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  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Suva, Fiji, June 12, 2025 [Image 1 of 5]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

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    SUVA, Fiji (June 10, 2025) Capt. Mark B. Stefanik, right, mission commander of Pacific Partnership 2025, and Lt. j.g. Derek Chipmon, medical planner of PP-25, observe the live production process at Breakfast at Fiji One radio show in Suva, Fiji, June 10, 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)

    Date Taken: 06.12.2025
    Date Posted: 06.15.2025 05:22
    Photo ID: 9113339
    VIRIN: 250612-N-ED646-1054
    Resolution: 8640×5760
    Size: 10.55 MB
    Location: SUVA, FJ
    Web Views: 1
    Downloads: 0

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    This work, Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Suva, Fiji, June 12, 2025 [Image 5 of 5], by PO2 Moises Sandoval, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Commences Mission Stop in Suva, Fiji

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    SUVA, Fiji – Pacific Partnership has returned to Fiji to conduct the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster response preparedness mission in the Indo-Pacific region, June 8, 2025.

    Pacific Partnership fosters collaboration to enhance natural disaster response preparedness and builds lasting relationships between Fiji, the United States, and participating nations. Engagements for this year’s iteration will occur in the cities of Suva and Nadi.

    At Fiji’s invitation, Pacific Partnership’s mission is to collaborate in several humanitarian and civic readiness workshops in areas such as engineering, natural disaster response, public health, and Fijian community outreach projects. This year’s mission, featuring about 58 personnel, is primarily a collective effort between Fiji, New Zealand and the United States.

    “I am honored to oversee this year’s return of Pacific Partnership to the nation of Fiji,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Mark B. Stefanik, mission commander. “The continued opportunity to build upon our enduring relationship with the Fijian community further emphasizes a shared support of a free and resilient Indo-Pacific.”

    While in Fiji, the Pacific Partnership 2025 team will focus on subject-matter exchanges and community education in permaculture, spearhead emergency preparedness and disaster response training, and conduct the foundational construction of a local schoolhouse. Additionally, the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band, accompanied by members of the Scots Guard, Royal Australian and Royal Canadian navies, will perform during a variety of community outreach engagements.

    “We really appreciate Fiji welcoming us for Pacific Partnership 2025,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Robert Gibson, Officer in Charge for the Fiji mission. “It’s awesome to be working alongside our Fijian counterparts, building a stronger, healthier, and more resilient Indo-Pacific together.”

    Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific.

    Date Taken: 06.08.2025
    Date Posted: 06.11.2025 18:07
    Story ID: 500378
    Location: SUVA, FJ
    Web Views: 128
    Downloads: 2

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    This work, Pacific Partnership 2025 Commences Mission Stop in Suva, Fiji, by PO2 Moises Sandoval, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Suva, Fiji, June 11, 2025 [Image 2 of 11]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    NADI, Fiji (June 11, 2025) U.S. Navy Musician 1st Class Jonathan Starr,
    trumpetist with the Pacific Fleet “Big Wave” Brass Band, performs at St.
    Thomas High School during Pacific Partnership 2025 in Nadi, Fiji, June 11,
    2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest
    annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management
    preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership
    works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional
    interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and
    stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-
    Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class
    Moises Sandoval/Released)

    Date Taken: 06.11.2025
    Date Posted: 06.15.2025 05:06
    Photo ID: 9113298
    VIRIN: 250611-N-ED646-8835
    Resolution: 7825×5227
    Size: 7.1 MB
    Location: NADI, FJ
    Web Views: 0
    Downloads: 0

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    This work, Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Suva, Fiji, June 11, 2025 [Image 11 of 11], by PO2 Moises Sandoval, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

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  • MIL-OSI Global: 5 indie art spaces in African cities worth knowing more about

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Kim Gurney, Senior Researcher, Centre for Humanities Research — Platform: SA-UK Bilateral Digital Humanities Chair in Culture & Technics, University of the Western Cape

    Independent art spaces are collectives of artists (and others) who club together to set up a communal space – often in former industrial sites and more affordable parts of the city – to further their practice. These spaces are DIY art institutions, if you like, that operate largely under the radar. In art world lingo, “offspaces”.

    Designed for purpose over profit, they encourage experimental work and creative risk-taking. They also favour art in public space, which provides an intriguing lens on the city.

    My Africa-wide research took me to five such spaces, each at least 10 years old, so that I could learn their secret sauce of sustainability. I found it’s largely about shapeshifting, a capacity for constant reinvention. The key ingredient is artistic thinking, made up of five key principles highlighted in the examples below.



    Read more:
    Koyo Kouoh – tribute to a curator who fiercely promoted African art

    Offspaces are found everywhere but have notably grown across Africa over the past couple of decades, along with fast-changing cities and a resurgent art scene. One big picture point is crucial, and that’s about urbanisation. Globally, more and more people are moving to cities and most of them are young – by 2050, one in three young people in the world will be of African origin and the continent will be largely urban.

    There can be a lack of imagination about what all this means and that’s where artists come in. They offer new ideas to help build the world we want to live in, rather than reinforce the one we already have.

    Offspaces in Africa have to navigate prevailing uncertainty, which is a daily reality for most people living in cities. In response, artists band together to build their own pseudo institutions, bit by bit. These self-made pathways offer useful navigational tactics for others – or “panya routes”, as Kenyans call the trails that motorbike taxis invent.

    The spaces I visited were all moving away from reliance on foreign donor funding (given little or no state support) towards a hybrid model that blends with local philanthropy, collaborative economies and self-generated income schemes. They also want to own their own land and hold assets so that they can think about the future.

    1. The GoDown Arts Centre – Nairobi, Kenya

    Murals at the former GoDown (2010), currently being rebuilt.
    Katy Fentress/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA

    The GoDown Arts Centre was established in 2003. Previously a large compound of repurposed warehouses (“godowns”) in Nairobi’s industrial area, right now it’s a construction site as it morphs into an iconic cultural hub. GoDown 2.0 is a multipurpose vision that works at different scales, like a fractal. There will be a large, welcoming facade leading into a semi-public section for music and dance, with artist studios at the heart. Plus galleries, library, museum, auditorium, offices, hotel, a restaurant, conference facilities and parking.



    Read more:
    Kenyan artists reflect Gen Z hopes and frustrations in new exhibition

    Its rebuild is a great example of how artists create public space: in phases. It follows a radical “design-with-people” approach, starting with years of input from all directions to reconsider the building and its relationship to the city.

    This ground-up ethos of horizontality, the first key principle, also shapes its signature event, an annual public arts festival called Nai Ni Who? (Who is Nairobi?). Local residents are the curators, and the everyday city is the artwork. Participants are taken around neighbourhoods on foot to experience the good, the bad, and the possibilities. These grounded insights also inform ongoing engagements GoDown has with policymakers about the shape of a future Nairobi.

    2. ANO Institute – Accra, Ghana

    ANO, established in 2002, repurposed a former workshop for car repairs into a gallery, after starting life in a public park. On the other side of the road, opposite the gallery, stood its office, residency space and growing library.

    Most intriguingly, a striking rectilinear structure was positioned alongside. This Mobile Museum mimics the trading kiosks that line every street. Many are also shapeshifters: kindergarten by day, church by night, for example.

    ANO’s empty museum, collapsible and see-through, went on a countrywide adventure in 2018 and 2019, asking people to imagine its contents, and later revisited with the results. It signalled a larger and ongoing effort, Future Museum, to find a more relevant exhibition form that’s alive to the fluid way culture is threaded here into everyday life.

    ANO demonstrates the second principle of performativity – that is, not only saying things with art but doing things too. More recently, it rebuilt on a new site in central Accra, designed by 87-year-old Ophelia Akiwumi, entirely from raffia palm in a focus on indigenous knowledge systems.

    3. Townhouse Gallery – Cairo, Egypt

    I visited Townhouse just after it reclaimed its inner-city premises following a partial physical collapse. But this turned out to be a false restart. It closed for good not long after, citing a complex brew of factors that ended 21 years of various battles and resurrections. That it survived so long – from 1998 until 2019 – is remarkable for an offspace.

    Part of the reason was its solidarity networks, including with neighbourhood communities – mostly mechanic shops and other artisanal trades who even helped Townhouse rebuild. In its heyday, Townhouse comprised an art gallery, library, theatre and performance venue, and notably hatched other spaces.

    The latest rose like a phoenix from its ashes – Access Art Space, which reanimates the same physical space with visual art exhibitions. The legacy of Townhouse is the third principle of elasticity – responding nimbly to constant flux but also being able to refuse impossible conditions with “the right no” (a necessary response in certain situations).

    4. ZOMA Museum – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    ZOMA Museum has also lived many lives. Starting small, its roots were in a three-day public arts festival called Giziawi #1 (Temporary). It comprised performances and exhibitions across the city but focused on Meskel Square, a key public space.

    Zoma Contemporary Art Centre grew out of that in 2002, followed in 2019 by Zoma Museum when its co-founders bought a plot of polluted land. Its rehabilitation into an ecological haven has become a case study in sustainable architecture.

    Zoma is built by local artisans from mud and straw using indigenous technologies going back centuries. Yet its elegant buildings look futuristic. Zoma is all about the fourth principle of convergence – the past, present and future all happening at once. It’s also about doing multiple things, like running Zoma School, an inherited kindergarten. The land is part of the curriculum.

    Just a year after it opened, Zoma spawned yet another life, an offshoot in a newly opened park blending nature with culture and recreation.

    5. Nafasi Art Space – Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

    Nafasi is Swahili for opportunity or chance, which fittingly describes the workings of Nafasi Art Space, established in 2008 – that is, second chance. This fifth and final principle of artistic thinking means giving materials, people and situations another go.

    A good example of this is Nafasi’s new art school, built using repurposed shipping containers, like the rest of its premises – artist studios, a spacious gallery and performance arena. In the 2022 academy cohort, a general practice lawyer and an accountant were learning alongside artists, with a biologist at the helm.

    Nafasi Art Academy cites the city’s biggest local market, Kariakoo, as design reference, particularly its distinctive elevated canopy and swirling stairwell. The curriculum also takes local context as a starting point, structured in themes to answer community-led questions. Its key function, like all the other offspaces, is storytelling. And the story it tells best is about institution-building as art.

    The research behind this article was supported by the South African Research Chair in Urban Policy at UCT’s African Centre for Cities, where the author was previously affiliated.

    – ref. 5 indie art spaces in African cities worth knowing more about – https://theconversation.com/5-indie-art-spaces-in-african-cities-worth-knowing-more-about-258009

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: 5 indie art spaces in African cities worth knowing more about

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Kim Gurney, Senior Researcher, Centre for Humanities Research — Platform: SA-UK Bilateral Digital Humanities Chair in Culture & Technics, University of the Western Cape

    Independent art spaces are collectives of artists (and others) who club together to set up a communal space – often in former industrial sites and more affordable parts of the city – to further their practice. These spaces are DIY art institutions, if you like, that operate largely under the radar. In art world lingo, “offspaces”.

    Designed for purpose over profit, they encourage experimental work and creative risk-taking. They also favour art in public space, which provides an intriguing lens on the city.

    My Africa-wide research took me to five such spaces, each at least 10 years old, so that I could learn their secret sauce of sustainability. I found it’s largely about shapeshifting, a capacity for constant reinvention. The key ingredient is artistic thinking, made up of five key principles highlighted in the examples below.



    Read more:
    Koyo Kouoh – tribute to a curator who fiercely promoted African art

    Offspaces are found everywhere but have notably grown across Africa over the past couple of decades, along with fast-changing cities and a resurgent art scene. One big picture point is crucial, and that’s about urbanisation. Globally, more and more people are moving to cities and most of them are young – by 2050, one in three young people in the world will be of African origin and the continent will be largely urban.

    There can be a lack of imagination about what all this means and that’s where artists come in. They offer new ideas to help build the world we want to live in, rather than reinforce the one we already have.

    Offspaces in Africa have to navigate prevailing uncertainty, which is a daily reality for most people living in cities. In response, artists band together to build their own pseudo institutions, bit by bit. These self-made pathways offer useful navigational tactics for others – or “panya routes”, as Kenyans call the trails that motorbike taxis invent.

    The spaces I visited were all moving away from reliance on foreign donor funding (given little or no state support) towards a hybrid model that blends with local philanthropy, collaborative economies and self-generated income schemes. They also want to own their own land and hold assets so that they can think about the future.

    1. The GoDown Arts Centre – Nairobi, Kenya

    Murals at the former GoDown (2010), currently being rebuilt.
    Katy Fentress/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA

    The GoDown Arts Centre was established in 2003. Previously a large compound of repurposed warehouses (“godowns”) in Nairobi’s industrial area, right now it’s a construction site as it morphs into an iconic cultural hub. GoDown 2.0 is a multipurpose vision that works at different scales, like a fractal. There will be a large, welcoming facade leading into a semi-public section for music and dance, with artist studios at the heart. Plus galleries, library, museum, auditorium, offices, hotel, a restaurant, conference facilities and parking.



    Read more:
    Kenyan artists reflect Gen Z hopes and frustrations in new exhibition

    Its rebuild is a great example of how artists create public space: in phases. It follows a radical “design-with-people” approach, starting with years of input from all directions to reconsider the building and its relationship to the city.

    This ground-up ethos of horizontality, the first key principle, also shapes its signature event, an annual public arts festival called Nai Ni Who? (Who is Nairobi?). Local residents are the curators, and the everyday city is the artwork. Participants are taken around neighbourhoods on foot to experience the good, the bad, and the possibilities. These grounded insights also inform ongoing engagements GoDown has with policymakers about the shape of a future Nairobi.

    2. ANO Institute – Accra, Ghana

    ANO, established in 2002, repurposed a former workshop for car repairs into a gallery, after starting life in a public park. On the other side of the road, opposite the gallery, stood its office, residency space and growing library.

    Most intriguingly, a striking rectilinear structure was positioned alongside. This Mobile Museum mimics the trading kiosks that line every street. Many are also shapeshifters: kindergarten by day, church by night, for example.

    ANO’s empty museum, collapsible and see-through, went on a countrywide adventure in 2018 and 2019, asking people to imagine its contents, and later revisited with the results. It signalled a larger and ongoing effort, Future Museum, to find a more relevant exhibition form that’s alive to the fluid way culture is threaded here into everyday life.

    ANO demonstrates the second principle of performativity – that is, not only saying things with art but doing things too. More recently, it rebuilt on a new site in central Accra, designed by 87-year-old Ophelia Akiwumi, entirely from raffia palm in a focus on indigenous knowledge systems.

    3. Townhouse Gallery – Cairo, Egypt

    I visited Townhouse just after it reclaimed its inner-city premises following a partial physical collapse. But this turned out to be a false restart. It closed for good not long after, citing a complex brew of factors that ended 21 years of various battles and resurrections. That it survived so long – from 1998 until 2019 – is remarkable for an offspace.

    Part of the reason was its solidarity networks, including with neighbourhood communities – mostly mechanic shops and other artisanal trades who even helped Townhouse rebuild. In its heyday, Townhouse comprised an art gallery, library, theatre and performance venue, and notably hatched other spaces.

    The latest rose like a phoenix from its ashes – Access Art Space, which reanimates the same physical space with visual art exhibitions. The legacy of Townhouse is the third principle of elasticity – responding nimbly to constant flux but also being able to refuse impossible conditions with “the right no” (a necessary response in certain situations).

    4. ZOMA Museum – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    ZOMA Museum has also lived many lives. Starting small, its roots were in a three-day public arts festival called Giziawi #1 (Temporary). It comprised performances and exhibitions across the city but focused on Meskel Square, a key public space.

    Zoma Contemporary Art Centre grew out of that in 2002, followed in 2019 by Zoma Museum when its co-founders bought a plot of polluted land. Its rehabilitation into an ecological haven has become a case study in sustainable architecture.

    Zoma is built by local artisans from mud and straw using indigenous technologies going back centuries. Yet its elegant buildings look futuristic. Zoma is all about the fourth principle of convergence – the past, present and future all happening at once. It’s also about doing multiple things, like running Zoma School, an inherited kindergarten. The land is part of the curriculum.

    Just a year after it opened, Zoma spawned yet another life, an offshoot in a newly opened park blending nature with culture and recreation.

    5. Nafasi Art Space – Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

    Nafasi is Swahili for opportunity or chance, which fittingly describes the workings of Nafasi Art Space, established in 2008 – that is, second chance. This fifth and final principle of artistic thinking means giving materials, people and situations another go.

    A good example of this is Nafasi’s new art school, built using repurposed shipping containers, like the rest of its premises – artist studios, a spacious gallery and performance arena. In the 2022 academy cohort, a general practice lawyer and an accountant were learning alongside artists, with a biologist at the helm.

    Nafasi Art Academy cites the city’s biggest local market, Kariakoo, as design reference, particularly its distinctive elevated canopy and swirling stairwell. The curriculum also takes local context as a starting point, structured in themes to answer community-led questions. Its key function, like all the other offspaces, is storytelling. And the story it tells best is about institution-building as art.

    The research behind this article was supported by the South African Research Chair in Urban Policy at UCT’s African Centre for Cities, where the author was previously affiliated.

    – ref. 5 indie art spaces in African cities worth knowing more about – https://theconversation.com/5-indie-art-spaces-in-african-cities-worth-knowing-more-about-258009

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: 5 indie art spaces in African cities worth knowing more about

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Kim Gurney, Senior Researcher, Centre for Humanities Research — Platform: SA-UK Bilateral Digital Humanities Chair in Culture & Technics, University of the Western Cape

    Independent art spaces are collectives of artists (and others) who club together to set up a communal space – often in former industrial sites and more affordable parts of the city – to further their practice. These spaces are DIY art institutions, if you like, that operate largely under the radar. In art world lingo, “offspaces”.

    Designed for purpose over profit, they encourage experimental work and creative risk-taking. They also favour art in public space, which provides an intriguing lens on the city.

    My Africa-wide research took me to five such spaces, each at least 10 years old, so that I could learn their secret sauce of sustainability. I found it’s largely about shapeshifting, a capacity for constant reinvention. The key ingredient is artistic thinking, made up of five key principles highlighted in the examples below.

    Read more: Koyo Kouoh – tribute to a curator who fiercely promoted African art

    Offspaces are found everywhere but have notably grown across Africa over the past couple of decades, along with fast-changing cities and a resurgent art scene. One big picture point is crucial, and that’s about urbanisation. Globally, more and more people are moving to cities and most of them are young – by 2050, one in three young people in the world will be of African origin and the continent will be largely urban.

    There can be a lack of imagination about what all this means and that’s where artists come in. They offer new ideas to help build the world we want to live in, rather than reinforce the one we already have.

    Offspaces in Africa have to navigate prevailing uncertainty, which is a daily reality for most people living in cities. In response, artists band together to build their own pseudo institutions, bit by bit. These self-made pathways offer useful navigational tactics for others – or “panya routes”, as Kenyans call the trails that motorbike taxis invent.

    The spaces I visited were all moving away from reliance on foreign donor funding (given little or no state support) towards a hybrid model that blends with local philanthropy, collaborative economies and self-generated income schemes. They also want to own their own land and hold assets so that they can think about the future.

    1. The GoDown Arts Centre – Nairobi, Kenya

    Murals at the former GoDown (2010), currently being rebuilt. Katy Fentress/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA

    The GoDown Arts Centre was established in 2003. Previously a large compound of repurposed warehouses (“godowns”) in Nairobi’s industrial area, right now it’s a construction site as it morphs into an iconic cultural hub. GoDown 2.0 is a multipurpose vision that works at different scales, like a fractal. There will be a large, welcoming facade leading into a semi-public section for music and dance, with artist studios at the heart. Plus galleries, library, museum, auditorium, offices, hotel, a restaurant, conference facilities and parking.

    Read more: Kenyan artists reflect Gen Z hopes and frustrations in new exhibition

    Its rebuild is a great example of how artists create public space: in phases. It follows a radical “design-with-people” approach, starting with years of input from all directions to reconsider the building and its relationship to the city.

    This ground-up ethos of horizontality, the first key principle, also shapes its signature event, an annual public arts festival called Nai Ni Who? (Who is Nairobi?). Local residents are the curators, and the everyday city is the artwork. Participants are taken around neighbourhoods on foot to experience the good, the bad, and the possibilities. These grounded insights also inform ongoing engagements GoDown has with policymakers about the shape of a future Nairobi.

    2. ANO Institute – Accra, Ghana

    ANO Institute’s Mobile Museum in Accra. Kim Gurney

    ANO, established in 2002, repurposed a former workshop for car repairs into a gallery, after starting life in a public park. On the other side of the road, opposite the gallery, stood its office, residency space and growing library.

    Most intriguingly, a striking rectilinear structure was positioned alongside. This Mobile Museum mimics the trading kiosks that line every street. Many are also shapeshifters: kindergarten by day, church by night, for example.

    ANO’s empty museum, collapsible and see-through, went on a countrywide adventure in 2018 and 2019, asking people to imagine its contents, and later revisited with the results. It signalled a larger and ongoing effort, Future Museum, to find a more relevant exhibition form that’s alive to the fluid way culture is threaded here into everyday life.

    ANO demonstrates the second principle of performativity – that is, not only saying things with art but doing things too. More recently, it rebuilt on a new site in central Accra, designed by 87-year-old Ophelia Akiwumi, entirely from raffia palm in a focus on indigenous knowledge systems.

    3. Townhouse Gallery – Cairo, Egypt

    Townhouse Gallery in 2019, exhibiting paintings by Imane Ibrahim. Kim Gurney

    I visited Townhouse just after it reclaimed its inner-city premises following a partial physical collapse. But this turned out to be a false restart. It closed for good not long after, citing a complex brew of factors that ended 21 years of various battles and resurrections. That it survived so long – from 1998 until 2019 – is remarkable for an offspace.

    Part of the reason was its solidarity networks, including with neighbourhood communities – mostly mechanic shops and other artisanal trades who even helped Townhouse rebuild. In its heyday, Townhouse comprised an art gallery, library, theatre and performance venue, and notably hatched other spaces.

    The latest rose like a phoenix from its ashes – Access Art Space, which reanimates the same physical space with visual art exhibitions. The legacy of Townhouse is the third principle of elasticity – responding nimbly to constant flux but also being able to refuse impossible conditions with “the right no” (a necessary response in certain situations).

    4. ZOMA Museum – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    One of Zoma Museum’s buildings crafted by local artisans using time-honoured building techniques. Kim Gurney

    ZOMA Museum has also lived many lives. Starting small, its roots were in a three-day public arts festival called Giziawi #1 (Temporary). It comprised performances and exhibitions across the city but focused on Meskel Square, a key public space.

    Zoma Contemporary Art Centre grew out of that in 2002, followed in 2019 by Zoma Museum when its co-founders bought a plot of polluted land. Its rehabilitation into an ecological haven has become a case study in sustainable architecture.

    Zoma is built by local artisans from mud and straw using indigenous technologies going back centuries. Yet its elegant buildings look futuristic. Zoma is all about the fourth principle of convergence – the past, present and future all happening at once. It’s also about doing multiple things, like running Zoma School, an inherited kindergarten. The land is part of the curriculum.

    Just a year after it opened, Zoma spawned yet another life, an offshoot in a newly opened park blending nature with culture and recreation.

    5. Nafasi Art Space – Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

    The classroom at Nafasi’s self-built art school in Dar es Salaam. Kim Gurney

    Nafasi is Swahili for opportunity or chance, which fittingly describes the workings of Nafasi Art Space, established in 2008 – that is, second chance. This fifth and final principle of artistic thinking means giving materials, people and situations another go.

    A good example of this is Nafasi’s new art school, built using repurposed shipping containers, like the rest of its premises – artist studios, a spacious gallery and performance arena. In the 2022 academy cohort, a general practice lawyer and an accountant were learning alongside artists, with a biologist at the helm.

    Nafasi Art Academy cites the city’s biggest local market, Kariakoo, as design reference, particularly its distinctive elevated canopy and swirling stairwell. The curriculum also takes local context as a starting point, structured in themes to answer community-led questions. Its key function, like all the other offspaces, is storytelling. And the story it tells best is about institution-building as art.

    – 5 indie art spaces in African cities worth knowing more about
    – https://theconversation.com/5-indie-art-spaces-in-african-cities-worth-knowing-more-about-258009

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Eritrea: World Blood Donor Day Observed at National Level


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    World Blood Donor Day, 14 June, was observed at the national level in Asmara under the theme “Give Blood, Give Hope – Together We Save Lives.”

    Ms. Alem Berhe, Chairperson of the National Voluntary Blood Donors, stated that the day is a time to honor voluntary blood donors and health professionals who take pride in saving lives and preventing suffering caused by blood shortages. She also noted that voluntary blood donation continues to grow due to increased public awareness.

    Dr. Yohannes Tekeste, Medical Director of the National Blood Transfusion Service, noted that the Government of Eritrea is working diligently to ensure a safe and adequate blood supply. He reported that the number of blood units donated has increased from over 10,000 in 2020 to more than 16,000, marking a 62% rise.

    Dr. Nonso Ejiofor, WHO Representative in Eritrea, delivered a message emphasizing the significance of blood donation and its moral and health benefits.

    Certificates of recognition were awarded to exemplary blood donors during the event.

    In related news, World Blood Donor Day Week was marked at the Mai-Nefhi College of Science and the College of Engineering and Technology from 5 to 13 June.

    Nurse Mehari Abraham, head of the Blood Donation Service at the National Blood Transfusion Service, reported that 485 units of blood were donated during the week and expressed appreciation to all who participated in the voluntary donation drive.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Scottish Technology Council

    Source: Scottish Government

    Expert advisers to help drive economic growth.

    An expert group will assist Ministers on how to maximise the economic benefits of Scotland’s multi-billion technology sector.

    A new Scottish Technology Council will help shape policy, provide a link between businesses and the Scottish Government and promote Scottish tech companies on the international stage.

    The tech sector is already a significant economic asset and employer. Latest figures show Scotland’s 6,800 information and communication technologies enterprises alone employed 67,800 staff in 2022 while the wider life sciences cluster supported 46,900 jobs in the same year.

    Council membership includes industry leaders and academics with a range of experience in international markets, including health and life sciences, financial services, data and AI, advanced manufacturing and space.

    Ahead of the council’s first meeting on Tuesday, Minister for Business and Employment Richard Lochhead said:

    “Innovation is part of Scotland’s DNA. It is embedded in our culture and our society – and it has the potential to turbocharge our economy. From leading the industrial revolution to television, ultrasound and pioneering renewable technology, Scotland’s inventions have helped shape the world around us and transformed industries and lives.

    “Our goal is to help Scotland become a leading tech nation. To ensure the world recognises our pioneering spirit as not just a thing of the past, but as a vital part of our future and to create an environment where businesses and entrepreneurs can flourish, develop new technologies and drive meaningful change.

    “Our world is increasingly fast-paced and the council will provide valuable insight from vastly experienced leaders in their fields, who have built their careers at the cutting edge, as we strive to support the sector to deliver high value jobs for generations of Scots, boost international trade and increase our tax revenue to deliver vital public services.”

    Background

    The initiative fulfils a Programme for Government commitment to establish a council of global business and academic experts to advise government on applying and benefiting from emerging technological trends.

    The council will be chaired by the Minister for Business and Employment. Membership comprises:

    • Prof. Qammer Abbasi, CEng, SMIEEE, FRSA, FEAI, FIET, FRSE, Professor of Applied Electromagnetics & Sensing with the James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow.
    • Dr. Caroline Barelle MBA, CEO, Elasmogan which specialises in Biotechnology, Life Sciences, Medical technology, Regenerative medicine
    • Michael Boniface, CEO, Kythera AI.
    • Catriona Campbell MBE, AI Partner at Ernest Young and Chair of the Scottish AI Alliance.
    • Sherry Coutu CBE, Senior Independent Non-Executive Director, Raspberry Pi Trading
    • Gerard Cunningham, Board Member, Stem, Inc.  30 years’ experience in Silicon Valley.
    • Sheila Flavell CBE, President TechUK.  32 years operating within the international IT space.  
    • Sheryl Newman, Founder and CEO, Appetite for Business – Board Member, ScotlandIS.  
    • Prof. Peter Proud, CEO and Founder, Forrit.
    • Prof. Michael Rovatsos, Professor of Artificial Intelligence, University of Edinburgh
    • Jim Rowan, Former CEO of Volvo, Former CEO of the Dyson Group and Former COO of Blackberry.
    • Prof. Ifor Samuel, Professor of Physics, University of St Andrews.
    • Dr Graham Spittle CBE FBCS FRSA   Dean of Innovation, University of Edinburgh.
    • Prof. Melissa Terras (MBE FREng), Professor of Digital Cultural Heritage, University of Edinburgh
    • Elizabeth Vega OBE, CEO, Informed Solutions.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese and Russian experts discuss cooperation on developing specific crops in cold regions

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, June 15 (Xinhua) — The Chinese city of Baicheng, northeast China’s Jilin Province, recently hosted a China-Russia symposium on technological innovation in specific agriculture and development of winter rye agro-industrial complex.

    The event promoted contacts between Chinese and Russian agronomists in jointly opening up new horizons for agricultural development in cold regions, and deepened cooperation between Jilin Province and Russia and Kazakhstan in the field of special crops, China Daily reported.

    Following the symposium, the Academy of Agricultural Sciences (AAS) of Baicheng City and the Federal Agricultural Research Center of the North-East named after N.V. Rudnitsky signed a Chinese-Russian framework agreement on cooperation in the development of winter rye.

    As Ren Changzhong, a leading Chinese agronomist, reported at the symposium, the staff of the Baicheng City ASN and their Russian colleagues jointly bred a new frost-resistant winter rye variety BK01, which has already moved from laboratory cultivation to mass distribution for field cultivation in the provinces of Jilin, Liaoning and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The variety has excellent prospects in the field of agro-industrial development both for obtaining raw materials for the production of environmentally friendly food products and for the production of livestock feed.

    According to Ren Changzhong, who is also the director of the China-Russia Joint International Laboratory of Specialized Agriculture, both the international scientific and technological cooperation base established by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China and the aforementioned laboratory established by the Science and Technology Administration of Jilin Province operate under the ASN of Baicheng City. With the help of these two institutions, the ASN has been constantly strengthening scientific and technological cooperation with the Russian side in recent years, carrying out mutual support in scientific research and sharing useful resources with it, so as to jointly promote the technological modernization of the agro-industrial complexes of the two countries.

    “We hope to deepen exchanges and cooperation with our Russian colleagues in the field of selection, cultivation and deep processing of such specific agricultural crops as oats, winter rye, buckwheat and pasture grasses in order to achieve new technological breakthroughs and promote the entry of specific agricultural products into an even wider market,” said Guo Laichun, director of the Baicheng City ASN. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Police launch e-traffic tickets

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Police today officially launched the digitalisation of Fixed Penalty Notices, and will issue penalty tickets for illegal parking and moving traffic offences electronically from now on.

    Additionally, a thematic portal and mobile application have also been launched to facilitate vehicle owners and drivers to verify and settle their fines using electronic payment methods.

    The force will issue electronic penalty tickets (ePTs) according to the verified e-contact means (ECM) submitted by offenders to the Transport Department – SMS tickets for those who have provided a Hong Kong mobile phone number, and email tickets for those who have provided an email address.

    It will continue to issue printed paper penalty tickets to those that have not submitted their verified ECMs.

    At the initial stage of implementation, Police will adopt a “dual-track” transitional arrangement. Offenders will receive both ePTs and printed paper tickets, and they are only required to settle their fines using either one. Members of the public are encouraged to use ePTs. 

    The formats of penalty tickets have also been updated to include new payment information and methods.

    The force reminds the public that all SMS tickets are issued under the SMS sender name “#HKPF-eTT”, and a purported SMS ticket that is not sent under this sender name must be fake.

    Moreover, all SMS or email tickets do not contain any hyperlinks, and people should avoid clicking on any suspicious hyperlinks or providing any personal information.

    Lastly, the platform’s thematic portal has a domain ending with “.gov.hk”. Websites that do not end with “.gov.hk” are not government official websites.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • NEP 2020 key to making India a global education hub: Dharmendra Pradhan

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan said on Saturday that National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 envisions India as a global study destination, offering premium education at an affordable cost.

    He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of positioning India as a global knowledge hub the country is encouraging top international universities to establish campuses here, while empowering Indian higher education institutions to expand globally.

    He was speaking at an event titled ‘Mumbai Rising: Creating an International Education City’ held in Mumbai to issue Letters of Intent (LoIs) to five globally reputed universities from the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States of America and Italy.

    The Minister said the establishment of the branch campuses of University of York, University of Aberdeen, University of Western Australia, Illinois Institute of Technology and Instituto Europeo Di Design (IED), Italy, reflects a deep and growing trust in India’s education ecosystem and is a major milestone as we mark five transformative years of the NEP 2020.

    The handing of the LOIs took place in the presence of Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis, Minister of Higher and Technical Education, Government of Maharashtra, Chandrakant Patil, Principal Secretary, Government of Maharashtra, Aseem Gupta and Secretary, Department of Higher Education and Chairman, UGC, Dr Vineet Joshi.

    Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the swift issuance of LoIs reflects the speed and commitment of the government.

    He thanked the Prime Minister for NEP 2020 which has a provision for foreign universities to be a part of Indian education sector.

    The five universities, he noted, have added immense value to the State and NEP 2020 has truly opened doors for top global institutions to establish campuses in India.

    He stated that talented Indian students who faced accessibility and affordability issues in pursuing foreign education can now do so while remaining in the country at reduced costs.

    (IANS)

  • NEP 2020 key to making India a global education hub: Dharmendra Pradhan

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan said on Saturday that National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 envisions India as a global study destination, offering premium education at an affordable cost.

    He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of positioning India as a global knowledge hub the country is encouraging top international universities to establish campuses here, while empowering Indian higher education institutions to expand globally.

    He was speaking at an event titled ‘Mumbai Rising: Creating an International Education City’ held in Mumbai to issue Letters of Intent (LoIs) to five globally reputed universities from the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States of America and Italy.

    The Minister said the establishment of the branch campuses of University of York, University of Aberdeen, University of Western Australia, Illinois Institute of Technology and Instituto Europeo Di Design (IED), Italy, reflects a deep and growing trust in India’s education ecosystem and is a major milestone as we mark five transformative years of the NEP 2020.

    The handing of the LOIs took place in the presence of Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis, Minister of Higher and Technical Education, Government of Maharashtra, Chandrakant Patil, Principal Secretary, Government of Maharashtra, Aseem Gupta and Secretary, Department of Higher Education and Chairman, UGC, Dr Vineet Joshi.

    Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the swift issuance of LoIs reflects the speed and commitment of the government.

    He thanked the Prime Minister for NEP 2020 which has a provision for foreign universities to be a part of Indian education sector.

    The five universities, he noted, have added immense value to the State and NEP 2020 has truly opened doors for top global institutions to establish campuses in India.

    He stated that talented Indian students who faced accessibility and affordability issues in pursuing foreign education can now do so while remaining in the country at reduced costs.

    (IANS)

  • PM Modi embarks on 3-nation tour, says opportunity to galvanise global understanding on tackling terrorism

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday released an official statement before embarking on the three-nation tour of Cyprus, Canada and Croatia. He said this is an opportunity to galvanise global understanding on tackling terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

    PM Modi shared on X: “Today, I will embark on a three-nation tour to the Republic of Cyprus, Canada and Croatia. On June 15-16, I will visit the Republic of Cyprus at the invitation of President Nikos Christodoulides. Cyprus is a close friend and an important partner in the Mediterranean region and the EU. The visit provides an opportunity to build upon the historical bonds and expand our ties in the areas of trade, investment, security, technology and promote people-to-people exchanges.”

    “From Cyprus, I will travel to Kananaskis, Canada, to attend the G7 Summit at the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Carney,” said the PM.

    PM Modi said that the Summit will provide space for exchange of views on pressing global issues and the priorities of the Global South and he is also looking forward to engaging with leaders from partner countries.

    “On June 18, I look forward to my visit to the Republic of Croatia and meetings with President Zoran Milanovic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. Both our countries enjoy centuries-old close cultural links. As the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Croatia, it will open new avenues for bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest. This three-nation tour is also an opportunity to thank partner countries for their steadfast support to India in our fight against cross-border terrorism, and to galvanise global understanding on tackling terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” PM Modi said.

    PM Modi’s visit to Cyprus will be the first by an Indian Prime Minister in more than two decades.

    “I will be attending the G7 Summit in Canada, which will give a great platform to exchange perspectives on various global issues and elaborate on the priorities of the Global South,” PM Modi said earlier on X.

    “My visit to Croatia, which will be the first ever by an Indian Prime Minister, presents a historical opportunity to boost linkages with a valued partner country,” added PM Modi.

    Manish, High Commissioner of India to Cyprus, said, “The visit is going to be a historic visit for several reasons. It is after over two decades that a Prime Minister from our country is coming, and this would be the first visit of the Prime Minister (Modi) to this country… I think the most significant outcomes will be in trade, technology, tourism and investment. We will also discuss defence and security cooperation, business and people-to-people contact as well as global and regional discussions…”

    In Nicosia, PM Modi will hold talks with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and address business leaders in Limassol.

    Cyprus had condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and indicated that it would raise the issue of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan at the EU-level discussions.

    The visit will be timely as Cyprus is set to take over the Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2026.

    The visit will reaffirm the shared commitment of the two countries to deepen bilateral ties and strengthen India’s engagement with the Mediterranean region and the European Union, as per the MEA.

    The visit to Cyprus is significant also as it comes in the middle of India’s tensions with Turkey over the latter’s support to Pakistan.

    Ankara’s recognition of the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the northern region that was seized by Turkish forces in 1974 and differences over gas exploration rights in the Eastern Mediterranean remain a constant source of tensions between Turkey and Cyprus.

    PM Modi will participate in the G7 Summit in Canada’s Kananaskis on June 16 to 17, and conclude the five-day visit with an official visit to Croatia on June 18.

    At the G7 summit, PM Modi will come face-to-face with US President Donald Trump for the first time since their meeting in February 2025.

    “At the summit, the PM will exchange views with leaders of G7 countries, other invited outreach countries and heads of international organisations on crucial global issues, including energy security, technology and innovation, particularly the AI-energy nexus and Quantum-related issues,” said the government in its announcement.

    The Prime Minister’s Croatia visit on June 18 will be the first ever visit by an Indian PM, marking an important milestone in the bilateral relationship.

    “The visit to Croatia will also underscore India’s commitment to further strengthening its engagement with partners in the European Union,” said the government.

    (With inputs from IANS)

  • MIL-OSI China: Smart factories power China’s green industrial transformation

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

    Inside an intelligent manufacturing base of Offshore Oil Engineering Co., Ltd. (COOEC) in Tianjin, the scene is far removed from that of a traditional factory.

    Three massive automated welding machines silently go about their work, emitting sparks but no smoke, with no workers in sight.

    Instead, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and gantry cranes quietly shuttle materials to designated locations. Only a few figures holding controllers among the steel plates and pipes indicate that humans are still steering the operation.

    Seated in front of two computer screens, 38-year-old Li Guochao adjusts parameters on digital work orders, operating the machines remotely with a click of the mouse. “The smart factory makes everything more efficient and cleaner,” he said.

    For Li, the move from a noisy, smog-filled outdoor workspace to a cool, comfortable indoor station felt like a “miracle.” However, his experience is just one part of a broader transformation underway at the 575,000-square-meter base, which houses four intelligent workshops and is spearheading a green revolution.

    China’s manufacturing sector has long been criticized for its reputation as an energy-intensive, polluting, and resource-intensive industry. But since 2012, the country has been actively shifting toward new development models, with green growth at the forefront.

    In the years since, companies like COOEC have embraced energy conservation and emissions reduction as essential components of high-quality development.

    At its fully operational Tianjin base, COOEC has introduced more than 600 pieces of advanced, energy-efficient, and intelligent equipment. Powered by big data and artificial intelligence, these tools enable automated cutting, grinding, assembly and welding in the prefabrication process.

    Plate cutting is now 90 percent automated, and 70 percent of deck panel welding is done automatically, boosting overall productivity by more than 20 percent compared to traditional methods.

    The base also developed China’s first integrated intelligent manufacturing management platform for offshore oil and gas equipment. The streamlined production process helps reduce steel usage by 10 percent.

    “We hope these smart manufacturing efforts will support high-quality development in the traditionally heavy marine equipment sector,” said Wang Jinyuan, deputy general manager of COOEC’s Tianjin Intelligent Manufacturing Company.

    The push aligns with China’s national goals. According to the 14th five-year plan for energy conservation and emission reduction, released by the State Council in 2022, energy consumption per unit of GDP is set to decrease by 13.5 percent by 2025. To meet these targets, manufacturers are turning to digital technology to restructure their production.

    China’s booming digital economy has given manufacturers the confidence to make the leap. The country is now home to more than 30,000 basic-level smart factories, 1,200 advanced-level facilities, and over 230 at the excellence level, covering over 80 percent of major manufacturing industries. The accelerating integration of digital and real economies is driving quality and efficiency.

    In 2023, China made new quality productive forces a national priority, with intelligent, high-end, and green manufacturing forming the backbone of this transformation.

    At the COOEC Tianjin base, this shift is visible at every stage of the production chain, from energy to manufacturing to storage.

    In the smart storage center, deputy manager Wang Xiaoli of the procurement logistics unit taps her phone. Dozens of windows swing open, and the hum of air conditioners fades. “The system detected that outdoor temperature and lighting were optimal, so it recommended shutting off air conditioners to save power,” she said.

    According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China had cultivated 6,430 green factories as of January 2024. Since 2012, energy consumption and carbon emissions per unit of GDP have fallen by over 26 percent and 35 percent, respectively, making China one of the world’s fastest improvers in energy efficiency.

    With the results of the green transformation becoming increasingly evident, China has set a new goal that by 2030, green development will underpin new industrialization, with green factory output accounting for over 40 percent of total manufacturing output.

    To that end, COOEC is expanding its solar generation capacity. Building on its 1.1 million kWh annual output from rooftop photovoltaics, a second phase is underway. Once connected by the end of this year, the plant will generate 2.6 million kWh annually, covering 25 percent of its electricity needs.

    “As of the end of 2024, more than 140 of our suppliers had earned green certification,” said Tang Lijun, deputy general manager of the COOEC procurement shared center. The company now incorporates green metrics into supplier rankings and has completed over 11,500 green evaluations by 2024.

    “Our aim is to raise awareness and encourage suppliers to pursue green transformation and certification,” Tang said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Samsung Galaxy S25+ Powers Van Gogh Museum’s New Audio Tour

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced a three-year partnership with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, forging a bold new convergence of artistic expression and cutting-edge technology. As part of this collaboration, the museum’s renewed audio tour — powered by Galaxy S25+ — offers visitors innovative ways to engage with the world’s largest collection of Vincent van Gogh’s artwork.
     
    “We believe technology should open doors to inspiration and connection,” said Sean Yun, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics Benelux. “Our partnership with the Van Gogh Museum is a powerful example of how mobile innovation can bring cultural experiences to life in more intuitive and personal ways for people everywhere.”
     

     
    Officially launched on June 10, the Van Gogh Museum’s redesigned audio tour uses 1,600 Galaxy S25+ smartphones to deliver an upgraded storytelling experience, replacing the previous audio tour hardware with a more compact, lightweight and user-friendly interface. Visitors also benefit from clearer voice audio and enhanced display quality — which enable rich, detailed visuals.
     
    As part of the long-term vision for this partnership, Samsung and the Van Gogh Museum are working on further upgrades to the audio tour that will integrate Samsung’s renowned Galaxy AI features for a more personalised visitor experience.
     

     
    To commemorate this multi-year collaboration, Samsung will launch Van Gogh Museum branded cases created exclusively for Galaxy smartphones. The designs are inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s famous paintings including the Sunflowers and his self-portrait. These promotional items will be available for purchase at Samsung Experience Stores and the Samsung Online Store in the Netherlands, as well as at the Van Gogh Museum store and its online store.
     
    “At the Van Gogh Museum, we aim to be at the top of our game and in response to our own times, and to do so in our own innovative way,” said Emilie Gordenker, Director of the Van Gogh Museum. “We are delighted to collaborate with Samsung as a technology partner to make the museum experience even more engaging.”

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SITI attends Viva Technology 2025 in Paris, France (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, attended Viva Technology 2025 (VivaTech) in Paris, France, yesterday (June 13, Paris time). In his keynote speech at a seminar and networking reception themed “From Hong Kong to the World: Embarking on the New Journey of Innovation” organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Professor Sun said Hong Kong is forging ahead with a clear vision to develop as an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre, and is committed to pushing boundaries, embracing change, and seizing global opportunities.

    Professor Sun said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has been introducing agile policies, building world-class infrastructure and facilitating global I&T collaboration. He noted the flagship research and development (R&D) initiative, InnoHK, fosters global R&D collaboration. Hong Kong is also carrying out meticulous planning for building artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem, including AI Supercomputing Centre opened last year and the Hong Kong AI Research and Development Institute to be established, together with $10 billion dollars-worth Innovation and Technology Industry-Oriented Fund channeling more market capital to turbocharge strategic industries, with AI at the core.

    Highlighting that Hong Kong being an ideal gateway for global enterprises to enter the Mainland market, Professor Sun said the HKSAR Government has been actively attracting overseas and the Mainland I&T enterprises to set up or expand their businesses in Hong Kong. Companies choosing HK for the international headquarters exemplify Hong Kong’s important role as a “super connector” and a “super value-adder” between Mainland China and the rest of the world, serving as a two-way springboard for attracting overseas enterprises and helping Mainland enterprises to “go global”.

    During the seminar and networking reception, Professor Sun also exchanged views with members of the local I&T sector, investors and start-ups’ founders on I&T development and collaboration.

    Professor Sun also visited the Hong Kong Tech Pavilion. Twenty start-ups from the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation and Cyberport participated this year, showcasing cutting-edge solutions and innovations in areas of AI, robotics, HealthTech, sustainable and ClimateTech, and Fintech. At the same time, Professor Sun toured the Canada Pavilion set up by Canada which was selected as country of the year for VivaTech 2025, the China Pavilion and pavilions set up by other leading enterprises and start-ups where he had a brief exchange with representatives of the participating organisations to learn more on their innovative solutions.

    In the evening, Professor Sun met with Mr Emmanuel Carcassonne, the Chairman of La French Tech Hong Kong-Shenzhen, a community dedicated to supporting the development of the French startup ecosystem both in France and internationally. Professor Sun said that Hong Kong is a reliable partner for French startups to settle and expand businesses in Hong Kong.

    In the afternoon, Professor Sun paid a courtesy call on Minister Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in France Mr Chen Li, to brief him on the work of developing Hong Kong into an international I&T centre, enhancing the I&T ecosystem, fostering co-ordinated development among upstream, midstream and downstream, as well as the city’s continuous efforts in integrating into national I&T development.

    Professor Sun will continue his visit to Paris today (June 14, Paris time) and depart for the Netherlands on June 15 (Amsterdam time).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Speaks at Eastport Municipal Airport Community Day Celebration

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Click HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE for individual photos.

    Eastport, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins delivered remarks at the inaugural Airport Community Day at Eastport Municipal Airport. The event was held to celebrate the completion of major upgrades to the airport, including a new terminal and runway, as well as lighting and infrastructure improvements. Elected officials—including State Senator Marianne Moore, State Representative Artie Mingo, Eastport City Council President Billy Boone, and Eastport City Manager Brian Schuth—and dozens of local residents were in attendance for the celebration.

    Senator Collins also spoke at the groundbreaking held at the airport in 2020 when construction began on these airport improvements.

    “Eastport Municipal Airport helps connect Downeast Maine to the world. Just as important, and to the benefit of those not fortunate enough to live here, it connects the world to Downeast Maine,” said Senator Collins during her remarks. “Maine’s smaller airports are vital pieces of our state’s infrastructure that promote job creation, tourism, and economic development throughout the surrounding communities. That is why, as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, one of my greatest priorities is to ensure that Maine’s transportation needs are met.”

    Nearly $7 million in federal funding for the project was awarded to Eastport in 2019 and 2024. This funding was made possible by the $1 billion in supplemental Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds provided in 2019 and $5 billion in Airport Terminal Program (ATP) funds provided in 2024 that Senator Collins secured as Chair of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee and as one of 10 senators who negotiated the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Both the AIP and ATP supplemental funding streams were specifically designed to support small and non-primary airports like Eastport Municipal Airport.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Speaks at Eastport Municipal Airport Community Day Celebration

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Click HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE for individual photos.

    Eastport, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins delivered remarks at the inaugural Airport Community Day at Eastport Municipal Airport. The event was held to celebrate the completion of major upgrades to the airport, including a new terminal and runway, as well as lighting and infrastructure improvements. Elected officials—including State Senator Marianne Moore, State Representative Artie Mingo, Eastport City Council President Billy Boone, and Eastport City Manager Brian Schuth—and dozens of local residents were in attendance for the celebration.

    Senator Collins also spoke at the groundbreaking held at the airport in 2020 when construction began on these airport improvements.

    “Eastport Municipal Airport helps connect Downeast Maine to the world. Just as important, and to the benefit of those not fortunate enough to live here, it connects the world to Downeast Maine,” said Senator Collins during her remarks. “Maine’s smaller airports are vital pieces of our state’s infrastructure that promote job creation, tourism, and economic development throughout the surrounding communities. That is why, as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, one of my greatest priorities is to ensure that Maine’s transportation needs are met.”

    Nearly $7 million in federal funding for the project was awarded to Eastport in 2019 and 2024. This funding was made possible by the $1 billion in supplemental Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds provided in 2019 and $5 billion in Airport Terminal Program (ATP) funds provided in 2024 that Senator Collins secured as Chair of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee and as one of 10 senators who negotiated the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Both the AIP and ATP supplemental funding streams were specifically designed to support small and non-primary airports like Eastport Municipal Airport.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: G7 Leaders’ Summit: Statement from Premier Smith

    “Alberta has always been a place where bold, visionary people come together to think big and drive change. Our homegrown solutions are the answer to many of the urgent challenges leaders face on this year’s agenda.

    “From the Rocky Mountains to the rolling prairies and dense forests – Alberta isn’t just a beautiful province, it’s a powerhouse of economic opportunity.

    “With the fourth-largest oil reserves and ninth-largest natural gas reserves on earth, we are one of the most reliable and secure energy providers in the world. Our geography uniquely positions us to supply Asia, Europe and the world with the energy they need whether it’s oil, propane, liquified natural gas, hydrogen, ammonia and more.

    “Alberta’s vast wealth of energy resources can bring billions of people globally out of energy poverty and reduce global emissions by displacing high-emitting fuels, like coal, with lower-emitting fuels like natural gas. 

    “No other democratic ally offers the same combination of stability, proximity and abundant energy reserves that Alberta has – and we have no plans of slowing down. We’re increasing production and reducing emissions with advanced technology and strong environmental standards, while protecting Alberta’s land, water and air for future generations to enjoy.

    “Flying into Calgary, the vast stretches of prairie below offer more than a view. They tell the story of an agricultural powerhouse. Last year alone, Alberta exported $17.5 billion of agri-food products.

    “Alberta’s hard-working producers and processors put food on tables around the globe, contributing to local and global food security.

    “Home to world-class destinations and cinematic landscapes, the $12.7-billion tourism industry is booming in Alberta. Our picture-perfect views are boosting film and television production to an estimated gross domestic product of $864 million. Alberta’s commitment to low taxes and less red tape is sending a clear message: this is the place to invest, grow and succeed.

    “Alberta’s strength comes from its people; we thrive in times of change and embrace new challenges. As we position Alberta as a serious player in global AI, and build our presence in tech, that same spirit continues to power progress across the board.

    “Alberta is built on ambition, resilience and innovation. We’re not just open for business, we’re leading the way. It is with great pride that we welcome G7 leaders and visitors to this extraordinary place we call home.

    “We stand ready to show the world what Alberta has to offer.”

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The 27th Shanghai International Film Festival has kicked off in Shanghai

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    SHANGHAI, June 14 (Xinhua) — The 27th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) kicked off in Shanghai on Saturday, with 49 films selected for various categories of this year’s Golden Goblet Awards.

    The festival, which features screenings of more than 400 Chinese and foreign films across Shanghai, runs until June 22.

    As this year marks the 130th anniversary of world cinema and the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema, the festival program will feature a special section titled “Harmonious Symbiosis: A Hundred Years of Mutual Resonance between Chinese and World Cinema,” which aims to showcase the history of mutual learning and cooperation between the Chinese and foreign film communities.

    This year, the main competition nomination of the Golden Cup award included 12 full-length films from Asia, Europe and Latin America. The jury is headed by the famous Italian director and screenwriter Giuseppe Tornatore.

    In addition, a number of events will be held during the festival, including Belt and Road Film Week and Sci-Fi Film Week.

    First held in 1993, the Shanghai International Film Festival is a prestigious global film event that the metropolis hosts in its bid to become an international cultural hub. It has recently attracted growing international attention thanks to China’s thriving film market. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement on Targeted Shooting of DFL Legislators

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)

    SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Congresswoman Betty McCollum issued the following statement on Saturday morning: 

    “I am beyond devastated by the premeditated murder of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and the attempted murder of Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. This is a shocking and heinous act of targeted political violence against elected officials. It was clearly intended to instill fear in our communities. 

    “As Dean of the Congressional Delegation, I have been in touch with my colleagues, who share my profound shock and deep sadness over this tragedy.

    “I am thankful to all Minnesota law enforcement personnel, especially those who are responding to the situation, which is still active. Minnesotans of all political backgrounds must unite to condemn this and all politically motivated acts of violence. In a democracy, we do not respond to acts of public policy with acts of violence motivated by extremism.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: RAF King’s Birthday Honours 2025Kings’ Birthday Honours List 2025 – Military Division.13 Jun 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Royal Air Force

    King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 – Military Division

    PROMOTIONS IN AND APPOINTMENTS TO THE MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MOST HONOURABLE ORDER OF THE BATH

    As Knight Commander  

    Air Marshal J.J. Stringer CBE 

    As Companion (CB)  

    Air Vice-Marshal M.W.J Chappell  

    Air Vice-Marshal A.P.T. Smith 

    PROMOTIONS IN AND APPOINTMENTS TO THE MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

    As Commanders (CBE) 

    Air Commodore I.J. Sharrocks OBE 

    Group Captain A. Burton 

    As Officers (OBE)

    Group Captain A.P. Baron 

    Group Captain P. Baroni 

    Group Captain R.L. Dixon  

    Wing Commander G.A. Lonsdale 

    Wing Commander T.C. Page 

    Wing Commander A.N. Pandya 

    As Members (MBE)

    Acting Wing Commander D.C. McCrae 

    Squadron Leader C.B.M. Emmerson 

    Squadron Leader J.R. Rushton 

    Squadron Leader T.A. Smith 

    Squadron Leader M.D. Sugden 

    Squadron Leader D.J. Taudevin 

    Squadron Leader J.K. Wilyman 

    Flight Lieutenant R.K. Mehta 

    Flight Lieutenant M.W. Norman 

    Captain R.M. St J. Sheehan (British Army) 

    Warrant Officer C. Hamilton 

    Staff Sergeant E. Oppong (British Army) 

    Sergeant G.L. Jones 

    Corporal E-J. Bangura 

    King’s Volunteer Reserves Medal

    Sergeant D.J. Tyler 

    Associate Member of The Royal Red Cross 

    Flight Sergeant (now Acting Warrant Officer) S.L. Roberts 

    King’s Birthday Honours list 2025 – Civilian Division

    PROMOTIONS IN AND APPOINTMENTS TO THE CIVILIAN DIVISION OF THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

    As Members (MBE) 

    Mr R.P. O’Connor  

    Reverend J.M. Pitkin 

    British Empire Medal  

    Mr J.R. McGlasson 

    MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL

    Warrant Officer M.A. Coupland 

    Warrant Officer N. Dutton 

    Master Aircrew P.A. Goss 

    Master Aircrew R.A. Jones 

    Master Aircrew T.J.M. Millar 

    Warrant Officer M. Rees-Martin MBE 

    Warrant Officer D.K. Rose 

    Master Aircrew D.V. Russell 

    Master Aircrew S.F. Severn 

    Warrant Officer S.W. Thorpe 

    Flight Sergeant (now Acting Warrant Officer) O.R. Watkins 

    Flight Sergeant R.C. Atha 

    Flight Sergeant S.J. Dutton 

    Flight Sergeant D. Farrell 

    Flight Sergeant R.E. Mauchline 

    Flight Sergeant R.M. Pugh 

    Acting Flight Sergeant C.M. Irvine 

    CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF COMMENDATIONS

    Wing Commander K.E. Ingram MBE 

    Squadron Leader (now Wing Commander) A.H. Stewart 

    Squadron Leader N.J.D. Bell 

    Flight Lieutenant A. Carter 

    Flight Lieutenant G. Feetham 

    Sergeant P.M. Taylor 

    Acting Sergeant N.T. Egan 

    Corporal G.P. Dutton 

    Corporal L.D. Evans 

    Corporal J.F. Scott 

    Acting Corporal D.J. Purves 

    Air Specialist Class 1 B. Dudgeon 

    Team Commendations 

    Air Finance Strategic Financial Planning Team 

    Department of Medicine, RAF R&S, RAF Cranwell 

    Protector Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation, RAF Waddington 

    Tactical Operations Centre Light eXperimental (TOC-X) Delivery and Innovations Team 

    27 Squadron Engineering 

    DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF & AIR AND SPACE COMMANDER COMMENDATIONS

    DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF COMMENDATIONS

    Squadron Leader E.L. Brooks 

    Squadron Leader R.J. Kemplay 

    Flight Lieutenant M.J. Wade 

    Mrs N.J. Skelton 

    Team Commendations 

    Project NEXUS – DEIMOS Team 

    Qatar Air Programme Office 2024 

    Trial CHAINMAIL 2 Team 

    R&S Select Processing Team 

    Ground Combat and Security Profession Enlisted Aviator Career Management Team 

    ANY Desk Career Management 

    AIR AND SPACE COMMANDER COMMENDATIONS

    Wing Commander T.P. Nassif 

    Squadron Leader B.P. Burton 

    Squadron Leader P.M. Dunkley 

    Squadron Leader S.E. Evans 

    Major M.G. Fairchild (US Space Force) 

    Squadron Leader E.E. Leonard 

    Squadron Leader C.J. Marsh 

    Squadron Leader L.M. Ryder 

    Squadron Leader D.A. Yule 

    Flight Lieutenant (now Acting Squadron Leader) B.L. Dzekashu 

    Lieutenant M.P. Anelli (Royal Navy) 

    Warrant Officer G. Pringle 

    Chief Petty Officer T.A. Fenwick (Royal Navy) 

    Flight Sergeant D.J. Gillam 

    Flight Sergeant G.L. Hobbs 

    Acting Flight Sergeant (now Chief Technician) J.W. Kelly 

    Sergeant (now Staff Sergeant) R. Limbu (British Army) 

    Sergeant T.A. Marley 

    Air Specialist Class 1 (now Acting Corporal) J.P.J. Eldridge 

    Air Specialist Class 1 T.D. Magill 

    Mr A.P. Bowell 

    Mrs C. Sherman 

    Team Commendations 

    RAF Pay Team, London Main Building 

    11 Group A5 

    Engineering Profession Advisor Team 

    RAF Medical Board 

    Engineering Team, Number II (Army Cooperation) Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth 

    Air Battlespace Training Centre, RAF Waddington  

    45 Squadron Mission Aircrew ISR Acoustics Team 

    RAF Coningsby Duty Fire Crew 

    Spitfire Crash Incident Officers 

    RAF Cranwell ACE Team 

    RAF Odiham Project PALES Team 

    AIR OFFICERS COMMANDING COMMENDATIONS

    AIR OFFICER COMMANDING NO. 1 GROUP COMMENDATIONS

    Lieutenant Commander P. Armstrong (Royal Navy) 

    Lieutenant Commander N.E. Baker (Royal Navy) 

    Squadron Leader D.C.D. Berris 

    Squadron Leader K.M. Hickinbotham 

    Squadron Leader S.I. Roxburgh 

    Flight Lieutenant D.A. Breslin 

    Flight Lieutenant M.R. Crosby-Jones 

    Flight Lieutenant A.M. Dale 

    Flight Lieutenant K. Jamison 

    Flight Lieutenant L.O. Matthews 

    Flight Lieutenant W.L.D. Mountfield 

    Flight Lieutenant D. Scarr 

    Flight Lieutenant R. Wallace 

    Lieutenant W.R. Sankey (Royal Navy) 

    Acting Flight Lieutenant V. Logan 

    Warrant Officer C.P. Harker 

    Flight Sergeant D.T. Best 

    Flight Sergeant J.A. Bracewell 

    Chief Petty Officer G. Parker (Royal Navy) 

    Chief Technician W.A. Byrne 

    Sergeant N.J. Lindley 

    Acting Sergeant R.G. Archer 

    Acting Sergeant J.A. Grimmer 

    Air Specialist Class 1 (Technician) T.A. Bond 

    Air Specialist Class 1 (Technician) O-J. Whitehead 

    Mr L. Maple 

    Mr S. Williams 

    Team Commendations 

    Number 54 Squadron – Protector Training Flight 

    BBMF CAw Management 

    Number 56 Squadron E-7 Wedgetail Operator Subject Matter Expert Team 

    BAE Systems Civilian Qualified Flying Instructor 

    Joint Air Delivery Test & Evaluation Unit – Engineering Section, RAF Brize Norton 

    29 Squadron Typhoon Display Team, RAF Coningsby 

    Number 14 Squadron Shadow Qualified Flying Instructors, RAF Waddington 

    A Flight, ISR Enabling Squadron, 1ISR Wing, Royal Air Force Waddington 

    Number 99 Squadron C-17 ZZ173 Air Ground Engineers, RAF Brize Norton 

    Royal Air Force Falcons 2024 Parachute Display Team, RAF Brize Norton 

    AIR OFFICER COMMANDING NO. 2 GROUP COMMENDATIONS

    Squadron Leader S.J. Jackson 

    Squadron Leader D.C. Netherton 

    Squadron Leader R.D. Scothern 

    Flight Lieutenant D. Anderson 

    Flight Lieutenant P. Crutchlow 

    Flight Lieutenant L.J. Eagle 

    Flight Lieutenant B.R. Garwood 

    Flight Lieutenant A.J. Mawdsley 

    Acting Flight Lieutenant R. Howarth 

    Flying Officer P. Shingler 

    Chief Technician A.J. Hunt 

    Flight Sergeant E.L. Dye 

    Flight Sergeant M. Eastaugh 

    Flight Sergeant M.J. Ellson 

    Flight Sergeant J.H.R. McClymont 

    Flight Sergeant G. Teague 

    Flight Sergeant N.H. White 

    Sergeant S.B. Brandt 

    Sergeant D.J. Cooper 

    Sergeant A.C. Lockwood 

    Sergeant P.R. Stockley 

    Corporal M.T. Ferguson 

    Corporal T.M. Grainger 

    Corporal G.F.E. Melling 

    Corporal C.J. Mills 

    Corporal S.A. Palmer 

    Corporal G.J. Sutton 

    Corporal R.P. Worthington 

    Acting Corporal R.P. Swatman 

    Air Specialist Class 1 (Technician) J.G. Evans 

    Air Specialist Class 1 H.C. Rhind-Tutt 

    Mr I. Aitkenhead 

    Mr A. Barber 

    Mr D. Clarke 

    Mr A. Stewart 

    Team Commendations

    Crisis Response Team 

    RAF Police Support to Operation ROMAJI 

    Royal Air Force Benson Air Traffic Control Squadron 

    Tactical Communications Wing Project LETSRIG Team 

    Air Control Essentials Course Training Team 

    144 Signals Unit Deployable Air Defence Flight and 19 Squadron Portreath Detachment 

    RAF Regiment Apprenticeship Centre 

    Medical and Dental Servicing Section 

    Joint Aircraft Recovery and Transportation Squadron Operation LORIEN Recovery Team 

    A Life Saving Team at RAF Waddington 

    RAF Odiham Wildlife Control Unit 

    RAF Odiham Catering Flight 

    Royal Air Force Lossiemouth Mobility Support Section 

    Royal Air Force Coningsby Armament Engineering Flt 

    RAF Leeming Police and Security Flt 

    RAF Boulmer Beacon Community Centre 

    78 Squadron Flight Safety Team 

    Project KIMBINU GRIFFIN 

    RAF Marham Force Protection Training Flight 

    Polytunnel and Wellness Area Team (Whole Force Personnel and Families) 

    RAF Marham Physical Education Flight 

    HQ 2 Group Force Generation Team 

    1 AMW HQ Plans Team 

    AIR OFFICER COMMANDING NO. 11 GROUP COMMENDATIONS

    Squadron Leader J. Ives 

    Squadron Leader G. Ivison 

    Squadron Leader M.J. Pickford 

    Squadron Leader S. Wain 

    Flight Lieutenant E.D.M. Haylock 

    Flight Lieutenant B.A. Ter Haar 

    Colour Sergeant S.C. Hopkins (British Army) 

    Air Specialist Class 1 T. Ogden 

    Air Specialist Class 1 J. Smart 

    S. Fogden 

    Team Commendation

    11 Group A7 Operational Training Centre 

    AIR OFFICER COMMANDING NO. 22 GROUP COMMENDATIONS

    Acting Major C. Reid (British Army) 

    Acting Squadron Leader J.C. Blackie  

    Acting Squadron Leader R.D. Jones  

    Flight Lieutenant J. Orrell 

    Flight Lieutenant S.S. Toomer 

    Flight Lieutenant I.A. Torrance 

    Warrant Officer 2 K.A. Feldsmann (British Army) 

    Warrant Officer 2 D. Rai (British Army) 

    Flight Sergeant T.J. Elton  

    Staff Sergeant J.L. Willis (British Army) 

    Sergeant D.S. Wilkinson 

    Mrs S. Gwilliam 

    Team Commendations

    School of Army Aeronautical Engineering Aviation Academy 

    No 1 Radio School, Cyber Security Flight 

    Number 1 Radio School, Digital Systems and Applications Flight 

    Central Flying School (Helicopters) Squadron Training Team 

    Whittle Section, Trainee Support Squadron, No 1 School of Technical Training 

    Assurance and Governance Squadron, Learning and Development Wing 

    Defence College of Technical Training HQ Finance Team 

    Hawk Syllabus Development Team 

    Headquarters Defence College of Technical Training – TDA Plans Team 

    Essex Wing Warrant Officer’s Team, Royal Air Force Air Cadets  

    CHAPLAIN-IN-CHIEF (ROYAL AIR FORCE) COMMENDATIONS

    Reverend (Squadron Leader) N. Galloway MBE 

    Mr P. Morcombe 

    COMMANDER UK SPACE COMMAND COMMENDATION

    Captain C.M. Reeds (British Army) 

    Team Commendations  

    No.1 Space Operations Squadron Training Team 

    DIRECTOR CAPABILITY AND PROGRAMMES COMMENDATIONS

    C. Young 

    DIRECTOR SUPPORT COMMENDATIONS

    Flight Sergeant C.D. Andrews 

    Mr A. Collinson 

    K. Patel  

    DIRECTOR DIGITAL COMMENDATIONS

    Flight Lieutenant R.S. Hall 

    Flight Lieutenant A.C. Metcalfe 

    Flying Officer D. Huckstepp

    DIRECTOR RESERVES COMMENDATIONS

    Flight Sergeant C.G. Smith 

    Team Commendations 

    RAuxAF100 Standard Parade Delivery Team 

    501 Sqn Operation SILK PURSE Team 

    COMMANDER JOINT AVIATION COMMAND COMMENDATIONS

    Commander Joint Aviation Command Commendations    

    Flight Lieutenant C. Rudyk-Smith 

    Flight Lieutenant M.A. Stoodley 

    Flight Sergeant N.K-C. Bargery 

    Chief Technician S.A. Grant 

    Chief Technician C.J.M. Maisey 

    Chief Technician R.N. McCarthy 

    Sergeant D.J. Dickson 

    Sergeant K.S. Potts 

    Sergeant R.S. Worker 

    Acting Sergeant J.P. Jenkins 

    Corporal D.J. White 

    Team Commendations 

    Chinook CAMO Team 

    7 Sqn R1 Detachment 

    CAE Aircrew Training Service (Puma staff) 

    VICE CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF COMMENDATIONS

    Wing Commander H.M. Parr 

    Squadron Leader J.P.J. Casson 

    COMMANDER UNITED KINGDOM STRATEGIC COMMAND COMMENDATIONS

    Wing Commander D.E. Wilson 

    Squadron Leader (now Acting Wing Commander) S. Davies 

    Squadron Leader M. Bradley 

    Squadron Leader F.A. Merino 

    Squadron Leader L.G.J. Scott 

    Sergeant (now Acting Flight Sergeant) L.P. Buttery 

    Air Specialist Class 1 (now Acting Corporal) A.R. Harvey 

    DEPUTY COMMANDER UNITED KINGDOM STRATEGIC COMMAND COMMENDATIONS

    Squadron Leader M.J. Rankine 

    Squadron Leader A.F. Xavier 

    Flight Sergeant A. Maltman 

    COMMANDER FIELD ARMY AND COMMANDER STANDING JOINT COMMAND (UK) COMMENDATIONS AND COMMANDER ALLIED RAPID REACTION CORPS COMMENDATIONS

    COMMANDER FIELD ARMY COMMENDATION

    Flight Lieutenant D. Graham 

    COMMANDER STANDING JOINT COMMAND (UK) COMMENDATION

    Squadron Leader R.A. Lee 

    Warrant Officer C.L. Wheeler 

    COMMANDER ALLIED RAPID REACTION CORPS COMMENDATIONS

    Sergeant C.A. Brown 

    Royal Air Force Operational Honours List

    APPOINTMENT TO THE MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

    As Officer (OBE)

    Group Captain H.M. Bishop  

    Distinguished Flying Cross  

    Flight Lieutenant J.A. Chadwick 

    Air Force Cross 

    Acting Squadron Leader (now Squadron Leader) J.M.G. Hawkins 

    Flight Lieutenant S.B. Watson 

    King’s Commendation for Bravery in the Air  

    Flight Lieutenant M.M.T. Howell 

    King’s Commendation for Valuable Service 

    Squadron Leader (now Wing Commander) I.D.E. Robinson 

    Squadron Leader G.R. McKay 

    Squadron Leader B.R.M. Tripp 

    Flight Sergeant J.P. Graham 

    CHIEF OF JOINT OPERATIONS, JOINT COMMANDER’S COMMENDATIONS

    Chief of joint Operations Commendation

    Squadron Leader D.G. Tipler 

    Joint Commanders Commendation  

    Wing Commander A.P. Machin 

    Lieutenant Colonel A.A.R. Townend (British Army) 

    Squadron Leader F.Y. Allery 

    Squadron Leader J. Marlowe 

    Squadron Leader E.M. Thomas 

    Flight Lieutenant B.F.J. Brook 

    Team Commendations 

    Crew of Custom46 XIII Sqn RAF 

    Op Underhill Atlas Team 

    Op Underhill Planning and Liaison Team 

    Royal Air Force Non-Operational Gallantry Award – Commendation  

    Air and Space Commander Commendation  

    Air Specialist Class 1 (Technician) J.D. Coombs-Hoar 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Paul, Grassley Renew Bipartisan Fight to Expand Access To Hearing Services Through Medicare

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    June 13, 2025
    Hearing loss affects over 50 million Americans and particularly affects older Americans, with nearly one in three people between the ages of 65 and 75 and around half of adults 75 or older reporting difficulty hearing. 
    Text of the Bill (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) led their colleagues in reintroducing the bipartisan Medicare Audiology Access Improvement Act, legislation to ensure that seniors and people with disabilities on Medicare are able to access a full range of hearing and balance health care services provided by licensed audiologists.
    Currently, audiologists are classified as non-physician health care professionals that are trained in the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of individuals with hearing, balance, and related disorders. Although Medicare already covers various hearing health services, it currently does not recognize audiologists as providers, and they will only receive Medicare reimbursement for a limited set of tests to diagnose hearing or balance disorders—provided that patients first obtain an order from a physician or nurse practitioner. 
    “Outdated Medicare rules are preventing seniors from accessing the vital services audiologists provide,” said Senator Warren. “We’re introducing this bill because older Americans and people with disabilities deserve access to the full range of care they need.”
    The Medicare Audiologist Access Improvement Act of 2025 would reclassify audiologists as “practitioners” in the Medicare program, allowing Medicare beneficiaries to receive hearing and balance health care services from licensed audiologists.
    “The Medicare Audiology Access Improvement Act removes needless government barriers so Americans can access hearing care directly and affordably,” said Dr. Rand Paul. “It shows that when Congress focuses on practical solutions, we can work across the aisle to improve health care.”
    “I’m proud to have helped improve access to high-quality and affordable hearing aids through the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Act in 2017. However, millions of Americans are affected by hearing loss, and more work needs to be done to reduce barriers. “I’m glad to join my colleagues in introducing this bill to expand access and allow more seniors and individuals with disabilities to get help from a trained audiologist,” said Senator Grassley.
    The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Angus King (I-Maine).
    “Senior citizens deserve access to high quality audiology care and services they need,” said Senator Booker. “Too many patients suffering from hearing problems struggle to access care because current Medicare rules limit the range of services available. This legislation will remove barriers to accessing audiology care, expand the treatments available, and allow more audiologists to participate in Medicare.”
    “Too many Granite Staters suffering from hearing loss are met with bureaucratic barriers when trying to access the care that they need. Roughly one in every three adults between the ages of 65 and 75 experience hearing loss – and yet, they struggle to get care because Medicare does not recognize audiologists as providers,” said Senator Shaheen. “It’s past time we cut through this red tape to expand Medicare and ensure that older adults and Granite Staters with disabilities have access to the health services provided by audiologists. That’s why I’m proud to work across the aisle to introduce bipartisan legislation that does exactly that.”
    “Excessive red tape has made it increasingly difficult for more than 70,000 Vermonters who experience hearing loss and need access to audiology services. Outdated Medicaid rules make it harder for folks in every state to receive the crucial care audiologists provide,” said Senator Welch. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing this bipartisan legislation to make it easier for seniors and folks with disabilities to get the audiology care they need.”
    The Medicare Audiology Access Improvement Act is supported by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the Academy of Doctors of Audiology, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the American Academy of Audiology, the Hearing Loss Association of America, the Hearing Industries Association, the Vestibular Disorders Association, the American Tinnitus Association, the National Rural Health Association, and the National Association of Rural Health Clinics.
    “The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association thanks Senators Warren, Paul, and Grassley for their continued leadership to ensure seniors have more streamlined and robust access to hearing and balance care provided by audiologists,” said ASHA 2025 President Bernadette Mayfield-Clarke, Ph.D., CCC-SLP. “ASHA looks forward to supporting their efforts to remove unnecessary bureaucratic barriers that unfairly penalize seniors and prevent them from accessing critical hearing and balance care in a timely and cost-effective manner.”
    The American Academy of Audiology’s President Patricia Gaffney, AuD, MPH, stated, “The leadership of these three dedicated senators in advancing audiologic access nationwide reinforces the vital work audiologists do every day to improve hearing and balance health care. For patients, this legislation represents a meaningful step forward—ensuring timely access to the essential services needed for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of hearing and vestibular disorders.”
    “ADA applauds Senator Warren, Senator Paul, and Senator Grassley for championing the Medicare Audiology Access Improvement Act (MAAIA) to remove red tape so that seniors and individuals with disabilities have streamlined access to crucial hearing and balance healthcare services,” said Amyn Amlani, Ph.D., president of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA). “Eliminating burdensome pretreatment order requirements and classifying audiologists as Medicare practitioners will allow patients to receive timely, evidence-based care that improves communication, reduces fall risks, and enhances overall quality of life.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Ready Payday Loans offers Emergency Loans for Bad Credit with No Credit Check

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONG BEACH, Calif., June 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — For individuals facing urgent financial needs, Ready Payday Loans offers fast and reliable access to same-day loans online with no credit check. We are happy to announce our new partnership in June 2025 with lenders across the Nation offering Payday Advance Loans. Whether you’re managing medical bills, unexpected car repairs, or late rent, borrowers can now apply for payday loans online same day with instant approval—even if their credit history isn’t perfect. Our streamlined platform connects consumers with reputable lenders who prioritize speed, security, and simplicity. Below is a breakdown of the 5 same day loan partnerships available.

    Bad Credit Loans & Same Day Loan Options With Guaranteed Approval in June 2025

    Why Payday Loans Are a Smart Solution

    When emergencies arise, time is critical. Same-day loans online provide an immediate lifeline, giving borrowers access to fast cash without requiring a strong credit history. From same-day loans for bad credit to $255 payday loans online same day, the convenience and accessibility of these services make them a top choice in 2025.

    >>Apply for a Same Day Loan Now <<

    Popular Types of Emergency Loans You Can Apply for with Ready Payday Loans

    • $255 Payday Loans Online Same Day – Designed for small, urgent expenses, these loans offer fast approvals and same-day funding with no hard credit checks.
    • Same-Day Loans for Bad Credit – Even with poor credit, you can qualify for personal loans based on your income and ability to repay.
    • Emergency Same-Day Loans – Use these loans for urgent situations like medical emergencies, utility shutoffs, or unexpected repairs.
    • Cash App Loans With Same Day Deposit – Get up to $5,000 transferred directly to your Cash App or linked bank account.
    • Instant Cash Loans Online – Apply in minutes and receive same-day deposits into your account.
    • Same-Day Loans No Credit Check – These options allow you to borrow without impacting your credit score or requiring extensive documentation.

    Ideal for $255 Payday Loans Online Same Day No Credit Check

    For small but critical expenses, Ready Payday Loans connects you with lenders offering $255 payday loans online same day no credit check. The process is simple and fast—apply online, skip the paperwork, and get the funds you need within hours, not days.

    Recommended for Installment Loans for Bad Credit and Quick Deposit

    If your credit score is holding you back, Ready Payday Loans helps you secure same-day loans for bad credit by matching you with lenders who focus on income and employment—not your credit report. Fast deposits and flexible terms make this one of our top-performing services.

    Reliable Emergency Loans with Quick Approval

    Facing an unexpected financial crisis? Get same-day emergency loans with instant approval online from Ready Payday Loans. You’ll receive quick feedback, high approval odds, and funds delivered directly to your bank account, sometimes within the same business day.

    Best for Fast Approval No Credit Check Loans With High Approval Odds

    Our platform specializes in same-day no credit check loans guaranteed approval, ideal for anyone looking to avoid hard inquiries. With a wide network of lenders, we ensure your application is reviewed quickly so you can get approved and funded without delay.

    Great for Borrowing Money via Cash App With Same Day Deposit (Up to $5,000)

    Need access to larger funds fast? You can borrow money from Cash App online with same day deposit—up to $5,000—through Ready Payday Loans. Perfect for both personal and small business needs, this option offers flexibility and rapid disbursement through trusted payment systems.

    Getting Guaranteed Loans With Bad Credit in 2025

    In today’s economy, more Americans are turning to same-day loans for bad credit to handle emergencies. The best way to increase your approval chances is to apply through Ready Payday Loans, where lender decisions are based primarily on your monthly income and financial stability—not your FICO score.

    Contact
    Name: Neil at Ready Payday Loans
    Email: neil@readypaydayloans.com

    Disclaimer: The information provided here is for general informational purposes only. Ready Payday Loans does not offer financial advice. Loan availability and terms vary by state and lender. All services are for U.S. residents only.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Nimanode Surpasses Crypto Presales, Eyes 10X Growth Post-Launch as Major Investors Flock to the XRP DeFi Landscape

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LEEDS, United Kingdom, June 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nimanode, the first no-code AI agent platform built natively on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), is gaining momentum with its ongoing $NMA token presale.

    As investor confidence in AI infrastructure and XRP-based innovation grows, highly anticipated Nimanode (NMA) Presale has so far surpassed expectations, rapidly filling 20% of its softcap which has fuelled intense investor FOMO.

    Nimanode is drawing serious attention from early adopters seeking exposure to the next phase of Web3 automation.

    With anticipation of a major breakout post-launch, early participants are moving quickly to secure $NMA tokens at presale pricing.

    Join $NMA Presale

    Why the XRP Community Is Flocking to Nimanode

    Nimanode is capturing attention for good reason: it’s pioneering zero-code, on-chain AI agents that can automate complex blockchain tasks from deploying smart contracts and managing DeFi strategies to running real-time compliance checks and providing intelligent customer support.

    The platform’s unique value lies in its accessibility. Anyone regardless of coding ability can create and monetize autonomous AI agents, all powered by the speed and cost-efficiency of the XRPL.

    Unlike static automation or off-chain bots, Nimanode agents operate on-chain, interact with smart contracts, and generate on-chain earnings; creating a new form of programmable, decentralized labor.

    Presale Demand Up as Investors Target $NMA for 10X Growth

    Nimanode’s $NMA being the core utility engine of the Nimanode Ecosystem through its usage on the Nimanode Agent Marketplace and Agent Builder was not only what has drawn investors towards it. However with a capped supply of only 200 million $NMA tokens, built-in scarcity and strong long-term value potential are designed into its foundation.
    the core utility engine

    As the market is currently clouded by volatility and corrections, Nimanode’s presale is emerging as a rare bright spot. Sparking strong FOMO across the XRP community and beyond as investors position themselves early in what many believe could be the next 100X breakout on XRPL.

    To put it in perspective, XRP once saw an explosive 137,000% surge during the 2017–2018 bull market. Now, as the XRP ecosystem rebounds—with the token retracing back to $2.20—Nimanode’s emergence offers a timely opportunity to capture investor interest around intelligent automation, agent-powered DeFi, and tokenized real-world utilities built directly on XRPL.

    Market Analysts already predict strong upside upon exchange listing of $NMA as demand for agent-based infrastructure gains traction.

    This is a chance to invest in $NMA before its Listing at 25% higher than Presale value, however whales position for more as they eye a 10X surge on Launch.

    Join $NMA Presale

    Don’t Miss Out Nimanode Presale

    With a total of 90 million $NMA representing 45% of $NMA allocated for the presale, this marks a unique and promising chance to claim early access into one of XRP Ledger’s most innovative projects, spearheading the AI ecosystem on the blockchain.

    Joining in the NimaNode Presale is quite straightforward

    Purchase XRP: Acquire XRP from reputable exchanges like Binance, Coinbase, or Bybit

    Send to an XRP-Compatible Wallet: Ensure you have a non-custodial wallet capable of receiving XRP native tokens Xaman recommended.

    Participate in the Presale: Visit the NimaNode presale page (https://nimanode.com/presale), send your XRP to the provided presale address, and secure your $NMA tokens.

    As Nimanode Presale gains momentum, now is a perfect opportunity to position at the next wave of Blockchain innovation poised for massive gains through the integration of Web3 and AI.

    Connect with Nimanode

    Website: https://nimanode.com

    Twitter/X: https://x.com/nimanodeai

    Telegram: https://t.me/nimanodeAI

    Documentation: https://docs.nimanode.com

    Contact:
    Nick Lambert
    contact@nimanode.com

    Disclaimer: This is a paid post and is provided by Nimanode. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

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    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9691b2d8-cd8d-4daf-be45-417ac134a139

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: PFMCrypto’s “1-Day Mining Contract” Sales Surge 76% – $1 Million Giveaway Ignites Community Buzz

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEWARK, N.J., June 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PFMCrypto, the global leader in crypto asset management known for its cutting-edge AI mining technology, is entering a new era. The platform’s “1-day contract” product has seen a staggering 76% increase in sales over the past month, fueled by the trust and trial of millions of thousands of users.

    To mark this milestone, PFMCrypto has launched a massive $1 million giveaway, designed to fuel continued growth and reinforce the company’s active role in the trading and crypto communities. Every new user will receive a $10 bonus during this promotional event.

    Campaign page: https://pfmcrypto.net

    AI + Mining: PFMCrypto’s Real-World Impact
    PFMCrypto AI + mining is a remote cryptocurrency mining solution that supports a range of digital assets, Including BTC, LTC, XRP, DOGE. Users can use PFMCrypto’s mining power to earn income without investing in hardware or performing technical maintenance. Through access to high-powered mining farms, PFMCrypto enables users to benefit from ongoing crypto mining rewards as complex blockchain problems are solved in real time.

    Unlike speculative Web3 projects, PFMCrypto offers sustainable crypto asset management plans for traders in the crypto, forex, and futures markets. As the user base expands and monthly performance results continue to climb, the platform is earning trust through real, measurable success.

    May Trading Signal Performance:

    1-day contract strategy: +6.00% return

    5-day contract strategy: +6.15% return

    15-day contract strategy: +20.70% return

    30-day contract strategy: +55.6% return

    These are not hypothetical figures—they’re based on real feedback from millions of users.

    Simple Interface, Transparent Process
    As a continual innovator in the crypto mining space, PFMCrypto delivers a user-friendly experience so even beginners can easily manage their accounts.. Here’s what sets the platform apart:

    – Transparent pricing and returns for all contracts; new users can purchase with a single click.

    – Daily returns credited to users with zero fees—users keep 100% of their earnings, with no hidden costs.

    – 24/7 live support ensures that all inquiries are addressed in real time.

    PFMCrypto supports PCs, mobile phones, and tablets, offering multilingual services to over 9.2 million users in 192 countries and regions.

    Platform Advantages

    – Cutting-Edge Equipment: PFMCrypto uses top-tier mining hardware from manufacturers like Bitmain, Antminer, and other energy-efficient rigs to ensure stable and high-yield mining performance.

    – Legal and Globally Trusted: Operated by FCA-regulated Precision Financial Management (PFM) Ltd, PFMCrypto complies with all UK financial regulations and serves a global user base of over 9.2 million real users.

    – Multi-Crypto Support: Supports settlement in various popular cryptocurrencies including USDT-TRC20, BTC, ETH, LTC, USDC, BNB, USDT-ERC20, BCH, DOGE, SOL (Solana), XRP, and more.

    – Stable Daily Returns: Mining contracts yield daily returns, with principal automatically refunded upon contract expiration to protect investment security.

    – Advanced security protocols: PFM Crypto uses cold wallet storage, 2FA and smart contracts to ensure safety.

    – Affiliate Program: Invite friends and earn referral bonuses of up to $18,999.

    Limited-Time Offer: Claim Your $10 Bonus
    The bonus campaign runs until the full $1 million pool is distributed. New users who sign up before June 30 can claim their $10 reward immediately.

    About PFMCrypto
    PFMCrypto is operated by Precision Financial Management Ltd, a UK-registered and FCA-regulated entity (Company No. 11719896), headquartered in Leyland, England. Founded in 2018, PFMCrypto represents a new category of crypto platform—data-driven, performance-focused, and widely trusted. Backed by a global community of successful users, it stands out as one of this year’s most compelling digital asset opportunities for investors and traders seeking substance over hype.

    Full details and access: https://pfmcrypto.net

    Media Contact:

    Amelia Elspeth
    PFMcrypto
    info@pfmcrypto.net

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7d9ed186-1618-426f-aa68-f67a7fa0e3c8

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/41687fbb-9ae4-47c8-987e-46179efb953a

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Uganda Rallies Global Solidarity Against Oesophageal Cancer: Science, Innovation, and Diplomacy at the Heart of Progress

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    Download logo

    In a demonstration of Uganda’s growing commitment to collaborative Healthcare Diplomacy, the Uganda Embassy in Washington D.C. in partnership with the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI), and key stakeholders including AFRECC, Olympus, and Kyabiirwa Surgical Center, hosted a high-level esophageal Cancer Symposium at Four Points by Sheraton, Kampala. Under the theme “Leveraging Science, Innovation and Technology to Address the Burden of Esophageal Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa,” the event marked the culmination of a four-day health-focused agenda that began with specialized surgical training at Kyabiirwa Surgical Center in Jinja. Over 50 patients received treatment during the training phase, a tangible outcome underscoring the importance of applied science in addressing real-world health burdens.

    The symposium was not merely an academic exchange it was a convergence of minds from the health sector, diplomatic corps, academia, media, and private manufacturers, drawn together by a shared sense of responsibility. Beyond policy, the symposium made room for stories personal accounts of survivors, caregivers, and practitioners working in low-resource settings. It is this blend of policy, practice, and lived experience, which gave the event its distinct character and diplomatic weight. The event also served as a platform for discussing the broader socio-economic and cultural implications of non-communicable diseases. Presenters explored how public perceptions, behavior change, and even commercial industries such as tobacco and alcohol influence cancer rates. With emphasis on building resilient health systems, speakers called for a multi-sectoral approach that combines regulation, education, and innovation.

    In line with her Mission’s mandate to promote Science and Technology transfer under the four ATMS, Uganda’s Ambassador to the United States, Robie Kakonge, delivered remarks that reflected a nuanced understanding of global diplomacy in the health sector. “Cancer is not just a medical challenge it’s a deeply human one,” she said. “Each diagnosis is a story of hope, resilience, and the quiet strength of families and communities.” She underlined the critical role of technology in bridging geographic divides, emphasizing that embassies today function as both diplomatic posts and development facilitators. “With limited resources and high expectations, we walk a fine line. But strategic partnerships and shared responsibility remain our greatest assets,” she added.

    Amb. Kakonge’s remarks also recognized the essential roles of countries like Japan which has worked closely with the Uganda Cancer Institute and the United States, not as donors, but as co-creators of a shared future. Her appeal to “think beyond borders and budgets” framed cancer as a global development issue an approach that resonated strongly with international health experts and funders in attendance. Speaking with both humility and resolve, His Excellency Takuya Sasayama, the Ambassador of Japan to Uganda, who was also in attendance, reflected on the evolving collaboration between Japan and Uganda, which he described as “a journey of mutual respect and long-term investment in people.” The ambassador pointed to areas of growth, including health cooperation, coffee exports, and cultural exchange. He also acknowledged Japan’s contribution to Uganda’s infrastructure through projects like the donation of ambulances and medical equipment efforts he described as acts of friendship, not charity.

    “Our collaboration is not a project. It is a relationship,” he remarked, inviting partners to co-create solutions that transcend national interests and reflect a common vision for health, sustainability, and innovation. In his keynote address delivered on behalf of the Hon. Minister of Health, Dr. Charles Olaro, Director General of Health Services, echoed Uganda’s commitment to early detection, public education, and regional health equity. He emphasized the importance of HPV vaccination for girls under 14, and he urged stronger efforts to diagnose cancers at an earlier stage. “When we delay, we pay,” he stated, referencing the escalating costs both human and economic of late diagnosis. Dr. Olaro also pointed to growing mental health concerns and the need for integrated, community-based approaches in both cancer and psychosocial care.

    Dr. Jackson Orem, Executive Director of UCI, described the symposium as “a convergence of science, innovation, and diplomacy.” He stressed that Uganda’s cancer burden cannot be tackled in isolation. “We must draw on global partnerships not only for funding but for the co-creation of knowledge. Innovation must be localized, and science must be democratized,” he said. His remarks were received with deep resonance by the international delegations, many of whom had travelled to Kampala to affirm their support. As the curtains fall on this milestone gathering, one thing is clear: Uganda is not just hosting conversations it is shaping them. With its eyes firmly on the future and its feet grounded in regional realities, the country is emerging as a credible voice in the global dialogue on cancer care, resilience, and shared humanity. In a world grappling with health inequities, Uganda’s call is simple yet profound: “Let us heal together.”

    – on behalf of The Republic of Uganda – Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Young People Are ‘Worthy Ambassadors of Friendship’ Between China and Central Asia

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    ASTANA, June 14 (Xinhua) — Young people are the hope for the future. In recent years, cooperation between China and Central Asian countries has rapidly expanded and deepened, with a series of key initiatives promoting the development of the younger generation, strengthening mutual understanding between peoples, and working for the long term.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping has responded to letters from Central Asian students studying in China, encouraging them to be ambassadors of friendship and bridges of cooperation, supported joint Chinese-Kazakh universities, strengthened exchanges between young generations, encouraged mutual understanding, and promoted the joint development of the Lu Ban Workshops between China and Central Asian countries, opening the way to a brighter future for more and more young people from the region. The attention and care of the Chinese President have inspired young people to make new contributions to building a closer community with a shared future for China and Central Asia, and filled their common development and prosperity with youthful energy.

    CHAIRMAN XI JINPING’S ORDER

    “President Xi Jinping told us: be worthy ambassadors of friendship and bridges of cooperation between China and Central Asia. This is his order for us and at the same time a sign of trust,” young Turkmen Rakhman Bayramdurdyev recalls with excitement how he received a reply letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping two years ago.

    In 2023, Rahman, who was then a graduate student at the China University of Petroleum (Beijing), wrote a collective letter to the Chinese President along with his comrades from Central Asian countries. The young people shared their impressions of studying and living in China, expressed their desire to learn, strengthen cooperation, and contribute to building a community with a common future for China and Central Asia.

    “I remember my classmates and I were very excited when we received a response from Chairman Xi Jinping!” says Rahman.

    Rahman began his student life at the China University of Petroleum back in 2010. Over the course of 13 years, the young man successively completed undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate programs. At the time of receiving the letter from Xi Jinping, he was preparing to defend his dissertation and thinking about his future after graduation.

    “The friendship between China and Central Asian countries should be developed and passed on from generation to generation by more and more determined and active young people. You are not only witnesses and beneficiaries of the relations between China and Central Asia, but also their creators and disseminators,” these warm and encouraging words of the PRC leader strengthened Rahman’s determination to become an ambassador of China and Central Asian culture.

    The young man decided to stay in China and became an employee of the Institute of International Education of the China University of Petroleum /Beijing/. “I want to share my experience with other students from Central Asia and other countries, help them get to know China and understand it better,” he says.

    “I am always available,” is how Rahman describes his nearly two-year tenure at the institute. He helps new international students overcome language barriers and cope with everyday difficulties, schedules classes, and monitors exams and academic performance. In this intense but fulfilling job, Rahman has witnessed the growth and development of international students in China and gained a deeper understanding of the friendly relations between China and Central Asia.

    “Studying and living in China over the years has completely changed me, shaped me,” says Rahman.

    According to Yu Donghai, deputy director of the Institute of International Education at China University of Petroleum (Beijing), the university maintains extensive cooperation with educational institutions in Central Asian countries. Over the past twenty years, more than two thousand students from the region have studied here, and they now play an active role in strengthening exchanges and cooperation between China and Central Asian countries in many areas.

    June is graduation time. One of the authors of the letter to President Xi Jinping, student Mohammed Polat, is about to complete an unforgettable education in China. In eight years, he went from a preparatory course where he did not speak a word of Chinese to a master’s degree in business management and fluency in the language. “Studying in China changed my life,” he says with sincere gratitude.

    The 24-year-old Kazakh is looking forward to the second China-Central Asia summit. He hopes that more young people from Central Asia will be able to come to China to study, and Chinese companies will be able to work more actively in the region. “I am ready to contribute to building a bridge of friendship,” says Mukhammed.

    PROMOTING FRIENDSHIP DEVELOPMENT

    In recent years, in the context of sustainable development of cooperation with China in all areas, interest in this country and its language has been growing in Central Asian countries. “I decided to study Chinese because I consider it the language of the future,” Yerasyl Mukhtaruly, a student at the Kazakhstan branch of Beijing Language and Culture University, told Xinhua.

    In July 2024, when Xi Jinping visited Kazakhstan, he and the country’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev attended the opening ceremony of the Kazakhstan branch of Beijing Language and Culture University. Astana International University President Serik Irsaliev still remembers that day well.

    According to him, the attention of the heads of the two states is “very high responsibility”. “This year, about 100 of our students are completing their studies at the branch on language courses. After that, they will take the HSK exam and determine their future profession,” said S. Irsaliev.

    Yerasyl, 20, is one of the first students at the branch. He studied Chinese for almost nine months in preparatory courses. It was difficult at first, but the young man increasingly felt the depth of Chinese culture and understood better what he was striving for in life.

    The student recalls that at first he often made mistakes in tones, and the countless hieroglyphs were difficult to remember. “I have to spend more than an hour or even two hours every day studying hieroglyphs. I have to write them every day. Speaking practice also helps,” he said, adding that he is gradually overcoming difficulties.

    In the future, he plans to work in the fields of translation, international business or diplomacy. “I believe that everyone who studies Chinese contributes to the development of friendship between Kazakhstan and China,” Yerasyl noted.

    An unusual relic is kept behind glass in the Kazakhstan branch of Beijing Language and Culture University: a copy of President K.-Zh. Tokayev’s student ID card, which he obtained when he briefly studied abroad at Beijing Language and Culture University. Local students are very proud to have studied at the same university as the head of state. “President Tokayev also studied at Beijing Language and Culture University, which is of particular importance to us,” said Alina Abildinova, who is attending preparatory language courses.

    She told Xinhua that she loves Chinese tea culture and hopes to have the opportunity to study and work in China in the future. “Modern China can provide young people with various opportunities, allowing us to confidently move into the future,” she said.

    A VALUABLE PRACTICE OPPORTUNITY

    In the training lab of Lu Ban’s Workshop in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, about ten local students are working intently with measuring instruments under the guidance of a teacher. This is the “youngest” Lu Ban Workshop in Central Asia – it opened in October last year.

    Last July, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov in Astana during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. During the meeting, he stressed that the two sides should make full use of platforms such as the Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Center for Chinese Culture, and the Lu Ban Workshop in Kyrgyzstan to cultivate new successors to the Chinese-Kyrgyz friendly cooperation.

    The workshop was created through the joint efforts of the Zhejiang Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower and the Kyrgyz State Technical University named after I. Razzakov. Over the course of more than six months of its operation, more than four thousand students have received technical training here.

    Head of Lu Ban Workshop Akylbek Chymyrov told Xinhua that the country is experiencing a serious shortage of engineering personnel in areas such as hydropower, electrical engineering, road and bridge construction. At the same time, infrastructure projects for the construction of hydroelectric power plants, highways are being actively implemented, and construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway has begun. “The main advantage is that we are training highly qualified personnel together with our Chinese partners. Students receive modern knowledge, study modern technologies and standards,” he says.

    “Here we learn how to use the latest surveying instruments and equipment, and we also study drone technologies, which is new and very interesting for us,” said Aalybek uulu Erbol, a second-year student at the Kyrgyz State Technical University named after I. Razzakov, studying geodesy. According to him, the technical equipment makes the workshop especially attractive, which is rare at other universities. “This practical opportunity is very valuable for us,” he emphasized.

    The Chinese leader has always paid great attention and supported the establishment of “Lu Ban Workshops” in the Central Asian countries. In May 2023, in his keynote speech at the China-Central Asia Summit, he especially noted the need to increase the number of “Lu Ban Workshops” in the Central Asian states. To date, the “Lu Ban Workshop” in Tajikistan has been successfully operating for more than two years, preparations are underway to open a second workshop in Kazakhstan, and the first workshop in Uzbekistan was opened last year. These projects are actively promoted throughout Central Asia and contribute to the training of personnel for the socio-economic development and modernization of the countries in the region.

    “Lu Ban Workshop”, established by the East Kazakhstan Technical University named after D. Serikbayev jointly with the Tianjin Vocational Institute, began operations in December 2023 and became the first in Kazakhstan. In recent years, Chinese car brands have become increasingly popular in Kazakhstan. Taking into account the future need for specialists in the automotive industry, maintenance and repair, the Kazakh side chose the automotive industry as the main direction of training in this workshop.

    “Lu Ban’s Workshop gives students the opportunity to immediately move from theory to practice,” notes Anasyr Mirashev, head of the workshop at the D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University. “The teacher can demonstrate everything visually, and the students can do all the work with their own hands. This gives them great opportunities.”

    “I chose Lu Ban’s Workshop because it is the most promising project today,” says second-year master’s student Ilyas Isakanov. He said that thanks to training at the workshop, he became familiar with the latest technologies in the automotive industry and hopes to use the knowledge he gained in the future to help more people. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Gender Parity & Tokenization Explained | WEF | Top Stories Week

    Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

    This week’s top stories of the week include:

    0:15 Gender parity: who leads the way? – Only 10 countries have closed their gender gaps by 80% or more – and Iceland, which has retained top spot for the 16th year in a row, is the only one to have surpassed the 90% mark. The Global Gender Gap Report 2025 tracks progress on #genderparity across 4 dimensions in 148 countries. Women’s inclusion at work is about more than a moral principle: it has been proven to drive economic growth.

    2:41 Tokenization, explained – The traditional world of investing is getting an update, with the arrival of something called ‘tokenization’. Tokenization means creating digital representations of assets via the blockchain so they can be traded, tracked and managed more easily. The tokens are effectively ‘digital deeds’, says Larry Fink, the CEO of BlackRock. But what are the advantages of tokens?

    4:26 How robots stopped an eco disaster – A software platform powered by AI uses the data to build a precise digital model, which can give astonishingly detailed insights into the health and integrity of vital infrastructure such as bridges and power plants, and can ultimately save lives, cut the costs and risks associated with maintenance, and reduce CO2 emissions. Jake Loosararian, Co-founder and CEO, Gecko Robotics, explains how it all works.

    8:30 How one town saved its reef – From near collapse to a conservation miracle: Cabo Pulmo’s ancient reef was dying 30 years ago. Today, it’s a thriving underwater paradise fuelling wildlife and local ecotourism. How did it happen? Collaboration – between government, scientists and the local community.
    ____________________________________________

    The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.

    World Economic Forum Website ► http://www.weforum.org/
    Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/
    YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/wef
    Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/worldeconomicforum/ 
    Twitter ► https://twitter.com/wef
    LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-economic-forum
    TikTok ► https://www.tiktok.com/@worldeconomicforum
    Flipboard ► https://flipboard.com/@WEF

    #WorldEconomicForum

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba-AivAFxAk

    MIL OSI Video –

  • Centre announces extended scrutiny of Boeing Dreamliner 787 series aircraft present in Indian fleet

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued an order to extend the scrutiny of Boeing Dreamliner 787 series aircraft in the Indian fleet, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said on Saturday.

    Naidu further stated that around eight Boeing 787 aircraft have already been scrutinised and inspected with immediate urgency.

    Addressing a press conference, the Union Minister said, “We have very strict safety standards in the country. When the incident happened, we felt there was a need to conduct extended surveillance of the Boeing 787 series. The DGCA has issued an order for extended surveillance of these planes. There are 34 Boeing 787 aircraft in the Indian fleet today. I believe eight have already been inspected, and the rest will be done with immediate urgency.”

    “Furthermore, as the investigation progresses and the report comes in, we will take all necessary steps. Without any hesitation, we are committed to implementing every measure required to enhance safety,” he added.

    The Minister also informed that Air India has been instructed to assist the families of the passengers in every possible way. He said the bodies are being handed over to the respective families after DNA confirmation and expressed hope that the process would be completed soon.

    “It is very heart-wrenching to hear the stories of those who lost their lives. We have instructed Air India to assist the families in every way possible. DNA testing is underway to identify the bodies, which are being handed over to the families upon confirmation. The government of Gujarat is coordinating this process. While we aim to complete it as soon as possible, we must follow all necessary documentation and procedural protocols. We are ensuring there are no lapses in the process,” he said.

    On June 12, Air India Flight AI-171, a Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad International Airport. Of the 242 people on board, only one survived.

    Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said the crash, which left 241 people dead, has shaken the entire nation.

    “The last two days have been very difficult, especially for the ministry and everyone involved. The incident in Ahmedabad has shaken the entire nation. My deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. I personally lost my father in a road accident, so to some extent, I understand the pain and anguish the families are going through,” he said.

    “It was a moment of shock when we first heard the news. Despite the disbelief, I personally rushed to the site to oversee the response and determine what support was needed. By the time we arrived, the Gujarat government was already on the ground conducting rescue operations,” he added.

    The Minister highlighted that the recovery of the black box from the crash site was crucial to the investigation.

    “The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which was established specifically to investigate aircraft incidents and accidents, was immediately mobilised. A key development from the ongoing technical investigation is the recovery of the black box from the site around 5 p.m. yesterday. The AAIB team believes decoding the black box will provide in-depth insight into what occurred during the crash or just moments before. We are eagerly awaiting the results of the AAIB’s full investigation,” he said.

    The Central government has already constituted a high-level multidisciplinary committee to examine the causes leading to the crash of Flight AI-171.

    Earlier in the day, officials from the AAIB arrived in Ahmedabad, where the London-bound Air India flight had crashed. The AAIB, under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, is responsible for investigating aircraft accidents in India and has launched a formal investigation into the incident.

    ANI