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Category: Science

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Brian Cox CBE and Radek Rudnicki to receive honorary degrees Abertay graduation

    Source: University of Abertay

    A world-renowned Scottish actor and a pioneering sound artist will be awarded Honorary Degrees at Abertay University’s summer graduation ceremony later this month.  

    Dundee-born Hollywood star Brian Cox CBE will be recognised for his contribution to the performing arts over the last 50 years, while Radek Rudnicki will be honoured for his innovative work in new media and spatial sound.  

    The ceremony will take place on Friday 11 July at Caird Hall in Dundee, where over 400 graduates from Abertay’s academic schools will gather to celebrate the culmination of their studies.

    Photo credit: Jakub Hader

    Graduates from Abertay’s academic faculties – the Faculty of Design and Informatics and Business, the Faculty of Social and Applied Sciences, and the Graduate School – will be joined by friends, family, and members of the University leadership team, including Chancellor Professor Alice Brown and Vice-Chancellor Professor Liz Bacon, for a memorable day of celebration. 

    Professor Liz Bacon, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, said:

    Graduation is one of the most memorable days in the university calendar, and this summer we’re thrilled to celebrate not only our talented students but also two outstanding individuals whose careers represent the very best of creativity, innovation and dedication. We’re delighted to welcome Brian Cox and Radek Rudnicki to the Abertay community and to honour their extraordinary achievements.

    Brian Cox began his acting career in 1961 at Dundee Repertory Theatre, going on to become a founding member of the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh. With a stage and screen career spanning more than six decades, his breakthrough Hollywood role came in 1986’s Manhunter and has since appeared in films such as Braveheart, Adaptation, The Bourne Identity, Troy, 25th Hour and X2: X-Men United, an iconic portrayal of the much-loved Dundee comedy character Bob Servant, and most recently in the award-winning HBO drama Succession. He has received two BAFTAs, an Emmy, and a Golden Globe, and remains deeply connected to his theatrical roots, including a forthcoming return to the Dundee Rep stage in Make It Happen.

    Radek Rudnicki is a new media artist, composer, and sound designer whose work blends spatial audio and immersive storytelling. Currently the lead sound designer for the Precyzja Foundation and director of Wave Folder Records, Radek’s digital studio develops cutting-edge experiences showcased around the world. His career includes collaborations with NASA’s Goddard Institute and the Stockholm Environment Institute, and partnerships with hardware synthesizer manufacturers like Waldorf, Elektron and Cwejman. His accolades include the Emerging Excellence Award, the Provost Award for World-Class Excellence in Research. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘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 achieve higher grades.

    The practice threatens to undermine the quality of a university degree and the prestige of higher education.

    Is it happening in Australia and if so, why?

    To better understand grade inflation, we sought the opinions of those closest to the phenomenon: university teachers. The findings of our survey were recently published in the Journal of Academic Ethics.

    Increases in grades

    Over the past 50 years, many countries have reported an increase in higher university grades. This includes the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Australia.

    For example, a 2024 Australian report found a 234% increase in the number of distinction grades awarded to students at the University of Sydney between 2011 and 2021.

    But are grades improving due to changes in teaching and student performance, or rather is marking generally more lenient to keep students happy?

    Our study

    To investigate the causes of grade inflation in Australian universities, we surveyed lecturers and tutors who have direct contact with students, teaching them and marking their work.

    Our main question was:

    [What is] your opinion regarding grade inflation? Does it occur, and if yes, why, and how does it impact the student, profession, institutional reputation, society, and yourself?

    In July 2024, we sent the survey to the deans (heads) of research at all Australian universities, asking them to distribute it to their academics. Academics then had two months to answer the questions.

    In total, we had 110 respondents, of which 88 answered all the questions of the survey. The majority were aged 31-55 (55%), women (56%), born in Australia (about 70%), with more than five years in academia (more than 80%). There were more respondents from regional Australia (44%) than from urban locations (24.5%). About 30% had experience in both types of locations.

    The disciplines most represented were legal studies (37%), education (21%), science, nursing and psychology (each around 7%).

    Overall opinions

    The majority (73%) said they had seen grade inflation in their universities.

    Academics’ dominant feelings about grade inflation were frustration (50% of respondents), powerlessness (44%) and dissatisfaction (31%).

    Of those surveyed, about 11% were indifferent and 7% were satisfied with the situation they experienced around grade inflation.

    The fact that many academics surveyed felt frustrated and powerlessness indicates they do not inflate grades willingly. Previous studies have suggested university management encourages grade inflation as students are seen as clients and they want to keep the client happy.

    Pressure from university administration

    Our respondents supported this idea. Most said grade inflation was due to student evaluations – and the role they play in management decisions about staff.

    Student evaluations are anonymous questionnaires completed by students after the course about their teachers’ performance. Studies, including those in Australia, have shown the results can be insulting and even abusive, often a “punishment” of unpopular teachers. These studies also question students’ capacity to objectively assess the quality of their educators.

    Because students evaluations are commonly used in promotion and retention decisions, this means teachers may inflate grades to get positive evaluations. One respondent to our survey explained the link between these evaluations and grade inflation:

    there is a lot of pressure […] as students will often provide strong negative feedback in [student evaluations].

    Other academics similarly lamented how the quality of their teaching was assessed “based on student surveys”. Or as another academic told us:

    Everyone I know who admits to grade inflation cites student evaluations, promotion, and workload as drivers.

    Complaints generate more work

    On top of this, if a student complains about their grade, there is automatically more work for an academic who needs to review it and potentially respond to seniors or others in university management. As one academic admitted:

    I have inflated grades slightly for students who have failed the course by less than two marks. This saves hundreds of hours of work time.

    In this climate, university teachers told us they do not feel supported if a student challenges their grades. They reported it was “very hard” to fail a student and described a “fear” of students’ reactions.

    The customer is always right and if they are not happy, you are asked to grade again.

    Is it always a problem?

    Some respondents justified grade inflation as an acceptable trade-off when done to a limited extent, or as something morally neutral. As one noted, higher grades are the result of more people studying at university:

    It is simply a corollary of shifting from tertiary education for the elites to tertiary education for the masses. It is no big deal.

    Another said if the increase was small – depending on the context – it would not make a big difference.

    1–5 marks do not make a significant difference on professional competence for some course content.

    Only three respondents presented grade inflation in a positive light, as an act of social justice or compassion. As one noted:

    Students experience many competing demands and many experience mental health issues. Teachers need to be compassionate to students’ situation.

    An honest discussion is needed

    While countless studies debate grade inflation, ours was the first to invite academics to express their feelings. Despite the relatively small sample, the survey suggests a worrying picture of a frustrated and at times, fearful academic workforce.

    Meanwhile, the extent of grade inflation reported raises questions about the quality of some degrees, and more generally about the culture of learning in Australian universities.

    To maintain the quality and reputation of higher education in Australia, we need to have an open and honest discussion about grade inflation in our universities.

    The authors 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. ‘The customer is always right’: why some uni teachers give higher grades than students deserve – https://theconversation.com/the-customer-is-always-right-why-some-uni-teachers-give-higher-grades-than-students-deserve-258923

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘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 achieve higher grades.

    The practice threatens to undermine the quality of a university degree and the prestige of higher education.

    Is it happening in Australia and if so, why?

    To better understand grade inflation, we sought the opinions of those closest to the phenomenon: university teachers. The findings of our survey were recently published in the Journal of Academic Ethics.

    Increases in grades

    Over the past 50 years, many countries have reported an increase in higher university grades. This includes the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Australia.

    For example, a 2024 Australian report found a 234% increase in the number of distinction grades awarded to students at the University of Sydney between 2011 and 2021.

    But are grades improving due to changes in teaching and student performance, or rather is marking generally more lenient to keep students happy?

    Our study

    To investigate the causes of grade inflation in Australian universities, we surveyed lecturers and tutors who have direct contact with students, teaching them and marking their work.

    Our main question was:

    [What is] your opinion regarding grade inflation? Does it occur, and if yes, why, and how does it impact the student, profession, institutional reputation, society, and yourself?

    In July 2024, we sent the survey to the deans (heads) of research at all Australian universities, asking them to distribute it to their academics. Academics then had two months to answer the questions.

    In total, we had 110 respondents, of which 88 answered all the questions of the survey. The majority were aged 31-55 (55%), women (56%), born in Australia (about 70%), with more than five years in academia (more than 80%). There were more respondents from regional Australia (44%) than from urban locations (24.5%). About 30% had experience in both types of locations.

    The disciplines most represented were legal studies (37%), education (21%), science, nursing and psychology (each around 7%).

    Overall opinions

    The majority (73%) said they had seen grade inflation in their universities.

    Academics’ dominant feelings about grade inflation were frustration (50% of respondents), powerlessness (44%) and dissatisfaction (31%).

    Of those surveyed, about 11% were indifferent and 7% were satisfied with the situation they experienced around grade inflation.

    The fact that many academics surveyed felt frustrated and powerlessness indicates they do not inflate grades willingly. Previous studies have suggested university management encourages grade inflation as students are seen as clients and they want to keep the client happy.

    Pressure from university administration

    Our respondents supported this idea. Most said grade inflation was due to student evaluations – and the role they play in management decisions about staff.

    Student evaluations are anonymous questionnaires completed by students after the course about their teachers’ performance. Studies, including those in Australia, have shown the results can be insulting and even abusive, often a “punishment” of unpopular teachers. These studies also question students’ capacity to objectively assess the quality of their educators.

    Because students evaluations are commonly used in promotion and retention decisions, this means teachers may inflate grades to get positive evaluations. One respondent to our survey explained the link between these evaluations and grade inflation:

    there is a lot of pressure […] as students will often provide strong negative feedback in [student evaluations].

    Other academics similarly lamented how the quality of their teaching was assessed “based on student surveys”. Or as another academic told us:

    Everyone I know who admits to grade inflation cites student evaluations, promotion, and workload as drivers.

    Complaints generate more work

    On top of this, if a student complains about their grade, there is automatically more work for an academic who needs to review it and potentially respond to seniors or others in university management. As one academic admitted:

    I have inflated grades slightly for students who have failed the course by less than two marks. This saves hundreds of hours of work time.

    In this climate, university teachers told us they do not feel supported if a student challenges their grades. They reported it was “very hard” to fail a student and described a “fear” of students’ reactions.

    The customer is always right and if they are not happy, you are asked to grade again.

    Is it always a problem?

    Some respondents justified grade inflation as an acceptable trade-off when done to a limited extent, or as something morally neutral. As one noted, higher grades are the result of more people studying at university:

    It is simply a corollary of shifting from tertiary education for the elites to tertiary education for the masses. It is no big deal.

    Another said if the increase was small – depending on the context – it would not make a big difference.

    1–5 marks do not make a significant difference on professional competence for some course content.

    Only three respondents presented grade inflation in a positive light, as an act of social justice or compassion. As one noted:

    Students experience many competing demands and many experience mental health issues. Teachers need to be compassionate to students’ situation.

    An honest discussion is needed

    While countless studies debate grade inflation, ours was the first to invite academics to express their feelings. Despite the relatively small sample, the survey suggests a worrying picture of a frustrated and at times, fearful academic workforce.

    Meanwhile, the extent of grade inflation reported raises questions about the quality of some degrees, and more generally about the culture of learning in Australian universities.

    To maintain the quality and reputation of higher education in Australia, we need to have an open and honest discussion about grade inflation in our universities.

    The authors 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. ‘The customer is always right’: why some uni teachers give higher grades than students deserve – https://theconversation.com/the-customer-is-always-right-why-some-uni-teachers-give-higher-grades-than-students-deserve-258923

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 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 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 – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 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 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 – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 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 system of guardianship, known as te pūnaha awhikiri.

    For Māori, wellbeing is relational and interconnected. It encompasses physical, mental, spiritual and environmental health. Within this understanding, we can think about the immune system as a living guardian that protects and regulates an individual’s internal balance and connection to the wider world.

    Te pūnaha (system) awhikiri (immunity) expresses how the immune system functions through the lens of mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), including through concepts such as kaitiakitanga (guardianship), whakapapa (genealogy) and tautika (balance).

    The image of a guardian that embraces and protects, and invites empathy and identity, may engage better with people who traditionally have been left out of science and health system discussions.

    Framing the immune system through this cultural perspective offers an opportunity to engage Māori communities and to better support public health in Aotearoa New Zealand.

    Protecting the land

    The immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues and signalling pathways designed to detect and eliminate pathogens. In te ao Māori, this function can be likened to that of a kaitiaki, or guardian, who acts to preserve and protect whenua – which means both land and placenta – and everything in it.

    To understand this perspective, it is worth considering several key ideas around the mythological origin, significance and guardianship of land.

    In te ao Māori, the universe was formed from Te Kore, a place of potential without form or shape (like the formless void of Greek mythology). From this space, the two major deities of Māori mythology – Ranginui the Sky Father and Papatūānuku the Earth Mother – emerged tightly bound to one another.

    Then came Te Pō, a place of darkness in which the deities’ children came into being; foremost among them was Tāne Mahuta who eventually forced his parents apart to reveal Te Ao Mārama, the world of light.

    Hence the intermingling of placenta and land, referring to Papatūānuku having begot all life. Land itself becomes a living entity from whence all things come. From Tāne Māhuta we get the first person, Hine-ahu-one, forged from sacred red earth, giving rise to tangata whenua or people of the Earth.

    Parallels between immunology and te ao Māori

    Taken as a starting point for understanding te ao Māori, te pūnaha awhikiri guards the integrity of the body and its essential life force (mauri). It is imbued with intelligence, memory and purpose, constantly working to sustain balance (tautika) within the body.

    There are numerous ways in which we can overlay ideas from mātauranga Māori with the scientific understanding of te pūnaha awhikiri. At its core, the immune system detects foreign agents entering the body, mobilises immune cells to respond appropriately, regulates the strength of response and creates memory of the incursion. These functions map onto concepts in te ao Māori.

    Detecting foreign agents is akin to the idea of tauhou, which describes a foreign entity to the body (in terms of a culture or society, a landmass or a person). This term brings to mind the experience of colonisation to Māori people and is associated with the notion of cultural and social institutions displacing tribal authority.

    Mobilisation of immune cells reflects the call to action embodied by kaitiaki, people who respond when the need arises to protect their whenua and whānau (family). Often this response may begin with an individual, but that individual can promote an entire whānau, hapū or even iwi to mobilise.

    Immunological memory mirrors the ways in which tūpuna (ancestors) pass on inter-generational knowledge to their whānau. This knowledge transfer means people learn lessons from the past, which helps formulate responses for future events or fighting pathogens.

    Signal regulation is conceptually similar to how tapu (sacred) and noa (ordinary) regulate the spiritual, social and physical order of things. In te ao Māori, someone may enter a state of tapu (sacredness or spiritual potency) for many reasons, such as to learn sacred knowledge or go to war. However, it is not sustainable to remain in this state for too long and rituals are used to return that person to a state of noa. These rituals are ordained by particular individuals imbued with the correct teachings.

    Māori culture values time spent in forests, rivers or coastal areas as a source of wellbeing.
    Getty Images

    Beyond the body

    Mātauranga Māori recognises that wellbeing is not just a condition of the body but a state of balance across a network of relationships – between people, land, spirit and ancestors. When these bonds are intact, the system operates with integrity. But when disconnection or trauma occurs, the life force can be diminished, leaving the body and spirit more vulnerable to imbalance and illness.

    Te taiao (the natural world) plays a key role for maintaining balance. Time spent in forests, rivers or coastal areas, especially those of ancestral significance, has long been understood in Māori culture to nourish wellbeing. Contemporary science now supports this, showing that immersion in nature can reduce inflammation, lower stress hormones and strengthen immune function.

    For Māori, the value is not just physiological; it is spiritual and genealogical. The land is not an external environment. It is kin.

    Just as inflammation or infection signals imbalance in Western medicine, in te ao Māori it may indicate a deeper disharmony – one that cannot be resolved without restoring the relationships that sustain life.

    Te pūnaha awhikiri responds not only to pathogens or physical threats, but to disconnection, breach of tapu and the lingering effects of cultural trauma. Healing, therefore, is not just a return to physical wellness but a return to relationships. It is an embrace of the people, places and practices that keep us whole.

    Te pūnaha awhikiri offers a cultural narrative that unifies numerous strands of mātauranga Māori with science. These ideas affirm Māori ways of knowing, using concepts that reflect inter-connectedness and ancestral insight. They invite understanding of health not as mechanistic, but as a dynamic state of tautika between multiple dimensions.

    This opens space for blending Indigenous knowledge and science, supporting inclusive dialogue about different ways of reaching Te Ao Mārama – enlightenment.

    Tama Te Puea Braithwaite-Westoby works for the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research. Tama has also recently become an affiliate investigator for the Maurice Wilkins Centre.

    – ref. A Māori worldview describes the immune system as a guardian – this could improve public health in Aotearoa NZ – https://theconversation.com/a-maori-worldview-describes-the-immune-system-as-a-guardian-this-could-improve-public-health-in-aotearoa-nz-259025

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 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 system of guardianship, known as te pūnaha awhikiri.

    For Māori, wellbeing is relational and interconnected. It encompasses physical, mental, spiritual and environmental health. Within this understanding, we can think about the immune system as a living guardian that protects and regulates an individual’s internal balance and connection to the wider world.

    Te pūnaha (system) awhikiri (immunity) expresses how the immune system functions through the lens of mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), including through concepts such as kaitiakitanga (guardianship), whakapapa (genealogy) and tautika (balance).

    The image of a guardian that embraces and protects, and invites empathy and identity, may engage better with people who traditionally have been left out of science and health system discussions.

    Framing the immune system through this cultural perspective offers an opportunity to engage Māori communities and to better support public health in Aotearoa New Zealand.

    Protecting the land

    The immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues and signalling pathways designed to detect and eliminate pathogens. In te ao Māori, this function can be likened to that of a kaitiaki, or guardian, who acts to preserve and protect whenua – which means both land and placenta – and everything in it.

    To understand this perspective, it is worth considering several key ideas around the mythological origin, significance and guardianship of land.

    In te ao Māori, the universe was formed from Te Kore, a place of potential without form or shape (like the formless void of Greek mythology). From this space, the two major deities of Māori mythology – Ranginui the Sky Father and Papatūānuku the Earth Mother – emerged tightly bound to one another.

    Then came Te Pō, a place of darkness in which the deities’ children came into being; foremost among them was Tāne Mahuta who eventually forced his parents apart to reveal Te Ao Mārama, the world of light.

    Hence the intermingling of placenta and land, referring to Papatūānuku having begot all life. Land itself becomes a living entity from whence all things come. From Tāne Māhuta we get the first person, Hine-ahu-one, forged from sacred red earth, giving rise to tangata whenua or people of the Earth.

    Parallels between immunology and te ao Māori

    Taken as a starting point for understanding te ao Māori, te pūnaha awhikiri guards the integrity of the body and its essential life force (mauri). It is imbued with intelligence, memory and purpose, constantly working to sustain balance (tautika) within the body.

    There are numerous ways in which we can overlay ideas from mātauranga Māori with the scientific understanding of te pūnaha awhikiri. At its core, the immune system detects foreign agents entering the body, mobilises immune cells to respond appropriately, regulates the strength of response and creates memory of the incursion. These functions map onto concepts in te ao Māori.

    Detecting foreign agents is akin to the idea of tauhou, which describes a foreign entity to the body (in terms of a culture or society, a landmass or a person). This term brings to mind the experience of colonisation to Māori people and is associated with the notion of cultural and social institutions displacing tribal authority.

    Mobilisation of immune cells reflects the call to action embodied by kaitiaki, people who respond when the need arises to protect their whenua and whānau (family). Often this response may begin with an individual, but that individual can promote an entire whānau, hapū or even iwi to mobilise.

    Immunological memory mirrors the ways in which tūpuna (ancestors) pass on inter-generational knowledge to their whānau. This knowledge transfer means people learn lessons from the past, which helps formulate responses for future events or fighting pathogens.

    Signal regulation is conceptually similar to how tapu (sacred) and noa (ordinary) regulate the spiritual, social and physical order of things. In te ao Māori, someone may enter a state of tapu (sacredness or spiritual potency) for many reasons, such as to learn sacred knowledge or go to war. However, it is not sustainable to remain in this state for too long and rituals are used to return that person to a state of noa. These rituals are ordained by particular individuals imbued with the correct teachings.

    Māori culture values time spent in forests, rivers or coastal areas as a source of wellbeing.
    Getty Images

    Beyond the body

    Mātauranga Māori recognises that wellbeing is not just a condition of the body but a state of balance across a network of relationships – between people, land, spirit and ancestors. When these bonds are intact, the system operates with integrity. But when disconnection or trauma occurs, the life force can be diminished, leaving the body and spirit more vulnerable to imbalance and illness.

    Te taiao (the natural world) plays a key role for maintaining balance. Time spent in forests, rivers or coastal areas, especially those of ancestral significance, has long been understood in Māori culture to nourish wellbeing. Contemporary science now supports this, showing that immersion in nature can reduce inflammation, lower stress hormones and strengthen immune function.

    For Māori, the value is not just physiological; it is spiritual and genealogical. The land is not an external environment. It is kin.

    Just as inflammation or infection signals imbalance in Western medicine, in te ao Māori it may indicate a deeper disharmony – one that cannot be resolved without restoring the relationships that sustain life.

    Te pūnaha awhikiri responds not only to pathogens or physical threats, but to disconnection, breach of tapu and the lingering effects of cultural trauma. Healing, therefore, is not just a return to physical wellness but a return to relationships. It is an embrace of the people, places and practices that keep us whole.

    Te pūnaha awhikiri offers a cultural narrative that unifies numerous strands of mātauranga Māori with science. These ideas affirm Māori ways of knowing, using concepts that reflect inter-connectedness and ancestral insight. They invite understanding of health not as mechanistic, but as a dynamic state of tautika between multiple dimensions.

    This opens space for blending Indigenous knowledge and science, supporting inclusive dialogue about different ways of reaching Te Ao Mārama – enlightenment.

    Tama Te Puea Braithwaite-Westoby works for the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research. Tama has also recently become an affiliate investigator for the Maurice Wilkins Centre.

    – ref. A Māori worldview describes the immune system as a guardian – this could improve public health in Aotearoa NZ – https://theconversation.com/a-maori-worldview-describes-the-immune-system-as-a-guardian-this-could-improve-public-health-in-aotearoa-nz-259025

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 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 services had poorer mental health outcomes, including more suicides.

    This variation across the country was mostly related to factors such as a shortage of mental health providers and GPs, rather than people in some regions being in poorer mental health in the first place.

    We also looked at how much extra government funding in today’s money would make a difference to people’s mental health across the population, using the latest data.

    We worked out increasing government spending on out-of-hospital mental health services by A$153 million a year – about $7.30 per adult per year – could lead to:

    • 28,151 fewer mental health emergency department visits (a 10% reduction)

    • 1,954 fewer hospitalisations due to self-harm (a 20% reduction)

    • 313 fewer suicides (a 10% reduction).

    Here’s where our research suggests it’s best to target this extra funding.

    What we did

    We looked at Medicare-funded out-of-hospital mental health services, such as GP mental health visits, as well as visits to psychologists and psychiatrists. For the purposes of this article, we’ll call these Medicare-funded mental health services.

    We also looked at mental health prescriptions (such as for depression or anxiety).

    We looked at these services and prescriptions for the entire Australian population from 2011 to 2019.

    We followed adults as they moved between regions to see how their use of mental health services and prescriptions changed after the move. This meant we could account for underlying individual factors, such as someone’s mental health needs.

    Our study allowed us to assess how differences in the availability of mental health care across regions impacted how much the government spends on mental health services and prescriptions, and how this links to people’s mental health outcomes.

    What we found

    We found that only 28% of variation in spending on mental health services across regions was driven by patient-related factors, such as their need for mental health care. The rest was due to geographical reasons, such as availability of mental health providers and GPs.

    But about 81% of the regional variation in spending on mental health scripts was due to patient factors.

    In other words, when people experience mental health distress, accessing mental health medications, largely provided by a GP, is much easier than accessing care from a psychiatrist or a psychologist.

    Areas with lower spending on out-of-hospital mental health services had higher rates of mental health-related emergency department visits, hospitalisations for self-harm, and suicides.

    We mapped access to mental health services

    We also compared funding for people with the same “need” for mental health services across different regions. This was from the best access (the most funding) at 100% down to 0% (no access).

    After controlling for factors such as socioeconomic background and underlying mental health-care need, the region with the best access was the Gold Coast, with the highest Medicare spending on out-of-hospital mental health services.

    The regions with the worst access were western Queensland and the Northern Territory. Here, a person with similar mental health-care needs would receive about 50% less in mental health service spending compared to someone on the Gold Coast.

    How can we use our findings?

    Recent analyses suggest government mental health expenditure has barely changed in 30 years. It now sits at about 7.4% of the total health budget.

    Our results suggest there is unmet need for mental health services across the board. But some regions are more affected than others.

    So we should target extra funding to rural and low-income regions – particularly when considering expanding access to psychologists and psychiatrists.

    Recent policy initiatives have tried to improve access to GPs. This includes creating financial incentives for providers to bulk bill and to practise in underserved regions.

    However, these policies have had little or modest effects on boosting access to GPs. There has also been much less focus on attracting more specialty mental health providers, such as psychologists or psychiatrists, to underserved areas.

    To address the disparities and unmet needs in mental health care, we recommend:

    • expanding the mental health workforce: implementing targeted incentives to attract and retain psychologists, psychiatrists, and mental health-trained GPs in underserved areas

    • reforming funding models: adjusting funding allocations and incentives to target regions where there is significant unmet need. Our map shows which regions should be targeted first

    • improving access to digital mental health services: using technology to provide accessible mental health support, particularly in areas with limited in-person services, while ensuring digital solutions are integrated with traditional care pathways.

    If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

    Karinna Saxby receives funding from the University of Melbourne McKenzie Fellowship.

    Dennis Petrie receives funding from National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), Australian Research Council (ARC), Transport Accident Commission (TAC), National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), Department of Health, Disability and Aged Care, Department of Social Services (DSS), Breast Cancer Trials and WISE (Employment Service Provider).

    Sonja de New receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

    – ref. Just $7 extra per person could prevent 300 suicides a year. Here’s exactly where to spend it – https://theconversation.com/just-7-extra-per-person-could-prevent-300-suicides-a-year-heres-exactly-where-to-spend-it-259890

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • BRICS nations urge advanced economies to scale up climate finance for developing countries

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    BRICS member nations have called on advanced economies and the international financial system to provide “substantial” financing to support climate mitigation efforts in developing economies.

    “We call on advanced economies and other relevant actors in the international financial system, as well as the private sector, to provide substantial finance for climate actions in developing countries, including by expanding concessional finance and increasing private capital mobilisation,” Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of BRICS countries said in a joint statement on Sunday, just ahead of the Summit.

    Highlighting the growing needs of emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), the group urged international financial institutions to scale up adaptation support and create conditions that would attract greater private sector participation in mitigation efforts.

    BRICS members also acknowledged the structural challenges posed by climate change, energy transitions, biodiversity loss and conservation efforts.

    “We reaffirm that predictable, equitable, accessible and affordable climate finance is indispensable for just transitions, in line with country circumstances and development priorities, and for meeting the goals of the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement,” the statement said.

    India, a BRICS member, has consistently advocated for stronger climate finance arrangements, primarily from developed countries that are historically major carbon emitters. India has repeatedly underlined the need for adequate financial support, particularly for the Global South.

    Climate finance generally refers to funding directed at mitigation and adaptation measures to tackle climate change. Developing countries have long argued that developed nations, being historically larger emitters, must shoulder greater responsibility for funding mitigation and adaptation.

    Against the backdrop of global economic uncertainty and volatility, BRICS members said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) must remain adequately resourced and flexible to protect its members, particularly the most vulnerable.

    The statement also welcomed the New Development Bank’s steady efforts to expand its funding capacity, promote local currency financing, diversify funding sources, and back projects that advance sustainable development, reduce inequality and drive investment in infrastructure and economic integration.

    “As the New Development Bank is set to embark on its second golden decade of high-quality development, we recognise and support its growing role as a robust and strategic agent of development and modernisation in the Global South,” it said.

    BRICS members also reaffirmed that they would continue working through the second half of 2025 to push forward these initiatives and strengthen coordination for a smooth transition to India’s presidency in 2026.

    Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of BRICS countries met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 5 under the theme, “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.”

    Together, BRICS countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — account for nearly half of the world’s population, spread across four continents, and nearly 40 per cent of global GDP. The bloc has become more integrated with the world economy and now represents about a quarter of global trade and investment flows.

    The joint statement underlined that more needs to be done to ensure the benefits of globalisation, economic growth and productivity are shared more equally.

    According to a report by Rubix Data Sciences, total international trade (exports plus imports) of BRICS countries stood at USD 10.5 trillion in 2024, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 7.9 per cent between 2020 and 2024.

    BRICS nations remain net exporters, collectively selling more goods abroad than they import, underlining their strong production capacity and growing clout in global trade.

  • BRICS expands footprint, eyes stronger Global South cooperation under Brazil’s 2025 chairship

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The BRICS grouping, which brings together major emerging economies, has continued to expand its global footprint, adding new members and partners while outlining ambitious plans to deepen cooperation across sectors under Brazil’s ongoing chairship in 2025.

    Originally coined as BRIC by Goldman Sachs in 2001 in its paper The World Needs Better Economic BRICs, the acronym referred to Brazil, Russia, India and China, which the firm projected would occupy larger shares of the global economy in the coming decades. The idea took formal shape in 2006, when the leaders of Russia, India and China met on the sidelines of the G8 Outreach Summit in St. Petersburg. That same year, the first BRIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting was held alongside the UN General Assembly in New York, setting the stage for structured dialogue.

    The first BRIC Summit was hosted in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009. The group became BRICS with the inclusion of South Africa in 2010. South Africa formally joined the third BRICS Summit held in Sanya in 2011.

    More than a decade later, the bloc witnessed its most significant expansion yet. In January 2024, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates became full members, followed by Indonesia’s entry as a full member in January 2025. Nine other countries — Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan — were inducted as BRICS partner countries this year, underlining the group’s growing influence in the Global South.

    Together, the expanded BRICS now represents nearly half of the world’s population, contributes about 40 percent of global GDP, and accounts for roughly a quarter of global trade.

    Two pillars of cooperation

    BRICS functions through two broad mechanisms: consultations on issues of common interest through summits and ministerial meetings, and practical cooperation through working groups and senior officials in sectors such as trade, finance, health, education, science and technology, agriculture, environment, energy, labour, disaster management, anti-corruption and counter-narcotics efforts.

    Business linkages are promoted through the BRICS Business Council and the BRICS Women Business Alliance, while other exchanges span parliamentary forums, conferences and people-to-people initiatives.

    India’s 2021 chairship

    India last held the chairship in 2021, coinciding with the 15th anniversary of the bloc. Operating under the theme ‘BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus’, India set priorities that focused on multilateral reform, counter-terrorism cooperation, digital tools for Sustainable Development Goals and wider people-to-people engagement.

    Over 150 meetings were convened during India’s term, including the Leaders’ Summit held virtually on September 9, 2021, and meetings of Foreign Ministers, National Security Advisers and key sectoral ministers. Several new initiatives were launched, including the first BRICS Digital Health Summit, the first Water Ministers’ Meeting, the adoption of a Counter-Terrorism Action Plan, the launch of the BRICS Alliance for Green Tourism and the signing of an agreement on a BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation.

    Brazil takes charge in 2025

    Brazil assumed the BRICS chairship on January 1, 2025, under the theme ‘Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance’. Brazil’s agenda focuses on deepening partnerships within the Global South and enhancing social, economic and environmental development across member states.

    The priorities for Brazil’s presidency include cooperation on global health, trade, investment and finance, climate change action, governance of artificial intelligence, institutional development and a push for reform of the global peace and security architecture.

    Nearly 120 events are planned under Brazil’s chairship this year, signalling the group’s intent to maintain momentum on issues that resonate with emerging economies.

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The oldest rocks on Earth are more than four billion years old

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Hanika Rizo, Associate Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Carleton University

    Earth formed about 4.6 billion years ago, during the geological eon known as the Hadean. The name “Hadean” comes from the Greek god of the underworld, reflecting the extreme heat that likely characterized the planet at the time.

    By 4.35 billion years ago, the Earth might have cooled down enough for the first crust to form and life to emerge.

    However, very little is known about this early chapter in Earth’s history, as rocks and minerals from that time are extremely rare. This lack of preserved geological records makes it difficult to reconstruct what the Earth looked like during the Hadean Eon, leaving many questions about its earliest evolution unanswered.

    We are part of a research team that has confirmed the oldest known rocks on Earth are located in northern Québec. Dating back more than four billion years, these rocks provide a rare and invaluable glimpse into the origins of our planet.

    Geologists Jonathan O’Neil and Chris Sole examine rocks in northern Québec.
    (H. Rizo), CC BY

    Remains from the Hadean Eon

    The Hadean Eon is the first period in the geological timescale, spanning from Earth’s formation 4.6 billion years ago and ending around 4.03 billion years ago.

    The oldest terrestrial materials ever dated by scientists are extremely rare zircon minerals that were discovered in western Australia. These zircons were formed as early as 4.4 billion years ago, and while their host rock eroded away, the durability of zircons allowed them to be preserved for a long time.

    Studies of these zircon minerals has given us clues about the Hadean environment, and the formation and evolution of Earth’s oldest crust. The zircons’ chemistry suggests that they formed in magmas produced by the melting of sediments deposited at the bottom of an ancient ocean. This suggests that the zircons are evidence that the Hadean Eon cooled rapidly, and liquid water oceans were formed early on.

    Other research on the Hadean zircons suggests that the Earth’s earliest crust was mafic (rich in magnesium and iron). Until recently, however, the existence of that crust remained to be confirmed.

    In 2008, a study led by one of us — associate professor Jonathan O’Neil (then a McGill University doctoral student) — proposed that rocks of this ancient crust had been preserved in northern Québec and were the only known vestige of the Hadean.

    Since then, the age of those rocks — found in the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt — has been controversial and the subject of ongoing scientific debate.

    The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt in northern Québec.
    (H. Rizo), CC BY

    ‘Big, old solid rock’

    The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt is located in the northernmost region of Québec, in the Nunavik region above the 55th parallel. Most of the rocks there are metamorphosed volcanic rocks, rich in magnesium and iron. The most common rocks in the belt are called the Ujaraaluk rocks, meaning “big old solid rock” in Inuktitut.

    The age of 4.3 billion years was proposed after variations in neodymium-142 were detected, an isotope produced exclusively during the Hadean through the radioactive decay of samarium-146. The relationship between samarium and neodymium isotope abundances had been previously used to date meteorites and lunar rocks, but before 2008 had never been applied to Earth rocks.

    This interpretation, however, was challenged by several research groups, some of whom studied zircons within the belt and proposed a younger age of at most 3.78 billion years, placing the rocks in the Archean Eon instead.

    Confirming the Hadean Age

    In the summer of 2017, we returned to the Nuvvuagittuq belt to take a closer look at the ancient rocks. This time, we collected intrusive rocks — called metagabbros — that cut across the Ujaraaluk rock formation, hoping to obtain independent age constraints. The fact that these newly studied metagabbros are in intrusion in the Ujaraaluk rocks implies that the latter must be older.

    The project was led by masters student Chris Sole at the University of Ottawa, who joined us in the field. Back in the laboratory, we collaborated with French geochronologist Jean-Louis Paquette. Additionally, two undergraduate students — David Benn (University of Ottawa) and Joeli Plakholm (Carleton University) participated to the project.

    We combined our field observations with petrology, geochemistry, geochronology and applied two independent samarium-neodymium age dating methods, dating techniques used to assess the absolute ages of magmatic rocks, before they became metamorphic rocks. Both assessments yielded the same result: the intrusive rocks are 4.16 billion years old.

    Sunset at the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt.
    (H. Rizo), CC BY

    The oldest rocks

    Since these metagabbros cut across the Ujaraaluk formation, the Ujaraaluk rocks must be even older, placing them firmly in the Hadean Eon.

    Studying the Nuvvuagittuq rocks, the only preserved rocks from the Hadean, provides a unique opportunity to learn about the earliest history of our planet. They can help us understand how the first continents formed, and how and when Earth’s environment evolved to become habitable.

    Hanika Rizo receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

    Jonathan O’Neil receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. The oldest rocks on Earth are more than four billion years old – https://theconversation.com/the-oldest-rocks-on-earth-are-more-than-four-billion-years-old-259657

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The oldest rocks on Earth are 4.3 billion years old

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Hanika Rizo, Associate Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Carleton University

    Earth formed about 4.6 billion years ago, during the geological eon known as the Hadean. The name “Hadean” comes from the Greek god of the underworld, reflecting the extreme heat that likely characterized the planet at the time.

    By 4.35 billion years ago, the Earth might have cooled down enough for the first crust to form and life to emerge.

    However, very little is known about this early chapter in Earth’s history, as rocks and minerals from that time are extremely rare. This lack of preserved geological records makes it difficult to reconstruct what the Earth looked like during the Hadean Eon, leaving many questions about its earliest evolution unanswered.

    We are part of a research team that has confirmed the oldest known rocks on Earth are located in northern Québec. Dating back 4.3 billion years, these rocks provide a rare and invaluable glimpse into the origins of our planet.

    Geologists Jonathan O’Neil and Chris Sole examine rocks in northern Québec.
    (H. Rizo), CC BY

    Remains from the Hadean Eon

    The Hadean Eon is the first period in the geological timescale, spanning from Earth’s formation 4.6 billion years ago and ending around 4.03 billion years ago.

    The oldest terrestrial materials ever dated by scientists are extremely rare zircon minerals that were discovered in western Australia. These zircons were formed as early as 4.4 billion years ago, and while their host rock eroded away, the durability of zircons allowed them to be preserved for a long time.

    Studies of these zircon minerals has given us clues about the Hadean environment, and the formation and evolution of Earth’s oldest crust. The zircons’ chemistry suggests that they formed in magmas produced by the melting of sediments deposited at the bottom of an ancient ocean. This suggests that the zircons are evidence that the Hadean Eon cooled rapidly, and liquid water oceans were formed early on.

    Other research on the Hadean zircons suggests that the Earth’s earliest crust was mafic (rich in magnesium and iron). Until recently, however, the existence of that crust remained to be confirmed.

    In 2008, a study led by associate professor Jonathan O’Neil (then a McGill University doctoral student) proposed that rocks of this ancient crust had been preserved in northern Québec and were the only known vestige of the Hadean.

    Since then, the age of those rocks — found in the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt — has been controversial and the subject of ongoing scientific debate.

    The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt in northern Québec.
    (H. Rizo), CC BY

    ‘Big, old solid rock’

    The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt is located in the northernmost region of Québec, in the Nunavik region above the 55th parallel. Most of the rocks there are metamorphosed volcanic rocks, rich in magnesium and iron. The most common rocks in the belt are called the Ujaraaluk rocks, meaning “big old solid rock” in Inuktitut.

    The age of 4.3 billion years was proposed after variations in neodymium-142 were detected, an isotope produced exclusively during the Hadean through the radioactive decay of samarium-146. The relationship between samarium and neodymium isotope abundances had been previously used to date meteorites and lunar rocks, but before 2008 had never been applied to Earth rocks.

    This interpretation, however, was challenged by several research groups, some of whom studied zircons within the belt and proposed a younger age of at most 3.78 billion years, placing the rocks in the Archean Eon instead.

    Confirming the Hadean Age

    In the summer of 2017, we returned to the Nuvvuagittuq belt to take a closer look at the ancient rocks. This time, we collected intrusive rocks — called metagabbros — that cut across the Ujaraaluk rock formation, hoping to obtain independent age constraints. The fact that these newly studied metagabbros are in intrusion in the Ujaraaluk rocks implies that the latter must be older.

    The project was led by masters student Chris Sole at the University of Ottawa, who joined us in the field. Back in the laboratory, we collaborated with French geochronologist Jean-Louis Paquette. Additionally, two undergraduate students — David Benn (University of Ottawa) and Joeli Plakholm (Carleton University) participated to the project.

    We combined our field observations with petrology, geochemistry, geochronology and applied two independent samarium-neodymium age dating methods, dating techniques used to assess the absolute ages of magmatic rocks, before these become metamorphic rocks. Both assessments yielded the same result: the intrusive rocks are 4.16 billion years old.

    Sunset at the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt.
    (H. Rizo), CC BY

    The oldest rocks

    Since these metagabbros cut across the Ujaraaluk formation, the Ujaraaluk rocks must be even older, placing them firmly in the Hadean Eon.

    Studying the Nuvvuagittuq rocks, the only preserved rocks from the Hadean, provides a unique opportunity to learn about the earliest history of our planet. They can help us understand how the first continents formed, and how and when Earth’s environment evolved to become habitable.

    Hanika Rizo receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

    Jonathan O’Neil receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. The oldest rocks on Earth are 4.3 billion years old – https://theconversation.com/the-oldest-rocks-on-earth-are-4-3-billion-years-old-259657

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The oldest rocks on Earth are 4.3 billion years old

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Hanika Rizo, Associate Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Carleton University

    Earth formed about 4.6 billion years ago, during the geological eon known as the Hadean. The name “Hadean” comes from the Greek god of the underworld, reflecting the extreme heat that likely characterized the planet at the time.

    By 4.35 billion years ago, the Earth might have cooled down enough for the first crust to form and life to emerge.

    However, very little is known about this early chapter in Earth’s history, as rocks and minerals from that time are extremely rare. This lack of preserved geological records makes it difficult to reconstruct what the Earth looked like during the Hadean Eon, leaving many questions about its earliest evolution unanswered.

    We are part of a research team that has confirmed the oldest known rocks on Earth are located in northern Québec. Dating back 4.3 billion years, these rocks provide a rare and invaluable glimpse into the origins of our planet.

    Geologists Jonathan O’Neil and Chris Sole examine rocks in northern Québec.
    (H. Rizo), CC BY

    Remains from the Hadean Eon

    The Hadean Eon is the first period in the geological timescale, spanning from Earth’s formation 4.6 billion years ago and ending around 4.03 billion years ago.

    The oldest terrestrial materials ever dated by scientists are extremely rare zircon minerals that were discovered in western Australia. These zircons were formed as early as 4.4 billion years ago, and while their host rock eroded away, the durability of zircons allowed them to be preserved for a long time.

    Studies of these zircon minerals has given us clues about the Hadean environment, and the formation and evolution of Earth’s oldest crust. The zircons’ chemistry suggests that they formed in magmas produced by the melting of sediments deposited at the bottom of an ancient ocean. This suggests that the zircons are evidence that the Hadean Eon cooled rapidly, and liquid water oceans were formed early on.

    Other research on the Hadean zircons suggests that the Earth’s earliest crust was mafic (rich in magnesium and iron). Until recently, however, the existence of that crust remained to be confirmed.

    In 2008, a study led by associate professor Jonathan O’Neil (then a McGill University doctoral student) proposed that rocks of this ancient crust had been preserved in northern Québec and were the only known vestige of the Hadean.

    Since then, the age of those rocks — found in the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt — has been controversial and the subject of ongoing scientific debate.

    The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt in northern Québec.
    (H. Rizo), CC BY

    ‘Big, old solid rock’

    The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt is located in the northernmost region of Québec, in the Nunavik region above the 55th parallel. Most of the rocks there are metamorphosed volcanic rocks, rich in magnesium and iron. The most common rocks in the belt are called the Ujaraaluk rocks, meaning “big old solid rock” in Inuktitut.

    The age of 4.3 billion years was proposed after variations in neodymium-142 were detected, an isotope produced exclusively during the Hadean through the radioactive decay of samarium-146. The relationship between samarium and neodymium isotope abundances had been previously used to date meteorites and lunar rocks, but before 2008 had never been applied to Earth rocks.

    This interpretation, however, was challenged by several research groups, some of whom studied zircons within the belt and proposed a younger age of at most 3.78 billion years, placing the rocks in the Archean Eon instead.

    Confirming the Hadean Age

    In the summer of 2017, we returned to the Nuvvuagittuq belt to take a closer look at the ancient rocks. This time, we collected intrusive rocks — called metagabbros — that cut across the Ujaraaluk rock formation, hoping to obtain independent age constraints. The fact that these newly studied metagabbros are in intrusion in the Ujaraaluk rocks implies that the latter must be older.

    The project was led by masters student Chris Sole at the University of Ottawa, who joined us in the field. Back in the laboratory, we collaborated with French geochronologist Jean-Louis Paquette. Additionally, two undergraduate students — David Benn (University of Ottawa) and Joeli Plakholm (Carleton University) participated to the project.

    We combined our field observations with petrology, geochemistry, geochronology and applied two independent samarium-neodymium age dating methods, dating techniques used to assess the absolute ages of magmatic rocks, before these become metamorphic rocks. Both assessments yielded the same result: the intrusive rocks are 4.16 billion years old.

    Sunset at the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt.
    (H. Rizo), CC BY

    The oldest rocks

    Since these metagabbros cut across the Ujaraaluk formation, the Ujaraaluk rocks must be even older, placing them firmly in the Hadean Eon.

    Studying the Nuvvuagittuq rocks, the only preserved rocks from the Hadean, provides a unique opportunity to learn about the earliest history of our planet. They can help us understand how the first continents formed, and how and when Earth’s environment evolved to become habitable.

    Hanika Rizo receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

    Jonathan O’Neil receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. The oldest rocks on Earth are 4.3 billion years old – https://theconversation.com/the-oldest-rocks-on-earth-are-4-3-billion-years-old-259657

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Parental controls on children’s tech devices are out of touch with child’s play

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Sara M. Grimes, Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy and Professor, McGill University

    Parenting in the digital age can be stressful and demands a lot from parents.

    The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) recently released its annual Online Safety Survey that discovered almost 50 per cent of parents surveyed aren’t using parental controls to manage their children’s devices. These are tools that would ostensibly help parents filter out inappropriate content or unwanted interactions on their children’s devices.

    The FOSI authors conclude the reason parents aren’t using the tools is because they feel “overwhelmed” and recommend parents educate themselves as a good first step toward broader use.

    While overwhelm is a real thing, we suggest a bigger problem with parental controls is how they are designed. This includes how little attention is given to supporting open communication between parents and children.

    Once a year for the past three years, we’ve asked the same 33 children (initially aged six to 12) what they think about content ratings, online safety, game monetization and privacy.
    Our team’s combined expertise in communication, education, policy and game studies analyzed their answers.

    We also asked their parents how they mediated their kids’ gaming. Nearly half of them don’t use parental controls either. They say parental controls don’t always work as promised, offer little context about how settings affect gameplay and force binary choices that don’t align with household rules or with children’s maturity levels.

    The parents we asked said they aren’t avoiding parental controls because they feel overwhelmed by them. It’s that the tools are poorly designed.

    Parent controls can introduce more problems

    At the same time, many of the parents described themselves as highly engaged in their child’s gameplay; talking with their children regularly or encouraging play in shared, supervised spaces. Several said they choose to trust their child rather than set top-down limits.

    Our findings align with previous research on digital parenting. In one British study, parents said they felt some controls were valuable supplements to mediation, while other controls were poorly designed, introducing more problems than solutions.

    The use of parental controls doesn’t necessarily translate to increased child safety. In fact, using parental controls can create a disconnect between parents and children on key safety issues.

    Awareness of risks

    Six children we interviewed were not aware their parents were using controls, and at least two children revealed they didn’t even know why a parent would use parental controls in the first place. In this context, parents’ efforts to protect their children had the unintended side effect of obscuring vital knowledge, leaving the children unaware of some of the key risks associated with playing online. Parental controls can remove opportunities to teach kids about safety if they aren’t part of the conversation.

    We believe that the behind-the-scenes protections enabled by (some) parental controls can be detrimental to parent-child communication about online safety. What are the risks? How can children avoid the riskiest behaviour? What should they do when or if they’ve encountered danger?

    Meanwhile, parents aren’t always familiar with the features and activities they are asked to restrict or allow. Very few parental controls contain information about how gameplay will be impacted by their settings. Many contain terms only someone familiar with the game would understand, while others are hard to navigate.

    All of this can lead to misinterpretations and parent-child conflicts, making the tools even harder to use.

    Power of communication

    Open communication between parents and children on safety topics fosters trust, which increases the likelihood kids will turn to their parents for help when something dangerous happens.

    It enables children to build resiliency, which in turn reduces the risk they’ll be harmed by negative online encounters.

    Research also suggests that parent-child communication may be more effective at helping to avoid harm than embedded restrictions enabled by parental controls.

    The importance of open communication is also emphasized in the FOSI report. In households where conversations about online safety happened regularly (six times or more a year), parents and children were both more likely to view parental controls as a useful and valuable tool for online safety.

    This, the authors conclude, “supports the view of online safety as a collaborative effort as opposed to a priority imposed by parents on their children.”

    On this point, we couldn’t agree more. Families would benefit from making parental controls and safety settings a family affair. Kids and parents have a lot to learn from each other about the digital world, and reviewing these systems together can provide a much-needed opening for crucial conversations about risk, safety and what kids find meaningful about digital play.

    Rethinking safety tools

    Let’s not pretend parental controls are a panacea for child safety.

    Many parental controls contain serious design flaws and limitations. Very few comprehensively address the needs and concerns of either children or their parents.

    Now that lawmakers are starting to make parental controls a mandatory part of new child safety legislation, we urgently need to start taking a closer and more critical look at what they can and can’t do.

    Parental controls can be a useful tool when they are designed well, applied with transparency, and provide families with ample options so they can be tailored to not only fit with but foster household rules and open communication.

    There’s a lot of work to be done before this is the standard. But also a growing impetus for game and other tech companies to make it happen.

    Sara M. Grimes receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada,

    Riley McNair 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. Parental controls on children’s tech devices are out of touch with child’s play – https://theconversation.com/parental-controls-on-childrens-tech-devices-are-out-of-touch-with-childs-play-257874

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: ‘Big’ legislative package shifts more of SNAP’s costs to states, saving federal dollars but causing fewer Americans to get help paying for food

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Tracy Roof, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Richmond

    People shop for food in Brooklyn in 2023 at a store that makes sure that its customers know it accepts SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps and EBT.
     Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    The legislative package that President Donald Trump signed into law on July 4, 2025, has several provisions that will shrink the safety net, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, long known as food stamps. SNAP spending will decline by an estimated US$186 billion through 2034 as a result of several changes Congress made to the program that today helps roughly 42 million people buy groceries – an almost 20% reduction.

    In my research on the history of food stamps, I’ve found that the program was meant to be widely available to most low-income people. The SNAP changes break that tradition in two ways.

    The Congressional Budget Office estimates that about 3 million people are likely to be dropped from the program and lose their benefits. This decline will occur in part because more people will face time limits if they don’t meet work requirements. Even those who meet the requirements may lose benefits because of difficulty submitting the necessary documents.

    And because states will soon have to take on more of the costs of the program, which totaled over $100 billion in 2024, they may eventually further restrict who gets help due to their own budgetary constraints.

    Summing up SNAP’s origins

    Inspired by the plight of unemployed coal miners whom John F. Kennedy met in Appalachia when he campaigned for the presidency in 1960, the early food stamps program was not limited to single parents with children, older people and people with disabilities, like many other safety net programs were at the time. It was supposed to help low-income people afford more and better food, regardless of their circumstances.

    In response to national attention in the late 1960s to widespread hunger and malnutrition in other areas of the country, such as among tenant farmers in the rural South, a limited food stamps program was expanded. It reached every part of the country by 1974.

    From the start, the states administered the program and covered some of its administrative costs and the federal government paid for the benefits in full. This arrangement encouraged states to enroll everyone who needed help without fearing the budgetary consequences.

    Who could qualify and how much help they could get were set by uniform national standards, so that even the residents of the poorest states would be able to afford a budget-conscious but nutritionally adequate diet.

    The federal government’s responsibility for the cost of benefits also allowed spending to automatically grow during economic downturns, when more people need assistance. These federal dollars helped families, retailers and local economies weather tough times.

    The changes to the SNAP program included in the legislative package that Congress approved by narrow margins and Trump signed into law, however, will make it harder for the program to serve its original goals.

    Restricting benefits

    Since the early 1970s, most so-called able-bodied adults who were not caring for a child or an adult with disabilities had to meet a work requirement to get food stamps. Welfare reform legislation in 1996 made that requirement stricter for such adults between the ages of 18 and 50 by imposing a three-month time limit if they didn’t log 20 hours or more of employment or another approved activity, such as verified volunteering.

    Budget legislation passed in 2023 expanded this rule to adults up to age 54. The 2025 law will further expand the time limit to adults up to age 64 and parents of children age 14 or over.

    States can currently get permission from the federal government to waive work requirements in areas with insufficient jobs or unemployment above the national average. This flexibility to waive work requirements will now be significantly limited and available only where at least 1 in 10 workers are unemployed.

    Concerned senators secured an exemption from the work requirements for most Native Americans and Native Alaskans, who are more likely to live in areas with limited job opportunities.

    A 2023 budget deal exempted veterans, the homeless and young adults exiting the foster care system from work requirements because they can experience special challenges getting jobs. The 2025 law does not exempt them.

    The new changes to SNAP policies will also deny benefits to many immigrants with authorization to be in the U.S., such as people granted political asylum or official refugee status. Immigrants without authorization to reside in the U.S. will continue to be ineligible for SNAP benefits.

    Tracking ‘error rates’

    Critics of food stamps have long argued that states lack incentives to carefully administer the program because the federal government is on the hook for the cost of benefits.

    In the 1970s, as the number of Americans on the food stamp rolls soared, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the program, developed a system for assessing if states were accurately determining whether applicants were eligible for benefits and how much they could get.

    A state’s “payment error rate” estimates the share of benefits paid out that were more or less than an applicant was actually eligible for. The error rate was not then and is not today a measure of fraud. Typically, it just indicates the share of families who get a higher – or lower – amount of benefits than they are eligible for because of mistakes or confusion on the part of the applicant or the case worker who handles the application.

    Congress tried to penalize states with error rates over 5% in the 1980s but ultimately suspended the effort under state pressure. After years of political wrangling, the USDA started to consistently enforce financial penalties on states with high error rates in the mid-1990s.

    States responded by increasing their red tape. For example, they asked applicants to submit more documentation and made them go through more bureaucratic hoops, like having more frequent in-person interviews, to get – and continue receiving – SNAP benefits.

    These demands hit low-wage workers hardest because their applications were more prone to mistakes. Low-income workers often don’t have consistent work hours and their pay can vary from week to week and month to month. The number of families getting benefits fell steeply.

    The USDA tried to reverse this decline by offering states options to simplify the process for applying for and continuing to get SNAP benefits over the course of the presidencies of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Enrollment grew steadily.

    Penalizing high rates

    Since 2008, states with error rates over 6% have had to develop a detailed plan to lower them.

    Despite this requirement, the national average error rate jumped from 7.4% before the pandemic, to a record high of 11.7% in 2023. Rates rose as states struggled with a surge of people applying for benefits, a shortage of staff in state welfare agencies and procedural changes.

    Republican leaders in Congress have responded to that increase by calling for more accountability.

    Making states pay more

    The big legislative package will increase states’ expenses in two ways.

    It will reduce the federal government’s responsibility for half of the cost of administering the program to 25% beginning in the 2027 fiscal year.

    And some states will have to pay a share of benefit costs for the first time in the program’s history, depending on their payment error rates. Beginning in the 2028 fiscal year, states with an error rate between 6-8% would be responsible for 5% of the cost of benefits. Those with an error rate between 8-10% would have to pay 10%, and states with an error rate over 10% would have to pay 15%. The federal government would continue to pay all benefits in states with error rates below 6%.

    Republicans argue the changes will give states more “skin in the game” and ensure better administration of the program.

    While the national payment error rate fell from 11.68% in the 2023 fiscal year to 10.93% a year later, 42 states still had rates in excess of 6% in 2024. Twenty states plus the District of Columbia had rates of 10% or higher.

    At nearly 25%, Alaska has the highest payment error rate in the country. But Alaska won’t be in trouble right away. To ease passage in the Senate, where the vote of Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, was in doubt, a provision was added to the bill allowing several states with the highest error rates to avoid cost sharing for up to two years after it begins.

    Democrats argue this may encourage states to actually increase their error rates in the short term.

    The effect of the new law on the amount of help an eligible household gets is expected to be limited.

    About 600,000 individuals and families will lose an average of $100 a month in benefits because of a change in the way utility costs are treated. The law also prevents future administrations from increasing benefits beyond the cost of living, as the Biden Administration did.

    States cannot cut benefits below the national standards set in federal law.

    But the shift of costs to financially strapped states will force them to make tough choices. They will either have to cut back spending on other programs, increase taxes, discourage people from getting SNAP benefits or drop the program altogether.

    The changes will, in the end, make it even harder for Americans who can’t afford the bare necessities to get enough nutritious food to feed their families.

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

    – ref. ‘Big’ legislative package shifts more of SNAP’s costs to states, saving federal dollars but causing fewer Americans to get help paying for food – https://theconversation.com/big-legislative-package-shifts-more-of-snaps-costs-to-states-saving-federal-dollars-but-causing-fewer-americans-to-get-help-paying-for-food-260166

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: ‘Big’ legislative package shifts more of SNAP’s costs to states, saving federal dollars but causing fewer Americans to get help paying for food

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Tracy Roof, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Richmond

    People shop for food in Brooklyn in 2023 at a store that makes sure that its customers know it accepts SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps and EBT.
     Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    The legislative package that President Donald Trump signed into law on July 4, 2025, has several provisions that will shrink the safety net, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, long known as food stamps. SNAP spending will decline by an estimated US$186 billion through 2034 as a result of several changes Congress made to the program that today helps roughly 42 million people buy groceries – an almost 20% reduction.

    In my research on the history of food stamps, I’ve found that the program was meant to be widely available to most low-income people. The SNAP changes break that tradition in two ways.

    The Congressional Budget Office estimates that about 3 million people are likely to be dropped from the program and lose their benefits. This decline will occur in part because more people will face time limits if they don’t meet work requirements. Even those who meet the requirements may lose benefits because of difficulty submitting the necessary documents.

    And because states will soon have to take on more of the costs of the program, which totaled over $100 billion in 2024, they may eventually further restrict who gets help due to their own budgetary constraints.

    Summing up SNAP’s origins

    Inspired by the plight of unemployed coal miners whom John F. Kennedy met in Appalachia when he campaigned for the presidency in 1960, the early food stamps program was not limited to single parents with children, older people and people with disabilities, like many other safety net programs were at the time. It was supposed to help low-income people afford more and better food, regardless of their circumstances.

    In response to national attention in the late 1960s to widespread hunger and malnutrition in other areas of the country, such as among tenant farmers in the rural South, a limited food stamps program was expanded. It reached every part of the country by 1974.

    From the start, the states administered the program and covered some of its administrative costs and the federal government paid for the benefits in full. This arrangement encouraged states to enroll everyone who needed help without fearing the budgetary consequences.

    Who could qualify and how much help they could get were set by uniform national standards, so that even the residents of the poorest states would be able to afford a budget-conscious but nutritionally adequate diet.

    The federal government’s responsibility for the cost of benefits also allowed spending to automatically grow during economic downturns, when more people need assistance. These federal dollars helped families, retailers and local economies weather tough times.

    The changes to the SNAP program included in the legislative package that Congress approved by narrow margins and Trump signed into law, however, will make it harder for the program to serve its original goals.

    Restricting benefits

    Since the early 1970s, most so-called able-bodied adults who were not caring for a child or an adult with disabilities had to meet a work requirement to get food stamps. Welfare reform legislation in 1996 made that requirement stricter for such adults between the ages of 18 and 50 by imposing a three-month time limit if they didn’t log 20 hours or more of employment or another approved activity, such as verified volunteering.

    Budget legislation passed in 2023 expanded this rule to adults up to age 54. The 2025 law will further expand the time limit to adults up to age 64 and parents of children age 14 or over.

    States can currently get permission from the federal government to waive work requirements in areas with insufficient jobs or unemployment above the national average. This flexibility to waive work requirements will now be significantly limited and available only where at least 1 in 10 workers are unemployed.

    Concerned senators secured an exemption from the work requirements for most Native Americans and Native Alaskans, who are more likely to live in areas with limited job opportunities.

    A 2023 budget deal exempted veterans, the homeless and young adults exiting the foster care system from work requirements because they can experience special challenges getting jobs. The 2025 law does not exempt them.

    The new changes to SNAP policies will also deny benefits to many immigrants with authorization to be in the U.S., such as people granted political asylum or official refugee status. Immigrants without authorization to reside in the U.S. will continue to be ineligible for SNAP benefits.

    Tracking ‘error rates’

    Critics of food stamps have long argued that states lack incentives to carefully administer the program because the federal government is on the hook for the cost of benefits.

    In the 1970s, as the number of Americans on the food stamp rolls soared, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the program, developed a system for assessing if states were accurately determining whether applicants were eligible for benefits and how much they could get.

    A state’s “payment error rate” estimates the share of benefits paid out that were more or less than an applicant was actually eligible for. The error rate was not then and is not today a measure of fraud. Typically, it just indicates the share of families who get a higher – or lower – amount of benefits than they are eligible for because of mistakes or confusion on the part of the applicant or the case worker who handles the application.

    Congress tried to penalize states with error rates over 5% in the 1980s but ultimately suspended the effort under state pressure. After years of political wrangling, the USDA started to consistently enforce financial penalties on states with high error rates in the mid-1990s.

    States responded by increasing their red tape. For example, they asked applicants to submit more documentation and made them go through more bureaucratic hoops, like having more frequent in-person interviews, to get – and continue receiving – SNAP benefits.

    These demands hit low-wage workers hardest because their applications were more prone to mistakes. Low-income workers often don’t have consistent work hours and their pay can vary from week to week and month to month. The number of families getting benefits fell steeply.

    The USDA tried to reverse this decline by offering states options to simplify the process for applying for and continuing to get SNAP benefits over the course of the presidencies of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Enrollment grew steadily.

    Penalizing high rates

    Since 2008, states with error rates over 6% have had to develop a detailed plan to lower them.

    Despite this requirement, the national average error rate jumped from 7.4% before the pandemic, to a record high of 11.7% in 2023. Rates rose as states struggled with a surge of people applying for benefits, a shortage of staff in state welfare agencies and procedural changes.

    Republican leaders in Congress have responded to that increase by calling for more accountability.

    Making states pay more

    The big legislative package will increase states’ expenses in two ways.

    It will reduce the federal government’s responsibility for half of the cost of administering the program to 25% beginning in the 2027 fiscal year.

    And some states will have to pay a share of benefit costs for the first time in the program’s history, depending on their payment error rates. Beginning in the 2028 fiscal year, states with an error rate between 6-8% would be responsible for 5% of the cost of benefits. Those with an error rate between 8-10% would have to pay 10%, and states with an error rate over 10% would have to pay 15%. The federal government would continue to pay all benefits in states with error rates below 6%.

    Republicans argue the changes will give states more “skin in the game” and ensure better administration of the program.

    While the national payment error rate fell from 11.68% in the 2023 fiscal year to 10.93% a year later, 42 states still had rates in excess of 6% in 2024. Twenty states plus the District of Columbia had rates of 10% or higher.

    At nearly 25%, Alaska has the highest payment error rate in the country. But Alaska won’t be in trouble right away. To ease passage in the Senate, where the vote of Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, was in doubt, a provision was added to the bill allowing several states with the highest error rates to avoid cost sharing for up to two years after it begins.

    Democrats argue this may encourage states to actually increase their error rates in the short term.

    The effect of the new law on the amount of help an eligible household gets is expected to be limited.

    About 600,000 individuals and families will lose an average of $100 a month in benefits because of a change in the way utility costs are treated. The law also prevents future administrations from increasing benefits beyond the cost of living, as the Biden Administration did.

    States cannot cut benefits below the national standards set in federal law.

    But the shift of costs to financially strapped states will force them to make tough choices. They will either have to cut back spending on other programs, increase taxes, discourage people from getting SNAP benefits or drop the program altogether.

    The changes will, in the end, make it even harder for Americans who can’t afford the bare necessities to get enough nutritious food to feed their families.

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

    – ref. ‘Big’ legislative package shifts more of SNAP’s costs to states, saving federal dollars but causing fewer Americans to get help paying for food – https://theconversation.com/big-legislative-package-shifts-more-of-snaps-costs-to-states-saving-federal-dollars-but-causing-fewer-americans-to-get-help-paying-for-food-260166

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: ‘Big’ legislative package shifts more of SNAP’s costs to states, saving federal dollars but causing fewer Americans to get help paying for food

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Tracy Roof, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Richmond

    People shop for food in Brooklyn in 2023 at a store that makes sure that its customers know it accepts SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps and EBT.
     Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    The legislative package that President Donald Trump signed into law on July 4, 2025, has several provisions that will shrink the safety net, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, long known as food stamps. SNAP spending will decline by an estimated US$186 billion through 2034 as a result of several changes Congress made to the program that today helps roughly 42 million people buy groceries – an almost 20% reduction.

    In my research on the history of food stamps, I’ve found that the program was meant to be widely available to most low-income people. The SNAP changes break that tradition in two ways.

    The Congressional Budget Office estimates that about 3 million people are likely to be dropped from the program and lose their benefits. This decline will occur in part because more people will face time limits if they don’t meet work requirements. Even those who meet the requirements may lose benefits because of difficulty submitting the necessary documents.

    And because states will soon have to take on more of the costs of the program, which totaled over $100 billion in 2024, they may eventually further restrict who gets help due to their own budgetary constraints.

    Summing up SNAP’s origins

    Inspired by the plight of unemployed coal miners whom John F. Kennedy met in Appalachia when he campaigned for the presidency in 1960, the early food stamps program was not limited to single parents with children, older people and people with disabilities, like many other safety net programs were at the time. It was supposed to help low-income people afford more and better food, regardless of their circumstances.

    In response to national attention in the late 1960s to widespread hunger and malnutrition in other areas of the country, such as among tenant farmers in the rural South, a limited food stamps program was expanded. It reached every part of the country by 1974.

    From the start, the states administered the program and covered some of its administrative costs and the federal government paid for the benefits in full. This arrangement encouraged states to enroll everyone who needed help without fearing the budgetary consequences.

    Who could qualify and how much help they could get were set by uniform national standards, so that even the residents of the poorest states would be able to afford a budget-conscious but nutritionally adequate diet.

    The federal government’s responsibility for the cost of benefits also allowed spending to automatically grow during economic downturns, when more people need assistance. These federal dollars helped families, retailers and local economies weather tough times.

    The changes to the SNAP program included in the legislative package that Congress approved by narrow margins and Trump signed into law, however, will make it harder for the program to serve its original goals.

    Restricting benefits

    Since the early 1970s, most so-called able-bodied adults who were not caring for a child or an adult with disabilities had to meet a work requirement to get food stamps. Welfare reform legislation in 1996 made that requirement stricter for such adults between the ages of 18 and 50 by imposing a three-month time limit if they didn’t log 20 hours or more of employment or another approved activity, such as verified volunteering.

    Budget legislation passed in 2023 expanded this rule to adults up to age 54. The 2025 law will further expand the time limit to adults up to age 64 and parents of children age 14 or over.

    States can currently get permission from the federal government to waive work requirements in areas with insufficient jobs or unemployment above the national average. This flexibility to waive work requirements will now be significantly limited and available only where at least 1 in 10 workers are unemployed.

    Concerned senators secured an exemption from the work requirements for most Native Americans and Native Alaskans, who are more likely to live in areas with limited job opportunities.

    A 2023 budget deal exempted veterans, the homeless and young adults exiting the foster care system from work requirements because they can experience special challenges getting jobs. The 2025 law does not exempt them.

    The new changes to SNAP policies will also deny benefits to many immigrants with authorization to be in the U.S., such as people granted political asylum or official refugee status. Immigrants without authorization to reside in the U.S. will continue to be ineligible for SNAP benefits.

    Tracking ‘error rates’

    Critics of food stamps have long argued that states lack incentives to carefully administer the program because the federal government is on the hook for the cost of benefits.

    In the 1970s, as the number of Americans on the food stamp rolls soared, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the program, developed a system for assessing if states were accurately determining whether applicants were eligible for benefits and how much they could get.

    A state’s “payment error rate” estimates the share of benefits paid out that were more or less than an applicant was actually eligible for. The error rate was not then and is not today a measure of fraud. Typically, it just indicates the share of families who get a higher – or lower – amount of benefits than they are eligible for because of mistakes or confusion on the part of the applicant or the case worker who handles the application.

    Congress tried to penalize states with error rates over 5% in the 1980s but ultimately suspended the effort under state pressure. After years of political wrangling, the USDA started to consistently enforce financial penalties on states with high error rates in the mid-1990s.

    States responded by increasing their red tape. For example, they asked applicants to submit more documentation and made them go through more bureaucratic hoops, like having more frequent in-person interviews, to get – and continue receiving – SNAP benefits.

    These demands hit low-wage workers hardest because their applications were more prone to mistakes. Low-income workers often don’t have consistent work hours and their pay can vary from week to week and month to month. The number of families getting benefits fell steeply.

    The USDA tried to reverse this decline by offering states options to simplify the process for applying for and continuing to get SNAP benefits over the course of the presidencies of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Enrollment grew steadily.

    Penalizing high rates

    Since 2008, states with error rates over 6% have had to develop a detailed plan to lower them.

    Despite this requirement, the national average error rate jumped from 7.4% before the pandemic, to a record high of 11.7% in 2023. Rates rose as states struggled with a surge of people applying for benefits, a shortage of staff in state welfare agencies and procedural changes.

    Republican leaders in Congress have responded to that increase by calling for more accountability.

    Making states pay more

    The big legislative package will increase states’ expenses in two ways.

    It will reduce the federal government’s responsibility for half of the cost of administering the program to 25% beginning in the 2027 fiscal year.

    And some states will have to pay a share of benefit costs for the first time in the program’s history, depending on their payment error rates. Beginning in the 2028 fiscal year, states with an error rate between 6-8% would be responsible for 5% of the cost of benefits. Those with an error rate between 8-10% would have to pay 10%, and states with an error rate over 10% would have to pay 15%. The federal government would continue to pay all benefits in states with error rates below 6%.

    Republicans argue the changes will give states more “skin in the game” and ensure better administration of the program.

    While the national payment error rate fell from 11.68% in the 2023 fiscal year to 10.93% a year later, 42 states still had rates in excess of 6% in 2024. Twenty states plus the District of Columbia had rates of 10% or higher.

    At nearly 25%, Alaska has the highest payment error rate in the country. But Alaska won’t be in trouble right away. To ease passage in the Senate, where the vote of Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, was in doubt, a provision was added to the bill allowing several states with the highest error rates to avoid cost sharing for up to two years after it begins.

    Democrats argue this may encourage states to actually increase their error rates in the short term.

    The effect of the new law on the amount of help an eligible household gets is expected to be limited.

    About 600,000 individuals and families will lose an average of $100 a month in benefits because of a change in the way utility costs are treated. The law also prevents future administrations from increasing benefits beyond the cost of living, as the Biden Administration did.

    States cannot cut benefits below the national standards set in federal law.

    But the shift of costs to financially strapped states will force them to make tough choices. They will either have to cut back spending on other programs, increase taxes, discourage people from getting SNAP benefits or drop the program altogether.

    The changes will, in the end, make it even harder for Americans who can’t afford the bare necessities to get enough nutritious food to feed their families.

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

    – ref. ‘Big’ legislative package shifts more of SNAP’s costs to states, saving federal dollars but causing fewer Americans to get help paying for food – https://theconversation.com/big-legislative-package-shifts-more-of-snaps-costs-to-states-saving-federal-dollars-but-causing-fewer-americans-to-get-help-paying-for-food-260166

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese premier says to expand cooperation with Brazil in digital economy, aerospace

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

    Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Saturday that China is willing to work with Brazil to leverage each other’s complementary advantages and expand cooperation in such areas as digital economy, green economy, sci-tech innovation and aerospace.

    Li made the remarks during his meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The Chinese premier arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday to attend the 17th BRICS Summit.

    Li conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s warm greetings to Lula, noting that China-Brazil relations are in their best shape ever, with both sides working together to build a China-Brazil community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet.

    During Lula’s visit to China in May, the two heads of state reached important consensus on pushing for building a China-Brazil community with a shared future and upholding multilateralism, Li said.

    China stands ready to work with Brazil to continue the efforts in enriching the dimensions of bilateral relations and achieving more concrete results in cooperation so as to deliver more benefits to the two peoples, Li added.

    China is willing to work with Brazil to further consolidate and deepen bilateral cooperation in trade, finance and infrastructure development under the framework of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, said the premier.

    Li also urged both countries to jointly ensure the success of the China-Brazil Year of Culture in 2026, step up cooperation in education, youth, healthcare and other areas, further facilitate people-to-people exchanges and strengthen public support for China-Brazil friendship and cooperation.

    Depicting both countries as staunch supporters of multilateralism and free trade, Li said that China is willing to enhance communication and coordination with Brazil within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, BRICS and the G20, work in unity with developing countries to promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and provide more certainty and stability for the world.

    China supports Brazil in hosting the UN Climate Change Conference in Belem (COP30) later this year, Li said.

    For his part, Lula asked Li to convey his sincere regards to Xi. He noted that the two peoples share a profound friendship.

    Brazil attaches great importance to advancing its relations with China, and stands ready to work with China to follow through on the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and further strengthen high-level exchanges, he said.

    Brazil is ready to promote exchanges and cooperation with China in such areas as economy and trade, science and technology, finance, and aerospace, he added.

    Brazil also seeks to deepen collaboration with China in addressing climate change, said Lula, noting the country welcomes China’s participation in the upcoming COP30 in Belem.

    He also congratulated China on successfully hosting the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum this year.

    Lula said Brazil is willing to deepen multilateral communication and coordination with China, jointly oppose unilateralism, and uphold multilateralism and free trade so as to promote world peace and development.

    Following the meeting, the two sides witnessed the signing of cooperation documents in such fields as fiscal and financial affairs, artificial intelligence, development strategies alignment and aerospace. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Brain-Computer Interface Reveals How the Human Brain Reacts to Live Art

    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 6 (Xinhua) — Recent photos of Tsinghua University students wearing mysterious headdresses studded with silver electrodes at a theater performance have caused a stir online.

    The “magic hats” are key components of a portable brain-computer interface (BCI) system designed to record neural activity as students experience live performances, the university said. The experiment was aimed at decoding aesthetic responses and studying neural activity patterns during art appreciation.

    Gao Xiaorong, a professor at Tsinghua University, confirmed that this marks “China’s first application of non-invasive BCI technology in neuroscience research directly on a live performance stage.”

    Results showed increased activity in areas of the brain responsible for emotion and sensory processing during artistic activity.

    “Live performances elicit stronger brain resonance associated with emotional immersion,” explained doctoral student Li Zexuan, a member of the research team. “These findings reveal why live performances evoke deeper experiences in us.”

    BCI technology, which records and decodes brain signals to enable “dialogue” between mind and machine, is rapidly developing in China.

    Currently, this research group is collaborating with other universities and creative groups across the country to study the influence of art on mood.

    “We aim to identify neural patterns in people suffering from emotional disorders, such as anxiety patients, to provide scientific guidance for emotional therapy,” said Gao Xiaorong. -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.

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  • MIL-OSI China: Experts urge vigilance over AI’s threat to global security, humanity

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

    Decision-makers and strategists attending the 13th World Peace Forum have sounded the alarm over the risks posed by artificial intelligence (AI).

    The three-day event, which wrapped up on Friday in Beijing, put AI in the spotlight, featuring two dedicated panels that examined its risks and regulation, as well as its expanding role in armed conflict.

    Regarding AI risk and regulatory challenges, a widely held view among participants was that the use of AI must never come at the expense of human safety, and that life-and-death decisions should always remain in human hands, rather than being delegated to machines.

    “We have to be very careful that we don’t unintentionally unleash the power of AI in a way that would harm people,” said Balthasar Staehelin, personal envoy of the president to China for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), “there is an ethical responsibility here — one that must always be considered in light of international humanitarian law.”

    Advancements in information technology have enabled AI’s widespread use in conflict scenarios, yielding both promising and troubling results. The ICRC and other humanitarian organizations, for example, are deploying AI to match individuals searching for displaced family members, as their names may be spelled slightly differently in Arabic, and to help plan the best routes for refugees fleeing conflict zones.

    AI has been used in mine clearance, too. Low-flying drones equipped with AI technology can help detect mines, a way far more efficient than previous methods.

    Unfortunately, AI has also been employed to search for, track and identify combatants, and even lock onto targets, raising serious concerns about the growing role of robots in lethal operations, potentially even taking human lives.

    This unease is hardly new. As early as 1942, science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov proposed his “Three Laws of Robotics,” which included the rule: “A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.”

    In an interview with Xinhua this March, Staehelin also noted that the act of killing in war should always be a human decision, not one made by AI.

    This warning was echoed by Bruno Angelet, Belgian Ambassador to China, who believed that accountability for battlefield decisions must always rest with people, not machines. “It is a person who decides that the system can make decisions, and it is a person who is accountable. There is no stone or computer that will be accountable,” he said.

    Reinforcing this perspective, Zeng Yi, founding dean of Beijing Institute of AI Safety and Governance, observed that AI acts as a mirror — reflecting humanity’s choices and exposing whether our actions are truly responsible, especially when reckless decisions by individuals threaten to endanger society as a whole.

    Xiao Qian, deputy head of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, furthered the discussion by highlighting the legal ambiguity and difficulties in assigning accountability in AI-led actions.

    If a drone misidentifies a target, it becomes extremely challenging to determine who is responsible — the programmer, the commander, or the machine itself — sparking ongoing debate. Many AI systems also operate as black boxes, making legal compliance and effective oversight nearly impossible, she said.

    Christian Bessiere, research professor at the French National Center for Scientific Research and the University of Montpellier, broke down AI’s risks into four main categories: economic, “black box” opacity, cultural, and military. On regulation, he cautioned against excessive oversight that could stifle innovation and advocated for the creation of a strong, independent, non-profit international body to provide regulatory guidance.

    Turning to the question of global AI governance, Gong Ke, executive director of the Chinese Institute of New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Strategies, identified escalating geopolitical tensions as the greatest risk facing international cooperation on AI.

    He added that a key challenge is making AI governance more inclusive, ensuring that all countries and stakeholders have a seat at the table.

    Yet even reaching the smallest consensus on AI governance remains extremely challenging amid ongoing geopolitical strains and competing national interests, observed Xiao Qian.

    She noted that while scientific groups are actively launching initiatives to raise awareness about the risks of military AI, these efforts have yet to receive significant attention or respect from governments.

    Themed “Advancing Global Peace and Prosperity: Shared Responsibility, Benefit and Achievement,” the forum, which ran from July 2 to 4, was hosted by Tsinghua University and the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko held a working meeting with the Governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai Mikhail Kotyukov

    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.

    During a working visit to Krasnoyarsk Krai, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko held a working meeting with the region’s governor Mikhail Kotyukov. The parties discussed the development of science, education, youth policy, sports and tourism in the region.

    Working meeting of Dmitry Chernyshenko with the Governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai Mikhail Kotyukov

    July 4, 2025

    Working meeting of Dmitry Chernyshenko with the Governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai Mikhail Kotyukov

    July 4, 2025

    Governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai Mikhail Kotyukov

    July 4, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    Working meeting of Dmitry Chernyshenko with the Governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai Mikhail Kotyukov

    Dmitry Chernyshenko noted the dynamic development of the scientific potential of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the active work of Mikhail Kotyukov as the head of the State Council commission in the direction of “Technological Leadership”:

    “President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has instructed to increase spending on research and development to 2% of GDP by 2030. Krasnoyarsk Krai is actively involved in solving this problem. The region is dynamically increasing its scientific potential, attracting young scientists to science and implementing projects of the Russian Science Foundation.”

    He also noted that the region pays great attention to the creation of educational infrastructure:

    “Over the past few years, more than 20,000 new places have been created in schools and kindergartens in Krasnoyarsk Krai. Within the framework of the federal project “Professionalism”, 6 clusters in key sectors of the economy have been created in the region. Krasnoyarsk Krai is among the top three leaders in terms of the volume of their co-financing. The region also successfully trains engineering personnel: more than 40% of students at regional universities master in-demand specialties. Siberian Federal University participates in the “Priority-2030″ program. Work is underway to create an advanced engineering school,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.

    Mikhail Kotyukov reported that, given the national goal of technical leadership, the region motivates schoolchildren to study engineering and natural sciences. In secondary vocational and higher education institutions, a base is being created for training personnel in demand in industrial and high-tech sectors of the economy.

    “The “Professionality” project gave us unique experience. We formed six clusters in key sectors of the economy. And last year, following meetings with young guys studying at the college, with our entrepreneurs, we made a decision and created the regional project “Professionality for All”. Since this year, absolutely all regional institutions of secondary vocational education have joined the work on this model. The first programs that we implemented showed mutual interest of everyone: guys, parents, and employers. And we agreed with enterprises on investments in infrastructure in the ruble for ruble mode. And most importantly, practicing specialists come to teach at the technical school. This caused a 100% response. Today, even medium and small enterprises are trying to place their best equipment in classrooms,” the head of the region noted.

    The parties discussed the region’s youth policy. Krasnoyarsk Krai regularly wins the “Region for the Young” competition, which allows for the modernization of youth centers. Last year, Vladimir Putin opened a year-round youth educational center in the “Sports and Health” direction, and almost 200 thousand children are involved in the volunteer movement.

    Mikhail Kotyukov recalled that the All-Russian educational forum TIM “Biryusa” is currently holding a shift on financial education, the participants of which – young people from all over the country – share their experiences and develop projects in the financial sphere.

    “We try to maintain the set high level, offering new initiatives. We modernized the territory of the initiative youth “Biryusa”, which worked for 20 years in the mode of a tent camp. We have created a large number of facilities for the comprehensive development of children and youth. We pay special attention to this area, realizing that soon the guys will begin to work in the region, shaping its appearance,” the governor emphasized.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko noted the potential of the subject for tourism development. According to forecasts, the tourist flow in Krasnoyarsk Krai will grow by almost 13% this year. The region is actively involved in the implementation of the national project “Tourism and Hospitality”. The allocated funds are used to create infrastructure and increase the tourist attractiveness of the region.

    Krasnoyarsk Krai also demonstrates good results in the sports industry. According to the results of 2024, the indicator of those involved in sports exceeded the planned level, reaching 57%. The GTO complex is being developed here, and more than 63% of the population is provided with sports facilities, which is also above the plan. Five regional federations for innovative sports are successfully operating in the region.

    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: The government has approved a decree on holding the International Junior Science Olympiad in Russia

    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.

    Order dated July 1, 2025 No. 1768-r

    Document

    Order dated July 1, 2025 No. 1768-r

    The 22nd International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO 2025) will be held in Russia from November 23 to December 2. The order to this effect has been signed.

    The federal territory of Sirius will be the venue for the Olympiad. By July 16, the Ministry of Education must approve the composition of the organizing committee for its preparation and holding, as well as the plan of relevant events.

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide visas to participants and guests of the event, as well as journalists, without charging fees.

    IJSO is an international multidisciplinary Olympiad for schoolchildren under 15 years old. The students are required to have both theoretical knowledge and experimental skills in 3 subjects: physics, chemistry and biology.

    The Olympiad has been held annually in December since 2004. In previous years, IJSO was held in Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Azerbaijan, the UAE, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Iran, South Africa, Qatar, Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Nigeria, and Botswana. Teams from over 70 countries participate in it.

    The Russian team has been participating in competitions since the very first Olympiad and is considered one of the strongest – traditionally, Russian schoolchildren bring home several gold medals from tournaments.

    The preparation and holding of the Olympiad in Russia will be ensured within the framework of the implementation of the events of the federal project “All the Best for Children”, which is part of the new national project “Youth and Children”.

    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: The government established scholarships named after M.V. Pirogova

    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.

    Resolution of July 1, 2025 No. 994

    Document

    Resolution of July 1, 2025 No. 994

    Students, postgraduates and residents involved in socially useful activities aimed at developing civil initiatives will be able to receive scholarships named after the public figure and journalist from Donetsk Maria Pirogova. The resolution on the establishment of such scholarships was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

    Starting from September 1, 2025, 10 full-time students (cadets) and 10 postgraduate students (adjuncts) and residents will receive a monthly stipend. The amount of the payment will be 15 thousand rubles for students (cadets) and 20 thousand rubles for postgraduate students (adjuncts) and residents. The stipend will be assigned for 12 months.

    Payments will be received by students who do not have academic debt. They must be nominated by universities and other organizations that carry out educational activities. Applicants must pass a competitive selection. The selection committee, which the Ministry of Education and Science has been instructed to form, will include representatives of the association of volunteer centers, non-profit organizations and public development institutes “Dobro.rf”, as well as volunteer organizations.

    Students who have achieved success in 12 areas of activity will be eligible to apply for a scholarship. Among them are support for a special military operation and its participants, social support, protection and rehabilitation of low-income citizens, the unemployed and disabled, liquidation of emergency situations and their consequences, provision of free legal assistance, environmental protection and animal protection, promotion of a healthy lifestyle.

    Maria Vladimirovna Pirogova (1993–2022) – Donetsk public figure, journalist, deputy of the People’s Council of the Donetsk People’s Republic. Since 2014, she was engaged in organizing humanitarian aid to residents of the DPR. She died on December 6, 2022, during the shelling of the Youth Center in Donetsk.

    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: Dmitry Chernyshenko and Krasnoyarsk Krai Governor Mikhail Kotyukov discussed the development of the region’s scientific and educational infrastructure

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    During a working visit to Krasnoyarsk Krai, Dmitry Chernyshenko assessed the infrastructure of the Institute of Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

    July 5, 2025

    During a working visit to Krasnoyarsk Krai, Dmitry Chernyshenko assessed the infrastructure of the Institute of Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

    July 5, 2025

    Dmitry Chernyshenko assessed the work of the Regional Coordination Center of Krasnoyarsk Krai. With the Governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai Mikhail Kotyukov (left)

    July 5, 2025

    Dmitry Chernyshenko assessed the work of the Regional Coordination Center of Krasnoyarsk Krai. With the Governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai Mikhail Kotyukov

    July 5, 2025

    Dmitry Chernyshenko visited the Holy Dormition Monastery and its cultural center. On the left are Krasnoyarsk Krai Governor Mikhail Kotyukov and Rosfinmonitoring Director Yuri Chikhanchin

    July 5, 2025

    Dmitry Chernyshenko visited the Holy Dormition Monastery and its cultural center. On the left is the Governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai Mikhail Kotyukov

    July 5, 2025

    Dmitry Chernyshenko held a working meeting with the President of the Russian Student Sports Union Sergey Kryukov

    July 5, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    During a working visit to Krasnoyarsk Krai, Dmitry Chernyshenko assessed the infrastructure of the Institute of Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

    During a working visit to Krasnoyarsk Krai, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko assessed the infrastructure of the Institute of Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and, together with Krasnoyarsk Krai Governor Mikhail Kotyukov, spoke with scientists.

    The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Krasnoyarsk has youth laboratories where specialists conduct applied research within the framework of state and commercial orders. The main customers are enterprises interested in the latest technical solutions.

    The Deputy Prime Minister noted the demand for such research and development among companies. Over three years, from 2023 to 2025, youth laboratories of the Kirensky Institute of Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences attracted more than 800 million rubles in extra-budgetary funding – this is a high figure.

    Krasnoyarsk scientists presented research conducted by youth laboratories to improve the quality of Russian communications satellites. This includes upgrading onboard antennas, improving payloads, and studying metasurfaces.

    On the campus of the Siberian Federal University (SFU), Dmitry Chernyshenko and Mikhail Kotyukov discussed preparations for the World Youth Festival forum in Krasnoyarsk in 2026. The forum will bring together 10,000 delegates aged 14 to 35, half of whom will be foreign guests. SFU will be the main venue for the forum. The goal of such events is to demonstrate Russia’s capabilities and potential in the field of international youth cooperation.

    In 2024, Krasnoyarsk Krai was already one of 30 subjects of the Russian Federation where events of the regional program of the World Youth Festival were held, which took place in the federal territory of Sirius in Sochi. Then the region received delegations from 21 countries. Krasnoyarsk was visited, in particular, by representatives of Spain, Argentina, Turkey, Indonesia, Egypt, Mexico, Congo, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko assessed the work of the Regional Coordination Center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, where data from various state information systems is received in real time.

    The Deputy Prime Minister also visited the Holy Dormition Monastery and its cultural center.

    In addition, Dmitry Chernyshenko held a working meeting with the President of the Russian Student Sports Union Sergey Kryukov. During it, they discussed the development of youth sports. The Deputy Prime Minister noted the importance of this work for achieving the goal set by President Vladimir Putin – to involve 70% of Russian citizens in systematic physical education and sports by 2030.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks at the Evocation Ceremony Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Cabo Verde’s Independence and 50th Anniversary of the Partnership with the United Nations [as delivered]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Honourable President José Maria Neves; Honourable Prime Minister José Ulisses Correia e Silva; Distinguished Heads of State and Government; Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen,

    I am happy to be with you today on behalf of the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, and I thank the Government and the people of Cabo Verde for your warm welcome and hospitality.

    I am honoured to deliver his remarks on this historic occasion:

    It is with deep emotion that I send these words to a country I hold close to my heart.

    As Secretary-General of the United Nations, as former Prime Minister of Portugal, and as a long-time friend, I am honoured to mark this fiftieth anniversary of Cabo Verdean independence and partnership with the United Nations.

    Cabo Verde has shaped my conscience and conviction. 

    And I celebrate with you the enduring spirit of the povo cabo-verdiano – a people whose determination has long outshone the constraints of geography.

    Dear friends,

    The story of Cabo Verde is a story of freedom reclaimed.

    On July 5, 1975, the world bore witness to the birth of a new Republic.

    After centuries of colonial rule, the people of Cabo Verde – together with their brothers and sisters in Guinea-Bissau – rose up to demand self-determination.

    As a Portuguese citizen, I cannot speak of Cabo Verde without acknowledging the deep and complex history we share – a history marked by pain, injustice, but also by solidarity.

    I carry with me the memory of walking through the gates of the former Tarrafal concentration camp — in the company of Edmundo Pedro and Sérgio Vilarigues, who had endured its horrors.

    Their stories of suffering and resistance are etched into my memory.

    Today, we honour so many heroes of that struggle – heroes like Amílcar Cabral. 

    Receiving the Order of Amílcar Cabral by Prime Minister Carlos Veiga, remains one of the greatest honours of my life.

    Dear friends,

    From the beginning, Cabo Verde chose the harder path:

    Stability over strife.

    Dialogue over division.

    The peaceful transition to independence, the embrace of democracy and good governance… a model that endures.

    Cabo Verde is also a wonder of geography.

    Ten volcanic islands scattered across the Atlantic, bound by morabeza – that singular warmth and grace that define the Cabo Verdean soul.

    But it is the people who truly set Cabo Verde apart.

    A culture that is at once rooted and global, melancholic and joyful.

    This nation gave the world morna — a music of sodade, of longing for home across distant seas.

    It brought us the timeless voice of Cesária Évora, who sang from Mindelo to the world – and made every listener feel a little closer to Cabo Verde.

    Dear friends,

    When Cabo Verde gained independence, many may have doubted. 

    Yet five decades later, you stand as a middle-income country and a champion of peace and equality.

    As Prime Minister of Portugal, I had the privilege of working closely with Cabo Verde to deepen our cooperation.

    I recall with pride the signing of the Acordo de Cooperação Cambial – a monetary agreement that was more than a technical arrangement.

    It was a bridge between our economies, a symbol of trust, and a recognition of Cabo Verde’s growing role on the global stage.

    And through it all, you have remained true to your values.

    Welcoming migrants.

    Upholding the rule of law.

    And staying true to the principles of solidarity and open cooperation.

    I saw these values in action during my last visit.

    At the port of Mindelo, I watched the sails of the Ocean Race rise against the horizon — a striking reminder of Cabo Verde’s openness, resolve, and connection to the wider world.

    What stayed with me was not just the race, but the spirit onshore — young people learning, communities coming together, leaders thinking boldly about the future.

    It reinforced what I have always felt: Cabo Verde is not just navigating the tides of change — it is helping to chart the course.

    And the United Nations has been honoured to journey with you.

    From the earliest development plans — schools, health systems, and social protection;

    To our shared work on food security, disaster resilience, and democratic institutions;

    From supporting the graduation from Least Developed Country status;

    To cooperating on climate action, ocean conservation, biodiversity protection, renewable energy;

    And advancing the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index — a vital tool to reflect the unique challenges of small island developing countries.

    Together, we are exploring new frontiers: the blue economy, digital inclusion, and diaspora engagement.

    And today, as we celebrate your past, we also recommit to your future.

    A future shaped by resolve.

    Cabo Verde knows, more than most, the realities of climate change.

    Rising seas. Droughts. External shocks.

    Your location also brings higher costs — for transport, for energy, for resilience.

    But you have turned water scarcity into a frontier of innovation.

    You are building climate resilience in your infrastructure and communities.

    You are expanding clean energy.

    You are leading on marine conservation.

    And as co-lead of the SIDS Coalition for Nature, you are rallying global action to protect our planet’s most vulnerable ecosystems.

    You are showing the world that ocean stewardship is a responsibility.

    And the world must match your determination with support — through climate finance, technology, and fairer systems for Small Island Developing States.

    Dear friends,

    Fifty years ago, Cabo Verde was born into freedom.

    Today, it moves boldly into the future.

    With ambitious plans grounded in the Sustainable Development Goals.

    With innovation in the blue economy, biodiversity and climate resilience.

    With empowered youth and inclusive growth.

    With leadership in regional affairs – from ECOWAS to the African Union.

    And with more regional integration – taking advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

    The people of Cabo Verde understand what it means to struggle – and to overcome.

    To the povo cabo-verdiano, in every island and across the ocean:

    This celebration belongs to you.

    As Secretary-General of the United Nations, I salute your journey.

    As a friend, I rejoice in this moment and celebrate with you.

    As a citizen of the world, I thank you — for your example, your partnership, your promise.

    May Cabo Verde forever shine:

    As a light in the Atlantic.

    A bridge between continents.

    A country of hope and dreams.

    Parabéns, Cabo Verde.

    Long live the Republic.

    Long live your journey.

    Long live your future.

    Obrigado. Thank you.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI China: New generating unit at SW China hydropower station starts operation

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

    BEIJING, July 5 — The second generating unit at a hydropower station located at the main stream of the Jinsha River in southwest China, has been put into operation after a successful 72-hour trial, according to a report in the Science and Technology Daily on Saturday.

    The Batang hydropower station is equipped with three 250,000-kilowatt power generation units, capable of a total installed capacity of 750,000 kilowatts.

    Its first power generation unit was put into operation on May 15, while the third unit is expected to start running in mid-July.

    Once this power station is fully commissioned, it will be capable of providing more than 3 billion kilowatt-hours of clean energy annually, sufficient to meet the annual electricity consumption of 1.75 million households.

    This, notably, is equivalent to saving 1.05 million tonnes of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 3.15 million tonnes per year.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to Texas floods

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Scientists comment on the flooding in Texas.

    Dr Martina Egedusevic, Impact Fellow in Green Futures, University of Exeter, said:

    “The devastating floods in Texas are a stark reminder of how intensifying extreme weather events driven by climate change are interacting with land-use change, urbanisation, and aging infrastructure to produce severe impacts.  While individual flood events are influenced by multiple factors, we know that warmer air holds more moisture, increasing the likelihood of intense rainfall.  In many urban areas like those affected in Texas, impervious surfaces prevent water absorption, overwhelming drainage systems and exacerbating flash flooding.

    “This underlines the importance of not only improving forecasting and emergency response but also investing in long-term, systemic approaches to flood resilience.  Nature-based solutions such as wetland restoration, reforestation, and sustainable urban drainage systems can complement engineering infrastructure by slowing runoff and increasing infiltration.  As our research in the UK and internationally shows, working with nature can help mitigate the worst effects of flooding while delivering co-benefits for biodiversity, air quality, and climate adaptation.

    “However, each region has its own hydrological and social context, so local knowledge and inclusive planning are essential.  Understanding where and why such flood events happen also means tackling the underlying vulnerabilities like poorly planned development, socio-economic inequalities, and environmental degradation.”

    Prof Bill McGuire, Professor Emeritus of Geophysical & Climate Hazards, UCL, said:

    “The tragic events in Texas are exactly what we would expect in our hotter, climate-changed, world.  There has been an explosion in extreme weather in recent years, including more devastating flash floods caused by slow-moving, wetter, storms, that dump exceptional amounts of rain over small areas across a short time.  This frequently overwhelms river catchments leading to severe damage to adjacent infrastructure and loss of life.  Such events will only become more commonplace as the global temperature continues to climb, driven by carbon dioxide emissions that still top 40 billion tonnes every year.”

    Dr Jess Neumann, University of Reading, said:

    “The devastating floods of Kerr County in Texas is a tragic reminder of the dangers of sudden extreme rainfall and flash flooding.

    “Flash floods are not uncommon in the Hill Country area of Texas, where the weather is easily influenced by a ready supply of moist air from the Gulf of Mexico.  When very heavy rain falls on steep hillsides, this can create the conditions for raging torrents to be created in previously dry river beds, in just a matter of hours.

    “Totals of 200mm (around 8 inches) of rainfall were originally forecast, which is a significant amount in any location.  In places, this is expected to have reached more than 12 inches of rain.  For context, in the UK, 50mm of rain a day is considered heavy rainfall with serious potential for flooding.

    “This terrible event, in which children are missing and many have died, raises critical questions about effective early warning systems, flood planning and preparedness in the region.

    “It cannot be right that a flood of this magnitude, in an area known to be at high risk of flash floods, caused such devastation and has taken so many people by surprise.”

    Prof Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology at the University of Reading, said: 

    “For so many children to be swept away in a flood is an almost unimaginable horror.  Sadly, it can be the inability to see such a tragedy emerging that can be part of the failure of an early warning system for floods.  An alert system is a chain of human communication, and if one person in any part of the chain doesn’t respond as they should to take action, the system runs the risk of failure.  Human communication about events that have not yet occurred requires the use of imagination, and a lack of imagination can be lethal.

    “This downpour seems to have been well forecasted by multiple forecasters around the world, several hours in advance.  Warnings were issued, but the systems do not seem to have been in place to get information to those in harm’s way fast enough.  The timing of the flood, which happened in the middle of the night, would have meant that any last-minute actions to get out of the way of the water would have been hampered by darkness.

    “It is not good enough for authorities to say they were not aware that floods were coming.  Warnings were available but the message just didn’t get through.  This must be a reminder of the need to invest more effort in checking every aspect of early warning systems, from the science, to the communications, to the education required to spread more understanding of the risks and how to respond to them.”

    “Once again, we are left horrified and humbled by the dreadful power of the weather and the ability of our rivers to take lives.”

    Declared interests

    Prof Bill McGuire: “No conflicts of interest.”

    Dr Jess Neumann: “I am a trustee of the Charity River Mole River Watch.  We work with water companies including SES Water and the Environment Agency.  We receive funding for research from local Government, NGO’s and private business / industry.  No other conflicts of interest to declare.”

    Prof Hannah Cloke: “Works with and advises the Met Office, ECMWF and Environment Agency.”

    For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Audifort Drops: Unlock Natural Hearing Support and Echofree Tinnitus Enhance Health Naturally

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Miami, FL, July 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    Audifort Drops: Revolutionizing Hearing Health with Natural Ingredients

    Audifort Drops is proud to announce the official launch of Audifort Drops; an innovative and natural solution designed to improve hearing health and enhance auditory function. With an increasing number of individuals seeking natural alternatives to traditional hearing aids and treatments, Audifort Drops offers a groundbreaking option that supports ear health with carefully selected, natural ingredients. 

    This new product is aimed at those who wish to maintain their hearing health, reduce the risk of age-related hearing loss, and improve sound clarity in a safe and effective way. Audifort Drops are designed for individuals who want to protect their ears from damage caused by environmental factors, aging, and lifestyle choices, all without resorting to invasive procedures or expensive hearing devices.

    Experience the Difference in Hearing Health – Try Audifort Drops Today!

    What Are Audifort Drops?

    Audifort Drops are a specialized, natural supplement that supports hearing health by utilizing a combination of potent herbs, vitamins, and minerals. The formula was created to target the root causes of hearing loss, with ingredients that work together to support optimal auditory function and maintain the health of the inner ear. 

    These drops are simple to use and can be easily incorporated into a daily wellness routine. Whether you’re looking to maintain your hearing or improve your existing auditory function, Audifort Drops offer a safe, effective, and non-invasive solution.

    Key Benefits of Audifort Drops:

    • Natural Hearing Support: The carefully selected ingredients in Audifort Drops work to enhance hearing health by addressing the underlying causes of hearing deterioration.
    • Enhances Sound Perception: Improves the ability to hear sounds more clearly, providing support for individuals experiencing mild hearing loss.
    • Protects Against Damage: Provides antioxidant protection to safeguard the delicate structures of the ear and auditory nerves from oxidative stress, pollution, and environmental factors.
    • Supports Auditory Nerve Health: Promotes healthy nerve function, which is crucial for the transmission of sound signals to the brain.
    • Non-Invasive and Safe: Unlike hearing aids or invasive procedures, Audifort Drops offer a gentle and natural solution with no side effects.
    • Convenient and Easy to Use: The liquid formula is simple to use, making it an excellent option for daily consumption.

    The Science Behind Audifort Drops

    The formulation of Audifort Drops is rooted in cutting-edge scientific research on hearing health. Each ingredient has been meticulously chosen based on its well-documented benefits for auditory function. Among the key ingredients are:

    • Herbal Extracts: Ingredients like Ginkgo Biloba are known for their ability to boost circulation in the ears, increasing blood flow to the inner ear and enhancing auditory function.
    • Vitamins & Minerals: Essential nutrients like Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, and Magnesium are included to promote healthy nerve function and protect against damage caused by nutrient deficiencies.
    • Natural Antioxidants: Powerful antioxidants help protect the ear’s sensitive structures from oxidative stress, which can lead to age-related hearing decline.
    • Anti-Inflammatory Properties: Natural compounds found in the formula may help reduce inflammation, further supporting overall ear health.

    These ingredients work synergistically to provide comprehensive support for hearing health, making Audifort Drops one of the most advanced natural supplements for ear health on the market today.

    Why Choose Audifort Drops?

    Audifort Drops Hearing Solution stand out from other hearing supplements because they are made with entirely natural ingredients, which provide genuine, sustainable benefits without causing harmful side effects. Many individuals struggle with hearing loss due to various factors such as aging, noise exposure, and lifestyle choices. 

    Audifort Drops provide an effective solution that focuses on prevention and support rather than relying on devices or invasive methods. The non-invasive nature of the drops ensures that users can maintain their hearing health in a safe and affordable manner.

    Furthermore, the easy-to-use liquid form ensures that taking the supplement is simple and convenient, allowing individuals to easily incorporate it into their daily routine without the need for pills or complicated dosage schedules.

    Available Now for Purchase

    Audifort Drops are now available for purchase directly from the official website. Early buyers can take advantage of exclusive offers, including discounted prices and special bundle deals. With a satisfaction guarantee and a money-back policy, customers can confidently try Audifort Drops risk-free and experience the potential benefits for their hearing health.

    Give Your Hearing the Care It Deserves – Explore Audifort Drops!

    About Audifort

    Audifort is a leading health and wellness brand dedicated to providing high-quality, scientifically-formulated supplements designed to improve the well-being of individuals. The company’s focus is on developing safe, natural solutions that target various health concerns, with a particular emphasis on hearing health. Through rigorous research and dedication to quality, Audifort strives to create effective products that make a positive impact on the lives of its customers.

    Affiliate Disclosure:

    This page may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products and services that we believe will add value to our users. Your support helps us continue to provide helpful content.

    Disclaimer:

    Audifort Drops are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult with a healthcare provider before starting any new supplement regimen. Individual results may vary, and the effectiveness of the product is not guaranteed. This product is for informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice.

    Contact Information:

    For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
    Dave
    Marketing Team
    Audifort
    Email: contact@audifort.com
    Phone: 1-800-123-4567
    Website: https://audifort.com/

    Address:382 NE 191st St PMP 82029 Miami, FL, 33179

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: Under Xi, China’s first 15-year city plan resonates far

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

    XIAMEN, July 5 — In a quiet corner of an exhibition hall in the coastal city of Xiamen in east China’s Fujian Province rests a faded blue binder, its 300 yellowed pages meticulously preserved, containing the city’s economic and social development strategy from 1985 to 2000.

    During a 2024 inspection, President Xi Jinping paused here, his fingers tracing the pages he helped draft four decades ago. “We planted seeds here,” he said. “Today’s harvest surpasses our expectations.”

    In the summer of 1985, when 32-year-old Xi assumed the office of Xiamen’s vice mayor, the city was grappling with uncertainties.

    The central government had just expanded the Xiamen Special Economic Zone from 2.5 to 131 square kilometers, raising a pivotal question: how could a modest port city morph into a global harbor while preserving its unique features?

    With no domestic precedents to follow, officials here were divided. Some were overly optimistic about replicating Singapore or Hong Kong, while others remained skeptical that major breakthroughs could be achieved given Xiamen’s weak economic fundamentals.

    Xi took a different view. He argued that modern economic development demanded long-term thinking and a comprehensive approach.

    “We must think far ahead and see the bigger picture. Acting only for short-term goals leads to inefficiency and strategic drift,” he said in a 1986 meeting. It was under his direct leadership that Xiamen established an office to draft a development strategy for the next 15 years.

    “Xi’s contribution wasn’t merely in the construction of a building, a road or a bridge, but in establishing a long-term, forward-looking, and systemic approach to development,” recalled Zheng Jinmu, then deputy head of the city’s planning commission and one of the plan’s lead authors.

    At the time, it was common at both national and local levels to create annual or five-year development plans, but never a 15-year plan for a city.

    “Facing such a monumental research task, we had limited experience,” Xi acknowledged. “That’s why the team must study hard and explore boldly.”

    He led delegations to Beijing to seek guidance from top economists. He also met with researchers from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Xiamen University. Ultimately, over 100 experts and government staff contributed to 21 thematic reports covering industry, trade, port logistics, tourism, education, and more.

    Beyond expert consultation, Xi emphasized the importance of public participation. In 1986, a city-wide essay campaign themed “Xiamen in the Year 2000” was launched, inviting members of the public to give advice. Contributions poured in from scholars, engineers, civil servants and ordinary workers.

    The final blueprint positioned Xiamen as a strategic economic center in southern Fujian, a key gateway in China’s southeast coastline, a bridge for cross-Strait relations and a hub for China’s connections with Asia-Pacific economies. It set ambitious goals for port development, industrial modernization, and infrastructure, including turning the port of Xiamen into a major hub. Today, that vision is a reality.

    In reform policy, Xi pushed for bold steps, insisting that Xiamen should “dare to break through” and “explore a uniquely Chinese path” to free port development.

    He led study trips to Singapore and other ports, convened international conferences in Xiamen, and proposed a “three-step” approach: first, create bonded zones; then expand to a free trade zone; and eventually, a quasi-free port. This framework laid early conceptual groundwork for China’s national free trade zones decades later.

    Ecological governance was another key theme of the plan, years before “green development” became a national strategy. Yundang Lake, once heavily polluted, was Xi’s priority. In 1988, he introduced a clear-cut guideline for lake management focused on legal enforcement, sewage treatment, dredging, water flow improvement, and environmental beautification. This set in motion a decades-long transformation of the lake area into one of Xiamen’s most iconic scenic spots.

    “Destructive development isn’t always done by the ignorant,” Xi warned in a 1986 government address. “Sometimes it reflects a lack of responsibility or vision.”

    The plan also emphasized livelihoods. Of the six core goals set for 2000, three were directly related to people’s livelihoods: income growth, improved social services, and a healthy environment. It also proposed early solutions to urban-rural integration.

    “In building the city of Xiamen, we have carried on the approach adopted by Xi and our focus must be on creating places where citizens feel a sense of gain and belonging,” said Li Decai, chief of the city’s housing and development department.

    The same spirit of forward-thinking, grounded in evidence and public input, has sustained Xi’s later political career, while the experiences that began in one city continue to resonate far beyond it.

    As the general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Xi has repeatedly stressed the importance of strategic thinking and planning for a political party and a nation.

    In 2020, to formulate the 14th Five-Year Plan, public opinions and suggestions were solicited online. That same year, Xi chaired seven symposiums over three months that engaged representatives from various sectors.

    As China prepares to draft its 15th Five-Year Plan this year, Xi has stressed the importance of sound, democratic and law-based decision-making, emphasizing the need to integrate top-level design with public consultation, enhance research and dialogue, and build broad consensus.

    “When Xi led the formulation of Xiamen’s development strategy, he upheld an open and forward-looking vision that embraces historical trends,” said Zhang Xingxiang, a professor at the School of Economics, Xiamen University. “This approach offers invaluable insights for current national and local planners in formulating socio-economic development plans for the next five years.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: What time is it on the Moon? It’s all relative…

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Surely, you might think, we can just agree that one Earth time zone can be used for “Moon time”? Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), for example. How hard can it be? Unfortunately, this doesn’t work, for several reasons.

    Here on Earth, timekeeping is easy to take for granted: we divide our world into 24 time zones, based on longitude and the planet’s rotation, and can tell the time based on the position of the Sun in the sky.

    But on the Moon, the rules are different: one lunar “day” is approximately 29.5 Earth days long, and the Moon’s equatorial regions can experience up to 14 days of continuous sunlight. On some of the Moon’s tallest mountains, dubbed “peaks of eternal light,” the Sun never sets.

    On top of that, physicists and science fiction fans will know that time isn’t the same on the Moon as it is on Earth. Place two perfectly synchronised clocks – one on Earth and one on the Moon – and, after just one Earth day, the lunar clock would be ahead by about 56 microseconds. That might not sound like much, but for spacecraft navigation, this tiny discrepancy could be critical.

    Uniting efforts to standardize lunar time

    For a Moon time zone to work, aspiring lunar actors will need to agree on a common time standard that is reliable, traceable to Earth-based time, and usable by everyone. The UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is helping to lead the charge to make this a reality.

    In 2024, the UN’s International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG) established a dedicated working group to focus on lunar positioning, navigation and timing, standardise lunar time and trace it back to UTC that we use on Earth, for the benefit of all future lunar missions.

    Peace on Earth, peace on Moon

    Coordinating seamless timekeeping on the Moon is part of a broader UN mission to ensure that lunar activities, whether public, private, scientific, or commercial, are safe, peaceful and sustainable. To that end, UNOOSA convened the first United Nations Conference on Sustainable Lunar Activities in June 2024, gathering heads of space agencies, legal experts, astronauts, companies, and academics from across the globe to discuss common ground, share concerns, and reaffirm the need for transparent, inclusive lunar governance mechanisms.

    © NASA/Jordan Salkin/Keegan Bar

    View of Earth from the NASA Earth Observatory

    One such mechanism to further international cooperation is the new Action Team on Lunar Activities Consultation (ATLAC), which is designed to help foster dialogue and formulate recommendations on how lunar exploration and activities can be coordinated internationally. ATLAC will work to finalize its workplan for the significant coming years and identify priority topics – such as coordinated lunar timekeeping – to ensure lunar activities proceed in a cooperative and orderly manner.

    Humanity is entering a new era of lunar exploration featuring a record number of spacefaring nations and organizations that could reshape our relationship with our closest celestial neighbours for generations to come.

    Member States will be able to work with UNOOSA to preserve the Moon as a domain of global cooperation, guided by the Outer Space Treaty’s core principle that “the exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon, shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries.”

    NASA astronaut Harrison Schmitt on the moon (file, 1972)

    MIL OSI United Nations News –