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Category: Universities

  • MIL-Evening Report: Something borrowed, something blue? Why the reign of the traditional wedding dress may be over

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jye Marshall, Lecturer, Fashion Design, School of Design and Architecture, Swinburne University of Technology

    Wedding Rebellion Workshop, London Ellie Cooper/unsplash

    The family and friends are all gathered, wedding bells are ringing, and the bride walks down the aisle in her beautiful bubblegum pink wedding dress.

    Twenty years ago, this would have raised some eyebrows. But not so much now, as a growing number of women opt to buck the traditional bridal gown for more unique and colourful finery.

    The origins of the white wedding dress

    The white wedding gown tradition wasn’t cemented in the West until the 19th century. Before then, brides across Europe wore all manner of hues on their wedding day, including reds, blues, yellows, and even black (often in cases where the bride was mourning a close family member).

    Diggers wedding in Melbourne, 1869.
    ST Gill 1852/State Library of Victoria, Melbourne, CC BY-NC

    During the Victorian era (1837–1901), fashion trends were heavily influenced by the wealthy, and especially by the royal families. So it was Queen Victoria’s 1840 wedding that truly kicked off the white wedding gown trend.

    In a bridal context, the colour white often came to be associated with “purity” – symbolism that can be traced back to ancient Rome, where white was worn by brides and by “vestal virgins” – the priestesses who served in the cult of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth.

    In the decades following Queen Victoria’s wedding, we continued to see British royal brides adorned in shades of white, and particularly ivory, cementing what a traditional wedding dress should look like.

    Breaking the mould

    That said, this tradition might now be on its way out, reflecting broader shifts in societal attitudes towards marriage.

    Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show a steady long-term decline in the percentage of people getting married – as well as an increase in the median marriage age for both men and women.

    Australia has also become increasingly multicultural. And with more multicultural marriages comes a unique blend of marriage traditions and colour palettes. For instance, in many Asian cultures, including Chinese and Vietnamese, it is customary to wear red due to its positive associations with luck, joy and happiness.

    Religious adherence also has a role to play in the overall aesthetic of modern weddings. A growing number of young Australians are identifying as non-religious, which means they’re less likely to partake in a church wedding with a puffy white tulle dress.

    Without religious protocols to follow, young couples are expressing their own youthful values at their weddings – and this often includes a more laid-back approach to dressing.

    The legalisation of same-sex marriage in 2017 has also prompted bridal stores to cater to a wider market by offering a greater variety of non-traditional colours and silhouettes.

    Meanwhile, social media and the rise of celebrity culture adds pressure to think outside the box.

    For decades, celebrities have been innovators delivering shock value on their special day. Back in 1954, Marilyn Monroe wore a dark brown suit to her second wedding with Joe DiMaggio. Some 15 years later, Audrey Hepburn got married in a pink Givenchy minidress.

    Today’s stars are following suit. In 2018, singer Mandy Moore donned a pink dress on her wedding day, while model Emily Ratijowsky chose a bright yellow Zara pantsuit.

    In Australia, designers have spent decades distancing themselves from the typical European influence to forge their own fashion identity. One such person, Akira Isogawa, helped develop the bridal landscape throughout the 1990s, by pushing the boundaries of the “traditional bride”.

    The Japanese-born designer brings his own flavour to bridal dresses by infusing them with Eastern elements such as different coloured silks, hand-embroidered motifs, unique beading and even woven fabric. He has also showcased his designs internationally, helping expand Australia’s fashion identity on a world stage.

    Impacts on the industry

    Despite the move away from traditional wedding gowns, bridal stores are expected to grow their revenue over the next few years. And the industry as a whole will likely continue to contribute to overconsumption by capitalising on the shift away from tradition.

    Many stores have changed their business model to cater for more women picking off-the-rack gowns due to financial pressures. According to one industry report, about 17% of brides in 2024 had a custom wedding dress made, compared to 75% purchasing a dress off-the rack, and 7% purchasing a second-hand dress.

    At the same time, a number of new fashion technologies are supporting the next generation of onshore manufacturing by allowing the creation of hyper-personalised dresses. In the future, it may be common for brides to co-design their off-the-rack wedding dress.

    Recycled and upcycled bridal dresses
    have been slow to gain popularity, despite growing pressure on the industry to be more sustainable.

    A broader cultural shift

    This may just be the tip of the iceberg of the non-traditional bridal movement. Australian weddings are starting to take their own shape, becoming less about formality and more about celebrating what couples value the most.

    While we won’t see every bride walking down the aisle in colours like fuchsia pink, we can expect to see more brides opt for softer pastels over shades of white.

    Ideally, the bridal industry would slow down in adopting new trends and instead focus on “localism” practices, wherein consumers are looped into the process of how their clothes are made. This would emphasise sustainability through local production and consumption, while also contributing to local fashion cultures.

    Jye Marshall is a member of The Australian Fashion Council and Ethical Clothing Australia Accreditation.

    – ref. Something borrowed, something blue? Why the reign of the traditional wedding dress may be over – https://theconversation.com/something-borrowed-something-blue-why-the-reign-of-the-traditional-wedding-dress-may-be-over-254806

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Wine is still Australia’s most popular alcoholic drink – but many producers face an uncertain future

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Chad, Honorary Fellow, Faculty of Business and Law, School of Business, University of Wollongong

    kwest/Shutterstock

    Australia has become world-famous for its wine, but the industry faces an uncertain future. Too many grapes grown amid falling consumer demand, an oversupply of budget wine, and an undersupply of premium wine are just some of the problems besetting the industry.

    There are still many small and medium-sized wineries across Australia. But the industry is dominated by a few large players, as well as “vertical integration” with ownership linkages between wineries and retailers.

    Just this month, a merger between global drinks giant Pernod Ricard’s Australian, New Zealand and Spanish wine brands and Accolade Wines (one of Australia’s largest winemakers) was completed, creating a new giant – Vinarchy – to be based in Adelaide with A$1.5 billion in annual revenue.

    This move will involve an estimated cull of up to 50 wine brands, which speaks to a broader story of growing concentration. Numerous Australian wine companies have come up for sale in recent years, and the industry is undergoing rationalisation.

    The current pressures will require an overall reduction in wine production, and a focus on premium over ordinary wines. Grape-growers and some smaller wineries are likely to be most affected.

    Still the top drop

    According to Wine Australia, the Australian wine industry currently has about 6,000 grape growers and 2,156 wineries. It employs 163,790 people (full- and part-time) and contributes $45 billion to the Australian economy each year.

    This large size shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Wine is the most popular alcoholic drink in Australia. But troubles have been brewing for the industry for years.

    Domestic wine consumption has been in steady decline, down 9% since 2016–17.

    This trend isn’t confined to Australia; it is global. The decline reflects cost-of-living pressures, growing health concerns about alcohol, and Gen Z questioning traditional drinking norms.

    Shifting tastes

    However, the picture is nuanced. Wine isn’t a staple product; it is a discretionary purchase. Prices in Australia can range from less than $5 to well over $1,000 per bottle, and palates vary significantly among consumers.

    Price is generally regarded as an indicator of quality. Wine selling in Australia in the “ordinary” price range of less than $15 per bottle is declining, but wine selling in the “premium” ($15 per bottle and above) price range is increasing.

    In the face of decreased global wine consumption, Australia’s shrinking domestic market has also been faced with a steady decline in wine exports. This is problematic for producers looking to exports to offset declines in domestic sales.

    A warm country

    These woes are impacting the wine industry in different ways at different points along the supply chain. Let’s start with grape-growing.

    The current challenge is for growers of “ordinary-quality” grapes in the shrinking marketplace. The Riverina and Riverland areas are the main grape-producing areas of Australia and achieve a low price per tonne.

    There is still high demand for “premium-quality” grapes but these are generally grown in select regions of Australia, typically with a cooler climate.

    Unsurprisingly, grapes from warm inland regions of Australia account for 72% of wine grape production, at an average price of $345 per tonne, whereas grapes from cool temperate regions achieve an average price of $1,531 per tonne.

    The future impacts of climate change need to be assessed, and are already playing into growers’ decisions. Cooler regions are becoming more highly sought after for grape-growing.

    Coupled with increased demand for premium grapes, this will make warm inland regions increasingly problematic. Unlike seasonally planted crops such as vegetables and grain, new grape vines require three years after planting before bearing decent levels of fruit. Farmers must determine the most appropriate long-term use of their land.

    Concerns about climate change are driving interest in cool regions – such as Tasmania’s Tamar Valley.
    Marcin Madry/Shutterstock

    The challenge of standing out

    Many of Australia’s 2,156 wineries are small-scale (typically privately owned). Other wineries are much larger, with extensive resources. Most consumers are largely unaware of most of these wineries – how many wine brands can you list?

    Such diversity already presents a challenge for various wineries trying to market themselves. Adding to this, a large number of Australian wine brands are owned by just a few large industry players, some with links to retailers via vertical integration.

    Retailers such as Endeavour Group (formerly part of Woolworths) and Coles own hundreds of wine brands. Some of these brands are marketed to look like independent wineries. Some commentators have even suggested a wine duopoly exists at the retail level.

    Standing out in a crowded market is a big challenge for small producers.
    Sirbouman/Shutterstock

    How can wineries survive?

    With the trend towards less consumption overall, and towards premium-quality wines instead of ordinary-quality wines, some wineries may need to shift their focus.

    On the challenges facing the industry, acclaimed Victorian winemaker Rick Kinzbrunner told me:

    We need a better balance of supply and demand and especially more emphasis on top quality wines at reasonable prices.

    Why this matters to you

    If you’re a wine drinker, current wine industry issues may seem irrelevant. But the ongoing oversupply of ordinary-quality wine for the near future offers plenty of price discounts.

    For consumers of premium wines, given current high demand, be wary: does what you’re getting quality-wise match the price? Some wines marketed at high prices don’t have the quality to match.

    Consumers may wish to increase direct contact with wineries (via cellar doors, websites and mailing lists) and independent retailers to expand their options.

    Winners and losers will emerge as inevitable industry change occurs.

    Paul Chad 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. Wine is still Australia’s most popular alcoholic drink – but many producers face an uncertain future – https://theconversation.com/wine-is-still-australias-most-popular-alcoholic-drink-but-many-producers-face-an-uncertain-future-256320

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why is southern Australia in drought – and when will it end?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chiara Holgate, Senior Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Weather of the 21st Century, Australian National University

    Artic_photo/Shutterstock

    Swathes of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia are in the grip of drought as they experience some of the lowest rainfall totals on record.

    Farmers are spending eye-watering amounts of money buying feed, or selling stock to stay afloat.

    Some towns are already on water restrictions. Those not connected to the mains water system are in a perilous situation. In the Adelaide Hills, water is being trucked in to fill empty rainwater tanks and dams.

    The story playing out across southern Australia could be a glimpse of what’s to come. Our recent research suggests southern Australia may experience longer and more intense droughts in the future, as the climate changes.

    Parts of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia are experiencing serious rainfall deficiencies.
    Australian Bureau of Meteorology

    How bad is this drought?

    Parts of southern Australia have been experiencing drier than normal conditions for well over a year.

    Conditions on the ground are worsening as the drought continues.

    In Adelaide, the desalination plant has ramped up to maintain water supply. Similarly, Victoria’s desal plant has fired up for the first time since 2022 as dam levels fall.

    Farmers are facing some of the driest conditions in decades, and financial pressures are mounting.

    Nature, too, is struggling. Waterways, wetlands and deep pools have dried up, leading to fears for endangered fish, insects and many other species.

    Where has the rain gone?

    In a drought-prone country such as Australia, there’s an age-old question: why do the rains sometimes disappear?

    Our recent research shows Australian scientists are getting closer to answering this question.

    We now know Australian droughts develop when weather systems that lift and carry moisture from the ocean – to fall as heavy rain on land – disappear. When these weather systems return, the droughts break.

    These kinds of weather systems have been notably absent from southern Australia in recent months. Instead, slow-moving high-pressure systems, which typically bring warm and dry conditions, have been the standout feature across southern Australia.

    For Australia, the driest inhabited continent, heavy rains are what keep drought at bay. Last spring and summer, drought conditions were building in parts of Queensland and northern New South Wales. But then Tropical Cyclone Alfred brought heavy rains, dumping up to four times as much rain as these areas usually get in February and March.

    Similarly, heavy rains at the end of last year helped parts of northern and central WA avoid drought conditions.

    Unfortunately, western Victoria and southern SA have had no such luck.

    Drought is more likely to break if weather systems and climate drivers are favorable, such as the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) in its negative phase, the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) in its wet phase, the El Niño–Southern Oscillation in its La Niña phase, the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) in its negative phase and the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) active. Background climate change can affect all of these drivers.
    Holgate et al 2025 Communications Earth & Environment, CC BY-NC-ND

    How long will the drought last?

    If farmers, water authorities and policymakers knew how much longer this drought would last, they could make clear plans. Keep or sell livestock? Impose water restrictions or wait?

    Unfortunately, drought timing is very hard to predict. As our research shows, the climate processes that bring weather systems laden with heavy rain are complex.

    But we do know heavy and persistent rain is needed to break the drought. And the current forecast shows there’s a decent chance of that as we head towards spring. Though forecasts can change, and those with skin in the game will have their eyes glued to next month’s update to the Bureau of Meteorology’s rainfall outlook.

    It also helps that we’re heading into what’s usually the rainier time of year. This means the odds of receiving decent rain are higher at this time of year than if we were heading into summer.

    Climate and water long-range forecast, issued 15 May 2025 (Bureau of Meteorology)

    Dry and drier

    Over the past few decades, southern Australia has become drier. Drying has been most pronounced during the cooler months, between April and October. Some parts of southern Australia have also become more drought-prone, with the number of months spent in drought increasing over this time.

    Maps of the current dry conditions across southern Australia closely follow the regions projected to experience longer and more frequent drought conditions in future.

    It’s too early to draw a clear line between climate change and this particular drought. But the weight of evidence shows southern droughts are likely to strike more often in the future. The Tinderbox Drought from 2017–19, for instance, was the first Australian drought to show a possible worsening from climate change.

    The good news? We now know more about how Australian droughts work. This means we can now be more confident in the direction of Australia’s water future than in past decades.

    We must urgently use this new knowledge to develop innovative solutions that will allow Australia to thrive in a climate of increasingly variable water availability. Solutions will involve setting sustainable limits on water use, introducing water recycling and improving efficiency, among other measures.

    Though solutions may look different in different parts of Australia, one thing rings true everywhere: we all need to make every drop count.

    Chiara Holgate receives funding from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Weather of the 21st Century.

    Ailie Gallant receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

    – ref. Why is southern Australia in drought – and when will it end? – https://theconversation.com/why-is-southern-australia-in-drought-and-when-will-it-end-256443

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: More people are trying medicinal cannabis for chronic pain. But does it work?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Nielsen, Professor and Deputy Director, Monash Addiction Research Centre, Monash University

    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    More Australians than ever are being prescribed medicinal cannabis.

    Medicinal cannabis refers to legally prescribed cannabis products. These are either the plant itself, or naturally occurring ingredients extracted from the plant. These ingredients, such as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol), are called cannabinoids. Some cannabinoids are also made in labs to act like the ones in the plant.

    Medicinal cannabis comes in different forms, such as oils, capsules, dried flower (used in a vaporiser), sprays and edible forms such as gummies.

    Since regulatory changes in 2016 made medicinal cannabis more accessible, Australia’s regulator has issued more than 700,000 approvals. (But approvals for medicinal cannabis don’t reflect the actual number of patients treated. One patient may have multiple approvals, and not all approved products are necessarily prescribed or supplied.)

    Around half of the approvals have been for chronic pain that isn’t caused by cancer.

    In Australia, chronic pain affects around one in five Australians aged 45 and over, with an enormous impact on people’s lives.

    So what does the current evidence tell us about the effectiveness of medicinal cannabis for chronic pain?

    What the evidence shows

    A 2021 review of 32 randomised controlled trials involving nearly 5,200 people with chronic pain, examined the effects of medicinal cannabis or cannabinoids. The study found a small improvements in pain and physical functioning compared with a placebo.

    A previous review found that to achieve a 30% reduction in pain for one person, 24 people would need to be treated with medicinal cannabis.

    The 2021 review also found small improvements in sleep, and no consistent benefits for other quality of life measures, consistent with previous reviews.

    This doesn’t mean medicinal cannabis doesn’t help anyone. But it suggests that, on average, the benefits are limited to a smaller number of people.

    Many pain specialists have questioned if the evidence for medicinal cannabis is sufficient to support its use for pain.

    The Faculty of Pain Medicine, the professional body dedicated to the training and education of specialist pain physicians, recommends medical cannabis should be limited to clinical trials.



    Read more:
    Medicinal cannabis to manage chronic pain? We don’t have evidence it works

    What does the regulator say?

    Guidance from Australia’s regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), on medicinal cannabis for chronic non-cancer pain reflects these uncertainties.

    The TGA states there is limited evidence medicinal cannabis provides clinically significant pain relief for many pain conditions. Therefore, the potential benefits versus harms should be considered patient-by-patient.

    The TGA says medicinal cannabis should only be trialled when other standard therapies have been tried and did not provide enough pain relief.

    In terms of which type of medical cannabis product to use, due to concerns about the safety of inhaled cannabis, the TGA considers pharmaceutical-grade products (such as nabiximols or extracts containing THC and/or CBD) to be safer.

    Chronic pain affects around one in five Australians.
    Dusan Pektovic/Shutterstock

    What about people who say it helps?

    This evidence may feel at odds with the experiences of people who report relief from medicinal cannabis.

    In clinical practice, it’s common for individuals to respond differently based on their health conditions, beliefs and many other factors. What works well for one person may not work for another.

    Research helps us understand what outcomes are typical or expected for most people, but there is variation. Some people may find medicinal cannabis improves their pain, sleep or general well-being – especially if other treatments haven’t helped.

    What are the side effects and risks?

    Like any medicine, medicinal cannabis has potential side effects. These are usually mild to moderate, including drowsiness or sedation, dizziness, impaired concentration, a dry mouth, nausea and cognitive slowing.

    These side effects are often greater with higher-potency THC products. These are becoming more common on the Australian market. High-potency THC products represent more than half of approvals in 2025.

    In research studies, generally more people experience side effects than report benefits from medical cannabis.

    After using cannabis for a long time, some people need to take higher doses to get the same effect.
    Nuva Frames/Shutterstock

    Medical cannabis can also interact with other medications, especially those that cause drowsiness (such as opioids), medicines for mental illness, anti-epileptics, blood thinners and immunosuppressants.

    Even cannabidiol (CBD), which isn’t considered intoxicating like THC, has been linked to serious drug interactions.

    These risks are greater when cannabis is prescribed by a doctor who doesn’t regularly manage the patient’s chronic pain or isn’t in contact with their other health-care providers. Since medicinal cannabis is often prescribed through separate telehealth clinics, this fragmented care may increase the risk of harmful interactions.

    Another concern is developing cannabis use disorder (commonly understood as “addiction”). A 2024 study found one in four people using medical cannabis develop a cannabis use disorder. Withdrawal symptoms – such as irritability, sleep problems, or cravings – can occur with frequent and heavy use.

    For some people, tolerance can also develop with long-term use, meaning you need to take higher doses to get the same effect. This can increase the risk of developing a cannabis use disorder.

    How does it compare to other treatments?

    Like many medicines for chronic pain, the effectiveness of medicinal cannabis is modest, and is not recommended as a sole treatment.

    There’s good evidence that, for conditions like back pain, interventions such as exercise, cognitive behavioural therapy and pain self-management education can help and may have fewer risks than many medicines.

    But there are challenges with how accessible and affordable these treatments are for many Australians, especially outside major cities.

    So where does this leave patients?

    The growing use of medicinal cannabis for chronic pain reflects both a high burden of pain in the community and gaps in access to effective care. While some patients report benefits, the current evidence suggests these are likely to be small for most people, and must be weighed against the risks.

    If you are considering medicinal cannabis, it’s important to talk to your usual health-care provider, ideally one familiar with your full medical history, to help you decide the best approaches to help manage your pain.

    Suzanne Nielsen receives funding from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, alongside government and philanthropic organisations to conduct independent research.. She is the president-elect for the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and Other Drugs. She serves as a consultant for the World Health Organization. She has contributed to independent reviews of the evidence on medical cannabis for government organisations include Worksafe and the TGA.

    Myfanwy Graham receives funding from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, alongside government and university institutes. Myfanwy has served as a consultant for the UNODC, WHO and NASEM. She is an appointed member of the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s Medicinal Cannabis Expert Working Group. This article does not represent the views of the TGA or the Expert Working Group.

    – ref. More people are trying medicinal cannabis for chronic pain. But does it work? – https://theconversation.com/more-people-are-trying-medicinal-cannabis-for-chronic-pain-but-does-it-work-256471

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 1 in 5 Gazans face starvation. Can the law force Israel to act?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Donald Rothwell, Professor of International Law, Australian National University

    As Israel continues to pound Gaza with airstrikes, killing scores of people a day, the two-month ceasefire that brought a halt to the violence earlier this year feels like a distant memory.

    Israel’s overall military and political objective in Gaza hasn’t changed after 19 months of war: it is still seeking the absolute defeat of Hamas and return of the remaining Israeli hostages.

    But it is unclear how Hamas will ever be militarily defeated unless there is a complete and unconditional surrender and the laying down of all arms. This appears unlikely, despite the success of Israel’s so-called “decapitation strategy” targeting the Hamas leadership.

    And Hamas continues to hold an estimated that 57 Israeli hostages in Gaza, of which up to 24 are believed to still be alive. The group is insisting on guarantees that Israel will end the war before releasing any more hostages.

    An ongoing blockade for 18 years

    With negotiations at a stalemate, Israel has not only maintained its blockade of Gaza, but strengthened it.

    Israel first imposed a land, sea and air blockade of Gaza in 2007 after Hamas came to power. These restrictions have severely limited the movement of people and vehicles across the border, as well as the amount of food, medicine and other goods that have been permitted to go into and out of Gaza.

    These controls increased significantly after Hamas’ attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. They’ve been maintained at heightened levels ever since.

    The January ceasefire temporarily increased the flow of food, medical aid and other support into Gaza. However, this came to an end in early March when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut off aid again to pressure Hamas to extend the ceasefire and release more hostages. Hostilities resumed soon after.

    The United Nations’ humanitarian efforts in Gaza have now come to a “near-standstill”. On May 13, Tom Fletcher, the UN emergency relief coordinator, addressed the UN Security Council, stating:

    For more than 10 weeks, nothing has entered Gaza – no food, medicine, water or tents. […] Every single one of the 2.1 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip face the risk of famine. One in five faces starvation.

    Israel denies there are food shortages in Gaza. It says it won’t permit any trucks to enter the strip until a new system is in place to prevent Hamas from siphoning supplies.

    International law is clear

    Both the 1949 Geneva Conventions and customary international law make clear:

    The use of starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare is prohibited.

    In addition, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) makes starvation of civilians a war crime.

    Under international humanitarian law, Fletcher noted, Israel has the responsibility to ensure aid reaches people in territory it occupies. However, Israel’s method of distributing aid, he said, “makes aid conditional on political and military aims” and “makes starvation a bargaining chip”.

    What have the courts found?

    International courts have not ignored Israel’s obligations on this front.

    In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Hamas leader Mohammed Deif (one of the masterminds of the October 7 attack), in addition to Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

    In relation Netanyahu and Gallant, the ICC’s pre-trial chamber found:

    there are reasonable grounds to believe that both individuals intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies.

    As Israel is not a party to the Rome Statute, there is no obligation on the government to act on the arrest warrants. Both men remain free to travel as long as they do not enter the territory of a Rome Statute party. (Even then, their arrest is not guaranteed.)

    The ICC warrants will remain in effect unless withdrawn by the court. The arrest in March of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte highlighted that while ICC investigations may take time, those accused of crimes can eventually be brought before the court to face justice.

    This is especially so if there is a change in political leadership in a country that allows an arrest to go ahead.

    Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is hearing another case in which South Africa alleges Israel has committed genocide against the Palestinian population in Gaza.

    The case began with high-profile hearings last year when the court issued provisional measures, or orders, requiring Israel to refrain from engaging in any genocidal acts.

    The most recent of those orders, issued last May, called on Israel to immediately halt its offensive in Rafah (in southern Gaza) and maintain the opening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt to allow “unhindered provision at scale of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance”.

    These orders remain in effect. Yet, Rafah today is a “no-go zone” that Gazans have been ordered to evacuate. And Israel’s ongoing blockade of the strip and restrictions on aid and food entering the territory are clearly in defiance of the court.

    Late last month, the ICJ began hearings to form an opinion on Israel’s duties to allow aid to enter Gaza. Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, criticised the ICJ’s hearings as “another attempt to politicise and abuse the legal process in order to persecute Israel”.

    The court’s advisory opinion on this issue is not expected for several months. A final decision on South Africa’s broader case may take years.

    So, what can be done?

    Reflecting on the situation in Gaza, Fletcher observed at the UN:

    This degradation of international law is corrosive and infectious. It is undermining decades of progress on rules to protect civilians from inhumanity and the violent and lawless among us who act with impunity. Humanity, the law and reason must prevail.

    Yet, while the Security Council continues to have the situation in Gaza under review, it has proven incapable of acting decisively because of US support for Israel.

    The Biden Administration was prepared to use its veto power to block binding Security Council resolutions forcing Israel to respond to the humanitarian crisis. The Trump Administration would no doubt do the same.

    However, as Duterte’s arrest shows, international law sometimes does result in action. The finding by another UN body last week that Russia was responsible for the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014 is another case in point.

    As the Dutch foreign minister pointed out in that case, the finding sends a message that “states cannot violate international law with impunity”.

    Donald Rothwell receives funding from Australian Research Council

    – ref. 1 in 5 Gazans face starvation. Can the law force Israel to act? – https://theconversation.com/1-in-5-gazans-face-starvation-can-the-law-force-israel-to-act-256695

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: AI is moving fast. Climate policy provides valuable lessons for how to keep it in check

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milica Stilinovic, PhD Candidate, School of Media and Communications; Managing Editor, Policy & Internet journal, University of Sydney

    cybermagician/Shutterstock

    Artificial intelligence (AI) might not have been created to enable new forms of sexual violence such as deepfake pornography. But that has been an unfortunate byproduct of the rapidly advancing technology.

    This is just one example of AI’s many unintended uses.

    AI’s intended uses are not without their own problems, including serious copyright concerns. But beyond this, there is much experimentation happening with the rapidly advancing technology. Models and code are shared, repurposed and remixed in public online spaces.

    These collaborative, loosely networked communities — what we call “underspheres” in our recently published paper in New Media & Society — are where users experiment with AI rather than simply consume it. These spaces are where generative AI is pushed into unpredictable and experimental directions. And they show why a new approach to regulating AI and mitigating its risks is urgently needed. Climate policy offers some useful lessons.

    A limited approach

    As AI advances, so do concerns about risk. Policymakers have responded quickly. For example, the European Union AI Act which came into force in 2024 classifies systems by risk: banning “unacceptable” ones, regulating “high-risk” uses, and requiring transparency for lower-risk tools.

    Other governments — including those of the United Kingdom, United States and China — are taking similar directions. However, their regulatory approaches differ in scope, stage of development, and enforcement.

    But these efforts share a limitation: they’re built around intended use, not the messy, creative and often unintended ways AI is actually being used — especially in fringe spaces.

    So, what risks can emerge from creative deviance in AI? And can risk-based frameworks handle technologies that are fluid, remixable and fast-moving?

    Sub communities within the larger Reddit platform often experiment with unintential uses of AI.
    Tada Images/Shutterstock

    Experimentation outside of regulation

    There are several online spaces where members of the undersphere gather. They include GitHub (a web-based platform for collaborative software development), Hugging Face (a platform that offers ready-to-use machine learning models, datasets, and tools for developers to easily build and launch AI apps) and subreddits (individual communities or forums within the larger Reddit platform).

    These environments encourage creative experimentation with generative AI outside regulated frameworks. This experimentation can include instructing models to avoid intended behaviours – or do the opposite. It can also include creating mashups or more powerful variations of generative AI by remixing software code that is made publicly available for anyone to view, use, modify and distribute.

    The potential harms of this experimentation are highlighted by the proliferation of deepfake pornography. So too are the limits of the current approach to regulation rapidly advancing technology such as AI.

    Deepfake technology wasn’t originally developed to create non-consensual pornographic videos and images. But this is ultimately what happened within subreddit communities, beginning in 2017. Deepfake pornography then quickly spread from this undersphere into the mainstream; a recent analysis of more than 95,000 deepfake videos online found 98% of them were deep fake pornography videos.

    It was not until 2019 – years after deepfake pornography first emerged – that attempts to regulate it began to emerge globally. But these attempts were too rigid to capture the new ways deepfake technology was being used by then to cause harm. What’s more, the regulatory efforts were sporadic and inconsistent between states. This impeded efforts to protect people – and democracies – from the impacts of deepfakes globally.

    This is why we need regulation that can march in step with emerging technologies and act quickly when unintended use prevails.

    Embracing uncertainty, complexity and change

    A way to look at AI governance is through the prism of climate change. Climate change is also the result of many interconnected systems interacting in ways we can’t fully control — and its impacts can only be understood with a degree of uncertainty.

    Over the past three decades, climate governance frameworks have evolved to confront this challenge: to manage complex, emerging, and often unpredictable risks. And although this framework has yet to demonstrate its ability to meaningfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it has succeeded in sustaining global attention over the years on emerging climate risks and their complex impacts.

    At the same time it has provided a forum where responsibilities and potential solutions can be publicly debated.

    A similar governance framework should also be adopted to manage the spread of AI. This framework should consider the interconnected risks caused by generative AI tools linking with social media platforms. It should also consider cascading risks, as content and code are reused and adapted. And it should consider systemic risks, such as declining public trust or polarised debate.

    Importantly, this framework must also involve diverse voices. Like climate change, generative AI won’t affect just one part of society — it will ripple through many. And the challenge is how to adapt with it.

    Applied to AI, climate change governance approaches could help promote preemptive action in the wake of unforeseen use (such as in the case of deepfake porn) before the issue becomes widespread.

    Over the past three decades, climate governance frameworks have evolved to manage complex, emerging, and often unpredictable risks.
    Alexandros Michailidis/Shutterstock

    Avoiding the pitfalls of climate governance

    While climate governance offers a useful model for adaptive, flexible regulation, it also brings important warnings that must be avoided.

    Climate politics has been mired by loopholes, competing interests and sluggish policymaking. From Australia’s shortcomings in implementing its renewable strategy, to policy reversals in Scotland and political gridlock in the United States, climate policy implementation has often been the proverbial wrench in the gears of environmental law.

    But, when it comes to AI governance, this all-too-familiar climate stalemate brings with it important lessons for the realm of AI governance.

    First, we need to find ways to align public oversight with self-regulation and transparency on the part of AI developers and suppliers.

    Second, we need to think about generative AI risks at a global scale. International cooperation and coordination are essential.

    Finally, we need to accept that AI development and experimentation will persist, and craft regulations that respond to this in order to keep our societies safe.

    Francesco Bailo has received funding from Meta and from Australia’s Department of Defence.

    Jonathon Hutchinson and Milica Stilinovic 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. AI is moving fast. Climate policy provides valuable lessons for how to keep it in check – https://theconversation.com/ai-is-moving-fast-climate-policy-provides-valuable-lessons-for-how-to-keep-it-in-check-255624

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: NZ Budget 2025: economic forecasting is notoriously difficult, but global uncertainty is making it harder

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Lecturer in Economics, University of Waikato

    Javier Ghersi/Getty Images

    This year’s budget will be one of the tightest in a decade, with the New Zealand government halving its operating allowance – the new money it has available to spend – from NZ$2.4 billion to $1.3 billion.

    The cut reflects weaker than expected growth owing to global economic turmoil. It also highlights just how difficult it is to predict what is going to happen when it comes to the economy.

    Economies are dynamic systems where relationships between variables shift. Even the current state of the economy is uncertain due to data revisions and lags in reporting.

    Despite this uncertainty, governments have to assume paths for revenue and expenditure to make meaningful plans.

    Based on the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU 2023), the National Party announced plans to achieve an operating surplus in the year ending June 2027 during the 2023 election campaign.

    As forecasts changed, so did those plans. By the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU 2024), released in December 2024, the goal of an operating surplus had been pushed back to 2029.

    The table below shows the change in the 2027 forecasts for key economic indicators between the two fiscal updates.

    Nominal gross domestic product (GDP) measures the value of goods and services produced within a country during a specific period. It is a key determinant of tax revenue. Real GDP measures the volume of output of the New Zealand economy.

    Ultimately, the 2027 nominal GDP forecast at the half-year update was weaker than expected. This weakness was driven by lower than expected output, not by changes in prices.

    The 2027 forecast tax revenue fell even more sharply than the nominal GDP forecast. This was in part due to the government’s personal income tax cuts which have been costed at $3.7 billion a year.

    Finance Minister Nicola Willis has warned that the 2025 budget will be very tight, reflecting uncertainty in the global economy.
    Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

    More changes afoot

    We’re likely to see further downward revisions in economic growth. The Treasury has already lowered its economic growth forecasts for 2025 and 2026, in part due to the expected impact of global tariffs.

    While the direct effects of the tariffs on New Zealand may be limited, the indirect effects – particularly through increased global economic uncertainty – are likely to be substantial.

    Research has shown that United States-based uncertainty spills over into the New Zealand economy by making firms more pessimistic about the future. This pessimism leads to firms delaying investment, ultimately reducing potential output in the future.

    Potential output is important as it represents the economy’s capacity to grow without generating inflation. Potential GDP is affected by productivity, which has also been weaker than expected and one of the reasons Treasury lowered its forecasts after the pre-election fiscal update.

    The lesson from all of this

    New Zealand is running a structural budget deficit. That means the government is spending more than it earns, even accounting for the fact that governments automatically spend more and tax less in economic downturns.

    These deficits add to government debt, which can limit future spending and taxation choices. High debt can also hamper the government’s ability to assist in counteracting the next downturn if the Reserve Bank’s official cash rate is already near zero.

    It can also limit the ability of the government to respond to external shocks such as disasters or extreme weather events. These concerns are possibly behind the government’s goal of returning to surplus by 2029.

    But there are counter-arguments. With pressing needs in many areas, some argue the government should be spending more now to boost productivity and growth. These contrasting views reflect a legitimate debate about values and priorities.

    Still, one point is clear: weaker than expected economic growth since the pre-election update has made the trade-offs between present and future fiscal choices more acute.

    The takeaway is that economic growth is essential for expanding the resources available to both households and governments. This is so they can spend money on things they deem important both now and in the future.

    A growing economy is not just about producing more for prestige – it’s about creating the economic and fiscal resources to improve lives both now and in the future.

    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. NZ Budget 2025: economic forecasting is notoriously difficult, but global uncertainty is making it harder – https://theconversation.com/nz-budget-2025-economic-forecasting-is-notoriously-difficult-but-global-uncertainty-is-making-it-harder-256469

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Special Report: Why This Memory Should Be Preserved Carefully

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) — “Your documentary ‘My Moscow Encounters’ faithfully portrayed modern Russia and our war heritage. I was so touched! Both my grandfathers were war veterans, and both my grandmothers survived the siege of Leningrad,” a message from Anna Belkina, head of the PR department of RT TV channel (Russia Today), transported correspondents from sunny and clear Beijing back in time to recent spring days on Moscow’s Red Square.

    On May 15 and 16, RT aired the Xinhua News Agency documentary “My Moscow Meetings” in prime time on two consecutive evenings, which received a wide response from Russian viewers.

    “This is a film showing China’s view of the Great Patriotic War and World War II. The sacrifices that people made to achieve Victory were enormous,” Ekaterina Yakovleva, head of the RT.Doc television channel, wrote in a message to correspondents. “We must preserve this memory and prevent distortion of the historical truth.”

    Ahead of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, Xinhua correspondents in Moscow talked with old and new friends about the memory of World War II, the meaning of peace and hopes for the future. The conversations give a clear sense of the overlapping memories of the peoples of China and Russia and their common aspiration for common development.

    MEMORY OF THE PAST IS A TRIBUTE OF RESPECT TO ANCESTORS

    “Each link in these chains symbolizes ten lives. That is, 26 million Soviet people who died in World War II,” RT chief producer Dmitry Leontyev looks up at the chains hanging from the ceiling and explains their meaning in the “Faces of Victory” hall of the Victory Museum in Moscow.

    The museum was opened in 1995 — on the 50th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War. D. Leontyev says that in every family someone fought. And today, every Russian can bring a photograph to the museum or write a text about their relatives to preserve their memory forever. Among the more than a million photographs collected is a picture of the father of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    “For Russians, May 9 is the most important secular holiday of the year. After all, if we had not won that war, Russia simply would not exist,” says D. Leontyev. “Preserving the history of that war is a tribute to the sacrifices that my ancestors made and thanks to which I can now sit here and talk to you.”

    “Of all the other countries, only China can understand this. Because for them, too, it was a war for survival… Our two countries suffered the most, lost the most people in World War II. And not only soldiers died, but also women, children, and old people. They suffered from terrible hunger, from the atrocities that the Japanese and German armies committed in China and in Russia, then the Soviet Union. And if you remember the Chinese soldiers who fought in the ranks of the Soviet army, and the Soviet soldiers who fought and risked their lives for China, then I think it would be impossible to imagine a stronger bond between the countries,” he adds.

    “THE DISASTER OF 80 YEARS AGO MUST NOT BE REPEATED”

    In March 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping gave an important speech at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) of the Russian Foreign Ministry, noting that in the present world, the interconnectedness and interdependence of all countries has reached an unprecedentedly high level. “All of us, people, live in one global village, in one time and space at the intersection of history and reality. More and more, we are becoming a community of a common destiny, in which I am in you, and you are in me,” he said.

    “It was a historic moment,” said Alexander Bobrov, associate professor of diplomacy at MGIMO. He led journalists to the MGIMO conference hall building where Chinese President Xi Jinping gave his speech 12 years ago.

    A. Bobrov said that he was a second-year university student that year, and his own mentality was strongly oriented toward the West.

    “After the speech of Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, I studied many books about China and Eurasia and radically changed my perception of the world,” he noted.

    A. Bobrov believes that the concept of building a community with a common destiny for humanity, proposed by Xi Jinping, “influenced the worldview of many national leaders.” “I think that Chairman Xi Jinping’s speech changed the perception of the world in which we live,” A. Bobrov adds.

    On the building of the university conference hall there is a huge red banner with the inscription in white letters. “Happy Great Victory Day. 1945-2025,” he translates the inscription.

    Speaking about the military parade in honor of Victory Day, which took place on May 9, A. Bobrov notes: “The point is not to boast about what kind of army we have or to demonstrate military valor, the point is that what happened 80 years ago should not happen again. It is about preserving the common past for the sake of a bright future for our peoples.”

    According to him, some Western countries, trying to present this event as Russia-oriented, “are making a big mistake, because this is not about Russia, but about our common Victory.”

    “THE SUPPORT OF PEACE, STABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE WHOLE WORLD”

    “This order belonged to my father-in-law. In 1941, he voluntarily went to the front and was seriously wounded in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg),” says Yuri Tavrovsky, a professor at the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia. In his home, a Xinhua correspondent saw not only the order of the Soviet veteran, but also books by Yuri Tavrovsky himself about China.

    As one of Russia’s leading sinologists, Yuri Tavrovsky is deeply familiar with Chinese culture, concepts and initiatives.

    Yury Tavrovsky believes that Russia and China’s joint celebration of the victory in World War II demonstrates “their own vision of history based on facts.” In his opinion, Russian-Chinese relations embody the principle of Chinese philosophy “he er bu tong” /unity while preserving diversity/.

    “A new period is now emerging, thanks to a different type of relationship between Russia and China,” he says, adding that Russia and China will become “the pillar of peace, stability and development throughout the world.”

    Any attempt “to divide us, to create discord between Russia and China are doomed to failure,” he says. “Russia and China not only marched together on /Red/ Square, they will help each other in difficult times.”

    Speaking about his expectations for the future, Yuri Tavrovsky notes that the most important thing is to eradicate wars. “Peace, trade and exchange between civilizations are the main tasks of the 21st century,” he says. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Happy International Museum Day!

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    This Sunday, the entire world celebrates International Museum Day. The world rightfully owes the appearance of this holiday to our country. In 1977, at the XI General Conference of the International Council of Museums, which was then held in Moscow and Leningrad, the director of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts Irina Antonova proposed establishing International Museum Day, which began to be celebrated the following year. To date, about 37 thousand museums from 158 countries have joined the celebration.

    The first museum can be considered the Alexandria Museion, founded in the 3rd century BC in Egypt. It was a cultural, research and religious center, which also included one of the largest ancient libraries. The first Russian museum was the Kunstkamera, founded by Peter I in 1714. The largest museum in the world is the Russian Hermitage, the area of which is just under 101 thousand square meters. And the title of the most popular museum has been held by the French Louvre for many years. Before the pandemic, it was visited by over 10 million people a year, now the number of visitors is again approaching these figures.

    In 2025, the theme of the festival – “The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities” – is dedicated to social, technological and environmental changes in the modern world. Despite the fact that museums preserve the past, they are not ossified structures at all and quickly adapt high technologies to their needs, creating interactive exhibitions and sensory spaces, using virtual and augmented reality, equipping storage rooms with advanced temperature and humidity control systems.

    The State University also has its own museum dedicated to the history of management education in Russia. The first exhibition of 66 exhibits was opened in 2007, and now the museum contains more than 800 different items.

    Traditionally, the Night of Museums is timed to coincide with this holiday, when after sunset the expositions can be visited for free. Now you know how to spend this evening with interest and benefit.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Speech by FS at Family Education and Legacy Forum 2025 (English only)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at Family Education and Legacy Forum 2025 today (May 17):

    Yanice (Chair of the Family Education and Legacy Forum 2025, Ms Yanice Mak), Enoch (Vice President of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Hong Kong Association, Professor Enoch Young), Joseph (the Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
     
    Good afternoon. It is a great pleasure to join you all at the Family Education and Legacy Forum 2025.
     
    Today, we bring together family business leaders, academics and thought leaders to explore a topic that is both timely and timeless: sustainable family wealth succession. It is a subject that goes well beyond financial continuity. It encompasses values, responsibility and intergenerational purpose.
     
    Let me begin by extending a very warm welcome to Dr Josh Baron from Harvard Business School. Your presence here adds intellectual strength to the dialogue. And if I may take the opportunity of this occasion, held at a time when the world is facing protectionism and unilateralism unseen for decades, to highlight a few Chinese values that I believe are highly relevant when navigating the uncertainties of our time, that is our emphasis on harmony, consensus building, shared progress and common prosperity.
     
    Coming back to the Forum today. The lineup of speakers is indeed impressive. I am sure their insights will be enlightening and inspiring, providing useful advice for family businesses and their owners in a world that is undergoing rapid transformation.
     
    Allow me to share a few personal reflections as morsel to your ensuing discussions. As some of you may know, before entering public service in 2012, I worked in the private sector and had the privilege of attending Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management Programme. These reflections come from my years of knowledge of and experience in both the public and private sectors.
     
    The first point is about financial sustainability.
     
    Family businesses often start with great success by their founders. Yet it is indeed not uncommon for second or third-generation owners to have vastly different ideas or aspirations than those of their parents. While pursuing one’s dreams and being open to new opportunities, one must manage their risk exposure, in particular liquidity and leverage level.
     
    The second point is about recognising the mega trends and the associated opportunities and risks. In my view, a few forces will define the coming decade. 
     
    First, geopolitics. We must recognise that strategic competition among major powers will likely persist. The days of seamless globalisation are giving way to geo-economic fragmentation, marked by tariffs, technology barriers and polarisation of international politics. 
     
    Going forward, three regional blocs may emerge: first, the Asia-Pacific; second, India, the Middle East and Europe; and third, the Americas. Within a region, there will be more collaboration and partnership; but between regions, competition will be more intense.  For family business owners, this means recalibrating strategies, managing risks across jurisdictions, and identifying new regional opportunities.
     
    Second, artificial intelligence (AI). AI is already transforming the way we work and do business. The “AI+ era” is unstoppable. AI is deeply integrated across sectors, from manufacturing, logistics and city management to hospitality, games and household appliances. 
     
    To embrace it is not only about resources and investments, but more importantly, a shift in mindset. 
     
    Third, green transformation. Around the world – with only a few exceptions – green is high on the agenda of consumers, investors and governments.
     
    Family businesses will need to respond to higher demands on sustainability. But more than that, I believe family capital can and should play a catalytic role in this transformation, by scaling up green solutions and supporting systemic change.
     
    The third point is about creating a legacy. Knowing many family business leaders in person, I understand you do care about the collective good of our community and the world. But my point is not exactly philanthropy, but the well-being of the people, which must be embedded as a core value of businesses.
     
    Consider the stories of the Six Little Dragons of Hangzhou like DeepSeek and Unitree Robotics. While people often focus on their technological prowess, I believe the success of these companies is also driven by the aspiration, deep in their hearts, that innovation should be affordable, accessible and inclusive. 
     
    There are similar examples here in Hong Kong. For instance, a surgical robot company born out of the Chinese University of Hong Kong is producing affordable surgical robots for broad applications in Hong Kong, the Mainland and beyond, benefiting thousands of patients with limited means. On the other hand, several fintech firms are exporting innovative financial solutions to Southeast Asia, making credit and financial services more accessible to underserved communities. The founders of these companies, whom I know personally, share the same vision of inclusiveness. 
     
    These examples remind us that legacy is not only about what we build, but also who we build it for.
     
    Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot better conclude by making one final point: the most valuable inheritance we can pass on is not wealth, but wisdom. Let us not forget the importance of providing the best education for our next generation, an education that nurtures compassion, resilience, cross-cultural understanding and a strong sense of global citizenship. One that equips our children not only with knowledge, but with the moral compass and courage to face uncertainty, uphold values and lead with purpose.
     
    My sincere thanks to the UNESCO Hong Kong Association and the Harvard Business School Association of Hong Kong for convening this meaningful exchange. I look with anticipation to the wisdom and impactful initiatives that will emerge from today’s dialogue. I wish you all the best of health and business in the time ahead. Thank you very much.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Lagos slum evictions don’t work: 6 ways city planners can actually help the poor

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Oluwaseyi Omowunmi Popogbe, Lecturer I, Crawford University

    Millions of people in Lagos live in slums. Slums typically have poor housing infrastructure and sanitation, and limited access to education, health facilities and clean drinking water.

    These challenges make the people who live in slums vulnerable to health crises, high illiteracy rates and poor standards of living.

    A central element of the city authorities’ efforts to address the issue has been to evict people. Over the past decade, more than 50,000 people have been evicted from their homes in Lagos slums.

    As a development economist who has carried out studies on urban poverty in Lagos State and social exclusion of slum dwellers from full communal participation, I have observed some notable patterns.

    Despite their efforts to contribute to national productivity, these low-income communities are often marginalised and denied access to basic public amenities and a dignified living environment. Instead of addressing their needs, policy and development priorities tend to focus on displacing them. Thereafter, provisions are made for affluent groups, replacing informal settlements with high-rise buildings.

    Sadly, survivors of forced eviction usually move to other slum communities as they cannot afford the high cost of living in the city. This shows that forced eviction is not a solution to slum proliferation.

    I argue that if Lagos wants to solve the problems faced by the city’s vast population of slum dwellers, it should focus on six things. These are:

    • community-led regeneration processes

    • communal engagement

    • upgrading communities without displacement

    • obeying court orders

    • inclusivity in regeneration

    • adequate compensation to the displaced.

    This would help restore trust that the city has all its people’s interests at heart, not just those of the super rich.

    Forced evictions are seen as benefiting the rich

    In March 2025, a demolition exercise was carried out in the Otumara slum, displacing over 10,000 residents at short notice.

    Despite a 2017 Lagos State High Court ruling which condemned forced evictions carried out without due consultation, they have continued.

    Known cases are the Otodo-Gbame waterfront eviction (shortly before the court ruling), where over 30,000 residents were displaced, Ilubirin waterfront community, Orisunmibare in Apapa, Otto communities, Ayetoro, and Oko Baba communities.

    Mid-April 2025, the Lagos State government revealed plans to regenerate the Otumara slum. Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (Lasura) then met with community leaders and other stakeholders to discuss how it would be done. That step should have been taken before the demolition.

    The idea behind the meeting was to ensure inclusiveness and reduce any challenge to the project. Lasura assured the community representatives of a fair hearing throughout the implementation process. They were told the benefits of the regeneration would extend to the entire community.

    As a development economist who has carried out a number of studies on urban vulnerability and inclusion, I’ve found that slum dwellers don’t always trust the government. This lack of trust stems from experiences other slum dwellers have had.

    Urban regeneration does not always favour slum dwellers. So government interventions are not seen as a genuine effort to improve their living conditions, but as a mechanism to displace them to make way for the elite.

    For instance, Maroko slum residents were forcefully evicted under the guise of improving infrastructural amenities and because the area was below sea level. Now the Oniru Estate, Lekki Phase 1 and other notable residential and commercial buildings are located there.

    Luxury apartments on the Lagos lagoon have replaced the former Ilubirin waterfront slum. Lekki foreshore development continues at the former Otodo-Gbame waterfront community.

    Survivors of forced eviction usually move to other slum communities as they can’t afford to live in the city.

    The attainment of Lagos as a “fair shared city” has been proposed by the Fabulous Urban Foundation in partnership with Heinrich Böll Foundation. These organisations advocate urban inclusiveness and community-driven initiatives. They envision Lagos as an inclusive place where everyone (irrespective of social class or status) has equitable access to amenities and decision-making processes.

    The pattern of forced displacement under the guise of urban regeneration, without adequate compensation or resettlement, contradicts the principle of fairness.

    Development plans in Lagos follow western ideas and keep widening the gap between the rich and the poor, as amenities are often developed to be accessible by the middle and upper classes.

    Specifically, the Lagos State Development Plan (LSDP 2052) contains many lofty ideas and opportunities to make Lagos “Africa’s Model Mega City”. But it’s not clear how the city’s multidimensionally poor population fits into the plan.

    Solutions

    To include residents of slums marked for regeneration, a more proactive approach would be:

    1. Continuous communal engagement, to reaffirm that government and other stakeholders are committed to including all residents.

    2. Community-led redesign and regeneration processes. Slum conditions are deplorable and dehumanising, but evicting residents to make way for the high class is unacceptable. The redesign should aim to favour the community.

    3. Abiding by court rulings which warn against forced eviction. Lagos courts have often ruled against forced evictions, especially when carried out without due process or resettlement arrangements. The Lagos State government ought to uphold human rights by ceasing all forced eviction procedures, as they are unlawful.

    4. Upgrading instead of displacement. Regeneration within existing settlements should be encouraged where feasible, so that livelihoods and social cohesion are not disrupted.

    5. Regeneration should include all income groups. It should not only focus on physical infrastructure, but also social and economic issues. It would make affordable housing and basic amenities available for all income groups.

    6. Adequate compensation. Where relocation cannot be avoided, a resettlement plan must be in place that will ensure fair treatment and avoid disruption to livelihood.

    Oluwaseyi Omowunmi Popogbe 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. Lagos slum evictions don’t work: 6 ways city planners can actually help the poor – https://theconversation.com/lagos-slum-evictions-dont-work-6-ways-city-planners-can-actually-help-the-poor-255341

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Terrorists use food as a weapon: how Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab exploit hunger

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Simone Papale, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Parma

    Women receive food aid in Somalia. Terrorism creates food disruptions, undermining production systems and supply routes. Tobin Jones/Wikimedia Commons

    Over the last decade, there has been growing international focus on the role of food in conflict, particularly in Africa. The continent has seen an increase in jihadist terrorism in several regions.

    Violence, like that exercised by terrorist organisations, is linked with food security conditions, causing a vicious circle of hunger and conflict.

    Terrorism generates food disruptions. It undermines production systems and supply routes.

    At the same time, growing food shortages intensify tensions and competition over essential resources at the margins of vulnerable societies. This increases the risk of mobilisation into violence.

    We are researchers in international security and contemporary warfare. In a recent article, we explored the role of food in Africa’s terrorist insurgencies. We focused on Boko Haram in Nigeria and Al-Shabaab in Somalia.

    We show how food is not only a driver or victim of violence. It is also central to how terrorist groups fight, govern and survive.

    Terrorists use food as a tool to challenge national authorities and increase their followers. In parallel, they exploit food insecurity to control communities and confront counter-terrorism forces, pushing the state out of contested areas.



    Read more:
    How crime is closely linked to Al-Shabaab’s survival strategy

    This has major implications. The use of food as a weapon worsens humanitarian conditions. It causes the displacement of people in vulnerable settings. As a result, it sets in motion dangerous mechanisms of instability that can even undermine militants themselves, reducing their resources and operational capabilities.

    State responses need to address these challenges and promote more comprehensive approaches to counter terrorism.

    Weaponising supplies

    Since the late 2000s, Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab have engaged African security forces in a strenuous fight. Both groups have sought to overthrow local governments and establish their power.

    They have expanded their networks in regions where food security is low. These are Nigeria’s Borno State and southern Somalia.

    These areas have witnessed historical frictions between the population and government authorities. Local communities have lamented socioeconomic marginalisation, shortages of essential resources and high levels of unemployment.

    Both Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab have sought to capitalise on inequalities to gain appeal among aggrieved populations, seeking to replace the state in the delivery of essential resources.



    Read more:
    Nigeria’s growing security crisis: 6 essential reads

    Boko Haram militants have reportedly provided supplies, such as biscuits, rice and spaghetti, to marginalised villages. As a Borno State resident put it, the militants have shown “love and concern” while addressing local needs.

    Al-Shabaab has resorted to similar practices to win the hearts and minds of southern Somalis and enlarge its pool of recruits. The group has supplied struggling communities with meals and goods, and promoted local agricultural activities.

    In parallel to these activities, both terrorist groups have adopted more aggressive measures to counter the advance of anti-terrorism forces. They have used food denial to punish civilian insubordination and cooperation with the state, relying on starvation tactics.

    Boko Haram has systematically targeted food infrastructures. The group has burned crops, banned farming and fishing activities, and even poisoned water sources. This has happened particularly in places where militants suspected collusion between communities and national authorities.

    Likewise, Al-Shabaab has interrupted trade routes. It has destroyed food imports to isolate southern Somali villages controlled by security forces and deprive them of popular support. During Somalia’s 2011–2012 famine, Al-Shabaab militants blocked humanitarian agencies. This was aimed at preventing the distribution of food aid to curb western influence in territories under their control.

    The repercussions

    The use of food as a weapon has had major repercussions in Borno State and southern Somalia. It is a primary cause of the deterioration of food security in these regions over the last 15 years.

    Attacks on food resources and infrastructure have disrupted supply routes. They have pushed people to abandon their crops and pastures. This has decreased the production and availability of essential goods.

    As a result, humanitarian conditions have worsened, local economies have weakened and displacement flows have intensified.

    This has had detrimental effects for Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab, depriving militants of key assets to sustain their activities and attract new recruits.

    The two terrorist groups have become victims of the emergencies they have helped generate. They have increasingly struggled to supply nourishment for their troops and supporters. Consequently, they have witnessed a growing number of defections motivated by unsustainable conditions.

    Reports highlight increasing cases of jihadists surrendering to security forces while requesting food.

    To address these challenges, Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab have intensified raids on villages, looting goods and livestock.



    Read more:
    What drives Al-Shabaab in Somalia: foreign forces out, Sharia law in and overthrow the government

    However, growing frictions with the population have undermined the groups’ operational capabilities, even opening up new fronts of resistance.

    Boko Haram has been forced to transfer part of its resources and operations to the Lake Chad area. The group has intensified incursions to capture food in Nigeria’s neighbouring countries.

    In Somalia, tensions with farming and pastoralist communities have led to the creation of militias mobilising against Al-Shabaab.

    What next

    The relocation of Boko Haram’s operations and the mobilisation of communities against Al-Shabaab have not eradicated the terrorist threat. However, these events further highlight food as a crucial factor shaping insurgencies.

    African and international authorities need to tackle the dynamics of food weaponisation. They need to refine their approach to enhance local resilience, addressing the inequalities that insurgents exploit.

    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. Terrorists use food as a weapon: how Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab exploit hunger – https://theconversation.com/terrorists-use-food-as-a-weapon-how-boko-haram-and-al-shabaab-exploit-hunger-256162

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: AI-driven motion capture is transforming sports and exercise science

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Habib Noorbhai, Professor (Health & Sports Science), University of Johannesburg

    In sport, the margin between success and failure is often measured in milliseconds. It could be a cricketer adjusting their foot positioning, a runner refining their sprint start or a footballer perfecting their passing.

    This is where motion capture comes in – among the many approaches being used for athletic performance and movement analysis.

    Conventional motion capture tracks a person’s movements by using sensors or reflective markers linked to cameras. This provides data that helps sport scientists analyse how to improve an athlete’s performance, personalise their training programme and prevent possible injury.

    But for decades, motion capture in sport has been done using cumbersome suits and complex camera systems. These technologies offer high precision, but have remained out of reach for many because of their cost, technical demands and rigid laboratory constraints.

    As sport evolves, so too must the technology that analyses it. The way we measure human movement is experiencing a major transformation. Markerless motion capture (enabled by artificial intelligence, computer vision, depth sensors and multiple-camera systems) is set to revolutionise sports performance analysis.

    As a health and sports scientist with a focus on data, innovation and technology, I co-authored a study on markerless motion capture in sports and exercise. We reviewed and compared various motion capture options so that users can choose what system is best for their needs and budgets.

    This matters because markerless motion capture provides a practical alternative that’s accessible, scalable and adaptable to real-world settings. It’s a shift that promises to transform how athletes train, how they move, how injuries are assessed and how coaches refine performance.

    The problem with traditional motion capture

    Marker-based motion capture has long been considered the gold standard for analysing movement. Various systems use optoelectronic (devices that emit or detect light) tracking. They’ve provided researchers and coaches with precise three-dimensional (3D) data on joint angles, movement efficiency and biomechanical load. But these systems come with challenges.

    Firstly, the need for reflective markers placed on the body introduces variability. Even slight misplacements can compromise data accuracy.

    Secondly, these systems are largely confined to laboratory environments. While they work well for controlled studies, they can’t always capture the dynamics of real-world sports performance.

    Thirdly, the cost of such setups, often reaching tens of thousands of dollars, limits their use to elite teams and well-funded research labs. This financial barrier places the technology out of reach for grassroots sport, where talent development is crucial.

    The rise of markerless motion capture

    Markerless motion capture, driven by deep learning and computer vision, allows movement to be tracked directly from video footage, without requiring physical markers. Models such as OpenPose, TensorFlow Pose Estimate and MeTRAbs can now identify and analyse human joint positions in 3D, all from a single video feed.

    This approach has profound implications. It means that coaches can capture real-time movement data from training sessions without interrupting the natural flow of play. Athletes can analyse their technique with nothing more than a smartphone camera. It opens the door for motion capture to move beyond the lab and onto the field, the court or the gym floor.

    Where markerless motion capture works best

    The ability to track movement in real-world environments makes markerless motion capture particularly valuable in high-speed and dynamic sports.

    In football, tracking player movement during passing drills can inform tactical decisions. In sprinting, coaches can analyse stride length and ground contact time without disrupting training sessions. In baseball and cricket, batting mechanics can be assessed without requiring players to wear cumbersome tracking suits or markers.

    Beyond performance analysis, the implications for injury management and rehabilitation are just as compelling.

    By integrating markerless motion capture into injury rehabilitation programmes, physiotherapists can monitor movement deficiencies in real time. A player recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, for example, can have their gait and knee valgus angles monitored remotely. This reduces the need for repeated clinic visits.

    Barriers

    Despite its potential, markerless motion capture is not without its challenges. While deep learning models are improving, they still struggle with occlusion: where body parts become temporarily hidden from view. Variations in lighting, camera angles and player body types can affect tracking accuracy too.

    To improve robustness across diverse sports settings, these issues need ongoing refinement in pose estimation algorithms. (These are computer vision techniques used to locate and track key points of the body on a person in a video.)



    Read more:
    Supershoes have transformed competitive distance running, but they remain controversial

    Another key limitation is validation. Traditional motion capture systems have been extensively tested for accuracy, but markerless models are still undergoing further validation in sport-specific contexts.

    Ensuring consistency and reliability will be crucial in convincing elite teams to transition away from marker-based setups.

    A future without markers?

    The question remains: will markerless motion capture completely disrupt and replace traditional systems? The reality is likely to be more nuanced.

    While marker-based motion capture will retain its place in highly controlled research settings, markerless alternatives will dominate practical, field-based applications. The accessibility, ease of use and real-time capabilities of markerless systems make them a game-changer.



    Read more:
    VAR and peace? Why tech-assisted refereeing won’t do away with disputed decisions at the World Cup

    As AI models become more sophisticated and sensor technology advances, the precision of markerless systems will continue to improve. The future of motion capture lies not in replacing one method with another, but in integrating multiple approaches to create a seamless, scalable and accurate framework for movement analysis.

    It’s no longer a question of whether markerless motion capture will take over, but when. And as the technology matures, the benefits for coaches, athletes and scientists alike will only continue to grow. It’s set to play an integral role in shaping the next generation of athletic performance and movement analysis.

    Habib Noorbhai 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. AI-driven motion capture is transforming sports and exercise science – https://theconversation.com/ai-driven-motion-capture-is-transforming-sports-and-exercise-science-254646

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The First International Forum on Humanitarian Exchanges between China and the Republic of Belarus was held in Beijing

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) — The First International Forum on Humanitarian Exchanges “China and the Republic of Belarus” and the Dialogue of Civilizations “China and Eurasian Countries” were recently held at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU). The opening ceremony was presided over by Professor Dai Guiju, Director of the BFSU Russian Language Institute.

    At the opening ceremony, Vice-Rector of PULIN Zhao Gang noted that the establishment of the China-Belarus Humanitarian Exchange Center marks the construction of a bridge of friendship for the mutual enrichment of civilizations and the rapprochement of the peoples of the two countries. He expressed hope that this forum will become an occasion for expanding comprehensive cooperation between universities, think tanks and research institutions of China and Belarus in such areas as language teaching, student and teacher exchanges, and mutual visits of scientists.

    Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to China Alexander Chervyakov noted that Belarus and China have a rich cultural heritage and educational resources, and the China-Belarus Humanitarian Exchange Center, combining the advantages of both sides, will open up broader prospects for joint research, innovative projects and educational cooperation.

    Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Belarus Zhang Wenchuan made a video address at the ceremony. Minister-Counselor of the Department of European and Central Asian Countries of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China Su Fangqiu made a speech at the ceremony, and a high-ranking official of the Department of International Exchanges and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China Xi Zhu made a video address.

    At the forum, heads of Chinese and Belarusian universities, representatives of scientific institutions and companies, scientists and experts made reports. Then there was a round table on the topic of “The mechanism for creating the China-Belarus Center for Humanitarian Exchanges between China and Belarus” and a seminar “Dialogue of Civilizations “China and Eurasian Countries”, where experts, scientists, teachers and students actively spoke out and discussed ways to expand cooperation in the cultural and humanitarian sphere, in particular, in the field of education. The participants called the opening of the China-Belarus Center for Humanitarian Exchanges, which took place several days ago, a big step forward in this direction.

    Earlier, PULIN, Belarusian State University /BSU/ and Minsk State Linguistic University /MSLU/, with the assistance of the ministries of education of the two countries, jointly established the China-Belarus Center for Humanitarian Exchanges. This forum, organized on the platform of the above-mentioned center, is aimed at demonstrating the achievements of Chinese academic circles in the study of humanitarian cooperation with Belarus and strengthening academic exchange in the field of dialogue of civilizations of China and Eurasian countries. The event was attended by more than a hundred experts and scholars from leading think tanks, research institutions and famous universities of China and Belarus. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China ready to continue friendly contacts with Irish legislature: NPC Standing Committee vice-chairman

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    Dublin, May 18 (Xinhua) — A Chinese delegation led by Li Hongzhong, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), visited Ireland from May 14 to 17.

    According to Li Hongzhong, the NPC is willing to continue friendly exchanges with the Irish Parliament, jointly create a legal environment conducive to the development of bilateral cooperation, and promote the development of China-Irish relations.

    During his visit, Li Hongzhong also held separate talks with Speaker of the Irish House of Representatives (lower house) Verona Murphy and Deputy Speaker of the Senate (upper house) Maria Byrne, and met with teachers and students of the Confucius Institute at University College Dublin.

    The vice-chairman of the NPC Standing Committee noted that the mutually beneficial strategic partnership between China and Ireland continues to develop in a healthy and sustainable manner under the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Irish President Michael Higgins.

    Stressing that the world is currently undergoing major changes, Li Hongzhong called on the two sides to strengthen political mutual trust, maintain open cooperation and deepen exchanges in areas such as trade, science and technology, education, culture and local governance to achieve common development and prosperity.

    The Irish side said it highly values the development of relations with China, adheres to the one-China policy, supports open and free trade, and is willing to strengthen exchanges between the legislative bodies of the two sides, promoting mutual benefit and win-win cooperation between Ireland and China. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump’s Gulf visit signals potential shift in Mideast policy

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

    President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) meets with visiting U.S. President Donald Trump in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, May 15, 2025. [Emirates News Agency/Handout via Xinhua]

    U.S. President Donald Trump departed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday afternoon, concluding a lucrative four-day Gulf tour, which had also taken him to Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

    Despite expectations that Trump’s visit could help calm the conflict in Gaza and ease regional tensions, the U.S. president instead focused his Middle East visit primarily on economic gain, securing multi-trillion-dollar investment commitments from the three Gulf countries.

    Analysts believe that, by sidestepping the region’s conflict zones and prioritizing business deals, Trump’s tour signals a potential pivot in U.S. Middle East policy.

    Profitable journey

    Massive commercial deals defined Trump’s Middle East tour.

    From the outset of his second term, Trump signaled that his first major foreign trip would emphasize promoting U.S. economic interests. On his inauguration day in January, Trump stated he would choose Saudi Arabia as his first destination “if Saudi Arabia wanted to buy another 450, or 500 billion (dollars’ worth of U.S. products).”

    Upon arrival in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Trump secured an investment agreement with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, locking in 600 billion U.S. dollars in investments into the United States.

    Among the deals signed was “the largest defense sales agreement in history — nearly 142 billion dollars,” said a White House statement. Under this agreement, the United States will supply Saudi Arabia with “state-of-the-art warfighting equipment and services from over a dozen U.S. defense firms.”

    In Qatar, Trump cut a deal with the Gulf nation to generate “an economic exchange worth at least 1.2 trillion dollars.” He also secured commercial deals worth over 243.5 billion dollars, including the sale of 210 U.S.-made Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X jets to Qatar Airways, valued at 96 billion dollars.

    Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (2nd R) and U.S. President Donald Trump (2nd L) witness the signing of a series of deals at the Amiri Diwan in Doha, Qatar, on May 14, 2025. [Qatar News Agency/Handout via Xinhua]

    In the UAE, the final stop of the trip, Trump announced 200 billion dollars in bilateral commercial agreements, bringing “the total of investment agreements in the Gulf region to over 2 trillion dollars,” the White House noted.

    Trump’s trip to the Middle East “is all about money,” said Rodger Shanahan, a Middle East analyst at the Lowy Institute. “The Gulf states are a source of foreign investment for the United States of a size that makes for good announcements.”

    “Vague role” in easing tensions

    Despite hopes that Washington would leverage its special ties with Israel to promote a ceasefire and reduce regional tensions, the United States has yet to take meaningful steps toward resolving Middle East conflicts.

    During Trump’s visit, Israel continued large-scale airstrikes on Gaza, killing dozens daily. In Yemen, Houthi forces and Israel engaged in ongoing retaliatory attacks, while frequent Israeli military strikes against Lebanon resulted in casualties.

    Smoke billows following Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, as seen from Israel’s southern border with the Gaza Strip, on May 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Although the United States claimed to aim for Middle East peace, “the reality on the ground contradicts the U.S. stated goals,” said Mostafa Amin, an Egyptian researcher on Arab and international affairs. “The killings … by Israel during Trump’s visit raise serious questions about the sincerity of any U.S. peace efforts.”

    Further disappointment among Arab nations came from Trump’s inflammatory remarks on occupying Gaza. At a roundtable with Qatari officials in Doha, he suggested the United States should “take” Gaza and reshape its future.

    “I think I’d be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone,” he said before reporters. “Let some good things happen, put people in homes where they can be safe, and Hamas is going to have to be dealt with.”

    “He referenced peace only in the context of hostage releases,” observed Amjad Abu al-Ezz, a political science professor at the Arab American University in the West Bank. “There was no mention of a ceasefire, de-escalation or even basic humanitarian corridors (in Gaza).”

    Trump did not hesitate to criticize Iran during his trip, calling it “the most destructive force” in the Middle East and accusing it of fueling regional instability. His remarks drew sharp rebukes from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, further heightening already tense U.S.-Iran relations.

    “Although Trump’s visit yielded some economic gains, the United States has yet to present clear solutions to the underlying regional tensions,” said Ali Johar, a UAE political analyst.

    By focusing solely on its economic interests and overlooking the concerns of regional populations, Washington appears to be drifting into a “vague role” in addressing the area’s conflicts, Johar noted.

    Potential policy shift

    Trump’s trip not only overlooked Arab world concerns but also appeared to sideline Israel’s sensitivities.

    Unlike his first presidential trip to the Middle East in 2017, Trump’s latest visit excluded Israel from his itinerary. On the eve of his arrival, reports surfaced that the United States had even held direct talks with Hamas, culminating in the release of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander.

    People watch a live stream of the release of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander in a square in Tel Aviv, Israel, May 12, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    “Skipping Israel was seen as a reflection of the deteriorating ties between the U.S. administration and the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,” noted an Al Jazeera analysis.

    While in the UAE, Trump acknowledged that “a lot of people are starving in Gaza,” a rare statement interpreted as a sign of his growing frustration over Israel’s prolonged military campaign.

    Analysts suggest Trump, known for his America-first, pragmatic stance, is losing patience with Israel.

    “For decades, Israel has leveraged its special relationship with the United States to serve as a gatekeeper to Washington,” the Times of Israel wrote in an opinion piece, observing that many in Israel “worried that the best partner they’ve ever had in the White House had lost interest.”

    This concern is not unfounded. Frederick Kempe, president and CEO of the Atlantic Council, said the Trump administration would rather “swim in a stream of Gulf investments than get bogged down in the region’s enduring problems.”

    Apparently, the United States is shifting its focus and policy priorities toward the Gulf region and the economic field, Kheir Diabat, a professor in the International Affairs Department at Qatar University, observed.

    “While economic cooperation is certainly beneficial for the region,” Diabat added, “what the United States should prioritize now is taking its responsibility and helping restore stability to the Middle East.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China sees increase in news conferences and release system

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

    China sees increase in news conferences and release system

    chinadaily.com.cn | May 18, 2025

    China has seen an increase in the number and frequency of news conferences at various levels, supported by a well-structured news release system spanning from central to local governments and enhanced professionalism among spokespersons, scholars and officials said on Saturday.

    More than 100 spokespersons from local and state governments and state-owned enterprises under the central government and scholars gathered in Beijing for the 4th China Spokesperson Forum at Renmin University of China, focusing on improving the spokesperson system and enhancing the effectiveness of news releases.

    Mo Gaoyi, director of the State Council Information Office, said in the era of mobile internet and smart interconnection, the media landscape has met profound changes.

    It is necessary to conduct in-depth research on social concerns and public opinion trends and identify the connecting points with the interests of people to better meet societal expectations, he said.

    Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, stated that in 2024, the ministry held a total of 230 news conferences, with spokespersons answering over 2,500 questions from both Chinese and foreign reporters, which made it the only foreign affairs department in the world to hold a news conference every working day.

    As of Wednesday, major international media coverage of the ministry’s regular press conferences has surged by 69.6 percent this year, reaching over 25,000 articles, Guo added.

    Zhou Qing’an, dean of the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University, said the news release system in China has gradually matured, and the professionalism of the spokesperson team has continued to improve.

    He highlighted the system’s adaptability to the all-media communication landscape, particularly in embracing proactive initiatives in new areas like social media and artificial intelligence.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese language proficiency competition for university students held in Egypt

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

    The 24th “Chinese Bridge” Chinese proficiency competition for Egyptian university students concluded Saturday in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

    The competition, hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Egypt and organized by the Cairo-based Chinese Bridge Club, consisted of three parts: a keynote speech, a knowledge quiz, and a talent show.

    Twelve finalists advanced from a pool of 30 contestants representing 24 Egyptian universities in the preliminary rounds. The participants demonstrated strong proficiency in the Chinese language and extensive understanding of China’s national conditions.

    Two students from Cairo University, Ola Sherief and Youssef Ehab, won the grand prize and the first prize respectively.

    The grand prizer Sherief, a student majoring in Chinese translation, said that she likes to learn Chinese and understand Chinese culture through a variety of Chinese film and television works and social media platforms in her spare time.

    “I hope to use Chinese as a bridge to contribute to the mutual understanding and cultural exchanges between Chinese and Egyptian youth,” Sherief told Xinhua.

    “We welcome more Egyptian youth to visit China and contribute to promoting cultural exchanges and people-to-people exchanges between China and Egypt, promoting mutual learning and mutual benefit among the world’s diverse civilizations, and building a community with a shared future for mankind,” Liu Jianqing, deputy director-general of China’s Center for Language Education and Cooperation, said at the award ceremony.

    Egypt has opened 32 Chinese majors across 30 universities, and 21 public middle schools have introduced Chinese as an elective subject for a second foreign language.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Scientists have found an accelerating decline in forest restoration rates after major wildfires

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) — Chinese and international scientists have found a significant deterioration in the global capacity to restore forests after large-scale wildfires in the 21st century, with less than a third of damaged forests able to recover within seven years after a fire.

    The study, published in the journal Nature Ecology

    A research team led by Chen Ziyue of Beijing Normal University, Wu Zhaoyang of the Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Josep Peñuelas of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain, analyzed 3,281 large forest fires worldwide using a hybrid methodological framework.

    The main results show that since 2010, the average intensity of large wildfires has increased by 42.9 percent in drylands and 54.3 percent in boreal zones, with western North America, north-central Siberia, and southeastern Australia being the hardest hit. Post-fire recovery rates have declined sharply since 2010, as the area where recovery has stalled has increased from 22.6 percent to 25.6 percent, with forest structure and productivity posing particular challenges for recovery.

    The study warns that reduced fire resilience could lead to catastrophic losses of biodiversity, biological resources and carbon sinks that far exceed direct fire emissions, seriously disrupting the global carbon cycle. Forest ecosystems damaged by fires are currently facing unprecedented challenges to natural recovery, exacerbated by extreme climate events such as heat waves and drought.

    Natural recovery mechanisms can no longer cope with increasing climate pressure, Chen Ziyue said, calling for systematic international intervention at critical stages of post-fire recovery, including scientifically planned reforestation and ecological restoration projects.

    Australian expert David Bowman from the University of Tasmania described the study as “an influential paper on a very serious topic.” -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Greywolfe CEO Ron Earley to Headline Oxford Keynote on the Future of AI and E-Commerce

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    How Machine Learning Is Reshaping Operational Strategy and Financial Freedom for the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs

    OXFORD, United Kingdom, May 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ron Earley, Founder and CEO of Greywolfe Investing, will deliver a featured keynote at the EMBA Inspires event hosted by Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford on May 19, 2025. This year’s program focuses on Machine Learning Fundamentals, uniting global executives and Oxford’s Executive MBA alumni to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming modern leadership and business strategy.

    Earley’s keynote, titled “Scaling Smarter – AI, Strategy & the Amazon Wholesale Ecosystem,” will explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the Amazon FBA landscape. By drawing on real-world experience and case studies, he’ll show how wholesale sellers are using machine learning tools to overcome operational blind spots, optimize performance, and scale more strategically. From predictive analytics to dynamic pricing, the session will highlight how business leaders can unlock efficiency and growth by integrating AI at key points across their organizations.

    Earley will also challenge attendees to rethink how they structure teams, make decisions, and protect data as a strategic asset. His approach blends tactical insight with a long-term vision for responsible AI adoption, offering participants a rare look at how automation, culture, and clarity can combine to drive resilience in a volatile business environment.

    “AI isn’t just a tool, it’s a multiplier of talent, speed, and insight,” said Earley. “This keynote is about showing leaders how to move from reactive management to proactive strategy using real-world applications of machine learning.”

    Ron Earley brings a unique entrepreneurial journey to Oxford’s stage. From starting with just $36,000 in capital to building one of the fastest-growing Amazon FBA firms in the country, he has led Greywolfe Investing with a focus on transparency, automation, and operational excellence. His firm is headquartered next to Florida’s largest Amazon facility, employs over 100 professionals, and is a member of Amazon’s exclusive Service Provider Network.

    Through the keynote, Earley will share insights on overcoming human limitations in managing complex e-commerce data, identifying and integrating automation opportunities, and transitioning organizations from instinct-driven cultures to AI-literate, structured environments. The session will also touch on emerging technologies shaping the future of commerce, including voice interfaces, generative content, and ethical AI systems.

    Ron Earley’s participation in EMBA Inspires reflects a growing recognition of the role entrepreneurs play in shaping how advanced technologies are applied in the real world. His keynote will not only highlight the technical possibilities of machine learning, but also ground them in the lived experience of building a business from the ground up. As leaders across industries look to integrate AI more thoughtfully, Earley’s story offers a compelling reminder that innovation is most powerful when paired with clarity, strategy, and purpose.

    About Greywolfe Investing:
    Greywolfe Investing is a Sarasota-based e-commerce investment firm redefining how wholesale sellers succeed on Amazon. Specializing in Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) operations, Greywolfe offers a fully integrated approach that combines proprietary AI tools, strategic warehousing near Amazon’s largest Florida hub, and partnerships with some of the largest manufacturers in the world. As an official Amazon Service Provider Network (SPN) partner, the company is committed to building resilient, transparent, and scalable operations for investors and entrepreneurs alike. Greywolfe’s mission is to create legitimate investment opportunities that prioritize both performance and long-term stability in the rapidly evolving e-commerce ecosystem.

    Contact:
    Ron Earley
    support@greywolfeinvesting.com

    Media contact:
    Chloe Smart
    cs@omnipublic.global

    Disclaimer: This is a paid post and is provided by Greywolfe Investing. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or business advice. All investments carry inherent risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own due diligence and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any inaccuracies, misrepresentations, or financial losses resulting from the use or reliance on the information in this press release. Speculate only with funds you can afford to lose. In the event of any legal claims or concerns regarding this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained herein. Any complaints, copyright issues, or inquiries regarding this article should be directed to the content provider listed above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4d4d7e91-7583-4964-8a8e-72f35829dbb2

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Backgrounder – Canada’s commitments at 2025 United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial meeting

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Following the 2025 United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial (UNPKM) meeting in Berlin, Germany, Canada committed to providing more than $40 million in new projects and contributions to continue supporting UN peace operations and related peacebuilding efforts.

    These commitments include a pledge to continue providing tactical airlift support to UN peace operations until 2027. Canada will also continue to support the protection of civilians (including women and children) and providing specialized training and to counter the threat of misinformation, disinformation, malinformation and hate speech in the context of UN peace operations. As a historic partner in supporting UN peace operations, Canada remains committed to advancing the meaningful participation of uniformed women in peace operations and to supporting critical UN capacity gaps.

    Peacekeeping training, capacity building and partnerships

    Canada’s pledging commitments include:

    • more than $11.4 million to support training, capacity building and partnerships
    • more than $3 million to support training and capacity-building efforts to help prepare more than 450 personnel from partner countries to deploy to UN peace support operations
    • an expansion of tactical airlift capabilities and support to the UN through airlift capabilities on an opportunity basis (subject to aircraft availability)
    • assistance to 2 peacekeeping training institutions in the Indo-Pacific region (Vietnam and Malaysia) to build their capacity to plan and deliver their own UN-certified Staff Officer and Civil-Military Cooperation courses
    • delivery of 3 combat first-aid train-the-trainer courses to provide selected partners with an important prerequisite for deployment and to create a national cadre of instructors.

    Canada’s Military Training and Cooperation Program will continue to provide member nations with a wide range of training courses that directly or indirectly strengthen their ability to participate in peace support operations and help improve the interoperability of their personnel in multinational peace support operations. Canada will increasingly share peacekeeping capacity-building activities with like-minded partners and, where appropriate, through the UN Light Coordination Mechanism, to increase opportunities for effective international collaboration and achieve greater impact.

    Through the Canadian Police Arrangement, the RCMP will:

    • augment training and capacity-building partnerships, including through the deployment of subject-matter experts to 3 peacekeeping regional training centres
    • support pre-deployment training for individual women police officers from contributing nations to help them meet UN requirements and increase the number of women police officers in UN missions
    • set up a community of practice consisting of previously deployed women to serve as a resource to support women peacekeepers around the world.

    Enhancing Peace Operations Through Training and Capacity-Building Support to the UN

    Project partner: UN Department of Peace Operations and UN Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance

    Funding announced: $3.3 million

    This funding will support multiple UN teams that focus on: strengthening child protection; countering improvised explosive devices and explosive ordnance capabilities; protecting civilians; preventing sexual exploitation and abuse (the SEA Programme of Action); leadership training (for section commanders and force chiefs of staff); preventing conflict-related sexual violence and peacekeeping intelligence; as well as new and emerging areas such as UN transitions and integrated planning and analysis. 

    Contributing to Addressing and Mitigating Misinformation and Disinformation in UN Peace Operations

    Project partner: UN Department of Peace Operations and UN Department of Operational Support

    Funding announced: $2.2 million

    This funding will support several UN teams that focus on strategic communications and countering misinformation, disinformation, malinformation and hate speech in the context of peace operations, including training and technology tools.

    Improving the Capacities of Uniformed Medical Personnel in Peace Operations Settings

    Project partner: UN Institute for Training and Research

    Funding announced: $2 million

    This funding will support capacity building of uniformed men and women, medical and paramedical personnel deployed in peace operations through the delivery of basic field trauma training, including mental health components and advanced medical training or a train-the-trainers course.

    Driving Excellence: Support to Peacekeeping Training Institutions

    Project partner: UN Institute for Training and Research

    Funding announced: $2 million

    This funding will build the capacity of targeted peacekeeping training institutions in Senegal and Indonesia to successfully develop and deliver national and peacekeeping pre-deployment training to uniformed personnel.

    Increasing Access to Peacekeeping Training Through E-Learning

    Project partner: Peace Operations Training Institute

    Funding announced: $1.5 million

    This funding will provide complementary e-learning training to peacekeepers individually, at a regional/national peacekeeping training institution or in field missions.

    Protection of Civilians in UN Peace Operations and Effects of Disinformation

    Project partner: Henry L. Stimson Center

    Funding announced: $242,285

    This funding will support research on how the full spectrum of UN peace operations can better protect civilians and understand how misinformation and disinformation affect the ability of UN peace operations to protect civilians in the context of 5 UN peace operations: including Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, South Sudan and Sudan.

    Supporting the Cyprus Peace Process II

    Project partner: UN Development Programme

    Funding announced: $136,000

    This funding will provide support to the UN Good Offices Mission in Cyprus and the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus to better develop and refine approaches to peacekeeping and peacebuilding in the country through evidence-based research data.

    Supporting Military Gender Advisors and Gender Focal Points

    Project partner: UNITAR

    Funding announced: over $2 million

    This funding will support UNITAR to train military gender advisers and gender focal points for UN peace support operations and to train trainers and deliver national-level gender-mainstreaming courses to selected UN troop-contributing countries.

    Supporting the UN Integrated Training Service (ITS)

    Project partner: UN ITS

    Funding announced: over $800,000

    This funding will support UN ITS to deliver 4 train-the-trainer courses for UN staff officers and 1 train-the-trainer course for UN military observer using the newly updated UN curriculums to bolster national training cadres.

    UN Triangular Partnership Programme (TPP)

    Project partner: UN TPP

    Funding announced: $600,000

    This funding will support the UN TPP to deliver a 9-week cross-pillar training course in Cambodia focusing on explosive hazard awareness and heavy equipment operation. 

    Women, Peace and Security

    Canada will provide more than $26.5 million to support the UN’s Women, Peace and Security agenda, including the Elsie Initiative Fund, and training and capacity building. The RCMP commits to supporting women in peace operations by:

    • providing subject-matter experts to support pre-deployment training for individual women police officers (pre-SAAT)
    • meeting and exceeding the UN Secretary-General’s Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy targets with more than 30% women representation in international deployments
    • Establishing a national mentoring/networking program involving previously deployed women

    United Nations Elsie Initiative Fund for Uniformed Women in Peace Operations

    Project partner: United Nations Development Programme

    Funding announced: $15 million

    This project provides direct support to the Elsie Initiative Fund to: support barrier assessments; construct gender-sensitive accommodations; offer training and daycare facilities; provide financial premiums for gender-strong unit deployments; and develop gender policies, strategies and action plans, as well as training and capacity building.

    Supporting Uniformed Women’s Participation in UN Peace Operations

    Project partner: United Nations Institute for Training and Research

    Funding announced: $3.4 million

    This funding will support selected troop- and police-contributing countries in operationalizing the results of assessments of barriers to the meaningful participation of women in uniform in peace operations.

    Supporting the UN to Increase Meaningful Participation of Women in Peace Operations

    Project partner: UN Department of Peace Operations and UN Department of Operational Support

    Funding announced: $3 million

    This funding will support several UN teams that focus on accelerating the UN’s implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda, strategic communications and women’s outreach courses in information communications technology, including Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR), with the UN C4ISR Academy for Peace Operations.

    Promoting Gender-Sensitive Strategies, Policies and Training for UN Peacekeeping

    Project partners: UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, UN Department of Peace Operations

    Funding announced: $2.4 million

    This funding will support the development and coordination of concrete strategic and policy changes, as well as targeted initiatives at all levels within UN headquarters and in field missions, to create an inclusive workplace culture and promote gender parity.

    Amplifying the Elsie Initiative Through Data-informed Capacity Building

    Project partner: Cornell University

    Funding announced: $2.1 million

    This additional funding will support global policy discussions, national security sector actors and research entities in targeted troop- and police-contributing countries. The aim is to increase country-level capacity and motivation to advance women’s meaningful participation in UN peacekeeping by using data-informed technical assistance in 6 countries and producing policy recommendations and papers.

    Women, Peace and Security Mandate in the Indo-Pacific

    Project partners: Kingston Leadership Team Inc. and UN Women in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

    Funding announced: $720,000

    This funding will support several sub-projects that focus on: supporting UN peacekeeping through its Indo-Pacific Strategy; continued partnership with the Malaysian Peacekeeping Centre to deliver bilateral and multilateral Women, Peace and Security training, including train-the-trainer courses; and contribute toward a project delivered by UN Women and the UNDP in collaboration with Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defence to advance Women, Peace and Security, including in peace support operations.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Britain’s net zero construction workforce is already at risk of being burnt out

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Simon Addyman, Associate Professor in Project Management, UCL

    Kittirat Roekburi/Shutterstock

    The pressure of decarbonising industrial sectors is weighing on workers.

    The UK’s Labour government seeks a low-carbon and homegrown energy supply by 2030. The scale and pace of this transformation is unprecedented in the country’s power sector, and will involve building twice as much transmission infrastructure (pylons, cables, substations) in the next five years as was built over the last decade.

    Much of the workforce will be drawn from the construction sector, which employs 2.3 million people. Construction forms the dominant supply chain to the 17 major infrastructure projects involved in an overhaul of the electricity grid that will connect new wind farms in the North Sea and northern Scotland to homes and businesses across Great Britain.

    The workers “on the tools” who will carry out much of this transformation are struggling. The latest analysis from the Office for National Statistics suggests that the suicide risk of construction workers is three times higher than the male national average. Scholars of construction project management have identified a toxic workplace culture in the industry, citing aggressive market competition and demanding performance metrics.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    This is a problem that is largely being ignored. When planners at the National Energy System Operator assessed the UK’s capacity to build a clean power sector by 2030, they considered the absolute number of workers needed, the skills required and how employment is changing in the sector.

    Their assessment failed to consider the broader implications for workforce mental health and wellbeing of such a quick and comprehensive upgrade – but it is people who are going through a rapid transition, not just infrastructure.

    Expect more of these in years to come.
    J R Patterson/Shutterstock

    Going green, feeling blue

    Construction workers already endure long hours and stress due to tight deadlines. A rapid transition to green power will substantially increase their workload, unless managed carefully.

    Our report, published July 2024, looked into wellbeing and suicide in the construction industry. We concluded that the UK government, major infrastructure owners such as National Grid and their supply chain partners who provide specialist design and construction services, must work together to solve this problem.

    Major infrastructure owners offer mental health services, such as confidential counselling, legal advice and financial guidance, to help their own employees manage personal or work-related issues. But most workers on the tools are not directly employed by these owners. Most are self-employed, or hired by construction firms, of which 99% are small- and medium-sized enterprises.

    More than 96% of construction firms have fewer than 15 employees. Smaller suppliers of specialist trade skills, like electrical and mechanical installation, have fewer employment protections and more compressed schedules, and are even less likely to have the capacity to provide these services.

    Some infrastructure owners and big construction companies extend their health and wellbeing services to these smaller suppliers. However, in an industry that is dominated by competitive tendering, which favours suppliers that keep costs low, it is no surprise that uptake has been low.

    Owners of infrastructure assets like electricity pylons and substations can drive workplace improvements by adopting procurement models that prioritise suppliers that are offering measures to improve worker wellbeing.

    Research from one of us (Jing Xu) and fellow project management expert Yanga Wu, has shown that the top-down prescriptive approach traditionally applied to health and safety in construction does not work for wellbeing. This requires a bottom-up approach, that makes it easy for workers to tell managers what they are struggling with and what they think would help.

    The construction sector also faces a shortage of workers and skills required for the green transition. The industry training board forecasts that the industry must attract the equivalent of 50,300 extra workers a year to meet expected levels of work over the next five years.

    The UK is not training enough workers to achieve net zero.
    Paya Mona/Shutterstock

    In the power sector, however, there is the additional complication of an ageing workforce, as well as differences in employment conditions between permanent and contract staff. Key expertise is at risk of being lost with retirements. Older workers often face additional pressure, not only to meet performance targets but also to compensate for gaps in expertise, and all within a fast-paced environment.

    To improve mental health and wellbeing among a diverse workforce requires engaging with workers directly and ensuring their voices are heard. This involves more than upgrading technical skills. Research to better understand how organisations can care for their workforce in the context of increasing pressures due to achieving net zero is also vital.

    Further research and collaboration with infrastructure owners and major construction contractors could help manage the risks and provide valuable insights for other sectors that will need to follow suit, such as heating, transport and agriculture.

    It is imperative to consider what a transition means: the technical transition of replacing outmoded technology, as well as the social transition, which prioritises not only skills but workplace mental health. Without a focus on both policy and people, clean power will not be delivered.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Simon Addyman receives funding from University College London.

    Jing Xu receives funding from University College London.

    – ref. Britain’s net zero construction workforce is already at risk of being burnt out – https://theconversation.com/britains-net-zero-construction-workforce-is-already-at-risk-of-being-burnt-out-249328

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI China: US consumer sentiment close to record low on inflation

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

    U.S. consumer sentiment unexpectedly fell to the second-lowest level on record and inflation expectations climbed to multi-decade highs amid growing concerns about tariffs.

    The preliminary May sentiment index declined to 50.8 from 52.2 a month earlier, according to the University of Michigan on Friday.

    Nearly three-fourths of respondents spontaneously mentioned tariffs, indicating trade policy continues to dominate consumers’ views of the economy. The topic crosses partisan lines, including a notable share of Republicans bringing it up.

    The survey was conducted between April 22 and May 13, a period that ended just after the U.S. and China agreed to temporarily reduce tariffs on each other while they negotiate a trade deal.

    Still, “temporary pauses are unlikely to convince consumers that trade policy has stabilized enough for consumers or businesses to plan effectively for the future,” Joanne Hsu, director of the survey, said in a statement.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The NSU team took first place in the intellectual game “Puzzles of state and municipal service”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    The intellectual game “Puzzles of the state and municipal service” took place within the walls of the Corporate University of the Government of the Novosibirsk Region. The game was held for the fifth time and gathered a record number of participants and universities, including: SIU RANEPA, NSUEM, NSAU, SUSPS, NUIL (f) TSU, SibUPK, NSU, SSUGIT and NSPU.

    Eleven teams of talented students competed in a tense battle for the title of the best, striving to prove themselves and win.

    — We quickly decided to participate because this year our entire team will be applying, some for master’s degree, and some for postgraduate studies. We all needed achievements. We also liked the format — we decided to try ourselves in this. In addition, all team members are interested in public service, since we are lawyers, — said Yusub Ozmanyan, the team captain.

    The game participants were asked a variety of questions covering key aspects of the activities of state and municipal employees. The questions concerned the structure and functions of government bodies, historical aspects of state development and the specifics of local self-government.

    The Quiz “Puzzles of the State and Municipal Service” included three rounds: the first – “Quiz”, the second – “Own Game”, the third – “True or False”. In the “Quiz” round, all teams had to answer 10 questions in a row. In the “Own Game” round, each team independently chose the category and difficulty of the question, answering one after the other in turn. In the final round “True or False”, one representative from each team participated, who answered 5 questions in a row one after the other.

    – We prepared very carefully, besides, we have been studying in for many years Institute of Philosophy and Law of NSU, so the base is serious. The third round was the most exciting, because only one participant from the team answered. We were confident in it, but worried. In the end, Danila Isaev did an excellent job! We were very happy to win, because initially we came only for the first place! Everything went great, we are satisfied and happy, – Yusub shared his emotions.

    At the end of the game, the places between the teams were distributed as follows:

    1st place – NSU team “ResPublica” (consisting of: Yusub Ozmanyan, Vladislav Cherenkov, Vitaly Kamorny, Denis Kostornov, Danila Isaev);

    2nd place – the team “Law Faculty” of NSUEM;

    3rd place – the team “Managers” of SSUPS.

    We congratulate the winners and wish them further success!

    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 –

  • Terror Inc.: How Pakistani Army has hijacked the state acting as an agent of Chaos & Conflict

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Pakistan’s economy has long ceased to be a level playing field. While democratic institutions, civilian enterprises, and private sector innovation struggle to survive under chronic political instability and fiscal mismanagement, one institution not only survives but thrives i.e. the Pakistani Army. Far from being merely a military force, the army has built an unrivalled corporate empire that operates through a vast network of foundations, front companies, and patronage networks. This economic leviathan has embedded itself across vital sectors including real estate, banking, agribusiness, manufacturing, media, and logistics. Its control is not informal it is institutional, legalized through special exemptions, military-backed land ordinances, and bureaucratic dominance. As a result, the military runs a parallel economy that undermines competition, distorts public policy, and undermines democracy.

    The cornerstone of the Pakistan Army’s corporate empire lies in its foundations i.e. semi-governmental yet commercially active entities that were originally set up for the welfare of ex-servicemen but have since evolved into sprawling conglomerates. The Fauji Foundation, founded in 1954, is the most powerful of these entities. Ostensibly a charitable trust, Fauji operates over three dozen subsidiaries including Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC), Fauji Cement Company Limited (FCCL), Fauji Oil Terminal & Distribution Company (FOTCO), and Askari Bank. FFC alone is one of Pakistan’s largest fertilizer producers, consistently generating billions in revenue and dividends, a significant portion of which goes back to the army. Askari Bank, likewise, operates under military supervision, with its board stacked with retired generals, and acts as a key financial vehicle for other military-affiliated ventures.

    Another major player is the Army Welfare Trust (AWT), which controls more than 25 commercial enterprises. These range from AWT Investments and Askari General Insurance to sugar mills, textiles, trucking, and aviation services. In real estate, the Army’s footprint is massive. Through the Defence Housing Authority (DHA), the military has become the largest land developer in Pakistan, with projects in cities like Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, Multan, Gujranwala, and Bahawalpur. DHA projects often involve coercive land acquisition, where civilian and minority-owned lands are seized under the pretext of national security or public interest, only to be converted into luxury gated communities for serving and retired officers.

    The Pakistan Air Force operates the Shaheen Foundation, which manages diverse assets including FM radio stations, construction companies like Shaheen Builders, travel agencies, and educational institutions. The Pakistan Navy runs the Bahria Foundation, whose holdings include Bahria Maritime Services, Bahria University, and port-related logistics. Together, these four military foundations operate over 100 subsidiaries spanning dozens of industries, including grain storage, packaging, medical services, cement, and even advertising.

    Despite being commercial entities, these businesses are shielded from competition and financial scrutiny. They enjoy tax exemptions, priority access to government contracts, and the use of military logistics and infrastructure. Their dominance pushes out private enterprises and distorts the market. Civilian regulators often headed by retired officers fail to hold them accountable. Moreover, much of the income generated is not reinvested into national development but siphoned off for the elite military class. The benefits of these ventures rarely trickle down to the rank-and-file soldiers, let alone the public. Instead, they create a closed-loop economy where military officers retire into boardrooms and continue to wield economic and political influence.

    This commercial empire also acts as a platform for political control. The military uses its economic levers to shape media narratives, buy influence in the judiciary, and co-opt politicians. Media groups like the Nawa-i-Waqt Group and Bol News have faced closure or harassment when deviating from military narratives, while ISPR the army’s media wing actively funds propaganda campaigns and online troll armies. Business leaders who fund opposition parties are often subjected to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) probes, tax audits, or asset seizures. Through these tactics, the military consolidates not just wealth but unchallenged authority.

    However, the most dangerous and opaque part of the army’s economic footprint lies in its integration with Pakistan’s narco-terror complex. From the days of the Soviet-Afghan war, when the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) under General Akhtar Abdur Rahman facilitated heroin production and smuggling to fund covert Mujahideen operations, the army’s involvement in narcotics has grown into a transnational pipeline. Opium grown in Afghanistan is processed in makeshift labs across Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, then transported via Balochistan’s Makran coast and Karachi ports. The logistics for these movements are often handled through military-controlled transport units, particularly those attached to the National Logistics Cell (NLC), which has long enjoyed immunity from customs inspections.

    Key individuals who are linked to this drug-financed ecosystem include former ISI chiefs like Hamid Gul and Shuja Pasha, both of whom oversaw extensive intelligence operations involving militant financing during their tenures. The Haqqani Network, long a proxy of the ISI, operated with impunity across the Af-Pak region and controlled smuggling routes for both arms and drugs. Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) have all received funding via hawala channels sourced from narco-trafficking and arms sales. The proceeds are laundered through front charities such as the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) and ostensibly other organisational fronts registered in Gulf states.

    In recent years, the growing convergence between Pakistan’s military and drug cartels operating in the Middle East, particularly in UAE and Oman, has given rise to a “military-narco-intelligence” axis. Front companies tied to retired army officials like Lt. Gen. Javed Nasir (former ISI chief) and certain members of the notorious business family have been implicated in narcotics laundering investigations across the Gulf and UK. The black money generated through this system is used to fund proxy wars in Jammu & Kashmir, Afghanistan, and increasingly Africa, where Pakistani mercenaries are now known to operate in conjunction with both Chinese and Turkish military logistics.

    The arms trade is another critical node in this network. Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF), based in Wah Cantt, manufactures everything from bullets and grenades to mortars and automatic rifles. While officially intended for the Pakistani military, these arms often find their way into conflict zones. Documented recoveries of POF-manufactured arms in India’s Jammu & Kashmir state, Syria, Libya, and Nigeria underscore how the ISI uses weapon flows to back proxy forces. Smuggling routes operate across the Durand Line, Baluchistan’s desert terrain, and even through diplomatic pouches. Pakistani naval assets, particularly cargo shipments flagged through Bahria Maritime Services, have been used for covert arms transfers. Intelligence intercepts in East Africa and the Persian Gulf have pointed to Pakistani arms deliveries to Hamas and Hezbollah intermediaries.

    Pakistan’s terror infrastructure is essentially sustained through this fusion of narco profits, arms trade, and ideological training. Groups like Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), LeT, and JeM have training facilities, safehouses, and logistical support provided by elements within the army or the ISI. Interrogations of captured operatives have repeatedly revealed training stints at army-run camps in Muridke, Bahawalpur, and Muzaffarabad. These groups serve multiple functions, they destabilize India, threaten Afghanistan, and help maintain chaos that justifies international military aid. Even China, despite its Balochistan investments, has turned a blind eye to this nexus, so long as its economic interests remain protected.

    The role of state-affiliated institutions in laundering terror funds further reinforces the military’s omnipotence. The Habib Bank scandal in the United States, where the Pakistani bank was fined for facilitating transactions linked to terrorism, was just the tip of the iceberg. Banks like Askari Bank and Summit Bank, both closely tied to military interests, have come under scrutiny for suspicious transactions involving Gulf donors and shell companies. In Karachi, businessmen with ties to the MQM and ISI have also been accused of channelling narcotics profits into real estate and construction firms.

    The political consequences of this militarized economy are immense. Civilian governments, lacking control over the purse or arms, are reduced to caretakers. Parliament has little say over defence budgeting. The judiciary, itself often filled with pro-military judges or intimidated through surveillance, rarely challenges army operations. In 2022, the controversial removal of Prime Minister Imran Khan initially backed and later discarded by the military illustrated how no political leader is safe from Rawalpindi’s coercive power once they deviate from script. Khan’s campaign to expose army interference led to mass arrests, internet blackouts, and an orchestrated crackdown, executed with both police and ISI coordination.

    The Pakistani military’s role as an agent of regional chaos has long been subsidized by foreign powers seeking to use it as a counterweight to India’s rise. The United States alone has funnelled over $33 billion in military and economic aid to Pakistan since 2001, including $14.5 billion in Coalition Support Funds, much of which empowered the ISI’s proxy terror infrastructure rather than dismantling it. Simultaneously, the IMF has approved 23 bailout programs, the latest being a $1.02 billion package on 9th May 2025, effectively rescuing a bankrupt regime without civilian accountability. China, under the $62 billion CPEC initiative, has fortified its alliance with Pakistan’s military, funding dual-use infrastructure while arming it with drones, radar systems, and port access.

    Turkey, too, has become a critical enabler exporting Bayraktar drones, expanding joint training, and backing Islamist networks aligned with Pakistani interests. Following India’s recent precision strikes on Pakistani airbases, including key terror installations in Muridke and Bahawalpur, these powers have grown visibly uneasy, fearing that India’s assertiveness could dismantle the utility of Pakistan as a destabilizing tool. Their aid, veiled as strategic cooperation, in reality props up a militarized state whose primary export is instability used not only to bleed India but also to disrupt the emergence of a multipolar Asia where India could assert sovereignty independent of Western or Chinese-led frameworks i.e. G2 Consensus.

    Navroop Singh is an Intellectual Property Attorney in New Delhi and a geopolitical analyst with the ‘Niti Shastra’ platform. He has co-authored three books and writes on foreign policy, law, history, and public affairs.

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Winners of the World Competition “Chinese Language Bridge” Awarded in Minsk

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    MINSK, May 17 (Xinhua) — The winners of the worldwide competition “Chinese Language Bridge” among students and pupils of senior and junior grades of schools of Belarus were awarded in Minsk on Friday. The ceremony was held at the Belarusian State University of Physical Education.

    Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Belarus Zhang Wenchuan noted that this event had become a real holiday for all lovers of the Chinese language in Belarus. “I was deeply impressed by the sincere love of the Belarusian participants for the Chinese language and their brilliant performance at the competition. The “Chinese Language Bridge” has been held for 24 years and has become an important platform for learning the Chinese language, getting to know the Chinese civilization, strengthening mutual understanding and friendship among young people abroad. It has become a kind of calling card of humanitarian exchanges between China and other countries of the world,” Zhang Wenchuan noted.

    He also wished the three winners, who will represent Belarus at the final of the “Chinese Language Bridge” competition in China this year, to achieve new successes.

    First Deputy Minister of Education of Belarus Alexander Bakhanovich drew attention to the fact that the country has been attaching special importance to popularizing the study of the Chinese language for almost 20 years. “Today, more than 6,000 students in 48 schools and 15 universities study Chinese as a subject. Another 60 schools study Chinese in optional classes,” he said.

    According to him, Belarusian schools and universities are provided with all the necessary textbooks for studying the Chinese language. “This year, the Minsk State Linguistic University will have its tenth graduation of Chinese language teachers. For eight years, the Confucius Republican Institute of Chinese Studies of the Belarusian State University has been successfully retraining teachers of comprehensive schools in Chinese. This allows us to provide our schools with highly qualified specialists,” A. Bakhanovich noted.

    He recalled that in October 2024, the seventh Confucius Institute in Belarus was opened at the A.A. Kuleshov Mogilev State University. “In the near future, the eighth Confucius Institute is expected to open at the Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno,” A. Bakhanovich said. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ranking Member Omar Opening Remarks at Subcommittee Hearing on OSHA’s Mission to Keep Workers Safe

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Ilhan Omar (DFL-MN)

    WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Ilhan Omar (MN-05) delivered the following opening statement at Workforce Protections Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Reclaiming OSHA’s Mission: Ensuring Safety Without Overreach.”  

    “Thank you, Chairman, and thank you to our witnesses for your testimony today.

    “Over the past 100 days, President Trump and his administration have decimated the very agencies and resources that keep workers safe and healthy.  Now, Committee Republicans are following suit by holding this hearing to attack the work of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

    “We should all be able to recognize a basic truth: no job should ever be a death sentence.  Workers deserve to come home to their families at the end of the day- not in pain, not in fear, but alive and well.

    “To protect that fundamental right, Congress passed landmark safety laws and established important agencies like OSHA, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.  But all three of these agencies have been chronically underfunded since their inception.  And, largely because of that, they have long struggled to robustly defend workers from preventable injuries, illnesses, and death at work.

    “In the 54 years since it was established, OSHA has made great strides, but it remains hamstrung by an overly complicated regulatory process, persistent underfunding, and the long, uphill battle of updating standards to reflect scientific advances.

     “Despite these constraints, OSHA took action during the Biden Administration and proposed common-sense safeguards, like the heat stress rule, to prevent tragedies in the workplace.   Rather than build on that progress, the Trump Administration is now threatening to dismantle any government program or agency that prioritizes workers’ health and protects workers on the job. 

    “At one point, DOGE targeted at least 11 OSHA field offices to be permanently shut down – including the only office in Louisiana, located in what is known as ‘Cancer Alley’ due to the presence of over 200 chemical plants and the high rates of cancer in the area. MSHA had at least 30 field offices slated for closure on DOGE’s hit list, including an office created in response to the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster.  And while we face a surge in child labor violations, DOGE is still cutting staff and planning to close 20 Wage and Hour Division offices.

    “Shutting down field offices will endanger workers’ lives by cutting off the public from DOL’s most vital services.  This also means severely limiting the geographic coverage of inspectors’ and investigators’ enforcement activities against law-breaking companies and further straining an already resource-strapped DOL.  And it doesn’t stop here.

    “On April 1st, nearly the entire NIOSH workforce was placed on leave, with the promise of being fired later this summer by HHS Secretary Kennedy.  In one sweeping move, Secretary Kennedy put 50 years of scientific expertise and public health research at risk.

     “DOGE kicked out NIOSH staffers, paid them to not work, and then – after realizing that effectively eliminating NIOSH was a mistake – the Trump Administration started to reverse course and rehire only some of those staffers.  This entire circus was wasteful, expensive, and harmful for workers; a description that could apply to most of DOGE’s actions. 

    “Workers are not expendable.  They are not a statistic.  OSHA and NIOSH do the essential work of keeping workers safe.  We must fund them properly and strengthen the laws the support their mission.

    “In my own district, we are already feeling the consequences of these cuts: The University of Minnesota’s Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety is one of just 18 NIOSH-funded Education and Research Centers in the nation.  It trains the next generation of workplace safety experts in the region and helps protect our workers in high-risk industries.

    “Without NIOSH, the invaluable research and workforce development provided by that Center—and others like it across the country—will be lost.  That means fewer trained medical and safety professionals, less research capacity to prevent fatal accidents, and, ultimately, more injuries, more deaths, and more grieving families.

    “Democrats are committed to honoring those workers who have been harmed or killed on the job, not just with words, but with action to change the system. 

    “Recently, Ranking Member Scott, Representative Courtney, and I reintroduced the Protecting America’s Workers Act – a bill that would make long-overdue improvements to the enforcement of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.  This bill would expand coverage to millions of workers currently excluded from the law’s protections and strengthen whistleblower protections.  These reforms are critical to preventing the most serious violations that endanger workers’ safety. 

    “Democrats are also championing legislation to protect healthcare and social service workers from violence, to make mining safer, and to prevent illness and injury from extreme heat.

    “This is what it means to have an agenda to ensure safety.  And with that in mind, I hope that we can have a productive discussion today.

    “Thank you, and I yield back.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kansas City Lawmakers Support National Historic Landmark Designation of Quindaro Townsite

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

    (Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO), Derek Schmidt (R-KS), and Sharice Davids (D-KS) have called on the National Park Service to designate the Quindaro Townsite in Wyandotte County as a National Historic Landmark. The Kansas City, Kansas site served as a critical entry point for anti-slavery settlers and a sanctuary for those escaping bondage via the Underground Railroad prior to and during the U.S. Civil War.

    “The Quindaro Townsite is a vital piece of U.S. history that demonstrates our national commitment to liberty and self-determination, which ought to be celebrated and shared with future generations,” said Congressman Cleaver. “Just as I was proud to introduce the bipartisan Quindaro Townsite National Historic Landmark Act with Reps. Schmidt and Davids, I’m once again honored to advocate for the designation of Quindaro as a National Historic Landmark, preserving this important chapter in America’s story until the end of time.”

    “Quindaro is a meaningful part of our region, state, and country’s history,” Congressman Schmidt said. “Recognizing the site as a National Historic Landmark will provide the designation necessary to properly preserve the legacy of this important historical site. I’m proud to lead my fellow Kansas City area lawmakers in this effort.”

    “Quindaro is a powerful part of Kansas’ history in the fight for freedom and equality, but for too long, local preservation efforts of this important site have lacked much-needed resources,” Representative Davids said. “I’m proud to work with Representatives Schmidt and Cleaver to ensure this site receives the recognition and protection it deserves through a National Historic Landmark designation.”

    Founded in 1857, Quindaro emerged as a beacon for Free-State advocates during the turbulent “Bleeding Kansas” era. Strategically located along the Missouri River, it served as a critical entry point for anti-slavery settlers and a sanctuary for those escaping bondage via the Underground Railroad. The town’s establishment was a collaborative effort among the Wyandot Nation, New England abolitionists, and African American settlers, exemplifying a unique and harmonious multicultural alliance during a period marked by division and conflict.

    Beyond its pivotal role in the anti-slavery movement, Quindaro became a nucleus for post-Civil War African American advancement. The establishment of the Quindaro Freedman’s School, later known as Western University, marked a significant milestone as the first Black school west of the Mississippi River. Institutions like Douglass Hospital further underscored the town’s commitment to education and healthcare within the African American community.

    Archaeological excavations have unveiled a wealth of artifacts, offering invaluable insights into the daily lives of Quindaro’s diverse inhabitants. The site’s preserved foundations and structures provide a tangible connection to this rich history. Recognized on the National Register of Historic Places since 2002, Quindaro’s significance has been further acknowledged through its designation as a National Commemorative Site in 2019.

    In 2023, the lawmakers introduced the Quindaro Townsite National Historic Landmark Act to designate the Quindaro Townsite as a National Historic Landmark.

    The official letter from lawmakers is available here.

     

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for May 17, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on May 17, 2025.

    A life of service: celebrating the career of Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban
    SPECIAL REPORT: By Moera Tuilaepa-Taylor, RNZ Pacific manager At this year’s May graduation ceremony, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University’s Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban, was awarded an honorary doctorate in recognition for her contribution to education. Although she has now stepped down from the role, Luamanuvao served as the university’s Assistant Vice-Chancellor, Pasifika, for 14 years.

    ‘Manu jumping’: The physics behind making humongous splashes in the pool
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pankaj Rohilla, Postdoctoral Fellow in Fluid Dynamics, Georgia Institute of Technology Maybe you’ve unknowingly tried to do a manu jump. Isabel Pavia/Moment via Getty Images Whether diving off docks, cannonballing into lakes or leaping off the high board, there’s nothing quite like the joy of jumping into

    Time for NZ media to ditch the propaganda and stand against genocide
    COMMENTARY: By Saige England in Christchurch “RNZ is failing in its duty to inform the public of an entirely preventable humanitarian catastrophe.” Tautoko to Jeremy Rose, Ramon Das and Eugene Doyle for this critique of a review of RNZ’s coverage of a genocide. Sadly, this highlights RNZ’s failure to report the genocide from the perspective

    Media Council makes ‘stop Telikom PNG silencing journalists’ plea to PM Marape
    The Media Council of Papua New Guinea (MCPNG) has called on Prime Minister James Marape to stop Telikom PNG silencing and suppressing media personnel. Telikom PNG, which is 100 percent government-owned, has two key outlets: FM100 radio and EMTV. Recently, it sacked FM100 talkback host Culligan Tanda after he featured opposition East Sepik Governor Allan

    Ben Roberts-Smith has lost an appeal in his long-running defamation case. Here’s why
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rick Sarre, Emeritus Professor in Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia The full Federal Court has dismissed Ben Roberts-Smith’s appeal to have his defamation case loss overturned. It is important in seeking to understand this judgement to know the history of the case. In June

    With a new minister for early childhood education, what can the federal government do to make centres safer?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Victoria Minson, Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education, Australian Catholic University This week, more reports emerged of horrific abuse of children at childcare centres. An ABC investigation reported young children had suffered burns and been verbally abused. In another case, a baby was repeatedly slapped by an

    Australian researchers use a quantum computer to simulate how real molecules behave
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ivan Kassal, Professor of Chemical Physics, University of Sydney University of Sydney Nano Institute When a molecule absorbs light, it undergoes a whirlwind of quantum-mechanical transformations. Electrons jump between energy levels, atoms vibrate, and chemical bonds shift — all within millionths of a billionth of a second.

    To boost the nation’s health, the government’s proposed food strategy must put people over profits
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachael Walshe, Post-doctoral Researcher, University of Canberra crbellette/sShutterstock On election night, a triumphant Anthony Albanese took to the stage brandishing a Medicare card as a symbol of the nation’s commitment to public healthcare. As the re-elected government gets to work on its promised national food security strategy

    You usually need more than a few drops of blood, saliva or urine to detect illnesses. Here’s why
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amali Cooray, PhD Candidate in Genetic Engineering and Cancer, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) Lumen Photos/Shutterstock In the 2000s, biotech company Theranos promised to revolutionise blood testing. Founder Elizabeth Holmes claimed Theranos technology could perform hundreds of tests using just a finger-prick drop

    Some young trans people take sex hormones so their bodies better align with their gender. What are the benefits and risks?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cristyn Davies, Senior Research Fellow in the Specialty of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney romain-jorge/Shutterstock Triggered by hormonal changes in the brain and body, puberty marks a physical transformation. Oestrogen and testosterone – often called “sex hormones” – drive many

    Saudi Arabia has big AI ambitions. They could come at the cost of human rights
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Niusha Shafiabady, Associate Professor in Computational Intelligence, Australian Catholic University This week, on his tour of the Middle East, United States President Donald Trump unveiled a suite of new deals with Saudi Arabia. Trump claimed the deals were worth more than US$1 trillion (A$1.5 trillion). This is

    Why Anthony Albanese’s presence at Pope Leo’s inauguration is shrewd politics
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, Historian, Australian Catholic University When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese steps into St Peter’s Square for the inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, the optics will be far more than pious courtesy. For a day, the Vatican will temporarily be the world’s

    The space race is being reshaped by geopolitics, offering opportunities for countries such as New Zealand
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Zámborský, Senior Lecturer, Management & International Business, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau NASA/Getty Imges The space economy is being reshaped — not just by innovation, but by geopolitics. What was once dominated by state space agencies, and more recently by private ventures, is evolving into

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign orders on the up in Guangdong

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

    Chinese foreign trade companies are picking up steam in fulfilling orders after China and the United States announced on Monday that they had reached an agreement to reduce tariffs on each other during trade talks in Geneva, Switzerland.

    The influx of orders from the US has posed a challenge to the production and supply capabilities of foreign trade enterprises, business executives said.

    Wang Li, general manager of a home furniture company in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, said that her company secured four new orders on Tuesday alone, worth a total value of $300,000, which is close to the total order value of the previous two weeks.

    “We have planned to send at least eight containers to the US within the week,” Wang said, adding that she predicts that orders will continue to surge in the following three months.

    Zhang Wulin, general manager of a digital technology company in Dongguan, Guangdong, said he has seen a rapid rebound in US orders following the tariff reductions.

    “All our sales representatives are now busy with shipping and have no time to count the order volume,” he said.

    Yan Longhai, secretary-general of the Guangzhou Cross-Border E-commerce Industry Association, said that based on the association’s customer feedback, orders secured in May have increased by 20 to 40 percent compared with the same period last month.

    “Due to the tariff reduction, the orders that were originally suspended will gradually resume,” he said.

    Chen Yongjun, a distinguished professor at Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, noted that the US remains one of the major trade partners of China. China’s exports to the US represented 14.7 percent of the country’s total in 2024, lower than the 19.2 percent recorded in 2018.

    Official data showed that Guangdong, as China’s largest foreign trade province, sold 948.81 billion yuan ($131.65 billion) worth of products to the US last year, with the proportion of exports to the US having fallen to 16.1 percent.

    The tariff reductions would help promote trade expansion between the two nations, said Chen. He urged domestic manufacturers to further improve product competitiveness and diversify their global market presence while increasing their presence in the US market.

    In Shanghai, Ding Linfeng, general manager of a local sunshade equipment company, said that a US customer had placed an order on Monday evening.

    Ding said the US customer was in a hurry to place a new order and hoped that production would be completed within a month, as maritime transportation of goods still takes another month.

    Ding said that he received orders worth more than 1 million yuan from the US on the night of the tariff reductions.

    Lin Xiaoming, general manager of Yiwu Lincy Lock Industry Co based in Yiwu, Zhejiang province, said that the company has continued to fulfill the contracts previously signed with its US clients following the tariff reductions, as now the tariff is much lower, which results in very high profits for them. “Therefore, they also continue to adhere to the previous contracts,” said Lin, whose company produces locks and exports more than 50,000 locks per day.

    “This year, our trade volume with other countries has been consistently increasing. The tariff interruptions have actually helped other countries gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Chinese market,” he said.

    The surge in orders from the rest of the world has also promoted the growth of the shipping and logistics industries.

    A Shenzhen-based international logistics company’s US route business is experiencing growth, with prices continuing to rise, but container shipments remain tight, said a local shipping executive.

    MIL OSI China News –