NewzIntel.com

Category: Science

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Gabriel Makhlouf: Remarks – 100th anniversary of George Bernard Shaw winning the Nobel Prize for Literature

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Good morning everyone. Thank you to the Museum of Literature Ireland for hosting this event. Let me also extend a warm welcome to the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Emma Blain and to all our distinguished guests.

    We are here today to the launch our coin to commemorate the 100th anniversary of George Bernard Shaw winning the Nobel Prize for Literature. We issue commemorative coins on behalf of the Minister for Finance. Their aim is to recognise figures, or events, of national importance and we are here today to celebrate one of Ireland’s greatest literary geniuses, George Bernard Shaw. Shaw is one of Ireland’s four Nobel Literature winners and, in fact, until 2016, was the only person to have won both a Nobel Prize for Literature and an Academy Award (in 1939). Bob Dylan joined him in that club in 2016. 

    This coin is a tangible tribute to one of the brilliant minds of the 20th century. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1925 “for his work which is marked by both idealism and humanity, its stimulating satire often being infused with a singular poetic beauty”. Fintan O’Toole described him as the “most globally influential Irish person in history”, noting praise from Jawaharlal Nehru, Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill.  

    Shaw was more than a literary figure. Thomas Mann, a fellow Nobel Laureate four years after Shaw, wrote in his obituary tribute that “when we add the floodtide of essays, commentary, and amplifying criticism, embodying an all-embracing encyclopedic knowledge that draws equally on the natural sciences, theology, religious and general history, and especially on the social-economic sphere, always artistically leavened, full of esthetic charm, and unfailingly entertaining – when we add all this, we find ourselves face to face with a lifework of astonishing scope, apparently the fruit of continued inspiration, unceasing merriness, and of an indefatigable will to work.” 

    Shaw was also an orator who “with his lyrical Irish accent [-] could turn the classical rhetorical tradition into something apparently intimate and conversatonal, without losing its rhythms and vigour” (O’Toole). He was a man of formidable intellect and sharp wit and his works continue to resonate with audiences and scholars around the globe. As Mann also wrote, Shaw “tirelessly wielded the shining sword of his word and wit” against stupidity and “did his best in redressing the fateful imbalance between truth and reality, in lifting mankind to a higher rung of maturity.” As O’Toole says, “the most important aspect of his influence is not what Shaw taught people to think but how he taught them to think.”

    In an era of alternative truths and disinformation bubbles, perhaps his work has become more relevant than ever. 

    Conclusion

    Before I conclude, I’d like to thank some of the people who’ve helped to organise this event. Specifically, I want to pay tribute to the Central Bank’s Currency Centre team for the immense work they do each year on the collector coin series and I’d like to acknowledge the ongoing work of the Numismatic Advisory Panel who support the Bank’s programme.

    George Bernard Shaw left a significant legacy of theatrical, fictional, polemical, critical and philosophical writing. He wrote that “an Irishman’s heart is nothing but his imagination” and his appreciation and understanding of Ireland had a profound influence on his career. We take great pride in the issuing of commemorative coins and we are delighted in issuing this coin today. Shaw would probably have found the notion of his face on a coin rather strange – and he would have complained that we were commemorating him at all, as he did when awarded the Nobel Prize – but I hope he would also appreciate the enduring recognition it represents. 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: President Lai meets delegation from 2025 Taiwan International Ocean Forum

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Details
    2025-06-30
    President Lai meets Minister of State at UK Department for Business and Trade Douglas Alexander  
    On the morning of June 30, President Lai Ching-te met with Douglas Alexander, Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade of the United Kingdom. In remarks, President Lai thanked the UK government for its longstanding support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Noting that two years ago, Taiwan and the UK signed an enhanced trade partnership (ETP) arrangement, the president said that today Taiwan and the UK have signed three pillars under the ETP, which will help promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation. He expressed hope of the UK publicly supporting Taiwan’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) so that together we can create an economic and trade landscape in the Indo-Pacific characterized by shared prosperity and development. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: First, on behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend a warm welcome to Minister Alexander and wish a fruitful outcome for the 27th round of Taiwan-UK trade talks later today. Taiwan-UK relations have grown closer in recent years. We have not only continued to strengthen cooperation in such fields as offshore wind power, innovative technologies, and culture and education but also have established regular dialogue mechanisms in the critical areas of economics and trade, energy, and agriculture. The UK is currently Taiwan’s fourth-largest European trading partner, second-largest source of investment from Europe, and third-largest target for investment in Europe. Two years ago, Taiwan and the UK signed an ETP arrangement. This was particularly meaningful, as it was the first institutionalized economic and trade framework between Taiwan and a European country. Today, this arrangement is yielding further results. I am delighted that Taiwan and the UK have signed three pillars under the ETP covering investment, digital trade, and energy and net-zero. This will help promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation and advance industrial development on both sides. I also want to thank the UK government for its longstanding support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. This month, the UK published its Strategic Defence Review 2025 and National Security Strategy 2025, which oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. These not only demonstrate that Taiwan and the UK share similar goals but also show that security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region are inseparable from those of the transatlantic regions. In addition, last November, the House of Commons passed a motion which made clear that United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 neither established the sovereignty of the People’s Republic of China over Taiwan nor determined Taiwan’s status in the United Nations. The UK government also responded to the motion by publicly expressing for the first time its position on UNGA Resolution 2758, opposing any attempt to broaden the interpretation of the resolution to rewrite history. For this, on behalf of the people of Taiwan, I once again want to extend my deepest gratitude. Taiwan and the UK have the advantage of being highly complementary in the technology sector. In facing the restructuring of global supply chains and other international economic and trade developments, I believe that Taiwan and the UK are indispensable key partners for one another. I look forward to the UK publicly supporting Taiwan’s accession to the CPTPP so that together, we can create an economic and trade landscape in the Indo-Pacific characterized by shared prosperity and development. In closing, I wish Minister Alexander a pleasant and successful visit. And I hope he has the opportunity to visit Taiwan for personal travel in the future. Minister Alexander then delivered remarks, saying that it is a great personal honor to meet with everyone today to discuss further deepening the UK-Taiwan trade relationship and explore the many opportunities our two sides can pursue together. He mentioned that he traveled to Taiwan in 2022 when he was a private citizen, a visit he thoroughly enjoyed, so he is delighted to be back to see the strength of the UK-Taiwan relationship and the strengthening of that relationship. He said that relationship is built on mutual respect, democratic values, and a shared vision for open, resilient, and rules-based economic cooperation. As like-minded partners, he pointed out, our collaboration continues to grow across multiple sectors, and he is here today to further that momentum. Minister Alexander stated that on trade and investment, he is proud that this morning we signed the ETP Pillars on Investment, Digital Trade, Energy and Net Zero, which will provide a clear framework for our future cooperation and lay the foundation for expanded access and market-shaping engagement between our two economies. The minister said he believes that together with our annual trade talks, this partnership will help UK’s firms secure new commercial opportunities, improve regulatory alignment, and promote long-term investment in key growth areas, which in turn will also support Taiwan’s efforts to expand high-quality trade relationships with trusted partners. Minister Alexander said that President Lai’s promotion of the Five Trusted Industry Sectors and the UK’s recently published industrial and trade strategies are very well-aligned, as both cover clean energy and semiconductors as well as advanced manufacturing. He then provided an example, saying that both sides plan to invest in AI infrastructure and compute power-creating opportunities for great joint research in the future. By combining our strengths in these areas, he said, we can open the door to innovative collaboration and commercial success for both sides. He mentioned that yesterday he visited the Taiwan Space Agency, commenting that in sectors such as satellite technology, green energy, and cyber security, British expertise and trusted standards can provide meaningful solutions. Noting that President Lai spoke in his remarks of the broader challenge of peace and security in the region, Minister Alexander stated that the United Kingdom has, of course, also continued to affirm its commitment to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, along with its G7 partners. The UK-Taiwan relationship is strategic, enduring, and growing, he stated, and they reaffirm and remain firm in their longstanding position and confident in their ability to work together to support both prosperity and resilience in both of our societies. Minister Alexander said that, as Taiwan looks to diversify capital and build global partnerships, they believe the UK represents a strong and ambitious investment destination, particularly for Taiwanese companies at the very forefront of robotics, clean tech, and advanced industry. He pointed out that the UK’s markets are stable, open, and aligned with Taiwan’s vision of a high-tech, sustainable future, adding that he looks forward to our discussion on how we can further deepen our cooperation across all of these areas and more. The delegation also included Martin Kent, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific at the UK Department for Business and Trade. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by British Office Taipei Representative Ruth Bradley-Jones.   

    Details
    2025-06-27
    President Lai confers decoration on former Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Chairman Ohashi Mitsuo
    On the morning of June 27, President Lai Ching-te conferred the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon upon former Chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Ohashi Mitsuo in recognition of his firm convictions and tireless efforts in promoting Taiwan-Japan exchanges. In remarks, President Lai stated that Chairman Ohashi cares for Taiwan like a family member, and expressed hope that Taiwan and Japan continue to deepen their partnership, bring about the early signing of an economic partnership agreement (EPA), and jointly build secure and stable non-red supply chains as we boost the resilience and competitiveness of our economies and jointly safeguard the values of freedom and democracy. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: Every meeting I have with Chairman Ohashi, with whom I have worked side by side for many years, is warm and friendly. I recall that when we met last year, Chairman Ohashi said that he often thinks about what Japan can do for Taiwan and what Taiwan can do for Japan, and that it is that mutual concern that makes us so close. This was a truly moving statement illustrating the relationship between Taiwan and Japan. Chairman Ohashi has also said numerous times that our bilateral relations may very well be the best in the entire world, and that in fact they may serve as a model to other countries. Indeed, Chairman Ohashi is himself an exemplary model for friendly relations between Taiwan and Japan. His spirit of always working tirelessly to promote Taiwan-Japan exchanges is truly admirable. Assuming the position of chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association in 2011, he served during the terms of former Presidents Ma Ying-jeou and Tsai Ing-wen, continuously making positive contributions to Taiwan-Japan relations. Over these past 14 years, Taiwan and Japan have signed over 50 major agreements, spanning the economy and trade, fisheries, and taxes, among other areas. In 2017, the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association and the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association underwent name changes, strengthening the essence and significance of Taiwan-Japan relations. These great achievements were all made possible thanks to the firm convictions and tireless efforts of Chairman Ohashi. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I am delighted to confer upon Chairman Ohashi the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon to express our deepest thanks for his outstanding contributions. Chairman Ohashi is not just a good friend of Taiwan, but someone who cares for Taiwan like a family member. When a major earthquake struck in 2016, he personally went to Tainan to assess the situation and meet with the city government. This outpouring of friendship and support across borders was deeply moving. As we look to the future, I hope that Taiwan and Japan can continue to deepen our partnership. In addition to bringing about the early signing of an EPA, I also hope that we can expand collaboration in key areas such as semiconductors, energy, and AI, continue building secure and stable non-red supply chains, and boost the resilience and competitiveness of our economies as well as peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. As Chairman Ohashi has said, the close bilateral relationship between Taiwan and Japan is one the world can be proud of. I would like to thank him once again for his contributions to deepening Taiwan-Japan ties. Taiwan will continue to forge ahead side by side with Japan, jointly safeguarding the values of freedom and democracy and mutually advancing prosperous development. I wish Chairman Ohashi good health, happiness, peace, and success in his future endeavors, and invite him to return to Taiwan often to visit old friends. Chairman Ohashi then delivered remarks, first thanking President Lai for his kind words. He stated that the Taiwan-Japan relationship is not only worthy of praise; it can also serve as a superb model in the world for bilateral relations that is worthy of study by other countries. He added that this is the result of the collective efforts of President Lai as well as many other individuals. Chairman Ohashi said that the current international situation is rather severe, with wars and conflicts occurring between many neighboring countries. He said that there is a growing trend of nuclear weapon proliferation, emphasizing that use of such weapons would cause significant harm between nations. He also pointed out that some countries even use nuclear weapons as a threat, leading to instability and impacting the global situation. Chairman Ohashi said that neither Taiwan nor Japan possesses nuclear weapons, which is something to be proud of. That is why, he said, we can declare that a world without nuclear weapons is a peaceful world. He also mentioned that during his tenure as chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, he consistently upheld this principle in his work. Chairman Ohashi said that the mission of the World Federalist Movement (WFM) is to promote world peace. He said that the WFM has branches in countries worldwide, with the WFM of Japan being one of the most prominent, and that it also aspires to achieve the goal of world peace. Having served as chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association for 14 years, he said, he is now stepping down from this role and will serve as the chairman of the WFM of Japan, aiming to promote peace in countries around the world. Chairman Ohashi said that both Taiwan and Japan can take pride in our friendly bilateral relationship, emphasizing that if the good relationship between Japan and Taiwan could be offered as an example to countries around the world, there would be no more wars. He expressed his sincere hope that under President Lai’s leadership, Taiwan and Japan can work together to jointly promote world peace. Also in attendance at the ceremony was Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Katayama Kazuyuki.

    Details
    2025-06-25
    President Lai meets Japan’s former Economic Security Minister Kobayashi Takayuki
    On the afternoon of June 25, President Lai Ching-te met with Kobayashi Takayuki, Japan’s former economic security minister and a current member of the House of Representatives. In remarks, President Lai expressed hope to combine the strengths of the democratic community to build resilient, reliable non-red supply chains, and ensure a resilient global economy and sustainable development. He also expressed hope that Taiwan and Japan can bring about the early signing of an economic partnership agreement (EPA), and that Japan will continue supporting Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), enhancing our own bilateral partnership, as doing so would create win-win situations and further contribute to regional economic security and stability. The following is a translation of President Lai’s remarks: I welcome Representative Kobayashi back to Taiwan for another visit after seven years. During his last visit, he was with a delegation from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Youth Division, and we met at the Executive Yuan. I am very happy to see him again today. Representative Kobayashi has long paid close attention to matters involving economic security, technological innovation, and aerospace policy. He also made a stunning debut in last year’s LDP presidential election, showing that he is truly a rising star and an influential figure in the political sphere. With this visit, Representative Kobayashi is demonstrating support for Taiwan with concrete action, which is very meaningful. Taiwan and Japan are both part of the first island chain’s key line of defense. We thank the many Japanese prime ministers, including former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio, as well as current Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, for the many times they have highlighted the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait at important international venues, and for expressing opposition to the use of force or coercion to unilaterally change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. I hope that Taiwan and Japan can engage in more cooperation and exchanges to promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region in all aspects. In particular, China in recent years has been actively expanding its red supply chains, which threaten the global free trade system and advanced technology markets. Taiwan hopes to combine the strengths of the democratic community to build resilient, reliable non-red supply chains. In the semiconductor industry, for example, Taiwan has excellent advanced manufacturing capabilities, while Japan plays an important role in materials, equipment, and key technologies. I am confident that, given the experience that Taiwan and Japan have in cooperating, we can build an industrial supply chain composed of democratic nations to ensure a resilient global economy and sustainable development. I hope that Taiwan and Japan can bring about the early signing of an EPA in order to deepen our bilateral trade and investment exchanges and cooperation. I also hope that Japan will continue supporting Taiwan’s bid to join the CPTPP, enhancing our own bilateral partnership, as doing so would create win-win situations and further contribute to regional economic security and stability. Taiwan and Japan are democratic partners that share the values of freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights. I firmly believe that so long as we work together, we can certainly address the challenges posed by authoritarianism, and bring prosperity and development to the Indo-Pacific region. In closing, I welcome Representative Kobayashi once again. I am certain that this visit will help enhance Taiwan-Japan exchanges and deepen our friendship. Representative Kobayashi then delivered remarks, first thanking President Lai for taking the time to meet with him, and noting that this was his second visit to Taiwan following a trip seven years prior, when he came with his good friend from college and then-Director of the LDP Youth Division Suzuki Keisuke, now Japan’s minister of justice. Representative Kobayashi mentioned a Japanese kanji that he is very fond of – 絆 (kizuna) – which means “deep ties of friendship.” He emphasized that a key purpose of this visit to Taiwan was to reiterate the deep ties of friendship between Taiwan and Japan. In addition to deep historical ties, he said, Taiwan and Japan also enjoy a like-minded partnership in terms of economic, personnel, and friendship-oriented exchanges. He went on to say that at the strategic level, Taiwan and Japan also have deep ties of friendship, and that for Japan, it is strategically important that Taiwan not be isolated under any circumstances. Representative Kobayashi emphasized that cooperation between Taiwan and Japan, and even cooperation among Taiwan, Japan, and the United States, are more important now than ever, and that another important focus of this visit is the non-red supply chains referred to earlier by President Lai. He said that as Japan’s first economic security minister and the person currently in charge of the LDP’s policy on economic security, he is acutely aware of the important impact of economic security on national interests, and therefore looks forward to further exchanging views regarding Taiwan’s concrete steps to build non-red supply chains. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Deputy Representative Takaba Yo.

    Details
    2025-06-16
    President Lai meets delegation led by Representative Bera, co-chair of US Congressional Taiwan Caucus
    On the morning of June 16, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Representative Ami Bera, co-chair of the US Congressional Taiwan Caucus. In remarks, President Lai thanked the representatives in Congress for actively voicing support for Taiwan and proposing numerous Taiwan-friendly initiatives to strengthen Taiwan-US ties, helping expand Taiwan’s international space and continuing to place focus on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The president said that we will continue to strengthen bilateral investment and industrial cooperation and create a more comprehensive environment for economic and trade exchanges to jointly enhance economic and developmental resilience. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I am delighted to meet with the delegation and welcome Congressman Bera back to the Presidential Office. Last January, he visited after the presidential election, demonstrating the steadfast backing of the US Congress for democratic Taiwan. This time, as head of a delegation of new members of the House Armed Services Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee, he is continuing to foster US congressional support for Taiwan. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend a sincere welcome to Congressman Bera and all our esteemed guests. Over the years, staunch bipartisan US congressional backing of Taiwan has been a key force for steadily advancing our bilateral relations. I thank the representatives in Congress for actively voicing support for Taiwan and proposing numerous Taiwan-friendly initiatives, thereby strengthening Taiwan-US ties, helping expand Taiwan’s international space, and continuing to place focus on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. I want to emphasize that Taiwan has an unwavering determination to safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Over the past year, the government and private sector have been working together to enhance Taiwan’s whole-of-society defense resilience and accelerate reform of national defense. The government is also prioritizing special budget allocations to ensure that our defense budget exceeds three percent of GDP this year. I hope that Taiwan-US security cooperation will evolve beyond military procurement to a partnership that encompasses joint research and development and joint production, further strengthening cooperation and exchange in the defense industry. Regarding industrial exchanges, last month, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Jyh-huei (郭智輝) each visited Texas to see firsthand Taiwan-US collaboration in AI and semiconductors. And the delegation led by Executive Yuan Secretary-General Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) sent by Taiwan to this year’s SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, DC, was again the largest of those attending. All of this demonstrates Taiwan’s commitment to working alongside the US to create mutual prosperity. In the future, we will continue to strengthen bilateral investment and industrial cooperation. And I hope that the legislation addressing the issue of Taiwan-US double taxation will become law this year. I want to thank Congressman Bera for co-leading a joint letter last November signed by over 100 members of Congress calling for such legislation. I believe that by creating a more comprehensive environment for economic and trade exchanges, Taiwan and the US can enhance economic and developmental resilience. In closing, I thank you all for making the long journey here to advance Taiwan-US relations. Let us continue working together to promote the prosperous development of this important partnership. Congressman Bera then delivered remarks, saying that on behalf of the delegation, it is an honor for him to be here once again, it being last January that he and Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart visited and congratulated President Lai on his election victory, noting that theirs was the first congressional delegation to do so. Congressman Bera said that this is an important time, not just for the US and Taiwan relationship, but for all relationships around the world. When we look at conflicts in Europe and in the Middle East, he said, it is incumbent upon democracies to hold the peace in Asia. He emphasized that is why it is important for them to bring a delegation of members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Armed Services Committee, adding that he believes for all of them it is their first trip to Taiwan.  Congressman Bera said that while this is a delegation of Democratic members of Congress, in a bipartisan way all of Congress continues to support the people of Taiwan. As such, in this visit he brings support from his co-chairs on the Taiwan caucus, Congressman Díaz-Balart and Congressman Andy Barr. He also took a moment to recognize the passing of Congressman Gerald Connolly, who was a longtime friend of Taiwan and one of their co-chairs on the caucus. Congressman Bera mentioned that there is always a special bond between himself and President Lai because they are both doctors, and as doctors, their profession is about healing, keeping the peace, and making sure everybody has a bright, prosperous future. In closing, he highlighted that it is in that spirit that their delegation visits with the president. The delegation also included members of the US Congress Gabe Amo, Wesley Bell, Julie Johnson, Sarah McBride, and Johnny Olszewski.

    Details
    2025-06-13
    President Lai meets delegation led by French National Assembly Taiwan Friendship Group Chair Marie-Noëlle Battistel
    On the morning of June 12, President Lai Ching-te met a delegation led by Marie-Noëlle Battistel, chair of the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group. In remarks, President Lai thanked the National Assembly for its long-term support for Taiwan’s international participation and for upholding security in the Taiwan Strait, helping make France the first major country in the world to enact legislation to uphold freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait. The president also said that exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and France are becoming more frequent, and that he hopes this visit by the Taiwan Friendship Group will inject new momentum into Taiwan-France relations and help build closer partnerships in the economy, trade, energy, and digital security.  A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: First, I would like to welcome Chair Battistel, who is once again leading a visiting delegation. Last year, Chair Battistel co-led a delegation to attend the inauguration ceremony for myself and Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao. This is her fourth visit, and first as chair of the Taiwan Friendship Group, which makes it especially meaningful. This delegation’s visit demonstrates strong support for Taiwan, and on behalf of the people of Taiwan, I want to express my sincerest welcome and thanks. France is a pioneer in promoting free and democratic values. These are values that Taiwan cherishes and is working hard to defend. I want to express gratitude to the French Parliament for their long-term support for Taiwan’s international participation, and for upholding security in the Taiwan Strait. The French Parliament’s two chambers have continued to strongly support Taiwan, with the passage of a resolution supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations in 2021, as well as the passage of the seven-year Military Programming Law in 2023. This has made France the first major country in the world to enact legislation to uphold freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait. Through it all, the Taiwan Friendship Group has played a key role, and I want to thank all of our distinguished guests for their efforts. Over the past few years, Taiwan and France have continued to deepen cooperation in areas including the economy, technology, culture, and sports. At the Choose France summit held in Paris last month, Taiwanese and French enterprises also announced they will launch cooperation in the semiconductor and satellite fields. The VivaTech startup exhibition, now being held in France, also has many Taiwanese vendors participating. Exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and France, whether official or people-to-people, are becoming more and more frequent. I hope that this visit by the Taiwan Friendship Group will inject new momentum into Taiwan-France relations, building closer partnerships in the economy, trade, energy, and digital security.  To address current geopolitical and economic challenges, Taiwan will continue to join forces with France and other like-minded countries to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, and contribute our concerted efforts to global prosperity and development. Once again, I want to welcome our visitors to Taiwan. I hope to continue our joint efforts to create a more prosperous future for both Taiwan and France.   Chair Battistel then delivered remarks, thanking President Lai for extending this invitation. Last year on May 20, she said, she and her delegation attended the presidential inauguration ceremony, so she was delighted to visit Taiwan once again with the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group and bear witness to their friendship with Taiwan. Chair Battistel noted that this visit has given them an opportunity to strengthen Taiwan-France relations in areas including the economy, culture, the humanities, and diplomacy, and conduct exchanges with numerous heads of government agencies and research institutes. It has also been an opportunity, she said, to witness the importance of exchanges and cooperation with Taiwan in areas including energy, semiconductors, youth, and culture, and the impact created by important issues of mutual concern, including AI and disinformation, on the security of many countries. Chair Battistel praised Taiwan for its youth development efforts, and said that under the Taiwan Global Pathfinders Initiative, 30 Taiwanese young people have embarked on a visit to France, with itineraries including the United Nations Ocean Conference and the VivaTech exhibition, as well as the city of Toulouse, which is strategically important for the aerospace industry. Members of the group are also conducting exchanges at the French National Assembly, she said.  Chair Battistel stated that the Taiwan-France partnership is growing closer, and that she hopes to continue to strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation, as supporting peace for Taiwan supports peace around the world.  The delegation also included Taiwan Friendship Group Vice Chair Éric Martineau, as well as National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affairs Vice Chair Laetitia Saint-Paul and Deputies Marie-José Allemand and Claudia Rouaux. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by French Office in Taipei Deputy Director Cléa Le Cardeur.

    Details
    2025-05-20
    President Lai interviewed by Nippon Television and Yomiuri TV
    In a recent interview on Nippon Television’s news zero program, President Lai Ching-te responded to questions from host Mr. Sakurai Sho and Yomiuri TV Shanghai Bureau Chief Watanabe Masayo on topics including reflections on his first year in office, cross-strait relations, China’s military threats, Taiwan-United States relations, and Taiwan-Japan relations. The interview was broadcast on the evening of May 19. During the interview, President Lai stated that China intends to change the world’s rules-based international order, and that if Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted. Therefore, he said, Taiwan will strengthen its national defense, prevent war by preparing for war, and achieve the goal of peace. The president also noted that Taiwan’s purpose for developing drones is based on national security and industrial needs, and that Taiwan hopes to collaborate with Japan. He then reiterated that China’s threats are an international problem, and expressed hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war. Following is the text of the questions and the president’s responses: Q: How do you feel as you are about to round out your first year in office? President Lai: When I was young, I was determined to practice medicine and save lives. When I left medicine to go into politics, I was determined to transform Taiwan. And when I was sworn in as president on May 20 last year, I was determined to strengthen the nation. Time flies, and it has already been a year. Although the process has been very challenging, I am deeply honored to be a part of it. I am also profoundly grateful to our citizens for allowing me the opportunity to give back to our country. The future will certainly be full of more challenges, but I will do everything I can to unite the people and continue strengthening the nation. That is how I am feeling now. Q: We are now coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and over this period, we have often heard that conflict between Taiwan and the mainland is imminent. Do you personally believe that a cross-strait conflict could happen? President Lai: The international community is very much aware that China intends to replace the US and change the world’s rules-based international order, and annexing Taiwan is just the first step. So, as China’s military power grows stronger, some members of the international community are naturally on edge about whether a cross-strait conflict will break out. The international community must certainly do everything in its power to avoid a conflict in the Taiwan Strait; there is too great a cost. Besides causing direct disasters to both Taiwan and China, the impact on the global economy would be even greater, with estimated losses of US$10 trillion from war alone – that is roughly 10 percent of the global GDP. Additionally, 20 percent of global shipping passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, so if a conflict breaks out in the strait, other countries including Japan and Korea would suffer a grave impact. For Japan and Korea, a quarter of external transit passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, and a third of the various energy resources and minerals shipped back from other countries pass through said areas. If Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted, and therefore conflict in the Taiwan Strait must be avoided. Such a conflict is indeed avoidable. I am very thankful to Prime Minister of Japan Ishiba Shigeru and former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio, as well as US President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden, and the other G7 leaders, for continuing to emphasize at international venues that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are essential components for global security and prosperity. When everyone in the global democratic community works together, stacking up enough strength to make China’s objectives unattainable or to make the cost of invading Taiwan too high for it to bear, a conflict in the strait can naturally be avoided. Q: As you said, President Lai, maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is also very important for other countries. How can war be avoided? What sort of countermeasures is Taiwan prepared to take to prevent war? President Lai: As Mr. Sakurai mentioned earlier, we are coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. There are many lessons we can take from that war. First is that peace is priceless, and war has no winners. From the tragedies of WWII, there are lessons that humanity should learn. We must pursue peace, and not start wars blindly, as that would be a major disaster for humanity. In other words, we must be determined to safeguard peace. The second lesson is that we cannot be complacent toward authoritarian powers. If you give them an inch, they will take a mile. They will keep growing, and eventually, not only will peace be unattainable, but war will be inevitable. The third lesson is why WWII ended: It ended because different groups joined together in solidarity. Taiwan, Japan, and the Indo-Pacific region are all directly subjected to China’s threats, so we hope to be able to join together in cooperation. This is why we proposed the Four Pillars of Peace action plan. First, we will strengthen our national defense. Second, we will strengthen economic resilience. Third is standing shoulder to shoulder with the democratic community to demonstrate the strength of deterrence. Fourth is that as long as China treats Taiwan with parity and dignity, Taiwan is willing to conduct exchanges and cooperate with China, and seek peace and mutual prosperity. These four pillars can help us avoid war and achieve peace. That is to say, Taiwan hopes to achieve peace through strength, prevent war by preparing for war, keeping war from happening and pursuing the goal of peace. Q: Regarding drones, everyone knows that recently, Taiwan has been actively researching, developing, and introducing drones. Why do you need to actively research, develop, and introduce new drones at this time? President Lai: This is for two purposes. The first is to meet national security needs. The second is to meet industrial development needs. Because Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines are all part of the first island chain, and we are all democratic nations, we cannot be like an authoritarian country like China, which has an unlimited national defense budget. In this kind of situation, island nations such as Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines should leverage their own technologies to develop national defense methods that are asymmetric and utilize unmanned vehicles. In particular, from the Russo-Ukrainian War, we see that Ukraine has successfully utilized unmanned vehicles to protect itself and prevent Russia from unlimited invasion. In other words, the Russo-Ukrainian War has already proven the importance of drones. Therefore, the first purpose of developing drones is based on national security needs. Second, the world has already entered the era of smart technology. Whether generative, agentic, or physical, AI will continue to develop. In the future, cars and ships will also evolve into unmanned vehicles and unmanned boats, and there will be unmanned factories. Drones will even be able to assist with postal deliveries, or services like Uber, Uber Eats, and foodpanda, or agricultural irrigation and pesticide spraying. Therefore, in the future era of comprehensive smart technology, developing unmanned vehicles is a necessity. Taiwan, based on industrial needs, is actively planning the development of drones and unmanned vehicles. I would like to take this opportunity to express Taiwan’s hope to collaborate with Japan in the unmanned vehicle industry. Just as we do in the semiconductor industry, where Japan has raw materials, equipment, and technology, and Taiwan has wafer manufacturing, our two countries can cooperate. Japan is a technological power, and Taiwan also has significant technological strengths. If Taiwan and Japan work together, we will not only be able to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and security in the Indo-Pacific region, but it will also be very helpful for the industrial development of both countries. Q: The drones you just described probably include examples from the Russo-Ukrainian War. Taiwan and China are separated by the Taiwan Strait. Do our drones need to have cross-sea flight capabilities? President Lai: Taiwan does not intend to counterattack the mainland, and does not intend to invade any country. Taiwan’s drones are meant to protect our own nation and territory. Q: Former President Biden previously stated that US forces would assist Taiwan’s defense in the event of an attack. President Trump, however, has yet to clearly state that the US would help defend Taiwan. Do you think that in such an event, the US would help defend Taiwan? Or is Taiwan now trying to persuade the US? President Lai: Former President Biden and President Trump have answered questions from reporters. Although their responses were different, strong cooperation with Taiwan under the Biden administration has continued under the Trump administration; there has been no change. During President Trump’s first term, cooperation with Taiwan was broader and deeper compared to former President Barack Obama’s terms. After former President Biden took office, cooperation with Taiwan increased compared to President Trump’s first term. Now, during President Trump’s second term, cooperation with Taiwan is even greater than under former President Biden. Taiwan-US cooperation continues to grow stronger, and has not changed just because President Trump and former President Biden gave different responses to reporters. Furthermore, the Trump administration publicly stated that in the future, the US will shift its strategic focus from Europe to the Indo-Pacific. The US secretary of defense even publicly stated that the primary mission of the US is to prevent China from invading Taiwan, maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific, and thus maintain world peace. There is a saying in Taiwan that goes, “Help comes most to those who help themselves.” Before asking friends and allies for assistance in facing threats from China, Taiwan must first be determined and prepared to defend itself. This is Taiwan’s principle, and we are working in this direction, making all the necessary preparations to safeguard the nation. Q: I would like to ask you a question about Taiwan-Japan relations. After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, you made an appeal to give Japan a great deal of assistance and care. In particular, you visited Sendai to offer condolences. Later, you also expressed condolences and concern after the earthquakes in Aomori and Kumamoto. What are your expectations for future Taiwan-Japan exchanges and development? President Lai: I come from Tainan, and my constituency is in Tainan. Tainan has very deep ties with Japan, and of course, Taiwan also has deep ties with Japan. However, among Taiwan’s 22 counties and cities, Tainan has the deepest relationship with Japan. I sincerely hope that both of you and your teams will have an opportunity to visit Tainan. I will introduce Tainan’s scenery, including architecture from the era of Japanese rule, Tainan’s cuisine, and unique aspects of Tainan society, and you can also see lifestyles and culture from the Showa era.  The Wushantou Reservoir in Tainan was completed by engineer Mr. Hatta Yoichi from Kanazawa, Japan and the team he led to Tainan after he graduated from then-Tokyo Imperial University. It has nearly a century of history and is still in use today. This reservoir, along with the 16,000-km-long Chianan Canal, transformed the 150,000-hectare Chianan Plain into Taiwan’s premier rice-growing area. It was that foundation in agriculture that enabled Taiwan to develop industry and the technology sector of today. The reservoir continues to supply water to Tainan Science Park. It is used by residents of Tainan, the agricultural sector, and industry, and even the technology sector in Xinshi Industrial Park, as well as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Because of this, the people of Tainan are deeply grateful for Mr. Hatta and very friendly toward the people of Japan. A major earthquake, the largest in 50 years, struck Tainan on February 6, 2016, resulting in significant casualties. As mayor of Tainan at the time, I was extremely grateful to then-Prime Minister Abe, who sent five Japanese officials to the disaster site in Tainan the day after the earthquake. They were very thoughtful and asked what kind of assistance we needed from the Japanese government. They offered to provide help based on what we needed. I was deeply moved, as former Prime Minister Abe showed such care, going beyond the formality of just sending supplies that we may or may not have actually needed. Instead, the officials asked what we needed and then provided assistance based on those needs, which really moved me. Similarly, when the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 or the later Kumamoto earthquakes struck, the people of Tainan, under my leadership, naturally and dutifully expressed their support. Even earlier, when central Taiwan was hit by a major earthquake in 1999, Japan was the first country to deploy a rescue team to the disaster area. On February 6, 2018, after a major earthquake in Hualien, former Prime Minister Abe appeared in a video holding up a message of encouragement he had written in calligraphy saying “Remain strong, Taiwan.” All of Taiwan was deeply moved. Over the years, Taiwan and Japan have supported each other when earthquakes struck, and have forged bonds that are family-like, not just neighborly. This is truly valuable. In the future, I hope Taiwan and Japan can be like brothers, and that the peoples of Taiwan and Japan can treat one another like family. If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem; if Japan has a problem, then Taiwan has a problem. By caring for and helping each other, we can face various challenges and difficulties, and pursue a brighter future. Q: President Lai, you just used the phrase “If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem.” In the event that China attempts to invade Taiwan by force, what kind of response measures would you hope the US military and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces take? President Lai: As I just mentioned, annexing Taiwan is only China’s first step. Its ultimate objective is to change the rules-based international order. That being the case, China’s threats are an international problem. So, I would very much hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war – prevention, after all, is more important than cure.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: On World Dog Day, Moscow State Veterinary Service Doctors Talked About Their Most Interesting Patients

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Every year, Moscow’s state veterinary clinics receive about 250 thousand dogs. In the first half of this year, city residents came to see their dogs more than 139 thousand times, of which 32 thousand pets needed veterinary care for the first time.

    On July 2, World Dog Day, specialists from state veterinary clinics talked about the specifics of working with man’s faithful friends and remembered the most interesting patients.

    Little Ones and Giants

    Muscovites increasingly prefer miniature dog breeds – this is a trend of recent years. Today, veterinarians unanimously call Yorkshire terriers the most popular breed – these dogs are encountered more often than others at receptions in state veterinary clinics. Chihuahuas, French bulldogs, Spitz and corgis are slightly inferior to Yorkies in numbers, but are also common in the capital.

    Among the frequent guests of veterinary clinics are also toy terriers, pugs, spitz and Jack Russell terriers, which confirms the steady interest in compact and active breeds. But rare patients of the capital’s veterinarians include French spaniels, Tyrolean hounds, Czech fouseks, Swedish vallhunds and Swiss laufhunds.

    The smallest Yorkie weighing 500 grams was registered at the Krasnogvardeyskaya Veterinary Clinic, and a Chihuahua that fit in the owner’s palm was treated at Kuntsevskaya. Among the largest breeds, pets weighing from 75 to 120 kilograms were seen at the veterinarian’s office – a Spanish water dog, a Caucasian shepherd, a Leonberger and an Alabai. The record belongs to a patient at the Butovskaya Veterinary Clinic – a Tibetan mastiff named Orlando, who weighs more than 120 kilograms.

    Seasoned and biting

    The most “biting monsters” who are ready to eat the vet at the appointment are among miniature dog breeds. Toy terriers are the top dog, and Chihuahuas, griffons, Pomeranians and Yorkies are also among the most toothy patients.

    Labradors behave ideally in the veterinarian’s office – they are the most docile and obedient patients. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Bichon Frise, Sennenhund and Bulldog breeds calmly visit the veterinary clinic.

    The Zelenograd veterinary clinic recently accepted an English bulldog with a truly British character – the dog was able to remove a skin lesion under local anesthesia, and the patient not only did not worry, but also continued to play calmly with the paramedic.

    The most common diseases

    Most often, pets are brought to Moscow state veterinary clinics with complaints of digestive system problems, gastroenteritis, enterocolitis. Also among the most common ailments in dogs are diseases of the urinary and cardiovascular systems.

    In miniature breeds, cardiologists often note mitral valve endocardiosis and cardiomyopathy. As a rule, dogs are brought to surgeons, orthopedists and traumatologists with orthopedic diseases, lameness of various etiologies, luxation of the patella, and also with tumors.

    Veterinarians also cite dental problems, kennel cough, and atopic dermatitis as common diseases in dogs.

    Complex cases

    In Moscow state veterinary clinics, dogs undergo operations of any degree of complexity – dental, oncological, ophthalmological, on the musculoskeletal system and many others.

    Recently, a four-year-old dog was operated on at the Zelenograd veterinary clinic. Due to numerous cesarean sections, she developed adhesive disease. A planned sterilization turned into a difficult case – surgeon Nadezhda Kuzina with great difficulty separated the uterus and ovaries from other organs, including the intestines, bladder and peritoneum. After the operation, the calm and leisurely patient turned into a lively dog, became super active, cheerful, which greatly surprised the owners. It turned out that adhesions were pulling everything inside and preventing her from moving.

    Pavel Artamonov, a trauma surgeon at the Krasnogvardeyskaya Veterinary Clinic, encountered a unique case when removing a poodle’s spleen. The weight of the removed organ, together with the tumor, was five kilograms, meaning that the 16-kilogram patient “lost weight” to 11 kilograms after the operation.

    The same veterinary clinic told of an almost unbelievable case of healing a 10-year-old Yorkie. The dog was picked up on the street. In addition to a tumor of the uterus and ovaries, she had multiple hernias and a prolapsed bladder into the hernial sac. During the operation, the patient’s heart stopped four times, and there was also swelling of the brain stem. Surgeon Ekaterina Baranova and a team of specialists had to perform resuscitation four times. As a result, the dog’s condition was stabilized and within a week after the operation, she fully recovered.

    There are 25 state veterinary clinics in Moscow. You can make an appointment online atMos.ru, in the mobile applications “Gosuslugi Moskvy” and “My Moscow”, as well as through contact center operators by phone: 7 495 612-12-12 (24 hours).

    Sergei Sobyanin: Full-fledged canine parks will be created in MoscowThe capital’s veterinarians will talk about pet care at the “Paws” festivalBirthday of the Moscow State Veterinary Service: How the capital’s veterinary science lives and develops

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/156155073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australians will soon need their age checked to log into online search tools – here’s why

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa M. Given, Professor of Information Sciences & Director, Social Change Enabling Impact Platform, RMIT University

    Shutterstock

    By the end of this year, the experience of using search engines in Australia won’t be as simple as it has always been.

    That’s thanks to a new online safety code announced yesterday by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant. Among other measures, it will require all Australian users to provide assurance of their age when they sign into a search engine account.

    So what’s the new code about? How will it work in practice? And how exactly will it affect kids – and adults – in Australia who use search engines such as Google?

    What’s in the new code?

    The code orders providers of internet search-engine services such as Google and Microsoft (which owns Bing) to “implement appropriate age assurance measures for account holders” within six months.

    The code requires providers to review and mitigate “the risk that Australian children will access or be exposed to online pornography, high-impact violence material, and self-harm material” in search engine results.

    While the code does not define the age of a “child” as being under 18, or another age, a search engine must apply tools and settings that “at a minimum” filter out online pornography and extremely violent material from search results. Providers must also ensure advertising in these content areas is not served up in search results to child account holders.

    Currently, Google account holders must be at least 13 years old.

    The code creates several other rules for search engine providers that will impact everyone.

    For example, providers must “prevent autocomplete predictions that are sexually explicit or violent” and prominently display crisis-prevention information, such as helplines, in the results for queries relating to topics such as self-harm, suicide and eating disorders.

    Search engine providers will also have to blur some images in search results by default to reduce the risk of kids inadvertently accessing or being exposed to pornographic or violent material. And they will have to provide parental controls to limit or alter children’s access to adult material.

    On top of these measures, the code requires search-engine providers to report to eSafety, invest in safety and moderation teams, and engage with community organisations.

    The new code has been in development since July 2024. It was co-drafted by the Digital Industry Group Inc, an industry association representing tech companies including Google, Meta and Microsoft. A single breach could result in a search engine provider copping a fine of up to A$49.5 million.

    How will the code work in practice?

    The code does not spell out the measures to be used to assure someone’s age.

    They could including asking for government-issued ID or be similar to strategies currently being assessed for the Australian government’s under 16s social media ban, such as facial recognition technology.

    Yet, the government’s recent age assurance trials highlighted concerns about the accuracy of age estimation tools, despite claims of their overall effectiveness.

    Changing how people search

    Once implemented, age assurance requirements will likely change how people engage with search engines and other applications.

    Google is used by more than 90% of Australians and for more than just searching. The Google ecosystem includes Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Maps, providing seamless integration between search and other tools and tasks.

    Repeated age assurance requests could disrupt the seamlessness of content-sharing across devices that users now experience.

    Many people also opt to remain logged into their accounts on multiple devices, to quickly enable cross-device activities. This means within a family, users of multiple ages may access content on a single account, even when they don’t intend to do so.

    Will search engines need to change this functionality, to more regularly log users off their accounts, and reconfirm the account holder’s age? And how will the code affect features such as Google’s “incognito mode”, which is used for private searching?

    The code will apply to “any features integrated within the search functionality and the user interface” of the service, including results generated by artificial intelligence (AI). This means results generated by Google’s Gemini AI service fall under the code, alongside traditional search results.

    However, the code doesn’t apply to “standalone applications or tools that are not integrated within the internet search engine service”. This means that while a browser extension such as ChatGPT for Google may fall under the code, as an integrated search engine service, the standalone ChatGPT app could be excluded.

    This may make searching even more confusing for users, as many people may not understand the limitations of treating generative AI tools like search engines – but they are not.

    Will the code work?

    As with all age assurance checks, there may be ways people can get around these new search engine controls.

    For example, they may use VPNs to trick the system into believing they are outside of Australia (and therefore not subject to age assurance checks). Or, children may access content on older people’s accounts and devices.

    However, the code does preempt concerns that children might get around controls by simply not logging in to their accounts. And, the code’s insistence on reporting mechanisms means people of all ages will be able to report material and raise complaints about potential code violations.

    In this way, the code seems to reflect the government’s previously proposed (but now, paused) “digital duty of care” legislation, which aimed to hold technology companies to account for the content they provide.

    One crucial question remains: will the steps companies take to comply with the code meet Australians’ expectations for seamless, integrated search practices and personal privacy as they access information online?

    Lisa M. Given receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and the International Association for Information Science and Technology.

    – ref. Australians will soon need their age checked to log into online search tools – here’s why – https://theconversation.com/australians-will-soon-need-their-age-checked-to-log-into-online-search-tools-heres-why-260199

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • No link between COVID-19 vaccines and sudden deaths, confirms ICMR-AIIMS study

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Comprehensive studies conducted by India’s top health research bodies have found no evidence linking COVID-19 vaccination to sudden deaths among adults, particularly in the 18–45 age group. The findings, released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, are based on extensive investigations by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

    These studies were initiated amid rising public concern about sudden and unexplained deaths following the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the research outcomes have decisively ruled out any direct connection between the vaccines and such fatalities. Instead, they point to a combination of pre-existing health conditions, genetic factors, lifestyle choices, and in some cases, post-COVID complications as the underlying causes.

    One of the key investigations, conducted by ICMR’s National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), was a multicentric matched case–control study titled “Factors associated with unexplained sudden deaths among adults aged 18–45 years in India.” Carried out between May and August 2023, the study covered 47 tertiary care hospitals across 19 states and Union Territories. It examined cases involving seemingly healthy individuals who died suddenly between October 2021 and March 2023. The results found no increased risk of unexplained sudden death following COVID-19 vaccination.

    In parallel, AIIMS New Delhi, in collaboration with ICMR, is conducting a prospective study titled “Establishing the cause in sudden unexplained deaths in young.” Though the study is still underway, preliminary findings indicate that myocardial infarction (heart attacks) remains the leading cause of sudden deaths in young adults. The pattern of causes has remained consistent with trends from previous years. Additionally, in several cases, genetic mutations have been identified as contributing factors.

    Collectively, the findings from both studies offer a robust scientific explanation of sudden deaths in young adults and reinforce the safety profile of COVID-19 vaccines administered in India. Experts emphasized that misinformation or unverified claims linking vaccines to such deaths are not only scientifically inaccurate but also pose a risk to public trust in vaccination programs.

    Health officials and researchers have cautioned that spreading speculative and unsupported claims can fuel vaccine hesitancy—an outcome that could undermine public health efforts and reverse progress made in managing the pandemic.

  • No link between COVID-19 vaccines and sudden deaths, confirms ICMR-AIIMS study

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Comprehensive studies conducted by India’s top health research bodies have found no evidence linking COVID-19 vaccination to sudden deaths among adults, particularly in the 18–45 age group. The findings, released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, are based on extensive investigations by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

    These studies were initiated amid rising public concern about sudden and unexplained deaths following the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the research outcomes have decisively ruled out any direct connection between the vaccines and such fatalities. Instead, they point to a combination of pre-existing health conditions, genetic factors, lifestyle choices, and in some cases, post-COVID complications as the underlying causes.

    One of the key investigations, conducted by ICMR’s National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), was a multicentric matched case–control study titled “Factors associated with unexplained sudden deaths among adults aged 18–45 years in India.” Carried out between May and August 2023, the study covered 47 tertiary care hospitals across 19 states and Union Territories. It examined cases involving seemingly healthy individuals who died suddenly between October 2021 and March 2023. The results found no increased risk of unexplained sudden death following COVID-19 vaccination.

    In parallel, AIIMS New Delhi, in collaboration with ICMR, is conducting a prospective study titled “Establishing the cause in sudden unexplained deaths in young.” Though the study is still underway, preliminary findings indicate that myocardial infarction (heart attacks) remains the leading cause of sudden deaths in young adults. The pattern of causes has remained consistent with trends from previous years. Additionally, in several cases, genetic mutations have been identified as contributing factors.

    Collectively, the findings from both studies offer a robust scientific explanation of sudden deaths in young adults and reinforce the safety profile of COVID-19 vaccines administered in India. Experts emphasized that misinformation or unverified claims linking vaccines to such deaths are not only scientifically inaccurate but also pose a risk to public trust in vaccination programs.

    Health officials and researchers have cautioned that spreading speculative and unsupported claims can fuel vaccine hesitancy—an outcome that could undermine public health efforts and reverse progress made in managing the pandemic.

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Doorstop – University of Technology Sydney

    Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

    KATHLEEN BAIRD, HEAD OF SCHOOL OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY: Good morning, everyone. Firstly, I’d like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation on whose land UTS stands. And I welcome you all to UTS. I’m Kathy Baird, Professor Kathy Baird, and I’m the Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery. It is an absolute honour to welcome the Minister for Education, the Honourable Jason Clare, to UTS this morning.

    I do also want to acknowledge the Commonwealth’s ongoing support through the placement payment for our student nurses and midwives. This initiative will provide much-needed financial support to our students during their clinical placements. It will help to ease the burden they face while they gain the practical skills required. Their dedication, resilience and compassion are the foundation of the future of nursing [indistinct] will be built.

    I’d also like to thank the students that came here this morning. And I would like to hand over to Minister Clare. Thank you.

    JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: Thanks very much. And a big thank you to UTS for letting me visit today to talk about something which is dear to my heart and I think is going to be really important in supporting the teachers and nurses and midwives and social workers that are training in our universities now that are getting an education in our universities right now to help them with their studies, with the cost of living while they’re studying, and help them to complete their degree.

    When I got this job a couple of years ago, I remember talking to some nursing students who talked to me about placement poverty. It was something that I hadn’t heard of before. Now I understand. And it’s because of the stories that they told me. There’s a lot of nursing students who work in our hospitals right now as assistants in nursing, and it’s a part-time job where they’re getting paid to work in a hospital while they’re studying here at university. But a big part of their degree is also prac, practical training. And it’s something like 800 hours of practical training that they have to do as part of their degree.

    And often that prac will happen at the same hospital where they’ve got a part-time job, but while they’re doing their prac, they can’t do that job. So, they’re working in the same hospital, but they’re no longer being paid. And that’s what placement poverty looks like. It means that you don’t have the money that you ordinarily would have to pay the bills, to pay for parking, pay for public transport. And it can make life harder.

    The end result of that is that some students who start a degree, like nursing or teaching, don’t finish it. For some students, prac also means you have to move away from home to do it. And that can make life more difficult as well. It can mean giving up your part-time job because you’re not living around the corner while you’re doing the practical training.

    This was a key recommendation of the Universities Accord, which is a big report. It’s a blueprint for how we reform higher education in Australia over the next decade and the decade after that. And I released that report early last year, and at the budget last year, I announced that we’d allocate almost over a half a billion dollars to fund paid prac. I think I was here to talk about that then. And it’s terrific to be back at UTS on the week that it starts, where we’re bringing the words from that report to life and making it real. And, most importantly, making a difference to the sort of people I got to meet today.

    This applies to teaching students, to nursing students, to midwifery students and social work students. These are some of the most important professions in our country. These are young people who one day will teach our kids or look after us when we’re sick, who will help women giving birth, who’ll help women fleeing domestic violence. And this is a bit of practical help while you do your practical training.

    Can I just pass over to Dorsa who I got the privilege to meet this morning, who’s a third-year midwifery student here at UTS, to tell your story about what drew you to midwifery and how you think this payment might help.

    DORSA NEMATIAN: Thank you so much, Minister Clare. So I am a refugee from Iran who has been doing a midwifery course for the past three years. I started off with a degree in Bachelor of Medical Science, which helped made me realise that it wasn’t for me, and I was more drawn to midwifery and childbirth, which is the reason why I made the switch. Obviously, this Commonwealth Prac Payment will make the difference between surviving through the practical part of our degree to just enjoying it and being able to learn while we’re undertaking our practice.

    JOURNALIST: So there has been a huge slump in the number of students on youth allowance, and experts are warning that we may not meet our tertiary education targets if low-education and regional students aren’t going to uni. Would you consider raising the rate of those payments or loosening eligibility requirements?

    CLARE: We’ve already increased youth allowance as well as rental assistance. You are right that what we do need to do over the next decade and beyond is help more young people finish school and then go on to TAFE or university to get the qualifications that the jobs that are in demand now and that are going to be in even more demand in the decades ahead. There’s no part of the economy where jobs are growing faster than in nursing and in health care. That’s for sure.

    Yesterday I formally announced the creation of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission in its interim reform, and it kicked off yesterday, headed up by Professor Mary O’Kane, who is the author or the lead author of the Universities Accord. And she makes the point there that we’re not going to have the workforce that we need – something like four out of five workers in the economy with a university degree or a TAFE qualification – unless we break down that barrier that stops a lot of young people, particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds, from poorer backgrounds and from the regions and the bush, from getting a crack at university in the first place and then going on and finishing their degree.

    And that’s why the prac payment is part of this. It’s definitely part of it, support for people while they do their practical training, but it’s not the only thing that we’re doing. Next year, you’ll see the rollout of funding reform for the way our universities are funded. And, in particular, funding reform to help the sort of people that you mentioned in your question, people from disadvantaged backgrounds. And part of that is developing and rolling out a needs-based funding system a little like the Gonski model for schools for universities.

    JOURNALIST: What do you think that slump is due to?

    CLARE: We’ve seen over the course of this year and last year an increase in the total number of young people enrolling in courses at university. That’s a good sign. The number of people going to university, the number of Australians going to university, has been in decline pretty much since 2017. There was a bump during COVID. That was a bit of an anomaly where people were locked at home and enrolled in courses. But overall, we’ve seen a decline in the number of Aussies enrolling in uni degrees until last year when it jumped up, and now it’s jumping up again this year. It’s on track to be the highest number of Australians enrolling in either an undergraduate degree or a postgraduate degree on record. So that’s a good thing.

    As I say, it’s not just people leaping out of school to study at university; it’s also people going back to uni to reskill, to upskill, get more skills. So that’s a good sign. But the Universities Accord is about building on that and what more we need to do it to support more people into university and into TAFE. I mentioned the funding reforms that will take place next year. Another part of it is making sure that TAFE and university work better together. We shouldn’t see them as two separate systems; we should be thinking about how they can be more joined up or integrated, how some of what you do at TAFE can be counted when you go to university and vice versa.

    We were having a chat, Dorsa mentioned that she did another course before she went into midwifery. Some of that is counted towards this course. That means that the degree is shorter than it otherwise would be, and costs less. But that’s a good example of what we can do more of here.

    In terms of helping people with the cost of higher education, the best example I can really point to is the cut to HECS that I’ll introduce into the Parliament in the next few weeks. The first bill that we’ll introduce into the Parliament will cut the student debt for 3 million Australians by 20 per cent. This will cut $16 billion dollars off the debt of ordinary Aussies. For the average Australian, it will cut their debt by more than five and a half grand. And that’s a big deal that will make a big difference.

    JOURNALIST: Do you want to move into child care now?

    CLARE: I’ll just make some comments off the top. Any Australian who heard the news from Victoria yesterday would be sickened by what they heard. And for every parent that is directly affected by this in Victoria, they would be frightened and they’d be angry. They would be bloody angry. And I know that they’re angry because one of those parents is a friend of mine, and her two little girls are directly affected by this. And I won’t tell you what she told me last night because you can’t repeat it on television. But she’s right to be mad. I’m mad. I think anyone who works in the early education system, and there’s hundreds of thousands of fantastic people who do, would be angry today as well. And my friend is mad because of all of the stress and the trauma and the crap that she and her girls are going to have to go through in the weeks ahead.

    This is serious, and it requires serious action. I was informed about this by the Victorian Government a little over a week ago. It’s one of the reasons why I put this on the top of the agenda when Education Ministers met last week. Let me be clear, when Education Ministers met to discuss child safety last week, we didn’t discuss this case, but we discussed what are the next steps that we need to take as a nation to make sure that our kids are safe in early education and care.

    There are things that we’ve already done. We’ve banned the use of personal mobile phones and devices in child care centres, and we did that for a reason. We’ve also changed the rules around mandatory reporting from seven days to 24 hours where there are complaints about sexual or physical abuse. I’ve got to tell you, we did that for a reason.

    And there are other things that are also underway. I mentioned yesterday and again this morning the legislation that I’ll bring to the Parliament which is about making sure that if services aren’t up to scratch, that they aren’t meeting the safety and the quality standards that we expect as a country, that we have the power as a Government to cut their funding off. And that’s important, too, because there’s nothing more important than the safety of our kids in early education and care.

    And there’s more to do. That’s what the meeting of Education Ministers on Friday was all about. We’ve seen the awful revelations out of the Four Corners investigation led by Adele Ferguson only a couple of months ago, and the Wheeler Report that was released last Thursday. Ministers had the opportunity at that meeting to be briefed by Chris, to be briefed by Mr Wheeler, and to go through his recommendations. But we were also briefed by Gabrielle Sinclair, who’s the head of ACECQA, about the actions she recommends we take in the light of the Four Corners investigation. And now Ministers are working together on a package of further reforms that are needed to make sure that our early education and care centres are as safe as they need to be.

    JOURNALIST: Minister, on that legislation you’re planning to introduce, how serious would a breach have to be for a centre to have their funding cut? What sort of threshold are we talking about?

    CLARE: All of that will be set out in the legislation that we’re working on right now. I mentioned to David on RN this morning that I’ve directed my Department to get that legislation drafted as quick as possible. It will deal with a number of things. As we announced back in March when we announced our intention to legislate in this area, it’s about that, it’s about cutting off funding to centres where there’s egregious behaviour by a centre. It’s also about stopping them from getting permission to expand and open other centres. But not just that; it’s also about stopping a provider or an employee who works in a centre who’s been found to be a bad actor from moving out of the child care sector into another part of the care economy, for example, in the NDIS. And we saw examples of that in the Four Corners investigation.

    JOURNALIST: Do you think there should be a tougher background checking process for those who have a working with children check?

    CLARE: I said this morning that it’s taken too long to do the work necessary to make sure that our working with children check system is up to scratch. And I’ve spoken a number of times with the Attorney-General, Michelle Rowland, the new Attorney-General, and I think I can safely speak on her behalf that she agrees and is determined to take the action necessary here to make sure that our working with children checks across the nation are up to scratch. That will be something that will be discussed by Attorneys-General when they meet next month. The Attorney-General is doing a press conference at the moment, and she’ll have more to say on that.

    The only other point I would make on working with children checks is that they’re not the only thing that we need to fix or reform. They’re not a silver bullet. There are too many examples where a perpetrator is eventually caught and arrested and sentenced. They’re somebody that got a working with children check because they had no prior criminal record. And so it’s only one of the things that we need to focus on here if we’re serious about making sure that we keep our kids

    JOURNALIST: You mentioned you wanted those – that legislation through as fast as possible. Can we expect to see these changes made this year?

    CLARE: Yes.

    JOURNALIST: Do you – the National Children’s Commissioner says the sector’s regulators need to be stronger, need more teeth to act. Has the government been slow to respond to these calls?

    CLARE: You can never be fast enough here. And the honest answer is the work here will never be done. There will always be bad people that try and break through the system and the safety. And so the work here will never be done. But what the Commissioner is talking about there are one of the things that Ministers are focused on and looking at right now.

    JOURNALIST: So will the Government make nationally harmonised working with children checks a priority? So those were recommended in 2015. How complicated will they be to enact, and why hasn’t it been done yet?

    CLARE: Similar answer to the one I gave just a moment ago. And the Attorney-General will be able to speak to that in more detail. But this is one of the things that Attorneys are looking at when they meet next month. They’re looking at what you described as harmonisation or mutual recognition, the sharing of information across borders, but also potentially near real-time updates to working with children checks, where criminal record checks or criminal records change. There’s a big piece of work that’s going on nationally with all the states and territories here. But as you rightly point out, the work can’t happen soon enough.

    JOURNALIST: Would you support the introduction of mandatory CCTV in child care centres?

    CLARE: CCTV itself was the subject of a recommendation by Chris Wheeler in his report that was handed down on Thursday. And that recommendation was about installing CCTV in centres where there has been previous breaches, where there is concern by the regulator about safety and quality in those centres. The New South Wales Government has given in-principle support for that recommendation. The Victorian Government I think, will have more to say about that today. And this is one of the things that Ministers are looking at across the board as we develop nationwide reforms. That’s different, though, to the question you asked about making it mandatory. The advice from experts at the moment is targeted based on centres which have demonstrated that they’re not up to scratch.

    JOURNALIST: The Victorian Greens have been calling for a royal commission into the sector. Do you – would you support that?

    CLARE: We’ve had a royal commission. We’ve got the recommendations. After Australia’s worst paedophile was arrested and convicted in Queensland just over two years ago, I commissioned a review into child safety. We’ve got those recommendations as well. Now we’ve got the Wheeler Report. We’ll get more evidence and more information out of what the Victorian Government is announcing today. We know what we need to do. It’s how we do it and how we pull all of that together and get the whole country acting as one.

    Okay, thanks very much, everybody.
     

    MIL OSI News –

  • EU to add international CO2 credits to next climate goal

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The European Commission will on Wednesday propose an EU climate target for 2040 that for the first time will allow countries to use carbon credits from developing nations to meet a limited share of their emissions goal, a draft of the proposal showed.

    The draft, seen by Reuters, said the European Union executive would propose a legally-binding target to cut net greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040, from 1990 levels – with the aim of keeping the EU on course for its core climate aim to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

    But following pressure from governments including France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the Czech Republic, the draft EU proposal includes flexibilities that would soften the 90% emissions target for European industries.

    Previous EU emissions targets have been based entirely on domestic emissions cuts.

    Reflecting Germany’s public stance, up to 3 percentage points of the 2040 target can be covered by carbon credits bought from other countries through a U.N.-backed market, the draft said, reducing the effort required by domestic industries.

    The carbon credits would be phased in from 2036, and the EU will propose legislation “setting robust and high integrity criteria and standards, and conditions on origin, timing and use of such credits,” the draft said.

    Countries would also get more flexibility on choosing which sectors in their economy contribute most towards the 2040 goal, it said.

    Climate change has made Europe the world’s fastest warming continent and a heatwave this week has caused wildfires and disruption across the continent, but Europe’s ambitious policies to combat temperature rise have stoked tensions within the 27-member bloc.

    While the European Commission has pitched its climate agenda as a way to improve Europe’s competitiveness and security, some governments and lawmakers say industries reeling from U.S. tariffs and high energy costs cannot afford tougher emissions rules.

    “Decarbonisation is not only crucial for the planet, but also a key driver of economic growth when integrated with industrial, competition, and trade policies,” the draft said.

    A Commission spokesperson declined to comment on the draft, which could change before it is published.

    Carbon credits are generated by projects that reduce CO2 emissions abroad – for example, forest restoration in Brazil, and raise funds for such projects. However, investigations have shown some credits failed to deliver the environmental benefits they claimed.

    The EU’s climate science advisers have opposed counting them towards the 2040 target, and said spending money on foreign carbon credits would divert investments from local industries.

    EU countries and lawmakers must negotiate and approve the 2040 goal. That lawmaking process can take years, but the EU faces a deadline of mid-September to submit a new 2035 climate target to the U.N. – which the Commission has said should be derived from the 2040 goal.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Oil, Watercolor and Gallic: Participants of the Art in the Metro Project Talk Creativity and Inspiration

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The Moscow metro is not only a popular means of public transport, but also a cultural venue for talented Muscovites. The project has been underway in the capital for nine years now “Music in the Metro”, and recently another project for creative people – “Art in the Metro”— celebrated its first anniversary. It united more than 250 artists working in different genres and techniques, who can create paintings at 10 sites at metro stations, as well as take part in off-site events and even try their hand at creating a new design for the Troika card. The second season of the project is currently underway, and the recruitment of artists continues.

    A mos.ru correspondent spoke with the participants of the “Art in the Metro” project and found out how they are inspired by the architecture of the stations and passengers rushing about their business.

    Pandas on Michurinsky Prospekt

    Artist Yulia Ershova painted a passenger reading enthusiastically in a train car, sculptures of Romulus and Remus at the Rimskaya station, and flying seagulls on the ceiling of Mayakovskaya on the Zamoskvoretskaya Line. Another of her paintings depicts three pandas chewing bamboo at the Michurinsky Prospekt station on the Big Circle Line (BCL).

    “This is my favorite station. It is decorated in an oriental style: it has red columns and lamps with Chinese ornaments. I thought, what can you imagine in such an environment? Why not put pandas there, who came to

    Moscow Zoo from China? Now this painting can be seen at the exhibition “Red” in the gallery of the creative association “Artists of Chertanovo”, – says Yulia Ershova.

    She learned about “Art in the Metro” from her artist friends who got into the project during the first recruitment, successfully passed the in-person round and created about 30 works in a year. Yulia Ershova prefers to work in oil, but when she needs to make a quick sketch, she takes up watercolor.

    “The artist’s mission is to draw people’s attention to beauty that they may not notice in the rhythm of a big city. I remember a passenger on the Aminyevskaya BKL saw my work on an easel and at first could not understand where such beauty came from. And then she recognized the station ceiling. She often rides here, but did not notice how unusual it is, and now she looked up for the first time,” says Yulia Ershova.

    This season she continues to participate in the project. “The metro is interesting to draw, and I am glad that I have been given such a unique opportunity to create in this atmosphere,” the mos.ru interlocutor emphasizes.

    “Dostoevskaya” with salt and ink

    Another participant of the last season, Ekaterina Bulgakova, was inspired by the Dostoevskaya metro station of the Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya line. The artist was struck by its marble slabs. She managed to convey their texture using a special technique.

    “To depict a marble pattern, I first began to combine acrylic paints, watercolors and the author’s technique “gallitika”. It uses ink and salt, which gives beautiful textured streaks. Now I plan to further develop this method of drawing,” says Ekaterina Bulgakova.

    During her year of participation in the project, she created about 20 works. The artist was especially inspired by the BKL stations. In her paintings, she depicted the art object “Moscow Rings”, located at the entrance to “Nizhegorodskaya”, and the interiors of “Khoroshevskaya”.

    “I also dedicated one of my works to passengers. I depicted a stream of people hurrying at the Kitay-Gorod station, wrote down their possible thoughts, and added an old map of the area. It turned out to be a collage. It is impossible to imagine the metro without passengers. People often even came up to watch me draw and asked questions. Someone admitted that they were 20 years old and it was boring to study in their chosen specialty. And someone wanted to learn to draw at 60. I supported them and said that it is not too late to start at any age,” the interviewee notes.

    The artist did not initially plan to engage in creative work either. She received a higher education in economics, then completed an internship with teachers from the Russian State University of Art and Industry named after S.G. Stroganov, graduated from the School of Design of the National Research University Higher School of Economics and began to paint. This year, she is preparing to capture the capital’s metro on canvas again.

    “The metro is developing at a rapid pace, but the new stations are not inferior to the old ones in terms of design. They are incredible. I am grateful to the project organizers for the fact that we can draw here,” shares Ekaterina Bulgakova.

    “Art in the Metro”: the project’s artists worked in a tram depot for the first timeParticipants of the Art in the Metro project depicted stations of the Big Circle LineParticipants of the Art in the Metro project created works of art on digital tablets for the first time

    Walk through the tunnel and trains from different eras

    Project participant Ekaterina Gavrilova also considers the metro an invaluable source of ideas for paintings. The artist is fascinated by the architecture of the last century, so she is especially inspired by the very first stations and their design.

    “The main goal of the Art in the Metro project is to draw people’s attention to what surrounds them every day. For example, you can take a closer look at the doors of the Oktyabrskaya metro station. Every detail in their patterns is thought out, forming a single composition,” says Ekaterina Gavrilova.

    The interviewee of mos.ru has been drawing since childhood and was inspired by the works of Isaac Levitan, so she entered the Russian Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture of Ilya Glazunov and successfully graduated from it. Ekaterina Gavrilova has been participating in the project since its inception. In the metro, she has created more than 20 works in a realistic style with elements of minimalism. Most of all, she liked to draw at the Komsomolskaya, Park Kultury and Taganskaya stations of the Circle Line, as well as at Kievskaya on the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line.

    “Thanks to the project, we didn’t just go down to the metro to draw, but went to interesting and unusual events. One night, we visited the tunnel of the Shelepikha station of the Big Circle Line (the Delovoy Tsentr – Shelepikha – Khoroshevskaya section of the Big Circle Line has been temporarily closed since June 22. – Note from mos.ru). We had a couple of hours after the contact rail was disconnected. Under the supervision of the shift supervisor, we walked through the tunnel. In addition, I attended an event at the Izmailovo depot. There, I created a painting called “Two Epochs”, where trains from the last century and our time stand side by side,” recalls artist Ekaterina Gavrilova.

    In her work, she uses not only oil, but also watercolour markers, tempera and gouache. She likes to experiment. For example, the artist depicted the Maryina Roshcha BKL station digitally – on a tablet, since she considers the space itself futuristic. And while working at Kievskaya, Ekaterina Gavrilova noticed two city women enthusiastically talking to each other. This scene formed the basis for the work “Morning News”.

    “The lobby of the Kyiv station is an atrium space framed by Corinthian capitals in a semicircle. The architects’ concept is a place for a temporary break from the road and meetings. The interior is pompous: columns, mosaics, gold. I think the space itself suggested the plot to me. The most wonderful thing in such walls is to engage in creativity. And passengers feel it. That is why the projects “Art in the Metro” and “Music in the Metro” have so many viewers,” the mos.ru interlocutor notes.

    Engage passengers in creativity

    Nikolay Bazunov also took part in the first season of the project. He found inspiration in metro trains.

    “I like the design of rolling stock from the 1940s to 1970s, which is attractive in its simplicity – smooth lines, round headlights. Thanks to my participation in the “Art in the Metro” project, I visited the Severnoye and Izmailovo depots, where I drew historical trains. I even managed to sit in the driver’s cabin of a retro train that runs on the Sokolnicheskaya line,” the artist says.

    Nikolay Bazunov associates the metro with the Great Patriotic War and memories of his relatives. During the bombing, his grandmother and mother hid at the Mayakovskaya station. The artist found a black-and-white photograph taken in 1941 and painted a picture for the anniversary of the Great Victory, where he depicted Muscovites hiding in the metro.

    “There is an interesting incident connected with this work. I was painting it at the Park Kultury station and stepped away for five minutes. I came back and there was a girl standing next to the painting and trying to make the image lighter with my brush. She explained that she found the work gloomy. And I smiled,” recalls Nikolai Bazunov.

    The artist prefers to work with oil on canvas. He compares his work to a musician’s performance. The palette is a turntable with discs, like a DJ’s, the brush is a conductor’s baton. While working, Nikolai Bazunov stands with his back to the passengers so that they can see his painting and express their opinion.

    “I have been participating in the Art in the Metro project since its inception, and have painted about 10 works. This season, I have joined it again not only as a participant, but also as a jury member. I help select artists. It is important to me that a person finds himself in the project, that he finds it interesting, that he can enjoy creativity and inspire others with his example,” emphasizes Nikolai Bazunov.

    This year he plans to paint a series of pictures based on a series of science fiction novels about the metro.

    The recruitment of artists for the second season of the project “Art in the Metro” is ongoing. To become a participant, you need to apply towebsite. The selection of finalists is carried out by an expert commission with the participation of representatives of the capital Department of Transport and Development of Road Transport Infrastructure and associations “Exhibition halls of Moscow”.

    Three new venues for the Art in the Metro project have appeared on the Big Circle LineParticipants of the Art in the Metro project created paintings at the Kitay-Gorod stationPortrait of Dostoevsky and a sketch of a stranger: what works were created by participants of the project “Art in the Metro”Artists of the Art in the Metro project will develop a New Year’s design for thematic Troika cards

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/156113073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Territory of reasonable decisions: how Muscovites are helped to improve their financial literacy

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The popularity of educational projects on financial literacy is growing in the capital. Master classes, games, quizzes, film lectures and other interactive activities help city residents of all ages understand financial issues. The events are held by the capital’s Department of Finance together with the financial literacy center and partners.

    “We talk to Muscovites about finances where it is convenient for them and in a way that interests them: in schools and universities, libraries, festivals and parks. In 2024 alone, over 560 events of various formats were held in the capital. And this year there will be even more. It is important that Muscovites receive not only new knowledge, but also practical skills: they learn to handle money wisely and make thoughtful financial decisions,” she noted.

    Elena Zyabbarova, Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the capital’s Department of Finance.

    The meetings go beyond the usual spaces and are already becoming part of the urban environment. Thus, this summer, financial literacy days were held at the Northern and Southern river terminals – these are new city platforms for such conversations.

    Another major event is Festival of financial literacy and entrepreneurial culture in Moscow. It has been held since 2017 by the capital’s departments of finance, education and science, as well as the Bank of Russia, and has become a traditional city educational event for city residents of all ages who want to improve their level of financial literacy and learn the basics of entrepreneurship. Last year, the festival lasted a whole week and covered more than 200 sites, including the Moscow Center for Education Quality, schools, colleges, universities, Moscow Longevity Centers, My Work and My Career employment centers, libraries and the Digital Business Space. More than 500 thousand people took part in online and offline events. This coming autumn, the festival will return with a rich program.

    Classes to improve financial literacy are integrated into major events and festivals, including Biblionight, Night at the Museum, and Red Square. Most often, city residents are interested in how to avoid being scammed, invest, and plan their personal budget.

    Modern formats make such events more lively and exciting. In 2024, a financial stand-up and a VR simulator appeared, with the help of which you can practice your personal finance management skills.

    Financial Literacy in Libraries

    For more than two years now, thematic meetings have been held for residents of the capital near their homes. As part of the project “ABCs of Financial Literacy”, which covers all age groups, lectures, business games, film lectures and other events are organized in Moscow libraries.

    City residents discuss familiar life situations with experts, including how to plan a family budget, what to consider when applying for a loan, and how not to become a victim of fraudsters. Event announcements can be found on social networks and city library websites.

    Name for the project Muscovites themselves chose. More than 170 thousand people took part in the voting on the Active Citizen platform.

    Financial Literacy in Film

    One of the most original formats is film lectures in Moscow cinemas. This is an unusual way to involve city residents in managing their personal finances, even if they have not been seriously interested in this before.

    Together with experts, viewers watch famous Soviet and Russian films, including “Courier”, “Moneychangers”, “Russian Money”, “Domovoy”, “Family Budget”. And then they analyze the behavior of the characters from the point of view of financial literacy: what went wrong, and could it have been done differently?

    Soviet films raise topics that remain relevant today, they are simply presented through the prism of modern realities. For example, the film “Beware of the Car” raises questions about car insurance.

    The project is being implemented with the support of the Moskino cinema chain and Department of Culture of Moscow.

    Financial Literacy at Work

    The rhythm of the metropolis does not always leave time for self-education, so a project for financial education of employees of work collectives has appeared in Moscow. Organizations can invite experts to conduct lectures and master classes directly at workplaces – offline or online. All events are free, and the topic can be chosen depending on the request of employees.

    The focus is most often on cybersecurity, personal budget management, consumer protection, investment basics, taxation and lending. Listeners can choose from interactive lectures, master classes, financial quizzes and case studies.

    You can determine the topic, format and time of classes, as well as sign up for the waiting list by link.

    Financial Literacy for Children and Youth

    The upbringing of a financially literate person begins at an early age. Thematic classes and events with elements of financial literacy are organized by Department of Education and Science of the City of MoscowIn addition, children can take part in Olympiads and quizzes, quizzes and quests, meet with representatives of large Russian companies and attend lessons taught by representatives of the Federal Financial Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring).

    The capital’s Department of Finance is implementing several projects on financial literacy for children and young people. Kindergartens regularly host events for preschoolers, schools host open lessons on financial and budget literacy, and children’s city camps host interactive classes during the holidays. Starting this year, they can be visited not only in the summer, but also in the spring and fall. Primary school students will learn about the origin of funds, rules for financial security and rational purchases, and will also create a model of their bank card and take part in a quiz.

    Experts can also be invited to colleges and universities. Heads of educational institutions choose what will really interest students, including quizzes, educational lectures or cartoons on financial topics. Questions related to budget planning, the history of money, financial security and lending remain popular with young people. You can send an application to link.

    Separate tracks for children’s audiences were also provided at citywide events. While adults listen to lectures on smart family budget planning, children can play the tactile game “Guess What?”, analyze the financial behavior of popular cartoon characters, or take part in the quiz “Secrets of Financial Security.”

    Financial Literacy for the Older Generation

    Older city residents actively participate in educational events with experts, which take place in Moscow longevity centers, libraries and other venues, as well as at major festivals. Muscovites of the “silver” age learn how to make purchases on the Internet, protect personal data and avoid spontaneous spending.

    Experts also talk about aspects of inheritance law in Russia, forms of wills and the specifics of drafting them. It is important that listeners can get answers to their questions on the spot and analyze their personal financial situations.

    In addition, the Moscow Longevity project offers regular classes on financial and legal literacy. The course programs are designed to take into account the interests of the older audience. You can find out more at the Moscow Longevity Centers and on the portal Mos.ru.

    Financial Literacy for People with Disabilities

    Special attention is paid to financial education of citizens with disabilities. Muscovites with visual impairments will be able to attend lectures at the Russian State Library for the Blind and listen to educational programs recorded by the Department of Finance on Internet radio. People with hearing impairments have the opportunity to access educational videos with sign language interpretation. This allows us to cover all segments of the population and create a truly inclusive educational environment.

    Tax deductions and banking products: Moscow launches financial literacy project for the visually impairedMoscow projects to improve financial literacy are recognized as the best in Russia

    Financial literacy in new formats

    Technology is an important component of educational formats. In 2024, an updated version of the financial checkup was presented – an online test that helps assess your knowledge. More than 4.3 thousand people took it. This can be done at any time by linkBy answering a few questions, everyone will find out their level of financial literacy and receive personal recommendations and links to useful materials for further self-education.

    The VR simulator is no less popular. Participants get the opportunity to immerse themselves in a virtual space, where they try themselves in the role of a tax consultant or bank employee and make important decisions on loans and tax deductions. You can practice budget management skills at the events of the Department of Finance.

    Economically active Muscovites have a high level of financial literacy

    Financial Literacy Online

    Those who prefer to study remotely can also easily find the necessary information. Useful materials, event announcements and links are published on the portal “Open Budget of the City of Moscow” and in the same name telegram channel.

    Budget literacy

    Budget literacy projects are also being developed in Moscow. One example is the “Budget for Citizens” competition. The participants are mainly schoolchildren and students. They make guidebooks, draw comics, brochures and posters, develop educational websites, create educational videos and cartoons, and come up with business, board and computer games.

    The organizers analyze the competition entries and try to take into account useful suggestions. The most interesting ideas are implemented in educational projects. Department of FinanceThe works of the winners of the capital competition are also highly valued at the federal level.

    Get the latest news quickly official telegram channelthe city of Moscow.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/156131073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Scientists study the biodiversity of water bodies in the Losiny Ostrov National Park

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Large-scale field research continues in the Moscow part of the Losiny Ostrov National Park. Specialists are studying the ecological and recreational state of the Kazenny Pond.

    “Regular environmental research is the basis for competent management of the capital’s natural areas. The city actively supports scientific projects that help track changes in the state of flora and fauna under the influence of humans and climate. This allows us to make effective decisions – not for the short term, but taking into account the future of Moscow as a green, environmentally friendly city,” said Yulia Urozhaeva, head of the capital’s

    Department of Nature Management and Environmental Protection.

    Last year, a unique large-scale ecological and biological survey was conducted in Losiny Ostrov Park, in which more than 80 specialists from five scientific institutes took part. They identified more than 1,500 species of animals and plants, of which over 200 are rare and protected. Based on the survey results, experts gave recommendations for supporting vulnerable animal species. In addition, programs for their conservation and restoration were developed.

    This year, comprehensive studies of the park’s nature continue. In April, a group of scientists, including specialists from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, began studying the biodiversity of Losiny Ostrov’s water bodies. Experts took samples of phyto- and zooplankton from Babaevsky Pond, as well as benthic organisms living in the soil. Then hydrobiologists took samples of water and bottom sediments in Kazenny Pond, as well as samples of the upper layer of bottom sediments. This is done in order to assess the current ecological and recreational state of the water bodies. It can change under the influence of external factors, which often has a negative impact on biodiversity, since the life cycle of many organisms is directly related to water.

    From frog to newt: what amphibians live in Moscow’s water bodies

    At the next stage, scientists in the laboratory analyze the species composition of two groups of organisms: testate amoebae (benthic organisms living on the bottom) and cladocerans (representatives of plankton). These microorganisms are bioindicators, the presence of which and the structure of their populations can be used to judge the degree of pollution of a reservoir.

    Testate amoebae are particularly sensitive to heavy metals, petroleum products and road salt. Cladocerans respond to the general organic load.

    If plankton shows that the water is relatively clean, and bottom organisms indicate the opposite, this indicates the need for careful and targeted work with bottom sediments, hydrobiologists note.

    Experts also collect cores—deep samples of silt—that allow them to study how the state of the reservoir has changed over the past decades.

    According to scientists, the Kazennyi pond has a high degree of overgrowth, accumulation of organic matter and oxygen deficiency in winter. Such conditions can cause damage to aquatic fauna, so it is necessary to conduct regular monitoring of the reservoir’s condition.

    Based on the data obtained, specialists develop recommendations for improving the condition of the pond. One possible measure is to increase the flow rate, for example by supplying additional volumes of clean water or cleaning the drainage channels. This will reduce the concentration of organic matter and restore the ecosystem. It is also important that the pond is not cleaned once. Without a comprehensive approach and regular monitoring, the pond’s condition may deteriorate in a few years.

    “If you simply clean a reservoir, in 10 years it will be in the same condition again. It is important to improve the functioning of the entire ecosystem – so that aquatic organisms themselves process excess organic matter. This will ensure clean water, sustainable biodiversity and a favorable environment for city residents,” the experts noted.

    The data collected during field work will form the basis for long-term environmental monitoring and the development of solutions for the restoration and maintenance of the capital’s water bodies.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/156110073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The fourth Summer School of the NSU Humanitarian Institute opened at NSU

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Yesterday, the fourth Summer School started at Novosibirsk State University Humanitarian Institute of NSU. This event is for schoolchildren of grades 8-10. The goal of the school is to provide the children with the opportunity to get acquainted with the humanitarian areas that exist at the university and to help them in the future to choose a future specialty. This year, 157 schoolchildren from different regions of Russia – Novosibirsk, Kemerovo, Irkutsk regions, Altai Krai, as well as from the European part of our country – came to the school.

    The rector of NSU, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Mikhail Fedoruk took part in the grand opening of the school. He told a little about the history of the university and emphasized that the humanities have always played a major role in the development of the university:

    — Our university is classical, and we are proud of it. At NSU, physicists and lyricists coexist and complement each other. And, of course, the humanitarian and social components play a major role at the university. Currently, more than 30% of students studying at NSU have chosen social and humanitarian fields. Of course, we hope that you will also come to our university in two years. I am sure that, having graduated from our Humanitarian Institute, you will become people we will be proud of in the future. I congratulate you on the opening of the school and wish you fruitful work in the coming week.

    At the orientation session after the opening ceremony, the children were told about the School program, organizational issues and rules, and were introduced to the heads of the areas. Each of the six areas – oriental studies, journalism, history and archeology, computer and applied linguistics, linguistics (foreign languages), linguistics and literary studies – has its own separate training program. It includes expert lectures with current NSU teachers, practical and theoretical classes, as well as excursions. On the last day, July 7, the participants will have an intellectual competition, where they will apply the knowledge they have gained during the week. And the children from each area will be able to demonstrate their abilities and present their own projects.

    — Every year the number of participants increases, the geography expands. We keep the main program grid of the summer school from year to year. First of all, these are expert lectures for all participants regardless of the direction. On the first day, we also organize excursions, when the participants get acquainted with the university, with each other, with the heads of the directions. In the following days, various lectures and workshops are held in each of the directions. During the school, the participants prepare their own projects in which they present what they did during the event, what they learned, what they have learned. On the last day, we have an intellectual competition, and the summer school is actually preparation for this final event, — said Yulia Klimanova, executive secretary of the summer school of the Humanities Institute of NSU.

    During the intellectual competition, participants are divided into teams, which are formed from children of different directions. They participate in a quiz, during which they answer questions on the topic of expert presentations. High results in the intellectual competition allow you to get additional points for participation in the summer school.

    Ekaterina Kotlyarova, a 10th grade student, participant in the “Linguistics and Literary Studies” program, Kemerovo, shared why she decided to participate in the school:

    — It seems to me that literature is quite an interesting subject and science in general. And I would like to promote this science so that people pay more attention to it, because now the number of readers interested in literature is decreasing. I learned about the summer school from my friend who went here last year. She really liked it. I looked at the school schedule, the days are busy, I really want to attend lectures, listen to the professors. I am sure that it will be very interesting.

    Based on the results of the summer school, the children who have achieved the highest results are awarded diplomas for 1st, 2nd or 3rd place, and each schoolchild also receives a participant certificate. The winners’ diplomas can be taken into account as individual achievements when applying for training programs at the NSU Humanities Institute; the results can be taken into account two years before admission.

    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-Evening Report: Distrust in AI is on the rise – but along with healthy scepticism comes the risk of harm

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Coghlan, Senior Lecturer in Digital Ethics, Deputy Director Centre for AI and Digital Ethics, School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne

    PlayStation/StaminaZero/YouTube

    Some video game players recently criticised the cover art on a new video game for being generated with artificial intelligence (AI). Yet the cover art for Little Droid, which also featured in the game’s launch trailer on YouTube, was not concocted by AI. It was, the developers claim, carefully designed by a human artist.

    Surprised by the attacks on “AI slop”, the studio Stamina Zero posted a video showing earlier versions of the artist’s handiwork. But while some accepted this evidence, others remained sceptical.

    In addition, several players felt that even if the Little Droid cover art was human made, it nonetheless resembled AI-generated work.

    However, some art is deliberately designed to have the futuristic glossy appearance associated with image generators like Midjourney, DALL-E, and Stable Diffusion.

    Stamina Zero published a video showing the steps the artist took to create the cover art.

    It’s becoming increasingly easy for images, videos or audio made with AI to be deceptively passed off as authentic or human made. The twist in cases like Little Droid is that what is human or “real” may be incorrectly perceived as machine generated – resulting in misplaced backlash.

    Such cases highlight the increasing problem of the balance of trust and distrust in the generative AI era. In this new world, both cynicism and gullibility about what we encounter online are potential problems – and can lead to harm.

    Wrongful accusations

    This issue extends well beyond gaming. There are growing criticisms of AI being used to generate and publish music on platforms like Spotify.

    Yet as a result, some indie music artists have been wrongfully accused of generating AI music, resulting in damage to their burgeoning careers as musicians.

    In 2023, an Australian photographer was wrongly disqualified from a photo contest due to the erroneous judgement her entry was produced by artificial intelligence.

    Writers, including students submitting essays, can also be falsely accused of sneakily using AI. Currently available AI detection tools are far from foolproof – and some argue they may never be entirely reliable.

    Recent discussions have drawn attention to common characteristics of AI writing, including the em dash – which, as authors, we often employ ourselves.

    Given that text from systems like ChatGPT has characteristic features, writers face a difficult decision: should they continue writing in their own style and risk being accused of using AI, or should they try to write differently?



    Read more:
    Google’s SynthID is the latest tool for catching AI-made content. What is AI ‘watermarking’ and does it work?

    The delicate balance of trust and distrust

    Graphic designers, voice actors and many others are rightly worried about AI replacing them. They are also understandably concerned about tech companies using their labour to train AI models without consent, credit or compensation.

    There are further ethical concerns that AI-generated images threaten Indigenous inclusion by erasing cultural nuances and challenging Indigenous cultural and intellectual property rights.

    At the same time, the cases above illustrate the risks of rejecting authentic human effort and creativity due to a false belief it is AI. This too can be unfair. People wrongly accused of using AI can suffer emotional, financial and reputational harm.

    On the one hand, being fooled that AI content is authentic is a problem. Consider deepfakes, bogus videos and false images of politicians or celebrities. AI content purporting to be real can be linked to scams and dangerous misinformation.

    On the other hand, mistakenly distrusting authentic content is also a problem. For example, rejecting the authenticity of a video of war crimes or hate speech by politicians – based on the mistaken or deliberate belief that the content was AI generated – can lead to great harm and injustice.

    Unfortunately, the growth of dubious content allows unscrupulous individuals to claim that video, audio or images exposing real wrongdoing are fake.

    As distrust increases, democracy and social cohesion may begin to fray. Given the potential consequences, we must be wary of excessive scepticism about the origin or provenance of online content.

    A path forward

    AI is a cultural and social technology. It mediates and shapes our relationships with one another, and has potentially transformational effects on how we learn and share information.

    The fact that AI is challenging our trust relationships with companies, content and each other is not surprising. And people are not always to blame when they are fooled by AI-manufactured material. Such outputs are increasingly realistic.

    Furthermore, the responsibility to avoid deception should not fall entirely on internet users and the public. Digital platforms, AI developers, tech companies and producers of AI material should be held accountable through regulation and transparency requirements around AI use.

    Even so, internet users will still need to adapt. The need to exercise a balanced and fair sense of scepticism toward online material is becoming more urgent.

    This means adopting the right level of trust and distrust in digital environments.

    The philosopher Aristotle spoke of practical wisdom. Through experience, education and practice, a practically wise person develops skills to judge well in life. Because they tend to avoid poor judgement, including excessive scepticism and naivete, the practically wise person is better able to flourish and do well by others.

    We need to hold tech companies and platforms to account for harm and deception caused by AI. We also need to educate ourselves, our communities, and the next generation to judge well and develop some practical wisdom in a world awash with AI content.

    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. Distrust in AI is on the rise – but along with healthy scepticism comes the risk of harm – https://theconversation.com/distrust-in-ai-is-on-the-rise-but-along-with-healthy-scepticism-comes-the-risk-of-harm-260189

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What’s next for NSW’s intense storm? Heavy rains, fallen trees – and a chance of a storm ‘slingshot’

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steve Turton, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Geography, CQUniversity Australia

    Millions of people in New South Wales hunkered down last night as an intense “bomb cyclone” swept in. Falling trees took out power lines, leaving about 40,000 people without power, while some areas copped 200mm of rain in 24 hours.

    Evacuation orders are in place at Wamberal, an erosion hotspot on the NSW Central Coast. Flood warnings are in place for the Nepean and Hawkesbury Rivers in Sydney.

    But it could have been significantly worse. That’s because a second, slightly weaker low has formed out to sea, sucking energy away from the main storm. Without it, wave heights would likely have been much higher, and winds and rain would have been more intense. The main storm’s sustained winds offshore were downgraded from storm force (88–116km per hour) to gale force (63–87km per hour).

    It’s one reason why the storm didn’t end up being classified as an East Coast Low – an intense and often damaging low-pressure system – but rather as a complex, but vigorous coastal low.

    But we can’t relax yet. These two lows may begin to slingshot around each other. One of the storms may well spin off and approach coastlines further south.

    Workers operate heavy machinery to stabilise Wamberal Beach as a low-pressure
    Saeed Khan/Getty

    A tricky storm to classify

    Ahead of its arrival, this storm was shaping up as an East Coast Low – a specific type of very strong storm that emerges when a cold trough high up in the atmosphere triggers a strong low down at sea level.

    But while the storm underwent “explosive cyclogenesis” – intensifying rapidly enough to make it a “bomb cyclone” – it didn’t meet the criteria for an East Coast Low.

    The emergence of the second low out at sea drew some of the main storm’s energy away and reduced wind speeds and wave heights. This is why it’s considered a complex low. The storm also fell short of the duration of heavy rainfall and severe winds speeds needed to consider it an East Coast Low.

    Meteorologists are rightly cautious about classifying a storm as an East Coast Low. That’s because these systems pack a real punch and deserve to be taken seriously on land and at sea.

    The infamous 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race was hit by a sudden and severe East Coast Low. These storms normally form in cooler months, but this summer storm formed suddenly and made a direct hit on the yacht fleet. Six people died and many more had to be rescued. Intense winds destroyed masts and wild seas made rescue very difficult. That storm was also a bomb cyclone, as it intensified extremely quickly.

    In 2007, five East Coast Lows hit. The biggest of these drove the huge Pasha Bulker coal carrier onto Nobbys Beach in Newcastle. In 2016, another East Coast Low led to the memorable image of a swimming pool collapsing onto a beach after huge waves caused erosion.

    Spinning storms

    One unusual thing about this storm is its core. If you didn’t know better, you might think it was a tropical cyclone.

    Storms like this one can also be classified as extratropical cyclones if they’re strong enough. That’s because they have the characteristic whirling cyclonic shape on radar. But there are important differences.

    Tropical cyclones have warm cores and their strongest winds near the core, whereas these storms affecting more southerly regions mostly have cold cores and the strongest winds further out. At certain times of year, they may be “hybrid” systems, showing both tropical and extratropical features.

    The emergence of the second low is likely to trigger the “dumb-belling effect”, a two-way interaction very similar to the Fujiwhara effect in which two tropical cyclones begin to spin around each other.

    A Bureau of Meteorology video explaining the Fujiwhara effect.

    How does this happen? When two tropical or extratropical cyclones form close to each other, their low-pressure centres begin to orbit around a common point influenced by the intensity and relative size of each cyclone. This interaction can lead to the cyclones merging, intensifying or even altering their paths.

    In the southern hemisphere, the two orbiting storms spin clockwise. That means it’s most likely the stronger low sitting off NSW will be spun northwest back out to sea, and the second low will spin southeast, possibly bringing more heavy rain and strong winds to southern NSW and eastern Victoria.

    Steve Turton has received funding from the Australian government.

    – ref. What’s next for NSW’s intense storm? Heavy rains, fallen trees – and a chance of a storm ‘slingshot’ – https://theconversation.com/whats-next-for-nsws-intense-storm-heavy-rains-fallen-trees-and-a-chance-of-a-storm-slingshot-260283

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 2, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 2, 2025.

    Parents of kids in daycare are terrified following Melbourne abuse allegations. What can they do?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danielle Arlanda Harris, Associate Professor in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University Parents have been left reeling by news a male Melbourne childcare worker has been charged with 70 counts related to the alleged sexual abuse of young children in his care. The charges include sexual penetration

    We all have kangaroos hopping around our coin purse – and they’ve been on money since 1795
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Dyer, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Monash University The one tonne gold kangaroo coin at the Perth Mint. Shutterstock On the Australian one dollar coin, you will often find the famous representation of a mob of five kangaroos. But when did the kangaroo first appear on

    The Bradbury Group features Palestinian journalist Dr Yousef Aljamal, Middle East report and political panel
    Asia Pacific Report In the new weekly political podcast, The Bradbury Group, last night presenter Martyn Bradbury talked with visiting Palestinian journalist Dr Yousef Aljamal. They assess the current situation in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and what New Zealand should be doing. As Bradbury, publisher of The Daily Blog, notes, “Fourth Estate public broadcasting

    New laws to make it harder for large Australian and foreign companies to avoid paying tax
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kerrie Sadiq, Professor of Taxation, QUT Business School, and ARC Future Fellow, Queensland University of Technology The Conversation, CC BY The beginning of the financial year means for the first time in Australia the public will see previously unreleased tax reports produced by multinational taxpayers. These documents,

    ‘Shit in, shit out’: AI is coming for agriculture, but farmers aren’t convinced
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tom Lee, Senior Lecturer, School of Design, University of Technology Sydney David Gray / AFP / Getty Images Australian farms are at the forefront of a wave of technological change coming to agriculture. Over the past decade, more than US$200 billion (A$305 billion) has been invested globally

    The National Anti-Corruption Commission turns 2 – has it restored integrity to federal government?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By A J Brown, Professor of Public Policy & Law, Centre for Governance & Public Policy, Griffith University The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) opened its doors two years ago this week amid much fanfare and high expectations. Since then the body has attracted considerable criticism, overshadowing a solid,

    Gum disease, decay, missing teeth: why people with mental illness have poorer oral health
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bonnie Clough, Senior Lecturer, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University mihailomilovanovic/Getty Images People with poor mental health face many challenges. One that’s perhaps lesser known is that they’re more likely than the overall population to have poor oral health. Research has shown people with serious mental illness

    Farming within Earth’s limits is still possible – but it will take a Herculean effort
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michalis Hadjikakou, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Sustainability, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering & Built Environment, Deakin University Patrick Pleul/Getty The way we currently produce and consume food takes a big toll on the environment. Worldwide, farming is responsible for more than 20%

    News laws to make it harder for large Australian and foreign companies to avoid paying tax
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kerrie Sadiq, Professor of Taxation, QUT Business School, and ARC Future Fellow, Queensland University of Technology The Conversation, CC BY The beginning of the financial year means for the first time in Australia the public will see previously unreleased tax reports produced by multinational taxpayers. These documents,

    What did ancient Rome smell like? Honestly, often pretty rank
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas J. Derrick, Gale Research Fellow in Ancient Glass and Material Culture, Macquarie University minoandriani/Getty Images The roar of the arena crowd, the bustle of the Roman forum, the grand temples, the Roman army in red with glistening shields and armour – when people imagine ancient Rome,

    Memo to Shane Jones: what if NZ needs more regional government, not less?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeffrey McNeill, Honorary Research Associate, School of People, Environment and Planning, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University If the headlines are anything to go by, New Zealand’s regional councils are on life support. Regional Development Minister Shane Jones recently wondered whether “there’s going to be a

    Antarctic summer sea ice is at record lows. Here’s how it will harm the planet – and us
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Doddridge, Senior Research Associate in Physical Oceanography, University of Tasmania An icebreaker approaches Denman Glacier in March, when there was 70% less Antarctic sea ice than usual. Pete Harmsen AAD On her first dedicated scientific voyage to Antarctica in March, the Australian icebreaker RSV Nuyina found

    Micronesian Summit in Majuro this week aims to be ‘one step ahead’
    By Giff Johnson, editor, Marshall Islands Journal/RNZ Pacific correspondent in Majuro The Micronesian Islands Forum cranks up with officials meetings this week in Majuro, with the official opening for top leadership from the islands tomorrow morning. Marshall Islands leaders are being joined at this summit by their counterparts from Kiribati, Nauru, Federated States of Micronesia,

    Distressed by all the bad news? Here’s how to stay informed but still look after yourself
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Reza Shabahang, Research Fellow in Human Cybersecurity, Monash University and Academic Researcher in Media Psychology, Flinders University KieferPix/Shutterstock If you’re feeling like the news is particularly bad at the moment, you’re not alone. But many of us can’t look away – and don’t want to. Engaging with

    What are police allowed to do at protests and who keeps them in check?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Hine, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, University of the Sunshine Coast Earlier this week, former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas was hospitalised with serious injuries after being arrested at a protest in Sydney. This incident sparked public outcry, raising questions about the limits of police power and what

    Trump demands an end to the war in Gaza – could a ceasefire be close?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marika Sosnowski, Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Melbourne Anas-Mohammed/Shutterstock Hopes are rising that Israel and Hamas could be inching closer to a ceasefire in the 20-month war in Gaza. US President Donald Trump is urging progress, taking to social media to demand: MAKE THE DEAL IN

    A new ‘prac payment’ has just kicked in. But it ignores many uni students
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Lambert, Associate Professor Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Wollongong Fly View Productions/ Getting Images On Tuesday, some Australian university students got access to a new payment. The Commonwealth Prac Payment is available to eligible teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work students. It will provide A$331.65 a

    ‘I’m going to send letters’: the deadline for Trump’s ‘reciprocal’ trade tariffs is looming
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Draper, Professor, and Executive Director: Institute for International Trade, and Director of the Jean Monnet Centre of Trade and Environment, University of Adelaide Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images US President Donald Trump’s 90-day pause on implementing so-called “reciprocal” tariffs on some 180 trading partners ends on

    2 polls have Tasmania headed for another hung parliament, but disagree on which party is ahead
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Two Tasmanian state polls imply another hung parliament at the July 19 election under Tasmania’s proportional system. In one of these polls, Labor leads the Liberals, while

    Preventive versus pre-emptive strikes.
    Headline: Preventive versus pre-emptive strikes. – 36th Parallel Assessments Photo credit: Reuters. Conceptual clarity is important in any context but especially when it comes to international relations, foreign policy and the initiation of conflict. Recent events in the Middle East have shown once again how clarity in the use of words is often deliberately obfuscated

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: More than meds: why easier access to ADHD treatment has to be part of a whole-system approach

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Belinda Wheaton, Professor, School of Psychological and Social Sciences, University of Waikato

    Thom Leach/Getty Images

    New Zealanders with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) will now have easier access to diagnosis and medication after the government changed prescribing rules.

    But there is still so much we don’t know about ADHD in Aotearoa. And while these changes will help many, easier access to medication alone won’t fill the gaps in other supports people with ADHD need to live well.

    From February 2026 trained GPS and nurse practitioners will be able to diagnose and treat ADHD. Under the current system, only paediatricians or psychiatrists can make the diagnosis. GPs and nurse practitioners then provide followup care.

    The current process – which is both time-consuming and expensive – has been widely criticised. The government’s changes are expected to at least partially address these issues.

    ADHD in New Zealand

    One major barrier to progress is the general lack of knowledge about adult ADHD.

    he condition is broadly understood as causing persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. In adults, ADHD can have a profound impact in family and work situations, substance abuse and a wide range of psychiatric disorders. But it has largely been ignored in older age groups, with some believing people “grow out” of the condition.

    People with ADHD also often possess strengths, including creativity, spontaneity, high energy, risk tolerance and an ability to think divergently. Many also demonstrate strong problem-solving skills under pressure, passion-driven focus and persistence when engaged in meaningful tasks.

    Worldwide estimates suggest ADHD in adults ranges from 2.5% to 3.4% of most populations. But England’s 2023 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey found 13.9% of adults met criteria warranting clinical assessment. Only 0.5% had been professionally diagnosed.

    In New Zealand, estimates rely on indirect measures such as medication dispensing rates.

    Recent research found 0.6% of the adult population in New Zealand was receiving drug treatment for ADHD. Based on a conservative estimate of 2.6% of adults with ADHD, this shows a large “treatment gap” exists.

    Drug dispensing data in New Zealand also show gaps in who gets diagnosed with ADHD.

    Māori and Pacific peoples are less likely to receive ADHD medications. These inequities begin early. Tamariki Māori screened for ADHD at age four are less likely to receive medication than their non-Māori peers.

    There are also substantial differences in the age of diagnosis across sociodemographic groups. These inequities raise serious concerns about access and systemic bias.

    International research shows untreated ADHD is linked to worse mental and physical health, higher mortality, and reduced life expectancy.

    ADHD prevalence is also five times higher among youth prisoners and ten times higher among adult prisoners compared to the general population. In Australia, ADHD’s social and economic costs are estimated at A$20.42 billion per year, or $25,071 per person.

    Waiting too long for help

    Our ongoing research, including a survey, looks at the lived experiences of adults with diagnosed or suspected ADHD in New Zealand. Many have described the healthcare system as “broken”.

    Survey respondents reported long wait times, high costs for diagnosis and treatment and a lack of expertise amongst health professionals. They also described ongoing stigma and misunderstanding about the lived reality of ADHD.

    The survey mirrors international research showing how longstanding myths and stigmas about what ADHD is and who it affects have impeded societal understanding.

    Adult women were overrepresented in the sample, constituting 83% of the 689 participants, with over 80% reporting being diagnosed after age 24, reflecting global trends of underdiagnosis in early age among women.

    Research suggests ADHD in women is often missed or misdiagnosed, partly due to outdated knowledge and lack of understanding about its presentation in women, compounded by high rates of coexisting conditions such as anxiety, depression, substance use and autism.

    Treatment matters

    Growing evidence shows many of the negative outcomes of ADHD are mitigated by treatment with medication. One study from Sweden found a significant association between initiating ADHD medication treatment and lower mortality.

    However, medication is only part of the solution. Strategies focused on the strengths of people with ADHD can have huge benefits for the individual, their whānau and communities. Particularly when they receive timely diagnosis, treatment and necessary accommodations.

    Researchers argue that while ADHD medications provide effective treatment, they should never be the only form of treatment offered.

    More than meds

    Expanding prescribing authority is a vital step, but this alone will do little to increase access to psychological and allied health supports to ensure the right care can be provided to people with ADHD.

    There continues to be an urgent need to address gaps in data and understanding, to provide an evidence-based assessment of the areas where research, funding and policy initiatives need to be targeted.

    Trends show that some groups, including Māori and women, are disproportionately affected by a lack of knowledge and services. As the government revises how ADHD is diagnosed and treated, it must address these discrepancies.

    There is also a complex but poorly understood relationship between ADHD and other neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism, that needs further investigation. As ADHD New Zealand chairperson Darrin Bull has argued, a “whole-of-system” approach is required to support those with ADHD in New Zealand.

    Belinda Wheaton is collaborating with ADHD NZ on research to improve understanding of ADHD in NZ,

    Byron Rangiwai has received funding from Health Research Council. Byron is currently receiving funding from Apple Computers until October 2025.

    Nicholas Bowden has received funding for ADHD-related research through MBIE’s A Better Start National Science Challenge.

    Stephanie D’Souza has received funding for ADHD-related research through MBIE’s A Better Start National Science Challenge.

    – ref. More than meds: why easier access to ADHD treatment has to be part of a whole-system approach – https://theconversation.com/more-than-meds-why-easier-access-to-adhd-treatment-has-to-be-part-of-a-whole-system-approach-259981

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s lunar 3D printing breakthrough paves way for moon “houses” built from soil sourced on-site

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

    China’s lunar 3D printing breakthrough paves way for moon ‘houses’ built from soil sourced on-site

    This undated file photo shows a researcher demonstrating the lunar 3D printing process at the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory in Hefei, east China’s Anhui Province. (Xinhua)

    A groundbreaking 3D printing system developed by Chinese scientists has explored using only on-site-sourced lunar soil to build habitats, paving the way for the large-scale, on-site construction of lunar research stations.

    The Deep Space Exploration Laboratory in Hefei, Anhui Province, has successfully prototyped a lunar regolith 3D printer that eliminates the need for Earth-sourced construction materials, according to Yang Honglun, a senior engineer at the lab.

    He revealed that the system uses a high-precision reflective concentrator and flexible fiber-optic energy transmission to achieve temperatures hot enough to fuse lunar regolith.

    “This printing breakthrough has validated the feasibility of using lunar soil as the sole raw building material, enabling true in-situ resource utilization and eliminating the need to transport any additional materials from Earth,” he said.

    Also among the printing system’s key innovations is flexible manufacturing, which enables brick production and the customized molding of complex structures.

    A preliminary test of the prototype’s lunar regolith forming process has been completed on the ground surface. Tests of its ability to melt and form lines, surfaces, bodies and complex structures have also been completed, and tests of the technical feasibility of the prototype’s solar concentrating technology, optical fiber bundle energy transmission and lunar regolith melting system have been systematically completed.

    In the early stages of the research team’s work, the core challenge was achieving reliable solar energy concentration and regolith shaping under the extreme conditions of the lunar environment.

    After extensive testing, the multidisciplinary team — spanning the fields of planetary science, materials science, mechanical engineering, energy dynamics, thermal physics and optics — solved critical problems in energy capture, transmission and molding.

    As for future applications, Yang said the prototype could manufacture lunar regolith structures, supporting the construction of lunar roads, equipment platforms and buildings, and enabling large-scale, sustainable lunar exploration and resource utilization.

    It also validates key technologies for lunar energy capture and material extraction, laying the technical foundations for the construction of lunar energy systems.

    The lab — also known as Tiandu, named after one of the three main peaks of the province’s Yellow Mountain — is a national-level scientific research platform built by the China National Space Administration, the Anhui provincial government, and the University of Science and Technology of China.

    It is a new model for China’s deep-space research and operates with corporate-like autonomy in research direction, fund usage, talent and salary management, according to Li Hang, head of the lab’s board office.

    Since its official launch in June 2022, Tiandu has provided robust support for the successful implementation of major projects such as the Queqiao-2 relay satellite and the Chang’e-6 lunar mission, which returned humanity’s first-ever sample from the far side of the moon.

    Looking ahead, the lab is developing the world’s first Mars sample research facility and is inviting collaboration. “We welcome scientists from home and abroad to conduct research in Hefei,” Li said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Provision to Bring Space Shuttle Discovery to Houston Passed in Senate’s One Big Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today celebrated the passage of his provision to reconsider moving the Space Shuttle Discovery from Virginia to its rightful home near the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston in the Senate’s reconciliation legislation:

    “Houston has long been the cornerstone of our nation’s human space exploration program, and it’s long overdue for Space City to receive the recognition it deserves by bringing the Space Shuttle Discovery home,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I am glad to see this pass as part of the Senate’s One Big Beautiful Bill and look forward to welcoming Discovery to Houston and righting this egregious wrong.”“Houston has long stood at the heart of America’s human spaceflight program, and this legislation rightly honors that legacy,” said Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation Chairman Ted Cruz. “It ensures that any future transfer of a flown, crewed space vehicle will prioritize locations that have played a direct and vital role in our nation’s manned space program, making Houston, Texas, a leading candidate. Bringing such a historic space vehicle to the region would underscore the city’s indispensable contributions to our space missions, highlight the strength of America’s commercial space partnerships, and inspire future generations of engineers, scientists, and pioneers who will carry our legacy of American leadership in space.”

    Background:

     The Senator’s provision included in the Senate’s legislation would result in consideration of the Space Shuttle Discovery moving from Virginia to its rightful home near NASA’s JSC in Houston.

    Mission Control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center led all of the space shuttle flights throughout the program’s history, and the astronauts who flew aboard the shuttles lived and trained in the area Houston. Four space shuttles were retired from NASA in 2010, and one of them was expected to go on display in the Space City. Congress stated in the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 that the four space shuttles were to be given to states with a “historical relationship with either the launch, flight operations, or processing of the Space Shuttle orbiters or the retrieval of NASA-manned space vehicles, or significant contributions to human space flight.” Unfortunately, this directive was unlawfully ignored by the Obama administration, who played politics to keep Houston from getting one of the shuttles. Notably, the administration gave one of the four shuttles to New York City, which has not made any major contributions to the nation’s history of space exploration and is not home to a NASA center—unlike Houston. The Space Shuttle Discovery should be transferred to Houston. This legislation would authorize the movement of the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia to an entity near the JSC in Houston.

    Additional space-related provisions led by Sen. Cornyn, including the Mission to Modernize Astronautic Resources (MARS) for Space Act, nearly $10 billion in NASA funding for programs at JSC, funding for National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Artemis program, and resources to support the International Space Station (ISS), were included in the Senate’s legislation.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Univest Securities, LLC Congratulates Client Houston American Energy Corp. on its Latest Acquisition of Abundia Global Impact Group, LLC

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Univest Securities, LLC (“Univest”), a member of FINRA and SIPC, and a full-service investment bank and securities broker-dealer firm based in New York, is pleased to congratulate its client, Houston American Energy Corp. (“HUSA”) , on its recent acquisition of Abundia Global Impact Group, LLC (“AGIG”). The acquisition is positioned to create a leading company focused on converting waste plastics into high-value, drop-in low-carbon fuels and chemical products.

    Following the acquisition, AGIG will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of HUSA. The combined company will be led by Abundia’s founder, Ed Gillespie, who will serve as Chief Executive Officer and will join the Board of Directors. The acquisition combines HUSA’s public market platform with Abundia’s proprietary pyrolysis technology, positioning HUSA to serve the growing global demand for sustainable fuels, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), and recycled chemical feedstocks.

    Univest has maintained a longstanding strategic partnership with HUSA, supporting HUSA’s growth along its corporate journey. Since 2021, Univest has acted as the sole placement agent for HUSA in multiple capital markets transactions. Through registered direct offerings, private placements, and at-the-market offerings, Univest has successfully assisted HUSA in raising approximately $17 million. These efforts have provided essential capital to support HUSA’s operational needs and strategic initiatives. This close collaboration reflects a strong alignment of vision and mutual commitment to long-term value creation, and paves the way for supporting HUSA continuously as it enters this exciting new chapter following its recent acquisition.

    About Univest Securities, LLC

    Registered with FINRA since 1994, Univest Securities, LLC provides a wide variety of financial services to its institutional and retail clients globally including brokerage and execution services, sales and trading, market making, investment banking and advisory, and wealth management. It strives to provide clients with value-add service and focuses on building long-term relationships with its clients. As a prominent name on Wall Street, Univest has successfully raised over $1.3 billion in capital for issuers across the globe since 2019 and has completed approximately 100 transactions spanning a wide array of investment banking services in various industries, including technology, life sciences, industrial, consumer goods, etc. For more information, please visit: https://www.univest.us/.

    About Houston American Energy Corp.

    Houston American Energy Corp. is a renewable energy company focused on converting waste materials into valuable low-carbon fuels and chemicals. Through its proprietary pyrolysis technology, the company addresses the global plastic waste crisis while supplying high-demand products like sustainable aviation fuel and recycled feedstocks to the energy and chemical industries. For more information, please visit: http://www.houstonamerican.com/.

    For more information, please contact:

    Univest Securities, LLC
    Edric Guo
    Chief Executive Officer
    75 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 18C
    New York, NY 10019
    Phone: (212) 343-8888
    Email: info@univest.us

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Univest Securities, LLC Congratulates Client Houston American Energy Corp. on its Latest Acquisition of Abundia Global Impact Group, LLC

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Univest Securities, LLC (“Univest”), a member of FINRA and SIPC, and a full-service investment bank and securities broker-dealer firm based in New York, is pleased to congratulate its client, Houston American Energy Corp. (“HUSA”) , on its recent acquisition of Abundia Global Impact Group, LLC (“AGIG”). The acquisition is positioned to create a leading company focused on converting waste plastics into high-value, drop-in low-carbon fuels and chemical products.

    Following the acquisition, AGIG will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of HUSA. The combined company will be led by Abundia’s founder, Ed Gillespie, who will serve as Chief Executive Officer and will join the Board of Directors. The acquisition combines HUSA’s public market platform with Abundia’s proprietary pyrolysis technology, positioning HUSA to serve the growing global demand for sustainable fuels, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), and recycled chemical feedstocks.

    Univest has maintained a longstanding strategic partnership with HUSA, supporting HUSA’s growth along its corporate journey. Since 2021, Univest has acted as the sole placement agent for HUSA in multiple capital markets transactions. Through registered direct offerings, private placements, and at-the-market offerings, Univest has successfully assisted HUSA in raising approximately $17 million. These efforts have provided essential capital to support HUSA’s operational needs and strategic initiatives. This close collaboration reflects a strong alignment of vision and mutual commitment to long-term value creation, and paves the way for supporting HUSA continuously as it enters this exciting new chapter following its recent acquisition.

    About Univest Securities, LLC

    Registered with FINRA since 1994, Univest Securities, LLC provides a wide variety of financial services to its institutional and retail clients globally including brokerage and execution services, sales and trading, market making, investment banking and advisory, and wealth management. It strives to provide clients with value-add service and focuses on building long-term relationships with its clients. As a prominent name on Wall Street, Univest has successfully raised over $1.3 billion in capital for issuers across the globe since 2019 and has completed approximately 100 transactions spanning a wide array of investment banking services in various industries, including technology, life sciences, industrial, consumer goods, etc. For more information, please visit: https://www.univest.us/.

    About Houston American Energy Corp.

    Houston American Energy Corp. is a renewable energy company focused on converting waste materials into valuable low-carbon fuels and chemicals. Through its proprietary pyrolysis technology, the company addresses the global plastic waste crisis while supplying high-demand products like sustainable aviation fuel and recycled feedstocks to the energy and chemical industries. For more information, please visit: http://www.houstonamerican.com/.

    For more information, please contact:

    Univest Securities, LLC
    Edric Guo
    Chief Executive Officer
    75 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 18C
    New York, NY 10019
    Phone: (212) 343-8888
    Email: info@univest.us

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Trade in a mythical fish is threatening real species of rays that are rare and at risk

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By James Marcus Drymon, Associate Extension Professor in Marine Fisheries Ecology, Mississippi State University

    These ‘pez diablo,’ or devil fish, are actually guitarfishes that have been caught, killed, dried and carved into exotic shapes. Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    From the Loch Ness monster to Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, to the jackalope of the U.S. West, mythical animals have long captured human imagination.

    Some people are so fascinated with mythical creatures that they create their own, either working from pure fantasy or by modifying real animals. In a newly published study, we show that in countries such as Mexico, people are catching, drying and shaping guitarfishes – members of the rhino ray family, one of the most threatened groups of marine fishes – to create mythical specimens called “pez diablo,” or devil fish.

    Depending on where these curios are sold, they might also be referred to as Jenny Hanivers, garadiávolos or rayas chupacabras. The origin and meaning of the term “Jenny Haniver” is unclear, but the most accepted explanation is “Jeune d’Anvers,” or “young girl from Antwerp” in French.

    We found that pez diablo are made for many reasons, including as curios for the tourist trade and as purported cures for cancer, arthritis and anemia. Some are simply used for hoaxes. Regardless, the pez diablo trade could threaten the survival of guitarfishes.

    Young guitarfishes on display at the New England Aquarium in Boston.

    Fishy talismans

    Skates and rays, including guitarfishes, are flat-bodied fishes related to sharks and are found worldwide. Together, they make up a group known as elasmobranchs, which are characterized by their unique skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone like most other fishes.

    Skates have long been used to craft mythical creatures. The earliest known examples date back to 1558 in Europe, where they were fashioned to resemble dragons. These objects were thought to offer pathways to the divine or medicinal cures.

    In the mid-20th century, dried guitarfishes emerged as a new generation of mythical creatures. This may be because their unique shape can be fashioned into more humanlike forms. Their long nostrils, which are positioned just above their mouths, can resemble eyes.

    The ‘eyes’ of these dried guitarfishes are actually nostrils on top of the fishes’ long, pointed snouts.
    Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    The first known case of a modified guitarfish was described in 1933. Since then, specimens have made their way into museums, and dozens of North American newspapers have published stories featuring modified guitarfishes.

    A real and endangered fish

    Guitarfishes are one of the most threatened vertebrate groups on the planet: Without careful management, they are at risk of global extinction. As many as two-thirds of all guitarfishes are classified as threatened on the IUCN Red List, a global inventory that assesses extinction risks to wild species.

    Guitarfishes are found in warm temperate and tropical oceans around the world. Fishers target them as an inexpensive source of protein. Guitarfishes may also be caught accidentally or collected live for the aquarium trade.

    Ultimately, however, these species are worth more as pez diablo than for other uses. For example, an entire fresh guitarfish in Mexico is worth approximately US$2, whereas guitarfish that have been killed, dried and carved into pez diablo can be worth anywhere from $50–$500 on eBay and other e-commerce sites.

    Curbing the pez diablo trade

    Internationally, the guitarfish trade is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international agreement between governments. This agreement requires member countries to manage guitarfish trade across international borders.

    Most countries where guitarfishes occur, however, do not have national regulations to protect these species. As a result, people who create or sell pez diablo are likely unaware that these fishes are threatened.

    There are as many as 37 species of guitarfish, some of which are at higher risk of extinction than others. Yet to the untrained eye, it can be hard to distinguish one guitarfish species from another. It’s especially hard to identify dried and mutilated guitarfishes that have been processed into pez diablo and look very different from their natural form.

    An intact guitarfish, left, and a carved, dried version.
    Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    This is a common challenge for agencies that monitor trade in animal products. The global wildlife trade is an enormous market, involving billions of animals moving through both legal and illegal channels. Many wildlife products are heavily altered, which makes it hard to identify the species and determine where the product came from.

    Another source of confusion is that many people in Mexico also refer to an invasive freshwater fish that has overrun lakes and rivers across the nation as pez diablo. This “other” pez diablo is actually a suckermouth catfish and is not at all related to any of the threatened guitarfishes. Local education efforts need to distinguish clearly between these two species, since the desired outcome is to protect guitarfish while removing the invasive catfish.

    A dried and modified guitarfish, left, compared with an invasive suckermouth catfish.
    Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    Guitarfish CSI

    Fortunately, advances in wildlife forensics offer a way to distinguish between species. Molecular techniques have been used to identify many illegally traded species, including guitarfishes. By taking a small skin sample, scientists can use DNA to identify the species of individual pez diablo. This method can help protect endangered species by helping to ensure that laws against wildlife trafficking are followed.

    Refining this kind of molecular tool is the most promising way to improve traceability in the trade of guitarfishes. By documenting where and how pez diablo are traded, scientists and conservationists can help clarify the threats to these species. The pez diablo is an imaginary creature, but it is doing real harm to threatened guitarfishes in the world’s warm oceans.

    Bryan Huerta-Beltran receives funding from Save Our Seas Foundation.

    Nicole Phillips is affiliated with the Sawfish Conservation Society and receives funding from the Save Our Seas Foundation.

    James Marcus Drymon and Peter Kyne do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Trade in a mythical fish is threatening real species of rays that are rare and at risk – https://theconversation.com/trade-in-a-mythical-fish-is-threatening-real-species-of-rays-that-are-rare-and-at-risk-247433

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Trade in a mythical fish is threatening real species of rays that are rare and at risk

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By James Marcus Drymon, Associate Extension Professor in Marine Fisheries Ecology, Mississippi State University

    These ‘pez diablo,’ or devil fish, are actually guitarfishes that have been caught, killed, dried and carved into exotic shapes. Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    From the Loch Ness monster to Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, to the jackalope of the U.S. West, mythical animals have long captured human imagination.

    Some people are so fascinated with mythical creatures that they create their own, either working from pure fantasy or by modifying real animals. In a newly published study, we show that in countries such as Mexico, people are catching, drying and shaping guitarfishes – members of the rhino ray family, one of the most threatened groups of marine fishes – to create mythical specimens called “pez diablo,” or devil fish.

    Depending on where these curios are sold, they might also be referred to as Jenny Hanivers, garadiávolos or rayas chupacabras. The origin and meaning of the term “Jenny Haniver” is unclear, but the most accepted explanation is “Jeune d’Anvers,” or “young girl from Antwerp” in French.

    We found that pez diablo are made for many reasons, including as curios for the tourist trade and as purported cures for cancer, arthritis and anemia. Some are simply used for hoaxes. Regardless, the pez diablo trade could threaten the survival of guitarfishes.

    Young guitarfishes on display at the New England Aquarium in Boston.

    Fishy talismans

    Skates and rays, including guitarfishes, are flat-bodied fishes related to sharks and are found worldwide. Together, they make up a group known as elasmobranchs, which are characterized by their unique skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone like most other fishes.

    Skates have long been used to craft mythical creatures. The earliest known examples date back to 1558 in Europe, where they were fashioned to resemble dragons. These objects were thought to offer pathways to the divine or medicinal cures.

    In the mid-20th century, dried guitarfishes emerged as a new generation of mythical creatures. This may be because their unique shape can be fashioned into more humanlike forms. Their long nostrils, which are positioned just above their mouths, can resemble eyes.

    The ‘eyes’ of these dried guitarfishes are actually nostrils on top of the fishes’ long, pointed snouts.
    Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    The first known case of a modified guitarfish was described in 1933. Since then, specimens have made their way into museums, and dozens of North American newspapers have published stories featuring modified guitarfishes.

    A real and endangered fish

    Guitarfishes are one of the most threatened vertebrate groups on the planet: Without careful management, they are at risk of global extinction. As many as two-thirds of all guitarfishes are classified as threatened on the IUCN Red List, a global inventory that assesses extinction risks to wild species.

    Guitarfishes are found in warm temperate and tropical oceans around the world. Fishers target them as an inexpensive source of protein. Guitarfishes may also be caught accidentally or collected live for the aquarium trade.

    Ultimately, however, these species are worth more as pez diablo than for other uses. For example, an entire fresh guitarfish in Mexico is worth approximately US$2, whereas guitarfish that have been killed, dried and carved into pez diablo can be worth anywhere from $50–$500 on eBay and other e-commerce sites.

    Curbing the pez diablo trade

    Internationally, the guitarfish trade is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international agreement between governments. This agreement requires member countries to manage guitarfish trade across international borders.

    Most countries where guitarfishes occur, however, do not have national regulations to protect these species. As a result, people who create or sell pez diablo are likely unaware that these fishes are threatened.

    There are as many as 37 species of guitarfish, some of which are at higher risk of extinction than others. Yet to the untrained eye, it can be hard to distinguish one guitarfish species from another. It’s especially hard to identify dried and mutilated guitarfishes that have been processed into pez diablo and look very different from their natural form.

    An intact guitarfish, left, and a carved, dried version.
    Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    This is a common challenge for agencies that monitor trade in animal products. The global wildlife trade is an enormous market, involving billions of animals moving through both legal and illegal channels. Many wildlife products are heavily altered, which makes it hard to identify the species and determine where the product came from.

    Another source of confusion is that many people in Mexico also refer to an invasive freshwater fish that has overrun lakes and rivers across the nation as pez diablo. This “other” pez diablo is actually a suckermouth catfish and is not at all related to any of the threatened guitarfishes. Local education efforts need to distinguish clearly between these two species, since the desired outcome is to protect guitarfish while removing the invasive catfish.

    A dried and modified guitarfish, left, compared with an invasive suckermouth catfish.
    Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    Guitarfish CSI

    Fortunately, advances in wildlife forensics offer a way to distinguish between species. Molecular techniques have been used to identify many illegally traded species, including guitarfishes. By taking a small skin sample, scientists can use DNA to identify the species of individual pez diablo. This method can help protect endangered species by helping to ensure that laws against wildlife trafficking are followed.

    Refining this kind of molecular tool is the most promising way to improve traceability in the trade of guitarfishes. By documenting where and how pez diablo are traded, scientists and conservationists can help clarify the threats to these species. The pez diablo is an imaginary creature, but it is doing real harm to threatened guitarfishes in the world’s warm oceans.

    Bryan Huerta-Beltran receives funding from Save Our Seas Foundation.

    Nicole Phillips is affiliated with the Sawfish Conservation Society and receives funding from the Save Our Seas Foundation.

    James Marcus Drymon and Peter Kyne do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Trade in a mythical fish is threatening real species of rays that are rare and at risk – https://theconversation.com/trade-in-a-mythical-fish-is-threatening-real-species-of-rays-that-are-rare-and-at-risk-247433

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Trauma is carried in your DNA. But science reveals a more complicated story

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Tara-Lyn Camilleri, Postdoctoral researcher of transgenerational effects, Monash University

    Radu Bercan/Shutterstock

    As war continues to rage in Gaza and Ukraine, there is concern about how the related trauma might be transmitted to future generations of people in those regions.

    More generally, interest in the idea of transgenerational trauma has recently surged. For example, earlier this year, National Geographic magazine asked whether genes carry past family trauma.

    But while this might be a catchy question, it’s also slightly misleading. Because while trauma can ripple across generations, shaped by how our bodies respond to their environments, its effects aren’t hard-coded in our genes.

    Plastic minds and bodies

    At the heart of this process is what’s known as phenotypic plasticity.

    This is the capacity for organisms to produce different outcomes from the same genes, depending on their environment. These outcomes, called phenotypes, can include stress sensitivity and body shape.

    One way different phenotypes can arise from the same genes is via epigenetics: small chemical changes to the DNA molecule that make particular genes more or less active. Think of these like a director’s notes on a script. These notes guide the cell on which lines to emphasise or soften, without changing the script itself.

    But epigenetics is just one way this plasticity is expressed.

    Understanding how trauma is passed across generations means looking beyond genes and cells to the environments that shape and influence them.

    Human development is sculpted by lived experience, from caregiving and community to stress, safety and belonging.

    These factors interact to produce lasting – but not always fixed – effects. By focusing on how they interact, rather than on single causes, we can better understand why trauma echoes across generations. This also helps us identify how that cycle might be disrupted.

    Widespread in nature

    Phenotypic plasticity is widespread in nature.

    In honeybees, genetically identical larvae become queens or workers depending on what they eat while developing. In three-spined stickleback fish, early exposure to predators reshapes their stress physiology and body shape, making them harder for predators to grasp.

    These aren’t genetic differences – they’re environmental effects on development.

    In humans, early-life conditions similarly shape development. A child raised in an unsafe setting may develop heightened vigilance or stress sensitivity – traits that help in danger but can persist as anxiety or chronic stress in times of safety. This is known as environmental mismatch.

    Across generations, plasticity becomes more complicated. In some of my past research, I studied how diet in one generation of fruit flies shaped health, reproduction and longevity in their offspring and grand offspring.

    The results varied depending on diet, generation and trait. Traits that appeared to be useful in one generation weren’t always so in the next. This highlights how difficult transgenerational effects are to predict – precisely because of this plasticity.

    In three-spined stickleback fish, early exposure to predators reshapes their stress physiology and body shape.
    drakiragavon/iNaturalist, CC BY-ND

    Too narrow an explanation

    Epigenetics often reflect environmental exposures – such as stress, trauma, nutrition or caregiving. But they’re not necessarily permanent “scars”. Many are dynamic and can shift with changing environments – especially early in life.

    Studies show that epigenetic patterns linked to early childhood adversity vary depending on later environments such as family stability and social support. This suggests the biological imprint of early stress is shaped by what happens next.

    It’s tempting to treat epigenetics as the key to explaining inherited trauma – but that’s too narrow. Trauma can influence the next generation through altered hormones, immune function or in utero conditions – all of which shape brain development and stress reactivity.

    Genetic variation also plays a major role. It doesn’t encode trauma itself, but it shapes traits such as sensitivity to threat or emotional regulation. These traits aren’t chosen – they arise from a web of biological and social influences beyond our control.

    But how they unfold, and whether they’re amplified or softened, depends on the systems that surround us.

    Connection to culture

    Connection to culture plays an important role too.

    In Aotearoa New Zealand, Māori-led initiatives that centre land, language and whakapapa (ancestral lineage) have shown promise in restoring wellbeing after generations of colonisation-related trauma.

    For Holocaust survivors and descendants, connection to cultural identity through ritual and shared narrative can reduce the psychological burden of transmitted trauma.

    But not all trauma is collective or institutional. Interventions such as trauma-informed parenting and early relational therapies have been shown to improve outcomes in the next generation.

    These psychological supports affect biology. Feeling safe in our relationships, having stable routines and a sense of meaning can reduce stress hormones, modulate immune function, and buffer against long-term disease risk.

    In this way, culture, caregiving and connection are all biological interventions. When they soften the effects of earlier stress, they may help interrupt its transmission.

    Trauma-informed parenting has been shown to improve outcomes in the next generation.
    fizkes/Shutterstock

    Reframing inherited vulnerability

    This matters, because it changes how we understand inherited vulnerability.

    Rather than a permanent wound passed down through DNA, the effects of trauma are better understood as changeable responses shaped by context.

    Thanks to plasticity, our biology is always in conversation with the environment – and when we change the context, we can change the outcome.

    Tara-Lyn Camilleri receives funding from from Australian Graduate Women, a not-for-profit organisation that advocates for education and supports women in postgraduate education with scholarships. Her research has also been supported by Australian Research Council grants and Royal Society funding. She is a volunteer committee member for Graduate Women Victoria.

    – ref. Trauma is carried in your DNA. But science reveals a more complicated story – https://theconversation.com/trauma-is-carried-in-your-dna-but-science-reveals-a-more-complicated-story-259057

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Trauma is carried in your DNA. But science reveals a more complicated story

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Tara-Lyn Camilleri, Postdoctoral researcher of transgenerational effects, Monash University

    Radu Bercan/Shutterstock

    As war continues to rage in Gaza and Ukraine, there is concern about how the related trauma might be transmitted to future generations of people in those regions.

    More generally, interest in the idea of transgenerational trauma has recently surged. For example, earlier this year, National Geographic magazine asked whether genes carry past family trauma.

    But while this might be a catchy question, it’s also slightly misleading. Because while trauma can ripple across generations, shaped by how our bodies respond to their environments, its effects aren’t hard-coded in our genes.

    Plastic minds and bodies

    At the heart of this process is what’s known as phenotypic plasticity.

    This is the capacity for organisms to produce different outcomes from the same genes, depending on their environment. These outcomes, called phenotypes, can include stress sensitivity and body shape.

    One way different phenotypes can arise from the same genes is via epigenetics: small chemical changes to the DNA molecule that make particular genes more or less active. Think of these like a director’s notes on a script. These notes guide the cell on which lines to emphasise or soften, without changing the script itself.

    But epigenetics is just one way this plasticity is expressed.

    Understanding how trauma is passed across generations means looking beyond genes and cells to the environments that shape and influence them.

    Human development is sculpted by lived experience, from caregiving and community to stress, safety and belonging.

    These factors interact to produce lasting – but not always fixed – effects. By focusing on how they interact, rather than on single causes, we can better understand why trauma echoes across generations. This also helps us identify how that cycle might be disrupted.

    Widespread in nature

    Phenotypic plasticity is widespread in nature.

    In honeybees, genetically identical larvae become queens or workers depending on what they eat while developing. In three-spined stickleback fish, early exposure to predators reshapes their stress physiology and body shape, making them harder for predators to grasp.

    These aren’t genetic differences – they’re environmental effects on development.

    In humans, early-life conditions similarly shape development. A child raised in an unsafe setting may develop heightened vigilance or stress sensitivity – traits that help in danger but can persist as anxiety or chronic stress in times of safety. This is known as environmental mismatch.

    Across generations, plasticity becomes more complicated. In some of my past research, I studied how diet in one generation of fruit flies shaped health, reproduction and longevity in their offspring and grand offspring.

    The results varied depending on diet, generation and trait. Traits that appeared to be useful in one generation weren’t always so in the next. This highlights how difficult transgenerational effects are to predict – precisely because of this plasticity.

    In three-spined stickleback fish, early exposure to predators reshapes their stress physiology and body shape.
    drakiragavon/iNaturalist, CC BY-ND

    Too narrow an explanation

    Epigenetics often reflect environmental exposures – such as stress, trauma, nutrition or caregiving. But they’re not necessarily permanent “scars”. Many are dynamic and can shift with changing environments – especially early in life.

    Studies show that epigenetic patterns linked to early childhood adversity vary depending on later environments such as family stability and social support. This suggests the biological imprint of early stress is shaped by what happens next.

    It’s tempting to treat epigenetics as the key to explaining inherited trauma – but that’s too narrow. Trauma can influence the next generation through altered hormones, immune function or in utero conditions – all of which shape brain development and stress reactivity.

    Genetic variation also plays a major role. It doesn’t encode trauma itself, but it shapes traits such as sensitivity to threat or emotional regulation. These traits aren’t chosen – they arise from a web of biological and social influences beyond our control.

    But how they unfold, and whether they’re amplified or softened, depends on the systems that surround us.

    Connection to culture

    Connection to culture plays an important role too.

    In Aotearoa New Zealand, Māori-led initiatives that centre land, language and whakapapa (ancestral lineage) have shown promise in restoring wellbeing after generations of colonisation-related trauma.

    For Holocaust survivors and descendants, connection to cultural identity through ritual and shared narrative can reduce the psychological burden of transmitted trauma.

    But not all trauma is collective or institutional. Interventions such as trauma-informed parenting and early relational therapies have been shown to improve outcomes in the next generation.

    These psychological supports affect biology. Feeling safe in our relationships, having stable routines and a sense of meaning can reduce stress hormones, modulate immune function, and buffer against long-term disease risk.

    In this way, culture, caregiving and connection are all biological interventions. When they soften the effects of earlier stress, they may help interrupt its transmission.

    Trauma-informed parenting has been shown to improve outcomes in the next generation.
    fizkes/Shutterstock

    Reframing inherited vulnerability

    This matters, because it changes how we understand inherited vulnerability.

    Rather than a permanent wound passed down through DNA, the effects of trauma are better understood as changeable responses shaped by context.

    Thanks to plasticity, our biology is always in conversation with the environment – and when we change the context, we can change the outcome.

    Tara-Lyn Camilleri receives funding from from Australian Graduate Women, a not-for-profit organisation that advocates for education and supports women in postgraduate education with scholarships. Her research has also been supported by Australian Research Council grants and Royal Society funding. She is a volunteer committee member for Graduate Women Victoria.

    – ref. Trauma is carried in your DNA. But science reveals a more complicated story – https://theconversation.com/trauma-is-carried-in-your-dna-but-science-reveals-a-more-complicated-story-259057

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Antarctic summer sea ice is at record lows. Here’s how it will harm the planet – and us

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Edward Doddridge, Senior Research Associate in Physical Oceanography, University of Tasmania

    An icebreaker approaches Denman Glacier in March, when there was 70% less Antarctic sea ice than usual. Pete Harmsen AAD

    On her first dedicated scientific voyage to Antarctica in March, the Australian icebreaker RSV Nuyina found the area sea-ice free. Scientists were able to reach places never sampled before.

    Over the past four summers, Antarctic sea ice extent has hit new lows.

    I’m part of a large group of scientists who set out to explore the consequences of summer sea ice loss after the record lows of 2022 and 2023. Together we rounded up the latest publications, then gathered new evidence using satellites, computer modelling, and robotic ocean sampling devices. Today we can finally reveal what we found.

    It’s bad news on many levels, because Antarctic sea ice is vital for the world’s climate and ecosystems. But we need to get a grip on what’s happening – and use this concerning data to prompt faster action on climate change.

    Sea ice around Antarctica waxes and wanes with the seasons, growing in the cold months and melting in warm ones. But this rhythmic cycle is changing.

    What we did and what we found

    Our team used a huge range of approaches to study the consequences of sea ice loss.

    We used satellites to understand sea ice loss over summer, measuring everything from ice thickness and extent to the length of time each year when sea ice is absent.

    Satellite data was also used to calculate how much of the Antarctic coast was exposed to open ocean waves. We were then able to quantify the relationship between sea ice loss and iceberg calving.

    Data from free-drifting ocean robots was used to understand how sea ice loss affects the tiny plants that support the marine food web.

    Every other kind of available data was then harnessed to explore the full impact of sea ice changes on ecosystems.

    Voyage reports from international colleagues came in handy when studying how sea ice loss affected Antarctic resupply missions.

    We also used computer models to simulate the impact of dramatic summer sea ice loss on the ocean.

    In summary, our extensive research reveals four key consequences of summer sea ice loss in Antarctica.

    1. Ocean warming is compounding

    Bright white sea ice reflects about 90% of the incoming energy from sunlight, while the darker ocean absorbs about 90%. So if there’s less summer sea ice, the ocean absorbs much more heat.

    This means the ocean surface warms more in an extreme low sea ice year, such as 2016 – when everything changed.

    Until recently, the Southern Ocean would reset over winter. If there was a summer with low sea ice cover, the ocean would warm a bit. But over winter, the extra heat would shift into the atmosphere.

    That’s not working anymore. We know this from measuring sea surface temperatures, but we have also confirmed this relationship using computer models.

    What’s happening instead is when summer sea ice is very low, as in 2016, it triggers ocean warming that persists. It takes about three years for the system to fully recover. But recovery is becoming less and less likely, given warming is building from year to year.

    Comparing an average sea ice summer (a) to an extreme low sea ice summer (b) in which there is less sea ice for wildlife and more sunlight is absorbed by the ocean. The ice shelf is more exposed to ocean waves, calving more icebergs. The ocean is also less productive and tourist vessels can make a closer approach.
    Doddridge, E., W., et al. (2025) PNAS Nexus., CC BY-NC-ND

    2. More icebergs are forming

    Sea ice protects Antarctica’s coast from ocean waves.

    On average, about a third of the continent’s coastline is exposed over summer. But this is changing. In 2022 and 2023, more than half of the Antarctic coast was exposed.

    Our research shows more icebergs break away from Antarctic ice sheets in years with less sea ice. During an average summer, about 100 icebergs break away. Summers with low sea ice produce about twice as many icebergs.

    Antarctic ice sheets without sea ice are more exposed to waves.
    Pete Harmsen AAD

    3. Wildlife squeezed off the ice

    Many species of seals and penguins rely on sea ice, especially for breeding and moulting.

    Entire colonies of emperor penguins experienced “catastrophic breeding failure” in 2022, when sea ice melted before chicks were ready to go to sea.

    After giving birth, crabeater seals need large, stable sea ice platforms for 2–3 weeks until their pups are weaned. The ice provides shelter and protection from predators. Less summer sea-ice cover makes large platforms harder to find.

    Many seal and penguin species also take refuge on the sea ice when moulting. These species must avoid the icy water while their new feathers or fur grows, or risk dying of hypothermia.

    4. Logistical challenges at the end of the world

    Low summer sea ice makes it harder for people working in Antarctica. Shrinking summer sea ice will narrow the time window during which Antarctic bases can be resupplied over the ice. These bases may soon need to be resupplied from different locations, or using more difficult methods such as small boats.

    Supply ships typically unload their cargo directly onto the sea ice, but that may have to change.
    Jared McGhie, Australian Antarctic Division

    No longer safe

    Anarctic sea ice began to change rapidly in 2015 and 2016. Since then it has remained well below the long-term average.

    The dataset we use relies on measurements from US Department of Defense satellites. Late last month, the department announced it would no longer provide this data to the scientific community. While this has since been delayed to July 31, significant uncertainty remains.

    One of the biggest challenges in climate science is gathering and maintaining consistent long-term datasets. Without these, we don’t accurately know how much our climate is changing. Observing the entire Earth is hard enough when we all work together. It’s going to be almost impossible if we don’t share our data.

    Antarctic sea ice extent anomalies (the difference between the long-term average and the measurement) for the entire satellite record since the late 1970s.
    Edward Doddridge, using data from the US NSIDC Sea Ice Index, version 3., CC BY

    Recent low sea ice summers present a scientific challenge. The system is currently changing faster than our scientific community can study it.

    But vanishing sea ice also presents a challenge to society. The only way to prevent even more drastic changes in the future is to rapidly transition away from fossil fuels and reach net zero emissions.

    Edward Doddridge receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Antarctic summer sea ice is at record lows. Here’s how it will harm the planet – and us – https://theconversation.com/antarctic-summer-sea-ice-is-at-record-lows-heres-how-it-will-harm-the-planet-and-us-256104

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: ‘Shit in, shit out’: AI is coming for agriculture, but farmers aren’t convinced

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Tom Lee, Senior Lecturer, School of Design, University of Technology Sydney

    David Gray / AFP / Getty Images

    Australian farms are at the forefront of a wave of technological change coming to agriculture. Over the past decade, more than US$200 billion (A$305 billion) has been invested globally into the likes of pollination robots, smart soil sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) systems to help make decisions.

    What do the people working the land make of it all? We interviewed dozens of Australian farmers about AI and digital technology, and found they had a sophisticated understanding of their own needs and how technology might help – as well as a wariness of tech companies’ utopian promises.

    The future of farming

    The supposed revolution coming to agriculture goes by several names: “precision agriculture”, “smart farming”, and “agriculture 4.0” are some of the more common ones.

    These names all gesture towards a future in which the relationships between humans, computing and nature have been significantly reconfigured. Perhaps remote sensing technology will monitor ever more of a farm system, autonomous vehicles will patrol it, and AI will predict crop growth or cattle weight gain.

    But there’s another story to tell about the way technological change happens. It involves people and communities creating their own future, their own sense of important change from the past.

    AI, country style

    Our research team conducted more than 35 interviews with farmers, specifically livestock producers, from across Australia.

    The dominant themes of their responses were captured in two pithy quotes: “shit in, shit out” and “more automation, less features”.

    “Shit in, shit out” is an earthier version of the “garbage in, garbage out” adage in computer science. If the data going into a model is unreliable or overly abstract, then the outputs will be shaped by those errors.

    This captured a real concern for many farmers. They didn’t feel they could trust new technologies if they didn’t understand what knowledge and information they had been built with.

    A different kind of automation

    On the other hand, “more automation, less features” is what farmers want: technologies that may not have a lot of bells and whistles, but can reliably take a task off their hands.

    Australian farmers have a ready appetite for labour-saving technologies. When human bodies are scarce, as they often are in rural Australia, machines are created to fill the void.

    Windmills, wire fences, and even the iconic Australian sheepdog have been a crucial part of the technological narrative of settler colonial farming. These things are not “autonomous” in the same way as computer-powered vehicles and drones, but they offer similar advantages to farmers.

    What these classic farm technologies have in common is a simplicity that derives from a clarity of purpose. They are the opposite of the “everything apps” that fuel the dreams of many Silicon Valley entrepreneurs.

    “More automation, less features” is in this sense a farmer envisaging a digital product that fits with their image of a useful technology: transparent in its operations, and a reliable replacement for or an addition to human labour.

    The lesson of the Suzuki Sierra Stockman

    When speaking with one farmer about favoured technologies of her lifetime, she mentioned the Suzuki Sierra Stockman. These small, no-frills, four-wheel-drive vehicles became something of an icon on Australian sheep and cattle farms through the 1970s, ‘80s and ’90s.

    By the 1990s, the Suzuki Sierra Stockman had an iconic status among Australian farmers.
    Turbo_J / Flickr

    Reflecting on her memories of first using the vehicle, the farmer said:

    Once I learnt that I could actually draft cattle out with the Suzuki, that changed everything. You could do exactly what you did on a horse with a vehicle.

    It seems unlikely that Suzuki’s engineers in Japan envisaged their little jeep chasing cattle in the paddocks of Central West of NSW. The Suzuki was in a sense remade by farmers who found innovative uses for it.

    Future technology must be simple, adaptable and reliable

    The combustion engine was a key technological change on farms in the 20th century. Computers may play a similar role in the 21st.

    We are perhaps yet to see a digital product as iconic as wire fences, windmills, sheepdogs and the Suzuki Stockman. Computers are still largely technologies of the office, not the paddock.

    However, this is changing as computers get smaller and are wired into water tanks, soil monitors and in-paddock scales. More data input from these sensors means AI systems have more scope to help farmers make decisions.

    AI may well become a much-loved tool for farmers. But that journey to iconic status will depend as much on how farmers adapt the technology as on how the developers build it. And we can guess at what it will look like: simple, adaptable and reliable.

    This article is based on research conducted by the Foragecaster project, led by AgriWebb and supported by funding from Food Agility CRC Ltd, funded under the Commonwealth Government CRC Program. The CRC Program supports industry-led collaborations between industry, researchers and the community. This project was also supported by funding from Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).

    – ref. ‘Shit in, shit out’: AI is coming for agriculture, but farmers aren’t convinced – https://theconversation.com/shit-in-shit-out-ai-is-coming-for-agriculture-but-farmers-arent-convinced-259997

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Gum disease, decay, missing teeth: why people with mental illness have poorer oral health

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Bonnie Clough, Senior Lecturer, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University

    mihailomilovanovic/Getty Images

    People with poor mental health face many challenges. One that’s perhaps lesser known is that they’re more likely than the overall population to have poor oral health.

    Research has shown people with serious mental illness are four times more likely than the general population to have gum disease. They’re nearly three times more likely to have lost all their teeth due to problems such as gum disease and tooth decay.

    Serious mental illnesses include major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. These conditions affect about 800,000 Australians.

    People living with schizophrenia have, on average, eight more teeth that are decayed, missing or filled than the general population.

    So why does this link exist? And what can we do to address the problem?

    Why is this a problem?

    Oral health problems are expensive to fix and can make it hard for people to eat, socialise, work or even just smile.

    What’s more, dental issues can land people in hospital. Our research shows dental conditions are the third most common reason for preventable hospital admissions among people with serious mental illness.

    Meanwhile, poor oral health is linked with long-term health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, some cancers, and even cognitive problems. This is because the bacteria associated with gum diseases can cause inflammation throughout the body, which affects other systems in the body.

    Why are mental health and oral health linked?

    Poor mental and oral health share common risk factors. Social factors such as isolation, unemployment and housing insecurity can worsen both oral and mental health.

    For example, unemployment increases the risk of oral disease. This can be due to financial difficulties, reduced access to oral health care, or potential changes to diet and hygiene practices.

    At the same time, oral disease can increase barriers to finding employment, due to stigma, discrimination, dental pain and associated long-term health conditions.

    It’s clear the relationship between oral health and mental health goes both ways. Dental disease can reduce self-esteem and increase psychological distress. Meanwhile, symptoms of mental health conditions, such as low motivation, can make engaging in good oral health practices, including brushing, flossing, and visiting the dentist, more difficult.

    And like many people, those with serious mental illness can experience significant anxiety about going to the dentist. They may also have experienced trauma in the past, which can make visiting a dental clinic a frightening experience.

    Separately, poor oral health can be made worse by some medications for mental health conditions. Certain medications can interfere with saliva production, reducing the protective barrier that covers the teeth. Some may also increase sugar cravings, which heightens the risk of tooth decay.

    Some medications people take for mental health conditions can affect oral health.
    Gladskikh Tatiana/Shutterstock

    Our research

    In a recent study, we interviewed young people with mental illness. Our findings show the significant personal costs of dental disease among people with mental illness, and highlight the relationship between oral and mental health.

    Smiling is one of our best ways to communicate, but we found people with serious mental illness were sometimes embarrassed and ashamed to smile due to poor oral health.

    One participant told us:

    [poor oral health is] not only [about] the physical aspects of restricting how you eat, but it’s also about your mental health in terms of your self-esteem, your self-confidence, and basic wellbeing, which sort of drives me to become more isolated.

    Another said:

    for me, it was that serious fear of – God my teeth are looking really crap, and in the past they’ve [dental practitioners] asked, “Hey, you’ve missed this spot; what’s happening?”. How do I explain to them, hey, I’ve had some really shitty stuff happening and I have a very serious episode of depression?

    What can we do?

    Another of our recent studies focused on improving oral health awareness and behaviours among young adults experiencing mental health difficulties. We found a brief online oral health education program improved participants’ oral health knowledge and attitudes.

    Improving oral health can result in improved mental wellbeing, self-esteem and quality of life. But achieving this isn’t always easy.

    Limited Medicare coverage for dental care means oral diseases are frequently treated late, particularly among people with mental illness. By this time, more invasive treatments, such as removal of teeth, are often required.

    It’s crucial the health system takes a holistic approach to caring for people experiencing serious mental illness. That means we have mental health staff who ask questions about oral health, and dental practitioners who are trained to manage the unique oral health needs of people with serious mental illness.

    It also means increasing government funding for oral health services – promotion, prevention and improved interdisciplinary care. This includes better collaboration between oral health, mental health, and peer and informal support sectors.

    Amanda Wheeler is an investigator on a MetroSouth Health 2025 grant exploring use of Queensland Emergency Departments for people with mental ill-health seeking acute care for oral health problems.

    Steve Kisely has received a grant on oral health from Metro South Research Foundation and one from the Medical Research Future Fund.

    Bonnie Clough, Caroline Victoria Robertson, and Santosh Tadakamadla 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. Gum disease, decay, missing teeth: why people with mental illness have poorer oral health – https://theconversation.com/gum-disease-decay-missing-teeth-why-people-with-mental-illness-have-poorer-oral-health-258403

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Our memories are unreliable, limited and suggestible – and it’s a good thing too

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Nick Haslam, Professor of Psychology, The University of Melbourne

    Shutterstock

    Milan Kundera opens his novel The Book of Laughter and Forgetting with a scene from the winter of 1948. Klement Gottwald, leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, is giving a speech to the masses from a palace balcony, surrounded by fellow party members. Comrade Vladimir Clementis thoughtfully places his fur hat on Gottwald’s bare head; the hat then features in an iconic photograph.

    Four years later, Clementis is found guilty of being a bourgeois nationalist and hanged. His ashes are strewn on a Prague street. The propaganda section of the party removes him from written history and erases him from the photograph.

    “Nothing remains of Clementis,” writes Kundera, “but the fur hat on Gottwald’s head.”

    Review: Memory Lane: The Perfectly Imperfect Ways We Remember – Ciara Greene & Gillian Murphy (Princeton University Press)

    Efforts to enforce political forgetting are often associated with totalitarian regimes. The state endeavours to control not only its citizens, but also the past. To create a narrative that glorifies the present and idealises the future, history must be rewritten or even completely obliterated.

    In a famous article on “the totalitarian ego”, the social psychologist Anthony Greenwald argued that individual selves operate in the same way. We deploy an array of cognitive biases to maintain a sense of control, and to shape and reshape our personal history. We distort the present and fabricate the past to ensure we remain the heroes of our life narratives.

    Likening the individual to a destructive political system might sound extreme, but it has an element of truth. Memory Lane, a new book by Irish psychology researchers Ciara Greene and Gillian Murphy, shows how autobiographical memory has a capacity to rewrite history that is almost Stalinesque.

    There is no shortage of books on memory, from self-help guides for the anxiously ageing to scholarly works of history. Memory Lane is distinctive for taking the standpoint of applied cognitive psychology. Emphasising how memory functions in everyday life, Greene and Murphy explore the processes of memory and the influences that shape them.

    What memory is not

    The key message of the book is that the memory system is not a recording device. We may be tempted to see memory as a vault where past experience is faithfully preserved, but in fact it is fundamentally reconstructive.

    Memories are constantly revised in acts of recollection. They change in predictable ways over time, moulded by new information, our prior beliefs and current emotions, other people’s versions of events, or an interviewer’s leading questions.


    According to Greene and Murphy’s preferred analogy, memory is like a Lego tower. A memory is initially constructed from a set of elements, but over time some will be lost as the structure simplifies to preserve the gist of the event. Elements may also be added as new information is incorporated and the memory is refashioned to align with the person’s beliefs and expectations.

    The malleability of memory might look like a weakness, especially by comparison to digital records. Memory Lane presents it as a strength. Humans did not evolve to log objective truths for posterity, but to operate flexibly in a complex and changing world.

    From an adaptive standpoint, the past only matters insofar as it helps us function in the present. Our knowledge should be updated by new information. We should assimilate experiences to already learned patterns. And we should be tuned to our social environment, rather than insulated from it.

    “If all our memories existed in some kind of mental quarantine, separate from the rest of our knowledge and experiences,” the authors write, “it would be like using a slow, inefficient computer program that could only show you one file at a time, never drawing connections or updating incorrect impressions.”

    Simplifying and discarding memories is also beneficial because our cognitive capacity is limited. It is better to filter out what matters from the deluge of past experiences than to be overwhelmed with irrelevancies. Greene and Murphy present the case of a woman with exceptional autobiographical memory, who is plagued by the triggering of obsolete memories.

    Forgetting doesn’t merely de-clutter memory; it also serves emotional ends. Selectively deleting unpleasant memories increases happiness. Sanding off out-of-character experiences fosters a clear and stable sense of self.

    “Hindsight bias” boosts this feeling of personal continuity by bringing our recollections into line with our current beliefs. Revisionist history it may be, but it is carried out in the service of personal identity.

    ‘Forgetting doesn’t merely de-clutter memory; it also serves emotional ends.’
    Shutterstock

    Eyewitness memories and misinformation

    Memory Lane pays special attention to situations in which memory errors have serious consequences, such as eyewitness testimony. Innocent people can be convicted on the basis of inaccurate eyewitness identifications. An array of biases make these more likely and they are especially common in interracial contexts.

    Recollections can also be influenced by the testimony of other witnesses, and even by the language used during questioning. In a classic study, participants who viewed videos of car accidents estimated the car’s speed as substantially faster when the cars were described as having “smashed” rather than “contacted”. These distortions are not temporary: new information overwrites and overrides the original memory.

    Misinformation works in a similar way and with equally dire consequences, such as vaccination avoidance. False information not only modifies existing memories but can even produce false memories, especially when it aligns with our preexisting beliefs and ideologies.

    Greene and Murphy present intriguing experimental evidence that false memories are prevalent and easy to implant. Children and older adults seem especially susceptible to misinformation, but no one is immune, regardless of education or intelligence.

    Reassuringly, perhaps, digital image manipulation and deepfake videos are no more likely to induce false memories than good old-fashioned verbiage. A doctored picture may not be worth a thousand words when it comes to warping memory.

    Memory Lane devotes some time to the “memory wars” of the 1980s and 1990s, when debate raged over the existence of repressed memories. Greene and Murphy argue the now mainstream view that many traumatic memories supposedly recovered in therapy were false memories induced by therapists. Memories for traumatic events are not repressed, they argue, and traumatic memories are neither qualitatively different from other memories, nor stored separately from them.

    Here the science of memory runs contrary to the wildly popular claims of writers such as psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk, author of the bestseller The Body Keeps the Score.



    Read more:
    The Body Keeps the Score: how a bestselling book helps us understand trauma – but inflates the definition of it

    Psychology researchers Ciara Greene (left) and Gillian Murphy (right) want us to be humbler about our fallible memories.
    Princeton University Press

    Misunderstanding memory

    The authors of Memory Lane contend that we hold memory to unrealistic standards of accuracy, completeness and stability. When people misremember the past or change their recollections, we query their honesty or mental health. When our own memories are hazy, we worry about cognitive decline.

    Greene and Murphy argue that it is in the very nature of memory to be fallible, malleable and limited. This message is heartening, but it does not clarify why we would expect memory to be more capacious, coherent and durable in the first place. Nor does it explain why we persist with this wrongheaded expectation, despite so much evidence to the contrary.

    The authors hint that our mistake might have its roots in dominant metaphors of memory. If we now understand the mind as computer-like, we will see memories as digital traces that sit, silent and unchanging, in a vast storage system.

    “Many of the catastrophic consequences of memory distortion arise not because our individual memories are terrible,” they argue, “but because we have unrealistic expectations about how memory works, treating it as a video camera rather than a reconstruction.”

    In earlier times, when memory was likened to a telephone switchboard or to books or, for the ancient Greeks, to wax tablets, memory errors and erasures may have seemed less surprising and more tolerable.

    These shifting technological analogies, explored historically in Douwe Draaisma’s Metaphors of Memory, may partly account for our extravagant expectations for memory. Expecting silicon chip performance from carbon-based organisms, who evolved to care more about adaptation than truth, would be foolish.

    But there is surely more to this than metaphor. All aspects of our lives are increasingly recorded and datafied, a process that demands objectivity, accuracy and consistency. The recorded facts of the matter determine who should be rewarded, punished and regulated. The bounded and mutable nature of human memory presents a challenge to this digital regime.

    Human memory is also increasingly taxed by the overwhelming and accelerating volume of information that assails us. Our frustration with its limitations reflects the desperate mismatch we feel between human nature and the impersonal systems of data in which we live.

    Greene and Murphy urge us to relax. We should be humbler about our memory, and more realistic and forgiving about the memories of others. We should not be judgemental about the errors and inconsistencies of friends, or overconfident about our own recollections. And we should remember that, although memory is fallible, it is fallible in beneficial ways.

    A person whose memory system always kept an accurate record of our lives would be profoundly impaired, Greene and Murphy argue. Such a person “would struggle to plan for the future, learn from the past, or respond flexibly to unexpected events”. Brimming with insights such as these, Memory Lane offers an informative and readable account of how the apparent weaknesses of human memory may be strengths in disguise.

    Nick Haslam receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Our memories are unreliable, limited and suggestible – and it’s a good thing too – https://theconversation.com/our-memories-are-unreliable-limited-and-suggestible-and-its-a-good-thing-too-258682

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gosar Introduces Legislation Delisting the Mexican Wolf from the Endangered Species Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Paul A Gosar DDS (AZ-04)

    Washington, D.C. — Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-09), issued the following statement after introducing H.R. 4255, the Enhancing Safety for Animals (ESA) Act, legislation delisting the Mexican wolf from the Endangered Species Act and delinking its populations in the United States and Mexico:

    “Since being reintroduced to the wild in Arizona, Mexican wolves have preyed on cattle, livestock, and even family pets, causing significant financial losses and economic hardship on family-run ranches.

    The Mexican wolf has lingered on the Endangered Species list for nearly 40 years. During that time, there have been numerous accounts of livestock killings and even declines in some big game herds since these wolves were first listed. Much of this can be attributed to failed management by the United States Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) as the uncontrolled and unmanaged wolf populations have been allowed to roam free. In fact, nearly 90% of the wolf’s original habitat falls within the border of Mexico.  Significant attacks by wolves on cattle, elk, moose, and sheep have occurred and have negatively impacted hunters and ranchers throughout Arizona.

    To make matters worse, the USFWS considers recovery within the borders of Mexico in its management goals. American ranchers are being punished for Mexico’s failure to manage its own animal populations effectively.  Immediate delinking is needed to ensure American ranchers are put first.  

    Unfortunately, lawsuits filed by extremist environmental groups have prevented the Mexican wolf from being delisted nationally, even though the Mexican wolf was released into Arizona and New Mexico as part of an experimental program. 

    The Mexican wolf population has grown steadily since being reintroduced to the wild.  In the U.S., the Mexican wolf population now exceeds the original federal recovery goals for wolves in the wild, with hundreds more in captivity for breeding.  Now a stable population, the wolf is no longer in danger of extinction and should be delisted from the Endangered Species Act,” stated Congressman Gosar.

    “The Mexican wolf is destroying the livelihood of western ranchers by slaughtering their cattle. Because of its status as an endangered species–a falsehood perpetuated by the Biden Administration and environmental groups–ranchers cannot protect their herds from these predators,” added Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05). “I’m thankful that Rep. Gosar is leading the effort to allow Arizona ranchers to protect their cattle without fear of repercussions from the federal government. Cattle are a vital part of Arizona’s economy, and Congress must ensure that ranchers are able to protect their herds from dangerous predators.”

    “Now is the time to recognize the catastrophic impact that bad federal policy has on local communities.  For too long, ranchers in states near our southern border have shouldered the burden of managing this species with limited tools and little support from the federal government who has imposed all manners of burdens. Ranchers and rural communities face daily challenges such as livestock predation and threats to community safety due to overpopulated wolf packs. We commend Congressman Gosar for introducing the Enhancing Safety for Animals Act and working to bring some relief to these communities,” said Kaitlynn Glover, Executive Director, Public Lands Council. 

    The 10(J) experimental population listing of the Mexican wolf is one of the clearest examples in the country of ESA abuse by the environmental community and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The federal protections have been misused by activists to control landscapes and land managers, and their rhetoric often contradicts established science. The rapid increase in wolf populations, coupled with these federal protections, has restricted management options for producers, leading to an increase in cattle losses that negatively impact their profitability. I would like to thank Congressman Gosar for introducing the Enhancing Safety for Animals Act that acknowledges the abuse of the ESA with the Mexican wolf listing and seeks to provide relief to U.S. cattle producers,” stated National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, Ethan Lane.

    “We applaud Representative Gosar for his leadership on efforts to delist the Mexican wolf,” said John Boelts, President of the Arizona Farm Bureau. “For years, our members have dealt with the devastating effects of the reintroduction of this apex predator. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently reported that the Mexican wolf population in the U.S. has surpassed 280. It’s time to delist the species and provide relief to Arizona’s ranchers and rural communities who have dealt with years of negative impacts and complex regulations. State governments should now be given the opportunity to manage the wolf population directly.”

    Original Cosponsors: 

    Representatives Biggs (AZ), Boebert, Crane, Hageman, Hamadeh, Hurd, LaMalfa, Stauber, Tiffany, Zinke

    Outside Group Supporters:

    American Farm Bureau Federation, American Lands Council, Arizona Farm Bureau, Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association, Blue River Cowbelles, Catron County Commission, Coalition of Arizona/New Mexico Counties, Cochise-Graham Cattle Growers’ Association, Eastern Arizona Counties Organization, Graham County Chamber of Commerce, Greenlee County Board of Supervisors, Greenlee County Cattle Growers’ Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association, New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, New Mexico Federal Lands Council, Protect Agriculture Now, Public Lands Council, R-CALF USA, Southeaster Arizona Sportsmen Club

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: LUMI robots ScaleUp solar deployment with advanced automation

    Source: Ministers for the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science

    Overview

    • Category

      News

    • Date

      02 July 2025

    • Classification

      Solar energy

    Robotics pioneer Luminous has been selected to receive $4.9 million in funding as the first recipient of ARENA’s $100 million Solar ScaleUp Challenge, which sought to supercharge innovation and crowdsource ideas from around the world on how to reduce the cost of large-scale solar. 

    Luminous’ project will introduce and demonstrate their LUMI robot, an AI-powered pick and place technology designed to streamline utility scale solar construction. LUMI addresses one of the industry’s most labour-intensive tasks: panel installation. LUMI autonomously places solar modules onto racking structures, allowing onsite workers to complete the final securing process, reducing manual labour and improving installation speed, safety and cost-efficiency. 

    ARENA CEO Darren Miller said that reducing operation and maintenance costs in deployment of large-scale solar is a critical lever in achieving ARENA’s ultra low-cost solar vision. 

    “ARENA has set an ambitious goal to reduce the installed cost of solar to 30 cents per watt and bring the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) below $20 per megawatt hour. These are important targets, because at this cost solar will form the foundation for Australia’s renewable energy “superpower” future.” 

    “To achieve net zero, Australia will need immense amounts of solar power at ultra-low cost. We’ve already proven our ability to manufacture advanced technologies. It’s now time to apply that capability to solar PV, a cornerstone of the nation’s clean energy future.”  

    “Solutions like LUMI are key to reducing costs and maintaining Australia’s leading role in the development and innovation of solar technologies. The Solar ScaleUp Challenge brought together local and global thinkers, innovators and developers to collaborate and find innovative and groundbreaking solutions to transform the solar industry. This project is a great example of that ingenuity,” Mr Miller said. 

    Luminous hopes the LUMI robot will enhance productivity and safety on Australian solar farms by helping the existing workforce to install solar panels up to 3.5 times faster, without any need for heavy lifting. While LUMI has already demonstrated cost reductions on solar farms in the US, the ARENA project marks the first global deployment of a full fleet of five LUMI robots, unlocking the potential to lower solar farm costs by up to 6.2%. 

    Luminous has partnered with Equans, a global engineering, procurement and construction firm, to deploy LUMI at two Australian solar farms: the 440MW Neoen Culcairn Solar Farm in New South Wales; and the 250MW Engie Goorambat East Solar Farm in Victoria. 

    Luminous CEO Jay M. Wong said they were thrilled to work with ARENA and Equans to showcase the future of solar construction in one of the world’s most advanced solar markets. 

    “With LUMI, we’re not just introducing a robot – we’re setting out to redefine the standard for how solar farms are built and help sites energise faster and safer. Deploying our LUMI fleet in Australia will allow us to capture the data, performance insights and real-world impact needed to drive global adoption – the kind of scale and transformation we founded Luminous to achieve.” 

    The project continues ARENA’s support of Australian innovation in the solar PV industry. ARENA has provided over $388 million to over 200 solar research and development projects since 2009 through funding programs inherited from the Australian Solar Institute or delivered by ARENA since 2012. 

    Although the ScaleUp Challenge has closed, ARENA’s work to accelerate the pace of innovation in renewable energy technologies continues. If you’re an investor, developer, researcher or entrepreneur with a vision for low-cost large-scale solar, now is the time to engage.  

    ARENA will continue to support big ideas and back breakthroughs that power Australia’s clean energy future. Read more about our Ultra Low-Cost Solar priorities.   

    Apply for funding through the Advancing Renewables Program or Solar Sunshot Program. 

    ARENA media contact:

    media@arena.gov.au

    Download this media release (PDF 151KB)

    MIL OSI News –