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  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Votes to Confirm Chris Wright for Energy Secretary

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after Chris Wright was confirmed as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy:

    “Chris Wright has a wealth of experience in the oil and gas sector and a long record as an advocate for economic growth and American entrepreneurship. I am confident that with Chris at the helm, we will put the full force of Texas’ energy sector back on display and once again unleash affordable, reliable, secure energy here at home and around the world.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Votes to Confirm Doug Collins for VA Secretary

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after former Congressman Doug Collins was confirmed as Secretary for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA):

    “As an experienced military chaplain, Air Force Reserve Colonel, Iraq War veteran, and former Congressman, Doug Collins knows firsthand the unique challenges and brave sacrifices our service members and their families face. Doug is well-equipped for the task ahead and understands both our moral obligation and the urgent need to deliver quality and timely services to our nation’s heroes, and I look forward to working alongside him as he ushers in a new era at the VA.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese scientists develop new AI model for cyclone forecast

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Chinese scientists have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) method to forecast the rapid intensification of a tropical cyclone, shedding new light on improving global disaster preparedness.
    Recently, researchers from the Institute of Oceanology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences published this study in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
    The rapid intensification of a tropical cyclone, which refers to a dramatic increase in the intensity of a tropical storm over a short period, remains one of the most challenging weather phenomena to forecast because of its unpredictable and destructive nature.
    According to the study, traditional forecasting methods, such as numerical weather prediction and statistical approaches, often fail to consider the complex environmental and structural factors driving rapid intensification. While AI has been explored to improve rapid intensification prediction, most AI techniques have struggled with high false alarm rates and limited reliability.
    To address this issue, the researchers have developed a new AI model that combines satellite, atmospheric and oceanic data. When tested on data from the tropical cyclone periods in the Northwest Pacific between 2020 and 2021, the new method achieved an accuracy of 92.3 percent and reduced false alarms to 8.9 percent.
    The new method improved accuracy by nearly 12 percent compared to existing techniques and boasted a 3-times reduction in false alarms, representing a significant advancement in forecasting, said the study.
    “This study addresses the challenges of low accuracy and high false alarm rates in rapid intensification forecasting,” said Li Xiaofeng, the study’s corresponding author.
    “Our method enhances understanding of these extreme events and supports better defenses against their devastating impacts,” Li added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: 5.0-magnitude quake hits China’s Xinjiang

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    A 5.0-magnitude earthquake jolted Kuqa City in Aksu Prefecture of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region at 7:42 a.m. Wednesday (Beijing Time), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).
    The epicenter was monitored at 41.23 degrees north latitude and 83.74 degrees east longitude. The quake struck at a depth of 10 km, said a report issued by the CENC.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Sci-tech museums draw 3M visits during Spring Festival holiday

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    China’s sci-tech museums have received more than 3 million visits during the 2025 Spring Festival holiday, according to the China Science and Technology Museum (CSTM) on Tuesday.
    The Beijing-based CSTM said that it has guided the public to explore the scientific elements of Spring Festival customs. During the holiday, the museum welcomed more than 150,000 visits, of whom over 90 percent came from outside the capital city.
    Sci-tech museums across the country have launched various Spring Festival-themed science exhibitions, integrating Chinese zodiac culture, intangible cultural heritage techniques and cutting-edge technologies.
    East China’s Fujian Science and Technology Museum is holding an exhibition on the “wisdom of the snake,” allowing visitors to learn about snake biology. In another sci-tech museum in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, a humanoid robot interacts with audiences, showcasing the latest progress in China’s robotics technology.
    The CSTM said that it will lead the country’s sci-tech museums to continue innovating forms of science popularization in 2025. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: All 67 victims recovered from DC helicopter-plane collision

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Crews search at the wreckage site of a fatal midair collision between an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter in the Potomac River near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Arlington, Virginia, the United States, Feb. 1, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The remains of all 67 individuals who died in the helicopter and passenger plane midair collision in Washington, D.C. last week have been recovered by rescue teams, U.S. media reported Tuesday.

    Sixty-six of the remains have been positively identified, the ABC News cited the Unified Command as saying.

    The Unified Command said its crews are still working to clear wreckage, including large pieces of the plane, from the Potomac River, and large lifts will continue through Tuesday evening. Unloading is expected when “environmental and tidal conditions allow” on Wednesday.

    It added that operations will then shift to recovering wreckage from the Black Hawk helicopter.

    A passenger jet carrying 64 on board collided Wednesday night with an Army helicopter while landing at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, with both aircraft falling into the freezing Potomac River. Three U.S. Army soldiers were onboard the helicopter.

    This is the deadliest air accident in Washington, D.C. since 1982.

    An investigation into the accident is underway, led by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Thailand to cut power, fuel supply, internet at Thai-Myanmar border

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Thailand will cut electricity, fuel supply, and internet services to five areas in Myanmar along the Thai-Myanmar border starting on Wednesday morning, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai announced on Tuesday.

    Phumtham, who also serves as the defense minister, made the announcement after chairing a meeting of the National Security Council on Tuesday afternoon.

    Speaking to reporters, he said that online fraud has caused serious harm to Thai citizens and become a national security issue. The Thai government’s investigation found that these five connection points are linked to online scam activities.

    “Starting from 9 a.m. on Wednesday, electricity, fuel supply, and internet services will be cut off to Myanmar-based power distributors at all five connection points,” he said, adding that Thai authorities have notified their Myanmar counterparts of the decision.

    According to Thai media reports, the five affected supply points are located within Myanmar’s border regions, including Myawaddy in Shan State.

    Thailand first approved electricity exports to Myanmar in 1992 and 1994, with power supplied by the Provincial Electricity Authority. Under the agreements, Thailand reserves the right to unilaterally terminate electricity supply if the recipient violates regulations, without bearing liability for compensation.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Sweden’s worst mass shooting in history kills 10 at school

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    This is a screenshot captured from the video of the Swedish government’s press conference held on the evening of Feb. 4, 2025. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is speaking to the press. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The school shooting in central Sweden’s Orebro is the worst mass shooting in the country’s history, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said at a press conference late Tuesday.

    Swedish police confirmed on Tuesday evening that around ten people were killed in the shooting, which took place at noon at Risbergska Skolan, an education center, in Orebro. The shooter suspect is among the deceased, according to the police.

    While investigation and further search are ongoing, authorities said the exact number of the victims remained unclear. However, initial findings indicate that the suspect acted alone, and police have ruled out terrorism as a motive.

    Kristersson urged the public to refrain from speculation, emphasizing that authorities must be given space to conduct their investigation.

    “The Swedish public wants to know the reasons, but will have to wait for the answers,” said Swedish Minister of Justice Gunnar Strommer at the press conference. “With time, the picture will clear up.”

    King Carl XVI Gustaf expressed his condolences in a statement, describing the day as a “black day” for Sweden. He extended his sympathies to the families and friends of the victims and the injured, and expressed appreciation for the efforts of police, rescue and healthcare workers.

    Risbergska Skolan mainly serves adults over the age of 20, while also offering primary and secondary school courses and Swedish language classes for immigrants. The city of Orebro is located about 200 km west of Stockholm.

    Speaking to Swedish Radio (SR), local school security specialist Lena Ljungdahl said that while armed violence in schools has been extremely rare in Sweden, violence has escalated outside the educational institutions, including multiple shootings near schools in recent years.

    “I have expected this. Schools are not an isolated place. What happens outside will sooner or later happen inside schools,” Ljungdahl said.

    Mats Knutson, a political analyst of SR, highlighted that the shooting occurred amid years of escalating armed violence in Sweden, with the past few months witnessing an unprecedented number of explosions.

    Sweden is now in a crisis situation, and it is the government’s responsibility to unify the nation, Knutson said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Thailand approves high-speed rail project to link Laos, China

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Thailand’s cabinet on Tuesday approved the second phase of the high-speed rail project that will connect the Southeast Asian country with China through Laos, with completion expected in 2030.

    Spanning five stations, the 357-km second phase of the railway will extend an under-construction segment linking the Thai capital Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima province to Nong Khai at the border with Laos, said Thai government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub.

    The second phase also includes the construction of a logistics hub in the northeastern Nong Khai province, which will facilitate freight movement between Thailand’s 1-meter gauge railway and the 1.435-meter standard gauge used in the China-Laos Railway, offering a one-stop service for cargo transfer, Jirayu said in a statement.

    Following the cabinet approval, the project will proceed, taking into account the opinions of relevant agencies and complying with legal and regulatory requirements, with construction of the second phase set to begin in fiscal year 2025, the spokesperson said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China assumes UN Security Council rotating presidency for February

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    While assuming the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council for February, China will work on the priorities of reaffirming member states’ commitment to multilateralism and enhancing global governance, Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said Monday.

    As the world enters a very turbulent period and the number of conflicts worldwide hits a new high since the Cold War, there is an increasing call in the international community, among the Global South in particular, for reforming and improving the global governance system, he said.

    “At the Security Council, solidarity and cooperation are replaced by division and confrontation. Very often, the Council has been unable to do anything in the face of major security crises. This situation cannot continue,” Fu told a press briefing on the program of work of the Security Council for the month.

    Under its initiative, China will chair a Security Council high-level open debate, scheduled for Feb. 18, on the theme of “Practicing Multilateralism, Reforming and Improving Global Governance.”

    “As we mark the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations this year, the debate aims to encourage countries to revisit the original aspirations of the UN, reaffirm their commitment to multilateralism and the important role of the United Nations, including the Security Council, and to explore ways to reform and improve the global governance,” the envoy said.

    Regarding global and regional issues, Fu said that the 15-member body will continue to focus on the Middle East and strive to find lasting political solutions.

    “It is necessary for the Security Council to pay close attention to the ceasefire in Gaza and take timely actions to ensure that the relevant agreement is fully and effectively implemented and that humanitarian access remains open and unhindered,” he told reporters. “China will urge the Council to closely follow the challenges confronting UNRWA (UN relief agency for Palestinians).”

    In the meantime, the political and security situation in some parts of Africa is extremely volatile. There are huge challenges in terms of peacekeeping and peace-building, as well as humanitarian assistance, Fu said.

    “The Security Council and the wider international community must maintain and increase their attention and support for Africa,” he said. “As the president, China will work with other Council members to promote dialogue and consultation and seek political solutions to African issues.”

    The Security Council is composed of five permanent members — China, the United States, Britain, France, and Russia — and 10 non-permanent members. The presidency of the council rotates among its 15 member states based on the English-language alphabetical order of the countries’ names on a monthly basis.

    China last held the rotating Security Council presidency in November 2023.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China sees travel surge as Spring Festival holiday concludes

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

    Passengers are seen at the waiting hall of Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai, east China, Feb. 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    BEIJING, Feb. 4 — With the Spring Festival holiday drawing to an end, China’s highways, railways and airports are seeing a surge of people returning from family reunions and festival celebrations.

    Passengers are seen at the waiting hall of Beijing South Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Passengers are seen at the waiting hall of Beijing South Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A drone photo taken on Feb. 4, 2025 shows vehicles driving into a ferry at Yantai Port in east China’s Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A drone photo taken on Feb. 4, 2025 shows vehicles at a toll gate of Hefei-Nanjing expressway in Quanjiao County, Chuzhou City of east China’s Anhui Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A police officer offers help at Fuyang West Railway Station in Fuyang City, east China’s Anhui Province, Feb. 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A drone photo taken on Feb. 4, 2025 shows vehicles on an expressway in Chaohu City, east China’s Anhui Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Passengers wait for the train at Hangzhou East Railway Station in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Feb. 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Passengers arrive at Harbin Railway Station in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Passengers are seen at the waiting hall of Hangzhou East Railway Station in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Feb. 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Passengers check in at Daozhou Railway Station in Yongzhou, central China’s Hunan Province, Feb. 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Passengers prepare to board the train at Handan Railway Station in Handan, north China’s Hebei Province, Feb. 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Passengers check in at Shijiazhuang Railway Station in Shijiazhuang, north China’s Hebei Province, Feb. 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Passengers prepare to board the train at Tengzhou East Railway Station in Zaozhuang City, east China’s Shandong Province, Feb. 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Woodblock prints add to holiday’s traditional flavor

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Xu Jiahui, a national inheritor of Liangping woodblock New Year painting, colors a woodblock print at his workshop in Chongqing’s Liangping district on Jan 14. HUANG WEI/XINHUA

    As Wen Li attached her handmade Liangping woodblock print featuring door gods — an item of national intangible cultural heritage — to her front door, she knew this Spring Festival would be unforgettable for her family.

    Wen, 32, from Yihe, a village in Panlong township of Liangping district, Chongqing, recently took part in a celebration activity in the district, for which she had personally crafted a woodblock print.

    “When every household in our village hangs up traditional well-wishing Chinese couplets and woodblock prints on their doors, I can feel that the New Year is in the air,” she said.

    According to the local cultural and tourism commission, over 50,000 copies of woodblock prints and couplets were distributed in 33 townships in Liangping at themed events.

    The local government has also collaborated with multiple platforms to enhance the festive atmosphere, with the prints being offered as gifts at several local shopping malls.

    On Jan 10, over 1,000 students completed a massive Liangping woodblock New Year painting spanning approximately 1,000 square meters on the playground of Chongqing Liangping Vocational Education Center.

    Under the guidance of Xu Jiahui, a national inheritor of Liangping woodblock New Year painting, the students completed the art work, titled Generals as Door Gods.

    Woodblock paintings have been well received in many places. From January to February, Liangping woodblock New Year painting exhibitions are taking place in multiple districts of the municipality, as well as in Xiong’an New Area and Handan in Hebei province. In Beijing, the paintings are currently being exhibited at the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, local authorities said.

    The custom of New Year paintings is one of the important traditional activities to celebrate Spring Festival.

    Woodblock printing was invented in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). As this art form developed and became more and more popular among Chinese people, its content and functions also increased.

    On Dec 4, the Spring Festival and the social practices associated with the celebration of the traditional Chinese New Year, were added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Liangping woodblock New Year paintings played a role in the application process, local authorities said.

    In May 2006, the art form of Liangping woodblock New Year painting was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage items.

    “I believe our intangible cultural heritage should be presented in its good old traditional form,” said Xu, who is 59, and has dedicated 48 years to studying the craft.

    Situated in northeastern Chongqing, Liangping is renowned for its rich intangible cultural heritage, boasting five national-level, 26 municipal-level, and 124 county-level items.

    Recognized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for its unique Spring Festival customs, folk culture and art heritage, Liangping is particularly celebrated for its woodblock New Year paintings and bamboo curtains, both of which hold national geographical indication trademarks.

    Building on this cultural legacy, the district has established five primary and secondary schools dedicated to preserving traditional Chinese culture and art. Additionally, it has developed 13 city-level experimental bases for intangible heritage inheritance, and offered over 120 special interest classes, engaging more than 10,000 students in the vibrant traditions of Liangping.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s box office refreshes Spring Festival holiday record

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    People walk into a cinema in Shenyang, northeast China’s Liaoning Province, Feb. 3, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    China’s box office revenue for the 2025 Spring Festival holiday has reached 8.02 billion yuan (about 112 million U.S. dollars) as of Monday, setting a new record for the same period in the country’s film industry history, according to data from the China Film Administration.

    Meanwhile, China’s 2025 total box office, including real-time presales, has surpassed 10 billion yuan, ranking first globally.

    The daily box office has exceeded 1 billion yuan for six consecutive days since Jan. 29, when six films targeting the holiday season were released.

    “The films span various genres, including martial arts, mythology, comedy, and action, catering to the preferences of audiences across different age groups,” said Huangfu Yichuan, a research fellow at the China Film Art Research Center.

    The number of moviegoers also hit a new record, laying a stronger foundation for both the audience base and market growth of China’s film industry, said Rao Shuguang, president of the China Film Critics Association.

    The films on the top of the box office chart were all domestic productions. Leading the pack was the animated fantasy “Ne Zha 2,” the sequel to the 2019 hit “Ne Zha.” “Ne Zha 2” has earned over 3.8 billion yuan since its screening.

    Trailing behind was “Detective Chinatown 1900,” a thriller comedy and part of the successful Detective Chinatown franchise, which has raked in nearly 2 billion yuan.

    “Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force” came in third and has grossed over 900 million yuan.

    “The historic high box office of the Spring Festival holiday reflects the high-quality development in domestic films and highlights the strong recognition of Chinese traditional culture among audiences,” said Rao.

    “It also indicates vibrant consumption during the holiday as well as the consumers’ confidence in domestic productions,” he added. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Guizhou eyes outsourcing sector role

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    A scene in The War of the Rohirrim. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

    As Warner Bros’ animated film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim debuts globally, a company from Guizhou province has left its mark, having contributed keyframe animation, coloring and cinematography to the movie.

    At the helm is Xu Chenyin, manager of Junzi Qianxing Technology Media. Xu, who was a former animation professional in Japan, runs the company in Guiyang, the provincial capital. He also serves as a member of the Guizhou Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

    During the provincial legislative session in January, Xu submitted a proposal on promoting the development of Guizhou’s service outsourcing industry.

    “Guizhou has the potential to attract high-value outsourcing projects such as digital services and creative design,” he said. “With the increasing specialization of international labor, developed countries are outsourcing non-core services to regions with lower costs and higher efficiency.”

    Guiyang has already seen growth in the industry. According to local authorities, service outsourcing execution in the city grew 16.58 percent year-on-year in 2024, with offshore outsourcing surging 59.18 percent and domestic outsourcing increasing 12.67 percent.

    Beyond direct benefits, Xu said he believes that service outsourcing can accelerate industrial upgrades.

    However, he also pointed out a major challenge: a shortage of skilled talent.

    “In today’s decentralized production landscape, geographical barriers are no longer an issue in joining the global industry. The real challenge lies in addressing the talent gap.”

    This year, Xu recommended “partnering with universities, research institutes and enterprises to optimize academic programs based on market demands, introduce globally recognized certification courses and strengthen practical training”.

    He also suggested launching targeted recruitment initiatives in fields such as big data, artificial intelligence and business negotiations while offering competitive incentives.

    Xu highlighted the collaboration between Guizhou’s big data and service outsourcing sectors.

    “In animation, for example, big data offers a wealth of image, audio and video resources that serve as valuable references for production,” Xu said.

    One key example is rendering – the process of converting 3D scenes into 2D images. This resource-intensive animation step often demands costly hardware.

    “Cloud computing resources, developed through its data industry, offer a cost-effective solution. Cloud rendering platforms reduce production cycles and costs,” Xu explained.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Cultural vibes eagerly embraced by holiday travelers

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Residents watch a dragon dance performance in Xinghua, Jiangsu province, on Sunday during Spring Festival celebrations. Various events, including folk activities and intangible cultural heritage displays, have been held across China to celebrate Spring Festival. [Zhou Shegen / XINHUA]

    Surrounded by crowds and patting the head of a fish-shaped lantern for good luck, 27-year-old Tian Jialiang immersed himself in the rich, festive vibes of Spring Festival in Zhanqi village of Shexian, Anhui province.

    Tian, who is a native of Nanchang in the neighboring province of Jiangxi, was on a four-day self-driving tour to Huangshan, Anhui, with four friends.

    “Spring Festival is one of the most important traditional holidays to the Chinese people. We came here for the village’s strong new year atmosphere and celebrations, where the performers mimic fishes’ movements to bring good luck and fortune. I think it is the essence of the festival,” Tian said.

    Spring Festival, which was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in December, has seen people’s passion skyrocket for tourism destinations highlighting cultural vibes or folk customs.

    This year’s Spring Festival fell on Jan 29, the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar, and marked the beginning of the Year of the Snake. People in China enjoyed an eight-day break, from Jan 28 to Tuesday.

    Reports from travel agencies showed that cultural tourism destinations were in vogue during the holiday.

    Travel portal Qunar said that cities with festive celebrations or folk customs, including Huangshan in Anhui, Chaozhou and Shantou in Guangdong province, and Quanzhou in Fujian province, were among the most sought-after destinations by its users during the holiday. These places are well known for folk events, including fish-shaped lantern shows, lion dances and hairpin flowers.

    Huangshan saw its hotel room bookings double year-on-year during the holiday.

    Another travel portal, Fliggy, said travelers have shown an increasing interest in immersive tourism events featuring Chinese cultural elements, including visiting temple fairs, wearing traditional Chinese hanfu attire for photo shoots, and appreciating lantern shows. It said that sales of tourism products related to folk custom performances grew 36 percent year-on-year on its platform.

    Liu Gengshuo, 30, who is from the northeastern province of Jilin, booked photo-shooting services featuring traditional hanfu clothing for his wife in Datong, Shanxi province, for the Spring Festival holiday.

    “It has long been our wish to embrace Chinese New Year in Datong, a city that enjoys a long-standing history and is home to much historical architecture, including temples,” Liu said. “The city is filled with a festive atmosphere and beautiful decorations. We will come again for another visit.”

    Qi Chunguang, vice-president of online travel agency Tuniu, said the addition of Spring Festival to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list has greatly increased people’s enthusiasm for traditional Chinese culture, and this turned places with intangible cultural events into hot tourism destinations over the holiday period.

    Some history and culture museums have also been popular, Qi said.

    “People have shown great demand and interest in high-quality travels, as they wish to explore the destination’s cultural and social practices with immersive events. I think the trend will keep the tourism industry developing this year,” he said.

    Chinese travelers also showed strong consumption power and a desire for overseas tourism destinations during the Spring Festival holiday. Figures from Fliggy showed that international cruise bookings surged 229 percent at its platform for the holiday period, and overseas destinations such as the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, as well as countries in Southeast Asia, were top choices for people from the Chinese mainland.

    Cai Muzi, an analyst at travel portal Qunar, said that Thailand continues to rank near the top of Chinese people’s favorite overseas destinations because of the shorter travel hours, visa-free policy, milder climate and cheaper travel costs.

    According to Qunar, Chinese travelers set foot in more than 2,100 cities worldwide during the holiday, with the number increasing 50 percent year-on-year. In addition to Southeast Asian countries and regions, destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, ranging from Hungary and Norway to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, saw an increase in tourism visits by Chinese.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: S. Korea’s court holds 5th hearing of Yoon’s impeachment trial

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    South Korea’s constitutional court on Tuesday held the fifth hearing of impeachment trial on President Yoon Suk-yeol, with the arrested president being present for the third time.

    Yoon presented himself at the courtroom in central Seoul at about 2:00 p.m. local time (0500 GMT) after attending the third and fourth hearings last month.

    During the fifth hearing, Yoon said that “nothing really happened” on the night of Dec. 3 last year when he declared an emergency martial law, denying allegations that he ordered martial law troops to drag lawmakers out of the hall of the National Assembly that revoked the martial law hours later.

    Throughout the midnight hours, military helicopters landed at the National Assembly and hundreds of armed special forces troops broke into the parliamentary building, TV footage showed.

    Under the constitution, a president is required to report the martial law imposition to the National Assembly, the sole body with the right to repeal martial law.

    Yoon claimed that he intended to appeal to people in the form of martial law and lift it when the parliament voted against it, but he noted that such intention was shared only with former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, not with other cabinet members.

    According to the prosecution’s indictment, Yoon urged military commanders over phone to push martial law troops into the parliamentary chamber, where the lawmakers gathered to lift the martial law, by “firing guns” and “using axes” to break the door open.

    Lee Jin-woo, former chief of the Capital Defense Command accused of his involvement in the martial law imposition, refused to testify during the hearing, saying he was restricted in testimony as his own criminal case was underway.

    Lee only admitted that he talked with Yoon on the phone on the night of the martial law declaration.

    Yeo In-hyung, former head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, also refused to testify that he had received orders from the former defense minister to arrest and detain politicians, including chiefs of the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party.

    Officially confirming Yoon’s direct order to arrest the politicians, Hong Jang-won, former first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service, said in the hearing that Yoon gave him orders to help the defense counterintelligence command “round up all” of the politicians.

    Hong told lawmakers last month that he was given the orders over phone around 20 minutes after the martial law declaration.

    Yoon testified that his instructions to assist the defense counterintelligence command had nothing to do with the martial law imposition.

    Next hearings were scheduled to be held on Feb. 6, 11 and 13.

    The motion to impeach Yoon was passed through the National Assembly on Dec. 14 last year and was delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon’s presidential power is suspended.

    Yoon was apprehended in the presidential office on Jan. 15, becoming the country’s first sitting president to be arrested.

    Yoon, who was named as a suspected ringleader of insurrection, was indicted under detention on Jan. 26, becoming the country’s first incumbent president to be put on trial in custody.

    The South Korean president was accused of conspiring with the former defense minister, who had already been indicted under detention, to declare unconstitutional, illegal martial law and dispatch armed forces into the National Assembly.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Construction commences to bring vacant public homes back into use to house people in need

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 5 February 2025

    Released by: Minister for Homelessness, Minister for Housing

    Work has started on the refurbishing and repairing ‘The Three Sisters’ also known as the Wade Street Towers in Telopea. This will breathe new life into nearly 150 vacant public housing units that were originally set for demolition under the former Government.

    This comes as the Minns Labor Government ended it’s ‘dud-deal’ partnership with Frasers in October 2024 that would have seen the privatisation, demolition of the towers and with skyrocketing costs and lengthy delays.

    The refurbishment of 148 units in the Wade Street Towers is the first important step to help people in need get a safe roof over their head.

    Work is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Once complete, the Wade Street Towers will provide around 240 residents a safe place to call home for the next 5-10 years while longer term renewal plans for Telopea are developed.

    The commencement of these works also marks the one-year anniversary since the establishment of Homes NSW by the Minns Labor Government, bringing the management of public homes and tenants under one roof to rebuild a broken public housing system.

    This is part of the NSW Government’s historic $6.6 Billion Building Homes for NSW Program which will build up to 30,000 homes as well as 8400 public homes.

    Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson said:

    “Last year we put an end to the Liberal/National’s dud-deal which left the future of Telopea at a standstill and nearly 150 homes sitting empty in the middle of a housing crisis. This is a commonsense practical approach to help tackle the housing crisis and get homes built quickly.

    “We have taken more action in 1 year than the former Government made in 12 years. Getting people in safe, modern homes is what we are focused on.”

    Since the announcement to scrap the former Government’s dud-deal we have had an outpouring of support from the community who have been waiting for action. Today is another step forward to build more homes to help those who need it most.

    “This project is an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to put people back at the heart of housing and rebuild our state’s public and affordable housing system.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Dumaresq Overflow Channel Bridge back in business

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Dumaresq Overflow Channel Bridge back in business

    Published: 5 February 2025

    Released by: Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Regional Transport and Roads

    Motorists west of Tenterfield will soon have improved access on Bruxner Way with the completion of work to rebuild the Dumaresq Overflow Channel Bridge following serious damage in the March 2021 flooding event.

    Bruxner Way is a regional road linking Tenterfield to Boggabilla and Goondiwindi, and services a largely agricultural region, with vehicles forced to use a single lane side road under traffic control since the bridge was washed away.

    Work started in May 2023 and included the demolition of the damaged bridge and approach embankments, reconstruction and rehabilitation of the channel and surrounding riverbanks, and installation of steel guardrail.

    This project was jointly funded by the Commonwealth Government, with Tenterfield Shire Council, Transport for NSW and the NSW Reconstruction Authority, contributing through a NSW Government Tripartite funding initiative. This type of agreement reduces the financial pressure on councils, providing advanced funding and ensuring faster repairs for communities.

    Work to build the new bridge was carried out for Tenterfield Shire Council by Transport for NSW and was jointly funded through the federal-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

    The new three-span concrete bridge opened in an event yesterday attended by Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery Janelle Saffin, Tenterfield Mayor Bronwyn Petrie, and representatives from Transport for NSW.         

    More information about Council projects is available at https://www.tenterfield.nsw.gov.au/

    Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Jenny McAllister: 

    “We know that the consecutive flooding events across 2021 and 2022 had a significant impact on communities across northern NSW.

    “The Albanese and Minns Governments are working together to not just rebuild assets damaged across these flooding events, but where possible to build back in a way that makes infrastructure more resilient, reducing the impact of future disasters.

    “The completed Dumaresq Overflow Channel Bridge means that residents and local agribusiness have an easier and quicker regional access.” 

    Quotes attributable to NSW Minister for Emergency Services, Jihad Dib:

    “Northern NSW continues to build back its essential infrastructure following the devasting flood events that caused billions of dollars in damage across the region.

    “It’s vital we restore infrastructure damaged by natural disasters.

    “This is a great example of three levels of government working together to ensure residents, businesses, and visitors are all able to drive safely on these roads once more.”

    Quotes attributable to NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Jenny Aitchison: 

    “The NSW Government is pleased to be working with our Federal and local government colleagues to help restore access via the Dumaresq Overflow Channel Bridge.

    “Residents in northern NSW have proven how resilient they can be in the face of the destruction they experienced in these significant flood events.

    “It’s great that this project will once again allow vehicles to access Bruxner Way.”

    Quotes attributable to NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery and Member for Lismore, Janelle Saffin: 

    “I’m glad to be here today to be able to attend the official bridge reopening.

    “Locals and visitors who use this road will be delighted that work on this bridge has been completed, providing access for residents, agriculture, business and tourism in this part of the world.

    “As recovery and rebuilding continues, this project is another example of the hard work being done by all levels of government to aid those who rely on the local road network every day.

    “I’d like to thank Tenterfield Council and Transport for NSW for getting this finished to such a high standard.”

    Quotes attributable to Tenterfield Shire Mayor Bronwyn Petrie: 

    “We are pleased to see the reopening of the bridge on the Bruxner Way, west of Tenterfield, which is a significant regional and interstate road.

    “It has been nearly four years since the embankments were washed away in a devastating flood in March 2021, requiring road users to use a detour subject to closure during flood events, disrupting local traffic and heavy freight transport.

    “Tenterfield Shire Council greatly appreciates the disaster funding from the State and Federal governments to enable the rebuild and expresses our thanks to Transport for NSW and contractors for their work on the reconstruction.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Additional support for healthcare students and graduates from Rural, Regional and Remote locations

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Additional support for healthcare students and graduates from Rural, Regional and Remote locations

    Published: 5 February 2025

    Released by: Minister for Regional Health, Minister for Regional NSW

    Healthcare students and graduates living or seeking employment in rural, regional and remote NSW can now apply for 9 types of scholarships designed to support their studies and boost the state’s regional health workforce.

    Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park today opened the first round of the NSW Government’s $5 million Rural and Regional Health Career Scholarships Program for 2025, which support Students of Nursing, Midwifery, Medicine, Dentistry and Allied Health.

    Applications are now open for the Diploma of Nursing Rural Travel Support Incentive, which provides financial travel assistance for Diploma of Nursing students from a rural area (Modified Monash Model locations 3 or above) and live more than 100km (one way) from the Registered Training Organisation. Eligible students can apply for a travel incentive of $5,000 to go towards the cost of travel and accommodation related to their Diploma of Nursing studies.

    Applications are also open for the New Graduate Nursing and Midwifery Rural Support Incentive, which provides a one-off payment of $1,000 to support relocation costs for non-local graduate registered nurses and midwives seeking employment in identified rural or remote LHD locations.

    These scholarships are expected to support more than 1,100 healthcare workers.

    The full list of scholarships include:

    • Diploma of Nursing Rural Travel Support Incentive
    • New Graduate Nursing and Midwifery Rural Support Incentive
    • Allied Health Rural Generalist Program (Level 1) Scholarship
    • Allied Health Rural Generalist Diploma Rural Practice (Level 2) Scholarship
    • Rural Allied Health Assistant Scholarship
    • Aboriginal Rural Allied Health University Student Scholarship
    • Supporting Entry into University Medicine or Dentistry Scholarship (GAMSAT)
    • Supporting Entry into University Medicine or Dentistry Scholarship (UCAT)
    • Getting Started in Medicine Scholarship for First Year Students

    For more information on the $5 million Rural and Regional Health Career Scholarships Program, including eligibility criteria and opening dates, visit the NSW Health website.

    These scholarships build on a series of measures The Minns Labor Government has introduced to strengthen the state’s health workforce including:

    • Implementing the Safe Staffing Levels initiative in our emergency departments
    • Providing permanent funding for 1,112 FTE nurses and midwives on an ongoing basis
    • Abolishing the wages cap and delivering the highest pay increase in more than a decade for nurses and other health workers
    • Investing an additional $200.1 million in key worker accommodation
    • Beginning to roll out 500 additional paramedics in regional, rural and remote communities
    • Boosting subsidies for regional health workers.

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:

    “Staffing our regional, rural and remote healthcare facilities is a major challenge.

    “This year the program is expected to support 150 nursing and midwifery students, 100 medical and dentistry and 35 allied health students from regional, rural and remote locations while they undertake their healthcare studies.

    “This Program is helping to strengthen our regional, rural and remote health workforce in NSW, which will result in improved experiences for patients living in these locations.”

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty:

    “Ensuring rural and regional communities have access to the best healthcare is a key priority for the Minns Government and also a significant challenge.

    “These scholarships are not just a great opportunity for regional and rural students looking for a career in healthcare, but they will also play a part in helping recruit and retain healthcare workers in our regional communities.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted sex offender charged with illegally reentering at southern border

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    McALLEN, Texas – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against a 33-year-old Mexican citizen for illegal reentry after a prior removal, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Hector Salvador Lozano-Davila is now in custody and is expected to appear for his arraignment before a U.S. magistrate judge in the near future.

    According to the criminal complaint originally filed in the case, on Jan. 11, authorities encountered Lozano-Davila near Roma. He allegedly entered the United States from Mexico that same date. A records check revealed Lozano-Davila was previously convicted of sexual assault of a child in 2019 then subsequently removed to Mexico in November 2021, according to the charges.  

    If convicted, Lozano-Davila faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

    Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia is prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chilean National Charged With Conspiracy And Possessing Property Stolen From Burglary Of Jewelry Store

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – A Chilean man, believed to be part of a South American theft group, is charged for his involvement in a conspiracy to break into a jewelry store in New Jersey and possess the stolen property in other states, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

    Gustavo Ignacio Salas Ortega, 33, of Chile, is charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to receive stolen property that had crossed state lines and one count of receiving stolen property that had crossed state lines.  ICE ERO Newark arrested Salas Ortega on October 14, 2024, in Rochelle Park, New Jersey.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna stated, “Sophisticated and highly organized burglars that allegedly target businesses do great damage and put the public at risk. The defendant is charged with conspiring to break into a jewelry store in New Jersey to steal expensive wristwatches and jewelry and then taking the valuables to other states.  This office is committed to finding the perpetrators of these crimes and preventing them from continuing to harm our businesses.”

    “The Joint Organized Crime Task Force has been working tirelessly to apprehend these alleged criminals, following a labyrinth of conspirators that span multiple states.” FBI-Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly said. “These alleged criminals are part of South American theft groups who have been targeting stores throughout the United States for months. These alleged thieves have worked equally hard to evade law enforcement as they have to infiltrate the very businesses they have ripped off. This charge marks a positive step forward towards dismantling this group.”

    “As alleged, the illegal alien offender threatened the public safety of our community by participating in an organized theft group,” said ICE ERO Newark Field Office Director John Tsoukaris.  “These charges against Salas Ortega demonstrate ICE ERO Newark’s commitment to uphold the integrity of our immigration system while promoting the security of New Jersey’s residents.”

    “We are incredibly proud of the tireless efforts of our detectives and the collaborative work with federal agencies that led to the identification of these suspects. This case underscores the importance of community and inter-agency cooperation in solving complex crimes,” said Millburn Police Chief Gilfedder. “Our department remains committed to bringing those responsible to justice and ensuring the safety of our residents and businesses.”

    Salas Ortega appeared on February 4, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen in Newark federal court and was detained.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    The defendant was part of a group that scouted a jewelry store in a New Jersey mall before committing the burglary.  The defendant and his co-conspirators then entered the jewelry store through the ceiling and a hole they cut through an adjacent wall.  Law enforcement later found the defendant wearing an expensive wristwatch that had been in the jewelry store at the time of the burglary. Further investigation showed that the defendant had possessed the stolen wristwatch in New York on multiple days after the burglary.

    The charge of conspiracy to sell or receive stolen property carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; and the charge of receipt of stolen property carries a maximum potential penalty of ten years in prison. Both charges also carry a maximum potential penalty of up to a $250,000 fine, or twice the amount of money involved in the offense, whichever is greater.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited the FBI Newark’s Joint Organized Crime Task Force (JOCTF), under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark; Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Field Office Director John Tsoukaris; the Millburn Police Department under the direction of Chief Brian Gilfedder; and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent of Police Edward T. Cetnar, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Denver Police Department, Paramus Police Department, Fair Lawn Police Department, Edison Police Department, Northbrook (IL) Police Department, Vacaville (CA) Police Department, Nassau County (NY) Police Department, Woodbury (NY) Town Police Department, Town of Greenburgh (NY) Police Department, New York Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, FBI Denver, FBI New York, and the FBI Legal Attaché Santiago, Chile.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor A. Chenoweth of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark.

    The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

                                                                ###

    Defense counsel:

    Mary Toscano, Esq., Roseland, New Jersey

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal alien gets life sentence for ongoing sexual abuse of minor child

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    McALLEN, Texas – A 35-year-old Mexican citizen who illegally resided in Palmview has been sentenced for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of a family member and coercing the production of CSAM using various chat platforms, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Jesus Adrian Barraza-Vega pleaded guilty Oct. 9, 2024.

    U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton has now sentenced Barraza-Vega to serve the rest of his life in prison. The court further ordered him to pay $3,0o0 in restitution to a known victim and a total of $60,000 in fines.

    At the hearing, the minor victim was present with family and provided a victim letter addressed to Barraza-Vega describing the harm he had caused her. In addition, the court heard that Barraza-Vega’s ongoing abuse of a minor family member continued until just days before his encounter with law enforcement.

    “Our sincere hope is that the children who Barraza-Vega victimized can now have some measure of peace,” said Ganjei. “Crimes against children committed in the Southern District of Texas will be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible. The life sentence handed down today against Mr. Barraza-Vega should be a warning to other would-be abusers.”

    “Children deserve to be safe. Whether online or in their own homes, we all have a duty to protect those most vulnerable to exploitation,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp for the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “The FBI works day and night to ensure predators like this are brought to justice. We hope this sentence might bring some sense of closure and healing for the victims and their families.”

    On July 3, 2023, New York authorities discovered inappropriate images were being sent to an eight-year-old minor. A review of the conversation revealed the minor victim had sent sexually explicit videos of herself to an unknown individual using TextNow and WhatsApp. During the course of the conversation, the individual pretended to be a 13-year-old male. He sent images depicting a male’s genitalia and messages that were sexually explicit in nature, including requests for the minor victim to engage in sexual acts.

    Law enforcement conducted a search and determined the subscriber information for the IP address information returned to addresses where Barraza-Vega had previously resided including his current location in Palmview.

    During an interview with Barraza-Vega, he confirmed his prior residences, email addresses and phone number, and that he used TextNow and WhatsApp. All matched the information linked to the accounts used to coerce and entice the production of CSAM from the minor victim in New York.

    In February 2024, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant for a cellphone identified as belonging to Barraza-Vega. The forensic extraction revealed CSAM including videos and images of a minor relative. The material included images and videos of Barraza-Vega engaging in various sexual acts with this victim. The videos and images dated from on or about Nov. 11, 2020, to on or about Jan. 18, 2024.

    FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol and police departments in Mission and Palmview.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Employee Charged With Defrauding Mt. Diablo Unified School District In Fake Invoices Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    OAKLAND – A federal grand jury has charged Eric Rego with three counts of mail fraud in connection with a multi-million-dollar scheme to defraud his former employer, the Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD), through fake invoices for electronic devices that Rego kept and resold.  

    According to an indictment unsealed today, Rego, 39, a resident of El Dorado Hills, Calif., committed fraud by using MDUSD funds earmarked for an after-school program to purchase tablet computers and other electronic devices that he then sold for his own profit.  Rego was an employee of MDUSD, a public school district in Contra Costa County.  The school district had an after-school program that offered to students in transitional kindergarten through twelfth grade academic, recreational, and environmental programming.  The after-school program was free to students and funded primarily through state grants designed to benefit high-need population areas.  Rego was MDUSD’s after-school program coordinator.

    The school district had a contract with a nonprofit (referred to as Nonprofit 1) to run its after-school program.  As the program coordinator, Rego worked closely with Nonprofit 1.  Beginning around July 2020 and continuing through around May 2024, Rego purchased or caused to be purchased iPads, MacBooks, GoPro cameras, and other electronic devices through Nonprofit 1.  Rego allegedly falsely claimed to a Nonprofit 1 employee that the iPads and other devices were needed for students in the after-school program, but instead kept the devices and resold them at a fraction of their cost.  

    To carry out his scheme, Rego directed a Nonprofit 1 employee to submit monthly invoices containing a line-item expense for subcontracts and supplies and to include the cost of the iPads and other devices in this line-item.  Rego reviewed and approved these monthly invoices and caused their submission to MDUSD for processing and payment.  In so doing, Rego falsely represented to MDUSD that the invoices were for Nonprofit 1’s expenses incurred from operating the after-school program.  In all, the indictment alleges that Rego fraudulently obtained iPads, MacBooks, GoPro cameras, and other devices at a cost of not less than approximately $3.3 million.

    The defendant was arrested today and will appear in federal district court in Sacramento on Feb. 5, 2025.  

    An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count of mail fraud.  Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.  

    United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Dan Costin made the announcement.  

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Rezaei is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Linda Love.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Concord Police Department.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI thank the Mt. Diablo Unified School District and Superintendent Adam Clark, Ed.D. for their cooperation with the investigation.

    Rego Indictment
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: VIDEO: IAEA Director General in Ukraine

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi is in Ukraine to assess damage to key electricity infrastructure that is critical to the country’s nuclear safety.

    This is the 11th mission to Ukraine led personally by the Director General since the conflict began almost three years ago, demonstrating the IAEA’s unwavering commitment to assist Ukraine in ensuring nuclear safety and security.

    Read the latest IAEA update on the situation here. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: ADB, Fiji Sign Landmark Agreement for Urban Waste Management

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    • From left: UNDP Team Leader for Inclusive Growth Patrick Tuimalealiifano, ADB Head of Office of Markets Development and Public–Private Partnerships F. Cleo Kawawaki, Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Sivendra Michael, Permanent Secretary for Local Government Seema Sharma, and ADB Regional Director for the Pacific Subregional Office Aaron Batten.

    News from Country Offices | 05 February 2025

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    SUVA, FIJI (5 February 2025) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a Transaction Advisory Services Agreement with Fiji’s Ministry of Local Government (MLG) to support the development of a new sanitary landfill and the rehabilitation of four open dumpsites in the Western District of Fiji. The project, envisioned as a public–private partnership (PPP), aims to address critical urban waste management challenges while ensuring environmental and public health benefits. The project will be implemented by MLG together with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. 

    Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Local Government Seema Sharma and the Head of ADB’s Office of Markets Development and Public–Private Partnerships Cleo Kawawaki signed the agreement in Suva in the presence of the Regional Director of ADB’s Pacific Subregional Office in Fiji, Aaron Batten, and the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Sivendra Michael.

    “This project is a crucial step toward sustainable waste management in Fiji,” said Mr. Batten. “By leveraging public–private partnerships, we can bring innovative solutions to improve infrastructure, protect the environment, and support healthier communities.”

    The project envisions the construction of a sanitary landfill, including engineered cells, and leachate collection. The rehabilitation of existing open dumpsites will mitigate pollution and health risks, while paving the way for sustainable urban development.

    ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 69 members—49 from the region.

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    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Milo Hartill’s Black, Fat and F**gy is rough around the edges – and all the more beautiful for it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Graffam-O’Meara, PhD Candidate in Theatre, Monash University

    Matto Lucas/UMAC/Midsumma

    Milo Hartill is “Black, fat and f**gy”, according to the title of her new cabaret work.

    Actor, model, influencer and one helluva singer, 24-year-old Hartill shines. Black, Fat and F**gy is an autobiographical show, tracing defining moments of Hartill’s life as a Black, fat and queer person who grew up in Western Australia and now works in show biz.

    Centred in its name, the performance wades through aspects of her intersectional identity. This itself serves as a loose structure for the production: Blackness to fatness to queerness, with clear overlaps.

    The unapologetic self

    Hartill leans into stereotypes and tropes so hard she ultimately upends them.

    An early moment has her teasing an audience member – importantly, a white audience member – with an invitation to touch her hair. It’s a stunning moment within the work as it plays out, an image potentially loaded with racism interjected into performance with subversive, tongue-in-cheek humour and support for the chosen audience member.

    It leads immediately into a rendition of Solange’s Don’t Touch My Hair. Other featured songs include Chaka Khan’s I’m Every Woman, Frank Sinatra’s Something Stupid (performed with puppetry) and Whitney Houston’s I Have Nothing, with notable changes to the lyrics to fit the themes and tone of the show.

    Hartill is supported onstage by Lucy O’Brien on piano, who regularly chimes in with commentary and humour. The duo share a strong bond, their rapport is apparent and endearing. Within the first minute of the show we are eating from the palm of their hands.

    The duo read out examples of real, fat-phobic hate mail sent to Hartill’s social media inboxes.

    As an artist and researcher in fat-centred performance, for me, this is one of the more interesting moments in the show. It unapologetically adopts a didactic mode of delivery, revealing to audiences the kinds of despicable, violent language directed at fat people.

    Black, Fat and F**gy is an entirely unique, memorable and vital performance work.
    Matto Lucas/UMAC/Midsumma

    Theatre audiences (and makers, especially) tend to despise these kinds of didactic moments, especially pertaining to identity politics, as it marks a shift from “showing” (with metaphor) to “telling” in its messaging.

    But how else can performance give contextual significance to something without this kind of direct telling, especially when most audiences will not have an embodied experience of fatness to draw on and make inferences?

    Unless you have directly seen or heard the unrelenting, unmitigated hate speech directed at fat bodies, it is difficult to capture or convey. The “unique” aspect of this language, laid bare by Hartill in performance, is that it is delivered with a sense of righteousness: that this person is in a way helping the fat person by shaming them.

    Moments like this serve a vital function in how performance can, broadly, capture both actual experiences and associated feelings related to a topic, while aiming to impart some new knowledge or finding for its audience to take away, to sit with, to talk about and maybe go on to learn more on.

    A beautiful mixed bag

    This didactic mode of delivery is only fleeting within the show. Adopting a cabaret-style delivery (but with standard theatre seated rows), Black, Fat and F**gy weaves together aspects of musical theatre (songs), stand-up (humour) and drag performance (aesthetic): it is a queerly hybrid form.

    The show is rough around the edges. The performance allows for a high level of improvisation and audience engagement, which can lead to stalled moments and interruptions of laughter. Performance scholar T.L. Cowan writes the improvisatory nature of cabaret informs a “cabaret consciousness” that “allows an audience to enjoy a show not in spite of the mixed-bag-ness of cabaret, but because of it”.

    The mixed-bag-ness of Black, Fat and F**gy is its charm, and Hartill complements this style with a mixed-bag delivery of tricks from her deep repertoire of skills.

    The show weaves together songs, stand-up and drag: it is a queerly hybrid form.
    Matto Lucas/UMAC/Midsumma

    Black, Fat and F**gy is an entirely unique, memorable and vital performance work you should move to the top of your list of must-see Midsumma events. The production is a 70-minute-plus romp which will leave you crying, both from laughter and by acknowledging the current climate against Black, fat f*gs everywhere.

    Black Fat and F**gy is at the Guild Theatre, University of Melbourne, for Midsumma Festival until February 6.

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

    – ref. Milo Hartill’s Black, Fat and F**gy is rough around the edges – and all the more beautiful for it – https://theconversation.com/milo-hartills-black-fat-and-f-gy-is-rough-around-the-edges-and-all-the-more-beautiful-for-it-248998

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy, Booker introduce bill to give more small businesses access to disaster loans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations and Banking Committees, today joined Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) in introducing the Small Business Disaster Damage Fairness Act of 2025. The bill would allow borrowers to get a Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster assistance loan for up to $50,000, rather than the current $14,000, without pledging collateral. 

    “Too many small business owners can’t put up collateral for a loan when disaster strikes. As a result, they can’t re-open their doors. My bill would make sure small businesses can get back to serving their communities after disasters hit,” said Kennedy. 

    The SBA’s Disaster Loan Program is designed to help homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofits repair, rebuild and recover from disaster-related losses. In 2024, there were 27 weather-related disasters that caused at least $1 billion in damage. 

    “New Jerseyans are unfortunately too familiar with the impacts of extreme weather, from hurricanes to major flooding events. The last thing homeowners and small businesses should need to worry about is how they will access the funding they need to rebuild after a storm. This bill will help ensure small businesses everywhere have the support they need to recover in the wake of a disaster,” said Booker. 

    The bill also codifies the Government Accountability Office (GAO)’s recommendation to distinguish between rural and urban communities for outreach and instructs the GAO to further report the Disaster Loan Program’s default rate.

    Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) cosponsored the bill.

    The full bill text is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tillis to Chair Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property for the 119th Congress

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Thom Tillis released the following statement on his role as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property for the 119th Congress: 

    “I’m excited to receive the gavel from my colleague and friend Senator Coons and to return as Chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property for the 119th Congress. As a champion for strong, reliable, and predictable intellectual property rights – for inventors and creators large and small – I look forward to ushering in meaningful change within the IP space. This change includes reforming patent eligibility via the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act, reforming the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, ensuring that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office delivers on its mission to deliver high-quality and timely patents and trademarks, that the U.S. Copyright Office delivers on its mission to deliver timely registrations, as well as ensuring that theft of IP via online piracy is not tolerated via both legislative and enforcement means. I also believe the we must keep a close eye on artificial intelligence and its impact on the IP space. Strong, reliable, and predictable IP rights drive investments to innovative technologies and encourage the creation of content that employs vast numbers of U.S. citizens – all of which are critical to the economic and global competitiveness of our great country and to our national security. Therefore, I will continue to champion and push to ensure that the U.S. does not fall behind and that the U.S. remains the global innovation leader.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Environment and Conservation – Endangered endemic birds flock to Makarora following proactive predator trapping

    Source: Southern Lakes Sanctuary

    A collective predator control effort over the past 15 months has helped to lower rat and stoat numbers – a positive sign for native birds in the area.

    The collaborative efforts by conservation groups Southern Lakes Sanctuary, Department of Conservation, and Central Otago Lakes branch of Forest and Bird have curbed the ‘rat plague’ of the 2023/24 summer by installing over 700 bait stations, servicing more than 1400 traps, and undertaking a 1080 operation by DOC, across the Makarora area over the past 15 months.
     
    And, much to the delight of all involved, a family of endangered whio (blue duck) with five youngsters have been observed on the southern end of the Young River over recent months.

    Southern Lakes Sanctuary project director Paul Kavanagh says the whio sighting is excellent news following the localised conservation work.  

    “The presence of whio in the Young River is an optimistic sign that indicates good stoat control in the area, which comes down to the great collaborative effort last summer,” he says. “These endemic manu (birds) nest on the banks of rivers, in caves or in dense vegetation, and nesting whio are very vulnerable to stoats.”

    Central Otago Lakes Forest and Bird chairman Andrew Penniket says extensive trapping is one of the factors for the increased presence of the birds.

    “The whio family has been seen over the space of a month by several groups and is the largest number seen on this river, or in our catchments, in our collective memories,” he says. “The sightings are a wonderful reward, coinciding with the work undertaken to put an extra 20 traps into the southern end of the Young River, specifically for the protection of rock wren and whio.
     
    “It has been heartening that we have had very low catch rates of rats and stoats on all our trapping lines. It is probably the lowest ever, that I can recall,” Penniket adds.
     
    In the summer of 2023/24 rat numbers exploded due to a ‘mast season’ of native beech trees, where a larger number of tree seeds are produced. A mast season generally occurs every two to six years and results in a dramatic increase in rat numbers, and then stoats.

    The collaborative predator control effort has achieved positive results for other species in the area.
     
    “We were concerned about the survival of the endangered mohua (yellowhead) with the siege of rats swarming to the area last spring and summer,” Kavanagh explains. “However, in the core trapping and bait station areas, most of the mohua chicks that we have monitored have survived in both this year’s and last year’s breeding seasons.”

    This area is a priority site for the Department of Conservation’s National Predator Control Programme and as such received landscape scale predator control via aerial 1080 in March 2024, in response to rodent plagues following beech masts. Working in partnership with DOC ensures the best outcome for predator control.  
     
    “The mohua and whio survival shows the power of working together,” Kavanagh says. “The amazing efforts of volunteers and staff, who strapped on their tramping boots and frequently checked and cleared thousands of traps and bait stations. Collectively, they contributed thousands of hours towards this important mahi to protect wildlife in Makarora.”

    Introduced predators such as rats and stoats kill more than 25 million native birds and wildlife every year in New Zealand. An estimated 1382 rats were dispatched in traps and an estimated 3600 rats from the bait station network alone, in Makarora between November 2023 – November 2024.
     
    About Southern Lakes Sanctuary                                                      
    The Southern Lakes Sanctuary Trust that oversees this project is a consortium of six local groups that collectively represent 84 community groups, landowners, and businesses, who in turn have been working for many years to protect and restore the declining biodiversity of the Southern Lakes region. The consortium relies on the mahi of hundreds of committed and dedicated volunteers, throughout the district. Their tireless work, which has been quietly ploughing on for many years, is the foundation upon which the Southern Lakes Sanctuary is built. Donations to the Trust can be made at https://southernlakessanctuary.org.nz/get-involved/

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government Cuts – Govt must re-employ science staff about to be axed from Callaghan Innovation – PSA

    Source: PSA

    Some 75 highly skilled science staff at Callaghan Innovation are being left high and dry and without a job by the Government’s decision to axe funding for Callaghan Innovation in June it has been revealed today.
    The NZ Herald has reported that new Science Minister Shane Reti wrote to Callaghan Innovation last month saying funding will end in June and detailing the transfer of functions to other existing agencies following the recent science system restructure.
    Callaghan Innovation is being scrapped under plans to merge other agencies into three new Public Research Organisations (PRO) over the next 12 – 18 months, alongside the establishment of a fourth, new PRO looking at Advanced Technology. But at least 75 science and research staff at Callaghan risk being lost to the science system.
    “The Minister should order MBIE to immediately set up a process to retain these specialist scientists until the fourth PRO focused on their skills is set up or they will be lost to countries overseas which value science,” said Fleur Fitzsimons Acting National Secretary for the Public Service Association for Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
    “There are people working in medical technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and other areas of technology which are of great value to New Zealand.”
    The Government announced last month it will set up a new Advanced Technology Public Research Organisation, focused on the same areas of science, but this will not be established until next year.
    “The Government risks no-one being able to do this job and be forced to recruit offshore,” said Fitzsimons. “So much for science growing the economy that it talks about. It’s astonishing that the Government is pressing ahead with closure without a plan for these dedicated science staff.
    PSA delegate and Callaghan Innovation scientist Ben Wyle van Eerd said; “We’re not even being given the chance to apply for a position – it’s so upsetting given all we have done for science. It just feels like the Government is saying there’s no future here in New Zealand for me or my colleagues.”
    Fleur Fitzsimons said the new Ministers appeared not to have read the advice of the Science System Advisory Group which recommended that ‘actions will be needed at multiple levels to develop and retain a high calibre workforce of researchers, scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs’
    “This will be a brain drain of the Government’s own making – how can the Government expect these people to hang around with no income waiting for the new research organisation to be set up?
    “The PSA calls on new Minister Shane Reti to do what was recommended and retain this highly skilled workforce before lasting damage is done to our science system by losing this talented workforce.”
    Previous PSA statement
    The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –