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Category: Science

  • MIL-OSI Global: Brian Thornton wins The Conversation Prize for writers for his story Convicting the Innocent

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jo Adetunji, Executive Editor – Partnerships

    Congratulations to Brian Thornton from Winchester University who is the 2025 winner of The Conversation Prize for writers, for his story Convicting the Innocent, a look at the systemic barriers facing people wrongly convicted of a crime.

    We asked academics to submit a 2,000-word article and book pitch for the competition, run in partnership with Faber and Curtis Brown, and were overwhelmed by the quantity and quality of submissions we received. It was very difficult to pick just one winner from across countless themes and styles.

    Brian’s article and book idea was shortlisted by the teams at The Conversation, Curtis Brown and Faber for its strong storytelling, exploring systematic failings in the legal system, and the strong use of case studies that brought colour to this subject.

    The judges said: “The research on the current failings of the legal system would be of great interest to the general public, especially following the fallout from the Post Office scandal. The essay is well written and punchy, if shocking and unnerving. The use of case studies to tell the story works really very well, and makes the piece immediately emotionally gripping – with great potential to work as a non-fiction book.”

    Brian said: “I’m delighted and honoured to have won the Conversation Prize for writers. My article focuses on miscarriages of justice and how the system fails innocent people. It’s an important topic but one that is so often ignored by media organisations because of the complexity of the cases and the opacity of the legal system.”

    I think that’s why The Conversation is different – it provides a platform for writers to tackle complex and challenging topics and allows them the time and space to do them justice. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to highlight this important issue – hopefully it may get people talking and thinking about how to solve it!“

    Brian is a senior lecturer and programme leader for the BA (Hons) Journalism course at the University of Winchester, and a former producer for BBC Newsnight. He is also one of the founders of the Winchester University’s Crime and Justice Research Centre, which specialises in issues related to miscarriages of justice, and is founder and director of the Winchester Innocence Project.

    Brian wins £1,000 and mentorship from both Faber and Curtis Brown. You can read his winning story here.

    Close runners up in the competition were Yvonne Reddick for Fire on Winter Hill and Nicholas Carter for Living Stone.

    Fire on Winter Hill blended nature writing, memoir, family obsessions and the politics of climate change and made an impression throughout the shortlisting process for both the style of the essay and thoughtfulness of the proposal, which showcased a great talent for storytelling. Written as a personal account following in the footsteps of the author’s father, who worked on oil frontiers from the North Sea to Oman, the judges said Fire on Winter Hill was an “affecting memoir” that “beautifully and originally explores the link between mountains and oil.”

    Living Stone gave a glimpse into a world we don’t ordinarily think about – turning the story of lichens and their relationship with stone into a highly original piece of writing. The judges said: “We’d also like to make a special mention of Living Stone, which explores how lichens bring stone to life – blurring the boundary between the living and the non-living. This topic has great potential to work as a book, arguing that western, narrow scientific definitions means lichens are ultimately understudied and undervalued.”

    A big thank you to our judges, Miriam Frankel, senior science editor at The Conversation UK, Priya Atwal, historian, broadcaster and community history fellow at the University of Oxford, and Alice Hunt, professor of early modern literature and history at the University of Southampton. The Conversation Insights team Paul Keaveny and Mike Herd. And to Fiona Crosby, senior commissioning editor for non-fiction at Faber, and Elliot Prior, associate agent at Curtis Brown.

    – ref. Brian Thornton wins The Conversation Prize for writers for his story Convicting the Innocent – https://theconversation.com/brian-thornton-wins-the-conversation-prize-for-writers-for-his-story-convicting-the-innocent-249890

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Investing in biodiversity: unlocking greater returns

    Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre

    The Liaison Group of the Biodiversity-related Conventions stresses the contribution of biodiversity to national economies, livelihoods, human health and food security.

    The Liaison Group of Biodiversity-related Conventions, a long-standing network uniting the executive heads of the eight biodiversity-related conventions, met at FAO Headquarters in Rome, in advance of the resumed CBD COP16. The group reaffirmed their collective support to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

    At the meeting, held on 21 February 2025 and hosted by the secretariats of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) and International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), the group stressed the importance of investing in biodiversity to generate higher returns and mitigate the economic risks of biodiversity loss. The eight members highlighted how, by joining efforts under the respective mandates of the conventions, they can amplify the collective benefits to people and planet.

    The Liaison Group of Biodiversity-related Conventions, established in 2004, represents an important forum to foster synergies, policy coherence and cooperation among the eight conventions, namely the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), the Convention on Wetlands, the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, IPPC, ITPGRFA and the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

    At the meeting, the members of the Liaison Group provided updates on their respective processes and concrete actions taken in their contributions to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The Group also reflected on their shared priorities as mandated by their respective contracting Parties and identified potential areas for joint.

    The meeting included a session with the secretariat of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the Office on Climate Change, Biodiversity and the Environment of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations which focused on the contribution of biodiversity to food production and the importance of aligning science with policy.

    The Group will continue to coordinate and cooperate on key shared priorities and objectives to ensure the work of its members contributes to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and is well-aligned with the requests and expectations of their respective contracting Parties.

    These may include, among others, communication, capacity-building, resource mobilization, monitoring, scientific research and integrated national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs). Such common priority areas support sharing best practices and working together to ensure efficiency, effectiveness, coherence and innovative approaches.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Text of the Vice-President’s address at the Annual Convocation of Jan Nayak Ch. Devi Lal Vidyapeeth, Sirsa (Excerpts)

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 05 MAR 2025 4:29PM by PIB Delhi

    I’m here for my dear students and let me tell you, dear students, those who are in the last benches, there are no back benchers here. Only they sit on back benches so, my greetings to those at the end also.

    It is an absolute privilege and honour to impart convocation address at an institution that bears the name it does. The last century had not seen stalwarts of the nature, very few of them, like Chaudhary Devi Lal. When I look at them, they have served India and done their mission, time for us to resolve, We will do the same, we will serve the Nation. हम भारतीय हैं, भारतीयता हमारी पहचान है, राष्ट्रधर्म सर्वोपरि है।

    We have to put nation first always. There can be no interest higher than national interest. Personal and political interests are insignificant.

    A convocation address is not easy to deliver because students expect something really amazing. I will make an earnest effort. My first sermon to you is, I have throughout been a gold medalist, that was an obsession with me. I was always in fear what will happen if I don’t come at number one. Let me share it with you, कुछ नहीं होता, थोड़ा खेल ज्यादा खेल लेता, दोस्तों से बात कर लेता। Therefore do not be obsessed, allow your life to go like a river not like a canal built by parents.

    ज़माना था बच्चा पैदा हुआ मा बाप ने तय कर दिया डॉक्टर बनेगा, इंजीनियर बनेगा, आईएएस बनेगा।  If you look around, boys and girls, your basket of opportunities is ever-enlarging. It is there in blue economy, it is there in space economy. You are in Bharat at a time when no Nation in last decade has grown as fast and as large as Bharat. Big economic upsurge, phenomenal infrastructure growth, deep digitisation, technological penetration.

    If I share some figures with you, you will be surprised. Per capita internet consumption of Bharat is more than that of China and USA taken together. If we go about our digital transactions, the digital transactions are four times the combined transactions of USA, UK, France, and Germany.

    If you examine our economy, that was very fragile a decade ago. When I with the blessings of Chaudhary Devi Lal, had the occasion to enter Parliament as a Member of Parliament and became a Minister with his blessings and guidance, what was the economic situation? सोने की चिड़िया कहलाने वाले देश का सोना विदेश में गिरवी रखना पड़ा।  It was placed to two banks of Switzerland, airlifted to sustain our credibility. Our foreign exchange reserves today are over 700 billion.

    You are lucky to be living in times when Bharat is dotted with hope and possibility. There is an ecosystem in place of affirmative government policies, hand-holding policies that allow you full legroom to exploit your talent and potential, realise your ambitions and aspirations. Meritocracy prevails now. When that is the scenario, you must think big. Never be under stress, never be under tension. Fear of failure is the worst fear in life because it is a myth. There is nothing like failure, it is an attempt that has not succeeded. Some people were so pessimistic that Chandrayaan-2 was called by them as failure.

    I was governor of the state of West Bengal. I was in the Science City, boys and girls of your age was with me, it was around 2 a.m. I remember September 2019. Chandrayaan-2 came very close to the lunar surface but could not touch it. It was, according to me, more than 90% success. And that is why Chandrayaan-3 became a success and therefore, failure is a myth. Failure gives you an opportunity to further improve. Many greatest accomplishments in history have never succeeded in the first attempt.

    If you have boys and girls, a brilliant idea in your mind, don’t allow that idea to be parked in your mind. That will be the greatest injustice to you and to humanity. Experiment, think out of the box. Look at what has happened in this country, particularly last decade. Startups, unicorns, and of huge dimensions.

    Therefore, never fear, never have tension, never have stress. Go for experimentation; go as per your attitude. You will have enough to contribute for the Nation. If International Monetary Fund called India as a favorite global destination of investment and opportunity, boys and girls, it was not for government jobs. It was on account of the opportunities and those opportunities today are available at sea surface, deep sea, ground, deep ground, sky and space. You only have to think big. Take a leap.

    Convocation is not an end of education because education is always about learning. Let me quote a pre Socrates era, I am quoting Heraclitus. Heraclitus, a great philosopher, gave us one aspect in life which is often quoted. ‘The only constant in life is the change,’ and he buttressed it by an illustration. ‘The same person cannot be in the same river twice, because neither the river is the same, nor the person is the same.’

    So change has to be there, and right now the change is epochal, change is much beyond any hurricane. Disruptive technologies, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Blockchain, Machine Learning, and every moment we are having paradigm shift. Every moment is a change that brings huge challenges and every challenge has to be converted into an opportunity that is to be done by you, boys and girls.

    When you will step into the new building of Parliament, you will come to know that, in the face of COVID, the greatest pandemic we faced in the century, in less than 30 months the building came up, the entire infrastructure came up. And our 5,000 years of civilizational reflection is there in Parliament.

    Boys and girls, no Nation in the world has grown as fast with such a big leap as Bharat in last decade. This has given one situation, people have tasted development, they have seen development. They are there, for aspirational mode and if people are in aspirational mode, there can be restive situation, there can be restlessness, a problem but that problem has to be addressed by each and every individual.

    Let me give you certain suggestions. Dear boys and girls, always put Civic Duties, Fundamental Duties over rights. Always nurture your family, your teachers, your elders, your neighborhood, because that is our civilizational culture. Believe in the environment, because that is something we are concerned. Alarmingly, a worrisome scenario is there. We do not have another earth to live in. The situation is cliff hanging. We are virtually collapsing. We have to find a way out.

    I will conclude by leaving a thought with you. We all need to promote economic nationalism. Gandhi Ji gave us the slogan Swadesi. The Prime Minister has given, ‘Be Vocal for Local.’ If we do not have avoidable imports, we’ll be saving more than hundreds of billions of dollars in our foreign kitty. That will give work to our people. Entrepreneurship will blossom. You can do it. In this room, if you’ll find out our clothing, you’ll come to know that they are stitched outside the country. Better quality is available here so, national interest, national economic interest can never be compromised on fiscal gains.

    Always take pride in the person, in whose name, in whose memory the institutions are there. People have glorified human beings very rarely, you can get Padma Bhushan, you can get Bharat Ratna, you can get all awards but where do you get title of Rashtrapita? Where do you get title of Sardar? Where do you get title of ‘Tau? Tau is here, Tau oversees us.

    I have been mentored in politics by Tau. What I learned from him is keep on working for development of the society and never ignore rural landscape and the farmers.

    ****

    JK/RC/SM

    (Release ID: 2108497) Visitor Counter : 39

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Smt. Raksha Khadse Graces Australia India Sports Excellence Forum in Gujarat

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 05 MAR 2025 4:27PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Smt. Raksha Khadse, inaugurated the Australia–India Sports Excellence Forum at GIFT City, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on Wednesday. The two-day forum is a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at strengthening sports cooperation between the two nations.

    Also present were HE Philip Green OAM, Australian High Commissioner to India, Shri Harsh Sanghavi, Minister of Sports, Youth Service and Cultural Activities, Gujarat and other dignitaries. Present in the morning session were Australian elite sports decision-makers, Indian and Australian sporting institutions, higher education providers, and industry stakeholders. The main aim of the forum is to explore opportunities for collaboration in Olympic and Paralympic bids, talent development, sports science, and event management.

    Union Minister emphasized the growing partnership between India and Australia in sports beyond cricket and hockey, highlighting talent development, private sector engagement, sports science, and trade in sporting industries as key areas of cooperation. “A passion for sports is a common thread that connects India and Australia. Through this historic forum, we are expanding this partnership beyond cricket and hockey into elite athlete development, sports infrastructure, and investment in sporting industries. India’s ambition to host the 2036 Olympics reflects our nation’s growing strength and commitment to sports,” she said.

    “With initiatives like Khelo India, TOPS, Fit India and ASMITA, we are working to build a robust sporting ecosystem under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji,” she added.

    The forum is designed to leverage Australian expertise in sports development and introduce best practices to India as it works towards its 2036 Olympics and Paralympics bid. Discussions centered around elite talent development, major sporting event management, diversity and inclusion, and sports science. The key objectives include knowledge sharing on Olympic and Paralympic Games organization, strengthening ties between Indian and Australian educational and sporting institutions, encouraging corporate investment and trade in sports-related industries, enhancing athlete performance through advanced sports science and technology and building a roadmap for the future.

    Highlighting Gujarat as a growing hub for sports infrastructure, Smt. Khadse expressed confidence in India’s vision to become a sporting superpower. “I am confident that exchanges like this will contribute toward making India, a global sporting force. The culture of sports will continue to grow, and with strong partnerships, we will develop world-class infrastructure and training facilities,” she mentioned.

    The Australia–India Sports Excellence Forum marks a significant step forward in India’s journey towards building a stronger, more competitive sports ecosystem, with Australia as a key strategic partner. A set of recommendations will be formulated to guide India–Australia sports cooperation. This includes fostering closer working relationships between sporting institutions, strengthening higher education collaborations, and supporting India’s long-term Olympic and Paralympic strategy with Australian expertise.

    ****

    Himanshu Pathak

    (Release ID: 2108495) Visitor Counter : 37

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s 2025 economic growth target demonstrates resolve, confidence

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

    BEIJING, March 5 — China’s 2025 GDP growth target of around 5 percent, alongside the measures the country will implement to meet this goal, demonstrates its confidence and prowess in securing new achievements in high-quality development.

    The world’s second-largest economy will sustain its encouraging momentum and remain a key anchor in an uncertain global economic landscape.

    Taking all factors into account, the target of around 5 percent is practical, underscoring China’s resolve to meet difficulties head-on and strive hard to deliver. It is well aligned with the country’s mid- and long-term development goals. Meeting this year’s goal is expected to ensure a success of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), while laying a solid foundation for the next five years.

    Growth will be underpinned by measures such as launching special initiatives to boost consumption, issuing more ultra-long special treasury bonds, allocating a greater share of science and technology expenditures to basic research, and developing new quality productive forces — as mentioned in the government work report submitted Wednesday to the national legislature for deliberation.

    A more proactive fiscal policy and a moderately loose monetary policy adopted this year will promote structural adjustment and bolster economic growth. A booming landscape in fields including artificial intelligence, robotics, new energy and smart manufacturing will unlock the long-term potential of high-quality development.

    China’s consistent and significant reform efforts will further facilitate market access and level the playing field. Institutional reform measures related to the construction of a unified national market, as well as policy measures to promote the private sector’s development, will unleash new market vitality.

    China’s development is inseparable from its unwavering push to open up to the outside world. The country will steadily expand institutional opening up, take the initiative to open wider, and advance unilateral opening up. The Chinese market is never short of opportunities for shared progress and prosperity.

    China’s ability to weather headwinds and maintain long-term economic growth stems from its distinctive institutional strengths and many advantages, including an enormous market, a complete industrial system, a wealth of manpower and talent, and effective governance mechanisms such as long-term plans. The country has vast space for further growth through demand upgrades, structural improvements, and a shift to new growth drivers.

    With its strengths, potential, and ample support measures, the Chinese economy will continue to defy skepticism and deliver certainty for itself and the world.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Intuitive Machines-2 Lunar Landing (Official NASA Broadcast)

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    Watch Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lunar lander, Athena, touch down on the Moon. Athena will land at Mons Mouton, a lunar plateau near the Moon’s South Pole, delivering NASA science and technology to the Moon’s surface. Landing is slated for no earlier than 12:32 p.m. EST (1732 UTC).

    The NASA tech aboard the lander will demonstrate resource utilization on the Moon by measuring the possible presence of volatiles or gases from lunar soil and give future spacecraft a permanent reference point on the lunar surface.

    This is Intuitive Machines’ second Moon landing as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. To learn more about CLPS, visit https://go.nasa.gov/3RFR0A5.

    Credit: NASA

    #NASA #Moon #Artemis

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOPL8nhmQU4

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Russian Engineering Academy awarded SPbGASU two I.A. Grishmanov prizes

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Competition coordinator, member of the presidium (bureau) of the Russian Engineering Academy Vitaly Lozhkin, president of the academy Boris Gusev and Alexey Kharitonov

    On February 27, the Russian Engineering Academy hosted the I. A. Grishmanov Prize award ceremony. Among the laureates were Aleksey Kharitonov, Doctor of Engineering, Associate Professor, Professor of the Department of Construction Materials Technology and Metrology of our university, and the Publishing and Printing Department of SPbGASU.

    Alexey Kharitonov is known in the country and abroad as a scientist in the field of construction materials science. His specialization is the creation of effective materials for the restoration of cultural heritage sites – architectural monuments. The researcher makes a great contribution to the development of university science and construction education in the country, and has been engaged in scientific and pedagogical activities for 25 years.

    Alexey Kharitonov is a member of the dissertation council of SPbGASU and the scientific and technical council of the Housing Committee of the Government of St. Petersburg, a member of the editorial board of the journal “Cement and Its Applications”, included in the list of the Higher Attestation Commission of the Russian Federation. Author and co-author of more than 140 published scientific and educational-methodical works, including 130 scientific articles, 11 educational-methodical works, 4 inventions. The scientist’s merits have been noted by numerous letters of gratitude and certificates of honor.

    In 2019–2020, the scientist, as an organizer of materials science research, participated in the development of scientific and design documentation for the restoration of the Legislative Palace (parliament building) in the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo, and in 2022–2023 – the Triumphal Arch in Palmyra, Syria. The projects were highly praised by the UNESCO International Expert Council.

    The Publishing and Printing Department (IPD) is a structural division of SPbGASU, headed by Tatyana Razumova since 2007. The IPO has a full production cycle for publishing educational and scientific publications, from editorial preparation of manuscripts to layout and printing. Every year, the IPO publishes more than one hundred titles of educational and scientific publications. All of them are sent to the scientific and technical library in printed and electronic form. Electronic copies of publications are placed in the university’s full-text database.

    Books by SPbGASU teachers, published in IPO, have repeatedly become prize winners of prestigious festivals and competitions. The published editions arouse wide interest and receive recognition from the professional community.

    The I. A. Grishmanov Prize is awarded for scientific and technical developments that have been implemented in mass production, as well as for achievements in the organization of industry in the field of building materials and structures. It is named after the Minister of the Construction Materials Industry of the USSR Ivan Aleksandrovich Grishmanov (1906–1979), a graduate of the Leningrad Civil Engineering Institute (now SPbGASU).

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: In St. Petersburg, a technology for producing entirely domestic endoprostheses has been developed

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    Every year, a huge number of hip replacement surgeries are performed in Russia. Despite significant advances in the development and use of implants, there is a constant need to improve their long-term effectiveness. The success of joint replacement surgeries is largely determined by the postoperative period, when osseointegration occurs. During this process, the bone grows into the surface of the implant. Such a strong connection is necessary to restore the patient’s range of motion. The coating of the implant must meet several conditions: biocompatibility and the absence of an immune reaction, promoting the growth of osteoblasts on the surface of the implant, attracting stem cells from surrounding tissues, and mechanical stability under physiological loads. To this end, scientists are looking for the optimal way to apply porous coatings to the surface of the implant.

    Existing methods of coating implants have some limitations, such as insufficient biocompatibility, low mechanical strength or limited integration with the surrounding tissue. Most often, biocompatible cement is used to connect the implant to the bone tissue, but in some cases this can lead to insufficient adhesion of the bone-implant pair. Polytechnic engineers are working on creating a technology that allows the implant and bone tissue to connect without cement. To do this, open porous structures are formed on the surface of the prosthesis: the bone literally grows into it.

    Specialists of the research laboratory “Laser and Additive Technologies” of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport of SPbPU have developed a technology for surfacing a porous coating with a layer thickness of 600 µm with an open porosity of 60-80% and the ability to control these parameters. At the moment, clinical tests of samples and the process of manufacturing a serial surfacing complex are underway by order of OOO “Rutil”.

    We have developed not only the technology, i.e. the method of manufacturing implants, but also the instrument base. In our laboratory, we have assembled a model of the laser cladding complex. It consists of a laser head, a nozzle for feeding powder and a powder feeder. A fiber laser is used as a laser source. To obtain a porous coating, we used a programmed trajectory of the nozzle movement. The advantage of our technology is the ability to control the height of the porous coating and the proportion of open porosity. Cups manufactured using this technology belong to the premium class in terms of the quality of the porous coating, – said Mikhail Kuznetsov, head of the Laser and Additive Technologies Research Laboratory of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport of SPbPU.

    The development of additive manufacturing is a key factor in ensuring Russia’s technological independence. The success of the Research Laboratory of Laser and Additive Technologies of the SPbPU IMMiT in creating hip joint cups not only demonstrates the high qualifications of its employees, but also opens up new horizons for import substitution in medicine. This is an important step towards strengthening the university’s position in the market of innovative solutions and reducing dependence on foreign technologies. In addition, achievements in this area significantly strengthen the image of the Polytechnic University as an advanced scientific and educational institution capable of solving current problems and contributing to the development of domestic science and technology, noted Anatoly Popovich, Director of the SPbPU IMMiT.

    The implants have successfully passed tests on mice, during which they showed a high level of survival and lack of toxicity for the body. Currently, Endoart LLC and Armalit JSC together with the R. R. Vreden Russian Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics are conducting the next stage of implant testing. Polytechnic University scientists are also manufacturing the first complex in Russia designed for serial application of a porous coating in production conditions. In the future, this will allow for serial production of implants.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE attends NPC session in Beijing

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Chief Executive John Lee attended the opening meeting of the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing today, in his capacity as Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

    The third session of the 14th NPC commenced this morning, during which Premier Li Qiang delivered the government work report, reviewing the work for 2024 and outlining the overall requirements for economic and social development and major tasks of the government for 2025.

    He said the principles of “one country, two systems”, “Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong” and a high degree of autonomy in the Hong Kong SAR should continue to be fully, faithfully and resolutely implemented, while maintaining the constitutional order in the Hong Kong SAR as stipulated in the Constitution and the Basic Law and implementing the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong”.

    The Premier expressed support for Hong Kong in strengthening economic development and improving people’s livelihood, deepening international exchanges and co-operation, with a view to better integrating into the overall national development and maintaining the long-term prosperity and stability of the city.

    He also highlighted the need to enhance the innovation capabilities and influence of economically advantageous areas, including the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

    The Chief Executive said he was most encouraged, adding that this year marks the conclusion of the 14th Five-Year Plan and the beginning of the formulation of the 15th Five-Year Plan.

    It is also a crucial year for deepening comprehensive reforms, which are of significant importance for the implementation of “one country, two systems”, he added.

    Mr Lee said the Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to fully, faithfully and resolutely implement the principles of “one country, two systems”, “Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong” and a high degree of autonomy.

    He also noted that it will unite all sectors of society to deepen comprehensive reforms, actively understand, respond to and embrace changes, and better leverage the institutional strengths of “one country, two systems” and Hong Kong’s unique and advantages of internationalisation to open up new development opportunities.

    The Hong Kong SAR Government will spare no effort in pursuing economic development, improving people’s livelihood and exploring new growth areas, the Chief Executive stressed.

    Coupled with market forces, the Hong Kong SAR Government will adopt an innovative mindset to take forward the development of the Northern Metropolis and the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science & Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, accelerating the development of the international innovation and technology centre, Mr Lee said.

    Additionally, it aims to consolidate and enhance Hong Kong’s status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre, building the city as an international hub for high-calibre talent, concurrently promoting the bay area’s high-quality development and actively integrating into national development.

    It will also enhance Hong Kong’s international competitiveness, deepen international exchanges and co-operation, and strengthen its role to link the Mainland with global markets, so as to achieve better development in Hong Kong and make further contributions to building the great country and advancing national rejuvenation.

    Mr Lee extended his best wishes for the success of the third session of the 14th NPC and the third session of the 14th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Tata Electronics, Himax Technologies and Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation Form Alliance to Revolutionize India’s Display and Ultralow Power AI Sensing Product and Technology Ecosystem

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TAINAN and HSINCHU, Taiwan and MUMBAI, India, March 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Himax Technologies, Inc. (“Himax” or “Company”) (Nasdaq: HIMX), an industry leader in fabless display driver ICs and other semiconductor products, today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Electronics, a pioneering leader in India’s electronics manufacturing sector, and Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC), a leading Taiwanese Foundry and Technology Transfer Partner of Tata Electronics, to revolutionize India’s display and ultralow power AI sensing product and technology ecosystem. This MoU marks a significant step forward for Tata Electronics, Himax, and PSMC in expanding their market outreach and jointly exploring the growing market of display semiconductors and ultralow power AI sensing in India as well as globally.

    Tata Electronics, Himax, and PSMC aim to leverage their respective strengths to deliver comprehensive, end-to-end display semiconductor solutions for their mutual customers, from chip design to chip manufacturing and packaging, as well as electronics manufacturing services (EMS) to deliver system-level solutions, to both the Indian and global markets. The parties will collaborate closely to develop solutions focusing on “Made in India” requirements. The partnership also encompasses designing and manufacturing next-generation solutions to meet global demand while enhancing supply chain resilience.

    Building on the landmark 2024 agreement between Tata Electronics and PSMC to establish advanced semiconductor manufacturing capabilities in India, today’s announcement paves the way for innovative display solutions tailored to the domestic market.

    Dr Randhir Thakur, CEO and MD of Tata Electronics, said, “This MoU with Himax and PSMC will enable the development of differentiated solutions for display-related semiconductor products for our mutual customers. By combining Tata Electronics’ capabilities with Himax’s unparalleled expertise in display semiconductors and WiseEye™ ultralow power AI sensing and PSMC’s proven manufacturing solutions, we are creating a powerful ecosystem that addresses both domestic and global needs for the display semiconductor market. Together, we will drive innovation and develop next-generation technologies to meet the growing demands of display and ultralow power AI sensing technologies across key industries while contributing to a resilient semiconductor supply chain.”

    Mr. Jordan Wu, Co-Founder and CEO of Himax Technologies, Inc., said, “We are delighted to join forces with Tata Electronics and PSMC to drive innovation in India’s rapidly expanding display semiconductor market. India is emerging as a key hub for electronics development and manufacturing, presenting immense opportunities for growth and technological advancement. Through this collaboration, we aim to bring Himax’s industry-leading expertise in display semiconductors and WiseEye™ ultralow power AI sensing to support India’s ‘Made in India’ initiative while enhancing global supply chain resilience. This partnership underscores our commitment to delivering cutting-edge display solutions that cater to the evolving needs of both Indian and international markets.” 

    Mr. Martin Chu, President of PSMC, said, “PSMC’s portfolio of semiconductor fabrication technologies is well-suited to meet the growing ‘Made in India’ requirements. We look forward to this partnership with Tata Electronics and Himax, as it provides a unique opportunity to expand our collective footprint and gain significant share in both the domestic and global display semiconductors and ultralow power AI sensing markets.”

    About Tata Electronics Private Limited
    Tata Electronics Pvt. Ltd. is a prominent global player in the electronics manufacturing industry, with fast-emerging capabilities in Electronics Manufacturing Services, Semiconductor Assembly & Test, Semiconductor Foundry, and Design Services. Established in 2020 as a greenfield venture of the Tata Group, the company aims to serve global customers through integrated offerings across a trusted electronics and semiconductor value chain. With a rapidly growing workforce, the company currently employs over 65,000 people and has significant operations in Gujarat, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, India. Tata Electronics is committed to creating a socio-economic footprint by employing many women in its workforce and actively supporting local communities through initiatives in environment, education, healthcare, sports and livelihood.

    About Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation
    Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) is the world’s seventh-largest pure-play foundry, with four 12-inch and two 8-inch fabs in Taiwan, capable of producing over 2.1 million 12-inch equivalent wafers annually. Since its establishment in 1994, the company transitioned successfully from DRAM manufacturing to advanced foundry services for memory and logic chips. Ranked seventh in global semiconductor ESG evaluations, PSMC demonstrates strong governance and environmental commitment. In May 2024, PSMC’s new 12-inch fab in Taiwan’s Tongluo Science Park began operations with a planned capacity of 1.2 million wafers annually, using advanced 28nm and wafer stacking technologies.

    About Himax Technologies, Inc.
    Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: HIMX) is a leading global fabless semiconductor solution provider dedicated to display imaging processing technologies. The Company’s display driver ICs and timing controllers have been adopted at scale across multiple industries worldwide including TVs, PC monitors, laptops, mobile phones, tablets, automotive, ePaper devices, industrial displays, among others. As the global market share leader in automotive display technology, the Company offers innovative and comprehensive automotive IC solutions, including traditional driver ICs, advanced in-cell Touch and Display Driver Integration (TDDI), local dimming timing controllers (Local Dimming Tcon), Large Touch and Display Driver Integration (LTDI) and OLED display technologies. Himax is also a pioneer in tinyML visual-AI and optical technology related fields. The Company’s industry-leading WiseEye™ ultralow power AI sensing technology which incorporates Himax proprietary ultralow power AI processor, always-on CMOS image sensor, and CNN-based AI algorithm has been widely deployed in consumer electronics and AIoT related applications. Himax optics technologies, such as diffractive wafer level optics, LCoS microdisplays and 3D sensing solutions, are critical for facilitating emerging AR/VR/metaverse technologies. Additionally, Himax designs and provides touch controllers, OLED ICs, LED ICs, EPD ICs, power management ICs, and CMOS image sensors for diverse display application coverage. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Tainan, Taiwan, Himax currently employs around 2,200 people from three Taiwan-based offices in Tainan, Hsinchu and Taipei and country offices in China, Korea, Japan, Germany, and the US. Himax has 2,649 patents granted and 402 patents pending approval worldwide as of December 31, 2024.

    http://www.himax.com.tw

    Forward Looking Statements
    Factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in this conference call include, but are not limited to, the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Company’s business; general business and economic conditions and the state of the semiconductor industry; market acceptance and competitiveness of the driver and non-driver products developed by the Company; demand for end-use applications products; reliance on a small group of principal customers; the uncertainty of continued success in technological innovations; our ability to develop and protect our intellectual property; pricing pressures including declines in average selling prices; changes in customer order patterns; changes in estimated full-year effective tax rate; shortage in supply of key components; changes in environmental laws and regulations; changes in export license regulated by Export Administration Regulations (EAR); exchange rate fluctuations; regulatory approvals for further investments in our subsidiaries; our ability to collect accounts receivable and manage inventory and other risks described from time to time in the Company’s SEC filings, including those risks identified in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in its Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the SEC, as may be amended.

    Himax Contacts

    Eric Li, Chief IR/PR Officer
    Himax Technologies, Inc.
    Tel: +886-6-505-0880
    Fax: +886-2-2314-0877
    Email: hx_ir@himax.com.tw
    www.himax.com.tw
      
    Karen Tiao, Investor Relations
    Himax Technologies, Inc.
    Tel: +886-2-2370-3999
    Fax: +886-2-2314-0877
    Email: hx_ir@himax.com.tw
    www.himax.com.tw

    Mark Schwalenberg, Director
    Investor Relations – US Representative
    MZ North America
    Tel: +1-312-261-6430
    Email: HIMX@mzgroup.us
    www.mzgroup.us

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Security of state and socially significant facilities discussed at Polytechnic

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The Polytechnic University has become the venue for the All-Russian scientific and practical conference “Ensuring the security of important state and socially significant facilities of the Russian Federation in modern conditions”. The conference is held jointly with the Military Order of Zhukov Academy of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation within the framework of the agreement on cooperation in the field of research, educational and project work.

    The welcoming speech was given by the SPbPU security projector Alexander Airapetyan and the deputy head of the academy for academic work Andrey Mertvishchev.

    The conference was attended by students of SPbPU and cadets of the Academy of the National Guard Troops, representatives of the Central Office and the North-Western District of the National Guard Troops, teachers of the Polytechnic University, the Military Academy of the National Guard Troops, the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, and participants of the SVO.

    Deputy Head of the Research and Development Department of the Main Directorate of Education and Science of the National Guard Troops Nikolai Ivchenko highlighted the main tasks of ensuring the security of important Russian state facilities that are subject to mandatory protection during a special military operation.

    A teacher at the Higher School of Technosphere Security, retired Colonel General Anatoly Zaitsev, revealed the main threats and features of modern terrorism.

    Roman Anokhin, a lecturer at the Department of Daily Activity Management at the Military Academy of the National Guard Troops, listed the adjusted tasks for ensuring the security of important state facilities based on the experience of the SVO.

    Nikolay Voropaev, Head of the Technical Department of FLT Service LLC, presented advanced approaches to the construction of special protective structures.

    The conference continued in the sections “Ensuring the safety of important state and socially significant facilities of the Russian Federation from natural and man-made emergencies” and “Protection of state and socially significant facilities of the Russian Federation from external and internal threats”.

    The presentations were made by cadets of the Academy of the National Guard Troops Ilya Samozhnev, Alexander Ogurtsov, Danil Dainis, Vitaly Kaluzhnikov, Pavel Dogadin, Leonid Belikov, as well as students of the Higher School of Technosphere Safety Alisa Bakhareva, Kristina Mumdzhyan, Yulia Vasenina, Vadim Kurmyshov, Zoya Merkulova.

    The participation of participants in the special military operation gave the conference special significance.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Innovative schools to open in central Moscow

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Five schools of the future will be built in the center of the capital by the end of 2028. They will be built as part of the Targeted Investment Program in the Presnensky, Meshchansky, Basmanny and Tagansky districts. This was reported by Anastasia Rakova, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Social Development.

    “We are creating an innovative educational environment in the city – from infrastructure to modern teaching methods. Along with the modernization of existing schools, the city is building new facilities. Thus, the Mayor of Moscow made an unprecedented decision to build five new large educational complexes in the Central District of the capital, each of which will accommodate more than a thousand children. This is a modern, most innovative educational space,” said Anastasia Rakova.

    In the capital, much attention is paid to the creation of social infrastructure.

    “Since 2011, over a thousand social facilities have been built in Moscow, most of which are educational facilities. The city continues to develop its educational infrastructure. Thus, five innovative schools will appear in the Central Administrative District, where the educational process will be accompanied by modern technologies and an individual approach to each student. Currently, architectural and urban planning solutions are being developed, and after their approval, specialists will begin designing innovative schools,” said Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.

    Modern standards and natural materials

    The new schools will be designed to meet modern standards. The spaces will be flexible: furniture can be easily moved, creating areas for individual or group study.

    The walls between the corridors and classrooms can be transformed into display cases for exhibiting works. Separate spaces with furniture adapted to their age are provided for primary school students, and modern laboratories and media libraries are provided for high school students, where they can prepare for exams or complete assignments. There will be cozy work areas and creative zones.

    Special attention will be paid to safety and convenience. Distribution of student flows will help to avoid overcrowding. The inner courtyard will be landscaped using modern solutions. For the convenience of parents, quick parking will be organized where children can be dropped off.

    Modernization of schools

    Last year, 18 new schools opened in Moscow, and at the same time, the largest modernization project in the history of the capital began to be implemented “My school”. Work has already been completed in four buildings. Over 50 buildings will be modernized for the new academic year, and over one thousand buildings will be built and renovated in the next seven years.

    Such decisions were made in accordance with the priorities approved by the Mayor of Moscow. development of metropolitan education. In addition, an additional 46 billion rubles have been allocated for the Moscow education system. In particular, this money will be used to increase funding for schools and introduce a single standard for grades 5-9 and 10-11. Measures will also be taken in the capital to develop mathematical and natural science education. In addition, the number of budget places in colleges will increase.

    Providing schools with modern high-tech equipment helps to optimize the educational process and meets the objectives of the project “All the best for children” of the national project “Youth and Children”.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/150903073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: ASEAN and Japan strengthen ties to advance comprehensive strategic Partnership

    Source: ASEAN

    KARUIZAWA, 5 March 2025 – Senior Officials of ASEAN and Japan attending the 40th ASEAN-Japan Forum in Karuizawa reaffirmed their commitment to further advancing the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) based on mutual trust and respect, mutual benefit and equal partnership.

    The meeting welcomed the continued momentum of strengthening ASEAN-Japan relations, following the successful convening of the 27th ASEAN-Japan Summit in October 2024 as well as the Commemorative Summit on the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation in December 2023 in Tokyo.  

    Both sides reviewed ASEAN-Japan cooperation, acknowledging the significant progress made in implementing the Joint Vision Statement on ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation: Trusted Partners and its corresponding Implementation Plan. They reaffirmed their commitment to working closely in carrying out the Implementation Plan to further enhance collaboration in various sectors.

    Discussions also emphasised strengthening cooperation under the three pillars of the CSP, namely Heart-to-Heart Partners across Generation, Partners for Co-creation of Economy and Society of the Future, and Partners for Peace and Stability. Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation on traditional and emerging areas, including combating transnational crime, cyber security, digitalisation, green transition, science and technology, sustainable development and climate action.

    Japan reaffirmed its strong support for ASEAN Centrality and ASEAN Community-building efforts. ASEAN welcomed Japan’s commitment to supporting the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) through concrete projects and activities, aimed at fostering practical cooperation in the key areas of the AOIP, with a view to contributing to the advancement of the CSP in an open, transparent and inclusive manner. ASEAN also welcomed Japan’s proposal for a Joint Statement on the further promotion and implementation of the AOIP, for adoption at the 28th ASEAN-Japan Summit this year.

    Both sides shared their respective views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and agreed to enhance collaboration in addressing emerging challenges, with a view to promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

    The 40th ASEAN-Japan Forum was co-chaired by Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore, Albert Chua, and Senior Deputy Foreign Minister of Japan, Namazu Hiroyuki, and attended by Senior Officials of ASEAN Member States or their Representatives, and the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Political-Security Community. Timor-Leste attended as Observer.

    ***

    Images Credit: 40th ASEAN-Japan Forum
    The post ASEAN and Japan strengthen ties to advance comprehensive strategic Partnership appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI China: Scientists set new world record in light storage technology

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Scientists have achieved a significant breakthrough in the field of light storage, setting a new world record by storing light information for an impressive 4,035 seconds.
    The study, mainly conducted by researchers from the Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences (BAQIS), has been published in the international journal Nature Communication.
    “Storing light has always been a challenge across the world,” said Liu Yulong, an associate researcher at BAQIS and the first author of the study. Liu explained that photons, the particles of light, move at incredibly high speeds, making them nearly impossible to capture and store directly.
    To overcome this, the scientists have turned to sound signals, which are much slower and easier to store. The key was finding a medium capable of converting light signals into sound signals, effectively “trapping” light.
    “Think of photons as tiny balls moving at high speeds. When they collide with a thin film, the light’s amplitude, frequency, and other information are converted into sound signals. By storing these sound signals in the film, we achieve light storage,” said Li Tiefu, a researcher at BAQIS.
    Previous attempts to store light involved materials like metallic aluminum and silicon nitride films. However, due to internal material losses, these films could only maintain vibrations for a very short time, limiting information storage to less than a second. This hurdle prompted the BAQIS team to explore new materials with superior properties.
    After extensively testing materials such as diamond and gallium nitride, the researchers turned to single-crystal silicon carbide film. This material, with its highly regular internal structure, offers exceptional frequency stability and minimal internal losses.
    These properties allowed the team to achieve a record-breaking storage duration of 4,035 seconds, far surpassing previous attempts.
    A notable advantage of this single-crystal silicon carbide film is its ability to maintain excellent performance even at extremely low temperatures.
    This makes it a promising candidate for use in quantum computers, which often operate under cryogenic conditions, such as those based on superconducting systems, topological systems, and semiconductor quantum dots.
    Looking ahead, the research team aims to further improve the device’s storage duration, increase information density, and enhance compatibility with other quantum technologies.
    These advancements will provide a high-performance physical platform for quantum computing and lay a solid foundation for the development of quantum information networks. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: LHAASO discovers very-high-energy diffuse Galactic gamma-ray emission

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    A group of Chinese and international scientists conducted a high-precision measurement of the very-high-energy diffuse gamma-ray emissions from the Galactic plane using the data from China’s Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO), according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) on Tuesday.
    This is the most accurate measurement of its kind to date, and it is also the first measurement result provided for the Galactic plane covering Galactic longitudes from 15 degrees to 235 degrees and latitudes from minus five degrees to five degrees in an energy range of 1 to 25 TeV, the academy highlighted.
    The diffuse Galactic gamma-ray emission is a very important tool used to study the propagation and interaction of cosmic rays in the Milky Way. Previously, observations from ground-based experiments at very-high-energy band were scarce.
    LHAASO, located at an altitude of 4,410 meters on Mount Haizi in Daocheng County, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, began regular operations in July 2021. It has since been recognized as a leading international facility with the world’s highest sensitivity and accuracy for gamma-ray and cosmic-ray detection.
    Combining the Square Kilometer Array (KM2A) measurements at higher energies, the scientists have achieved precise observations of the diffuse emission from the Galactic plane across an energy range spanning six orders of magnitude for the first time.
    Along the Galactic longitude, the spatial distribution of the diffuse emission showed deviation from that of the gas column density, according to their research article published in the journal Physical Review Letters, adding that the spectral shape of the diffuse emission may vary in different longitude regions.
    This observational result provided new insights into the exploration of cosmic-ray origins and propagation, as well as extreme astrophysical accelerators.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: Fourth quarter 2024 results: EUR 233 million net income in Q4 2024 Proposed regular dividend of EUR 1.8 per share

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press release
    05 March 2025 – N° 03

    Fourth quarter 2024 results

    EUR 233 million net income in Q4 2024

    Proposed regular dividend of EUR 1.8 per share

    • Group net income of EUR 233 million in Q4 2024 driven by all business activities (EUR 235 million adjusted1)
      • P&C combined ratio of 83.1% in Q4 2024 including a low Nat Cat ratio and allowing for ongoing reserving discipline
      • L&H insurance service result2 of EUR 119 million in Q4 2024
      • Investments regular income yield of 3.6% in Q4 2024
    • Economic Value per share of EUR 48 (vs. EUR 51 as of 31 December 2023)
    • IFRS 17 Group Economic Value3 of EUR 8.6 billion as of 31 December 2024, down -6.3% at constant economics3,4. Adjusted for one-offs5, Economic Value growth of +9.8% at constant economics3,4
    • Estimated Group solvency ratio of 210%6 as of 31 December 2024, in the upper part of the optimal range of 185%-220%, fully absorbing the impact of the 2024 L&H assumption review
    • Proposed regular dividend of EUR 1.8 per share for 2024
    • Annualized Return on Equity of 22.8% (23.0% adjusted1) in Q4 2024. For the full year 2024, Return on Equity stands at 0.1% (0.2% adjusted1); adjusted for one-offs5, the annualized Return on Equity would stand at 14.9% for the full year 2024

    SCOR SE’s Board of Directors met on 4 March 2025, under the chair of Fabrice Brégier, to approve the Group’s Q4 2024 financial statements.

    Thierry Léger, Chief Executive Officer of SCOR, comments: “I am satisfied with the fourth quarter results. All business activities contribute to a strong consolidated Group net income. On a full year basis, P&C performance is excellent: the Nat Cat ratio is below the 10% budget, and the underlying performance enables us to build significant prudence two years ahead of plan. Investments performance is strong over the year, taking advantage of the current market conditions. In L&H, we took decisive actions to restore profitability. With a solvency ratio of 210% at year-end remaining in the upper part of the optimal range, SCOR demonstrates resilience as well as enhanced underlying capital generation, leading to a proposed dividend of EUR 1.8 per share. In the prevailing market environment, I’m fully confident that SCOR will continue to grow profitably in diversifying lines of business by leveraging its Tier 1 franchise. We are committed to delivering our Forward 2026 ambitions.”

    Group performance and context

    SCOR records EUR 233 million net income (EUR 235 million adjusted1) in Q4 2024, supported by all business activities:

    • In P&C, the combined ratio of 83.1% in Q4 2024 is primarily driven by a low natural catastrophe ratio of 6.4%. Over the full year 2024, the natural catastrophe ratio of 9.4% is better than the 10% budget. The attritional loss and commission ratio stands at 75.9% in Q4 2024, reflecting a very satisfactory underlying performance allowing for continued reserving discipline. The completion of the annual P&C year-end reserve review confirms all lines are at best estimate and our reserve resilience has increased.
    • In L&H, the insurance service result2 stands at EUR 119 million in Q4 2024, driven by a good level of CSM amortization and risk adjustment release, partially offset by a negative experience variance from the US.
    • In Investments, SCOR benefits from high reinvestment rates and an elevated regular income yield of 3.6% in Q4 2024.
    • The effective tax rate stands at 8% for Q4 2024, mainly reflecting the release of Q2 and Q3 tax provisions related to deferred tax assets.

    The annualized Return on Equity stands at 22.8% (23.0% adjusted1) in Q4 2024.

    Over the full year 2024, SCOR delivers a net income of EUR 4 million (EUR 11 million adjusted1), implying an annualized Return on Equity of 0.1% (0.2% adjusted1), impacted by the outcome of the 2024 L&H assumption review accounting for EUR -0.7 billion (pre-tax) in insurance service result and EUR
    -0.9 billion (pre-tax) in contractual service margin (CSM). The Group Economic Value decreases by 6.3% at constant economics3,4 (+9.8% adjusted for one-offs5).

    SCOR’s Solvency ratio stands at 210% at year-end 2024, in the upper part of the optimal range of 185%-220%, fully absorbing the one-off impact of the L&H assumption review, and demonstrating the Group’s balance sheet resilience.

    Proposed regular dividend of EUR 1.8 per share

    SCOR proposes a regular dividend of EUR 1.8 per share for the fiscal year 2024, stable compared to the fiscal year 2023.

    This dividend will be submitted for shareholders’ approval at the 2025 Annual General Meeting, to be held on 29 April 2025. The Board proposes to set the ex-dividend date at 2 May 2025, and the payment date at 6 May 2025.

    On-going very strong P&C underlying performance

    In Q4 2024, P&C insurance revenue stands at EUR 1,929 million, up +0.4% at constant exchange rates (down -0.5% at current exchange rates) compared to Q4 2023, driven by the effect of a large commutation. Excluding this effect, the insurance revenue would grow by +1.7%.

    New business CSM in Q4 2024 stands at EUR -43 million, impacted by limited renewals in Q4 and an early recognition of the cost of some retrocession contracts renewed at 1 January 2025.

    P&C (re)insurance key figures:

    In EUR million
    (at current exchange rates)    		 Q4 2024 Q4 2023 Variation FY 2024 FY 2023 Variation
    P&C insurance revenue 1,929 1,940 -0.5% 7,639 7,496 1.9%
    P&C insurance service result 238 353 -32.6% 779 897 -13.1%
    Combined ratio 83.1% 75.6% 7.5pts 86.3% 85.0% 1.3pts
    P&C new business CSM -43 -76 43.8% 1,024 952 7.6%

    The P&C combined ratio stands at 83.1% in Q4 2024, compared to 75.6% in Q4 2023. It includes:

    • A Nat Cat ratio of 6.4%, mainly impacted by the losses related to Hurricane Milton (4.7 pts).
    • An attritional loss and commission ratio of 75.9%, reflecting a very satisfactory underlying performance and continued reserving discipline.
    • A discount effect of -9.5%, impacted by the year-end reserves review.
    • An attributable expense ratio of 9.7%, impacted by an expense accounting true-up.

    The P&C insurance service result of EUR 238 million is driven by a CSM amortization of
    EUR 252 million, a risk adjustment release of EUR 45 million, a negative experience variance of
    EUR -38 million and an impact of onerous contract of EUR -21 million. The negative experience variance reflects the prudence building and a low level of retrocession recoveries.

    The impact of the California wildfires is estimated at circa EUR140m, pre-tax and net of retrocessions, which is in line with the Nat Cat budget level of Q1 2025.

    Improved L&H insurance service result in Q4 2024

    In Q4 2024, L&H insurance revenue amounts to EUR 2,055 million, up +8.4% at constant exchange rates (+8.6% at current exchange rates) compared to Q4 2023. L&H New Business CSM7 generation of EUR 113 million in Q4 is driven by Protection and new deals in Longevity.

    The L&H insurance service result2 amounts to EUR 119 million in Q4 2024. It includes:

    • A CSM amortization of EUR 117 million, including a EUR 16 million exceptional release. Excluding this, the annualized CSM amortization rate is 6.9%8.
    • A Risk Adjustment release of EUR 36 million.
    • An experience variance of EUR -49 million, driven by negative deviations in the US.
    • A positive impact of onerous contracts of EUR 12 million reflecting changes in risk adjustment.
    • Offsetting one-off impacts from the 2024 L&H reviews amounting to EUR 1 million.

    L&H reinsurance key figures:

    In EUR million
    (at current exchange rates)    		 Q4 2024 Q4 2023 Variation FY 2024 FY 2023 Variation
    L&H insurance revenue 2,055 1,892 8.6% 8,487 8,426 0.7%
    L&H insurance service result2 119 64 87.5% -348 589 -159.1%
    L&H new business CSM7 113 90 25.4% 485 466 4.1%

    Investments delivering strong results with a regular income yield of 3.6% in Q4 2024

    As of 31 December 2024, total invested assets amount to EUR 24.2 billion. SCOR’s asset mix is optimized, with 78% of the portfolio invested in fixed income. SCOR has a high-quality fixed income portfolio with an average rating of A+, and a duration of 3.8 years (3.0 at year-end 2023) following the implementation of the new ALM strategy.

    Investments key figures:

    In EUR million
    (at current exchange rates)    		 Q4 2024 Q4 2023 Variation FY 2024 FY 2023 Variation
    Total invested assets 24,155 22,914 5.4% 24,155 22,914 5.4%
    Regular income yield* 3.6% 3.7% -0.1pts 3.5% 3.2% 0.3pts
    Return on invested assets*, ** 3.3% 3.7% -0.4pts 3.5% 3.2% 0.3pts

    (*) Annualized.
    (**) Fair value through income on invested assets excludes EUR -3 million in Q4 2024 and EUR -9 million in FY 2024 related to the pre-tax mark to market impact of the fair value of the option on own shares granted to SCOR.

    Total investment income on invested assets stands at EUR 1959 million in Q4 2024. The return on invested assets stands at 3.3%9 (vs. 3.7% in Q4 2023) and the regular income yield at 3.6% (vs. 3.7% in Q4 2023).

    The reinvestment rate stands at 4.5%10 as of 31 December 2024, compared to 4.1% as of 30 September 2024. The invested assets portfolio remains highly liquid and financial cash flows of EUR 9.5 billion are expected over the next 24 months11, enabling SCOR to benefit from elevated reinvestment rates.

    *

    *          *

    APPENDIX

    1 – SCOR Group Q4 2024 key financial details

    In EUR million
    (at current exchange rates)    		 Q4 2024 Q4 2023 Variation FY 2024 FY 2023 Variation
    Insurance revenue 3,984 3,832 4.0% 16,126 15,922 1.3%
    Gross written premiums1 5,049 4,927 2.5% 20,064 19,371 3.6%
    Insurance Service Result2 357 417 -14.3% 432 1,486 -70.9%
    Management expenses -347 -329 -5.2% -1,250 -1,164 -7.4%
    Annualized ROE3 22.8% 15.0% 7.8pts 0.1% 18.1% -18.0pts
    Annualized ROE excluding the mark to market impact of the option on own shares 23.0% 16.6% 6.4pts 0.2% 17.5% -17.2pts
    Net income3,4 233 162 43.2% 4 812 -99.5%
    Net income4 excluding the mark to market impact of the option on own shares 235 179 31.4% 11 780 -98.6%
    Economic value5,6 8,615 9,213 -6.5% 8,615 9,213 -6.5%
    Shareholders’ equity 4,524 4,723 -4.2% 4,524 4,723 -4.2%
    Contractual Service Margin (CSM)6 4,091 4,490 -8.9% 4,091 4,490 -8.9%

    1: GWP is not a metric defined under the IFRS 17 accounting framework (non-GAAP metric); 2: Including revenues on financial contracts reported under IFRS 9; 3: Taking into account the mark to market impact of the option on own shares. Q4 2024 impact of EUR-3 million before tax, FY 2024 impact of EUR -9 million before tax. 4: Consolidated net income, Group share; 5. Defined as the sum of the shareholder’s equity and the Contractual Service Margin (CSM); 6: Net of tax. A notional tax rate of 25% is applied to the CSM.

    2 – P&L key figures Q4 2024

    In EUR million
    (at current exchange rates)    		 Q4 2024 Q4 2023 Variation FY 2024 FY 2023 Variation
    Insurance revenue 3,984 3,832 4.0% 16,126 15,922 +1.3%
    • P&C insurance revenue
    		 1,929 1,940 -0.5% 7,639 7,496 +1.9%
    • L&H insurance revenue
    		 2,055 1,892 8.6% 8,487 8,426 +0.7%
    Gross written premiums1 5,049 4,927 2.5% 20,064 19,371 +3.6%
    • P&C gross written premiums
    		 2,508 2,362 6.2% 9,869 9,452 +4.4%
    • L&H gross written premiums
    		 2,541 2,565 -0.9% 10,195 9,919 +2.8%
    Investment income on invested assets 195 206 -5.3% 800 711 +12.5%
    Operating results 291 350 -17.0% 298 1,366 -78.2%
    Net income2,3 233 162 43.2% 4 812 -99.5%
    Net income2 excluding the mark to market impact of the option on own shares 235 179 31.4% 11 780 -98.6%
    Earnings per share3 (EUR) 1.30 0.91 42.9% 0.02 4.54 -99.6%
    Earnings per share (EUR) excluding the mark to market impact of the option on own shares 1.31 1.00 31.0% 0.06 4.35 -98.6%
    Operating cash flow 197 588 -66.5% 903 1,480 -39.0%

    1: GWP is not a metric defined under the IFRS 17 accounting framework (non-GAAP metric); 2: Consolidated net income, Group share; 3: Taking into account the mark to market impact of the option on own shares. Q4 2024 impact of EUR -3 million before tax, FY 2024 impact of EUR -9 million before tax.

    3 – P&L key ratios Q4 2024

      Q4 2024 Q4 2023 Variation FY 2024 FY 2023 Variation
    Return on invested assets 1,2 3.3% 3.7% -0.4pts 3.5% 3.2% +0.3pts
    P&C combined ratio 3 83.1% 75.6% +7.5pts 86.3% 85.0% +1.3pts
    Annualized ROE4 22.8% 15.0% +7.8pts 0.1% 18.1% -18.0pts
    Annualized ROE excluding the mark to market impact of the option on own shares 23.0% 16.6% +6.4pts 0.2% 17.5% -17.2pts
    Economic Value growth5 n.a. n.a. n.a. -6.3% 8.6% -14.9pts

    1: Annualized; 2: In Q4 2024 and FY 2024, fair value through income on invested assets excludes respectively EUR -3 million and EUR -9 million pre-tax mark to market impact of the fair value of the option on own shares granted to SCOR; 3: The combined ratio is the sum of the total claims, the total variables commissions, and the P&C attributable management expenses, divided by the net insurance revenue for P&C business; 4: Taking into account the mark to market impact of the option on own shares. Q4 2024 impact of EUR -3 million before tax, FY 2024 impact of EUR -9 million before tax; 5: Not annualized. Growth at constant economic assumptions and excluding the mark to market impact of the option on own shares. The starting point is adjusted for the dividend of EUR 1.8 per share (EUR 324 million in total) for the fiscal year 2023, paid in 2024. Economic Value defined as the sum of the shareholders’ equity and the Contractual Service Margin (CSM), net of tax. A notional tax rate of 25% is applied to the CSM.

    4 – Balance sheet key figures as of 31 December 2024

    In EUR million
    (at current exchange rates)    		 As of
    31 December 2024    		 As of
    31 December 2023    		 Variation
    Total invested assets1 24,155 22,914 +5.4%
    Shareholders’ equity 4,524 4,723 -4.2%
    Book value per share (EUR) 25.22 26.16 -3.6%
    Economic Value2 8,615 9,213 -6.5%
    Economic Value per share (EUR)3 48.03 51.18 -6.2%
    Financial leverage ratio4 24.5% 21.2% +3.3pts
    Total liquidity5 2,466 2,234 +10.4%

    1: Excluding third-party net insurance business investments; 2: The Economic Value (defined as the sum of the shareholders’ equity and the Contractual Service Margin (CSM), net of tax) includes minority interests; 3: The Economic Value per share excludes minority interests; 4: The leverage ratio is calculated as the percentage of subordinated debt compared to the sum of Economic Value and subordinated debt in IFRS 17; 5: Including cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments.

    *

    *         *

    SCOR, a leading global reinsurer

    As a leading global reinsurer, SCOR offers its clients a diversified and innovative range of reinsurance and insurance solutions and services to control and manage risk. Applying “The Art & Science of Risk”, SCOR uses its industry-recognized expertise and cutting-edge financial solutions to serve its clients and contribute to the welfare and resilience of society.

    The Group generated premiums of EUR 20.1 billion in 2024 and serves clients in more than 150 countries from its 37 offices worldwide.

    For more information, visit: www.scor.com

    		 Media Relations
    Alexandre Garcia
    media@scor.com

    Investor Relations
    Thomas Fossard
    InvestorRelations@scor.com

    Follow us on LinkedIn
     

    All content published by the SCOR group since January 1, 2024, is certified with Wiztrust. You can check the authenticity of this content at wiztrust.com.

    General

    Numbers presented throughout this press release may not add up precisely to the totals in the tables and text. Percentages and percent changes are calculated on complete figures (including decimals); therefore, this press release might contain immaterial differences in sums and percentages due to rounding. Unless otherwise specified, the sources for the business ranking and market positions are internal.

    Forward-looking statements

    This press release includes forward-looking statements, assumptions, and information about SCOR’s financial condition, results, business, strategy, plans and objectives, including in relation to SCOR’s current or future projects.

    These statements are sometimes identified by the use of the future tense or conditional mode, or terms such as “estimate”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “have the objective”, “intend to”, “plan”, “result in”, “should” and other similar expressions.

    It should be noted that the achievement of these objectives, forward-looking statements, assumptions and information is dependent on circumstances and facts that may or may not arise in the future.

    No guarantee can be given regarding the achievement of these forward-looking statements, assumptions and information. These forward-looking statements, assumptions and information are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements, assumptions and information (including on objectives) may be impacted by known or unknown risks, identified or unidentified uncertainties and other factors that may significantly alter the future results, performance and accomplishments planned or expected by SCOR.

    In particular, it should be noted that the full impact of the economical and geopolitical risks on SCOR’s business and results cannot be accurately assessed.

    Therefore, any assessments, any assumptions and, more generally, any figures presented in this press release will necessarily be estimates based on evolving analyses, and encompass a wide range of theoretical hypotheses, which are highly evolutive.

    Information regarding risks and uncertainties that may affect SCOR’s business is set forth in the 2023 Universal Registration Document filed on March 20, 2024, under number D.24-0142 with the French Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) posted on SCOR’s website www.scor.com.

    In addition, such forward-looking statements, assumptions and information are not “profit forecasts” within the meaning of Article 1 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/980.

    SCOR has no intention and does not undertake to complete, update, revise or change these forward-looking statements, assumptions and information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    Financial information

    The Group’s financial information contained in this press release is prepared on the basis of IFRS and interpretations issued and approved by the European Union.

    Unless otherwise specified, prior-year balance sheet, income statement items and ratios have not been reclassified.

    The calculation of financial ratios (such as return on invested assets, regular income yield, return on equity and combined ratio) is detailed in the Appendices of the presentation related to the financial results for the full year 2024 (see pages 25-61). The financial results for the full year 2024 included in this press release have been audited by SCOR’s statutory auditors. Unless otherwise specified, all figures are presented in Euros.

    Any figures or financial results for a period subsequent to December 31, 2024 should not be taken as a forecast of the expected financials for these periods.

    The solvency ratio is not audited by SCOR’s statutory auditors. The Group solvency final results are to be filed to supervisory authorities by April 2025 and may differ from the estimates expressed or implied in this press release

    1 Adjusted by excluding the mark to market impact of the option on own shares.

    2 Includes revenues on financial contracts reported under IFRS 9.

    3 Defined as the sum of the shareholders’ equity and the Contractual Service Margin (CSM), net of tax. 25% notional tax rate applied on CSM.

    4 Growth at constant economic assumptions as of 31 December 2023, excluding the mark to market impact of the option on own shares.

    5 Excluding the mark to market impact of the option on own shares, and the impacts of the 2024 L&H assumption review and the Q3 true-up on identified arbitration positions.

    6 Solvency ratio estimated after taking into account the proposed dividend of EUR 1.8 per share for the fiscal year 2024.            

    7 Includes the CSM on new treaties and change in CSM on existing treaties due to new business (i.e. new business on existing contracts).

    8 Applied to the closing CSM (before amortization) at the half year or the full year.

    9 Excluding the mark to market impact of the option on own shares. Q4 2024 impact of EUR -3 million before tax.

    10 Reinvestment rate is based on Q4 2024 asset allocation of yielding asset classes (i.e. fixed income, loans and real estate), according to current reinvestment duration assumptions. Yield curves & spreads as of 31/12/2024.

    11 As of 31 December 2024. Including current cash balances and future coupons and redemptions.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Tech chief begins Spain trip

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong visited Barcelona in Spain and attended the Mobile World Congress 2025 with a delegation of Hong Kong’s innovation and technology (I&T) sector yesterday.

     

    The Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTPC) and Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) co-ordinated the participation of Hong Kong’s I&T enterprises and institutions in the congress to set up the Hong Kong Tech Pavilion, showcasing the latest solutions in advanced electronics and robotics, artificial intelligence and data technology, digital transformation and the startup ecosystem.

     

    Prof Sun attended the networking reception at the pavilion and witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the HKTDC and the Barcelona City Council to promote trade and business relations between enterprises in the two places, and collaboration between the HKSTPC and 22@Network Barcelona to enhance the global connection of startups.

     

    Afterwards, he met Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, & Universities of Spain Juan Cruz Cigudosa to discuss issues of mutual interest, including strengthening bilateral co-operation in technological innovation and research.

     

    Additionally, Prof Sun and the delegation visited the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, one of the largest biomedical research clusters in Southern Europe bringing together research centres and researchers in biomedical fields.

     

    The delegation focused on its cross-institutional collaboration model and clinical transformation outcome and applications, as well as various support services provided to the research centres in the park.

     

    They also toured the headquarters of ISDIN, a cosmeceutical brand, and learnt about its solutions for dermatology conditions and research achievements in products.

     

    Prof Sun encouraged the company to leverage on Hong Kong’s unique international business environment as well as its distinctive advantage of connecting with both the Mainland and the world to expand business in Hong Kong, the Mainland and the Asian market.

     

    While attending the Chinese New Year reception hosted by the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Brussels in the evening, the technology chief shared with the leaders and executives of the business and political sectors and I&T community in Barcelona the vision and efforts of Hong Kong to develop into an international I&T centre.

     

    Also during the reception, he had a brief exchange with Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Barcelona Meng Yuhong.

     

    After arriving in Barcelona a day earlier, Prof Sun visited the Barcelona Activa, a public trading company integrated in the area of Economy & Economic Promotion of Barcelona City Council, and met Chief Executive Officer of Catalonia Trade & Investment Office Agency for Business Competitiveness Jaume Baró.

     

    On the same day, he had dinner with representatives of the participating I&T enterprises and organisations.

     

    Prof Sun will continue his visit in Barcelona today where he plans to deliver a keynote speech at the Global System for Mobile Communications Association Ministerial Programme session of the Mobile World Congress.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump is the kinglike president many feared when arguing over the US Constitution in 1789 – and his address to Congress showed it

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Maurizio Valsania, Professor of American History, Università di Torino

    President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    If there are any limits to a president’s power, it wasn’t evident from Donald Trump’s speech before a joint session of Congress on March 4, 2025.

    In that speech, the first before lawmakers of Trump’s second term, the president declared vast accomplishments during the brief six weeks of his presidency. He claimed to have “brought back free speech” to the country. He declared that there were only two sexes, “male and female.” He reminded the audience that he had unilaterally renamed an international body of water as well as the country’s tallest mountain.

    “Our country is on the verge of a comeback the likes of which the world has never witnessed, and perhaps will never witness again,” Trump asserted.

    The extravagant claims appear to match Trump’s view of the presidency – one virtually kinglike in its unilateral power.

    It’s true that the U.S. Constitution’s crucial section about the executive branch, Article 2, does not grant the president unlimited power. But it does make this figure the sole “Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States.”

    This monopoly on the use of force is one way Trump could support his 2019 claim that he can do “whatever I want as President.”

    Before Trump’s speech, protesters outside had taken issue with Trump’s wielding of such unchecked power. One protester’s sign said, “We the People don’t want false kings in our house.”

    With those words, she echoed a concern about presidential power that originated more than 200 years ago.

    Many Americans, including these protesting in Washington, D.C. on March 4, 2024, have long resisted the idea of the president as a king.
    AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

    Remnants of the monarchy

    When the Constitution was written, many people – from those who drafted the document to those who read it – believed that endowing the president with such powers was dangerous.

    Ratified after a lot of huffing and puffing, on May 29, 1790, by rather nervous citizens, the text of the Constitution had stirred many controversies.

    It wasn’t just the oftentimes vague language, which includes head-scratchers such as the very preamble, “We the People of the United States.” Nor was the discomfort due solely to the document’s jarring brevity – at 4,543 words, the U.S. Constitution is the shortest written Constitution of any major nation in the world.

    No, what made that document especially problematic, to borrow from John Adams, was that it provided for “a monarchical Republick, or if you will a limited Monarchy.”

    Adams would eventually become the nation’s second president in 1797. Even though he was a staunch supporter of the Constitution, he was honest enough to take a hard look over the political layout of the new nation. And what he found were remnants of the British monarchy and traces of a king whose unchecked abuses had led the Colonists to demand their independence in the first place.

    “The Name of President,” Adams couldn’t help concluding in a letter to prominent Massachusetts lawyer William Tudor, “does not alter the Nature of his office nor diminish the Regal Authorities and Powers which appear clearly in the Writing.”

    John Adams, left, one of four founders pictured here, was concerned that the Constitution gave the president ‘Regal Authorities and Powers.’
    Stock Montage/Archive photos, Getty Images

    While Adams was only somewhat uncomfortable, as a historian of the early republic I can stress that other observers at the time were downright appalled.

    In a 1787 article published in the Philadelphia Independent Gazetteer, “An Old Whig” – identity unknown – wrote, “The office of President of the United States appears to me to be clothed with such powers as are dangerous.”

    As the commander in chief of the Army, the American president “is in reality to be a king as much a King as the King of Great Britain, and a King too of the worst kind – an elective King.”

    Consequently, as the author of this article resolved, “I shall despair of any happiness in the United States” until this office is “reduced to a lower pitch of power.”

    ‘Subjects of a military king’

    Concern over a commander in chief declaring martial law, no matter the legality of the measure, was similarly on the minds of the Americans who had read the Constitution.

    In 1788, a patriot who went under the pseudonym of “Philadelphiensis” – real name, Benjamin Workman – issued a sweeping warning. Should the president decide to impose martial law, “your character of free citizens” would be “changed to that of the subjects of a military king.”

    A president turned military king could “wantonly inflict the most disgraceful punishment on a peaceable citizen,” the piece continued, “under pretence of disobedience, or the smallest neglect of militia duty.”

    George Mason worried that giving the president pardon power would mean pardons granted to ‘prevent a discovery of his own guilt.’
    New York Public Library, Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

    Another power given to the president was also universally considered extremely dangerous: that of granting pardons to individuals guilty of treason.

    Maryland Attorney General Luther Martin reasoned that the treason most likely to take place was “that in which the president himself might be engaged.” What the president would do, Martin wrote, would be “to secure from punishment the creatures of his ambition, the associates and abettors of his treasonable practices, by granting them pardons.”

    George Mason, who participated in the Constitutional Convention and also drafted Virginia’s state Constitution, foresaw a gloomy scenario. He shivered at the idea of a president who would “screen from punishment those whom he had secretly instigated to commit the crime, and thereby prevent a discovery of his own guilt.”

    Choosing ‘villains or fools’

    The framers did limit executive power in one significant way: The president of the United States is subject to impeachment and, upon conviction of treason or other high crimes, removal from office.

    But in the meantime, the president may enact irreparable damage.

    The Constitution was finally ratified – but only begrudgingly by the American citizens, who feared a president’s abuse of power. More persuasive than the legal restraints placed on the office, the belief that the people would choose their leader wisely tipped the scale toward approval.

    Delegate John Dickinson asked a rhetorical question: “Will a virtuous and sensible people chuse villains or fools for their officers?”

    Also, 18th-century common sense deemed it improbable that a person without virtue and magnanimity would run for the nation’s highest office. Americans’ faith in their first president, the upstanding George Washington, helped convince them that all would end well and their Constitution would be sufficient to protect the republic.

    The Federalist Papers, the 85 essays written to persuade voters to support ratification, were suffused with this optimism.

    People “of the character marked out for that of the President of the United States” were widely available, said the Federalist #67.

    “It will not be too strong to say,” reads Federalist #68, “that there will be a constant probability of seeing the station filled by characters pre-eminent for ability and virtue.”

    In the Nov. 1, 1787, edition of The Independent Gazetteer, one reader wrote, ‘The office of President of the United States appears to me to be clothed with such powers as are dangerous.’
    ConSource

    Government of laws?

    Adams wasn’t so optimistic. He wavered. And then he flipped the issue on its head.

    “There must be a positive Passion for the public good … established in the Minds of the People,” he had written in a 1776 letter, “or there can be no Republican Government, nor any real liberty.”

    After almost 250 years of uninterrupted republican life, Americans are used to thinking that their nation is secured by checks and balances. As Adams kept repeating, America aims at becoming “a government of laws, and not of men.”

    Americans, in other words, have long believed it is their institutions that make the nation. But the opposite is true: The people are the soul and the conscience of the republic.

    Everything, in the end, boils down to the character of these people and the control they assert over who becomes their most important leader.

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

    – ref. Trump is the kinglike president many feared when arguing over the US Constitution in 1789 – and his address to Congress showed it – https://theconversation.com/trump-is-the-kinglike-president-many-feared-when-arguing-over-the-us-constitution-in-1789-and-his-address-to-congress-showed-it-251294

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Forward to Zlotnikov!” How the new exhibition is organized in the gallery-workshop “GROUND Solyanka”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An exhibition has opened in the GROUND Solyanka gallery and workshop “Forward to Zlotnikov!”, presenting a new look at the artist’s legacy.

    Yuri Zlotnikov is an abstract artist, one of the classics of Russian contemporary art, creator of his own visual language. His works are kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, the National Center of Art and Culture Georges Pompidou in Paris and other major cultural organizations.

    The exhibition “Forward, to Zlotnikov!” is complex: its creators define it as a search for an impulse that sets in motion the mechanism of perception and knowledge of the world, as a large-scale study based on the art of Yuri Zlotnikov. His works are shown together with works by Russian and foreign contemporary artists – this takes viewers away from the idea of a lone innovator, which is assigned to the master, and denotes the continuity of ideas and interdisciplinary searches. And the image of the world through the prism of Yuri Zlotnikov’s works is complemented and expanded by scores for the ANS synthesizer by Olesya Rostovskaya and the installation “Machine Vision” by media artist Kamila Yusupova.

    As for the architecture of the exhibition, notes Katya Bochavar, director of the GROUND Solyanka gallery and workshop, it is organized quite uniformly: almost all of the master’s works on display are located on a white support, with the exception of large paintings.

    “And since the texts written by curator Nikita Spiridonov explain the artist’s works themselves, the themes that Zlotnikov worked on, and explain his worldview and perception in general, then, as it seems to me, it is very important at this exhibition not only to look, but also to read the text,” emphasizes Katya Bochavar.

    “Signal System”, Cybernetics and Sculpture

    The research exhibition is a timely and important stage in the study of the work of one of the greatest authors of contemporary Russian art, says Nikita Spiridonov.

    “The starting point here is the art of Yuri Zlotnikov. However, following the call in the title, the dramaturgy can also be built in reverse: through the practices and poetics of other authors, the perception of Zlotnikov’s own art is deconstructed and reassembled,” the curator of the exhibition reasons.

    The starting point for the research is the “Signal System”, which is at the crossroads of these vectors. Yuri Zlotnikov himself formulated its essence as follows: “The study of psychophysiological motor experiences, the nature of the subject’s reactions to color and form, the interaction of “artist – image – viewer” and subsequent impacts is the meaning of my work…”.

    The term “signal” refers to cybernetics, an interdisciplinary science of transforming and transmitting information in complex control systems, which, in turn, borrowed it from psychophysiology. The artist emphasized the influence of cybernetics in his texts and statements. It is known, for example, that while working on “Signal System” (1957–1962), Zlotnikov communicated with Nikolai Bernstein, who was in charge of one of the laboratories of the Central Institute of Labor in the first half of the 1920s, where he was developing the foundations of biomechanics. Researchers of the artist’s work do not have a unified opinion on what exactly he gleaned from the texts and reasoning, but his practice sometimes seems worthy of its own laboratory and speaks of Yuri Zlotnikov’s exceptional passion and persistence not only in aesthetics, but also in science.

    In the hall “Psychophysiology of visual perception” a special place is given to Zlotnikov’s still little-studied projects – sculpture and design theory. He worked on the principles of industrial workshop design in parallel with the “Signal System”.

    “The idea was to extrapolate the Signals problematic to the needs of industrialization of that time – the project addressed the mental state of a person at the moment of production. Like the psychotechnical experiments of the Russian avant-garde, it was supposed to help a worker tune in to the production process in the factory shops, a schoolchild – to perceive and assimilate educational material in the classroom, and so on. However, later Zlotnikov cooled towards design and became disillusioned with its potential. According to Alexander Zlotnikov, Yuri Savelyevich claimed that the mundane is detrimental to the perception of art: if a worker sees a mural next to his machine every day, he will most likely stop noticing it,” says Nikita Spiridonov.

    The sculptural works, not realized on a large scale during Zlotnikov’s lifetime and presented as models, establish a continuity with Yakov Chernikhov’s “Architectural Fantasies” — graphic compositions with an emphasis on “a sense of form, line, plane, volume, a sense of rhythm.” And although most of Chernikhov’s works remained projects, their flat architecture echoes the elements of lines and arcs of spatial objects in the gallery-studio hall. Thus, the visual patterns of Zlotnikov’s series enter three-dimensional space and now share it with the viewer, provoking movement and the search for a more perfect point of perception.

    The exhibition runs until April 22. Tickets can be purchased on mos.ru.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/150916073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: All about your capital: how the personal account of the portal “Discover Moscow” has been updated

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    A new function has appeared in the user’s personal account on the “Discover Moscow” portal. Now in the “Favorites” section, you can create your own selections of online routes, articles about museums, monuments and buildings, as well as materials about people who left their mark on the culture and history of the capital. Thanks to this, it will be easier for users to systematize information about the places they want to visit and quickly find the content they like.

    “Earlier, the team of the project “Discover Moscow” conducted a study to find out the opinion of users about the work of the portal. Many survey participants noted that they would like to be able to save pages in the “Favorites” section in a more convenient way. Previously, they could not be organized, which sometimes caused difficulties in finding the necessary material. Therefore, we added a new function to the section – creating categories for content. Now the user can combine it thematically, for example, save articles about museums that they plan to visit, or descriptions of interesting routes in a separate category,” the press service said.

    Department of Information Technology of the City of Moscow.

    New functions are available to authorized users of the portal “Learn Moscow”. Authorization can be done using Mos ID – an account on the mos.ru portal, as well as accounts on the social networks “VKontakte”, “Odnoklassniki” or the “Yandex ID” service. In addition, you can create a separate account on the portal “Learn Moscow”. When registering, the user will need to indicate their first name, last name, email and set a password.

    In the updated personal account, in the “Favorites” section, two categories are available by default: “Already visited” and “Planning to visit”. In order for the desired page to be included in one of them, you need to put the appropriate mark. You can find it above the photo gallery of the object, next to the “Favorites” icon, marked with a “heart”.

    To create your own content categories, in the Favorites section, you need to click the Add Category button. For example, this can be done for favorite routes, information about the history of the city, quizzes, unique historical places, museums or interesting buildings. The user comes up with the name of the category themselves. If necessary, it can be edited, and the categories themselves can be deleted.

    Next, to add content to the desired category, you must first save it to “Favorites” by clicking on the “heart” icon on the object page above the photo gallery. Then go to “Favorites”, click on the “Add to categories” button under the saved object and select the desired one.

    In your personal account, you can also use the existing convenient options.

    Thus, in the “My Tickets” tab, the ability to view tickets purchased in the section has been preserved. “Poster”On the portal “Discover Moscow” you can find many interesting events – paid and free, which take place in the city’s cultural institutions.

    And in the “Added to the site” tab there are pages (dedicated to historical buildings, monuments and personalities) that the user has created on the “Learn Moscow” portal. You can create a page in the “Buildings”, “Monuments” and “Personalities” sections. To do this, go to the section and click on the appropriate button at the top of the page – “Add a building”, “Add a monument” or “Add a person”. Then the user needs to enter information about the object. If we are talking about, for example, a building, you will need to indicate its name, address, nearest metro station, date of construction, add a description and photographs. The application will be reviewed by specialized specialists, and after moderation, the object page will appear on um.mos.ru. Before you suggest an article for publication, it is recommended to check if there is similar material on the portal.

    Another new feature is the ability to rate routes based on several criteria: scenic beauty, duration, information content, and accessibility. This can be done on a five-point scale. The rating will allow portal visitors to better navigate the variety of routes and choose those that match their interests and preferences.

    All new features are also available in the “Discover Moscow” application.

    “Get to Know Moscow”— a joint project of departments information technology, cultures, cultural heritage, education and science. The interactive guide contains photographs and descriptions of more than 2.3 thousand buildings, over 700 monuments, 400 museums, more than 290 walking routes, as well as information about more than 320 historical figures. All this is also available in the mobile application “Get to Know Moscow”.

    The creation, development and operation of the e-government infrastructure, including the provision of mass socially significant services, as well as other services in electronic form, corresponds to the objectives of the national project “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State” and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Public Administration”.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/150931073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Capital centers of additional education are becoming increasingly popular

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Over the past three years, young Muscovites have begun to attend clubs and sections in the capital’s palaces and creative centers by 35 percent more often. This was reported in Department of Education and Science of the City of Moscow.

    “There are 26 creative centers in the capital, including the flagship of the capital’s supplementary education system — the Moscow Palace of Pioneers on Vorobyovy Gory. Over the past three years, interest in these institutions has grown noticeably: the number of children attending clubs has increased to 142 thousand. Children have access to over 15 thousand sections and clubs — this is a quarter more than in 2022. Each child can choose what interests them — from football and rhythmic gymnastics to robotics and circus arts,” the department’s press service said.

    For example, at the Victoria Children’s and Youth Center, Muscovites go karting. They not only learn to drive, but also study the structure of cars, master repair skills, learn traffic rules and the specifics of holding sports competitions. At the Vostochny Palace of Children’s and Youth Creativity, schoolchildren try their hand at DJing. During classes, they work with modern music equipment, master mobile applications for creating music and perform at events.

    The Moscow Palace of Pioneers has an observatory where children study astronomy. At the technical education center, they observe the sky and make their own discoveries, such as finding new stars. Since 2019, the palace’s students have discovered 77 supernovae and 126 variable stars. There is also a sculpture workshop where schoolchildren gain skills in working with tools and prepare for admission to specialized universities. In addition, there is the Vasilisa Fashion Theater. The children create complex sewing products, design, model and decorate clothes, and also participate in the development and sewing of collections for various competitions and shows.

    You can sign up for clubs on the mos.ru portal using the function “Enrollment in clubs, sports sections and art schools” in the “Services” section.

    In total, there are more than 135 thousand clubs and sections in the capital’s schools, colleges and additional education centres. 89 percent of Moscow schoolchildren study in them. Most often, they choose football, chess and robotics.

    You can find out more about additional education in the capital in Telegram channels “Moscow education” And“Moscow Center for Educational Practices”.

    Supplementary education programs develop creative and critical thinking in schoolchildren and develop skills that will be useful to them in their future profession. Events held within the framework of supplementary education contribute to the project “All the best for children” national project “Youth and Children”.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/150912073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health and Academia – University welcomes primary care announcements – UoA

    Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

    The government’s announcements of support for more locally trained doctors and nurses to work in primary care are welcomed by the University of Auckland.

    The government’s announcements this week of support for more locally trained doctors and nurses to work in primary care are welcomed by the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences Dean, Professor Warwick Bagg and Head of Nursing Professor Julia Slark.

    Today, 5 March, Health Minister Hon Simeon Brown announced five-year funding for training of 120 nurse practitioners based in primary care, as well as $21.6 million over four years to accelerate advanced tertiary education for up to 120 primary care registered nurses a year.

    Head of the School of Nursing Professor Julia Slark says it’s excellent news, especially to see the government’s sustained commitment over to funding for additional primary care nurse training.

    “We really welcome the investment in nursing. It is pleasing because nurses have a pivotal role in primary care,” Slark says.

    Yesterday, Brown announced an increase of 25 training places for doctors in the two existing medical schools and training opportunities in primary care for up to 50 New Zealand-trained graduate doctors. Earlier in the week, the minister also announced 100 clinical places for overseas-trained doctors to work in primary care.

    Professor Bagg says the announcements recognise the urgent workforce needs of the health system.

    “Every New Zealander knows our health system is under strain, and we need a range of solutions to meet those needs. The announcements are excellent news. The University of Auckland looks forward to offering more places for students to study medicine.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Long-serving staff members celebrate four decades in EIT’s 50th year | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

    Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

    28 seconds ago

    For more than 40 years, Mandy Pentecost and Gail Maxey have been part of the fabric of EIT, witnessing its evolution from a community college to a leading educational institution as it now celebrates its 50th anniversary.

    Gail and Mandy started their careers at EIT just months apart in 1984, when the institution was still known as Hawke’s Bay Community College.

    Gail, who originally joined to teach anatomy and physiology in the nursing programme, remembers how radical it was to shift nursing education from hospitals to the classroom. “It was a huge change at the time,” she recalls. “We didn’t realise then how significant that shift was.” Over the years, she has taught across multiple disciplines, including beauty therapy, sports science, and foundation programmes, always centering around her passion for anatomy and physiology.

    Gail Maxey and Mandy Pentecost have been teaching at EIT for more than 40 years.

    Mandy, on the other hand, came to EIT with a background in community education. While she had originally interviewed for one role, those hiring her decided to create a position for her with a community development focus. “It was a one-year role that kept getting renewed,” she laughs. She helped shape the social services and counselling programmes, eventually moving into leadership positions, including Assistant Head and Acting Head of the School of Education and Social Sciences.

    Throughout their careers, both Gail and Mandy have experienced the evolution of EIT, from its modest beginnings with just a few buildings to the large institute it is today. Gail recalls how fields which were once used for soccer and rugby have been replaced by modern teaching facilities. “I’ve worked in nearly every building on this campus,” she says. “And now, after 41 years, I’ve come full circle back to the one I started in.”

    Mandy appreciates how EIT continues to provide education opportunities for students in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti. “The way we support students now is different,” she says. “EIT has always had a strong regional focus, ensuring people don’t have to leave Hawke’s Bay or Tairāwhiti to access quality education. That’s something I’ve always believed in.”

    Despite their long tenures, neither Gail nor Mandy are in a rush to leave. “I love being in the classroom,” Gail says. “I love working with students who are figuring out their paths and proving to them that they can achieve more than they thought possible.”

    Mandy shares a similar sentiment. “I never expected to stay this long,” she admits. “But EIT’s values align with mine. I love seeing students I taught 20 years ago succeed in their careers. That’s what makes it all worth it.”

    As EIT celebrates 50 years, Gail and Mandy recognise the milestone but view it as just one chapter in the institution’s journey. Reflecting on recent years, Gail acknowledges the challenges posed by COVID-19, natural disasters, and organisational changes. “You couldn’t walk away in the middle of all that,” she says.

    For Mandy, stepping back from leadership to focus on postgraduate teaching is her way of giving back. “Teaching is why I started in education. It’s what I still love to do.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China targets economic growth of around 5% in 2025

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 8, 2024 shows robotic arms processing parts for new energy vehicles at a private company in Changxing Economic and Technological Development Zone, Huzhou City, east China’s Zhejiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    China targets an economic growth rate of around 5 percent in 2025, according to a government work report submitted Wednesday to the national legislature for deliberation.
    The report also outlines an array of other key development goals for this year, including a surveyed urban unemployment rate of around 5.5 percent, over 12 million new urban jobs, and an around 2 percent increase in the consumer price index.
    The country achieved economic growth of 5 percent in 2024 as an impactful policy package, along with other pro-growth measures, helped fuel strong economic momentum.
    On a global scale, an around 5 percent growth rate places China among the world’s fastest-growing major economies, with the economic increment equating to the annual output of a mid-sized nation.
    Huang Qunhui, a national political advisor from the Institute of Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, described this year’s economic growth target as scientifically grounded and realistic.
    “In the face of a challenging global environment, the proactive and resilient goal suggests that China is braving uncertainties with a clear, determined approach to growth,” he said.
    As 2025 marks the final year of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period and is also crucial to crafting the next five-year blueprint, observers believe that the government policies will not only drive sustained growth this year but also lay the groundwork for the country’s modernization drive in the long run.
    Fostering high-quality development is a key focus on this year’s government agenda, with priorities ranging from stimulating domestic demand to developing new quality productive forces.
    “We will take a people-centered approach and place a stronger economic policy focus on improving living standards and boosting consumer spending,” the report said.
    Domestic demand will be made the main engine and anchor of economic growth, the report said. Ultra-long special treasury bonds totaling 300 billion yuan will be issued to support consumer goods trade-in programs.
    New quality productive forces will be nurtured in light of local conditions, according to the report. China aims to foster emerging and future industries, such as quantum technology and the low-altitude economy, accelerate the upgrading of traditional industries, and combine digital technologies including AI with manufacturing and market strengths.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China targets economic growth of around 5 pct in 2025

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 8, 2024 shows robotic arms processing parts for new energy vehicles at a private company in Changxing Economic and Technological Development Zone, Huzhou City, east China’s Zhejiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

    China targets an economic growth rate of around 5 percent in 2025, according to a government work report submitted Wednesday to the national legislature for deliberation.

    The report also outlines an array of other key development goals for this year, including a surveyed urban unemployment rate of around 5.5 percent, over 12 million new urban jobs, and an around 2 percent increase in the consumer price index.

    The country achieved economic growth of 5 percent in 2024 as an impactful policy package, along with other pro-growth measures, helped fuel strong economic momentum.

    On a global scale, an around 5 percent growth rate places China among the world’s fastest-growing major economies, with the economic increment equating to the annual output of a mid-sized nation.

    Huang Qunhui, a national political advisor from the Institute of Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, described this year’s economic growth target as scientifically grounded and realistic.

    “In the face of a challenging global environment, the proactive and resilient goal suggests that China is braving uncertainties with a clear, determined approach to growth,” he said.

    As 2025 marks the final year of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period and is also crucial to crafting the next five-year blueprint, observers believe that the government policies will not only drive sustained growth this year but also lay the groundwork for the country’s modernization drive in the long run.

    Fostering high-quality development is a key focus on this year’s government agenda, with priorities ranging from stimulating domestic demand to developing new quality productive forces.

    “We will take a people-centered approach and place a stronger economic policy focus on improving living standards and boosting consumer spending,” the report said.

    Domestic demand will be made the main engine and anchor of economic growth, the report said. Ultra-long special treasury bonds totaling 300 billion yuan will be issued to support consumer goods trade-in programs.

    New quality productive forces will be nurtured in light of local conditions, according to the report. China aims to foster emerging and future industries, such as quantum technology and the low-altitude economy, accelerate the upgrading of traditional industries, and combine digital technologies including AI with manufacturing and market strengths.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s inbound cruise tourism sets sail in 2025

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Tianjin and Qingdao, two major port cities in China, kicked off the new year with their first inbound international cruise ship of 2025 — the Malta-registered Europa 2, a clear signal of the steady revival of China’s cruise tourism industry.

    The luxury liner, carrying hundreds of passengers from countries including Germany, Austria and Switzerland is on a global voyage. During its China leg, the tour group headed to major destinations including Xiamen, Shanghai and Tianjin.

    After a brief stop in Qingdao in Shandong Province, east China, on March 1, the ship would head to Japan and the Republic of Korea, according to Kristina Jurgawka, a crew member aboard the ship.

    An avid history enthusiast, she was deeply impressed by the Great Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and enchanted by the skyline of Shanghai. “I’m truly grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she said.

    For German tourist Joachin Dopp, the ease of entry into China left the strongest impression. “It’s simple to enter, no need for a visa or all those formalities. It’s great that you can just enter the country and enjoy it [your trip],” he told Xinhua.

    His experience reflects well on China’s effort to rejuvenate the cruise tourism sector. In May last year, a policy was rolled out allowing visa-free entry for foreign tourist groups arriving on cruise ships at any of the country’s cruise ports along the coastline.

    With a coastline stretching 18,000 km, China has seen steady improvements in its port infrastructure. The country boasts abundant tourism resources and is experiencing rapid growth in the service industry, making it a major destination for international cruise liners.

    Wang Hong, president of China Europe International Business School, said in a media interview that the visa-free entry policy for cruise passengers will bring unprecedented development opportunities to China’s tourism and cruise industries. It is expected to attract more foreign visitors to choose cruises as a means of traveling to China, thereby boosting inbound tourism.

    Industry leaders predict a strong rebound in international cruise tourism in China this year.

    On Jan. 3, an international cruise ship carrying 456 passengers docked at Phoenix Island International Cruise Port in Sanya, a popular tropical destination. From 2006 to the end of 2024, the port handled over 1,600 cruise ship voyages and over 2 million passenger trips.

    Days later, the Silver Dawn became the first international cruise ship to arrive in Shanghai this year, bringing over 400 tourists from more than 20 countries, including the United States, Britain, and Australia. During the eight-day Spring Festival holiday, the border inspection authorities in Shanghai reported 22 cruise ship entries and exits, with 72,000 cruise passenger trips.

    Tang Ming, head of a Shanghai-based travel agency, noted that since February 2024, the market has steadily recovered. “We expect to see a 20 to 30 percent increase in international cruise tourists this year,” he said.

    Cruise ports in Qingdao are expected to receive over 40 cruise ship visits in 2025, twice the number recorded in 2024, according to the city’s culture and tourism bureau. Meanwhile, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port is preparing for increased activities, with more than 40 inbound and outbound cruise ship visits anticipated at Dongjiang Port in the first quarter alone.

    Globally, the Cruise Lines International Association estimates that the number of ocean-going cruise passengers will reach 39.5 million by 2027, reflecting sustained demand for cruise voyages.

    By 2035, China’s cruise market is expected to welcome 4.2 million inbound foreign tourist trips annually, with total economic output projected to reach 531.7 billion yuan (about 74.12 billion U.S. dollars), according to a report by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, as cited by Liao Minsheng, a marine tourism expert from Hainan Tropical Ocean University.

    China’s market, Liao said in a media interview, presents unprecedented opportunities for the global cruise and yacht economy.

    “China’s vast market size and growing demand for cruise tourism provide international cruise and yacht companies with ample room for expansion,” he added. “The sector’s growth is expected to drive the development in areas such as ship design and manufacturing, foreign trade, tourism services, port construction and modern maritime services.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren Slams Trump’s “Sandstorm of Chaos” Meant to Distract from His Billionaire Tax Giveaways

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    March 04, 2025
    Senator Warren joined Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Massachusetts Congressional Delegation ahead of President Trump’s joint address to Congress
    Warren: “The whole Republican plan fits on a bumper sticker: Billionaires win; families lose.” 
    Washington, D.C. – At a press conference today, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation in delivering remarks on Trump’s agenda to benefit billionaires while hurting working people ahead of Trump’s Joint Address to Congress.
    Senator Warren called the first six weeks of the new administration a “sandstorm of chaos” meant to distract from President Trump’s goal of jamming through trillions in tax cuts to billionaires at the expense of health care, Social Security, and programs that benefit working people.  
    Senator Warren was joined by her guest Doug Kowalewski, a former National Science Foundation employee from Wellesley who, after six years of service, was fired unexpectedly in Elon Musk’s and the Department of Government Efficiency’s gutting of the federal workforce. Doug shared his story at Senator Warren’s recent town hall in Framingham, Massachusetts.
    Transcript: Press Conference with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Massachusetts Congressional DelegationU.S. SenateMarch 4, 2025
    Senator Elizabeth Warren: We are all here today as the federal representatives of the seven million people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. And we stand proudly with the Mayor of Boston, who has been “invited” – I think that’s still a word – she has been invited by the Republicans to come and defend Boston and to defend the values that we fight for every day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. So we want to be here, in part, to talk about what this fight is about.   
    Over the last six weeks, Donald Trump has created a sandstorm of chaos to try to distract us from his real agenda: Tax cuts for billionaires, paid for by cuts to health care and Social Security. These are programs that mommas and daddies and babies and seniors rely on every single day.
    Trump and his unelected co-president Elon Musk are dismantling our government, piece by piece, so that it works better for those same billionaires and worse for everyone else. The whole Republican plan fits on a bumper sticker: Billionaires win; families lose. 
    Trump promised, you may remember, to lower costs “on day one.” Instead, he and co-President Musk have tried to fire the financial cops that keep Americans from getting cheated. They have slashed funding that supports research for cures for cancer and Alzheimer’s. And they have fired thousands of hardworking public servants, including the people who keep us safe when we fly on airplanes, the people who make sure that nuclear materials are safely stored, and people who inspect our food.
    One of those hardworking public servants is Doug. Up until two weeks ago, Doug worked at the National Science Foundation — until out of nowhere, he was fired along with over one hundred of his colleagues. And I’ve invited Doug here to share his story. Doug, come on over. 
    Doug Kowalewski, Senator Warren’s Guest for Trump’s Joint Address to Congress: So, after six years of service at the National Science Foundation, I was fired two weeks ago from today. And me, along with 167 of my colleagues were called into a Zoom meeting to get a mass termination firing with no cause. And this doesn’t just impact me — this impacts all of Massachusetts. A limited workforce at NSF or NST or NIH jeopardizes the billions of federal investments that directly fund our top-notch research and researchers in Massachusetts and powers our local economy.
    So, I’m scared for our country. Millions of Americans who have dedicated their lives and dedicated their careers to this country are suffering because of unelected billionaires. I’m here with Senator Warren to fight back against these illegal terminations and to stand up for hardworking civil servants. Thank you. 
    Senator Warren: Thank you very much, Doug. And I appreciate Doug being here. I just want to say, this is what happens when you go to town halls. I had a town hall in Framingham a week ago and Doug stood up and told his story, as have lots of other people in Massachusetts. 
    I would say the biggest question at that town hall is: What can we do? And Doug is living proof of what we can do. We can tell our stories because they matter. We build a grassroots movement across this story by not using big words and abstract terms, but by telling the story person by person by person about what kind of work you do and what it means when you just get called in and told, “You’re fired,” because it fits in someone else’s political agendas, so thank you for being here, Doug. I appreciate it.   
    Alright, I just want to say: Doug is standing up, he’s pushing back and that’s what we’ve all got to do. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Markey, Colleagues Introduce Children, Teen’s Online Privacy Protection Legislation 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Edward Markey (D-MA), and colleagues introduced the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) to update online data privacy rules for the 21st century and ensure children and teenagers are protected online. COPPA 2.0 would stop the data practices fueling today’s youth mental health crisis.
    “Every kid has an iPad or smartphone. They’re going to use the internet. Parents should be confident they can do it safely,” said Dr. Cassidy. “COPPA 2.0 is the tool that will give parents the peace of mind they need and keep their children’s personal information secure.”
    “We need strong modern legislation that keeps pace with the ever-evolving digital landscape and creates a safer online environment by addressing the youth mental health crisis and protecting the personal information of our kids,” said Senator Markey. “Congress must finally pass my Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act to extend these protections to teenagers, block targeted advertising to kids and teens, and give parents of young people an eraser button to protect them from predatory data collection practices.” 
    COPPA 2.0 would:
    Ban targeted advertising to children and teens.
    Create an “Eraser Button” by requiring companies to permit users delete personal information collected from a child or teens.
    Establish data minimization rules to prohibit the excessive collection of children and teens’ data.
    Revise COPPA’s “actual knowledge” standard to close the loophole that allows platforms to ignore kids and teens on their side.
    Build on COPPA by prohibiting internet companies from collecting personal information from users who are 13 to 16 years old without their consent.
    Cassidy and Markey were joined by U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Katie Britt (R-AL), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Peter Welch (D-VT), Angus King (I-ME), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).
    COPPA 2.0 is endorsed by over 50 groups and organizations including the School Superintendents Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Federation of Teachers, American Psychological Association, National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), and National Association of School Nurses. 
    Background
    In July 2024, the U.S. Senate passed the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act, which included COPPA 2.0, by a 91-3 vote. Cassidy highlighted the passage of his bill to protect children’s privacy online in an op-ed for The Advocate. In September 2024, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee passed COPPA 2.0. 
    In May 2023, Cassidy and Markey reintroduced COPPA 2.0, legislation that would update online data privacy rules for the 21st century to ensure children and teenagers are protected online. In July 2023, the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee unanimously passed COPPA 2.0. In February 2024, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), the Chair and Ranking Member of the committee, agreed to cosponsor COPPA 2.0. In April 2024, U.S. Representatives Tim Walberg (R-MI-05) and Kathy Castor (D-FL-14) introduced the House companion to COPPA 2.0. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Trump Tells Farmers ‘Have Fun’ As He Kicks Off Pointless Trade Wars. Cantwell Tells the Truth: ‘It’s Not Going to Be Fun, It’s Going to Be A Nightmare’

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    03.04.25
    Trump Tells Farmers ‘Have Fun’ As He Kicks Off Pointless Trade Wars. Cantwell Tells the Truth: ‘It’s Not Going to Be Fun, It’s Going to Be A Nightmare’
    Ahead of Presidential address, Cantwell calls on Congress to reclaim its Constitutional authority over tariffs; Cantwell also calls out arbitrary and wasteful layoffs at NOAA, NIH, NSF, USDA: “These kinds of ideas sound great, but they’re not well thought out. It’s literally throwing tax dollars away.”
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, delivered a Senate floor speech raising concerns about the economic fallout of Trump’s newly announced tariffs, hours before the President is set to deliver remarks before a Joint Session of Congress.
     “Trump said to our farmers yesterday on Truth Social, quote, ‘tariffs will go on external products on April 2. Have fun.’ End quote,” Sen. Cantwell said. “’Have fun?’ ‘Have fun?’ When retaliatory tariffs strike our farmers — just as they did in the first Trump administration — it’s not going to be fun, it’s going to be a nightmare for our farmers. And many of the farmers in my state worry [whether] they will be able to farm at all.”
    “I hope my colleagues will slow down on this tariff tirade. Under Article One, Section Eight of the U.S. Constitution, Congress has the power to set duties and regulate foreign commerce. However, Congress has spent the last 80 years delegating its tariff authority to presidents,” she continued. “This president, I believe, is abusing this authority. He calls it an emergency. He’s using the trade wars to supposedly force countries to do things like changing their border policies. I believe it’s time for Congress to start taking back some of that power and considering how we’re going to protect the family farm.”
    Over the past 24 hours, as President Trump’s long-promised 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada and 10% tariff increase on goods from China took effect, stock prices in the United States have plummeted. The Dow fell more than 700 points this morning. Today, the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board criticized his decision: “Trump takes the dumbest tariff plunge.”.
    Sen. Cantwell also showed the following graph with the alarming new forecast by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, which recently began predicting negative real GDP growth for the first quarter of 2025, a rapid reversal of its prior forecast for growth.  “Just last week, when people want to talk about GDP and where this is going, it’s amazing that the Atlanta Fed was forecasting GDP growth over two percent for the first quarter of 2025…. but we can see when we got to February, we fell off a cliff… this drop is the representation of a cliff that President Trump is pushing the American economy over.”

    “We know this — that in my state, families are paying more for groceries. They’re paying more at the gas pump. They’re paying more at electricity bills. And they are seeing the stock market plummet because as businesses grapple with Trump’s unnecessary trade war, businesses are concerned about the long-term impacts of the supply chain and the cost of those tariffs,” Sen. Cantwell said.
    In Washington state, two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and trade-related industries. More information on how President Trump’s tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada, and China will affect consumers and businesses in the State of Washington can be found HERE. Nationwide:
    A 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico would add an estimated $144 billion a year to the cost of manufacturing in the United States.
    Tariffs on Canada and Mexico could increase U.S. car prices by as much as $12,000.
    According to the Yale Budget Lab, Trump’s proposed tariffs would result in the highest U.S. effective tariff rate in more than 80 years, and depending on the level of retaliation by other trading partners, will result in increased costs of between $1,600 and $2,000 per household. According to their analysis, electronics, clothing, cars, and food will all see above-average price increases.
    Sen. Cantwell has remained a steadfast supporter of free trade to grow the economy in the State of Washington and nationwide. Sen. Cantwell was the leading voice in negotiations to end India’s 20% retaliatory tariff on American apples, which was imposed in response to tariffs on steel and aluminum and devastated Washington state’s apple exports. India had once been the second-largest export market for American apples, but after President Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum in his first term, India imposed retaliatory tariffs in response and U.S. apple exports plummeted. The impact on Washington apple growers was severe: Apple exports from the state dropped from $120 million in 2017 to less than $1 million by 2023.  In September 2023, following several years of Sen. Cantwell’s advocacy, India ended its retaliatory tariffs on apples and pulse crops which was welcome news to the state’s more than 1,400 apple growers and the 68,000-plus workers they support.
    In her speech today, Sen. Cantwell also railed against the Trump Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) push to indiscriminately slash federal workers from the payroll, compromising the vital ongoing work at federal agencies.
    “The cuts that these agencies have been facing are really the cuts to some of the most technical jobs the United States government has. Whether you’re talking about NOAA, or the National Weather Service, or the National Institutes of Health, or the National Science Foundation, or the US Department of Agriculture — they’ve all been targeted for reductions. These agencies are critical to our economic growth and to our security. And at a time when we are seeing more extreme weather events, or more floods or more wildfires, why shouldn’t we be investing more in weather forecasting, not less? 
    “And when you look at NOAA workers who support our commercial, and recreation, and tribal fisheries, they employ 1.7 million people, including thousands in the State of Washington. Why would you cut specialized workforce that are helping support the growth of GDP?” Sen. Cantwell said.
    “DOGE wants to cap the overhead expenses of research. University of Washington medicine tells me that this would leave them with shortfalls and that they might have to stop clinical trials that are underway. You can’t just stop medical research like it’s a faucet! Once halted, the research, the data, the clinical trials, the patients, the laboratories, the equipment — all that led to innovation will be lost. You think you just turn that back on? You know, these kinds of ideas sound great, but they’re not well thought out. It’s literally throwing tax dollars away.”
    Since DOGE announced its intent to hack away at federal agencies and programs, Sen. Cantwell has been sounding the alarm and coming to the defense of workers at NOAA, the Small Business Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the National Park Service, and more.
    A video of her speech on the Senate floor today can be viewed HERE; audio is HERE; and a transcript is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Fires used to terrify city residents. New research suggests climate change could see this fear return

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania

    Fire rages in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles in January 2025 eley archives/Shutterstock

    For centuries, fire was one of the major fears for city-dwellers. Dense cities built largely of wood could – and did – burn. In 1666, a fire in a bakery went on to destroy two-thirds of the city of London, leaving 85% of residents homeless. In 1871, fire burned out huge areas of Chicago. In World War II, bombing raids by Allied forces largely destroyed cities such as Dresden in Germany and Tokyo in Japan.

    The threat of large-scale urban fires drove authorities to spend more on urban firefighting and require buildings to use less flammable material. Fire alarms, fire engines and automatic sprinklers have done much to reduce the chance of uncontrolled spread.

    But will our sense of safety endure in the age of climate change? In January, we saw swathes of Los Angeles burn – even in the northern winter. Driven by low humidity and high winds, numerous large fires encroached on the city, destroying outlying suburbs. Climate change made the fires worse, according to climate scientists.

    Now we have new research on the question of whether climate change will make large city fires more likely. A research team from China, Singapore and Australia have gathered a decade’s worth of data on fires from almost 3,000 cities in 20 nations, home to one-fifth of the world’s population.

    The researchers found for every 1°C increase in air temperature, outdoor fires (rubbish and landfill) increase 4.7% and vehicle fires 2.5%. If the world accelerates its burning of fossil fuels under a high emissions scenario compatible with a 4.3°C temperature rise by century’s end, outdoor fires in cities would soar 22% and vehicle fires 11%. But building fires are projected to actually fall 5%. Thankfully, this emissions scenario is now less likely.

    The Great Fire of London destroyed most of the city in 1666.
    HodagMedia/Shutterstock

    What did this research find?

    To make these findings, the researchers aggregated the fire incident data from 2,847 cities located in 20 countries over the 2011–20 decade and analysed them to see how air temperature influences the frequency of three types of fires: outdoor, structural and vehicle. They found a strong correlation.

    Of the 20 nations, New Zealand looks likely to have the highest increase in fires, soaring 140% over 2020 figures by 2100.

    When we think of fires in a city, we usually think of structural fires – a building going up in flames.

    The research suggests building fires would actually decrease 5% by 2100. This is unexpected, and might suggest uncertainty about this finding.

    Interestingly, this research found the fewest structural fires occurred at air temperatures of 24°C, a temperature which humans find optimal. When it’s hotter or cooler than that, more buildings catch fire.

    Why? It’s likely due to our behaviour. We spend more time indoors when it’s very cold or very hot outside, which the authors suggest could make us more likely to accidentally cause fires by using electrical appliances and fireplaces which have a fire risk.

    By contrast, outdoor and vehicle fires do increase linearly as temperatures rise. Most vehicle fires come from an equipment or heat source failure, which are both likely to increase as temperatures rise. We are also more likely to have a car crash when it’s hotter, and vehicle fires often come after a crash.

    Vehicle fires will become more common as the climate changes, according to this research.
    Rodrigo Teixeira/Pexels, CC BY-NC-ND

    Outdoor fires become more likely because heat dries out fuels and favours fire spread. Rubbish dumps can spontaneously catch fire when temperatures are too high – even underground. This happens because chemical reactions are accelerated in warmer temperatures, causing waste materials to heat up faster. If the extra heat isn’t dissipated, waste can become so hot that it catches fire on its own.

    We should take these estimates with a grain of salt. This is because they project recent statistical patterns into an uncertain future, and draw on a data set not perfectly suited to the task. The data set stops in 2020, before the electric vehicle transition gathered speed. EVs have a different risk profile for accidental fires.

    As the authors note, there are large barriers to getting a coherent understanding of fire risk. “Despite multiple efforts, we have been unsuccessful in obtaining fire data from Africa and South America,” they write.

    Their estimates also relate to a high-emissions future which is hopefully becoming less likely, though the general pattern of the results are similar under less severe climate projections.

    Most importantly, it’s not yet clear why temperature influences urban fires. This uncertainty raises questions over whether simple projections of current patterns into the future are realistic or appropriate.

    Cities aflame?

    Arguably the most important contribution of this new research is to show us that our cities are not inherently protected from fire.

    For city authorities, this research points to the need to manage combustible materials, from piles of mulch to dry urban parks and even home gardens. Storage yards, rubbish dumps and recycling centres will also need to be managed.

    Fire used to be a major concern for cities, and it could be again. Cities and fire are uneasy bedfellows, and climate change will worsen the situation.

    David Bowman is an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow and also receives funding from the New South Wales Bushfire and Natural Hazards Research Centre, and Natural Hazards Research Australia.

    Calum Cunningham receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Fires used to terrify city residents. New research suggests climate change could see this fear return – https://theconversation.com/fires-used-to-terrify-city-residents-new-research-suggests-climate-change-could-see-this-fear-return-251056

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