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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI Global: What is the AfD? Germany’s far-right party, explained

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Léonie de Jonge, Professor of Research on Far-Right Extremism, Institute for Research on Far-Right Extremism (IRex), University of Tübingen

    In the weeks ahead of the German election, the far-right party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) consistently polled around 20%. For the first time, the AfD poses a challenge to mainstream parties’ longstanding strategy of isolating the far right.

    The rise of the AfD is striking, given the country’s history of authoritarianism and National Socialism during the 1930s and 1940s. For decades, far-right movements were generally stigmatised and treated as pariahs. Political elites, mainstream parties, the media and civil society effectively marginalised the far right and limited its electoral prospects.

    The AfD’s breakthrough in the 2017 federal election shattered this status quo. Winning 12.6% of the vote and securing 94 Bundestag seats, it became Germany’s third-largest party — unlocking viable political space to the right of the centre-right party CDU/CSU for the first time in the postwar era.

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    The AfD was founded in 2013 by disaffected CDU members. This included economics professors Bernd Lucke and Joachim Starbatty, and conservative journalists Konrad Adam and Alexander Gauland. It began as a single-issue, anti-euro party advocating Germany’s exit from the Eurozone.

    Dubbed a “party of professors”, it gained credibility through the support of academics and former mainstream politicians, lending it an “unusual gravitas” for a protest party. While nativist elements were arguably present from the start, the AfD was not initially conceived as a far-right party.

    When it first ran for the Bundestag in 2013, its four-page manifesto focused exclusively on dissolving the Eurozone. At the time, the party advocated political asylum for the persecuted and avoided harsh anti-immigrant or anti-Islam rhetoric, cultivating more of a “bourgeois” image.

    This helped the AfD build what political scientist Elisabeth Ivarsflaten has called a reputational shield — a legacy used to deflect social stigma and accusations of extremism.

    Initially, the AfD distanced itself from far-right parties in neighbouring countries. However, successive leadership changes between 2015 and 2017 saw the party adopt a more hardline position, particularly on immigration, Islam and national identity. By 2016, its platform had largely aligned with those of populist radical right parties elsewhere.

    Far-right views

    Today, the party can unequivocally be classified as far right. This umbrella term captures the growing links between “(populist) radical right” (illiberal-democratic) and “extreme right” (anti-democratic) parties and movements. Ideologically, the far right is characterised by nativism and authoritarianism.

    Nativism is a xenophobic form of nationalism, which holds that non-native elements form a threat to the homogeneous nation-state. In Germany, nativism carries a historical legacy. “Völkisch nationalism” was one of the core ideas of the 19th and early 20th centuries that was broadly adopted by National Socialism to justify deportations and, ultimately, the Holocaust.

    Völkisch ideology is based on the essentialist idea that the German people are inextricably connected to the soil. Thus, other people cannot be part of the völkisch community.

    The AfD has evolved into a far-right party by continuously radicalising its positions. It acted like a Trojan horse, importing völkisch nationalist ideology into the parliamentary and public arena, which used to be blocked by the gatekeeping mechanisms of German democracy.

    The AfD carved out a niche for itself by advocating stricter anti-immigration policies. This came in response to the so-called “refugee crisis”, when then-Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed more than a million asylum seekers into Germany. At its campaign kickoff rally in January 2025, AfD’s chancellor candidate Alice Weidel vowed to implement “large-scale repatriations” (or “remigration”) of immigrants.

    The party advocates a return to a blood-based citizenship, insisting that, with very few exceptions for well-assimilated migrants, citizenship can only be determined by ancestry and bloodline rather than birthright.

    Additionally, the party upholds the white, nuclear family as an ideal and has pledged to dismiss university professors accused of promoting “leftist, woke gender ideology”. The party also calls for the immediate lifting of sanctions against Russia and opposes weapons deliveries to Ukraine.

    In recent years, the party has embraced the far-right strategy of flooding the media and public discourse with controversy, misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric, to dominate attention and transgress traditional political norms.

    A striking example is former AfD-leader Alexander Gauland’s 2018 claim that the 12 years of Nazi rule were “mere bird shit in over 1,000 years of successful German history”. With this remark, he sought to reframe modern Germany as a continuation of its pre-1933 history, while downplaying the significance of the Nazi era.

    Normalising the AfD

    Until recently, the far right was consistently excluded by mainstream political parties. It was a founding myth of the old Federal Republic of Germany that democratic forces do not cooperate with the far right. At least on the parliamentary level, this worked quite well as a part of Germany’s “militant democracy”.

    However, the political firewall — the Brandmauer — has started to crumble. The AfD has since celebrated the election of its first mayors at the local level.

    The success of the AfD has especially been fuelled by the narrative of a “refugee crisis” in Germany. Harsh political rhetoric about migration has contributed to the party’s electoral success, as well as mainstream adoption of some of its positions.

    Oddly enough, the AfD is especially successful in rural, remote areas with low levels of migration. It is weak in more globalised, university-oriented urban areas.



    Read more:
    German party leaders are united against immigration – but there is little evidence for a key part of their argument

    Ahead of the 2025 elections, Friedrich Merz, the lead candidate of the CDU, broke a longstanding political taboo when his proposal to tighten asylum policies narrowly passed in the Bundestag with backing from the AfD. Meanwhile, German media have increasingly treated AfD representatives as legitimate political contenders.

    Once marginalised in political debates, they are now regularly invited to talk shows. And they have received international legitimacy from figures such as US vice-president J.D. Vance, and X owner Elon Musk.

    This election may give an indication of how far the AfD’s normalisation will go and how it will affect Germany’s political future. Beyond electoral success, the main question will be to what extent mainstream parties will incorporate far-right ideas in their political agenda.

    What is already clear, however, is that the political landscape has shifted. The boundaries that once kept the far right at the margins are no longer as firm as they once were

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

    – ref. What is the AfD? Germany’s far-right party, explained – https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-afd-germanys-far-right-party-explained-250218

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Your pupils change size as you breathe – here’s why this new discovery is important

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Martin Schaefer, Postdoctoral Researcher in Cognitive Neuroscience and Behavioral Psychology, Karolinska Institutet

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    You have probably heard the saying that the eyes are the windows to the soul, but now it turns out that they are also connected to how we breathe. Scientists have long studied the size of our pupils to understand attention, emotion and even medical conditions. But now, new research has surprisingly revealed that they change size in sync with our breathing.

    Our pupils are never static; they constantly adjust in response to both external and internal factors. The most well known is that they control how much light enters the eye, just like a camera aperture.

    You can easily test this yourself: look into a mirror and shine a light into your eye, and you’ll see your pupils shrink. This process directly affects our visual perception. Larger pupils help us to detect faint objects, particularly in our peripheral vision, while smaller pupils enhance sharpness, improving tasks like reading.

    Indeed, this reflex is so reliable that doctors use it to assess brain function. If a pupil fails to react to light, it could signal a medical emergency such as a stroke.

    Doctors will check patients’ pupils to see if they’ve had a stroke.
    Doodeez

    However, it is not just light that our pupils respond to. It’s also well established that our pupils constrict when focusing on a nearby object, and dilate in response to cognitive effort or emotional arousal.

    As the German pupil-research pioneer Irene Loewenfeld once said: “Man may either blush or turn pale when emotionally agitated, but his pupils always dilate.”

    For this reason, pupil size is often used in psychology and neuroscience research as a measure of mental effort and attention.

    The fourth response

    For many decades, these three kinds of pupil response were the only ones that scientists were sure existed. Now, myself and our team of researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands have confirmed that breathing is a fourth.

    In what will now be known as “pupillary respiratory phase response”, pupils tend to be largest during exhalation and smallest around the start of inhalation. Unlike other pupil responses, this one originates exclusively in the body and of course happens constantly. Equally uniquely, it covers both dilation and constriction.

    There had in fact been anecdotal hints of a connection between breathing and our pupils for more than 50 years. But when the team reviewed past studies the evidence was inconclusive at best. Given how widely pupil size is used in both medicine and research, we realised it was crucial to investigate this further.

    We confirmed through a series of five experiments with more than 200 participants that pupil size fluctuates in sync with breathing, and also that this effect is remarkably robust. In these studies, we invited the participants to our lab and recorded their pupil size and breathing pattern while they were relaxing or performing tasks on a computer screen.

    We systematically varied the other key pupil-response factors throughout the study – lighting, fixation distance and mental effort required for tasks. In all cases, the way that breathing affects the pupils remained constant.

    Whichever way you breathe, the effect on pupil size remains the same.
    LuckyStep

    Additionally, we examined how different breathing patterns affected the response.

    Participants were instructed to breathe solely through their nose or mouth and to adjust their breathing rate, as well as slowing it down and speeding it up. In all cases, the same pattern emerged: pupil size remained smallest around the onset of inhalation and largest during exhalation.

    What now

    This discovery changes the way we think about both breathing and vision. It suggests a deeper connection between breathing and the nervous system than we previously realised. The next big question is whether these subtle changes in pupil size affect how we see the world.

    The fluctuations are only fractions of a millimetre, which is less than the pupil response to light, but similar to the pupil response to mental effort or arousal. The size of these fluctuations is theoretically large enough to influence our visual perception. It may therefore be that our vision subtly shifts within a single breath between optimising for detecting faint objects (with larger pupils) and distinguishing fine details (with smaller pupils).

    In addition, just as the pupillary light response is used as a diagnostic tool, changes in the link between pupil size and breathing could be an early sign of neurological disorders.

    This research is part of a broader effort to understand how our internal bodily rhythms influence perception. Scientists are increasingly finding that our brain doesn’t process external information in isolation – it integrates signals from within our bodies, too. For example, information from our heart and gastric rhythms have also been suggested to enhance or hinder the processing of incoming sensory stimuli.

    If our breathing affects how our pupils change, could it also shape how we perceive the world around us? This opens the door to new research on how bodily rhythms shape perception – one breath at a time.

    Martin Schaefer is affiliated with Karolinska Institutet.

    – ref. Your pupils change size as you breathe – here’s why this new discovery is important – https://theconversation.com/your-pupils-change-size-as-you-breathe-heres-why-this-new-discovery-is-important-250435

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Keir Starmer may gamble on increasing Britain’s defence spending

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Peter Bloom, Professor of Management, University of Essex

    leshiy985/Shutterstock

    Amid rising tensions around the world, the UK government faces pressure to increase defence spending. External threats and uncertainty over the nature of peace talks with Russia over Ukraine have been in the spotlight. But there are also broader political and economic interests shaping these decisions.

    The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, must navigate commitments to Nato, expectations from allies and the influence of the defence industry. All the while, the squeeze on domestic spending and public scepticism loom large.

    The UK’s total military spending for 2024-2025 is expected to be £64.4 billion, with a rise to £67.7 billion in 2025-26. This is equal to 2.3% of the entire UK economy (GDP). It would continue the trend of making the UK one of the highest military spenders in Europe. But it’s still not enough as far as the US president, Donald Trump, is concerned.

    In 2023-2024, the UK’s Ministry of Defence spent its budget across several key areas. Around one-third went towards investment in things such as equipment, infrastructure and technology. Another big area of spending was personnel costs, accounting for around one-fifth of the spend.

    In recent years, UK military spending has fluctuated, reflecting a balance between modernisation, deterrence and operational readiness. One of the most significant areas of investment has been in the UK’s nuclear deterrent (Trident).

    At the same time, cyber defence has become a growing focus, with £1.9 billion allocated to counter threats such as increased cyber attacks and misinformation campaigns from foreign governments and political extremists. The UK has also committed to expanding its next-generation air capabilities.

    Britain’s recent escalation in defence investment mirrors a global surge in military spending. In 2024, worldwide defence expenditures reached an unprecedented US$2.46 trillion (£1.95 trillion), marking a 7.4% real-term increase from the previous year.

    This trend is particularly pronounced in Europe, where nations are bolstering their military capabilities in response to geopolitical tensions such as the war in Ukraine. Germany’s defence budget experienced a significant 23.2% real-term growth, making the country the world’s fourth-largest defence spender.

    In the UK, Labour has pledged to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, aligning with Nato expectations. It also serves as a response to concerns about the country’s military readiness. This could require several billion pounds more annually, raising questions about how this would be funded.

    Publicly, the party presents this commitment as a necessary investment in the UK’s global standing and ability to deter aggression. However, you can argue that there is more at play.

    Political and economic pressures

    Starmer’s government inherited a complex set of geopolitical challenges, from European security concerns to the UK’s international relationships post-Brexit. Nato commitments remain a significant driver of defence spending, particularly as European allies anticipate shifts in US foreign policy under the second Trump presidency.

    The UK must also respond to regional tensions beyond Europe, due to its military alliances in the Indo-Pacific and its arms trade relationships with Middle Eastern states.

    Domestically, Labour’s commitment to raising defence spending is not just about security – it is also a political calculation. Starmer wants to dispel any perceptions that Labour is weak on defence.

    However, it comes at a time of fiscal constraint. Any new defence commitments must compete with demands for public investment in healthcare, education and infrastructure. Without additional taxation or significant budget cuts, Labour may struggle to meet its defence spending targets without compromising other commitments.

    Beyond geopolitical necessity, increased military spending benefits the UK’s powerful military-industrial complex (the relationship between the country’s military and its defence industry). Major defence contractors such as BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and Lockheed Martin UK secure billions in government contracts.

    The so-called “revolving door” between government and defence firms frequently sees former military officials and politicians taking on lucrative roles in private-sector defence companies.

    The cross-party consensus on expanding Britain’s defence industry, now embraced by trade unions and political commentators, reflects a narrow vision of economic security that overlooks more sustainable alternatives.

    The sector’s 200,000 jobs are frequently claimed to justify increased military spending. But investment in renewable energy infrastructure and domestic energy production could both boost employment and address fundamental security challenges exposed by the Ukraine crisis.

    The reliance on foreign energy sources can be weaponised by adversarial states, as reflected in the continued reliance of EU countries on Russia for their energy needs. By investing in domestic renewable energy infrastructure, the UK can insulate itself from geopolitical energy threats. Stable energy supplies can underpin both economic resilience and military readiness.

    But there is a disconnect between strong government protection for arms manufacturers and relatively limited support for green technology development. This, even as climate change poses an escalating threat to national stability.

    Labour faces a difficult balancing act. Increasing defence spending helps solidify the party’s credibility on national security. But domestically, it risks alienating voters who favour investment in social welfare over military expansion.

    Additionally, higher military expenditure could make tax hikes or borrowing necessary. Both pose political hazards. And there is a real risk that increased spending will disproportionately benefit corporate defence giants rather than the public.

    Starmer hopes increased defence spending will show that he is serious about European security.
    Fred Duval/Shutterstock

    Internationally, Starmer aims to signal Britain’s continued reliability as a Nato ally amid uncertainties about the US commitment to European security. This positioning becomes especially significant given the UK’s post-Brexit need to demonstrate its global relevance and military capability.

    Labour’s drive to increase defence spending is also shaped by economic imperatives that extend beyond immediate security needs. The party faces pressure to expand a major sector of British manufacturing. At stake are not just defence capabilities but jobs, regional development and industrial strategy.

    The government now finds itself caught between competing pressures. The commitment to military expansion reflects not just geopolitical imperatives but also domestic political calculations and economic concerns, which appear to be equally influential. And it raises fundamental questions about how national security priorities are truly determined in an era of multiple challenges.

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

    – ref. Why Keir Starmer may gamble on increasing Britain’s defence spending – https://theconversation.com/why-keir-starmer-may-gamble-on-increasing-britains-defence-spending-250447

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: YouTube was born from a failed dating site – 20 years on, the world’s biggest video platform faces new challenges

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Evelyn Polacek Kery, PhD Researcher in Social Work & Social Care, School of Education & Social Work, University of Sussex

    When three former PayPal employees, Steve Chen, Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim, registered the domain www.youtube.com 20 years ago, they wanted to create an online dating site based around videos of users. In 2016, Chen told the SXSW conference: “We thought dating would be the obvious choice.”

    But despite offering to pay users to upload videos of themselves, nobody came forward. When their concept failed, they hatched a new idea for the same domain: “OK, forget the dating aspect, let’s just open it up to any video,” said Chen.

    What followed was revolutionary. Having started as a small project, YouTube rapidly grew into one of the most influential platforms in media history, reshaping journalism, media, entertainment and social interactions.

    Its first-ever video, “Me at the Zoo” – featuring Karim casually describing the elephants at San Diego Zoo – set the tone for democratised content creation, and also the type of content that would become so significant for YouTube: vlogging – where people communicate their own blog-style entries on video, often delivered direct to camera.

    The simplicity of uploading and sharing any type of video, combined with the potential of online content going viral, made the platform an instant hit.

    In October 2006, just over a year after the video platform’s launch, Google acquired YouTube for US$1.65 billion (£1.3 billion) – a move that proved one of the most significant tech acquisitions in history. The platform embarked on monetising its growing library of content via online advertising, not only generating huge profits for Google but also providing content creators with a share.

    The increasing profits prompted content creators to deliver better content.

    Whereas traditional media outlets such as television controlled video production and distribution, YouTube suddenly allowed anyone with a camera to share their voice. This shift led to the rise of independent creators, from beauty vloggers and gamers to educators and activists.

    And so the platform has given birth to an entirely new profession: the YouTuber. Early pioneers built massive audiences, inspiring a new wave of content creators who could earn a living through ad revenue, sponsorships and crowdfunding.

    In the UK in 2010, for example, a group of young content creators nicknamed “Brit Crew” became popular on YouTube. They were relatable, fun to watch, and uploaded videos regularly.

    Today, the highest-paid YouTuber worldwide, according to Forbes magazine, is MrBeast, with more than 360 million subscribers and 10 billion views. In reality, MrBeast is Jimmy Donaldson, a content creator and businessman from Greenville, North Carolina. But the views his videos attract are still nowhere near the most-watched YouTube video of all time, “Baby Shark”, with 15 billion views.

    Baby Shark: the YouTube video with most views to date.

    Donaldson has often talked about understanding YouTube metrics and its algorithm as a key component to his success. He particularly pays attention to a measure known as “retention rate”, noting where viewers stop watching to improve his future videos. He says the algorithm prioritises things that are difficult to accomplish, such as getting high retention rates on a long video, over simply getting a large number of views.

    MrBeast is emblematic of the rise of influencers on YouTube: content creators with lots of followers who look to them for inspiration and lifestyle tips. Established companies and brands have sought to develop partnerships with key influencers in order to promote products and services to their often huge global audiences.

    Overall, detailed audience numbers for YouTube are difficult to come by. However, Statista reports that the platform now has more than 2.5 billion active monthly users.

    Citizen journalism

    YouTube also plays a critical role in modern journalism. The platform, along with others such as Facebook and Twitter-X, has allowed citizen journalists to document events in real time, from protests and social movements to natural disasters and political uprisings – especially since YouTube introduced live streaming in 2011.

    During major global events such as the Arab Spring and Black Lives Matter protests, influential coverage emerged from people capturing and sharing their footage on YouTube. This shift has challenged traditional news media, which now often relies on user-generated content as a key source of reporting.

    Similarly, some major world events are streamed live on YouTube, from election coverage to the Olympics to the Glastonbury music festival. There has also been growth in the popularity of video podcasts on the platform – one of the most popular, the Joe Rogan Experience, attracts millions of views per episode.

    Misinformation and conspiracy theories

    Despite its success, YouTube has faced significant challenges. The rapid spread of hate speech, misinformation and conspiracy theories has led the platform to implement stricter content moderation policies. In recent years, YouTube says there has been a substantial drop in the number of videos that violate its policies as a result, although some experts say these numbers can be interpreted in different ways.

    YouTube also continues to face controversies over its data collection, and how its algorithms reinforce conspiracy “rabbit holes”.

    Regulation has become a pressing concern. Governments worldwide are scrutinising YouTube for its role in spreading harmful content. Many countries are discussing how to better protect children online: in the UK, YouTube is the most popular website or app among younger users, used by nearly nine in ten children aged 3-17. (Officially, YouTube does not allow children below the age of 13 to use the platform without supervision, but there are clearly many ways around this for younger users.)

    There is a also drive among regulators to ensure fair competition in the digital marketplace, given YouTube’s dominant position.

    As YouTube enters its third decade, AI could become a powerful tool for creators – from speeding up the process of adding effects to videos, to creating video content from scratch. YouTube will also face continued competition from short-form video platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.

    In my opinion, the growing demand for high-quality, authentic content will shape YouTube’s future. The platform needs to focus on protecting and empowering its creators and their diversity, while nurturing its existing community.

    One thing is clear: YouTube has transformed the way we both consume and create media. From its humble beginnings to becoming a cultural phenomenon, YouTube’s 20-year journey is a testament to the power of digital platforms and social media in shaping modern society. Whether it continues growing or evolves into something entirely new, its impact on global culture is undeniable.

    Evelyn Polacek Kery works for the Guardian and is a judge at the Press Awards 2025.

    – ref. YouTube was born from a failed dating site – 20 years on, the world’s biggest video platform faces new challenges – https://theconversation.com/youtube-was-born-from-a-failed-dating-site-20-years-on-the-worlds-biggest-video-platform-faces-new-challenges-250164

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: China: Xi Jinping has learned from Trump’s first trade war and is ready to fight back

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Harper, Lecturer in International Relations, University of East London

    The start of 2025 has been good for China and its reputation as a high-tech innovator. The unveiling of the Chinese-made artificial intelligence (AI) tool, DeepSeek, caused consternation on the US stock exchange and from potential competitors in Silicon Valley.

    Chinese firms are increasingly at the forefront of key high-level technologies such as electric vehicles (EVs) and AI, as reflected by the success of China’s electric vehicles, BYD, and now DeepSeek.

    These moves have made the Chinese economy more self sufficient than it was during Trump’s first term, and has made Beijing more confident about pushing back politically against Trump.

    This is all underlined by a high-level meeting hosted by President Xi Jinping at China’s Great Hall of the People this week. He told the heads of China’s leading tech firms it was time for them “to give full play to their capabilities” and spoke of it as a patriotic duty, according to official accounts.

    This comes as China starts being hit by US tariffs of an additional 10% on its goods, as well as a slew of anti-China rhetoric from the Trump government.

    But China’s high tech industries are on the up, and this is a significant boost for Xi. For instance, in January this year, sales of the Chinese EVs exceeded those of Tesla in the UK for the first time.

    Part of the Chinese EV’s success could be attributed to a backlash against Tesla’s co-founder Elon Musk, after he started backing far-right parties around the world.

    Another factor that Chinese high-tech goods have in their favour are lower prices. Prices for Chinese EVs start at £7,697 in the UK, for example – much lower than Tesla’s Model 3 at £25,490.

    This price difference will be significant in the latest phase of the Sino-US trade war, particularly in countries struggling with a cost-of-living crisis. China is also hoping its cheap prices and tech innovations will help it find new trading allies to counteract Washington’s proposed tariffs.

    What China has to offer

    China is a fast-growing economic and political power and is expected to account for nearly a quarter of the global economy by 2030.

    The success of BYD and DeepSeek comes at a time where Beijing feels more prepared for Trump’s tough tariffs and tension with Washington, than it did in his previous term. China has responded to Trump’s threats with reciprocal tariffs on US coal and liquefied gas, as well as a ban on the export of critical minerals. These are a key component for many US military technologies varying from communications equipment to missiles.

    China accounts for 72% of all rare earth imports for the US. Such measures contrast with the cautious approach taken by Beijing in 2017, when US tariffs during Trump’s first term met little retaliation from Beijing.

    The changes in China’s tactics can partly be attributed to what Beijing learned from the previous trade war. In 2017 there were weaknesses in the supply chains of many Chinese firms, most notably ZTE and Huawei.

    They struggled when Washington pressurised its own chipmakers and those of allied states, such as Britain’s Arm, to stop sales of semiconductor technology to China. As a result, finding long-term alternatives to US technology in the supply chain has become a key priority for Beijing.

    What is Deep Seek?

    Xi has recognised the value of firms such as Huawei and BYD in aiding China’s wider technological (and geopolitical) ambitions, most notably as part of the Made in China 2025 strategy, a national strategy to make China a leader in high-tech technology.



    Read more:
    DeepSeek: how China’s embrace of open-source AI caused a geopolitical earthquake

    Traditionally, China was seen as the home of cheap, low-quality goods, which had been central to its development in the 1980s and 1990s. But many of companies producing these products are increasingly moving to south-east Asia to take advantage of lower labour costs.

    However, Chinese industries are now gaining ground in fields that have traditionally been the preserve of developed nations. For instance, Huawei has developed a spin off, Honor, which has gone from producing cheap, simple smartphones and into AI technology.

    Meanwhile, the success of BYD and DeepSeek have demonstrated that China is, in some ways at least, far better placed for a prolonged trade war. Beijing is feeling more confident, which explains its willingness to push back against Washington this time.

    So the White House will have to deal with higher prices for US goods going into China, as well as additional trade spats with the EU, Canada and the UK. It might be a bumpy ride for US consumers.

    How Beijing responds and its new-found clout may determine the course of this new trade war, and potentially add to its long-term standing in the world.

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

    – ref. China: Xi Jinping has learned from Trump’s first trade war and is ready to fight back – https://theconversation.com/china-xi-jinping-has-learned-from-trumps-first-trade-war-and-is-ready-to-fight-back-250101

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Nalchik hosted the visiting sites of the “Future Managers Tournament”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    On February 19 and 20, 2025, in the capital of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Nalchik, visiting sites of the State University of Management Olympiad for schoolchildren in social studies “Tournament of Future Managers” were held.

    17 students from grades 10-11 gathered to solve the tasks of the in-person round at the leading educational institutions of the republic – Lyceum No. 2 and School No. 9.

    For more than 2 hours, schoolchildren solved social studies tasks based on the school curriculum.

    The winners and prize winners of the Olympiad will receive 4 additional points to the total points of the Unified State Exam when entering the State University of Management. This is especially important for the participating students, because they plan to enter the first management university.

    Preliminary results of the in-person stage will be published on March 25, as soon as the expert jury has completed its review of the works.

    Let us recall that Moscow schoolchildren took part in the Tournament last weekend, and on February 26 the in-person stage will take place in Rostov-on-Don.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 21.02.2025

    Турнир будущих управленцев»….” data-yashareImage=”https://guu.ru/wp-content/uploads/photo_5312547629877556649_y.jpg” data-yashareLink=”https://guu.ru/%d0%b2-%d0%bd%d0%b0%d0%bb%d1%8c%d1%87%d0%b8%d0%ba%d0%b5-%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%be%d1%88%d0%bb%d0%b8-%d0%b2%d1%8b%d0%b5%d0%b7%d0%b4%d0%bd%d1%8b%d0%b5-%d0%bf%d0%bb%d0%be%d1%89%d0%b0%d0%b4%d0%ba%d0%b8/”>

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A Palestinian film is an Oscars favorite − so why is it so hard to see?

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Drew Paul, Associate Professor of Arabic, University of Tennessee

    Directors Basel Adra, left, and Yuval Abraham on stage at the 62nd New York Film Festival on Sept. 29, 2024. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

    For many low-budget, independent films, an Oscar nomination is a golden ticket.

    The publicity can translate into theatrical releases or rereleases, along with more on-demand rentals and sales.

    However, for “No Other Land,” a Palestinian film nominated for best documentary at the 2025 Academy Awards, this exposure is unlikely to translate into commercial success in the U.S. That’s because the film has been unable to find a company to distribute it in America.

    “No Other Land” chronicles the efforts of Palestinian townspeople to combat an Israeli plan to demolish their villages in the West Bank and use the area as a military training ground. It was directed by four Palestinian and Israeli activists and journalists: Basel Adra, who is a resident of the area facing demolition, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Ballal and Rachel Szor. While the filmmakers have organized screenings in a number of U.S. cities, the lack of a national distributor makes a broader release unlikely.

    Film distributors are a crucial but often unseen link in the chain that allows a film to reach cinemas and people’s living rooms. In recent years it has become more common for controversial award-winning films to run into issues finding a distributor. Palestinian films have encountered additional barriers.

    As a scholar of Arabic who has written about Palestinian cinema, I’m disheartened by the difficulties “No Other Land” has faced. But I’m not surprised.

    The role of film distributors

    Distributors are often invisible to moviegoers. But without one, it can be difficult for a film to find an audience.

    Distributors typically acquire rights to a film for a specific country or set of countries. They then market films to movie theaters, cinema chains and streaming platforms. As compensation, distributors receive a percentage of the revenue generated by theatrical and home releases.

    The film “Soundtrack to a Coup D’Etat,” another finalist for best documentary, shows how this process typically works. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024 and was acquired for distribution just a few months later by Kino Lorber, a major U.S.-based distributor of independent films.

    The inability to find a distributor is not itself noteworthy. No film is entitled to distribution, and most films by newer or unknown directors face long odds.

    However, it is unusual for a film like “No Other Land,” which has garnered critical acclaim and has been recognized at various film festivals and award shows. Some have pegged it as a favorite to win best documentary at the Academy Awards. And “No Other Land” has been able to find distributors in Europe, where it’s easily accessible on multiple streaming platforms.

    So why can’t “No Other Land” find a distributor in the U.S.?

    There are a couple of factors at play.

    Shying away from controversy

    In recent years, film critics have noticed a trend: Documentaries on controversial topics have faced distribution difficulties. These include a film about a campaign by Amazon workers to unionize and a documentary about Adam Kinzinger, one of the few Republican congresspeople to vote to impeach Donald Trump in 2021.

    The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, of course, has long stirred controversy. But the release of “No Other Land” comes at a time when the issue is particularly salient. The Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing Israeli bombardment and invasion of the Gaza Strip have become a polarizing issue in U.S. domestic politics, reflected in the campus protests and crackdowns in 2024. The filmmakers’ critical comments about the Israeli occupation of Palestine have also garnered backlash in Germany.

    Locals attend a screening of ‘No Other Land’ in the village of A-Tuwani in the West Bank on March 14, 2024.
    Yahel Gazit/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

    Yet the fact that this conflict has been in the news since October 2023 should also heighten audience interest in a film such as “No Other Land” – and, therefore, lead to increased sales, the metric that distributors care about the most.

    Indeed, an earlier film that also documents Palestinian protests against Israeli land expropriation, “5 Broken Cameras,” was a finalist for best documentary at the 2013 Academy Awards. It was able to find a U.S. distributor. However, it had the support of a major European Union documentary development program called Greenhouse. The support of an organization like Greenhouse, which had ties to numerous production and distribution companies in Europe and the U.S., can facilitate the process of finding a distributor.

    By contrast, “No Other Land,” although it has a Norwegian co-producer and received some funding from organizations in Europe and the U.S., was made primarily by a grassroots filmmaking collective.

    Stages for protest

    While distribution challenges may be recent, controversies surrounding Palestinian films are nothing new.

    Many of them stem from the fact that the system of film festivals, awards and distribution is primarily based on a movie’s nation of origin. Since there is no sovereign Palestinian state – and many countries and organizations have not recognized the state of Palestine – the question of how to categorize Palestinian films has been hard to resolve.

    In 2002, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rejected the first ever Palestinian film submitted to the best foreign language film category – Elia Suleiman’s “Divine Intervention” – because Palestine was not recognized as a country by the United Nations. The rules were changed for the following year’s awards ceremony.

    In 2021, the cast of the film “Let It Be Morning,” which had an Israeli director but primarily Palestinian actors, boycotted the Cannes Film Festival in protest of the film’s categorization as an Israeli film rather than a Palestinian one.

    Film festivals and other cultural venues have also become places to make statements about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and engage in protest. For example, at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017, the right-wing Israeli culture minister wore a controversial – and meme-worthy – dress that featured the Jerusalem skyline in support of Israeli claims of sovereignty over the holy city, despite the unresolved status of Jerusalem under international law.

    Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev wears a dress featuring the old city of Jerusalem during the Cannes Film Festival in 2017.
    Antonin Thuillier/AFP via Getty Images

    At the 2024 Academy Awards, a number of attendees, including Billie Eilish, Mark Ruffalo and Mahershala Ali, wore red pins in support of a ceasefire in Gaza, and pro-Palestine protesters delayed the start of the ceremonies.

    So even though a film like “No Other Land” addresses a topic of clear interest to many people in the U.S., it faces an uphill battle to finding a distributor.

    I wonder whether a win at the Oscars would even be enough.

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

    – ref. A Palestinian film is an Oscars favorite − so why is it so hard to see? – https://theconversation.com/a-palestinian-film-is-an-oscars-favorite-so-why-is-it-so-hard-to-see-249233

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: We study mass surveillance for social control, and we see Trump laying the groundwork to ‘contain’ people of color and immigrants

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Brittany Friedman, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California

    Black and Latino communities are disproportionately affected by mass surveillance, studies show. Vicente Méndez/Getty Images

    President Donald Trump has vowed to target his political enemies, and experts have warned that he could weaponize U.S. intelligence agencies to conduct mass surveillance on his targets.

    Mass surveillance is the widespread monitoring of civilians. Governments typically target specific groups – such as religious minorities, certain races or ethnicities, or migrants – for surveillance and use the information gathered to “contain” these populations, for example by arresting and imprisoning people.

    We are experts in social control, or how governments coerce compliance, and we specialize in surveillance. Based on our expertise and years of research, we expect Trump’s second White House term may usher in a wave of spying against people of color and immigrants.

    A man apprehended in an immigration raid on Jan. 28, 2025, sits in a holding cell in New York City.
    Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images

    Spreading moral panic

    Trump is already actively deploying a key tactic in expanding mass surveillance: causing moral panics. Moral panics are created when politicians exaggerate a public concern to manipulate real fears people may have.

    Take Trump on crime, for example. Despite FBI data showing that crime has been dropping across the U.S. for decades, Trump has repeatedly claimed that “crime is out of control.” Stoking fear makes people more likely to back harsh measures purportedly targeting crime.

    Trump has also worked to create a moral panic about immigration.

    He has said, for example, that “illegal” migrants are taking American jobs. In truth, only 5% of the 30 million immigrants in the workforce as of 2022 were unauthorized to work. And in his Jan. 25, 2025, presidential proclamation on immigration, Trump likened immigration at the southern border to an “invasion,” evoking the language of war to describe a population that includes many asylum-seeking women and children.

    The second step in causing moral panics is to label racial, ethnic and religious minorities as villains to justify expanding mass surveillance.

    Building on his rhetoric about crime and immigration, Trump frequently connects the two issues. He has said that migrants murder because they have “bad genes,” echoing beliefs expressed by white supremacists. During the 2016 campaign, Trump’s coinage “bad hombre” invoked stereotypes of dangerous migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border to steal jobs and sell drugs.

    The president has similarly connected Black communities with crime. At an August 2024 rally in Atlanta, Georgia, Trump called the majority-Black city “a killing field.” The month prior, he said the same thing about Washington, D.C.

    Primary targets

    History shows that in the U.S. moral panics are most likely to target Latino, Indigenous and Black communities as a precursor to surveillance and subjugation.

    In the 18th century, Colonial politicians passed legislation likening the Indigenous people of the American colonies to “savages” and passed laws identifying Indigenous tribes as political enemies to be assimilated. If “killing the Indian” out of people didn’t work, they were to be tracked down and removed from the population through imprisonment or death.

    Another early form of moral panics escalating to spying and mass surveillance were southern slave patrols, which emerged in the early 1700s after pro-slavery politicians proclaimed that Black escapees would terrorize white communities. Slave patrols tracked down and captured not only Black escapees but also free Black people, whom they sold into bondage. They also imprisoned any person, enslaved or not, suspected of sheltering escapees.

    Once a group of people becomes the subject of moral panics and targeted for government surveillance, our research shows, the effects are felt for generations.

    Black and Indigenous communities are still arrested and incarcerated at disproportionately high rates compared with their percentage in the U.S. population. This even affects children, with Indigenous girls imprisoned at four times the rate of white girls, and Black girls at more than twice the rate of white girls.

    Low-tech methods

    These 21st-century numbers reflect decades of targeted surveillance.

    In the 1950s, the FBI under Director J. Edgar Hoover created the counter-intelligence programs COINTELPRO, allegedly for investigating communists and radical political groups, and the Ghetto Informant Program. In practice, both programs broadly targeted people of color. From Martin Luther King Jr. to U.S. Rep. John Lewis, Black activists were identified as a threat, spied on, investigated and sometimes jailed.

    A 1964 letter from J. Edgar Hoover expressing his dislike for Martin Luther King Jr.
    Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images

    President Lyndon Johnson’s “war on crime,” a sweeping set of federal changes that militarized local police in urban communities, continued this mass surveillance in the 1960s. Later came the “war on drugs,” which an aide to President Richard Nixon later said was designed explicitly to target Black people.

    In subsequent decades, politicians would stir up new moral panics about Black communities – remember the “crack babies” who never really existed? – and use fear to justify police surveillance, arrests and mass incarceration.

    These early examples of mass surveillance lacked the technology that enables spying today, such as CCTV and hacked laptop cameras. Nonetheless, past U.S. administrations have been remarkably effective at achieving social control by creating moral panics then deploying mass surveillance to contain the “threat.” They enlisted droves of police officers, recruited informants to infiltrate groups and locked people away.

    These textbook surveillance methods are still routinely used now.

    Police fusion centers

    For many Americans, the term “mass surveillance” evokes the Department of Homeland Security, which was founded after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This national agency, which forms part of a federal intelligence apparatus of more than 20 agencies focused on surveillance, has played a key role in mass surveillance since 2001, especially of Muslim Americans.

    But it has local help in the form of police units known as fusion centers. These units feed identification information and physical evidence such as video footage to federal agencies such as the FBI and CIA, according to a 2023 whistleblower report from Rutgers Law School.

    The New Jersey Regional Operations Intelligence Center, for example, is a police fusion center overseeing New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. It employs advanced military technology to gather massive amounts of personal data on people perceived as potential security threats. According to the Rutgers report, these “threats” are highly concentrated in Black, Latino and Arab communities, as well as areas with a high concentration of political organizing, such as Black Lives Matter groups and immigrant aid organizations.

    The New Jersey police fusion approach leads to increased arrest rates, according to the report, but there’s no real evidence that it prevents crime or terrorism.

    Guantanamo and black sites

    Given Trump’s pledges to further militarize border enforcement and expand U.S. jails and prisons, we anticipate a rise in spending on fusion centers and other tools of mass surveillance under Trump. The moral panics he’s been stirring up since 2015 suggest that the targets of government surveillance will include immigrants and Black people.

    Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event on April 2, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Mich.
    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    Sometimes, victims of mass surveillance go missing.

    The Guardian reported in 2015 that Chicago police had been temporarily “disappearing” people at local and federal police “black sites” since at least 2009. At these clandestine jails, under the guise of national security, officers questioned detainees without attorneys and held them for up to 24 hours without any outside contact. Many of the victims were Black.

    Another infamous black site was housed at the Guantanamo Bay military base in Cuba, where the CIA detained and secretly interrogated suspected terrorists following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

    Trump seems to be reviving the Guantanamo black site, flying about 150 Venezuelan migrants to the base since January 2025. It’s unclear whether the U.S. government can lawfully detain migrants there abroad, yet deportation flights continue.

    The administration has not shared the identities of many of the people imprisoned there.

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

    – ref. We study mass surveillance for social control, and we see Trump laying the groundwork to ‘contain’ people of color and immigrants – https://theconversation.com/we-study-mass-surveillance-for-social-control-and-we-see-trump-laying-the-groundwork-to-contain-people-of-color-and-immigrants-221073

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Survey shows immigrants in Florida – even US citizens – are less likely to seek health care after passage of anti-immigrant laws

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Elizabeth Aranda, Professor of Sociology, University of South Florida

    For decades, many U.S. immigrants have received subpar health care, and asking about immigration status can make those disparities worse. Maskot via Getty Images

    Since arriving in the United States four years ago, Alex has worked at a primary care office. He has witnessed firsthand how difficult it was for immigrants to access preventive care.

    When he heard of the implementation of Florida’s Senate Bill 1718, Alex feared it would have dire consequences for the patients he served.

    Alex is a pseudonym for one of our research subjects.

    SB 1718, signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May 2023, imposed sweeping restrictions aimed at discouraging unauthorized immigration. Among its provisions, it requires hospitals that accept Medicaid funds to question patients about their immigration status and share data about how many immigrants they are serving within the state.

    The law had several more provisions. It mandated E-Verify, a system to check employment eligibility, be used for new hires in businesses employing more than 25 employees. It also criminalized driving into Florida with an unauthorized immigrant, and restricted community organizations from issuing IDs.

    After the law passed, Alex told his patients that they could refuse to divulge their legal status when asked on hospital forms. But he says his reassurances didn’t work. He watched as many immigrant patients hesitated to access necessary medical care for themselves and their children – or even left the state.

    Alex had legal documentation to be in the country, but as his immigrant community shrank, he wondered if he, too, should leave Florida.

    We are a group of social science professors and graduate students studying immigrant communities in Florida. We believe SB 1718 has important implications for immigrants, for Floridians and all Americans – particularly as the country faces surges in outbreaks of communicable diseases like measles and the flu.

    An environment of fear

    These concerns are based on our survey of 466 immigrants to Florida and adult U.S.-born children of immigrants between May and July of 2024.

    Nearly two-thirds of non-U.S. citizens and one-third of U.S. citizens who responded to our survey said they hesitated to seek medical care in the year after SB 1718 passed.

    “I was very sick recently and needed medical care, but I was scared,” one survey participant told us.

    While hospitals cannot deny care based on a patient’s immigration status, our data shows that anticipating they would be asked deterred not only immigrants lacking permanent legal status but also those with legal status, including U.S. citizens, from seeking care.

    We believe U.S. citizens are affected by spillover effects because they are members of mixed-status families.

    Our survey took place during the intense 2024 presidential election season when anti-immigrant rhetoric was prevalent. The immigrants we surveyed also reported experiencing discrimination in their everyday lives, and these experiences were also associated with a reluctance to access health care.

    Laws like SB 1718 amplify preexisting racial and structural inequities. Structural inequities are systemic barriers within institutions — such as health care and employment — that restrict access to essential resources based on one’s race, legal or economic status.

    These kinds of laws discourage immigrants from utilizing health resources. They foster an exclusionary policy environment that heightens fears of enforcement, restricts access to essential services and exacerbates economic and social vulnerabilities. Moreover, restrictive immigration policies exclude people from accessing services based on their race. Immigrants who have been discriminated against in everyday settings may internalize the expectation that seeking care will result in further hostility – or even danger.

    Consequences for public health

    U.S. history holds numerous examples of racial and ethnic barriers to health care. Examples include segregation-era hospitals turning away Black patients . It also involves systemic restrictions on health care access for non-English speakers, including inadequate language assistance services, reliance on untrained interpreters and lack of culturally competent care.

    President Donald Trump’s new executive orders signed in January 2025 threaten to further ostracize certain communities. For example, the order terminating federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs dismantles efforts to address racial disparities in public institutions. New restrictions on federally funded research on race and equity could hinder efforts to study and address these disparities.

    Civil rights advocates believe these measures represent a systemic rollback of rights and diversity practices that generations fought to secure and could accelerate a national shift toward exclusion based on race under the guise of immigration enforcement.

    Supporters of immigrants’ rights protest against U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policies on Feb. 7, 2025 in Homestead, Florida.
    Joe Raedle via Getty Images

    The results of our survey in Florida may be a warning sign for the rest of the country. Health care hesitancy like we documented could increase the likelihood of delayed treatment, undiagnosed conditions and worsening health disparities among entire communities.

    These legal restrictions are likely to increase the spread of communicable diseases and strain health care systems, increasing costs and placing a greater burden on emergency services and public health infrastructure.

    Elizabeth Aranda is affiliated with American Sociological Association.

    Deborah Omontese is affiliated with American Sociological Association

    Elizabeth Vaquera is a member of the American Sociological Association and has previously received funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health,

    Emely Matos Pichardo is affiliated with the Southern Sociological Society.

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

    – ref. Survey shows immigrants in Florida – even US citizens – are less likely to seek health care after passage of anti-immigrant laws – https://theconversation.com/survey-shows-immigrants-in-florida-even-us-citizens-are-less-likely-to-seek-health-care-after-passage-of-anti-immigrant-laws-248952

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s moves to strip employment protections from federal workers threaten to make government function worse – not better

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By James L. Perry, Professor of Public and Environmental Affairs Emeritus, Indiana University

    Federal workers’ jobs may become more precarious than in the past. mathisworks/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

    On top of efforts to fire potentially tens of thousands of federal workers, an early executive order from President Donald Trump’s second term seeks to reclassify the employment status of as many as 50,000 other federal workers – out of more than 2 million total – to make them easier for the president to fire as well.

    The order has already been challenged in court by two federal workers’ unions and other interest groups, though no judge has yet issued any orders. The Trump administration is drafting rules to put the order into effect.

    The Conversation U.S. politics editor Jeff Inglis spoke to James Perry, a scholar of public affairs at Indiana University, Bloomington, to understand what the order is trying to achieve and how it would affect federal workers, the government and the American public. What follows is an edited transcript of the discussion.

    Andrew Jackson, depicted here giving a speech, believed the president should be in control of most federal workers.
    PHOTOS.com / Getty Images Plus

    What is the standard situation for government employees?

    In the 1820s and 1830s, President Andrew Jackson popularized the idea that the president could, and should, hire supporters into government jobs. But by the early 1880s, there was concern on the parts of both Democrats and Republicans that the victor would control a lot of workers who would serve the president, not the American people whose tax dollars paid their salaries.

    So the parties came together in 1883 to pass the Pendleton Act stipulating that government workers are hired based on their skills and abilities, not their political views. That law was updated in 1978 with the Civil Service Reform Act, which added more protections for workers against being fired for political reasons.

    Those rules cover about 99% of staff in the federal civil service. Currently, there are just about 4,000 political appointees. I’ve seen various estimates that this new executive order would shift at least 50,000 positions from career positions to the political-appointments list.

    Some states, such as Mississippi, Texas, Georgia and Florida, have moved to strip employment protections from state government employees, turning protected employees into at-will workers, who can be fired at any time for any reason. These are largely red states, with strong control by Republican governors. Supporters of this move at the federal level argue that at-will employment can work in federal civil service.

    This argument is not backed by strong evidence. The evidence supporters offer is that human resources directors, who are often appointees of the governor who changed the statute, claim no one has complained about the change in policy. But that doesn’t include people who are likely to have a different perspective.

    It could be that nobody is talking about people being fired for political reasons in these states because they are afraid of getting fired themselves.

    What does this executive order change, and why?

    The rationale for the new policy is that the administration wants to get rid of federal workers whom leaders perceive as either intransigent or insubordinate – or who they fear might oppose Trump’s policy initiatives. This sets up a conflict between how government workers see their duties and how Trump appears to view them.

    Federal employees interviewed by sociologist Jamie Kucinskas during Trump’s first term say they are obligated to look beyond the president’s bidding: They took an oath to the Constitution when they started their jobs, and their salaries and benefits are paid for with taxpayer dollars.

    Trump, by contrast, says workers in the executive branch must answer to him and follow his orders.

    Trump and others have tried to cloak this effort in language about removing workers who perform poorly at their jobs. That concern is legitimate. The Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, which surveys hundreds of thousands of federal workers every year about various aspects of their work and working conditions, indicates that in 2024, 40% of those surveyed said people who perform poorly are not fired and do not improve.

    But taking action against only 50,000 of the 2 million-plus federal employees isn’t going to address such a wide problem.

    There’s a stereotype that in government it can be hard to discipline or fire workers who are not competent at their jobs. The flip side of that stereotype is, however, false: Private businesses are not better at holding poor performers accountable. Survey evidence shows the private sector has just as much difficulty as the government with getting workers to perform effectively.

    There’s room for legitimate disagreement about how far federal employees have to go to comply with presidential directives. The people who think loyalty is the key to merit still might not agree on whether that loyalty is owed to the person sitting in the Oval Office or to the Constitution.

    Protests against the Trump administration have been widespread, including against its policies aimed at federal workers.
    AP Photo/Sejal Govindarao

    How does this affect government workers?

    It’s not clear which positions might be targeted. The order calls them “policy influencing positions,” but drawing the line between policy and administration isn’t always easy.

    It’s also not clear whether the change will stick. When the George W. Bush administration reduced job protections for Department of Homeland Security employees in 2005, a major federal workers’ union sued the administration and won.

    In the first round of this effort under the first Trump administration, it seemed that most of the people affected would be at the top of the federal hierarchy, probably mostly based in Washington, D.C.

    Most of the workers in the federal civil service, though, are not there. They work for the Social Security Administration, giving out checks in Bloomington, Indiana, or other departments and offices around the country. It would be very difficult to classify them as influencing political policy or advocating for policies.

    But there are people who are not Senate-confirmed who do have an influence on policy. For instance, at the Department of Justice, assistant and deputy assistant secretaries have influence on civil rights policy or other policies that affect the president’s ability to pursue his agenda. The February 2025 resignation of Danielle Sassoon from her role as U.S. attorney in New York is an example of legitimate divergence between an appointee and the president’s policy direction.

    Any workers who lost their protections would likely feel threatened with losing their job and their livelihood. They might, out of fear, be more responsive to the dictates of their superiors.

    That might sound good – that if you do what your boss says, you’re doing a good job. But it’s different if your obligations are to the public interest and the Constitution.

    How does this affect everyday Americans?

    Large majorities of Americans believe government workers are serving the public over themselves. And as many as 87% of Americans say they want a merit-based, politically neutral civil service.

    The U.S. has attracted to government service workers who are good at their jobs and able to remain politically neutral at work. Saying that’s no longer important would change the relationship between government workers and their jobs. And it would hurt the nation as a whole if government cannot attract the best and the brightest, or if it sends the best and the brightest packing because they are not comfortable with their work situation, or if they stay but their performance declines.

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

    – ref. Trump’s moves to strip employment protections from federal workers threaten to make government function worse – not better – https://theconversation.com/trumps-moves-to-strip-employment-protections-from-federal-workers-threaten-to-make-government-function-worse-not-better-248086

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Brazil coup charges could end Bolsonaro’s political career − but they won’t extinguish Bolsonarismo

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Anthony Pereira, Director of the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center, Florida International University

    The former president looked disappointed on Jan. 18, 2025, after a judge denied his request to travel to the U.S. for Donald Trump’s inauguration. Evaristo Sa/AFP via Getty Images

    Brazilian politics are getting more dramatic again.

    The South American country’s attorney general filed five criminal charges against former President Jair Bolsonaro and 33 others in its Supreme Court on Feb. 18, 2025, detonating political shock waves. The charges include plotting a coup d’état to prevent Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva’s presidency. The other defendants include several former prominent officials, including a former spy chief, defense minister, national security adviser and Bolsonaro’s running mate.

    Lula took office in Brazil for a third time in January 2023, after he defeated Bolsonaro in the 2022 presidential election. Bolsonaro, a right-wing politician allied with U.S. President Donald Trump, had served the previous four-year term. Bolsonaro and his codefendants are also charged with trying to poison Lula and assassinate his vice presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes; participating in an armed criminal organization; and seeking to violently overthrow the democratic rule of law. He denies doing anything wrong.

    As a professor of Brazilian politics, I believe that Bolsonaro’s legal troubles threaten to definitively end his political career. There’s also a possibility that the 69-year-old former president will be sentenced to prison. But, at the same time, the charges could also galvanize Bolsonaro’s base – playing into a narrative that sees the right-wing leader as stymied, unfairly, by the government he used to run.

    No sash passed

    Bolsonaro’s behavior before, during and after his second presidential campaign was unusual for any president seeking another term. He claimed, when he was still in office, that Brazil’s electronic voting system was not secure and predicted that fraud might crop up in the 2022 elections.

    Although he never produced any evidence to support this claim, he promoted it on social media, fostering skepticism about the election among some voters.

    Bolsonaro never formally conceded his narrow electoral defeat to Lula in October 2022, insinuating that instead the election had been stolen. In 2023, Brazil’s Supreme Electoral Court ruled that he had abused his power and banned him from running for political office again for the next eight years.

    Instead of attending Lula’s inauguration on Jan. 1, 2023, where he would have been expected to participate in the traditional passing of the sash from the incumbent to the incoming president, Bolsonaro flew to Orlando, Florida, on Dec. 30, 2022. He stayed in Kissimmee, Florida, for the next three months.

    That meant Bolsonaro was not in Brazil when thousands of his supporters rampaged through and vandalized three government buildings in Brasília on Jan. 8, 2023. The incident was strikingly similar to Trump supporters’ assault on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

    The new charges accuse Bolsonaro of taking part in a conspiracy to delegitimize the elections. The indictment also alleges that after the results were announced, Bolsonaro and the other defendants encouraged protests and urged the armed forces to intervene, declare a state of siege and prevent the peaceful transition of power from Bolsonaro to Lula.

    Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro can still draw crowds of supporters, as happened on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on April 21, 2024.
    Buda Mendes/Getty Images

    Possibility of prison

    The evidence in this indictment is based, in part, on plea-bargained testimony by one of the alleged conspirators, the former presidential adviser and army Lt. Col. Mauro Cid.

    The attorney general has also accused Bolsonaro and his associates of being linked to businessmen who paid for buses to take Bolsonaro supporters to Brasília so they could participate in the Jan. 8 attacks, which caused damage estimated at 20 million Brazilian reais (US$3.5 million). And the indictment alleges that the coup plot failed because the commanders of Brazil’s army and air force refused to support the conspiracy, although the commander of the navy did, which explains why he was named as a defendant.

    If Brazil’s Supreme Court accepts the charges, which seems likely, the legal battle will begin. If Bolsonaro is convicted, he could go to prison.

    Bolsonaro’s defense team, for its part, says that the charges are “inept” and unconvincing. His lawyers expressed confidence that they could win the case.

    President Lula, wearing a hat, walks alongside Brazil’s first lady, Rosangela Janja da Silva, in a pink suit, during a rally in Brasilia on Jan. 8, 2025 – two years after supporters of his predecessor staged a failed coup attempt.
    Claudio Reis/Getty Images

    Narrow path

    Bolsonaro and his supporters have long criticized Brazil’s Supreme Court, arguing that it has exceeded its constitutional powers and become a judicial “dictatorship.” They have also pushed for Congress to grant amnesty to everyone who took part in or helped carry out the Jan. 8 attacks, including Bolsonaro.

    To date, Brazil’s Supreme Court has convicted 371 people for participating in the attacks. Those convicted have received prison sentences of between three and 17 years.

    Unlike in the United States, however, there has been a broad consensus in Brazil that the attacks were illegitimate and unacceptable. This consensus includes many lawmakers on the right and center-right in Brazil’s Congress, as well as in state and local governments.

    So, although the example of Donald Trump returning to the presidency and pardoning the participants in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol inspires Bolsonaro’s supporters, his path to achieving a similar result is narrower than was Trump’s.

    Meanwhile, Trump’s media company, which owns Truth Social and Rumble, sued Moraes, the judge Bolsonaro is accused of plotting to kill, for ordering the suspension of social media accounts and thereby undermining the First Amendment rights of U.S. citizens. The case was filed in federal court in Tampa, Florida, on Feb. 19.

    Any trial of Bolsonaro and the other alleged coup plotters could spark a political struggle.

    Brazil’s right wing is currently divided between advocates of hard-line Bolsonarismo – a disruptive ideology that advocates social conservatism, a lightly regulated economy, militarism and a strong executive branch – and a more pragmatic conservatism that works within the conventional rules of politics and is mainly focused on patronage and the management of the spoils of office.

    Should Bolsonaro and his fellow defendants be tried in the Supreme Court, those hard-liners could be mobilized and energized.

    They would see the trial as the political establishment’s persecution of their political hero. And a struggle to find Bolsanaro’s successor, most likely between his son Eduardo and the former president’s wife, Michelle, would ensue.

    The successor would claim the mantle of opposition to Lula, who is eligible to seek a fourth presidential term and claims to want to run for reelection in 2026 – when he would be about to celebrate his 81st birthday.

    High stakes

    There are, to be sure, some Brazilian politicians who are more moderate than Bolsonaro and would also like to run against Lula next time. They would bring much less baggage to that presidential race.

    Their candidacies might offer a possible return to the relative political stability Brazil had experienced for almost two decades before 2013, when the main dividing line in Brazilian politics was between coalitions led by the center-right Social Democratic Party and the center-left Workers’ Party.

    To be clear, it’s hard to overstate the potential consequences of the Supreme Court’s deliberation and judgment in this case.

    The trial, should it occur, would be televised and also have a geopolitical dimension, because it would be closely watched by advocates of hard-right populism in other countries across the Americas and beyond. The stakes are high.

    In the meantime, I have no doubt that Bolsonaro’s supporters will try to use his legal woes to rally his political movement. The judgment of Brazil’s Supreme Court, should it decide to hear this case, could therefore end Bolsonaro’s political career. However, no matter what happens, I believe that Bolsonarismo would still be alive and well as a political force in Brazil and a factor in the 2026 elections.

    Anthony Pereira has received funding in the past from the British Academy and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) of the UK.

    I am a senior fellow at Canning House, a think tank based in London. This is an unpaid position.

    – ref. Brazil coup charges could end Bolsonaro’s political career − but they won’t extinguish Bolsonarismo – https://theconversation.com/brazil-coup-charges-could-end-bolsonaros-political-career-but-they-wont-extinguish-bolsonarismo-250478

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Colliding plasma ejections from the Sun generate huge geomagnetic storms − studying them will help scientists monitor future space weather

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Shirsh Lata Soni, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Michigan

    The Sun periodically ejects huge bubbles of plasma from its surface that contain an intense magnetic field. These events are called coronal mass ejections, or CMEs. When two of these ejections collide, they can generate powerful geomagnetic storms that can lead to beautiful auroras but may disrupt satellites and GPS back on Earth.

    On May 10, 2024, people across the Northern Hemisphere got to witness the impact of these solar activities on Earth’s space weather.

    The northern lights, as seen here from Michigan in May 2024, are caused by geomagnetic storms in the atmosphere.
    Shirsh Lata Soni

    Two merging CMEs triggered the largest geomagnetic storm in two decades, which manifested in brightly colored auroras visible across the sky.

    I’m a solar physicist. My colleagues and I aim to track and better understand colliding CMEs with the goal of improving space weather forecasts. In the modern era, where technological systems are increasingly vulnerable to space weather disruptions, understanding how CMEs interact with each other has never been more crucial.

    Coronal mass ejections

    CMEs are long and twisted – kind of like ropes – and how often they happen varies with an 11-year cycle. At the solar minimum, researchers observe about one a week, but near the solar maximum, they can observe, on average, two or three per day.

    During the solar maximum, solar flares and coronal mass ejections are more common.

    When two or more CMEs interact, they generate massive clouds of charged particles and magnetic fields that may compress, merge or reconnect with each other during the collision. These interactions can amplify the impact of the CMEs on Earth’s magnetic field, sometimes creating geomagnetic storms.

    Why study interacting CMEs?

    Nearly one-third of CMEs interact with other CMEs or the solar wind, which is a stream of charged particles released from the outer layer of the Sun.

    In my research team’s study, published in May 2024, we found that CMEs that do interact or collide with each other are much more likely to cause a geomagnetic storm – two times more likely than an individual CME. The mix of strong magnetic fields and high pressure in these CME collisions is likely what causes them to generate storms.

    During solar maxima, when there can be more than 10 CMEs per day, the likelihood of CMEs interacting with each other increases. But researchers aren’t sure whether they become more likely to generate a geomagnetic storm during these periods.

    Scientists can study interacting CMEs as they move through space and watch them contribute to geomagnetic storms using observations from space- and ground-based observatories.

    In this study, we looked at three CMEs that interacted with each other as they traveled through space using the space-based observatory STEREO. We validated these observations with three-dimensional simulations.

    The CME interactions we studied generated a complex magnetic field and a compressed plasma sheath, which is a layer of charged particles in the upper atmosphere that interacts with Earth’s magnetic field.

    When this complex structure encountered Earth’s magnetosphere, it compressed the magnetosphere and triggered an intense geomagnetic storm.

    Four images show three interacting CMEs, based on observations from the STEREO telescope. In images C and D, you can see the northeast flank of CME-1 and CME-2 that interact with the southwest part of CME-3.
    Shirsh Lata Soni

    This same process generated the geomagnetic storm from May 2024.

    Between May 8-9, multiple Earth-directed CMEs erupted from the Sun. When these CMEs merged, they formed a massive, combined structure that arrived at Earth late on May 10, 2024. This structure triggered the extraordinary geomagnetic storm many people observed. People even in parts of the southern U.S. were able to see the northern lights in the sky that night.

    More technology and higher stakes

    Scientists have an expansive network of space- and ground-based observatories, such as the Parker Solar Probe, Solar Orbiter, the Solar Dynamics Observatory and others, available to monitor the heliosphere – the region surrounding the Sun – from a variety of vantage points.

    These resources, coupled with advanced modeling capabilities, provide timely and effective ways to investigate how CMEs cause geomagnetic storms. The Sun will reach its solar maximum in the years 2024 and 2025. So, with more complex CMEs coming from the Sun in the next few years and an increasing reliance on space-based infrastructure for communication, navigation and scientific exploration, monitoring these events is more important than ever.

    Integrating the observational data from space-based missions such as Wind and ACE and data from ground-based facilities such as the e-Callisto network and radio observatories with state-of-the-art simulation tools allows researchers to analyze the data in real time. That way, they can quickly make predictions about what the CMEs are doing.

    These advancements are important for keeping infrastructure safe and preparing for the next solar maximum. Addressing these challenges today ensures resilience against future space weather.

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

    – ref. Colliding plasma ejections from the Sun generate huge geomagnetic storms − studying them will help scientists monitor future space weather – https://theconversation.com/colliding-plasma-ejections-from-the-sun-generate-huge-geomagnetic-storms-studying-them-will-help-scientists-monitor-future-space-weather-248384

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Making sex deadly for insects could control pests that carry disease and harm crops

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Bill Sullivan, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University

    In the toxic male technique, genetically engineered male insects would implant semen containing toxic venom into the female insects during mating. Madugrero/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    Insects do a lot more harm than ruining picnics. Some insects spread devastating diseases, while others cause staggering economic losses in agriculture. To control some of these pests, scientists are developing males that make sex a deadly event.

    The stakes are high. Mosquitoes carry viruses such as dengue, West Nile and Zika, as well as parasites that cause malaria. Researchers estimate that mosquitoes have caused the deaths of 52 billion people overall – nearly half of all the humans that have ever lived.

    Other insects cause major crop damage, jeopardizing the food supply and driving up prices. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 20% to 40% of global crop production is lost to pests annually at a cost of US$70 billion.

    Pesticides have been the front-line defense against insects, but many bugs have evolved resistance to these chemicals. Some pesticides can indiscriminately kill beneficial insects, harm the environment and endanger human and animal health. Some researchers worry that certain pesticides can cause cancer or have damaging effects on human nervous and endocrine systems.

    I’m a microbiology researcher studying infectious disease. New solutions that do not harm humans and the environment to control disease-carrying insects and agricultural pests could lead to fewer people contracting dangerous diseases. In the past few years, a variety of genetic engineering approaches have emerged as promising tactics to combat problematic insects.

    Genetically modified insects

    To avoid the problems associated with pesticides, scientists have devised new approaches that genetically alter the insects themselves in ways that cause their population to crash or render them incapable of transmitting disease – a strategy called genetic biocontrol.

    Genetic biocontrol entails genetically modifying insects to curb their populations.

    The idea to suppress an insect population by flooding it with sterile males has been around for decades. Since the 1950s, scientists have been using radiation to create infertile male mosquitoes. These sterile males mate with females but produce no offspring. Since females are engaged in a lot of unproductive mating, the overall population tends to decline.

    In the past two decades, genetic engineering has been used to introduce dominant lethal genes into insect populations. In this approach, the offspring of genetically modified males inherit a gene that kills them before they reach reproductive age. A field trial in Brazil found that this strategy reduced the target mosquito population up to 95%. Another approach on the horizon involves releasing insects genetically modified to be poor carriers of pathogens that cause disease.

    Despite these advances, a key shortcoming to current genetic biocontrol methods is that they take time. At least one generation needs to be born before the population suppression begins. This means the female insects continue to be a disease vector or agricultural pest until they die a natural death. An ideal technique would neutralize the females immediately, especially during outbreaks.

    A faster approach

    Biologists Samuel Beach and Maciej Maselko at Macquarie University in Australia sought to solve this dilemma by genetically engineering male insects to make poisonous semen. The poisonous semen would kill the female quickly, reducing the population faster than previous biocontrol methods.

    To test this idea, the team used fruit flies called Drosophila melanogaster, which are easy to genetically modify and study in the lab.

    The Brazilian wandering spider, Phoneutria nigriventer.
    Rodrigo Tetsuo Argenton/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    The researchers transferred venom genes from the Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria nigriventer) and the Mediterranean snakelocks sea anemone (Anemonia sulcata) into the genomes of fruit flies.

    The genetically modified fly produces and stores venom proteins in its male accessory gland – a fly’s prostate – along with other seminal fluid proteins. Upon mating, the fly deposits the venomous semen into the female’s reproductive tract. The researchers named this approach the toxic male technique.

    The Mediterranean snakelocks anenome, Anemonia viridis.
    Diego Delso

    After mating, the seminal toxins seep into the female’s body and attack her central nervous system. The toxins bind to proteins called ion channels on cellular membranes, which nerve cells use to communicate with one another. This quickly leads to paralysis and respiratory arrest. You could say these genetically engineered Romeos literally take her breath away.

    The lifespan of female flies that mated with toxic males decreased – up to 64%. A computer simulation of the toxic male technique for Aedes aegypti, a mosquito that transmits several viruses, predicted that this approach could work better than current methods.

    Safety and effectiveness

    While promising and innovative, there are some important challenges that researchers developing the toxic male technique will need to overcome. For example, the technique has been shown to work only in fruit flies. Whether it will work in mosquitoes or other insect pests remains an open question.

    In addition, the technique reduced the female lifespan by only 37% to 64%. To improve the rate of killing, the researchers suggested that other venom formulations might work better. Researchers could try thousands of venom genes from spiders, snakes, scorpions and centipedes. Each new venom they try will require tests to ensure the modified males tolerate them – if they become weak, unmodified males may outcompete them for mating opportunities.

    As with all genetic biocontrol methods, this technique may be too expensive to implement for low-income countries. Nations would need to finance the costs of breeding and deploying the mosquitoes safely.

    Insects also pollinate plants and serve as food sources for other animals, such as bats. If these insects vanish, the ecosystem could face unforeseen adverse effects. Monitoring these potential effects on the environment will also be expensive.

    Other researchers are experimenting with using venom toxins to control parasites that female insects spread through biting. Called paratransgenesis, this technique alters an insect’s gut bacteria to produce a toxin that kills the parasite, leaving the insect unharmed. Since the insect population remains unaltered, paratransgenesis may pose less risk to ecosystems.

    Insects tend to adapt quickly to the methods humans use to control them, so it is advantageous to have multiple strategies at our disposal. The toxic male technique may one day become a valuable new weapon in the arsenal to combat insect pests.

    Bill Sullivan receives funding from the National Institutes of Health.

    – ref. Making sex deadly for insects could control pests that carry disease and harm crops – https://theconversation.com/making-sex-deadly-for-insects-could-control-pests-that-carry-disease-and-harm-crops-248723

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Young Trade Leaders: Sunny, China

    Source: World Trade Organization – WTO (video statements)

    The Young Trade Leaders Programme was established to connect young people with the work of the WTO. Shangyi (Sunny) Li, from China, earned her master’s degrees in international relations from both Tsinghua University and Johns Hopkins University.

    Sunny talks about the different ways trade has been an important part of her life.

    Download this video from the WTO website:
    https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/webcas_e/webcas_e.htm

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InhWs1xCu64

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Global: I’m Still Here: a vibrant testament to female resilience that mourns Brazil’s dark past

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Belén Vidal, Reader in Film Studies, King’s College London

    Director Walter Salles’s first feature film since 2012, the Oscar-nominated I’m Still Here is a return to home ground, and a return to strength, for the Brazilian auteur. At 68, Salles reconnects with his youth, telling a story in which he does not figure, but takes up the role of witness to the pain of others.

    I’m Still Here is adapted from the autobiographical novel Ainda Estou Aqui by Salles’s contemporary, the writer Marcelo Rubens Paiva. The novel recounts Paiva’s father’s disappearance in 1971, under the repressive dictatorship of Emílio Garrastazu Médici, through the memories of the author’s mother, Eunice Paiva.

    In Salles’s film, the Paivas lead an enchanted life in a house facing Leblon beach in Rio de Janeiro, until the long arm of the military regime wrecks their dream.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Beloved family head, Rubens (Selton Mello), an engineer and congressman secretly collaborating with the underground opposition, is kidnapped by state police under the pretence of a routine interrogation. It then befalls his wife Eunice (Fernanda Torres) to sustain family life and give their children a sense of future while trying to find out what happened to her husband.

    It’s the second act of the film, particularly the harrowing yet restrained sequences of Eunice’s days-long detention, that reveal the stakes of the story. Her traumatic experience in jail and increasingly desperate search for her husband afterwards is framed as a transformative journey. It’s one that will culminate 25 years later, when the memory of the disappeared is reinstated in the official archives of the nation’s history.

    I’m Still Here adopts a linear style of storytelling and classical three-act structure (stability, disruption, reparation) that serves historical closure, reinforced by the display of the Paiva family’s photographic archive in the closing credits.

    This familiar convention takes on a special poignancy in I’m Still Here, where the private archive is a powerful alternative to a discredited “official” media narrative. The reconstruction of everyday life conveys endurance and resistance. This in turn brings to the fore the gendered dynamics of the Paiva household.

    Rubens’s underground political activity against the regime means that he leads a double life to which Eunice, for all her loving closeness to her husband, remains ignorant of. This is sorely tested when Rubens disappears. With him the main source of income, it leaves Eunice and the children to cobble together a new existence in São Paulo.

    Adopting Eunice’s perspective throughout, the film observes how her relationship with her eldest daughters begins to fracture as they find different ways of coping with traumatic loss and an uncertain future. However, the film stays clear of melodrama, leaving Eunice to internalise the process instead.

    In the lead role, the prolific 59-year-old actor Fernanda Torres carries the film as effortlessly in fitted pencil skirts and chic geometric patterns of late 1960s fashion. Her screen chemistry with the slightly younger Selton Mello – they are the perfect couple while happiness lasts – is palpable.

    Torres’s controlled, nuanced performance navigates the family’s shift in fortunes with measured calm and steely determination, even as she gradually comes to terms with the fact that she’s on her own.

    In this way, the film is a clear-cut tribute to a “feminine” politics of resilience. This matches the preference for a linear biopic over focus on fraught alliances and betrayals that may have determined the course of 1970s political life in Brazil.

    Despite its stark subject matter and suffering heroine, the retro pleasures of I’m Still Here form one of the film’s strongest aspects. The measure of the family’s loss is given by a sweeping first act. Despite the all too readable signs of what’s to come (the film opens with Eunice enjoying a solitary swim in crystalline waters, disturbed by the sound of helicopters hovering above), the viewer is invited to live in the joyous present of the Paiva household.

    The dynamic camerawork captures the energy of the children, connecting the space of the beach with the open-doors house where Eunice and Rubens act as genial hosts for their friends.

    Through references to the vibrant tropicália musical movement the film celebrates and mourns not only the centrality of music to Brazilian cultural life, but the tastes of a cosmopolitan, white liberal middle class (to which Salles also belongs) whose lives and aspirations were cut short by the dictatorship.

    Torres’s real-life mother, the decorated Brazilian actress Fernanda Montenegro, plays the older Eunice in the film’s closing scenes. The match is near perfect, as they both command the same intense yet guarded look.

    Eunice’s character arc signifies the nation’s rise to consciousness. She goes back to study in her forties, becoming a lawyer working on behalf of the rights of indigenous women and in support of the families of the disappeared.

    This personal engagement in justice and reparation is blighted by dementia. In 2014, the nonagenarian Eunice played by Montenegro is a silent, wheelchair-bound Alzheimer sufferer. This epilogue, shot in bleached digital textures vividly contrasts with the vibrant memories captured in the (recreated) Super-8 films shot by the Paivas.

    As Brazil pulls itself together after the twin catastrophes of COVID and Bolsonarism, I’m Still Here’s cautionary tale for the present may be curtailed by the fact that its emotional core is placed so firmly in mourning its past, depicted as a idyllic moment of happiness and optimism before Brazil was robbed of its future.

    Belén Vidal receives funding for her research project AGE-C. Ageing and Gender in European Cinema, Co-investigator which is funded by VolkswagenStiftung, 2023-2026.

    – ref. I’m Still Here: a vibrant testament to female resilience that mourns Brazil’s dark past – https://theconversation.com/im-still-here-a-vibrant-testament-to-female-resilience-that-mourns-brazils-dark-past-250194

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Mark Cuban Foundation and The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History Bring Free AI Bootcamp to Albuquerque Area Teens

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Feb. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Time is running out to apply to participate in the Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp hosted by The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in Albuquerque. Applications for the no-cost bootcamp are closing March 12.

    The program aims to provide students with a foundational understanding of artificial intelligence and its applications to future careers. Students can select from six tracks: healthcare, arts and entertainment, business and entrepreneurship, computer science, sports science, or education and career readiness. Driven by the belief that fostering interest in AI at a young age is crucial for preparing the next generation for their future, the AI Bootcamps are introductory and accessible to students in 9-12 grade with an interest in technology. Students do not need any familiarity with computer science or programming to attend.

    This free AI Bootcamp is hosted for underserved high school students with a transparent focus on recruiting girls, students of color, first generation college students, and those from low to moderate income households. The AI Bootcamp Program provides students with lunch and a snack, transportation assistance, and technology equipment during bootcamp.

    “As AI continues to become an undeniable force in all of our lives, it’s crucial that we open the door to this knowledge, especially to young people who want to explore it,” said Mark Cuban, founder. “While technology expands and becomes more advanced, it becomes more critical that we ensure our students are prepared when they apply for schools or jobs in the future. Thanks to our work with The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, the bootcamp will offer an avenue to explore this fascinating field of technology to any student, no matter their means.”

    This year’s bootcamp, taking place in Albuquerque March 17-19, is hosted and staffed by The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, the only congressionally chartered museum dedicated to the history and science of nuclear technology.

    “We are thrilled to partner with the Mark Cuban Foundation to bring this innovative AI Bootcamp to Albuquerque high school students,” said Gabriel Nemiroff, Director of Education at The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History. “This program is a fantastic opportunity for students to explore the exciting world of artificial intelligence and its potential applications in their future careers. We believe that AI has the power to revolutionize many industries, and we want to ensure that all students have the chance to learn about this important technology.”

    There are just 2 weeks left until the March 12 deadline. Do not miss your chance—submit your application now, as spaces are limited.

    Apply for the bootcamp at: markcubanai.org.

    Watch Mark Cuban’s message about Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI bootcamps and access the full media kit here.

    To learn more, visit markcubanai.org.

    This bootcamp is facilitated with support from Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp Program’s media partner, Notified, a globally trusted technology partner for investor relations, public relations and marketing professionals.

    About Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI Bootcamp Initiative
    The Mark Cuban Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private non-profit led by entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban. The AI Bootcamps Program at MCF seeks to inspire young people with emerging technology so that they can create more equitable futures for themselves and their communities. Over 3 consecutive Saturdays underserved 9th – 12th grade students learn what AI is and isn’t, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, the ethical implications of AI systems, and much more. Learn more about the no-cost AI Bootcamp program at markcubanai.org.

    About The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History

    The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History was established in 1969 as an intriguing place to learn the story of the Atomic Age, from early research of nuclear development through today’s peaceful uses of nuclear technology. Visitors can explore how nuclear science continues to influence our world. Through permanent and changing exhibits and displays, the museum strives to present the diverse applications of nuclear science in the past, present, and future, along with the stories of the field’s pioneers. The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History is a Smithsonian Affiliate and is accredited through the American Alliance of Museums.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Crystals can’t bend – or can they? New research sheds light on elusive ‘flexible crystals’

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jack K. Clegg, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, The University of Queensland

    A thin crystal is bent elastically when pressed with a metal probe. UQ/QUT

    We are all familiar with elastic materials – just think of a rubber band which can return to its original shape after being stretched.

    Humans have used elastic materials for millennia. These days, they’re in everything from optical fibres to aeroplanes and buildings. But until now, scientists haven’t been able to pinpoint exactly how these materials return to their original shape. What happens at the level of their molecules?

    Published today in the journal Nature Materials, our new study uses the properties of flexible crystals to understand how interactions between molecules give rise to elasticity. This provides new insight into the model of elasticity developed by English polymath Robert Hooke more than 300 years ago.

    Our findings will allow us to develop new ways of designing components for complicated aerospace and building materials or electronic devices.

    The mystery of elasticity

    A material is elastic if it can return to its original structure after being deformed. For example, a rubber band goes back to its original shape after it’s been stretched. However, it will snap if pulled too hard. This is known as a “non-elastic change” – it means the material can no longer return to its original shape.

    The most useful elastic materials can undergo large changes in their structures and still return to their original shape. There are many engineering uses for this. As one example, bridges are designed to move elastically in high winds to prevent them from falling down.

    All materials are at least a little bit elastic: they can restore themselves after very small changes in structure. If you shake a piece of paper, it will still lie flat. But if you fold it, the crease is permanent – a non-elastic behaviour that is essential for origami.

    Prior to our research, there were two main approaches to understanding elasticity.

    In the 17th century, Robert Hooke first described how elastic materials work. He discovered that the force needed to stretch an elastic material is proportional to the distance it is stretched, and described this mathematically.

    However, knowing this doesn’t provide much insight for chemists and physicists like ourselves, who work to develop new materials with better elastic properties.

    More recently, computers have been used to calculate the elastic properties of a material using its structure and the basic laws of physics. But while it’s nice for a computer to understand the problem, it doesn’t necessarily make it easier for humans to grasp. This is where our work on flexible crystals comes in.

    How can a crystal be flexible?

    Crystals, which are normally hard and brittle, are made up of a repeating pattern of atoms or molecules. Because the atoms or molecules are stacked neatly in place, it is hard to move them.

    This is why diamond – a crystal of carbon atoms – is hard, while coal, also mostly made of carbon but not a crystal, is soft and crumbly.

    The structure of a diamond, showing connections between the carbon atoms (blue spheres).
    Pieter Kuiper/Wikimedia Commons

    In the flexible crystals we have developed, there are weak interactions between the molecules. These crystals are made of a combination of simple organic molecules and metal ions.

    Interactions between them allow the crystals to be bent so much, they can be tied in a knot without the crystal breaking.

    Our new approach allows humans to understand how the subtle interactions between molecules in crystals give rise to elasticity.

    A flexible crystal in the shape of a thin strand is tied in a loose knot.

    We first used X-ray diffraction, a technique for determining the positions of atoms and molecules in crystals, at the Australian Synchrotron. This allowed us to understand how the arrangement of molecules in our flexible crystal changes when it’s bent.

    We then used a computer to model the interactions between pairs of molecules. Our results showed these interactions could be used to calculate elasticity just as accurately as theoretical models of the entire crystal.

    So, what makes our crystal highly elastic? Our results show that none of the interactions between atoms are “happy” with the structure of the crystal when it is bent. Some would like it to move one way, others in the opposite direction. They have to compromise.

    This means the molecules and atoms don’t strongly resist to changes, making the crystal highly elastic despite its molecular structure which is typical of a regular, inflexible crystal.

    We could not have learned this with either of the traditional approaches for analysing elasticity.

    A single crystal cantilever prepared with a steel ball approximately 55 times the mass of the crystal. The ball rises back higher than the neutral position against gravity when the force holding it is released.
    UQ/QUT

    We were also able to calculate how much energy is stored within a crystal when it is bent, and found it was enough for the crystal to lift a mass 30 times its own weight one metre in the air. This is similar to shooting an arrow with a bow. When you draw the bow, you store elastic energy. Upon the release of the arrow, that elastic energy is transformed into kinetic energy – movement.

    Our flexible crystals are not yet robust enough to be used in the construction of bridges or skyscrapers.

    But the new understanding our study brings to elasticity could lead to new ways of preparing smart devices, wearable electronics, or even components for spacecraft.

    Jack K. Clegg receives funding from the Australian Research Council

    Ben Powell receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Queensland Government.

    John McMurtrie receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Crystals can’t bend – or can they? New research sheds light on elusive ‘flexible crystals’ – https://theconversation.com/crystals-cant-bend-or-can-they-new-research-sheds-light-on-elusive-flexible-crystals-248141

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: Mark Cuban Foundation and Cosmosphere Bring Free AI Bootcamp to Hutchinson Area Teens

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HUTCHINSON, Kan., Feb. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Time is running out to apply to participate in the Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp hosted by Cosmosphere International Science Education Center and Space Museum in Hutchinson. Applications for the no-cost bootcamp are closing March 12.

    The program aims to provide students with a foundational understanding of artificial intelligence and its applications to future careers. Students can select from six tracks: healthcare, arts and entertainment, business and entrepreneurship, computer science, sports science, or education and career readiness. Driven by the belief that fostering interest in AI at a young age is crucial for preparing the next generation for their future, the AI Bootcamps are introductory and accessible to students in 9-12 grade with an interest in technology. Students do not need any familiarity with computer science or programming to attend.

    This free AI Bootcamp is hosted for underserved high school students with a transparent focus on recruiting girls, students of color, first generation college students, and those from low to moderate income households. The AI Bootcamp Program provides students with lunch and a snack, transportation assistance, and technology equipment during bootcamp.

    “As AI continues to become an undeniable force in all of our lives, it’s crucial that we open the door to this knowledge, especially to young people who want to explore it,” said Mark Cuban, founder. “While technology expands and becomes more advanced, it becomes more critical that we ensure our students are prepared when they apply for schools or jobs in the future. Thanks to our work with the Cosmosphere International Science Education Center and Space Museum, the bootcamp will offer an avenue to explore this fascinating field of technology to any student, no matter their means.”

    This year’s bootcamp, taking place in Hutchinson, KS on March 17-19, is hosted and staffed by the Cosmosphere, a space museum with one of the largest collections of U.S. and Soviet space artifacts. It features the Apollo 13 command module, an SR-71 Blackbird, a planetarium, and hands-on exhibits for all ages.

    The Cosmosphere International Science Education Center and Space Museum is one of more than 25 host companies selected to host camps across the U.S.

    “At the Cosmosphere, we’re passionate about igniting curiosity in young minds and empowering the next generation of innovators. This AI bootcamp, in partnership with the Mark Cuban Foundation, represents a tremendous opportunity to do just that,” said JoAnna Strecker, Cosmosphere Vice President of Education. “We’re grateful to the Mark Cuban Foundation for their support in making this dream a reality, and we can’t wait to see the incredible things these students will achieve.”

    There are just 2 weeks left until the March 12 deadline. Do not miss your chance—submit your application now, as spaces are limited.

    Apply for the bootcamp at: markcubanai.org.

    Watch Mark Cuban’s message about Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI bootcamps and access the full media kit here.

    To learn more, visit markcubanai.org.

    This bootcamp is facilitated with support from Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp Program’s media partner, Notified, a globally trusted technology partner for investor relations, public relations and marketing professionals.

    About Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI Bootcamp Initiative

    The Mark Cuban Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private non-profit led by entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban. The AI Bootcamps Program at MCF seeks to inspire young people with emerging technology so that they can create more equitable futures for themselves and their communities. Over 3 consecutive Saturdays underserved 9th – 12th grade students learn what AI is and isn’t, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, the ethical implications of AI systems, and much more. Learn more about the no-cost AI Bootcamp program at markcubanai.org.

    About Cosmosphere International Science Education Center and Space Museum

    The Cosmosphere International Science Education Center and Space Museum is a Smithsonian Affiliate. Located at 1100 North Plum in Hutchinson, KS, its collection includes U.S. space artifacts second only to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and the largest collection of Russian space artifacts outside of Moscow. This unique collection allows the Cosmosphere to tell the story of the Space Race better than any museum in the world while offering fully immersive education experiences that meet Next Generation Science Standards. The Cosmosphere also features the Carey Digital Dome Theater, offering daily documentary showings, a digital Planetarium, Dr. Goddard’s Rocket Lab Experience, where visitors experience live science demonstrations, and CosmoKids, an interactive STEAM area for children accompanied by an adult.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Amnesty International responds to B.C. court ruling in Indigenous land defenders’ trial

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Amnesty International will consider prisoner-of-conscience designations in the cases of three Indigenous land defenders in Canada whose convictions were upheld by a British Columbia court.

    Sleydo’ (Molly Wickham), a Wing Chief (Cas Yikh house) of the Gidimt’en Clan of the Wet’suwet’en Nation, Shaylynn Sampson, a Gitxsan woman with Wet’suwet’en family connections, and Corey “Jayohcee” Jocko, a Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk), had asked the court to void their convictions on constitutional grounds. They argued that their arrests during – and detention after – a highly militarized November 2021 police raid on unceded Wet’suwet’en territory violated their rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

    On Tuesday, a British Columbia judge ruled that the conduct, including anti-Indigenous racist statements, of some Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)/Community Industry Response Group (C-IRG) members during the raid did indeed violate the defenders’ Charter rights. The ruling validates both the experiences of these land defenders and the broader experience of colonial violence that Indigenous Peoples have faced for more than 100 years from the RCMP. However, the judge refused to stay all charges against the defenders and said he would instead consider reduced sentences.

    Amnesty International is reviewing the implications of Tuesday’s decision. Should they receive a sentence that arbitrarily deprives them of their liberty, Amnesty will designate the affected land defenders as prisoners of conscience.

    “We are heartened by Justice Tammen’s stern condemnation of the racist and violent treatment Sleydo’, Shaylynn Sampson and Corey ‘Jayohcee’ Jocko endured during their arrests. Unfortunately, the systematic racism that led to their arrests remains unaddressed”

    -Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada’s English-speaking section

    “We are heartened by Justice Tammen’s stern condemnation of the racist and violent treatment Sleydo’, Shaylynn Sampson and Corey ‘Jayohcee’ Jocko endured during their arrests,” said Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada’s English-speaking section. “Unfortunately, the systematic racism that led to their arrests remains unaddressed. B.C. and Canada must take immediate steps to stop the criminalization of Indigenous land defenders in the first place. No one should be intimidated, harassed, or arrested, let alone convicted in a criminal court case, for exercising their constitutionally protected rights and protecting the natural environment we all share.

    France-Isabelle Langlois, general director of Amnistie internationale Canada francophone, declared: “Peaceful actions were taken by the Indigenous land defenders with the aim of protecting natural ecosystems that lessen the impacts of climate change. In this global context of the climate crisis, to punish them is preposterous, to say the least, no matter how small the sentence. These actions need to be widely applauded rather than scrutinized by the Court.

    “The Court’s decision to uphold the convictions of the three land defenders is part of a broader context of shrinking civic space in Canada, where Indigenous land defenders, environmentalists, and human right defenders are frequently the victims of political or police repression,” she added. “It is disappointing that we must remind the country and its institutions of their obligations under international law since Canada prides itself on being a leader in human rights.”

    “Peaceful actions were taken by the Indigenous land defenders with the aim of protecting natural ecosystems that lessen the impacts of climate change. In this global context of the climate crisis, to punish them is preposterous, to say the least, no matter how small the sentence. These actions need to be widely applauded rather than scrutinized by the Court”

    -France-Isabelle Langlois, general director of Amnistie internationale Canada francophone

    Amnesty International has vehemently condemned the criminalization of Wet’suwet’en and other land defenders opposed to the construction of Coastal GasLink (CGL) liquefied natural gas pipeline through the Nation’s unceded, ancestral territory. Construction on the 670-kilometre pipeline began without the free, prior and informed consent of the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs, on behalf of their clans. This violates Canadian and international human rights law and standards, including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which was legislated into Canadian law on June 21, 2021.

    Based in part on witness testimony of four large-scale RCMP raids on Wet’suwet’en territory, Amnesty’s 2023 report ‘Removed from our land for defending it’: Criminalization, Intimidation and Harassment of Wet’suwet’en Land Defenders found that Wet’suwet’en land defenders and their supporters were arbitrarily detained for peacefully defending their land against the construction of the CGL pipeline and exercising their Indigenous rights and their right to peaceful assembly.

    In June and July 2022, the B.C. Prosecution Service (BCPS) charged 20 land defenders, including Sleydo’, Sampson and Jocko, with criminal contempt for disobeying an injunction order to stay away from pipeline construction sites, an order that unduly restricted the human rights of the land defenders and the Indigenous rights of the Wet’suwet’en Nation. Seven of the 20 land defenders pleaded guilty because of restrictive bail conditions, as well as the familial, psychological and financial impacts that the criminal proceedings imposed on them. Five other defenders had their charges dropped, and five more are awaiting trial.

    “This whole process has been a violation of my rights and responsibilities as an Indigenous person and my responsibility to the health and wellness of future generations and the Yintah,” Sleydo’ said during a news conference after the decision was handed down on Tuesday afternoon. “The colonial courts are not where our ability to live out our laws and ways of life should be determined. And yet here we are, over three years later, in a showdown between Wet’suwet’en law and colonial law after years of police violence and repression by the C-IRG, with no accountability. I refuse to allow the colonial courts to dehumanize and criminalize me. I belong to my land, my ancestors, and my people.

    “I am a mother, a daughter, a sister, an auntie, a good friend, and a leader. I am a singer, a hunter, a teacher, and a revolutionary. I am following the footsteps of my ancestors, and I carry their teachings with me in everything that I do.”

    “This whole process has been a violation of my rights and responsibilities as an Indigenous person and my responsibility to the health and wellness of future generations and the Yintah. (…) I refuse to allow the colonial courts to dehumanize and criminalize me. I belong to my land, my ancestors, and my people”

    -Sleydo’

    If Amnesty International names Sleydo’, Sampson and Jocko prisoners of conscience, it will be the second time the organization has applied that designation to a person held by Canada. In July 2024, Amnesty declared another Wet’suwet’en land defender – Likhts’amisyu Clan Wing Chief Dsta’hyl – a prisoner of conscience after the British Columbia court sentenced him to 60 days of house arrest. Like Sleydo’, Sampson and Jocko, Chief Dsta’hyl was charged and later convicted for allegedly violating the terms of the B.C. court injunction banning land-defence actions near the CGL pipeline, including in areas of the Wet’suwet’en Nation’s territory.

    “If the Canadian state decides to unjustly criminalize and confine Sleydo’, Shaylynn, and Corey, Amnesty International will not hesitate to designate them as prisoners of conscience,” said Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International. “Canada is on the sadly long list of countries in the Americas where land defenders remain at risk for their essential work.”

    “If the Canadian state decides to unjustly criminalize and confine Sleydo’, Shaylynn, and Corey, Amnesty International will not hesitate to designate them as prisoners of conscience. Canada is on the sadly long list of countries in the Americas where land defenders remain at risk for their essential work”

    -Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International

    The criminalization of Wet’suwet’en land defenders has sparked an international outcry and calls for Canada to respect Indigenous rights. Last year, Sleydo’, Sampson and Jocko were a featured case in Write for Rights, Amnesty International’s annual global letter-writing campaign. Since the fall, thousands of people around the world have sent letters and signed petitions calling on Canada to drop the charges against the three defenders.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Vyacheslav Bugaev: “The Polytechnic University has one of the strongest schools of information security, that’s why I entered here”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    On February 19, in honor of the 126th anniversary of SPbPU, the traditional student ball was held in the Fundamental Library, where the best students and postgraduates were awarded. The medal of the best graduate of 2025 was received by Vyacheslav Bugaev, who graduated with honors from the Institute of Computer Science and Cybersecurity.

    During his studies, Vyacheslav achieved impressive results. In 2019, a student of the Polytechnic University registered the computer program “NGAL

    In 2024, Vyacheslav was awarded the highest award of the Polytechnic University – the “For Merit” badge. Interview with the best graduate of the Polytechnic University of 2025 Vyacheslav Bugayev Read in our regular column “Person”.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: CrisisLab, Sciences Po

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Mission

    The Sciences Po Crisis-Lab is a research, experimental and training hub in the human and social sciences working on adaptation to critical situations. Inspired by the principles of the Lab Schools founded in the 1960s by John Dewey, it seeks to identify innovative ideas, to experiment them on the ground, and then draw lessons for action and learning.

    Crisis-Lab is an autonomous space driven by researchers in the human and social sciences with a long experience in studying crisises, working in close collaboration with crisis professionals, primarily in public organizations in charge of crisis management, but also in private companies and NGOs.

    Crisis-Lab has three main objectives

    • Produce a state of the art in human and social sciences relative to crises. From this, conduct innovative research on cooperation and coordination in critical situations, the organization of expertise and decision-making, the behavior of populations, mobility and immobility issues, the role of technologies, big data and social networks, finally ethical and democratic issues.
    • Develop training programs that put self acquisition of knowledge on crises by students at the core of the pedagogical project, by continuously confronting them with the resolution of concrete situations or problems. In parallel, offer training courses leading to a qualification which emphasise the organisational and human dimension of crisis management and apprehend crisis situations from the point of view of social actors.
    • To experiment, in the form of simulation exercises of a profoundly renewed format and returns on past crises, different modalities of adaptation to critical situations, taking advantage of the results and reflections engaged in the research component of the Crisis-Lab.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India’s intervention in Employment Working Group (EWG) in First G20 Employment Working Group Meeting under South African Presidency

    Source: Government of India (2)

    India’s intervention in Employment Working Group (EWG) in First G20 Employment Working Group Meeting under South African Presidency
    Secretary (L&E) outlines India’s achievement in leveraging technology and presented case studies on NCS and e-Shram portal as global best practices

    Bilateral held with ILO & OECD to expedite the feasibility study on International reference Classification of Occupations and Skills

    Bilateral held with Germany on collaboration in the field of AI and its impact on Jobs, OSH related knowledge exchange and strengthening labour administration under Joint Declaration of Intent

    Bilateral held with Netherlands on living wages and its alignment with India’s Multidimensional Poverty index

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 4:22PM by PIB Delhi

    The first G20 Employment Working Group (EWG) Meeting under South African Presidency concluded today on 21st Feb, 2025 at Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The EWG priorities (i) Inclusive Growth & Youth Empowerment and (ii) Social Security & Digitalisation for an Inclusive Future of Work, as was discussed in the working sessions of EWG meeting.

    During the four-days, delegates of G20 Members and invited states made interventions and presentations on key focus areas of the G20 Labour & Employment track.  Ms. Sumita Dawra, Secretary (Labour & Employment) led the Indian delegation and made interventions from Indian side on both the priorities. Secretary took an evidence-based approach on increased social security coverage in India, rising workforce in employment, as well as presented case studies on NCS and eShram to emphasize harnessing of technology by India for labour welfare.

    Secretary Labour highlighted India’s transformative use of technology to (i) onboard workers in unorganised sector and build a national database on EShram, and further utilise the portal for building access of workers to various social security schemes; (ii) Use of National Career Service (NCS) Portal to bridge the supply-demand in labour market through convergence of various stakeholders- employers, job-seekers, counselling and skilling services, etc. Case studies were presented on both EShram and NCS, both of which drew much interest of delegates of G20 member states on India’s strides in harnessing technology for the labour market.

    Case Study 1: eShram Portal

    India presented the eShram Portal as a case study, showcasing its role as a comprehensive national database for unorganized and platform workers, for ensuring seamless access to social security benefits as a ‘one-stop-solution.’ Available in 22 languages and powered by Bhashini, the portal assigns a Universal Account Number (UAN) to each worker, enhancing transparency and accountability. Further, the platform workers’ module, launched on December 12, 2024, enables aggregators to onboard workers and share engagement details, facilitating intelligent mapping to their employers. This initiative strengthens last-mile delivery of social security benefits, empowering millions in the informal sector and exemplifying India’s commitment to leveraging technology for inclusive welfare.

    Case Study 2: National Career Service (NCS) Portal

    India’s effort on leveraging technology to bridge the Jobs-Skills gap was presented through case study on NCS Portal. The Portal had mobilized over 440 million vacancies and registered 4 million employers, bridging the gap between job seekers and employers. NCS is also integrated with the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH). Upskilling initiatives in green jobs, AI, and the platform economy were prioritized to meet future workforce demands. The QS World Future Skills Index 2025 recognized India’s strength in ‘ready-to-recruit’ markets for digital, AI and green jobs.

    Bilateral with ILO, OECD

    Follow-up on India’s G20 2023 Presidency with respect to developing an international framework for mutual recognition of skills and qualifications has been prioritised by the delegation. Accordingly, on the side-lines of 1st G20 EWG meeting, India held bilateral discussions with ILO, OECD and Germany regarding skill gap mapping feasibility study, its work plan and time-lines.

    Secretary briefed on the latest updates regarding funding, status of agreement with ILO to complete the study, and collaboration with concerned stakeholders. It was agreed that feasibility study will focus on three key sectors: IT, Green Jobs, and Care-related roles.

    Given India’s demographic dividend, and the projection of India to increasingly meet incremental global workforce requirements over the next decade, this study assumes great significance for facilitation of international mobility of qualified Indians.

    Bilateral with Netherlands

    A bilateral discussion was held with the Netherlands, focusing on India’s Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) and its alignment with global efforts to address poverty through the concept of ‘Living Wages,’ thus improving living standards. Collaboration with the Netherlands and the ILO was highlighted as critical to advancing living wages, with proposals for exchange of best practices and technical discussion on estimation of living wages. India reiterated its dedication to collaborating with international partners to advance decent work, sustainable wage systems, and enhanced livelihoods for workers.

    Bilateral with Germany

    During bilateral discussion with Germany, the importance of the Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) entered by India with Germany in the month of October 2024 was highlighted. The JDoI is important for enhancing cooperation in work in global supply chains, human-centric AI and its impact on Jobs, developing Gig economy, a global skills referencing framework, etc. India reaffirmed its commitment to deepening collaboration with Germany, fostering innovative projects and a shared vision for an inclusive and equitable future of work.

    *****

    Himanshu Pathak

    (Release ID: 2105272) Visitor Counter : 148

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Biodiversity to Bioeconomy

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Biodiversity to Bioeconomy

    How Biotechnology is Transforming North East India

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 2:53PM by PIB Delhi

    Nestled in the lap of the Himalayas and blessed with lush biodiversity, India’s North East Region (NER) is a land of hidden treasures. Its vibrant landscapes, rich culture, and vast  pool of resources offer immense potential for innovation. Now, with the transformative power of biotechnology, the NER is not just preserving its natural heritage but also scripting a new chapter of growth and sustainability.

    Imagine a region where farmers cultivate medicinal plants that fuel both health industries and local incomes, where young researchers develop resilient crop varieties that withstand changing climates, and where bio-entrepreneurs thrive by transforming indigenous knowledge into global products. This vision is steadily turning into reality, thanks to the Department of Biotechnology’s North Eastern Programme. The main objectives of the programme are:

    Since 2010, DBT has consistently allocated 10% of its annual budget to specialized programmes in the NER, aiming to bridge the gap between potential and prosperity. These initiatives focus on harnessing endemic bioresources, promoting biotech education, and creating employment opportunities through bio-based entrepreneurship.

    North Eastern Programme timeline

     

    Biotechnology thrives on knowledge and innovation. Recognizing this, the DBT has launched multiple educational and training programmes focused on NER:

    Twinning R&D Programme for NER

    The programme was initiated in 2010-2011 towards developing core competence and capacity in various areas of biotechnology through collaboration of Institutes from North East India with other leading Institutes across the country. The programme has catalyzed vibrant collaborations between 65+ institutions from NER and those from the rest of India in various spheres of biotechnology, where close to 650 R&D projects has been supported benefitting around 450 researchers and 2000 young researchers / students.

    Collaborations under the DBT- Twinning R&D Programme

     

    Establishment of Biotech Hubs across NER

    Since 2011, a network of 126 Biotech Hubs were established across NER, providing necessary infrastructure in universities/ colleges/ institutions and the required training in sophisticated technologies to support and promote biological sciences / biotechnology education and research. In the Phase-II, 54 Biotech have been supported for focused Research & training on local issues.

     

    Biotechnology Labs in Senior Secondary schools (BLiSS) of NER 

    To create awareness among school students about biological sciences at the school level and also to provide an environment of access to a well-equipped laboratory, DBT initiated a programme for establishing “Biotechnology Labs in Senior Secondary Schools (BLiSS)” in NER in 2014.

    Visiting Research Professorship (VRP) programme

    The Programme was initiated in 2015, to utilize the expertise of outstanding scientists for bringing advancements in the Biotechnology and Life Science related activities in various institutions of research and higher learning in the NE States of India.

    Specialized training programmes for NE researchers by National Institutions

    Chemical Ecology Programme between NER and Bangalore Institutes  (NCBS, UAS and IISc.) initiated in 2015, trained and equipped young scientists from  the NER to produce quality research outcomes by providing tailormade interdisciplinary training to Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows recruited under collaborative projects in the field of chemical ecology.

     

    Enhancing Capacity in Genomics-Driven Research in Human Health & Disease in the North-East Region by DBT-NIBMG, Kaylani.

    The programme, initiated in 2016 provided comprehensive training to scientists, research students and clinicians belonging to the NER, engaged in “Biomedical Research”. Short-term training programme included workshops on various aspects of molecular and genetics-based analyses, handling clinical materials such as blood and tissue samples and/or cell lines.

    The following Human Resource Development focused programmes are being implemented in the North Eastern Region:

    Programmes to support locals

    To emphasise services to farmers, and academics, the “DBT-North East Centre for Agricultural Biotechnology (DBT-NECAB): Phase III” project has been supported. Similarly, to strengthen Citrus research in NER, facilities were established at Institute of Horticulture Technology (IHT), Mandira, Assam, for the generation of certified scion material from Khasi mandarin (Citrus reticulata) and sweet orange. Rootstocks free from Citrus greening bacteria (CGB) and Citrus tristeza virus have been developed.

    In view of promoting sustainable bioresources, a total area of 64.1 acres was covered for captive cultivation of selected medicinal crops like Curcuma caesia and compound-rich lemongrass (elemicinrich and methyl-eugenol-rich). About 649 farmers and entrepreneurs from NER benefited from the training and awareness program. Additionally, an essential oil distillation unit has been installed at Mudoi village, Arunachal Pradesh, to support farmers in revenue generation. Furthermore, the Docynia indica, commonly known as Assam apple or wild apple, has been successfully explored towards making value-added products such as pickles, jam, candy, juice, etc., and the knowledge is being popularized among the tribal communities of Assam and Meghalaya through awareness campaigns and meetings

    The major outcomes of the North Eastern programmes are:

     

    • Bacterial Blight resistant introgressed rice variety “Patkai”: A rice variety has been developed by AAU- Assam using introgressing blight resistant from improved samba mahsuri (ISM) into Ranjeet Sub1 background. This variety was notified by Central Variety Release Committee (CVRC)
    • Lateral flow assay for the rapid detection of brucellosis: A chimeric protein conjugate based Lateral Flow Assay (LFA) for the detection of anti-brucella antibodies in multiple livestock was standardized. The analytical sensitivity considering iELISA test as gold standard with sera sample revealed significant positivity in lateral flow tests.
    • Mobile app – Pig Disease Diagnosis Expert System (PDDES), a Computer-based application to assist in the diagnosis of pig diseases or medical conditions was developed. Using PDDES, veterinarians, farmers, and other swine industry professionals can quickly identify and treat diseases to minimize their impact on pig production and profitability. The application is available in Google playstore.

    By harnessing the region’s rich biodiversity and empowering local communities through education, research, and entrepreneurship, the Department of Biotechnology’s initiatives are not only preserving cultural and ecological heritage but also driving sustainable economic growth. As North East India continues to evolve into a hub of bio-innovation, it sets a remarkable example of how science and tradition can coexist to shape a prosperous and sustainable future.

    References

    https://dbtindia.gov.in/scientific-directorates/advanced-biofuels-sustainability-ner/ner#

    Annual Report 2023-24 https://dbtindia.gov.in/about-us/annual-report/dbt

    Biotechnology Support in the North Eastern Region (2010-2021) pdf

    https://dbtindia.gov.in/publications

    Click here to see PDF:

    Santosh Kumar/Sarla Meena/ Madiha Iqbal

    (Release ID: 2105241) Visitor Counter : 63

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India Expands Collaboration with UK in Key Areas of Telecom, AI, and Emerging Technologies

    Source: Government of India (2)

    India Expands Collaboration with UK in Key Areas of Telecom, AI, and Emerging Technologies

    C-DOT and SONIC Labs Join Hands to Drive Open RAN Innovation

    Roundtable on Telecoms & AI: Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary T highlights India’s leadership in the telecommunications sector and its rapid advancements in next-generation network technologies

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 1:45PM by PIB Delhi

    The Secretary (Telecom) of India visited the United Kingdom to engage with the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), UK and explore opportunities for collaboration in next-generation telecommunications, artificial intelligence, and space technology, further strengthening Indo-UK ties in these critical areas.

    The Secretary (Telecom) met with Mr. Chris Johnson, National Scientific Adviser, and Mr. Dave Smith, National Technology Adviser of DSIT. The discussions centred on emerging technologies and their applications in 5G, 6G, digital infrastructure security.

    The Secretary also met with Mr. Geoff Huggins, Director, Digital Directorate, Govt of Scotland, to discuss collaborative efforts in digital transformation through telecom, telecom security, and emerging telecom technologies.

    Secretary (Telecom) held a field visit at one of the six Federated Telecom Hubs (FTH) in the UK, specializing in Cloud and Distributed Computing (CHEDDAR). This hub leads cutting-edge research in 6G distributed cloud, AI for 6G, green 6G, and advanced sensing technologies.
    Furthermore, the Secretary met with Ms. Jean Innes, CEO of the Alan Turing Institute, for discussions on potential collaboration in digital twins, AI for telecom security, ethical AI, and fostering an AI innovation and startup ecosystem.

    Additionally, the Secretary visited Scotland’s 5G Centre at the University of Strathclyde and the 6G Research Centre at the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering. These visits facilitated discussions on collaboration in 6G innovation, future sensing technologies, the exchange of technology such as the 5G stack, and student exchange programs to foster academic and industrial partnerships.

    Scotland  5G Center                                                                    Demonstration of remote dental surgery at 6G research Center

    UK-India Telecom Roundtable & MoU Signing

    Building on the strong foundation of the UK-India Technology Security Initiative (TSI), where telecom remains a key priority, a roundtable discussion was convened with key UK stakeholders from DSIT, leading business entities such as BT and Ericsson, and innovation hubs and centres, including SONIC Labs, UK Telecom Labs, TITAN, JOINER. Representatives from the UK Space Agency, European Space Agency, Innovate UK, and the UK Technology Innovation Network (UKTIN) also participated, exploring avenues for mutual cooperation. The roundtable was organized by the High Commission of India (HCI) in partnership with UKTIN. Dr. Neeraj Mittal highlighted India’s leadership in the telecom sector and its rapid advancements in next-generation network technologies.

    Following the roundtable, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between SONIC Labs and the Centre for Development of Telematics (CDOT). The agreement focuses on Open RAN-related policy and technical matters, including 5G Open RAN and Artificial Intelligence in 4G/5G

    Other key areas of collaboration which have been identified during the deliberations with various stakeholders on the telecom ecosystem of UK :

    • Establishment of a Joint Centres of Excellence focusing on telecom cybersecurity, AI in telecom, and digital twins.
    • Collaborative initiatives with British telcos to leverage mobile phone data for infrastructure planning, building upon India’s success in using such data for metro route planning.
    • Joint contributions to ITU for the development of 6G standards (IMT 2030).
    • Mutual recognition of testing labs and the establishment of new testing facilities.
    • Collaboration on Digital Twins, including standardization frameworks, privacy-enhancing technologies, and cross-sectoral data applications.
    • Advancing quantum communication solutions and submarine sea cable security.
    • Promoting the Indigenous 4G/5G telecom stack developed by CDOT.
    • Collaboration on space technology communication (TN-NTN) between the UK and India’s Bharat 6G Alliance.

    This visit underscored the shared commitment of India and the UK to drive innovation in telecom and digital infrastructure, paving the way for enhanced collaboration in next-generation connectivity solutions. It also reflects India’s proactive approach to shaping global telecom policies, fostering AI-driven innovations, and strengthening international partnerships for a digitally inclusive future.

    About C-DOT

    C-DOT is the premier research and development centre of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India. It is dedicated to developing indigenous telecom technologies, including 4G/5G solutions, AI-driven network management, and cybersecurity frameworks, to enhance India’s telecom ecosystem and contribute to global standardization efforts.

    About SONIC Labs

    SONIC Labs (SmartRAN Open Network Interoperability Centre) is a world-leading innovation programme and R&D facility based in London, funded by the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). Co-delivered by Digital Catapult and Ofcom, SONIC Labs drives global technology development in Open RAN, aiming to create a diverse and competitive telecom supply chain.

    About The Alan Turing Institute, UK

    The Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s national institute for data science and AI, drives world-class research, fosters AI innovation, and collaborates with academia, industry, and policymakers to address global challenges. With a network of 13 partner universities and an open collaboration model, it plays a pivotal role in advancing AI-driven solutions, shaping public policy, and developing future skills. The Institute supports global AI initiatives, where AI is a key driver of economic growth and societal transformation.

    About CHEDDAR

    The Communications Hub for Empowering Distributed Cloud Computing Applications and Research (CHEDDAR) is a pioneering research hub advancing next-generation computing, Edge Computing, and AI-driven systems. Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) – UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) via the Technology Missions Fund (TMF), CHEDDAR serves as a critical platform for collaboration across academia, industry, and the global community. Led by Imperial College London, with core partners including Cranfield, Durham, Glasgow, Leeds, and York universities, CHEDDAR focuses on integrating future communication systems with cloud and AI technologies. With 6G standards on the horizon, CHEDDAR aims to drive research in secure, sustainable, and intelligent communication infrastructures, ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of technological innovation.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Education Bureau alerts public to website of organisation falsely claiming to have support from “Hong Kong Education Bureau”

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Education Bureau (EDB) today (February 21) called on the public to stay vigilant against an organisation calling itself “Kyiv State University of Economics and Business (Hong Kong Campus)”. Its website falsely claims to have the support from the “Hong Kong Education Bureau” and contains a hyperlink to the EDB website.
          
         The EDB solemnly clarifies that it has no connection with the organisation in question. The EDB has reported the matter to the Police.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurates the first edition of the SOUL Leadership Conclave

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurates the first edition of the SOUL Leadership Conclave

    The School of Ultimate Leadership (SOUL) will shape leaders who excel nationally and globally: PM

    Today, India is emerging as a global powerhouse: PM

    Leaders must set trends: PM

    In future leadership, SOUL’s objective should be to instill both the Steel and Spirit in every sector to build Viksit Bharat: PM

    India needs leaders who can develop new institutions of global excellence: PM

    The bond forged by a shared purpose is stronger than blood: PM

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 12:54PM by PIB Delhi

    The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the School of Ultimate Leadership (SOUL) Leadership Conclave 2025, the first of its edition, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi today. Welcoming all the distinguished leaders and the upcoming young leaders of the future, Shri Modi remarked that some events are very dear and today was one such event. “Development of better citizens is necessary for Nation building, Development of excellent Leaders is necessary in every field”, said the Prime Minister. He remarked that it was necessary to groom excellent leaders in every sector, which is the need of the hour. Therefore, he highlighted, the School of Ultimate Leadership is an important milestone in the development journey of Viksit Bharat. Adding that SOUL was not just in the name of the organization, the Prime Minister remarked that SOUL would be the soul of the social life of India. He added that in another sense, SOUL also beautifully captures the essence of spiritual experience. Extending his greetings to all the stakeholders of SOUL, Shri Modi announced that a new, vast campus of SOUL would be ready near GIFT City, Gujarat in the near future. 

    The Prime Minister said that today when SOUL is taking the first step in its journey, India has to remember its critical role in shaping the institutes’ future. Quoting Swami Vivekanand, Shri Modi said the visionary leader always wanted to free India from the shackles of slavery and transform it with the help of merely 100 effective and efficient leaders. He remarked that the country has to move ahead with the same zeal. Noting that every citizen is working round the clock to achieve the dreams of a 21st-century Viksit Bharat, Shri Modi underlined the need for good leadership across all sectors in a country with a population of 140 crores. He expressed hope that the School of Ultimate Leadership will create leaders who will leave a mark all over the world, including in the field of Politics. The Prime Minister also highlighted the critical role of both human and natural resources and their role in the progress of any nation. He also cited an instance to show how Gujarat has emerged as a top state due to its leadership driven by its human capital, despite lack of sufficient natural resources. He added, “Human Resource has the greatest potential”. He said that the 21st century calls for resources capable of leading innovation and channelizing skills. He pointed out the growing importance of skills across various sectors. Shri Modi further stressed the need for leadership development for embracing new skills, which must be pursued through scientific and structured approach. Acknowledging the significant role that institutes like SOUL will play in the process, the Prime Minister was pleased to learn that it has already begun work in this direction. He also mentioned that workshops have been conducted for State Education Secretaries, State Project Directors, and other officials for the effective implementation of the new National Education Policy. Additionally, a leadership development camp has been organized for the Chief Minister’s Office staff in Gujarat. He stated that this is just the beginning, and SOUL must aim to become the world’s leading institution for leadership development.

    “India is emerging as a global powerhouse”, emphasized the Prime Minister. He remarked that for this momentum and speed to increase across all sectors, world-class leaders and international leadership are needed. Highlighting the potential of leadership institutions like SOUL to be game changers, he stated that such international institutions are not only a choice but a necessity. “There is a need for energetic leaders in every sector who can find solutions to global complexities and needs while prioritizing the nation’s interests on the global stage”, underscored Shri Modi. He emphasized that these leaders should have a global approach but retain a local mindset. He noted the importance of preparing individuals who understand both the Indian mind and the international mindset, and who are ready for strategic decision-making, crisis management, and futuristic thinking. The Prime Minister highlighted that to compete in international markets and global institutions, leaders who understand international business dynamics are required. He added that the role of SOUL is to prepare such leaders, with a large scale and scope, and with high expectations from them. 

    Shri Modi advised everyone to keep in mind that future leadership will not be limited to power, but leadership roles will require capabilities in innovation and impact. He highlighted the need for individuals in the country to emerge according to this necessity. He stated that SOUL will develop critical thinking, risk-taking, and solution-driven mindsets in these individuals. He expressed confidence that the institution will produce leaders who are prepared to work amidst disruptive changes. 

    Stressing the need to create leaders who set trends rather than just follow them, the Prime Minister remarked that as India advances new leadership in sectors ranging from diplomacy to tech innovation, the influence and impact of the country will multiply across various sectors. Highlighting that India’s entire vision and future depend on a strong leadership generation, Shri Modi stressed the importance of treading forward by combining global thinking with local upbringing. Underscoring the need to make governance and policy-making world-class, the Prime Minister said that this can be achieved when policymakers, bureaucrats, and entrepreneurs frame policies incorporating global best practices. He emphasised the significant role institutions like SOUL will play in this regard.

    Reiterating the need for rapid progress in all sectors to build a Viksit Bharat, Shri Modi quoted the scriptures emphasizing that people follow the conduct of great individuals. Therefore, he underscored the importance of leadership that reflects and conducts itself according to India’s national vision. He highlighted that the objective of SOUL should be to instill the necessary strength and spirit for constructing a developed India. He expressed confidence that the necessary changes and reforms will follow naturally once strong leadership is established.

    Emphasizing the need to develop both strength and spirit in public policy and social sectors, the Prime Minister remarked on the necessity of preparing leadership for emerging sectors such as deep-tech, space, biotech, and renewable energy. He highlighted the importance of creating leadership for conventional sectors like sports, agriculture, manufacturing, and social service. He stressed that India must not only aspire to excellence in all sectors but also achieve it. Shri Modi remarked “India needs leaders who can develop new institutions of global excellence”. He noted that India’s history is filled with glorious stories of such institutions and emphasized the need to revive that spirit. Expressing confidence that there are many capable individuals among those present at the event, Shri Modi stated that the institute should be a laboratory for their dreams and vision. He stressed that the foundation being laid today should be a source of pride for future generations, who will remember it with pride 25-50 years from now. 

    Shri Modi emphasized the need for the institute to have a clear understanding of the aspirations and dreams of crores of Indians. He remarked that the sectors and factors that present both challenges and opportunities should be well-defined. “When we move forward with a common goal and collective effort, the results are extraordinary”, said the Prime Minister. He stated that the bond forged by a shared purpose is stronger than blood, uniting minds, fueling passion, and standing the test of time. He remarked that a significant common goal and purpose lead to the development of leadership and team spirit. He noted that individuals dedicate themselves to their goals, bringing out their best capacities. Shri Modi stressed that a shared purpose not only brings out the best in individuals but also enhances their capabilities according to the larger objective. He highlighted that this process develops leaders who strive to acquire the necessary skills to reach higher levels.

    “A shared purpose fosters an unprecedented sense of team spirit”, said Shri Modi. He remarked that when people walk together as co-travellers with a shared purpose, a strong bond develops. He highlighted that this process of team building also gives rise to leadership. He cited the example of India’s freedom struggle as the best illustration of a shared purpose, noting that it produced leaders not just in politics but in other sectors as well. Shri Modi stressed the need to revive the spirit of the freedom movement and draw inspiration from it to move forward.

    Quoting a Sanskrit verse, the Prime Minister emphasised that there is no word that cannot be turned into a mantra, no herb that cannot become medicine, and no person who is incapable. He highlighted the need for a planner to properly utilize and guide individuals. He remarked that SOUL plays the role of such a planner. Shri Modi noted that many leaders who were present at the event, have learned and honed their leadership skills. He cited a quote emphasizing the different levels of development: personal success through self-development, organizational growth through team development, and explosive growth through leadership development. He stressed that these principles should always remind everyone of their duties and contributions. 

    Highlighting the formation of a new social order in the country, being shaped by the youth born in the 21st century as well as in the past decade, Shri Modi said that this generation will truly be the first developed generation of India, referring to them as the “Amrit Peedhi”. Expressing confidence that the new institution, SOUL, will play a significant role in preparing the leadership of this “Amrit Peedhi”, he extended his best wishes to everyone associated with the institute.

    The Prime Minister of Bhutan, H.E. Mr. Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Chairman of the SOUL Board, Shri Sudhir Mehta and Vice Chairman, Shri Hasmukh Adhia were present among other dignitaries and delivered the keynote address at the event. Shri Modi also thanked the Prime Minister of Bhutan for being present at the event on such an important day of the birthday of the King of Bhutan. 

    Background

    The two day SOUL Leadership Conclave from 21st to 22nd February will serve as a premier platform where leaders from diverse domains like politics, sports, arts and media, the spiritual world, public policy, business and the social sector will share their inspiring life journeys and discuss aspects relating to leadership. The conclave will foster an ecosystem of collaboration and thought leadership, facilitating learning from both failures and successes, to inspire young audiences.

    School of Ultimate Leadership is an upcoming leadership institution in Gujarat to enable authentic leaders to advance public good. The aim is to broaden the landscape of political leadership in India through formal training and to include those who rise through merit, commitment, and passion for public service and not just from political lineage. SOUL brings in insights, skills and expertise necessary to navigate the complex challenges of leadership in today’s world.

     

     

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: NHRC, India organised a meeting of the Core Group on Women on the theme ‘Empowering ASHAs: Securing the right to work with dignity’

    Source: Government of India (2)

    NHRC, India organised a meeting of the Core Group on Women on the theme ‘Empowering ASHAs: Securing the right to work with dignity’

    NHRC, India Chairperson, Justice Shri V Ramasubramanian attributes a significant reduction in neonatal and infant mortality rates in the country to the services of ASHAs

    Calls for collaborative efforts between the Centre and State Governments to address the issues concerning ASHA workers’ welfare

    Member, Justice (Dr) Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi says, ASHAs’ voluntary role as the first line of medical care in far-flung areas needs to be better recognized

    Secretary General, Shri Bharat Lal says, their issues related viz. workload and insufficient resources need to be addressed

    Among various suggestions, replacing an incentive-based payment structure with a fixed salary plus performance-based benefits underscored

    Providing ASHAs with health insurance, maternity benefits, and accident coverage also highlighted

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 11:54AM by PIB Delhi

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India organised a core group meeting in hybrid mode on women on the theme ‘Empowering Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs): Securing the right to work with dignity’ at its premises in New Delhi. It was chaired by the NHRC, India Chairperson, Justice Shri V. Ramasubramanian in the presence of Member, Justice (Dr) Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi, Secretary General, Shri Bharat Lal, senior officers, experts, and ASHAs.

    Addressing the participants, Chairperson, Justice Shri V. Ramasubramanian highlighted the remarkable contributions made by ASHAs over the past 20 years towards improvements in the healthcare sector in the country. He emphasised that the significant impact of ASHAs has led to notable progress in reducing neonatal and infant mortality rates. They showed that individuals without formal education can still be trained to become skilled workers. He also noted that while there are many educated people today, the number of skilled workers is decreasing. This gap is being addressed by the ASHA scheme. However, he pointed out that ASHAs’ have been stating that their remuneration is not in proportion to their contribution to society. The irony is that at times, those who contribute the most often receive the least; those who care for the marginalized end up being marginalized themselves.

    Justice Ramasubramanian said that public health and fixing of minimum wages is a subject coming under the State. Population control and family planning fall under the Concurrent list. Hence, there should be a collaborative effort between the Centre and State Governments to address the issues concerning ASHAs’ welfare. He also called for a concrete policy and actionable measures for improving the working conditions and living standards of ASHAs.

    NHRC, India Member, Justice (Dr) Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi said that the ASHAs are the first responders to any distress related to pregnant women and children in the village areas before consultation with any doctors materializes. Therefore, their role as activists should be better recognized with adequate incentives, compensation, and security to ensure their right to life with dignity.

    Before this, while setting the agenda of the meeting and providing background, the Secretary General, Shri Bharat Lal highlighted the theme of the three technical sessions. These included: ‘The Evolving Nature of Challenges faced by ASHA’, ‘Role of the Government in Protecting and Promoting the Rights of ASHAs’, and ‘Way Forward: Ensuring the Right to Work with Dignity for ASHAs.’ He said that the Government has come up with various schemes for women’s empowerment and given the contribution of ASHAs in primary healthcare, their issues such as low honorarium, excessive workload, and insufficient resources also need to be addressed. He highlighted their role during COVID-19 as frontline workers have been exemplary, which has also been acknowledged by the WHO.

    The speakers included Shri Saurabh Jain, Joint Secretary, MoHFW; Ms Pallavi Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women & Child Development; Dr Shweta Khandelwal, Senior Advisor Jhpiego India; Ms Ruth Manorama, President, The National Alliance of Women (NAWO); Dr Sabiha Hussain, Professor and Director, Sarojini Naidu Center for Women’s Studies, Jamia Islamia University; Ms. Vaishali Barua, National Coordinator, UN Women India; Ms Dipa Sinha, Visiting Professor, Azim Premji University; Ms Surekha Secretary, ASHA Workers’ and Facilitators’ Federation of India (AWFFI); Ms Sunita, ASHA Worker, Haryana, NHRC, India DG (I), Shri R Prasad Meena, Registrar (Law), Joginder Singh, Director, Lt Col Virender Singh among others.

    Some of the suggestions that emanated from the discussion included;

    • Need to consider granting ASHAs formal worker status with fixed monthly emoluments, social security, pensions, paid leave, etc.;
    • Standardize honorarium/ wages across states, ensuring that honorariums align with minimum wage regulations;
    • Replace incentive-based payment structure with a fixed amount plus performance-based benefits;
    • Provide health insurance, maternity benefits, and accident coverage to ASHAs;
    • Ensure free personal protective equipment (PPE), transport allowances, and access to clean rest areas during field visits;
    • Enforce strict policies against harassment and violence, ensuring safe working conditions for ASHAs in all regions;
    • Utilize Rs 49,269 crore (As of 2022) of unspent funds from the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess Act for childcare, elderly care, and ASHA welfare;
    • Allocate Rs 70,051 crore health sector grants towards strengthening early childhood care and healthcare workers’ training;
    • Establish state-funded creches at primary health centres and community centres to support ASHAs who are also primary caregivers at home;
    • Develop structured career pathways for ASHAs to transition into higher-paying healthcare roles, such as nursing, midwifery, and public health administration;
    • Provide regular skill enhancement training in disease surveillance, mental health counseling, and emergency medical response;
    • Introduce bridge courses in collaboration with medical colleges and universities to certify ASHAs for formal healthcare roles;
    • Incentivize private sector investments in childcare and elderly care infrastructure, with tax benefits for employers offering workplace childcare solutions;
    • Promote cooperative models, like the SEWA model, to ensure ASHAs have decision-making power over wages and working conditions; and
    • Foster public-private partnerships to expand affordable community-based care services, creating decent job opportunities for ASHAs.

     

    The Commission will further deliberate on the suggestions, seek additional inputs and deliberate to take a view in the matter to ensure the welfare of ASHAs.

     

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Day 2 #CTDDR2025: The 9th MahaKumbh for Drug Research

    Source: Government of India

    Day 2 #CTDDR2025: The 9th MahaKumbh for Drug Research

    Drug Resistance, Car T Cell Therapy, Parasitic, Viral disease and Natural Product Chemistry was the main theme of the Day

    Experts from different area shared their recent findings with the participants

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 11:35AM by PIB Delhi

    Today, on the second day of the 9th “International Symposium on Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research” at CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, observed important scientific deliberations by eminent scientists. Researchers and scholars presented their work through visually compelling posters, fostering discussions and knowledge exchange

    Pan-drug-resistant Gram-negative isolates are major risk for life,

    novel beta-lactam enhancerwould be helpful to manage the Pan-drug resistant: Sachin S. Bhagwat

    In scientific session II on “Concept to point of care: Drugs pending submission/approval or recently approved,” Dr. Sachin S. Bhagwat from the Wockhardt Research Center, Aurangabad, India, delivered his talk on the discovery of a novel mechanism of action-based β-lactam + β-lactam enhancer combination, WCK 5222, with comprehensive coverage of pan-drug resistant Gram negatives. He highlighted AMR has rendered many existing antibiotics ineffective, posing a major global health crisis.The widespread prevalence of MDR, XDR, and PDR Gram-negative pathogens, including carbapenem-resistant strains, has rendered many last-line antibiotics ineffective. The ICMR data shows concerning carbapenem resistance rates: over 90% in Acinetobacter, 45% in P. aeruginosa, and 69% in Klebsiella. As a result, clinicians frequently use medications with diminished safety or unproven combinations. These infections are responsible for up to 8.85 lakh deaths annually, with an additional 9.6 lakh linked to sepsis. Further, he shared his research on the development of a novel β-lactam enhancer, Zidebactam, which, in combination with cefepime (WCK 5222), demonstrated potent activity against 35,000 global pan-drug-resistant Gram-negative isolates. He mentioned that WCK 5222 has saved over 45 lives under compassionate use and completed successful trials in severe documented meropenem-resistant infections and is expected to change the treatment paradigm for life-threatening Gram-negative infections.

    Dr. Sachin S. Bhagwat speaking at the 9th “International Symposium on Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research” #CTDDR2025 at CSIR-CDIR, Lucknow.

    CAR-T cell therapy is an emerging approach for cancer care: Prof. Rahul Purwar

    Prof. Rahul Purwar from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, shared the journey on First “Make in India” CAR-T cell therapy: from R&D to clinic to market. Cancer is a worldwide issue and India has the second-highest cancer mortality rate. The CAR-T cell therapy is an emerging approach for cancer care. However, this technology is extremely expensive (500,000 USD/patient) and not available in India. To ensure its accessibility to all, they developed a robust, safe and affordable technology platform and validated through Phase I and Phase II clinical trials. He further noted that, CD19 CAR-T is approved by CDSCO for commercial use in October 2023, and now over 300 patients are treated across the country.

    Prof. Rahul Purwar from IIT, Bombay speaking at the 9th “International Symposium on Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research” #CTDDR2025 at CSIR-CDIR, Lucknow.

    Mitochondrial translation can be targeted for new possibilities of new therapeutic development for Apicomplexan parasites borne diseases: Prof. Dominique Soldati-Favre

    In her Plenary Lecture on Toxoplasma gondii Mitoribosome from highly fragmented rRNAs to a functional Machine, Prof. Dominique Soldati-Favre from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, shared her research on Toxoplasma gondii Mitoribosome. Apicomplexan parasites are responsible for severe human diseases such as malaria, toxoplasmosis, and babesiosis. She said, these parasites, in addition to small mitochondrial genome, contain fragmented mitoribosomal rRNAs, which complicates our understanding of mitoribosome assembly. Using apicoplast-less T. gondii parasites, they have identified drugs that specifically target mitochondrial translation. This approach offers exciting new possibilities for therapeutic development.

    Prof. Dominique Soldati-Favre speaking at the 9th “International Symposium on Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research” #CTDDR2025 at CSIR-CDIR, Lucknow.

    HACK-indices provides a rational basis for selecting next-generation probiotics and live biotherapeutic products: Dr. Tarini Shankar Ghosh

    Dr. Tarini Shankar Ghosh from The Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi, presented the efforts to identify the Health-Associated Core-Keystones (HACK) across population groups. The availability of HACK-indices provides a rational basis for selecting next-generation probiotics and live biotherapeutic products to promote general health. Through global meta-analysis of gut microbiomes from 127 studies, his group investigated 196 taxa for their association with three hallmark properties, i.e., prevalence/community-influence in non-diseased subjects, longitudinal stability and host health and integrated them into a single measure, the HACK-index. Using this HACK-index, they presented a ranking order of microbiome taxa based on their estimated contribution to both microbiome stability and host-health.

    Host-directed therapy for infectious diseases may be new hope for targeting antimicrobials: Prof. Christian Doerig

    Prof. Christian Doerig from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Australia, explained about the host-directed therapy that offers untapped targets limiting cross-resistance to existing antimicrobials and reduced susceptibility to de novo resistance. Using an antibody microarray directed against human signalling proteins, they identified potential antiviral targets as well as lead compounds. He further reported the identification of some erythrocytic kinases that are activated by infection with Plasmodium falciparum. Inhibitors targeting these kinases display high potency against parasite proliferation.

    Prof. Christian Doerig speaking at the 9th “International Symposium on Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research” #CTDDR2025 at CSIR-CDIR, Lucknow.

    Single-dose liposomal amphotericin B (LAmB) as a game changer in the management of visceral leishmaniasis: Prof. Shyam Sundar

    Prof. Shyam Sundar from the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, shared the journey of the epidemic of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), starting from its origin to elimination, in India. He emphasized single-dose liposomal amphotericin B (LAmB) as a game changer in the management of VL in India. He noted that the elimination target for VL needs to hold in 2025 to obtain the WHO certification.

    The open science discovery of DNDi-6510 led to an orally bioavailable SARS-CoV2 antiviral: Dr. Peter Sjö

     

    In Session IV today, Dr. Peter Sjö from the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), Switzerland, shared about the need for broad-spectrum oral antivirals. He reported the results of the COVID Moonshot, a fully open-science, crowd sourced, structure-enabled drug discovery campaign targeting the SARS-CoV-2 main protease. He further discussed the lead series discovery and approaches to overcome ADMET issues which lead to the front runner preclinical candidate DNDI-6510 against SARS-CoV2.

    Novel antivirals to provide immediate therapeutic options against serious viral infections is need of the day: Prof. Sudhanshu Vrati

    Prof. Sudhanshu Vrati from the Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB), Faridabad, also mentioned the need for the novel antivirals to provide immediate therapeutic options against serious viral infections. As the new viral pathogens are constantly emerging and posing a serious threat of imminent epidemics. He presented the background to the science of antiviral development with an example of a novel antiviral against Chikungunya virus, developed in his lab.

    New rapid antigen tests are being developed for dengue, zika and chikungunya: Prof. Gaurav Batra

    Prof. Gaurav Batra fromthe Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad delivered their novel findings on the diagnostics of Arboviral infections, which include, dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. He presented the data on the development of ELISA and rapid NS1 tests with high sensitivity, serotype-independent performance, and significantly improved detection of secondary infections of dengue virus. They are also developing rapid antigen tests for Zika and chikungunya, with the goal of integrating them into a multiplex diagnostic platform. These advanced diagnostics could enhance clinical trial design, patient selection, and treatment evaluation, ultimately contributing to more effective therapeutic strategies and public health responses.

    The V Parallel Session of #CTDDR2025 was dedicated on Natural product chemistry for novel drugs.

    Prof. Inder Pal Singh from NIPER, SAS Nagar, shared his research on development of wound healing and anti-inflammatory formulations from Seabuckthorn plant Hippophae rhamnoides L. They developed a cost effective method for plant extraction leading to isolation of Seabuckthorn fruit oil (IPHRFH) which showed good wound healing activity and was developed into Cream and Gel formulation.

    Dr. Chandra Kant Katiyar from Emami Ltd, Gurgaon, shared his thoughts on new drug discovery from medicinal plants: Issues, challenges and way forward. His talk shared insights into the multifaceted approaches to developing plant-based drugs, covering forward pharmacology, where compounds are screened for biological activity, and reverse pharmacology, which builds on traditional knowledge to validate therapeutic claims. He emphasized that, by integrating traditional knowledge with technology guided by regulations, medicinal plants can continue to be a cornerstone in addressing unmet medical needs globally.

    Dr. Ashutosh Pandey from the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi, delivered a talk on “Engineering crops for value addition of health-beneficial natural products: From fundamentals to applications”. He presented insights into how plant metabolites regulate, interact with cellular signalling pathways, and modulate gene expression. Additionally, he discussed the regulatory roles of transcriptional factors and their interplay in fine-tuning flavonoid biosynthesis in agriculturally important crops like chickpea and banana. This knowledge can be leveraged for genetic manipulation to enhance the nutritional value of crops.

    In the Flash Talks & Poster Session Young Investigators presented their novel findings

    In the flash talk session, selected students and young faculty from different scientific fields, related to drug development, delivered their novel findings. In the Poster session today more than 180 posters were presented by the young investigators.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 2.20.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    Feb 20, 2025

    Sacramento, California –Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Mayumi Kimura, of Temecula, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Woman Veterans at the California Department of Veterans Affairs. Kimura has been the Founder and Director of Warriors Insight Therapy since 2022. She was a Readjustment Counselor at Lowell Vet Center from 2019 to 2022. Kimura was a Program Director at Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, Housing Unit for Military Veterans from 2018 to 2019.  She was an Emergency Services Clinician at Riverside Community Care from 2017 to 2018. Kimura was a Social Services Clinician at Butler Psychiatric Hospital from 2016 to 2017. She was a Psychosocial Manager/Hospice Social Worker at Bayada Hospice from 2013 to 2017. Kimura served in multiple roles for the United States Navy from 2001 to 2010, including Active-Duty Operations Specialist, Petty Officer First Class, and Active Reserves. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $154,860. Kimura is a Democrat.

    Justin Turner, of Sacramento, has been appointed Chief Counsel at the California Department of Conservation. He has been Assistant Chief Counsel at the Department of Conservation since 2015 and Attorney III from 2008 to 2015. Turner was a Contract Attorney at the California Department of Public Health from 2005 to 2008. He was a Contract Attorney at Update Legal in 2004. Turner earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco, and a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Spanish from the University of Oregon. This position does not require Senate confirmation and compensation is $208,440. Turner is a Democrat.

    Anthony “Tony” Marino, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Director of Energy at the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety. Marino has been the Deputy Director of the Underground Infrastructure Directorate at the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety since 2022. Marino was the Executive Officer of the Underground Safety Board at the Department of Foresty and Fire Protection from 2017 to 2021. He served as Consultant on the Subcommittee on Gas, Electric, and Transportation Safety in the Office of Senator Jerry Hill from 2012 to 2017. Marino held multiple positions in the Office of Assemblymember Jerry Hill from 2010 to 2012, including Legislative Aide and Science Fellow. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Chemistry from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of the Arts degree in English and Chemistry from Davidson College. This position does not require Senate confirmation and compensation is $175,512. Marino is registered without party preference.  

    Travis Nichols, of Sacramento, has been appointed Cyber Incident Response Manager at the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Nichols has been an Operations Officer/Defensive Cyberspace Weapons Officer with the United States Marine Corps Reserve since 2010. He was a Consultant at Level9 Group in 2023. Nichols was a Cyber Security Operations Architect at Smith & Nephew from 2022 to 2023. He was an Information System Security Officer/Engineer at Defense Microelectronics Activity from 2021 to 2022. Nichols was a Systems Administrator – Server/Network Team Lead at Blackwatch International from 2019 to 2021. He was a Systems Administrator – Tier III – Team Lead at Cincinnati Bell Technical Solutions from 2018 to 2019. Nichols was a Service Support Engineer at Pathforward IT from 2016 to 2018. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $137,616. Nichols is a Democrat.

    Lynda Hopkins, of Sebastopol, has been appointed to the California Air Resources Board. Hopkins has been the Fifth District Supervisor on the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors since 2016. She was a Co-Owner at Foggy River Farm from 2008 to 2020. Hopkins was a Reporter at the Sonoma West Times & News from 2009 to 2013. She was the Executive Director at Sonoma County Farm Trails from 2008 to 2010. Hopkins was a Head Teaching Assistant at the Stanford University Earth Systems Program from 2005 to 2007. She is a member of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Hopkins earned a Master of Science degree in Earth Systems, a Bachelor of Science degree in Earth Systems, and a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Creative Writing and Poetry from Stanford University. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Hopkins is a Democrat.

    Dawn Ortiz-Legg, of San Luis Obispo, has been appointed to the California Air Resources Board. Ortiz-Legg has been the Third District Supervisor on the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors since 2020. She was a Right of Way Agent at Pacific Gas and Electric Company from 2018 to 2020. Ortiz-Legg was a Project Manager & Public Affairs Liaison at First Solar from 2010 to 2018. She was North American Sales and Marketing Manager at PTEC Corporation from 1999 to 2010. Ortiz-Legg is a member of the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District. She earned her Master of Public Policy degree in Climate Change and Technology Policy from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Organizational Communication from Pepperdine University. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Ortiz-Legg is a Democrat.

    Tina Thomas, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the Wildlife Conservation Board. Thomas has been Of Counsel at Downey Brand LLP since 2023. She was Founding Partner at Thomas Law Group Sacramento from 2012 to 2023. Thomas has held multiple positions at Remy, Thomas, Moose, and Manley, LLP from 1982 to 2011, including Counsel and Managing Partner. She was an Associate Attorney at Remy and Associates from 1979 to 1982. Thomas is a Board Member at the Steinberg Institute, Sacramento Federal Judiciary Library, and Meristem, and Member Emeritus at the Sacramento Food Bank. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Diego, and a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Sociology and Political Science from Stephens College. This position does not require Senate Confirmation, and there is no compensation. Thomas is a Democrat.

    Frances “Fran” Pavley, of Agoura Hills, has been reappointed to the Wildlife Conservation Board, where she has served since 2018. Pavley has been the Environmental Policy Director at the University of Southern California Schwarzenegger Institute since 2018. She served as a Senator in the California State Senate from 2008 to 2016. Pavley served as an Assemblymember in the California State Assembly from 2000 to 2006. She served as Mayor/City Councilmember for the City of Agoura Hills from 1982 to 1998. Pavley earned her Master of the Arts degree in Environmental Planning from California State University, Northridge, and her Bachelor of the Arts degree in Social Science from California State University, Fresno. This position does not require Senate Confirmation, and there is no compensation.  Pavley is a Democrat.

    Travis Clausen, of Garden Grove, has been appointed to the Underground Safe Excavation Board. Clausen has been Regional Construction Manager – Aviation and Defense at Sully-Miller Contracting Company since 2025, where he was Senior Operations Manager from 2015 to 2025. Clausen was a Project Manager at OHL USA from 2014 to 2015 and at Sully Miller Contracting Company from 2006 to 2014. Clausen served in the United States Army from 1995 to 1998. He earned a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Business Administration – Finance from California State University, Fullerton. This position does not require Senate Confirmation and there is no compensation. Clausen is a Republican.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Feb 19, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Andrew “Andy” Nakahata, of San Francisco, has been appointed Chief Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer at the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank….

    Feb 19, 2025

    News What you need to know: A court has denied the city of Norwalk’s request to dismiss the state’s lawsuit against the city for its unlawful ban on homeless shelters.  NORWALK — Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement in response to a court decision…

    Feb 19, 2025

    News What you need to know: Steve Jobs, a visionary of global scale, has been nominated to represent California on the American Innovation Coin. The coin, which will be minted by the U.S. Mint, highlights U.S. innovations and innovators, including California’s legacy…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Climate change could make more turtles female – but some are starting to adapt

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mollie Rickwood, PhD Researcher, Marine Conservation, University of Exeter

    A loggerhead turtle nesting. Mollie Rickwood, CC BY-NC-ND

    Rising global temperatures are a particularly acute threat for the world’s sea turtles. That’s because the temperature of a turtle’s nest controls the sex of their offspring.

    Coming ashore onto a beach (often the beach from where they hatched), sea turtles use their flippers to carefully scoop out the sand and create flask-shaped nests in the sand in which they lay their eggs. There is no maternal care for these nests – their success depends solely on the environment. Hotter nests will produce more female hatchlings, but fewer babies will survive into adulthood once temperatures rise above a critical threshold.

    Unless sea turtles find a way to counteract rising nest temperatures, climate change could produce an increasing number of females and fewer offspring – a frightening scenario for sea turtle biologists like us.

    Fortunately, we were pleased to discover that green and loggerhead turtles that breed in North Cyprus are arriving earlier in the year to offset some of the impacts of rising incubation temperatures.

    Since the early 1990s, the Society for the Protection of Turtles and our team at the University of Exeter have been working together to monitor and protect the green and loggerhead turtles that nest on the beaches of North Cyprus.

    Every summer, a team of dedicated volunteers patrols nesting beaches to record every nest that has been laid. They place temperature data-loggers into these nests and tag every female they encounter. The result is a unique database of over 1,300 individual female turtles for whom the date, location and hatching success of her nests is known.

    Using this database, we were able to show that, since 1992, green and loggerhead turtles in North Cyprus are nesting more than half a day earlier each year (greens 0.61 days, loggerheads 0.78 days). Before the mid 2000s, no turtles had been recorded nesting before June, but now we expect to see quite a few nests from the start of May.

    Do the seasons feel increasingly weird to you? You’re not alone. Climate change is distorting nature’s calendar, causing plants to flower early and animals to emerge at the wrong time.

    This article is part of a series, Wild Seasons, on how the seasons are changing – and what they may eventually look like.

    If temperatures keep rising at current rates, we estimated that to maintain current sex ratios, the loggerhead turtles would need to keep nesting half a day earlier each year. To prevent a decrease in hatching rates, they’ll need to nest 0.7 days earlier each year.

    This means that, for the time being, our loggerheads are shifting their nesting dates early enough to maintain current incubation temperatures and, therefore, sex ratios and hatching success. Good news.

    Though our study in loggerheads offers cause for optimism, there is no guarantee that the females will continue to nest earlier and earlier each year. To try to understand if this might be the case, we wanted to understand whether temperature was the main factor driving this earlier nesting.

    Temperature isn’t everything

    For individual green turtles, we confirmed that the temperature is an important factor in causing them to nest earlier. In fact, we found that individual females will nest 6.47 days earlier for every degree celsius increase in sea temperature.

    However, we also showed that how many times a female has bred before and the number of times she lays eggs in a breeding season explain an equal amount of the variation in her lay dates. These observations have important effects when we think about what is happening to the green turtle population as a whole.

    As a result of conservation measures such as protecting the nests from predation and relocating nests laid too close to the high water line we have seen a big population increase in the green turtles at our study site in North Cyprus. Since 1992, numbers have grown from 55 nests per year to over 400.

    Understanding the current trend of earlier nesting is complicated. But, for now, we can be assured that sea turtles are doing just enough to counteract the negative effects of climate change – which is fantastic news.

    The turtles are doing their bit. Now, it is up to us to ensure the continued conservation and long-term monitoring of this charismatic ocean ambassador to give them the best chance of survival in our changing world.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Annette Broderick receives funding from the Darwin Initiative, MAVA Foundation, Natural Environment Research Council and the Royal Society

    Robin Snape is affiliated with The Society for the Protection of Turtles (SPOT).

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

    – ref. Climate change could make more turtles female – but some are starting to adapt – https://theconversation.com/climate-change-could-make-more-turtles-female-but-some-are-starting-to-adapt-249619

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –