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  • MIL-OSI Canada: Beware of Fake Online Casinos and Other Illegal Operators

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on February 10, 2025

    If you see a Facebook or other social media ad for an online version of Dakota Dunes Casino, Casino Regina, or any other land-based casino in Saskatchewan, don’t click on it. Scammers use these types of fake ads to defraud people by stealing credit card numbers and other banking information.

    “None of the land-based casinos in Saskatchewan have a legitimate online version, and people who see these types of ads on their social media channels are strongly advised not to click on them,” Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan (LGS) Vice President of Gaming Steve Tunison said. “Saskatchewan people who wish to gamble online can do so safely and securely on PlayNow.com, which is the only legal online gaming platform in our province.”

    If you spot one of these fake ads, report it promptly and directly to the online channel where it appeared, such as Facebook.

    “Scam ads are an ongoing issue for land-based casinos across North America, including Casinos Regina and Moose Jaw and casinos operated by the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA),” Tunison said. “The scammers illegally use the logos, images, and branding of these casinos, stolen from the casinos’ websites, to create the fake ads.”

    Saskatchewan people are reminded to always be wary when it comes to social media and other online offers and ads and to guard their credit card, banking and other personal information carefully.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Met officers commended for bravery after rescuing members of the public from blaze in Euston

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A team of nine local Met officers have been praised for their bravery after a fire broke out in a hostel in Euston.

    The fire started in the early hours of Saturday (8 February) morning and officers were the first emergency responders on the scene.

    The five-storey building caught ablaze, with around 20 members of the public, which included many tourists, trapped inside.

    On arrival, officers were met with thick smoke which had filled the entire basement level and was rising and spreading to the floors above.

    Before London Fire Brigade arrived, officers bravely entered the basement and located a number of people who were trapped and disorientated inside smoke filled rooms. They calmly led members of the pubic to safety.

    Police Sergeant Pete Day tackled the fire with extinguishers, while Police Constable Luke Uzzell forced entry to all of the rooms in the smoke filled basement to ensure nobody was trapped.

    The other officers searched the remaining floors of the hostel, giving clear directions to people and ensuring those who were injured could access medical care from London Ambulance Service paramedics, who had also arrived on scene.

    Commander Peter Stevens said: “Each and every day Met officers put their lives in danger in order to protect the public and keep the communities they serve safe.

    “The actions of these officers were outstanding and exemplify the very best of the Met. Without a thought for their own safety, they stepped into danger and showed exemplary courage.

    “I’m thankful that nobody was seriously injured and this is no doubt due to the heroic actions of our brave officers.”

    Three members of the public, as well as the nine Met officers, were all taken to hospital for minor injuries caused by smoke inhalation. They have all since been discharged.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Great Southern Bancorp, Inc. to Hold 36th Annual Meeting of Stockholders

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SPRINGFIELD, Mo., Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Great Southern Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:GSBC), the holding company for Great Southern Bank, will hold its 36th Annual Meeting of Stockholders at:

    10 a.m. CDT
    Wednesday, May 7, 2025
    Virtual Meeting (Webcast)

    This year’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders will be a virtual meeting over the internet. Stockholders will be able to attend the Annual Meeting via a live webcast. Additional information about the Annual Meeting, including how stockholders can access the live webcast, will be provided in the Company’s Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement.  

    Holders of Great Southern Bancorp, Inc. common stock at the close of business on the record date, March 4, 2025, can vote during the live webcast of the Annual Meeting or by proxy.

    Material to be presented at the Annual Meeting will be available on the Company’s website, www.GreatSouthernBank.com, prior to the start of the meeting.

    About Great Southern Bancorp

    With total assets of $6.0 billion, Great Southern offers a broad range of banking services to commercial and consumer customers. Headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, Great Southern operates 89 retail banking centers in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Arkansas and Nebraska and commercial lending offices in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Omaha, and Phoenix. The common stock of Great Southern Bancorp, Inc. is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “GSBC.”

    CONTACT:
    Zack Mukewa
    Investor Relations
    (616) 233-0500
    GSBC@lambert.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Acing a career in tech: Innovative program cuts through stereotypes

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Acing a career in tech: Innovative program cuts through stereotypes

    Hassan recalls telling her that he needed six months to learn how to run a tech-training company on the model that she was proposing and to wind down his other businesses. And she said he would need to have his first paying customer within that same six months.

