Category: Universities

MIL-OSI USA: Johnson’s Paige Whittington Builds a Symphony of Simulations

Source: NASA

What do music ensembles and human spaceflight have in common? They require the harmonization of different elements to create an inspiring opus.
NASA’s Paige Whittington has experience with both.
As a principal flutist for Purdue University’s Wind Ensemble, Whittington helped fellow flutists play beautiful music together while pursuing her graduate degree. Now, as a space exploration simulation architect at Johnson Space Center in Houston, she strives for a cross-team harmony that can inform the agency’s Moon to Mars exploration approach.
“Simulation often sits at the intersection of several teams because we integrate various designs and mission requirements,” she said. “We have to learn how to best fit those teams and their priorities together to enable cutting-edge human exploration.”

Whittington is part of the NASA Exploration Systems Simulations (NExSyS) team, which develops physics-based simulations to evaluate various vehicles and mission concepts. Her role includes working with lunar and Mars architecture teams within NASA’s Strategy and Architecture Office to assess current and potential future elements of vehicle design, logistics, and planning.
“Our simulations help inform engineers, astronauts, and managers about the new, challenging environments that await us on the Moon and Mars,” she said.
One of the most challenging and rewarding projects she is working on is the Artemis Distributed Simulation. “NExSyS develops and maintains several individual simulations such as rovers, landers, and habitats. However, human exploration on other planetary bodies requires careful integration and coordination of these individual pieces,” she explained.
The distributed simulation brings those pieces together to enable agency teams to envision a complete Artemis mission to the lunar surface. Different elements can be added or removed to create a wide variety of scenarios. The simulation can run automatically with predetermined settings or be responsive to real-time and randomized changes. Participants can operate the team’s video walls, mock-up mission control console, virtual reality platforms, and lander piloting facility to interact together within the chosen Artemis mission scenario.

“I am very proud to know that the simulations I help develop have impacted some of the decisions being made by NASA’s architecture teams,” she said.
She is excited to take on a new responsibility, as well. Whittington recently became project manager of the JSC Engineering Orbital Dynamics software package. Also known as JEOD, this open-source tool was created by NASA to model spacecraft trajectories, such as proposed flight paths for a lunar lander. JEOD calculates gravitational and other environmental forces acting on spacecraft to simulate the position and orientation of those vehicles over time, whether they are orbiting a cosmic body or traveling between planets.
Whittington’s family moved frequently during her childhood, calling five different states home as she grew up. Their time in Florida would have a life-long impact.
“My parents drove me and my sister across the state to visit NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. It was mesmerizing, awe-inspiring, and seemingly a whole different world from where my 8-year-old self thought I was living,” she said. Her love of space never waned, and a high school physics teacher encouraged her to study aerospace engineering in college. “That was the turning point when I realized space exploration didn’t have to stay in my dreams – it was a career field I could actually work in.”
Whittington took her teacher’s advice, earning a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. She also completed two internships at Johnson through the Universities Space Research Association and interned with a NASA contractor after graduation. While pursuing a master’s degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue, Whittington was accepted to NASA’s Pathways Program and did two rotations with the Simulation and Graphics Branch before joining the team as a full-time employee in June 2022.

Whittington has learned several key lessons during her five years with NASA, including the essential part open, regular communication plays in understanding an individual’s or team’s core needs and limitations. She also stressed the importance of adaptability.
“The path that you planned for may not be the path you end up choosing. But that planning enabled you to be who you are now and to make different choices,” she said. “I did not anticipate working in simulations when I started my aerospace engineering degree, but I took the opportunity when it was presented, and I am so happy that I did.”

MIL OSI USA News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Christopher J Waller: The role of economic research in central banking

Source: Bank for International Settlements

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today.¹

I have spent most of my career conducting research and overseeing research by others, first as a professor and later as a research director in the Federal Reserve System. More recently, I have been more of a consumer than a producer of research as a member of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). Eight times a year, the FOMC meets to set the appropriate stance of monetary policy to achieve the economic goals assigned to us by the U.S. Congress. We discuss where the economy stands in relation to those goals, how it is likely to evolve, and the implications for monetary policy. We examine hard statistical data, “soft” data in the form of surveys and input from business contacts, and other domestic and global factors.

Another vital input for central bankers is economic research. Nearly all central banks have a research group to help policymakers think through the effects of monetary policy on the economy. In the Federal Reserve, the 12 regional Reserve Banks and the Board of Governors have staffs that perform a variety of research activities. First and foremost, they use research to advise the Governors and Bank presidents on the appropriate path of monetary policy given current events. Second, they provide analysis of the global, U.S., and regional economies. Third, economists at the Reserve Banks meet with businesses in their Districts to discuss economic issues and to collect information about the local economy. Finally, there are research groups around the Federal Reserve System that focus on banking, payments, financial markets, financial stability, and community development.

The word “research” is used very loosely in everyday life. When I was a professor, my undergraduates would do “research” to write a term paper. When I go on vacation, I often do “research” on what to do or see at my destination. Analysts at financial institutions do “research” on individual firms or sectors of the economy. For today’s talk, I narrow in on the types of research done at central banks, with a focus on the Federal Reserve.

Research at the Federal Reserve

Research is a vital input for providing state-of-the-art advice to policymakers within the Federal Reserve System. Because the Fed is accountable to the public, policymakers must be able to explain why certain actions were taken and describe the intellectual foundations underlying those decisions. Decisions are analyzed, discussed, and criticized by many, in particular by highly skilled and knowledgeable academic researchers. Top academics are on the cutting edge of research, particularly on the subject of monetary policy. Milton Friedman, Allan Meltzer, Robert Lucas, John Taylor, and Michael Woodford are just a few examples of academic scholars who challenged central bankers over the past 70 years on how monetary policy should be conducted. Central banks must be up to the challenge and be able to debate and compete with these academics in the world of theory and ideas.

To do that requires hiring central bank economists who are trained in the academic research tradition and continue working at the research frontier. And that means pursing academic research at central banks. Our decisions will be better if we hire motivated and well-trained economists and let them work on the big questions that economics seeks to answer. The Federal Reserve tries to create a strong academic research environment to attract strong researchers to work at the Federal Reserve to give us a better foundation for the decisions we make.

When I was research director at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, I told our board of directors that my goal was to build a department that was renowned for producing high-quality academic research. They often responded by saying, “But the Federal Reserve is not a university. Rather than doing academic research, why isn’t your staff doing research on issues that you direct them to work on that helps the president of the Bank?” This is a great question and one that should be asked at every central bank. To answer that question, I would start by explaining the difference between academic research and directed research, which I will now do today. Once I have, it will be clear that directed research relies on its grounding in academic research and is a complement to directed research in supporting policymaking.

Academic Research

Academic research considers a broad range of economic matters. It often focuses on issues that are currently off the radar screens of policymakers who are focused on the near-term economic outlook. But there is value in thinking broadly. Not too long ago, trade policy and tariffs were not a major concern of policymakers. A critical aspect of academic research is that it is often “proactive”-it focuses on intellectually interesting issues often before they become relevant for monetary policy.

Academic research conducted by Federal Reserve economists is often done with the goal of publishing it in academic journals. Papers submitted to these journals go through a rigorous vetting process by economists outside the central bank. This serves as an important check on central bank “group think.” The ideas and conclusions of the paper must be based on sound economic theory and empirical evidence. They cannot reflect dogma or outdated beliefs about how the economy operates.

Academic research can take the form of an evaluation of major economic events, sometimes called an “economic autopsy.” This type of analysis can take years, and it’s not particularly time sensitive. To this day, economists are still researching the causes of the 2008 financial crisis and how policies undertaken at that time helped or hindered the subsequent economic recovery.

Directed Research

Then there is directed research. Directed research is just that-an issue or policy problem that staff economists are told to work on by their supervisors. It is not unrestricted thinking about an issue. Often, directed research addresses an emerging topic that demands attention from policymakers. As a result, directed research is usually reactive in nature. It often has the feel of firefighting-an issue flares up, and policymakers must respond. They need analysis of the problem to think about the issue and how to act. For example, the April 2 tariff announcement was larger and more extensive than nearly anyone expected. Immediately, questions were asked of staff around the Federal Reserve System such as, “What will this do to the U.S. economy? What will happen to inflation and unemployment?” The answers to these questions are obviously time sensitive.

Directed research often involves running shocks though existing economic models or quick data analysis and it relies on existing economic research. One could call the results “quick and dirty” answers. Because this work is time sensitive, central bank researchers do not have the luxury of getting their directed research vetted by the economics profession. They simply figure out how the current issue can be incorporated into the models or analyzed with econometrics, and whatever answer comes out is the best they can do in the time they have.

Because directed research is often reactive and time sensitive, researchers must rely on existing published research as a key input into their analysis. You cannot come up with original or innovative models on the spot to deal with an issue that suddenly appears. And, on the data front, you may not have the time to look deeply at the microdata. In these situations, existing academic research done by central bank economists and by academics outside the central bank provides the foundation for conducting the directed research. This is why I say that academic research is a complement to directed research. Good directed research requires academic research. Furthermore, postmortem analysis is not always done after directed research is completed. Once the issue goes off policymakers’ radar screens, it might not be looked at again. If the issue resurfaces at a later date, then there may be some postmortem investigation into earlier analyses to see what went right and what went wrong.

Finally, directed research sometimes takes the form of analysis involving the gathering and organizing of facts and data to generate a simple narrative for less specialized audiences. The Beige Book-which is a survey of regional economic conditions done by the Reserve Banks-is a clear example. But it also takes other forms, such as talks by research economists to private-sector audiences, presentations to the Reserve Bank boards of directors, or writing about timely topics in short economic posts.

History of Research at the Federal Reserve

Economic research has shaped monetary policy at the Federal Reserve from its very beginnings, but the form and use of that research has varied considerably over time. I do not have the time today to give this topic the justice it deserves. But I will touch on a few historical highlights. During the early decades of the Federal Reserve System, “research” at the Fed was largely limited to the collection of statistics, only some of which were published by the Fed and other government agencies. At the Reserve Banks, the focus was often on measuring and reporting on regional economies or sectors.² Monetary policy decisions were made using policy frameworks that were often not tested in the rigorous and scientific ways associated with economic research today. For example, in the 1920s, the Federal Reserve adhered to the “real bills” doctrine that called for providing liquidity to businesses when it was demanded during expansions and contracting credit when demand for it fell during times of slowing growth.³ This, of course, is often exactly the opposite of what monetary policy should do to either control inflation in an overheating economy or support economic activity in a slowdown.

Up until the 1950s, journal-oriented economic research in the Federal Reserve System was quite limited. But a big increase took place in the 1950s, when the Reserve Bank presidents became much more involved in monetary policy decisions.⁴ Before that, Bank presidents focused mainly on local operations and discount window policy. But once they became more involved in national-level policymaking decisions, their new responsibilities required them to have more specialized research staff who were trained in modern economic theory and data methods. The creation and development of professional research departments led to a greater debate within the Federal Reserve and among outside academics as to how monetary policy should be conducted.

In the 1960s, Keynesian macroeconomic theory was the dominant paradigm in policymaking, and large-scale econometric models were being developed to provide quantitative analysis of monetary policy. The Board of Governors led the way by hiring Ph.D. economists from academia to develop and use these Keynesian models and econometric techniques to aid policymakers. This was an important first step in raising the skill level of research staff to match that of top academics.

But the beauty of the Federal Reserve’s structure is that alternative macroeconomic frameworks and theories could be developed in the rest of the System. And the first example of an alternative view of monetary policy was developed by research economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and became a force to be reckoned with.

In the early 1970s, after inflation failed to fall as much as expected in a slow economy, Fed Chairman Arthur Burns came to believe that inflation was very little affected by economic slack and was instead a structural problem that could only be dealt with through wage and price controls.⁵ Board models typically viewed the 1970s inflation as being driven by special factors that were outside the influence of monetary policy. In contrast, at the St. Louis Fed, monetarism was the dominant paradigm in thinking about monetary policy. The Bank’s researchers believed the 1970s inflation was driven by excessive monetary growth.⁶ This led to a vigorous debate throughout the 1970s between Board staff and St. Louis Fed economists over the sources of inflation and how to bring it back down. At the end of the 1970s, Paul Volcker became Chair of the Federal Reserve and essentially adopted the St. Louis monetarist position of halting monetary growth to bring inflation under control. He announced a fundamental change in the Fed’s policy approach, vowing to bring inflation down by adopting strict monetary growth targeting. Volcker succeeded, but at the cost of causing a severe recession.

In the 1980s, the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis became a dominant force in monetary policy research by proposing new economic theories and policy frameworks. In association with economists at the University of Minnesota and the University of Chicago, researchers at the Minneapolis Fed explored how rational expectations would affect the transmission channel of monetary policy. Up until then, Fed forecasting models assumed that individuals had adaptive expectations, meaning they were purely backward looking. This meant that the Board’s econometric models didn’t account for policy actions that were announced in advance but hadn’t taken effect yet. If households and firms did understand how current policy actions and announcements would affect future outcomes, they would react in ways that didn’t match the predictions of the Board’s forecasting models. This would lead to significant errors in the guidance that the staff provided to policymakers.

A critical finding of all this research was that private agents’ inflation expectations were forward looking-they would adjust to promises, and failures, of central bankers to keep inflation low and stable. If people didn’t believe a central bank’s promise to keep inflation low, then the central bank lacked credibility. This would cause inflation expectations to increase, which would lead to demands for higher nominal wages, thereby feeding future inflation. It is now widely believed that this was a key problem that Volcker faced: His promises to bring inflation down were not fully credible, as they came after the Fed’s uneven efforts at fighting inflation over the previous decade. Research on monetary policy, along with the experience of the Volcker years, led to the concepts of “credibility” and “stable inflation expectations” becoming central parts of how every central bank enacts policy.

A key innovation at the Minneapolis Fed that led to this explosion of fundamental macroeconomic research was creating strong research links between Fed researchers and academics at the University of Minnesota. Instead of being on opposite sides of the fence, the idea was to have Fed researchers and academics work together side by side. This frequent interaction led to the type of rigorous debate between academics and Fed researchers that I discussed earlier. As a result, more rigorous and sound monetary policy frameworks were developed over the next several decades. The success of this close interaction between academics and Fed researchers led most Federal Reserve Banks and the Board of Governors to adopt similar relationships that continue to this day.

Another example of the value of economic research came with the onset of the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, the worst since the Great Depression. As it happened, the Fed Chair at the time was one of the world’s leading experts on that period, Ben Bernanke. He drew heavily on his and others’ research on the 1930s, and related work on Japan’s crisis and slow growth in the 1990s and 2000s, to help fashion new monetary policy tools to combat the downturn, including quantitative easing and extended forward guidance.⁷

Does this suggest that central bank policymakers should all be Ph.D. economists and have a record of journal publications? Of course not-there are other skills and work experiences needed in the policy sphere, and the Fed has economists and non-economists among its policymakers. Before the 1990s, very few policymakers were Ph.D. economists, and those who were usually did not have academic records in research; instead, policymakers typically had backgrounds in financial markets or the law.⁸ In contrast, since the 1990s, key policymaking roles in central banks around the world have been filled by Ph.D. economists with an academic research background. Today, 10 of the 19 FOMC policymakers are Ph.D. economists. The experience of these economists further embeds economic research into monetary policymaking and strengthens the decisions that are made.

In conclusion, I expect research to remain an important part of policymaking at the Fed and other central banks. I believe that the insights provided by this research can further our understanding of the economy and improve monetary policymaking.

MIL OSI Economics –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: HSE Oriental Studies students accompanied foreign delegations to the anniversary Victory Parade

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

In early May, official delegations from all over the world arrived in the Russian capital for the Victory Day celebrations. Volunteers were brought in to meet and accompany the distinguished guests, including students from the OP “Oriental Studies” Faculty of World Economy and World Politics (FMEiMP) HSE Natalia Kulakova (3rd year) and Polina Slobodenko (1st year), as well as Anton Klyuev, a 2024 graduate of the same program, visiting lecturer Schools of Oriental Studies HSE.

Volunteers acted as translators and assistants, ensuring the high-ranking guests had a comfortable stay in the capital.

Natalia Kulakova and Polina Slobodenko worked with the delegation from the People’s Republic of China, and Anton Klyuev joined in accompanying the Palestinian delegation. The HSE students not only provided language support, but also participated in a volunteer program, collaborating with liaison officers of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“The HSE motto “Not for school, but for life” is not just words. It is our approach to relations with the world. The opportunity, as a student, to apply your knowledge, to feel professional life, to see how history is made, from the inside, and not in the news feed – this is not just interesting. Such moments allow you to better understand yourself, what you want to do, what inspires you,” commented Anastasia Likhacheva, Dean of the Faculty of World Economy and International Relations at HSE.

She also added that it is necessary to try professional life as early as possible and that HSE provides such opportunities. At the Faculty of World Economy and World Politics, this is considered one of the priority tasks.

“I learned about volunteering from friends, participation in such an event is professional experience for me, so I was happy to join the volunteer corps. I attended a planning meeting, passed an interview – and I was sent to accompany the delegation of the PRC,” shared Natalia Kulakova.

The student also said that she had to help representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs accompany delegations, mainly at the hotel. “I was pleased with the opportunity to feel the kitchen from the inside. This is an invaluable experience of working with foreign delegations,” she believes.

Before participating in the volunteer project, Polina and Natalia were not acquainted. “We had no problems with work communication. Together with representatives of the embassy in Moscow, we followed the Victory Parade ceremony, we told foreign guests in detail what was happening on the screen,” shared Polina Slobodenko.

Polina has been studying Chinese for a long time and says that she was interested in observing the processes that took place inside the delegations. “What was the process of preparing the motorcades and the reaction of foreign students who were waiting for their country’s delegation to leave on the street worth,” Polina explained.

She is confident that such events can help students, especially juniors, to get in touch with the region they are studying during their studies at the university and gain excellent experience in intercultural communication at a high level. “In addition to achieving professional goals, participation in such events allows us to make a small contribution to the celebration of such an important memorable date for our country,” the student added.

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 –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: President Lai meets and hosts luncheon for delegation led by Governor Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero of Guam

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Details
2025-05-27
President Lai meets delegation from European Parliament
On the morning of May 27, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation from the European Parliament. In remarks, President Lai thanked the European Parliament for continuing to pay close attention to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and voice support for Taiwan. The president expressed hope for an even closer relationship and diversified cooperation between Taiwan and the European Union. The president said that Taiwan and the EU can work together in such areas as semiconductors, AI, and green energy to create more resilient supply chains for global democracies and contribute to global prosperity and development. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I warmly welcome our guests to the Presidential Office. After being elected last year, MEPs Reinis Pozņaks and Beatrice Timgren are making their first visits to Taiwan, demonstrating support for Taiwan through concrete action. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend my sincerest welcome and appreciation. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the European Parliament for continuing to pay close attention to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Just last month, the European Parliament adopted resolutions with regard to annual reports on the implementation of the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and Common Security and Defence Policy. These resolutions reaffirmed the EU’s steadfast commitment to maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. The European Parliament also condemned China for continuing to take provocative military actions against Taiwan and emphasized that Taiwan is a key democratic partner in the Indo-Pacific region. It called on the EU and its member states to continue working closely with Taiwan to strengthen economic, trade, and investment ties. Once again, I thank the European Parliament for voicing support for Taiwan. Just as MEPs Pozņaks and Timgren are visiting Taiwan to strengthen Taiwan-EU exchanges, our Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Jyh-huei (郭智輝) also led a delegation to Europe last year, marking the first in-person dialogue between high-ranking economic and trade officials of Taiwan and the EU. Moving ahead, we look forward to bringing Taiwan-EU ties even closer and to diversifying our cooperation. The EU is Taiwan’s largest source of foreign investment. Both sides are highly complementary in such areas as semiconductors, AI, and green energy. Through our joint efforts, we can create more resilient supply chains for global democracies and further contribute to global prosperity and development. Looking ahead, I hope that MEPs Pozņaks and Timgren will continue to make the case in the European Parliament for the signing of a Taiwan-EU economic partnership agreement. This would not only yield mutually beneficial development, but also consolidate economic security and boost international competitiveness for both sides. In closing, I am sure that you will gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan through this visit. Please feel welcome to come back as often as possible as we continue to elevate Taiwan-EU ties. MEP Pozņaks then delivered remarks, saying that it is a great honor to be here and thanking everybody involved in arranging this trip that allows them the opportunity to better know Taiwan. He added that it is definitely not the last time they will be here, as Taiwan is a very beautiful country. MEP Pozņaks mentioned that he comes from Latvia, and despite their being on the other side of the world, they know how the Taiwanese people feel, because they also have a big neighbor who is claiming that Latvia belongs to them. Unfortunately, he said, there is already war in Europe, but he is confident that their situation is similar to Taiwan’s, adding that they have a neighbor who uses disinformation attacks. MEP Pozņaks said that we live in very challenging times, and that our choices will define the future of the world, asking whether it will be a world where the rule of law prevails or where physical power and aggression succeeds. Coming from a small country, he said he clearly understands that for them there is no other possibility; they must protect the world where the rule of law prevails. That is why now, he emphasized, it is very crucial for all democracies around the world to stick together to protect our freedoms, values, and democracy. MEP Timgren then delivered remarks, thanking President Lai for meeting with them and saying it is a big honor. Noting that they arrived here two days ago and that while she really loves Taiwan, its food, and the good weather, she stated that the reason they are here is because of the values that we share, our good relationships, and solidarity with other democratic countries in the world, which is important for them in Europe and in Sweden. MEP Timgren, referring to MEP Pozņaks’s earlier remarks, said that they face a big threat from Russia that is discernible even in the European Parliament. Actually, she pointed out, there is a war inside Europe that shows us how important it is that we support one another. She said that the Russian people thought it would be easy to take over Ukraine, but it was not, because all European countries stepped up and provided weapons and support. And that is why, MEP Timgren said, it is important that democratic countries maintain good relationships and let China and Russia see that we have good relationships, because a part of defense is solidarity. In closing, she expressed her gratitude for having the honor to be here in this beautiful country.

Details
2025-05-20
President Lai hosts state banquet for President Surangel Whipps Jr. of Republic of Palau
On the evening of May 20, President Lai Ching-te, accompanied by Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao, hosted a state banquet at the Presidential Office in honor of President Surangel Whipps Jr. of the Republic of Palau and his wife. In remarks, President Lai said that he looks forward to working closely with President Whipps to promote tourism exchanges and sports cooperation so that Taiwan and Palau shine brightly together on the international stage. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: It is a pleasure to host this banquet tonight at the Presidential Office for President Whipps, First Lady Valerie Whipps, and the esteemed members of their delegation. Welcome to Taiwan. During my trips to Palau in 2022 and last year, President and First Lady Whipps received me with great hospitality. Wearing my island shirt, I enjoyed a very friendly reception from the people of Palau. It felt warm and friendly, just like being welcomed back home. The first time I visited Palau, President Whipps and I piloted a boat to the Milky Way lagoon. We both tried volcanic mud facial masks. We also fished together and enjoyed the breeze as we walked on the beach. Last year, on my second visit to Palau, I was honored to be invited to address the National Congress. I also observed the results of the close bilateral cooperation between our two nations. Due to its world-famous ocean scenery, Palau is sometimes referred to as “God’s aquarium.” And it is even possible to snorkel with sharks. It leaves a deep impression. Nothing compares to seeing Palau firsthand. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan and Palau launched a travel bubble that created a safe means of travel. Now, with the pandemic behind us, I hope that even more Taiwanese can tour Palau and gain a greater understanding of our diplomatic ally. In addition to tourism exchanges, I mentioned on my visit to Palau last year that I hoped Taiwan and Palau could promote sports cooperation by providing training away from home. Next month, Palau will be holding the Pacific Mini Games. And right now, Palau’s national baseball and table tennis teams are holding training sessions here in Taiwan. We will do our utmost to support Palau’s national players and we hope they stand out and achieve outstanding results in the events. I look forward to working closely with President Whipps so that Taiwan and Palau shine brightly together on the international stage. Thank you! Mesulang! President Whipps then delivered remarks, saying that it is truly an honor to be here once again one year after President Lai’s inauguration. Mentioning that this is his first state visit after being reelected to a second term, he said that it is important to be here among friends, and that we are more than friends, we are family. He thanked President Lai for the generous words and, most importantly, Taiwan’s enduring support. He remarked that our relationship continues to get stronger in each passing year. President Whipps said that President Lai’s diplomacy initiative, leadership, and vision deeply resonate with them. Diplomacy must be rooted in our shared values, he said, and an unwavering support for our allies and a commitment to a sustainable, inclusive development are all deeply appreciated by their people. President Whipps emphasized that, as we look into the future and the challenges that we face, from security to climate change, it is so important that we are united. He added that it is important for the world, and especially important for them in Palau, that they stand up for Taiwan, so that Taiwan can participate on international fora that address climate change, security, and health, because they know the world is better when Taiwan has a seat at the table. Mentioning that Palau will host the Pacific Islands Forum next year, President Whipps said that Palau remains committed to working closely with Taiwan to ensure a successful event, and that they will continue to speak up for Taiwan’s indispensable contributions as we stand together against any efforts to silence or isolate democratic partners. President Whipps said that our nations have navigated challenges and emerged stronger, bound by a partnership that is built on trust, respect, and hope for a better world. Whether it is in clean energy, education, smart medicine, or tourism, our shared journey is just beginning, he said, and we are stronger together. Also in attendance at the banquet were Palauan Minister of State Gustav Aitaro, Minister of Public Infrastructure and Industries Charles Obichang, Minister of Human Resources, Culture, Tourism and Development Ngiraibelas Tmetuchl, Senate Floor Leader Kerai Mariur, House of Delegates Floor Leader Warren Umetaro, High Chief of Ngiwal State Elliot Udui, Governor of Peleliu State Emais Roberts, and Governor of Koror State Eyos Rudimch.

Details
2025-05-20
President Lai and President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. of Palau hold bilateral talks and witness signing of cooperation agreements
On the afternoon of May 20, following a welcome ceremony with military honors for President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. of the Republic of Palau and his wife, President Lai Ching-te, accompanied by Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao, held bilateral talks with President Whipps at the Presidential Office. The two leaders also jointly witnessed the signing of a technical cooperation agreement and an agreement on diplomatic staff training cooperation. In remarks, President Lai thanked Palau for standing firm in its backing of Taiwan’s international participation as geopolitical tensions continue to increase in the Pacific region. He added that he looks forward to the cooperative ties between Taiwan and Palau continuing to expand into even broader areas, allowing our economies and societies to further progress as we jointly advance peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I welcome our guests to Taiwan once again. Last year on May 20, President Whipps led a delegation to attend the inauguration ceremony for myself and Vice President Hsiao. I am delighted, on the anniversary of my first year in office, to meet with old friends of Taiwan again, as President Whipps returns for this visit. Taiwan-Palau relations have grown even closer in recent years thanks to the strong support of President Whipps. In 2022, during my term as vice president, I led a delegation to Palau as a demonstration of how our nations were together boosting tourism development as we jointly faced the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Every time I visit Palau, and every time I meet with President Whipps, I feel very deeply that Taiwan and Palau are like family. We are both maritime nations and share a common Austronesian heritage and culture. We are also staunch partners in upholding such values as freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights. Last December, when I went on my first overseas trip since taking office, one of the nations I visited was Palau. We celebrated the 30th anniversary of Palau’s independence and 25 years of diplomatic relations, underscoring our friendly ties. Taiwan and Palau enjoy close exchanges and cooperation in a range of areas, including climate change, education, agriculture and fisheries, healthcare, humanitarian assistance, sports, and culture. After this meeting, President Whipps and I will witness the signing of a technical cooperation agreement and an agreement on diplomatic staff training cooperation, demonstrating once again our diverse collaboration and strong friendship. I believe that by working together, Taiwan and Palau can contribute to each other’s development and overcome the regional and global challenges we currently face. In particular, as geopolitical tensions continue to increase in the Pacific region, Palau has wisely and courageously upheld democratic values and stood firm in its backing of Taiwan’s international participation. Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan, including at the United Nations General Assembly, the World Health Organization, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties, and the UN Ocean Conference. We have been deeply moved by this support. I thank President Whipps again for his high regard and support for Taiwan. I look forward to the cooperative ties between our nations continuing to expand into even broader areas. This will allow our economies and societies to further progress as we jointly advance peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. President Whipps then delivered remarks, saying that it is a great honor for him to be here, standing in this historic place – a symbol of strength, resilience, and the democratic spirit of the Taiwanese people. On behalf of the government of Palau, President Whipps extended heartfelt gratitude to President Lai and the people of Taiwan for the warm welcome and gracious hospitality toward him and his delegation. President Whipps then extended sincere thanks for President Lai’s visit to Palau in December – his second visit to Palau – and for having Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) attend his inauguration as a special envoy. He added that this also marks his third visit to Taiwan since President Lai took office, saying that this demonstrates the strength of our growing relationship. President Whipps indicated that the increased engagements and numerous entrepreneurs that President Lai has brought from Taiwan to Palau have resulted in fruitful visits, and that President Lai’s leadership represents hope, unity, and continued advancement of democracy and freedom, not only for Taiwan, but for the broader Indo-Pacific region. President Whipps went on to say that this visit to Taiwan reaffirms our deep friendship and shared values between our two nations. He emphasized that Palau and Taiwan are bound not by proximity, but by purpose, in that both are island nations and believe in human dignity, the rule of law, and the right of our people to determine their own futures. President Whipps stated that although we are celebrating 26 years of diplomatic relations, Taiwan has been a steadfast partner of Palau for decades, and that one of the MOUs they are signing further extends the relationship that began in December of 1984. From healthcare and medical missions, to education, agriculture, renewable energy, infrastructure, the private sector, tourism development, and climate resilience, he said, our cooperation has improved lives and strengthened our communities. The president also indicated that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan stood with Palau, noting that both sides began the tourism bubble, and that President Lai came to Palau to reopen the two weekly direct flights that have now been increased to four. That solidarity will never be forgotten, he said. As the world faces growing uncertainty and complex challenges from climate change to global tensions, President Whipps said, this friendship becomes even more vital. The president concluded his remarks by expressing hope that both nations continue to stand together, work together, and advocate together for peace, prosperity, and for the right of small nations to be seen, heard, and respected. After the bilateral talks, President Lai and President Whipps witnessed the signing of the technical cooperation agreement and the agreement on diplomatic staff training cooperation by Minister Lin and Palauan Minister of State Gustav Aitaro. The delegation also included Palauan Minister of Public Infrastructure and Industries Charles Obichang, Minister of Human Resources, Culture, Tourism and Development Ngiraibelas Tmetuchl, Senate Floor Leader Kerai Mariur, House of Delegates Floor Leader Warren Umetaro, High Chief of Ngiwal State Elliot Udui, Governor of Peleliu State Emais Roberts, and Governor of Koror State Eyos Rudimch.

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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.

Details
2025-05-13
President Lai interviewed by Japan’s Nikkei
In a recent interview with Japan’s Nikkei, President Lai Ching-te responded to questions regarding Taiwan-Japan and Taiwan-United States relations, cross-strait relations, the semiconductor industry, and the international economic and trade landscape. The interview was published by Nikkei on May 13. President Lai indicated that Nikkei, Inc. is a global news organization that has received significant recognition both domestically and internationally, and that he is deeply honored to be interviewed by Nikkei and grateful for their invitation. The president said that he would like to take this rare opportunity to thank Japan’s government, National Diet, society, and public for their longstanding support for Taiwan. Noting that current Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio have all strongly supported Taiwan, he said that the peoples of Taiwan and Japan also have a deep mutual affection, and that through the interview, he hopes to enhance the bilateral relationship between Taiwan and Japan, deepen the affection between our peoples, and foster more future cooperation to promote prosperity and development in both countries. In response to questions raised on the free trade system and the recent tariff war, President Lai indicated that over the past few decades, the free economy headed by the Western world and led by the US has brought economic prosperity and political stability to Taiwan and Japan. At the same time, he said, we have also learned or followed many Western values. The president said he believes that Taiwan and Japan are exemplary students, but some countries are not. Therefore, he said, the biggest crisis right now is China, which exploits the free trade system to engage in plagiarism and counterfeiting, infringe on intellectual property rights, and even provide massive government subsidies that facilitate the dumping of low-priced goods worldwide, which has a major impact on many countries including Japan and Taiwan. If this kind of unfair trade is not resolved, he said, the stable societies and economic prosperity we have painstakingly built over decades, as well as some of the values we pursue, could be destroyed. Therefore, President Lai said he thinks it is worthwhile for us to observe the recent willingness of the US to address unfair trade, and if necessary, offer assistance. President Lai emphasized that the national strategic plan for Taiwanese industries is for them to be rooted in Taiwan while expanding their global presence and marketing worldwide. Therefore, he said, while the 32 percent tariff increase imposed by the US on Taiwan is indeed a major challenge, we are willing to address it seriously and find opportunities within that challenge, making Taiwan’s strategic plan for industry even more comprehensive. When asked about Taiwan’s trade arrangements, President Lai indicated that in 2010 China accounted for 83.8 percent of Taiwan’s outbound investment, but last year it accounted for only 7.5 percent. In 2020, he went on, 43.9 percent of Taiwan’s exports went to China, but that figure dropped to 31.7 percent in 2024. The president said that we have systematically transferred investments from Taiwanese enterprises to Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the US. Therefore, he said, last year Taiwan’s largest outbound investment was in the US, accounting for roughly 40 percent of the total. Nevertheless, only 23.4 percent of Taiwanese products were sold to the US, with 76.6 percent sold to places other than the US, he said. The president emphasized that we don’t want to put all our eggs in one basket, and hope to establish a global presence. Under these circumstances, he said, Taiwan is very eager to cooperate with Japan. President Lai stated that at this moment, the Indo-Pacific and international community really need Japan’s leadership, especially to make the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) excel in its functions, and also requested Japan to support Taiwan’s CPTPP accession. The president said that Taiwan hopes to sign an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Japan to build closer ties in economic trade and promote further investment, and that we also hope to strengthen relations with the European Union, and even other regions. Currently, he said, we are proposing an initiative on global semiconductor supply chain partnerships for democracies, because the semiconductor industry is an ecosystem. The president raised the example that Japan has materials, equipment, and technology; the US has IC design and marketing; Taiwan has production and manufacturing; and the Netherlands excels in equipment, saying we therefore hope to leverage Taiwan’s advantages in production and manufacturing to connect the democratic community and establish a global non-red supply chain for semiconductors, ensuring further world prosperity and development in the future, and ensuring that free trade can continue to function without being affected by dumping, which would undermine future prosperity and development. The president stated that as we want industries to expand their global presence and market internationally while staying rooted here in Taiwan, having industries rooted in Taiwan involves promoting pay raises for employees, tax cuts, and deregulation, as well as promoting enterprise investment tax credits. He said that we have also proposed Three Major Programs for Investing in Taiwan for Taiwanese enterprises and are actively resolving issues regarding access to water, electricity, land, human resources, and professional talent so that the business community can return to Taiwan to invest, or enterprises in Taiwan can increase their investments. He went on to say that we are also actively signing bilateral investment agreements with friends and allies so that when our companies invest and expand their presence abroad, their rights and interests as investors are ensured. President Lai mentioned that Taiwan hopes to sign an EPA with Japan, similar to the Taiwan-US Initiative on 21st-Century Trade and the Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue, or the Enhanced Trade Partnership arrangement with the United Kingdom, or similar agreements or memorandums of understanding with Canada and Australia that allow Taiwanese products to be marketed worldwide, concluding that those are our overall arrangements. Looking at the history of Taiwan’s industrial development, President Lai indicated, of course it began in Taiwan, and then moved west to China and south to Southeast Asia. He said that we hope to take this opportunity to strengthen cooperation with Japan to the north, across the Pacific Ocean to the east, and develop the North American market, making Taiwan’s industries even stronger. In other words, he said, while Taiwan sees the current reciprocal tariffs imposed by the US as a kind of challenge, it also views these changes positively. On the topic of pressure from China affecting Taiwan’s participation in international frameworks such as the CPTPP or its signing of an EPA with Japan, President Lai responded that the key point is what kind of attitude we should adopt in viewing China’s acts of oppression. If we act based on our belief in free trade, he said, or on the universal values we pursue – democracy, freedom, and respect for human rights – and also on the understanding that a bilateral trade agreement between Taiwan and Japan would contribute to the economic prosperity and development of both countries, or that Taiwan’s accession to the CPTPP would benefit progress and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, then he hopes that friends and allies will strongly support us. On the Trump administration’s intentions regarding the reciprocal tariff policy and the possibility of taxing semiconductors, as well as how Taiwan plans to respond, President Lai said that since President Trump took office, he has paid close attention to interviews with both him and his staff. The president said that several of President Trump’s main intentions are: First, he wants to address the US fiscal situation. For example, President Lai said, while the US GDP is about US$29 trillion annually, its national debt stands at US$36 trillion, which is roughly 124 percent of GDP. Second, he went on, annual government spending exceeds US$6.5 trillion, but revenues are only around US$4.5 trillion, resulting in a nearly US$2 trillion deficit each year, about 7 percent of GDP. Third, he said, the US pays nearly US$1.2 trillion in interest annually, which exceeds the US$1 trillion defense budget and accounts for more than 3 percent of GDP. Fourth, President Trump still wants to implement tax cuts, aiming to reduce taxes for 85 percent of Americans, he said, noting that this would cost between US$500 billion and US$1 trillion. These points, President Lai said, illustrate his first goal: solving the fiscal problem. President Lai went on to say that second, the US feels the threat of China and believes that reindustrialization is essential; without reindustrialization, the US risks a growing gap in industrial capacity compared to China. Third, he said, in this era of global smart technology, President Trump wants to lead the nation to become a world center of AI. Fourth, he aims to ensure world peace and prevent future wars, President Lai said. In regard to what the US seeks to achieve, he said he believes these four areas form the core of the Trump administration’s intentions, and that is why President Trump has raised tariffs, demanded that trading partners purchase more American goods, and encouraged friendly and allied nations to invest in the US, all in order to achieve these goals. President Lai indicated that the 32 percent reciprocal tariff poses a critical challenge for Taiwan, and we must treat it seriously. He said that our approach is not confrontation, but negotiation to reduce tariffs, and that we have also agreed to measures such as procurement, investment, resolving non-tariff trade barriers, and addressing origin washing in order to effectively reduce the trade deficit between Taiwan and the US. Of course, he said, through this negotiation process, we also hope to turn challenges into opportunities. The president said that first, we aim to start negotiations from the proposal of zero tariffs and seek to establish a bilateral trade agreement with the US. Second, he went on, we hope to support US reindustrialization and its aim to become a world AI hub through investment, while simultaneously upgrading and transforming Taiwan’s industries, which would help further integrate Taiwan’s industries into the US economic structure, ensuring Taiwan’s long-term development. President Lai emphasized again that Taiwan’s national industrial strategy is for industries to stay firmly rooted in Taiwan while expanding their global presence and marketing worldwide. He repeated that we have gone from moving westward across the Taiwan Strait, to shifting southbound, to working closer northward with Japan, and now the time is ripe for us to expand eastward by investing in North America. In other words, he said, while we take this challenge seriously to protect national interests and ensure that no industry is sacrificed, we also hope these negotiations will lead to deeper Taiwan-US trade relations through Taiwanese investment in the US, concluding that these are our expectations. The president stated that naturally, the reciprocal tariffs imposed by the US will have an impact on Taiwanese industries, so in response, the Taiwanese government has already proposed support measures for affected industries totaling NT$93 billion. In addition, he said, we have outlined broader needs for Taiwan’s long-term development, which will be covered by a special budget proposal of NT$410 billion, noting that this has already been approved by the Executive Yuan and will be submitted to the Legislative Yuan for review. He said that this special budget proposal addresses four main areas: supporting industries, stabilizing employment, protecting people’s livelihoods, and enhancing resilience. As for tariffs on semiconductors, President Lai said, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has committed to investing in the US at the request of its customers. He said he believes that TSMC’s industry chain will follow suit, and that these are concrete actions that are unrelated to tariffs. However, he said, if the US were to invoke Section 232 and impose tariffs on semiconductors or related industries, it would discourage Taiwanese semiconductor and ICT investments in the US, and that we will make this position clear to the US going forward. President Lai indicated that among Taiwan’s exports to the US, there are two main categories: ICT products and electronic components, which together account for 65.4 percent. These are essential to the US, he said, unlike final goods such as cups, tables, or mattresses. He went on to say that what Taiwan sells to the US are the technological products required by AI designers like NVIDIA, AMD, Amazon, Google, and Apple, and that therefore, we will make sure the US understands clearly that we are not exporting end products, but the high-tech components necessary for the US to reindustrialize and become a global AI center. Furthermore, the president said, Taiwan is also willing to increase its defense budget and military procurement. He stated that Taiwan is committed to defending itself and is strongly willing to cooperate with friends and allies to ensure regional peace and stability, and that this is also something President Trump hopes to see. Asked whether TSMC’s fabs overseas could weaken Taiwan’s strategic position as a key hub for semiconductor manufacturing, and whether that could then give other countries fewer incentives to protect Taiwan, President Lai responded by saying that political leaders around the world including Japan’s Prime Minister Ishiba and former Prime Ministers Abe, Suga, and Kishida have emphasized, at the G7 and other major international fora, that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are essential for global security and prosperity. In other words, he explained, the international community cares about Taiwan and supports peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait because Taiwan is located in the first island chain in the Indo-Pacific, directly facing China. He pointed out that if Taiwan is not protected, China’s expansionist ambitions will certainly grow, which would impact the current rules-based international order. Thus, he said, the international community willingly cares about Taiwan and supports stability in the Taiwan Strait – that is the reason, and it has no direct connection with TSMC. He noted that after all, TSMC has not made investments in that many countries, stressing that, on that point, it is clear. President Lai said that TSMC’s investments in Japan, Europe, and the US are all natural, normal economic and investment activities. He said that Taiwan is a democratic country whose society is based on the rule of law, so when Taiwanese companies need to invest around the world for business needs, the government will support those investments in principle so long as they do not harm national interests. President Lai said that after TSMC Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) held a press conference with President Trump to announce the investment in the US, Chairman Wei returned to Taiwan to hold a press conference with him at the Presidential Office, where the chairman explained to the Taiwanese public that TSMC’s R&D center will remain in Taiwan and that the facilities it has already committed to investing in here will not change and will not be affected. So, the president explained, to put it another way, TSMC will not be weakened by its investment in the US. He further emphasized that Taiwan has strengths in semiconductor manufacturing and is very willing to work alongside other democratic countries to promote the next stage of global prosperity and development. A question was raised about which side should be chosen between the US and China, under the current perception of a return to the Cold War, with East and West facing off as two opposing blocs. President Lai responded by saying that some experts and scholars describe the current situation as entering a new Cold War era between democratic and authoritarian camps; others assert that the war has already begun, including information warfare, economic and trade wars, and the ongoing wars in Europe – the Russo-Ukrainian War – and the Middle East, and the Israel-Hamas conflict. The president said that these are all matters experts have cautioned about, noting that he is not a historian and so will not attempt to define today’s political situation from an academic standpoint. However, he said, he believes that every country has a choice, which is to say, Taiwan, Japan, or any other nation does not necessarily have to choose between the US and China. What we are deciding, he said, is whether our country will maintain a democratic constitutional system or regress into an authoritarian regime, and this is essentially a choice of values – not merely a choice between two major powers. President Lai said that Taiwan’s situation is different from other countries because we face a direct threat from China. He pointed out that we have experienced military conflicts such as the August 23 Artillery Battle and the Battle of Guningtou – actual wars between the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China. He said that China’s ambition to annex Taiwan has never wavered, and that today, China’s political and military intimidation, as well as internal united front infiltration, are growing increasingly intense. Therefore, he underlined, to defend democracy and sovereignty, protect our free and democratic system, and ensure the safety of our people’s lives and property, Taiwan’s choice is clear. President Lai said that China’s military exercises are not limited to the Taiwan Strait, and include the East China Sea, South China Sea, and even the Sea of Japan, as well as areas around Korea and Australia. Emphasizing that Taiwan, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines are all democratic nations, the president said that Taiwan’s choice is clear, and that he believes Japan also has no other choice. We are all democratic countries, he said, whose people have long pursued the universal values of democracy, freedom, and respect for human rights, and that is what is most important. Regarding the intensifying tensions between the US and China, the president was asked what roles Taiwan and Japan can play. President Lai responded that in his view, Japan is a powerful nation, and he sincerely hopes that Japan can take a leading role amid these changes in the international landscape. He said he believes that countries in the Indo-Pacific region are also willing to respond. He suggested several areas where we can work together: first, democracy and peace; second, innovation and prosperity; and third, justice and sustainability. President Lai stated that in the face of authoritarian threats, we should let peace be our beacon and democracy our compass as we respond to the challenges posed by authoritarian states. Second, he added, as the world enters an era characterized by the comprehensive adoption of smart technologies, Japan and Taiwan should collaborate in the field of innovation to further drive regional prosperity and development. Third, he continued, is justice and sustainability. He explained that because international society still has many issues that need to be resolved, Taiwan and Japan can cooperate for the public good, helping countries in need around the world, and cooperating to address climate change and achieve net-zero transition by 2050. Asked whether he hopes that the US will continue to be a leader in the liberal democratic system, President Lai responded by saying that although the US severed diplomatic ties with the Republic of China, for the past few decades it has assisted Taiwan in various areas such as national defense, security, and countering threats from China, based on the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances. He pointed out that Taiwan has also benefited, directly and indirectly, in terms of politics, democracy, and economic prosperity thanks to the US, and so Taiwan naturally hopes that the US remains strong and continues to lead the world. President Lai said that when the US encounters difficulties, whether financial difficulties, reindustrialization issues, or becoming a global center for AI, and hopes to receive support from its friends and allies to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability, Taiwan is willing to stand together for a common cause. If the US remains strong, he said, that helps Taiwan, the Indo-Pacific region, and the world as a whole. Noting that while the vital role of the US on the global stage has not changed, the president said that after decades of shouldering global responsibilities, it has encountered some issues. Now, it has to make adjustments, he said, stating his firm belief that it will do so swiftly, and quickly resume its leadership role in the world. Asked to comment on remarks he made during his election campaign that he would like to invite China’s President Xi Jinping for bubble tea, President Lai responded that Taiwan is a peace-loving country, and Taiwanese society is inherently kind, and therefore we hope to get along peacefully with China, living in peace and mutual prosperity. So, during his term as vice president, he said, he was expressing the goodwill of Taiwanese society. Noting that while he of course understands that China’s President Xi would have certain difficulties in accepting this, he emphasized that the goodwill of Taiwanese society has always existed. If China reflects on the past two or three decades, he said, it will see that its economy was able to develop with Taiwan as its largest foreign investor. The president explained that every year, 1 to 2 million Taiwanese were starting businesses or investing in China, creating numerous job opportunities and stabilizing Chinese society. While many Taiwanese businesses have profited, he said, Chinese society has benefited even more. He added that every time a natural disaster occurs, if China is in need, Taiwanese always offer donations. Therefore, the president said, he hopes that China can face the reality of the Republic of China’s existence and understand that the people of Taiwan hope to continue living free and democratic lives with respect for human rights. He also expressed hope that China can pay attention to the goodwill of Taiwanese society. He underlined that we have not abandoned the notion that as long as there is parity, dignity, exchange, and cooperation, the goodwill of choosing dialogue over confrontation and exchange over containment will always exist. Asked for his view on the national security reforms in response to China’s espionage activities and infiltration attempts, President Lai said that China’s united front infiltration activities in Taiwan are indeed very serious. He said that China’s ambitions to annex Taiwan rely not only on the use of political and military intimidation, but also on its long-term united front and infiltration activities in Taiwanese society. Recently, he pointed out, the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office of the Ministry of Justice prosecuted 64 spies, which is three times the number in 2021, and in addition to active-duty military personnel, many retired military personnel were also indicted. Moreover, he added, Taiwan also has the Chinese Unification Promotion Party, which has a background in organized crime, Rehabilitation Alliance Party, which was established by retired military personnel, and Republic of China Taiwan Military Government, which is also composed of retired generals. He explained that these are all China’s front organizations, and they plan one day to engage in collaboration within Taiwan, which shows the seriousness of China’s infiltration in Taiwan. Therefore, the president said, in the recent past he convened a high-level national security meeting and proposed 17 response strategies across five areas. He then enumerated the five areas: first, to address China’s threat to Taiwan’s sovereignty; second, to respond to the threat of China’s obscuring the Taiwanese people’s sense of national identity; third, to respond to the threat of China’s infiltrating and recruiting members of the ROC Armed Forces as spies; fourth, to respond to the threat of China’s infiltration of Taiwanese society through societal exchanges and united front work; and fifth, to respond to the threat of China using “integration plans” to draw Taiwan’s young people and Taiwanese businesses into its united front activities. In response to these five major threats, he said, he has proposed 17 response strategies, one of which being to restore the military trial system. He explained that if active-duty military personnel commit military crimes, they must be subject to military trials, and said that this expresses the Taiwanese government’s determination to respond to China’s united front infiltration and the subversion of Taiwan. Responding to the question of which actions Taiwan can take to guard against China’s threats to regional security, President Lai said that many people are worried that the increasingly tense situation may lead to accidental conflict and the outbreak of war. He stated his own view that Taiwan is committed to facing China’s various threats with caution. Taiwan is never the source of these problems, he emphasized, and if there is an accidental conflict and it turns into a full-scale war, it will certainly be a deliberate act by China using an accidental conflict as a pretext. He said that when China expanded its military presence in the East China Sea and South China Sea, the international community did not stop it; when China conducted exercises in the Taiwan Strait, the international community did not take strong measures to prevent this from happening. Now, he continued, China is conducting gray-zone exercises, which are aggressions against not only the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, and the East China Sea, but also extending to the Sea of Japan and waters near South Korea. He said that at this moment, Taiwan, the Philippines, Japan, and even the US should face these developments candidly and seriously, and we must exhibit unity and cooperation to prevent China’s gray-zone aggression from continuing to expand and prevent China from shifting from a military exercise to combat. If no action is taken now, the president said, the situation may become increasingly serious. Asked about the view of some US analysts who point out that China will have the ability to invade Taiwan around 2027, President Lai responded that Taiwan, as the country on the receiving end of threats and aggression, must plan for the worst and make the best preparations. He recalled a famous saying from the armed forces: “Do not count on the enemy not showing up; count on being ready should it strike.” This is why, he said, he proposed the Four Pillars of Peace action plan. First, he said, we must strengthen our national defense. Second, he added, we must strengthen economic resilience, adding that not only must our economy remain strong, but it must also be resilient, and that we cannot put all our eggs in the same basket, in China, as we have done in the past. Third, he continued, we must stand shoulder to shoulder with friends and allies such as Japan and the US, as well as the democratic community, and we must demonstrate the strength of deterrence to prevent China from making the wrong judgment. Fourth, he emphasized, as long as China treats Taiwan with parity and dignity, Taiwan is willing to conduct exchanges and cooperate with China and seek cross-strait peace and mutual prosperity through exchanges and cooperation. Regarding intensifying US-China confrontation, the president was asked in which areas he thinks Taiwan and Japan should strengthen cooperation; with Japan’s Ishiba administration also being a minority government, the president was asked for his expectations for the Ishiba administration. President Lai said that in the face of rapid and tremendous changes in the political situation, every government faces considerable challenges, especially for minority governments, but the Japanese government led by Prime Minister Ishiba has quite adequately responded with various strategies. Furthermore, he said, Japan is different from Taiwan, explaining that although Japan’s ruling party lacks a majority, political parties in Japan engage in competition domestically while exhibiting unity externally. He said that Taiwan’s situation is more challenging, because the ruling and opposition parties hold different views on the direction of the country, due to differences in national identity. The president expressed his hope that in the future Taiwan and Japan will enjoy even more comprehensive cooperation. He stated that he has always believed that deep historical bonds connect Taiwan and Japan. Over the past several decades, he said, when encountering natural disasters and tragedies, our two nations have assisted each other with mutual care and support. He said that the affection between the people of Taiwan and Japan is like that of a family. Pointing out that both countries face the threat of authoritarianism, he said that we share a mission to safeguard universal values such as democracy, freedom, and respect for human rights. The president said that our two countries should be more open to cooperation in various areas to maintain regional peace and stability as well as to strengthen cooperation in economic and industrial development, such as for semiconductor industry chains and everyday applications of AI, including robots and drones, adding that we can also cooperate on climate change response, such as in hydrogen energy and other strategies. He said our two countries should also continue to strengthen people-to-people exchanges. He then took the opportunity to once again invite our good friends from Japan to visit Taiwan for tourism and learn more about Taiwan, saying that the Taiwanese people wholeheartedly welcome our Japanese friends.

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 –

May 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: What’s the difference between abs and core? One term focuses on aesthetics – and the other on function

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hunter Bennett, Lecturer in Exercise Science, University of South Australia

Maksim Goncharenok/Pexels

You’ve probably heard the terms “abs” and “core” used in social media videos, Pilates classes, or even by physiotherapists.

Given they seem to refer to the same general area of your body, you might have wondered what the difference is.

When people talk about “abs”, they’re often referring to the abdominal muscles you can see. Conversely, the term “core” is used to describe a broader group of muscles in the context of function, rather than aesthetics.

While abs and core are often spoken about separately, there’s a lot of overlap between them.

What are abs?

The term “abs” is short for abdominal muscles. These are the muscles that run along the front and side of your stomach.

When someone talks about getting a six-pack, they’re usually referring to toning the rectus abdominis, the long muscle that goes from the bottom of your ribs to the top of your pelvis.

Your abdominals also include your obliques, which sit on the side of your body, and your transverse abdominis, which sits underneath your other abdominal muscles and wraps around your waist like a belt.

The term “abs” has been around for a long time, and is perhaps most often used when discussing aesthetics.

For example, it’s common to see health and wellness publications offering advice on how to achieve “flat” or “six-pack” abs.

The long muscle that goes from the bottom of your ribs to the top of your pelvis is called the rectus abdominis.
phoenix creation/Shutterstock

What about the core?

When people talk about the “core”, they are often referring to your abdominals, but also the muscles in your back (your spinal erectors), hips, glutes, pelvic floor, and your diaphragm.

These are the muscles that can stabilise your spine against movement, and aid in the transfer of force between the upper and lower limbs.

The term “core” wasn’t commonly used until the early 2000s, when it became synonymous with core training.

While the exact reason for its surge in popularity isn’t clear, it most likely followed a study published in 1998 that suggested people with lower back pain might have impaired function of their deep abdominal muscles.

From there, the concept of “core training” entered the mainstream, where it was proposed to reduce lower back pain and improve athletic performance.

‘Core’ training only entered the mainstream this century.
nadia_acosta/Shutterstock

What does the evidence say?

When we consider all the muscles that make up the core, it seems obvious they would be important – but it might not be for the reasons you think.

For example, having good core stability doesn’t necessarily prevent lower back pain, as it’s been touted to do.

There’s evidence suggesting core stability training, which might include exercises such as planks and dead bugs, can help reduce bouts of lower back pain. However it doesn’t appear to be any more effective than other types of exercise, such as walking or weight training.

Other research suggests there aren’t any differences in how people with and without lower back pain recruit and use their core muscles.

In a separate study, improvements in core strength and stability after a nine-week core stability training program were not significantly associated with improvements in pain and function, further questioning this relationship.

The link between core strength and athletic performance is also unclear.

A 2016 review found some very small associations between measures of core muscle strength and measures of whole body strength, power and balance. However, because of the design of the studies reviewed, we don’t know whether people who have better strength, power and balance simply have stronger core muscles, or whether stronger core muscles increase strength, power and balance.

An earlier review summarised the effect of core stability training on measures of athletic performance, including jumping, sprinting and throwing. It concluded this type of training is unlikely to provide substantial benefits to measures of general athletic performance such as jumping and sprinting.

However, this review also suggested that, given the important role of the abs in torso rotation, strengthening these muscles might have merit in improving performance in sports that involve swinging a bat or throwing a ball.

This is likely to apply to other sports that involve rapid torso movement as well, such as mixed martial arts and kayaking.

Stronger abdominal muscles could offer an advantage in sports that involve rotation.
Lino Khim Medrina/Pexels

How can you exercise your abs and core?

There’s good evidence that simply getting stronger by lifting weights can help prevent injuries. Training your core to get stronger should have a similar impact, as long as it’s part of a broader training program.

We also know having weaker muscles makes you more likely to experience functional limitations and disability in older age. So alongside any other potential benefits, improving core strength with the rest of your body could help keep you fit and healthy as you get older.

There are plenty of exercises you can do to train your core and abs.

If you’re new to core training, you might want to start off with some lower-level isolation exercises that don’t involve any movement of the core. These include things like planks, bird dogs, and pallof presses. These are unlikely to cause too much muscle soreness, but will train your core muscles.

Once you feel like these are going well, you can start moving into some more dynamic exercises such as sit ups, Russian twists and leg raises, where you train your abdominals using a full range of motion.

Hunter Bennett 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. What’s the difference between abs and core? One term focuses on aesthetics – and the other on function – https://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-abs-and-core-one-term-focuses-on-aesthetics-and-the-other-on-function-254582

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: NSU student suggests a way to prolong the “life” of a donor heart during transportation

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

A fourth-year student at the Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies of Novosibirsk State University has won the All-Russian XV Youth Prize in Science and Innovation, proposing a method for directly delivering an oxygen mixture to the heart to maintain the organ’s viability even during long-term transportation. Yaroslav Smirnov won the main prize of 100 thousand rubles for his development. This year, 230 students from 95 universities and 80 schoolchildren from 65 schools across the country sent popular science videos about their projects to the competition. The total prize fund is 1.7 million rubles.

Yaroslav Smirnov told in his competition application that the shortage of donor hearts is due, among other things, to the impossibility of quickly delivering organs to transplant centers. In his project, he proposed a solution – a method of direct coronary persufflation, which allows the heart to work even outside the human body.

— Today, in most cases, the method of pharmaco-cold preservation is used, which allows preserving the heart for only 4 hours. But this method does not satisfy the myocardium’s need for oxygen, so there may not be enough time. If you supply the oxygen mixture directly to the coronary arteries of the heart, then you can extend the period to 8 hours, — Yaroslav explained.

Yaroslav and his team developed a special system that delivers a humidified oxygen mixture to the aorta under stable pressure. The heart is then placed in a plastic bag with a solution and ice. Experiments have shown that the organ’s pumping function is preserved and there is no significant tissue damage.

The MISiS University Youth Prize in Science and Innovation is an all-Russian competition of popular science videos. You can take part in the school, student and popular science nominations. Contestants must record a short video and talk about their own research, development or scientific phenomenon. Winners and prize winners receive from 10 to 100 thousand rubles, as well as additional points when entering the university.

The most popular nomination in 2025 was popular science — participants sent more than 100 videos. The most popular project areas were: chemistry and materials science (more than 30 projects), biology and life sciences, engineering sciences. The youngest participant in the award was 7-year-old Pseush Shumaf from Maikop.

Since its foundation, the Youth Prize has been supported by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science. Partners include: RSF, Rosatom State Corporation, Gazprombank, Decade of Science and Technology, and many others.

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 –

May 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: The drought is back – we need a new way to help farmers survive tough times
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda Botterill, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University

Australia in 2025 is living up to Dorothy McKellar’s poetic vision of a country stricken by “drought and flooding rains”.

The clean up is underway from the deadly floods in the Hunter and mid-north coast regions of New South Wales. At the same time, large swathes of Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania are severely drought affected due to some of the lowest rainfall on record.

Do we have the right support arrangements in place to help farmers and communities survive the current dry period?

Or is there a better way to help primary producers through the tough times, which are predicted to become more frequent and severe under climate change?

Managing risk

Drought is not a natural disaster – at least not according to Australia’s National Drought Policy. In 1989, drought was removed from what are now known as the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.

The decision was made for several reasons, including the high level of expenditure on drought relief in Queensland. The federal finance minister at the time, Peter Walsh, suggested the Queensland government was using the arrangements as a “sort of National Party slush fund to be distributed to National Party toadies and apparatchiks”.

The more considered reason was that our scientific understanding of the drivers of Australia’s climate, such as El Niño, suggested drought was a normal part of our environment. Since then, climate modelling points to droughts becoming an even more familiar sight in Australia as a result of global warming.

So the focus of drought relief shifted from disaster response to risk management.

Building resilience

The National Drought Policy announced in 1992 stated drought should be managed like any other business risk.

Since then, the language of resilience has been added to the mix and the government lists three objectives for drought policy:
- to build the drought resilience of farming businesses by enabling preparedness, risk management and financial self-reliance
- to ensure an appropriate safety net is always available to those experiencing hardship
- to encourage stakeholders to work together to address the challenges of drought.
Since 1992, various governments have introduced, and tweaked, different programs aimed at supporting drought-affected farmers.

The most successful program is the Farm Management Deposits Scheme. This has accumulated a whisker under A$6 billion in farmer savings, which are available to be drawn down during drought to support farm businesses.

Others have come and gone – for example, the much-criticised Exceptional Circumstances Program.

More help needed

In 2025, the federal government is using the Future Drought Fund to invest $100 million per year to promote resilience. It also offers support through the Farm Household Allowance and concessional loans for farms and related small businesses.

Apart from the Farm Management Deposit Scheme and the Farm Household Allowance, these programs do not offer immediate financial assistance to the increasing number of farmers across southern Australia being impacted by drought. If the drought worsens, it is likely there will be increasing calls for greater support.

This provides the government with a dilemma: it is already investing significantly in the risk and resilience approach to drought, but politically, it is hard to resist cries for help from farmers who are a highly valued group in our community.

A better way?

There is a solution available to government to improve support. It can be done through the provision of “revenue contingent loans” for drought-affected farmers. Financial support would be available to farmers when they need it, consistent with the risk management principles underpinning the national drought policy.

Our detailed modelling, extending now over 25 years, shows compellingly that revenue-based loans would mean taxpayers spending less on drought arrangements. But the assistance compared with other forms of public sector help would be greater.

Capacity to repay would be the defining feature of the scheme. A revenue contingent loan is only paid down in periods when the farm is experiencing healthy cash flow. If a farm’s annual financial situation is difficult, no repayments are required.

These loans would also remove foreclosure risk associated with an inability to repay when times are tough. Loan defaults simply can’t happen, a feature which also takes away the psychological trauma associated with the fear of losing the property due to unforeseen financial difficulties.

Good policy

These benefits would address governments’ main motivation with drought policy, which is risk management. That is because repayment concerns and default prospects would be eliminated. With farming, in which there is great uncertainty, these are very significant pluses for policy.

Revenue contingent loans are a proper risk management financial instrument that requires low or no subsidies from government. They would complement the Farm Management Deposit Scheme and be an effective replacement for the concessional loans currently on offer.

A win-win for farmer and taxpayer, alike.

Linda Botterill has in the past received funding from the Australian Research Council, the Grains Research and Development Corporation, and Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (now Agrifutures).

Bruce Chapman has received funding from the Australian Research Council in various years, and was a consultant to the Federal Government’s Department of Education University Accord Enquiry in 2023/24.

– ref. The drought is back – we need a new way to help farmers survive tough times – https://theconversation.com/the-drought-is-back-we-need-a-new-way-to-help-farmers-survive-tough-times-256576
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
May 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Australia’s first machete ban is coming to Victoria. Will it work, or is it just another political quick fix?

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samara McPhedran, Principal Research Fellow, Griffith University

Following a shopping centre brawl in Melbourne at the weekend, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan announced the state will ban the sale of all machetes from Wednesday.

In March this year, the Victorian government had already announced that from September 1 machetes would become a “prohibited weapon”.

Prohibited weapons are items considered inappropriate for general possession and use without a police commissioner’s approval or a Governor in Council Exemption Order.

This means machetes will be added to the list of things – such as swords, crossbows, slingshots, pepper spray and about 40 other items – that are essentially banned.

Possession of a prohibited item can result in penalties of two years imprisonment or a fine of more than $47,000.

Victoria is the first state in Australia to outright ban machetes. In other jurisdictions, machetes (like knives) may be used for lawful purposes, and are “controlled” or “restricted” – meaning you need a reasonable excuse or valid reason for possessing one.

Most jurisdictions (except Tasmania and the Northern Territory) prohibit sales to minors.

Will there be exemptions?

Allan said the sales ban will have no exceptions, meaning nobody will be able to purchase a machete.

However, machetes are a useful tool, particularly for agricultural purposes, and outdoor uses such as camping.

When the new laws come into effect in September, people will be able to apply for a special “commissioner’s approval” to possess a machete. The exact details of who may be granted an exemption, and under what circumstances, are not yet clear.

Nor is it clear whether people will have to, for example, pay for a permit to own a machete, or what measures people may have to take to prevent unauthorised access or theft.

How much of a problem is knife crime in Australia?

Despite alarming headlines and political rhetoric about a knife crime epidemic, it is hard to say exactly how much of a problem knife crime is.

Statistics about weapon use and unlawful possession are not always disaggregated by type of weapon.

Crime statistics are notoriously slippery, and what looks like a “crisis” can often be the result of changes in policing practices. For instance, when police run an intensive operation searching for knives in public places, they are more likely to find knives in public places. This does not necessarily mean there are more people out there carrying knives.

The one crime where statistics are fairly clear is homicide: knives or other sharp instruments have long been the most common weapon used in Australia.

The actual number of homicides involving knives or sharp instruments has stayed relatively stable over time. When you take into account the increase in how many people live in Australia, the rate per head of population has fallen.

It is tempting to think a machete ban would reduce these figures even more. Unfortunately, violence prevention is not that simple.

Homicides that involve people using their hands and feet have declined markedly over time. Why has this “method”, which is available to anybody, fallen so much? The answer is: nobody really knows.

This tells us we need to look beyond types of weapons.

Will the ban achieve anything?

Violence is complex and simple “solutions” may make people feel safe (at least temporarily) but seldom deliver real results over the longer term.

It’s easy for governments to ban things, which is why they do it so often. But we should pay close attention to what Victorian Police Minister Anthony Carbine said in March:

This is Australia’s first machete ban, and we agree with police that it must be done once and done right. It took the UK (United Kingdom) 18 months – we can do it in six.

Lawmaking should never be a race. Nor should politicians be mere mouthpieces doing what police tell them.

Police are the ones we turn to for protection when violence breaks out, but this does not mean they are the only ones we should go to when we are looking for the most effective ways to deal with problems.

Tackling violence takes serious commitment to complex and intensive programs that focus on the root causes, particularly among at-risk families and disadvantaged, marginalised youth.

This is hard work that takes a long time, includes many different stakeholders, and seldom sways votes. Focusing on the choice of weapon is simply a distraction.

There is no question the sight of machete-wielding youths storming through a busy shopping centre is terrifying. People should be able to go about their business without fearing they will be attacked.

But reducing violence takes a lot more than banning one particular weapon, as Victoria will likely find out.

Dr Samara McPhedran does not does not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that might benefit from this article.

– ref. Australia’s first machete ban is coming to Victoria. Will it work, or is it just another political quick fix? – https://theconversation.com/australias-first-machete-ban-is-coming-to-victoria-will-it-work-or-is-it-just-another-political-quick-fix-257541

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

May 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: A not-so-modern epidemic: what 17th-century nuns can teach us about coping with loneliness

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Walker, Associate Professor, School of Historical and Classical Studies, University of Adelaide

La Religieuse Tenant La Sainte Croix (The Nun Holds the Cross), Jacques Callot, French,1621–35. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Is loneliness a modern epidemic as we are so often told? Did people in the past suffer similar feelings of isolation?

The word “loneliness” was not common before the 19th century. Cultural historian Fay Bound Alberti argues it was rarely used before 1800.

This does not mean people didn’t feel alone. They just had different names for it – and they didn’t always think it was bad. Modern people living hectic lives in bustling cities often yearn for peace and tranquillity; so did our forebears.

From the hermits of the early Christian church escaping society for lives of solitary prayer, to medieval anchorites in secluded cells, isolation was a prerequisite for spiritual success.

But were isolated monks, nuns and hermits also lonely, as we would understand the word today? And do early modern nuns offer solutions for our own loneliness epidemic?

Searching for solitude

Early Christian religious thinkers and medieval churchmen viewed voluntary loneliness positively, with successful practitioners becoming saints. But religious solitude was not without its problems.

Holy recluses, far from escaping society, were pursued for spiritual advice. Some, like Simeon Stylites (390–459), went to extraordinary measures, living atop a pillar near Aleppo for 30-odd years to achieve solitude.

Monasticism provided an alternative. Monastic rules, like that of Benedict of Nursia (480–547), institutionalised isolation. In Benedictine monasteries, solitude was created through seclusion from society, strict silence, and prohibition of close friendships.

Yet, like hermits, monks and nuns couldn’t escape the world completely. Monasteries constituted vital spiritual resources, providing multiple services and conducting business for wider society.

Nuns at Work, Follower of Alessandro Magnasco (Italian, Milanese, first half 18th century).
The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Over the centuries, reforming bishops believed there was too much interaction between monasteries and the wider community. This led to repeated church reforms from the 10th century onwards to secure separation.

Male members of the clergy were particularly worried about nuns who were considered “less capable” of maintaining holy solitude. As a result, women had to observe strict enclosure behind convent walls, limiting their economic and spiritual capacity. Reforms in the 16th century upheld nuns’ incarceration.

Many women resisted, but others embraced isolation as spiritually liberating.

Isolation in exile

Early modern English convents, exiled in Europe after Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries, shed light on nuns’ experiences of loneliness.

The convents were subject to traditional rules of enclosure and silence. To become nuns, women left their homeland, family and friends. They joined English houses, so they were not alone among strangers, but they had to remain emotionally distant from one another, despite living in a community where they did everything together.

Women wanting spiritual fulfilment often sought additional solitude.

Benedictine mystic Gertrude More (1606–33) praised prescribed periods of silence because in them she might hear her Lord’s whispers.

Carmelite prioress Teresa of Jesus Maria Worsley (1601–42) took time from her busy administrative role and hid from the other nuns to pray in solitude.

The Nun in Count Burckhardt, from the periodical Once a Week. After James McNeill Whistler, American. Associated with Dalziel Brothers, British. September 27 1862.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Not all women found seclusion and silence so fulfilling, however, with some experiencing bouts of spiritual doubt and poor mental health. Many missed their family and homeland.

This was particularly common among young sisters and those in convent schools. In the 1660s, Catherine Aston returned to England to recover after suffering poor health and depression.

Alone in a crowd

Nuns’ diverse experiences of monastic solitude reflect modern urban loneliness.

In 1812 Lord Byron expressed the contradictory nature of loneliness in the poem Childe Harold, juxtaposing the positive solitary contemplation of nature with its negative counterpart – aloneness “midst the crowd”.

In the present day many people feel alone in cities, even domestic households, as Olivia Laing and Keith Snell have shown.

How might this be countered? Do early modern nuns offer solutions?

A study of 21st century Spanish monks and nuns found monastic training, prayer and silence create feelings of spiritual satisfaction and purpose which lessens loneliness.

Prayer is not the answer for everyone because modern isolation is caused by multiple factors in a largely secular society. There are alternative paths to meditation, however, through yoga or mindfulness which can provide feelings akin to monks’ and nuns’ “spiritual satisfaction”.

Similarly, the nuns’ sense of “purpose” might be achieved through nostalgia. Nostalgia is the longing for an idealised and unobtainable past – a time when life was better. Research by psychologists suggests nostalgia can be beneficial in counteracting loneliness, even enabling forward-looking and proactive behaviours.

Nuns at Mass, Amedor, Spanish, 1900.
Getty Museum

This was certainly true for the nuns exiled in Europe following Henry VIII’s abolition of monasticism in England. They dreamt of a future when their convents would return to England, family and friends. All nuns prayed both communally and in private for this outcome.

Some went further, engaging in missionary work and political intrigue to achieve their goal.

We cannot know whether this stifled loneliness, but by combining the benefits of meditation and activism it likely fostered a shared sense of purpose.

Just as Gertrude More and Teresa of Jesus Maria Worsley found solitude essential for spiritual satisfaction, activist nuns believed they might reverse the English reformation from their exiled convents. Solitude, prayer and political engagement gave them a sense of purpose.

Everyone’s situation is unique. There is no single solution for resolving isolation in the contemporary world. But the knowledge that it can be positive is perhaps a step towards countering the modern epidemic.

Claire Walker has received funding from the Australian Research Council.

– ref. A not-so-modern epidemic: what 17th-century nuns can teach us about coping with loneliness – https://theconversation.com/a-not-so-modern-epidemic-what-17th-century-nuns-can-teach-us-about-coping-with-loneliness-249487

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

May 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Who really benefits from smart tech at home? ‘Optimising’ family life can reinforce gender roles

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Indra Mckie, Postdoctoral Researcher in Collaborative Human-AI Interaction Culture, University of Technology Sydney

Ashlifier/Shutterstock

Have you heard of the “male technologist” mindset? It may sound familiar, and you may even know such people personally.

Design researchers Turkka Keinonen and Nils Ehrenberg
have defined the male technologist as someone who is obsessed with concerns about energy, efficiency and reducing labour.

This archetype became apparent in my PhD research when I interviewed 12 families about their use of early domestic robots and smart home devices Amazon Alexa and Google Home. One father over-engineered his smart home so much, his kids struggled to turn the lights on and off.

The male technologist in the home, as seen in my research, reflects wider trends of the Silicon Valley “tech bro” archetype, the techno-patriarchy, and the growing influence of a tech oligarchy in the Western world.

The male technologist often complicates and overcompensates with technology, raising the question: are these real problems tech can solve, or just quick fixes masking deeper issues?

Long-standing patriarchal systems shape the gendered division of domestic labour.
Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels

It’s not about making men feel guilty

The term “male technologist” isn’t about making men feel guilty for using technology to innovate. Anyone can adopt this mindset. It can even apply to institutions that prioritise innovation and efficiency over emotional insight, lived experience or community-based ways of creating change.

It’s a reflection of how a masculine drive to solve surface-level problems can come before addressing patriarchal systems that have shaped the long-standing gendered division of domestic labour and “mental load”.

Mental load is the invisible, ongoing effort of planning, organising and managing daily life that often goes unnoticed but is essential to keeping things running.

Take one of my research participants, Hugo (name changed for privacy). A father of two, Hugo embodies this male technologist mindset by creating “business scenarios” to solve his family’s problems with smart home automation.

Indra Mckie/The Conversation

Treating family life like a system to optimise, Hugo noticed his wife looking stressed while cooking. So, he installed a smart clock with Alexa in the kitchen to help her manage multiple timers.

Hugo saw it as an empathetic solution, tailored to the way she liked to cook. But instead of sharing the load of this domestic task, he “engineered” around it, offloading responsibility to smart devices.

Smart home tech promises to save time, but it hasn’t solved who does what at home. Instead, it hands more power to those with digital know-how, letting them automate tasks they may never have done or fully understood in the first place.

Typically, these tend to be men. A recent survey by Kaspersky showed 72% of men are the ones who set up their families’ smart devices, compared to 47% of women.

Unfortunately, a recent Australian survey found women still do more unpaid domestic work than men. Even in households where women have full-time jobs, they spend almost four hours more on household chores per week than men do.

Who really benefits in a smart home

Amazon first released Alexa back in 2014, with Apple and Google quickly following with their own smart home speakers. In the past decade, some people have adopted the hype of the “smart home” to make life easier by controlling technology without needing to get off the couch.

But smart technology can also affect access to shared spaces, create new forms of control over things and people in the home, and constrain human interactions. And it can be set up to reinforce the existing hierarchy within the household.

Indra Mckie/The Conversation

By his own admission, Hugo has over-engineered the home to the point where his children struggle to turn the lights on and off, having disabled the physical switches in favour of voice commands.

My research looked at how automation is changing care giving and acts of service in the home. With “compassionate automation”, someone could use smart technology to support loved ones in thoughtful ways, such as setting up smart home routines or reminders to make daily life easier.

But even when it comes from a place of care, tech-based help is not the same as human care. It may not always feel meaningful to the person receiving or providing it. As another participant in my research put it:

I think there are still human interactions [..] that you probably don’t want AI to mediate for you.

Indra Mckie/The Conversation

So what is the alternative to a male technologist mindset? Feminist and queer technology studies offer a different lens. Researchers in these fields argue our interactions with technology are never neutral; they are shaped by gender, power and cultural norms.

When we recognise this, we can imagine ways of designing and using tech in ways that emphasise care and relationships. Instead of setting up a smart timer in the kitchen, the technologist could ask his wife what she’s cooking and join her, using the voice assistant together to follow a recipe step by step.

The ultimate fantasy of the male technologist is more toys to solve domestic labour problems at home.
Gordenkoff/Shutterstock

Looking ahead to the future of smart homes

As Alexa+ rolls out later this year with a “smarter” generative AI brain, Google increases Gemini integration into its Home app, and tech companies race to build humanoid robots that can cook dinner and fold laundry, we’re seeing the ultimate fantasy of the male technologist come to life: more toys to presumably solve the problems of domestic labour at home.

But if men are now taking on more of the digital load, will the mental load finally shift too? Or will they continue to automate the easy, visible tasks while the emotional and cognitive labour still goes unseen and unshared?

Elon Musk has declared plans to launch several thousand Optimus robots – Tesla’s bid into the humanoid robot race.
He expects the explosion of a new market of personal humanoid robots, generating US$10 trillion in revenue long-term and potentially becoming the most valuable part of Tesla’s business.

But as homes get “smarter,” we have to ask: how is this reshaping family dynamics, relationships and domestic responsibility?

It’s important to consider if outsourcing chores to technology really is about easing the load, or just engineering our way around it without addressing the deeper mental and relational work of household labour.

Indra Mckie received the UTS Research Excellence Scholarship to complete her PhD research at the University of Technology Sydney.

– ref. Who really benefits from smart tech at home? ‘Optimising’ family life can reinforce gender roles – https://theconversation.com/who-really-benefits-from-smart-tech-at-home-optimising-family-life-can-reinforce-gender-roles-256477

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Cannes roundtable explores new era for Chinese cinema

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

A roundtable on “Exploring China’s Film Narratives in a New Era” brought together Chinese and international filmmakers at the Marché du Film during the 78th Cannes Film Festival, aiming to strengthen cross-cultural dialogue and boost the global appeal of Chinese cinema.

(From left) Cedric Behrel, Chen Sicheng, Chen Yu and moderator Silvia Wong join the panel roundtable “Exploring China’s Film Narratives in a New Era” during the 78th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 20, 2025. [Photo courtesy of China Film Association]

Deng Guanghui, executive president of the China Film Association, noted in his opening remarks that 2025 marks the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema and highlighted the industry’s evolution from technical innovation to greater cultural depth.

“In recent years, supportive policies have driven both creative and industrial growth. Chinese filmmakers are advancing aesthetic traditions while developing unique styles in content, technology and global outreach. They continue to tell original, powerful stories to audiences worldwide,” Deng said.

China is home to the world’s second-largest film market, Deng said, noting that the government is encouraging more crossover initiatives such as “film plus tourism” and “film plus consumer experiences” to grow the market and promote global development.

“Chinese cinema will remain open and inclusive, working with international filmmakers to tell stories of our shared future,” he said.

The panel featured renowned filmmaker Chen Sicheng, screenwriter and Peking University professor Chen Yu, and Cedric Behrel, managing director of Trinity CineAsia, as keynote speakers.

Chen Sicheng, creator of the hit “Detective Chinatown” franchise, shared insights into the series’ success, saying it has become increasingly difficult to satisfy audiences with single-genre films as new formats such as gaming and social media gain influence.

“Filmmakers must adapt,” he said. “The ‘Detective Chinatown’ IP blends thriller, comedy and action while reflecting contemporary society. Both form and content need to resonate equally with Chinese audiences.”

“Chinatown is a unique window and symbol of Chinese culture, especially abroad,” Chen said. “I wanted to tell a story about distinctly Chinese detectives on adventures overseas. Through this film, I hope international audiences can see Chinese cinema evolve. Did I expect its success? I was confident – good films will always find their audience.”

Chen also revealed plans to set the next “Detective Chinatown” installment in London, but after visiting France, he is now considering filming in Paris and expanding the story across Europe.

Screenwriter Chen Yu, known for his work on Zhang Yimou’s acclaimed films such as “Full River Red” and “Under the Light,” discussed trends among Chinese audiences. “Chinese viewers are paying more attention to the narrative itself. But this isn’t unique to China – we’re also seeing a global return to storytelling as a central focus,” Chen said. “Audiences generally hope to draw emotional and sentimental strength from films.”

Cedric Behrel, whose company has handled numerous Chinese releases abroad, including the recent animated juggernaut “Ne Zha 2,” said China’s vast domestic market and its capacity for producing large-scale, high-quality films give it a distinct advantage in delivering the big-screen experiences audiences desire. He noted that as people worldwide spend more time on personal screens, Chinese cinema has an opportunity to stand out.

He also pointed to China’s rich cultural heritage as a deep source of stories, noting that films like “Ne Zha 2” must balance staying true to local mythology while appealing to global audiences. For Behrel, the appeal lies in demonstrating that Chinese films can compete with Hollywood blockbusters and leading animation studios like Disney, Pixar and Japan’s anime industry.

(From left) Chen Yu, Deng Guanghui, Chen Sicheng and Cedric Behrel pose for a photo after the panel roundtable at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 20, 2025. [Photo courtesy of China Film Association]

Chen Sicheng spoke about his role in supporting young talent. He said film industrialization goes beyond visual effects–driven blockbusters, describing it as a systematic process that includes scriptwriting, production, post-production and marketing. Chen sees his company and his role as managing this pipeline to help young Chinese directors become more professional and to provide support where needed.

Discussing his upcoming film “Malice,” which he produced and wrote and is set for release in July, Chen said the story addresses contemporary issues such as online public opinion and cyberbullying.

Chen said problems on the internet are a global issue, not unique to China. Since the 1990s, the internet has driven significant progress but also brought challenges, as voices of authority have been drowned out and irrational opinions have come to dominate online discussions, distorting perspectives on politics, culture and the future of humanity.

“While ‘Malice’ can’t fix these problems, films must reflect their time,” Chen said. “This movie will serve as a time capsule of the digital age and preserve our collective memory of these critical years.”

Chen Yu also addressed another trending topic: artificial intelligence. He said AI will achieve significant progress and, as its internal systems become more complex, it may eventually develop a form of intelligence. While he views AI as a tool capable of creating many things, he emphasized that humans remain the true measure of all things. Artistic creation, he said, is driven by human flaws and hesitation – qualities that AI, as a rational tool, cannot replicate.

“When art touches the softest parts of the human soul, AI cannot replace it,” he stressed.

MIL OSI China News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Xi congratulates Fudan University on 120th founding anniversary

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

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a congratulatory letter to Fudan University, celebrating its 120th founding anniversary.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extended congratulations to the faculty, students and alumni of the university.

Over the past 120 years, Fudan University has kept pace with the times, developed a glorious tradition of patriotism and a fine academic ethos, nurtured numerous outstanding talents, produced many original achievements, and played a positive role in China’s development as well as in the progress of the Chinese nation, Xi said in the letter.

Xi expressed his hope that Fudan University, on the new starting point, will remain steadfast in using the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to nurture talent.

The university should deepen the reform of education and scientific research, promote the virtuous cycle of independent technological innovation and independent cultivation of talent, and drive innovations in philosophy and social sciences, Xi stressed.

He also urged the university to continuously improve its ability to serve major national strategies and regional economic and social development, thereby making consistent contributions to building China into a strong country and rejuvenating the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese modernization.

Founded in 1905, Fudan University is a comprehensive, research-oriented university based in Shanghai.

MIL OSI China News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI: Recommendation from Equinor’s nomination committee
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

The nomination committee in Equinor ASA (OSE:EQNR, NYSE:EQNR) recommends that the company’s corporate assembly elects Dawn Summers as a new member to the board of directors of Equinor ASA

Further, the nomination committee recommends a re-election of Jon Erik Reinhardsen as chair and Anne Drinkwater as deputy chair of the board, in addition to re-election of Finn Bjørn Ruyter, Haakon Bruun-Hanssen, Mikael Karlsson, Fernanda Lopes Larsen and Tone Hegland Bachke as members of the board of directors. Current member, Jonathan Lewis will resign from the board of directors as of 30 June 2025. It is recommended that Dawn Summers’ election takes effect from 1 September 2025.

Dawn Summers served as Interim Chief Operating Officer at Harbour Energy from 2024 – 2025. In this position, she was responsible for ensuring business continuity and smooth operations integration following Harbour Energy’s acquisition of Wintershall Dea, where she was as Chief Operating Officer and board member from 2020-2024. In this role, she was responsible for safe business delivery and also led efforts to develop early-stage carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen projects. Before this, Summers held COO roles at Beach Energy from 2018-2020 and Origin Energy from 2016-2018. She was executive Head of HSE, Operations & Developments with General Energy from 2013-2015 and has held several positions with BP plc from 1995-2013.

Summers is active in European energy policy. As former Chair of the European Board of the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP), she led strategic engagement with EU institutions on energy transition policy and energy security. She also served as President of GasNaturally, promoting secure approaches to climate resilience across the gas value chain.

Summers is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in the energy sector and committed to mentoring the next generation of women leaders in STEM fields.

Summers has a Bachelor of Engineering (with Honours) in Chemical Engineering from Edinburgh University and Executive Operations Leadership from MIT Sloan School of Management in Massachusetts, USA.

The election to the board of directors of Equinor ASA takes place in the company’s corporate assembly meeting Monday 2 June 2025. It is proposed that the election takes effect from 1 July 2025, with the exception of Dawn Summers who is proposed elected with effect from 1 September 2025, all with effect until the ordinary election of members to the board of directors in June 2026.

Contacts:
- Nils Morten Huseby, chair of the nomination committee
- All enquiries to be directed through Equinor Corporate Press Office,
  Sissel Rinde, +47 412 60 584.
This information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act

The MIL Network –
May 27, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Faster cancer treatment thanks to new radiotherapy machines

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

Faster cancer treatment thanks to new radiotherapy machines

Thousands of cancer patients will see faster treatment thanks to new radiotherapy machines

Cutting-edge machines will cut waiting times and help 4,500 more patients get treatment faster
Upgraded tech being rolled out at 28 hospitals can cut the rounds of radiotherapy needed and reach cancers in harder to treat areas like chest, abdomen and pelvis
Rollout is backed by £70 million provided by government as part of its mission to improve cancer care through its Plan for Change

Thousands of patients will benefit from faster and safer cancer treatment thanks to new cutting-edge radiotherapy machines being rolled out to every region in the country.

The government has paid for new linear accelerator (LINAC) machines at 28 hospitals, which use modern technology to reduce delays to treatment and, in some cases, could reduce the number of hospital visits a patient needs to make by half, helping to cut waiting lists faster.

Replacing these older machines will save as many as 13,000 appointments from being lost to equipment breakdown.

The machines will be rolled out at hospitals across the country from August, funded by a £70 million government investment as part of its plans to improve cancer care through the Plan for Change.

By March 2027, up to 27,500 additional treatments per year will be delivered, including up to 4,500 receiving their first treatment for cancer within 62-days of referral, helping to treat more cancer patients in faster time.

Equipped with cutting-edge technology, the machines are safer for patients and can more precisely target tumours, causing less damage to surrounding healthy tissues. They are particularly effective at targeting cancers in harder to treat areas, such as the chest, abdomen and pelvis.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting said:

There is a revolution taking place in medical technology which can transform treatment for cancer patients. But NHS hospitals are forced to use outdated, malfunctioning equipment thanks to 14 years of underinvestment under the previous government.

Thanks to the investment this government is making in our NHS, we will provide more cancer patients with world-class, cutting-edge care.

By reducing the number of hospital visits required and preventing cancelled appointments, these state of the art radiotherapy machines free up capacity so that thousands more patients are treated on time.

As a cancer survivor, I know just how important timely treatment is. These machines are part of the investment and modernisation that will cut waiting times for patients, through our Plan for Change.

The tech is being prioritised in hospitals which are currently using outdated treatment machines older than 10 years, meaning patients can be treated faster and reducing cancelled appointments due to faults.

It will also increase the availability of Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) cancer treatments, which can more precisely target tumours.  

NHS national clinical director for cancer Professor Peter Johnson said:

Radiotherapy is essential for many cancer patients, so it’s great news that the investment in new machines means that some will need fewer rounds of treatment, as we bring in more sophisticated techniques.

These machines will deliver more precise treatment for patients, which helps them to recover sooner, as well as enabling the NHS to treat people more efficiently as we continue in our efforts to catch and treat more cancers faster.

The new LINAC radiotherapy machines were allocated across England by Specialised Commissioning teams at NHS England, which will help to improve health inequalities by ensuring every radiotherapy service has the modern equipment needed to offer innovative radiotherapy treatments.

Alongside turbocharging treatment for patients, significant work is being carried out to get cancers diagnosed more quickly than ever before.

Improved performance against the Faster Diagnosis Standard has led to the equivalent of 4,000 extra patients given the all-clear or a definitive cancer diagnosis within 4 weeks in March 2025 compared to the same time the year before, to reach over 217,000 in total in March 2025.

Patients are also getting easier access to vital tests, checks and scans, with Community Diagnostic Centres delivering almost 2.5 million on high streets and at other convenient locations in March.

Senior policy manager at Cancer Research UK, Matt Sample, said:

All cancer patients, no matter where they live, should have access to the best treatment, so it’s great to see investment in cutting-edge equipment for hospitals across the country.

Modern LINAC machines can offer more efficient, targeted treatment with less side-effects for patients, which is why it’s vital that there is sustained funding to replace them routinely.

The government has a huge opportunity in its upcoming National Cancer Plan for England to tackle unequal access to optimal treatment, and we look forward to working with them to help give every patient the care they deserve.

Kate Seymour, Head of External Affairs at Macmillan Cancer Support says:

Today marks an exciting step forward for cancer treatment in England. Many people across the country are facing long delays for care but today proves that better is possible.

Investment in cutting edge technology is essential to bring down waiting times and help more people with cancer get the best care the UK has to offer, whoever and wherever they are.

The investment in this new technology follows on from the government rolling out 13 new DEXA scanners across the country which will allow 29,000 extra bone scans per year will be delivered for patients as part of the Plan for Change.

The government’s Plan for Change will continue to put patients first as it works to end the misery felt by millions up and down the country who have been denied the care they need for too long.

Over 3 million appointments have already been delivered since the end of June 2024, smashing the government’s target of delivering 2 million extra operations, scans and appointments. This is alongside over 8.3 million more appointments each year becoming available as 1,000 doctors surgeries receive a bricks and mortar upgrade to modernise practices and expand capacity.

NOTES TO EDITORS

The 28 trusts receiving an upgraded scanner are:

– Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

– Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

– Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust

– United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust

– University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

– Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

– Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

– Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

– The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

– Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

– Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

– The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

– East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

– Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust

– Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

– Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust

– University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust

– South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

– The Christie NHS Foundation Trust

– Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

– Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

– Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

– The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust

– University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust

– Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

– University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

– Barts Health NHS Trust

– Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust

Published 26 May 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 27, 2025

MIL-OSI Russia: NSU students win the 5th international festival “Tsifra”

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

“Tsifra” is the largest platform for uniting young Russian directors working in the genres of feature, documentary and animation films, as well as rethinking genres in the direction of “author’s format”. The event is organized by the Cultural and Educational Center of the Student Union of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov and the Higher School (Faculty) of Television of Moscow State University. The festival is held in seven genre nominations: short documentary, animation, popular science and feature film, social video, video essay, music video. The theme of the 2025 festival is “Time”.

This year, two works by students of the “Journalism” program Humanitarian Institute of NSU were noted by the jury. The film “Right to Yourself” became the winner in the category “Documentary Film”, and “Moving” received the prize for best director.

— We decided to participate in the Tsifra festival because we had high-quality films made as part of the training courses. They had already participated in other competitions, and “The Right to Yourself” was even shown in Yekaterinburg on the screen of the Kolyada Theater and at the international festival Artdocfest in Riga. Tsifra is a prestigious venue, so we wanted to try our hand there, — shares Alina Iskhakova, one of the authors of the projects.

The work on “Right to Yourself” was carried out by four students of the “Journalism” program – Alina Iskhakova, Valeria Ivaschenko, Sofia Sibrikova and Maria Ryabova. The film “Moving” was worked on by two people – Alina and Valeria.

— “Right to Yourself” is the story of a person with mental disabilities who grew up in a boarding school. His past still determines his present and future. And “Moving” is a film about an elderly man who finds it difficult to give up his usual way of life for a more comfortable life, — says Valeria Ivaschenko.

The “Tsifra” festival was held in two stages: first, the long list, then the short list. This year, participants sent hundreds of works from 9 countries, which made the victory even more honorable.

— We were very happy when we learned that “Right to Yourself” won. And then it turned out that “Moving” also received the prize for best direction — and for a documentary filmmaker, this is a real second victory. The jury captured the main idea of both films, and this is especially pleasing. So, it was not in vain that we were taught dramaturgy, — adds Alina Iskhakova.

You can view the winners’ works at the links:

“Right to oneself”

“Moving”

We congratulate our students on their well-deserved victory and look forward to new works!

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 –

May 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Images of Gaza’s starving babies have gone round the world. This is what malnutrition does in the first 1,000 days of life
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nina Sivertsen, Associate Professor, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University

A 5-month-old diagnosed with malnutrition being treated at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis in Gaza, May 2025. Anadolu/Getty

Last week, the United Nations warned more than 14,000 babies would die of malnutrition in 48 hours if Israel continued to block aid from entering Gaza.

After the figure was widely reported, that timeline has been walked back, with a UN spokesperson clarifying the projection is for the next 11 months.

Between April 2025 and March 2026, there will be 71,000 cases of acute malnutrition among children under five, including 14,100 severe cases.

Severe acute malnutrition means a child is extremely thin and at risk of dying.

An estimated 17,000 breastfeeding and pregnant women will also require treatment for acute malnutrition during this time.

Starvation and malnutrition are harmful for anyone. But for infants the impact can be profound and lasting.

What is malnutrition?

In infants and young children, malnutrition means they have a height, weight and head circumference that don’t match standard charts, due to a lack of proper nutrition.

Nutritional deficiencies are especially common among young children and pregnant women.

The human body needs 17 essential minerals. Deficiencies in zinc, iron and iodine are the most dangerous, linked to a higher risk of infants dying or developing brain damage.

When malnutrition is acute to severe, infants and young children will lose weight because they’re not getting enough food, and because they’re more susceptible to illness and diarrhoea.

This leads to wasting.

A child experiencing wasting has lost significant weight or fails to gain weight, resulting in a dangerously low weight-for-height ratio.

A persistent lack of adequate food leads to chronic malnutrition, or stunting, where growth and development is impaired.

Risk of infections and mortality

Malnourished infants have weakened immune systems. This makes them more vulnerable to developing infections, due to smaller organs and deficits in lean mass. Lean mass is the body’s weight excluding fat and is crucial for supporting healthy growth, strength and overall development.

When children are starving, they are much more likely to die from common illnesses such as diarrhoea and pneumonia.

Infections can make it harder to absorb nutrients, creating a dangerous cycle and worsening malnutrition.

Chronic malnutrition affects the brain

The human brain develops extraordinarily rapidly during the first 1,000 days of life (from conception to age two). During this time, adequate nutrition is essential.

Children’s developing brains are more likely to be affected by nutritional deficiencies than adults.

When prolonged, malnutrition may lead to structural brain changes, including a smaller brain and less myelin – the protective membrane that wraps around nerve cells and helps the brain send messages.

Chronic malnutrition can affect brain functions and processes such as thinking, language, attention, memory and decision-making.

These neurological impacts can cause life-long issues.

Can brain damage be permanent?

Yes, especially when malnutrition occurs during crucial periods of brain development, such as the first 1,000 days.

However, some effects are reversible. Early, intensive interventions – such as access to nutrient-rich food and medicines to treat hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) and fight infections – can help children catch-up on growth and brain development.

For example, one review of studies involving undernourished preschool children found their cognitive abilities, such as concentration, reasoning and emotional regulation improved somewhat when they were given iron supplements and multivitamins.

However malnutrition during the crucial window under two years old increases the risk of lifelong disabilities.

It’s also important to note recovery is more likely in an environment where nutritious food is available and children’s emotional needs are taken care of.

In Gaza, Israel’s military operations have destroyed 94% of hospital infrastructure and humanitarian aid remains severely restricted. The conditions necessary for children’s recovery are out of reach.

Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers

Severe maternal malnutrition can increase the mother and child’s risk of dying or experiencing complications during pregnancy.

When a breastfeeding mother is malnourished, she will produce less breastmilk and it will be lower quality. Deficiencies in iron, iodine, and vitamins A, D and zinc will compromise the mother’s health reduce the nutritional value of breast milk. This can contribute to poor infant growth and development.

Starved mothers may experience fatigue, poor health and psychological distress, making it challenging to maintain breastfeeding.

Other organ impacts

Data from those born during the Dutch famine of 1944-45 have helped us understand the lifelong health impacts on children conceived and born while their mothers were starving.

Among this group, malnutrition affected the development and function of many of the children’s organs, including the heart, lung and kidneys.

This group also had higher rates of schizophrenia, depression and anxiety, and lower performance in cognitive testing.

They also had a higher risk of developing chronic degenerative diseases (such as cardiovascular disease and kidney failure) and dying prematurely.

Is the damage irreversible?

Recovery is possible. But it depends on how severely malnourished the child is, and when and what kind of support they receive.

Evidence shows children remain vulnerable and have a higher risk of dying even after being treated for complications from severe acute malnutrition.

Effective interventions include:
- nutritional rehabilitation (giving the child nutrient-rich foods, specialised feeding, and addressing underlying deficiencies)
- breastfeeding support for mothers
- providing rehabilitation and health care in the community (so families and children can return to everyday routines).
This seems difficult if not impossible in Gaza, where Israel’s blockade on aid and ongoing military operations mean safety and infrastructure are severely compromised.

Repeated or prolonged episodes of malnutrition increase the risk of lasting developmental harm.

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. Images of Gaza’s starving babies have gone round the world. This is what malnutrition does in the first 1,000 days of life – https://theconversation.com/images-of-gazas-starving-babies-have-gone-round-the-world-this-is-what-malnutrition-does-in-the-first-1-000-days-of-life-257462
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Lagos fashion: how designers make global trends uniquely Nigerian

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Adwoa Owusuaa Bobie, Research Fellow, Center for Cultural and African Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)

African fashion has flourished in terms of creativity and innovation in recent years, and is attracting global attention.

Designers and labels are churning out garments that reflect African cities and how they interact with global trends. Think Nigeria’s Ejiro Amos Tafiri and Mai Atafo, Ghana’s Christie Brown and Larry Jay, Kenya’s Ikojn or South Africa’s Boyde.

Cities like Lagos, Accra, Marrakesh, Nairobi and Johannesburg have become global fashion capitals. They’re fashion production hubs that are creating styles that mirror their cosmopolitanism; their vibrant mix of nationalities.

Read more: West Africa’s fashion designers are world leaders when it comes to producing sustainable clothes

In a recent study I focus on how fashion in Lagos mirrors the bustling Nigerian city’s cosmopolitanism. It reflects a meeting point between global and local influences.

Drawing on interviews with designers, I discuss how cosmopolitanism is produced through clothing – and the gender dynamics that underpin it. African fashion production is drawing from local roots but also responding to global social and cultural developments.

Cosmopolitan Africa

Cosmopolitanism is a global community that transcends national borders. Many cultures inform a big city’s fashions, like they do its cuisines.

But while the conversation on cosmopolitanism has centred mostly on western countries, Africa also has a long history of connection to other parts of the world through trade, migration and the exchange of ideas.

African American philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah argues that the western idea of cosmopolitanism often assumes a complete embrace of foreign cultures and ideals. But among Africans, cosmopolitanism integrates the local with the global. He calls this rooted cosmopolitanism. It’s seen in various forms in African societies, such as urbanisation or fashion in this case.

Lagos

Lagos is Africa’s most populous city and is home to many migrants. It’s a mix of foreigners and indigenous people with different cultural backgrounds who find meaning in living as Lagosians.

Lagos is an African megacity. Ben Iwara/Pexels, CC BY

I chose Lagos for my study because of its vibrant creative industries. Even a decade ago, Lagos was judged by one magazine as the world’s fourth-largest fashion city. I interviewed 18 fashion designers living and working there.

Local fabric, western designs for women

I found that fashion in Lagos can be separated into two major trends: fabric and design – the materials clothes are made with and the styles in vogue.

Local fabrics and appropriated fabrics (foreign-produced cloths that have been assimilated into Nigerian cultures) are in vogue today for female fashion.

Local fabrics are hand-woven or dyed cloths and stem from various ethnic groups, like Aso oke or Akwete.

A woman handweaving Akwete cloth. Ekekeh Ubadire Obioma/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Popular appropriated fabrics are Ankara (wax prints, originally from Indonesia), lace (a delicate, openwork fabric popular on traditional Nigerian attire) and George (a type of Madras cloth popular among Nigeria’s Igbos).

Before the 2000s, the use of these fabrics was at two ends of a spectrum. Indigenous cloth, lace and George were for social and cultural events. Ankara was for everyday functional clothes, iro (a wrap skirt) and buba (a three-piece traditional design for women, mostly the married or elderly), especially among low-income people.

The popularity of local fabrics in today’s fashion didn’t emerge from a vacuum. It was a choice by designers, a social process of acceptance, and government initiative.

Today’s designers are consciously using local fabrics as a way of endorsing their roots and normalising their use. Many faced rejection at first. Zena, a participant in my study, sold only two pieces of her clothing during her first year of business. She spent time convincing people “this is good”:

And, funny enough, they are easy to wear and not expensive. But it took a while for them to appreciate it.

Since the early 1990s the Nigerian government has been committed to promoting local fabrics and locally produced clothes. In 2017, it approved a Monday and Wednesday “Made-in-Nigeria Dress Days” policy.

While local fabrics are today the fabric trend in women’s clothing, the design trend is western. Designers use local fabrics in styles that have global appeal.

Still, they are conscious of maintaining authenticity through either the fabric, a silhouette or a design concept that resonates with their culture.

According to Eji, her western designs still have the African woman in mind:

The African woman is not only situated in Africa, but they are also all over the world. I believe the world is more cosmopolitan now, we have interracial marriages, we can borrow culture from everywhere, we can inter-weave stuff.

Women’s fashion mirrors Lagos society’s complexity and its openness to global trends, as it seeks to globalise its local elements.

It’s the opposite for men

Cosmopolitan men’s fashion in Lagos is the opposite of women’s. The fabric trend is western; the design trend is local.

In Lagos, most men wear the two or three-piece “native”. The buba and sokoto, for example, is for regular wear. (A traditional two-piece top and trouser, normally from the same fabric.) The agbada is for special events. (Trousers, a top and a loose-fitting, wide-sleeved robe over.)

Participants in my study explained that the ethnic background of the president, at any point in time, influences men’s fashion trends. Former president Muhammadu Buhari, for example, hails from the northern part of the country and popularised the wearing of the baba riga (a top, trousers and a big, embroidered over-cover) of the Hausa people.

Current president Bola Ahmed Tinubu extends the dominance of agbada fashion as he is Yoruba. Men’s fashion portrays a unified cultural front, emanating from the ruling president’s ethnic culture and adopted by most men irrespective of their ethnicity. This can allow for the inclusion of groups excluded from dominant national cultures.

Read more: Kofi Ansah left Ghana to become a world famous fashion designer – how his return home boosted the industry

This study shows Nigerian fashion’s openness to modernity, consciously implementing styles from different parts of the world. But this isn’t detached from the local. As forms of culture disappear (through cultural exchange) new forms are created, and they are created locally. This is ultimately a celebration of the cosmopolitan in Lagos fashion and society.

– Lagos fashion: how designers make global trends uniquely Nigerian
– https://theconversation.com/lagos-fashion-how-designers-make-global-trends-uniquely-nigerian-254227

MIL OSI Africa –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Funding terror: how west Africa’s deadly jihadists get the money they need to survive
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Egodi Uchendu, Professor (of History and International Studies), University of Nigeria

The west Africa–Sahel region has seen a proliferation of militant Islamist groups since the 1990s.

One of the most vicious groups operating in the region is Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (Support Group for Islam and Muslims). The militant group emerged in 2017 in Algeria and Mali, and has targeted civilian populations.

The UN listed the group as an al-Qaeda affiliate in 2018. Al-Qaeda is an Islamist organisation founded by Osama bin Laden in the 1980s.

The 2024 global terrorism index listed Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin as one of the world’s most dangerous terrorist organisations. Its influence has expanded in most parts of the Sahel. The group emerged to strengthen the jihadist insurgency under al-Qaeda. It combines violence with diplomacy to expand its influence and challenge state authorities.

Despite growing pressure from counter militancy campaigns spearheaded by local, regional and international militaries, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin continues to survive and adapt by regrouping and reorganising. This was demonstrated in its latest operation in Burkina Faso in 2024. The group exerted significant control by closing schools, setting up taxation checkpoints and abducting locals.

Its engagement in illicit economies has been key to the group’s successful expansion. This revenue is used to carry out devastating attacks.

We research jihadi-based insurgencies, and have found that this is a common tactic among terrorist groups in the west Africa-Sahel axis, including Boko Haram militants.

From our research, we find that Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin funds its activities by relying on
- artisanal mining
- kidnapping
- livestock theft
- money laundering.
Dismantling the group’s illicit economies and blocking its financial flows are key to countering its activities.

Financial resources

The group needs money for fighting, and to sustain political and social influence in its areas of operation.

Artisanal gold mining has proven to be a major factor in its expansion and resilience. In areas where the group exerts influence, illicit gold mining generates over US$30 billion annually. According to a report by Swissaid, a development group based in Switzerland, the main destinations for this gold are the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Switzerland.

The jihadists gain access to gold by controlling mining sites and transport routes to and from mines. They sometimes allow trusted allies, who include local armed groups, bandits and other criminal networks, to mine in exchange for a payout. The extent of gold mining funds is not exactly known, but the artisanal sites in areas controlled by the group have the capacity to produce 725 kilograms of gold per year, valued at US$34 million.

Read more: West Africa could soon have a jihadist state – here’s why

Another source of income – and political influence – is kidnapping for ransom. Kidnap victims include cattle owners, businessmen, state officials and foreigners. The group received a ₤30 million ransom in 2020 to release one French and two Italian hostages. Between 2017 and 2023, the group and its affiliated units were responsible for 845 out of approximately 1,100 recorded kidnappings in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Burkina Faso and Mali remain the epicentre of the group’s violent activities. In the first quarter of 2023, over 180 cases of kidnapping were recorded in these countries’ war-torn areas.

Livestock theft has also been a critical source of funds. The practice of livestock theft as economic warfare and a means to generate funds has led to livestock being forcibly taken from herders who fail to pay zakat (a religious fee among Muslims) or subscribe to the group’s ideology. The stolen livestock are sold in Mali, Mauritania or Senegal. The ability to monetise stolen livestock makes their theft a cornerstone of the Sahelian war economy and a source of cash for weapons and vehicles.

Money laundering is another illicit economy central to the militant group’s financing. It lends money to merchants, invests with banks and funds small shops with the aim of getting profits. This helps ensure a constant flow of money and provisions to support the group’s terrorist acts. It has attached much importance to this illicit economy, to the extent of assassinating those who interfere with its investments.

Way out

To cut down Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin’s financial base – and thereby weaken its capacity for militancy – counterinsurgency efforts need to take the following actions.
- Government security actors should collaborate with local self-defence militias to regulate artisanal mining and thwart kidnappings.
- Financial intelligence units need to identify merchants who receive money from the militant group to block the flow of illicit funds.
Read more: Jihadism and coups in West Africa’s Sahel region: a complex relationship
- Specialised courts that deal with money laundering and terrorism financing cases should be established and made operational in Burkina Faso and Mali, the epicentres of the group’s activities.
- Burkina Faso and Mali should increase security around civilians to minimise civilian casualties from terror operations.
Since finance is the basis of the militant group’s strength, regional security co-operation should be strengthened. This would help with systematically tracking illicit flows and stopping them.

– Funding terror: how west Africa’s deadly jihadists get the money they need to survive
– https://theconversation.com/funding-terror-how-west-africas-deadly-jihadists-get-the-money-they-need-to-survive-242306

MIL OSI Africa –
May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: What’s the difference between abs and core? One term focuses on aesthetics – and the other on function

Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Hunter Bennett, Lecturer in Exercise Science, University of South Australia

Maksim Goncharenok/Pexels

You’ve probably heard the terms “abs” and “core” used in social media videos, Pilates classes, or even by physiotherapists.

Given they seem to refer to the same general area of your body, you might have wondered what the difference is.

When people talk about “abs”, they’re often referring to the abdominal muscles you can see. Conversely, the term “core” is used to describe a broader group of muscles in the context of function, rather than aesthetics.

While abs and core are often spoken about separately, there’s a lot of overlap between them.

What are abs?

The term “abs” is short for abdominal muscles. These are the muscles that run along the front and side of your stomach.

When someone talks about getting a six-pack, they’re usually referring to toning the rectus abdominis, the long muscle that goes from the bottom of your ribs to the top of your pelvis.

Your abdominals also include your obliques, which sit on the side of your body, and your transverse abdominis, which sits underneath your other abdominal muscles and wraps around your waist like a belt.

The term “abs” has been around for a long time, and is perhaps most often used when discussing aesthetics.

For example, it’s common to see health and wellness publications offering advice on how to achieve “flat” or “six-pack” abs.

The long muscle that goes from the bottom of your ribs to the top of your pelvis is called the rectus abdominis.
phoenix creation/Shutterstock

What about the core?

When people talk about the “core”, they are often referring to your abdominals, but also the muscles in your back (your spinal erectors), hips, glutes, pelvic floor, and your diaphragm.

These are the muscles that can stabilise your spine against movement, and aid in the transfer of force between the upper and lower limbs.

The term “core” wasn’t commonly used until the early 2000s, when it became synonymous with core training.

While the exact reason for its surge in popularity isn’t clear, it most likely followed a study published in 1998 that suggested people with lower back pain might have impaired function of their deep abdominal muscles.

From there, the concept of “core training” entered the mainstream, where it was proposed to reduce lower back pain and improve athletic performance.

‘Core’ training only entered the mainstream this century.
nadia_acosta/Shutterstock

What does the evidence say?

When we consider all the muscles that make up the core, it seems obvious they would be important – but it might not be for the reasons you think.

For example, having good core stability doesn’t necessarily prevent lower back pain, as it’s been touted to do.

There’s evidence suggesting core stability training, which might include exercises such as planks and dead bugs, can help reduce bouts of lower back pain. However it doesn’t appear to be any more effective than other types of exercise, such as walking or weight training.

Other research suggests there aren’t any differences in how people with and without lower back pain recruit and use their core muscles.

In a separate study, improvements in core strength and stability after a nine-week core stability training program were not significantly associated with improvements in pain and function, further questioning this relationship.

The link between core strength and athletic performance is also unclear.

A 2016 review found some very small associations between measures of core muscle strength and measures of whole body strength, power and balance. However, because of the design of the studies reviewed, we don’t know whether people who have better strength, power and balance simply have stronger core muscles, or whether stronger core muscles increase strength, power and balance.

An earlier review summarised the effect of core stability training on measures of athletic performance, including jumping, sprinting and throwing. It concluded this type of training is unlikely to provide substantial benefits to measures of general athletic performance such as jumping and sprinting.

However, this review also suggested that, given the important role of the abs in torso rotation, strengthening these muscles might have merit in improving performance in sports that involve swinging a bat or throwing a ball.

This is likely to apply to other sports that involve rapid torso movement as well, such as mixed martial arts and kayaking.

Stronger abdominal muscles could offer an advantage in sports that involve rotation.
Lino Khim Medrina/Pexels

How can you exercise your abs and core?

There’s good evidence that simply getting stronger by lifting weights can help prevent injuries. Training your core to get stronger should have a similar impact, as long as it’s part of a broader training program.

We also know having weaker muscles makes you more likely to experience functional limitations and disability in older age. So alongside any other potential benefits, improving core strength with the rest of your body could help keep you fit and healthy as you get older.

There are plenty of exercises you can do to train your core and abs.

If you’re new to core training, you might want to start off with some lower-level isolation exercises that don’t involve any movement of the core. These include things like planks, bird dogs, and pallof presses. These are unlikely to cause too much muscle soreness, but will train your core muscles.

Once you feel like these are going well, you can start moving into some more dynamic exercises such as sit ups, Russian twists and leg raises, where you train your abdominals using a full range of motion.

Hunter Bennett 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. What’s the difference between abs and core? One term focuses on aesthetics – and the other on function – https://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-abs-and-core-one-term-focuses-on-aesthetics-and-the-other-on-function-254582

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Remarks to media post bilateral with Sri Lanka MFA Vijitha Herath, Colombo

Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

Thank you to Foreign Minister Herath for the warm welcome to Sri Lanka. The New Zealand delegation is delighted to be here to further strengthen the warm relationship between New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

Relations between our countries are long-standing. Our trade dates from the 1860s and sporting connections to the 1920s. New Zealand was one of the first countries to recognise Sri Lanka’s independence in 1948.

Our modern relationship is growing, thanks to investments by both countries. We are pleased the establishment of New Zealand’s High Commission in Colombo in 2021 was followed by the opening of a Sri Lankan High Commission in Wellington this year. These commitments will enable our trade, cultural and political engagements to grow for mutual benefit.

For nearly 75 years, education has been a pillar of the relationship, starting with the training of Sri Lankan dental nurses in New Zealand under the Colombo Plan. Now we can count over 200 Sri Lankan alumni of New Zealand scholarship programmes.

We are delighted to note further strengthening of these links through cooperation on tourism research between New Zealand’s University of Otago and the University of Colombo.

For many years, the New Zealand-Sri Lanka relationship has also encompassed development cooperation aimed at strengthening resilience in vulnerable communities, increasing food security, and contributing to disaster response.

We are proud today to announce another such link, the Sustainable Water and Livelihoods project which will support farming households to improve their health and income generation.

On security, we shared views on the increasingly challenging global environment and the interconnected challenges for development, trade and security in the Indo-Pacific region. We remain committed to our cooperation across immigration, customs, police and defence.

We discussed the growing number of New Zealand companies working with and investing in Sri Lanka or looking to work with Sri Lankan partners.

Many of these collaborations will deliver benefits for Sri Lanka in the tourism, agriculture, and healthcare sectors.

We also discussed the key role government-to-government cooperation between our food safety and border agencies plays to improve food safety standards, reduce red tape at the border, and increase Sri Lanka’s market access capabilities.

We reiterated that Sri Lanka’s application to accede to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement is very welcome.

We are pleased to confirm that places on short term training courses in trade policy will be offered to Sri Lanka officials under the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship Programme.

Naturally we discussed our two nations’ shared passion for sport and noted the success of the recent tour by the New Zealand men’s under 85kg rugby team, playing against Sri Lanka’s Tuskers. We look forward to further future battles between New Zealand and Sri Lankan teams on the rugby pitch and the cricket field, both the men’s and women’s teams.

Thank you once again to Foreign Minister Herath, the government, and the people of Sri Lanka for your warm hosting of our lucky delegation.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI NGOs: Job Opening: Regional Security Manager
Source: Greenpeace Statement –

This is a full-time fixed-term position based in either Manila, Bangkok, Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur. Candidates who have the legal right to work and live in the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia are encouraged to apply.

FILE PHOTO: Greenpeace Philippines activists join the communities and civil society at the University of the Philippines, Quezon City in commemorating Independence Day in a peaceful solidarity activity to call on the government to scrap the proposed anti-terrorism bill. © Greenpeace / Grace Duran-Cabus

About the Role

Greenpeace Southeast Asia (GPSEA) takes bold, non-violent action to challenge power and create a more just, peaceful, and green future. Operating in complex and often high-risk environments, Greenpeace must ensure that our people, projects, and operations are safe, resilient, and empowered to push boundaries.

The Regional Security Manager, will lead the development and implementation of a strong security culture and systems across all GPSEA offices and projects. He/she will provide expert advice, tools, and support to enable safe and smart risk-taking in our campaigning and engagement work ensuring that security is not a barrier to impact, but an enabler of it. This role oversees the organization’s security strategy, policies, and protocols, while also managing critical incident systems and supporting frontline staff, volunteers, and activists. This will work closely with departments across the organization to integrate security into operations, HR, actions, and campaigns, and build regional capacity for resilience and preparedness. The Regional Security Manager will ensure that Greenpeace can operate effectively and ethically in Southeast Asia’s fast-changing political and environmental landscape.

Duties and Responsibilities:
- Create an enabling Security Culture that continues to push boundaries, through regular staff updates, familiarization, training and integration.
- Design and oversee a fit-for-purpose GPSEA Security System with approval processes.
- Provide strategic advice on enhancing acceptance and resilience as a civil society actor, including the liaison with other NGOs
- Policy and protocol development as related to safety, security, risk management and Duty of Care (employer responsibilities), including Standard Operating Procedures.
- Arranging delivery of periodic and as-required security training.
- Support and advice on the resolution of critical incident situations locally and regionally (on call).
- Facilitate and strengthen our legal support system to ease smart risk taking, in line with GP Best Practices.
- Other duties as directed by the line manager.
- Close consultation with campaigns, actions and logistics, communications, fundraising and management staff on Smart Risk taking in projects.
- Closely collaborate with all stakeholders to ensure Security integration into organizational processes and the GPSEA project model, from HR to Programmes.
- Oversee and facilitate the regional security practitioners and build capacity to meet the need of the organization.
- Closely collaborate with HR and Public Engagement and Actions to ensure GP Duty of Care Best Practices are in place for staff, contractors, volunteers and activists.
- Manage the regional Security team adequately and ensure appropriate team capacity deployment projects.
- Assist in the sign off and approval on campaign & communications materials, tactics and strategies that may influence security risk levels.
- Liaise with Human Resources and Legal to ensure Greenpeace compliance with national legislation’s in Security, Health and Safety matters.
- Liaison with GPI and other NROs on security management to ensure consistent best-practice across our global organization.
- Manage security external contractors, including office security, specific project security and trainers.
- Production, review and updating of all offices and projects standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- Oversee and ensure the implementation of Security systems through monitoring, project integration and trainings.
- Oversee, maintain and improve our Critical Incident Management Systems including a 24/7 hotline.
- Coordinate Security and Safety induction process for new joiners across GPSEA with HR.
- Responsibly manage the security budget and maintain secure filing system.
- Advice and support project risk assessments, security and duty of care plans.
- Oversight of incident reporting processes across the organization.
- Maintain and further improve the travel security & monitoring system.
- Advise on and ensure Site Security at our Greenpeace locations, in coordination with Administration
- Provide up-to-date political, societal context analysis for our operating countries.
- Overall budgetary responsibility and management of the finances for the Regional Security Unit.
Skills and Experience Requirements:
- Bachelor’s Degree in field of Management or with security management background preferred.
- Proven professional training in security management or a related field or comparable work experience/certification.
- At least 3 years working in a non-profit, campaigning organization.
- At least 3 years of supervisory/management experience.
- At least 5 years of experience delivering security and emergency plans and risk analysis including: physical security management; crisis; occupational health and safety; field security; and travel.
Functional Skills:
- Knowledge and/or experience in understanding of security and cultural issues in GPSEA operating countries.
- Knowledge and/or experience in training, mentoring and developing staff on security issues.
- Knowledge and/or experience in crisis management.
- Knowledge and/or experience in developing and managing security and safety risk assessment.
- Demonstrable understanding of security and risk management appropriate to the values and practices of Greenpeace.
- Knowledge and/or experience in conducting security threat/risk/impact assessments and reporting.
- Knowledge and/or experience in conducting security incident investigation and reporting.
- Knowledge and/or experience in training personnel in general security protocols.
- Strong skills in written and spoken English (required).
- Knowledge and/or experience in planning, facilitating and conducting meetings or workshops.
- Knowledge and/or experience in project management and administration.
- Knowledge and/or experience in strategic alignment and setting the direction of unit’s project organizational objectives.
- Knowledge and/or experience in budgeting and forecasting.
Organizational Competencies:
- Professionalism: Knowledge and/or experience in managing conduct and emotions in a way that represents the values and realizes the objectives of the organization.
- Strategic Thinking & Global Mindset: Knowledge and/or experience in addressing organizational objectives by developing calculated approaches that integrate an openness to and awareness of diversity across cultures.
- Teamwork & Communication: Knowledge and/or experience in working with others and presenting information, ideas, and positions in a clear manner that can easily be understood across diverse and multi-cultural audiences.
- Innovation & Change: Knowledge and/or experience in reflecting creative and imaginative thinking, an openness to new ideas, and an ability to take calculated risks in order to meet organizational objectives.
- Leadership: Knowledge and/or experience in guiding and directing the efforts of others in pursuit of clear objectives, including delegating responsibilities and providing consistent support.
Specific Work Environment:
- Good command in English is required.
- Sensitive to the socio-economic cultural environment of Southeast Asia. This position requires the employee to have a flexible approach and the ability to adapt and work in different and challenging work and cultural environments, which may include flexible arrangements in working in challenging fields and work environments.
Greenpeace’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Greenpeace values diversity as essential to its mission and success. The organisation fosters an inclusive environment that respects varied cultural experiences and perspectives, promoting solutions rooted in social and environmental justice.

Deadline for applications: June 6, 2025

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Do you have a passion for this planet and want to do more? Work with us!

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MIL OSI NGO –
May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Tsinghua’s Academy of Arts & Design launches 2025 postgrad exhibition

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

The 2025 Postgraduate Exhibition of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University (AADTHU) opens at Tsinghua University Art Museum in Beijing, May 23, 2025. [Photo courtesy of AADTHU]

The 2025 Postgraduate Exhibition of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University (AADTHU) opened on May 23 at the university’s art museum, featuring the latest works by more than 170 graduating students.

The exhibition features a wide range of projects that combine art and technology and address contemporary social issues in innovative ways.

Running through June 1, the exhibition spans nine galleries across four floors and is open to the public. It is the first time the academy has displayed its entire body of graduate work in a nationally recognized, first-class museum — a milestone the school sees as an important step toward making arts education more accessible and engaging to a wider audience.

By bringing academic exploration into a public cultural space, the academy said they hope to bridge the gap between artistic creation and everyday life.

At the opening ceremony, Ma Sai, dean of AADTHU, praised the graduates for their thoughtful combination of traditional wisdom and contemporary artistic expression.

He said their creations reflect deep engagement with real-world issues and affirmed the academy’s efforts in blending Eastern and Western art philosophies, bridging past and present, and uniting art with technology. He encouraged students to remain rooted in humanistic values and to draw upon the aesthetics of Chinese culture to meet the challenges of their time.

Qin Chuan, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) AADTHU Committee, emphasized that as artificial intelligence continues to reshape artistic boundaries, AADTHU remains committed to merging art and technology and using creativity to serve society.

He urged the graduates to ground their work in real-world issues and to embody Tsinghua University’s spirit of patriotism, dedication and pursuit of excellence.

Lu Xiaobo, director of the Tsinghua University Art Museum, highlighted the significance of hosting the entire graduate collection in a nationally ranked museum for the first time. He said combining education with a public cultural space provides an innovative platform for students to showcase their work to more people.

By engaging in public discourse, the graduates not only show what they have learned but also highlight the role of art education in shaping cultural development, Lu said.

Speaking on behalf of the faculty, Chen Lei, director of AADTHU’s Department of Visual Communication, encouraged students to maintain their curiosity and integrity as they face an uncertain artistic future. “Stay true to your artistic vision, focus on authentic expression, and let your work touch hearts,” he said.

Student representative Wang Bing, a graduate of the Department of Arts and Crafts, emphasized the role of art in addressing real-world issues. “With creativity rooted in everyday life, we seek to craft artistic answers to contemporary challenges,” she said.

Vice Dean Yang Dongjiang, who hosted the opening ceremony, emphasized that the exhibition not only showcases academic achievements but also looks to the future of arts education.

“By rooting their creativity in tradition while embracing cutting-edge technologies, our students are shaping a new artistic landscape and redefining the role of art in today’s world,” he said.

Visitors view exhibits at the 2025 Postgraduate Exhibition of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University (AADTHU) at Tsinghua University Art Museum, Beijing, May 23, 2025. [Photo courtesy of AADTHU]

The works on display cover a wide range of fields, including product design, spatial design, digital art and visual storytelling. They show the students’ awareness of social issues and their connection to everyday life. Various projects address topics like aging and adolescent mental health, reflecting a sense of care and a wish to share artistic insight with the public, according to the academy.

The exhibition blends material innovation, conceptual exploration and design aesthetics. Traditional Chinese cultural elements are given a fresh look through digital techniques, with Dunhuang motifs and heritage crafts woven into contemporary styles. Some works imagine futuristic space environments, using advanced hardware and software to explore new possibilities where art and technology meet.

The academy said one of the defining features of this exhibition is its commitment to cultural continuity, reinterpreting traditional artistic heritage from a contemporary perspective. By revitalizing classic works with digital technology and offering new interpretations of folk imagery, students present a distinctly Chinese artistic voice, according to the academy.

Through imagery, space and storytelling, the exhibition conveys a strong sense of cultural confidence, demonstrating not only keen observational and expressive skills but also a deep understanding of each discipline and an ability to respond to contemporary issues, the academy said.

The exhibition also features a dedicated interactive zone, allowing visitors to directly experience the innovative fusion of contemporary art and technology.

Visitors engage with exhibits at the 2025 Postgraduate Exhibition of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University (AADTHU) at Tsinghua University Art Museum, Beijing, May 23, 2025. [Photo courtesy of AADTHU]

MIL OSI China News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Trump demands ‘names and countries’ of Harvard’s foreign students

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

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said he wants the “names and countries” of every international student enrolled at Harvard University.

The demand came just days after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from revoking Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign students.

“We want to know who those foreign students are, a reasonable request since we give Harvard BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, but Harvard isn’t exactly forthcoming,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “We want those names and countries.”

“Why isn’t Harvard saying that almost 31 percent of their students are from FOREIGN LANDS, and yet those countries, some not at all friendly to the United States, pay NOTHING toward their student’s education, nor do they ever intend to,” Trump wrote on Sunday. “Nobody told us that!”

Trump also called on the Ivy League institution to stop applying for further federal funding.

On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it would revoke Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, effectively prohibiting the university from admitting international students. All current international students would need to transfer to another university or lose their legal status.

Harvard then promptly filed a lawsuit against the administration, and a federal judge in Massachusetts on Friday issued a temporary restraining order preventing the government from enforcing the ban pending a full hearing.

Harvard’s data indicate that, as of the fall 2023 semester, international students comprised more than 27 percent of its total enrollment. The university currently enrolls nearly 6,800 international students and scholars from more than 140 countries and regions, the majority of whom are pursuing graduate-level study.

International students represent a significant source of revenue for U.S. higher education institutions.

MIL OSI China News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Asia Pacific Report editor honoured for contribution to Pacific journalism

Pacific Media Watch

Asia Pacific Report editor David Robie was honoured with Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) at the weekend by the Governor-General, Dame Cindy Kiro, in an investiture ceremony at Government House Tāmaki Makaurau.

He was one of eight recipients for various honours, which included Joycelyn Armstrong, who was presented with Companion of the King’s Service Order (KSO) for services to interfaith communities.

Dr Robie’s award, which came in the King’s Birthday Honours in 2024 but was presented on Saturday, was for “services to journalism and Asia-Pacific media education”.

His citation reads:

Dr David Robie has contributed to journalism in New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region for more than 50 years.

Dr Robie began his career with The Dominion in 1965 and worked as an international journalist and correspondent for agencies from Johannesburg to Paris. He has won several journalism awards, including the 1985 Media Peace Prize for his coverage of the Rainbow Warrior bombing.

He was Head of Journalism at the University of Papua New Guinea from 1993 to 1997 and the University of the South Pacific in Suva from 1998 to 2002. He founded the Pacific Media Centre in 2007 while professor of journalism and communications at Auckland University of Technology.

He developed four award-winning community publications as student training outlets. He pioneered special internships for Pacific students in partnership with media and the University of the South Pacific. He has organised scholarships with the Asia New Zealand Foundation for student journalists to China, Indonesia and the Philippines.

He was founding editor of Pacific Journalism Review journal in 1994 and in 1996 he established the Pacific Media Watch, working as convenor with students to campaign for media freedom in the Pacific.

He has authored 10 books on Asia-Pacific media and politics. Dr Robie co-founded and is deputy chair of the Asia Pacific Media Network/Te Koakoa NGO.

[embedded content]
The investiture ceremony on 24 May 2025. Video: Office of the Governor-General

In an interview with Global Voices last year, Dr Robie praised the support from colleagues and students and said:

“There should be more international reporting about the “hidden stories” of the Pacific such as the unresolved decolonisation issues — Kanaky New Caledonia, “French” Polynesia (Mā’ohi Nui), both from France; and West Papua from Indonesia.

“West Papua, in particular, is virtually ignored by Western media in spite of the ongoing serious human rights violations. This is unconscionable.”

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Xi congratulates Fudan University on 120th founding anniversary 2025-05-26 15:16:46 Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a congratulatory letter to Fudan University, celebrating its 120th founding anniversary.
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
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MIL OSI China News –
May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: The Academic Council discussed cooperation with Slavic universities and the life of the Student City

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

Last Friday, the regular meeting of the SPbPU Academic Council took place. Its participants discussed the interaction of the Polytechnic University with Slavic universities, the work of the Student City, held elections of directors of some institutes and higher schools, and voted for the nomination of several university employees for academic titles.

Before the meeting, members of the Academic Council congratulated the rector of SPbPU Andrey Rudskoy on the presentation to him, as a co-author of the book “Putin in the Mirror of Time. Milestones of the Biography and Chronicles of the Era”, Letter of thanks from the President of Russia. Then they moved on to the ceremonial part, where many more Polytechnicians and university partners were awarded congratulations and applause.

For his great contribution to the formation and replenishment of the SPbPU endowment fund and strengthening the positive image of the university, the “For Merit” badge of distinction was awarded to Deputy Head of the Corporate Network Department – Senior Vice President of VTB Bank, Polytechnic University graduate Yuri Levchenko.

The Chief of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia for the Leningrad Region, Lieutenant General of the Internal Service Evgeny Deineka, was also awarded the “For Merit” badge.

The presentation of candidate of science diplomas at the Polytechnic University also takes place in a solemn atmosphere. Members of the Academic Council congratulated their colleagues on receiving their academic degrees: Nikita Zibarev, an assistant at the Higher School of Biotechnology and Food Production, became a candidate of technical sciences, Tatyana Kudryashova, a senior lecturer at the Higher School of Biotechnology and Food Production, became a candidate of biological sciences, and Suzanne Niemb Bekoume, a young scientist from Cameroon, became a candidate of economic sciences.

Director of the Higher School of Design and Architecture, Doctor of Architecture Margarita Perkova became a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences (RAASN).

The Association of Museums of Universities of St. Petersburg awarded the director of the SPbPU History Museum, Valery Klimov, with a diploma “For the Honor and Dignity of the Profession.”

It’s time to celebrate the athletes’ achievements. Students Anastasia Dmitrieva and Elizaveta Shevchenko took first place in the Russian and St. Petersburg championships in sports aerobics.

The Polytechnic women’s basketball team, which took 2nd place in the All-Russian student competition “ASB League Belov Cup”, was represented by Karina Kambulatova, Yulia Ragozina, Kristina Krivich, Ksenia Litvin and assistant of the Department of Physical Training and Sports Victoria Shipovskaya.

The Academic Council did not forget about the successes of the university’s creative teams. The SPbPU Chamber Choir received the Grand Prix open competition of student choirs of Russia “Blagovest”. At the Academic Council, the winners were represented by a 2nd-year student of the Institute of Biological Sciences and Biology Olesya Shkorubskaya. Youth choir “Polyhymnia” became the best among fifty participants All-Russian choral competition “Raduga”. And the pop-symphony orchestra Ingenium took 1st place at the festival “Student Spring”— the most significant creative competition of universities in the North-West.

For the first time, the Academic Council not only congratulated the winners, but also saw fragments of their performances on the big screen, which was especially inspiring and set the mood for positivity.

On the agenda, Dmitry Arsenyev, Vice-Rector for International Affairs at SPbPU, presented a report entitled “On the coordination of activities and support for development programs of Russian-national (Slavic) universities.”

The Slavic Universities project is one of the largest international projects of SPbPU. It is aimed at creating an international community of leading universities promoting Russian education, science and culture in the CIS countries. Its key goal is to form an educational outpost uniting universities of Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and other countries through the introduction of the best Russian practices, deep transformation of educational processes and strengthening of scientific research potential.

Significant results were achieved during the period from 2021 to 2025: 14 network educational programs and 16 academic mobility programs were launched, involving more than 200 students. Through joint efforts, 18 conferences were held, over 170 scientific papers were published, and more than 500 employees of Slavic universities were trained in advanced training programs. Key initiatives include the creation of an intelligent robotics laboratory at the Belarusian-Russian University, the implementation of the Moodle cloud platform at the Kyrgyz-Russian University, and major events such as the Slavic Horizon Summit (2023) and the International School of Astrophysics at the Byurakan Observatory.

However, the project faces challenges: legal restrictions due to the status of foreign legal entities, differences in legislation and mentalities, as well as difficulties with migration policy. These barriers require an individual approach to each university and additional resources.

Large-scale initiatives are planned for 2025–2026: development and implementation of joint and network educational programs, including expert and consulting support for organizing a distance learning system in Slavic universities; creation of a Student Project Bureau at KRSU; mutual academic mobility of students and postgraduates between partner universities; attraction of leading research and teaching staff from Slavic universities to exchange experience; development of comprehensive plans for the development of the scientific base of KRSU with a focus on projects for industrial partners (LLC Alliance Altyn and GC Geoscan); opening of dissertation councils; expert support for the modernization of the information and library complex of KRSU; as well as the formation of a unified youth policy in Slavic universities through the involvement of students in scientific, educational and cultural initiatives. Particular attention will be paid to the dialogue with the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia.

Slavic universities are a systemic effort to overcome borders, where students from different countries not only study, but also create projects that solve real problems. We see how joint work launches a chain reaction of ideas. Our focus is not on formal indicators, but on creating a unified scientific ecosystem, – emphasized Dmitry Arsenyev.

The Academic Council of SPbPU noted the importance of the project for promoting technical education of SPbPU abroad, recognized the work done by the project office as satisfactory, and also approved the work plan for the coming year.

The second issue on the agenda was addressed by the Director of the Student City, Vyacheslav Olshevsky.

The Polytechnic University campus consists of 21 dormitories, two hostels, three hotels and an administrative and economic block, which includes a production complex and furniture manufacturing.

The number of people living in dormitories increases every year. According to the admissions targets for 2024, 70% of those admitted to the Polytechnic are from out of town. Currently, about 10 thousand students live in the dormitories of the Student City.

The administration ensures that each resident is provided with the necessary set of furniture. Each dormitory has a study room for classes, and almost all dormitories have sports rooms. Dormitory repairs are carried out both by the Student City production complex and with the involvement of contractors.

In 2025, together with the United Student Council of SPbPU, we held a significant event – forum of student councils of dormitories.

Vyacheslav Olshevsky also spoke about the hotel complex, noting that it brings great benefit in accommodating those in need of accommodation: 95% of the hotels are occupied by students. Also, during the admission campaign, applicants and their parents can live there. There is a 60% discount on accommodation in the hotel complex for students.

With all the advantages, there are also difficulties. Thus, in 2024, a resort tax was introduced in St. Petersburg (100 rubles). Fortunately, full-time students under 24 are considered a privileged category of citizens. But in 2025, a tourist tax was introduced in St. Petersburg for legal entities, and so far there are no benefits for accommodating students. This issue is currently being resolved at the level of the legislative and executive authorities of the city.

Vyacheslav Olshevsky pleased us with the information that a food outlet will open in the Maximum Hotel any day now, and this is very good, since there are no cafes or shops near the hotel.

The third issue on the agenda of the meeting was devoted to the election of directors of institutes and higher schools. According to the results of the vote, the post of director of the Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications was retained by Alexander Korotkov, the post of director of the Institute of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism was retained by Valery Sushchenko, and Nikolay Ivanov became the director of the Physics and Mechanical Institute. Zeynab Bakhturidze became the director of the Higher School of International Relations of the State Institute of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vladimir Mulyukha became the director of the Higher School of Artificial Intelligence Technologies of the Institute of Scientific Research, Maria Poltavtseva was elected director of the Higher School of Computer Technologies and Information Systems of the Institute of Scientific Research, Alexey Grachev became the director of the Higher School of Transport of the Institute of Medical and Electronic Technology, Margarita Perkova became the director of the Higher School of Design and Architecture of the Institute of Scientific Research, and M. V. Gumilyov became the director of the Higher School of Professional Judo Trainers named after A. S. Rakhlin – Mikhail Rakhlin, director of the Higher School of Electronics and Microsystem Engineering of the Institute of Electrical Engineering and Technology – Vera Loboda, director of the Higher Engineering and Physics School of the Institute of Electrical Engineering and Technology – Roman Burkovsky, director of the Higher School of Advanced Digital Technologies PISh “Digital Engineering” – Valery Leventsov, director of the Higher School of Fundamental Physics Research of the Physics and Mechanics Institute – Viktor Dubov, director of the Higher School of Applied Mathematics and Computational Physics of the Physics and Mechanics Institute – Maxim Frolov.

The fourth issue was the presentation for the assignment of academic titles. From the Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications, it was decided to present Sergei Ivanov (scientific specialty “Radiophysics”) and Ivan Rumyantsev (scientific specialty “Electronic component base of micro- and nanoelectronics, quantum devices”) to the title of associate professor.

The Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport nominated for the title of associate professor: Alexander Bakhshiev (Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning), Boris Spassky (Robots, Mechatronics and Robotic Systems), Vasily Teplukhin (Mechanical Science).

The Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade nominated for the title of associate professor: Ksenia Kikkas (World Economy) and Angi Skhvediani (Mathematical, Statistical and Instrumental Methods in Economics).

At the end of the meeting, SPbPU Academic Secretary Dmitry Karpov reported on monitoring the implementation of the Academic Council’s decisions.

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 –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Free meals for 3 months? Volunteers needed for ‘benefits of eating fish’ study Scientists exploring why eating fish is good for heart and gut health are looking for volunteers to help them unlock more of its nutritional secrets.

Source: University of Aberdeen

Prof Jules Griffin tries fish curry with Karen Taylor and Prof Frank Thies

Scientists exploring why eating fish is good for heart and gut health are looking for volunteers to help them unlock more of its nutritional secrets.
Codenamed FAM-OUS because it compares fish and meat-based diets, the Aberdeen University study hopes to underline the benefit of eating more of our local catch.
And the lucky participants will have a 14-week menu selected for them by the Rowett Institute’s dieticians, with regular monitoring of the relative changes to their health.
The £750,000 project is funded by the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and will delve deeper than previous research in the area.
It is specifically aimed at providing strong scientific backing for the heart health benefits of eating fish, following studies showing an increase in some people’s blood levels of a metabolite – trimethylamine N-oxide, known as TMAO – after eating fish.
The latest project comes shortly after the Rowett published Scottish Government-funded research showing many vital nutrients are “lost” because the UK exports so much of the fish caught by our fleets.
That report concluded fresh efforts are urgently needed to increase the quantity of fish we eat as a country, which falls significantly short of the recommended intake.
Rowett Institute director Jules Griffin, who is one of the lead researchers for the FAMOUS study, said the work would help highlight the value of one of the north east of Scotland’s most celebrated assets – and said he was delighted with some of the dishes set to be served up to volunteers, including a curry and fish cakes.

The FAMOUS study sets out to examine the health benefits of a fish-based diet, going further than traditional studies to investigate how fish modifies the microbial community in our guts to promote health” Prof Jules Griffin

“This region produces some of the best fish and seafood in the world and yet many of us eat a rather limited range, perhaps just fish and chips on a Friday,” he said.
“We are not just missing out on some great tasting food, but fish is an important source of vitamin D and polyunsaturated fats, protecting us from serious diseases including cardiovascular disease.
“The FAMOUS study sets out to examine the health benefits of a fish-based diet, going further than traditional studies to investigate how fish modifies the microbial community in our guts to promote health.
“Using the Rowett’s world-class Human Intervention Studies unit, we will better define these health benefits to promote the consumption of the great fish and seafood we have in the area.
“I will also see if I’m allowed to share some of the wonderful recipes the team have created for the study – the fish curry is a personal favourite and the fish cakes are excellent too!”
The team is looking for healthy, overweight (BMI 25-29.9) 30–65-year-old meat eaters with elevated blood lipids, sugar, or blood pressure but not on medication or with any history of heart disease or other inflammatory diseases and not on medication for cholesterol or lipaemia or taking any dietary supplements.
Taking part will involve following different diet plans over set periods and having heart health and gut microbiome changes monitored and assessed.
To apply or find out more, please contact Frank Thies (f.thies@abdn.ac.uk) or Morven Cruikshank (morven.cruickshank@abdn.ac.uk) or visit the Rowett website: FAMOUS Study | The Rowett Institute | The University of Aberdeen

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MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: New book about Polytechnic heroes: from T-34 to Operation Berezino

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

The TASS press center hosted a presentation of the book “Polytechnic. Fortitude. 1941-1945.” The author, leading specialist of the SPbPU History Museum Alexander Kobyshev, and the vice-rector for youth policy and communication technologies at SPbPU Maxim Pasholikov told journalists about the new edition, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

“The book ‘Polytechnic. Fortitude. 1941-1945’ is just one example of how the Polytechnic University preserves the memory of the Great Patriotic War,” began Maxim Pasholikov. “Back in 2004, students created the military-historical club ‘Our Polytechnic’, began studying archival documents, organizing search watches, hikes to battle sites, excursions and much more. In May, in Karelia, where the Polytechnicians fought in 1941, the military-patriotic rally ‘Syandeba. Connection of Generations’ was held for the twentieth time. For many years, students have been restoring the names of fallen soldiers, searching for personal files, and collecting them in an electronic Book of Memory. Last year, it was printed for the first time. And the new edition “Polytech. Fortitude. 1941–1945” continues the study of unknown pages in the history of our university.”

The book “Polytechnic. Fortitude. 1941-1945” consists of two parts. The first describes the activities of the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute named after M. I. Kalinin during the Great Patriotic War – both in Leningrad and in evacuation, in Pyatigorsk and Tashkent. The second part is dedicated to the contribution of polytechnicians to the creation of the weapons of Victory. In addition to the already known names, readers will learn for the first time about more than 120 graduates of the institute who worked at the main defense enterprises and in intelligence.

“Our task was to show the history of the institute as a whole and its influence on the course of World War II,” emphasized Alexander Kobyshev. “Probably, everyone has seen the “Weapons of Victory” coins issued by the Central Bank. Eight of the nineteen coins depict weapons developed by polytechnicians.”

The famous T-34 tank was designed by Mikhail Koshkin, a graduate of the institute. Ivan Bushnev participated in the creation of the T-50 light tank, and the names of Nikolai Dukhov and Zhores Kotin are associated with the production of the KV-1, KV-2, IS-1, IS-2, and IS-3 heavy tanks. Polytechnicians also contributed to aviation. The first fighters were designed by Nikolai Polikarpov, seaplanes by Georgy Beriev, and combat gliders that delivered weapons and food were designed by Oleg Antonov.

Vladimir Tsimbalin created a device to protect pilots from overloads in flight, Mikhail Berezina participated in the creation of aircraft guns. Yuri Baimakov came up with a technology for producing an alloy for fuses of Molotov cocktails. Fyodor Petrov developed the M-30 howitzer. During the war, every second mortar was made from pipes of the Nikopol South Pipe Metallurgical Plant, the evacuation of which to Pervouralsk was led by the director, a graduate of the metallurgical faculty of the Polytechnic University, Alexey Astakhov.

“Almost all artillery is the result of the work of Polytechnic graduates: anti-aircraft guns, divisional guns, anti-tank guns, small artillery, mortars,” listed Alexander Kobyshev. “The Degtyarev anti-tank rifle is named after the bureau, but was developed by the group of Polytechnician Alexander Dementyev. The gas generator for the famous GAZ-AA truck was made by our graduate student and engineer Volodin. And the director of GAZ was our graduate Loskutov, who replaced the previous graduate, who, unfortunately, was arrested and died during the repressions. We provide a list of these people and a list of the factories where they worked. For us, this became a new understanding of the contribution of Polytechnicians to the Great Victory.”

The book names 11 Polytechnicians who were Heroes of the Soviet Union, who received this title from 1941 to 1945. Among them is Marshal Leonid Govorov, a former Polytechnic student who was mobilized into the Russian Imperial Army during the First World War.

The final chapter of the book is called “Behind the Front Lines” and is dedicated to intelligence officers.

“The name of the first of them is well known – this is Hero of the Soviet Union Viktor Lyagin,” said Alexander Kobyshev. “We learned about the second one recently, this is a graduate of the electromechanical faculty, Alexander Demyanov. He was a double agent: the Germans called him Max, and ours – Heine. He led a radio game, thanks to which significant parts of the Wehrmacht were not transferred to Stalingrad, and we were able to win this decisive battle. After that, our graduate continued working in Operation Berezino in Belarus, for which Heine was awarded the Order of the Red Star, and Max received the Iron Cross with Swords. German intelligence officers highly valued him for the disinformation he supplied them with.”

Aleksandr Nikolaevich shared a few more interesting facts about people who studied at the Polytechnic at different times. Thus, Marceli Porowski, a graduate of the economics department, fought during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944 and was the president of Warsaw. Nikolai Novik, a future member of the French Resistance, who was awarded the French Military Cross and the Order of the Legion of Honor, studied at the same economics department.

Many archives are being declassified now, and every year we learn something new. I hope that students will join this work, and the chronicle of our university will be replenished, – Maxim Pasholikov summed up.

“Polytechnic. Fortitude. 1941-1945” is the fourth book in the series of historical works by Alexander Kobyshev. The first, “Polytechnic. Beginning. 1899-1917”, was published for the 125th anniversary of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University in a print run of 500 copies. All subsequent volumes were published in print runs of 200. As Alexander Nikolaevich said at a press conference, a total of seven books are planned. The fifth will cover the period from 1946 to 1960, the sixth – from 1960 to 1990, and the seventh – from 1990 to the present day.

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 –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Mathematicians once again confirmed their title as the university’s strongest track and field athletes

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

The annual track and field competitions were held at the NSU stadium – the last event of the Spartakiad program among faculties and institutes, in which 12 teams took part.

Almost 100 students competed in 100, 400 and 800 meter races, and the competition program was concluded by a mixed 4 x 200 m relay. The team standings were determined by the sum of the 10 best results shown in all events, and the MMF students once again became winners.

Prize winners in the individual competition:

100m Run 1st place – Anastasia Osmushkina (IMMT) and Alexander Makhanov (GGF) 2nd place – Arina Landl (SUNC NSU) and Andrey Birkin (EF) 3rd place – Anastasia Moshkina (MMF) and Sergey Budyakov (IFP)

400m run 1st place – Ksenia Zubareva (FEN) and Nikita Bosak (MMF) 2nd place – Arina Landl (SUNC NSU) and Andrey Birkin (EF) 3rd place – Varvara Volkova (MMF) and Alexander Makhanov (GGF)

800m Run 1st place – Anastasia Osmushkina (IMMT) and Alexey Chviruk (MMF) 2nd place – Daria Zavalishina (MMF) and Miron Gaskov (FIT) 3rd place – Tatyana Nefedova (GI) and Gleb Mamonov (MMF)

Relay 4×200 m 1st place – MMF, result 1.48.1 2nd place – FIT, result 1.53.6 3rd place – team of FF and SUNC, result 1.56.4

Team standings of the NSU Spartakiad in athletics: 1st place – Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics 2nd place – Faculty of Physics 3rd place – Institute of Intelligent Robotics

Congratulations to the winners of the competition! We thank all the students for participating, and Anton Mamekov and other teachers of KaffV for organizing the start! We wish you success in the summer session and look forward to seeing everyone on our sports grounds next academic year!

See all results in the protocols on the page

Photos

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 –

May 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Israel’s new aid delivery system for Gaza is sparking outrage. Why is it so problematic?

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amra Lee, PhD candidate in Protection of Civilians, Australian National University

Some 2.1 million Gazans are facing critical hunger levels, with many at risk of famine following Israel’s 11-week blockade on aid intended to pressure Hamas.

According to the United Nations, 57 children have already died from malnutrition since the aid blockade began on March 2. A further 14,000 children under 5 years old are at risk of severe cases of malnutrition over the next year.

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu permitted a limited number of aid trucks into Gaza amid increasing pressure from allies who have drawn a line at images of starving children.

However, Israel is controversially planning to transfer responsibility for distributing aid in Gaza through a new system that would sideline the UN and other aid agencies that have been working there for decades.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres swiftly rejected Israel’s new aid distribution system in Gaza, saying it breaches international law and humanitarian principles.

In a joint statement, two dozen countries, including the UK, many European Union member states, Australia, Canada and Japan, have supported the UN’s position on the new model. The signatories said it won’t deliver aid effectively at the scale required, and would link aid to political and military objectives.

The UK, Canada and France have further threatened to take “concrete actions” to pressure Israel to cease its military offence and lift restrictions on aid.

And in another blow to the credibility of the new system, the head of the newly established Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which will oversee the distribution of aid, resigned on Monday. He cited concerns over a lack of adherence to “humanitarian principles”.

So, how will would this new aid delivery system work, and why is it so problematic?

A military-led system with deep flaws

Israel has relied on unsubstantiated claims of large-scale aid diversion by Hamas to justify taking control over aid delivery in Gaza. The UN and its humanitarian partners continue to refute such claims, publicly sharing details of their end-to-end monitoring systems.

Yet, the new aid delivery initiative is vague on important details.

Several reports have revealed the plan would establish four secure distribution sites for aid under Israeli military control in southern and central Gaza.

Security would be provided by private military contractors, such as Safe Reach Solutions, run by a former CIA officer, while the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation would oversee the distribution of food.

There is little clarity beyond this on who is behind the new system and who is funding it.

The initiative has provoked strong reactions from the UN and the wider humanitarian aid system.

Senior aid officials have underlined the fact the international aid system cannot support a military-led initiative that would breach international law and be incompatible with humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence.

There are also concerns the four distribution hubs would require individuals to travel long distances to collect and carry heavy packages. This could leave female-headed households, people with disabilities, those who are ill and the elderly at greater risk of exclusion and exploitation.

In addition, a leaked UN memo reportedly expressed concern over UN involvement in the initiative, saying the organisation could be “implicated in delivering a system that falls short of Israel’s legal responsibilities as an occupying power”.

There are further concerns the UN could be implicated in atrocity crimes, including a risk of genocide through its participation in the system, setting a dangerous precedent for future crises.

Tom Fletcher, the UN relief chief, has called the plan “a deliberate distraction” and “a fig leaf for further violence and displacement”.

Other rights groups have condemned the mandatory collection of biometric data, including facial recognition scans, at the distribution sites. This would make aid conditional on compliance with surveillance. It would also expand Israel’s controversial use of facial recognition technology to track and monitor Palestinians throughout Gaza.

And famine expert Alex de Waal claims Israel has “taken a page from the colonial war handbooks” in weaponising food aid in pursuit of military victory.

He argues the planned quantities of food aid will be insufficient and lack the specialised feeding necessary for malnourished children, in addition to clean water and electricity.

What has not been stated but can be implied from the strong resistance to the new system lacking humanitarian expertise: the lack of good faith on Israel’s part. The Israeli government continues to pursue an elusive military victory at the expense of the rules and norms intended to preserve humanity in war.

Wider pattern of behaviour

The UN’s rebuke of the plan should be interpreted through a wider pattern of Israeli government behaviour undermining the international aid system and its role in upholding respect for humanitarian principles.

These fundamental principles include respect for humanity, neutrality, impartiality and operational independence. As the joint statement by 24 nations on aid to Gaza this month said:

Humanitarian principles matter for every conflict around the world and should be applied consistently in every war zone.

International humanitarian law requires member states to respect – and ensure respect – for the rules of war. This includes taking all feasible measures to influence the parties engaged in a conflict to respect humanitarian law.

Likewise, the Genocide Convention requires member states to take measures to prevent and punish genocide beyond their jurisdictions.

As Fletcher, the UN relief chief, reminded the UN Security Council earlier this month, this hasn’t been done in past cases of large-scale violations of international human rights, such as in Srebrenica (in the former Yugoslavia) and Rwanda.

He said reviews of the UN’s conduct in cases like these

[…] pointed to our collective failure to speak to the scale of violations while they were committed.

While humanitarians are best placed to deliver aid, greater collective political action is what’s needed. Pressure now falls on all UN member states use their levers of influence to protect civilians and prevent the further weaponisation of aid at this critical time.

Amra Lee 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. Israel’s new aid delivery system for Gaza is sparking outrage. Why is it so problematic? – https://theconversation.com/israels-new-aid-delivery-system-for-gaza-is-sparking-outrage-why-is-it-so-problematic-257347

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

May 27, 2025

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A military-led system with deep flaws

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