NewzIntel.com

Category: Middle East

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Remarks by CE at media session before ExCo (with video)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following are the remarks by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at a media session before the Executive Council meeting today (April 8):

    Reporter: Chief Executive, two questions. Are there any concrete measures the Government would do to help local businesses affected by tariff and, in your perception, how would the tariff attack Hong Kong’s unemployment rate? And the second question is on the Panama deal, how should local companies respond to Beijing’s criticism, and would the antitrust probe and the possible failed deal affect people’s perception that companies in Hong Kong must ultimately answer to Beijing?
     
    Chief Executive: Last week, the US announced the imposition of so-called reciprocal tariff on trading partners around the world, including an additional 34 per cent tariff on Hong Kong products. Together with the 20 per cent tariff announced earlier, the total tariff imposed on Hong Kong products is up to 54 per cent. The US no longer adheres to free trade, arbitrarily undermining the internationally established rules of world trade. Its ruthless behaviour damages global and multilateral trade. The reckless imposition of tariff affects many countries and regions around the world with huge tax rate increases covering a wide range of goods, disrupting the world economic and trade order, and bringing great risks and uncertainties to the world. In response to the US’s imposition of tariff, the Government will strengthen its strategy in seven areas.
     
         First, we shall fully seize the opportunities in our country, China’s development, and actively integrate into national development. China is the world’s second-largest economy and second-largest consumer goods market, with a domestic market of 1.4 billion people. Hong Kong will take full advantage of CEPA (Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement) to attract more foreign companies to set up operations to capitalise on the benefits of “one country, two systems”. As of the end of last year, the accumulated tariff concessions on goods under CEPA exceeded RMB10.2 billion.
     
         Second, we shall strengthen international exchanges and deepen regional ties and co-operation. We shall sign more free trade agreements (FTAs) with countries and economies. Today, Hong Kong’s FTAs already cover 21 economies. We are currently negotiating investment agreements with Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Egypt and Peru. We will continue to push for Hong Kong’s early accession to the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) to deepen regional co-operation. We are already planning to establish economic and trade offices in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. Additionally, Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council have set up offices in Cairo, Egypt; Izmir, Türkiye; and Cambodia to proactively expand Hong Kong’s global trade and economic network.
     
         Third, Hong Kong will accelerate industrial transformation by developing a high value-added, innovation-driven economic model. We will expedite the establishment of a high value-added supply chain service hub and promote the growth of a headquarters economy.
     
         Fourth, we will intensify efforts to develop technological innovation, attract top-tier talent, and further strengthen Hong Kong’s competitiveness. We will focus efforts on establishing Hong Kong as a technological and Innovation hub, accelerating development of the Hetao (Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone) and San Tin Technopole, and continuing to attract top-tier talent and enterprises, particularly key strategic companies.
     
         Fifth, we will vigorously advance international financial co-operation to attract investments and capital. I, along with government officials, have conducted multiple visits to emerging markets to forge new partnerships. Notably, we engaged with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and Middle East countries to establish mutual recognition with their stock exchanges.
     
         Sixth, we will seize the world’s major trend of geographical diversification, proactively attracting foreign companies and capital to establish in Hong Kong, because Hong Kong can provide security and stability to investors and enterprises under “one country, two systems”.
     
         Seventh, we will continue to provide various support to help Hong Kong enterprises to cope with the impact of tariff and external challenges, including capital flow assistance, export credit insurance measures, supporting Hong Kong enterprises in brand development, upgrading and exploring new markets through the BUD special fund (Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales), etc.
     
         In respect to your question about Hutchison’s deal to sell some ports, I have earlier made three points, and they remain valid, clear and explicit. I will repeat them. First, there have been extensive discussions in society about the issue, and this reflects society’s concern over the matter. These concerns deserve serious attention. Second, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government urges foreign governments to provide a fair and just environment for enterprises, including enterprises from Hong Kong. We oppose the abusive use of coercion or bullying tactics in international economic and trade relations. Third, any transaction must comply with legal and regulatory requirements. Hong Kong will handle it in accordance with the law and regulations. I have noted that the State Administration for Market Regulation of the PRC (People’s Republic of China) has noticed the deal, and will review it in accordance with the law to ensure fair market competition and protect public interest.
     
    (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Himax Announces Leadership Transition in Investor and Public Relations

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TAINAN, Taiwan, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Himax Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: HIMX) (“Himax” or “Company”), a leading supplier and fabless manufacturer of display drivers and other semiconductor products, today announced the retirement of Mr. Eric Li, former Chief IR/PR Officer and Spokesperson. The company appointed Miss Karen Tiao as the new Head of IR/PR and Spokesperson, effective immediately. Miss Tiao joined Himax in 2019 and currently serves as Senior Investor Relations Manager. In her new role, Miss Tiao will report directly to CEO Jordan Wu.

    “On behalf of the Board, I would like to extend our utmost gratitude to Mr. Eric Li for his dedicated service to Himax. We wish him all the best in his retirement,” said Biing-Seng Wu, Chairman of Himax. “Miss Tiao’s extensive experience in investor and public relations, developed over her years at Himax, along with her deep understanding of the company’s operations and strategies, will help ensure a smooth transition,” Dr. Wu added.

    About Himax Technologies, Inc.

    Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: HIMX) is a leading global fabless semiconductor solution provider dedicated to display imaging processing technologies. The Company’s display driver ICs and timing controllers have been adopted at scale across multiple industries worldwide including TVs, PC monitors, laptops, mobile phones, tablets, automotive, ePaper devices, industrial displays, among others. As the global market share leader in automotive display technology, the Company offers innovative and comprehensive automotive IC solutions, including traditional driver ICs, advanced in-cell Touch and Display Driver Integration (TDDI), local dimming timing controllers (Local Dimming Tcon), Large Touch and Display Driver Integration (LTDI) and OLED display technologies. Himax is also a pioneer in tinyML visual-AI and optical technology related fields. The Company’s industry-leading WiseEyeTM Ultralow Power AI Sensing technology which incorporates Himax proprietary ultralow power AI processor, always-on CMOS image sensor, and CNN-based AI algorithm has been widely deployed in consumer electronics and AIoT related applications. Himax optics technologies, such as diffractive wafer level optics, LCoS microdisplays and 3D sensing solutions, are critical for facilitating emerging AR/VR/metaverse technologies. Additionally, Himax designs and provides touch controllers, OLED ICs, LED ICs, EPD ICs, power management ICs, and CMOS image sensors for diverse display application coverage. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Tainan, Taiwan, Himax currently employs around 2,200 people from three Taiwan-based offices in Tainan, Hsinchu and Taipei and country offices in China, Korea, Japan, Germany, and the US. Himax has 2,603 patents granted and 389 patents pending approval worldwide as of March 31, 2025.

    http://www.himax.com.tw

    Forward Looking Statements

    Factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in this conference call include, but are not limited to, the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Company’s business; general business and economic conditions and the state of the semiconductor industry; market acceptance and competitiveness of the driver and non-driver products developed by the Company; demand for end-use applications products; reliance on a small group of principal customers; the uncertainty of continued success in technological innovations; our ability to develop and protect our intellectual property; pricing pressures including declines in average selling prices; changes in customer order patterns; changes in estimated full-year effective tax rate; shortage in supply of key components; changes in environmental laws and regulations; changes in export license regulated by Export Administration Regulations (EAR); exchange rate fluctuations; regulatory approvals for further investments in our subsidiaries; our ability to collect accounts receivable and manage inventory and other risks described from time to time in the Company’s SEC filings, including those risks identified in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in its Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed with the SEC, as may be amended.

    Company Contacts:
      
    Karen Tiao, Head of IR/PR
    Himax Technologies, Inc.
    Tel: +886-2-2370-3999
    Fax: +886-2-2314-0877
    Email: hx_ir@himax.com.tw
    www.himax.com.tw

    Mark Schwalenberg, Director
    Investor Relations – US Representative
    MZ North America
    Tel: +1-312-261-6430
    Email: HIMX@mzgroup.us
    www.mzgroup.us

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s tariff hikes and South Africa: hunt for new agricultural markets must begin now

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Wandile Sihlobo, Senior Fellow, Department of Agricultural Economics, Stellenbosch University

    The South African government has underscored the urgent need to diversify the country’s agricultural exports in the wake of the US decision to increase tariffs on its trading partners.

    The progress of South Africa’s agricultural sector has relied partly on exports, which now account for roughly half of the production in value terms. South Africa’s agricultural exports reached a new record of US$13.7 billion in 2024, up 3% from the previous year, according to data from Trade Map. South Africa also imports various agricultural products. In 2024, South Africa’s agricultural imports amounted to US$7.6 billion.

    The US accounts for 4% of South Africa’s agricultural exports. The biggest agricultural exports to the US are citrus, wine, grapes and nuts. These typically entered the US market duty free, and now fall under the tariff level of between 10% and 31% which Washington has levied on South Africa.

    The ministers of International Relations and Cooperation and of Trade, Industry and Competition said in a statement after Washington’s move:

    Efforts will intensify to diversify export destinations, targeting markets across Africa, as well as in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. Moreover, where deemed appropriate, such efforts will also involve bilateral arrangements that allow for the pursuance of our national interest.

    As a medium to longer term strategy this makes sense in the context of the trade friction with the US and the overall growth of South Africa’s agricultural sector. But export diversification will take time to achieve. New markets take time to open up because negotiations with countries, especially in agricultural products, are complex. For example, it took 16 years for South Africa to reopen Thailand for apple exports.

    Moreover, trade agreements typically take a minimum of five years to conclude.

    This means that, in the short term, the South African government will urgently be seeking to engage with Washington to maintain critical access to the US market. In their joint statement, the two departments managing the fallout said they would be seeking “additional exemptions and favourable quota agreements”.

    So what does the long-term strategy look like? And what are the building blocks that need to be put in place to secure diversified destinations for South Africa’s agricultural products in the future?

    As an agricultural economist who has looked at these issues for some time, I would recommend these three areas of focus.

    Firstly, South Africa trade authorities should put resources into understanding the opportunities in dynamic markets in the Gulf and Asia. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are some of the key markets in the Gulf. In Asia, China, India and Vietnam should remain priorities.

    Secondly, the agricultural sector and government need to develop better ways of working together. This will help ensure business relationships are cultivated in the countries that the government is engaging, and that there’s alignment between the commercial and political interests of the country.

    Thirdly, South Africa’s agricultural sector – government and organised agriculture – must get its house in order. For example, promoting livestock products won’t work unless the necessary disease controls are in place.

    Opportunities

    The African continent accounts for the biggest share of South African exports at 38%. The EU accounted for a 19% share in 2023. Asia and the Middle East accounted for a quarter of South Africa’s agricultural exports in the same year.

    Asia and the Far East, in particular China, have already been identified as key growth areas. Even though Asia and the Middle East are strong destination points, huge pockets of opportunity remain in terms of products and countries.

    The Brics grouping remains crucial in this endeavour. Here, the South African government must have a sharper focus on lowering import tariffs and phytosanitary barriers in countries such as China, India and Saudi Arabia.

    China is the biggest opportunity, largely because of its population and economic size. China, the world’s second largest economy after the US, must feed 1.4 billion people. To do this, China is a huge importer, resulting in an agricultural trade deficit with the rest of the world of about US$117 billion. This suggests there’s a gap for countries with good agricultural offerings.

    Vietnam and India also have sizeable populations. Importantly, South Africa remains a small participant in their agricultural markets.

    The sectors worth targeting include horticulture and wine producers. Expanding exports in these sectors has been a long-running talking point. Now there’s a need for renewed energy and urgency from the government officials’ side.

    The livestock industry is also geared to promote its exports.

    In the short term

    Agricultural stakeholders can play a constructive role in supporting the government’s efforts to engage the US. Stakeholders can assess the impact of the increased US tariff on their exports, mainly citrus, grapes, wine, and nuts, among other products, as well as the impact on jobs in their regions.

    There is also scope to provide more flexibility for American products in the South African market to ease current trade tensions. For example, South Africa currently allows US exporters to sell over 70,000 tonnes of poultry products into the country without any tariff. However, US poultry producers have only used less than 60% of this quota. One reason for this is the low-quality products that have not met the South African specifications. Hence the need to seek negotiating points.

    Next steps

    Trade is about trade-offs and backing the correct winners.

    Both organised agriculture – commodity associations – and business must work together to define new priorities for the country and how these can be pursued internationally.

    Negotiating free trade agreements should be the mainstay of trade policy. South Africa has excelled in opening up new markets in the past 20 years, by concluding several free trade agreements with critical regional and international markets. These include deals with the Southern African Development Community countries as well as the region’s agreement with the European Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area.

    It needs to expand this list.

    But free trade agreements require hard choices over which industries a country is prepared to place on the table for possible trade-offs while building long-term competitiveness in sectors that can be major drivers for growth.

    Government must engage the various agricultural sectors about their key priorities and what trade-offs they’re prepared to consider.

    Wandile Sihlobo is the Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) and a member of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).

    – ref. Trump’s tariff hikes and South Africa: hunt for new agricultural markets must begin now – https://theconversation.com/trumps-tariff-hikes-and-south-africa-hunt-for-new-agricultural-markets-must-begin-now-253984

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Trump’s tariff hikes and South Africa: hunt for new agricultural markets must begin now

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Wandile Sihlobo, Senior Fellow, Department of Agricultural Economics, Stellenbosch University

    The South African government has underscored the urgent need to diversify the country’s agricultural exports in the wake of the US decision to increase tariffs on its trading partners.

    The progress of South Africa’s agricultural sector has relied partly on exports, which now account for roughly half of the production in value terms. South Africa’s agricultural exports reached a new record of US$13.7 billion in 2024, up 3% from the previous year, according to data from Trade Map. South Africa also imports various agricultural products. In 2024, South Africa’s agricultural imports amounted to US$7.6 billion.

    The US accounts for 4% of South Africa’s agricultural exports. The biggest agricultural exports to the US are citrus, wine, grapes and nuts. These typically entered the US market duty free, and now fall under the tariff level of between 10% and 31% which Washington has levied on South Africa.

    The ministers of International Relations and Cooperation and of Trade, Industry and Competition said in a statement after Washington’s move:

    Efforts will intensify to diversify export destinations, targeting markets across Africa, as well as in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. Moreover, where deemed appropriate, such efforts will also involve bilateral arrangements that allow for the pursuance of our national interest.

    As a medium to longer term strategy this makes sense in the context of the trade friction with the US and the overall growth of South Africa’s agricultural sector. But export diversification will take time to achieve. New markets take time to open up because negotiations with countries, especially in agricultural products, are complex. For example, it took 16 years for South Africa to reopen Thailand for apple exports.

    Moreover, trade agreements typically take a minimum of five years to conclude.

    This means that, in the short term, the South African government will urgently be seeking to engage with Washington to maintain critical access to the US market. In their joint statement, the two departments managing the fallout said they would be seeking “additional exemptions and favourable quota agreements”.

    So what does the long-term strategy look like? And what are the building blocks that need to be put in place to secure diversified destinations for South Africa’s agricultural products in the future?

    As an agricultural economist who has looked at these issues for some time, I would recommend these three areas of focus.

    Firstly, South Africa trade authorities should put resources into understanding the opportunities in dynamic markets in the Gulf and Asia. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are some of the key markets in the Gulf. In Asia, China, India and Vietnam should remain priorities.

    Secondly, the agricultural sector and government need to develop better ways of working together. This will help ensure business relationships are cultivated in the countries that the government is engaging, and that there’s alignment between the commercial and political interests of the country.

    Thirdly, South Africa’s agricultural sector – government and organised agriculture – must get its house in order. For example, promoting livestock products won’t work unless the necessary disease controls are in place.

    Opportunities

    The African continent accounts for the biggest share of South African exports at 38%. The EU accounted for a 19% share in 2023. Asia and the Middle East accounted for a quarter of South Africa’s agricultural exports in the same year.

    Asia and the Far East, in particular China, have already been identified as key growth areas. Even though Asia and the Middle East are strong destination points, huge pockets of opportunity remain in terms of products and countries.

    The Brics grouping remains crucial in this endeavour. Here, the South African government must have a sharper focus on lowering import tariffs and phytosanitary barriers in countries such as China, India and Saudi Arabia.

    China is the biggest opportunity, largely because of its population and economic size. China, the world’s second largest economy after the US, must feed 1.4 billion people. To do this, China is a huge importer, resulting in an agricultural trade deficit with the rest of the world of about US$117 billion. This suggests there’s a gap for countries with good agricultural offerings.

    Vietnam and India also have sizeable populations. Importantly, South Africa remains a small participant in their agricultural markets.

    The sectors worth targeting include horticulture and wine producers. Expanding exports in these sectors has been a long-running talking point. Now there’s a need for renewed energy and urgency from the government officials’ side.

    The livestock industry is also geared to promote its exports.

    In the short term

    Agricultural stakeholders can play a constructive role in supporting the government’s efforts to engage the US. Stakeholders can assess the impact of the increased US tariff on their exports, mainly citrus, grapes, wine, and nuts, among other products, as well as the impact on jobs in their regions.

    There is also scope to provide more flexibility for American products in the South African market to ease current trade tensions. For example, South Africa currently allows US exporters to sell over 70,000 tonnes of poultry products into the country without any tariff. However, US poultry producers have only used less than 60% of this quota. One reason for this is the low-quality products that have not met the South African specifications. Hence the need to seek negotiating points.

    Next steps

    Trade is about trade-offs and backing the correct winners.

    Both organised agriculture – commodity associations – and business must work together to define new priorities for the country and how these can be pursued internationally.

    Negotiating free trade agreements should be the mainstay of trade policy. South Africa has excelled in opening up new markets in the past 20 years, by concluding several free trade agreements with critical regional and international markets. These include deals with the Southern African Development Community countries as well as the region’s agreement with the European Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area.

    It needs to expand this list.

    But free trade agreements require hard choices over which industries a country is prepared to place on the table for possible trade-offs while building long-term competitiveness in sectors that can be major drivers for growth.

    Government must engage the various agricultural sectors about their key priorities and what trade-offs they’re prepared to consider.

    – Trump’s tariff hikes and South Africa: hunt for new agricultural markets must begin now
    – https://theconversation.com/trumps-tariff-hikes-and-south-africa-hunt-for-new-agricultural-markets-must-begin-now-253984

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Rwanda’s image abroad: how western countries are beginning to turn their backs

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By David E Kiwuwa, Associate Professor of International Studies, University of Nottingham

    Rwanda enjoyed good relations with the western world for many years. This was due to systematic and intentional efforts to build its profile as a constructive regional actor, especially through the UN peacekeeping framework.

    It also set out to improve its national brand through sports sponsorships of some of the biggest football clubs in the world. These include Arsenal (England), PSG (France) and Bayern Munich (Germany).

    Since the end of the 1994 genocide, countries such as the UK, the US and France were willing to give Rwanda a less than critical pass when it was accused of destabilising its bigger neighbour, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They averted their gaze from its domestic heavy handedness, particularly its constraining of democratic space and human rights.

    But there has been a sharp turn in sentiment. For the first time, the western powers, as well as China, have begun to call out Rwanda on its behaviour.

    Read more: Rwanda and Belgium are at odds over the DRC: what’s led to the latest low point

    Western actors have grown exasperated with Rwanda’s impunity and have been forced to change tack. Quiet shuttle diplomacy, notably by the Biden administration and the EU, has failed to achieve Rwandan restraint. And as a humanitarian crisis grew, they saw more forceful and overt actions as necessary.

    Concerned about the rising level of violence and humanitarian catastrophe in the DRC, western powers through the UN general assembly and security council called for restraint, dialogue and de-escalation. France, Belgium, Germany, the US, Canada and the EU also condemned the escalating violence and Rwanda’s role. The growing consensus culminated in firmer and direct sanctions against individual Rwandan actors and entities and suspension of economic and trade cooperation.

    I have been a long time scholar of and commentator on African regime types, political governance and conflict, with a focus on Rwanda. It’s my view that Rwanda’s escapades in eastern DRC have had a detrimental impact on the goodwill long extended to the Kigali regime. What happens next will depend on its response.

    Rwanda’s role in the DRC

    There is little doubt about Rwanda’s involvement in conflict and instability in the eastern DRC. The reports from the security council and UN bodies have provided sufficient evidence of this.

    Since 2012, Rwanda has been accused of being the patron behind the Movement of March 23 (M23) rebel group. The M23 and its associated alliances have been fighting the DRC government, purportedly to protect the rights of Congolese Tutsis.

    For its part, Rwanda has pointed to the danger posed by remnants of security forces involved in the 1994 genocide. The forces fled into the DRC and are still hell bent on causing instability in Rwanda, Kigali claims. The other grievance is that the forces are backed by the DRC regime and have been responsible for persecuting Congolese Tutsis.

    Between 2012 and 2018, the M23 group had a limited level of military success. In 2012 it captured the eastern DRC city of Goma but was forced to relinquish it after just 10 days.

    In the latest escalation of fighting the group has made significant gains, recapturing Goma and capturing the bigger Bukavu and other areas.

    M23’s success has been attributed to the sustained and systematic support Rwanda has given the group, according to the UN report and security council resolution 2773.

    Support has included sophisticated weaponry and boots on the ground, conservatively estimated at over 4,000 soldiers. Faced with demotivated, ill-trained and poorly coordinated DRC military capabilities, the M23 success was almost inevitable.

    Read more: DRC conflict: talks have failed to bring peace. Is it time to try sanctions?

    The turnaround

    In August 2023 and again on 20 February 2025, the US slapped sanctions on key players in Rwanda and the M23 Alliance. The EU and the UK then paused some economic support for Rwanda. This was a strategic signal from the big powers.

    Germany then froze aid, Belgium’s rebuked the country and the EU called for stronger penalties, among them a ban on Rwanda’s mineral industry. This was to force Rwanda to rein in or rethink its activities in the DRC and be a constructive rather than disruptive partner.

    Belgium has had historical relations with both Rwanda and the DRC, having been the last colonial authority. Rwanda took specific exception to Belgium’s action by cutting diplomatic relations. It also took a more belligerent posture in the UN security council.

    Read more: M23: Four things you should know about the rebel group’s campaign in Rwanda-DRC conflict

    While this is seen as a non-compromising stance, it is against a lesser western power than the US or the UK. This could be taken as Rwanda saving face while working out an exit strategy to avoid escalating tensions with western powers or provoking far reaching coordinated action.

    It is notable that Qatar (and not a western or African power) has taken a lead in chaperoning talks between the conflict parties. This couldn’t have been without the blessing of the US, given the close relationship Qatar enjoys with the US as conflict resolution partners. Qatar is also an investor in Rwanda. This allows Rwanda to avoid being dragged to the negotiating table by critical western powers.

    Next steps

    The intensity of the conflict has slowed down somewhat, with the M23 rebel alliance having announced a ceasefire and unilateral action to “withdraw” from some of the areas they have recently captured.

    Whether this is a strategic compromise in response to the now forceful demand for Rwanda to cease its active support and intervention is unclear. It is notable that Qatar has now directly invited the rebels to the table.

    Once known as the darling of the west, most notable for clean and efficient government, a good business environment and unquestioned security and stability, Rwanda may have reached an inflection point with its flagrant DRC intervention. The change in western attitude may mark a more critical epoch in relations.

    – Rwanda’s image abroad: how western countries are beginning to turn their backs
    – https://theconversation.com/rwandas-image-abroad-how-western-countries-are-beginning-to-turn-their-backs-253663

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Business missions and exhibitions: how Moscow promotes its tourism potential abroad

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Moscow continues to develop its tourism potential. Moscow companies participate in international festivals and exhibitions, negotiations with colleagues from other countries, and promote their projects on foreign industry platforms. This was reported by Natalia Sergunina, Deputy Mayor of Moscow.

    “In the last few years alone, capital delegations have visited dozens of countries, held thousands of meetings, and agreed on cooperation in various areas to attract even more travelers. Six business missions are planned for the end of this year, including to China, Qatar, and the Philippines,” noted Natalia Sergunina.

    Since the beginning of 2025, Moscow companies have already visited India for the international industry exhibition Outbound Travel Mart. There they agreed to work together to increase tourist flows between the Russian capital and Mumbai.

    In addition, representatives of the Moscow tourism industry took part in business negotiations in Vietnam and signed a number of agreements with their colleagues.

    Trips to China and Qatar are planned until July. Their goal is to find new business partners and strengthen cooperation.

    The capital attracts tourists with its convenient infrastructure, extensive cultural and excursion program, gastronomy, large-scale festivals and other exciting events.

    It is planned that by 2030 Moscow will be visited by 52 million people— 35–40 percent of the total number of travelers in Russia. The city will also be able to annually receive approximately 20 million tourists who come without an overnight stay, for one day.

    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.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/152308073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Zadara Sponsors World Champion Robotics Team ORBIT 1690 in the 2025 Global Finals

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    IRVINE, Calif., April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zadara, the sovereign AI edge cloud leader, today announced that it is proud to support Israel’s own ORBIT 1690 as it prepares to compete at the FIRST® Championship to be held in Houston, Texas, April 16-19, 2025. Physical AI is a key pillar of the next wave of Artificial Intelligence, with robotics at its core. Zadara invests in the future of robotics and intelligent systems, starting with the innovators of tomorrow. ORBIT 1690 secured first place in the 2024 FIRST Robotics World Championship.

    Founded in 2005, ORBIT 1690 has risen to become one of the world’s top 10 robotics teams. Every season begins with a new global challenge, and the team has just six weeks to design, build, and program a competitive robot—relying on teamwork, innovation, and relentless dedication. ORBIT 1690 has competed in 12 Israeli regionals, 2 regionals in the United States, 6 Israel District Championships, and has competed in the World Championship 10 times, with 2 Einstein Finals appearances.

    Zadara’s sponsorship of ORBIT 1690 helps fund the team’s robotics development, travel, and global competition participation, empowering students with hands-on experience in building the intelligent systems of the future.

    “Robots change, spirit remains” – ORBIT 1690’s motto perfectly captures its drive to adapt, lead, and inspire. “As a sovereign AI edge cloud provider, we see robotics as a natural and critical frontier for AI,” said Ofir Amir, Cloud Group Manager and Architect at Zadara. “ORBIT 1690 is not only building robots – it is building the next generation of thinkers and doers who will define how AI interacts with the real world.”

    Follow ORBIT 1690:
    1690orbit.com
    teamorbit1690@gmail.com
    Watch the robot in action

    About Zadara

    Zadara (https://www.zadara.com/) is a leading provider of sovereign AI edge clouds offering a revolutionary distributed cloud platform that simplifies operational complexity and enables seamless multi-tenancy through automated end-to-end provisioning of compute, storage, and networking.

    With over 500 edge cloud locations worldwide and with the ability to deploy a cloud in any location, Zadara’s clouds are uniquely positioned to meet the unique demands of various cloud-based use cases, including sovereign cloud and AI inference at the edge for service providers and the modern enterprise. Zadara clouds are AWS compatible and feature consumption-based pricing with zero data egress fees. 

    Zadara’s fully-managed clouds are designed to accommodate any workload, anywhere – whether on-premises, hybrid, multi-cloud or at the edge. Zadara operates worldwide with a highly skilled team that provides 24/7 follow-the-sun support and services. Zadara is headquartered in Irvine, California.

    Media Contacts:
    Joanne Hogue
    Smart Connections PR for Zadara
    joanne@smartconnectionspr.com
    +1 (410) 658-8246

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Rwanda’s image abroad: how western countries are beginning to turn their backs

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By David E Kiwuwa, Associate Professor of International Studies, University of Nottingham

    Rwanda enjoyed good relations with the western world for many years. This was due to systematic and intentional efforts to build its profile as a constructive regional actor, especially through the UN peacekeeping framework.

    It also set out to improve its national brand through sports sponsorships of some of the biggest football clubs in the world. These include Arsenal (England), PSG (France) and Bayern Munich (Germany).

    Since the end of the 1994 genocide, countries such as the UK, the US and France were willing to give Rwanda a less than critical pass when it was accused of destabilising its bigger neighbour, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They averted their gaze from its domestic heavy handedness, particularly its constraining of democratic space and human rights.

    But there has been a sharp turn in sentiment. For the first time, the western powers, as well as China, have begun to call out Rwanda on its behaviour.



    Read more:
    Rwanda and Belgium are at odds over the DRC: what’s led to the latest low point

    Western actors have grown exasperated with Rwanda’s impunity and have been forced to change tack. Quiet shuttle diplomacy, notably by the Biden administration and the EU, has failed to achieve Rwandan restraint. And as a humanitarian crisis grew, they saw more forceful and overt actions as necessary.

    Concerned about the rising level of violence and humanitarian catastrophe in the DRC, western powers through the UN general assembly and security council called for restraint, dialogue and de-escalation. France, Belgium, Germany, the US, Canada and the EU also condemned the escalating violence and Rwanda’s role. The growing consensus culminated in firmer and direct sanctions against individual Rwandan actors and entities and suspension of economic and trade cooperation.

    I have been a long time scholar of and commentator on African regime types, political governance and conflict, with a focus on Rwanda. It’s my view that Rwanda’s escapades in eastern DRC have had a detrimental impact on the goodwill long extended to the Kigali regime. What happens next will depend on its response.

    Rwanda’s role in the DRC

    There is little doubt about Rwanda’s involvement in conflict and instability in the eastern DRC. The reports from the security council and UN bodies have provided sufficient evidence of this.

    Since 2012, Rwanda has been accused of being the patron behind the Movement of March 23 (M23) rebel group. The M23 and its associated alliances have been fighting the DRC government, purportedly to protect the rights of Congolese Tutsis.

    For its part, Rwanda has pointed to the danger posed by remnants of security forces involved in the 1994 genocide. The forces fled into the DRC and are still hell bent on causing instability in Rwanda, Kigali claims. The other grievance is that the forces are backed by the DRC regime and have been responsible for persecuting Congolese Tutsis.

    Between 2012 and 2018, the M23 group had a limited level of military success. In 2012 it captured the eastern DRC city of Goma but was forced to relinquish it after just 10 days.

    In the latest escalation of fighting the group has made significant gains, recapturing Goma and capturing the bigger Bukavu and other areas.

    M23’s success has been attributed to the sustained and systematic support Rwanda has given the group, according to the UN report and security council resolution 2773.

    Support has included sophisticated weaponry and boots on the ground, conservatively estimated at over 4,000 soldiers. Faced with demotivated, ill-trained and poorly coordinated DRC military capabilities, the M23 success was almost inevitable.



    Read more:
    DRC conflict: talks have failed to bring peace. Is it time to try sanctions?

    The turnaround

    In August 2023 and again on 20 February 2025, the US slapped sanctions on key players in Rwanda and the M23 Alliance. The EU and the UK then paused some economic support for Rwanda. This was a strategic signal from the big powers.

    Germany then froze aid, Belgium’s rebuked the country and the EU called for stronger penalties, among them a ban on Rwanda’s mineral industry. This was to force Rwanda to rein in or rethink its activities in the DRC and be a constructive rather than disruptive partner.

    Belgium has had historical relations with both Rwanda and the DRC, having been the last colonial authority. Rwanda took specific exception to Belgium’s action by cutting diplomatic relations. It also took a more belligerent posture in the UN security council.



    Read more:
    M23: Four things you should know about the rebel group’s campaign in Rwanda-DRC conflict

    While this is seen as a non-compromising stance, it is against a lesser western power than the US or the UK. This could be taken as Rwanda saving face while working out an exit strategy to avoid escalating tensions with western powers or provoking far reaching coordinated action.

    It is notable that Qatar (and not a western or African power) has taken a lead in chaperoning talks between the conflict parties. This couldn’t have been without the blessing of the US, given the close relationship Qatar enjoys with the US as conflict resolution partners. Qatar is also an investor in Rwanda. This allows Rwanda to avoid being dragged to the negotiating table by critical western powers.

    Next steps

    The intensity of the conflict has slowed down somewhat, with the M23 rebel alliance having announced a ceasefire and unilateral action to “withdraw” from some of the areas they have recently captured.

    Whether this is a strategic compromise in response to the now forceful demand for Rwanda to cease its active support and intervention is unclear. It is notable that Qatar has now directly invited the rebels to the table.

    Once known as the darling of the west, most notable for clean and efficient government, a good business environment and unquestioned security and stability, Rwanda may have reached an inflection point with its flagrant DRC intervention. The change in western attitude may mark a more critical epoch in relations.

    David E Kiwuwa 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. Rwanda’s image abroad: how western countries are beginning to turn their backs – https://theconversation.com/rwandas-image-abroad-how-western-countries-are-beginning-to-turn-their-backs-253663

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Enhanced strategy to counter tariffs

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    (To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

     

    Chief Executive John Lee today outlined a seven-pronged strategy that aims to meet any challenges in the face of the US’ move to impose a cumulative 54% tariff on products from Hong Kong.

     

    Meeting the media ahead of this morning’s Executive Council meeting, Mr Lee expressed his concerns over the magnitude of the US tariff measures.

     

    “Last week the US announced the imposition of so-called reciprocal tariff on trading partners around the world, including an additional 34% tariff on Hong Kong products.

     

    “Together with the 20% tariff announced earlier, the total tariff imposed on Hong Kong products is up to 54%.

     

    “The US no longer adheres to free trade, arbitrarily undermining the internationally established rules of world trade.

     

    “Its ruthless behaviour damages global and multilateral trade. The reckless imposition of tariff affects many countries and regions around the world with huge tax rate increases covering a wide range of goods, disrupting the world’s economic and trade order.”

     

    In response, the Chief Executive said that the Government will strengthen its strategy in seven areas.

     

    “First, we shall fully seize the opportunities in our country, China’s development, and actively integrate into the national development.”

     

    He also emphasised that Hong Kong will take full advantage of the Mainland & Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement to attract more foreign companies to set up operations in the city to capitalise on the benefits of “one country, two systems”.

     

    “Second, we shall strengthen international exchanges and deepen regional ties and co-operation. We shall sign more free trade agreements with countries and economies.”

     

    To this end, Mr Lee pointed out that the Government is currently negotiating investment agreements with Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Egypt and Peru, and will continue to push for Hong Kong’s early accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

     

    “Third, Hong Kong will accelerate industrial transformation by developing a high value-added, innovation-driven economic model. We will expedite the establishment of a high value-added supply chain service hub and promote the growth of a headquarters economy.

     

    “Fourth, we will intensify efforts to develop technological innovation, attract top-tier talent and further strengthen Hong Kong’s competitiveness.

     

    “Fifth, we will vigorously advance international financial co-operation to attract investments and capital.

     

    “Sixth, we will seize the world’s major trend of geographical diversification, proactively attracting foreign companies and capitals to establish in Hong Kong because Hong Kong can provide security and stability to investors and enterprises under ‘one country, two systems’.

     

    “Seventh, we will continue to provide various support to help Hong Kong enterprises to cope with the impact of tariff and external challenges.”

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: We’re hardwired to laugh – this is why watching comedians try to be the ‘Last One Laughing’ is so funny

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fergus Edwards, Lecturer in English, University of Tasmania

    Amazon MGM Studios

    Last One Laughing is a battle royale for stand-ups. Ten comedians, one room, surrounded by cameras. Laugh once and they’re warned. Laugh again, and they’re out. Last comic left wins.

    It is an international TV phenomenon, in 29 countries from Australia to Iran.

    The latest season is from the United Kingdom, hosted by Jimmy Carr and featuring comedians like Bob Mortimer, Sara Pascoe and Joe Lycett.

    But why do we, whatever our linguistic or cultural background, love watching comedians trying desperately hard not to laugh at each other?

    It works because it’s funny – but it’s not about comedy. It’s about laughter. Philosophers and psychologists have spent hundreds of years thinking about what makes us laugh.

    Here’s what they’ve had to say about laughter – and what they, perhaps, would have to say about Last One Laughing.

    What makes us laugh?

    Comedy takes time, but laughter can take less than a moment. Last One Laughing shows us the three major theories of humour that try to explain moments of spontaneous laughter.

    The oldest is “superiority theory”. English philosopher Thomas Hobbes explained in is 1651 book Leviathan we “maketh those Grimaces called LAUGHTER” when we realise we’re better off than someone else. We “suddenly applaud” ourselves when we recognise our superiority.

    In the new Last One Laughing series, Richard Ayoade nearly catches out two players when, asked what his childhood hobbies were, he replies: “I don’t know. I cried a lot?”

    Irish philosopher Francis Hutcheson disagreed with Hobbes and suggested an alternative: “incongruity theory”.

    In Reflections Upon Laughter (1750) he maintains we laugh in surprise at “bringing resemblances from subjects of a quite different kind from the subject to which they are compared”.

    This happens when we meet one word with two meanings, like in every Christmas cracker joke, or Rob Beckett asking “What did one plate say to the other plate?” and answering “Dinner’s on me”.

    In Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious (1905), Austrian founder of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud suggests our subconscious works to stop us from consciously understanding something that might be socially unacceptable. If we allow ourselves to acknowledge what we think we’re seeing, the energy we had been using to repress ourselves is then “discharged by laughter”.

    Last One Laughing has many, mostly unprintable, moments that illustrate Freud’s relief theory of humour. No-one is at ease when Bob Mortimer’s magic act features a napkin rising into the air at groin height.

    The art of not laughing

    In Anatomy of the Gag (1963), the Czech playwright – and politician – Václav Havel suggests a gag has two phases. We see something and think we know what it is. Then, we see the same thing again – but we recognise it as something different. But the two interpretations can’t both be true! So we know we’ve made a mistake.

    We laugh because of a “surprising quality” that “stems not from the revelation of the unknown, but from the unexpected look at the known”. We laugh because now we know we’re properly seeing the world as it is.

    Comedians laugh at their own jokes because they experience this fresh look at the world before they’ve put it into words. This explains why Mortimer laughs at his own teeth, and Lou Sanders is laughing before she reaches her own punchline. Or, indeed, her own set-up.

    But Last One Laughing doubles our laughs. We watch the actual joke, we get it, we laugh. And then we see comedians desperately trying not to laugh – but we know that they get the joke too! And so we get an unexpected second look at the joke.

    Comedians not laughing when it’s expected is, in itself, a second gag. Our doubled laugh lets us express our understanding of this rather odd thing that’s happening. We’re reassuring ourselves, and anyone with us, that we know what’s going on.

    Understanding the world

    Douglas Robinson’s work in linguistics and Antonio Damasio’s work in neuropsychology suggests our brain and our body learn to respond to the world before our mind has kicked in. We’re physically laughing before we’ve mentally processed what’s funny. We see this response in babies, and it stays with us throughout our lives.

    The feedback that tells us that we’ve understood the world correctly comes from other human beings. So it’s unsurprising we are 30 times more likely to laugh in company. It’s unsurprising that laughter is infectious. And it should be unsurprising that the winning moment of Last One Laughing comes from a game we play with newborns: “peek-a-boo”.

    Last One Laughing helps us understand why we laugh at our own jokes, why we can’t always explain what’s funny, and why gags don’t need words. We’re watching professional comedians get the joke (as we do!) without laughing (as we expect?) but we know that it’s all OK. And, however briefly, we glimpse the world anew.

    Fergus Edwards 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. We’re hardwired to laugh – this is why watching comedians try to be the ‘Last One Laughing’ is so funny – https://theconversation.com/were-hardwired-to-laugh-this-is-why-watching-comedians-try-to-be-the-last-one-laughing-is-so-funny-253935

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: General strike staged across West Bank

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A Palestinian man walks past closed stores during a general strike in the West Bank city of Nablus, on April 7, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    A general strike took place across the West Bank on Monday against ongoing Israeli assaults on the Gaza Strip.

    Shops, markets, schools, universities, banks, and public offices have been closed, and transportation lines have been stopped due to the strike called by Palestinian factions.

    In the central West Bank city of Ramallah, hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets to condemn the Israeli “crimes” in Gaza, waving the Palestinian flag and chanting slogans demanding an end to the Israeli assaults as they marched through the streets of the city center.

    The strike aims to condemn the Israeli assaults on the Palestinian enclave, which have “killed and destroyed Gaza, with American complicity and support,” and to urge the international community to fulfill its obligations, Issam Bakr, coordinator of the Palestinian National and Islamic Forces in Ramallah, told Xinhua.

    Protests against Israel have also been staged outside the West Bank by those in solidarity with the Palestinians, Bakr said. According to the Palestinian official news agency WAFA, such protests were organized in Tunisia, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

    According to Gaza-based health authorities, 56 people were killed and 137 others injured in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of fatalities and injuries to 1,391 and 3,434, respectively, since Israel ended the January ceasefire and resumed strikes across Gaza on March 18.

    The overall death toll in Gaza has reached 50,752, with 115,475 others injured since the very beginning of the Israeli military operations in the enclave on Oct. 7, 2023, the health authorities reported.

    In addition, the Israeli strikes further strained Gaza’s health system. According to a statement by Gaza health authorities on Monday, 37 percent of medicines and 59 percent of medical supplies are out of stock in the strip.

    It said vital departments in hospitals are running on generators, which are threatened with shutdown due to fuel and spare parts shortages, adding that over half of cancer and blood disease medications are at zero stock, putting patients’ lives at risk.

    Meanwhile, Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, warned on social media, “Two million people (in Gaza) are scarred for life with trauma and shock, battling with the invisible wounds of mental health.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump administration revokes hundreds of visas for foreign students

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The Trump administration has revoked visas for more than 300 international students across the United States, a move confirmed by universities and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as part of a nationwide effort targeting foreign students.

    “Maybe more than 300 at this point. We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas,” Rubio said during a press conference in Guyana on March 27.

    Over the weekend, the visa revocations were reported by dozens of universities nationwide, including prestigious ones like Columbia, Cornell, Harvard and Stanford.

    Many affected students had participated in pro-Palestinian campus protests. But university officials said that others with no connection to protests had also suffered visa revocations without explanation.

    At Tufts University, Turkish doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk was arrested by masked immigration agents on March 25 while walking near her home. Video of the arrest showed plainclothes officers taking the 30-year-old into custody as she was heading to break her Ramadan fast with friends, according to her attorney.

    The Department of Homeland Security claimed Ozturk “engaged in activities in support of Hamas,” though they provided no evidence for this allegation. Ozturk co-authored an opinion piece in the student newspaper criticizing Tufts’ response to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

    The Turkish embassy said it was working with U.S. authorities regarding Ozturk’s detention. “Every effort is being made to provide the necessary consular services and legal support to protect the rights of our citizen,” the embassy stated.

    At Columbia University, graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, who has legal permanent residency, was detained by immigration authorities last month.

    Khalil said in his Columbia Daily Spectator opinion piece that the school “laid the groundwork for my abduction” and urged the students not to “abdicate their responsibility to resist repression.”

    “Since my abduction on March 8, the intimidation and kidnapping of international students who stand for Palestine has only accelerated,” Khalil wrote in Friday’s piece.

    The actions extend beyond East Coast schools. The University of Colorado and Colorado State University reported a combined total of 10 students with revoked visas this weekend. Meanwhile, Minnesota State University identified five students whose visas were canceled for unclear reasons.

    In California, the situation is equally concerning so far.

    University of California, Los Angeles reported nine affected international students, while UC Berkeley confirmed six visa revocations — four for current students and two for recent graduates.

    UC Davis officials stated seven students and five recent graduates had their visas terminated, and Stanford University confirmed six visa revocations.

    “The federal government has not explained the reasons behind these terminations,” UC Davis said in a statement as reported by NBC News.

    Universities are scrambling to support affected students.

    “We are focused on supporting the success of all of our students, including international students. Each one of our students is seeking to advance their careers and the lives of their families, and we understand the anxieties that visa revocations cause to impacted students,” reported NBC News, citing University of Colorado.

    The Council of University of California Faculty Associations issued a statement Sunday, urgently calling upon the University of California to address the revocation of visas and deportation of international students.

    “It has been reported that in the past week alone, at least 44 students across the UC system have had their I-20 Student and Exchange Visitor Information System record terminated by the Department of Homeland Security, with at least one deportation occurring,” the statement noted.

    Civil rights organizations have condemned the administration’s actions. The American Civil Liberties Union issued an open letter to universities warning: “The federal government cannot mandate student expulsions or threaten funding cuts to suppress constitutionally protected speech.”

    College officials worry this crackdown will deter international students from studying in the United States in the future.

    The situation is “a far different, unprecedented intrusion by the executive branch” involving “revoking student visas for different reasons than we have seen previously and at higher rates than we have ever seen,” said Violeta Chapin, a University of Colorado Boulder law professor and immigration expert. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Asia Pacific – New UN report assesses the readiness of Asia-Pacific economies amid climate change

    Source: United Nations – ESCAP

    Despite driving 60 per cent of the world’s economic expansion in 2024, several countries in the Asia-Pacific region are still not ready to cope with climate shocks and the implications of transitioning to a greener system, according to the 2025 edition of the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific.

    Published today by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the report highlights the complex macroeconomic-climate interplay. It outlines the challenges testing the economic resilience of the region – including slower productivity growth, high public debt risks and rising trade tensions.

    “Increasing global economic uncertainty and deepening climate risks are also not making it easy for the fiscal and monetary policymakers,” said Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP. “Navigating this evolving landscape requires not only sound national policies but also coordinated regional efforts to safeguard long-term economic prospects and tackle climate change.”

    Among the 30 countries analysed in the Survey, 11 were identified as more exposed to climate risks from the macroeconomic perspective: Afghanistan, Cambodia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam.

    There are also significant disparities in coping ability across the region. While some countries have mobilized sizeable climate finance and adopted green policies, others face a range of challenges, including fiscal constraints, weaker financial systems and limited public financial management capacity.

    The Survey delves into how countries are undertaking policies to manage the diverse economic challenges of climate change. For example, balancing industrial growth with climate goals in the Republic of Korea, addressing climate risks due to the dependence on agriculture in Lao PDR and on fossil fuels in Kazakhstan, and advancing policy action in coastal economies like Bangladesh and small island nations like Vanuatu that face severe climate impacts.

    Despite remaining relatively vibrant in comparison with the rest of the world, average economic growth in the developing economies in the Asia-Pacific region slowed to 4.8 per cent in 2024 from 5.2 per cent in 2023 and 5.5 per cent during the five years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the case of least developed countries, the 2024 average economic growth rate of 3.7 per cent was significantly lower than the 7 per cent per annum GDP growth target set out in Sustainable Development Goal 8.

    Labour productivity growth in Asia and the Pacific has slowed significantly since the global financial crisis in 2008, with stagnating income convergence with the world’s advanced economies. Between 2010 and 2024, only 19 of 44 Asia-Pacific developing countries achieved income convergence, leaving 25 further behind.

    To secure long-term economic prosperity, the Survey underscores the need for proactive government support in upgrading into more productive, higher value-added economic sectors. The region also needs to capitalize its robust competitiveness in green industries and value chains as new engines of economic growth, as well as embrace inclusive regional economic cooperation, which serves the development aspirations of both developed and developing countries.

    Access the full report : https://www.unescap.org/kp/2025/survey2025

    The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the most inclusive intergovernmental platform in the Asia-Pacific region. The Commission promotes cooperation among its 53 member States and 9 associate members in pursuit of solutions to sustainable development challenges. ESCAP is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Iran seeks to negotiate only if US proves it wants to

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Iran seeks to negotiate only if the United States stops being “dishonorable” and proves that it also wants to negotiate, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said recently.

    Commenting on the possibility of indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States on the nuclear issue, Pezeshkian said Sunday night that Iran believes in negotiations, but not with one that is as “dishonorable” as the United States, which has placed Iran “under all-out pressure” and is threatening Iran every day, according to a statement published by Pezeshkian’s office on Monday.

    “We will negotiate with the entire world and do not want to fight with anybody. However, we will not acquiesce to being dishonored and will not negotiate at any price,” he said. “They (the United States) should also prove they want to negotiate.”

    Iran does not want to make “unpeaceful” uses of its nuclear capabilities, he noted.

    Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said here Monday that Iran is ready for any event to unfold and is militarily capable enough to stand against any “aggression or attack.”

    Answering a question about Iran’s scenarios facing a potential U.S. attack, Baghaei said Iran will definitely give a “decisive, immediate, and all-out response” if threats against Iran were carried out.

    He also called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to fulfill its responsibilities regarding the constant threats uttered by the United States and Israel against Iran’s “peaceful” nuclear facilities.

    The issue will be discussed during an upcoming visit by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to Tehran, he added.

    U.S. President Donald Trump said in early March that he had sent a letter to Iranian leaders via the United Arab Emirates, proposing direct negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear activities.

    Pezeshkian later confirmed that in response to the letter, Tehran rejected the proposed face-to-face talks but was open to possible indirect talks.

    Trump, in an interview with NBC News late last month, threatened to launch “unprecedented military strikes” on Iran if it refused to negotiate over its nuclear program.

    Iran signed a nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, with six major countries — Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States — in July 2015, accepting restrictions on its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.

    However, the United States withdrew from the deal in May 2018 and reinstated sanctions, prompting Iran to scale back some of its nuclear commitments. Efforts to revive the nuclear deal have not achieved substantial progress. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump, Netanyahu discuss Gaza hostages, tariffs

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    U.S. President Donald Trump (C) welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on April 7, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met at the White House on Monday, focusing on the Gaza hostage crisis and U.S. tariffs on Israeli goods.

    In a brief Oval Office session open to reporters, Trump called the release of hostages held in Gaza a “top priority.” He expressed optimism about ongoing negotiations but provided no specific details.

    “We’re making progress,” Trump said. “I believe we’ll see all the hostages home soon.”

    Netanyahu agreed, emphasizing Israel’s commitment to securing the hostages’ freedom.

    They also addressed the shaky ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. While they announced no new agreements, both stressed the importance of reducing violence in the region.

    Trump defended his recent 17 percent tariff on imports from Israel, part of his broader trade policy affecting many economies.

    Netanyahu reportedly sought relief from these tariffs, highlighting Israel’s efforts to strengthen trade ties with the United States.

    In 2024, the total goods trade between the two countries was an estimated at 37.0 billion U.S. dollars, with U.S. exports to Israel at 14.8 billion dollars and imports from Israel at 22.2 billion dollars, resulting in a 7.4 billion dollars U.S. trade deficit.

    Netanyahu’s visit to the White House was arranged in a phone call last Thursday between the two leaders when Netanyahu raised the tariff issue, according to Israeli officials.

    The White House had initially planned a joint press conference but canceled it without explanation. Instead, reporters asked questions during their brief access to the Oval Office meeting.

    Trump did not discuss any long-term plans for Gaza’s redevelopment during this meeting. His administration has previously proposed controversial ideas for the region, which have faced criticism from various groups.

    The meeting highlighted the complex relationship between the United States and Israel, balancing security concerns with economic interests. Both leaders pledged to continue working closely on these issues. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: General strike staged across West Bank against Israeli assaults on Gaza

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    A Palestinian man walks past closed stores during a general strike in the West Bank city of Nablus, on April 7, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    A general strike took place across the West Bank on Monday against ongoing Israeli assaults on the Gaza Strip.

    Shops, markets, schools, universities, banks, and public offices have been closed, and transportation lines have been stopped due to the strike called by Palestinian factions.

    In the central West Bank city of Ramallah, hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets to condemn the Israeli “crimes” in Gaza, waving the Palestinian flag and chanting slogans demanding an end to the Israeli assaults as they marched through the streets of the city center.

    The strike aims to condemn the Israeli assaults on the Palestinian enclave, which have “killed and destroyed Gaza, with American complicity and support,” and to urge the international community to fulfill its obligations, Issam Bakr, coordinator of the Palestinian National and Islamic Forces in Ramallah, told Xinhua.

    Protests against Israel have also been staged outside the West Bank by those in solidarity with the Palestinians, Bakr said. According to the Palestinian official news agency WAFA, such protests were organized in Tunisia, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

    According to Gaza-based health authorities, 56 people were killed and 137 others injured in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of fatalities and injuries to 1,391 and 3,434, respectively, since Israel ended the January ceasefire and resumed strikes across Gaza on March 18.

    The overall death toll in Gaza has reached 50,752, with 115,475 others injured since the very beginning of the Israeli military operations in the enclave on Oct. 7, 2023, the health authorities reported.

    In addition, the Israeli strikes further strained Gaza’s health system. According to a statement by Gaza health authorities on Monday, 37 percent of medicines and 59 percent of medical supplies are out of stock in the strip.

    It said vital departments in hospitals are running on generators, which are threatened with shutdown due to fuel and spare parts shortages, adding that over half of cancer and blood disease medications are at zero stock, putting patients’ lives at risk.

    Meanwhile, Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, warned on social media, “Two million people (in Gaza) are scarred for life with trauma and shock, battling with the invisible wounds of mental health.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump announces direct talks with Iran

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    U.S. President Donald Trump surprised many on Monday by announcing direct, high-level talks between the United States and Iran over the latter’s nuclear program.

    The announcement came during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

    “We’re having direct talks with Iran,” Trump said. “It’s getting to be very dangerous territory, and hopefully, those talks will be successful.”

    He also disclosed that a “very big meeting” involving “very high-level” officials would be taking place this Saturday.

    Trump’s announced came after months of increasing pressure on Iran, including tougher sanctions on oil exports and threats of military action, while Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has ruled out direct talks with the United States so long as Trump kept his “maximum pressure” policy in place.

    “I think everyone agrees that doing a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious. And the obvious is not something that I want to be involved with, or frankly, that Israel wants to be involved with, if they can avoid it,” Trump said, speaking in the Oval Office alongside Netanyahu.

    “So we’re going to see if we can avoid it. But it’s getting to be very dangerous territory, and hopefully those talks will be successful. And I think it would be in Iran’s best interest if they are successful.”

    Monday’s announcement sparked mixed reactions.

    Netanyahu, present at the announcement, expressed skepticism about the talks. The Times of Israel cited his words as reporting “if it fully stops Iran nukes, that’d be a good thing.”

    Iran has not yet confirmed its participation in the talks. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker Statement on Fatal Shooting of New Jersey Teen in the West Bank

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) issued the following statement:
    “The death of a 14-year-old New Jerseyan and American citizen, Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee, in the West Bank is another devastating reminder of the horrific human cost of ongoing conflict and tensions in the region.  There must be a full and transparent accounting of the circumstances around his death and the actions of Israeli security forces.  During Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to the White House today, I urge President Trump to seek answers and accountability. 
    “From the death of Amer Rabee, Shireen Abu Akleh, and family members of constituents across New Jersey, to Hamas taking Edan Alexander, also an American citizen from New Jersey, hostage – our New Jersey communities are reeling every day because of the personal impact of ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
    “I’ve long had disagreements with the actions of the Netanyahu government, from their efforts to erode Israeli democracy to their interference in US politics — to their settlement expansion policy in the West Bank. I have also long warned of the increasing danger posed by extremist Israeli settler violence in the West Bank.  I call on the Trump administration to reinstate sanctions on perpetrators of such violence, which directly threatens the objectives of protecting innocent Israeli and Palestinian civilians and preventing the war in Gaza and tensions in the West Bank from escalating into a wider regional conflict.
    “To press for change, I traveled to Israel and the West Bank in March 2024 to meet with Israeli and Palestinian Authority leaders and continue to engage with our government as well as with leaders across the region.  “And I will continue to do everything I can to push for a two-state solution, where we protect Israel’s right to exist as a democratic Jewish state and affirm the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and a state of their own.  To start this work, all parties must recommit to working toward a ceasefire agreement that gets the hostages home, facilitates humanitarian aid into Gaza, and breaks the cycle of violence in the West Bank and the region. This is the only way to truly create a pathway towards a just and sustainable peace in the region that protects Israelis and Palestinians.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Global Bodies – Joint statement: World must act with urgency to save Palestinians in Gaza

    Source: UNICEF Aotearoa NZ

    Statement by heads of OCHA, UNICEF, UNOPS, UNRWA, WFP and WHO
    NEW YORK, AMMAN, COPENHAGEN, GENEVA, ROME, 7 April 2025 – “For over a month, no commercial or humanitarian supplies have entered Gaza.
    “More than 2.1 million people are trapped, bombed and starved again, while, at crossing points, food, medicine, fuel and shelter supplies are piling up, and vital equipment is stuck.
    “Over 1,000 children have reportedly been killed or injured in just the first week after the breakdown of the ceasefire, the highest one-week death toll among children in Gaza in the past year.
    “Just a few days ago, the 25 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme during the ceasefire had to close due to flour and cooking gas shortages.
    “The partially functional health system is overwhelmed. Essential medical and trauma supplies are rapidly running out, threatening to reverse hard-won progress in keeping the health system operational.
    “The latest ceasefire allowed us to achieve in 60 days what bombs, obstruction and lootings prevented us from doing in 470 days of war: life-saving supplies reaching nearly every part of Gaza.
    “While this offered a short respite, assertions that there is now enough food to feed all Palestinians in Gaza are far from the reality on the ground, and commodities are running extremely low.
    “We are witnessing acts of war in Gaza that show an utter disregard for human life.
    “New Israeli displacement orders have forced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee yet again, with no safe place to go.
    “No one is safe. At least 408 humanitarian workers, including over 280 from UNRWA, have been killed since October 2023.
    “With the tightened Israeli blockade on Gaza now in its second month, we appeal to world leaders to act – firmly, urgently and decisively – to ensure the basic principles of international humanitarian law are upheld.
    “Protect civilians. Facilitate aid. Release hostages. Renew a ceasefire.”
    Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
    Catherine Russell, Executive Director, UNICEF
    Jorge Moreira da Silva, Executive Director, UNOPS
    Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General, UNRWA
    Cindy McCain, Executive Director, WFP
    Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO
    Notes:
    Multimedia materials available here: https://weshare.unicef.org/Package/2AM4080FDL1J
    About UNICEF
    UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children, works to protect the rights of every child, everywhere, especially the most disadvantaged children and in the toughest places to reach. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we do whatever it takes to help children survive, thrive, and fulfil their potential.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Global: Recorded executions highest since 2015 – Amnesty International

    Source: Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand

    Global: Recorded executions hit their highest figure since 2015
    – Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia responsible for 91% of executions
    – States weaponizing death penalty against protesters and ethnic groups
    – Rise in drug-related executions in violation of human rights
    Global executions hit their highest figure since 2015, as over 1,500 people were executed across 15 countries in 2024, said Amnesty International today as it released its annual report on the global use of the death penalty.
    According to the report, Death Sentences and Executions 2024 , 1,518 executions were recorded in 2024 – the highest number since 2015 (at least 1,634) – with the majority in the Middle East. However, for the second year in a row, countries carrying out executions remained at the lowest point on record.
    The known totals do not include the thousands of people believed to have been executed in China, which remains the world’s lead executioner, as well as North Korea and Viet Nam which are also believed to resort to the death penalty extensively. Ongoing crises in Palestine (State of) and Syria meant that Amnesty International could not confirm a figure.
    Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia were responsible for the overall rise in known executions. In total, the trio accounted for a staggering 1,380 recorded executions. Iraq almost quadrupled its executions (from at least 16 to at least 63) and Saudi Arabia doubled its yearly total (from 172 to at least 345), while Iran executed 119 more individuals than last year (from at least 853 to at least 972) – accounting for 64% of all known executions.
    “The death penalty is an abhorrent practice with no place in today’s world. While secrecy continued to shroud scrutiny in some countries that we believe are responsible for thousands of executions, it’s evident that states that retain the death penalty are an isolated minority. With just 15 countries carrying out executions in 2024, the lowest number on record for the second consecutive year, this signals a move away from this cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.
    “Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia were responsible for the sharp spike in deaths last year, carrying out over 91% of known executions, violating human rights and callously taking people’s lives for drug-related and terrorism charges.”
    The five countries with the highest number of recorded executions in 2024 were China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Yemen.
    Authorities weaponizing death penalty
    Throughout 2024, Amnesty International witnessed leaders weaponizing the death penalty under the false pretence that it would improve public safety or to instil fear among the population. In the USA, which has experienced a steady upward trend in executions since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, 25 people were executed (against 24 in 2023). Newly elected President Trump repeatedly invoked the death penalty as a tool to protect people “ from violent rapists, murderers, and monsters“. His dehumanizing remarks promoted a false narrative that the death penalty has a unique deterrent effect on crime.
    In some countries in the Middle East region, death sentences were used to silence human rights defenders, dissidents, protesters, political opponents, and ethnic minorities.
    “Those who dare challenge authorities have faced the most cruel of punishments, particularly in Iran and Saudi Arabia, with the death penalty used to silence those brave enough to speak out,” said Agnès Callamard.
    “In 2024, Iran persisted in their use of the death penalty to punish individuals who had challenged the Islamic Republic establishment during the Woman Life Freedom uprising. Last year saw two of those people – including a youth with a mental disability – executed in connection with the uprising following unfair trials and torture-tainted ‘confessions’, proving how far the authorities are willing to go to tighten their grip on power.”
    Saudi authorities continued to weaponize the death penalty to silence political dissent and punish nationals from the country’s Shi’a minority who supported “anti-government” protests between 2011 and 2013. In August, the authorities executed Abdulmajeed al-Nimr for terrorism-related offences related to joining Al-Qaeda, despite initial court documents referring to his participation in protests.
    The Democratic Republic of Congo announced its intention to resume executions while Burkina Faso’s military authorities announced plans to reintroduce the death penalty for ordinary crimes.
    Rise in executions for drug-related offences
    Over 40% of 2024’s executions were carried out unlawfully for drug-related offences. Under international human rights law and standards, the use of the death penalty must be restricted for the ‘most serious crimes’ – sentencing people to death for drug-related offences does not meet this threshold.
    “Drug-related executions were prevalent in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and, while no confirmation was possible, likely Viet Nam . In many contexts, sentencing people to death for drug-related offences has been found to disproportionately impact those from disadvantaged backgrounds, while it has no proven effect in reducing drug trafficking,” said Agnès Callamard.
    “Leaders who promote the death penalty for drug-related offences are proposing ineffective and unlawful solutions. States considering introducing capital punishment for drug-related offences, such as the Maldives, Nigeria and Tonga, must be called out and encouraged to put human rights at the centre of their drug policies.”
    The power of campaigning
    Despite a rise in executions, just 15 countries were known to have carried them out – the lowest number on record for the second consecutive year. As of today, 113 countries are fully abolitionist and 145 in total have abolished the death penalty in law or practice.
    In 2024, Zimbabwe signed into law a bill that abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes. For the first time, more than two thirds of all UN member states voted in favour of the tenth General Assembly resolution on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty. Death penalty reforms in Malaysia also led to a reduction by more than 1,000 in the number of people at risk of execution.
    Furthermore, the world witnessed the power of campaigning. Hakamada Iwao – who spent nearly five decades on death row in Japan – was acquitted in September 2024. This has continued into 2025. In March, Rocky Myers – a Black man sentenced to death in Alabama despite serious flaws in the proceedings – was granted clemency following calls from his family and legal team, a former juror, local activists and the international community.
    “When people prioritize campaigning for an end to the death penalty, it really does work,” said Agnès Callamard. “Despite the minority of leaders determined to weaponize the death penalty, the tide is turning. It’s only a matter of time until the world is free from the shadows of the gallows.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump announces direct talks with Iran amid nuclear tensions

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    U.S. President Donald Trump surprised many on Monday by announcing direct, high-level talks between the United States and Iran over the latter’s nuclear program.

    The announcement came during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

    “We’re having direct talks with Iran,” Trump said. “It’s getting to be very dangerous territory, and hopefully, those talks will be successful.”

    He also disclosed that a “very big meeting” involving “very high-level” officials would be taking place this Saturday.

    Trump’s announced came after months of increasing pressure on Iran, including tougher sanctions on oil exports and threats of military action, while Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has ruled out direct talks with the United States so long as Trump kept his “maximum pressure” policy in place.

    “I think everyone agrees that doing a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious. And the obvious is not something that I want to be involved with, or frankly, that Israel wants to be involved with, if they can avoid it,” Trump said, speaking in the Oval Office alongside Netanyahu.

    “So we’re going to see if we can avoid it. But it’s getting to be very dangerous territory, and hopefully those talks will be successful. And I think it would be in Iran’s best interest if they are successful.”

    Monday’s announcement sparked mixed reactions.

    Netanyahu, present at the announcement, expressed skepticism about the talks. The Times of Israel cited his words as reporting “if it fully stops Iran nukes, that’d be a good thing.”

    Iran has not yet confirmed its participation in the talks. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Reed, Coons Lead National Security Members in Letter Expressing Concern over Recent Firings at NSA

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

    WASHINGTON – Today, Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee Jack Reed (D-RI), and Ranking Member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense Chris Coons (D-DE), led their committee colleagues in a letter to President Trump regarding the firing of the Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) and Commander of U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM), General Timothy Haugh, as well as the reassignment of the Deputy Director of the NSA, Wendy Noble.

    Joining Vice Chairman Warner and Ranking Members Reed and Coons in this letter are Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Gary Peters (D-MI), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Chris Murphy (D-CT).

    “These actions severely compromise our ability to keep Americans safe. As you are well aware, our nation currently faces serious cyber threats from foreign adversaries, such as from China’s Salt Typhoon, with near-daily attacks against our critical infrastructure,” the senators wrote. “In addition, our nation’s military is engaged in ongoing operations against multiple threats, from the Houthis in Yemen to Russian aggression in Eastern Europe. Given the dangers facing the United States, it is inexplicable that the Administration would remove the senior leaders of NSA/CYBERCOM without cause or warning, and risk disrupting critical ongoing intelligence operations.”

    The senators also highlighted the impact this move would have on the dual-hat arrangement, in which a single officer leads both the NSA and CYBERCOM, and stressed that prematurely severing this agreement could put U.S. national security at risk.

    They continued, “Premature termination of the dual-hat arrangement would severely degrade the speed and effectiveness of NSA’s and CYBERCOM’s abilities to execute their missions and could have dire consequence for our national security. As Congress on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis has repeatedly made clear in the National Defense Authorization Acts for Fiscal Years 2017, 2018, and 2020, clear criteria must be met before any termination can be considered and both the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs must together certify that separation will not “pose risks to the military effectiveness of the United States Cyber Command that are unacceptable to the national security interests of the United States.”

    As members of the key committees tasked with conducting oversight over NSA, the senators requested written justification for why Director Timothy Haugh and Ms. Wendy Noble were removed from their posts, and asked for a Congressional briefing regarding any additional actions the administration plans to take with respect to NSA and CYBERCOM, including but not limited to the separation of the dual-hat.

    A copy of letter is available here and text is below.

    Dear President Trump,

    We write with alarm at the sudden and inexplicable firing of the Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) and Commander, U.S. Cyber Command, General Timothy Haugh, as well as the reassignment of the Deputy Director of the NSA, Wendy Noble. Not only have both dutifully served this nation for decades under both Democratic and Republican administrations, but their removals were conducted in the middle of the night with no consultation with Congress and, according to reports, at the behest of a private citizen who has a record of promoting conspiracy theories.

    These actions severely compromise our ability to keep Americans safe. As you are well aware, our nation currently faces serious cyber threats from foreign adversaries, such as from China’s Salt Typhoon, with near-daily attacks against our critical infrastructure. In addition, our nation’s military is engaged in ongoing operations against multiple threats, from the Houthis in Yemen to Russian aggression in Eastern Europe. Given the dangers facing the United States, it is inexplicable that the Administration would remove the senior leaders of NSA/CYBERCOM without cause or warning, and risk disrupting critical ongoing intelligence operations.

    Furthermore, we urge you to exercise careful consideration and consultation with Congress on any further actions that may impact NSA’s or CYBERCOM’s abilities to provide the critical intelligence and operational support to policymakers and warfighters. This includes, but is not limited to, any considerations to terminate the dual-hat arrangement. Premature termination of the dual-hat arrangement would severely degrade the speed and effectiveness of NSA’s and CYBERCOM’s abilities to execute their missions and could have dire consequence for our national security. As Congress on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis has repeatedly made clear in the National Defense Authorization Acts for Fiscal Years 2017, 2018, and 2020, clear criteria must be met before any termination can be considered and both the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs must together certify that separation will not “pose risks to the military effectiveness of the United States Cyber Command that are unacceptable to the national security interests of the United States.”

    As Members of the respective committees of oversight, we request that you formally provide in writing a justification for why Director Timothy Haugh and Ms. Wendy Noble were removed from their posts and provide a briefing to Congress on any additional actions you plan to take with respect to NSA and CYBERCOM, including but not limited to the separation of the dual-hat.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Question Trump Administration on U.S. Liability for Aiding and Abetting Netanyahu’s Potential War Crimes

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) today wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio warning that the bombing campaign carried out by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli Defense Forces raises legal questions about U.S. officials’ liability for potentially aiding and abetting war crimes.  
    As noted in the Senators’ letter—which was sent on the same day Mr. Netanyahu met with President Trump at the White House—their request comes after the State Department bypassed Congressional approval and invoked an emergency declaration to send more than $8 billion in arms to Israel.  
    In the last two weeks, Mr. Netanyahu said in response a question concerning remaining legitimate targets to strike in Gaza: “I don’t care about the targets,” and ordered military officials to “destroy the homes, bomb everything in Gaza.”  Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that renewed offensive military operations in Gaza aimed to increase pressure “on the population in Gaza”—inflicting additional pain on the more than two million civilians in Gaza instead of focusing on military targets. 
    In their letter, the Senators requested a briefing by April 30, 2025, on the following questions: 

    What additional intelligence or diplomatic information does the U.S. government have regarding PM Netanyahu’s and senior Israeli officials’ ordering the destruction of civilian infrastructure for punitive purposes; to intimidate civilians; to coerce civilians to move out of certain zones or to take certain actions; or to affect the conduct of de facto authorities by mass destruction? 
    Israeli forces have destroyed more than 200,000 buildings in pursuit of a force that was estimated by their government at 10,000 to 30,000 fighters, raising questions about target distinction in a densely populated area. For how many of these over 200,000 destroyed homes and buildings have U.S. officials requested from the Israeli government the underlying intelligence justification for pre-planned airstrikes, given the licensing authority of U.S. officials to “verify credible reports” that U.S.-origin equipment and munitions have been used for unauthorized purposes? 
    The vast majority of the more than 50,000 Palestinian deaths in the last year and a half have been civilian men, women, and children. What calculations has the U.S. government made of the tolerance by Israeli forces of expected harm against civilians in targeting low-level enemy combatants that are not actively engaged in combat activities? 

    Read the full letter here and below: 
    Dear Attorney General Bondi, Director Gabbard, and Secretary Rubio, 
    We write to draw your attention to two concerning reports. According to a March 20 report from Israeli newspaper Ynet, Prime Minister Netanyahu, in response a question concerning remaining legitimate targets to strike in Gaza, said “I don’t care about the targets” and ordered military officials to “destroy the homes, bomb everything in Gaza. Just last week, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that renewed offensive military operations aim to increase pressure “on the population in Gaza.” 
    As you know, the destruction of civilian homes without military necessity is a war crime under United States criminal law and international law, while U.S. law additionally outlaws the use of violence to intimidate or coerce civilians. Experts have widely noted that Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza—the bloodiest and most destructive air campaign in modern history by some measures—stands out for its wide-area destruction and targeting of civilian infrastructure. This new information raises the question of whether U.S. officials risk liability for aiding and abetting war crimes, particularly in light of the State Department bypassing Congress and invoking an emergency to send more than $8 billion in arms to Israel, including 2,000-pound bombs. Accordingly, we request a briefing by April 30, 2025, on the following questions: 

    What additional intelligence or diplomatic information does the U.S. government have regarding PM Netanyahu’s and senior Israeli officials’ ordering the destruction of civilian infrastructure for punitive purposes; to intimidate civilians; to coerce civilians to move out of certain zones or to take certain actions; or to affect the conduct of de facto authorities by mass destruction? 
    Israeli forces have destroyed more than 200,000 buildings in pursuit of a force that was estimated by their government at 10,000 to 30,000 fighters, raising questions about target distinction in a densely populated area. For how many of these over 200,000 destroyed homes and buildings have U.S. officials requested from the Israeli government the underlying intelligence justification for pre-planned airstrikes, given the licensing authority of U.S. officials to “verify credible reports” that U.S.-origin equipment and munitions have been used for unauthorized purposes? 
    As you know, the vast majority of the more than 50,000 Palestinian deaths in the last year and a half have been civilian men, women, and children. What calculations has the U.S. government made of the tolerance by Israeli forces of expected harm against civilians in targeting low-level enemy combatants that are not actively engaged in combat activities? 

    Finally, we are deeply concerned by reports this weekend of an attempted coverup of the killing of 15 Palestinian first aid responders in marked ambulances—that were bulldozed into a mass grave. Israeli officials claimed to have struck Hamas militants in unlit vehicles, but video evidence on victims’ phones unearthed at the site indicates that those killed were uniformed first responders in marked and well-lit ambulances with emergency signals activated. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies noted that the incident “represents the single most deadly attack on Red Cross Red Crescent workers anywhere in the world since 2017. We urge you to insist that PM Netanyahu promptly inform the Administration and Congress of his plan to hold accountable the individuals responsible for this attack. 
    Sincerely, 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: World News in Brief: Syria transition update, healthcare as a human right, more than 2,000 killed and injured in Haiti this year

    Source: United Nations 4

    Peace and Security

    UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, issued a statement on Monday following his latest “extensive discussions” with leader of the caretaker administration in Damascus, Ahmed al-Sharaa. 

    The envoy expressed his appreciation noting they had talked through “all aspects” of the ongoing political process, following the overthrow of the Assad regime in December last year.

    Mr. Pedersen stressed the need to ease sanctions on Syria, emphasising the importance of a stable economy.

    They also discussed the importance of a “transparent framework for the process of selecting and electing an interim people’s assembly” and next steps towards a democratic and inclusive future.

    The top UN envoy highlighted the need to prevent any renewed cycle of violence, in the light of the mass killings of Alawite community members last month in several coastal towns.

    He also reiterated his “condemnation of Israel’s repeated attacks and interventions” inside Syria.

    End ‘indefinite detention’ of detainees

    In a joint statement on Monday a group of independent UN human rights experts said the transition period provides a “valuable opportunity” to end the arbitrary, inhumane and indefinite detention of around 52,000 detainees who have been held for years in the northeast, in relation to alleged ties with the ISIL terrorist group.

    They noted the agreement of 10 March between the interim administration and the largely Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces who guard the detainees, paving the way for the armed group to integrate with new national institutions.

    Around 9,000 male ISIL suspects are detained without due process, including 5,400 Syrians, 1,600 Iraqis, and some 1,500 from 50 other countries. The vast majority of these detainees continue to be held incommunicado without information on their fate or whereabouts, the experts said.

    In addition, some 42,500 individuals are arbitrarily held in camps, including family members and ISIL associates. Many have been held without legal process for at least six years.

    “Tens of thousands of innocent children have suffered physical violence and psychological harm, when they should be assisted as victims of terrorism and serious human rights violations,” the experts added.

    Special Rapporteurs and other UN Human Rights Council-appointed experts are not UN staff, receive no salary for their work and are independent of any organisation or government.

    ‘Let us be bold’: Global leaders reaffirm health as a human right

    Progress towards the universal healthcare goal has been undeniable: barriers to health services, education and family planning have been almost completely removed, The UN says.

    But on Monday, health ministers, ambassadors and civil society experts gathered at UN Headquarters in New York amid concerns that gains are being reversed, issuing a resounding call to place human health and dignity at the heart of sustainable development.

    Convening the 58th session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD58) they stressed the urgency of providing universal access to quality health care – reaffirming commitments to the Programme of Action established at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).

    ‘Health is not a privilege’

    Katja Lasseur, Chair of the 58th session, welcomed over 120 Member States, observers and nearly 50 NGOs, highlighting the momentum behind the week’s discussions. “Health is not a privilege,” she declared. “It is a human right and a prerequisite for sustainable development.”

    Real progress has been achieved since 2000. Life expectancy has increased by 10 years in Africa and nine years in South Asia. At the same time, child mortality has dropped by more than half and cases of HIV have dropped by 50 per cent.

    “These gains demonstrate what is possible with sustained political will and investment,” emphasised Guy Ryder, Under-Secretary-General for Policy, Warning that progress has been “uneven.”

    “Health related targets, including universal health coverage, remain within reach,” he said, but they require urgent and equitable investment, particularly in primary health care and health coverage.

    Over 1,500 people killed in Haiti since start of 2025: UN mission

    Between 1 January and 27 March in Haiti, at least 1,518 people were killed and 572 injured in attacks by armed gangs, security operations and other acts of violence perpetrated by self-defence groups.

    That’s according to a new report from the UN Mission in Haiti (BINUH) which details the “grim” impact of violence since the beginning of the year, said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric briefing journalists in New York.

    The report reveals repeated attacks in the rural areas of Kenscoff and some neighbourhoods of Carrefour – two communes in the metropolitan area of the capital, Port-au-Prince – resulting in serious human rights abuses.

    According to UN partners, gang members displayed extreme brutality, with the aim of instilling fear on the population. They executed men, women and children inside their homes and shot people on roads and paths as they tried to flee the violence, including an infant.

    “At the same time, sexual violence was committed against at least seven women and young girls during the planning and execution of those attacks by gang members,” reported Mr. Dujarric.

    The gangs ransacked several homes and set fire to more than 190 of them, which coupled with the violence has now forced more than 3,000 people to flee their localities.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN peacekeeping challenged as conflicts and ceasefires grow more complex

    Source: United Nations 2

    Peace and Security

    As ceasefires grow more fragile and conflicts more unpredictable, UN peacekeeping is having to adapt faster amid rising political tensions, disinformation and confusion over mandates.

    Addressing ambassadors in the Security Council, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, head of UN peace operations, highlighted the need for change.

    “Ceasefire monitoring can no longer be just about being present, it is about rapidly understanding and acting on what is happening on the ground,” he said.

    Advances in technology, he explained, are helping ‘blue helmets’ increase their impact by allowing them to monitor vast and complex landscapes in near-real time – overcoming the need to be physically on the ground.

    At the same time, a political process backed by the unified support of Member States, particularly the Security Council, remains vital to secure and sustain peace.

    Ceasefires depend on combatants

    “While peacekeeping can be an integral part of a ceasefire monitoring regime, the success of any ceasefire remains the sole responsibility of the parties [to the agreement],” he said.

    Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz, Head of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), also underscored the critical importance of political process.

    Originally established in 1978, the mandate of UNIFIL was most recently defined in resolution 1701 of 2006, which called for a full cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel following the 34-day war in Lebanon.

    It reinforced UNIFIL’s mandate to monitor the ceasefire, support the Lebanese Armed Forces deployment in southern Lebanon and facilitate humanitarian access.

    However, the conflict between Israeli security forces and Hezbollah following the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in southern Israel, complicated UNIFIL’s operating environment, until the cessation of hostilities agreed in November 2024.

    “Since this cessation of hostilities and in the absence of a permanent ceasefire, one of the main obstacles has always been that the parties interpret differently their obligations under resolution 1701 and now with respect to the cessation of hostilities understanding,” Lt. Gen. Lázaro said.

    Combating disinformation

    Another challenge is the rise of misinformation and disinformation, which undermines the credibility of UN peacekeepers and fuels local distrust. It compelled UNIFIL to adapt its approach to safeguard credibility, project impartiality and strengthen trust.

    Effective outreach, fact-checking and timely responses are critical to safeguarding the mission’s impartiality, Lt. Gen. Lázaro said, noting that UNIFIL has implemented a structured communication strategy to counter misinformation, ensuring that messages are fact-based, clear and consistent across all peacekeeping units.

    “It is essential that government actors also make public statements to sensitize the population to UNIFIL’s role and mandate, to avoid misperception,” he added.

    Like UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) is also combating the growing influence of disinformation, which armed groups exploit to destabilize communities and undermine peacekeeping efforts.

    UN Photo/Sylvain Liechti

    An unmanned aerial vehicle or drone is prepared for flight in Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    Misuse of technology by armed groups

    Lt. Gen. Ulisses De Mesquita Gomes, MONUSCO Force Commander, highlighted the evolving threats peacekeepers face, particularly from armed groups leveraging modern technologies to evade detection and spread propaganda.

    “While important to peacekeeping, surveillance technologies have also been used by armed groups, militia and criminal networks,” Lt. Gen. Gomes said.

    “In recent months, we have observed the use of readily available drones for reconnaissance by armed groups and the exploitation of encrypted messaging apps for coordination and propaganda dissemination, circumventing traditional monitoring methods.”

    He warned that these tactics, combined with the willingness of armed groups to operate beyond traditional State control, make them unpredictable and difficult to counter.

    To address these evolving threats, MONUSCO has adapted its strategies to swiftly integrate new capabilities – both from the private industry and contributing nations – within weeks or months, rather than years.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI: FRO – Filing of Annual Report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

     Frontline plc (the “Company”) announces the filing of its annual report for the year ended December 31, 2024.

    The annual report can be downloaded from the Company’s website www.frontlineplc.cy or from the link below. Additionally, shareholders can request a hard copy of our complete audited financial statements free of charge by writing to us at:
    John Kennedy  
    8 Iris Building, 7th floor, Flat/Office 740B,
    3106, Limassol, Cyprus.

    or sending an e-mail to ir@frontmgt.no

    April 7, 2025
    Frontline plc
    Limassol, Cyprus.

    Questions should be directed to:

    Lars H. Barstad: Chief Executive Officer, Frontline Management AS
    +47 23 11 40 00 
    Inger M. Klemp: Chief Financial Officer, Frontline Management AS
    +47 23 11 40 00

    This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5 -12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: New research shows digital technology is linked to reduced wellbeing in young kids. So what can parents do?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacquelyn Harverson, PhD Candidate, School of Psychology, Deakin University

    Alex Segre/ Shutterstock

    Once upon a time, children fought for control of the remote to the sole family television. Now the choice of screen-based content available to kids seems endless. There are computers, tablets, phones and gaming consoles offering streaming services, online content and apps.

    Children also use devices at school, with digital literacy part of the Australian curriculum from the start of school.

    The speed and scale of this change has left parents, researchers and policymakers scrambling to catch up. And it has inevitably led to concerns about screen use, as well as guidelines about limiting their use.

    Our new study looks at the links between digital technology use and young children’s wellbeing, specifically for those aged four to six.

    Our comprehensive analysis shows children who spend longer periods using digital technologies are more likely to have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. However, we can’t say at what age or level of screen use these negative effects are likely to become evident.

    But for parents trying to navigate a world where technology is all around us, our study also shows there are things they can do to help their kids use screens in healthier ways.



    Read more:
    Why parents need to be like Big Ted and ‘talk aloud’ while they use screens with their kids

    Our study

    We carried out a systematic review of the research literature on children’s use of digital devices since 2011 (after the Apple iPad was launched). This means we examined all the available peer-reviewed research on digital devices and their impact on wellbeing for children.

    We also focused on ages four to six age as it is a time when children are developing rapidly and beginning school. Other studies have focused on particular types of device. But we included all kinds of digital devices in our search – from televisions to phones, tablets and gaming consoles – to make sure we could provide comprehensive analysis of what kids are using.

    The studies came from 20 countries, including Australia, China, the United States, Turkey, Germany and Canada. They were almost exclusively based on parents’ reports of their children and include more than 83,000 parents.

    Our research also showed the the type of content children consume is important – not just the time it takes.
    Morrowind/Shutterstock

    4 areas of child wellbeing

    From this, we analysed the relationship between children’s technology use and the following four areas:

    1. psychosocial wellbeing: an overall measure that captures children’s happiness, as well as social and emotional adjustment.

    2. social functioning: children’s social skills, including how well they get along with their peers.

    3. the parent-child relationship: the level of closeness or conflict between parents and their children.

    4. behavioural functioning: the absence of behavioural difficulties such as tech-related tantrums, hyperactivity, depression or anxiety.

    We did this with a meta-analysis – a statistical method that uses data from multiple studies to draw conclusions.



    Read more:
    3 ways to help your child transition off screens and avoid the dreaded ‘tech tantrums’

    What we found

    Our analysis found more digital technology use in young children was associated with poorer wellbeing outcomes across the four areas.

    It is important to note correlation doesn’t equal causation. The scope of the research means at this point, it is not possible to identify the exact reasons behind the negative relationships.

    But we do know the more time children spent watching TV, playing on iPads or apps, the more likely they were to have problems with behaviour, social skills, their relationship with their parents, and their emotional wellbeing.

    But tech use is more than just time

    Our research also brought together emerging evidence which shows the relationship between digital tech use and child wellbeing is complex.

    This means the type of content children consume, and the context in which they consume it, can also have a bearing on their wellbeing. The research shows there are several ways parents can guide their children to potentially mitigate the negative links with social, emotional and behavioural wellbeing.

    With this in mind, how can you encourage healthier screen use?

    Our research showed if parents watch with their kids, it can open up opportunities for conversation and interaction.
    Ketut Subiyanto/Pexels, CC BY

    3 tips for kids and screens

    1. Keep an eye on the clock

    The research cannot provide a specific “time limit” for screen use. But you can still be mindful of how much time your child spends on devices both at home and at school – moderation is key.

    Try and mix screen time with other activities, such as time outside or time with friends and family, books or imaginary play.

    2. Seek out quality

    Research shows encouraging high-quality educational content during screen use may curb negative links between tech use and wellbeing.

    Consider swapping fast-paced cartoons and time spent on lots of short clips with educational viewing, for example ABC kids programs that promote learning.

    Introduce your child to age-appropriate educational and interactive games that challenge them and encourage them to be creative.

    3. Use tech together

    Tech time isn’t just for kids – parents can also join in.

    Solo tech use may reduce opportunities for positive social interactions. But watching or playing with friends or family opens up opportunities for conversation, working together and learning.

    This could include watching a movie together and talking about the characters, working on an online puzzle together or learning new coding skills together.

    Jacquelyn Harverson is affiliated with the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child.

    Louise Paatsch receives funding from Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child

    Sharon Horwood is affiliated with the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child.

    – ref. New research shows digital technology is linked to reduced wellbeing in young kids. So what can parents do? – https://theconversation.com/new-research-shows-digital-technology-is-linked-to-reduced-wellbeing-in-young-kids-so-what-can-parents-do-253637

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Aid data critical to crisis response threatened by funding cuts

    Source: United Nations 2

    Humanitarian Aid

    The gathering of data which is essential for an effective response during a humanitarian crisis – and can help save lives – is under increasing threat due to global funding cuts, according to the UN’s humanitarian coordination office, OCHA.  

    “Data is central to humanitarian action,” OCHA said, as aid organizations look to “focus their response to reach the communities with the most severe needs.”

    In its latest report on the State of Open Humanitarian Data OCHA said that “as the humanitarian system severely contracts due to unprecedented funding cuts and threats to principled humanitarian action, the data ecosystem that supports it will experience the same pressure.”

    Budget cuts threatening aid as a whole have had a devastating impact on data gathering, impeding an effective humanitarian response.

    The data gathered by the United Nations and its partners covers a broad range of issues including, for example, climate hazards such as droughts, floods and storms.

    Information on rainfall, temperatures, the extent of floods and the impact on agriculture during those extreme weather events can provide important indicators including the number of people expected to be affected or displaced and ultimately help to save lives.

    Cameroon floods

    In 2024, ahead of the rainy season in Cameroon, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) partnered with the OCHA Cameroon Office to estimate flood exposure and track it in near-real time.

    The Centre predicted that about 350,000 people would be exposed to the flooding, as the season progressed, over 356,000 people were affected.

    The analysis supported a timely allocation of $4 million from CERF which provided help to 176,500 affected people in the most vulnerable areas.

    Humanitarian Data Exchange

    In 2024, some 216 organizations shared around 2,500 data sets covering crises ranging from Afghanistan to Gaza and Sudan, information which is collected in the Humanitarian Data Exchange or HDX.

    Over the last year, the HDX was consulted more than 1.4 million times by researchers in over 200 countries in territories.

    Its almost 20,000 datasets were downloaded 3.5 million times – a 30 per cent increase from 2023.

    The information, OCHA said, provides a “foundational set of data that is critical to understand a humanitarian context.”

    Countries such as Colombia, Afghanistan and South Sudan had the highest percentage of timely data on HDX. On the other hand, Myanmar and the State of Palestine were the locations with the lowest availability level.

    In light of recent aid cuts, “the year ahead promises to be challenging for data availability,” OCHA adding that it was calling on “governments and partners to continue investing in the data that underpins crisis response in what is surely a defining moment for the sector.” 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Malliotakis Reintroduces the University Accountability Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11)

    (WASHINGTON, DC) –  Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) was joined by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21) and Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) in reintroducing the University Accountability Act, legislation that would fine tax-exempt schools that violate students’ civil rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The legislation comes as colleges and universities across the United States still remain under fire for allowing and enabling antisemitic students to wreak havoc on their campuses.

     

    Under current federal law, a violation of Title VI, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin, can result in the loss of federal funds, but often times results in a mere corrective action that would bring the college or university back into compliance. The University Accountability Act would require colleges and universities that meet the penalty criteria to pay a fine of either five percent of the school’s aggregate administrative compensation as reported on the school’s Form 990, or $100,000, whichever is greater. After three civil rights violations, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) would be required to review the college or university’s tax-exempt status for possible revocation.

     

    “Universities have a responsibility to protect their students from violence and discrimination but, instead, we’re seeing a disturbing increase in antisemitic attacks and rhetoric on college campuses,” said Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis. “Our legislation seeks to hold these institutions accountable and encourage them to investigate and crack down on instances of antisemitism to help foster a safer academic environment for all students, regardless of their gender, race or religion.”

     

    “I will continue to lead efforts to rid our colleges and universities of antisemitism alongside President Trump who is delivering on his promise to hold these failed institutions accountable for their neglect and abandonment of our Jewish students. The University Accountability Act will impose penalties on universities who violate the civil rights of their own students and put their undeserved tax-exempt status on the chopping block,” said Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.

     

    “Since the horrific October 7, 2023, attacks, there has been a sharp rise in anti-Semitic rhetoric and violence on campuses, threatening Jewish students. The University Accountability Act ensures that any institution condoning this behavior is penalized by revoking its tax-exempt status and imposing harsh financial penalties. Not a dime of our tax dollars should be used to support colleges and universities that foster such heinous anti-Semitism,” said Congresswoman Claudia Tenney.

     

    Last Congress, Malliotakis introduced several pieces of legislation to hold universities accountable, including the Combating Antisemitic Messaging and Promoting Unity in School Act (CAMPUS) Act, that would prohibit federal funding from going to schools that provide funding, tuition assistance, support, or a platform to an organization that engages in antisemitic behavior or fails to hold a faculty member who promotes antisemitism accountable, and the No Visas for Antisemitic Students Act, that would revoke students visas of foreign students in the United States who engage in antisemitic behavior.

     

    View the Bill Text HERE.

    Malliotakis is a member of the bipartisan House-Knesset Parliamentary Friendship Group, and has voted for, introduced and cosponsored several pieces of legislation to provide critical military assistance to Israel, restore maximum pressure on Iran, crackdown on rising antisemitism on college campuses and secure federal security grants for the local Jewish community.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Back to Earth, Forward to the Future: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Returns  

    Source: NASA

    After months of groundbreaking research, exploration, and teamwork aboard the International Space Station, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 has returned to Earth.  
    NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, splashed down safely on March 18, 2025, as a pod of dolphins circled the Dragon spacecraft near Tallahassee, Florida. 

    Williams and Wilmore made history as the first humans to fly aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft during NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT). Launched June 5, 2024, aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the CFT mission was Boeing’s first crewed flight.  
    Hague and Gorbunov launched to the space station on Sept. 28, 2024, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. 

    During their long-duration mission, the American crew members conducted more than 150 unique experiments and logged over 900 hours of research aboard the orbiting laboratory.  
    Their work included studying plant growth and development, testing stem cell technology for patient care on Earth, and examining how spaceflight affects materials—insights vital for future deep space missions.  
    The crew kicked off 2025 with two spacewalks that included removing an antenna assembly from the station’s truss, collecting microbial samples from the orbital outpost’s exterior for analysis by Johnson’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science division, installing patches to cover damaged areas of light filters on an X-ray telescope, and more. 
    Williams now holds the record for the most cumulative spacewalking time by a woman — 62 hours and 6 minutes — placing her fourth among the most experienced spacewalkers in history. 
    While in orbit, the crew also engaged the next generation through 30 ham radio events with students around the world and supported a student-led genetic experiment. 
    As part of the CFT, Williams and Wilmore commanded Starliner during in-flight testing and were the first to see the spacecraft integrated in simulations and operate it hands-on in space, evaluating systems like maneuvering, docking, and emergency protocols. 
    “We’ve learned a lot about systems integrated testing that will pay benefits going forward and lay the groundwork for future missions,” said Wilmore.  

    Following the test flight, NASA and Boeing are continuing work toward crew certification of the company’s CST-100 Starliner system. Joint teams are addressing in-flight anomalies and preparing for propulsion system testing ahead of the next mission. 
    Despite the unexpected challenges, including technical issues with the Starliner spacecraft that extended their mission, both Wilmore and Williams said they would do it all over again. Wilmore emphasized his gratitude in being part of testing Starliner’s capabilities, stating, “I’d get on it in a heartbeat.”  
    After returning to Earth, the crew received a warm welcome from family, colleagues, and fellow astronauts at Johnson Space Center’s Ellington Field. They were greeted by Johnson Acting Director Steve Koerner, who applauded their dedication and resilience. 

    Williams shared a heartfelt embrace with astronaut Zena Cardman, thanking her for “taking one for the team.” Cardman had originally been assigned to Crew-9, but in August, NASA announced the uncrewed return of Starliner to Earth and integrated Wilmore and Williams into Expedition 71/72 for a return on Crew-9. This adjustment meant Cardman and astronaut Stephanie Wilson would no longer fly the mission—a decision that underscored the flexibility and teamwork essential to human spaceflight. 
    Cardman is now assigned as commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission, set to launch in the coming months to the International Space Station for a long-duration science expedition. 

    Williams and Wilmore each brought decades of experience to the mission. Wilmore, a retired U.S. Navy captain and veteran fighter pilot, has logged 464 days in space over three flights. Outside of NASA, he serves as a pastor, leads Bible studies, and participates in mission trips across Central and South America. A skilled craftsman, he also builds furniture and other pieces for his local church. 
    Growing up in Tennessee, Wilmore says his faith continues to guide him, especially when navigating the uncertainties of flight. 

    Wilmore encourages the next generation with a call to action: “Strap on your work hat and let’s go at it!” He emphasizes that tenacity and perseverance are essential for achieving anything of value. Motivated by a sense of patriotic duty and a desire to help those in need, Wilmore sees his astronaut role as a commitment to both his country and humanity at large.  
    Wilmore believes he’s challenged every day at NASA. “Doing the right things for the right reasons is what motivates me,” he said.  

    A retired U.S. Navy captain and veteran of three spaceflights, Williams is a helicopter pilot, basic diving officer, and the first person to run the Boston Marathon in space—once in 2007, and again aboard the station in 2025. Originally from Needham, Massachusetts, she brings a lifelong spirit of adventure and service to everything she does. 
    “There are no limits,” said Williams. “Your imagination can make something happen, but it’s not always easy. There are so many cool things we can invent to solve problems—and that’s one of the joys of working in the space program. It makes you ask questions.” 
    Hague, a Kansas native, has logged a total of 374 days in space across three missions. A U.S. Space Force colonel and test pilot, he’s served in roles across the country and abroad, including a deployment to Iraq. 
    “When we’re up there operating in space, it’s focused strictly on mission,” said Hague. “We are part of an international team that spans the globe and works with half a dozen mission control centers that are talking in multiple languages — and we figure out how to make it happen. That’s the magic of human spaceflight: it brings people together.” 

    For Williams, Wilmore, Hague, Gorbunov, and the team supporting them, Crew-9 marks the beginning of a new era of space exploration — one driven by innovation, perseverance, and the unyielding dream of reaching beyond the stars.  
    Watch the full press conference following the crew’s return to Earth here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –