Category: Germany

MIL-OSI Africa: African prisoners made sound recordings in German camps in WW1: this is what they had to say

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Anette Hoffmann, Senior Researcher at the Institute for African Studies and Egyptology, University of Cologne

During the first world war (1914-1918) thousands of African men enlisted to fight for France and Britain were captured and held as prisoners in Germany. Their stories and songs were recorded and archived by German linguists, who often didn’t understand a thing they were saying.

Now a recent book called Knowing by Ear listens to these recordings alongside written sources, photographs and artworks to reveal the lives and political views of these colonised Africans from present-day Senegal, Somalia, Togo and Congo.

Anette Hoffmann is a historian whose research and curatorial work engages with historical sound archives. We asked her about her book.

How did these men come to be recorded?

Duke University Press

About 450 recordings with African speakers were made with linguists of the so-called Royal Prussian Phonographic Commission. Their project was opportunistic. They made use of the presence of prisoners of war to further their research.

In many cases these researchers didn’t understand what was being said. The recordings were archived as language samples, yet most were never used, translated, or even listened to for decades.

The many wonderful translators I have worked with over the years are often the first listeners who actually understood what was being said by these men a century before.

What did they talk about?

The European prisoners the linguists recorded were often asked to tell the same Bible story (the parable of the prodigal son). But because of language barriers, African prisoners were often simply asked to speak, tell a story or sing a song.

We can hear some men repeating monotonous word lists or counting, but mostly they spoke of the war, of imprisonment and of the families they hadn’t seen for years.

Abdoulaye Niang from Senegal sings in Wolof. Courtesy Lautarchiv, Berlin275 KB (download)

In the process we hear speakers offer commentary. Senegalese prisoner Abdoulaye Niang, for example, calls Europe’s battlefields an abattoir for the soldiers from Africa. Others sang of the war of the whites, or speak of other forms of colonial exploitation.

When I began working on colonial-era sound archives about 20 years ago, I was stunned by what I heard from African speakers, especially the critique and the alternative versions of colonial history. Often aired during times of duress, such accounts seldom surface in written sources.

Joseph Ntwanumbi from South Africa speaks in isiXhosa. Courtesy Lautarchiv, Berlin673 KB (download)

Clearly, many speakers felt safe to say things because they knew that researchers couldn’t understand them. The words and songs have travelled decades through time yet still sound fresh and provocative.

Can you highlight some of their stories?

The book is arranged around the speakers. Many of them fought in the French army in Europe after being conscripted or recruited in former French colonies, like Abdoulaye Niang. Other African men got caught up in the war and were interned as civilian prisoners, like Mohamed Nur from Somalia, who had lived in Germany from 1911. Joseph Ntwanumbi from South Africa was a stoker on a ship that had docked in Hamburg soon after the war started.

Wilhelm Doegen/Anette Hoffmann Abdoulaye Niang.

In chapter one Niang sings a song about the French army’s recruitment campaign in Dakar and also informs the linguists that the inmates of the camp in Wünsdorf, near Berlin, do not wish to be deported to another camp.

An archive search reveals he was later deported and also that Austrian anthropologists measured his body for racial studies.

His recorded voice speaking in Wolof travelled back home in 2024, as a sound installation I created for the Théodore Monod African Art Museum in Dakar.

Chapter two listens to Mohamed Nur from Somalia. In 1910 he went to Germany to work as a teacher to the children of performers in a so-called Völkerschau (an ethnic show; sometimes called a human zoo, where “primitive” cultures were displayed).

Rudolf Zeller. Mohamed Nur.

After refusing to perform on stage, he found himself stranded in Germany without a passport or money. He worked as a model for a German artist and later as a teacher of Somali at the University of Hamburg. Nur left a rich audio-visual trace in Germany, which speaks of the exploitation of men of colour in German academia as well as by artists. One of his songs comments on the poor treatment of travellers and gives a plea for more hospitality to strangers.

Stephan Bischoff, who grew up in a German mission station in Togo and was working in a shoe shop in Berlin when the war began, appears in the third chapter. His recordings criticise the practices of the Christian colonial evangelising mission. He recalls the destruction of an indigenous shrine in Ghana by German military in 1913.

Photographer unknown/ Albert Kudjabo drumming in a German camp.

Also in chapter three is Albert Kudjabo, who fought in the Belgian army before he was imprisoned in Germany. He mainly recorded drum language, a drummed code based on a tonal language from the Democratic Republic of Congo that German linguists were keen to study. He speaks of the massive socio-cultural changes that mining brought to his home region, which may have caused him to migrate.

Together these songs, stories and accounts speak of a practice of extracting knowledge in prisoner of war camps. But they offer insights and commentary far beyond the “example sentences” that the recordings were meant to be.

Why do these sound archives matter?

As sources of colonial history, the majority of the collections in European sound archives are still untapped, despite the growing scholarly and artistic interest in them in the last decade. This interest is led by decolonial approaches to archives and knowledge production.

The author’s sound installation in Dakar of Niang’s recordings. Anette Hoffmann

Sound collections diversify what’s available as historical texts, they increase the variety of languages and genres that speak of the histories of colonisation. They present alternative accounts and interpretations of history to offer a more balanced view of the past.

– African prisoners made sound recordings in German camps in WW1: this is what they had to say
– https://theconversation.com/african-prisoners-made-sound-recordings-in-german-camps-in-ww1-this-is-what-they-had-to-say-254127

MIL OSI Africa –

June 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: African prisoners made sound recordings in German camps in WW1: this is what they had to say

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Anette Hoffmann, Senior Researcher at the Institute for African Studies and Egyptology, University of Cologne

During the first world war (1914-1918) thousands of African men enlisted to fight for France and Britain were captured and held as prisoners in Germany. Their stories and songs were recorded and archived by German linguists, who often didn’t understand a thing they were saying.

Now a recent book called Knowing by Ear listens to these recordings alongside written sources, photographs and artworks to reveal the lives and political views of these colonised Africans from present-day Senegal, Somalia, Togo and Congo.

Anette Hoffmann is a historian whose research and curatorial work engages with historical sound archives. We asked her about her book.

How did these men come to be recorded?

About 450 recordings with African speakers were made with linguists of the so-called Royal Prussian Phonographic Commission. Their project was opportunistic. They made use of the presence of prisoners of war to further their research.

In many cases these researchers didn’t understand what was being said. The recordings were archived as language samples, yet most were never used, translated, or even listened to for decades.

The many wonderful translators I have worked with over the years are often the first listeners who actually understood what was being said by these men a century before.

What did they talk about?

The European prisoners the linguists recorded were often asked to tell the same Bible story (the parable of the prodigal son). But because of language barriers, African prisoners were often simply asked to speak, tell a story or sing a song.

We can hear some men repeating monotonous word lists or counting, but mostly they spoke of the war, of imprisonment and of the families they hadn’t seen for years.

Abdoulaye Niang from Senegal sings in Wolof.
Courtesy Lautarchiv, Berlin275 KB (download)

In the process we hear speakers offer commentary. Senegalese prisoner Abdoulaye Niang, for example, calls Europe’s battlefields an abattoir for the soldiers from Africa. Others sang of the war of the whites, or speak of other forms of colonial exploitation.

When I began working on colonial-era sound archives about 20 years ago, I was stunned by what I heard from African speakers, especially the critique and the alternative versions of colonial history. Often aired during times of duress, such accounts seldom surface in written sources.

Joseph Ntwanumbi from South Africa speaks in isiXhosa.
Courtesy Lautarchiv, Berlin673 KB (download)

Clearly, many speakers felt safe to say things because they knew that researchers couldn’t understand them. The words and songs have travelled decades through time yet still sound fresh and provocative.

Can you highlight some of their stories?

The book is arranged around the speakers. Many of them fought in the French army in Europe after being conscripted or recruited in former French colonies, like Abdoulaye Niang. Other African men got caught up in the war and were interned as civilian prisoners, like Mohamed Nur from Somalia, who had lived in Germany from 1911. Joseph Ntwanumbi from South Africa was a stoker on a ship that had docked in Hamburg soon after the war started.

In chapter one Niang sings a song about the French army’s recruitment campaign in Dakar and also informs the linguists that the inmates of the camp in Wünsdorf, near Berlin, do not wish to be deported to another camp.

An archive search reveals he was later deported and also that Austrian anthropologists measured his body for racial studies.

His recorded voice speaking in Wolof travelled back home in 2024, as a sound installation I created for the Théodore Monod African Art Museum in Dakar.

Chapter two listens to Mohamed Nur from Somalia. In 1910 he went to Germany to work as a teacher to the children of performers in a so-called Völkerschau (an ethnic show; sometimes called a human zoo, where “primitive” cultures were displayed).

After refusing to perform on stage, he found himself stranded in Germany without a passport or money. He worked as a model for a German artist and later as a teacher of Somali at the University of Hamburg. Nur left a rich audio-visual trace in Germany, which speaks of the exploitation of men of colour in German academia as well as by artists. One of his songs comments on the poor treatment of travellers and gives a plea for more hospitality to strangers.

Stephan Bischoff, who grew up in a German mission station in Togo and was working in a shoe shop in Berlin when the war began, appears in the third chapter. His recordings criticise the practices of the Christian colonial evangelising mission. He recalls the destruction of an indigenous shrine in Ghana by German military in 1913.

Also in chapter three is Albert Kudjabo, who fought in the Belgian army before he was imprisoned in Germany. He mainly recorded drum language, a drummed code based on a tonal language from the Democratic Republic of Congo that German linguists were keen to study. He speaks of the massive socio-cultural changes that mining brought to his home region, which may have caused him to migrate.

Together these songs, stories and accounts speak of a practice of extracting knowledge in prisoner of war camps. But they offer insights and commentary far beyond the “example sentences” that the recordings were meant to be.

Why do these sound archives matter?

As sources of colonial history, the majority of the collections in European sound archives are still untapped, despite the growing scholarly and artistic interest in them in the last decade. This interest is led by decolonial approaches to archives and knowledge production.

Sound collections diversify what’s available as historical texts, they increase the variety of languages and genres that speak of the histories of colonisation. They present alternative accounts and interpretations of history to offer a more balanced view of the past.

Anette Hoffmann 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. African prisoners made sound recordings in German camps in WW1: this is what they had to say – https://theconversation.com/african-prisoners-made-sound-recordings-in-german-camps-in-ww1-this-is-what-they-had-to-say-254127

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 8, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Delving into deep sea: China joins global scientists in exploring hadal zone

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

A pioneering international initiative for hadal zone exploration, led by Chinese scientists, has received official approval from the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).

The Global Hadal Exploration Programme (GHEP), spearheaded by Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering (IDSSE) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), aims to transform fragmented hadal research into a coordinated global mission to explore, understand and protect the planet’s most inaccessible marine ecosystems.

The hadal zone comprises primarily of ocean trenches, particularly from a depth of 6,000 meters to the bottom of the ocean up to about 11,000 meters. The hadal environment is characterized by extreme depths and pressures, darkness, low temperatures, frequent earthquakes, and peculiar living forms.

For a long time, the hadal trenches have been among the most under-explored and mysterious areas on Earth due to technological limitations.

China has been a key driver of deep-sea exploration over the past decade through sustained sci-tech advancements. In 2014, the CAS launched the Hadal Science and Technology Program, followed by a historic dive to the Mariana Trench’s 10,000-meter depths in 2016. By 2022, the CAS initiated the Global Trench Dive and Exploration Programme, leveraging its cutting-edge manned submersible Fendouzhe (Striver) and the Tansuo research vessels.

“Venturing deeper is about understanding our ocean so we can coexist with it,” said Du Mengran, a lead researcher at IDSSE.

“Global cooperation in these ‘untouched zones’ will redefine the boundaries of marine science and provide critical knowledge for deep-sea conservation and sustainable use,” she said.

To date, Chinese scientists have collaborated with 145 researchers from 10 countries, exploring nine hadal trenches worldwide, including the Mariana, the Kermadec and Puysegur trenches.

Starting from this year, GHEP will unify international research on extreme environments, life evolution, and geological processes in the hadal zone. The program will establish international research hubs, organize joint deep-diving expeditions, and host regular symposia while offering training and open access to samples, data, and facilities — particularly for young scientists, Du added.

GHEP brings together research institutions from New Zealand, Denmark, Germany, Chile, France, Indonesia, Brazil, Russia, India, Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Portugal and other countries.

MIL OSI China News –

June 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: GUU specialists at MAEF-2025 developed recommendations for balanced socio-economic development of Russia

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

On June 5, 2025, the Moscow Academic Economic Forum (MAEF-2025) ended, part of the working program of which was held at the State University of Management.

This year, the Moscow Academic Economic Forum was dedicated to the 260th anniversary of the founding of the Free Economic Society of Russia and was devoted to the topic “Russia – 2025: the trajectory of dynamic balanced socio-economic development”. MAEF brought together more than 17.5 thousand specialists from 32 countries, including China, India, Canada, Cuba, Germany, Greece, South Africa, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

At the ceremonial final plenary session of the MAEF, Vladimir Stroyev, Rector of the State University of Management, spoke: “We are grateful to the Free Economic Society of Russia for the trust to hold part of the forum’s working program at our university. The conference was devoted to discussing issues related to the socio-economic development of Russia. All events of the Free Economic Society are of great interest to the teaching, scientific and student community at our university, so we are glad to be part of this forum today. I hope that we will continue our cooperation and do a lot of useful things for the benefit of Russia and its economy.”

According to the President of the Free Economic Society of Russia Sergey Bodrunov, the strong regional component has become the hallmark of the MAEF. This year, in anticipation of the central events of the forum, work was carried out at 115 regional sites, which were formed on the basis of the leading universities and research centers of the country, divisions and institutions of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and regional organizations of the VEO of Russia.

The plenary session of the MAEF was held on June 4 at the Russian Academy of Sciences, and plenary conferences on June 5 were hosted by 13 sites of leading universities and research centers. The plenary conference on the topic of “Institutes for Balanced Socioeconomic Development of Russia” was held at the State University of Management.

The conference participants discussed a wide range of issues aimed at achieving balanced socio-economic development: the formation of new development institutions, strategic planning, human capital, interdepartmental cooperation, digital technologies and scientific and educational clusters.

The following key recommendations were developed as a result of the conference:

Coordination of development institutions. It was proposed to work out the issue of creating a single coordination mechanism for coordinating the actions of development institutions, aimed at implementing technological and industrial sovereignty in the context of structural transformation of the economy. Solving the problem of personnel shortage. The conference participants noted the paramount importance of the problem of systemic personnel shortage as the main limitation for achieving the goals of economic policy. It was proposed to strengthen interdepartmental and interlevel formats of labor force planning over a 5-15 year horizon, including advanced training of specialists for priority projects. Moreover, the State University of Management is one of the ambassadors of project-based learning. Transition to systemic measures of economic policy. Recognize the need to transition from targeted to systemic measures of economic policy aimed at long-term sustainability and increasing domestic demand for scientific, engineering and production competencies. Formation of a national model of integrated strategic planning. Conference participants expressed support for the idea of creating a national model of integrated strategic planning, which will include monitoring of resource, institutional and demographic constraints, as well as mechanisms for compensating for them through appropriate institutional and financial instruments.

Also, within the framework of MAEF, a youth conference was held, following which GUU student Ekaterina Glyzina (IOM, 2nd year) received a 1st degree diploma in the section “New solutions for the digital age: from theory to practice”.

We congratulate Ekaterina on her diploma, and our entire university on the successful holding of this important event.

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 –

June 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Chris Sun attends conference in Geneva

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun attended the 113th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, Switzerland, over the past few days.

At the conference, he met participants and officials from around the world, and took the opportunity to brief them on developments in Hong Kong’s labour market and economy.

Mr Sun yesterday attended the ILC’s plenary session, during which he listened to a speech delivered by Vice Minister of Human Resources & Social Security Wu Xiuzhang, on a report by the Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) titled “Jobs, Rights and Growth: Reinforcing the Connection”.

He also attended committee meetings and held bilateral meetings with senior ILO officials and leading figures from other international organisations to discuss issues including the application of international labour standards, social security, occupational health and safety, labour relations, and the platform economy.

He also engaged with them in presenting the latest situation in Hong Kong and held constructive exchanges on deepening collaboration.

In addition, Mr Sun and the delegation exchanged views with senior Mainland officials including Mr Wu and Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland Chen Xu.

Mr Sun spoke to government, employer and employee representatives from the People’s Republic of China delegation about matters including enhancing labour rights protection and strengthening the regulation of trade unions to safeguard national security. Mr Sun thanked the central government for its unfailing support to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.

Mr Sun was due to depart for Munich, Germany, today to meet local entrepreneurs and talent there.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

June 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: International motorcycle festival in Mongolia attracted 2,500 participants

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

ULAN BATOR, June 7 (Xinhua) — More than 2,500 motorcyclists, including 500 bikers from China, Russia, Germany and the Republic of Korea, are taking part in the 10th international motorcycle festival called “Steppe Wind 2025”.

The motorcycle festival started on Saturday from the central square of Mongolia and continued along the main streets of Ulaanbaatar.

The current event is being hosted by the capital’s Tourism Department and local motorcycle clubs Mongolian choppers brotherhood MC and Red Falcons.

After the biker parade, the festival participants went to the Khui Doloon Khudag Valley, which is located 30 kilometers from the capital of Mongolia.

The motorcycle festival is expected to feature a variety of events, including performances by famous Mongolian rock and hip-hop bands, a laser show, a Leila dance show, and an exhibition of rare vintage motorcycles.

The festival will run until June 8. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Minister McGuinty concludes productive first visit to Europe for Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting and NATO Defence Ministers’ Meeting
Source: Government of Canada News (2)

June 6, 2025 – Brussels, Belgium – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

The Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence, concluded a productive visit to Brussels, Belgium, where he participated in the 28th Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting and a meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Defence Ministers. This visit marks Minister McGuinty’s first trip to Europe since he was appointed Minister of National Defence.

During the UDCG meeting, the Minister announced that Canada is providing over $35 million in military assistance to Ukraine, including:
- $30 million for Coyote and Bison armoured vehicles, accompanied by new equipment and ammunition supplied by Canadian companies. This donation complements Canada’s previous donation of 64 Coyote armoured vehicles that arrived in Ukraine in December 2024.
- $5 million for electronic warfare anti-jammer kits from Canada’s defence industry.
This military assistance is from existing funds identified in Budget 2024 funding in support of the Canada-Ukraine Strategic Security Partnership

Minister McGuinty also shared with partners updates on advanced pilot training for Ukrainian pilots underway in Canada. Canada has taken over leadership of the fighter-lead-in-training (FLIT) element of the UDCG Air Force Capability Coalition (AFCC). This $389 million investment over five years includes F-16 pilot training for Ukrainian personnel, critical airfield equipment, and other support to Ukrainian air bases and fleets—all provided by Canadian industry.

On June 5, Minister McGuinty participated in a meeting of NATO Defence Ministers ahead of the NATO Leaders’ Summit in the Netherlands. This meeting reaffirmed Allies’ commitment to NATO and discussed common defence priorities, including strengthening the Alliance’s deterrence and defence efforts and supporting Ukraine. During the meeting, the Minister reinforced Canada’s commitment to accelerating defence spending and working with NATO Allies and international partners to meet shared security commitments.

While in Brussels, Minister McGuinty met with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte. He also held a number of productive bilateral engagements with Ministers from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Latvia, and Ukraine, as well as representatives from the European Union. Minister McGuinty participated in a 3+3 dialogue with Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, and Finland. The Minister discussed with his counterparts how Canada can deepen its defence relations and work more closely on the Alliance’s deterrence and defence posture, and support Ukraine.

During the NATO meeting, Canada signed an agreement to join the NATO Flight Training Europe initiative (NFTE) which is a network of campuses that offer pilot and aircrew training. Participation will allow the RCAF to leverage allied training capacity, providing opportunity to augment RCAF aircrew training when needed. Participation will also offer the opportunity for the RCAF to provide any excess training to allies. Canada’s participation will enhance allied training efforts increasing NATO’s deterrence.

During this important moment for Euro-Atlantic security, Canada continues to work closely with NATO Allies and international partners. The coordination between Allies ensures the Alliance remains innovative, flexible, and adaptable in the face of current and future security threats.

MIL OSI Canada News –
June 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Joint donor statement condemning attacks against civilians and humanitarian workers in Sudan by 30 donors

Source: Government of Canada News

June 6, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

Joint donor statement condemning attacks against civilians and humanitarian workers in Sudan by the European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

“We condemn in the strongest terms the attack on a humanitarian convoy of 15 trucks from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Al Koma, North Darfur, on the night of 2 June, which resulted in the death of five members of the convoy and injuring several others. Four of the 15 trucks in the convoy were destroyed in the attack and five more sustained partial damage. These trucks were carrying about 100 metric tons of essential nutrition, health, education, and WASH supplies, intended to support children and families in El Fasher town.

“The deliberate targeting of humanitarian personnel is a violation of international law. Civilians and humanitarian workers must not be targeted by parties to the armed conflict. We urge all parties to allow civilians to safely exit areas with ongoing hostilities, and to guarantee immediate, unconditional, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to deliver assistance to those in urgent need throughout Sudan.

“We repeat our call to the Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces and their militias to immediately cease hostilities and uphold their obligations towards international humanitarian law, which includes the obligation to protect civilians and civilian objects – as also reiterated in the UN Security Council resolution 2730 (2024). Once again, we stress the civilian character of humanitarian agencies, the neutral and impartial nature of their life-saving operations, and the “need for them to operate across all of Sudan, regardless of area of control.

“This attack represents yet another deadly and unacceptable attack on civilians and humanitarian workers since the beginning of this armed conflict two years ago, in blatant disregard of international humanitarian law. We remind the parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and their assets.

“Last April, the international community strongly condemned the attacks on Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps which resulted in the killing of hundreds of civilians and at least 12 aid workers. Just last week, a hospital was targeted in El Obeid, North Kordofan. On several occasions, UN and NGOs offices throughout the country have been directly hit, including WFP’s office in El Fasher only last week. These are just some of the many attacks over the past two years targeting civilians, aid workers and facilities, hospitals, and critical civilian infrastructure, which constitute direct violations of international humanitarian law.

“We deplore all loss of civilian life resulting from acts of war throughout this conflict. The continuous attacks on humanitarian aid workers cannot be normalised. These serious and continued violations of international humanitarian law committed by the warring parties are unacceptable and must cease immediately.

“We support the UN Secretary General’s call for an immediate and independent investigation into this attack and accountability of the perpetrators.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and colleagues of those killed and those who have been injured while working to deliver humanitarian assistance under extremely dangerous conditions.”

MIL OSI Canada News –

June 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: WTO Fish Fund launches Call for Proposals for implementing Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies

Source: WTO

Headline: WTO Fish Fund launches Call for Proposals for implementing Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies

Developing and LDC members that have ratified the Agreement are eligible to submit proposals for technical assistance and capacity-building activities to support their implementation of the Agreement. These fall into two categories: project preparation grants of up to USD 50,000 for activities such as studies and needs assessments to prepare for implementation of the Agreement, and project grants of up to USD 300,000 for specific projects to implement the Agreement.
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said: “A vital feature of this historic Agreement is that it provides funding for developing and least-developed country members to receive technical assistance and capacity building support to implement the new disciplines and improve fisheries management. Delivering this support is essential to realizing the Agreement’s benefits for people, oceans, and the planet. This Call for Proposals represents a first but significant step towards turning the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies into lasting, transformative change for livelihoods and marine fisheries. I am deeply grateful to our current and future donors to the Fish Fund!”
WTO members can access the application portal here. Proposals must be submitted by 9 September. However, if the Agreement enters into force before this date, the deadline will be extended by one month. The Steering Committee of the Fish Fund will review and evaluate all submissions.
So far, 101 WTO members have formally accepted the Agreement. Funds may be disbursed once the WTO receives the 111 instruments of acceptance needed for the Agreement to enter into force.
The contributions and pledges received by the Fund thus far amount to approximately CHF 14.5 million (just over USD 17.5 million), with commitments made by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.
The Fish Fund was established under Article 7 of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which ministers adopted at the 12th Ministerial Conference in 2022. Housed at the WTO, the Fund operates in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Bank.
For more information, please visit the WTO Fish Fund website here and download the fact sheet titled “How to Access Funding — Opening the Call for Proposals” available here.
The list of all WTO members that have submitted their instrument of acceptance is available here.
More information on the WTO Fisheries Funding Mechanism is available here.

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MIL OSI Economics –

June 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Potassium phosphonate – E-002162/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002162/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Eric Sargiacomo (S&D)

At the request of Germany, the expert group for technical advice on organic production (EGTOP) is going to, for the third time (having issued two negative opinions), give their assessment on whether potassium phosphonate should be introduced into the legislation on organic farming. This synthetic substance might therefore be included in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2021/1165 as a phytosanitary treatment against downy mildew on grapevine.

However, adding it would be at odds with the basic regulation, Regulation (UE) 2018/848, which governs organic farming. In fact, Article 5(g) expresses the need for ‘the restriction of the use of external inputs; where external inputs are required or the appropriate management practices and methods referred to in point (f) do not exist, the external inputs shall be limited to natural or naturally-derived substances’.

In addition, using synthetic potassium phosphonate would be a stumbling block to clear communication on organic farming, as it would mean that consumers cannot be told ‘no synthetic pesticides used’, which is the main promise organic farming makes to EU citizens.

1.In the undesired event that potassium phosphonate is authorised for use in organic farming, what would the legal implications be?

2.Would a revision of the legislation on organic farming be required as a result?

Submitted: 28.5.2025
Last updated: 6 June 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: European promotional institutions and EIB join forces to support EU security and defence
Source: European Investment Bank
- National promotional institutions of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain as well as EIB explore ways of stepping up cooperation and coordination in support of Europe’s security and defence industry.
- Cooperation to foster pan-European approach in areas such as research, industrial capacity, and infrastructure.
The national promotional institutions of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain as well as the European Investment Bank (EIB) will cooperate to bolster Europe’s security and defence industry. The six long term investors – Caisse des Depôts, Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) and Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO) and the EIB – agreed to further explore cooperation opportunities.

The cooperation will focus on areas of investment and on potential joint financing in sectors such as research and development, industrial capacity, and infrastructure.

The agreement reached today in Warsaw – in the margins of the European Association of Long-Term Investors (ELTI) CEO meeting hosted by BGK – marks a significant step to further boost and reinforce the collaboration between the national promotional institutions and the EIB in supporting Europe’s security and defence infrastructures, technologies and industrial capabilities.

The initiative, which may also explore the development of potential joint collaborations, including on financial products and advisory services, is a pan-European approach to strengthening European security and defence. It is open to additional European long-term public investors, in particular national promotional institutions all over Europe, and it is part of increased efforts to strengthen the EU and tackle evolving security threats amid significant geopolitical shifts.

Background information

About the Caisse des Dépôts Group

Caisse des Dépôts and its subsidiaries form a public long-term investor group serving the general interest and economic development of local areas.

It combines five areas of expertise: social policy (pensions, professional training, disability, old age, health), asset management, monitoring subsidiaries and strategic shareholdings, business financing (with Bpifrance) and Banque des Territoires.

Cassa Depositi e Prestiti is the National Promotional Institution which has been supporting the Italian economy since 1850. The main goal of CDP is to accelerate the industrial and infrastructural development of Italy to boost its economic and social growth. CDP focuses its activities on sustainable development at local level, supporting the innovation and growth of Italian enterprises, also in the international arena. It partners local authorities, in a financing and advisory capacity, to create infrastructures and improve services of public value. CDP also participates actively in international cooperation initiatives to realize projects in developing countries and emerging markets. Cassa Depositi e Prestiti is entirely financed by private capital, through the issuing of Postal Savings Bonds and Postal Savings Passbooks, and through issues on national and international financial markets.

About the EIB  

The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. The EIB finances investments in eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union and a stronger Europe.

High-quality, up-to-date photos of the organisation’s headquarters for media use are available here.

About ICO

Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO) is the national promotional bank of Spain, attached to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise. ICO has become a benchmark in financing both SMEs and large investment projects and contributes to sustainable growth by promoting economic activities that, due to their social, cultural, innovative or environmental importance, are worthy of promotion and development. www.ico.es

About KfW

KfW is one of the world’s leading promotional banks. With its decades of experience, KfW is committed to improving economic, social and environmental living conditions across the globe on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany and the federal states. To do this, it provided funds totalling EUR 112.8 billion in 2024 alone. Its financing and promotional activities are aligned with the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations and contribute to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) around the world.

About Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego

Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) is a Polish development bank, the only such institution in Poland. BGK supports the sustainable social and economic development of the country. Its activities influence job creation, housing construction, infrastructure development and air quality improvement. The bank cares about future generations – it builds social capital, develops entrepreneurship and provides responsible financing. It is present in every region of Poland, as well as abroad – it has representative offices in Brussels, Frankfurt am Main and Kyiv. The bank is involved in the implementation of European Funds in Poland, as well as products financed by the National Recovery and Reconstruction Plan. BGK supports exports and foreign expansion of Polish companies. Through cooperation with business, the public sector and financial institutions, it responds to economic needs.
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 7, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Joint statement on attacks against civilians and humanitarian workers in Sudan
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

News story

Joint statement on attacks against civilians and humanitarian workers in Sudan

Joint statement from the UK and 29 other donor countries on attacks against civilians and humanitarian workers in Sudan.
Joint donor statement condemning attacks against civilians and humanitarian workers in Sudan by the European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

“We condemn in the strongest terms the attack on a humanitarian convoy of 15 trucks from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Al Koma, North Darfur, on the night of 2 June, which resulted in the death of five members of the convoy and injuring several others. Four of the 15 trucks in the convoy were destroyed in the attack and five more sustained partial damage. These trucks were carrying about 100 metric tons of essential nutrition, health, education, and WASH supplies, intended to support children and families in El Fasher town.

The deliberate targeting of humanitarian personnel is a violation of international law. Civilians and humanitarian workers must not be targeted by parties to the armed conflict. We urge all parties to allow civilians to safely exit areas with ongoing hostilities, and to guarantee immediate, unconditional, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to deliver assistance to those in urgent need throughout Sudan.

We repeat our call to the Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces and their militias to immediately cease hostilities and uphold their obligations towards international humanitarian law, which includes the obligation to protect civilians and civilian objects – as also reiterated in the UN Security Council resolution 2730 (2024). Once again, we stress the civilian character of humanitarian agencies, the neutral and impartial nature of their life-saving operations, and the need for them to operate across all of Sudan, regardless of area of control.

This attack represents yet another deadly and unacceptable attack on civilians and humanitarian workers since the beginning of this armed conflict two years ago, in blatant disregard of international humanitarian law. We remind the parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and their assets.

Last April, the international community strongly condemned the attacks on Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps which resulted in the killing of hundreds of civilians and at least 12 aid workers. Just last week, a hospital was targeted in El Obeid, North Kordofan. On several occasions, UN and NGOs offices throughout the country have been directly hit, including WFP’s office in El Fasher only last week. These are just some of the many attacks over the past two years targeting civilians, aid workers and facilities, hospitals, and critical civilian infrastructure, which constitute direct violations of international humanitarian law.

We deplore all loss of civilian life resulting from acts of war throughout this conflict. The continuous attacks on humanitarian aid workers cannot be normalised. These serious and continued violations of international humanitarian law committed by the warring parties are unacceptable and must cease immediately.

We support the UN Secretary General’s call for an immediate and independent investigation into this attack and accountability of the perpetrators.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and colleagues of those killed and those who have been injured while working to deliver humanitarian assistance under extremely dangerous conditions.”

Media enquiries

Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

Telephone 020 7008 3100

Email the FCDO Newsdesk (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

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Published 6 June 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
June 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Women’s prize for fiction 2025: six experts review the shortlisted novels

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Éadaoin Agnew, Senior lecturer in English literature, Kingston University

From a longlist of 16, six novels have been shortlisted for the 2025 Women’s prize for fiction. Our experts review the finalists ahead of the announcement of the winner on June 12.

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden

The Safekeep, a novel about the expropriation and theft of Jewish property during and after the second world war, revisits a dark chapter of Dutch history.

When Holland fell to Nazi Germany, many Dutch Jews were deported to the death camps and were stripped of their homes and belongings. Van der Wouden’s debut novel shines alight on the act of keeping or maintaining things left behind that were to be reclaimed by their rightful owners, but which were lost or stolen in the war.

The trauma of this history hangs over the lives of three siblings grieving the loss of their mother in 1961.

Isabel, the novel’s lonely protagonist, lives alone in the family house, keeping it in order as her late mother would have wanted. All the while she suspects that their maid is stealing from the kitchen. But following the arrival of her brother’s girlfriend, Eva, Isabel discovers the truth of the house and attempts to right historical wrongs.

By Manjeet Ridon, Associate Dean International, Arts, Design and Humanities

Good Girl by Aria Aber

Aria Aber’s debut is a frequently poetic and powerful künstlerroman (a novel that maps the development of an artist). It follows Nila, a young Afghan woman in Berlin, as she tries to escape from her own cultural heritage and that of the German city in which she lives.

For much of the novel, Nila moves through the margins of society, from her family home in a brutalist rundown apartment block in the neighbourhood of Neukölln to a seemingly endless cycle of underground clubs, parties and festivals. She pushes away her family, her childhood friends, and her college education to pursue an alternative creative life and a destructive love affair. Ultimately though, Nila realises that her artistic work and a truly independent life can only be forged through her reconciliation with the past.

Set against the real far-right violence of the 2000s, Aber makes clear how social inequalities and racial prejudices effect artistic access and creativity. She also acutely captures the tensions between freedom and tradition as experienced by bicultural Muslim women grappling with the expectation to be “good girls”.

By Éadaoin Agnew, Senior lecturer in English literature

All Fours by Miranda July

“Everyone thinks doggy style is so vulnerable,” remarks one of the characters in Miranda July’s latest work of fiction. This story takes sexuality as its subject along with its relationship with creativity and ageing – or more specifically, the midlife plunge from a cliff that is female menopause.

Like the author, July’s nameless protagonist is 45, a successful artist, and married with a non-binary child. This auto-fiction puts the author’s erotic nonconformity at the centre of the frame. Our heroine embarks on a road-trip to New York, but only 20 minutes from her home she falls in love with a young man. The pair spend two weeks together in a motel pursuing a mutual obsession, which ultimately remains unconsummated. This experience upends her life and she rebounds into turbulent adventures in sex, discovering a new sense of self.

Perhaps it could have been a little tighter than its 322 pages – but then again, it’s a work that explores a capacious road to excess. All Fours is a funny, honest, rambunctious tale

Elizabeth Kuti, Professor in the Department of Literature Film and Theatre Studies

The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji

“Do they think we were just some refugees?” Shirin, one of the characters in The Persians, asks her niece Bita. “Weren’t we?” Bita replies. The question of what a refugee looks like and what kind of stories they are expected to tell is a central theme in Mahloudji’s raucous, poignant novel.

The story shifts back and forward in time, from Tehran in the 1940s to Los Angeles in the Reagan years, and to both America and Iran in the 2000s, interweaving the voices of five women from the wealthy and powerful Valiat family. Mahloudji explores love, miscommunication, loyalties and betrayal across generations as well as between those who left and those who stayed behind.

Jewellery is a central theme in the novel: glistening in shops, hidden in suitcases or flung away in protest. It represents both the adornment of female identity and the weight of the history that the migrants carry with them.

Alexandra Peat, Lecturer in English and Director of the MA in Literature and Publishing

Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

Tell Me Everything is the tenth novel in Elizabeth Strout’s well-known series that sketches the lives of ordinary, yet complex characters, who enter and exit each other’s lives in the nowhere town of Crosby, Maine. The three main figures in this latest instalment are 90-year-old retired schoolteacher Olive Kitteridge (recognisable from Frances McDormand’s realisation in the award-winning TV series by the same name), early 60s fiction writer Lucy Barton, and 65-year-old lawyer Bob Burgess.

Loosely, this novel can be described as a murder mystery, though the plot twist of an alleged matricide, and Burgess’s decision to defend the case, are secondary to the three main characters’ process of sharing previously untold accounts of forbidden, traumatic, guilty and unrequited love. It is this telling and memorialising that produces the emotional core of the novel. If sharing their past gives the ageing storytellers some respite from the burden of their hidden lives, it is not in the kind that comforts with meaning and purpose. In Strout’s novel, this relief is unavailable and is replaced with the more ephemeral solace of simply being heard.

Yianna Liotsis, Associate Professor in the School of English Irish and Communication

Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis

At the heart of Fundamentally is the affinity that forms between narrator Nadia, appointed by the United Nations to rehabilitate “Isis brides” in Iraq, and one of her subjects, Sara, an east Londoner on the cusp of adulthood.

They connect through a shared love of rollerblading, Dairy Milk and X-Men, as well as their caustic sense of humour. But the two British Muslim women have followed vastly different routes – Nadia to academia and the UN and Sara to a detention camp in Ninewah.

Nadia’s story of her journey through the vagaries of the humanitarian sector, punctuated by flashbacks to her failed relationship with first love Rosy and fraught relationship with her mother, is told with a compelling mix of verve and vulnerability. It raises hard ethical and political questions along the way. But it is Nadia’s mission to help Sara that gives the novel its emotional complexity and depth, drawing the reader in while denying us any easy answers.

Rehana Ahmed, Reader in Postcolonial and Contemporary Literature

Éadaoin Agnew receives funding from AHRC.

Alexandra Peat has received funding from the British Academy

Elizabeth J Kuti, Manjeet Ridon, and Rehana Ahmed 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. Women’s prize for fiction 2025: six experts review the shortlisted novels – https://theconversation.com/womens-prize-for-fiction-2025-six-experts-review-the-shortlisted-novels-253573

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Visualizing the Collections: United States Treaties and Other International Agreements

Source: US Global Legal Monitor

If you are interested in international law and have browsed our foreign legal collections, you may have encountered our United States Treaties and Other International Agreements collection. These digitized documents, encompassing American history from 1776 to 1984, are split into two multi-volume categories.

The first and earliest documents in the collection were compiled by Charles I. Bevans, and span the years 1776 through 1949. The bilateral treaties (volumes 5-12) comprise 2,312 individual agreements over 125 individual jurisdictions. While those numbers sound overwhelming, I wanted a visual understanding of the scope of the collection. Each graphic will have a caption explaining the sizing and color choices, as well as what they represent.

The first model:

One example of a network graph depicting the Bevans treaty collection; dark blue, thick edges and larger nodes indicate a higher amount of treaties with the United States, and lighter colored, thinner edges with smaller nodes indicate fewer treaties.

And the second:

An alternative depiction of the network graph, where all the labels are the same size. This graph uses three colors – thin blue edges representing few treaties, medium purple edges representing a fair number of treaties, and thick red lines representing the largest amount of treaties.

Though these two graphics are quite different in nature, they help us draw a few important conclusions: the United States and the United Kingdom share the largest number of treaties, with Canada, France, and Mexico following behind. The first graphic helps us to focus on the jurisdictions with the most treaties, while the second draws our attention to the instances of fewer treaties.

Looking closely, we can see how the different nodes (the jurisdictions) reflect changes to political entities over time. For example, there are multiple, older treaties with present-day cities and provinces of Germany (ex. “Germany (Hanover)”), each represented as an individual jurisdiction. While we may associate these names with modern political boundaries, they represent former states with which the United States signed treaties. Others show supranational entities (“Central America Federation”; Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union) while the individual jurisdictions might have their own node.

These models would certainly look different had Bevans compiled these treaties differently. In any case, we see an incredible variety in the United States’ international agreements over nearly 200 years from these graphics. This also gives us a helpful place to start – should you be interested in what the United States and the Two Sicilies agreed upon in the past, you can browse the volumes of Bevans’s treaties, arranged in alphabetical order by jurisdiction, and follow your curiosity.

Which graphic do you find more engaging? What visual elements inspire you the most?

Subscribe to In Custodia Legis – it’s free! – to receive interesting posts drawn from the Law Library of Congress’s vast collections and our staff’s expertise in U.S., foreign, and international law.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: What the UK’s ‘Nato-first’ defence approach tells us about Britain’s place in a volatile world

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nick Whittaker, Subject Lead in Social Sciences & Law, University of Sussex

Since the end of the cold war, the relevance of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) has regularly been questioned, even by its most prominent leaders. Its members, therefore, find it necessary to remind each other and the world of its value from time to time.

The latest example of this is the UK government’s new strategic defence review, which announces a “Nato-first” posture.

Nato has long been a cornerstone of UK foreign, defence and security policies. But this marks a particularly strident prioritisation of the organisation. It comes just a few years after Boris Johnson’s government began moving the country’s foreign and defence policy priorities towards the Indo-Pacific.

It tells us much about how Keir Starmer’s administration sees the UK’s place in the world in an unsettled era: as both an influential ally of the US and a reliable partner to European powers, eager to maintain regional and global influence.

Signed in 1949, the North Atlantic treaty committed its original 12 members to collective security: an attack on one would be an attack on all. In the shadow of the second world war, Nato went further than the nascent United Nations in its defence and security commitments. It brought together a somewhat eclectic mix of states straddling the Atlantic, from the North American behemoths of the US and Canada to tiny Iceland and Luxembourg, the dictatorship of Salazar’s Portugal and the democracies of Norway and Belgium.

The UK’s participation was largely heralded across an enthusiastic parliament. Winston Churchill, then leader of the opposition, praised this new “fraternal association”. The foreign secretary, Ernest Bevin, celebrated the community of interest [and] cooperation with like-minded people”. UK politicians saw Nato as a means to connect with the US and Canada in particular.

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The language at the time also reflected the casting of the Soviet Union as a threat to European security. Although the UK welcomed Nato as a liberal democratic organisation dominated by English-speaking peoples, its primary purpose was always to act as a strategic counterweight to the influence and encroachment of the Soviet Union in Europe. Hence the claimed irrelevance of Nato in the 1990s after the cold war, and its renewed importance today in the face of Russian aggression.

As always with UK foreign and defence policies, the relationship with the US is paramount. The UK’s Nato-first position is no exception. Starmer clearly believes he can forge a working relationship with the US president. Although seemingly far from natural bedfellows (although neither were John F. Kennedy and Harold Macmillan or even, politics aside, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher), Donald Trump appears unthreatened by the sober, understated Starmer.

The thought within Starmer’s foreign policy circle may well be that a loud and unequivocal statement of the UK’s commitment to Nato could help persuade Trump to stay the course with an organisation that he has often threatened to pull the US out of.

If, on the other hand, Starmer et al are more pessimistic and fear Trump making good on his threats, Nato clearly remains an attractive proposition in terms of the UK’s defence policy. While it does commit the UK to the defence of, say, the Baltic States and Finland, by the same token, Nato puts the UK in lockstep with fellow nuclear power, France, as well as the growing military power of Germany and significant others such as Turkey. In uncertain times, such allies are to be valued.

Global influence

Even before Brexit, a fear of losing global and regional influence has stalked every British government since 1945.

Questioning the wisdom of the departure from the EU remains a Westminster taboo. Yet one might forgive the incoming Labour government for feeling the chill of isolation while Trump occupies the White House and Russia threatens the continent. Nato thus also represents a valuable opportunity to retain regional and global influence. Note the language in Starmer’s introduction to the report when he refers to a desire to “lead in Nato”.

Can Starmer’s ‘Nato-first’ pivot convince Trump to stay?
Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street, CC BY-NC-ND

While the other defenestrated European colonial powers found post-1945 influence through the Francophonie or becoming leading civilian forces in what became the EU, the UK had the Commonwealth and Nato. These were the prime proxies for the lost colonial influence, even during the long EU interregnum.

Without the EU and with a more restive Commonwealth, Nato is of even greater importance. Although France’s president Emmanuel Macron is generally enthusiastic about Nato, there is a history of French ambivalence. The UK could well make the claim to be the most steadfastly committed of all the larger European members.

This renewed commitment to Nato from the UK government is consistent with the historic prioritisation of the organisation by successive administrations. The difference here is the urgency of the context: Europe faces an unprecedented military threat, while the US president is unpredictable and dubious in his attitude towards continental defence.

The Nato-first stance is a recognition of grim, strategic realities and also a “Hail Mary”, both pragmatic and hopeful. The UK is not alone in desperately hoping to keep the US commitment to European security alive. The strategic review’s commitment to a Nato-first policy may help – at the very least, it signals a UK administration keen to maximise its influence and retain robust ties with European allies.

Nick Whittaker 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. What the UK’s ‘Nato-first’ defence approach tells us about Britain’s place in a volatile world – https://theconversation.com/what-the-uks-nato-first-defence-approach-tells-us-about-britains-place-in-a-volatile-world-258336

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 7, 2025
NATO’s dilemma: how Zelenskiy can attend summit without provoking Trump

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

Officials organising a NATO summit in The Hague this month are expected to keep it short, restrict discussion of Ukraine, and choreograph meetings so that Volodymyr Zelenskiy can somehow be in town without provoking Donald Trump.

Though the Ukrainian president is widely expected to attend the summit in some form, NATO has yet to confirm whether he is actually invited. Diplomats say he may attend a pre-summit dinner but be kept away from the main summit meeting.

Whether the brief summit statement will even identify Russia as a threat or express support for Ukraine is still up in the air.

The careful steps are all being taken to avoid angering Washington, much less provoking any repeat of February’s White House blow-up between Trump and Zelenskiy that almost torpedoed the international coalition supporting Kyiv.

NATO’s European members, who see Russia as an existential threat and NATO as the principal means of countering it, want to signal their continued strong support for Ukraine. But they are also desperate to avoid upsetting a volatile Trump, who stunned them at a summit seven years ago by threatening to quit the alliance altogether.

If Zelenskiy does not attend in some form, it would be “at least a PR disaster”, acknowledged a senior NATO diplomat.

Since Russia’s invasion three years ago, Zelenskiy has regularly attended NATO summits as the guest of honour, where alliance members pledged billions in weapons and condemned Russia for an illegal war of conquest. Leaders repeatedly promised that Ukraine would one day join NATO.

But since Washington’s shift under Trump towards partly accepting Russia’s justifications for the war and disparaging Zelenskiy, the 32-member alliance no longer speaks with a single voice about Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two. Trump has taken Ukraine’s NATO membership off the table, unilaterally granting Moscow one of its main demands.

After dressing down Zelenskiy in the Oval Office in February, Trump cut vital U.S. military and intelligence support for Ukraine for days.

Since then, the two men publicly mended fences in a meeting in St Peter’s Basilica for the funeral of Pope Francis. But mostly they have spoken remotely, with Zelenskiy twice phoning the White House on speakerphone while surrounded by four friendly Europeans — Britain’s Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Friedrich Merz and Poland’s Donald Tusk.

SPENDING BOOST

Trump is expected to come away from The Hague with a big diplomatic victory as NATO members heed his longstanding complaints that they do not spend enough on defence and agree a much higher target.

They are expected to boost their goal for traditional military spending to 3.5% of economic output from 2%. A further pledge to spend 1.5% on related expenses such as infrastructure and cyber defence would raise the total to 5% demanded by Trump.

But the summit itself and its accompanying written statement are expected to be unusually short, minimising the chances of flare-ups or disagreements. A pledge to develop recommendations for a new Russia strategy has been kicked into the long grass.

Meanwhile, Zelenskiy may have to be content with an invitation to a pre-summit dinner, hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander, diplomats say.

Unlike at NATO’s previous two annual summits, the leaders do not plan to hold a formal meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, the official venue for talks between the alliance and Kyiv. The senior NATO diplomat said a working dinner with either foreign ministers or defence ministers could instead serve as an NUC.

‘PROPERLY REPRESENTED’

On Wednesday, NATO boss Mark Rutte said he had invited Ukraine to the summit, but sidestepped a question on whether the invitation included Zelenskiy himself.

After meeting Rutte on Monday, Zelenskiy said on X that it was “important that Ukraine is properly represented” at the summit. “That would send the right signal to Russia,” he said.

U.S. and Ukrainian officials did not reply to questions about the nature of any invitation to Ukraine.

Some European countries are still willing to say in public that they hope to see Zelenskiy invited as the head of the Ukrainian delegation.

Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said he would like to see a “delegation led by President Zelenskiy”. Asked about an invitation for Zelenskiy, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said “I, for my part, strongly welcome the invitation” without giving further details.

But diplomats have tried to play down the importance of the formal status of Zelenskiy’s role: “Many allies want to have Zelenskiy at the summit, but there is flexibility on the precise format that would allow his presence,” said a second senior NATO diplomat.

A senior European diplomat said: “We should not get stuck on ‘NUC or no NUC’. If he comes to the leaders’ dinner, that would be the minimum.”

(Reuters)

June 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Why Kissinger would have been a Fortnite champ − and other foreign policy lessons from the gaming world

Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Michael A. Allen, Professor of Political Science, Boise State University

Charlemagne, the medieval King of the Franks, has taken control of modern-day America and is looking to expand his borders by invading your neighboring country.

Now, I’m not a historian. But the above example makes perfect sense to me as both a gamer and a professor of international relations.

It is a possible outcome in the recently released video game Civilization VII, or Civ 7, in which different historical figures can govern people far removed – both in time and geography – from their actual historical role. In this case, Charlemagne has become displeased with the little empire you control due to friction along a shared border and is likely to invade soon.

I have been an avid player of games like Civ 7 my entire life. I tend to play strategic games, be they video, card, board or role-playing games. And I’m not alone. An estimated 190.6 million people in the U.S. regularly play video games in some form.

While my primary reason for playing may be enjoyment, they also inform the discipline I teach. In fact, I just published a book, “The Gamer’s Guide to International Relations,” that explains how some of the most popular games around include lessons for people seeking to understand how diplomacy works and how different nations interact.

A visitor walks past the booth of Civilization VII at the Gamescom video games trade fair in Cologne, Germany, on Aug. 21, 2024.
Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images

While Civ 7 may seek to emulate this world of conflict and cooperation, other games with no apparent connection to geopolitics can also provide lessons. In particular, Fortnite, League of Legends and Minecraft invite gamers to interact with the world in a way that models how leaders, governments and countries behave.

Here are three ways in which games create worlds that model key concepts from international relations:

1. Fortnite as realpolitik

Fortnite, a video game focused on crafting weapons and survival that launched in 2017, can be used as an introduction to the concept of realpolitik.

The core part of Fortnite is its battle-royale, third-person shooting game. In a battle royale, you are fighting against 99 other players to be the last person standing.

The “everyone for themselves” ethos can be chaotic and challenging, with death and defeat lurking in every shrub.

It brings to mind the thinking behind the international relations theory of realism. Realists see the world as anarchic, with no overarching moral or physical authority telling states what to do – in other words, one with no world government.

It is a self-help system where states survive, thrive or die based on accruing power, finding security and using force to resolve disputes.

The theory of realism hearkens back to the ancient Greek historian Thucydides, who famously noted that the “strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.”

That phrase has become a central tenet of foreign policy realists. Henry Kissinger, secretary of state under U.S. President Richard Nixon, saw foreign policy as a strategic enterprise based on power, while largely ignoring other imperatives such as human rights and justice.

Even in international anarchy, however, cooperation can be attractive to a realist. Kissinger, for example, sought positive relations with China and foresaw that by working with China the U.S. could exploit a growing division between the Soviet Union and China.

From Kissinger’s perspective, it mattered less that China was communist and more that it was powerful and distrustful of the Soviet Union.

How does this apply to Fortnite? Well, in the game, you may come across two players fighting. When this happens, a player must quickly decide to either retreat or join the fray. If you enter the fight, you could either team up with the weaker player and eliminate a stronger foe or join the strong and remove the weak.

In Fortnite, and occasionally in international politics, whomever you choose as your temporary ally will become your rival immediately after – so you have to choose wisely. The enemy of your enemy is not going to stay your friend forever.

LoL and enduring allies

League of Legends, known as LoL or League to fans, is a game that offers a deceptively simple idea: A team of five players battles another to destroy their base.

Mastering the game is far from simple. Along the way, you can pick up valuable international relation lessons on the importance of forging lasting alliances.

Fans watch the final of an esports competition to determine the winner of South Korea’s largest online game.
Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Players remain anonymous and can be pretty toxic toward each other – tending to blame a team’s failings on anyone but themselves.

If you join as a solo player, you will join four other people you do not know and spend the next 30 minutes either winning or losing a game.

You’ll build a rapport with some teammates and want to keep playing with them. Other times, you find someone who complements your skills, and you can join a ranked competition as a pair and work together toward victory.

In this, LoL is more akin to the international relations theory of liberalism. Liberalism, which should not be confused with the political identity in U.S. politics, holds realism’s view of the world to be limited. Instead, it teaches that cooperation can endure beyond pure power politics.

Instead of a temporary alliance that falls apart immediately after you achieve your goal, liberalism suggests that alliances can mutually benefit two countries in the long run.

Take for example the United States and the United Kingdom. The two countries allied during the crises of two worlds wars. By the end of World War II, they had established a long-term partnership, resulting in the establishment of international institutions that have endured for 80 years.

Liberalism argues that countries can find solutions where both sides benefit without one side being disadvantaged. This contrasts with realism’s views of the world as zero-sum – where one side benefits at the other’s expense.

Under both liberalism and League of Legends, interactions can create positive-sum outcomes for both parties.

Minecraft and constructing the world

Turning to Minecraft, one of the most popular games in the world, we find valuable lessons on a third international relations concept: constructivism.

Constructivism argues that the world is socially constructed. That is, the rules of international politics are something that humans and countries have created, chosen to abide by and are willing to enforce.

And this works well with Minecraft. People of all ages can enjoy it – but it is up to players to choose how to play. You can build houses or castles, or you can choose to find and defeat the Ender Dragon. Or you can turn on creative mode and decide to make art or large engineering projects.

Constructing a love for all things foreign policy.
Georg Wendt/picture alliance via Getty Images

The point is that it’s up to you and your friends to determine joint goals or collectively decide to pursue your own interests – and that concept is at the heart of constructivism. States can decide to create a more liberal world by jointly signing treaties or joining international organizations that alter what nations can and cannot do. Alternatively, states may see such ventures as facades and decide that the most important things are power and security. Both realist and liberal states can exist in the same world.

Like players in Minecraft, states may view the world as one where everyone is a threat, in line with realism. Or they may view the world as one where institutions and cooperation provide a better experience for everyone.

In Minecraft as in international politics, the goals, rules and punishments for those who deviate are determined collectively.

Digging deeper

Games such as Minecraft, League of Legends and Fortnite may seem to many as a pastime rather than a learning experience. But they can help people connect with concepts that attempt to explain a vast and confusing world. Being able to grasp the arcane and complicated world of international relations can make the world slightly more manageable.

Michael A. Allen 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. Why Kissinger would have been a Fortnite champ − and other foreign policy lessons from the gaming world – https://theconversation.com/why-kissinger-would-have-been-a-fortnite-champ-and-other-foreign-policy-lessons-from-the-gaming-world-253594

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 7, 2025
MIL-OSI: Heidelberg Pharma to Present at the Life Sciences Virtual Investor Forum June 12th

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LADENBURG, Germany, June 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Heidelberg Pharma AG (XETRA: HPHA), a clinical-stage biotech company developing innovative Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs), today announced that Andreas Pahl, CEO of Heidelberg Pharma, will present live at the Life Sciences Virtual Investor Forum hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on June 12^th, 2025.

Heidelberg Pharma’s lead candidate, HDP-101, a BCMA-targeting ADC with the novel payload Amanitin, is being evaluated in a Phase I/IIa clinical trial for the treatment of relapsed or refractory Multiple Myeloma. HDP-101 is showing promising results, including a prolonged complete response in a patient who had undergone extensive prior treatment. The patient has received continuous treatment with HDP-101 alone for over 19 months, showing excellent tolerability of the drug.

In addition, promising biological activity and objective improvements were observed in several patients, underscoring the potential of HDP-101 as a treatment option for Multiple Myeloma. Dose escalation is continuing, and the study is advancing in cohort 8.

Furthermore, the second candidate, HDP-102, a CD-37-targeting ADC with the novel payload Amanitin, has recently entered clinical development and the first patient has been dosed in a Phase I study for the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

DATE: June 12^th
TIME: 10:00 AM ET
LINK: REGISTER HERE
Available for 1×1 meetings: June 12^th and 13^th

This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.

Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

Recent Company Highlights

About Heidelberg Pharma

Heidelberg Pharma is a biopharmaceutical company working on a new treatment approach in oncology and developing novel drugs based on its ADC technologies for the targeted and highly effective treatment of cancer. ADCs are antibody-drug conjugates that combine the specificity of antibodies with the efficacy of toxins to fight cancer. Selected antibodies are loaded with cytotoxic compounds, the so-called payloads, that are transported into diseased cells. Inside the cells, the toxins then unleash their effect and kill the diseased cells.

Heidelberg Pharma uses several compounds and has built up an ADC toolbox that overcomes tumor resistance via numerous pathways and addresses different types of cancer using various antibodies. The goal is to develop targeted and highly effective ADCs for the treatment of a variety of malignant hematologic and solid tumors.

Heidelberg Pharma is the first company to use the compound Amanitin from the green death cap mushroom in cancer therapy. The biological mechanism of action of the toxin represents a new therapeutic modality and is used as a compound in the Amanitin-based ADC technology, the so-called ATAC technology.

The company is based in Ladenburg, Germany, and is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange: ISIN DE000A11QVV0 / WKN A11QVV / Symbol HPHA. More information is available at www.heidelberg-pharma.com.

ATAC^® is a registered trademark of Heidelberg Pharma Research GmbH. ITAC™, ETAC™ are pending trademark applications of Heidelberg Pharma Research GmbH.

About Virtual Investor Conferences^®
Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

CONTACTS:
Heidelberg Pharma AG
Sylvia Wimmer
Director Corporate Communications
Tel.: +49 89 41 31 38-29
E-mail: investors@hdpharma.com
Gregor-Mendel-Str. 22, 68526 Ladenburg

Virtual Investor Conferences
John M. Viglotti
SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access
OTC Markets Group
(212) 220-2221
johnv@otcmarkets.com

The MIL Network –

June 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: US health care is rife with high costs and deep inequities, and that’s no accident – a public health historian explains how the system was shaped to serve profit and politicians

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Zachary W. Schulz, Senior Lecturer of History, Auburn University

Concessions to the private sector are one reason why health care is so costly. FS Productions/Tetra images via Getty Images

A few years ago, a student in my history of public health course asked why her mother couldn’t afford insulin without insurance, despite having a full-time job. I told her what I’ve come to believe: The U.S. health care system was deliberately built this way.

People often hear that health care in America is dysfunctional – too expensive, too complex and too inequitable. But dysfunction implies failure. What if the real problem is that the system is functioning exactly as it was designed to? Understanding this legacy is key to explaining not only why reform has failed repeatedly, but why change remains so difficult.

I am a historian of public health with experience researching oral health access and health care disparities in the Deep South. My work focuses on how historical policy choices continue to shape the systems we rely on today.

By tracing the roots of today’s system and all its problems, it’s easier to understand why American health care looks the way it does and what it will take to reform it into a system that provides high-quality, affordable care for all. Only by confronting how profit, politics and prejudice have shaped the current system can Americans imagine and demand something different.

Decades of compromise

My research and that of many others show that today’s high costs, deep inequities and fragmented care are predictable features developed from decades of policy choices that prioritized profit over people, entrenched racial and regional hierarchies, and treated health care as a commodity rather than a public good.

Over the past century, U.S. health care developed not from a shared vision of universal care, but from compromises that prioritized private markets, protected racial hierarchies and elevated individual responsibility over collective well-being.

Employer-based insurance emerged in the 1940s, not from a commitment to worker health but from a tax policy workaround during wartime wage freezes. The federal government allowed employers to offer health benefits tax-free, incentivizing coverage while sidestepping nationalized care. This decision bound health access to employment status, a structure that is still dominant today. In contrast, many other countries with employer-provided insurance pair it with robust public options, ensuring that access is not tied solely to a job.

In 1965, Medicare and Medicaid programs greatly expanded public health infrastructure. Unfortunately, they also reinforced and deepened existing inequalities. Medicare, a federally administered program for people over 64, primarily benefited wealthier Americans who had access to stable, formal employment and employer-based insurance during their working years. Medicaid, designed by Congress as a joint federal-state program, is aimed at the poor, including many people with disabilities. The combination of federal and state oversight resulted in 50 different programs with widely variable eligibility, coverage and quality.

Southern lawmakers, in particular, fought for this decentralization. Fearing federal oversight of public health spending and civil rights enforcement, they sought to maintain control over who received benefits. Historians have shown that these efforts were primarily designed to restrict access to health care benefits along racial lines during the Jim Crow period of time.

Bloated bureaucracies, ‘creeping socialism’

Today, that legacy is painfully visible.

States that chose not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act are overwhelmingly located in the South and include several with large Black populations. Nearly 1 in 4 uninsured Black adults are uninsured because they fall into the coverage gap – unable to access affordable health insurance – they earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to receive subsidies through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace.

The system’s architecture also discourages care aimed at prevention. Because Medicaid’s scope is limited and inconsistent, preventive care screenings, dental cleanings and chronic disease management often fall through the cracks. That leads to costlier, later-stage care that further burdens hospitals and patients alike.

Meanwhile, cultural attitudes around concepts like “rugged individualism” and “freedom of choice” have long been deployed to resist public solutions. In the postwar decades, while European nations built national health care systems, the U.S. reinforced a market-driven approach.

Publicly funded systems were increasingly portrayed by American politicians and industry leaders as threats to individual freedom – often dismissed as “socialized medicine” or signs of creeping socialism. In 1961, for example, Ronald Reagan recorded a 10-minute LP titled “Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine,” which was distributed by the American Medical Association as part of a national effort to block Medicare.

The health care system’s administrative complexity ballooned beginning in the 1960s, driven by the rise of state-run Medicaid programs, private insurers and increasingly fragmented billing systems. Patients were expected to navigate opaque billing codes, networks and formularies, all while trying to treat, manage and prevent illness. In my view, and that of other scholars, this isn’t accidental but rather a form of profitable confusion built into the system to benefit insurers and intermediaries.

President Donald Trump’s proposed cuts would reduce Medicaid spending by about US$700 billion.

Coverage gaps, chronic disinvestment

Even well-meaning reforms have been built atop this structure. The Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010, expanded access to health insurance but preserved many of the system’s underlying inequities. And by subsidizing private insurers rather than creating a public option, the law reinforced the central role of private companies in the health care system.

The public option – a government-run insurance plan intended to compete with private insurers and expand coverage – was ultimately stripped from the Affordable Care Act during negotiations due to political opposition from both Republicans and moderate Democrats.

When the U.S. Supreme Court made it optional in 2012 for states to offer expanded Medicaid coverage to low-income adults earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level, it amplified the very inequalities that the ACA sought to reduce.

These decisions have consequences. In states like Alabama, an estimated 220,000 adults remain uninsured due to the Medicaid coverage gap – the most recent year for which reliable data is available – highlighting the ongoing impact of the state’s refusal to expand Medicaid.

In addition, rural hospitals have closed, patients forgo care, and entire counties lack practicing OB/GYNs or dentists. And when people do get care – especially in states where many remain uninsured – they can amass medical debt that can upend their lives.

All of this is compounded by chronic disinvestment in public health. Federal funding for emergency preparedness has declined for years, and local health departments are underfunded and understaffed.

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed just how brittle the infrastructure is – especially in low-income and rural communities, where overwhelmed clinics, delayed testing, limited hospital capacity, and higher mortality rates exposed the deadly consequences of neglect.

A system by design

Change is hard not because reformers haven’t tried before, but because the system serves the very interests it was designed to serve. Insurers profit from obscurity – networks that shift, formularies that confuse, billing codes that few can decipher. Providers profit from a fee-for-service model that rewards quantity over quality, procedure over prevention. Politicians reap campaign contributions and avoid blame through delegation, diffusion and plausible deniability.

This is not an accidental web of dysfunction. It is a system that transforms complexity into capital, bureaucracy into barriers.

Patients – especially the uninsured and underinsured – are left to make impossible choices: delay treatment or take on debt, ration medication or skip checkups, trust the health care system or go without. Meanwhile, I believe the rhetoric of choice and freedom disguises how constrained most people’s options really are.

Other countries show us that alternatives are possible. Systems in Germany, France and Canada vary widely in structure, but all prioritize universal access and transparency.

Understanding what the U.S. health care system is designed to do – rather than assuming it is failing unintentionally – is a necessary first step toward considering meaningful change.

Zachary W. Schulz 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. US health care is rife with high costs and deep inequities, and that’s no accident – a public health historian explains how the system was shaped to serve profit and politicians – https://theconversation.com/us-health-care-is-rife-with-high-costs-and-deep-inequities-and-thats-no-accident-a-public-health-historian-explains-how-the-system-was-shaped-to-serve-profit-and-politicians-256393

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 7, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Jeremy Rose: Mister Netanyahu have you no sense of decency?

Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. –

COMMENTARY: By Jeremy Rose

The word antisemitism has become so debased that depending on who is using it I might well take it as a sign that the accused is worth listening to.

When the World Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrest, he responded by saying the court was being antisemitic. One of the court’s legal advisers was Theodor Meron, a former Israeli ambassador and legal adviser who spent a chunk of his childhood in a Nazi concentration camp.

Last month, Netanyahu declared the leaders of France, the UK and Canada of fuelling antisemitism.

Their “crime”? Threatening “concrete action” against Israel if it continues its “egregious” blockade of aid entering Gaza.

Egregious not genocidal. And the concrete action referred to wasn’t sanctions or a full arms embargo but stalling free trade talks.

The bitter irony is that with none of those countries having yet imposed a complete ban on arms exports to Israel they are all in a sense fuelling a genocide.

The Army-McCarthy hearings
We’re coming up to the 71st anniversary of the Army-McCarthy hearings where an army lawyer, Joseph Welch, rebuked Senator Joseph McCarthy with the famous line: “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?”

We’ll be waiting a long time for the wanted war criminal Netanyahu to show any decency, but could we be approaching a tipping point where the establishment finally calls off a witch hunt after realising no one is safe from false accusations.

The McCarthyite red scare, which began in the late 1940s, saw more than 2000 federal workers sacked, thousands of academics, teachers, and union members pressured or forced to resign due to anti-communist policies, and up to 500 Hollywood directors and actors blacklisted for being leftwing or refusing to name names.

Welch’s rebuke was triggered by none of that. It was McCarthy turning his metaphorical guns onto the military implying he would expose high ranking army personnel that saw the army lawyer return fire.

The conflating of criticism of Israel with antisemitism has been spectacularly successful in making any criticism of Israel a potentially career ending move. Three Ivy League presidents have been pushed out of their jobs for failing to crack down hard enough on students protesting the brutality of Israel’s ongoing genocide.

UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, whose popularity had seen the party become the biggest political movement in Europe, was toppled in 2016 after bogus accusations of antisemitism.

In the purge of the Labour Party that followed Jews were five times more likely to be investigated for antisemitism than goys.

It’s the same story in Germany where Jews feature prominently among those cancelled for alleged antisemitism. Renowned professor of Jewish studies Peter Schäfe was forced to resign as the director of Berlin’s Jewish Museum after it retweeted a post critical of Germany’s anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resolutions.

Greece’s former Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis — not a Jew — has been banned from Germany or even appearing via Zoom for this response, on 8 October 2023, to being asked if he condemned Hamas:

“I condemn every single atrocity, whomever is the perpetrator or the victim. What I do not condemn is armed resistance to an apartheid system designed as part of a slow-burning, but inexorable, ethnic cleansing programme.
As a European, it is important to refrain from condemning either the Israelis or the Palestinians when it is us, Europeans, who have caused this never-ending tragedy: after practising rabid anti-Semitism for centuries, leading up to the uniquely vile Holocaust, we have been complicit for decades with the slow genocide of Palestinians, as if two wrongs make one right.”

That nuanced response, with its acknowledgement of the dreadful legacy of real antisemitism, has not only seen him banned from speaking — in person or virtually — but dropped by his German publisher.

Antisemitism is often referred to as the oldest hatred — with good reason — but the word itself is relatively recent.

A ‘scientific’ word for an old hatred
Nineteenth century German journalist, Wilhelm Marr, popularised the term in a pamphlet the title of which translates as: The way to victory of Germanism over Judaism.

What distinguished antisemitism from the commonly used Judenhass — or Jewish hate — was the idea that it was a Jew’s race not their religion that was deserving of hate.

Antisemitism was a prejudice proud to speak its name. It was respectable in a way that religious intolerance wasn’t. Prominent professors and politicians happily declared themselves antisemites and adherents of “scientific racism”.

It was an old idea dressed up in new clothing. Fifteenth century Spain passed Limpieza de Sangre (cleanliness of blood) statutes to allow discrimination against Jewish and Muslim converts to Christianity.

The Judeo-Christian civilisational conflict with Islam, often referred to by right-wing supporters of Israel, is a relatively new construct. When the Jews were expelled from Spain, the Ottomans sent ships to take them to new homes in Istanbul, Thessaloniki and Izmer.

Times change and while it was once possible — even common — to be a respectable antisemite and scientific racist but frowned upon to discriminate based on religious belief, now the reverse is true.

So-called new atheists like Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins declare all religions bad but Islam worse.

“Listening to the lovely bells of Winchester, one of our great mediaeval cathedrals. So much nicer than the aggressive sounding “Allahu Akhbar.” Or is that just my cultural upbringing?” Dawkins once tweeted.

The cultures of Europe have indeed cultivated racist ideas for centuries. And just as half a millennia ago conversion offered you no protection from the racism of the Spanish court, embracing Buddhism didn’t protect Columbia University student Moshen Mahdawi from being snatched from a naturalisation interview by balaclava-clad ICE agents.

His crime? Being Palestinian and telling his story.

It’s a topsy-turvy world where life-long anti-fascists like Jeremy Corbyn and Yanis Varoufakis are sanctioned on bogus claims of antisemitism while the likes of Elon Musk and Hungarian PM Victor Orban — both peddlers of old-style antisemitic conspiracies — are welcomed to Israel as friends and allies in a contrived battle of civilisations.

One thing that differentiates antisemitism from the Judeophobia, which has been a European disease since the early days of Christianity, is that it places Jews among the victims of the continent’s white supremacist legacy.

It’s perhaps no coincidence the Christopher Columbus set sail for the Americas in the same year, 1492, that Spain expelled its Jews and Muslims.

The settler colonisation of the Americas has been estimated by historian David Stannard to have resulted in the death of 100 million indigenous people — many from introduced diseases but tens of millions also died in genocides only recently making their way into history books.

Last month, when Netanyahu declared Israel’s attacks on Gaza “a war against human beasts” he was echoing the words of settler colonialists from Alaska to Aotearoa and the dehumanising language of the Nazis against the Jews.

So, back to that question about whether we’ve reached a tipping point where unfair accusations of antisemitism will be seen in a similar light to McCarthy’s red scare.

With Netanyahu accusing the leader of the Democrats party, Yair Golan, an IDF reserve major-general, of promoting a blood libel for speaking out against the starving of babies in Gaza, it’s hard not to draw parallels with the Army-McCarthy hearings.

It’s worth quoting the words that saw Israel’s PM accuse Golan of a blood libel — a reference to the lie that Jews used the blood of non-Jewish children in the baking of matzos, and a trigger for centuries of pogroms.

“A sane country does not wage war against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not set goals for itself like the expulsion of a population.”

The idea that an IDF general speaking out against the killing of babies is propagating racist hatred of Jews is surely a leap too far even for many fervent Zionists.

Another sign that the tide might be turning is Kenneth Stern, the lead drafter of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, saying the US administration’s weaponisation of the IHRA definition is making academics and students (including Jews) less safe.

The self-described Zionist said the definition was being distorted and used to silence anti-Israel critics.

The IHRA working definition has been widely adopted internationally — including by institutions in New Zealand and Australia.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have both criticised the definition claiming it has seen those documenting Israel’s human rights abuses being falsely accused of antisemitism.

It’s a tragedy that weaponised accusations of antisemitism aimed at protecting Israel from criticism are obscuring a rise in Judeophobic conspiracy theories and attacks on Jewish community centres and synagogues around the world.

And even more tragically that those accusations are blunting criticisms of Israel that could help bring the ongoing genocide in Gaza to an end.

Jeremy Rose is a Wellington-based journalist. He has a Substack: Towards democracy

This article was first published on Café Pacific.

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

June 6, 2025
MIL-OSI: OTC Markets Group Welcomes Neo Performance Materials Inc to OTCQX

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, June 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities, today announced Neo Performance Materials Inc (TSX: NEO; OTCQX: NOPMF), a manufacturer of the building blocks of many modern technologies that enhance efficiency and sustainability, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX^® Best Market. Neo Performance Materials Inc upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink^® market.

Neo Performance Materials Inc begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol “NOPMF.” U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.

Upgrading to the OTCQX Market is an important step for companies seeking to provide transparent trading for their U.S. investors. For companies listed on a qualified international exchange, streamlined market standards enable them to utilize their home market reporting to make their information available in the U.S. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.

Neo’s CEO, Rahim Suleman, said: “We are pleased to begin trading on OTCQX, which enhances Neo’s visibility and accessibility for U.S. investors. As a global leader in advanced rare earth materials, with a strong balance sheet and a growing magnetics business in Europe, we are well-positioned to support the accelerating demand for critical materials in electrification and other modern technologies. Trading on OTCQX provides an additional platform to broaden our shareholder base as we continue to execute on our strategic priorities and drive long-term value.”

About Neo Performance Materials Inc
Neo manufactures the building blocks of many modern technologies that enhance efficiency and sustainability. Neo’s advanced industrial materials – magnetic powders, rare earth magnets, magnetic assemblies, specialty chemicals, metals, and alloys – are critical to the performance of many everyday products and emerging technologies. Neo’s products fast-forward technologies for the net-zero transition. The business of Neo is organized along three segments: Magnequench, Chemicals & Oxides and Rare Metals. Neo is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; with corporate offices in Greenwood Village, Colorado, United States; Singapore; and Beijing, China. Neo has a global platform that includes manufacturing facilities located in China, Germany, Canada, Estonia, Thailand and the United Kingdom, as well as one dedicated research and development centre in Singapore.

About OTC Markets Group Inc.

OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Our data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of our three public markets: OTCQX^® Best Market, OTCQB^® Venture Market, and Pink^® Open Market.

Our OTC Link^® Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) provide critical market infrastructure that broker-dealers rely on to facilitate trading. Our innovative model offers companies more efficient access to the U.S. financial markets.

OTC Link ATS, OTC Link ECN, OTC Link NQB, and MOON ATS™ are each an SEC regulated ATS, operated by OTC Link LLC, a FINRA and SEC registered broker-dealer, member SIPC.

To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.

Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed

Media Contact:
OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, media@otcmarkets.com

The MIL Network –

June 6, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: NASA Awards Third Crowdsourcing Contract Iteration

Source: NASA

NASA continues to collaborate with global communities to solve complex challenges through crowdsourcing with a series of 25 new NASA Open Innovation Service (NOIS) contracts managed by the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The contract aims to empower NASA’s workforce by actively engaging the public to find creative solutions to difficult space exploration challenges through rapid experimentation with new methodologies, new technologies, and unique perspectives, ensuring NASA remains at the forefront of innovation while accomplishing its missions.
This is the third NOIS contract, managed by NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation (CoECI), and used by NASA and other government agencies. The NOIS3 contract will provide solutions through multiple crowdsourcing tools and methodologies, which include public prize competitions, freelance tasking, technology searches, and other crowd-based methods.
The total value of the NOIS3 contract is $475 million over 10 years. There is a guaranteed $500 minimum obligation for each contract award. The base contract spans June 5, 2025, through May 31, 2027, and there are two options, the first for three years, and the second for five years. If all options are exercised, work could continue through May 31, 2035.
The awardees are:

Blue Clarity, Vienna, Virginia
Capital Consulting Corp., Fairfax, Virginia
Challenge Works, London, United Kingdom
CrowdPlat Inc., Pleasanton, California
Design Interactive Inc., Orlando, Florida
DrivenData Inc., Denver
Ensemble Government Services, Hyattsville, Maryland
Hyperion Technologies, Arlington, Virginia
Floor23 Digital, Jackson, Wisconsin
Freelancer International, Sydney, Australia
HeroX, Wilmington, Delaware
HYVE Innovate, Munchen, Germany
Innoget, Rockville, Maryland
Institute of Competition Sciences, San Francisco
Loyal Source Government Services, Orlando, Florida
Luminary Labs, New York City
National Institute of Aerospace Associates, Hampton, Virginia
Randstad Federal, Duluth, Georgia
Rios Partners, Arlington, Virginia
SecondMuse, Bernalillo, New Mexico
TechConnect, Summerville, South Carolina
Toffler Associates, Arlington, Virginia
Tongal Inc., Los Angeles
Topcocder, Indianapolis
yet2.com Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts

NASA’s CoECI provides guidance on open innovation initiatives, helping define challenges and requirements and formulating and evaluating potential solutions. The center’s end-to-end service allows NASA and other federal agencies to rapidly experiment with new methods and solve critical problems through innovation and collaboration.
Learn more about the NASA Center of Excellence at:
https://www.nasa.gov/coeci
-end-
Tiernan DoyleHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600tiernan.doyle@nasa.gov
Kelly HumphriesJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111kelly.o.humphries@nasa.gov

MIL OSI USA News –

June 6, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Marshall Islands nuclear legacy: report highlights lack of health research
By Giff Johnson, editor, Marshall Islands Journal, and RNZ Pacific correspondent

A new report on the United States nuclear weapons testing legacy in the Marshall Islands highlights the lack of studies into important health concerns voiced by Marshallese for decades that make it impossible to have a clear understanding of the impacts of the 67 nuclear weapons tests.

The Legacy of US Nuclear Testing in the Marshall Islands, a report by Dr Arjun Makhijani of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, was released late last month.

The report was funded by Greenpeace Germany and is an outgrowth of the organisation’s flagship vessel, Rainbow Warrior III, visiting the Marshall Islands from March to April to recognise the 40th anniversary of the resettlement of the nuclear test-affected population of Rongelap Atoll.

Dr Mahkijani said that among the “many troubling aspects” of the legacy is that the United States had concluded, in 1948, after three tests, that the Marshall Islands was not “a suitable site for atomic experiments” because it did not meet the required meteorological criteria.

“Yet testing went on,” he said.

“Also notable has been the lack of systematic scientific attention to the accounts by many Marshallese of severe malformations and other adverse pregnancy outcomes like stillbirths. This was despite the documented fallout throughout the country and the fact that the potential for fallout to cause major birth defects has been known since the 1950s.”

Dr Makhijani highlights the point that, despite early documentation in the immediate aftermath of the 1954 Bravo hydrogen bomb test and numerous anecdotal reports from Marshallese women about miscarriages and still births, US government medical officials in charge of managing the nuclear test-related medical programme in the Marshall Islands never systematically studied birth anomalies.

Committed billions of dollars
The US Deputy Secretary of State in the Biden-Harris administration, Kurt Cambell, said that Washington, over decades, had committed billions of dollars to the damages and the rebuilding of the Marshall Islands.

“I think we understand that that history carries a heavy burden, and we are doing what we can to support the people in the [Compact of Free Association] states, including the Marshall Islands,” he told reporters at the Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ meeting in Nuku’alofa last year.

“This is not a legacy that we seek to avoid. We have attempted to address it constructively with massive resources and a sustained commitment.”

Among points outlined in the new report:
- Gamma radiation levels at Majuro, the capital of the Marshall Islands, officially considered a “very low exposure” atoll, were tens of times, and up to 300 times, more than background in the immediate aftermaths of the thermonuclear tests in the Castle series at Bikini Atoll in 1954.
- Thyroid doses in the so-called “low exposure atolls” averaged 270 milligray (mGy), 60 percent more than the 50,000 people of Pripyat near Chernobyl who were evacuated (170 mGy) after the 1986 accident there, and roughly double the average thyroid exposures in the most exposed counties in the United States due to testing at the Nevada Test Site.
Women from the nuclear test-affected Rongelap Atoll greeted the Rainbow Warrior and its crew with songs and dances as part of celebrating the 40th anniversary of the evacuation of Rongelap Atoll in 1985 by the Rainbow Warrior. Image: RNZ Pacific/Giff Johnson

Despite this, “only a small fraction of the population has been officially recognised as exposed enough for screening and medical attention; even that came with its own downsides, including people being treated as experimental subjects,” the report said.

Women reported adverse outcomes
“In interviews and one 1980s country-wide survey, women have reported many adverse pregnancy outcomes,” said the report.

“They include stillbirths, a baby with part of the skull missing and ‘the brain and the spinal cord fully exposed,’ and a two-headed baby. Many of the babies with major birth defects died shortly after birth.

“Some who lived suffered very difficult lives, as did their families. Despite extensive personal testimony, no systematic country-wide scientific study of a possible relationship of adverse pregnancy outcomes to nuclear testing has been done.

“It is to be noted that awareness among US scientists of the potential for major birth defects due to radioactive fallout goes back to the 1950s. Hiroshima-Nagasaki survivor data has also provided evidence for this problem.

“The occurrence of stillbirths and major birth defects due to nuclear testing fallout in the Marshall Islands is scientifically plausible but no definitive statement is possible at the present time,” the report concluded.

“The nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands created a vast amount of fission products, including radioactive isotopes that cross the placenta, such as iodine-131 and tritium.

“Radiation exposure in the first trimester can cause early failed pregnancies, severe neurological damage, and other major birth defects.

No definitive statement possible
“This makes it plausible that radiation exposure may have caused the kinds of adverse pregnancy outcomes that were experienced and reported.

“However, no definitive statement is possible in the absence of a detailed scientific assessment.”

Scientists who traveled with the Rainbow Warrior III on its two-month visit to the Marshall Islands earlier this year collected samples from Enewetak, Bikini, Rongelap and other atolls for scientific study and evaluation.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
June 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: The Bundesbank’s forecast for Germany: Economic recovery slowly getting started | US tariffs initially weigh on economic growth; fiscal policy provides impetus from 2026

Source: Deutsche Bundesbank in English

The recovery of the German economy is being delayed by uncertainty surrounding international trade policy. Only gradually will economic activity be boosted by fiscal measures. The German economy will continue to tread water in the current year. The new US tariffs and uncertainty about future US policy are dampening economic growth for the time being, said Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel, presenting the Bundesbank’s new Forecast for Germany. This has hit German industry at a time when it had begun to stabilise after a long period of weakness. However, the sharp rise in government defence and infrastructure expenditure is likely to cause a marked surge in demand and an increase in gross domestic product (GDP) from 2026 onwards. Moreover, according to the new forecast, inflationary pressures in Germany are continuing to ease. The Forecast for Germany thus also provides good news for consumers and the economy, Mr Nagel said.
Calendar-adjusted GDP is expected to stagnate in 2025. However, the Bundesbank’s experts expect stronger growth rates of 0.7 % and 1.2 % for 2026 and 2027. Compared with the December Forecast for Germany, the growth outlook is thus revised downwards for 2025 and upwards for 2027. According to the Bundesbank’s experts, the outlook is clouded in the short term by the protectionist trade policy of the United States and the associated uncertainty. Overall, exports will decline significantly in 2025 and increase only slightly next year. Reduced momentum in industrial production due to tariffs will contribute to a slowdown in the labour market and weigh on wage growth. From 2026 onwards, the expansionary fiscal policy and the lessened growth-dampening impact of US economic policy will lead to a marked recovery for the German economy.
Following the easing of the debt brake, fiscal policymakers are financing a substantial portion of spending, particularly on defence and government infrastructure, via loans. Government consumption and, above all, government investment will therefore rise steeply from 2026 onwards. We expect the additional government spending on defence and infrastructure to significantly increase GDP growth by the end of 2027, said Bundesbank President Nagel.
Although the government deficit ratio is likely to decline further this year, it will then rise sharply to just over 4 % by 2027. The significant increase is largely attributable to the fiscal package, which includes not only higher spending on defence and government infrastructure, but also tax cuts, increased subsidies and transfers to enterprises and households. The Maastricht debt ratio will rise to around 66 % by 2027. It had already reached 62.5 % at the end of 2024. Germany’s public finances can cope with a temporary increase in the deficit and debt ratios, Mr Nagel said.
The rise in inflation as measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) will slow to 2.2 % as an annual average in 2025. Inflation is then likely to decline temporarily to 1.5 % in 2026 due to energy prices, before rising again to 1.9 % in 2027. The core rate (excluding energy and food) will fall to 2.6 % this year and thus remain markedly higher. It will then fall to 1.9 % in 2026. From 2026 onwards, the core rate will settle at around 2 %,” Bundesbank President Nagel said. The reasons for this decline are the decreasing price pressures from labour costs and the initially still weak demand. We’re also seeing the delayed effect of the Eurosystem’s tight monetary policy up to 2024.

Projection June 2025

Year-on-year percentage change

2024

2025

2026

2027

Real GDP, calendar adjusted

− 0.2

0.0

0.7

1.2

Real GDP, unadjusted

− 0.2

− 0.1

1.0

1.3

Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices

2.5

2.2

1.5

1.9

Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices excluding energy and food

3.2

2.6

1.9

2.0

Source: Federal Statistical Office (data as at 21 May 2025). Annual figures for 2025 to 2027 are Bundesbank forecasts.

MIL OSI

MIL OSI Europe News –

June 6, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Regular Press Conference of the Ministry of National Defense on May 29, 2025 2025-06-06 Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of May 29, 2025.

Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense

By Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, Spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND)

Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of May 29, 2025. (mod.gov.cn)

(The following English text is for reference. In case of any divergence of interpretation, the Chinese text shall prevail.)

Zhang Xiaogang: Friends from the media, good afternoon, welcome to this month’s regular press conference of the Ministry of National Defense of the People’s Republic of China

I have a piece of news to release at the top.

The PLA National Defense University (NDU) sent a delegation to attend the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) upon invitation on May 29. The visit is scheduled till June 2, during which the delegation will also have exchanges with military and civilian units in Singapore.

Journalist: Not long ago, the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum was held in Beijing. President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony and delivered an important speech. Could you please provide more details about military cooperation between China and Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries?

Zhang Xiaogang: Recently, President Xi Jinping attended the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum and delivered a keynote address. He summarized the best practices for developing China-LAC relations, and announced the launch of five programs of Solidarity, Development, Civilization, Peace and People-to-People Connectivity. In the speech, President Xi has charted the course for building a China-LAC Community with a Shared Future.

China-LAC cooperation has withstood winds and rains, and transcended mountains and oceans across half a globe. The cooperation has bolstered economic growth and improved the livelihoods of the LAC region, bringing tangible benefits to the local people. In recent years, the Chinese and LAC militaries have had frequent high-level exchange, and conducted numerous working level meetings. Events such as the China-LAC States Defense Forum, China-LAC Military Medicine Forum and Seminar for Senior Military Officers from LAC Countries have been held multiple times. China-LAC defense cooperation has been productive, deepening our friendship and mutual trust. The Chinese side stands ready to work with the defense establishments and militaries of LAC countries to act on the Global Security Initiative, and deepen substantive cooperation in such areas as mutual visits, professional exchanges and personnel training. Together, we will promote sustained and solid progress in building a China-LAC Community with a Shared Future.

Journalist: In his recent speech, Lai Ching-te said that Taiwan would continue to strengthen its defenses and avoid war by preparing for it. Will the PLA conduct military exercises as countermeasures as before?

Zhang Xiaogang: As long as Lai Ching-te continues his provocations for “Taiwan independence”, there will be no tranquility in the Taiwan Strait and no stability for our Taiwan compatriots. We warn the DPP authorities that “Taiwan independence” separatists will come to no good end. The PLA will remain combat-ready at all times, enhance combat readiness, and safeguard our national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Journalist: The US recently unveiled plans for the Golden Dome missile defense system, and announced that it would be completed in 3 years. May I have your comments on this?

Zhang Xiaogang: The US presses ahead with the Golden Dome system and deploys space-based weapons, continuously expands its military build-up and stokes an arms race in outer space. Such acts violate relevant principles of the Outer Space Treaty, heighten the risk of turning the space into a war zone and triggering a space arms race, and shake the international security and arms control regime. Its actions will once again open the Pandora’s box. This proves again that no country has done more than the US in militarizing the space and making it a battlefield. We urge the US side to stop expanding military build-up in space, and take concrete actions to uphold global strategic stability.

Journalist: I have two questions. The first one is that Japan’s Defense Ministry recently announced that Chinese aircraft carrier PLANS Liaoning conducted take-off and landing operations of ship-borne aircraft in the East China Sea. Officials of the Japan Self-Defense Forces said that similar activities were conducted by Chinese aircraft carriers before, but this training occurred in waters closer to Japan. The Japanese Defense Ministry therefore decided to make it public and this is the first time for the Ministry to release such information. What’s your comment on this?

The second question is that the US President Donald Trump recently said that the US was mass-producing hypersonic missiles. As one of the major countries that develop hypersonic technologies, how does the Chinese side view the impact on the global arms control regime caused by the US accelerating its deployment of such strategic weapons?

Zhang Xiaogang: On the first question, the task fleet led by PLANS Liaoning conducted training in relevant waters, which does not target any specific country or entity and is in line with international law and practice. I think the Japanese side overreacted.

On your second question, We pursue a national defense policy that is defensive in nature, never engage in arms race with any other country, and are committed to global strategic stability.

Journalist: I have two questions. The first one is that the US Carrier Strike Group led by USS Nimitz re-entered the South China Sea through the Singapore Strait on May 26 after its visit to Malaysia. What’s your comment on this?

The second question is that reports suggest that the Indian side recovered an undetonated PL-15E air-air missile during the India-Pakistan conflict. Can you confirm this? Will this give the Indian side assess to relevant military technology?

Zhang Xiaogang: On your first question, activities to flex its muscle and stir up troubles in the South China Sea will find no support. The Chinese side will firmly safeguard our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.

On your second question, the type of missile you mentioned is for export and has also been exhibited in international and domestic defense expos multiple times.

Journalist: I have two questions. The first is the Commander of the US Army Pacific recently claimed that China’s increasingly aggressive behavior in the Indo-Pacific had made the situation more dangerous. He said that no one would have imagined that Beijing would conduct drills simulating a blockade of Taiwan five years ago, but now such moves were commonplace. In addition, head of the US Indo-Pacific Command said that the Chinese side was conducting comprehensive exercises in preparation for recovering Taiwan and was increasingly active in other regions of the Pacific. May I have your comments on this?

The second question is that according to Taiwan media reports, the DPP authorities have stepped up its procurement of the Patriot missiles, drawn personnel from its Marine Corps to form combat units for the “Greater Taipei Area”, and launched several drills on responses to the so-called “PLA attacks on Taiwan”. Public opinion in Taiwan believes that these actions are preparing for Lai Ching-te’s desertion in the face of war. Do you have any comment?

Zhang Xiaogang: For your first question, Taiwan is part of China. Resolving the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese, which brooks no external interference. For the cross-Strait situation, there is no factor more destabilizing than the provocations made by the “Taiwan independence” separatists and the disruptions by foreign forces. It’s legitimate, necessary, lawful and justified for the Chinese side to take actions to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. We urge the US side to stop fanning the flames on the Taiwan question. Such behaviors would only backfire.

For your second question. Don’t be fooled by Lai Ching-te’s reckless provocations now. When the day comes, people like him will be the first to run away. For the PLA, defeating military elements of the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces is like shooting fish in a barrel. Those notorious separatists have no chance to escape.

Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of May 29, 2025. (mod.gov.cn)

Journalist: I have two questions. Firstly, you just announced that the PLA NDU sent a delegation to attend this year’s SLD. Why didn’t the Chinese side send higher level military officials to attend the dialogue? The US Department of Defense has already announced its attendance at the dialogue, and said that the US was a more credible regional partner than China. What’s your comment on that? My second question is that this year marks the 80th year of the World Anti-Fascist War. Many European countries have held celebrations commemorating this victory. September 3rd marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. Many people are expecting the Chinese side to hold a military parade to commemorate this anniversary. What’s your comment on that?

Zhang Xiaogang: On your first question, China consistently engages in constructive dialogues to articulate our vision and initiatives. We are committed to enhancing mutual trust and deepening cooperation through these exchanges, contributing Chinese wisdom to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. The PLA NDU delegation attending this year’s SLD will have in-depth exchanges with participating parties to build more consensus.

As for the second question, I have no information to release here.

Journalist: What is the Chinese Ministry of National Defense’s assessment on the equipment supplied by the Chinese military to Pakistan in the recent conflict between India and Pakistan? An Indian official said that China provided satellite and air defense systems for Pakistan, but these systems performed below average. What’s your comment on that?

Zhang Xiaogang: Pakistan and India are neighbors who cannot move away from each other. We call on the both sides to keep calm, exercise restraint and avoid complicating the situation. China will continue to play a constructive role in maintaining regional peace and stability.

Journalist: It’s reported that US Defense Secretary recently said that the US side would build up its military to meet China’s “threat” at every turn, and counter China in the Indo-Pacific. In addition, Commander of the US Army Pacific said that the US army was building agile new units in response to potential conflicts with China. What’s your comment on

Zhang Xiaogang: Conflict and confrontation should not be the choice of either side. Mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation is the right way for China and the US to deal with each other. The US side should stop conjuring up a powerful enemy for itself whether intentionally or unintentionally. Such imagination is not rational and extremely dangerous. The Chinese military will make all-out efforts to enhance our combat readiness, and firmly safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests.

Journalist: Some US and Israeli media outlets call on the US to stop its military assistance to Egypt, because of Egypt’s close cooperation with China. What’s your comment on this?

Zhang Xiaogang: China-Egypt cooperation is not aimed at any third party, nor will it be interfered by any third party. The Chinese and Egyptian militaries will continue to deepen friendship, mutual trust and practical cooperation.

Journalist: As China’s first aircraft carrier with catapult system, PLANS Fujian is undergoing a series of intensive sea trials. What kind of signal does that send out?

Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of May 29, 2025. (mod.gov.cn)

Zhang Xiaogang: The sea trial is a necessary part for the construction of aircraft carriers. PLANS Fujian will conduct relevant tests as planned.

Journalist: According to a satellite image revealed last week, H-6 bombers and a KJ-500 airborne early warning aircraft were seen on Yongxing Dao of Xisha Qundao. What is the purpose of this deployment? Some experts suggest that it is to send signals to the Philippines and Vietnam. What’s your comment on that?

Zhang Xiaogang: I am not aware of the information you mentioned. I want to emphasize that the Xisha Qundao is an inherent part of the Chinese territory. We oppose the hype about relevant military activities.

Journalist: An African Young Officers Delegation visited China recently. Some commentary regarded the trip as one that combines culture, technology and friendship. Could you please provide more details on this?

Zhang Xiaogang: The African Young Officers Delegation concluded its 10-day visit to China on May 15. During the visit, nearly a hundred military officers from over 40 African countries, including Egypt, Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya, came to cities such as Beijing, Changsha and Shaoshan. They visited military units, academies and high-tech enterprises, attended themed lectures and seminars, toured the Museum of the Communist Party of China and the former residence of Comrade Mao Zedong, and had in-depth exchanges with their Chinese counterparts. Members of the delegation expressed how impressive and inspiring this visit was. This is the 4th African Young Officers Delegation invited to China by the Chinese Ministry of National Defense. This visit deepened the traditional friendship between the Chinese and African militaries, and advanced the building of an All-weather China-Africa Community with a Shared Future for the New Era.

Journalist: I have two questions. The first one is that the US Indo-Pacific Commander reportedly said that China was outpacing the US in the production of warships and other equipment. He said that the rates of changes on the depth and breadth of PLA’s exercises was what kept him up at night. May I have your comments on this?

The second question is that it’s reported that China’s third large hospital ship PLANS Ark Auspicious has been commissioned, marking the deployment of large ocean-going hospital ship to the Eastern Theater Command, South Theater Command and North Theater Command respectively. What’s your comment on this?

Zhang Xiaogang: On your first question, China does not engage in arms race with any other country. We develop our military to defend China’s national sovereignty, security and development interests and to bring stability and positive energy to global peace and security.

On your second question, PLANS Ark Auspicious is the third 10,000-ton-class ocean-going hospital ship domestically designed and built by China. It features a combat-oriented layout and is equipped with advanced medical equipment. PLANS Ark Auspicious, together with Ark Peace and Ark Silk Road, not only forms the backbone of medical support on the sea, but also executes tasks of international humanitarian medical services, emergency medical rescue in major disasters, and foreign exchanges and cooperation on military medicine. PLAN hospital ships will help the Chinese military materialize the vision of building a maritime community with a shared future and offer the world more public security goods of higher quality.

Journalist: Does the Chinese delegation plan to meet with any other delegations on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue? Is there any planned meeting with the US delegation?

Zhang Xiaogang: Regarding this, we will release information in due course. The Chinese side values our defense relations with the US military and is open to communications at different levels. We hope the US side will earnestly respect China’s core interests and major concerns, work with us in the same direction, and promote the steady and sound development of military-to-military relations.

Journalist: Minister of National Defense Admiral Dong Jun recently visited France and Germany, and attended the 6th UN Peacekeeping Ministerial. Please provide further details about this.

Zhang Xiaogang:Minister of National Defense Admiral Dong Jun led a delegation to visit France and Germany and attend the 6th UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin from May 11 to 17. Minister Dong held talks with French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu and German Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius respectively. The leaders had an in-depth exchange of view on international and regional issues of mutual interests, and reached consensus on strengthening substantive engagements and cooperation between the Chinese and French and the Chinese and German militaries. Minister Dong also met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Under Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix on the sidelines of the 6th UN Peacekeeping Ministerial. In his speech delivered at the conference, Minister Dong emphasized that the Chinese side will work with different parties to act on the Global Security Initiative, uphold the core position of the UN, redouble efforts on the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKOs), support the training of professional peacekeepers, optimize the composition and capabilities of Chinese Peacekeeping Standby Force, advance continuous innovation of UNPKOs, and contribute more to UNPKOs.

Journalist: Lately, official new media accounts of PLA theater commands and services and arms have been opened on the ‘China Bugle” app. What’s your comment on that?

Zhang Xiaogang: China Bugle is the mobile flagship platform of information release launched by the PLA News Media Center. As of now, the PLA Army, Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, and the PAP, as well as the PLA Eastern, Southern, Western, Northern and Central Theater Commands have opened their official new media accounts on this app. This demonstrates the deep integration of different forms of military media, and provides an important channel for the public to learn about defense and military development in an all-round manner. Going forward, more military units and media outlets will join the “China Bugle” app to form an integrated new media platform for military news.

Journalist: The draft of the Japanese defense ministry’s Defense White Paper 2025 was revealed. The draft claims that China is ramping up its nuclear, missile, maritime and aviation capabilities; that PLA’s activities near Taiwan demonstrate that Beijing is trying to improve its combat capabilities; and strengthened China-Russia military cooperation is a concern for Japan. What’s your comment on this?

Zhang Xiaogang: In the draft of its Defense White Paper, the Japanese side repeats its irresponsible comments about China’s military development, and points fingers at China’s legitimate military activities and external military cooperation. We are strongly opposed to this. This year marks the 80th year of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. At this special historical juncture, it’s even more important for Japan to reflect on its behaviors, instead of making unfounded smears and accusations against others. We urge the Japanese side to follow the path of peaceful development, act prudently in the domain of military and security, and earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the rest of the international community with concrete actions.

Journalist: Head of Taiwan’s defense authorities Koo Li-hsiung reportedly said in an interview that US forces and alliances across Asia was crucial for holding Beijing in check. He also expressed hope for the US to expedite arms sales to Taiwan to help Taiwan address military threats from China.What’s your comments on this?

Zhang Xiaogang: The Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China, which brooks no interference. We will strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and greatest effort. However, should the “Taiwan independence” separatists make provocations, challenge our bottom lines, or even cross the red lines, we will have to take decisive measures. The US side supports “Taiwan independence” separatists through arms sales. Such acts are self-defeating and will push Taiwan into the abyss of war.

Journalist: Recently, the Chinese and Cambodian militaries successfully held the Golden Dragon 2025 joint exercise. Please provide more details.

Zhang Xiaogang: The Chinese and Cambodian armed forces conducted the Golden Dragon 2025 joint exercise in Kampong Chhnang Province and the airspace and waters off the Sihanoukville Port from May 14 to 28. As the 7th iteration of the Golden Dragon series, this year’s exercise has three highlights. First, it focused on counter-terrorism and humanitarian assistance operations, conducting drills on relevant subjects. Second, the China-Cambodia Joint Support and Training Center at Port Ream provided support for drills on the sea for the first time. Air force helicopters took part in the exercise for the first time. Land, naval, air and joint logistic support components from both sides conducted drills together. Third, the exercise consisted of two parts: naval & air operations and ground & air operations. Participating troops were organized into mixed groups to learn from each other during tactical training and comprehensive drills, which helped to enhance command coordination and emergency response capabilities of the two sides. During the joint exercise, the PLA contingent also donated school supplies and provided free medical services to the local community. China and Cambodia are iron-clad friends with rock-solid relations. The Chinese and Cambodian militaries will work in concert to act on the important consensus between leaders of the two countries, and make greater contributions to building a China-Cambodia All-weather Community with a Shared Future for the New Era, and to preserving regional security and stability.

Journalist: The Philippine Coast Guard said that the Coast Guard and Armed Forces of the Philippines and the US Coast Guard conducted a joint patrol in waters off Palawan, which reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to maritime security and the “rule-based international order”. What’s your comment on this?

Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of May 29, 2025. (mod.gov.cn)

Zhang Xiaogang: At present, the situation in the South China Sea remains generally stable. The freedom of navigation and overflight entitled to all countries under international law has never been an issue. Some countries provoke confrontation in the name of cooperation, flex muscles under the guise of freedom, and create chaos with the pretext of order. They have become the biggest source of risks that undermines peace and stability in the South China Sea. We urge relevant countries to stop ganging up and stirring up troubles in the South China Sea, and stop harming regional peace and stability.

Journalist: I have two questions. The first question is about the PLA aircraft carrier Liaoning and its task fleet. They are currently off the southeast coast of Taiwan. The Taiwan authority said that they have taken joint intelligence means to monitor relevant operations throughout the whole process. Some people suggest that the PLA will probably conduct military exercises before or after the Dragon Boat Festival. Can you confirm whether the PLA has relevant plans? My second question. According to media reports, the CIA is about to release its annual report, suggesting that the Chinese mainland poses the greatest threat to the world and increasing menace against Taiwan. It also said that the rapid modernization of the PLA would prevent the US from entering the Pacific. What’s your comment on this?

Zhang Xiaogang: On your first question. Relevant military activities organized by the PLA recently are routine arrangements according to our annual training plan.

On your second question, as we all know, China is unwavering in our commitment to peace, development and international order. The biggest threat to the current cross-Strait situation comes from separatist activities for “Taiwan independence” and support from foreign forces. If relevant countries truly care about stability in the Taiwan Strait, they should abide by the one-China principle and unequivocally oppose “Taiwan independence”.

If there are no other questions, this concludes today’s press conference. Thank you.

MIL OSI China News –

June 6, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Targeting greener future, China embraces low-carbon growth with strides

Source: China State Council Information Office

From coal-powered plants belching smoke to vast expanses of solar panels glinting under the sun, China’s transition to green development is moving at a fast clip with notable progress, propelled by President Xi Jinping’s commitment to building a more sustainable future.

In 2024, 86 percent of newly installed power capacity in China came from renewable energy sources, while the share of cumulative installed renewable capacity rose to a record high of 56 percent of the national total, official data showed.

The figures reflect years of arduous efforts of the world’s largest developing country to pivot from fossil fuels toward cleaner energy sources, spearheaded by Xi’s steady and strategic commitment to a low-carbon development path.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said in 2020 that China will strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. The pledge represents the steepest cut in carbon emission intensity in the shortest period of time that the world has ever seen.

“Carbon peaking and carbon neutrality are not something asked of us, but something we are doing on our own initiative,” Xi once said, adding that the goals cannot be achieved easily but efforts must be made immediately.

Calling for advancing green and sustainable development rather than GDP-oriented growth, Xi has urged regions burdened by outdated industrial models to accelerate green transitions while balancing the need for energy security.

Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in north China offers a vivid illustration. Rich in coal and central to the nation’s energy supply, the region had been leaning on high-polluting industries and resource-intensive growth.

In 2018, during a joint deliberation with fellow lawmakers from Inner Mongolia, Xi urged the region to develop the modern energy sector effectively by following the latest industrial trends.

Over recent years, the region has quickened its pace of transformation. Once known for coal and desert, it is now dotted with vast arrays of solar panels and wind turbines. By the end of 2024, the region’s installed new energy capacity, which includes wind power and solar energy, had overtaken thermal power for the first time, reaching the landmark a full year ahead of schedule.

The region’s green transition mirrors broader national efforts. To achieve its carbon reduction goals, the government has introduced sweeping measures, including the expansion of market mechanisms to drive change.

In July 2021, China officially launched its national carbon emissions trading market, a critical step in reducing carbon footprints and meeting emissions targets. The platform has since evolved into the world’s largest carbon market by the amount of greenhouse gas emissions traded. Notably, the carbon-emissions intensity in the generation of electricity has since decreased by 8.78 percent.

While striving to tackle climate change, China’s green push has also emerged as a powerful engine of economic growth. “Green, circular, and low-carbon development represents the trend of the current technological revolution, and the direction in which is shifting,” Xi said at a meeting in 2015. He also noted that with unparalleled future prospects and potential, the development will create a number of growth drivers.

Since Xi announced carbon peaking and carbon neutrality targets nearly five years ago, China has built the world’s largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system as well as the largest and most complete new energy industrial chain.

The country’s production and sales of new energy vehicles have secured the top position in the world for 10 consecutive years. It also emerged as a global technology leader in sectors such as solar panels, lithium batteries, and carbon capture, among others.

Xi has also underscored the key role a sound ecological environment plays in supporting China’s long-term development, and has long been concerned about land restoration and afforestation.

For 13 consecutive years, Xi has maintained a tree-planting tradition, joining officials and citizens to promote the country’s afforestation drive. From 2012 to 2024, China’s afforestation area was equivalent to over twice the size of Germany.

With nearly one-fifth of the world’s population, China’s green transformation carries global significance. The country has been working to help power the world’s green transition by sharing its expertise in green technologies and aiding clean energy projects in developing countries.

Between 2016 and 2023, China provided a total of 24.5 billion U.S. dollars in climate-related funding to other developing countries. In 2023 alone, China’s exports of wind and solar products helped other countries reduce carbon emissions by 810 million tonnes.

“However the world may change, China will not slow down its climate actions, will not reduce its support for international cooperation, and will not cease its efforts to build a community with a shared future for mankind,” said Xi at the Leaders Meeting on Climate and the Just Transition in April.

MIL OSI China News –

June 6, 2025
All-party delegation to convey India’s united and resolute stand against terrorism in Germany

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

An all-party Indian Parliamentary delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad reached Berlin on Thursday to convey India’s united and resolute stand against terrorism.

India’s Ambassador to Germany, Ajit Gupte, briefed the delegation on India-Germany relations, with a focus on the expanding strategic partnership and growing cooperation across various sectors.

During their visit to Germany from June 5 to 7, the delegation will engage with senior dignitaries from the German Parliament (Bundestag) and the Federal Foreign Office, along with key representatives from leading think tanks and the Indian community in Germany.

The visit is part of India’s ongoing diplomatic outreach under Operation Sindoor, underscoring its unwavering commitment to a zero-tolerance policy on terrorism.

Apart from Prasad, the delegation includes BJP MPs Daggubati Purandeswari, Samik Bhattacharya, and Ghulam Ali Khatana; Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi; AIADMK MP M. Thambidurai; Congress MP Amar Singh; former Union Minister M.J. Akbar; and former Ambassador Pankaj Saran.

(With inputs from IANS)

June 6, 2025
Indian delegation to convey India’s united and resolute stand against terrorism in Germany

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

An all-party Indian Parliamentary delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad reached Berlin on Thursday to convey India’s united and resolute stand against terrorism.

India’s Ambassador to Germany, Ajit Gupte, briefed the delegation on India-Germany relations, with a focus on the expanding strategic partnership and growing cooperation across various sectors.

During their visit to Germany from June 5 to 7, the delegation will engage with senior dignitaries from the German Parliament (Bundestag) and the Federal Foreign Office, along with key representatives from leading think tanks and the Indian community in Germany.

The visit is part of India’s ongoing diplomatic outreach under Operation Sindoor, underscoring its unwavering commitment to a zero-tolerance policy on terrorism.

Apart from Prasad, the delegation includes BJP MPs Daggubati Purandeswari, Samik Bhattacharya, and Ghulam Ali Khatana; Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi; AIADMK MP M. Thambidurai; Congress MP Amar Singh; former Union Minister M.J. Akbar; and former Ambassador Pankaj Saran.

(With inputs from IANS)

June 6, 2025
Uzbekistan savour sweet taste of success after sealing World Cup spot

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

Uzbekistan coach Timur Kapadze lauded the efforts of his players after the Central Asian country qualified for the World Cup for the first time.

The White Wolves claimed their spot at the expanded 48-team 2026 finals on Thursday with a 0-0 draw in the United Arab Emirates, which guaranteed Kapadze’s side a top-two finish in Group A, alongside already-qualified Iran.

Uzbekistan have tried and failed to qualify seven times since their independence after the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, suffering heartbreak in the final stage of continental qualifiers for Germany 2006 and Brazil 2014.

A genuine force in Asia since their 1994 Asian Games triumph, the Uzbekistan FA has invested heavily in youth development in the attempt to take the final step onto the world stage.

Kapadze has reaped the dividends with a young generation of players, including Manchester City’s 21-year-old centre back Abdukodir Khusanov at his disposal.

“We have achieved an important result after a long and difficult journey. A lot of work was done for this result, I sincerely congratulate our people,” Kapadze told Uzbekistan’s online publication Zamin.

“This is not only our victory, but the victory of our entire people. Our players showed determination in every match, worked with all their might, and we achieved the result … “

Kapadze, who played 119 times for Uzbekistan and led the under-23 team at last year’s Olympic Games, was appointed coach after Srecko Katanec left because of illness in January.

“Before the game, (everyone) expressed their confidence in our team’s victory and expected a good result from us,” he said.

“This confidence also became a great responsibility and pressure for us. But we managed to overcome this pressure and complete the task.”

Kapadze was mobbed by his players in his post-match press conference and received a congratulatory telephone call from Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

“In a fierce competition against the strongest teams in Asia, you demonstrated true character, unbreakable will, and professionalism,” Mirziyoyev said.

-Reuters

June 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: President Trump Welcomes German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to the White House

Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

“It’s an honor to have you. We have a great mandate from the people, and part of our mandate is we’re gonna have a great relationship with [Germany]. Thank you very much for being here.” –President Donald J. Trump

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

MIL OSI Video –

June 6, 2025