NewzIntel.com

Category: Science

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s vast northwest inspires a new generation

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

    While her peers shuttle between China’s megacities chasing lucrative careers, 23-year-old Huang Huiru veers off the beaten track — immersing herself in the rugged terrain of the Pamir Plateau in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region for a gap year.

    As a law graduate from Gansu University of Political Science and Law, Huang is among a growing group of Chinese youth who volunteer to turn classroom knowledge into practical solutions for developing the region.

    Stationed in government departments in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, Huang and fellow volunteers revamped local job fairs through social media campaigns. In March, their efforts attracted over 80 employers offering more than 1,000 jobs, up from just five employers and a few job seekers in 2024.

    “This is more than a job; it’s a calling,” she said.

    Jobseekers exchange information on openings during a job fair in Urumqi, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 2, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Han)

    ANSWERING THE CALL

    Since 2003, the “Go West” program has offered 540,000 young Chinese a chance to spend a year or more volunteering in the country’s vast western regions, and around 55,000 participants have been recruited in Xinjiang, according to the Communist Youth League of China. The talent program aims to inject new ideas and vigor into the regions with huge development potential.

    In 2024 alone, more than 11,900 young professionals joined the program in Xinjiang, according to the regional Communist Youth League Committee.

    Like Huang, they have taught in classrooms near the Taklamakan Desert, helped rebuild rural infrastructure, supported poverty-alleviation projects, and upgraded power grids, leaving a lasting impact on communities while forging their own career paths.

    Though often a challenging experience, individuals find profound sense of fulfillment in their service and express a willingness to extend their commitments. Data showed that since 2003, more than 15,000 people have opted to remain in Xinjiang after completing their volunteer service.

    Wu Xiaofang, a 30-year-old power grid engineer, relocated to Xinjiang after earning her PhD from the prestigious Xi’an Jiaotong University in 2023. She now pioneers stability solutions for the West-to-East Power Transmission Project that leverages the region’s abundant wind and solar resources and its surplus power generation capacity. With transmission channels in place, Xinjiang can deliver excess clean electricity to other parts of China.

    “Xinjiang’s power grid offers vast potential to apply my expertise where the nation needs it most,” said Wu. Her efforts, including breakthroughs in maintaining ultra-high-voltage lines amid extreme weather, earned her recognition in Xinjiang’s talent program, a regional top professional honor.

    Workers perform installation work at the Barkol convertor station of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kilovolt ultra-high voltage direct current (UHV DC) power transmission project in Hami, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

    Yan Luming, a Master’s student from the People’s Public Security University of China, has brought innovative anti-fraud awareness campaigns to the city of Kashgar through the “Go West” program.

    Assigned to the anti-fraud center of the Kashgar public security bureau, she creates educational content featuring witty dialogue and relatable scenarios popular on social media platforms. Her videos have garnered up to 400,000 views per episode, helping prevent numerous potential scams.

    Wei Tao, head of the organization department of Kuqa City, said that targeted recruitment of students, graduates, and volunteers assigned to grassroots roles has become a pivotal force in advancing local governance and development.

    VAST OPPORTUNITIES

    Xinjiang has rolled out enhanced talent policies and a 10-billion-yuan (around 1.4 billion U.S. dollars) talent development fund to address workforce demands in building its 10 major industrial clusters.

    In January this year, for example, the region launched the PhD recruitment initiative, aiming to attract over 1,000 global doctoral experts, signalling intensified efforts to bridge expertise gaps.

    “Xinjiang’s expansive airspace and industrial needs align with our research goals, allowing us to translate research achievements into tangible productivity,” said Fan Yaoyao, a mechanical engineering postdoctoral researcher who works at an intelligent equipment research institute in Xinjiang.

    Volunteers Nurbiyem Japar (L) and Ruzikeri Musa (R) help a villager trim seabuckthorn branches in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Han)

    In its latest recruitment drive this year, the “Go West” program attracted 410,000 applicants, with nearly 90,000 selecting Xinjiang as their first-choice destination.

    Zhang Xin, a data communication graduate student at Tsinghua University, has chosen to temporarily suspend his postgraduate studies to pursue career opportunities in Xinjiang, drawn by the region’s burgeoning digital economy.

    The student in his 20s from Hubei Province now works in Aksu Prefecture of Xinjiang, applying his expertise in talent recruitment and employment strategy optimization.

    For Zhang, the turning point came during a 2022 internship in Xinjiang. “What struck me was the region’s vitality and untapped potential in information technology,” he said. “Unlike saturated first-tier job markets, Xinjiang offers a frontier where my data analytics skills can directly drive transformative projects.”

    Zhang Xin (C), a volunteer working in Aksu Prefecture of Xinjiang, speaks during a volunteer recruiting event for the “Go West” program in north China’s Shanxi Province, April 18, 2025. (Xinhua)

    Here, young professionals can accelerate both skill development and career progression while making substantive contributions through position-matched work, he added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Gerontechnology: A Scoping Review of Telehealth and Ageing in Place Initiatives for Kaumātua with a Focus on Dementia and Loneliness

    Source: ppta-logo-38

    This brief was written by Rangimahora Reddy, the inaugural Ageing Well Fellow during her time working with the Office of the Chief Science Advisor as a part of the Ageing Well National Science Challenge.

    The Brief includes:

    1. a summary of the ageing landscape in Aotearoa New Zealand, with a specific focus on kaumātua
    2. key findings from a review of the literature focused on systematic and scoping reviews involving older adults and caregivers, looking at technological innovations, interventions for cognitive improvement, dementia care strategies, and efforts to reduce loneliness and social isolation
    3. recommendations to inform practice, policy, and future actions to improve the access, design, implementation, and adoption of gerontechnology solutions for kaumātua. These recommendations include implications for New Zealand and next steps including areas for future research.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government to set new ten-year budgets for R&D funding

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Government to set new ten-year budgets for R&D funding

    New criteria to give certainty to world-class research organisations, helping to attract greater private investment and grow the UK economy.

    • New plans unveiled to support long-term, ten-year funding for certain R&D activities
    • Change will provide long-term certainty to researchers and industry, deepening opportunities for partnerships in vital R&D work that could transform UK economy
    • Introduction of guidance meets key manifesto commitment, supporting the government’s upcoming Industrial Strategy and delivering growth as part of our Plan for Change

    Vital R&D work exploring innovation in areas as diverse as human health and cutting-edge computing will be given much-needed long-term certainty under new criteria unveiled by Science Minister Lord Vallance today (Monday 19 May).

    It will enable and support government departments and other public bodies to fund R&D over a ten-year period – giving certainty to world-class research organisations that their work will continue over the long-term, helping to attract greater private investment, grow the UK economy and deliver on our Plan for Change. 

    While specific funding will be determined in the coming weeks, it could, for example, see research organisations tackling areas like antimicrobial resistance or developing quantum computers – complex issues which can take years to develop and understand – granted longer timescales to boost their chances of unearthing truly valuable solutions and improving lives.

    It could also mean longer-term funding for infrastructure, such as large-scale research facilities and equipment, giving them certainty that the tools they need to drive progress are secured.

    This will more broadly enable long-term research that tackles the key issues facing the UK, and will crowd investment into the sector from businesses attracted to the certainty of public backing.

    Evidence shows that the average £1 invested in public R&D leverages double that in private investment and generates £7 in net benefits to the UK economy in the long run – providing a major boost to the UK economy. This also delivers on a manifesto commitment and on calls from research organisations, innovators and milestone independent reports such as the Landscape Review of R&D.

    The criteria which will be used by departments and public bodies to identify and prioritise relevant ten-year funding proposals are centred around 4 areas:

    • Infrastructure and core capabilities – where ten-year funding will allow recipients to develop or maintain core national infrastructure or support more impactful use of such infrastructure, which would not be possible under shorter funding cycles.
    • Talent attraction and retention – where the skills development in a particular area is demonstrably vital to the UK growth agenda and longer-term funding would enable development of a pipeline of skilled researchers, scientists or engineers that otherwise would be difficult.
    • International collaboration – where there are demonstrable, additional opportunities for international collaborations with wider strategic benefits.
    • Partnerships and business collaboration – where there is demonstrable need for long term partnerships with industry – including charity and philanthropy – to tackle a significant challenge relevant to economic growth, and where shorter funding cycles would impede effective partnerships.

    Science Minister, Lord Vallance, said:

    Research and innovation, from computing and AI to health breakthroughs need stability of funding. 

    We are delivering on our manifesto commitment to support and encourage public bodies to deliver long-term ten-year funding streams where appropriate, while retaining the flexibility of shorter-term cycles to deal with emerging priorities.

    This change will provide certainty to certain types of research organisations and unlock vital business investment into our world-class research sector to drive the growth at the heart of our Plan for Change.

    The announcement comes ahead of the publication of the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy and will ensure the UK continues to be a world leader in growth-driving sectors delivering increased investment and secure, skilled jobs for working people across the country.

    The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has worked with the Treasury and other stakeholders to develop the principles of ten-year funding and the process by which public bodies will select specific activities or institutions for long-term funding, to provide transparency for the R&D sector. 

    The guidance recommends that public bodies should set a maximum limit for the proportion of R&D budget that, at any one time, should be allocated to ten-year funding. This will retain the agility to respond to new and emerging priorities in the short and medium term.

    Further details on the initial recipients of ten-year budgets will be set out in the second phase of the Spending Review, and in due course following the allocation of the R&D budget.  

    Departments will operate their own selection process, in line with the guidance. The guidance will allow departments to implement a targeted approach and allocate ten-year budgets to the specific programmes, activities and smaller research organisations that would best be able to unlock the economic and scientific benefits associated with long-term funding.  

    Ten-year budgets will also act as a signal of government’s long-term priorities in key sectors, helping to underpin the government’s upcoming Industrial Strategy. This is part of a wider government approach to reforming R&D funding over the longer-term, including providing stability and certainty to the R&D sector by giving clarity on the government’s R&D priorities.

    DSIT media enquiries

    Email press@dsit.gov.uk

    Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 3000

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: It’s a national treasure, but 13% of Australians surveyed can’t tell you where the Great Barrier Reef is located

    Source:

    19 May 2025

    The giant sea turtle was one of the few GBR species that participants could identify.

    New research shows that Australians care deeply about the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) – one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World – but 13% can’t tell you where it is located.

    A social media survey canvassing Australians’ perceptions of the iconic tourism drawcard also revealed that while most people are aware of the threats facing the world’s largest coral reef, few can name many individual species inhabiting it.

    The survey, conducted by University of South Australia (UniSA) researchers and recently published in Marine and Freshwater Research, underscores the need for a targeted public awareness campaign to address knowledge gaps about the fragile ecosystem, according to lead author Jarrah Taylor.

    The UniSA environmental science master’s student says that 113 Australians recruited via social media were asked four open-ended questions about the Great Barrier Reef, including where it was located, what species lived in the reef, its importance to Australia, and the major threats facing it.

    The survey’s key findings were:

    • Most participants (86.72%) correctly named the Queensland coastline as the home of the Great Barrier Reef, but a small number (13%) were either unaware of the location or stated the wrong State.
    • Participants commonly identified broad groups such as fish (37%), reptiles (12%) and corals (12%) occupying the GBR, and specific species like clownfish (3.9%), sea turtles and sharks (10%) were mentioned, but participants revealed limited knowledge of species at a more niche level.
    • The GBR’s environmental importance was recognised, with 48% of survey respondents citing it as a crucial habitat for various species, 27% naming it as a natural wonder of the world, 44% mentioning it as a major tourism drawcard, and 9% aware of its importance to the Australian economy.
    • Participants identified several threats, mostly caused by humans, including runoff, pollution and plastics (36%), climate change (33%), warming oceans (24%) and coral bleaching (34%). Of the 18 threats reported by participants, only three were naturogenic (crown-of-thorns starfish, natural disasters and sea urchins).

    Taylor says it is not surprising that fish and coral topped the recognition list for marine life in the Great Barrier Reef.

    “Images of both coral and fish have long been used in tourism campaigns dating back to the 1970s,” she says.

    “We were not expecting participants to provide the scientific name for individual species, but we were interested to see if they could identify flora and fauna at a more niche level – for example reef sharks, manta rays, giant clams and potato cod. This was not the case.”

    The most common specific species identified was the clownfish, most likely owing to media portrayals in Finding Nemo, a 2003 animated adventure film inspired by the Great Barrier Reef.

    “This shows the power of digital media and popular culture in raising awareness of charismatic species, which can lead to conservation support,” Taylor says.

    UniSA senior author Dr Brianna Le Busque says that only three species classified as endangered were identified by participants – the green turtle, staghorn coral, and the hammerhead shark – and fewer than 1% of respondents cited birds, despite the GBR supporting breeding populations of 20 seabird species.

    “This finding highlights the need for more education of endangered and critically endangered species living in the Great Barrier Reef, which are under threat from human activities,” Dr Le Busque says.

    “We know from a psychology perspective that people are more motivated to help conservation efforts if they feel personally connected to species and know more about them.

    “The Great Barrier Reef supports more than 6000 different species and is the jewel in the crown of coral reefs worldwide. It is important to Australia environmentally, economically, culturally and scientifically, and we need to protect it for future generations.”

    The researchers recommend expanding the study in future to include a larger, more representative sample of the Australian population. The current study comprised 70% women and 30% men, with participants from SA, Queensland, NSW and Victoria.

    “Australians perceptions of species diversity of, and threats to, the Great Barrier Reef” is authored by University of South Australia researchers Jarrah Taylor, Associate Professor Carla Litchfield and Dr Brianna Le Busque. DOI: 10.1071/MF24109

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Media contact: Candy Gibson M: +61 434 605 142 E: candy.gibson@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government Cuts – Budget week blow – Govt axes experts backing innovative Kiwi start-ups – PSA

    Source: PSA

    Callaghan Innovation that supports the next wave of innovative Kiwi companies.

    This Friday, 15 highly skilled business innovation advisers at Callaghan Innovation will be shown the door.

    “The Government is sacking these smart and successful business advisors while loudly beating the drum about its economic growth agenda – it’s hypocritical, and makes no sense,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.

    The team supports Frontier Ventures – innovative start-ups in the science and technology area that have the potential to be world beaters.

    “If the Government want to nurture the next Rocket Lab, then the wrap around services offered by the commercialisation team are exactly the support start-ups need to go to the next level.

    “These are industry experts hired from the private sector who’ve been helping young companies navigate the commercial world and prepare them to scale up and succeed.

    “This is fully funded, expert advice – a critical service being axed with a proven track record of success with no thought as to the impacts.

    “There is no government agency picking up this work – the next wave of smart, innovative Kiwi entrepreneurs is being left high and dry. The service will not be picked up by the private sector as these companies are fledgling businesses with limited resources.

    “It’s ironic that the Government just last week announced additional venture capital funding but is pulling the rug from under the very service that helps start-ups get to the stage of being able to seek venture capital.

    “Sacking these people is all about saving money, not securing a prosperous future for New Zealand – it’s just another short-sighted decision by the Government without regard to consequences, as we have seen across the public sector.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Shvidkovsky confirmed as President of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed an order approving Dmitry Shvidkovsky as President of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences.

    Dmitry Shvidkovsky is an artist, Doctor of Art History, Professor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts. He is also a member of the Council for Culture and Art under the President of Russia, and is the author of about 400 printed works in Russian, English, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Arabic, and Turkish.

    Dmitry Shvidkovsky has held the post of President of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences since 2019. In April of this year, he was re-elected to this position by decision of the general meeting of members of the Academy for a term of five years.

    The document will be published.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why is southern Australia in drought – and when will it end?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chiara Holgate, Senior Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Weather of the 21st Century, Australian National University

    Artic_photo/Shutterstock

    Swathes of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia are in the grip of drought as they experience some of the lowest rainfall totals on record.

    Farmers are spending eye-watering amounts of money buying feed, or selling stock to stay afloat.

    Some towns are already on water restrictions. Those not connected to the mains water system are in a perilous situation. In the Adelaide Hills, water is being trucked in to fill empty rainwater tanks and dams.

    The story playing out across southern Australia could be a glimpse of what’s to come. Our recent research suggests southern Australia may experience longer and more intense droughts in the future, as the climate changes.

    Parts of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia are experiencing serious rainfall deficiencies.
    Australian Bureau of Meteorology

    How bad is this drought?

    Parts of southern Australia have been experiencing drier than normal conditions for well over a year.

    Conditions on the ground are worsening as the drought continues.

    In Adelaide, the desalination plant has ramped up to maintain water supply. Similarly, Victoria’s desal plant has fired up for the first time since 2022 as dam levels fall.

    Farmers are facing some of the driest conditions in decades, and financial pressures are mounting.

    Nature, too, is struggling. Waterways, wetlands and deep pools have dried up, leading to fears for endangered fish, insects and many other species.

    Where has the rain gone?

    In a drought-prone country such as Australia, there’s an age-old question: why do the rains sometimes disappear?

    Our recent research shows Australian scientists are getting closer to answering this question.

    We now know Australian droughts develop when weather systems that lift and carry moisture from the ocean – to fall as heavy rain on land – disappear. When these weather systems return, the droughts break.

    These kinds of weather systems have been notably absent from southern Australia in recent months. Instead, slow-moving high-pressure systems, which typically bring warm and dry conditions, have been the standout feature across southern Australia.

    For Australia, the driest inhabited continent, heavy rains are what keep drought at bay. Last spring and summer, drought conditions were building in parts of Queensland and northern New South Wales. But then Tropical Cyclone Alfred brought heavy rains, dumping up to four times as much rain as these areas usually get in February and March.

    Similarly, heavy rains at the end of last year helped parts of northern and central WA avoid drought conditions.

    Unfortunately, western Victoria and southern SA have had no such luck.

    Drought is more likely to break if weather systems and climate drivers are favorable, such as the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) in its negative phase, the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) in its wet phase, the El Niño–Southern Oscillation in its La Niña phase, the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) in its negative phase and the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) active. Background climate change can affect all of these drivers.
    Holgate et al 2025 Communications Earth & Environment, CC BY-NC-ND

    How long will the drought last?

    If farmers, water authorities and policymakers knew how much longer this drought would last, they could make clear plans. Keep or sell livestock? Impose water restrictions or wait?

    Unfortunately, drought timing is very hard to predict. As our research shows, the climate processes that bring weather systems laden with heavy rain are complex.

    But we do know heavy and persistent rain is needed to break the drought. And the current forecast shows there’s a decent chance of that as we head towards spring. Though forecasts can change, and those with skin in the game will have their eyes glued to next month’s update to the Bureau of Meteorology’s rainfall outlook.

    It also helps that we’re heading into what’s usually the rainier time of year. This means the odds of receiving decent rain are higher at this time of year than if we were heading into summer.

    Climate and water long-range forecast, issued 15 May 2025 (Bureau of Meteorology)

    Dry and drier

    Over the past few decades, southern Australia has become drier. Drying has been most pronounced during the cooler months, between April and October. Some parts of southern Australia have also become more drought-prone, with the number of months spent in drought increasing over this time.

    Maps of the current dry conditions across southern Australia closely follow the regions projected to experience longer and more frequent drought conditions in future.

    It’s too early to draw a clear line between climate change and this particular drought. But the weight of evidence shows southern droughts are likely to strike more often in the future. The Tinderbox Drought from 2017–19, for instance, was the first Australian drought to show a possible worsening from climate change.

    The good news? We now know more about how Australian droughts work. This means we can now be more confident in the direction of Australia’s water future than in past decades.

    We must urgently use this new knowledge to develop innovative solutions that will allow Australia to thrive in a climate of increasingly variable water availability. Solutions will involve setting sustainable limits on water use, introducing water recycling and improving efficiency, among other measures.

    Though solutions may look different in different parts of Australia, one thing rings true everywhere: we all need to make every drop count.

    Chiara Holgate receives funding from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Weather of the 21st Century.

    Ailie Gallant receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

    – ref. Why is southern Australia in drought – and when will it end? – https://theconversation.com/why-is-southern-australia-in-drought-and-when-will-it-end-256443

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: More people are trying medicinal cannabis for chronic pain. But does it work?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Nielsen, Professor and Deputy Director, Monash Addiction Research Centre, Monash University

    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    More Australians than ever are being prescribed medicinal cannabis.

    Medicinal cannabis refers to legally prescribed cannabis products. These are either the plant itself, or naturally occurring ingredients extracted from the plant. These ingredients, such as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol), are called cannabinoids. Some cannabinoids are also made in labs to act like the ones in the plant.

    Medicinal cannabis comes in different forms, such as oils, capsules, dried flower (used in a vaporiser), sprays and edible forms such as gummies.

    Since regulatory changes in 2016 made medicinal cannabis more accessible, Australia’s regulator has issued more than 700,000 approvals. (But approvals for medicinal cannabis don’t reflect the actual number of patients treated. One patient may have multiple approvals, and not all approved products are necessarily prescribed or supplied.)

    Around half of the approvals have been for chronic pain that isn’t caused by cancer.

    In Australia, chronic pain affects around one in five Australians aged 45 and over, with an enormous impact on people’s lives.

    So what does the current evidence tell us about the effectiveness of medicinal cannabis for chronic pain?

    What the evidence shows

    A 2021 review of 32 randomised controlled trials involving nearly 5,200 people with chronic pain, examined the effects of medicinal cannabis or cannabinoids. The study found a small improvements in pain and physical functioning compared with a placebo.

    A previous review found that to achieve a 30% reduction in pain for one person, 24 people would need to be treated with medicinal cannabis.

    The 2021 review also found small improvements in sleep, and no consistent benefits for other quality of life measures, consistent with previous reviews.

    This doesn’t mean medicinal cannabis doesn’t help anyone. But it suggests that, on average, the benefits are limited to a smaller number of people.

    Many pain specialists have questioned if the evidence for medicinal cannabis is sufficient to support its use for pain.

    The Faculty of Pain Medicine, the professional body dedicated to the training and education of specialist pain physicians, recommends medical cannabis should be limited to clinical trials.



    Read more:
    Medicinal cannabis to manage chronic pain? We don’t have evidence it works

    What does the regulator say?

    Guidance from Australia’s regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), on medicinal cannabis for chronic non-cancer pain reflects these uncertainties.

    The TGA states there is limited evidence medicinal cannabis provides clinically significant pain relief for many pain conditions. Therefore, the potential benefits versus harms should be considered patient-by-patient.

    The TGA says medicinal cannabis should only be trialled when other standard therapies have been tried and did not provide enough pain relief.

    In terms of which type of medical cannabis product to use, due to concerns about the safety of inhaled cannabis, the TGA considers pharmaceutical-grade products (such as nabiximols or extracts containing THC and/or CBD) to be safer.

    Chronic pain affects around one in five Australians.
    Dusan Pektovic/Shutterstock

    What about people who say it helps?

    This evidence may feel at odds with the experiences of people who report relief from medicinal cannabis.

    In clinical practice, it’s common for individuals to respond differently based on their health conditions, beliefs and many other factors. What works well for one person may not work for another.

    Research helps us understand what outcomes are typical or expected for most people, but there is variation. Some people may find medicinal cannabis improves their pain, sleep or general well-being – especially if other treatments haven’t helped.

    What are the side effects and risks?

    Like any medicine, medicinal cannabis has potential side effects. These are usually mild to moderate, including drowsiness or sedation, dizziness, impaired concentration, a dry mouth, nausea and cognitive slowing.

    These side effects are often greater with higher-potency THC products. These are becoming more common on the Australian market. High-potency THC products represent more than half of approvals in 2025.

    In research studies, generally more people experience side effects than report benefits from medical cannabis.

    After using cannabis for a long time, some people need to take higher doses to get the same effect.
    Nuva Frames/Shutterstock

    Medical cannabis can also interact with other medications, especially those that cause drowsiness (such as opioids), medicines for mental illness, anti-epileptics, blood thinners and immunosuppressants.

    Even cannabidiol (CBD), which isn’t considered intoxicating like THC, has been linked to serious drug interactions.

    These risks are greater when cannabis is prescribed by a doctor who doesn’t regularly manage the patient’s chronic pain or isn’t in contact with their other health-care providers. Since medicinal cannabis is often prescribed through separate telehealth clinics, this fragmented care may increase the risk of harmful interactions.

    Another concern is developing cannabis use disorder (commonly understood as “addiction”). A 2024 study found one in four people using medical cannabis develop a cannabis use disorder. Withdrawal symptoms – such as irritability, sleep problems, or cravings – can occur with frequent and heavy use.

    For some people, tolerance can also develop with long-term use, meaning you need to take higher doses to get the same effect. This can increase the risk of developing a cannabis use disorder.

    How does it compare to other treatments?

    Like many medicines for chronic pain, the effectiveness of medicinal cannabis is modest, and is not recommended as a sole treatment.

    There’s good evidence that, for conditions like back pain, interventions such as exercise, cognitive behavioural therapy and pain self-management education can help and may have fewer risks than many medicines.

    But there are challenges with how accessible and affordable these treatments are for many Australians, especially outside major cities.

    So where does this leave patients?

    The growing use of medicinal cannabis for chronic pain reflects both a high burden of pain in the community and gaps in access to effective care. While some patients report benefits, the current evidence suggests these are likely to be small for most people, and must be weighed against the risks.

    If you are considering medicinal cannabis, it’s important to talk to your usual health-care provider, ideally one familiar with your full medical history, to help you decide the best approaches to help manage your pain.

    Suzanne Nielsen receives funding from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, alongside government and philanthropic organisations to conduct independent research.. She is the president-elect for the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and Other Drugs. She serves as a consultant for the World Health Organization. She has contributed to independent reviews of the evidence on medical cannabis for government organisations include Worksafe and the TGA.

    Myfanwy Graham receives funding from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, alongside government and university institutes. Myfanwy has served as a consultant for the UNODC, WHO and NASEM. She is an appointed member of the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s Medicinal Cannabis Expert Working Group. This article does not represent the views of the TGA or the Expert Working Group.

    – ref. More people are trying medicinal cannabis for chronic pain. But does it work? – https://theconversation.com/more-people-are-trying-medicinal-cannabis-for-chronic-pain-but-does-it-work-256471

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: Best Anti-Snoring Device 2025: AirSnore Mouthpiece & Drops Review for Sleep Apnea & Deprivation Relief

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Glasgow, May 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Introduction

    Consistent, uninterrupted sleep is critical to maintaining sharp focus, stable mood, and long-term health. Yet millions of adults struggle with nightly snoring or mild obstructive sleep apnea — often without realizing just how much it robs them of quality rest.

    Snoring isn’t just a minor nuisance. It’s frequently a sign of restricted airflow and poor breathing mechanics. If left unaddressed, this disruption can lead to cumulative sleep deprivation, causing grogginess, reduced cognitive performance, and even elevated risk for chronic conditions like high blood pressure.
    ✅ Top Pick: AirSnore – Best Anti-Snoring Mouthpiece for Sleep Apnea & Deprivation Relief this year.
    Most people attempt short-term fixes — nasal sprays, chin straps, or adhesive strips — but these don’t always resolve the root cause. Others try CPAP devices, which can be effective, but are expensive, bulky, and hard to adapt to.
    AirSnore takes a simpler, two-step approach that works with your body instead of against it. The mouthpiece gently repositions the lower jaw to improve airflow, while the natural oil-based drops calm the senses and ease respiratory discomfort.
    This complete review explores how AirSnore works, who it’s made for, its standout ingredients, what real users are saying, and how it compares to other top-rated anti-snoring aids in 2025.

    Snoring louder than a freight train? Try this silent fix.

    What is AirSnore Mouthpiece and Drops?

    Are you struggling with snoring? If so, AirSnore is the perfect solution for you. Developed to be both comfortable and easy to use, AirSnore is an anti-snoring product that offers numerous benefits. The product comes with two components, the AirSnore Mouthpiece and the AirSnore Drops. The former works to reduce the excessive pressure from your throat and alleviate snoring, while the latter works to reduce congestion, creating a proper breathing environment for optimal snoring relief. Together, these two components have been scientifically proven to be highly effective at reducing and even eliminating snoring. If you’re looking for a science-backed solution to your snoring problem, look no further than AirSnore. Not only is it the perfect solution, but it’s also extremely easy to use and comfortable to wear. So, don’t let snoring control your life, take back your nights with AirSnore!

    Who benefits from AirSnore?

    • Individuals with habitual snoring
    • Light to moderate sleep apnea sufferers
    • Adults dealing with congestion-related breathing issues
    • Partners of snorers seeking quieter nights

    Its dual-function design sets it apart from traditional aids. You don’t need electricity, prescriptions, or complex setups. Just mold the mouthpiece once and apply the drops before bed — that’s it.
    Tired of snoring ruining your nights? AirSnore is flying off the shelves — get yours now before it’s gone!

    Features of AirSnore Mouthpiece

    Do you struggle with snoring at night? Do you feel like your snoring keeps you and your partner awake? If so, the AirSnore mouthpiece may be the perfect solution for you. AirSnore is a device that you can use at night to help stop snoring and get a peaceful night’s sleep.

    The AirSnore mouthpiece is a modern, innovative product designed to help people quit snoring. It is an adjustable mouthpiece that you wear during sleep to open up your airways and reduce snoring. The device fits comfortably and easily in the mouth and is designed to be adjustable to the size and shape of your individual mouth and jaw. When worn during sleep, it will help open your airways and reduce snoring.

    The AirSnore mouthpiece also has other features that make it a great choice for snorers. The device is made with a soft material and also has a unique ventilation system. This system helps with airflow and makes the device more comfortable to wear. Additionally, the device is adjustable, meaning you can customize it to fit your jaw and mouth.

    The AirSnore mouthpiece is easy to use and maintain. The device comes with simple instructions and you can easily clean and store the mouthpiece when not in use. Additionally, the mouthpiece is backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee, showing you the quality and confidence of the product.

    The AirSnore mouthpiece is a great choice for anyone who suffers from snoring and wants to get a better night’s sleep without the hassle of bulky snoring aids. With its adjustable fit and unique ventilation system, the AirSnore mouthpiece is designed to reduce snoring and make your sleep more comfortable and peaceful.

    The AirSnore Mouthpiece is one of the most unique and effective snoring remedies currently available on the market. It’s made from a soft and comfortable material, allowing it to be used for extended periods of time. It’s designed to fit the shape of your mouth, preventing it from slipping out. As the mouthpiece works while you sleep, it blocks breathing passage that leads to snoring and helps to reposition the tongue, allowing you to breathe easily. It also helps to reduce dry mouth and jaw pain, further contributing to comfort and a better night’s sleep.

    Snoring relief in 3 nights? AirSnore is the best anti-snoring mouthpiece you’ve never heard of (until now)

    How Does AirSnore Work?

    AirSnore offers a simple yet highly effective solution to snoring. AirSnore utilizes the proven combination of a mouthpiece and drops to treat and even eliminate the snoring problem. The mouthpiece works by gently pushing the lower jaw forward, which widens the gap between the tongue and palate. This in turn reduces the pressure on the throat and helps get rid of the sound caused by snoring. As an added bonus, the drops act as a decongestant, clearing your throat of mucus and other materials that might be adding to snoring. As a result, using both together can lead to peaceful and uninterrupted rest. If you’ve been suffering through sleepless nights, or if your partner is kept awake by disruptive snoring, AirSnore can offer the perfect solution. With AirSnore, the dream of restful nights can become a reality.

    How the AirSnore Mouthpiece Works?
    At the heart of AirSnore’s effectiveness is the mandibular advancement technique. By slightly moving the lower jaw forward, the airway remains more open during sleep. This position prevents vibrations in the throat that produce snoring sounds and reduces the chance of nighttime breathing interruptions.
    The mouthpiece itself is:

    • Boil-and-bite customizable, allowing users to mold it for comfort
    • Made from medical-grade, BPA-free plastic
    • Designed to be worn comfortably overnight

    Unlike rigid dental guards or obstructive CPAP gear, the AirSnore mouthpiece is minimal and easy to adapt to. It doesn’t require external power or ongoing adjustments, making it a low-maintenance, user-friendly option.
    For those experiencing light to moderate breathing blockages — especially due to relaxed jaw positioning or nasal congestion — the AirSnore mouthpiece offers mechanical relief without complications.
    Disclaimer: AirSnore is not a medical device. Individual experiences may vary, and it is meant to support, not replace, professional treatment for sleep-related conditions.
    You don’t need machines — just AirSnore. Voted the best anti snoring mouthpiece for comfort and results

    Ingredients in the Drops

    If you’re looking for a natural way to get a peaceful night’s sleep, you’ll want to check out AirSnore Drops. This all-natural sleep aid is made from a blend of powerful essential oils that can help you relax, clear your airways, and drift off into a deep and restful sleep. What makes this product truly unique is the combination of calming and anti-inflammatory plant-based ingredients that work together to create a synergistic effect. Here’s a look at the ingredients in AirSnore Drops and the ways they can help promote a good night’s sleep.

    • Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) seed oil  – Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) seed oil is an anti-inflammatory oil that can help reduce swelling in your throat and nasal passages. This can help ease the discomfort associated with snoring and facilitate more peaceful breaths while you’re sleeping. Sunflower oil is also rich in Vitamin E, which helps to nourish and protect your skin.
    • Eucalyptus globulus (Eucalyptus) leaf oil – Eucalyptus globulus (Eucalyptus) leaf oil is known for its strong anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. These help to clear your airways and reduce congestion. The invigorating aroma of eucalyptus is also known to promote feelings of calm and help you get into the right state of mind for sleep.
    • Mentha piperita (Peppermint) leaf oil – Mentha piperita (Peppermint) leaf oil is a refreshing and stimulating oil that helps to open up airways and improve your overall respiratory system. The natural properties of peppermint have a calming and soothing effect on the body that can help create an optimal environment for sleep.
    • Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine) leaf oil – Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine) leaf oil has antispasmodic properties, which can relax tense muscles and ease breathing. The piney aroma of this oil is also known to be calming and promote feelings of groundedness.
    • Lavendula angustifolia (lavender) flower oil – Lavendula angustifolia (lavender) flower oil is perhaps best known for its relaxing, calming effect. The sweet, floral aroma of this essential oil can help to quiet your mind and create a sense of peacefulness that can help you drift off to sleep. Research has also shown that lavender can help to regenerate cells, making it an effective natural remedy for keeping your throat and airways healthy.

    Snore-free sleep starts now. Don’t miss your chance to try AirSnore risk-free for 60 days!

    How to Use AirSnore?

    Using the AirSnore product is fairly simple and straightforward. Simply place the Mouthpiece into your mouth and secure it by biting. Ensure that the bottom piece of your Mouthpiece is slightly ahead of your top teeth. Next, make sure that your tongue is tucked between the two pieces of the Mouthpiece before you secure it in place. After that, simply place 2-3 drops of AirSnore Drops under your tongue and swallow them. You’re now ready to enjoy a snore-free sleep!

    AirSnore Pricing, Packages & Where to Buy
    AirSnore is available directly from the official website, which offers the full kit as well as standalone options. Pricing is straightforward, and often includes limited-time discounts:

    • AirSnore Mouthpiece Only – $49.95
    • AirSnore Drops Only – $44.95
    • AirSnore Combo Kit: Mouthpiece + Drops – The most popular and cost-effective choice – $89.95

    Orders typically include:

    • Secure payment options
    • Discreet shipping
    • A 60-day satisfaction guarantee

    Shipping is available in many regions, and delivery times are typically fast. Purchasing from the official site ensures authenticity and eligibility for the refund policy — something not guaranteed through third-party platforms.
    Disclaimer: All pricing information should be verified through the official AirSnore website, as updates may occur without advance notice.

    What Does Science Say About Using a Snoring Mouthpiece?

    Using a snoring mouthpiece has been proven to be an effective solution to snoring. Several scientific studies have found that snoring mouthpieces can reduce snoring intensity by up to 85%, significantly improving both quality of sleep and overall wellbeing. Moreover, snoring mouthpieces can also reduce the risk of various health issues such as sleep apnoea, heart disease, and stroke.

    Say goodbye to sleepless nights — grab the #1 anti-snoring device of 2025 while stock lasts.

    Real Customer Experiences With AirSnore
    Marvin D. – Denver, CO
    “After years of trying different snoring remedies, AirSnore gave me actual results. The mouthpiece fits well, and I don’t wake up tired anymore. My wife says I’m finally quiet!”
    Jessica T. – Atlanta, GA
    “I bought it for my dad, who snores like a bear. He’s used it for three months now, and the difference is huge. He even uses the drops when he doesn’t wear the device.”
    Devon S. – Fresno, CA
    “Setup was easy, and the fit is comfortable. The peppermint scent in the drops is nice — very refreshing before bed. Totally worth it.”
    Daniel L. – Queens, NY
    “I’ve used SnoreRX and other expensive options before, but this one’s the most comfortable. Plus, I love that it comes with natural drops. Two birds, one stone.”
    Melissa F. – Tampa, FL
    “The combo of the mouthpiece and oils works great. My sleep tracker shows longer deep sleep periods since I started using AirSnore. I’m sold!”

    Disclaimer: The reviews shared here represent personal experiences and are not intended as medical guidance or evidence of clinical results.

    FAQs

    Q: Can I wear AirSnore if I have dental work?
    Most users with crowns or fillings report a good fit. However, consult your dentist before use if you have extensive dental implants.

    Q: Does AirSnore come with a money-back guarantee?
    Yes, AirSnore comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee. If after using the product you’re not satisfied with the results, you can send it back for a full refund.

    Q: Are there any side effects?
    Some users experience slight jaw soreness in the first few nights, which typically resolves. The drops contain essential oils — patch test if you have sensitive skin.

    Q: Does it treat sleep apnea?
    It may assist with mild cases. For moderate to severe apnea, consult a specialist. AirSnore is not a CPAP substitute.

    Q: Is AirSnore safe to use?
    Yes, AirSnore is safe to use and all its ingredients are both natural and safe.

    Q: Is AirSnore reviewed on Reddit or other forums?
    Yes. Many threads mention success stories, especially from first-time mouthpiece users who disliked CPAP gear.

    Q: How long should I use AirSnore?
    AirSnore should be used nightly to ensure best results. However, if you’d like to reduce the usage to a few times a week, it’s still safe and effective.

    Sleep better tonight — AirSnore mouthpiece + drops combo is changing lives in 2025. Limited kits left!

    AirSnore vs. CPAP Machines: Which Sleep Solution Is More Practical?

    When choosing a sleep aid to deal with snoring or breathing issues at night, many people consider either a CPAP machine or a simpler device like AirSnore. Both options aim to improve airflow and support restful sleep, but they do so in very different ways — and with different levels of comfort, convenience, and effort.
    CPAP machines are often prescribed for individuals with diagnosed sleep apnea. These machines deliver a constant stream of air through a face mask to keep the airway open. While this method can be highly effective for moderate to severe conditions, it comes with challenges. CPAP users often report discomfort from the mask, issues with dry throat, machine noise, and difficulty traveling with the device.
    AirSnore, on the other hand, offers a non-invasive and simpler alternative. The soft, moldable mouthpiece slightly shifts the jaw forward to naturally keep the airway open — preventing the soft tissues in the throat from causing blockages. Alongside it, the essential oil drops help reduce congestion and promote relaxation, making the solution ideal for those dealing with snoring or light sleep disruption.
    The biggest advantage of AirSnore is its ease of use. There’s no need for electricity, no noisy machinery, and no complex parts to adjust or clean nightly. It’s a compact system that fits easily into any nighttime routine — especially for those who want a lightweight, travel-friendly option.
    While CPAP may be necessary for individuals with advanced sleep disorders, AirSnore is a practical, beginner-friendly tool for anyone seeking to breathe easier and sleep more soundly without relying on medical-grade equipment.

    AirSnore vs. Other Anti-Snoring Devices

    Here’s how AirSnore stacks up against some of the leading alternatives:
    ZQuiet – Also a mouthpiece but requires active jaw movement; some users report discomfort.
    SnoreRX – Highly customizable but more complex to adjust; often more expensive.
    VitalSleep – Offers adjustment screws, but may feel bulkier than AirSnore.
    Chin straps or nasal strips – Non-invasive, but limited in effectiveness for moderate snorers.
    Why AirSnore Stands Out:

    • Combines both mechanical and aromatic support
    • No complex setup or tools
    • Drop application adds an extra layer of comfort and sinus support
    • Easier transition for first-time users

    Its holistic design makes it not just a device, but a full sleep-aid system.
    Finally, real relief from snoring — no machines, no noise, no hassle. Try AirSnore today
    AirSnore for Travel, Work, and Lifestyle
    For many people, maintaining healthy sleep habits while on the move is a constant challenge. Hotel beds, unfamiliar environments, and inconsistent routines can all increase the chances of poor rest — especially if snoring or breathing issues are already part of the problem.
    That’s where AirSnore becomes a practical companion for travelers and remote workers alike. Unlike larger machines or plug-in devices, AirSnore requires no electricity or cables. The mouthpiece fits easily into a small case, and the drops come in a compact bottle that slips into any toiletry bag.
    Whether you’re flying for business, driving long hours, or spending nights in different locations, AirSnore remains simple to pack, store, and use. There’s no need to carry batteries, chargers, or bulky equipment.
    Its portability makes it ideal for:

    • Business travelers needing sleep consistency
    • Vacationers dealing with unfamiliar hotel setups
    • Remote workers in temporary living arrangements
    • Campers or RV users without stable power access

    And because the drops are natural and non-medicated, there’s no restriction when traveling internationally. You can easily apply them before bed, even during transit, without worrying about side effects or drug interactions.
    For anyone looking to maintain restful nights on the go, AirSnore offers comfort, convenience, and flexibility — all in a travel-sized solution.
    Conclusion: AirSnore
    AirSnore is an effective product for snoring relief. It consists of two components, the AirSnore Mouthpiece and the AirSnore Drops, which work together to reduce snoring intensity and improve overall sleep quality. Furthermore, the product comes with a money-back guarantee, and the ingredients are all safe and natural. If you’re looking for an effective and affordable snoring solution, AirSnore is definitely worth a try.

    Discover the best anti-snoring mouthpiece of 2025 — AirSnore is flying off the shelves. Get yours before it’s gone!

    What To Look For In An Anti-Snoring Device

    People can try a variety of anti-snoring gadgets. Nose strips are simple to use because all you have to do is slap them on and go to bed. If the nasal passage is congested or obstructed, this simple remedy will work wonders. However, if snoring is caused by something else, this may not be the best remedy. 

    Mouthpieces are also used to treat snoring, albeit they are extremely painful. This over-the-counter technique involves moving the jaw to assist in widening the air gap. This opens up the airway while decreasing vibration in the throat tissues. 

    Silicone clips mix with magnets and are placed on the septum. This device also works to open the nasal passage, allowing people to breathe more easily. 

    Nasal vents or dilators are another inexpensive and effective method of reducing snoring. They are put into the nostrils to open up the airway. 

    Whatever material the snoring device is composed of, examine the package and the label for any potential warnings. Medical-grade silicone is perfect. 

    • Reusability 

    Most of the items on this list can be reused. Investing in a good anti-snoring device is beneficial for snorers and their families. All of the remedies on this list serve to open the respiratory airways, allowing people to breathe freely and, as a result, reducing snoring. With so many options, people can choose what is most comfortable for them.

    ✅ Want real snore relief without bulky gear? AirSnore is the best anti-snoring device for peaceful, natural sleep

    Snoring and Sleep Apnea in Women vs. Men

    Snoring is often thought of as a male-dominated issue, but that perception leaves many women misdiagnosed or untreated. In reality, both men and women experience snoring and sleep-disordered breathing, though the symptoms and patterns can differ.
    Men tend to have louder, more noticeable snoring, making their condition easier to detect. They’re also more frequently screened for sleep apnea during regular health checkups.
    Women, on the other hand, may experience:

    • Lighter or less frequent snoring
    • More noticeable daytime fatigue or mood shifts
    • Higher rates of insomnia and poor sleep quality
    • Misdiagnosis as anxiety, depression, or hormonal imbalance

    Because of these subtler symptoms, many women never realize their sleep is being interrupted by airway blockages. They may go years trying different supplements, medications, or sleep strategies without addressing the root cause.
    AirSnore provides an accessible starting point for both men and women. Its gentle mouthpiece design accommodates different jaw shapes and sizes, while the essential oil drops offer additional calming support — a feature many female users appreciate during high-stress or hormonal sleep cycles.
    Whether you’re a man waking yourself up with loud snoring, or a woman feeling exhausted without knowing why, AirSnore offers a non-invasive option to improve sleep quality. And because it doesn’t rely on diagnosis or prescriptions, it’s an approachable first step toward better nightly breathing — no matter your gender.
    AirSnore is ranked the best anti snoring device of 2025 — natural, effective, and selling out fast!
    Who Should Think About Using an Anti-Snoring Mouthpiece? 

    Snoring has no cure. However, the best snoring solutions will considerably lessen symptoms. An anti-snoring mouthpiece can help many snorers. Snoring is a persistent – if not nightly – concern for more than one-third of these sleepers. 

    It is usually caused by a restriction in the airflow through the breathing passages. This can happen for a variety of reasons. A thick or low-hanging palate narrows down the airway, increasing the likelihood of snoring. Snoring can also be caused by chronic nasal congestion and other nasal issues. Being overweight or obese can also cause excess tissue to build up around the airway. 

    Alcohol is another common cause of snoring. Drinking alcohol before going to bed relaxes the throat, causing the tongue to slip back into the throat and obstruct the airway. Being too weary or sleep-deprived may also cause the throat muscles to loosen. Furthermore, resting on the back puts people at risk of snoring since the tongue is more likely to clog the airway. 

    Chronic snoring can lead to other difficulties over time. Daytime sleepiness and exhaustion, mood swings and furious outbursts, difficulties focusing on duties, and an increased risk of getting involved in a vehicular or industrial accident are all symptoms. MAD and TRD mouthpieces can reduce snoring episodes on a nightly basis for persons with non-apnea-related snoring disorders. These devices are far less expensive than upper airway surgery and other medical procedures used to treat snoring. 

    While anti-snoring mouthpieces and mouthguards are successful for many people, they are not suitable for everyone. Some people find these gadgets irritating, even painful at times. They may also be unsuccessful in treating severe snoring caused by disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea.

    Don’t wait until snoring ruins another night — try AirSnore, the top-rated anti-snoring mouthpiece of the year

    How Do Anti-Snoring Mouthpieces Work?

    Despite its success in preventing snoring for many people, anti-snoring mouthpieces are relatively simple devices with a small number of individual elements. They function differently depending on whether the mouthpiece is a MAD or a TRD. 

    The most prevalent type of anti-snoring mouthpiece is the MAD. The top and lower trays, where the teeth are supposed to fit, are usually made of thermoplastic material. The hot water softens the thermoplastic so that users can bite into the upper and lower teeth trays to create a mold. This procedure should be followed unless other directions are given by the manufacturer.

    Try on the mouthpiece before boiling by gently biting down on the thermoplastic in the upper and lower trays. A correctly fitting device should be a few millimeters away from the lips. 

    In order for some devices to fit properly, the ends of the top and lower trays may need to be trimmed. This step will be unnecessary for others. 

    Boil water in a pot on the stove or in a microwave-safe cup (depending on what the directions say). Place the water container on a non-heated surface once the water has boiled. Make sure the container has enough water to thoroughly submerge the mouthpiece. 

    Immerse the mouthpiece in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, depending on the instructions. 

    People may need to place the mouthpiece in cold water for a few seconds at this stage, but most models will be ready for molding – however, one should let the thermoplastic cool for a time before biting into it. 

    Bite down forcefully with the upper and lower teeth after inserting the device into the mouth. The thermoplastic should be warm but not hot; if it is, allow it to cool for longer. Ensure that the tongue is pressing against the roof of the mouth—this aids in the drying of the mouthpiece. 

    If the first mold fails, repeat these instructions. The thermoplastic should soften sufficiently to permit several attempts. 

    If the mold is effective, the MAD will push forward the jaw by at least 1mm. 

    Finally: a simple fix that works. AirSnore is the best anti-snoring device for people who hate bulky solutions

    Expert Take: Why Mandibular Devices Work

    Medical experts in sleep wellness often recommend mandibular advancement devices for those unwilling or unable to use CPAP machines. These devices address airway blockages by repositioning the jaw and tongue — a simple, mechanical fix that suits many snorers.
    Additionally, topical support (like essential oils) is gaining traction in sleep therapy. Natural remedies targeting nasal passages, combined with stress-relief scents like lavender and eucalyptus, provide a gentle way to prepare the body for deeper rest.
    AirSnore brings both together in a user-friendly format.
    Final Thoughts: Is AirSnore Best Anti-Snoring Mouthpiece?
    Sleep is non-negotiable — and if snoring or poor airflow is keeping you up, AirSnore offers a well-balanced and approachable fix. Its dual-action system supports both the physical and environmental causes of disrupted sleep.
    Easy to use, comfortable, and travel-ready, it stands out from complex machinery or disposable products. For those ready to regain restful nights without costly equipment, AirSnore checks all the boxes.

    CONTACT: 

    Company: AirSnore 
    Address: 12 Payne Street Glasgow 
    G4 0LF United Kingdom 
    Email: support@airsnore.com
    https://airsnore.com/
    Order Phone Support: UK: +44 20 4572 4051 (9am–11pm GMT) 
    US: +1 888-823-5131 (4am–6pm EST)

    Disclaimer: The statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual results may vary. Always consult a healthcare professional before taking any dietary supplements.
    Disclosure: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The content may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you purchase through recommended links. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement regimen.

    Content Accuracy Disclaimer
    Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in this article. However, due to the dynamic nature of product formulations, promotions, and availability, details may change without notice. The publisher makes no warranties or representations as to the current completeness or accuracy of any content, including product claims, pricing, or ingredient lists.
    It is the responsibility of the reader to verify product information directly through the official website or manufacturer prior to making a purchasing decision. Any reliance placed on the information in this article is done strictly at your own risk.

    Affiliate Disclosure
    This article may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service through these links, the publisher may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. These commissions help support the creation of in-depth reviews and educational wellness content.
    The publisher only promotes products that have been independently evaluated and deemed potentially beneficial to readers. However, this compensation may influence the content, topics, or products discussed in this article. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any affiliate partner or product provider.

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: AI-driven motion capture is transforming sports and exercise science

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Habib Noorbhai, Professor (Health & Sports Science), University of Johannesburg

    In sport, the margin between success and failure is often measured in milliseconds. It could be a cricketer adjusting their foot positioning, a runner refining their sprint start or a footballer perfecting their passing.

    This is where motion capture comes in – among the many approaches being used for athletic performance and movement analysis.

    Conventional motion capture tracks a person’s movements by using sensors or reflective markers linked to cameras. This provides data that helps sport scientists analyse how to improve an athlete’s performance, personalise their training programme and prevent possible injury.

    But for decades, motion capture in sport has been done using cumbersome suits and complex camera systems. These technologies offer high precision, but have remained out of reach for many because of their cost, technical demands and rigid laboratory constraints.

    As sport evolves, so too must the technology that analyses it. The way we measure human movement is experiencing a major transformation. Markerless motion capture (enabled by artificial intelligence, computer vision, depth sensors and multiple-camera systems) is set to revolutionise sports performance analysis.

    As a health and sports scientist with a focus on data, innovation and technology, I co-authored a study on markerless motion capture in sports and exercise. We reviewed and compared various motion capture options so that users can choose what system is best for their needs and budgets.

    This matters because markerless motion capture provides a practical alternative that’s accessible, scalable and adaptable to real-world settings. It’s a shift that promises to transform how athletes train, how they move, how injuries are assessed and how coaches refine performance.

    The problem with traditional motion capture

    Marker-based motion capture has long been considered the gold standard for analysing movement. Various systems use optoelectronic (devices that emit or detect light) tracking. They’ve provided researchers and coaches with precise three-dimensional (3D) data on joint angles, movement efficiency and biomechanical load. But these systems come with challenges.

    Firstly, the need for reflective markers placed on the body introduces variability. Even slight misplacements can compromise data accuracy.

    Secondly, these systems are largely confined to laboratory environments. While they work well for controlled studies, they can’t always capture the dynamics of real-world sports performance.

    Thirdly, the cost of such setups, often reaching tens of thousands of dollars, limits their use to elite teams and well-funded research labs. This financial barrier places the technology out of reach for grassroots sport, where talent development is crucial.

    The rise of markerless motion capture

    Markerless motion capture, driven by deep learning and computer vision, allows movement to be tracked directly from video footage, without requiring physical markers. Models such as OpenPose, TensorFlow Pose Estimate and MeTRAbs can now identify and analyse human joint positions in 3D, all from a single video feed.

    This approach has profound implications. It means that coaches can capture real-time movement data from training sessions without interrupting the natural flow of play. Athletes can analyse their technique with nothing more than a smartphone camera. It opens the door for motion capture to move beyond the lab and onto the field, the court or the gym floor.

    Where markerless motion capture works best

    The ability to track movement in real-world environments makes markerless motion capture particularly valuable in high-speed and dynamic sports.

    In football, tracking player movement during passing drills can inform tactical decisions. In sprinting, coaches can analyse stride length and ground contact time without disrupting training sessions. In baseball and cricket, batting mechanics can be assessed without requiring players to wear cumbersome tracking suits or markers.

    Beyond performance analysis, the implications for injury management and rehabilitation are just as compelling.

    By integrating markerless motion capture into injury rehabilitation programmes, physiotherapists can monitor movement deficiencies in real time. A player recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, for example, can have their gait and knee valgus angles monitored remotely. This reduces the need for repeated clinic visits.

    Barriers

    Despite its potential, markerless motion capture is not without its challenges. While deep learning models are improving, they still struggle with occlusion: where body parts become temporarily hidden from view. Variations in lighting, camera angles and player body types can affect tracking accuracy too.

    To improve robustness across diverse sports settings, these issues need ongoing refinement in pose estimation algorithms. (These are computer vision techniques used to locate and track key points of the body on a person in a video.)



    Read more:
    Supershoes have transformed competitive distance running, but they remain controversial

    Another key limitation is validation. Traditional motion capture systems have been extensively tested for accuracy, but markerless models are still undergoing further validation in sport-specific contexts.

    Ensuring consistency and reliability will be crucial in convincing elite teams to transition away from marker-based setups.

    A future without markers?

    The question remains: will markerless motion capture completely disrupt and replace traditional systems? The reality is likely to be more nuanced.

    While marker-based motion capture will retain its place in highly controlled research settings, markerless alternatives will dominate practical, field-based applications. The accessibility, ease of use and real-time capabilities of markerless systems make them a game-changer.



    Read more:
    VAR and peace? Why tech-assisted refereeing won’t do away with disputed decisions at the World Cup

    As AI models become more sophisticated and sensor technology advances, the precision of markerless systems will continue to improve. The future of motion capture lies not in replacing one method with another, but in integrating multiple approaches to create a seamless, scalable and accurate framework for movement analysis.

    It’s no longer a question of whether markerless motion capture will take over, but when. And as the technology matures, the benefits for coaches, athletes and scientists alike will only continue to grow. It’s set to play an integral role in shaping the next generation of athletic performance and movement analysis.

    Habib Noorbhai 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. AI-driven motion capture is transforming sports and exercise science – https://theconversation.com/ai-driven-motion-capture-is-transforming-sports-and-exercise-science-254646

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China ready to continue friendly contacts with Irish legislature: NPC Standing Committee vice-chairman

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    Dublin, May 18 (Xinhua) — A Chinese delegation led by Li Hongzhong, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), visited Ireland from May 14 to 17.

    According to Li Hongzhong, the NPC is willing to continue friendly exchanges with the Irish Parliament, jointly create a legal environment conducive to the development of bilateral cooperation, and promote the development of China-Irish relations.

    During his visit, Li Hongzhong also held separate talks with Speaker of the Irish House of Representatives (lower house) Verona Murphy and Deputy Speaker of the Senate (upper house) Maria Byrne, and met with teachers and students of the Confucius Institute at University College Dublin.

    The vice-chairman of the NPC Standing Committee noted that the mutually beneficial strategic partnership between China and Ireland continues to develop in a healthy and sustainable manner under the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Irish President Michael Higgins.

    Stressing that the world is currently undergoing major changes, Li Hongzhong called on the two sides to strengthen political mutual trust, maintain open cooperation and deepen exchanges in areas such as trade, science and technology, education, culture and local governance to achieve common development and prosperity.

    The Irish side said it highly values the development of relations with China, adheres to the one-China policy, supports open and free trade, and is willing to strengthen exchanges between the legislative bodies of the two sides, promoting mutual benefit and win-win cooperation between Ireland and China. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump’s Gulf visit signals potential shift in Mideast policy

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

    President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) meets with visiting U.S. President Donald Trump in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, May 15, 2025. [Emirates News Agency/Handout via Xinhua]

    U.S. President Donald Trump departed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday afternoon, concluding a lucrative four-day Gulf tour, which had also taken him to Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

    Despite expectations that Trump’s visit could help calm the conflict in Gaza and ease regional tensions, the U.S. president instead focused his Middle East visit primarily on economic gain, securing multi-trillion-dollar investment commitments from the three Gulf countries.

    Analysts believe that, by sidestepping the region’s conflict zones and prioritizing business deals, Trump’s tour signals a potential pivot in U.S. Middle East policy.

    Profitable journey

    Massive commercial deals defined Trump’s Middle East tour.

    From the outset of his second term, Trump signaled that his first major foreign trip would emphasize promoting U.S. economic interests. On his inauguration day in January, Trump stated he would choose Saudi Arabia as his first destination “if Saudi Arabia wanted to buy another 450, or 500 billion (dollars’ worth of U.S. products).”

    Upon arrival in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Trump secured an investment agreement with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, locking in 600 billion U.S. dollars in investments into the United States.

    Among the deals signed was “the largest defense sales agreement in history — nearly 142 billion dollars,” said a White House statement. Under this agreement, the United States will supply Saudi Arabia with “state-of-the-art warfighting equipment and services from over a dozen U.S. defense firms.”

    In Qatar, Trump cut a deal with the Gulf nation to generate “an economic exchange worth at least 1.2 trillion dollars.” He also secured commercial deals worth over 243.5 billion dollars, including the sale of 210 U.S.-made Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X jets to Qatar Airways, valued at 96 billion dollars.

    Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (2nd R) and U.S. President Donald Trump (2nd L) witness the signing of a series of deals at the Amiri Diwan in Doha, Qatar, on May 14, 2025. [Qatar News Agency/Handout via Xinhua]

    In the UAE, the final stop of the trip, Trump announced 200 billion dollars in bilateral commercial agreements, bringing “the total of investment agreements in the Gulf region to over 2 trillion dollars,” the White House noted.

    Trump’s trip to the Middle East “is all about money,” said Rodger Shanahan, a Middle East analyst at the Lowy Institute. “The Gulf states are a source of foreign investment for the United States of a size that makes for good announcements.”

    “Vague role” in easing tensions

    Despite hopes that Washington would leverage its special ties with Israel to promote a ceasefire and reduce regional tensions, the United States has yet to take meaningful steps toward resolving Middle East conflicts.

    During Trump’s visit, Israel continued large-scale airstrikes on Gaza, killing dozens daily. In Yemen, Houthi forces and Israel engaged in ongoing retaliatory attacks, while frequent Israeli military strikes against Lebanon resulted in casualties.

    Smoke billows following Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, as seen from Israel’s southern border with the Gaza Strip, on May 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Although the United States claimed to aim for Middle East peace, “the reality on the ground contradicts the U.S. stated goals,” said Mostafa Amin, an Egyptian researcher on Arab and international affairs. “The killings … by Israel during Trump’s visit raise serious questions about the sincerity of any U.S. peace efforts.”

    Further disappointment among Arab nations came from Trump’s inflammatory remarks on occupying Gaza. At a roundtable with Qatari officials in Doha, he suggested the United States should “take” Gaza and reshape its future.

    “I think I’d be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone,” he said before reporters. “Let some good things happen, put people in homes where they can be safe, and Hamas is going to have to be dealt with.”

    “He referenced peace only in the context of hostage releases,” observed Amjad Abu al-Ezz, a political science professor at the Arab American University in the West Bank. “There was no mention of a ceasefire, de-escalation or even basic humanitarian corridors (in Gaza).”

    Trump did not hesitate to criticize Iran during his trip, calling it “the most destructive force” in the Middle East and accusing it of fueling regional instability. His remarks drew sharp rebukes from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, further heightening already tense U.S.-Iran relations.

    “Although Trump’s visit yielded some economic gains, the United States has yet to present clear solutions to the underlying regional tensions,” said Ali Johar, a UAE political analyst.

    By focusing solely on its economic interests and overlooking the concerns of regional populations, Washington appears to be drifting into a “vague role” in addressing the area’s conflicts, Johar noted.

    Potential policy shift

    Trump’s trip not only overlooked Arab world concerns but also appeared to sideline Israel’s sensitivities.

    Unlike his first presidential trip to the Middle East in 2017, Trump’s latest visit excluded Israel from his itinerary. On the eve of his arrival, reports surfaced that the United States had even held direct talks with Hamas, culminating in the release of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander.

    People watch a live stream of the release of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander in a square in Tel Aviv, Israel, May 12, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    “Skipping Israel was seen as a reflection of the deteriorating ties between the U.S. administration and the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,” noted an Al Jazeera analysis.

    While in the UAE, Trump acknowledged that “a lot of people are starving in Gaza,” a rare statement interpreted as a sign of his growing frustration over Israel’s prolonged military campaign.

    Analysts suggest Trump, known for his America-first, pragmatic stance, is losing patience with Israel.

    “For decades, Israel has leveraged its special relationship with the United States to serve as a gatekeeper to Washington,” the Times of Israel wrote in an opinion piece, observing that many in Israel “worried that the best partner they’ve ever had in the White House had lost interest.”

    This concern is not unfounded. Frederick Kempe, president and CEO of the Atlantic Council, said the Trump administration would rather “swim in a stream of Gulf investments than get bogged down in the region’s enduring problems.”

    Apparently, the United States is shifting its focus and policy priorities toward the Gulf region and the economic field, Kheir Diabat, a professor in the International Affairs Department at Qatar University, observed.

    “While economic cooperation is certainly beneficial for the region,” Diabat added, “what the United States should prioritize now is taking its responsibility and helping restore stability to the Middle East.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Belt and Road Initiative builds connectivity, shared future

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

    HANGZHOU, May 17 — Inside an exhibition hall at the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, the world’s busiest port by cargo throughput, a giant screen pulses with real-time port operations data. A group of visitors could recently be seen watching intently as a digital platform mapped out how smart port technologies were driving efficient management and greener growth.

    “This is precisely the standard a global hub should meet,” said Douglas Jardine Flint, former group chairman of HSBC. What had impressed him, he said, was not just the physical scale of the port but the powerful digital infrastructure behind it. “This reflects an open, forward-looking China,” he added.

    On Thursday, the Advisory Council of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held its 2025 session in the city of Ningbo, east China’s Zhejiang Province. A day earlier, advisory council members from Kenya, Egypt, the United Kingdom and beyond visited the world-class deep-water port in Zhejiang.

    The Ningbo-Zhoushan Port is the only port in the world that has handled over 1 billion tonnes of cargo annually for 16 consecutive years. It has more than 200 deep-water berths across 20 port areas stretching 220 kilometers of coastline, with each berth capable of accommodating 10,000-tonne ships.

    The port is a golden hub of the Yangtze River Delta and a vital link connecting China with the Middle East, Africa and Europe under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

    “I once worked as a transportation engineer and was involved in many port projects in Egypt,” said Essam Sharaf, former prime minister of Egypt. “But Ningbo-Zhoushan Port is clearly a more advanced and more important one.”

    In Sharaf’s view, the world economy is increasingly dependent on maritime transportation, and efficient ports are the cornerstone of global trade.

    “You can see the dedicated employees, cutting-edge innovation and advanced science here. No wonder it’s one of the biggest ports in the world,” Erastus J.O. Mwencha, former deputy chairperson of the African Union Commission, said as his gaze swept across the bustling port.

    To Mwencha, the port is more than just a logistics hub — it stands as a symbol of multilateralism.

    “One of the goals of the BRI is to advance global cooperation and achieve mutual benefit,” he said. “Whether it’s ports, highways, regional hubs or air routes, all are key programs of the initiative. These infrastructures don’t just connect locations — they connect development opportunities.”

    Since the BRI was proposed over a decade ago, port cooperation has remained a key field of connectivity.

    China and its partners have worked together to transform critical maritime infrastructure, with projects including the Gwadar Port of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Greece’s Piraeus Port, which is the largest port in the Mediterranean, as well as Lekki Deep Sea Port, which is the first modern deep seaport in Nigeria.

    The goal is to achieve not just broader trade routes, but shared development. For many of the advisory council members who traveled to Ningbo, witnessing the scale and sophistication of the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port reaffirmed the possibilities of deepened Belt and Road cooperation.

    Sharaf, a long-time observer of international development, called the BRI “one of the most important cooperation platforms in the world today.” It carries, he said, “the development hopes of many nations — and historic significance.”

    Through partnerships and joint projects, the BRI has “created a global web of connectivity, shared planning and common purpose,” Sharaf said. “Under this initiative, we don’t impose things but share the benefits.”

    Mwencha expressed a similar view. “To me, the BRI is itself a port of hope, of progress, of the future,” he said with conviction.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Scientists have found an accelerating decline in forest restoration rates after major wildfires

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) — Chinese and international scientists have found a significant deterioration in the global capacity to restore forests after large-scale wildfires in the 21st century, with less than a third of damaged forests able to recover within seven years after a fire.

    The study, published in the journal Nature Ecology

    A research team led by Chen Ziyue of Beijing Normal University, Wu Zhaoyang of the Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Josep Peñuelas of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain, analyzed 3,281 large forest fires worldwide using a hybrid methodological framework.

    The main results show that since 2010, the average intensity of large wildfires has increased by 42.9 percent in drylands and 54.3 percent in boreal zones, with western North America, north-central Siberia, and southeastern Australia being the hardest hit. Post-fire recovery rates have declined sharply since 2010, as the area where recovery has stalled has increased from 22.6 percent to 25.6 percent, with forest structure and productivity posing particular challenges for recovery.

    The study warns that reduced fire resilience could lead to catastrophic losses of biodiversity, biological resources and carbon sinks that far exceed direct fire emissions, seriously disrupting the global carbon cycle. Forest ecosystems damaged by fires are currently facing unprecedented challenges to natural recovery, exacerbated by extreme climate events such as heat waves and drought.

    Natural recovery mechanisms can no longer cope with increasing climate pressure, Chen Ziyue said, calling for systematic international intervention at critical stages of post-fire recovery, including scientifically planned reforestation and ecological restoration projects.

    Australian expert David Bowman from the University of Tasmania described the study as “an influential paper on a very serious topic.” -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Tunisian President Meets with Head of CPC Central Committee Propaganda Department

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    TUNIS, May 17 (Xinhua) — Tunisian President Kais Saied met with Li Shulei, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, who visited Tunisia from May 14 to 17 as the head of a CPC delegation.

    During the meeting on Thursday, Li Shulei first conveyed cordial greetings from Chinese President Xi Jinping to K. Saied and recalled that in May 2024, the two heads of state jointly announced the establishment of China-Tunisia strategic partnership, outlining a new plan for the development of interstate ties.

    Li Shulei stressed that China is willing to work with Tunisia to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, promote traditional friendship, strengthen political mutual trust, enhance exchanges of experience in public administration, and advance the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road to achieve more win-win results.

    China hopes to deepen cooperation with Tunisia in such fields as culture, science, tourism and media, expand exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations, strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs, and promote the sustainable and long-term development of interstate ties, he added.

    K. Saied, for his part, asked Li Shulei to convey his sincere greetings and best wishes to Xi Jinping, assuring that Tunisia attaches great importance to developing relations with China. He also spoke highly of China’s development achievements and its important role in international affairs, thanking the Chinese side for its long-standing and meaningful support for Tunisia’s socio-economic development.

    The President stressed that Tunisia firmly adheres to the one-China principle and supports China’s efforts to achieve national reunification and protect its core interests.

    K. Said noted that Tunisia expects to deepen the alignment of development strategies with China and strengthen cooperation in various areas, such as economics and trade, cultural and humanitarian exchanges, healthcare and infrastructure construction.

    During the visit, Li Shulei also met with Tunisian Prime Minister Sarah Zaafarani Zanzari, Chairman of the Assembly of People’s Representatives (lower house of parliament) Brahim Bouderbala and Chairman of the National Council of Regions and Districts (upper house of parliament) Imed Derbali. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: $HAREHOLDER ALERT: The M&A Class Action Firm Continues To Investigate The Merger – PRA, KRON, AXL, SWTX

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, May 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Monteverde & Associates PC (the “M&A Class Action Firm”), has recovered millions of dollars for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm in the 2024 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. We are headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and are investigating:

    • ProAssurance Corporation (NYSE: PRA), relating to the proposed merger with The Doctors Company. Under the terms of the agreement, ProAssurance stockholders will receive $25.00 per share in cash.

    ACT NOW. The Shareholder Vote is scheduled for June 24, 2025.

    Click here for more https://monteverdelaw.com/case/proassurance-corporation-pra/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    • Kronos Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ: KRON), relating to the proposed merger with Concentra Biosciences, LLC. Under the terms of the agreement, Concentra will acquire Kronos Bio for $0.57 in cash per share of Kronos Bio common stock, plus one non-tradeable contingent value right.

    ACT NOW. The Tender Offer expires on June 13, 2025.

    Click here for more https://monteverdelaw.com/case/kronos-bio-inc-kron/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    • American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AXL), relating to the proposed merger with Dowlais Group plc. Under the terms of the agreement, Dowlais shareholders will be entitled to receive, per share of Dowlais’ common stock, 0.0863 shares of new AAM common stock, 42 pence per share in cash and up to a 2.8 pence of Dowlais FY24 final dividend prior to closing.

    Click here for more https://monteverdelaw.com/case/american-axle-manufacturing-holdings-inc-axl/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    • SpringWorks Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SWTX), relating to the proposed merger with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Under the terms of the agreement, SpringWorks shareholders will have the right to receive $47.00 in cash per share of SpringWorks stock held.

    Click here for more https://monteverdelaw.com/case/springworks-therapeutics-inc-swtx/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

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    1. Do you file class actions and go to Court?
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    3. What cases did you recover money in and how much?

    About Monteverde & Associates PC

    Our firm litigates and has recovered money for shareholders…and we do it from our offices in the Empire State Building. We are a national class action securities firm with a successful track record in trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. 

    No company, director or officer is above the law. If you own common stock in any of the above listed companies and have concerns or wish to obtain additional information free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com or by telephone at (212) 971-1341.

    Contact:
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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Magnitude 6.1 earthquake hits central Peru – GFZ

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) — An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 jolted central Peru at 10:22:06 GMT on Saturday, the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) said.

    According to initial data, the epicenter of the earthquake was located at a point with coordinates of 14.67 degrees south latitude and 74.04 degrees west longitude. The epicenter was located at a depth of 10 km. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Audience with members of the “Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice” Foundation

    Source: The Holy See

    Audience with members of the “Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice” Foundation, 17.05.2025
    This morning, in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the members of the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation.
    The following is the Pope’s address to those present at the audience:

    Address of the Holy Father
    Good morning everyone!
    Dear brothers and sisters, welcome!
    I thank the President and members of the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation, and I greet all of you who are taking part in this annual International Conference and General Assembly.
    The theme of this year’s Conference – “Overcoming Polarizations and Rebuilding Global Governance: The Ethical Foundations” – speaks to us of the deepest purpose of the Church’s social doctrine as a contribution to peace and dialogue in the service of building bridges of universal fraternity. Especially in this Easter season, we realize that the Risen Lord always goes before us, even at times when injustice and death seem to prevail. Let us help one another, as I said on the evening of my election, “to build bridges through dialogue and encounter, joining together as one people, always at peace.” This is not something that happens by chance, but is rather an active and continuous interplay of grace and freedom, one that our meeting today seeks to respect and support.
    Pope Leo XIII, who lived in an age of momentous and disruptive change, sought to promote peace by encouraging social dialogue between capital and labour, technology and human intelligence, and different political cultures and nations. Pope Francis spoke of a “polycrisis” in describing the dramatic nature of our own age, marked by wars, climate change, growing inequalities, forced and contested migration, stigmatized poverty, disruptive technological innovations, job insecurity and precarious labour rights (Message to Participants in the General Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life, 3 March 2025). On such important issues, the Church’s social doctrine is called to provide insights that facilitate dialogue between science and conscience, and thus make an essential contribution to better understanding, hope and peace.
    This doctrine helps us to realize that more important than our problems or eventual solutions is the way we approach them, guided by criteria of discernment, sound ethical principles and openness to God’s grace.
    You have the opportunity to show that the Church’s social doctrine, with its specific anthropological approach, seeks to encourage genuine engagement with social issues. It does not claim to possess a monopoly on truth, either in its analysis of problems or its proposal of concrete solutions. Where social questions are concerned, knowing how best to approach them is more important than providing immediate responses to why things happen or how to deal with them. The aim is to learn how to confront problems, for these are always different, since every generation is new, and faces new challenges, dreams and questions.
    This is a fundamental aspect of our attempts to build a “culture of encounter” through dialogue and social friendship. For many of our contemporaries, the words “dialogue” and “doctrine” can seem incompatible. Perhaps when we hear the word “doctrine,” we tend to think of a set of ideas belonging to a religion. The word itself makes us feel less disposed to reflect, call things into question or seek new alternatives.
    In the case of the Church’s social doctrine, we need to make clear that the word “doctrine” has another, more positive meaning, without which dialogue itself would be meaningless. “Doctrine” can be a synonym of “science,” “discipline” and “knowledge.” Understood in this way, doctrine appears as the product of research, and hence of hypotheses, discussions, progress and setbacks, all aimed at conveying a reliable, organized and systematic body of knowledge about a given issue. Consequently, a doctrine is not the same as an opinion, but is rather a common, collective and even multidisciplinary pursuit of truth.
    “Indoctrination” is immoral. It stifles critical judgement and undermines the sacred freedom of respect for conscience, even if erroneous. It resists new notions and rejects movement, change or the evolution of ideas in the face of new problems. “Doctrine,” on the other hand, as a serious, serene and rigorous discourse, aims to teach us primarily how to approach problems and, even more importantly, how to approach people. It also helps us to make prudential judgements when confronted with challenges. Seriousness, rigour and serenity are what we must learn from every doctrine, including the Church’s social doctrine.
    In the context of the ongoing digital revolution, we must rediscover, emphasize and cultivate our duty to train others in critical thinking, countering temptations to the contrary, which can also be found in ecclesial circles. There is so little dialogue around us; shouting often replaces it, not infrequently in the form of fake news and irrational arguments proposed by a few loud voices. Deeper reflection and study are essential, as well as a commitment to encounter and listen to the poor, who are a treasure for the Church and for humanity. Their viewpoints, though often disregarded, are vital if we are to see the world through God’s eyes. Those born and raised far from the centers of power should not merely be taught the Church’s social doctrine; they should also be recognized as carrying it forward and putting it into practice. Individuals committed to the betterment of society, popular movements and the various Catholic workers’ groups are an expression of those existential peripheries where hope endures and springs anew. I urge you to let the voice of the poor be heard.
    Dear friends, as the Second Vatican Council states, “in every age, the Church carries the responsibility of reading the signs of the times and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel, if she is to carry out her task. In language intelligible to every generation, she should be able to answer the ever-recurring questions which people ask about the meaning of this present life and of the life to come, and how one is related to the other” (Gaudium et Spes, 4).
    I invite you, then, to participate actively and creatively in this discernment process, and thus contribute, with all of God’s people, to the development of the Church’s social doctrine in this age of significant social changes, listening to everyone and engaging in dialogue with all. In our day, there is a widespread thirst for justice, a desire for authentic fatherhood and motherhood, a profound longing for spirituality, especially among young people and the marginalized, who do not always find effective means of making their needs known. There is a growing demand for the Church’s social doctrine, to which we need to respond.
    I thank all of you for your commitment and for your prayers for my ministry, and I cordially bless you and your families, and all that you do. Thank you!

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK Armed Forces to benefit from ground breaking underwater glue developed with industry

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    UK Armed Forces to benefit from ground breaking underwater glue developed with industry

    Defence scientists develop glue that enables rapid repairs to equipment in extreme environments.

    An underwater glue could soon be saving lives and providing UK Armed Forces with an operational edge following successful trials in Portsmouth.

    The glue, which mimics the way a mussel sticks to a rock in nature, will enable military personnel to repair wetsuits, damaged dinghies and other equipment rapidly in extreme environments, potentially saving lives. It will also make it easier to repair bridges under the water line and could save the public money by enabling repairs during deployment.

    The glue was developed by the Ministry of Defence’s Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), working with biotech firm Zentraxa.

    Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry Maria Eagle said:

    This unique approach, inspired by nature, demonstrates how the UK is becoming a hotbed for pioneering defence technology.

    Our scientists are working with industry to unlock emerging technologies, finding new ways to protect the military personnel who keep our nation safe, at home and abroad.

    That’s why we’re establishing a new innovation organisation, UK Defence Innovation, with a ring-fenced budget of £400 million, to help deliver even more cutting-edge tools like this to the Armed Forces.

    The adhesive was successfully demonstrated by British Army divers at Horsea Island, who tested it by gluing various items to an underwater steel wall. It was also tested in simulated sea water in the laboratory and performed well on wet out-of-water surfaces.  The glue could have multiple other applications, beyond defence. 

    Principal Scientist Claire, of Dstl’s Engineering Biology project, said: 

    Taking something that nature does well and applying it to modern problems is what is engineering biology is all about.    

    The glue – inspired by nature – will give our Armed Forces a capability that they simply don’t have at the moment.    

    This will bring a new and unique capability to underwater work. It could help divers, it could mean a punctured dinghy doesn’t sink. It could ultimately save lives.

    Dstl has supported the project with approximately £300,000 of funding and will collaborate with other parts of Defence in the further development of the glue technology. This will support specialist jobs and demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships in unlocking innovation – a core pillar of the Government’s plan for change.

    Zentraxa Chief Technology Officer Martin Challand said:  

    We have taken inspiration from natural organisms that can stick underwater like the marine mussel and then tried to exploit that bio-chemistry into a real world setting.   

    This is a major milestone for our product – this what we have dreamed of. It is extremely rewarding to see it being used and knowing that in the future it could save lives and it is fantastic to be working together across sectors like this.  

    If you were in a dingy and you suffered some damage you wouldn’t have to get back to shore to fix that. A quick fix in field could enable you to stay deployed or get back safely. This could have a life-saving impact.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Britain’s net zero construction workforce is already at risk of being burnt out

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Simon Addyman, Associate Professor in Project Management, UCL

    Kittirat Roekburi/Shutterstock

    The pressure of decarbonising industrial sectors is weighing on workers.

    The UK’s Labour government seeks a low-carbon and homegrown energy supply by 2030. The scale and pace of this transformation is unprecedented in the country’s power sector, and will involve building twice as much transmission infrastructure (pylons, cables, substations) in the next five years as was built over the last decade.

    Much of the workforce will be drawn from the construction sector, which employs 2.3 million people. Construction forms the dominant supply chain to the 17 major infrastructure projects involved in an overhaul of the electricity grid that will connect new wind farms in the North Sea and northern Scotland to homes and businesses across Great Britain.

    The workers “on the tools” who will carry out much of this transformation are struggling. The latest analysis from the Office for National Statistics suggests that the suicide risk of construction workers is three times higher than the male national average. Scholars of construction project management have identified a toxic workplace culture in the industry, citing aggressive market competition and demanding performance metrics.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    This is a problem that is largely being ignored. When planners at the National Energy System Operator assessed the UK’s capacity to build a clean power sector by 2030, they considered the absolute number of workers needed, the skills required and how employment is changing in the sector.

    Their assessment failed to consider the broader implications for workforce mental health and wellbeing of such a quick and comprehensive upgrade – but it is people who are going through a rapid transition, not just infrastructure.

    Expect more of these in years to come.
    J R Patterson/Shutterstock

    Going green, feeling blue

    Construction workers already endure long hours and stress due to tight deadlines. A rapid transition to green power will substantially increase their workload, unless managed carefully.

    Our report, published July 2024, looked into wellbeing and suicide in the construction industry. We concluded that the UK government, major infrastructure owners such as National Grid and their supply chain partners who provide specialist design and construction services, must work together to solve this problem.

    Major infrastructure owners offer mental health services, such as confidential counselling, legal advice and financial guidance, to help their own employees manage personal or work-related issues. But most workers on the tools are not directly employed by these owners. Most are self-employed, or hired by construction firms, of which 99% are small- and medium-sized enterprises.

    More than 96% of construction firms have fewer than 15 employees. Smaller suppliers of specialist trade skills, like electrical and mechanical installation, have fewer employment protections and more compressed schedules, and are even less likely to have the capacity to provide these services.

    Some infrastructure owners and big construction companies extend their health and wellbeing services to these smaller suppliers. However, in an industry that is dominated by competitive tendering, which favours suppliers that keep costs low, it is no surprise that uptake has been low.

    Owners of infrastructure assets like electricity pylons and substations can drive workplace improvements by adopting procurement models that prioritise suppliers that are offering measures to improve worker wellbeing.

    Research from one of us (Jing Xu) and fellow project management expert Yanga Wu, has shown that the top-down prescriptive approach traditionally applied to health and safety in construction does not work for wellbeing. This requires a bottom-up approach, that makes it easy for workers to tell managers what they are struggling with and what they think would help.

    The construction sector also faces a shortage of workers and skills required for the green transition. The industry training board forecasts that the industry must attract the equivalent of 50,300 extra workers a year to meet expected levels of work over the next five years.

    The UK is not training enough workers to achieve net zero.
    Paya Mona/Shutterstock

    In the power sector, however, there is the additional complication of an ageing workforce, as well as differences in employment conditions between permanent and contract staff. Key expertise is at risk of being lost with retirements. Older workers often face additional pressure, not only to meet performance targets but also to compensate for gaps in expertise, and all within a fast-paced environment.

    To improve mental health and wellbeing among a diverse workforce requires engaging with workers directly and ensuring their voices are heard. This involves more than upgrading technical skills. Research to better understand how organisations can care for their workforce in the context of increasing pressures due to achieving net zero is also vital.

    Further research and collaboration with infrastructure owners and major construction contractors could help manage the risks and provide valuable insights for other sectors that will need to follow suit, such as heating, transport and agriculture.

    It is imperative to consider what a transition means: the technical transition of replacing outmoded technology, as well as the social transition, which prioritises not only skills but workplace mental health. Without a focus on both policy and people, clean power will not be delivered.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Simon Addyman receives funding from University College London.

    Jing Xu receives funding from University College London.

    – ref. Britain’s net zero construction workforce is already at risk of being burnt out – https://theconversation.com/britains-net-zero-construction-workforce-is-already-at-risk-of-being-burnt-out-249328

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Audience with the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See

    Source: The Holy See

    At 10.00 this morning, in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, on the occasion of the beginning of his Petrine ministry.
    After the introductory words from the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, His Excellency Mr. Georges Poulides, Ambassador of Cyprus to the Holy See, the Pope delivered the following address:

    Address of the Holy Father
    Your Eminence,
    Your Excellencies,
    Ladies and Gentlemen,
    Peace be with you!
    I thank His Excellency Mr George Poulides, Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, for his cordial greeting in your name, and for the tireless work that he has carried out with his characteristic energy, commitment and kindness. These qualities have earned him the esteem of all my predecessors whom he has met in these years of his mission to the Holy See, particularly the late Pope Francis.
    I would also like to express my gratitude for your many messages of good wishes following my election, as well as those expressing condolence for the death of Pope Francis. Some of those messages also came from countries with which the Holy See does not have diplomatic relations, a significant sign of esteem that indicates a strengthening of mutual relations.
    In our dialogue, I would like us always to preserve the sense of being a family. Indeed, the diplomatic community represents the entire family of peoples, a family that shares the joys and sorrows of life and the human and spiritual values that give it meaning and direction. Papal diplomacy is an expression of the very catholicity of the Church. In its diplomatic activity, the Holy See is inspired by a pastoral outreach that leads it not to seek privileges but to strengthen its evangelical mission at the service of humanity. Resisting all forms of indifference, it appeals to consciences, as witnessed by the constant efforts of my venerable predecessor, ever attentive to the cry of the poor, the needy and the marginalized, as well as to contemporary challenges, ranging from the protection of creation to artificial intelligence.
    In addition to being a visible sign of your countries’ respect for the Apostolic See, your presence here today is a gift for me. It allows me to renew the Church’s aspiration — and my own — to reach out and embrace all individuals and peoples on the Earth, who need and yearn for truth, justice and peace! In a certain sense, my own life experience, which has spanned North America, South America and Europe, has been marked by this aspiration to transcend borders in order to encounter different peoples and cultures.
    Through the constant and patient work of the Secretariat of State, I intend to strengthen understanding and dialogue with you and with your countries, many of which I have already had the grace to visit, especially during my time as Prior General of the Augustinians. I trust that God’s providence will allow me further occasions to get to know the countries from which you come and enable me to have occasions to confirm in the faith our many brothers and sisters throughout the world and to build new bridges with all people of good will.
    In our dialogue, I would like us to keep in mind three essential words that represent the pillars of the Church’s missionary activity and the aim of the Holy See’s diplomacy.
    The first word ispeace. All too often we consider it a “negative” word, indicative only of the absence of war and conflict, since opposition is a perennial part of human nature, frequently leading us to live in a constant “state of conflict” at home, at work and in society. Peace then appears simply as a respite, a pause between one dispute and another, given that, no matter how hard we try, tensions will always be present, a little like embers burning beneath the ashes, ready to ignite at any moment.
    From a Christian perspective – but also in other religious traditions – peace is first and foremost a gift. It is the first gift of Christ: “My peace I give to you” (Jn14:27).Yet it is an active and demanding gift. It engages and challenges each of us, regardless of our cultural background or religious affiliation, demanding first of all that we work on ourselves. Peace is built in the heart and from the heart, by eliminating pride and vindictiveness and carefully choosing our words. For words too, not only weapons, can wound and even kill.
    In this regard, I believe that religions and interreligious dialogue can make a fundamental contribution to fostering a climate of peace. This naturally requires full respect for religious freedom in every country, since religious experience is an essential dimension of the human person. Without it, it is difficult, if not impossible, to bring about the purification of the heart necessary for building peaceful relationships.
    This effort, in which all of us are called to take part, can begin to eliminate the root causes of all conflicts and every destructive urge for conquest. It demands a genuine willingness to engage in dialogue, inspired by the desire to communicate rather than clash. As a result, there is a need to give new life to multilateral diplomacy and to those international institutions conceived and designed primarily to remedy eventual disputes within the international community. Naturally, there must also be a resolve to halt the production of instruments of destruction and death, since, as Pope Francis noted in his lastUrbi et OrbiMessage: No peace is “possible without true disarmament [and] the requirement that every people provide for its own defence must not turn into a race to rearmament.”[1]
    The second word isjustice. Working for peace requires acting justly. As I have already mentioned, I chose my name thinking first of all of Leo XIII, the Pope of the first great social Encyclical,Rerum Novarum. In this time of epochal change, the Holy See cannot fail to make its voice heard in the face of the many imbalances and injustices that lead, not least, to unworthy working conditions and increasingly fragmented and conflict-ridden societies. Every effort should be made to overcome the global inequalities – between opulence and destitution – that are carving deep divides between continents, countries and even within individual societies.
    It is the responsibility of government leaders to work to build harmonious and peaceful civil societies. This can be achieved above all by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman, “a small but genuine society, and prior to all civil society.”[2]In addition, no one is exempted from striving to ensure respect for the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike.
    My own story is that of a citizen, the descendant of immigrants, who in turn chose to emigrate. All of us, in the course of our lives, can find ourselves healthy or sick, employed or unemployed, living in our native land or in a foreign country, yet our dignity always remains unchanged: it is the dignity of a creature willed and loved by God.
    The third word istruth. Truly peaceful relationships cannot be built, also within the international community, apart from truth. Where words take on ambiguous and ambivalent connotations, and the virtual world, with its altered perception of reality, takes over unchecked, it is difficult to build authentic relationships, since the objective and real premises of communication are lacking.
    For her part, the Church can never be exempted from speaking the truth about humanity and the world, resorting whenever necessary to blunt language that may initially create misunderstanding. Yet truth can never be separated from charity, which always has at its root a concern for the life and well-being of every man and woman. Furthermore, from the Christian perspective, truth is not the affirmation of abstract and disembodied principles, but an encounter with the person of Christ himself, alive in the midst of the community of believers. Truth, then, does not create division, but rather enables us to confront all the more resolutely the challenges of our time, such as migration, the ethical use of artificial intelligence and the protection of our beloved planet Earth. These are challenges that require commitment and cooperation on the part of all, since no one can think of facing them alone.
    Dear Ambassadors,
    My ministry has begun in the heart of a Jubilee Year, devoted in a particular way to hope. It is a time of conversion and renewal and, above all, an opportunity to leave conflicts behind and embark on a new path, confident that, by working together, each of us in accordance with his or her own sensibilities and responsibilities, can build a world in which everyone can lead an authentically human life in truth, justice and peace. It is my hope that this will be the case everywhere, starting with those places that suffer most grievously, like Ukraine and the Holy Land.
    I thank you for all the work you are doing to build bridges between your countries and the Holy See, and I cordially impart my blessing to you, your families and your peoples. Thank you! Thank you for all the work that you do!
    _______________
    [1]FRANCIS,Urbi et OrbiMessage, 20 April 2025.
    [2] LEO XIII, EncyclicalRerum Novarum, 15 May 1891, 9.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s message on World Telecommunication and Information Society Day: “Gender equality in digital transformation” [scroll down for French version]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    This World Telecommunication and Information Society Day marks the 160th anniversary of the International Telecommunication Union.

    From the telegraph to radio, from the Internet to Artificial Intelligence, technology has transformed how we live, work, and connect.  But its benefits remain deeply unequal.  This year’s focus on gender equality in digital transformation is both timely and urgent.

    Around the world, algorithmic bias is reinforcing old prejudices.  Online harassment and abuse silences women’s voices and drives them offline.  And women and girls remain severely underrepresented in the very fields shaping our future: science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

    This injustice harms us all.  We cannot accept a digital future that leaves half of humanity behind. We must urgently invest in digital skills for all; harness the potential of technology to improve women’s lives; dismantle barriers blocking their full participation and leadership in the technology sector; and keep working to eradicate gender-based violence in all its forms – online and offline.

    The Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact offer a path to bridge all digital divides and strengthen collaboration for women’s rights online.  Let’s take that path together and help ensure digital transformation is a force for progress, inclusion, and equality.

    When technology serves everyone, everyone wins.

    ***

    Cette année, la Journée mondiale des télécommunications et de la société de l’information marque le 160e anniversaire de l’Union internationale des télécommunications.

    Du télégraphe à la radio, d’Internet à l’intelligence artificielle, la technologie a transformé notre façon de vivre, de travailler et de communiquer. Pourtant, les avantages que l’on en retire restent très inégalement répartis. C’est pourquoi il est nécessaire d’appeler cette année l’attention sur l’égalité des genres dans la transformation numérique.

    Partout dans le monde, les biais algorithmiques renforcent les préjugés ancrés de longue date. Le harcèlement et les violences en ligne réduisent les femmes au silence et les poussent à déserter Internet. Les femmes et les filles restent largement sous-représentées dans les domaines qui, justement, façonnent notre avenir : les sciences, la technologie, l’ingénierie et les mathématiques.

    Cette injustice nous fait du tort, à toutes et à tous. Nous ne pouvons accepter un avenir numérique qui laisse de côté la moitié de l’humanité. Nous devons investir de toute urgence dans les compétences numériques pour tous et toutes, utiliser tout le potentiel des technologies pour améliorer la vie des femmes, abattre les obstacles qui les empêchent de participer pleinement au secteur technologique et d’y jouer un rôle moteur et continuer d’œuvrer à l’éradication de la violence fondée sur le genre sous toutes ses formes, en ligne et hors ligne.

    Le Pacte pour l’avenir et le Pacte numérique mondial offrent l’occasion de réduire toutes les fractures numériques et de renforcer la collaboration pour faire respecter les droits des femmes en ligne. Saisissons cette occasion ensemble et contribuons à faire de la transformation numérique une force au service du progrès, de l’inclusion et de l’égalité.

    Lorsque la technologie est au service de chacune et de chacun, tout le monde y gagne.

    ***
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Foster, Huizenga, Moolenaar, Krishnamoorthi Introduce Bill to Stop Smuggling of Advanced AI Chips

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bill Foster (11th District of Illinois)

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Reps. Bill Foster (D-IL) and Bill Huizenga (R-MI), along with House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), introduced the Chip Security Act. This legislation would require high-end chip manufacturers to implement technical security measures to detect and prevent smuggling to unauthorized countries and end users. 

    The legislation responds to ongoing reports of AI chips being smuggled into China, where they are used to power state-controlled AI projects. Despite export controls, smuggling networks and front companies continue to move U.S.-made chips into restricted countries. 

    “As Congress’ chip designer, AI programmer, and PhD physicist, I know that we have the technical tools to prevent powerful AI technology from getting into the wrong hands. With advanced AI chips being smuggled into China and posing a national security risk, Congress must act,” said Congressman Bill Foster. “I’m proud to lead the effort on this bipartisan legislation, which is an important step in protecting our exports and ensuring that U.S. technology is not used to undermine democracy and global stability.” 

    “The rapid evolution of advanced AI technology driven by American innovation has the potential to change everything from how we complete daily tasks to unlocking the next era of scientific breakthroughs,” said Congressman Bill Huizenga. “In order for the United States to maintain our technological advantage, we must employ safeguards to help ensure export controls are not being circumvented, allowing these advanced AI chips to fall into the hands of nefarious actors. The Chips Security Act is a bipartisan solution that strengthens our ability to protect American interests as well as our technological advances.” 

    “For too long, the Chinese Communist Party has exploited weaknesses in our export control enforcement system—using shell companies and smuggling networks to divert sensitive U.S. technology, fuel the PLA’s military advancement, and extend its surveillance capabilities to further its repression. That puts our national security and our leadership in artificial intelligence at risk. This bipartisan bill closes those gaps with real safeguards to keep our most advanced chips out of the wrong hands. I’m proud to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and we’re committed to getting this legislation across the finish line and signed into law,” said Chairman John Moolenaar. 

    “This bipartisan legislation will help ensure our most advanced technologies don’t end up in the wrong hands. I’m proud to join my colleagues, including Congressman Foster—whose deep expertise and leadership on science and national security issues continue to strengthen our country—in introducing this commonsense measure,” said Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi.  

    The bill would require: 

    ·         Location Verification: High-end AI chips must have the ability to identify their location before they are exported. 

    ·         Mandatory Reporting: Companies exporting these products must report any credible information about the diversion of the product, including if the location has changed. 

    ·         Additional Technical Requirements: Requires the Secretary of Commerce to assess second-level security mechanisms to prevent misuse or diversion of these chips. 

    ·         Enforcement: Provides the Secretary of Commerce enforcement capabilities to verify that the exported chips have not been diverted.  

    This issue was highlighted in the House Select Committee on China’s recent report on DeepSeek.  

    This bill is cosponsored by Reps. Ted Lieu (D-CA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Rick Crawford (R-AR), and Darin LaHood (R-IL). The companion bill was introduced by Senator Tom Cotton.  

    A copy of the legislation is available here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s message on World Telecommunication and Information Society Day: “Gender equality in digital transformation” [scroll down for French version]

    Source: United Nations – English

    his World Telecommunication and Information Society Day marks the 160th anniversary of the International Telecommunication Union.

    From the telegraph to radio, from the Internet to Artificial Intelligence, technology has transformed how we live, work, and connect.  But its benefits remain deeply unequal.  This year’s focus on gender equality in digital transformation is both timely and urgent.

    Around the world, algorithmic bias is reinforcing old prejudices.  Online harassment and abuse silences women’s voices and drives them offline.  And women and girls remain severely underrepresented in the very fields shaping our future: science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

    This injustice harms us all.  We cannot accept a digital future that leaves half of humanity behind. We must urgently invest in digital skills for all; harness the potential of technology to improve women’s lives; dismantle barriers blocking their full participation and leadership in the technology sector; and keep working to eradicate gender-based violence in all its forms – online and offline.

    The Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact offer a path to bridge all digital divides and strengthen collaboration for women’s rights online.  Let’s take that path together and help ensure digital transformation is a force for progress, inclusion, and equality.

    When technology serves everyone, everyone wins.

    ***

    Cette année, la Journée mondiale des télécommunications et de la société de l’information marque le 160e anniversaire de l’Union internationale des télécommunications.

    Du télégraphe à la radio, d’Internet à l’intelligence artificielle, la technologie a transformé notre façon de vivre, de travailler et de communiquer. Pourtant, les avantages que l’on en retire restent très inégalement répartis. C’est pourquoi il est nécessaire d’appeler cette année l’attention sur l’égalité des genres dans la transformation numérique.

    Partout dans le monde, les biais algorithmiques renforcent les préjugés ancrés de longue date. Le harcèlement et les violences en ligne réduisent les femmes au silence et les poussent à déserter Internet. Les femmes et les filles restent largement sous-représentées dans les domaines qui, justement, façonnent notre avenir : les sciences, la technologie, l’ingénierie et les mathématiques.

    Cette injustice nous fait du tort, à toutes et à tous. Nous ne pouvons accepter un avenir numérique qui laisse de côté la moitié de l’humanité. Nous devons investir de toute urgence dans les compétences numériques pour tous et toutes, utiliser tout le potentiel des technologies pour améliorer la vie des femmes, abattre les obstacles qui les empêchent de participer pleinement au secteur technologique et d’y jouer un rôle moteur et continuer d’œuvrer à l’éradication de la violence fondée sur le genre sous toutes ses formes, en ligne et hors ligne.

    Le Pacte pour l’avenir et le Pacte numérique mondial offrent l’occasion de réduire toutes les fractures numériques et de renforcer la collaboration pour faire respecter les droits des femmes en ligne. Saisissons cette occasion ensemble et contribuons à faire de la transformation numérique une force au service du progrès, de l’inclusion et de l’égalité.

    Lorsque la technologie est au service de chacune et de chacun, tout le monde y gagne.

    ***
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Golden votes against cutting funds that support Maine’s marine resources, Acadia National Park

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

    WASHINGTON — In an early morning vote today, Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) opposed the House Natural Resources Committee’s (HNRC) portion of the GOP’s reconciliation budget. 

    The final package proposes $1 billion in federal spending cuts, including cuts targeting several programs that support Maine’s marine resources economy, coastal communities and Acadia National Park. The committee advanced the package in a 26-17 vote. 

    “Maine’s way of life and economy are inextricably tied to our lands and waters. When I joined this committee this year, I pledged to advocate for Maine’s natural resources and to use my position to champion investment and stewardship to support our state,” Golden said. “This proposal would undermine investments in our marine resources and Acadia National Park. I could not, in good conscience, support it.” 

    The package proposes $100 million in cuts for Inflation Reduction Act funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Affected funding streams support fisheries, marine and coastal habitats, and stock assessments. They have supported projects in Maine including fish passage restoration for Atlantic salmon and other migratory species; rebuilding salt marshes to reduce roadway flooding hazards in communities Downeast; and an initiative to recover, recycle and refabricate marine debris material in the Gulf of Maine, such as ghost lobster traps and derelict aquaculture gear.

    “I have gone toe to toe with NOAA to oppose regulatory proposals that could harm Maine’s fishing communities, and to demand regulators give Maine lobstermen and fishermen a seat at the table,” Golden said. “But the funding streams targeted for cuts in this bill support worthy conservation, restoration, and infrastructure efforts that have helped protect Maine’s natural resources and make our communities more resilient. There’s no reason to put them on the chopping block.”

    The package advanced out of committee also would slash $279 million from the National Park Service, threatening funding streams that have supported resiliency, habitat restoration and jobs at Acadia National Park.

    House and Senate Republicans sent reconciliation instructions to all House Committees on April 10. Those instructions required the Natural Resources Committee to cut funding by $1 billion — part of the GOP’s plan to slash health care and cut taxes for the wealthy while adding more than $ 7 trillion in new debt over the next decade. 

    Congressman Golden voted against the GOP’s reckless reconciliation plan in February and again in April, and has been critical of efforts to undermine working families and the fiscal stability of the nation while padding giveaways to the wealthy. 

    “There’s a better way forward: Congress could target tax cuts to working families, paid for by allowing the expiration of tax cuts for the very wealthy,” Golden said in April. “We don’t need to take away anyone’s health care or pass trillions in new deficit spending to pass a budget that puts the middle class first.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens Leads Special Order Hour on Science Cuts

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)

    Stop Trump’s Chaos. Stand Up for Science!

    WASHINGTON, D.C. –– Yesterday, Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens and Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) led House Democrats in a Special Order Hour to call out President Trump and Elon Musk’s reckless policies and budget cuts to federal science agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), which is causing chaos across Michigan and the country. Federal science agencies, including NSF,  fund vital scientific research, train the next-generation of scientists, and support technology transfer. These harmful policies and budget cuts jeopardize more than $3 billion in federal research dollars that Michigan universities and small businesses receive, threatening Michigan’s competitiveness in the global economy and threaten to deny Michigan students opportunities in STEM

    During the Special Order Hour, the Congresswoman brought attention to the unprecedented attacks on the National Science Foundation. Since the second Trump Administration began, NSF has:

    • Terminated over $1 billion in grants for research and STEM education authorized by Congress.
    • Attacked STEM education programs authorized by bipartisan Congressional action, including the Congresswoman’s Building Blocks of STEM Act which President Trump signed into law in 2019.
    • Carried out chaotic “Reduction in Force” efforts at NSF to tackle so-called “bloat” in an already efficient workforce; over 94% of NSF’s $9 billion in Fiscal Year 2025 budget was distributed in the form of grants, awards, and scholarships.
    • Undermined technical and subject-matter expertise by removing NSF scientific advisory boards
    • Politicalized gold-standard merit review process for choosing scientific awards. 

    Congresswoman Stevens was joined on the floor by her colleagues Reps. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA); Don Beyer (D-VA); Bill Foster (D-IL); Valerie Foushee (D-NC); Melanie Stansbury (D-NM); Mark Takano (D-CA); Paul Tonko (D-NY); and George Whitesides (D-CA).

    Workers who were fired from the National Science Foundation sat in the gallery during the Special Order Hour.

    “The State of Michigan is known for its manufacturing prowess, its best-in-class skilled workforce, and the beauty of the Great Lakes. But what’s often overlooked is that the State of Michigan relies on innovation,” said Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens. “But Trump’s anti-science agenda undermines this symbiotic relationship and threatens Michigan’s future in advanced manufacturing, environmental protection, and next-generation mobility technologies. Trump’s chaotic policies are setting Michigan up to lose. 

    “The Trump Administration’s attack on science is not about cutting waste, fraud, and abuse. Federal science funding and programs return double or triple the investment we make in them. What these cuts and agency firings will do is lead to a brain drain in our government, which will hurt the health and safety of every American and diminish our country’s standing in the world,” said Congressman Suhas Subramanyam.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Neguse and Zinke Introduce Bipartisan Effort to Expand Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)

    Washington, D.C. — This week, Congressman Joe Neguse, Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Federal Lands, joined forces with Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke to introduce the bipartisan Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP) Reauthorization Act of 2025. The bill would reauthorize and expand CFLRP, a highly successful U.S. Forest Service program that supports collaborative and community-based forest management to improve forest health, reduce wildfire risk, and support rural and mountain communities. 

    The legislation, which is also co-led by Representatives Andrea Salinas (OR-06) and Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08), would extend CFLRP for another ten years, increasing the size and scope of the Collaborative to reduce wildfire risk and make other program improvements. Since it was first authorized in 2009, CFLRP projects have restored 5.7 million acres of forestland, and helped improve 1,000 miles of trails and maintain 25,000 miles of roads. 

    “In Colorado and across the Rocky Mountain West, we know that protecting our forests and lands benefits our communities,” said Congressman Neguse. “The Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program is a successful partnership program that bolsters community-based stewardship, supporting efforts to promote cooperative, science-based wildfire mitigation. I’m incredibly proud to lead my colleagues in the House to champion its reauthorization.” 

    “Every year hundreds of thousands of acres of forest burn to the ground destroying landscapes, watersheds and homes. We can’t prevent every fire, but we can certainly manage our forests, so they are in better health and more resilient against catastrophic fires,” said Congressman Zinke. “The Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program was a proven success that leverages public and private entities to grow more resilient forests. When a program works, we should extend it. Montana forests must be multi-use. Recreation, conservation, and resource development all have their place and must be part of the conversation, but none of them can exist if our forests are unhealthy or burning down. The continuation of this program will promote the collaboration needed preserve more of our forests for use by the communities around them.”

    “All Washingtonians have seen firsthand that wildfires have become more frequent and severe in our state and throughout the West, a problem that will continue to be exacerbated by climate change,” said Congresswoman Schrier, M.D. “To protect our communities, we have to invest in improving forest health. Smart, sensible programs like the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration (CFLR) program, have been shown to help reduce wildfire risk. That’s why I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan, bicameral bill to strengthen our wildfire safety and reauthorize and expand the CFLR program.” 

    “Collaborative forest management leads to better outcomes for our forests and our communities. The Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration program has a proven track-record of success in reducing wildfire risk and improving forest health,” said Rep. Salinas. “By embracing the CFLRP model, we can advance critical projects and prevent them from being bogged down by bureaucracy. I am proud to join my colleagues in co-leading the effort to reauthorize this critical program, and I will continue working to advance responsible forest management practices.” 

    The bill is also being championed by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) in the United States Senate and has support from Michael Bennet (D-CO), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Steve Daines (R-MT).

    “When people come together to develop collaborative plans to manage our forests, we can thin overgrown forests, strengthen our timber stands, support diverse ecosystems, increase fire resilience, and boost workforce development,” said Senator Merkley. “This is a proven, bipartisan model that delivers healthier forests and stronger communities instead of litigation and conflict. Investing more in collaborative solutions will make a real difference in rural communities across Oregon and beyond.”

    “Shared, active forest management plays a vital role in reducing the risk of wildfires and fire suppression,” said Senator Crapo. “Ensuring long-term reauthorization of the CFLRP will promote Idaho’s forest health, encourage the responsible stewardship of our public lands and foster resilient, rural economies. Reauthorizing the CFLRP results in stronger relationships on the ground, more effective projects and a decreased risk of conflict and litigation.”

    “Collaborative forest projects help create jobs throughout Colorado while restoring wildlife habitat and managing fuel for wildfires. In Colorado, they bring together people across local government, industry, and conservation advocacy to make our forests more resilient and help our communities adapt to a changing climate,” said Senator Bennet. “As a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, I’ll work to expand this valuable program for Colorado in the upcoming Farm Bill.”

    The CFLRP brings stakeholders from all walks of life together to create solutions aimed at reducing wildfire risk across the West. Requirements of this program ensure that various local stakeholders collaborate, resulting in stronger relationships on the ground, better, more effective projects, and a decreased risk of conflict and litigation. Learn more about the program’s active and past projects HERE. 

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Beatty Introduces Resolution to Promote the Prevention, Detection, and Treatment of Hypertension

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (3rd District of Ohio)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) introduced a resolution expressing support for the designation of May as “National Hypertension Awareness Month” and supporting the goals and ideals of this effort.

    “While hypertension – or high blood pressure – affects nearly half of U.S. adults, and disproportionately those who lack access to health care, education, healthy foods, and safe neighborhoods, its lack of obvious symptoms often makes it a “silent killer,” said Congresswoman Beatty. “This month is a reminder of the importance of raising awareness about this condition and expanding our efforts to prevent, detect, and treat it. By recognizing National Hypertension Awareness Month in this way, we can help improve health outcomes, reduce health care costs, and save lives.”

     

    The National Hypertension Awareness Month resolution is supported by the American Heart Association and the Partnership to Advance Cardiovascular Health.

     

    “With nearly half of adults in the U.S. having high blood pressure or hypertension, communities that lack access to education, health care, healthy foods and safe neighborhoods have an even higher risk of developing the condition,” said Mark Schoeberl, Executive Vice President of Advocacy, American Heart Association. “Through efforts like our Get Down With Your Blood Pressure™ program and advocacy work to pass science-based policies that will improve the places in which we work, live and play, the American Heart Association is committed to improving health outcomes and expanding opportunities for everyone to live longer, healthier lives. We thank Rep. Beatty for her leadership to recognize National Hypertension Awareness Month and raise awareness of the steps that individuals can take to improve their blood pressure.”

    “It’s important that we continue to develop new treatments and therapies for uncontrolled hypertensionthat give patients an array of options when treating such a modifiable disease state,” said Ryan Gough, Executive Director of the Partnership to Advance Cardiovascular Health.“Adherence is crucial in managing hypertension, yet 50% of patients stop treatment within the first year. As we continue to combat cardiovascular disease, prioritizing therapies that are effective and sustainable for each patient is essential.”

    “Hypertension is the country’s leading modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease,” said Stacy Manthos, Executive Director, American Society Preventive Cardiology (ASPC). 

     

    “Hypertension, often thought of as a silent killer because of its lack of symptoms, can have a devastating impact on a person’s heart health. Highlighting and recognizing the dangers of this condition through Hypertension Awareness Month is an important and necessary step in raising awareness and encouraging people to understand their risk so that they can seek treatment and live longer, healthier lives,” said Mandy Sandkuhler, Director of Partnerships and Communications, MendedHearts.

     

    As a Co-Chair of the Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition, Congresswoman Beatty has been a champion of policies that raise awareness and promote prevention, treatment, and access to care for cardiovascular diseases. 

    Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) has served Central Ohio’s working families in Congress since 2013. She is the Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions, co-chairs the bipartisan Financial Literacy and Wealth Creation Caucus, and is Chair Emerita of the Congressional Black Caucus.  

     

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Pallone Recognizes Outstanding High School Students at Spring Awards Ceremony

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

    Long Branch, NJ – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today announced the recipients of the Congressional Award, this year’s U.S. Service Academy nominees, and the winners of the 2025 Sixth Congressional District High School Arts Competition at an awards ceremony. 

    Pallone also announced the winners of the Congressional App Challenge and the winners of the tenth-annual Poetry Showcase. Students representing multiple local schools were honored at a reception at Middlesex College. 

    Pallone honored the 2025 recipients of the Congressional Award. Created by his predecessor, the late U.S. Rep. Jim Howard, the Congressional Award recognizes the initiative, achievement, and volunteer services of young people. The recipients include:

    Bronze Congressional Award Recipients:

    • Brody Gray, Rumson
    • Nyla Martin, Rumson
    • Timothy McCooey, Rumson

    Silver Congressional Award Recipients:

    • Hunter Barrett, Rumson
    • Aditya Herekar, Edison
    • Mahi Mahitcha, Edison
    • Ethan Poon, Edison

    Gold Congressional Award Recipients:

    • Suhani Sengupta, Edison

    “The Congressional Award is given to individuals whose accomplishments and dedication to their communities exemplifies the best qualities of the future,” Pallone said. “I’m proud to award this honor to this year’s recipients, and I wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors.” 

    The New Jersey Congressman also honored the candidates he nominated to the U.S. Service Academies. The nominees include:

    U.S. Air Force Academy

    • Brody Cannan, Sayreville War Memorial High School
    • Jackson Gervais, Christian Brothers Academy
    • Cole Pangborn, Rumson Fair Haven Regional High School
    • Satyam Shah, Northwestern Preparatory School
    • Sanjna Thoguru, Rutgers Preparatory School
    • Brandon Trivino, Saint Joseph High School

    U.S. Naval Academy                                      

    • Carter Braun, Marine Academy of Science and Technology
    • Thomas Clark, Marine Academy of Science and Technology
    • Ryan Miller, Middletown High School North
    • Sanjna Thoguru, Rutgers Preparatory School
    • Brandon Trivino, Saint Joseph High School
    • Caitlin Williams, Trinity Hall

    U.S. Military Academy at West Point

    • Tyler Boelhower, Woodbridge High School
    • Carter Braun, Marine Academy of Science and Technology
    • Max Fredericks, Keyport High School
    • Reed Kerstetter, St. Thomas Aquinas High School
    • Ryan Miller, Middletown High School North
    • Hannah Nitka, High Technology High School
    • Kyle Pear, South Plainfield High School
    • Cassidy Robertson, Saint Rose High School
    • Brandon Trivino, Saint Joseph High School

    U.S. Merchant Marine Academy                  

    • Owen Bradford, Spotswood High School
    • Carter Braun, Marine Academy of Science and Technology
    • Robert Gallagher, Arthur L. Johnson High School
    • Reed Kerstetter, St. Thomas Aquinas High School
    • Ryan Miller, Middletown High School North
    • Brandon Trivino, Saint Joseph High School
    • Jacob Weir, Seneca High School

    “The value of military service to our nation cannot be overstated, and I am proud of the commitment that these nominees have shown to serving their country,” said Pallone. “These nominees showed outstanding academic and extra-curricular achievements, leadership, and motivation in serving our country. Our nation’s service academies are some of the highest caliber institutions that are committed to graduating leaders of character, honor, and integrity. New Jersey’s 6th Congressional District is home to so many bright and qualified students. I wish all of the nominees the very best of luck in the future and thank them for their willingness to serve.”

    Young artists from various schools in Middlesex and Monmouth counties participated in this year’s art competition. Local judges chose first, second and third place winners. They also awarded 15 honorable mentions. The first-place winner, Sylphania Njoku, will have her artwork displayed for the next year in the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.  

    Congressional Art Competition Winners:

    First Place: Sylphania Njoku, Piscataway High School

    Second Place: Emily Hsu, John P. Stevens High School

    Third Place: Elizabeth Poole, Piscataway High School

    Honorable Mentions: 

    • Shruthika Adaki, John P. Stevens High School
    • Mishti Bajaj, John P. Stevens High School
    • Gabriel DeJesus, Sayreville War Memorial High School
    • Yoskar Deleon, Perth Amboy High School
    • Julia Liu, John P. Stevens High School
    • Aaliyah Matias, Perth Amboy High School
    • Chasity McNamara, Edison High School
    • Haley Norris, Red Bank Regional High School
    • Ash Peña Martinez, Red Bank Regional High School
    • Gabrielle Petit-Homme, Piscataway High School
    • Patrick Powers, Raritan High School
    • Sofia Rojas, Piscataway High School
    • Mia Vargas, East Brunswick Magnet School
    • Ava Wallenstein, Sayreville War Memorial High School
    • Alexander Zayas, Perth Amboy High School

    “I have long believed that Congress should play a major role in encouraging interest in the arts,” Pallone said. “This competition provides a forum to help the aspiring young artists of our area gain recognition and exposure. Young artists can gain confidence in themselves and their abilities by displaying their work and having it evaluated by knowledgeable judges.”

    Pallone also announced the winners of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge. The competition encourages students to explore STEM education and highlights the value of computer science.

    First Place: Ekya Dogra, Sahil Ghosh and Adithiya Venkatakrishnan, all from Edison Academy Magnet School, with the app RADR: Rapid Amber Detection Response, which is an initiative to enhance amber alerts & assist in child abduction cases.  The core mission is to provide a faster, more efficient way of not just tracking abducted children, but any suspected vehicles supplementing law enforcement officers with autonomous technology. 

    Second Place: Ishaan Kunwar from Edison High School with the app CataSight, which aims to detect cataracts in fundus images, which are images of the back of the eye taken with an ophthalmoscope (fundus camera), using a machine learning approach that involves a Multilayer Perceptron Layer (MLP) model. The web app, developed using Streamlit, allows users to upload a fundus image and receive a diagnosis of “Cataract” or “Normal,” along with the probability of the prediction, which is out of 1 and rounded to the nearest 2 decimal places.

    Third Place: Neerav Gupta from John P. Stevens High School, with the app Symptix, an innovative app designed to assist users in navigating healthcare information and making informed decisions about their health. At its core, Symptix leverages cutting-edge AI technology to provide fast and reliable medical guidance based on user input. One of the key features of the app is an AI-powered chatbot, powered by the Gemini 1.0 pro model, which allows users to input their symptoms and receive an instant diagnosis. 

    “The Congressional App Challenge is an important platform for students to showcase their skills in programming and computer science while supporting the next generation’s interest in STEM subjects. I will continue to support investments in STEM education so that our country remains at the forefront of innovation and research. I congratulate this year’s winners and encourage everyone who has an idea to submit it for the competition next year,” said Pallone.

    Finally, Pallone announced the winners of the tenth-annual Poetry Showcase. The Poetry Showcase coincides with National Poetry Month, which is celebrated during the month of April. The showcase allows students of all ages to express themselves in writing under one of three thematic categories: civic engagement, the environment, and social justice. 

    “The Poetry Showcase is a wonderful opportunity for students of all ages to express themselves in writing while exploring themes that I believe resonate with their community,” Pallone concluded. “This year, we received over 600 submissions, which is a testament to our students’ dedication to literature and language. I want to thank everyone who participated and commend them for their commitment to this literary art.” 

    Category: Civic Engagement

    • Harshikha Anumala, Oak Tree Road School (Woodbridge) (Grades K-5)
    • Ameirah Gordon, Assumption Catholic School (Perth Amboy) (Grades 6-8)
    • Libby Peckman, Highland Park High School (Grades 9-12)

    Category: Environment 

    • Samantha Rybakov, Alan B. Shepard Elementary School (Old Bridge) (Grades K-5)
    • Sujena Maheshwaran Subashini, Thomas Jefferson Middle School (Edison) (Grades 6-8)
    • Alexander Poon, Edison Academy Magnet School (Grades 9-12)

    Category: Social Justice

    • Sophia Santos, South Amboy Elementary School (Grades K-5)
    • Scarlett Garcia, Carteret Junior High School (Grades 6-8)
    • Haniya Arif, Piscataway High School (Grades 9-12)

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Representative Adriano Espaillat Leads AI Leadership Roundtable on Equity, Access, and Opportunity 

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) issued the following statement on the introduction of his bill, H.R. 3210 – the Artificial Intelligence Literacy and Inclusion Act, co-led by Reps. Yvette Clarke (NY-09), and Ted Lieu (CA-39). The bill aims to close the AI literacy gap—particularly among Latino, Black, AAPI, and underserved populations and would direct the National Science Foundation (NSF) to provide grant funding awards to K-12 schools, nonprofits, and other organizations to promote AI literacy and foster inclusive participation. 

    The full text of the legislation can be found HERE. 

    “We have to meet communities where they are—students, working moms, seniors—and build from the ground up. That means making AI education and literacy as fundamental as reading, writing, and math,” said Congressman Espaillat. “My legislation puts AI directly into the curriculum of our schools and our workforce development programs to ensure everyone—no matter their zip code—has the opportunity to understand and succeed in a tech-driven future. If we don’t act now, we risk widening the digital divide and locking entire communities out of the economy of tomorrow.”
     

    “Artificial intelligence has opened a world of possibilities, and it is critical we prepare the next generation of workers with the skills to harness this technology,” Congressman Lieu said. “We’re investing in our country’s future when we ensure students of all backgrounds can learn about artificial intelligence and how to use it. I’m pleased to join Reps. Espaillat and Clarke in introducing the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Literacy and Inclusion Act to help close the AI literacy gap among students, particularly those in Latino, Black, AANHPI, and underserved communities.”

    “As Artificial Intelligence technologies continue to grow more effective in their capabilities and more ubiquitous in our communities, ensuring America’s diverse and underserved students are not left behind by the widening AI literacy gap must be a priority. Positioning our nation to thrive in this exciting new technological era means empowering our brightest, most talented young people with the skills and education they need to thrive, no matter their background. I’m proud to support this initiative that will meaningfully bridge the digital divide and ensure every young person can seize the opportunities AI provides,” said Congresswoman Clarke.

    Earlier this week, Espaillat, as Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), in collaboration with Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chair Clarke and House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Lieu, hosted a Congressional AI Leadership Roundtable: Looking Ahead 2025.  

    The discussion featured AIandYou and focused on ensuring equitable access, AI literacy, education, and opportunity as artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the global economy. During the discussion, the Tri-Caucus leaders emphasized the urgency of preparing Latino and other historically excluded communities for the future of work. 

    Click here to view photos from the latest AI roundtable series. 

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    Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fifth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 119th Congress. He is Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/. 

    Media inquiries: Candace Person at Candace.Person@mail.house.gov 

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