NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • BIMSTEC Maritime Transport Pact poised to transform Bay of Bengal into global trade and tourism hub: Sarbananda Sonowal

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday inaugurated the second edition of the BIMSTEC Ports Conclave in Visakhapatnam, outlining a bold and collaborative vision to transform the Bay of Bengal into a vibrant hub of global trade, cruise tourism, and sustainable development.

    The two-day conclave, attended by representatives from all seven BIMSTEC nations—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand—brought together policymakers, port authorities, maritime experts, private stakeholders, and academics to chart a shared maritime future for the region.

    Sonowal described the BIMSTEC Ports Conclave as a “springboard” for unlocking the potential of the Blue Economy. He emphasized that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Neighbourhood First” policy, BIMSTEC nations are key partners in driving regional prosperity. He called for deeper collaboration in port-led industrialisation, digital integration, and skill development, aiming to create a seamless and efficient port network that can act as an engine of growth for the entire region.

    The conclave builds upon the momentum of the first BIMSTEC Ports Conclave and aims to operationalise the BIMSTEC Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation (AMTC), which India was the first to ratify. Sonowal urged all member states to expedite its ratification and implementation.

    A major announcement at the event was the establishment of a BIMSTEC Sustainable Maritime Transport Centre in Powai, Mumbai. This centre, to be set up under the Indian Ocean Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Maritime Transport (IOCE-SMarT), will be key to operationalising the AMTC agreement. Sonowal noted that the centre will drive harmonisation of maritime policies, promote green and digital transformations, reduce trade costs, and strengthen maritime skill development across the region.

    The conclave featured two major sessions that shaped the roadmap for BIMSTEC’s maritime future. The first session focused on increasing private sector participation and public-private partnerships (PPPs) to modernize port infrastructure and improve regional coordination. It also proposed the creation of a regional PPP facilitation platform and the harmonisation of port-related laws.

    The second session explored the region’s potential in capturing new manufacturing opportunities created by shifting global supply chains. Discussions included establishing hubs in shipbuilding, electronics, logistics, and renewable energy sectors. Both sessions highlighted the importance of coordinated strategies, improved regional connectivity, and policy reforms in positioning the Bay of Bengal as a resilient trade and industry corridor.

    Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shantanu Thakur, also addressed the conclave. He highlighted India’s leadership in promoting seamless regional connectivity through harmonised maritime transport policies, digital logistics platforms, private investment, and a strong emphasis on skill development and green innovation.

    Conclave discussions focused on operationalising the AMTC agreement, streamlining customs and logistics, and expanding cruise tourism through PPP models and joint branding strategies. Delegates proposed initiatives such as port-linked industrial zones, a regional Port Community System, multimodal logistics parks, and the development of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to improve hinterland connectivity. Emphasis was also placed on cross-border training programmes, industry-academia collaboration, and innovation in green shipping as essential components for the region’s sustainable future.

    Speaking about the strategic Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, Sonowal highlighted its role as a transformative initiative connecting India’s Northeast to the Bay of Bengal. He said that under the Act East Policy, Kaladan serves not only as a bilateral initiative with Myanmar but also as a model for regional integration under BIMSTEC. The project, he added, has the potential to significantly reduce trade costs, improve transit efficiency, and open new economic opportunities for India’s Northeast while fostering closer ties with neighbouring countries.

  • Australia PM Albanese to discuss trade, security in meeting with China’s Xi Jinping

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Tuesday, where he said resources trade, energy transition and security tensions are key topics for discussion.

    Albanese is due to meet Xi ahead of an annual leaders dialogue with Li, and later attend a business roundtable at the Great Hall of the People.

    Albanese said on Monday he looked forward to a “constructive dialogue” with the Chinese leaders.

    Australia, which regards the United States its major security ally, has pursued a China policy of “cooperate where we can, disagree where we must” under Albanese.

    Australia has expressed concern at China’s military build-up and the jailing of an Australian writer, while Beijing has criticised Canberra’s increased screening of foreign investment in critical minerals and Albanese’s pledge to return a Chinese-leased port to Australian ownership.

    Chinese state media outlet Xinhua said the relationship between the two countries, which have complementary economies, was steadily improving.

    Australia’s exports to China, its largest trading partner, span agriculture and energy but are dominated by iron ore, and Albanese has traveled with executives from mining giants Rio Tinto RIO.AX, BHP BHP.AX, and Fortescue FMG.AX, who met with Chinese steel industry officials on Monday, as part of a six-day visit.

    Bran Black, CEO of the Business Council of Australia, said Australia’s Bluescope Steel BSL.AX will also be at Tuesday’s business roundtable, along with China’s electric vehicle giant BYD 002594.SZ, Chinese banking executives, Baosteel and COFCO.

    “First and foremost we use fixtures such as this to send a signal that business-to-business engagement should be welcomed and encouraged,” Black told Reuters on Tuesday.

    (Reuters)

  • Australia PM Albanese to discuss trade, security in meeting with China’s Xi Jinping

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Tuesday, where he said resources trade, energy transition and security tensions are key topics for discussion.

    Albanese is due to meet Xi ahead of an annual leaders dialogue with Li, and later attend a business roundtable at the Great Hall of the People.

    Albanese said on Monday he looked forward to a “constructive dialogue” with the Chinese leaders.

    Australia, which regards the United States its major security ally, has pursued a China policy of “cooperate where we can, disagree where we must” under Albanese.

    Australia has expressed concern at China’s military build-up and the jailing of an Australian writer, while Beijing has criticised Canberra’s increased screening of foreign investment in critical minerals and Albanese’s pledge to return a Chinese-leased port to Australian ownership.

    Chinese state media outlet Xinhua said the relationship between the two countries, which have complementary economies, was steadily improving.

    Australia’s exports to China, its largest trading partner, span agriculture and energy but are dominated by iron ore, and Albanese has traveled with executives from mining giants Rio Tinto RIO.AX, BHP BHP.AX, and Fortescue FMG.AX, who met with Chinese steel industry officials on Monday, as part of a six-day visit.

    Bran Black, CEO of the Business Council of Australia, said Australia’s Bluescope Steel BSL.AX will also be at Tuesday’s business roundtable, along with China’s electric vehicle giant BYD 002594.SZ, Chinese banking executives, Baosteel and COFCO.

    “First and foremost we use fixtures such as this to send a signal that business-to-business engagement should be welcomed and encouraged,” Black told Reuters on Tuesday.

    (Reuters)

  • Australia PM Albanese to discuss trade, security in meeting with China’s Xi Jinping

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Tuesday, where he said resources trade, energy transition and security tensions are key topics for discussion.

    Albanese is due to meet Xi ahead of an annual leaders dialogue with Li, and later attend a business roundtable at the Great Hall of the People.

    Albanese said on Monday he looked forward to a “constructive dialogue” with the Chinese leaders.

    Australia, which regards the United States its major security ally, has pursued a China policy of “cooperate where we can, disagree where we must” under Albanese.

    Australia has expressed concern at China’s military build-up and the jailing of an Australian writer, while Beijing has criticised Canberra’s increased screening of foreign investment in critical minerals and Albanese’s pledge to return a Chinese-leased port to Australian ownership.

    Chinese state media outlet Xinhua said the relationship between the two countries, which have complementary economies, was steadily improving.

    Australia’s exports to China, its largest trading partner, span agriculture and energy but are dominated by iron ore, and Albanese has traveled with executives from mining giants Rio Tinto RIO.AX, BHP BHP.AX, and Fortescue FMG.AX, who met with Chinese steel industry officials on Monday, as part of a six-day visit.

    Bran Black, CEO of the Business Council of Australia, said Australia’s Bluescope Steel BSL.AX will also be at Tuesday’s business roundtable, along with China’s electric vehicle giant BYD 002594.SZ, Chinese banking executives, Baosteel and COFCO.

    “First and foremost we use fixtures such as this to send a signal that business-to-business engagement should be welcomed and encouraged,” Black told Reuters on Tuesday.

    (Reuters)

  • Australia PM Albanese to discuss trade, security in meeting with China’s Xi Jinping

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Tuesday, where he said resources trade, energy transition and security tensions are key topics for discussion.

    Albanese is due to meet Xi ahead of an annual leaders dialogue with Li, and later attend a business roundtable at the Great Hall of the People.

    Albanese said on Monday he looked forward to a “constructive dialogue” with the Chinese leaders.

    Australia, which regards the United States its major security ally, has pursued a China policy of “cooperate where we can, disagree where we must” under Albanese.

    Australia has expressed concern at China’s military build-up and the jailing of an Australian writer, while Beijing has criticised Canberra’s increased screening of foreign investment in critical minerals and Albanese’s pledge to return a Chinese-leased port to Australian ownership.

    Chinese state media outlet Xinhua said the relationship between the two countries, which have complementary economies, was steadily improving.

    Australia’s exports to China, its largest trading partner, span agriculture and energy but are dominated by iron ore, and Albanese has traveled with executives from mining giants Rio Tinto RIO.AX, BHP BHP.AX, and Fortescue FMG.AX, who met with Chinese steel industry officials on Monday, as part of a six-day visit.

    Bran Black, CEO of the Business Council of Australia, said Australia’s Bluescope Steel BSL.AX will also be at Tuesday’s business roundtable, along with China’s electric vehicle giant BYD 002594.SZ, Chinese banking executives, Baosteel and COFCO.

    “First and foremost we use fixtures such as this to send a signal that business-to-business engagement should be welcomed and encouraged,” Black told Reuters on Tuesday.

    (Reuters)

  • Australia PM Albanese to discuss trade, security in meeting with China’s Xi Jinping

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Tuesday, where he said resources trade, energy transition and security tensions are key topics for discussion.

    Albanese is due to meet Xi ahead of an annual leaders dialogue with Li, and later attend a business roundtable at the Great Hall of the People.

    Albanese said on Monday he looked forward to a “constructive dialogue” with the Chinese leaders.

    Australia, which regards the United States its major security ally, has pursued a China policy of “cooperate where we can, disagree where we must” under Albanese.

    Australia has expressed concern at China’s military build-up and the jailing of an Australian writer, while Beijing has criticised Canberra’s increased screening of foreign investment in critical minerals and Albanese’s pledge to return a Chinese-leased port to Australian ownership.

    Chinese state media outlet Xinhua said the relationship between the two countries, which have complementary economies, was steadily improving.

    Australia’s exports to China, its largest trading partner, span agriculture and energy but are dominated by iron ore, and Albanese has traveled with executives from mining giants Rio Tinto RIO.AX, BHP BHP.AX, and Fortescue FMG.AX, who met with Chinese steel industry officials on Monday, as part of a six-day visit.

    Bran Black, CEO of the Business Council of Australia, said Australia’s Bluescope Steel BSL.AX will also be at Tuesday’s business roundtable, along with China’s electric vehicle giant BYD 002594.SZ, Chinese banking executives, Baosteel and COFCO.

    “First and foremost we use fixtures such as this to send a signal that business-to-business engagement should be welcomed and encouraged,” Black told Reuters on Tuesday.

    (Reuters)

  • Australia PM Albanese to discuss trade, security in meeting with China’s Xi Jinping

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Tuesday, where he said resources trade, energy transition and security tensions are key topics for discussion.

    Albanese is due to meet Xi ahead of an annual leaders dialogue with Li, and later attend a business roundtable at the Great Hall of the People.

    Albanese said on Monday he looked forward to a “constructive dialogue” with the Chinese leaders.

    Australia, which regards the United States its major security ally, has pursued a China policy of “cooperate where we can, disagree where we must” under Albanese.

    Australia has expressed concern at China’s military build-up and the jailing of an Australian writer, while Beijing has criticised Canberra’s increased screening of foreign investment in critical minerals and Albanese’s pledge to return a Chinese-leased port to Australian ownership.

    Chinese state media outlet Xinhua said the relationship between the two countries, which have complementary economies, was steadily improving.

    Australia’s exports to China, its largest trading partner, span agriculture and energy but are dominated by iron ore, and Albanese has traveled with executives from mining giants Rio Tinto RIO.AX, BHP BHP.AX, and Fortescue FMG.AX, who met with Chinese steel industry officials on Monday, as part of a six-day visit.

    Bran Black, CEO of the Business Council of Australia, said Australia’s Bluescope Steel BSL.AX will also be at Tuesday’s business roundtable, along with China’s electric vehicle giant BYD 002594.SZ, Chinese banking executives, Baosteel and COFCO.

    “First and foremost we use fixtures such as this to send a signal that business-to-business engagement should be welcomed and encouraged,” Black told Reuters on Tuesday.

    (Reuters)

  • Australia PM Albanese to discuss trade, security in meeting with China’s Xi Jinping

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Tuesday, where he said resources trade, energy transition and security tensions are key topics for discussion.

    Albanese is due to meet Xi ahead of an annual leaders dialogue with Li, and later attend a business roundtable at the Great Hall of the People.

    Albanese said on Monday he looked forward to a “constructive dialogue” with the Chinese leaders.

    Australia, which regards the United States its major security ally, has pursued a China policy of “cooperate where we can, disagree where we must” under Albanese.

    Australia has expressed concern at China’s military build-up and the jailing of an Australian writer, while Beijing has criticised Canberra’s increased screening of foreign investment in critical minerals and Albanese’s pledge to return a Chinese-leased port to Australian ownership.

    Chinese state media outlet Xinhua said the relationship between the two countries, which have complementary economies, was steadily improving.

    Australia’s exports to China, its largest trading partner, span agriculture and energy but are dominated by iron ore, and Albanese has traveled with executives from mining giants Rio Tinto RIO.AX, BHP BHP.AX, and Fortescue FMG.AX, who met with Chinese steel industry officials on Monday, as part of a six-day visit.

    Bran Black, CEO of the Business Council of Australia, said Australia’s Bluescope Steel BSL.AX will also be at Tuesday’s business roundtable, along with China’s electric vehicle giant BYD 002594.SZ, Chinese banking executives, Baosteel and COFCO.

    “First and foremost we use fixtures such as this to send a signal that business-to-business engagement should be welcomed and encouraged,” Black told Reuters on Tuesday.

    (Reuters)

  • Egypt says Israel-EU agreement has not increased aid to Gaza

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Egypt’s foreign minister said on Monday that the flow of aid into Gaza has not increased despite an agreement last week between Israel and the European Union that should have had that result.

    “Nothing has changed (on the ground),” Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told reporters ahead of the EU-Middle East meeting in Brussels on Monday.

    The EU’s top diplomat said on Thursday that the bloc and Israel agreed to improve Gaza’s humanitarian situation, including increasing the number of aid trucks and opening crossing points and aid routes.

    Asked what steps Israel has taken, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar referred to an understanding with the EU but did not provide details on implementation.

    Asked if there were improvements after the agreement, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told reporters that the situation in Gaza remains “catastrophic”.

    “There is a real catastrophe happening in Gaza resulting from the continuation of the Israeli siege,” he said.

    Safadi said Israel allowed the entry of 40 to 50 trucks days ago from Jordan but that was “far from being sufficient” for the besieged enclave.

    EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ahead of Monday’s meeting that there have been some signs of progress on Gaza aid but not enough improvement on the ground.

    Israel’s continued military operations and blockade have left the entire population of 2.3 million people in Gaza facing acute food insecurity, with nearly half a million at risk of famine by the end of September, a joint United Nations report said last month.

    (Reuters)

  • Boat capsizes off Indonesia’s Mentawai islands, 11 people missing

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Indonesian rescuers were searching for 11 people missing after a boat capsized in bad weather off the Mentawai Islands in West Sumatra province, the local search and rescue agency said on Tuesday.

    Seven people had been rescued after the incident, which happened on Monday at around 11 a.m. (0400 GMT), the rescue agency said in a statement.

    Of 18 people on board, 10 were local government officials. The boat had departed Sikakap, a small town in the Mentawai Islands, and was heading to another small town, Tuapejat.

    Two boats and dozens of rescuers were deployed to find the missing people on Tuesday.

    Boats and ferries are a regular mode of transport in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, and accidents are relatively common due to bad weather as well as lax safety standards that often allow vessels to be overloaded.

    A ferry sank earlier this month near the island of Bali. Of the 65 people on board, 18 died, 30 survived and 17 remain missing.

    (Reuters)

  • Starc record as Australia bowl out Windies for 27 to win third test

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Mitchell Starc delivered the fastest five-wicket haul in test history on Monday as Australia crushed the West Indies by 176 runs in the third test in Kingston, Jamaica to complete a 3-0 series sweep.

    In his 100th test, Starc took 15 balls to wreck the West Indies top order and leave the home side’s run chase in tatters, before returning for his sixth wicket after Scott Boland became Australia’s 10th bowler to take a test hat-trick.

    West Indies were bowled out for 27, the second-lowest total in test history after New Zealand’s 26 against England in 1955.

    Starc shattered the previous record for a “five-for” by four balls, surpassing Ernie Toshack (1947), Stuart Broad (2015) and Boland (2021), who needed 19 deliveries to achieve the feat.

    “You talk about 100 tests and skill and fitness … but I think today showed the real Mitchell Starc – what he can bring to a team. Which is, out of nowhere, tear an opposition apart and win a game for you,” said Australia captain Pat Cummins.

    The drama began on the first delivery of West Indies’ second innings, when Starc enticed John Campbell to nick an outswinger to wicketkeeper Josh Inglis.

    Debutant Kevlon Anderson shouldered arms to a ball that jagged back and struck his pad four balls later, before Brandon King edged on to his stumps as the hosts found themselves three wickets down with no runs on the board.

    Starc, named player-of-the-match and series, then trapped Mikyle Louis lbw to become the fourth Australian to reach 400 test wickets alongside Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Nathan Lyon.

    Two balls later, he trapped Shai Hope lbw and finished with figures of 6-9.

    At tea, the West Indies stood at a precarious 22-6, needing 182 runs for victory and staring down the barrel of cricket’s ultimate embarrassment, with five runs needed to avoid the lowest-ever total.

    And the drama was far from over.

    Boland dismissed Justin Greaves, Shamar Joseph and Jomel Warrican to claim a hat-trick that left West Indies at 26-9, level with New Zealand’s record.

    “He is amazing, isn’t he?” Starc said of 36-year-old Boland, who has 62 wickets from 14 tests at an average of 16.53.

    “He would have played so many more tests in another team.”

    In the end, it was a narrow escape for West Indies as they added another run before Starc returned to bowl Jayden Seales.

    Earlier, Australia were dismissed for 121, their lowest score against West Indies in 30 years, with Alzarri Joseph completing career-best figures of 5-27 and Shamar Joseph 4-34.

    That was little consolation for West Indies captain Roston Chase, who said being bowled out for less than 30 was “quite embarrassing.”

    “Obviously we’ve been putting ourselves in positions to win games and then we (are) just laying down and not putting up a fight in the last batting innings,” he said.

    “It’s quite heartbreaking, because I think we did it in all three tests, and we’re not really learning from our mistakes.”

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s industrial output grows faster in June

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

    China’s value-added industrial output grew at a faster pace in June, up 6.8 percent year on year, as the world’s second-largest economy stepped up efforts to support growth despite challenges both at home and abroad.

    The growth accelerated from a 5.8 percent rise in May, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday.

    In the first six months of this year, China’s industrial output increased by 6.4 percent compared to the same period last year, according to NBS data.

    The industrial output is used to measure the activity of large enterprises, each with an annual main business turnover of at least 20 million yuan (about 2.8 million U.S. dollars).

    A breakdown of the data showed that the manufacturing sector’s value-added output increased by 7 percent year on year during the January-June period, while that of equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing expanded by 10.2 percent and 9.5 percent, respectively, according to the NBS.

    The production of 3D printing equipment, new energy vehicles, and industrial robots surged 43.1 percent, 36.2 percent and 35.6 percent year on year during the period, respectively.

    Tuesday’s data also showed that the country’s GDP grew by 5.3 percent year on year in the first half of 2025. Retail sales of consumer goods, a major indicator of the country’s consumption strength, expanded 5 percent year on year during the period, while fixed-asset investment rose 2.8 percent. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s cargo craft Tianzhou-9 docks with space station Tiangong

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

    BEIJING, July 15 — The cargo craft Tianzhou-9 successfully docked at the rear docking port of Tianhe, the core module of China’s space station Tiangong, on Tuesday, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

    Such process was conducted at 8:52 a.m. (Beijing Time) after the Tianzhou-9 entered its orbit and completed its status setting, according to the agency.

    The Shenzhou-20 crew members onboard the space station will enter the cargo craft and transfer the payloads as scheduled.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for Haitian Foreign Minister Jean-Baptiste

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for Haitian Foreign Minister Jean-Baptiste

    Date：2025-07-09
    Data Source：Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs

    July 9, 2025  
    No. 234  

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a luncheon on July 7 for a delegation from the Republic of Haiti led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste and his wife. Minister Lin welcomed the delegation on behalf of the Taiwan government and expressed his anticipation that, based on the deep friendship between the two nations, bilateral exchanges and cooperation would continue to expand.
     
    Minister Lin noted that Taiwan and Haiti had maintained diplomatic relations for 69 years and that the two sides had enjoyed fruitful collaboration in a wide range of areas, including food security, medical care, public health, and education. He added that such cooperation had benefited the people of Haiti and earned considerable recognition from the international community. 
     
    Furthermore, Minister Lin thanked the Haitian government for voicing support for Taiwan on the international stage, such as at the World Health Assembly and the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. He said that the people and government of Taiwan deeply appreciated Haiti’s long-term and staunch backing of Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.
     
    In his remarks, Minister Jean-Baptiste thanked Minister Lin for his warm hospitality. He also took the opportunity to express, on behalf of the people and government of Haiti, gratitude to all sectors of Taiwan for providing humanitarian and food assistance over the years and participating in projects that benefited women, children, and other disadvantaged groups in Haiti. Minister Jean-Baptiste said that he looked forward to gaining a better understanding of Taiwan’s political, economic, and social development during his visit so as to further deepen the close collaborative relations between the two countries.
     
    Minister Lin, Minister Jean-Baptiste, and the other guests at the luncheon exchanged views on Haiti’s current political and social situation, as well as bilateral cooperation. Minister Lin expressed Taiwan’s willingness to continue to work with the Haitian government to help Haiti restore social stability, advance economic prosperity, and bolster national development. (E)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Supermarket treatments for depression don’t require a prescription. But do they work?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jon Wardle, Professor of Public Health, Southern Cross University

    Australians have long been some of the highest users of herbal and nutritional supplements that claim to boost mood or ease depression. These include omega-3s (found in fish oil), St John’s wort, probiotics and vitamin D.

    In fact, among Australians with depression, these supplements are more popular than prescription medicines.

    But do they actually work? And how do they compare to other treatments? A new review has assessed the evidence from 209 studies – here’s what it found.

    Do these supplements work?

    The new study aimed to assess the international evidence available for common over-the-counter products for depression in adults aged 18–60.

    Despite their widespread popularity and availability, the study found there is surprisingly little research on these therapies, compared with psychological therapies and prescription antidepressants.

    Only a few products had a relatively large body of evidence suggesting they were effective at treating symptoms. These were omega-3 supplements, St John’s wort, saffron, probiotics and vitamin D.

    However, most products had only a single trial examining their use.

    The researchers noted there was promising evidence for some herbal and nutritional supplements, where multiple studies did exist. These included folic acid, zinc, Rhodiola, lavender and lemon balm. But there is not enough evidence yet to recommend them, so more studies would be needed.

    What does other research say?

    These findings appear to support previous research assessing supplements for depression.

    In 2024, the Australian government’s review of natural therapies also found moderate evidence that several herbal medicines can relieve symptoms in mild to moderate depression. These include curcumin (from turmeric), saffron and St John’s wort.

    It also found moderate evidence St John’s wort was as effective as conventional antidepressants.

    However, the major caveat is that much of the existing evidence relates to mild to moderate depression.

    Mild to moderate depression usually means few symptoms beyond the minimum required for diagnosis (such as loss of pleasure and depressed mood). Major depression involves five or more symptoms along with significant distress and impact on day-to-day function.

    While some products were found to have some effect in major depressive disorders – probiotics, for example – there is little evidence to suggest they’re effective where a large number of symptoms exist.

    Dose and quality varies

    The dose and quality of over-the-counter products can also vary significantly, which can make it difficult to identify appropriate products or assess which ones work.

    In the United Kingdom, official advice for health-care practitioners acknowledges there is evidence St John’s wort can help with less severe forms of depression. But it also advises caution in recommending it, given how much the dose, preparation and quality can vary between different herbal products.

    Man takes a vitamin
    St John’s wort dosage and quality varies between products.
    photoroyalty/Shutterstock

    In Australia, guidelines for psychiatrists treating mood disorders such as depression note that good evidence exists for using omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils). But they highlight that there only seems to be a benefit when the product has 60% or more eicosapentaenoic acid (one of the main types of omega-3).

    Whether folate supplements are effective for depression can depend on their form, which active ingredient is used, and how well the body can absorb it.

    There may be other nuances in other supplements that we need more research to understand.

    Are there any risks or downsides?

    The study also concluded these products present few safety issues, whether used alone or in combination with other treatments. This is the reason most remain available over the counter.

    However, herbal medicines and dietary supplements also contain chemicals that can work like drugs and interact with other medications.

    For example, the way St John’s wort works on neurotransmitters (the body’s chemical messengers) is similar to many prescription antidepressants.

    So taking it alongside antidepressants can lead to serotonin syndrome, a condition which can lead to fever and seizures in extreme instances. In rare cases, you may experience similar side effects to taking antidepressants.

    However, many of these treatments are not only safe but more effective when used together with conventional treatments for depression.

    For instance, some studies suggest omega-3 supplements used in addition to standard antidepressant therapy resulted in the best outcomes. But more research is needed to explore this link.

    How do they stack up against other therapies?

    Pharmaceutical medications, such as antidepressants, and talk therapies remain the gold standard in Australian guidelines for mood disorders. They are the most studied interventions for these disorders, which means we have the most evidence for how well they work.

    However, emerging evidence is developing for other therapies too.

    Lifestyle interventions to improve diet and exercise have been shown to be as effective in addressing symptoms of depression as receiving psychological treatment alone.

    Nutrients are the building blocks of many body processes, and some nutrient deficiencies themselves (such as iron and B12) can cause depressive symptoms. So their potential role of nutritional supplements is perhaps unsurprising.

    However, research – including our own – increasingly demonstrates eating nutrient-rich foods (rather than taking supplements) can be enough to improve symptoms in mood disorders such as depression.

    The Australian government’s review of natural therapies also found the evidence for non-pharmacological treatments, such as yoga, was more certain than for herbal medicines and nutritional supplements in treating depression.

    It’s also important to note that depressive symptoms rarely present alone. They can be secondary to other underlying health conditions (such as hypothyroidism) or present with other conditions.

    Investigating and addressing these potential root causes and improving general health is essential in managing symptoms.

    What are the key takeaways?

    Some herbal and nutritional supplements do appear to have a potentially beneficial effect for less severe forms of depression. But for many of these therapies there is still not enough evidence to offer definitive recommendations.

    While the Therapeutic Goods Administration regulates the safety and quality of supplements, there is still variation in product quality, dose and how well the body can absorb it.

    If you’re thinking of using herbal or nutritional supplements, it’s important to consult a health professional, such as a GP, naturopath or even a psychologist.

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

    The Conversation

    Jon Wardle is Foundation Director of the National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine and the Maurice Blackmore Chair of Naturopathic Medicine at Southern Cross University, which undertakes training and research in nutritional and herbal therapies. He has received funding from multiple foundations and agencies to conduct research on nutritional and herbal medicines, including the National Health and Medical Research Council and Medical Research Future Fund. He was part of the both the National Health and Medical Research Council Natural Therapies Working Committee and the Department of Health Natural Therapies Review Expert Advisory Panel which supported Professor Kidd in conducting the reviews mentioned in this article. However, this article represents his personal academic opinion and does not represent the opinions of either of these organisations.

    Carrie Thomson-Casey is affiliated with both major psychology professional associations the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi). Carrie is also the past convenor and now treasurer of an APS interest group Psychology and Integrative Mental Health.

    Carrie is an author of one of the papers Jon has cited.

    Jessica Bayes has received funding from several organisations to conduct research exploring diet and mental wellbeing, in addition to research investigating nutritional supplements. Jessica has also authored some of the articles referenced here.

    – ref. Supermarket treatments for depression don’t require a prescription. But do they work? – https://theconversation.com/supermarket-treatments-for-depression-dont-require-a-prescription-but-do-they-work-261010

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A person in the US has died from pneumonic plague. It’s not just a disease of history

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Jeffries, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Western Sydney University

    Corona Borealis Studio/Shutterstock

    A person in Arizona has died from the plague, local health officials reported on Friday.

    This marks the first such death in this region in 18 years. But it’s a stark reminder that this historic disease, though rare nowadays, is not just a disease of the past.

    So what actually is “plague”? And is it any cause for concern in Australia?

    There are 3 types of ‘plague’

    The word “plague” is often used to refer to any major disease epidemic or pandemic, or even to other undesirable events, such as a mouse plague. Naturally, the word can evoke fear.

    But scientifically speaking, plague is a disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis.

    Plague has three main forms: bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic.

    Bubonic is the most common and is named after “buboes”, which are the painful, swollen lymph nodes the infection causes. Other symptoms include fever, headache, chills and weakness.

    Bubonic plague is typically spread by fleas living on animals such as rats, prairie dogs and marmots. If an infected flea moves from their animal host to bite a human, this can cause an infection.

    People can also become infected through handling an animal infected with the disease.

    Septicemic plague occurs if bubonic plague is left untreated, or it can occur directly if the disease enters the bloodstream. Septicemic plague causes bleeding into the organs. The name comes from septicemia, which refers to a serious blood infection.

    The recent death in the United States was due to a case of pneumonic plague, which is the most severe form. Bubonic plague can in some cases spread to the lungs, where it becomes pneumonic plague. However, pneumonic plague can also spread from person to person via tiny respiratory droplets, in a similar way to COVID. Symptoms are similar to the other forms but also include severe pneumonia.

    Some 30–60% of people who contract bubonic plague will die, while the fatality rate can be up to 100% for pneumonic plague if left untreated.

    Animals such as rats can carry the bacterium that causes plague.
    marcus_photo_uk/Shutterstock

    Plague: a potted history

    This disease is one of the most important in history. The Plague of Justinian (541–750CE) killed tens of millions of people in the western Mediterranean, heavily impacting the expansion of the Byzantine Empire.

    The medieval Black Death (1346–53) was also seismic, killing tens of millions of people and up to half of Europe’s population.

    Spread by the growing trade networks of the British empire, the third and most recent plague pandemic spanned the years 1855 until roughly 1960, peaking in the early 1900s. It was responsible for 12 million deaths, primarily in India, and even reached Australia.

    It’s believed the bubonic plague was largely behind these pandemics.

    Plague in the modern day

    First introduced into the US during the third pandemic, plague infects an average of seven people a year in the west of the country, due to being endemic in groundhog and prairie dog populations there. The last major outbreak was 100 years ago.

    Deaths are very rare, with 14 deaths in the past 25 years in the US.

    Globally, there have been a few thousand cases of plague over the past decade.

    The countries with the most cases currently include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar and Peru, with cases also occurring in India, central Asia and the US. Cases usually occur in rural and agricultural areas.

    Plague can be treated

    Plague can easily be treated with common antibiotics, typically a course of 10–14 days, which can include both oral and intravenous antibiotics. But it must be treated quickly.

    The recent death is concerning, as it involves the airborne pneumonic form of the disease, the only form that spreads easily from person to person. But there’s no evidence of further spread of the disease within the US at this stage.

    As Y. pestis is not found in Australian animals, there is little risk here. Plague has not been reported in Australia in more than a century.

    But plague, like many diseases, is influenced by environmental conditions. The risk of climate change causing an expansion in the habitat of animal hosts means public health experts around the world should continue to monitor it closely.

    The plague, though often perceived as a disease of history, is still with us and can pose a major health threat if not treated early.

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

    – ref. A person in the US has died from pneumonic plague. It’s not just a disease of history – https://theconversation.com/a-person-in-the-us-has-died-from-pneumonic-plague-its-not-just-a-disease-of-history-261088

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Tyranny is an ever-present threat to civilisations. Here’s how Classical Greece and China dealt with it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shannon Brincat, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, University of the Sunshine Coast

    We’re just a few months into US president Donald Trump’s second term but his rule has already been repeatedly compared to tyranny.

    This may all feel very new to Americans, and to the rest of us watching on from around the world. But the threat of tyranny is an ancient one.

    We can learn much from how people in ancient Greece and China dealt with this issue.

    Where does tyranny come from?

    The peoples of classical Greece were separated into city-states known as the polis.

    A few of these, such as Athens and Argos, were democratic.

    Others, such as Rhodes or Chios, had had democratic features such as civic participation in public life.

    These city-states routinely faced external enemies but also the threat of tyrannical take-over from within.

    Things came to a head in 510 BCE under the rule of an oppressive tyrant known as Hippias. He was ultimately expelled, leading eventually to the establishment of democracy through reforms made under an Athenian statesmen called Cleisthenes.

    According to Plato, tyranny is the most degenerate political regime and emerges out of democracy’s excesses.

    He argued that as democratic citizens become accustomed to living by pleasure rather than reason or duty to the public good, society becomes fragmented.

    Demagogues – populist leaders who gain power by appealing to base desires and prejudices of the masses – promise the people more liberties. They turn citizens away from virtue and toward tyranny.

    Aristotle, who was Plato’s student, defines tyranny as the corrupted form of monarchy. The tyrant perverts the constitutional order to bring about self-serving rulership – the rule of one. Tyranny, he argued, destroys law and justice, eroding all public trust.

    The approach of Plato and Aristotle to combating tyranny was closely tied to their conception of the polis and the importance of citizenship.

    For the classical Greeks, citizenship was a binding relationship of reciprocal duties and obligations owed to all other citizens. The law, they believed, was king.

    It was these conventions that constrained political power, especially the arbitrary rule of one.

    Civic education by participation in daily democratic life promoted virtue, they believed. All citizens and the ruler were subservient to the law – a bond that tyranny destroyed.

    Aristotle said a strong middle class that could best prevent tyranny because they indicated a less unequal, and therefore more stable, society.

    Plato’s view was more inward looking. He saw tyranny as a political manifestation of a disordered “enslaved soul” governed by appetites rather than reason. For him, philosophical guidance back to harmony was required for the tyrant and for the people.

    Only through wisdom, he argued, could the people recognise and reject demagogues and populists.

    Protecting democracy from tyranny

    Some city-states learned from their institutional failings when tyranny had taken them over.

    For example, after a coup of aristocrats overtook Athenian democracy in 411 BCE, Athenians began to swear the Oath of Demophantos. This was among the first attempts at a constitutional safeguard of democracy against tyranny.

    It legally and morally obliged citizens to resist any attempt to overthrow democracy by force. The undertaking was a reciprocal duty; as other scholars have argued, each citizen could count on the support of all others to protect the democracy when a tyrant tried again.

    This made it far more likely for people to take action against a would-be-tyrant; they knew every other citizen had sworn an oath to have their back.

    The Greek historians of the time support these views. For example, Herodotus in the 5th century documented the rise of several tyrants across Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). He blamed the political vacuum created by the decline of aristocratic rule. Here, the personal ambition and luxury of elites laid the path to tyrannical behaviour.

    Another famous historian named Thucydides, writing at the same time, analysed the power and political corruption behind tyranny. He observed how times of crisis exposed vulnerabilities within Athens, leading to factionalism, instability, and the erosion of democracy.

    Tyranny in classical China

    In classical China we see a complementary, yet unique view of tyranny.

    During the Warring States period (475–221 BCE), when the Zhou Dynasty was divided amongst several competing states, preventing tyranny was a central concern.

    These states were mostly hereditary monarchies rather than democracies but they still emphasised accountability to the people.

    Mencius was a Chinese philosopher and disciple of Confucius.
    Mencius was a Chinese philosopher and disciple of Confucius.
    Pictures from History/Getty Images

    Mencius, a 4th-century BCE Chinese philosopher and Confucian scholar, argued the people’s welfare was the foundation of legitimate rule.

    There is, he argued, a responsibility to all under the Mandate of Heaven (天命, tiānmìng). This ancient Chinese doctrine asserted that heaven grants legitimacy to just rulers. If a ruler became despotic or failed to uphold harmony and virtue, the mandate can be withdrawn, justifying rebellion and dynastic change.

    Mencius famously said a ruler who oppresses the people is not a ruler but a “mere man” who could be violently overthrown.

    Xunzi, another Confucian philosopher writing in the late 4th to 3rd Centuries BCE, believed humans were inherently selfish and chaotic.

    To fend off tyranny he emphasised ritual, education, and rule of law. He believed in formal ceremonies and structured practices such as court etiquette, family rites, and daily ethical conduct. These, he believed, helped cultivate virtue, regulate behaviour, and maintain social harmony.

    Mozi, writing mostly in the 5th to early 4th centuries BCE, was a Chinese philosopher who opposed Confucianism and founded Mohism, offered a different view.

    Opposing all hierarchies, he emphasised jiān ài(兼爱) – universal obligation or care to all others – as a core ethical and political principle.

    According to Mozi, tyranny arises when rulers act selfishly – favoring their own families, states, or interests over the common good. He advocated for strong moral conduct and competence of leaders, rather than their lineage, wealth or status.

    Tyranny today

    Viewed together, these traditions suggest preventing tyranny requires more than just moral leadership.

    Rather, it requires a notion of reciprocity – of shared obligations between citizens – and systemic safeguards against the personal ambitions of rulers.

    Ethical governance, civic education, legal frameworks, and shared responsibilities are essential.

    The Conversation

    Shannon Brincat 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. Tyranny is an ever-present threat to civilisations. Here’s how Classical Greece and China dealt with it – https://theconversation.com/tyranny-is-an-ever-present-threat-to-civilisations-heres-how-classical-greece-and-china-dealt-with-it-259680

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Kimberlite Magic”: NSU postgraduate student Alexey Tarasov became a laureate of the RAS medal for the study of deep mantle melts

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The Russian Academy of Sciences has announced the winners of the 2024 competition for medals with prizes for the best scientific works of young scientists and students. One of the laureates was a postgraduate student Faculty of Geology and Geophysics (FGG) of NSU Alexey Tarasov. He received the award in geology, geophysics, geochemistry and mining sciences for his research on melt inclusions in minerals of mantle peridotite xenoliths.

    We talked to Alexey about his scientific path, research topic, participation in the competition and plans for the future.

    — How did you end up at NSU?

    — I entered NSU in 2018 after finishing school in Barnaul, based on the results of the Unified State Exam. I studied for a bachelor’s degree at the Faculty of Geography and Geography, then entered the master’s program. Now I continue my studies in graduate school.

    — Why did you choose the Faculty of Geology and Geophysics?

    — I have been interested in minerals since childhood, I had a small collection at home. I attended the “Young Geologist” club — there was one in Barnaul. Gradually, my hobby turned into a professional interest. I knew that Novosibirsk had a strong school in geochemistry, and this played a decisive role. There was no doubt where to go.

    — Tell us about your scientific work for which you received the Russian Academy of Sciences medal.

    — The overall goal of all our work is to understand how diamond deposits are formed. Diamond is a form of carbon that is stable only under very high pressure, so it forms deep in the mantle, at depths of 150–160 kilometers and more. Most diamonds formed more than 2.5 billion years ago and are still in the mantle because it is too deep to mine them.

    But there are kimberlite magmas. They form in the mantle and, unlike most other magmas, rise to the surface very quickly. In doing so, they take with them fragments of mantle rocks – so-called xenoliths, and minerals – xenocrysts. Sometimes – with diamonds.

    When magma reaches the surface, it forms kimberlite pipes, which are the main source of diamonds in nature. But what is kimberlite magma? What it consists of, where it comes from, and under what conditions it originates – is still not exactly known. This is a key scientific question, and I am working on solving it.

    – How do you research this?

    — I study melt inclusions in xenolith minerals. These are tiny drops of magma that were “sealed” in crystals during their growth and preserved in their original form. These inclusions provide a unique opportunity to reconstruct the composition of kimberlite melts at the moment of their origin — before all the changes and contaminations that occur during their ascent to the surface.

    The composition of these inclusions can tell us about the temperature and pressure of formation, and the type of rock from which they formed. This helps us get closer to understanding where and how new kimberlite pipes can form, and therefore potentially predict where diamonds can be found.

    — What, in your opinion, helped you receive the RAS medal?

    — It’s hard to say how exactly the selection took place. But I think several factors played a role. I tried to show that my work was not just fundamental, but also had potential applied significance. In addition, at the time of application, I had six published articles in which I was the author or co-author.

    But, to be honest, the main thing is not “what”, but “who”. My scientific supervisor Alexander Viktorovich Golovin. He insisted that I participate in conferences, helped with writing articles, tolerated my mistakes, demanded high quality. It was he who convinced me to apply for the RAS competition. In addition to him, other colleagues at the institute and teachers at the faculty supported me. Without them, nothing would have happened.

    — How did the competition itself go?

    — It was quite simple: you had to prepare an application, attach a research paper (in my case, it was a master’s thesis), provide a list of publications, and sign documents. There were no in-person stages — everything was done in writing.

    — What are your plans next?

    — I am continuing my postgraduate studies and working at the Institute of Geology and Mineralogy of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. I plan to defend my PhD thesis in 2027. I am currently finishing my first article, where I am the first author, and I want to publish it in a foreign journal of the 1st–2nd quartile. I already sent it six months ago, but was rejected. The reviewers pointed out the weak discussion and insufficient English.

    Now I am rewriting the text, looking for a translator and funding for professional translation. In parallel, I am working on the following articles. My supervisor has set a task – five articles by the end of my postgraduate studies. To be honest, I am not sure that I will cope, but I will make every effort.

    The Russian Academy of Sciences holds an annual competition for medals and prizes for young scientists and students. In 2024, 21 young scientists and 21 students received awards. Each laureate receives a medal, a diploma, a badge, and a cash prize of 100,000 rubles for young scientists and 50,000 rubles for students.

    The competition covers key areas of natural, technical and human sciences and is held with the aim of encouraging young scientists, supporting professional growth and enhancing the prestige of research activities.

    We congratulate Alexey Tarasov on his well-deserved award and wish him success in his future scientific research!

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Kimberlite Magic”: NSU postgraduate student Alexey Tarasov became a laureate of the RAS medal for the study of deep mantle melts

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The Russian Academy of Sciences has announced the winners of the 2024 competition for medals with prizes for the best scientific works of young scientists and students. One of the laureates was a postgraduate student Faculty of Geology and Geophysics (FGG) of NSU Alexey Tarasov. He received the award in geology, geophysics, geochemistry and mining sciences for his research on melt inclusions in minerals of mantle peridotite xenoliths.

    We talked to Alexey about his scientific path, research topic, participation in the competition and plans for the future.

    — How did you end up at NSU?

    — I entered NSU in 2018 after finishing school in Barnaul, based on the results of the Unified State Exam. I studied for a bachelor’s degree at the Faculty of Geography and Geography, then entered the master’s program. Now I continue my studies in graduate school.

    — Why did you choose the Faculty of Geology and Geophysics?

    — I have been interested in minerals since childhood, I had a small collection at home. I attended the “Young Geologist” club — there was one in Barnaul. Gradually, my hobby turned into a professional interest. I knew that Novosibirsk had a strong school in geochemistry, and this played a decisive role. There was no doubt where to go.

    — Tell us about your scientific work for which you received the Russian Academy of Sciences medal.

    — The overall goal of all our work is to understand how diamond deposits are formed. Diamond is a form of carbon that is stable only under very high pressure, so it forms deep in the mantle, at depths of 150–160 kilometers and more. Most diamonds formed more than 2.5 billion years ago and are still in the mantle because it is too deep to mine them.

    But there are kimberlite magmas. They form in the mantle and, unlike most other magmas, rise to the surface very quickly. In doing so, they take with them fragments of mantle rocks – so-called xenoliths, and minerals – xenocrysts. Sometimes – with diamonds.

    When magma reaches the surface, it forms kimberlite pipes, which are the main source of diamonds in nature. But what is kimberlite magma? What it consists of, where it comes from, and under what conditions it originates – is still not exactly known. This is a key scientific question, and I am working on solving it.

    – How do you research this?

    — I study melt inclusions in xenolith minerals. These are tiny drops of magma that were “sealed” in crystals during their growth and preserved in their original form. These inclusions provide a unique opportunity to reconstruct the composition of kimberlite melts at the moment of their origin — before all the changes and contaminations that occur during their ascent to the surface.

    The composition of these inclusions can tell us about the temperature and pressure of formation, and the type of rock from which they formed. This helps us get closer to understanding where and how new kimberlite pipes can form, and therefore potentially predict where diamonds can be found.

    — What, in your opinion, helped you receive the RAS medal?

    — It’s hard to say how exactly the selection took place. But I think several factors played a role. I tried to show that my work was not just fundamental, but also had potential applied significance. In addition, at the time of application, I had six published articles in which I was the author or co-author.

    But, to be honest, the main thing is not “what”, but “who”. My scientific supervisor Alexander Viktorovich Golovin. He insisted that I participate in conferences, helped with writing articles, tolerated my mistakes, demanded high quality. It was he who convinced me to apply for the RAS competition. In addition to him, other colleagues at the institute and teachers at the faculty supported me. Without them, nothing would have happened.

    — How did the competition itself go?

    — It was quite simple: you had to prepare an application, attach a research paper (in my case, it was a master’s thesis), provide a list of publications, and sign documents. There were no in-person stages — everything was done in writing.

    — What are your plans next?

    — I am continuing my postgraduate studies and working at the Institute of Geology and Mineralogy of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. I plan to defend my PhD thesis in 2027. I am currently finishing my first article, where I am the first author, and I want to publish it in a foreign journal of the 1st–2nd quartile. I already sent it six months ago, but was rejected. The reviewers pointed out the weak discussion and insufficient English.

    Now I am rewriting the text, looking for a translator and funding for professional translation. In parallel, I am working on the following articles. My supervisor has set a task – five articles by the end of my postgraduate studies. To be honest, I am not sure that I will cope, but I will make every effort.

    The Russian Academy of Sciences holds an annual competition for medals and prizes for young scientists and students. In 2024, 21 young scientists and 21 students received awards. Each laureate receives a medal, a diploma, a badge, and a cash prize of 100,000 rubles for young scientists and 50,000 rubles for students.

    The competition covers key areas of natural, technical and human sciences and is held with the aim of encouraging young scientists, supporting professional growth and enhancing the prestige of research activities.

    We congratulate Alexey Tarasov on his well-deserved award and wish him success in his future scientific research!

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Infortar acquired 100% ownership of its existing subsidiary

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Aktsiaselts Infortar acquired 10% of the shares in OÜ INF Saue from Lumi Partners JV1 OÜ. Following the transaction, Aktsiaselts Infortar holds 100% of the shares in OÜ INF Saue.
    The area of activity of OÜ INF Saue is the rental and operating of own or leased real estate. OÜ INF Saue owns a property located at Saue tee 10, Laagri, which accommodates a logistics center that is leased under a long-term lease agreement to Rimi Eesti Foods AS.
    The transaction is not treated as a transaction beyond everyday economic activities or a transaction of a significant importance, nor as a transaction with related persons, within the meaning of the “Requirements for Issuers” part of the NASDAQ Tallinn Stock Exchange rules. The transaction does not have a significant impact on Aktsiaselts Infortar’s activities. The members of the Supervisory Board and the Management Board of Aktsiaselts Infortar are not personally interested in the transaction in any other way.
    Infortar operates in seven countries, the company’s main fields of activity are maritime transport, energy and real estate. Infortar owns a 68.47% stake in Tallink Grupp, a 100% stake in Elenger Grupp and a versatile and modern real estate portfolio of approx. 141,000 m2. In addition to the three main areas of activity, Infortar also operates in construction and mineral resources, agriculture, printing, and other areas. A total of 110 companies belong to the Infortar group: 101 subsidiaries, 4 affiliated companies and 5 subsidiaries of affiliated companies. Excluding affiliates, Infortar employs 6,296 people.

    Additional information:
    Kadri Laanvee
    Investor Relations Manager
    Phone: +372 5156662
    e-mail: kadri.laanvee@infortar.ee
    www.infortar.ee/en/investor

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Infortar acquired 100% ownership of its existing subsidiary

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Aktsiaselts Infortar acquired 10% of the shares in OÜ INF Saue from Lumi Partners JV1 OÜ. Following the transaction, Aktsiaselts Infortar holds 100% of the shares in OÜ INF Saue.
    The area of activity of OÜ INF Saue is the rental and operating of own or leased real estate. OÜ INF Saue owns a property located at Saue tee 10, Laagri, which accommodates a logistics center that is leased under a long-term lease agreement to Rimi Eesti Foods AS.
    The transaction is not treated as a transaction beyond everyday economic activities or a transaction of a significant importance, nor as a transaction with related persons, within the meaning of the “Requirements for Issuers” part of the NASDAQ Tallinn Stock Exchange rules. The transaction does not have a significant impact on Aktsiaselts Infortar’s activities. The members of the Supervisory Board and the Management Board of Aktsiaselts Infortar are not personally interested in the transaction in any other way.
    Infortar operates in seven countries, the company’s main fields of activity are maritime transport, energy and real estate. Infortar owns a 68.47% stake in Tallink Grupp, a 100% stake in Elenger Grupp and a versatile and modern real estate portfolio of approx. 141,000 m2. In addition to the three main areas of activity, Infortar also operates in construction and mineral resources, agriculture, printing, and other areas. A total of 110 companies belong to the Infortar group: 101 subsidiaries, 4 affiliated companies and 5 subsidiaries of affiliated companies. Excluding affiliates, Infortar employs 6,296 people.

    Additional information:
    Kadri Laanvee
    Investor Relations Manager
    Phone: +372 5156662
    e-mail: kadri.laanvee@infortar.ee
    www.infortar.ee/en/investor

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Infortar acquired 100% ownership of its existing subsidiary

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Aktsiaselts Infortar acquired 10% of the shares in OÜ INF Saue from Lumi Partners JV1 OÜ. Following the transaction, Aktsiaselts Infortar holds 100% of the shares in OÜ INF Saue.
    The area of activity of OÜ INF Saue is the rental and operating of own or leased real estate. OÜ INF Saue owns a property located at Saue tee 10, Laagri, which accommodates a logistics center that is leased under a long-term lease agreement to Rimi Eesti Foods AS.
    The transaction is not treated as a transaction beyond everyday economic activities or a transaction of a significant importance, nor as a transaction with related persons, within the meaning of the “Requirements for Issuers” part of the NASDAQ Tallinn Stock Exchange rules. The transaction does not have a significant impact on Aktsiaselts Infortar’s activities. The members of the Supervisory Board and the Management Board of Aktsiaselts Infortar are not personally interested in the transaction in any other way.
    Infortar operates in seven countries, the company’s main fields of activity are maritime transport, energy and real estate. Infortar owns a 68.47% stake in Tallink Grupp, a 100% stake in Elenger Grupp and a versatile and modern real estate portfolio of approx. 141,000 m2. In addition to the three main areas of activity, Infortar also operates in construction and mineral resources, agriculture, printing, and other areas. A total of 110 companies belong to the Infortar group: 101 subsidiaries, 4 affiliated companies and 5 subsidiaries of affiliated companies. Excluding affiliates, Infortar employs 6,296 people.

    Additional information:
    Kadri Laanvee
    Investor Relations Manager
    Phone: +372 5156662
    e-mail: kadri.laanvee@infortar.ee
    www.infortar.ee/en/investor

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Infortar acquired 100% ownership of its existing subsidiary

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Aktsiaselts Infortar acquired 10% of the shares in OÜ INF Saue from Lumi Partners JV1 OÜ. Following the transaction, Aktsiaselts Infortar holds 100% of the shares in OÜ INF Saue.
    The area of activity of OÜ INF Saue is the rental and operating of own or leased real estate. OÜ INF Saue owns a property located at Saue tee 10, Laagri, which accommodates a logistics center that is leased under a long-term lease agreement to Rimi Eesti Foods AS.
    The transaction is not treated as a transaction beyond everyday economic activities or a transaction of a significant importance, nor as a transaction with related persons, within the meaning of the “Requirements for Issuers” part of the NASDAQ Tallinn Stock Exchange rules. The transaction does not have a significant impact on Aktsiaselts Infortar’s activities. The members of the Supervisory Board and the Management Board of Aktsiaselts Infortar are not personally interested in the transaction in any other way.
    Infortar operates in seven countries, the company’s main fields of activity are maritime transport, energy and real estate. Infortar owns a 68.47% stake in Tallink Grupp, a 100% stake in Elenger Grupp and a versatile and modern real estate portfolio of approx. 141,000 m2. In addition to the three main areas of activity, Infortar also operates in construction and mineral resources, agriculture, printing, and other areas. A total of 110 companies belong to the Infortar group: 101 subsidiaries, 4 affiliated companies and 5 subsidiaries of affiliated companies. Excluding affiliates, Infortar employs 6,296 people.

    Additional information:
    Kadri Laanvee
    Investor Relations Manager
    Phone: +372 5156662
    e-mail: kadri.laanvee@infortar.ee
    www.infortar.ee/en/investor

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Tyranny is an ever-present threat to civilisations. Here’s how Ancient Greece and China dealt with it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shannon Brincat, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, University of the Sunshine Coast

    Panasevich/Getty Images

    We’re just a few months into US president Donald Trump’s second term but his rule has already been repeatedly compared to tyranny.

    This may all feel very new to Americans, and to the rest of us watching on from around the world. But the threat of tyranny is an ancient one.

    We can learn much from how people in ancient Greece and China dealt with this issue.

    Where does tyranny come from?

    The peoples of classical Greece were separated into city-states known as the polis.

    A few of these, such as Athens and Argos, were democratic.

    Others, such as Rhodes or Chios, had had democratic features such as civic participation in public life.

    These city-states routinely faced external enemies but also the threat of tyrannical take-over from within.

    Things came to a head in 510 BCE under the rule of an oppressive tyrant known as Hippias. He was ultimately expelled, leading eventually to the establishment of democracy through reforms made under an Athenian statesmen called Cleisthenes.

    According to Plato, tyranny is the most degenerate political regime and emerges out of democracy’s excesses.

    He argued that as democratic citizens become accustomed to living by pleasure rather than reason or duty to the public good, society becomes fragmented.

    Demagogues – populist leaders who gain power by appealing to base desires and prejudices of the masses – promise the people more liberties. They turn citizens away from virtue and toward tyranny.

    Aristotle, who was Plato’s student, defines tyranny as the corrupted form of monarchy. The tyrant perverts the constitutional order to bring about self-serving rulership – the rule of one. Tyranny, he argued, destroys law and justice, eroding all public trust.

    The approach of Plato and Aristotle to combating tyranny was closely tied to their conception of the polis and the importance of citizenship.

    For the classical Greeks, citizenship was a binding relationship of reciprocal duties and obligations owed to all other citizens. The law, they believed, was king.

    It was these conventions that constrained political power, especially the arbitrary rule of one.

    Civic education by participation in daily democratic life promoted virtue, they believed. All citizens and the ruler were subservient to the law – a bond that tyranny destroyed.

    Aristotle said a strong middle class that could best prevent tyranny because they indicated a less unequal, and therefore more stable, society.

    Plato’s view was more inward looking. He saw tyranny as a political manifestation of a disordered “enslaved soul” governed by appetites rather than reason. For him, philosophical guidance back to harmony was required for the tyrant and for the people.

    Only through wisdom, he argued, could the people recognise and reject demagogues and populists.

    Protecting democracy from tyranny

    Some city-states learned from their institutional failings when tyranny had taken them over.

    For example, after a coup of aristocrats overtook Athenian democracy in 411 BCE, Athenians began to swear the Oath of Demophantos. This was among the first attempts at a constitutional safeguard of democracy against tyranny.

    It legally and morally obliged citizens to resist any attempt to overthrow democracy by force. The undertaking was a reciprocal duty; as other scholars have argued, each citizen could count on the support of all others to protect the democracy when a tyrant tried again.

    This made it far more likely for people to take action against a would-be-tyrant; they knew every other citizen had sworn an oath to have their back.

    The Greek historians of the time support these views. For example, Herodotus in the 5th century documented the rise of several tyrants across Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). He blamed the political vacuum created by the decline of aristocratic rule. Here, the personal ambition and luxury of elites laid the path to tyrannical behaviour.

    Another famous historian named Thucydides, writing at the same time, analysed the power and political corruption behind tyranny. He observed how times of crisis exposed vulnerabilities within Athens, leading to factionalism, instability, and the erosion of democracy.

    Tyranny in classical China

    In classical China we see a complementary, yet unique view of tyranny.

    During the Warring States period (475–221 BCE), when the Zhou Dynasty was divided amongst several competing states, preventing tyranny was a central concern.

    These states were mostly hereditary monarchies rather than democracies but they still emphasised accountability to the people.

    Mencius was a Chinese philosopher and disciple of Confucius.
    Pictures from History/Getty Images

    Mencius, a 4th-century BCE Chinese philosopher and Confucian scholar, argued the people’s welfare was the foundation of legitimate rule.

    There is, he argued, a responsibility to all under the Mandate of Heaven (天命, tiānmìng). This ancient Chinese doctrine asserted that heaven grants legitimacy to just rulers. If a ruler became despotic or failed to uphold harmony and virtue, the mandate can be withdrawn, justifying rebellion and dynastic change.

    Mencius famously said a ruler who oppresses the people is not a ruler but a “mere man” who could be violently overthrown.

    Xunzi, another Confucian philosopher writing in the late 4th to 3rd Centuries BCE, believed humans were inherently selfish and chaotic.

    To fend off tyranny he emphasised ritual, education, and rule of law. He believed in formal ceremonies and structured practices such as court etiquette, family rites, and daily ethical conduct. These, he believed, helped cultivate virtue, regulate behaviour, and maintain social harmony.

    Mozi, writing mostly in the 5th to early 4th centuries BCE, was a Chinese philosopher who opposed Confucianism and founded Mohism, offered a different view.

    Opposing all hierarchies, he emphasised jiān ài(兼爱) – universal obligation or care to all others – as a core ethical and political principle.

    According to Mozi, tyranny arises when rulers act selfishly – favoring their own families, states, or interests over the common good. He advocated for strong moral conduct and competence of leaders, rather than their lineage, wealth or status.

    Tyranny today

    Viewed together, these traditions suggest preventing tyranny requires more than just moral leadership.

    Rather, it requires a notion of reciprocity – of shared obligations between citizens – and systemic safeguards against the personal ambitions of rulers.

    Ethical governance, civic education, legal frameworks, and shared responsibilities are essential.

    Shannon Brincat 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. Tyranny is an ever-present threat to civilisations. Here’s how Ancient Greece and China dealt with it – https://theconversation.com/tyranny-is-an-ever-present-threat-to-civilisations-heres-how-ancient-greece-and-china-dealt-with-it-259680

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Tyranny is an ever-present threat to civilisations. Here’s how Ancient Greece and China dealt with it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shannon Brincat, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, University of the Sunshine Coast

    Panasevich/Getty Images

    We’re just a few months into US president Donald Trump’s second term but his rule has already been repeatedly compared to tyranny.

    This may all feel very new to Americans, and to the rest of us watching on from around the world. But the threat of tyranny is an ancient one.

    We can learn much from how people in ancient Greece and China dealt with this issue.

    Where does tyranny come from?

    The peoples of classical Greece were separated into city-states known as the polis.

    A few of these, such as Athens and Argos, were democratic.

    Others, such as Rhodes or Chios, had had democratic features such as civic participation in public life.

    These city-states routinely faced external enemies but also the threat of tyrannical take-over from within.

    Things came to a head in 510 BCE under the rule of an oppressive tyrant known as Hippias. He was ultimately expelled, leading eventually to the establishment of democracy through reforms made under an Athenian statesmen called Cleisthenes.

    According to Plato, tyranny is the most degenerate political regime and emerges out of democracy’s excesses.

    He argued that as democratic citizens become accustomed to living by pleasure rather than reason or duty to the public good, society becomes fragmented.

    Demagogues – populist leaders who gain power by appealing to base desires and prejudices of the masses – promise the people more liberties. They turn citizens away from virtue and toward tyranny.

    Aristotle, who was Plato’s student, defines tyranny as the corrupted form of monarchy. The tyrant perverts the constitutional order to bring about self-serving rulership – the rule of one. Tyranny, he argued, destroys law and justice, eroding all public trust.

    The approach of Plato and Aristotle to combating tyranny was closely tied to their conception of the polis and the importance of citizenship.

    For the classical Greeks, citizenship was a binding relationship of reciprocal duties and obligations owed to all other citizens. The law, they believed, was king.

    It was these conventions that constrained political power, especially the arbitrary rule of one.

    Civic education by participation in daily democratic life promoted virtue, they believed. All citizens and the ruler were subservient to the law – a bond that tyranny destroyed.

    Aristotle said a strong middle class that could best prevent tyranny because they indicated a less unequal, and therefore more stable, society.

    Plato’s view was more inward looking. He saw tyranny as a political manifestation of a disordered “enslaved soul” governed by appetites rather than reason. For him, philosophical guidance back to harmony was required for the tyrant and for the people.

    Only through wisdom, he argued, could the people recognise and reject demagogues and populists.

    Protecting democracy from tyranny

    Some city-states learned from their institutional failings when tyranny had taken them over.

    For example, after a coup of aristocrats overtook Athenian democracy in 411 BCE, Athenians began to swear the Oath of Demophantos. This was among the first attempts at a constitutional safeguard of democracy against tyranny.

    It legally and morally obliged citizens to resist any attempt to overthrow democracy by force. The undertaking was a reciprocal duty; as other scholars have argued, each citizen could count on the support of all others to protect the democracy when a tyrant tried again.

    This made it far more likely for people to take action against a would-be-tyrant; they knew every other citizen had sworn an oath to have their back.

    The Greek historians of the time support these views. For example, Herodotus in the 5th century documented the rise of several tyrants across Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). He blamed the political vacuum created by the decline of aristocratic rule. Here, the personal ambition and luxury of elites laid the path to tyrannical behaviour.

    Another famous historian named Thucydides, writing at the same time, analysed the power and political corruption behind tyranny. He observed how times of crisis exposed vulnerabilities within Athens, leading to factionalism, instability, and the erosion of democracy.

    Tyranny in classical China

    In classical China we see a complementary, yet unique view of tyranny.

    During the Warring States period (475–221 BCE), when the Zhou Dynasty was divided amongst several competing states, preventing tyranny was a central concern.

    These states were mostly hereditary monarchies rather than democracies but they still emphasised accountability to the people.

    Mencius was a Chinese philosopher and disciple of Confucius.
    Pictures from History/Getty Images

    Mencius, a 4th-century BCE Chinese philosopher and Confucian scholar, argued the people’s welfare was the foundation of legitimate rule.

    There is, he argued, a responsibility to all under the Mandate of Heaven (天命, tiānmìng). This ancient Chinese doctrine asserted that heaven grants legitimacy to just rulers. If a ruler became despotic or failed to uphold harmony and virtue, the mandate can be withdrawn, justifying rebellion and dynastic change.

    Mencius famously said a ruler who oppresses the people is not a ruler but a “mere man” who could be violently overthrown.

    Xunzi, another Confucian philosopher writing in the late 4th to 3rd Centuries BCE, believed humans were inherently selfish and chaotic.

    To fend off tyranny he emphasised ritual, education, and rule of law. He believed in formal ceremonies and structured practices such as court etiquette, family rites, and daily ethical conduct. These, he believed, helped cultivate virtue, regulate behaviour, and maintain social harmony.

    Mozi, writing mostly in the 5th to early 4th centuries BCE, was a Chinese philosopher who opposed Confucianism and founded Mohism, offered a different view.

    Opposing all hierarchies, he emphasised jiān ài(兼爱) – universal obligation or care to all others – as a core ethical and political principle.

    According to Mozi, tyranny arises when rulers act selfishly – favoring their own families, states, or interests over the common good. He advocated for strong moral conduct and competence of leaders, rather than their lineage, wealth or status.

    Tyranny today

    Viewed together, these traditions suggest preventing tyranny requires more than just moral leadership.

    Rather, it requires a notion of reciprocity – of shared obligations between citizens – and systemic safeguards against the personal ambitions of rulers.

    Ethical governance, civic education, legal frameworks, and shared responsibilities are essential.

    Shannon Brincat 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. Tyranny is an ever-present threat to civilisations. Here’s how Ancient Greece and China dealt with it – https://theconversation.com/tyranny-is-an-ever-present-threat-to-civilisations-heres-how-ancient-greece-and-china-dealt-with-it-259680

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Tyranny is an ever-present threat to civilisations. Here’s how Ancient Greece and China dealt with it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shannon Brincat, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, University of the Sunshine Coast

    Panasevich/Getty Images

    We’re just a few months into US president Donald Trump’s second term but his rule has already been repeatedly compared to tyranny.

    This may all feel very new to Americans, and to the rest of us watching on from around the world. But the threat of tyranny is an ancient one.

    We can learn much from how people in ancient Greece and China dealt with this issue.

    Where does tyranny come from?

    The peoples of classical Greece were separated into city-states known as the polis.

    A few of these, such as Athens and Argos, were democratic.

    Others, such as Rhodes or Chios, had had democratic features such as civic participation in public life.

    These city-states routinely faced external enemies but also the threat of tyrannical take-over from within.

    Things came to a head in 510 BCE under the rule of an oppressive tyrant known as Hippias. He was ultimately expelled, leading eventually to the establishment of democracy through reforms made under an Athenian statesmen called Cleisthenes.

    According to Plato, tyranny is the most degenerate political regime and emerges out of democracy’s excesses.

    He argued that as democratic citizens become accustomed to living by pleasure rather than reason or duty to the public good, society becomes fragmented.

    Demagogues – populist leaders who gain power by appealing to base desires and prejudices of the masses – promise the people more liberties. They turn citizens away from virtue and toward tyranny.

    Aristotle, who was Plato’s student, defines tyranny as the corrupted form of monarchy. The tyrant perverts the constitutional order to bring about self-serving rulership – the rule of one. Tyranny, he argued, destroys law and justice, eroding all public trust.

    The approach of Plato and Aristotle to combating tyranny was closely tied to their conception of the polis and the importance of citizenship.

    For the classical Greeks, citizenship was a binding relationship of reciprocal duties and obligations owed to all other citizens. The law, they believed, was king.

    It was these conventions that constrained political power, especially the arbitrary rule of one.

    Civic education by participation in daily democratic life promoted virtue, they believed. All citizens and the ruler were subservient to the law – a bond that tyranny destroyed.

    Aristotle said a strong middle class that could best prevent tyranny because they indicated a less unequal, and therefore more stable, society.

    Plato’s view was more inward looking. He saw tyranny as a political manifestation of a disordered “enslaved soul” governed by appetites rather than reason. For him, philosophical guidance back to harmony was required for the tyrant and for the people.

    Only through wisdom, he argued, could the people recognise and reject demagogues and populists.

    Protecting democracy from tyranny

    Some city-states learned from their institutional failings when tyranny had taken them over.

    For example, after a coup of aristocrats overtook Athenian democracy in 411 BCE, Athenians began to swear the Oath of Demophantos. This was among the first attempts at a constitutional safeguard of democracy against tyranny.

    It legally and morally obliged citizens to resist any attempt to overthrow democracy by force. The undertaking was a reciprocal duty; as other scholars have argued, each citizen could count on the support of all others to protect the democracy when a tyrant tried again.

    This made it far more likely for people to take action against a would-be-tyrant; they knew every other citizen had sworn an oath to have their back.

    The Greek historians of the time support these views. For example, Herodotus in the 5th century documented the rise of several tyrants across Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). He blamed the political vacuum created by the decline of aristocratic rule. Here, the personal ambition and luxury of elites laid the path to tyrannical behaviour.

    Another famous historian named Thucydides, writing at the same time, analysed the power and political corruption behind tyranny. He observed how times of crisis exposed vulnerabilities within Athens, leading to factionalism, instability, and the erosion of democracy.

    Tyranny in classical China

    In classical China we see a complementary, yet unique view of tyranny.

    During the Warring States period (475–221 BCE), when the Zhou Dynasty was divided amongst several competing states, preventing tyranny was a central concern.

    These states were mostly hereditary monarchies rather than democracies but they still emphasised accountability to the people.

    Mencius was a Chinese philosopher and disciple of Confucius.
    Pictures from History/Getty Images

    Mencius, a 4th-century BCE Chinese philosopher and Confucian scholar, argued the people’s welfare was the foundation of legitimate rule.

    There is, he argued, a responsibility to all under the Mandate of Heaven (天命, tiānmìng). This ancient Chinese doctrine asserted that heaven grants legitimacy to just rulers. If a ruler became despotic or failed to uphold harmony and virtue, the mandate can be withdrawn, justifying rebellion and dynastic change.

    Mencius famously said a ruler who oppresses the people is not a ruler but a “mere man” who could be violently overthrown.

    Xunzi, another Confucian philosopher writing in the late 4th to 3rd Centuries BCE, believed humans were inherently selfish and chaotic.

    To fend off tyranny he emphasised ritual, education, and rule of law. He believed in formal ceremonies and structured practices such as court etiquette, family rites, and daily ethical conduct. These, he believed, helped cultivate virtue, regulate behaviour, and maintain social harmony.

    Mozi, writing mostly in the 5th to early 4th centuries BCE, was a Chinese philosopher who opposed Confucianism and founded Mohism, offered a different view.

    Opposing all hierarchies, he emphasised jiān ài(兼爱) – universal obligation or care to all others – as a core ethical and political principle.

    According to Mozi, tyranny arises when rulers act selfishly – favoring their own families, states, or interests over the common good. He advocated for strong moral conduct and competence of leaders, rather than their lineage, wealth or status.

    Tyranny today

    Viewed together, these traditions suggest preventing tyranny requires more than just moral leadership.

    Rather, it requires a notion of reciprocity – of shared obligations between citizens – and systemic safeguards against the personal ambitions of rulers.

    Ethical governance, civic education, legal frameworks, and shared responsibilities are essential.

    Shannon Brincat 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. Tyranny is an ever-present threat to civilisations. Here’s how Ancient Greece and China dealt with it – https://theconversation.com/tyranny-is-an-ever-present-threat-to-civilisations-heres-how-ancient-greece-and-china-dealt-with-it-259680

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Tyranny is an ever-present threat to civilisations. Here’s how Ancient Greece and China dealt with it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shannon Brincat, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, University of the Sunshine Coast

    Panasevich/Getty Images

    We’re just a few months into US president Donald Trump’s second term but his rule has already been repeatedly compared to tyranny.

    This may all feel very new to Americans, and to the rest of us watching on from around the world. But the threat of tyranny is an ancient one.

    We can learn much from how people in ancient Greece and China dealt with this issue.

    Where does tyranny come from?

    The peoples of classical Greece were separated into city-states known as the polis.

    A few of these, such as Athens and Argos, were democratic.

    Others, such as Rhodes or Chios, had had democratic features such as civic participation in public life.

    These city-states routinely faced external enemies but also the threat of tyrannical take-over from within.

    Things came to a head in 510 BCE under the rule of an oppressive tyrant known as Hippias. He was ultimately expelled, leading eventually to the establishment of democracy through reforms made under an Athenian statesmen called Cleisthenes.

    According to Plato, tyranny is the most degenerate political regime and emerges out of democracy’s excesses.

    He argued that as democratic citizens become accustomed to living by pleasure rather than reason or duty to the public good, society becomes fragmented.

    Demagogues – populist leaders who gain power by appealing to base desires and prejudices of the masses – promise the people more liberties. They turn citizens away from virtue and toward tyranny.

    Aristotle, who was Plato’s student, defines tyranny as the corrupted form of monarchy. The tyrant perverts the constitutional order to bring about self-serving rulership – the rule of one. Tyranny, he argued, destroys law and justice, eroding all public trust.

    The approach of Plato and Aristotle to combating tyranny was closely tied to their conception of the polis and the importance of citizenship.

    For the classical Greeks, citizenship was a binding relationship of reciprocal duties and obligations owed to all other citizens. The law, they believed, was king.

    It was these conventions that constrained political power, especially the arbitrary rule of one.

    Civic education by participation in daily democratic life promoted virtue, they believed. All citizens and the ruler were subservient to the law – a bond that tyranny destroyed.

    Aristotle said a strong middle class that could best prevent tyranny because they indicated a less unequal, and therefore more stable, society.

    Plato’s view was more inward looking. He saw tyranny as a political manifestation of a disordered “enslaved soul” governed by appetites rather than reason. For him, philosophical guidance back to harmony was required for the tyrant and for the people.

    Only through wisdom, he argued, could the people recognise and reject demagogues and populists.

    Protecting democracy from tyranny

    Some city-states learned from their institutional failings when tyranny had taken them over.

    For example, after a coup of aristocrats overtook Athenian democracy in 411 BCE, Athenians began to swear the Oath of Demophantos. This was among the first attempts at a constitutional safeguard of democracy against tyranny.

    It legally and morally obliged citizens to resist any attempt to overthrow democracy by force. The undertaking was a reciprocal duty; as other scholars have argued, each citizen could count on the support of all others to protect the democracy when a tyrant tried again.

    This made it far more likely for people to take action against a would-be-tyrant; they knew every other citizen had sworn an oath to have their back.

    The Greek historians of the time support these views. For example, Herodotus in the 5th century documented the rise of several tyrants across Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). He blamed the political vacuum created by the decline of aristocratic rule. Here, the personal ambition and luxury of elites laid the path to tyrannical behaviour.

    Another famous historian named Thucydides, writing at the same time, analysed the power and political corruption behind tyranny. He observed how times of crisis exposed vulnerabilities within Athens, leading to factionalism, instability, and the erosion of democracy.

    Tyranny in classical China

    In classical China we see a complementary, yet unique view of tyranny.

    During the Warring States period (475–221 BCE), when the Zhou Dynasty was divided amongst several competing states, preventing tyranny was a central concern.

    These states were mostly hereditary monarchies rather than democracies but they still emphasised accountability to the people.

    Mencius was a Chinese philosopher and disciple of Confucius.
    Pictures from History/Getty Images

    Mencius, a 4th-century BCE Chinese philosopher and Confucian scholar, argued the people’s welfare was the foundation of legitimate rule.

    There is, he argued, a responsibility to all under the Mandate of Heaven (天命, tiānmìng). This ancient Chinese doctrine asserted that heaven grants legitimacy to just rulers. If a ruler became despotic or failed to uphold harmony and virtue, the mandate can be withdrawn, justifying rebellion and dynastic change.

    Mencius famously said a ruler who oppresses the people is not a ruler but a “mere man” who could be violently overthrown.

    Xunzi, another Confucian philosopher writing in the late 4th to 3rd Centuries BCE, believed humans were inherently selfish and chaotic.

    To fend off tyranny he emphasised ritual, education, and rule of law. He believed in formal ceremonies and structured practices such as court etiquette, family rites, and daily ethical conduct. These, he believed, helped cultivate virtue, regulate behaviour, and maintain social harmony.

    Mozi, writing mostly in the 5th to early 4th centuries BCE, was a Chinese philosopher who opposed Confucianism and founded Mohism, offered a different view.

    Opposing all hierarchies, he emphasised jiān ài(兼爱) – universal obligation or care to all others – as a core ethical and political principle.

    According to Mozi, tyranny arises when rulers act selfishly – favoring their own families, states, or interests over the common good. He advocated for strong moral conduct and competence of leaders, rather than their lineage, wealth or status.

    Tyranny today

    Viewed together, these traditions suggest preventing tyranny requires more than just moral leadership.

    Rather, it requires a notion of reciprocity – of shared obligations between citizens – and systemic safeguards against the personal ambitions of rulers.

    Ethical governance, civic education, legal frameworks, and shared responsibilities are essential.

    Shannon Brincat 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. Tyranny is an ever-present threat to civilisations. Here’s how Ancient Greece and China dealt with it – https://theconversation.com/tyranny-is-an-ever-present-threat-to-civilisations-heres-how-ancient-greece-and-china-dealt-with-it-259680

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Tyranny is an ever-present threat to civilisations. Here’s how Ancient Greece and China dealt with it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shannon Brincat, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, University of the Sunshine Coast

    Panasevich/Getty Images

    We’re just a few months into US president Donald Trump’s second term but his rule has already been repeatedly compared to tyranny.

    This may all feel very new to Americans, and to the rest of us watching on from around the world. But the threat of tyranny is an ancient one.

    We can learn much from how people in ancient Greece and China dealt with this issue.

    Where does tyranny come from?

    The peoples of classical Greece were separated into city-states known as the polis.

    A few of these, such as Athens and Argos, were democratic.

    Others, such as Rhodes or Chios, had had democratic features such as civic participation in public life.

    These city-states routinely faced external enemies but also the threat of tyrannical take-over from within.

    Things came to a head in 510 BCE under the rule of an oppressive tyrant known as Hippias. He was ultimately expelled, leading eventually to the establishment of democracy through reforms made under an Athenian statesmen called Cleisthenes.

    According to Plato, tyranny is the most degenerate political regime and emerges out of democracy’s excesses.

    He argued that as democratic citizens become accustomed to living by pleasure rather than reason or duty to the public good, society becomes fragmented.

    Demagogues – populist leaders who gain power by appealing to base desires and prejudices of the masses – promise the people more liberties. They turn citizens away from virtue and toward tyranny.

    Aristotle, who was Plato’s student, defines tyranny as the corrupted form of monarchy. The tyrant perverts the constitutional order to bring about self-serving rulership – the rule of one. Tyranny, he argued, destroys law and justice, eroding all public trust.

    The approach of Plato and Aristotle to combating tyranny was closely tied to their conception of the polis and the importance of citizenship.

    For the classical Greeks, citizenship was a binding relationship of reciprocal duties and obligations owed to all other citizens. The law, they believed, was king.

    It was these conventions that constrained political power, especially the arbitrary rule of one.

    Civic education by participation in daily democratic life promoted virtue, they believed. All citizens and the ruler were subservient to the law – a bond that tyranny destroyed.

    Aristotle said a strong middle class that could best prevent tyranny because they indicated a less unequal, and therefore more stable, society.

    Plato’s view was more inward looking. He saw tyranny as a political manifestation of a disordered “enslaved soul” governed by appetites rather than reason. For him, philosophical guidance back to harmony was required for the tyrant and for the people.

    Only through wisdom, he argued, could the people recognise and reject demagogues and populists.

    Protecting democracy from tyranny

    Some city-states learned from their institutional failings when tyranny had taken them over.

    For example, after a coup of aristocrats overtook Athenian democracy in 411 BCE, Athenians began to swear the Oath of Demophantos. This was among the first attempts at a constitutional safeguard of democracy against tyranny.

    It legally and morally obliged citizens to resist any attempt to overthrow democracy by force. The undertaking was a reciprocal duty; as other scholars have argued, each citizen could count on the support of all others to protect the democracy when a tyrant tried again.

    This made it far more likely for people to take action against a would-be-tyrant; they knew every other citizen had sworn an oath to have their back.

    The Greek historians of the time support these views. For example, Herodotus in the 5th century documented the rise of several tyrants across Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). He blamed the political vacuum created by the decline of aristocratic rule. Here, the personal ambition and luxury of elites laid the path to tyrannical behaviour.

    Another famous historian named Thucydides, writing at the same time, analysed the power and political corruption behind tyranny. He observed how times of crisis exposed vulnerabilities within Athens, leading to factionalism, instability, and the erosion of democracy.

    Tyranny in classical China

    In classical China we see a complementary, yet unique view of tyranny.

    During the Warring States period (475–221 BCE), when the Zhou Dynasty was divided amongst several competing states, preventing tyranny was a central concern.

    These states were mostly hereditary monarchies rather than democracies but they still emphasised accountability to the people.

    Mencius was a Chinese philosopher and disciple of Confucius.
    Pictures from History/Getty Images

    Mencius, a 4th-century BCE Chinese philosopher and Confucian scholar, argued the people’s welfare was the foundation of legitimate rule.

    There is, he argued, a responsibility to all under the Mandate of Heaven (天命, tiānmìng). This ancient Chinese doctrine asserted that heaven grants legitimacy to just rulers. If a ruler became despotic or failed to uphold harmony and virtue, the mandate can be withdrawn, justifying rebellion and dynastic change.

    Mencius famously said a ruler who oppresses the people is not a ruler but a “mere man” who could be violently overthrown.

    Xunzi, another Confucian philosopher writing in the late 4th to 3rd Centuries BCE, believed humans were inherently selfish and chaotic.

    To fend off tyranny he emphasised ritual, education, and rule of law. He believed in formal ceremonies and structured practices such as court etiquette, family rites, and daily ethical conduct. These, he believed, helped cultivate virtue, regulate behaviour, and maintain social harmony.

    Mozi, writing mostly in the 5th to early 4th centuries BCE, was a Chinese philosopher who opposed Confucianism and founded Mohism, offered a different view.

    Opposing all hierarchies, he emphasised jiān ài(兼爱) – universal obligation or care to all others – as a core ethical and political principle.

    According to Mozi, tyranny arises when rulers act selfishly – favoring their own families, states, or interests over the common good. He advocated for strong moral conduct and competence of leaders, rather than their lineage, wealth or status.

    Tyranny today

    Viewed together, these traditions suggest preventing tyranny requires more than just moral leadership.

    Rather, it requires a notion of reciprocity – of shared obligations between citizens – and systemic safeguards against the personal ambitions of rulers.

    Ethical governance, civic education, legal frameworks, and shared responsibilities are essential.

    Shannon Brincat 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. Tyranny is an ever-present threat to civilisations. Here’s how Ancient Greece and China dealt with it – https://theconversation.com/tyranny-is-an-ever-present-threat-to-civilisations-heres-how-ancient-greece-and-china-dealt-with-it-259680

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Top of the South state highway update – response work continuing across the region

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) contractors are hard at work at several state highway sites across the top of the South Island, as the massive clean-up and repair job in the region continues.

    The summary below outlines the current status of the region’s state highway network.

    SH6 Rocks Road – CLOSED
    State Highway 6 Rocks Road remains CLOSED between Bisley Avenue and Richardson Street, while work continues to assess the slip and rockfall, and to remove loose material and vegetation.

    “Areas at the top of the cliff have been destabilised by the heavy rain. We’re working to remove  the loose material and vegetation from the top of the cliff so that the road can be safely reopened as soon as possible,” says Rob Service, NZTA System Manager Nelson/Tasman.

    The route remains closed to all traffic, cyclists, and pedestrians until further notice. NZTA is reminding everyone not to go beyond the closure points on Rocks Road, as there is serious danger from potential falling debris, while contractors work to remove material from the cliff face.

    To allow people to access businesses and shops on Rocks Road, there is a ‘soft closure’ in place at the intersection of Russell Street, but no travel is permitted between Bisley Avenue and Richardson Street.

    NZTA will provide updates as further information is available.

    SH60 Takaka Hill – OPEN
    State Highway 60 Tākaka Hill is OPEN to light and heavy vehicles, but the road has suffered slip and washout damage and extra care and time is needed when travelling this route. The road remains vulnerable to further disruptions and possible closure.

    There are active worksites on Takaka Hill which are under temporary speed restrictions and single lane sections, both operating 24/7. Please be careful and patient when driving over the hill and adhere to the temporary speed limits.

    SH6 Belgrove to Kohatu – OPEN
    State Highway 6 is OPEN between Belgrove and Kohatu. Extra care and time is needed when travelling this route. There are three active worksites in this section of road under temporary speed restrictions 24/7 and one single lane section controlled by traffic lights.

    SH63 – OPEN to residents and essential travel only
    SH63 between Waihopai Valley Road and Korere-Tophouse Road is open for residents and those with essential travel needs only.  

    General advice

    All other state highways are open, but it is not business as usual on the roads or for driving.

    Across the network, because of weather damage, drivers must drive to the conditions and take extreme care when travelling. There remains an ongoing risk of slips, rock and tree falls, and the potential for further road closures. These may happen at short notice.

    Road users can expect to encounter multiple road work and repair sites across the region and must allow extra time for their journeys.

    Please follow all traffic management and temporary speed limits in place. They are there to keep the public and work crews safe.

    More information

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Top of the South state highway update – response work continuing across the region

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) contractors are hard at work at several state highway sites across the top of the South Island, as the massive clean-up and repair job in the region continues.

    The summary below outlines the current status of the region’s state highway network.

    SH6 Rocks Road – CLOSED
    State Highway 6 Rocks Road remains CLOSED between Bisley Avenue and Richardson Street, while work continues to assess the slip and rockfall, and to remove loose material and vegetation.

    “Areas at the top of the cliff have been destabilised by the heavy rain. We’re working to remove  the loose material and vegetation from the top of the cliff so that the road can be safely reopened as soon as possible,” says Rob Service, NZTA System Manager Nelson/Tasman.

    The route remains closed to all traffic, cyclists, and pedestrians until further notice. NZTA is reminding everyone not to go beyond the closure points on Rocks Road, as there is serious danger from potential falling debris, while contractors work to remove material from the cliff face.

    To allow people to access businesses and shops on Rocks Road, there is a ‘soft closure’ in place at the intersection of Russell Street, but no travel is permitted between Bisley Avenue and Richardson Street.

    NZTA will provide updates as further information is available.

    SH60 Takaka Hill – OPEN
    State Highway 60 Tākaka Hill is OPEN to light and heavy vehicles, but the road has suffered slip and washout damage and extra care and time is needed when travelling this route. The road remains vulnerable to further disruptions and possible closure.

    There are active worksites on Takaka Hill which are under temporary speed restrictions and single lane sections, both operating 24/7. Please be careful and patient when driving over the hill and adhere to the temporary speed limits.

    SH6 Belgrove to Kohatu – OPEN
    State Highway 6 is OPEN between Belgrove and Kohatu. Extra care and time is needed when travelling this route. There are three active worksites in this section of road under temporary speed restrictions 24/7 and one single lane section controlled by traffic lights.

    SH63 – OPEN to residents and essential travel only
    SH63 between Waihopai Valley Road and Korere-Tophouse Road is open for residents and those with essential travel needs only.  

    General advice

    All other state highways are open, but it is not business as usual on the roads or for driving.

    Across the network, because of weather damage, drivers must drive to the conditions and take extreme care when travelling. There remains an ongoing risk of slips, rock and tree falls, and the potential for further road closures. These may happen at short notice.

    Road users can expect to encounter multiple road work and repair sites across the region and must allow extra time for their journeys.

    Please follow all traffic management and temporary speed limits in place. They are there to keep the public and work crews safe.

    More information

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –