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Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI USA: April 8th, 2025 Heinrich, Sheehy Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act Passes Senate

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) announced that their Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025, legislation to strengthen the aerial wildfire suppression fleet and better combat the year-round threat of catastrophic wildfire, passed the Senate.
    Heinrich and Sheehy led the introduction of their legislation in January. The legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act now awaits House passage.
    “I’m pleased that my Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act is one step closer to becoming law,” said Heinrich. “The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act is urgently needed to expand the operations of Very Large Air Tankers that have proven absolutely essential to firefighters battling large wildfires in New Mexico and across the West. I will never stop fighting to deliver the resources that our communities need to effectively respond to wildfires.”
    “It’s only April, and this year has already seen the most dangerous and expensive wildfire season in history. It’s clear our government must do more to give wildland firefighters the tools they need to protect communities and save lives. The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act supports that mission by eliminating bureaucratic obstacles to provide our aerial wildfire suppression fleet the resources necessary to fight wildfires quickly and aggressively. I’m grateful to my colleagues for their support of this bipartisan legislation, and I will continue to use the full power of my office to support the brave first responders on the front lines fighting wildfires across the country,” said Sheehy.
    “In Arizona and across the West, wildfires are more frequent, more intense, and no longer confined to a single season. Our response capabilities need to reflect that new reality,” said Kelly. “Strengthening our aerial firefighting fleet by making more aircraft and parts available is a smart, proven way to help firefighters respond faster and keep communities safe. I’m proud to support this effort to ensure the tools are in place to meet the growing threat, and I’ll keep working to get it done.”
    “As catastrophic wildfires devastate communities across the country, we need to be smarter and more resourceful in our approach to wildfire suppression,” said Padilla. “Californians saw firsthand the power of our aerial wildfire suppression fleet in putting out the Los Angeles fires as quickly as possible. Shoring up aerial firefighting fleets by allowing the Department of Defense to sell excess aircraft parts is a lifesaving, commonsense priority — and I’m glad to see the Senate come together to unanimously pass this bipartisan legislation.”
    The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act amends the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act of 1996 to reauthorize the sale of excess aircraft and parts by the Department of Defense for wildfire suppression. The bill will help the U.S. better suppress wildfires year-round by facilitating the acquisition of military excess aircraft, sold at fair market value, for the aerial wildfire suppression fleet. Additionally, the sale of parts will help the U.S. maintain its existing aerial firefighting aircraft fleet.
    The bill reauthorizes the Secretary of Defense’s authority to sell excess Department of Defense aircraft and aircraft parts, which are acceptable for commercial sale, to persons or entities that contract with the government for the delivery of fire retardant or water by air to suppress wildfires, as long as the aircraft and parts are used only for wildfire suppression. The initial authority expired in 2005 and was reauthorized from 2012 to 2017 before lapsing again.
    Read more on the bill here.
    Heinrich’s Support for Aerial Firefighting:
    Heinrich has long worked to expand and improve aerial firefighting operations in New Mexico to more effectively fight wildfires. In 2022, Heinrich secured more than $15 million to upgrade the Cibola National Forest Air Tanker Base at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque. Those upgrades were completed in 2024 – a major milestone that makes it possible to support and refuel Very Large Air Tanker planes that can drop large volumes of fire retardant on blazes.
    In an op-ed published in the Albuquerque Journal, Col. Mike Power, Kirtland Air Force Base Installation Commander, highlighted the importance of these newly completed upgrades at the Cibola National Forest Air Tanker Base that will help the U.S. Forest Service fight wildfires in New Mexico more efficiently and effectively.  one of only two bases in the United States with that capability.
    “This base upgrade, where now up to 30 Forest Service professionals work to lead the fight against wildfires, includes the larger ramp space for a stronger, more efficient capability to fight wildfires in New Mexico year-round. It now also houses a retardant tank farm,” said Col. Power in the op-ed. “What does that mean to the average New Mexican? It means 75,000 gallons of retardant available at one time, and cuts response time to a fire in half. Ours is one of only two bases in the United States with that capability.”
    Heinrich’s Continued Leadership on Wildfire Response & Recovery:
    Heinrich remains focused on delivering the resources New Mexico needs to effectively respond to wildfires and prevent future devastating blazes by restoring the health and resilience of our forests and watersheds.
    Last week, Heinrich attempted to amend Republicans’ budget resolution that funds Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s tax handouts for billionaires by filing an amendment to increase forest health and wildfire mitigation forest treatments to support wildland firefighting.  
    In March, Heinrich demanded USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to reverse the Trump-Musk terminations of forest service workers responsible for protecting our communities from wildfires. In his letter, Heinrich highlighted impacts of the USDA’s actions across New Mexico. Specifically, in the Gila National Forest, Heinrich pointed to the USDA’s termination of an entire trail crew that previously spent their days clearing debris from trails to make them safe for the community and help prevent catastrophic wildfire.
    Additionally, Heinrich pressed the USDA on Trump’s plans to fire forest service workers responsible for wildfire prevention and watershed restoration.
    In January, Heinrich introduced the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act to ensure the federal government can recruit and retain a sufficient wildland firefighting workforce to keep communities safe. The legislation would also permanently increase federal wildland firefighter pay.
    Heinrich is keeping up the effort to do right by the New Mexico families whose lives were upended by the 2022 Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire. As communities continue to rebuild, Heinrich will keep working to deliver for every personimpacted by that fire and the floods that followed.
    Heinrich, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) successfully secured an additional $1.5 billion to help New Mexicans recover from the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire within the Continuing Resolution that Congress passed in December 2024.
    The 2024 Continuing Resolution also extended the period that victims may file claims with the Hermit’s Peak Claims Office to March 14, 2025. The Heinrich, Luján, and Leger Fernández are continuing to call for the passage of their Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Extension Act, legislation they introduced to extend the period a victim can file a claim with the Hermit’s Peak Claims Office through the end of 2027.
    The New Mexico Congressional Delegation has now secured a total of $5.45 billion in federal resources to help New Mexicans recover and rebuild since the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire.
    In November 2024, Heinrich, Luján, and Leger Fernández announced that President Biden’s disaster supplemental request included transfer authority for $1.5 billion to help New Mexicans recover from the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire. That same month, Heinrich, Luján, and Leger Fernández also sent a letter urging the FEMA Director of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office and the FEMA Director of the New Mexico Joint Recovery Office to address concerns from New Mexicans about the process for receiving compensationfrom the Claims Office and help families get the relief and compensation needed to recover.
    Additional information on Heinrich’s leadership on Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Response and Recovery can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Highlights Importance Of NIH Funding To Red States & Urges Republicans Senators To Stand Up For Medical Research

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    April 08, 2025
    Durbin: I am pleading with my Republican colleagues: may your choices reflect your hope for new cures and treatments for patients, not your fears about what will happen if you cross Donald Trump
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor slamming the Trump Administration for its attempts to dismantle the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the harmful impacts it will have on medical research across the country, including in red states. Durbin began his remarks by highlighting the importance of NIH funding to patients nationwide.
    Durbin said, “There is certainty in funding medical research. Certainty in knowing that while not all trials, experiments, and grants will result in a breakthrough—some of them will. Because of medical research, kids with ear infections or pneumonia can find relief in antibiotics; because of medical research, we have vaccines that have saved tens of millions of lives worldwide; because of medical research, we have anesthesia that allows patients to safely undergo major surgeries; because of medical research, people are surviving heart attacks, beating cancer, living with HIV/AIDS, receiving organ donations, surviving drug overdoses, and living longer. But there is so much more to be done—so many people still hoping and praying for more.”
    “And you know who offers them that hope? The National Institutes of Health—our nation’s premier biomedical research agency. It is considered the gold standard around the world. For decades, NIH has been a bipartisan success story—with Congress prioritizing the funding of promising, life-saving medical research in all 50 states—creating and supporting good-paying jobs in red, blue, and purple states, and offering real hope to families desperate for it,” Durbin continued.
    Durbin then slammed President Trump, Elon Musk, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for their actions to dismantle NIH and medical research. In addition to cutting medical research around the country, they have terminated clinical trials in process, placed gag orders on researchers, and fired more than a thousand NIH employees.
    “Instead of bolstering medical research, they are breaking it. Instead of offering hope to patients in need, unfortunately they are crushing it. Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and RFK Jr. are either completely oblivious to what they are doing—or they just don’t care,” Durbin continued. “But you know who isn’t oblivious? My Republican colleagues, many of whom have fought by my side to increase NIH’s budget by 60 percent over the past decade… Which is why their silence—their refusal to say anything or act in the face of President Trump’s dismantling of NIH is so devastating… If Republican Senators won’t stand up for NIH funding in their states [or] for constituents in their states, I’m going to do it.”
    Durbin then highlighted how NIH cuts are affecting South Dakota—the home state of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD). In 2024, South Dakota research institutions received nearly $29 million in NIH funding—which supported 453 jobs in that state. Sanford Research/University of South Dakota and South Dakota State University were among some of the top NIH-funded institutions in South Dakota. Sanford Research/USD researchers used NIH funding to support their Center for Pediatric Research, with a specific focus on training new scientists to study pediatric diseases. South Dakota State University used NIH funding to increase cervical cancer screening among Indigenous women—who face higher rates of cervical cancer prevalence and death. They also used funding to develop new, targeted therapies forcolorectal cancer that are safer and more effective than current chemotherapies.
    “These researchers know that cuts to medical research mean diseases will not be cured and treatments will not be found. They know the mass, indiscriminate firings at NIH don’t just mean we are losing talent—it also means we are losing time and progress,” said Durbin.
    Durbin concluded, “Nelson Mandela once said, ‘May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.’ I am pleading with my Republican colleagues: may your choices reflect your hope for new cures and treatments for patients fighting cancer, ALS, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease—not your fears about what will happen if you cross this President. Let us do what is right. Let’s come together again on a bipartisan basis for medical research… Medical research helps all people—everybody gets a helping hand. Let us do what’s right. Let’s come together and save medical research forevery single person in America who is desperate for hope.”
    Video of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
    Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
    Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here for TV Stations.
    This year, Durbin has twice asked for unanimous consent (UC) to pass a resolution he introduced with U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), as well as 21 other Senators, that would pledge support for NIH.  The resolution simply said that the work of NIH should not be subject to interruption, delay, or funding disruptions in violation of the law, and it reaffirmed that the NIH workforce is essential to sustaining medical progress.  The first UC request was blocked by U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) and the second was blocked by U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK).
    Durbin has long been a strong advocate for robust medical research.  His legislation, the American Cures Act, would provide annual budget increases of five percent plus inflation at America’s top four biomedical research agencies: NIH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Defense Health Program, and the Veterans Medical and Prosthetics Research Program.  Thanks to Durbin’s efforts to increase medical research funding, Congress has provided NIH with a 60 percent funding increase over the past decade.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues To Demand Answers, Return Of Maryland Father Wrongfully Deported To El Salvador

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    April 08, 2025

    “When the Administration makes a mistake as severe as sending an individual with protected status to a foreign prison, it cannot simply shrug off responsibility and allege that there is nothing it can do to reunite him with his wife and child, who are American citizens,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to DHS Secretary Noem and ICE Acting Director Lyons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and 22 Senators in writing to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Tedd Lyons.  The Senators’ letter urged Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a father who was living legally, under a protected status, in Maryland with his family until he was wrongfully deported without due process by the Trump Administration last month to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador.  The Administration has admitted that Abrego Garcia’s deportation was the result of an “administrative error.”

    In their letter, the Senators call on the Trump Administration to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return and ask for responses to questions regarding ICE’s enforcement policies that may have led to this grave error – and what measures they will take to ensure such an incident does not occur again.

    The Senators began, “We write to express our concerns regarding the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, an action which the Administration admitted in a recent court filing was an ‘administrative error.’ It is unacceptable that anyone would be deported without proper due process, especially where an immigration judge has granted the individual protected status that explicitly prohibits his return to El Salvador. We demand that the Administration bring Mr. Abrego Garcia home immediately.”

    “Per court filings, Mr. Abrego Garcia came to the United States in 2011 as a teenager fleeing gang threats in his home country of El Salvador. In 2019, ICE arrested Mr. Abrego Garcia over an unfounded and anonymous allegation that he was involved with MS-13, which placed him in deportation proceedings. The U.S. immigration judge in the case ultimately found that it was in fact Mr. Abrego Garcia who was at risk of being the victim of gang violence,” the Senators wrote.

    “This ruling was made under the Trump Administration in 2019 and was in fact required by law under section 241(b)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act once the immigration judge made the factual determination that Mr. Abrego Garcia faced a likelihood of torture in El Salvador. At the time, the Trump Administration made no effort to appeal the judge’s ruling or pursue Mr. Abrego Garcia’s deportation further. Court filings attest that Mr. Abrego Garcia has complied with regular ICE check-ins, has no criminal charges, and has had no contact with any other law-enforcement agency since his release in 2019,” the Senators continued their letter.

    “Mr. Abrego Garcia is currently being held at CECOT, a maximum-security prison in El Salvador notorious for human rights abuses, after being deported in violation of the law to the very country where his return was impermissible,” they wrote. “And when the Administration makes a mistake as severe as sending an individual with protected status to a foreign prison, it cannot simply shrug off responsibility and allege that there is nothing it can do to reunite him with his wife and child, who are American citizens.”

    “On Friday, a U.S. District Court judge in the District of Maryland ordered the government to return Mr. Abrego Garcia to the United States, and on Monday the Fourth Circuit denied the government’s motion to stay the order,” the Senators urged.

    While the Supreme Court has since lifted the order to immediately return him to the United States, it also made clear that Mr. Abrego Garcia has the right to challenge this illegal deportation in the lower courts.  The Administration should correct its egregious “error” and reunite Mr. Abrego Garcia with his wife and child, who are both U.S. citizens while that litigation is pending.     

    The Senators closed the letter with a series of questions to Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons, requesting a response by April 22.

    Joining Durbin, Duckworth, and Van Hollen in sending the letter were U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mark Warner (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    A copy of the letter is available here and below:

    April 8, 2025

    Dear Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons,?? 

    We write to express our concerns regarding the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, an action which the Administration admitted in a recent court filing was an “administrative error.” It is unacceptable that anyone would be deported without proper due process, especially where an immigration judge has granted the individual protected status that explicitly prohibits his return to El Salvador. We demand that the Administration bring Mr. Abrego Garcia home immediately.  

    According to court filings, on March 12, 2025, shortly after Mr. Abrego Garcia had picked up his son from the boy’s grandmother’s house, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stopped Mr. Abrego Garcia, inaccurately telling him that his protected status had changed. After giving his wife a few minutes to arrive to take custody of his son, ICE arrested and detained him without any further explanation as to the reason for his arrest. ICE then transferred Mr. Abrego Garcia and other detainees to Texas, where on March 15, 2025, they were loaded onto planes and deported to El Salvador. Mr. Abrego Garcia was reportedly on the only plane that was not sent under the authority of the Alien Enemies Act but instead was transporting migrants with formal removal orders signed by a judge. This occurred despite the fact that ICE knew, as the Administration conceded in court, that his protected legal status specifically prohibited his removal to El Salvador.  

    Per court filings, Mr. Abrego Garcia came to the United States in 2011 as a teenager fleeing gang threats in his home country of El Salvador. In 2019, ICE arrested Mr. Abrego Garcia over an unfounded and anonymous allegation that he was involved with MS-13, which placed him in deportation proceedings. The U.S. immigration judge in the case ultimately found that it was in fact Mr. Abrego Garcia who was at risk of being the victim of gang violence. The judge found that Mr. Abrego Garcia and his relatives credibly testified that gang members had been trying to extort his family and recruit him and his brother to join the gang, forcing his family to move multiple times, ultimately compelling both him and his brother to flee to the United States out of fear.  

    The immigration judge agreed that Mr. Abrego Garcia would likely face persecution if deported back to El Salvador and thus granted him a form of legally mandated protection known as “withholding of removal.” Withholding of removal, which may only be granted by an immigration judge, provided Mr. Abrego Garcia the ability to stay and work in the United States despite being the subject of a deportation order. This ruling was made under the Trump Administration in 2019 and was in fact required by law under section 241(b)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act once the immigration judge made the factual determination that Mr. Abrego Garcia faced a likelihood of torture in El Salvador. At the time, the Trump Administration made no effort to appeal the judge’s ruling or pursue Mr. Abrego Garcia’s deportation further. Court filings attest that Mr. Abrego Garcia has complied with regular ICE check-ins, has no criminal charges, and has had no contact with any other law-enforcement agency since his releasein 2019.  

    Mr. Abrego Garcia is currently being held at CECOT, a maximum-security prison in El Salvador notorious for human rights abuses, after being deported in violation of the law to the very country where his return was impermissible. Though the Administration has admitted in court that his deportation was a mistake, it alleges that there is nothing it can do to address this injustice, given that Mr. Abrego Garcia is now in the jurisdiction of the government of El Salvador as part of an agreement to imprison U.S. deportees in exchange for financial compensation.  

    Your unwillingness to immediately rectify this “administrative error” is unacceptable. Under multiple Democratic and Republican administrations, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE followed the rule of law and worked to quickly return people who were wrongfully deported, in the rare instances where such “administrative errors” occurred. The Administration’s mass deportation agenda does not transcend immigration law or the need for due process. And when the Administration makes a mistake as severe as sending an individual with protected status to a foreign prison, it cannot simply shrug off responsibility and allege that there is nothing it can do to reunite him with his wife and child, who are American citizens. On Friday, a U.S. District Court judge in the District of Maryland ordered the government to return Mr. Abrego Garcia to the United States, and on Monday the Fourth Circuit denied the government’s motion to stay the order. The Administration should promptly comply with the district court’s order.

    To address our concerns about this matter and to provide clarity on the Department of Homeland Security and ICE’s policy regarding the immigration enforcement actions against immigrants with protected status, we ask that your Administration answer the following questions by April 22, 2025: 

    1. The standard and legal course for the government to take to deport someone with protected status would be to reopen the case, introduce evidence that grounds for terminating the protected status exist, and then allow an immigration judge to make a determination as to their status. Why was that course of action not taken in this case?  
    2. In the past, DHS and ICE worked to quickly return people to the U.S. who were erroneously deported. Why is DHS and ICE no longer following these well-established procedures and practices?   
    3. Vice President J.D. Vance and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt have both claimed that Mr. Abrego Garcia is an MS-13 gang member, but the government was unable or unwilling to provide any evidence to substantiate that claim to the court. Please provide any evidence of Mr. Abrego Garcia’s membership in MS-13.
    4. Given that the Administration is reportedly paying $6 million to El Salvador to detain deported immigrants at CECOT, why does it believe that there is nothing it can do to return Mr. Abrego Garcia to his family in the United States? Please provide a copy of the agreement between the U.S. and El Salvador on the detention of people deported from the U.S. in CECOT.
    5. Are there any other cases that the Administration is aware of in which an immigrant with protected status was illegally deported without due process? If so, identify those cases and explain what, if anything the government is doing to rectify those errors. 
    6. Will the Administration commit to reviewing all of the cases of its deportees to ensure that it has appropriately identified all of the errors? 
    7. What actions will the Administration take in the future to ensure that immigrants with protected status are afforded their appropriate due process? 

    We appreciate your prompt attention to this vital matter and look forward to reviewing your fulsome, timely response. 

    Sincerely,

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NIST OWM Info Hour: A Primary Lab in Every State? How Groundbreaking Kibble Balance Technology Will Revolutionize the Mass Calibration Laboratory

    Source: US Government research organizations

    Please join the OWM Laboratory Metrology Program in welcoming our special guest speaker, Leon Chao, NIST Scientific Engineer from the Fundamental Electrical Measurements Group within the Physical Measurement Laboratory.   

    Leon will share how this new groundbreaking technology can directly realize mass traceable to the revised SI through electrical measurements, putting the power of a primary mass standard directly into the hands of state and calibrations labs. 

    During this Info Hour, Leon will:

    • Describe the fundamentals of a Kibble Balance and how state-of-the-art advancements will enable technological commercialization and modernization at the regulatory level (e.g., state laboratory metrology programs) for attaining SI traceability through a constant of nature (Planck’s constant).  
    • Explain why traceability in measurements is critically important, and what the future holds for the traceability of mass calibrations.
    • Discuss NIST’s efforts to miniaturize this technology for any lab’s implementation.  
    • Share current and ongoing collaborations with commercial partners, the Department of Defense, the “NIST on a Chip” Program, and the timetables for deliverables.

     We will have ample time for Q&A and discussion on how states and laboratories can consider if this new technology is right for them and how best to prepare for any practical changes in calibration services. 

    ADD TO YOUR CALENDAR *  There is no registration or fee required to attend the event, and no certificates will be issued.

    (If you have problems adding the calendar link to your Outlook calendar, open the attached document for instructions on making Outlook your default calendar app.)

     If you are a Weights and Measures Official, a Laboratory or Field Metrologist, or anyone involved in using mass standards or mass calibrations, this is for you!”

    About our Guest Speaker

    Leon Chao (B.S., M.S. Mech. Engr, University of Maryland) began his career as a precision design engineer for the NIST-4 Kibble Balance in 2012 aimed at measuring a value of the Planck constant to 8-digit accuracy. This machine ultimately contributed to the global effort in redefining the SI unit of mass, the kilogram, in terms of a fixed value of the Planck constant, sparking the complete revision of the SI. During these efforts, Leon spearheaded an outreach project to build and publish scientific data generated by a fun, LEGO-based tabletop Kibble balance with 1% accuracy, ultimately evolving into a full-blown endeavor to develop multiple generations of laboratory-grade tabletop balances with parts in 10^6 accuracy alongside collaborations with the US Army, NIST-On-A-Chip (NOAC) program, and commercial partners. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 80 Fundamentals of Metrology – SIM Participants Only

    Source: US Government research organizations

    Credit: OWM/K. Dill

    Course Description

    The 5-day Fundamentals of Metrology seminar is an intensive course that introduces participants to the concepts of measurement systems, units, good laboratory practices, data integrity, measurement uncertainty, measurement assurance, traceability, basic statistics and how they fit into a laboratory Quality Management System. Additional topics covered will include overall Laboratory Management and specific discussions of the requirements for proficiency testing, calibration certificate generation and software verification and validation. Topics will be covered using a variety of measurement disciplines and laboratory measurements and case studies so that the participants will be able to apply the concepts to any measurement discipline upon completion. Topics are covered in a mixture of training styles including lecture, hands-on exercises, case studies and discussion.

    This class covers the following procedures from NISTIR 6969:

    • GLP 1, Quality Assurance of the Measurement Process;
    • GLP 9, Rounding Expanded Uncertainties and Calibration Values;
    • GMP 11, Assignment and Adjustment of Calibration Intervals for Laboratory Standards;
    • GMP 13, Ensuring Traceability;
    • SOP 1, Preparation of Calibration Certificates;
    • SOP 29, Assignment of Uncertainty; and
    • SOP 30, Process Measurement Assurance Program.

    Learning Objectives

    At the end of this seminar, participants will be able to:

    • IDENTIFY and USE reference materials to ensure good quality, accurate, traceable measurement results;
    • EXPLAIN highlights and key concepts of each topic (noted on the Table of Contents and the detailed learning objectives) to each other and to your managers and show how these topics fit into a management system using ISO/IEC 17025 as the basis;
    • Have and know how to IMPLEMENT several simple tools, job aids, and references to use and improve your laboratory operations.

    Materials & Supplies

    Several notebooks and course materials will be provided.

    Prerequisites

    The instructor will send registered participants the prerequisite documentation ‘AFTER’ the registration deadline.  Required prerequisites include having a demonstrated knowledge of basic mathematics (pre-test) and completion of a number of reading assignments (listed in Pre-work section). Additional helpful pre-work will be provided to students who have been accepted by the instructor prior to the seminar to minimize course homework time. Participants must be proficient in spreadsheet functions and operations, and formatting in word processing software.

    Pre-Work

    In addition to completing and submitting the Math Exercises, please read:

    Pre-Work Deadline

    Submit the math exercises (pre-work) according to instructions by COB on Monday, February 17, 2025.

    Post-Work

    Fundamentals of Metrology, Laboratory Auditing Program (LAP) Problems – required for State Weights and Measures Laboratories (not applicable for other participants.)

    Minimum Requirements

    Successful completion requires that participants fully participate in all classroom and laboratory exercises, turn in or present accurate work assignments, and be present for the entire course. There will also be a Final Exam on the last day of the class. The Final Exam and Final Calibration Certificate each contribute equal value to the final grade; the final grade also includes class participation and laboratory exercises. A passing grade on all portions is required to obtain a training certificate that indicates “successful completion” (e.g., getting a 100 percent on the final is not an excuse to participate minimally in classroom and laboratory.) Successful completion qualifies the participant to participate in the Mass, Volume and Length seminars, though those may have additional prerequisites.

    *Homework note: students generally report taking one to two hours for homework each night.

    Audience

    National Metrology Institute personnel within the Interamerican Metrology System (SIM) who have responsibilities for developing, implementing, and/or improving national measurement system and quality management systems in their laboratories.  Please contact Andrew Conn at andrew.conn [at] nist.gov (andrew[dot]conn[at]nist[dot]gov) for further information.

    Registration Fee

    This class is for SIM participants only and payment arrangements are made through the International and Academic Affairs Office.  Please contact Andrew Conn at andrew.conn [at] nist.gov (andrew[dot]conn[at]nist[dot]gov) for further information.

    Instructors

    Micheal Hicks and Jose Torres
    Email: micheal.hicks [at] nist.gov (micheal[dot]hicks[at]nist[dot]gov)

    Technology Requirements

    Registered participants will need to bring a 10-digit scientific calculator to use during this seminar. Participants MUST be familiar with the use of the hand-held scientific calculator. Additionally, use of a laptop or tablet PC is required to succeed in the seminar. Participants must have access to Microsoft Word and Excel (version 2010 or newer are acceptable) and be able to open and use template Excel workbooks that will be provided on USB media. Participants must be able to save/store files to USB media devices facilitate printing and turning in homework assignments; if not able to use USB media, participants must be able to connect their laptop to a printing device by cable or BlueTooth and be able to upload files to a secure Google Drive.

    You will need a government-issued photo ID (e.g., passport or driver’s license) when you check into the Visitors Center at the entrance of NIST and if bringing a vehicle onto the NIST campus, a vehicle registration card.

    PLEASE NOTE: Effective July 21, 2014, under the REAL ID Act of 2005 (https://www.dhs.gov/real-id/real-id-frequently-asked-questions), agencies, including NIST, can only accept a state-issued driver’s license or identification card for access to federal facilities if issued by states that are REAL ID compliant or have an extension. NIST currently accepts other forms of federally issued identification in lieu of a state-issued driver’s license, such as a valid passport, passport card, DOD’s Common Access Card (CAC), Veterans ID, Federal Agency HSPD-12 IDs, Military Dependents ID, Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC), and TSA Trusted Traveler ID. See Visitor Information for the latest information.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Don’t let embarrassment stop you – talking about these anal cancer symptoms could save your life

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Mahady, Gastroenterologist & Clinical Epidemiologist, Senior Lecturer, Monash University

    sarkao/Shutterstock

    Anal cancer doesn’t get a lot of attention. This may be because it’s relatively rare – anal cancer affects an estimated one to two Australians in every 100,000. As a comparison, melanomas affect around 70 in every 100,000 people.

    But it’s also likely due to embarrassment. Anal cancer is an abnormal growth in the cells lining the anus, the last few centimetres of the bowel. Many people feel awkward talking about this part of their body.

    So, when symptoms appear – such as bleeding or itchiness – they may delay speaking to a doctor. But it’s crucial to know what to look for, because if anal cancer is caught early the chances of treating it are much higher.

    The anus is the last few centimetres of the bowel.
    Designua/Shutterstock

    Do we know what causes it?

    Up to nine in ten anal cancers are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection.

    HPV is common – more than 80% of people who have ever been sexually active will be infected at some point with a strain (there are more than 150).

    Most HPV strains won’t cause any problems. But some, particularly HPV16, are higher risk. Persistent infection can cause changes in the anal lining and this can progress to anal cancer. This can happen even if you don’t have anal sex.

    Vaccination against HPV is a highly effective method to reduce the risk of cancers related to HPV infection such as anal and cervical cancer.

    Since the national HPV vaccination program began in Australia in 2007, there has been a substantial drop in diseases linked to HPV (such as genital warts). While it’s too early to say, it is hoped that over time cancer rates will also fall due to vaccination.

    Other factors that increase your risk for anal cancer include:

    • being older
    • a history of smoking
    • a weakened immune system (for example from medication or HIV)
    • sexual activity (having anal sex or multiple sexual partners)
    • a history of cervical, vulval or vaginal cancer.
    Only some HPV strains are linked to cancer.
    wisely/Shutterstock

    What are the symptoms?

    Sometimes anal cancer doesn’t cause any symptoms. A doctor may instead detect the cancer visually during a colonoscopy or another examination.

    Other times, symptoms may include bleeding from the bottom (you might see blood on the toilet paper), a new anal lump, or feeling non-specific discomfort or itchiness in your anus.

    You may also have an unusual sensation that you can’t pass a stool as “fully” or easily as before.

    If you have any of these symptoms – particularly if they are new or getting worse – it is important to speak with your doctor.

    The symptoms of anal cancer can be very similar to common conditions such as haemorrhoids, so it’s best to get them checked by a doctor to get the diagnosis right.

    It’s understandable you might be embarrassed. But for doctors, this is all part of routine practice.

    Catching it early improves your chances

    Survival rates are much better for anal cancer caught in the early stages.

    Around 90% of people diagnosed with stage one anal cancer will live five years or more. That drops to 60% if the diagnosis is made when the cancer has developed to stage three.

    The test may be as simple as a quick anal examination. Or it may require other investigations such as anoscopy (looking inside the bottom with a slim tube) or specialised ultrasounds or scans.

    Most tests involve only a small amount of discomfort or none at all. They can rule out anything serious, giving you peace of mind.

    If a cancer is detected, treatment usually involves radiotherapy, chemotherapy or surgery, or a combination.

    The bottom line

    If you need another reason to get symptoms checked out, here’s one: they could also indicate bowel cancer.

    Bowel cancer (also known as colon or colorectal cancer) is the fourth most common cancer diagnosed in Australia, and the second most common cause of cancer death, with similar symptoms such as bleeding from the bottom.

    So, it’s crucial to not to let awkwardness get in the way. Speak to your doctor if any symptoms concern you. Starting the conversation early could save your life.

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

    – ref. Don’t let embarrassment stop you – talking about these anal cancer symptoms could save your life – https://theconversation.com/dont-let-embarrassment-stop-you-talking-about-these-anal-cancer-symptoms-could-save-your-life-249570

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New provider for Chifley Health and Wellbeing Hub

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Equipd Allied Health will re-open an upgraded facility from August.

    The Chifley Health and Wellbeing Hub will re-open to the community from 1 August 2024 with an extensive range of clinical services for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) community members.

    From 1 September 2024, gym and wellbeing services will commence.

    A new provider, Equipd Allied Health, will manage the upgraded facility.

    Investing in a unique service

    The ACT Government has invested over $470,000 towards new equipment and upgrades to the facility, with

    • $350,000 for a range of training, weights, strength and conditioning and wellness equipment
    • $123,000 for a new clinical treatment room, new carpet and all-purpose gym flooring and improvements to the facility.

    Equipd Allied Health will provide dedicated services and comprehensive care and wellbeing to community members and wellbeing for people of all abilities.

    Canberrans with health conditions or impairments, older people with chronic pain or requiring rehabilitation can rely on tailored allied health care to meet their needs.

    Clinical services

    Clinical services will be available for Hub members from 1 August 2024.

    Services will be improved by:

    • a new clinical treatment room
    • new testing equipment
    • exercise and resistance training equipment for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) community members.

    Gym services

    Gym services will re-open from 1 September 2024.

    These include member access to:

    • new cardiovascular training equipment
    • pin-loaded fixed weights and strength equipment
    • free weights
    • balance balls
    • yoga equipment and accessories.

    Members can expect to see new and familiar faces among the staff.

    Continuity for community

    Equipd Allied Health aims to ensure there is continuity for previous members.

    Future members can expect a modern, fit-for-purpose environment that supports their health and wellbeing.

    “We are dedicated to supporting the most vulnerable members of our community and fostering genuine connections through compassionate care, professional excellence, and evidence-based practices,” Dylan Grubb of Equipd Allied Health said.

    “Our number one goal as health professionals is managing risk in an exercise setting and we have clinical equipment coming that will ensure gold standard of care.”

    More information will become available at equipdalliedhealth.com.au.

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    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New Community Services Hub for Woden

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The hub will feature a child and family services and other community services.

    A new Community Services Hub will be built in Woden.

    The proposed location is on Callam Street, opposite the new CIT Campus Woden and with easy access to public transport connections and public carparking.

    The new Hub will centralise community and government services under one roof.

    Currently, Woden Community Service operates from three buildings in the region. Canberrans need to travel between them for the services they require.

    Bringing services together in one place will ensure residents can get the support they need, efficiently and effectively.

    This new four-storey facility will also offer much needed community accessible spaces in the Woden Town Centre such as meeting rooms, a multi-purpose hall and workshop spaces.

    Once complete, the Hub will be part of a revitalised Woden Town Centre.

    The project will also create more jobs in the construction industry.

    Construction is expected to commence in 2026–27.

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    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Up, up and away with new Canberra Balloon Spectacular dates

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The annual crowd favourite will be held from 15 to 23 March 2025.

    In 2025, the Canberra Balloon Spectacular will run from 15 to 23 March.

    This separates the popular event from the Enlighten Festival, which takes place between 28 February and 10 March 2025.

    It also improves the chances of near-perfect balloon-flying conditions.

    The date change is supported by the flight crew and pilots who attend this much-loved annual event.

    A new place for lift-off

    The Canberra Balloon Spectacular will move back to its original home, the John Dunmore Lang Lawns, East, West and North Lawns.

    This larger site makes for a better viewing experience for the many Canberrans who rise early to enjoy the spectacular.

    It also supports the event’s ongoing growth.

    A crowd favourite

    This year 42,006 people attended the Canberra Balloon Spectacular. This is an increase of 8.1 per cent from 38,862 in 2023.

    The event remains a strong visitor drawcard with 25 per cent of attendees coming from interstate or overseas. This is up from 22 per cent in 2023.

    The 2024 Canberra Balloon Spectacular generated a direct economic benefit of $2.1 million for the ACT.

    This is thanks to around 40 hot air balloons launching at dawn each day and hot breakfast and coffee available from the food trucks and coffee carts.

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: EVs assist during Australia-wide blackout

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) smart chargers can help us transition away from fossil fuels to 100 per cent renewable energy.

    During a blackout on the Australian energy grid in February, ACT Government vehicles fed power back into the grid.

    Major storms in Melbourne caused the blackout. At the time, there were 16 ACT Government fleet EVs plugged into vehicle-to-grid (V2G) smart chargers across the ACT. Four of them were charging, and 12 were sitting idle.

    These 16 EVs received a signal from the grid. They started supplying power back into the grid in seconds. This is potentially the first time in the world that this V2G response has assisted during a power emergency.

    V2G technology works using a bi-directional charger. The energy from an EV battery can send electricity back into the grid, just like rooftop solar. In this case, the emergency response lasted a few minutes before the grid stabilised. The cars began charging again as normal with minimal disruption.

    These results show that V2G can:

    • contribute to the security of our electricity grid
    • reduce emissions from transport.

    “V2G represents a huge opportunity for Australia,” Ross De Rango, Head of Energy and Infrastructure at Electric Vehicle Council, said.

    “Over time it will put downward pressure on energy bills for everyone (not just EV drivers) and enable us to close coal and gas fired power stations sooner.

    “We’ll be able to meet significant amounts of energy system peak demand from our cars, rather than from burning fossil fuels, and then recharge them later on from excess wind or solar.”

    EV uptake is growing in Canberra. V2G can play a pivotal role here and across Australia as we transition our national energy systems away from fossil fuels to 100 per cent renewable energy.

    Enabling V2G technology is a commitment in the ACT’s first Integrated Energy Plan. For more information on the ACT’s pathway to electrification, visit the Everyday Climate Choices website.

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    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge sees record-high passenger, vehicle flows during Qingming holiday

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

    Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge sees record-high passenger, vehicle flows during Qingming holiday

    During the Qingming Festival holiday, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in south China recorded over 365,000 passenger trips and 75,000 vehicle crossings at its Zhuhai port – both setting new records for the holiday period.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Canada’s countermeasures against auto imports from U.S. to take effect on Wednesday

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne on Tuesday confirmed that Canada’s new countermeasures announced last week in response to the U.S. tariffs on the Canadian auto industry will come into force at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 9.

    Champagne said Canada would continue to “respond forcefully” to all unwarranted and unreasonable tariffs imposed by the United States on Canadian products.

    “The government is firmly committed to getting these U.S. tariffs removed as soon as possible, and will protect Canada’s workers, businesses, economy and industry,” Champagne said in a release issued by the Finance Ministry.

    The countermeasures, announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney Prime Minister last week, include 25-percent tariffs on non-Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) compliant fully-assembled vehicles imported into Canada from the United States, and 25-percent tariffs on non-Canadian and non-Mexican content of CUSMA compliant fully-assembled vehicles imported into Canada from the United States.

    A remission framework for auto producers that incentivizes production and investment in Canada, and helps maintain Canadian jobs, will also be implemented, said the release.

    On April 3, U.S. tariffs of 25 percent on Canadian automobiles came into effect, targeting the auto industry and the more than 500,000 Canadians this industry supports across the country, said the release, adding that the United States also intends to apply 25-percent tariffs on certain automobile parts on May 3.

    Vehicle imports from the United States totaled 35.6 billion Canadian dollars (25 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024, said the release. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: GM China joint venture reports 71.3 pct surge in NEV sales in Q1

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW), a joint venture between SAIC Motor, General Motors and Liuzhou Wuling Motors, reported robust new energy vehicle (NEV) sales in the first quarter of 2025, selling 199,078 units, with a 71.3 percent year-on-year growth.

    NEVs accounted for 52.8 percent of the company’s total vehicle sales in Q1, during which overall auto sales reached 377,257 units, up 12.3 percent year on year.

    The company also recorded a strong export performance in the first quarter, with overseas NEV shipments rising 8.2 percent year on year to 53,385 units/sets.

    SGMW plans to accelerate its electrification efforts in global markets, with an upcoming entry into Central Asia and an expanded presence in the ASEAN region, according to the company.

    SGMW is based in the city of Liuzhou, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ‘You’re asking people to leave their homes’

    Source:

    Goroke Group Officer Justin Batson

    Leadership during a bushfire is a complicated and multifaceted undertaking, something that CFA Goroke Group Officer Justin Batson came to understand firsthand this fire season.

    Not only are you preoccupied with ensuring resources are where they need to be, trucks in position, crews supported and plans in place, you’re also carrying the weight of decisions that can affect an entire community. 

    In the early hours of 2 February, after a sudden wind change pushed the fast-moving Little Desert National Park bushfire toward the small community of Goroke in Victoria’s west, CFA Goroke Group Officer Justin Batson was forced to make an uncomfortable decision: Should we issue an emergency warning to leave immediately?

    With conditions worsening and the fire’s behaviour becoming more erratic, Justin made the call.

    “It was the first time I’d ever been asked to make that kind of call, and it was something I didn’t take lightly,” Justin said. But with the fire behaviour we were seeing, there was no question in my mind. We had to get people out.”

    The fire had jumped containment lines and was moving quickly. Crews had trucks and fallback plans in place, but the risk to life was too high to not take action.

    “We had plan A, B and C ready to go,” Justin said. “But we also knew if the fire broke through at the wrong time, we’d be dealing with houses under threat, maybe worse.

    “If people left early, it meant we didn’t have to wonder who was still in the town, or where they were.

    That knowledge changes everything for our firefighters and community reassurance.”

    The decision was made, and the emergency warning was sent. To Justin’s relief, the community responded exactly as hoped.

    “There was no pushback. People understood the risk and they trusted us. That’s not always the case during emergencies, and it made a huge difference.”

    Knowing residents were safe allowed firefighters to focus entirely on asset protection and fire suppression.

    “We were dealing with winds that changed without warning,” he added.

    “The fire did things that didn’t make sense, it didn’t follow the usual patterns. There’s no rulebook for something like that.

    “We’re all so thankful to CFA strike teams from across the state who assisted us, working in tough conditions, and to the local farmers and private units who did their bit too,” Justin said.

    “It was a team effort, and everyone was doing what they could to protect their neighbours and stop the fire from escaping the desert. The work on the ground was huge.”

    In the end, no lives were lost. No lived-in homes were destroyed. And while the nearby Little Desert Nature Lodge was sadly destroyed, the town was spared the worst.

    “People thank us for the outcome, but I think the community deserves just as much credit,” Justin said.

    “Their trust gave us the breathing room to do our job.”

    “You don’t forget the weight of that call. You think about the elderly, the families, your own mates.

    You’re asking people to leave their homes, maybe not knowing if they’ll have one to come back to. But when it’s life or death, you can’t afford to hesitate.”

    In the days that followed, messages of thanks poured in, from handwritten notes by local schoolkids to homemade meals delivered to staging areas.

    “If I had my time again, I’m sure we’d make the same call.

    I didn’t want to issue the emergency warning. But I’m glad we did,” Justin said.

    Submitted by CFA Media

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Police investigate serious pedestrian crash in Hobart’s CBD

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Police investigate serious pedestrian crash in Hobart’s CBD

    Wednesday, 9 April 2025 – 11:40 am.

    Police are continuing to investigate a serious crash involving a pedestrian and a vehicle in Hobart’s CBD last night.Police and emergency services were called to the scene in Davey St near the intersection of Hunter St just before 8pm.Initial investigations suggest that a 75 year old man and a 73 year old woman were crossing the road just down from the traffic lights when the man was hit by a vehicle travelling along Davey St.Upon arrival, the man was provided with medical assistance and then taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital for further treatment. He remains in a critical condition.The woman was not physically injured but was taken to hospital as a precaution.Two lanes of Davey St were blocked for 2.5 hours while specialist resources including crash investigation and forensics attended the scene to carry out examinations.Police are calling for witnesses or anyone who has CCTV or dash cam footage to contact police on 131444.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fatal crash, Horsham Downs + appeal for information

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police can confirm one person died in hospital yesterday from injuries sustained in a crash at Horsham Downs last month.

    The single vehicle crash on Bankier Road was reported just before 7:20pm on Friday 28 March.

    Police investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing, and we would like to hear from witnesses.

    In particular, we would like to speak with the driver of the pictured maroon-coloured SUV towing a boat that was travelling on Bankier Road at the time of the crash

    We believe they may be able to provide information to assist with our enquiries.

    If you are the driver of that vehicle, or witnessed the crash, please contact Police on 105, either over the phone or online.

    Please reference file number 250329/2196.

    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 9, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 9, 2025.

    Chinese-Australian voters were key to Labor’s win in 2022. Are some now swinging back to the Liberals?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wanning Sun, Professor of Media and Cultural Studies, University of Technology Sydney Chinese-Australian voters were pivotal to Labor’s win in the 2022 election, with the swing against the Liberals in several key marginal seats almost twice that of other seats. Many traditionally pro-business Liberal supporters switched sides

    The ‘monogamy superiority myth’: new research suggests unconventional relationships are just as satisfying
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joel Anderson, Associate Professor in LGBTIQA+ Psychology, La Trobe University Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock From The Bachelor to Married at First Sight, reality TV sells us the idea that one perfect partner will complete us. The formula is familiar: find “the one,” lock it down and live happily ever after.

    ‘Germany is back’: 3 ways NZ can benefit from Europe’s renewed centre of power
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mathew Doidge, Senior Research Fellow, National Centre for Research on Europe, University of Canterbury Getty Images It’s unlikely many New Zealanders paid close attention to Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ statement late last year that “New Zealand and Germany are committed to enhancing their partnership”. Peters had been

    Bringing manufacturing back from overseas isn’t an easy solution to Trump’s trade war
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Stone, Credit Union SA Chair of Economics, University of South Australia Shutterstock The past week has seen the United States single-handedly rewrite the underlying paradigm for global trade. And while it is fair to say that the methods are extreme, the underlying goal of the policy

    How to build a cinematic universe: the secret to Marvel’s enormous success among a history of failures
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vincent Tran, Academic Tutor at Swinburne University of Technology, Swinburne University of Technology Since Iron Man hit the big screen in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has made more than US$30 billion, from films to series, to merchandise and comics. As scholars and the press have

    ChatGPT just passed the Turing test. But that doesn’t mean AI is now as smart as humans
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zena Assaad, Senior Lecturer, School of Engineering, Australian National University Hanna Barakat & Cambridge Diversity Fund/Better Images of AI, CC BY-SA There have been several headlines over the past week about an AI chatbot officially passing the Turing test. These news reports are based on a recent

    A grab bag of campaign housing policies. But will they fix the affordability crisis beyond the election?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Cull, Associate professor, Western Sydney University Secure and affordable housing is a fundamental human right for all Australians. Therefore, it is unsurprising the election campaign is being played out against a backdrop of heightened voter anxiety about rental stress and housing affordability. A growing number of

    These complementary therapies may soon be eligible for private health insurance rebates
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jon Wardle, Professor of Public Health, Southern Cross University Rui Dias/Pexels Private health insurers may soon be able to offer rebates for seven complementary therapies previously prohibited. This includes some movement therapies – Pilates, yoga, tai chi and Alexander technique, which teaches body awareness and posture –

    Winston Peters at 80: the populist’s populist clocks up 50 years of political comebacks
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grant Duncan, Teaching Fellow in Politics and International Relations, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Winston Peters turns a venerable 80 on April 11, but he showed no sign of retiring as New Zealand’s archetypal populist during his recent state of the nation speech. He

    Cities that want to attract business might want to focus less on financial incentives and more on making people feel safe
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kaitlyn DeGhetto, Associate Professor of Management, University of Dayton To attract business investment, American cities and states offer companies billions of dollars in incentives, such as tax credits. As the theory goes, when governments create a business-friendly environment, it encourages investment, leading to job creation and economic

    Election Diary: The election’s first debate was disaster-free but passion-free too
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The election’s first debate, on Sky News on Tuesday night, was disappointingly dull. Viewers who’d been following the campaign would have learned little. There was minimal spontaneity. Among the 100 undecided voters in the room, 44 said Anthony Albanese won,

    Reality check: coral restoration won’t save the world’s reefs
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Matthew Flinders Professor of Global Ecology and Node Leader in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures, Flinders University A coral ‘rope’ nursery in the Maldives Luca Saponari/University of Milan, CC BY-ND Coral reefs are much more than

    No major gaffes and no knockout punch: the first leaders’ debate was a pedestrian affair
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andy Marks, Vice-President, Public Affairs and Partnerships, Western Sydney University Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton have faced off in the first leaders’ debate of the 2025 federal election. The debate, hosted by Sky News and The Daily Telegraph, was held at the Wenty

    Politics aside, new research shows there are good financial reasons to back working from home
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dorina Pojani, Associate Professor in Urban Planning, The University of Queensland Fizkes/Shutterstock In the pre-industrial era, people often lived and worked in the same building. This removed the need to travel to work. The separation of home and work occurred much later, during the Industrial Revolution. Factories

    Labor’s $1 billion for mental health is good news for young people in particular – but leaves some gaps
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sebastian Rosenberg, Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, and Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney mooremedia/Shutterstock The Labor government has announced it would invest A$1 billion in mental health if re-elected to provide more Australians – particularly young people – with “free, public mental

    We’re hardwired to laugh – this is why watching comedians try to be the ‘Last One Laughing’ is so funny
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fergus Edwards, Lecturer in English, University of Tasmania Amazon MGM Studios Last One Laughing is a battle royale for stand-ups. Ten comedians, one room, surrounded by cameras. Laugh once and they’re warned. Laugh again, and they’re out. Last comic left wins. It is an international TV phenomenon,

    Here’s a simple, science-backed way to sharpen your thinking and improve your memory
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Singh, Research Fellow, Allied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia Centre for Ageing Better/Unsplash Many of us turn to Sudoku, Wordle or brain-training apps to sharpen our minds. But research is increasingly showing one of the best ways to boost memory, focus and brain

    If Australia switched to EVs, we’d be more reliant on China’s car factories – but wean ourselves off foreign oil
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hussein Dia, Professor of Future Urban Mobility, Swinburne University of Technology Prapat Aowsakorn/Shutterstock Australia has huge reserves of coal and gas – but very little oil. Before the 20th century, this didn’t matter – trains ran on local coal. But as cars and trucks have come to

    ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 8, 2025
    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 8, 2025.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven: President Signs Executive Orders to Strengthen Access to Affordable, Reliable Baseload Electricity

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

    04.08.25

    Senator at White House for EO Signing, Working to Secure Future of Coal in Support of U.S. Energy Dominance

    ***Click for video and audio.***

    WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today joined President Donald Trump at the White House as he signed executive orders to strengthen access to the affordable and reliable baseload electricity provided by coal. The orders align with Hoeven’s longtime work to secure the future of the U.S. coal industry, ensuring the nation can continue to utilize this abundant energy resource in support of making the country energy dominant. Specifically, President Trump signed orders that:

    • Direct the Department of the Interior to identify coal reserves on federal lands and prioritize federal coal leasing.
    • Provide regulatory relief for coal mining and coal-fired power plants, including exempting certain coal plants from the onerous Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rule imposed by the Biden administration.
      • Hoeven, along with then-Congressman Kelly Armstrong, led bicameral legislation to block the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from implementing its new MATS rule.
    • Support the development of technologies like carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) and encourage coal technology exports to support U.S. global energy leadership.
    • Utilize emergency authority under the Federal Power Act to address the premature retirement of coal-fired power plants and enable these facilities to continue supporting the reliability of the grid.

    “Today’s executive orders help mobilize President Trump’s team in support of our nation’s coal producers, who provide affordable and reliable baseload power that is essential to the stability of our electric grid,” said Hoeven, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “Leveraging our vast coal reserves, including those on federal lands, is a key part of our efforts to make the U.S. truly energy dominant. North Dakota has long led the way on priorities like CCUS, and I look forward to continuing my efforts with the administration, including Interior Secretary Burgum and Energy Secretary Wright, to provide the regulatory relief and legal certainty needed to unlock our country’s energy potential.”

    Leading in CCUS

    Hoeven has worked for more than 15 years to advance North Dakota’s leadership in cracking the code on CCUS technologies to enable the next generation of clean, coal-fired electric power, including:

    • Putting in place the legal, tax and regulatory requirements to advance CCUS.
    • Making North Dakota the first state to be granted regulatory primacy for Class VI wells, to ensure CO2 is safely and securely stored below the surface.
    • Advancing Basin’s Dakota Gasification synfuels plant, the largest coal-based carbon capture project in the world, which is currently in operation and captures up to 2.25 million metric tons of CO2 per year.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cramer Statement on President Trump Signing Coal Executive Orders

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
    ***Click here for audio.***
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement following President Trump signing executive orders relating to coal mining and coal powered electricity production:
    “It was a really good day for American energy. These executive orders that President Trump signed today reflect not just a temporary reprieve in the war against coal, but really a revolutionary break from the Biden administration’s pessimistic philosophy of scarcity. This shift toward a brighter future for energy abundance really does solidify President Trump’s promise to pursue energy dominance by ensuring that coal, which is of course our nation’s most abundant energy resource, remains available to help keep the lights on, and we know how important that is. North Dakota’s lignite coal industry gives consumers the lowest average electric rates in the country, and has for decades, but it faced a very uncertain future under the failed policies of the Biden administration. This action today really restores sanity to our national energy policy by elevating the importance of domestic energy production to a power manufacturing renaissance and it ensures that affordable, reliable electricity is available for many generations.”
    During the Biden administration, Cramer highlighted how its regulatory actions against coal would lead to disastrous consequences.  He introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the Clean Power Plan 2.0 rule and celebrated the agency’s announcement to roll it back on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Deregulation Day, when the EPA announced 31 actions intended to revitalize the American energy industry.  He also publicized attempts by President Obama’s Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, to bar coal leasing on federal lands. This moratorium is expressly terminated by today’s actions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Finance and Banking – ASB lowers variable rates for personal, business and rural customers

    Source: ASB

    ASB is dropping variable interest rates across home lending, business and rural lending by 0.25%, following today’s decision by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand to reduce the Official Cash Rate (OCR).

    ASB’s Executive General Manager Personal Banking Adam Boyd says, “We expect our reduced variable rates will appeal to customers choosing to float their lending in part or full, as we see Kiwi considering their options carefully.”

    In response to the OCR decrease, ASB is lowering some of its savings products, including Savings On Call and Headstart, by 25 basis points.

    “We encourage customers relying on interest as a means of saving to look at all the options available to make their money work for them.”

     

     

    Home Loan* 

    Current Rates 

    New Rates 

    Rate Change 

    Housing Variable 

    6.89% 

    6.64%

    – 0.25% 

    Orbit Variable

    6.99% 

    6.74%

    – 0.25% 

    Back My Build 

    4.44% 

    4.19%

    – 0.25% 
    Note – Back My Build applications are no longer open to new customers.

    *These changes are effective from Friday 11th April 2025 for new lending customers, and Wednesday 16th April 2025 for existing lending customers.

     

    Business Loan*

    Current Rates 

    New Rates 

    Rate Change 

    Business and Rural Floating Base Rate

     

    5.19%

     

    4.94%

     

    – 0.25%

    Business Base Rate

    12.02% 

    11.77%

    – 0.25% 

    Rural Base Rate

    9.26% 

    9.01%

    – 0.25% 

    Corporate Indicator Rate

    6.43% 

    6.18%

    – 0.25% 

    Special Purpose Base Rate

    5.00%

    4.75%

    – 0.25%

    *These changes are effective from Thursday 17th April 2025 for both new and existing customers.

     

    Savings 

    Band 

    Current Rates 

    New Rates 

    Rate Change 

    Savings On Call & ASB Cash Fund*

    All Balances 

    1.15% 

    0.90% 

    – 0.25% 

    Savings Plus**

    No Bonus 

    0.70% 

    0.45% 

    – 0.25% 

    Partial Bonus

    0.80%

    0.55%

    – 0.25%

     

    Full Bonus

    3.15%

    2.90%

    – 0.25%

    Headstart*

    All Balances

    3.15%

    2.90%

    – 0.25% 

    *These changes are effective from Wednesday 16thApril 2025 for new and existing customers

    **Savings Plus changes were effective from Tuesday 1st April 2025 in line with the quarterly structure of the product

    ASB has practical information for customers on the current interest rate environment available on its website (ref. https://www.asb.co.nz/home-loans-mortgages/preparing-for-rising-interest-rates.html ) as well support to help customers take control of their financial wellbeing and achieve their goals at its Financial Wellbeing Hub (ref. https://www.asb.co.nz/banking-with-asb/financial-wellbeing.html ).

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Community invited to contribute to Natural Reserve Management Plans

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    The City of Greater Bendigo is developing Environmental Management Plans for Kennington Reservoir, Riley Street, Ryalls Lane and Crusoe Reservoir and No. 7 Park Natural Reserves and is inviting the community to have input into the plans.

    City of Greater Bendigo Climate Change and Environment Michelle Wyatt said the purpose of developing the plans is to establish a set of goals for the protection and enhancement of local biodiversity.

    “The plans will identify the values and threats of each site and establish goals and actions aimed at enhancing environmental and passive recreation opportunities for the community,” Ms Wyatt said.

    “The community has a wealth of knowledge of the flora, fauna and ecological communities and use many of the natural reserves we manage.  Their feedback is important to help us understand how they use the sites, what is important to them and how the City can enhance the values and use of each site.”

    Community engagement is currently underway to gather information on how the community uses the following reserves and their priorities for future management:

    • Crusoe Reservoir and No.7 Park (Big Hill) 
      Home to Box-Ironbark forest, reservoirs, walking and cycling trails and abundant native flora and fauna, including 190 species of bird
    • Kennington Reservoir (Kennington) 
      This site supports recovering Box-Ironbark forest and a reservoir which is home to three species of turtle, abundant birdlife and several fish, frog and mammal species
    • Ryalls Lane and Sheepwash Creek (Owl’s Roost Reserve) (Strathfieldsaye)
      This site encompasses parts of Sheepwash Creek and a number of smaller tributaries that support creekline grassy woodland and plains woodland vegetation communities. The Ryalls Lane site was a recent acquisition and is a popular roosting spot for the endangered Powerful Owl
    • Riley Street Natural Reserve (East Bendigo)
      This former quarry has been transformed into an important urban natural reserve, supporting threatened fish species and providing a haven for frogs, reptiles, mammals and birds. Formed tracks allow walking and nature watching

    Residents can have their say on the City’s Let’s Talk website until 5pm on Friday May 9, 2025.

    To provide input, visit:

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Minivan crash kills 5, injures 8 in southwest China

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Five people were killed and eight others injured after an overloaded minivan crashed into a residential building in southwest China’s Sichuan province, local police said Wednesday.
    The accident occurred at around 6:55 a.m. on Tuesday, when a small van carrying 13 people, nearly double its approved capacity of seven, veered off the road and slammed into a roadside house in Luzhou City, according to police officers in the city’s Jiangyang district.
    The impact damaged the building and caused part of it to collapse, though no one was inside at the time, police said.
    The injured are in stable condition. The cause of the accident is being investigated.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Inner Mongolia’s power grid undergoes overhaul

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    State Grid Eastern Inner Mongolia Electric Power Company conducted inspection and maintenance on switch contacts of its convert station on Sunday in Ordos, Inner Mongolia autonomous region. 
    This was part of the annual overhaul of Inner Mongolia’s ultra-high voltage (UHV) power grid, making preparations for the upcoming summer electricity peak.
    Inner Mongolia, one of China’s key energy-producing regions, has built eight UHV transmission channels and support infrastructure, transmitting electricity to Shandong, Tianjin, Shanxi, Jiangsu, and other cities and provinces in China. This forms a north-to-south power transmission network for Inner Mongolia’s electricity export.

    Inner Mongolia has seen a continuous increase in outbound electricity transmission, with over 690 billion kWh cumulatively delivered through UHV lines, equivalent to reducing standard coal consumption by about 240 million metric tons and carbon dioxide emissions by about 590 million metric tons.
    The annual overhaul of Inner Mongolia’s UHV power grid is routinely conducted in spring and autumn, involving 168 projects this year. Among them, 105 projects will be completed in the spring session, covering 52 transmission lines and 2,750 sets of equipment. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Anti-graft chief stresses high-quality disciplinary inspection

    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 head of the central leading group on disciplinary inspection, speaks at a meeting on national disciplinary inspection work on April 8, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    China’s top anti-graft official Li Xi on Tuesday called for efforts to provide strong support for Chinese modernization with high-quality disciplinary inspection work.
    He also stressed that the inspection in provincial-level localities should better serve and support the central task of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
    Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the central leading group on disciplinary inspection, made the remarks at a meeting on national disciplinary inspection work. The meeting also marked the initiation of the fifth round of disciplinary inspection missions of the 20th CPC Central Committee.
    The new round of inspection will focus on the country’s provincial-level localities.
    Noting that relevant inspection should concentrate on the Party Central Committee’s functional positioning and strategic deployment for each respective region, Li called for efforts to identify the localities’ deviations in the political realm and make sure that prominent problems are properly addressed.
    Li also stressed that inspection work should strictly adhere to the requirements of advancing Chinese modernization, underlining a problem-oriented and rigorous approach in relevant work. He urged efforts to improve inspection methods and concrete measures to ensure relevant problems are solved.
    On the same day, a list of the targets of the new round of inspection was announced. It includes provincial-level regions such as Hebei, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia. Yunnan’s provincial capital city, Kunming, will also be covered in the central authorities’ inspection.
    The inspectors will also work with local disciplinary agencies to carry out inspections in cities such as Changchun and Hangzhou.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: MPay can be used in Guangzhou public transport

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Macao residents can now use their familiar MPay e-wallet to scan and ride on all public transport in Guangzhou. [Photo provided to China Daily]
    MPay, Macao’s most frequently used local electronic wallet, has become the second overseas e-wallet approved for use on public transportation in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, following Hong Kong’s AlipayHK.
    Since early April, Macao residents have been able to use MPay to access all public transportation routes in Guangzhou. The expansion allows residents from both of China’s special administrative regions to travel more conveniently within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
    The service, a collaboration between Guangzhou Metro Group, MPay and Alipay+, is part of Ant Group’s fintech offerings. Through Alipay+’s cross-border services, Macao residents can use MPay to scan and pay for rides across all public transportation in Guangzhou, including metro lines, buses and ferries. The service also extends to metro lines in Foshan, a city neighboring Guangzhou.
    Guangzhou is the first city on the Chinese mainland to support full access for e-wallets from all parts of the Greater Bay Area, reinforcing the region’s goal of seamless connectivity.
    Currently, tourists from the Chinese mainland use Alipay when visiting Hong Kong and Macao, while visitors from those regions use AlipayHK and MPay, respectively, when traveling to the mainland.
    With the new service, Macao residents can not only use MPay for cross-border transactions, but also for seamless travel on all Guangzhou public transportation routes, paying in Macao currency in real time. They will also receive the same discounts as local passengers under Guangzhou’s public transportation fare policies, according to Guangzhou Metro Group.
    “By integrating with the Guangzhou public transportation system, this not only sets a benchmark for cross-border commuting within the Greater Bay Area but also helps promote the deep integration of the ‘one-hour living circle’ within the region,” said Sun Ho, chairman and CEO of Macau Pass, MPay’s operating company.
    Alipay+ has previously enabled AlipayHK to connect to public transportation in key Greater Bay Area cities, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Foshan.
    Last year, Hong Kong users of AlipayHK recorded more than 10 million cross-border transportation trips heading northward, according to Alipay+ data.
    “The high-frequency cross-border transportation services are a daily necessity for the interconnected life of residents in the Greater Bay Area,” said Venetia Lee, Greater China general manager of Ant International.
    Alipay+ plans to expand e-wallet integration in the Greater Bay Area beyond transportation, aiming to include services such as healthcare and government affairs, Lee said.
    “Our goal is to provide more inclusive support for residents in cross-border travel, work, family visits and daily life, using innovative technology to enhance the region’s digital ecosystem,” she said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Pets allowed on high-speed railway trains

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    A dog is taken care of at the pet waiting lounge of Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province, May 8, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    China’s railway operator on Tuesday launched a pilot program allowing pets to travel on select high-speed trains along the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, marking a first for the country’s rail system.
    The trial service, introduced by China Railway Express Co, enables passengers to book a spot for their cat or dog in a specially designed pet transport container aboard the same train. However, animals are housed separately in a designated logistics compartment, away from passenger seating areas.
    The pilot service is being tested on 10 train services running between five major stations: Beijing South, Jinan West, Nanjing South, Shanghai Hongqiao and Hangzhou East. Travelers can make reservations through the 12306 system, the railway ticket and service booking network, at least two days in advance.
    Each pet must be a domesticated cat or dog in good health, weighing no more than 15 kilograms and no taller than 40 centimeters at the shoulder. Required documents include a valid ID and a certificate of animal quarantine.
    Pets are placed in high-speed rail-exclusive containers equipped with air circulation, oxygen and humidity sensors, noise reduction and odor control. The containers are monitored in real time by railway staff, who conduct inspections at intervals of no more than two hours. Water may be provided as needed, though feeding and mid-journey visits by owners are not permitted.
    Passengers are advised to arrive at the station two to six hours before departure to complete the necessary check-in procedures. Pets can be collected within one hour after arrival, with pickup notifications sent via text message or phone call.
    The service follows a “same departure, same arrival” policy, ensuring that pets and their owners travel on the same train.
    Limited time offers
    Pricing is based on travel distance and is currently offered at a 30 percent discount during the trial phase. For example, transporting a pet on a journey under 1,000 kilometers will cost 558 yuan ($76) once the service is fully implemented, but for the trial period, it is discounted to 360 yuan.
    For distances between 1,000 and 1,500 km — like the 1,300-km route between Beijing and Shanghai — the standard rate will be 658 yuan, but currently costs 460 yuan.
    A second-class seat on the same high-speed route typically costs between 550 and 670 yuan, making the pet transport service comparably priced to a passenger fare. Each booking includes insurance coverage of up to 2,000 yuan.
    According to China Railway Express, the service is part of broader efforts to modernize the country’s transportation infrastructure and meet the growing demand for pet-friendly travel options.
    Before this initiative, pets were not permitted on China’s high-speed trains. However, pet transport is allowed on certain routes in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom under specific conditions. In China, updated regulations issued in July 2022 prohibit the carriage of live animals such as chickens or ducks on passenger trains, with some exceptions for slower services in rural areas.
    The idea for the new service emerged last year when the China Railway Customer Service Center launched a public survey to gauge interest in pet transportation. The campaign drew widespread attention on Chinese social media, generating millions of views and comments.
    “In recent years, we have received numerous inquiries from passengers regarding the possibility of pet transportation on high-speed trains,” the center said in a statement. “Based on feedback from the survey, we will further explore the feasibility of high-speed pet transportation. We welcome suggestions and opinions from the public.”
    Shen Peilan, a Shanghai native living in Beijing with two cats, welcomed the move but expressed concerns about animal welfare.
    “It’s a great start, but I’m still a bit concerned about the safety of the pets, especially cats, who can get very stressed when confined with other animals,” Shen said. “I really hope that in the future, there could be a dedicated carriage where pets can stay with their owners.”
    Shen said she typically leaves her cats in Beijing during holidays and relies on friends, pet care services or boarding at pet stores while she visits family in Shanghai.
    Other pet owners applauded the new service. Wei, a Beijing resident who has raised her cat Niuniu for over a decade, said the program would make her travels more enjoyable.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China Pavilion to delight visitors at Expo 2025

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

    A media day event at the China Pavilion of Expo 2025 in the Japanese city of Osaka offered a preview of exhibitions centered on green development, cutting-edge technologies, and the vision of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.

    Held on Monday, the China Media Day event showcased the pavilion’s design and displays, all unified under the core theme: “Building a Community of Life for Man and Nature — Future Society of Green Development”.

    Li Qingshuang, deputy head of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and government representative for the China Pavilion, said: “The exhibitions at the China Pavilion closely align with the expo’s theme and emphasize immersion, interactivity and experience. The presentation methods are diverse, blending tradition and modernity, and rich in cultural sentiment.”

    Covering an area of around 3,500 square meters, the China Pavilion stands as one of the largest foreign self-built pavilions at Expo 2025, also known as the World Expo, which will open in Osaka on Sunday and run for six months.

    During the expo, the Walker C humanoid robot, developed by UBTech Robotics, will interact with visitors at the south plaza of the China Pavilion, offering intelligent tour guide services and human-robot interaction experiences.

    The mythological figure Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King, will make an appearance at the China Pavilion. This version of Sun Wukong is powered by a next-generation cognitive intelligence model developed by Chinese information technology company iFlytek. It integrates cutting-edge technologies such as robust noise-resistant speech recognition, multiemotion voice synthesis and multimodal interaction.

    Visitors will be able to engage in interactive Q&A sessions with Sun Wukong in Chinese, Japanese and English.

    One of the highlights at the China Pavilion will be samples brought back from the moon by the Chang’e 5 and Chang’e 6 lunar probes.

    “This will be the most precious exhibit the China Pavilion presents to global visitors during Expo 2025.It will also be the world’s first side-by-side, close-up display of samples from both the near and far sides of the moon,” Li said.

    She emphasized that visitors will have the opportunity to observe the distinct structures of the lunar samples and the subtle differences between both sides of the moon through a specially designed lens installation. Nearby, a video message from three Chinese astronauts aboard the space station will offer greetings to visitors at the China Pavilion.

    According to Liu Shuo, deputy director of the China Pavilion, its design was inspired by traditional bamboo slips, incorporating cultural elements such as bamboo and Chinese characters.

    The pavilion will be in three sections, each highlighting a different facet of China’s approach to sustainability — its traditional ecological philosophy, contemporary green development efforts, and the vision for global collaboration toward a sustainable future.

    The “Harmony Between Humanity and Nature” section delves into traditional Chinese culture, emphasizing the deep-rooted wisdom and reverence the Chinese people have for the natural world.

    The “Green Mountains and Clear Waters” section presents China’s modern commitment to green development, showcasing its efforts to drive comprehensive economic and social transformation through sustainable practices.

    The “Endless Vitality” section looks to the future, featuring China’s exploration of outer space and the deep sea, and its dedication to working with the international community to build a greener and more beautiful Earth.

    The Future Smart City exhibition, organized by China Energy Engineering Group, presents a vision for future urban development. It integrates eight types of urban networks — including energy, digital, transportation and industrial networks — demonstrating China’s technological breakthroughs and practical applications in areas such as clean energy, artificial intelligence and urban development.

    Liu said the China Pavilion will host a wide variety of events during the expo. The pavilion will officially open on Sunday, and the National Pavilion Day falls on July 11.

    Thirty Chinese provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities and the city of Shenzhen will hold themed events at the pavilion. Additionally, many government agencies and businesses will organize cultural, technological and economic exchange activities.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump administration revokes visas for foreign students

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The Trump administration has revoked visas for more than 300 international students across the United States, a move confirmed by universities and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as part of a nationwide effort targeting foreign students.

    “Maybe more than 300 at this point. We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas,” Rubio said during a press conference in Guyana on March 27.

    Over the weekend, the visa revocations were reported by dozens of universities nationwide, including prestigious ones like Columbia, Cornell, Harvard and Stanford.

    Many affected students had participated in pro-Palestinian campus protests. But university officials said that others with no connection to protests had also suffered visa revocations without explanation.

    At Tufts University, Turkish doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk was arrested by masked immigration agents on March 25 while walking near her home. Video of the arrest showed plainclothes officers taking the 30-year-old into custody as she was heading to break her Ramadan fast with friends, according to her attorney.

    The Department of Homeland Security claimed Ozturk “engaged in activities in support of Hamas,” though they provided no evidence for this allegation. Ozturk co-authored an opinion piece in the student newspaper criticizing Tufts’ response to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

    The Turkish embassy said it was working with U.S. authorities regarding Ozturk’s detention. “Every effort is being made to provide the necessary consular services and legal support to protect the rights of our citizen,” the embassy stated.

    At Columbia University, graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, who has legal permanent residency, was detained by immigration authorities last month.

    Khalil said in his Columbia Daily Spectator opinion piece that the school “laid the groundwork for my abduction” and urged the students not to “abdicate their responsibility to resist repression.”

    “Since my abduction on March 8, the intimidation and kidnapping of international students who stand for Palestine has only accelerated,” Khalil wrote in Friday’s piece.

    The actions extend beyond East Coast schools. The University of Colorado and Colorado State University reported a combined total of 10 students with revoked visas this weekend. Meanwhile, Minnesota State University identified five students whose visas were canceled for unclear reasons.

    In California, the situation is equally concerning so far.

    University of California, Los Angeles reported nine affected international students, while UC Berkeley confirmed six visa revocations — four for current students and two for recent graduates.

    UC Davis officials stated seven students and five recent graduates had their visas terminated, and Stanford University confirmed six visa revocations.

    “The federal government has not explained the reasons behind these terminations,” UC Davis said in a statement as reported by NBC News.

    Universities are scrambling to support affected students.

    “We are focused on supporting the success of all of our students, including international students. Each one of our students is seeking to advance their careers and the lives of their families, and we understand the anxieties that visa revocations cause to impacted students,” reported NBC News, citing University of Colorado.

    The Council of University of California Faculty Associations issued a statement Sunday, urgently calling upon the University of California to address the revocation of visas and deportation of international students.

    “It has been reported that in the past week alone, at least 44 students across the UC system have had their I-20 Student and Exchange Visitor Information System record terminated by the Department of Homeland Security, with at least one deportation occurring,” the statement noted.

    Civil rights organizations have condemned the administration’s actions. The American Civil Liberties Union issued an open letter to universities warning: “The federal government cannot mandate student expulsions or threaten funding cuts to suppress constitutionally protected speech.”

    College officials worry this crackdown will deter international students from studying in the United States in the future.

    The situation is “a far different, unprecedented intrusion by the executive branch” involving “revoking student visas for different reasons than we have seen previously and at higher rates than we have ever seen,” said Violeta Chapin, a University of Colorado Boulder law professor and immigration expert. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China unveils guidelines to boost employment for graduates

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Job-seekers pose queries at a job fair in Kunming, capital of Yunnan province. [Photo/China Daily]

    China has released new guidelines on building a high-quality system of employment services for university graduates.

    The policy document, issued by the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council, outlines a comprehensive strategy to promote sufficient high-quality employment among college graduates.

    It highlights six key areas of focus: optimizing the higher education training system, strengthening career guidance services, improving job-market and recruitment systems, enhancing support mechanisms for jobseekers in difficulty, innovating employment monitoring and evaluation tools, and reinforcing supports and safeguards for graduate employment.

    The document sets the goal of establishing a nationwide employment services network that is inclusive, well-functioning and reliable within three to five years, laying a solid foundation for graduates to find jobs.

    China’s higher education graduate population has grown steadily, exceeding 10 million annually for three consecutive years since 2022, with the number projected to continue rising over the next decade, said a senior official from the Ministry of Education.

    Stressing the urgent need to bridge the gap between higher education programs and societal needs, the official said that the guidelines propose creating a centralized talent demand database and conducting forward-looking analysis of talent supply and demand.

    The government will also optimize disciplinary configurations and enhance coordination linking enrollment plans, talent cultivation, and employment outcomes, the official said.

    In order to promote employment, the guideline demands supporting student entrepreneurship to encourage job creation through startups and facilitating the hiring of urgently needed talent in key sectors through supply-demand alignment programs, according to the official.

    The guideline also recommends reserving time during academic schedules for students to pursue pre-graduation job opportunities, added the official.

    Official data shows that the number of college graduates in China is likely to reach 12.22 million in 2025, an increase of 430,000 from last year.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Universities – Global EV adoption fails to cut CO₂ – study – UoA

    Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

    There’s little point in buying an electric vehicle if you’re charging it with electricity generated by fossil fuels. In fact, when it comes to carbon dioxide emissions, your EV may be doing more harm than good.

    This is according to a study by researchers from the University of Auckland and Xiamen University in China, published in the journal Energy. (ref. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S036054422500115X?via%3Dihub )

    The researchers analysed the environmental impacts of human activity and used a robust statistical approach to investigate what drives a nation’s carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions.

    Using data from 26 countries over 15 years, they found a surprising trend: higher EV uptake was linked to increased CO₂ emissions. The reason? In a number of countries, EVs are still being powered by electricity generated through burning fossil fuels like coal or oil.

    Associate Professor Stephen Poletti and Simon Tao, a doctoral candidate at the Business School’s Energy Centre, didn’t observe a significant reduction in CO₂ emissions globally due to EV adoption.

    “On the contrary, EV adoption is positively associated with CO₂ emissions,” says Tao. “This finding appears counterintuitive; it challenges the conventional belief that EVs contribute to decarbonisation.

    “Our analysis highlights that the environmental benefits of EVs are contingent on the composition of a country’s electricity generation mix.”

    Take EVs charged using electricity from coal-fired power plants, says Poletti.

    “In that case, they may indirectly contribute to higher emissions than modern gasoline or diesel vehicles, especially considering the entire lifecycle from production to disposal.”

    The study results suggest only when the global share of renewable electricity generation reaches approximately 48 percent will electric vehicle adoption contribute to reducing CO₂ emissions.

    Renewable energy, mainly wind, solar and hydro, accounted for only a little more than 30 percent of the world’s electricity in 2023, so there’s a way to go, says Poletti.

    “Electric vehicles are often seen as a silver bullet for climate change, but our results show that’s not the case if the electricity powering them isn’t clean.”

    New Zealand, where over 80 percent of electricity generation is renewable, is well-placed to reap the benefits of EVs. Across the ditch, a Clean Energy Council report found that renewables overall accounted for nearly 40 percent of Australia’s total electricity supply in 2023.

    “This research is a reminder that decarbonising transport can’t happen in isolation,” says Poletti.

    “EVs are only as green as the grid they plug into, and government policies should aim to increase the adoption and integration of renewable energy like solar and hydro. This can be achieved by setting ambitious renewable energy targets and providing adequate subsidies such as tax credits to producers and consumers of renewable energy.”

    Poletti says investments in smart grids and transmission networks can boost the efficiency and reliability of renewable energy supply.

    “Policies should support community-based renewable energy projects, which can increase public acceptance of renewable energy installations.”

    Further, the researchers say eliminating subsidies for fossil fuels and implementing carbon pricing mechanisms could also incentivise renewable energy development.

    “Electric vehicle uptake can help countries meet climate-related targets, as long as the energy used to power them is clean,” says Tao.

    In addition to EV uptake, the researchers examined the impacts of economic growth, green technology innovation, renewable energy consumption and population density on emissions.

    They found that economic growth increases emissions, while innovation in environmentally friendly technology and population density, in the form of more compact cities, can help lower them. Renewable energy use had the most significant emissions-reducing effect.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –