NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA – Religious deception in human trafficking: Victims passed off as “pilgrims” and “missionaries”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Wednesday, 9 April 2025

    Bangkok (Agenzia Fides) – There is a new, insidious stratagem used by human traffickers in organizing trafficking, preparing, and involving victims, in order to evade airport controls: passing themselves off as missionaries, especially Christians, traveling for religious reasons, or using the definition of “pilgrims” traveling for reasons of faith. This is a phenomenon that the Philippine and Thai police have revealed after investigations and wiretaps, which documented various episodes in which the “religious cover” had been uncovered.The Philippine police reported that three women (aged 23, 25, and 50) were attempting to board a flight to Singapore, with a stopover in Thailand, identifying themselves as “missionaries,” “volunteers belonging to the Catholic Church, for missionary work in Thailand.” Due to certain inconsistencies in their documents, and after further investigations and questioning, the truth was revealed: the older woman, who claimed to be a “preacher,” was one of the organizers of an illegal trafficking of women to Thailand. Seduced by “a teaching job,” the two young women allegedly fell into a criminal network and ended up fueling prostitution. The police explained the system whereby a regular traveler, acting as a smuggler, accompanies groups of passengers under false pretenses, who become victims of trafficking. Coordinated police action across the borders of Southeast Asian countries (the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia) led to the arrest of smugglers involved in trafficking networks.In its end-of-2024 report, the Philippine Bureau of Immigration reported 998 victims of human trafficking during the year and identified several activities and schemes such as fake pilgrimages, arranged marriages, and surrogacy. Often, victims, lured, particularly through social media, end up employed in slave labor in the so-called “scam cities” in Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar.The Catholic Foundation PREDA (People’s Recovery, Empowerment, and Development Assistance), founded in the Philippines by Father Shay Cullen, an Irish Catholic missionary and member of the Missionary Society of St. Columbanus, has denounced the fact that many young Filipino women were lured by fake, well-paid job offers and transported to Burma, where they faced threats and abuse and were forced to work in slave-like conditions. In the Philippines, the Philippine Interfaith Movement Against Human Trafficking (PIMAHT)—which brings together representatives of the major Christian, Muslim, and Buddhist communities—praised the efforts of the police and government and reaffirmed their commitment to combating child trafficking and sexual exploitation. Father Bryand Restituto, Assistant to the Secretary General of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, strongly condemned individuals and trafficking networks that exploit vulnerable populations and use language, clothing, and presumed religious practices to commit criminal acts.In Thailand, among the nuns committed to the fight against trafficking, Sister Marie Agnes Buasap of the Hospitaller Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres, as coordinator of the Talitha Kum Thailand network, promotes awareness among young people, families, teachers, and educators. Talitha Kum is also involved in the reception and reintegration of victims. Catholic communities in Southeast Asian nations, where the phenomenon of human trafficking is particularly widespread and deep-rooted, renewed their commitment on the Day of Prayer and Commitment against Human Trafficking, which the Church celebrates on February 8, the feast of Saint Josephine Bakhita. Catholic associations are promoting innovative strategies, especially in schools, by integrating anti-trafficking education into the curriculum. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 9/4/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/ZAMBIA – Controversy over the proposed constitutional amendments

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Lusaka (Agenzia Fides) – “Constitutional reform is not a priority but, on the contrary, constitutes a mass distraction from the nation’s real problems.” This is the meaning of the statement by the Archdiocese of Lusaka Presbyteral Council on the proposed constitutional amendments announced on September 13 of last year by President Hakainde Hichilema.”The Archdiocese of Lusaka Presbyteral Council notes with dismay and concern the government’s persistent strategy to divert the population’s attention from important and urgent national issues by using, among other strategies, the proposal of constitutional amendments,” says the statement published on the official account of the Archdiocese of Lusaka. Among the “important and urgent national issues,” the Archdiocese of Lusaka Presbyteral Council lists: “The high cost of living, the crippling energy crisis, food insecurity, youth unemployment, divisive politics, reduced revenues from the mining sector, increased arrests and illegal detention of opposition politicians, selective efforts to combat corruption, nepotism, a lack of medicines, and the deplorable state of health facilities.””Therefore, constitutional amendment is not a national priority in the current context and time.” The Council urges “the government to immediately abandon the proposed constitutional amendments and instead focus on the pressing national issues of concern to the majority of Zambians.”After recalling that the current government majority contributed to drafting the Constitution that came into effect in 2016, the statement asserts that “we are not facing a constitutional crisis, nor a compelling historical opportunity or event that justifies amending the Republican Constitution. In fact, this government has failed to keep its political promises!” The statement by the Archdiocese of Lusaka Presbyteral Council prompted a stance from several lay members of the faithful who serve in President Hakainde Hichilema’s cabinet. In a reply signed, among others, by Defense Minister Ambrose Lufuma, the Catholic lay members of the government stated: “We, members of the Roman Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Lusaka, who also hold various government positions, wish to express our deep dismay at the letter in circulation, presumably written by the Archdiocese of Lusaka Presbyteral Council, regarding the proposed constitutional amendments. We wish to clarify that the opinions expressed in this letter do not reflect our collective position on this important nation-building process.” (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 9/4/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Jan Frait: Monetary policy analysis at the crossroads – insights from central banks’ reviews

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Introductory remarks for the Panel Discussion

    It is a great honour for me to chair the second panel today, in which we move further towards research and academic thinking. In particular, we will focus on the analytical and modelling frameworks used by central banks to support monetary policy decision-making.

    Before we do so, I’d like to start by introducing myself as a monetary policymaker with some personal statistics. I have attended more than 200 monetary policy meetings in one capacity or another. As a board member, I have voted 93 times – 31 times for a cut and only twice for a hike. That looks pretty dovish, for sure. On the other hand, for 87% of the time I’ve been voting on interest rates, the relevant monetary policy rate has been higher than headline inflation. This appears more hawkish. Well, things are really state-dependent.

    No matter how long or how many times I’ve done this, I still consider myself a young apprentice, caught between Scylla and Charybdis – to borrow a lyric from one of my favourite bands, The Police. I approach decision-making with plenty of humility. In other words, even after all these years, much of what goes on in the economy remains to some extent a mystery to me. I don’t feel I understand macroeconomic dynamics much better than I did 20 years ago.

    When I was a student, macroeconomics and monetary theory textbooks described monetary policy as more of an art than a science. By the time I joined the Czech National Bank at the beginning of the century, it was a different story. Monetary policy had been operating under the then-new inflation-targeting regime for two years. Decision-making was increasingly based on a modelling framework derived from New Keynesian macroeconomics, which had gained the status of a fully-fledged science. Whether or not it actually deserved it was never discussed at the time.

    One of the key aspects of this new paradigm was the belief that vague monetary policy objectives such as “sound money”, “monetary stability”, and “macroeconomic stability” should be replaced by the more concrete objective of price stability – ideally in the form of a specific numerical inflation target expressed as growth in the consumer price index.

    After more than a quarter of a century of experience with this approach, I’m inclined to think that, as usual, we romantically overestimated its capacity. The primary monetary policy objective started to be viewed too narrowly. The focus on a specific number was opportunistically misused to maintain extremely low interest rates and highly supportive monetary policy in times of positive supply shocks, even when there weren’t always strong macroeconomic grounds for doing so.

    In many countries, monetary policy became rather asymmetric. A regime designed to prevent time inconsistency in monetary policy often ended up fostering it. I constantly heard the argument, “It doesn’t matter that inflation is currently above the target. It’ll soon return to it thanks to anchored expectations.” Yet as soon as inflation dropped below the target, the rhetoric changed to, “There’s a threat of deflation. We need to have extremely low rates or use other instruments to ease monetary and financial conditions.”

    This was despite – or maybe even because of – the fact that monetary policy in developed countries had become a very powerful tool of economic policy. A tool on which hopes are pinned whenever sentiment worsens and economic activity slows. The models we use to assess and forecast macroeconomic developments undoubtedly encourage such hopes.

    In the summer of 2002, the Czech National Bank introduced a small-scale, semi-structural, gap-based model called the Quarterly Projection Model (QPM) for forecasting and analysis. QPM was a big step forward. It taught experts and board members to apply a model-consistent approach to macroeconomic policy. In a converging economy with a nominally appreciating currency and a rapidly developing financial sector, it was, of course, difficult for the model to explain everything that was happening. Frustration with the model outcomes began to mount when global macroeconomic volatility surged in 2007 amid large financial imbalances.

    I was no longer at the monetary policy coalface at that time, as between 2007 and 2022, I worked in financial stability and macroprudential policy. My only monetary policy-related legacy from this period can be seen on the webpage about “the mandate of the Czech National Bank”, which states: “Through the joint action of monetary policy and macroprudential policy, we contribute to maintaining confidence in the value of the Czech koruna and safeguarding the stability of the macroeconomic environment.” We keep doing so.

    Frustration with predictions probably drove the decision to switch hastily to a New Keynesian DSGE model in the summer of 2008. Maybe there were other reasons, but the Czech National Bank’s representatives did not expand on them at the time. Then the Global Financial Crisis erupted, and there was no longer any time for such discussions.

    It’s no secret that I never considered it beneficial to replace the semi-structural model with the DSGE model as the sole approach for macroeconomic forecasting. Not because I dislike one theory or model over another, but because theories and models are valuable to a central bank only to the extent that they facilitate an informed and sufficiently comprehensive debate – one that helps us understand the evolving economic story in the short, medium, and long run.

    Basing monetary policy decision-making solely on the microeconomically consistent but economically limited New Keynesian DSGE model ultimately narrowed the debate. The process became more automatic, and the decision-making appeared easier. The dilemmas that board members typically face became less visible. They were obscured by the standard linearization around the inflation target, which is typical of New Keynesian models. We tended to overestimate the impact of short-term interest rate changes while underestimating the effects of our powerful communication on long-term interest rates and asset markets. Paradoxically, this more “scientific” approach resulted in greater discretion in decision-making – and in sizeable unintended effects.

    Today, in 2025, we are a little more enlightened. The recent wave of inflation was a kind of blessing in disguise. It reminded us that monetary policy is still an art as well as a science. It taught us that the primary purpose of macroeconomic analysis is to distinguish fundamental trends from temporary fluctuations, local peculiarities from global phenomena, and supply shocks from demand shifts. It helps monetary policymakers be principled yet flexible in challenging times, especially during geopolitical and economic turbulence.

    In this context, it’s only natural that many inflation-targeting central banks are considering changes to their monetary policy frameworks. More than a year ago, the CNB also decided to undertake an external review of its monetary policy analytical and modelling framework – the first such review in its history. We commissioned three independent reviews to gain a comprehensive perspective. And we got it. Two of the three reviewers accepted our invitation to join this panel.

    Before I introduce the panellists, I’d like to make another musical analogy. I belong to a generation where many were briefly fascinated by jazz-rock – virtuoso musicians playing a lot of notes very fast. Amazing at first listen, still entertaining at the third, but for most of us, boring by the tenth – because the music lacked variation in mood, timbre, and rhythm. Then bands like The Police came along – jazz-trained musicians playing simple yet original songs in a technically brilliant yet energetic way, capturing the zeitgeist. With stops and double stops. Leaving plenty of space for the imagination.

    I’d be glad if this approach became more widespread in the modelling we do to support monetary policy decision-making. We need analyses that are technically rigorous yet responsive to economic, social, and political dynamics – driven by emotion and belief, scepticism and conviction, avarice and altruism. To achieve this, we must diversify our thinking, remain open to adjusting our mindsets when major shifts occur, and invest in people who can develop alternative models and implement fresh ideas from academic research. We should be open to semi-structural, DSGE, agent-based, and other sorts of models, and use them in a way that improves our understanding of sometimes enigmatic developments in the economy.

    Now I will truly hand over the mic to the power trio here today, who – except for one member – also happened to fly in from Britain. They all pay great attention to similar issues while differing in their methodological approaches.

    John Muellbauer is a Senior Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Professor of Economics, and a Senior Fellow at the Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford.

    He earned his undergraduate degree from Cambridge University and his doctorate from the University of California. John has collaborated with legendary macroeconomists and econometrists such as Charles Goodhart, David Hendry, Peter Sinclair, and Adrian Pagan. He has also served as a consultant for the Bank of England, HM Treasury, the South African Reserve Bank, and, more recently, the Czech National Bank. In 2024, he conducted a review of the Czech National Bank’s analytical framework for policy analysis and forecasting, assessing its core and satellite models as part of an integrated approach to monetary policymaking.

    Roman Šustek is a Reader in Economics at Queen Mary University of London and a Research Associate at the Centre for Macroeconomics at the London School of Economics. His research focuses on housing, mortgage finance, monetary policy, and the term structure of interest rates. He transitioned to academia after five years as an economist in the Monetary Assessment and Strategy Division of the Bank of England. He earned his PhD from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University, following an earlier role as an economist at the Czech National Bank in Prague. As part of the 2024 Czech National Bank monetary policy review, Roman contributed to the assessment of macroeconomic forecasting models and processes used in policy analysis. In his research and writings, Roman often focuses on the same topics as John, in particular on the links between household consumption, house prices, and mortgage regulation. These are ultimately the topics that were viewed as rather important by the BIS economists under our keynote speaker-Claudio Borio.

    Jakub Matějů is the Deputy Executive Director of the Monetary Department at the Czech National Bank and the Acting Director of the department’s Macroeconomic Forecasting Division. He is also temporarily heading the Monetary Department. His research and policy work focuses on macroeconomic forecasting and monetary policy. Before his current role, he worked as an economist in the CNB’s Monetary Department. He later joined the European Central Bank and served as a senior economist in the analytical team of Komerční banka. In 2019, he returned to the CNB as an adviser to the Bank Board and has been the Deputy Executive Director of the Monetary Department since 2023. Jakub has received several Czech Economic Society Young Economist awards and the CNB’s Economic Research Award for his research. He earned his PhD in Economics from CERGE-EI, following his studies at the Institute of Economic Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Politics with Michelle Grattan: Hugh White on what the next PM should tell Trump and defending Australia – without the US

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    The Trump ascendancy has forced international economic issues and the future strategic outlook onto the Australian election agenda, even if they are at the margins.

    This campaign – while dominated by domestic issues, notably the cost of living – is being conducted against the background of an extraordinarily volatile external situation, with major implications for Australia’s future.

    To discuss these issues, we were joined on the podcast by Hugh White, Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at the Australian National University. White is one of Australia’s foremost thinkers on defence policy, China and the region. His long career includes serving as an adviser to then federal defence minister Kim Beazley.

    White regards US President Donald Trump as a “revolutionary figure”:

    I think Trump is a genuinely revolutionary character, and not just his impact on American domestic politics and economics, I also think he has a huge impact on global strategic affairs. And the reason for that is that he does have a fundamentally different view of America’s place in the world than that of what we might call a Washington establishment.

    Donald Trump is really a kind of an old-fashioned isolationist. That is, he believes America’s strategic focus should be on the Western Hemisphere […] For example, in Ukraine he’s happy to see Russia assert itself as a great power in Eastern Europe. In Asia, I think, despite his reputation as a China hawk on economic issues, he doesn’t have any problem with China asserting itself as a great power in East Asia. He’s for these other great powers to dominate their backyards, just the way he wants America to dominate its backyard in the Western Hemisphere.

    Yet White doesn’t believe either Labor or the Coalition is taking defence seriously in this election.

    It’s not being treated as a real issue in the campaign, and that’s because both sides have determined that it won’t, and what underpins that is the absolutely rock-solid bipartisanship between the two of them on every significant issue. And I think that’s a very serious problem for Australia because at a time when our strategic circumstances are changing dramatically […] neither side has any inclination to have a serious conversation about what that means, why it’s happening, what we should be doing about it,

    A lot of the blame for that lies with the Labor Party, because it seems to me Labor’s political approach to the whole question of foreign affairs and defence for a very long time now has focused on minimising differences with the Coalition.

    While White agrees Australia needs new submarines, and quickly, he doesn’t think they should be nuclear-powered, as promised under AUKUS. He thinks we should leave AUKUS.

    We should have started building replacements for the [Collins-class submarine] around about 2010 or 2012. So we’re well over a decade late and I do think there’s a real risk that we’re going to lose our submarine capability altogether. But the way to solve that is not to push ahead spending billions and billions of dollars on a project which, even if it works, delivers the submarines we don’t need, and which is very unlikely to deliver any submarines at all.

    We’re past looking for a perfect submarine. We just need to get any submarine at all so we can keep some capability running and then once we have that running, we need to have a really focused programme. We need ministers to really tell Defence what to do, focus programmes to develop a follow on to the Collins-class design, because that’s the design we already know best in the world and to start building a new class of evolved Collins.

    After the May 3 election, when the next prime minister meets the US president to talk trade, defence and more, what should Anthony Albanese or Peter Dutton tell Trump? White says:

    Trump is very hard to handle. I don’t think there’s any magic formula that an Australian prime minister can utter, which makes Trump into either a more acceptable, economic partner for Australia or a more reliable strategic partner for Australia, because the forces that are driving America out of Asia are much bigger than Donald Trump.

    The most important thing an Australian political leader could say to Trump when he first meets him is, look, we understand where you’re coming from. We are happy to take responsibility for our own security. We don’t expect you to stay engaged in Asia to look after us in future. What we want you to do is to help us manage that transition as best we can and we’re prepared to pay for what we get.

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

    – ref. Politics with Michelle Grattan: Hugh White on what the next PM should tell Trump and defending Australia – without the US – https://theconversation.com/politics-with-michelle-grattan-hugh-white-on-what-the-next-pm-should-tell-trump-and-defending-australia-without-the-us-254197

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Election Diary: Chalmers and Taylor quizzed on personal flaws during animated treasurers’ debate

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    Perhaps the most compelling moment, at least for non-economists, in Wednesday night’s debate between Treasurer Jim Chalmers and his “shadow” Angus Taylor was when each man was forced to respond to what critics see as their personal flaws.

    Moderator Ross Greenwood, Sky’s business editor, put to Chalmers that people say “you’ve got a bit of a glass jaw, that you don’t cop criticism well”.

    “I think over time I’ve learned to understand that you take the good with the bad,” Chalmers responded, looking taken aback. “I think I’ve learnt over time to focus on the objective observers of the job that I’m doing and I think ultimately the Australian people will judge that rather than the kind of partisan commentators from time to time.”

    Taylor was told that “some people suggest that maybe you don’t put the work in”.

    “Well, you know, there’s lots of free advice in this game,” Taylor said. “You get it, Jim gets it, we all get it. But I tell you what, I work every single day for those hardworking Australians who work in Jim’s electorate, in my electorate, right around Australia […] I come from a hardworking family.”

    In the debate – a livelier encounter than Tuesday’s one between the leaders – the weapons of past promises were liberally deployed. Taylor invoked Labor’s unrealised $275 cut in power bills. Chalmers reached back to Tony Abbott’s pledge of no cuts to health and education, alleging a secret plan for cuts to pay for the Coalition’s nuclear scheme.

    The hour was filled with claims, counter claims, disputed figures, and accusations of lies.

    In the judgement of University of Canberra economist John Hawkins, Chalmers performed the better of the two.

    “He stayed on message, arguing the economy was improving, and the budget was in better shape than what he inherited. Given times of global uncertainty, he argued for a steady hand,” Hawkins said.

    “Angus Taylor was critical of economic conditions over the past three years but weak on what needed to be done differently, other than a temporary cut to the fuel tax and lower immigration. He did not effectively rebut Chalmers’ repeated claim that the Coalition stood for higher income tax, lower wages and no ongoing cost of living relief.

    “Taylor repeated [Opposition Leader Peter] Dutton’s unconvincing claim that under the Liberals, Australia would be virtually the only country in the world exempted from the Trump tariffs.

    “Chalmers thought the global tariff war would reduce Australia’s economic growth but not push us into recession. I thought he may have pointed out that in the global financial crisis Australia was one of the few OECD countries to avoid recession – and he was one of [former treasurer] Wayne Swan’s key advisers at the time, giving him some very relevant experience.”

    Business feels neglected

    Business, especially big business, is feeling somewhat neglected in this election. On April 20, business groups are joining to call for a commitment to a pro-business agenda.

    In letters to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Dutton and parliamentarians generally, the groups argue Australia has “one of the least competitive tax systems among comparable nations. We’ve burdened our economic engine room with countless new pieces of regulation and red tape. And the prosperity of all Australians suffers while our productivity lags.”

    Who fired up US senator Mark Warner on Australia’s tariff woes?

    Australia is bracing for a fresh tariff strike from US President Donald Trump, after he declared this week that “we’re going to be announcing a major tariff on pharmaceuticals”.

    Australia exports about $2 billion in pharmaceuticals to the United States, including $1.8 billion of blood products. These exports make up less than 0.3% of our goods exports to the world.

    Pharmaceuticals were set aside in last week’s tariff round for later consideration. In that round, Australia was only subject to the 10% general tariff.

    The US pharmaceutical industry hates the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, under which the government purchases drugs, leading to prices for Australians being cheaper than in the US. Both sides of politics say they wouldn’t compromise the PBS.

    Meanwhile, in Washington, Australia’s cause for an exemption from the 10% tariff has found a friend in Democratic Senator Mark Warner.

    In the Senate finance committee on Tuesday (Washington time) Warner quizzed US trade representative Jamieson Greer on why an ally had been badly treated.

    Why did Australia get “whacked”, Warner wanted to know, given the US has a trade surplus with it, and a free trade agreement. Besides, “they are an incredibly important national security partner”.

    Greer was unmoved. “Despite the agreement, they ban our beef, they ban our pork, they’re getting ready to impose measures on our digital companies.”

    So who is Warner, and why is he standing up for us? Bruce Wolpe, senior fellow at the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney and author of Trump’s Australia, says Warner, a long-time senator with a background in the tech industry, is a “low-key moderate”. He is a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over trade, and the Select Committee on Intelligence. Warner is a supporter of AUKUS.

    “Someone briefed his staff [on the treatment of Australia] and it paid off,” Wolpe speculates. “Someone saw this was a chance the confront the US trade representative about Australia. They did a great job. It was terrific. It was a direct hit.” No one knows whether the hand of Kevin Rudd might have been involved.

    Industry Minister Ed Husic told the ABC: “I reckon I might see if I can get an honorary Order of Australia for senator Warner. Good on him. I like the cut of his jib. It was very defensive of Australia, but we heard the actual administration’s perspective running up the score against us.”

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

    – ref. Election Diary: Chalmers and Taylor quizzed on personal flaws during animated treasurers’ debate – https://theconversation.com/election-diary-chalmers-and-taylor-quizzed-on-personal-flaws-during-animated-treasurers-debate-253734

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Health and Social Care Secretary’s UNISON speech

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Speech

    Health and Social Care Secretary’s UNISON speech

    Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting’s speech at UNISON’s annual health conference in Liverpool today.

    Good morning conference.

    Let’s start on a point of agreement.

    The killing of 15 health and rescue workers in Gaza was an appalling and intolerable tragedy.

    Healthcare workers in any context, in any part of the world, should never be a target.

    The international community, or indeed any actors in any conflict, all have a responsibility to protect health and humanitarian aid workers and also to protect innocent civilians.

    And it’s clear that in Gaza, as well as in other conflict zones around the world at the moment the international community is failing and failing badly.

    So I want to say, as a Unison member, I strongly support the sentiments expressed by our Healthcare Executive.

    But on behalf of our government, we want to see a return to an immediate ceasefire.

    We want to see aid in, people out of harm’s way, an end to this bloody conflict and a state of Palestine alongside a state of Israel, and the just and lasting peace that Israelis and Palestinians deserve.

    I also have to say, having been to the West Bank with Medical Aid for Palestinians and seen first hand the work that they do supporting the health needs of Palestinians across the occupied Palestinian territories, they do brilliant work.

    And I would fully endorse the sentiment of the motion in supporting them, and each of us putting our hands in our pockets to do that.

    But today, I’m here as the first health and social care secretary to address a Unison conference since my […] predecessor, Andy Burnham, did 15 years ago, and I am proud to do so as a Unison member.

    [Political content has been removed]

    Now we’re delivering the change people voted for.

    It’s not all plain sailing and I expect you’ll want to question, even challenge some of the government’s decisions.

    So there’ll be plenty of time for questions.

    And I promise to give you honest answers.

    [Political content has been removed]

    You might not like some of the answers.

    I might not like some of the questions, but the important thing is that we show up and we have that conversation.

    For all the challenges we’re confronting, and there are plenty nothing I’ve experienced in the last nine months as our country’s Health and Social Care Secretary has shaken my confidence and conviction that this will be a government that not only gets our NHS back on its feet, but makes sure it’s fit for the future, and shows the bold leadership required to make sure that we also build a National Care Service worthy of the name.

    Of course, it’s hard.

    [Political content has been removed]

    Six months ago, back here in Liverpool, I spent two hours with one of the most remarkable group of people I’ve ever had the honour of meeting in my life.

    In that room were centuries of training and experience between them of working in the health service.

    But all of that training, all of that experience couldn’t have prepared those people with what they were confronted with in Southport on Monday the 29th of July, as they rushed into that community centre to find children and adults lying on the floor bleeding, some tragically dying.

    The aftermath of an unimaginable, senseless, mindless attack.

    Those people were confronted immediately with the consequences.

    For the staff I met, the trauma still runs deep.

    But on the day itself, the whole NHS team kicked into action.

    From the paramedics who arrived first on the scene and had to make split-second decisions of who to treat first in what order, to give them the best chance of survival.

    The porters rushing children through busy hospital corridors, and the security guards trying to shield other patients and visitors from seeing the horror that the staff were confronting.

    The lab teams who are mobilising blood supplies.

    Receptionists fielding calls from panic-stricken parents.

    The surgical teams fighting to save those young girls lives.

    I’m filled with admiration for their care, their expertise and their values.

    As I think about what happened in the aftermath of those brutal attacks, that admiration turns to anger.

    [Political content has been removed]

    Filipino nurses came under attack from racist thugs on their way into work wearing their NHS uniforms.

    GP surgeries closed early out of fear of rioters.

    A Nigerian care worker saw his car torched.

    These people came to our country to care for our sick and vulnerable.

    They bust a gut day in, day out to keep us well.

    If those thugs represented the worst of our country, our health and care workers represent the best.

    This government will never walk by on the other side when it comes to standing up against racist hate, intimidation or violence.

    Because no one should go to work fearing violence, least of all those all of us rely on for our health care.

    What happened after Southport was an extreme, but it wasn’t a one off.

    One in every seven people employed by the NHS have suffered violence at the hands of patients, their relatives or other members of the public.

    This should shame us all.

    So today I can announce we will act to keep NHS staff safe at work.

    Incidents will have to be recorded at a national level.

    Data will be analysed so that those most at risk can be protected.

    Trust boards will be made to report on progress they’re making to keep staff safe.

    Protecting staff from violence is not an optional extra.

    We are making it mandatory.

    Zero tolerance for violence and harassment of NHS staff, campaigned for by Unison.

    [Political content has been removed]

    We invest huge sums of money into training the NHS workforce.

    Then they’re treated like crap.

    Forced to leave the health service and often leave the country.

    British taxpayers are investing billions in doctors, nurses, paramedics and healthcare assistants only for them to turn up treating patients in Canada or Australia.

    We’ve got to retain the talent we have in the health service and treat our staff with the respect they deserve.

    That means more training and opportunities for nurses who want to progress in their career, and making flexible working easier too.

    It also means paying you for the job you actually do.

    There have been too many disputes because NHS staff have not been paid according to their job description, rather than their job.

    So we’re bringing in a new digital system to make sure the job evaluation scheme is applied fairly across the board.

    [Political content has been removed]

    A fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay.

    Campaigned for by Unison.

    [Political content has been removed]

    I owe my life to the NHS.

    Who cared for me when I went through kidney cancer.

    It’s a debt of gratitude I will never be able to repay.

    But I will certainly try.

    You were there for me and I’ll be there for you.

    As the chair said, the scale of the challenge in our NHS is huge.

    [Political content has been removed]

    So our job is twofold.

    First, to get the service back on its feet and treating patients on time again.

    And second, to reform the service for the long term so that it’s fit for the future.

    And I say it’s our job deliberately, because this can’t be done with one man sat behind a desk in Whitehall.

    We will only succeed if this is a team effort, from the Prime Minister to the 1.5 million people who work in the National Health Service.

    When I visited Singapore General Hospital in opposition, they told me about a programme they run.

    It’s called get rid of stupid stuff.

    Does what it says on the tin.

    I thought the NHS could probably do with that.

    Some of you might think I could do with that.

    It’s a common sense idea.

    People working in the health service might have ideas about how to fix it.

    So over the past few months, just as we did when we were in opposition, we’ve been asking NHS staff about the stupid stuff that’s holding them back.

    More than a million people have engaged in what’s been the biggest national conversation since the NHS was founded.

    NHS staff have attended more than 3,000 meetings across the country and online, and if you’ve not made your voice heard yet, you’ve got until 5pm on Monday to go to Change.NHS.uk

    The plan, published later this spring, will take the best ideas from across the NHS, staff and workforce and patients and set out how we’ll deliver the change the NHS needs.

    Shifting the focus of healthcare out of hospital and into the community, with more investment in primary and community care.

    Bringing our analogue health service into the digital age, arming staff with modern equipment and cutting edge technology.

    Turning our sickness service into a preventative health service to help people live well for longer and tackle the biggest killers.

    The crisis in the NHS is not the fault of staff, but we can’t fix it without you.

    I know how hard it is to battle against a broken system, to give patients the best care you can, only to go home at the end of the day, knowing your best wasn’t good enough.

    But there is light at the end of the tunnel.

    The cavalry is coming.

    My message to everyone working in the NHS is this.

    Stay and help us to rescue and rebuild it.

    The NHS was broken, but it’s not beaten.

    And together we can turn it around.

    Change takes time, but it has already begun.

    In nine months, this […] government has awarded NHS staff an above inflation pay rise, ended the resident doctors strikes, invested an extra £26 billion in health and care, the biggest investment in hospices for a generation.

    We’ve agreed the GP contract for the first time since the pandemic, with £889 million more in funding, the biggest uplift in a decade.

    We’ve reversed the decade of cuts to community pharmacy.

    We’ve delivered the extra 2 million more appointments we promised at the election than we did it seven months early.

    NHS waiting lists have been cut for five months in a row and counting.

    80,000 suspected cancer patients were diagnosed early, so lots done, but so much more to do.

    We know there’s a long way to go.

    There’ll be bumps along the way.

    It won’t be plain sailing and we’ll make some mistakes.

    But we are finally putting the NHS on the road to recovery.

    On social care, we’ve been accused of not doing enough.

    I totally understand the cynicism after years of inaction.

    [Political content has been removed]

    Our first step on the road to building a National Care Service, and I can announce today, will go further for our care professionals.

    We are introducing the first universal career structure for adult social care, setting out four new job roles to give care workers the opportunities to progress in their career.

    With millions of pounds of new investment in their skills and training.

    Keir said his ambition for his sister, who is a care worker, is to command the same respect as her brother, the Prime Minister.

    Her work is so important to the future of our country.

    [Political content has been removed]

    But be in no doubt about the weight on our shoulders.

    I’m certainly not.

    Not only the responsibility to millions of people who are being failed by the NHS and social care services, but also to prove to a sceptical public that the NHS can change and deliver the timely, quality care people expect in 2025.

    On the 75th anniversary of the NHS, an opinion poll showed that the health service makes the majority of the British people proud of our country, greater than the pride we feel for any other aspect of our history or culture.

    But the same poll revealed that 7 in 10 believe that the NHS founding principle of healthcare, free at the point of need, won’t survive the next ten years.

    The failure of public services to meet the needs of the people is one of the fertilisers of populism we see across liberal democracies.

    [Political content has been removed]

    We will always defend the NHS as a public service, free at the point of use, so that when you fall ill, you never have to worry about the bill.

    [Political content has been removed]

    That’s why I say it’s change or die.

    The stakes are high.

    The challenge is enormous, but the prize is huge.

    A service that values all of its workforce as an asset to be nurtured, not a cost to be minimised.

    Where staff are proud to work because their patients receive the best possible care.

    An NHS there for us when we need it.

    Once again, it won’t be easy.

    It will take time.

    But if we get this right, we will be able to look back on this time and say that we were the generation that took the NHS from the worst crisis in its history, got it back on its feet and made it fit for the future, and built a National Care Service worthy of the name.

    Change has begun, but the best is still to come.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How windfalls from commodity price booms come back to bite exporters

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Lotanna Emediegwu, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Manchester Metropolitan University

    Zhengzaishuru/Shutterstock

    When the wholesale prices of essential goods like food or oil suddenly rise, it can cause deep shifts in the economy that upend trade balances and hike inflation rates. This is known as a commodity price boom.

    The outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022 spurred European and US sanctions on Russian oil companies which restricted global oil supply. The ensuing shock hiked energy prices in the international market and meant that the price of Brent crude, a global benchmark for oil prices, reached US$122 (£95) a barrel on March 21 that year, its highest level since 2015.

    Price inflation has forced households in importing nations like the UK to pay a premium to fill up cars. It has also raised food prices, as the cost of shipping food to supermarkets and restaurants has increased, as well as utility bills.

    Meanwhile resource-rich exporter nations can make a killing and choose to use the additional revenue to subsidise energy for consumers, issue rebates, or increase funding for public services. Less evident, but no less significant however, are the environmental consequences of these booms.

    A study I published with colleagues showed that democratic nations in oil-rich regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa, are especially prone to increasing pollution when the oil price suddenly soars. This phenomenon stems from the need to ramp up production quickly, to capitalise on fleeting price hikes, which economies with less democratic oversight are able to bypass.

    These (ostensibly) democratic economies appear most attentive to market signals, and in their unbridled rush for quick economic gain, typically raise pollution as they extract and sell more. This is especially true with oil extraction, which produces pollutants linked to cancer.

    We investigated global commodity price booms using the commodity windfall index. This is a collection of prices that market analysts collate to track changes and detect booms as they develop. We measured the effect of price booms on the environment by analysing how air pollution changed in producer countries when the prices of commodities in the index changed.

    The index covers 40 commodities across energy, metals, food and beverages, and agricultural raw materials such as wheat. One is particularly damaging to the environment: oil production.

    The top five oil producers as of 2023 (the most recent year for which data exists) are developed nations: the US (22%), Saudi Arabia (11%), Russia (11%), Canada (6%), and China (5%). As global exporters, all benefit from windfalls caused by oil price spikes.

    Increasing commodity prices justify more intense exploration for new reserves. In the case of oil exploration, this involves seismic surveys, drilling and the use of heavy machinery which consumes lots of fossil energy and releases greenhouse gases like CO₂.

    Oil price surges could make democracies less green

    Among oil-producing and exporting economies, democratic nations are more likely to experience increased pollution during commodity windfalls, compared with autocratic regimes. We characterised democracies by the presence of competitive political participation and regular free and fair elections, among other qualities.

    This is because democratic nations are particularly prone to ramping up resource extraction during price booms. Political pressures drive this tendency, as governments seek to fund popular initiatives or bolster public services before elections. For example, in the US during the 2008 oil price spike, president George W. Bush advocated for increased domestic oil drilling and natural gas extraction with an aim to reduce energy prices and create jobs.

    Autocratic regimes might appear less urgent to exploit commodity windfalls. There are, after all, fewer electoral or public accountability considerations. However, one-party state China’s position as the world’s largest polluter is primarily due to its manufacturing base, not raw material extraction.

    The environmental consequences of commodity booms are a global issue that requires cooperation to solve.

    Developing regions like sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean will struggle to reduce emissions from extractive activities, as much economic growth here depends on it. The US$300 billion (£235 billion) annual climate funding pledge for developing countries, agreed at the most recent UN climate summit in Azerbaijan, is not enough to finance the creation of new industries.

    Advanced economies, which bear historical responsibility for the majority of global emissions, must take the lead in addressing this imbalance. This involves both reducing their emissions and providing substantial financial and technical support to resource-dependent nations. A failure to do so would perpetuate global inequalities, as developing nations are asked to sacrifice economic growth for environmental goals while industrialised countries continue to expand their economies.

    The challenge, then, is not just in managing the financial rewards of commodity booms, but in ensuring they do not come at an unsustainable environmental cost.

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

    – ref. How windfalls from commodity price booms come back to bite exporters – https://theconversation.com/how-windfalls-from-commodity-price-booms-come-back-to-bite-exporters-244878

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: After 100 years, The Great Gatsby still reminds us of the ability of literature to transform everyday life

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alice Kelly, Assistant Professor of Literature and History, University of Warwick

    Canva, CC BY

    Last November, I flew to New York to see a play: Gatz, an eight-hour reading of the entire text of The Great Gatsby by the experimental theatre ensemble the Elevator Repair Service.

    As a Fitzgerald enthusiast, I couldn’t miss it. My journey to the US felt like a gesture of such luxurious excess that it seems to belong in the book itself. But I was surprised to find that the production was only in part about the novel. It was simultaneously a commentary on the ability of literature to take us beyond our everyday lives – and the upcoming centenary of The Great Gatsby will be the same.

    With its fantastical, romantic subject matter, luxurious excess and its beloved language – not to mention the nostalgia many feel from studying it in school – The Great Gatsby reminds us of the ability of literature to transform everyday life.

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

    Gatz opens with an office worker discovering his computer doesn’t work and idly beginning to read aloud a copy of the novel on his desk. As his coworkers enter the office, they gradually become the characters of Fitzgerald’s novel. A brawny security guard becomes Tom Buchanan, an androgynous postal worker turns into Jordan Baker. The ageing boss becomes Jay Gatsby himself.

    Gradually the first-person narration of the novel turns our unnamed office worker into the novel’s narrator, Nick Carraway. We remain in the harshly lit, dingy, unwelcoming office, which is transformed through inventive staging. The drunken party at Tom and Myrtle’s apartment is seen through office paper being thrown in the air and Gatsby pulls his shirts out of office filing cabinets.

    Towards the end of the play, Nick starts flipping through the pages of the novel, while still reciting the words – his, and our, immersion in the novel is complete.

    The trailer for Gatz.

    The joy of being read to

    I saw the play on the Friday of election week in the US. In that context, the final entrancing passage of the novel had the effect of a secular incantation in a troubled world.

    Carraway imagines the Dutch sailors (or colonisers) who first set sight on the Americas and how “for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent […] face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder”.

    The play is a reminder of the joy of communal reading, an activity lost in our private silos of individualised content. Can the other characters hear Nick as he reads the novel aloud? It is unclear.

    Adults love being read aloud to as much as children, as the increasing popularity of audiobooks demonstrates.

    Reviewers of the original London production of Gatz in 2012 picked up on this, saying “a usually private activity, reading, has been turned into a collective one and it is intensely, surprisingly moving”.

    Or are we meant to think that as the office worker becomes increasingly immersed in the book, the reality around him gradually disappears – as happens when we become lost in the pages of a book?

    Actor Jeff Goldblum describes his enjoyment of reading The Great Gatsby aloud.

    The clock on stage in the office doesn’t change time throughout the play, suggesting that we are outside of time when we read. Some reviewers argued that the play is about the private experience of reading: “What goes on in your head is, in a way, the real subject of Gatz, which is not, strictly speaking, a staged reading of The Great Gatsby … It’s more a dramatisation of the act of reading itself – of what happens when you immerse yourself in a book.”

    Gatsby is a good choice for a play about the transformative role that reading and literature can play in life. It’s a representative text for what literature can do and achieve.

    Gatsby wasn’t always great

    Largely ignored on first publication, the novel didn’t achieve critical or commercial success until being sent by the Council on Books in Wartime to American soldiers serving overseas during the second world war, after Fitzgerald’s death.

    F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1929.
    Wiki Commons

    Fitzgerald himself was torn between knowing he had written a masterpiece to doubting the success of the book. “Gatsby was far from perfect in many ways but all in all it contains such prose as has never been written in America before,” he wrote in a letter to a friend in May 1925. In autumn that year, he wrote to another friend about the novel’s cold reception: “At first, you know, I thought Gatsby must be a terrible failure.”

    The novel now is arguably over-canonised – frequently set on British and American school syllabus, regularly hailed as the “greatest” American novel, with the idolisation of the text at the expense of Fitzgerald’s other work. Don’t get me wrong: I love the book, but I’m not sure even Fitzgerald himself held it in such high esteem as his dedicated readers do.

    As the novel reaches its centenary this month – preceded by its passing out of copyright and into the public domain – the Gatsby industry has gone into overdrive. The enduring fascination with this story has already been seen in numerous film adaptations (the first, now lost, was released in 1926, a year after the novel was published). These have been complemented by biographies of the novel, graphic adaptations, a thriving tourist industry (The Great Gatsby Boat Tour, anyone?) and two new musicals.

    The endless controversies over the novel continue. Who was the inspiration for Gatsby? Is Gatsby black? Is Gatsby’s love for Daisy romantic or delusional? Was Fitzgerald inspired by Great Neck and the contours of the north shore of Long Island for the geography of the novel? Or, in fact, his earlier home in Connecticut, as a recent documentary claims?

    Gatsby has become more than just a novel, but instead a site for what literature can mean, and its endless capacity for interpretation and reinterpretation.

    At the end of Gatz, there’s no return to the office setting of the play’s opening, no final framing narrative, just the lights going down after those final hypnotic words of the novel. Is this ending pure escapism – knowing the audience will shortly leave the space of the theatre and return to their everyday lives? Or does literature ultimately take us out of our mundane, harshly lit everyday existence, into other realms? If any novel can transport us, it’s The Great Gatsby.

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

    – ref. After 100 years, The Great Gatsby still reminds us of the ability of literature to transform everyday life – https://theconversation.com/after-100-years-the-great-gatsby-still-reminds-us-of-the-ability-of-literature-to-transform-everyday-life-253664

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Donald Trump’s policies are more than dumb — they’re stupid, according to stupidity researchers

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jerry Paul Sheppard, Associate Professor of Business Administration, Simon Fraser University

    Before he stepped down as Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau called Donald Trump’s tariff policies “very dumb.” This might be an accurate description of many Trump administration policies — but the more objectively correct word is “stupid.”

    In fact, Québec’s largest newspaper, Le Journal de Montréal, published a front-page photo of Trump in early February with the word “stupid” in 350-point type. Some may call this an opinion, but the science of stupidity tells us that it’s more of a definition.

    Recent research has produced a succinct label for the poorly calculated actions of decision-makers: stupidity.

    This is not simple name-calling, but a phenomenon that comprises loss and features a set of actions that are either outright recognizably dysfunctional, or appear so at odds with any sensible course of action that it seems a hidden agenda could be involved.

    Stupidity that causes everyone to lose

    According to the seminal and transactional view of human stupidity by Carlo Cipolla, the late Italian economic historian, interactions fall into four categories:

    1. Intelligent interactions that are beneficial to all – a positive-sum game like Scottish philosopher Adam Smith’s notion of wealth through specialization and trade;

    2. Helpless interactions that result in a loss in a zero-sum game;

    3. Bandit interactions that result in a gain in zero-sum game;

    4. Stupid interactions that cause all parties to suffer a loss.

    Free trade is based on an intelligent positive-sum interaction. Trump’s transactional zero-sum view is that for every winner there is a loser.

    He apparently doesn’t understand that tariffs are only successful if other countries don’t retaliate. But other countries do retaliate, and as the world is now witnessing, the resulting trade war can decimate the global economy.

    Trump’s protectionist measures aimed at boosting the U.S. economy can therefore be considered “stupid” interactions that deepen and lengthen economic depression.

    Stupidity as recognizable actions

    Modern-day researchers have also identified three recognizable sets of actions embodying stupidity:

    Confident ignorance that involves people taking risks without having the necessary skills to deal with them. It’s not just being ignorant of one’s ignorance — explained by the Dunning-Kruger effect — but being self-assured despite contrary evidence.

    Trump may know what he does not know, so he delegated many tasks to Tesla founder Elon Musk and trade tariff architect Pete Navarro, both of whom seem to possess no such awareness.

    Absent-minded failure means people knew the right thing to do but were not paying sufficient attention to avoid doing something stupid. Organizations create agendas, but if issues don’t reach a point where they seriously impact the organization’s objectives, they are ignored.

    An example is the recent U.S. strikes against Yemeni Houthis. U.S. officials ignored critical security components by sharing information about their plans over unsecure connections and with a member of the media.



    Read more:
    ‘Signalgate’ was damaging to the Trump administration. It could be deadly for Yemeni civilians

    Lack of control means that autocratic decision-makers compromise their organizations by failing to accept objections from those charged with implementing the leader’s preconceived plans.

    Such autocratic decision-makers may select biased information to support their proposals. Those working under these leaders either buy into efforts to selectively use information, limit alternatives and execute these preconceived plans or they leave the organization (either voluntarily or not).

    In the U.S., witness the firing of Justice Department pardon attorney Elizabeth Oyer. She failed to support restoring gun rights to actor Mel Gibson, who had been convicted of domestic violence in 2011. Gibson’s pardon was reportedly based on his personal relationship with the president.

    Types of stupidity

    Organizational researchers have used the term functional stupidity to describe those who refuse to use their intellectual capacities when making decisions and then avoid justification for their actions. This allows group members to quickly execute routine functions without much thought.

    Dysfunctional stupidity is a lack of organizationally supported reflection, reasoning and justification. Organizations fail to use intellectual resources to process knowledge or question norms or claims of knowledge when confronted with new or non-routine decisions. By blocking communications, muffling criticism and squelching doubts, organizations ensure adherence to superiors’ edicts.

    One Trump administration example is the unquestioning permission given to allow the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Musk, to access to a wide array of government data.

    It can take the combined efforts of organizational officials on multiple levels to maintain stupidity.

    Individually, stupidity is reinforced by ignoring crucial information because of a need for a rapid response.

    Consequently, quick decisions and shortcuts made by individuals result in negative outcomes. An example would be the Trump administration’s apparent need to appear to find cost savings quickly to allow for tax cuts, overriding a more logical approach to find ways to achieve those savings without gutting legally mandated services.

    Organizationally, stupidity is reinforced because organizations limit acceptable alternative behaviours when they cannot process all available information. Data is restricted, controls are tightened and organization officials fall back to using previously well-learned responses in their comfort zones. Inexperienced decision-makers fall back on uninformed assumptions, or no assumptions at all.

    Witness Trump’s “reciprocal” trade tariffs currently decimating financial markets worldwide. No tariffs were calculated using current tariff rates, while others were based on American trade deficits with other countries. Other tariffs seem to be based on no rationale at all.



    Read more:
    No, that’s not what a trade deficit means – and that’s not how you calculate other nations’ tariffs

    Stupidity as a hidden agenda?

    Some actions that appear stupid may simply hide a hidden agenda. When the Trump administration erroneously detains and deports anyone under the Alien Enemies Act, is it an accident or a way to instil fear in everyone that authorities can detain, mistreat and deport them without due process at any point?

    Many of the actions being taken by the Trump administration appear stupid.
    Tariffs, for example, represent a loss — a transactionally negative sum game.

    Trump’s decisions exhibit confident ignorance, absent-minded failure and lack of control. They also show dysfunctional stupidity as Trump officials seemingly refuse to use their full intellectual resources. Stupidity is also being reinforced through unfounded assumptions. Is this all hiding a secret agenda?

    “You can’t fix stupid,” so the saying goes. But having capable administrators in place while other branches of government exercise their constitutionally mandated oversight role might dampen some of the Trump administration’s stupidity.

    Jerry Paul Sheppard does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Donald Trump’s policies are more than dumb — they’re stupid, according to stupidity researchers – https://theconversation.com/donald-trumps-policies-are-more-than-dumb-theyre-stupid-according-to-stupidity-researchers-253009

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Do you know the next ACT Australian of the Year?

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The 2023 ACT Australians of the Year: Caitlin Figueiredo, Joanne Farrell, Ebenezer Banful OAM, and Selina Walker

    When you hear the phrase “ACT Australian of the Year”, what do you think of?

    If it’s a lifelong successful career with a long list of awards, you may have the wrong idea.

    According to Lily Harrison, this is a common misunderstanding.

    Lily Harrison was a member of the selection panel for last year’s ACT Australian of the Year Awards. She is also the former Co-Chair of the ACT Youth Advisory Council.

    “We really limit our opportunities to celebrate young Australians if we look for a long-term and decorated commitment to the community, rather than for genuine interest and involvement,” she said.

    “Naming a recipient can be about recognising and encouraging young people who are active in their community, passionate about something and who have potential.”

    Lily read through many nominations last year. She said that her favourite ones to read were for people who didn’t have any awards or titles.

    “People who weren’t having a national reach, but who had identified a need specific to their community and were using their particular skill set to respond to that need,” she said.

    Nominations close on 31 July 2024. Now is the time to nominate the people in your life who inspire you.

    Lily said reading the nominations was her favourite part of being on last year’s panel. Some were from people who loved their grandparent or friend. Others were on behalf of highly accomplished professionals.

    “Both were heartening to read and, collectively, the nominations described a community of Canberrans who are passionate, innovative, showing up and making a difference,” she said.

    It only takes one nomination for an individual to be considered for the award.

    “Regardless of whether someone is named as recipient, or not, knowing someone has noticed their work and taken the time to write a nomination, can be a really rewarding acknowledgment and source of encouragement,” Lily said.

    Lily suggests including both the tangible and intangible elements of a nominee.

    “The nominations where you could really tell how much the nominee cares about the work they’re doing and how much they are valued by their community were, to me, so much more powerful than those with an enormous number of attached documents and links to news articles,” she said.

    “That being said, if you’re nominating them for something like their fundraising or their skill in organising a particular event, be specific about how much money they raised and the number of people who attended. It can be hard to name someone as a recipient if they sound really wonderful but you’re ultimately unsure what it is they’ve achieved.”

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New NATO-Ukraine Centre hosts resilience workshop to enhance cooperation and readiness

    Source: NATO

    The NATO Joint Analysis Training and Education Centre (JATEC) in Bydgoszcz, Poland held a workshop on total defence and resilience on 2-3 April 2025.

    21 participants from six NATO Allies and Ukraine addressed topics including the security of critical services, strategic communications, transport and military mobility. The workshop aimed to enhance collaboration and inform future planning for NATO and Ukraine, identify key challenges and develop actionable strategies for Ukraine’s long-term security and defence readiness. In the workshop, experts from several Swedish government agencies shared Sweden’s approach to national resilience-building. This was complemented by NATO’s pool of resilience civil experts, who offered experience and best practices from across the Alliance. 

    In 2024, Allies agreed to deepen cooperation with partners on resilience. The mutually beneficial work between NATO and Ukraine through JATEC directly contributes to this initiative. In the same year, Allies also agreed to continue supporting Ukraine, including by establishing JATEC. Opened in February 2025, JATEC is the first civil-military organisation to be jointly run by NATO and a partner nation. It analyses wartime experiences in Ukraine and provides NATO and Allies with insights on the latest battlefield developments, emerging technologies, lessons learned, and new education and training systems, as well as developing and testing new military concepts. JATEC’s work will help to further strengthen Ukraine’s defence sector, enhance its deterrence and defence, and reach full interoperability with NATO.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: South Bow Responds to Pipeline Incident at Milepost 171

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — South Bow Corp. (TSX & NYSE: SOBO) (South Bow or the Company) has shut down the Keystone Pipeline (Keystone) and is actively responding to an oil release at Milepost 171 (MP-171) of Keystone, near Fort Ransom, North Dakota.

    Aligned with incident protocols, South Bow initiated a shutdown and response at approximately 7:42 a.m. CT on April 8, 2025, after control centre leak detection systems detected a pressure drop in the system; the system was shut down at 7:44 a.m. CT on April 8, 2025. The affected segment has been isolated, and the release has been contained. The estimated release volume is approximately 3,500 barrels.

    Onsite staff, the surrounding community, and mitigating risk to the environment are South Bow’s primary concern. Upon activating emergency response procedures, South Bow established around-the-clock air and environment monitoring. The Company’s response efforts focus on remediating the site.

    South Bow will continue providing timely updates as information becomes available. Updates will be made available on South Bow’s website at www.southbow.com/incident-response.

    Forward-looking information and statements

    This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, forward-looking statements), including forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of applicable securities legislation, that are based on South Bow’s current expectations, estimates, projections, and assumptions in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends. All statements other than statements of historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as, “anticipate”, “will”, “expect”, “estimate”, “potential”, “future”, “outlook”, “strategy”, “maintain”, “ongoing”, “intend”, and similar expressions suggesting future events or future performance. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements, including with respect to response efforts, notification and forthcoming updates regarding the oil release, and regulatory, landowner, and customer engagement.

    The forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions that South Bow has made in respect thereof as at the date of this news release regarding, among other things: oil and gas industry development activity levels and the geographic region of such activity; that favourable market conditions exist and that South Bow has and will have available capital to fund its capital expenditures and other planned spending; prevailing commodity prices, interest rates, inflation levels, carbon prices, tax rates, and exchange rates; the ability of South Bow to maintain current credit ratings; the availability of capital to fund future capital requirements; future operating costs; asset integrity costs; that all required regulatory and environmental approvals can be obtained on the necessary terms in a timely manner; and prevailing regulatory, tax, and environmental laws and regulations.

    Although South Bow believes the assumptions and other factors reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date hereof, there can be no assurance that these assumptions and factors will prove to be correct and, as such, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially, including, but not limited to: the regulatory environment and related decisions and requirements; the impact of competitive entities and pricing; reliance on third parties to successfully operate and maintain certain assets; the strength and operations of the energy industry; weakness or volatility in commodity prices; non-performance or default by counterparties; actions taken by governmental or regulatory authorities; the ability of South Bow to acquire or develop and maintain necessary infrastructure; fluctuations in operating results; adverse general economic and market conditions; the ability to access various sources of debt and equity capital on acceptable terms; and adverse changes in credit. The foregoing list of assumptions and risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive. For additional information on the assumptions made, and the risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from the results implied by forward-looking statements, refer to South Bow’s annual information form dated March 5, 2025, available under South Bow’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca and, from time to time, in South Bow’s public disclosure documents, available at www.sedarplus.ca, www.sec.gov, and on South Bow’s website at www.southbow.com.

    The forward-looking statements contained in this news release speak only as of the date hereof. South Bow does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or information contained herein, except as required by applicable laws. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

    Contact information
     
    Investor Relations Media Relations & Community Enquiries
    Martha Wilmot Solomiya Lyaskovska
    investor.relations@southbow.com communications@southbow.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Sudan: Stories of violence and forced displacement from South Kordofan

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    “The morning of the attack I was at home and my mother was sick. We ran to escape with my children. I carried my mother on a donkey cart as she could not walk,” says a displaced woman living in Sudan’s Nuba mountains. “When we were near the mountains, we stopped to bury her. My two brothers were shot and killed during the escape.”

    A displaced woman living in Sudan’s Nuba mountains The morning of the attack I was at home and my mother was sick. We ran to escape with my children. I carried my mother on a donkey cart as she could not walk. When we were near the mountains, we stopped to bury her.

    Illustrations to depict the testimonies of people who have fled to Sudan’s Nuba mountains in search of safety from the ongoing conflict, March 2025.

    Since the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces started in April 2023 and spread across Sudan, it is estimated that 11 million people have been internally displaced. In the southern state of South Kordofan, where the Nuba mountains area is located, hundreds of thousands of displaced people are seeking refuge, according to the Sudanese Relief and Rehabilitation Agency.

    Before the war started, the region already experienced waves of displacement during the decades of conflict between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and the Sudanese government. Many people have been displaced multiple times. Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) currently provides medical care and essential everyday items to the displaced people who arrive daily. Testimonies collected from displaced people in five camps where MSF works show the harrowing situation they have lived through and the challenges they continue to face.

    “They attacked early morning. We took what we could and fled. We lost two of my children on the way. Up to now I don’t know where they are, there is no phone,” explains a woman who walked five days without food until she and her family were able to reach Al Hadra, South Kordofan. An airplane bombed and killed her 15-year-old daughter there. “It was the first time I saw bombings. I was in the bush collecting wood for shelter. My daughter had gone to the borehole to fetch water for us. I rushed to my tent and later they [the villagers] brought my daughter’s body to me.”

    Another woman explains how they managed to survive in Dilling district, South Kordofan.

    “We went to the forest every night to sleep and use the river as protection. We leaned on the riverbank so that the bullets would not hit us,” she says. “When the shootings stopped, we would rush to the house to get food and water for the children. During an attack I saw a mother who was breastfeeding. They took her boy and threw him away. If you tried to confront them, they could hit you, even shoot the child. For them the boy would grow up and fight back.” 

    The area of the Nuba mountains is largely controlled by the SPLM-N. The influx of people arriving in the region, which is considered safer than other parts of the country, has had an impact on local communities as well. The poor harvest in 2023 combined with difficulties in accessing basic services and a lack of humanitarian assistance led to widespread hunger during the lean season both inside and outside the camps where displaced people are living. MSF teams working on the ground report many people in need of healthcare, food and water.

    “When the war broke out, we lost everything. When I arrived at the camp, I did not have milk to breastfeed. My child was sick and kept on crying. I gave him herbs and prayed to God,” says another woman.

    One man explained that soldiers entered Habila, North Kordofan, to kill all the “black people”.

    “The moment they entered Habila they captured a big part of my family: 13 people, all men. The militia gathered them in one house and shot them all. I ran away,” he says. He fled to Tungul, South Kordofan where he received some food but where no health service was available, so he fled again. “From Tungul I went to Korgul displaced camp. Here things are calm. I feel safe. We want to stay here. But we suffered during the rainy season when there is no food – my children got malnourished but none of them died.”

    A displaced man The moment they entered Habila they captured a big part of my family: 13 people, all men. The militia gathered them in one house and shot them all. I ran away.

    Illustrations to depict the testimonies of people who have fled to Sudan’s Nuba mountains in search of safety from the ongoing conflict, March 2025.

    For women fleeing violence, access to healthcare is challenging as explained by one woman.

    “I was in the market when they came. I tried to defend myself, but they abused me, and beat my chest,” she says. “I still feel the pain today. After the torture I tried to get treatment, but I did not have money to do an x-ray.”

    “I have spent two days without eating anything. I was collecting leaves to cook them. I had to sneak out in the bushes to avoid checkpoints to get medical care in Hajar Jawad,” says another woman. “During the rainy season, my child and I had malaria, we received treatment in the clinic in Hajar Jawad [an MSF clinic] for malaria and malnutrition.”

    A displaced woman I was in the market when they came. I tried to defend myself, but they abused me, and beat my chest. I still feel the pain today.

    Illustrations to depict the testimonies of people who have fled to Sudan’s Nuba mountains in search of safety from the ongoing conflict, March 2025.

    MSF runs activities in Dalami locality and Western Jebel. In Dalami locality, our teams support Tujur hospital with emergency room and maternity services, malnutrition care, and male and female in-patient wards. In the hospital in January 2025, MSF conducted 20,185 outpatient consultations and admitted over 450 patients, 30 per cent of them for malaria. The teams have assisted with 119 births and carried out 215 sexual and reproductive health consultations. In Um Heitan, another location where we work, MSF has carried out 6,493 outpatient consultations.

    We have also been supporting health centres, conducting mobile clinics in camps for internally displaced people, and distributing essential items in Western Jabel, but the unstable security situation has made the  delivery of medical services challenging.

    Our teams in the Nuba mountains observe an extremely inconsistent and insufficient coverage of basic and specialised healthcare. Where care is available, it is often inaccessible due to distance and insecurity. Moreover, there is an almost complete lack of protection services which is particularly concerning given the levels of violence people have experienced or witnessed, the separation of families, and the lack of shelter many people face.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Construction starts on Garden City Cycleway

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The route will help make it easier for Canberrans to choose active travel.

    Work has begun on a new active transport route that will better connect the suburbs of the inner north with the city.

    The Garden City Cycleway will reduce traffic congestion and shape a liveable, sustainable city.

    The cycleway will be positioned east of Northbourne Avenue. It will run through:

    • Watson
    • Downer
    • Hackett
    • Dickson
    • Ainslie
    • Braddon.

    It will then join with Canberra’s main cycling network on Bunda and Allara streets.

    It will mirror the highly used Sullivans Creek path on the western side of Northbourne Avenue.

    The first stage of works will be a new cycleway from Cooyong Street in Braddon through to Angas Street in Ainslie.

    The first part of construction will be along Torrens Street. There will be a four-metre-wide concrete walking and cycling path in the eastern verge of Torrens Street. It will run from Cooyong Street to Henty Street. There will also be a three-metre-wide path continuing from Henty Street to Ijong Street in Braddon.

    The existing concrete path will be removed and replaced. Six new raised concrete zebra crossings will also be constructed along the route for safe passage.

    The $10 million project is jointly funded by the Australian and ACT Governments. Each is committing $5 million.

    Procurement is underway for the next two construction packages. These will include works along:

    • Torrens Street
    • Ijong Street and
    • Angas Street.

    These works include new traffic lights at the intersection of Limestone Avenue and Ijong Street.

    Construction of the first package along Torrens Street between Cooyong and Ipma Street is expected to take around seven months to complete. It is expected to be open for use in early 2025.

    For more information, visit www.cityservices.act.gov.au/Infrastructure-Projects.

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: MOFA response to statements by Swedish Defence Minister Jonson opposing China’s threats and supporting deepening relations with Taiwan

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    MOFA response to statements by Swedish Defence Minister Jonson opposing China’s threats and supporting deepening relations with Taiwan

    • Date：2025-04-04
    • Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    April 4, 2025

    Swedish Minister for Defence Pål Jonson stated in response to a question from Member of the Riksdag Björn Söder on April 2 that the security of Europe and Asia was closely linked, that Sweden and the European Union were paying close attention to peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region, that China’s actions towards Taiwan were worrying, and that military threats were unacceptable. Sweden reiterated that differences across the Taiwan Strait must be resolved peacefully and that the will of the Taiwanese people must be respected.

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung sincerely thanks the Swedish government for monitoring cross-strait peace and stability and expresses Taiwan’s hope of continuing to deepen relations with Sweden through long-term and comprehensive cooperation. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will work with like-minded partners to urge China to stop threatening Taiwan and unilaterally escalating the situation in the region.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: MOFA response to IPAC statement strongly condemning China’s military exercises around Taiwan

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    MOFA response to IPAC statement strongly condemning China’s military exercises around Taiwan

    • Date：2025-04-05
    • Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    April 5, 2025

    The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) issued a statement on April 4 strongly condemning Beijing’s recent military exercises around Taiwan. It pointed out that the actions of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command were escalatory, provocative, and without justification. It also stated that Beijing’s calculated escalations around Taiwan had gone on for far too long and that the international community could not stand idly by as the cross-strait status quo was eroded, harming the people of Taiwan and global stability. It added that Taiwan’s security was inextricably linked to the security of the global economy. IPAC called on governments worldwide to condemn the PLA’s military activities and violent rhetoric and reiterated its appeal to the international community to develop a coordinated response plan to prevent the situation from further deteriorating.

    The IPAC statement has already been signed by 43 members of parliament as well as prominent political figures from 25 countries and the European Parliament, underscoring a high degree of international consensus on the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung welcomes the statement, thanks like-minded friends for supporting Taiwan through concrete action, and urges democratic countries to unite in the face of China’s military threats. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirms that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are indispensable to global security and prosperity and that Taiwan will continue to work hand in hand with the international community to safeguard a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Minister visit to see mine water heat in action

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Minister visit to see mine water heat in action

    Baroness Taylor visits Dawdon mine water treatment scheme to see how mine water heat will power 750 low-carbon homes, a pioneering step for sustainable heat.

    Baroness Taylor at Seaham Garden Village. Image credit: Karbon Homes. Pictured, from left to right: Chris Hale, pre-construction director at Esh Construction; Andrew Simpson, head of innovation business development at the Mining Remediation Authority; Karma Harvey, acting innovation and services director at The Mining Remediation Authority; Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, parliamentary under-secretary of state for housing and local government; Sarah Robson, executive director of development and asset management at Karbon Homes; and Paul Fiddaman, chief executive at Karbon Homes

    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Local Government, Baroness Sharon Taylor of Stevenage, praised a ground-breaking mine water heat initiative during her visit to Seaham Garden Village in County Durham.

    The Mining Remediation Authority was delighted to welcome Baroness Taylor to our Dawdon mine water treatment scheme, where she saw first-hand how warm mine water will provide low-carbon heating for 750 homes at the nearby development.

    Baroness Taylor inside the Dawdon mine water treatment scheme.

    The House of Lords spokesperson for both housing delivery and net zero and energy efficiency also viewed the first of the homes which will be connected to the system.

    Baroness Taylor said:

    It’s fantastic to see the level of innovation here at Seaham, using natural resources in the area to create more energy efficient homes.

    Paired with the level of cooperation between multiple public and private organisations makes this an exciting project to visit.

    The mine water heat network is a collaborative effort between the Mining Remediation Authority, Karbon Homes, Esh Group, Vital Energi, and Durham County Council. It demonstrates how Great Britain’s former coalfields can be repurposed to deliver clean, sustainable energy, supporting affordable housing and net zero goals.

    Karma Harvey, acting innovation and services director at the Mining Remediation Authority, said:

    It was great to showcase our Dawdon mine water treatment scheme and how the site will now serve a dual purpose, continuing to treat mine water while also providing sustainable heat to affordable homes.

    Seaham Garden Village is a pioneering example of how we can repurpose Great Britain’s mining legacy to deliver real benefits for communities today. By harnessing geothermal energy from disused mines, we’re creating a low-carbon heating solution that could be replicated nationwide. This project highlights the power of collaboration and innovation in unlocking new sources of clean, affordable heat.

    Image credit: Karbon Homes

    Paul Fiddaman, chief executive at Karbon Homes, said:

    We were delighted to have Baroness Taylor visit Seaham Garden Village and see what can be achieved when parties work together to deliver innovative projects which bring significant environmental benefits.

    Making use of the currently untapped heat from the disused mines under our feet to keep houses warm, is something we’re really proud to be involved with, and paired with boasting a range of energy efficiency technologies, like solar PV panels, the new homes we’re delivering at Seaham Garden Village will be well on the way to net zero.

    Granted garden village status by the UK Government in 2019, Seaham Garden Village will be built over the next ten years, delivering 1,500 homes, a village centre, a primary school, and a health and wellbeing hub, all set against Durham’s heritage coastline.

    This landmark project proves how mine water heat networks can provide affordable, sustainable heat for homes across the Great Britain. We look forward to scaling this game-changing technology to more locations.

    For media enquiries contact the community response team

    Email communityresponse@miningremediation.gov.uk

    Telephone 0800 288 4211

    For emergency media enquiries (out of hours) call: 0800 288 4242.
    Only urgent media calls will be attended to.

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: APHA appoints new Chief Executive

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    APHA appoints new Chief Executive

    Richard Lewis will lead the Animal and Plant Health Agency in its drive to safeguard animal and plant health for the benefit of people, the environment and the economy

    Richard Lewis, newly appointed Chief Executive of the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

    Richard Lewis has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

    His term will begin on 16 June 2025, following a competitive recruitment process. Richard will take on the role on a permanent basis, succeeding Dr Jenny Stewart, who has served as interim Chief Executive since 1 July 2024.

    Richard Lewis, newly appointed Chief Executive of APHA, said: 

    It’s a real honour to be appointed Chief Executive of APHA.

    Now more than ever, the UK needs a strong, science-led Animal and Plant Health Agency.

    From protecting our borders against animal and plant threats to unlocking opportunities for trade and growth, I’m excited to champion APHA’s vital work — and to lead alongside the world-class scientists and experts who make it possible.

    Richard Lewis biography

    • Richard has previously served as the Chief Constable for both Dyfed-Powys Police and Cleveland Police.   
    • Richard has held several national portfolios for the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and was awarded a NPCC commendation for distinguished service. 
    • In Wales, Richard has also led for the police service on rural affairs such as habitat protection, rural crime and mental health in the agricultural community.

    Notes for editors 

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Greens back nationalisation of steel to safeguard industry and support green transition

    Source: Green Party of England and Wales

    by Green Party

    Responding to news that the government is considering nationalising British Steel, the Green Party has thrown its support behind public ownership. Co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:

    “We cannot afford to let our steel industry in Scunthorpe go into smelt down. With Chinese owner Jingyehas prepared to walk away and the steel industry facing Trump’s outlandish 25% tariff, nationalisation looks like the only sure way to secure this strategically important sector so vital to national security and British jobs. The fact the government is considering this long-held policy of the Green Party is welcome.

    “Nationalisation of the steel industry could also prove to be a key driver of a green industrial revolution. From wind turbines to trains, steel will be needed for the transition to a green economy.

    “We must not leave the future of steel communities to the whims of multinational companies or unhinged American presidents. These communities deserve better and green steel in public ownership is the way to ensure these communities not only survive but thrive into the future.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The first metro station will appear in the Lomonosovsky district of Moscow

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    On the border of the Gagarinsky and Lomonosovsky districts, the construction of the Vavilovskaya station of the Troitskaya metro line is underway. It will be located along Leninsky Prospekt, at the intersection with Stroiteley and Panferova streets. The exits from the southern vestibule will lead to the territory of the Lomonosovsky district, where there are currently no metro stations. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.

    “The station will be located in the northern part of the Lomonosov district. The construction of the main monolithic reinforced concrete structures is nearing completion at the site, and backfilling of the pit is in the final stage. Specialists have begun bricklaying the internal walls and partitions, and finishing the utility rooms. The station is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year,” said Vladimir Efimov.

    The Vavilovskaya station will be part of the Troitskaya Line section from ZIL to Novatorskaya. The ZIL, Krymskaya and Akademicheskaya stations are being built together with it.

    “ZIL” is being built at the intersection of Likhachev Avenue and Lisitsky Street, next to the Tyufeleva Roshcha Park and the Moscow Central Circle (MCC) platform of the same name. “Krymskaya” will be located between the MCC railway tracks and a residential area of the Donskoy District, and “Akademicheskaya” – near the intersection of Dmitry Ulyanov Street and Profsoyuznaya Street.

    “The Troitskaya Line became the 16th in the Moscow Metro. Last year, a section from Novatorskaya to Novomoskovskaya with seven stations was opened. The construction of each of them had its own peculiarities related to the location and architectural solutions. This year, work will be completed on the section from ZIL to Novatorskaya,” said the head of the Department of Construction of Transport and Engineering Infrastructure of Moscow

    Vasily Desyatkov.

    Interior finishing has begun at the Vavilovskaya station on the Troitskaya metro line under construction

    On the instructions of Sergei Sobyanin, the city is paying special attention to the quality and safety of construction of technically complex metro facilities.

    As added by the Chairman of Mosgosstroynadzor Anton Slobodchikov, each stage of work at the Vavilovskaya station is carried out under the control of the department. In February and March of this year, according to the approved program, regular inspections were held with the involvement of specialists from the subordinate Center for Expertise, Research and Testing in Construction. Inspectors assessed the compliance of the constructed structures and the building materials used with the requirements of the design documentation. The next visit to the site is planned for May.

    Earlier, Sergei Sobyanin told what it would look like Vavilovskaya metro station.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/152359073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA response to Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi expressing concern over China’s military exercises around Taiwan

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    MOFA response to Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi expressing concern over China’s military exercises around Taiwan

    Date：2025-04-02
    Data Source：TAIWAN-JAPAN RELATIONS ASSOCIATION

    April 2, 2025  

    At a regular press conference on April 1, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi stated that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait were paramount to Japan and the entire international community. Mr. Hayashi made the comments while addressing China’s military drills around Taiwan, stating that Japan had reaffirmed its position to China during a recent bilateral meeting between their foreign ministers. He emphasized that the Japanese government would continue to closely monitor developments arising from China’s increasing military activities around the Taiwan Strait in recent years and added that Japan would make comprehensive response preparations. 
     
    When China twice launched Joint Sword-2024 military exercises targeting Taiwan last year, unilaterally raising tensions across the Taiwan Strait, the government of Japan promptly and directly expressed its misgivings and concerns to China. Following China’s latest military drills around the Taiwan Strait, Japan has once again immediately conveyed its concerns to China and publicly emphasized the importance of cross-strait peace and stability.
     
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung affirms and appreciates the Japanese government for immediately and openly expressing concern following China’s launch of military exercises designed to intimidate Taiwan, as well as for emphasizing a consistent stance on preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly urges China to return to reason, exercise self-restraint, and immediately cease unilateral actions that are detrimental to cross-strait peace and regional stability and prosperity. MOFA is pleased that the United States, Japan, and other democratic nations, as well as the European Union, are steadfastly and jointly adopting preventive measures to counter the threat that authoritarian expansion poses to global peace and stability. Taiwan will demonstrate its determination to strengthen resilience and self-defense capabilities and resist China’s rhetorical and military intimidation. It will also cooperate with like-minded partners to ensure peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: YieldMax™ ETFs Announces Distributions on SMCY (102.27%), MSTY (101.29%), ULTY (78.88%), AIYY (70.96%), LFGY (69.83%), and Others

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO and MILWAUKEE and NEW YORK, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — YieldMax™ today announced distributions for the YieldMax™ Weekly Payers and Group D ETFs listed in the table below.

    ETF
    Ticker    1    		 ETF Name Distribution
    Frequency    		 Distribution
    per Share    		 Distribution
    Rate    2,4    		 30-Day
    SEC Yield3    		 ROC5 Ex-Date &
    Record Date    		 Payment
    Date
    CHPY* YieldMax™ Semiconductor Portfolio Option Income ETF Weekly – – – – – –
    GPTY YieldMax™ AI & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF Weekly $0.2360 35.40% 0.00% 0.00% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    LFGY YieldMax™ Crypto Industry & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF Weekly $0.4170 69.83% 0.00% 0.00% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    QDTY YieldMax™ Nasdaq 100 0DTE Covered Call ETF Weekly $0.2199 29.87% 0.00% 100.00% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    RDTY YieldMax™ R2000 0DTE Covered Call ETF Weekly $0.3590 45.69% 0.00% 100.00% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    SDTY YieldMax™ S&P 500 0DTE Covered Call ETF Weekly $0.2270 29.60% 0.00% 100.00% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    ULTY YieldMax™ Ultra Option Income Strategy ETF Weekly $0.0822 78.88% 2.21% 0.00% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    YMAG YieldMax™ Magnificent 7 Fund of Option Income ETFs Weekly $0.0973 38.00% 69.89% 53.05% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    YMAX YieldMax™ Universe Fund of Option Income ETFs Weekly $0.1289 57.35% 96.57% 64.98% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    AIYY YieldMax™ AI Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.2301 70.96% 4.89% 93.15% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    AMZY YieldMax™ AMZN Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.4877 43.54% 4.40% 89.31% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    APLY YieldMax™ AAPL Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3023 33.00% 3.44% 44.35% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    DISO YieldMax™ DIS Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.3254 35.32% 4.03% 0.00% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    MSTY YieldMax™ MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $1.3356 101.29% 0.50% 0.48% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    SMCY YieldMax™ SMCI Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $1.5012 102.27% 3.01% 67.02% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    WNTR** YieldMax™ Short MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks – – – – – –
    XYZY YieldMax™ XYZ Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.4412 59.61% 6.32% 89.82% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    YQQQ YieldMax™ Short N100 Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4 weeks $0.4437 30.86% 3.08% 0.00% 4/10/25 4/11/25
    Weekly Payers & Group A ETFs scheduled for next week: CHPY GPTY LFGY QDTY RDTY SDTY UTLY YMAG YMAX CRSH FEAT FIVY GOOY OARK SNOY TSLY TSMY XOMO YBIT


    Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted above. Performance current to the most recent month-end can be obtained by calling     (833) 378-0717.

    Note: DIPS, FIAT, CRSH, YQQQ and WNTR are hereinafter referred to as the “Short ETFs.”

    Distributions are not guaranteed. The Distribution Rate and 30-Day SEC Yield are not indicative of future distributions, if any, on the ETFs. In particular, future distributions on any ETF may differ significantly from its Distribution Rate or 30-Day SEC Yield. You are not guaranteed a distribution under the ETFs. Distributions for the ETFs (if any) are variable and may vary significantly from period to period and may be zero. Accordingly, the Distribution Rate and 30-Day SEC Yield will change over time, and such change may be significant.

    Investors in the Funds will not have rights to receive dividends or other distributions with respect to the underlying reference asset(s).

    *The inception date for CHPY is April 2, 2025.

    **The inception date for WNTR is March 26, 2025.

    1 All YieldMax™ ETFs shown in the table above (except YMAX, YMAG, FEAT, FIVY and ULTY) have a gross expense ratio of 0.99%. YMAX, YMAG and FEAT have a Management Fee of 0.29% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of 0.99% for a gross expense ratio of 1.28%. FIVY has a Management Fee of 0.29% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of 0.59% for a gross expense ratio of 0.88%. “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other investment companies, namely other YieldMax™ ETFs. ULTY has a gross expense ratio after the fee waiver of 1.30%. The Advisor has agreed to a fee waiver of 0.10% through at least February 28, 2026.
    2 The Distribution Rate shown is as of close on April 8, 2025. The Distribution Rate is the annual distribution rate an investor would receive if the most recent distribution, which includes option income, remained the same going forward. The Distribution Rate is calculated by annualizing an ETF’s Distribution per Share and dividing such annualized amount by the ETF’s most recent NAV. The Distribution Rate represents a single distribution from the ETF and does not represent its total return. Distributions may also include a combination of ordinary dividends, capital gain, and return of investor capital, which may decrease an ETF’s NAV and trading price over time. As a result, an investor may suffer significant losses to their investment. These Distribution Rates may be caused by unusually favorable market conditions and may not be sustainable. Such conditions may not continue to exist and there should be no expectation that this performance may be repeated in the future.
    3 The 30-Day SEC Yield represents net investment income, which excludes option income, earned by such ETF over the 30-Day period ended March 31, 2025, expressed as an annual percentage rate based on such ETF’s share price at the end of the 30-Day period.
    4 Each ETF’s strategy (except those of the Short ETFs) will cap potential gains if its reference asset’s shares increase in value, yet subjects an investor to all potential losses if the reference asset’s shares decrease in value. Such potential losses may not be offset by income received by the ETF. Each Short ETF’s strategy will cap potential gains if its reference asset decreases in value, yet subjects an investor to all potential losses if the reference asset increases in value. Such potential losses may not be offset by income received by the ETF.
    5 ROC refers to Return of Capital. The ROC percentage is the portion of the distribution that represents an investor’s original investment.


    Each Fund has a limited operating history and while each Fund’s objective is to provide current income, there is no guarantee the Fund will make a distribution. Distributions are likely to vary greatly in amount.

    Standardized Performance

    For YMAX, click here. For YMAG, click here. For TSLY, click here. For OARK, click here. For APLY, click here. For NVDY, click here. For AMZY, click here. For FBY, click here. For GOOY, click here. For NFLY, click here. For CONY, click here. For MSFO, click here. For DISO, click here. For XOMO, click here. For JPMO, click here. For AMDY, click here. For PYPY, click here. For XYZY, click here. For MRNY, click here. For AIYY, click here. For MSTY, click here. For ULTY, click here. For YBIT, click here. For CRSH, click here. For GDXY, click here. For SNOY, click here. For ABNY, click here. For FIAT, click here. For DIPS, click here. For BABO, click here. For YQQQ, click here. For TSMY, click here. For SMCY, click here. For PLTY, click here. For BIGY, click here. For SOXY, click here. For MARO, click here. For FEAT, click here. For FIVY, click here. For LFGY, click here. For GPTY, click here. For CVNY, click here. For SDTY, click here. For QDTY, click here. For WNTR, click here. For CHPY, click here

    Important Information

    This material must be preceded or accompanied by the prospectus. For all prospectuses, click here.

    Tidal Financial Group is the adviser for all YieldMax™ ETFs.

    THE FUND, TRUST, AND ADVISER ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY UNDERLYING REFERENCE ASSET.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable to all YieldMax ETFs referenced above, except the Short ETFs)

    YMAX, YMAG, FEAT and FIVY generally invest in other YieldMax™ ETFs. As such, these two Funds are subject to the risks listed in this section, which apply to all the YieldMax™ ETFs they may hold from time to time.

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

    Referenced Index Risk. The Fund invests in options contracts that are based on the value of the Index (or the Index ETFs). This subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it owned shares of companies that comprised the Index or an ETF that tracks the Index, even though it does not.

    Indirect Investment Risk. The Index is not affiliated with the Trust, the Fund, the Adviser, or their respective affiliates and is not involved with this offering in any way. Investors in the Fund will not have the right to receive dividends or other distributions or any other rights with respect to the companies that comprise the Index but will be subject to declines in the performance of the Index.

    Russell 2000 Index Risks. The Index, which consists of small-cap U.S. companies, is particularly susceptible to economic changes, as these firms often have less financial resilience than larger companies. Market volatility can disproportionately affect these smaller businesses, leading to significant price swings. Additionally, these companies are often more exposed to specific industry risks and have less diverse revenue streams. They can also be more vulnerable to changes in domestic regulatory or policy environments.

    Call Writing Strategy Risk. The path dependency (i.e., the continued use) of the Fund’s call writing strategy will impact the extent that the Fund participates in the positive price returns of the underlying reference asset and, in turn, the Fund’s returns, both during the term of the sold call options and over longer periods.

    Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to counterparty risk by virtue of its investments in options contracts. Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared (“cleared derivatives”). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members.

    Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, imperfect correlation with underlying investments or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions.

    Options Contracts. The use of options contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political, changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events.

    Distribution Risk. As part of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund seeks to provide current income. There is no assurance that the Fund will make a distribution in any given period. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next.

    High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund’s holdings. A high portfolio turnover rate increases transaction costs, which may increase the Fund’s expenses.

    Liquidity Risk. Some securities held by the Fund, including options contracts, may be difficult to sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil.

    Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.

    New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

    Price Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of call option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will participate in increases in value experienced by the underlying reference asset over the Call Period.

    Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment which diversifies risk or the market generally. The value of the Fund, which focuses on an individual security (ARKK, TSLA, AAPL, NVDA, AMZN, META, GOOGL, NFLX, COIN, MSFT, DIS, XOM, JPM, AMD, PYPL, SQ, MRNA, AI, MSTR, Bitcoin ETP, GDX®, SNOW, ABNB, BABA, TSM, SMCI, PLTR, MARA, CVNA), may be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole.

    Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions, if any, may decline.

    Indirect Investment Risk. The Index is not affiliated with the Trust, the Fund, the Adviser, or their respective affiliates and is not involved with this offering in any way.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to GPTY)

    Artificial Intelligence Risk. Issuers engaged in artificial intelligence typically have high research and capital expenditures and, as a result, their profitability can vary widely, if they are profitable at all. The space in which they are engaged is highly competitive and issuers’ products and services may become obsolete very quickly. These companies are heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss or impairment of those rights. The issuers are also subject to legal, regulatory, and political changes that may have a large impact on their profitability. A failure in an issuer’s product or even questions about the safety of the product could be devastating to the issuer, especially if it is the marquee product of the issuer. It can be difficult to accurately capture what qualifies as an artificial intelligence company.

    Technology Sector Risk. The Fund will invest substantially in companies in the information technology sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. Market or economic factors impacting technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability.

    Risk Disclosure (applicable only to MARO)

    Digital Assets Risk: The Fund does not invest directly in Bitcoin or any other digital assets. The Fund does not invest directly in derivatives that track the performance of Bitcoin or any other digital assets. The Fund does not invest in or seek direct exposure to the current “spot” or cash price of Bitcoin. Investors seeking direct exposure to the price of Bitcoin should consider an investment other than the Fund. Digital assets like Bitcoin, designed as mediums of exchange, are still an emerging asset class. They operate independently of any central authority or government backing and are subject to regulatory changes and extreme price volatility.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to BABO and TSMY)

    Currency Risk: Indirect exposure to foreign currencies subjects the Fund to the risk that currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the U.S. or abroad.

    Depositary Receipts Risk: The securities underlying BABO and TSMY are American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”). Investment in ADRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market.

    Foreign Market and Trading Risk: The trading markets for many foreign securities are not as active as U.S. markets and may have less governmental regulation and oversight.

    Foreign Securities Risk: Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in securities of U.S. issuers, such as risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability, as well as varying regulatory requirements applicable to investments in non-U.S. issuers. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may also be subject to different regulatory, accounting, auditing, financial reporting, and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to GDXY)

    Risk of Investing in Foreign Securities. The Fund is exposed indirectly to the securities of foreign issuers selected by GDX®’s investment adviser, which subjects the Fund to the risks associated with such companies. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities.

    Risk of Investing in Gold and Silver Mining Companies. The Fund is exposed indirectly to gold and silver mining companies selected by GDX®’s investment adviser, which subjects the Fund to the risks associated with such companies.

    The Fund invests in options contracts based on the value of the VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX®), which subjects the Fund to some of the same risks as if it owned GDX®, as well as the risks associated with Canadian, Australian and Emerging Market Issuers, and Small-and Medium-Capitalization companies.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to YBIT)

    YBIT does not invest directly in Bitcoin or any other digital assets. YBIT does not invest directly in derivatives that track the performance of Bitcoin or any other digital assets. YBIT does not invest in or seek direct exposure to the current “spot” or cash price of Bitcoin. Investors seeking direct exposure to the price of Bitcoin should consider an investment other than YBIT.

    Bitcoin Investment Risk: The Fund’s indirect investment in Bitcoin, through holdings in one or more Underlying ETPs, exposes it to the unique risks of this emerging innovation. Bitcoin’s price is highly volatile, and its market is influenced by the changing Bitcoin network, fluctuating acceptance levels, and unpredictable usage trends.

    Digital Assets Risk: Digital assets like Bitcoin, designed as mediums of exchange, are still an emerging asset class. They operate independently of any central authority or government backing and are subject to regulatory changes and extreme price volatility. Potentially No 1940 Act Protections. As of the date of this Prospectus, there is only a single eligible Underlying ETP, and it is an investment company subject to the 1940 Act.

    Bitcoin ETP Risk: The Fund invests in options contracts that are based on the value of the Bitcoin ETP. This subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it owned shares of the Bitcoin ETP, even though it does not. Bitcoin ETPs are subject, but not limited, to significant risk and heightened volatility. An investor in a Bitcoin ETP may lose their entire investment. Bitcoin ETPs are not suitable for all investors. In addition, not all Bitcoin ETPs are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Those Bitcoin ETPs that are not registered under such statute are therefore not subject to the same regulations as exchange traded products that are so registered.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to the Short ETFs)

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

    Price Appreciation Risk. As part of the Fund’s synthetic covered put strategy, the Fund purchases and sells call and put option contracts that are based on the value of the underlying reference asset. This strategy subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it shorted the underlying reference asset, even though it does not. By virtue of the Fund’s indirect inverse exposure to changes in the value of the underlying reference asset, the Fund is subject to the risk that the value of the underlying reference asset increases. If the value of the underlying reference asset increases, the Fund will likely lose value and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses.

    Put Writing Strategy Risk. The path dependency (i.e., the continued use) of the Fund’s put writing (selling) strategy will impact the extent that the Fund participates in decreases in the value of the underlying reference asset and, in turn, the Fund’s returns, both during the term of the sold put options and over longer periods.

    Purchased OTM Call Options Risk. The Fund’s strategy is subject to potential losses if the underlying reference asset increases in value, which may not be offset by the purchase of out-of-the-money (OTM) call options. The Fund purchases OTM calls to seek to manage (cap) the Fund’s potential losses from the Fund’s short exposure to the underlying reference asset if it appreciates significantly in value. However, the OTM call options will cap the Fund’s losses only to the extent that the value of the underlying reference asset increases to a level that is at or above the strike level of the purchased OTM call options. Any increase in the value of the underlying reference asset to a level that is below the strike level of the purchased OTM call options will result in a corresponding loss for the Fund. For example, if the OTM call options have a strike level that is approximately 100% above the then-current value of the underlying reference asset at the time of the call option purchase, and the value of the underlying reference asset increases by at least 100% during the term of the purchased OTM call options, the Fund will lose all its value. Since the Fund bears the costs of purchasing the OTM calls, such costs will decrease the Fund’s value and/or any income otherwise generated by the Fund’s investment strategy.

    Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to counterparty risk by virtue of its investments in options contracts. Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared (“cleared derivatives”). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members.

    Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, imperfect correlation with underlying investments or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions.

    Options Contracts. The use of options contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying reference asset, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political, changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events.

    Distribution Risk. As part of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund seeks to provide current income. There is no assurance that the Fund will make a distribution in any given period. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next.

    High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund’s holdings.

    Liquidity Risk. Some securities held by the Fund, including options contracts, may be difficult to sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil.

    Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.

    New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

    Price Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of put option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will participate in decreases in value experienced by the underlying reference asset over the Put Period.

    Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment which diversifies risk or the market generally. The value of the Fund, for any Fund that focuses on an individual security (e.g., TSLA, COIN, NVDA, MSTR), may be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole.

    Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions, if any, may decline.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to CHPY)

    Semiconductor Industry Risk. Semiconductor companies may face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, and such competition may have an adverse effect on their profit margins. Semiconductor companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. Semiconductor companies’ supply chain and operations are dependent on the availability of materials that meet exacting standards and the use of third parties to provide components and services.

    The products of semiconductor companies may face obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Capital equipment expenditures could be substantial, and equipment generally suffers from rapid obsolescence. Companies in the semiconductor industry are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights. The loss or impairment of these rights would adversely affect the profitability of these companies.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to YQQQ)

    Index Overview. The Nasdaq 100 Index is a benchmark index that includes 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, based on market capitalization.

    Index Level Appreciation Risk. As part of the Fund’s synthetic covered put strategy, the Fund purchases and sells call and put option contracts that are based on the Index level. This strategy subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it shorted the Index, even though it does not. By virtue of the Fund’s indirect inverse exposure to changes in the Index level, the Fund is subject to the risk that the Index level increases. If the Index level increases, the Fund will likely lose value and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses. The Fund may also be subject to the following risks: innovation and technological advancement; strong market presence of Index constituent companies; adaptability to global market trends; and resilience and recovery potential.

    Index Level Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of put option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will benefit from decreases in the Index level experienced over the Put Period. This means that if the Index level experiences a decrease in value below the strike level of the sold put options during a Put Period, the Fund will likely not experience that increase to the same extent and any Fund gains may significantly differ from the level of the Index losses over the Put Period. Additionally, because the Fund is limited in the degree to which it will participate in decreases in value experienced by the Index level over each Put Period, but has significant negative exposure to any increases in value experienced by the Index level over the Put Period, the NAV of the Fund may decrease over any given period. The Fund’s NAV is dependent on the value of each options portfolio, which is based principally upon the inverse of the performance of the Index level. The Fund’s ability to benefit from the Index level decreases will depend on prevailing market conditions, especially market volatility, at the time the Fund enters into the sold put option contracts and will vary from Put Period to Put Period. The value of the options contracts is affected by changes in the value and dividend rates of component companies that comprise the Index, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived volatility of the Index and the remaining time to the options’ expiration, as well as trading conditions in the options market. As the Index level changes and time moves towards the expiration of each Put Period, the value of the options contracts, and therefore the Fund’s NAV, will change. However, it is not expected for the Fund’s NAV to directly inversely correlate on a day-to-day basis with the returns of the Index level. The amount of time remaining until the options contract’s expiration date affects the impact that the value of the options contracts has on the Fund’s NAV, which may not be in full effect until the expiration date of the Fund’s options contracts. Therefore, while changes in the Index level will result in changes to the Fund’s NAV, the Fund generally anticipates that the rate of change in the Fund’s NAV will be different than the inverse of the changes experienced by the Index level.

    YieldMax™ ETFs are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC. Foreside is not affiliated with Tidal Financial Group, or YieldMax™ ETFs.

    © 2025 YieldMax™ ETFs

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Lantronix Ranks 8th on Orange County Business Journal’s List of Fastest-Growing Midsize Public Companies

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    IRVINE, Calif., April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lantronix Inc. (NASDAQ: LTRX), a global leader of compute and connectivity for IoT solutions enabling Edge AI Intelligence, today announced it has been named the 8th Fastest-Growing Midsize Public Company in Orange County, Calif., by the Orange County Business Journal. Rankings are based on each company’s two-year revenue growth from 2022 to 2024. Lantronix grew 22 percent during this period, reporting revenues of $160.3 million for the 12 months ended Dec. 30, 2024.

    “We are honored to be ranked 8th on the OCBJ’s annual ranking of the Fastest-Growing Midsize Public Companies,” said Saleel Awsare, chief executive officer and president at Lantronix. “This validation is a credit to the support of our dedicated team as well as our exceptional technology and channel partners that have enabled us to bring exceptional, breakthrough solutions to market, driving forward our presence in AI, Edge Computing, Industry 4.0, IIoT and Out-of-Band Management.”

    To fuel its strategic growth in 2025 and beyond, Lantronix’s has recently hired seasoned industry leaders to expand and scale its presence as a global leader in compute and connectivity. For details, visit the Lantronix press releases webpage.

    Lantronix is the winner of many corporate and industry awards, including the 2025 IoT Breakthrough Awards IoT CEO of the Year Award for its CEO, Saleel Awsare. Lantronix also ranked on the prestigious 2025 CRN® Internet of Things (IoT) 50 list and won industry awards including the 2024 IoT Evolution Asset Tracking Award, the 2024 IoT Evolution Business Impact Award and the 2024 IoT Evolution Product of the Year Award.

    About Lantronix

    Lantronix Inc. is a global leader of compute and connectivity IoT solutions that target high-growth markets, including Smart Cities, Enterprise and Transportation. Lantronix’s products and services empower companies to succeed in the growing IoT markets by delivering customizable solutions that enable AI Edge Intelligence. Lantronix’s advanced solutions include Intelligent Substations infrastructure, Infotainment systems and Video Surveillance, supplemented with advanced Out-of-Band Management (OOB) for Cloud and Edge Computing.

    For more information, visit the Lantronix website.

    “Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws, including, without limitation, statements related to Lantronix products or leadership team. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results, future business, financial condition, or performance to differ materially from our historical results or those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement contained in this news release. The potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, such factors as the effects of negative or worsening regional and worldwide economic conditions or market instability on our business, including effects on purchasing decisions by our customers; our ability to mitigate any disruption in our and our suppliers’ and vendors’ supply chains due to the COVID-19 pandemic or other outbreaks, wars and recent tensions in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, or other factors; future responses to and effects of public health crises; cybersecurity risks; changes in applicable U.S. and foreign government laws, regulations, and tariffs; our ability to successfully implement our acquisitions strategy or integrate acquired companies; difficulties and costs of protecting patents and other proprietary rights; the level of our indebtedness, our ability to service our indebtedness and the restrictions in our debt agreements; and any additional factors included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on Sept. 9, 2024, including in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of Part I of that report, as well as in our other public filings with the SEC. Additional risk factors may be identified from time to time in our future filings. In addition, actual results may differ as a result of additional risks and uncertainties about which we are currently unaware or which we do not currently view as material to our business. For these reasons, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements we make speak only as of the date on which they are made. We expressly disclaim any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date hereof to conform such statements to actual results or to changes in our opinions or expectations, except as required by applicable law or the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC. If we do update or correct any forward-looking statements, investors should not conclude that we will make additional updates or corrections.

    Lantronix Media Contact:        
    Gail Kathryn Miller
    Corporate Marketing &
    Communications Manager
    media@lantronix.com

    Lantronix Analyst and Investor Contact:        
    investors@lantronix.com

    ©2025 Lantronix, Inc. All rights reserved. Lantronix is a registered trademark. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Gilat Receives over $11 Million Defense Contract from a Leading UAV Company

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PETAH TIKVA, Israel, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: GILT, TASE: GILT), a worldwide leader in satellite networking technology, solutions and services, announced today Gilat Defense was awarded a contract exceeding $11 million for DKET 3420 terminals. These portable satellite communication hubs are designed to deliver robust connectivity, scalability, and flexibility for mission-critical operations. Deliveries are scheduled for later in the year.   

    The DKET 3420 is a field-proven solution designed to meet the demands of mission-critical communications with high reliability and performance. Supporting multi-carrier operations with a scalable modem architecture of up to 32 modems, the DKET 3420 ensures efficient satellite utilization.

    “This contract reflects the critical role that Gilat Defense plays in delivering cutting-edge SATCOM solutions for defense applications worldwide,” said Gilad Landsberg, President of Gilat Defense. “The newly formed Defense Division is firmly on track to meet and exceed the demanding expectations of our global defense customers, and this award is a testament to that momentum.”

    “We are proud to secure this significant order, reinforcing the confidence in our technology and our commitment to delivering mission-critical satellite communication solutions to our Defense customers,” said Nicole Robinson, President of DataPath. “Our DKET terminals offer high-performance, portable network hubs that address the evolving needs of our defense customers, ensuring they have the connectivity required to succeed in any environment.”

    About Gilat
    Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: GILT, TASE: GILT) is a leading global provider of satellite-based broadband communications. With over 35 years of experience, we develop and deliver deep technology solutions for satellite, ground, and new space connectivity, offering next-generation solutions and services for critical connectivity across commercial and defense applications.  We believe in the right of all people to be connected and are united in our resolution to provide communication solutions to all reaches of the world.

    Together with our wholly owned subsidiaries—Gilat Wavestream, Gilat DataPath, and Gilat Stellar Blu—we offer integrated, high-value solutions supporting multi-orbit constellations, Very High Throughput Satellites (VHTS), and Software-Defined Satellites (SDS) via our Commercial and Defense Divisions. Our comprehensive portfolio is comprised of a cloud-based platform and modems; high-performance satellite terminals; advanced Satellite On-the-Move (SOTM) antennas and ESAs; highly efficient, high-power Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPA) and Block Upconverters (BUC) and includes integrated ground systems for commercial and defense markets, field services, network management software, and cybersecurity services.

    Gilat’s products and tailored solutions support multiple applications including government and defense, IFC and mobility, broadband access, cellular backhaul, enterprise, aerospace, broadcast, and critical infrastructure clients all while meeting the most stringent service level requirements. For more information, please visit: http://www.gilat.com

    Certain statements made herein that are not historical are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “estimate”, “project”, “intend”, “expect”, “believe” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Gilat to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, among others, changes in general economic and business conditions, inability to maintain market acceptance to Gilat’s products, inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications, rapid changes in the market for Gilat’s products, loss of market share and pressure on prices resulting from competition, introduction of competing products by other companies, inability to manage growth and expansion, loss of key OEM partners, inability to attract and retain qualified personnel, inability to protect the Company’s proprietary technology and risks associated with Gilat’s international operations and its location in Israel, including those related to the terrorist attacks by Hamas, and the hostilities between Israel and Hamas and Israel and Hezbollah. For additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties associated with Gilat’s business, reference is made to Gilat’s reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason.

    Contact:

    Gilat Satellite Networks
    Hagay Katz, Chief Product and Marketing Officer
    hagayk@gilat.com

    Alliance Advisors:

    GilatIR@allianceadvisors.com
    Phone: +1 212 838 3777

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Why we need a pause on new salmon farms

    Source: Scottish Greens

    09 Apr 2025 Nature Rural Affairs

    Highlands and Islands

    Housing, Communities and Rural Affairs spokesperson

    More in Nature

    Imagine if we allowed a factory to spill waste into Scotland’s rivers and lochs without taking action. Imagine if it was harming wildlife, damaging the environment, and even putting its own industry at risk. You would expect something to be done? 

    Well, that’s exactly what’s happening with salmon farming in Scotland right now. And yet, despite mounting evidence of harm, the Scottish Government is allowing the industry to keep expanding.  

    Scotland’s seas are a vital part of our landscape; supporting wildlife, local businesses, and our way of life. But our coastal waters are being damaged, potentially irreversibly, from the rapid expansion of the salmon farming industry. That’s why I’m calling for an immediate pause on new and expanding salmon farms. We need to take a step back and ensure that this industry is operating in a way that protects our environment, our wild fish, and the long-term sustainability of the sector itself. 

    Progress from the Salmon Farming Inquiry 

    One of my roles representing you is as a member of the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs and Islands (RAI) Committee. We recently conducted an inquiry into salmon farming (Follow-up inquiry into salmon farming in Scotland). It confirmed what many communities and environmental groups have been saying for years: Scotland’s salmon farming industry is plagued by serious issues. Thanks to pressure from me, the report recognised the urgent need for action, with some important recommendations: 

    • Protecting Wild Salmon: The Committee backed an immediate ban on siting salmon farms near migratory routes for wild salmon, reducing the threat from sea lice and disease. 
    • Stronger Monitoring and Regulation: The Committee highlighted serious delays in environmental testing, with seabed samples from farms left unanalysed for years. 
    • Better Data for the Public: The Committee made recommendations on how the salmon farms report data, such as the number of fish deaths at farms, to make it easier for the public to see the state of the industry. 
    • Fish Welfare Standards: It was recognised that farmed fish currently have no specific statutory welfare protections, and the Committee urged the Scottish Government to introduce regulations.

    While these steps are welcome, I was one of two Committee members who felt these recommendations didn’t go far enough. Given the scale of environmental damage and poor official enforcement, I believe a temporary pause is necessary to fix these issues before more farms are allowed to expand. 

    What we achieved by having a Scottish Green Party MSP in the room 

    Scotland’s natural environment and its communities are at the heart of everything I do, both personally and as a member of the Scottish Green Party. Our landscapes, waters, and local economies are deeply interconnected, and I believe we have a responsibility to protect them for future generations.

    I spent a lot of time ensuring that the industry’s impacts on our environment, marine life, and coastal communities, were properly scrutinised. I pushed for the RAI Committee report to be written in an accessible way, with terms explained and clear graphics used so the report, as far as it could be, is easy to understand. I also ensured that the evidence we wrote in the report was a balanced view of what we heard people say to the committee. I made sure the recommendations were specific in what action to take and one we could measure. I called for stronger action on the welfare of the fish, who can feel pain, as well as the fish that are used to eat the sea lice off the salmon, penalties for escapes of farmed fish and work on analysing potential damage the farms are having on the seabed. 

    Why a Pause is Necessary 

    A pause isn’t about shutting down existing farm – it’s about ensuring the industry meets proper standards before growing further. Here’s why it’s essential: 

    1. Protecting Our Environment 

    Salmon farms release waste, chemicals, and uneaten food into the sea, damaging marine habitats. Many farms still operate under outdated environmental rules, with tighter regulations only applying to new sites. By pausing expansion, we can give existing farms time to meet higher standards and reduce their impact. 

    We also need to catch up on monitoring. Out of 210 farms, only 72 have submitted seabed survey results, and many haven’t been assessed. In some areas, it could take up to five years to collect the necessary data. Without knowing the impact on our environment, we can’t risk further expansion. 

    2. Saving Scotland’s Wild Salmon 

    Wild salmon are in crisis, and salmon farms are a major threat. Sea lice infestations from farms spread to wild fish, weakening and killing them. The Committee heard evidence calling for immediate protections, including banning farms near migration routes. Yet progress is painfully slow. 

    A pause would allow time to map out safe zones and ensure that new farms aren’t placed where they will harm wild salmon populations. 

    3. Applying the Precautionary Principle 

    Under environmental law, Scotland is supposed to follow the “precautionary principle” which means taking action to prevent harm when there’s uncertainty about risks. Yet despite clear evidence of pollution, disease, and declining wild fish populations, the industry is still being allowed to expand. 

    The Committee even agreed that existing policies don’t align with this principle. If we are serious about protecting Scotland’s natural environment, we must stop approving new farms until we have stronger safeguards in place. 

    4. Improving Fish Welfare 

    Salmon farming has shockingly high mortality rates. In 2018, a Parliamentary report said that farms with high death rates should not be allowed to expand. Yet since then, mortality rates have risen from 7% to 25%—meaning one in four farmed fish don’t survive to harvest. In any other farming sector, this would be a scandal. 

    A pause would allow time for legally enforceable fish welfare standards to be introduced. Better welfare isn’t just ethical; it leads to healthier fish, better-quality products, and a more resilient industry. 

    5. Ensuring Long-Term Industry Sustainability 

    Some argue that stopping expansion could hurt jobs, but the reality is that salmon farming directly employs relatively few people – just 1,480 in 2023, a decline from previous years. Meanwhile, the environmental damage caused by the industry threatens other coastal jobs in tourism, fishing, and recreation. 

    A poorly regulated industry risks collapsing under its own failures. If Scotland becomes known for unsustainable, high-mortality fish farming, we could face stricter export controls from other countries. A pause would give the industry time to make necessary reforms and ensure its long-term survival. 

    A Call for Action 

    Scotland’s seas and rivers are too important to be sacrificed for short-term profits. A temporary pause on new and expanding salmon farms would: 

    • Protect the environment and allow existing farms to meet higher standards. 
    • Give wild salmon a fighting chance by stopping farms in sensitive areas. 
    • Ensure fish welfare laws are in place before further expansion. 
    • Secure a more sustainable future for the industry and coastal jobs. 

    The Scottish Government and the industry both claim they are working towards improvements, but progress has been far too slow. Without decisive action, we risk losing our wild salmon, damaging our seas, and undermining Scotland’s global reputation for high-quality, sustainable food. 

    Now is the time to act. I urge the Scottish Government to implement a temporary pause and take the necessary steps to protect Scotland’s marine environment before it’s too late. 

    A temporary pause on expansion is the responsible choice. It gives us a chance to get this industry on the right track before more damage is done. 

    How you can help: 

    I’m standing up for Scotland’s seas and communities – will you join me? 

    Write to the Scottish Government to tell them you are calling for a pause on new salmon farms and the expansion of existing ones – Pause Salmon Farming 

    Join our campaign to save Loch Long from a new salmon farm here: Save Loch Long 

    Find out more by listening to my podcast on Salmon Farming here: Stream Aquaculture – EP2 – Environmental impacts of Salmon Farming – John Aitchison by Ariane Burgess MSP – Scottish Greens | Listen online for free on SoundCloud

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Council of Expert Advisors appointed in NISTA

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    New Council of Expert Advisors appointed in NISTA

    The Council will support the implementation of the 10-year infrastructure strategy and the delivery of NISTA’s wider objectives.

    The Chief Secretary to the Treasury has set up a new Council of Expert Advisors to support the work of the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA).

    The Council will bring the impartial and expert advice of experienced practitioners to support the implementation of the government’s 10-year infrastructure strategy and delivery of NISTA’s objectives. 

    The Chief Secretary to the Treasury has invited Commissioners on the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) to form a Council of Expert Advisors in NISTA, and has appointed them to the Council.

    The following have been appointed to the NISTA Council of Expert Advisors:

    • Sir John Armitt
    • Julia Prescot
    • Sir Tim Besley
    • Neale Coleman
    • Michele Dix
    • Andy Green
    • Jim Hall
    • Sadie Morgan
    • Kate Willard
    • Nick Winser

    These appointments will be until 31 December 2025, with the exception of Sir John Armitt, Sir Tim Besley, and Sadie Morgan. The current term dates for Sir John Armitt, Sir Tim Besley, and Sadie Morgan are due to end before the 31 December 2025 and their appointments will end on the original end dates.

    Sir John Armitt has been appointed as the Chair of the Council. A campaign to appoint a new Chair, and a process for new Council membership, will be launched in due course.

    Terms of Reference are published within the Memorandum of Understanding for NISTA.

    About the Appointment Process

    These appointments have been made having met required performance standards and with the agreement of ministers. The council members and chair roles are non-executive part-time positions.

    Neale Coleman and Kate Willard are members of the Labour Party and Neale Coleman has disclosed donations to the Labour Party.

    The other appointees have confirmed that they have not undertaken any political activity within the previous five years including donating to, or canvassing on behalf of, any political party.

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA response to statement by UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office concerning China’s military exercises around Taiwan

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    MOFA response to statement by UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office concerning China’s military exercises around Taiwan

    Date：2025-04-03
    Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    April 3, 2025The United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office released a statement on April 2 indicating its concern over China’s military exercises around Taiwan, underscoring that they increased tensions and risked dangerous escalation in the Taiwan Strait. The statement reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s clear interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, adding that this was critical to global prosperity. It went on to declare that the United Kingdom supported a free and open Indo-Pacific, that the Taiwan issue should be settled by people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue and without the threat or use of force or coercion, and that military drills or threats to Taiwan were not conducive to such dialogue. The statement further pointed out that the United Kingdom did not support any attempt at unilaterally changing the status quo, calling for restraint and the avoidance of actions that undermine peace and stability.The UK statement follows those made by the United States, the European Union, and Japan, and is another expression of concern by a major country over China’s military exercises around Taiwan. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung welcomes the statement and thanks the UK government for continuing to pay close attention to the situation across the Taiwan Strait and for stating clearly that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are of global importance. MOFA stresses that Taiwan, as a responsible member of the international community, will continue to work with like-minded partners to jointly safeguard the rules-based international order. Taiwan hopes that the world’s democracies will unite in calling on China to return to reason and restraint and to stop threatening Taiwan and unilaterally increasing regional tensions.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA response to European Parliament resolutions expressing concern over China’s escalation of Taiwan Strait tensions and supporting the deepening of Taiwan-EU cooperation

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    April 3, 2025The European Parliament on April 2 voted overwhelmingly to adopt resolutions on annual reports on the implementation of the European Union Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The resolutions once again reiterated concern over China’s escalation of tensions across the Taiwan Strait and expressed support for further deepening comprehensive Taiwan-EU cooperation and exchanges. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) sincerely welcomes and appreciates these resolutions.The CFSP resolution pointed out that the center of gravity in the global order was shifting towards the Indo-Pacific and that the European Union must strengthen its active role and presence in the region to safeguard peace, freedom, and stability and uphold the rules-based international order. It stated that Taiwan was a key democratic partner for the European Union in the Indo-Pacific region and urged the European Union and its member states to engage in closer cooperation with Taiwan in order to further boost economic, trade, and investment ties. The resolution also encouraged the European Commission to launch, without delay, preparatory measures for negotiations on an investment agreement with Taiwan.Furthermore, the European Parliament strongly condemned China’s continued military provocations against Taiwan and China’s continuous distortion of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 aimed at blocking Taiwan’s meaningful international participation. It stressed that China’s territorial claims over Taiwan had no basis in international law and that only Taiwan’s democratically elected government could represent the Taiwanese people. The European Parliament called on the European Union and its member states to ensure, through clear and consistent signaling, that any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, particularly by means of force or coercion, could not be accepted and would have high costs. It also urged the European Commission and EU member states to formulate a coordinated response strategy to the situation across the Taiwan Strait and to regularly provide impact assessments to the European Parliament concerning the latest developments. Meanwhile, the CSDP resolution strongly condemned hostile acts conducted by China against Taiwan, including an increasing number of cyberattacks, influence campaigns, the entry of Chinese warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, and the severing of subsea cables. It reaffirmed the European Union’s strong commitment to preserving the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, lauded the restraint and disciplined reaction of the Taiwan government, and called on China to exercise restraint and avoid any actions that may further escalate cross-strait tensions. The resolution also underlined the strategic significance of the Indo-Pacific region within the European Union’s defense framework and urged awareness of Taiwan’s leading role in high-tech development and extensive experience defending itself against China’s hybrid attacks and disinformation. It called for regular exchanges between the European Union and Taiwan on relevant security issues, as well as for Taiwan and the European Union to share information about incidents related to the severing of undersea cables. It added that Taiwan should be a key part of the European Union’s considerations in advancing multilateral cooperation and capacity building in the Indo-Pacific. In a gesture of great significance, the European Parliament on October 24 last year overwhelmingly voted in favor of a resolution on the misinterpretation of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 by the People’s Republic of China and its continuous military provocations around Taiwan. This demonstrated strong consensus and firm support for Taiwan across the various parties of the 10th-term European Parliament. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung expresses sincere and deep gratitude to the European Parliament for its continued concrete actions in deepening the Taiwan-EU partnership and emphasizing its firm stance on upholding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. On the excellent foundation of close cooperation that currently exists, Taiwan will continue to advance exchanges with the European Parliament in all areas so as to jointly strengthen democratic resilience and build robust and reciprocal values-based alliances.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA response to social media posts by Global Affairs Canada expressing concern over China’s military exercises around Taiwan

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    MOFA response to social media posts by Global Affairs Canada expressing concern over China’s military exercises around Taiwan

    Date：2025-04-03
    Data Source：Department of North American Affairs

    April 3, 2025Global Affairs Canada issued statements on the social media platforms X and Facebook on April 2 expressing Canada’s deep concern over China’s recent military exercises around Taiwan. The statements emphasized that these threatening actions increased regional tensions and instability and affected global security and prosperity. Canada urged China to resolve cross-strait differences by peaceful means.Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung thanks Canada for reaffirming its support of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and for opposing the use of force or coercion to change the status quo, as well as for explicitly stating that China’s threats to Taiwan and regional security undermine the status quo.Since Canada issued its Indo-Pacific Strategy in November 2022, it has dispatched naval ships to transit the Taiwan Strait six times, repeatedly demonstrating its staunch determination to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait through concrete action. In the face of relentless harassment by China, the Taiwan government will continue to strengthen its self-defense capabilities and bolster cooperation with allied nations to jointly safeguard the rules-based international order. Taiwan calls on all countries to express concern about China’s attempts at gray-zone coercion, including military threats and lawfare targeting Taiwan, and to condemn unilateral actions by China that escalate regional tensions.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA response to social media post by German Foreign Office expressing concern over China’s military exercises around Taiwan

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    MOFA response to social media post by German Foreign Office expressing concern over China’s military exercises around Taiwan

    Date：2025-04-04
    Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    April 4, 2025

    On April 2, the Federal Foreign Office of Germany posted a message on the social media platform X pointing out that China’s military exercises around Taiwan had increased tensions and were a cause of concern. It stated that stability in the Taiwan Strait was paramount for regional and global security and also affected prosperity in Europe. The Foreign Office underlined that the status quo could only be changed through peaceful means and by mutual agreement, and not by force or coercion.

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung sincerely thanks the government of Germany for its continued attention to cross-strait peace and stability and for this further expression of concern over China’s military drills. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs underscores that Taiwan, as a responsible member of the international community, will continue to work with like-minded partners to jointly defend the rules-based international order. It joins other nations in calling on China to exercise self-restraint, stop threatening Taiwan, and cease its unilateral attempts to escalate regional tensions. 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –