NewzIntel.com

Category: Science

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey Rips Republicans for Gutting Public Broadcasting, Global Public Health Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Washington (July 17, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today issued the following statement after Senate Republicans passed a rescissions package that claws back more than $9 billion in congressionally appropriated funding, including over $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and $500 million from global public health programs. Senator Markey spoke on the Senate floor in support of his amendment that would have protected children’s educational programming from GOP cuts. Republicans defeated the amendment.
    “In the middle of the night, Republicans once again bent the knee to their wannabe King Donald, rubberstamping his cruel and callous cuts while robbing kids and communities of free, high quality public programming.
    “Republicans are making a Clifford-sized mistake by choosing Donald Trump and multi-billionaires over Daniel Tiger and Masterpiece Theater. By eliminating public media funding, Republicans are silencing rural broadcasters. They are stripping communities of essential emergency alert infrastructure. They are taking away trusted educational programming from millions of children. And by gutting global public health programs, they’re abandoning vulnerable populations around the world.
    “The consequences of this reckless package will be felt for years to come. But I am committed to ensuring that characters like Arthur and Molly of Denali can continue to educate our children, and that public radio and television stations can continue to connect and protect people in every community across America.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Science Illuminates the Past: How Accelerators Are Powering Cultural Heritage Preservation in Asia-Pacific and Beyond

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

    Workshop participants identified novel approaches to complement their analytical capabilities, paving the way for joint research and increased impact.

    “This workshop allowed me to learn from other experts in the region about the techniques they use for better understanding objects and supporting analytical information for their preservation,” said Muhayatun Santoso, Senior Nuclear Scientist at Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency. “This will help us better support museums in Indonesia.”

    Researchers from outside the region who shared their experience also learned from the work of some of the leading institutions in Southeast Asia. “We have encountered problems with characterizing nanoparticles in our research with ceramics, but at this event I got some ideas on how to do this better and also found institutes to collaborate with,” said Ineke Joosten, a researcher at the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, who presented her work on identifying the original colours of prehistoric textiles. “We have also decided to build joint databases of research findings that could be used by the entire community interested in such research.”

    The workshop’s outcomes will be highlighted at the 2nd IAEA International Conference on Accelerators for Research and Sustainable Development, which will be held from 22 to26 June 2026 in Vienna, Austria.

    This international forum on accelerator applications in research and industry will feature presentations on cutting-edge developments and findings in accelerator technology and share best practices  on how accelerator technologies can drive progress not only in science, but also in sustainability and cultural preservation.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Babies born with DNA from three people hailed as breakthrough – but questions remain

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Cathy Herbrand, Professor of Medical and Family Sociology, De Montfort University

    Ten years after the UK became the first country to legalise mitochondrial donation, the first results from the use of these high-profile reproductive technologies – designed to prevent passing on genetic disorders – have finally been published.

    So far, eight children have been born, all reportedly healthy, thanks to the long-term efforts of scientists and doctors in Newcastle, England. Should this be a cause for excitement, disappointment or concern? Perhaps, I would suggest, it could be a bit of all three.

    The New England Journal of Medicine has published two papers on a groundbreaking fertility treatment that could prevent devastating inherited diseases. The technique, called mitochondrial donation, was used to help 22 women who carry faulty genes that would otherwise pass serious genetic disorders – such as Leigh syndrome – to their children. These disorders affect the body’s ability to produce energy at the cellular level and can cause severe disability or death in babies.

    The technique, developed by the Newcastle team, involves creating an embryo using DNA from three people: nuclear DNA from the intended mother and father, and healthy mitochondrial DNA from a donor egg. During the parliamentary debates leading up to The Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations in 2015, there were concerns about the effectiveness of the procedure and its potential side effects.

    The announcement that this technology has led to the birth of eight apparently healthy children therefore marks a major scientific achievement for the UK, which has been widely praised by numerous scientists and patient support groups. However, these results should not detract from some important questions they also raise.

    First, why has it taken so long for any updates on the application of this technology, including its outcomes and its limitations, to be made public? Especially given the significant public financial investment made into its development.

    In a country positioning itself as a leader in the governance and practice of reproductive and genomic medicine, transparency should be a central principle. Transparency not only supports the progress of other research teams but also keeps the public and patients well informed.

    Second, what is the significance of these results? While eight babies were born using this technology, this figure contrasts starkly with the predicted number of 150 babies per year likely to be born using the technique.

    The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the UK regulator in this area, has approved 32 applications since 2017 when the Newcastle team obtained its licence, but the technique was used with only 22 of them, resulting in eight babies. Does this constitute sufficiently robust data to prove the effectiveness of the technology and was it worth the considerable efforts and investments over almost two decades of campaigning, debate and research?

    As I wrote when this law was passed, officials should have been more realistic about how many people this treatment could actually help. By overestimating the number of patients who might benefit, they risked giving false hope to families who wouldn’t be eligible for the procedure.

    The safety question

    Third, is it safe enough? In two of the eight cases, the babies showed higher levels of maternal mitochondrial DNA, meaning the risk of developing a mitochondrial disorder cannot be ruled out. This potential for a “reversal” – where the faulty mitochondria reassert themselves – was also highlighted in a recent study conducted in Greece involving patients who used the technique to treat infertility problems.

    As a result, the technology is no longer framed by the Newcastle team as a way to prevent the transmission of mitochondrial disorders, but rather to reduce the risk. But is the risk reduction enough to justify offering the technique to more patients? And what will the risk of reassertion mean for the children born through it and their parents, who may live with the continuing uncertainty that the condition could emerge later in life?

    As some experts have suggested, it may be worth testing this technology on women who have fertility problems but don’t carry mitochondrial diseases. This would help doctors better understand the risks of the faulty mitochondria coming back, before using the technique only on women who could pass these serious genetic conditions to their children.

    This leads to a fourth question. What has been the patient experience with this technology? It would be valuable to know how many people applied for mitochondrial donation, why some were not approved, and, among those 32 approved cases, why only 22 proceeded with treatment.

    It also raises important questions about how patients who were either unable to access the technology, or for whom it was ultimately unsuccessful feel, particularly after investing significant time, effort and hope in the process. How do they come to terms with not having the healthy biological child they had been offered?

    This is not to say we shouldn’t celebrate these births and what they represent for the UK in terms of scientific achievement. The birth of eight healthy children represents a genuine scientific breakthrough that families affected by mitochondrial diseases have waited decades to see. However, some important questions remain unanswered, and more evidence is needed and it should be communicated in a timely manner to make conclusions about the long-term use of the technology.

    Breakthroughs come with responsibilities. If the UK wants to maintain its position as a leader in reproductive medicine, it must be more transparent about both the successes and limitations of this technology. The families still waiting to have the procedure – and those who may never receive it – deserve nothing less than complete honesty about what this treatment can and cannot deliver.

    Cathy Herbrand receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.

    – ref. Babies born with DNA from three people hailed as breakthrough – but questions remain – https://theconversation.com/babies-born-with-dna-from-three-people-hailed-as-breakthrough-but-questions-remain-261385

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Top TeN artists to display work in Ruskin Gallery

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    Work by Francesca Gagni

    Personal stories and the fragility of relationships are at the heart of a new art exhibition at Anglia Ruskin University’s Cambridge campus, running from 25 July to 6 August.

    The free public exhibition, called TeN, will showcase the creative talents of 10 students graduating this autumn from the MA in Fine Art course at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), and will be held in ARU’s Ruskin Gallery.

    Amongst the diverse artwork on show will be a series of ceramics inspired by handwritten letters received by the artist’s family, and thought-provoking sculptures, crafted from recycled material, highlighting themes of change and regeneration. 

    Sue Lowndes, a former social worker who has been studying on the MA on a part-time basis, said: “My work is a response to a collection of letters saved over many years. This is very personal work – autobiographical in many ways.

    “I chose ceramics for its versatility and its ability to convey both strength and fragility, mirroring the change in relationships over time. I hope this work resonates with visitors to the exhibition, who will be able to connect with it in their own ways.”

    Francesca Gagni’s sculptures also tell a personal story, based on her farming roots. Francesca, who progressed to the MA having completed the BA in Fine Art at ARU, said: “For this exhibition I have been working with upcycled and recycled materials to produce tactile sculptural pieces. 

    “My work is informed by my farming background, and working with these materials speaks of regeneration. My aim is for the audience to engage with my work as a sensorial experience.”

    The Degree Show exhibition marks a significant milestone in the creative and professional journey of these 10 artists, whose diverse life experiences and backgrounds informs their work. 

    “The MA Fine Art course is challenging; it asks students to reconsider their work as artists, which can throw everything up in the air in relation to what they thought they knew about their approach to art.

    “By imagining alternative ways of viewing society, the students also ‘remake’ themselves and become more confident, knowledgeable artists. Seeing this transformation is one of the greatest joys in my role as Course Director.”

    Course Director Dr Véronique Chance

    Public access to the Ruskin Gallery during the MA Fine Art Show is via the MacKenzie Road entrance, off Mill Road, and directions for disabled access will be from the Mackenzie Road entrance.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Giant avian clean-up job is moa than meets the eye

    Source: City of Leeds

    The skeletal remains of a giant bird which last walked the earth more than 500 years ago have been given a clean bill of health by museum curators in Leeds.

    The incredibly rare and complete bones of the heavy-footed moa, a huge flightless bird which once roamed parts of New Zealand, were carefully cleaned by experts at Leeds City Museum this week.

    Each of the skeleton’s delicate bones was meticulously inspected for any signs of dust and deterioration during the condition check.

    Driven to extinction by hunting and deforestation around 570 years ago, the remarkable species was one of the largest birds which ever existed, standing almost six feet tall and weighing more than 300 lbs.

    Named for its distinctive and enormous feet, the specimen on display in Leeds came to the city in 1868, when it was acquired by the then curator of the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society Henry Denny.

    At that time the skeleton was known to be the only example of the species in the country outside the British Museum in London.

    Like many objects in the Leeds collection, it was damaged in 1941 after Philosophical Hall (the city’s museum), where it was originally on display, was bombed during World War II.

    In 2011, curators rediscovered the bird’s bones and after a full restoration, they were put on display in Leeds City Museum’s Collectors Cabinet.

    Clare Brown, Leeds Museums and Galleries’ curator of natural sciences, said: “The moa is a truly historic specimen which really captures the imagination and brings a completely different world inhabited by extinct and bizarre giants to life.

    “It’s also a tangible example of the potentially devastating impact which changing habitats, climates and hunting can have on fragile species and the ecosystems they live in. This was a species which walked the earth for thousands of years, but which completely disappeared within in a relatively short time of interacting with humans.

    “Having animals like this on display is not only a fascinating glimpse into a bygone era, it’s a thought-provoking reminder of our responsibility to do what we can to protect the natural world both now and in the future.”

    The moa is one of a number of extinct species on display at the museum including a dodo and giant Irish elk.

    Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, said: “Having such an impressive collection of objects on display which capture the astonishing diversity of the animal kingdom both past and present can really help visitors understand our role in the natural world.

    “It’s important that these historic specimens are preserved and conserved for future generations to see, enjoy and be inspired by.”

    For more information about Leeds City Museum, please visit: Leeds City Museum | Leeds Museums and Galleries | Days out and exhibitions

    ENDS

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Science Illuminates the Past: How Accelerators Are Powering Cultural Heritage Preservation in Asia-Pacific and Beyond

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

    Workshop participants identified novel approaches to complement their analytical capabilities, paving the way for joint research and increased impact.

    “This workshop allowed me to learn from other experts in the region about the techniques they use for better understanding objects and supporting analytical information for their preservation,” said Muhayatun Santoso, Senior Nuclear Scientist at Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency. “This will help us better support museums in Indonesia.”

    Researchers from outside the region who shared their experience also learned from the work of some of the leading institutions in Southeast Asia. “We have encountered problems with characterizing nanoparticles in our research with ceramics, but at this event I got some ideas on how to do this better and also found institutes to collaborate with,” said Ineke Joosten, a researcher at the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, who presented her work on identifying the original colours of prehistoric textiles. “We have also decided to build joint databases of research findings that could be used by the entire community interested in such research.”

    The workshop’s outcomes will be highlighted at the 2nd IAEA International Conference on Accelerators for Research and Sustainable Development, which will be held from 22 to26 June 2026 in Vienna, Austria.

    This international forum on accelerator applications in research and industry will feature presentations on cutting-edge developments and findings in accelerator technology and share best practices  on how accelerator technologies can drive progress not only in science, but also in sustainability and cultural preservation.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • Future in motion: India’s new dawn, powered by a new generation

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (2)

    ndia’s growth story is a story of youthful ascent. The country’s demographic dividend is at the core of the fastest-growing major economy in the world. It is expected to play a significant role in India’s promising economic future, when the global economy is projected to slow down. The world’s most populous nation, India is also the youngest among the major economies, with a median age of around 28 years.

    A McKinsey assessment, published in July 2024, puts the median age of the population in India at 27.6 years, a full decade younger than the citizens of most other major economies. Apart from contributing to increased productivity, the demographic dividend has the potential to transform the growth story on a positive social scale. If the nation’s productivity is harnessed well with the demographic advantage it has, and the working-age population base is properly skilled and productively employed, millions could be lifted not only above the poverty line but also be economically empowered.

    “In India, as with other G-20 economies, economic growth and business innovations will be critical to future economic inclusion; in fact, these levers could erase more than 90 percent of the empowerment gap. To put that in human terms, accelerated economic growth and business-led innovation alone could lift about 700 million people above the threshold by 2030,” says the report.

    What is the line of economic empowerment? As defined by the McKinsey Global Institute, being economically empowered means having a decent economic condition that affords a nutritious meal, good education and healthcare, a house that is owned with water and sanitation, and access to energy sources such as a power connection and means of transportation.

    Being economically empowered means having the value addition that life needs, going beyond the economic inclusion threshold. With a minimum of $12 per day in PPP terms, a person, after fulfilling their needs to sustain a good lifestyle, can also save money, meaning they are a level above the risk of falling into the poverty cycle again. The report said that globally there were 4.7 billion people (or 60% of the world’s population) not economically empowered as per this benchmark.

    Harnessing the demographic dividend is a calculated task, demanding sustained investment in education and the promotion of industrial collaboration, together with a thriving skilling system. The foundational ingredients of this requirement prime the nation for an era of unprecedented human-led growth.

    According to the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, 65% of India’s population is under 35 years of age, and the country has seen a significant positive change in the last decade in the headcount ratio available for employability. Before 2014, the country had 33.9% employable final- or pre-final-year students. This increased by over 17% to 51.3% in 2024.

    The current government in the country is focused on harnessing this demographic dividend, creating a pool of skilled and talented youth to support its national and industrial growth on India’s journey of outstanding economic growth.

    With an aim to become a developed country by 2047, the 100th year of its independence, with an economy crossing the $30 trillion mark in real GDP terms, the focus is on creating millions of trained and skilled youth ready for different industrial sectors. Many flagship training initiatives have been launched for this, including the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) scheme, Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), and National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), under the Skill India Mission (SIM), creating millions of trained and skilled youth so far.

    To put it in absolute numbers, over 60 million Indians have been empowered through various government initiatives, says data from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the Government of India. PMKVY has trained over 16 million youth across different sectors including advanced emerging training fields like AI, Robotics, and IoT. Last year, in October, another flagship scheme was launched, known as the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme (PMIS). Under the scheme, one crore youth will be given paid internships of 12 months in India’s top 500 companies over five years.

    Also, a young population base as the core of economic growth will have a dual advantage. An assessment published by EY in April 2023 on India’s demographic dividend deciphers this potential advantage. A young population base means more hands to be trained and skilled. A young population base also means a more consumption-based headcount, a factor that is good for markets and the overall economy. Consumption grows. Economy grows.

    By 2030, India’s working-age population, among the major economies, will be the highest in the world, at 68.9% of its total population say the assessment. The country, then, will have 1.04 billion working-age people. It is, and will remain, the largest provider of human resources in the world, with the largest pool of STEM graduates (STEM: science, technology, engineering and mathematics), says the assessment. And it is an ever-widening pool, with an average annual addition of 2.14 million STEM graduates. India is also the country with the largest number of female STEM graduates. Earlier, the Western world dominated in having STEM graduates. Now it is the turn of emerging economies led by India.

    WorldSkills International, a Netherlands-based not-for-profit organisation with 80 member countries, conducts the WorldSkills Competition every two years with participants under the age of 23. It is the largest skill competition in the world.

    Over 50 skills under six sectors are the main focus areas – construction and building technology, transportation and logistics, manufacturing and engineering technology, information and communication technology, creative arts and fashion, and social and personal services. The outcome of the competition tests vocational excellence and sets a benchmark for high performance, and India’s position has seen a consistent improvement in its overall score tally on the overall points scorecard, from 16th in 2013 to fifth in 2024.

    The roadmap to the $30 trillion target runs directly through India’s burgeoning urban centres. The 2024-25 annual report from the NITI Aayog notes that cities already function as the nation’s primary economic engines, generating between 70% and 80% of the entire national output. Cities are hubs of industrial clusters, housing small-, medium- and large-sized industries, run by manpower engaged directly and indirectly.

    To further amplify this growth tool, or “making city regions growth hubs that can unlock their full potential” as the annual report says, the government launched the Growth Hub (G-Hub) initiative in 2023. “The Growth Hub (G-Hub) initiative aims to redefine urban planning for liveability and sustainability with pilot projects launched in Surat, Mumbai, Varanasi, and Visakhapatnam and blueprints approved for Surat and Mumbai,” the annual report adds. An increase in productivity means more skilled hands at work.

    As one of the most important tools to drive India’s growth, the pool of the country’s skilled youth completes the growth curve of its resilient economy, solid macroeconomic fundamentals, and vast domestic market. While external shocks will inevitably arise, the direction of the journey points firmly upward.

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Programme management officer

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Org. Setting and Reporting

    Created in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is the designated focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of efforts to reduce disasters and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations and regional organizations and activities in both developed and less developed countries. Led by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG), UNDRR has over 140 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and in regional offices. Specifically, UNDRR guides, monitors, analyses and reports on progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, supports regional and national implementation of the Framework and catalyzes action and increases global awareness to reduce disaster risk working with UN Member States and a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians and the science and technology community.

    This position is located in the UNDRR Office in Bonn, Germany. The Programme Officer will report to the Head of the UNDRR Bonn Office under the overall guidance of the Chief, Risk Knowledge, Monitoring and Capacity-Development Branch.

    Responsibilities

    Within delegated authority, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties: – 

    • Develops, implements and evaluates assigned systems programmes/projects of significant importance for the Department; monitors and analyses programme/project development and implementation; reviews relevant documents and reports; identifies problems and issues to be addressed and initiates corrective actions; liaises with relevant parties; ensures follow-up actions. In particular, oversees and supports the management and updating of the online monitoring system to track progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Tracks and monitors project progress against plan, requirements, quality measures, standard processes; liaises with users on all aspects and during all phases.
    • Provides expert advice on complex systems analysis and design; identifies the need for new systems (or modifications to existing systems) or responds to requests from users; develops plans for feasibility assessment, requirements specification, design, development and implementation, including project plans, schedules, time and cost estimates, metrics and performance measures. –
    • Provides expert advice and coordinates the roll-out of the Disaster Tracking System in all Member States, liaising with the concerned regional offices. Keeps abreast of developments in the field and determines the need for testing and evaluating new products and technologies. –
    • Leads and coordinates the official reporting on Sendai Framework and SDGs, among others, and organizes and prepares written outputs, e.g. draft background papers, analysis, sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications, technical reports, including advance analytics using AI-based tools.
    • Develops, implements and monitors application of standards and guidelines. Oversees the preparation of technical and user documentation for systems; prepares training materials and detailed technical presentations including technical guidelines to support the reporting against the indicators to assess progress towards the targets of Sendai Framework, as recommended by the open-ended intergovernmental expert working group on indicators and terminology. Works in close collaboration with the UNDRR Global Education and Training Institute (GETI) in Incheon and contributes to the development of training modules on Sendai Framework Monitoring Process. Collaborates and coordinates closely with UNDRR Regional Offices in support of strengthening the capacity of Member States to use the online Sendai Framework Monitoring system and their ability to report against the indicators. –
    • Provides substantive backstopping to consultative and other meetings, conferences, etc., to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations, etc. –
    • Participates in planning and preparation of the budget, work program and spending plan of the Section and of the Branch. Contributes to activities related to budget funding (programme/project preparation and submissions, progress reports, financial statements, etc.) and prepares related documents/reports (pledging, work programme, programme budget, etc.). Develops cost proposals for contractual services, oversees the technical evaluation of proposals received and manages the contract service. Provides professional leadership and work direction to assigned project team, and/or mentor and supervises the work of new/junior officers, contract staff, etc. – Performs other duties as required.

    Competencies

    Professionalism: Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to particular sector, functional area or other specialized field. Ability to identify issues, analyze and participate in the resolution of issues/problems. Ability to conduct data collection using various methods. Conceptual analytical and evaluative skills to conduct independent research and analysis, including familiarity with and experience in the use of various research sources, including electronic sources on the internet, intranet and other databases. Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, plan own work and manage conflicting priorities. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently. 

    Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable. 

    Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

    Education

    An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in social sciences, management, economics, statistics or a related field is required. A first-level degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

    Work experience

    • A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in project planning, implementation and monitoring or a related area is required.
    • Experience in disaster risk assessment and monitoring, and disaster risk reduction is required.
    • Experience in data management and statistics is desirable.

    Languages

    English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is desirable.

    Assessment

    Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which will be followed by a competency-based interview.

    Special notice

    The appointment or assignment and renewal thereof are subject to the availability of the post or funds, budgetary approval or extension of the mandate. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. In line with the overall United Nations policy, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction encourages a positive workplace culture which embraces inclusivity and leverages diversity within its workforce. Measures are applied to enable all staff members to contribute equally and fully to the work and development of the organization, including flexible working arrangements, family-friendly policies and standards of conduct. Individual contractors and consultants who have worked within the UN Secretariat in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for professional and higher, temporary or fixed-term positions and their applications will not be considered.

    United Nations Considerations

    According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General. Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

    No Fee

    THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Country Engagement Specialist & Regional Coordinator for Eastern Europe, Santiago network

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Background information – job-specific

    Santiago network The Santiago network was established in December 2019 at COP25, as part of the Warsaw International Mechanism, for averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, to catalyze the technical assistance of relevant organizations, bodies, networks and experts, for the implementation of suitable relevant approaches at the local, national and regional level, in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. (decision 2/CMA.2, para 43, noted by 2/CP.25).

    The Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Convention and the Paris Agreement subsequently decided on the functions of the Santiago network at COP26 and on the institutional arrangements to enable its full operationalization. Parties agreed the structure would comprise:

    A hosted Secretariat that will facilitate its work, to be known as the Santiago network Secretariat; An Advisory Board, to provide guidance and oversight to the Santiago network Secretariat on the effective implementation of the functions of the network; and A network of organizations, bodies, networks and experts (OBNEs) covering a wide range of topics relevant to averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage.

    At COP28 in 2023, Parties selected the consortium of UNOPS and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) as co-hosts of the Santiago network Secretariat for an initial term of five years, with five-year renewal periods.

    While UNOPS provides the necessary administrative and operational support for the effective functioning of the Secretariat, UNDRR provides the Secretariat with technical backstopping and expertise in the domain of averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage consistent with the guidelines for preventing potential and addressing actual and perceived conflicts of interest in relation to the Santiago network.

    Relevant COP/CMA decisions on the Santiago network can be consulted here. Documents and reports from meetings of the Santiago network Advisory Board are available here.

    The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organisations. With over 6,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, where they need it. By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, often in the most challenging environments.

    Country Engagement Specialist and Regional Coordinator for Eastern Europe, Santiago network Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Director, and in close coordination with the Senior Programme Manager and the OBNE Engagement Specialist, the Country Engagement Specialist and Regional Coordinator for Eastern Europe is responsible for managing the central operations of the technical assistance request process, supporting the coordination of global and regional operations, and driving the provision of catalyzed technical assistance in Eastern Europe, ensuring effective and timely delivery. This includes establishing and executing processes for the implementation of the steps of the technical assistance request workflow, working closely with Regional Coordinators, Desk Officers and designated contact points; and leading the technical assistance work of the Santiago network Secretariat in Eastern Europe. The role will collaborate with the OBNE and Member Engagement Specialist in the planning, implementing, and reporting on membership activities in Eastern Europe. This role requires strong coordination, communication, and technical skills relevant to the delivery of the role’s functions.

    Functional responsibilities

    1. Setting up processes and systems
    2. Catalyzing technical assistance/Management of OBNEs
    3. Programme implementation and monitoring
    4. Partner and stakeholder engagement
    5. Knowledge management and innovation
    6. Corporate functions and team building

    1. Setting up processes and systems 

    • Establish and manage processes and systems to ensure the application of the Santiago network’s operative guidelines across the technical assistance workflow, from preparation to knowledge sharing.
    • Support the creation of an enabling environment for demand-driven technical assistance, including support in identifying needs and in preparing requests for technical assistance.

    2. Catalyzing technical assistance/Management of OBNEs

    • Lead the implementation of the Santiago network’s technical assistance workflow in Eastern Europe, from preparation and submission to delivery, monitoring and experience sharing.
    • Collaborate with the OBNE and Member Engagement Specialist in the planning and implementation of membership activities in Eastern Europe.
    • Coordinate the implementation of centrally managed processes for responding to technical assistance requests, including the issuance and management of responses to calls for proposals, in coordination with Regional Coordinators.
    • Support the Senior Programme Manager in coordinating regional operations, ensuring quality control and consistent service standards.
    • Coordinate engagement with national liaisons to the Santiago network Secretariat across regions, in collaboration with Regional Coordinators.
    • Manage the technical assistance review process in coordination with regional functions, aimed at connecting those seeking technical assistance with best-suited Members and OBNEs.

    3. Programme implementation and monitoring

    • Coordinate the implementation of the monitoring, evaluation and learning framework at a portfolio level, in coordination with regional operations, ensuring their effectiveness against expected outcomes.
    • Collaborate with the Programme Support and Operations Manager to ensure the timely management of fund disbursement for technical assistance provided to proponents.
    • Identify, assess and manage risks and issues that may impact the effective delivery of technical assistance, including by maintaining a risk register and coordinating mitigation measures.
    • Coordinate the preparation of reports of Santiago network overall operations, including regular reporting to the Advisory Board and inputs to the Annual Report to the governing body or bodies.

    4. Partner and stakeholder engagement

    • Coordinate the implementation of partnership strategies in collaboration with regional roles, providing a consistent approach to partner and stakeholder engagement across regions.
    • Develop strategies for engaging and maintaining partnerships in Eastern Europe, including collaborative projects, joint events, and resource sharing.
    • Establish communication channels and platforms for effective networking and information exchange among Members in Eastern Europe.
    • Participate in regional fora and high-level meetings contributing to the positioning of the Santiago network in the loss and damage and climate action ecosystem.

    5. Knowledge management and innovation

    • Contribute to the development, provision and dissemination of knowledge and information on topics relevant to technical assistance for loss and damage.
    • Facilitate the dissemination of good practices, case studies, and other relevant information to support the catalyzation and delivery of technical assistance.
    • Support knowledge management, outreach, and communication activities related to technical assistance, in collaboration with relevant colleagues and partners, including the WIM ExCom.
    • Contribute to the Santiago network’s learning function, including the establishment of feedback loops to inform continuous improvement.

    6. Corporate functions and team building

    • Uphold and model team values, fostering a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative work environment that supports collective success and individual well-being.
    • Contribute to the development and implementation of the Santiago network’s strategic, policy, and operational frameworks, ensuring alignment with its mandate and evolving needs.
    • Support the organization and delivery of Advisory Board meetings and intersessional work, including the preparation of background documents, reports, and other relevant materials, as well as coordination of related functions.
    • Represent the Santiago network in international fora and technical meetings, contributing to advance the delivery of its mandate and objectives.
    • Others, as required by the supervisor.

    Education/Experience/Language requirements

    Education 

    • An advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent), preferably in development studies, international relations, political science, environmental sciences and climate change, economics, social sciences, or related areas, is required.
    • A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

    Experience 

    • A minimum of seven (7) years of relevant experience in programme management in the areas of development, loss and damage, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, or related climate change processes is required.
    • Demonstrated experience in work across regions is required.
    • Demonstrated experience in Eastern Europe is desirable.
    • Familiarity with UNFCCC processes and the loss and damage agenda is highly desirable.

    Language 

    • Fluency in oral and written English is required.
    • Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

    Contract type, level and duration

    Contract type: Staff – FTA Contract level: P4 (ICS-11) Contract duration: One year initially, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and funding availability.

    For more details about United Nations staff contracts, please follow this link: https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/UN-Staff-Contracts.aspx

    Competencies

    Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization.(for levels IICA-2, IICA-3, LICA Specialist- 10, LICA Specialist-11, NOC, NOD, P3, P4 and above)

    Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

    Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

    Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

    Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

    Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

    Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

    Additional information

    • Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
    • Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
    • Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
    • UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.
    • Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
    • We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

    Terms and conditions

    • For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
    • For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.
    • All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
    • It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: OBNE and Member Engagement Specialist, Santiago network

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Background information – job-specific

    Santiago network The Santiago network was established in December 2019 at COP25, as part of the Warsaw International Mechanism, for averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, to catalyze the technical assistance of relevant organizations, bodies, networks and experts, for the implementation of suitable relevant approaches at the local, national and regional level, in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. (decision 2/CMA.2, para 43, noted by 2/CP.25).

    The Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Convention and the Paris Agreement subsequently decided on the functions of the Santiago network at COP26 and on the institutional arrangements to enable its full operationalization. Parties agreed the structure would comprise:

    A hosted Secretariat that will facilitate its work, to be known as the Santiago network Secretariat; An Advisory Board, to provide guidance and oversight to the Santiago network Secretariat on the effective implementation of the functions of the network; and A network of organizations, bodies, networks and experts (OBNEs) covering a wide range of topics relevant to averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage.

    At COP28 in 2023, Parties selected the consortium of UNOPS and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) as co-hosts of the Santiago network Secretariat for an initial term of five years, with five-year renewal periods.

    While UNOPS provides the necessary administrative and operational support for the effective functioning of the Secretariat, UNDRR provides the Secretariat with technical backstopping and expertise in the domain of averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage consistent with the guidelines for preventing potential and addressing actual and perceived conflicts of interest in relation to the Santiago network.

    Relevant COP/CMA decisions on the Santiago network can be consulted here. Documents and reports from meetings of the Santiago network Advisory Board are available here.

    The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organisations. With over 6,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, where they need it. By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, often in the most challenging environments.

    OBNE and Member Engagement Specialist, Santiago network

    Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Director, and in close coordination with the Country Engagement Specialist, the OBNE and Member Engagement Specialist is responsible for managing the central processes related to membership under the Santiago network, as well as supporting the planning, implementing, and reporting on membership activities in Eastern Europe. This includes overseeing the implementation of the guidelines for the designation of organizations, bodies, networks, and experts (OBNEs) as Members of the Santiago network, supporting the coordination of global and regional functions related to membership, and implementing strategies to ensure a diverse, inclusive, and robust network of Members, including through outreach and capacity building. The role also involves facilitating collaboration and coordination among Members, including communities of practice. This role requires strong organizational, coordination, and communication skills relevant to the delivery of the role’s functions.

    Functional responsibilities

    1. Setting up processes and systems
    2. Catalyzing technical assistance/Management of OBNEs
    3. Programme implementation and monitoring
    4. Partner and stakeholder engagement
    5. Knowledge management and innovation
    6. Corporate functions and team building

    1. Setting up processes and systems 

    • Establish and manage processes and systems for the implementation of the guidelines for the designation of Organizations, Bodies, Networks and Experts (OBNEs) as Members of the Santiago network.
    • Set strategies to facilitate a strong, diverse and inclusive network membership, with relevant expertise at the local, national and regional level.

    2. Catalyzing technical assistance/Management of OBNEs

    • Facilitate the growth and diversification of the Santiago network’s membership, including by managing the process of expressions of interest, in line with the guidelines approved by the Advisory Board
    • Collaborate with the Regional Coordinator for Eastern Europe in the planning and implementation of membership activities in Eastern Europe.
    • Facilitate the effective participation of Members in the provision of technical assistance, supporting matchmaking between demand and supply, in response to identified needs and in collaboration with global and regional functions.
    • Develop and implement outreach strategies to attract new Members, with a focus on local and community-based organizations, ensuring inclusive representation across regions, target groups and relevant thematic areas.
    • Foster collaboration and synergies among Members by promoting peer-to-peer exchange, and identifying opportunities for joint action to enhance the delivery and impact of technical assistance.
    • Provide continuous guidance to OBNEs and Members of the Santiago network, enabling them to actively engage with and contribute to the network’s objectives.

    3. Programme implementation and monitoring

    • Design and implement an engagement programme for Members, aligned with relevant Santiago network functions such as technical assistance, collaboration, and knowledge and information sharing.
    • Conduct periodic assessments of the network’s performance in addressing the needs related to averting, minimizing, and addressing loss and damage at local and regional levels.
    • Identify, assess, and manage risks and issues that could affect the OBNE and membership processes, including proposing and implementing appropriate mitigation measures.
    • Coordinate inputs on membership for regular reporting, including reporting to the Advisory Board and the Annual Report to the governing body or bodies.

    4. Partner and stakeholder engagement

    • Coordinate the implementation of strategies for OBNEs and Member outreach and engagement in collaboration with regional roles, with a consistent approach across regions.
    • Set up and manage communication channels and platforms to support collaboration, coordination and synergies among Members, including through communities of practice.
    • Foster collaboration and partnerships with other relevant mechanisms, networks and organizations working in the area of loss and damage.
    • Liaise with the communications role to enhance knowledge sharing and mutual learning among Members and other stakeholders.

    5. Knowledge management and innovation

    • Facilitate the development, provision, dissemination of and access to knowledge and information produced by Members on topics relevant for loss and damage.
    • Develop and maintain a comprehensive database of OBNEs, including contact information, areas of expertise, and availability for technical assistance
    • Develop and implement support mechanisms, including peer-to-peer learning and knowledge exchange, to strengthen Member engagement and enhance technical assistance delivery.
    • In collaboration with the Country Engagement Specialist, identify gaps in knowledge and expertise across the network in relation to TA needs, and take appropriate actions to address them.

    6. Corporate functions and team building

    • Uphold and model team values, fostering a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative work environment that supports collective success and individual well-being.
    • Contribute to the development and implementation of the Santiago network’s strategic, policy, and operational frameworks, ensuring alignment with its mandate and evolving needs.
    • Support the organization and delivery of Advisory Board meetings and intersessional work, including the preparation of background documents, reports, and other relevant materials, as well as coordination of related functions.
    • Represent the Santiago network in international fora and technical meetings, contributing to advance the delivery of its mandate and objectives.
    • Others, as required by the supervisor.
    • Education/Experience/Language requirements

    Education 

    • An advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent), preferably in development studies, international relations, political science, environmental sciences and climate change, economics, social sciences, or related areas, is required.
    • A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

    Experience 

    • A minimum of seven (7) years of relevant experience in stakeholder engagement in the areas of development, loss and damage, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, or related climate change processes is required.
    • Technical skills to foster inclusive participation and knowledge exchange across the Santiago network are highly desirable.
    • Familiarity with UNFCCC processes and the loss and damage agenda is highly desirable.
    • Language
      • Fluency in oral and written English is required.
      • Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

    Contract type, level and duration

    Contract type: Staff – FTA Contract level: P4 (ICS-11) Contract duration: One year initially, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and funding availability.

    For more details about United Nations staff contracts, please follow this link: https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/UN-Staff-Contracts.aspx

    Competencies

    Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization.(for levels IICA-2, IICA-3, LICA Specialist- 10, LICA Specialist-11, NOC, NOD, P3, P4 and above)

    Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

    Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

    Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

    Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

    Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

    Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

    Additional information

    • Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
    • Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
    • Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
    • UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.
    • Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
    • We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

    Terms and conditions

    • For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
    • For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.
    • All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
    • It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Invites Media to Marshall’s 65th Anniversary Celebration July 19

    Source: NASA

    NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will host astronauts for a media opportunity as the center celebrates its 65th anniversary during a free, community event on Saturday, July 19, from noon to 5 p.m. CDT at The Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, Alabama.
    Marshall, along with its partners and collaborators, will fill the amphitheater with space exhibits, music, food vendors, and hands-on activities for all ages. The summer celebration will mark 65 years of innovation and exploration, not only for Marshall, but for Huntsville and other North Alabama communities.
    The event will kick off with a program at 12:30 p.m. led by Joseph Pelfrey, director of NASA Marshall, and will include a presentation from some of the Expedition 72 crew members who recently returned from their mission after dedicating more than 1,000 combined hours to scientific research and technology demonstrations aboard the International Space Station. The crew will share their experiences in space with the community.

    Media are invited to attend the event and participate in a news conference with the astronauts after the presentation but must confirm their attendance by 4:30 p.m., Thursday, July 17, to Lance D. Davis – lance.d.davis@nasa.gov – in Marshall’s Office of Communications.
    Media should arrive at the front entrance of The Orion Amphitheater by 11:45 a.m., Saturday, July 19, to be escorted by the Office of Communications.
    Founded July 1, 1960, in Huntsville, Marshall has shaped or supported nearly every facet of the nation’s ongoing mission of space exploration and discovery, solving the most complex, technical flight challenges, and contributing to science to improve life and protect resources around the world.
    Learn more about Marshall’s 65th anniversary celebration at:
    https://www.nasa.gov/marshall65/
    Lance D. DavisMarshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 256-640-9065 lance.d.davis@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA’s Chandra Finds Baby Exoplanet is Shrinking

    Source: NASA

    A star is unleashing a barrage of X-rays that is causing a closely-orbiting, young planet to wither away an astonishing rate, according to a new study using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and described in our latest press release. A team of researchers has determined that this planet will go from the size of Jupiter down to a small, barren world.
    This graphic provides a visual representation of what astronomers think is happening around the star (known as TOI 1227) and a planet that is orbiting it at a fraction the distance between Mercury and the Sun. This “baby” planet, called TOI 1227 b, is just about 8 million years old, about a thousand times younger than our Sun. The main panel is an artist’s concept that shows the Jupiter-sized planet (lower left) around TOI 1227, which is a faint red star. Powerful X-rays from the star’s surface are tearing away the atmosphere of the planet, represented by the blue tail. The star’s X-rays may eventually completely remove the atmosphere.
    The team used new Chandra data — seen in the inset — to measure the amounts of X-rays from TOI 1227 that are striking the planet. Using computer models of the effects of these X-rays, they concluded they will have a transformative effect, rapidly stripping away the planet’s atmosphere. They estimate that the planet is losing a mass equivalent to a full Earth’s atmosphere about every 200 years.
    The researchers used different sets of data to estimate the age of TOI 1227 b. One method exploits measurements of how TOI 1227 b’s host star moves through space in comparison to nearby populations of stars with known ages. A second method compared the brightness and surface temperature of the star with theoretical models of evolving stars. The very young age of TOI 1227 b makes it the second youngest planet ever to be observed passing in front of its host star (a so-called transit). Previously the planet had been estimated by others to be about 11 million years old.
    Of all the exoplanets astronomers have found with ages less than 50 million years, TOI 1227 b stands out for having the longest year and the host planet with the lowest mass. These properties, and the high dose of X-rays it is receiving, make it an outstanding target for future observations.
    A paper describing these results has been accepted publication in The Astrophysical Journal and a preprint is available here. The authors of the paper are Attila Varga (Rochester Institute of Technology), Joel Kastner (Rochester Institute of Technology), Alexander Binks (University of Tubingen, Germany), Hans Moritz Guenther (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and Simon J. Murphy (University of New South Wales Canberra in Australia).
    NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.

    Learn more about the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its mission here:

    chandra

    https://chandra.si.edu

    This release features an artist’s illustration of a Jupiter-sized planet closely orbiting a faint red star. An inset image, showing the star in X-ray light from Chandra, is superimposed on top of the illustration at our upper left corner.
    At our upper right, the red star is illustrated as a ball made of intense fire. The planet, slightly smaller than the star, is shown at our lower left. Powerful X-rays from the star are tearing away the atmosphere of the planet, causing wisps of material to flow away from the planet’s surface in the opposite direction from the star. This gives the planet a slight resemblance to a comet, complete with a tail.
    X-ray data from Chandra, presented in the inset image, shows the star as a small purple orb on a black background. Astronomers used the Chandra data to measure the amount of X-rays striking the planet from the star. They estimate that the planet is losing a mass equivalent to a full Earth’s atmosphere about every 200 years, causing it to ultimately shrink from the size of Jupiter down to a small, barren world.

    Megan WatzkeChandra X-ray CenterCambridge, Mass.617-496-7998mwatzke@cfa.harvard.edu
    Corinne BeckingerMarshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama256-544-0034corinne.m.beckinger@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA to Preview Advanced US-India Radar Mission Ahead of Launch

    Source: NASA

    NASA will host a news conference at 12 p.m. EDT Monday, July 21, to discuss the upcoming NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) mission.
    The Earth-observing satellite, a first-of-its-kind collaboration between NASA and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), carries an advanced radar system that will help protect communities by providing a dynamic, three-dimensional view of Earth in unprecedented detail and detecting the movement of land and ice surfaces down to the centimeter.
    The NISAR mission will lift off from ISRO’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, on India’s southeastern coast. Launch is targeted for no earlier than late July.
    NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California will stream the briefing live on its X, Facebook, and YouTube channels. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
    Participants in the news conference include:

    Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
    Karen St. Germain, director, Earth Science Division, NASA Headquarters
    Wendy Edelstein, deputy project manager, NISAR, NASA JPL
    Paul Rosen, project scientist, NISAR, NASA JPL

    To ask questions by phone, members of the media must RSVP no later than two hours before the start of the event to: rexana.v.vizza@jpl.nasa.gov. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. Questions can be asked on social media during the briefing using #AskNISAR.
    With its two radar instruments — an S-band system provided by ISRO and an L-band system provided by NASA — NISAR will use a technique known as synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to scan nearly all the planet’s land and ice surfaces twice every 12 days. Each system’s signal is sensitive to different sizes of features on Earth’s surface, and each specializes in measuring different attributes, such as moisture content, surface roughness, and motion.
    These capabilities will help scientists better understand processes involved in natural hazards and catastrophic events, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, land subsidence, and landslides.
    Additionally, NISAR’s cloud penetrating ability will aid urgent responses to communities during weather disasters such as hurricanes, storm surge, and flooding. The detailed maps the mission creates also will provide information on both gradual and sudden changes occurring on Earth’s land and ice surfaces.
    Managed by Caltech for NASA, JPL leads the U.S. component of the NISAR project and provided the L-band SAR. NASA JPL also provided the radar reflector antenna, the deployable boom, a high-rate communication subsystem for science data, GPS receivers, a solid-state recorder, and payload data subsystem. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the Near Space Network, which will receive NISAR’s L-band data.
    Multiple ISRO centers have contributed to NISAR. The Space Applications Centre is providing the mission’s S-band SAR. The U R Rao Satellite Centre provided the spacecraft bus. The rocket is from Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, launch services are through Satish Dhawan Space Centre, and satellite mission operations are by the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network. The National Remote Sensing Centre is responsible for S-band data reception, operational products generation, and dissemination.
    To learn more about NISAR, visit:
    https://nisar.jpl.nasa.gov
    -end-
    Karen Fox / Elizabeth VlockHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.vlock@nasa.gov
    Andrew Wang / Scott HulmeJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.626-379-6874 / 818-653-9131andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov / scott.d.hulme@jpl.nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: OptimizeRx Sets Second Quarter 2025 Conference Call for August 7, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. ET

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WALTHAM, Mass., July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OptimizeRx Corp. (the “Company”) (Nasdaq: OPRX), a leading provider of healthcare technology solutions helping life sciences companies reach and engage healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients, will hold a conference call on Thursday, August 7, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss its results for the second quarter period ended June 30, 2025. The financial results will be issued in a press release prior to the call.

    OptimizeRx management will host the call, followed by a question-and-answer period. Details for the conference call can be found below:

    Please call the conference telephone number or log on to the web access link five minutes prior to the start time.

    A replay of the call will remain available for 12 months via the Investors section of the OptimizeRx website at http://www.optimizerx.com/investors.

    About OptimizeRx

    OptimizeRx is a leading healthcare technology company that’s redefining how life science brands connect with patients and healthcare providers. Our platform combines innovative AI-driven tools like the Dynamic Audience Activation Platform (DAAP) and Micro-Neighborhood Targeting (MNT) to deliver timely, relevant, and hyper-local engagement. By bridging the gap between HCP and DTC strategies, we empower brands to create synchronized marketing solutions that drive faster treatment decisions and improved patient outcomes.

    Our commitment to privacy-safe, patient-centric technology ensures that every interaction is designed to make a meaningful impact, delivering life-changing therapies to the right patients at the right time. Headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, OptimizeRx partners with some of the world’s leading pharmaceutical and life sciences companies to transform the healthcare landscape and create a healthier future for all.

    OptimizeRx Contact
    Andy D’Silva, SVP Corporate Finance
    adsilva@optimizerx.com

    Investor Relations Contact
    Steven Halper
    LifeSci Advisors, LLC
    shalper@lifesciadvisors.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: OptimizeRx Sets Second Quarter 2025 Conference Call for August 7, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. ET

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WALTHAM, Mass., July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OptimizeRx Corp. (the “Company”) (Nasdaq: OPRX), a leading provider of healthcare technology solutions helping life sciences companies reach and engage healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients, will hold a conference call on Thursday, August 7, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss its results for the second quarter period ended June 30, 2025. The financial results will be issued in a press release prior to the call.

    OptimizeRx management will host the call, followed by a question-and-answer period. Details for the conference call can be found below:

    Please call the conference telephone number or log on to the web access link five minutes prior to the start time.

    A replay of the call will remain available for 12 months via the Investors section of the OptimizeRx website at http://www.optimizerx.com/investors.

    About OptimizeRx

    OptimizeRx is a leading healthcare technology company that’s redefining how life science brands connect with patients and healthcare providers. Our platform combines innovative AI-driven tools like the Dynamic Audience Activation Platform (DAAP) and Micro-Neighborhood Targeting (MNT) to deliver timely, relevant, and hyper-local engagement. By bridging the gap between HCP and DTC strategies, we empower brands to create synchronized marketing solutions that drive faster treatment decisions and improved patient outcomes.

    Our commitment to privacy-safe, patient-centric technology ensures that every interaction is designed to make a meaningful impact, delivering life-changing therapies to the right patients at the right time. Headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, OptimizeRx partners with some of the world’s leading pharmaceutical and life sciences companies to transform the healthcare landscape and create a healthier future for all.

    OptimizeRx Contact
    Andy D’Silva, SVP Corporate Finance
    adsilva@optimizerx.com

    Investor Relations Contact
    Steven Halper
    LifeSci Advisors, LLC
    shalper@lifesciadvisors.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection

    A new world-leading biosecurity centre in Essex will protect the UK from emerging publicd health threats and boost economic growth.

    • World-leading biosecurity centre in Harlow, Essex to protect the UK against emerging public health threats
    • Multi-billion-pound government investment will make National Biosecurity Centre the largest of its kind in Europe
    • Will create around 1,600 new jobs to support construction and enhance collaboration between scientists and the life sciences sector

    People in the UK will be better protected from future pandemics and biosecurity threats thanks to government investment into a new, world-leading biosecurity centre in Harlow, Essex.

    The National Biosecurity Centre (NBC) will increase the speed and scale of research into dangerous pathogens and life-saving vaccines, boosting healthcare and economic growth, and protecting UK national security.

    The government is investing billions of pounds in the project, including £250m over this Parliament, for vital research and testing that is currently split across UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) sites in Porton Down and Colindale under one roof.

    Once complete, the NBC will be the largest in Europe, creating around 1,600 new jobs to support construction of the site and enabling the development of new treatments and vaccines that could save countless lives.

    Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

    This transformational investment in the UK’s national biosecurity will better protect the British public from future health emergencies, boost the life sciences sector and create new jobs.

    COVID-19 taught us how crucial it is to be able to respond quickly to new emerging threats, and the new National Biosecurity Centre will allow us to do exactly that — ensuring Britain remains a world-leader in pandemic preparedness.

    Harlow will become a scientific hub, with The National Biosecurity Centre exploring new ways to treat illnesses, improve people’s health and save more lives.

    By backing innovation, research and life sciences, we will make our NHS fit for the future, and cement the UK as a life sciences superpower as part of our Plan for Change.

    The NBC will create 1,600 extra jobs to support construction of the site and enabling closer collaboration between leading scientists and the life sciences sector.

    The investment is part of a series of ways in which this government is making the UK a life sciences powerhouse to improve access to life-changing and innovative treatments for patients, as set out in the 10 Year Health Plan. This follows the launch of a new digital hub for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in Leeds to ensure that life-saving healthcare innovations reach patients faster.

    We’re taking the lessons from COVID-19, boosting our world-leading vaccine manufacturing and research capabilities, and separately to Harlow, taking part in a national exercise later this year to make sure our preparations are watertight. Through the Pandemic Agreement, we’re also improving the world’s collective ability to prevent, prepare for, detect and respond to global disease threats and £108 billion in life sciences sector also protects us against future pandemics, as well as creating jobs and driving economic growth.

    Dyfed Alsop, interim UKHSA chief executive, said: > > This is fantastic news for the UK and will mean that we can continue to offer the best possible protection for people’s health for generations to come. > > A brand-new facility at Harlow will bring together our world leading public health science and emergency response capabilities, putting us in a stronger position to protect the public and keep people safe. > > This marks a significant investment in our future, ensuring that the UK remains a world leader in health security and that we are better prepared against a growing range of health threats.

    The NBC will create exciting new partnerships between UKHSA scientists and industry – paving the way for potential research breakthroughs, including in the realm of infectious diseases, environmental health, and behavioural sciences. Harlow will deliver state of the art highly secure laboratories that will be used to research the most dangerous and new diseases.

    Being physically closer to industry partners in the Oxford-Cambridge corridor will furthermore strengthen collaborations.

    Science Minister Lord Vallance said:

    The National Biosecurity Centre will help to strengthen the UK life sciences sector for decades to come, by backing our world-renowned researchers with highly advanced facilities to develop life-saving treatments in the face of new health threats.

    By enabling further collaboration between researchers at the cutting-edge and industry, the new hub can help drive the economic growth that benefits us all, building on the highly skilled new jobs already being delivered, and supporting our Plan for Change.

    The new facility will form part of a new network of National Biosecurity Centres recently announced under the 2025 National Security Strategy. This network will strengthen and formalise existing collaborations between UKHSA, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) to bolster the UK’s resilience to deliberate, accidental or naturally occurring biological incidents. It follows the announcement last month of investment of more than £1 billion in a new campus in Weybridge to research and respond to animal and zoonotic diseases.

    Work to prepare NBC for operation will begin as soon as possible, with the first facilities due to open by the mid-2030s and the whole site scheduled to be in operation by 2038.

    By enhancing the UK’s resilience against biological threats, the opening of NBC will strengthen our national security – one of the essential foundations underpinning our Plan for Change.  

    Notes to editors:

    • Further information on the Network of National Biosecurity Centres: Network of National Biosecurity Centres – GOV.UK
    • The decision to open the new site in Harlow was made following an extensive review of the best ways to deliver the specialist laboratories that the UK needs, including the possibility of redeveloping existing sites.
    • UKHSA will continue operating from Colindale and Porton until the new Centre in Harlow is fully up and running, to ensure a safe and effective transition.
    • The DSTL site at Porton Down is not affected by this new development and will remain operational.
    • Of the total multi-billion investment in the Centre, £250 million will be spent by the Government over this Parliament alone to kickstart delivery. The exact total amount of funding for the Centre will be confirmed in due course.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Patients with long-term conditions to receive help from charities

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Patients with long-term conditions to receive help from charities

    Hundreds of thousands of patients with long-term conditions will be automatically referred to specialist charities at the point of diagnosis.

    • Better support to understand and manage conditions from day one, improving quality of life and avoiding unnecessary hospital visits, supporting an NHS fit for the future as part of the Plan for change
    • Announced by the Prime Minister at the Civil Society Summit – the service is yet another example of how the government is working with civil society to deliver for working people

    Hundreds of thousands of people diagnosed with long-term health conditions will receive extra help and support from expert charities, under a new service announced by the Prime Minister today (Thursday 17 July).

    Diagnosis Connect will ensure patients are referred directly to trusted charities and support organisations as soon as they are diagnosed – providing personalised advice, information and guidance to help them manage their condition and feel more in control. This support is designed to complement, not replace, their usual NHS care. It recognises the vital role that civil society plays in helping repair the health of the nation.

    With one in four people in the UK living with two or more long-term conditions this early, tailored support is vital. Patients living with multiple health issues often face the greatest challenges and the highest risk of complications. By helping people understand and manage their conditions from day one, the new service will help reduce flare-ups, improve quality of life and avoid unnecessary hospital visits.

    The service, due to be launched in 2026, will support a quarter of a million people in its first two years focusing on areas like diabetes, mental health and lung conditions. It will be scaled up to reach hundreds of thousands more over the coming years.

    The initiative, developed by the Richmond Group, was announced by the Prime Minister at the Civil Society Summit at the Science Museum, where he launched a new Civil Society Covenant to build stronger partnerships between government and charities, faith organisations, philanthropists, social investors and grassroots groups to deliver real results for working people.

    Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

    Being diagnosed with a long-term condition can be overwhelming. People are often handed a leaflet or a phone number and left to find help themselves—right when they’re feeling scared, confused and unsure where to turn.

    We’re changing that. Just as people with cancer or dementia are often guided to well-known charities for specialist advice and support, this new service will make sure patients with other long-term conditions are directly referred to trusted organisations from the moment they’re diagnosed.

    It’s about making it far easier to give people the emotional support, practical guidance and confidence they need to manage their condition and live fuller, more independent lives. Our Plan for Change is delivering for patients and making an NHs fit for the future.

    In its first stage, launching in 2026, Diagnosis Connect will focus on patients diagnosed in primary care—such as at their GP surgery. Patients will be automatically connected with specialist charities that offer helplines, information, local support groups and services tailored to their condition.

    As the programme expands, a digital referral system will allow NHS teams in all healthcare settings—including hospitals—to connect patients to a broad network of voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations.

    Initially, the service will focus on key areas such as diabetes, lung conditions and mental health, with further conditions added over time.

    As part of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan to shift the health service from analogue to digital, patients will be sent a text or push notification via the NHS App with information about relevant support groups and charities should they wish to seek further help.

    Juliet Bouverie OBE, CEO of the Stroke Association said:

    240 people of all ages wake up to stroke every day in the UK having lost the ability to move, speak or even swallow with lifelong repercussions for their mental health and quality of life. As the UK’s only stroke-specific support charity, we know the huge difference it makes to people affected by stroke to get information, help, and guidance easily and accessibly when they need it most. 

    We have recently been trialling a similar programme to ensure people affected by stroke know about our services right from the point of diagnosis. So, we’re confident that Diagnosis Connect can help transform the early stages of recovery and rehabilitation for the 1.4 million stroke survivors in the UK today and their loved ones. As the Government reforms the country’s healthcare, charities, like ourselves, have real potential to be an invaluable support for those who need us.

    Gemma Peters, Chief Executive Officer at Macmillan Cancer Support, said:

    We welcome today’s commitment from the Government to work in partnership to ensure support is available for people from day one. From the moment someone hears the words ‘you’ve got cancer’ lives are turned upside down and having the right support in place is vital.

    Currently, there are almost 3.5 million people living with cancer across the UK and too many people face unacceptable differences in their experiences of diagnosis, treatment, and care because of who they are or where they live. This has to change. Better is possible and through our work with the government we want to ensure that everyone living with cancer gets the best care the UK has to offer.

    Macmillan is here for everyone. No matter your question or your needs specially trained advisers are available on our Support Line and more ways to get support can also be found on our website.

    Duleep Allirajah, Chief Executive of The Richmond Group of Charities, said:

    We are delighted that the government, as part of its 10 Year Health Plan, has committed to this pioneering digitally enabled service, helping more people diagnosed with health conditions to manage through expert support from charities.

    Being diagnosed with a health condition can be a time of worry, questions and fears for the future. It’s when access to the right kind of support makes all the difference. Charities provide vital guidance, understanding and support to individuals, through personalised information, helplines, access to specialists and links to others who also live with the condition.

    The Richmond Group of Charities helped develop this proposal for automatic referrals to specialist charity support. We look forward to this becoming second-nature, so that all people with long-term conditions can benefit from support when they need it.

    Partner comments:

    Chris Larkin, Associate Director of Services at Alzheimer’s Society, said:

    There are currently around one million people in the UK living with dementia. A third of those are undiagnosed, leaving them to face the devastating realities of dementia without access to the vital care, support and treatment that a diagnosis can bring.

    For those who do manage to access a diagnosis, they tell us that finding the right support can often feel like trying to navigate a maze, with multiple dead ends and wrong turns. 

    Diagnosis Connect has the potential to hand families a map and steer them in the right direction, towards people who understand dementia, guiding them from diagnosis through to end of life.

    Alzheimer’s Society’s services are a lifeline for people affected by dementia. We’re ready to work with the Government and share our knowledge from supporting people through one of the hardest times in their lives.

     Sarah Sleet, Chief Executive at Asthma + Lung UK, said:

    We are delighted to see Diagnosis Connect being taken up by the government, an approach Asthma + Lung UK has already championed as a game-changer for people newly diagnosed with lung conditions. As the NHS shifts its focus from moving more care out of hospital and into the community, ensuring people have access to advice and support to manage chronic health conditions is crucial. It makes absolute sense for the government to work in partnership with health charities to do this, capitalising on our vast expertise and community connections.

    Respiratory illness is the leading cause of emergency hospital admissions, yet levels of basic care for lung conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are worryingly low.  Signposting people to organisations like Asthma + Lung UK from the moment they are diagnosed can make all the difference. We know that with the right support and information, people are better able manage their lung conditions, meaning they can stay well and out of hospital. We all have a role to play in supporting the NHS and keeping patients safe and supported. Asthma + Lung UK is committed to doing our part, together with other charities.

    Dr David Chaney, Director of Services, Community and Improvement at Diabetes UK, said:

    Being diagnosed with diabetes can be an overwhelming and often lonely experience. It can be difficult to know where to turn. Getting the right support from day one can make all the difference, giving people the best chance of living well with diabetes and reducing their risk of developing devastating complications in the future.

    We’re delighted to see the Government harnessing the support offered by charities, through Diagnosis Connect. By connecting people to charities from the moment of diagnosis, this initiative will help embed early, compassionate support into everyone’s diabetes journey, so no-one faces a life-changing diagnosis alone.

    Nick Moberly, Chief Executive at the MS Society, said:

    We’re really pleased the government is supporting Diagnosis Connect. More than 150,000 people live with MS in the UK, and this new service has real potential to ensure everyone gets timely information and vital support at diagnosis to help them live well with MS.

    This first stage is a positive step forward in better connecting the NHS to charities. Together with the Richmond Group we look forward to developing Diagnosis Connect to help provide personalised advice, information and guidance to our communities in England.

    Helen Buckingham, Chair of National Voices, said:

    Being diagnosed with a new and potentially serious health condition can be an overwhelming, burdensome and sometimes frightening experience. We know from our members that providing support at the point of diagnosis is vital to ensuring that people have the skills and confidence to manage their condition, reducing the risk of deterioration.

    The VCSE sector, properly funded, can play an important part in making the 10 Year vision a reality. This is just one example of the value of enabling the sector to perform their unique role in the health system; supporting the people they advocate for. We hope to see many more.

    David Newbold, Director of Community at Parkinson’s UK, said:

    We are pleased to see the government launch the first phase of Diagnosis Connect. This new initiative builds on the great work of many charities in supporting people as soon as they are diagnosed with a health condition.

    Since 2019, we have been trialling our own pioneering service, Parkinson’s Connect, which refers newly diagnosed people to our community of support. So we believe Diagnosis Connect will supercharge our service, ensuring no one is left uncertain of where to turn when diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

    We look forward to working with the DHSC and the NHS to shape and deliver this vital new programme.

    Rachel Power, Chief Executive, The Patients Association said:

    This is a welcome initiative that rightly recognises the vital role expert charity support plays in helping patients manage long-term conditions. Our work shows that patients living in underserved neighbourhoods often struggle to get the information they need and face barriers when communicating with healthcare professionals. Early access to trusted charities at the point of diagnosis can make a real difference.

    For it to truly succeed, the referral system needs to capture the full diversity of support available, from established national charities to grassroots community organisations. Done right, this could help reduce health inequalities and be transformative for all patient outcomes.

    Mark Winstanley, Chief Executive of Rethink Mental Illness, said:

    When people are struggling with their mental health, it can be hard to know where to turn. Charities like Rethink Mental Illness and Mental Health UK offer trusted, user-informed advice and support, built with and regularly reviewed by the people it’s designed to help. Diagnostics Connect will help ensure people get the best possible guidance when they need it most.

    Our work in areas like Somerset, Sheffield and Tower Hamlets has shown the positive impact of the NHS working in partnership with charities and community groups to create smoother pathways to care. This initiative is an important step forward, strengthening the third sector’s vital role in complementing the NHS and ensuring people get the support they need.

    Deborah Alsina, Chief Executive, Versus Arthritis said:

    More than 450,000 people are diagnosed with arthritis every year, so it is essential they can access the right information, care and support swiftly.

    As the UK’s leading arthritis charity, we are encouraged by the Government’s new initiative to connect people at the point of diagnosis with expert charities like Versus Arthritis.

    Living life in the grip of the pain and fatigue caused by arthritis can leave people isolated and too often kickstart a downward spiralling of both mental and physical health. Early intervention and support at this crucial time will enable people to manage their condition and navigate the health system with greater confidence. We look forward to working with the Government and our partners in the Richmond Group of Charities to deliver this important new service.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: What will batteries of the future be made of? Four scientists discuss the options – podcast

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gemma Ware, Host, The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation

    The majority of the world’s rechargeable batteries are now made using lithium-ion. Most rely on a combination of different rare earth metals such as cobalt or nickel for their electrodes. But around the world, teams of researchers are looking for alternative – and more sustainable – materials to build the batteries of the future.

    In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we speak to four scientists  who are testing a variety of potential battery materials about the promises they may offer.

    When lithium-ion batteries emerged in the 1990s, they were a huge breakthrough, says Laurence Hardwick, a professor of electrochemistry at the University of Liverpool in the UK. He explains that lithium-ion batteries “ became commercialised at the same time as the mobile electronics industry really took off”. But their subsequent use in electric cars now presents “a challenge of scale”, given the use of rare earth minerals within their components.

    Hardwick is director of the Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy, named after the 19th-century engineer George Stephenson – builder of the world’s first inter-city rail link between Liverpool and Manchester, which passed close by to the University of Liverpool’s campus.

    Hardwick’s work focuses on what other materials could be used either in conjunction with lithium, or on their own, to diversify battery manufacturing away from rare earth metals. Part of this includes research on solid-state batteries, which use ceramic plates rather than a solvents to conduct the ions that provide the charge. “ Solid-state batteries offer a lot of potential energy-gaining benefits and safety benefits,” he says.

    Sodium-ion is also being touted as a potential alternative to lithium-ion batteries. Robert Armstrong, principal research fellow in chemistry at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, is part of a consortium of UK-based researchers working on questions around sodium-ion batteries, including what type of electrodes and electrolytes work best.

    Like potassium-ion, which is also a potential battery candidate, sodium-ion is heavier than lithium-ion, but Armstrong says sodium is  fairly evenly abundant: “So you don’t have the supply issues that might affect lithium-ion, and you’re not like to see the same price volatility.”

    Some Chinese manufacturers in China, such as BYD and CATL, are pushing ahead with sodium-ion batteries for cars, despite the fact they’re heavier than lithium-ion batteries. There’s also interest in sodium-based technology in countries in the Arabian Gulf that use desalination plants. “They’ve got all this sodium kicking around. Why not make use of it?” says Armstrong.

    Batteries which biodegrade

    Terracell on display at the Prototypes for Humanity 2024 showcase in Dubai.
    Gemma Ware, CC BY-SA

    Other researchers are looking at how to make batteries out of plant-based materials that are biodegradable. Bill Yen, a PhD candidate in electrical engineering at Stanford University, is part of a team who are developing Terracell, a type of battery that generates power using microbes in the soil.

    Their inspiration was how to power environmental sensors in damp environments without leaving lots of electronic waste behind at the end of the battery’s life. Terracell won the energy category of the Prototypes for Humanity 2024 event in 2024 in Dubai, a  showcase for sustainable solutions to the world’s problems.

    Also in Dubai was Ulugbek Asimov, a professor of mechanical and construction engineering at Northumbria University in the UK, who is developing BioPower Cells, a type of rechargeable battery made from waste products such as coffee which doesn’t contain any rare earth metals. “  And at the end of its lifespan, we drop it into boiling water and it will be turned into liquid ionic fertilizer,” Asimov said.

    Listen to The Conversation Weekly to hear the conversations with these four scientists about their work and the batteries of the future.

    Applications are now open for early career researchers to submit their projects for the Prototypes for Humanity 2025 awards and showcase in Dubai.

    This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Gemma Ware with assistance from Mend Mariwany and Katie Flood. Mixing and sound design by Eloise Stevens and theme music by Neeta Sarl.

    Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our RSS feed or find out how else to listen here. A transcript of this episode is available on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

    Bill Yen has received funding for his work on Terracell from National Science Foundation, the Agricultural and Food Research Initiative and support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation,VMware Research, and 3M. Laurence Hardwick has received funding from the Faraday Institution and is a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Ulugbek Asimoz has received funding from the Northern Accelerator Proof of Concept to develop certain stages of the BioPower Cells project, which will be a spinout company from Northumbria University in the future. Robert Armstrong has received funding from the Faraday Institution and funding from EPSRC and Leverhulme Trust.

    – ref. What will batteries of the future be made of? Four scientists discuss the options – podcast – https://theconversation.com/what-will-batteries-of-the-future-be-made-of-four-scientists-discuss-the-options-podcast-261294

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI China: Valid invention patents in China’s strategic emerging industries exceed 1.47M

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

    The number of valid invention patents in China’s strategic emerging industries had exceeded 1.47 million by the end of June 2025, accounting for around 70% of all high-value invention patents. These patents are concentrated in key areas such as artificial intelligence, new energy, green development, and life and health sciences, an official of the China National Intellectual Property Administration said on Thursday.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New appointments to Board of the Office for Environmental Protection

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    New appointments to Board of the Office for Environmental Protection

    Two appointments and two re-appointments to the OEP Board

    Professor Elizabeth Fisher and Caroline May have been appointed as Non-Executive Directors of the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), and Professor Dan Laffoley and Dr Paul Leinster CBE have been reappointed for second terms.

    Elizabeth Fisher’s and Caroline May’s new roles will run from 1 July 2025 until 30 June 2029. Dan Laffoley’s and Paul Leinster’s second terms will run from 1 July 2025 to 31 December 2026.

    The appointments have been made in accordance with the Ministerial Governance Code on Public Appointments published by the Cabinet Office. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.

    The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) was created in November 2021 under the Environment Act. It is an independent statutory body with a remit to protect and improve the environment by holding government and other public authorities to account in England and Northern Ireland.

    Biographies

    Professor Elizabeth Fisher

    • Professor Elizabeth Fisher is Professor of Environmental Law at the Faculty of Law and a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford.

    • She has over three decades of experience as an environmental law academic and writes widely on environmental law and administrative law in national common law jurisdictions.

    • She was General Editor of the Journal of Environmental Law from 2012 to 2022 and from 2022 to 2025 she held a Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship for a project exploring legal imagination and environmental law.

    • She is a Delegate of Oxford University Press and has served as Vice Dean of the Oxford Law Faculty. She is also an Overseas Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law and has been a Member of the OEP’s Advisory Group on Environmental Principles since 2023.

    Caroline May

    • Caroline May has been a specialist environmental  lawyer for over 35 years. She is currently head of the environment, ESG and safety practice for Europe, Middle East and Asia at global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright, where she has been a partner since 2006.

    • She is Chair of the Law Society Climate Change Committee which produced the world’s first professional services guidance on climate change.

    • She is Honorary President of the Legal Sustainability Alliance and a former Director of leading sustainability NGO, the Aldersgate Group. She sat on the National Council of the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association (UKELA) for 6 years.

    • She is a Freeman of the City of London and is listed in the Ends Power List 2024, as a Green Ambassador for the UK by Legal 500, and in the Guide to the World’s Leading Environmental Lawyers.

    Professor Dan Laffoley

    • Professor Dan Laffoley is a scientist, communicator, explorer and marine biologist, with over four decades of experience in the UK, Europe and around the world.  He is a UK and international expert on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and conservation.

    • He is Emeritus Marine Vice Chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s World Commission on Protected Areas responsible for global targets and guidance on ocean protection.

    • Prior to that he led the development and scale-up of the marine conservation work of Natural England and English Nature. He has been responsible for the creation of many global, European and UK public and private sector partnerships, alliances and frameworks that underpin modern-day marine conservation.

    • This work includes creating the concept behind Blue Carbon, scaling up knowledge and action on ocean warming, acidification and deoxygenation, scaling-up work on marine World Heritage and conservation of the High Seas, and various global guidance on implementing MPAs and marine spatial planning.

    Dr Paul Leinster CBE

    • Dr Paul Leinster CBE has over 40 years of practical experience in environmental management, science, policy and regulatory development and implementation in the private and public sectors.

    • He is Chair of Water Resources East, the Cambridge Water Scarcity Group, the Bedfordshire Local Nature Partnership, the Great Ouse Rivers Trust, and the Upper and Bedford Ouse Catchment Partnership and is a Board Member of Delphic HSE.

    • He is a visiting professor at Cranfield University where from October 2015 to December 2020 he was Professor of Environmental Assessment and was a Member of the Government’s Natural Capital Committee.

    • Immediately prior to this, he was Chief Executive of the Environment Agency for more than seven years. Prior to joining the EA in 1998 he worked for more than 20 years in the private sector.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: GUU and the All-Russian Society “Knowledge” held an educational lecture for foreign students “Achievements of Crimea”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Official website of the State –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    On July 16, 2025, a lecture “Achievements of Crimea” for foreign students at the State University of Management was held at the site of the State University of Management as part of the All-Russian Society “Knowledge” project.

    The speaker was Andrey Boltaevsky, a lecturer of the All-Russian Society “Knowledge”, head of the Department of Humanities and Foreign Languages at the Russian University of Cooperation, and candidate of historical sciences.

    Let us recall that the cooperation agreement between the State University of Management and the All-Russian Society “Knowledge” was signed at the end of last year.

    During the lecture, foreign students were introduced to the regional characteristics of the Republic of Crimea, the history of its return to the Russian Federation in 2014, the main attractions, the latest infrastructure, which includes the Crimean Bridge, the Tavrida highway, medical and energy facilities.

    Foreign students of the State University of Management are interested in the possibilities of visiting the Republic of Crimea, social relations between ethnic groups of the peninsula and the conditions of participation in the art cluster “Tavrida”, which is a platform of opportunities for creative youth.

    In conclusion, the students thanked the speaker for the informative information and wished success to the project “Learn Russia with Knowledge”.

    The Russian Society “Knowledge” is a public organization, with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, which carries out educational work in the regions, forms intellectual content, organizes and conducts free lectures, as well as various events in the field of education, social support and social protection of students and pupils of educational institutions and the elderly. Today, this is an organization that unites tens of thousands of representatives of the Russian intelligentsia.

    The event was organized by the State University of Management and the All-Russian Society “Knowledge” with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: DWS to probe presence of ARVs in water after university study

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Thursday, July 17, 2025

    The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) says it will engage the North West University (NWU) on the study findings of traces of anti-retroviral (ARV) medicines in water resources.

    The research was conducted by the NWU’s Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management and the Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research. It found that ARVs appear to be entering water resources through municipal wastewater treatment systems, which were usually not designed to remove such chemicals.

    The report titled, ‘Quantification, fate, and hazard assessment of HIV-ARVs in water resources’, revealed significant concentrations of ARVs in water sources, particularly downstream of wastewater treatment plants.

    The drugs most frequently detected were lopinavir and efavirenz, with concentrations at some sites far exceeding global norms.

    According to the study, this is attributed to South Africa’s large-scale HIV treatment programme, the most extensive of its kind worldwide.

    The research highlighted alarming effects on aquatic ecosystems and wastewater management systems. Freshwater snails exposed to ARVs exhibited altered embryonic development, while bacteriophages – viruses critical to controlling bacteria in wastewater treatment – were significantly impacted.

    “Such disruptions could lead to bacterial bloom and reduced water quality. The consumption of any type of exogenous drug by any organism in sufficient quantities may intervene with the regulation of metabolic systems and bring about adverse effects. The presence of antiretrovirals in water can be considered a hidden or latent risk,” the report noted.

    The report was submitted to the Water Research Commission (WRC).

    The DWS said it will engage the university on its findings and potential impacts.

    “This will be done in conjunction with the Water Research Commission and the Department of Health,” the department said in a statement on Wednesday. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: New discovery at Cern could hint at why our universe is made up of matter and not antimatter

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By William Barter, UKRI Future Leaders Fellow, University of Edinburgh

    Why didn’t the universe annihilate itself moments after the big bang? A new finding at Cern on the French-Swiss border brings us closer to answering this fundamental question about why matter dominates over its opposite – antimatter.

    Much of what we see in everyday life is made up of matter. But antimatter exists in much smaller quantities. Matter and antimatter are almost direct opposites. Matter particles have an antimatter counterpart that has the same mass, but the opposite electric charge. For example, the matter proton particle is partnered by the antimatter antiproton, while the matter electron is partnered by the antimatter positron.

    However, the symmetry in behaviour between matter and antimatter is not perfect. In a paper published this week in Nature, the team working on an experiment at Cern, called LHCb, has reported that it has discovered differences in the rate at which matter particles called baryons decay relative to the rate of their antimatter counterparts. In particle physics, decay refers to the process where unstable subatomic particles transform into two or more lighter, more stable particles.

    According to cosmological models, equal amounts of matter and antimatter were made in the big bang. If matter and antimatter particles come in contact, they annihilate one another, leaving behind pure energy. With this in mind, it’s a wonder that the universe doesn’t consist only of leftover energy from this annihilation process.

    However, astronomical observations show that there is now a negligible amount of antimatter in the universe compared to the amount of matter. We therefore know that matter and antimatter must behave differently, such that the antimatter has disappeared while the matter has not.

    Understanding what causes this difference in behaviour between matter and antimatter is a key unanswered question. While there are differences between matter and antimatter in our best theory of fundamental quantum physics, the standard model, these differences are far too small to explain where all the antimatter has gone.

    So we know there must be additional fundamental particles that we haven’t found yet, or effects beyond those described in the standard model. These would give rise to large enough differences in the behaviour of matter and antimatter for our universe to exist in its current form.

    Revealing new particles

    Highly precise measurements of the differences between matter and antimatter are a key topic of research because they have the potential to be influenced by and reveal these new fundamental particles, helping us discover the physics that led to the universe we live in today.

    Differences between matter and antimatter have previously been observed in the behaviour of another type of particle, mesons, which are made of a quark and an antiquark. There are also hints of differences in how the matter and antimatter versions of a further type of particle, the neutrino, behave as they travel.

    Equivalent amounts of matter and antimatter were generated by the Big Bang.
    Triff / Shutterstock

    The new measurement from LHCb has found differences between baryons and antibaryons, which are made of three quarks and three antiquarks respectively. Significantly, baryons make up most of the known matter in our universe, and this is the first time that we have observed differences between matter and antimatter in this group of particles.

    The LHCb experiment at the Large Hadron Collider is designed to make highly precise measurements of differences in the behaviour of matter and antimatter. The experiment is operated by an international collaboration of scientists, made up of over 1,800 people based in 24 countries. In order to achieve the new result, the LHCb team studied over 80,000 baryons (“lambda-b” baryons, which are made up of a beauty quark, an up quark and a down quark) and their antimatter counterparts.

    Crucially, we found that these baryons decay to specific subatomic particles (a proton, a kaon and two pions) slightly more frequently – 5% more often – than the rate at which the same process happens with antiparticles. While small, this difference is statistically significant enough to be the first observation of differences in behaviour between baryon and antibaryon decays.

    To date, all measurements of matter-antimatter differences have been consistent with the small level present in the standard model. While the new measurement from LHCb is also in line with this theory, it is a major step forward. We have now seen differences in the behaviour of matter and antimatter in the group of particles that dominate the known matter of the universe. It’s a potential step in the direction of understanding why that situation came to be after the big bang.

    With the current and forthcoming data runs of LHCb we will be able to study these differences forensically, and, we hope, tease out any sign of new fundamental particles that might be present.

    William Barter works for the University of Edinburgh. He receives funding from UKRI. He is a member of the LHCb collaboration at Cern.

    – ref. New discovery at Cern could hint at why our universe is made up of matter and not antimatter – https://theconversation.com/new-discovery-at-cern-could-hint-at-why-our-universe-is-made-up-of-matter-and-not-antimatter-261274

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The East is a promising business: Polytechnic and Chinese institutes on the way to new projects

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    A delegation from Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute (JITRI) and Tsinghua University Suzhou Automobile Research Institute (TSARI) arrived at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University to strengthen their strategic partnership. The visit was led by JITRI First Deputy Director Gao Jun.

    China is a key partner of SPbPU: the university has more than 60 active agreements with Chinese universities and companies, including two large joint institutes in Jiangsu and Xi’an, where over a thousand students study. SPbPU itself has 2,200 Chinese students — almost half of the foreign contingent.

    The meeting participants discussed the expansion of academic mobility programs. Of particular interest was the JITRI Co-op internship program, which provides paid internships at leading Chinese research institutes and companies in the following areas: new materials, information and communication technologies, energy, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing. The Polytechnic University confirmed its readiness to organize an open competition among talented students and young scientists to participate in the program.

    Scientific cooperation will also receive a boost: the parties agreed to intensify joint projects in the field of digital twins of power plants, artificial intelligence for industrial systems and polymer composite materials. Three major projects are already being implemented, including the BRICS grant won in sustainable development management with Nanjing University.

    “Today, our laboratories are looking to the East,” said Dmitry Arsenyev, Vice-Rector for International Affairs at SPbPU. “China has not only caught up with the technological leaders, but is setting new standards, and the Polytechnic University will orient students toward internships at JITRI, in your laboratories and at production facilities. This is a new vector — from the fundamental research of the Polytechnic University to Chinese industrial practice.”

    In response, the JITRI delegation proposed the creation of working groups to develop specific initiatives, including joint workshops and the involvement of industrial partners.

    Prospects for cooperation include the participation of the Russian Academy of Sciences: SPbPU is closely connected with its St. Petersburg branch, which unites 50 research institutes. Rector of SPbPU and Chairman of the St. Petersburg branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrey Rudskoy signed a cooperation agreement in 2023 with Director of the Shanghai branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Hu Jinbo.

    “The doors of any institute of the Academy of Sciences are open to JITRI,” said Dmitry Germanovich, proposing to synchronize efforts with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. To ensure prompt work, the parties plan to hold a virtual round table in the coming months.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Civil Society Covenant: Transforming the NHS

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Case study

    Civil Society Covenant: Transforming the NHS

    Collaboration shaping people’s health for the future.

    Through open dialogue and partnerships with civil society, the UK government’s Health Mission is building a National Health Service (NHS) in England fit for the future.

    The Department of Health and Social Care put in place a comprehensive engagement strategy to inform the development of the 10 Year Health Plan, which translates the thousands of insights gathered into a clear plan of action. Civil society can play a vital role in supporting the three fundamental shifts: from hospital to community, analogue to digital and treatment to prevention.

    The 10 Year Health Plan includes an explicit goal to make the NHS the best possible partner and the world’s most collaborative public healthcare provider. Bottom-up and grass roots innovation is how we’ll maximise progress. Alongside setting strategy, the Plan will have an explicit goal to harness partnerships with investors, industry, local government, employers, SMEs, voluntary organisations and trade unions. Deepening the relationship with civil society partners will help deliver the 10 Year Health Plan’s aims, including by fostering a ‘neighbourhood health service’ model.

    The ambition is to use a plurality of providers – from within the NHS, the voluntary sector, the independent sector and social enterprise. Where there is such rapid innovation taking place today in how services can be transformed through advances in science and technology, the government wants to broaden the eco-system of providers. For example, there is enormous potential for a wide range of providers to offer real value in the Neighbourhood Health Service. Our aim is to establish a neighbourhood health centre in every community, a one-stop-shop for patient care and the place from which multi-disciplinary teams operate. Neighbourhood health centres will co-locate NHS, local authority and voluntary sector services, to help create an offer that meets population needs holistically.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 17 July 2025 Departmental update Building local research capacity to advance sexual and reproductive health evidence

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Behind every policy and intervention that improves sexual and reproductive health outcomes and access to services, there is research. And behind that research, there must be skilled researchers. With evidence guiding decisions, health systems respond more effectively, services improve and rights are upheld.

    The HRP Alliance’s regional hubs have been demonstrating what it means to build sustainable research capacity in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Anchored in the mission to promote health and rights for all, the HRP Alliance, coordinated by the UN’s Special Programme in Human Reproduction (HRP), brings together seven regional ‘hubs’ that serve as catalysts for knowledge, collaboration and innovation.

    Since its establishment in 2017, the HRP Alliance hubs have been empowering local researchers and institutions through training, mentorship, fellowships and institutional support. Moreover, they enable context-specific responses to some of the world’s most pressing SRHR challenges. Seven impact stories document how locally-led research through this initiative has driven global progress.

    In Brazil, the hub for the Americas region at the Campinas Reproductive Health Research Center (CEMICAMP) responded to the Venezuelan migration crisis by training researchers across the region to study the SRHR needs of displaced populations. Their findings on access to care, HIV treatment and sexual violence helped close a major data gap which led to a more human-centred understanding of the needs of displaced populations.

    In Burkina Faso, the Francophone Africa hub, housed at the Health Science Research Institute (IRSS), is creating a regional data and training centre, with 50 Master’s and PhD graduates now leading research and public health efforts across West and Central Africa. Their studies on postpartum contraception and maternal care are informing health strategies.

    In Ghana, the Anglophone Africa hub, housed at the University of Ghana’s School of Public Health, launched a joint master’s programme with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The joint programme has built on years of investment by the HRP Alliance in developing a critical mass of skilled researchers in SRHR. Graduates have gone on to lead national SRHR units and contribute to major studies on adolescent maternal care and quality of services.

    In Kenya, the hub at the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) developed a training programme to help researchers and health workers reflect on their personal beliefs and how these might affect their work on sensitive issues like abortion, sexuality and HIV. The model, called values clarification and attitude transformation training, is now being adopted across Africa.

    In Pakistan, the Eastern Mediterranean hub at Aga Khan University worked directly with hospitals during COVID-19, training researchers and influencing maternal care practices, as well as including the adoption of tools to detect maternal sepsis. Their adaptive, hospital-linked approach is now seen as a model for emergency-responsive research.

    In Thailand, the hub for the South-East Asian Region at Khon Kaen University focused its efforts on Myanmar, training a core group of researchers to generate evidence in a fragile setting. Their work on respectful maternity care and cervical cancer screening is now helping to shape maternal health policies, aimed at improving care quality, reducing mistreatment during childbirth and increasing access to lifesaving screening services.

    And in Viet Nam, the hub for the Western Pacific Region at Hanoi Medical University created a dedicated SRHR track within its International Master of Public Health programme, equipping researchers with the tools to address issues relating to adolescent health and gender-based violence. Graduates reported strengthened skills in data analysis, literature review and research presentation, and several went on to work in national health institutions, including the Ministry of Health.

    The stories capture how each hub has been working in its own way. Some prioritize formal academic pathways; others focus on skills development through short courses, mentorship or practical implementation research. All share a common goal: building lasting, regionally-led research ecosystems that respond to regional needs.

    Because when researchers are trained locally, mentored locally and supported to ask the right questions, health systems respond better. SRHR services improve. And people’s rights, choices and dignity are upheld.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Geeking out, China’s high-tech factory floors adored as ‘industrial Disneyland’

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

    Robots work at Xiaomi’s automobile factory in Beijing, capital of China, June 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Getting a pass into Xiaomi’s car plant in suburban Beijing feels like snagging front-row tickets to the world’s hottest concert.

    “Application accepted!” Wang Shuang crowed, posting a screenshot to social media. “The last time I felt this giddy was when I landed a Taylor Swift ticket.”

    Welcome to China’s newest travel craze: high-tech factories have joined ancient palaces and world-class museums as the nation’s must-see destinations.

    China has dominated as the world’s manufacturing powerhouse for fifteen straight years. Yet, in just the past two years, the robust rise of smart manufacturing has revolutionized the country’s once dreary, clang-and-hiss assembly lines into a cultural phenomenon or “industrial Disneyland.”

    Chinese manufacturers aren’t pioneering this factory fascination. France’s Citroen ignited the trend in the 1950s. Boeing and Toyota plants remain the top U.S. and Japan draws.

    As the country’s industrial prowess ascends from the lower rungs of the global supply chain to a technology-driven frontier, a profound shift has taken hold. An increasing number of Chinese people now celebrate mechanical ingenuity with reverence, as their pride in homegrown sectors flourishes.

    The registration page of Xiaomi, a headline-grabbing newcomer to the electric vehicle (EV) sector last year, was still live ticking: beside the tiny line “20 spots only,” the counter read “4,060 already applied” as a scramble ensued to witness robotic arms assembling electric cars.

    Wang snagged that coveted ticket only after camping on the official website for days, finger tap-dancing like a twitchy trigger, until the confirmation flashed alive.

    Tech odyssey 

    Under the scorching sun, the lucky visitor Wang stepped into the factory complex as scheduled. The two-hour journey felt like a tech-filled odyssey. She rode a shuttle vehicle that zipped through the six major workshops: stamping, large die casting, body welding, painting, battery assembly and final assembly.

    In her experience, factories were enclosed, dusty, and filled with workers in safety helmets. This time, she saw robotic arms working with micron-level precision on the factory floor and AI-driven robots moving freely along planned routes to deliver battery cell components to their destinations.

    “It takes just 76 seconds to churn out a new car,” Wang exclaimed in amazement. “Quicker than whipping up a latte.”

    NIO, another domestic EV manufacturer, has opened its “Second Advanced Manufacturing Base” to the public since October 2023. Visitors can also tour the facility, which is filled with robotic arms, from an elevated corridor. In 2024, over 130,000 people visited the site, including about 900 from overseas.

    The moves to open production lines to the public came as China’s new energy vehicles have topped the global production and sales charts for nine consecutive years. Along with lithium batteries and photovoltaic products, they form China’s “new export trio,” showcasing the technological upgrades of “Made in China.”

    Freya Zhang, a research analyst at the investment consulting firm Tech Buzz China, told the journal Wired that China’s EV factory tour “offers a chance to not only see the production line up close, but also experience the human side of the brand.”

    Beyond EVs, emerging tech hubs are becoming pilgrimage sites. In Hangzhou, an innovative magnet in east China, robotics pioneers like Unitree Robotics draw curated tour groups.

    At the AG600 final-assembly plant in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai — host city of China’s premier airshow — a steady stream of visitors was filing through the country’s only extensive special-mission aircraft production line that is open to the public.

    The AG600 line attracts roughly 40,000 visitors a year, with open-day slots almost booked out to a crowd dominated by the young. The domestically developed amphibious aircraft, which has already entered mass production, can swiftly shuttle between water sources and fire sites, making it a powerful tool for forest firefighting.

    The destination of industry tourism is also emerging from unexpected origins: waste treatment plants. Not far from Zhuhai, Shenzhen, an economic hub of China, now welcomes visitors to four such “eco-parks.”

    One social platform user from Xiaohongshu posted about their visit: The true spectacle lies in the industrial-scale choreography of the facility’s central sorting hall, where a colossal hydraulic claw, operating with uncanny precision, plunges into mountains of refuse and sorts recyclables. “It provides a sense of satisfaction akin to that of playing a claw crane game.”

    New growth 

    China hosts over 40 percent of the world’s “lighthouse factories,” and more assembly lines have been digitally transformed, creating an ideal foundation for transforming humans on factory floors into a cultural canvas.

    More Chinese cities have made industrial tourism their new engines for growth. In February, Beijing vowed to create five national industrial-tourism demonstration bases by 2027 and become a leading destination by 2029.

    The city’s tourism blueprint includes opening high-level autonomous driving scenarios, rocket institutes, low-altitude economy, and green energy routes, while inviting research institutes to grant public access to select labs and assembly halls.

    Local governments are also looking to outfit industrial tourism itself with next-gen stagecraft: Shanghai is set to weave large language models, the metaverse and blockchain into richer cultural narratives, while Hunan province in central China will deploy AR, VR, AI, 5G, 3D cinema, and holography to build fully immersive worlds.

    “Industrial tourism is a nexus where secondary and tertiary industries converge,” said Chen Wei, an expert from Tsinghua University. “It can fuel consumption, expand domestic demand, and promote industrial science education.”

    Among the facilities listed as national industrial tourism demonstration bases are Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, the aerospace supercomputing center in the island province of Hainan, and the Zhuzhou electric locomotive production line in Hunan, which is a cradle of China’s high-speed trains, according to China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

    “Fast-tracking industrial tourism is a strategic move in building a modern industrial system, which serves to unlock growth potential for regional economic vitality,” said Chen. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: Valour Enters Swiss Market with HBAR and ICP Staking ETP Listings on SIX Swiss Exchange

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Valour Launches First Products on SIX Swiss Exchange: Valour has officially entered the Swiss market with the listing of two staking ETPs—1Valour Hedera (HBAR) and 1Valour Internet Computer (ICP)—on the SIX Swiss Exchange.
    • Access to Native Yield Through Regulated ETPs: Both products offer secure, transparent, and regulated exposure to HBAR and ICP, while integrating native staking rewards directly into their structure.
    • Accelerating Toward 100 ETPs in Europe: With this launch, Valour now offers over 75 ETPs across Europe and continues to expand its footprint in line with its goal of reaching 100 ETPs by the end of 2025.

    TORONTO, July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DeFi Technologies (the “Company” or “DeFi Technologies”) (Nasdaq: DEFT) (CBOE CA: DEFI) (GR: R9B), a financial technology company bridging the gap between traditional capital markets and decentralized finance (“DeFi”), is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, Valour Inc., and Valour Digital Securities Limited (together, “Valour“), a leading issuer of exchange traded products (“ETPs“) has successfully listed two digital asset ETPs on the SIX Swiss Exchange—marking its inaugural product launch in Switzerland.

    The newly listed products are:

    • 1Valour Hedera (HBAR) Physical Staking (ISIN: GB00BRC6JM96)
    • 1Valour Internet Computer (ICP) Physical Staking (ISIN: GB00BS2BDN04)

    These cross-listed ETPs are already trading on other major European exchanges and will now be accessible to Swiss investors through their existing brokerage accounts. With competitive management fees and integrated staking rewards, both products provide secure, transparent, and regulated access to digital assets while enabling investors to benefit from native protocol yields.

    About the Listed Products

    1Valour Hedera (HBAR) Physical Staking
    HBAR is the native token of the Hedera network, a high-throughput, proof-of-stake public ledger designed for enterprise-grade applications. This ETP offers investors exposure to HBAR while capturing staking rewards—distributed directly to the product and reflected in its net asset value—without requiring users to manage wallets or custodianship themselves.

    1Valour Internet Computer (ICP) Physical Staking ICP powers the Internet Computer, a decentralized network that enables secure, scalable smart contract execution and web-speed blockchain functionality. This ETP provides passive exposure to ICP while generating staking yield, enabling investors to participate in the network’s native economics via a traditional financial instrument.

    Executive Commentary

    Johanna Belitz, Head of Nordics and DACH at Valour, commented:
    “Launching on SIX is a major milestone in our mission to democratize access to digital assets. Switzerland is one of the most forward-looking markets for regulated crypto products, and we’re proud to offer investors here access to yield-bearing protocols like HBAR and ICP in a simple and compliant format.”

    Elaine Buehler, Head of Products at Valour, added:
    “Our debut on the SIX Swiss Exchange reflects growing institutional and retail appetite for digital asset products that generate yield. These ETPs not only give investors exposure to two high-quality blockchain ecosystems—they do so through structures designed for security, simplicity, and accessibility.”

    With the addition of these products on SIX, Valour continues to expand its footprint across Europe, now offering over 75 ETPs on exchanges including Spotlight (Sweden), Börse Frankfurt (Germany), Euronext (Paris and Amsterdam), and now SIX (Switzerland). The Company remains on track to reach its goal of 100 ETPs by year-end 2025.

    About DeFi Technologies
    DeFi Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: DEFT) (CBOE CA: DEFI) (GR: R9B) is a financial technology company bridging the gap between traditional capital markets and decentralized finance (“DeFi”). As the first Nasdaq-listed digital asset manager of its kind, DeFi Technologies offers equity investors diversified exposure to the broader decentralized economy through its integrated and scalable business model. This includes Valour, which offers access to over sixty-five of the world’s most innovative digital assets via regulated ETPs; Stillman Digital, a digital asset prime brokerage focused on institutional-grade execution and custody; Reflexivity Research, which provides leading research into the digital asset space; Neuronomics, which develops quantitative trading strategies and infrastructure; and DeFi Alpha, the company’s internal arbitrage and trading business line. With deep expertise across capital markets and emerging technologies, DeFi Technologies is building the institutional gateway to the future of finance. Follow DeFi Technologies on LinkedIn and X/Twitter, and for more details, visit https://defi.tech/  

    DeFi Technologies Subsidiaries

    About Valour
    Valour Inc. and Valour Digital Securities Limited (together, “Valour”) issues exchange traded products (“ETPs”) that enable retail and institutional investors to access digital assets in a simple and secure way via their traditional bank account. Valour is part of the asset management business line of DeFi Technologies. For more information about Valour, to subscribe, or to receive updates, visit valour.com.

    About Reflexivity Research
    Reflexivity Research LLC is a leading research firm specializing in the creation of high-quality, in-depth research reports for the bitcoin and digital asset industry, empowering investors with valuable insights. For more information please visit https://www.reflexivityresearch.com/

    About Stillman Digital
    Stillman Digital is a leading digital asset liquidity provider that offers limitless liquidity solutions for businesses, focusing on industry-leading trade execution, settlement, and technology. For more information, please visit https://www.stillmandigital.com

    About Neuronomics AG
    Neuronomics AG is a Swiss asset management firm specializing in AI-powered quantitative trading strategies. By integrating artificial intelligence, computational neuroscience and quantitative finance, Neuronomics delivers cutting-edge solutions that drive superior risk-adjusted performance in financial markets. For more information please visit https://www.neuronomics.com/

    Cautionary note regarding forward-looking information:
    This press release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to the the listing of 1Valour Hedera (HBAR) Physical Staking ETP, 1Valour Internet Computer (ICP) Physical Staking ETP; the development of the Internet Computer protocol, Hedera blockchain; development of additional ETPs and the number of ETPs anticipated by end of 2025; investor confidence in Valour’s ETPs; investor interest and confidence in digital assets; the regulatory environment with respect to the growth and adoption of decentralized finance; the pursuit by the Company and its subsidiaries of business opportunities; and the merits or potential returns of any such opportunities. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company, as the case may be, to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but is not limited the acceptance of Valour ETPs by exchanges; growth and development of decentralised finance and cryptocurrency sector; rules and regulations with respect to decentralised finance and cryptocurrency; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

    THE CBOE CANADA EXCHANGE DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE

    For further information, please contact:

    Olivier Roussy Newton
    Chief Executive Officer
    ir@defi.tech
    (323) 537-7681

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Rainbow Warrior bombing by French secret agents remembered 40 years on

    SPECIAL REPORT: By Te Aniwaniwa Paterson of Te Ao Māori News

    Forty years ago today, French secret agents bombed the Greenpeace campaign flagship  Rainbow Warrior in an attempt to stop the environmental organisation’s protest against nuclear testing at Moruroa Atoll in Mā’ohi Nui.

    People gathered on board Rainbow Warrior III to remember photographer Fernando Pereira, who was killed in the attack, and to honour the legacy of those who stood up to nuclear testing in the Pacific.

    The Rainbow Warrior’s final voyage before the bombing was Operation Exodus, a humanitarian mission to the Marshall Islands. There, Greenpeace helped relocate more than 320 residents of Rongelap Atoll, who had been exposed to radiation from US nuclear testing.

    The dawn ceremony was hosted by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and attended by more than 150 people. Speeches were followed by the laying of a wreath and a moment of silence.

    Photographer Fernando Pereira and a woman from Rongelap on the day the Rainbow Warrior arrived in Rongelap Atoll in May 1985. Image: David Robie/Eyes of Fire

    Tui Warmenhoven (Ngāti Porou), the chair of the Greenpeace Aotearoa board, said it was a day to remember for the harm caused by the French state against the people of Mā’ohi Nui.

    Warmenhoven worked for 20 years in iwi research and is a grassroots, Ruatoria-based community leader who works to integrate mātauranga Māori with science to address climate change in Te Tai Rāwhiti.

    She encouraged Māori to stand united with Greenpeace.

    “Ko te mea nui ki a mātou, a Greenpeace Aotearoa, ko te whawhai i ngā mahi tūkino a rātou, te kāwanatanga, ngā rangatōpū, me ngā tāngata whai rawa, e patu ana i a mātou, te iwi Māori, ngā iwi o te ao, me ō mātou mātua, a Ranginui rāua ko Papatūānuku,” e ai ki a Warmenhoven.

    Tui Warmenhoven and Dr Russel Norman in front of Rainbow Warrior III on 10 July 2025. Image:Te Ao Māori News

    A defining moment in Aotearoa’s nuclear-free stand
     “The bombing of the Rainbow Warrior was a defining moment for Greenpeace in its willingness to fight for a nuclear-free world,” said Dr Russel Norman, the executive director of Greenpeace Aotearoa.

    He noted it was also a defining moment for Aotearoa in the country’s stand against the United States and France, who conducted nuclear tests in the region.

    Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Dr Russel Norman speaking at the ceremony on board Rainbow Warrior III today. Image: Te Ao Māpri News

    In 1987, the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act officially declared the country a nuclear-free zone.

    This move angered the United States, especially due to the ban on nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships entering New Zealand ports.

    Because the US followed a policy of neither confirming nor denying the presence of nuclear weapons, it saw the ban as breaching the ANZUS Treaty and suspended its security commitments to New Zealand.

    The Rainbow Warrior’s final voyage before it was bombed was Operation Exodus, during which the crew helped relocate more than 320 residents of Rongelap Atoll in the Marshall Islands, who had been exposed to radiation from US nuclear testing between 1946 and 1958.

    The evacuation of Rongelap Islanders to Mejatto by the Rainbow Warrior crew in May 1985. Image: Greenpeace/Fernando Pereira

    The legacy of Operation Exodus
     Between 1946 and 1958, the United States carried out 67 nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands.

    For decades, it denied the long-term health impacts, even as cancer rates rose and children were born with severe deformities.

    Despite repeated pleas from the people of Rongelap to be evacuated, the US government failed to act until Greenpeace stepped in to help.

    “The United States government effectively used them as guinea pigs for nuclear testing and radiation to see what would happen to people, which is obviously outrageous and disgusting,” Dr Norman said.

    He said it was important not to see Pacific peoples as victims, as they were powerful campaigners who played a leading role in ending nuclear testing in the region.

    Marshallese women greet the Rainbow Warrior as it arrived in the capital Majuro in March 2025. Image: Bianca Vitale/Greenpeace

    Between March and April this year, Rainbow Warrior III returned to the Marshall Islands to conduct independent research into the radiation levels across the islands to see whether it’s safe for the people of Rongelap to return.

    What advice do you give to this generation about nuclear issues?
     “Kia kotahi ai koutou ki te whai i ngā mahi uaua i mua i a mātou ki te whawhai i a rātou mā, e mahi tūkino ana ki tō mātou ao, ki tō mātou kōkā a Papatūānuku, ki tō mātou taiao,” hei tā Tui Warmenhoven.

    A reminder to stay united in the difficult world ahead in the fight against threats to the environment.

    Warmenhoven also encouraged Māori to support Greenpeace Aotearoa.

    Tui Warmenhoven and the captain of the Rainbow Warrior, Ali Schmidt, placed a wreath in the water at the stern of the ship in memory of Fernando Pereira. Image: Greenpeace

    Dr Norman believed the younger generations should be inspired to activism by the bravery of those from the Pacific and Greenpeace who campaigned for a nuclear-free world 40 years ago.

    “They were willing to take very significant risks, they sailed their boats into the nuclear test zone to stop those nuclear tests, they were arrested by the French, beaten up by French commandos,” he said.

    Republished from Te Ao Māori News with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Rainbow Warrior bombing by French secret agents remembered 40 years on

    SPECIAL REPORT: By Te Aniwaniwa Paterson of Te Ao Māori News

    Forty years ago today, French secret agents bombed the Greenpeace campaign flagship  Rainbow Warrior in an attempt to stop the environmental organisation’s protest against nuclear testing at Moruroa Atoll in Mā’ohi Nui.

    People gathered on board Rainbow Warrior III to remember photographer Fernando Pereira, who was killed in the attack, and to honour the legacy of those who stood up to nuclear testing in the Pacific.

    The Rainbow Warrior’s final voyage before the bombing was Operation Exodus, a humanitarian mission to the Marshall Islands. There, Greenpeace helped relocate more than 320 residents of Rongelap Atoll, who had been exposed to radiation from US nuclear testing.

    The dawn ceremony was hosted by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and attended by more than 150 people. Speeches were followed by the laying of a wreath and a moment of silence.

    Photographer Fernando Pereira and a woman from Rongelap on the day the Rainbow Warrior arrived in Rongelap Atoll in May 1985. Image: David Robie/Eyes of Fire

    Tui Warmenhoven (Ngāti Porou), the chair of the Greenpeace Aotearoa board, said it was a day to remember for the harm caused by the French state against the people of Mā’ohi Nui.

    Warmenhoven worked for 20 years in iwi research and is a grassroots, Ruatoria-based community leader who works to integrate mātauranga Māori with science to address climate change in Te Tai Rāwhiti.

    She encouraged Māori to stand united with Greenpeace.

    “Ko te mea nui ki a mātou, a Greenpeace Aotearoa, ko te whawhai i ngā mahi tūkino a rātou, te kāwanatanga, ngā rangatōpū, me ngā tāngata whai rawa, e patu ana i a mātou, te iwi Māori, ngā iwi o te ao, me ō mātou mātua, a Ranginui rāua ko Papatūānuku,” e ai ki a Warmenhoven.

    Tui Warmenhoven and Dr Russel Norman in front of Rainbow Warrior III on 10 July 2025. Image:Te Ao Māori News

    A defining moment in Aotearoa’s nuclear-free stand
     “The bombing of the Rainbow Warrior was a defining moment for Greenpeace in its willingness to fight for a nuclear-free world,” said Dr Russel Norman, the executive director of Greenpeace Aotearoa.

    He noted it was also a defining moment for Aotearoa in the country’s stand against the United States and France, who conducted nuclear tests in the region.

    Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Dr Russel Norman speaking at the ceremony on board Rainbow Warrior III today. Image: Te Ao Māpri News

    In 1987, the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act officially declared the country a nuclear-free zone.

    This move angered the United States, especially due to the ban on nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships entering New Zealand ports.

    Because the US followed a policy of neither confirming nor denying the presence of nuclear weapons, it saw the ban as breaching the ANZUS Treaty and suspended its security commitments to New Zealand.

    The Rainbow Warrior’s final voyage before it was bombed was Operation Exodus, during which the crew helped relocate more than 320 residents of Rongelap Atoll in the Marshall Islands, who had been exposed to radiation from US nuclear testing between 1946 and 1958.

    The evacuation of Rongelap Islanders to Mejatto by the Rainbow Warrior crew in May 1985. Image: Greenpeace/Fernando Pereira

    The legacy of Operation Exodus
     Between 1946 and 1958, the United States carried out 67 nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands.

    For decades, it denied the long-term health impacts, even as cancer rates rose and children were born with severe deformities.

    Despite repeated pleas from the people of Rongelap to be evacuated, the US government failed to act until Greenpeace stepped in to help.

    “The United States government effectively used them as guinea pigs for nuclear testing and radiation to see what would happen to people, which is obviously outrageous and disgusting,” Dr Norman said.

    He said it was important not to see Pacific peoples as victims, as they were powerful campaigners who played a leading role in ending nuclear testing in the region.

    Marshallese women greet the Rainbow Warrior as it arrived in the capital Majuro in March 2025. Image: Bianca Vitale/Greenpeace

    Between March and April this year, Rainbow Warrior III returned to the Marshall Islands to conduct independent research into the radiation levels across the islands to see whether it’s safe for the people of Rongelap to return.

    What advice do you give to this generation about nuclear issues?
     “Kia kotahi ai koutou ki te whai i ngā mahi uaua i mua i a mātou ki te whawhai i a rātou mā, e mahi tūkino ana ki tō mātou ao, ki tō mātou kōkā a Papatūānuku, ki tō mātou taiao,” hei tā Tui Warmenhoven.

    A reminder to stay united in the difficult world ahead in the fight against threats to the environment.

    Warmenhoven also encouraged Māori to support Greenpeace Aotearoa.

    Tui Warmenhoven and the captain of the Rainbow Warrior, Ali Schmidt, placed a wreath in the water at the stern of the ship in memory of Fernando Pereira. Image: Greenpeace

    Dr Norman believed the younger generations should be inspired to activism by the bravery of those from the Pacific and Greenpeace who campaigned for a nuclear-free world 40 years ago.

    “They were willing to take very significant risks, they sailed their boats into the nuclear test zone to stop those nuclear tests, they were arrested by the French, beaten up by French commandos,” he said.

    Republished from Te Ao Māori News with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –