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Category: Sport

  • MIL-OSI Global: Men’s concerns are real but backlash is not inevitable – the new rules guiding feminism

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Heejung Chung, Director of the King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, Professor of Work and Employment, King’s College London

    Shutterstock/Good Studios

    It’s a difficult period for the feminist movement. Space has opened up in public life for people who argue, very loudly, that efforts to level the playing field for women have come at the expense of men.

    Many political parties don’t merely neglect women’s interests – they put anti-feminism at the forefront of their agenda. There are strong powers at play, pitting women against men.

    The question, then, is what can be done? Here are three starting points.

    1. End the ‘backlash’ narrative

    Anyone interested in equality needs to fight back against those pushing a narrative that claims misogyny and backlash against feminism is inevitable or the norm. It is in fact only a small fraction of the population who feel this way. Most young men support women’s rights.

    For example, a survey my colleagues and I ran in 2024 found that 16% of young men in the UK aged 16-29 believe that feminism has done more harm than good, but more than double that number (36%) think it has done more good to the world. Similarly, 36% of young men say feminism has not gone far enough, while only 18% think it has gone too far.

    Humans are social animals. We are influenced by what we perceive as the accepted norm. This is why it is vital to challenge the idea that figures like the self-styled misogynist influencer Andrew Tate represent a majority viewpoint.

    This narrative is not only misleading but also politically motivated. Under the Donald Trump administration, there is political gain to be made when tech oligarchs such as Mark Zuckerberg call for more “masculine energy” in organisations or society.

    There are financial gains to be made for media outlets desperate for engagement in a clickbait economy. The prevalence of content that promotes anti-feminist worldviews risks shifting attitudes over time, as people often conform to what they believe is the dominant social norm.

    To counteract this, we must consistently highlight that the majority of people support social justice and gender equality. Most people believe in the goals of feminism, and want greater freedom for both men and women. The real norm is not regressive attitudes, but progress.

    2. Acknowledge men’s grievances

    Having said that, we must also acknowledge that a significant proportion of young men feel frustrated and disillusioned, and that this is a genuine issue. In a recent YouGov survey, a quarter of young men said they support Tate.

    However, they do so despite his misogynistic views, not because of them. They are drawn to his rhetoric about masculinity. This highlights a broader issue – the awkward positioning of young men in the evolving conversations around equality and diversity.

    For decades, campaigns have rightly encouraged girls to pursue their ambitions, break away from being squeezed into traditionally female roles, break into traditionally male-dominated spaces, and redefine gender norms. Just look at the number of girls taking STEM subjects in A-levels and how well they are doing, or how girl’s football has exploded.

    However, we have not done the same for boys. Boys are not doing traditional “girl” subjects, nor are they engaging in traditionally girl spheres like netball or ballet.

    In effect, society has embraced the “masculinisation” of women but has not equally shattered the barriers to enable the “feminisation” of men. Feminism was always intended to be about the liberation of all genders, yet we have neglected the other half of the equation – enabling boys to move beyond rigid masculinity.

    To truly advance gender equality, we must create space for compassionate masculinities to be valued. Boys need to be empowered to explore identities beyond the traditional mould of “being a man”.

    This includes embracing traits and roles historically coded as feminine – such as caregiving and emotional openness – without stigma. Only by expanding the possibilities for all genders can we achieve true equality.

    3. Counter populist exploitation

    Finally, the rise of populist movements across the world is partly attributable to economic inequality. Young people today are less likely to own their own house, many are also earning less than their parents.

    This may feel particularly pronounced for young men who once benefited from a system that privileged them – many of whom saw their fathers hold wealth and power. For them, equality can feel like a zero-sum game, where gains for others mean losses for them.

    Populist politicians and media exploit this frustration, directing young men’s grievances away from the real source of economic inequality – the extreme concentration of wealth among the richest, and exploitative labour market systems – and instead blaming women, migrants and other marginalised groups.

    Gender equality and economic social justice are deeply interconnected. We need to show that the challenges we face, and the causes of the problems we face are also shared. Likewise, the solutions to those problems benefit men and well as women.

    Male role models are everywhere: we can choose who to elevate.
    Shutterstock

    Many of the things feminist groups have been long arguing for, such as well-paid parental leave for both parents, directly benefit men. Better leave for fathers helps them and children as well as supporting mothers’ employment and the wellbeing of the entire family and community.

    In other words, what we want is not very dissimilar. We need to be able to share that our utopian vision of feminist futures is a place where both women and men would also want to live. The equal society we dream of is one in which men will thrive as well.

    Finally, we need better male role models. There are a wide range of masculinities that are compassionate, brave, support communities and protect the most vulnerable. We not only know they are possible but see them existing in the world in the men we know.

    We need to put greater efforts in to stop the problematic narrative of manhood that is being spread on social media algorithms and hack and flood these channels with more positive visions of the world.

    The next stage of feminist activism is going to be challenging. We therefore need all genders to come together to fight the good fight with us. Are you ready? Don’t be afraid. I guarantee, you will also love the future it will bring us.

    Heejung Chung receives funding from the Productivity Institute, Norwegian Research Council, the European Commission, Nuffield Foundation, and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF-2023S1A5A2A03083567). She is the Director of the King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership which receives funding from a wide range of philantrophic foundations and individuals. She has previously received funding from the TUC, Government Equalities Office, NORFACE, ESRC, European Commission and others. She is currently an academic advisory board member of the NGO Working Families.

    – ref. Men’s concerns are real but backlash is not inevitable – the new rules guiding feminism – https://theconversation.com/mens-concerns-are-real-but-backlash-is-not-inevitable-the-new-rules-guiding-feminism-250518

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    March 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why a US minerals deal with Ukraine won’t deter Russian aggression

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Patrick E. Shea, Senior Lecturer in International Relations and Global Governance, University of Glasgow

    The US vice-president, J.D. Vance, recently told Fox News that “the very best security guarantee” to prevent Russia from invading Ukraine again was “to give Americans economic upside in the future of Ukraine”.

    The implication is that the much-debated minerals deal, in which an investment fund managed by Kyiv and Washington would receive revenue from Ukraine’s natural resources, would create American economic interests in Ukraine. American security interests, it is suggested, could soon follow.

    Vance’s comments came with the deal hanging in the balance. A meeting at the White House on February 28, where the deal was expected to be signed, turned into a shouting match between Vance, the US president, Donald Trump, and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky.

    Zelensky has since attempted to patch up relations with the Trump administration, announcing that he is ready to sign the deal at “any time and in any convenient format”. And Vance, when asked whether an agreement was still on the table, said Trump “is still committed” to reaching a deal.

    Having access to Ukrainian minerals is an important opportunity for America’s missile system electronics and electric vehicle industries. Ukraine is, for example, home to around one-third of all European lithium deposits, the key component in batteries.

    This access is particularly important now that China, which currently accounts for a high proportion of certain US mineral imports, has imposed a ban on exporting rare minerals to the US in retaliation for Trump’s tariff policies.

    But, while Ukraine’s minerals are tempting to the US and other world powers, a deal with Trump won’t help Ukraine’s security situation.

    Trump’s approach has two main flaws. First, research shows that investment typically follows security commitments, not the other way around. Investors seek markets that are stable and protected, rather than hoping their investments create those conditions.

    Previous US presidents have touted similar strategies without success. President William Howard Taft (1857-1930) championed “dollar diplomacy” in the early 20th century, promising that American investments would create stability across Latin America by “substituting dollars for bullets”.

    The reality proved quite different. Throughout this period, the US frequently used military force to protect oil interests in Latin America. But, because these interventions focused on extraction sites rather than defending entire countries, instability continued elsewhere in the region.

    Trump’s “America first” mantra suggests a similar pattern of defending American assets, and not necessarily the countries in which the assets reside.

    Second, the overall US commitment to protect American assets abroad is uncertain. The US has, since the end of the cold war, been selective about when and how it uses military force to protect overseas assets.

    Since 1991, the US military has intervened to protect American property in only four documented instances: Haiti in 2004, Lebanon in 2006, Egypt in 2011 and Yemen in 2012. These cases involved embassies and other smaller properties during periods of civil unrest, rather than defending economic interests.

    Recent presidents, including Trump, have been reluctant to use force to protect threatened American investments. US agribusiness giant Cargill, for example, had to close its operations in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region following Russia’s invasion in 2014.

    Building state capacity

    That said, economic relations with America can indeed bolster a partner state’s security. But my own research shows that this is largely through indirect channels, rather than the threat of military intervention.

    For example, US government departments, such as the US patent and trademark office, provide comprehensive training to partner states. Programmes involve training judges, police officers, prosecutors and policymakers to enforce intellectual property protections, administer land registries, combat counterfeiting and develop legal frameworks that protect investments.

    This capacity building not only helps American investors in these countries, but also improves the partner state’s overall capacity. More effective and capable bureaucracies are better able to manage and finance their military capabilities.

    Following Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine, the US launched the agriculture and rural development support program. The initiative aimed to develop Ukraine’s institutional capacity for managing property rights and attracting diverse investments.

    The US Treasury brought in loan advisory firm First Financial Network to help Ukraine navigate its financial crisis after the invasion, while simultaneously building frameworks for foreign investment.

    By 2020, this partnership facilitated US investment firm Allrise Capital’s purchase of Odessa’s Chornomorets football stadium. This deal was described by John Morris, the president of First Financial Network, as demonstrating Ukraine’s ability “to sell assets to the international community”.

    These efforts did not deter Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. But they helped the Ukrainian government implement several administrative reforms in the years leading up to the invasion, including more efficient tax collection and professionalisation of civil servants. The government was better prepared for war than it would otherwise have been.

    The Ukrainian and Russian armies have been locked in battle for over three years.
    Kutsenko Volodymyr / Shutterstock

    If the US wants to enhance Ukraine’s security through economic means, the Trump administration would need to make two drastic changes.

    First, it would need to reinstate programmes that promote American investment abroad. After assuming office, Trump froze and began dismantling the United States Agency for International Development (USAid). The agency’s capacity-building efforts have security consequences.

    Second, for the US to have both an economic and security impact, Trump needs to reassure America’s allies. Assurances are not Trump’s speciality. On February 26, for example, Trump declined to say whether the US would defend Taiwan if it was attacked by China.

    Research suggests that investments follow alliances. But markets do not care about agreements alone. They respond to other signals too, like explicit statements of support. These statements of support also help to reassure allies and deter rivals.

    Unless Trump changes how he operates on the international stage, the economics of the mineral deal will not help Ukraine’s security situation.

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

    – ref. Why a US minerals deal with Ukraine won’t deter Russian aggression – https://theconversation.com/why-a-us-minerals-deal-with-ukraine-wont-deter-russian-aggression-251436

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    March 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Scottish Secretary speech on driving economic growth in Scotland

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Scottish Secretary speech on driving economic growth in Scotland

    Speech at the University of Edinburgh setting out how Scotland has the potential to be the engine room of UK growth [political content removed]

    WELCOME

    Thank you for having me today

    And can I begin by thanking Chris Deerin and Reform Scotland

    for helping us bring such a great audience together for the event.

    I look forward to speaking with Chris later and taking some questions.

    And thanks to both Chris Murray, MP and Christina Boswell, Vice Principal here at University of Edinburgh, for their kind introductions.

    And for welcoming us to the Informatics Forum at Edinburgh University,

    home to AI excellence since 1963!

    1963 – the same year that Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, delivered his “white heat of technology” speech.

    And that speech could be delivered today given the pace of technological change and the huge opportunities with AI. Of course, this university, with the passion and expertise of Christina and her colleagues are driving this agenda.

    This university will be at the heart of the government’s AI strategy.

    The implications for industry, our economy, government, services and society are unlimited and we must grab this with both hands.

    I’ve just visited the robotics lab downstairs and it’s mindblowing.

    Harold Wilson, of course, warned his audience that if the country was to prosper a “new Britain” would need to be forged in the “white heat” of this “scientific revolution”.

    History is indeed repeating itself. 

    The AI revolution is happening as we enter a golden age of opportunity.

    And Scotland should and will be at the heart of it. Thank you for all you do Christina.

    I came to this university as a fresh faced 16 year old,

    straight from 5th year at Wester Hailes Education Centre

    as the first in my family to go to university.

    The Lothians Equal Access Program for Schools was my entry point to this university,

    and the gateway to a different life.

    The support of dedicated, inspiring and role model teachers at WHEC,

    alongside the chance to study here are the reasons I’m able to make this speech today.

    The power of education to tear down societal barriers should never be underestimated.

    We hear a lot about attainment gaps and Scotland’s failure to close them. 

    And I promise that is no statistical abstraction or political point to score.

    It is about the life chances of every child in Scotland,

    and until it is seriously addressed then, make no mistake,

    it translates directly into the waste of human talent and denial of opportunity that currently holds Scotland back.

    Whether it is an apprenticeship, re-skilling, a degree, a postgraduate qualification,

    or simply giving a wee boy from Wester Hailes a chance,

    education and training are the biggest and best investments we can make in our economy and our society. 

    At a conference a few weeks ago I outlined my own journey from growing up in a council estate,

    to sitting down at the Cabinet table in Keir Starmer’s government.

    That’s a journey that took many twists and turns, from the Codfather Chippy to the Edinburgh Festival.

    I had a long career in business and as an entrepreneur before getting into politics.

    I actually almost didn’t get into university because I was so bad at the drums.

    I was set to fail Higher Music with aplomb!

    My music teacher pulled me aside and persuaded me that if I wanted any chance of getting into uni, 

    I had to sing instead! 

    And no… it wasn’t the Hearts song

    So after all of that, when I finally sat at that Cabinet table

    and looked around at the faces that made up the most working class Cabinet in history,

    I thought of my parents.

    I haven’t often talked about this, but my father passed away when I was nine.

    My mother raised two boys on her own, working multiple jobs to get by:

    Woolworths as a cleaner; the Busy Bee Bar as a cook; a bookies as a cashier.

    She worked these jobs because she wanted to give her boys the best possible opportunities in life.

    Sitting down at that Cabinet table for the first time I made a promise that every decision I make in government will be in service to working people.

    A government of service.

    I learned a lesson from those years to take into my job now.

    My mum wasn’t afraid to roll up her sleeves to get things done.

    Neither am I – and neither is this government.

    And we have had no choice.

    But I am proud of how our Plan for Change has already started to work:

    The biggest upgrade in workers rights in a generation

    an industrial strategy to make sure we can take advantage of the jobs of the future:

    GB Energy, publicly owned, headquartered here in Scotland

    Glasgow City Region chosen as one of the priority investment areas for the National Wealth Fund

    £1.4 billion in local growth spending across Scotland

    Harland and Wolff saved thanks to a deal brokered by the UK Government, with sites in Arnish and Methill in Scotland protected 

    And of course, the announcement from our Prime Minister that we will allocate £200 million from the National Wealth Fund,

    to drive investment in a viable industrial future for Grangemouth.

    Delivered after the Prime Minister asked me and the Scotland Office to lead a cross-government taskforce to make it happen.

    Grangemouth was the first issue on which I was briefed on as Secretary of State.

    In just eight months, we have put together a plan for the future.

    That £200 million is a signal that this government does not see Grangemouth as a political problem to be solved,

    but a huge opportunity for industrial renewal.

    And on top of all that, we have delivered the largest budget settlement for the Scottish Government in the history of devolution.

    An end to austerity – we promised it in the manifesto and the budget delivered it.

    That’s how we fix the foundations, deliver our Plan for Change and begin to turn things around for Scotland.

    Turning things around will take time, but I know a thing or two about the hard graft it takes to do that.

    My journey from Wester Hailes to Westminster included time working as a small business owner and entrepreneur.

    I was broadcasting on the internet years before YouTube.

    I was doing live televised karaoke before Pop Idol was even a glint in Simon Cowell’s eye.

    I was doing festival events and concerts,

    I refurbished and re-opened a derelict hotel in West Linton,

    opened a bar in Newington,

    and sports bistro in Edinburgh city centre.

    It’s amazing what you learn in a tough industry like hospitality.

    Being a small business owner means you have to turn your hand to everything,

    from pulling pints, to cleaning toilets.

    Though thankfully not always at the same time!

    I know the ups and downs of running my own business.

    More than once, I had to put the staff wages on a personal credit card,

    because no matter how hard it got, the team came first,

    they needed to pay their bills.

    That’s why, by the way, I am so proud of this government’s make work pay agenda.

    Boosting the minimum wage, 

    banning exploitative zero hour contracts, 

    ending fire and rehire, 

    day one rights for workers.  

    As a former business owner let me be clear:

    page one, line one of your business plan should be how you will pay your staff properly.

    More security and better pay for working people will help drive growth.

    It’s good for workers and it’s good for business.

    It drove growth in that West Linton Hotel.

    By working together we turned things around.

    That once derelict hotel is still thriving.

    There are derelict hotel stories in every community and every sector right across Scotland.

    I think of that when I consider how this government has reset the relationship with the Scottish Government.

    And we are starting to see fruits of that productive relationship  – such as bringing the Commonwealth Games to Glasgow.

    And in the range of areas where the Scottish Government has accepted the UK government  legislating in devolved areas,

    to deliver change, faster.

    On tobacco, renters rights, public railways, children’s protection and more.

    Too many people are keen to suggest this reset is “over” at the first sign of political disagreement. 

    It doesn’t work like that. 

    These are different governments,

    Led by different political parties with different priorities and policies.

    But just because we don’t agree on everything,

    doesn’t mean we can’t agree on anything.

    I am certain that the single most important outcome which Scotland’s two governments should seek,

    is economic growth.

    Growth with a purpose.

    to raise living standards, improve public services,

    and tackle the unacceptable levels of poverty that continue to scar our communities.

    Scotland can be the engine room of UK growth.

    We have so much potential.

    Potential that for too long has gone untapped,

    World class universities,

    advanced manufacturing,

    food and drink,

    life sciences,

    Financial and professional services. 

    And the government will leave no stone unturned to unleash that potential.

    Tearing up red tape,

    harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence to boost productivity,

    and delivering a proper industrial strategy, developed in partnership with businesses and trade unions.

    But delivering economic growth for Scotland is not something either of Scotland’s governments can do alone.

    It requires partnership and co-operation.

    Because the alternative costs us dearly.

    If Scottish growth had simply matched the sluggish UK growth in the last decade our economy would be nearly £10 billion larger.

    That is why we need a decade of national renewal.

    I know the will is there across Scotland’s cities, towns and villages.

    I know the will is there in Scotland’s businesses and trade unions.

    I know the will is there in Scotland’s third sector and charities.

    People up and down the country are full of enthusiasm and ideas for how to make their communities flourish.

    I was intrigued to read last week the leader of Glasgow City Council call for a ‘devolution deal’ for the city region.

    Not just money but powers too.

    This was echoed in a recent meeting with the Edinburgh region growth deal partners,

    who are calling for more powers over skills and transport.

    Devolution of powers to local communities.

    Just look at the impact an empowered Mayor has made to Greater Manchester.

    From 2014 to 2022 the Greater Manchester economy grew by almost 50%.

    If the Glasgow City Region had achieved that same level of growth,

    it would be £7.7 billion larger today.

    That’s an awful lot of jobs and opportunities lost.

    And we can see the real world impact on the high streets of Scotland’s towns and cities.

    As an entrepreneur, it’s painful to see boarded up shops and shuttered restaurants which once represented someone’s dreams and a community’s promise.

    That’s something both governments should be coming together to sort out, by empowering local communities with place based growth. 

    That place based growth is central to our Plan for change. 

    Money and power needs to be pushed out to communities,

    To give them all a fair kick of the ball,

    and create their own jobs and investment.

    And the single biggest opportunity to create good jobs is ensuring that Scotland wins the race to clean energy.

    With GB energy located in Aberdeen, and billions of pounds of investment on the table we need to grasp those opportunities.

    Re-skilling and retraining our workforce will be key to delivering a just transition,

    ensuring the job opportunities of the future are accessible to all.

    And when I think about the future, I think of my daughters.

    Zola, aged four years, and Lois just five weeks old. 

    The jobs and careers they will enjoy have likely yet to even be invented.

    (although Zola does want to be a police officer)

    Businesses and unions constantly tell me they worry about the skills landscape in Scotland.

    The Fraser of Allander Institute found a quarter of employers report vacancies,

    with 31% of these being classified as skill-shortage vacancies, up 10 per cent from 2020.

    We won’t grab these clean energy jobs for Scotland unless we equip our young people,

    and our existing workforce with the skills to do them.

    Now we gather today, at the end of Scottish Apprenticeship Week.

    Apprenticeships and further education should be at the heart of how we take advantage of the race to clean power.

    There are 8,000 fewer college places today than there were just last year.

    Those places are at their lowest level in nine years.

    Just last week we saw that the attainment gap in Scottish schools between the richest and the poorest kids has widened again.

    Everyone deserves the opportunity and dignity that comes with good work. 

    Yet Scotland’s rate of economic inactivity is above the rest of the UK. 

    That’s people out of work, and not looking for work for various reasons. 

    If we simply matched the UK average, we would get over 40,000 people back to work and generate millions more for our economy and communities.

    The UK Government’s £240 million Get Britain Working Plan will overhaul Jobcentres so they focus on skills and careers.

    We need to see the Scottish Government engage with that plan and help us make it work.

    One of the reasons why Scotland’s inactivity rate is higher,

    is because more people in Scotland are out of work due to ill health.

    Many of those people want to work, but can’t.

    And far, far too many of them are stuck on an NHS Scotland waiting list.

    As it stands, NHS waiting times are one of the biggest blocks to growing our economy.

    Almost 300,000 Scots are out of work and not looking for work because they are either temporary or  long term sick..

    Over 700,000 Scots are on an NHS waiting list for treatment.

    Cut NHS waiting lists and you will grow our economy.

    A record settlement from the UK Government for public services in Scotland should deliver that. 

    I know that some of the decisions the UK Government took to fund that record settlement have been difficult and won’t please everyone…

    but we live in a world where 100,000 Scots have been stuck on an NHS waiting list for more than a year,

    28,000 Scots in the past 18 months have been forced to go private for health care.

    That is an unacceptable situation and we make no apology delivering the funding our NHS needs.

    Scotland has a proud industrial past,

    and we can have a bright industrial future, which delivers jobs and wealth for families for generations to come,

    but only if we get the race to clean power right.

    For too long Scottish workers missed out on the work.

    Now I worry a new generation will miss out on the skills.

    As my wonderful Scotland Office ministerial colleague and friend, Kirsty McNeill, often says:

    “We feel it in our bones.”

    It is why we believe in delivering the kind of economic growth that delivers jobs and opportunities for working class people and communities. 

    And one area where those jobs and opportunities could be created, is nuclear power.

    The Scottish Government has a long-standing opposition to nuclear power.

    That is their prerogative, but doing so means investment, jobs and opportunities for Scottish communities will continue to head south.

    Both Hunterston in North Ayrshire and Torness in East Lothian are prime spots for development.

    They have made fantastic contributions to the Scottish economy in the past and they can do so again in the future.

    For Hunterston, that could be 800 new jobs with £50-60 million in direct local wages. 

    For Torness, up to 1,000 jobs with £100m in direct wages.

    Together it would mean tens of millions of pounds being paid in business rates. 

    My message to the Scottish Government today is simple:

    stop blocking this investment, allow those jobs to be created, and let that revenue flow into Scotland.

    And crucially – please work in partnership with the UK Government to deliver it.

    Nuclear power stations aren’t built overnight.

    But they are an investment in our future.

    And another long term investment, for which our country is crying out, is aviation infrastructure.

    Or to put it simply – runways.

    I’ll be clear – I support a third runway at Heathrow. 

    It is a huge opportunity for Scotland’s economy and a massive opportunity for our Brand Scotland agenda,

    to sell Scotland to the world.

    Most passengers leave Scotland on a plane, not knowing that beneath their seat are crates of Scottish salmon and whisky. 

    Connectivity to get our world leading goods overseas is critical as an enabler to growth.

    But incredibly, Scottish exports as a percentage of GDP lag behind the rest of the UK. 

    The Scottish Government’s export target is to increase the value of Scotland’s international exports to 25% of GDP by 2029. 

    But that would still leave us behind the rest of the UK,

    and missed opportunities to improve connectivity to our own airports is partly why.

    It was the current First Minister himself who cancelled the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, over 16 years ago in 2009. 

    That was a missed opportunity for growth,

    given Glasgow Airport already adds over £1.4 billion to the Scottish economy and supports 30,000 jobs.

    It is incredible that in 2025 you can get a direct train from Glasgow Central to Manchester Airport, over 200 miles away.

    but not to Glasgow Airport, just a few miles from the centre of Scotland’s largest city.

    We need UK and Scottish government cooperation, to ensure that all Scotland’s airports, 

    including the publicly owned Prestwick Airport,

    makes the most of Heathrow expansion, and have a proper strategy to drive economic growth.

    The UK industrial strategy identifies eight growth driving sectors, and Scotland can benefit from all of them:

    advanced manufacturing, clean energy industries

    creative industries, digital and technologies

    financial services, life sciences

    professional and business services

    and most relevant this week – defence.

    The decision to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP is an act of generational leadership from our Prime Minister.

    as we chart a new course in an uncertain world and do what is necessary to defend our country and our continent.

    National security is the first duty of any government,

    but that increase in spending also represents a massive industrial opportunity for Scotland.

    More than £2 billion was spent by the Ministry of Defence in Scotland last year,

    the industry in Scotland employs more than 30,000 people, including 1,500 apprentices.

    The role must be to defend our nation,

    to stand in solidarity with our European partners,

    and to help Scottish industry lead the way in defence technology and manufacturing.

    On this issue, at this crucial time, we need cooperation between Scotland’s two governments,

    and I am determined that it should happen,

    in our national interest.

    So on these issues: skills, nuclear, aviation,

    infrastructure, defence, and employability,

    I will reconvene the Scottish Business Growth group

    co-chaired by me and the Deputy First Minister. 

    We will bring together voices from across Scottish business, industry,

    trades unions and civic society,

    to find a way through these challenges.

    It will be Scotland’s Growth Commission.

    Last year heralded a new era for the Scotland Office.

    An era of delivery.

    An era that will grasp the new golden age of opportunities for Scotland.

    The vast majority of Scots want their two governments to work together to increase living standards and improve public services. 

    Under my leadership, that is what this Scotland Office is determined to do.

    Since the election last July, I have completely reformed and restructured the department,

    so it can deliver the government’s missions for Scots.

    This new direction for the Scotland Office will have four strategic priorities:

    economic growth

    green energy

    Brand Scotland

    and tackling poverty.

    This new Scotland Office is the UK Government’s delivery arm for Scotland

    and Scotland’s window to Whitehall.

    We will deliver economic growth. 

    But growth with a purpose: 

    to reduce and one day eradicate the poverty which scars our communities. 

    Taking advantage of our enormous green energy potential and our world class brand to get there.

    So as we enter a third era of the Scotland Office post devolution, 

    I am reminded of the words of a Scottish Secretary from long before the devolution era, the great Tom Johnston, who wrote:

    “…if only we could lift great social crusades like better housing and health from the arena of partisan strife,

    what magnificent achievements might yet be ours.

    “In unity lies strength: in concurrence, the possibility of great achievement in better housing, 

    better health,

    better education, better use of leisure,

    greater security in income, and employment.”

    That is a lesson that the Scottish public have been demanding both their governments learn. 

    And that lesson is the path to deliver better living standards and ensure that

    plenty more boys and girls

    from communities like Wester Hailes,

    and from all over Scotland, 

    have the opportunities in life that can lead them to the Cabinet table.

    That is my motivation.

    That is my ambition for Scotland. 

    Thank you for your time this morning.

    Updates to this page

    Published 7 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    March 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The Council commissions the Activation of Active Travel Programme

    Source: City of Preston

    Preston City Council has successfully commissioned the Activation of Active Travel Programme to four local providers who will support residents to become happier and healthier as they get more active through cycling, wheeling and walking.

    The funding was secured from Lancashire County Council to improve walking, cycling and wheeling facilities with the aim of boosting these forms of active travel.

    The Active Travel programme aims to put in place measures to support and encourage residents to change their behaviour and use existing active travel infrastructure. It will support Preston in achieving its priorities by helping residents, particularly underrepresented groups, to do more cycling, wheeling and walking for everyday journeys.

    The scheme also advances the Council’s Community Wealth Building strategy by enabling collaborative work with local partners to encourage residents to use local assets for community and environmental benefit.

    County Councillor Michael Green, Cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing at Lancashire County Council, said:

    Lancashire County Council allocated £30,000 to support this project, which aims to enhance targeted infrastructure such as cycle lanes, junction improvements, and pavements.

    These improvements align with Lancashire’s Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans and Highway Masterplan. The project aims to improve access to walking, cycling and wheeling modes of travel, such as wheelchairs and mobility scooters, particularly for hard-to-reach groups who are less likely to engage in physical activity. This initiative is fantastic for the overall health and wellbeing of the community.

    Preston has a large amount of public green spaces ideal for cycling and walking such as Avenham Park, Moor Park and The Guild Wheel.

    Further developments and public realm improvements such as the new tram bridge and Queen’s Street cycle route are also ongoing, funded by central government.

    Councillor Zafar Coupland, Preston City Council Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing said:

    This is a wonderful initiative encouraging Preston residents to make the most of the incredible spaces we have on our doorstep. Not only, will this programme encourage people to become more active, but it will also give residents the opportunity to discover places they may not have been to before.

    Together, these projects will build the confidence and skills of residents in the city supporting them to take part in cycling, wheeling and walking. They will particularly target underrepresented and vulnerable groups such as ethnic minority communities, those living in socio-economically deprived communities, and those with a disability or long-term health condition.

    The Activation programme comprises of three projects and four delivery partners:

    Supporting cycle commuting

    This project will be delivered by Preston Pedals, a community organisation that promotes a culture of everyday cycling in Preston for proven benefits for health and wellbeing, as well as tackling climate change.

    Dr. Julie Ridley, Co-director of Preston Pedals Ltd. said:

    Preston Pedals are excited to be awarded the grant for cycle commuting. We’re looking forward to working with volunteer Ride Buddies who will be trained as ride leaders, and we’ll support them to buddy others to cycle more. 

    Together we’ll create commuting routes for everyday cycling on quieter and off road in different parts of Preston, test them out, then turn these user-friendly routes into digital and paper maps for more people to use.

    Accessible cycling events

    This project will be delivered by Wheels for All, who currently have a Hub at UCLan Sports Arena and provide inclusive cycling sessions that embrace all children and adults with disabilities and differing needs to engage with quality cycling activity, using adapted cycles such as handcycles, trikes and wheelchair transporters to assist in building confidence and independence in cycling.

    Ian Tierney, CEO of Wheels for All said:

    Wheels for All is really excited to be part of the Preston Active Travel scheme. Our programme will consist of a series of outreach accessible cycling activities across the city of Preston giving people all abilities the chance to enjoy accessible cycling in their local communities.

    Widening Participation in Walking

    This project will be delivered by Preston Muslim Forum and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

    Preston Muslim Forum seeks to improve the lives and wellbeing of black, Asian and ethnic minority communities in the inner wards of Preston by fostering understanding and co-operation and providing training and skills.

    Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will support staff, patients and carers to get out for regular walks around Preston and Chorley and South Ribble Hospitals by providing training to walking leaders.

    Neil Pease, Chief People Officer at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, said:

    We are delighted to have been successful in our bid for funding from Lancashire County Council’s Active Travel Scheme. Our colleagues told us that they would like to increase the amount of physical activity they do at work – and our new walking scheme will be the perfect way to do this.

    As part of the new walking scheme, we will develop a network of trained walk leaders who will help our colleagues to participate in a planned programme of regular walking activities. Our walk leaders will be organising and leading short, pre-planned lunchtime walks around local routes, which will help our colleagues to build their confidence and enjoy the many benefits of exercise as part of their daily lives.

    Thank you to the County Council for enabling us to offer this fantastic opportunity, which we believe has the potential to make a big difference to the health and wellbeing of many colleagues.

    The Active Travel programme promises to be a positive addition to the existing schemes that are already on offer in Preston such as free tennis lessons and football sessions, which have been a proven success in various parks across Preston.

    Additional Information

    Preston City Council actively applies and prioritises the principles of Community Wealth Building wherever applicable and appropriate. Community Wealth Building is an approach which aims to ensure the economic system builds wealth and prosperity for everyone.   

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    March 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mini Spartans excited to promote recycling message in St Patrick’s Day parade debut

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Mini Spartans excited to promote recycling message in St Patrick’s Day parade debut

    7 March 2025

    City of Derry Spartans’ legion of underage runners are set to highlight the circular recycling message of reusing, recycling and repairing items when they take part in this year’s St Patrick’s Day Spring Carnival parade through the city centre.
    The youngsters will be wearing costumes made from old running t shirts from the Strabane Lifford and Waterside Half Marathons when they join hundreds of performers and tens of thousands of spectators at the spectacle on March 17th.

    The Flowers, Fur and Feathers themed parade, co-ordinated by the North West Carnival Initiative, will leave Bishop Street Carpark at 3pm.

    The Spartans, an institution of Derry sport who celebrated their 50th anniversary last year, have always had junior runners in their ranks and formally set-up a primary school age section, the Mini Spartans, 15 years ago.

    There are over 100 underage runners registered with the club and many of them will take part in their first appearance in the parade which is part of packed programme of events in and around the city centre to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. 

    “We are delighted to get the opportunity to take part in the parade and the youngsters can’t wait for it,” said Karen Farry from the City of Derry Spartans.
    “It’s a great chance for us to showcase our club at such a large scale event and highlight that we cater for runners of all levels and ages.
    “The mini Spartans have had great success as a team this season and they are excited to be able to celebrate this and St Patrick’s Day on March 17th.”
    “We want to thank the North West Carnival Initiative and the Council for the opportunity to get involved.”
    Last year’s Waterside Half Marathon and Strabane Lifford Half Marathon attracted a combined field of over 3,000 participants who secured the coveted commemorative t shirts and medals by taking part.
    The shirts are designed to be hard wearing and to dry easily so runners can reuse them on multiple occasions.
    Event organisers Derry City and Strabane District Council had a small surplus of shirts after the event from runners who were unable to take part and the North West Carnival Initiative’s talented dress making team have used them to create costumes that will be unveiled by the Spartans on March 17th.
    “The Waterside Half Marathon and Strabane Lifford Half Marathons are events that all our underage runners would aspire to race in when they are older so we are delighted to be wearing the upcycled T shirts,” Karen added.
    “Our club members love the T shirts from athletics events in the city and no matter what event or training session you attend there’s nearly always someone wearing a t shirt from the Half Marathons in Derry and Strabane.
    “Hopefully it will help highlight to runners that the t shirts aren’t just for race day and encourage people to recycle or reuse any event t shirts they have lying around the house that aren’t being used.”

    The 2025 St Patrick’s Day parade route will begin at Bishop Street and passes through The Diamond, Shipquay Street, Whitaker Street, Foyle Embankment, Harbour Square Roundabout and down the Strand Road to Strand Road carpark.

    The parade will feature hundreds of flamboyant performers from local dance groups, sports clubs and community organisations and will be the centrepiece of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s comprehensive programme of music, dance, food and folklore for its 2025 Spring Carnival celebrations.

    The full programme for the 2025 Spring Carnival celebrations for Derry and Strabane can be accessed now at derrystrabane.com/springcarnival.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    March 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: In Novosibirsk, the results of the school track of the National Technology Olympiad in the profile “Genome Editing” were summed up

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    The final stage of the National Technology Olympiad (NTO) in the profile “Genomic Editing” has ended in Novosibirsk. 51 schoolchildren from 18 regions of Russia aged 14 to 17 took part in the final stage. The organizers of the profile “Genomic Editing” are Novosibirsk State University, SUNC NSU, Advanced Engineering School of NSU and the Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The partner of the profile is the regional center “Altair”.

    The final stage of the profile “Genome Editing” was invented at Novosibirsk State University and has been held here for the seventh year. The finalists of the Olympiad used technologies for managing the properties of biological objects to edit the properties of green fluorescent protein. All stages of the Olympiad took place in the premises of the leisure and educational centers of the NSU SUNC, which are among the first-priority facilities modern campus of NGThey were built within the framework of the national project “Youth and Children.

    During the week, schoolchildren solved Olympiad problems proposed by researchers from Novosibirsk State University, the Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. All final tasks were practice-oriented and aimed at implementing the country’s scientific and technical development strategy.

    — Holding the National Technology Olympiad in the field of “Genome Editing” in Novosibirsk is a logical choice. It is here, in the heart of Siberian science, that one of the strongest genetic schools in the country was formed. Akademgorodok, institutes of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, such as the Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, have been setting the tone in molecular biology and genetics research for decades. This is a unique environment where schoolchildren can already immerse themselves in the atmosphere of advanced science, work with leading scientists and adopt their experience. The finalists have proven that they are capable of solving problems at the level of current scientific trends. Such projects not only strengthen the continuity of generations in science, but also emphasize the role of Novosibirsk as a center of attraction for young talents ready to change the future of bioengineering and medicine. I am sure that these guys will continue the traditions of the Siberian scientific school, and their ideas will become the basis for breakthrough discoveries in Russia. The Novosibirsk Region Government will continue to build a system of support for gifted children and stimulate their early involvement in science, including through specialized classes with in-depth study of disciplines and the Altair regional center, commented Vadim Vasiliev, Minister of Science and Innovation Policy of the Novosibirsk Region.

    Sergey Sedykh, PhD in Biology and head of the master’s program “Advanced Engineering Solutions for Biotechnology and Medicine” at the NSU PIS, noted the high level of training of schoolchildren from the Novosibirsk Region, who won prizes in both the team and individual championships at the Olympiad.

    The head of the project office of the National Technology Olympiad, Dmitry Kutsenko, gave a welcoming speech at the closing of the final.

    — Dear participants, I am glad that you dared to take part in our event. You applied and reached the final. I want you to take the maximum from this Olympiad, regardless of what place you will have in the end. I think that we will be glad to see you next year on the school and student tracks. I would like to separately note the leadership of the Novosibirsk Region in the number of applications — the gap was more than ten thousand people from another region. It seems that this is the result of the fruitful work of the organizers and the university management, — Dmitry Kutsenko emphasized.

    Rector of Novosibirsk State University Mikhail Fedoruk also addressed the finalists:

    — I sincerely congratulate the winners, those guys who received an invitation to the summer school of the NSU SUNC. But I think that you are all winners, because you had a few days to come into contact with the most wonderful place on Earth. Of course, we are waiting for you here again, waiting as schoolchildren, students, research workers. Therefore, I sincerely congratulate you on this wonderful event. The most important thing is that you found friends, perhaps for life. And I think that the memory of the Olympics will remain with you for the rest of your lives.

    The organizers note that the results shown by the schoolchildren demonstrate the importance of the NTO Olympiad in developing the scientific and technical potential of the younger generation and the need to support students who are interested in modern technologies.

    According to the terms of the NTO Olympiad, victory gives applicants a 100-point discount on the Unified State Exam when entering the country’s leading engineering universities.

    Results of the track “Genome editing” NTO

    10-11 grades

    Winners:

    Maria Kuznetsova, Krasnoyarsk region

    Timofey Nikonov, Irkutsk region

    Prize winners:

    Polina Kotovshchikova, Primorsky Krai

    Victoria Krivich, Omsk region

    Maria Polovnikova, Novosibirsk region

    Ekaterina Chernukhina, Moscow

    Anastasia Sidorkina, Perm region

    Roman Kobzar, St. Petersburg

    Winning Team: Le Gen da

    Polina Kotovshchikova, Primorsky Krai

    Maria Polovnikova, Novosibirsk region

    Ekaterina Chernukhina, Moscow

    8-9 grades

    Winner:

    Yulia Chechenina, Novosibirsk region

    Prize winners:

    Matvey Dubovsky, Novosibirsk region

    Alexandra Parshikova, Novosibirsk region

    Marina Lazareva, Leningrad region

    Winning Team: Molecular Machines

    Yulia Chechenina, Novosibirsk region

    Matvey Dubovsky, Novosibirsk region

    Alexandra Parshikova, Novosibirsk region

    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 –

    March 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Centre and States/UTs Deliberate at Chintan Shivir to Strategize for 2028 Olympics and Strengthen India’s Bid for 2036 Olympics

    Source: Government of India

    Centre and States/UTs Deliberate at Chintan Shivir to Strategize for 2028 Olympics and Strengthen India’s Bid for 2036 Olympics

    Talent Identification, Impact of Khelo India, Infrastructure Development and Corporate Partnerships among Key Discussions on Day 1

    Posted On: 07 MAR 2025 5:32PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, chaired a two-day Chintan Shivir focused on India’s preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and strengthening the country’s bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics at Kanha Shanti Vanam in Telangana today. The Shivir brought together sports ministers from various States/UTs, senior sports administrators, key government officials, and domain experts to exchange ideas and craft a roadmap for India’s emergence as a global sports powerhouse.

    हैदराबाद, तेलंगाना में आयोजित दो दिवसीय चिंतन शिविर के उद्घाटन सत्र को संबोधित किया।

    प्रधानमंत्री श्री @NarendraModi जी के नेतृत्व में भारत खेलों का हब बनने की दिशा में तेज़ी से आगे बढ़ रहा है। मुझे पूर्ण विश्वास है कि इस चिंतन सत्र में केंद्र सरकार और राज्य/UTs मिलकर देश को… pic.twitter.com/eXSg66Pc2k

    — Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) March 7, 2025

    Dr. Mandaviya emphasized that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has envisioned India hosting the 2036 Olympics and urged states to actively contribute to making this ambition a reality. “Chintan Shivir is an initiative guided by the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of good governance. This forum allows us to collaborate and take forward our dream of hosting the Olympics,” he stated.

    The Chintan Shivir facilitated dialogue on critical areas such as talent identification, coaching methodologies, sports infrastructure, and sustainable development of sports. Representatives from multiple States/UTs, including Jammu & Kashmir, Odisha, Haryana, Bihar, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh, shared their best practices, with Dr. Mandaviya stressing the importance of learning from each other to accelerate progress.

    Highlighting India’s vision for becoming a global sporting powerhouse, Dr. Mandaviya stated, “Making India a Viksit Bharat by 2047 requires a well-structured and collaborative approach towards sports. While sports is a State subject, a unified effort is essential to position India as a formidable sporting nation.”

    A key area of discussion was the impact of the Khelo India initiative in identifying and nurturing young athletes. Dr. Mandaviya noted that over 2,800 Khelo India academies have been established, and 937 out of 1,045 Khelo India Centres are currently operational. He emphasized the importance of creating a national athlete repository with unique IDs to track talent and ensure their growth within the system.

    “We cannot afford to let talent slip through the cracks. A scientific approach in talent identification and management, along with active participation from National Sports Federations is crucial for the Olympic mission,” he added.

    Dr. Mandaviya also underlined the need to strengthen grassroots sports by identifying young athletes between the ages of 9-14 and nurturing them for long-term Olympic preparation. He announced that new initiatives under Khelo India, such as beach games, water sports, and indigenous games, will be introduced to encourage regional participation and enhance India’s sports culture.

    Sports governance was another key theme of the discussions. Delegates underscored the need for enhanced transparency in National Sports Federations to ensure fair selection processes and build confidence among parents to encourage their children to take up sports as a career. The deliberations focused on improving coordination among all stakeholders to foster an athlete-centric governance model.

    Infrastructure development was also a major focus, with an emphasis on optimizing the utilization of sports infrastructure of States, PSUs, Ministries, and the private sector. The discussions highlighted the need for a sustainable model where stadiums and existing infrastructure are used efficiently. It was also discussed to establish District-Level Sports Schools (DLSSs) by upgrading existing schools to increase grassroots-level talent scouting and training.

    During the day, participants engaged in a meditation session led by Padma Bhushan Daaji, fostering mindfulness and focus. In the evening, a vibrant cultural program was organized, showcasing India’s rich cultural heritage through traditional music, dance, and artistic performances, celebrating the nation’s diversity and spirit.

    *****

    Himanshu Pathak

    (Release ID: 2109135) Visitor Counter : 36

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    March 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Letcher, Owsley Counties

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Letcher, Owsley Counties

    Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Letcher, Owsley Counties

    FRANKFORT, Ky — Disaster Recovery Centers are open in Letcher and Owsley counties in areas affected by the February floods. Disaster Recovery Centers, operated by the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management and FEMA, offer in-person support to survivors in declared counties as the result of severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides from February. OWSLEY COUNTYOwsley County Recreation Center, 99 County Barn Road, Booneville, KY 41314LETCHER COUNTYLetcher County Recreation Center, 1505 Jenkins Road, Whitesburg, KY 41848All Disaster Recovery Centers operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday and 1 to 7 p.m. ET on Sundays, unless otherwise noted. FEMA representatives can explain available assistance programs, how to apply to FEMA, and help connect survivors with resources for their recovery needs. The deadline to apply for federal assistance is April 25, 2025.Other centers are open in the following locations:PIKE COUNTYPike Public Library, 126 Lee Ave., Pikeville, KY 41501Belfry Public Library, 24371 US-119 North, Belfry, KY 41514PERRY COUNTYHazard Community College, 1 Old Community College Drive, Hazard, KY 41701MARTIN COUNTYMartin County Library, 180 E Main Street, Inez, KY 41224KNOTT COUNTYKnott County Sports Complex, 450 Kenny Champion Loop #8765, Leburn, KY 41831FLOYD COUNTYFloyd County Board of Education, 442 KY-550, Eastern, KY 41622Additional Disaster Recovery Centers will open across the Commonwealth disaster area in the coming days. In addition to FEMA personnel, representatives from the Kentucky Office of Unemployment Insurance, the Kentucky Department of Insurance and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will be available at the recovery centers to assist survivors.You do not need to visit a center to apply with FEMAIf you are unable to visit the center, there are other ways to apply: you can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-3362, or by using the FEMA mobile app. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service.When you apply, you will need to provide:A current phone number where you can be contacted.Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying.Your Social Security Number. A general list of damage and losses.Banking information if you choose direct deposit. If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name.The first step to receive FEMA assistance is to apply. There are four ways to apply: visit DisasterAssistance.gov, download the FEMA App, visit a Disaster Recovery Center or call the toll-free FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. The phone line is open daily from 7 a.m. to midnight ET, and help is available in most languages. The deadline to apply for assistance for flooding is April 25, 2025. For an accessible video on how to apply for FEMA assistance, go to youtube.com/watch?v=WZGpWI2RCNw.For more information about Kentucky flooding recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4860. Follow the FEMA Region 4 X account at x.com/femaregion4. 
    sarah.cleary
    Thu, 03/06/2025 – 20:19

    MIL OSI USA News –

    March 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ilona Maher and the myth of feminine fragility – how one rugby player is reshaping sport

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sheree Bekker, Associate Professor, Department for Health, University of Bath

    American rugby player Ilona Maher has risen to global fame. Not just because of her athletic ability (though that is remarkable, winning an Olympic bronze in 2024 in the USA rugby sevens team, and now signing a professional contract with England’s Bristol Bears), but because of what she represents.

    Maher received widespread attention during the Paris Olympics as she shared her journey to sporting success and acceptance on TikTok. It’s a streak she’s continued with a recent turn on the US reality contest Dancing With the Stars, in which she finished second.

    Now in Bristol to play 15-a-side rugby in preparation for the 2025 World Cup, Maher’s popularity (she has 3.4 million followers on Tiktok, more than any other rugby player in the world, of any gender) signals a generational shift. One that is increasingly rejecting outdated notions of femininity, fragility and women’s place in sport.

    Maher is unapologetically big, strong and bold, embodying traits that women have historically been told they shouldn’t possess. She doesn’t shy away from expressing herself. Instead, she has expanded the western cultural model of what strength and confidence can look like.

    On Dancing with the Stars, Maher reversed conventional gender roles by lifting her partner during routines. After the show, she spoke candidly about the financial challenges of being a professional athlete in women’s rugby. She highlighted how lack of investment in the sport has forced her to find additional ways to sustain her career, such as participating in the dance show.

    Maher lifted her partner on Dancing with the Stars.

    Breaking barriers

    This rebellion against gender norms is both personal and political. Sport has long been a site of this struggle for women.

    Participation itself was once radical, as women had to fight just to step onto the field. When American runner Bobbi Gibb broke the rules to run the Boston Marathon in 1966, it was a subversive act that sparked backlash. She ran without permission, having been told women weren’t capable enough, and completed the race easily.

    In our new book, Open Play: The Case for Feminist Sport, we explain how women who excelled in physically demanding sports were often vilified for threatening the traditional gender norms that placed them in passive or nurturing roles, rather than active, competitive ones.

    Athletes who showed strength, endurance and skill in these domains challenged deeply ingrained stereotypes of women as physically inferior and fragile. As a result, they faced intense scrutiny, both socially and publicly. Their achievements were often dismissed as anomalies, and they were frequently subject to sexist criticism, questioning their femininity or even whether they were “real” women at all.

    Maher, too, has faced this misogynistic criticism, with online trolls questioning her gender identity. She has spoken openly about the shame she felt as a child, growing up in a body which defied traditional expectations of femininity that are defined by smallness. Yet by confronting these prejudices, she offers the world a new example of what a woman’s body – and a woman’s power – can look like and do.

    Feminism and sport

    Feminism has historically focused on achieving equality in social, political and economic realms. Yet thinkers like Mary Wollstonecraft recognised early on that physicality was central to maintaining men’s dominance. Wollstonecraft argued in 1792 that women’s perceived physical inferiority wasn’t natural, but a product of their subjugation.

    Sport has since become a pivotal arena for challenging the myth of feminine fragility, which persists in part because of the supposedly objective proof that men outperform women in many physical feats. But Wollstonecraft’s insights remain relevant: men and women still do not compete on equal terms. Women’s sports receive a fraction of the funding, resources and cultural support of men’s.

    And the inequalities extend far beyond economic and cultural support. Women are often discouraged from participating in sport, and shamed if they excel.

    We argue that the segregation of women’s sport, often framed as necessary to “protect female athletes”, actually perpetuates inequality. Around the world, women are still barred from competing against men no matter how exceptional they are, while men retain access to the best facilities, funding and opportunities.

    In our book, we argue that this structural segregation reinforces the myth of women’s inferiority while denying women and other athletes with marginalised gender identities the chance to push boundaries and showcase their full potential. Ending this segregation would challenge the narrative of feminine fragility and open the best of sport to everyone.

    We believe that Maher embodies this challenge. Her fans see in her a bold rejection of outdated gender stereotypes and a celebration of what women can achieve when given the chance. But her visibility also threatens those invested in maintaining traditional hierarchies. The backlash she faces is a reminder of how high the stakes are.

    Sheree Bekker is Co-Director of the Feminist Sport Lab. She is also affiliated with the UK Collaborating Centre on Injury and Illness Prevention in Sport, an International Olympic Committee Research Centre.

    Stephen Mumford is Co-Director of the Feminist Sport Lab.

    – ref. Ilona Maher and the myth of feminine fragility – how one rugby player is reshaping sport – https://theconversation.com/ilona-maher-and-the-myth-of-feminine-fragility-how-one-rugby-player-is-reshaping-sport-248395

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    March 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Baltic Horizon Fund to sell Meraki Business Home in Vilnius, Lithuania

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Baltic Horizon Fund recently announced a structured process with the intention to dispose certain real estate assets, where the Fund does not see significant short-term opportunities for further value optimization.

    Today, the owner of Meraki Business Home in Vilnius, BH Meraki UAB, an SPV of Baltic Horizon Fund, signed a real estate sale and purchase agreement with Groa Real Estate Opportunity Fund UAB, a fund managed by Groa Capital to sell Meraki Business Home in Vilnius, Lithuania.

    The Meraki office building development commenced in 2019, and the first tower was completed in August 2022. The project included a second tower that has not been realized. The development was affected by COVID-19 as well as the high inflation rate levels.

    “Despite difficult conditions, we have been able to achieve a close to 90% occupancy level for the property. Today, Meraki remains as one of the most modern buildings in the area, which is also confirmed by its BREEAM Excellent New Construction certification,” commented Fund manager Tarmo Karotam.

    “We are pleased with the purchase of the Meraki office building as this acquisition will enable Groa Capital to further grow our portfolio of quality office buildings. We believe that this also presents an attractive opportunity for Groa Capital to build the second Meraki tower with around 8500 m2,” commented Nerijus Dagilis, CEO of Groa Capital. “We will start discussions with potential tenants immediately upon the closing of the transaction,” further added CEO of Groa Capital Nerijus Dagilis.

    The sales price of the asset is approximately EUR 16 million, which is close to the latest valuation. The proceeds of the transaction will be used to redeem EUR 3 million of Baltic Horizon Fund bonds and repay the loan from Bigbank.

    “Baltic Horizon Fund is in the process of deleveraging and has been decreasing its allocation in the B-class office segment since 2021. With the proceeds, the Fund plans to reduce its debt level and increase liquidity for its operations,” added fund manager Tarmo Karotam.

    Closing of the transaction is expected to take place by mid March 2025.

    For additional information, please contact:

    Tarmo Karotam
    Baltic Horizon Fund manager
    E-mail tarmo.karotam@nh-cap.com
    www.baltichorizon.com

    The Fund is a registered contractual public closed-end real estate fund that is managed by Alternative Investment Fund Manager license holder Northern Horizon Capital AS. 

    Distribution: GlobeNewswire, Nasdaq Tallinn, Nasdaq Stockholm, www.baltichorizon.com

    To receive Nasdaq announcements and news from Baltic Horizon Fund about its projects, plans and more, register on www.baltichorizon.com. You can also follow Baltic Horizon Fund on www.baltichorizon.com and on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and YouTube.

    The MIL Network –

    March 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Scotland games on free-to-air TV a ‘Great result for fans’

    Source: Scottish Greens

    07 Mar 2025 Sport

    Football is for everyone.

    More in Sport

    The Scottish Greens have hailed news that the Scotland Men’s National Football Team games are set to return to free-to-air TV, with the BBC agreeing a deal to become the main broadcaster of matches.

    According to reports, the BBC has secured broadcasting rights for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The negotiations follow the withdrawal of private online broadcaster Viaplay.

    A campaign led by Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay to bring back free-to-view football received nearly 10,000 signatures. Ms Mackay also raised it with BBC Scotland’s Chief Executive in a Parliamentary evidence session.

    Ms Mackay said:

    “This is a great result and will be celebrated by fans all across Scotland. I am delighted that we will finally be able to watch the run up to the next world cup on free-to-view telly.

    “The Scottish Greens have joined supporters groups in calling for this for years, with thousands of people signing our petition and urging the BBC to take over the contract.

    “It’s a really important day for our national sport. Football should be for everyone, not just for those who can afford to enjoy it from behind a costly paywall.

    “Ticket prices are skyrocketing and simply getting to the ground is now out of budget for many. I hope that fans and families across our country will now have the option of watching our national team from home.

    “At its best, sport brings communities and families together like nothing else. I hope that free-to-view TV can become a permanent fixture and that young people will be able to grow up watching their heroes in action for years to come.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    March 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Spring festival at the Polytechnic

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    On the eve of March 8, women — doctors of science and professors — received congratulations from the rector of SPbPU Andrey Rudskoy, vice-rectors of the university and directors of institutes. The ceremonial event took place on March 6 in the café “Winter Garden” of the research building “Technopolis Polytech”.

    Women of the Polytechnic University take an active part in the development of the university, education and science. They are engaged in teaching activities, manage laboratories and make important discoveries. Many of them are professors and doctors of science. On the eve of International Women’s Day, the wonderful participants of the meeting were sincerely happy, listening to warm wishes from the men of the Polytechnic, who thanked them for their amazing patience, energy and charm.

    It is a great happiness that there are women professors in our team. This creates a special atmosphere at the university. Dear women, you are wise, deeply gifted, talented. I never tire of repeating how delighted I am that you find time for your family, while still managing to write articles, dissertations, give lectures and perform other duties. You are not only doctors and professors, you have many tasks on your shoulders. I wish you a peaceful sky and happiness in every family. Happy holiday, my dears, – said Andrey Rudskoy.

    The vice-rectors of SPbPU and directors of institutes joined in the congratulations.

    I congratulate you with all my heart on this holiday. You create the coziness and warmth that we all really need. Thank you very much for being there and supporting us. I would like to wish you beauty and a spring mood, – said First Vice-Rector Vitaly Sergeyev.

    It seems to me that in the last few years we have all realized how valuable happiness is. Therefore, I would like to wish you and your loved ones great human happiness. Do what you love, develop creatively, travel, – noted Vice-Rector for International Affairs Dmitry Arsenyev.

    I sincerely wish that everything is fine at home, that your children become part of the large family of polytechnicians, and that everything goes well for you at work. Beauty, health, happiness, – said Vladimir Glukhov, advisor to the rector’s office.

    Director of the Institute of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism Valery Sushchenko delighted the beautiful ladies by reading a heartfelt poem for them. On this festive day, a string quartet under the direction of Ksenia Mitryaeva created a fairy-tale atmosphere, and the soloist of the musical alliance “Petersburg Baritones” Alexey Myagkov performed songs of the Soviet stage.

    After the formal part, colleagues happily continued communicating in an informal setting.

    As a token of gratitude and in memory of this pleasant meeting, the women scientists of the Polytechnic University were presented with flowers and gifts.

    Photo archive

    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 –

    March 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Blockchain4Her’s Anniversary: A Year in Review

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, March 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, is reflecting on the remarkable year of achievements of its Blockchain4Her initiative. Since its inception in January 2024, Blockchain4Her has made impactful strides to bridge the gender gap in Web3 by empowering women through education, mentorship, funding and networking opportunities to thrive in the Web3 ecosystem.

    In March 2024, Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget and initiator of Blockchain4Her, was invited to shed light on gender equality initiatives at the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW). This inclusion illuminates Bitget’s impact on the global stage and its voice in shaping conversations around diversity, inclusion, and equitable opportunities in the blockchain industry.

    To further its mission, Bitget unveiled the Blockchain4Her Ambassador Program, enlisting female crypto leaders to be ambassadors and catalysts for change. Our distinguished ambassadors are; Tess Hau, Founder of Tess Ventures, Yevheniia Broshevan, Co-founder of Hacken and Cecilia Hsueh, the CEO of Layer 2 ecosystem project Morph. Leaning on their expertise and experience, the ambassador program aims to encourage more women to join space by building a safe-space for women to explore blockchain.

    In September 2024, Bitget participated in the SheFi Summit in Singapore, which saw hundreds of participants from around the world. The event featured the inaugural Blockchain4Her Awards, recognizing five outstanding women for their contributions to the blockchain industry. Looking specifically at Southeast Asia, Bitget also held Southeast Asia Blockchain4Her Awards to honor the achievements of women leaders in the region. Entrepreneurs Jenny Nguyen (Nguyen Ngoc Son Quynh), Bea Llana, Theresa Tjandrawinata and Cheryl Law were awarded for their innovative solutions and contribution to the crypto scene while Tascha Punyaneramitdee won the “Innovative Web3 Female Entrepreneur Award – SEA edition.”

    “At Bitget, we believe that innovation thrives when diversity leads the way. Blockchain4Her is more than just a program; it’s a movement. We’re committed to providing women with the education, mentorship, and opportunities they need to participate in the Web3 revolution and to lead it. The future of blockchain is inclusive, and together, we are shaping it,” said Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget.

    Bitget also launched the “Pitch n Slay” program, aiming to provide financial support, professional guidance, and exposure for female entrepreneurs. The final event was held in Bangkok, Thailand, in November 2024, where shortlisted female-led projects had the opportunity to compete for a share of $100,000 in seed funding via Foresight Ventures. Anne Beh, Founder at Art3mis, an Oracle AI Tarot card fortune-telling achieved 3rd place, whereas Doris Hernandez, Co-Founder at Functor Network, an Automatic Layer for AI agents secured 2nd position. The first prize was won by Julija Bainiaksina, Founder at MiniMe, an AI agent as-a-service project.

    In the past year, Blockchain4Her made significant strides in supporting and empowering women in the blockchain industry. The program distributed $50,000 to support promising projects led by women and recognized nine exceptional women with the Blockchain4Her Awards for their inspiring contributions. In addition, Blockchain4Her hosted over 10 meetups globally, fostering meaningful conversations and collaborations within the community. These events attracted more than 1,000 women who participated in networking, learning, and driving innovation in the blockchain space. The initiative also garnered substantial global media attention, amplifying its mission and impact worldwide.

    Looking ahead, Bitget will continue to advocate opportunities for women in blockchain. Through partnerships and investing in education and mentorship, Bitget will continue to be a driving force in fostering an inclusive Web3 ecosystem, empowering women to lead, innovate, and shape the future of blockchain together.

    To learn more about Blockchain4Her, please visit here.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 100 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a world-class multi-chain crypto wallet that offers an array of comprehensive Web3 solutions and features including wallet functionality, token swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp browser, and more.

    Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

    For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e326feee-aa16-416b-9622-994a4f4320ff

    The MIL Network –

    March 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Secretaries Wright and Burgum Join American Energy Workers in Applauding President Trump’s Leadership & Historic Investment in American Energy Infrastructure

    Source: US Department of Energy

    PLAQUEMINES PARRISH, LOUISIANA—U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, both leaders of the National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC), today joined more than a thousand American energy workers at Venture Global’s Plaquemine LNG Export facility to highlight the impacts of President Trump’s energy agenda. The secretaries joined Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and Venture Global CEO Mike Sabel in delivering remarks before touring the facility and speaking to the press.

    Thanks to President Trump’s commitment to restoring American energy dominance and day one reversal of the Biden-Harris LNG export permit ban, Sabel announced today that Venture Global would be making an additional $18 billion expansion to the Plaquemine LNG Export facility – making the facility the largest in the United States.

    Less than 50 days into the Trump administration, American energy companies are producing more energy here in the U.S. – lowering prices, providing good-paying jobs, strengthening local communities, and bolstering America’s national security.

    In case you missed it, remarks from Secretary Wright and Burgum are below:

    Secretary Wright:

    America is back.

    You, all of you here today, are bringing America back, making us greater and making us stronger. I could not be more humbled and proud to stand among you today. God bless what you do today and what you do every day.

    I want to also thank President Trump. He worked tirelessly, even putting his own life at risk to go back to Washington to become our president again, to bring commonsense back to Washington, DC. It all left the city. He brought back common sense with a simple agenda unleash American energy, unleash American business, and unleash the American spirit.

    And I see it here today with all of you. He’s from the East Coast. He’s a real estate developer. But instinctually he gets energy. He knows that energy is not one sector of the economy. It’s the sector of the economy that enables everything else, everything else.

    I want to thank the governor of Louisiana. Giant projects like this, they’re not getting built in California, where I lived many years. They’re not getting built in a lot of places. This takes leadership and boldness. This governor of Louisiana has allowed a flourishing in the Louisiana Gulf Coast and across the state. Louisiana today exports more LNG than every state in the United States. This is number one.

    That that that bar is going to be raised even higher because in the next several years, Louisiana will become a larger exporter of liquefied natural gas than any nation on Earth. You could be your own country and be number one.

    Venture global, as we heard from Mike Sable, the great, bold founding CEO, has taken huge risk. They raised money from all across America, from American like us, to build this business and make a bet. Make a bet on American energy production.

    The United States 15 years ago was the largest importer of natural gas in the world. And with bold entrepreneurs and leadership like President Trump, our governor in Louisiana, and Venture Global, today, the United States is the largest net exporter of natural gas in the world and growing strong, growing strong.

    What’s the fastest growing source of energy on the planet by far is natural gas. I looked at this over the last 15 years. Nothing else is close. Oil is second, by the way. The fastest growing sense source of energy in the planet is natural gas. The largest producer of natural gas on the planet is the United States.

    And so hence we’re growing our exports because of your work, because of your efforts, we’re going to increase the prosperity of America, increase the strength of America, increase the opportunities for Americans and for the citizens of the world.

    Where does this gas go? What’s this gas going to do? It’s going to make fertilizer so farmers can grow more food and feed everyone. It’s by far the largest source of electricity in the United States. Natural gas is. It’s to make petrochemicals. All the clothes were wearing the toys. Our cars are our computers. Our phones. Those are all made of natural gas.

    All the uses of natural gas, you can say. In short, they make our lives possible. They allow us to have a modern world and live these wonderful lives we live.

    But that doesn’t fall from heaven. That doesn’t just fall on earth. It has to be made, produced and delivered. And that only happens with hard working people like you. You are changing the world. You are changing people’s lives.

    I’ll end there. I just am humbled to be among you. I’m proud to be among you. I cannot overstate how important what you’re doing is and how aligned it is with the agenda of President Donald Trump. This guy wants America to be great. He wants America to be strong. He wants to lower our cost and expand opportunities for Americans.

    A strong, energized, empowered America is not just good for Americans. It’s good for the world. God bless you. God bless America and God bless President Trump.

    Secretary Burgum:

    What a gorgeous day we have here today. And today is a day of gratitude. And it’s a day of celebration.

    You’ve heard from the great speakers up here, my friend, Governor Jeff Landry. We’ve got two amazing entrepreneurs, Mike and Bob and the amazing Chris Wright. But we’re celebrating today American innovation, American entrepreneurship, and American workers. I stand here before you humbled because I can’t think of anything more patriotic.

    There’s no place I’d rather be than here looking at all of you standing here among this, this creation that you’ve built. And it started with two guys that said, hey, maybe we can do something that’s never been done before. Maybe we can invent a new way to think about how we want to process natural gas. Maybe we can figure out that the U.S., instead of being a net importer, is going to be a net exporter.

    And it was a couple of guys just sitting around a table that came up with the idea of Venture Global. Then you hear, it’s like when only in America, now is going to be one of the most important and influential energy companies in the world. That happens in our country only when we get the government out of the way.

    It happens when we cut red tape. One of our pathways to energy dominance is just unleashing the incredible resources that we have in this country. Getting the red tape, getting the federal government off the back of the worker, off the back of companies, and so that everybody can do the amazing work and build projects like this.

    And so, we’re celebrating that today. But I also said today is a day of gratitude. And I want to bring a message from President Trump to all of you, because President Trump fights for all of you every day. This guy I know everybody here, you work hard, you put in a long day, you go home, you get up and you do it the next day. He respects that. And you know what? He does that too.

    This guy didn’t take a day off for the last 90 days before the election. Then the next day he got up and he didn’t. He didn’t take a day off. He just started jamming all the way through to January 20th. And then since January 20th, he’s gotten more done than any president in the history of the United States ever has in their first month and a half.

    And somebody asked me, what’s it like working for the president? And I said, well said, you guys, you watch football. And they said, yeah, I watch football. I said, well, think about this. Think about the best football team ever assembled. The President Trump is the team owner and he’s the manager, and he’s the head coach, and he’s playing quarterback and he’s running a no huddle offense. And everybody that’s working for him has got to scramble back to the line for the next play, because we’re just going that fast every single day. And the change that he’s driving, the red tape that he’s cutting, it’s absolutely incredible. And one of the things that we’re here today, the announcement today is happening.

    The prior administration had a full-on attack against U.S. energy. They literally were stopping the permitting, killing jobs, killing capital formation, the money to come together to build something like this. And you know what that did that hurt every American and it helped our adversaries. President Trump is fighting for you every day. And he’s fighting because he believes in the we have U.S. energy dominance. It does two things. It builds American prosperity, and it brings peace abroad.

    We’re in two proxy wars right now. And both of our adversaries in those wars, Russia and Iran, Iran funding 24 terrorist groups. They’re funding those wars against us with energy production. With a facility like this where we can sell LNG around the world, we’re literally going to stop war.

    So, when you guys go to work every day, tell yourselves you’re just not doing a job building the most amazing, most technological plant in the planet. The biggest construction project in North America. You’re also building world peace. And the other thing you’re also doing is you’re building prosperity here at home for everybody that’s here.

    And it all starts with one thing, and that’s American energy. And you’re going to say it with me because with energy dominance part of our job is to cut red tape. And the other is we got to get more things flowing through those pipes heading towards Louisiana. And how are we going to do that?

    You know, how we are going to do it is three words. What are we going to do. We’re going to drill, baby drill one more time. What are we going to do. We’re going to drill, baby drill. And when we do that, we’re also going to mine baby, mine. We’re going to get critical minerals going. So, we’re stop buying critical minerals from China. We’re going to map baby, map, and we get the US Geological Survey going back and actually discovering all the resources we have on America’s balance sheet.

    People talk about America’s debt, $36 trillion in debt. Our assets could be 3 to 5 times more than that. But we don’t even know that because we’ve stopped looking for all the resource assets in this country. And we’re going to become an energy powerhouse. And with that, we’re going to bring inflation down for you and your families. And here at home, prosperity in America and world peace abroad.

    That’s what you’re working on every day. How exciting is it to be here with all of you? And again, a message of gratitude for President Trump to you. Nothing more patriotic than American worker that’s working to build energy dominance for this country. Your impact? It carries far and wide. It touches people all over the world. And it certainly helps your kids and your grandkids, and it helps our country reduce our debt, do everything that we’re doing.

    So, a big thank you from President Trump and a big thank you to the innovators and entrepreneurs that built this place and came up with the idea. And none of it happens without all of you. But let’s go. And what’s at the end? I want to say, I will say one thing when you’re doing when we’re doing this today, what are we doing together?

    We’re making America great again. One more time. What are we doing? Making America great again. Thank you. Way to go, venture global. Thank you all.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    March 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Reporting cyberattacks on critical infrastructure mandatory from 1 April

    Source: Switzerland – Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport

    At its meeting on 7 March, the Federal Council introduced a reporting obligation for cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, which will come into force on 1 April. Operators of critical infrastructure will be required to report cyberattacks to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) within 24 hours of discovery. These reports will enable the NCSC to assist victims of cyberattacks and alert operators of critical infrastructure.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    March 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: BW Energy: Substantial oil discovery made on the Bourdon prospect 

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Substantial oil discovery made on the Bourdon prospect 

    BW Energy is pleased to announce a substantial oil discovery with good reservoir quality on the Bourdon prospect in the Dussafu Licence offshore Gabon.  

    Evaluation of logging data and formation pressure measurements confirm approximately 34 metres of pay in an overall hydrocarbon column of 45 metres in the Gamba formation, making it the largest hydrocarbon column discovered to date in the Dussafu licence. The well was drilled by the Norve jack-up rig to a total depth of 4,135 metres. 

    The discovery will enable the Company to book additional reserves not included in its 2024 Statement of Reserves. 

    “The Bourdon appraisal well again confirms the significant resource potential of the Dussafu licence, which holds multiple additional prospects,” said Carl K. Arnet, CEO of BW Energy. “We will now carefully review the drilling results, but initial data indicates the potential for establishing a new development cluster with a production facility following the MaBoMo blueprint. We are evaluating a second sidetrack to further appraise the discovery”. 

    Bourdon is located approximately 15 kilometres west of BW Adolo FPSO and 7.5 kilometres southeast of the MaBoMo facility.  

    For further information, please contact:  

    Brice Morlot, CFO BW Energy

    +33.7.81.11.41.16 

    ir@bwenergy.no 

    About BW Energy:  

    BW Energy is a growth E&P company with a differentiated strategy targeting proven offshore oil and gas reservoirs through low risk phased developments. The Company has access to existing production facilities to reduce time to first oil and cashflow with lower investments than traditional offshore developments. The Company’s assets are 73.5% of the producing Dussafu Marine licence offshore Gabon, 100% interest in the Golfinho and Camarupim fields, a 76.5% interest in the BM-ES-23 block, a 95% interest in the Maromba field in Brazil, a 95% interest in the Kudu field in Namibia, all operated by BW Energy. In addition, BW Energy holds approximately 6.6% of the common shares in Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. and a 20% non-operating interest in the onshore Petroleum Exploration License 73 (“PEL 73”) in Namibia. Total net 2P+2C reserves and resources were 599 million barrels of oil equivalent at the start of 2025. 

    This information is considered inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. This stock exchange release was published by Regine Andersen, 7 March 2025. 

    The MIL Network –

    March 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Sharing the National Collection: Winning trophies to shine in Naracoorte

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    A sparkling collection of trophies celebrating the history of agriculture shows and sport will travel to the Naracoorte Regional Art Gallery thanks to the Albanese Labor Government’s Sharing the National Collection program.

    On loan from the National Gallery of Australia, the sixteen objects include an AFL goblet, an historic Championship Boxing belt buckle, and multiple works by Adelaide based J.M. Wendt, one of the best-known silversmiths of the 19th century.

    Naracoorte Regional Art Gallery is the oldest public regional art gallery in South Australia, located four hours outside Adelaide. It will display these valuable works of art for two years.  

    Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said the loan is a great gain for people in Naracoorte and the surrounding region.

    “Our Sharing the National Collection initiative is getting works out of storage in Canberra and into communities across Australia.

    “At any point 98 per cent of our national collection is held in storage. This initiative will allow these normally unseen pieces to shine in Naracoorte.”

    Director of the National Gallery of Australia, Dr Nick Mitzevich, said the loan showed cooperation between the Gallery and its regional partners.

    “The Sharing the National Collection program allows collaboration with regional partners to curate exhibitions that will resonate with local audiences.”

    Chair of the Naracoorte Regional Art Gallery, Julie Earle, said the Naracoorte community had strong ties to the sporting, agricultural and racing industries. 

    “This has been reflected in the pieces we have chosen from the national collection with the intent of inviting new audiences into our gallery. We look forward to placing these works of art in conversation to highlight stories from the region.”

    Sharing the National Collection is part of Revive, Australia’s national cultural policy. The program has provided $11.8m over four years to fund the costs of transporting, installing and insuring works in the national art collection so that they can be seen right across the country. 

    Regional and suburban galleries can register their interest in the loan program here.

    Works can be viewed via the National Gallery’s website.

    MIL OSI News –

    March 7, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: Jonathan Cook: Yes, Trump is vulgar. But the US global shakedown is the same one as ever

    Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. –

    ANALYSIS: By Jonathan Cook

    If there is one thing we can thank US President Donald Trump for, it is this: he has decisively stripped away the ridiculous notion, long cultivated by Western media, that the United States is a benign global policeman enforcing a “rules-based order”.

    Washington is better understood as the head of a gangster empire, embracing 800 military bases around the world. Since the end of the Cold War, it has been aggressively seeking “global full-spectrum domination”, as the Pentagon doctrine politely terms it.

    You either pay fealty to the Don or you get dumped in the river. Last Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was presented with a pair of designer concrete boots at the White House.

    The US president looked like a gangster as he roughed up Zelensky. But he wasn’t the one who stoked a war that’s killed huge numbers of Ukrainians and Russians. Image: www.jonathan-cook.net

    The innovation was that it all happened in front of the Western press corps, in the Oval Office, rather than in a back room, out of sight. It made for great television, Trump crowed.

    Pundits have been quick to reassure us that the shouting match was some kind of weird Trumpian thing. As though being inhospitable to state leaders, and disrespectful to the countries they head, is unique to this administration.

    Take just the example of Iraq. The administration of Bill Clinton thought it “worth it” – as his secretary of state, Madeleine Albright, infamously put it — to kill an estimated half a million Iraqi children by imposing draconian sanctions through the 1990s.

    Under Clinton’s successor, George W Bush, the US then waged an illegal war in 2003, on entirely phoney grounds, that killed around half a million Iraqis, according to post-war estimates, and made four million homeless.

    Those worrying about the White House publicly humiliating Zelensky might be better advised to save their concern for the hundreds of thousands of mostly Ukrainian and Russian men killed or wounded fighting an entirely unnecessary war — one, as we shall see, Washington carefully engineered through Nato over the preceding two decades.

    Henchman Zelensky
     All those casualties served the same goal as they did in Iraq: to remind the world who is boss.

    Uniquely, Western publics don’t understand this simple point because they live inside a disinformation bubble, created for them by the Western establishment media.

    Henry Kissinger, the long-time steward of US foreign policy, famously said: “It may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal.”

    Zelensky just found that out the hard way. Gangster empires are just as fickle as the gangsters we know from Hollywood movies. Under the previous Joe Biden administration, Zelensky had been recruited as a henchman to do Washington’s bidding on Moscow’s doorstep.

    The background — the one Western media have kept largely out of view — is that, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US tore up treaties crucial to reassuring Russia of Nato’s good intent.

    Viewed from Moscow, and given Washington’s track record, Nato’s European security umbrella must have looked more like preparation for an ambush.

    Keen though Trump now is to rewrite history and cast himself as peacemaker, he was central to the escalating tensions that led to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

    In 2019, he unilaterally withdrew from the 1987 Treaty on Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces. That opened the door to the US launching a potential first strike on Russia, using missiles stationed in nearby Nato members Romania and Poland.

    He also sent Javelin anti-tank weapons to Ukraine, a move avoided by his predecessor, Barack Obama, for fear it would be seen as provocative.

    Repeatedly, Nato vowed to bring Ukraine into its fold, despite Russia’s warnings that the step was viewed as an existential threat, that Moscow could not allow Washington to place missiles on its border, any more than the US accepted Soviet missiles stationed in Cuba back in the early 1960s.

    Washington pressed ahead anyway, even assisting in a colour revolution-style coup in 2014 against the elected government in Kyiv, whose crime was being a little too sympathetic to Moscow.

    With the country in crisis, Zelensky was himself elected by Ukrainians as a peace candidate, there to end a brutal civil war — sparked by that coup — between anti-Russian, “nationalistic” forces in the country’s west and ethnic Russian populations in the east. The Ukrainian President soon broke that promise.

    Trump has accused Zelensky of being a “dictator”. But if he is, it is only because Washington wanted him that way, ignoring the wishes of the majority of Ukrainians.

    Reddest of red lines
     Zelensky’s job was to play a game of chicken with Moscow. The assumption was that the US would win whatever the outcome.

    Either Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bluff would be called. Ukraine would be welcomed into Nato, becoming the most forward of the alliance’s forward bases against Russia, allowing nuclear-armed ballistic missiles to be stationed minutes from Moscow.

    Or Putin would finally make good on his years of threats to invade his neighbour to stop Nato crossing the reddest of red lines he had set over Ukraine.

    Washington could then cry “self-defence” on Ukraine’s behalf, and ludicrously fearmonger Western publics about Putin eyeing Poland, Germany, France and Britain next.

    Those were the pretexts for arming Kyiv to the hilt, rather than seeking a rapid peace deal. And so began a proxy war of attrition against Russia, using Ukrainian men as cannon fodder.

    The aim was to wear Russia down militarily and economically, and bring about Putin’s overthrow.

    Zelensky did precisely what was demanded of him. When he appeared to waver early on, and considered signing a peace deal with Moscow, Britain’s prime minister of the time, Boris Johnson, was dispatched with a message from Washington: keep fighting.

    That is the same Boris Johnson who now breezily admits that the West is fighting a “proxy war” against Russia.

    Hmm, maybe someone can help me.

    How was Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine entirely ‘unprovoked’, when the British leader in charge at the time, Boris Johnson, now admits Nato viewed Ukraine as the battlefield for a ‘proxy war’ against Russia? 🤯 pic.twitter.com/VS6jRE03gH

    — Jonathan Cook (@Jonathan_K_Cook) February 24, 2025

    His comments have generated precisely no controversy. That is particularly strange, given that critics who pointed this very obvious fact out three years ago were instantly denounced for spreading “Putin disinformation” and Kremlin “talking points”.

    For his obedience, Zelensky was feted a hero, the defender of Europe against Russian imperialism. His every “demand” — demands that originated in Washington — was met.

    Ukraine has received at least $250 billion worth of guns, tanks, fighter jets, training for his troops, Western intelligence on Russia, and other forms of aid.

    Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian and Russian men have paid with their lives — as have the families they leave behind.

    Mafia etiquette
     Now the old Don in Washington is gone. The new Don has decided Zelensky has been an expensive failure. Russia isn’t lethally wounded. It’s stronger than ever. Time for a new strategy.

    Zelensky, still imagining he was Washington’s favourite henchman, arrived at the Oval Office only to be taught a harsh lesson in mafia etiquette.

    Trump is spinning his stab in the back as a “peace agreement”. And in some sense, it is. Rightly, Trump has concluded that Russia has won — unless the West is ready to fight World War III and risk a potential nuclear war.

    Trump has faced up to the reality of the situation, even if Zelensky and Europe are still struggling to.


    Trump’s overt ‘genocidal’ warning over Gaza.   Video: TRT World News

    But his plan for Ukraine is actually just a variation of his other peace plan — the one for Gaza. There he wants to ethnically cleanse the Palestinian population and, on the bodies of the enclave’s many thousands of dead children, build the “Riviera of the Middle East” — or “Trump Gaza” as it is being called in a surreal video he shared on social media.

    In telling the “people of Gaza”, they will be “DEAD” if the hostages aren’t released – something they can’t decide – Trump is expressing clear genocidal intent. He’a also sending the arms to make that genocide possible.

    He needs to be in the ICC dock alongside Netanyahu. pic.twitter.com/eomkGP6eWe

    — Jonathan Cook (@Jonathan_K_Cook) March 6, 2025

    Similarly, Trump now sees Ukraine not as a military battlefield but as an economic one where, through clever deal-making, he can leverage riches for himself and his billionaire pals.

    He has put a gun to Zelensky and Europe’s head. Make a deal with Russia to end the war, or you are on your own against a far superior military power. See if the Europeans can help you without a supply of Washington’s weapons.

    Not surprisingly, Zelensky, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron huddled together at the weekend to find a deal that would appease Trump. All Starmer has revealed so far is that the plan will “stop the fighting”.

    That is a good thing. But the fighting could have been stopped, and should have been stopped, three years ago.

    Money, not peace
     It is deeply unwise to be lulled into tribalism by all this — the very tribalism Western elites seek to cultivate among their publics to keep us treating international affairs no differently from a high-stakes football match.

    No one here has behaved, or is behaving, honourably.

    A ceasefire in Ukraine is not about peace. It’s about money, just as the earlier war was. As all wars are, ultimately.

    An acceptable ceasefire for Trump, as well as for Putin, will involve a carve-up of Ukraine’s goodies. Rare earth minerals, land, agricultural production will be the real currency driving the agreement.

    Zelensky now understands this. He knows that he, and the people of Ukraine, have been scammed. That is what tends to happen when you cosy up to the mafia.

    If anyone doubts Washington’s insincerity over Ukraine, look to Palestine for clarity.

    In his earlier presidency, Trump tried to bring about what he termed the peace “deal of the century” whose centrepiece was the annexation of much of the Occupied West Bank.

    The hope was that the Gulf states would ultimately fund an incentivisation programme — the carrot to Israel’s stick — to encourage Palestinians to make a new life in a giant, purpose-built industrial zone in Sinai, next to Gaza.

    That plan is still simmering away in the background. At the weekend, Israel received a green light from Washington to revive its genocidal starvation of Gaza’s population, after Israel refused to negotiate the second phase of the original ceasefire agreement.

    The Trump administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are now spinning their own bad faith as Hamas “rejectionism”.

    They and the echo chamber that is the Western media are blaming the Palestinian group for refusing to be gulled into an “extension” of what was never more than a phoney ceasefire — Israel’s fire never ceased. Israel wants all the hostages back, without having to leave Gaza, so that Hamas has no leverage to stop Israel reviving the full genocide.

    The people of Gaza are still being fed into the Washington mafia’s meatgrinder, just as the Ukrainian people have been.

    Trump wants them out of the way so he can develop a Mediterranean playground for the rich, paid for with Gulf oil money and the so-far untapped natural gas reserves just off Gaza’s coast.

    Unlike his predecessors, Trump doesn’t pretend that Ukraine and Gaza are anything more than geostrategic real estate for Washington.

    The big shakedown
     Zelensky’s shakedown did not come out of the blue. Trump and his officials had been flagging it well in advance.

    Two weeks ago, the industrial correspondent for Britain’s Daily Telegraph wrote an article headlined “Here’s why Trump wants to make Ukraine a US economic colony”.

    Trump’s team believes that Ukraine may have rare-earth minerals under the ground worth some $15 trillion — a treasure trove that will be critical to the development of the next generation of technology.

    In their view, controlling the exploration and extraction of those minerals will be as important as control over the Middle East’s oil reserves was more than a century ago.

    And most important of all, the US wants China, its chief economic — if not military — rival excluded from the plunder. China currently has an effective monopoly on many of these critical minerals.

    Or as the Telegraph puts it, Ukraine’s “minerals offer a tantalising promise: the ability for the US to break its dependence on Chinese supplies of critical minerals that go into everything from wind turbines to iPhones and stealth fighter jets”.

    A draft of the plan seen by the Telegraph would, in its words, “amount to the US economic colonisation of Ukraine, in legal perpetuity”.

    Washington wants first refusal on all deposits within the country.

    At their Oval Office confrontation, Trump reiterated this goal: “So we’re going to be using that [Ukraine’s rare earth minerals], taking it, using it for all of the things we do, including AI, and including weapons, and the military. And it’s really going to very much satisfy our needs.”

    All of this means that Trump has a keen incentive to get the war finished as quickly as possible, and Russia’s territorial advance halted. The more territory Moscow seizes, the less territory is left for the US to plunder.

    Self-sabotage
     The battle against China over rare-earth minerals isn’t a Trump innovation either — and adds an additional layer of context for why Washington and Nato have been so keen over the past two decades to prise Ukraine away from Russia.

    Last summer, a Congressional select committee on competition with China announced the formation of a working group to counter Beijing’s “dominance of critical minerals”.

    The chairman of the committee, John Moolenaar, noted that the current US dependence on China for these minerals “would quickly become an existential vulnerability in the event of a conflict”.

    Another committee member, Rob Wittman, observed: “Dominance over global supply chains for critical mineral and rare earth elements is the next stage of great power competition.”

    What Trump appears to appreciate is that Nato’s proxy war against Russia in Ukraine has, by default, driven Moscow deeper into Beijing’s embrace. It has been self-sabotage on a grand scale.

    Together, China and Russia are a formidable opponent, and one at the centre of the ever-growing Brics group — comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. They have been seeking to expand their alliance by adding emerging powers to become a counterweight to Washington and Nato’s bullying global agenda.

    But a deal with Putin over Ukraine would provide an opportunity for Washington to build a new security architecture in Europe — one more useful to the US — that places Russia inside the tent rather than outside it.

    That would leave China isolated — a long-time Pentagon goal.

    And it would also leave Europe less central to the projection of US power, which is why European leaders — led by Keir Starmer — have been looking and sounding so unnerved over the past few weeks.

    The danger is that Trump’s “peacemaking” in Ukraine simply becomes a prelude to the fomenting of a war against China, using Taiwan as the pretext in the same way Ukraine was used against Russia.

    As Moolenaar implied, US control over critical minerals — in Ukraine and elsewhere — would ensure the US was no longer vulnerable in the event of a war with China to losing access to the minerals it would need to continue the war. It would free Washington’s hand.

    Trump may be behaving in a vulgar manner. But the gangster empire he now heads is conducting the same global shakedown as ever.

    Jonathan Cook is an award-winning British journalist. He was based in Nazareth, Israel, for 20 years and returned to the UK in 2021. He is the author of three books on the Israel-Palestine conflict, including Disappearing Palestine: Israel’s Experiments in Human Despair (2008). In 2011, Cook was awarded the Martha Gellhorn Special Prize for Journalism for his work on Palestine and Israel. This article was first published in Middle East Eye and is republished with the author’s permission.

    This article was first published on Café Pacific.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    March 7, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: A late start, then a big boom: why it took until 1975 for Australians to finally watch TV in colour

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University

    Youtube/Austvarchive

    Some 50 years ago, on March 1 1975, Australian television stations officially moved to colour.

    Networks celebrated the day, known as “C-Day”, with unique slogans such as “come to colour” (ABC TV), “Seven colours your world” (Seven Network), “living colour” (Nine Network) and “first in colour” (0-10 Network, which later became Network Ten). The ABC, Seven and Nine networks also updated their logos to incorporate colour.

    For most viewers, however, nothing looked much different. The majority owned a black and white TV, while a coloured broadcast required a colour TV set.

    Advertisers were initially reluctant to accept the change, which required them to re-shoot black and white commercials with colour stock at a significantly higher cost.

    Many reasoned viewers were still watching the ads in black and white. And initially this assumption was correct. But by nine months later, 17% of Australian homes had a colour receiver. This rose to 31% by July 1976.

    By 1978, 64% of Melbourne and 70% of Sydney households owned colour TV sets, making Australia one of the world’s fastest adopters of colour TV.

    According to the Federation of Australian Commercial Television Stations (FACTS) annual report for 1975–76, colour TV increased overall viewership by 5%, with people watching for longer periods.

    The 1976 Montreal Olympics also led to an increase in TV sales, with the colour broadcast shared between the ABC, Seven and Nine.

    Highlights from the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games marathon event.

    A late start

    With the United States introducing colour TV from 1954, it’s peculiar that Australia took so long to make the transition – especially since conversations about this had been underway since the 1960s.

    In 1965, a report outlining the process and economic considerations of transitioning to colour was tabled in parliament.

    Feedback from the US highlighted problems around broader acceptance in the marketplace. Colour TV sets were expensive and most programs were still being shot in black and white, despite the availability of colour.

    Networks were the most hesitant (even though they’d go on to become one of the most major benefactors). In 1969, it was estimated transitioning to colour would cost the ABC A$46 million (the equivalent of $265,709,944 today) over six years.

    The federal government, led by then prime minister Robert Menzies, decided to take a cautious approach to the transition – allowing manufacturers, broadcasters and the public time to prepare.

    The first colour “test” broadcast took place on June 15 1967, with live coverage of a Pakenham country horse racing event in Victoria (although few people would have had coloured TV sets at this point).

    Other TV shows also tested broadcasting in colour between 1972 and 1974, with limited colour telecasts aired from mid-1974. It wasn’t until March 1975 that colour TV was being transmitted permanently.

    ‘Aunty Jack Introduces Colour’ was a one-off television special of The Aunty Jack Show, broadcast on the ABC on February 28 1975.

    The cinema industry panics

    Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War created further urgency to televise in colour. With the war ending in April 1975, Australians watched the last moments in colour.

    Other significant events broadcast in colour that year included the December federal election, in which Malcolm Fraser defeated Gough Whitlam after the latter was dramatically dismissed as prime minister on November 11.

    With the public’s growing interest in colour TV, local manufacturers began lobbying for higher tariffs on imports to encourage domestic colour TV production.

    In the mid 1970s, a new colour set in Australia cost between $1,000 and $1,300, while the average full-time annual income was around $8,000. Still in the throes of a financial recession, customers began seeking out illegally-imported colour TV sets – which were appearing at car boot markets across the country.

    British childrens show The Wombles came to Australian screens shortly after colour TV was introduced.

    The government also created an advertising campaign warning the public of scammers who would offer to convert black-and-white TVs to colour. These door-to-door “salesmen” claimed to have a special screen which, when placed over a TV, would magically turn it colourful.

    By 1972, the estimated cost of upgrading broadcasting technology to colour had reached $116 million. The cinema industry, in a panic, even questioned whether colour TV could damage a viewer’s eyesight.

    The industry had previously suffered huge losses in cinema attendance with the introduction of black-and-white TV from 1956. Cinemas had a monopoly on colour and were petrified over what the introduction of colour to television could do to their attendances.

    Such fears were founded. In 1974 Australia had 68 million admissions to the cinema. By 1976, there were just 28.9 million admissions. Never again would yearly cinema admissions reach above 40 million.

    But despite the complaints – from the cinema industry, advertisers, broadcasters and manufacturers – audiences were ready for colour. And any network that dared to program in black and white would subject itself to a barrage of annoyed viewers.

    Colour TV was here to stay.

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

    – ref. A late start, then a big boom: why it took until 1975 for Australians to finally watch TV in colour – https://theconversation.com/a-late-start-then-a-big-boom-why-it-took-until-1975-for-australians-to-finally-watch-tv-in-colour-251363

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    March 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Takapuna Golf course

    Source: Auckland Council

    As part of ongoing efforts to protect the Auckland region from future floods, Auckland Council will be seeking community feedback on a proposed flood resilient blue-green network in the Wairau Valley.

    Before and after of Greenslade.

    The proposed network is part of Auckland Council’s Making Space for Water programme and co-funded by central government. It follows three other flood resilience initiatives already approved in areas severely impacted by the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods, two in Māngere and the other in Rānui.

    The Wairau catchment was one of the hardest-hit areas during the 2023 floods, with severe damage and the tragic loss of life. Auckland Council has explored a range of interventions to reduce flood risks in the area to provide both immediate and long-term flood reduction benefits. One of the proposed options is the redevelopment of AF Thomas Park, currently the site of Takapuna Golf Course, into a multi-use recreational flood storage wetland.

    North Shore Ward Councillor Richard Hills acknowledges repurposing AF Thomas Park will be a tough ask for those who love the golf course as it is, but says the wider community is demanding action to prevent further flooding and potential loss of life and property.

    “The January 2023 floods had a devastating impact on our community, negatively affecting thousands of homes and businesses in the Wairau catchment and causing millions of dollars of damage to community facilities like Eventfinda Stadium and North Shore Badminton,” Councillor Hills says.

    “This weather event made our streets so unsafe we lost lives, and we could have lost many more had volunteers not rescued 69 people from the Wairau Valley. After much investigation, the Healthy Waters team is confident this first phase of the project will provide over 550 million litres of water storage in a flood event, a significant increase from the park’s current 60 million litre capacity,” he says.

    “I recognise the potential changes to AF Thomas Park is upsetting to some of our golfing community and those who use this stunning course. As part of the design process, the council and local boards will work with the community to understand what opportunities may be available to meet the wider golfing and recreation needs of the north shore, alongside providing much needed flood protection and safety for this community.”

    Balancing flood protection and community needs

    Under the proposal, the park would function as a blue-green space, offering the community enhanced recreational facilities and walking paths while also serving as a wetland, designed to temporarily store floodwaters during extreme weather events. Similar approaches have been successfully implemented at Greenslade Reserve in Northcote, where flood storage is integrated with public recreational spaces.

    The project would be the first of a number of connected stages to help safeguard thousands of residents while also creating an improved recreational space for future generations.

    It would significantly reduce flood risks protecting:

    • 10 hectares of residential properties
    • key roads including Nile, Waterloo and Alma Roads
    • critical infrastructure like power substations and wastewater systems
    • important community facilities, including schools and North Shore Hospital.

    Tom Mansell, Auckland Council’s Head of Sustainable Partnerships (Healthy Waters and Flood Resilience) says this is an important opportunity to work alongside the Wairau community to design a project that enhances both flood resilience and recreational spaces.

    “Changes to the golf course will impact current users, but our priority must be to reduce flood risks to homes, schools, and businesses, protect vital infrastructure, and create a space that serves the entire community in multiple ways.

    “The current lease on the golf course expired in February and it’s timely for us to revisit the use of the area with a view to the needs of the whole community,” adds Mr Mansell.

    Why AF Thomas Park?

    Currently, AF Thomas Park provides approximately 60,000m³ of flood storage, enough to fill 24 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

    However, to significantly reduce flood risks across the Wairau Valley, this capacity needs to increase to approximately 550,000m³ – equivalent to 550 million litres of water or 220 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

    Without this intervention, large parts of the Wairau catchment, including residential areas and key transport routes, will remain highly vulnerable to flooding.

    Alternative options, such as widening the stream above or below AF Thomas Park were explored but found to be extremely costly, requiring land purchases exceeding $300 million and currently no budget has been allocated for such land purchases.

    Increasing existing water detention facilities in 11 other open spaces were also considered but would only provide a fraction of the necessary flood storage.

    Mr Mansell explains why the site cannot remain as it is:

    “The land in the northeast corner of the park, proposed for the primary flood storage area, needs to be lowered to effectively hold stormwater. This will result in a permanently wet environment due to groundwater seepage.

    “It’s an opportunity to restore and enhance the wetland that historically existed here, providing ecological and recreational benefits beyond flood resilience,” he adds.

    Community engagement and next steps

    Auckland Council is now actively engaging with the broader community and stakeholders in a consultation process. If the business case is approved, there will be multiple opportunities for public input to shape the final design of the park.

    “By working together with local and central government, businesses, and residents, we can develop a solution that is effective, sustainable, and beneficial for the whole community,” says Tom Mansell. 

    “We also recognise the importance of golf to golfers in the North Shore community. As part of this process, the local community, golf community and other groups with interest in the project, will be engaged to assess current and future recreational needs. This will help determine how the space can best serve the wider community while supporting a transition plan for golf club members to alternative facilities.

    “We need to take a catchment-wide approach to flood resilience.

    “The challenges we face in the Wairau Valley are complex, with both natural and human-made barriers affecting water flow.

    “Prior to human settlement water flowed south into Ngataringa Bay, before the land around Lake Pupuke was raised by a significant rocky uplift which caused a layer of basalt rock to form a natural barrier. This changed the water course and forced it to change direction and flow through Wairau Creek to Milford Beach,” explains Mr Mansell.

    Next steps

    After the initial community engagement this month, the business case will be taken to the Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee for endorsement in April.

    If approved, the project will be delivered in stages, with community input shaping its design. Construction is not expected to begin before 2027, allowing ample time for engagement and planning.

    For more information, visit the council’s website or contact the Making Space for Water team at bluegreen@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

    History:

    •   1912: H.G. Stringer leased Takapuna Reserve to develop an 18-hole golf course for Takapuna Golf Club
      • 1931: North Shore Golf Club established at what is now Thomas Park Municipal Course in Takapuna
      •           1959: Auckland Harbour Bridge motorway developments led to golf-course land reduction
      •           1961: Crown became the equitable owner of the North Shore Golf Club land
      •           1963: North Shore Golf Club relocated to Albany; Takapuna City Council accepted tenancy of the land
      •           1964: Public meeting endorsed Council purchasing the land for public recreation
      •           1965: Takapuna City Council acquired most of the land; Landcorp obtained a 30-year license
      •           1971: Council policy changed to include municipal golf links due to public demand
      •           1975: Land officially named A.F. Thomas Park
      •           1986: Takapuna City Council granted Ultra Golf Enterprises a 33-year lease to manage the Municipal Golf Course, ensuring public access.

    Present: Auckland Council owns AF Thomas Park, which is leased to the Takapuna Golf Club. The existing 33-year golf club lease expired in February and has moved to a month-by-month lease while consultation and design development is undertaken to ascertain the future uses of the park.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    March 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Women’s History Month, 2025

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    class=”has-text-align-center”>By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation
            Every day, without fame or fanfare, women inspire, support, and strengthen their families, communities, and our country.  Women’s History Month presents a great opportunity to celebrate the tremendous impact women continue to have on our Nation.
            The First Lady and I honor American women from all generations and all backgrounds who have been integral to our prosperity and productivity, and who have made an indelible mark on the soul and heartbeat of our Nation. 
            I am especially proud to acknowledge and celebrate the brilliant and talented female trailblazers in my Administration.  They are leaders in business, experts in foreign and domestic policy, authorities in national security, great legal minds, as well as dedicated public servants who put the American people first.  Together, we are working to honor the women in our history.
            No longer will our Government promote radical ideologies that replace women with men in spaces and opportunities designed for women, or devastate families by indoctrinating our sons and daughters to begin a war with their own bodies.  Instead, my Administration will safeguard the great American values of family, truth, well-being, and freedom. 
            By fulfilling my promise to protect women and girls from gender extremism we have brought back common sense to society.  And, most Americans — nearly 80 percent — are supportive.
            On day one, I delivered on my promise to sign an Executive Order recognizing that women are biologically female, and men are biologically male.  As a result, the United States will no longer allow “X” gender marker on Government forms, and the United States Passport Office will now only issue passports with a “M” or “F” sex marker matching an individual’s biological sex at birth. 
            I also signed an Executive Order to protect women’s sports and directed the Department of Education and other executive departments and agencies to launch Title IX action against federally funded schools and States who refuse to uphold fair competition and dignity for female athletes.  Responding to my Administration’s clear and concise standards, the National College Athletic Association, representing 530,000 student-athletes, and State athletic associations across the country changed their policies to limit competition in women’s sports to female student-athletes only.  By recognizing there are only two sexes, restoring Title IX protections, and protecting families, my Administration is empowering women every day.           I am also delivering on my promise to secure our borders, deport illegal criminal aliens, rebuild our economy, school choice, make America healthy again, and improve access to in vitro fertilization — and I have only just started.  I will never stop fighting for America’s women and families.
            Today and every day, America’s daughters ignite the dreams and develop the character of our next generation.  Their contributions to America’s excellence are worthy of praise and recognition, now and forever.
            NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 2025 as Women’s History Month.  I call on all Americans to celebrate the exceptional women in their lives and around our country.
         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand thissixth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
                                  DONALD J. TRUMP

    MIL OSI USA News –

    March 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: IWAI signs MoU with J&K to boost river cruise tourism

    Source: Government of India

    IWAI signs MoU with J&K to boost river cruise tourism

    MoU signed on the sidelines of Chintan Shivir being held in Srinagar in presence of Union Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal

    Posted On: 06 MAR 2025 4:29PM by PIB Delhi

    The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), to boost river cruise tourism on three National Waterways in J&K.

    The MoU was signed on the sidelines of Chintan Shivir being held in Srinagar in the presence of Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal and Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Shantanu Thakur.  Minister of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Transport, Science and Technology, Information Technology, Youth Services and Sports, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Shri Satish Sharma; Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri T.K. Ramachandran; Chairman, IWAI, Shri Vijay Kumar along with other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

    The Inland Waterways Authority of India has been actively promoting cruise tourism in India and the agreement with the Government of Jammu and Kashmir aims to further boost tourism, generate employment, boost economic growth and provide a new mode of leisure/budget tourism on rivers in Jammu and Kashmir.

    Of the 111 national waterways in the country, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has three declared national waterways, i.e., River Chenab (NW-26), River Jhelum (NW-49) and River Ravi (NW-84). With the vision to promote river cruise tourism, various cruise circuits were announced for development – spanning from Kashmir to Kerala and Assam to Gujarat – in the recently concluded Second Meeting of Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC). Within a period of two months, IWAI took a significant step to develop river cruise tourism in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir for an approximate cost of Rs 100 crore.

    Under the framework of MoU; the IWAI will provide waterside infrastructure, i.e., ten floating jetties and landside infrastructure comprising of waiting hall and other amenities for cruise passengers. Out of ten, two floating jetties will be installed at Akhnoor and Reasi (near Jammu) the declared portion of River Chenab (NW-26); seven floating jetties at Pantha Chowk, Zero Bridge, Amira Kadal, Shah-e-Hamdan, Safa Kadal/Chattabal Shrine, Sumbal Bridge and Gund Prang (in Srinagar and Bandipora) River Jhelum (NW-49) and one jetty at Sohar on River Ravi (NW-84).  Additionally, IWAI will develop navigational fairway by executing dredging wherever required, provide navigational aids and conduct regular hydrographic surveys for safe plying of vessels in these waterways.

    The J&K government will provide land for construction of landside facilities, facilitate all statutory clearances and appoint cruise operators in identified sectors of the three National Waterways.  The IWAI will also provide any technical assistance required by Government of J&K.

    Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the able guidance of Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, IWAI has been making several infrastructural interventions to develop waterways as a robust engine of growth.  With its concerted efforts, IWAI is expanding its footprint throughout the country and is presently working towards capacity augmentation of NW 1, NW 2, NW 3 and NW 16 among other waterways by means of developing IWT terminals, fairways through end-to-end dredging contracts, navigational aids like night navigation facility, navigational locks among others.

    With proactive steps like developing cruise terminals and related infrastructure, IWAI is working towards promoting river cruise tourism by utilising the immense potential of rivers in the country.  The Authority has rolled out initiatives to boost cruise tourism on River Ganga and River Brahmaputra. The success of world’s longest cruise MV Ganga Vilas underlines the same. The partnership between IWAI and Jammu and Kashmir government is an exciting initiative that promises to promote sustainable tourism practices while stimulating local economic growth and enhancing tourist experience.

    ***

    G.D. Hallikeri / Henry

    (Release ID: 2108820) Visitor Counter : 52

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    March 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: “M” Mark status awarded to LIV Golf Hong Kong 2025 and 2025 Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    “M” Mark status awarded to LIV Golf Hong Kong 2025 and 2025 Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens
    ******************************************************************************************

    The following is issued on behalf of the Major Sports Events Committee:     The Major Sports Events Committee (MSEC) has awarded “M” Mark status to LIV Golf Hong Kong 2025 (March 7 to 9) and the 2025 Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens (March 28 to 30).     The Chairman of the MSEC, Mr Wilfred Ng, said today (March 6), “LIV Golf returns to Hong Kong this year and will take place at the Fanling Golf Course of the Hong Kong Golf Club, which fully demonstrates Hong Kong’s strength in hosting international sports events. As for the Hong Kong Sevens, it has been moved to the 50 000-seat Kai Tak Stadium this year for the very first time. These two events not only highlight Hong Kong’s status as a hub for major international sports events but also contribute to Hong Kong’s event economy.”     ???The “M” Mark System aims to encourage and help local National Sports Associations and private or non-government organisations to organise more major international sports events and nurture them into sustainable undertakings. Sports events meeting the assessment criteria will be considered for “M” Mark status by the MSEC. Funding support will also be provided to some events.     For details of “M” Mark events, please visit www.mevents.org.hk.

    Ends/Thursday, March 6, 2025Issued at HKT 19:46

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    March 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: What You Need to Know about NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 Mission

    Source: NASA

    Four crew members are preparing to launch to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission to perform research, technology demonstrations, and maintenance activities aboard the microgravity laboratory.
    NASA astronauts Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
    The flight is the 10th crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the space station, and the 11th human spaceflight as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
    As teams progress through Dragon spacecraft milestones for Crew-10, they also are preparing a second-flight Falcon 9 booster for the mission. Once all rocket and spacecraft system checkouts are complete and all components are certified for flight, teams will mate Dragon to the Falcon 9 rocket in SpaceX’s hangar at the launch site. The integrated spacecraft and rocket will then be rolled to the pad and raised to vertical for a dry dress rehearsal with the crew and an integrated static fire test prior to launch.

    Selected by NASA as an astronaut in 2013, this will be McClain’s second spaceflight. A colonel in the U.S. Army, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, and holds master’s degrees in Aerospace Engineering, International Security, and Strategic Studies. The Spokane, Washington, native was an instructor pilot in the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter and is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland. McClain has more than 2,300 flight hours in 24 rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, including more than 800 in combat, and was a member of the U.S. Women’s National Rugby Team. On her first spaceflight, McClain spent 204 days as a flight engineer during Expeditions 58 and 59 and completed two spacewalks, totaling 13 hours and 8 minutes. Since then, she has served in various roles, including branch chief and space station assistant to the chief of NASA’s Astronaut Office. Follow @astroannimal on X and @astro_annimal on Instagram.
    This mission will be the first spaceflight for Ayers, who was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2021. Ayers is a major in the U.S. Air Force and the first member of NASA’s 2021 astronaut class named to a crew. The Colorado native graduated from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a minor in Russian, and was a member of the academy’s varsity volleyball team. She later earned a master’s in Computational and Applied Mathematics from Rice University in Houston. Ayers served as an instructor pilot and mission commander in the T-38 ADAIR and F-22 Raptor, leading multinational and multiservice missions worldwide. She has more than 1,400 total flight hours, including more than 200 in combat. Follow @astro_ayers on X and @astro_ayers on Instagram.
    With 113 days in space, Crew-10 will mark Onishi’s second trip to the space station. After being selected as an astronaut by JAXA in 2009, he flew as a flight engineer for Expeditions 48 and 49, becoming the first Japanese astronaut to robotically capture the Cygnus spacecraft. He also constructed a new experimental environment aboard Kibo, the station’s Japanese experiment module. After his first spaceflight, Onishi became certified as a JAXA flight director, leading the team responsible for operating Kibo from JAXA Mission Control in Tsukuba, Japan. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the University of Tokyo, and was a pilot for All Nippon Airways, flying more than 3,700 flight hours in the Boeing 767. Follow astro_onishi on X.
    The Crew-10 mission also will be Peskov’s first spaceflight. Before his selection as a cosmonaut in 2018, he earned a degree in Engineering from the Ulyanovsk Civil Aviation School and was a co-pilot on the Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft for airlines Nordwind and Ikar. Assigned as a test cosmonaut in 2020, he has additional experience in skydiving, zero-gravity training, scuba diving, and wilderness survival.

    Following liftoff, the Falcon 9 rocket will accelerate Dragon to approximately 17,500 mph. Once in orbit, the crew and SpaceX mission control in Hawthorne, California, will monitor a series of maneuvers that will guide Dragon to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module. The spacecraft is designed to dock autonomously, but the crew can take control and pilot manually, if necessary.
    After docking, Crew-10 will be welcomed aboard the station by the seven-member crew of Expedition 72 and conduct a short handover period on science and maintenance activities with the departing Crew-9 crew members. Then, NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will undock from the space station and return to Earth. Ahead of Crew-9 return, mission teams will review weather conditions at the splashdown sites off the coast of Florida prior to departure from station.
    Crew-10 will conduct new scientific research to prepare for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit and benefit humanity on Earth. The crew is scheduled to conduct material flammability tests for future spacecraft designs, engage with students via ham radio and use its existing hardware to test a backup lunar navigation solution, and participate in an integrated study to better understand physiological and psychological changes to the human body to provide valuable insights for future deep space missions.
    These are just a few of the more than 200 scientific experiments and technology demonstrations taking place during the mission.
    While aboard the orbiting laboratory, Crew-10 will welcome a Soyuz spacecraft with three new crew members, including NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, and they will bid farewell to the Soyuz carrying NASA astronaut Don Pettit. The crew also is expected to see the arrival of the SpaceX Dragon, Roscosmos Progress, and Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft, as well as the short-duration private Axiom Mission 4 crew.
    The cadre will fly aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, named Endurance, which previously flew NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3, Crew-5, and Crew-7 missions.
    Commercial crew missions enable NASA to maximize use of the space station, where astronauts have lived and worked continuously for more than 24 years, testing technologies, performing research, and developing the skills needed to operate future commercial destinations in low Earth orbit, and explore farther from Earth. Research conducted on the space station benefits people on Earth and paves the way for future long-duration missions to the Moon and beyond through NASA’s Artemis missions.
    Learn more about the space station, its research, and crew, at: https://www.nasa.gov/station

    MIL OSI USA News –

    March 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Animal Welfare – SAFE: Animal cruelty has no place in national sports awards

    Source: SAFE For Animals

    SAFE is calling for rodeo riders to be excluded as contenders from all future rounds of the New Zealand Rural Sports Awards, saying the inclusion of rodeo legitimises animal cruelty.
    SAFE Campaign Manager Emily Hall says the organisation was shocked to learn 20-year-old bull rider Rylee Ward has been named as a finalist for ‘Young New Zealand Rural Sportsperson of the Year.’
    “Sport involves a fair competition between willing participants. The animals forced to participate in rodeo events are suffering and dying in the name of entertainment,” says Hall.
    “This is not the first time rodeo riders have been included as contenders in these awards, and no activity built on animal abuse should ever be celebrated.”
    SAFE says the way animals are handled in the rodeo industry directly contradicts best-practice handling of horses, bulls, cows, and calves, with rodeo having no authentic connection to the real rural New Zealand.
    “The pain and torment these animals endure is absolutely appalling. Steers and calves are chased, choked, and violently thrown to the ground, with painful equipment used to provoke fear responses in horses and bulls.”
    “Rodeo only exists for the entertainment of a very small minority and is significantly at odds with most Kiwi’s expectations of animal welfare.”
    Highlighting the deaths of four animals so far this rodeo season, SAFE adds that most rodeo practices breach New Zealand’s Animal Welfare Act which states that any physical handling of animals must be done in a way that minimises the likelihood of unnecessary pain or distress.
    “The New Zealand Rural Games Trust should not be endorsing or rewarding activities that cause harm to animals or breach our animal welfare laws,” says Hall.
    With the 2025 award ceremony set to take place tonight, SAFE has written to the chair of the New Zealand Rural Games Trust urging them to exclude rodeo riders from all future awards.
    SAFE is Aotearoa’s leading animal rights organisation.
    We’re creating a future that ensures the rights of animals are respected. Our core work empowers society to make kinder choices for ourselves, animals and our planet.
    Notes
    • There have been four deaths so far during the 2024/25 rodeo season; The first fatality was of a horse rendered lame following the Taupō rodeo on 29 December who was killed the following day. The second death on December 30 occurred at the Te Anau rodeo, where a three-year-old bull’s hind leg was dislocated during the bull riding event. He was killed on-site. A steer then died prior to the Oruru Valley event on 3 January after being transported from the Warkworth and Far North events. The fourth fatality occurred at the Mad Bull rodeo in Otago on 2 February where a bull died after being ridden the previous day.
    • Whilst vets are required to be on-site at all rodeo events, rodeo clubs are not obliged to report injuries or deaths sustained during events.
    • In July 2022, SAFE and the New Zealand Animal Law Association (NZALA) jointly contested rodeo in the High Court. The court ruled that the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) must determine appropriate animal welfare guidelines. However, neither NAWAC nor Andrew Hoggard have provided a justification for the significant delay on the revised rodeo code of welfare.
    • Visit SAFE’s website to learn more about our campaign and view our submission form calling on NAWAC and the Animal Welfare Minister to release the draft rodeo code for public consultation. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    March 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Inaugurates Office Complex of Zonal Office Telangana and Regional Office, Banjara Hills in Hyderabad

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Inaugurates Office Complex of Zonal Office Telangana and Regional Office, Banjara Hills in Hyderabad

    Union Minister Virtually Inaugurates Regional Office, Naroda, Gujarat and Laid Foundation Stone of Staff Quarters, Gurugram, Haryana

    “This Building is Not Just a Structure, But a ‘Temple’ for the Workforce,” Says Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya

    “EPFO 3.0 Will Make the System as Accessible as a Bank,” Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Announces Future Plans

    Posted On: 06 MAR 2025 9:59PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, inaugurated the Office Complex of the Zonal Office Telangana and Regional Office in Banjara Hills in Hyderabad today. In addition, he virtually inaugurated the Regional Office in Naroda, Gujarat, and laid the foundation stone for staff quarters in Gurugram, Haryana. Union Minister of Coal and Mines, Shri G Kishan Reddy, senior officials from the Ministry, State Government representatives, and distinguished guests were also present on the occasion.

    These initiatives marked a significant step towards enhancing infrastructure and operational capacity to better serve workers and stakeholders across the country, underscoring the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening labour welfare and administrative efficiency.

    Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, while addressing the gathering, emphasized that this building is not just a physical structure but a “temple” for the workforce, where workers will find their needs met, and they can be assured of the government’s unwavering support for their well-being and satisfaction.

    Union Minister highlighted that these new office buildings are being inaugurated to better serve the people of India, with EPFO offices dedicated to fulfilling their needs. He further praised the ongoing reforms under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, particularly in managing EPFO funds prudently, ensuring an interest rate of 8.5%—an offer unmatched by any bank. He also highlighted the convenience brought by digital platforms, allowing workers to manage their EPFO accounts, withdraw pensions, and make claims without the need for physical visits or signatures.

    Dr. Mandaviya also spoke of the upcoming EPFO 3.0, which will make the EPFO system as accessible as a bank, including future plans for withdrawing money via ATMs. He reiterated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the nation is undergoing a transformation where workers—both formal and informal—are at the heart of building a new Bharat. Dr. Mandaviya assured that the government is committed to enhancing EPFO services and infrastructure to better serve workers and promised that the office will always be there for the service of the people.

    Union Minister of Coal and Mines, Shri G Kishan Reddy, during the event, highlighted the significant role of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) in society, acknowledging the many important reforms introduced under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also extended his gratitude to Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya for his tireless efforts in ensuring the welfare of the people, commending his dedication and leadership in improving the infrastructure and services of EPFO.

    The inauguration of offices is part of EPFO’s broader strategy of outreach to members and to rationalize the bigger offices for effective workload management. The newly inaugurated Regional Office, Banjara Hills will serve approximately 5.5 lakh members and more than 11,000 establishments. The Regional Office at Naroda services 5 lakh members and 8,000 establishments.The new building at Begumpet, Hyderabad will also house the Additional Data Centre of EPFO which will help augment the technological improvements in service delivery.

    EPFO’s Staff Quarters near Dwarka Expressway at Gurugram spread in a total area of 10,534 sq. mt. will provide for residential facilities including a community hall to 155 families of EPFO Officials.  These state-of-the-art facilities, equipped with modern digital infrastructure, represents EPFO’s commitment to enhancing service delivery through office rationalization and technological integration and at the same time fulfilling the aspiration of the staff of EPFO to have quality residential facilities.

    *****

    Himanshu Pathak

    (Release ID: 2108952) Visitor Counter : 19

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    March 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Risch, Crapo, Justice Send Letter Seeking Policy Clarification to NCAA On Biological Males in Women’s Locker Rooms

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) led a letter to NCAA President Charlie Baker, urging the organization to clarify its stance on the privacy and safety of female athletes in women’s changing rooms.
    “Our hardworking female athletes should not be forced to share private, safe spaces like bathrooms and locker rooms with biological males. It’s wrong, dangerous, and out of step with the beliefs of the American people,” said Risch. “I’m proud to call on the NCAA to address the gaps in student-athlete policies and protect women and girls in sports.”
    “Female athletes invest immense time and effort to excel in sports, only to face the prospect of unfair competition from biological males in women’s categories,” said Crapo “While I am grateful for the NCAA’s quick action to comply with President Trump’s Executive Order to protect opportunities for women in sports, the NCAA should extend those protections for female student athletes in the locker rooms.”
    “I’m a coach, and I know the last thing any athlete needs is to be distracted or concerned with their own safety or privacy while in a locker room. I really believe the NCAA has made the right move following President Trump’s order, but let’s be clear across the board that a women’s locker room is for women only. I’ll always work to make sure women athletes, like those I coach back in West Virginia, feel safe while changing in locker rooms and competing in athletic events,” said Justice.
    Risch, Crapo, and Justice are joined by U.S. Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Jim Banks (R-Ind.) in sending the letter.
    Read the full letter HERE.?

    MIL OSI USA News –

    March 7, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: We simulated the upcoming AFL season four different ways – here’s what was predicted

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tara Lind, PhD Candidate, La Trobe University

    The 2025 AFL season is just around the corner and fans are pondering the big questions: who will play finals? Who will finish in the top four? Who’s getting the wooden spoon?

    The start of a new season brings with it many unknowns, hopes, and in some cases, trepidation.

    Hawthorn finished 2024 playing some of the most exciting footy in the competition – can they keep that momentum going?

    Collingwood enters 2025 with the oldest and most experienced list – will that be the key to another deep finals run? Or are they over the hill?

    Can Carlton finally break its premiership drought? Can West Coast, North Melbourne, or Richmond get back on track? What can Fremantle do with its young list and high expectations?

    With so many unknowns, we turned to data.

    Simulations and predictions

    In La Trobe University’s Master of Sport Analytics, students need to build their own footy tipping algorithms and use them to simulate future matches.

    We’ve seen lots of different approaches to this problem. Each comes with its own set of assumptions and blind spots.

    One straightforward way to try to forecast what will happen in the upcoming season is to just look at history: how often does a team that finishes first on the ladder stay on top the next?

    That’s happened seven times since 1990, so about 20% of the time.

    We can model probabilities like this for every ladder position to get a gauge on how rankings typically shift from season to season, and apply this to the end-of-season 2024 ladder to predict the 2025 standings.

    This approach does not take into account last year’s finals results, the different age profiles of teams, the 2025 fixture, or other team changes such as trades, retirements, or injuries.

    Taking age into account

    How about if we consider player ages as well? This should give us a better sense of a team’s expected change between seasons.

    Research has suggested AFL players reach their peak performance levels at around 24-25.

    A quick look at team median ages since 1990 agrees: teams with a median player age over 25 typically have a worse winning percentage the following year, and teams younger than 24 usually improve (with plenty of exceptions).

    Combining last year’s ladder with age profiles gives a different view of the upcoming season.

    There is more shuffling, with older teams like Collingwood and Melbourne expected to fall, while the younger Fremantle, Gold Coast and Adelaide lists are given higher probabilities of finishing near the top.

    We’re still left with some important blind spots though: information from last year’s finals (Brisbane performed far better than a typical fifth-place finisher), and the difficulty of the upcoming fixture, have not been considered.

    The Elo rating system

    To take the full 2025 fixture into account, we need to simulate the entire season game by game.

    That can be done if we use the Elo rating system to get a “strength” rating for each team.

    Elo ratings track team strength over time: ratings go up with a win and down with a loss. The amount it changes depends on the opponent – beating a strong team boosts the rating more than beating a weak one, and the ratings update after every game played.

    We’ll use the Elo ratings that each team ended up on at the end of last year (including finals) as a baseline for 2025.

    With these ratings, we can calculate the probability of one team beating another in any given matchup. The method also considers home ground advantage by giving the home team a small rating boost.

    Once we have probabilities for each match outcome, we can simulate the entire season. Here’s how it works:

    • Each game needs a winner. To decide, we use a computer function that picks a winner based on probability, kind of like flipping a weighted coin. If a team has a 70% probability of winning, it’s more likely to be chosen, but there’s still a 30% chance they lose
    • This is done for every game in the season
    • We then repeat this 10,000 times – simulating 10,000 different versions of the season
    • In each version, we create an end-of-season ladder, based on the simulated games results
    • After all the simulations, we can see how often each team finishes in each ladder position. This gives us a prediction for their chances of finishing first, second, third and so on.

    The Elo approach favours Brisbane much more and is less kind to West Coast (35% chance of finishing last).

    It does not predict the decline of Collingwood and Melbourne because, although it takes into account the finals and fixture, it doesn’t have an age component.

    The ‘wisdom of the crowd’

    If each approach comes with its own set of limitations, then we might expect to get a better forecast by combining lots of predictions from different sources because of the “wisdom of the crowd”.

    The idea is that you get more accurate predictions if you combine multiple independent sources.

    Luckily for us, each season, several AFL stats experts build models to estimate the probability of each match outcome and generously post them online.

    What goes into each model is not always known, but they consider a mixture of different factors such as attacking and defending strengths, in-game statistics, home ground advantage, player lists and trades, last season’s performance and more.

    For our analysis, we’ll combine the Elo model with the average of all these expert tips to get a “wisdom of the crowd” prediction for each game’s probability. The ladder can then be simulated using the same method as above.

    Four groups emerge from the wisdom of the crowd:

    • Brisbane, Hawthorn, Geelong and the Western Bulldogs are predicted to lead the pack, surpassing last year’s top three
    • Sydney, Port Adelaide, GWS, Carlton, Fremantle, Collingwood and Adelaide have a wide spread of predicted finishes, skewed more towards finishing in the top eight – but there won’t be enough room for all of them
    • Essendon, Melbourne, St Kilda and Gold Coast might challenge for a spot in the finals, but the models are less confident in their chances
    • West Coast, North Melbourne and Richmond are hard to separate from each other, a cut below the rest.

    Uncertainty and excitement

    Each table tells a potentially different story but the most universal theme is uncertainty.

    Team sports are hard to predict, especially before we’ve had a chance to observe any games, and even the most confident predictions are under 40% (meaning they are more likely not to happen).

    Uncertainty leads to excitement, and this data only makes us more excited to see what will play out this season.

    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. We simulated the upcoming AFL season four different ways – here’s what was predicted – https://theconversation.com/we-simulated-the-upcoming-afl-season-four-different-ways-heres-what-was-predicted-249475

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    March 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2 Mexican nationals, defendants in ICE cases secured in Arizona

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Two Mexican nationals who are targets of an ongoing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigation appeared for their initial appearances Feb. 28, after they were secured from Mexico the previous day.

    Jose Bibiano Cabrera-Cabrera, 37 and Jesus Humberto Limon-Lopez, 43, were taken into U.S. custody after members of drug cartels were recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, Cártel del Noreste, La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and Cártel de Golfo.

    These defendants are collectively alleged to have been responsible for the importation into the United States of massive quantities of poison, including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, as well as associated acts of violence.

    Limon-Lopez is charged with Continuing Criminal Enterprise; Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine; Conspiracy to Import Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine; Distribution of Methamphetamine; Distribution of Fentanyl; Distribution of Heroin; Distribution of Cocaine; and Conspiracy to Unlawfully Export Firearms and Ammunition. He faces up to life imprisonment.

    Cabrera-Cabrera is charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine; Conspiracy to Import Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine; and Conspiracy to Unlawfully Export Firearms and Ammunition. He faces up to life imprisonment.

    An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

    The OCDETF Arizona Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security, ICE Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Arizona Army National Guard, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, and the Scottsdale Police Department.

    The prosecution is being handled by the United States Attorney Office for the District of Arizona.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    March 7, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: What the f#$%? The surprising legal rules about brand trademarks of sweary phrases

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Allen-Franks, Senior Lecturer; Co-director of the New Zealand Centre for Human Rights Law, Policy and Practice and Co-director of the New Zealand Centre for Intellectual Property Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    drante/Getty Images

    Journalist Paddy Gower’s attempts to trademark his brand have highlighted what is still considered offensive in New Zealand when it comes to trademarks. But should a government agency be the arbiter of what might offend?

    In March 2024, Gower applied to trademark the name of his news entity “This Is The Fucking News”.

    The application stalled at the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ), likely because the Trade Marks Act 2002 doesn’t allow people to register trademarks which are “likely to offend a significant section of the community”.

    “THIS IS THE F#$%ING NEWS” however, was apparently okay. Gower applied for that mark in June last year and it was registered in December. He now has exclusive rights to use this phrase for specified goods and services.

    A changing definition

    New Zealand law first prohibited the registration of “scandalous” marks in 1889. The language used in the trademark statute has been “likely to offend” since 2002.

    The current rules cover swear words, as in Gower’s case, but also hate speech and material which is culturally offensive.

    IPONZ’s current guidance says a “distinction should be drawn between marks that are offensive and marks that would be considered by some to be in poor taste”. Offensive trademarks are said to be those that would create “justifiable censure or outrage”.

    But the standards of offensiveness can and do change.

    In 1999, Red Bull applied to register “BULLSHIT”. Registration was rejected on the basis that it contained scandalous matter and was contrary to morality (under the wording in the older law).

    Perhaps Red Bull wouldn’t face the same difficulty if it tried again today. There is now a registration for “Shit You Should Care About”. It appears that the word shit is not considered one that’s “likely to offend a significant section of the community” anymore.

    From a review of the register, it seems reasonable to conclude that IPONZ thinks that certain swear words do remain likely to offend, though. Several applications have been abandoned, including for “THE FUCKING GOOD BOOK” and “no fucks given”.

    Whether a mark is offensive is supposed to be determined objectively from the perspective of the “right-thinking” member of the public. But outcomes can appear inconsistent and perhaps arbitrary — why is “F#$%ING” ok, but the proper spelling not?

    Energy company Red Bull tried, and failed, to trademark a swear word in 1999.
    Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

    Limits on freedom of expression?

    Some applicants may also decry that their freedom of expression is being curtailed by a refusal to register.

    The common justification for protecting freedom of expression is that we should have an open marketplace of ideas, where both good and bad ideas are shared with the public.

    New Zealand is not alone in considering these issues.

    In the United States, for example, Simon Tam was refused registration for “THE SLANTS” (the name of his rock band) because the law at the time prohibited registration of marks which may be disparaging. Slant is considered a racist term by some and Tam had wanted to reclaim the slur as an anti-racist statement.

    In another case, designer Erik Brunetti was refused registration of “FUCT” for clothing, because the law said that immoral or scandalous marks couldn’t be registered.

    Both marks have since been registered for reasons related to the fact that the US Constitution’s First Amendment allows for the right to freedom of speech.

    The US trademarks register now contains a pending application for “NAZI KAZI” and a pending application for a symbol described as “roughly resembling a swastika”, as well as two pending applications for marks containing the word “N*GGER”.

    These marks may not ever be registered, but the barriers against their registration aren’t what they once were.

    Limiting offence or limiting rights?

    New Zealand obviously has a different constitutional context than the US, but there are similarities in the underlying question about what is, and isn’t offensive – and the role of the government in determining the rules.

    One big difference between the US cases and those in New Zealand, however, is that New Zealand’s Bill of Rights allows for limits on rights, if those limits are reasonable, set out in law (like the Trade Marks Act) and justifiable in a free and democratic society.

    So, is there a compelling justification for the prohibition on registering offensive marks?

    One argument for the prohibition is to protect the public from exposure to these kinds of marks. However, the denial of registration doesn’t prevent the marks from being used in the marketplace.

    Refusal means that an applicant misses out on the benefits of a formal trademark registration (such as being able to sue others for trademark infringement). But there’s nothing stopping a person using an unregistered mark. And, refusing registration may actually free up the mark for more people to use it as it doesn’t belong to just one person or business.

    Perhaps a more compelling argument for prohibition is that registration should be refused to avoid giving an official (governmental) seal of approval to offensive marks. This may be a very high bar, but it seems important that a registrar consider the likelihood of deep offence, even if the standard is not often reached.

    Putting justifications for any bar aside, it remains hard to draw a line as to what is and isn’t okay. It seems in relation to “THIS IS THE F#$%ING NEWS”, that line is razor thin.

    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. What the f#$%? The surprising legal rules about brand trademarks of sweary phrases – https://theconversation.com/what-the-f-the-surprising-legal-rules-about-brand-trademarks-of-sweary-phrases-251474

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    March 7, 2025
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