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Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Cleaver Joins 199 Lawmakers in Bipartisan Effort to Save Job Corps

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

    (Washington, D.C.) – This week, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) joined Congressmen Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), and nearly 200 other congressional lawmakers in urging the Department of Labor to continue the Job Corps program. In a letter to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Cleaver and the bipartisan cohort of lawmakers highlighted the benefits of the program and reiterated its importance to young workers and small businesses across the nation. 

    “Nearly 20,000 young people utilize Job Corps to learn skills for in-demand vocational and technical job training,” the lawmakers wrote. “Job Corps is one of the few national programs that specifically targets the 16-24-year-old population that is neither working, nor in school, and provides them with a direct pathway into employment openings in industries such as manufacturing and shipbuilding. The program also connects these young Americans with apprenticeships, higher education opportunities, or the military.”

    “As companies continue to onshore and invest in the men and women of our country, a steady stream of skilled laborers will be required to meet the growing workforce demand,” the lawmakers continued. “The Job Corps program is uniquely positioned to fill that role and provide these hardworking young Americans with the vocational and technical job training that will set them and our country up for success.”

    “There is no one more capable than the American worker when given a chance at success. We urge you to support our request so that local Job Corps Centers can continue connecting young Americans with careers and opportunities available to them. We are confident that, in collaboration with the Administration and Job Corps Centers in our communities, we can strengthen this program, continuing to develop a highly skilled and competitive labor force,” the lawmakers concluded.

    On May 29, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a notice that it will begin a phased pause in operations at contractor-operated Job Corps centers across the country. Job Corps is a national program with over 120 centers nationwide. Job Corps offers at-risk youth varied academic opportunities and career pathways in business and industry.

    Congressman Cleaver has been a longtime supporter of Job Corps and the benefits it provides to young workers across Missouri, requesting Congress to provide adequate funding for the program and Job Corp Centers throughout the Show Me State.

    The official letter from lawmakers is available here.

     

    Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: LaMalfa Reintroduces the Protecting Children from Experimentation Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Doug LaMalfa 1st District of California

    Washington, D.C.—This week, Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) reintroduced the Protecting Children from Experimentation Act, legislation that prohibits doctors from performing gender reassignment procedures on minors. The bill is designed to protect children from irreversible medical interventions that carry serious, lifelong consequences.

    “Vulnerable kids are being deceived into surgeries or life-altering drugs they shouldn’t even have to contemplate,” said Rep. LaMalfa. “Minors shouldn’t be making permanent decisions to alter their bodies, and adults, especially in the medical field, have no business coercing them into it. Let kids be kids. This isn’t compassionate care, it’s irreversible harm. When adults lead children down this path, that’s not medicine. It’s abuse, and they should be held accountable.”

    Under the bill, doctors who knowingly perform gender reassignment procedures on minors would face civil and criminal penalties, including fines and potential imprisonment. Additionally, the person who underwent the procedure as a minor would have the right to bring civil action against the provider. The legislation includes clear exceptions for children born with medically verifiable sex development disorders.

    The Protecting Children from Experimentation Act was previously introduced in both the 117th and 118th Congress and continues to build on growing concerns among parents, medical professionals, and lawmakers about the long-term harms of subjecting minors to unproven and irreversible procedures.

    Congressman Doug LaMalfa is Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus and a lifelong farmer representing California’s First Congressional District, including Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama and Yuba Counties.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • India’s transformative decade: Landmark reforms drive ease of doing business

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Over the past eleven years, India has undergone a remarkable transformation in its business and investment climate, driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance model that emphasizes Seva (service), Sushasan (good governance), and Garib Kalyan (welfare of the poor). As part of the vision for a Viksit Bharat (Developed India), a series of economic and administrative reforms have positioned India as one of the most attractive global destinations for business and entrepreneurship.

    One of the most striking signs of progress is the meteoric rise of India’s startup ecosystem. From a few hundred startups in 2014, the country now boasts over 1.6 lakh recognized startups, which have collectively created more than 17.6 lakh direct jobs. Today, India is the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem.

    This growth has been supported by bold structural reforms that have reshaped the Ease of Doing Business landscape. The government has repealed over 1,500 obsolete laws and scrapped thousands of unnecessary compliances that previously created bureaucratic hurdles and increased the cost of doing business. These moves have significantly reduced red tape and rent-seeking practices, replacing them with a red-carpet welcome for investors and entrepreneurs.

    To enhance transparency and simplify government-citizen and business interactions, measures such as the National Single Window System have been introduced, enabling businesses to secure approvals through a single digital platform. Randomized labour inspections and faceless tax assessments have eliminated the era of ‘Inspector Raj’ and boosted compliance by reinforcing trust in businesses.

    The government’s commitment to fair and efficient governance is also reflected in the success of platforms like the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), which now handles nearly 75% of public procurement transparently, and in record tax collections, indicating a broader and more willing tax base.

    India’s improvements have been recognized globally. The country’s ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index soared from 142 in 2014 to 63 in 2019. In the 2023 Logistics Performance Index (LPI), India climbed six places to reach the 38th position out of 139 countries—thanks to infrastructure development programs such as PM Gati Shakti and the National Logistics Policy.

    Furthermore, landmark decisions such as the removal of retrospective taxation, the scrapping of the Angel Tax, and a significant reduction in corporate tax rates have reinforced investor confidence.

    Prime Minister Modi’s economic philosophy sees entrepreneurs not merely as profit-makers but as key partners in national development. This shift in perception, supported by policy and institutional reforms, has expanded the pool of wealth creators, increased job opportunities, and generated higher incomes.

  • MIL-OSI USA: Quigley Reintroduces Bill to Stop Black Market Guns

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05)

    Today, U.S. Representative and Vice-Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Mike Quigley (IL-05) reintroduced the Trafficking Reduction and Criminal Enforcement (TRACE) Act to help the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) reduce the trafficking of illegal firearms and prevent criminals from obtaining these weapons.

    By repealing restrictions on gun trace data, the TRACE Act will enable the ATF to track the movement of illegal firearms across state lines and to share that data with state and local law enforcement. The bill will also hold gun dealers accountable by requiring them to monitor their inventory and report lost or stolen inventory to the ATF. The TRACE Act will help law enforcement crack down on the gun ‘black market,’ which often funnels firearms to states and cities with stricter gun laws in place, including Chicago.

    Quigley first introduced the TRACE Act in 2011 and has continued to revive the bill in each Congress since. 

    “The Chicago Police Department alone recovers roughly 7,000 illegal guns every year, but current law requires gun buyer background check records to be destroyed after 24 hours. My bill will stop the madness and require these background checks to be maintained for at least 180 days,” said Quigley. “I’m proud to reintroduce the TRACE Act this Gun Violence Awareness Month. Together, we can stop guns from ending up in the wrong hands.”

    In September 2022, Quigley led and passed the NICS Denial Notification Act as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022. The law now requires background check denials to be reported to state authorities to help enforce gun laws. Quigley also cosponsored the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Passed in June of 2022 with Quigley’s support, the law provided $250M for community violence intervention, $750M for crisis intervention, expanded background checks, closed the “boyfriend” loophole, and more. 

    The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a key advocate for gun violence prevention, has endorsed the legislation. 

    “Huge quantities of firearms are recovered in the illegal market and at crime scenes every year, providing law enforcement the opportunity to trace these weapons and better understand where they are coming from. Yet, Congress has shielded the gun industry from public scrutiny and has deprived law enforcement of key data needed to truly understand and address the flow of crime guns. The TRACE Act will remove these barriers, allowing law enforcement to stymie the flow of firearms into our communities and hold lawbreaking gun industry actors accountable,” said Mark Collins, Director of Federal Policy at Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “Brady applauds Rep. Quigley for reintroducing the TRACE Act and is proud to support this legislation.” 

    The TRACE Act would:

    • Require background check records to be maintained for a minimum of 180 days. The Tiahrt Amendments currently require 24-hour record destruction, making it nearly impossible to catch law-breaking gun dealers who falsify their records or to track straw purchasers who buy guns on behalf of criminals.
    • Require gun dealers to perform inventory checks to report lost and stolen guns, a measure currently prohibited under the Tiahrt Amendments. If law-abiding dealers reported inventories, the ATF would be much more effective at identifying lost and stolen weapons and proactively combating corrupt gun dealers.
    • Repeal restrictions on gun trace data disclosures. Currently, members of the public, including researchers and litigants, cannot get trace data from the ATF under Tiahrt restrictions. Trace data is also inadmissible as evidence in civil proceedings under the existing policy. The TRACE Act would repeal these restrictions.
    • Require that new firearms have a second, hidden serial number located inside the frame or receiver that is only visible under infrared light when the firearm is fully disassembled. This would make it harder for criminals to remove serial numbers from firearms in an attempt to evade law enforcement.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Ocean-friendly changes on Chinese island bring double benefits – ecological and economic

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    HANGZHOU, June 8 (Xinhua) — On a beach in Taizhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, 68-year-old Wang Zhongfu bends down to pick up discarded plastic bottles and torn fishing nets.

    Wang Zhongfu is one of thousands of participants in the Blue Circle marine plastic recycling program, which launched in 2020 and uses blockchain and the Internet of Things to track the full life cycle of marine plastic waste, from collection to remanufacturing and resale.

    The Blue Circle program, developed by the Zhejiang Provincial Bureau of Ecology and Environment and Zhejiang Lanjing Technology Co., Ltd., is the largest of its kind in the country.

    In 2023, the program won the United Nations /UN/ Champions of the Earth 2023 Award for Entrepreneurial Vision for its efforts to combat marine plastic pollution. According to the UN Environment Programme, the award is the UN’s highest environmental honour.

    “We are reducing the amount of plastic waste in the ocean and helping people earn extra income from collecting trash,” said Kong Chen, who runs the Blue Circle plastic waste collection station, known as Little Blue Home, located on Dachen Island, about 29 nautical miles off the coast of Taizhou. He noted that the station has removed more than 20 tons of marine waste in 2024.

    Blue Circle pays 0.20 yuan (almost 3 US cents) for each plastic bottle collected, a price several times higher than the market average, in an effort to supplement the incomes of many local residents.

    “This initiative motivates people to participate in environmental protection and increase their income. People who fish can consciously collect plastic waste while working in the sea,” said Kong Chen, noting that participants like Wang Zhongfu can earn about 1,000 yuan a month this way.

    People can trace the path of recycled plastic by scanning QR codes on products such as car parts, suitcases and phone cases made from certified ocean-bound plastic. Plastic waste is cleaned and processed into pellets for industrial use at Veolia Huafei Polymer Technology /Zhejiang/ Co., Ltd.’s plant in Anji County, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province.

    “Since 2022, we have recycled tens of millions of plastic bottles collected through the Blue Circle program,” said Fu Xianwei, the company’s chief operating officer. He added that certified marine plastic pellets can sell for more than 1.3 times the price of regular recycled plastic, and products made from these pellets have higher added value.

    “Once fishermen make a profit and businesses are motivated, marine plastic waste management enters a virtuous cycle,” said Ye Zongsen, an official with the Jiaojiang District branch of Taizhou City’s Ecology and Environment Bureau.

    The initiative has expanded to all coastal areas of Zhejiang, and to date, about 1,360 residents, 10,000 vessels and seven recycling companies have joined in. In Zhejiang alone, the program has collected 15,000 tons of marine waste, including more than 2,900 tons of plastic waste. It has also expanded to seven other provinces, including China’s southernmost island province of Hainan.

    Dachen Island in Jiaojiang District is a model of green development. Dozens of wind turbines on the island’s mountain ridge generate an average of 60 million kWh of electricity per year, five times the island’s consumption, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 45,000 tons.

    Excess electricity is sent to the mainland via undersea power cables, according to Jiang Weijian, director of the Dachen power station of State Grid Zhejiang Power Co.

    Green energy has led to many changes, including all-electric buses, electric oxygen and ice production in fisheries, and the gradual introduction of electric stoves in guest houses on the island.

    In addition, thanks to Dachen’s low-carbon solid waste treatment plant and sewage treatment plant, the proportion of high-quality water in coastal areas has reached 98%.

    As the island’s environment improves, tourism is booming. Last year, Dachen welcomed 200,000 tourists and earned 170 million yuan in revenue.

    “As the situation improves, our hotel business is booming,” said Dachen resident Kong Qinglei, who opened his business on the island in 2020. In 2024, his revenue exceeded 1 million yuan.

    The island also benefits from its marine resources. The island, famous for its pink salmon plantations, has 14 pink salmon farms, and its output reached 10,005 tons last year, worth more than 1.1 billion yuan. The fishing industry has created jobs for nearly 300 people.

    Local authorities are currently encouraging the development of the sea travel and souvenir industry. Some guest house owners are even combining their business with yellow croaker farming.

    The island is also a pioneer in trading “blue carbon” and forest carbon. “The funds were channeled into a common prosperity fund to protect the marine environment, as well as for the island’s marine farmers and residents,” said Yang Haifei, a spokesman for the island’s administration. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Phil Goff: Israel doesn’t care how many innocent people it’s killing in Gaza

    COMMENTARY: By Phil Goff

    “What we are doing in Gaza now is a war of devastation: indiscriminate, limitless, cruel and criminal killing of civilians. It’s the result of government policy — knowingly, evilly, maliciously, irresponsibly dictated.”

    This statement was made not by a foreign or liberal critic of Israel but by the former Prime Minister and former senior member of Benjamin Netanyahu’s own Likud party, Ehud Olmet.

    Nightly, we witness live-streamed evidence of the truth of his statement — lethargic and gaunt children dying of malnutrition, a bereaved doctor and mother of 10 children, nine of them killed by an Israeli strike (and her husband, another doctor, died later), 15 emergency ambulance workers gunned down by the IDF as they tried to help others injured by bombs, despite their identity being clear.

    Statistics reflect the scale of the horror imposed on Palestinians who are overwhelmingly civilians — 54,000 killed, 121,000 maimed and injured. Over 17,000 of these are children.

    This can no longer be excused as regrettable collateral damage from targeted attacks on Hamas.

    Israel simply doesn’t care about the impact of its military attacks on civilians and how many innocent people and children it is killing.

    Its willingness to block all humanitarian aid- food, water, medical supplies, from Gaza demonstrates further its willingness to make mass punishment and starvation a means to achieve its ends. Both are war crimes.

    Influenced by the right wing extremists in the Coalition cabinet, like Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s goal is no longer self defence or justifiable retaliation against Hamas terrorists.

    Israel attacks Palestinians at US-backed aid hubs in Gaza, killing 36. Image: AJ screenshot APR

    Making life unbearable
    The Israeli government policy is focused on making life unbearable for Palestinians and seeking to remove them from their homeland. In this, they are openly encouraged by President Trump who has publicly and repeatedly endorsed deporting the Palestinian population so that the Gaza could be made into a “Middle East Riviera”.

    This is not the once progressive pioneer Israel, led by people who had faced the Nazi Holocaust and were fighting for the right to a place where they could determine their own future and be safe.

    Sadly, a country of people who were themselves long victims of oppression is now guilty of oppressing and committing genocide against others.

    New Zealand recently joined 23 other countries calling out Israel and demanding a full supply of foreign aid be allowed into Gaza.

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters called Israel’s actions “ intolerable”. He said that we had “had enough and were running out of patience and hearing excuses”.

    While speaking out might make us feel better, words are not enough. Israel’s attacks on the civilian population in Gaza are being increased, aid distribution which has restarted is grossly insufficient to stop hunger and human suffering and Palestinians are being herded into confined areas described as humanitarian zones but which are still subject to bombardment.

    People living in tents in schools and hospitals are being slaughtered.

    World must force Israel to stop
    Like Putin, Israel will not end its killing and oppression unless the world forces it to. The US has the power but will not do this.

    The sanctions Trump has imposed are not on Israel’s leaders but on judges in the International Criminal Court (ICC) who dared to find Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu guilty of war crimes.

    New Zealand’s foreign policy has traditionally involved working with like-minded countries, often small nations like us. Two of these, Ireland and Sweden, are seeking to impose sanctions on Israel.

    Both are members of the European Union which makes up a third of Israel’s global trade. If the EU decides to act, sanctions imposed by it would have a big impact on Israel.

    These sanctions should be both on trade and against individuals.

    New Zealand has imposed sanctions on a small number of extremist Jewish settlers on the West Bank where there is evidence of them using violence against Palestinian villagers.

    These sanctions should be extended to Israel’s political leadership and New Zealand could take a lead in doing this. We should not be influenced by concern that by taking a stand we might offend US president Donald Trump.

    Show our preparedness to uphold values
    In the way that we have been proud of in the past, we should as a small but fiercely independent country show our preparedness to uphold our own values and act against gross abuse of human rights and flagrant disregard for international law.

    We should be working with others through the United Nations General Assembly to maximise political pressure on Israel to stop the ongoing killing of innocent civilians.

    Moral outrage at what Israel is doing has to be backed by taking action with others to force the Israeli government to end the killing, destruction, mass punishment and deliberate starvation of Palestinians including their children.

    An American doctor working at a Gaza hospital reported that in the last five weeks he had worked on dozens of badly injured children but not a single combatant.

    He noted that as well as being maimed and disfigured by bombing, many of the children were also suffering from malnutrition. Children were dying from wounds that they could recover from but there were not the supplies needed to treat them.

    Protest is not enough. We need to act.

    Phil Goff is Aotearoa New Zealand’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs. This article was first published by the Stuff website and is republished with the permission of the author.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • India’s transformative foreign policy: A decade of strategic diplomacy

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Over the past eleven years, the Narendra Modi-led government has redefined India’s foreign policy, transitioning from a reactive to a proactive and assertive global stance. Guided by the principles of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, and Sabka Prayas,” India’s diplomacy has become more inclusive, development-focused, and aligned with national interests.

    Neighborhood First and Regional Engagement

    Central to India’s foreign policy is the ‘Neighborhood First’ approach, which emphasizes strengthening ties with neighboring countries. This policy has been complemented by the ‘Act East,’ ‘Think West,’ and ‘Connect Central Asia’ strategies, aiming to enhance India’s engagement with its extended neighborhood. The government’s vision of ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region’ (SAGAR) underscores the commitment to regional stability and cooperation.

    Indigenous Defense and Strategic Partnerships

    India’s defense policy has focused on achieving self-reliance and enhancing indigenous manufacturing capabilities. The commissioning of the indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, showcases the country’s growing prowess in defense technology. Through initiatives like the Innovation for Defence Excellence (iDEX), India has supported startups and innovators in developing successful prototypes, fostering innovation and technological advancement in the defense sector.

    Humanitarian Leadership and Disaster Response

    India continues to play a pivotal role as the ‘First Responder’ during times of humanitarian crises. The establishment of the Rapid Response Cell as a specialized division in the Ministry of External Affairs has made disaster protocols more resilient. India has undertaken several major relief and evacuation operations, such as Operation Dost (2023), Operation Ganga (2022), Operation Devi Shakti (2021), and Mission Sagar (2020), demonstrating its commitment to humanitarian assistance.

    Global Initiatives and Multilateral Engagement

    India’s foreign policy has been characterized by active participation in global initiatives and multilateral platforms. The launch of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and the Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) movement reflects India’s commitment to addressing global challenges such as climate change and sustainable development. These initiatives have strengthened India’s multilateral relations and showcased its leadership in promoting a sustainable future.

    G20 Presidency: A Global Milestone

    India’s G20 presidency in 2023 marked a significant achievement in its diplomatic journey. The theme “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (One Earth, One Family, One Future) resonated globally, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all nations. India successfully advocated for the inclusion of the African Union as a full member of the G20, highlighting its leadership role in representing the Global South.

    Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India’s foreign policy has evolved into a dynamic and transformative force on the global stage. By prioritizing regional cooperation, indigenous defense capabilities, humanitarian assistance, global initiatives, and multilateral engagement, India has established itself as a responsible and influential global power.

  • MIL-OSI Security: Family appeal for help to find missing boy not seen in three months

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Police and the family of a 15-year-old boy are appealing to the public for their help to locate a missing teenager

    The family of a 15-year-old boy who has been missing since March are appealing for help to find him.

    Prince Watson, who lives in Ealing was last seen at around 16:00hrs on Saturday, 15 March in Friern Barnet.

    Since then, officers understand he may have been seen by friends in Hanwell. He also has links to The Hyde, Colindale, Southall and Romford.

    Prince is roughly 5’5” tall and slim build. When he was last seen he had a short back and sides haircut and was wearing a black jacket with grey tracksuit bottoms.

    Prince’s Grandmother has said:

    “We love and miss Prince dearly and are so worried about him. Please take a close look at the photo we are making public today, and don’t think twice about getting in touch if you have any information.”

    PC Ben Norris, from the Met’s West Area Missing Persons unit, added:

    “We are growing increasingly concerned about Prince’s wellbeing. Although we have been carrying out a number of enquiries in an effort to find him, we now need the public’s support in bringing him home.”

    If you see Prince, please call 999 and quote the reference 2409/07JUNE.

    If you believe you have previously seen him or have any other information, please call 101 providing the same reference.

    Alternatively, information can be reported 100 per cent anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They never ask for personal details and they do not trace your device.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Tracking apps monitor remote employees’ performance — and invade their privacy

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Danielle E. Thompson, PhD Candidate, Sociology and Legal Studies, University of Waterloo

    Business owners and managers claim that monitoring apps improve worker productivity. (Shutterstock)

    Digital monitoring is now a regular part of our working reality. From CCTV cameras to call recording, surveillance in the workplace is not new.

    But workers now face a more detailed and intrusive type of monitoring that is less understood, and at times even entirely unknown, by employees: employee monitoring applications (EMAs).

    It’s no longer just about being captured in the frame of a CCTV camera or having phone calls recorded. Workers now must be concerned about the collection of any and all activities that occur on their devices, and the use of this information to make decisions about their productivity, performance and risk to company security.

    Behaviour-monitoring software

    EMAs are a type of monitoring software that can be installed on worker devices to monitor their behaviours and activities. Common features include tracking time, keyboard strokes, email communications, websites visited, applications used and webcam video footage. Many of these apps also operate in an “invisible mode” that runs in the background, unknown to the employee.

    Amid the move to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, employers faced the challenge of managing their employees while they worked from home. EMAs provided employers with a quick and easy solution.



    Read more:
    Remote work requires us to reconsider how to evaluate and pay employees

    My research focuses on surveillance and privacy. Working alongside surveillance scholar Adam Molnar of the University of Waterloo, we conducted a survey between January and February 2022 of 402 managers, supervisors and employers working in companies in Ontario (60 per cent), British Columbia (30 per cent) and Québec (10 per cent) to better understand the use of these apps during the pandemic.

    Both remote working and EMA use were found to have increased after the start of the pandemic. Many, but not all, companies turned to EMAs to monitor their remote workers.

    A comparison of remote work and use of EMA rates before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    (D.E. Thompson), CC BY

    Privacy concerns

    We asked participants about the specific EMA software their company uses. A variety of EMAs exist on the market and are advertised for uses from security to workforce analytics. The most frequently used apps in our sample were Kickidler (49.8 per cent), Spyera (49.5 per cent), Flexispy (49.3 per cent), and Teramind (48.4 per cent).

    We then took a deeper dive into their advertised features and found that all four apps collected data using at least two highly invasive features, such as video surveillance or keystroke logging.

    Table comparing features and uses for the top four employee monitoring applications.
    (D.E. Thompson), CC BY

    Collecting data in these ways can raise serious concerns for employee privacy, especially when they work at home — a space that is typically viewed as private and often contains personal information that employers should not be privy to.

    If we’re concerned about employee privacy, then we need to understand exactly what companies are using the data for.

    We know that employee monitoring apps were adopted by many Canadian companies to manage remote workers, but what does that mean exactly? What is the data actually telling employers and how are they using it?

    We asked employers, managers and supervisors how their company currently uses EMAs, and found the most common uses to be productivity (28.9 per cent), efficiency (20.1 per cent), remote workforce management (19.9 per cent) and company analytics (18.2 per cent).

    Privacy versus productivity

    Owners and managers appear to be aware of the harmful consequences of these applications: 87.1 per cent were at least somewhat concerned about the negative impacts of these apps on employee trust. More than two-thirds — 70.7 per cent — also reported that they would be more likely adopt an app if it did not use invasive features like keystroke logging and video surveillance.

    Are the gains in productivity and efficiency worth the losses to employee privacy and trust? For some companies, the answer appears to be yes. While most owners and managers reported concerns about the invasiveness of EMAs, 51.7 per cent were still using the applications.

    For other companies, the gains in productivity are not worth the risks to employee privacy. For example, 29.3 per cent of owners and managers stated that significant changes to app features would be necessary before they would consider using it in their company.

    Protecting employees

    As hybrid working arrangements remain a normal part of our working lives, employee monitoring apps appear to be here to stay.

    A public opinion poll by the Center for Democracy and Technology in the United States found that American workers wanted to know why and how they were being monitored by their employers.

    Workers also felt they should be able to review any and all data collected about them, and that employers should be prohibited from sharing worker data without their permission, monitoring workers while off the clock, tracking their locations and monitoring productivity in ways that are harmful to the mental or physical health of workers.

    In Canada, the protection of employee privacy falls under a patchwork of federal and provincial laws that is insufficient for the management of EMAs.

    Worker protections vary by province and territory. Ontario’s Bill 88, passed in April 2022, established the first notification law for electronic monitoring in Canada. While a step in the right direction, notification alone is insufficient for the protection of worker privacy and well-being.

    Restrictions must be placed on the types of data collected, how it is collected and what it can be used for.

    Companies that continue to use EMAs must respect the privacy of workers by limiting the use of invasive features and providing workers with transparency and agency in their monitoring.

    Business owners considering the use of EMAs should ask themselves if the software is necessary to reach their goals. Do they need to track the location and activity of workers or access their webcams to determine productivity? Or are there other less harmful ways to measure performance, such as the quality of outputs and whether tasks are completed on time?

    Danielle E. Thompson 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. Tracking apps monitor remote employees’ performance — and invade their privacy – https://theconversation.com/tracking-apps-monitor-remote-employees-performance-and-invade-their-privacy-256261

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why bystanders defend bad behaviour at work — even when they know it’s wrong

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Zhanna Lyubykh, Assistant Professor, Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University

    Rather than intervening, supporting targets or reporting the misconduct, bystanders may downplay it, withdraw support or even blame the target, which ultimately reinforces the mistreatment. (Shutterstock)

    “You always mess things up. Why are you even on this project? Just quit already.” Demeaning, hostile or undermining behaviour like this is more common in the workplace and damaging than many people realize. One in three employees experience such behaviours, and almost half witness them.

    Rather than intervening, supporting targets or reporting the misconduct, research shows bystanders may downplay it, withdraw support or even blame the target, which ultimately reinforces the mistreatment.

    As our recent study shows, this is largely because when mistreatment seems inevitable or commonplace, bystanders are psychologically motivated to justify it rather than challenge it.

    Why do bystanders rationalize mistreatment?

    Humans are hardwired to see mistreatment as wrong. Most of us value fairness and want to punish wrongdoing. But if this is the case, why do bystanders so often fail to act when they witness mistreatment?

    Our recent research explores this question drawing on system justification theory — the idea that people are motivated to see the systems they live and work in as fair, legitimate and stable.

    When mistreatment seems inevitable — when people think “that’s just how things work around here” — bystanders face a psychological dilemma. They can either challenge the behaviour and risk conflict, exclusion or backlash, or they can rationalize it as normal or deserved.

    Most people, often without realizing it, choose the latter. This mental shortcut allows them to preserve the comforting belief that the system is fair and people get what they deserve.

    One in three employees experience demeaning, hostile or undermining behaviour in the workplace, and almost half witness them.
    (Shutterstock)

    Witnessing workplace mistreatment

    We interviewed 554 employees who had witnessed workplace mistreatment within the past two weeks at the time the survey was conducted. They shared their thoughts on how inevitable they believed the mistreatment incident was, and how tolerant they felt their organization was toward such behaviour.

    In a follow-up survey, we asked these employees whether they felt the incident they witnessed was justifiable and the target as deserving. A week later, in a third survey, we asked these bystanders to report how they behaved toward the target, and whether they tried to address or minimize the incident.

    We found that when bystanders perceived mistreatment as inevitable, they were more likely to see the incident as justified and targets as deserving of that treatment. These bystanders were more likely to socially distance themselves from the target, engage in negative gossip about them and were less willing to offer help.

    Bystander inaction wasn’t due to cowardice or callousness, but was often a defence mechanism. Rationalizing mistreatment allowed bystanders to preserve the belief that their workplace was just. But this coping strategy can deepen harm for those who experience mistreatment, who may be further marginalized, isolated or discredited.

    How mistreatment is normalized

    Workplace climates play a key role in the normalization of mistreatment. Our findings indicate when employees believed their workplace tolerated mistreatment, they were more likely to rationalize it and less likely to support the person being mistreated.

    In these contexts, mistreatment isn’t just ignored, but is quietly accepted. Tacit acceptance sends a powerful message: this is normal, this is deserved, this is not worth challenging.

    What does a toxic, permissive workplace look like? Warning signs include staff who feel anxious about coming to work and leaders who publicly criticize employees or tell them to “toughen up” or “not take it personally.”

    If negative gossip is tolerated, or reports of mistreatment are ignored or delayed, these are also strong indicators that mistreatment has been normalized.

    Organizations may fail to acknowledge these patterns for a variety of reasons, including resistance, denial or a lack of readiness. But surfacing these issues is a strength, not a weakness. It allows organizations to address root causes, retain valuable employees, and foster a more respectful environment.

    When mistreatment is ignored in the workplace, it sends a message to employees that it is normal, deserved and not worth challenging.
    (Unsplash/Borja Verbena)

    4 ways to create positive change

    Even in workplaces where mistreatment has become normalized, positive change is possible. Research shows that effectively managing everyday incidents can create bottom-up effects that support broader positive change within the workplace, ultimately improving workplace climate.

    Managers have a particularly pivotal role to play. When they respond quickly, support targets openly and hold perpetrators accountable, they challenge the perception that mistreatment is inevitable. They also send a broader message about what behaviours are and aren’t acceptable in the workplace.

    Here are four evidence-based strategies that can help disrupt the bystander dynamic and improve workplace culture:

    1. Challenge the narrative of inevitability

    Organizations should clearly signal that mistreatment will not be tolerated in their workplace. This includes explicitly communicating behavioural expectations, investigating reports quickly and transparently, and ensuring senior leaders model respectful behaviour. These small but visible actions disrupt the sense that mistreatment is “just how things work.”

    2. Reduce ambiguity

    When organizations don’t define behavioural norms clearly, bystanders are more likely to rationalize mistreatment. Organizations should define what mistreatment includes, such as exclusion and sarcastic comments, and distinguish it from tough feedback or constructive conflict. Training can help employees recognize subtle forms of harm and reflect on how their reactions would appear to someone they respect.

    3. Enforce consequences consistently

    When policies exist but aren’t enforced, bystanders learn that mistreatment carries no cost. Organizations need to follow through on mistreatment policies, protect those who report it and make it clear that retaliation is unacceptable. Visibility matters: people need to see that action is taken.

    4. Support targets openly and meaningfully

    System justification often works by undermining the credibility of those being mistreated. Managers can counteract this by affirming the value of a person targeted, encouraging reintegration and monitoring their teams for subtle social exclusion. When targets are supported by respected leaders, bystanders are more likely to follow suit because people tend to look to leader behaviour towards employees as a sign of their value to the group.

    When targets are supported by respected leaders, bystanders are more likely to follow suit.
    (Shutterstock)

    Why this matters

    Much of the existing research on workplace mistreatment has focused on the importance of bystander and leader intervention. Our research adds a deeper layer by illustrating that bystanders may not intervene because they are subconsciously defending their belief in a fair and legitimate system.

    This defence mechanism is especially dangerous when mistreatment is common, creating a cycle in which the most vulnerable employees are harmed twice: first by the perpetrator, and then by those who fail to stand by them.

    Breaking this cycle requires more than training videos or one-off statements. It requires reshaping the climate that makes mistreatment seem normal, inevitable or trivial.

    The encouraging news is that even small, consistent actions can begin to shift these dynamics. Research has shown that incivility training that teaches people how to engage in civil ways, for example, has lasting effects on employee well-being and relationships. When these harmful dynamics are shifted, it improves the workplace for everyone.

    Zhanna Lyubykh receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Laurie J. Barclay receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the University of Guelph’s Research Leader Award.

    Nick Turner receives research funding from Cenovus Energy Inc., Haskayne School of Business’s Future Fund, Mitacs, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

    Sandy Hershcovis receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. Why bystanders defend bad behaviour at work — even when they know it’s wrong – https://theconversation.com/why-bystanders-defend-bad-behaviour-at-work-even-when-they-know-its-wrong-257941

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Canada must take action to prevent climate-related migration

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Christopher Campbell-Duruflé, Assistant Professor, Lincoln Alexander School of Law, Toronto Metropolitan University

    As wildfire season begins, the destructive impacts of climate change are being felt across Canada. Several communities in northern Saskatchewan have been issued evacuation orders due to wildfires. In Manitoba, Pimicikamak Cree Nation worked to evacuate hundreds of people as wildfires closed in, while smoke from those fires caused air-quality issues across the country.

    It isn’t just wildfires threatening people’s homes and livelihoods. In May, 1,600 residents from the Kashechewan Cree First Nation in Northern Ontario evacuated again due to flooding of the Albany River, which happens almost every year.

    The 2018 United Nations Climate Conference called on all states to adopt “laws, policies and strategies” meant “to avert, minimize and address displacement related to the adverse impacts of climate change.”

    The figures are disquieting. By 2050, more than 140 million people could become internal climate migrants in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America alone, especially if action towards reaching net-zero carbon emissions continues to be insufficient.

    Canada is not spared: 192,000 people were evacuated in 2023 due to disasters made more severe by climate change, including floods and wildfires. As climate change leads to more extreme weather, temporary climate displacement could become permanent migration.

    Climate migration

    The World Bank defines internal climate migration as having to relocate for at least a decade to a location 14 kilometres or more away from your community because of climate impacts.

    Research I presented at the 2025 Canadian Association for Refugee and Forced Migration Studies Conference at Toronto Metropolitan University analyzed how Canada addresses the climate migration challenge in its submissions under the Paris Agreement, which requires parties to adapt to climate change.

    The Canadian government understated the reality of internal climate migration in its submissions under the 2015 Paris Agreement, which obscure the gravity of this phenomenon.

    One of those submissions is the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), the cornerstone report each state party must present every five years. Canada’s NDC from 2021 recognizes that climate change harms certain populations more than others, but does not address temporary displacement, let alone internal climate migration.

    The Fort McMurray wildfires displaced more than 80,000 people in 2016, with its population declining 11 per cent between 2015 and 2018. Similarly, the 2019 Québec spring floods displaced more than 10,000 people and, in Sainte-Marie, hundreds of low-income families abandoned the city because they could not afford the reconstructed homes.

    A clear definition of internal climate migrants in Canada, robust data and better co-ordination among Indigenous, municipal, provincial and federal governments is needed.

    This is something a National Adaptation Act could deliver, as a part of a comprehensive framework to bolster adaptation action across the country.

    Transparency lacking

    Canada submitted an adaptation communication in 2024. The communication discusses climate impacts but mentions internal displacement only once. It contains no data or discussion of when displacement becomes permanent, nor does it focus on the disproportionate impact on equity-deserving groups.

    The government submitted an updated NDC earlier this year. It noted “the devastating impact of wildfires, floods, drought and melting permafrost on communities across the country” but only briefly discusses adaptation, referring instead to the 2023 National Adaptation Strategy. The only mentions of displacement come in appended submissions by Indigenous Peoples, including Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin First Nation and Makivvik.

    Indigenous Peoples suffer from flawed adaptation policies and institutional barriers that prevent them from effectively responding to emergencies. As a result, First Nations evacuate 328 times more frequently than settler communities during climate disasters.

    In 2011, for example, officials in Manitoba diverted flood waters to Lake St. Martin to protect urban, cottage and agricultural properties. In the process, they flooded 17 First Nations and displaced 4,525 people. Return of the 1,400 residents of the Lake St. Martin First Nation to a new location only started in 2017, and as recently as 2020 displaced families were protesting on highways for their right to housing.

    A national adaptation act

    Canada should adopt a clear definition of internal climate migrants that captures displacement from climate disasters and slow-onset phenomena like sea-level rise, permafrost thaw and biodiversity loss.

    UN experts released a Technical Guide on Human Mobility in 2024, calling for “a sound evidence base on the patterns and trends, as well as on the drivers and outcomes” of climate-induced mobility. It also highlighted the need for adaptation efforts “that are informed by stakeholder consultations” and “existing (Indigenous) adaptation practices.”

    Defining internal climate migrants would allow Canada to gather robust data at last, and to act decisively on it.

    One first step is the federal government’s pledge of a National Recovery Strategy by 2028, which would set out “shorter time frames for displaced individuals to be able to return to their homes or resettle after climate change disaster events.” But a comprehensive approach is needed to go beyond the fragmented landscape of federal and provincial strategies.

    The Canadian government should work with all stakeholders toward the adoption of a National Adaptation Act, like Brazil, Germany and Japan.

    Such a law could remove barriers to Indigenous adaptation action, co-ordinate efforts across orders of governments to prevent displacements, define internal climate migration, ensure data collection and protect the rights of people temporarily displaced or internally migrating because of climate change.

    It should also aim for greater transparency and accountability than what Canada has so far achieved with its Paris Agreement submissions.

    Christopher Campbell-Duruflé receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for his research. He serves on the Legal Committee of the Centre québécois du droit de l’environnement.

    – ref. Canada must take action to prevent climate-related migration – https://theconversation.com/canada-must-take-action-to-prevent-climate-related-migration-257607

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Evans co-leads bill to restore basic right to victims of gun violence

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Dwight Evans (2nd District of Pennsylvania)

    Bill would help victims & survivors hold companies accountable in court, discourage illegal sales, defective guns and irresponsible marketing

    WASHINGTON (June 6, 2025) – U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans (D-PA-03) is co-leading reintroduction of the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act, legislation to ensure that victims of gun violence would have their day in court and that negligent gun companies and gun sellers are not shielded from liability when they disregard public safety. 

    The bill would repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), passed by Congress in 2005, which gives the gun industry a unique and unjustifiable legal liability shield that protects gun manufacturers from lawsuits.

    “As someone who’s advocated for this concept in Pennsylvania’s legislature and now in Congress, I’m proud to be a co-lead on this bill to restore this basic right of victims and survivors – a right that a heavy-handed federal government took away 20 years ago. So many American gun deaths could be avoided if we held companies accountable for things like illegal sales, defective guns and irresponsible marketing. State attorneys general were able to hold Big Tobacco accountable in the 1990s, and they should be able to hold gun manufacturing companies accountable in the 21st century since thousands of lives depend on it. This legislation would be an important tool in the toolbox to protect our citizens from gun violence,” Evans said.

    Evans’ lead partners on the legislation are U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and were joined this week, the start of Gun Violence Awareness Month, by U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and U.S. Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Jason Crow (D-Colo.), and Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) in leading a group of 81 members of Congress in introducing the bill in both the House and Senate.

    Murphy, Blumenthal, Swalwell, Schiff, Evans, and Thompson announced the legislation during a virtual press conference joined by leading gun violence prevention advocates: Kris Brown, president of Brady; Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action; and Adam Skaggs, chief counsel and vice president of GIFFORDS Law Center. Video of the press conference is available here.

    Pennsylvania co-sponsors of the legislation include Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), and U.S. Reps Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04), Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), and Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-05).

    When Congress passed PLCAA, its supporters argued that it was necessary to protect the gun industry from frivolous lawsuits, and that victims of gun violence would not be shut out of the courts. In reality, numerous cases around the nation have been dismissed on the basis of PLCAA, even when the gun dealers and manufacturers acted in a fashion that would qualify as negligent if it involved any other product. Victims in these cases were denied the right to even discover or introduce evidence. This legislation would allow civil cases to go forward against irresponsible bad actors.

    “There’s absolutely no reason why the gun industry should get special treatment when it comes to negligence. Their immunity from lawsuits effectively gives them a license to kill. It’s past time for Congress to repeal PLCAA and allow gun violence victims their day in court,” said Murphy.

    “PLCAA is the ultimate sweetheart deal – legal immunity afforded to basically no other industry for a product that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year,” said Blumenthal. “Despite the strength and perseverance of the Sandy Hook, Uvalde, and Highland Park families – and the tenacity of their legal teams – this is a problem that cannot be solved only through the courts. PLCAA must be repealed by Congress.”

    “No industry in American has a liability shield like gun manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and importers,” said Swalwell. “The NRA and their GOP stooges made sure that the gun industry has a unique immunity from accountability. This bill ends that ridiculous carve out. The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act will finally repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) once and for all, allowing victims of gun violence to bring civil suits against gun producers and sellers. The time has long since come for Congress to be clear – if you put the most dangerous weapons in the hands of the most dangerous people, you will be held accountable.”

    “More than a 100 Americans are killed by a gun every single day in America. And yet, Congress does nothing to hold the gun industry accountable when the negligence of gun makers and dealers is responsible for the tragic consequences their products have on our kids, our families, and our communities. As long as gun violence continues to take the lives of so many in California and across the nation, I will fight to repeal the liability shield that wrongly protects negligent gun industry actors from liability,” said Schiff.

    “Victims and survivors should be able to hold the gun industry accountable in court for negligent behavior. But right now, the gun industry is shielded from any liability when they disregard public safety. That’s wrong,” said Crow. “I’m introducing this bill so we can finally hold the gun industry responsible.”

    “In the 20 years since PLCAA was passed, it’s become clear that negligent gun manufacturers and dealers have taken advantage of the law. Responsible manufacturers and dealers don’t need this legal protection – and irresponsible ones are hiding behind it. As a hunter, combat veteran and responsible gun owner, I’m proud to work with Senator Blumenthal and Representative Swalwell to introduce this sensible legislation,” said Thompson, Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.

    In 2005, the National Rifle Association (NRA) identified PLCAA as their “number one” legislative priority, and the NRA celebrated the passage calling it the “most significant piece of pro-gun legislation in twenty years.” Changing the law to let courts hear these cases would provide justice to victims and their families, while creating incentives for responsible business practices that would reduce injuries and deaths. Effectively, the gun industry would once again be subject to the same laws as every other industry, just as it was prior to 2005.

    The legislation is endorsed by Brady, GIFFORDS Law Center, Everytown for Gun Safety, March for Our Lives, Guns Down America, Newtown Action Alliance, and Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund.

    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Education – QPEC condemns Minister Seymour’s campaign to fine parents whose children do not attend school to a particular standard

    Source: QPEC

    “David Seymour warns of prosecutions this year in school truancy crackdown”
    Understanding School Absence – QPEC condemns Minister Seymour’s campaign to fine parents whose children do not attend school to a particular standard.  

    The Minister is launched on an expensive and fruitless game to blame and shame parents.   This feeds his law-&-order base.   It also feeds his own diet of rigid neo-liberal control of society.   His frame of reference is coercive and wrong-headed, offering no long-term solutions.  

    In its place, we propose a supportive school engagement model, with two basic principles to guide the issue of absenteeism in school:  

    1. a serious, well-intentioned, continuing investigation to address the complex reasons why some young people are not regularly at school
    These include mixtures of poverty; dislocation; instability in life; low socio-economic status; Covid fallout; unemployment; bullying; mental, cognitive and physical health obstacles; problems with transport; bad, uncertain and unavailable housing;  disillusionment with state structures like education.  
    2. a community-based programme focusing on school engagement to work alongside families, to help them address school attendance  
    NZ used to have local community stewards for school attendance, who knew their neighbourhoods intimately and supported them throughout the year.   But a previous government centralised the programme, thereby undermining the process.  

    Awkward questions  

    An obvious question levelled at this issue demands to know what to do with parents and families who choose deliberately to keep students out of school.  

    QPEC holds that the country should extend the community-based programme above to work as closely and positively as possible with families for long-term effects.  

    In particular, the programme needs:

    (1) to emphasise the lifetime benefits of well-supported, critical education for individuals, families and communities, and

    (2) to listen carefully to families’ commentaries on school education.  

    The emphasis should be on including people rather than scapegoating them as Seymour proposes.  

    Such a programme could be supported by using the $140 million that Seymour has acquired for  his law and order programme.  

    There is a disconcerting reality to face.   Some households may have very legitimate reasons for children to avoid school, based on previous bad experiences.   Nationwide, we need to recognise this possibility and develop mature responses as a result.    

    We should be ready to address discriminatory processes, for instance, and if necessary to provide alternative education models that are consistent with human rights and sound education practice.  

    Above all, our priority needs to be the best interests of young people and families.  

    David Cooke, National Chair, QPEC

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Rep. Jim Costa Pushes to Strengthen Federal Support for Survivors of Domestic Violence

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California

    WASHINGTON – Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) stood alongside members of the Bipartisan Working Group to End Domestic Violence during a press conference on the House Triangle as part of a national Day of Action. The event highlighted the urgent need to protect and expand federal funding for victim service organizations that are the backbone of survivor support across the country.
    Rep. Costa underscored the critical role these programs play in helping survivors recover—mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially—especially in underserved communities like those in California’s Central Valley.

    The Day of Action brought together lawmakers, advocates, and service providers calling on Congress to prioritize long-term, sustainable funding for the infrastructure that supports victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and abuse.
    Rep. Costa has long championed efforts to protect survivors and expand access to legal aid, mental health care, housing assistance, and crisis response services.
    ###
    Congressman Jim Costa is the Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Crime Survivors and Justice Caucus. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Speaker Johnson, the Blue Dogs are here to throw you a bone

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California

    Over the last few weeks, Americans have been hearing endless mentions of the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Although the Republicans’ reconciliation proposal is certainly big — so big it would add over $4 trillion to our national debt — it is by no means beautiful.
    There is no way to hide the ugly reality of this bill. It allows for $2.8 trillion in new borrowing over the 10-year budget window, adds $3.3 trillion to the already more than $36 trillion national debt, and cuts over $700 billion from federal health care spending, primarily Medicaid.
    By 2034, our debt-to-GDP ratio would be at 125 percent. Interest payments could exceed $2 trillion a year, making it impossible to pay off the debt. Considering we already spend more on servicing our debt than on stewarding American defense capabilities and health care, we are accelerating down an unsustainable and dangerous path. 
    Unrestrained fiscal policy has plagued the U.S. for decades, and it has not been limited to one side of the aisle. While members of Congress sit insulated on Capitol Hill and alternate between irresponsible tax cuts and excessive spending, life gets worse for everyday Americans.
    Moody’s recently lowered the U.S. long-term credit ratings to AA1 from AAA. At the same time, the world is moving further and further away from the American dollar. This means Americans are left with a smaller economy, less economic mobility, and a lower standard of living.
    As we know all too well, excessive borrowing leads to inflation and drives up interest rates, making it harder for Americans to finance a home, start a business, and put food on the table.
    This is unsustainable and has to change very quickly. Don’t just take it from us: In a recent Wall Street Journal editorial, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) wrote called it “essential that Congress deviate from its current path. Under every scenario now being considered, federal debt continues to skyrocket from its current level of almost $37 trillion.”
    So far in the 119th Congress, the majority hasn’t shown much of an appetite to deviate from this trajectory. In order to hand out tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy, the Republican reconciliation package would make devastating cuts to food assistance programs, health coverage, and other federal resources that hard-working Americans rely on to make ends meet. Is it so important to our colleagues across the aisle to give a handout to their mega-wealthy buddies that they would strap everyday Americans with even more crushing debt?
    The national debt and our federal government’s spending deficit may seem like far-off, intangible concepts when D.C. bureaucrats and television talking heads drone on about them for weeks on end. But the American people know perfectly well how debt adds up. Our constituents have to balance their budgets every month — why can’t the federal government do the same?
    The truth is, we can. For decades, Congress has chosen not to do so, perhaps because it isn’t politically expedient or it just takes too much hard work. Regardless, Congress and our federal government broadly are derelict in our duty to responsibly manage the government’s finances.
    Since our coalition was founded in the 1990s, the cornerstone of the Blue Dogs’ work has been our relentless focus on fiscal responsibility. For years, Blue Dogs supported legislation to curb reckless spending, hold both Democrats and Republicans accountable to our constituents, and require that Congress balance the budget. We had a willing partner in President Bill Clinton, who remains the most recent example of real fiscal discipline in the federal government. Now, as then, Blue Dogs know that the American people have one demand for their legislators as prices continue to rise and reckless fiscal policy threatens their livelihoods: “It’s the economy, stupid!”
    As this cry goes unanswered by a majority in Congress that proposes to drive our national debt to truly harrowing heights, Americans who work hard to pay their bills and take care of their families are losing confidence in their government. Each day this irresponsible spending continues, young Americans’ dreams that they can achieve the economic prosperity their parents did slip further and further away.
    The Blue Dogs’ vision to solve this problem is proving that our government can work. We believe that change is not only possible but essential. It doesn’t have to be this way.
    There’s another way forward: a bipartisan, commonsense way that pays down our debt while extending tax cuts to working Americans who need them most. Evidently, our offers to Republican leadership to work together on this fell on deaf ears this time.
    But with costs rising, confidence in government is sinking. Americans are eager for change, and we remain committed to using a steady hand to deliver pragmatic policies that most Americans agree on. In that spirit, our offer still stands. We are eager to work with our Republican colleagues to solve the issues facing our country and deliver results to the American people.
    We ask our colleagues: Will you work with us to deliver results?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: New Zealand’s foreign policy stance on Palestine lacks transparency

    COMMENTARY: By John Hobbs

    It is difficult to understand what sits behind the New Zealand government’s unwillingness to sanction, or threaten to sanction, the Israeli government for its genocide against the Palestinian people.

    The United Nations, human rights groups, legal experts and now genocide experts have all agreed it really is “genocide” which is being committed by the state of Israel against the civilian population of Gaza.

    It is hard to argue with the conclusion genocide is happening, given the tragic images being portrayed across social and increasingly mainstream media.

    Prime Minister Netanyahu has presented Israel’s assault on Gaza war as pitting “the sons of light” against “the sons of darkness”. And promised the victory of Judeo-Christian civilisation against barbarism.

    A real encouragement to his military there should be no-holds barred in exercising indiscriminate destruction over the people of Gaza.

    Given this background, one wonders what the nature of the advice being provided by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to the minister entails?

    Does the ministry fail to see the destruction and brutal killing of a huge proportion of the civilian people of Gaza? And if they see it, are they saying as much to the minister?

    Cloak of ‘diplomatic language’
    Or is the advice so nuanced in the cloak of “diplomatic language” it effectively says nothing and is crafted in a way which gives the minister ultimate freedom to make his own political choices.

    The advice of the officials becomes a reflection of what the minister is looking for — namely, a foreign policy approach that gives him enough freedom to support the Israeli government and at the same time be in step with its closest ally, the United States.

    The problem is there is no transparency around the decision-making process, so it is impossible to tell how decisions are being made.

    I placed an Official Information Act request with the Minister of Foreign Affairs in January 2024 seeking advice received by the minister on New Zealand’s obligations under the Genocide Convention.

    The request was refused because while the advice did exist, it fell outside the timeline indicated by my request.

    It was emphasised if I were to put in a further request for the advice, it was unlikely to be released.

    They then advised releasing the information would be likely to prejudice the security or defence of New Zealand and the international relations of the government of New Zealand, and withholding it was necessary to maintain legal professional privilege.

    Public interest vital
    It is hard to imagine how the release of such information might prejudice the security or defence of New Zealand or that the legal issues could override the public interest.

    It could not be more important for New Zealanders to understand the basis for New Zealand’s foreign policy choices.

    New Zealand is a contracting party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Under the convention, “genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law which they [the contracting parties] undertake to prevent and punish”.

    Furthermore: The Contracting Parties undertake to enact, in accordance with their respective Constitutions, the necessary legislation to give effect to the provisions of the present Convention, and, in particular, to provide effective penalties for persons guilty of genocide. (Article 5).

    Accordingly, New Zealand must play an active part in its prevention and put in place effective penalties. Chlöe Swarbrick’s private member’s Bill to impose sanctions is one mechanism to do this.

    In response to its two-month blockade of food, water and medical supplies to Gaza, and international pressure, Israel has agreed to allow a trickle of food to enter Gaza.

    However, this is only a tiny fraction of what is needed to avert famine. Understandably, Israel’s response has been criticised by most of the international community, including New Zealand.

    Carefully worded statement
    In a carefully worded statement, signed by a collective of European countries, together with New Zealand and Australia, it is requested that Israel allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza, an immediate return to ceasefire and a return of the hostages.

    Radio New Zealand interviewed the Foreign Minister Winston Peters to better understand the New Zealand position.

    Peters reiterated his previous statements, expressing Israel’s actions of withholding food as “intolerable” but when asked about putting in place concrete sanctions he stated any such action was a “long, long way off”, without explaining why.

    New Zealand must be clear about its foreign policy position, not hide behind diplomatic and insincere rhetoric and exercise courage by sanctioning Israel as it has done with Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

    As a minimum, it must honour its responsibilities under the Convention on Genocide and, not least, to offer hope and support for the utterly powerless and vulnerable Palestinian people before it is too late.

    John Hobbs is a doctoral candidate at the National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (NCPACS) at the University of Otago. This article was first published by the Otago Daily Times and is republished with the author’s permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: TV interview Andrew Clennell, Sky News

    Source: Australian Attorney General’s Agencies

    Andrew Clennell: Joining me live now is the Trade Minister, Don Farrell. Don Farrell, thanks for your time. Well, let’s talk about this first meeting with Donald Trump the PM is scheduled to have this week. Do you expect the meeting to occur and what do you expect to happen?

    Minister for Trade: Look, we’ll see what happens this time next weekend. You’re very obviously up to date with all of the latest and it sounds like you’re going to be there Andrew, so we can watch you report on it.

    Andrew Clennell: What do you think the response from the PM will be if Donald Trump echoes Pete Hegseth’s call for more defence spending?

    Minister for Trade: Look, one of the most important, or perhaps the most important obligation of any Federal Government is the defence of our country and Anthony Albanese and Richard Marles and our government take those responsibilities very, very seriously. We’re committed to the AUKUS program. In fact, the weekend before last, just before I went to Europe for the trade talks, I met with the UK Defence Industries Minister in Adelaide, with the Premier, and we endorsed, and re-endorsed Australia’s support for the, for the AUKUS submarine project. So, we are committed to the defence of this country. We are committed to a significant uplift in the, in the amount of spending. As you said, that’s going to be a project worth more than $360 billion. So, I think we’ve talked the talk here, Andrew. We are committed to the defence of this country and we are committed to increasing our spending to ensure that Australia stays safe in our region.

    Andrew Clennell: What did you make of the way that Pete Hegseth put that on Richard Marles at the Shangri-La dialogue and then released a statement concerning the request or the demand, putting the 3.5 per cent figure on that public statement?

    Minister for Trade: Look, the Americans will do what they want to do. That’s certainly the case in a whole range of areas now. But we have an excellent Defence Minister in Richard Marles. He’s very focused on ensuring that all of our defence capabilities are as strong as they can be and as strong as they need to be. We’re focused on what Australia needs to do and we’ll make our decisions based on what is in our national interest.

    Andrew Clennell: Well, on trade, the Opposition’s made a bit during the week while you’re away in Paris, we’ll get to that in a minute, but they made a bit of the fact that the UK have secured a 50 per cent reduction on steel tariffs. Why aren’t we getting the same? Or can we get the same? What do you make of that? I mean, you met Jamieson Greer, the US Trade Rep, last week. Were there any signs out of him we could get a deal on steel?

    Minister for Trade: Look, I did meet Jamieson Greer. I met him twice. And that’s on top of previous conversations I’ve had with him. The position I’ve put to Jamieson Greer is that the tariffs that the United States have imposed on Australia are unjustified. America has a trade surplus with Australia. Just to put that into perspective, trade between the United States and Australia is roughly $100 billion a year. That’s $70 billion worth of product we buy from the United States and $30 billion worth of product we sell to them. Now, that’s overwhelmingly in the United States favour. So, there is no justification for the United States to impose tariffs on Australia. So, the position I’ve put to Mr Greer, and I put it twice last week, is that we want all of the tariffs removed, not just some of them. We want all of them removed. And I made it clear to USTR Greer that we’ll continue to press for the removal of all of those tariffs.

    Andrew Clennell: You talk about the trade surplus, isn’t it the case that because of these tariffs, in April, it was a deficit reading here. Australia exported 2.29 billion in goods to the US while importing 3.99 billion in April?

    Minister for Trade: Well, that’s my point, Andrew. We are buying more from the United States than we’re selling to them. So, it doesn’t make any sense at all to impose a tariff on Australia. So, the argument that I’ve made, and I’m sure the Prime Minister will be making every opportunity that he gets, is we want all of these tariffs removed, not just some of them. 

    Andrew Clennell: How did Jamieson Greer react? Did he give any sort of hint to you that, oh, we could move on this, or was it like, this is the President’s position and tough luck.

    Minister for Trade: Look, he certainly made it clear that these are ultimately decisions that the President of the United States will make, but look it was a friendly discussion. It wasn’t a difficult discussion in terms of the relationship between us. I’m certainly of the view that we have the opportunity to continue to talk with Jamieson and Commerce Secretary Lutnick to put our case across that these tariffs on Australia are simply unjustified. We don’t imply, you know, we haven’t applied tariffs to the United States. We could do that. We could have done that. We’ve chosen not to do that. In the same way you might recall when I first came to this job, Andrew, we had $20 billion worth of tariffs and impediments imposed on us by China. We didn’t retaliate on that occasion. And bit by bit, we managed to get all of those tariffs that had been applied on Australia by China removed. I’d like to do the same with the United States. It’s only by open discussion, honest discussion with our allies in the United States that I think we can do that. But I certainly haven’t given up on the prospect of getting these tariffs removed. And every opportunity I get, I’ll continue to pursue that argument with the United States. At the same time, of course, we’re looking for –

    Andrew Clennell: Well, from what you’re saying, Don Farrell, about what Jamieson Greer said to you, it’s all down to Albo, if I can use his nickname. Because he’s saying to you that it’s the President’s decision, it’s his call, and our Prime Minister’s the one about to potentially to meet Donald Trump. So, it shapes as a pretty critical meeting, doesn’t it?

    Minister for Trade: Look, every meeting, I think, between an Australian Prime Minister and the US President will always be a critical meeting. And I have the greatest confidence in our Prime Minister to push the Australian point of view on this issue. But look, there’s a range of ways in which we communicate with the United States. Ambassador Rudd obviously does it. All of our Ministers who make contact with their equivalents in the United States make it clear what we want out of the relationship with the United States. And of course, most importantly, as you say, is the relationship between our Prime Minister and the President of the United States.

    Andrew Clennell: Are you expecting, if there isn’t a breakthrough here, further tariffs? Because there’s talk about Donald Trump making further decisions, certainly in relation to the UK at least, July 9 Liberation Day. So, perhaps rather than trying to get the 10 per cent off, it’s about the steel tariffs, but also about preventing even further action, this meeting, if it occurs, isn’t it?

    Minister for Trade: Look, the main topic at our discussions at the WTO and the OECD last week were on this very topic, Andrew, ensuring that there is a way that countries don’t increase the amount of protectionism. We advocate very strongly for free and fair trade. The way in which we have achieved our prosperity in this country is through that free and fair trade. And I think there’s a mood around the world to push the case for less protectionism and more free and fair trade. I took the opportunity last week to talk with my European counterparts. I met the French Trade Minister, the German Trade Minister, and of course, the most important one in that is the European Trade Minister. We had good discussions. My officials spent a couple of days after the meeting continuing those talks. I’m hopeful that those countries around the world who do believe in free and fair trade can reach agreement to extend free trade agreements across the globe, so that irrespective of what the Americans might choose to do, we have a greater diversity of trading partners.

    Andrew Clennell: What do you think’s been the effect of the Trump tariffs thus far on the Australian economy and the world economy?

    Minister for Trade: Look, there’s no doubt that it’s had an impact. When you impose those sort of tariffs, it’s inevitably going to impact growth. This is one of the arguments that we make to the Americans. If you want to grow your economy, the way to do it isn’t to impose tariffs, it’s to be engaged actively in free and fair trade. And so the more you impose tariffs, the greater impact that you have on your own economy and the world economy. And what we’re seeing now, of course, is the outcome of some of these policy decisions. So, I think it’s incumbent on Australia, on the rest of the world, to say to the Americans, look, these are exactly the wrong policies to adopt. You should be adopting the opposite policies. You should be opening up your economies. What we know is if you’re an outward facing trading company in Australia, your profits are going to be higher, but more importantly, the wages of your employees are going to be higher. So, we say to the Americans, and will continue to say to the Americans, these are the exact wrong policies to adopt.

    Andrew Clennell: Donald Trump has announced talks overnight between US and Chinese officials on Monday in London. Are you hoping for progress there? And how bad for Australia could this sort of US Tariffs on China situation get?

    Minister for Trade: Yeah, so I, while I was in Europe, of course, the speculation was that the Chinese and the Americans would quickly meet to discuss these issues. I met with my counterpart from China, Wang Wentao, that was our 10th meeting, and he’s made it very clear that just as we have done, they want these tariffs removed. So, I think that’s a very good sign and we would welcome any development that restored the free trade arrangement between the United States and China. And we would encourage those discussions. I know from talking with my Chinese counterpart, they’re very keen to get these tariffs removed. And these tariffs do have an impact, as you say, Andrew, on Australia. It’s one thing for the Americans to impose a 10 per cent tariff on Australia. But when they’re imposing those tariffs on other countries around the world that we trade with, that we sell our resources to, well, then that also has an impact on our economy.

    Andrew Clennell: Can you confirm what I’ve just reported that Australia apparently did come close to securing some kind of exemption from Donald Trump’s tariffs in April with a deal on critical minerals. And there was an indication from some sections of the US Administration to our officials that an exemption could be forthcoming, and then it all fell apart.

    Minister for Trade: Well, I’m not sure it’s all falling apart, Andrew. We continue to encourage the United States –

    Andrew Clennell: But Don Farrell, just on the key point here, were we close to a deal? Did people in the administration put us in a position where we were thinking a deal might be closed back then before that April announcement?

    Minister for Trade: Oh, look, Andrew, I’m not going to speculate on what might or might not have occurred had the circumstances been a little bit different, but I can certainly confirm that Australia pushed very hard for an exemption. And in the process of pushing very hard for that exemption, we did offer an expanded arrangement in terms of critical minerals. Australia is the lucky country, we have either the largest or the second largest of reserves of critical minerals. We have the technology to extract those critical minerals, and we are a reliable trading partner. So, we thought that in all of those circumstances, that would be an offer that would be attractive to the United States.

    Andrew Clennell: Was Kevin Rudd taking the lead in that? Was Kevin Rudd taking the lead in that as our ambassador?

    Minister for Trade: Kevin Rudd, of course, was involved in all of these discussions, as he should be. And he’s doing a very good job, I might say, in his communications with the US Government. But all of us, Madeleine King, our Resources Minister, myself, we have been all encouraging the United States to take up our offer to expand our relationship on critical minerals. Other countries are doing it. We’ve got an agreement now with the European Union, the Japanese, the South Koreans are all interested. The Singaporeans are interested in our critical minerals. We think we’ve got something to offer.

    Andrew Clennell: Sure.

    Minister for Trade: In that regard, the quality and our ability to extract –

    Andrew Clennell: How damaging to Australia in terms of this tariffs issue, do you think this Peter Navarro is? 

    Minister for Trade: Look, the Americans pick their advisors and we pick ours. My job is to continue to explain to the Americans firstly that the policies that they’re adopting are exactly the wrong policies to produce prosperity in the United States. So, we’ve got to continue to argue that point. And I think as time goes by, it’ll be increasingly obvious that these policies are the wrong policies. And secondly, my job is to convince the Americans that they shouldn’t be imposing tariffs on, firstly, a good ally to the United States like Australia, and secondly, that these tariffs are unjustified given the surplus situation that we have with the United States. 

    Andrew Clennell: Sure. In May, Donald Trump also threatened a 100 per cent tariff on foreign films. Is that coming, do you think?

    Minister for Trade: Look, I’m not sure where that’s up to at the moment. Again, we would strongly argue that the United States not do that. One of the reasons why America has looked to Australia in the area of film production is during COVID and the post-COVID period, we were able to deliver services, great quality filmmaking, when that wasn’t possible in the United States. So, we haven’t done this simply to benefit the Australian film industry, we’ve done it to benefit the American and the world film industry because we were able to produce wonderful films using all the latest technology. And that’s been a benefit to the United States film industry. Something that couldn’t have happened without Australia being engaged in this. So, again, we would say this is the wrong policy. We have got a good film industry in Australia. It’s an expanding film industry. They produce beautiful films. In fact, last week I went to the 50th anniversary of Sunday Too Far Away and met Jack Thompson. We’ve got a wonderful history of making films in this country.

    Andrew Clennell: Yeah, well, good actor. But look, I’m out of time here Don Farrell, I just want to ask one question which is pretty important I suspect, and that’s about the Paris talks with the EU on a trade deal. Are there any sticking points remaining? Are we taking off a luxury car tax in exchange for allowing our beef exports into the EU? Is there still issues of the use of the word prosciutto and parmesan? Could we be producing so called Australian made parmesan soon? And do you expect all this to be finalised for a visit by the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in July or August?

    Minister for Trade: Look, all of those things you’ve just mentioned, Andrew, are still issues. We haven’t yet got an agreement, but there was a lot of goodwill in the air in Paris last week. I’m confident that if that goodwill continues, that we can secure a new free trade agreement with the European Union. You know, there’s 450 million people, trillions of dollars of GDP in Europe. We’ve got lots of things that we can sell to the Europeans. I believe now that there’s an appetite to reach an agreement on both sides. The world has changed. Those countries that believe in free and fair trade have to work together, and I’m very confident, Andrew, that with a little bit of time, a little bit of hard work on our part, because it’s not going to be easy. If it was easy, somebody else would have done it. But we can get there and we can strike an agreement.

    Andrew Clennell: Trade Minister Don Farrell, thanks so much for your time.

    Minister for Trade: Good to talk to you, Andrew.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Basketball betting finds support

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak affirmed today that the Government will continue to take a multi-pronged approach towards tackling illegal gambling.

     

    Miss Mak was commenting ahead of a Legislative Council panel meeting tomorrow at which she will present the results of a public consultation on the formulation of a regulatory regime for betting on basketball and the steps the Government proposes to take next.

     

    She told reporters that over 90% of the views gathered the consultation, conducted some months ago, support the formulation of a basketball gambling regime modelled on the current football gambling regime.

     

    She also reiterated that the Government does not encourage any kind of gambling and has taken a multi-pronged approach to combating the issue of illegal gambling.

     

    “The first and the most important one is law enforcement, so through law enforcement we will take serious actions against those illegal gambling organisations and people involved in illegal gambling (which) is in fact a criminal offense and can be subject to a penalty of $50,000 and also nine months in jail.

     

    “The second one is public education; this is very important that we need to let Hong Kong people know the consequences of illegal gambling and we will encourage people to understand how to avoid illegal gambling and in fact gambling. We will take a series of measures and put in more efforts and resources in enhancing public education.

     

    “Thirdly, for those who already have gambling problems, we will provide counselling services. Currently, we have four counselling centres carrying out these counselling services.

     

    “The fourth and last one, we can see it as a last resort. When the illegal gambling problem is so serious, we need to channel the illegal gambling to a regulated gambling regime. With illegal basketball gambling, we are also taking these four approaches.”

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • Colombia’s potential presidential contender Miguel Uribe shot, suspect arrested

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe, a potential presidential contender, was shot in Bogota on Saturday, according to the government and his party, as his wife said he was fighting for his life in hospital.

    The 39-year-old senator, who was shot during a campaign event as part of his run for the presidency in 2026, is a member of the opposition conservative Democratic Center party founded by former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. The two men are not related.

    According to a party statement condemning the attack, the senator was hosting a campaign event in a public park in the Fontibon neighborhood in the capital on Saturday when “armed subjects shot him from behind.

    The party described the attack as serious, but did not disclose further details on Uribe’s condition. Videos on social media showed a man, identified as Uribe, being tended to after the shooting. He appeared to be bleeding from his head.

    Uribe’s wife Maria Claudia Tarazona wrote on her husband’s account on X that he was “fighting for his life.”

    Colombia’s Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said a suspect had been arrested in the shooting and that authorities were investigating whether others were involved. Sanchez said he had visited the hospital where Uribe was being treated.

    The government is offering some $730,000 as a reward for information in the case.

    Colombia’s presidency issued a statement saying the government “categorically and forcefully” rejected the violent attack, and called for a thorough investigation into the events that took place.

    Leftist President Gustavo Petro sympathized with the senator’s family in a message on X saying, “I don’t know how to ease your pain. It is the pain of a mother lost, and of a homeland.”

    Petro later said in a speech on Saturday night that the person arrested was a minor and that the investigation would focus on finding who had ordered the attack.

    “For now there is nothing more than hypothesis,” Petro said, adding that failures in security protocols would also be looked into.

    The United States’ Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that the U.S. “condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted assassination” of Uribe, blaming Petro’s “inflammatory rhetoric” for the violence.

    Uribe, who is not yet an official presidential candidate for his party, is from a prominent family in Colombia. His father was a businessman and union leader. His mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was kidnapped in 1990 by an armed group under the command of the late cartel leader Pablo Escobar. She was killed during a rescue operation in 1991.

    Colombia has for decades been embroiled in a conflict between leftist rebels, criminal groups descended from right-wing paramilitaries, and the government.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Africa: 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) Playoffs – APR (Rwanda) and US Monastir (Tunisia) Secure Wins in Pretoria, BAL Playoffs Set

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    PRETORIA, South Africa, June 8, 2025/APO Group/ —

    The second day of the BAL (BAL.NBA.com) Playoffs in Pretoria tipped off with defending champions Petro de Luanda (Angola) taking on APR (Rwanda), with APR coming out on top in a 75-57 win. APR’s Aliou Diarra led all scorers with 19 points, along with 14 rebounds. Nuni Omot also poured in 15 points, along with six boards. Petro de Luanda’s Patrick Gardner scored a team-high 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

    In the second seeding game of the night, 2022 BAL champions US Monastir (Tunisia) faced off against last year’s semifinalists, Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria). US Monastir emerged victorious, led by an explosive performance from former NBA Academy Africa student athlete Babacar Sane, who scored 22 points. Patrick Hardy Jr. contributed 17 points and 9 assists. Despite the loss, Rivers Hoopers’ Raphael Putney delivered a game-high 28 points.

    Quarterfinals Set

    Today’s games set up two remaining quarterfinals on Monday – APR vs. Rivers Hoopers, and US Monastir vs. Petro de Luanda.

    Tomorrow’s games feature two win-or-go-home quarterfinal matchups as Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya) takes on Kriol Star (Cape Verde) at 4 p.m. before Al Ittihad (Egypt) faces FUS Rabat (Morocco) at 7 p.m. CAT.

    The 2025 Basketball Africa League season is reaching fans in 214 countries and territories in 17 languages through free-to-air and paid TV broadcast partnerships, including on Canal+, ESPN, FIBA’s digital platform Courtside 1891 and livestreaming on the NBA App (http://apo-opa.co/45aw4JT), NBA.com, BAL.NBA.com and the BAL’s YouTube (http://apo-opa.co/43NpYwC) channel.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Eating wild meat carries serious health risks – why it still happens along the Kenya-Tanzania border

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ekta Patel, Scientist, International Livestock Research Institute

    Pastoralist communities, their livestock and diverse wildlife species coexist within a biodiversity-rich landscape stretching along the Kenya–Tanzania border.

    However, at this wildlife-livestock interface, local communities face mounting challenges. Shifts in land use, prolonged droughts, erratic rainfall patterns and increasing land degradation are placing growing pressure on the landscape. In addition, conflict between people and wildlife is on the rise, and many households rely on wild animals for food.

    Communities in the region eat a wide range of wild animals, from rodents, elephant shrews and birds to small antelopes and larger ungulates like bushbuck. This meat (“bush meat” as it is also popularly known in Africa) provides a valuable source of animal protein and minerals, especially where alternative domestic protein sources are scarce.

    Although hunting and consuming wild animals is illegal in Kenya, this is not the case in Tanzania, where certain forms of hunting for wild animals are permitted. Yet in both countries, many people eat wild meat regularly, often without awareness of the risks. These risks include zoonotic disease transmission and potential impacts on wildlife populations.

    Wild meat is a known source of zoonotic infections and disease spillover to humans. In fact, as many as three-quarters of emerging infectious diseases originate from wildlife. Illnesses such as anthrax, mpox, Ebola, and HIV have all been linked to close interactions between humans and wild animals.

    Despite these risks, wild meat consumption remains widespread, with some households eating it daily or weekly. Preventing future disease outbreaks requires a clear understanding of these health risks, as well as the underlying social, cultural and economic reasons that drive people to rely on wild meat.

    We set out to understand why people were eating wild meat along the Kenya-Tanzania border and whether they understood the risks of zoonotic diseases. Cases of anthrax have already been reported in this area.

    Our study involved interviews in border communities during the COVID pandemic – the most famous case of zoonotic disease transmission in recent times. We wanted to know whether communities understood the pandemic’s link to wild meat and if this affected their consumption of it.

    What stood out was that people at the border settlements kept eating wild meat or even ate more of it. This shows that economic necessity, cultural preferences and limited alternatives remain key drivers even when the world is in crisis.

    Though this research was done during COVID-19, it gives us insights into how people react when things get tough, especially when it comes to food and health.

    What’s driving wild meat consumption

    We found that several factors drove wild meat consumption, despite growing awareness of the health risks.

    Poverty

    Economic factors, particularly household income and limited financial means, strongly influenced wild meat consumption, particularly in communities with limited alternative protein sources. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic had a severe impact on local economies. Tourism, a key source of income for border communities, experienced sharp declines. As household revenues fell, reliance on wild meat as an affordable protein source increased.

    Economic stability plays a crucial role in shaping consumption behaviours: 81% of those surveyed at the border settlements indicated they would stop eating wild meat if cheaper alternatives were available.

    The type of animal

    Perceptions of disease risks varied depending on the species consumed.

    Approximately 79% of respondents believed that certain animals posed a higher risks of zoonotic disease transmission. Hyenas were perceived as the most dangerous, followed by primates and snakes. These findings suggest that while economic necessity influences wild meat consumption, risk perception also shapes dietary choices.

    Gender plays a role

    Men expressed more concern over conservation and health risks than women. Men were also more likely to advocate against selling wild meat. Women exhibited lower concern regarding zoonotic disease risks, including COVID-19. These insights highlight the need for gender-sensitive interventions to address wild meat consumption.

    Education levels

    Education levels also influenced risk perception. Respondents with formal education displayed a stronger awareness of zoonotic transmission pathways. They were also more receptive to conservation and public health messaging. This highlights the importance of education in promoting safer and more sustainable practices within communities.

    National policies

    Despite sharing ecosystems and wildlife populations, Kenya and Tanzania have adopted fundamentally different governance approaches to wild meat. This in turn shapes outcomes for conservation, biodiversity and public health.

    Kenya follows a centralised and protectionist model. Hunting and consumption of wild animals are prohibited under the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act. This zero-tolerance policy is rooted in strong conservation principles aimed at protecting biodiversity.

    However, in practice, it has driven the activity underground, creating a thriving black market. This undermines conservation and enforcement efforts. It also increases the risk of zoonotic disease transmission due to unregulated handling and consumption of wild animals.

    Tanzania, by contrast, uses a decentralised, regulated slaughterhouse model. Licensed wild meat hunting and consumption is legal under regulation, particularly through game-controlled areas and permits introduced in 2020. This approach is meant to enable communities to benefit economically from wildlife and reduce incentives for illegal hunting.

    The existence of two divergent systems across a porous border creates challenges. These include illegal cross-border trade, conflicting conservation objectives, and uneven protection of biodiversity. There are also difficulties in implementing coordinated surveillance or public health interventions.

    The contrasting regulations in Kenya and Tanzania significantly influence wild meat consumption choices.

    In Kenya, where wild meat is strictly prohibited, consumption appears to be through informal and unregulated channels. This increases health risks and limits consumer awareness. In contrast, Tanzania’s regulated licensing system provides a legal pathway for access. This makes wild meat consumption more visible and, in some cases, perceived as safer. These differing policies shape how communities access, justify and engage with wild meat, often driving cross-border trade and complicating enforcement and risk communication efforts.

    What’s next?

    Addressing the risks associated with wild meat trade requires a multifaceted strategy that balances health, equity and sustainability.

    We suggest an intervention that prioritises economic stability and ensuring affordable alternative protein sources are accessible, especially in food-insecure settings.

    Public health education is also essential. An increasing awareness of zoonotic disease risks can help shift consumption behaviour.

    Because men and women perceived the dangers of wild meat consumption differently, gender-sensitive approaches should be integrated. It should also be noted that, although women are rarely the primary hunters, they are often prosecuted for possession or sale of wild meat. Gender disparities on how laws are applied must be addressed.

    Legal frameworks and enforcement mechanisms must be strengthened to address cross-border wildlife trade, particularly in regions with differing policies like Kenya and Tanzania. They should also reduce the risks faced by individuals who may unknowingly engage in illegal practices due to a lack of clarity.

    We continue to work with national and regional stakeholders. This includes government bodies and technical partners who are actively engaging with us to co-develop One Health solutions. These solutions integrate public health, environmental sustainability and community well-being.

    Finally, community engagement and participation should be at the core of any intervention. This will ensure that policies are locally relevant, culturally sensitive and supported by those directly affected to reduce the risks of zoonotic disease spillover.

    – Eating wild meat carries serious health risks – why it still happens along the Kenya-Tanzania border
    – https://theconversation.com/eating-wild-meat-carries-serious-health-risks-why-it-still-happens-along-the-kenya-tanzania-border-252947

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Serious crash Mansfield Park

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Police and emergency services are at the scene of a serious crash at Mansfield Park.

    Just before 6.30pm on Sunday 8 June, police and paramedics were called to Hanson Road after a person was struck by a car.

    Hanson Road is closed in both directions between Hamilton Road and Waller Street.

    Motorists are asked to avoid the area.

    MIL OSI News –

  • Health Minister Nadda launches FSSAI’s ‘Stop Obesity’ campaign on World Food Safety Day 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Saturday addressed the World Food Safety Day 2025 event, themed “Stop Obesity by Eating Safe and Healthy,” held at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru. Organized by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the event emphasized the critical role of food safety and nutrition in combating obesity and non-communicable diseases.

    The event saw the launch of FSSAI’s “Awareness Initiative to Stop Obesity” under the Eat Right India programme, aimed at raising nationwide awareness about the health risks of obesity. Nadda highlighted the alarming rise in obesity, citing the ICMR–India Diabetes (INDIAB) study, which reported a 39.6% increase in urban India and a 23.1% increase in rural areas between 2008 and 2020. He warned that by 2050, one-third of India’s population could be obese if current trends persist.

    “For a Viksit Bharat, a healthy India is necessary, and that can be ensured through the right types of food, healthy food habits, and lifestyle,” Nadda said. He urged stakeholders to support the Prime Minister’s call to reduce oil consumption by 10% and emphasized the need to revive traditional foods like millets. He also stressed the vulnerability of children to unhealthy food marketing and called for early awareness to foster better dietary habits.

    The campaign promotes inclusivity with communication materials in regional languages and sign language, alongside media outreach through FM radio, railway announcements, and digital platforms. A video featuring chef Ranveer Brar supporting the campaign was also released. Additionally, Nadda launched the Eat Right Activity Book – Your Guide to Eat Right at School, a resource under the Eat Right School initiative, designed to engage schoolchildren in learning about food safety, hygiene, and nutrition through age-appropriate activities.

    Nadda praised FSSAI’s innovative “Sugar and Oil Boards,” visual tools placed in schools, workplaces, and public spaces to highlight hidden sugars and fats in everyday foods. He suggested incorporating calorie intake information to enhance their impact and advocated for including food safety awareness in school curricula.

  • MIL-OSI Global: Eating wild meat carries serious health risks – why it still happens along the Kenya-Tanzania border

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ekta Patel, Scientist, International Livestock Research Institute

    Pastoralist communities, their livestock and diverse wildlife species coexist within a biodiversity-rich landscape stretching along the Kenya–Tanzania border.

    However, at this wildlife-livestock interface, local communities face mounting challenges. Shifts in land use, prolonged droughts, erratic rainfall patterns and increasing land degradation are placing growing pressure on the landscape. In addition, conflict between people and wildlife is on the rise, and many households rely on wild animals for food.

    Communities in the region eat a wide range of wild animals, from rodents, elephant shrews and birds to small antelopes and larger ungulates like bushbuck. This meat (“bush meat” as it is also popularly known in Africa) provides a valuable source of animal protein and minerals, especially where alternative domestic protein sources are scarce.

    Although hunting and consuming wild animals is illegal in Kenya, this is not the case in Tanzania, where certain forms of hunting for wild animals are permitted. Yet in both countries, many people eat wild meat regularly, often without awareness of the risks. These risks include zoonotic disease transmission and potential impacts on wildlife populations.

    Wild meat is a known source of zoonotic infections and disease spillover to humans. In fact, as many as three-quarters of emerging infectious diseases originate from wildlife. Illnesses such as anthrax, mpox, Ebola, and HIV have all been linked to close interactions between humans and wild animals.

    Despite these risks, wild meat consumption remains widespread, with some households eating it daily or weekly. Preventing future disease outbreaks requires a clear understanding of these health risks, as well as the underlying social, cultural and economic reasons that drive people to rely on wild meat.

    We set out to understand why people were eating wild meat along the Kenya-Tanzania border and whether they understood the risks of zoonotic diseases. Cases of anthrax have already been reported in this area.

    Our study involved interviews in border communities during the COVID pandemic – the most famous case of zoonotic disease transmission in recent times. We wanted to know whether communities understood the pandemic’s link to wild meat and if this affected their consumption of it.

    What stood out was that people at the border settlements kept eating wild meat or even ate more of it. This shows that economic necessity, cultural preferences and limited alternatives remain key drivers even when the world is in crisis.

    Though this research was done during COVID-19, it gives us insights into how people react when things get tough, especially when it comes to food and health.

    What’s driving wild meat consumption

    We found that several factors drove wild meat consumption, despite growing awareness of the health risks.

    Poverty

    Economic factors, particularly household income and limited financial means, strongly influenced wild meat consumption, particularly in communities with limited alternative protein sources. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic had a severe impact on local economies. Tourism, a key source of income for border communities, experienced sharp declines. As household revenues fell, reliance on wild meat as an affordable protein source increased.

    Economic stability plays a crucial role in shaping consumption behaviours: 81% of those surveyed at the border settlements indicated they would stop eating wild meat if cheaper alternatives were available.

    The type of animal

    Perceptions of disease risks varied depending on the species consumed.

    Approximately 79% of respondents believed that certain animals posed a higher risks of zoonotic disease transmission. Hyenas were perceived as the most dangerous, followed by primates and snakes. These findings suggest that while economic necessity influences wild meat consumption, risk perception also shapes dietary choices.

    Gender plays a role

    Men expressed more concern over conservation and health risks than women. Men were also more likely to advocate against selling wild meat. Women exhibited lower concern regarding zoonotic disease risks, including COVID-19. These insights highlight the need for gender-sensitive interventions to address wild meat consumption.

    Education levels

    Education levels also influenced risk perception. Respondents with formal education displayed a stronger awareness of zoonotic transmission pathways. They were also more receptive to conservation and public health messaging. This highlights the importance of education in promoting safer and more sustainable practices within communities.

    National policies

    Despite sharing ecosystems and wildlife populations, Kenya and Tanzania have adopted fundamentally different governance approaches to wild meat. This in turn shapes outcomes for conservation, biodiversity and public health.

    Kenya follows a centralised and protectionist model. Hunting and consumption of wild animals are prohibited under the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act. This zero-tolerance policy is rooted in strong conservation principles aimed at protecting biodiversity.

    However, in practice, it has driven the activity underground, creating a thriving black market. This undermines conservation and enforcement efforts. It also increases the risk of zoonotic disease transmission due to unregulated handling and consumption of wild animals.

    Tanzania, by contrast, uses a decentralised, regulated slaughterhouse model. Licensed wild meat hunting and consumption is legal under regulation, particularly through game-controlled areas and permits introduced in 2020. This approach is meant to enable communities to benefit economically from wildlife and reduce incentives for illegal hunting.

    The existence of two divergent systems across a porous border creates challenges. These include illegal cross-border trade, conflicting conservation objectives, and uneven protection of biodiversity. There are also difficulties in implementing coordinated surveillance or public health interventions.

    The contrasting regulations in Kenya and Tanzania significantly influence wild meat consumption choices.

    In Kenya, where wild meat is strictly prohibited, consumption appears to be through informal and unregulated channels. This increases health risks and limits consumer awareness. In contrast, Tanzania’s regulated licensing system provides a legal pathway for access. This makes wild meat consumption more visible and, in some cases, perceived as safer. These differing policies shape how communities access, justify and engage with wild meat, often driving cross-border trade and complicating enforcement and risk communication efforts.

    What’s next?

    Addressing the risks associated with wild meat trade requires a multifaceted strategy that balances health, equity and sustainability.

    We suggest an intervention that prioritises economic stability and ensuring affordable alternative protein sources are accessible, especially in food-insecure settings.

    Public health education is also essential. An increasing awareness of zoonotic disease risks can help shift consumption behaviour.

    Because men and women perceived the dangers of wild meat consumption differently, gender-sensitive approaches should be integrated. It should also be noted that, although women are rarely the primary hunters, they are often prosecuted for possession or sale of wild meat. Gender disparities on how laws are applied must be addressed.

    Legal frameworks and enforcement mechanisms must be strengthened to address cross-border wildlife trade, particularly in regions with differing policies like Kenya and Tanzania. They should also reduce the risks faced by individuals who may unknowingly engage in illegal practices due to a lack of clarity.

    We continue to work with national and regional stakeholders. This includes government bodies and technical partners who are actively engaging with us to co-develop One Health solutions. These solutions integrate public health, environmental sustainability and community well-being.

    Finally, community engagement and participation should be at the core of any intervention. This will ensure that policies are locally relevant, culturally sensitive and supported by those directly affected to reduce the risks of zoonotic disease spillover.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Eating wild meat carries serious health risks – why it still happens along the Kenya-Tanzania border – https://theconversation.com/eating-wild-meat-carries-serious-health-risks-why-it-still-happens-along-the-kenya-tanzania-border-252947

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese island’s ocean-friendly changes deliver dual gains in ecology, economy

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

    HANGZHOU, June 8 — On a stretch of beach in Taizhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Wang Zhongfu, 68, bends to pick up discarded plastic bottles and tattered fishing nets.

    Wang is one of thousands participating in Blue Circle, a marine plastic recycling program that, initiated in 2020, utilizes blockchain technology and the Internet of Things to track the full life cycle of marine plastic waste — from collection to remanufacturing and resale.

    Developed by Zhejiang Province’s Department of Ecology and Environment and Zhejiang Lanjing Technology Co., Ltd., Blue Circle is the country’s largest program of its kind.

    In 2023, it received the United Nations 2023 Champions of the Earth award in the category of Entrepreneurial Vision for its efforts to tackle marine plastic pollution. According to the UN Environment Programme, the award is the UN’s highest environmental honor.

    “We reduce plastic waste in the ocean and help people get additional income from waste collection,” said Kong Chen, who oversees a Blue Circle plastic waste station known as Little Blue Home, located on Dachen Island, some 29 nautical miles from Taizhou’s coast. He noted that the station transported over 20 tonnes of marine waste in 2024.

    Blue Circle pays 0.20 yuan (almost 3 U.S. cents) for every plastic bottle collected — a price several times higher than the market average. This is designed to supplement the incomes of many locals.

    “The initiative motivates people to join in on environmental protection and improve their incomes. People out fishing can consciously collect plastic waste while working on the sea,” Kong said, noting that participants like Wang can earn some 1,000 yuan this way each month.

    People can trace the journey of recycled plastic by scanning QR codes on goods, such as car parts, suitcases, and phone cases, made from certified plastic collected from the ocean. The plastic waste is cleaned and processed into granules for industrial use at Veolia Huafei Polymer Technology (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd. in Anji County, Zhejiang’s Huzhou City.

    “Since 2022, we have processed tens of millions of plastic bottles from Blue Circle,” said Fu Xianwei, the company’s operations director. Fu added that certified marine plastic granules can sell for over 1.3 times the price of regular recycled plastic, and products made from these granules have higher added value.

    “Once fishermen can profit and businesses are motivated, marine plastic waste management enters a virtuous cycle,” said Ye Zongsen, an official of the Jiaojiang district branch of the Taizhou Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau.

    The initiative has expanded across Zhejiang’s coastal areas, with approximately 1,360 residents, 10,000 vessels and seven recycling companies joining to date. In Zhejiang alone, the program has collected 15,000 tonnes of marine waste, including over 2,900 tonnes of plastic waste. It has also spread to seven other provinces, including China’s southernmost island province of Hainan.

    Dachen Island in Jiaojiang District is a model of marine-friendly development. Dozens of wind turbines atop the island’s ridge generate an average of 60 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, which is five times the amount the island consumes, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 45,000 tonnes.

    Surplus electricity is delivered to the mainland via undersea power cables, according to Jiang Weijian, director of the Dachen Power Supply Station of State Grid Zhejiang Power Co., Ltd.

    Green power has spurred many changes, including all-electric buses, electric oxygen and ice production in fisheries, and the gradual use of electric stoves in guesthouses on the island.

    Additionally, Dachen’s low-carbon solid waste treatment station and wastewater treatment plant have increased the top water quality proportion in nearshore areas to 98 percent.

    As its environment improves, the island is seeing a tourism boom. Last year, Dachen welcomed 200,000 tourists and raked in 170 million yuan in related revenue.

    “As the scenery improves, our B&B business is thriving,” said Dachen resident Kong Qinglei, who started his B&B business on the island in 2020. Its revenue exceeded 1 million yuan in 2024.

    The island is also capitalizing on its marine resources. Famous for its yellow croaker, the island has 14 yellow croaker farming companies and its production hit 10,005 tonnes last year — an amount worth over 1.1 billion yuan. The industry has created fishing jobs for nearly 300 people.

    Local authorities are now encouraging the development of maritime leisure travel and souvenir industries. Some guesthouse owners are even combining their businesses with yellow croaker farming.

    The island is also pioneering the blue carbon and forest carbon trade. “Funds have been directed to a common prosperity fund for marine protection, and to marine farmers and island residents,” said Yang Haifei, a township official on the island.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • Market share of electric cars in India accelerates past 4 percent in May

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The market share of electric passenger vehicles (EVs) in India accelerated past the 4 per cent mark in May this year, from 2.6 per cent in the same month of the previous year, reflecting the increasing popularity of electric cars among Indian buyers as the country transitions to green mobility, data compiled by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) shows.

    The share of electric passenger sales in May is also 0.5 percentage points higher than the 3.5 per cent share in April as part of the rising trend.

    The retail data shows 12,304 electric cars were sold during the month, compared to just 8,029 units in May 2024. The sales of electric cars in April this year stood at 12,233 units.

    “This is an important milestone in our industry’s journey towards electrification. This growth has been driven by improvements in battery technology, better range, and lower costs compared to earlier electric PV models,” Fada CEO Saharsh Damani said.

    Tata Motors maintained its market leadership in the electric car segment by selling 4,351 units during the month. Its closest competitor, JSW MG Motor, reported a strong year-on-year surge of 149 per cent, selling 3,765 electric cars in May, while Mahindra & Mahindra was ranked third with 2,632 units sold during the month. These top three electric car companies account for as much as over 87 per cent of total sales in the segment, according to FADA figures

    However, FADA projects that global supply-chain headwinds (rare-earth constraints in EV components, geopolitical tensions) may limit urban consumer sentiment and exert cost pressure.

    China, which is the dominant supplier of rare earth magnets, a critical component for the manufacture of electric vehicles, has started imposing restrictions on exports, which could pose supply chain problems.

    “If the supply situation for rare earth materials doesn’t improve, we could see production slowdowns that may impact retail sales in the near future,” Damani said.

    Meanwhile, the government notified guidelines on Monday for its forward-looking scheme to enable fresh investments from global manufacturers in the electric cars segment and promote India as a global manufacturing hub for e-vehicles.

    To encourage global manufacturers such as US tech giant Tesla to invest under the scheme, the approved applicants will be allowed to import completely built-in units (CBUs) of electric four-wheelers with a minimum CIF (cost insurance and freight value) of $35,000 at reduced customs duty of 15 per cent for a period of five years from the date that the application is approved.

    Approved applicants would be required to make a minimum investment of Rs 4,150 crore in line with the provisions of the scheme.

    The maximum number of e-4Ws allowed to be imported at the reduced duty rate will be capped at 8,000 units per year. The carryover of unutilized annual import limits would be permitted.

    (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI Russia: First China-Central Asia International Tourist Train Returns to Xi’an

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) — The first China-Central Asia international tourist train returned to Xi’an, capital of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, at around 6 p.m. Beijing time on Saturday, the Shaanxi Daily newspaper reported.

    A train carrying more than 200 passengers departed from Xi’an to Almaty, Kazakhstan, on May 29. It left China via the Khorgos railway checkpoint in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

    After the train arrived in Almaty, a Humanitarian and Tourism Exchange Week was held between the cities of Xi’an and Almaty, which included a variety of events, including the demonstration of intangible cultural heritage, promotion of traditional Chinese medicine culture, interaction in the sports field, and exchanges in the field of archaeology.

    According to the publication, the launch of the said international tourist train accelerates deepened cooperation between the cities of Xi’an and Almaty, will significantly contribute to the development of tourism in the areas along its route and will give impetus to regional economic cooperation.

    Let us recall that 2024 was the Year of Kazakhstan Tourism in China, and 2025 has been declared the Year of China Tourism in Kazakhstan.

    In May 2023, China and Kazakhstan signed an intergovernmental agreement on mutual exemption from visa requirements, which officially came into force in November of the same year.

    Kazakhstan is becoming a popular destination among Chinese tourists. According to statistics, by the end of 2024, the Chinese tourist flow to this Central Asian country amounted to 655 thousand people-times, which is 78 percent more than the previous year. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Report: China committed to building South China Sea into sea of peace, friendship, cooperation

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

    This photo shows the report, titled “Making the South China Sea a Sea of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation: China’s Actions” and published in both Chinese and English, released by Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with Xinhua News Agency, on World Oceans Day, June 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Li He)

    Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with Xinhua News Agency, on Sunday released a report highlighting China’s commitment to building the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship, and cooperation.

    The report, titled “Making the South China Sea a Sea of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation: China’s Actions” and published in both Chinese and English, noted that China has always been a steadfast advocate, promoter, and guardian of peace and stability in the South China Sea.

    According to the report, China has long maintained that peace and stability in these waters depend on collaborative efforts between China and member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Through deepened trust and cooperation across political, economic, and cultural spheres, this partnership has created lasting mutual benefits. Consequently, China has emerged as a reliable force for maintaining regional peace and stability while promoting cooperation and development in the South China Sea.

    The report stated that China has always adhered to the principles of building the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship, and cooperation: equal-footed consultation, rule-based co-management, mutually beneficial cooperation, and a constructive role.

    The report called on China and ASEAN countries to ensure that the solutions of the South China Sea issues remain in their own hands, to adhere to sound principles and direction in addressing the issues, and to continue upholding the notion of a maritime community with a shared future.

    The report also called for joint efforts by China and ASEAN countries to build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship, and cooperation that benefits the people of all regional countries.

    The think tank report has received positive evaluations from experts. They believe the report comprehensively explained China’s practical achievements, insights, and pathways in advocating for the South China Sea to become a sea of peace, friendship, and cooperation, marking a significant academic contribution to the study of South China Sea issues.

    Zhang Jie, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, noted that the report not only offered historical depth but also summarized the latest developments in the South China Sea situation. It further clarified China’s principled stance and comprehensively demonstrated China’s positive contributions to the peace and stability of the South China Sea based on facts.

    Yang Xiao, a research fellow at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, stated that the report, with a vision for a better future in the South China Sea, creatively explained and summarized China’s consistent adherence to the principles on South China Sea issues. Those principles serve as the foundation for China-ASEAN dialogue, cooperation, and constructive development, carrying significant theoretical and practical importance for the future, consensus-building, and bridging differences.

    Ma Chao, associate research fellow at the Maritime Silk Road Research Institute of Hainan Normal University, believed that China, upholding the concept of a maritime community with a shared future, has deepened cooperation with parties in the South China Sea. The report once again demonstrated China’s sincere commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the region, helping the international community better understand, appreciate, and respect China’s stance on the South China Sea.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • Nari Shakti: A decade of women’s empowerment under Modi government

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Over the past 11 years, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has witnessed a transformative shift in women’s empowerment, redefining their role from passive beneficiaries to active nation-builders. With women and children comprising 67.7% of India’s population, the Modi government has made Nari Shakti(women’s power) a cornerstone of national progress, driving policies that empower women across health, education, housing, sanitation, financial inclusion, and leadership. As India strides into Amrit Kaal, women are leading the charge toward a stronger, more inclusive nation.

    A Lifecycle Approach to Empowerment

    “Women are not just homemakers; they are nation-builders,” Prime Minister Modi has repeatedly emphasized. Since 2014, the government has adopted a comprehensive, lifecycle-based approach to empower women at every stage of life. From landmark legislation like the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which reserves 33% of seats in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies for women, to schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and Mission Shakti, the focus has shifted from women’s development to women-led development. These initiatives have boosted women’s participation in education (especially STEM), entrepreneurship, public service, and even defense, fostering inclusive and sustainable growth.

    Health and Nutrition: Building a Strong Foundation

    The government’s fight against malnutrition has gained momentum through Mission POSHAN 2.0, a ₹1.81 lakh crore initiative (2021–26) targeting children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers. By integrating nutrition, health, and community efforts, POSHAN Abhiyaan (launched in 2018) uses digital tools like the Poshan Tracker—winner of the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2024—to drive real-time monitoring and behavioral change. As of March 2025, 99.02% of beneficiaries are Aadhaar-verified, and a face authentication module ensures transparency in distributing Take-Home Rations.

    Under Mission Saksham Anganwadi, 24,533 Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) have been upgraded into Saksham Anganwadis, with a target of transforming 2 lakh AWCs by 2026. The Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi initiative has trained 36,463 State-Level Master Trainers and 4,65,719 Anganwadi workers to provide quality pre-school education alongside nutrition. The Suposhit Gram Panchayat Abhiyaan, launched in December 2024, rewards 1,000 Gram Panchayats for exemplary work in improving nutrition outcomes.

    Maternal and neonatal care has also seen significant advancements. The Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) has supported over 16.60 crore beneficiaries since 2014, reducing out-of-pocket expenses for antenatal and postnatal care. The Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) has aided 11.07 crore women by promoting institutional deliveries, while Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) ensures zero-cost healthcare for pregnant women and newborns in 90,015 certified facilities. The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) provides ₹5,000 cash benefits to support maternal health, and the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) ensures early detection of high-risk pregnancies.

    Dignity Through Infrastructure

    The Modi government has prioritized dignity in daily life through transformative schemes. Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) has provided homes to 2.75 crore beneficiaries, with 73% being women, granting them security and decision-making power. The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) has distributed 10.33 crore LPG connections, freeing women from hazardous cooking fumes. The Swachh Bharat Mission has built over 12 crore toilets, ensuring safety and hygiene for women, with 93% reporting reduced fear of harm or infection. The Jal Jeevan Mission has delivered 15.6 crore tap water connections, empowering women by saving time and involving them in water management.

    Education and Financial Security

    The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign has improved the sex ratio at birth from 918 (2014–15) to 930 (2023–24) and increased girls’ school enrollment to 78% by 2023–24. The Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY), celebrating a decade in 2025, has opened over 4.2 crore accounts, securing the financial future of girls.

    Women in Leadership

    Women are breaking barriers across sectors. The first batch of female cadets graduated from the National Defence Academy in May 2025, and women have played pivotal roles in missions like Chandrayaan-3. India leads globally in female STEM graduates and pilots. Legal reforms such as the abolition of Triple Talaq, the proposal to raise the minimum marriage age for women from 18 to 21 years, and the extension of maternity leave to 26 weeks have significantly advanced women’s empowerment in India. These measures have supported greater access to education and employment for women, while also promoting their health and well-being. Additionally, the abrogation of Article 35A has granted women in Jammu & Kashmir equal property rights, further strengthening gender equality in the region.

    Economic Empowerment

    The Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) has sanctioned ₹34.11 lakh crore across 52.5 crore loan accounts, with 68% benefiting women entrepreneurs. The Stand-Up India Scheme has provided over ₹47,704 crore to 2.04 lakh women borrowers. The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) has mobilized 10.05 crore women into 90.90 lakh Self-Help Groups, with the Lakhpati Didi Initiative enabling 1.48 crore women to earn ₹1 lakh annually.

    Safety and Security: Mission Shakti

    Mission Shakti, with its Sambal and Samarthya pillars, ensures women’s safety and self-reliance. Sambal includes 819 operational One Stop Centres (OSCs), assisting 10.98 lakh women, and the Women Helpline, handling 214.78 lakh calls. The SHe-Box Portal addresses workplace harassment, and Nari Adalat promotes women-led justice at the grassroots. Samarthya supports 2.92 lakh women through Shakti Sadan and 5.07 lakh through Sakhi Niwas. The AbKoiBahanaNahi campaign, launched in November 2024, combats gender-based violence.

    A New Era for Nari Shakti

    Over the past decade, the Modi government has transformed women’s welfare into a movement of leadership and agency. From space missions to grassroots governance, Indian women are shaping the nation’s destiny.

  • MIL-OSI Australia: A glimpse into free school camps at Birrigai

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Campers get to make, cook and taste their own damper.

    In brief:

    • ACT public primary school students have begun attending free school camps at Birrigai Outdoor School.
    • The ACT Government launched the free camps program in February 2025.
    • This article looks at what students experience on a Birrigai camp.

    Since the ACT Government launched its free camps program in February this year, over 640 students have experienced one at Birrigai Outdoor School, near Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.

    Another 370 students are booked to attend their free camp by the end of Term 2, which means Birrigai will have hosted more than 1000 students from 13 schools for free camps by mid-year.

    Camp is a fun and important part of schooling. But have you ever wondered what students actually get up to?

    This article looks at what ACT public primary school students can expect on their free overnight camp.

    The free camps program

    The free camps program gives one year group from each ACT public primary school a free overnight camp at Birrigai each year.

    This ensures all ACT public primary school students attend a free camp during their primary school years.

    Free camps mean all students can attend, with no one missing out due to cost.

    All ACT public primary schools will have their first free camp in 2025 or 2026.

    The campers’ itinerary

    Birrigai offers different programs aligned with the curriculum. Themes include:

    • First Nations culture
    • Outdoor adventure and science
    • Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) activities.

    Outdoor activities are central to the experience. On camp, students may take part in:

    • adventure bush walks
    • team-building exercises like team treks and rope courses
    • campfires, damper cooking and seed grinding (and enjoying Birrigai biscuits)
    • challenges such as the crate climb, Vertical Playpen and Giant’s Ladder
    • a connection to Country experience with Birrigai Aboriginal rangers
    • learning about plants and living creatures, including kangaroos, emus, yabbies, Bogong moths and Muliyan (eagles)
    • arts and craft – from sketching their environment to building a shelter
    • play-based learning, storytelling and singing
    • self-directed exploration
    • collecting data as part of Birrigai’s ongoing EcoSurvey.

    Programs vary due to the age and size of the group, the season and weather conditions.

    The Birrigai experience

    Local parents and carers may recall their own school camps at Birrigai, which was established in 1980.

    The outdoor school is surrounded by mountains, woodland and streams. It is of historical and ongoing significance to the Ngunnawal people.

    Students can see archaeological sites over 25,000 years old. There’s also plenty of wildlife to spot.

    Birrigai camps help students view the world differently and connect or re-connect to Country.

    Food and accommodation

    Students experience the novelty of sleeping in bunk-style cabins.

    These are heated and air-conditioned and have shared internal bathrooms.

    There are also facilities to cater for people with additional needs.

    At mealtimes, everyone eats together in Birrigai’s large dining hall.

    Meals are freshly prepared by an in-house catering team. Food aligns with the National Healthy School Canteen Guidelines.

    The team can accommodate specific dietary needs. Birrigai is a nut-free site.

    Ensuring equity in education

    The free camps program complements other initiatives aimed at helping Canberra families with school costs. These include:

    Find out more at education.act.gov.au

    Read more like this:

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    MIL OSI News –