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Category: Universities

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Chimamanda’s Lagos homecoming wasn’t just a book launch, it was a cultural moment

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Assistant Professor, Harvard University

    When the announcement of Chimamanda Adichie Ngozi’s latest novel Dream Count was made, it was regarded as a major event in African literature. The internationally celebrated Nigerian writer had not published a novel in the past 12 years, and her long-awaited return stirred both anticipation and speculation. In the post-COVID context in which the book comes, so much has changed in the world.

    The first leg of her three city homecoming book tour coincided with my stay in Lagos as a curatorial fellow at Guest Artist Space Foundation, dedicated to facilitating cultural exchange and supporting creative practices. After Lagos, Chimamanda took the tour to Nigeria’s capital city Abuja and finally Enugu, where she was born and grew up.



    Read more:
    Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s new book Dream Count explores love in all its complicated messiness

    As a scholar of African literature, I arrived here in search of literary Lagos. But my attachment to the city may also just be romantic, a nostalgia born out of years of reading about it in fiction. No doubt, Lagos is a city of imagination and creativity.

    Chimamanda’s book event was a reminder that literary celebrity, when it happens in Africa, can exist on its own terms. It’s rooted in a popular imaginary that embraces both the writer and the spectacle.

    Lagos superstar

    The launch in Lagos took place at a conference centre on the evening of Friday 27 June. The MUSON is a multipurpose civic auditorium located in the centre of Lagos Island which can accommodate up to 1,000 guests. And on this night, the auditorium was packed.

    When I arrive, the scene outside is buzzing. A crowd gathers in front of a large canvas banner bearing a radiant image of the author. It’s more than just decoration; it’s a backdrop. It is an occasion for the selfie, a digital marker that you were there. There is even a hashtag for this: #dreamcountlagos. People take turns posing in front of it, curating their presence in the frame of Chimamanda’s aura.

    The atmosphere is festive, electric. And yet beneath the surface shimmer is something more urgent: a hunger for story, for presence, for return. Perhaps that explains why people come not just to witness, but to be counted.

    Inside the lobby, piles of Chimamanda’s books are neatly arranged on long tables. People are not just buying a copy. They are buying several in the hope that the author will autograph them. The sight is striking, almost surreal. In many parts of the continent, a book launch is often a quiet affair. Writers are lucky to sell a handful of copies. But this is something else entirely. This is not just a book launch, it is a cultural moment.

    It would have been easy to mistake the event for a political townhall. There was a VIP section reserved for the who’s who of Lagos, but those class distinctions easily dissolved into the collective energy of the room. The auditorium was filled with genuine enthusiasm.

    Even after a delay of more than an hour, when Chimamanda finally walked in, she was met with rapturous applause. She wore a bright yellow dress, an Instagrammable outfit, suited for the many fans who rushed forward to take selfies with her. Chimamanda, no doubt, is as much a fashion icon as she is a literary figure.

    On stage, she was joined by media personality Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, widely known as the host of the reality TV show Big Brother Africa. But here, he was also something more intimate: the author’s friend. Chimamanda even credited him with being a “great reader”. This is a rare compliment in a literary world that often separates celebrity from critical engagement.

    Their conversation was relaxed and full of laughter, offering the audience both intimacy and insight. Chimamanda addressed the question that had lingered for years: her decade-long silence. She spoke candidly of writer’s block, of the grief that came with losing both her parents in quick succession, and how that loss eventually reignited her desire to write.

    Dream Count, she explained, is shaped by that rupture. It is one of the major post-COVID novels from Africa, and centres on the lives of four women. It is a book about love, friendship and independence.

    Africans do read

    When she spoke about her characters on stage, it was as though she was talking about relatives that the audience recognised. They responded by shouting out the characters’ names, to the delight of the author.

    When I asked people about the launch afterwards, many said that it was a very Nigerian event – big, colourful, exuberant, festive. It was indeed a celebration that felt communal, even joyous. It was also a public demonstration of how literature can still command space and attention, not just in private reading rooms or crammed bookstores, but on a civic scale.



    Read more:
    Lagos fashion: how designers make global trends uniquely Nigerian

    This was a remarkable event because it defied the tired cliché that Africans do not read. People, mostly young, came out in their hundreds. They bought books, they took selfies with their “favourite” author, they screamed the names of fictional characters as though greeting friends.

    But more significant was Chimamanda’s choice to work with a local publisher, Narrative Landscape Press, which produced the Nigerian edition of Dream Count that is now available and accessible locally, at the same time as its release in Europe and North America. That alone is a radical act.

    In returning to Nigeria to launch her book, Chimamanda also disrupts the assumption that African literary prestige must only be validated abroad. Even though she belongs to a cohort of African writers shaped by the diaspora, she actively insists on presence – on homecoming – not as simply nostalgia, but as active engagement.

    Of course, Chimamanda is an exception. Her stature as a global literary figure, combined with her deep connection to home, allows her to move between worlds with remarkable ease. Few writers command the kind of multigenerational, cross-class attention she does. I found myself wishing though that more book launches could carry this same sense of occasion, of meaning, of return. That they could gather people in such numbers, not just to celebrate the writer, but to affirm the African book as something still worth gathering for.

    And perhaps that is what made this book launch unforgettable: not just the celebrity or the spectacle, but the sense that literature still matters here, and that it belongs to the people.

    Tinashe Mushakavanhu 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. Chimamanda’s Lagos homecoming wasn’t just a book launch, it was a cultural moment – https://theconversation.com/chimamandas-lagos-homecoming-wasnt-just-a-book-launch-it-was-a-cultural-moment-261112

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Connie Francis was the voice of a generation and the soundtrack of post-war America

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Leigh Carriage, Senior Lecturer in Music, Southern Cross University

    Hulton Archive/Getty Images

    Connie Francis dominated the music charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s with hits like Stupid Cupid, Pretty Little Baby and Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You.

    The pop star, author and actor has died at 87, and will be remembered for recording the soundtrack songs of post-World War II America.

    Francis photographed around 1963.
    Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

    An early life of music

    Francis was born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero in Newark, New Jersey, to Italian immigrant parents. At a very early age, Francis was encouraged to take accordion and singing lessons, compete in talent shows, and later she would perform occasionally on the children’s production Star Time Kids on NBC, remaining there until she was 17.

    Within these early recordings you can hear her style begin to develop: her tone, great pitching, her versatility in vocal range. Her vocal delivery is technically controlled and stylistically structured, often nuanced – and even at this early stage demonstrating such power coupled with an adaptability for a broad range of repertoire.

    At 17, Francis signed a contract with MGM Records.

    One of her early recordings was the song Who’s Sorry Now?, written by Ted Snyder with lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby in 1923. Her version was released in 1957 and struggled to get noticed.

    The following year, Francis appeared with the ballad on American Bandstand. This performance exposed Francis’ talent for interpretation and her ability to bridge the teen and adult fanbase.

    The song would become a hit.

    It’s useful to listen to the original version to gain more insight into Francis’ vocal approach and styling. The original is an instrumental song of its time, with light whimsical call and response motives in a foxtrot feel.

    But in Francis’ version, she demonstrates her ability to revitalise a late 1950s pop music aesthetic. In an emotional delivery she croons her own rendition, with the country styling elements of Patsy Cline.

    Connie Francis performing in Milan in 1961.
    Universal Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    The voice of a generation

    Following Who’s Sorry Now?, Stupid Cupid (1958), Where The Boys Are (1960, the titular song of a feature film starring Francis) and Lipstick on Your Collar (1959) became the soundtrack songs of post-war America.

    Francis was supported with songs penned by the some of the best songwriters from the Brill Building, a creative collective in Manhattan that housed professional songwriters, working with staff writers Edna Lewis and George Goehring.

    In 1960, Francis released her hit Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool written by Jack Keller and Howard Greenfield. It was a teeny-bopper classic, and she became the first women to top the Billboard Hot 100.

    Francis records in the studio with Freddy Quinn at MGM in 1963 in New York.
    PoPsie Randolph/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

    Styled after some of the other greats of the time – such as Frank Sinatra (1915–98), Dean Martin (1917–95) and Louis Prima (1910–70) – Francis’ performance on the Ed Sullivan show highlighted her connection to her Italian heritage and ability to draw from a broad repertoire.

    On the show, she performed Mama and La Paloma. Each performance is very carefully styled, a thoughtful approach to dynamics, sung in both English and Italian.

    Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You, a number one hit from 1962, features Francis’ gorgeous crooning harmonies. Then, the song breaks down into an earnest spoken part and finishes with a powerful belted vocal part of long notes.

    The song is full of confidence and hope.

    Away from the microphone

    Francis had two key roles in films, starring in Where the Boys Are (1960) and the comedy Follow the Boys (1963).

    She was an author of two books. The second, Who’s Sorry Now?, became a New York Times bestseller.

    Francis was involved with humanitarian causes. She was particularly involved with Women Against Rape, following her own violent rape in 1974, and the Valour Victims Assistance Legal Organisation, dedicated to supporting the legal rights of crime victims. A lesser known song in her repertoire, fitting to include here, is her version of Born Free from 1968.

    As a singer, Francis worked at her craft and transitioned effortlessly from one genre to another, performing for over five decades. She will be remembered as a trailblazing solo artist, leaving a strong legacy in popular music culture.

    She was the voice of one generation when she was a star. And in her final year she became the voice of a new generation as Pretty Little Baby, released in 1962, went viral on TikTok, with more than 1.4 million videos using her voice to share stories of their lives.

    Francis performs in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 2009.
    Bobby Bank/WireImage

    Leigh Carriage 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. Connie Francis was the voice of a generation and the soundtrack of post-war America – https://theconversation.com/connie-francis-was-the-voice-of-a-generation-and-the-soundtrack-of-post-war-america-261467

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Why did the government hide a data leak about Afghans working with British forces and why did the courts finally reveal it?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alexandros Antoniou, Senior Lecturer in Media Law, University of Essex

    William Barton/Shutterstock

    When thousands of Afghans were quietly flown to the UK under a secret relocation scheme, few knew it was triggered by an error. A defence official had accidentally leaked the personal data of nearly 19,000 Afghan nationals who had worked with British forces and were at risk of Taliban reprisals.

    It has now also been revealed that the leaked list contained the identities of UK special forces and spies.

    Even fewer knew that this misstep was being kept from the public by a rare and powerful legal device: a superinjunction. Now, after nearly two years of legal wrangling, the High Court has lifted that order, reopening the conversation about when secrecy in the justice system goes too far.

    What is a superinjunction?

    An injunction is a court order that stops someone from doing something (like publishing a story) or requires them to do something (like taking down an online post or handing back confidential documents).

    A superinjunction goes one step further and does two things: it bans the publication of certain information (usually to protect privacy, safety or national security) and also bans anyone from revealing that the court order even exists.

    In essence, it is a tool that provides legal invisibility: the story is hidden and so is the fact that it is being hidden. While an injunction works like a padlock on a filing cabinet, a superinjunction means you cannot even tell anyone the cabinet is even there.

    Superinjunctions are exceptionally rare and controversial, precisely because they run counter to the principle of open justice. This is the idea that courts must operate in public, and that their decisions can be seen, scrutinised and questioned. Any derogation from open justice must be continuously justified and treated with considerable caution, especially where media freedom is curtailed.

    Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.

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    Historically, superinjunctions have been used sparingly in cases involving blackmail, risks of violence against witnesses, the protection of children or to prevent tipping-off a subject before an order can be served (such as in fraud investigations), always with the aim of preventing harm or ensuring that justice is done.

    The superinjunction committee (which was established in 2010 by Lord Neuberger to review growing concerns about such orders) made clear that the use of these legal tools must meet strict tests of necessity and proportionality. And, that they are only granted where serious harm (for example to life, safety or the administration of justice) is credibly at stake.

    Why was a superinjunction granted in the Afghan data breach case?

    In this case, the government argued that revealing the data leak could put lives in danger. The leaked spreadsheet contained names, contact details and, in some cases, family information of Afghan nationals who had applied to resettle in the UK. Many feared Taliban retaliation.

    So, in September 2023, the Ministry of Defence asked the High Court for an injunction to stop media outlets from reporting on the leak. The judge did not just grant that request, he escalated it to a superinjunction, banning any mention of the case or the fact of the order.

    It was described at the time as “unprecedented” in its scope. Journalists, even those who had already discovered the breach, were effectively gagged. The public had no idea any of it was happening.

    Why did the court later decide to lift the secrecy?

    After multiple hearings and appeals, High Court judge Mr Justice Chamberlain ruled on July 15 2025 that the superinjunction should be discharged once and for all. A government-commissioned review found that the leak may not have spread as widely as initially feared, and that Taliban reprisals were unlikely to be triggered solely by someone appearing on the leaked list.

    The judge concluded that while the leak was deeply serious, continued secrecy was no longer necessary, and that the harm of suppressing public debate and scrutiny now outweighed the risks of disclosure. To put it plainly, the balance tipped.

    Protection v cover-up

    Superinjunctions are not inherently wrong. There are situations where short-term secrecy is essential, for instance for the purposes of shielding vulnerable parties like children or genuinely guarding national security.

    But the Afghan case exemplifies the dangers of allowing secrecy to persist too long or too broadly. For nearly two years, the public was kept in the dark about a data breach involving tens of thousands of lives – including British citizens – and a government response that may ultimately cost the taxpayer “several billion pounds”.

    In this context, secrecy risked becoming a form of institutional self-protection, shielding the Ministry of Defence and the government from political fallout, legal scrutiny and accountability, rather than safeguarding people from actual harm.

    The principle of open justice is at the heart of democratic life. Superinjunctions, by their nature, run directly against that principle. There are times when secrecy might be seen as necessary, but it must always be tightly scoped and justified with evidence while serving the public interest; not convenience or image. By lifting this superinjunction, the courts affirmed that the British public has a right to know not only what went wrong, but that something went wrong at all.

    Alexandros Antoniou 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. Why did the government hide a data leak about Afghans working with British forces and why did the courts finally reveal it? – https://theconversation.com/why-did-the-government-hide-a-data-leak-about-afghans-working-with-british-forces-and-why-did-the-courts-finally-reveal-it-261437

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The impact of lost evidence on criminal cases

    Source: Mayor of London

    According to the BBC more than 30,000 criminal cases collapsed between October 2020 and September 2024 due to lost, damaged or missing evidence.[1] It found that around one in 20 prosecutions by the Met had been dropped due to missing evidence between 2020 and 2024, compared to one in 50 across England and Wales.
     
    Following a FOI request from the BBC and University of Leicester, the number of cases reported as missing evidence were found to be increasing: in 2020, 7,484 prosecutions collapsed due to lost, missing or damaged evidence, compared to 8,180 in 2024, a 9 per cent increase. 
     
    The BBC reported that the cases recorded included: 

    • Physical evidence, including forensic evidence, being lost, damaged or contaminated during storage
    • Lost digital evidence, including victim interview footage or body worn camera footage
    • Witness statements or pathology reports not being provided by the police
    • Key evidence not collected from the crime scene.

    Tomorrow, the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee will meet to question the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime on the Met’s ability to safely store and collect evidence.

    The Committee will also question the Deputy Mayor about online radicalisation, the Met’s recruitment pathways and the Met’s Culture, Diversity and Inclusion Directorate.
     
    The guests are:

    • Kaya Comer-Schwartz, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime 
    • Kenny Bowie, Director of Strategy and MPS Oversight, Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC)

    The meeting will take place on Wednesday 16 July 2025 from 10am in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.

    Media and members of the public are invited to attend.

    The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.
     
    Follow us @LondonAssembly.
     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: With the support of Rosneft, a Summer Project School has opened at the Moscow State University Gymnasium

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The ceremonial opening of the annual Summer Project School for students of Rosneft Classes took place at the University Gymnasium of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov. The training will involve 80 tenth-graders from 15 regions of Russia – they passed a competitive selection, which included multi-stage testing and a distance learning course.

    The Summer Project School is a joint project of Rosneft and Moscow State University, created to support talented youth. The event is being held for the fourth time. The training helps schoolchildren acquire basic knowledge in the field of project and research activities, as well as practical skills in team development and implementation of projects, including in key areas of the Company’s activities.

    For two weeks, schoolchildren will work in project groups in four areas: mathematics, engineering, geology and natural science. To get acquainted with the activities of Rosneft, schoolchildren will visit the Arctic Research Center, as well as the laboratories of the Company’s Joint Research and Development Center. Specialists will tell schoolchildren about Rosneft’s key scientific projects. In addition, the program includes visits to specialized faculties and museums of Lomonosov Moscow State University and Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas.

    For the participants of the Summer School, trainings on the development of professional and personal skills, creative master classes, as well as sports and entertainment events will be organized.

    Career guidance events will help high school students decide on their future profession. Based on the results of their studies at the Summer School, students will present their own projects.

    Reference:

    In order to form an external personnel reserve and a constant influx of highly educated young specialists into the Company, in 2005 Rosneft created a corporate system of continuous education “School – College/University – Enterprise”.

    Today, with the Company’s support, 2.7 thousand schoolchildren in 20 regions of Russia study in Rosneft Classes. The training is conducted according to programs with in-depth study of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computer science with the involvement of the best teachers.

    Department of Information and AdvertisingPJSC NK RosneftJuly 18, 2025

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA, Oxford Discover Warmer Uranus Than Once Thought

    Source: NASA

    KEY POINTS

    Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune each emit more energy than they receive from the Sun, meaning they have comparatively warm interiors.
    NASA’s Uranus flyby with Voyager 2 in 1986 found the planet colder than expected, which challenged ideas of how planets formed and evolved.
    However, with advanced computer modeling and a new look at old data, scientists think the planet may actually be warmer than previously expected.

    For millennia, astronomers thought Uranus was no more than a distant star. It wasn’t until the late 18th century that Uranus was universally accepted as a planet. To this day, the ringed, blue world subverts scientists’ expectations, but new NASA research helps puzzle out some of the world’s mystique. 

    Uranus is unlike any other planet in our solar system. It spins on its side, which means each pole directly faces the Sun for a continuous 42-year “summer.” Uranus also rotates in the opposite direction of all planets except Venus. Data from NASA’s Voyager 2 Uranus flyby in 1986 also suggested the planet is unusually cold inside, challenging scientists to reconsider fundamental theories of how planets formed and evolved throughout our solar system.
    “Since Voyager 2’s flyby, everybody has said Uranus has no internal heat,” said Amy Simon, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “But it’s been really hard to explain why that is, especially when compared with the other giant planets.”
    These Uranus projections came from only one up-close measurement of the planet’s emitted heat made by Voyager 2: “Everything hinges on that one data point,” said Simon. “That is part of the problem.” 
    Now, using an advanced computer modeling technique and revisiting decades of data, Simon and a team of scientists have found that Uranus does in fact generate some heat, as they reported on May 16 in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society journal. 
    A planet’s internal heat can be calculated by comparing the amount of energy it receives from the Sun to the amount it of energy it releases into space in the form of reflected light and emitted heat. The solar system’s other giant planets — Saturn, Jupiter, and Neptune — emit more heat than they receive, which means the extra heat is coming from inside, much of it left over from the high-energy processes that formed the planets 4.5 billion years ago. The amount of heat a planet exudes could be an indication of its age: the less heat released relative to the heat absorbed from the Sun, the older the planet is.
    Uranus stood out from the other planets because it appeared to give off as much heat as it received, implying it had none of its own. This puzzled scientists. Some hypothesized that perhaps the planet is much older than all the others and has cooled off completely. Others proposed that a giant collision — the same one that may have knocked the planet on its side — blasted out all of Uranus’ heat. But none of these hypotheses satisfied scientists, motivating them to solve Uranus’ cold case.
    “We thought, ‘Could it really be that there is no internal heat at Uranus?’” said Patrick Irwin, the paper’s lead author and professor of planetary physics at the University of Oxford in England. “We did many calculations to see how much sunshine is reflected by Uranus and we realized that it is actually more reflective than people had estimated.”
    The researchers set out to determine Uranus’ full energy budget: how much energy it receives from the Sun compared to how much it reflects as sunlight and how much it emits as heat. To do this, they needed to estimate the total amount of light reflected from the planet at all angles. “You need to see the light that’s scattered off to the sides, not just coming straight back at you,” Simon said.
    To get the most accurate estimate of Uranus’ energy budget yet, Oxford researchers developed a computer model that brought together everything known about Uranus’ atmosphere from decades of observations from ground- and space-based telescopes, including NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility in Hawaii. The model included information about the planet’s hazes, clouds, and seasonal changes, all of which affect how sunlight is reflected and how heat escapes.

    The researchers found that Uranus releases about 15% more energy than it receives from the Sun, a figure that is similar to another recent estimate from a separate study funded in part by NASA that was published July 14 in Geophysical Research Letters. These studies suggest Uranus it has its own heat, though still far less than its neighbor Neptune, which emits more than twice the energy it receives.
    “Now we have to understand what that remnant amount of heat at Uranus means, as well as get better measurements of it,” Simon said.
    Unraveling Uranus’ past is useful not only for mapping the timeline of when solar system planets formed and migrated to their current orbits, but it also helps scientists better understand many of the planets discovered outside the solar system, called exoplanets, a majority of which are the same size as Uranus.
    By Emma FriedmanNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: From ‘Stone Age’ treasury boss to National Party Senator: John Stone 1929-2025

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Head, Canberra School of Government, University of Canberra

    AUSPIC

    John Owen Stone AO was a legendary leader of the Commonwealth Treasury. He was secretary (departmental head) from January 1979 to September 1984 but was an intellectual driving force before then as deputy secretary from 1971 to 1978.

    Over those years he dealt with eight treasurers: Billy Snedden, Gough Whitlam, Frank Crean, Jim Cairns, Bill Hayden, Phillip Lynch, John Howard and Paul Keating.

    It is a sign of his influence that those years were dubbed the “Stone Age” by South Australian Premier Don Dunstan and others.

    Former Defence Department heads Arthur Tange and Tony Ayers were at various times called the “last of the mandarins” but Stone is probably truly the last.

    In 1978 journalist Paul Kelly called Stone “one of the two men who ran the nation”, the other being then prime minister Malcolm Fraser.

    It is hard to think of any later public servant about whom that could be said.

    Stone’s entry in the Senate’s biographical dictionary captures him well:

    he could be charming, witty and flattering, but he is often decried as being obstinate and arrogant.

    A Reserve Bank official is said to have said “I wish I was as certain about one thing as John Stone is about everything.”

    This obduracy cemented the Treasury’s reputation for arrogance and weakened its influence.

    Early years – from physics to economics

    John was born in 1929, the elder of two sons of a farmer and a primary school teacher. His childhood was spent in the Western Australian wheat belt. But after his parents divorced when he was 12, he moved with his mother to Perth.

    He attended Perth Modern School where contemporaries included Bob Hawke, Rolf Harris and Maxwell Newton.

    He graduated with first-class honours from the University of Western Australia in 1950, majoring in mathematical physics, and served as president of the students’ association.

    While there he met Billy Snedden, who two decades later would be Prime Minister William McMahon’s treasurer and with whom Stone would work as treasury deputy secretary.

    In 1951 he won a Rhodes scholarship. He initially enrolled for a physics degree at Oxford, but switched to economics, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Philosophy and Economics.

    He joined Australia’s Treasury, initially in its London office, in 1954. The same year he married Nancy Hardwick, a biochemical researcher, and they would have five children.

    The mandarin who put Treasury first

    Stone was an admirer of fellow Rhodes scholar Sir Roland Wilson, the longest-serving Treasury secretary with doctorates from Oxford and Chicago.

    Along with Wilson, Stone was a strong critic of the 1965 report of the Committee of Economic Inquiry known as the Vernon Report which called for greater planning and an independent economic advisory committee whose advice would have rivalled Treasury’s and succeeded in having Prime Minister Menzies reject it.

    In the late 1960s as treasury’s representative he was an executive director at the International Monetary Fund and defied his treasurer William McMahon by voting against the introduction of Special Drawing Rights that gave members rights over other members’ reserves.

    Stone believed that was why he was passed over for the secretary’s position when Frederick Wheeler was appointed in 1971.

    At treasury in the 1970s, Stone publicly clashed with members of a global environmental group called the Club of Rome about whether there were environmental limits to economic growth.

    During a public meeting in Canberra in 1973, he argued the world would not run out of the resources it needed because price rises would create incentives to use them more efficiently and develop substitutes.

    These ideas permeated the treasury’s second economic research paper called Economic Growth – is it Worth Having? which he heavily influenced.

    Stone claimed to have personally drafted the words in Treasurer Bill Hayden’s 1975 budget statement that said Australia was

    no longer operating in that simple Keynesian world in which some reduction in unemployment could, apparently, always be purchased at the cost of some more inflation.

    Stone was the driving force behind the subsequent Fraser government’s mantra of “fight inflation first”.

    As a senior Treasury officer, Stone was often openly contemptuous of politicians. He would share these views with journalists at the bar of the Hotel Canberra and in later years at the bar of the National Press Club.

    He was particularly critical when politicians had the temerity to take advice from what he termed “meretricious players” from outside the treasury.

    This attitude led Stone to oppose even the sort of free-market measures he might be expected to like when they were advocated by someone else.

    He unsuccessfully opposed the Whitlam government’s cuts to tariffs in 1973 and some of the recommendations of the Campbell Committee of Inquiry into Australia’s financial system in 1981.

    Fraser is said to have said Stone “believes in the deregulation of everything he does not regulate”.

    Stone also opposed the Hawke government’s decision to float the dollar in 1983.

    He argued the timing was wrong and that the dollar would appreciate, weakening the economy. After rising for a short time, the dollar actually depreciated and the economy performed strongly.

    Ludicrously, Stone denied having ever opposed it.

    Many in the Labor Party had wanted Stone sacked when it came to power in 1983, but Keating kept him on, partly to reassure financial markets. As Keating’s confidence in his own judgement grew, Stone’s influence waned.

    Stone announced his resignation just before the August 1984 budget and made a scathing attack on many of the government’s policies in his 1984 Shann Memorial Lecture at the University of Western Australia.



    Read more:
    Happy birthday AUD: how our Australian dollar was floated, 40 years ago this week

    Politics post-treasury

    Stone isn’t the only treasury official to have gone into politics. Leslie Bury even became treasurer. Jim Short and Arthur Sinodinos became assistant treasurers.

    But Stone was the only former head of the treasury to enter politics. He served as a National Party Senator for Queensland from 1987 to 1990, having been part of the Joh for Canberra campaign which had as its organising principle the anointing of Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen as prime minister.

    He was the Senate running mate to Sir Joh’s wife Flo Bjelke-Petersen.

    Stone was twice the Coalition’s finance spokesman, but he was something of a loose cannon. John Howard dropped him from the front bench for a time after he said “Asian immigration has to be slowed”.

    He apparently held ambitions to be treasurer. In 1990 he resigned from the Senate to contest a seat in the House of Representatives that would have made that easier given treasurers are traditionally members of the lower house.

    Stone failed to win it. He then reneged on an earlier promise by nominating to return to his Senate seat. Faced with uproar in the party, he withdrew and his meteoric political career was over.

    He co-founded the HR Nicholls Society, which pressed for the deregulation of industrial relations laws, and the Samuel Griffith Society which concerned itself with states’ rights.

    Stone was active in the Institute of Public Affairs and wrote frequently in Quadrant. He opposed republicanism, centralism, trade unionism, multiculturalism and climate action.

    He died aged 96 and is survived by five children.

    John Hawkins was a senior economist at the Australian Treasury where he wrote a series of biographical essays on Australian treasurers.

    Selwyn Cornish is the Reserve Bank of Australia historian and a former Australian Treasury official.

    – ref. From ‘Stone Age’ treasury boss to National Party Senator: John Stone 1929-2025 – https://theconversation.com/from-stone-age-treasury-boss-to-national-party-senator-john-stone-1929-2025-216360

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: From ‘Stone Age’ treasury boss to National Party Senator: John Stone 1929-2025

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Head, Canberra School of Government, University of Canberra

    AUSPIC

    John Owen Stone AO was a legendary leader of the Commonwealth Treasury. He was secretary (departmental head) from January 1979 to September 1984 but was an intellectual driving force before then as deputy secretary from 1971 to 1978.

    Over those years he dealt with eight treasurers: Billy Snedden, Gough Whitlam, Frank Crean, Jim Cairns, Bill Hayden, Phillip Lynch, John Howard and Paul Keating.

    It is a sign of his influence that those years were dubbed the “Stone Age” by South Australian Premier Don Dunstan and others.

    Former Defence Department heads Arthur Tange and Tony Ayers were at various times called the “last of the mandarins” but Stone is probably truly the last.

    In 1978 journalist Paul Kelly called Stone “one of the two men who ran the nation”, the other being then prime minister Malcolm Fraser.

    It is hard to think of any later public servant about whom that could be said.

    Stone’s entry in the Senate’s biographical dictionary captures him well:

    he could be charming, witty and flattering, but he is often decried as being obstinate and arrogant.

    A Reserve Bank official is said to have said “I wish I was as certain about one thing as John Stone is about everything.”

    This obduracy cemented the Treasury’s reputation for arrogance and weakened its influence.

    Early years – from physics to economics

    John was born in 1929, the elder of two sons of a farmer and a primary school teacher. His childhood was spent in the Western Australian wheat belt. But after his parents divorced when he was 12, he moved with his mother to Perth.

    He attended Perth Modern School where contemporaries included Bob Hawke, Rolf Harris and Maxwell Newton.

    He graduated with first-class honours from the University of Western Australia in 1950, majoring in mathematical physics, and served as president of the students’ association.

    While there he met Billy Snedden, who two decades later would be Prime Minister William McMahon’s treasurer and with whom Stone would work as treasury deputy secretary.

    In 1951 he won a Rhodes scholarship. He initially enrolled for a physics degree at Oxford, but switched to economics, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Philosophy and Economics.

    He joined Australia’s Treasury, initially in its London office, in 1954. The same year he married Nancy Hardwick, a biochemical researcher, and they would have five children.

    The mandarin who put Treasury first

    Stone was an admirer of fellow Rhodes scholar Sir Roland Wilson, the longest-serving Treasury secretary with doctorates from Oxford and Chicago.

    Along with Wilson, Stone was a strong critic of the 1965 report of the Committee of Economic Inquiry known as the Vernon Report which called for greater planning and an independent economic advisory committee whose advice would have rivalled Treasury’s and succeeded in having Prime Minister Menzies reject it.

    In the late 1960s as treasury’s representative he was an executive director at the International Monetary Fund and defied his treasurer William McMahon by voting against the introduction of Special Drawing Rights that gave members rights over other members’ reserves.

    Stone believed that was why he was passed over for the secretary’s position when Frederick Wheeler was appointed in 1971.

    At treasury in the 1970s, Stone publicly clashed with members of a global environmental group called the Club of Rome about whether there were environmental limits to economic growth.

    During a public meeting in Canberra in 1973, he argued the world would not run out of the resources it needed because price rises would create incentives to use them more efficiently and develop substitutes.

    These ideas permeated the treasury’s second economic research paper called Economic Growth – is it Worth Having? which he heavily influenced.

    Stone claimed to have personally drafted the words in Treasurer Bill Hayden’s 1975 budget statement that said Australia was

    no longer operating in that simple Keynesian world in which some reduction in unemployment could, apparently, always be purchased at the cost of some more inflation.

    Stone was the driving force behind the subsequent Fraser government’s mantra of “fight inflation first”.

    As a senior Treasury officer, Stone was often openly contemptuous of politicians. He would share these views with journalists at the bar of the Hotel Canberra and in later years at the bar of the National Press Club.

    He was particularly critical when politicians had the temerity to take advice from what he termed “meretricious players” from outside the treasury.

    This attitude led Stone to oppose even the sort of free-market measures he might be expected to like when they were advocated by someone else.

    He unsuccessfully opposed the Whitlam government’s cuts to tariffs in 1973 and some of the recommendations of the Campbell Committee of Inquiry into Australia’s financial system in 1981.

    Fraser is said to have said Stone “believes in the deregulation of everything he does not regulate”.

    Stone also opposed the Hawke government’s decision to float the dollar in 1983.

    He argued the timing was wrong and that the dollar would appreciate, weakening the economy. After rising for a short time, the dollar actually depreciated and the economy performed strongly.

    Ludicrously, Stone denied having ever opposed it.

    Many in the Labor Party had wanted Stone sacked when it came to power in 1983, but Keating kept him on, partly to reassure financial markets. As Keating’s confidence in his own judgement grew, Stone’s influence waned.

    Stone announced his resignation just before the August 1984 budget and made a scathing attack on many of the government’s policies in his 1984 Shann Memorial Lecture at the University of Western Australia.



    Read more:
    Happy birthday AUD: how our Australian dollar was floated, 40 years ago this week

    Politics post-treasury

    Stone isn’t the only treasury official to have gone into politics. Leslie Bury even became treasurer. Jim Short and Arthur Sinodinos became assistant treasurers.

    But Stone was the only former head of the treasury to enter politics. He served as a National Party Senator for Queensland from 1987 to 1990, having been part of the Joh for Canberra campaign which had as its organising principle the anointing of Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen as prime minister.

    He was the Senate running mate to Sir Joh’s wife Flo Bjelke-Petersen.

    Stone was twice the Coalition’s finance spokesman, but he was something of a loose cannon. John Howard dropped him from the front bench for a time after he said “Asian immigration has to be slowed”.

    He apparently held ambitions to be treasurer. In 1990 he resigned from the Senate to contest a seat in the House of Representatives that would have made that easier given treasurers are traditionally members of the lower house.

    Stone failed to win it. He then reneged on an earlier promise by nominating to return to his Senate seat. Faced with uproar in the party, he withdrew and his meteoric political career was over.

    He co-founded the HR Nicholls Society, which pressed for the deregulation of industrial relations laws, and the Samuel Griffith Society which concerned itself with states’ rights.

    Stone was active in the Institute of Public Affairs and wrote frequently in Quadrant. He opposed republicanism, centralism, trade unionism, multiculturalism and climate action.

    He died aged 96 and is survived by five children.

    John Hawkins was a senior economist at the Australian Treasury where he wrote a series of biographical essays on Australian treasurers.

    Selwyn Cornish is the Reserve Bank of Australia historian and a former Australian Treasury official.

    – ref. From ‘Stone Age’ treasury boss to National Party Senator: John Stone 1929-2025 – https://theconversation.com/from-stone-age-treasury-boss-to-national-party-senator-john-stone-1929-2025-216360

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: We invite you to the webinar “Who is a project manager: standards and reality”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Official website of the State –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    On August 7, 2025 at 12:00, Deputy Head of the Department of Project Management of the State University of Management, Ekaterina Khalimon, will be a speaker in the webinar “Who is a project manager: standards and reality”.

    The webinar speakers will include: – Natalia Ipatova, Director of the MBA Program Center at the Institute of Public Administration and Management of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Head of the MBA – Project Management Program, NASDOBR expert, Chairman of the Jury of the Projects Category of the GPM Awards Russia National Competition; – Svetlana Nurtazina, Director of the Project Management Office at KazBuildExpert, certified IPMA Level C PM, Academician of the International Academy of Sciences; – Ekaterina Khalimon, Deputy Head of the Project Management Department at the State University of Management, certified IPMA Level B PM, GPM-b, assessor of the Project Olympus competition; – Oksana Klimenko, President of the Project Managers Association “Project Alliance”, Vice President of IPMA (2021–2023), Executive Director of GPM Global in Russia and the CIS, author of international standards and certification systems in project management.

    At the webinar, Ekaterina Khalimon will raise important topics: – What qualities does a project manager need in a high-tech environment? – How to assess competencies if the project goes beyond classical models? – What do those who are just building a career in project management need to understand?

    Ekaterina Khalimon has the relevant professional and teaching experience: – in the academic environment: 10 years of experience as a teacher at the Project Management Department of the State University of Management; – in the field of entrepreneurship: an active entrepreneur, as well as the head of acceleration programs to support technological entrepreneurship, implemented at the State University of Management; – in the field of examination of project activities of state and commercial organizations: assessor of the Project Olympus competition (Analytical Center under the Government of the Russian Federation), certified project manager (IPMA® Level B, GPM-b).

    The webinar will focus on: – What kind of a project manager’s profile is defined by competency models (ICB, etc.); – What companies see when selecting specialists for the role of project manager; – Why specialists who are strong in theory are not always in demand in practice; – How the professional image of a project manager is developing in Russia and the CIS; – What skills are becoming key in 2025, and which are fading into the background.

    Format: – Live professional dialogue; – Exchange of observations and practical experience; – Questions from participants are welcome.

    Participation is free, upon prior registration. A link to join will be sent to all registered participants the day before the webinar.

    Details and registration: https://pmalliance.timepad.ru/event/3462968/

    Webinar organizer: Association of Project Managers “Project Alliance” – Russian association of sustainable project management, partner of the State University of Management since 2024.

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Professor of the State University of Management took part in the meeting of the Presidium of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for Interethnic Relations

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Official website of the State –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    On July 17, 2025, a meeting of the Presidium of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for Interethnic Relations was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of the Russian Federation Magomedsalam Magomedov.

    Vladimir Volokh, professor of the Department of Public Administration and Political Technologies of the State University of Management, member of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for Interethnic Relations and the Public Council under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, took part in the work.

    During the meeting, participants heard information about the state report on the implementation of the state national policy of the Russian Federation in 2024, prepared by the Federal Agency for Nationalities Affairs (FADN) of Russia.

    The report was approved by the Council Presidium, but suggestions and clarifications were made regarding its content. In particular, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Valery Tishkov suggested making the report more accessible and interesting for a wider audience, and also including a section on traditional spiritual and moral values.

    Council members, including Professor Vladimir Volokh, supported the need to include recommendations in the report for civil society, the media and government bodies.

    The meeting also discussed the progress of the preparation of the Strategy for the State National Policy of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2036, as well as the results of seminars and meetings on the practices and tasks of executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in implementing the Strategy for the State National Policy of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2025 and improving the management of migration processes.

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: CICC successfully hosts the 3rd China–Southeast Asia Economic and Finance Forum in Singapore

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On July 15, China International Capital Corporation Limited (CICC) successfully convened the 3rd China–Southeast Asia Economic and Finance Forum 2025. H.E. Cao Zhongming, Ambassador of China to Singapore graced the event as a keynote speaker. The forum brought together nearly 300 government officials, institutional investors, business leaders, and CICC representatives from across Asia. Held under the theme “The Great Rewiring: China–Southeast Asia Pivot in a Realigning Global Economy”, the forum served as a high-level platform for dialogue and collaboration on macroeconomic trends, regional investment opportunities, and cross-border capital flows between China and Southeast Asia.

    H.E. Cao Zhongming, Ambassador of China to Singapore, emphasized that China upholds the principle of openness and cooperation, and is committed to advancing globalization. He expressed that China looks forward to working closely with ASEAN under the vision of “amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness”, which would deepen mutual benefits, and jointly promote regional prosperity as well as global development.

    In her opening speech, Liang Dongqing, Member of CICC’s Management Committee mentioned the theme of this year’s forum is inspired by the “great rewiring” of the global economy. Southeast Asia stands out as the most favoured destination for A-share listed manufacturing companies to go abroad, which highlights China and the region’s steadfast partnership and interdependence. Stephen Ng, Head of CICC Southeast Asia and South Asia and CEO of CICC Singapore addressed the audience that the annual forum has witnessed the evolution of connectivity between China and Southeast Asia—from its early beginnings three years ago to its rapid development today, which has significantly reshaped and strengthened regional economic ties.

    Other keynote speakers include Dr. Kai-Fu Lee, CEO of 01.AI and Chairman of Sinovation Ventures, who said that generative AI will also be a super productivity booster for the economy. Professor Bert Hofman of the East Asian Institute of the National University of Singapore highlighted that China’s continued investment in research and technology has effectively helped optimize its export structure. At the same time, two-way direct investment between China and ASEAN has continuously deepened.

    Throughout the day, the Forum featured keynote speeches and in-depth discussions across multiple panels and sub-forums. Guest speakers and experts shared insights on a broad spectrum of topics, including reconfiguring supply chains, emerging investment trends in China, the evolution of consumer markets, market strategy, the global expansion of AI, strategic asset allocation, exchange rate outlook, as well as synergy between Chinese innovation and Southeast Asia’s economic transformation, among others.

    The Forum served as a platform to further strengthen CICC’s presence in Southeast Asia and support the firm’s efforts to seize new opportunities arising from the deepening economic ties and growing capital flows between China and the region. Looking ahead, CICC will continue to expand its network and business activities across Southeast Asia, enhance its cooperation with local partners, and facilitate cross-border investment and capital market integration, while contributing to regional financial development.

    About CICC

    China International Capital Corporation Limited (CICC, 601995.SH, 3908.HK) was established in 1995. Our experience in professional services includes leading several prominent transactions, reflecting our close involvement in China’s economic reform and development. Our vision is to become a first-class investment bank with international competitiveness. As an investment bank with Chinese roots and international reach, CICC continues bringing first-class financial services through its extensive network and outstanding cross-border capability to help our clients accomplish their strategic development goals.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Students of the State University of Management visited the International Student Camp in Optina Pustyn

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Official website of the State –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Students of the State University of Management visited the II International Dostoevsky Student Camp in the Kaluga Region, which operated within the framework of the IV Spiritual and Educational Project “Days of Dostoevsky in Optina Pustyn 2025”.

    The project is dedicated to the memory of an important event in the writer’s spiritual life and his work: on July 7, 1878, Fyodor Dostoevsky visited Optina Pustyn for the first time, where his meeting with the venerable elder Ambrose summed up the writer’s many years of spiritual and creative quest, and the elder himself became the prototype of the elder Zosima in the writer’s novel The Brothers Karamazov.

    This year, the tent camp welcomed more than 200 participants from 17 universities in Russia and Belarus, and citizens of 24 countries.

    At the official opening, the participants of the spiritual and educational project were addressed by the monastery’s abbot Bishop Joseph, the governor of the Kaluga region, a graduate of the State University of Management Vladislav Shapsha, the writer’s great-great-grandson Alexey Dostoevsky, and also by video address by the head of the Russian Book Union Sergey Stepashin. After the official part, students of the universities, who were participating in the event for the first time, planted trees on the alley of oaks.

    As part of the three-day program, the participants went on an excursion to Optina Pustyn, took part in the historical quest “Along the Route of the Pilgrims of the 19th Century,” during which they completed tasks based on Old Slavonic games and amusements, rafted on a pontoon across the Zhizdra River, walked along the historical pilgrimage trail that has existed for more than 3 centuries, and attended motivational meetings and discussions with famous people.

    Nikita Smirnov, a student of the State and Municipal Administration program, shared his impressions of the trip: “The Dostoevsky Camp was not just an event for me, but a real intellectual and spiritual discovery. This is a place where bright, thinking people from different parts of the world meet, where discussions are born that inspire the search for deep meanings, and where every day gives something valuable. This is a place where meanings are truly born. Now these days, filled with live communication and joint discoveries, will forever remain in my memory.”

    “Our trip was a pleasant discovery, accompanied by new meetings, gaining new knowledge about Russian culture and Orthodoxy, its role in the life of a Russian person and its significance for the current and future generations. Optina Pustyn is certainly not so much a historical center as a cultural one, where since the 12th century people have gathered and continue to gather, tirelessly fighting for enlightenment and the development of spirituality in people, for the opportunity to introduce people to God’s commandments,” added Dmitry Kamchatov, a student of the Economics program.

    Diana Mikhailova, a student in the Economics program, confirmed: “The trip to Optina Pustyn was a truly unforgettable event for students from many countries, and the camp itself was located in a very picturesque area. There were many excursions and events aimed at both cultural development and bringing students from different universities closer together. Thanks to the camp program, many students understood such spiritual values as kindness, love for God, for one’s neighbor, for the Motherland.”

    A student of the Banking and Digital Banking program, Lyubov Aleksandrovskaya, noted the high level of organization of the project: “I would like to express my gratitude to all the organizers: the Bishop and the brethren for their prayers, the hosts, photographers, invited speakers, sponsors, the director, DJs, volunteers, representatives of the security structure, who modestly, but faithfully and reliably did their job. It seems to me that the unique atmosphere in the camp is due to the fact that everyone in their place works sincerely, with soul, with a kind attitude to everyone around them. And, of course, thanks to the guys. Thank you for these wonderful 5 days to everyone, and prosperity to the project!”

    The participation of students of the State University of Management in the project became possible thanks to cooperation with the rector of the Church of St. Andrew Bogolyubsky in Volzhsky, Father Kirill. Let us recall that the State University of Management also holds patriotic events, meetings with heroes of the SVO, talks about marriage and family, and sends dry souls and trench candles made by students to the front as part of the “GUU – SVOim” campaign.

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: New opportunities for Russian applicants: educational programs for top specialists in the field of information technology

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The acceptance of documents for new higher education programs for top specialists in the field of information technology (IT) is coming to an end.

    In the 2025–2026 academic year, Polytechnic University will launch training aimed at preparing students to work as software engineers, product managers, and software engineers in telecommunications. The training of top specialists is carried out on the initiative of the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation with the participation of the Analytical Center under the Government of the Russian Federation.

    These programs are based on modern employer requirements for highly qualified specialists, determined with the participation of dozens of Russian companies – leaders in the IT sector and leading universities.

    The training will be focused primarily on practical results. From the first years, students will be involved in solving IT business product problems, will be able to study cases and industry experience, participate in project teams, master classes, undergo practical training and mandatory internships at enterprises.

    Companies invest in the development and implementation of programs with their own resources. More than 30% of all classroom classes with students will be conducted by invited experts from the industry, leading developers, engineers and researchers. Business representatives will act as mentors, become conductors of advanced knowledge, trends in the development of domestic IT technologies, help to get acquainted with the corporate culture and real requirements for employees.

    Training in close cooperation with industry partners and IT companies, including KNS GROUP, will not only prepare graduates for a successful professional start, but will also provide an opportunity to apply for leading positions in large industry and technology companies. The knowledge and practical experience gained with modern IT solutions will provide students with subsequent rapid career growth.

    List of top programs:

    09.03.01_10 Design and development of digital ecosystems in the field of training 09.03.01 Computer Science and Computer Engineering; 09.03.04_04 Development of system and application software for modern information storage and transmission systems in the field of training 09.03.04 Software Engineering; 11.03.02_07 Algorithms for digital processing in telecommunication systems in the field of training 11.03.02 Infocommunication technologies and communication systems.

    Detailed information and deadlines for submitting documents can be found atAdmissions Committee.

    For reference.

    Since 2025, within the framework of the federal projects “Artificial Intelligence” and “Personnel for Digital Transformation” of the national project “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State”, the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation, with the participation of the Analytical Center under the Government of the Russian Federation, has been implementing two projects to train students in educational programs for top specialists in the field of information technology and artificial intelligence.

    The projects provide training for graduates with advanced competencies in the field of information technology and artificial intelligence: developers of advanced IT solutions, AI models, algorithms, analysts and data researchers. The key condition for the participation of universities in the projects is the active involvement of employers in the training process, including attracting co-financing from businesses.

    Within the framework of these projects, in 2025, 36 universities from 20 constituent entities of the Russian Federation will accept more than 6,000 students for training. By 2030, 13.7 thousand students will complete their training.

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: New opportunities for Russian applicants: educational programs for top specialists in the field of artificial intelligence

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The deadline for accepting applications for new higher education programs for top specialists in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) is approaching its end.

    Starting in the 2025–2026 academic year, Polytechnic University will launch training aimed at preparing students to work as ML Engineer, AI Architect, Data Engineer, Data Analyst, and AI Security Engineer. The training of top specialists is being carried out at the initiative of the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation with the participation of the Analytical Center under the Government of the Russian Federation.

    These programs are based on modern employer requirements for highly qualified specialists, determined with the participation of dozens of Russian companies – leaders in the field of AI and leading universities.

    The training is primarily focused on practical results. From the first years, students will be involved in solving IT business product problems, will be able to study cases and industry experience, participate in project teams, master classes, undergo practical training and mandatory internships at enterprises.

    Companies invest in the development and implementation of programs with their own resources. More than 30% of all classroom classes with students will be conducted by invited experts from the industry, leading developers, engineers and researchers. Business representatives will act as mentors, become conductors of advanced knowledge, trends in the development of domestic IT technologies, help to get acquainted with the corporate culture and real requirements for employees.

    Training in close cooperation with industry partners and IT companies, including Rostelecom Information Technologies, will not only prepare graduates for a successful professional start, but will also provide an opportunity to apply for leading positions in large industry and technology companies. The knowledge and practical experience gained with modern AI solutions will provide students with subsequent rapid career growth.

    List of top programs:

    02.03.01_03 Machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies in the field of training 02.03.01 Mathematics and computer science; 02.03.03_02 Data mining technologies in the field of training 02.03.03 Mathematical support and administration of information systems; 10.03.01_06 Computer system security (Artificial intelligence technologies in cybersecurity) in the field of training 10.03.01 Information security.

    Detailed information and deadlines for submitting documents can be found atAdmissions Committee.

    For reference.

    Since 2025, within the framework of the federal projects “Artificial Intelligence” and “Personnel for Digital Transformation” of the national project “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State”, the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation, with the participation of the Analytical Center under the Government of the Russian Federation, has been implementing two projects to train students in educational programs for top specialists in the field of information technology and artificial intelligence.

    The projects provide training for graduates with advanced competencies in the field of information technology and artificial intelligence: developers of advanced IT solutions, AI models, algorithms, analysts and data researchers. The key condition for the participation of universities in the projects is the active involvement of employers in the training process, including attracting co-financing from businesses.

    Within the framework of these projects, in 2025, 36 universities from 20 constituent entities of the Russian Federation will accept more than 6,000 students for training. By 2030, 13.7 thousand students will complete their training.

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: President Lai meets President of Guatemalan Congress Nery Abilio Ramos y Ramos  

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Details
    2025-07-08
    President Lai meets delegation led by Foreign Minister Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste of Republic of Haiti
    On the morning of July 8, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste of the Republic of Haiti and his wife. In remarks, President Lai noted that our two countries will soon mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations and that our exchanges have been fruitful in important areas such as public security, educational cooperation, and infrastructure. The president stated that Taiwan will continue to work together with Haiti to promote the development of medical and health care, food security, and construction that benefits people’s livelihoods. The president thanked Haiti for supporting Taiwan’s international participation and expressed hope that both countries will continue to support each other, deepen cooperation, and face various challenges together. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I am delighted to meet and exchange ideas with Minister Jean-Baptiste, his wife, and our distinguished guests. Minister Jean-Baptiste is the highest-ranking official from Haiti to visit Taiwan since former President Jovenel Moïse visited in 2018, demonstrating the importance that the Haitian government attaches to our bilateral diplomatic ties. On behalf of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I extend a sincere welcome. Next year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between our two countries. Our bilateral exchanges have been fruitful in important areas such as public security, educational cooperation, and infrastructure. Over the past few years, Haiti has faced challenges in such areas as food supply and healthcare. Taiwan will continue to work together with Haiti through various cooperative programs to promote the development of medical and health care, food security, and construction that benefits people’s livelihoods. I want to thank the government of Haiti and Minister Jean-Baptiste for speaking out in support of Taiwan on the international stage for many years. Minister Jean-Baptiste’s personal letter to the World Health Organization Secretariat in May this year and Minister of Public Health and Population Bertrand Sinal’s public statement during the World Health Assembly both affirmed Taiwan’s efforts and contributions to global public health and supported Taiwan’s international participation, for which we are very grateful. I hope that Taiwan and Haiti will continue to support each other and deepen cooperation. I believe that Minister Jean-Baptiste’s visit will open up more opportunities for cooperation for both countries, helping Taiwan and Haiti face various challenges together. In closing, I once again offer a sincere welcome to the delegation led by Minister Jean-Baptiste, and ask him to convey greetings from Taiwan to Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé and the members of the Transitional Presidential Council. Minister Jean-Baptiste then delivered remarks, saying that he is extremely honored to visit Taiwan and reaffirm the solid and friendly cooperative relationship based on mutual respect between the Republic of Haiti and the Republic of China (Taiwan), which will soon mark its 70th anniversary. He also brought greetings to President Lai from Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council and Prime Minister Fils-Aimé. Minister Jean-Baptiste emphasized that over the past few decades, despite the great geographical distance and developmental and cultural differences between our two countries, we have nevertheless established a firm friendship and demonstrated to the world the progress resulting from the mutual assistance and cooperation between our peoples. Minister Jean-Baptiste pointed out that our two countries cooperate closely in agriculture, health, education, and community development and have achieved concrete results. Taiwan’s voice, he said, is thus essential for the people of Haiti. He noted that Taiwan also plays an important role in peace and innovation and actively participates in global cooperative efforts. Pointing out that the world is currently facing significant challenges and that Haiti is experiencing its most difficult period in history, Minister Jean-Baptiste said that at this time, Taiwan and Haiti need to unite, help each other, and jointly think about how to move forward and deepen bilateral relations to benefit the peoples of both countries. Minister Jean-Baptiste said that he is pleased that throughout our solid and friendly diplomatic relationship, both countries have demonstrated mutual trust, mutual respect, and the values we jointly defend. He then stated his belief that Haiti and Taiwan will together create a cooperation model and future that are sincere, friendly, and sustainable. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Francilien Victorin of the Embassy of the Republic of Haiti in Taiwan.

    Details
    2025-07-01
    President Lai meets delegation from 2025 Taiwan International Ocean Forum
    On the afternoon of July 1, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation from the 2025 Taiwan International Ocean Forum (TIOF). In remarks, President Lai noted that the people of Taiwan will continue to work with democratic partners throughout the world in a maritime spirit of freedom and openness to contribute to ocean governance and jointly ensure maritime security. He expressed hope that their visit will help forge stronger friendships between Taiwan and international maritime partners, so that all can work together to spur shared maritime prosperity and sustainable development for the next generation. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I want to thank our guests for coming here to the Presidential Office. The 2025 TIOF will take place tomorrow and the day after, and I thank you all for making the long trip to Taiwan to attend the event and share your valuable insights and experiences. This year’s forum will focus on strategies for strengthening maritime security and pathways to achieving a sustainable blue economy. By attending this forum, our guests are highlighting their commitment to safeguarding the oceans, and beyond that, taking concrete action to demonstrate support for Taiwan. I once again offer deepest gratitude on behalf of the people of Taiwan. Taiwan holds a key position on the first island chain, is one of the world’s top 10 shipping nations, and accounts for close to 10 percent of global container shipping by volume. As such, Taiwan occupies a unique and important position in maritime strategy. For Taiwan, the ocean is more than just a basis for survival and development; it is also an important driver of national prosperity. In my inaugural address last year, I spoke of a threefold approach to further Taiwan’s development. One of these involves further developing our strengths as a maritime nation. Our government must actively help deepen our connections with the ocean, and must continue to promote green shipping, a sustainable fishing industry, marine renewable energy, and other forms of industrial transformation. It must also make use of marine technology and digital innovation to create a new paradigm that balances environmental, economic, and social inclusion concerns. This will help enhance Taiwan’s responsibilities and competitiveness as a maritime nation. Taiwan is surrounded by ocean, and our territorial waters are a natural protective barrier. However, continued gray-zone aggression from China creates serious threats and challenges to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Our government continues to invest resources to deal with increasingly complex maritime security issues. In addition to building coast guard patrol vessels, we must also step up efforts to build underwater, surface, and airborne unmanned vehicles and smart reconnaissance equipment, so as to demonstrate Taiwan’s determination to defend democracy and freedom and commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Oceans are Taiwan’s roots, and provide the channels by which we engage with the world. The people of Taiwan will continue to work with democratic partners throughout the world in a maritime spirit of freedom and openness to contribute to ocean governance and jointly ensure maritime security. The TIOF was first launched in 2020, and has now become an important platform for enhancement of cooperation between Taiwan and other countries. I hope that our distinguished guests will reap great benefits at this year’s forum, and further hope that this visit will help forge stronger friendships between Taiwan and international maritime partners, so that all can work together to spur shared maritime prosperity and sustainable development for the next generation. Chairman of The Washington Times Thomas McDevitt, a member of the delegation, then delivered remarks, noting first that July 4th, this Friday, is Independence Day in America. Independence is a sacred, powerful word which has great meaning in this part of the world, he said. Chairman McDevitt indicated that Taiwan has truly become a global beacon of democracy and a key partner for many nations. He then quoted President Lai’s 2024 inaugural address: “We will work together to combat disinformation, strengthen democratic resilience, address challenges, and allow Taiwan to become the MVP of the democratic world.” Chairman McDevitt went on to say that he appreciated the president’s speech with regard to his philosophical depth, sensitivity, and both moral and political clarity. He said that he was deeply moved by the speech, but within a few days of it, China responded with military activities and many threats. The chairman then emphasized that we are in a civilization crisis. Chairman McDevitt mentioned that President Lai has begun a series of 10 lectures, and remarked that they would help the world to understand the identity and the nature of Taiwan, as well as the situation we are in in the world. On behalf of all the delegation, Chairman McDevitt thanked the president for his leadership in dealing with these issues thoughtfully. Chairman McDevitt concluded with a line from the Old Testament which states that if the people have no vision, they will perish. He said that he believes Taiwan’s president has led the people of Taiwan, and the world, with a vision of how to navigate this great civilization crisis together. The delegation also included Members of the Japanese House of Representatives Kikawada Hitoshi, Aoyama Yamato, and Genma Kentaro, and Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom Gavin Williamson.

    Details
    2025-06-30
    President Lai meets Minister of State at UK Department for Business and Trade Douglas Alexander  
    On the morning of June 30, President Lai Ching-te met with Douglas Alexander, Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade of the United Kingdom. In remarks, President Lai thanked the UK government for its longstanding support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, demonstrating that Taiwan and the UK share similar goals. Noting that two years ago, Taiwan and the UK signed an enhanced trade partnership (ETP) arrangement, the president said that today Taiwan and the UK have signed three pillars under the ETP, which will help promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation. He expressed hope of the UK publicly supporting Taiwan’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) so that together we can create an economic and trade landscape in the Indo-Pacific characterized by shared prosperity and development. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: First, on behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend a warm welcome to Minister Alexander and wish a fruitful outcome for the 27th round of Taiwan-UK trade talks later today. Taiwan-UK relations have grown closer in recent years. We have not only continued to strengthen cooperation in such fields as offshore wind power, innovative technologies, and culture and education but also have established regular dialogue mechanisms in the critical areas of economics and trade, energy, and agriculture. The UK is currently Taiwan’s fourth-largest European trading partner, second-largest source of investment from Europe, and third-largest target for investment in Europe. Two years ago, Taiwan and the UK signed an ETP arrangement. This was particularly meaningful, as it was the first institutionalized economic and trade framework between Taiwan and a European country. Today, this arrangement is yielding further results. I am delighted that Taiwan and the UK have signed three pillars under the ETP covering investment, digital trade, and energy and net-zero. This will help promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation and advance industrial development on both sides. I also want to thank the UK government for its longstanding support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. This month, the UK published its Strategic Defence Review 2025 and National Security Strategy 2025, which oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. These not only demonstrate that Taiwan and the UK share similar goals but also show that security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region are inseparable from those of the transatlantic regions. In addition, last November, the House of Commons passed a motion which made clear that United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 neither established the sovereignty of the People’s Republic of China over Taiwan nor determined Taiwan’s status in the United Nations. The UK government also responded to the motion by publicly expressing for the first time its position on UNGA Resolution 2758, opposing any attempt to broaden the interpretation of the resolution to rewrite history. For this, on behalf of the people of Taiwan, I once again want to extend my deepest gratitude. Taiwan and the UK have the advantage of being highly complementary in the technology sector. In facing the restructuring of global supply chains and other international economic and trade developments, I believe that Taiwan and the UK are indispensable key partners for one another. I look forward to the UK publicly supporting Taiwan’s accession to the CPTPP so that together, we can create an economic and trade landscape in the Indo-Pacific characterized by shared prosperity and development. In closing, I wish Minister Alexander a pleasant and successful visit. And I hope he has the opportunity to visit Taiwan for personal travel in the future. Minister Alexander then delivered remarks, saying that it is a great personal honor to meet with everyone today to discuss further deepening the UK-Taiwan trade relationship and explore the many opportunities our two sides can pursue together. He mentioned that he traveled to Taiwan in 2022 when he was a private citizen, a visit he thoroughly enjoyed, so he is delighted to be back to see the strength of the UK-Taiwan relationship and the strengthening of that relationship. He said that relationship is built on mutual respect, democratic values, and a shared vision for open, resilient, and rules-based economic cooperation. As like-minded partners, he pointed out, our collaboration continues to grow across multiple sectors, and he is here today to further that momentum. Minister Alexander stated that on trade and investment, he is proud that this morning we signed the ETP Pillars on Investment, Digital Trade, Energy and Net Zero, which will provide a clear framework for our future cooperation and lay the foundation for expanded access and market-shaping engagement between our two economies. The minister said he believes that together with our annual trade talks, this partnership will help UK’s firms secure new commercial opportunities, improve regulatory alignment, and promote long-term investment in key growth areas, which in turn will also support Taiwan’s efforts to expand high-quality trade relationships with trusted partners. Minister Alexander said that President Lai’s promotion of the Five Trusted Industry Sectors and the UK’s recently published industrial and trade strategies are very well-aligned, as both cover clean energy and semiconductors as well as advanced manufacturing. He then provided an example, saying that both sides plan to invest in AI infrastructure and compute power-creating opportunities for great joint research in the future. By combining our strengths in these areas, he said, we can open the door to innovative collaboration and commercial success for both sides. He mentioned that yesterday he visited the Taiwan Space Agency, commenting that in sectors such as satellite technology, green energy, and cyber security, British expertise and trusted standards can provide meaningful solutions. Noting that President Lai spoke in his remarks of the broader challenge of peace and security in the region, Minister Alexander stated that the United Kingdom has, of course, also continued to affirm its commitment to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, along with its G7 partners. The UK-Taiwan relationship is strategic, enduring, and growing, he stated, and they reaffirm and remain firm in their longstanding position and confident in their ability to work together to support both prosperity and resilience in both of our societies. Minister Alexander said that, as Taiwan looks to diversify capital and build global partnerships, they believe the UK represents a strong and ambitious investment destination, particularly for Taiwanese companies at the very forefront of robotics, clean tech, and advanced industry. He pointed out that the UK’s markets are stable, open, and aligned with Taiwan’s vision of a high-tech, sustainable future, adding that he looks forward to our discussion on how we can further deepen our cooperation across all of these areas and more. The delegation also included Martin Kent, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific at the UK Department for Business and Trade. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by British Office Taipei Representative Ruth Bradley-Jones.   

    Details
    2025-06-27
    President Lai confers decoration on former Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Chairman Ohashi Mitsuo
    On the morning of June 27, President Lai Ching-te conferred the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon upon former Chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Ohashi Mitsuo in recognition of his firm convictions and tireless efforts in promoting Taiwan-Japan exchanges. In remarks, President Lai stated that Chairman Ohashi cares for Taiwan like a family member, and expressed hope that Taiwan and Japan continue to deepen their partnership, bring about the early signing of an economic partnership agreement (EPA), and jointly build secure and stable non-red supply chains as we boost the resilience and competitiveness of our economies and jointly safeguard the values of freedom and democracy. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: Every meeting I have with Chairman Ohashi, with whom I have worked side by side for many years, is warm and friendly. I recall that when we met last year, Chairman Ohashi said that he often thinks about what Japan can do for Taiwan and what Taiwan can do for Japan, and that it is that mutual concern that makes us so close. This was a truly moving statement illustrating the relationship between Taiwan and Japan. Chairman Ohashi has also said numerous times that our bilateral relations may very well be the best in the entire world, and that in fact they may serve as a model to other countries. Indeed, Chairman Ohashi is himself an exemplary model for friendly relations between Taiwan and Japan. His spirit of always working tirelessly to promote Taiwan-Japan exchanges is truly admirable. Assuming the position of chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association in 2011, he served during the terms of former Presidents Ma Ying-jeou and Tsai Ing-wen, continuously making positive contributions to Taiwan-Japan relations. Over these past 14 years, Taiwan and Japan have signed over 50 major agreements, spanning the economy and trade, fisheries, and taxes, among other areas. In 2017, the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association and the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association underwent name changes, strengthening the essence and significance of Taiwan-Japan relations. These great achievements were all made possible thanks to the firm convictions and tireless efforts of Chairman Ohashi. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I am delighted to confer upon Chairman Ohashi the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon to express our deepest thanks for his outstanding contributions. Chairman Ohashi is not just a good friend of Taiwan, but someone who cares for Taiwan like a family member. When a major earthquake struck in 2016, he personally went to Tainan to assess the situation and meet with the city government. This outpouring of friendship and support across borders was deeply moving. As we look to the future, I hope that Taiwan and Japan can continue to deepen our partnership. In addition to bringing about the early signing of an EPA, I also hope that we can expand collaboration in key areas such as semiconductors, energy, and AI, continue building secure and stable non-red supply chains, and boost the resilience and competitiveness of our economies as well as peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. As Chairman Ohashi has said, the close bilateral relationship between Taiwan and Japan is one the world can be proud of. I would like to thank him once again for his contributions to deepening Taiwan-Japan ties. Taiwan will continue to forge ahead side by side with Japan, jointly safeguarding the values of freedom and democracy and mutually advancing prosperous development. I wish Chairman Ohashi good health, happiness, peace, and success in his future endeavors, and invite him to return to Taiwan often to visit old friends. Chairman Ohashi then delivered remarks, first thanking President Lai for his kind words. He stated that the Taiwan-Japan relationship is not only worthy of praise; it can also serve as a superb model in the world for bilateral relations that is worthy of study by other countries. He added that this is the result of the collective efforts of President Lai as well as many other individuals. Chairman Ohashi said that the current international situation is rather severe, with wars and conflicts occurring between many neighboring countries. He said that there is a growing trend of nuclear weapon proliferation, emphasizing that use of such weapons would cause significant harm between nations. He also pointed out that some countries even use nuclear weapons as a threat, leading to instability and impacting the global situation. Chairman Ohashi said that neither Taiwan nor Japan possesses nuclear weapons, which is something to be proud of. That is why, he said, we can declare that a world without nuclear weapons is a peaceful world. He also mentioned that during his tenure as chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, he consistently upheld this principle in his work. Chairman Ohashi said that the mission of the World Federalist Movement (WFM) is to promote world peace. He said that the WFM has branches in countries worldwide, with the WFM of Japan being one of the most prominent, and that it also aspires to achieve the goal of world peace. Having served as chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association for 14 years, he said, he is now stepping down from this role and will serve as the chairman of the WFM of Japan, aiming to promote peace in countries around the world. Chairman Ohashi said that both Taiwan and Japan can take pride in our friendly bilateral relationship, emphasizing that if the good relationship between Japan and Taiwan could be offered as an example to countries around the world, there would be no more wars. He expressed his sincere hope that under President Lai’s leadership, Taiwan and Japan can work together to jointly promote world peace. Also in attendance at the ceremony was Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Katayama Kazuyuki.

    Details
    2025-06-25
    President Lai meets Japan’s former Economic Security Minister Kobayashi Takayuki
    On the afternoon of June 25, President Lai Ching-te met with Kobayashi Takayuki, Japan’s former economic security minister and a current member of the House of Representatives. In remarks, President Lai expressed hope to combine the strengths of the democratic community to build resilient, reliable non-red supply chains, and ensure a resilient global economy and sustainable development. He also expressed hope that Taiwan and Japan can bring about the early signing of an economic partnership agreement (EPA), and that Japan will continue supporting Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), enhancing our own bilateral partnership, as doing so would create win-win situations and further contribute to regional economic security and stability. The following is a translation of President Lai’s remarks: I welcome Representative Kobayashi back to Taiwan for another visit after seven years. During his last visit, he was with a delegation from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Youth Division, and we met at the Executive Yuan. I am very happy to see him again today. Representative Kobayashi has long paid close attention to matters involving economic security, technological innovation, and aerospace policy. He also made a stunning debut in last year’s LDP presidential election, showing that he is truly a rising star and an influential figure in the political sphere. With this visit, Representative Kobayashi is demonstrating support for Taiwan with concrete action, which is very meaningful. Taiwan and Japan are both part of the first island chain’s key line of defense. We thank the many Japanese prime ministers, including former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio, as well as current Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, for the many times they have highlighted the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait at important international venues, and for expressing opposition to the use of force or coercion to unilaterally change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. I hope that Taiwan and Japan can engage in more cooperation and exchanges to promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region in all aspects. In particular, China in recent years has been actively expanding its red supply chains, which threaten the global free trade system and advanced technology markets. Taiwan hopes to combine the strengths of the democratic community to build resilient, reliable non-red supply chains. In the semiconductor industry, for example, Taiwan has excellent advanced manufacturing capabilities, while Japan plays an important role in materials, equipment, and key technologies. I am confident that, given the experience that Taiwan and Japan have in cooperating, we can build an industrial supply chain composed of democratic nations to ensure a resilient global economy and sustainable development. I hope that Taiwan and Japan can bring about the early signing of an EPA in order to deepen our bilateral trade and investment exchanges and cooperation. I also hope that Japan will continue supporting Taiwan’s bid to join the CPTPP, enhancing our own bilateral partnership, as doing so would create win-win situations and further contribute to regional economic security and stability. Taiwan and Japan are democratic partners that share the values of freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights. I firmly believe that so long as we work together, we can certainly address the challenges posed by authoritarianism, and bring prosperity and development to the Indo-Pacific region. In closing, I welcome Representative Kobayashi once again. I am certain that this visit will help enhance Taiwan-Japan exchanges and deepen our friendship. Representative Kobayashi then delivered remarks, first thanking President Lai for taking the time to meet with him, and noting that this was his second visit to Taiwan following a trip seven years prior, when he came with his good friend from college and then-Director of the LDP Youth Division Suzuki Keisuke, now Japan’s minister of justice. Representative Kobayashi mentioned a Japanese kanji that he is very fond of – 絆 (kizuna) – which means “deep ties of friendship.” He emphasized that a key purpose of this visit to Taiwan was to reiterate the deep ties of friendship between Taiwan and Japan. In addition to deep historical ties, he said, Taiwan and Japan also enjoy a like-minded partnership in terms of economic, personnel, and friendship-oriented exchanges. He went on to say that at the strategic level, Taiwan and Japan also have deep ties of friendship, and that for Japan, it is strategically important that Taiwan not be isolated under any circumstances. Representative Kobayashi emphasized that cooperation between Taiwan and Japan, and even cooperation among Taiwan, Japan, and the United States, are more important now than ever, and that another important focus of this visit is the non-red supply chains referred to earlier by President Lai. He said that as Japan’s first economic security minister and the person currently in charge of the LDP’s policy on economic security, he is acutely aware of the important impact of economic security on national interests, and therefore looks forward to further exchanging views regarding Taiwan’s concrete steps to build non-red supply chains. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Deputy Representative Takaba Yo.

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

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Connie Francis was the voice of a generation and the soundtrack of post-war America

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leigh Carriage, Senior Lecturer in Music, Southern Cross University

    Hulton Archive/Getty Images

    Connie Francis dominated the music charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s with hits like Stupid Cupid, Pretty Little Baby and Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You.

    The pop star, author and actor has died at 87, and will be remembered for recording the soundtrack songs of post-World War II America.

    Francis photographed around 1963.
    Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

    An early life of music

    Francis was born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero in Newark, New Jersey, to Italian immigrant parents. At a very early age, Francis was encouraged to take accordion and singing lessons, compete in talent shows, and later she would perform occasionally on the children’s production Star Time Kids on NBC, remaining there until she was 17.

    Within these early recordings you can hear her style begin to develop: her tone, great pitching, her versatility in vocal range. Her vocal delivery is technically controlled and stylistically structured, often nuanced – and even at this early stage demonstrating such power coupled with an adaptability for a broad range of repertoire.

    At 17, Francis signed a contract with MGM Records.

    One of her early recordings was the song Who’s Sorry Now?, written by Ted Snyder with lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby in 1923. Her version was released in 1957 and struggled to get noticed.

    The following year, Francis appeared with the ballad on American Bandstand. This performance exposed Francis’ talent for interpretation and her ability to bridge the teen and adult fanbase.

    The song would become a hit.

    It’s useful to listen to the original version to gain more insight into Francis’ vocal approach and styling. The original is an instrumental song of its time, with light whimsical call and response motives in a foxtrot feel.

    But in Francis’ version, she demonstrates her ability to revitalise a late 1950s pop music aesthetic. In an emotional delivery she croons her own rendition, with the country styling elements of Patsy Cline.

    Connie Francis performing in Milan in 1961.
    Universal Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    The voice of a generation

    Following Who’s Sorry Now?, Stupid Cupid (1958), Where The Boys Are (1960, the titular song of a feature film starring Francis) and Lipstick on Your Collar (1959) became the soundtrack songs of post-war America.

    Francis was supported with songs penned by the some of the best songwriters from the Brill Building, a creative collective in Manhattan that housed professional songwriters, working with staff writers Edna Lewis and George Goehring.

    In 1960, Francis released her hit Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool written by Jack Keller and Howard Greenfield. It was a teeny-bopper classic, and she became the first women to top the Billboard Hot 100.

    Francis records in the studio with Freddy Quinn at MGM in 1963 in New York.
    PoPsie Randolph/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

    Styled after some of the other greats of the time – such as Frank Sinatra (1915–98), Dean Martin (1917–95) and Louis Prima (1910–70) – Francis’ performance on the Ed Sullivan show highlighted her connection to her Italian heritage and ability to draw from a broad repertoire.

    On the show, she performed Mama and La Paloma. Each performance is very carefully styled, a thoughtful approach to dynamics, sung in both English and Italian.

    Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You, a number one hit from 1962, features Francis’ gorgeous crooning harmonies. Then, the song breaks down into an earnest spoken part and finishes with a powerful belted vocal part of long notes.

    The song is full of confidence and hope.

    Away from the microphone

    Francis had two key roles in films, starring in Where the Boys Are (1960) and the comedy Follow the Boys (1963).

    She was an author of two books. The second, Who’s Sorry Now?, became a New York Times bestseller.

    Francis was involved with humanitarian causes. She was particularly involved with Women Against Rape, following her own violent rape in 1974, and the Valour Victims Assistance Legal Organisation, dedicated to supporting the legal rights of crime victims. A lesser known song in her repertoire, fitting to include here, is her version of Born Free from 1968.

    As a singer, Francis worked at her craft and transitioned effortlessly from one genre to another, performing for over five decades. She will be remembered as a trailblazing solo artist, leaving a strong legacy in popular music culture.

    She was the voice of one generation when she was a star. And in her final year she became the voice of a new generation as Pretty Little Baby, released in 1962, went viral on TikTok, with more than 1.4 million videos using her voice to share stories of their lives.

    Francis performs in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 2009.
    Bobby Bank/WireImage

    Leigh Carriage 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. Connie Francis was the voice of a generation and the soundtrack of post-war America – https://theconversation.com/connie-francis-was-the-voice-of-a-generation-and-the-soundtrack-of-post-war-america-261467

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Mark Latham’s portrait may come off federal caucus wall

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

    The Labor caucus tolerates having the odd “rat” among the photos of ALP leaders on the party room wall, but Mark Latham may have now pushed it too far.

    After the latest bizarre scandal surrounding the one-time federal Labor leader, who is an independent in the NSW upper house, there is a push to remove his image from the federal caucus gallery.

    Discussions are underway within Labor. No comment could be obtained from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who was on his way back from China. But if the caucus women want to see the Latham photo go, that’s likely to be what happens.

    Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek said on Friday, “I’m sure that there are plenty of people scratching their heads about his portrait being up in the caucus room and giving consideration to whether it’s appropriate or not”.

    Latham has a long record of scandal and offensive behaviour. In the most recent episode, his former partner, Nathalie Matthews, has accused him of a “sustained pattern” of domestic abuse, in a civil court application for an apprehended violence order. Among other things, she alleged he pressured her to take part in “degrading” sex acts.

    Text messages between the two have also been published this week in which Latham sent Matthews photos of and disparaging comments about female members of the state parliament.

    Latham has denied the Matthews’ allegations of domestic abuse and basically shrugged off a barrage of criticism of his photographing female politicians in the chamber without their consent (although he has apologised to at least one of them).

    Plibersek said Latham’s behaviour would see him sacked from any other workplace.

    Latham was federal Labor leader from December 2003 to January 2005. As the new leader he was considered to have a prospect of winning the 2004 election, although in the event the Coalition increased its majority. At the end of that campaign he attracted negative publicity for an aggressive handshake with then prime minister John Howard, when they crossed paths.

    Latham was initially elected to the NSW parliament under the banner of One Nation but fell out with Pauline Hanson.

    In 2024 he lost a defamation case brought by NSW crossbencher Alex Greenwich after Latham targeted him in a homophobic post on social media. Recently Latham revealed details, under parliamentary privilege, of a confidential psychologist report regarding Greenwich.

    Plibersek said it was “extraordinary that he was elected to the New South Wales parliament in the first place with his sort of track record.

    “The voters who put him there I’m sure would be really experiencing a bit of buyer’s remorse when they look at his behaviour; the way that he is spending his time in parliament certainly is not delivering value for taxpayers’ dollars.”

    Plibersek said when Latham became opposition leader she had “a little cry after work”. Latham beat Kim Beazley for the post after the leadership of Simon Crean collapsed.

    “I didn’t see evidence of this sort of behaviour back in the day, but I always had my doubts about him as a political figure, and I think those doubts have only increased in recent decades as his behaviour has become worse and more extreme.”

    Latham was a protege of Gough Whitlam, for whom he worked as a researcher. He held Whitlam’s former seat of Werriwa.

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

    – ref. Mark Latham’s portrait may come off federal caucus wall – https://theconversation.com/mark-lathams-portrait-may-come-off-federal-caucus-wall-261093

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: A student of SPbGASU will take part in the All-Russian student graduation ceremony “Your graduation”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The best university graduates, winners of all-Russian projects, foreign students with outstanding achievements in the field of youth policy and educational activities, representatives of the teaching staff and vice-rectors responsible for the implementation of youth policy in universities will gather on July 19 at the National Center “Russia” in Moscow for the All-Russian Student Graduation. Representatives of the Russian presidential administration and the government will take part in the event.

    Our university will be represented by Marina Erdneyeva, a graduate of the construction faculty of SPbGASU, and Anna Tsarenko, deputy dean for educational work of this faculty.

    “Marina Erdneeva is a member of the dance group “BACKSHOTCREW” of SPbGASU, but she also actively participates in the development and implementation of projects in the field of youth policy, promoting the development of student creativity. Under the leadership of Maria Lyubetskaya, the BACKSHOTcrew team, in which Marina succeeded as a dancer, became a first-degree laureate of the Regional Festival of National Cultures “Northern Lights”, the XII Open Festival-Competition of Choreographic Groups of Modern Dance “POWER OF MOVEMENT”, the Open Youth Patriotic Festival-Competition “Music. Spring. Victory”, a first-degree diploma winner of the Interethnic Student Festival “Golden Autumn-2024”, the Open Dance Competition “Street Show Battle”, the Festival of Creativity “Youth Wave”, – said Anna Tsarenko.

    The All-Russian Student Graduation Program includes educational and cultural blocks, including online ones. A teleconference with universities and a live award ceremony for honors diplomas are expected. Universities will be offered a ready-made script package and technical support for holding their own events within the framework of the All-Russian Student Graduation with the participation of regional coordinators of the Tvoy Khod project. At the site of the National Center “Russia”, participants will meet with mentors and speakers, master classes, sessions, the “Letter to a First-Year Student” campaign from a graduate, educational and motivational blocks with the support of the Tavrida Art Cluster, the Association of Student Sports Clubs of Russia, the SHUM Center, the student media center of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia “NOS” and the Russian Youth Union. Graduates who graduated with honors and have outstanding achievements in scientific, social, creative, and sports activities will be awarded on the main stage of the National Center “Russia”.

    An important part of the event will be the grand opening of the art object “Russian Students in Faces”.

    The event was organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the Presidential Platform “Russia – Land of Opportunities”, the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs “Rosmolodezh”, the All-Russian student project “Your Move”, with the support of the Russian Society “Knowledge” – the main educational organization of the country, the National Center “Russia” and the All-Russian public and state movement of children and youth “Movement of the First”.

    The opening ceremony of the event will take place at 11:00 on July 19, 2025 at the site of the National Center “Russia” (Moscow, Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment, 14).

    Official website

    VKontakte

    Telegram channel

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

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: A student of SPbGASU will take part in the All-Russian student graduation ceremony “Your graduation”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The best university graduates, winners of all-Russian projects, foreign students with outstanding achievements in the field of youth policy and educational activities, representatives of the teaching staff and vice-rectors responsible for the implementation of youth policy in universities will gather on July 19 at the National Center “Russia” in Moscow for the All-Russian Student Graduation. Representatives of the Russian presidential administration and the government will take part in the event.

    Our university will be represented by Marina Erdneyeva, a graduate of the construction faculty of SPbGASU, and Anna Tsarenko, deputy dean for educational work of this faculty.

    “Marina Erdneeva is a member of the dance group “BACKSHOTCREW” of SPbGASU, but she also actively participates in the development and implementation of projects in the field of youth policy, promoting the development of student creativity. Under the leadership of Maria Lyubetskaya, the BACKSHOTcrew team, in which Marina succeeded as a dancer, became a first-degree laureate of the Regional Festival of National Cultures “Northern Lights”, the XII Open Festival-Competition of Choreographic Groups of Modern Dance “POWER OF MOVEMENT”, the Open Youth Patriotic Festival-Competition “Music. Spring. Victory”, a first-degree diploma winner of the Interethnic Student Festival “Golden Autumn-2024”, the Open Dance Competition “Street Show Battle”, the Festival of Creativity “Youth Wave”, – said Anna Tsarenko.

    The All-Russian Student Graduation Program includes educational and cultural blocks, including online ones. A teleconference with universities and a live award ceremony for honors diplomas are expected. Universities will be offered a ready-made script package and technical support for holding their own events within the framework of the All-Russian Student Graduation with the participation of regional coordinators of the Tvoy Khod project. At the site of the National Center “Russia”, participants will meet with mentors and speakers, master classes, sessions, the “Letter to a First-Year Student” campaign from a graduate, educational and motivational blocks with the support of the Tavrida Art Cluster, the Association of Student Sports Clubs of Russia, the SHUM Center, the student media center of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia “NOS” and the Russian Youth Union. Graduates who graduated with honors and have outstanding achievements in scientific, social, creative, and sports activities will be awarded on the main stage of the National Center “Russia”.

    An important part of the event will be the grand opening of the art object “Russian Students in Faces”.

    The event was organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the Presidential Platform “Russia – Land of Opportunities”, the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs “Rosmolodezh”, the All-Russian student project “Your Move”, with the support of the Russian Society “Knowledge” – the main educational organization of the country, the National Center “Russia” and the All-Russian public and state movement of children and youth “Movement of the First”.

    The opening ceremony of the event will take place at 11:00 on July 19, 2025 at the site of the National Center “Russia” (Moscow, Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment, 14).

    Official website

    VKontakte

    Telegram channel

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: SPbGASU has proven that the aesthetics of solid waste facilities increases their efficiency

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Valeria Supranovich, Arina Safronova

    SPbGASU has proven that the aesthetics of a solid municipal waste (MSW) handling facility increases its energy efficiency, energy conservation and environmental friendliness throughout its entire service life.

    During her five-year research, Valeria Supranovich, PhD in Architecture and Associate Professor of the Department of Architectural Design at SPbGASU, identified a number of possible high-quality architectural solutions that, in conjunction with technological systems for self-sufficiency of buildings and facade elements, will allow them to organically fit into the urban system. The Associate Professor also developed ways to integrate additional public functions into these objects at various economic costs. All this will allow the implementation of sustainable development goals in the architecture of solid waste management facilities. Valeria Supranovich completed this research work, “Methods of Functional Planning Organization of Solid Waste Management Facilities in Russia,” within the framework of the grant of scientific and pedagogical workers of SPbGASU 2025.

    Since March 2024, amendments to Federal Law No. 451 “On Production and Consumption Waste” have come into force, which have completely updated the waste management system and the regulatory process in terms of extended responsibility of the manufacturer of goods. Moreover, within the framework of the programs of the XXIV International Forum “Ecology of the Big City” and the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, held in St. Petersburg in 2025, agreements were signed to finance projects for the construction of waste disposal facilities, the creation of the necessary infrastructure to reduce the percentage of waste disposal and the country’s transition to a “closed loop” economy (a production and consumption model that involves reuse, recovery and recycling of existing materials and products for as long as possible) to achieve the goals of sustainable development of the country. This is a powerful impetus for the active implementation of solid waste management facilities in the existing urban system.

    “Today, approaches to the design of solid waste facilities and the facilities themselves do not meet the goals of sustainable development, as they are considered economically inexpedient. However, in the course of scientific research conducted from 2020 to 2025, I was able to identify the opportunity to revise the existing methods of project activities. One example of waste management facilities that meet the goals of sustainable development is the world’s largest W2E plant “Shenzhen Energy Ring” (Shenzhen, China). The new plant is designed to process 5,000 tons of waste per day and simultaneously produce 600 million kilowatt-hours per year. The facility has a round shape, uncharacteristic for manufacturing enterprises, to combine all production units into a single structure and simultaneously reduce the area of the plant, includes zones for the formation and popularization of waste disposal procedures, and photovoltaic panels are provided for on the roof. The architecture of the facility is not utilitarian, it corresponds to the context of the environment,” explained Valeria Supranovich.

    In the course of the current scientific research, she studied the theoretical components of the concept of “sustainable architecture” and proposed a system of their interaction. It was established that the aesthetic qualities of the object allow not only to humanize the appearance of the enterprise, but also to ensure high energy efficiency, environmental friendliness and energy saving of the building throughout the expected service life. The goals of sustainable development in the architecture of waste management facilities should be implemented taking into account their typological affiliation, Valeria Supranovich clarified.

    Some theoretical results of this study were implemented in her diploma work “Technopark complex with waste processing function, Saint Petersburg, Yuntolovo district” by Arina Safronova, a graduate of the master’s program of the Department of Architectural Design of SPbGASU (supervisor – Valeria Supranovich).

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Graduation at the Polytechnic: Deputy of the Legislative Assembly noted the quality of personnel training

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    One of the honorary guests of the graduation ceremonies for masters and specialists of the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade was the deputy of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, Chairman of the Committee on Legislation, Chairman of the Council of Municipalities of St. Petersburg Vsevolod Belikov.

    Addressing the graduates, the parliamentarian emphasized that he was pleased with the interaction between the Polytechnic University and government bodies.

    “I sincerely congratulate you on this important and happy day — the end of a large stage in your life and the beginning of your professional path,” said Vsevolod Belikov. “I am glad that the connections between the Polytechnic University and the public authorities of St. Petersburg not only exist, but are developing systematically and effectively. The projects that we implement together, including the activities of the Public Administration Laboratory, are becoming an example of how deep academic knowledge and public administration practice can and should interact. We value your contribution — a fresh look, creative ideas, even in such difficult areas as legislative activity. This really helps make our work more effective. I congratulate the graduates, teachers, parents — and I am proud to say: the doors of not only the university, but also the entire public authority system are wide open for you!”

    During the ceremony, Vsevolod Fedorovich presented letters of gratitude to graduates who took an active part in the activities of the student associations “Public Administration Laboratory” and “Model UN Polytech”, as well as those who demonstrated themselves during professional practice in the field of public administration at various levels of government. The awards were given to masters of the direction “State and Municipal Administration” Ahad Almurzaev, Eldar Asadullaev, Varvara Bucherova, Yulia Katrashova, Kamila Nazmetdinova, Ilya Smerdov and Nikita Sukhomlinov.

    The guest of honor paid special attention to the quality of personnel training at the Polytechnic University. He presented letters of gratitude from the Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg Alexander Belsky for a significant contribution to the training of qualified specialists for government bodies to the Director of IPMEiT Vladimir Shchepinin, Acting Director of the Higher School of Public Administration Olga Nadezhina, as well as teachers of the Higher School of Public Administration: Associate Professors Marina Ivanova, Maxim Ivanov, Tamara Selentyeva, Professors Victoria Degtereva and Alexander Sokolitsyn.

    “Polytech is a special place, it forms not only the elite of engineering and economic thought, but also future leaders in the public administration system. There are already those in the hall who work next to me, I am grateful to those who raised these wonderful people. We are one team! Polytech is cool!” – Vsevolod Belikov concluded his speech.

    Director of IPMEiT Vladimir Shchepinin emphasized the importance of the institute’s relations with the public authority system: “Today’s ceremony is not only a celebration of our graduates, but also a confirmation of the institute’s strong connection with government bodies as key social partners and employers. We are proud that our students are in demand in public administration structures, and joint projects with the Legislative Assembly and other government bodies give them the opportunity to apply their knowledge in practice while still studying. Special words of gratitude go to Vsevolod Fedorovich Belikov for his attention to young specialists and support of our interaction with the civil service system.”

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

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: The project of SPbGASU students will be implemented in the Leningrad region

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    From left to right: Dean of the Faculty of Architecture Andrey Surovenkov, CEO of the company “Friedlander Paints”, expert of the import substitution catalog “NOSTROY”, member of the urban planning council of the Leningrad region Anna Smirnova, People’s Architect of the Russian Federation, President of the Union of Architects of Russia, Academician of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences, member of the Public Council under the Ministry of Construction of Russia Nikolay Shumakov, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Urban Development Policy, Chief Architect of the Leningrad Region Sergey Lutchenko, Ilya Edemsky

    Students of the Faculty of Architecture of SPbGASU took all three prize places in the student competition to create a mural for the boarding school “Krasnye Zori” in the Leningrad Region. The winner was recognized as a second-year student Sofia Andreeva. Second place was taken by Ekaterina Shirshova (3rd year), third – by Irina Abramova (3rd year). The award ceremony took place in the Union of Architects of St. Petersburg in the Polovtsov mansion.

    The competition was organized by the Council for Architecture and Urban Development of the Leningrad Region and the North-West of the Russian Federation, the companies “BaltInvest-Project” and “Kraski Friedlander”. The jury included the President of the Union of Architects of Russia Nikolay Shumakov and the First Deputy Chairman of the Committee – Chief Architect of the Leningrad Region Sergey Lutchenko.

    The goal of the competition was to develop a sketch of a mural for the boarding school “Red Dawns”. Thus, the contestants were faced with the task of transforming a typical building, devoid of individuality, and creating a bright, positive atmosphere for the students.

    In total, more than 80 applications were submitted to the competition from students from various universities in the city.

    The winning project will be implemented by one of the developers from the Leningrad Region, and the necessary paints will be provided by the company “Friedlander Paints” – the general sponsor of the competition.

    “For us, the competition is an incredibly interesting experience, which we will definitely continue and develop. The creative enthusiasm of young architects inspired us to organize a new, more interesting competition with cool prizes in the near future,” announced Ilya Edemsky, chief architect of the BaltInvest-Proekt company.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic and KRSU: a new level of cooperation with industrial partners

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The Polytechnic University continues to cooperate with the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University (KRSU), providing methodological support and expertise to improve the efficiency and quality of KRSU’s key processes in the field of engineering education.

    The working meeting of representatives of SPbPU, KRSU and Geoscan Group of Companies, which was held at the Polytechnic University, was dedicated to the development of scientific potential and building long-term ties with industrial partners. KRSU was represented by Artem Belyaev, Director of the University’s Technopark, and Andrey Gurinov, Chairman of the Association of Robotics, Mechatronics and Additive Technologies of the Kyrgyz Republic. Daniil Zolotnik, Deputy General Director for Education at Geoscan Moscow, took part in the conversation. The Polytechnic was represented by Sergey Salkutsan, Director of the Center for Continuing Professional Education at the Advanced Engineering School “Digital Engineering” (PISH CI), Nikita Golovin, Head of the Slavic Universities Project Office, Deputy Head of the International Cooperation Department, and Alexander Gordeev, an engineer at PISH CI.

    Sergey Salkutsan presented the experience of the Advanced Engineering School “Digital Engineering” of SPbPU in implementing educational solutions aimed at training young engineers capable of working on applied problems in the interests of industry and technological development. The experts reviewed initiatives implemented jointly with the Academy of Digital Technologies, including career guidance projects and student participation in applied research.

    The idea of creating a single educational circuit along the line “industry – university – college – school” was presented at the meeting. Its goal is to ensure the end-to-end transfer of knowledge and practical skills at all stages of training. The participants discussed possible formats for adapting this model in Kyrgyzstan on the basis of KRSU.

    Andrey Gurinov spoke about the potential that cooperation with companies and educational institutions of the Kyrgyz Republic provides. The strategic development plan of the RIAT KR Association emphasizes providing international-level service with an emphasis on the regional needs of partners. The speaker noted that, given the positive demographic situation in the republic, human resources are, first of all, the driving force behind the development of the industry in the Kyrgyz Republic. Thus, cooperation in the field of education and targeted training of personnel is the key to success in long-term cooperation.

    Representatives of KRSU and GC Geoscan got acquainted with the methodological and scientific-technical potential of the Digital Engineering PISH. The guests were shown the renovated premises of the High Voltage Technologies (HVT) building, which will be used as educational and production sites.

    “We believe it is important to create and improve partnerships that develop engineering education and create conditions for the emergence of new qualified specialists. Such meetings are an opportunity not only to share experiences, but also to build long-term relationships with universities that share our values,” said Daniil Zolotnik.

    In addition, the guests learned about the activities of the engineering division of PISh CI – the Experimental Design Bureau, opened in October 2024. Alexander Gordeev spoke about the current tasks and projects of the design bureau, including the use of digital engineering and the CML-Bench® platform to solve problems in the field of unmanned aviation. The design bureau space is designed for the simultaneous work of 30 engineers, students and representatives of industrial partners.

    Colleagues from KRSU highly appreciated the level of technical equipment and the students’ project activities.

    “The cooperation between SPbPU, KRSU and the Geoscan company will allow us to attract schoolchildren and students to study modern technologies in the field of robotics and unmanned aerial vehicles. Holding UAV competitions will become an additional incentive and will open up new opportunities for involving schoolchildren of the Kyrgyz Republic in this promising area,” emphasized Artem Belyaev.

    At the end of the meeting, the participants discussed options for implementing trilateral cooperation between SPbPU, KRSU and Geoscan Group in the field of engineering education and technological development.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: The 50th Anniversary Summer School for Young Programmers is being held at NSU

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The Summer School for Young Programmers was organized in 1976 in Novosibirsk. For 50 years, the school has been gathering talented children interested in programming. This year, 66 schoolchildren were selected to work in teams on a project for two weeks. Scientific, production and educational workshops in 11 areas were organized for the children. Each workshop employs 4 to 8 schoolchildren. Classes are held in NSU classrooms under the guidance of experienced mentors, both doctors and candidates of science, employees of IT companies, and graduate students and students of the university.

    The mentor of the workshop, which studies the Lisp programming language, candidate of physical and mathematical sciences, associate professor Boris Leonidovich Faifel teaches information disciplines at the Saratov State Technical University named after Yu. A. Gagarin. Since 2011, he has been coming to Novosibirsk to share knowledge and work on a joint project with the participants of the summer school.

    — Lisp is my old love. Thanks to this programming language I ended up in Novosibirsk, which makes me very happy. And every year it is the greatest pleasure for me to be here. The school has a wonderful team and wonderful guys, it is very pleasant to work with them. And I like that they already consider me one of their own here, although I came from far away.

    Once I was in Yerevan, put on a T-shirt with the school logo and went for a walk. Suddenly a young guy and girl came up to me and said: “Are you from LSHU? We remember you!” It was very nice, now I keep this T-shirt as a relic. LSHU is a long-standing tradition, this year it is 50 years old, and I joined relatively recently, and for me it is a great honor to be part of this famous school, – said Boris Faifel.

    For Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor of NSU Alexander Guryevich Marchuk, this is an anniversary school; he has been a scientific supervisor for young programmers for 25 years.

    — We have some truly wonderful kids coming to us. In two weeks, we give them not only a large amount of knowledge, but also the main thing is that they want to learn something new themselves. The goal of our school is to attract more and more young talents. This year, we have had kids we have known and loved for a long time, and new ones who have interest in their eyes. We hope that next year there will be even more of them, — Alexander Marchuk shared his impressions.

    Summer school participant Vera Lichman began studying programming in the third grade, now she has finished the seventh grade and entered the Physics and Mathematics School at NSU. In elementary school, the girl discovered the Scratch programming language, later Python and other languages. At the Physics and Mathematics School, the girl wants to study mathematics in depth in order to later enter NSU and become a research mathematician.

    — This is my fourth summer school. I think that it will be, as always, very interesting and useful. What I especially like here is the atmosphere of mutual understanding, helping each other. The masters do not get angry if they have to repeat something a second, third, or even tenth time. This year I got into a workshop where we will learn to model various processes using Petri nets and moving chips between areas. I hope that I will gain a lot of useful knowledge, — Vera added.

    The children will have overview and educational lectures, excursions, preparation of creative numbers, master classes and competitions on the problems of modern informatics and other scientific areas, because one of the goals of the LSHU is to develop erudition in schoolchildren. The final stage of the work is a scientific and practical conference and demonstration of completed works in workshops.

    — I would like to note that we always choose workshop areas that are promising in scientific terms and interesting to our masters. Students in diverse workshops create a lot of worthy projects. For example, last year a boy who had just entered the fifth grade made the game “Sokoban” in the Logo programming language. Also last year there was a workshop on creating a model based on TRIZ, in the framework of another the guys wrote a compiler and a virtual machine. Back in 2001, when robotics for children in Russia was not yet known, our guys connected a LEGO robot to a computer through a device and “brought it to life”. In 2004, a team of schoolchildren made a client-server development – a tic-tac-toe game on phones via satellite communication. We can talk for a long time about the developments of our guys, every year there are different and interesting projects, — said the head teacher-coordinator of the LSHUP, senior lecturer of the Programming Department, associate professor of the Department of Discrete Mathematics and Computer Science Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of NSU Tatiana Tikhonova.

    The workshops have only recently begun working on the projects; they will be presented on the last Saturday of July, the 26th.

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China-Central Asia Fair Competition Policy Research Institute Opens in Xi’an

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) — The China-Central Asia Fair Competition Policy Research Institute has been established in Xi’an, capital of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, the provincial market regulation bureau said Friday.

    The opening ceremony of the institute took place on Wednesday afternoon at the Northwestern University of Political Science and Law, according to a statement posted on the official website of the aforementioned department.

    In his speech, Zhang Xiaoping, head of the department, called the establishment of the institute a key step to serve the Belt and Road Initiative and promote the development of an open economy in Shaanxi Province. According to him, in order to ensure the effective operation of the institute and enhance its influence, it is necessary to deepen research on competition policy and promote the realization of great results of institutional cooperation with Central Asian countries.

    It is necessary to innovatively build a system of service support for enterprises entering international markets to help enterprises from Shaanxi strengthen their positions in the Central Asian markets, he added.

    Zhao Wandong, secretary of the Party Committee of Northwest University of Political Science and Law, said the establishment of the institute offers a favorable opportunity to deepen theoretical innovation and practical research in the field of fair competition and antitrust regulation policies and promote the construction of a unified pan-China market. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump has ‘chronic venous insufficiency’. Is it dangerous? Can it be treated?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Theresa Larkin, Associate Professor of Medical Sciences, University of Wollongong

    Anna Moneymaker/Staff/Getty

    US President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with “chronic venous insufficiency” after experiencing some mild swelling in his lower legs.

    According to a letter the White House published from the president’s doctor, the condition is common and not harmful, and the 79-year-old “remains in excellent health”.

    But what is chronic venous insufficiency? What causes it, and can it lead to other health problems? Let’s take a look.

    A disease of the veins

    Veins are the blood vessels that carry de-oxygenated blood from all parts of the body to the heart.

    Chronic venous insufficiency is a disease of the veins and mostly affects the legs.

    When someone has this condition, it becomes more difficult for the blood to flow back to the heart. In other words, blood pools in the legs, rather than travelling up easily through the legs, pelvis and abdomen to the heart.

    Blood pooling in the legs creates increased pressure in the veins in the legs and feet. This can cause swelling (called oedema), skin discolouration, varicose veins, and even skin ulcers (the skin stretches because of the increased pressure and becomes weak and can tear).

    What causes chronic venous insufficiency?

    There are several potential causes of chronic venous insufficiency, including damaged valves inside the veins in the legs.

    When we’re standing, blood has to flow back to the heart from the legs against gravity. Veins have valves inside them which ensure this one-way flow and stop blood from running back the wrong way.

    When valves in the veins – either the deeper veins or those closer to the skin’s surface – are damaged, this allows blood to flow backwards and pool in the legs.

    Damage to the inside lining of the vein wall can also cause chronic venous insufficiency. When the lining is damaged, it becomes less smooth and blood cells can stick to the wall and build up. This can block the inside of the vein and impede the return of blood to the heart. Smoking is a major cause of this, though it also happens naturally with age.

    Physical compression of a vein in the pelvis from the outside can also be a factor. Pregnancy, obesity or a tumour can push on a pelvic vein from the outside. This makes it harder for blood to flow through that vein, which causes back up of blood in the veins of the leg.

    Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) also increases the risk of chronic venous insufficiency. This is where blood clots form in the deep veins, most commonly in the legs. It can block blood flow or damage the vein wall, and increase blood pooling further down the leg.

    In a study I did with colleagues looking at people with chronic venous insufficiency, about 10% had a previous deep vein thrombosis. However, Trump’s doctor said there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis in his case.

    Who gets it?

    The data on how many people get chronic venous insufficiency vary, but it is relatively common. In the United States, an estimated 10% to 35% of adults have the condition.

    A number of factors increase a person’s likelihood of developing chronic venous insufficiency. Smoking and having previously had a deep vein thrombosis are strongly linked to this condition. Other risk factors include older age, pregnancy, obesity, and prolonged periods of standing still.

    Is it dangerous?

    On its own, chronic venous insufficiency is not life-threatening, but it is a progressive condition. It increases the risk of other conditions which can be more serious.

    Interestingly, while deep vein thrombosis increases the risk of chronic venous insufficiency, people with chronic venous insufficiency also have a higher risk of deep vein thrombosis. This is because pooled blood doesn’t move as much, so it can start to form a clot.

    Deep vein thrombosis then increases the risk of pulmonary embolism, blood clots in the lungs, which are life threatening.

    In the legs, the most serious consequence of chronic venous insufficiency is developing a venous ulcer. Venous ulcers can be painful, are prone to infection (such as cellulitis), and have a high rate of recurring.

    Research has shown 4% of adults aged 65 and older in the US develop venous ulcers as a result of chronic venous insufficiency.

    Can it be treated?

    Whether and how chronic venous insufficiency can be treated depends somewhat on the cause.

    Initial conservative treatment usually involves elevating the legs and wearing compression stockings. Elevating the legs higher than the body means gravity will help blood flow back to the heart. Compression stockings help to push blood from the leg veins towards the heart.

    Exercise such as walking also helps because when the muscles in the legs contract, this moves more blood from the legs back to the heart. Exercise and diet changes may also be recommended to address any weight-related issues.

    In more progressive or severe cases, surgery may be needed to fix the inside of the veins, remove any underlying deep vein thrombosis, or insert a stent in the case of a vein compression.

    Overall, Trump has been diagnosed with a common condition for someone of his age, and his doctors have ruled out severe underlying disease. But this is a reminder of the importance of healthy veins and of the risk factors for venous disease.

    Theresa Larkin 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. Trump has ‘chronic venous insufficiency’. Is it dangerous? Can it be treated? – https://theconversation.com/trump-has-chronic-venous-insufficiency-is-it-dangerous-can-it-be-treated-261460

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign Minister Lin meets with Paraguayan Foreign Minister Ramírez, cohosts reception celebrating 68th anniversary of diplomatic relations

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    July 13, 2025
    No. 239

    After arriving in Paraguay in the evening of July 10, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung visited the Paraguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the morning of the following day to meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs Rubén Ramírez Lezcano. The two reviewed progress made on key components of the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project, which is being implemented by the government of Taiwan under the policy framework of integrated diplomacy. Based on mutual trust and mutual benefit, Taiwan and Paraguay are jointly promoting exchanges in economics, trade, investment, infrastructure, smart medicine, technology, education, and smart transportation. Cooperation has brought prosperity to both countries and benefited the Taiwanese and Paraguayan people.

     

    Speaking at a joint press conference with Minister Ramírez after the meeting, Minister Lin said that Taiwan and Paraguay shared the core values of democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law. He affirmed that the bilateral diplomatic relationship was rock-solid. Looking ahead, Minister Lin pledged that both countries would continue to work together to deepen interactions and collaboration in various fields and jointly enhance the well-being of their people. Minister Lin noted that this demonstrated Taiwan’s policy of values-based diplomacy was steadily developing into value-added diplomacy, showing the world that Taiwan-Paraguay ties were a model of successful cooperation.

     

    In the evening, Minister Lin and Minister Ramírez cohosted a reception celebrating the 68th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Republic of Paraguay. The event was attended by over 250 guests, including Paraguayan Supreme Court President César Diesel, Chamber of Deputies Speaker Raúl Latorre Martínez, other deputies and senators, members of the diplomatic corps, and representatives of the overseas Taiwanese community. In his remarks, Minister Lin commended the fruitful outcomes of the long-term and close partnership between Taiwan and Paraguay. He said that recent benchmark initiatives such as the Taiwan-Paraguay Smart Technology Park, the Taiwan-Paraguay Polytechnic University, the Health Information Management Efficiency Enhancement Project, and an electric bus pilot program were steadily yielding results. Noting that Taiwan was a vital link in global supply chains, Minister Lin said that Taiwan was willing to use its advantages in ICT to further deepen cooperation with Paraguay on comprehensive technological development. Minister Lin added that Taiwan was ready to assist its fraternal ally Paraguay in achieving its national blueprint for development and transformation, jointly realizing the vision of sustainability and prosperity.

     

    In his address, Minister Ramírez thanked Taiwan for its long-term assistance in promoting the development of agriculture, livestock, public health, medicine, education, innovation, and infrastructure in Paraguay. He said that cooperation had targeted the sectors of society that were most in need, benefiting farming communities and young students. Praising the Taiwan-Paraguay Polytechnic University as a landmark bilateral cooperation project, Minister Ramírez said that more than 170 engineers had already been trained. He noted that the two countries were working together to construct campus buildings, representing their shared commitment to investing in knowledge and talent. Minister Ramírez added that Taiwan and Paraguay were jointly creating a future for the next generation by incorporating smart industries and global supply chain integration into their cooperation projects. 

     

    Paraguay is an important diplomatic ally of Taiwan. A mutual agreement on visa-free entry for ordinary passport holders between the two countries that will come into effect on July 25 is expected to further advance exchanges among the people of Taiwan and Paraguay and make investment by Taiwanese companies in Paraguay more convenient. The two nations will continue to deepen cooperation in all spheres and jointly inject new momentum into their democratic partnership.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign Minister Lin leads business delegation to visit Taiwan-Paraguay Smart Technology Park in Ciudad del Este

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    July 13, 2025
    No. 240

    During his extensive trip to Paraguay, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung visited the Taiwan-Paraguay Smart Technology Park in Ciudad del Este on July 12. He was accompanied by Paraguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, Minister of Industry and Commerce Javier Giménez García de Zúñiga, Minister of Information and Communication Technologies Gustavo Villate, Executive Secretary of the Office of the President Marianna Saldívar Gadea, Deputy Minister of Public Works Emiliano Fernández, Governor of Alto Paraná César Landy Torres, President of the Taiwan-Paraguay Polytechnic University Jorge Daniel Duarte Rolon, and other officials.

     

    The technology park originates from a commitment made by President Lai Ching-te to assist Paraguay with economic development and job creation. Then Vice President Lai made the pledge in August 2023 while visiting Paraguay as a special envoy to attend the inauguration of President Santiago Peña Palacios.

     

    When Minister Lin took office on May 20 last year, he held in-depth talks on the project—which would have a profound impact on Paraguay—with President Peña, who was visiting Taiwan to attend President Lai’s inauguration. The two agreed that Taiwan and Paraguay would work together to make Paraguay a South American base for the smart technology industry and talent incubation.

     

    During his visit to the park, Minister Lin remarked that promotion of the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project in Paraguay followed a comprehensive plan led by a national team of businesses from Taiwan. He said that the project integrated civil engineering, private 5G network architecture, and smart applications. Minister Lin added that the initiative would not only create favorable conditions for Taiwanese enterprises investing in Paraguay, but that it would also bring substantial industrial development and employment opportunities to Paraguay. He noted that the process of building the park had been a team effort. Although there had been challenges along the way, Minister Lin said that the difficulties were a source of strength for today. He stated that the newly revitalized Taiwan-Paraguay Smart Technology Park would offer Taiwanese companies the same 006688 land rental incentive provided by special zones in Taiwan. (The 006688 plan offers free rent in years one and two, a 40 percent discount in years three and four, and a 20 percent discount in years five and six.) This is the first time that the preferential policy has been made available to Taiwanese enterprises overseas. Paraguay is also the first country outside Taiwan to apply the incentive. Minister Lin said that he had long advocated for the strategy of larger enterprises guiding smaller ones, combining soft and hard tactics, promoting public-private cooperation, and facilitating internal-external exchanges. He explained that the integration of various technological, financial, and human resources would help Taiwanese industries deploy investments in Paraguay. Minister Lin indicated that Paraguay’s stable economy, abundant and cheap supplies of water and electricity, and convenient business environment could make it a base for Taiwanese enterprises entering the South American market. 

     

    For the trip, Minister Lin extended special invitations to prominent manufacturers from all areas of the supply chain to join the delegation, tour the technology park, and explore business opportunities in Paraguay. The group included representatives from the semiconductor, AI applications, smart manufacturing, smart transportation, animal husbandry, cold chain logistics, and food processing industries. It is hoped that the companies will establish a presence in Paraguay as a joint fleet, joining forces in a new flying geese pattern of development and creating a Taiwan+n model of global industrial deployment. Taiwan will work together with Paraguay to create mutual prosperity and well-being, realizing President Lai’s policy vision of making Taiwan a global economic powerhouse.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Trump has ‘chronic venous insufficiency’. Is it dangerous? Can it be treated?

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Theresa Larkin, Associate Professor of Medical Sciences, University of Wollongong

    Anna Moneymaker/Staff/Getty

    US President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with “chronic venous insufficiency” after experiencing some mild swelling in his lower legs.

    According to a letter the White House published from the president’s doctor, the condition is common and not harmful, and the 79-year-old “remains in excellent health”.

    But what is chronic venous insufficiency? What causes it, and can it lead to other health problems? Let’s take a look.

    A disease of the veins

    Veins are the blood vessels that carry de-oxygenated blood from all parts of the body to the heart.

    Chronic venous insufficiency is a disease of the veins and mostly affects the legs.

    When someone has this condition, it becomes more difficult for the blood to flow back to the heart. In other words, blood pools in the legs, rather than travelling up easily through the legs, pelvis and abdomen to the heart.

    Blood pooling in the legs creates increased pressure in the veins in the legs and feet. This can cause swelling (called oedema), skin discolouration, varicose veins, and even skin ulcers (the skin stretches because of the increased pressure and becomes weak and can tear).

    What causes chronic venous insufficiency?

    There are several potential causes of chronic venous insufficiency, including damaged valves inside the veins in the legs.

    When we’re standing, blood has to flow back to the heart from the legs against gravity. Veins have valves inside them which ensure this one-way flow and stop blood from running back the wrong way.

    When valves in the veins – either the deeper veins or those closer to the skin’s surface – are damaged, this allows blood to flow backwards and pool in the legs.

    Damage to the inside lining of the vein wall can also cause chronic venous insufficiency. When the lining is damaged, it becomes less smooth and blood cells can stick to the wall and build up. This can block the inside of the vein and impede the return of blood to the heart. Smoking is a major cause of this, though it also happens naturally with age.

    Physical compression of a vein in the pelvis from the outside can also be a factor. Pregnancy, obesity or a tumour can push on a pelvic vein from the outside. This makes it harder for blood to flow through that vein, which causes back up of blood in the veins of the leg.

    Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) also increases the risk of chronic venous insufficiency. This is where blood clots form in the deep veins, most commonly in the legs. It can block blood flow or damage the vein wall, and increase blood pooling further down the leg.

    In a study I did with colleagues looking at people with chronic venous insufficiency, about 10% had a previous deep vein thrombosis. However, Trump’s doctor said there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis in his case.

    Who gets it?

    The data on how many people get chronic venous insufficiency vary, but it is relatively common. In the United States, an estimated 10% to 35% of adults have the condition.

    A number of factors increase a person’s likelihood of developing chronic venous insufficiency. Smoking and having previously had a deep vein thrombosis are strongly linked to this condition. Other risk factors include older age, pregnancy, obesity, and prolonged periods of standing still.

    Is it dangerous?

    On its own, chronic venous insufficiency is not life-threatening, but it is a progressive condition. It increases the risk of other conditions which can be more serious.

    Interestingly, while deep vein thrombosis increases the risk of chronic venous insufficiency, people with chronic venous insufficiency also have a higher risk of deep vein thrombosis. This is because pooled blood doesn’t move as much, so it can start to form a clot.

    Deep vein thrombosis then increases the risk of pulmonary embolism, blood clots in the lungs, which are life threatening.

    In the legs, the most serious consequence of chronic venous insufficiency is developing a venous ulcer. Venous ulcers can be painful, are prone to infection (such as cellulitis), and have a high rate of recurring.

    Research has shown 4% of adults aged 65 and older in the US develop venous ulcers as a result of chronic venous insufficiency.

    Can it be treated?

    Whether and how chronic venous insufficiency can be treated depends somewhat on the cause.

    Initial conservative treatment usually involves elevating the legs and wearing compression stockings. Elevating the legs higher than the body means gravity will help blood flow back to the heart. Compression stockings help to push blood from the leg veins towards the heart.

    Exercise such as walking also helps because when the muscles in the legs contract, this moves more blood from the legs back to the heart. Exercise and diet changes may also be recommended to address any weight-related issues.

    In more progressive or severe cases, surgery may be needed to fix the inside of the veins, remove any underlying deep vein thrombosis, or insert a stent in the case of a vein compression.

    Overall, Trump has been diagnosed with a common condition for someone of his age, and his doctors have ruled out severe underlying disease. But this is a reminder of the importance of healthy veins and of the risk factors for venous disease.

    Theresa Larkin 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. Trump has ‘chronic venous insufficiency’. Is it dangerous? Can it be treated? – https://theconversation.com/trump-has-chronic-venous-insufficiency-is-it-dangerous-can-it-be-treated-261460

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: New opportunities for NSU applicants: educational program for top IT specialists “Applied Artificial Intelligence”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Starting in the 2025/2026 academic year, Novosibirsk State University will launch training aimed at preparing highly qualified specialists in the field of applied artificial intelligence for the innovative economy. Students of the new program will write their own neural networks, master and develop new methods and technologies in the field of applied programming, as well as collect, process and analyze their own data sets. In the future, graduates will create products based on deep machine learning and apply the acquired knowledge in various fields of activity – from the banking sector and various high-tech companies to personalized medicine. The training of top specialists is carried out on the initiative of the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation with the participation of the Analytical Center under the Government of the Russian Federation.

    These programs are based on modern employer requirements for highly qualified specialists, determined with the participation of dozens of Russian companies – leaders in the IT sector and leading universities.

    The training will be focused primarily on practical results. From the first years, students will be involved in solving product problems of IT business, will be able to study cases and experience of the industry, participate in the work of project teams, master classes, undergo practical training and mandatory internship in leading IT companies and research institutes.

    Companies invest in the development and implementation of programs with their own resources. More than 30% of all classroom classes with students will be conducted by invited experts from the industry, leading developers, engineers and researchers. Business representatives will act as mentors for students, become conductors of advanced knowledge, trends in the development of domestic IT technologies, help students get acquainted with corporate culture and real requirements for employees.

    Training in close cooperation with industry partners and IT companies, including the anchor partner, one of the leaders of the Russian IT market — the multidisciplinary IT holding T1, as well as the Russian developer of operating systems “Alt”, will not only prepare graduates for a successful professional start, but also give them the opportunity to apply for leading positions in large industry and technology companies. The knowledge and practical experience gained with modern AI solutions will provide students with subsequent rapid career growth.

    More information about the Applied Artificial Intelligence program presented on the website 

    All details about admission to the program and deadlines for submitting documents can be clarified in the NSU IIR consulting group:

    7 (383) 373-96-52

    Consult@nsu.ru

    VK group

    Reference:

    Since 2025, within the framework of the federal projects “Artificial Intelligence” and “Personnel for Digital Transformation” of the national project “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State”, the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation, with the participation of the Analytical Center under the Government of the Russian Federation, has been implementing two projects to train students in educational programs for top specialists in the field of information technology and artificial intelligence.

    The projects provide training for graduates with advanced competencies in the field of information technology and artificial intelligence: developers of advanced IT solutions, AI models, algorithms, analysts and data researchers. The key condition for the participation of universities in the projects is the active involvement of employers in the training process, including attracting co-financing from businesses.

    Within the framework of these projects, in 2025, 36 universities from 20 constituent entities of the Russian Federation will accept more than 6 thousand students for training. By 2030, 13.7 thousand students will complete their training.

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –