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  • MIL-OSI China: International enterprises eye opportunities at China’s major trade exhibitions

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

    GUANGZHOU, April 18 — In spite of intensified trade protectionism and geopolitical tensions, China’s products and market are still appealing to foreign business people.

    A record-breaking 65 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders are participating in the ongoing fifth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in the tropical island province of Hainan in south China.

    Meanwhile, the Canton Fair, which kicked off on Tuesday in Guangzhou, south China, drew 64,530 overseas buyers on its opening day, an 8.9 percent year-on-year increase and a record high for the first day. This event in Guangdong Province features major international retailers, including Walmart and Target from the United States, Carrefour from France, Tesco and Kingfisher from the UK, and Germany’s Metro.

    According to Niu Huayong, a professor at the International Business School of Beijing Foreign Studies University, the success of this year’s CICPE and Canton Fair highlights that trade and cooperation remain key drivers of global development. All countries benefit from globalization, he said.

    Amid current global trade turbulence, international buyers attending the Canton Fair still consider Chinese products highly attractive and even irreplaceable.

    Dinova, a retail company headquartered in France which finds most of its suppliers at the Canton Fair, has made China the core of its global sourcing strategy, according to its general manager Sonia Ben Behe.

    “We have explored alternative countries, but no other region matches China’s maturity for our product category. That’s why, as part of a global sourcing strategy, China remains at the core,” she said.

    According to Chris Arthan, an exhibitor from the United States, despite the impact of tariffs, China’s role in the global supply chain remains crucial and widely respected.

    In addition to the strong appeal of Chinese products to global buyers, international brands also have confidence in China’s consumer market. For this year’s CICPE, top producers from around the world eagerly flocked to Hainan.

    The UK, as the guest country of honor at the 2025 event, is occupying an exhibition area of more than 1,300 square meters, displaying 53 brands across the fashion, beauty, homeware, health and jewelry industries, and doubling its 2024 presence.

    “I have seen the tremendous innovation and growth taking place within China’s economy in recent years, not least in digital technologies, life sciences and green energy,” said Douglas Alexander, minister of state of the British Department for Business and Trade, while also emphasizing the UK’s commitment to deepening economic ties with China.

    Notably, the expo has managed to draw an array of top-tier global luxury brands. Richemont’s TimeVallée debuted as an independent exhibitor, while LVMH and Kering Group brands made appearances — reflecting confidence in China’s premium consumption growth.

    “Luxury consumers in China are significantly younger than those in many overseas markets, and that presents a major opportunity for us,” said Nancy Liu, president of luxury travel retailer DFS China. The company has introduced tailored services to cater to the expectations of emerging consumer groups.

    Global trade uncertainties and growing supply chain disruptions have not prevented foreign investors from remaining optimistic about the Chinese market. China’s market size, rising consumer demand and supportive policies continue to offer unique and strong appeal, helping to retain investor confidence.

    According to Yao Zhenguo, global senior vice president of Siemens Energy, the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port is unlocking new opportunities for openness. He noted that Siemens will continue to strengthen collaboration across the full industrial chain, drive innovation, and support Hainan Free Trade Port’s international, green and law-based growth.

    Yao said Siemens has deeply felt the momentum of China’s reform and opening up, a view echoed by many exhibitors. They believe that amid a challenging global economic climate and rising trade protectionism, China’s firm commitment to high-standard opening up delivers much-needed stability and certainty, injecting confidence into the world economy.

    China’s total goods imports and exports in yuan-denominated terms expanded 1.3 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2025, demonstrating stable growth and strong resilience despite external headwinds, customs data showed.

    U.S. tariff increases on Chinese products will exert some pressure on China’s trade and economy in the short term, but won’t alter the Chinese economy’s long-term positive trajectory, said Sheng Laiyun, deputy director of the National Bureau of Statistics.

    Zhang Yansheng, an economist with the Academy of Macroeconomic Research, told Xinhua that based on the trade events in Guangzhou and Hainan, the resilience of China’s foreign trade against the backdrop of growing protectionism in the world is evident. “We can see that foreign business people continue to seek opportunities in China.”

    “China is a country with a large population, a big economy and a huge scale of opening up,” he continued. “At a time when the sentiment of anti-globalization grows, China will stick to the path of opening up at a high level, and promote economic globalization, as well as trade and investment liberalization.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s agriculture, rural economy maintain stable growth: official

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

    BEIJING, April 18 — China’s agriculture and rural economy maintained stable growth in the first quarter, effectively supporting the overall stability of economic and social development, Pan Wenbo, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said at a press conference on Friday.

    Noting that the ministry is focused on meeting this year’s grain output target of around 700 million tonnes, Pan said grain and oil production got off to a solid start, with winter wheat planting areas remaining stable and winter rapeseed acreage continuing to grow steadily.

    Pan added that the supply of “vegetable basket” products remained sufficient. In the first quarter, the production of pork, beef, mutton and poultry hit 25.4 million tonnes, an increase of 2 percent year on year.

    Milk production was 8.92 million tonnes, up 1.7 percent year on year, and the output of domestic aquatic products was 14.83 million tonnes, an increase of 4.5 percent year on year, according to the official.

    The achievements in poverty alleviation continued to be consolidated and expanded, with 30.898 million rural laborers from households newly lifted out of poverty employed nationwide by the end of March.

    From January to March, the added value of agricultural products processing industry above the designated size increased by 7.2 percent year on year. In the first quarter, the per capita disposable income of rural residents was 7,003 yuan (about 971.7 U.S. dollars), an increase of 6.5 percent, Pan noted.

    The potential of rural domestic demand continued to be unleashed, as the rollout of major projects like high-standard farmland building and modern agriculture facilities has boosted investment in agriculture and rural areas, according to Pan.

    In the first quarter, fixed-asset investment in the primary industry increased by 16 percent year on year. The potential of rural consumption continued to be unleashed, with retail sales of rural consumer goods increasing by 4.9 percent year on year.

    However, it should be noted that China’s external development environment has become increasingly complex and challenging, Pan said, adding that “the greater the risks and challenges we face, the more we need to stabilize the basic foundations of agriculture, rural areas and farmers, ensuring domestic production and supply to counterbalance external uncertainties.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Funding Shortfalls Adversely Affect Key Judiciary Programs

    Source: United States Courts

    A shortfall in this year’s congressional appropriations is significantly impacting the Judiciary’s ability to ensure security at courthouses at a time of rising threats to federal judges and impairing efforts to provide critical legal defense services to people who can’t afford to hire lawyers.

    Those concerns were outlined in an April 10 letter (PDF) to appropriators in Congress by Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr., Judicial Conference secretary, and Judge Amy J. St. Eve, chair of the Conference’s Budget Committee.

    The continuing resolution enacted in March provides the Judicial Branch with $8.6 billion, $391 million less than the Judicial Conference had requested. The branch had requested exceptions to the governmentwide funding freeze imposed by the resolution, but the requests were excluded in the final legislation. As a result, many of the Judiciary’s accounts are frozen for a second consecutive year, leaving them operating at fiscal year 2023 levels.

    One of them is the $750 million Court Security program.

    “We have significant concerns about our ability to properly secure federal courthouses given current resource levels,” Conrad and St. Eve wrote. “Consecutive years of flat security funding comes at a time when threats against federal judges and courthouses are escalating, making this situation unsustainable in the current environment.”

    Currently, 67 judges involved in high profile cases are receiving enhanced online security screening services provided by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and the U.S. Marshals Service, which is also operating at reduced staffing levels as a result of the funding freeze. In some instances, the Marshals Service has had to take “extraordinary measures” to ensure the safety of judges, the letter said.

    The Judiciary’s Defender Services program was also significantly underfunded for fiscal year 2025. It received $1.45 billion, $129 million below the necessary level. A hiring freeze already in place was extended until at least the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. And the Judiciary will have to defer a projected $92 million in payments to private defense attorneys, who are appointed by the courts under the Criminal Justice Act to represent defendants who can’t afford to retain counsel.

    “These are payments for constitutionally required legal work that has already been performed but that will be left unpaid for months simply because we cannot afford to make the payments,” Conrad and St. Eve wrote, noting that some attorneys may decline to accept future appointments as a result.

    A shortage of qualified defense attorneys willing to take cases could create “unlawful delays in the constitutional right of defendants to a speedy and fair trial,” they said. 

    The freeze is also having an adverse impact on maintaining necessary staff levels in probation and pretrial services, as well as in clerks of court offices. 

    “Some clerks of court offices report they cannot sufficiently staff public counters to assist individuals seeking court information or help with filing,” the judges said, also predicting that “probation offices will have to focus limited supervision resources on the most violent, high-risk offenders, leaving low-to-mid risk offenders with less supervision, increasing the risk of offenders committing new crimes.”

    As the Judiciary prepares to submit its budget request for fiscal year 2026, Conrad and St. Eve emphasized the need for congressional appropriators to provide adequate funding to help the Judiciary mitigate some of the adverse impacts of the recent appropriations shortfalls. Their letter was sent to the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate appropriations committees and subcommittees with jurisdiction over Judiciary funding.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: ASUS Introduces Upgraded TUF Gaming A14 for Ultimate Performance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, April 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ASUS today announced an all-new ASUS TUF Gaming A14 equipped with an AMD Ryzen™ AI 7 350 CPU and an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5060 Laptop GPU. Housed in an incredibly portable and lightweight 14-inch form factor chassis, the TUF Gaming A14 is the perfect companion for any gamer on the go.

    Next-gen RTX™ 50 Series graphics

    Backed by the incredible performance of the new NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5060 Laptop GPU, the TUF Gaming A14 is truly primed and ready for the latest AAA and esports games. This card features the latest DLSS suite of technologies, which uses AI and neural rendering to boost FPS, reduce latency, and improve image quality. The latest breakthrough, DLSS 4, brings new Multi Frame Generation and enhanced Ray Reconstruction and Super Resolution, powered by GeForce RTX™ 50 Series GPUs and fifth-generation Tensor Cores. From old classics to the latest AAA titles, the A14 has the power to make your games look and perform better than ever before.

    Upgraded processing and AI power

    The TUF Gaming A14 is equipped with an AMD Ryzen™ AI 7 350 processor, with 8 cores, 16 threads, and a built-in NPU capable of 50 TOPS of AI performance. A gaming and multi-tasking workhorse, this chip is able to easily power the latest AAA and esports titles all while running your favorite communication apps or streams in the background. And, since local AI performance will become crucial to avoid long wait times and high costs in the cloud, the built-in NPU is a perfect companion to AMD Ryzen™ AI. Users can perform hand gesture detection, eye gaze correction, and use Windows Copilot tools like email summarization locally with less power consumption.

    Ultraportable 14-inch form factor

    Built to be ultra-portable with excellent performance, the new TUF Gaming A14 weighs only 1.46kg (3.22 lbs), and measures 1.69cm (0.67″) thick. Despite these dimensions, the A14 supports up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX Laptop GPU with a 110W max TGP in Manual Mode — far more than many of its competitors for an exceptional gaming experience.

    In addition, the TUF Gaming A14 comes with dual-channel LPDDR5 memory as well as two M.2 2280 SSD slots, so users can upgrade or add SSDs for extreme amounts of storage in a 14-inch laptop. USB power delivery rounds out this portable powerhouse, for easy charging on-the-go with wide compatibility between devices thanks to USB Type-C.

    AVAILABILITY & PRICING1

    The new ASUS TUF Gaming A14 will be available later in the beginning of Q3 2025 in Canada. The currently planned specification and pricing for Canada are available below.

    For more information, please reach out to your ASUS representative.

    SPECIFICATIONS2

    ASUS TUF Gaming A14

    Model Name FA401KM-DS74-CA
    Marketing Name ASUS TUF Gaming A14
    Color Jaeger Gray
    Processor AMD Ryzen™ AI 7 350 processor (8 Cores 16 Threads, supporting AMD Ryzen™ AI and Windows Studio Effect, up to 50 TOPs AI Performance)
    Graphics NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5060 Laptop GPU
    8GB GDDR7
    Max TGP 110 W (with Dynamic Boost)
    Operating System Windows 11 Home
    Display 14″ 2.5K (WQXGA, 2560×1600), 165Hz, IPS-level, anti-glare,
    16:10, sRGB100%, 400 nits, 3 ms (overdrive support), 1000:1
    Supports DDS & G-SYNC™
    Memory 16 GB (2 x 8GB) LPDDR5X 7500 MHz (onboard memory)
    Storage 1 TB M.2 2280 PCIe® 4.0 SSD (pre-installed)
    1 x additional M.2 2280 PCIe® 4.0 SSD slot (empty)
    Keyboard White backlight chiclet keyboard
    Audio Dolby Atmos®
    Hi-Res Audio
    Two-Way AI Noise Cancelation
    WiFi / Bluetooth WiFi 6E
    Bluetooth® v5.3
    I/O Ports 1 x USB4® (supports DisplayPort™ / Power Delivery)
    1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C®
    2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
    1 x HDMI® 2.1
    1 x Micro SD Card Reader (UHS II)
    1 x Audio combo jack
    Battery 73 Wh
    AC Adapter 200W AC Adapter, Output: 20V DC, 10A, 200W, Input: 100-240V AC, 50/60Hz universal
    Dimensions 31.1 x 22.7 x 1.69 ~ 1.99 cm (12.24″ x 8.94″ x 0.67″ ~ 0.78″)
    Weight 1.46 Kg (3.22 lbs)
    MSRP C$2,299
    Availability ASUS Store and selected retailers, early Q3 2025


    NOTES TO EDITORS

    ASUS TUF Gaming A14: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/laptops/for-gaming/tuf-gaming/asus-tuf-gaming-a14-2025/

    ASUS Pressroom: http://press.asus.com

    ASUS Canada Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asuscanada/

    ASUS Canada Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asus_ca

    ASUS Canada YouTube: https://ca.asus.click/youtube

    ASUS Global X (Twitter): https://www.x.com/asus

    About ASUS

    ASUS is a global technology leader that provides the world’s most innovative and intuitive devices, components, and solutions to deliver incredible experiences that enhance the lives of people everywhere. With its team of 5,000 in-house R&D experts, the company is world-renowned for continuously reimagining today’s technologies. Consistently ranked as one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies, ASUS is also committed to sustaining an incredible future. The goal is to create a net zero enterprise that helps drive the shift towards a circular economy, with a responsible supply chain creating shared value for every one of us.

    1 Laptop prices and configurations are an indication only and are subject to changes.
    2 Specifications, content and product availability are all subject to change without notice and may differ from country to country. Actual performance may vary depending on applications, usage, environment and other factors. Full specifications are available at http://www.asus.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6593b252-dcea-436d-aecc-14989c508bc3

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: With federal funding in question, artists can navigate a perilous future by looking to the past

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Johanna K. Taylor, Associate Professor, The Design School, Arizona State University

    Keith Haring paints a mural in New York City on Aug. 20, 1987. Mark Hinjosa/Newsday RM via Getty Images

    In a February 2025 Truth Social post, President Donald Trump declared a “Golden Age in Arts and Culture.”

    So far, this “golden age” has entailed an executive order calling for the federal agency that funds local museums and libraries to be dismantled, with most grants rescinded. The Trump administration has forbidden federal arts funding from going to artists who promote what the administration calls “gender ideology”. There’s been a purge of the board of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, with Trump appointing himself chair. And the administration has canceled National Endowment for the Humanities grants.

    Suffice it to say, many artists and arts organizations across the U.S. are worried: Will government arts funding dry up? Do these cuts signal a new war on arts and culture? How do artists make it through this period of change?

    As scholars who study the arts, activism and policy, we’re watching the latest developments with apprehension. But we think it’s important to point out that while the U.S. government has never been a global leader of arts funding, American artists have always been innovative, creative and scrappy during times of political turmoil.

    A rocky relationship with the arts

    For much of the country’s early history, government funding for the arts was rarely guaranteed or stable.

    After the Civil War, the Second Industrial Revolution facilitated massive concentrations of wealth, in what became known as the the Gilded Age. Private arts funding soared during this period, with some titans of industry, such as Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller, seeing it as their duty to build museums, theaters and libraries for the public. The heavy reliance on private funding for the arts troubled some Americans, who feared these institutions would become too exposed to the whims of the wealthy.

    In response, Progressive Era activists and politicians argued that it was the government’s responsibility to build arts spaces accessible to all Americans.

    The Federal Theatre Project was shuttered after a production of ‘Revolt of the Beavers’ in 1937.
    Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images

    Efforts to fund the arts expanded with the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, as the country was reeling from the Great Depression. From 1935 to 1943, the Works Progress Administration provided jobs with stable wages for artists through the Federal Art Project. However, Congress famously terminated the program in response to a 1937 production of “The Revolt of the Beavers,” which conservative politicians denounced for containing overt Marxist themes.

    Nonetheless, over the ensuing decades, the federal government generally signaled its support for the arts.

    Congress established the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1965 to fund arts organizations and artists. And since 1972, the General Services Administration has commissioned public art for federal buildings and organized a registry of prospective artists.

    The NEA gave US$8.4 million in direct funding to artists in 1989 via fellowships and grants. This might be considered the high-water mark for unrestricted government funding for individual artists.

    Andres Serrano’s ‘Piss Christ’ spurred calls to restrict public funding of the arts.
    Fairfax Media/Getty Images

    By the 1980s, sexuality, drugs and American morality had become hot-button political issues. The arts, from music to theater, were at the center of this culture war. Pressure escalated in 1989 when conservative leaders contested two NEA-funded exhibitions featuring work by Andres Serrano and Robert Mapplethorpe, which they deemed homoerotic and anti-Christian. In 1990, Congress instated a “decency clause” guiding all future NEA work. When Republicans regained control of Congress in 1994, they slashed direct funding for the arts.

    With direct funding to artists largely eliminated, today’s artists can indirectly receive federal government support through federal arts agency grants, which are given to arts organizations that then dole out a portion to artists. Local and state government agencies also provide small amounts of direct support for artists.

    The stage of democracy

    Artists and arts organizations have a long legacy of persistence and strategic organizing during periods of political and economic upheaval.

    In the pre-Revolutionary colonies, representatives of the British government banned theatrical performances to discourage revolutionary action. In response, activist playwrights organized underground parlor dramas and informal dramatic readings to keep arts-based activism alive.

    William Wells Brown wrote antislavery plays in the antebellum period.
    Hulton Archive/Getty Images

    Activist theater continued into the antebellum period for the purposes of promoting the abolitionist cause.

    These dramas, often organized by women, would take place in living rooms, outside of public view. The clandestine staged readings – the most famous of which was written by one of the earliest Black American playwrights, William Wells Brown – seeded enthusiasm and solidarity for the antislavery cause. These privately staged readings took place alongside public performances and lectures.

    Craft the world you want

    Dozens of experimental schools like the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee and Commonwealth College in Arkansas were founded in the 1920s and 1930s to train activists.

    Supporting adult learners of all ages – but specifically young adults – they initially focused on arts-based techniques for training workers in labor activism. For example, students wrote short plays based on their experiences of factory work. In their rehearsals and performances, they imagined endings in which workers triumphed over cruel bosses.

    Many programs were residential, rural and embraced early versions of mutual aid, where artists and activists support one another directly through pooling money and resources. Tuition was minimal and generally provided directly from labor organizations and allies, including the American Fund for Public Service. Most teachers were volunteers, and the learning communities often farmed to cover basic necessities.

    Although these institutions faced perpetual threats from local governments and even the FBI, these communal schools became testing grounds for social change. Some programs even became training sites for civil rights activists.

    Curate the world you need

    Black artists have long created spaces for community connection and career development. The Great Migration brought many Black American artists and thinkers to New York City, famously spurring the Harlem Renaissance, which lasted from the end of World War I through the 1920s. During this period, the neighborhood became a fountain of culture, with Black artists producing countless plays, books, music and other visionary works.

    This legacy continued at Just Above Midtown, or JAM, a gallery and arts laboratory led by Linda Goode Bryant from 1974 through 1986 on West 57th Street in Manhattan.

    At the time, arts organizations primarily supported artwork by white men. In response, Goode Bryant launched JAM to create a space that supported and celebrated artists of color. JAM provided arts business workshops, cultivated collaborations and launched the careers of Black artists such as David Hammons and Lorraine O’Grady.

    Linda Goode Bryant attends the opening reception of an exhibition honoring Just Above Midtown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City on Oct. 3, 2022.
    Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for The Museum of Modern Art

    The future is now

    Whether or not they realize it, many artists and arts organizations today are integrating lessons from the past.

    In recent years, they’ve promoted the unionization of museum workers and created local mutual aid networks such as the Museum Workers Relief Fund, which was one of many groups fundraising for arts workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. They’re building networks of financial support to share space and money with other artists and arts organizations. And they’re forming cultural land trusts, which create land cooperatives where artists can work and live with one another.

    What’s more, new philanthropic models are reshaping arts funding by elevating the perspectives of artists, rather than those of wealthy funders. CAST in San Francisco helps arts organizations find affordable gallery and performance spaces. The Community and Cultural Power Fund uses a trust-based philanthropy model that allows artists and community members to decide who receives future grants. The Ruth Foundation for the Arts makes artists the decision-makers in giving grants to arts organizations.

    While the current challenges are unprecedented – and funding threats will likely reshape arts organizations and further limit direct support for artists – we’re confident that the arts will persist with or without government support.

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

    – ref. With federal funding in question, artists can navigate a perilous future by looking to the past – https://theconversation.com/with-federal-funding-in-question-artists-can-navigate-a-perilous-future-by-looking-to-the-past-252453

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s attacks on central bank threaten its independence − and that isn’t good news for sound economic stewardship (or battling inflation)

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Cristina Bodea, Professor of Political Science, Michigan State University

    Nearly every country in the world has a central bank – a public institution that manages a country’s currency and its monetary policy. And these banks have an extraordinary amount of power. By controlling the flow of money and credit in a country, they can affect economic growth, inflation, employment and financial stability.

    These are powers that many politicians – including, currently, U.S. President Donald Trump – would seemingly like to control or at least manipulate. That’s because monetary policy can provide governments with economic boosts at key times, such as around elections or during periods of falling popularity.

    The problem is that short-lived, politically motivated moves may be detrimental to the long-term economic well-being of a nation. They may, in other words, saddle the economy with problems further down the line.

    That is why central banks across the globe tend to receive significant leeway to set interest rates independently and free from the electoral wishes of politicians.

    In fact, monetary policymaking that is data-driven and technocratic, rather than politically motivated, has since the early 1990s been seen as the gold standard of governance of national finances. By and large, this arrangement, in which central bankers keep politicians at arm’s length, has achieved its main purpose: Inflation has been relatively low and stable in countries with independent central banks, such as Switzerland or Sweden – certainly until the pandemic and war in Europe began pushing up prices globally.

    In comparison, countries such as Lebanon and Egypt, where independence was never extended, or Argentina and Turkey, where it has been curtailed, have experienced more bouts of high inflation.

    But despite independence being seen to work, central banks over the past decade have come under increased pressure from politicians. They hope to keep interest rates low and reap voter gratitude for a humming economy and cheap loans.

    Trump is one recent example. In his first term as president, he criticized his own choice to head the U.S. Federal Reserve and demanded lower interest rates. After Fed Chair Jerome Powell warned that tariffs are “highly likely” to trigger inflation, Trump lashed out on April 17, 2025, in an online post in which he accused Powell of being “TOO LATE AND WRONG” on interest rate cuts, while suggesting that the central banker’s “termination cannot come fast enough!”

    As political economists, we are not surprised to see politicians try to exert influence on central banks. Monetary policy, even with independence, has always been political. For one thing, central banks remain part of the government bureaucracy, and independence granted to them can always be reversed – either by changing laws or backtracking on established practices.

    Moreover, the reason politicians may want to interfere in monetary policy is that low interest rates remain a potent, quick method to boost an economy. And while politicians know that there are costs to besieging an independent central bank – financial markets may react negatively or inflation may flare up – short-term control of a powerful policy tool can prove irresistible.

    Legislating independence

    If monetary policy is such a coveted policy tool, how have central banks held off politicians and stayed independent? And is this independence being eroded?

    Broadly, central banks are protected by laws that offer long tenures to their leadership, allow them to focus policy primarily on inflation, and severely limit lending to the rest of the government.

    Of course, such legislation cannot anticipate all future contingencies, which may open the door for political interference or for practices that break the law. And sometimes central bankers are unceremoniously fired.

    However, laws do keep politicians in line. For example, even in authoritarian countries, laws protecting central banks from political interference have helped reduce inflation and restricted central bank lending to the government.

    In our own research, we have detailed the ways that laws have insulated central banks from the rest of the government, but also the recent trend of eroding this legal independence.

    Politicizing appointees

    Around the world, appointments to central bank leadership are political – elected politicians select candidates based on career credentials, political affiliation and, importantly, their dislike or tolerance of inflation.

    But lawmakers in different countries exercise different degrees of political control.

    A 2025 study shows that the large majority of central bank leaders – about 70% – are appointed by the head of government alone or with the intervention of other members of the executive branch. This ensures that the preferences of the central bank are closer to the government’s, which can boost the central bank’s legitimacy in democratic countries, but at the risk of permeability to political influence.

    Alternatively, appointments can involve the legislative power or even the central bank’s own board. In the U.S., while the president nominates members of the Federal Reserve Board, the Senate can and has rejected unconventional or incompetent candidates.

    Moreover, even if appointments are political, many central bankers stay in office long after the people who appointed them have been voted out. By the end of 2023, the most common length of the governors’ appointment is five years, and in 41 countries the legal mandate was six years or longer. Powell is set to stay on as Fed chair until his term expires in 2026. The Fed chair position has traditionally been protected by law, as Powell himself acknowledged in November 2024: “We’re not removable except for cause. We serve very long terms, seemingly endless terms. So we’re protected into law. Congress could change that law, but I don’t think there’s any danger of that.” But Trump’s firing of leaders of other independent federal agencies has set up a legal challenge that could affect the Fed, too.

    In the 2000s, several countries shortened the tenure of their central banks’ governors to four or five years. Sometimes, this was part of broader restrictions in central bank independence, as was the case in Iceland in 2001, Ghana in 2002 and Romania in 2004.

    The low inflation objective

    As of 2023, all but six central banks globally had low inflation as their main goal. Yet many central banks are required by law to try to achieve additional and sometimes conflicting goals, such as financial stability, full employment or support for the government’s policies.

    This is the case for 38 central banks that either have the explicit dual mandate of price stability and employment or more complex goals. In Argentina, for example, the central bank’s mandate is to provide “employment and economic development with social equity.”

    Poor monetary policy can lead to rising prices in Argentina.
    AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko

    Conflicting objectives can open central banks to politicization. In the U.S. the Federal Reserve has a dual mandate of stable prices and maximum sustainable employment. These goals are often complementary, and economists have argued that low inflation is a prerequisite for sustainable high levels of employment.

    But in times of overlapping high inflation and high unemployment, such as in the late 1970s or when the COVID-19 crisis was winding down in 2022, the Fed’s dual mandate has become active territory for political wrangling.

    Since 2000, at least 23 countries have expanded the focus of their central banks beyond just inflation.

    Limits on government lending

    The first central banks were created to help secure finance for governments fighting wars. But today, limiting lending to governments is at the core of protecting price stability from unsustainable fiscal spending.

    History is dotted with the consequences of not doing so. In the 1960s and 1970s, for example, central banks in Latin America printed money to support their governments’ spending goals. But it resulted in massive inflation while not securing growth or political stability.

    Today, limits on lending are strongly associated with lower inflation in the developing world. And central banks with high levels of independence can reject a government’s financing requests or dictate the terms of loans.

    Yet over the past two decades, almost 40 countries have made their central banks less able to limit central government funding. In the more extreme examples – such as in Belarus, Ecuador or even New Zealand – they have turned the central bank into a potential financier for the government.

    Scapegoating central bankers

    In recent years, governments have tried to influence central banks by pushing for lower interest rates, making statements criticizing bank policy or calling for meetings with central bank leadership.

    At the same time, politicians have blamed the same central bankers for a number of perceived failings: not anticipating economic shocks such as the 2007-09 financial crisis; exceeding their authority with quantitative easing; or creating massive inequality or instability while trying to save the financial sector.

    And since mid-2021, major central banks have struggled to keep inflation low, raising questions from populist and antidemocratic politicians about the merits of an arm’s-length relationship.

    But chipping away at central bank independence, as Trump appears to be doing with his open criticism of the Fed chair and implicit threats of dismissal, is a historically sure way to high inflation.

    This is an updated version of an article that was originally published by The Conversation on June 14, 2024.

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

    – ref. Trump’s attacks on central bank threaten its independence − and that isn’t good news for sound economic stewardship (or battling inflation) – https://theconversation.com/trumps-attacks-on-central-bank-threaten-its-independence-and-that-isnt-good-news-for-sound-economic-stewardship-or-battling-inflation-254870

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: As views on spanking shift worldwide, most US adults support it, and 19 states allow physical punishment in schools

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Christina Erickson, Associate Dean in the College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines, University of North Dakota

    Spanking in the U.S. generally ends around age 12, when children become big enough to resist or fight back. Sandro Di Carlo Darsa/Brand X Pictures via Getty Images

    _Nearly a half-century after the Supreme Court ruled that school spankings are permissible and not “cruel and unusual punishment”, many U.S. states allow physical punishment for students who have misbehaved.

    _Today, over a third of the states allow teachers to paddle or spank students. More than 100,000 students are paddled in U.S. schools each year.

    Christina Erickson, an associate dean and professor of social work at the University of North Dakota, wrote a book on the subject: “Spanked: How Hitting Our Children is Harming Ourselves.” She discussed the scope of the practice and its effects with The Conversation.

    What spanking legislation exists worldwide?

    Around the world, 68 countries have banned the hitting of children in any form, including spanking. This movement began in 1979 with Sweden’s ban on all forms of physical punishment, including spanking in any setting, and including in the family home.

    The pace of change quickened in the early 2000s when more countries adopted similar laws. For example, the legal language of countries like Nepal rests on an emerging definition of children as rights holders similar to adults and as humans worth protecting from harm.

    Spanking in schools is legal in 19 states.
    Maskot/Getty Images

    What are US policies toward spanking?

    Each state in the U.S. has its own child abuse laws, and all states, tribes and territories aim to protect children from abuse. But all state laws also allow parents to hit their children if it does not leave an injury or a mark.

    A typical example is Oklahoma’s definition of child abuse and neglect. It includes an exception that permits parents to use ordinary force as a means of discipline, including spanking, using an implement like a switch or a paddle. However, leaving evidence of hitting, such as welts, bruises, swelling or lacerations, is illegal and considered child abuse in all states.

    Parental spanking of children is considered unique from other physical violence because of the relational context and the purpose. Laws entitle parents to hit their children for the purpose of teaching a lesson or punishing them to improve behavior. Children are the only individuals in society who can be hit by another person and the law does not regard it as assault.

    Spanking’s impact on a child is unfortunately similar to abusive hitting. Spanking has been labeled as an “Adverse Childhood Experience,” or ACE. These are events that cause poor health outcomes over the span of one’s life.

    The practice of spanking also affects parents. Acceptance of the physical discipline of spanking puts parents at risk for the escalation of physical punishment that leads to abuse.

    Parents who spank their child have the potential to abuse them and be caught in a legal and child protection system that aims to protect children from harm. It is unclear what triggers a parent to cross over from discipline into abuse. Research shows that spanking at a young age, such as a 1-year-old, increases the chance of involvement by Child Protective Services by 33%.

    Some school districts require permission from parents to allow disciplinary paddling in school, while others do not require any communication. State law does not assure agreement between parents and school districts on what offenses warrant a paddling. Parents may feel they have no alternative but to keep their child in school, or fear reprisal from school administrators. Some students are old enough to denounce the punishment themselves.

    In this school district, physical punishment is used only when parents give written permission.

    Is spanking considered the same as hitting?

    The term spank conceals the concept of hitting and is so commonplace it goes unquestioned, despite the fact that it is a grown adult hitting a person much smaller than them. The concept is further concealed because hitting a child’s bottom hides any injuries that may occur.

    Types of hitting that are categorized as spanking have narrowed over the years but still persist. Some parents still use implements such as tree switches, wooden spoons, shoes or paddles to “spank” children, raising the chances for abuse.

    Most spanking ends by the age of 12, partly because children this age are able to fight back. When a child turns 18, parental hitting becomes the same as hitting any other adult, a form of domestic violence or assault throughout the U.S.

    There is a lack of a consistent understanding of what constitutes a spanking. The definition of spanking is unique to each family. The number of hits, clothed or not, or using an implement, all reflect geographical or familial differences in understanding what a spanking is.

    How do US adults view spanking?

    People in the United States generally accept spanking as part of raising children: 56% of U.S. adults strongly agree or agree that “… it is sometimes necessary to discipline a child with a good, hard spanking.” This view has been slowly changing since 1986, when 83% of adults agreed with that statement.

    The laws worldwide that protect children from being hit usually begin by disallowing nonparental adults to hit children. This is happening in the U.S. too, where 31 states have banned paddling in schools.

    At a national level, efforts have been made to end physical punishment in schools. However, 19 states still allow spanking of children in public schools, which was upheld by a 1977 Supreme Court case.

    With the slow but steady drop of parents who believe that sometimes children need a good hard spanking, as well as the ban of paddling in schools in 31 states, one could argue that the U.S. is moving toward a reduction in spanking.

    What does research say about spanking?

    Spanking’s negative influence on children’s behavior has been documented for decades. Spanking seems to work in the moment when it comes to changing or stopping the immediate behavior, but the negative effects are hidden in the short term and occur later in the child’s life. Yet because the spanking seemed to work at the time, the parent doesn’t connect the continued bad behavior of the child to the spanking.

    An abundance of research shows that spanking causes increased negative behaviors in childhood. Spanking lowers executive functioning for children, increases dating violence as teenagers and even increases struggles with mental health and substance abuse in adulthood. Spanking does not teach new or healthy behaviors, and is a stress-inducing event for the child and the adult hitting them.

    No studies have shown positive long-term benefits from spanking. Because of the long-standing and expansive research findings showing a range of harm from spanking and the increased association with child abuse, the American Psychological Association recommends that parents should never spank their children.

    What are some resources for parents?

    Consider these questions when choosing a discipline method for your child:

    • Is the expectation of your child developmentally accurate? One of the most common reasons parents spank is because they are expecting a behavior the child is not developmentally able to execute.

    • Can the discipline you choose grow with your child? Nearly all spanking ends by age 12, when kids are big enough to fight back. Choose discipline methods you can use over the long term, such as additional chores, apologies, difficult conversations and others that can grow with your child.

    • Might there be another explanation for your child’s behavior? Difficulty of understanding, fear or miscommunication? Think of your child as a learner and use a growth mindset to help your child learn from their life experiences.

    Parents are the leaders of their families. Good leaders show strength in nonthreatening ways, listen to others and explain their decisions. Don’t spoil your kids. But being firm does not have to include hitting.

    Is spanking children good for parents?

    Doubtful. Parents who hit their kids may be unaware that it influences their frustration in other relationships. Expressing aggression recharges an angry and short-tempered internal battery that transfers into other parts of the adults’ lives.

    Practicing calm when with your children will help you be calmer at work and in your other relationships. Listening to and speaking with a child about challenges, even from a very early age, is the best way to make it part of your relationship for the rest of your life.

    Choose a method that allows you to grow. Parents matter too.

    Christina Erickson 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. As views on spanking shift worldwide, most US adults support it, and 19 states allow physical punishment in schools – https://theconversation.com/as-views-on-spanking-shift-worldwide-most-us-adults-support-it-and-19-states-allow-physical-punishment-in-schools-240186

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Lawsuits seeking to address climate change have promise but face uncertain future

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Hannah Wiseman, Professor of Law, Penn State

    Kelsey Juliana, a lead plaintiff in a federal lawsuit over responsibility for climate change, speaks at a 2019 rally in Oregon. AP Photo/Steve Dipaola

    The U.S. Supreme Court in March 2025 ended a decade-old lawsuit filed by a group of children who sought to hold the federal government responsible for some of the consequences of climate change. But just two months earlier, the justices allowed a similar suit from the city and county of Honolulu, Hawaii, to continue against oil and gas companies.

    Evidence shows that fossil fuel companies, electric utilities and the federal government have known about climate change, its dangers and its human causes for at least 50 years. But the steps taken by fossil fuel companies, utilities and governments, including the U.S. government, have not been enough to meet international climate targets.

    So local and state governments and citizens have asked the courts to force companies and public agencies to act. Their results have varied, with limited victories to date. But the cases keep coming.

    Attacking the emissions themselves

    In general, legal claims in the U.S. can be based on the U.S. and state constitutions, federal and state laws, or what is called “common law” – legal principles created by courts over time.

    Lawsuits have used state and federal laws to try to limit greenhouse gas pollution itself and to seek financial compensation for alleged industry cover-ups of the dangers of fossil fuels, among many other types of claims.

    In 2007 the U.S. Supreme Court determined that greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide emitted from motor vehicles were a “pollutant” under the federal Clean Air Act. As a result, the court ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to either determine whether greenhouse gases from new vehicles contribute to climate change, and therefore endanger human health, or justify its refusal to study the issue.

    In 2009 the EPA found that carbon dioxide emissions did in fact endanger human health – a decision called the “endangerment finding.” In 2010 it imposed limits on carbon dioxide emissions from new vehicles and, later, from newly constructed power plants.

    But related EPA efforts to regulate emissions from older power plants – the ones that emit the most pollution – failed when challenged in court on the grounds that they went too far in limiting emissions beyond the power plants’ own properties.

    The Biden administration had finalized a new rule to clean up these older plants, but the Trump administration is now seeking to withdraw it.

    The Trump administration is also now beginning the complicated process of reviewing the 2009 endangerment finding. It could try to remove the legal basis for EPA greenhouse gas regulations.

    A common-law approach

    In response to this federal executive seesaw of climate action, some legal claims use a court-based, or common law, approach to address climate concerns. For instance, in Connecticut v. American Electric Power, filed in 2004, nine states asked a federal judge to order power plants to reduce their emissions. The states said those emissions contributed to global warming, which they argued met the federal common law definition of a “public nuisance.”

    That case ended when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2011 that the existence of a statute – the federal Clean Air Act – meant common law did not apply. Other plaintiffs have tried to use the “public nuisance” claim or a related common-law claim of “trespass” to force large power plants or oil and gas producers to pay climate-related damages. But in those cases, too, courts found that the Clean Air Act overrode the common-law grounds for those claims.

    With those case outcomes, many plaintiffs have shifted their strategies, focusing more on state courts and seeking to hold the fossil fuel industry responsible for allegedly deceiving the public about the causes and effects of climate change.

    Three examples of petroleum industry advertisements a lawsuit alleges are misleading about the causes of climate change.
    State of Maine v. BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, Sunoco and American Petroleum Insititute

    Examining deception

    In many cases, state and local governments are arguing that the fossil fuel industry knew about the dangers of climate change and deceived the public about them, and that the industry exaggerated the extent of its investments in energy that doesn’t emit carbon.

    Rather than directly asking courts to order reduced carbon emissions, these cases tend to seek damages that will help governments cover the costs associated with climate change, such as construction of cooling centers
    and repair of roads damaged by increased precipitation.

    In legal terms, the lawsuits are saying oil and gas companies violated consumer-protection laws and committed common-law civil violations such as negligence. For instance, the city of Chicago alleges that major petroleum giants – along with the industry trade association the American Petroleum Institute – had “abundant knowledge” of the public harms of fossil fuels yet “actively campaigned” to hide that information and deceive consumers. Many other complaints by states and local governments make similar allegations.

    Another lawsuit, from the state of Maine, lists and provides photographs of a litany of internal industry documents showing industry knowledge of the threat of climate change. That lawsuit also cites a 1977 memo from an Exxon employee to Exxon executives, which stated that “current scientific opinion overwhelmingly favors attributing atmospheric carbon dioxide increase to fossil fuel consumption,” and a 1979 internal Exxon memo about the buildup of carbon dioxide emissions, which warned that “(t)he potential problem is great and urgent.”

    These complaints also show organizations supported by fossil fuel companies published ads as far back as the 1990s, with titles such as “Apocalypse No” and “Who told you the earth was warming … Chicken Little?” Some of these ads – part of a broader campaign – were funded by a group called the Information Council for the Environment, supported by coal producers and electric utilities.

    Courts have dismissed some of these complaints, finding that federal laws overrule the principles those suits are based on. But many are still winding their way through the courts.

    In 2023 the Supreme Court of Hawaii found that federal laws do not prevent climate claims based on state common law. In January 2025 the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the case to continue.

    Lead claimant Rikki Held, then 22, confers with lawyers before the beginning of a 2023 Montana trial about young people’s rights in a time of climate change.
    William Campbell/Getty Images

    Other approaches

    Still other litigation approaches argue that governments inadequately reviewed the effects of greenhouse gas emissions, or even supported or subsidized those emissions caused by private industry. Those lawsuits – some of which were filed by children, with help from their parents or legal guardians – claim the governments’ actions violated people’s constitutional rights.

    For instance, children in the Juliana v. United States case, first filed in 2015, said 50 years of petroleum-supporting actions by presidents and various federal agencies had violated their fundamental “right to a climate system capable of sustaining human life.” The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that their claim was a “political question” – meant for Congress, not the courts. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to reconsider that ruling in March 2025.

    But children in Montana found more success. The Montana Constitution requires state officials and all residents to “maintain and improve a clean and healthful environment … for present and future generations.” In 2024 the Montana Supreme Court determined that this provision “includes a stable climate system that sustains human lives and liberties.”

    The Montana Supreme Court also reviewed a state law banning officials from considering greenhouse gas emissions of projects approved by the state. The court found that the ban violated the state constitution, too. Since then, the Montana Supreme Court has specifically required state officials to review the climate effects of a project for which permits were challenged.

    Concerned people and groups continue to file climate-related lawsuits across the country and around the world. They are seeing mixed results, but as the cases continue and more are filed, they are drawing attention to potential corporate and government wrongdoing, as well as the human costs of climate change. And they are inspiring shareholders and citizens to demand more accurate information and action from fossil fuel companies and electric utilities.

    Hannah Wiseman receives funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Arnold Ventures, and the National Science Foundation for work researching the energy transition, renewable energy policy, hydrogen, and carbon capture and sequestration. She is a scholar member of the Center for Progressive Reform.

    – ref. Lawsuits seeking to address climate change have promise but face uncertain future – https://theconversation.com/lawsuits-seeking-to-address-climate-change-have-promise-but-face-uncertain-future-253484

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Claims of ‘anti-Christian bias’ sound to some voters like a message about race, not just religion

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Rosemary (Marah) Al-Kire, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Washington

    A 2024 study examined how voters perceive claims that Christians experience widespread discrimination. JTSorrell/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    President Donald Trump and members of his administration have long used allegations of anti-Christian discrimination as a rallying cry for supporters, arguing that policies and laws on issues like school prayer and LGBTQ+ rights threaten Christians’ right to express their beliefs.

    Weeks into his second term, Trump took action, signing an executive order on “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias.” The order vowed to “protect the religious freedoms of Americans and end the anti-Christian weaponization of government” by identifying anti-Christian conduct and recommending policy changes. In mid-April, Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed employees in the State Department to report any incidents of such bias that occurred during the Biden administration.

    Many critics contest claims of widespread discrimination against Christians in U.S. society, given that Christians are the country’s largest faith group and benefit from associated privileges. Consider how Christmas is recognized as a federal holiday, whereas other faiths’ major holidays are not.

    As social psychologists, we were curious who claims of anti-Christian bias appeal to, and how those claims are perceived.

    Hats for sale at a campaign rally for Donald Trump in Vandalia, Ohio, on March 16, 2024.
    AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

    Our 2024 research, as well as other scholars’ work, suggests that people’s beliefs about anti-Christian discrimination are tied with their attitudes about race. These studies suggest that when politicians talk about anti-Christian bias, it does more than signal a concern and commitment to Christians – it can also serve as a signal of white solidarity.

    A changing America

    Even though they remain the largest religious and racial groups, white Americans and Christian Americans have both declined as a proportion of the U.S. population. Over the past two decades, the percentage of Christian Americans has decreased from 78% to 63%, and the percentage of white Americans has decreased from 69% to 60%. White Christians now account for less than 50% of the country.

    Many scholars have argued that, at the root, some white and Christian Americans feel threatened by these demographic shifts. Increasing secularization and other cultural changes have added to some white Christians’ sense that their identity is under attack. According to FBI data, however, only 3% of hate crimes over the past five years targeted Christians. In comparison, 14% targeted Jews, Muslims or Sikhs – groups that make up just 3% of the population.

    The Public Religion Research Institute found that 55% of white Americans believe discrimination against white people is as much of a problem as discrimination against minority groups. Meanwhile, 60% of white evangelicals say that Christians in the U.S. face discrimination.

    In his executive order, Trump echoes these perceptions of threat, painting a picture of embattlement for Christians.

    The executive order provides examples of charges brought against Christian pro-life protesters and alleges that Democrats failed to respond to attacks on churches. The executive order criticizes the Biden administration for policies that it says “force Christians to affirm radical transgender ideology against their faith,” including for potential foster parents.

    Testing views

    Historically, white people and Christians were often treated as the quintessential Americans – meaning race and religion are tightly connected in U.S. culture.

    Sixty-two percent of white American adults identify as Christian, and 61% of American Christians identify as white.

    Marchers protest school integration in Little Rock, Ark., in 1959. One of their signs says ‘Please save our Christian America.’
    Bledsoe/Library of Congress/Interim Archives/Getty Images

    In our four experiments, published in Psychological Science in March 2024, we tested these connections between views of race and religion, focusing on claims about anti-Christian bias.

    First, in two online experiments of about 3,000 participants, we randomly assigned white and Black Christians to one of four groups. One group did not read anything, while the other three were each given a brief blurb about discrimination. Each blurb summarized a different group’s fears that bias against them was increasing: white Americans, Black Americans and Christian Americans.

    Afterward, we asked all the participants to assess how much bias they think those groups actually face. Compared to white Christians who did not read anything, white Christians who read the blurb about anti-Christian bias perceived greater anti-white bias. Black Christians who read the blurb about anti-Christian bias, however, did not perceive greater anti-white bias than Black Christians who did not read anything.

    Thus, it appears that the white Christians mentally linked anti-Christian and anti-white bias.

    In our other two experiments, we randomly assigned about 1,000 white and Black Christians to read an interview excerpt from a fictional local politician who was asked about the most pressing issue in their community. The politician either voiced concern about anti-Christian bias, anti-white bias, religious freedom or the economy.

    What are you worried about?
    microgen/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    Afterward, we asked participants several questions about the politician, including whether they thought this figure was liberal or conservative, and whether they thought this figure would be “concerned about bias against white people.” Black and white Christian respondents believed the politician who voiced concern about anti-Christian bias was also more likely to fight for the rights of white people, relative to the politician who discussed the economy.

    We also asked participants whether they found the politician’s interview offensive. Both Black and white Christians viewed the message about anti-Christian bias as less offensive than the message about anti-white bias.

    Importantly, these effects held regardless of whether participants believed the politician was conservative or liberal.

    Taken together, these findings suggest that expressing concern for anti-Christian bias can be interpreted as signaling allegiance to white people – without the social cost of being accused of racism. Instead, allegations of anti-Christian bias can be presented in a positive way as issues of “religious freedom,” a core American value.

    Whether intentionally or not, it seems that rallying around anti-Christian bias can serve as a “dog whistle” signaling support for people concerned about changes in America’s racial makeup, as well.

    Michael Pasek receives funding from the Russell Sage Foundation.

    Clara L. Wilkins and Rosemary (Marah) Al-Kire do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Claims of ‘anti-Christian bias’ sound to some voters like a message about race, not just religion – https://theconversation.com/claims-of-anti-christian-bias-sound-to-some-voters-like-a-message-about-race-not-just-religion-250729

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Crime is nonpartisan and the blame game on crime in cities is wrong – on both sides

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Justin de Benedictis-Kessner, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School

    Neither party – Democrats nor Republicans – is doing a better job at fixing crime. Carl Ballou – iStock/Getty Images Plus

    Following George Floyd’s death at the hands of police in Minneapolis in 2020, the U.S. has undergone a national reckoning over crime prevention and police reform.

    Across the country, calls went out from activists to rethink the scope and role of the police. Some on the left vowed to “defund” the police. Others on the right promised to instead “back the blue” and maintain or increase police funding.

    This rhetorical tug-of-war unfolded while many cities across the country grappled with spiking crime rates during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Blaming crime on Democratic city leaders was a centerpiece of Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. He repeatedly made claims about crime spikes in recent years without evidence or context.

    More recently, Republican congressional leaders have called several Democratic mayors from across the country to testify before Congress about their sanctuary city policies that are aimed at protecting noncitizens from deportation. These congressional politicians have asserted that these Democratic mayors – Brandon Johnson of Chicago, Mike Johnston of Denver, Michelle Wu of Boston, and Eric Adams of New York – have “created a public safety nightmare” in their cities by allowing immigrants without legal authorization to stay there.

    Journalists and politicians on both sides of the aisle have claimed that local election results over the past four years in places like San Francisco and Los Angeles reflect a widespread frustration with Democratic policies on crime in cities.

    Under this argument, Democratic city leaders need to change their approach on crime to satisfy voters. It’s become a political axiom of sorts that policies championed largely by Democratic city leaders over the past half decade have resulted in rising crime levels.

    As researchers of politics and public policy, we wanted to figure out if that was true.

    A New York Times headline from June 8, 2022, linking crime rates and the Democratic Party.
    The New York Times

    Neither party does a better job

    As any student of introductory statistics learns, correlation doesn’t imply causation. Looking at increases or decreases in crime rates in Republican or Democratic cities and claiming either party is to blame would be making exactly this error: confusing correlation with causation.

    We put to the test the argument that one side or the other is better at fighting crime in our research published in January 2025. By employing three decades of data on mayoral elections from across the country, we were able to disentangle city leaders’ partisanship from other features of cities.

    Contrary to much of the political rhetoric and media coverage aimed at most Americans, our results show that neither party is doing a better job at actually causing crime to decrease.

    In Dallas, Mayor Eric Johnson has claimed that Democratic leaders aren’t taking public safety seriously and that the Democratic Party is “with the criminals.” Johnson switched from being a Democrat to a Republican in 2023 and attributes his decision at least partially to this partisan difference on crime and policing and the seriousness with which he takes this policy issue.

    But our research shows that Johnson’s and others’ claims about Democratic cities becoming more dangerous just aren’t true: Mayors from the Democratic Party aren’t making cities any more – or less – dangerous than mayors from the Republican Party.

    Nor, it turns out, is there any support for claims by some progressive Democrats that they would reduce the role – and enormous budgets – of police departments in cities across the country.

    When we examined the number of sworn police officers in cities and how much money those cities spend on the police, Democratic and Republican mayors alike have had surprisingly little influence on police department budgets or sizes.

    In other words, Democrats aren’t cutting police budgets, nor are Republicans increasing police budgets. Most cities have increased police budgets in the past few years, possibly due to pressure from police unions.

    Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson speaks during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 16, 2024.
    Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

    ‘Crime is nonpartisan’

    It turns out that campaign promises from both sides of the partisan aisle about crime and policing have little bearing on what’s happening on the ground in most cities and police departments across the country.

    Neither party is doing a better job at reducing crime. Nor is either party actually addressing the ballooning financial cost of local police forces in the U.S., nor the long-term reputational costs from police misconduct for trust in the police and government more broadly.

    As others have said: crime is nonpartisan.

    Crime has decreased across the U.S. during the past three decades overall, and the isolated cities where crime has increased recently can reverse these temporary trends.

    Partisan blame narratives do little to actually lower crime and make neighborhoods safer, though.

    There are real evidence-backed policies that reduce crime – such as youth jobs programs in Chicago and Boston. Other policies reduce racial disparities in the criminal justice system – such as alternative 911 response programs that use unarmed behavioral health workers to respond to some types of emergencies.

    These policies and interventions might not be as slogan-worthy as “defund the police” or “back the blue.” Nor is implementing these policies as politically convenient as blaming sanctuary city mayors. But research shows that they work and can move cities toward the shared goal of improved public safety for their residents.

    Justin de Benedictis-Kessner has previously received funding from the Bloomberg Center for Cities, the MIT Election Data + Science Lab, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and the Boston Area Research Initiative.

    Christopher S. Warshaw receives funding from the MIT Election Data + Science Lab, the Russell Sage Foundation, and Democracy Fund.

    – ref. Crime is nonpartisan and the blame game on crime in cities is wrong – on both sides – https://theconversation.com/crime-is-nonpartisan-and-the-blame-game-on-crime-in-cities-is-wrong-on-both-sides-252218

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Posh-house drama, Elton’s new album and art to make you weep – what to watch, see and listen to this week

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jane Wright, Commissioning Editor, Arts & Culture, The Conversation UK

    This week I’ve seen Disney’s latest bingeable series, The Stolen Girl, variously described as a “posh-house drama”, “the equivalent of an airport novel” and “enjoyably preposterous” – so what’s not to like?

    One episode in, I’m lapping up the lavishly immaculate interiors and clipped tones of rich people who call everyone “darling”. And I always enjoy the hilariously shonky portrayal of journalists and the way dramatists think they speak to each other. Local hack Selma to her (extremely mild and unbothered) boss: “I’m sorry I missed the deadline! I was focused on the background story, it’s important.” Boss, rolling his eyes: “Can’t you put an alert on your phone or something?” Selma: “Next time I will, I promise!”

    The fact that no newsroom boss has ever spoken like that to a reporter who missed a deadline is neither here nor there. This twisty-turny thriller grabs you by the lapels and doesn’t let go. Private-jet stewardess Elisa and criminal lawyer Fred are horrified to find their daughter Lucia has vanished, after a hastily arranged playdate-turned-sleepover with a new schoolfriend turns out to be a meticulously planned abduction.

    But why their daughter? Is there more to Elisa and Fred and their perfect life than meets the eye? From leafy Cheshire to the south of France, their secrets and lies play out, unravelling their once-happy lives. Like the recent Netflix hit Adolescence, social media is a factor in facilitating the crime – but crucially, through the investigations of Selma, also an instrument of solving it.

    The Stolen Girl is streaming on Disney now.

    Painting and pain

    A decade in the making, the National Gallery’s take on the most exciting 50 years of Siena’s artistic production showcases an astonishing array of works. Art history expert Louise Bourdua describes Siena: The Rise of Painting 1300-1350 as “a pleasure for the eye and commendable for its ability to make medieval religious art accessible”.

    The exhibition focuses on so much more than the pre-eminent painters Duccio, Simone Martini and brothers Ambrogio and Pietro Lorenzetti. On show is a wealth of Siena’s visual culture represented in illuminated manuscripts, reliquaries (containers for holy relics), sculptures, gold and enamel work, rugs and silks.

    Showstoppers include Duccio’s stunning gold-painted Crucifixion triptych, Pietro Lorenzetti’s five-panel altarpiece from the church of Santa Maria della Pieve in Arezzo, and the beautifully carved head of Christ by Lando di Pietro – identified as the creator of the work by the personal handwritten prayers concealed within the sculpture, also on display.

    Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300-1350 is at the National Gallery until June 22.

    The child of immigrant Jamaican parents growing up in the turbulent Britain of the 1970s and ’80s, Donald Rodney’s artistic expression was shaped by his experience of a socially and racially fractured environment.

    His first retrospective exhibition in more than 15 years, Donald Rodney: Visceral Canker at London’s Whitechapel Gallery, is a chance to see the remarkable work of an artist who died at just 36 from sickle-cell anaemia. Described by the Jamaican cultural theorist Stuart Hall as an “emblematically black disease”, it would eventually claim Rodney’s life and that of three of his siblings.

    Encapsulating painting, drawing, pastels, photography, sculptural assemblages, installations and computer-generated art, the show reveals an artist who was angry, ambitious and audacious; who meshed his experience of racism with his illness to draw the poisonous connections of slavery and colonialism to a childhood blighted by anti-immigrant sentiment, the rise of the far right, and pain.

    But as contemporary art specialist Richard Hylton explains, by the late 1970s and early 80s, these children of black immigrants were becoming adults, and new forms of British cultural identity were being explored – including a whole new wave of artistic expression that saw young black British artists rail against the idea of black youth as the public enemy. Rodney’s work endures as an invitation to look beneath the surface of images and society, to better understand the pernicious workings of inequality and racism.

    Donald Rodney: Visceral Canker is at the Whitechapel Gallery until May 4.

    The ballad of John and Yoko (and Elton)

    Capturing an early 1970s charged with political unrest, anti-war sentiment and media saturation, the new documentary One to One: John & Yoko is a revealing exploration of John Lennon’s post-Beatles life and activism with his Japanese partner, Yoko Ono.

    Often dismissed as a pop-star WAG, here Ono is firmly positioned as an artist in her own right. More crucially, we see the influential role she played in nudging Lennon into more radical territory beyond the political songs that emerged in the late-era Beatles. Musically and socially, the pair aimed to galvanise a generation disillusioned by the failure of 1960s “flower-power” to create any kind of genuine social change.

    As a researcher of Ono’s performance art, Stephanie Hernandez found the film compelling in its portrayal of Ono’s avant-garde flair and Lennon’s energetic rock‘n’roll style as complementary forces driving their own brand of pop activism.

    One to One is in cinemas now.

    The irrepressible Elton John is back with a new album, Who Believes in Angels?, a collaboration with country singer Brandi Carlile.

    Since 2020, almost half of the 100 biggest tracks have been collaborations. John has done his fair share of musical hook-ups, with luminaries such as Little Richard, Aretha Franklin, George Michael, Eminem and even Luciano Pavarotti. Now his first post-retirement album with the Grammy-winning Carlile has just reached the top spot in the UK album charts.

    John has described the making of the album as “one of the greatest musical experiences” of his life. So what is it about this collaboration that has so “utterly revitalised” the 78-year-old showman? Is he not quite ready to leave the limelight? Or is he seeking a challenge across new genres, in hitching his piano to a much younger star from a different part of the musical universe? Glenn Fosbraey, an expert in pop music and performance, explains why John (and many other music legends) won’t let the sun go down just yet.

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

    – ref. Posh-house drama, Elton’s new album and art to make you weep – what to watch, see and listen to this week – https://theconversation.com/posh-house-drama-eltons-new-album-and-art-to-make-you-weep-what-to-watch-see-and-listen-to-this-week-254848

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Create in India Challenge Evolves into a Global Movement with Nearly 1 Lakh Registrations from Over 60 Countries

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 18 APR 2025 4:32PM by PIB Delhi

    The Create in India Challenge (CIC) Season 1, launched as a flagship initiative under the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), is gearing up for a spectacular finale at the Jio World Centre, Mumbai, from 1st to 4th May 2025. With registrations now officially closed for all 32 challenges, CIC has achieved a significant milestone, receiving nearly 1 lakh registrations, including over 1,100 international participants. The challenges have attracted entries from over 60 countries, reflecting the global appeal and reach of this pioneering initiative. From this exceptional pool of talent, 750 finalists will be given the opportunity to showcase their creative skills and outcomes at Creatosphere, a specially curated platform featuring innovation across animation, comics, AI, XR, gaming, music, and more, as part of WAVES 2025. The winners of these challenges will be conferred the prestigious ‘WAVES Creator Awards’ in a grand red carpet ceremony on Day 2 of the event.

    The Creatosphere at WAVES will witness remarkable global participation, with 43 international finalists showcasing their talents, adding a truly international dimension to this celebration of creativity. These finalists represent over 20 countries, including Argentina, Nepal, Germany, Bermuda (BOT), the United States, Greece, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Laos, Thailand, Tajikistan, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Russia, Maldives, Malaysia, and Japan. Notably, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Tajikistan each contributes 6 finalists, followed by 5 each from Indonesia and Maldives, and 4 from Mauritius. The United States is represented by 2 finalists, while Russia, Canada, Argentina, Laos, Malaysia, Bermuda, Egypt, Thailand, and the United Kingdom each have 1 finalist. This diverse international presence underscores the global appeal and growing reach of the Create in India Challenge.

    In India, the challenges saw enthusiastic participation from across all 28 states and 8 Union Territories, underscoring the truly national footprint of the initiative. The list of finalists across the challenges reflects remarkable regional representation, with participants hailing from across the country from Assam and Meghalaya in the East to Gujarat in the West and from Himachal Pradesh in the North to Kerala in the South.

    Celebrating the energy of youth, the Create in India Challenges are overwhelmingly driven by young creators predominantly in their 20s, reflecting a vibrant ecosystem of college students, early-career professionals, and teen innovators. With the youngest finalist just 12 years old and the oldest at 66, the initiative showcases a truly inclusive creative platform that transcends age.

    The Create in India initiative champions grassroots innovation while celebrating diversity in purpose and participation. From making education accessible through the Innovate 2 Educate Challenge to reviving India’s textile legacy with “Make the World Wear Khadi,” the challenges span tradition and technology. “India: A Bird’s Eye View” captures the nation’s spirit through breathtaking aerial visuals by filmmakers and Drone Didis, using drone technology for storytelling and community empowerment.

    As excitement for WAVES 2025 reaches its crescendo, the Create in India Challenge has emerged as a powerful expression of India’s creative ambition, unlocking new opportunities for talent and reaffirming the nation’s rising leadership in the global media and entertainment landscape. With its vibrant mix of Indian and international participation, the Create in India Challenge has grown into a dynamic global platform, empowering voices across regions and generations, and truly embodying the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision that “WAVES should reach every home and every heart.”

    *****

    PIB TEAM WAVES 2025 | Dharmendra Tewari/ Navin Sreejith | 98

    (Release ID: 2122688) Visitor Counter : 91

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Astronaut to Answer Questions from Colorado Students

    Source: NASA

    Students from Woodland Park, Colorado, will connect with NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers as she answers prerecorded science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-related questions from aboard the International Space Station.
    Watch the 20-minute space-to-Earth call at 11:55 a.m. EDT on Monday, April 21, on the NASA STEM YouTube Channel.
    The event, hosted by Woodland Park High School, also is open to students from Woodland Park Middle School. The Colorado high school wants to show students that even though they reside in a small town, they can achieve big dreams. Ayers, who considers Colorado Springs and Divide, Colorado, home, is a graduate of Woodland Park.
    Media interested in covering the event must RSVP by 5 p.m., Friday, April 18 to Lindsey Prahl at lprah@wpsdk12.org or 719-922-1019.
    For more than 24 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through SCaN’s (Space Communications and Navigation) Near Space Network.
    Important research and technology investigations taking place aboard the space station benefit people on Earth and lays the groundwork for other agency missions. As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars; inspiring Artemis Generation explorers and ensuring the United States continues to lead in space exploration and discovery.
    See videos and lesson plans highlighting space station research at:
    https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
    -end-
    Tiernan DoyleHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600tiernan.doyle@nasa.gov  
    Sandra JonesJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Building for a Better World: Norfolk Students Bring STEM to Life with NASA Partnership

    Source: NASA

    At Norfolk Technical Center in Norfolk, Virginia, carpentry students in Jordan Crawford’s first-year class aren’t just learning how to measure and cut wood—they’re discovering how their skills can serve a greater purpose.
    When the NASA Science Activation program’s NASA eClips project—led by the National Institute of Aerospace’s Center for Integrative Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education (NIA-CISE)—needed help building weather instrument shelters for local schools, Norfolk Public Schools’ Career and Technical Education (CTE) team saw an opportunity to connect students to something bigger than the classroom. The shelters are used to house scientific equipment that K–12 students rely on to collect data using GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) protocols—a set of standardized, internationally recognized methods for gathering environmental data such as temperature, soil moisture, and cloud cover. These observations contribute to a global citizen science database, giving young learners a meaningful role in real-world environmental research.
    Originally, shelters were being ordered from a national supplier to support GLOBE training sessions for teachers in GO (Growth & Opportunity) Virginia Region 5, an economic development region. These training sessions were funded through a generous grant from the Coastal Virginia STEM Hub (COVA STEM Hub), which supports regional collaboration in STEM education. But when the supplier couldn’t keep up with demand, Norfolk Public Schools CTE Specialist Dr. Deborah Marshall offered a bold solution: why not have local students build them?
    That’s when the project truly took off. Under the guidance of Jordan Crawford, students took on the challenge of building 20 high-quality shelters in spring 2024, following precise construction plans provided through the GLOBE Program. Materials were funded by the COVA STEM grant, and the students rolled up their sleeves to turn lumber into lasting educational tools for their community.
    “As an instructor, you look for opportunities that challenge your students, allow them to do things bigger than themselves, and let them see a project through from start to finish,” Crawford said. “This project allowed my students to hone existing skills and build new ones, and I saw incredible growth not just in craftsmanship but in teamwork. The most rewarding part was seeing the impact of their work in real schools.”
    And the students rose to the occasion—taking pride in their work, learning advanced techniques, and developing new confidence. One of the most challenging parts of the build involved crafting the louvers—angled slats on the sides of the shelters needed for proper air circulation. Student Zymere Watts took the lead in designing and building a jig to make sure the louvers could be cut uniformly and precisely for every unit.
    “Building the weather shelters was a fun and challenging task that pushed me to strive for perfection with each one,” said student Amir Moore. “After completion, I was delighted to see the faces of the people who were proud and happy with what we built.”“It was an extreme pleasure working on this project. I would love to work with NIA again,” added LaValle Howard. “I am proud to be a part of this vocational school and team.”Jaymyson Burden agreed: “It was fun and great to be exposed to the carpentry realm and install them in the real world. It was gratifying to know what we have done has an impact.”
    After completing the shelters, the students volunteered to install them at seven Hampton City Schools. Their work completed the full circle—from building the shelters in their carpentry classroom to setting them up where younger students would use them to collect real environmental data.
    Their dedication did not go unnoticed. The team was invited to NASA’s Langley Research Center for a behind-the-scenes tour of the NASA Model Shop, where they met Sam James, a Mechanical Engineering Technician and Fabrication Specialist. James showed the students how the same kind of craftsmanship they’d used is essential in the creation of tools and components for NASA missions. They also learned about NASA summer internships and discovered that their hands-on skills could open doors to exciting careers in STEM fields.
    “It was an honor to help where we were needed,” said student Josh Hunsucker. “Assembling these gave us a new perspective on the importance of duplication and how each step impacts the result. We’re happy to help wherever or whenever we’re needed—it provides a learning experience for us.”Kyra Pope summed it up: “It’s been a great amount of work over the past few months, but it pays off—especially when you’re giving back to the community.”
    According to Dr. Sharon Bowers, Associate Director and Senior STEM Education Specialist for NIA-CISE, the project demonstrates what’s possible when regional partners come together to empower students and educators alike. “The financial support from COVA STEM Hub supported sustained educator professional learning within our STEM learning ecosystem. Work with the Norfolk Technical Center truly made this a real-world, problem-solving experience. This is just the beginning for more collaborative work that will bring the region together to engage educators and learners in authentic STEM learning experiences.”
    This collaboration wasn’t just about building boxes to house thermometers. It was about building bridges—between technical education and science, between high school students and their futures, and between local classrooms and global research. With each shelter they crafted, the students created something that will outlast them, reminding others—and themselves—of what’s possible when learning is hands-on, meaningful, and connected to the world beyond school walls.
    Thanks to Betsy McAllister, NIA’s Educator-in-Residence from Hampton City Schools, for her impactful contributions and for sharing this story. The NASA eClips project provides educators with standards-based videos, activities, and lessons to increase STEM literacy through the lens of NASA. It is supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AB91A and is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom responds to DOGE’s dismantling of AmeriCorps: ‘Middle finger to volunteers. We will sue’

    Source: US State of California 2

    Apr 17, 2025

    What you need to know: DOGE’s actions to dismantle AmeriCorps threaten vulnerable Californians, disaster response and recovery, and economic opportunities. California is suing — and ramping up efforts to recruit for the state’s service corps program.

    SACRAMENTO – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that as the Trump Administration dismantles the AmeriCorps service program, California will both challenge the illegal action in court and accelerate recruitment for the California Service Corps program — already the largest service corps in the nation, surpassing the size of the Peace Corps.

    We’ve gone from the New Deal, the New Frontier, and the Great Society to a federal government that gives the middle finger to volunteers serving their fellow Americans. We will sue to stop this.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    When the devastating fires struck Los Angeles earlier this year, AmeriCorps members were on the ground, distributing supplies and supporting families. As recently as this week, AmeriCorps members were on the ground assisting in recovery. The agency’s shutdown hamstrings these efforts.

    “DOGE’s actions aren’t about making government work better — it’s about making communities weaker,” said GO-Serve Director Josh Fryday. “These actions will dismantle vital lifelines in communities across California. AmeriCorps members are out in the field teaching children to read, supporting seniors and helping families recover after disasters. AmeriCorps is not bureaucracy; it’s boots on the ground.”

    JFK’s America:

    “For I stand tonight facing west on what was once the last frontier. The pioneers… were not ‘every man for himself’ — but ‘all for the common cause.’ They were determined to make that new world strong and free, to overcome its hazards and its hardships…

    “We stand today on the edge  of a New Frontier, a frontier of unknown opportunities and perils, a frontier of unfulfilled hopes and threats.”

    “The New Frontier of which I speak is not a set of promises — it is a set of challenges. It sums up not what I intend to offer the American people, but what I intend to ask of them. It appeals to their pride, not to their pocketbook, it holds out the promise of more sacrifice instead of more security…”

    “I am asking each of you to be pioneers on that New Frontier. My call is to the young in heart, regardless of age — to all who respond to the Scriptural call: ‘Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed.’ For courage, not complacency, is our need today.”

    Today: 

    Go f*** yourself. You’re on your own.

    California Service Corps is the largest service force in the nation, consisting of four paid service programs:   

    Combined, it is a force larger than the Peace Corps and is mobilized at a time when California is addressing post-pandemic academic recovery, rebuilding from the LA fires and planning for the future of the state’s workforce. The federal government provides more than half of the funding for California Climate Action Corps and about 5% of College Corps, while the state fully funds the Youth Service Corps.

    In the 2023-24 service year, 6,264 AmeriCorps members in California: 

    • Provided 4,397,674 hours of service
    • Tutored/mentored 73,833 students
    • Supported 17,000 foster youth with education and employment  
    • Planted 39,288 trees

    Members helped 26,000 households impacted by the LA fires and packed 21,000 food boxes.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Apr 17, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom has made the recovery of Los Angeles his highest priority – directing a whole-of-government response to support communities and survivors. LOS ANGELES – On the 100 day milestone since the Eaton and Palisades fires ignited,…

    Apr 17, 2025

    News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring April 2025, as Arab American Heritage Month. The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: PROCLAMATIONThe Arab American community, comprising over 20 nationalities…

    Apr 17, 2025

    News What you need to know: Following Governor Newsom’s state of emergency proclamation to protect communities from catastrophic wildfire, a new online fast-track process now makes it faster to get state-level approvals – in as little as 30 days – for critical forest…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 100 days after the fires: California and Los Angeles rebuild, recover, and rise together

    Source: US State of California 2

    Apr 17, 2025

    What you need to know: Governor Newsom has made the recovery of Los Angeles his highest priority – directing a whole-of-government response to support communities and survivors.

    LOS ANGELES – On the 100 day milestone since the Eaton and Palisades fires ignited, California mourns the loss of those who died, the communities that were forever changed and celebrates the heroic efforts of first responders and those working tirelessly everyday to rebuild these communities stronger and more resilient. 

    “My job is to make sure Californians who felt helpless after the fires are able to have hope again. Our work is far from over — but 100 days since the fires first broke out in early January, California remains united and together will rebuild, recover and rise.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Since the first day these firestorms ignited, Governor Newsom has been on the ground leading an all-in state response. 

    The Governor deployed resources before the fires broke out – growing to over 16,000 boots on the ground at the peak of the state’s response. And in the hours that followed, Governor Newsom launched historic recovery and rebuilding efforts to help Los Angeles get back on its feet, faster. 

    Even before the fires were out, Governor Newsom worked closely with outgoing President Joesph Biden to secure a presidential major disaster declaration and then coordinated with the Trump Administration to ensure full-throated federal support for Los Angeles. 

    That work has paid dividends as California is on-track to deliver the fastest major disaster cleanup in American history. The current pace of debris and hazardous waste removal is months ahead of the cleanup timeline for the Camp, Woolsey, Hill fires in 2019 and Tubbs Fire in 2017/18, which at the time were themselves the fastest of their kind. 

    That work has paid dividends as California is on-track to deliver the fastest major disaster cleanup in American history. The current pace of debris and hazardous waste removal is months ahead of the cleanup timeline for the Camp, Woolsey, Hill fires in 2019 and Tubbs Fire in 2017/18, which at the time were themselves the fastest of their kind. 

    State and federal officials have worked hand in glove to clear hazardous waste from 9,000 homes in less than 30 day. Currently there are 500 crews of expert heavy equipment operators from the Army Corps of Engineers working around the clock to rapidly clear ash, soot, and fire debris from structures damaged by the Eaton and Palisades fires. 

    More than 2,300 parcels have already been completed and signed off by the county and hundreds more have been cleared of debris and are now just awaiting erosion controls, tree removal, and final inspection.

    By the Numbers 

    • 16,000 first responders and recovery personnel deployed
    • $2.5 billion in Small Business Administration Assistance 
    • $100,000 million in individual assistance disbursed
    • $100,000 million community partnerships through LA Rises
    • 40,000 totals visitors to disaster recovery centers 
    • 9,000 properties cleared of hazardous waste in 30 days
    • 2,300 homes cleared of debris 
    • 12,500 right of entry forms submitted 
    • 8 of 8 schools resumed in person instruction 
    • 8 of 9 water systems reactivated  

    California’s historic recovery and rebuilding efforts 

    • Cutting red tape to help rebuild Los Angeles faster and stronger. Governor Newsom issued an executive order to streamline the rebuilding of homes and businesses destroyed — suspending permitting and review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act. The Governor also issued an executive order further cutting red tape by reiterating that permitting requirements under the California Coastal Act are suspended for rebuilding efforts and directing the Coastal Commission not to issue guidance or take any action that interferes with or conflicts with the Governor’s executive orders. The Governor also issued an executive order removing bureaucratic barriers, extending deadlines, and providing critical regulatory relief to help fire survivors rebuild, access essential services, and recover more quickly.
    • Fast-tracking temporary housing and protecting tenants. To help provide necessary shelter for those immediately impacted by the firestorms, the Governor issued an executive order to make it easier to streamline construction of accessory dwelling units, allow for more temporary trailers and other housing, and suspend fees for mobile home parks. Governor Newsom also issued an executive order that prohibits landlords in Los Angeles County from evicting tenants for sharing their rental with survivors displaced by the Los Angeles-area firestorms.
    • Mobilizing debris removal and cleanup. With an eye toward recovery, the Governor directed fast action on debris removal work and mitigating the potential for mudslides and flooding in areas burned. He also signed an executive order to allow expert federal hazmat crews to start cleaning up properties as a key step in getting people back to their properties safely. The Governor also issued an executive order to help mitigate risk of mudslides and flooding and protect communities by hastening efforts to remove debris, bolster flood defenses, and stabilize hillsides in affected areas. 
    • Directing immediate state relief. The Governor signed legislation providing over $2.5 billion to immediately support ongoing emergency response efforts and to jumpstart recovery efforts for Los Angeles. California quickly launched CA.gov/LAfires as a single hub of information and resources to support those impacted and bolsters in-person Disaster Recovery Centers. The Governor also launched LA Rises, a unified recovery initiative that brings together private sector leaders to support rebuilding efforts. Governor Newsom announced that individuals and families directly impacted by the recent fires living in certain zip codes may be eligible to receive Disaster CalFresh food benefits.
    • Getting kids back in the classroom. Governor Newsom signed an executive order to quickly assist displaced students in the Los Angeles area and bolster schools affected by the firestorms.
    • Protecting victims from real estate speculators. The Governor issued an executive order to protect firestorm victims from predatory land speculators making aggressive and unsolicited cash offers to purchase their property.

    Helping businesses and workers get back on their feet. The Governor issued an executive order to support small businesses and workers, by providing relief to help businesses recover quickly by deferring annual licensing fees and waiving other requirements that may impose barriers to recovery.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Apr 17, 2025

    News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring April 2025, as Arab American Heritage Month. The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: PROCLAMATIONThe Arab American community, comprising over 20 nationalities…

    Apr 17, 2025

    News What you need to know: Following Governor Newsom’s state of emergency proclamation to protect communities from catastrophic wildfire, a new online fast-track process now makes it faster to get state-level approvals – in as little as 30 days – for critical forest…

    Apr 17, 2025

    News What you need to know: California’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force recovers nearly 41,000 stolen items valued at $4.4 million, leading to 383 arrests.  SACRAMENTO – Citing ongoing progress to takedown organized retail crime statewide, Governor Gavin Newsom…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lombardo Urges Trump Administration to Remove Lithium Tariffs

    Source: US State of Nevada

    CARSON CITY, NV – April 17, 2025

    Earlier this week, Governor Joe Lombardo sent a letter to President Trump to advocate for the removal of tariffs on lithium. In his letter, Governor Lombardo outlines the importance of lithium manufacturing in Nevada and highlights the needs of the burgeoning lithium industry in the United States.

    “The continued innovation and evolution of American manufacturing have opened the door to exciting new opportunities and products across various sectors, including energy. Nevada, home to North America’s largest known lithium deposits, stands at the forefront of this transformation,” writes Governor Joe Lombardo. “Developing this vital resource will not only complement existing energy sources but also play a key role in advancing our shared goal of achieving U.S. energy independence. Nevada has already become a hub for energy technology and remains committed to attracting and driving continued growth in this space.”

    The full letter is attached.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom proclaims Arab American Heritage Month

    Source: US State of California 2

    Apr 17, 2025

    Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring April 2025, as Arab American Heritage Month. 

    The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below:

    PROCLAMATION

    The Arab American community, comprising over 20 nationalities and numerous religious groups, is inextricably woven into the fabric of this state – and this month, California joins the nation in celebrating Arab American Heritage Month by highlighting the profound and wide-ranging contributions of the vibrant communities in all facets of our society.

    Nagi Daifullah, a Yemeni migrant and farmworker who served as a strike captain during the United Farm Workers’ 1973 grape strike, was known for his ability to transcend ethnic and linguistic barriers among workers. Last year, in Tulare County, work began on Nagi Daifullah Unity Park, commemorating his prominence in the history of the labor movement.

    Daifullah’s legacy is reflective of the impact Arab American communities have had on California – changing the course of history by unifying different communities in pursuit of a better world. California is fortunate to have the largest Arab American population in the country, with thriving communities in Los Angeles, San Diego, the Bay Area, and other parts of the state that trace their heritage across the Middle East and North Africa. In 2022, Anaheim officially recognized the district of Little Arabia, making it the first officially recognized Arab American enclave in the country. 

    As we celebrate these many achievements and contributions, we must also recognize the pervasive discrimination and xenophobia the Arab American community faces and has faced – with many suffering in silence, fearing to speak out. This is unacceptable. Our state is leading the charge to protect those under attack for who they are, how they look, or what they believe.

    This urgent work is ongoing with partners throughout the state, including efforts to bolster security at places of worship and cultural centers, make available community-based services to support victims of hate, provide anonymous reporting options for victims and witnesses of hate acts, and other resources to further safety and inclusion for all Californians.

    Whether they’ve called America home for many generations or arrived more recently, Arab Americans have enriched communities across the country and made an indelible impact. During Arab American Heritage Month, we honor the past, present, and future of this community in our California story and rededicate ourselves to ensuring the safety and belonging of Arab Americans across our state. 

    NOW THEREFORE I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim April 2025, as “Arab American Heritage Month.”

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 3rd day of April 2025.

    GAVIN NEWSOM
    Governor of California

    ATTEST:
    SHIRLEY N. WEBER, Ph.D.
    Secretary of State

    Press Releases, Proclamations

    Recent news

    Apr 17, 2025

    News What you need to know: Following Governor Newsom’s state of emergency proclamation to protect communities from catastrophic wildfire, a new online fast-track process now makes it faster to get state-level approvals – in as little as 30 days – for critical forest…

    Apr 17, 2025

    News What you need to know: California’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force recovers nearly 41,000 stolen items valued at $4.4 million, leading to 383 arrests.  SACRAMENTO – Citing ongoing progress to takedown organized retail crime statewide, Governor Gavin Newsom…

    Apr 16, 2025

    News What you need to know: California today filed a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s authority to unilaterally enact tariffs, which have created economic chaos, driven up prices, and harmed the state, families, and businesses. SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Using a Destructive Device to Start a Fire at a Northeast Philadelphia Home in 2022

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jason Mattis, 51, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gerald J. Pappert yesterday to 120 months in prison and three years of supervised release for using a destructive device to start a fire at a Northeast Philadelphia home.

    Mattis was charged by indictment in December 2022 and convicted in September 2024, following a jury trial, of possessing an unregistered destructive device.

    As proven at trial, on July 1, 2022, Mattis lit an incendiary device similar to a Molotov cocktail and threw it onto the porch of a residence in the Tacony section of Northeast Philadelphia. The weapon thrown by Mattis ignited and started a fire on the porch of the residence, as well as the sidewalk and the street in front. The incident occurred in the evening while the residents of the home were inside.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives examined the evidence left at the scene and determined that the weapon used by the defendant was an incendiary bomb as that term is defined under federal law.

    Mattis committed this arson while on state parole for an attempted murder conviction.

    “It’s tough to understate the seriousness of a crime like this, which put the victims, their home, and their neighborhood at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “As his lengthy criminal history shows, Jason Mattis lacks respect for both the law and other people. This sentence keeps him behind bars for years and the public is safer for it.”

    “It is remarkable that this family was able to escape with their lives when Mattis set their home ablaze with a Molotov cocktail-type incendiary device,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Arson is a serious, dangerous and often deadly crime. Using the combined capabilities of the ATF-led Philadelphia Arson and Explosives Task Force with the Philadelphia Fire and Police Departments, we will continue to seek justice and keep our communities safe from dangerous arsonists.”

    “This type of skilled investigative work and interagency cooperation makes our city safer. I am grateful for the diligence and dedication shown by our Fire Marshal’s Office, the Philadelphia Police Department and the ATF,” said Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Jeffrey W. Thompson.

    “Violent acts like these endanger not just the intended target, but entire communities,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel. “The thorough investigation by our officers, alongside our federal partners and the Philadelphia Fire Department, demonstrates our absolute commitment to holding individuals like Mr. Mattis accountable for violent crimes. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those who threaten our neighborhoods are brought to justice.”

    The case was investigated by the ATF’s Arson and Explosives Task Force, the Philadelphia Fire Department, and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India’s Fight Against Anemia

    Source: Government of India

    India’s Fight Against Anemia

    Nourish, Prevent, Protect

    Posted On: 18 APR 2025 12:33PM by PIB Delhi

    Key Takeaways:

     

    • 67.1% of children and 59.1% of adolescent girls in India are anemic (NFHS-5).
    • 3 in 4 Indian women have low dietary iron intake.
    • Anemia Mukt Bharat (uses a 6x6x6 strategy: 6 interventions, 6 target groups of beneficiaries, and 6 institutional mechanisms.
    • 15.4 crore children/adolescents received Iron and Folic Acid supplements in Q2 FY 2024-25.
    • Digital tools track real-time anemia screening and supply data.
    • AMB Program integrates with POSHAN Abhiyaan and School Health Program.

     

     

    Introduction

     

    India is home to the world’s largest adolescent population. It also leads one of the most ambitious public health campaigns against anemia, a condition that continues to affect millions, especially women, children, and adolescents. Anemia, primarily caused by iron deficiency, results from low haemoglobin levels, reducing the blood’s capacity to carry oxygen to vital organs.[1] Deficiencies in folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin A are other nutritional causes of anemia.[2] Its widespread prevalence is rooted in poor nutrition, early pregnancies, inadequate maternal care, and limited access to iron-rich foods, making it a pressing public health challenge that demands urgent and sustained action. [3]

    Anemia is both preventable and treatable, and over the past two decades, the Government of India has taken strong, targeted action to combat it. A significant turning point came with the Second National Family Health Survey (NFHS-2) in 1998–99, paving the way for landmark programs like Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB). Today, AMB reaches millions annually through a comprehensive strategy that includes Iron-Folic Acid supplementation, deworming, fortified nutrition, and behaviour change communication across all age groups.

    By integrating maternal and child health with adolescent nutrition and school-based outreach, India is actively disrupting the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition. This sustained, community-led approach transforms outcomes for girls, pregnant and lactating women, and children under five—positioning India as a global leader in evidence-based, inclusive public health innovation.

    Overview of Anemia

    What are its symptoms?[4]

     

    Anemia manifests with symptoms such as fatigue, diminished physical work capacity, and shortness of breath. It serves as an indicator of poor nutrition and various health issues. Common and non-specific symptoms of anemia include tiredness, dizziness or feeling light-headed, cold hands and feet, headache and shortness of breath, particularly during exertion.

     

     

    Who does it impact generally?

     

     

    The population groups most vulnerable to anemia include children under 5 years of age, particularly infants and children under 2 years of age, menstruating adolescent girls and women, and pregnant and postpartum women.

     

     

    What is its impact?[5]

     

     

    Iron deficiency anemia results in impaired cognitive and motor development in children and decreased work capacity in adults. The effects are most severe in infancy and early childhood. In pregnancy, iron deficiency anemia can lead to perinatal loss, prematurity and low birth weight (LBW) babies.

     

     

    How can it be prevented and treated?

     

     

    Anemia’s treatment and prevention depend on its underlying cause. Still, it can often be managed through dietary changes such as consuming iron- and nutrient-rich foods (like folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin A), maintaining a balanced diet, and taking supplements when a healthcare provider recommends them.

     

     

    Status of Anemia Globally[6]

     

    • Anemia affects around 500 million women aged 15 to 49 and 269 million children under 5 years (6-59 months) worldwide.

     

    In 2019

    • Approximately 30% of non-pregnant women (539 million) had anemia.
    • Approximately 37% of pregnant women (32 million) were affected by anemia.

     

    Status of Anemia in India as per the National Health Survey – 5 (2019-2021)[7]

     

     

    Policy Interventions by the Government of India for Anemia Eradication

    Recognizing the burden of anemia across various population groups, the Government of India is committed to its eradication. Although health is a state subject, the Centre is proactive by extending financial and technical support to states and UTs through the National Health Mission (NHM), which is aligned with their annual Programme Implementation Plans.

    1. Anemia Mukt Bharat

    It was launched in 2018 with a 6x6x6 strategy under which there are six interventions to reduce the prevalence of anemia (nutritional and non-nutritional) in six age groups – pre-school children (6-59 months), children (5-9 years), adolescent girls and boys (10-19 years), pregnant women, lactating women, and women of reproductive age (15-49 years) following a life cycle approach.[8] The Anemia Mukt Bharat strategy is implemented in all villages, blocks, and districts of all the States/UTs of India through existing delivery platforms as envisaged in the National Iron Plus Initiative (NIPI) [9], a comprehensive strategy to combat the public health challenge of Iron Deficiency Anaemia prevalent across the life cycle[10] and Weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplementation, (WIFS) programme to reduce the prevalence and severity of anemia in adolescent population (10-19 years)[11]

     

    The 6x6x6 intervention under the Anemia Mukt Bharat are as follows: [12] [13] [14]

    1.1 Prophylactic Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation

    Under the AMB strategy, Iron-Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation is tailored by age group and physiological needs. Children aged 6–59 months receive biweekly IFA syrup, while those aged 5–10 years are given a weekly pink tablet. Adolescents (10–19 years) and non-pregnant, non-lactating women (20–49 years) receive a weekly blue or red IFA tablet, respectively. Women in the pre-conception period and first trimester are advised to take daily folic acid tablets. Pregnant women start daily IFA tablets from the second trimester and continue through pregnancy and six months post-partum. All supplements follow standardized dosages and are color-coded for easy identification.

     

    1.2 Deworming

    • MoHFW is implementing the National Deworming Day (NDD) program, under which biannual mass deworming for children and adolescents aged 1-19 is carried out on designated dates – 10th February and 10th August every year.
    • Pregnant women are provided services under the strategy through antenatal care contacts (ANC clinics/ VHND) for deworming (in the second trimester).

     

    1.3 Intensified year-round Behaviour Change Communication Campaign (Solid Body, Smart Mind) focusing on four key behaviours as mentioned below:

     

    1.4 Testing and treatment of anemia, using digital methods and point-of-care treatment, with special focus on pregnant women and school-going adolescents

    1.5 Mandatory provision of Iron and Folic Acid fortified foods in government funded public health programmes.

    1.6 Intensifying awareness, screening and treatment of non-nutritional causes of anemia in endemic pockets, with special focus on malaria, haemoglobinopathies and fluorosis.

    Progress of Anemia Mukt Bharat[15]

    Government Initiatives to Combat Anemia in Women & Children [16] [17]

    Conclusion

    India’s commitment to ending anemia is a global example of inclusive public health action. Through the Anemia Mukt Bharat strategy, the government has reached millions of women, children, and adolescents with Iron-Folic Acid supplementation, deworming, fortified nutrition, and awareness campaigns. By prioritizing the health of its most vulnerable—girls, mothers, and young children—India is breaking the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition. With sustained investment, digital innovation, and strong last-mile delivery, the vision of a healthier, anemia-free India is within reach.

     

    References

    Click here to see PDF.

    *****

    Santosh Kumar/ Ritu Kataria / Vatsla Srivastava

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Hosts ‘Rongalir Enajori’ at Delhi Residence to Celebrate Bihu

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 17 APR 2025 10:20PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal hosted ‘Rongalir Enajori’, a vibrant celebration to mark Rongali Bihu and the Assamese New Year at his official residence in Delhi on Thursday.

    The event was graced by Chief Minister of Delhi, Ms. Rekha Gupta   as Chief Guest and Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju as Guest of Honour, and several dignitaries, artists, and members of the Assamese and Northeastern communities residing in the national capital region.

    Extending his heartfelt wishes, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal said, “Rongali Bihu brings new energy and inspiration for all of us to move forward for the nation’s progress. This festival is not just about celebration — it is about unity, tradition, and our shared cultural identity.”

    Shri Sonowal added that despite being far from home, the celebration in Delhi reflects the deep connection every Assamese holds with their roots. “As nature bursts into colours, the sound of the Bihu songs with the rhythmic beats from Dhols (traditional drums) fills the air with joy and pride. This Bihu connects us with our heritage and fills us with new hope and enthusiasm,” he said.

    He further emphasised that festivals like Bihu are symbols of India’s cultural unity and urged the youth to preserve and carry forward this rich legacy. Quoting Bhupen Hazarika, Shri Sonowal remarked, “Spring is the soul of the people. It inspires us to dedicate ourselves to the progress of our nation.”

    He also highlighted Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’, stating, “We must take a pledge during this spirited season to play an active role in building a developed and self-reliant India.”

    Chief Minister Ms. Rekha Gupta lauded Shri Sonowal for organising the event and said, “Rongali Bihu carries the message of harmony and goodwill. It showcases the beauty of India’s cultural diversity while reinforcing the strength of unity. I extend my best wishes to the people of Delhi as well as from Assam on this festive season as we pray for peace and prosperity to all.”

    Union Minister Shri Kiren Rijiju also addressed the gathering and praised the cultural synergy between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. “The strong bonds among the communities of Northeast India are empowering the engine of national development. The region’s rich artistic and cultural heritage adds vibrant hues to India’s collective identity,” Rijiju said.

    The evening featured musical performances by noted Assamese singers including Nilutpal Bora, Surekha Chetri, and Jutimala Buragohain, among others, who captivated the audience with traditional melodies and rhythms.

    ***

    GDH

    (Release ID: 2122595) Visitor Counter : 46

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNDRR, Green Climate Fund, the West African Development Bank and Early Warning for All Partners join hands to empower Togo to strengthen climate and disaster risk management

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    From 8 to 11 April 2025, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Office for Northeast Asia and Global Education and Training Institute (ONEA & GETI), in partnership with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), hosted a technical Training of Trainers workshop on “Tools for Implementing Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Information and Early Warning Systems Projects” with national stakeholders from Togo. The workshop, held in Incheon, Republic of Korea, was organized in support of the implementation of the recently approved GCF co-funded project, ‘Strengthening the resilience of vulnerable communities within high climatic and disaster risk areas in Togo,’ to help build capacity and technical knowledge of key governmental stakeholders to support the project’s activities.

    Throughout the training, representatives from Togo’s key institutions involved in disaster risk reduction, climate information and early warning, including the National Agency for Civil Protection (ANPC), the Togolese Meteorological Agency (ANAMET), the Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources (MERF), and other project partners including the West African Development Bank (BOAD) and the African Risk Capacity (ARC), joined sessions delivered by UNDRR, GCF, as well as international partners from CREWS, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), UN Climate Technology Centre and Network (UNCTCN), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Core themes included disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate change adaptation (CCA), multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) and anticipatory action, gender mainstreaming and diversity, equity and inclusion in DRR, project monitoring and evaluation, forecast-based finance, and climate investment planning. Participants explored global frameworks, such as the Sendai Framework, the Paris Agreement, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and discussed the design, coordination, and financing structure for the new GCF co-financed initiative in Togo.

    In addition to in-depth sessions on GCF’s project implementation, reporting, and results frameworks, the workshop introduced practical tools such as the Sendai Framework Monitor Custom Indicators and the Disaster Resilience Scorecard for Cities, and its thematic annexes to support national and local level DRR planning. Technical partners presented available tools and collaborative approaches under the Early Warnings for All Initiative and shared examples from country-level implementation. Practical experience from the Republic of Korea was also shared through a presentation from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) on its integrated disaster management system and emergency communication tools, showcasing how the four pillars of early warning, including risk knowledge, monitoring and forecasting, dissemination and communication, and response capability, are implemented through advanced technologies and inter-agency coordination.

    The final day of the workshop included a field visit to the Incheon Metropolitan City Safety Situation Division, a core facility within Korea’s urban resilience infrastructure. Participants toured the division’s integrated monitoring and control systems, including real-time CCTV surveillance, flood sensors, wildfire alert systems, and automated detection systems for identifying unusual events and alerting operators. City officials shared how Incheon leverages digital tools and interdepartmental coordination to ensure fast, reliable disaster alert delivery across sectors. The visit served as a practical demonstration of how smart governance and technology can strengthen resilience at the local level. Participants reflected on the field visit to the Incheon Metropolitan City Safety Situation Division, sharing valuable insights and inspirations drawn from the experience:

    “The visit has given us a lot of inspiration for setting up our operations room (soon to be equipped) in coordination with the UNDRR. The Project will help to strengthen current data collection, processing and dissemination for early warning. We hope that one day we will also have an observation network similar to the one in Incheon.” – Yoma Baka (Director General of ANPC)

    “We have great enthusiasm for the tools that we observed during the visit to Incheon City Hall. This visit brought a very operational character to the workshop.” – Komi Sossou (Environmentalist Expert in Climate Change and Sustainable Development of MERF & MERF Focal Point at the National Disaster Risk Management Platform)

    The workshop concluded with reflections and action planning for the national implementation of the SAP048 project. Participants expressed their commitment to applying the lessons learned and strengthening coordination among national and international partners. The training served as an important milestone in Togo’s progress toward scaling up climate resilience and ensuring that early warnings reach all vulnerable communities. The trained trainers are expected to support a training for national stakeholders in Togo in the coming months, as part of a number of project inception activities planned by BOAD in coordination with national and international partners.

    “We now have more inspiration to better innovate in disaster management.” – Sanetienone Damorou (National Focal Point of Project SAP048 ‘Strengthening the resilience of vulnerable communities in high climate and disaster risk areas in Togo’ of ANPC)

    “Throughout the four days we had an opportunity to share experience and learn about disaster risk management. We learned a lot and we see that there is much be done in our country, and that the new project can greatly contribute to improving and implementing certain activities. We also heard from partners interested to support this project. It is important that we really work together.” – Méwekiwé Egbare (Engineer in Agrometeorology of ANAMET & Head of the Weather Center of GMN)

    “This training is important in terms of sharing experience and learning tools and getting a better idea of what technical partners can do. It’s a training course for trainers, so it’s essential that we can replicate it at home.” – Aissatou Diagne (Climate Projects Supervision Specialist (DSPC) of BOAD)

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Festival “Polytechnic Graduates to Students”: friendly advice and useful experience

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    The third one was held at SPbPU festival “Polytechnic graduates – to students” organized by the Center for Fundraising and Work with Alumni. The new meeting brought new emotions: the speakers shared memories of their studies and first work experience, gave valuable advice to the younger generation, entertained them with quizzes and gave gifts for correct answers.

    The meeting was opened by Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Communication Technologies Maxim Pasholikov.

    “Today’s festival brought together graduates from 2006 to 2024, many of whom are active members of the Polytechnic Ambassadors community,” said Maxim Pasholikov. “It is important for students to communicate with the ambassadors as with senior colleagues who have already established themselves in their fields of activity, but are still quite young and have not yet reached the heights of their careers. Each such meeting brings new useful acquaintances, some of the students find a place for a future internship or work. Graduates, from the height of their experience, can draw the attention of the guys to knowledge and skills that are especially relevant when applying for a job and at work. Graduates are also interested in watching and listening to each other. This is how joint projects, ideas and undertakings are formed, which unite different people under the auspices of the Polytechnic.”

    This time, the students had ten guests — ten interesting speakers with their unique stories of professional development in various fields of activity — from work in government agencies to their own business. For example, shipbuilding was represented by the head of the production preparation bureau of the chief technologist department of the Kronstadt Marine Plant, a 2014 graduate Dmitry Gomonov and project manager at Severnaya Verf, 2017 graduate Georgy Kremlev.

    Also connected with this area is the work of 2016 graduate Evgeniya Lastochkina – she is an engineer in the laboratory “Metal Science of Steels with Special Physical Properties” of the scientific and production complex “Structural Steels and Functional Materials for Marine Engineering” of the Central Research Institute of Structural Materials “Prometey” of the National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”.

    “Polytech was my first step on my adult life path,” said Evgeniya. “It was Polytech that contributed to the fact that I now work in such a cool company. I thank the university for giving me the opportunity to gain knowledge that I apply in production. And the best way to practice communication skills is… on business trips.”

    Evgeniya continues her studies – now in postgraduate studies in the field of “Materials Technology”. In science, she deals with low-magnetic steels, but she tries to develop not only in this area, for example, she tried herself as a lecturer during thematic shifts for high school students, which are organized by the Kurchatov Institute.

    Yaroslav Velikiy, a 2024 graduate and senior engineer at the Setl Stroy testing laboratory of the Setl Group holding, is also studying in the Polytechnic’s postgraduate program. He got a job in 2022 and simultaneously studied for a master’s degree. Having told the guys about his company, Yaroslav told them how to get an internship there.

    The IT sphere was represented by Kirill Vasiliev, Head of the New Business Projects Practice “Corporate Entrepreneur” of Gazpromneft – Information Technology Operator, 2011 graduate, and Ksenia Saitova, IT recruiter of Positive Technologies, 2020 graduate. Speaking about her career experience, Ksenia emphasized that it was her active student life at the Polytechnic that helped her find a job, write a resume, solve various cases and write projects.

    “It seems to me that my generation was less conscious in choosing a university, then there was propaganda that a diploma was not so important, but I can say that this is not entirely true. It is not so important to get an education in the right field, the foundation that the university provides is important,” Ksenia believes. “The Polytechnic University has a lot of opportunities, many student organizations, where some guys then come to work. I graduated from the Humanities Institute, the Advertising and Public Relations program, received relevant modern knowledge, we were given the opportunity to do an internship in large companies. As far as I know, the university still holds a Career Forum, this is also very helpful.”

    Denis Lykov, Class of 2014, Lean Manufacturing and Supply Chain Manager at H

    Head of the Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Instrumentation and Automation Systems Sector of the Operations Department of the Restoration and Storage Center (RSC) “Staraya Derevnya” of the State Hermitage Museum Kirill Tambovtsev introduced himself as a “Polytechnic graduate of 2004, 2006, 2011 and 2023.” This is not his first time participating in the festival, and he structured his current performance in the form of questions and answers. The quiz was well received by the audience, as it allowed some of them to show off their knowledge (or intuition) and win prizes.

    While most of the speakers talked about their careers in hired work, 2007 graduate Andrey Sharkov and 2014 graduate Alexander Kiyanitsa shared their entrepreneurial experience. Andrey Sharkov is known as the founder of a chocolate manufacturing company, and now he has a new business – glamping.

    No matter what anyone says about the importance of education and each discipline, until you encounter real tasks, it will be an abstraction. Therefore, you need to start some activity as soon as possible to understand how these disciplines work in real life, and not in theory. Then you will be able to make a conscious focus on those disciplines that are most important to you, interesting and in demand by the market, – Andrey believes.

    Unlike Andrey, who started doing business while still a student, engineer Alexander Kiyanitsa first graduated with honors from the electromechanical faculty of the Polytechnic University, then worked for a company for hire for several years, and only in 2017, in partnership with several colleagues (also Polytechnic students), he founded a company for the development and production of household electrical appliances-electricity storage devices VOLTS. Having analyzed and systematized his experience, he shared with students his conclusions that will help future entrepreneurs avoid mistakes. For example: start working for hire as early as possible in the field in which the student plans to do business. This really helped me get a feel for this industry, understand where I want to develop, in what specific context, and where to move next, – says Alexander.

    The second is to fight the inner perfectionist. Time is fast now, and speed greatly affects the final result. We fell into the trap when we wanted to make the most perfect product possible, we were afraid to bring it to the market. This is a typical mistake. The faster you bring the product, the faster you will understand whether the market needs it.

    Third, look for investors at exhibitions. Exhibitions helped us, especially international ones, in which we actively participated, exhibited the product, and this helped us attract money. Once at an exhibition in Helsinki, we invited a representative of the Emirates Fund, and we were invited to the Emirates, we opened a representative office there, received investments, and now it is a fairly powerful hub for work on the world market.

    Fourth, be patient and move step by step systematically towards the goals you set for yourself.

    This year, the Polytechnic University Graduates to Students festival had a new host — a first-year student of the GI (jurisprudence), a member of the youth council of the Dobro.Center “Harmony” Artem Kuzmin. He coped with the task perfectly and later shared his impressions: By the will of fate, I became the host of the festival, which I did not know before. And I am happy that I was able to meet such outstanding graduates, who were also students not long ago and achieved such heights. I got an exceptional experience and heard living motivational stories that inspire. I was simply charged with success and study, thanks to the organizers.

    Photo archive

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What was HMNZS Manawanui doing before it sank? Calls for greater transparency

    By Susana Leiataua, RNZ National presenter

    There are calls for greater transparency about what the HMNZS Manawanui was doing before it sank in Samoa last October — including whether the New Zealand warship was performing specific security for King Charles and Queen Camilla.

    The Manawanui grounded on the reef off the south coast of Upolu in bad weather on 5 October 2024 before catching fire and sinking. Its 75 crew and passengers were safely rescued.

    The Court of Inquiry’s final report released on 4 April 2025 found human error and a long list of “deficiencies” grounded the $100 million vessel on the Tafitoala Reef, south of Upolu, where it caught fire and sank.

    Equipment including weapons and ammunition continue to be removed from the vessel as its future hangs in the balance.

    The Court of Inquiry’s report explains the Royal New Zealand Navy was asked by “CHOGM Command” to conduct “a hydrographic survey of the area in the vicinity of Sinalei whilst en route to Samoa”.

    When it grounded on the Tafitoala Reef, the ship was following orders received from Headquarters Joint Forces New Zealand. The report incorrectly calls it the “Sinalei Reef”.

    Sinalei is the name of the resort which hosted King Charles and Queen Camilla for CHOGM — the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting — which began in Samoa 19 days after the Manawanui sank from 25-26 October 2024. The Royals arrived two days before CHOGM began.

    Support of CHOGM
    Speaking at the release of the court’s final report, Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Garin Golding described the Manawanui’s activity on the south coast of Upolu.

    “So the operation was done in support of CHOGM — a very high-profile security activity on behalf of a nation, so it wasn’t just a peacetime operation,” he said.

    “It was done in what we call rapid environmental assessment so we were going in and undertaking something that we had to do a quick turnaround of that information so it wasn’t a deliberate high grade survey. It was a rapid environmental assessment so it does come with additional complexity and it did have an operational outcome. It’s just, um you know, we we are operating in complex environments.

    “It doesn’t say that we did everything right and that’s what the report indicates and we just need to get after fixing those mistakes and improving.”

    Sinalei Resort . . . where the royal couple were hosted. Image: Dominic Godfrey/RNZ Pacific

    The report explained the Manawanui was tasked with “conducting the Sinalei survey task” “to survey a defined area of uncharted waters.” But Pacific security fellow at Victoria University’s Centre for Strategic Studies at Victoria University Iati Iati questions what is meant by “in support of the upcoming CHOGM”.

    “All we’ve been told in the report is that it was to support CHOGM. What that means is unclear. I think that needs to be explained. I think it also needs to be explained to the Samoan people, who initiated this.

    “Whether it was just a New Zealand initiative. Whether it was done for CHOGM by the CHOGM committee or whether it was something that involved the Samoa government,” Iati said.

    What-for questions
    “So a lot of the, you know, who was behind this and the what-for questions haven’t been answered.”

    Iati said CHOGM’s organising committee included representatives from Samoa as well as New Zealand.

    “But who exactly initiated that additional task which I think is on paragraph 37 of the report after the ship had sailed, the extra task was then confirmed. Who initiated that I’m not sure and I think that needs to be explained. Why it was confirmed after the sailing that also needs to be explained.

    “In terms of security, I guess the closest we can come to is the fact that you know King Charles was staying on that side and Sinalei Reef. It may have something to do with that but this is just really unclear at the moment and I think all those questions need to be addressed.”

    The wreck of the Manawanui lies 2.1 nautical miles — 3.89km — from the white sandy beach of the presidential suite at Sinalei Resort where King Charles and Queen Camilla stayed during CHOGM.

    Just over the fence from the Royals’ island residence, Royal New Zealand Navy divers were coming and going from the sunken vessel in the early days of their recovery operation, and now salvors and the navy continue to work from there.

    AUT Law School professor Paul Myburgh said the nature of the work the Manawanui was carrying out when it ran aground on the reef has implications for determining compensation for people impacted by its sinking.

    Sovereign immunity
    “Historically, if it was a naval vessel that was the end of the story. You could never be sued in normal courts about anything that happened on board a naval vessel. But nowadays, of course, governmental vessels are often involved in commercial activity as well,” he said.

    “So we now have what we call the restrictive theory of sovereign immunity which states that if you are involved in commercial or ordinary activity that is non-governmental you are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts, so this is why I’ve been wanting to get to the bottom of exactly what they were doing.

    “Who instructed whom and that sort of thing. And it seems to me that in line with the findings of the report all of this seems to have been done on a very adhoc basis.”

    RNZ first asked the New Zealand Defence Force detailed questions on Friday, April 11, but it declined to respond.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: With the support of Rosneft, construction of a large cultural center has begun in Yakutia

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    The ceremony of laying the first pile of the Multifunctional Cultural Center took place in the administrative center of the Botuobuyinsky nasleg of the village of Tas-Yuryakh in Yakutia. The agreement on financing its construction between PJSC NK Rosneft and the Republic of Sakha was concluded within the framework of the IX Eastern Economic Forum.

    The head of the Sakha Republic, Aisen Nikolaev, took part in the ceremonial event and thanked the oil company for its assistance in implementing a project that is significant for the Republic.

    Rosneft actively supports social initiatives aimed at creating favorable living conditions in the regions of its presence. The company pays great attention to cultural and educational projects.

    The center will become an object of social and cultural life of the village. The building with the area of 1,533 sq. m. will have a cinema and concert hall with ergonomic chairs and modern sound, light and video equipment. The center will also house an exhibition hall, a library, a reading room, a billiard room, and offices for creative and folklore sections. A universal sports hall for basketball, volleyball, mini-football and other activities is provided.

    The project also provides for equipping the building with modern engineering systems for heating, water supply and ventilation. The architectural appearance of the building combines modern solutions with national traditions.

    Rosneft pays great attention to supporting educational, social, cultural and educational projects in Yakutia. In the village of Chapaevo in the Khangalassky District, a new building of the Small Academy of Sciences with a boarding school for 100 people was opened, which was built and equipped by Rosneft. The Academy has become a hub for research and project activities for schoolchildren throughout the Far East. A training center, the Factory of Full Cycle Oil and Gas Processes, was created at the Regional Technical College in the city of Mirny for practical training of specialists in the oil and gas industry.

    In the village of Tas-Yuryakh, oil workers are creating a comfortable environment for local residents – the school’s robotics rooms, 3D modeling rooms, and the school press center have been renovated. In addition, the school has been equipped with a television studio, a language laboratory, a local history museum with an exhibition and educational exposition, and a modern school stadium and a children’s playground have been built.

    Reference:

    In Yakutia, Rosneft is represented by the Taas-Yuryakh Neftegazodobycha enterprise, which is developing the Srednebotuobinskoye oil and gas condensate field. The enterprise is one of the three largest production assets of Rosneft in Eastern Siberia, and is developing 11 licensed areas, including the Central Block and the Kurungsky licensed area of the Srednebotuobinskoye oil and gas condensate field.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft April 18, 2025

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Students of the State University of Management held a seminar for the Day of United Actions in Memory of the Genocide of the Soviet People

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    On April 17, 2025, a seminar dedicated to the Day of United Actions in Memory of the Victims of the Genocide of the Soviet People by the Nazis and their Collaborators during the Great Patriotic War was held at the Institute of Economics and Finance of the State University of Management.

    This memorable date is celebrated throughout the country on April 19. It was on April 19, 1943 that the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was issued “On measures of punishment for German-fascist villains guilty of murder and torture of the Soviet civilian population and captured Red Army soldiers, for spies, traitors to the homeland from among Soviet citizens and for their accomplices.” This decree became the legal basis for investigative actions to establish the crimes of the Nazis against citizens of the Soviet Union.

    The Extraordinary State Commission for the Establishment and Investigation of the Crimes of the Nazi Invaders collected 250,000 testimonies about the occupiers’ crimes and compiled 56,000 reports on them. It was calculated that the enemy destroyed 1,710 cities and towns, burned more than 70,000 villages, and destroyed about 6 million buildings, thus depriving 25 million people of shelter. The damage to the national economy of the USSR amounted to 679 billion rubles.

    Today it is especially important to preserve the memory of the victims of that war, in order to prevent the development of neo-fascism. For this purpose, the IFE held a thematic seminar in the form of reports by first-year students on the eve of the memorable date. A total of nine reports were made at the seminar.

    The first of them was dedicated to the unofficial symbol of fascist atrocities against the civilian population – the village of Khatyn, burned down along with all its inhabitants. In her report “Khatyn: An Unhealed Wound of the Belarusian Land”, student Alla Korobkova spoke about the terrible events of the spring of 1943. Each time, talking about the tragedy of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War, the students also recalled modern events, because exactly 81 years after the Khatyn tragedy, on March 22, 2024, a terrible terrorist attack occurred in the Crocus City Hall.

    The echo of modern times was also heard in the report by Elizaveta Kotova and Diana Popova, “The Feat of Youth in the Fight against Genocide of the Peoples of the USSR.” In their report, the girls told about the feat of the Young Guard. Krasnodon, where the guys lived and fought the fascists, is still in the frontline zone today. Diana Popova noted after the seminar: “The event dedicated to the victims of genocide makes us think about the heroism and responsibility of the Soviet people. Its unity and endurance should still find a response in the hearts of people and especially the younger generation.”

    Mikhail Semakov Mikhail in his report “Babi Yar Concentration Camp: Symbol of Nazi Terror in the Occupied Territory of the USSR” spoke about the terrible tragedy of 1941, when the Nazis and local collaborators shot about 150 thousand people, with more than 30 thousand people killed in the first two days of mass shootings.

    Anna Feshchenko and Anna Evtyukhina in their report drew attention to the living conditions of civilians in the occupied lands: hunger, terror and deprivation. During the discussion of the report, the children recalled the Salaspils children’s concentration camp – a blood factory, where about 3,500 liters of blood were pumped out of children kept in inhumane conditions over three years.

    In addition to stories about the atrocities of the fascists, the children noted the fortitude and heroism of the Soviet people. Thus, Nikolai Stroyev in his report “Resistance and Survival: How Soviet Citizens Fought Genocide During the Great Patriotic War” noted the fact that genocide did not break the Soviet people, but on the contrary, raised them to fight the invaders.

    Dmitry Kamchatov and Diana Mikhailova spoke about the trial of fascist ideologists at the Nuremberg Trials. Diana Mikhailova noted: “The students conveyed important historical information with dignity, awakening deep respect for the past. The event left a strong impression and emphasized the need to preserve the memory of tragic events.”

    The seminar continues the series of events held by the IEF for the 80th anniversary of the Victory. Students noted the importance of the meetings. Dmitry Kamchatov said: “Events of a social and educational nature are in demand more than ever. The very fact of holding such meetings shows the involvement of students in cultural programs. During today’s meeting, speakers and listeners mastered important material on the topic. It is worth noting the active participation of the IEF Directorate in the discussion and coverage of this topic in the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland.”

    Let us recall that last week we celebrated the Day of Liberation of Prisoners of Nazi Concentration Camps.

    The crimes committed by the fascist occupiers have no statute of limitations, and we have no right to forget them.

    #Scientific regiment

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/18/2025

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: 5th China International Consumer Products Expo sees 92 billion yuan in intended deals

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

    5th China International Consumer Products Expo sees 92 billion yuan in intended deals

    HAIKOU, April 18 — The 5th China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) attracted the participation of a record-breaking 1,767 companies and 4,209 consumer brands from 71 countries and regions this year, according to a press briefing on Friday.

    Events targeting global brands, e-commerce and country-specific suppliers led to 52 intended cooperation agreements, the value of which amounted to approximately 92 billion yuan (about 12.6 billion U.S. dollars), said Zeng Rong, chief economist at Hainan provincial bureau of international economic development.

    Countries including Slovakia, Singapore, Brazil, Armenia and Kazakhstan debuted their national pavilions at this year’s CICPE in south China’s Hainan Province. The United Kingdom, as the 2025 guest country of honor, occupied an exhibition area of over 1,300 square meters, showcasing 53 brands across the fashion, beauty, homeware, health and jewelry industries, doubling its 2024 presence.

    More than 60,000 professional purchasers attended — representing a 10 percent increase from last year. In tandem with the expo, the Ministry of Commerce also launched the “Shopping in China” campaign to stimulate domestic consumption, and introduced a dedicated exhibition to facilitate cooperation between foreign trade firms and domestic purchasers.

    Preparations for the 6th CICPE are underway, with hundreds of companies already registered or signed on to participate in the next edition of this event.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: Relm Insurance and Liva Insurance Obtain Central Bank Approval in the UAE for Web3 Insurance Solutions

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Through this partnership Liva and Relm aim to cater to businesses in high-growth innovative sectors often not covered by traditional insurance products and providers
    • Regulatory approval for SIGMAWEB3 reinforces commitment to digital asset innovation in the UAE and potentially setting the base for further expansion in the region
    • SIGMAWEB3 designed specifically for organisations developing or utilising blockchain technologies

    Dubai, United Arab Emirates , April 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Relm Insurance – the only insurer dedicated to emerging sectors – and Liva Insurance, a leading insurance provider operating across the GCC, today announced UAE Central Bank approval for their dedicated multi-line insurance solution for WEB3 businesses – SIGMAWEB3, and its tailored version for VARA-regulated companies, SIGMAWEB3 VARA.

    This milestone follows the signing of Relm and Liva’s strategic partnership in February 2025, aimed at empowering innovation and entrepreneurship in emerging sectors such as digital assets, biotech and AI.

    The UAE Central Bank approval reinforces Relm and Liva’s commitment to deliver tailored insurance solutions that address the unique and complex needs of tech companies in the region. These businesses often struggle to get the right insurance due to a lack of understanding of their industries’ rapidly evolving landscape.

    SIGMAWEB3 and SIGMAWEB3 VARA will help create the confidence and resiliency that WEB3 innovators require to tackle complex challenges and seize new opportunities, while meeting the necessary regulatory requirements.

    Both products are designed specifically for digital asset companies, blockchain startups, crypto exchanges, and fintech innovators, addressing the unique and complex financial, professional, crime, and cyber exposures inherent in their operations.

    SIGMAWEB3 VARA is specifically tailored to meet the requirements of Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA), ensuring that crypto companies can operate with compliant insurance cover.     

    “Securing Central Bank approval for SIGMAWEB3 and SIGMAWEB3 VARA is a significant step for brokers and clients in the UAE. This milestone facilitates more comprehensive coverage tailored to the unique risks of the Web3 space. By closing the insurance gap, we’re empowering businesses with the protection they need to innovate confidently in a rapidly evolving market” said Joseph Ziolkowski, CEO of Relm Insurance.

    “SIGMAWEB3 and SIGMAWEB3 VARA represent a significant step in our commitment to supporting growth and evolution of innovation within the insurance industry. This approval from Central Bank affirms both Liva Group’s deep market insight and Relm’s expertise in specialised insurance as well as reinforcing the vital role that regulatory collaboration plays in fostering a secure and thriving digital economy. Together, we aim to provide customers with solutions that meet their evolving needs, while strengthening our commitment to scale and diversify our business.” Martin Rueegg, Group CEO of Liva Group.

    The approval recognises Relm and Liva’s leadership in Web3 insurance and highlights the increasing regulatory acceptance of innovative insurance solutions.

    -END-

    About Relm Insurance

    Relm Insurance Ltd. (Relm) is a Bermuda-domiciled specialty insurance carrier that supports emerging industries driving innovation and next-generation technologies. Launched in 2019, Relm offers a wide range of insurance products to high-growth markets, including digital assets, blockchain, AI, biotech, and the space economy. With a Financial Stability Rating of ‘A, Exceptional’ from Demotech, Relm is widely recognised for its industry expertise and solutions-driven approach, making it a trusted risk partner for businesses operating at the frontier of technological innovation.

    About Liva Group

    Liva is an insurance group operating across the GCC, founded on the belief that insurance is a pillar that supports both personal and professional lives. As one of the pioneering insurance players in the region, Liva’s team of 1,200 employees is dedicated to offering products and services centred on customer needs, empowering individuals, businesses, and communities to thrive. Serving more than 1.5 million customers, Liva has a strong and growing presence in Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain across motor, home travel, health, life, and commercial insurance, as well owning subsidiaries such as NSSPL (India) and Inayah TPA (UAE), supporting its long-term strategy to scale and diversify the business. The word “Liva” signifies “protection” or “life”, reflecting the Group’s commitment to protecting what matters most to its people, its partners, and, most of all, its customers.

    Media Contacts

    Yasmin Oronos
    Luna PR
    yasmin.oronos@lunapr.io

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Community celebrates the launch of The Exchange at Ernest Harriss House | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    The North Paddington community came together on Thursday 17 April to celebrate the launch of The Exchange at Ernest Harriss House – Westminster City Council’s new community hub.

    “The Exchange” at Ernest Harriss House will be run by the North Paddington Foodbank, offering a range of services, activities, and events tailored to the needs of the local community.

    Community Hubs act as a single front door where residents can get advice on housing, finances, employment & benefits, and IT literacy. The council launched two mini-hubs at Victoria Library and Charing Cross Library last year.

    The council worked with more than 400 residents to ensure the space was tailored to the needs of the community. The hub has also been designed by a local not-for-profit initiative Flourish.

    Speaking at the launch party, Cllr Cara Sanquest, Cabinet Member for Communities, said:

    “I’m so excited to officially launch The Exchange at Ernest Harriss House – Westminster City Council’s brand new community hub, which will be run in partnership with North Paddington Foodbank.

    “This Community Hub is an important step in our journey to improving how the council ensures that residents have access to effective face to face support in their neighbourhoods, as part of our commitment to tackling health and social inequalities in our city.

    “I am proud that the hub has been designed by a local not-for-profit initiative, Flourish, to be a welcoming and inclusive space, offering everything from lunch clubs and coffee mornings, skills classes, benefits advice, employment support and community health classes.

    “The Exchange is all about offering easy-to-reach support, building connections, and making sure everyone can get the services they need, right on their doorstep.”

    The Exchange can be found at 61 Elgin Avenue, W9 2DB

    Opening times are Mon–Fri: 8am–8pm | Sat: 8am–4pm | Sun: Private bookings only.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI China: Beijing Intl Film Festival to mark World Anti-Fascist War victory

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The 15th Beijing International Film Festival is set to feature a special screening program commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.

    (Clockwise from top left) Stills from “The Zone of Interest,” “The Thin Red Line,” “Above the Drowning Sea,” “The Burmese Harp,” “Downfall,” and “Shoah,” which will be presented during the 15th Beijing International Film Festival. [Images courtesy of the BJIFF Organizing Committee]

    The screenings are part of this year’s Beijing Film Panorama, an annual program that showcases nostalgic classics, new releases and films not previously screened in China. The event is popular with both fans and industry professionals.

    The first ticket sold during Monday’s presale was for Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” (2023), which won the Academy Award for best international feature at the 2024 Oscars. The film explores themes of complicity through its depiction of a Nazi officer’s family living next to the Auschwitz concentration camp.

    The film is part of the special “Cinema and Peace” program at the festival. “As we mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, we are launching this themed program. Spanning generations, these films ring the bell of world peace through cinema,” said Lin Siwei, deputy head of the China Film Archive, deputy director of the China Film Art Research Center, and deputy secretary-general of the BJIFF Organizing Committee.

    Twelve films will be screened, including several rarely seen in China that have been newly restored in 4K. Among them is Leopold Lindtberg’s “The Last Chance” (1945), which won both the international peace award and best feature film at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival. The film follows an American and a British soldier who escape from a Nazi train in wartime Italy and lead a group of refugees to Switzerland. The Swiss Embassy in China provided copyright and archival support for the screening.

    Claude Lanzmann’s “Shoah” (1985), the landmark 9.5-hour Holocaust documentary, is featured in the program and will screen alongside the Asian premiere of Guillaume Ribot’s 2025 documentary “All I Had Was Nothingness,” which examines Lanzmann’s commitment to creating “Shoah.”

    Other notable films in the lineup include Terrence Malick’s Golden Bear-winning “The Thin Red Line” (1998), adapted from James Jones’ novel about the World War II Guadalcanal campaign; Oliver Hirschbiegel’s “Downfall” (2004), which chronicles Hitler’s final days through the perspective of his secretary Traudl Junge; Kon Ichikawa’s “The Burmese Harp” (1956), about a Japanese soldier who becomes a Buddhist monk after the war; and Larisa Shepitko’s “Wings” (1966), a portrait of a Soviet World War II pilot.

    The selection also features Sam Peckinpah’s “Cross of Iron” (1977), Kazuo Hara’s documentary “The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On” (1987), and Luuk Bouwman’s 2024 documentary “The Propagandist.”

    The program includes “Above the Drowning Sea” (2017), a documentary by Rene Balcer and Nicola Zavaglia about Jewish refugees who found sanctuary in Shanghai during World War II. The film highlights the role of Chinese diplomat Ho Feng Shan, who defied the Nazis and his own government to provide visas to refugees. Told from the perspectives of both the refugees and the Chinese people who sheltered them, the documentary offers a reflection on solidarity in times of crisis.

    The Beijing International Film Festival will run from April 18 to 26, featuring a range of activities, including forums, masterclasses, film pitching sessions and the Tiantan Award.

    This year’s Beijing Film Panorama will present 18 thematic sections, showcasing nearly 300 international films across about 900 screenings at 33 venues in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Venues include commercial theaters, arthouse cinemas and various cultural spaces.

    Other main screening segments include a centennial tribute to director Robert Altman, along with films by Jiri Menzel, Andrei Tarkovsky and the late David Lynch.

    MIL OSI China News –