Category: Science

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lily’s passion for politics sees her swap Aberdeen for Washington DC A passion for politics will take Lily Macdonald from Aberdeen to Washington DC later this summer where the opportunity of a lifetime awaits.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    Lily will head to Washington DC to study at America University’s School of Public Affairs

    A passion for politics will take Lily Macdonald from Aberdeen to Washington DC later this summer where the opportunity of a lifetime awaits.
    Leaving with a first class MA (Hons) in Politics and International Relations to her name, graduation is just the start of the adventure for the 21-year-old who has secured a coveted Fulbright-American University Scholarship.
    The only UK student offered a place at American University this year under the Fulbright award, Lily will be jetting off to the US capital in August to study at America University’s School of Public Affairs where she will learn from some of the best in the business, including a former speech writer for President Obama and a former Senate Chief of Staff.
    “I still can’t really believe it. I’ve been interested in American politics for a long time so this is like a dream come true,” she said. “I think I was in shock for about two days after finding out because it didn’t feel real and then all of a sudden I thought, ‘oh wow, this is actually happening’ and just started crying.”
    With a background in community development and volunteering, the scholarship blends Lily’s extracurricular activities with her academic interests. She has been actively involved in community integration projects for the past seven years, focusing on topics including intergenerational work with ACE Voices, youth empowerment as part of Aberdeen Youth Movement and inclusive networking for neurodiverse individuals and their families.
    “My research proposal is about exploring the pipeline between American political infrastructure and community grassroots conflict. How disengagement and polarisation manifest into violence at a local level, what that conflict looks like, and what we can do to heal it.
    “I feel quite passionately about it because I think political polarisation is almost exclusively explored at a national or international level, but actually if you can work to heal communities at a local level that’s when real change can be made.”
    Not only is Lily leaving with a first, Lily is also the proud recipient of the 2025 Grant Jordan prize for the Best Politics Dissertation.
    “Winning the prize is the icing on the cake,” she said. “It’s especially meaningful because two years ago I never would have thought any of this would be possible.”
    After feeling she’d had to work extra hard to maintain good grades at secondary school, Lily was diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia in her second year at university.

    I’m very excited about what comes next but I’ve loved being at the University of Aberdeen so I’m also sad to leave” Lily McDonald

    “I’d always put in the effort and was a straight A student but, after getting my diagnosis, a lot of things I’d found really difficult over the years suddenly made sense,” she said.
    “The support the University gave me was fantastic. My lecturer, Dr Malcolm Harvey, in particular was brilliant, he really changed my life. Along with the Student Support team he helped me find alternative ways to absorb the information I needed, like sourcing audio versions of data science visuals which I find a challenge.
    “Taking that pressure off gave me the space to be able to spend more time putting my thoughts to paper like everyone else, rather than working hard just trying to keep up.”
    Dr Harvey was also instrumental in encouraging Lily to apply for the Fulbright award.
    “Throughout my degree I’ve specialised in American domestic politics and foreign policy. I spoke to him about doing a Masters and he said, ‘go to America’. It never crossed my mind that would be possible but he told me about Fulbright and while it was an extremely tough process, he encouraged me and made me believe it could happen.
    “I was over the moon the day I found out I’d got it. I’m very excited about what comes next but I’ve loved being at the University of Aberdeen so I’m also sad to leave.
    “The idea of community is in my DNA. I’ve felt part of a community at the University and in a research capacity I want to see what community healing looks like in America and take that back to the projects that I’m already involved with here.
    “I can see myself going into some sort of advisory role further down the line. It’s not an easy path, but neither was Fulbright so I’m optimistic about the future.”
    Until then Lily, a keen musician, is looking forward to her two years in DC which will include exploring the local music scene.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Participants of the Big Mathematical Workshop will solve problems in the fields of energy, public utilities and biomedicine

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    On July 7, the famous Academician A.I. Maltsev Auditorium of Novosibirsk State University hosted the 6th Big Mathematical Workshop (BMM-2025) — an event in which several hundred schoolchildren, students, and postgraduates will try to solve or make significant progress in solving an interesting research, technological, or methodological problem in the field of mathematics.

    This year, the event is taking place at the sites of four leading universities in the country: NSU, ITMO University (St. Petersburg), Adyghe and Tomsk State Universities. In Novosibirsk, more than 230 people from more than 20 cities in Russia are taking part in BMM projects. The English-language section of BMM, which was launched in 2024, this time brought together more than 20 students from Chinese universities.

    Addressing the participants of the Workshop with a greeting, the rector of NSU, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Mikhail Fedoruk noted:

    — We have many mathematical workshops, but the Big one is only one. And it is no coincidence that it starts here, in the famous Academician Maltsev Auditorium, where many outstanding scientists began their path to science. Novosibirsk University has always paid great attention to teaching mathematics in all faculties, and the idea of the Big Mathematical Workshop was conceived here and in a few years has grown from a local event into an international one. I wish all participants successful completion of their projects and further expansion of the boundaries of the workshop.

    The goal of the BMM is to obtain a real result, the tasks come from customers – scientific organizations and enterprises, and it itself is a satellite event of the International Forum of Technological Development “Technoprom”. This focus on practical results was emphasized by the Vice-Governor of the Novosibirsk Region Irina Manuilova, who took part in the grand opening of the workshop:

    — In total, more than 30 projects have been selected for the participants, a number of which have absolutely obvious practical significance and are aimed at solving problems in the field of energy, utilities, biomedicine and other industries. The authors of the best works will then have the opportunity to present their results to potential customers at the Technoprom forum itself. The organizers of the workshop can already show examples of the implementation of the results of projects from previous years in the real sector of the economy.

    Examples of projects developed during the BMM in previous years and implemented in real practice include an algorithm that allows for the automation of the creation of a cutting map and optimization of the cutting of building materials, such as plywood. This domestic software has replaced foreign software that has become unavailable since 2022. The second example is from the financial sector, a model for assessing the creditworthiness of a potential borrower based on machine learning.

    The Big Mathematical Workshop program consists of two intensive weeks separated by an intermodule. The BMM will run until July 19. The Big Mathematical Workshop also includes a school section, in which 50 children will participate, they will work on 6 projects. From 2023, based on the results of participation in the BMM, you can earn additional points for admission to NSU.

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

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    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “HSE stands out for its academic reputation, international environment and approach to teaching”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University “Higher School of Economics” –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    © Higher School of Economics

    This year Center for the preparation of foreign students HSE University is turning 10 years old. Applicants from other countries take a year-long course here to prepare for admission to Russian universities. HSE teachers help future students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully master a higher education program in Russia.

    Many graduates of the center choose to enroll in the Higher School of Economics, and some later become its employees.

    As part of the annual course, the center’s students can study Russian, get to know Russian culture and traditions better, and attend seminars on thematic subjects: mathematics, physics, computer science, literature, history, social studies, and others. Upon completion of the program, the center’s graduates have the opportunity to receive a discount on tuition fees at the National Research University Higher School of Economics.

    Graduates of the Center for the Preparation of Foreign Students told Vyshka.Glavnoe about their decision to come to Russia and study at the Higher School of Economics.

    Nemanja Stepanov, graduate of the Master’s programInternational Relations: European and Asian Studies» HSE, analyst Center for Mediterranean Studies HSE

    Why am I here?

    — I came from Serbia, from Belgrade, because I wanted to study international relations, especially relations between Serbia and Russia, as well as Russian policy in South-Eastern Europe. Historical relations between our countries have been good, the people of Serbia perceive Russia as the most reliable ally and consider Russians a brotherly people, but they do not fully understand the specifics of Russia and Russian policy. That is why I came here to study this area.

    About preparation for admission

    — A professor from Serbia recommended HSE to me, and I applied. Before entering the first year of the master’s program, I had to learn Russian, because the program was in Russian, so I arrived a year earlier and entered the Center for the Preparation of Foreign Students. At first, we studied only Russian, then they began to distribute us according to the specialties that we planned to study in the future.

    I can’t say it was difficult to learn the language, but it was intense. Serbian is a Slavic language, so it was easier for me than for others whose native language is not in this group. But sometimes it was a problem: for example, the same word can mean different things in Serbian and Russian.

    About studying at HSE

    — After my master’s degree, I entered postgraduate studies, so I am now in my second year of postgraduate studies. I began collaborating with the Center for Mediterranean Studies on various projects from my first year of master’s studies. At the moment, I am working under the supervision of Ekaterina Gennadyevna Entina, who was my academic supervisor in my master’s degree and is now in postgraduate studies. For me, HSE is an opportunity to work in a field that interests me, with good people.

    Sachin Malhotra, a student of the Master’s programData Science» HSE, Head of the Commission HSE Student Council for work with foreign students

    About moving to Russia and HSE

    — I am from India, from the city of Agra, famous for its Taj Mahal. I chose Russia and HSE because I was looking for a quality education in Data Science. HSE has a strong academic reputation, an international environment, and a modern approach to teaching. I also wanted to experience another culture and challenge myself by learning a new language and being in an unfamiliar environment.

    About the Center for the Preparation of Foreign Students

    — I decided to take a preparatory year at HSE to gain at least a level of Russian that would be sufficient for everyday communication. This is critical for any international student, especially since many people outside of the university do not speak English. As part of the program, I studied Russian, both grammar and conversation, as well as mathematics and history. This gave me the opportunity to build a solid foundation in the language that I used not only in the classroom but also in everyday life. The program also gave me the chance to meet students from different countries, some of whom became my close friends.

    About the Russian language

    — I have been studying Russian for two years now — one year as part of the preparatory year and one year as a Master’s student. At first, it was quite difficult. Russian itself is a challenge, and the academic standards at HSE are very high, which also pushed me to improve the language. But in the end, this environment contributed to my growth not only in the language, but also in my academic performance in general. It made me more confident and prepared for university life in Russia.

    After the preparatory year

    — Afterwards, I enrolled in the Master’s program in Data Science at HSE. The academic experience was intense. The program is well-structured, combining theoretical knowledge with practical skills in machine learning, programming, and statistical analysis. The teachers are highly qualified, and the international environment facilitates collaboration and exchange of experience with like-minded people. Although sometimes challenging, this experience significantly deepened my understanding of data science and prepared me for future professional challenges.

    Nevena Boskovic, graduate of the Master’s programInternational Relations: European and Asian Studies» HSE University

    About admission to HSE and studies

    — I am from Belgrade, Serbia. I moved to Moscow in January 2021. I made this decision thanks to the Russian House in Belgrade. I had an idea to study Russian, and when I visited the Russian House, I learned about the possibility of receiving a scholarship from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. I was interested in the International Relations program, and the Russian House staff suggested that I enroll in Faculty of World Economy and World Politics at the HSE.

    I thought that studying would be very difficult and it would be hard to adapt. But it turned out that HSE has magical teachers who have a lot of knowledge and from whom I took a lot for myself. I would especially like to mention the wonderful teacher Dmitry Vyacheslavovich Suslov and my scientific supervisor Ekaterina Gennadyevna Entina: they encouraged me during the writing and defense of my master’s thesis.

    About adaptation

    — It is important for every foreign student to adapt and understand the language in a foreign country. The Center for the Preparation of Foreign Students helped me a lot, and I easily learned the basics of Russian. In addition, I studied Russian culture, literature, and history. All this is important to understand another nation.

    About the Russian language

    — For the first six months, I studied it online from Serbia (there was a pandemic at the time), and then I moved to Moscow and continued studying it. I can say that I managed to learn the language in a year. Of course, it was much easier for me because Russians and Serbs are Slavic peoples, we have many similar words.

    I wanted to learn the language well, and so I chose a program in Russian at the faculty: lectures, presentations, exams, and the master’s thesis itself were in Russian. I believe that I succeeded in all this thanks to a good language teacher and a good program at the Center for the Preparation of Foreign Students.

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

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    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The government has approved an updated strategic direction in the field of digital transformation of science and higher education

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Creating conditions for innovative development of science and higher education, optimizing management and information exchange in scientific research, simplifying the procedure for providing certain public services in this area – the achievement of these and other goals is provided for in the updated version of the strategic direction in the field of digital transformation of science and higher education until 2030. The order approving such a document was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

    The strategic direction involves the implementation of a number of projects. One of them is the continuation of work on the creation of the Science and Innovation domain within the framework of the unified digital platform GosTech. In particular, it is planned to finalize the unified state system for recording scientific research, experimental design and technological work for civil purposes. Its services will optimize management and information exchange in the field of scientific developments in related areas based on common information models.

    Comment

    From Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks at the operational meeting with deputy prime ministers, July 7, 2025

    “Access to them is open to companies and enterprises so that they can choose the best solutions for practical application and eliminate duplication of costs for similar developments,” Mikhail Mishustin noted, commenting on the adopted document atmeeting with deputy prime ministers on July 7.

    In addition, due to the development of the Federal Information System of State Scientific Certification, it is planned to transfer a number of state services in the field of science to a registry model. This means that after submitting an application on the state services portal, the applicant will receive not paper documents, but their digital versions in their personal account and then send them electronically to where they will be requested. Such optimization is envisaged, among other things, for the procedure for issuing a certificate of recognition of an academic degree or academic title obtained in a foreign state.

    In addition, through the public services portal, it will be possible to submit an application for tax benefits for organizations when performing research work and an application for a state housing certificate, which is provided to scientists. By the end of 2025, the share of applications submitted in this way should be half of their total number. By 2030, 90% of applications for tax benefits and 80% of applications for housing certificates should be submitted through “Gosuslugi”.

    “It is important to simplify access to government services for people and businesses so that these procedures are not burdensome and convenient,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

    Another project is the creation and commissioning of a national genetic information database. This work will be carried out in several stages. By the end of 2025, the database should be 100% filled with genetic data produced before September 1, 2025. It is expected that at least 60 organizations conducting research in the field of genetic technologies will provide the specified information, the total volume of which will be at least 1 petabyte by the end of 2025 and will constantly increase, and by 2030 will reach 35 petabytes.

    Other projects include the development of a national dictionary fund. By the end of 2025, seven standard dictionaries of the Russian language will be loaded into this state information system, and by 2027 – 33 standard dictionaries. After that, the GIS of the national dictionary fund will be launched into operation.

    Strategic directions for digital transformation of key sectors of the economy and social sphere are sectoral strategic planning documents developed by the Government on the instructions of the President. They are synchronized with current state programs and national projects and are approved for the period up to 2030. In order for the documents to remain relevant, amendments may be made to them once a year.

    The document will be published.

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

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    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Operational meeting with deputy prime ministers

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    On the agenda: development of healthcare infrastructure, support for agro-industrial projects of veterans and participants of the Second Military Military District, extension of the program of state guarantees for loans to support the production activities of enterprises, updating the strategic direction in the field of digital transformation of science and higher education.

    Opening remarks by Mikhail Mishustin:

    Good morning, dear colleagues!

    Operational meeting with deputy prime ministers

    First of all, I would like to talk about the development of infrastructure for domestic healthcare.

    Document

    The government has allocated about 1.8 billion rubles for the construction of hospitals in a number of regions

    The President emphasized that modern, well-equipped medical institutions are one of the areas of systematic work to improve the efficiency of domestic healthcare. And the Government continues to help regions with the construction of such facilities.

    Participants of the meeting

    List of participants of the operational meeting with deputy prime ministers, July 7, 2025

    A multidisciplinary medical center is being created in the Oryol region. I examined it carefully during my trip to Oryol. And we discussed with the governor the difficulties that existed at that time. These were problems with contractors and with design and estimate documentation. I gave instructions to correct this situation.

    Construction is currently underway, including using federal budget funds. Over 2 billion rubles have been allocated for this in the current year. And next year, it was planned to provide the region with almost 1.3 billion rubles more. We will allocate them in 2025 so that the work can be completed ahead of schedule and the center can be opened for citizens as soon as possible. The corresponding order has been signed.

    We also support other Russian regions. The Pskov region will receive a subsidy of approximately 260 million rubles to create a new building for the inter-district hospital and to reconstruct two district hospitals.

    Previous news Next news

    Operational meeting with deputy prime ministers

    We will distribute about 250 million rubles to the Altai Territory. The funding is needed for the construction of a surgical department of the maternity and childhood center in Barnaul. Such an order has also been approved.

    We will continue to assist regions in the construction and development of healthcare institutions. This is very important for increasing the availability of medical care throughout the country and achieving the national goal set by the President to improve people’s health.

    On another topic – about supporting our defenders.

    Document

    The government will support agro-industrial projects of veterans and participants of the special operation

    The head of state noted that in the regions everyone is trying to create the best possible conditions for family members and for the guys themselves who are returning from the combat zone.

    And of course, they should have the opportunity to adapt to civilian life, go to work or open their own business.

    Therefore, starting this year, the assistance system has been supplemented with a grant that can be received by veterans and retired participants of the special military operation. These funds will be used to implement agricultural projects.

    We have already allocated 200 million rubles for such purposes. And we will provide funding to 10 more regions. These are Adygea, Ingushetia, Karachay-Cherkessia, Crimea, Sakha, North Ossetia, Tuva, Khakassia, Belgorod Region and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.

    We hope that such measures will help our children find something they enjoy doing and will contribute to the creation of new jobs in Russian regions.

    The government continues to stimulate entrepreneurial initiative. This is a very important factor for ensuring the sustainability of the development of both specific projects of our business and the supply economy as a whole, which the President spoke about.

    Until the end of this year, we will extend the rules for providing state guarantees for loans and bond loans. Those that are attracted for a period of three to seven years and are used to support current production activities and capital investments. We will allocate almost 290 billion rubles for these purposes.

    Such a mechanism will allow entrepreneurs to reduce risks and increase the attractiveness of investments in many important areas. To implement large-scale plans both for the launch of new enterprises and for the modernization of existing ones. To increase their efficiency and reduce the burden on the environment. Which in turn will have a positive effect on the standard and conditions of life of our citizens.

    And also about the decision that concerns the development of digital technologies in such key sectors as science and education.

    These sectors have been using foreign software products and corresponding hardware systems for several years. In recent years, a number of Western companies have left our market and stopped servicing their developments.

    The President emphasized that it is necessary to increase the production of services on our own basis. To create our own original services and software, to apply them in practice, especially in critically important areas.

    The strategic direction in the field of digital transformation of science and higher education solves these problems. It is aimed at increasing the efficiency of fundamental research and expanding the capabilities of educational institutions using modern technologies, including processing large amounts of information. Thanks to this, the super service “Admission to a University” was launched on the single portal of state services. Applicants submit documents to the institute without leaving home, track the status of their application, and receive an electronic student ID.

    On the instructions of the President, the “road map” of the strategic direction for the next six years was updated. Including in terms of refining the state information system, which contains the results of all domestic research and development work. Access to them is open for companies and enterprises so that they can choose the best solutions for practical application and eliminate duplication of costs for similar developments.

    The changes will also affect the Federal Information System of State Scientific Certification, the services of which are planned to be transferred to a registry model, which will allow receiving electronic documents instead of paper ones when submitting applications through the state services portal. This also applies to the procedure for issuing a certificate of recognition of an academic degree or title awarded in a foreign country, and applications from scientists for housing certificates.

    Organizations engaged in scientific research activities will be able to submit an application for tax benefits through a single portal.

    It is important to simplify access to government services for people and businesses so that these procedures are not burdensome and convenient.

    We will continue to do everything necessary to implement technological projects in priority sectors for the country in order to achieve national development goals.

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

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    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Job Opening: Campaigner

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    This is a full-time permanent position based in Manila Office. Candidates who have the legal right to work and live in the Philippines are encouraged to apply.

    © Daniel Müller / Greenpeace

    About the Role

    The Campaigner is a key role in Greenpeace. This role leads the development and implementation of high impact campaign strategies and plans with the goal of achieving big and lasting wins in the policy and public perception spheres, towards systemic changes.

    This role works together with a cross-functional team to co-create and drive proactive and responsive initiatives that will influence policy, change mindsets and mobilize communities, groups and networks.

    The incumbent is expected to be knowledgeable in climate, energy and environmental issues, as well as cross-cutting social justice issues. They must be well-versed in local and international climate and energy policy and developments. In certain situations, as determined by internal and external events and upon the consideration and advice from the Country Director, the campaigner is expected to support other initiatives under the Greenpeace Philippines Program.

    Duties and Responsibilities:

    • Develop and implement smart, innovative and people-powered campaign strategies and projects in line with both the short and long term goals of the Climate Campaign, and the GPPH program in general, consistent with national, regional and international objectives and including detailed strategy, activities, timelines and budgets.
    • Maintain a working knowledge of technical information and be able to present the information to a variety of audiences within and outside the Philippines.
    • Maintain a working knowledge of mindset sciences, and political, legislative, regulatory and economic frameworks relevant to climate, energy, and the environment.
    • Lead the development and implementation of campaign plans and tactics
    • Initiate cross-issue campaign discussions for integrated project development, planning and implementation
    • Work with engagement focal points to strengthen the campaign’s people participation and audience journey components. Organize and oversee the work of campaign/project volunteers, interns and short-term contractors as required
    • Work with the communications focal points in preparing a variety of communications materials and provide assistance in the formulation of regional and international materials when necessary, and assist in planning communications and engagement strategies for the campaign
    • Respond to and engage in internal as well as external regional challenges beyond his/her normal issue/campaign area as circumstances require
    • Participate in campaign discussions and planning regarding strategic issues within Greenpeace Philippines, GPSEA, with other Greenpeace offices and with GP International (GPI) staff. This will include both written and verbal discussion as well as attendance at specific meetings
    • Keep the Philippine Country Director, Regional and other Campaigners, unit leads and project team members well-informed of activities in the campaign interventions (including the preparation of monthly reports and work plans) and recommend changes in tactics, or strategies as necessary
    • Represent Greenpeace and the campaign at relevant public events, movement events and at meetings with political decision makers, local citizens and affected communities; act as spokesperson for the campaign, and develop pro-active relationships with relevant media to increase campaign outreach
    • Build alliances and/or support relationships with partner organizations, relevant affected groups, grassroots organizations, academic and professional groups, labor unions and others as identified in strategic planning
    • Build, connect and/or catalyze relevant climate movements by creating, building and/or supporting networks, coalitions, and groups in support of campaign goals and in line with agreed campaign strategies
    • Direct, organize and participate in non-violent direct action to support and advance campaign goals and organization objectives
    • Reliably deliver on project engagement plans in line with the country strategy, campaign and engagement objectives and KPIs
    • Develop monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for the campaign and implement progress reviews and end-point evaluations

    Skills and Experience Requirements:

    • Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field
    • At least 6 years work experience on environmental campaigning or any related field
    • Extensive knowledge about climate, energy, biodiversity and environmental issues
    • Proven experience in campaigning and project management, open campaigning, mass mobilization, public speaking, activist training, strategic planning and organizing people around an issue
    • Proven experience in directing a project from conception to completion
    • Proven ability to work both independently and in close coordination with a team
    • Excellent networking skills and the ability to communicate with a wide range of organizations and communities

    Functional Skills:

    • Strong strategic thinking and planning skills; proven experience in analyzing and planning campaign strategies
    • Strong personal organizational skills including ability to participate in multiple projects with competing priorities and timelines, strong interpersonal communication skills and ability to handle constantly evolving work
    • Knowledge and/or experience in working with volunteers
    • Excellent spoken and written communication skills in English and Filipino

    Greenpeace’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

    Greenpeace values diversity as essential to its mission and success. The organisation fosters an inclusive environment that respects varied cultural experiences and perspectives, promoting solutions rooted in social and environmental justice.

    Deadline for applications: July 22, 2025


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  • MIL-Evening Report: Peter Russell-Clarke’s greatest gift was how he made you feel like one of the family

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wendy Hunt, Senior Lecturer, Academic Chair, Food Science and Nutrition, Murdoch University

    Impressions/Getty Images

    Throughout my teenage years, our lounge room sang “Come and get it, come and get it” and all in earshot would carol back, “with Peter. Russell. Clarke!”

    The chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and illustrator, artist, cartoonist, TV presenter and media personality Peter Russell-Clarke has died after a stroke, aged 89. As Australia’s first television chef, he changed the way we thought about how to prepare food from local ingredients, championing food that was both healthy and tasty.

    Having always been fascinated by food, how it is produced and prepared, Russell-Clarke’s five minute program Come and Get It, which ran for 900 episodes over nine years from 1983 to 1992, had everything I was passionate about. He provided a lens into our food as it journeyed from farm to fork, a focus on healthy food – and, of course, a charismatic Aussie bloke at the helm.

    New flavours and new health messaging

    Television chefs and cooking show celebrities were not a thing in the 1980s.

    Reality TV had followed the adventures of naturalist Harry Butler and travel documentarians the Leyland Brothers from the mid-1970s, but we had not seen anything like Peter Russell-Clarke.

    On Come and Get It, Russell-Clarke shared his love of food with a smattering of classic Aussie idioms, a smile and a laugh.

    He was perhaps Australia’s first celebrity chef – and we couldn’t get enough.

    Come and Get It was launched at a time where our Australian diets were changing. Immigration in the 1970s and ‘80s saw a rise in Italian, Greek, Chinese, Indian and Vietnamese foods.

    Come and Get It included recipes with ingredients such as oxtail, tongue and lamb’s fry, but there was also chicken curry, bolognese pie, ravioli salad, dressed olives and vegetable fondue. Russell-Clarke even authored his own Italian cookbook.

    Not only were new and exotic foods available and new recipes passed about from treasured cookbooks, but we were becoming more aware of the impact of diet on our health. Iconic public health promotion campaigns were launched.

    In 1977, cartoon character Norm featured in the “Life be in it” campaign. He lay in his recliner, resting his TV remote on his “big stomach bones” and said, “I wouldn’t want to catch obesity.”

    In the 1980s we received our first version of the Healthy Eating Pyramid from the Australian Nutrition Foundation; the Heart Foundation Tick started to appear on food products; and a range of low-fat foods hit our shelves.

    Against this backdrop, Russell-Clarke was teaching kids and families where their food came from, the grass roots of it (literally), and how to prepare delicious and healthy meals.

    Russell-Clarke’s recipes tended towards fresh farm produce, and he avoided food waste. He strongly featured vegetables and would frequently talk about the health benefits of food.

    One of the family

    Russell-Clarke was the ambassador for many different agricultural products over the span of his career, including honey, trout and eggs.

    In my mind, he was inseparable from Philadelphia and Coon cheeses with his legendary “where’s the cheese?” catchphrase and promotion of the Australian dairy industry.

    I still have his Family Cook Book and use his recipes today. They actually work!

    The index, however, is terrible, largely because of his recipes start with “My” or “Peter’s”. For example, My Mum’s Muffins, My Weekend Soup, My Mate’s Bacon and Egg Muffins, My Dad’s Bubble and Squeak Fritters, Peter’s Salmon Patties and Peter’s Ripper Barbecue Sauce.

    To be honest, I don’t need that index anyway. I know where to find my go-to recipes; the pages naturally open there.

    First stop, his creamy chicken and broccoli casserole, which is still one of my feelgood favourites today.

    Possibly Russell-Clarke’s biggest gift to aspiring foodies was just that, the feelgood factor. Wholesome, delicious, feelgood food, prepared and presented in a way that made you feel like you were one of the family.

    Wendy Hunt receives funding from the Fisheries Research and Development Council and the Grains Research and Development Council.

    ref. Peter Russell-Clarke’s greatest gift was how he made you feel like one of the family – https://theconversation.com/peter-russell-clarkes-greatest-gift-was-how-he-made-you-feel-like-one-of-the-family-260587

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: Peter Russell-Clarke’s greatest gift was how he made you feel like one of the family

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wendy Hunt, Senior Lecturer, Academic Chair, Food Science and Nutrition, Murdoch University

    Impressions/Getty Images

    Throughout my teenage years, our lounge room sang “Come and get it, come and get it” and all in earshot would carol back, “with Peter. Russell. Clarke!”

    The chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and illustrator, artist, cartoonist, TV presenter and media personality Peter Russell-Clarke has died after a stroke, aged 89. As Australia’s first television chef, he changed the way we thought about how to prepare food from local ingredients, championing food that was both healthy and tasty.

    Having always been fascinated by food, how it is produced and prepared, Russell-Clarke’s five minute program Come and Get It, which ran for 900 episodes over nine years from 1983 to 1992, had everything I was passionate about. He provided a lens into our food as it journeyed from farm to fork, a focus on healthy food – and, of course, a charismatic Aussie bloke at the helm.

    New flavours and new health messaging

    Television chefs and cooking show celebrities were not a thing in the 1980s.

    Reality TV had followed the adventures of naturalist Harry Butler and travel documentarians the Leyland Brothers from the mid-1970s, but we had not seen anything like Peter Russell-Clarke.

    On Come and Get It, Russell-Clarke shared his love of food with a smattering of classic Aussie idioms, a smile and a laugh.

    He was perhaps Australia’s first celebrity chef – and we couldn’t get enough.

    Come and Get It was launched at a time where our Australian diets were changing. Immigration in the 1970s and ‘80s saw a rise in Italian, Greek, Chinese, Indian and Vietnamese foods.

    Come and Get It included recipes with ingredients such as oxtail, tongue and lamb’s fry, but there was also chicken curry, bolognese pie, ravioli salad, dressed olives and vegetable fondue. Russell-Clarke even authored his own Italian cookbook.

    Not only were new and exotic foods available and new recipes passed about from treasured cookbooks, but we were becoming more aware of the impact of diet on our health. Iconic public health promotion campaigns were launched.

    In 1977, cartoon character Norm featured in the “Life be in it” campaign. He lay in his recliner, resting his TV remote on his “big stomach bones” and said, “I wouldn’t want to catch obesity.”

    In the 1980s we received our first version of the Healthy Eating Pyramid from the Australian Nutrition Foundation; the Heart Foundation Tick started to appear on food products; and a range of low-fat foods hit our shelves.

    Against this backdrop, Russell-Clarke was teaching kids and families where their food came from, the grass roots of it (literally), and how to prepare delicious and healthy meals.

    Russell-Clarke’s recipes tended towards fresh farm produce, and he avoided food waste. He strongly featured vegetables and would frequently talk about the health benefits of food.

    One of the family

    Russell-Clarke was the ambassador for many different agricultural products over the span of his career, including honey, trout and eggs.

    In my mind, he was inseparable from Philadelphia and Coon cheeses with his legendary “where’s the cheese?” catchphrase and promotion of the Australian dairy industry.

    I still have his Family Cook Book and use his recipes today. They actually work!

    The index, however, is terrible, largely because of his recipes start with “My” or “Peter’s”. For example, My Mum’s Muffins, My Weekend Soup, My Mate’s Bacon and Egg Muffins, My Dad’s Bubble and Squeak Fritters, Peter’s Salmon Patties and Peter’s Ripper Barbecue Sauce.

    To be honest, I don’t need that index anyway. I know where to find my go-to recipes; the pages naturally open there.

    First stop, his creamy chicken and broccoli casserole, which is still one of my feelgood favourites today.

    Possibly Russell-Clarke’s biggest gift to aspiring foodies was just that, the feelgood factor. Wholesome, delicious, feelgood food, prepared and presented in a way that made you feel like you were one of the family.

    Wendy Hunt receives funding from the Fisheries Research and Development Council and the Grains Research and Development Council.

    ref. Peter Russell-Clarke’s greatest gift was how he made you feel like one of the family – https://theconversation.com/peter-russell-clarkes-greatest-gift-was-how-he-made-you-feel-like-one-of-the-family-260587

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: Peter Russell-Clarke’s greatest gift was how he made you feel like one of the family

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wendy Hunt, Senior Lecturer, Academic Chair, Food Science and Nutrition, Murdoch University

    Impressions/Getty Images

    Throughout my teenage years, our lounge room sang “Come and get it, come and get it” and all in earshot would carol back, “with Peter. Russell. Clarke!”

    The chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and illustrator, artist, cartoonist, TV presenter and media personality Peter Russell-Clarke has died after a stroke, aged 89. As Australia’s first television chef, he changed the way we thought about how to prepare food from local ingredients, championing food that was both healthy and tasty.

    Having always been fascinated by food, how it is produced and prepared, Russell-Clarke’s five minute program Come and Get It, which ran for 900 episodes over nine years from 1983 to 1992, had everything I was passionate about. He provided a lens into our food as it journeyed from farm to fork, a focus on healthy food – and, of course, a charismatic Aussie bloke at the helm.

    New flavours and new health messaging

    Television chefs and cooking show celebrities were not a thing in the 1980s.

    Reality TV had followed the adventures of naturalist Harry Butler and travel documentarians the Leyland Brothers from the mid-1970s, but we had not seen anything like Peter Russell-Clarke.

    On Come and Get It, Russell-Clarke shared his love of food with a smattering of classic Aussie idioms, a smile and a laugh.

    He was perhaps Australia’s first celebrity chef – and we couldn’t get enough.

    Come and Get It was launched at a time where our Australian diets were changing. Immigration in the 1970s and ‘80s saw a rise in Italian, Greek, Chinese, Indian and Vietnamese foods.

    Come and Get It included recipes with ingredients such as oxtail, tongue and lamb’s fry, but there was also chicken curry, bolognese pie, ravioli salad, dressed olives and vegetable fondue. Russell-Clarke even authored his own Italian cookbook.

    Not only were new and exotic foods available and new recipes passed about from treasured cookbooks, but we were becoming more aware of the impact of diet on our health. Iconic public health promotion campaigns were launched.

    In 1977, cartoon character Norm featured in the “Life be in it” campaign. He lay in his recliner, resting his TV remote on his “big stomach bones” and said, “I wouldn’t want to catch obesity.”

    In the 1980s we received our first version of the Healthy Eating Pyramid from the Australian Nutrition Foundation; the Heart Foundation Tick started to appear on food products; and a range of low-fat foods hit our shelves.

    Against this backdrop, Russell-Clarke was teaching kids and families where their food came from, the grass roots of it (literally), and how to prepare delicious and healthy meals.

    Russell-Clarke’s recipes tended towards fresh farm produce, and he avoided food waste. He strongly featured vegetables and would frequently talk about the health benefits of food.

    One of the family

    Russell-Clarke was the ambassador for many different agricultural products over the span of his career, including honey, trout and eggs.

    In my mind, he was inseparable from Philadelphia and Coon cheeses with his legendary “where’s the cheese?” catchphrase and promotion of the Australian dairy industry.

    I still have his Family Cook Book and use his recipes today. They actually work!

    The index, however, is terrible, largely because of his recipes start with “My” or “Peter’s”. For example, My Mum’s Muffins, My Weekend Soup, My Mate’s Bacon and Egg Muffins, My Dad’s Bubble and Squeak Fritters, Peter’s Salmon Patties and Peter’s Ripper Barbecue Sauce.

    To be honest, I don’t need that index anyway. I know where to find my go-to recipes; the pages naturally open there.

    First stop, his creamy chicken and broccoli casserole, which is still one of my feelgood favourites today.

    Possibly Russell-Clarke’s biggest gift to aspiring foodies was just that, the feelgood factor. Wholesome, delicious, feelgood food, prepared and presented in a way that made you feel like you were one of the family.

    Wendy Hunt receives funding from the Fisheries Research and Development Council and the Grains Research and Development Council.

    ref. Peter Russell-Clarke’s greatest gift was how he made you feel like one of the family – https://theconversation.com/peter-russell-clarkes-greatest-gift-was-how-he-made-you-feel-like-one-of-the-family-260587

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: Peter Russell-Clarke’s greatest gift was how he made you feel like one of the family

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wendy Hunt, Senior Lecturer, Academic Chair, Food Science and Nutrition, Murdoch University

    Impressions/Getty Images

    Throughout my teenage years, our lounge room sang “Come and get it, come and get it” and all in earshot would carol back, “with Peter. Russell. Clarke!”

    The chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and illustrator, artist, cartoonist, TV presenter and media personality Peter Russell-Clarke has died after a stroke, aged 89. As Australia’s first television chef, he changed the way we thought about how to prepare food from local ingredients, championing food that was both healthy and tasty.

    Having always been fascinated by food, how it is produced and prepared, Russell-Clarke’s five minute program Come and Get It, which ran for 900 episodes over nine years from 1983 to 1992, had everything I was passionate about. He provided a lens into our food as it journeyed from farm to fork, a focus on healthy food – and, of course, a charismatic Aussie bloke at the helm.

    New flavours and new health messaging

    Television chefs and cooking show celebrities were not a thing in the 1980s.

    Reality TV had followed the adventures of naturalist Harry Butler and travel documentarians the Leyland Brothers from the mid-1970s, but we had not seen anything like Peter Russell-Clarke.

    On Come and Get It, Russell-Clarke shared his love of food with a smattering of classic Aussie idioms, a smile and a laugh.

    He was perhaps Australia’s first celebrity chef – and we couldn’t get enough.

    Come and Get It was launched at a time where our Australian diets were changing. Immigration in the 1970s and ‘80s saw a rise in Italian, Greek, Chinese, Indian and Vietnamese foods.

    Come and Get It included recipes with ingredients such as oxtail, tongue and lamb’s fry, but there was also chicken curry, bolognese pie, ravioli salad, dressed olives and vegetable fondue. Russell-Clarke even authored his own Italian cookbook.

    Not only were new and exotic foods available and new recipes passed about from treasured cookbooks, but we were becoming more aware of the impact of diet on our health. Iconic public health promotion campaigns were launched.

    In 1977, cartoon character Norm featured in the “Life be in it” campaign. He lay in his recliner, resting his TV remote on his “big stomach bones” and said, “I wouldn’t want to catch obesity.”

    In the 1980s we received our first version of the Healthy Eating Pyramid from the Australian Nutrition Foundation; the Heart Foundation Tick started to appear on food products; and a range of low-fat foods hit our shelves.

    Against this backdrop, Russell-Clarke was teaching kids and families where their food came from, the grass roots of it (literally), and how to prepare delicious and healthy meals.

    Russell-Clarke’s recipes tended towards fresh farm produce, and he avoided food waste. He strongly featured vegetables and would frequently talk about the health benefits of food.

    One of the family

    Russell-Clarke was the ambassador for many different agricultural products over the span of his career, including honey, trout and eggs.

    In my mind, he was inseparable from Philadelphia and Coon cheeses with his legendary “where’s the cheese?” catchphrase and promotion of the Australian dairy industry.

    I still have his Family Cook Book and use his recipes today. They actually work!

    The index, however, is terrible, largely because of his recipes start with “My” or “Peter’s”. For example, My Mum’s Muffins, My Weekend Soup, My Mate’s Bacon and Egg Muffins, My Dad’s Bubble and Squeak Fritters, Peter’s Salmon Patties and Peter’s Ripper Barbecue Sauce.

    To be honest, I don’t need that index anyway. I know where to find my go-to recipes; the pages naturally open there.

    First stop, his creamy chicken and broccoli casserole, which is still one of my feelgood favourites today.

    Possibly Russell-Clarke’s biggest gift to aspiring foodies was just that, the feelgood factor. Wholesome, delicious, feelgood food, prepared and presented in a way that made you feel like you were one of the family.

    Wendy Hunt receives funding from the Fisheries Research and Development Council and the Grains Research and Development Council.

    ref. Peter Russell-Clarke’s greatest gift was how he made you feel like one of the family – https://theconversation.com/peter-russell-clarkes-greatest-gift-was-how-he-made-you-feel-like-one-of-the-family-260587

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Robotic revolution at construction of largest railway station in western China

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    CHONGQING, July 7 (Xinhua) — A week after the official opening of a new section of the Chongqing-Xiamen high-speed railway, a key transportation hub on the route, Chongqing East Railway Station in southwest China, has been put into operation.

    From the receipt of design documents in May 2022 to the official opening of the facility, it took 38 months to complete the largest high-speed railway station in western China. Behind this grandiose project are the heroes left behind the scenes – robots.

    According to Sun Haoran, project manager for the station from China Railway Construction Engineering Group (CRCEG), the station serves as a pilot project for “integrating a station into an urban environment” as part of the country’s efforts to strengthen transportation infrastructure.

    Located in Nan’an District of Chongqing, the station has 15 platforms and 29 tracks. The eight-story station building occupies a total construction area of 1.22 million square meters, equivalent to 170 standard football fields. The roof area of the facility is about 120,000 square meters, and its weight reaches 16,500 tons.

    “The scale of the station roof alone is colossal, making the construction complex and associated with high safety risks,” Sun Haoran said.

    Indeed, in this city, where temperatures regularly reach 40 degrees Celsius during the scorching summer sun, building a large-scale transport hub on difficult terrain requires innovation.

    Robots have made a quiet revolution, transforming traditional construction work in extreme conditions.

    “Leveling the surface in 40-degree heat used to result in workers fainting from heatstroke,” said Huang Pingqing, a project manager at the 11th Bureau of China Railway.

    “Now laser robots perform this work with millimetre accuracy three times faster than a human, reducing labour costs by 40 percent,” he added.

    “At the same time, in this mountainous area, which is as hot as a furnace in the summer, steel does not sweat,” he added, and proudly presented his “robotic army.”

    Four-wheeled laser leveling machines equipped with lidar, AI algorithms and 5G connectivity have replaced manual concrete leveling. While workers remotely monitor them from cool shelters, the robots’ precision work reduces waste.

    Patrol robots, regardless of night or rain, work around the clock. Using AI vision, they detect the absence of helmets or incorrectly parked cars within a radius of 100 meters during the day or 50 meters at night, reducing the time to detect violations by 90 percent and increasing the efficiency of quality control by four times, he noted.

    Glass installation robots handle 800-kilogram panels for high-rise facades. Precision servo drives position massive glass units with millimeter accuracy, speeding up installation three times and reducing the risk of accidents by 90 percent compared to the manual lifting of giant glass units by dozens of workers.

    All-round welding robots were used to join overhead pipelines. Capable of controlling movement with an accuracy of 0.1 mm, they sealed the joint of an 800 mm diameter steel pipe in two hours – three times faster than the manual method – ensuring consistent quality of work carried out at height.

    “Robots free our teams from working in unbearable heat,” Huang Pingqing emphasized. “They are not just something, but important and irreplaceable partners.”

    Data from the 11th Bureau of China Railway Corporation confirmed that robotics has tripled average labor productivity and nearly halved labor costs.

    In addition, safety-related accidents have been reduced by 90 percent, despite summer heat waves regularly testing the limits of construction capabilities in the city’s challenging terrain, including record temperatures in 2022 and 2024 that saw traditional construction sites suspend work during daylight hours.

    “This is how technology serves people – building faster, safer and smarter even in Chongqing’s ‘firebox,’” Huang Pinqing said.

    The mountainous metropolis is also accelerating its adoption of automation to transform infrastructure development and beyond.

    According to the Chongqing Economic and Information Technology Commission, in recent years the city has developed action plans to promote the application of robots and develop future industries, laying the institutional foundation for the development of the robotics industry.

    By 2024, the city’s robot production capacity exceeded 60,000 units, and the total output value of the entire production chain exceeded 37 billion yuan (about 5.17 billion US dollars).

    At the same time, the city is forming a cluster of intelligent equipment that is internationally competitive.

    At present, Chongqing has gathered more than 300 key robotics enterprises and established 31 R&D platforms, including the Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Robotics Testing Center.

    This has resulted in the creation of a comprehensive ecosystem covering R&D, manufacturing, testing, systems integration, component supply, training and application services. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: A forum on entering the Russian market was held in Dongguan, southern China

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) — The “Entering the Russian Market” forum was successfully held in Dongguan, south China’s Guangdong Province, on Thursday. The event brought together government, business, science and research leaders to discuss new opportunities in the Russian market for enterprises in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

    According to the Phoenix news portal, Zhang Yuliang, vice-mayor of Hunchun City (Jilin Province, Northeast China), delivered a welcoming speech. He emphasized Hunchun’s advantageous geographical position as an important city bordering Russia in the area of cross-border cooperation, outlining bright prospects for Chinese-Russian trade and economic cooperation for the participants.

    Then, Chen Ping, an official from Dongguan Association for the Promotion of Trade, presented an in-depth analysis of the opportunities and ways for enterprises in the Greater Bay Area to enter the Russian market, offering practical recommendations.

    At the roundtable, participants launched an active discussion on the topic “The Russian market in 2025: advantages, risks, breakthrough strategies and integration paths.” Experts proposed multifaceted approaches to entering the Russian market, examining issues of coordinating political measures and guidelines, platform business activities, ensuring supply chains and other aspects.

    During the interactive session, participants actively asked questions, and experts gave detailed answers, creating a lively atmosphere. As the discussion deepened, participants’ understanding of the Russian market became clearer, and their vision of ways to enter the Russian market became clearer. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • PM Modi urges responsible AI, stronger South-South ties at BRICS Summit

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for strengthening multilateralism, deepening economic cooperation, and ensuring responsible governance of Artificial Intelligence during his address at the BRICS Outreach Summit in Brazil.

    Addressing the session titled ‘Strengthening Multilateralism, Economic-Financial Matters, and Artificial Intelligence’, Prime Minister Modi thanked Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for inviting him to share India’s views with partner countries from Latin America, Africa and Asia.

    “It is a great pleasure for me to participate in this meeting with my friends from the extended BRICS family. My heartfelt thanks to President Lula for giving me the opportunity to share my views with friendly countries of Latin America, Africa, and Asia in the BRICS Outreach Summit,” he said.

    Highlighting the increasing relevance of BRICS in a changing global order, the Prime Minister said, “Our confidence in the diversity and multipolarity of the BRICS Group is our greatest strength. Today, as the world order faces pressures from all sides and the world is going through many challenges and uncertainties, the increasing relevance and influence of BRICS is natural. We should together consider how BRICS can become a guide for the multipolar world in the times to come.”

    The Prime Minister put forward four key suggestions to strengthen BRICS cooperation.

    Firstly, he underlined that economic cooperation within BRICS is progressing steadily, with the BRICS Business Council and BRICS Women Business Alliance playing an important role. He welcomed Brazil’s emphasis on reforms in the International Financial System under its presidency.

    “In the form of BRICS New Development Bank, we have offered a strong and credible alternative to support the development aspirations of countries in the Global South. While approving projects, the NDB must focus on demand-driven approaches, long-term financial sustainability, and healthy credit rating. Strengthening our internal systems will further enhance the credibility of our call for reformed multilateralism,” he said.

    Secondly, the Prime Minister said that the countries of the Global South have special expectations from BRICS and the group should work together to meet them.

    “For instance, the BRICS Agricultural Research Platform, established in India, is a valuable initiative to enhance collaboration in agricultural research. It can become a medium for sharing research and best practices in topics such as agri-biotech, precision farming, and climate change adaptation. We can also extend its benefits to countries in the Global South,” he said.

    He also highlighted India’s ‘One Nation, One Subscription’ initiative to expand access to academic resources and proposed a collective BRICS Science and Research Repository for the benefit of the Global South.

    Thirdly, the Prime Minister called for cooperation to secure and strengthen supply chains for critical minerals and technologies. “It’s important to ensure that no country uses these resources for its own selfish gain or as a weapon against others,” he said.

    Fourth, speaking on Artificial Intelligence, the Prime Minister stressed the need for global standards for responsible and ethical use of AI.

    “In the 21st century, the progress and well-being of people largely depends on technology, especially Artificial Intelligence. On one hand, AI can greatly improve everyday life; while on the other hand, it also raises concerns about risks, ethics, and bias,” he noted.

    He added, “India’s approach and policy on this topic are clear: We see AI as a medium to enhance human values and potential. Working on the mantra of ‘AI for All’, today we’re widely and actively using AI in sectors like agriculture, health, education, governance in India.”

    He said equal focus must be given to addressing concerns and promoting innovation in AI governance. “Global standards must be created that can verify the authenticity of digital content, so that we can identify the source of the content and maintain transparency and prevent misuse,” he said, adding that the Leaders’ Statement on Global Governance of AI released at the meeting is a positive step in this direction.

    Prime Minister Modi announced that India will host the AI Impact Summit next year and invited all partner countries to participate. “We hope for your active participation to make this summit a great success,” he said.

    Reaffirming India’s commitment to the Global South, the Prime Minister said, “The Global South has many hopes from us. To fulfil them, we must follow the principle of ‘Lead by Example’. India is fully committed to working shoulder-to-shoulder with all our partners to achieve our common goals.”

  • PM Modi urges responsible AI, stronger South-South ties at BRICS Summit

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for strengthening multilateralism, deepening economic cooperation, and ensuring responsible governance of Artificial Intelligence during his address at the BRICS Outreach Summit in Brazil.

    Addressing the session titled ‘Strengthening Multilateralism, Economic-Financial Matters, and Artificial Intelligence’, Prime Minister Modi thanked Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for inviting him to share India’s views with partner countries from Latin America, Africa and Asia.

    “It is a great pleasure for me to participate in this meeting with my friends from the extended BRICS family. My heartfelt thanks to President Lula for giving me the opportunity to share my views with friendly countries of Latin America, Africa, and Asia in the BRICS Outreach Summit,” he said.

    Highlighting the increasing relevance of BRICS in a changing global order, the Prime Minister said, “Our confidence in the diversity and multipolarity of the BRICS Group is our greatest strength. Today, as the world order faces pressures from all sides and the world is going through many challenges and uncertainties, the increasing relevance and influence of BRICS is natural. We should together consider how BRICS can become a guide for the multipolar world in the times to come.”

    The Prime Minister put forward four key suggestions to strengthen BRICS cooperation.

    Firstly, he underlined that economic cooperation within BRICS is progressing steadily, with the BRICS Business Council and BRICS Women Business Alliance playing an important role. He welcomed Brazil’s emphasis on reforms in the International Financial System under its presidency.

    “In the form of BRICS New Development Bank, we have offered a strong and credible alternative to support the development aspirations of countries in the Global South. While approving projects, the NDB must focus on demand-driven approaches, long-term financial sustainability, and healthy credit rating. Strengthening our internal systems will further enhance the credibility of our call for reformed multilateralism,” he said.

    Secondly, the Prime Minister said that the countries of the Global South have special expectations from BRICS and the group should work together to meet them.

    “For instance, the BRICS Agricultural Research Platform, established in India, is a valuable initiative to enhance collaboration in agricultural research. It can become a medium for sharing research and best practices in topics such as agri-biotech, precision farming, and climate change adaptation. We can also extend its benefits to countries in the Global South,” he said.

    He also highlighted India’s ‘One Nation, One Subscription’ initiative to expand access to academic resources and proposed a collective BRICS Science and Research Repository for the benefit of the Global South.

    Thirdly, the Prime Minister called for cooperation to secure and strengthen supply chains for critical minerals and technologies. “It’s important to ensure that no country uses these resources for its own selfish gain or as a weapon against others,” he said.

    Fourth, speaking on Artificial Intelligence, the Prime Minister stressed the need for global standards for responsible and ethical use of AI.

    “In the 21st century, the progress and well-being of people largely depends on technology, especially Artificial Intelligence. On one hand, AI can greatly improve everyday life; while on the other hand, it also raises concerns about risks, ethics, and bias,” he noted.

    He added, “India’s approach and policy on this topic are clear: We see AI as a medium to enhance human values and potential. Working on the mantra of ‘AI for All’, today we’re widely and actively using AI in sectors like agriculture, health, education, governance in India.”

    He said equal focus must be given to addressing concerns and promoting innovation in AI governance. “Global standards must be created that can verify the authenticity of digital content, so that we can identify the source of the content and maintain transparency and prevent misuse,” he said, adding that the Leaders’ Statement on Global Governance of AI released at the meeting is a positive step in this direction.

    Prime Minister Modi announced that India will host the AI Impact Summit next year and invited all partner countries to participate. “We hope for your active participation to make this summit a great success,” he said.

    Reaffirming India’s commitment to the Global South, the Prime Minister said, “The Global South has many hopes from us. To fulfil them, we must follow the principle of ‘Lead by Example’. India is fully committed to working shoulder-to-shoulder with all our partners to achieve our common goals.”

  • PM Modi urges responsible AI, stronger South-South ties at BRICS Summit

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for strengthening multilateralism, deepening economic cooperation, and ensuring responsible governance of Artificial Intelligence during his address at the BRICS Outreach Summit in Brazil.

    Addressing the session titled ‘Strengthening Multilateralism, Economic-Financial Matters, and Artificial Intelligence’, Prime Minister Modi thanked Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for inviting him to share India’s views with partner countries from Latin America, Africa and Asia.

    “It is a great pleasure for me to participate in this meeting with my friends from the extended BRICS family. My heartfelt thanks to President Lula for giving me the opportunity to share my views with friendly countries of Latin America, Africa, and Asia in the BRICS Outreach Summit,” he said.

    Highlighting the increasing relevance of BRICS in a changing global order, the Prime Minister said, “Our confidence in the diversity and multipolarity of the BRICS Group is our greatest strength. Today, as the world order faces pressures from all sides and the world is going through many challenges and uncertainties, the increasing relevance and influence of BRICS is natural. We should together consider how BRICS can become a guide for the multipolar world in the times to come.”

    The Prime Minister put forward four key suggestions to strengthen BRICS cooperation.

    Firstly, he underlined that economic cooperation within BRICS is progressing steadily, with the BRICS Business Council and BRICS Women Business Alliance playing an important role. He welcomed Brazil’s emphasis on reforms in the International Financial System under its presidency.

    “In the form of BRICS New Development Bank, we have offered a strong and credible alternative to support the development aspirations of countries in the Global South. While approving projects, the NDB must focus on demand-driven approaches, long-term financial sustainability, and healthy credit rating. Strengthening our internal systems will further enhance the credibility of our call for reformed multilateralism,” he said.

    Secondly, the Prime Minister said that the countries of the Global South have special expectations from BRICS and the group should work together to meet them.

    “For instance, the BRICS Agricultural Research Platform, established in India, is a valuable initiative to enhance collaboration in agricultural research. It can become a medium for sharing research and best practices in topics such as agri-biotech, precision farming, and climate change adaptation. We can also extend its benefits to countries in the Global South,” he said.

    He also highlighted India’s ‘One Nation, One Subscription’ initiative to expand access to academic resources and proposed a collective BRICS Science and Research Repository for the benefit of the Global South.

    Thirdly, the Prime Minister called for cooperation to secure and strengthen supply chains for critical minerals and technologies. “It’s important to ensure that no country uses these resources for its own selfish gain or as a weapon against others,” he said.

    Fourth, speaking on Artificial Intelligence, the Prime Minister stressed the need for global standards for responsible and ethical use of AI.

    “In the 21st century, the progress and well-being of people largely depends on technology, especially Artificial Intelligence. On one hand, AI can greatly improve everyday life; while on the other hand, it also raises concerns about risks, ethics, and bias,” he noted.

    He added, “India’s approach and policy on this topic are clear: We see AI as a medium to enhance human values and potential. Working on the mantra of ‘AI for All’, today we’re widely and actively using AI in sectors like agriculture, health, education, governance in India.”

    He said equal focus must be given to addressing concerns and promoting innovation in AI governance. “Global standards must be created that can verify the authenticity of digital content, so that we can identify the source of the content and maintain transparency and prevent misuse,” he said, adding that the Leaders’ Statement on Global Governance of AI released at the meeting is a positive step in this direction.

    Prime Minister Modi announced that India will host the AI Impact Summit next year and invited all partner countries to participate. “We hope for your active participation to make this summit a great success,” he said.

    Reaffirming India’s commitment to the Global South, the Prime Minister said, “The Global South has many hopes from us. To fulfil them, we must follow the principle of ‘Lead by Example’. India is fully committed to working shoulder-to-shoulder with all our partners to achieve our common goals.”

  • PM Modi urges responsible AI, stronger South-South ties at BRICS Summit

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for strengthening multilateralism, deepening economic cooperation, and ensuring responsible governance of Artificial Intelligence during his address at the BRICS Outreach Summit in Brazil.

    Addressing the session titled ‘Strengthening Multilateralism, Economic-Financial Matters, and Artificial Intelligence’, Prime Minister Modi thanked Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for inviting him to share India’s views with partner countries from Latin America, Africa and Asia.

    “It is a great pleasure for me to participate in this meeting with my friends from the extended BRICS family. My heartfelt thanks to President Lula for giving me the opportunity to share my views with friendly countries of Latin America, Africa, and Asia in the BRICS Outreach Summit,” he said.

    Highlighting the increasing relevance of BRICS in a changing global order, the Prime Minister said, “Our confidence in the diversity and multipolarity of the BRICS Group is our greatest strength. Today, as the world order faces pressures from all sides and the world is going through many challenges and uncertainties, the increasing relevance and influence of BRICS is natural. We should together consider how BRICS can become a guide for the multipolar world in the times to come.”

    The Prime Minister put forward four key suggestions to strengthen BRICS cooperation.

    Firstly, he underlined that economic cooperation within BRICS is progressing steadily, with the BRICS Business Council and BRICS Women Business Alliance playing an important role. He welcomed Brazil’s emphasis on reforms in the International Financial System under its presidency.

    “In the form of BRICS New Development Bank, we have offered a strong and credible alternative to support the development aspirations of countries in the Global South. While approving projects, the NDB must focus on demand-driven approaches, long-term financial sustainability, and healthy credit rating. Strengthening our internal systems will further enhance the credibility of our call for reformed multilateralism,” he said.

    Secondly, the Prime Minister said that the countries of the Global South have special expectations from BRICS and the group should work together to meet them.

    “For instance, the BRICS Agricultural Research Platform, established in India, is a valuable initiative to enhance collaboration in agricultural research. It can become a medium for sharing research and best practices in topics such as agri-biotech, precision farming, and climate change adaptation. We can also extend its benefits to countries in the Global South,” he said.

    He also highlighted India’s ‘One Nation, One Subscription’ initiative to expand access to academic resources and proposed a collective BRICS Science and Research Repository for the benefit of the Global South.

    Thirdly, the Prime Minister called for cooperation to secure and strengthen supply chains for critical minerals and technologies. “It’s important to ensure that no country uses these resources for its own selfish gain or as a weapon against others,” he said.

    Fourth, speaking on Artificial Intelligence, the Prime Minister stressed the need for global standards for responsible and ethical use of AI.

    “In the 21st century, the progress and well-being of people largely depends on technology, especially Artificial Intelligence. On one hand, AI can greatly improve everyday life; while on the other hand, it also raises concerns about risks, ethics, and bias,” he noted.

    He added, “India’s approach and policy on this topic are clear: We see AI as a medium to enhance human values and potential. Working on the mantra of ‘AI for All’, today we’re widely and actively using AI in sectors like agriculture, health, education, governance in India.”

    He said equal focus must be given to addressing concerns and promoting innovation in AI governance. “Global standards must be created that can verify the authenticity of digital content, so that we can identify the source of the content and maintain transparency and prevent misuse,” he said, adding that the Leaders’ Statement on Global Governance of AI released at the meeting is a positive step in this direction.

    Prime Minister Modi announced that India will host the AI Impact Summit next year and invited all partner countries to participate. “We hope for your active participation to make this summit a great success,” he said.

    Reaffirming India’s commitment to the Global South, the Prime Minister said, “The Global South has many hopes from us. To fulfil them, we must follow the principle of ‘Lead by Example’. India is fully committed to working shoulder-to-shoulder with all our partners to achieve our common goals.”

  • PM Modi urges responsible AI, stronger South-South ties at BRICS Summit

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for strengthening multilateralism, deepening economic cooperation, and ensuring responsible governance of Artificial Intelligence during his address at the BRICS Outreach Summit in Brazil.

    Addressing the session titled ‘Strengthening Multilateralism, Economic-Financial Matters, and Artificial Intelligence’, Prime Minister Modi thanked Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for inviting him to share India’s views with partner countries from Latin America, Africa and Asia.

    “It is a great pleasure for me to participate in this meeting with my friends from the extended BRICS family. My heartfelt thanks to President Lula for giving me the opportunity to share my views with friendly countries of Latin America, Africa, and Asia in the BRICS Outreach Summit,” he said.

    Highlighting the increasing relevance of BRICS in a changing global order, the Prime Minister said, “Our confidence in the diversity and multipolarity of the BRICS Group is our greatest strength. Today, as the world order faces pressures from all sides and the world is going through many challenges and uncertainties, the increasing relevance and influence of BRICS is natural. We should together consider how BRICS can become a guide for the multipolar world in the times to come.”

    The Prime Minister put forward four key suggestions to strengthen BRICS cooperation.

    Firstly, he underlined that economic cooperation within BRICS is progressing steadily, with the BRICS Business Council and BRICS Women Business Alliance playing an important role. He welcomed Brazil’s emphasis on reforms in the International Financial System under its presidency.

    “In the form of BRICS New Development Bank, we have offered a strong and credible alternative to support the development aspirations of countries in the Global South. While approving projects, the NDB must focus on demand-driven approaches, long-term financial sustainability, and healthy credit rating. Strengthening our internal systems will further enhance the credibility of our call for reformed multilateralism,” he said.

    Secondly, the Prime Minister said that the countries of the Global South have special expectations from BRICS and the group should work together to meet them.

    “For instance, the BRICS Agricultural Research Platform, established in India, is a valuable initiative to enhance collaboration in agricultural research. It can become a medium for sharing research and best practices in topics such as agri-biotech, precision farming, and climate change adaptation. We can also extend its benefits to countries in the Global South,” he said.

    He also highlighted India’s ‘One Nation, One Subscription’ initiative to expand access to academic resources and proposed a collective BRICS Science and Research Repository for the benefit of the Global South.

    Thirdly, the Prime Minister called for cooperation to secure and strengthen supply chains for critical minerals and technologies. “It’s important to ensure that no country uses these resources for its own selfish gain or as a weapon against others,” he said.

    Fourth, speaking on Artificial Intelligence, the Prime Minister stressed the need for global standards for responsible and ethical use of AI.

    “In the 21st century, the progress and well-being of people largely depends on technology, especially Artificial Intelligence. On one hand, AI can greatly improve everyday life; while on the other hand, it also raises concerns about risks, ethics, and bias,” he noted.

    He added, “India’s approach and policy on this topic are clear: We see AI as a medium to enhance human values and potential. Working on the mantra of ‘AI for All’, today we’re widely and actively using AI in sectors like agriculture, health, education, governance in India.”

    He said equal focus must be given to addressing concerns and promoting innovation in AI governance. “Global standards must be created that can verify the authenticity of digital content, so that we can identify the source of the content and maintain transparency and prevent misuse,” he said, adding that the Leaders’ Statement on Global Governance of AI released at the meeting is a positive step in this direction.

    Prime Minister Modi announced that India will host the AI Impact Summit next year and invited all partner countries to participate. “We hope for your active participation to make this summit a great success,” he said.

    Reaffirming India’s commitment to the Global South, the Prime Minister said, “The Global South has many hopes from us. To fulfil them, we must follow the principle of ‘Lead by Example’. India is fully committed to working shoulder-to-shoulder with all our partners to achieve our common goals.”

  • PM Modi urges responsible AI, stronger South-South ties at BRICS Summit

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for strengthening multilateralism, deepening economic cooperation, and ensuring responsible governance of Artificial Intelligence during his address at the BRICS Outreach Summit in Brazil.

    Addressing the session titled ‘Strengthening Multilateralism, Economic-Financial Matters, and Artificial Intelligence’, Prime Minister Modi thanked Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for inviting him to share India’s views with partner countries from Latin America, Africa and Asia.

    “It is a great pleasure for me to participate in this meeting with my friends from the extended BRICS family. My heartfelt thanks to President Lula for giving me the opportunity to share my views with friendly countries of Latin America, Africa, and Asia in the BRICS Outreach Summit,” he said.

    Highlighting the increasing relevance of BRICS in a changing global order, the Prime Minister said, “Our confidence in the diversity and multipolarity of the BRICS Group is our greatest strength. Today, as the world order faces pressures from all sides and the world is going through many challenges and uncertainties, the increasing relevance and influence of BRICS is natural. We should together consider how BRICS can become a guide for the multipolar world in the times to come.”

    The Prime Minister put forward four key suggestions to strengthen BRICS cooperation.

    Firstly, he underlined that economic cooperation within BRICS is progressing steadily, with the BRICS Business Council and BRICS Women Business Alliance playing an important role. He welcomed Brazil’s emphasis on reforms in the International Financial System under its presidency.

    “In the form of BRICS New Development Bank, we have offered a strong and credible alternative to support the development aspirations of countries in the Global South. While approving projects, the NDB must focus on demand-driven approaches, long-term financial sustainability, and healthy credit rating. Strengthening our internal systems will further enhance the credibility of our call for reformed multilateralism,” he said.

    Secondly, the Prime Minister said that the countries of the Global South have special expectations from BRICS and the group should work together to meet them.

    “For instance, the BRICS Agricultural Research Platform, established in India, is a valuable initiative to enhance collaboration in agricultural research. It can become a medium for sharing research and best practices in topics such as agri-biotech, precision farming, and climate change adaptation. We can also extend its benefits to countries in the Global South,” he said.

    He also highlighted India’s ‘One Nation, One Subscription’ initiative to expand access to academic resources and proposed a collective BRICS Science and Research Repository for the benefit of the Global South.

    Thirdly, the Prime Minister called for cooperation to secure and strengthen supply chains for critical minerals and technologies. “It’s important to ensure that no country uses these resources for its own selfish gain or as a weapon against others,” he said.

    Fourth, speaking on Artificial Intelligence, the Prime Minister stressed the need for global standards for responsible and ethical use of AI.

    “In the 21st century, the progress and well-being of people largely depends on technology, especially Artificial Intelligence. On one hand, AI can greatly improve everyday life; while on the other hand, it also raises concerns about risks, ethics, and bias,” he noted.

    He added, “India’s approach and policy on this topic are clear: We see AI as a medium to enhance human values and potential. Working on the mantra of ‘AI for All’, today we’re widely and actively using AI in sectors like agriculture, health, education, governance in India.”

    He said equal focus must be given to addressing concerns and promoting innovation in AI governance. “Global standards must be created that can verify the authenticity of digital content, so that we can identify the source of the content and maintain transparency and prevent misuse,” he said, adding that the Leaders’ Statement on Global Governance of AI released at the meeting is a positive step in this direction.

    Prime Minister Modi announced that India will host the AI Impact Summit next year and invited all partner countries to participate. “We hope for your active participation to make this summit a great success,” he said.

    Reaffirming India’s commitment to the Global South, the Prime Minister said, “The Global South has many hopes from us. To fulfil them, we must follow the principle of ‘Lead by Example’. India is fully committed to working shoulder-to-shoulder with all our partners to achieve our common goals.”

  • Typhoon Danas lashes southern Taiwan with record winds, injuring hundreds

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Typhoon Danas lashed southern Taiwan with record winds and strong rain early on Monday, killing two people and injuring more than 330 in a rare hit to the island’s densely populated west coast, where businesses and schools were shut.

    Taiwan is regularly struck by typhoons but they generally land along the mountainous and sparsely populated east coast facing the Pacific.

    Typhoon Danas, at one point listed by Taiwan’s weather authority at the second-strongest level, headed northerly towards the Taiwan Strait after making landfall along its southwestern coast late on Sunday.

    It has greatly weakened since and was forecast to hit eastern China later this week.

    “The typhoon track is rare… the whole of Taiwan will be affected by the wind and rain one after another,” President Lai Ching-te said in a post on Facebook, urging citizens to make preparations.

    Power to more than half a million homes was cut and over 300 domestic and international flights were cancelled, government data showed. The north-south high-speed rail line scaled back services.

    The National Fire Agency said one person was killed by a falling tree while driving and another died after their respirator malfunctioned due to a power cut.

    Record winds of around 220 kilometres per hour were recorded in the southwestern county of Yunlin, while more than 700 trees and street signs were blown over across western cities and towns, government data showed.

    There was no major report of damage in the Tainan Science Park that houses tech giants such as TSMC 2330.TW.

    (Reuters)

  • Typhoon Danas lashes southern Taiwan with record winds, injuring hundreds

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Typhoon Danas lashed southern Taiwan with record winds and strong rain early on Monday, killing two people and injuring more than 330 in a rare hit to the island’s densely populated west coast, where businesses and schools were shut.

    Taiwan is regularly struck by typhoons but they generally land along the mountainous and sparsely populated east coast facing the Pacific.

    Typhoon Danas, at one point listed by Taiwan’s weather authority at the second-strongest level, headed northerly towards the Taiwan Strait after making landfall along its southwestern coast late on Sunday.

    It has greatly weakened since and was forecast to hit eastern China later this week.

    “The typhoon track is rare… the whole of Taiwan will be affected by the wind and rain one after another,” President Lai Ching-te said in a post on Facebook, urging citizens to make preparations.

    Power to more than half a million homes was cut and over 300 domestic and international flights were cancelled, government data showed. The north-south high-speed rail line scaled back services.

    The National Fire Agency said one person was killed by a falling tree while driving and another died after their respirator malfunctioned due to a power cut.

    Record winds of around 220 kilometres per hour were recorded in the southwestern county of Yunlin, while more than 700 trees and street signs were blown over across western cities and towns, government data showed.

    There was no major report of damage in the Tainan Science Park that houses tech giants such as TSMC 2330.TW.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – Albanese Government Must Act, CSIRO Research Fuels Calls for Deep Sea Mining Moratorium

    Source: Deep Sea Mining Campaign

    As the peak international body on deep sea mining begins a three-week meeting, CSIRO has released a series of reports commissioned by mining proponent The Metals Company (TMC) that underscore the severe environmental risks and scientific uncertainty surrounding the dangerous industry.

    The findings confirm international consensus; the deep ocean is too poorly understood to proceed with deep sea mining safely or responsibly, prompting major environmental organisations to call on the Albanese Government to support a moratorium.

    The timing of the CSIRO reports appears to align with what was, until recently, TMC’s plan to submit an application to the ISA on June 27 – plans the company has now abandoned in favour of a controversial U.S. based pathway via a dormant 1980s law and enabled by the Trump administration. 

    Pressure is mounting on the Albanese Government to adopt a precautionary stance supporting a moratorium at the ISA in line with many of its major partners, including the UK, Canada, France, Germany and New Zealand. Currently, 37 countries back a deep sea mining moratorium.

    TMC continues to apply pressure on international regulators to accelerate approvals for this high-risk untested industry. With a state-funded agency producing research likely to be used to legitimise mining in international waters, ocean advocates are calling on the Albanese Government to direct CSIRO to take no further actions on behalf of TMC. 

    The CSIRO reports confirm the likely damage to the seafloor and to the marine environment that civil society, Indigenous Pacific communities, and independent scientists have warned about; deep sea mining is too destructive and there is too much uncertainty to proceed. 

    “These findings echo the concerns we’ve heard right across the Pacific region – that the deep ocean is a highly complex, precious environment, and that accelerating deep sea mining would be dangerous,” said Phil McCabe, Pacific Regional Coordinator at the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition.

    There remains a severe lack of real-world data about deep sea ecosystems – particularly in relation to the long-term environmental impacts and the risk of toxic pollution entering the food chain. Scientists warn that many of these impacts are likely to be irreversible in human timeframes. The CSIRO reports acknowledge the potential for heavy metals to bioaccumulate in marine life, including tuna, swordfish, whales, and dolphins. 

    “We’ve seen this before; traffic light systems, digital twin technology, adaptive management systems – all designed to give the illusion of sustainable management,” said Dr. Helen Rosenbaum, Research Coordinator at the Deep Sea Mining Campaign. “When the science is this uncertain, the only responsible signal is red.”

    TMC’s recent decision to abandon its application to the ISA and instead issue permits through a dormant U.S. law has been widely condemned by governments and legal experts as a direct challenge to international law and multilateralism. The move undermines the ISA’s authority just as states prepare to negotiate key regulations. 

    “Australia’s credibility is on the line,” said Duncan Currie, International Lawyer and advisor to the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition. “CSIRO’s involvement with The Metals Company (TMC) risks implicating Australia in their attempt to sidestep international governance. The Albanese Government must now draw a clear line; support a moratorium at the International Seabed Authority, and ensure CSIRO takes no further action on TMC’s behalf.”

    “At the ISA, a moratorium or precautionary pause on deep sea mining is the only viable path to protecting the deep sea,” said Shiva Gounden, Head of Pacific at Greenpeace Australia Pacific. “Delegates at the ISA must listen to the science and the voices of Pacific nations and back a moratorium to stop deep sea mining before it starts.”

    The Deep Sea Mining Campaign, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, and Surfrider Australia call on the Albanese Government to announce its support for a Moratorium at the upcoming ISA meeting in Jamaica; and direct CSIRO to take no further actions on behalf of TMC.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News

  • MIL-OSI China: China releases list of key science, engineering challenges amid tech push

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

    China on Sunday released a list of what it has determined to be the 30 most pressing scientific questions, engineering challenges and industrial technology bottlenecks facing the nation’s development.

    The China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) made the announcement of the list, the eighth of its kind since 2018, during its 27th annual meeting.

    People visit the “AI+” demonstration area at the Zhongguancun Exhibition Center in Beijing, capital of China, June 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

    A rigorous selection process was overseen by 80 national scientific societies, with its initial phase seeing 56 eminent strategic scientists nominate 90 issues spanning 10 major fields, including the basic sciences and manufacturing technology, before finalizing the list of 30 priorities, according to CAST.

    The carefully selected roster lists the country’s top 10 frontier science problems, including the topological and geometric classification of manifolds, as well as the properties and origin of mass of the Higgs boson.

    The top 10 engineering technology challenges involve breakthrough applications, with notable entries including those related to integrated algorithms for the design-simulation-manufacturing of complex models, as well as AI-streamlined network systems that integrate communication and intelligence.

    CAST also announced China’s top 10 industrial technology issues, which require a focus on overcoming critical manufacturing and application barriers, with priority areas including autonomous mining technologies for the utilization of deep-space resources, as well as brain function assessment and closed-loop, brain-computer intelligent intervention.

    Keyword: AI

    Notably, the fusion of AI and diverse scientific disciplines is a critical pathway to solving fundamental challenges, spanning secure communication networks and advanced health care solutions.

    Leading the list of the top 10 problems in frontier science, which were chosen by scientists working in the field, is establishing “new theories and protective frameworks for AI security from a cryptographic perspective,” according to CAST.

    As AI advances rapidly globally, its security vulnerabilities are becoming increasingly critical. Cryptographic approaches to security offer a promising shift from reactive defenses to mathematically verifiable security paradigms.

    “Cryptography plays a dual role,” explained Wang Xiaoyun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

    “On one hand, it is crucial to protecting the privacy of data and information within AI systems. On the other hand, cryptographic principles like provable security frameworks can help combat threats like deepfakes, ensuring AI remains reliable, safe and controllable,” Wang said.

    Noting that cryptographic research for AI security is an emerging, interdisciplinary frontier field while global research is advancing concurrently, Wang said, “By nominating this problem, we hope to draw the attention of more experts in both AI and cryptography to this evolving field.”

    The list of the top 10 engineering technology challenges also features an AI-centric communication solution: creating AI-streamlined network systems integrating communication and intelligence.

    Zhang Ping, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, highlighted the current bottlenecks plaguing communication systems.

    “The field faces theoretical limitations, a lack of inherent intelligence, and inflexibility, struggling to meet the demand for pervasive intelligence and sustainable development,” Zhang noted.

    AI-streamlined networks offer novel system architecture by merging communication deeply with AI, significantly simplifying design.

    “The fundamental challenge in communication is that wider bandwidth and higher speeds demand more resources,” Zhang said.

    “It’s like expanding roads — more lanes or wider roads require more land. Evolving toward AI-powered natural interaction provides a new engine to reduce resource consumption and waste of computing power in communication systems,” he added.

    The listed medical technology challenges also feature AI integration. One key industrial technology issue focuses on brain function assessment and closed-loop, brain-computer intelligent intervention, proposing the use of multimodal neuroimaging combined with AI analysis and brain-computer interfaces to enhance neural plasticity and reorganization for stroke rehabilitation.

    This year’s initiative uniquely paired senior strategic scientists with younger counterparts, who served as academic secretaries and were involved in interpreting and refining the nominated problems.

    This approach aimed to ensure authoritative selection while actively cultivating the next generation of research talent, CAST said.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 7, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 7, 2025.

    The hard questions NZ must ask about the claimed economic benefits of fast-track mining projects
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Glenn Banks, Professor of Geography, School of People, Environment and Planning, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Getty Images Much of the debate about the fast-track applications by a number of new or extended mining projects has, understandably, focused on their environmental impacts. But the other

    New US directive for visa applicants turns social media feeds into political documents
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate in Public Health & Community Medicine, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Angel DiBiblio/Shutterstock In recent weeks, the US State Department implemented a policy requiring all university, technical training, or exchange program visa applicants to disclose their social media handles used over the

    Ageing bridges around the world are at risk of collapse. But there’s a simple way to safeguard them
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andy Nguyen, Senior Lecturer in Structural Engineering, University of Southern Queensland The Story Bridge, with its sweeping steel trusses and art deco towers, is a striking sight above the Brisbane River in Queensland. In 2025, it was named the state’s best landmark. But more than an icon,

    Much to celebrate as NAIDOC Week turns 50, but also much to learn
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lynette Riley, Co-chair of the National NAIDOC Committee and Professor in the Sydney School of Education and Social Work; and Chair, Aboriginal Education and Indigenous Studies.original Education & Indigenous Studies., University of Sydney Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and/or images

    Just $7 extra per person could prevent 300 suicides a year. Here’s exactly where to spend it
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karinna Saxby, Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne xinlan/Shutterstock Medicare spending on mental health services varies considerably depending on where in Australia you live, our new study shows. We found areas with lower Medicare spending on out-of-hospital mental health

    A Māori worldview describes the immune system as a guardian – this could improve public health in Aotearoa NZ
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tama Te Puea Braithwaite-Westoby, Tautoro Māori Engagement Advisor, Malaghan Institute of Medical Research Getty Images In biomedical science, the immune system is described as a cellular defence network that identifies and neutralises threats. In te ao Māori (the Māori worldview), it can be seen as a dynamic

    We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Alger, Associate Professor / Senior Lecturer in Global Environmental Politics, The University of Melbourne Potato-sized polymetallic nodules from the deep sea could be mined for valuable metals and minerals. Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Deep-sea mining promises critical minerals for the energy

    ‘The customer is always right’: why some uni teachers give higher grades than students deserve
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ciprian N. Radavoi, Associate Professor in Law, University of Southern Queensland Pixels Effect/ Getty Images Grade inflation happens when teachers knowingly give a student a mark higher than deserved. It can also happen indirectly, when the level of difficulty of a course is deliberately lowered so students

    The Rainbow Warrior saga. Part 2: Nuclear refugees in the Pacific – the evacuation of Rongelap
    COMMENTARY:  By Eugene Doyle On the last voyage of the Rainbow Warrior prior to its sinking by French secret agents in Auckland harbour on 10 July 1985 the ship had evacuated the entire population of 320 from Rongelap in the Marshall Islands. After conducting dozens of above-ground nuclear explosions, the US government had left the

    Legends of a Nuclear-Free and Independent Pacific – Octo Mote
    Pacific Media Watch West Papuan independence advocate Octovianus Mote was in Aotearoa New Zealand late last year seeking support for independence for West Papua, which has been ruled by Indonesia for more than six decades. Mote is vice-president of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) and was hosted in New Zealand by the

    ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 6, 2025
    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 6, 2025.

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI Russia: New molecular engineering laboratory created at NSU

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    In the structure Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies (IMMT) NSU A new laboratory of molecular engineering has been created; it will become the first specialized laboratory beyond the Urals that will comprehensively deal with such promising areas of modern medicine as the cultivation of microorganism cells, the study of virome and metagenomic analysis, and the prediction of protein structure based on the analysis of the data obtained.

    In early 2026, after the delivery of the new building of the NSU IMMT, which is part of the second stage of the NSU campus, built within the framework of the national project “Youth and Children”, the laboratory will be located on the premises of the new campus. The creation of the laboratory is part of the strategic project “Center for the Integration of Personalized Biomedicine, Pharmacy and Synchrotron, Binary Technologies”, financed within the framework of Priority 2030 programs.

    Currently, the laboratory employs 5 people, including representatives of leading research centers in Novosibirsk and Tomsk. Also, students, postgraduates and graduate students of the Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies, the Faculty of Natural Sciences and other faculties of NSU will be involved in the work in the laboratory, who, as part of the preparation of their diploma and scientific papers, will participate in the implementation of the laboratory’s projects. The laboratory is headed by Elena Prokopyeva, PhD in Biology, research fellow at the IMMT NSU.

    The laboratory is fully focused on solving applied problems facing the modern pharmaceutical industry and biomedicine. First of all, we are talking about the rapid implementation of new methods of pharmaceutical development, expansion of interdisciplinary research, integration of artificial intelligence and big data analysis in biology and medicine; as well as the formation of a modern educational environment for training new generation specialists, including students from different countries.

    The main areas of work of the laboratory:

    creation and improvement of biotechnological protocols for cultivating prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms in laboratory and industrial bioreactors; creation of innovative methods for identifying and quantitatively analyzing viral particles using accelerator mass spectrometry; study of the diversity, structure and dynamics of viral communities (virosphere) in various ecological niches using modern methods of metagenomics and bioinformatics.

    — One of the promising areas for the laboratory is the analysis of viromes (a set of viruses) using metagenomic and bioinformatics analysis in partnership with research institutes of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. This is an advanced area in science. Metagenomic analysis is based on next-generation sequencing methods, which can be used to “read” several sections of different genomes in different samples at the same time. However, today the problem is the analysis of billions of available sequences, the number of which increases exponentially every year. Thus, advanced technologies will speed up the process of identifying new viruses, even based on already available and published metagenomic data, — said Elena Prokopyeva.

    The lab plans to use machine learning models to analyze biomedical data, such as genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data, as these methods can effectively identify complex patterns and relationships in large and multidimensional data sets. The use of machine learning in biomedical research opens up new opportunities for deep understanding of biological processes and improving clinical practice.

    Another area of the laboratory’s work is education. By the end of 2025, an interactive educational web application will be finalized. HTTP: //histology. HSU.ru, which includes a collection of digital microscope slides on histology, embryology and cytology.

    — Thus, this project will create a comprehensive scientific and technical platform that will unite disparate areas (bioreactors, metagenomics, molecular diagnostics, digitalization of education and biomedical developments) into a single ecosystem, increase the efficiency of research and accelerate the introduction of innovations in industry and medicine, — Elena Prokopyeva emphasized.

    The industrial and scientific partners of the laboratory are industry leaders — Technoprom LLC, research institutes of the SB RAS (G.I. Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS, G.K. Boreskov Institute of Catalysis SB RAS, Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS), FBSI SRC VB Vector of Rospotrebnadzor, Federal Research Center for Fundamental and Translational Medicine (FRC FTM). The laboratory also cooperates with foreign partners, such as Qinghai University and East China Normal University (China), RSE Institute of Genetics and Physiology (Kazakhstan).

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI China: ‘World’s supermarket’ embraces foreign trade talents

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

    A merchant (L, front) from Nepal watches dragon dance performance outside the Yiwu International Trade Market in Yiwu, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Feb. 9, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    In a city long famed as the “world’s supermarket,” foreign businesspeople are no longer just visitors — they are being officially recognized as vital drivers of China’s future development.

    Yiwu City, a bustling hub in east China’s Zhejiang Province that trades with over 230 countries and regions, has launched China’s first standardized system for formally certifying foreign trade talents.

    The pilot program, launched in June, marks a shift away from traditional talent criteria that focus solely on education or technical credentials, instead rewarding foreign entrepreneurs for their real-world business contributions.

    Under the new guidelines, any foreign national with a valid work permit and a registered company in Yiwu can be classified as A or B-level talent if they meet key performance metrics, such as import-export volume, job creation, or long-term local operations.

    B-level talent now enjoys two- to four-year work permits, rather than having to renew them annually. At the same time, A-level recognition offers five-year permits, along with priority services and faster approvals.

    “Foreign businesses and investors are essential participants in China’s modernization,” said Wang Liqin, head of the talent and cooperation section at Yiwu’s science and technology bureau. “This pilot program offers institutional support for their entrepreneurship and serves as a model of high-quality development in trade and foreign investment.”

    As of late June, over 609 foreign businesspeople in Yiwu had been certified under the program, part of a community of more than 8,600 foreign work permit holders that makes Yiwu the top city in Zhejiang for foreign employment.

    Yiwu’s decision to pioneer this reform reflects its long-standing international DNA. On any given day, more than 28,000 foreign merchants work in the city, a density unmatched in most of China.

    For Sakhi Brahim, a Moroccan businessman who first learned about China at a Confucius Institute back home, Yiwu represents the ideal place to build a career bridging cultures.

    “Foreigners are afraid of miscommunication,” he said. “So I decided to be that bridge.”

    Brahim arrived in Yiwu in 2013 after studying at Beijing International Studies University. He now runs a kitchenware export business while helping Moroccan clients understand the Chinese market and ensuring local suppliers profit.

    “The work opportunities here are very good. Even getting a driver’s license is easy — they offer the theory test in Arabic,” said Brahim.

    Brahim credits the city’s infrastructure, openness, and new certification system for creating a foundation of trust. “It shows they recognize our contribution. That trust is why I can succeed here,” he said.

    Nidal R.A. Sabarneh, who calls himself “Ni Dale” in China — a name he chose to express his hope that the support and opportunities he finds in China can reach his homeland, Palestine — also found a professional home in Yiwu.

    Born in 1994, he was inspired by his father’s trade trips to China and chose to study international economics at Wuhan University, central China’s Hubei Province.

    He arrived in Yiwu in 2016 and now runs his own company that sells automotive repair tools. His supply network includes over 80 factories across Zhejiang.

    “Honestly, if it wasn’t Yiwu, a modern, open trade city, I doubt I could get so many factories to work with me,” he said.

    His products reach 36 countries, with demand rising thanks to China’s own booming new energy vehicle exports. Yet for him, Yiwu’s greatest advantage is security.

    “My home is in a war zone. I’ve traveled to many countries, and China is the safest place I know. That security is what allows us to do business,” he said.

    For Dumaru Bishnuprasad, head of the Nepal-China chamber of commerce and industry in Yiwu, Yiwu has been both a business base and a family home for over two decades. He first arrived in 2002, married a local from Ningbo, and is raising three children in China.

    “Yiwu is a great platform for foreigners,” he said. He pointed to opportunities created by the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the dedicated China-Nepal railway cooperation.

    Bishnuprasad’s businesses encompass trade and logistics, with a focus on selling hardware, stationery and footwear. As chamber head, he often mediates disputes between merchants and suppliers. “Ninety percent of problems can be solved inside the chamber,” he said.

    He also praised Yiwu’s attentiveness to foreign families. “I take my parents to local senior centers and dining halls. It’s convenient and reassuring,” he said.

    As Yiwu deepens its role as a testbed for comprehensive trade reforms, officials say the new talent certification system is only the beginning. Future plans include refining criteria, expanding service support, and sharing lessons with other regions in China.

    For foreign merchants in Yiwu, the new system is not just about paperwork. It represents a formal invitation to build a lasting life in China — a place where trade ties turn into personal connections and foreign investment becomes local development.

    “Yiwu isn’t just a city of small commodities,” Bishnuprasad said. “It’s a city that really takes care of people.”

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Tech, tourism fuel ‘cave economy’ in southwest China’s mountainous regions

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

    Helmet strapped and headlamp shining, 14-year-old Wang Zichen zipped into the shadowy depths of a karst cave, part of a growing wave of underground adventure tourism in southwest China’s mountainous regions.

    Beneath the towering peaks of Guizhou Province stretches a vast karst world filled with tens of thousands of ancient caves. Formed over hundreds of millions of years by persistent water erosion, these caves hold dramatic geological formations, rich biodiversity and traces of early human activity.

    In February, Guizhou rolled out a plan to promote classified management, ecological restoration and responsible development of cave resources, aiming to enhance their ecological, scientific and tourism values. An expanding range of cave-based ventures is now flourishing across the province, drawing visitors and boosting local economies.

    This photo taken on July 5, 2025 shows a sign of the Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2025 in Guiyang, southwest China’s Guizhou Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The province’s efforts align with the theme of the ongoing Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2025, which opened Saturday in the provincial capital, highlighting the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

    “Cave economy” takes off 

    “It is both exciting and informative,” said Wang, who explored the Forest Coolpark scenic spot nestled in Libo Karst — part of the South China Karst, a UNESCO World Heritage Site — with friends during his summer vacation. Inside the cave, he admired the stunning stalactites while learning about karst geology.

    According to Ren Peng, general manager of the scenic site, a variety of cave-based activities have been developed to suit diverse terrain, including caving adventures, sightseeing tours, cave camping and even cave hotpot dining. Since the May Day holiday this year, the site has welcomed nearly 10,000 tourists, generating over 7 million yuan (about 978,542 U.S. dollars) in revenue.

    “We follow an ecology-first principle in our development,” Ren said. “We preserve the caves’ natural features while designing tour routes, and avoid any construction in deeper sections. All waste is strictly managed and removed from the caves daily.”

    “It’s necessary to develop caves based on solid scientific cave research,” said Jean Bottazzi, a French caver and representative of the French Federation of Speleology in China, in an interview with Xinhua during the eco forum. He has spent over three decades studying Shuanghedong Cave, the longest known cave in Asia, located in Guizhou’s Suiyang County.

    Over the years, Bottazzi has worked with local authorities and developers to provide expert guidance on balancing cave tourism with conservation. “It’s encouraging to see that responsible development not only preserves the cave environment, but also brings economic benefits to local villagers by creating new job opportunities,” he added.

    According to incomplete statistics, the direct market size of Guizhou’s cave tourism sector has reached an estimated 1 billion yuan.

    In addition to tourism, many caves have been creatively repurposed for commercial use. Some have been transformed into restaurants, bars and homestays, while others serve as sites for winemaking, mushroom cultivation, or even data storage, taking advantage of their naturally stable temperature and humidity.

    “These caves, once dormant in the depths of the mountains, are now awakening as unique assets of the region. They are no longer just natural wonders, but also cultural and economic symbols,” said Qin Xiaokang, deputy director of the culture, radio, television and tourism bureau of Libo County.

    This photo taken on July 4, 2025 shows the intelligent tourism system of Zhijindong Cave UNESCO Global Geopark in Bijie, southwest China’s Guizhou Province. [PhotoXinhua]

    Modern tech moves in 

    Speaking at a sub-forum of the ongoing event, Hassina Mouri, president of the International Union of Geological Sciences, emphasized the role of innovative technologies in promoting environmental engagement. “By using tools like big data and artificial intelligence, we detect, predict and better comprehend the interactions among different parts of our natural environment.”

    In an interview with Xinhua, Zhou Wenlong, deputy director of the Guizhou Institute of Mountain Resources, said high-tech tools are playing a key role in addressing the challenges of karst cave conservation and development.

    “Some caves have fragile ecosystems and complex terrains that are difficult to access,” Zhou said. “We use terrestrial laser scanning technology to produce high-precision 3D models of cave interiors, and leverage digital tools to offer virtual access to these delicate sites.”

    These technologies have already been applied in Zhijindong Cave UNESCO Global Geopark in Guizhou’s Bijie City. According to Liu Haibo, general manager of Guizhou Zhijindong Cave Tourism Development Co., Ltd., the geopark first completed a full laser scan of the caves in 2015, with a second scan planned for next year.

    “By comparing the records, we can monitor the condition of each stalactite, whether it’s growing or damaged, and adjust our conservation and development strategy accordingly,” Liu said.

    Since 2019, the geopark has also introduced an intelligent tourism system to monitor cave temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide levels and visitor flow in real time, helping to ensure both landscape protection and tourist safety.

    China’s green development practices are drawing international recognition. “The ideas and approaches taken in China’s green provinces to balance economic growth and environmental protection are applicable everywhere,” said Erik Solheim, former United Nations under-secretary-general. “Many cities in the developing world could look to China for inspiration.”

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Justin Alger, Associate Professor / Senior Lecturer in Global Environmental Politics, The University of Melbourne

    Potato-sized polymetallic nodules from the deep sea could be mined for valuable metals and minerals. Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    Deep-sea mining promises critical minerals for the energy transition without the problems of mining on land. It also promises to bring wealth to developing nations. But the evidence suggests these promises are false, and mining would harm the environment.

    The practice involves scooping up rock-like nodules from vast areas of the sea floor. These potato-sized lumps contain metals and minerals such as zinc, manganese, molybdenum, nickel and rare earth elements.

    Technology to mine the deep sea exists, but commercial mining of the deep sea is not happening anywhere in the world. That could soon change. Nations are meeting this month in Kingston, Jamaica, to agree to a mining code. Such a code would make way for mining to begin within the next few years.

    On Thursday, Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, released research into the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining. It aims to promote better environmental management of deep-sea mining, should it proceed.

    We have previously challenged the rationale for deep-sea mining, drawing on our expertise in international politics and environmental management. We argue mining the deep sea is harmful and the economic benefits have been overstated. What’s more, the metals and minerals to be mined are not scarce.

    The best course of action is a ban on international seabed mining, building on the coalition for a moratorium.

    The Metals Company spent six months at sea collecting nodules in 2022, while studying the effects on ecosystems.

    Managing and monitoring environmental harm

    Recent advances in technology have made deep-sea mining more feasible. But removing the nodules – which also requires pumping water around – has been shown to damage the seabed and endanger marine life.

    CSIRO has developed the first environmental management and monitoring frameworks to protect deep sea ecosystems from mining. It aims to provide “trusted, science-based tools to evaluate the environmental risks and viability of deep-sea mining”.

    Scientists from Griffith University, Museums Victoria, the University of the Sunshine Coast, and Earth Sciences New Zealand were also involved in the work.

    The Metals Company Australia, a local subsidiary of the Canadian deep-sea mining exploration company, commissioned the research. It involved analysing data from test mining the company carried out in the Pacific Ocean in 2022.

    The company has led efforts to expedite deep-sea mining. This includes pushing for the mining code, and exploring commercial mining of the international seabed through approval from the US government.

    In a media briefing this week, CSIRO Senior Principal Research Scientist Piers Dunstan said the mining activity substantially affected the sea floor. Some marine life, especially that attached to the nodules, had very little hope of recovery. He said if mining were to go ahead, monitoring would be crucial.

    We are sceptical that ecological impacts can be managed even with this new framework. Little is known about life in these deep-water ecosystems. But research shows nodule mining would cause extensive habitat loss and damage.

    Do we really need to open the ocean frontier to mining? We argue the answer is no, on three counts.

    How does deep-sea mining work? (The Guardian)

    1. Minerals are not scarce

    The minerals required for the energy transition are abundant on land. Known global terrestrial reserves of cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum and nickel are enough to meet current production levels for decades – even with growing demand.

    There is no compelling reason to extract deep-sea minerals, given the economics of both deep-sea and land-based mining. Deep-sea mining is speculative and inevitably too expensive given such remote, deep operations.

    Claims about mineral scarcity are being used to justify attempting to legitimise a new extractive frontier in the deep sea. Opportunistic investors can make money through speculation and attracting government subsidies.

    2. Mining at sea will not replace mining on land

    Proponents claim deep-sea mining can replace some mining on land. Mining on land has led to social issues including infringing on indigenous and community rights. It also damages the environment.

    But deep-sea mining will not necessarily displace, replace or change mining on land. Land-based mining contracts span decades and the companies involved will not abandon ongoing or planned projects. Their activities will continue, even if deep-sea mining begins.

    Deep-sea mining also faces many of the same challenges as mining on land, while introducing new problems. The social problems that arise during transport, processing and distribution remain the same.

    And sea-based industries are already rife with modern slavery and labour violations, partly because they are notoriously difficult to monitor.

    Deep-sea mining does not solve social problems with land-based mining, and adds more challenges.

    Hidden Gem was the world’s first deep-sea mineral production vessel with seabed-to-surface nodule collection and transport systems.
    Photo by Charles M. Vella/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    3. Common heritage of humankind and the Global South

    Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the international seabed is the common heritage of humankind. This means the proceeds of deep-sea mining should be distributed fairly among all countries.

    Deep-sea mining commercial partnerships between developing countries in the Global South and firms from the North have yet to pay off for the former. There is little indication this pattern will change.

    For example, when Canadian company Nautilus went bankrupt in 2019, it saddled Papua New Guinea with millions in debt from a failed domestic deep-sea mining venture.

    The Metals Company has partnerships with Nauru and Tonga but the latest deal with the US creates uncertainty about whether their agreements will be honoured.

    European investors took control of Blue Minerals Jamaica, originally a Jamaican-owned company, shortly after orchestrating its start up. Any profits would therefore go offshore.

    Australian Gerard Barron is Chairman and CEO of The Metals Company, formerly DeepGreen.
    Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    A wise investment?

    It is unclear whether deep-sea mining will ever be a good investment.

    Multiple large corporate investors have pulled out of the industry, or gone bankrupt. And The Metals Company has received delisting notices from the Nasdaq stock exchange due to poor financial performance.

    Given the threat of environmental harm, the evidence suggests deep-sea mining is not worth the risk.

    Justin Alger receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    D.G. Webster receives funding from the National Science Foundation in the United States and various internal funding sources at Dartmouth University.

    Jessica Green receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Kate J Neville receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Stacy D VanDeveer and Susan M Park do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why – https://theconversation.com/we-dont-need-deep-sea-mining-or-its-environmental-harms-heres-why-260401

    MIL OSI Analysis

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Justin Alger, Associate Professor / Senior Lecturer in Global Environmental Politics, The University of Melbourne

    Potato-sized polymetallic nodules from the deep sea could be mined for valuable metals and minerals. Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    Deep-sea mining promises critical minerals for the energy transition without the problems of mining on land. It also promises to bring wealth to developing nations. But the evidence suggests these promises are false, and mining would harm the environment.

    The practice involves scooping up rock-like nodules from vast areas of the sea floor. These potato-sized lumps contain metals and minerals such as zinc, manganese, molybdenum, nickel and rare earth elements.

    Technology to mine the deep sea exists, but commercial mining of the deep sea is not happening anywhere in the world. That could soon change. Nations are meeting this month in Kingston, Jamaica, to agree to a mining code. Such a code would make way for mining to begin within the next few years.

    On Thursday, Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, released research into the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining. It aims to promote better environmental management of deep-sea mining, should it proceed.

    We have previously challenged the rationale for deep-sea mining, drawing on our expertise in international politics and environmental management. We argue mining the deep sea is harmful and the economic benefits have been overstated. What’s more, the metals and minerals to be mined are not scarce.

    The best course of action is a ban on international seabed mining, building on the coalition for a moratorium.

    The Metals Company spent six months at sea collecting nodules in 2022, while studying the effects on ecosystems.

    Managing and monitoring environmental harm

    Recent advances in technology have made deep-sea mining more feasible. But removing the nodules – which also requires pumping water around – has been shown to damage the seabed and endanger marine life.

    CSIRO has developed the first environmental management and monitoring frameworks to protect deep sea ecosystems from mining. It aims to provide “trusted, science-based tools to evaluate the environmental risks and viability of deep-sea mining”.

    Scientists from Griffith University, Museums Victoria, the University of the Sunshine Coast, and Earth Sciences New Zealand were also involved in the work.

    The Metals Company Australia, a local subsidiary of the Canadian deep-sea mining exploration company, commissioned the research. It involved analysing data from test mining the company carried out in the Pacific Ocean in 2022.

    The company has led efforts to expedite deep-sea mining. This includes pushing for the mining code, and exploring commercial mining of the international seabed through approval from the US government.

    In a media briefing this week, CSIRO Senior Principal Research Scientist Piers Dunstan said the mining activity substantially affected the sea floor. Some marine life, especially that attached to the nodules, had very little hope of recovery. He said if mining were to go ahead, monitoring would be crucial.

    We are sceptical that ecological impacts can be managed even with this new framework. Little is known about life in these deep-water ecosystems. But research shows nodule mining would cause extensive habitat loss and damage.

    Do we really need to open the ocean frontier to mining? We argue the answer is no, on three counts.

    How does deep-sea mining work? (The Guardian)

    1. Minerals are not scarce

    The minerals required for the energy transition are abundant on land. Known global terrestrial reserves of cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum and nickel are enough to meet current production levels for decades – even with growing demand.

    There is no compelling reason to extract deep-sea minerals, given the economics of both deep-sea and land-based mining. Deep-sea mining is speculative and inevitably too expensive given such remote, deep operations.

    Claims about mineral scarcity are being used to justify attempting to legitimise a new extractive frontier in the deep sea. Opportunistic investors can make money through speculation and attracting government subsidies.

    2. Mining at sea will not replace mining on land

    Proponents claim deep-sea mining can replace some mining on land. Mining on land has led to social issues including infringing on indigenous and community rights. It also damages the environment.

    But deep-sea mining will not necessarily displace, replace or change mining on land. Land-based mining contracts span decades and the companies involved will not abandon ongoing or planned projects. Their activities will continue, even if deep-sea mining begins.

    Deep-sea mining also faces many of the same challenges as mining on land, while introducing new problems. The social problems that arise during transport, processing and distribution remain the same.

    And sea-based industries are already rife with modern slavery and labour violations, partly because they are notoriously difficult to monitor.

    Deep-sea mining does not solve social problems with land-based mining, and adds more challenges.

    Hidden Gem was the world’s first deep-sea mineral production vessel with seabed-to-surface nodule collection and transport systems.
    Photo by Charles M. Vella/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    3. Common heritage of humankind and the Global South

    Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the international seabed is the common heritage of humankind. This means the proceeds of deep-sea mining should be distributed fairly among all countries.

    Deep-sea mining commercial partnerships between developing countries in the Global South and firms from the North have yet to pay off for the former. There is little indication this pattern will change.

    For example, when Canadian company Nautilus went bankrupt in 2019, it saddled Papua New Guinea with millions in debt from a failed domestic deep-sea mining venture.

    The Metals Company has partnerships with Nauru and Tonga but the latest deal with the US creates uncertainty about whether their agreements will be honoured.

    European investors took control of Blue Minerals Jamaica, originally a Jamaican-owned company, shortly after orchestrating its start up. Any profits would therefore go offshore.

    Australian Gerard Barron is Chairman and CEO of The Metals Company, formerly DeepGreen.
    Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    A wise investment?

    It is unclear whether deep-sea mining will ever be a good investment.

    Multiple large corporate investors have pulled out of the industry, or gone bankrupt. And The Metals Company has received delisting notices from the Nasdaq stock exchange due to poor financial performance.

    Given the threat of environmental harm, the evidence suggests deep-sea mining is not worth the risk.

    Justin Alger receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    D.G. Webster receives funding from the National Science Foundation in the United States and various internal funding sources at Dartmouth University.

    Jessica Green receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Kate J Neville receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Stacy D VanDeveer and Susan M Park do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why – https://theconversation.com/we-dont-need-deep-sea-mining-or-its-environmental-harms-heres-why-260401

    MIL OSI Analysis

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Astronomers have spied an interstellar object zooming through the Solar System

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Kirsten Banks, Lecturer, School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology

    K Ly / Deep Random Survey

    This week, astronomers spotted the third known interstellar visitor to our Solar System.

    First detected by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) on July 1, the cosmic interloper was given the temporary name A11pl3Z. Experts at NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies and the International Astronomical Union (IAU) have confirmed the find, and the object now has an official designation: 3I/ATLAS.

    The orbital path of 3I/ATLAS through the Solar System.
    NASA/JPL-Caltech, CC BY-NC

    There are a few strong clues that suggest 3I/ATLAS came from outside the Solar System.

    First, it’s moving really fast. Current observations show it speeding through space at around 245,000km per hour. That’s more than enough to escape the Sun’s gravity.

    An object near Earth’s orbit would only need to be travelling at just over 150,000km/h to break free from the Solar System.

    Second, 3I/ATLAS has a wildly eccentric orbit around the Sun. Eccentricity measures how “stretched” an orbit is: 0 eccentricity is a perfect circle, and anything up to 1 is an increasingly strung-out ellipse. Above 1 is an orbit that is not bound to the Sun.

    3I/ATLAS has an estimated eccentricity of 6.3, by far the highest ever recorded for any object in the Solar System.

    Has anything like this happened before?

    An artist’s impression of the first confirmed interstellar object, 1I/‘Oumuamua.
    ESO/M. Kornmesser, CC BY

    The first interstellar object spotted in our Solar System was the cigar-shaped ‘Oumuamua, discovered in 2017 by the Pan-STARRS1 telescope in Hawaii. Scientists tracked it for 80 days before eventually confirming it came from interstellar space.

    The interstellar comet 2I/Borisov, imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope.
    NASA, ESA, and D. Jewitt (UCLA), CC BY-NC

    The second interstellar visitor, comet 2I/Borisov, was discovered two years later by amateur astronomer Gennadiy Borisov. This time it only took astronomers a few weeks to confirm it came from outside the Solar System.

    This time, the interstellar origin of 3I/ATLAS has been confirmed in a matter of days.

    How did it get here?

    We have only ever seen three interstellar visitors (including 3I/ATLAS), so it’s hard to know exactly how they made their way here.

    However, recent research published in The Planetary Science Journal suggests these objects might be more common than we once thought. In particular, they may come from relatively nearby star systems such as Alpha Centauri (our nearest interstellar neighbour, a mere 4.4 light years away).

    Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B, from the triple star system Alpha Centauri.
    ESA/Hubble & NASA, CC BY

    Alpha Centauri is slowly moving closer to us, with its closest approach expected in about 28,000 years. If it flings out material in the same way our Solar System does, scientists estimate around a million objects from Alpha Centauri larger than 100 metres in diameter could already be in the outer reaches of our Solar System. That number could increase tenfold as Alpha Centauri gets closer.

    Most of this material would have been ejected at relatively low speeds, less than 2km/s, making it more likely to drift into our cosmic neighbourhood over time and not dramatically zoom in and out of the Solar System like 3I/ATLAS appears to be doing. While the chance of one of these objects coming close to the Sun is extremely small, the study suggests a few tiny meteors from Alpha Centauri, likely no bigger than grains of sand, may already hit Earth’s atmosphere every year.

    Why is this interesting?

    Discovering new interstellar visitors like 3I/ATLAS is thrilling, not just because they’re rare, but because each one offers a unique glimpse into the wider galaxy. Every confirmed interstellar object expands our catalogue and helps scientists better understand the nature of these visitors, how they travel through space, and where they might have come from.

    A swarm of new asteroids discovered by the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory.

    Thanks to powerful new observatories such as the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, our ability to detect these elusive objects is rapidly improving. In fact, during its first 10 hours of test imaging, Rubin revealed 2,104 previously unknown asteroids.

    This is an astonishing preview of what’s to come. With its wide field of view and constant sky coverage, Rubin is expected to revolutionise our search for interstellar objects, potentially turning rare discoveries into routine ones.

    What now?

    There’s still plenty left to uncover about 3I/ATLAS. Right now, it’s officially classified as a comet by the IAU Minor Planet Center.

    But some scientists argue it might actually be an asteroid, roughly 20km across, based on the lack of typical comet-like features such as a glowing coma or a tail. More observations will be needed to confirm its nature.

    Currently, 3I/ATLAS is inbound, just inside Jupiter’s orbit. It’s expected to reach its closest point to the Sun, slightly closer than the planet Mars, on October 29. After that, it will swing back out towards deep space, making its closest approach to Earth in December. (It will pose no threat to our planet.)

    Whether it’s a comet or an asteroid, 3I/ATLAS is a messenger from another star system. For now, these sightings are rare – though as next-generation observatories such as Rubin swing into operation, we may discover interstellar companions all around.

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

    ref. Astronomers have spied an interstellar object zooming through the Solar System – https://theconversation.com/astronomers-have-spied-an-interstellar-object-zooming-through-the-solar-system-260422

    MIL OSI Analysis

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – Green approach to increase wastewater recycling in regional towns – Flinders

    Source: Flinders University

    Rising rural populations, drought and climate change are making water scarcity a problem in country townships – with more efficient handling of sewage system wastewater part of the solution.

    Pioneered by Flinders University environmental health experts, local councils in South Australia are operating sustainable energy-efficient sewage treatment operations with low-cost high-rate algal pond (HRAP) systems.

    Now new research led by Flinders University is investigating improved effluent treatment and biosolids removal with ‘sequencing batch reactors’ – or low-cost ‘SBR-HRAP’ technology field trials – installed at SA Water’s Angaston wastewater treatment plant in the Barossa Valley.

    The good news is that the newer systems under development can work better and faster without major capital expense – due to the latest research of new approaches to bio-processing inside them, says Professor Howard Fallowfield, from the College of Science and Engineering at Finders University.

    The SBR techniques under development involve a new kind of algae and improved removal of waste from the water, for better quality non-potable water for use in parks, gardens, sporting fields and other purposes.

    “Supported by SA Water and the ARC Biofilm Research and Innovation Centre at Flinders, we are trialling selective enrichment of algal-bacterial combinations to produce higher quality treated effluent,” says Professor Fallowfield.

    “Using wastewater from the Angaston community, our six pilot-scale HRAP tanks will compare the performance of these improved processes against the original HRAP operations.”

    Large high-rate algal pond systems, which have been treating wastewater at local council-owned facilities near Kingston-on-Murray (since 2013) and Peterborough (since 2018) in South Australia, use low-energy paddlewheels to move township and business organic waste along shallow channels where harmless green microalgae and bacteria remove pathogens and contaminants.

    PhD candidate Felipe Sabatté, who has used a native freshwater filamentous algal population to produce higher quality clarified treated effluent, says the latest developments will be scaled up in the Angaston field trials.

    “While high-rate algal ponds are an accepted method of wastewater treatment, particularly for regional and rural communities, they utilise microalgae which are difficult to remove from the treated wastewater leading to unacceptably high suspended solids in the discharge,” says Mr Sabatté.

    “These larger filamentous algae offer the prospect of easier separation from the treated wastewater, significantly improving treated effluent quality.”

    The outcome of this research provides a new operational strategy for wastewater HRAPs, particularly for the benefit of regional and rural communities challenged with water restrictions and to help meet UN SDG6 (clean water and sanitation) targets in the long run, he says.

    See more, ‘High-rate algal ponds operated as sequencing batch reactors: Towards wastewater treatment with filamentous algae’ (2025) by Felipe Sabatté, Ryan Baring and Howard Fallowfield, just published in the Journal of Applied Phycology – DOI: 10.1007/s10811-025-03545-6

    First published 13 June 2025 – https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-025-03545-6

    This research was conducted by the Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Biofilm Research and Innovation and funded by the Australian Government.

    Also at the Angaston trial site, Flinders ARC Biofilm Research and Innovation Centre PhD researcher Sam Butterworth is investigating how to use this new technology to develop dense, algae-bacterial granules, which can be more readily removed from wastewater and to potentially reduce phosphorus levels.

    “Algae-bacterial granule formation is a positive way for biofilms to form dense, fast-settling biomass and improve treated wastewater quality,” says Mr Butterworth.

    “Using microalgae in high-rate algal ponds is increasingly seen as a better alternative to other wastewater treatment systems, such as activated sludge,” he says.

    Traditional wastewater treatment methods can use more energy and water and can be less sustainable due to higher greenhouse gas emissions.

    An independent validation of the HRAP projects approved the treated wastewater to be used for non-food crop irrigation. For example, the Kingston-on-Murray ponds supply reuse water to irrigate a woodlot, and the ponds in Peterborough provide reuse water for a golf course and a sports field.

    Working with industry, the Flinders University ARC Training Centre for Biofilm Research and Innovation is working on a range of sustainable and environmentally friendly research solutions. See more at the website and https://youtu.be/FbWhd-lc9z0?si=pCnUqEaDDlymcDRF

    Acknowledgements: This research was conducted by the Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Biofilm Research and Innovation (project number IC2201000003).

    MIL OSI – Submitted News