NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Addresses Nevada State Legislature at State Capitol Outlining Her Work to Deliver for Nevadans, Oppose Harmful Actions Threatening to Raise Costs & Cut Medicaid

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    Watch Senator Rosen’s Full Remarks HERE.
    CARSON CITY, NV – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) delivered remarks to the Nevada State Legislature detailing how she is working to deliver for hardworking Nevada families, including by fighting back against cost-raising tariffs and cuts to Medicaid to give tax breaks to the wealthy. Senator Rosen also reiterated her commitment to finding areas to work with Republicans to take meaningful action to lower costs and improve the lives of hardworking Nevadans.
    Below are excerpts of Senator Rosen’s remarks:
    Since the last time I spoke here, a lot has changed in Washington.
    But there’s something that hasn’t changed, and will not change. And it’s my commitment to always put Nevada first. 
    I’ve built a record as one of the most bipartisan, independent, and effective U.S. Senators because I focus on getting things done for our state. Agree where you can and fight where you must.
    No matter who’s in the White House or who’s in control of Congress, I will do everything I can to deliver for Nevada families who work hard every day. They count on me and they count on all of you.
    And as I said, as some of you know, my motto has always been: Agree where you can, fight where you must. 
    […]
    Nevadans are practical and pragmatic and they want solutions…They want stability… They want us to work together to tackle rising costs, create better paying jobs, and protect the freedoms and opportunities that define our state. 
    And I can tell you what they don’t want. They don’t want the reckless actions this new Administration is taking: Funding Cuts. Mass Firings. Economic chaos.
    These actions have put millions of dollars that our state depends on, that all of you are depending on as you do our budgets, putting it all at risk. Every single bit of it.
    These actions have led to many Nevadans losing their jobs. They are jeopardizing the jobs of veterans who were hired by the federal government to help and serve our veterans, our local communities.
    […]
    This is no way to run a country. It’s no way to treat the men and women who risked their lives to protect our freedoms.
    We should be doing everything we can to honor their service, recognize their sacrifice, and make sure they can access every benefit that is owed to them, that they earned. We sit here free, able to do what we do because they put their lives on the line. And I want those calls to be answered at the Veterans Hotline, and I know you all do too. 
    Earlier this year, I helped introduce bipartisan bills to help veterans access their VA benefits more easily, and to increase veterans’ awareness of things like the VA Home Loan Program.
    For those who were injured while fighting to protect all of us, the least we can do is ensure they all have full benefits. 
    Current red tape is preventing more than 50,000 combat-injured veteran retirees from receiving both their retirement pay through the Department of Defense and their disability payments through the VA.
    That’s wrong. They earned it, they deserve it, and I helped introduce a bill with colleagues on both sides of the aisle, because veterans come from all over this great country, to fix and repeal the offsets that are currently in place. I’m proud of that bill and hope that we can pass it.
    Now at a time when families are seeing their budgets tighten, I’m working across party lines to eliminate taxes on military retirement pay so our veterans can keep more of their money.
    Military families aren’t the only ones being squeezed by higher prices. Because when costs go up, they hurt all Nevadans.
    This is why Nevadans I’ve talked to are worried about the Trump tariffs.
    These tariffs – they’re essentially a national sales tax – are going to raise the cost of everything you buy: your groceries, your gas, your medications, not to mention construction materials, which will make housing even MORE expensive. Interest rates go up, prices go up, everything goes up and up. 
    This is the complete opposite of what I believe we should be doing right now. We should be finding ways – every way we can – to lower costs. 
    It’s why I took action to help stop the Kroger-Albertsons mega-merger that would’ve raised those grocery prices for Nevada families.
    It’s why I introduced bipartisan legislation to lower housing costs by helping to train and grow our housing construction workforce – because houses don’t build themselves – and I’ve introduced a bill to crack down on corporations who buy up housing and jack up prices for families.
    It’s also why I’ve introduced bipartisan legislation to help lower the costs of child care and provide some relief for working families.
    And just last week, I helped introduce legislation to provide those hardworking Nevada families with a much-needed tax cut, and expand the Child Tax Credit. 
    This is in addition to the bipartisan bill I helped introduce to eliminate taxes on tips, and allow working families to keep more of their paychecks.
    I’m doing all of this because we should be providing relief for our Nevada families, for people who work hard and play by the rules, and we shouldn’t be giving more tax breaks to billionaires who frankly don’t need the money.
    […] 
    And that’s exactly why I’m fighting back. 
    I recently helped pass legislation overturning Trump’s tariffs on Canada, which is Nevada’s largest trading partner. That was bipartisan legislation we voted to pass, by the way.
    I also helped introduce a bill to require the United States International Trade Commission to investigate how Trump’s recent tariffs will impact the American people, and make that information public.
    And I am leading the charge in the Senate in making sure the Administration knows how destructive its tariffs are for small businesses.
    […]
    I know many in this room know just how important, how critical Medicaid is. It makes up a sizable portion of our state budget, and we stand to lose more than half billion dollars if Medicaid is cut.
    It’s more than just funding. It’s a lifeline for families. It’s a lifeline for moms and for children. I’ll talk about my special guest in a moment. This is more than a number. It’s more than a number they’re cutting. These are our families, our friends, our neighbors. And attempts to cut this important lifeline for children is going to put more than 300,000 children in Nevada at risk of losing their only source of health care coverage.
    Nevada children like Levi, Levi is my guest, along with his really incredible mother Allyson Marchus.
    They are here tonight because Medicaid has made a difference in their lives. And with their permission, I’m going to share just a little bit of Levi’s story because sometimes we look at budgets and there’s numbers you’re trying to balance and make all of this work, but there’s people behind every one of those numbers.
    When Levi was just three years old, Allyson noticed a strange mole behind his ear.
    So she thought she was just going to go to the doctor, like all of us who are parents here, you just go to the doctor, it’s just a little thing, you’ve got a bug bite. Simple doctor’s visit. But every parent’s worst fear was realized when a biopsy came back positive for melanoma — not just a person who’s been in the sun their whole life, that happens when you’re three years old, skin cancer –  he had to have further tests, and his cancer spread. 
    Levi and Allyson have had to jump through hoop after hoop in order to implement a care plan — treatments, and medications, and surgery, and radiation – they had to repeatedly travel out of state to get special pediatric care, you have to go to hospitals where they know how to take care of young children. 
    […]
    No family should have to go through this, but Allyson never gave up. She and Levi have shown awe-inspiring strength and resilience every step of the way –  they refused to quit fighting this awful disease.
    And, the one thing that they didn’t have to worry about on this journey was how they were going to pay for that care, how are they going to get to the doctor, how are they going to go to these treatments, how are they going to be cared for, because they had Medicaid. So thanks to Medicaid she was able to be there for her son.
    [Medicaid] made sure they had not one expense while dealing with some of the worst moments any parent can go through. Not one out-of-pocket expense. It took that burden, that one extra stress right off their back.
    Today, Levi is five years old, and we are glad to say that he is in remission. It’s a pretty good thing. Of course he’s going to continue to be watched and cared for, but it’s a success story. It’s a success story because she had Medicaid.
    This is why Medicaid matters. Not just for Levi and his family, but for all the Levis and all the families in Nevada and across the country, story after story after story, this is just one of them. I’m sure many of you in this room can tell stories like this as well. 
    Medicaid has made the difference in their lives. It covered medical care, it covered travel expenses, just like it did for Allyson and Levi. 
    It is literally a lifeline. All of these children, every one of them, have a name, have a family, and I want everyone in Nevada and in America to see these kids and see these families and know their names before they cut that budget.
    So it’s shameful and immoral, I believe, that Republicans want to cut this program just to give tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy. 
    [..]
    And while all of you in this legislature work to expand health care access in rural communities and tackle our doctor shortage, I want to tell you that in the Senate I’m doing the same thing. I have multiple bills to help bringmore nurses, doctors, and dentists to underserved areas. […] So I’ll tell you about a couple of bills I have, I know I’m going to partner with you on some of them, and they’re all bipartisan.
    The first one is called the Physicians for Underserved Areas Act. It’s going to take the long overdue step of revising the graduate medical education process to increase the likelihood of states with physician shortages – like we are – to get more medical residency slots. We don’t have enough slots to take care of the people we have. So we’re going to fight to do that.
    These bills are all bipartisan. Why? Because we’re not the only state who has a physician shortage. So we find our friends across the aisle, agree where you can and fight where you must. This is what we agree on. So I have a bipartisan bill called the REDI Act. It’s going to help increase the number of doctors and dentists – we never can forget the dentists because dental care is important too – in Nevada’s underserved areas by allowing them to defer their student loan payments without interest until they complete their residencies and internships. So they can go serve some of our rural communities, it’s hard for them to get dentists and doctors out there. We know this. This is a benefit. Everybody benefits.
    My bipartisan SPARC Act, which I introduced just last week, will help increase the number of medical specialists in rural communities. 
    And finally, my Train More Nurses Act. We’ve been lucky in the past few years, we’ve been able to fund programs in our community colleges and universities to build out our nursing training. We’re about 4,000 nurses short, like I said. But we need nurse educators to train the new nurses. So the Train More Nurses Act does just that, makes new nurse educators. It passed the Senate unanimously last Congress, and we’re going to get it through again, and that’s going to help us address Nevada’s nursing shortage because we have all the space, but if we don’t have all the teachers, you all know it’s for nothing. So we’re hoping to get that through.
    So much to do there. Health care, housing. We have to complement the efforts we work on together to improve access to tackle our housing crisis by creating new legislation to help small home builders, small local home builders, access financing to build new affordable housing.
    […] 
    Nevadans chose each and every one of you here for a reason, and they are counting on all of us together to support each other and support success in our state. It doesn’t always mean you agree on everything – find the things you agree on and do those. People are counting on us. They sent us here to find the places we agree – do that. Don’t let it stop you.
    There is a lot to fight about in Washington, but there are a lot of places for agreement too, especially right here in Carson City. 
    I just really want to leave you all with a call to action and something that in my eight years now in the United States Congress I’ve really been using every day, and it has shown in my work that I’m proud of. The call to action is to find places to work together to deliver for the Nevada families, for our home, for the Nevada we care about. 
    I’m not asking anyone to compromise your values. What I’m asking you to do is value compromise. Find the places where you can agree and do that because babies are counting on you, seniors are counting on you, the vets are counting on you. Twelve things on the to-do list; you can find six. Do them. People will applaud you for that. You can argue about the other six, but trust me, they will send you back here and be proud, and they will tell you how proud that makes them to see you do that. You don’t have to compromise your values, just value compromise where you can agree. People are counting on all of us to lead. They’re looking to us in these tough times. […]
    It’s not easy. It takes energy. It takes passion. It takes commitment. It takes care. Something I know every person in this room has or you wouldn’t have fought to be here. You could all be doing something else but you chose to come here and do this. 
    So in Nevada, we are not just Democrats or Republicans—we are Nevadans first. In this room especially, we are Nevadans first.
    So I want us to think about moving forward together – with common purpose, shared values, and that unshakable commitment to build a stronger, more prosperous, and just a better Nevada for all of us. For the Levis, for our parents and grandparents, and all the kids in the future. I’m so grateful to have you all as partners and to be here today and speak to all of you. Thank you for your work.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Israeli strikes kill at least 39 in Gaza

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    People gather at a shelter after an Israeli airstrike in Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, on April 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    At least 39 Palestinians were killed and dozens more wounded in Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, according to the Gaza-based civil defense.

    Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for the civil defense, told Xinhua the Israeli attacks targeted several locations, including shelter tents, schools repurposed as refugee camps, and residential homes. Women and children were among the casualties, he said.

    The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck a command and control center in Jabalia and, over the past 48 hours, had targeted more than 110 locations across Gaza.

    “Among the targets struck were terrorist cells, military compounds used by Hamas, and additional militant infrastructure,” the IDF said in a separate statement.

    Gaza’s health authorities said 40 bodies and 73 wounded individuals were brought to hospitals across the enclave in the past 24 hours. The total number of Palestinians killed since Israel resumed its military offensive on March 18 has risen to 1,691, they added, bringing the overall death toll since the conflict began in October 2023 to 51,065.

    Separately, a Palestinian prisoner from the West Bank died after being transferred to an Israeli hospital, the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club said in a joint statement.

    Musab Adili, 20, from the city of Nablus, died Wednesday night at Soroka Medical Center. The cause of death was not disclosed. Adili was arrested by Israeli authorities in March and sentenced to one year and one month in prison, the statement said.

    He is the 64th Palestinian prisoner to die in Israeli custody since Oct. 7, 2023, according to the statement, including at least 40 detainees from the Gaza Strip.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Strongest evidence yet of possible life detected on distant exoplanet

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Astronomers have reported the strongest evidence to date of potential biological activity beyond our solar system, following the detection of key molecules in the atmosphere of the distant exoplanet K2-18b, located approximately 124 light-years from Earth.

    K2-18b – 8.6 times as massive and 2.6 times as large as Earth – orbits in the habitable zone of a cool red dwarf star in the constellation Leo. Previous studies had already revealed the presence of methane and carbon dioxide in its atmosphere.

    The latest findings, published Thursday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, mark the first time carbon-based molecules have been identified in the atmosphere of an exoplanet located in a habitable zone.

    Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a team of astronomers led by the University of Cambridge detected the chemical fingerprints of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and/or dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) in the planet’s atmosphere. These sulfur-based compounds, on Earth, are produced exclusively by living organisms – primarily marine microbial life such as phytoplankton – making them promising biosignatures in the search for extraterrestrial life.

    While an unknown chemical process might be responsible for producing these molecules on K2-18b, the discovery represents the most compelling evidence so far that life could exist on a planet beyond our solar system.

    “Decades from now, we may look back at this point in time and recognize it was when the living universe came within reach,” said Professor Nikku Madhusudhan from Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy, who led the research. “This could be the tipping point, where suddenly the fundamental question of whether we’re alone in the universe is one we’re capable of answering.”

    Although the discovery marks a major milestone in astrobiology, scientists emphasize the importance of rigorous verification. Madhusudhan noted that while the findings are exciting, more data is needed before any claims about extraterrestrial life can be made.

    Currently, the observations have reached the “three-sigma” level of statistical significance, indicating only a 0.3 percent probability that the findings are due to chance. However, to meet the standard threshold for scientific discovery, the results must achieve five-sigma significance, reducing the chance to less than 0.00006 percent.

    Researchers estimate that an additional 16 to 24 hours of follow-up observation with JWST may be required to reach this benchmark.

    While cautiously optimistic, Madhusudhan acknowledged that unknown chemical processes on K2-18b could also explain the presence of DMS and DMDS. He and his colleagues plan to pursue further theoretical and experimental work to investigate whether these molecules could be produced non-biologically at the levels currently observed.

    “Our work is the starting point for all the investigations that are now needed to confirm and understand the implications of these exciting findings,” said co-author Savvas Constantinou, also from Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Chu, CAPAC Chair Meng, & House Colleagues Express Outrage and Demand Accountability as Trump Administration Limits Access to Government Services for Limited English Proficient Taxpayers

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)

    Members slam President Trump’s decision to target language accessibility: “There is no data that supports the assertion made by your administration that linguistical diversity threatens the integrity of the nation…  [by] withdrawing guidance that helps to provide meaningful language accessibility, your administration risks disconnecting millions of limited English proficient people across the United States from government services.”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — As reported in NOTUS yesterday, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06), led 54 other House Democratic colleagues in condemning President Trump’s recent decision to weaken language accessibility protections within the federal government. In a letter sent to the President and the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Members requested swift answers from the administration regarding the impacts this decision will have on limited English proficient communities and what steps are being taken to ensure essential services meant for every taxpayer, no matter what primary language they speak, are not disrupted. 

    On March 1, 2025, President Trump announced an Executive Order (EO) that declared English as the official language of the United States and rescinded EO 13166, a Clinton-era policy that had been in place for the past 25 years, requiring agencies and recipients of federal funding to provide meaningful language accessibility. Under EO 13166, all federal agencies and institutions, from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to health care services to universities to the legal system, were required to provide language translation, interpretation, and accessibility services. President Trump’s decision to revoke this EO threatens the federal government’s compliance and enforcement of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and needlessly jeopardizes millions of Americans’ access government services, resources, and programs.

    In the letter addressed to President Trump and Attorney General Bondi, the Members detail the harms of rescinding EO 13166 and call attention to concerning reports that language accessibility services are already being affected: “More than 25.7 million individuals in the United States – over 8% of the population –are limited English proficient…Language barriers can pose a significant obstacle for individuals attempting to integrate into our society and access public services and institutions, including health care, emergency preparedness, the legal system, schools, and employment. All Americans deserve to access the services and resources their taxes are paying for without barriers based solely on language proficiency.”

    Of the limited English proficient (LEP) population, 20% are residents of California, 14% of Texas, and 12% in Florida. With more than 350 languages spoken across the country, language barriers within government can pose insurmountable obstacles for individuals attempting to integrate and access public services and institutions, including health care, emergency preparedness, the legal system, schools, and employment.

    “By [revoking EO 13166], your administration is no longer detailing the language accessibility regulations or policies that agencies must follow, risking systemic noncompliance with civil rights laws and jeopardizing the quality of language services or translated materials these agencies provide,” they continue. “Additionally, we have received reports that the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has cancelled at least ten contracts that provided federal agencies with language or translation services. This is including a contract that provided translation services to Americans or businesses calling the Department of Homeland Security about their employment status or benefits, leading to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services directing employees to discontinue any call when they are not fluent in the caller’s language.” 

    Since the Lau v. Nichols decision in 1974, the Supreme Court has held that discrimination against people with limited English proficiency is a type of national origin discrimination. As a result, the Members demanded accountability and answers from the Trump Administration: “We have serious concerns that your decision to rescind EO 13166, and remove language accessibility guidance, will reduce the availability of language services and translated materials across the federal government. Consequently, we seek information to confirm that your administration is ensuring that language accessibility for Americans with LEP remains a priority and language translation services are not disrupted.”

    Click here to access the full letter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: ‘Classics Quoted by Xi Jinping’ aired on TV in Cambodia

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

    PHNOM PENH, April 17 — On the occasion of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Cambodia, a TV program — the Cambodian version of “Classics Quoted by Xi Jinping” was launched on TV here on Thursday.

    Cambodian People’s Party President and Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen sent a congratulatory letter expressing warm congratulations on the broadcast of the program.

    The program, produced by the China Media Group, carefully selected Chinese classics quoted in Xi’s important speeches, articles, and talks, focusing on themes such as ecological protection, cultural inheritance, exchanges and mutual learning of civilizations, and modernization construction, said a press release on the launching event.

    “With an international perspective and vivid and real pictures, it shows the essence of China’s excellent traditional culture to Cambodian audiences and explains the profound historical and cultural foundation of President Xi Jinping’s thoughts on governing the country,” said the press release.

    The program is being broadcast on the National Television of Cambodia and other Cambodian media.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Comprehensive bonded zones fuel China’s foreign trade growth

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

    BEIJING, April 17 — A truck loaded with 1.3 tonnes of clothing, hats, sunglasses and other goods departed from the cross-border e-commerce warehouse at the comprehensive bonded zone of Beijing Daxing International Airport (BDIA), heading to the international cargo terminal of China Southern Air Logistics Co., Ltd. at the airport.

    At 4 p.m., these made-in-China daily necessities were shipped to Tashkent in Uzbekistan via flight CZ6027.

    “Almost every flight on this route carries goods in and out of the bonded zone,” said Song Bing, a manager at the logistics company.

    Comprehensive bonded zones are customs-supervised areas with streamlined clearance procedures, serving as vital platforms for China’s opening-up endeavors. Policies such as tax refunds upon entry, bonded imports and the free flow of goods within the zone help enterprises significantly reduce institutional transaction costs.

    Over 160 such zones nationwide play a crucial role in expanding trade, attracting foreign investment and driving industrial upgrades.

    At the BDIA bonded zone, trucks carrying goods arrive continuously. Inside bonded warehouses and production workshops, modern machinery operates at full capacity, fueling a bustling environment featuring manufacturing and research and development (R&D).

    Having settled in the zone in 2022, Beijing CRS Medical Device Co., Ltd. now produces 700,000 dental implants annually, serving clients nationwide.

    “Our imported equipment and materials from Germany and Japan enter the zone duty-free. Taxes are only paid when our products are sold outside the zone in China, easing our financial pressure,” said Xu Chang, manager of the company’s external relations department.

    In 2024, duty exemptions on imported machinery alone saved them over 2.7 million yuan (374,558 U.S. dollars), and the company plans to expand production and explore global markets, Xu added.

    Straddling Beijing and Hebei Province in north China, the bonded zone saw its foreign trade value grow by fourfold to reach 9.89 billion yuan in 2024, said Zhang Jizhou, deputy head of BDIA customs, adding that more enterprises are encouraged to settle there to boost regional foreign trade.

    Fan Taoyu, general manager of the north China marketing center of China Southern Air Logistics, said the company’s cargo terminal at BDIA had handled more than 35,000 tonnes of cross-border e-commerce goods, electronics, industrial accessories and agricultural products in 2024, linking to markets in Europe and Asia via hubs like London, Amsterdam and Tashkent.

    “The BDIA bonded zone is unleashing growing potential, benefiting logistics firms like us,” said Fan.

    Despite global challenges, China’s trade value continues to rise, with bonded zones serving as important drivers of such growth. The country’s total goods imports and exports in yuan-denominated terms expanded 1.3 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2025, demonstrating stable growth and strong resilience, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC).

    In the first two months of this year, two comprehensive bonded zones in the coastal city of Qingdao in east China’s Shandong Province saw over 20 billion yuan in total foreign trade value — up 6 percent year on year, while bonded zones in Anhui Province, also in east China, recorded trade value of 23.11 billion yuan, a 16.1 percent increase.

    Beyond trade growth, bonded zones are accelerating industrial transformation, leveraging policies to establish R&D centers and foster high-tech industries. In May 2024, the GAC introduced 23 measures to advance high-quality development in comprehensive bonded zones.

    Notably, the BDIA bonded zone welcomed a firm specializing in flight simulator R&D and training, which trained 1,000 airline personnel in 2024. Meanwhile, Beijing’s Zhongguancun comprehensive bonded zone, the country’s first bonded zone featuring R&D and innovation, hosts a series of tech companies, dedicating 90 percent of its space to experimental R&D.

    “Joining the zone means saving costs on tax-free R&D equipment and bonded materials, allowing us to focus on innovation,” said Wang Shicheng, chairman and general manager of Beijing Soaring Electric Technology Co., Ltd., a clean energy and energy saving tech firm based in the Zhongguancun bonded zone.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway helps boost economic and social development in Cambodia

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

    Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway helps boost economic and social development in Cambodia

    Updated: April 18, 2025 11:06 Xinhua
    Touch Dane, a toll collector, works at the Phnom Penh toll station on the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway in Cambodia, March 15, 2025. She has currently received additional training in Chinese proficiency. The Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway, a project under the Belt and Road Initiative, is invested by the China Road and Bridge Corporation under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model and is the first-ever freeway in Cambodia. The 187-km expressway, connecting Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, with the international deep-water seaport province of Preah Sihanouk, was opened to traffic in 2022. The transformation in transportation has not only injected stronger momentum into Cambodia’s economic development, but also improved people’s livelihoods. Tens of thousands of local jobs were created during its construction phase, and over 2,000 job opportunities have been provided during its operation. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on March 16, 2025 shows the scenery of Sihanoukville, Cambodia. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on March 15, 2025 shows the Phnom Penh toll station on the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway in Cambodia. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on March 18, 2025 shows a section of the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway in Cambodia. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on March 17, 2025 shows the Phnom Penh toll station on the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway in Cambodia. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A staff member is on duty at the Phnom Penh toll station on the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway in Cambodia, March 15, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on March 17, 2025 shows a car arriving at the Phnom Penh toll station on the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway in Cambodia. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo taken on March 17, 2025 shows cars driving on a section of the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway in Cambodia. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Staff members are on duty at the monitoring center of the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 15, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Touch Dane, a toll collector, works at the Phnom Penh toll station on the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway in Cambodia, March 15, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on March 15, 2025 shows a section of the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway in Cambodia. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Chen Ry (R), a patrol officer, eats fruits with his wife at their home near Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 15, 2025. In 2020, Ry left his hometown and became a driver at a section of the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway during the construction period. After the expressway opened to traffic, he has been working as a patrol officer ever since.[Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on March 18, 2025 shows a service station on the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway in Cambodia. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on March 16, 2025 shows a view of Sihanoukville Port in Cambodia. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on March 15, 2025 shows the Phnom Penh toll station on the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway in Cambodia. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Amata Hails President Trump’s Proclamation Restoring Fishing

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)

    Flag Day Proclamation Supports American Samoa and U.S. Food Security 

    Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is hailing President Trump’s Proclamation restoring fishing waters, which will expand options for the U.S. tuna fleet out of Pago Pago Harbor. President Trump made the Proclamation on April 17th, coinciding with American Samoa’s 125th Flag Day, which celebrates the first official raising of the U.S. flag in American Samoa in the year 1900.

    Amata, who requested action on this important issue, was delighted to be at the White House for the President’s Proclamation, and thank President Trump personally for restoring fishing for Pacific Island communities in the Pacific Remote Island Marine National Monument (PRIMNM) between 50-200 miles offshore. 

    “Thank you, President Trump! This sensible Proclamation is important to the stability and future of American Samoa’s economy, but it also is fantastic news for U.S. food security,” said Congresswoman Amata. “The vast Pacific Islands area cannot fall under the domination of an increasingly aggressive CCP. Instead, President Trump’s key action strengthens our American fishing fleet and helps combat malign activities by the CCP with increased U.S. fishing presence along with Coast Guard operations.”

    The President’s Proclamation boosts American commercial fishing presence and economic activity in the Pacific islands region; helps reassert U.S. commitment and energetic presence in the Pacific; helps reduce I.U.U. fishing; combats malign activities by the CCP in the region based on U.S. commercial and Coast Guard presence; and enhances the nation’s food security by securing our supply chain of healthy tuna, serving our Buy America school lunch and military K-rations, and reducing unnecessary reliance on imported fish. 

    “Our U.S. fleet of law-abiding, thoroughly regulated fishermen is preferable to dependence on other nations supply, and highly preferable to the Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported fishing practices that are a problem in our shared ocean. The American fleet is part of the solution, not the problem. I appreciate this strong, patriotic, common sense, and economically wise decision by President Trump,” concluded Rep. Amata. 

    Special thanks to Governor Pula’ali’i Nikolao Pula, Lt. Governor Pulu Ae Ae, Archie Taotasi Soliai, Will Sword, Kitty Simonds, Ricardo da Rosa, Erik Kekoa Kingma, John Myking, and Sean Martin. 

    Background 

    In 2014, President Obama increased the Pacific Remote Island Marine National Monument (PRIMNM) from the original 80,000 square miles under President Bush to an unbelievable 490,000 square miles; and extended the fishing ban from 50-200 miles.

    For perspective, the original PRIMNM area created was the size of Minnesota (80,000 sq. miles); and President Obama increased it six-fold adding the equivalent of California (260,000 sq. miles) and Texas (150,000 sq. miles) and eliminating fishing in the process. This PRIMNM area and fishing ban is five times the size of all the Great Lakes combined! In fact, it is roughly 20 percent the size of the lower 48 states and the smallest 20 states would fit in the PRIMNM area with its fishing ban in open ocean waters.

    There was never any science justifying this fishing ban. Restoration of fishing from 50-200 miles will not negate any protections for existing inland waterway, beach, coral, or any other near-shore fishing species, flora or fauna.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: CONVENING NOTICE TO THE EXTRAORDINARY AND ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    UNIFIEDPOST GROUP

    Public limited liability company (“naamloze vennootschap” / “société anonyme“) under Belgian law

    Registered office at Avenue Reine Astrid 92A, 1310 La Hulpe, Belgium

    Company number 0886.277.617

    Register of Legal Entities Walloon Brabant

     www.unifiedpost.com

    CONVENING NOTICE TO THE EXTRAORDINARY AND ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

    The Board of Directors of Unifiedpost Group SA/NV (the Company) has the honour of inviting its shareholders and holders of warrants to attend the Extraordinary and Ordinary General Shareholders’ meeting (the General Meeting), which will be held at Buzzynest, Avenue Reine Astrid 92A, La Hulpe, on Tuesday 20 May 2025 at 19:00 (CET) to consider and vote on the items as listed in the agenda as set out below.

    Applicable formalities are detailed at the end of this convening notice. Shareholders may, to the extent indicated, also use the ABN AMRO platform (www.abnamro.com/evoting) to complete all participation formalities and vote by proxy at the General Meeting.

    Part 1: Agenda of the Extraordinary General Meeting

    The Extraordinary General Meeting will only validly deliberate on the items of its agenda if at least half of the capital is present or represented, in accordance with article 7:153 of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code. If this condition is not met, a new Extraordinary General Meeting with the same agenda will be convened for 17 June 2025. This second Extraordinary General Meeting will validly deliberate irrespective of the number of shares present or represented.

    1. Proposal to amend the Articles of Association – Change of the Company Name.

    Proposed resolution: Proposal to amend Article 1 of the Articles of Association to change the name of the Company from Unifiedpost Group to Banqup Group.

     

    Part 2: Agenda of the Ordinary General Meeting 

    1.  Communication of the Board of Directors’ annual report and the statutory auditor’s report on the statutory financial statements for the financial year closed on 31 December 2024.

    Comment of the Board of Directors: pursuant to articles 3:5 and 3:6 of the Belgian Code on Companies and Associations, the Board of Directors has drafted an annual report in which it accounts for its management. Furthermore, the statutory auditor has drafted a detailed report in accordance with articles 3:74 and 3:75 of the Belgian Code on Companies and Associations. Both reports are available for consultation on the website as from the date of this convening notice. These reports do not need to be approved by the shareholders.

    2.  Approval of the remuneration report as included in the annual report of the Board of Directors on the statutory financial statements closed on 31 December 2024.

    Proposed resolution: approval of the remuneration report for the financial year closed on 31 December 2024.

    3.  Approval of the statutory financial statements closed on 31 December 2024 including the proposed allocation of the result.

    Proposed resolution: approval of the statutory financial statements closed on 31 December 2024 showing a profit in the amount of EUR 37.288.229,77 and of the proposed allocation of the result of EUR 72.931.775,84 as losses carried forward.

    4.  Communication of the consolidated financial statements of the Company for the financial year closed on 31 December 2024 as well as the annual report of the Board of Directors and the statutory auditor’s report on those consolidated financial statements.

    Comment of the Board of Directors: pursuant to article 3:32 of the Belgian Code on Companies and Associations, the Board of Directors has drafted a report on the 2024 consolidated financial statements. Furthermore, the statutory auditor has drafted a detailed report pursuant to article 3:80 of the Belgian Code on Companies and Associations. Both reports are available for consultation on the website as from the date of this convening notice. These reports do not need to be approved by the shareholders.

    5.  Ratification of the appointment and nomination of Company directors.

    Comment of the Board of Directors: in accordance with Article 7:88 of the Companies and Associations Code and Article 16 of the Company’s Articles of Association, and after advise of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, the Board of Directors unanimously decided to accept:

    1. the co-option of Crescemus BV, with company number 0521.873.163, permanently represented by Pieter Bourgeois, as  non-executive director, following the resignation of AS Partners BV, permanently represented by Stefan Yee. The co-option took effect on 23 October 2024 and will end immediately after the Ordinary General Meeting of 2026.
    2. the co-option of PDMT Investments LLC, with company number 45-2043440, permanently represented by Peter Mulroy, as non- executive, independent director, following the resignation of Sopharth BV, permanently represented by Philippe De Backer. The co-option took effect on 23 October 2024 and will end immediately after the Ordinary General Meeting of 2026. The Board of Directors confirms that, based on the information available to the Company, PDMT Investments LLC, permanently represented by Peter Mulroy, qualifies as an independent director in accordance with the independence criteria set out in Article 7:87, §1 of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code, the 2020 Belgian Corporate Governance Code, and the Company’s Corporate Governance Charter.

    Proposed resolutions: 

    1. the General Meeting decides to ratify the appointment by cooptation of Crescemus BV, with company number 0521.873.163, permanently represented by Pieter Bourgeois, as non- executive director of the Company as of 23 October 2024. In accordance with article 7:88 §1 of the Companies and Associations Code, the General Meeting decides to deviate from the default rule that the mandate of a co-opted director ends when the original mandate would have ended, and instead decides to appoint Crescemus BV, with company number 0521.873.163, permanently represented by Pieter Bourgeois as non- executive director of the Company for a term that will end immediately after the Ordinary General Meeting of 2029. The curriculum vitae of Mr. Pieter Bourgeois is available for consultation on the website. The director will receive an annual remuneration in accordance with the approved remuneration policy.
    2. the General Meeting decides to ratify the appointment by cooptation of PDMT Investments LLC, with company number 45-2043440, permanently represented by Peter Mulroy, as non- executive and independent director of the Company as of 23 October 2024. In accordance with article 7:88 §1 of the Companies and Associations Code, the General Meeting decides to deviate from the default rule that the mandate of a co-opted director ends when the original mandate would have ended, and instead decides to appoint PDMT Investments LLC, with company number 45-2043440, permanently represented by Peter Mulroy as non- executive, independent director of the Company for a term that will end immediately after the Ordinary General Meeting of 2029. The Board of Directors confirms that, based on the information available to the Company, PDMT Investments LLC, permanently represented by Peter Mulroy, qualifies as an independent director in accordance with the independence criteria set out in Article 7:87, §1 of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code, the 2020 Belgian Corporate Governance Code, and the Company’s Corporate Governance Charter The curriculum vitae of Mr. Peter Mulroy is available for consultation on the website. The director will receive an annual remuneration in accordance with the approved remuneration policy.

    6.  Nomination of Company directors.

    Proposed resolutions:

    1. the General Meeting decides to appoint Quilaudem BV, with company number 0795.086.135, permanently represented by Nathalie Van Den Haute, as non executive director of the Company, for a term of 4 years, that will end immediately after the Ordinary General meeting of 2029. The curriculum vitae of Mrs. Nathalie Van Den Haute is available for consultation on the website. The director will receive an annual remuneration in accordance with the approved remuneration policy.
    2. the General Meeting decides to appoint Ahok BV, with company number 0457.927.595, permanently represented by Koen Hoffman, as non- executive, independent  director of the Company, for a term of 4 years, that will end immediately after the Ordinary General Meeting of 2029. The Board of Directors confirms that, based on the information available to the Company, Ahok BV, permanently represented by Koen Hoffman qualifies as an independent director in accordance with the independence criteria set out in Article 7:87, §1 of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code, the 2020 Belgian Corporate Governance Code, and the Company’s Corporate Governance Charter. The curriculum vitae of Mr. Koen Hoffman is available for consultation on the website. The director will receive an annual remuneration in accordance with the approved remuneration policy.
    3. the General Meeting decides to appoint Leanne Kemp, as non- executive, independent director of the Company, for a term of 4 years, that will end immediately after the Ordinary General Meeting of 2029. The Board of Directors confirms that, based on the information available to the Company, Leanne Kemp qualifies as an independent director in accordance with the independence criteria set out in Article 7:87, §1 of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code, the 2020 Belgian Corporate Governance Code, and the Company’s Corporate Governance Charter. The curriculum vitae of Mrs. Leanne Kemp is available for consultation on the website. The director will receive an annual remuneration in accordance with the approved remuneration policy.
    4. the General Meeting decides to appoint Beco Global Consulting LLC, with company number 33-1666922, permanently represented by Nicolas de Beco, as executive director of the Company, for a term of 4 years, that will end immediately after the Ordinary General Meeting of 2029. The curriculum vitae of Mr. Nicolas de Beco is available for consultation on the website. The director will receive an annual remuneration in accordance with the approved remuneration policy.

    7.  Approval of the updated Remuneration Policy.

    Proposed resolution: approval of the updated Remuneration Policy which is available for consultation on the website.

    8.  Discharge to all members of the Board of Directors of the Company that were in charge for the execution of their mandate in 2024.

    Proposed resolution: approval to grant discharge to all individual members of the Board of Directors that were in charge in 2024 for the execution of their mandate for the financial year closed on 31 December 2024.

    9.  Discharge to the statutory auditor.

    Proposed resolution: approval to grant discharge to BDO Réviseurs D’Entreprises SCRL (CBE 0431.088.289), represented by Mrs. Ellen Lombaerts, for the execution of its mandate as statutory auditor of the Company during the financial year closed on 31 December 2024.

    10.       Approval of the re-nomination of BDO as statutory auditor of the Company from the date of this General Meeting until the General Meeting of 2028.

    Proposed resolution: approval of the re-nomination of BDO Réviseurs D’Entreprises SCRL, represented by Mrs. Ellen Lombaerts, as statutory auditor of the Company as of the date of this General Meeting until the General Meeting of 2028. The fee for this assignment amounts to EUR 400.000,00 per year (excluding VAT, expenses, and IBR contribution). This fee includes the audit of the statutory annual accounts, the consolidated annual accounts, and the review of the company’s half-year figures (statutory and consolidated).

    11.       Appointment of the commissioner responsible for the “assurance” of the CSRD sustainability report for the year 2025.

    Proposed resolution: in accordance with the recommendation by the Board of Directors and upon recommendation of the Audit Committee, the appointment of BDO Réviseurs D’Entreprises SRL (CBE 0431.088.289), represented by Mrs. Ellen Lombaerts, responsible for the “assurance” of the sustainability report of the CSRD, for a period of one year. The fee amounts to EUR 70.000,00 per year (excluding VAT, expenses, IBR contribution and any flat- rate expense allowance for technology and compliances costs) for this assignment.

    12.  Power of Attorney.

    Proposed resolution: granting of a power of attorney to Mr. Mathias Baert and Mrs. Hilde Debontridder, choosing as address Avenue Reine Astrid 92A, 1310 La Hulpe, Belgium, as extraordinary proxy holders, with the right to act individually and with powers of sub-delegation, to whom they grant the power, to represent the Company regarding the fulfilment of the filing and disclosure obligations as set out in the Belgian Code on Companies and Associations and all other applicable legislation. This power of attorney entails that the aforementioned extraordinary proxy holders may take all necessary and useful actions and sign all documents relating to these filing and disclosure obligations, including but not limited to filing the aforementioned decisions with the competent registry of the commercial court, with a view to publication thereof in the Annexes to the Belgian Official Gazette.

    Practical provisions

    Voting and majority

    Shareholders who have validly notified their participation in the General Meeting may vote at the meetings. Shareholders may vote (i) in advance in accordance with the instructions set down below, or (ii) where they have not voted in advance, vote during the meetings.

    Each share shall have one vote. The proposed resolution under agenda item 1 of part 1 of the agenda shall be passed if this is approved by a majority of 75% of the votes validly cast by the shareholders or their representatives. The proposed resolutions under agenda items 1 to 12 of part 2 of the agenda shall be passed if they are approved by a simple majority of 50% of the votes validly cast by the shareholders or their representatives.

    Admission conditions

    The right to attend the General Meeting and to exercise voting rights during such meeting shall be granted solely based on the administrative registration of the shares in the shareholder’s name at 23:59:59 (CET) on 6 May 2025 at the latest, after processing of all entries and deletions as of that date, either (i) through the registration of the registered shares in the Company’s shares register, or (ii) in the event of dematerialized shares, by their registration in the accounts of a certified account holder or intermediary, irrespective of the number of shares that the shareholder is holding on the actual date of the General Meeting. The time and date stated above are deemed to be the registration date.

    In the event of dematerialized shares, the registration of such shares in the accounts of the relevant certified account holder or intermediary shall be proven through a certificate from the relevant certified account holder or intermediary stating how many dematerialized shares were registered in its accounts in the shareholder’s name on the registration date.

    The shareholders shall report on 14 May 2025 at 23:59:59 (CET) at the latest if they wish to participate in the General Meeting. This must be reported via (i) www.abnamro.com/evoting, (ii) by e-mail to secretary.general@unifiedpost.com or (iii) by letter to Unifiedpost Group SA, to the attention of Mathias Baert, Company Secretary, Avenue Reine Astrid 92A, 1310 La Hulpe, Belgium. In the case of dematerialized shares, a statement must be provided by the intervention of a financial intermediary acting on the instruction of the shareholder via www.abnamro.com/intermediary. The intermediaries concerned need to submit a declaration before 15 May 2025 by 13:00 (CET) at the latest that the number of shares held by the participant on the record date and the registration of the shares were notified to ABN AMRO. In addition, the intermediaries are also requested to include the full address details of the relevant underlying shareholders in order to be able to verify in an efficient manner their holding on the record date.

    When informing the Company of their intention to participate in the General Meeting in accordance with the previous paragraph, shareholders shall indicate the number of shares in the Company which (i) were held by the represented shareholder at 23:59:59 (CET) on 6 May 2025, after processing of all entries and deletions as of that date, and (ii) with which they intend to vote at the General Meeting, including the name of the representative or intermediary and its contact details (phone number and e-mail).

    Holders of warrants are permitted to attend the General Meeting (but not to vote) on the condition of compliance with the admission conditions applicable to shareholders.

    The shareholders or their representatives or proxy holders or warrant holders who have fulfilled the participation formalities and have indicated that they intend to physically attend the General Meeting will receive an access card via their financial intermediary in case of dematerialized shares or via ABN AMRO in case of registered shares.

    The possibility of submitting agenda items and/or proposed resolutions

    In accordance with article 7:130 of the Belgian Code on Companies and Associations, one or more shareholders that jointly hold at least 3% of the capital shall have the right to add items on the agenda of the General Meeting and to submit proposed resolutions concerning such (added) items on the agenda. Such requests are to be submitted by e-mail to secretary.general@unifiedpost.com, no later than on 28 April 2025. More detailed information on the conditions for making use of this option is available on the Company’s website.

    On 5 May 2025 at the latest, the agenda, with any such additions, will be published in the Belgian Official Gazette, a national newspaper and a European-wide medium.

    Right to ask questions

    In accordance with article 7:139 of the Belgian Code on Companies and Associations, shareholders who complied with the above conditions for admission may submit questions in writing concerning the agenda items to the directors and/or the statutory auditor. Such questions are to be submitted by e-mail to secretary.general@unifiedpost.com or by letter to Unifiedpost Group SA, to the attention of Mathias Baert, Company Secretary, Avenue Reine Astrid 92A, 1310 La Hulpe, Belgium and this no later than on 14 May 2025. It will also be possible for shareholders who are physically attending the General Meeting to ask questions during the General Meeting.

    These questions, as well as the questions set forth by the shareholders during the General Meeting, will be answered in the course of the General Meeting by, depending on the case, the directors or the statutory auditor. The directors or, as the case may be, the statutory auditor will foresee a reasonable amount of time to answer any questions (+/- 1 hour). Insofar as the communication of data or facts is of a nature to be detrimental to the business interests of the Company or the confidentiality to which the director or Unifiedpost Group have committed themselves, the directors may refuse to answer such questions. The statutory auditor of the Company may also refuse to answer such questions if the communication of data or facts is of a nature to be detrimental to the business interests of the Company or the confidentiality to which the statutory auditor or Unifiedpost Group have committed themselves.

    More detailed information on the right to ask questions is available on the Company website (www.unifiedpost.com).

    Proxies and voting instructions

    Shareholders who wish to be represented by a different person at the General Meeting can indicate this via www.abnamro.com/evoting or via their financial intermediary in case of dematerialized shares no later than 14 May 2025 at 17:00 (CET). In addition, shareholders can make use of the proxy form as prepared by the Board of Directors. This proxy form is available via the website of the Company and  the Company’s registered office. This proxy must be filed at the Company’s registered office, for the attention of the Board of Directors, or sent by email to ava@nl.abnamro.com, in either case no later than at 17:00 (CET) on 14 May 2025.

    In the event of any discrepancy between the different language versions of this convening notice and the other documents relating to the General Meeting, the French version will prevail.

    Availability of documents

    All documents relating to the General Meeting (including this convening notice and the aforementioned proxy form) which the law requires to make available to shareholders are accessible on the Company’s website as from 18 April 2025 in French and English.

    Privacy notice

    The Company is responsible for the processing of the personal data it receives from shareholders, holders of other securities issued by the Company (if any) and proxy holders in the context of the General Meeting of the shareholders in accordance with the applicable data protection legislation. The processing of such personal data will in particular take place for the organization, analysis and management of the participation and voting procedure in relation to the General Meeting, in accordance with the applicable legislation and the Company’s Privacy Policy available at https://www.unifiedpost.com/. These personal data will be transferred to third parties for the purpose of providing assistance in the management of participation and voting procedures, and for analyzing the composition of the shareholder base of the Company. The personal data will not be stored any longer than necessary in light of the aforementioned objectives. Shareholders, holders of other securities issued by the Company and proxy holders can find the Company’s Privacy Policy on the Company’s website. This Privacy Policy contains detailed information regarding the processing of the personal data of, among others, shareholders, holders of other securities issued by the Company and proxy holders, including the rights that they can assert towards the Company in accordance with the applicable data protection legislation. The aforementioned can exercise their rights with regard to their personal data provided to the Company by contacting the Company’s Data Protection Officer via gdpr@unifiedpost.com.

    Contact details Unifiedpost Group SA/NV

    Public limited liability company (“naamloze vennootschap” / “société anonyme“) under Belgian law with registered office at Avenue Reine Astrid 92A, 1310 La Hulpe, Belgium and registered with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises under number 0886.277.617.

    E-mail: secretary.general@unifiedpost.com

    Website: www.unifiedpost.com

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fatal crash, Ruawai

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    One person has died following a crash in Ruawai this afternoon.

    The single vehicle crash on State Highway 12 was reported just after 2pm.

    The sole occupant of the vehicle died at the scene.

    State Highway 12 between Jellicoe Road and Hodgson Road remains closed.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell, Baldwin, Blunt Rochester Demand Answers on Lutnick’s Failure to Protect Minority Business Development Agency

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    04.17.25

    Cantwell, Baldwin, Blunt Rochester Demand Answers on Lutnick’s Failure to Protect Minority Business Development Agency

    As Trump tariffs batter U.S. economy, Lutnick RIFs entire agency that helps boost minority entrepreneurship, ignite economic opportunity & create jobs in rural, suburban & urban communities across the country

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) wrote to Trump Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick demanding documents and full accounting of his actions to shutter the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) despite vowing not to support efforts to dismantle it. Today’s letter follows a March 24 letter from Sens. Cantwell and Blunt Rochester, warning Lutnick of the devastating impacts a reduction in force would have on small businesses and the nation’s economy.

    “Since sending that letter, our offices have received information indicating the Trump Administration sent reduction-in-force (RIF) notices to every MBDA employee—effectively shuttering an agency that Congress has authorized,” the senators wrote today.  “If true, this action would not only prevent MBDA from successfully carrying out its congressionally mandated programs and duties; it would appear to contradict the testimony you provided during your confirmation hearing.”

    During his confirmation hearing before the Commerce Committee, Lutnick said he did not support dismantling the agency which was created by President Nixon in 1969 and codified into law by Congress with bipartisan support in 2021. The MBDA is responsible for promoting the growth and global competitiveness of minority owned businesses, including by assisting these businesses with access to capital, contracts, markets and business networks through partnerships with private and public entities.  In Fiscal Year 2024 alone, the MBDA helped the country’s more than 12 million minority businesses access over $1.5 billion in capital and create or retain approximately 23,000 jobs.

    The full letter is below and here.

    Secretary Lutnick:

    In a letter sent on March 25, 2025, you were urged to honor your testimony before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation affirming you do not support efforts to dismantle the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA).[1] Since sending that letter, our offices have received information indicating the Trump Administration sent reduction-in-force (RIF) notices to every MBDA employee—effectively shuttering an agency that Congress has authorized. If true, this action would not only prevent MBDA from successfully carrying out its congressionally mandated programs and duties; it would appear to contradict the testimony you provided during your confirmation hearing. Accordingly, we demand a clear and complete explanation of your Department’s actions regarding the MBDA.

    As explained in the March 25, 2025, letter, the MBDA is a vital driver of economic growth for America’s minority-owned businesses.[2] Congress statutorily authorized the agency in a bipartisan manner in 2021 to ensure American entrepreneurs facing historical barriers to business ownership had access to key tools and resources to spur innovation, open new businesses, and create good-paying jobs. In Fiscal Year 2024 alone, the MBDA helped the country’s more than 12 million minority businesses access over $1.5 billion in capital and create or retain approximately 23,000 jobs.[3] Mindful of the MBDA’s record of success and congressional mandate, we urged you not to move forward with a RIF that would reduce MBDA’s personnel to as few as 3 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees.

    Alarmingly, information provided to our offices makes clear the RIF your Department initiated at the MBDA was even more sweeping than we had feared, leaving the agency with effectively no staff. As a result, it is unclear to whom, if anyone, MBDA Business Centers are reporting or who is currently implementing MBDA’s congressionally mandated programs and duties. Your Department appears to have dismantled the MBDA without any act of Congress—disregarding the programs and initiatives the Administration is directed by statute to implement.

    The Commerce Committee has a duty to conduct oversight of the agencies and programs under its jurisdiction to ensure they are implemented and operating as Congress intended.  Accordingly, please provide the following documents and information no later than May 1, 2025:

    • A complete description of the current staffing at MBDA, including the number of FTE employees presently working at the agency (if any), how many FTE employees are presently on administrative leave, and how many MBDA FTE employees have been sent RIF notices since January 20, 2025.
    • Copies of all RIF notices sent to MBDA FTE employees since January 20, 2025.
    • A complete description of all actions taken by the Department to comply with President Trump’s March 14, 2025, executive order, “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy.”
    • A copy of the report required in the above-referenced March 14, 2025, Executive Order from MBDA to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget confirming compliance with the Executive Order and explaining which of its components or functions are statutorily required and to what extent.
    • An explanation of how the Department’s actions regarding the MBDA are consistent with the Administration’s statutory obligations under the Minority Business Development Act of 2021 (Division K of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, P.L. 117-58).
    • An explanation of how the Department’s actions regarding the MBDA during your tenure as Commerce Secretary are consistent with your testimony to the Commerce Committee on January 29, 2025, and in your responses to the corresponding questions for the record. In your response, please specifically address the testimony you provided when asked if you support dismantling the MBDA, to which you responded, “I do not.”

    Sincerely,

    [1] Hearing, “Nomination Hearing – U.S. Secretary of Commerce”, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, (Jan. 29, 2025); https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2025/1/full-committee-nomination-hearing_2_3.

    [2] Press Release, “Cantwell, Blunt Rochester Demand Commerce Secretary Lutnick Protect Minority Business Development Agency from Trump’s Overreach”, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, (Mar. 24, 2025); https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2025/3/cantwell-blunt-rochester-demand-commerce-secretary-lutnick-protect-minority-business-development-agency-from-trump-s-overreach. 

    [3] “Annual Performance Summary, Fiscal Year 2024,” Minority Business Development Agency, (accessed Mar. 24, 2025); https://www.mbda.gov/sites/default/files/2025-03/fy-2024-annual-performance-report.pdf.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT SHARES ADVOCACY WIN IN SECURING EXEMPTIONS ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S PORT FEE ACTIONS

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (USVI)

    For Immediate Release                                          Contact: Tionee Scotland
    April 17, 2025                                                           202-808-6129

    PRESS RELEASE

    CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT SHARES ADVOCACY WIN IN SECURING EXEMPTIONS ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S PORT FEE ACTIONS

    Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett shared the following statement on the Trump Administration’s U.S. Trade Representative Office’s (USTR) exemption for the U.S. Virgin Islands from punitive service fees and restrictions on shipping companies that have the potential to skyrocket costs for Americans – and would have done so exponentially for the Virgin Islands. 

    There would have been far-reaching economic consequences, including shipping delays and estimates of 50-60% increased shipping costs under the Proposed Action. However, the U.S. Virgin Islands falls within the 2,000 mile exemption (Annex II, Targeted Coverage, page 33) in the Notice of Action issued today by USTR. Furthermore, transport operators with fleets comprised of Chinese-built vessels would have been charged up to $1.5 million per vessel entrance to an American port, as well as an ‘additional fee’ of up to $1 million per vessel entrance to an American port if the number of foreign-built vessels in the operator’s fleet is equal to or greater than 25 percent. Even vessels under the U.S. flag, operated and owned by a U.S. entity that are Chinese-built would have been subject to the fees in USTR’s proposal. If the Proposed Action had been implemented, the unintended consequence would have been an increased presence of Chinese vessels and carriers transporting goods from sources outside of the United States—including China—within the United States’ third border, the Caribbean Basin.

    “I am grateful for the opportunity to speak with and question US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer during a Ways & Means Committee hearing last week and at that time urging the Ambassador to consider the practical impacts of tariff actions on the U.S. outlying areas and ultimately reconsider those actions. Our communities would have borne a tremendous undue cost, which made clear the need for an exemption. I also led a letter to USTR Ambassador Greer and the Administration, with Members of Congress from both the Atlantic and Pacific areas to make the case for an exemption for the territories and US-owned companies and underscore the impact of these fees on the Virgin Islands, which would have permeated through the Caribbean region.

    “USTR Ambassador Greer took my letter into serious consideration when making final arrangements of this action. Under the Notice of Action, exemptions apply to:

    • U.S.-owned or U.S.-flagged vessels enrolled in the Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement, the Maritime Security Program, the Tanker Security Program, or the Cable Security Program;
    • vessels arriving empty or in ballast;
    • vessels with a capacity of equal to or less than: 4,000 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units, 55,000 deadweight tons, or an individual bulk capacity of 80,000 deadweight tons;
    • vessels entering a U.S. port in the continental United States from a voyage of less than 2,000 nautical miles from a foreign port or point;
    • U.S.-owned vessels, where the U.S. entity owning the vessel is controlled by U.S. persons and is at least 75 percent beneficially owned by U.S. persons;
    • specialized or special purpose-built vessels for the transport of chemical substances in bulk liquid forms; and
    • vessels principally identified as “Lakers Vessels” on CBP Form 1300, or its electronic equivalent.”

    USTR Ambassador Greer’s team highlighted the Congresswoman’s advocacy both in Committee and her letter where she was able to bring together Representatives from outlying areas in both the Atlantic and Pacific—states and territories. We note as a monumental achievement the critical work done by the Congresswoman and her team to bring together disparate communities who the federal government have historically pitted against one another. Congresswoman Plaskett is grateful for Ambassador Greer’s team reaching out to share the news with her before the public announcement and expressing the importance of the information her team shared.

    “I thank my colleagues, USTR Ambassador Greer, elected officials, the maritime industry, and stakeholders, particularly Tropical Shipping and Jennifer Nugent-Hill, for their support to urge the Trump Administration to reconsider the Proposed Action,” said Plaskett. “I will continue to collaborate in a bipartisan manner with my colleagues, stakeholders, and the Virgin Islands community to advance the interests of the Virgin Islands. I believe that we can work with everyone while not compromising our values and beliefs and get things done. This achievement is an example of that.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New Zealand Police team up with Z Energy, NZTA and ACC to remind Kiwis to drive safe this Easter

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    New Zealand Police, in partnership with Z Energy (Z), New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) and ACC, are urging drivers to be safe on our roads and not to risk their lives or others.

    This Easter weekend, increased activity on our roads is likely, with many people all over the country expected to capitalise on the two long weekends and school holidays.

    Inspector Peter McKennie of the National Road Policing Centre says this partnership with Z is aimed at reminding people travelling to keep road safety top of mind.

    “So far in 2025, we’ve seen far too many people lose their lives on our roads. This ongoing initiative is another means of reminding drivers and riders of the everyday dangers you face on your journey and how your behaviour can influence the safest outcome.

    “Road safety is simply something we all have to take a greater responsibility for if we’re genuinely serious about reducing harm on our roads.

    Police can’t control the actions of every driver 24/7. Our staff can’t be beside you in the car telling you to slow down, or to put your seatbelt on.”

    It’s a responsibility Z, with a network of over 180 retail sites across New Zealand, has taken on board. That’s why they’re sharing road safety messages in-store and on the forecourts.

    “At Z we believe when you are part of a community, you look out for it. And as we have the privilege to be part of many communities across Aotearoa, this partnership allows us to help remind our customers of the great safety messages Police, NZTA and ACC have developed,” says Z’s GM Corporate Affairs, Haley Mortimer.

    “As the majority of our customers visit us by car, it just makes good sense for us to provide them with a timely reminder of a road safety message right before they get back on the road,” continues Haley.

    Inspector McKennie says initiatives like this can only be positive and hopes many road users can rethink their behaviour on the road when they do stop to refuel or recharge.

    “We are all working together in an effort to ensure everyone on the road is safe. Although we want to be clear, if road users are detected to be displaying unsafe behaviours, they will be ticketed.

    You can expect to see Police anywhere, anytime on the road to deter any dangerous behaviour that impacts the safety of road users.”

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Witnesses sought to fatal crash, New Plymouth

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police are asking for witnesses to come forward after a cyclist died following a crash in New Plymouth last week.

    Emergency services were called to the scene at the intersection of Powderham Street and Mt Edgecumbe Street about 12.35pm on Saturday 12 April.

    The cyclist was transported to hospital, where they sadly died on Tuesday.

    Police are now working to establish the full circumstances of the crash and are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage.

    If you were in the area at the time, and saw a man riding a bicycle carrying fishing gear, or may have footage of the incident, please come forward and speak to us.

    You can do so by calling 105 and quoting reference number 250415/6545.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Anti-graft chief urges rigorous study of Party conduct rules

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, presides over a symposium in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province, April 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    China’s anti-graft chief Li Xi has called for rigorous implementation of the Party-wide education campaign on enforcing the rules of conduct of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
    Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, made the remarks during a research tour of central China’s Hunan Province from Monday to Thursday.
    In Hunan, Li visited multiple locations including a village, an aquaculture farming base, a university lab, state-owned enterprises, and a local police station, among others. He also presided over a symposium to review the progress of discipline inspection and supervision work and solicit opinions and suggestions.
    Li called on anti-corruption organs to intensify efforts in combating misconduct and graft affecting people’s daily lives, prioritize targeted crackdowns on prominent irregularities, and deliver visible progress in governance integrity that resonates with the public.
    Li urged enhanced efforts in advancing Party conduct and integrity building alongside anti-corruption work in state-owned enterprises, providing impetus for developing new-quality productive forces.
    It is imperative to deepen the reform of the discipline inspection and supervision system to propel the high-quality development of disciplinary oversight work, he stressed.
    Efforts should be made to carry out the education campaign to implement the Party’s “eight-point decision” on improving work conduct with higher standards, stricter requirements, and more substantive measures, Li said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Yangtze underwater rail tunnel reaches milestone

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    The world’s largest shield machine for railway construction reached the halfway point of its underwater journey beneath the Yangtze River on Wednesday, marking a major milestone for the high-speed rail tunnel linking Shanghai’s Chongming Island with Taicang, Jiangsu province.
    Developed in China, the 148-meter-long machine — with a diameter of 15.4 meters — is edging closer to the most technically challenging section of the tunnel, according to China Railway Tunnel Group Co, the project’s contractor.
    “With a gradual downward slope, the pressure from the surrounding water on the construction project is rising,” said Wang Yi, the project’s deputy equipment manager.
    Nicknamed Linghang, or “Navigator,” the shield machine is currently operating 66 meters below the riverbed and is expected to reach its deepest point — 89 meters underground — in about four months, Wang said.
    “At that point, the water pressure will be 0.9 megapascal — as overwhelming as six people standing on a fingernail,” he said.
    Advancing at a daily pace of 24 to 28 meters, the machine began operations in April last year and had completed 2,830 ring segments by Wednesday, extending 5,660 meters into the riverbed.
    The 14.25-kilometer tunnel is a critical part of the Shanghai-Nanjing-Hefei high-speed railway, which is scheduled to open by late 2029, the company said.
    Trains traveling through the tunnel are expected to reach a top speed of 350 kilometers per hour — the highest operating speed for any underwater tunnel in the world — with no reduction in speed compared to surface travel.
    Engineers said the record-breaking project poses immense challenges to the shield machine, especially due to the tunnel’s length, which requires the equipment to function far beyond conventional limits.
    “To meet the demand, we use a main bearing with a service life of 16,700 hours, nearly triple the theoretical lifespan of similar components,” Wang said. “That allows the machine to complete more than 15 kilometers of excavation in a single task.”
    The shield machine is also equipped with a proprietary “intelligent tunneling brain” system, designed to overcome obstacles such as ultra-large diameter drilling, complex geological conditions, ecological sensitivities and varying strata permeability.
    “This project became the world’s first to achieve unmanned tunneling operations, with staff required only to be on duty,” Wang said.
    The AI system integrates nine intelligent functions, including perception, tunneling, prefabrication, installation, detection and management, and is capable of making and executing operational decisions automatically, he said.
    The tunnel must traverse 21 identified risk zones, and has already passed six, including a highway, a dock and a protected aquatic farming area, without incident, said Fu Bowei, deputy chief engineer for the project.
    The Shanghai-Nanjing-Hefei line forms the eastern section of the larger Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu high-speed railway and is a key component of China’s national rail network.
    Once completed, it is expected to significantly reduce travel times between key urban centers in the Yangtze River Delta region — linking Shanghai with city clusters around Nanjing and Hefei — and contribute to the coordinated development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the integrated growth of the delta region.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Guangdong’s foreign trade hits record high in Q1

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Foreign trade in south China’s Guangdong Province reached a record high in the first quarter of this year, according to data released by the Guangdong branch of the General Administration of Customs on Thursday.

    The province’s total import and export value during the period was 2.14 trillion yuan (about 296.9 billion U.S. dollars), an increase of 4.2 percent compared to the same period last year. This growth rate outpaced the national average by 2.9 percentage points.

    China’s leading foreign trade player, the province saw its exports amount to 1.34 trillion yuan during the period, up 1.4 percent year on year, and its imports came in at 798.15 billion yuan, an increase of 9.3 percent.

    Since the beginning of 2025, Guangdong’s import and export growth has been gradually picking up month by month. In the first quarter, all three of the province’s key figures — total import and export value, exports, and imports — reached historic highs.

    Private enterprises, a key driver of foreign trade in Guangdong, have shown increasing vitality. In the first quarter, the province’s private enterprises saw their total import and export value hit 1.36 trillion yuan, up 4.8 percent year on year and accounting for 63.4 percent of Guangdong’s total foreign trade. Meanwhile, foreign-invested enterprises in Guangdong performed well, reporting a 5.3 percent increase in their total import and export value, which came in at 677.03 billion yuan.

    Guangdong also saw positive growth in trade with its top five trading partners. ASEAN continued to be Guangdong’s largest trading partner, with a trade volume of 349.43 billion yuan — a growth of 6.9 percent.

    In the first quarter, exports of electromechanical products climbed 6.6 percent to 904.27 billion yuan, accounting for nearly 70 percent of Guangdong’s total exports. Notably, exports of electric vehicles, motorcycles and ships saw particularly strong growth.

    Guangdong’s imports of high-end manufacturing goods and consumer goods saw a balanced increase. Imports of electromechanical products surged 24.2 percent to 554.83 billion yuan, accounting for nearly 70 percent of the province’s total imports. Imports of certain consumer goods, including beauty products, personal care products, dairy and seafood, also grew in the first three months.

    The province’s foreign trade maintained steady growth in the first quarter, marking a positive start to the year, according to the Guangdong branch of the General Administration of Customs. While external challenges continue to increase amid an unstable and uncertain global environment, Guangdong’s foreign trade foundations remain strong, with numerous advantages, as well as resilience and potential. The long-term positive outlook for the province’s foreign trade remains unchanged, it said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Building China-Cambodia community with shared future a choice of history, the people: Xi

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Cambodian People’s Party President and Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese President Xi Jinping said in Phnom Penh Thursday that building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future is a choice of history and the people.

    Xi made the remarks when meeting with Cambodian People’s Party President and Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen.

    China and Cambodia are not only friendly neighbors but also ironclad friends, he said, noting that both countries are currently at a critical stage of national development.

    Xi said that the two sides should keep in mind the well-being of their people and the progress of humanity, strive to set an example for building a community with a shared future for mankind in the course of advancing their respective modernization endeavors, and join hands to become forces for peace, stability and progress in a world undergoing profound transformations unseen in a century.

    China believes that Cambodia’s road to national development and revitalization will become wider and wider, and will, as always, support the Cambodian People’s Party in leading the Cambodian people to maintain national stability and economic development, Xi said, adding that China supports Cambodia in playing a more important role in the regional and international arena.

    The Chinese president said that the two sides should make good use of the newly established “2+2” strategic dialogue mechanism between foreign ministers and defense ministers of the two countries to strengthen strategic coordination.

    The two sides should deepen practical cooperation across various fields, advance the construction of Cambodia’s Industrial and Technological Corridor and Fish and Rice Corridor, and strengthen collaboration in energy, transportation and other key sectors, enabling Cambodia to share more in China’s development opportunities, Xi said.

    Xi emphasized that China is willing to engage in exchanges and mutual learning with Cambodia on major issues such as strengthening party building and advancing reform and development, and to deepen friendly cooperation between China’s National People’s Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference with National Assembly and Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

    Unilateralism and hegemonism receive no support of the people, Xi said.

    History has shown the unstoppable trend toward a multipolar world, economic globalization, and cultural diversity, Xi said, adding that no country wants to return to isolation.

    The trade wars undermine the multilateral trading system and disrupt global economic order, Xi said, urging all countries to unite and firmly keep the reins of national security and development in their own hands, uphold mutual respect, pursue win-win cooperation and common development, and work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

    As Asia embarks on a new journey of collective revitalization, Xi noted, China will continue to follow the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness and the policy of developing friendship and partnership with neighboring countries, maintain the continuity and stability of its neighborhood diplomacy, deepen friendly cooperation with neighboring countries, so as to share the fruits of Chinese modernization more widely across the region, promote the building of a community with a shared future with neighboring countries, and work together to advance Asia’s modernization.

    For his part, Hun Sen said this visit is of great significance to Cambodia.

    Noting that China is Cambodia’s most steadfast supporter and most reliable partner, Hun Sen said China’s support has made significant contributions to Cambodia’s economic and social development and improvement of people’s lives, for which the Cambodian side expresses its deep gratitude.

    Cambodia firmly adheres to the one-China policy, supports China’s positions on issues related to Taiwan, Xinjiang and Xizang, and opposes any forces’ interference in China’s internal affairs, he said.

    China and Cambodia are ironclad friends, and the two countries’ decision to build a China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era will make further progress, promoting high-level, high-quality and high-standard development of bilateral relations, Hun Sen said.

    The two countries will always move forward hand in hand, stand together through thick and thin and share a common destiny, he added.

    Hun Sen said that Cambodia is willing to strengthen strategic security cooperation with China and expand bilateral trade.

    Cambodia welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest in the country, and will join hands with China to promote the deepening of people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and intensify the crackdown on online gambling and telecom fraud, he added.

    The Cambodian side highly appreciates China’s constructive role in promoting world peace and sustainable development, and supports the Belt and Road cooperation and the three major global initiatives proposed by China, which are conducive to safeguarding the common interests of the international community and promoting world peace, security and stability, Hun Sen said.

    Trade wars and tariff wars have undermined the legitimate interests of all countries and triggered turmoil in the international situation, Hun Sen said, adding that Cambodia is willing to strengthen cooperation with China and jointly address various risks and challenges. 

    Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Cambodian People’s Party President and Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Road safety police operations in state’s south

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Road safety police operations in state’s south

    Friday, 18 April 2025 – 1:34 pm.

    Southern Road Policing have had a busy morning undertaking vehicle safety checks and alcohol and drug testing over two stationary road safety sites.
    500 drug and alcohol tests and vehicle checks were conducted on the Tasman Highway, Cambridge:
    • Pleasingly, no drug or alcohol affected drivers were detected.• 1 P plater was issued an infringement for failing to wear a seatbelt• 1 driver was issued an infringement for failing to safely secure their load
    150 drug and alcohol tests and vehicle checks were conducted on the Midland Highway at Pontville:
    • No drug or alcohol affected drivers were detected• 1 driver was issued an infringement notice for their vehicle being unregistered
    Tasmania Police is out in force over the Easter break, targeting dangerous driving behaviours.Operation Safe Arrival will feature both high-visibility and covert patrols across Tasmania’s highways, main roads, rural routes, and back streets.Anyone who witnesses dangerous driving behaviour should report it immediately to police on 131 444 to enable officers to respond in a timely way.If it’s an emergency or life-threatening situation call Triple Zero (000).If you can’t report it at the time but have footage, submit it to the police evidence portal online.The evidence portal can be found at https://www.police.tas.gov.au/report/

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Freyberg Road/State Highway 12 closed, Ruawai

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Freyberg Road/State Highway 12 is closed between Jellicoe Road and Hodgson Road following a crash.

    The single-vehicle crash was reported just after 2pm.

    Initial indications are that there are serious injuries.

    Detours are in place, motorists are advised to avoid the area.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Moutere Highway closed, detours in place

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Moutere Highway is closed between George Harvey Road and Neudorf Road, while a truck involved in an earlier crash is removed.

    No others vehicles were involved in the crash and nobody was hurt.

    Detours are in place, motorists are advised to avoid the area.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 18, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 18, 2025.

    Labor’s poll surge continues in YouGov, but they’re barely ahead in Freshwater
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Labor increased their lead again in a YouGov poll, but Freshwater put them ahead by just 50.3–49.7. This article also covers the final WA upper house results

    Why Kinshasa keeps flooding – and why it’s not just about the rain
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gode Bola, Lecturer in Hydrology, University of Kinshasa The April 2025 flooding disaster in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, wasn’t just about intense rainfall. It was a symptom of recent land use change which has occurred rapidly in the city, turning it into

    Grattan on Friday: Peter Dutton’s tax indexation ‘aspiration’ has merit – so why didn’t we hear about it before?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Peter Dutton, now seriously on the back foot, has made an extraordinarily big “aspirational” commitment at the back end of this campaign. He says he wants to see a move to indexing personal income tax – an assault on the

    Keith Rankin Essay – Barbecued Hamburgers and Churchill’s Bestie
    Essay by Keith Rankin. Operation Gomorrah may have been the most cynical event of World War Two (WW2). Not only did the name fully convey the intent of the war crimes about to be committed, it, also represented the single biggest 24-hour murder toll for the European war that I have come across. On the

    Public toilets could be the jewels in our cities’ crowns – if only governments would listen
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Tietz, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Design, UNSW Sydney A New South Wales Senate inquiry into public toilets is underway, looking into the provision, design and maintenance of public toilets across the state. Whenever I mention this inquiry, however, everyone nervously laughs and the conversation moves on.

    Bad news – why Australia is losing a generation of journalists
    Shrinking budgets and job insecurity means there are fewer opportunities for young journalists, and that’s bad news, especially in regional Australia, reports 360info ANALYSIS: By Jee Young Lee of the University of Canberra Australia risks losing a generation of young journalists, particularly in the regions where they face the closure of news outlets, job insecurity,

    Why do scientists want to spend billions on a 70-year project in an enormous tunnel under the Swiss Alps?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tessa Charles, Accelerator Physicist, Monash University An artist’s impression of the tunnel of the proposed Future Circular Collider. CERN The Large Hadron Collider has been responsible for astounding advances in physics: the discovery of the elusive, long-sought Higgs boson as well as other new exotic particles, possible

    Could you accidentally sign a contract by texting an emoji? Here’s what the law says
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer McKay, Professor in Business Law, University of South Australia Parkova/Shutterstock Could someone take you to court over an agreement you made – or at least appeared to make – by sending a “👍”? Emojis can have more legal weight than many people realise. A search of

    Why healthy eating may be the best way to reduce food waste
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trang Nguyen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Global Food and Resources, University of Adelaide Stokkete, Shutterstock Australians waste around 7.68 million tonnes of food a year. This costs the economy an estimated A$36.6 billion and households up to $2,500 annually. Much of this food is wasted at

    Why can’t I keep still after intense exercise?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ken Nosaka, Professor of Exercise and Sports Science, Edith Cowan University Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock Do you ever feel like you can’t stop moving after you’ve pushed yourself exercising? Maybe you find yourself walking around in circles when you come off the pitch, or squatting and standing and squatting

    ‘We get bucketloads of homework’: young people speak about what it’s like to start high school
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine Stevens, PhD Candidate, Education, Murdoch University Rawpixel.com Starting high school is one of the most significant transitions young people make in their education. Many different changes happen at once – from making new friends to getting used to a new school environment and different behaviour and

    How to tackle the ‘gender play gap’: 4 ways to encourage young women back into sport
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Kay, PhD Candidate at the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University matimix/Shutterstock Women’s sport has recently enjoyed unprecedented success in Australia. We have seen the Matildas sell out 16 successive home games, a world-record attendance for a women’s Test cricket match at the

    Want straighter teeth or a gap between? Don’t believe TikTok – filing them isn’t the answer
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland After decades of Hollywood showcasing white-picket-fence celebrity smiles, the world has fallen for White Lotus actor Aimee Lou Wood’s teeth. Wood was bullied for her looks in her youth and expressed gratitude for

    1 in 6 New Zealanders is disabled. Why does so much health research still exclude them?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachelle Martin, Senior Lecturer in Rehabilitation & Disability, University of Otago Getty Images Disabled people encounter all kinds of barriers to accessing healthcare – and not simply because some face significant mobility challenges. Others will see their symptoms not investigated properly because it’s assumed a problem is

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DOGE’s Data Dive Denied: Court Grants Preliminary Injunction and Blocks Access to SSA System

    Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union

    Baltimore, MD — A federal court has granted a preliminary injunction blocking Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) from further accessing sensitive personal data stored within the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) systems. The ruling comes in response to a motion filed by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO; the American Federation of Teachers (AFT); and the Alliance for Retired Americans, all represented by Democracy Forward.

    Today’s decision provides significant relief and is essential in halting DOGE’s unlawful and dangerous overreach. The court recognized that Musk’s operatives’ unprecedented access to private Social Security data, ranging from immigration records to health and financial information, violated critical privacy protections and would cause irreparable harm.

    This decision sends a clear message to Elon Musk and his DOGE minions to keep their hands off Social Security,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. This regime of billionaires is wreaking havoc on the Social Security Administration – rolling out plans to cut services, sowing confusion, disregarding court orders and then denying how their actions will hurt those most vulnerable. We won’t stand for it. Working people spend their entire careers paying into Social Security so they can one day retire with dignity. AFSCME and our partners will keep working to protect that promise for all.

    This is an important ruling that upholds our grave concern that millions of Americans have had their private information and retirement security violated by Elon Musk’s illegal actions. It stops, for now, the exploitation of data by an unelected billionaire who wants to weaponize it or use it for his and others’ personal ends. The promise of Social Security is that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can retire with dignity and grace. Elon Musk broke that basic bond of trust and today, the judge agreed that he must be held accountable,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten.

    Older Americans can breathe easier knowing that Elon Musk and his DOGE team have been clearly ordered to stay away from their most personal financial and health information,” said Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans. We will always fight to ensure that every American after a lifetime of work receives the Social Security benefits they have earned and that their most sensitive information remains protected.

    This is a significant relief for the millions of people who depend on the Social Security Administration to safeguard their most personal and sensitive information, said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. The court’s ruling sends a clear message: no one can bypass the law to raid government data systems for their own purposes. We will continue working with our partners to ensure that DOGE’s overreach is permanently stopped and that people’s rights are protected.

    The preliminary injunction halts DOGE personnel from accessing SSA data without complying with certain legal requirements while the broader lawsuit moves forward. Plaintiffs argue that DOGE’s access violates the Privacy Act, the Social Security Act, the Internal Revenue Code, and the Administrative Procedure Act.

    This decision follows a first-of-its-kind order requiring Musk and DOGE to “disgorge” and “delete” any personal data and highlighting that DOGE affiliates have been concerned that the disclosure of even their names would expose them to harassment and thus invade their privacy. However, DOGE does not appear to share a privacy concern for the millions of people whose SSA records were made available to its affiliates without their consent.

    Read the complaint, the motion for temporary restraining order, the motion for preliminary injunction, and today’s ruling.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hong Kong Intl Airport sees 15 percent increase in passenger traffic in Q1

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The Airport Authority Hong Kong reported on Thursday a surge in passenger traffic at Hong Kong International Airport during the first quarter of this year, up 15 percent year on year, totaling 14.59 million passengers.

    The number of aircraft movements also rose by 11.3 percent, approaching 96,000, while cargo volume grew by 3.2 percent to 1.17 million tons, the report said.

    Over the past year, the airport has experienced a remarkable 21.6 percent increase in passenger traffic, reaching 54.94 million. Aircraft movements surged by 20.5 percent to 373,000, and cargo throughput climbed 10.3 percent to 4.97 million tons.

    Aviation network expanded further in March, with Cathay Pacific, West Air, and Vietnam Airlines launching new routes connecting Hong Kong with Hyderabad in India, Dali of southwest China’s Yunnan province, and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, enhancing connectivity between Hong Kong and both the Chinese mainland and international destinations, the airport authority said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi says China, Cambodia set model for equality, mutual trust, win-win cooperation between countries of different sizes

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that China and Cambodia set a model for equality, mutual trust and win-win cooperation between countries of different sizes.

    Xi made the remarks when meeting with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni during his state visit to Cambodia.

    Noting that Cambodia has recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of King Sihamoni’s enthronement and the Khmer New Year, Xi said he is delighted to visit the beautiful country of Cambodia at the invitation of the king, extending his heartfelt New Year greetings to the Cambodian people.

    Xi said that Cambodia’s nation-building is thriving, and he firmly believes that, under the blessings of King Sihamoni, the hardworking and intelligent Cambodian people will surely build an even more prosperous and stronger nation.

    Xi pointed out that China and Cambodia share a millennia-old friendship, with their people having always striven together and thrived together. Regardless of changes in the international landscape, China and Cambodia have stood by each other in good faith and with mutual assistance, offering unwavering support on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns.

    China and Cambodia have always been at the forefront of building a community with a shared future for mankind, bringing tangible benefits to the Cambodian people, said Xi.

    He said that China values its friendship with the Cambodian royal family, and spoke highly of the important contributions made by the Cambodian royal family to the cause of China-Cambodia friendship over the years.

    Under the new circumstances, China and Cambodia should cherish and carry forward the ironclad friendship jointly forged by the elder generation of Chinese leaders and King Father Norodom Sihanouk, endow the China-Cambodia community with a shared future with new connotations of the time, serve the development of their respective countries and the well-being of their people, and make greater contributions to building a community with a shared future with neighboring countries and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, said Xi.

    He noted that China firmly supports Cambodia in maintaining stability, accelerating development, improving people’s livelihoods and following a development path that suits its national conditions.

    Xi said that he believes Chinese modernization will bring more opportunities to Cambodia and other neighboring countries and expressed confidence in writing a splendid chapter of building an all-weather China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era.

    For his part, King Sihamoni said the friendship between Cambodia and China was created and cultivated by the elder generation of leaders of the two countries, adding that with the joint efforts of both sides, cooperation in various fields has become increasingly close and the building of a community with a shared future has been continuously deepened.

    The Cambodian side, he said, firmly adheres to the one-China principle, highly appreciates the three major global initiatives proposed by Xi, and appreciates the huge development opportunities brought to Cambodia via the Belt and Road cooperation.

    He hailed Xi’s visit a historic one, which will deepen the ironclad friendship between the two countries, enrich the cooperation framework of the “Diamond Hexagon,” and take bilateral ties to a new level.

    The king also said his country is ready to enhance coordination and cooperation with China in such multilateral mechanisms as ASEAN-China Cooperation and Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, and jointly promote regional peace, stability and prosperity.

    The king also presented the National Order of Independence – Grand Collar to Xi.

    He said Xi holds special friendly feelings towards Cambodia and has made outstanding contributions to promoting the development of Cambodia-China relations, adding that Xi is a great friend of Cambodia.

    It is believed that under the leadership of President Xi, China will achieve greater development accomplishments and play a more important role in international and regional affairs, he added.

    Xi said that this medal fully demonstrates Cambodia’s high regard for developing China-Cambodia relations and carries the deep friendship of the Cambodian people towards the Chinese people.

    This honor, he said, belongs not only to him personally, but also to all the friendly people who have cultivated and contributed to the friendship between China and Cambodia. 

    Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni presents the National Order of Independence – Grand Collar to Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 17, 2025. Xi met with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Thursday. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese President Xi Jinping and Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni walk at the Royal Palace after their meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 17, 2025. Xi met with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Thursday. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Biolight—Living Light

    Source: Panasonic

    Headline: Biolight—Living Light

    Megumi Mizoguchi
    Design Division,Panasonic Corporation

    Noriyuki Hatsugai
    Green Transformation Division,Technology Sector,Panasonic Holdings Corporation

    Takashi Kanno
    Green Transformation Division,Technology Sector,Panasonic Holdings Corporation

    Satoshi Sasaki
    Department of Medical Technology,School of Health Sciences,Tokyo University of Technology

    Bringing Together People, Organizations, and Expertise to Unlock New Possibilities
    Mizoguchi: The idea of combining light and biological organisms came from an independent research project I pursued, which was encouraged by the Transformation Design Center where I work. While my background is in biology, most of my work at the company has involved physics and chemistry, so when it came to my own research, I wanted to bring the focus back to biology.
    Hatsugai: Before joining the company, I was also involved in the field of biology, researching ways to use biologically generated light, like luminescent proteins, as tools. That experience naturally led me to explore luminescent bacteria as a potential theme for commercialization.
    Mizoguchi: When I told my supervisor I wanted to explore the fusion of light and biology, he introduced me to Mr. Hatsugai. We quickly realized we were working on similar themes and hit it off right away, so we decided to team up on the project.
    Hatsugai: At the time, though, my bacterial strain did not emit much light…hardly enough to call it “light” at all. That led me to dig deeper, and through my research, I came across the work of Professor Sasaki.
    Sasaki: I was thrilled when I got a message saying, “I’m interested in luminescent bacteria!” I’ve studied bacteria for many years, but since their light output isn’t strong enough for practical lighting, I always felt it would be hard to bring them into real-world use. The chance to collaborate with Panasonic gave me hope, and I quickly shared one of my brightest strains with them.

    Mizoguchi: When we first met, Professor Sasaki had a tiny vial of glowing bacteria tucked into his shirt pocket—it made me smile. His deep passion for his research was evident, and I thought to myself, “If it’s with him, we can definitely make living light a reality.”
    Hatsugai: Professor Sasaki provided more than just the bacterial strain; he also gave us invaluable guidance on adjusting key conditions for culturing, like nutrients and oxygen levels. Thanks to his advice, we were able to get the bacteria to emit light in a large tank. Together with Mr. Kanno, who handles the equipment, we’ve taken on the challenge of keeping the glow going as long as possible. Throughout the six-month Expo, we’re confident that visitors will be able to witness the glowing bacteria at any time.
    Kanno: I joined the team in April 2024. With a background in electrical engineering, this was my first time developing equipment for use in biology. It’s been full of surprises and challenges, but there were moments when my ideas—coming from outside the field of biology—helped broaden the project’s scope. That sense of contribution has made this challenge deeply rewarding.
    Mizoguchi: I believe the real strength of this project came from combining different perspectives, namely biology, which is Mr. Hatsugai’s and my specialty, Panasonic’s core strength in engineering, Professor Sasaki’s expertise from outside the organization, and Mr. Kanno’s fresh ideas from a different field. Through this blend of diverse skills and backgrounds, we were able to spark new ideas and tackle even the toughest challenges.

    Working with Living Organisms is Challenging—But That’s What Makes It So Fascinating
    Sasaki: It has been two years since I was first approached about the project, and today was the first time I saw the actual setup. I was truly impressed to see the bacteria glowing steadily in such a large volume of liquid.
    Hatsugai: Since we’re working with living organisms, fine-tuning the conditions was incredibly challenging. Too much or too little food or oxygen would throw everything off. Even when we got the balance just right, changes in the surrounding environment could still cause the bacteria to stop glowing. There was even one time when they wouldn’t glow at all…until Ms. Mizoguchi walked into the lab, and suddenly, they lit up!
    Mizoguchi: It really felt like we were having a dialogue with the bacteria as we worked through the research. Unlike machines, they couldn’t be controlled precisely. While that was frustrating at times, I think it’s also what made us feel such a strong connection and dedication to the project.
    Kanno: If we focused only on making the culturing process work, the equipment ended up looking unappealing. Since this was meant to be an exhibit for a broad audience, we made sure to prioritize the visual design as well, developing the equipment with both function and form in mind.
    Sasaki: Keeping luminescent bacteria glowing in a large tank over a long period is highly challenging. Over the years, I’ve had people from various industries approach me with ideas such as using them in stage productions or trying to raise them, but none of those concepts ever came to life. Panasonic, however, brought something different: not only the technical expertise to make it happen, but the drive and momentum to move the project forward with real force.

    Experimenting with Biolight

    Creating a Gentle, Formative Experience to Light Up Children’s Hearts
    Kanno: I’m excited that we get to showcase a project we all worked on together at the Expo, a venue that’s so open to the public. I originally became an engineer at Panasonic because I wanted to contribute to society through technology, and this project feels like a direct opportunity to fulfill that dream.
    Hatsugai: Our company has a long history of lighting up daily life in Japan, something many people still remember from the old television commercial songs. As one of the country’s leading lighting manufacturers, we believe our mission is to develop lighting solutions that coexist with the natural environment with a view to the future. While there’s still a long way to go in terms of advancing the technology for commercialization, we see the Expo as a decisive first step toward introducing a new concept of light to society.
    Mizoguchi: As Mr. Hatsugai mentioned, we’re exploring a new kind of light that coexists with nature and offers more than just illumination. We want to create an experience that warms children’s hearts. We hope to give them a gentle, formative memory they’ll carry with them and recall unexpectedly, even years later.
    Sasaki: The light from luminescent bacteria sways gently and quietly touches the heart. That’s what makes it so special. After the Great East Japan Earthquake, our university was affected by scheduled blackouts, and I once took the bacterial strains home to keep them safe. I brought the container into my bedroom and saw my young daughter peacefully asleep, her face softly lit by the gentle glow. In that moment, I felt a deep sense of calm. I truly believe that the flickering, tender light of living organisms can move people in ways words never could.

    Mizoguchi: The theme of the Earth area is a “720° cycle” between people and nature. Rather than focusing solely on technology for either people or nature, I believe that the true 720° cycle emerges from the mutual exchange of abundance, where people and nature connect, support, and circulate with each other. I hope that children visiting the pavilion will grasp the importance of this connection not through words, but through the experience itself.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Cyanobacteria—Technology that Nurtures Nature Through Nature

    Source: Panasonic

    Headline: Cyanobacteria—Technology that Nurtures Nature Through Nature

    Seiji Kojima
    Green Transformation Division,Technology Sector,Panasonic Holdings Corporation

    Michael Shadovitz
    Design Division,Panasonic Corporation

    Toshiki Tanisaki
    Ryokukou Garden

    Encouraging Growth in the Truest, Most Natural Way—That’s Novitek
    Kojima: While animals like us get the nutrients we need for survival through food, plants use their chloroplasts to perform photosynthesis and generate the energy required for growth. “Novitek” is a technology that enhances photosynthesis, stimulating plant growth. It works by transforming cyanobacteria into a biological plant growth stimulant, mimicking the role of chloroplasts.
    Michael: When I first discovered this technology, I thought, “This is incredible!” Everywhere you go, people are talking about the need to increase greenery to tackle food shortages and environmental issues. But if we’re only expanding plants in limited spaces or spending excessive amounts of money and energy on greening efforts, it doesn’t really achieve much. What sets Novitek apart is that it offers an easy way to encourage plant growth simply by spraying it on plants. On top of that, it’s made from natural, biologically derived ingredients. I believe we need to spread this technology further and make more people aware of it.
    Kojima: Initially, this technology was developed with field and greenhouse crops in mind, so when I first heard about using Novitek for an Expo exhibit, I was honestly surprised. I also had concerns about whether it could be effective for houseplants or indoor pot cultivation.

    Michael: We really wanted to use Novitek, but we wondered if it would even be possible. To address this question, we brought in Mr. Tanisaki from Ryokukou Garden, a plant expert. He was already familiar with exhibits like those that decorate trains with plants, and I felt he would view our challenge of bringing greenery to places that lack it in a positive, enthusiastic way. So, I reached out to him.
    Tanisaki: I had been involved in landscaping for Expo-related projects before, so I was thrilled when I was approached for this one. As a landscape designer, I frequently work on exhibits, but typically, they last only a week or two. With the Expo running for six months, I quickly realized that maintaining the health and vibrancy of the plants for such an extended period would be a significant challenge.
    Kojima: With Mr. Tanisaki on board and the expertise of Ryokukou Garden, we began the experiment. The main challenges were determining whether we could maintain plants indoors in pots for an extended period, and whether Novitek could still stimulate growth in that setting. Based on the results, we selected the plants that would be showcased in the Earth area.
    Tanisaki: The experiment helped us determine which plants could stay healthy over the long term, how much light they needed, and what height it should be applied. We’ll be showcasing the whole process, from cultivation to harvest, focusing on corn, mini tomatoes, bananas, and asparagus.

    Embracing the Fun of This Project, Unexpected Challenges and All
    Kojima: This project has been a massive source of inspiration for me. The idea of using Novitek—initially developed for crops—on houseplants was an entirely new perspective I hadn’t considered before. Beyond that, working with Ryokukou Garden to actually grow the plants and collaborating with the team to share ideas… It’s been a completely different experience from my usual work, where I quietly conduct research in the lab. The space that Mr. Tanisaki set up for the experiments is incredible, don’t you think? It felt like a secret hideout, and I was excited every time I walked in (laughs).
    Tanisaki: I’ve always grown plants with the assumption they’d be under natural sunlight, so it was a refreshing experience to observe them while measuring the intensity of artificial light. For instance, figuring out things like “This plant needs XX lux” or “With artificial light, it has to be placed at this distance.” This project has been a great learning experience for me, and I feel like my knowledge has really expanded.
    Michael: Environmental challenges have reached a point where even large companies can’t tackle them alone. That’s why collaboration must extend beyond our walls, whether it be with technology or between people. I believe this approach is not only a mission for Panasonic, but something that should become increasingly standard moving forward.

    The dedicated space within Ryokukou Garden’s facilities for the experiment

    Kojima: The real challenge of our exhibit starts once we bring the plants into the venue. We can expect some unexpected hurdles, whether it’s the lighting or temperature. But that’s the beauty of working with plants, and I believe the only way to overcome these challenges is by facing them together as a team.
    Tanisaki: Plants have their own individual variations, so what worked in the experiment may not always work as expected. But if we’re going to do this, I really want it to be something that makes children say, “What plant is this?” “Wow, that’s its name!” or “This shape is so cool!”—something that will spark their excitement and curiosity.
    Michael: Today’s kids may only know tomatoes as just tomatoes, right? But when they see how something they only recognize as a fruit actually grows on a branch, it will surely make a lasting impression. We don’t know exactly how things will unfold yet, but if they can touch the plants or spot a few bugs, I think it would be wonderful to create a space where they can engage with nature in the most natural way possible.

    Envisioning a Future Where Novitek is Integrated into Cities and Daily Life
    Michael: I hope the children visiting the Earth area will see the vibrant greenery and think, “I’d love for my city to look like this,” or “I want to help create a city like this.” The Expo exhibit is just a stepping stone. Our ultimate goal is to inspire everyone to work together to build a more natural and thriving city and way of life.
    Kojima: If we can demonstrate that Novitek works not only on crops but also on non-food plants like houseplants, I believe the potential applications will grow in many areas. This includes using it to enhance greenery for urban development, or even helping plants grow for fuel production. I sense that Novitek has the potential to make a significant contribution to society in many different ways.
    Michael: Urban environments are becoming tougher by the day, right? Summers are getting hotter, winters colder, and the weather is changing in ways we didn’t see before. But if Novitek can help plants thrive in these harsh conditions, I believe it will contribute to creating green infrastructure—something that goes far beyond just adding greenery.

    Tanisaki: Having lived in Africa until two years ago, I’ve seen the global food crisis up close. I believe that as Novitek gains more applications and becomes widely recognized, demand from overseas will grow. Starting with the Expo, I hope Novitek spreads across Japanese society and, eventually, internationally. It would be great to see that momentum take off.
    Michael: To make that happen, we need to focus on the Expo first. We’ll all do our best to visit the venue as much as possible and take care of everything (laughs). I’m hoping we can enjoy even the challenges that come with it.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cherokee County man sentenced to federal prison in drug trafficking conspiracy

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    TYLER, Texas – An Alto man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

    Robert Jessie Martin, 47, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 220 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on April 17, 2025.  Judge Barker also entered an order forfeiting to the government Martin’s 75 acre property located in Cherokee County.

    According to information presented in court, Martin conspired with others to distribute five kilograms or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. As part of the conspiracy, Martin set up rotary tablet pill presses on his property near Alto to manufacture and press out hundreds of thousands of counterfeit pills laced with methamphetamine that were then distributed throughout the United States for profit. Martin recruited and supplied wholesale and mid-level distributors of the pills he manufactured.

    On July 11, 2023, law enforcement executed a federal search and arrest warrant on Martin’s property located near Alto and seized five firearms, five rotary pill presses, 111.22 grams of actual methamphetamine, approximately 7,669 grams of methamphetamine in powder form, and 29,283 methamphetamine-laced pills.

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); HSI Currency Narcotics Enforcement Team-Houston; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office; the Jacksonville Police Department; and the Texas Department of Public Safety.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Hurst.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader and Money Launderer for the KDY Drug Trafficking Crew Sentenced to 160 Months in Federal Prison

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    WASHINGTON – Kenneth Amedola Olugbenga, 29, a leader of and money launderer for the violent Kennedy Street Crew (KDY), was sentenced today to 160 months in federal prison for his role in a massive drug trafficking organization that operated open-air markets in Northwest Washington D.C.

                The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office , and ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives – Washington Field Division.

                Olugbenga, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty Sept. 20, 2024, to a two-count Superseding Information, charging him with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, cocaine base, and marijuana and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. In addition to the 160-month prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Olugbenga to serve four years of supervised release. Judge Howell also ordered Olugbenga to forfeit $374,598.00 as part of his sentence.

                KDY members operated open-air drug markets on an 11-block stretch of Kennedy Street in Northwest Washington, D.C., as well as surrounding streets. Like many drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), KDY armed itself with fire power to facilitate the drug trade defend its territory from rival crews and commit other violent crimes. Olugbenga was arrested in June 2023 as part of a coordinated arrest operation in this case and has remained in federal custody since his arrest.

                According to court documents, and by his own admission, Olugbenga served as an organizer and leader of the Kennedy Street Crew. Olugbenga was one of the originators of KDY’s drug trafficking operation via commercial flights from California. He served as the lead money launderer for the crew, establishing phony companies that included an auto detailing business to project an illusion of legitimacy for the crew’s drug trafficking. From 2019 until the date of his arrest, Olugbenga also used a local casino to launder $1.8 million in illegal proceeds from drug trafficking. In addition, Olugbenga used one of the phony businesses to apply for and receive a forgivable Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) from the Small Business Administration during the COVID-19 pandemic. He used the SBA funds to buy more bulk narcotics.

                Olugbenga took nearly six dozen roundtrip flights to the West Coast over the course of the four-year conspiracy and spent more than $21,000 on one-way airline tickets in one year alone.

                Olugbenga was a bulk supplier of cocaine, both powdered and crack, along with marijuana. He regularly referred customers to other KDY drug trafficking operations when they sought pills or other narcotics that he himself was unable to readily access. He tracked drug expenses and debts within the crew, pooling resources and noting law enforcement seizures over the course of the four-year conspiracy.

                He also engaged in drug activity on KDY turf. Within the open-air drug market in Kennedy Street territory, MPD officers conducted 15 controlled purchases from Olugbenga totaling 52.3 grams of cocaine base.

                On February 20, 2023, in the 500 block of Emerson Street NW, the MPD’s Fourth District Crime Suppression Team observed a Ford Econoline van driving recklessly as it swerved into oncoming traffic to pass a bicyclist. This van was the same vehicle that Olugbenga had been seen using around the open-air drug market on Kennedy Street since the beginning of the investigation. MPD officers attempted to stop the van, chasing it as it fled. The vehicle eventually stopped near the intersection of 7th and Longfellow Streets NW. Olugbenga abandoned the van and fled on foot. The van was subsequently searched, and law enforcement recovered distribution quantities of crack cocaine and marijuana, a loaded Glock handgun, a drug ledger, and a brochure for one of Olugbenga’s shell companies.

                On June 27, 2023, law enforcement arrested Olugbenga and served search warrants at two residences associated with him. At his residence in KDY territory, officers recovered five kilos of marijuana, nearly a kilo of cocaine, and various scales. 

               Of the 17 KDY members charged in connection with the investigation, 16 have now been sentenced. Co-defendant Jovan Williams, aka Chewy, will be sentenced tomorrow, April 18.

               This investigation was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

               This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, the DEA’s Washington Division, the IRS Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Field Office, and ATF’s Washington Field Division.

               The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi, of the of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 

    KDY DEFENDANTS

    NAME

    AGE

    CHARGES/SENTENCES
    Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga 29 Sentenced March 17, 2025, to 360 Months in Prison after Pleading Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or more of Cocaine Base, and a Detectable Amount of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.
    Khali Ahmed Brown, aka “Migo Lee” 24 Sentenced January 16, 2025, to 168 Months after Pleading Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl and Oxycodone; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense; and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.
    Keion Michael Brown 21 Sentenced January 16, 2025, to 147 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and Oxycodone and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
    Miasiah Jamal Brown, aka “Michael Jamal Crawford” 23 Sentenced August 16, 2024, to Five Years for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
    Tristan Miles Ware, aka “Greedy” 24 Sentenced December 13, 2024, to 120 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilos of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.
    Jovan Williams, aka “Chewy” and “Choo” 20 Sentencing Scheduled for April 18, 2025. Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and Armed Carjacking.
    Herman Eric-Bibmin Signou, aka “Herman Signour” 25 Sentenced March 22, 2024, to 40 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana
    Cameron Xavier Reid 28 Sentenced May 31, 2024, to 60 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana.
    Warren Lawrence Fields, III, aka B-Dub 26 Sentenced May 16, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense and for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
    Juwan Demetrius Clark, aka “Squirrel” 28 Sentenced January 10, 2025, to 37 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
    Aaron DeAndre Mercer, aka “Curby,” 34 Sentenced September 13, 2024, to 120 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, Marijuana, and Cocaine Base.
    David Penn, aka “Turtle” 32 Sentenced November 15, 2024, to 220 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture of Cocaine Base; and Two Counts of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.
    Ronald Lynn Dorsey, aka “Ron G” and “HBGeezy” 31 Sentenced September 13, 2024, to 30 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
    Antonio Reginald Bailey, aka “Boy Boy,” and “Fellow King” 24 Sentenced February 8, 2024, to 24 Months for Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment.
    Anthony Trayon Bailey, aka “Fat Ant,” and “Bizzle” 29 Sentenced April 26, 2024, to 15 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana, 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base.
    Angel Enrique Suncar, aka “Coqui” 31 Sentenced December 12, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.
    Adebayo Adediji Green 31 Sentenced August 16, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.

                Defendant Cameron Reid is from Falmouth, VA; all remaining defendants are from Washington, D.C.

    Kenneth Olugbenga photographed at the local casino where he laundered illicit drug proceeds.

    Olugbenga frequented the open-air drug market in the Kennedy Street Corridor, often with his panel van or one of several sedans he operated.

     

    At Olugbenga’s residence in KDY territory, officers recovered nearly five kilograms of marijuana, and nearly a kilogram of cocaine.

    23cr202

    ##

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Tours WSU-Vancouver Life Sciences Building, Filling Workforce Gaps in Southwest WA

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ***PHOTOS, B-ROLL HERE***
    Vancouver, WA — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, toured Washington State University’s Vancouver campus to see their recently-completed Life Sciences Building, which has been in the works for nearly a decade and specifically works to fill workforce gaps in Southwest Washington, particularly in medicine and nursing. During the visit, Senator Murray heard from students and educators about how the new building allows WSU-Vancouver to expand biology offerings—which were previously limited by a lack of lab space—and provide a new undergraduate degree in chemistry. The Life Sciences Building houses classrooms, lab space for biology and chemistry, and clinical health programs, including biology, chemistry, neuroscience, and nursing.  
    The opening of the Life Sciences Building also freed up space in the existing Science and Engineering Building for a new five-year partnership between the U.S. Forest Service’s Office of International Programs (USFS IP) and WSU Vancouver to combat illegal logging—where students will use state-of-the-art equipment purchased by the USFS IP to assist the Forest Service in detecting illegal timber imports and support the U.S. timber industry by ensuring legitimate trade practices. Right now, U.S. industries lose an estimated $4 billion each year as a direct result of illegal logging. Space in the Science and Engineering Building is currently being renovated for this work, and Forest Service staff will work out of these offices and labs on WSU Vancouver’s campus.  This new partnership is expected to create several new educational opportunities and research outcomes for undergraduate and graduate students and allow WSU to hire new staff. WSU is also a key partner in USFS IP’s Invasive Species Program, which funds research to manage non-native forest pests and pathogens that threaten the health of U.S. forests and grasslands.
    However, Trump and Elon Musk’s mass firings and steep cuts to critical services across the federal government are putting this work in jeopardy—Trump and Musk have already pushed out more than 3,000 U.S. Forest Service employees and their upcoming Reduction In Force (RIF) plans are likely to gut USFS IP and could put the agency’s partnerships with WSU at risk.
    “As a proud Coug, it was great getting to see firsthand how WSU is advancing life science programs for students in Vancouver and filling workforce needs for greater Southwest Washington. Thanks to these new resources and programs, more students will be equipped to become nurses, doctors, and scientists ensuring Washington state continues to lead the way on everything from medical research to preventing invasive species from threatening our forests,” said Senator Murray. “Right now, President Trump is doing everything he can to attack education across the country and abolish the Department of Education that provides really critical support for students at WSU and all over Washington state. Trump’s attacks on the Forest Service also threaten critical partnerships with WSU on everything from combating illegal logging to managing invasive species. I will continue fighting as hard as I can to protect the funding and resources our students and schools like WSU need to thrive.”  
    Last year, the Department of Education distributed over $100 million in federal financial aid and support to help students across Washington attend and complete college.
    “Senator Murray’s visit provided an opportunity to showcase the vital role federally funded research plays in advancing our mission—from driving cutting-edge discoveries that promote health, innovation and economic vitality in our region to expanding access and supporting student success,” said Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education Christine Portfors.
    A senior member and former chair of the HELP Committee, Senator Murray has championed students and families at every stage of her career—fighting to help ensure every child in America can get a high-quality public education. Among other things, Senator Murray negotiated the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), landmark legislation that she got signed into law, replacing the broken No Child Left Behind Act. As a longtime appropriator, she has successfully fought to boost funding to support students and invest in our nation’s K-12 schools, and she has secured significant increases to the Pell Grant so that it goes further for students pursuing a higher education. Senator Murray also successfully negotiated the FAFSA Simplification Act, bipartisan legislation to reform the financial aid application process, simplify the FAFSA form for students and parents, and significantly expand eligibility for federal aid.
    Earlier this month, Senator Murray led a letter to Secretary Linda McMahon demanding a reversal of a new policy the Department of Education announced recently that suddenly upended departmental policy and imposed new red tape on states, which will prevent them from accessing pandemic relief funds they are counting on to support students’ learning. Senator Murray also led a letter demanding detailed answers from the Department of Education about the mass firings and other detrimental actions which risk major reductions in support for and oversight of federal investments in our nation’s K-12 schools and institutions of higher education and threaten vital support for students with disabilities, access to Pell Grants and other financial aid, oversight of student loan servicers, scrutiny of for-profit colleges, and more. The letter follows an earlier March 6 letter Senator Murray sent alongside colleagues demanding answers about the chaotic, harmful actions taken by ED since January—which the Department has yet to respond to.
    During Secretary Linda McMahon’s confirmation hearing, Senator Murray pressed McMahon on whether she will ensure approved funding gets out to serve students as the law requires and whether she would protect students’ data from DOGE. She also asked McMahon to name a single requirement of ESSA—and McMahon couldn’t name any. Ahead of McMahon’s confirmation, Senator Murray spoke out on the Senate floor against her nomination and sounded the alarm over President Trump and Elon Musk’s plans to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
    A fact sheet outlining how the Department of Education supports students in Washington state is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –