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Category: Science

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Trump’s plans for tariffs on foreign films probably won’t have a happy ending

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jean Chalaby, Professor of Sociology, City St George’s, University of London

    Bill Chizek/Shutterstock

    With its tariffs policies, the administration of US president Donald Trump aims to correct the country’s persistent goods trade deficit. The president has argued that the US has been “looted, pillaged, raped and plundered” by other countries. Trump feels it is now America’s “turn to prosper” – and he has the film and TV industries in his sights with threats of 100% tariffs on foreign films.

    Economists cite multiple reasons why tariffs are bad for economies, from stunting growth to adding inflationary pressure. But there is a more fundamental problem, which is notable in the case of the film and TV industries. While trade data reflects a country’s overall performance, it says nothing about the nature and ownership of the traded goods.

    Indeed, the cross-border activities and foreign investments of US-based multinationals widen the US trade deficit. Global trade flows in film and TV are a good example.

    In terms of the origin of a movie, it is determined by factors including the nationality of those in key creative roles, financing, filming location and the culture reflected in the theme and story. The US has long been the world’s largest exporter of films and TV, dominating global media flows for much of the 20th century.

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    In the 1970s, the country exported seven times as much film and TV programming as that of its nearest competitor (the UK). Three decades later, the US was still exporting 4.5 times the amount of content it imported – US$12.6 billion (£9.4 billion) versus US$2.8 billion.

    US exports have increased, reaching US$24.7 billion in 2023, and Hollywood remains the world’s largest movie exporter. However, the US balance of trade in the sector has shifted dramatically. While US exports grew by 95.4% between 2006 and 2023, US imports increased by 898%.

    The trade in film and TV programming achieved balance in 2019, and my research shows that since then, the US has imported more films and TV shows than it exported. The deficit was narrowing in 2023 but imports remained 12.1% higher than exports (US$27.7 billion versus US$24.3 billion).

    This deficit deserves an explanation. Are Asian and European producers suddenly flooding the US with films and TV shows? Has the American public developed an insatiable appetite for Nordic noir or K-drama? The reality is that US-based media conglomerates like Disney, Netflix and Warner Bros Discovery have changed strategy. They have moved away from their previous focus on exports to direct-to-consumer international distribution.

    What does this mean? Well, instead of licensing content to foreign broadcasters and cinemas (which they still do, but to a lesser extent), they retail their content internationally, using their own global streaming services.

    The US entertainment paradox

    Maintaining these large content libraries explains the shift of the US trade balance. US-based streamers export less because they now retain more of their content for exclusive distribution on their own streaming platforms. And they import more because they acquire foreign content in greater quantities than ever before.

    For example, Stranger Things is produced by Netflix in the US. As such, it does not show up in export figures. Squid Game, on the other hand, is a Korean export and shows up in US import data.

    Moreover, Walt Disney has decided to retain the exclusive rights to its franchises, forgoing licensing sales. In 2020, the company licensed 59% of its scripted series to third parties, 18% in 2021, and only 2% in 2022.

    All the US streaming giants license and commission foreign content. Netflix in particular has spent more on international content than US programming since 2024 (US$7.9 billion versus US$7.5 billion). Hence the creation of a paradox: US trade data in audiovisual services reveals a trade deficit, yet the US-based entertainment industry has never been so dominant globally.

    There are similar patterns in industries in which US-based multinationals are located at the apex of transnational supply chains. The jeans that Levi Strauss imports from Bangladesh, the trainers that Nike imports from Vietnam, and the car components Ford imports from Brazil all show up in US trade statistics. But these goods are, essentially, American-owned assets.

    About 70% of trade involves global value chains (GVC), as raw materials and components cross borders multiple times before being assembled into a final product.

    In today’s global economy, the complexity of most products requires companies to cooperate along transnational production networks. As businesses and countries specialise in specific tasks, GVCs are the most efficient way of producing goods and services. The streaming industry simply mirrors these wider patterns.

    Mindful of the US trade deficit in films and TV programmes, Trump announced the plans for 100% tariffs on all films produced outside the US. However, his attempt to “make Hollywood great again” is misguided.

    While Hollywood has new rivals to contend with, notably South Korea, it remains the world’s largest film and TV exporter. Following a short period of decline in the late 2010s, US exports have continued to grow to reach a record US$24.3 billion.

    For Trump, the vexing issue is that the US imports more films and TV programmes than its exports. But that is due to US-based platforms’ foreign content hoarding. Adolescence and Squid Game have indeed contributed to extending the gap between US imports and exports, but they are US-owned assets that have earned Netflix hundreds of millions of dollars in subscription fees. (Squid Game’s impact value for Netflix was estimated at US$891 million in 2021.)

    Squid Game is an import, but it’s a giant money-spinner for US streamer Netflix.

    And American content on US-based streaming giants does not show up in trade data. The whole world is watching Black Mirror and Ransom Canyon, but these series have never been exported. Rather, they are on a global platform (Netflix). US-based media conglomerates have never been so dominant in the global media market.

    In short, trade data does not tell the whole story. If implemented, these tariffs will certainly have far-reaching consequences for the film and TV industry. But they are unlikely to make anyone more prosperous.

    Jean Chalaby 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. Why Trump’s plans for tariffs on foreign films probably won’t have a happy ending – https://theconversation.com/why-trumps-plans-for-tariffs-on-foreign-films-probably-wont-have-a-happy-ending-256004

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Europe is moving to reposition itself in Donald Trump’s new global order

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham

    FabrikaSimf/Shutterstock

    The term that perhaps best describes the international impact of the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s second term is “disruption”. His tariff policy, his abolition of USAID, his questioning of the transatlantic alliance, and his attempted rapprochement with Russia have neither destroyed the liberal international order nor established anything new in its place.

    But the prospects of liberal internationalism under Trump are vanishingly small. And Trumpism, in the guise of an America-first foreign policy, is likely to outlast Trump’s second term.

    That the US is no longer the standard bearer of the liberal international order has been clear for some time. Trump and his Russian and Chinese counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, appear to see themselves as dominant players in a new multi-polar world order. But it is not clear that a grand bargain between them is possible – or that it would endure.

    Europe is particularly vulnerable to these changes in the international order. Having been able to rely for the past eight decades on an iron-clad American security guarantee, European countries chronically under-invested in their defence capabilities, especially since the end of the cold war.

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    Defence spending as a proportion of GDP may have increased over the past decade but remains lacklustre. And investment into an independent European defence industrial base faces many hurdles.

    These deficiencies predated Trump’s return to the White House. Addressing them will only be possible in a time frame beyond his second term. With no dependable partners left among the world’s great powers, Europe’s predicament – unenviable as it may be for the moment – nonetheless offers an opportunity for the continent to begin to stand on its own feet.

    Early signs of a more independent Europe are promising. In March, the European commission released a white paper on defence which anticipates defence investment of €800 billion (£680 billion) over the next four years.

    The bulk of this will rely on the activation of the so-called “national escape clause”. This allows EU member states to escape penalties if they exceed the normal deficit ceiling of 3% GDP.

    Once activated for the purpose of defence spending, they can now take on additional debt of up to 1.5% of their GDP. By the end of April, 12 EU member states had already requested that the national escape clause be activated, with several more expected to follow.

    Defence is clearly the most urgent problem for Europe. But it isn’t the only aspect to consider when it comes to achieving greater strategic autonomy, something that the European Union has grappled with for more than a decade. In other areas, such as trade and energy, the starting point is a very different one.

    Regarding energy independence, the EU has achieved a remarkable and quick pivot away from Russia. It has just released a final plan to stop all remaining gas imports from Russia by the end of 2027.

    On trade, Donald Trump’s America-first tariff policy has done significant damage to the global system. This has, in turn, created opportunities for the EU, as one of the world’s largest trading blocs, including greater cooperation with China, already one of its largest trading partners.

    Complex relationships

    China and the EU clearly share an interest in preserving a global trade regime from which both have benefited. But their economic interests cannot be separated easily from their geopolitical interests. So far, China has sent very mixed signals to Europe.

    Beijing has, for example, proposed to lift sanctions against some members of the European parliament who have been critical of China in a show of goodwill. But China’s support for Russia continues as well, most recently with Xi’s commitment to visit Moscow for the victory day parade on May 9.

    Standing with Moscow may benefit Beijing in its rivalry with the US by solidifying the no-limits partnership that Xi and Putin announced on the eve of Russia’s full-sale invasion in February 2022. But it does little to win the EU over as a partner in defence of the open international order that Trump is trying his best to shutter.

    On the contrary, in reaffirming China’s commitment to its partnership with Russia, Xi may well have lost whatever chances there were for a European realignment with China.

    The complexities of the EU-China and EU-US relationships – a curious mix of rapidly shifting interests – reflects the EU’s position as the natural centre of gravity of what is left of the west. This is evident in the rapid evolution of the “coalition of the willing” in support of Ukraine, which brings together 30 countries from across the EU and Nato under French and British leadership.

    Beyond Europe, Trump’s tariff policy has given plans for a strategic partnership between the EU and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) a new lease of life. The CPTPP is a group of 11 Indo-Pacific countries and the UK, which joined last December. It is one of the world’s largest free trade areas, accounting for approximately 15% of global GDP.

    Even without US and Chinese membership, a partnership between the EU and the CPTPP would wield significant power in the global economic system and could play a future role in shielding its members from an intensifying US-China trade war.

    Limited alternatives

    None of the steps taken by the EU and its partners on the continent and elsewhere require the breakdown in the transatlantic relationship that the Trump administration appears keen to engineer. But speeches by both the US vice president, J.D. Vance, and the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, were clear that America’s relationship with Europe is changing.

    Washington, under its current leadership, increasingly leans towards the political forces in Europe that are opposed to the values on which the continent has been orientated since 1945. This leaves Europe few options but to seek more independence from the US.

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    A more independent Europe is unlikely to become a global superpower on par with the US or China. But it will be better able to hold its own in a geopolitical environment that is less based on rules and more on power.

    The EU currently enjoys historically high approval ratings among its citizens – who also support more unity and a more active role for the EU in protecting them from global security risks.

    It’s increasingly clear that EU leaders and their partners have a unique opportunity – and an obligation – to carve out a more secure and independent space in a hostile global environment.

    Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

    – ref. Europe is moving to reposition itself in Donald Trump’s new global order – https://theconversation.com/europe-is-moving-to-reposition-itself-in-donald-trumps-new-global-order-255344

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Bone broth is hyped by celebrities and hailed as a wellness superfood – here’s what the science says

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dipa Kamdar, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University

    AB-7272/Shutterstock

    When someone tells you to “clean your plate”, bones usually aren’t included. But for some people, bones – or rather, what’s inside them – are the best part of a meal. Bone broth, once a humble kitchen staple, has surged in popularity in recent years, championed as a superfood by celebrities and wellness influencers.

    Stars such as Salma Hayek and Gwyneth Paltrow are reported to swear by it for beauty and health, while late basketball legend Kobe Bryant used it as a pre-game meal. But bone broth is far from a new discovery – it’s rooted in prehistoric cooking, traditional Chinese medicine and folk remedies around the world.

    So, what exactly is bone broth – and does it live up to the hype?

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    This nutrient-dense liquid, also known as stock, is made by simmering animal bones and connective tissues, such as cartilage and tendons, for 12 to 48 hours. This slow cooking process extracts nutrients such as collagen, amino acids and minerals into the liquid. The result is a rich, savoury broth that can be sipped on its own or used as a base for soups, sauces and stews.

    While store-bought bone broth is convenient, homemade versions offer better control over ingredients and often greater nutritional value. Typical ingredients include bones (from chicken, beef or fish), water, vinegar (to help extract minerals) and various herbs and vegetables for flavour.

    Skin benefits

    Bone broth is praised for its collagen content – the protein that forms connective tissue in skin, cartilage, tendons and bones. It’s thought to promote joint flexibility and reduce signs of skin ageing.

    Some studies show that hydrolysed collagen (a broken-down form that’s easier to absorb) may improve skin elasticity and hydration, and reduce wrinkles. Other research suggests it may ease joint pain and stiffness, especially in people with osteoarthritis.

    However, most of these studies focus on collagen supplements and, while it’s often marketed as a collagen-rich superfood, research shows that bone broths don’t contain enough collagen to match the effects seen in clinical studies on supplements. Instead, a balanced diet rich in protein, vitamin C and healthy fats is more reliably linked to collagen production.

    Big claims, little evidence

    Bone broth is a source of amino acids such as glutamine, glycine and arginine that are thought to support gut lining integrity and immune function. Glutamine, in particular, may help repair the intestinal wall and prevent “leaky gut” – a condition where toxins and bacteria pass through a weakened gut barrier, potentially causing inflammation.

    Some scientists even suggest links between gut health and conditions such as autism, ADHD, depression and schizophrenia – though this remains a controversial and under-researched area.

    Bone broth is low in calories but high in protein, making it filling and potentially helpful for weight management. It’s also hydrating, providing electrolytes including sodium, potassium and magnesium that are particularly useful during illness or recovery.

    Some evidence supports the idea that nutrients in bone broth, especially amino acids, can reduce inflammation and support immune function. But overall, there is limited human research on the direct benefits of drinking bone broth. There are, however, potential risks to consider before you add it to your diet.

    Heavy metal

    Because animal bones can accumulate heavy metals such as lead, simmering them for long periods may cause these metals to leach into the broth. While studies on this are mixed, the risk may depend on the source and quality of the bones used.

    Consuming bone broth with high levels of heavy metals can pose health risks, including minor ailments like headaches, vomiting and tiredness. But more dangerously, heavy metals can also cause organ damage in the long term.

    Research on toxic metals in bone broth shows mixed results. Since recipes differ, it’s hard to know the exact nutrition content of each broth. Many shop-bought bone broths contain high levels of sodium, which can raise blood pressure and strain the heart and kidneys. Check labels or make your own to control the salt content.

    Bone broth contains glutamate, a naturally occurring amino acid that may cause anxiety, restlessness or headaches in some people, though evidence for this is largely anecdotal.

    Improper storage or preparation of bone broth can lead to bacterial contamination, which can cause gut infections and symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea. Always refrigerate or freeze broth promptly, then reheat it thoroughly before consumption.

    Bone broth can be a nourishing, tasty addition to your diet, especially when made at home with high-quality ingredients. It’s hydrating, packed with protein and rich in flavour. But it’s not a miracle cure, and the health benefits may be more modest than advertised.

    If you’re looking to boost collagen, your best bet is a healthy, balanced diet. Focus on eating plenty of protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables – all of which provide the nutrients your body needs to naturally produce collagen.

    In addition to what’s on your plate, healthy lifestyle habits also play a key role. Prioritise quality sleep (seven to nine hours a night), manage stress, avoid smoking and protect your skin with sunscreen.

    While bone broth may offer some benefits, the scientific evidence supporting its role in collagen production is still limited. Consider it a nourishing supplement to a healthy lifestyle, not a cure-all.

    Dipa Kamdar 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. Bone broth is hyped by celebrities and hailed as a wellness superfood – here’s what the science says – https://theconversation.com/bone-broth-is-hyped-by-celebrities-and-hailed-as-a-wellness-superfood-heres-what-the-science-says-254520

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Can a 10- or 15-minute workout really help you get fit? A sports scientist explains

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Andrew Scott, Senior Lecturer in Cinical Exercise Physiology, University of Portsmouth

    Even 15 minutes of cycling a day can improve cardiovascular health. Bohdan Malitskiy/ Shutterstock

    In today’s fast-paced world, finding time for exercise can be challenging. This probably explains why short workouts continue to be so popular. But can workouts of only 10 or 15 minutes really help you get fit? The answer, according to research, is a resounding yes. Short workouts can be very effective – offering numerous health benefits with just a small time commitment.

    Research has consistently demonstrated that short bursts of exercise can yield substantial health benefits. A study published in the European Heart Journal found that engaging in vigorous activity for just 15 minutes per week, broken into several short bouts – as little as two minutes of exercise per day – can significantly lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, and early death.

    Participants who accumulated these brief sessions throughout the week experienced an 18% lower risk of dying during the study period, a 40% lower risk of developing heart disease and a 16% drop in cancer risk. Vigorous-intensity activities (meaning they make you breathe harder and increase your heart rate) can include brisk walking, jogging, cycling, rowing, swimming and dancing.

    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. Join The Conversation for free today.

    Research has also consistently found that spreading one-minute bursts of vigorous-intensity activities throughout the course of the day is as effective as one continuous, 30-minute workout of moderate intensity or one 20-minute intense workout.

    This means that performing multiple “exercise snacks” can provide similar benefits to a longer workout – including improvements in blood pressure, cardiorespiratory health, blood fat, insulin and blood sugar levels. These findings suggest that short workouts can be a practical and efficient way to maintain overall health.

    Some examples of easy exercise snacks you can incorporate into your day include using the stairs instead of the lift, walking one or two bus stops away from where you usually get on and taking short, brisk walking breaks every hour or two while at the work.

    Making it count

    While short workouts have many advantages, there are some caveats to consider.

    It’s essential that these brief sessions are of at least moderate-to-vigorous intensity to maximise their benefits. This means that even after a short burst of activity, your heart will be beating more quickly, you’ll be breathing heavier and you’ll feel hot and sweaty.

    For exercise novices, lower intensity workouts can still be beneficial in the short term. But as you become more fit, simply performing light activities without challenging yourself further may not provide the same health improvements as more intense or longer exercise sessions.

    Moreover, while short workouts can be effective, they should be complemented by other forms of physical activity to meet the recommended activity guidelines. Adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week. They should also perform muscle-strengthening activities at least two days per week. Short workouts can contribute to these totals, but it’s crucial to ensure a balanced exercise routine.

    You should aim to do a mix of both cardio and strength training workouts each week.
    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/ Shutterstock

    Another consideration is the potential plateau effect that can happen with any physical activity programme. Research indicates that improvements in aerobic capacity may level off after a few weeks of exercise. Our body becomes used to our exercise routines. As such, we need to change things up in order to promote further progress. This means varying your exercise routine and incorporating longer or more intense sessions periodically.

    Where long workouts win

    While short workouts offer many benefits, there are certain types of fitness that require longer sessions.

    Endurance training, for example, often necessitates extended periods of exercise to improve high-intensity aerobic performance and cardiovascular health benefits. This is why activities such as long-distance running, cycling and swimming are typically performed over a longer duration. However, short, high-intensity exercise training can still be used alongside your usual, longer workouts to boost endurance benefits in a time-efficient way.

    Strength training also benefits from longer workouts. While short, intense sessions can improve muscle strength and power, longer workouts allow for more comprehensive training targeting different muscle groups and incorporating various exercises. This can lead to greater overall muscle development and strength gains.

    Additionally, flexibility and balance exercises, such as yoga and Pilates, can be added throughout the week to boost the results of your workouts. These activities focus on controlled movements and stretching, and can further improve these fitness components even in short sessions.

    Even still, short workouts can be a valuable addition to your fitness regimen – offering significant health benefits and flexibility for busy schedules. But it’s important to ensure these short workouts are at least moderately intense, and combined with other types of exercise throughout your week to achieve optimal results.

    Andrew Scott 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. Can a 10- or 15-minute workout really help you get fit? A sports scientist explains – https://theconversation.com/can-a-10-or-15-minute-workout-really-help-you-get-fit-a-sports-scientist-explains-254415

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why south-east Asia must lead the fight against neglected tropical diseases

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tuck Seng Wong, Professor of Biomanufacturing, School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield

    Village health Volunteers in Thailand survey mosquito breeding sites as part of dengue prevention campaign Deere Kumphaitoon/Shutterstock

    Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a persistent public health threat, and tackling them is not just a moral obligation, but a smart investment.

    NTDs are a group of infectious diseases that mainly affect poor people in tropical and subtropical regions. These diseases are called “neglected” because they have received less attention and fewer resources than other major health issues, despite affecting over a billion people worldwide.

    NTDs disproportionately affect the poorest communities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where they lock people in cycles of poverty by hindering physical and cognitive development, reducing school attendance and limiting economic productivity.

    Wealthier nations experience far lower rates of these diseases. Yet it’s in LMICs that cost-effective interventions like improved water, sanitation, hygiene and vector control – methods used to limit or eliminate insects that spread diseases to humans – can deliver the greatest return. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every dollar invested in controlling and eliminating NTDs can yield up to US$25 (£19) in economic and health benefits, through lower healthcare costs, increased productivity and improved education outcomes.

    While vaccines are one of the most powerful tools for disease prevention, there are still no vaccines for most NTD. Progress has been slow, largely due to fragmented funding and limited investment in research. This gap continues to leave millions vulnerable.

    To address this, we helped establish the UK–South East Asia Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub (UK-SEA Vax Hub) in 2023 to reduce the burden of infectious diseases in LMICs, with a special focus on south-east Asia. Its mission is to strengthen regional capacity in vaccine research, development and manufacturing. Dengue and rabies – both persistent NTDs – are among its priorities.

    The urgency of this work is underscored by the growing threat of dengue. Between 2015 and 2019, dengue cases rose by 46% in south-east Asia. Countries like Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand are among the most affected globally. This region accounts for more than half of the world’s dengue cases.

    Dengue is hard to diagnose. Its symptoms – fever, rash and joint pain – overlap with other illnesses like chikungunya, Zika, malaria and typhoid. Misdiagnoses are common and no specific antiviral treatment exists.

    While vaccines are available, their use is limited by strict eligibility criteria based on age, infection history and local disease patterns. This leaves many people without protection.

    What’s urgently needed are more effective, affordable and widely accessible vaccines. But vaccines alone won’t solve the problem. Combatting dengue and other NTDs requires an integrated strategy, particularly in poor countries with limited health infrastructure.

    To stop the spread of diseases like dengue, it’s not enough to just treat people or use vaccines. You also need to control the insects that carry and spread the disease – in this case, mosquitoes.

    That includes actions like removing standing water where mosquitoes breed, using insecticides, or installing window screens and bed nets. These steps are essential to reducing infection rates and protecting communities. These interventions, driven by local action, are just as essential as biomedical advances. Together, they build a more sustainable and resilient defence against mosquito-borne diseases.

    For decades, public health initiatives in low-income countries were largely funded by wealthy countries – through development aid, international donors and philanthropic foundations. But with shifting global priorities and tightening budgets, it’s increasingly clear that this model is no longer sustainable.

    Long-term health security must be led from within. That means a shift in mindset. Low-income countries must see themselves not just as aid recipients, but as innovators, implementers and investors in their own health futures.

    This transition is already underway. The UK-SEA Vax Hub has evolved beyond its original research remit. By embedding its work within the broader regional health agenda, the hub is promoting government ownership and regional collaboration: critical steps in building stronger, more self-reliant health systems.

    While progress is promising, major challenges remain. One of the most pressing is the need to develop a new generation of public health leaders across south-east Asia – people who can lead research and development, champion vaccine production and help shape policy based on local needs. These leaders will be essential for ensuring that south-east Asia becomes not just a regional health player, but a global one.

    Another key challenge is regulatory. In a diverse region like south-east Asia, varying national policies can slow innovation and emergency responses. Streamlining and harmonising these systems is essential for responding quickly and effectively during future outbreaks or pandemics.

    South-east Asia has the potential to become a global hub for vaccine manufacturing. The region benefits from growing scientific and industrial capacity, relative political stability and a shared interest in tackling shared health threats. It also has a strong case to lead the fight against NTDs, which continue to disproportionately affect its populations.

    South-east Asia stands at a critical juncture. With strategic investment, regional leadership and cross-border collaboration, the region can protect its people, drive innovation and shape the future of global health.

    The fight against NTDs is more than a public health challenge – it’s a chance for south-east Asia to lead by example and redefine its role on the world stage.

    Tuck Seng Wong receives funding from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for the UK-SEA Vax Hub.

    Kang Lan Tee receives funding from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for the UK-SEA Vax Hub.

    – ref. Why south-east Asia must lead the fight against neglected tropical diseases – https://theconversation.com/why-south-east-asia-must-lead-the-fight-against-neglected-tropical-diseases-255640

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Addiction isn’t just about brain chemistry – but nor is it just bad choices

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Matt Field, Professor of Psychology, University of Sheffield

    monticello/Shutterstock

    Consider someone addicted to alcohol, drugs, or a behaviour like gambling. Why do they continue, even when they say they want to stop? It’s a question that highlights a fundamental disconnect: the gap between intention and action.

    This apparent contradiction aligns with clinical definitions of addiction and with brain disease models, which suggest that repeated substance use changes brain function, making drug use compulsive and automatic, bypassing conscious decision-making. These brain adaptations help explain why addiction is so hard to overcome.

    But there’s another important piece to the puzzle. People often use substances for reasons that make sense to them – to feel good, to relieve stress, or to connect socially. These motivations don’t disappear just because a substance becomes harmful.

    Yet, over the past few decades, this insight has been sidelined in addiction science. Some critics have jumped on this gap to argue, reductively, that addiction is simply about people choosing pleasure: nothing more than “people take drugs because they enjoy it.”

    Both the brain disease model and the “just say no” view contain partial truths. But both, on their own, are fundamentally flawed.

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    The brain disease model gained popularity in part because it seemed to offer two things: a foundation for developing new medical treatments and a way to reduce stigma. But it’s largely failed on both fronts. Despite billions invested in neuroscience, few new medications have emerged.

    Meanwhile, the most effective treatments remain psychosocial: talking therapies and harm-reduction strategies that have been around for decades. Worse, describing addiction as a chronic brain disease may increase stigma and pessimism, making recovery seem unlikely or out of reach.

    Additionally, research shows that addiction is not entirely beyond voluntary control. People with addiction can and do reduce or stop their drug use in response to its consequences. This can be related to meaningful life changes — such as getting married, having children, or starting a new job — which may increase the costs or reduce the perceived benefits of continued use.

    These findings challenge the view that addiction is purely compulsive, highlighting that people retain a degree of agency, even under difficult circumstances.

    At the same time, these observations don’t justify the cynical view that addiction is just hedonism or bad choices. A more accurate, and more helpful, framework considers how people make decisions and how their environment shapes the value of different choice options.

    Neuroeconomics

    This is where insights from neuroeconomics – the study of how the brain makes value-based decisions – become useful. For example, one study found that when people are hungry, they pay more attention to how food tastes and less to how healthy it is, making unhealthy choices more likely.

    Similarly, alcohol users who were craving alcohol and in a negative mood were shown to value alcohol more than food, shifting their choices accordingly. Other research has found that the set of available alternatives strongly influences how appealing (or not) a choice options becomes. As applied to addiction, when healthier or more rewarding options are limited, the relative value of drugs increases.

    This suggests that addiction is less about losing the ability to choose and more about how context shapes choice. When someone is in treatment, they may genuinely want to stop using because the environment emphasises recovery, support and future goals. But once they return to a setting where drugs are easy to access and attractive alternatives are few, the relative value of drug use increases – and relapse becomes more likely.

    This perspective also helps reconcile the role of brain changes in addiction. Neuroadaptations still matter: they can heighten cravings or make rewards harder to experience – but they don’t eliminate the ability to choose. Instead, these brain changes interact with a person’s environment to make certain choices more likely than others.

    Crucially, this view also highlights why poverty is such a powerful driver of addiction. In deprived settings, alcohol, drugs and gambling outlets are often more accessible, while opportunities for meaningful alternatives – employment, education, stable housing – are scarce. These are deep-rooted structural issues, and they’re not easily fixed. But they matter.

    On a more hopeful note, this model points to new pathways out of addiction. Rather than blaming individuals or pathologising them as brain-damaged, we can focus on reshaping environments to make non-drug alternatives more visible, available and valuable. This approach carries less stigma and more optimism: it views people not as broken, but as people who can make decisions and respond rationally to difficult situations.

    Yes, the psychology of decision-making makes addiction tough to overcome. But by understanding how people weigh their options, and by improving the appeal and accessibility of alternatives to substance use, we can support real, lasting change.

    Matt Field receives research funding from the Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health Research, Alcohol Change UK, and the Academic Forum for the Study of Gambling. He is a trustee of the Society for the Study of Addiction.

    – ref. Addiction isn’t just about brain chemistry – but nor is it just bad choices – https://theconversation.com/addiction-isnt-just-about-brain-chemistry-but-nor-is-it-just-bad-choices-255181

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Bronze-age Britain traded tin with the Mediterranean, shows new study – settling a two-century debate

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Benjamin Roberts, Associate Professor in Later European Prehistory, Durham University

    Bronze age tin ingot from Salcombe, England. Benjamin Roberts / Alan Williams

    Tin was the critical mineral of the ancient world. It was essential to alloy with copper to make bronze, which for many centuries was the preferred metal for tools and weapons. Yet sources of tin are very scarce – and were especially so for the rapidly growing bronze age towns, cities and states around the eastern Mediterranean.

    Though major tin deposits are found in western and central Europe and in central Asia, by far the richest and most accessible tin ores are in Cornwall and Devon in southwest Britain. Yet it has been difficult to prove that these British deposits were used as a source for people in the eastern Mediterranean. So for more than two centuries, archaeologists have debated about where bronze age societies obtained their tin.

    In a new study published in the journal Antiquity, our team analysed the chemistry and different forms of particular elements in tin ores and artefacts from across Britain and Europe. These included tin ingots found at prehistoric shipwreck sites at Salcombe and Erme, southwest Britain, as well as in the Mediterranean.

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    This revealed that tin ingots from three ancient shipwrecks discovered off the coast of Israel and one shipwreck found off the Mediterranean coast of France originated in southwest Britain. The shipwrecks found near Israel date to around 1300BC, while the wreck from France has been dated to around 600BC.

    Small farming communities across Cornwall and Devon would have dug, washed, crushed and smelted the abundant tin ore from the alluvial deposits in the region. The heavy sand to gravel-sized tin ore is in a layer buried under soft layers of barren silt, sand and gravel.

    The tin ore is eroded from hard rock mineral veins and deposited by streams and rivers. There was simply no need for any complex and difficult mining of hard rock here. The tin would then have been taken to coastal locations where it could be traded.

    It’s probable that the tin was then moved by traders through France to the Mediterranean coast, where it was loaded onto ships. It would make its way through flourishing trade networks between the islands of Sardinia and Cyprus before reaching markets in the east Mediterranean. The tin’s value would have increased immensely as it progressed along this 2,485 mile (4,000km) journey.

    Tin is the first commodity to have been exported across the entire European continent. It was produced and traded at a potentially vast scale, but is rarely found in archaeological sites due to corrosion. But what we do known is that by 1,300BC, virtually all of Europe and the Mediterranean had widespread and consistent access to bronze.

    We know of more than 100 bronze age copper mines from Ireland to Israel and from Spain to the southern Urals in Russia. Yet these would have been just a small proportion of the copper mines active at the time.

    Given that bronze was typically made from 90% copper and 10% tin, if the copper produced by each of these known mines had to be matched by 10% tin, then tens or even hundreds of tonnes of tin were being traded each year – perhaps across distances of thousands of miles.

    St Michael’s Mount may be the site of the ancient island Ictis.
    Alan Williams

    The volume, consistency and frequency of the estimated scale in the tin trade is far larger than has been previously imagined and requires an entirely new perspective on what bronze age miners and merchants were able to achieve. It is no coincidence that it is around 1,300BC that technologies from the east, such as sophisticated systems for weighing items, as well as bronze swords, reached small farming communities living on the Atlantic coasts.

    A millennium later, around 320BC, Pytheas the Greek, from Massalia (modern Marseilles), journeyed by land and sea to Britain, which was at the edge of the known world at the time. Pytheas wrote the earliest account describing the island and its inhabitants in a book which is now lost, but which has partially survived in snippets quoted by later classical authors.

    Pytheas described how tin in southwest Britain was extracted and traded off a tidal island he called Ictis, before being taken across the sea and down the rivers of France to the mouth of the Rhone in only 30 days. In our research, we provide the first direct evidence for the tin trade Pytheas described. We show that tin from the Rochelongue shipwreck, off the south coast of France and dating to around 600BC, came from southwest Britain.

    While we can establish the movement of tin across the seas, we know very little about the markets on land in which it was traded. We are now working with a team of archaeologists from Cornwall to excavate on the tidal island of St Michael’s Mount, which has long thought to have been the island of Ictis described by Pytheas.

    A pan-continental tin trade continued in all periods after the bronze age and, in the absence of written records, our approach, using different methods of analysis, allows us to determine whether the tin came from Britain.

    Historical records show that during the medieval period, tin from Cornwall and Devon enjoyed a virtual European monopoly, with production continuing until the last tin mine closed in 1998.

    Today, tin is once again a critical and strategic mineral, this time for use in the electronics industry. As such it forms a vital part of the tools and weapons of the 21st century. Cornwall’s tin production is also set to soon restart, reviving a 4,000 year old industry.

    Benjamin Roberts was PI on Project Ancient Tin which was funded by the Leverhulme Trust (Grant RPG-2019-333).

    Alan Williams was the post doc on Project Ancient Tin which was funded by the Leverhulme Trust (Grant RPG-2019-333).

    – ref. Bronze-age Britain traded tin with the Mediterranean, shows new study – settling a two-century debate – https://theconversation.com/bronze-age-britain-traded-tin-with-the-mediterranean-shows-new-study-settling-a-two-century-debate-256005

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A promising new approach to treating potentially deadly liver disease

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Maria Teresa Borrello, Lecturer, University of Sunderland

    Jo Panuwat D/Shutterstock

    An experimental new treatment is showing early promise in the fight against liver fibrosis – a serious and often silent condition that affects around 2 million people in the UK.

    Liver fibrosis happens when the liver becomes damaged – often due to long-term issues like alcohol use, obesity or chronic infections – and starts to develop scar tissue. Over time, that scarring can get worse and lead to serious complications such as liver failure or cancer.

    The problem is that most people don’t know they have it until the damage is advanced. And there are no approved drugs to stop or reverse the scarring process.

    In a recent study, my colleagues and I found that blocking an enzyme called HDAC6 with new drugs could help reduce liver scarring in people with liver fibrosis.

    This discovery could form the basis of future treatments and offer hope for those living with chronic liver conditions.

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    Fibrosis occurs when the liver responds to injury by producing too much of the material that normally helps repair tissue, known as the “extracellular matrix”. Over time, this repair process can become unbalanced, leading to a buildup of scar tissue.

    A key part of this process involves hepatic stellate cells. When the liver is injured, these normally inactive cells become activated and turn into scar-producing cells that drive fibrosis.

    HDAC6 helps control how cells respond to stress and inflammation and how they move and organise themselves. Our recent research suggests it also plays an important role in turning on the liver cells that cause scarring after injury. That’s why we’re exploring HDAC6 as a potential target for new treatments that could help prevent or even reverse liver fibrosis.

    In our lab, we developed two new drugs specifically designed to block HDAC6 activity.

    Liver fibrosis explained.

    Liver slices

    To see if these compounds could be useful as treatments, we tested them on precision-cut slices of human liver tissue at Newcastle University. This model keeps the liver’s natural 3D structure and mix of cells, making it a valuable way to study how diseases develop and how drugs might work.

    Our results were striking. Treating the liver slices with HDAC6 inhibitors greatly reduced signs of fibrosis, showing that these compounds can stop – and possibly even reverse – the scarring process at the cellular level.

    The inhibitors showed very little toxicity, suggesting they could be safe for further development.

    This research is a step forward in finding a treatment for liver fibrosis. Unlike previous treatments that targeted broad mechanisms or caused side-effects, our HDAC6 inhibitors provide a more targeted approach. By focusing on a key cause of fibrosis, we may be able to stop the disease before it reaches irreversible stages.

    The implications are enormous. Liver disease is responsible for around 4% of premature deaths globally, and the burden is rising in line with alcohol misuse, obesity, and the use of multiple medications (known as “polypharmacy”). A targeted therapy that interrupts fibrosis at its root could change the lives of tens of thousands of patients annually – not only in the UK but around the world.

    While these early findings are encouraging, more work is needed before HDAC6 inhibitors can be tested in humans.

    Our next steps include refining the experimental drugs, testing their effects in lab animals, and looking at how they might work alongside existing treatments.

    As researchers and healthcare professionals seek new ways to tackle chronic diseases, targeted approaches like this one could redefine how we treat conditions once considered untreatable. For patients with liver fibrosis, this new knowledge could mean a longer, healthier life for millions of people with liver fibrosis.

    Maria Teresa Borrello 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. A promising new approach to treating potentially deadly liver disease – https://theconversation.com/a-promising-new-approach-to-treating-potentially-deadly-liver-disease-253924

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why are India and Pakistan on the brink of war and how dangerous is the situation? An expert explains

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Natasha Lindstaedt, Professor in the Department of Government, University of Essex

    India has launched military strikes against a number of sites in Pakistan and Pakistan’s side of the disputed region of Kashmir, reportedly killing 26 people and injuring dozens more. India claimed the attacks were on terrorist infrastructure, but Pakistan denied this, and said these were civilians.

    India says another ten people on the Indian side of the Kashmir region have been killed by shelling from Pakistan in the same period.

    The exchange comes two weeks after a terrorist attack in Kashmir killed 26 people. The group Resistance Front (TRF), which India argues is a proxy for the Pakistani-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack.

    India claimed that Pakistan had indirectly supported the terrorist attack, but Pakistan vehemently denies this.

    The escalating conflict between two of the world’s major military powers has the potential to destablise Asia and beyond. Already, many countries around the world, including the UK, France and Russia, have made public their concerns about what happens next.

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    How do India and Pakistan’s militaries compare?

    India is ranked as one of the world’s top five military nations by Military Watch magazine and Pakistan is ranked ninth. Both countries have nuclear weapons.

    Overall, India is considered to have the military edge with a bigger and more modern military force, while Pakistan has a smaller and more agile force that has been primarily focused on defensive and covert activities.

    While neither country has used nuclear weapons in a conflict, there are always concerns that this norm may be broken. Both countries are nuclear powers with India holding 180 nuclear warheads, and Pakistan possessing about 170.

    Though India has a “no first use” policy, which it claims means the country would never use nuclear weapons first, there have been signs it is reconsidering this policy since 2019.

    Pakistan has never declared a no first use policy and argues that tactical nuclear weapons are important to countering India’s larger conventional forces.

    Details of Indian air strikes.

    The concern is that even if a small nuclear exchange were to take place between the two countries, it could kill up to 20 million people in a matter of days.

    Why are the countries fighting over Kashmir?

    Kashmir has been a source of tension and conflict even before India and Pakistan gained independence from the British empire in 1947. Originally the Muslim-majority Kashmir was free to accede to either India or Pakistan.

    While the local ruler (maharaja), Hari Singh, originally wanted Kashmir to be independent, he eventually sided with India, leading to a conflict in 1947. This resulted in a UN-mediated ceasefire in 1949 and agreement that Kashmir would be controlled partly by Pakistan and partly by India, splitl along what’s known as the Line of Surveillance (or Line of Control).

    As Kashmir is rich in minerals such as borax, sapphire, graphite, marble, gypsum and lithium, the region is strategically important. It is also culturally and historically important to both Pakistan and India.



    Read more:
    India and Pakistan tension escalates with suspension of historic water treaty

    Due to the region’s significance and disagreement over sovereignty, multiple conflicts have taken place over Kashmir, with wars erupting in 1965 and 1999. Tensions were renewed in 2016, after 19 Indian soldiers were killed in Uri, on the Indian side of Kashmir. India responded by launching “surgical strikes” across the Line of Control, targeting alleged militant bases.

    Then in 2019, a bombing in Pulwama (again part of the Indian-administered Kashmir) that killed more than 40 Indian paramilitary personnel led to Indian airstrikes in Balakot which borders Kashmir. This was the first action inside Pakistan since the Indian-Pakistani conflict in 1971 and again led to retaliatory raids from Pakistan and a brief aerial conflict.

    A map of the Kashmir region.
    CIA, CC BY

    These past conflicts never intensified further in part because India applied a massive diplomatic pressure campaign on the US, the UK and Pakistan, warning against escalation, while Pakistan showed a willingness to back down. Both sides as nuclear powers (India gained nuclear weapons in 1974 and Pakistan in 1998) had an understanding that escalating to full-scale war would be incredibly risky.

    What will happen next?

    The question is whether or not cooler heads will prevail this time. The strikes by India, part of Operation Sinhoor, were met with mass approval across many political lines in India, with both the ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) and the opposition Congress party voicing their support for the operation.

    This helps Modi gain more backing, at a time when his popularity has been falling. Modi and the BJP suffered a shocking result in the 2024 election, losing 63 seats out of 543 seats and falling short of a majority in the Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament).

    Under Modi, India has been rapidly becoming more autocratic, another source of concern as such countries are more likely to take risks when it comes to conflict. As power becomes increasingly personalised and dissent is repressed, would-be autocrats may be more likely to take on bold moves to garner more public and elite support.

    Pakistan may also have reason to respond with more force to India’s recent attack than in the past. Pakistan’s powerful military has often stoked fears of a conflict with India to justify its enormous military budget. Regardless of the outcome, it needs a success to sell to its domestic audience.

    Pakistan has been de facto led by its military for decades, which also makes it more likely to engage in conflict. In spite of intervals of civilian rule, the military has always held a lot of power, and in contrast to India (where there is a wider role for a civilian minister of defence), the Pakistani military has more influence over nuclear and security policy.

    Both military regimes and multi-party autocracies may see conflict as a way of gaining legitimacy, particularly if both regimes think their political support is unravelling.

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    This most recent escalation is also significant because it is the first time in the Kashmir conflict that India has struck at Punjab, considered the heart of Pakistan. Pakistan will face internal pressure to respond, settle the score and restore deterrence.

    Both sides have been resolute in not losing an inch of territory. The question is how quickly diplomatic pressure can work. Neither India nor Pakistan are engaged in security dialogue, and there is no bilateral crisis management mechanisms in place.

    Further complicating matters is that the US’s role as a crisis manager in south Asia has diminished. Under Donald Trump, Washington cannot be counted on. This all makes deescalating this conflict much more difficult.

    Natasha Lindstaedt 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. Why are India and Pakistan on the brink of war and how dangerous is the situation? An expert explains – https://theconversation.com/why-are-india-and-pakistan-on-the-brink-of-war-and-how-dangerous-is-the-situation-an-expert-explains-256125

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Flipido Trading Center Launches ‘Flipido Learn’ Platform to Empower Crypto Investors Through Education

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Arvada, CO, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Flipido Trading Center has launched a dedicated educational platform, Flipido Learn, to help users better understand digital assets, trading strategies, and market dynamics. This new initiative reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to responsible trading and financial literacy in the fast-growing crypto sector.

    Flipido Learn offers a structured curriculum of multimedia resources, including video tutorials, interactive quizzes, market explainers, and live webinars hosted by industry experts. Topics range from blockchain fundamentals and asset security to advanced technical analysis and decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols.

    “Education is the cornerstone of a healthy trading environment,” said Valerie, Head of Community Engagement at Flipido Trading Center. “Flipido Learn is designed to give users the tools they need to make informed decisions and navigate crypto markets with confidence.”

    To meet the needs of a global user base, the platform is multilingual and segmented into beginner, intermediate, and advanced learning tracks. Users can progress at their own pace and earn digital certificates upon completion of each module.

    In addition to self-paced courses, Flipido Learn includes weekly live sessions with analysts, portfolio managers, and fintech researchers. These sessions offer real-time insights into market trends, regulatory developments, and emerging technologies shaping the crypto landscape.

    The launch of Flipido Learn complements the platform’s existing security and trading infrastructure, which includes an AI-powered risk control engine, institutional-grade custody, and millisecond-level order matching. By integrating education with technology, Flipido aims to bridge the knowledge gap and promote long-term user engagement.

    Flipido also plans to collaborate with universities, nonprofit organizations, and regional fintech associations to extend access to blockchain education in underserved communities. The company has announced an upcoming scholarship program for students pursuing careers in digital finance and data science.

    With scams and misinformation still prevalent in the crypto space, Flipido Learn provides a reliable and neutral knowledge base for both novice and experienced investors. As digital asset adoption expands, the initiative is expected to enhance user trust and market participation.

    Flipido Trading Center continues to position itself as more than just a trading platform—it is a gateway to the broader digital economy, built on transparency, innovation, and user empowerment.

    Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Increasing wetlands in Alberta

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kean, Dingell Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Reduce PFAS Risks for Firefighters

    Source: US Representative Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07)

    Contact: Riley Pingree

    (May 7, 2025) WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, Representatives Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Sam Graves (MO-06), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Dina Titus (NV-01), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), and Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15), reintroduced the bipartisan Protecting Firefighters and Advancing State-of-the-Art Alternatives Act (PFAS Alternatives Act), to support development of next-generation PFAS-free turnout gear for firefighters and better protect firefighters from the dangers of their work. 

    Sunday, May 4 was International Firefighters’ Day.  

    Studies have shown that all three layers of firefighter turnout gear contain Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), a class of fluorinated chemicals known as “forever chemicals.” PFAS chemicals are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic, and are linked to harmful human health effects, including reproductive and developmental harms, weakened immune systems, and cancer – the leading cause of firefighter death.

    “Our firefighters put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe, and their health and safety must remain a top priority,” said Kean. “That starts with ensuring their gear is free from harmful chemicals that pose serious long-term health risks. I’m pleased to once again co-lead the PFAS Alternatives Act to eliminate toxic substances from firefighter equipment and support the long-term well-being of these brave men and women.”

    “Firefighters’ jobs are already dangerous enough without worrying about the long-term health risks of being exposed to dangerous PFAS in their turnout gear,” said Dingell. “The PFAS Alternatives Act will remove this unnecessary occupational hazard and help protect firefighters as they work every day to protect us.”

    “Firefighters risk enough without being exposed to cancer-causing chemicals in the very gear meant to protect them,” said Fitzpatrick. “The PFAS Alternatives Act takes targeted, bipartisan action to eliminate these toxic substances and accelerate safer solutions. It’s time we matched our gratitude with real protections—as Co-Chair of the PFAS Task Force, I am committed to leading efforts like this to do exactly that.” 

    “Firefighters risk their lives every day to keep us safe,” said Bonamici. “The dangers they face shouldn’t come from the gear meant to protect them. I’m grateful to join several of my colleagues to introduce this bipartisan legislation that will spur the development of turnout gear free from dangerous PFAS chemicals and improve the long-term health of the country’s firefighters.” 

    “America’s firefighters charge into danger to save the lives of others,” said Graves. “This bipartisan legislation will help develop the next generation of firefighting gear to keep them safe—while they work to protect our families, our communities, and our country.”

    “Firefighters put their health and safety on the line every day to protect our communities. They run in as others run out,” said Titus. “They shouldn’t have to worry about hazardous substances in their own turnout gear. I’m working with my colleagues to support the development of next-generation gear that is more resistant to soot and other chemicals while eliminating exposure to dangerous toxins like PFAS.”

    “First responders deserve first rate gear.  They put their lives on the line every day to save ours.  We must not make those who risk their lives wear even riskier equipment and handle even more dangerous materials,” said Ivey. “PFAS are directly linked to cancer.  And as a kidney cancer survivor, I know the hardship, uncertainty and fear any family would experience being exposed to cancer causing materials.  I want to thank my colleagues for this bipartisan effort.”

    “Firefighters risk their lives to protect the community and in many cases they are exposed to toxic chemicals,” said Thompson. “The PFAS Alternatives Act is commonsense legislation that invests in safer, more effective equipment to better protect our first responders from these toxins.”

    The PFAS Alternatives Act would:

    • Accelerate the development of PFAS-free turnout gear through research, development, and testing of PFAS-free turnout gear materials.
    • Facilitate the development of safer turnout gear materials that reduces the dangers firefighters face, including enhanced protection against primary and secondary exposure to particulates and byproducts of combustion; reduced maintenance that includes contamination resistance and greater ease of cleaning; visible warning indicators to alert firefighters to hazardous exposures or the need for decontamination; and consideration of body composition in turnout gear design.
    • Support guidance and training for firefighters on best practices for reducing harmful exposures through the proper wearing, cleaning, and caring for next-generation turnout gear.
    • Involve the firefighting industry in the development process by requiring grant applicants to utilize the leadership, experience, and knowledge of firefighters to ensure the next-generation turnout gear will be both effective and practical for the everyday demands of firefighting. 

    The PFAS Alternatives Act would authorize $25 million annually for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029 to support the development of new materials, and an additional $2 million annually to support guidance and training.

    The PFAS Alternatives Act is endorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters. 

    “The science is clear. Exposure to toxic PFAS chemicals is driving alarming rates of cancer in the fire service,” said IAFF General President Edward Kelly. “The PFAS Alternatives Act is critical legislation that will help introduce next-generation, PFAS-free gear to better protect fire fighters and ensure we have a voice in developing the very products we rely on for safety. The IAFF is grateful to Rep. Dingell for championing this legislation, and we urge Congress to swiftly pass this bill.” 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Culture wars, political polarization and deepening inequality: the roots of Trumpism

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Jérôme Viala-Gaudefroy, Spécialiste de la politique américaine, Sciences Po

    More than 100 days into his return to the White House, the conclusion is stark: Donald Trump is no longer the same president he was during his first term. His familiar nationalist and populist rhetoric is now openly paired with an authoritarian turn – one without precedent in US history. He has adopted a neo-imperial view of the economy, treating the global order as a zero-sum contest of winners and losers. In this worldview, cooperation gives way to domination: what matters is power and the accumulation of wealth.

    Having withstood two impeachment procedures, numerous lawsuits and at least one assassination attempt, Trump now governs with what can appear to be unchecked authority. To his followers, he has become a hero, a martyr – almost a messianic figure. He no longer sees democracy as a framework to be honoured, but as a tool to legitimize his hold on power. His decisive electoral victory now serves as a mandate to cast aside institutional limits.


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    Three key features define his style of governance: a radical centralization of executive power grounded in the theory of the “unitary executive”; the politicization of the Department of Justice, used as a weapon against rivals; and the manipulation of federal authority to target cultural, media and educational institutions. His playbook is chaos: unsettle opponents, dominate the media narrative and blur the boundaries of democratic norms. Impulsive and reactionary, Trump often governs in response to Fox News segments or trending posts on Truth Social. Instability has become a strategic tool.

    But Trump is not a historical anomaly. While his 2016 victory may have seemed unlikely, his re-election reflects a deeper, long-term transformation rooted in the post-Cold War era.

    From an external to an internal enemy

    The collapse of the USSR – a structuring external enemy – redirected political confrontation toward the designation of an internal enemy. The culture war has become the dominant ideological battleground, driven by two closely linked forces. On one side, a religious radicalization led by nationalist Christian movements – such as the New Apostolic Reformation – seeks to roll back social progress and promote the vision of an outright theocracy. On the other, growing racial anxiety is fueled by fears of white demographic decline and resistance to civil rights gains.

    The commentator Pat Buchanan saw it coming as early as the 1990s. Speaking at the 1992 Republican National Convention, he warned: “There is a cultural war going on for the soul of America… as critical as the Cold War itself.” Too radical for his time, Buchanan championed a white, Christian, conservative US hostile to cosmopolitan elites. Though marginalized then, his ideas laid the groundwork for what would become Trumpism.

    Newt Gingrich, who served as Speaker of the House from 1995 to 1999, played a pivotal role in reshaping both the Republican party and US politics. A Republican group he chaired famously distributed a pamphlet to Republican candidates titled “Language: A Key Mechanism of Control”, advising them to use uplifting language to describe themselves, and inflammatory terms like “corrupt”, “immoral” and “traitor” to describe their opponents. This aggressive rhetoric redefined political rivals as enemies to be defeated – helping pave the way for a right-wing politics in which winning trumps democratic norms.

    At the same time, the rise of a new conservative media ecosystem intensified polarization. The launch of Fox News in 1996, the growth of right-wing talk radio shows like Rush Limbaugh’s and the later explosion of social media gave the US right powerful tools to shape and radicalize public opinion. Today, algorithm-driven information bubbles trap citizens in alternate realities, where misinformation and outrage drown out reasoned debate. This has deepened polarization and fractured society as a whole.

    Channeling anger

    This ideological and media realignment has unfolded alongside a broader crisis: the unraveling of the post-Cold War neoliberal consensus. Promises of shared prosperity have been replaced by deindustrialization, deepening inequality and widespread resentment. Successive traumas – from 9/11 and the 2008 financial crash to the Covid-19 pandemic – and foreign wars without real victories have eroded public trust in the establishment.

    Trump channels this anger. He offers a vision of a restored and idealized America, a rollback of recent social gains, and a reassertion of national identity grounded in religion and race. His populism is not a coherent ideology but an emotional response – born of perceived injustice, humiliation and loss.

    Trump is more than a symptom of America’s democratic crisis: he is its most vivid manifestation. He embodies the legacy of the 1990s – a foundational decade of identity grievance, culture wars and media deregulation. Viewed as a political outsider, he has never been judged as a traditional politician, but rather embraced, by some, as the archetypal “self-made man” – a successful businessman and reality TV celebrity.

    His rhetoric – transgressive, provocative and often cruel – gives voice to what had been repressed. The humiliation of opponents becomes part of the performance. For his supporters, it’s exhilarating. It breaks taboos, flouts political correctness and feeds the fantasy of reclaiming a lost America.

    And he’s no longer alone. With the vocal support of economic and tech elites like Elon Musk – now a central figure in the radicalized right on X – Trumpism has entered a new phase. Together, they’ve outlined a new kind of authoritarian, cultural and digital power, where influence matters more than institutions.

    The US re-elected not just a man, but a style, an era and a worldview built on dominance, disruption and disdain for rules. Still, history is unwritten: intoxicated by hubris and undermined by incompetence, Trumpism may yet crash into the wall of reality – with consequences far beyond America’s borders.

    Jérôme Viala-Gaudefroy ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

    – ref. Culture wars, political polarization and deepening inequality: the roots of Trumpism – https://theconversation.com/culture-wars-political-polarization-and-deepening-inequality-the-roots-of-trumpism-255778

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China highly appreciates Spain’s special attention to developing bilateral relations – Chinese Foreign Ministry

    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 7 (Xinhua) — China appreciates the Spanish government’s strong focus on developing relations with China and its consistent promotion of practical cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Wednesday.

    The Chinese diplomat made this statement at a regular briefing, commenting at the request of one of the journalists on the recently published Spanish Foreign Policy Strategy for 2025-2028, which, in particular, emphasizes the need to deepen Spanish-Chinese relations of a comprehensive strategic partnership.

    Recalling Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s recent visit to China, Lin Jian said the two countries jointly issued an action plan to strengthen their comprehensive strategic partnership and proposed building a comprehensive strategic partnership with greater strategic determination and greater development vigor.

    The official representative indicated that, in addition to this, the parties signed a package of documents on cooperation in the areas of economics, trade, education, science and technology, and also achieved important results in cooperation in such areas of the new energy sector as electric vehicles and traction batteries.

    China hopes to work with Spain to further deepen open cooperation, especially in areas such as green development, artificial intelligence and digital economy, to improve the well-being of the peoples of both countries and give further impetus to China-EU relations, Lin Jian concluded. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The UK government wants to expand the sugar tax to milkshakes and plant-based drinks – here’s what you need to know

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By David M. Evans, Professor of Sociotechnical Futures, University of Bristol Business School, University of Bristol

    Luis Molinero/Shutterstock

    The UK government is considering expanding its sugar tax on fizzy drinks to include milkshakes and other sweetened beverages, as part of new proposals announced in April 2025. The soft drinks industry levy (SDIL), to give it its official name, was introduced in 2018 to reduce people’s sugar intake and help tackle obesity. For soft drinks containing 5-8g of sugar per 100ml, a levy of 18p per litre is applied. This rises to 24p per litre for soft drinks containing over 8g per 100ml.

    The Treasury confirmed it plans to move forward not only with broadening the tax but also with lowering the sugar threshold that triggers it from 5g to 4g of sugar per 100ml. The changes, dubbed by critics as the “milkshake tax”, would end the current exemption for dairy-based drinks, as well as plant-based alternatives such as oat and rice milk.

    Based on our research into dietary change, conducted as part of the H3 project on food system transformation, we see this as a welcome and timely development.

    Not everyone shares this optimism. Opponents of what they see as “nanny state” interventionist policies argue that the SDIL has failed to deliver any real improvements to public health. In a UK newspaper’s straw poll, for example, 88% of respondents claimed the sugar tax has not significantly reduced obesity rates. Shadow Chancellor Melvyn Stride described the proposed expansion as a “sucker punch” to households, particularly given the ongoing cost of living crisis.

    Scepticism around these proposals is not surprising. Many people, regardless of political affiliation, are wary of additional taxation. And indeed, there is evidence suggesting that fiscal tools such as taxes and subsidies can be blunt instruments. They are also often regressive, placing a disproportionate burden on lower-income households.

    These concerns are valid – but they don’t quite apply to the SDIL.

    Crucially, the SDIL is not a tax on consumers. It is levied on manufacturers and importers, who are incentivised to reduce the sugar content of their products to avoid the charge. Many have done exactly that. For instance, the Japanese multinational brewing and distilling company group Suntory invested £13 million in reformulating drinks like Ribena and Lucozade, removing 25,000 tonnes of sugar, making the products exempt from the levy.

    According to Treasury figures, since the introduction of the SDIL, 89% of fizzy drinks sold in the UK have been reformulated to fall below the taxable threshold. This means households aren’t priced out of buying soft drinks – they can simply choose reformulated and presumably cheaper versions.

    It’s true that the UK is still grappling with a serious obesity problem. In England alone, 29% of adults and 15% of children aged two to 15 are obese.

    But the SDIL is having an effect. There has been a clear reduction in the sales of sugar from soft drinks, and the SDIL is reported to have generated £1.9 billion in revenue since its introduction in 2018.



    Read more:
    Sugary drinks are a killer: a 20% tax would save lives and rands in South Africa

    Early signs suggest health benefits, too. One study found a drop in obesity rates among 10 to 11-year-old girls following the levy’s implementation. Another analysis suggests that the greatest health benefits will be seen in more deprived areas, and that it may actually help to narrow some health inequalities for children in England.

    Shifting responsibilty

    Of course, the SDIL is no silver bullet. Excessive sugar consumption is consistently associated with rising obesity rates in the UK and globally. However, there are many contributing factors to the obesity epidemic, ranging from genetic predisposition to “obesogenic” environments – social contexts that promote unhealthy eating and sedentary behaviour, such as areas with a lot of fast food restaurants, limited access to healthy food options and a lack of pavements, parks, or safe places to exercise.

    Questions remain about the negative health effects of reformulated drinks, some of which still contain high levels of sweeteners or additives. And in the broader context of the need for food system transformation, focusing solely on soft drinks may be too narrow an approach.



    Read more:
    Are artificial sweeteners okay for our health? Here’s what the current evidence says

    But the SDIL’s success lies not just in outcomes but in its design. It shifts responsibility from individuals to industry, encouraging systemic change rather than simply blaming people for making “bad” choices. The government’s 2016 announcement of the levy gave manufacturers a two-year head start, allowing them to reformulate and get their products to market before it took effect in 2018.

    The government’s 2016 announcement of the sugar tax gave manufacturers time to reformulate products before the tax’s introduction in 2018.

    It’s also telling that the idea of taxing milkshakes has sparked such outrage, while most people now accept the high taxation of tobacco. That’s because smoking, as a public health issue, has matured: its risks are well understood and widely acknowledged. Obesity, meanwhile, is still catching up, despite posing similar health threats, including as a leading cause of cancer.

    In the UK, there’s still a strong social stigma around discussing diet and weight. But given the scale and urgency of the obesity crisis, it could be time to overcome this reluctance. Effective change will require bold, systemic policies – not just public awareness campaigns – but multipronged and targeted interventions that reshape the economic and cultural environments in which people make food choices.

    Expanding the SDIL may not be a cure-all, but the evidence so far suggests it’s a smart step in the right direction.

    David M. Evans receives funding from the UKRI Strategic Priorities Fund (grant ref: BB/V004719/1).
    He is affiliated with Defra (the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) as a member of their Social Science Expert Group.

    Jonathan Beacham receives funding from the UKRI Strategic Priorities Fund (grant ref: BB/V004719/1).

    – ref. The UK government wants to expand the sugar tax to milkshakes and plant-based drinks – here’s what you need to know – https://theconversation.com/the-uk-government-wants-to-expand-the-sugar-tax-to-milkshakes-and-plant-based-drinks-heres-what-you-need-to-know-255646

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Somalia’s exports are threatened by climate change and conflict: what 30 years of data tell us

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Mohamed Okash, Founding Director, Institute of Climate and Environment, Simad University

    In the sun-scorched lands of Somalia, farmers and livestock keepers have grown accustomed to the extremes of climate. In 2022, for example, the country suffered the longest drought in 40 years. This affected nearly half the national population of 18 million people. The following year, heavy and widespread flooding devastated the country’s farmlands and infrastructure.

    For a country whose economy breathes through its agriculture and livestock sectors, these extremes have adverse implications. Over 70% of the population relies on farming, herding and pastoral activities for their livelihoods. Despite these climatic shocks, agriculture contributes about 60% of Somalia’s GDP. This is down slightly from 65% two decades ago.

    The agricultural sector is diverse, yet fragile. It is made up of two primary components: crop cultivation (mainly sorghum, maize, sesame and fruit) and livestock rearing (camels, goats, sheep and cattle).

    Somalia’s strongest export offerings have included livestock and animal products, such as hides and skins, along with sesame seeds, bananas and charcoal.

    Livestock has been the cornerstone of exports for decades. It experienced strong growth from the early 2000s through the mid-2010s, but faced notable declines after 2017. This was a result of droughts, disease outbreaks and market disruptions. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman are among Somalia’s biggest trading partners.

    Apart from extremes of climate, the agricultural sector continues to be affected by political instability and conflict. Some of this conflict stems from disputes over water and land. These are common, particularly during times of drought, when competition for natural resources sparks conflict between settled and nomadic pastoralists.

    We are development researchers focused on the intersection of climatic vulnerability, conflict and economic resilience in fragile states. Our recent study set out to examine how the combined effects of climate change and conflict are shaping the country’s trade in agricultural and livestock products. We did this by analysing three decades (1985–2017). We analysed the long-term relationship between environmental stress, conflict events and the country’s export performance in key agricultural sectors.

    We found that erratic rainfall, rising temperatures and conflict have significantly constrained Somalia’s agricultural and livestock export performance over the past decade. While exports have not collapsed entirely, their growth trajectory has been repeatedly disrupted.

    Livestock exports, for instance, peaked in 2015–2016 at over US$530 million, but have since declined due to recurrent droughts, internal conflict and trade restrictions, including a partial import ban by Saudi Arabia in 2016.

    Our analysis confirms that a 1% rise in average temperature reduces agricultural exports by approximately 8.37%. Further, a single-unit increase in internal conflict correlates with a 0.13–0.16% drop in both livestock and crop exports in the long run.

    Although average rainfall boosts exports when available, its unpredictability creates volatility in both the short and long term. The study found that climatic shocks and ongoing conflict are deeply hurting Somalia’s agriculture and livestock exports.

    What the data says

    Our analysis, based on export figures, climate records and conflict datasets (including some from the World Bank), reveals a clear pattern: export performance rises with rainfall and declines with both rising temperatures and internal conflict.

    Banana and sorghum production have dropped by over 50% in some regions since the 1990s. Once a key export crop, bananas have nearly disappeared from Somalia’s export portfolio. Sesame remains a strong export, but yields are becoming more unpredictable.

    Heat stress, compounded by water scarcity, has reduced soil fertility and shortened growing seasons. Maize and groundnuts have been especially affected, with yields declining by up to 40% in recent drought years.

    Many of these crops were once sold in regional markets. They are now primarily consumed locally – or not grown at all.

    Overall, our research showed that Somalia’s competitiveness in global markets has weakened considerably. Livestock exports fell sharply during drought years, particularly 2011 and 2017.

    At the same time, Somalia has started importing basic food items such as maize and flour, which it used to grow domestically. This dependency is both economically and nutritionally dangerous.

    Falling production and exports

    Our analysis shows that internal conflict significantly reduces both agricultural and livestock exports in the long run. It does so by limiting market access and closing vital export corridors.

    This leads to a reliance on circuitous indirect trade routes through adjacent countries at the expense of the export economy. For example, livestock from southern Somalia can no longer reach key export ports due to insecurity.

    Violence over resources – especially water and land – frequently flares up in the central and northern rangelands between agro-pastoralists and nomadic herders. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, between 2012 and 2023, conflict alone forced more than 1.6 million people from their homes. In some of the worst years, like 2017 and 2021, over 400,000 people were displaced from their communities.

    The conflict has displaced rural populations. It has also fractured governance systems and access to international markets, making it harder for Somalia’s farmers and herders to survive.

    Extreme droughts and floods have had a severe impact on yields.

    When the rains are good, exports rise. But those rains are now unpredictable. Erratic precipitation patterns and higher temperatures have led to decreased crop yields and hampered livestock production. This is challenging the nation’s ability to sustain exports.

    What needs to be done

    In response to the challenges posed by climate change and conflicts over agricultural and livestock exports, Somalia needs strategic policy measures.

    First, Somalia should broaden the range of products it exports. Diversification reduces the country’s vulnerability to fluctuations in the market for specific goods. It also minimises risks associated with climate-related and conflict-induced disruptions, and enhances overall economic resilience.

    Second, the country must resolve internal conflicts which disrupt farming operations and displace rural communities.

    Third, the authorities should facilitate market access. Establishing export processing zones can help meet global quality standards. This would reduce the reliance on intermediaries and ensure that producers receive a fair share of profits.

    Finally, measures need to be taken to mitigate the impact of climate change on agriculture. The government needs to invest in climate-resilient farming systems, promoting sustainable agricultural practices and supporting farmers in adapting to changing climatic conditions. This adaptation should include:

    • irrigation systems to reduce dependence on erratic rainfall

    • drought-resistant and heat-tolerant crop varieties

    • research, skills building and extension services to support local communities

    • integrated pest management and sustainable land and soil management.

    For Somalia, investing in agricultural exports is not merely an economic imperative. It is a development challenge that demands a multifaceted approach encompassing climate resilience, institutional strengthening and inclusive economic growth.

    – Somalia’s exports are threatened by climate change and conflict: what 30 years of data tell us
    – https://theconversation.com/somalias-exports-are-threatened-by-climate-change-and-conflict-what-30-years-of-data-tell-us-254146

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Does free schooling give girls a better chance in life? Burundi study shows the poorest benefited most

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Frederik Wild, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Heidelberg

    Teenage pregnancy rates remain high across many parts of the developing world: In Africa, on average, about one in ten girls between the ages of 15 and 19 has already given birth. These early pregnancies often come with serious consequences for young mothers and their children. They are linked to lower education levels, poorer health outcomes, and reduced economic opportunities.

    Scientists, development agencies and NGOs have long heralded education as a powerful tool to reduce early childbearing. Education may directly influence women’s reproductive behaviour, but it can also improve their employment and income-generating opportunities, leading them to postpone pregnancy.

    But does access to basic education for young girls result in such successes uniformly across population groups?

    Read more: Ghana’s free high school policy is getting more girls to complete secondary education – study

    We are economists who conducted a study to explore the effect of primary school education on fertility and its related outcomes in Burundi. A bold education reform took place in that country in 2005: the government abolished formal school fees for primary education. As a result, many children who had been excluded from school by cost were able to get a basic education.

    The free primary education policy displays a natural experiment for researchers interested in the effects of education. Because the reform applied only to children young enough to be in school, we could compare girls who were eligible for free schooling with those who were just too old to be eligible (but similar in other ways). This allowed us to track the policy’s direct and causal effects.

    Indeed, we see that Burundi’s free primary education policy increased educational attainment of women by 1.22 years on average. Our findings also provide new, robust evidence that education can reduce downstream effects, as we see teenage childbearing reducing by as much as 6.9 percentage points. In other words, while about 37% of teenage women who did not benefit from free primary education had given birth before the age of 20, only 30% of those eligible for free primary education had done so.

    Importantly, and new in our findings, education conferred the greatest benefit to girls from the poorest segment of society. Our study thereby underscores an important lesson for policymakers: education policies can be highly effective, but not necessarily for everyone in the same way.

    A natural experiment in Burundi

    We used nationally representative data from Burundi’s Demographic and Health Surveys to establish the effects of education. We compared women born between 1987 and 1991 to those born between 1992 and 1996 – aged 14-18 and 9-13 respectively when the free school policy took effect. We applied modern econometric techniques to identify the increase in years of schooling induced by the policy. We then examined the effect of this increase in schooling on girls’ outcomes, including teenage pregnancy, literacy, and the likelihood of working for cash income, among other outcomes.

    The results were striking. Girls who had been young enough to benefit from free schooling gained, on average, 1.22 more years of education thanks to the programme. That corresponds to a 34% increase in the years of education compared to similar women who missed out on the policy. Crucially, this increase occurred across the board – both poor and wealthier women gained more education.

    But there was a twist: only young women from poor backgrounds seemed to reap broader benefits from that extra schooling.

    Read more: Burundi at 60 is the poorest country on the planet: a look at what went wrong

    For girls from very low-income households, one additional year of schooling reduced the likelihood of becoming a teenage mother by nearly 7 percentage points.

    It also decreased their desired number of children and boosted their literacy and chances of working for a cash income outside their own home. These are all powerful indicators of women gaining autonomy and making more informed reproductive choices.

    While girls from wealthier households experienced an increase in education too, this additional schooling showed no measurable effect on fertility, literacy, or employment outcomes for them. Thus, we did not find any statistically significant impact of increased schooling for these girls.

    In other words, the free primary education programme in Burundi increased the number of years of education for girls in general but the downstream effects of that education appear to have materialised only for the very poor.

    Why does household wealth matter?

    Why would women from the relatively wealthier families not benefit equally from more education?

    One reason could be that somewhat wealthier households had already ensured higher levels of education for their daughters, even before school fees were abolished in Burundi. The education reform thus made less of a difference in their lives. Very poor families, on the other hand, were far more likely to be constrained by the costs of primary education. When that barrier was removed, their daughters could finally access schooling, and this had transformative effects also for sexual and reproductive health.

    Read more: Girls thrive with women teachers: a study in Francophone Africa

    For the most disadvantaged, education is more likely to open up new economic opportunities. We found that policy-induced education increased their likelihood of working outside of their own household for a cash income, which raises the opportunity cost of early childbearing. The classic economic theory by Nobel prize laureate Gary Becker and Jacob Mincer suggests that when women have better employment prospects, they are more likely to postpone childbirth. And they invest more in their children but tend to have fewer of them. This is precisely what we observed in our data.

    Education also seems to empower women by increasing their knowledge and capacity to access information. We found that literacy rates among poor women rose significantly with each added year of schooling. Another prominent theory in the literature on education is that educated women are more likely to understand and use contraception, make informed reproductive decisions, and challenge traditional gender norms.

    Rethinking one-size-fits-all policies

    Our study underscores an important lesson for policymakers: education policies can be highly effective, but not necessarily for everyone in the same way.

    When evaluating the success of reforms like free primary education, we must go beyond average effects. Aggregated data can mask substantial differences between population groups. If we had only looked at average outcomes, we might have concluded that free schooling had little effect on teenage childbearing. But by disaggregating our data by household wealth, we see a different and far more hopeful picture. Free schooling has powerful effects – if we know where to look.

    – Does free schooling give girls a better chance in life? Burundi study shows the poorest benefited most
    – https://theconversation.com/does-free-schooling-give-girls-a-better-chance-in-life-burundi-study-shows-the-poorest-benefited-most-253634

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Somalia’s exports are threatened by climate change and conflict: what 30 years of data tell us

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Mohamed Okash, Founding Director, Institute of Climate and Environment, Simad University

    In the sun-scorched lands of Somalia, farmers and livestock keepers have grown accustomed to the extremes of climate. In 2022, for example, the country suffered the longest drought in 40 years. This affected nearly half the national population of 18 million people. The following year, heavy and widespread flooding devastated the country’s farmlands and infrastructure.

    For a country whose economy breathes through its agriculture and livestock sectors, these extremes have adverse implications. Over 70% of the population relies on farming, herding and pastoral activities for their livelihoods. Despite these climatic shocks, agriculture contributes about 60% of Somalia’s GDP. This is down slightly from 65% two decades ago.

    The agricultural sector is diverse, yet fragile. It is made up of two primary components: crop cultivation (mainly sorghum, maize, sesame and fruit) and livestock rearing (camels, goats, sheep and cattle).

    Somalia’s strongest export offerings have included livestock and animal products, such as hides and skins, along with sesame seeds, bananas and charcoal.

    Livestock has been the cornerstone of exports for decades. It experienced strong growth from the early 2000s through the mid-2010s, but faced notable declines after 2017. This was a result of droughts, disease outbreaks and market disruptions. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman are among Somalia’s biggest trading partners.

    Apart from extremes of climate, the agricultural sector continues to be affected by political instability and conflict. Some of this conflict stems from disputes over water and land. These are common, particularly during times of drought, when competition for natural resources sparks conflict between settled and nomadic pastoralists.

    We are development researchers focused on the intersection of climatic vulnerability, conflict and economic resilience in fragile states. Our recent study set out to examine how the combined effects of climate change and conflict are shaping the country’s trade in agricultural and livestock products. We did this by analysing three decades (1985–2017). We analysed the long-term relationship between environmental stress, conflict events and the country’s export performance in key agricultural sectors.

    We found that erratic rainfall, rising temperatures and conflict have significantly constrained Somalia’s agricultural and livestock export performance over the past decade. While exports have not collapsed entirely, their growth trajectory has been repeatedly disrupted.

    Livestock exports, for instance, peaked in 2015–2016 at over US$530 million, but have since declined due to recurrent droughts, internal conflict and trade restrictions, including a partial import ban by Saudi Arabia in 2016.

    Our analysis confirms that a 1% rise in average temperature reduces agricultural exports by approximately 8.37%. Further, a single-unit increase in internal conflict correlates with a 0.13–0.16% drop in both livestock and crop exports in the long run.

    Although average rainfall boosts exports when available, its unpredictability creates volatility in both the short and long term. The study found that climatic shocks and ongoing conflict are deeply hurting Somalia’s agriculture and livestock exports.

    What the data says

    Our analysis, based on export figures, climate records and conflict datasets (including some from the World Bank), reveals a clear pattern: export performance rises with rainfall and declines with both rising temperatures and internal conflict.

    Banana and sorghum production have dropped by over 50% in some regions since the 1990s. Once a key export crop, bananas have nearly disappeared from Somalia’s export portfolio. Sesame remains a strong export, but yields are becoming more unpredictable.

    Heat stress, compounded by water scarcity, has reduced soil fertility and shortened growing seasons. Maize and groundnuts have been especially affected, with yields declining by up to 40% in recent drought years.

    Many of these crops were once sold in regional markets. They are now primarily consumed locally – or not grown at all.

    Overall, our research showed that Somalia’s competitiveness in global markets has weakened considerably. Livestock exports fell sharply during drought years, particularly 2011 and 2017.

    At the same time, Somalia has started importing basic food items such as maize and flour, which it used to grow domestically. This dependency is both economically and nutritionally dangerous.

    Falling production and exports

    Our analysis shows that internal conflict significantly reduces both agricultural and livestock exports in the long run. It does so by limiting market access and closing vital export corridors.

    This leads to a reliance on circuitous indirect trade routes through adjacent countries at the expense of the export economy. For example, livestock from southern Somalia can no longer reach key export ports due to insecurity.

    Violence over resources – especially water and land – frequently flares up in the central and northern rangelands between agro-pastoralists and nomadic herders. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, between 2012 and 2023, conflict alone forced more than 1.6 million people from their homes. In some of the worst years, like 2017 and 2021, over 400,000 people were displaced from their communities.

    The conflict has displaced rural populations. It has also fractured governance systems and access to international markets, making it harder for Somalia’s farmers and herders to survive.

    Extreme droughts and floods have had a severe impact on yields.

    When the rains are good, exports rise. But those rains are now unpredictable. Erratic precipitation patterns and higher temperatures have led to decreased crop yields and hampered livestock production. This is challenging the nation’s ability to sustain exports.

    What needs to be done

    In response to the challenges posed by climate change and conflicts over agricultural and livestock exports, Somalia needs strategic policy measures.

    First, Somalia should broaden the range of products it exports. Diversification reduces the country’s vulnerability to fluctuations in the market for specific goods. It also minimises risks associated with climate-related and conflict-induced disruptions, and enhances overall economic resilience.

    Second, the country must resolve internal conflicts which disrupt farming operations and displace rural communities.

    Third, the authorities should facilitate market access. Establishing export processing zones can help meet global quality standards. This would reduce the reliance on intermediaries and ensure that producers receive a fair share of profits.

    Finally, measures need to be taken to mitigate the impact of climate change on agriculture. The government needs to invest in climate-resilient farming systems, promoting sustainable agricultural practices and supporting farmers in adapting to changing climatic conditions. This adaptation should include:

    • irrigation systems to reduce dependence on erratic rainfall

    • drought-resistant and heat-tolerant crop varieties

    • research, skills building and extension services to support local communities

    • integrated pest management and sustainable land and soil management.

    For Somalia, investing in agricultural exports is not merely an economic imperative. It is a development challenge that demands a multifaceted approach encompassing climate resilience, institutional strengthening and inclusive economic growth.

    This research is funded by SIMAD University in Mogadishu, Somalia.

    This research is funded by SIMAD University in Mogadishu, Somalia.

    – ref. Somalia’s exports are threatened by climate change and conflict: what 30 years of data tell us – https://theconversation.com/somalias-exports-are-threatened-by-climate-change-and-conflict-what-30-years-of-data-tell-us-254146

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Does free schooling give girls a better chance in life? Burundi study shows the poorest benefited most

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Frederik Wild, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Heidelberg

    Teenage pregnancy rates remain high across many parts of the developing world: In Africa, on average, about one in ten girls between the ages of 15 and 19 has already given birth. These early pregnancies often come with serious consequences for young mothers and their children. They are linked to lower education levels, poorer health outcomes, and reduced economic opportunities.

    Scientists, development agencies and NGOs have long heralded education as a powerful tool to reduce early childbearing. Education may directly influence women’s reproductive behaviour, but it can also improve their employment and income-generating opportunities, leading them to postpone pregnancy.

    But does access to basic education for young girls result in such successes uniformly across population groups?



    Read more:
    Ghana’s free high school policy is getting more girls to complete secondary education – study

    We are economists who conducted a study to explore the effect of primary school education on fertility and its related outcomes in Burundi. A bold education reform took place in that country in 2005: the government abolished formal school fees for primary education. As a result, many children who had been excluded from school by cost were able to get a basic education.

    The free primary education policy displays a natural experiment for researchers interested in the effects of education. Because the reform applied only to children young enough to be in school, we could compare girls who were eligible for free schooling with those who were just too old to be eligible (but similar in other ways). This allowed us to track the policy’s direct and causal effects.

    Indeed, we see that Burundi’s free primary education policy increased educational attainment of women by 1.22 years on average. Our findings also provide new, robust evidence that education can reduce downstream effects, as we see teenage childbearing reducing by as much as 6.9 percentage points. In other words, while about 37% of teenage women who did not benefit from free primary education had given birth before the age of 20, only 30% of those eligible for free primary education had done so.

    Importantly, and new in our findings, education conferred the greatest benefit to girls from the poorest segment of society. Our study thereby underscores an important lesson for policymakers: education policies can be highly effective, but not necessarily for everyone in the same way.

    A natural experiment in Burundi

    We used nationally representative data from Burundi’s Demographic and Health Surveys to establish the effects of education. We compared women born between 1987 and 1991 to those born between 1992 and 1996 – aged 14-18 and 9-13 respectively when the free school policy took effect. We applied modern econometric techniques to identify the increase in years of schooling induced by the policy. We then examined the effect of this increase in schooling on girls’ outcomes, including teenage pregnancy, literacy, and the likelihood of working for cash income, among other outcomes.

    The results were striking. Girls who had been young enough to benefit from free schooling gained, on average, 1.22 more years of education thanks to the programme. That corresponds to a 34% increase in the years of education compared to similar women who missed out on the policy. Crucially, this increase occurred across the board – both poor and wealthier women gained more education.

    But there was a twist: only young women from poor backgrounds seemed to reap broader benefits from that extra schooling.



    Read more:
    Burundi at 60 is the poorest country on the planet: a look at what went wrong

    For girls from very low-income households, one additional year of schooling reduced the likelihood of becoming a teenage mother by nearly 7 percentage points.

    It also decreased their desired number of children and boosted their literacy and chances of working for a cash income outside their own home. These are all powerful indicators of women gaining autonomy and making more informed reproductive choices.

    While girls from wealthier households experienced an increase in education too, this additional schooling showed no measurable effect on fertility, literacy, or employment outcomes for them. Thus, we did not find any statistically significant impact of increased schooling for these girls.

    In other words, the free primary education programme in Burundi increased the number of years of education for girls in general but the downstream effects of that education appear to have materialised only for the very poor.

    Why does household wealth matter?

    Why would women from the relatively wealthier families not benefit equally from more education?

    One reason could be that somewhat wealthier households had already ensured higher levels of education for their daughters, even before school fees were abolished in Burundi. The education reform thus made less of a difference in their lives. Very poor families, on the other hand, were far more likely to be constrained by the costs of primary education. When that barrier was removed, their daughters could finally access schooling, and this had transformative effects also for sexual and reproductive health.



    Read more:
    Girls thrive with women teachers: a study in Francophone Africa

    For the most disadvantaged, education is more likely to open up new economic opportunities. We found that policy-induced education increased their likelihood of working outside of their own household for a cash income, which raises the opportunity cost of early childbearing. The classic economic theory by Nobel prize laureate Gary Becker and Jacob Mincer suggests that when women have better employment prospects, they are more likely to postpone childbirth. And they invest more in their children but tend to have fewer of them. This is precisely what we observed in our data.

    Education also seems to empower women by increasing their knowledge and capacity to access information. We found that literacy rates among poor women rose significantly with each added year of schooling. Another prominent theory in the literature on education is that educated women are more likely to understand and use contraception, make informed reproductive decisions, and challenge traditional gender norms.

    Rethinking one-size-fits-all policies

    Our study underscores an important lesson for policymakers: education policies can be highly effective, but not necessarily for everyone in the same way.

    When evaluating the success of reforms like free primary education, we must go beyond average effects. Aggregated data can mask substantial differences between population groups. If we had only looked at average outcomes, we might have concluded that free schooling had little effect on teenage childbearing. But by disaggregating our data by household wealth, we see a different and far more hopeful picture. Free schooling has powerful effects – if we know where to look.

    Frederik Wild received funding from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation), EXC 2052/1 – 390713894 for the research paper referenced in the article. The views expressed in this article are solely my own and do not represent those of my employer or affiliated organizations.

    David Stadelmann received funding from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation), EXC 2052/1 – 390713894.

    – ref. Does free schooling give girls a better chance in life? Burundi study shows the poorest benefited most – https://theconversation.com/does-free-schooling-give-girls-a-better-chance-in-life-burundi-study-shows-the-poorest-benefited-most-253634

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The King’s speech: The world will be watching when Charles opens Canada’s Parliament

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Justin Vovk, European Royal History Reseacher, McMaster University

    Prime Minister Mark Carney has invited King Charles to embark upon a Royal Visit to Canada and open the new session of Parliament on May 27.

    The visit comes at a significant moment in Canadian history. Carney has just had his first meeting with Donald Trump, pushing back unequivocally against the American president’s continuing calls for Canada to become the 51st state.

    In their Oval Office news conference, Trump once again declared his desire to erase “the artificially drawn line” separating the U.S. and Canada and to annex Canada, as Carney made clear that would never happen.



    Read more:
    Mark Carney tells Donald Trump ‘Canada is not for sale’ in a high-stakes Oval Office meeting

    At the same time, Trump has been looking to reshape the global economic order through the use of tariffs on imported goods. Even though Canadians are fighting back with consumer and travel boycotts, many are also worrying about the future due to Trump’s actions.

    Amid this turmoil, the King’s timely visit could be a powerful show of support for Canadians, whose identity has often wilted in the shadow of its powerful but formerly protective American neighbour. The presence of the King will undoubtedly generate global attention, which could provide reassurances to Canadians that they’re not alone.

    Delivering the Speech from the Throne

    Charles is King of Canada and the country’s official head of state. This will be his 20th trip to Canada, but his first since becoming King in September 2022.

    In day-to-day government business, his duties are carried out by the Governor General. These include opening Parliament and delivering the Speech from the Throne, which outlines the government’s agenda.

    The King’s visit will mark the first time the sovereign has personally delivered the Speech from the Throne since Queen Elizabeth did so in 1957. She also opened a session of Canada’s 30th Parliament in 1977.

    Canada has maintained close ties with the United Kingdom. It still uses the Westminster parliamentary system. But Canada has also worked to establish its own national identity.

    In 1982, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau repatriated Canada’s Constitution. This replaced the British North America Act and established Canada’s full political independence, a process that began with Confederation in 1867.

    Signals of support to Canada

    Royal Visits are one of the monarchy’s most effective tools for promoting international relations. In Charles’s recent visit to Italy, he even made a point of honouring Canada.

    This upcoming visit is expected to highlight Canada’s identity separate from the United States. It will give Charles the opportunity to remind everyone of the Crown’s place at the heart of Canadian sovereignty and our constitutional relationship with monarchy. This is an image that Charles has been eager to foster since becoming King in 2022 following the death of his mother and amid waning enthusiasm for the monarchy in some Commonwealth countries.

    The King cannot make political statements — at least, not without the say-so of the prime minister. After meeting with Justin Trudeau in March before he was replaced by Carney as prime minister, Charles signalled his support for Canadian sovereignty through a series of subtle but important gestures.



    Read more:
    How King Charles is sending Canada subtle signals of support amid Trump’s threats

    He presented a ceremonial sword to the Usher of the Black Rod — one of the Canadian Senate’s senior ceremonial officers. A week later, Charles planted a red maple at Buckingham Palace to commemorate the late Queen Elizabeth’s support for international forestry. He even wore Canadian military insignia on his admiral’s uniform during a public inspection of a British aircraft carrier.

    Commonwealth ties

    The King’s visit could also reinvigorate Canada’s ties to the Commonwealth.

    Canada has long maintained positive relations with the other Commonwealth countries through shared culture, military action and economic support. This Royal Visit could solidify the beneficial role of the Crown and of the Commonwealth for Canada as it seeks to assert its sovereignty and broaden its international economic ties in the face of American tariffs.

    Many in Canada and around the world will be watching and listening to the King’s speech when he opens Parliament on May 27.



    Read more:
    King Charles’s coronation: Can the British monarchy shed its imperial past?

    It is unlikely there will be any direct references to Trump’s 51st state threats or to the president himself. But its symbolic significance could reaffirm Canada’s place on the world stage. It may also help to quell, at least for a little while, the growing calls to reconsider the need for the British monarchy at all in modern-day Canada.

    Justin Vovk has previously received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Justin is currently on the advisory board of the Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada.

    – ref. The King’s speech: The world will be watching when Charles opens Canada’s Parliament – https://theconversation.com/the-kings-speech-the-world-will-be-watching-when-charles-opens-canadas-parliament-255852

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and Isowater Sign Strategic Partnership Agreement to Expand Heavy Water Production

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHALK RIVER, Ontario, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology organization, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a strategic partnership agreement with Isowater Corporation, a member of the KEY DH Technologies Inc. Group, a Canadian-based, international leader in the hydrogen and deuterium industries. The partnership will support the growth of Isowater’s deuterium oxide (heavy water) refinement business. Under terms of the agreement, CNL will offer support to Isowater in the form of expertise in hydrogen isotope separation and related technologies, leveraging Atomic Energy of Canada Limited’s (AECL) extensive intellectual property related to the upgrading of heavy water.

    With CNL’s support, Isowater will work to expand and improve its deuterium refining capabilities. This will enable the company to better serve various non-nuclear deuterium markets through the provision of deuterium production and recycling services, and a higher-purity end-product. This aligns with CNL’s holistic heavy water strategy, which is aimed at leveraging the extensive expertise and technologies within Canada’s national nuclear laboratories to help address the growing international market demand for heavy water in both the nuclear and non-nuclear sectors.

    “CNL is excited to enter into this partnership with Isowater, a Canadian leader in the supply of heavy water and deuterium-based compounds, and a company whose expertise and capabilities complement our own,” commented Jack Craig, CNL’s President and CEO. “This agreement comes amidst growing interest in the use of heavy water in non-nuclear industries, from electronics to health sciences. By applying our expertise and technologies, built through more than 60 years of scientific research in hydrogen isotope management, we believe that CNL can help Isowater grow and improve its heavy water refining capabilities. We look forward to working with them under the terms of our new agreement.”

    “This partnership represents the next phase of the close relationship between Isowater, CNL and AECL that has developed over the past decade,” said Andrew T.B. Stuart, Chairman of KEY. “Our collaboration has been an important enabler of the more than 10% compound annual growth rate in deuterium oxide use by the global high technology and life sciences industries.” Stuart added, “CNL, Canada’s premier science and technology laboratory, offers world-class technology and expertise that support the path to global success of organizations like ours.”

    Deuterium oxide (heavy water) is a form of water in which the normal hydrogen is replaced by a heavier form of hydrogen called deuterium. Since the company was founded in 2009, Isowater has established a global market presence as a trusted and reliable supplier of high-purity heavy water to some of the world’s most sophisticated industries, including life sciences and manufacturers of semiconductors, OLED displays and fibre optics. As part of their strategic partnership, CNL will supply Isowater with isotope exchange catalyst technologies for its deuterium refinement process. On an as-needed basis, CNL will also provide subject matter expert support for Isowater’s deuterium refineries, which is envisioned to include process optimization and troubleshooting.

    Thanks to the foundation of research from its predecessor, AECL, CNL is now considered a world leader in heavy water production and upgrading technology, with over 60 years of expertise, experience and innovation covering all aspects of the technology. These capabilities include laboratory development activities; development of proprietary wetproofed catalysts with the required longevity for economical deployment; demonstrations through design, construction, commissioning and operation of pilot and prototype plants; and development of a family of proprietary codes for simulating the processes and catalyst performance profiles along the isotope exchange catalyst beds.

    As a federal Crown corporation, AECL owns and oversees the sites under management by CNL. “AECL is pleased to see the signing of this agreement, which makes use of our extensive intellectual property in heavy water production and refinement,” said Fred Dermarkar, AECL’s President and CEO. “This is another example of the value of Canada’s investment in its national nuclear laboratories. Our model allows us to connect commercial and academic partners with Canada’s unique nuclear science assets. This agreement would not be possible without the innovative collaboration between the federal government and the private sector,” added Dermarkar.

    To learn more about CNL, including its research related to hydrogen isotope technologies, please visit www.cnl.ca.

    About CNL

    As Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology laboratory and working under the direction of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), CNL is a world leader in the development of innovative nuclear science and technology products and services. Guided by an ambitious corporate strategy known as Vision 2030, CNL fulfills three strategic priorities of national importance – restoring and protecting the environment, advancing clean energy technologies, and contributing to the health of Canadians.

    By leveraging the assets owned by AECL, CNL also serves as the nexus between government, the nuclear industry, the broader private sector and the academic community. CNL works in collaboration with these sectors to advance innovative Canadian products and services towards real-world use, including carbon-free energy, cancer treatments and other therapies, non-proliferation technologies and waste management solutions.

    To learn more about CNL, please visit www.cnl.ca.

    About Isowater

    Isowater is the deuterium oxide production, refining and sales entity of the Key (KEY) DH Technologies Inc. Group. The KEY Group also includes deutraMed, a developer and provider of value-added deuterium-based products and services to the high technology and life sciences industries; and Hydrogen Optimized, a manufacturer of large-scale water electrolyzers for the production of both hydrogen and enriched deuterium oxide. Together, these companies enable a long-term, secure supply of deuterium for global markets. KEY Group products are exported to customers in more than 25 countries.

    For more information, please visit www.keydht.com. Links to Isowater and other KEY Group companies can be accessed via this website.

    CNL Contact:
    Philip Kompass
    Director, Corporate Communications
    1-866-886-2325
    media@cnl.ca 

    Isowater Contact:
    Don Hogarth
    Director of Communications
    416-565-8920
    don-hogarth@isowater.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/77c74a3b-5ad9-456d-bd4d-3ce3a62956e3

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ezell Applauds House Natural Resources Committee for Advancing Pro-Energy, Pro-America Budget Measures

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Ezell (Mississippi 4th District)

    Ezell Applauds House Natural Resources Committee for Advancing Pro-Energy, Pro-America Budget Measures

    Congressman Mike Ezell (MS-04) released the following statement after the House Committee on Natural Resources advanced provisions in the budget reconciliation process aimed at unleashing American energy dominance—answering President Donald Trump’s call to restore commonsense, science-based energy policies.

    “South Mississippi understands the value of energy and forestry jobs—and the importance of managing our natural resources responsibly,” Ezell said. “From the Gulf’s offshore rigs to our longleaf pine forests, American energy and timber mean American jobs, lower costs, and stronger national security. That’s why I’m proud to support the Natural Resources Committee’s efforts to restore American resource dominance. These policies are rooted in science, backed by sound economics, and focused on unlocking the full potential of what our land and waters provide—safely and responsibly. This is the kind of leadership hardworking Americans have been waiting for.”

    Through this reconciliation package, the Committee is advancing policies that will:

    • Expand access to domestic energy production, including oil, gas, and minerals;
    • Reduce burdensome regulations that hold back job creators and energy producers;
    • Promote proper forest management and generate revenue through long-term leasing of federal lands for sustainable timber harvesting;
    • Generate more than $18.5 billion in federal savings and new revenue;
    • Strengthen America’s position as a global energy leader.

    Ezell remains committed to supporting policies that unlock economic growth, promote energy innovation, and reduce dependence on foreign adversaries.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 4 planets discovered around Barnard’s star, one of the closest stars to Earth

    Source: US Government research organizations

    Astronomers confirm the existence of small, hot and likely rocky planets by observing the subtle gravitational wobbles of the star they orbit

    Researchers supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation have discovered four tiny exoplanets orbiting Barnard’s star, a red dwarf at the center of the nearest single-star system to Earth. Using a specialized instrument mounted on the NSF-supported Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii, the team detected “wobbles” in the motion of Barnard’s star by observing subtle shifts in the color of its light, indicating the gravitational pull from nearby exoplanets. The planets’ surfaces are too hot to support life as we know it.

    The researchers made their discovery using the M-dwarf Advanced Radial velocity Observer Of Neighboring eXoplanets (MAROON-X) spectrometer, which is designed to detect exoplanets. Their results were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters and show promise for finding and confirming more small planets around other red dwarf stars, which are numerous in the universe.

    “The U.S. National Science Foundation is collaborating with the astronomy community on an adventure to look deeper into the universe to detect planets with environments that might resemble Earth’s,” says Martin Still, NSF program director for the International Gemini Observatory. “The planet discoveries provided by MAROON-X mounted on Gemini North provide a significant step along that journey.”

    Most of the planets previously discovered in the Milky Way galaxy are much larger than Earth, making detecting these relatively tiny planets a fundamental step towards a more complete understanding of planet populations. Each of the four planets are only 20 to 30% the mass of Earth, and their proximity to Barnard’s star causes them to orbit around it in just a matter of days. The fourth planet is the smallest exoplanet ever detected using the radial velocity technique, opening new opportunities for discovering such small planets elsewhere.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to ARIA’s announcement on research projects in the Exploring Climate Cooling programme

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Scientists comment on new research projects as part of ARIA’s Exploring Climate Cooling programme. 

    Prof Stuart Haszeldine, Professor of Carbon Capture and Storage, School of School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, said:

    “Humans are losing the battle against climate change.  Engineering cooling is necessary because in spite of measurements and meetings and international treaties during the past 70 years, the annual emissions of greenhouse gases have continued to increase.  The world is heading towards heating greater than any time in our civilisation.

    “Many natural processes are reaching a tipping point, where the earth may jump into a different pattern of behaviour.  Geological records of the past 20,000 years around the UK and globally show that rapid changes can happen within a few years and can take tens to hundreds of years to recover.

    “Natural processes can cool the climate, notably volcanic eruptions can place tiny rock particles and sulphur gases high into the stratosphere.  In the geological and recent past, these have cooled earth temperatures by 1 or 2 degrees C for 2 to 5 years.  The scientific understanding of short timescale earth behaviour is not yet good enough to make reliable predictions.  So research is needed, together with testing of remedies in the real world not just in laboratories.

    “Projects in geo-engineering will be subject to unusually strong and transparent governance.  Strong public reactions have resulted from previous investigations.  And novel and appropriate communication is especially needed, to explain to citizens in urban and remote communities how and why this work is necessary.

    “In a world before satellites and computer models for weather forecasting – the best that humans could do was appeal to the weather gods.  Or look out of the window to watch the rainstorm approach.  Or the drought continue.  Now humans need more information to work out how the climate, not just the imminent weather, can be predicted and managed.  Before making big interventions, it’s necessary to make sure the modelling works in controlled experiments.  And also to understand who could be winners or losers during global geo-engineering.  Ignoring the problem is not an answer to a situation which humans have created.”

     

    Dr Naomi Vaughan, Associate Professor of Climate Change, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, UEA, said:

    Question: Lots of scientists, including many who research SRM, say they don’t want it to ever have to be deployed.  Why is that?

    “SRM methods do not address the causes of climate change – SRM methods seek to cool the climate by reflecting more sunlight back to space to offset the warming we are causing by increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere that come from the burning of coal, oil and gas and deforestation.

    “Deployment is a major issue for SRM ideas, because the way that SRM balances out the warming we’ve caused is not a perfect offset.  Deploying SRM would create a new risk to global society – the risk of stopping the SRM whilst greenhouse gas concentrations were still high, as it would cause very rapid warming.  To stop SRM once it had been deployed safely, would require global society to reach net zero emissions and pay to remove large amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere.

    “It’s for these reasons that many scientists are cautious about SRM research because of how it could be used or misused in the future.”

     

    Dr Phil Williamson, Honorary Associate Professor, UEA, said:

    “The ARIA research programme focuses on technical capabilities for five specific cooling approaches.  Progress will undoubtedly be made, with one or more indicating that we could abandon net-zero knowing there would be a safety net to avoid climate catastrophe.  Yet the most crucial component of the initiative is the one concerning ethics and governance: is there any chance at all that there could ever be international agreement on such action?  In our divided world, the answer is no.  We would then be faced with the intolerable situation of the global climate being controlled by the most powerful nations (maybe our friends, maybe our foes) with scant regard for worldwide human rights, despite ARIA’s stated concerns regarding “impacts on the Global South”.”

     

    Prof Mike Hulme, Professor of Human Geography, University of Cambridge, said:

    “£57m is a huge amount of tax-payers money to be spent on this assortment of speculative technologies intended to manipulate the Earth’s climate.  I say this because these technologies will always remain speculative, and unproven in the real world, until they are deployed at scale.  Just because they “work” in a model, or at a micro-scale in the lab or the sky, does not mean they will cool climate safely, without unwanted side-effects, in the real world.  There is therefore no way that this research can demonstrate that the technologies are safe, successful or reversible.  The UK Government is leading the world down what academic analysts call ‘the slippery slope’ towards eventual dangerous large-scale deployment of solar geoengineering technologies.  This is public money that would be far better invested in enhancing technologies to reduce dependence on fossil fuels or to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.”

     

     

     

    https://www.aria.org.uk/opportunity-spaces/future-proofing-our-climate-and-weather/exploring-climate-cooling

     

     

    Declared interests

    Prof Stuart Haszeldine: “Stuart Haszeldine has no competing interests.  His research on climate engineering is not funded by ARIA, or UKRI or commercial companies.”

    Dr Naomi Vaughan: “No industry links.  I worked on a NERC-funded geoengineering research project, which included SRM, in 2010-2014.”

    Dr Phil Williamson: “Formerly employed by Natural Environment Research Council, including as Science Coordinator of UK Greenhouse Gas Removal Programme (2016-2020); now retired, with no external funding.  Lead author of two reports (2012, 2016) on Climate Geoengineering for UN Convention on Biological Diversity.”

    Prof Mike Hulme: “I am a signatory to the international Solar Geoengineering Non-Use Agreement: https://www.solargeoeng.org/.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: MKS Breaks Ground on New Chemical Manufacturing and TechCenter Facility in Thailand

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ANDOVER, Mass., May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MKS Instruments. Inc. (NASDAQ: MKSI) (“MKS”), a global provider of enabling technologies that transform our world, announced today the groundbreaking of its cutting-edge Atotech chemical manufacturing and TechCenter facility at the Asia Industrial Estate Suvarnabhumi, located east of Bangkok, Thailand. This strategic investment aligns with MKS’ commitment to grow alongside its customers and deliver localized expertise to accelerate technological advancements across the region. The new facility also underscores MKS’ dedication to fostering Thailand’s growing role within the printed circuit board (“PCB”) industry.

    “This facility represents a major milestone for MKS, as we expand our footprint in Southeast Asia,” said John T. C. Lee, President and CEO of MKS Instruments. “By bringing world-class manufacturing, cutting-edge technology, and specialized laboratory services to Thailand, we are reinforcing our ability to support Southeast Asia’s fast growing PCB manufacturing and semiconductor advanced packaging sectors, as well as the region’s top specialty industrial manufacturers. This investment demonstrates our long-term vision for growth and innovation in the global electronics and plating industries.”

    The facility will be located on a 11.7-acre plot, spanning approximately 27,000 square meters and just 30 minutes from Bangkok International Airport. The facility will feature:

    • A state-of-the-art manufacturing space dedicated to producing chemicals for surface treatments and plating, serving industries such as Electronics and Automotive.
    • A TechCenter featuring advanced Electronics and General Metal Finishing plating equipment, along with laser machinery for innovative applications.
    • Fully equipped laboratories for analytics, quality control, and material science, supporting customer ramp-ups, ensuring high standards and continuous innovation.
    • Comprehensive technical service capabilities, including maintenance, spare parts, and support for new IIoT and software solutions tailored to the region’s installed equipment base.
    • A modern main office building designed to efficiently support administrative and operational functions.

    Dedicated to driving innovation and operational excellence, the facility will focus on producing process chemicals, providing customer service and application work for advanced electronics and industrial markets. With a total production capacity of 18,500 tons per year, this new MKS site represents an investment of $40M+ and operations are set to begin in the second half of 2027.

    Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, regarding MKS’ construction of a chemical manufacturing and TechCenter facility in Thailand, as well as the projected features and the projected timeline for completion of the facility. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact should be considered to be forward-looking statements. Actual events or results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements set forth herein, including as a result of the factors described in MKS’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. MKS is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this press release.

    About MKS Instruments

    MKS Instruments enables technologies that transform our world. We deliver foundational technology solutions to leading edge semiconductor manufacturing, electronics and packaging, and specialty industrial applications. We apply our broad science and engineering capabilities to create instruments, subsystems, systems, process control solutions and specialty chemicals technology that improve process performance, optimize productivity and enable unique innovations for many of the world’s leading technology and industrial companies. Our solutions are critical to addressing the challenges of miniaturization and complexity in advanced device manufacturing by enabling increased power, speed, feature enhancement, and optimized connectivity. Our solutions are also critical to addressing ever-increasing performance requirements across a wide array of specialty industrial applications. Additional information can be found at www.mks.com.

    About the Atotech Brand

    Atotech is a brand within the Materials Solutions Division of MKS Instruments. Atotech’s portfolio consists of leading process and manufacturing technologies for advanced surface modification, electroless and electrolytic plating, and surface finishing. Applying a comprehensive systems-and-solutions approach, the Atotech portfolio includes chemistry, equipment, software, and services for innovative and high-technology applications. These solutions are used in a wide variety of end-markets, including datacenter, consumer electronics and communications infrastructure, as well as in numerous industrial and consumer applications such as automotive, heavy machinery, and household appliances.

    With its well-established innovative strength and industry-leading global TechCenter network, MKS delivers pioneering solutions through its Atotech brand – combined with unparalleled on-site support for customers worldwide. For more information, please visit us at www.atotech.com.

    Contacts:

    Bill Casey
    Vice President, Marketing Communications
    Telephone: +1 (630) 995-6384
    Email: press@mksinst.com

    Kelly Kerry, Partner
    Kekst CNC
    Email: kerry.kelly@kekstcnc.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: John Snow Labs Wins 2025 Oracle Excellence Award for AI Innovation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LEWES, Del., May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — John Snow Labs, the AI for healthcare company, today announced it has won a 2025 Oracle Customer Excellence Award in the AI category for North America. The Oracle Customer Excellence Awards celebrate the very best of business innovation, showcasing how organizations around the world—and their leaders—use Oracle technology to help reinvent business practices, reimagine the workday, and boost sales. The AI category honors the most innovative and creative use of generative AI to drive innovation and address real-world challenges to make a measurable impact.

    John Snow Labs has transformed business operations by embedding AI-powered automation, predictive analytics, and real-time decision support into healthcare, life sciences, and insurance. By leveraging Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) AI infrastructure, the company has reduced costs, improved efficiency, and accelerated AI adoption across multiple sectors for its customers, reinforcing its leadership in AI-driven healthcare innovation.

    John Snow Labs has optimized several of its medical language models for OCI, including Medical LLM and Healthcare NLP, enabling customers to leverage OCI’s robust infrastructure securely and compliantly and to quickly deploy and scale these models. John Snow Labs also runs its Medical Chatbot Platform on OCI, which provides tools for biomedical literature reviews, query resolution, clinical case analysis, and clinical text summarization. Applications running on OCI include FunctionalMind™, which is a specialized AI solution for functional and integrative medicine, real-world data curation in specialties like oncology and mental health, and regulatory-grade medical data de-identification. As evidenced by peer-reviewed papers, these solutions deliver state-of-the-art performance for improved decision-making, increased compliance, and higher adoption and trust of AI-driven healthcare solutions. Additionally, by using OCI’s AI-optimized cloud compute services, customers can benefit from reduced AI compute costs and energy consumption.

    “OCI’s AI-optimized infrastructure and privacy-focused approach to the cloud makes it a strong choice to power healthcare AI applications,” said David Talby, CEO, John Snow Labs. “We are honored to be recognized as a GenAI innovator and are excited to continue making customers successful in putting it to good use.”

    This award comes on the heels of several significant milestones for John Snow Labs, including the release of the first commercially available medical reasoning LLM and the release of Generative AI Lab 7.0, an update enabling domain experts, such as healthcare professionals, to evaluate and improve custom-built LLMs with precision and transparency.

    For additional information on the Oracle 2025 Customer Excellence Awards, please visit: https://www.oracle.com/corporate/customers/awards/.

    To learn more about John Snow Labs, visit https://www.johnsnowlabs.com/.

    About John Snow Labs
    John Snow Labs, the AI for healthcare company, provides state-of-the-art software, models, and data to help healthcare and life science organizations put AI to good use. Developer of Medical LLMs, Healthcare NLP, Spark NLP, the Generative AI Lab No-Code Platform, and the Medical Chatbot, John Snow Labs’ award-winning medical AI software powers the world’s leading pharmaceuticals, academic medical centers, and health technology companies. Creator and host of The NLP Summit, the company is committed to further educating and advancing the global AI community.

    Trademarks
    Oracle, Java, MySQL and NetSuite are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation. NetSuite was the first cloud company—ushering in the new era of cloud computing.

    Contact
    Gina Devine
    Head of Communications
    John Snow Labs
    gina@johnsnowlabs.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: We honor and remember: events dedicated to Victory Day were held at the State University of Management

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On May 7, the State University of Management held celebrations dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

    Veterans, staff and students of the university traditionally gathered for a ceremonial rally at the Memorial Stone to honor the memory of fallen soldiers.

    The rector of the State University of Management Vladimir Stroev gave a welcoming speech, emphasizing the importance of preserving the memory of ancestors.

    “This year is a special date, we are celebrating 80 years since the Great Victory. It is especially important to talk about this to our youth, who, unfortunately, can hardly communicate with living veterans of the Great Patriotic War, while experiencing events very similar to the past war years. Even 10 years ago, it would have been difficult to imagine that the enemy would again be at the threshold of our land and even on this sacred holiday for us would not abandon attempts to enter our territory. Right now, civilians, our fellow citizens, are dying. I would like to see another common victory in the near future, which we will also celebrate and the history of which we will pass on to our descendants,” said Vladimir Stroyev.

    The veteran of the Great Patriotic War and participant in the military operations, Mikhail Spektr, addressed the audience.

    “In two days we will celebrate the greatest holiday of our time. Not only soldiers in the trenches worked for this victory, but also women and children. Not only Germany was against us, but all of Europe, as it is now. We won then, and our grandchildren and great-grandchildren have not disgraced the Russian land and are winning today. We will win,” concluded Mikhail Naumovich.

    The ceremonial meeting ended with a flower-laying ceremony at the memorial to the fallen participants of the Great Patriotic War.

    After this, everyone who wanted could try the soldier’s porridge and attend a festive concert, which featured singer Natalia Manulik, children’s brass bands from Moscow, students from the Pre-University of the State University of Management and students from our university.

    The concert began with a video greeting from the Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of Russia Olga Petrova and a minute of silence in memory of the fallen heroes of the Great Patriotic War. In addition to the performances, the concert included an award ceremony for the winning teams of the patriotic game “Zarnitsa”, which had been held earlier at the State University of Management.

    Commemorative events dedicated to Victory Day and the Day of Military Glory of Russia are held at the State University of Management every year. Traditionally, they are held at the Memorial Stone, a memorial complex erected on the Alley of Veterans in honor of the students, staff, and teachers of the Moscow Engineering and Economics Institute (MIEI) who died in the Battle of Moscow and on the Rzhev-Vyazma line in the ranks of the 7th Division of the People’s Militia. The memorial complex was opened in 2006 in honor of the anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War and contains soil from the sites of fierce battles for Moscow in its foundation.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 05/07/2025

    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-OSI Global: The MMR vaccine doesn’t contain ‘aborted fetus debris’, as RFK Jr has claimed. Here’s the science

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin University

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the United States’ top public health official, recently claimed some religious groups avoid the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine because it contains “aborted fetus debris” and “DNA particles”.

    The US is facing its worst measles outbreaks in years with nearly 900 cases across the country and active outbreaks in several states.

    At the same time, Kennedy, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, continues to erode trust in vaccines.

    So what can we make of his latest claims?

    There’s no fetal debris in the MMR vaccine

    Kennedy said “aborted fetus debris” in MMR vaccines is the reason many religious people refuse vaccination. He referred specifically to the Mennonites in Texas, a deeply religious community, who have been among the hardest hit by the current measles outbreaks.

    Many vaccines work by using a small amount of an attenuated (weakened) form of a virus, or in the case of the MMR vaccine, attenuated forms of the viruses that cause measles, mumps and rubella. This gives the immune system a safe opportunity to learn how to recognise and respond to these viruses.

    As a result, if a person is later exposed to the actual infection, their immune system can react swiftly and effectively, preventing serious illness.

    Kennedy’s claim about fetal debris specifically refers to the rubella component of the MMR vaccine. The rubella virus is generally grown in a human cell line known as WI-38, which was originally derived from lung tissue of a single elective abortion in the 1960s. This cell line has been used for decades, and no new fetal tissue has been used since.

    Certain vaccines for other diseases, such as chickenpox, hepatitis A and rabies, have also been made by growing the viruses in fetal cells.

    These cells are used not because of their origin, but because they provide a stable, safe and reliable environment for growing the attenuated virus. They serve only as a growth medium for the virus and they are not part of the final product.

    You might think of the cells as virus-producing factories. Once the virus is grown, it’s extracted and purified as part of a rigorous process to meet strict safety and quality standards. What remains in the final vaccine is the virus itself and stabilising agents, but not human cells, nor fetal tissue.

    So claims about “fetal debris” in the vaccine are false.

    It’s also worth noting the world’s major religions permit the use of vaccines developed from cells originally derived from fetal tissue when there are no alternative products available.

    Are there fragments of DNA in the MMR vaccine?

    Kennedy claimed the Mennonites’ reluctance to vaccinate stems from “religious objections” to what he described as “a lot of aborted fetus debris and DNA particles” in the MMR vaccine.

    The latter claim, about the vaccine containing DNA particles, is technically true. Trace amounts of DNA fragments from the human cell lines used to produce the rubella component of the MMR vaccine may remain even after purification.

    However, with this claim, there’s an implication these fragments pose a health risk. This is false.

    Any DNA that may be present in this vaccine exists in extremely small amounts, is highly fragmented and degraded, and is biologically inert – that is, it cannot cause harm.

    Even if, hypothetically, intact DNA were present in the vaccine (which it’s not), it would not have the capacity to cause harm. One common (but unfounded) concern is that foreign DNA could integrate with a person’s own DNA, and alter their genome.

    Introducing DNA into human cells in a way that leads to integration is very difficult. Even when scientists are deliberately trying to do this, for example, in gene therapy, it requires precise tools, special viral delivery systems and controlled conditions.

    It’s also important to remember our bodies are exposed to foreign DNA constantly, through food, bacteria and even our own microbiome. Our immune system routinely digests and disposes of this material without incorporating it into our genome.

    This question has been extensively studied over decades. Multiple health authorities, including Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration, have addressed the misinformation regarding perceived harm from residual DNA in vaccines.

    Ultimately, the idea that fragmented DNA in a vaccine could cause genetic harm is false.

    The bottom line

    Despite what Kennedy would have you believe, there’s no fetal debris in the MMR vaccine, and the trace amounts of DNA fragments that may remain pose no health risk.

    What the evidence does show, however, is that vaccines like the MMR vaccine offer excellent protection against deadly and preventable diseases, and have saved millions of lives around the world.

    Hassan Vally 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. The MMR vaccine doesn’t contain ‘aborted fetus debris’, as RFK Jr has claimed. Here’s the science – https://theconversation.com/the-mmr-vaccine-doesnt-contain-aborted-fetus-debris-as-rfk-jr-has-claimed-heres-the-science-255718

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: North Korean spy drama in China may signal Beijing’s unease over growing Pyongyang-Moscow ties

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Linggong Kong, Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science, Auburn University

    Chinese authorities in the northeastern city of Shenyang reportedly arrested a North Korean IT specialist in late April 2025, accusing him of stealing drone technology secrets.

    The suspect, apparently linked to North Korea’s main missile development agency, was part of a wider network operating in China, according to the story, which first appeared in South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. In response, Pyongyang was said to have recalled IT personnel in China.

    The story was later circulated by several Chinese online outlets. Given the tight censorship in China, this implies a degree of tacit editorial approval from Beijing – although some sites later deleted the story. In a response to Yonhap over the alleged incident, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson noted that North Korea and China were “friendly neighbors” that maintained “normal” personnel exchanges, without denying the details.

    The incident suggests a rare semipublic spat between the two neighboring communist countries, contradicting the image of China and North Korea as “brothers in arms.”

    As a scholar of Northeast Asian security, I see the arrest – which has gotten little attention in English-language media – as representative of a wider, more nuanced picture of the two countries’ current relations. There are signs that Beijing is growing frustrated with Pyongyang – not least over North Korea’s increasing closeness with Moscow. Such a development challenges China’s traditional role as North Korea’s primary patron.

    In short, the arrest could be a symptom of worsening ties between the two countries.

    Beijing’s dilemma over North Korea

    North Korea has long been seen by Beijing as both a strategic security buffer and within its natural sphere of influence.

    From China’s perspective, allowing a hostile force to gain control of the peninsula – and especially the north – could open the door to future military threats. This fear partly explained why China intervened during the Korean War of 1950-1953.

    Beyond security, North Korea also serves as an ideological ally. Both countries are run by communist parties — the Chinese Communist Party and the Workers’ Party of Korea — although the former operates as a Leninist party-state system with a partial embrace of market capitalism, while the latter remains a rigid socialist state characterized by a strong personality cult.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Beijing on Jan. 8, 2019.
    Xinhua/Li Xueren via Getty Images

    Even today, Chinese state media continues to highlight the bonds of “comradeship” with Pyongyang.

    However, Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions have long troubled Beijing. North Korea has conducted multiple nuclear tests since 2006 and is now believed to possess nuclear weapons capable of targeting South Korea, Japan and U.S. bases in the region.

    China supports a denuclearized and stable Korean peninsula – both for regional peace and economic growth. Like the U.S., Japan and South Korea, China opposes nuclear proliferation, fearing North Korea’s periodic tests could provoke U.S. military action or trigger an arms race in the region.

    Meanwhile, Washington and its allies continue to pressure Beijing to do more to rein in a neighbor it often views as a vassal state of China.

    Given China’s economic ties with the U.S. and Washington’s East Asian allies – mainly South Korea and Japan – it has every reason to avoid further instability from Pyongyang.

    Yet to North Korea’s isolationist rulers, nuclear weapons are vital for the regime’s survival and independence. What’s more, nuclear weapons can also limit Beijing’s influence.

    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un worries that without nuclear leverage, China could try to interfere in the internal affairs of his country. After the death if Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, in 2011, Beijing was thought to favor Kim Jong Un’s elder half-brother Kim Jong Nam as successor — possibly prompting Kim Jong Un to have him assassinated in 2017.

    But despite ongoing tensions over the nuclear issue, China has continued to support the North Korean regime for strategic reasons.

    For decades, China has been Pyongyang’s top trading partner, providing crucial economic aid. In 2023, China accounted for about 98% of North Korea’s official trade and continued to supply food and fuel to keep the regime afloat.

    Pyongyang pals up with Putin

    Yet over the past few years, more of North Korea’s imports, notably oil, have come from another source: Russia.

    North Korea and Russia had been close allies during the Cold War, but ties cooled after the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990s.

    More recently, a shared hostility toward the U.S. and the West in general has brought the two nations closer.

    Moscow’s international isolation following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and its deteriorating ties with South Korea in particular have pushed it toward Pyongyang. North Korea has reportedly supplied large quantities of ammunition to Russia, becoming a critical munitions supplier in the Ukraine war.

    Though both governments deny the arms trade – banned under United Nations sanctions – North Korea is thought to have received fuel, food and access to Russian military and space technology in return. On March 8, 2025, North Korea unveiled a nuclear-powered submarine that experts believe may involve Russian technological assistance.

    By 2024, Russian forces were using around 10,000 shells per day in Ukraine, with half sourced from North Korea. Some front-line units were reportedly using North Korean ammunition for up to 60% of their firepower.

    High-level visits have also increased. In July 2023, Russia’s defense minister, Andrey Belousov, visited Pyongyang for the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, followed by Kim Jong Un’s visit to Russia in September for a summit with President Vladimir Putin.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un share a toast during a reception in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024.
    Vladmir Smirnov/AFP via Getty Images

    In June 2024, Putin visited Pyongyang, where the two countries signed a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement, including a pledge that each would come to the other’s aid if attacked.

    Soon after, North Korea began sending troops to support Russia. Intelligence from the U.S., South Korea and Ukraine indicates that Pyongyang deployed 10,000 to 12,000 soldiers in late 2023, marking its first involvement in a major conflict since the Korean War. North Korean soldiers reportedly receive at least US$2,000 per month plus a bonus. For Pyongyang, this move not only provides financial gain but also combat experience should war ever reignite on the Korean Peninsula.

    Why China is worried

    China, too, has remained on friendly terms with Russia since the war in Ukraine began. So why would it feel uneasy about the growing closeness between Pyongyang and Moscow?

    For starters, China views Pyongyang’s outreach to Moscow as a challenge to its traditional role as North Korea’s main patron. While still dependent on Chinese aid, North Korea appears to be seeking greater autonomy.

    The strengthening of Russia–North Korea ties also fuels Western fears of an “axis of upheaval” involving all three countries.

    Unlike North Korea’s confrontational stance toward the West and its neighbor to the south, Beijing has offered limited support to Moscow during the Ukraine war and is cautious not to appear part of a trilateral alliance.

    Behind this strategy is a desire on behalf of China to maintain stable relations with the U.S., Europe and key Asian neighbors like Japan and South Korea. Doing so may be the best way for Beijing to protect its economic and diplomatic interests.

    China is also concerned that with Russian support in nuclear and missile technologies, Pyongyang may act more provocatively — through renewed nuclear tests or military clashes with South Korea. And this would only destabilize the region and strain China’s ties with the West.

    A defiant and provocative Pyongyang

    The timing of the alleged spy drama may offer further clues regarding the state of relations.

    It came [just a day after] North Korea officially confirmed it had deployed troops to aid the Russian war effort. It also announced plans to erect a monument in Pyongyang honoring its soldiers who died in the Ukraine war.

    The last spy case like this was in June 2016 when Chinese authorities arrested a North Korean citizen in the border city of Dandong. It reportedly followed Pyongyang informing China that it would permanently pursue its nuclear weapons program.

    The China-North Korea relationship deteriorated further when North Korea successfully tested a hydrogen bomb in September 2016, prompting Beijing to back U.N. Security Council sanctions against Pyongyang.

    Again, this time North Korea shows little sign of bending to China’s will.
    On April 30, Kim oversaw missile launches from North Korea’s first 5,000-ton destroyer, touted as its most heavily armed warship.

    None of which will help ease Beijing’s concerns. While China still sees Pyongyang as a critical buffer against U.S. influence in Northeast Asia, an increasingly provocative North Korea, fueled by a growing relationship with Russia, is starting to look less like a strategic asset — and more like a liability.

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

    – ref. North Korean spy drama in China may signal Beijing’s unease over growing Pyongyang-Moscow ties – https://theconversation.com/north-korean-spy-drama-in-china-may-signal-beijings-unease-over-growing-pyongyang-moscow-ties-255698

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: AI isn’t replacing student writing – but it is reshaping it

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jeanne Beatrix Law, Professor of English, Kennesaw State University

    Studies have shown that many students are using AI to brainstorm, learn new information and revise their work. krisanapong detraphiphat/Moment via Getty Images

    I’m a writing professor who sees artificial intelligence as more of an opportunity for students, rather than a threat.

    That sets me apart from some of my colleagues, who fear that AI is accelerating a glut of superficial content, impeding critical thinking and hindering creative expression. They worry that students are simply using it out of sheer laziness or, worse, to cheat.

    Perhaps that’s why so many students are afraid to admit that they use ChatGPT.

    In The New Yorker magazine, historian D. Graham Burnett recounts asking his undergraduate and graduate students at Princeton whether they’d ever used ChatGPT. No one raised their hand.

    “It’s not that they’re dishonest,” he writes. “It’s that they’re paralyzed.”

    Students seem to have internalized the belief that using AI for their coursework is somehow wrong. Yet, whether my colleagues like it or not, most college students are using it.

    A February 2025 report from the Higher Education Policy Institute in the U.K. found that 92% of university students are using AI in some form. As early as August 2023 – a mere nine months after ChatGPT’s public release – more than half of first-year students at Kennesaw State University, the public research institution where I teach, reported that they believed that AI is the future of writing.

    It’s clear that students aren’t going to magically stop using AI. So I think it’s important to point out some ways in which AI can actually be a useful tool that enhances, rather than hampers, the writing process.

    Helping with the busywork

    A February 2025 OpenAI report on ChatGPT use among college-aged users found that more than one-quarter of their ChatGPT conversations were education-related.

    The report also revealed that the top five uses for students were writing-centered: starting papers and projects (49%); summarizing long texts (48%); brainstorming creative projects (45%); exploring new topics (44%); and revising writing (44%).

    These figures challenge the assumption that students use AI merely to cheat or write entire papers.

    Instead, it suggests they are leveraging AI to free up more time to engage in deeper processes and metacognitive behaviors – deliberately organizing ideas, honing arguments and refining style.

    If AI allows students to automate routine cognitive tasks – like information retrieval or ensuring that verb tenses are consistent – it doesn’t mean they’re thinking less. It means their thinking is changing.

    Of course, students can misuse AI if they use the technology passively, reflexively accepting its outputs and ideas. And overreliance on ChatGPT can erode a student’s unique voice or style.

    However, as long as students learn how to use AI intentionally, this shift can be seen as an opportunity, rather than a loss,

    Clarifying the creative vision

    It has also become clear that AI, when used responsibly, can augment human creativity.

    For example, science comedy writer Sarah Rose Siskind recently gave a talk to Harvard students about her creative process. She spoke about how she uses ChatGPT to brainstorm joke setups and explore various comedic scenarios, which allows her to focus on crafting punchlines and refining her comedic timing.

    Note how Siskin used AI in ways that didn’t supplant the human touch. Instead of replacing her creativity, AI amplified it by providing structured and consistent feedback, giving her more time to polish her jokes.

    Another example is the Rhetorical Prompting Method, which I developed alongside fellow Kennesaw State University researchers. Designed for university students and adult learners, it’s a framework for conversing with an AI chatbot, one that emphasizes the importance of agency in guiding AI outputs.

    When writers use precise language to prompt, critical thinking to reflect, and intentional revision to sculpt inputs and outputs, they direct AI to help them generate content that aligns with their vision.

    There’s still a process

    The Rhetorical Prompting Method mirrors best practices in process writing, which encourages writers to revisit, refine and revise their drafts.

    When using ChatGPT, though, it’s all about thoughtfully revisiting and revising prompts and outputs.

    For instance, say a student wants to create a compelling PSA for social media to encourage campus composting. She considers her audience. She prompts ChatGPT to draft a short, upbeat message in under 50 words that’s geared to college students.

    Reading the first output, she notices it lacks urgency. So she revises the prompt to emphasize immediate impact. She also adds some additional specifics that are important to her message, such as the location of an information session. The final PSA reads:

    “Every scrap counts! Join campus composting today at the Commons. Your leftovers aren’t trash – they’re tomorrow’s gardens. Help our university bloom brighter, one compost bin at a time.”

    The Rhetorical Prompting Method isn’t groundbreaking; it’s riffing on a process that’s been tested in the writing studies discipline for decades. But I’ve found that it works by directing writers how to intentionally prompt.

    I know this because we asked users about their experiences. In an ongoing study, my colleagues and I polled 133 people who used the Rhetorical Prompting Method for their academic and professional writing:

    • 92% reported that it helped them evaluate writing choices before and during their process.

    • 75% said that they were able to maintain their authentic voice while using AI assistance.

    • 89% responded that it helped them think critically about their writing.

    The data suggests that learners take their writing seriously. Their responses reveal that they are thinking carefully about their writing styles and strategies. While this data is preliminary, we continue to gather responses in different courses, disciplines and learning environments.

    All of this is to say that, while there are divergent points of view over when and where it’s appropriate to use AI, students are certainly using it. And being provided with a framework can help them think more deeply about their writing.

    AI, then, is not just a tool that’s useful for trivial tasks. It can be an asset for creativity. If today’s students – who are actively using AI to write, revise and explore ideas – see AI as a writing partner, I think it’s a good idea for professors to start thinking about helping them learn the best ways to work with it.

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

    – ref. AI isn’t replacing student writing – but it is reshaping it – https://theconversation.com/ai-isnt-replacing-student-writing-but-it-is-reshaping-it-254878

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –