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Category: Universities

  • NMDC invites applications for tribal education schemes in Chhattisgarh

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    NMDC Limited, India’s largest iron ore producer, has invited applications for two fully sponsored educational initiatives aimed at empowering tribal youth in Chhattisgarh. These initiatives — the Balika Shiksha Yojana and the newly introduced Medical Technology Program — are part of the company’s ongoing commitment to inclusive growth and social development under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) framework.
     
    The Balika Shiksha Yojana is designed specifically for tribal girls belonging to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category from the districts of Bastar, Dantewada, Sukma, Kondagaon, Bijapur, and Narayanpur. Through this scheme, NMDC is offering full financial support for professional nursing education. A total of 200 seats are available across two programs — 110 seats for the four-year B.Sc. Nursing course and 90 seats for the three-year General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) course. These courses will be conducted at reputed institutes such as the Apollo School of Nursing, Yashoda School of Nursing, and KIMS College of Nursing, all located in Hyderabad.
     
    The initiative will cover all expenses, including tuition fees, hostel accommodation, and academic costs, with an investment of ₹12 to ₹15 lakh per student. To be eligible, applicants must belong to the ST category and come from families with an annual income not exceeding ₹72,000. The application deadline for this programme is June 28, 2025.
     
    NMDC has also launched a Medical Technology Program in partnership with Apollo University, Chittoor. This fully sponsored programme is open to ST students from the Dantewada and Bastar districts. A total of 90 seats are being offered, with 60 percent reserved for girls and 40 percent for boys.
     
    Under this initiative, selected students will receive full sponsorship to pursue specialized B.Sc. programmes in Emergency Medical Technology, Medical Lab Technology, Anaesthesiology and Operation Theatre Technician, Imaging Technology, Physician Assistant, and Renal Dialysis Technology. Like the nursing programme, this initiative also carries an investment of ₹12 to ₹15 lakh per student and covers all educational and residential expenses. Applications will be accepted until June 30, 2025.
     
    For more than six decades, NMDC has played a key role in the development of Chhattisgarh through its mining operations and community-focused initiatives. These latest educational programmes are expected to open new career pathways for tribal youth, enabling them to acquire professional qualifications and build sustainable livelihoods.

  • NMDC invites applications for tribal education schemes in Chhattisgarh

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    NMDC Limited, India’s largest iron ore producer, has invited applications for two fully sponsored educational initiatives aimed at empowering tribal youth in Chhattisgarh. These initiatives — the Balika Shiksha Yojana and the newly introduced Medical Technology Program — are part of the company’s ongoing commitment to inclusive growth and social development under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) framework.
     
    The Balika Shiksha Yojana is designed specifically for tribal girls belonging to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category from the districts of Bastar, Dantewada, Sukma, Kondagaon, Bijapur, and Narayanpur. Through this scheme, NMDC is offering full financial support for professional nursing education. A total of 200 seats are available across two programs — 110 seats for the four-year B.Sc. Nursing course and 90 seats for the three-year General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) course. These courses will be conducted at reputed institutes such as the Apollo School of Nursing, Yashoda School of Nursing, and KIMS College of Nursing, all located in Hyderabad.
     
    The initiative will cover all expenses, including tuition fees, hostel accommodation, and academic costs, with an investment of ₹12 to ₹15 lakh per student. To be eligible, applicants must belong to the ST category and come from families with an annual income not exceeding ₹72,000. The application deadline for this programme is June 28, 2025.
     
    NMDC has also launched a Medical Technology Program in partnership with Apollo University, Chittoor. This fully sponsored programme is open to ST students from the Dantewada and Bastar districts. A total of 90 seats are being offered, with 60 percent reserved for girls and 40 percent for boys.
     
    Under this initiative, selected students will receive full sponsorship to pursue specialized B.Sc. programmes in Emergency Medical Technology, Medical Lab Technology, Anaesthesiology and Operation Theatre Technician, Imaging Technology, Physician Assistant, and Renal Dialysis Technology. Like the nursing programme, this initiative also carries an investment of ₹12 to ₹15 lakh per student and covers all educational and residential expenses. Applications will be accepted until June 30, 2025.
     
    For more than six decades, NMDC has played a key role in the development of Chhattisgarh through its mining operations and community-focused initiatives. These latest educational programmes are expected to open new career pathways for tribal youth, enabling them to acquire professional qualifications and build sustainable livelihoods.

  • MIL-Evening Report: Politics with Michelle Grattan: Ken Henry on changing the tax system to give struggling workers a fairer go

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    In August, the Albanese government will hold an economic “roundtable” that will discuss productivity, budget sustainability and resilience. Australia’s tax system will be one of the central issues, and stakeholders are gearing up with their varying arguments for changes.

    Ken Henry, a former secretary of the Treasury, has been part of the tax debates of the past 40 years. He was a treasury official working on tax at the time of the Hawke government’s 1985 tax summit and led the major review of the tax system commissioned by the Rudd government.

    Henry is a passionate advocate of bold tax reform, especially reform that tackled intergenerational inequity, and he joins the podcast to discuss the issues.

    Looking forward to the roundtable, Henry outlines some of the many changes that he thinks should be considered,

    Firstly we’ve got to get rid of the remaining transactions taxes like stamp duty on property conveyancing and so on […] that alone means there has to be a commonwealth-state exercise.

    Secondly, we’ve got to extract more revenue from the taxation of natural resources and also land.

    Thirdly, we’ve got to get more revenue from the taxation of environmental externalities. In the tax review published in 2010, we were developing that at the same time as the Treasury and other departments were developing the Rudd government’s carbon pollution reduction scheme. We thought that there was going to be quite a significant carbon price in Australia. We don’t have it today – we should.

    Henry wants a tax system that does not disadvantage younger people who are in the workforce; he says the present “lazy” reliance on bracket creep to “bring the budget back to anything approaching balance is doing enormous damage to younger people in particular”.

    On reform generally, Henry says he’s “disappointed” that more hasn’t been done on the recommendations from his review.

    I’m very disappointed, but I guess one would expect me to be very disappointed. And he laments Australia’s “abysmal” productivity performance over the last quarter century.

    When I then reflect on what’s happened to Australia’s productivity performance, I mean we were saying in 2002 that we really should aim to get the productivity growth rate up from 1.75% to 2.25% a year and in fact if you look back now over the first 25 years of this century right what we actually achieved was only three quarters of one percent a year. That productivity performance is just abysmal.

    To put it in terms that everybody will understand, had we achieved the two and a quarter percent a year rather than three quarters of a percent a year, the average wage and salary earner in Australia, their income would be 45% higher today than it is. This is not small stuff, this is huge stuff.

    Despite backing significant reform, Chalmers has been a long-term opponent of GST reform, although not ruling it out completely. Henry says all options should be left on the table,

    It would be better not to constrain the reform process by ruling the GST out and that was a shame for those of us who worked on the Rudd government’s tax review  […] that the terms of reference that we were given said that you’re not to make any recommendations concerning the GST.

    Those who are having a good hard look at how to restructure the Australian taxation system should not have one hand tied behind their backs. Having said that, I do think it’s possible to achieve major reform of the Australian taxation system without necessarily increasing the rate or extending the base of the GST.

    On Chalmers’ plan to tax unrealised capital gains on big superannuation balances, while not directly opposed, Henry says there are other ways to make the system fairer,

    I’m not opposed to it. It’s just that I think there are other ways of increasing the taxation that applies to high superannuation balances and improving the intergenerational equity of the superannuation system. In the tax review that the Rudd government Commissioned, which I led, which was published in 2010, we spent quite a lot of time detailing how we thought the taxation arrangements applying to superannuation could be improved.

    The thing that stands out is this big difference between the taxation of superannuation fund earnings in the so-called accumulation phase and the treatment that they get in the so-called pension phase, So […] these poor young workers, struggling, see the earnings on their accumulating superannuation balance as being taxed at 15%, whilst those who have big superannuation balances and are in the retirement, the earnings in their superannuation funds are completely tax-exempt, And that just seems rather weird.

    Michelle Grattan 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. Politics with Michelle Grattan: Ken Henry on changing the tax system to give struggling workers a fairer go – https://theconversation.com/politics-with-michelle-grattan-ken-henry-on-changing-the-tax-system-to-give-struggling-workers-a-fairer-go-259887

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Active Citizens” to Choose the Best Running Route in the Capital

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The Active Citizen project has begun new vote. Residents of the capital are offered to choose the most convenient and picturesque route for jogging. The co-founder of the sports association “Running Community” and the director of the Moscow Marathon Dmitry Tarasov presented his recommendations. The list includes seven routes suitable for both beginners and experienced athletes. You can choose up to three answer options.

    For example, one of the routes starts at Berezhkovskaya Embankment and leads to the building of the Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, passing through the old hydroelectric power station, Kosygina Street and University Avenue. The total length is about 15 kilometers in both directions. There are other interesting routes: you can start jogging from Luzhniki and move along the embankment to the Moscow-City business center or to the building of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

    Nature lovers will be able to choose routes in the Severnoye Tushino Park, where the path starts near the submarine at the Museum of the History of the Navy and goes along the paths along the apple orchard. The route allows you to go down to the Moscow Canal, admire the Northern River Terminal and the sandy beach and return back through green alleys. In addition, there are distances in Izmailovsky Park, on the territory of the Kuskovo estate, in the Losiny Ostrov National Park and Yauza Park.

    By taking part in the voting, you can not only open new sports routes, but also receive points for the city loyalty program “A Million Prizes”, which can be used to receive goods and services from partners or donated to charity.

    In the Active Citizen project you can also choose best walking bike route Yaroslava Bondarenko, Russian cycling champion. Participation is available to users with full or standard account on mos.ru.

    Project “Active Citizen” has been operating since 2014. During this time, more than seven million people have joined it. Every month, 30-40 decisions made by residents of the capital are implemented in the capital. The project is being developed Department of Information Technology of the City of Moscow and the State Institution “New Management Technologies”.

    The creation, development and operation of the e-government infrastructure, including the provision of mass socially significant services, as well as other services in electronic form, correspond to the objectives of the national project “Data Economy” and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Public Administration”.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/155842073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: President Lai meets Japan’s former Economic Security Minister Kobayashi Takayuki

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Details
    2025-06-16
    President Lai meets delegation led by Representative Bera, co-chair of US Congressional Taiwan Caucus
    On the morning of June 16, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Representative Ami Bera, co-chair of the US Congressional Taiwan Caucus. In remarks, President Lai thanked the representatives in Congress for actively voicing support for Taiwan and proposing numerous Taiwan-friendly initiatives to strengthen Taiwan-US ties, helping expand Taiwan’s international space and continuing to place focus on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The president said that we will continue to strengthen bilateral investment and industrial cooperation and create a more comprehensive environment for economic and trade exchanges to jointly enhance economic and developmental resilience. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I am delighted to meet with the delegation and welcome Congressman Bera back to the Presidential Office. Last January, he visited after the presidential election, demonstrating the steadfast backing of the US Congress for democratic Taiwan. This time, as head of a delegation of new members of the House Armed Services Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee, he is continuing to foster US congressional support for Taiwan. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend a sincere welcome to Congressman Bera and all our esteemed guests. Over the years, staunch bipartisan US congressional backing of Taiwan has been a key force for steadily advancing our bilateral relations. I thank the representatives in Congress for actively voicing support for Taiwan and proposing numerous Taiwan-friendly initiatives, thereby strengthening Taiwan-US ties, helping expand Taiwan’s international space, and continuing to place focus on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. I want to emphasize that Taiwan has an unwavering determination to safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Over the past year, the government and private sector have been working together to enhance Taiwan’s whole-of-society defense resilience and accelerate reform of national defense. The government is also prioritizing special budget allocations to ensure that our defense budget exceeds three percent of GDP this year. I hope that Taiwan-US security cooperation will evolve beyond military procurement to a partnership that encompasses joint research and development and joint production, further strengthening cooperation and exchange in the defense industry. Regarding industrial exchanges, last month, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Jyh-huei (郭智輝) each visited Texas to see firsthand Taiwan-US collaboration in AI and semiconductors. And the delegation led by Executive Yuan Secretary-General Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) sent by Taiwan to this year’s SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, DC, was again the largest of those attending. All of this demonstrates Taiwan’s commitment to working alongside the US to create mutual prosperity. In the future, we will continue to strengthen bilateral investment and industrial cooperation. And I hope that the legislation addressing the issue of Taiwan-US double taxation will become law this year. I want to thank Congressman Bera for co-leading a joint letter last November signed by over 100 members of Congress calling for such legislation. I believe that by creating a more comprehensive environment for economic and trade exchanges, Taiwan and the US can enhance economic and developmental resilience. In closing, I thank you all for making the long journey here to advance Taiwan-US relations. Let us continue working together to promote the prosperous development of this important partnership. Congressman Bera then delivered remarks, saying that on behalf of the delegation, it is an honor for him to be here once again, it being last January that he and Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart visited and congratulated President Lai on his election victory, noting that theirs was the first congressional delegation to do so. Congressman Bera said that this is an important time, not just for the US and Taiwan relationship, but for all relationships around the world. When we look at conflicts in Europe and in the Middle East, he said, it is incumbent upon democracies to hold the peace in Asia. He emphasized that is why it is important for them to bring a delegation of members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Armed Services Committee, adding that he believes for all of them it is their first trip to Taiwan.  Congressman Bera said that while this is a delegation of Democratic members of Congress, in a bipartisan way all of Congress continues to support the people of Taiwan. As such, in this visit he brings support from his co-chairs on the Taiwan caucus, Congressman Díaz-Balart and Congressman Andy Barr. He also took a moment to recognize the passing of Congressman Gerald Connolly, who was a longtime friend of Taiwan and one of their co-chairs on the caucus. Congressman Bera mentioned that there is always a special bond between himself and President Lai because they are both doctors, and as doctors, their profession is about healing, keeping the peace, and making sure everybody has a bright, prosperous future. In closing, he highlighted that it is in that spirit that their delegation visits with the president. The delegation also included members of the US Congress Gabe Amo, Wesley Bell, Julie Johnson, Sarah McBride, and Johnny Olszewski.

    Details
    2025-06-13
    President Lai meets delegation led by French National Assembly Taiwan Friendship Group Chair Marie-Noëlle Battistel
    On the morning of June 12, President Lai Ching-te met a delegation led by Marie-Noëlle Battistel, chair of the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group. In remarks, President Lai thanked the National Assembly for its long-term support for Taiwan’s international participation and for upholding security in the Taiwan Strait, helping make France the first major country in the world to enact legislation to uphold freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait. The president also said that exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and France are becoming more frequent, and that he hopes this visit by the Taiwan Friendship Group will inject new momentum into Taiwan-France relations and help build closer partnerships in the economy, trade, energy, and digital security.  A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: First, I would like to welcome Chair Battistel, who is once again leading a visiting delegation. Last year, Chair Battistel co-led a delegation to attend the inauguration ceremony for myself and Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao. This is her fourth visit, and first as chair of the Taiwan Friendship Group, which makes it especially meaningful. This delegation’s visit demonstrates strong support for Taiwan, and on behalf of the people of Taiwan, I want to express my sincerest welcome and thanks. France is a pioneer in promoting free and democratic values. These are values that Taiwan cherishes and is working hard to defend. I want to express gratitude to the French Parliament for their long-term support for Taiwan’s international participation, and for upholding security in the Taiwan Strait. The French Parliament’s two chambers have continued to strongly support Taiwan, with the passage of a resolution supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations in 2021, as well as the passage of the seven-year Military Programming Law in 2023. This has made France the first major country in the world to enact legislation to uphold freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait. Through it all, the Taiwan Friendship Group has played a key role, and I want to thank all of our distinguished guests for their efforts. Over the past few years, Taiwan and France have continued to deepen cooperation in areas including the economy, technology, culture, and sports. At the Choose France summit held in Paris last month, Taiwanese and French enterprises also announced they will launch cooperation in the semiconductor and satellite fields. The VivaTech startup exhibition, now being held in France, also has many Taiwanese vendors participating. Exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and France, whether official or people-to-people, are becoming more and more frequent. I hope that this visit by the Taiwan Friendship Group will inject new momentum into Taiwan-France relations, building closer partnerships in the economy, trade, energy, and digital security.  To address current geopolitical and economic challenges, Taiwan will continue to join forces with France and other like-minded countries to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, and contribute our concerted efforts to global prosperity and development. Once again, I want to welcome our visitors to Taiwan. I hope to continue our joint efforts to create a more prosperous future for both Taiwan and France.   Chair Battistel then delivered remarks, thanking President Lai for extending this invitation. Last year on May 20, she said, she and her delegation attended the presidential inauguration ceremony, so she was delighted to visit Taiwan once again with the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group and bear witness to their friendship with Taiwan. Chair Battistel noted that this visit has given them an opportunity to strengthen Taiwan-France relations in areas including the economy, culture, the humanities, and diplomacy, and conduct exchanges with numerous heads of government agencies and research institutes. It has also been an opportunity, she said, to witness the importance of exchanges and cooperation with Taiwan in areas including energy, semiconductors, youth, and culture, and the impact created by important issues of mutual concern, including AI and disinformation, on the security of many countries. Chair Battistel praised Taiwan for its youth development efforts, and said that under the Taiwan Global Pathfinders Initiative, 30 Taiwanese young people have embarked on a visit to France, with itineraries including the United Nations Ocean Conference and the VivaTech exhibition, as well as the city of Toulouse, which is strategically important for the aerospace industry. Members of the group are also conducting exchanges at the French National Assembly, she said.  Chair Battistel stated that the Taiwan-France partnership is growing closer, and that she hopes to continue to strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation, as supporting peace for Taiwan supports peace around the world.  The delegation also included Taiwan Friendship Group Vice Chair Éric Martineau, as well as National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affairs Vice Chair Laetitia Saint-Paul and Deputies Marie-José Allemand and Claudia Rouaux. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by French Office in Taipei Deputy Director Cléa Le Cardeur.

    Details
    2025-06-05
    President Lai hosts state banquet for President Bernardo Arévalo of Republic of Guatemala  
    At noon on June 5, President Lai Ching-te hosted a state banquet at the Presidential Office for President Bernardo Arévalo of the Republic of Guatemala and his wife. In his remarks, President Lai noted that Taiwan and Guatemala have both undergone an arduous democratization process, and therefore, in face of the continuous expansion of authoritarian influence, must join hands in brotherhood and come together in solidarity to safeguard our hard-earned freedom and democracy. President Lai also expressed hope that both countries will work together and continue to deepen various exchanges and cooperation, taking a friendship that has lasted over 90 years to new heights. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: Once again, I would like to offer a warm welcome to President Arévalo and First Lady Lucrecia Peinado, who are leading this delegation to Taiwan. President Arévalo’s previous visit to Taiwan was 31 years ago. Back then, Taiwan did not have direct presidential elections, and the nation was continuing to make progress toward democratization. Today, 31 years later, Taiwan has conducted direct presidential elections eight times, with three transfers of power between political parties. On this visit, I am sure that President Arévalo will gain a deep appreciation for Taiwan’s free and democratic atmosphere.  Taiwan and Guatemala have both undergone an arduous democratization process. A little over 200 years ago, the people of Guatemala took a stand against colonial oppression, seeking national dignity and the freedom of its people. Eighty-one years ago, President Arévalo’s father, Juan José Arévalo, became Guatemala’s first democratically elected president, establishing an important foundation for subsequent democratic development.  Our two peoples have democracy in their blood. Both know the value of freedom and democracy and are willing to take a stand for those values. Therefore, in face of the continuous expansion of authoritarian influence, our two countries must join hands in brotherhood to respond to threats and challenges, and come together in solidarity to safeguard our hard-earned freedom and democracy. I hope that both countries will work together to continue to deepen various exchanges and cooperation, taking a friendship that has lasted over 90 years to new heights. I hope that on this visit, in addition to gaining a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s political, economic, and social development, President Arévalo can also reacquaint himself with the democratic vitality and cultural diversity of Taiwan by sampling various gourmet delicacies and once again experiencing the beauty of our scenery and warmth of our people. Guatemala is a very beautiful country. In the future, I hope to have a chance to personally experience that beauty, explore Mayan civilization, and savor local Guatemalan coffee. In closing, I wish the visiting delegation a smooth and successful trip, and beautiful, unforgettable memories. May President Arévalo enjoy the best of health, and may the diplomatic friendship between our two countries endure. President Arévalo then delivered remarks, stating that at different times and by different means, the people of Taiwan and Guatemala have relentlessly sought to defend freedom and democracy. We share the same expectations, he said, and are walking the right path amid today’s complex international circumstances.  President Arévalo stated that Taiwan and Guatemala are true democratic nations, where the government’s goal is to serve all the people. He noted that this is far from easy under current circumstances, as many authoritarian regimes use their long-term hold on power to safeguard the interests of select groups and neglect the wellbeing of the population as a whole. President Arévalo said that last week Guatemala commemorated the 40th anniversary of its constitution, which was enacted in 1985 and is Guatemala’s ultimate guide, setting the foundation for democracy and clearly outlining the path ahead. He said that over the past 40 years, Guatemala has continued to follow the democratic blueprint established by the constitution and end the civil war so that the nation could make the transition to real democracy. Although more than a few ambitious people have attempted to destroy that process from within, he noted, the people of Guatemala have never given up the pursuit of democracy as an ideal. President Arévalo stated that our two sides’ coming together here is due to such shared values as freedom and democracy as well as the idea of serving all the people. He underlined that the governments of both countries will continue to work hard and provide mutual support to smooth out each other’s path of democracy, freedom, and justice. President Arévalo emphasized that the government of Guatemala will always be Taiwan’s ally, and that he firmly believes Taiwan is Guatemala’s most reliable partner on the path of democracy and economic prosperity and development. The president said he hopes this visit will be the first step towards setting a new course for the governments and peoples of both countries. Also in attendance at the banquet were Guatemala Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Ramiro Martínez, Minister of the Economy Gabriela García, and Guatemala Ambassador Luis Raúl Estévez López.  

    Details
    2025-06-05
    President Lai welcomes President Bernardo Arévalo of Republic of Guatemala with military honors  
    On the morning of June 5, President Lai Ching-te welcomed with full military honors President Bernardo Arévalo of the Republic of Guatemala and his wife, who are leading a delegation of cabinet members visiting Taiwan for the first time, demonstrating the deep and enduring alliance between our nations. In remarks, President Lai noted that over the past few years, bilateral cooperation between Taiwan and Guatemala has grown closer and more diverse, and said that moving forward, based on a foundation of mutual assistance for mutual benefit, we will continue to promote programs in line with international trends, spurring prosperity and development in both our nations. The military honors ceremony began at 10:30 a.m. in the Entrance Hall of the Presidential Office. After a 21-gun salute and the playing of the two countries’ national anthems, President Lai and President Arévalo each delivered remarks. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: Today, President Arévalo and First Lady Lucrecia Peinado are leading a delegation of cabinet members visiting Taiwan for the first time, demonstrating the deep and enduring alliance between our nations. On behalf of the people and government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I want to extend my sincerest welcome. Last year, our two countries celebrated the 90th anniversary of diplomatic ties, providing mutual support all along the way. Especially over the past few years, bilateral cooperation has grown closer and more diverse. We have a long record of remarkable results, whether in terms of medicine and public health, education and culture, technological cooperation, or economic and trade exchanges. Moving forward, based on a foundation of mutual assistance for mutual benefit, Taiwan and Guatemala will continue to promote programs in line with international trends. We will continue to strengthen exchange and cooperation for young people, as well as scholarship programs, and actively cultivate high-tech and information and communications technology industry talent, spurring prosperity and development in both our nations. Although separated by a great distance, the peoples of both countries are closely connected by their ideals and values. I am confident that with President Arévalo’s support, bilateral exchanges and cooperation will become closer and more diverse, beginning a very promising new chapter. I wish the visiting delegation a smooth and successful trip. President Arévalo then delivered remarks, saying that on behalf of the government and people of Guatemala, he is honored to visit the Republic of China (Taiwan), this beautiful nation, and to receive full military honors, which reflects the mutual respect between our two nations as well as our solid friendship. Especially as this state visit comes as we celebrate 90 years of formal diplomatic ties, he said, he has brought the foreign minister, economics minister, private secretary to the president, and social communication secretary as members of his delegation, in the hope of our ties embarking on a new chapter. President Arévalo said that Guatemala-Taiwan ties have in recent years been growing steadily on a foundation of mutual understanding and cooperation, making significant progress, and that our peoples have also cultivated sincere friendships and cooperative relationships across many fields. Our nations are especially promoting public health, education, agricultural technology, and infrastructure, he said, key fields which are conducive to economic and social development. He expressed his hope that on such good foundations of the past, we can further strengthen our bilateral ties for the future. President Arévalo stated that through this state visit they not only want to reaffirm the good bilateral ties between our nations, but that they also hope to define a trajectory for the future of our cooperation in the direction of expanding economic cooperation, building economic and trade alliances, and facilitating investment to foster a Taiwan-Guatemala relationship that benefits both peoples. He then expressed gratitude to the people of Taiwan for helping Guatemala over the past 90 years and reaffirmed the unwavering support of Guatemala for the Republic of China (Taiwan). On the occasion of this visit, he said, he hopes to extend a friendly hand to the people of Taiwan, adding that he looks forward to our nations continuing to take major steps forward on the road of mutual assistance and prosperity. Also in attendance at the welcome ceremony were Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ambassador Andrea Clare Bowman, and members of the foreign diplomatic corps in Taiwan.  

    Details
    2025-06-03
    President Lai confers decoration on President Hilda C. Heine of Republic of the Marshall Islands, hosts state banquet  
    At noon on June 3, President Lai Ching-te, accompanied by Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao, conferred a decoration upon President Hilda C. Heine of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and hosted a state banquet for President Heine and her husband at the Presidential Office. In remarks, President Lai thanked President Heine for her commitment to deepening the diplomatic partnership between our nations and speaking up for Taiwan in the international arena. He also expressed hope for Taiwan and the Marshall Islands to work together to address various challenges through an even greater diversity of exchanges, and that together, we can contribute even more to peace, stability, and development throughout the Pacific region. At the decoration ceremony, President Lai personally conferred the Order of Brilliant Jade with Grand Cordon on President Heine before delivering remarks, a translation of which follows:  The Marshall Islands was the first Pacific ally that I visited after taking office as president. When I arrived there, I was immediately drawn to its beautiful scenery. And I received a very warm welcome from the local people. This gesture showed the profound friendship between our two nations. I was truly touched. I also remember trying your nation’s special Bob Whisky for the first time. The flavor was as unique and impressive as the landscape of the Marshall Islands.  In addition to welcoming our distinguished guests today, we also presented President Heine with the Order of Brilliant Jade with Grand Cordon. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I want to thank President Heine for her commitment to deepening the diplomatic partnership between our nations, and for staunchly speaking up for Taiwan in the international arena. Both I and the people of Taiwan are profoundly grateful to President Heine for her friendship and support. Over the past few years, cooperation between Taiwan and the Marshall Islands has grown ever closer. And this visit by our distinguished guests will allow our two countries to further expand areas of bilateral exchange. I have always believed that only through mutual assistance and trust can two countries build a longstanding and steadfast partnership. I once again convey my sincere aspiration that Taiwan and the Marshall Islands work together to address various challenges through an even greater diversity of exchanges. Together, we can contribute even more to peace, stability, and development throughout the Pacific region. In closing, I want to thank President Heine and First Gentleman Thomas Kijiner, Jr. for leading this delegation to Taiwan, which deepens the foundations of our bilateral relationship. May our two nations enjoy a long and enduring friendship. President Heine then delivered remarks, stating that she felt especially privileged to receive the Order of Brilliant Jade with Grand Cordon of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and humbly accepted the honor with the utmost gratitude, humility, and deep responsibility. This is a deep responsibility, she said, because she understands that since its inception in 1933, this order has been bestowed upon a select few. She then thanked President Lai for this great honor. President Heine stated that the banquet was not just a celebration of our bilateral friendship, but a true reflection of the generosity of the Taiwan spirit and a testament to the enduring ties between our nations, founded on shared values and aspirations, including a respect for the rule of law, the preservation of human dignity, and a deep commitment to democracy. President Heine stated that the Taiwan-Marshall Islands partnership continues to evolve through practical cooperation and mutual support. In recent years, she said, our countries have worked hand in hand across a range of vital sectors, including the recent opening of the Majuro Hospital AI and Telehealth Center and the ongoing and successful Taiwan Health Center, various technical training and scholarship programs, and various climate change adaptation projects in renewable energy, coastal resilience, and sustainable agriculture.   President Heine emphasized that the Marshall Islands continues to be a proud and vocal supporter of Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the United Nations system and other international organizations. Taiwan’s exclusion from these platforms, she said, is not only unjust, but is bad for the world, and the global community needs Taiwan’s voice and expertise.  President Heine also expressed sincere appreciation to all of the Taiwanese friends who have contributed their efforts to deepening bilateral relations, including government officials, healthcare workers, teachers, engineers, and volunteers. The people of the Marshall Islands, she said, deeply appreciate and value everyone’s efforts and service. President Heine said that as we celebrate our partnership, let us look to the future with hope and determination, continue to work together, learn from one another, and support one another to champion a world where all nations can chart their own course based on peace and international law. Also attending the state banquet were Marshall Islands Council of Iroij Chairman Lanny Kabua, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Kalani R. Kaneko, Minister of Finance David Paul, Nitijela Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade Chairperson Joe Bejang, and Charge d’Affaires a.i. Anjanette Davis-Anjel of the Embassy of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.  

    Details
    2025-05-20
    President Lai interviewed by Nippon Television and Yomiuri TV
    In a recent interview on Nippon Television’s news zero program, President Lai Ching-te responded to questions from host Mr. Sakurai Sho and Yomiuri TV Shanghai Bureau Chief Watanabe Masayo on topics including reflections on his first year in office, cross-strait relations, China’s military threats, Taiwan-United States relations, and Taiwan-Japan relations. The interview was broadcast on the evening of May 19. During the interview, President Lai stated that China intends to change the world’s rules-based international order, and that if Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted. Therefore, he said, Taiwan will strengthen its national defense, prevent war by preparing for war, and achieve the goal of peace. The president also noted that Taiwan’s purpose for developing drones is based on national security and industrial needs, and that Taiwan hopes to collaborate with Japan. He then reiterated that China’s threats are an international problem, and expressed hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war. Following is the text of the questions and the president’s responses: Q: How do you feel as you are about to round out your first year in office? President Lai: When I was young, I was determined to practice medicine and save lives. When I left medicine to go into politics, I was determined to transform Taiwan. And when I was sworn in as president on May 20 last year, I was determined to strengthen the nation. Time flies, and it has already been a year. Although the process has been very challenging, I am deeply honored to be a part of it. I am also profoundly grateful to our citizens for allowing me the opportunity to give back to our country. The future will certainly be full of more challenges, but I will do everything I can to unite the people and continue strengthening the nation. That is how I am feeling now. Q: We are now coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and over this period, we have often heard that conflict between Taiwan and the mainland is imminent. Do you personally believe that a cross-strait conflict could happen? President Lai: The international community is very much aware that China intends to replace the US and change the world’s rules-based international order, and annexing Taiwan is just the first step. So, as China’s military power grows stronger, some members of the international community are naturally on edge about whether a cross-strait conflict will break out. The international community must certainly do everything in its power to avoid a conflict in the Taiwan Strait; there is too great a cost. Besides causing direct disasters to both Taiwan and China, the impact on the global economy would be even greater, with estimated losses of US$10 trillion from war alone – that is roughly 10 percent of the global GDP. Additionally, 20 percent of global shipping passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, so if a conflict breaks out in the strait, other countries including Japan and Korea would suffer a grave impact. For Japan and Korea, a quarter of external transit passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, and a third of the various energy resources and minerals shipped back from other countries pass through said areas. If Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted, and therefore conflict in the Taiwan Strait must be avoided. Such a conflict is indeed avoidable. I am very thankful to Prime Minister of Japan Ishiba Shigeru and former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio, as well as US President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden, and the other G7 leaders, for continuing to emphasize at international venues that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are essential components for global security and prosperity. When everyone in the global democratic community works together, stacking up enough strength to make China’s objectives unattainable or to make the cost of invading Taiwan too high for it to bear, a conflict in the strait can naturally be avoided. Q: As you said, President Lai, maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is also very important for other countries. How can war be avoided? What sort of countermeasures is Taiwan prepared to take to prevent war? President Lai: As Mr. Sakurai mentioned earlier, we are coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. There are many lessons we can take from that war. First is that peace is priceless, and war has no winners. From the tragedies of WWII, there are lessons that humanity should learn. We must pursue peace, and not start wars blindly, as that would be a major disaster for humanity. In other words, we must be determined to safeguard peace. The second lesson is that we cannot be complacent toward authoritarian powers. If you give them an inch, they will take a mile. They will keep growing, and eventually, not only will peace be unattainable, but war will be inevitable. The third lesson is why WWII ended: It ended because different groups joined together in solidarity. Taiwan, Japan, and the Indo-Pacific region are all directly subjected to China’s threats, so we hope to be able to join together in cooperation. This is why we proposed the Four Pillars of Peace action plan. First, we will strengthen our national defense. Second, we will strengthen economic resilience. Third is standing shoulder to shoulder with the democratic community to demonstrate the strength of deterrence. Fourth is that as long as China treats Taiwan with parity and dignity, Taiwan is willing to conduct exchanges and cooperate with China, and seek peace and mutual prosperity. These four pillars can help us avoid war and achieve peace. That is to say, Taiwan hopes to achieve peace through strength, prevent war by preparing for war, keeping war from happening and pursuing the goal of peace. Q: Regarding drones, everyone knows that recently, Taiwan has been actively researching, developing, and introducing drones. Why do you need to actively research, develop, and introduce new drones at this time? President Lai: This is for two purposes. The first is to meet national security needs. The second is to meet industrial development needs. Because Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines are all part of the first island chain, and we are all democratic nations, we cannot be like an authoritarian country like China, which has an unlimited national defense budget. In this kind of situation, island nations such as Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines should leverage their own technologies to develop national defense methods that are asymmetric and utilize unmanned vehicles. In particular, from the Russo-Ukrainian War, we see that Ukraine has successfully utilized unmanned vehicles to protect itself and prevent Russia from unlimited invasion. In other words, the Russo-Ukrainian War has already proven the importance of drones. Therefore, the first purpose of developing drones is based on national security needs. Second, the world has already entered the era of smart technology. Whether generative, agentic, or physical, AI will continue to develop. In the future, cars and ships will also evolve into unmanned vehicles and unmanned boats, and there will be unmanned factories. Drones will even be able to assist with postal deliveries, or services like Uber, Uber Eats, and foodpanda, or agricultural irrigation and pesticide spraying. Therefore, in the future era of comprehensive smart technology, developing unmanned vehicles is a necessity. Taiwan, based on industrial needs, is actively planning the development of drones and unmanned vehicles. I would like to take this opportunity to express Taiwan’s hope to collaborate with Japan in the unmanned vehicle industry. Just as we do in the semiconductor industry, where Japan has raw materials, equipment, and technology, and Taiwan has wafer manufacturing, our two countries can cooperate. Japan is a technological power, and Taiwan also has significant technological strengths. If Taiwan and Japan work together, we will not only be able to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and security in the Indo-Pacific region, but it will also be very helpful for the industrial development of both countries. Q: The drones you just described probably include examples from the Russo-Ukrainian War. Taiwan and China are separated by the Taiwan Strait. Do our drones need to have cross-sea flight capabilities? President Lai: Taiwan does not intend to counterattack the mainland, and does not intend to invade any country. Taiwan’s drones are meant to protect our own nation and territory. Q: Former President Biden previously stated that US forces would assist Taiwan’s defense in the event of an attack. President Trump, however, has yet to clearly state that the US would help defend Taiwan. Do you think that in such an event, the US would help defend Taiwan? Or is Taiwan now trying to persuade the US? President Lai: Former President Biden and President Trump have answered questions from reporters. Although their responses were different, strong cooperation with Taiwan under the Biden administration has continued under the Trump administration; there has been no change. During President Trump’s first term, cooperation with Taiwan was broader and deeper compared to former President Barack Obama’s terms. After former President Biden took office, cooperation with Taiwan increased compared to President Trump’s first term. Now, during President Trump’s second term, cooperation with Taiwan is even greater than under former President Biden. Taiwan-US cooperation continues to grow stronger, and has not changed just because President Trump and former President Biden gave different responses to reporters. Furthermore, the Trump administration publicly stated that in the future, the US will shift its strategic focus from Europe to the Indo-Pacific. The US secretary of defense even publicly stated that the primary mission of the US is to prevent China from invading Taiwan, maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific, and thus maintain world peace. There is a saying in Taiwan that goes, “Help comes most to those who help themselves.” Before asking friends and allies for assistance in facing threats from China, Taiwan must first be determined and prepared to defend itself. This is Taiwan’s principle, and we are working in this direction, making all the necessary preparations to safeguard the nation. Q: I would like to ask you a question about Taiwan-Japan relations. After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, you made an appeal to give Japan a great deal of assistance and care. In particular, you visited Sendai to offer condolences. Later, you also expressed condolences and concern after the earthquakes in Aomori and Kumamoto. What are your expectations for future Taiwan-Japan exchanges and development? President Lai: I come from Tainan, and my constituency is in Tainan. Tainan has very deep ties with Japan, and of course, Taiwan also has deep ties with Japan. However, among Taiwan’s 22 counties and cities, Tainan has the deepest relationship with Japan. I sincerely hope that both of you and your teams will have an opportunity to visit Tainan. I will introduce Tainan’s scenery, including architecture from the era of Japanese rule, Tainan’s cuisine, and unique aspects of Tainan society, and you can also see lifestyles and culture from the Showa era.  The Wushantou Reservoir in Tainan was completed by engineer Mr. Hatta Yoichi from Kanazawa, Japan and the team he led to Tainan after he graduated from then-Tokyo Imperial University. It has nearly a century of history and is still in use today. This reservoir, along with the 16,000-km-long Chianan Canal, transformed the 150,000-hectare Chianan Plain into Taiwan’s premier rice-growing area. It was that foundation in agriculture that enabled Taiwan to develop industry and the technology sector of today. The reservoir continues to supply water to Tainan Science Park. It is used by residents of Tainan, the agricultural sector, and industry, and even the technology sector in Xinshi Industrial Park, as well as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Because of this, the people of Tainan are deeply grateful for Mr. Hatta and very friendly toward the people of Japan. A major earthquake, the largest in 50 years, struck Tainan on February 6, 2016, resulting in significant casualties. As mayor of Tainan at the time, I was extremely grateful to then-Prime Minister Abe, who sent five Japanese officials to the disaster site in Tainan the day after the earthquake. They were very thoughtful and asked what kind of assistance we needed from the Japanese government. They offered to provide help based on what we needed. I was deeply moved, as former Prime Minister Abe showed such care, going beyond the formality of just sending supplies that we may or may not have actually needed. Instead, the officials asked what we needed and then provided assistance based on those needs, which really moved me. Similarly, when the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 or the later Kumamoto earthquakes struck, the people of Tainan, under my leadership, naturally and dutifully expressed their support. Even earlier, when central Taiwan was hit by a major earthquake in 1999, Japan was the first country to deploy a rescue team to the disaster area. On February 6, 2018, after a major earthquake in Hualien, former Prime Minister Abe appeared in a video holding up a message of encouragement he had written in calligraphy saying “Remain strong, Taiwan.” All of Taiwan was deeply moved. Over the years, Taiwan and Japan have supported each other when earthquakes struck, and have forged bonds that are family-like, not just neighborly. This is truly valuable. In the future, I hope Taiwan and Japan can be like brothers, and that the peoples of Taiwan and Japan can treat one another like family. If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem; if Japan has a problem, then Taiwan has a problem. By caring for and helping each other, we can face various challenges and difficulties, and pursue a brighter future. Q: President Lai, you just used the phrase “If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem.” In the event that China attempts to invade Taiwan by force, what kind of response measures would you hope the US military and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces take? President Lai: As I just mentioned, annexing Taiwan is only China’s first step. Its ultimate objective is to change the rules-based international order. That being the case, China’s threats are an international problem. So, I would very much hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war – prevention, after all, is more important than cure.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: As one of Shakespeare’s least performed plays, Coriolanus is startlingly relevant under Trump 2.0

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kirk Dodd, Lecturer in English and Writing, University of Sydney

    Brett Boardman/Bell Shakespeare

    Coriolanus is one of Shakespeare’s least performed plays; perhaps because the hero is so pugnacious and classist, impressive in his strident vehemence, but lacking the vulnerability of a Macbeth or Othello.

    Set in the turbulent early Roman Republic (490s BC) – about 450 years before Caesar’s death – the play follows the glorious rise of Gnaeus Marcius Coriolanus, a terrifying war machine on the battlefield who could carve his way through enemy regiments.

    According to one site, the play has not been professionally staged outside the United Kingdom since 2000. This is only the second time Bell Shakespeare has performed Coriolanus, with their other production staged 29 years ago, in 1996.

    Directed by Peter Evans and starring Hazem Shammas, this Coriolanus delivers Shakespeare’s most consciously political play with an explosive energy that charts the hero’s psychological downfall.

    Published as a tragedy in the 1623 First Folio, Coriolanus can loosely be described as a history play. But it is more commonly recognised as one of Shakespeare’s Roman plays, alongside Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, and Titus Andronicus.

    War and exile

    Renamed “Coriolanus” after the town he most recently conquered (Corioli), occupied by the arch enemies of Rome (the Volsci), Coriolanus is a devoted son to his fiercely ambitious “tiger mum” Volumnia (Brigid Zengeni).

    Shakespeare was never shy about the feats of his warrior protagonists, describing Coriolanus’ ability as a war machine most memorably as:

    His sword, Death’s stamp,
    Where it did mark, it took; from face to foot
    He was a thing of blood, whose every motion
    Was timed with dying cries. Alone he entered
    The mortal gate o’ th’ city, which he painted
    With shunless destiny; aidless came off
    And with a sudden reinforcement struck
    Corioles like a planet.

    But Coriolanus, who was brought up to win every contest, is also an upper-class patrician, dismissively scornful of the common people’s plebeian rights in the burgeoning Roman Republic.

    Hazem Shammas as Coriolanus is a force to be reckoned with.
    Brett Boardman/Bell Shakespeare

    Coriolanus’s absolute refusal to flatter the plebeians – and so refusing their political influence – ignites a brutal conflict between populism and elitism that results in the people’s sway.

    Coriolanus is exiled from Rome, the very homeland he fought so valiantly to protect.

    Incensed, Coriolanus joins forces with Rome’s greatest enemy, the Volscian Aufidius (Anthony Taufa) and marches against Rome. This forces Coriolanus to confront his own loyalties to his formidable mother and to doting wife Virgilia (Suzannah McDonald), with tragic consequences.

    Wonderful performances

    Evans has loosely set this production in Europe in the mid-1990s, following the fall of the Berlin Wall, though this creates a vibe more than a direct correlation to events.

    Evans also designed the set, making dynamic use of a traverse stage that forces audiences to see each other across the divide. This enhances the sense of a sprawling populous while prompting reflections on our own political milieu. Audiences are told as they enter whether they will sit on the “plebeian” or “patrician” side: a fun ploy, but perhaps unnecessary.

    Stealing the show is a wonderful performance by Peter Carroll as Menenius, a sagely Roman senator who uses his charm and political tact to mediate between the patricians and the plebeians. Carroll brings great irony to the role, using eye-rolls and tutting even as he attends dutifully to the new political expectations of the tribunes.

    Peter Carroll as Menenius steals the show in a wonderful performance.
    Brett Boardman/Bell Shakespeare

    The tribunes Sicinius (Matilda Ridgway) and Brutus (Marco Chiappi) are performed as shabbier left-wing agitators pitched against the conservative patricians in formal dark suits (costumes by Ella Butler). This makes familiar the political and class tensions, and the layers and dramatic dimensions explored by Shakespeare.

    Zengeni brings tremendous heart to Coriolanus’s mother, Volumnia. She is especially good at applying a tiger mother’s pressure of unrelenting standards. There is no doubt that the shining elitism of her son was roughly forged by her sharp expectations.

    Shammas as Coriolanus is a force to be reckoned with. His rigid athleticism perfectly suits the superman heroics of this Roman warrior. His unabashed gesticulations are a welcome contribution to the sense of the lines he delivers.

    The shabby dress of the tribunes pitches them against the conservative patricians in formal dark suits.
    Brett Boardman/Bell Shakespeare

    Following a scene that ends with one of Coriolanus’s unleashed tirades against the plebeians, Shammas’ performance is so dynamic, and his invective so rigorously conveyed, it seems to remain on stage after he exits.

    A timeless tale

    There is some reluctance to physically depict the pitched battle of Corioli, which falls a bit flat and misses an opportunity to heighten the dramatic stakes. But this production does very well to animate the complex political and familial drivers that compel Coriolanus toward his inevitable end.

    As President Trump drops f-bombs because his real bombs did not make people do his bidding, this rare Shakespeare play becomes timeless.

    There has always been need to explore the tragic consequences of leaders who subjectively refuse the offers of diplomacy. Bell Shakespeare’s choice of scheduling war plays this season offers countless ways to reflect on our own world, and the populations of real people connected to the decisions of those in power.

    Coriolanus is at the The Neilson Nutshell, Sydney, until July 19, then touring to Melbourne.

    Kirk Dodd 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. As one of Shakespeare’s least performed plays, Coriolanus is startlingly relevant under Trump 2.0 – https://theconversation.com/as-one-of-shakespeares-least-performed-plays-coriolanus-is-startlingly-relevant-under-trump-2-0-257548

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU scientists create a “digital core” for oil companies

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Novosibirsk State University is the lead organization of a consortium that won a 210 million ruble grant to develop digital core methods, an innovative tool that will help the Russian oil industry improve the efficiency of extracting hard-to-recover oil and gas reserves. The research will be conducted using the latest synchrotron, the Siberian Ring Photon Source (SKIF), located in the science city of Koltsovo.

    Modern oil production increasingly encounters so-called hard-to-recover reserves — oil hidden in geological formations with extremely low permeability. For such formations, it is especially important to understand all the features of oil flow during its production. The key role here is played by core research — samples of deep-layer rocks taken during well drilling. Two approaches are usually used: experimental (laboratory core research using special equipment) and mathematical modeling, during which a “digital twin” of the core is built. The basis of the digital core is detailed models that are built based on X-ray tomography data from real samples. The more accurate the X-ray research methods, the better the mathematical models can be built.

    The project, implemented within the framework of the won grant, will be a continuation of research in the field of digital core, which was launched within the framework of the Synchrotron Radiation for Oil and Gas Technologies consortium, the agreement on the creation of which was signed in August 2023 at the international forum of technological development “Technoprom”. In 2024, Skoltech joined the consortium. On the part of NSU, the preliminary work on this project was financed within the framework of the strategic project “Scientific Engineering” Priority 2030 programs.

    The key element of the project is the use of synchrotron radiation, a powerful source of X-rays that allows opaque objects to be “seen through” at high speed and in detail. Unlike conventional laboratory X-ray installations, the synchrotron produces a beam that is orders of magnitude more intense and focused. The SKIF Center for Collective Use, which is currently being prepared for launch, will become one of the most modern installations of its kind in the world.

    — SKIF makes it possible to observe microscopic processes inside the rock in real time. This is a real revolution in geological and oil research, — noted the director of the Gazpromneft-NSU Scientific and Educational Center, professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences Sergey Golovin.

    The NSU project is being implemented as part of a consortium of seven organizations, including Tomsk Polytechnic University, the Institute of Hydrodynamics SB RAS, the Institute of Geology and Mineralogy SB RAS, the SKIF Collective Use Center, and the KI Research Center. The project has three main areas: development of synchrotron core measurement methods, creation of specialized research cells, and an educational program. Continuing education courses, work with students, and even schoolchildren are planned.

    As a result of the project, new scientific methods will be developed, patents will be protected, articles will be published, and personnel for the high-tech oil industry will be trained. But most importantly, a real tool will appear that can accelerate the implementation of new approaches to oil production in difficult conditions.

    Work on the “digital core” is scheduled to take three years. Funding was provided by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation as part of the federal program for the development of synchrotron and neutron research.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Dead orca found on Christchurch beach

    Source: NZ Department of Conservation

    Date:  26 June 2025

    DOC staff, local iwi and members of Project Jonah are at the scene and will remain overnight to keep it secure.

    DOC Mahaanui Operations Manager Andy Thompson says the sea conditions are challenging and they expect to leave the adult orca where it is until tomorrow’s low tide.

    “We understand the orca was dead when it was spotted by a member of the public who alerted us. We ask that the public stay away to give staff and iwi the space to respond to this incident,” he says.

    Andy Thompson says a vet will fly down to Christchurch from Massey University tomorrow morning and will perform a necropsy on the orca to try and determine why the animal died. Appropriate tikanga will be followed and the orca will then be buried on the beach.

    “It’s unusual for an adult orca to be found dead in the shallows like this and in good condition. Our national marine team are very keen to find out why the animal has passed away,” he says.

    Contact

    For media enquiries contact:

    Email: media@doc.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Recognition for 40-year contribution to strong food safety culture and sector

    Source: NZ Ministry for Primary Industries

    New Zealand Food Safety congratulates Professor Phil Bremer for scooping this year’s Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award at New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology’s Food Industry Awards last night (25 June 2025).

    In addition to his roles as Professor of Food Science at University of Otago and Chief Scientist New Zealand Food Safety and Scientific Research Centre (NFSSRC), Professor Phil Bremer is also an active member on several industry steering groups.

    “We are delighted to present Professor Bremer with the award,” says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.

    “With more than 40 years of contributions to the food safety sector, Professor Bremer has made a significant contribution to food safety science, publishing more than 200 academic papers.

    “His work has helped build effective food safety culture, industry best practice, equipment and processing technology, product and packaging development, and science and research.”

    Among his many achievements are leading the development of a guide to prevent contamination of infant formula with Cronobacter, a lethal bacterium for infants under 6 months of age.

    “New Zealand dairy companies now benefit from this resource, which helps to ensure the safety of infant formula for the youngest consumers, at home and abroad,” says Mr Arbuckle.

    “Professor Bremer has made an immense contribution to the quality and breadth of food safety science in New Zealand, and to the strength of the wider food safety sector, with a number of leadership roles in New Zealand food safety associations and societies across his 40-year career. He also passes on his knowledge undertaking significant post-graduate supervision.”

    Mr Arbuckle says New Zealand Food Safety’s ongoing support of the award is an important opportunity to celebrate champions of food safety culture, research and applications in food production.

    “We applaud Professor Bremer, all 2025 award nominees and past winners whose contributions and commitment support New Zealand’s world-class food safety system,” says Mr Arbuckle.

    Previous winners of the Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award include Dr Pierre Venter (2024) and Dr Rob Lake (2023).

    See our website for more information.

    Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kustoff Honors Frederick W. Smith, Founder of FedEx, on House Floor

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative David Kustoff (TN-08)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman David Kustoff (R-TN) honored the founder, chairman, and CEO of FedEx Corporation, Frederick W. Smith, on the Floor of the House of Representatives. 
     

    Click here for a downloadable link to his speech.

    Remarks as prepared:

    Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Frederick W. Smith. Who left us this past Saturday, June 21, 2025, at the age of 80. 
     
    Mr. Speaker, if I were to stand and speak at this podium all day, I would barely be able to scratch the surface of Fred Smith’s extraordinary life, his influence on the country and the world, and his profound impact on the City of Memphis. 
     
    To many people, Fred Smith will likely be remembered as a titan of industry and the founder of FedEx. To my constituents, he will be remembered as a champion for the City of Memphis. Personally, I will remember Fred Smith as a man who loved his country and devoted his life to the American dream. 
     
    Born in Marks, Mississippi and raised in Memphis, he was very proud of his country. Fred Smith was a true patriot – serving honorably as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps in Vietnam. After that service, he returned home with a bold idea – a company that could deliver packages overnight around the world. Fred Smith turned that idea into a global enterprise: revolutionizing international supply chains, transforming how businesses operate, and changing how people connect. 
     
    Fred Smith not only directed and dominated the modern logistics industry, he created it. For more than 50 years after the conception of FedEx, he continued to lead it. 
     
    Today, FedEx operates in over 220 countries, but its heart and headquarters remain in Memphis, Tennessee. Through FedEx, Fred Smith turned Memphis into a global logistics hub – driving economic growth across the region, while employing tens of thousands of Tennesseans. Today, the FedEx world hub at Memphis International Airport is one of the busiest and largest cargo airports in the world. FedEx is the largest Fortune 500 company in the state of Tennessee. 
     
    Fred Smith’s commitment to Memphis went far beyond business. In fact, upon Fred’s passing on Saturday, former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said, “Fred Smith was the most significant Memphian in history. He gave them a fair shot at their American dream and his philanthropic work helped support countless organizations”. 
     
    Thanks to Fred Smith, Memphis acquired the NBA’s Grizzlies in 2001 when he committed to purchasing the naming rights for the future home of the basketball team: the FedExForum. Two years ago, when the University of Memphis was ambitiously pursuing stadium upgrades for the football team, Fred Smith and his family committed $50 million to help the school achieve its financial goals. 
     
    Fred and Dianne Smith, and the Smith family, have donated to so many worthwhile causes in the Memphis area, including the world-class Memphis Zoo. Memphians can also thank Fred Smith for saving the FedEx St. Jude Golf Championship when it lost its previous title sponsor. 
     
    Yesterday, when discussing the life of Fred Smith, I talked with my good friend, Chris Richards. She was the General Counsel at FedEx and a close advisor to Fred Smith. A little over 25 years ago, Fred came to Chris with an idea he told her she would not like. He wanted FedEx to be involved in a major motion picture in which the plot involved crashing a FedEx plane. Fred thought that the script for “Cast Away” was a great read and could be a good movie that benefited the company.
     
    As FedEx’s lead attorney, Chris told Fred there had never been an airline who willingly participated in a movie where they gave permission to crash their plane. Chris advised against all of it, but Fred wanted to think outside the box. He signed off on the idea. He was really impressed with the production staff and the movie star, Tom Hanks. That would be important years later. 
     
    At the request of former Senator Bob Dole, Fred became involved in the creation and fundraising of a World War II memorial to honor and remember our nation’s Greatest Generation. Fred would become a major factor in getting that memorial constructed. It would cost a lot of money to raise and build such a monument, but as a result of that movie, Fred turned to his friend, Tom Hanks, for his help and public support to help raise funds for the memorial. Indeed, that movie ended up being good for FedEx, and in turn, good for the World War II memorial and our nation. 
     
    With his passing, we honor and celebrate a lifetime of inspiring service and leadership. 
     
    We celebrate a Marine, a Memphian, and a really good man.
     
    To Dianne and the entire Smith family, Roberta and I mourn with you. 
     
    To our nation, we lost an innovator, a job creator, a trailblazer, and a leader. 
     
    We are all better off for the remarkable life that he led. 
     
    With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back.
     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Uni granted land for campus devt

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Education Bureau today announced that a land site at Man Lai Road in Tai Wai will be allocated to Saint Francis University (SFU) to develop a purpose-built campus for the operation of full-time locally accredited self-financing post-secondary programmes.

     

    On the Committee on Self-financing Post-secondary Education’s (CSPE) recommendation, the Secretary for Education has decided that SFU should be earmarked as the prospective operator for the land site to be granted at a nominal premium.

     

    Emphasising that the Government’s policy is to support the parallel development of the self-financing and publicly funded post-secondary education sectors, the Education Bureau said that in pursuance of the 2023 Policy Address, the allocation of the site will be conducive to the capacity expansion and quality enhancement of the self-financing sector.

     

    This will enable the education sector to play a more proactive role in Hong Kong’s development into an international post-secondary education hub, the bureau added.

     

    The Government invited applications from eligible institutions for a land grant scheme from December 2024 to March 2025 and received three applications.

     

    The CSPE is responsible for giving advice to the Secretary for Education on the comparative merits of the applications, having regard to the applicants’ education and site development proposals following a fair and competitive process.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Moscow schoolchildren win awards at the International Geographical Olympiad

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Students from the capital won four gold and two silver medals as part of the Russian team at the first Open International Geographical Olympiad. Representatives from more than 20 countries took part in it. This was reported by the press service of the capital Department of Education and Science.

    “The competition opened a new season of international Olympiads, in which the Russian national team officially participates. By the end of 2025, the national team will participate in seven more intellectual competitions. The capital’s schoolchildren received four gold and two silver medals. The high results of the children at international Olympiads testify to the comprehensive system of training talented children, which is provided by Moscow education,” the press service of the department said.

    In total, the Russian team received six awards. It included six Moscow students: Alexey Gorlov from the School of the Center for Pedagogical Excellence, Dina Islyamutdinova from School No. 2054, Elizaveta Kiseleva from the V.F. Ovchinnikov Secondary School, Tikhon Pulyayev from Yury V. Zavelsky Gymnasium No. 1543, Nikita Rusakov from the University Gymnasium of the Moscow State University (MSU) named after M.V. Lomonosov, and Christian Rymarchuk from A.S. Chufistov School No. 1794.

    All participants are prize winners and winners of the final stage of the All-Russian School Olympiad in Geography, who attended the Russian team training camp. In the final, they completed tasks at the M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University.

    The guys had two rounds of the Olympiad, as well as a multimedia test. The theoretical stage included five tasks, and as part of the practical round, the participants collected geographic data by analyzing maps, satellite images and other sources. During the multimedia test, they were asked to solve 40 questions with graphic or informational materials. The conditions of the tasks were formulated in English.

    This year, the Open International Geographical Olympiad was held for the first time. Its main objectives are to popularize geography among schoolchildren, as well as to develop analytical and practical skills in children. To successfully cope with the tests, participants must be able to work with maps and remote sensing data of the Earth, collect and analyze the information received.

    Moscow students win record number of awards at All-Russian School Olympiad

    Ensuring high-quality preparation of the capital’s students for the Olympiads corresponds to the objectives of the “All the Best for Children” national project “Youth and Children”.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/155819073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Universities – Hopeful new way to measure human progress – UoA

    Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

    In response to the climate crisis, a new way to measure how well people and nature are living together has been announced in Nature.

    A hopeful new way to think about human progress has been announced today in the world’s leading scientific journal Nature.

    Rather than focusing on what we’re doing wrong, the new global framework offers a way to measure how well people and nature are thriving together.

    Led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and created by a group of international experts in various disciplines, the Nature Relationship Index (NRI) will track countries’ progress in three key areas: a thriving and accessible natural world, responsible and respectful use of nature, and protection from pollution and harm.

    It builds on the success of the Human Development Index (HDI), which measures average achievements in a country in three broad categories: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge, and a decent standard of living.

    The University of Auckland’s Peter Kraus Professor of Philosophy Krushil Watene (Te Hikutu, Ngāti Manu, Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei, Tonga) is one of the researchers who contributed to the novel framework, bringing both a philosophical and Indigenous perspective.

    “The NRI takes our relationships with nature as foundational to the way we should think about well-being, development, and justice,” she says.

    “Such a philosophical shift requires our commitment to the realisation of social and environmental justice, and to fostering new concepts, practices, and institutions – both locally and globally.”

    Just as the HDI transformed global development thinking, Watene says researchers hope the NRI will redefine progress to include healthy human-nature relationships, not just economic growth.

    The Nature Relationship Index is planned to be prominently featured in the 2026 Human Development Report, with annual updates planned for all countries thereafter.

    Its authors, who include leading marine ecologists, psychologists, economists, environmental scientists and policy specialists, believe it represents a hopeful and inclusive approach to environmental stewardship, rooted in the belief that when people work together, humanity and nature can thrive.

    “Ultimately,” says Watene, “the NRI values and relies on the diversity in our knowledges and knowledge-making, pluralism in our diverse and distributed social practices, and solidarity, grounded in the rich and interdependent networks of stewardship that exist – and that could yet emerge – across all corners of the globe.”

    An aspirational approach to planetary futures by Erle C. Ellis, Yadvinder Malhi, Hannah Ritchie, Jasper Montana, Sandra Diaz, David Obura, Susan Clayton, Melissa Leach, Laura Pereira, Emma Marris, Michael Muthukrishna, Bojie Fu, Peter Frankopan, Molly K. Grace, Krushil Watene, Nicholas Depsky, Josefin Pasanen and Pedro Conceição is published in Nature (June 2025).

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China harnesses biomass energy to power green transition

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

    At a biomass power plant in the city of Xuzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, giant mechanical claws repeatedly feed bundles of dried straw onto conveyor belts. The straw is then transported to furnaces and converted into clean energy.

    This facility can process around 300,000 tonnes of agricultural residues like wheat, corn and rice straw annually, producing over 220 million kilowatt-hours of electricity.

    “That’s equivalent to saving about 90,000 tonnes of coal and cutting roughly 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year,” said Zhang Yunfei, director of the dispatch center at State Grid Xuzhou Power Supply Company.

    Biomass energy is largely derived from agricultural and forestry waste, livestock manure and organic refuse — materials once dismissed as mere waste. With the rise of clean energy technologies and increasing environmental awareness, China is viewing these materials as a vital part of its energy transition.

    “Fewer farmers now burn straw in the fields, a practice that poses fire hazards and pollutes the air. Instead, crop residues are transported to modern biomass power plants,” Zhang said.

    “Xuzhou is rich in biomass resources and holds significant potential for energy conversion,” Zhang added. The city now operates 17 large-scale biomass plants with a combined installed capacity of 335.6 megawatts, generating nearly 2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.

    China is one of the world’s most biomass-rich countries. Statistics from the Biomass Energy Industry Promotion Association show that the country produces approximately 3.5 billion tonnes of agricultural, forestry and household biomass resources annually. However, the utilization rates remain relatively low.

    In January, China’s first national energy law came into effect, calling for the tailored development of biomass power based on regional conditions.

    Shanghai in east China has established pilot projects to convert biomass into green methanol, aiming to drive a low-carbon transformation in international shipping and build green fuel supply capacity of 300,000 tonnes within the city by 2030.

    Meanwhile, enterprises in Anhui Province, also in east China, are scaling up biogas liquefaction and carbon capture initiatives, converting discarded straw and livestock waste into purified methane for liquefied bio-natural gas.

    At a circular economy industrial park in the city of Suzhou in Jiangsu, advanced facilities process around 500 tonnes of corporate kitchen waste daily.

    “About 90 percent of kitchen waste can be recycled into biomass natural gas for the city’s gas grid, or converted into nutrient-rich soil for landscaping,” said Huang Yuanchen, general manager of an environmental protection company in the park.

    “It’s not just kitchen waste. Tree branches and fallen leaves can also be recycled and processed into biomass fuel pellets for use in thermal power plants,” Huang revealed, while noting that his company can process 100 tonnes of green waste daily, generating annual fuel pellet sales of up to 9 million yuan (roughly 1.26 million U.S. dollars).

    Yu Tong, president of the China Association for the Promotion of Industrial Development, emphasized that achieving carbon neutrality demands transformative changes in energy consumption. “Biomass energy is abundant and versatile. It can be solid, liquid or gas — and can replace fossil fuels across multiple sectors.”

    According to a 2025 China biomass energy industry report, the country’s installed biomass power capacity had reached 45.99 million kilowatts by the end of 2024, with total power generation hitting 208.3 billion kilowatt-hours and biogas output reaching about 500 million cubic meters.

    “To bring biomass power to the power grid, centralized control systems are being rolled out for real-time monitoring of power plant performance and output, enhancing both power generation efficiency and stability,” said Li Yi, head of development planning at State Grid Xuzhou Power Supply Company.

    Yang Xudong, a professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, underscored the further potential of biomass utilization.

    “Biomass energy can be easily stored and transported, and can serve as an alternative to other commercial fuels. It not only yields substantial economic returns, but retains its carbon-neutral identity.”

    “In the future, further efforts should be made to optimize the entire biomass value chain and boost biomass energy consumption to fully unleash its green potential,” Yang added. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Post-gaokao spending marks rite of passage for Chinese teens

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

    Students celebrate after the exam at a national college entrance examination site in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province, June 9, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

    As the plane touched down at Beijing Capital International Airport, 18-year-old Zhao Zhixing from east China’s Fujian Province snapped a selfie from his window seat, marking the start of his first solo trip after the grueling national college entrance examination, or gaokao.

    “After the intense pressure of high school, I want to relax by traveling and, at the same time, broaden my horizons by experiencing the charm of different cities,” said Zhao, who planned his post-gaokao trip to Beijing and Nanjing — over a week of sightseeing, theme parks and no textbooks — as soon as the exam ended.

    For millions of Chinese teens like Zhao, the end of the gaokao signals more than just academic relief. It ushers in a unique consumer trend known as the “post-gaokao economy,” as students and their families celebrate hard-earned freedom with a surge in spending on travel, electronics, lifestyle upgrades, and self-discovery experiences.

    This week, gaokao results have begun to roll out across the country, giving graduates even more reason to unwind and enjoy the summer break.

    EMOTIONAL SPENDING SPIKE

    Across China, industries ranging from tourism and consumer electronics to personal training and medical services have reported a spike in activity in the weeks following the gaokao, which is held in early June every year.

    According to data from Ctrip, bookings for travel packages departing between June 9 and June 11 rose by 88 percent compared to the previous week, as many high school graduates chose to begin their trips immediately after the exam.

    Destinations such as Beijing, Chengdu, Hangzhou and Xi’an are attracting large numbers of student travelers, with many scenic spots offering discounted or free admission for this year’s high school graduates.

    Retailers are also experiencing growth, with electronics ranking among the top purchases. Sun Jian, store manager of JD MALL in Chongqing, said that alongside popular items like smartphones, laptops and tablets, sales of learning devices, digital notebooks and wearable gadgets have risen by 40 to 50 percent compared with the pre-gaokao period.

    Given the immense importance of the gaokao in Chinese society, both students and parents often turn to travel, shopping, or celebration as a way to find emotional release after years of academic pressure.

    “My son enjoys gaming, so we promised him that if he focused on preparing for the exam, he could fully relax and have fun afterward,” said a customer surnamed Zhuang, who was shopping for a laptop at a store in Fujian’s Quanzhou City. Zhuang added that he was willing to buy the best he could afford for his son, as it would also be useful for college.

    STYLE MAKEOVERS SOAR

    Beyond just spending, the post-gaokao period provides a glimpse into how today’s youth are starting to explore their identities and passions. From solo trips and comic con visits to photography workshops and fitness classes, students are using the time to pursue their personal interests.

    A community gym in Beijing’s Xicheng District has seen a surge in visitors this June. “We receive numerous inquiry calls daily, and many new members are recent high school graduates,” a gym staff member said. “They hope to use the summer for structured training to enter university better prepared both physically and mentally.”

    Zhang Qingxi, a high school graduate from Huangping County in the southwestern province of Guizhou, began driving lessons just days after the gaokao. “I hope to get my license this summer,” she said. “Once I have it, I plan to travel with friends and see the places I’ve only read about in books.” According to Zhang, nearly 100 students who recently took the gaokao attend driving lessons at her training center daily.

    Many students are also taking greater interest in their appearance and personal style. Wang, a hairdresser from Xi’an, said the number of students coming in for hair dyeing has surged since the gaokao, and to keep up with the demand, the salon has even extended its hours.

    “Graduates often choose trendy and unique hairstyles, and some even bring in anime-style designs from comics for inspiration,” said another hair salon employee.

    According to data from Meituan, orders for vision correction surgery rose by 108 percent in the first week after the gaokao, while orders for orthodontics and teeth whitening each saw a nearly 30 percent increase week-on-week.

    FROM TEST TAKERS TO DECISION MAKERS

    Like most post-gaokao travelers, Zhao planned his trip and handled all the bookings — from train tickets to hotel reservations — largely on his own. “We don’t know much about his plan. He’s an adult and it’s all up to him now,” said Zhao’s father.

    “‘Post-gaokao consumption’ is not only a wave of youthful spending, but also an important window into the consumption trends among younger generations,” said Long Shaobo, professor from the School of Public Policy and Administration, Chongqing University.

    According to Xia Ri, assistant researcher at Anbound, an independent think tank in China, high school graduates often seek novelty, quality and variety in their spending, which are traits typical of young people.

    “As they gradually become independent decision-makers and key players in the market, their preferences are driving consumption toward greater personalization and experiential value, accelerating consumption upgrades and product innovation,” Xia said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • Mamdani’s stunning upset in New York’s Democratic mayoral primary carries risks, rewards for national Democrats

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Self-described democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s unexpected upset in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday exhilarated progressive activists, who had banded together to prevent the more moderate former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo from triumphing.

    But the surprise outcome also generated excitement from a very different group of people: national Republicans.

    Soon after it became clear that Mamdani, a 33-year-old state lawmaker, was likely to prevail, Republican Vice President JD Vance sent congratulations on social media to the “new leader of the Democratic Party.” The Republican’s congressional campaign arm called him an “antisemitic socialist radical” and promised to tie him to every vulnerable Democrat in next year’s midterm elections.

    And on Wednesday, Republican President Donald Trump – a native New Yorker – piled on, writing on social media, “It’s finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line. Zohran Mamdani, a 100% Communist Lunatic, has just won the Dem Primary, and is on his way to becoming Mayor.”

    The reactions underscore both the risks and the rewards for the Democratic Party – still trying to find its footing five months into Trump’s term – in having an unabashed left-wing nominee running in the country’s biggest city this fall.

    Mamdani’s campaign, which drew plaudits for its cheery tone and clever viral videos, could help energize young voters, a demographic that Democrats are desperate to reach in 2026 and beyond. His rise from a virtual unknown was fueled by a relentless focus on affordability, an issue Democrats struggled to address during last year’s presidential race.

    “Cost of living is the issue of our time,” Neera Tanden, the chief executive of Democratic think tank Center for American Progress wrote on X in response to Mamdani’s win. “It’s the through line animating all politics. Smart political leaders respond to it.”

    His history-making candidacy – Mamdani, born in Uganda to Indian parents, would be the city’s first Muslim and Indian American mayor – could also drive engagement among Asian and especially Muslim voters, some of whom soured on the party after the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza.

    “These elections aren’t about left, right or center, they’re about whether you’re a change to the status quo. People don’t want more of the same, they want someone who plays a different game,” said Democratic strategist Jesse Ferguson.

    But Mamdani’s criticism of Israel and his democratic socialism are also likely to show up frequently in Republican attack ads. Much of the Democratic establishment had lined up behind Cuomo, including former President Bill Clinton, partly out of unease over Mamdani’s platform. Mamdani has repeatedly said he is not antisemitic.

    “I think he’s an easy target for Republicans who want to use scare tactics to talk about the Muslim mayor from New York City who’s uber-left,” said Patrick Egan, a political science professor at New York University. But Egan noted, Mamdani has also proven to be an adept politician.

    “When people get exposed to this guy, they tend to like him,” he said.

    NO APOLOGY

    Basil Smikle, a political analyst and professor at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies, said heavy-handed attacks on Mamdani could backfire by energizing “a lot of the Democratic voters to want to push more against Trump.”

    “I don’t think it hurts Democrats in the long run,” he said. “I actually think it helps them.”

    For his part, Mamdani seemed ready to embrace his role as a party leader, telling supporters in his victory speech that he would govern the city “as a model for the Democratic Party – a party where we fight for working people with no apology.” He vowed to use his mayoral power to “reject Donald Trump’s fascism.”

    Democratic voters say they want a new generation of leaders and a party that concentrates on economic issues, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll earlier this month.

    “The Democratic Party is trying to figure itself out,” said Christina Greer, a political science professor at Fordham University in New York.

    While Mamdani enters the general election as the favorite in a city dominated by Democrats, the race is more unsettled than usual.

    Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, is running as an independent after his popularity plummeted following his indictment on corruption charges and the subsequent decision by Trump’s Justice Department to drop the case. Cuomo also retains the ability to run as an independent, though he has not yet decided whether to do so.

    The Republican candidate is Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels. Jim Walden, a former federal prosecutor, is running as an independent, as well.

    The primary had become a two-man race by Election Day between Mamdani and Cuomo, echoing other Democratic nominating contests in which the party’s establishment and liberal wings have wrestled for power. But it was also a generational clash between Mamdani and Cuomo, the 67-year-old scion of a New York political family.

    That said, Cuomo carried plenty of personal baggage, four years after he resigned the governorship amid allegations of sexual harassment, which he has denied.

    “Some people were voting for Mamdani to express their displeasure for Cuomo,” Greer said.

    Mamdani’s unlikely ascension bore some of the same hallmarks of similar rises for two other democratic socialists, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, both of whom endorsed his campaign.

    Sanders, an independent, emerged as a leading Democratic presidential candidate in 2016 and 2020, while Ocasio-Cortez pulled off an upset in 2018 by defeating a longtime incumbent Democrat.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-Evening Report: The ARIA charts are about to undergo a big change. It could be a boost for local artists

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate Professor, Music Industry, RMIT University

    The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), the organisation responsible for collating and publishing Australia’s music charts, has just announced the biggest overhaul of its methods in more than a decade.

    From September, the ARIA charts will be divided according to the release date of entries. Anything older than two years will be moved into a new “ARIA on replay” chart, with the exception of some music re-entering the charts after more than a decade.

    The stated aim of the reforms is to better connect Australian audiences with new, and particularly Australian, music. They are part of a series of interventions from different groups aimed at solving the nation’s ongoing music “crisis”.

    Why is this happening?

    ARIA is responding to two related trends through implementing this new chart system.

    The first is that the charts are increasingly dominated by old “catalogue” music. Creative Australia reports the ARIA’s Top 100 charts went from having almost 100% new singles (less than two years old) in 2018, to 70% new singles in 2024.

    This is related to a fundamental change in what is being counted.

    In 2014, ARIA expanded its sources from point-of-sale data (such as CD sales and iTunes downloads) to include plays on streaming services (such as Spotify and YouTube), which are now the most popular means of music consumption.

    People will typically buy a physical/iTunes single or album once. But they might listen to a song on Spotify hundreds of times, and each of these listens count as far as the ARIA charts are concerned.

    This explains the resurgence of old releases that find new audiences through media (such as Stranger Things boosting Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill), as well as perennial favourites that never seem to be dislodged (Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours album has been in the ARIA Top 50 albums chart for more than 400 weeks).

    The second trend is the decline of Australian music in the charts. Research shows the ARIA’s singles and albums charts have become more homogeneous in recent decades, rather than more diversified.

    Artists from North America and the United Kingdom are dominating Australian charts more than ever. Many of them sit in the charts for extended periods, at the expense of homegrown talent.

    How streaming platforms changed the game

    A major challenge for artists on streaming platforms is discoverability, or visibility.

    Decisions made by platform-employed playlist curators and AI algorithms aren’t well understood, and are hard to influence. Yet they make a huge difference to how many people will encounter a piece of music.

    The inclusion of streaming data in the ARIA charts back in 2014 was presented as a way to more accurately assess what people were listening to.

    This new plan to separate old and new releases has a more interventionist agenda, attempting to “remove barriers for new Australian music”.

    It can be seen as a response to the overarching narrative of a “crisis” plaguing the Australian music industry – one which extends to existential challenges for live music, and the careers of musicians and other industry workers.

    The ARIA’s decision to put their finger on the scales of chart success shows how pressing this crisis narrative has become.

    What difference will it make?

    Even if Australian artists are better represented in future ARIA charts, material challenges will remain.

    Actual sales and streams may remain relatively low. Even with millions of streams, the value returned to artists is often too small to maintain a living.

    For most artists, a sustainable music career requires that visibility be translated into other revenue sources, such as live performances, merchandise sales, and media licensing deals.

    That said, ARIA’s aim of increasing discoverability for local acts seems likely to have some pay-off. Acts with their names in the new charts will enjoy extra visibility and prestige. If even a small number of opportunities arise from this, it could make a big difference to them, the local industries surrounding them, and the local audiences that will discover them.

    ARIA’s intervention is part of a patchwork of responses from industry, government, and communities to Australia’s music woes. Another recent response came from a New South Wales government scheme which will reward overseas headliners (through reduced venue fees) for including an Australian opening act in their show.

    State and federal governments are also investing in local music development and export. The surprising exception to this is previous trailblazer Victoria, which recently cut almost all contemporary music funding.

    ARIA’s new approach is emphasising the message that Australian music should be valued. Tracking how this approach plays out – as well as which Australian artists benefit – will help ensure a healthy music ecosystem in the future.

    Catherine Strong has received funding from the Victorian Music Development Office.

    Ben Green receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Australasian Performing Right Association.

    – ref. The ARIA charts are about to undergo a big change. It could be a boost for local artists – https://theconversation.com/the-aria-charts-are-about-to-undergo-a-big-change-it-could-be-a-boost-for-local-artists-259788

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Magpies may not be a pesky Australian import – new research finds their ancestors thrived in NZ a long time ago

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vanesa De Pietri, Senior Research Fellow in Palaeontology, University of Canterbury

    Shutterstock/Russ Jenkins

    For many New Zealanders, the Australian magpie is a familiar, if sometimes vexing, sight. Introduced from Australia in the 1860s, magpies are known for their territorial dive-bombing during nesting season, which has cemented their reputation as an unwelcome import.

    But our new research reveals a fascinating twist in this narrative.

    For more than two decades, we have been unearthing fossils from sites near St Bathans in Central Otago. These sites, once at the bottom of a large prehistoric lake, offer the only significant insight into Aotearoa New Zealand’s land vertebrates from about 16 to 19 million years ago.

    This unique window into the past has recently revealed fossils belonging to an ancient relative of the Australian magpie. This discovery suggests magpies have a much deeper connection to Aotearoa than previously thought, challenging common perceptions about their “Aussie immigrant” status.

    Together with fossils of other songbirds from St Bathans, these discoveries reshape our understanding of what it means for a species to be “native”. They paint a picture of a dynamic, ever-changing land, rather than a static pre-human ecosystem.

    An ancient relative

    We named the species we describe in our research the St Bathans currawong (Miostrepera canora). It lived in New Zealand about 19 to 16 million years ago during the Early Miocene.

    This bird, roughly the same size as today’s Australian magpie, was a cracticine – a group of songbirds that includes modern currawongs, magpies and butcherbirds. Its discovery challenges the very notion of what is “native” or “introduced” on a geological timescale.

    We often regard magpies as an undesirable Australian species that lacks a place in the New Zealand ecosystem. However, its close relatives did live here in the past, and likely did so until a cooling climate limited their habitat near the end of the Miocene, about five million years ago.

    The pied currawong is native to eastern Australia and Lord Howe Island. It is one of three currawong species in the genus Strepera and closely related to butcherbirds and Australian magpies.
    D. Gordon E. Robertson, CC BY-SA

    The presence of this ancient magpie ancestor strongly suggests an over-water dispersal event from Australia to Zealandia early in the evolution of the magpie-currawong group.

    We propose this colonisation was likely helped by a diverse subtropical or warm-temperate flora then present in New Zealand. This vegetation created a hospitable environment for species arriving from across the Tasman.

    Currawongs eat a wide variety of fruits, insects and small animals. New Zealand’s Miocene flora included many fruit-bearing trees, of which puriri and taraire are two survivors, and offered abundant food.

    New Zealand’s ever-shifting ecosystems

    Our research at the St Bathans fossil sites reveals a past far from a static, unchanging paradise prior to human arrival.

    We know from numerous pollen studies that New Zealand’s forests were changing continuously for millions of years. This continual reworking of the composition and distribution of forests challenges the common conservation aim to return New Zealand to a pre-human ecological state.

    Indeed, during the Miocene, New Zealand’s forests would have been unrecognisable to modern eyes. They boasted numerous eucalypts, laurels and casuarinas – plants more typical of Australian forests in Queensland today. This rich floral diversity supported a broader range of fauna, including the newly described currawong, illustrating how different ancient Aotearoa was.

    Authors Vanesa De Pietri and Trevor Worthy excavating fossils at the St Bathans site in Central Otago.
    Paul Scofield, CC BY-SA

    A symphony of ancient songbirds

    Further research by our team on other fossil songbirds (of the bird order passeriformes) from St Bathans paints an even richer picture of ancient avian life.

    Our analysis of the diversity of tiny leg bones indicates the Early Miocene New Zealand bush had significantly more kinds of songbirds than it did just before human arrival.

    Our studies demonstrate the presence of potentially up to 17 different songbirds in the Early Miocene fauna. This ancient choir included species varying in size from a large honeyeater (of the bird family Meliphagidae), which was bigger than today’s tūī, to a tiny New Zealand wren. Several different families are also represented.

    These findings suggest Zealandia had a far greater diversity of songbirds during the Early Miocene than in the Holocene (past 11,000 years).

    The legacy of Miocene climate cooling

    Why did these diverse ancient songbirds, including the St Bathans currawong, disappear?

    Research points to a dramatic global climate shift. Starting around 13 million years ago, during the later part of the Middle Miocene, New Zealand experienced a period of rapid cooling. This profound climatic change triggered a drastic loss in floral diversity throughout the Middle and Late Miocene.

    Many plants that thrived in warmer climates went extinct. This loss of plant life had devastating cascading effects on birds. The disappearance of numerous fruiting trees meant the decline and eventual local extinction of birds such as currawongs and certain pigeons that relied on these food sources.

    Lower habitat complexity and fewer kinds of food led to a significant decrease in the number of songbird species.

    The story of the St Bathans currawong and the rich songbird diversity of ancient New Zealand serves as a powerful reminder that ecosystems are not static. They are constantly evolving, shaped by climatic shifts, geological events and dispersal across the ocean.

    Understanding this deep history allows us to view concepts such as “native” and “introduced” with more nuance. We then appreciate that the biodiversity we have today is but one snapshot in a long, dynamic and ever-unfolding story.

    Change is to be expected and ongoing, as seen in the newest of New Zealand’s native birds – the barn owl and Australian wood duck – which self-introduced in the past decade.

    Vanesa De Pietri receives funding from the the Royal Society Te Apārangi Marsden Fund.

    Paul Scofield receives funding from the Royal Society of New Zealand.

    Trevor H. Worthy received funding from the ARC for this project several years ago.

    – ref. Magpies may not be a pesky Australian import – new research finds their ancestors thrived in NZ a long time ago – https://theconversation.com/magpies-may-not-be-a-pesky-australian-import-new-research-finds-their-ancestors-thrived-in-nz-a-long-time-ago-258795

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU entered the top 5 best universities in Russia in the Interfax group rating

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University – The Interfax Group presented the 16th annual National University Ranking for 2025. Novosibirsk State University entered the top 5 best universities in Russia, second only to Moscow universities such as Moscow State University, MEPhI, MIPT and HSE. Compared to 2024, NSU rose two positions: from 7th to 5th place, ahead of TSU and St. Petersburg State University.

    The activities of 389 Russian universities were assessed during the preparation of the rating. The rating includes all the country’s high-status universities: 29 national research universities, 10 federal universities, 33 flagship universities, and 145 universities participating in the Priority 2030 program. The universities’ activities were assessed according to six parameters: Brand, Education, Research, Social Environment, Cooperation, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship.

    NSU’s advancement in the ranking is primarily due to its improved positions in two sub-ratings: Research (from 7th place in 2024 to 5th in 2025) and Innovation and Entrepreneurship (from 15th place in 2024 to 8th in 2025). It is important to note that NSU has significantly improved its position in the latter parameter for the second year in a row (in 2023, it was in 35th place).

    — Over the past 5 years, extra-budgetary revenues from research activities have increased 5-fold and by the end of 2024 amounted to 1.9 billion rubles. NSU participates in all key development programs, including Priority 2030, Network of Modern Campuses, Research Centers in Artificial Intelligence, etc. We are also strengthening cooperation with industrial partners in the implementation of joint research projects, development and implementation of new technologies, methods, approaches to solving problems facing various industries. Our strategic goal is to become a center of attraction for innovation, which will be facilitated by the creation of a modern infrastructure for research and innovation activities on the basis of the NSU campus under construction, — commented NSU Rector, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Mikhail Fedoruk.

    NSU is actively working in the field of technological entrepreneurship. Thus, the NSU Startup Studio operates at the university; at present, more than 55 student teams have become winners of the federal competition of the Foundation for Assistance to Innovations and received 1 million rubles each for the implementation of their projects. More than 30 of them have become residents of the Academpark business incubator. By the end of 2024, more than 1 billion rubles have been attracted to R&D projects for high-tech industries.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Land site allocated for development of new campus of self-financing post-secondary institution

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Education Bureau (EDB) today (June 26) announced the allocation result of the latest round of the Land Grant Scheme. The land site at Man Lai Road, Tai Wai, will be allocated to Saint Francis University (SFU) for the development of a purpose-built campus for the operation of full-time locally accredited self-financing post-secondary programmes.

         On the recommendation of the Committee on Self-financing Post-secondary Education (CSPE), the Secretary for Education has decided that SFU should be earmarked as the prospective operator for the land site to be granted at a nominal premium.

         An EDB spokesman said, “It has long been the Government’s policy to support the parallel development of the self-financing and publicly funded post-secondary education sectors. In pursuance of the announcement in the Chief Executive’s 2023 Policy Address, we envisage that the allocation of the site will be conducive to supporting the capacity expansion and quality enhancement of the self-financing sector, thereby enabling the sector to play a more proactive role in Hong Kong’s development into an international post-secondary education hub.”

         The Government invited applications from eligible institutions for the Scheme from December 2024 to March 2025 and received three applications. The CSPE is responsible for giving advice to the Secretary for Education on the comparative merits of the applications received under the Scheme, having regard to the applicants’ education development and site development proposals following a fair and competitive process.

    Details of the Scheme and previously approved applications are available on the website of the Concourse for Self-financing Post-secondary Education (www.cspe.edu.hk/en/Overview-Measures.html).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Moolenaar, Dingell Legislation to Stop Deadly TB Outbreaks Passed by House

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Moolenaar (4th District of Michigan)

    Headline: Moolenaar, Dingell Legislation to Stop Deadly TB Outbreaks Passed by House

    Today, Congressman John Moolenaar and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell’s bipartisan legislation, the Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act, was unanimously passed by the House of Representatives. The legislation requires the Department of Health and Human Services to make reforms regarding the screening of tissue donation materials, conduct education campaigns, and impose penalties on tissue providers who fail to prevent tuberculosis outbreaks.  

    The lawmakers introduced the bill in honor of Shandra Eisenga, of Marion, who passed away on August 10, 2023 due to a tuberculosis infection. Eisenga was one of 36 patients in seven states to contract TB after receiving a bone graft containing infected tissue donor material.  

    “I am grateful for the overwhelming bipartisan support for our legislation honoring Shandra’s legacy. This bill will help prevent TB infections from bone grafts and save families from experiencing the pain and sadness that Shandra’s family has tragically endured. Our legislation accomplishes this by ensuring the FDA requires screening for TB and holds tissue suppliers responsible for infections they spread. I will continue my work in Congress to ensure this commonsense legislation is signed into law,” said Moolenaar.

    “Shandra Eisenga’s death was a preventable tragedy, and we owe it to Shandra, her family, and every other patient who has been affected by contaminated bone grafts to ensure we’re doing everything possible to prevent future cases like this,” said Dingell. “As someone who had multiple bone grafts after osteomyelitis, I was never warned about the dangers. We must do more to educate patients, make sure they are aware of the risks of human cell and tissue product transplants, and implement additional safeguards to protect patients from the dangers of these infections. I’m thankful to Congressman Moolenaar for his partnership, to the University of Michigan doctors who brought this issue to our attention, and most importantly, to Shandra’s family for their tireless advocacy. I am optimistic this legislation will pass the senate and be signed into law.”

    Moolenaar with Shandra Eisenga’s family, in December 2024.

    The text of the Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act can be found here. Moolenaar spoke during the debate of the legislation on the House floor about Shandra’s tragic story and the need for reform. Moolenaar’s remarks can be viewed here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Oil shocks in the 1970s drove rapid changes in transport. It could happen again if Middle East tensions continue

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hussein Dia, Professor of Future Urban Mobility, Swinburne University of Technology

    The Image Bank/Getty

    As the world watches the US–Iran situation with concern, the ripple effect from these events are reaching global oil supply chains – and exposing their fragility.

    If Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz as it is considering, it would restrict the global oil trade and trigger energy chaos.

    Petrol in some Australian cities could hit A$2.50 a litre according to some economists. As global instability worsens, other experts warn price spikes are increasingly likely.

    What would happen next? There is a precedent: the oil shocks of the 1970s, when oil prices quadrupled. The shock drove rapid change, from more efficient cars to sudden interest in alternative energy sources. This time, motorists would likely switch to electric vehicles.

    If this crisis continues or if another one flares up, it could mark a turning point in Australia’s long dependence on foreign oil.

    What would an oil shock mean?

    Australia currently imports 80% of its liquid fuels, the highest level on record. If the flow of oil stopped, we would have about 50 days worth in storage before we ran out.

    Our cars, buses, trucks and planes run overwhelmingly on petrol and diesel. Almost three-quarters (74%) of these liquid fuels are used in transport, with road transport accounting for more than half (54%) of all liquid fuels. Australia is highly exposed to global supply shocks.

    The best available option to reduce dependence on oil imports is to electrify transport.

    How does Australia compare on EVs?

    EV uptake in Australia continues to lag behind global leaders. In 2024, EVs accounted for 9.65% of new car sales in Australia, up from 8.45% in 2023.

    In the first quarter of 2025, EVs were 6.3% of new car sales, a decline from 7.4% in the final quarter of 2024.

    Norway remains the global leader, with battery-electric passenger cars making up 88.9% of sales in 2024. The United Kingdom also saw significant growth – EVs hit almost 20% of new car registrations in 2024.

    In China, EVs made up 40.9% of new car sales in 2024. The 12.87 million cars sold represent three-quarters of total EV sales worldwide.

    One reason for Australia’s sluggishness is a lack of reliable public chargers. While charging infrastructure is expanding, large parts of regional Australia still lack reliable access to EV charging.

    Until recently, Australia’s fuel efficiency standards were among the weakest in the OECD. Earlier this year, the government’s new standards came into force. These are expected to boost EV uptake.

    Could global tensions trigger faster action?

    If history is any guide, oil shocks lead to long-term change.

    The 1970s oil shocks triggered waves of energy reform.

    When global oil prices quadrupled in 1973–74, many nations were forced to reconsider where they got their energy. A few years later, the 1979 Iranian Revolution caused another major supply disruption, sending oil prices soaring and pushing much of the world into recession.

    Huge increases in oil prices drove people to look for alternatives during the 1970s oil shocks.
    Everett Collection/Shutterstock

    These shocks drove the formation of the International Energy Agency in 1974, spurred alternative energy investment and led to advances in fuel-efficiency standards.

    Much more recently, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed the European Union to face up to its reliance on Russian gas and find alternatives by importing gas from different countries and accelerating the clean energy shift.

    Clearly, energy shocks can be catalysts for long-term structural change in how we produce and consume energy.

    The new crisis could do the same, but only if policy catches up.

    If fuel prices shot up and stayed there, consumer behaviour would begin to shift. People would drive less and seek alternate forms of transport. Over time, more would look for better ways to get around.

    But without stronger support such as incentives, infrastructure and fuel security planning, shifting consumer preferences could be too slow to matter.

    A clean-energy future is more secure

    Cutting oil dependency through electrification isn’t just good for the climate. It’s also a hedge against future price shocks and supply disruptions.

    Transport is now Australia’s third-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Now that emissions are falling in the electricity sector, transport will be the highest emitting sector emissions source as soon as 2030.

    Building a cleaner transport system also means building a more resilient one. Charging EVs on locally produced renewable power cuts our exposure to global oil markets. So do biofuels, better public transport and smarter urban planning.

    Improving domestic energy resilience isn’t just about climate targets. It’s about economic stability and national security. Clean local energy sources reduce vulnerability to events beyond our control.

    What can we learn from China?

    China offers a compelling case study. The nation of 1.4 billion faces real oil security challenges. In response, Beijing has spent the past decade building a domestic clean energy ecosystem to reduce oil dependency and cut emissions.

    This is now bearing fruit. Last year, China’s oil imports had the first sustained fall in nearly two decades. Crude oil imports fell 1.5%, while oil refinery activity also fell due to lower demand.

    China’s rapid uptake of EVs has clear energy security benefits.
    pim pic/Shutterstock

    China’s green energy transition was driven by coordinated policy, industrial investment and public support for clean transport.

    China’s rapid shift to EVs and clean energy shows how long-term planning and targeted investment can pay off on climate and energy security.

    What we do next matters

    The rolling crises of 2025 present Australian policymakers a rare alignment of interests. What’s good for the climate, for consumers and for national security may now be the same thing.

    Real change will require more than sustained high petrol prices. It demands political will, targeted investment and a long-term vision for clean, resilient transport.

    Doing nothing has a real cost – not just in what we pay at the service station, but in how vulnerable we remain to events a long way away.

    Hussein Dia receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the iMOVE Australia Cooperative Research Centre, Transport for New South Wales, Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, Victorian Department of Transport and Planning, and Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.

    – ref. Oil shocks in the 1970s drove rapid changes in transport. It could happen again if Middle East tensions continue – https://theconversation.com/oil-shocks-in-the-1970s-drove-rapid-changes-in-transport-it-could-happen-again-if-middle-east-tensions-continue-259670

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Husker Football Coach Matt Rhule to Headline Governor’s Summit in August

    Source: US State of Nebraska

    .nebraska.gov/” title=”https://govsummit.nebraska.gov/” data-auth=”NotApplicable” data-linkindex=”3″>govsummit.nebraska.gov.

     

    LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen announced that Matt Rhule, head football coach for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will keynote the Governor’s Summit the morning of August 14 in Kearney.

    “Coach Rhule loves Nebraska because — it’s the people! He is Nebraska and he brings positive energy, grit, determination and passion to leading young men,” said Gov. Pillen. “It’s exciting for us to have him at this year’s Summit to inspire all of us to be more than we believe we can be.”

    Rhule is entering his third season as the Nebraska’s head coach in 2025, having led the Huskers to victory in the Pinstripe Bowl to close out the 2024 season. He has 12 years of experience as a head coach, including nine years in the college ranks and three seasons as the head coach of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. Highly regarded as a program builder and player developer, Rhule led successful turnarounds of the programs at Baylor and Temple and has improved Nebraska’s record in each of his first two seasons in Lincoln. A native of New York City, Rhule earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Penn State and his master’s degree in educational psychology from Buffalo. He and his wife Julie have three children, Bryant, Vivienne and Leona.

    The 2025 Governor’s Summit officially kicks off on Wednesday night, Aug. 13, with a reception and banquet hosted by the Nebraska Diplomats. Thursday, Aug. 14, is the primary day of the Governor’s Summit. It features remarks from Gov. Pillen, a keynote from Husker Coach Rhule, a full slate of breakout sessions, and the inaugural Governor’s Youth Summit.

    To register for the Diplomats Banquet and Governor’s Summit, visit govsummit.nebraska.gov. Students may sign up for the Youth Summit at https://govsummit.nebraska.gov/youth/

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for June 26, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 26, 2025.

    ‘Do not eat’: what’s in those little desiccant sachets and how do they work?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kamil Zuber, Senior Industry Research Fellow, Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia towfiqu ahamed/Getty Images When you buy a new electronic appliance, shoes, medicines or even some food items, you often find a small paper sachet with the warning: “silica gel, do not eat”. What exactly

    ‘I’m dreading birthing in such a system’: what Indigenous women globally think of birth care and what they’d like to see instead
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nina Sivertsen, Associate Professor, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University Pregnancy and having a baby can be a special time. And families want to feel safe and trust their maternity care. But when we reviewed the evidence, we found many Indigenous families globally face unfair

    Iran accuses US over ‘torpedoed diplomacy’ – passes bill to halt UN nuclear watchdog cooperation
    BEARING WITNESS: By Cole Martin in occupied Bethlehem Kia ora koutou, I’m a Kiwi journo in occupied Bethlehem, here’s a brief summary of today’s events across the Palestinian and Israeli territories from on the ground. At least 79 killed and 391 injured by Israeli forces in Gaza over the last 24 hours, including 33 killed

    Parenthood or podium? It’s time Australian athletes had the support to choose both
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jasmine Titova, PhD Candidate, CQUniversity Australia When tennis legend Serena Williams retired in 2022, she stated: If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labour of expanding our family. Many

    Papua New Guinea police blame overrun system for prison breakouts
    By Margot Staunton, RNZ Pacific senior journalist Police in Papua New Guinea say the country’s overrun courts and prisons are behind mass breakouts from police custody. Chief Superintendent Clement Dala made the comment after 13 detainees escaped on Tuesday in Simbu Province, including eight who were facing murder charges. Dala said an auxiliary policeman who

    Stable public housing in the first year of life boosts children’s wellbeing years down the track – new research
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jaimie Monk, Research Fellow, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research Phil Walter/Getty Images New Zealand’s unaffordable housing market means low-income families face big constraints on their accommodation options. This involves often accepting housing that is insecure, cold, damp or in unsuitable neighbourhoods. But little is known about

    From HAL 9000 to M3GAN: what film’s evil robots tell us about contemporary tech fears
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Daniel, Associate Lecturer in Communication, Western Sydney University © 2025 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. Filmgoers have long been captivated by stories about robots. We are fascinated by their utopian promise, their superhuman intelligence and, in the case of the cyborg, their often uncanny resemblance to

    Yes, Victoria’s efforts to wean households off gas have been dialled back. But it’s still real progress
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trivess Moore, Associate Professor in Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University MirageC/Getty On the question of gas, Victoria’s government faces pressure from many directions. The Bass Strait wells supplying Australia’s most gas-dependent state are running dry. Gas prices shot up in 2020 and have stayed high.

    From HAL 9000 to ME3AN: what film’s evil robots tell us about contemporary tech fears
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Daniel, Associate Lecturer in Communication, Western Sydney University © 2025 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. Filmgoers have long been captivated by stories about robots. We are fascinated by their utopian promise, their superhuman intelligence and, in the case of the cyborg, their often uncanny resemblance to

    Remote cave discovery shows ancient voyagers brought rice across 2,300km of Pacific Ocean
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hsiao-chun Hung, Senior Research Fellow, School of Culture, History & Language, Australian National University Ritidian beach, Guam. Hsiao-chun Hung In a new study published today in Science Advances, my colleagues and I have uncovered the earliest evidence of rice in the Pacific Islands – at an ancient

    500,000 Australians live with mental illness but don’t qualify for the NDIS. A damning new report says they need more support
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sebastian Rosenberg, Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, and Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney stellalevi/Getty Half a million Australians are living with moderate to severe mental illness, but they don’t qualify for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and cannot access the support

    ‘I’m not going to give up’: how to help more disadvantaged young people go to uni and TAFE
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lucas Walsh, Professor and Director of the Centre for Youth Policy and Education Practice, Monash University Oliver Rossi/ Getty Images On Wednesday, Education Minister Jason Clare hailed an increase in the numbers of Australians starting a university degree. In 2024, there was a 3.7% increase in Australian

    New climate reporting rules start on July 1. Many companies are not ready for the change
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Baird, Senior Lecturer , University of Tasmania PaeGAG/Shutterstock A new financial year starts on July 1. For Australia’s large companies, that means new rules on climate-related disclosures come into force. These requirements are the culmination of years of planning to ensure companies disclose climate-related risks and

    Whose story is being told — and why? 4 questions museum visitors should ask themselves this school holidays
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato The winter school holidays will mean families across Aotearoa New Zealand will be looking for indoor activities to entertain children. With millions of visitors each year, museums focused on the country’s history will inevitably play host to

    Philly psychology students map out local landmarks and hidden destinations where they feel happiest
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eric Zillmer, Professor of Neuropsychology, Drexel University Rittenhouse Square Park in Center City made it onto the Philly Happiness Map. Matthew Lovette/Jumping Rocks/Universal Images Group via Getty Images What makes you happy? Perhaps a good night’s sleep, or a wonderful meal with friends? I am the director

    Macron invites all New Caledonia stakeholders for Paris talks
    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk French President Emmanuel Macron has sent a formal invitation to “all New Caledonia stakeholders” for talks in Paris on the French Pacific territory’s political and economic future to be held on July 2. The confirmation came on Thursday in the form of a letter sent individually

    Opposition starts on challenge of crafting (yet another) energy policy
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The opposition is commencing the challenging task of framing a new energy policy, including deciding whether to stick by its commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. Liberal leader Sussan Ley, appearing at the National Press Club, announced a Coalition

    Election flows reveal nearly 90% of Greens preferenced Labor ahead of Coalition
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Minor party preference flows for the federal election have been released, with Labor winning Greens preferences by 88.2–11.8, while the Coalition won One Nation preferences by 74.5–24.5.

    Australia’s native bees struggled after the Black Summer fires – but a world-first solution brought them buzzing back
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kit Prendergast, Postdoctoral Researcher, Pollination Ecology, University of Southern Queensland Kit Prendergast (@bee.babette_performer) After a devastating bushfire, efforts to help nature recover typically focus on vertebrates and plants. Yet extreme fires can threaten insects, too. After the Black Summer fires of 2019–20, I embarked on world-first research

    Wild swings in the oil price make the Reserve Bank’s job harder
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Head, Canberra School of Government, University of Canberra It looks, at least for now, as though tensions in the Middle East are easing somewhat. It appears much less likely Iran will try to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which flows about a fifth of

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for June 26, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 26, 2025.

    ‘Do not eat’: what’s in those little desiccant sachets and how do they work?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kamil Zuber, Senior Industry Research Fellow, Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia towfiqu ahamed/Getty Images When you buy a new electronic appliance, shoes, medicines or even some food items, you often find a small paper sachet with the warning: “silica gel, do not eat”. What exactly

    ‘I’m dreading birthing in such a system’: what Indigenous women globally think of birth care and what they’d like to see instead
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nina Sivertsen, Associate Professor, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University Pregnancy and having a baby can be a special time. And families want to feel safe and trust their maternity care. But when we reviewed the evidence, we found many Indigenous families globally face unfair

    Iran accuses US over ‘torpedoed diplomacy’ – passes bill to halt UN nuclear watchdog cooperation
    BEARING WITNESS: By Cole Martin in occupied Bethlehem Kia ora koutou, I’m a Kiwi journo in occupied Bethlehem, here’s a brief summary of today’s events across the Palestinian and Israeli territories from on the ground. At least 79 killed and 391 injured by Israeli forces in Gaza over the last 24 hours, including 33 killed

    Parenthood or podium? It’s time Australian athletes had the support to choose both
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jasmine Titova, PhD Candidate, CQUniversity Australia When tennis legend Serena Williams retired in 2022, she stated: If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labour of expanding our family. Many

    Papua New Guinea police blame overrun system for prison breakouts
    By Margot Staunton, RNZ Pacific senior journalist Police in Papua New Guinea say the country’s overrun courts and prisons are behind mass breakouts from police custody. Chief Superintendent Clement Dala made the comment after 13 detainees escaped on Tuesday in Simbu Province, including eight who were facing murder charges. Dala said an auxiliary policeman who

    Stable public housing in the first year of life boosts children’s wellbeing years down the track – new research
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jaimie Monk, Research Fellow, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research Phil Walter/Getty Images New Zealand’s unaffordable housing market means low-income families face big constraints on their accommodation options. This involves often accepting housing that is insecure, cold, damp or in unsuitable neighbourhoods. But little is known about

    From HAL 9000 to M3GAN: what film’s evil robots tell us about contemporary tech fears
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Daniel, Associate Lecturer in Communication, Western Sydney University © 2025 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. Filmgoers have long been captivated by stories about robots. We are fascinated by their utopian promise, their superhuman intelligence and, in the case of the cyborg, their often uncanny resemblance to

    Yes, Victoria’s efforts to wean households off gas have been dialled back. But it’s still real progress
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trivess Moore, Associate Professor in Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University MirageC/Getty On the question of gas, Victoria’s government faces pressure from many directions. The Bass Strait wells supplying Australia’s most gas-dependent state are running dry. Gas prices shot up in 2020 and have stayed high.

    From HAL 9000 to ME3AN: what film’s evil robots tell us about contemporary tech fears
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Daniel, Associate Lecturer in Communication, Western Sydney University © 2025 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. Filmgoers have long been captivated by stories about robots. We are fascinated by their utopian promise, their superhuman intelligence and, in the case of the cyborg, their often uncanny resemblance to

    Remote cave discovery shows ancient voyagers brought rice across 2,300km of Pacific Ocean
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hsiao-chun Hung, Senior Research Fellow, School of Culture, History & Language, Australian National University Ritidian beach, Guam. Hsiao-chun Hung In a new study published today in Science Advances, my colleagues and I have uncovered the earliest evidence of rice in the Pacific Islands – at an ancient

    500,000 Australians live with mental illness but don’t qualify for the NDIS. A damning new report says they need more support
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sebastian Rosenberg, Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, and Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney stellalevi/Getty Half a million Australians are living with moderate to severe mental illness, but they don’t qualify for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and cannot access the support

    ‘I’m not going to give up’: how to help more disadvantaged young people go to uni and TAFE
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lucas Walsh, Professor and Director of the Centre for Youth Policy and Education Practice, Monash University Oliver Rossi/ Getty Images On Wednesday, Education Minister Jason Clare hailed an increase in the numbers of Australians starting a university degree. In 2024, there was a 3.7% increase in Australian

    New climate reporting rules start on July 1. Many companies are not ready for the change
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Baird, Senior Lecturer , University of Tasmania PaeGAG/Shutterstock A new financial year starts on July 1. For Australia’s large companies, that means new rules on climate-related disclosures come into force. These requirements are the culmination of years of planning to ensure companies disclose climate-related risks and

    Whose story is being told — and why? 4 questions museum visitors should ask themselves this school holidays
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato The winter school holidays will mean families across Aotearoa New Zealand will be looking for indoor activities to entertain children. With millions of visitors each year, museums focused on the country’s history will inevitably play host to

    Philly psychology students map out local landmarks and hidden destinations where they feel happiest
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eric Zillmer, Professor of Neuropsychology, Drexel University Rittenhouse Square Park in Center City made it onto the Philly Happiness Map. Matthew Lovette/Jumping Rocks/Universal Images Group via Getty Images What makes you happy? Perhaps a good night’s sleep, or a wonderful meal with friends? I am the director

    Macron invites all New Caledonia stakeholders for Paris talks
    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk French President Emmanuel Macron has sent a formal invitation to “all New Caledonia stakeholders” for talks in Paris on the French Pacific territory’s political and economic future to be held on July 2. The confirmation came on Thursday in the form of a letter sent individually

    Opposition starts on challenge of crafting (yet another) energy policy
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The opposition is commencing the challenging task of framing a new energy policy, including deciding whether to stick by its commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. Liberal leader Sussan Ley, appearing at the National Press Club, announced a Coalition

    Election flows reveal nearly 90% of Greens preferenced Labor ahead of Coalition
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Minor party preference flows for the federal election have been released, with Labor winning Greens preferences by 88.2–11.8, while the Coalition won One Nation preferences by 74.5–24.5.

    Australia’s native bees struggled after the Black Summer fires – but a world-first solution brought them buzzing back
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kit Prendergast, Postdoctoral Researcher, Pollination Ecology, University of Southern Queensland Kit Prendergast (@bee.babette_performer) After a devastating bushfire, efforts to help nature recover typically focus on vertebrates and plants. Yet extreme fires can threaten insects, too. After the Black Summer fires of 2019–20, I embarked on world-first research

    Wild swings in the oil price make the Reserve Bank’s job harder
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Head, Canberra School of Government, University of Canberra It looks, at least for now, as though tensions in the Middle East are easing somewhat. It appears much less likely Iran will try to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which flows about a fifth of

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘I’m dreading birthing in such a system’: what Indigenous women globally think of birth care and what they’d like to see instead

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Nina Sivertsen, Associate Professor, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University

    Pregnancy and having a baby can be a special time. And families want to feel safe and trust their maternity care.

    But when we reviewed the evidence, we found many Indigenous families globally face unfair treatment during pregnancy and birth. This can include racism, neglecting cultural aspects of their care, or using health care poorly designed to accommodate their needs.

    We found similar themes in research involving more than 1,400 Indigenous women, Elders, fathers, family members and health workers from locations including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Greenland and Sápmi (parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia).

    Many Indigenous families felt disrespected. They said hospital staff often didn’t understand their cultures or give them basic rights during their maternity care, such as being listened to, included in decision-making, or giving informed consent.

    As a result, some families felt hesitant to seek care in mainstream hospitals. As one Indigenous woman told us during recent Australian research submitted for publication:

    I’m dreading birthing in such a system.

    But there are alternatives.

    What can hospitals do?

    There is a clear need to improve birthing services and cultural safety in mainstream hospitals with a focus on respecting the beliefs, practices and traditions of all families, including Indigenous ones.

    For example, many Indigenous families view childbirth as a communal event with extended family support. But hospital policies that limit the number of support people often disregard these important cultural practices.

    Indigenous families also need to get the type of health care they trust and feel comfortable with. Ideally this might involve staff with sound cultural knowledge and who can support families clinically in a culturally safe way.

    Aboriginal patient liaison officers are sometimes available in hospitals or health services. But there are not often enough, they have to service entire facilities, and they provide cultural support not clinical patient care.

    Indigenous families may also want to access a specific type of care. One example is “continuity of care”, where the same midwife or a small team of midwives, supports the family through the whole pregnancy. Ideally, these midwives should be Indigenous or, if not, be trained in supporting Indigenous families with respect and understanding.

    What is ‘birthing on Country’?

    For Indigenous women living in rural and remote areas, being sent away from home to give birth in a city hospital can be really hard.

    Sometimes women and families are evacuated from their home communities and have to stay for weeks or months in temporary accommodation in the city, both before and after birth, or if their baby is born pre-term and needs extra care. This temporary accommodation can be far from the hospital.

    All this takes place in unknown cities and towns, without family support, and sometimes away from their other children cared for by the community back home.

    This makes it harder for mums who need extra support, and can get in the way of starting breastfeeding and bonding with their baby.

    Again, there is an alternative. For many Indigenous families, giving birth is not just about having a baby. It’s also a spiritual and cultural event that strengthens their identity and connection to Country. A “birthing on Country” model of care, which respects Indigenous traditions and knowledge, reinforces that.

    This is midwife-led care designed for and with Indigenous communities. It doesn’t mean you have to birth in rural and remote spaces, but it is a model of care that focuses on culture, and can also be implemented in the city.

    Ideally, families would see the same midwife or team of midwives and use the “birthing on Country” model.

    What else can we do?

    Maternity services can be led by Indigenous people, which many women prefer. But Indigenous staff make up about 3.1% of the Australian health workforce.

    So it is crucial to engage non-Indigenous staff in building relationships and to support Indigenous families in their right to receive culturally safe care.

    This can start with better training for staff, not only to understand and respond to an Indigenous person’s individual needs, but to know when and how to speak up, call out or report racist or disrespectful behaviour.

    This is everyone’s problem

    A health system you can trust should be safe for everyone. If some people feel unsafe or face discrimination when getting care, this not only affects them, it affects everyone.

    For instance, when Indigenous women avoid or delay going to the hospital because of past bad experiences or discrimination, it can lead to health problems that could have been prevented.

    This not only harms the women, it puts more pressure on the public health system, which affects us all.

    By talking about these issues, we hope all Australians begin to care about the safety of all women during pregnancy and birth.

    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. ‘I’m dreading birthing in such a system’: what Indigenous women globally think of birth care and what they’d like to see instead – https://theconversation.com/im-dreading-birthing-in-such-a-system-what-indigenous-women-globally-think-of-birth-care-and-what-theyd-like-to-see-instead-256877

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘I’m dreading birthing in such a system’: what Indigenous women globally think of birth care and what they’d like to see instead

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Nina Sivertsen, Associate Professor, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University

    Pregnancy and having a baby can be a special time. And families want to feel safe and trust their maternity care.

    But when we reviewed the evidence, we found many Indigenous families globally face unfair treatment during pregnancy and birth. This can include racism, neglecting cultural aspects of their care, or using health care poorly designed to accommodate their needs.

    We found similar themes in research involving more than 1,400 Indigenous women, Elders, fathers, family members and health workers from locations including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Greenland and Sápmi (parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia).

    Many Indigenous families felt disrespected. They said hospital staff often didn’t understand their cultures or give them basic rights during their maternity care, such as being listened to, included in decision-making, or giving informed consent.

    As a result, some families felt hesitant to seek care in mainstream hospitals. As one Indigenous woman told us during recent Australian research submitted for publication:

    I’m dreading birthing in such a system.

    But there are alternatives.

    What can hospitals do?

    There is a clear need to improve birthing services and cultural safety in mainstream hospitals with a focus on respecting the beliefs, practices and traditions of all families, including Indigenous ones.

    For example, many Indigenous families view childbirth as a communal event with extended family support. But hospital policies that limit the number of support people often disregard these important cultural practices.

    Indigenous families also need to get the type of health care they trust and feel comfortable with. Ideally this might involve staff with sound cultural knowledge and who can support families clinically in a culturally safe way.

    Aboriginal patient liaison officers are sometimes available in hospitals or health services. But there are not often enough, they have to service entire facilities, and they provide cultural support not clinical patient care.

    Indigenous families may also want to access a specific type of care. One example is “continuity of care”, where the same midwife or a small team of midwives, supports the family through the whole pregnancy. Ideally, these midwives should be Indigenous or, if not, be trained in supporting Indigenous families with respect and understanding.

    What is ‘birthing on Country’?

    For Indigenous women living in rural and remote areas, being sent away from home to give birth in a city hospital can be really hard.

    Sometimes women and families are evacuated from their home communities and have to stay for weeks or months in temporary accommodation in the city, both before and after birth, or if their baby is born pre-term and needs extra care. This temporary accommodation can be far from the hospital.

    All this takes place in unknown cities and towns, without family support, and sometimes away from their other children cared for by the community back home.

    This makes it harder for mums who need extra support, and can get in the way of starting breastfeeding and bonding with their baby.

    Again, there is an alternative. For many Indigenous families, giving birth is not just about having a baby. It’s also a spiritual and cultural event that strengthens their identity and connection to Country. A “birthing on Country” model of care, which respects Indigenous traditions and knowledge, reinforces that.

    This is midwife-led care designed for and with Indigenous communities. It doesn’t mean you have to birth in rural and remote spaces, but it is a model of care that focuses on culture, and can also be implemented in the city.

    Ideally, families would see the same midwife or team of midwives and use the “birthing on Country” model.

    What else can we do?

    Maternity services can be led by Indigenous people, which many women prefer. But Indigenous staff make up about 3.1% of the Australian health workforce.

    So it is crucial to engage non-Indigenous staff in building relationships and to support Indigenous families in their right to receive culturally safe care.

    This can start with better training for staff, not only to understand and respond to an Indigenous person’s individual needs, but to know when and how to speak up, call out or report racist or disrespectful behaviour.

    This is everyone’s problem

    A health system you can trust should be safe for everyone. If some people feel unsafe or face discrimination when getting care, this not only affects them, it affects everyone.

    For instance, when Indigenous women avoid or delay going to the hospital because of past bad experiences or discrimination, it can lead to health problems that could have been prevented.

    This not only harms the women, it puts more pressure on the public health system, which affects us all.

    By talking about these issues, we hope all Australians begin to care about the safety of all women during pregnancy and birth.

    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. ‘I’m dreading birthing in such a system’: what Indigenous women globally think of birth care and what they’d like to see instead – https://theconversation.com/im-dreading-birthing-in-such-a-system-what-indigenous-women-globally-think-of-birth-care-and-what-theyd-like-to-see-instead-256877

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘I’m dreading birthing in such a system’: what Indigenous women globally think of birth care and what they’d like to see instead

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nina Sivertsen, Associate Professor, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University

    Pregnancy and having a baby can be a special time. And families want to feel safe and trust their maternity care.

    But when we reviewed the evidence, we found many Indigenous families globally face unfair treatment during pregnancy and birth. This can include racism, neglecting cultural aspects of their care, or using health care poorly designed to accommodate their needs.

    We found similar themes in research involving more than 1,400 Indigenous women, Elders, fathers, family members and health workers from locations including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Greenland and Sápmi (parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia).

    Many Indigenous families felt disrespected. They said hospital staff often didn’t understand their cultures or give them basic rights during their maternity care, such as being listened to, included in decision-making, or giving informed consent.

    As a result, some families felt hesitant to seek care in mainstream hospitals. As one Indigenous woman told us during recent Australian research submitted for publication:

    I’m dreading birthing in such a system.

    But there are alternatives.

    What can hospitals do?

    There is a clear need to improve birthing services and cultural safety in mainstream hospitals with a focus on respecting the beliefs, practices and traditions of all families, including Indigenous ones.

    For example, many Indigenous families view childbirth as a communal event with extended family support. But hospital policies that limit the number of support people often disregard these important cultural practices.

    Indigenous families also need to get the type of health care they trust and feel comfortable with. Ideally this might involve staff with sound cultural knowledge and who can support families clinically in a culturally safe way.

    Aboriginal patient liaison officers are sometimes available in hospitals or health services. But there are not often enough, they have to service entire facilities, and they provide cultural support not clinical patient care.

    Indigenous families may also want to access a specific type of care. One example is “continuity of care”, where the same midwife or a small team of midwives, supports the family through the whole pregnancy. Ideally, these midwives should be Indigenous or, if not, be trained in supporting Indigenous families with respect and understanding.

    What is ‘birthing on Country’?

    For Indigenous women living in rural and remote areas, being sent away from home to give birth in a city hospital can be really hard.

    Sometimes women and families are evacuated from their home communities and have to stay for weeks or months in temporary accommodation in the city, both before and after birth, or if their baby is born pre-term and needs extra care. This temporary accommodation can be far from the hospital.

    All this takes place in unknown cities and towns, without family support, and sometimes away from their other children cared for by the community back home.

    This makes it harder for mums who need extra support, and can get in the way of starting breastfeeding and bonding with their baby.

    Again, there is an alternative. For many Indigenous families, giving birth is not just about having a baby. It’s also a spiritual and cultural event that strengthens their identity and connection to Country. A “birthing on Country” model of care, which respects Indigenous traditions and knowledge, reinforces that.

    This is midwife-led care designed for and with Indigenous communities. It doesn’t mean you have to birth in rural and remote spaces, but it is a model of care that focuses on culture, and can also be implemented in the city.

    Ideally, families would see the same midwife or team of midwives and use the “birthing on Country” model.

    What else can we do?

    Maternity services can be led by Indigenous people, which many women prefer. But Indigenous staff make up about 3.1% of the Australian health workforce.

    So it is crucial to engage non-Indigenous staff in building relationships and to support Indigenous families in their right to receive culturally safe care.

    This can start with better training for staff, not only to understand and respond to an Indigenous person’s individual needs, but to know when and how to speak up, call out or report racist or disrespectful behaviour.

    This is everyone’s problem

    A health system you can trust should be safe for everyone. If some people feel unsafe or face discrimination when getting care, this not only affects them, it affects everyone.

    For instance, when Indigenous women avoid or delay going to the hospital because of past bad experiences or discrimination, it can lead to health problems that could have been prevented.

    This not only harms the women, it puts more pressure on the public health system, which affects us all.

    By talking about these issues, we hope all Australians begin to care about the safety of all women during pregnancy and birth.

    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. ‘I’m dreading birthing in such a system’: what Indigenous women globally think of birth care and what they’d like to see instead – https://theconversation.com/im-dreading-birthing-in-such-a-system-what-indigenous-women-globally-think-of-birth-care-and-what-theyd-like-to-see-instead-256877

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Do not eat’: what’s in those little desiccant sachets and how do they work?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kamil Zuber, Senior Industry Research Fellow, Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia

    towfiqu ahamed/Getty Images

    When you buy a new electronic appliance, shoes, medicines or even some food items, you often find a small paper sachet with the warning: “silica gel, do not eat”.

    What exactly is it, is it toxic, and can you use it for anything?

    The importance of desiccants

    That little sachet is a desiccant – a type of material that removes excess moisture from the air.

    It’s important during the transport and storage of a wide range of products because we can’t always control the environment. Humid conditions can cause damage through corrosion, decay, the growth of mould and microorganisms.

    This is why manufacturers include sachets with desiccants to make sure you receive the goods in pristine condition.

    The most common desiccant is silica gel. The small, hard and translucent beads are made of silicon dioxide (like most sands or quartz) – a hydrophilic or water-loving material. Importantly, the beads are porous on the nano-scale, with pore sizes only 15 times larger than the radius of their atoms.

    Silica gel looks somewhat like a sponge when viewed with scanning electron microscopy.
    Trabelsi et al. (2009), CC BY-NC-ND

    These pores have a capillary effect, meaning they condense and draw moisture into the bead similar to how trees transport water through the channelled structures in wood.

    In addition, sponge-like porosity makes their surface area very large. A single gram of silica gel can have an area of up to 700 square metres – almost four tennis courts – making them exceptionally efficient at capturing and storing water.

    Is silica gel toxic?

    The “do not eat” warning is easily the most prominent text on silica gel sachets.

    According to health professionals, most silica beads found in these sachets are non-toxic and don’t present the same risk as silica dust, for example. They mainly pose a choking hazard, which is good enough reason to keep them away from children and pets.

    However, if silica gel is accidentally ingested, it’s still recommended to contact health professionals to determine the best course of action.

    Some variants of silica gel contain a moisture-sensitive dye. One particular variant, based on cobalt chloride, is blue when the desiccant is dry and turns pink when saturated with moisture. While the dye is toxic, in desiccant pellets it is present only in a small amount – approximately 1% of the total weight.

    Indicating silica gel with cobalt chloride – ‘fresh’ on the left, ‘used’ on the right.
    Reza Rio/Shutterstock

    Desiccants come in other forms, too

    Apart from silica gel, a number of other materials are used as moisture absorbers and desiccants. These are zeolites, activated alumina and activated carbon – materials engineered to be highly porous.

    Another desiccant type you’ll often see in moisture absorbers for larger areas like pantries or wardrobes is calcium chloride. It typically comes in a box filled with powder or crystals found in most hardware stores, and is a type of salt.

    Kitchen salt – sodium chloride – attracts water and easily becomes lumpy. Calcium chloride works in the same way, but has an even stronger hygroscopic effect and “traps” the water through a hydration reaction. Once the salt is saturated, you’ll see liquid separating in the container.

    Closet and pantry dehumidifiers like this one typically contain calcium chloride which binds water.
    Healthy Happy/Shutterstock

    I found something that doesn’t seem to be silica gel – what is it?

    Some food items such as tortilla wraps, noodles, beef jerky, and some medicines and vitamins contain slightly different sachets, labelled “oxygen absorbers”.

    These small packets don’t contain desiccants. Instead, they have chemical compounds that “scavenge” or bond oxygen.

    Their purpose is similar to desiccants – they extend the shelf life of food products and sensitive chemicals such as medicines. But they do so by directly preventing oxidation. When some foods are exposed to oxygen, their chemical composition changes and can lead to decay (apples turning brown when cut is an example of oxidation).

    There is a whole range of compounds used as oxygen absorbers. These chemicals have a stronger affinity to oxygen than the protected substance. They range from simple compounds such as iron which “rusts” by using up oxygen, to more complex such as plastic films that work when exposed to light.

    Some of the sachets in your products are oxygen absorbers, not desiccants – but they may look similar.
    Sergio Yoneda/Shutterstock

    Can I reuse a desiccant?

    Although desiccants and dehumidifiers are considered disposable, you can relatively easily reuse them.

    To “recharge” or dehydrate silica gel, you can place it in an oven at approximately 115–125°C for 2–3 hours, although you shouldn’t do this if it’s in a plastic sachet that could melt in the heat.

    Interestingly, due to how they bind water, some desiccants require temperatures well above the boiling point of water to dehydrate (for example, calcium chloride hydrates completely dehydrate at 200°C).

    After dehydration, silica gel sachets may be useful for drying small electronic items (like your phone after you accidentally dropped it into water), keeping your camera dry, or preventing your family photos and old films from sticking to each other.

    This is a good alternative to the questionable method of using uncooked rice, as silica gel doesn’t decompose and won’t leave starch residues on your things.

    Kamil Zuber 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. ‘Do not eat’: what’s in those little desiccant sachets and how do they work? – https://theconversation.com/do-not-eat-whats-in-those-little-desiccant-sachets-and-how-do-they-work-258398

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Move to improve: Exercise eases depression and anxiety in kids

    Source:

    26 June 2025

    With more than three-quarters of children and teens experiencing depression or anxiety, parents are desperate for effective solutions. Now, new research from the University of South Australia shows that something as simple as regular exercise could be a powerful intervention to support young people’s mental health.

    In the largest meta-meta-analysis of 375 clinical trials involving more than 38,000 young people, UniSA researchers found that when children took part in structured exercise programs, their symptoms of depression and anxiety improved. Specifically, the study found that:

    • Anxiety improved most through low-intensity, resistance exercises, such as light weights or gentle circuit activities.
    • Depression improved most through moderate-intensity, mixed-mode and resistance training, including circuits that combine aerobic and strength programs, particularly in programs lasting less than three months.

    The biggest improvements in depression symptoms occurred in programs lasting fewer than 12 weeks, suggesting that benefits can emerge relatively quickly – especially for children aged 12 and over.

    No significant differences were seen among the frequency of exercise sessions per week.

    Children with depression and ADHD also showed the greatest improvements from exercise.

    Lead researcher, UniSA’s Dr Ben Singh says the findings present parents with a non-invasive, low-cost solution to combat poor mental health in kids.

    “Depression and anxiety are among the most prevalent mental health issues affecting children and teenagers worldwide,” Dr Ben Singh says.

    “Evidence-based treatment guidelines often recommend cognitive behaviour therapy and antidepressants as first-line interventions, yet 40-60% of children don’t receive treatment or fail to gain sufficient benefits, so we clearly need alternatives.

    “Exercise is a low-cost, widely accessible strategy that could make a real difference to children’s mental health. And while people know that exercise is generally good for your health and wellbeing, there is little evidence that shows how exercise works for kids nor the types of exercise that might work better than others.

    “Our study draws together global evidence to show that gentle, light-intensity exercise is highly effective in reducing anxiety in children and teens, while medium-intensity programs that combine resistance and aerobic training – like circuits with weights – can counteract depression.

    “Importantly, it demonstrates how exercise is an effective, accessible, lifestyle intervention that can immediately improve mental health issues in children, without first defaulting to medicines.”

    Senior researcher, UniSA’s Prof Carol Maher says the findings reiterate the importance of exercise for mental health.

    “Exercise should be a core part of mental health care for children and teens, whether at school, in the community, or clinical settings,” Prof Maher says.

    “Short, structured programs that include strength training or a mix of activities seem especially promising, but simply exercising, even for short amounts of time will deliver benefits.

    “And for parents, rest assured – you certainly don’t need to fork out money for a gym membership or training program; play-based activities, games, and sport are all valuable forms of movement that can support mental wellbeing.

    “The key message is simple: get active and keep active. Even short bursts of movement can make a real difference to a child’s mental health and wellbeing – especially for those who are struggling”.

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contact for interview:  Dr Ben Singh E: Ben.Singh@unisa.edu.au
    Media contact: Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182 489 E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –