NewzIntel.com

Blog

  • MIL-OSI: EchoSense Quantitative Think Tank Center Expands Global Investment Solutions with Dr. Oliver James Montgomery

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Houston, TX, Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EchoSense Quantitative Think Tank Center, a leader in the financial technology industry, is proud to announce a significant milestone in its mission to provide innovative, data-driven tools that empower investors to make smarter decisions. This new initiative is designed to strengthen the company’s global presence, enabling EchoSense to offer precision-driven investment solutions tailored to a diverse range of market needs.

    The latest development builds on EchoSense’s commitment to advancing investment strategies by leveraging advanced analytics and market data. By integrating cutting-edge technologies and real-time insights, EchoSense aims to further support investors in navigating increasingly complex market conditions with greater confidence.

    EchoSense’s core strategy is centered on providing users with the most effective tools to maximize returns while minimizing risks. Through continuous innovation, the company ensures that its solutions remain adaptable to shifting market dynamics, enabling both individual and institutional investors to make more informed decisions in any economic environment. The driving force behind this new initiative is the ability to offer highly personalized investment tools, which are designed to cater to the specific needs of various market segments. Whether an investor is focusing on long-term growth, short-term opportunities, or managing a diversified portfolio, EchoSense’s tools ensure that strategies are not only data-backed but also continuously updated to reflect real-time market conditions.

    Founder Dr. Oliver James Montgomery shared his vision for the project:

    “We are excited to take this next step in EchoSense’s evolution. This initiative will significantly enhance our platform, providing our clients with even more advanced tools to simplify investment strategies and optimize their outcomes. Our mission remains focused on empowering investors with the tools they need to succeed in today’s fast-moving financial markets.”

    In addition to enhancing the platform’s technological capabilities, EchoSense continues to prioritize user education. The company offers a wide range of resources, including webinars, guides, and expert consultations, designed to help investors fully understand how to leverage its solutions. By offering ongoing training and support, EchoSense ensures that both novice and experienced investors are equipped to navigate the complexities of the financial world.

    EchoSense’s ongoing product development is designed to provide flexible solutions that cater to the evolving needs of investors. With a commitment to continuous refinement and optimization, the company ensures its products are always aligned with modern investment demands. This commitment to innovation means that EchoSense remains at the forefront of technological advancements in financial tools, constantly integrating feedback and insights from both industry professionals and investors.

    EchoSense also emphasizes collaboration within the investment community. By creating an environment where users can share insights, ask questions, and work together toward common goals, the company is fostering a dynamic ecosystem that promotes long-term growth and success. This collaborative approach, combined with a robust set of educational resources, helps ensure that investors are equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to leverage EchoSense’s platform effectively.

    The company’s approach also focuses on transparency, ensuring that users can fully understand the models and methodologies behind the tools they use. With an emphasis on clear communication and accessible data, EchoSense enables users to make decisions with confidence, backed by actionable insights.

    Looking ahead, EchoSense is focused on expanding its reach globally, aiming to bring its data-driven solutions to new markets. The company’s dedication to innovation and customer satisfaction positions it as a leader in the financial technology sector, helping investors navigate an increasingly complex landscape with confidence. EchoSense plans to continue its expansion by entering new regions, forging strategic partnerships, and offering even more advanced tools that will allow investors worldwide to optimize their strategies.

    https://www.echosenseai.com/

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What you need to know about the new implants to patch up failing hearts – is it really a ‘breakthrough’?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By John Martin, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, UCL

    There are many difficulties in converting any biological research into a medicine that will treat patients. Because of the complexity involved, these difficulties apply especially to translating cell research in the laboratory to a successful treatment for heart failure, where the heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly.

    The definitive treatment for heart failure is a heart transplant – a difficult and costly procedure. Pills are prescribed for the condition, but they only delay death and are not effective in changing the cause of the disease.

    Fifteen to 20 years ago, scientists started enthusiastically exploring the use of heart muscle precursor cells grown in the laboratory to transplant to the failing heart in the hope that they might make new heart muscle. Although results in animal tests were positive, they all failed in humans. Included in the failures was the one that my colleagues and I conducted.

    We’d had success with animal studies and even some positive results in small groups of patients. Buoyed by these results, we organised a randomised controlled trial – the gold standard for medical studies in humans.

    Our study was funded by the European Commission and entailed a massive effort by a large group of researchers across Europe. The result was that the therapy, which entailed injecting bone marrow cells into the heart muscle of patients who had had a heart attack, did not work.

    I was therefore surprised to read recently that an article in Nature on this subject had an enthusiastic reception in the press. It was variously described as “groundbreaking”, “remarkable” and a “major breakthrough”.

    The authors of the article report growing patches of heart muscle in the lab from precursor cells and then applying those patches to the hearts of monkeys that had had an induced heart attack, producing heart failure.

    A woman who’d had a heart attack in 2016 also had the procedure. Three months later, she had a heart transplant, allowing the researchers to analyse her heart.

    As this was the only case of a human receiving this treatment, and the procedure had failed, as the heart was removed from the patient, the title of the Nature article is perhaps too wide in its scope: Engineering heart muscle allografts for heart repair in primates and humans.

    It is noted that a senior author of the article declares that he has shares in the company that will commercialise any success. This conflict may have been declared, but it is still a potential conflict.

    Heart arrhythmia

    The article does not discuss previous attempts to use heart muscle precursor cells for treating heart failure in humans. In particular, the pioneering work in Paris of the surgeon Philippe Menasché who in 2003 reported in the Lancet that he had injected heart muscle precursor cells into the myocardium (heart muscle) of a patient with apparent success.

    He then published the results of a study where he repeated the same procedure in a larger group. The study was not successful. Menasché noted that some of the patients suffered from cardiac rhythm abnormalities following the procedure.

    There was much discussion in the field that the junctions between the transplanted cells and the patient’s own heart muscle cells might give rise to abnormal electrical activity that would unpredictably produce potentially fatal heart rhythm change.

    Because of the history of failure of cell therapy in human trials after positive tests in lab animals, the objective reader should regard results from animal experiments with scepticism.

    John Martin received funding from the European Commission for the BAMI trial.

    – ref. What you need to know about the new implants to patch up failing hearts – is it really a ‘breakthrough’? – https://theconversation.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-implants-to-patch-up-failing-hearts-is-it-really-a-breakthrough-248788

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ecuador election heads to runoff – Indigenous movement now holds key to the outcome

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Malvika Gupta, DPhil Candidate in the Department of International Development, University of Oxford

    Ecuador’s presidential election will go to a second round after the current president, Daniel Noboa, and the candidate for the left-wing Revolución Ciudadana (RC) party, Luisa González, received nearly identical shares of the vote.

    After more than three-quarters of the ballots had been counted, Noboa led the 16 candidates with 44.6% of the vote – short of the 50% needed to win outright. González trailed with 44.02%. A run-off to decide the winner is scheduled to take place in April.

    The election, which saw voters head to the polls for the third time in four years, took place against the backdrop of violence. Under Noboa’s two predecessors, who like him entered office with a neoliberal agenda, Ecuador became a narco-trafficking hub.

    It now has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. This fact was laid bare by the 2023 assassination of Fernando Villavicencio, one of the candidates in the snap presidential election called that year when the former president, Guillermo Lasso, dissolved congress in an attempt to escape impeachment.

    Noboa defeated González in an October 2023 runoff vote to see out Lasso’s term and then declared an “internal armed conflict” against criminal groups. He believed the only way to stop his country becoming a “narco-state” was with a hardline crackdown on organised crime groups.

    But the militarisation of Ecuador’s streets and prisons has led to serious human rights violations by security forces. In late 2024, for example, four Afro-Ecuadorian boys died in the coastal town of Guayaquil after being detained by the military. Human rights groups say this case has prompted a shift in public attitudes to Noboa’s war on the gangs.

    The rampant violence has been compounded by an energy crisis. Rolling blackouts instigated by a severe drought have raised questions about under-investment in Ecuador’s energy sector.

    A raid on the Mexican embassy in capital city Quito in April 2024 led to the detention of Ecuador’s fugitive former vice-president Jorge Glas. This has prompted concern about Noboa’s lackadaisical attitude towards international law.

    The result of the latest election was narrower than many polls had predicted. This suggests that the second round will be hard to call. But there are signs that the Ecuadorian left-wing, which has been divided for more than a decade, could be set to rally around González’s candidacy.

    A key reason for the spate of neoliberal presidents in Ecuador is the division between those supportive of the country’s former leftist leader, Rafael Correa, who led the country from 2007 to 2017, and those who oppose him.

    Indigenous voters, who make up roughly one-quarter of Ecuador’s electorate, helped Correa first come to power. And his government was successful in reducing extreme poverty and economic inequality.

    But conflict soon arose over his policies to fund social services through the extraction of natural resources. In 2012, Correa accused the country’s main Indigenous organisation, Conaie, of trying to destabilise Ecuador by protesting against mining plans.

    Correa also alienated Ecuador’s Indigenous movement by dismantling their hard-won intercultural bilingual education system in favour of mining revenue-funded education, as well as attempting to take control of water resources away from individual communities and give it to a new state agency.

    In response to protests, Correa’s government prosecuted Indigenous leaders, saying they were saboteurs and terrorists. So, since 2017, many Indigenous voters have combined with the right-wing to keep RC from power. The RC candidate has lost the last two elections despite entering the second round because they did not have the Indigenous vote.

    To break this impasse, RC participated in a dialogue with various left-wing parties, including the Indigenous-aligned Pachakutik political movement, to forge a unified electoral alliance for the 2025 election. These efforts did not result in a joint presidential bid. But they did lead to two favourable outcomes for the Ecuadorian left-wing.

    RC and Pachakutik agreed a pact not to attack each other or the smaller left-wing candidates during the election campaign. And they also pledged to consider supporting the candidate of the other party should they reach the second round.

    But this will, among other things, depend on how they manage their divergent positions on extractivism. RC sees the extraction of natural resources as one of the main economic pathways for Ecuador, while Pachakutik remains staunchly opposed.

    González has said she wants to accelerate the transition to clean energy, but has also recognised the importance of oil and gas to Ecuador. She supported the “no” vote during the 2023 referendum where Ecuadorians voted to halt oil drilling in the Yasuní national park, arguing that exploration should continue in the area.

    Pachakutik, on the other hand, seeks a post-extractive economic transition. The campaign of Pachakutik’s presidential candidate, Leonidas Iza, proposed boosting national agricultural and industrial production as an alternative to extractive capitalism. Iza envisions an economy based on harmony between humans and nature.

    A plurinational tide?

    Another area where RC and Pachakutik diverge is in their vision of plurinationality. Ecuador became the first country in the world to define itself as “plurinational” in 2008, adopting a new constitution that acknowledged the rights of nature as well as strengthening rights for Ecuador’s Indigenous peoples and other marginalised groups.

    But, since then, the application of plurinationalism has faced major obstacles – not least because of the commitment of successive governments to resource extraction.

    Pachakutik’s plurinational ethos was reflected in Iza’s election campaign. It featured images of a poncho-sporting Amazonian capybara threatened by extractivism, as well as rap songs of support by Afro-Ecuadorians living in coastal city slums. Plurinationalism was absent from – or certainly not central to – the electoral campaigns of most other candidates.

    Ecuador’s Indigenous movement will probably determine who becomes Ecuador’s next president. Whether or not RC will now take plurinationalism seriously and forge an alliance with Pachakutik remains to be seen.

    Malvika Gupta 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. Ecuador election heads to runoff – Indigenous movement now holds key to the outcome – https://theconversation.com/ecuador-election-heads-to-runoff-indigenous-movement-now-holds-key-to-the-outcome-248974

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: There isn’t enough ‘sustainable’ aviation fuel to make a dent in our emissions – and there won’t be for years

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ben Purvis, Research Associate, Sustainability Assessment, University of Sheffield

    Most of this fuel is currently made from used cooking oil. Scharfsinn / shutterstock

    The UK chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has described so-called sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as a “game changer”. As she announced government support for a series of airport expansions, she said that the fuel “can reduce carbon emissions from flying by 70%”.

    This number is misleading. Optimistic estimates do suggest that fully replacing fossil jet fuel with its sustainable alternative could lead to total savings of around 70%. But it will be hard to produce enough SAF to make a difference on that sort of scale. Even if the UK meets its ambitious targets, an annual saving of 7% by 2030 is more plausible.

    SAF is synthetic liquid fuel derived from something other than fossil fuels. These inputs have to be processed into a liquid that can be burned safely while also storing a lot of energy for its weight, since minimising weight is crucial. This is why long-haul electric battery-powered planes are unlikely to take off any time soon.

    The UK classifies three major pathways for creating sustainable aviation fuel. It can be derived from oils or fats, including used cooking oil or tallow. It can come from other sorts of material, such as municipal solid waste, agricultural residues, or sewage. Or it can be made from hydrogen and captured carbon using renewable electricity.

    SAF can also be produced from bioenergy crops, and products such as palm oil. However the UK won’t certify it as sustainable, due to concerns about land use and impacts on wildlife.

    Emissions that would have occurred anyway

    Burning SAF actually emits a similar amount of CO₂ to fossil jet fuel. Instead, most savings come from how we account for the waste and renewable energy that is used to produce it.

    Waste emits greenhouse gases anyway, sustainable fuel supporters argue. So why not have those emissions do something useful, like power a plane?
    Jenya Smyk/shutterstock

    SAF fundamentally relies on assumptions that if waste or energy crops were not used to make this fuel, they would be incinerated, would degrade, or would in some way release their embodied carbon anyway. In the case of fuel derived from renewable energy and captured carbon, it assumes that carbon came from the atmosphere in the first place. This allows these emissions to be deducted from the total impact of SAF, leading to lower emissions than conventional aviation fuel.

    Is sustainable aviation fuel even sustainable?

    Estimates of how much greenhouse gas SAF could cut vary greatly due to the many different ways it can be produced, and the complexities of accounting for emissions across the entire life cycle from waste, to fuel production, to plane engine. A 2023 review by the Royal Society illustrates this nicely. It found SAF could at best produce effectively negative emissions (a 111% reduction), while at worst it could be more carbon intensive than fossil kerosene jet fuel (a 69% increase).

    While policy incentives are likely to encourage increased production, there remain serious concerns that will need to be addressed before SAF can become a serious competitor for conventional jet fuel. There are hard limits to the amount of used cooking oil available for instance, and the use of other feedstocks is still in its infancy.

    Meanwhile any renewable energy used to make the fuel will have to compete with growing demand from electric vehicles, AI data centres and more. And there are big worries the industry simply won’t be profitable enough to attract initial capital investment, let alone take on its well-established rival.

    UK SAF production

    Coming into effect in January, the UK’s SAF mandate sets legal obligations for aviation fuel suppliers in the UK to progressively increase proportions of sustainable fuel, from 2% of total jet fuel in 2025 to 10% in 2030, and 22% in 2040.

    This is one of a growing number of commitments globally, including RefuelEU, and the US SAF grand challenge, which seek to increase demand and encourage more investment in production.

    As of 2023, 97% of the UK’s supply is derived from used cooking oil, with the rest from food waste. Only 8% of this cooking oil is sourced from the UK, with most being imported from China and Malaysia. The UK also comprises 16% of the global SAF market, despite representing only 1% of total passengers.

    Currently, the only commercial producer of SAF in the UK is the Phillips 66 Humber Refinery which processes used cooking oil. The previous government allocated £135 million of funding to nine projects, aiming to have five plants under construction by 2025. Despite several projects selecting sites, at the time of writing none appear to be under construction.

    In an industry with razor-thin profit margins, SAF remains considerably more expensive than conventional aviation fuel. With potential producers filing for bankruptcy and companies including Shell pulling out due to profitability concerns, the market is looking rocky.

    A 7% saving is more plausible

    Let us assume that Rachel Reeves’ 70% saving is deliverable if fossil jet fuel was fully replaced with SAF. That’s optimistic in itself, but not beyond the realms of possibility.

    Getting hold of that much sustainable fuel is less plausible, however – the total demand for jet fuel in the UK is more than ten times the current global production of SAF. But let’s assume that the rocky global market can deliver the UK’s ambitious demand of 10% SAF use by 2030.

    Reeves’ figure then becomes an optimistic value of 7% savings across the UK industry. If we then correct for anticipated growth of passenger numbers, assuming plans for airport expansion, those savings are likely to vanish.

    While SAF has a role to play in decarbonisation, growth sits in clear opposition to its impacts and potential. If the UK has any hope of meeting its climate targets, it should instead be seeking alternatives to flying where possible.

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

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Ben Purvis receives funding from the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment.

    – ref. There isn’t enough ‘sustainable’ aviation fuel to make a dent in our emissions – and there won’t be for years – https://theconversation.com/there-isnt-enough-sustainable-aviation-fuel-to-make-a-dent-in-our-emissions-and-there-wont-be-for-years-249270

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘We’d just switch everything off’: six in ten social housing tenants go without essentials to pay rent

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Paul Hickman, Professor of Housing and Social Policy, Sheffield Hallam University

    Shutterstock

    The social housing sector in England houses 4 million tenants (16% of the country’s households). The sector is home to some of the UK’s most vulnerable and poorest households, and paying rent is one of the biggest challenges they face. If they do not pay, they risk being evicted from their homes.

    Recent research we carried out for the Nuffield Foundation highlights the difficulties many tenants face paying their rent, and the sacrifices they have to make to do so.

    We surveyed more than 1,200 tenants across 15 neighbourhoods in England, and found that 9% were in rent arrears. However, this figure dramatically underestimates the number of tenants who were finding it difficult to pay their rent: 61% had gone without essentials, such as food and heating, in order to pay it in the last year.

    The financial situation of tenants has become more difficult in recent years due to a combination of cost-of-living increases, including rapidly rising food and energy prices, and real-term reductions in salary due to increasingly precarious employment. Some 43% of tenants we surveyed regularly ran out of money before their next wage or benefit payment.

    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.

    Sign up for our weekly politics newsletter, delivered every Friday.

    In-depth interviews revealed that many tenants ran out of money before their basic needs (rent, household bills, food, clothing and travel to work or school) had been met. In these cases, they had to make difficult decisions, sometimes choosing between paying their rent – the highest priority payment for most – or meeting other basic needs.

    Nearly half (46%) of tenants had made the difficult decision to cut back on their heating expenditure so they could pay their rent. Tenants reported turning off appliances and using hot water sparingly:

    “I had to turn the heating off today. As the last bit of money I had was used to buy packed lunch things for my daughter for school.”

    They reported a range of strategies for keeping warm without using their gas or electricity, including sitting in sleeping bags, wearing thermal clothing and thick jumpers indoors, covering themselves with blankets and fleeces and using hot water bottles.

    Those who did use their heating reported putting it on for just one hour. One woman with a seven-month-old baby reported using the “heating minimal, mainly at night when the temperatures really drop, so I just keep him wrapped up usually.”

    Tenants also reported using their electricity minimally, not watching television, boiling the kettle if I need to do the washing up and sitting with the lights off:

    “[We] switch everything of … We would switch the TVs off … We’d just switch everything off as much as we could. We wouldn’t use the lights. We’d just use the torches on our phones.”

    ‘One meal a day’

    Some 43% of tenants reported that they had cut back on their food spending in order to pay their rent. Some reported that they skipped meals – “I eat I’d say one meal a day at teatime,” – or not eating adequately, for example, eating insufficient portions or toast in place of an evening meal.

    One woman reported going without meals at one point in order to pay rent: “I’d sooner do without food myself to do the council [rent] cos they’re on your back.”

    Tenants reported running out of money for food or replacing substantial cooked dinners with snacks:

    “Well, I used to do myself a proper meal every evening, but now I just do it two times a week … and I have beans on toast or something like that.”

    There were also many examples of participants doing without nutritious food because it was more expensive than processed food. These tenants were very aware of the lower nutritional value of the food they were buying and lamented not being able to afford the fresh food they preferred.

    This included pregnant women and people with children, for whom nutritious food is particularly important. Recognising this, some talked about buying healthier food for their children than for themselves when they could.

    Participants in our study reported that they bought unhealthy processed foods because they could not afford fresh food.
    1000 Words/Shutterstock

    National income and tenancy standards

    Our research shows that most tenants are committed to paying their rent, prioritising it at a cost to their and their family’s health and wellbeing. Only by improving tenants’ financial circumstances will the situation change.

    One step towards this would be for the government to endorse the minimum income standard, a level of income that allows people to “thrive” and not merely “survive”. The government should use this standard to determine benefit rates and the national minimum wage, alongside measures to provide people with greater job security.

    Our research has shown that many tenants have only been able to sustain their tenancies by going without. But can we really say someone is sustaining their tenancy, if their home is cold and damp because they cannot afford to heat their homes? They are using mobile phones torches for lighting? They are skipping meals?

    Social housing landlords must rethink how they understand tenancy sustainment. It shouldn’t just be about how long tenants stay in a property, but about the quality of their life while in it.

    The research discussed in this article was funded by the Nuffield Foundation. Paul Hickman 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.

    The research discussed in this article was funded by the Nuffield Foundation. Kesia Reeve 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. ‘We’d just switch everything off’: six in ten social housing tenants go without essentials to pay rent – https://theconversation.com/wed-just-switch-everything-off-six-in-ten-social-housing-tenants-go-without-essentials-to-pay-rent-248618

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: While the world is distracted by Trump, here’s how Putin and Musk are weakening European democracies

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham

    In an unprecedented decision on December 6 2024, the Romanian constitutional court annulled the November 25 presidential elections after it received credible intelligence of large-scale external interference rigging the results of the first round in favour of a hardly-known far-right candidate, Calin Georgescu.

    Georgescu’s massive last-minute surge was largely blamed on the creation of thousands of paid-for Russian-controlled bots on TikTok and illegal campaign financing.

    This may seem like last year’s news, but with elections coming up in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, and possibly even Ukraine, there’s plenty to worry about – apart from a new US president who is disrupting Washington (and the world) with a flurry of executive orders and foreign policy initiatives that feel more like real estate sales pitches.

    Concerns about Russian election interference are nothing new, but so far the picture of Moscow’s success is rather mixed.

    Back in January 2017, the US intelligence community was confident that Russia had interfered in the 2016 presidential elections to get Donald Trump elected. The following year, similar accusations arose in the context of presidential elections in France. But in France, the Kremlin failed to prevent the victory of Emmanuel Macron.

    More recently, in Georgia, the incumbent government of the Georgian Dream party won the parliamentary elections in October 2024 after alleged Russian interference. This sparked widespread protests and a government crackdown on media and civil society.

    By contrast, despite alleged Russian interference in Moldova, the country’s pro-western president won a second term in November 2024. A referendum on a constitutional commitment to EU membership was supported by a razor-thin majority of voters.



    Read more:
    Maia Sandu’s victory in second round of Moldovan election show’s limits to Moscow’s meddling

    Opinion polls on perceptions of Russia and Vladimir Putin across western democracies also offer some solace. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center in 2024, positive views of Russia and its leader remain very low across EU and Nato member countries. At the same time, approval ratings of the EU and Nato remained high among member countries’ citizens.

    But these relatively comforting headline figures mask important, and somewhat worrying, trends. In Germany, which holds early parliamentary elections on February 23, positive views of Putin more than doubled from 8% in 2023 to 17% in 2024. This is still a far cry from the 76% who approved of Putin in 2003 or even the 36% who did so in 2019, according to the same survey. The German increase is an outlier among the 13 EU members, but in only one of them – Italy – did support for Putin drop, compared with the previous year.



    Read more:
    Why Romania’s election was annulled – and what happens next?

    The same goes for support for the EU and Nato. The median level of support for the EU across nine member states surveyed stands at 63%, with 36% of participants holding unfavourable views. Germany, with 63% favourable views, however, recorded the second consecutive decline, down from 78% in 2022 and 71% in 2023. And Germany is less of an outlier here – favourable views of the EU among member states have generally declined somewhat over the past two years.

    Musk speaks at an AfD rally.

    When it comes to Nato, 63% of survey participants in 13 member countries thought more positively of the alliance, while 33% had more negative views. But again, with the exception of Hungary and Canada (where favourability went up), the share of those with favourable views had declined by between two and eight percentage points since last year.

    Does this mean that Putin is winning? No, at least not yet. Attitude surveys are less important than election results.

    Russia appears to have had some recent success in changing election outcomes, for instance in Romania where Romanian intelligance services discovered evidence of voter manipulation. But the Romanian example (in annulling the election) is also illustrative of how important it is for democracies to fight back – and even more importantly to take preventive action.

    And this is a lesson that seems to have sunk in. On January 30, the foreign ministers of 12 EU member states sent a joint letter to Brussels urging the European Commission to make more aggressive use of its powers under the Digital Services Act to protect the integrity of democratic elections in the bloc. Article 25 of that act, crucially, establishes an obligation on online platforms to design their services free from deception and manipulation and ensure that users can make informed decisions.

    While the commission has yet to demonstrate its resolve under the Digital Services Act, a Berlin court on February 7 2025, ordered that X must hand over data needed to track disinformation to two civil society groups who had requested it.

    Musk and Putin: shared values?

    If Putin is winning, he is not winning on his own. Democracies are not only under threat from Russia. Musk – an unelected billionaire wielding unprecedented influence under Donald Trump – has repeatedly been accused of interfering in European debates and election campaigns. Of his comments on the German election, Musk has argued that as he has significant investments in Germany he has the right to comment on its politics and that the AfD “resonates with many Germans who feel their concerns are ignored by the establishment”.

    What Musk and Putin have in common is their deep dislike of open liberal democracies and a cunning ability to employ technology to further their goals by promoting political parties and movements that share their illiberal views.

    Where they differ is that Musk focuses on the far right – Germany’s AfD or the UK’s Tommy Robinson. But Putin tends to back whoever he sees as serving Russian interests in weakening western unity and influence. This leads to the Kremlin lending support to leaders on both the far right and far left.

    But often Putin’s and Musk’s proteges are the same. In the case of the German AfD, it was no accident that Putin echoed comments from a speech Musk gave at an AfD election rally, saying that Germans should move beyond their war guilt. Both were keen to remove the stain of being too close to Germany’s Nazi past from the AfD and make it not just electable but also respectable enough to bring into a coalition, much like Austria’s far-right Freedom Party which has a long history of friendly relations with Putin.

    And what Musk can do openly on X, Putin tries to achieve with a campaign of his bot army on the platform.

    Perhaps the most significant similarity between Musk and Putin – and others who have been accused of election interference – is that they tap into a growing reservoir of discontent with liberal democracy.

    According to a 2024 survey of 31 democracies worldwide, 54% of participants were dissatisfied with how they saw democracy working. In 12 high-income countries – Canada, US, and 10 EU member states – dissatisfaction was even higher with 64% and has been increasing for the fourth consecutive year.

    Pushing back against the kind of blatant election interference by the likes of Putin and Musk is clearly important. But it will not be enough to reverse persistent trends of decline in the support for democracy and its standard bearers including the EU and Nato. It is right to resist and prosecute election rigging. But it is also crucial to ask why people are dissatisfied with democracy – and to do something about it.

    Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

    – ref. While the world is distracted by Trump, here’s how Putin and Musk are weakening European democracies – https://theconversation.com/while-the-world-is-distracted-by-trump-heres-how-putin-and-musk-are-weakening-european-democracies-249400

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What public-private-partnership scandals can tell us about wrongdoing in the water industry

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Daniel Fisher, Assistant Professor in Management, University of Sussex

    Jory Mundy/Shutterstock.com

    Water bills are going up in England and Wales, even after the series of scandals around water companies. Last year water firms paid £158 million in fines following a record-breaking number of sewage dumps in rivers and seas.

    Severn Trent Water and United Utilities alone reportedly made 1,374 illegal sewage spills over two years. (Both companies took issue with the analysis that led to this figure but acknowledged concerns about sewage discharges.)

    There have been other notable incidents. Whistleblowers have told of water companies that fail to treat legally required amounts of sewage and divert that sewage to public waterways. To add to the disgrace, water companies have generally failed to invest enough in the UK’s water infrastructure.

    Research suggests that governments have been pressured to become more “business-like”. This has given rise to the use of public-private partnerships (PPPs) to run important public services, such as water, transport and even prisons. Water companies in England and Wales are private companies that bid for their contracts, while in Scotland, the water provider is a public organisation.

    While other findings show that PPPs can support important public service needs, such as public health, research by my colleagues and I examines a consistent pattern in UK PPP scandals and wrongdoing. Over the past decade and a half, billions of pounds of taxpayers’ funds are unaccounted for. This appears to be largely because private interests have been prioritised over public needs.

    As a researcher of PPP wrongdoing, the reasons for many of the scandals seem obvious. My colleagues and I studied parliamentary inquiries and reports that have scrutinised PPP wrongdoing. This research can tell us a great deal about the UK’s predicament with regard to the failings in the water industry.

    The first lesson is that, in general, many PPPs are motivated actually to reduce the quality of the services they deliver. One parliamentary inquiry found that contracting services out from the public to the private sector had become a “transactional process” where cost-cutting is favoured and the “knock-on cost” to users results in a lower-quality public service.

    Other findings showed that companies regularly reduced the quality of a service to maximise profits. One way was to bid for a public service at a low price. A Public Accounts Committee member observed that companies coming in with low quotes for contracts can end up damaging services by under-investing in them.

    Another example is Sodexo – a private prison management provider. It cut employee numbers by around 200 and a subsequent BBC Panorama documentary detailed escapes and widespread drug use in the prisons they managed and also criticised a lack of safety for both prisoners and prison officers. Sodexo acknowledged the programme had highlighted problems and said it would investigate, but added that there had been “positive actions and improvements” already.

    Similar practices were observed at a children’s prison run by security firm G4S, where an officer was left with brain damage after an attack by inmates. G4S admitted liability for the officer’s injuries and agreed a settlement with him.

    Pay the fine, it’s cheaper

    The second lesson is it can be cost-effective to breach contracts and pay fines. Companies sometimes breach the terms of their public-private contracts because it’s in their economic interest. This even has a name – economists call it “efficiency breach”.

    For instance, a parliamentary report found that between 2010 and 2016 G4S was fined 100 times for breaching contracts – paying out roughly £3 million. As one MP suggested, these fines compared to its profits are a “slap on the wrist”. The same has been said of water companies.

    When observing the fines in comparison to the profitable contracts, it’s easy to posit what the motivations of many in the UK’s public service system are. In 2017, despite previous indictments of wrongdoing, G4S won £25 million of government contracts.

    In 2020 the firm won another £300 million contract to run Wellingborough “mega-prison” in England. Despite some raised eyebrows, G4S said at the time it aimed to make the site a blueprint for “innovation, rehabilitation and modernisation” in the prison service.

    Pay the shareholders, invest later

    The third lesson is that shareholders are more important than long-term investments in a service. This is perhaps the most notable feature of the UK’s public service system, where a vast array of shareholders benefit from the profits made by PPPs. In one of the parliamentary reports we analysed, which details the collapse of the facilities management firm Carillion, it was clear that shareholders’ interests trumped good management and long-term investment.

    As was noted in the report, despite Carillion’s collapse, the firm paid out £333 million more to shareholders than it generated in cash between 2012 and 2017. Often, this shareholder primacy can even go against a firm’s own employees rather than just the state and taxpayers. One MP noted that despite its pension scheme being in deficit, shareholders were still receiving dividends.

    Often, shareholders are prioritised because of short-term thinking. These processes can lead to firms passing these bad practices down their supply chains.

    The behaviour of water companies is suggestive of these dynamics. Since water companies have been privatised, they have loaded themselves up with debt (£64 billion) but paid out £78 billion to shareholders. Some 70% of these shareholders are “foreign investment firms, private equity, pension funds and businesses lodged in tax havens”.

    Water companies could give the UK’s rivers, estuaries and seas representation at board level.
    jimcatlinphotography.com/Shutterstock

    So what should be done? There are plenty of ways to enhance and improve the UK’s PPP problems. The most obvious may be to renationalise public services and renew the quality of public services through New Deal-style investments. After all, this is what what most of the UK electorate wants.

    There are other options. An innovative and exciting frontier is opening for businesses to recognise their environmental responsibilities – initiatives in New Zealand, India and Ecuador are giving the status of personhood to rivers and ecosystems, for example.

    Outdoor fashion brand Patagonia has “the Earth” as its only shareholder, and hair and skincare brand Faith in Nature has appointed nature to its board. Imagine if the UK’s water companies had the rivers and seas represented.

    In the end, only time will tell how water companies will be held accountable. But for the moment it’s the UK taxpayer and consumer paying the price.

    G4S was approached about this article but declined to comment.

    Daniel Fisher receives funding from the Leverhulme/British Academy for his work with heritage steam train drivers, which is unrelated to his research on PPP wrongdoing.

    – ref. What public-private-partnership scandals can tell us about wrongdoing in the water industry – https://theconversation.com/what-public-private-partnership-scandals-can-tell-us-about-wrongdoing-in-the-water-industry-249218

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How the brain can miraculously switch off pain

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol

    Jack FotoVerse/Shutterestock

    In the second world war, the physician Henry Beecher observed that some of his soldier patients, despite being injured on the battlefield, required no strong painkillers to manage their pain. In some cases, the injury was as severe as losing part of a limb.

    A truly remarkable phenomenon had come into play – the effects of fear, stress and emotion on the brain had switched off their pain. But how does this work – and how can we use it to our advantage?

    We all struggle with pain at times. The burning of indigestion, the wince of a scald from the kettle. The sharp stabbing of a sliced finger.

    But despite its unpleasantness, pain has a critically important purpose, designed to protect the body rather than harm it. A fundamental concept to first understand is that you do not detect pain – it is a sensation. A sensation that your brain has created – from information it receives from the countless neurons (nerve cells) which supply your skin.

    These specialised neurons are called nociceptors – they detect stimuli which are noxious, or potentially damaging to the body. This stimulation might range from a mechanical cut or crush injury, to extreme hot or cold temperatures.

    So, if you touch a hot iron, or stand on a sharp nail, the correct reaction is to move your hand or foot away from it. The brain responds to pain by initiating muscle contractions in your arm or leg. In doing so, any further damage is averted.

    The course of information, rushing along one neuron to another in a relay, is carried as electrical currents called action potentials. These begin at the skin, travel along nerve highways and into the spinal cord. When the information reaches the uppermost level of the brain – the cerebral cortex – a sensation of pain is generated.

    Blocking pain signals

    Many different factors can interfere with this transmission of information – we don’t perceive pain if the route to the cortex is blocked. Take the use of anaesthetics, for instance.

    Local anaesthetics are injected directly into the skin to deactivate nociceptors (like lidocaine) – perhaps in A+E to perform stitches. Other agents induce a loss of consciousness – these are general anaesthetics, for more extensive surgical operations.

    Pain is also a very variable experience. Commonly, we ask patients to quantify their pain by giving a value along a scale of nought to ten.
    What one person would consider a five out of ten pain, another might consider a seven – and another a two.

    Some patients are born without the ability to sense pain – this rare condition is called congenital analgesia. You might think this confers an advantage, but the truth is quite the opposite. These individuals will be unaware of circumstances where their bodies are being damaged, and can end up sustaining more profound injuries, or missing them entirely and suffering the consequences.

    How to trick your brain

    What is more extraordinary is that we all possess an innate ability to control our pain levels. In fact, a natural painkiller is found deep within the nervous system itself.

    The secret lies in a structure located in the very middle of your brain: the periaqueductal grey (PAG). This small, heart-shaped region contains neurons whose role is to alter incoming pain signals reaching the cerebral cortex. In doing so, it is able to dampen down any pain that would otherwise be experienced.

    Let’s consider this in practice using the extreme example of the battlefield. This is an instance where sensing pain might actually prove more of a hindrance than of help. It might hamper a soldier’s ability to run, or assist comrades. In temporarily numbing the pain, the soldier becomes able to escape the dangerous environment and seek refuge.

    But we encounter many examples of this ability coming into action in our everyday routines. Ever picked something in the kitchen that you suddenly realise is extremely hot? Sometimes that casserole dish or saucepan descends to the floor, but sometimes we are able to hold on just long enough to transfer it to the stove-top. This action may be underpinned by the PAG shutting off the sensation of clasping something too hot to handle, just long enough to prevent dropping it.

    The substances which generate this effect are called enkephalins. They are produced in many different areas of the brain (including the PAG) and spinal cord, and may have similar actions to strong analgesics such as morphine. It has also been suggested that long term or chronic pain – which is persistent and not useful to the body – might arise as a result of abnormalities within this natural analgesic system.

    This begs the question: how might you go about hacking your own nervous system to produce an analgesic effect?

    There is growing evidence to suggest that the release of painkilling enkephalins can be enhanced in a variety of different ways. Exercise is one example – one of the reasons why prescribed exercise might be able to work wonders for aches and pains (backache for instance) instead of popping paracetamols.

    Besides this, stressful situations, feeding and sex might also affect the activity of enkephalins and other related compounds.

    So, how could we go about it? Take up strength or endurance training? Alleviate our stress? Good food? Good sex? While more work is needed to clarify a role for these options in pain management, their reward might be greater than we thought.

    Pain remains a complex, poorly understood experience, but the future is bright. Only last month, the FDA approved the use of a new medication Journavx for managing acute pain.

    It works by switching off nociceptors in the peripheral nervous system, and therefore preventing pain signals getting to the brain. This represents a potential new breakthrough in a world which has become dependent on addictive opioid medications, such as morphine and fentanyl.

    Developing new painkilling treatments relies on the work of pain researchers to help unravel the intricate neuronal circuitry and function. There is no denying that this is going to be difficult task. But in considering the neuroscience of how our bodies generate and suppress pain, we can hope to understand how they can act as their own healers.

    Dan Baumgardt 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. How the brain can miraculously switch off pain – https://theconversation.com/how-the-brain-can-miraculously-switch-off-pain-248333

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Rubio meets with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    Secretary of State Marco A. Rubio meets with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty at the Department of State, on February 10, 2025.

    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

    The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

    Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statedept
    X: https://x.com/StateDept
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/statedept
    Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/statephotos/

    Subscribe to the State Department Blog: https://www.state.gov/blogs
    Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
    Subscribe to The Week at State e-newsletter: http://ow.ly/diiN30ro7Cw

    State Department website: https://www.state.gov/
    Careers website: https://careers.state.gov/
    White House website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/
    Terms of Use: https://state.gov/tou

    #StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiX3RPJitb4

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Federal Court Orders Florida Man to Pay Over $7.6 Million for Digital Asset Fraud

    Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today announced the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts entered a consent order against Randall Crater of Heathrow, Florida. 
    The order requires Crater to pay over $7.6 million in restitution to defrauded victims in connection with his digital asset fraud scheme, with dollar-for-dollar credit for restitution payments to victims in satisfaction of the restitution ordered in a parallel criminal action. The order also imposes a permanent injunction against Crater and bans him from trading in any CFTC-regulated markets, entering into any transactions involving commodity interests or digital asset commodities, and registering with the CFTC. 
    The consent order finds from at least January 2014 through January 2018, Crater, together with other defendants named in CFTC’s amended complaint, operated a digital asset scheme in which they fraudulently offered the sale of a fully functioning virtual currency, My Big Coin, a commodity in interstate commerce. 
    Crater obtained more than $7.6 million from at least 28 customers through fraudulent solicitations, including false and misleading claims and omissions about MBC’s value, use and trade status, and that MBC was backed by gold. He spent the misappropriated money to purchase, among other things, a home, antiques, fine art, jewelry, and other luxury goods.
    The consent order resolves the claims against Crater in the CFTC’s enforcement action against him and co-defendants Mark Gillespie, My Big Coin Pay, Inc., My Big Coin, Inc., John Roche, and Michael Kruger. [See CFTC Press Release 7678-18.] The enforcement action remains pending against the co-defendants.
    The CFTC cautions that orders requiring repayment of funds to victims may not result in the recovery of any money lost because the wrongdoers may not have sufficient funds or assets. The CFTC will continue to fight vigorously for the protection of customers and to ensure wrongdoers are held accountable.
    Parallel Criminal Action
    On Jan. 18, 2022, a grand jury returned an eight-count superseding indictment charging Crater with wire fraud, unlawful monetary transactions, and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business based on the same conduct alleged in CFTC’s amended complaint. [United States v. Randall Crater, No. 1:19-cr-10063-DJC (D. Mass. Jan. 18, 2022)).] Crater was found guilty of those charges on July 21, 2022, and was sentenced to over eight years in prison and ordered to pay $7.6 million in restitution to defrauded customers and to forfeit $7.6 million, which represented the proceeds he received from his violations.
    The CFTC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and the FBI.
    Division of Enforcement staff responsible for this case are Traci Rodriguez, Jonah E. McCarthy, Patricia Gomersall, Daniel Ullman II, Paul G. Hayeck, and former staff members Jason Mahoney, John Einstman, Kyong J. Koh, and Hillary Van Tassel.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Winter Weather Advisory for Oregon: Falling Branches and Power Line Precautions

    Source: US State of Oregon

    regon residents are bracing for continued winter storms bringing heavy snow, ice, and increased risks of falling tree branches and downed power lines. Emergency management officials urge the public to remain alert, be properly prepared for winter driving, and follow safety guidelines to protect homes, vehicles, and personal well-being.

    Risk of Falling Branches

    Many regions in Oregon are experiencing snowfall and ice buildup on trees. The added weight can cause branches—or even entire trees—to snap unexpectedly. Falling branches pose a danger to:

    • Vehicles: Branches can damage cars, so avoid parking under trees whenever possible.
    • Pedestrians: Tree limbs can break without warning, so be extra cautious when walking outdoors.
    • Power lines: Branches falling onto power lines may cause electrical hazards or widespread outages.

    Downed branches can disrupt utility lines, potentially leading to extended power outages. To prepare:

    • Stock up on essentials: Have flashlights, batteries, portable chargers, and blankets ready in case the lights go out.
    • Keep extra supplies: If safe to do so, store a few days’ worth of food and water, especially in rural areas where utility restoration may be delayed.
    • Stay informed: Monitor local weather updates through official channels. Follow any advisories from the National Weather Service or your local emergency management office.

    What to Do if a Power Line Falls

    A downed power line is extremely dangerous. If you see or suspect a live wire has fallen on your property, car, or near your home:

    • Stay away and call for help: Immediately call 911 and report the downed line. Then contact your local utility provider. Do not approach or attempt to move the line. Even if it appears inactive, it could still be energized.
    • If a power line falls on your car: Stay inside your vehicle. Do not step out unless there is an urgent threat like a fire. If you must exit (e.g., due to fire), open the door carefully, jump out without touching the car and the ground at the same time, then land with your feet together. Shuffle or hop away, keeping both feet close together to minimize electrical risk.
    • Keep others clear: Alert neighbors and passersby to the hazard. Set up a safe perimeter, if possible, to prevent anyone from accidentally coming into contact with the live wire.

    General Safety Tips

    • Use caution around trees: Weakened limbs can break at any moment—keep an eye on overhead branches and fallen debris.
    • Dress in layers: Winter conditions can change quickly, and frostbite can occur if you’re not properly protected from the cold.
    • Only travel when necessary: If travel is absolutely necessary, drive with extreme caution and be prepared for sudden changes in visibility. Leave plenty of room between you and the motorist ahead of you and allow extra time to reach your destination. Check road conditions before driving and let someone know your route if you must travel.

    Stay safe, everyone! By keeping these precautions in mind—avoiding falling branches, staying prepared for power outages, and knowing what to do if a power line falls—you can help protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community during Oregon’s challenging winter conditions.

    Additional Resources:

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: SOAX Releases Real-Time Data Extraction for Shopee, Outperforms Other Web Scrapers

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SOAX, the leading intelligent data extraction and collection platform, today announced the availability of a new scraper API product to extract data from Shopee, the leading ecommerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. Initial tests show the new SOAX Shopee Scraper API outperforms other web data scrapers for a fraction of the cost.

    Shopee is one of the most popular ecommerce sites serving Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore, as well as South American markets like Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Chile. Real-time access to detailed product, review and pricing data is essential to remain competitive. Web data scraping is the most effective way to monitor ecommerce competitors. It’s also the best way to monitor the minimum advertised price (MAP) to ensure others aren’t underselling your brand. Businesses also analyze scraped reviews to gain valuable insights on how to improve their products.

    The SOAX Shopee Scraper API has been shown to achieve higher success rates at a cost three to six times lower than other solutions. SOAX accesses the Shopee API, gathering all available data rather than just what’s on the web page. The result is a comprehensive view. SOAX uses proprietary, adaptive AI technology to unblock sites using constant fingerprint generation, self-healing proxies, and custom browser builds. And, thanks to SOAX’s vast network of 191 million proxy servers, the Shopee Scraper API is capable of scaling to millions of requests per day for virtually unlimited data gathering. Pricing starts as low as $1 per thousand requests, compared to $3 from the closest competitors.

    “Access to accurate Shopee data is essential for any e-tailer to stay competitive,” said Anton Rachitskiy, Vice President of Data Products for SOAX. “We are delighted to be able to add a Shopee to Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart, and our other ecommerce scraper APIs. Our customers are already benefiting from SOAX’s superior speed and accuracy in web data gathering, along with our highly reliable proxy network boasting 99.9% uptime.”

    Shopee is the latest addition to SOAX’s more than 50 scraper APIs for ecommerce, search engines, and social networks. SOAX also offers sophisticated web unblockers capable of bypassing the most advanced anti-bot systems and residential, mobile, ISP, and datacenter proxies for every need.

    SOAX sells directly to corporate customers through a subscription-based model, providing access to its ethical proxy network, web unblocker, and scraper APIs. Customers can sign up via SOAX’s self-service platform, select a plan, and start immediately. Larger enterprises can opt for custom plans with white glove support. SOAX’s services are API-driven, allowing seamless integration into existing workflows, and its flexible pricing tiers accommodate varying usage needs, location coverage, and feature requirements.

    For more information about SOAX Shopee Scraper API, visit https://soax.com/targets/shopee.

    About SOAX
    SOAX is building the future of data extraction. They provide data-hungry companies with an automated, one-stop platform for accessing web data quickly and ethically. SOAX’s extensive network of nearly 200 million ethically-sourced proxies, combined with powerful scraping APIs, enables businesses to unlock valuable insights in a fraction of the time it takes with traditional methods.

    Recognized as a leader in the proxy market, SOAX prioritizes customer satisfaction through product performance, security, and legal compliance. They’ve earned industry recognition like “Newcomer of the Year” (Proxyway, 2021) and “Contender of the Year” (Proxyway, 2023) for their commitment to innovation and excellence. SOAX is leveraging AI to further enhance its platform and empower businesses with AI-powered data solutions.

    For more information, visit https://soax.com.

    Media Contact

    Len Fernandes
    Firecracker PR
    len@firecrackerpr.com
    1-888-317-4687 ext. 707

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ea8828bd-cca5-4d2e-b338-3a73b50ec506

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Coface SA: Disclosure of total number of voting rights and number of shares in the capital as at 31 January 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COFACE SA: Disclosure of total number of voting rights and number of shares in the capital as at 31 January 2025

    Paris, 10 February 2025 – 17.45

    Total Number of
    Shares Capital    		 Theoretical Number of Voting Rights1 Number of Real
    Voting Rights2
    150,179,792 150,179,792 149,405,017

    (1)   including own shares
    (2)   excluding own shares

    Regulated documents posted by COFACE SA have been secured and authenticated with the blockchain technology by Wiztrust. You can check the authenticity on the website www.wiztrust.com.
     

    About Coface

    COFACE SA is a société anonyme (joint-stock corporation), with a Board of Directors (Conseil d’Administration) incorporated under the laws of France, and is governed by the provisions of the French Commercial Code. The Company is registered with the Nanterre Trade and Companies Register (Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés) under the number 432 413 599. The Company’s registered office is at 1 Place Costes et Bellonte, 92270 Bois Colombes, France.

    At the date of 31 December 2024, the Company’s share capital amounts to €300,359,584, divided into 150,179,792 shares, all of the same class, and all of which are fully paid up and subscribed.

    All regulated information is available on the company’s website (http://www.coface.com/Investors).

    Coface SA. is listed on Euronext Paris – Compartment A
    ISIN: FR0010667147 / Ticker: COFA

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Alaris Equity Partners Announces Timing of 2024 Q4 Financial Results, Conference Call and Webcast

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES.
    FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF UNITED STATES SECURITIES LAW.

    CALGARY, Alberta, Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alaris Equity Partners Income Trust (“Alaris” or the “Trust“) (TSX: AD.UN) is pleased to announce that it will release its year-end results for the period ended December 31, 2024 following the closing of regular trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange Monday, March 10, 2025. Alaris management will host a conference call at 9 am MT (11am ET) the following day, Tuesday, March 11, 2025 to discuss the financial results and outlook for the Trust.

    Participants must register for the call using this link: Pre-registration to Q4 to receive the dial-in numbers and unique PIN to access the call seamlessly. It is recommended that you join 10 minutes prior to the event start (although you may register and dial in at any time during the call). Participants can access the webcast here: Q4 webcast. A replay of the webcast will be available two hours after the call and archived on the same web page for six months. Participants can also find the link on our website, stored under the “Investors” section – “Presentations and Events”, at www.alarisequitypartners.com.

    About Alaris

    The Trust, through its subsidiaries, invests in a diversified group of private businesses (“Private Company Partners“) primarily through structure equity. The principal objective of the structured equity investments is to generate stable and predictable returns for its unitholders through cash distributions and capital appreciation and is complimented with common equity positions which generate returns alongside the founders of our Private Company Partners.

    For further information please contact:

    Investor Relations
    P: (403) 260-1457
    ir@alarisequity.com

    Alaris Equity Partners Income Trust
    Suite 250, 333 24th Avenue S.W.
    Calgary, Alberta T2S 3E6
    www.alarisequitypartners.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Baldwin, DeLauro Blast Trump Administration on Halt of Vital Work at Nation’s Largest Public Health Agency

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    As fall out continues from Trump Administration’s funding freeze, legislators demand answers on HHS’s plan to do its job and keep Americans safe
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, joined Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, in calling out the Trump Administration for the chaos and confusion they have unleashed by pausing communications and critical work, groundbreaking research, and funding for programs Americans rely on at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The legislators also demanded answers from the Trump Administration on the funding freeze that has impacted Medicaid, Head Start and other vital services in their states.
    “The Department’s issuance of internal guidance combined with implementation of sweeping Executive Orders has unleashed significant confusion and hindered the Department’s mission to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans,” wrote the legislators in a letter to Dorothy A. Fink, M.D., Acting Secretary of HHS.
    The legislators outlined their concerns that HHS has paused external communications for weeks that give Americans basic information about the spread of diseases and viruses that impact their communities. As communities across the country deal with avian flu, the Centers for Disease (CDC) paused the release of a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from January 16 to February 6, the first time in decades that this basic public health communication for states and local communities did not go out. The National Institutes of Health was also forced to cancel over 50 critical meetings, resulting in delays for tens of thousands of grant applications and delaying lifesaving biomedical research and clinical trials across the country.
    Meanwhile on the ground in communities across the country, community health centers have been unable to reach anyone at the Health Resources and Services Administration who can help them access the federal funds that they are owed, while public health data that researchers and local doctors rely on was removed from CDC’s website.
    The legislators also rebuked the Trump Administration for the chaos and confusion caused by an Office of Management and Budget memo that called for a halt on federal funding of agency grant, loan, and other financial assistance programs. While that memo was later rescinded and courts stepped in to pause the freeze on spending, significant confusion and ongoing disruptions in federal funding remain. The legislators warned against continued efforts to override Congress, especially the delay or termination of grants through programs already secured and passed in bipartisan spending legislation.
    “The Department’s actions over the last two weeks have done nothing to improve the health of Americans. They have disrupted early childhood education for our youngest children. They have put at risk opioid prevention and treatment programs and led to domestic violence programs wondering how they can keep their doors open and phones on,” the legislators continued. “They have delayed biomedical research and clinical trials for lifesaving cures for deadly diseases. We are deeply concerned this is a precursor of actions to come from this Administration.”
    Given the lack of transparency or clear communication from HHS, the legislators concluded by demanding more information about the full scope of the HHS communications pause and further information on their plan to implement the flurry of Executive Orders from the Trump Administration in its first few weeks. The legislators requested a response by no later than February 10, 2025. A full list of their questions is available below.
    The full letter is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FACT SHEET: Trump Continues to Block Hundreds of Billions of Dollars Owed to Communities Across America

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ***READ FACT SHEET HERE***
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released a new fact sheet detailing how, in his third week in office, President Trump is continuing to block hundreds of billions of dollars in enacted funding from making its way out to families and communities across America who are counting on investments that have been enacted into law. 
    In a statement, Senator Murray said:
    “President Trump is still illegally blocking hundreds of billions of dollars in investments that are owed to communities across the country.
    “The president’s sweeping freeze is causing real pain for people in every part of the country—in red states and blue states and everywhere in between—and it must end right now.
    “The uncertainty alone over the fate of these investments is putting jobs on the chopping block, hurting American businesses left wondering whether contracts they’ve inked mean anything, and jeopardizing entire local economies. What Trump is doing could shutter critical infrastructure projects in virtually every community, kill good-paying jobs, choke off funding for farmers, stop innovation in its tracks, leave massive holes in local communities’ budgets, and so much more.
    “Once again: if Donald Trump or Elon Musk want to gut funding that’s creating good-paying jobs all across America, they can take their case to Congress and win the votes they need to do it. Defying the constitution to unilaterally rip away your tax dollars is not how this works.”
    A table of estimated funding in jeopardy is below. Read the full fact sheet HERE.
    While the extent of Trump’s funding freeze remains uncertain as his administration refuses to clarify what is blocked, here is a non-exhaustive overview of what is frozen by Trump’s actions and in jeopardy:
    Trump Action
    Relevant Agencies
    Select Examples of Affected Programs
    Funding in Jeopardy*
    Executive Order Freezing IIJA & IRA Funding
    Department of Commerce
    High-speed broadband deployment.
    $40+ billion
    (EO 14154)
    Department of Energy
    Efforts to build and upgrade America’s energy infrastructure, lower costs for consumers.
    $98 billion
     
    Department of Housing and Urban Development
    Grants and loans to improve resiliency and energy efficiency of affordable housing.
    $830+ million
     
    Department of the Interior
    Tribal electrification, hazardous fuel reduction, National Parks maintenance and staffing, & more.
    $20+ billion
     
    Department of Transportation
    Funding to upgrade roads, bridges, transit, & more.
    $130+ billion
     
    EPA
    Funds for clean water infrastructure, tackling pollution, Superfund sites, & more.
    $100+ billion
     
    Forest Service
    Wildfire risk reduction, ecosystem restoration, & more.
    $10+ billion
     
    NOAA
    Funding for flood inundation mapping, coastal resilience projects, habitat restoration, ocean observations, fisheries management, & more.
    $1.5 billion
     
    USDA
    Grants for producers and rural small businesses to finance renewable energy projects, for farmers to improve climate resiliency, for watershed protection and flood prevention, rural broadband, & more.
    $25 billion
    Executive Order Blocking All Foreign Assistance (EO 14169)
    Department of State & USAID
    Life-saving aid, funding to monitor and prevent the spread of infectious diseases that can reach our shores,  counterterrorism programs, programs to give U.S. businesses an edge over Chinese and other companies in foreign markets, funds owed to U.S. businesses for services rendered, & more.
    $30 billion
    Executive Order Halting Funding for Anything Deemed “DEI” (EO 14151)
    All agencies
    Any programs or expenditures the administration deems “woke.”
      ???   The administration has provided little to no clarity over what programs it is blocking (or will block) funding for under this EO.  
    Elon Musk & DOGE Actions
    All agencies
    Open question. Reports confirm DOGE sought access to central payment system to halt disbursements.
      ???    
    Other actions  
    All agencies
    ???
    ???
    TOTAL
     
     
    At least $455 billion
    *Funding in Jeopardy: this reflects our best understanding, as of afternoon on February 7, of what funding is being illegally withheld. The administration has failed to provide clear answers—and the actual number could be higher. This lack of transparency and responsiveness to Congress, and thus the American people, is without precedent.
    FOR MORE DETAILS, READ THE FULL FACT SHEET HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Warns Defense Secretary Hegseth Against Politicization Of U.S. Military After Numerous Concerning Actions By Trump Administration

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    February 10, 2025
    “I am deeply alarmed that these actions may not only erode trust in our military as an institution, but also dangerously distract from where our focus ought to be on foreign adversaries and their capabilities,” Durbin wrote in his letter to Secretary Hegseth
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense (SACD), yesterday sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to warn him against the politicization of the Department of Defense (DoD).  Durbin’s letter comes after several thinly-veiled political orders by the Trump Administration related to the nation’s military, including removing protection from former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, using the military for immigration enforcement, and impounding congressional approved DoD funding.
    “I write to express my concern that President Trump’s personal agenda is counter to defending against our country’s serious national security threats.  Since the President’s inauguration less than one month ago, the Trump Administration has pursued several dubious executive actions that threaten our military’s long-standing ethos to remain nonpartisan and promote merit, both of which you spoke to the importance of during your hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) prior to your confirmation,” Durbin began his letter.
    “I am deeply alarmed that these actions may not only erode trust in our military as an institution, but also dangerously distract from where our focus ought to be on foreign adversaries and their capabilities,” Durbin wrote.  “With China rapidly building its nuclear and naval forces, Russia fighting a war of aggression on the border of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and North Korea and Iran pursuing nuclear weapons and destabilizing actions, these erratic pursuits distract from the real threats to our nation.”
    Durbin then laid out the troublesome and political actions that the Trump Administration has taken since January 20. 
    Durbin referenced the “targeting [of] military officers such as… former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley… as part of an effort to go after individuals unceremoniously deemed unfit or considered political adversaries.” 
    In January, Secretary Hegseth removed General Milley’s security detail despite ongoing threats related to the 2020 drone strike that killed Iranian General Qusem Soleimani.  DoD also announced that there will be an investigation into General Milley for “undermining the chain of command,” but there has been no clear indication of what conduct would be investigated.  Rather, the investigation and threat of demotingGeneral Milley’s four-star rank appears to be a political reaction to General Milley’s public comments about being photographed at Lafayette Square after President Trump cleared the area of protestors using National Guard troops.  Similarly, Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan, the first woman to lead a  military service, was removed from her post on President Trump’s second day in office without warning and ahead of her scheduled departure.  
    Durbin also emphasized that the Trump Administration is “diverting DoD resources and critical warfighting personnel for contentious immigration enforcement, compromising our military assets and distracting from national security threats.” 
    Immediately upon being sworn in, President Trump signed an executive order stating that DoD would deploy troops to the southern border despite federal law prohibiting the use of military for law enforcement.  At the end of January, DoD announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would use facilities at Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, Colorado, as a detention center forundocumented immigrants.  Further, military planes typically used for missions such as providing security assistance to Ukraine and Israel or hunting Russian and Chinese submarines have been used to deport immigrants and provide surveillance on our southern border.  In addition, in an unprecedented move, the Trump administration began flying migrants on military aircraft from the U.S. for detention at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.  
    In addition, Durbin decried the administration’s efforts to freeze congressionally-appropriated funding for programs such as defense medical research, which supports lifesaving treatment and prevention of illnesses for service members, veterans, and the civilian population.  Since Fiscal Year 2015, Durbin has boosted defense medical research funding by more than $1.4 billion or 82 percent through SACD.  
    Durbin also noted that administration efforts to overturn policies that “remove barriers and enhance opportunities for qualified recruits” ultimately “[undermines] force strength and readiness—in the midst of unprecedented recruitment and retention challenges.”  On January 27, President Trump issued an Executive Order effectively banning transgender troops from the military.  And on January 31, the Pentagon eliminated a Biden-era policy that would provide reimbursements for service members who travel out of state to get reproductive health care after the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. 
    “America’s national security depends on the Department of Defense functioning as a stable institution that supports its personnel rather than being thrown into disarray.  Further, increasing politicization of our military risks diminishing the role of the United States on the international stage, sending a dangerous signal to our allies and adversaries alike,” Durbin said.
    “In the spirit of your promise before SASC to be a faithful partner to Congress, I urge you to defend the principles of the Department of Defense,” Durbin concluded his letter.
    Prior to Secretary Hegseth’s confirmation, Durbin made his concerns about his nomination clear.  In January, Durbin delivered a speech on the Senate floor explaining his objections to Hegseth’s nomination, including his inability to articulate a defense strategy in addressing threats to the U.S., his disparaging comments about women serving in the military, and troubling reports of financial mismanagement, alcohol abuse, and personal misconduct.
    The full text of the letter can be found here and below:
    February 9, 2025
    Dear Secretary Hegseth,
    I write to express my concern that President Trump’s personal agenda is counter to defending against our country’s serious national security threats.  Since the President’s inauguration less than one month ago, the Trump Administration has pursued several dubious executive actions that threaten our military’s long-standing ethos to remain nonpartisan and promote merit, both of which you spoke to the importance of during your hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) prior to your confirmation.  I am deeply alarmed that these actions may not only erode trust in our military as an institution, but also dangerously distract from where our focus ought to be on foreign adversaries and their capabilities.  With China rapidly building its nuclear and naval forces, Russia fighting a war of aggression on the border of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and North Korea and Iran pursuing nuclear weapons and destabilizing actions, these erratic pursuits distract from the real threats to our nation.
    The Trump Administration’s troubling actions have included, but are not limited to:
    Targeting military officers such as Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Linda Fagan and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, as well as civilian federal government employees within the Department of Defense (DoD), such as the Senate-confirmed Inspector General, as part of an effort to go after individuals unceremoniously deemed unfit or considered political adversaries;
    Diverting DoD resources and critical warfighting personnel for contentious immigration enforcement, compromising our military assets and distracting from national security threats;
    Unconstitutionally impounding congressionally approved DoD funding from a myriad of programs that protect and support our service members, including projects that boost defense medical research, reduce civilian casualties, provide infrastructure grants to municipalities near military installations, and promote investments in critical technologies, sowing mass confusion and chaos; and
    Undermining force strength and readiness—in the midst of unprecedented recruitment and retention challenges—by arbitrarily weaponizing programs and policies designed to remove barriers and enhance benefits and opportunities for qualified recruits.
    As you know, DoD is the largest federal government agency in the United States.  Your responsibilities include overseeing a nearly $900 billion budget, more than 3.5 million service members and civilian employees, and 750 military installations around the world.  America’s national security depends on the Department of Defense functioning as a stable institution that supports its personnel rather than being thrown into disarray.  Further, increasing politicization of our military risks diminishing the role of the United States on the international stage, sending a dangerous signal to our allies and adversaries alike.
    In the spirit of your promise before SASC to be a faithful partner to Congress, I urge you to defend the principles of the Department of Defense. 
    Sincerely,
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Discusses Harmful Impact of Trump’s Tariffs On Local Small Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    February 10, 2025
    CHICAGO—U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined local small business owners at Hop Butcher For The World to discuss the potential impact of President Trump’s proposed tariffs on imports and exports from Mexico and Canada. In 2023, Illinois, which ranks first among the 50 states in imports from Canada, exported a total of $20.55 billion in products to Canada. Additionally, Illinois exports to Mexico in 2023 totaled $12.93 billion.
    “The tariffs proposed by President Trump would drive up costs for manufacturers, disrupt our supply chains, and they already have inspired retaliatory tariffs, which will hurt small businesses and consumers even more,” said Durbin. “Illinois is a top trading partner of both Canada and Mexico, and our local businesses that rely on importing and exporting goods will face the brunt of this harmful proposal’s impact.”
    “The IRA supports getting the best deal possible for American workers and great restaurants across the state purchase food locally whenever possible, yet our produce and food supply is purchased from our trade partners in Canada and Mexico due to seasonality and necessity. Broad based tariffs on food will actually hurt the American worker and their families by making household and restaurant staples unaffordable and often unavailable. We ask that the Trump Administration works with Senator Durbin and Congress to tailor tariffs in a manner that allows the restaurant industry to stay approachable and affordable,” said Scott Weiner, Chair of the Illinois Restaurant Association Board.
    “What tariffs have created is uncertainty, and when there’s uncertainty, there’s risk. And risk in construction means money and delays in projects. Higher prices create real questions whether a project will be built, and whether that skilled union worker has a job to report to next week. Our hope is that these tariffs are short-lived. The impacts will be felt in construction and many other industries — and by the average consumer. Whether you’re buying a house or avocados, tariffs will affect how you spend your money,” said Tom Cuculich, Executive Director of the Chicagoland Associated General Contractors.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Meeting with the Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    10 Febbraio 2025

    The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, met today with the Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria, Alexander Schallenberg, at Palazzo Chigi.

    The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views on the possibilities to further strengthen the already excellent bilateral relations, above all in the energy sector and defence industry. The two leaders also had an in-depth discussion on the main topics on the international and EU agenda, with particular reference to migration issues, competitiveness and security, also in view of the upcoming engagements at European level.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Derry and Strabane Council agrees its budget for 2025/26

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Derry and Strabane Council agrees its budget for 2025/26

    10 February 2025

    Derry City and Strabane District Council today agreed its budget for the incoming 2025/26 financial year and set a District Rates increase for ratepayers of 4.92%.

    This will see an average rates bill increasing by £28.96 per annum or 56 pence per week. The regional rate, set by Central Government, will be determined by the end of March, and will also have an impact on the overall rates bill.

    The budget was set at a Special Meeting of Council today, Monday, 10th February 2025, where it was highlighted that the increase comprised a 3.42% baseline increase to cover the significant statutory financial challenges and service demands facing Council along with a 1.50% rates investment towards the financing of Council’s hugely ambitious and exciting capital strategy.

    In terms of the baseline increase, Members were advised of the range of statutory pressures and new service demands facing Council services including pay pressures, Employer’s national insurance costs and cost inflation which have been partially offset by some rate-base growth, additional waste income and continued efficiencies across Council services.

    It was outlined to Members at the meeting that pay pressures continue to be a significant issue for Council, particularly in the current year whereby the Employer’s national insurance increases imposed by the recent UK budget have added circa £1.1m to Council’s pay bill and have had a direct 1.21% impact on rates bills. Unfortunately, despite ongoing lobbying by Councils, no funding has been confirmed from Treasury to offset this additional cost for public sector employers in Northern Ireland.

    Facilitated by new waste income, the baseline rates position also includes investment of £1.266m (1.64%) towards the reinstatement of previously implemented service cuts as well as new service pressures and demands. These include costs associated with assuming the responsible reservoir manager role at Creggan Reservoir; addressing budgetary and resourcing pressures within our key core front line services e.g. grounds maintenance, refuse collection, street cleansing and cemeteries; additional investment into grant aid programmes within sports development, community centre venues, consensual local growth partnerships, advice and cultural organisations; additional resources within community services to address emerging and immediate priorities e.g. Whole Systems approach to Obesity and Ending Violence against Women and Girls strategy; as well as additional tourism resource focused on screen and food tourism.  

    This year’s budget will therefore allow Council to continue to provide critical frontline services to ratepayers with a clear focus and commitment to protecting jobs as well as the continued provision of funding to organisations who rely on Council support to deliver community services and projects. 

    Central to this year’s rates process is the substantial positive progress made to Council’s capital funding strategy and our ambitious capital development plans. To date over £200m of capital projects have been completed or are progressing with full funding in place. These include Acorn Farm, Derg Active, Daisyfield Sports Hub, new Northwest cemetery provision at Mullenan Road, the DNA Museum and COVID recovery small settlements investment across the District, as well as the recently approved Riverine and Strabane Public Realm projects.

    The additional 1.50% rates capital investment agreed today along with funding expected to be secured from the Northern Ireland Executive towards City of Derry Airport will go towards financing Council’s hugely ambitious and exciting capital financing strategy. Building on the investment secured following the signing of the transformative City Deal and Inclusive Future Fund investment plan in September 2024, Council will now have financing of up to £100m in place towards it’s 2 key strategic leisure aspirations in Templemore and Strabane. This will enable the 2 projects to progress to detailed design, consultation and planning with some further rates investment in 2026/27 and 2027/28 allowing the projects to progress to construction.  2025/26 will also see options and costings being further progressed and detailed designs developed for new civic/ commercial office development as a key component of the wider aspirations for the future Central Riverfront development and university expansion.

    Members were also informed that, whilst work progresses across the Council District on Council’s fully funded programme of community and statutory capital projects, this years’ rates investment would ensure an additional £10m of funding could be made available to progress several further projects. This will supplement the £4m funding previously earmarked for a range of these projects and the hope that Council investment can be further leveraged through the securing of external investment from Central Government. Following the conclusion of the rates process, immediate considerations by the Capital and Corporate projects Planning Group in respect of the prioritisation of projects will progress. 

    In conclusion, members in approving the agreed District rates increase have given Council authority to continue to press ahead with its ambitious plans to drive growth and investment across the City and Region as well deliver critical front-line services across the City and District.

    The new agreed District rate for the year ending 31st March 2026 is 39.5993 p in the £ for Non-Domestic properties and of 0.6369p in the £ for Domestic properties. This represents a 4.92% District rates increase for all ratepayers.

    The Special Council meeting is available to watch back on the Council’s Youtube channel.

    The accompanying reports and papers are available online at – https://meetings.derrycityandstrabanedistrict.com/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=307&MId=2323&Ver=4https://meetings.derrycityandstrabanedistrict.com/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=307&MId=2323&Ver=4

    For more information on the rates visit our website at https://www.derrystrabane.com/about-council/rates/rates-2025-26

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council consulting on updated multiple-occupation housing policy

    Source: City of Norwich

    Published on Monday, 10th February 2025

    A consultation on a proposed new policy to licence homes with multiple occupants has been launched by Norwich Council, and residents are being invited to give their views.

    A house in multiple occupation – often known as an HMO – includes any premises where at least five tenants live there, forming more than one household, with shared bathroom, toilet and kitchen facilities. It is only large HMOs that need a licence.

    The main changes to the policy include:

    a) making the administration and inspection of licensed properties simpler for both applicants and the council, as well as minor amendments to better align the policy with current and new legislation

    b) helping provide more detail on what information applicants need to submit with licence applications

    c) removal of the one- and three-year licence options, all licences will now be five-year licences

    d) introducing a risk-based approach to tackle licence breaches, in addition to statutory powers to revoke and vary licences.

    The public are invited to review the proposed policy and share their thoughts by visiting: Get Talking Norwich.

    Notes to editors:

    • There are currently about 1000 homes licensed with the Council as being under multiple occupation.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Support grants available for people leaving hospital

    Source: City of Leicester

    A NEW one-off grant is available for carers facing unexpected additional costs supporting an adult who has been recently released from hospital.

    The government-funded Hospital Discharge Grant is for carers aged over 18 and available for those living in Leicester city or Leicestershire who have recently left hospital.

    Unpaid carers are eligible for the grant if they support someone who wouldn’t be able to manage without their help. 

    The grant is funded through the Government’s Accelerating Reform Fund (ARF) project and is being run by Leicester City Council and Leicestershire County Council.

    To qualify for the one-off grant, carers will need to show that:

    •    the cared-for person lives in Leicestershire or the city of Leicester;
    •    they were discharged from hospital during the last two weeks (at the time of applying);
    •    they have incurred additional costs linked to the hospital discharge

    Assistant city mayor for adult social care, Councillor Mohammed Dawood, said: “There are an estimated 6.5 million unpaid carers in the UK. Many carers feel that they’re doing what anyone would do in the same situation, but that doesn’t mean you are not entitled to support.

    “So if you, or someone you know, is caring for someone that has recently been discharged from hospital, please do apply for this grant and get some extra help.”

    Councillor Christine Radford, Leicestershire’s cabinet member for adults and communities, added: “We’ve already seen that this grant can offer much-needed support to people who do such a wonderful job in looking after their loved ones.

    “Because unpaid carers don’t see themselves as carers, they may not be in touch with our Support for Carers service.

    “We want to reach out to these people and encourage them to apply for the grant, so that they have an opportunity to receive both practical and emotional support during such a stressful time.”

    Voluntary Action South Leicestershire (VASL) is administering the scheme on behalf of the county council. Carers supporting people in Leicestershire can apply by completing the online application form on the Support for Carers website.  Alternatively, carers can call VASL on 01858 468543 or email maureen@supportforcarers.org for advice and support to complete the application. 

    If the cared-for person lives in Leicester, visit the Age UK Carers Support Service website or contact Age UK on 0116 222 0556. Or email carers@ageukleics.org.uk for support.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Leeds Storytelling Festival invites families and children to connect, create, and be inspired

    Source: City of Leeds

    Events running from February 14 to March 8

    A brand new festival exploring the exciting world of storytelling is set to arrive in Leeds this month.

    Leeds Libraries, in partnership with Wrongsemble and LIVEwire Poetry, have announced the inaugural Leeds Storytelling Festival, a city-wide celebration of storytelling designed especially for families and children.

    Running from February 14 to March 8, this exciting new festival promises to spark imaginations and bring communities together through the transformative power of stories.

    Featuring an exciting line-up of activities, events, and performances, Leeds Storytelling Festival offers something for everyone, and includes interactive storytelling sessions, creative workshops, author talks, pop-up events, and live theatre and spoken word showcases curated by the acclaimed Wrongsemble and LIVEwire Poetry teams.

    The festival launches with a special appearance by Kate Pankhurst, best-selling author of the Fantastically Great Women series, at Leeds Central Library. The event will focus on the incredible women who have fought for the right to take part in sports across the globe, and will include dressing up, lots of props and a draw-along.

    Other programme highlights include costume-making workshops with the British Library, theatre from Coalesce, mini-movie screenings from Leeds Young Film, and children’s author talks with Hiba Noor Khan and Ashley Thorpe.

    There will be poetry for young people and parents/carers programmed by LIVEwire Poetry, and theatre performances from Blanket Fort Club and Wrongsemble, who close the festival with a premiere of Three Little Vikings, inspired by award-winning author/illustrator Bethan Woolvin’s picture book.

    This will be followed by an interactive session with Bethan, where she will be reading from Three Little Vikings, and sharing some creative crafts in her unmistakeable style.

    The festival is a collaboration between three of Leeds’ most creative and community-focused organisations: Leeds Libraries, Wrongsemble, and LIVEwire Poetry. Together, they have designed a festival that champions imagination, diversity, and accessibility while celebrating the rich cultural tapestry of the city.

    Visit Leeds Storytelling Festival and follow @leedsstoryfestival on Instagram for the latest announcements, sneak previews, and behind-the-scenes fun. 

    Councillor Mary Harland, Leeds City Council’s executive member for communities, customer service and community safety, said:

    “Leeds Libraries are proud to partner with Wrongsemble and LIVEwire Poetry for the first Leeds Storytelling Festival. This collaboration offers a chance to bring stories to life in so many exciting ways, from interactive theatre to poetry, ensuring that every child and family can experience the magic of storytelling.”

    Elvi Piper, Artistic Director of Wrongsemble, said:

    “We’re thrilled to be part of this exciting new festival and to bring our passion for family theatre to Leeds in such a special way. The Leeds Storytelling Festival will not only showcase the diversity of storytelling but will also create unforgettable memories for children and families.”

    Matt Abbott, Founding Owner of LIVEwire Poetry, said:

    “The power of storytelling lies in its ability to connect us all through words, and we’re excited to be part of the Leeds Storytelling Festival. Through poetry and performance, we hope to inspire children and families to discover their own creative voices.”

    ENDS

    For media enquiries please contact:

    Leeds City Council communications and marketing,

    Email: communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk

    Tel: 0113 378 6007

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan Continues Taking Action to Address Breast Cancer Diagnostic Waitlists

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on February 10, 2025

    Out-of-Province Initiative Extended to Increase Patient Access to Urgent Diagnostics

    The Government of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) are taking continued action to improve breast health services for Saskatchewan patients through a short-term extension to an initiative that allows patients to receive diagnostics at a medical facility in Calgary.

    Established in November 2023, this agreement has been extended to March 2026 as a temporary measure to accelerate urgent diagnostic procedures until these services are fully stabilized in the province. The implementation of the Out-of-Province Program has significantly reduced wait times for urgent breast biopsies from November 2023 to date, bringing them in line with the clinically recommended target of three weeks or less. 

    “We are committed to ensuring Saskatchewan residents have access to safe, high quality, and timely breast health care services as we advance several measures to expand in-province capacity, implement new technologies and complete construction on the new Breast Health Centre in Regina,” Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said. “We appreciate the dedication from our health care teams to accelerate urgent diagnostic breast cancer procedures and treatments following a diagnosis.”

    Eligible Saskatchewan patients who are waiting for urgent diagnostic breast procedures, such as breast biopsies, will be triaged by health care providers, who will contact them to ensure thorough screening and determine their interest in participating in the program.

    Patients identified as eligible and willing to travel to Calgary will receive diagnostic services based on their urgency, as determined by clinical evaluation. Those requiring urgent care will receive priority access, either within Saskatchewan or at the Calgary facility, depending on availability.

    “The Out-of-Province Breast Assessment Program helps provide Saskatchewan residents at risk of breast cancer with timely access to urgent diagnostic services,” Saskatchewan Health Authority Medical Imaging Executive Director Richard Dagenais said. “By extending this initiative, we can continue to address the immediate needs of patients while actively building capacity within the province to deliver high-quality breast health services closer to home.”

    To support patients accessing out-of-province services, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health will reimburse travel and accommodation expenses for the patient and one support person, to a maximum of $1,500. All medical expenses related to the diagnostic procedures will be fully covered by the Ministry of Health.

    As of January 17, 2025, approximately 472 patients have had their diagnostic procedures completed in Calgary.

    A number of proactive initiatives in Saskatchewan are either underway or in planning stages to enhance care and ensure it is provided in a timely manner, including:

    • Construction of a new Breast Health Centre in Regina that will provide a co-location of services, such as diagnostic imaging, consultation with specialists and surgeons, patient education, support and navigation. The Centre will also offer on-site access to post-treatment care, such as therapies and rehabilitation; 
    • Phased expansion of breast screening eligibility to those aged 40 to 49, beginning in January 2025;
    • Additional capacity in Saskatoon and Moose Jaw, offered to long-waiting and urgent patients from Regina and southern Saskatchewan, which has provided an additional 150 patients with timely access to breast diagnostic procedures since November 2023;
    • Centralized booking for breast cancer screening, providing seamless care and quicker access for all patients;
    • Implementation of 3D breast imaging (tomosynthesis), which will increase cancer detection, reduce the need for additional imaging views and tests, and reduce both false positive and false negative mammogram results;
    • Implementation of new breast tumour localization “seed” technology, which results in fewer delays and cancellations, as well as less discomfort for the patient; and
    • Ongoing work with the Ministry of Health to train and recruit medical radiation technologists, sonographers (ultrasound technologists), and radiologists specializing in breast imaging as part of its ongoing Health Human Resources Action Plan, including two local radiologists in Regina who recently completed their breast radiology fellowships.

    To learn more about the out-of-province breast cancer diagnostic initiative, please visit: saskatchewan.ca/medical-imaging.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Denver arrests Honduran alien with firearm, drug charges

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    DENVER — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Adan Desederio Pavon-Andino, 30, an illegally present Honduran national in Thornton, Colorado, Feb. 5.

    Pavon has two convictions for felony marijuana possession and is facing four charges of felony possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, felony re-entry as well as alien in possession of a firearm.

    “I don’t think I can be more clear, ICE is not going to tolerate those who peddle drugs and steal guns in our communities,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Denver Field Office Director Robert Guadian. “We’re glad to partner with the DEA in executing a lawful order to effect the arrest of Pavon. He will face justice and then removal from the United States.”

    Pavon, who was previously removed from the U.S., unlawfully re-entered the U.S. at an unknown date and location.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ERO Denver’s mission to increase public safety throughout Colorado and Wyoming on X at @ERODenver.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Assessing the U.S. Climate in January 2025

    Source: US National Oceanographic Data Center

    Key Points:

    • The Palisades and Eaton wildfires in southern California destroyed more than 16,000 structures near Los Angeles and were responsible for at least 29 fatalities. Dry conditions and near-hurricane-force Santa Ana winds contributed to the rapid spread of the fires during January.
    • The coldest Arctic airmass of the season-to-date plunged as far south as southern Florida the week of January 19. Larger snowfall amounts ranged from six inches in eastern Texas to record amounts of 10 inches in parts of the Florida Panhandle, as well as more than 10 inches in Lafayette, Louisiana.
    • January 2025 was the coldest January since 1988 and sixth driest on record for the nation.

    Other Highlights:

    Temperature

    The average temperature of the contiguous U.S. in January was 29.2°F, 0.9°F below average, ranking in the coolest third of the 131-year record and the coldest January on record (2005–25) for the U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN). Generally, January temperatures were below average from the central and southern Rockies to the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Above-average temperatures were present across parts of the West Coast, Northern Tier and Northeast.

    The Alaska statewide January temperature was 15.4°F, 13.2°F above the long-term average, ranking eighth warmest in the 101-year period of record for the state. Above- to much-above average temperatures dominated the state during January.

    For January, Hawaiʻi had an average temperature of 64.1°F, 0.7°F above the 1991–2020 average, ranking in the middle third of the 35-year record.

    Precipitation

    January precipitation for the contiguous U.S. was 1.39 inches, 0.92 inch below average, ranking as the sixth-driest January in the historical record. Precipitation was below average across much of the West and from the northern Plains to the Northeast and across portions of the Southeast. Pockets of above-average precipitation were present across the Rockies as well as portions of the central and southern Plains.

    Alaska’s average monthly precipitation ranked wettest on record for January, exceeding the record set in 1949. Much of this precipitation fell as rain throughout the month with three to five times the average amount falling across much of the region from southwest Alaska northeastward to the eastern Brooks Range.

    Precipitation across Hawaiʻi in January averaged 6.09 inches, 0.98 inch above average, ranking in the wettest third of the 1991–2025 record.

    Drought

    According to the February 4 U.S. Drought Monitor report, about 42.4% of the contiguous U.S. was in drought, up about 4.3% from the end of December. Drought conditions expanded or intensified across much of the Southwest and parts of southcentral Texas, as well as in portions of the Carolinas. Drought contracted or was reduced in intensity across parts of the northern Rockies and Hawaiʻi.

    Monthly Outlook

    Above-average temperatures are favored to impact northern portions of the Southwest and Southeast while precipitation is likely to be above average across portions of the West and Great Lakes. Drought is likely to persist or expand across parts of the central and northern Plains, East Coast and from the Southwest to the Deep South. Visit the Climate Prediction Center’s Official 30-Day Forecasts and U.S. Monthly Drought Outlook website for more details.

    Significant wildland fire potential for February is above normal across southern California, the Deep South and Southeast. For additional information on wildland fire potential, visit the National Interagency Fire Center’s One-Month Wildland Fire Outlook.

    For more detailed climate information, check out our comprehensive January 2025 U.S. Climate Report scheduled for release on February 13, 2025. For additional information on the statistics provided here, visit the Climate at a Glance and National Maps webpages.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: q21capital.ag: BaFin consumers about website and identity fraud

    Source: Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – In English

    The financial supervisory authority BaFin warns against offers from the website q21capital.ag. Contrary to the information on the website, the website is not operated by the capital management company Q21 Capital InvAG mit TGV, which is registered with BaFin. This is a case of identity theft.

    Anyone providing financial or investment services in Germany may do so only with authorisation from BaFin. However, some companies offer these services without the necessary authorisation.

    The information provided by BaFin is based on section 16 (8) of the German Investment Code (Kapitalanlagegesetzbuch – KAGB).

    Please be aware:

    BaFin, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt – BKA) and the German state criminal police offices (Landeskriminalämter) recommend that consumers seeking to invest money online should exercise the utmost caution and do the necessary research beforehand in order to identify fraud attempts at an early stage.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: primeescrow.net: BaFin warns against Prime Escrow

    Source: Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – In English

    The Financial Supervisory Authority BaFin warns against offers from Prime Escrow, allegedly Frankfurt am Main. It is suspected that the unknown operators of the website primeescrow.net are providing payment services without the required authorisation.

    Anyone conducting banking business or providing financial or investment services in Germany may do so only with authorisation from BaFin. However, some companies offer these services without the required authorisation. Information on whether companies have been authorised by BaFin can be found in BaFin’s database of companies.

    The information provided by BaFin is based on section 8 (7) of the German Act on the Supervision of Payment Services (Zahlungsdiensteaufsichtsgesetz – ZAG).

    Please be aware:

    BaFin, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt – BKA) and the German state criminal police offices (Landeskriminalämter) recommend that consumers seeking to invest money online should exercise the utmost caution and do the necessary research beforehand in order to identify fraud attempts at an early stage.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Simulating the threat, Naval Base Ventura County enhances security through annual exercise

    Source: United States Navy

    “CS-SC25 is an annual, nationwide force protection exercise,” said Mr. Rob Huether, installation training and readiness officer, NBVC. “It tests the ability of security departments and installations to respond to simulated security incidents throughout the two-week exercise.”

    On Tuesday, a scenario presented to the security and installation personnel at NBVC involved an actor notionally opening fire in a work environment. Personnel were required to neutralize the threat, treat the wounded, coordinate with first responders, provide forward communication to the emergency operations center, and manage multiple scenario injects.

    “Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain reinforces our commitment to protecting our people and preserving operational readiness by testing our ability to adapt to evolving force protection, security, and mission assurance challenges,” said Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command. “This exercise builds resilience and fosters coordination between fleet and shore forces, installation commands, and partner agencies, ensuring we stay prepared to counter modern-day threats with precision and unity of effort.”

    According to a Navy Installations Command press release, Citadel Shield, held during the first week, is a field training exercise (FTX) led by CNIC, while Solid Curtain follows in the second week as a command post exercise (CPX) led by USFFC. This two-part training is designed to boost the readiness of U.S. Navy security forces and ensure seamless interoperability among commands, other services, and agency partners to protect life, equipment, and facilities. Both weeks will simulate realistic threat scenarios, including active shooters, unauthorized base access, and improvised explosive devices.

    “Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain exercises are vital to ensuring the preparedness and effectiveness of our Navy security forces,” said Vice Adm. Scott Gray, commander, Navy Installations Command. “These comprehensive training scenarios simulate real-world threats to enhance our readiness and interoperability with other services and agency partners. Our commitment is to safeguard life, equipment, and facilities, and these exercises are an essential part of fulfilling that mission.”

    CS-SC25 is a regularly scheduled exercise and is not being held in response to any specific threat.

    Measures have been taken to minimize disruptions within local communities and to normal base operations, but there may be times when the exercise causes increased traffic around bases or delays in base access. Area residents may also see or hear security activities associated with the exercise. Advanced coordination has taken place with local law enforcement and first responders.

    NBVC is major shore warfighting platform; providing sustained ready forces to deploy, fight, and win. Composed of three operating facilities: Point Mugu, Port Hueneme and San Nicolas Island and home of the Pacific Seabees, West Coast E-2D Hawkeyes, 3 warfare centers and 110 tenant commands.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Bennet, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Protect Sensitive Locations from ICE Raids 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper

    Bill would prevent arrests from happening at schools, hospitals, and places of worship

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet along with 19 Senate colleagues introduced the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act to limit immigration arrests at sensitive locations like schools, hospitals, and places of worship.

    “We all want criminals off our streets and a more secure border,” Hickenlooper said. “Targeting kids and families who haven’t committed a crime – especially at their schools, hospitals, or places of worship – doesn’t get us any closer to fixing our broken immigration system.”

    “The Trump Administration’s efforts to allow ICE to take enforcement action in protected areas are deeply concerning and go against long-standing precedent,” said Bennet. “Every Coloradan should feel safe to go to school, church, and the doctor without fear of arrest.”

    On January 21, 2025, the Trump administration rescinded the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) existing policy that prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials from entering certain locations, such as, schools, hospitals, food pantries, churches, domestic violence shelters, to conduct arrests.

    Last Wednesday, there were reports that ICE officials blocked school buses from picking up children and prevented families from leaving their homes in Metro Denver.

    The Protecting Sensitive Locations Act would reinstate DHS’s previous policy preventing arrests in sensitive locations and expand the protected locations to include courthouses and additional health care, educational, and religious facilities.

    The legislation includes exceptions for exigent circumstances and requires ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel receive training on carrying out enforcement activities. It also requires ICE and CBP to submit an annual report to Congress on their enforcement actions.

    Full text of bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –