MIL-OSI Export

By Giff Johnson, editor, Marshall Islands Journal/RNZ Pacific correspondent

Most government offices in the Marshall Islands began enforcing a new policy this week of closing by 3pm daily as a way to conserve fuel given uncertainties of fuel supply globally.

The move is to save energy and reduce the strain on the Marshalls Energy Company’s diesel fuel resources with both fuel shortages and skyrocketing prices seen on world markets due to the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran and its retaliation by closing the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping.

The 3pm daily closure directive for all non-essential government services was issued by the government’s cabinet on April 10 as an Emergency Electricity Savings Policy.

Aside from the government office closure to reduce energy use, the emergency directive is expected to help the private sector through the mandate of government contracts for air conditioning maintenance and repair.

Government offices are expected to remain open during the lunch hour, allowing workers to operate seven hours daily instead of the usual eight.

A key provision about the shutdown of government offices by 3pm daily is that they are required to shut off air conditioners, lights and any other equipment drawing power. The aim is to reduce energy use by 30 percent over the 90 days of the emergency decree.

The 90-day emergency order mandates the Marshalls Energy Company, the government’s power utility company, to provide detailed monthly electricity bills to every government ministry, state-owned enterprise, and subsidised agency that detail each government offices power consumption compared to the 30-day period immediately prior to the emergency declaration.

Compliance ‘mandatory’
“Compliance with the 90-Day Emergency Electricity Savings Policy is mandatory,” the declaration said.

“The National Energy Authority will monitor the monthly MEC baseline reports to verify progress toward the 30 percent reduction goal.”

Various exemptions are made to the requirement of shutting down by 3pm daily. All essential services are exempted from the closure order, including public schools, the College of the Marshall Islands and Majuro and Ebeye hospitals.

Secretary of Health Francyne Wase-Jacklick said the ministry was specifically exempted so there would not be disruptions.

“So essential services remain ongoing,” she said. “Outpatient, maternal child health, immunization, public health programs, and rehab services will continue as usual, with only internal adjustments to reduce energy use where possible.”

As a consequence of the 3pm daily closure of all non-essential government/agency/state owned enterprise offices, government workers will be working only 30 hours each week. They will, however, continue to be paid for a full week of work.

The 90-day Emergency Electricity Savings Policy would accomplish two things, Finance Minister David Paul said this week

‘Skyrocketing’ fuel costs
It was “an opportunity to cut down on energy usage” (while it) ⁠⁠allows people to maintain their purchasing power,” he said.

Paul said the situation with skyrocketing fuel costs had caused “an affordability crisis — so it will be counterproductive if we are trying to address a problem while creating another one.”

This is why workers will still get their full paychecks, he said.

The new 90-day Emergency Electricity Savings Policy is likely to have a positive impact on the private sector.

The new policy directs the Ministry of Public Works, Infrastructure, and Utilities to implement an “immediate transition” to contracting out air conditioning cleaning and repair services to the private sector.

“Air conditioning constitutes the largest draw on the public power grid,” said the new government emergency policy. Performance and quality of air conditioners, therefore, had a big impact on their cost of power to operate.

Public Works “currently lacks the capacity to service all government units”, the policy said.

Transition maintenance
To resolve this, the ministry is directed to coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to immediately transition maintenance responsibilities and facilitate the contracting of air conditioning cleaning and repair services to the private sector.

Further, the policy directs that “every government ministry, state-owned enterprise, and subsidized agency must allocate funds from their current budgets to hire private contractors for air conditioning repairs, maintenance, and cleaning.

While agencies are directed to transition maintenance to the private sector, they are also encouraged to explore all available avenues — including internal staffing or collaborative partnership with other agencies — to ensure units are serviced.”

A part of the emergency order requires that within the 90-day period of the order, “every agency must compile a complete inventory of their air conditioning units”.

They must also secure a maintenance contract and schedule to ensure filters are cleaned every two-to-four weeks. While physical cleaning of all units may extend beyond this 90-day window, the finalised contracts and schedules must be in place.”

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/04/17/marshall-islands-government-shuts-down-at-3pm-daily-amid-fuel-crisis/

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland

Injectable peptides are generating a lot of buzz online.

One of these is retatrutide, a drug that’s being described as the next big thing in weight loss. Some say it may be even more powerful than Ozempic or Wegovy, two other popular weight loss drugs. Beyond health care, gym-goers are using it to try to get leaner, faster. This trend is sometimes dubbed “leanmaxxing”.

But there’s a catch. Retatrutide is still experimental. It hasn’t been approved for use anywhere in the world, yet it’s already circulating through illicit online markets.

So is retatrutide a safe way to lose weight? Or does it bring more risks than rewards?

What is retatrutide?

Retatrutide, often shortened to “reta”, is a peptide that researchers are still testing in clinical trials. Peptides are short chains of amino acids that help your body heal wounds and reduce inflammation.

Retatrutide acts on three hormone pathways that affect your appetite, metabolism and blood sugar levels. The first is glucagon-like peptide-1, otherwise known as GLP-1. This hormone reduces appetite and slows down the rate at which food travels through your stomach. The second is GIP or glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, which helps regulate blood sugar and fat storage. Glucagon, which also helps manage your blood sugar levels, is the third.

By acting on these three hormones, retatrutide is designed to reduce both how much you eat and how much energy your body burns.

The results from early trials are striking. They suggest retatrutide may lead to even greater weight loss than current regulated therapeutic treatments. This includes an increasingly popular type of weight loss drug called semaglutide, widely known under brand names including Ozempic and Wegovy. In one 2023 trial, participants receiving higher doses lost more than 20% of their body weight over 48 weeks. But this trial was conducted in a tightly controlled clinical setting with medical supervision, carefully selected patients and regulated dosing. That’s very different from buying a product online and using it without guidance.

Read more: Injectable peptides are the new anti-ageing trend. But what evidence do we have they’re safe for humans?

Why are gym-goers interested?

For some, having a weekly retatrutide injection that suppresses appetite and increases fat loss is an attractive idea.

Losing a large amount of weight quickly can make people look leaner and, in some cases, more “defined” or “shredded”. This is especially appealing in aesthetics-focused cultures.

However, rapid weight loss doesn’t just mean losing fat. It often also reduces a person’s muscle mass, especially if they don’t eat enough protein or do enough resistance training. But many gym-goers want to build muscle, rather than lose it.

There’s also a psychological side to consider. Appetite suppression can make it easier to eat well, but it may also take away the joy of eating good food, especially in social settings. Recent research suggests retatrutide may affect a person’s mood, motivation and relationships. However, scientists don’t yet understand how or why.

Read more: 3 signs your diet is causing too much muscle loss – and what to do about it

Are there any risks?

Current research suggests retatrutide can cause several side effects. This is supported by anecdotal reports from social media. The most common side effects are gastrointestinal. These may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation.

These symptoms can be mild for some people, but severe for others. There has already been at least one reported case of a person dying, after they used the drug and developed severe diarrhoea. However, this case is still being investigated.

There’s also a lack of regulation controlling where, when and how people can access retatrutide. Enhancement drugs, including peptides such as retatrutide, sold online or through unofficial channels may be contaminated with other harmful materials. They may also have incorrect doses of retatrutide or contain none at all.

Earlier this week, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration specifically warned about the dangers of importing and using unapproved peptide products, both for consumers and suppliers.

Read more: Ozempic isn’t approved for weight loss in Australia. So how are people accessing it?

Could it affect your mood or relationships?

Based on some recent media reports, it seems peptides such as retatrutide may affect more than just appetite.

These medications act on brain pathways involved in reward and motivation. This means they might affect your desire to consume food or alcohol. Other research indicates peptides such as retatrutide may affect a person’s sexual drive. Some people describe feeling “flat” or emotionally detached, while others report negative changes in their relationships.

The bottom line

Current research suggests retatrutide can lead to significant weight loss. However, that’s not the same as becoming “shredded”. That relies on other factors such as prioritising resistance training, eating a protein-rich diet and staying hydrated.

– ref. Will retatrutide help me lose weight or look ‘shredded’? – https://theconversation.com/will-retatrutide-help-me-lose-weight-or-look-shredded-280580

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/04/17/will-retatrutide-help-me-lose-weight-or-look-shredded-280580/

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Damien Kingsbury, Emeritus Professor, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Deakin University

Among the cruel ironies of the Myanmar civil war, now in its sixth year, is that for an army that is struggling to conscript soldiers, the Myanmar junta has repeatedly bombed its own troops held as prisoners of war.

In this garrison state, it appears everything may be sacrificed to keep the military and its civilian front government – recently installed following widely discredited elections – in power.

There has been some impressive progress by the National Unity Government’s People’s Defence Force and allied ethnic armies against the military’s front organisation, the Union Solidarity and Development Party.

But after so many years, the Myanmar civil war is now at stalemate.

How did we get here?

The civil war began in February 2021 when the armed forces staged a coup against the elected civilian government headed by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

The civilian-led government had been elected in 2015, following more than five decades of military rule.

The army claimed (without evidence) there were irregularities in the 2020 elections and staged a coup months later.

For the army, allowing competitive elections in 2020 was intended as window dressing while it pursued business as usual.

It didn’t expect a genuine challenge to its deeply embedded role in the state. It had constitutionally reserved to itself the right to remove the civilian government at any time.

Since the coup, more than 90,000 people have been killed and more than three million displaced.

The army now only controls a little over a fifth of the country, but still holds most of the larger towns.

The civil war is, in many respects, a continuation of civil conflict dating back to the 1950s. Then, the government of the newly independent Burma was beset by an ethnic and communist insurgency. It soon lost control of almost all of its territory, except the Irrawaddy Valley.

In the face of political instability, the civilian government invited the army to rule the country for a year in 1960. Two years later, the army staged a coup. It stayed in power until 2015, before its recent return.

Two key factors hindering anti-junta forces

Over recent years, the successes of the anti-junta forces indicate they are in the ascendancy. Victory over the junta may just be a question of time.

However, two crucial factors may hinder their success.

The first is that when they take a strategic town or city, they’re often forced to relinquish it after being attacked by the junta’s Chinese- and Russian-supplied aircraft and drones.

Both sides use drones. However, the junta’s aircraft, as well as the sophistication of their drones, mean this is an unequal war.

Russia’s close support for the junta, and its military cooperation agreement signed in February, mean the Myanmar civil war also has an element of the Russia-Ukraine war about it.

With Russia openly supporting the junta, a small number of Ukrainian military advisers are now working with anti-junta groups.

The second and perhaps more crucial problem facing the anti-junta forces – some 16 major groups in all – has, until recently, been lack of unity and coordination.

In many cases, the ethnic resistance organisations have not coordinated with the anti-junta National Unity Government or its People’s Defence Forces.

There have also been instances of ethnic resistance organisations attacking each other, in some cases egged on by China.

For instance, the militarily successful Three Brotherhood Alliance was severely damaged when – at China’s request – the ethnic Kokang Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army attacked and disarmed its erstwhile allies, the ethnic Palaung Ta’ang National Liberation Army in northern Shan state.

However, a recently formed steering committee appears to be bringing together most of the anti-junta forces. A more coordinated push against the junta can be expected within months.

Part of the disunity among ethnic resistance organisations is linked to the fact many have long-established war economies, often based on illegal activities, which they are keen to continue or expand.

And the more territory an ethnic resistance organisation controls, the stronger its claim to representation in any future government.

This not only privileges the ethnic group each resistance organisation represents, but enhances the prospects of future business – and criminal – opportunities. These include drug manufacturing, timber and gem smuggling, and control over people smuggling and scam call centres.

One critical factor driving anti-junta forces is an agreement between the ethnic resistance organisations and the National Unity Government that a future Myanmar will be a highly decentralised federation.

This fundamental reordering of the state has led many anti-junta groups to characterise the civil war as a “revolution”.

Suspicion lingers, however, among some of the ethnic resistance organisations that the ethnic Burmese base may try to reassert centralised control.

The upper hand

Despite serious challenges, the anti-junta forces appear, on balance, to hold the upper hand.

As the junta loses ground, it will increasingly fall back on the central Irrawaddy Valley, between Mandalay and Yangon.

The question is whether the armed forces can rebuild from there.

The alternative is that more coordinated anti-junta forces lead to further battlefield successes, leading China to shift its considerable support from the junta to the National Unity Government and its allies.

In this, China will be pivotal.

– ref. The Myanmar civil war is at stalemate – but anti-junta forces may be gaining the upper hand – https://theconversation.com/the-myanmar-civil-war-is-at-stalemate-but-anti-junta-forces-may-be-gaining-the-upper-hand-277733

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/04/17/the-myanmar-civil-war-is-at-stalemate-but-anti-junta-forces-may-be-gaining-the-upper-hand-277733/

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emmy van Esch, Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Management and International Business, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

The ability to function effectively in intercultural settings has been termed “cultural intelligence” – and it is often celebrated as a kind of modern superpower.

But our latest research reveals a more complicated reality.

Previous research has largely highlighted the bright side of cultural intelligence, linking it to positive workplace outcomes such as improved performance.

But we found another side, and evidence of this in one of the most critical settings: healthcare.

We collected data from nurses working in New Zealand, a highly diverse country where nurses have to interact daily with patients, families and colleagues from a wide range of cultural backgrounds.

This diversity has grown even further after the COVID pandemic, with many internationally qualified nurses joining the workforce from around the world.

Cultural intelligence therefore seems essential. We expected it would help them perform better and feel more satisfied at work. But that is not what we found – which may have implications for the way cultural intelligence is taught.

What cultural intelligence means

Cultural intelligence consists of four dimensions.

Meta‑cognitive cultural intelligence refers to the mental processes we use to acquire and understand cultural knowledge. This is about being aware of our own thinking processes related to culture, questioning cultural assumptions and adapting our thinking patterns.

Cognitive cultural intelligence refers to knowledge of the norms, practices and conventions of different cultures. It involves knowing the similarities and differences between cultures.

Motivational cultural intelligence refers to the capability and willingness to learn about and function in culturally diverse situations.

Behavioural cultural intelligence refers to the capability to demonstrate appropriate verbal and non‑verbal actions when interacting with people from different cultural backgrounds.

When cultural knowledge backfires

Previous research has generally focused on cultural intelligence as a single construct and has shown positive associations with performance outcomes.

However, we found results are not consistent across the individual components of cultural intelligence.

Surprisingly, we found nurses with higher levels of cultural knowledge (cognitive cultural intelligence) actually performed worse and reported lower job satisfaction.

In other words, knowing more about cultural differences does not automatically translate to better care and may even get in the way.

We believe this suggests too much knowledge can backfire. Cultural knowledge may create cognitive overload, where nurses are overwhelmed by too much information.

It may also lead to cognitive entrenchment, where deep expertise fosters rigid thinking, making it harder to adapt to the unique needs of each patient.

This matters because healthcare workers often attend cultural knowledge training. In these training sessions, they are taught about cultural norms, values and differences in the belief that more knowledge will lead to better care. Our findings suggest this may not always be the case.

Why thinking about thinking matters

We also found evidence for the bright side of cultural intelligence.

Nurses who are more aware of and adapt their own thinking processes related to culture (meta‑cognitive cultural intelligence) performed better and reported higher job satisfaction.

We believe these nurses are better at understanding and interpreting cultural nuances, leading to fewer misunderstandings as they adjust their assumptions during patient interactions.

This likely contributes to improved job performance, as nurses can navigate cultural differences more effectively and provide culturally sensitive and appropriate care.

We also found motivational and behavioural cultural intelligence did not have a significant effect on job performance or job satisfaction.

This may be due to the specific nature of nursing work. Nurses often operate in environments with clearly defined roles and responsibilities, where core tasks are highly structured. This may reduce the need for high levels of intrinsic motivation or flexible behaviour to perform effectively.

Taken together, our findings challenge the idea that more cultural knowledge is always better. Deeper understanding of cultural norms, values and differences does not always lead to better care.

Instead, in high‑stakes intercultural work environments such as healthcare, cultural competence training needs to move beyond facts about other cultures.

Cultural competence is not merely about acquiring knowledge but about developing the reflective and adaptive capabilities necessary to navigate complex, culturally diverse environments.

In healthcare, that distinction matters more than we think.

– ref. Nurses with higher cultural competence don’t always perform better – new study – https://theconversation.com/nurses-with-higher-cultural-competence-dont-always-perform-better-new-study-279846

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/04/17/nurses-with-higher-cultural-competence-dont-always-perform-better-new-study-279846/