and ESHRE in non paid positions advising as expert on menopause hormones and the brain. In 2025 I am invited to two European conferences to speak about this topic (ESG and ECNP) where travel and accommodation is reimbursed.

Dr Claire Lancaster: I am a committee member of the Alzheimer’s Research UK South Coast network (voluntary role).

For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addresses the Post-Budget Webinar on the theme ‘Investing in People’

Source: Government of India

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addresses the Post-Budget Webinar on the theme ‘Investing in People’

The vision of Investment in People is based on 3 pillars: Education, Skill and Healthcare”; increasing investment in these sectors will contribute to actualizing the dream of Viksit Bharat: Prime Minister

“Through day-care cancer centres and digital healthcare infrastructure, we want to take quality healthcare to the last mile”

“Initiatives like ‘Heal in India’ are attracting medical tourists from around the world. Efforts are being made to establish India as a global tourism and wellness hub”

Since 2014, the number of medical colleges has surged from 387 to 780; remarkable increase observed in undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats, with an increase of 130% and 135% respectively: Union Health Minister

There is a need for creating a curriculum that is more vibrant, meaningful and fit to current challenges, optimum utilization of existing health infrastructure and emphasised the need to enhance the soft skills of the medical students: Shri Nadda

Posted On: 05 MAR 2025 9:34PM by PIB Delhi

Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the Post-Budget Webinar on employment via video conferencing, today. The theme of the webinarwas “Investing in People, Economy, and Innovation,”which was attended by 29 Ministries of the Government of India, 100 panelists and more than 25,000 participants to discuss 43 articles of the recent Union Budget 2025-26.

Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister underlined that “the theme of the webinar, ‘Investing in People’, defines the roadmap of Viksit Bharat and the impact of this theme can be seen at a large level on the budget.” He underlined that “the budget has emerged to be the ‘blueprint of India’s future’ where investing in people, economy and innovation has been given equal priority to investment in infrastructure and industry.”

Prime Minister emphasized that “capacity-building and talent-nurturing will prove to be the foundation stones of the country’s progress, therefore in the next stage of development, we need to increase investment in these sectors. For which, all the stakeholders need to come forward as it is not only necessary for the economic success of the country but also for the success of all organizations.”

Prime Minister highlighted that “the vision of Investment in People is based on 3 pillars: Education, Skill and Healthcare” and urged all the stakeholders “to increase investment in these sectors” and contribute to the government’s vision for these sectors to actualize the dream of Viksit Bharat.

Highlighting the government’s efforts and the budget’s provisions, the Prime Minister stated that “in the budget, 10,000 additional medical seats have been announced and the government is working with the target of adding 75,000 seats in medical education in the next 5 years.”

Highlighting the developments in the healthcare landscape, the Prime Minister stated that “tele-medicine facility is being expanded to all the Primary Health Centres.ThroughDay Care Cancer Centres and digital healthcare infrastructure, we want to take quality healthcare to the last mile that will ensure significant transformation in people’s lives.”

Highlighting the importance and potential of the tourism sector, the Prime Minister stated that initiatives like “Heal in India” are attracting medical tourists from around the world” and “efforts are being made in the direction of making India a global-level tourism and wellness hub.” He urged all the stakeholders in the healthcare sector “to grab this opportunity and invest to promote health tourism” and emphasized on “utilizing the potential of Yoga and wellness tourism.”

The Prime Minister also called for a detailed discussion and an extended roadmap for increasing the scope of medical tourism and urged all the stakeholders to work in the direction of making the budget announcements a reality so that their benefits can be taken to the people.

Addressing the gathering, Union Minister for Health & Family, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda stated that “the biggest investment is the investment in people”. He underlined that the government is working with a “holistic approach” that focuses not only at the curative aspect but also on the preventive, palliative, and rehabilitative approach. He added that “we are also trying to include the AYUSH and other medical systems to ensure the availability and access to heathcare for the people.”

Shri Nadda stated that “since the cancer treatment is a lengthy process with long cycle of chemotherapy, the government is focusing on engaging with Day Care Cancer Centres rather than big hospitals to ensure engagement of patients, post-chemotherapy sessions. The government will establish Day Care Cancer Centres (DCCCs) in all district hospitals over the next three years, with establishing 200 this year itself.”

Underlining the importance of strengthening the medical health system, the UnionHealthMinister reiterated the budget announcements of additional medical seats. He also highlighted the government’s efforts to ensure the availability and accessibility of quality healthcare to the people through more than 1.75 lakh Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs and facility of voluntary screenings for individuals aged 30 years and above at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs for oral, breast and cervical cancers along with the screening for hypertension and diabetes.

Shri Nadda highlighted the government’s efforts for facilitating self-assessment of healthcare facilities and ensure the adherence of all the Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs with the National Quality Assurance Standards. He also added that “since 2014, the number of medical colleges has surged from 387 to 780 today, He emphasized the remarkable increase in both undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats, with an increase of 130% and 135% respectively.”

Shri Nadda also underlined the key challenges identified and suggestions made during the webinar, including faculty development, periodic assessment of faculty gaps and timely recruitment after assessment to avoid any hindrances before running education and ensure smooth functioning in medical colleges. He also supported the suggestions like faculty pooling among medical institutes, hiring retired teachers as visiting faculties for making the unviable institutions viable; incorporation of competency-based medical education, early clinical exposure for students, and enhanced communication skills for both students and faculty.

Additionally, he also advocated for including latest developments in technology, Artificial Intelligence, tele-medicine, digital healthcare in the revised curriculum of medical education. In his concluding remarks, he urged “for creating a curriculum that is more vibrant, meaningful and fit to current challenges” and “optimum utilization of existing infrastructure and medical faculty. He also emphasised the need to add soft skills to increase the empathy, ethics and communication skills of the medical students.”

Shri Nadda highlighted the developments made in medical infrastructure for ensuring cancer care in the country like the establishment ofNational Cancer Institute (NCI) of AIIMS, Jhajjar, upgradation of Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), Kolkata, establishment of Oncology departments in all 22 AIIMS. Citing a recent LANCET study, he underlined that “timely cancer treatment initiation has improved significantly because of the Ayushman Bharat Jan Aarogya Yojna. Patients enrolled under AB-PMJAY saw 90% rise in access to cancer treatment within 30 days.”

In his concluding remarks, the Union Health Minister stated that “the Government will continue its efforts through the holistic approach to ensure healthcare for allwhile working in the direction of strengthening the base of the medical educationpyramid through ensuring the training and recruitment of nursing, paramedics and assistive staff.”

In his address during the inaugural session of the Webinar, Dr. V. K. Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, focused on strengthening key aspects of the health sector. Highlighting significant advancements in India’s healthcare and medical education sectors, he stated that “the number of medical colleges in India has surged by an impressive 102% over the past decade, increasing from 387 to 780, resulting in a greater number of government medical colleges than private institutions, thereby enhancing affordability for aspiring medical students”. Dr. Paul emphasized the remarkable increase in both undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats, with undergraduate seats.He also discussed the key initiatives that include a special scheme aimed at upgrading district and referral hospitals into medical colleges; the introduction of the District Residence Program links public healthcare with medical education, allowing postgraduate residents to gain real-life experience in district hospitals.

Addressing the rising burden of cancer, Dr. Paul underscored the urgent need for early detection, with a nationwide screening initiative reaching 26 crore people for oral cancer, 18crorefor breast cancer, and 9 crore for cervical cancer.He outlined the strategic roadmap for rolling out DCCCs nationwide, which includes the target of establishing one Day Care Cancer Centre in every district.Hereiterated the government’s commitment towards establishing cancer institutes and tertiary cancer care systems while ensuring financial coverage for cancer care through Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) that offers multiple care packages, while affordable medications through Jan AushadhiKendras. He concluded his remarks with a vision for a healthcare system that meets the standards of developed nations by 2047, describing the budget announcements as “aspirational and game-changing.”

Ms Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, underscored the importance of collaboration between the central and state governments. She pointed out that the immediate priority is to identify high-burden districts for the first phase of implementation. She noted that India sees approximately 50% of cancer patients seeking treatment in tertiary hospitals, often leading to overcrowding and delays. The government aims to significantly reduce this burden by enabling district-level chemotherapy and immunotherapy services. She also emphasised the need for timely infrastructure development and the establishment of strong referral pathways linking DCCCs to State Cancer Institutes and tertiary hospitals.

The Secretary also addressed the importance of workforce capacity-building. While oncologists are essential for specialised care, training general physicians, nurses, and pharmacists to manage chemotherapy administration and supportive care at DCCCs will be a game-changer. She called for increased partnerships with medical colleges, cancer research institutes, and nursing training centres to create a steady pipeline of skilled healthcare workers for these centres.

A breakout session on strengthening cancer care in the country, was also organized during the webinar, focusing on expanding Day Care Cancer Centres (DCCCs). The session highlighted the government’s commitment to making cancer treatment more accessible and decentralised, in line with the Union Budget 2025-26 announcement of establishing 200 new DCCCs in district hospitals.Several experts shared insights on different aspects of the initiative that included: the need for structured training programs to equip medical professionals with the skills required to deliver quality treatment at DCCCs; importance of standardising chemotherapy protocols across all centres to maintain uniformity in treatment; challenges of drug procurement and the need for efficient supply chain management, particularly for life-saving oncology drugs that are often expensive and require specialised handling. Tamil Nadu and Odisha officials presented their successful models of decentralised cancer care, offering practical solutions for other states. These models demonstrated how strategic investments in district-level cancer care have resulted in earlier diagnosis, better treatment outcomes, and reduced patient migration to metropolitan hospitals.

The session concluded with a call to action for all stakeholders. State governments were urged to fast-track the establishment of DCCCs by allocating necessary resources and ensuring trained personnel are available. Healthcare institutions were encouraged to support research, training, and service delivery. The private sector was invited to contribute through funding and infrastructure support. At the same time, civil society organisations were encouraged to promote awareness, early detection, and patient support programs.

The Post-Budget Webinar on Budget Announcement also included a breakout session on“Expansion of Medical Education”. The panelists provided their insights and suggestions for the implementation of this ambitious initiative of expanding medical education in the countrywhich aligns with the broader objective of enhancing the accessibility, quality and sustainability of medical education in the country.

The webinar was attended by officers from Ministry of Health & Family Welfare along withrepresentatives from NMC, ICMR, State Health Ministries, renowned doctors, medical professionals and faculty from renowned medical institutions.

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March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Addresses Post-Budget Webinar on “Investing in People”
Source: Government of India

Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Addresses Post-Budget Webinar on “Investing in People”

India’s social security coverage has doubled from 24.4% to 48.8% – Dr. Mandaviya

10 new ESIC medical colleges have been approved, with plans for 10 more in the pipeline: Union Minister

Posted On: 05 MAR 2025 8:46PM by PIB Delhi

A Post-Budget Webinar on the theme “Investing in People” was organized today via video conferencing, bringing together senior government officials, academia, and industry representatives.

Addressing the post-budget webinar on the theme ‘Investing in People’, Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, emphasized that a nation’s greatest asset is its people. He outlined the government’s mission to skill and empower India’s youth, ensuring that Indian talent makes a global impact. Highlighting the roadmap for Viksit Bharat by 2047, he stated that investing in people is not just an economic decision but a social, moral, and cultural commitment toward an educated, healthy, and empowered society.

Dr. Mandaviya presented data underscoring the success of employment initiatives, revealing that 17.1 crore jobs were created between 2014-24, including 4.6 crore in the past year alone. He noted a significant drop in unemployment rates, from 6% in 2017-18 to 3.2% in 2023-24, and a remarkable rise in female employment from 22% to 40.3% in the same period. Union minister credited these achievements to India’s progressive policies, which have strengthened the country’s workforce.

Dr. Mandaviya also addressed the impact of social security initiatives, citing the ILO World Social Security Report 2024-26, which highlights India’s social security coverage doubling from 24.4% to 48.8%. The expansion of the e-Shram Portal, covering over 30.67 crore unorganised workers, and the inclusion of gig workers under PMJAY, reinforce the government’s commitment to workforce welfare, he stated. The government has also integrated 12 key welfare schemes under e-Shram and has made the portal available in 22 Indian languages, he mentioned. Additionally, to support workers’ families, 10 new ESIC medical colleges have been approved, with plans for 10 more in the pipeline, he added.

Concluding his address, Dr. Mandaviya reaffirmed that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India’s investment in its people is shaping a stronger, self-reliant nation, ensuring long-term benefits for future generations.

During the thematic segment, Secretary (Labour & Employment), Ms. Sumita Dawra drew attention to major strides in modernizing the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), including the enrolment of over 6.2 crore new members in six-and-a-half years and reforms such as centralized pension processing system, auto-settlement of PF claims, and robust IT infrastructure. Alongside these achievements, Ms. Dawra underscored the ESIC expansion—from 2.03 crore insured persons (IPs) in 2014 to 3.72 crore in 2024—and the growing healthcare network across 165 hospitals and 1590 dispensaries. Additionally, she emphasized advances in Technological Development—notably the e-Shram and National Career Service portals—and the G20 Feasibility Study on Development of International Reference Classification, which aims to benchmark skills globally by 2026.

Parallel breakout session on Para 51 of the Union Budget 2025-26 – Social Security for Online Platform Workers

Mr. Ajoy Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment, set the context for the breakout session on the topic “Social Security Scheme for Welfare of Online Platform Workers”. He reiterated the provisions in Para 51 of the Union Budget 2025, which covered providing of identity cards and registration on the e-Shram portal, along with healthcare coverage under PM Jan Arogya Yojana, to nearly 1 crore gig workers. He impressed upon the Panel of experts to explore importance of strategic planning, identification of beneficiaries, defining eligibility criteria, and leveraging technology to ensure sustainable financing for comprehensive social security benefits. The breakout session saw a discussion with a panel of expert panel who provided insights for strengthening the implementation mechanism of the scheme, addressed implementation challenges, and potential mitigation strategies. Mr. Sharma thanked the panelists for their valuable insights on global best practices, gender considerations, and the critical role of platform aggregators.

Summation of Breakaway Session by Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment

Summarizing the session’s key outcomes, Secretary (L&E) Ms. Sumita Dawra noted broad consensus on the imperative to extend social protection to the burgeoning gig and platform sector. Panelists observed that platform work has grown exponentially—from 0.54% of total workers in 2011-12 to 1.33% in 2019-20—and urged swift action to bring these workers under a robust social security net. The discussion underscored four major areas:
- Registration & Identification: Leveraging the aggregator module on the e-Shram portal to ensure comprehensive coverage and seamless issuance of unique ID cards.
- Eligibility & Targeting: Introducing clear criteria, including duration of engagement and income thresholds, to cover bona fide platform workers while excluding those already in formal employment.
- Role of Technology: Emphasizing data-driven solutions for transparency and efficiency, particularly for overlapping platform engagements and ensuring portability of benefits.
- Sustainable Financing: Encouraging contribution from aggregators and workers, alongside Government support, to sustain long-term benefits such as healthcare, life/disability cover, and pension schemes.
Ms. Dawra added that integrating women into the platform ecosystem will be pivotal to raising female labour force participation, given the flexibility it offers and the potential to empower millions of aspiring women entrepreneurs and workers. She reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to working closely with stakeholders to finalize the social security scheme for platform workers.

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March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific Concludes with the unanimous adoption of Jaipur Declaration by member countries

Source: Government of India (2)

12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific Concludes with the unanimous adoption of Jaipur Declaration by member countries

India’s proposal to float a multi stakeholder global alliance Cities Coalition for Circularity ( C-3) as a collaborative platform for knowledge sharing.

The Forum saw the physical participation of 24 Asia Pacific member countries and nearly 200 international delegates

Posted On: 05 MAR 2025 7:55PM by PIB Delhi

The 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific concluded today with the unanimous adoption of the ‘Jaipur Declaration’ by the member countries.

A guidance document has been prepared to suggest indicative strategies to countries as per national policies, circumstances and capabilities.

As part of the Jaipur declaration, a collaborative knowledge platform as a global alliance C-3 ( Cities Coalition for Circularity ) has also been agreed upon.

Jaipur Declaration speaks about different waste streams and circular economy goals for each of them. It speaks about the resource efficiency and sustainable material consumption. The declaration also covers informal sectors, gender issue and labour issues.

It also provides for means of implementation, partnerships, technology transfer, funding mechanism and research and development.

In his closing remarks, Union Minister Shri Manohar Lal said that Jaipur Declaration’ that has been adopted today is a testament to this shared commitment. I am glad this decadal declaration will be associated with the name of ‘Jaipur’ and even though it is non-binding, it will guide our country and all member nations of the Asia Pacific towards a circular transition.

He also said that based on our principle of “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, India will take the lead in formation of the Cities Coalition for Circularity (C-3) and invited all UN member countries to join this coalition.

Minister of State, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs , Shri Tokhan Sahu said that the 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum for Asia and the Pacific has been a historic moment.

He added “Over the past days, we have engaged in crucial discussions and deliberations on environmental conservation, sustainable resource utilization, and waste management to build a better future.”

He also said that in today’s era, the concept of 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) and the circular economy is not just an option but a necessity.

Prof. Amit Kapoor, Chair, Institute for Competitiveness, University of Stanford, delivered a special address on implementing circularity of solid and liquid waste for the largest human congregation at Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, India. He shared key preliminary findings of an in-depth study that explores sustainable waste management solutions for the event, focusing on innovative approaches, scalability, and best practices to ensure environmental sustainability while managing millions of pilgrims.

Click here for findings

About the event

The 12^th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific was organized from 3^rd to 5^thMarch 2025 at Rajasthan International Centre, Jaipur.The theme of the Forum is “Realizing Circular Societies Towards Achieving SDGs and Carbon Neutrality in Asia-Pacific.

Participation in the event

The 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific witnessed high-level participation, with the Hon’ble Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Manohar Lal inaugurating the event alongside ministers from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Haryana.

The forum saw the physical participation of 24 Asia-Pacific member countries, with ministers from Japan, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and Maldives attending in person. Nearly 200 international delegates, including government officials, experts, and private sector representatives, joined the discussions. From India, 800 delegates from 33 States & UTs, 15-line ministries, private sector, and technical institutions took part. The event had representation from 75 cities (9 international and 66 Indian cities).

The forum featured 120 speakers contributing to 29 plenary sessions, 10 thematic sessions, 6 country breakout sessions, and 7 side events. To ensure broader participation, a virtual platform was also created for stakeholders across India and internationally.

On the Inaugural day the 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific featured key announcements and initiatives aligned with India’s commitment to sustainability and circular economy principles.

The Hon’ble Prime Minister’s message, presented during the inaugural session, emphasized India’s Pro Planet People (P-3) approach. To advance this vision, the Cities Coalition for Circularity (C-3) was proposed as an Indian-led multi-stakeholder, multi-nation alliance to facilitate knowledge sharing, city-to-city collaboration, and private-sector partnerships through a digital platform.

A major milestone was the rollout of CITIIS 2.0, a Union Cabinet-approved program under which ₹1,800 crores worth of agreements were signed for integrated waste management and climate action in 18 cities across 14 states.

The forum also marked the inauguration of the ‘India Pavilion’ and the ‘3R Trade and Technology Exhibition’, showcasing India’s achievements in the 3R and circular economy space. The exhibition provided a platform for over 40 Indian and Japanese businesses and startups to present innovative solutions.

Engaging sessions such as the ‘Mayors’ Dialogue’ and ‘Case Clinic’ fostered deeper collaboration, while NGOs and self-help groups showcased waste-to-wealth initiatives, promoting sustainability-driven entrepreneurship and community engagement.

On the second day of the 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific witnessed a significant announcement with India declaring its candidacy to host the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2026, following São Paulo, Brazil, in 2025. The announcement was made during a special session attended by Hon’ble Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, and the Hon’ble Minister from Andhra Pradesh. The forum also hosted plenary sessions, country breakout sessions, and side events, including discussions on India’s pathways to a circular economy, highlighting efforts in waste management and sustainability.

Key outcomes included the launch of several initiatives such as the SBM Waste to Wealth PMS Portal, IFC Document Reference Guide, and India’s Circular Sutra, a compendium of 126 best practices compiled by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA). Additionally, a study on best practices in solid waste management in million-plus cities, prepared by CEEW, was released. A crucial MoU was signed between CSIR and MoHUA to advance scientific research and innovation in circular economy solutions. Delegates also participated in technical field visits to solid and liquid waste management facilities and key heritage sites in Jaipur, gaining firsthand insights into sustainable urban practices.

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March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: English rendering of PM’s address at post-budget webinar on boosting job creation via video conferencing

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 05 MAR 2025 3:16PM by PIB Delhi

Namaskar!

Welcome and greetings to all of you in this important budget webinar. Investing in People, Economy and Innovation – This is a theme that defines the roadmap of developed India. You can see its impact on a very large scale in this year’s budget. Therefore, this budget has emerged as a blueprint for India’s future. We have given as much priority to infrastructure and industries in investment as we have given to People, Economy and Innovation. You all know that capacity building and talent nurturing work as the foundation stone for the country’s progress. Therefore, now in the next phase of development, we have to invest more in these areas. For this, all the stakeholders will have to come forward. Because, this is necessary for the economic success of the country. And at the same time, it is also the basis for the success of every organization.

Friends,

The vision of Investment in people is standing on three pillars – education, skill and healthcare! Today you are seeing how India’s education system is going through a huge transformation after several decades. Big steps like the National Education Policy, expansion of IITs, integration of technology in the education system, use of the full potential of AI, digitization of textbooks, work of providing learning materials in 22 Indian languages, many such efforts are going on in mission mode. Due to these, today India’s education system is matching the needs and parameters of the 21st century world.

Friends,

The government has provided skill training to more than 3 crore youth since 2014. We have announced plans to upgrade 1,000 ITI institutes and create 5 centres of excellence. Our aim is that the training of the youth should be such that they can meet the needs of our industry. In this, we are taking help from global experts and ensuring that our youth can compete at the world level. Our industry and academia have the biggest role in all these efforts. Industry and educational institutes should understand each other’s needs and fulfill them. The youth should get a chance to keep up with the rapidly changing world, they should get exposure, they should get a platform for practical learning. For this, all stakeholders will have to come together. We have started the PM-internship scheme to provide new opportunities and practical skills to the youth. We have to ensure that the maximum number of industries participate in this scheme at every scale.

Friends,

We have announced 10 thousand additional medical seats in this budget. We are keeping the target of adding 75 thousand seats in the medical line in the next 5 years. Tele-medicine facilities are being expanded in all Primary Health Centres and in all these areas. Through day-care cancer centres and digital healthcare infrastructure, we want to take quality healthcare to the last mile. You can imagine how big a change this will bring in people’s lives. This will also create many new employment opportunities for the youth. You have to work equally fast to bring these on the ground. Only then will we be able to make the benefits of the budget announcements reach more and more people.

Friends,

In the last 10 years we have also looked at investment in the economy with a futuristic approach. As you know, India’s urban population is estimated to reach 90 crores by 2047. Such a large population requires planned urbanization. For this, we have taken the initiative to create an Urban Challenge Fund of Rs 1 lakh crore. This will focus on governance, infrastructure and financial sustainability, and will also increase private investment. Our cities will be known for sustainable urban mobility, digital integration and Climate Resilience Plan. Our private sector, especially real estate and industry, should focus on planned urbanization and take it forward. Everyone has to work together to take forward campaigns like Amrit 2.0 and Jal Jeevan Mission.

Friends,

Today, when we are talking about investment in the economy, we need to pay special attention to the possibilities of tourism. The tourism sector is expected to contribute up to 10% to our GDP. This sector has the potential to provide employment to crores of youth. Therefore, many decisions have been taken in this budget to promote domestic and international tourism. 50 destinations across the country will be developed with a focus on tourism. Giving infrastructure status to hotels in these destinations will increase the ease of tourism and will also boost local employment. The scope of the Mudra scheme for home-stays has also been expanded. Tourists from all over the world are being attracted through the campaigns ‘Heal in India’ and ‘Land of the Buddha’. Efforts are being made to make India a global level tourism and wellness hub.

Friends,

When we talk about tourism, apart from the hotel industry and transport sector, there are new opportunities for other sectors in tourism as well. Therefore, I would say that our health sector stakeholders should invest in promoting health tourism, grab this opportunity. We should also use the full potential of yoga and wellness tourism. We also have a lot of scope in education tourism. I would like that there should be detailed discussions in this direction and we should move forward in this direction with a strong roadmap.

Friends,

The country’s future is determined by the investment being made in innovation. Artificial Intelligence can give growth of several lakh crores of rupees to the Indian economy. Therefore, we have to move fast in this direction. In this budget, 500 crores have been allocated for AI-driven education and research. India will also establish the National Large Language Model to develop the capabilities of AI. In this direction, our private sector also needs to be one step ahead of the world. The world is waiting for a reliable, safe and democratic country that can provide economical solutions in AI. The more you will invest in this sector now, the more advantage you will get in the future.

Friends,

Now India is the third largest startup ecosystem in the world. The government has taken several steps in this budget to promote startups. A corpus fund of Rs 1 lakh crore has been passed to promote research and innovation. This will increase investment in emerging sectors along with the Deep Tech Fund of funds. A provision of 10 thousand research fellowships has been made in IIT and IISc. This will promote research and provide opportunities to talented youth. Innovation will gain momentum through the National Geo-spatial Mission and National Research Foundation. We will have to work together at every level to take India to new heights in the field of research and innovation.

Friends,

Gyan Bharatam Mission, and I hope you all come forward in this word, the announcement of preserving the rich manuscript heritage of India through Gyan Bharatam Mission is very important. More than one crore manuscripts will be converted into digital form through this mission. After which a national digital repository will be created so that scholars and researchers from all over the world can know about India’s historical and traditional knowledge and wisdom. The government is setting up a National Gene Bank to preserve India’s plant genetic resources. The aim of this initiative of ours is to ensure genetic resources and food security for the coming generations. We have to expand the scope of such efforts. Our different institutes and sectors should become partners in these efforts.

Friends,

In February itself, we all have the great observations of the IMF about the Indian economy. According to this report, between 2015 and 2025… between 2015 and 2025, in these 10 years, the Indian economy has registered a growth of sixty six percent, i.e., 66 percent. India has now become a 3.8 trillion-dollar economy. This growth is more than many big economies. That day is not far when India will become a 5 trillion-dollar economy. We have to move ahead in the right direction, by making the right investments, and expand our economy in this way. And implementation of budget announcements also plays a big role in this, all of you have an important role.

My best wishes to all of you. And I am confident that by announcing the budget for the last few years, we have broken the tradition of, you do your part and we do ours. We sit with you before making the budget, even after making the budget, even after announcing it, we sit with you to implement the things that come up. Perhaps this model of public participation is very rare. And I am happy that this brainstorming program is gaining momentum every year, people are joining with enthusiasm, and everyone feels that the things we talk about before the budget are more important than the things that are useful in implementation after the budget. I am sure that this collective brainstorming will play a huge role in fulfilling our dreams, the dreams of 140 crore countrymen. My best wishes to all of you.

Thank you.

DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministry of Education organises Post Budget Webinar on the theme ‘Investing in People’

Source: Government of India (2)

Ministry of Education organises Post Budget Webinar on the theme ‘Investing in People’

Investment, a key pillar of the Union Budget 2025-26, will turbocharge India’s journey to Viksit Bharat by 2047: Shri Dharmendra Pradhan

Posted On: 05 MAR 2025 5:49PM by PIB Delhi

Ministry of Education organised Post Budget Webinar on the theme ‘Investing in People’, today. The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi delivered a special address at the inaugural session. Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan along with Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), Shri Sanjay Kumar; UGC Chairman Professor M. Jagadesh Kumar ; Secretary, Dept. of Higher Education, Shri Vineet Joshi; Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava; Secretary Labour & Employment Ms. Sumita Dawra participated in the session.

https://www.youtube.com/live/XbMCAC2sC7Y?si=2waAjdj5ID7Upb-9

The webinar brought together experts from the government, industry, and academia to discuss key reforms in job creation, academic flexibility, credit mobility, and future-ready skills—paving the way for a highly skilled and globally competitive workforce in line with Viksit Bharat 2047.

Speaking about the webinar, Shri Pradhan said that investment is one of the engines outlined in the Union Budget 2025-2026 which will turbocharge our journey to Viksit Bharat by 2047. He further said that the insightful special address by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has put forth new ideas for realising aspirations, future-proofing our population, accelerating inclusive development and ensuring benefits of Union Budget reaches every citizen of the country.

He expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister for drawing attention to the vast potential of ‘Education Tourism’ and its key role in facilitating employment-linked growth and development. The Minister assured that the academic community will engage in comprehensive deliberations to chart out a strong roadmap for moving ahead in this direction. He further said that, together, with the spirit of jan-bhagidari and right investment in right direction, academia and industry will work together for bridging skills gap, harnessing demographic dividend, leveraging AI in education, catalysing research landscape and strengthening deep-tech start-up ecosystem for a future-ready workforce, stronger economy and Viksit Bharat.

Prof M. Jagadesh Kumar opened the session by emphasizing the transformative role of higher education. He highlighted that the implementation of NEP 2020 provided a unique opportunity to reshape India’s higher education landscape. During the webinar, Prof M. Jagadesh Kumar, Chairman, UGC stated that the policy was not merely reformative but transformative, designed to empower youth with the skills, knowledge, and adaptability required to thrive in the 21st century. He stressed that investing in people through quality education, research, and innovation was central to building a self-reliant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy.

Shri Sanjay Kumar stated that education is fundamentally about investing in people. He acknowledged the broad perspective provided by the UGC Chairman on higher education and noted that the 2025-26 Budget included key announcements regarding the establishment of 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs in government schools over the next five years and the provision of broadband internet connectivity to government schools in rural areas. He further highlighted a significant trend observed over the last decade, noting that the proportion of female teachers has increased. He mentioned that in 2014-15, male teachers comprised 52 percent of the total, while female teachers accounted for 48 percent. By 2025, these figures have reversed, with female teachers now making up 52 percent and male teachers 48 percent, reflecting a move towards greater gender parity in the education sector.

The discussions reinforced the need for strategic investments in human capital to ensure sustainable economic growth, social equity, and global leadership. The government remained committed to fostering a skilled workforce, ensuring India’s continued rise as an innovation and technology hub.

Prime Minister’s address the Post-Budget Webinar on boosting job creation- Investing in People, Economy, and Innovation

Read here: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2108407

Text of PM’s address at post-budget webinar on boosting job creation via video conferencing Read here: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2108424

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March 6, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Are our thoughts ‘real’? Here’s what philosophy says

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Baron, Associate Professor, Philosophy of Science, The University of Melbourne

Shutterstock

You can doubt just about anything. But there’s one thing you can know for sure: you are having thoughts right now.

This idea came to characterise the philosophical thinking of 17th century philosopher René Descartes. For Descartes, that we have thoughts may be the only thing we can be certain about.

But what exactly are thoughts? This is a mystery that has long troubled philosophers such as Descartes – and which has been given new life by the rise of artificial intelligence, as experts try to figure out whether machines can genuinely think.

Known for his proposition ‘cogito, ergo sum’ (‘I think, therefore I am’), Rene Descartes (1596-1650) was a leading figure in early modern philosophy and science.
Wikimedia

Two schools of thought

There are two main answers to the philosophical question of what thoughts are.

The first is that thoughts might be material things. Thoughts are just like atoms, particles, cats, clouds and raindrops: part and parcel of the physical universe. This position is known as physicalism or materialism.

The second view is that thoughts might stand apart from the physical world. They are not like atoms, but are an entirely distinct type of thing. This view is called dualism, because it takes the world to have a dual nature: mental and physical.

To better understand the difference between these views, consider a thought experiment.

Suppose God is building the world from scratch. If physicalism is true, then all God needs to do to produce thoughts is build the basic physical components of reality – the fundamental particles – and put in place the laws of nature. Thoughts should follow.

However, if dualism is true, then putting in place the basic laws and physical components of reality will not produce thoughts. Some non-physical aspects of reality will need to be added, as thoughts are something over and above all physical components.

Why be a materialist?

If thoughts are physical, what physical things are they? One plausible answer is they are brain states.

This answer underpins much of contemporary neuroscience and psychology. Indeed, it is the apparent link between brains and thoughts that makes materialism seem plausible.

There are many correlations between our brain states and our thoughts. Certain parts of the brain predictably “light up” when someone is in pain, or if they think about the past or future.

The hippocampus, located near the brain stem, appears to be linked to imaginative and creative thought, while the Broca’s area in the left hemisphere appears to be linked to speech and language.

What explains these correlations? One answer is that our thoughts just are varying states of the brain. This answer, if correct, speaks in favour of materialism.

Why be a dualist?

That said, the correlations between brain states and thoughts are just that: correlations. We don’t have an explanation of how brain states – or any physical states for that matter – give rise to conscious thought.

There is a well-known correlation between striking a match and the match lighting. But in addition to the correlation, we also have an explanation for why the match is lit when struck. The friction causes a chemical reaction in the match head, which leads to a release of energy.

We have no comparable explanation for a link between thoughts and brain states. After all, there seem to be many physical things that don’t have thoughts. We have no idea why brain states give rise to thoughts and chairs don’t.

Scans can show when and where our brains ‘light up’, but a clear connection between thoughts and brain states eludes us.
Shutterstock

The colour scientist

The thing we are most certain about – that we have thoughts – is still completely unexplained in physical terms. That’s not for a lack of effort. Neuroscience, philosophy, cognitive science and psychology have all been hard at work trying to crack this mystery.

But it gets worse: we may never be able to explain how thoughts arise from neural states. To understand why, consider this famous thought experiment by Australian philosopher Frank Jackson.

Mary lives her entire life in a black-and-white room. She has never experienced colour. However, she also has access to a computer which contains a complete account of every physical aspect of the universe, including all the physical and neurological details of experiencing colour. She learns all of this.

One day, Mary leaves the room and experiences colour for the first time. Does she learn anything new?

It is very tempting to think she does: she learns what it’s like to experience colour. But remember, Mary already knew every physical fact about the universe. So if she learns something new, it must be some non-physical fact. Moreover, the fact she learns comes through experience, which means there must be some non-physical aspect to experience.

If you think Mary learns something new by leaving the room, you must accept dualism to be true in some form. And if that’s the case, then we can’t provide an explanation of thought in terms of the brain’s functions, or so philosophers have argued.

Minds and machines

Settling the question of what thoughts are won’t completely settle the question of whether machines can think, but it would help.

If thoughts are physical, then there’s no reason, in principle, why machines couldn’t think.

If thoughts are not physical, however, it’s less clear whether machines could think. Would it be possible to get them “hooked up” to the non-physical in the right way? This would depend on how non-physical thoughts relate to the physical world.

Either way, pursuing the question of what thoughts are will likely have significant implications for how we think about machine intelligence, and our place in nature.

Sam Baron receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

– ref. Are our thoughts ‘real’? Here’s what philosophy says – https://theconversation.com/are-our-thoughts-real-heres-what-philosophy-says-248003

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

March 6, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Consumer resistance is rising in the age of Trump. History shows how boycotts can be effective

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Garritt C. Van Dyk, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Waikato

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Boycotts are back. With people worried about everything from labour practices and human rights to tariffs and equal opportunity initiatives, collective consumer resistance has been rising globally.

Right now, there are several month-long boycotts of Target underway in the United States due to the company abandoning its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programme. Longer boycotts of specific corporations, beginning with Amazon, are scheduled for March and April.

Last week, the non-partisan, grassroots People’s Union USA organised a “national economic blackout” by urging consumers to avoid buying anything beyond essentials. The inaugural event was, in part, spurred by anger at government cuts being made in the US by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, with organisers saying:

Our strength lies in economic power. If corporations control politicians through money, then we control corporations by withholding ours. Targeted boycotts, economic blackouts, and financial pressure will make them listen.

More widely, the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestiture, and Sanction (BDS) campaign against Israeli goods and companies has been operating for years now. And anti-American boycotts are underway in Canada as increased tariffs take effect .

As these campaigns gain momentum, some consumers will question how effective boycotts are at changing corporate behaviour. But there is a long history of ordinary citizens successfully “voting with their wallets”, even before the term “boycott” was coined.

Origins of the boycott

In 1792, a British campaign to stop buying sugar produced by enslaved Africans in the West Indies began. This originated in the American colonies with Quakers rejecting sugar in the 1750s. They viewed enslaved Africans as stolen people, and therefore slave products as stolen goods.

In Britain, the abolitionist movement appealed to women as household managers to give up slave products and sign a petition to end slavery. The power of this ethical consumerism gave women, not yet allowed to vote, a voice to parliament and a tangible way to participate in the cause.

The word “boycott” itself originated during the 1880 Irish Land Wars, and referred to the resistance to English land agent and former army officer Captain Charles Boycott. Tenants of the absentee landlord he represented complained he “treated his cattle better than he did us”.

Protests outside the gates of Captain Boycott’s residence during the Land League boycott in Ireland in 1880.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images

After Boycott imposed fines and employed police to attempt evictions, the Irish Land League responded with a campaign to ostracise him. Crowds intimidated workers so his crops would not be harvested, local shops refused to sell to him, and the post boy was threatened to stop deliveries.

The parish priest, Father John O’Malley, adopted the term “boycott” for this collective action because he thought the County Mayo locals wouldn’t remember the word “ostracise”. Boycott was forced to flee Ireland, and the new term spread across the country.

Some 75 years later, across the Atlantic, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman, as required by Alabama’s racial segregation laws. In 1955, the Montgomery Improvement Association organised a 13-month long boycott of the city’s buses, led by Martin Luther King Jr.

African-Americans, who made up 75% of passengers, refused to ride the buses. In 1956, the US Supreme Court ruled segregated public buses were unconstitutional.

American civil rights activist Rosa Parks sparked the 381 day Montgomery bus boycott, part of the wider civil rights movement in the US.
Underwood Archives/Getty Images

Can boycotts work in the 21st century?

Boycotts are not the exclusive province of progressive activists. Across the political spectrum, the rejection of brands because of corporate behaviour has had moments of significant traction.

In 2023, beer company Bud Light collaborated with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney as a brand ambassador. A backlash from conservative consumers saw the boycott cost parent company Anheuser-Busch Inbev an estimated US$1 billion.

Bud Light also lost is status as the best-selling beer in the US to Mexican import Modelo. The brand then tried to back away from its marketing strategy, which only alienated the LGBTQIA+ community.

Broad campaigns, such as the historical ones mentioned here, can be successful. But specifically targeted boycotts tend to be more effective in attracting media attention and sustaining momentum in the modern consumer age.

This is especially true if consumers have a wide range of alternative goods or outlets that make it easier to avoid a brand or retailer.

The most recent economic data show US consumer confidence is faltering, with its biggest drop since the summer of 2021. Inflation and the potential impact of a trade war are dampening retail sentiment.

This fragile economic environment may amplify the effects of boycotts, if not in terms of profit, then in terms of brand reputation. As messaging becomes more common in the news and on social media, the current consumer boycotts in the US will be a test of how effective the strategy still is.

Garritt C. Van Dyk has received funding from the Getty Research Institute.

– ref. Consumer resistance is rising in the age of Trump. History shows how boycotts can be effective – https://theconversation.com/consumer-resistance-is-rising-in-the-age-of-trump-history-shows-how-boycotts-can-be-effective-251448

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

March 6, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Hot frogs and sizzling salamanders: climate change is pushing amphibians to their limits

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrice Pottier, Postdoctoral researcher in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UNSW Sydney

Wirestock Creators, Shutterstock

Frogs and other amphibians rely on the surrounding environment to regulate their body temperature. On hot days they might seek shade, water or cool spaces underground. But what if everywhere is too hot?

There is a limit to how much heat amphibians can tolerate. My colleagues and I wanted to work out how close amphibians are to reaching these limits, globally.

Our new research, published today in Nature, shows 2% of the world’s amphibians are already overheating. Even when they have access to shade and moisture, more than 100 species are struggling to maintain a viable body temperature.

If global temperatures rise by 4°C, nearly 400 species (or 1 in 13 amphibians) could be pushed to their limits. However, this assumes access to shade and water, so it’s probably an underestimate. Habitat loss, drought and disease will likely make even more amphibians vulnerable to heat stress.

Here is why that matters — and what we can do about it.

Finding the missing pieces of the puzzle

The critical thermal maximum is the temperature beyond which an ectothermic (“cold-blooded”) species simply cannot function.

In laboratory experiments, it is defined as the temperature that renders the frog or salamander unable to right themselves when flipped on their back, or when they start having muscular spasms.

At this temperature, they are incapacitated and unable to escape. If amphibians stay under those conditions for extended periods, they will eventually die.

First, we searched the scientific literature for data on heat tolerance in amphibians and compiled a database. This database covers more than 600 species, but that’s only 7.5% of amphibians on Earth. Knowledge of the heat tolerance of amphibians from tropical regions and the Global South is especially sparse.

To build a global picture, we needed to fill those gaps. We used statistical models to predict the heat tolerance of species missing from the database.

Think of it like solving a puzzle: if a piece is missing, we can make an educated guess of what it looks like, based on the pieces around it.

By using what we know about a species’ biology and how its relatives cope with heat, we can predict how much heat it is likely to tolerate. With this approach, we estimated heat tolerance limits for more than 5,000 amphibian species — around 60% of all known species.

We then compared each species’ tolerance limits to temperatures experienced over the past decade, as well as future conditions under different climate scenarios. That allowed us to see which species could be pushed over the edge by extreme heat events.

Frogs face an uncertain future as the world warms.
Artush, Shutterstock

Intensifying threats

We found 2% of amphibians (about 100 species) are probably already overheating. This is an optimistic scenario, assuming they always have access to shaded and humid conditions. In reality, many amphibians live in disturbed habitats, where shade and water are in short supply.

If global temperatures rise by 4°C, the number of vulnerable species jumps from 2% to about 7.5%. That’s nearly a fourfold increase, meaning almost 400 species — 1 in 13 amphibians — could be pushed to their heat tolerance limits.

We also found some interesting regional patterns. In the southern hemisphere, tropical species are most exposed to overheating. However, in the northern hemisphere, species outside the tropics often face higher risk. This underscores how local temperatures and species-specific tolerance limits matter more than just the distance from the equator, challenging common assumptions about the greater vulnerability of tropical species.

Local extinctions — where a species can no longer survive in a particular area — may occur if extreme heat events become too frequent. Amphibians often cannot just hop to cooler places. Many cannot relocate to different areas because they depend on specific wetlands, steams and ponds to breed and feed. If these habitats disappear or become too hot, some amphibians may have nowhere else to go.

Cooling off in a stream won’t always work.
Rejdan, Shutterstock

Thermal refuges

Dense vegetation and reliable water sources act like natural air conditioners for amphibians. Our results show that if amphibians can stay hydrated and cool, many can survive heatwaves. Yet climate change is rapidly making these moist refuges more scarce.

With increasing deforestation, habitat disturbance, and droughts, amphibians are losing their ability to cope with the heat. Active efforts to protect, restore, and connect forested areas and wetlands are increasingly needed to boost their chances of survival.

Cutting greenhouse gas emissions is also crucial. It’s clear every fraction of a degree counts. Keeping climate warming as low as possible will reduce the risk of sudden, widespread overheating events, not only for amphibians but also for countless other species.

Time to act

More than 40% of all amphibians are already threatened with extinction, making them especially vulnerable to climate change.

But if we protect and restore forests, wetlands, ponds, and streams — and reduce carbon emissions — many species may stand a chance.

More research on amphibians is needed. Our statistical models help us predict which species are most at risk, but these predictions cannot replace on-the-ground research.

By studying these species directly, we can better understand the threats they face and optimise conservation efforts. This is particularly needed in the lesser-studied areas of South America, Africa and Asia.

Amphibians have been around for millions of years. They are part of our cultural heritage and play vital roles in balancing ecosystems. Let’s not lose them to a climate crisis we hopefully still have time to fix.

Patrice Pottier works as a postdoctoral researcher for The University of New South Wales, Sydney. This research was funded by a UNSW Scientia PhD scholarship. Patrice Pottier is also a board member of the Society for Open, Reliable, and Transparent Ecology and Evolutionary biology (SORTEE).

– ref. Hot frogs and sizzling salamanders: climate change is pushing amphibians to their limits – https://theconversation.com/hot-frogs-and-sizzling-salamanders-climate-change-is-pushing-amphibians-to-their-limits-250653

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

March 6, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: 50 new urgent care clinics are on the cards. But are the existing ones working? Here’s what we know so far

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University

Over the weekend the Australian government announced A$644 million to build an extra 50 Medicare urgent care clinics around Australia. This is on top of nearly $600 million previously committed to establish 87 clinics.

Once these 50 new clinics open in the 2025–26 financial year, the government says four in five Australians will live within a 20 minute drive to a clinic. While this seems like a worthy pursuit, the question is whether they are worth the taxpayer dollar, when we already have GPs and emergency departments.

So what does the evidence say? Are urgent care clinics worth the money?

Remind me, what are urgent care clinics?

Urgent care clinics provide bulk-billed care for urgent but not life-threatening conditions, seven days a week for extended business hours. No appointment is necessary and anyone with a Medicare card can walk in and receive care. You can search online for your closest clinic.

Clinics are staffed by GPs and nurses. They treat people who perhaps don’t want to wait for a GP appointment, attend an emergency department or call healthdirect. Injuries and illnesses treated include minor infections and cuts, minor sports injuries and respiratory illness.

Patients may benefit from urgent care clinics through quicker access to care and lower costs if they would not otherwise be bulk billed.

They don’t however get to see their regular GP, which may reduce the appeal for patients who value continuity of care, such as those with chronic or mental health conditions.

Why were they introduced?

The Australian health-care system faces significant pressures as chronic disease increases, our population ages, and our health-care workforce remains stretched.

Long emergency department waiting times and ambulance ramping (when an emergency department is too full to accept patients delivered by ambulance) are common across Australia.

Meanwhile, access to GP bulk-billing services has declined. The government is trying to address this by paying GPs billions more to reduce costs for patients.

Medicare urgent care clinics were introduced to reduce workload pressure on GPs, take pressure off public hospital emergency departments, and improve access to affordable primary care.

They were first announced by the Labor Party in 2022 when in opposition. Labor wanted to build its reputation as being “Medicare’s guardian”, a theme continued in the lead up to this next federal election.

Is there any evidence they work?

Medicare urgent care clinics were first established less than two years ago. While some states had already introduced these types of clinics, it will take time for Medicare urgent care clinics to embed themselves into the health-care system and for patients to become familiar with them.

Cost and waiting times are significant factors for people choosing between primary care, urgent care clinics and the emergency department.

Around 19% of people visited an emergency department in 2022–23 because the GP was not available when required.

Research suggests many people may have used urgent care clinics to avoid GP co-payments, and many may have used them because waiting times to see a GP were too long.

People might visit urgent care clinics because the wait to see a GP is too long.
Irina Mikhailichenko/Shutterstock

The Albanese government reported there had been one million visits to urgent care clinics as of December 2024 (about 1.5 years after they first opened). While this may seem impressive, it should be viewed in the context of emergency department presentations. There were 9 million of those in 2023–24.

Direct evidence on whether Medicare urgent care clinics are taking pressure off emergency departments does not yet exist. While research from the United States suggests these types of clinics reduce emergency department presentations, the effects won’t necessarily be the same in Australia.

The amount of time patients spend in emergency departments continues to rise across Australia.

Many patients will still use emergency departments despite access to clinics. Around 40% of emergency department presentations address an ailment that an urgent care clinic may handle, but only 16% of people who attend an emergency department think their care could have been delivered by a GP.

How can we improve their chance of success?

We need targeted public messaging to make sure patients understand how and when to best use urgent care clinics.

If we channel minor injuries and illness after hours into an urgent care clinic, rather than funding multiple after hours general practices to remain open, we could reduce health system costs. That is because the cost per patient will go down as the number of patients treated within a clinic increases.

None of this will work unless we have enough health workers to staff these clinics. Currently there are shortages of GPs and nurses, so urgent care clinics are competing with general practices for their workforce.

These workforce shortages are less than ideal and could increase GP waiting times or reduce the viability of urgent care clinics. The Mount Gambier urgent care clinic recently went into liquidation amid staff shortages.

The government has announced additional funding to train more GPs and nurses. Workforce investment is crucial to meet increasing demands, but will take time.

To the future

The government has committed more than $1 billion to urgent care clinics to date. Understanding whether urgent care clinics substitute for GP or emergency department presentations, or merely provide additional health-care access, is vital to their success. We need comprehensive and long-term evaluations to fully understand the extent to which urgent care clinics meet their objectives.

Henry Cutler has previously received funding from Northern Territory Health.

– ref. 50 new urgent care clinics are on the cards. But are the existing ones working? Here’s what we know so far – https://theconversation.com/50-new-urgent-care-clinics-are-on-the-cards-but-are-the-existing-ones-working-heres-what-we-know-so-far-251261

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: 03.05.2025 Cruz Resolution Overturning IRS Rule on Cryptocurrency Passes By Overwhelming Bipartisan Majority

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the United State Senate passed a resolution authored by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to overturn a Biden administration midnight rule imposing regulations on software developers of decentralized financial (DeFi) technology. The resolution passed by an overwhelming bipartisan majority, 70-28.
The rule defined those developers as “brokers,” even though they did not touch any of the cryptocurrency being exchanged. The resolution is the first crypto-related measure to pass the Senate this Congress, and will now head to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Upon passage, Sen. Cruz said, “Last night’s vote was a victory for American innovation. In a midnight move, the Biden administration attempted to undermine American privacy and impose burdensome regulations on digital currency. Yesterday, an overwhelming bipartisan majority voted in support of my legislation to rescind this harmful regulation. I urge the House to pass this legislation expeditiously.”
The resolution was co-sponsored by Sens. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tim Sheehy (R-Utah), and Ted Budd (R-N.C.). Rep. Carey introduced the joint resolution in the House of Representatives.
Read the joint resolution here.
Blockchain Association CEO Kristin Smith said yesterday, “Today’s a bright day for DeFi – and all of crypto – in the United States. An incredible showing of bipartisan support passed Senator Ted Cruz’s Congressional Review Act resolution to roll back the DeFi-killing broker rule out of the Senate. It’s a hopeful sign that shows there is true bipartisan agreement in Washington that the American crypto industry deserves the freedom to grow and innovate here in the United States.”
BACKGROUND
The Internal Revenue Service rule that would be repealed by Sen. Cruz’s resolution in Gross Proceeds Reporting by Brokers That Regularly Provide Services Effectuating Digital Asset Sales. The rule was finalized on December 30, 2024.
Sen. Cruz’s resolution was endorsed by:
The Digital Chamber, Blockchain Association, DeFi Education Fund, Cedar Innovation Foundation, Uniswap, Paradigm, Cryptocurrency Council for Innovation, DCG, Stand With Crypto, Coin Center, Texas Blockchain Association, Crypto Freedom Alliance of Texas, Pennsylvania Blockchain Coalition, Ohio Blockchain Council, North Carolina Blockchain Initiative, South Carolina Blockchain, Virginia Blockchain Council, and California Blockchain Advocacy Coalition. The Club for Growth issued a “key vote” urging lawmakers to vote for the resolution.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senators Markey, Cornyn Reintroduce Legislation to Fund Sea Turtle Research and Rescue Assistance

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

Bill Text (PDF)

Washington (March 5, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and co-author of the Green New Deal resolution, and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) reintroduced their bipartisan and bicameral Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act, legislation to establish funding at the Department of Commerce for the rescue, recovery and research of sea turtles in Massachusetts and across the United States.

“Sea turtles are the canaries in the coal mine. Right now, every known species of sea turtles found in US waters is either threatened or endangered and faces extinction and environmental wipeout due to the human-caused climate crisis. We have the responsibility to act,” said Senator Markey. “I am reintroducing the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Act to financially support ongoing rescue and rehabilitation efforts of our shelled friends.”

“Sea turtle strandings are rising at an alarming rate along the Texas Gulf Coast,” said Senator Cornyn. “This bill would help identify the causes of these strandings and invest in rescue and recovery efforts to better protect Texas’ endangered and storied sea turtle population.”

The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Tom Tillis (R-N.C.). In January, Representative Bill Keating (MA-09) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

In 2000, fewer than 50 sea turtles were found stranded on the beaches of Cape Cod; by 2022, that number had skyrocketed to 866. During the 2021 cold snap in Texas, more than 12,100 turtles were cold-stunned, and rescue organizations were able to save and return only 4,000 of the stranded turtles to the wild. Rescue efforts are predominantly volunteer led and underfunded despite sea turtles facing increasing environmental and human-caused threats that make strandings more likely, including rapid temperature changes, red tide events, and entanglement in marine debris. This bill would provide stability and support to efforts that rehabilitate and aid in the recovery of sea turtles along the coastal US. Specifically, the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Act would create a new grant program to fund rescue, recovery, and research of sea turtles in the U.S., and authorize $5 million annually for awarding of grants to further that purpose from 2025 through 2030.

The Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act is endorsed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the New England Aquarium, the National Aquarium, ABQ BioPark, Acadia Institute of Oceanography, Adventure Aquarium, Allied Whale – College of the Atlantic, Assateague Coastal Trust, Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, Aquarium of the Pacific, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Audubon Nature Institute, Bird River Beach Community Association, Blank Park Zoo, Brevard Zoo / East Coast Zoological Park, Brookfield Zoo Chicago, Buttonwood Park Zoo, Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, Conservation Council For Hawaii, El Paso Zoo and Botanical Garden, Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, Georgia Aquarium, Georgia Sea Turtle Center / Jekyll Island Authority, Georgia Wildlife Federation, Gladys Porter Zoo, Gulf World Marine Institute, Healthy Ocean Coalition, Houston Zoo, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Jenkinson’s Aquarium, John Ball Zoo, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Kansas City Zoo, Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue & Rehabilitation Center, Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, Marine Education – Research & Rehabilitation Institute, Inc. (MERR), Marine Conservation Institute, Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket, Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Mass Audubon, Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Mystic Aquarium, National Marine Life Center, National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Newport Aquarium, New York Marine Rescue Center, North Carolina Aquariums, North Carolina Wildlife Federation, OdySea Aquarium, Oregon Coast Aquarium, Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, Racine Zoo, Roger Williams Park Zoo, Saint Louis Zoo, SEA LIFE Aquariums, Sea Turtle Recovery, Inc., Seattle Aquarium, Seatuck Environmental Association, SeaWorld Parks, Sociedad Ornitologica Puertorriquena Inc., South Carolina Aquarium, South Carolina Wildlife Federation, Sunset Zoo, Surfrider Foundation, Texas Conservation Alliance, Texas Sealife Center, Texas State Aquarium, The Florida Aquarium, The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, The Ocean Project, The Turtle Hospital, Upwell Turtles, Vancouver Aquarium, Virgin Islands Conservation Society, Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience at University of Florida, WIDECAST: Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network, Wildlife Restoration Foundation, and Woodland Park Zoo.

“We are grateful for Sen. Markey’s continued partnership as he reintroduces the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act of 2025 in the U.S. Senate. Each year, the New England Aquarium rescues and rehabilitates hundreds of cold-stunned sea turtles that wash onto the beaches of Cape Cod Bay. This bill would help fill a critical gap in sea turtle conservation efforts by providing much-needed financial support to organizations across the country like ours that help return these endangered animals to the ocean,” said Vikki N. Spruill, President and CEO of the New England Aquarium.

“The National Aquarium applauds the reintroduction of the bicameral, bipartisan Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act. We are proud to be part of the nationwide network of organizations engaged in sea turtle conservation and in educating the public on the challenges facing these threatened and endangered species. Sea turtle strandings are on the rise, as are the expenses related to rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing them back to their ocean home. The level of voluntary contribution from stranding network partners is not sustainable. We thank the champions in the House and Senate for their leadership in creating a much-needed federal grant program to support this important work,” said John Racanelli, President & CEO of the National Aquarium.

“Each year, aquariums, zoos and other organizations selflessly rescue and rehabilitate thousands of stranded and injured sea turtles with little to no federal support. They do it because it is the right thing to do,” said Dan Ashe, President and CEO of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. “This bipartisan Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act would help to fill a critical gap in support for these federally protected sea turtles.”

MIL OSI USA News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Carolina wildfires followed months of weather whiplash, from drought to hurricane-fueled floods and back to drought

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Lauren Lowman, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Wake Forest University

A hillside burns near Tryon, N.C., on March 3, 2025. Fire season here typically starts in late March or April. Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images

Scores of wildfires broke out across North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia in early March 2025 as strong winds, abnormally dry conditions and low humidity combined to kindle and spread the flames.

The fires followed a year of weather whiplash in the Carolinas, from a flash drought over the summer to extreme hurricane flooding in September, and then back to drought again. A storm system on March 5, 2025, was likely to douse many of the fires still burning, but the Southeast fire season is only beginning. Wake Forest University wildfire experts Lauren Lowman and Nick Corak put the fires and the region’s dry winter into context.

Why did the Carolinas see so many wildfires?

Most of North and South Carolina have been abnormally dry or in moderate drought since at least November 2024. Consistently dry conditions through the winter dried out vegetation, leaving fuel for wildfires.

When the land and vegetation is this dry, all it takes is a lightning strike or a man-made fire and wind gusts to start a wildfire.

Drought maps: North and South Carolina conditions as of Feb. 25, 2025.
U.S. Drought Monitor

Hurricanes did flood the region in late summer 2024, but before that, the Carolinas were experiencing a flash drought.

Flash droughts are extreme droughts that develop rapidly due to lack of precipitation and dry conditions in the atmosphere. When the atmosphere is dry, it pulls water from the vegetation and soils, causing the surface to dry out.

In August and September, Tropical Storm Debby and Hurricane Helene caused extensive flooding in the two states, but the Carolinas received little rainfall in the months that followed, leaving winter 2025 abnormally dry again.

How unusual are fires like this in the region?

Fires are historically fairly common in the Carolinas. They’re a natural part of the landscape, and many ecosystems have evolved to depend on them.

Carnivorous plants such as Venus flytraps and pitcher plants rely on frequent fire activity to remove shrubs and other plants that would grow over them and block the light. Even some wildlife depend on fire for their habitats and for food from the mix of native plants that regrow after a fire.

The expected return periods for wildfires – how often fires have historically burned in a region – range from one to 10 years for the Piedmont and Coastal Plains in the east and 10 to 40 years in the Appalachian Mountains. However, many unplanned fires today are put out. That means underbrush that would normally burn every decade or so can build up over time, fueling more intense fires when it does burn.

Some ecosystems rely on fire.

To avoid that overgrowth, land managers conduct annual prescribed fires to try to mimic that natural fire activity in a controlled way. These controlled burns are critical for removing vegetation that otherwise could provide additional fuel for more intense and damaging wildfires.

Is dryness like this becoming more common?

Extreme weather events are becoming more common across the U.S., including in the Southeast and the Carolinas.

Increasing temperatures mean the atmosphere can hold more moisture, amplifying how much water it can draw from the land surface and eventually drop in heavier storms. That can lead to more extreme storms and longer dry periods. In humid regions like the Southeast, where there is an abundance of dense vegetation, periods of warm, dry conditions that dry out that vegetation will increase the risk of wildfire.

A fire crew prepares to battle a blaze in Horry County, S.C., on March 3, 2025.
SC Department of Natural Resources/Anadolu via Getty Images

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the southeastern U.S. experienced more droughts than other regions in the country in the first two decades of the 21st century.

The weather variability also makes it harder to clear out forest undergrowth. Prescribed burns require that vegetation be dry enough to burn but also that winds are calm enough to allow firefighters to manage the flames. Studies show those conditions are likely to become less common in the Southeast in a warming world. Without that tool to reduce fuel, the risk of intense wildfires rises.

Lauren Lowman is a Co-PI on a National Science Foundation Grant titled, “AccelNet-Design: iFireNet: An international network of networks for prediction and management of wildland fires.”

Nick Corak receives funding from the North Carolina Space Grant Graduate Research Fellowship for his project titled “Disentangling Burn Severity and Vegetation Regrowth Dynamics Following Prescribed Fire Across North Carolina.” The work was previously supported by the joint NC Sea Grant – NC Space Grant Graduate Research Fellowship.

– ref. Carolina wildfires followed months of weather whiplash, from drought to hurricane-fueled floods and back to drought – https://theconversation.com/carolina-wildfires-followed-months-of-weather-whiplash-from-drought-to-hurricane-fueled-floods-and-back-to-drought-251470

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: NEA and ACLU Sue U.S. Department of Education Over Unlawful Attack on Educational Equity
Source: US National Education Union

CONCORD, N.H. – Today, the National Education Association (NEA), the National Education Association–New Hampshire, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of New Hampshire, and the ACLU of Massachusetts filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in New Hampshire, against the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The lawsuit challenges the Department of Education’s Feb. 14, 2025, Dear Colleague Letter, which threatens federal funding cuts for education institutions nationwide for engaging in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts; and a 14-day window before “appropriate measures” would be taken.

The lawsuit argues that ED has overstepped its legal authority by:
- Imposing unfounded and vague legal restrictions that violate due process and the First Amendment;
- Limiting academic freedom; and
- Impermissibly dictating what educators can teach and what students are allowed to learn.
“Across the country educators do everything in their power to support every student — no matter where they live, how much their family earns, or the color of their skin — ensuring each feels safe, seen, and is prepared for the future. Now, the Trump administration is threatening to punish students, parents and educators in public schools for doing just that: fostering inclusive classrooms where diversity is valued, history is taught honestly, and every child can grow into their full brilliance,” said Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association. “We’re urging the court to block the Department of Education from enforcing this harmful and vague directive and protect students from politically motivated attacks that stifle speech and erase critical lessons. Teaching should be guided by what’s best for students, not by threat of illegal restrictions and punishment.”

The Department of Education claims, without legal or factual basis, that a broad range of DEI-related education policies and practices are unlawful. The lawsuit contends that ED has no authority to dictate curriculum or educational programs, and that federal law explicitly protects education institutions’ ability to shape their own curriculum, including programs that reflect and celebrate diversity.

“For over a century, the ACLU has fought unlawful efforts to muzzle free speech by over-zealous government officials. It’s clear that the Trump administration is trying to shut down speech it doesn’t like – especially when it deals with race in our educational institutions. The Dear Colleague Letter is a brazen attempt to intimidate schools into abandoning lawful efforts to create inclusive learning environments,” said Anthony D. Romero, ACLU executive director. “This is a blatant attack on free speech and academic freedom, aiming to deprive students of a full and honest education. We will not stand by as the Department of Education uses fear and coercion to force schools and educators into self-censorship by threatening to strip federal funding.”

Educators across the country are already feeling the chilling effects of the ED’s overreach. By unlawfully restricting speech and academic freedom, and opening educators to arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement, ED seeks to violate fundamental constitutional and legal protections. In response, the lawsuit challenges the letter on four key legal grounds:
- Violation of the First Amendment – The letter unconstitutionally restricts speech by prohibiting educators from teaching about race, diversity, equity, and inclusion. It also broadly bans DEI programs, including student groups and faculty associations, coercing educational institutions into self-censorship through the threat of losing federal funding. In higher education, the government cannot dictate what professors teach, and in K-12 schools, Congress has prohibited the federal government from dictating curriculum.
- Violation of the Fifth Amendment – The letter fails to define key terms and practices, leaving educators uncertain about what is prohibited and vulnerable to arbitrary enforcement. By failing to establish clear standards, ED creates a chilling effect, forcing teachers to avoid important discussions in history, English literature, and more, or to risk arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement that threatens their professions.
- Violation of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) – The letter imposes new legal obligations without the required process and justification, making it arbitrary, capricious, and legally invalid. ED oversteps its authority and ignores decades of legal precedent and its own prior guidance on civil rights law, failing to explain why it is now reversing course on long-standing principles of equity and inclusion.
- Misrepresentation of Supreme Court Precedent – The letter misstates and overstates the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. The decision only addressed race as a formal admissions factor in higher education — it did not ban curriculum, student groups, DEI programming, or race-neutral diversity initiatives.
“Like New Hampshire’s classroom censorship law that we successfully challenged in court, this unconstitutionally vague letter is an attack on educators who are simply doing their job,” said Gilles Bissonnette, legal director of the ACLU of New Hampshire. “Teachers are already reporting being afraid to teach for fear of having their teaching deemed unlawful, and that deprives Granite State students of the complete education that they deserve.”

The complaint can be found online here.

-###-

MIL OSI USA News –
March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: What’s behind Erdoğan’s calculated shift on Kurds and its potential consequences

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Spyros A. Sofos, Assistant Professor in Global Humanities, Simon Fraser University

On March 1, the start of the holy month of Ramadan — observed by most of Turkey’s Sunni population — the imprisoned leader of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, Abdullah Öcalan, made a historic call for the party to disarm and end its 40-year-long armed struggle against the Turkish state.

Though seemingly unexpected, this call for peace — made a few weeks before Nowruz, the Kurdish New Year, on March 20 — followed months of negotiations between Turkey’s ruling coalition made up of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP), Devlet Bahçeli’s Nationalist Action Party (MHP) and Kurdish officials.

In a political landscape long shaped by conflict, Erdoğan’s recent overtures to Kurdish political forces mark a striking shift. In his speech during his party’s congress in Trabzon earlier this year, Erdoğan emphasized the unity and shared history among Turks and Kurds — the latter of whom have long been victims of imperialist designs of dividing the region and have been a mainstay of his populist rhetoric.

Change of course on the Kurds

Erdoğan’s speech suggested not only a willingness to re-engage with Kurds but also the possibility of a broader political compromise.

In October 2024, Erdoğan ally and MHP leader Bahçeli, in a move carefully choreographed with the Turkish president’s change of course, opened the way to such a rapprochement by inviting Öcalan to parliament. Bahçeli also proposed Öcalan’s release in exchange for a ceasefire.

This is not Erdoğan’s first attempt to resolve the Kurdish issue. In 2009, he launched the “Kurdish Opening,” aimed at ending the conflict through dialogue. Similar initiatives followed in 2008–11 and 2013–15.

But all initiatives ultimately collapsed due to political disagreements, shifting alliances and Erdoğan’s increasingly authoritarian approach to governance.

This latest initiative follows the same transactional logic that marked the earlier processes. Erdoğan’s renewed interest in engaging with the Kurds appears driven less by a desire for peace-making and more by political necessity.

Domestically, Erdoğan’s AKP has grown increasingly reliant on its alliance with ultra-nationalist MHP. While this partnership secured his 2023 re-election as president, its fragility became evident in the country’s 2024 local elections, when opposition candidates won key mayoral races throughout the country. They were aided by the tacit support of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM.)

Read more:
What’s next for Turkey after local elections put Erdoğan on notice

Destabilizing the opposition

The process that led to Öcalan’s statement from prison is quite likely to bring significant realignments to Turkish politics.

By engaging with the broader Kurdish movement, Erdoğan seeks to destabilize the fragile and fractured opposition coalition, whose unity hinged on their shared opposition to him. Their continued relevance also depends on the tacit support of DEM and its Kurdish voters.

By opening a new dialogue, Erdoğan may tip the balance in his favour by positioning DEM as a privileged negotiating partner. Drawing Kurdish political support away from the opposition and securing Kurdish backing for constitutional reforms would allow him to seek another presidential term.

With 57 parliamentary seats, DEM holds significant sway and can make all the difference if Erdoğan initiates a constitutional amendment process.

Regional and strategic implications

Erdoğan’s overtures also carry significant regional implications. Turkey’s military operations in Syria and Iraq have strained relations with Kurdish factions across the region.

At the same time, Turkey has strengthened ties with Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government, highlighting Erdoğan’s pragmatism when dealing with Kurdish entities.

By addressing the Kurdish issue domestically, Erdoğan could strengthen his hand regionally, perhaps replicating his co-operation with Iraq in relations with the Democratic Union Party in Northern Syria, positioning Turkey as a stabilizing force in both Iraq and Syria.

What comes next?

Despite Erdoğan’s conciliatory tone, the future of this peace process remains highly uncertain. Previous negotiations unravelled due to unresolved questions about Kurdish political autonomy, cultural rights and power-sharing.

The AKP’s emphasis on disarmament without addressing broader Kurdish political demands resulted in the eventual breakdown of dialogue.

Internal divisions within Kurdish political forces also complicate the process. While Öcalan’s influence remains strong, some Kurdish factions may resist concessions without meaningful political guarantees. And despite Bahçeli’s recent statements, Erdoğan’s MHP allies remain deeply skeptical of any reconciliation efforts.

As Nowruz approaches, Erdoğan’s engagement with Kurdish political forces could culminate in a new phase of dialogue — or serve as a strategic manoeuvre to consolidate power ahead of the next election cycle.

Whether his shift leads to genuine reconciliation or remains a political gambit will depend on Erdoğan’s willingness to address Kurdish demands for autonomy and cultural recognition.

If the past is any indicator, pro-Kurdish parties and civil society organizations currently engaged in negotiations may once again be discarded if they no longer serve Erdoğan’s interests. For now, the Kurdish question remains one of the most critical — and volatile — fault lines in Turkish politics.

Whether lasting peace is on the horizon, or another cycle of repression and conflict, will depend on how any potential peace process unfolds in the coming months.

Spyros A. Sofos receives funding from SSHRC and SFU.

– ref. What’s behind Erdoğan’s calculated shift on Kurds and its potential consequences – https://theconversation.com/whats-behind-erdogans-calculated-shift-on-kurds-and-its-potential-consequences-246879

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 6, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ESFA Update: 5 March 2025

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Correspondence

ESFA Update: 5 March 2025

Latest information and actions from the Education and Skills Funding Agency for academies, schools, colleges, local authorities and further education providers.

Applies to England

Documents

ESFA Update further education: 5 March 2025

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ESFA Update academies: 5 March 2025

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ESFA Update local authorities: 5 March 2025

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Details

Latest for further education

Article	Title
Action	Register to deliver T Level and T Level foundation year study programmes for academic year 2026 to 2027
Information	16 to 19 funding arrangements for academic year 2025 to 2026
Information	16 to 19 in-year growth funding for academic year 2024 to 2025
Information	Post-16 budget grant for April to July 2025
Information	16 to 19 subcontracting data for academic year 2022 to 2023
Information	Update to post-16 subcontracting exemption forms for 2025 to 2026 requests
Information	Changes to the financial statements submissions process for independent training providers, special post-16 institutions and non-maintained special schools
Information	Your Apprenticeship app has launched

Latest information for academies

Article	Title
Action	Register to deliver T Level and T Level foundation year study programmes for academic year 2026 to 2027
Information	16 to 19 funding arrangements for academic year 2025 to 2026
Information	16 to 19 in-year growth funding for academic year 2024 to 2025
Information	Post-16 budget grant for April to July 2025
Information	PE and sport premium allocations for 2024 to 2025 academic year
Information	16 to 19 subcontracting data for academic year 2022 to 2023
Information	Improvements to DfE Connect
Events and webinars	Risk protection arrangement (RPA) members only – mock trial
Events and webinars	Hiring supply teachers and agency workers for your school
Events and webinars	DfE energy for schools service – simplified buying of gas and electricity
Events and webinars	Academy finance professionals March power hour – Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool
Events and webinars	Q&A drop-in sessions – academies chart of accounts and automation

Latest information for local authorities

Article	Title
Action	Register to deliver T Level and T Level foundation year study programmes for academic year 2026 to 2027
Information	16 to 19 funding arrangements for academic year 2025 to 2026
Information	16 to 19 in-year growth funding for academic year 2024 to 2025
Information	Post-16 budget grant for April to July 2025
Information	Early years expansion grant 2025 to 2026
Information	Dedicated schools grant (DSG) recoupment guide for 2025 to 2026
Information	PE and sport premium allocations for 2024 to 2025 academic year
Information	16 to 19 subcontracting data for academic year 2022 to 2023
Information	Update to post-16 subcontracting exemption forms for 2025 to 2026 requests
Events and webinars	Risk protection arrangement (RPA) members only – mock trial
Events and webinars	Hiring supply teachers and agency workers for your school
Events and webinars	DfE energy for schools service – simplified buying of gas and electricity

Published 5 March 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

March 6, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Justice Department Launches Investigation of University of California Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Source: US State of North Dakota

The Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced that the Justice Department has opened a civil pattern or practice investigation into the University of California (UC) under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The investigation will assess whether UC has engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, religion and national origin against its professors, staff and other employees by allowing an Antisemitic hostile work environment to exist on its campuses.

“This Department of Justice will always defend Jewish Americans, protect civil rights, and leverage our resources to eradicate institutional Antisemitism in our nation’s universities,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.

“Our country has witnessed a disturbing rise of Antisemitism at educational institutions in California and nationwide,” said Acting Associate Attorney General and Department of Justice Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle. “The Department of Justice is committed to upholding Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and protecting Jewish Americans as we investigate this potential pattern of discrimination.”

Leading Task Force member and Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Leo Terrell said, “Following the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks in Israel, there has been an outbreak of antisemitic incidents at leading institutions of higher education in America, including at my own alma mater at the UCLA campus of UC. The impact upon UC’s students has been the subject of considerable media attention and multiple federal investigations. But these campuses are also workplaces, and the Jewish faculty and staff employed there deserve a working environment free of antisemitic hostility and hate. The President, the Attorney General and this Task Force are committed to combatting antisemitism for all Jewish Americans.”

The employment discrimination investigation will be conducted pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, and religion. Under Title VII, the Justice Department has the authority to initiate investigations against state and local government employers where it has reason to believe that a “pattern or practice” of employment discrimination exists.

Collaboration between the Justice Department and other federal agencies plays an important role in combating antisemitism in schools and college campuses. The Department coordinates with other federal agencies as part of the multi-agency Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, as well as when sharing enforcement jurisdiction with other agencies. For state and local governments and related entities like public universities, the Department of Justice shares enforcement authority under Title VII with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC receives, investigates, and conciliates EEOC charges against state- and local-government employers, before referring those charges to the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice for potential litigation.

“The EEOC is committed to partnering with the Department of Justice to stamp out the scourge of anti-Semitism on campus workplaces,” said EEOC Acting Chair Andrea Lucas.

If you have been discriminated against, you can file a complaint with the Civil Rights Division, at Contact the Civil Rights Division | Department of Justice (https://civilrights.justice.gov). If you work for an university or college and have experienced anti-Semitic harassment at work, you can file a charge with the EEOC, at How to File a Charge of Employment Discrimination | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (https://www.eeoc.gov/how-file-charge-employment-discrimination). Learn more about addressing anti-Semitism at work here: What To Do If You Face Antisemitism at Work.

President Trump’s Executive Order can be found here: Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism – The White House.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 6, 2025

Category: Education

Green bonds and retail investors

The ‘green-label effect’ is real

The greenwashing challenge

What should policymakers do?

Dmitry Patrushev took part in a joint meeting of the Supervisory and Trustee Boards of MGIMO.

March 5, 2025

DLNR News Release – STUDENT FILM SHOWCASE BRINGS FOCUS TO CLIMATE ACTION, March 5, 2025

NEWS RELEASE: DBEDT REDUCES HAWAI‘I ECONOMIC GROWTH RATE TO 1.7 PERCENT FOR 2025

March 5, 2025

Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Addresses Post-Budget Webinar on “Investing in People”India’s social security coverage has doubled from 24.4% to 48.8% – Dr. Mandaviya

Ministry of Education organises Post Budget Webinar on the theme ‘Investing in People’Investment, a key pillar of the Union Budget 2025-26, will turbocharge India’s journey to Viksit Bharat by 2047: Shri Dharmendra Pradhan

Two schools of thought

Why be a materialist?

Why be a dualist?

The colour scientist

Minds and machines

Origins of the boycott

Can boycotts work in the 21st century?

Finding the missing pieces of the puzzle

Intensifying threats

Thermal refuges

Time to act

Remind me, what are urgent care clinics?

Why were they introduced?

Is there any evidence they work?

How can we improve their chance of success?

To the future

Why did the Carolinas see so many wildfires?

How unusual are fires like this in the region?

Is dryness like this becoming more common?

Change of course on the Kurds

Destabilizing the opposition

Regional and strategic implications

What comes next?

ESFA Update: 5 March 2025

Applies to England

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Latest information for academies

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Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Addresses Post-Budget Webinar on “Investing in People”

India’s social security coverage has doubled from 24.4% to 48.8% – Dr. Mandaviya

Ministry of Education organises Post Budget Webinar on the theme ‘Investing in People’

Investment, a key pillar of the Union Budget 2025-26, will turbocharge India’s journey to Viksit Bharat by 2047: Shri Dharmendra Pradhan