    Hassan, his brother and their friend Salad built a network, took trainings and made connections with companies, eventually including Microsoft, which became a partner in the program.

    “We had our first client in four months,” Hassan says with a laugh. It was a major Norwegian bank that committed to taking a graduate of the program for a one-year contract.

    Henriette Dolven is the education lead for Microsoft Norway, and she is one of the company’s leaders who supported the Amesto Aces program.

    Seven Norwegian labor and trade organizations for the tech industry collaborated on a study on the need for tech labor skills in the country by 2030, she says. “It confirmed we needed 40,000 people for tech jobs by 2030, and it was clear there aren’t enough tech graduates to fill those positions,” she says.

    Dolven said she and her colleagues had been looking for partners to help fill that labor gap when they heard about Amesto Aces.

    She and her colleagues began meeting with Hassan and the other leaders of Aces to see how Microsoft could help.

    “The first skilling program was on cybersecurity, and it was all based on Microsoft Learn, so the content was there,” she recalls. “But the Amesto Aces used their skills to give it structure, put the different kinds of learning modules together and combine with the social skilling they provide.”

    In addition to training participants in particular kinds of developing and programming, Amesto Aces trains its students in “soft skills” – how to present themselves for work and how to be a good employee.

    “For me it’s kind of building upon the Microsoft values of inclusiveness – being a part of something meaningful,” Dolven says.

    Spandow says the program echoes the roots of the Amesto Group, which in its earliest version was founded by her grandmother after World War II, when she created a company that provided secretarial services to companies that were short on employees – introducing women to the labor force while filling a labor gap. “In a way Amesto Aces brings it full circle,” she says.

    Since its beginning, the training program has had 61 participants, and 36 have completed all certifications. Seven are completing the course now, she says. The idea is that Amesto Aces outsources their labor as contractors for one year with the hope that the company will then hire them full time.

    Twelve other participants have gotten full-time jobs after fulfilling their contracts, she says. Six have found other IT jobs while doing the course, and nine have found non-IT jobs.

    According to Hassan, nine participants were women, and 29 had immigrant backgrounds.

    The goal is to expand the program to other Norwegian cities and eventually to the other Nordic countries, Spandow says.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The iconic Austin 7 is back – and it’s built in Essex

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    By Tom Stacey, Anglia Ruskin University

    In perhaps one of the greatest brand comeback stories in automotive since the Fiat 500 in 2007, British car company Austin announced the return of the Austin Arrow.

    Its name is an unashamed reference to one of the most memorable Austin 7 models – first introduced in the 1920s the Arrow was the original “everyman sportscar”, before the muscle cars (think of the Dodge Challenger) of the US became popular in the 1960s. Now reimagined as an electric Vehicle (EV), the Arrow is designed and made in the UK and aims to be to 2020s consumers what the original was 90 years ago.

    A number of cars are synonymous with the British car industry. In fact, as a small nation, Britain punches above its weight when it comes to classic automobile brands – The Mini, the Range Rover, London black cabs, James Bond’s Aston Martins, and even the London red bus. However, if one car can be credited for creating the dawn of the motor vehicle in the UK, it would be the diminutive Austin 7.

    The car was created in the 1920s at the time when Austin was struggling. New laws were pushing manufacturers to produce smaller, less powerful cars. But Austin’s board of directors didn’t support a cheap, small car with low profit margins. Austin was known for its larger, luxury products.

    However, Sir Herbert Austin and his 18-year-old apprentice Stanley Edge decided to secretly create a small car. Thank god they didn’t heed the board, because they ended up creating the greatest democratising automotive product Britain had ever seen (until they repeated it with the Austin Mini).

    The reason why products such as the Austin 7 come to define their period is rarely due to their technical prowess or exhilarating performance – it’s because they bring to the masses a technology that is both useful and traditionally seen as out of reach.

    The Austin 7 was a bit like the iPhone. There were smartphones that came before it, like the Sony Ericsson p800. However, these were considered expensive and out of reach for the average consumer. The Iphone did the same thing but at a cheaper price and so came to be the definitive smartphone.

    With the Austin 7, Herbert Austin’s team applied the key lessons from Ford’s Model T – creating a simple, modestly powered car with just enough features for mass appeal while incorporating clever design elements that earned the respect of car enthusiasts.

    When the Austin 7 was unveiled in July 1922, it was priced at just £165, when an Austin 20 was between £600 and £700. At a time when the average British worker earned around £5 per week, the only real affordable car had been Ford’s basic and utilitarian Model T at around £250.

    The 7’s ingenious design was the key to its success. With a shared base frame for the car, it could be a four-seater family car, a stylish coupe, or even a racing car.

    This cheap, tiny car not only was a legend in its own right and familiar around the world, but it influenced other legends too.

    Colin Chapman, the founder of Lotus Cars, based his first Lotus 1 on the Austin 7. What is less known is that German car manufacturer BMW built Austin 7s under licence in the 1920s and 30s but called them “Dixis”. Nissan did the same in Japan in the pre-war period. Such licensing deals helped set up both manufacturers’ future success as the powerhouses they are today.

    Austin 7s were produced all over Europe, Asia and even in Australia. The 7 was also produced in the US as the “American Bantam” and its design contributed to the “Willy’s Jeep”, one of the US’s most famous vehicles.

    Ultimately, the beginning of the second world war marked the end of Austin 7 production as the Austin factory at Longbridge, near Birmingham, needed to be repurposed to produce munitions. When the war ended, tastes for vehicles had changed and factories started to produce more modern designs, and not those from the 1920s, marking the end of a British automotive icon in 1939.

    Now it’s back, thanks to the engineer John Stubbs who bought the Austin brand after noticing the brand and trademarks were available. The rights to these had been owned by the Nanjing Automobile Group, which bought MG Rover when it collapsed in 2005. However, Nanjing had let these lapse and Stubbs bought them for £170 in 2015.

    The new Essex-based Austin Motor Company aims to recreate this classic brand, tugging at the heartstrings of those looking nostalgically at Britain’s automotive heyday. The announcement featured images of fun, cheap (£31,000) and light cars driving around the B-roads of Britain, or perhaps being taken to a racetrack for an amateur competition, harking back to earlier days. However, this car is thoroughly modern, featuring an electric motor.

    The new Austin Arrow is not meant to be the usable “everyman” car the original 7 was. For starters, to be compliant with quadricycle (a micro car with less than 6kW of power and an unladen mass no more than 425 kg) legislation it is limited to 60mph as a top speed and the range will be a maximum of 100 miles on one charge.

    However, as that fun, racy, open-top car that it’s predecessors were, it very much captures the spirit of the original Austin 7 Arrow.

    Tom Stacey, Deputy Head of the School of Economics, Finance and Law, Anglia Ruskin University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

    The opinions expressed in VIEWPOINT articles are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARU.

    If you wish to republish this article, please follow these guidelines: https://theconversation.com/uk/republishing-guidelines

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ARU partners with 1,000 apprenticeship employers

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    ARU apprentices Tegain Kerr from Winvic and Curtis Morrell from North West Anglia Foundation Trust (NWAFT)

    Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) has reached a major milestone, having struck partnerships with 1,000 different degree apprenticeship employers.

    ARU is one of the country’s largest providers of degree apprenticeships. Apprentices learn on the job, solving real-life problems as soon as they begin their courses.

    ARU’s degree apprenticeship offering has extended rapidly, responding to growing demand from employers and learners.

    ARU now offers pathways across 29 professions, including Policing, Nursing, Social Work, Digital and Leadership.

    More than 6,400 people have now enrolled on degree apprenticeship courses at ARU, with more than 2,000 having now graduated.

    “We’re proud to celebrate working with more than 1,000 employers.

    “Our tailored approach supports both SMEs and large employers, ensuring apprentices make an immediate impact in the workplace.

    “By evolving our programmes, we continue to meet the needs of businesses and learners alike, pioneering new ways to blend education with industry-led training.”

    Tom Taylor, Head of Degrees at Work at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU)

    To find out more about how ARU is marking National Apprenticeship Week 2025 (10-14 February), visit aru.ac.uk/study/degree-apprenticeships/national-apprenticeship-week

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Businesses invited to find out about the benefits of digital transformation

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Businesses invited to find out about the benefits of digital transformation

    10 February 2025

    Local businesses are being invited to find out more about how their enterprise could benefit from improved digital capability assisted by the Digital Transformation Flexible Fund (DTFF).

    An information session will take place in the Everglades on 27th Feb, from 10am to 12.30pm delivered by the William J Clinton Institute at Queen’s University Belfast. Members of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Business Team will also be on hand to provided tailored advice and information about the programme and the many benefits. Eligible businesses can apply for capital grant funding between £5000 and £20000 to support their business transformation journey to accelerate digital ambitions.

    The Fund is delivered by all local authorities in Northern Ireland under the Full Fibre Northern Ireland Consortium (FFNI) and supported by Invest NI. The project is part funded by the NI Executive, UK Government, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and all local authorities.

    Looking ahead to the event, Business Development Manager with Council, Danielle McNally said: “This is a unique and innovative funding opportunity for businesses to introduce new technologies that will really enhance both their profile and their performance. Many local enterprises are unaware of the support that’s out there and we are happy to advise on how they can best leverage opportunities like the DTFF to get the maximum benefit for their venture.

    “I would really encourage anyone interested in digital transformation to come along and find out more about how they can harness the latest digital technologies in the most effective way.”

    The closing date for Expressions of Interest to this call closes on 14th March and businesses are encouraged to attend the information session to see what the fund can do for them. Other local businesses will also be on hand on the day to share their experiences of engaging with the DTFF programme to date.

    The information session will help identify the types of technology funded, the application process and the importance of leveraging this unique opportunity to address financial barriers to the adoption of advanced digital technologies.

    Businesses can register to attend here – https://dtff.co.uk/pre-briefing-sessions/

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: January Tax Revenues Up 0.1%; Adjusted YTD Down 0.9%

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA – The State of Georgia’s net tax collections in the month of January totaled slightly more than $3.05 billion, for an increase of roughly $2 million, or 0.1%, compared to January 2024, when net tax collections totaled just shy of $3.05 billion for the month. Year-to-date, net tax revenue collections totaled nearly $19.41 billion, for an increase of $285.1 million that was driven chiefly by the collection of the state’s motor fuel excise tax, which was suspended by Executive Order for a two and a half month period of FY 2024. Adjusting for the motor fuel tax changes, year-to-date net tax revenue collections for the period-ending January 31 were down $173.1 million or 0.9%.

    The changes within the following tax categories account for January’s overall net tax revenue increase:
     
    Individual Income Tax:  Individual Income Tax collections in January totaled roughly $1.59 billion, down from a total of nearly $1.67 billion in fiscal year 2024, for a decrease of $71.1 million or 4.3%.

    The following notable components within Individual Income Tax combine for the net decrease:

    • Individual Income Tax refunds issued (net of voided checks) decreased by $90.6 million or 61.5%
    • Income Tax Withholding payments decreased by $92.6 million or 6.5% from January 2024
    • Individual Income Tax Estimated payments decreased by $41.9 million or 16.9% from FY 2024
    • All other Individual Tax categories, including Tax Return payments, were down a combined $27.2 million

    Sales and Use Tax:  Gross Sales and Use Tax collections in January totaled nearly $1.85 billion, for an increase of $108.6 million, or 6.2%, over FY 2024.  Net Sales and Use Tax increased by $39.6 million or 4.5% compared to last year, when net Sales Tax totaled $870.9 million. The adjusted Sales Tax distribution to local governments totaled $930.4 million for an increase of $70.8 million, while Sales Tax refunds declined by $1.7 million.  

    Corporate Income Tax:  Corporate Income Tax collections for the month increased by $16.7 million or 11.6% compared to last year, when net Corporate Tax revenues totaled $144.2 million in January.

    The following notable components within Corporate Income Tax make up the net increase:

    Motor Fuel Taxes:  Motor Fuel Tax collections during the month increased by $13.9 million or 7.7% from last year when motor fuel tax collections totaled $179.7 million in January of FY 2024.

    Motor Vehicle – Tag, Title & Fees:  Motor Vehicle Tag & Title Fee collections for the month decreased by $3.9 million or 10.1%, while Title ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) collections increased by $6.3 million or 9.5%.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Finger Lakes Winners of DRI and NY Forward Programs

    Source: US State of New York

    Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that Canandaigua will receive $10 million in funding as the Finger Lakes winner of the eighth round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, and the Villages of Brockport and Phelps will each receive $4.5 million as the Finger Lakes winners of the third round of NY Forward. For Round 8 of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and Round 3 of the NY Forward Program, each of the state’s 10 economic development regions are being awarded $10 million from each program, to make for a total state commitment of $200 million in funding and investments to help communities boost their economies by transforming downtowns into vibrant neighborhoods.

    “By investing in the future of these Finger Lakes communities, this funding will revitalize their downtown areas by building vibrant and thriving destinations where businesses, families, and visitors can flourish,” Governor Hochul said. “With our Pro-Housing Communities initiative, we’re giving local leaders the tools to transform their cities, towns and villages into hubs of opportunity, culture, and affordable living. This is how we build stronger, more connected communities that work for everyone across New York.”

    To receive funding from either the DRI or NY Forward program, localities must be certified under Governor Hochul’s Pro-Housing Communities Program – an innovative policy created to recognize and reward municipalities actively working to unlock their housing potential and encourage others to follow suit. Governor Hochul’s Pro-Housing Communities initiative allocates up to $650 million each year in discretionary funds for communities that pledge to increase their housing supply; to date, 273 communities across New York have been certified as Pro-Housing Communities. This year, Governor Hochul is proposing an additional $110 million in funding to cover infrastructure and planning costs for Pro-Housing Communities.

    Many of the projects funded through the DRI and NY Forward support Governor Hochul’s affordability agenda. The DRI has invested in the creation of more than 4,400 units of housing – 1,823 of which are affordable or workforce. The programs committed over $8.5 million to 11 projects that provide affordable or free childcare and childcare worker training. DRI and NY Forward have also invested in the creation of public parks, public art (such as murals and sculptures) and art, music and cultural venues that provide free outdoor recreation and entertainment opportunities.

    $10 Million Downtown Revitalization Initiative Award for Canandaigua

    Downtown Canandaigua is poised to be, and is already becoming, a residential and recreational hub of the Finger Lakes region. With anticipated growth related to programming and investment focused on the semiconductor industry, an investment in this transformation will help the region to put its best foot forward when recruiting future businesses, workers and residents. The City of Canandaigua seeks to connect the Canandaigua Lake waterfront via safe, quality walking and biking pathways that complement the existing streets. The City is focused on projects that will create a diverse mix of businesses, housing, events and arts in its downtown that create a vibrant atmosphere for residents and visitors of all backgrounds.

    $4.5 Million NY Forward Award for Brockport

    The Village of Brockport is an Erie Canal town, college town and central hub of activity for its own residents and those of other nearby small towns and villages. Brockport prioritizes living its history and bridging it to a thriving and culturally rich future in the Finger Lakes region. The Village’s downtown focus area centers on Main Street and adjacent side streets that offer several attractions for residents and visitors. This area highlights Brockport’s historic downtown corridor, canal front parcels and portions of historic districts on the Village’s west and east sides. The Village seeks to transform its historic downtown corridor into an accessible tourist destination and a home where visitors, residents and people of all abilities can recreate, socialize, live and age in comfort.

    $4.5 Million NY Forward Award for Phelps

    The Village of Phelps, a historically significant community with a population of 1,900 residents, is strategically positioned near major transportation routes, making it easily accessible for both residents and visitors. The Village’s walkable downtown area encompasses municipal parks, cultural and recreational attractions, museums and the multi-use community center. Its application is focused on streetscaping and aesthetic upgrades, so that no matter what route a resident or visitor might take through downtown, the path from one destination to the next will be interesting and attractive.

    New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley said, “The Downtown Revitalization and NY Forward programs work together to re-energize downtowns of all sizes across our State. Our newest winners for the Finger Lakes region – Canandaigua, Brockport and Phelps – will all leverage existing cultural, natural and historical assets to transform their downtowns into economic engines for their residents and the entire region. The Department of State looks forward to seeing the projects these communities select and how they will positively impact the region for generations to come!”

    Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight, said, “Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, the DRI and NY Forward programs continue to support projects that generate new investments and encourage transformational change in towns and communities throughout New York State. These plans from Canandaigua, Phelps and Brockport will revitalize downtown businesses, historic districts and waterfronts and spur economic development that will benefit residents and visitors to the beautiful Finger Lakes region.”

    New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “Our local partners in Canandaigua, Brockport, and Phelps should be proud of their efforts to build vibrant and affordable neighborhoods that create new homes and new jobs. This State investment of nearly $20 million will give these certified Pro-Housing Communities the resources they need to thrive for generations to come. We thank Governor Hochul for her continued leadership on tackling the housing crisis and making the Finger Lakes a more affordable place to live and work.”

    Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council Co-Chairs Bob Duffy, President and CEO, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, and Dr. Denise Battles, President of the State University of New York Geneseo, said, “The FLREDC is incredibly proud to continue our support for the City of Canandaigua and for the communities of Phelps and Brockport and their exciting futures through the Governor’s transformational Downtown Revitalization and NY Forward Initiatives. These selected, community-driven plans will benefit both residents and visitors alike, promoting economic growth and creating spaces where people will want to live, work, and play for generations to come.”

    New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “With more than 25 Canal communities now among the growing roster of DRI and NY Forward awardees, I know how these important investments can jumpstart powerful change. This year, as we commemorate the Bicentennial of the Erie Canal’s completion and look forward to the opening of the Brockport Pedestrian Bridge, the timing of these awards could not be more welcomed or appropriate. The Canal Corporation sends its most sincere congratulations to Brockport, Canandaigua, and Phelps.”

    Canandaigua Mayor Bob Palumbo said, “On behalf of myself and our DRI team and City Council, I would like to thank the Governor and her team for awarding the $10 million-dollar DRI to the City of Canandaigua. I look forward to seeing the projects we supported in our DRI proposal unlock opportunities that create new jobs, add housing, and public amenities in our downtown.”

    Brockport Mayor Margay Blackman said, “‘It’s all in Brockport’ became our shared vision as we dreamed of what our village could become with a NY Forward grant. The Brockport of our NY Forward dreams is one that works for all – young, old, university student, resident, visitor, tourist. The water brings people, Brockporters say, and we will invest in our waterfront to establish Brockport as the premier, inclusive recreation community on the Erie Canal. What I’m especially proud of today is that 6 people, including our grant writer, crafted a successful proposal, in house, in 2 short years.”

    Village of Phelps Mayor Jim Cheney said, “On behalf of the community of Phelps, we are extremely excited, honored and grateful to be chosen for the NY Forward Grant. The residents of Phelps have been working hard to attract more visitors, businesses and housing to our community; to make it a special place to live, work and play in; and, to fit into the Finger Lakes Region’s economic strategic plan. This investment by the state will help push us over the top in our revitalization efforts. It is important for small communities, such as the Village of Phelps, to receive statewide taxpayer support such as this, to revitalize and thrive. It is in everyone’s best interest to help our local communities’ economies. Thank you to Governor Hochul, Ontario County, the REDC and all community partners for sharing and believing in our vision.”

    Canandaigua, Brockport and Phelps will now begin the process of developing a Strategic Investment Plan to revitalize their downtowns. A Local Planning Committee made up of municipal representatives, community leaders and other stakeholders will lead the effort, supported by a team of private sector experts and state planners. The Strategic Investment Plan will guide the investment of DRI and NY Forward grant funds in revitalization projects that are poised for implementation, will advance the community’s vision for their downtown and that can leverage and expand upon the state’s investment.

    The Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council conducted a thorough and competitive review process of proposals submitted from communities throughout the region and considered all criteria before recommending these communities as nominees.

    About the Downtown Revitalization Initiative

    The Downtown Revitalization Initiative was created in 2016 to accelerate and expand the revitalization of downtowns and neighborhoods in all ten regions of the state to serve as centers of activity and catalysts for investment. Led by the Department of State with assistance from Empire State Development, Homes and Community Renewal and NYSERDA, the DRI represents an unprecedented and innovative “plan-then-act” strategy that couples strategic planning with immediate implementation and results in compact, walkable downtowns that are a key ingredient to helping New York State rebuild its economy from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to achieving the State’s bold climate goals by promoting the use of public transit and reducing dependence on private vehicles. Through nine rounds, the DRI will have awarded a total of $900 million to 89 communities across every region of the State.

    About the NY Forward Program

    First announced as part of the 2022 Budget, Governor Hochul created the NY Forward program to build on the momentum created by the DRI. The program works in concert with the DRI to accelerate and expand the revitalization of smaller and rural downtowns throughout the State so that all communities can benefit from the State’s revitalization efforts, regardless of size, character, needs and challenges.

    NY Forward communities are supported by a professional planning consultant and team of State agency experts led by DOS to develop a Strategic Investment Plan that includes a slate of transformative, complementary and readily implementable projects. NY Forward projects are appropriately scaled to the size of each community; projects may include building renovation and redevelopment, new construction or creation of new or improved public spaces and other projects that enhance specific cultural and historical qualities that define and distinguish the small-town charm that defines these municipalities. Through three rounds, the NY Forward program will have awarded a total of $300 million to 62 communities across every region of the State.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Glovertown — Driver of vehicle involved in 2024 double fatality on Route 320 near Hare Bay charged by Glovertown RCMP

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Following an investigation of a motor vehicle crash that claimed the lives of two passengers, Glovertown RCMP has laid criminal charges against the driver, 53-year-old Roger Hunt of Trinity.

    On the morning of July 23, 2024, Glovertown RCMP received the report of the crash which left a truck in the middle of the roadway in flames. Two of the vehicle’s occupants, a 62-year-old man and a 62-year-old woman, died at the scene. The driver, Hunt, received serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

    Evidence obtained from the investigation support criminal charges, which were laid on February 6, 2025. Roger Hunt is charged with two counts dangerous operation causing death. He is scheduled to appear in Provincial Court in Gander on April 8, 2025.

    Background:

    Glovertown RCMP investigates fatal vehicle crash on Route 320 near Hare Bay | Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TOLEDO, Ohio – Gary Matthew Hughes, 36, of Piqua, Ohio, was sentenced to 14 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick, after pleading guilty to coercion or enticement of a minor. He was also ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $114,000 in restitution.

    From about September to October 2023, Hughes communicated with a purported seven-year-old daughter of an undercover agent. He admitted that his intent was to engage in sexual activity with the girl. During the investigation, agents also found multiple files of child sexual abuse materials on his personal cellphone.

    The case was investigated by the FBI Toledo Field Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tracey Tangeman for the Northern District of Ohio.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    To report child sexual abuse, please visit www.cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illinois Man Indicted in Connection with Gold Bullion Scam

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Harmish Patel, age 26, of Streamwood, Illinois, was indicted last week for his role in a gold bullion scam that victimized an elderly couple in Rensselaer County.

    United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, made the announcement.

    The indictment alleges that from December 1, 2023, to March 29, 2024, Patel conspired with others to transport across state lines gold bullion that had been taken by fraud, and that he transported gold bullion taken by fraud from New York to New Jersey on December 15, 2023, January 4, 2024, and January 15, 2024. According to the previously filed criminal complaint, Patel picked up gold bullion from an elderly couple in Brunswick, New York; the couple had been defrauded in a scam. The charges in the indictment and complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    The charges filed against Patel carry a maximum term of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

    HSI is investigating the case, with assistance from the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative. The mission of the Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department of Justice’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s older adults. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving elders can call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: IMF Staff Completes 2025 Article IV Consultation with Morocco

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    February 10, 2025

    End-of-Mission press releases include statements of IMF staff teams that convey preliminary findings after a visit to a country. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF’s Executive Board for discussion and decision.

    • Economic growth is accelerating thanks to strong domestic demand, amid a new investment cycle in many sectors.
    • Tax reforms have allowed the fiscal deficit in 2024 to be lower than expected while also funding spending measures. Going forward, saving part of the revenue windfall would help strengthen the fiscal buffers. The current monetary policy stance is appropriate and should remain data dependent.
    • Structural reforms should focus on strengthening job creation, including by better targeting active labor market polices, consolidating programs to support small and medium firms, and removing regulatory distortions that hinder firms’ growth.

    Rabat, Morocco: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team led by Roberto Cardarelli conducted discussions with the Moroccan authorities in Rabat on the 2025 Article IV Consultation from January 27 to February 7. At the conclusion of the visit, Mr. Cardarelli issued the following statement:

    “Economic activity is expected to have grown by 3.2 percent in 2024 and to accelerate to 3.9 percent in 2025, as agricultural output rebounds after the recent droughts and the nonagricultural sector continues to expand at a robust pace amid strong domestic demand. Higher growth is expected to increase the current account deficit towards its estimated medium-term norm of around 3 percent, while inflation is expected to stabilize at around 2 percent. The risks to the outlook are broadly balanced, with significant uncertainty regarding the economic impact of geopolitical tensions and changing climate conditions.

    “With inflation expectations anchored around 2 percent and little signs of demand pressures, the current broadly neutral monetary policy stance is appropriate, and staff agrees with Bank Al-Maghrib that future changes of policy rates should remain data dependent. With inflation back to around 2 percent, Bank Al-Maghrib should continue its preparation to adopt an inflation-targeting framework.”

    “Recent reforms to the tax system and tax administration have helped expand the tax base while lowering the tax burden. As a result, tax revenues in 2024 have been greater than expected. With only a small part of the additional tax revenues being saved, the central government’s deficit for the year was 4.1 percent of GDP compared to the 4.3 announced in the 2024 Budget. While the 2025 Budget confirms the gradual pace of fiscal adjustment projected last year, higher-than-expected revenues should be used to accelerate the pace of debt reduction to levels closer to pre-pandemic. In addition, continuing to finance structural reforms may require further efforts to expand the tax base and rationalize spending, including by reducing transfers to state-owned enterprises as part of the ongoing reform of the sector and expanding the use of the Unified Social Registry to all social programs.

    “Staff welcomes the ongoing reform of the Organic Budget Law that should introduce a new fiscal rule based on a medium-term debt anchor. Good progress has been made in the Medium-Term fiscal framework to include an assessment of the risk from climate change. Staff encourages the authorities to build on this progress by adding more information on the impact of new policy measures and a quantification of the risks from the increased reliance on public-private partnership (PPP) projects.

     “Stronger job creation requires a novel approach to active labor market policies, focusing on labor displaced from the agricultural sector due to the sequence of droughts. A special focus should be placed on encouraging the growth of small and medium size enterprises (SME)  and favoring their integration into sectoral value chains. Staff welcomes the progress in the operationalization of the Mohammed VI Investment Fund that should help SMEs access equity financing. Measures that may encourage the development of a more buoyant private sector include strengthening the support for SMEs under the new Charter of Investment, strengthening regional investment centers so they can better help SMEs access the financial and technical resources needed for their growth, and reviewing the labor code, tax system, and regulatory and governance frameworks so as remove the distortion that incentivize firms to remain small or informal. It will also be necessary that the ongoing SOE reform effectively pursues market neutrality between public and private sector firms.

    “The IMF team held discussions with senior officials of the government of Morocco, Bank Al-Maghrib, and representatives of the public and private sectors. The team thanks the Moroccan authorities and other stakeholders for their hospitality and candid and productive discussions.”

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Angham Al Shami

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Infected blood compensation payments to be scaled up in 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    More people impacted by the infected blood scandal to be able to claim compensation, with service to expand in stages during 2025

    More people will be able to claim compensation this year as the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) accelerates the number of claims, while continuing to build and expand its claim service.

    Currently, the claim service is starting small as IBCA designs and builds it. By mid-January, 67 people had been asked to start their claim, and IBCA is on track for 250 people to start their claim by the end of March for those who are registered with an existing support scheme.

    Now, the expansion of the service after those 250 people have started their claims has been confirmed. IBCA will widen the service to further groups of people in stages and, from April, intends to accelerate the number of claims it is processing for people who are infected and already registered with a support scheme. 

    The service will be built to take claims from groups in the following order (not all claims in each group need to be completed before another group begins):

    • living infected people who are already registered with a support scheme (payments for this group are already underway)
    • supplementary claims (where additional impacts are recognised, beyond the core compensation)
    • people claiming on behalf of registered estates
    • people who are affected and linked to a registered infected person or registered estate
    • people infected but not registered with a support scheme
    • people applying on behalf of an estate not registered with a support scheme
    • and people who are affected and not linked to a registered claim.

    Some people from all groups are expected to be able to claim in 2025, although not all claims from all groups will be completed by then. 

    For all groups, IBCA will explore how those who are nearing the end of their life due to illness may be able to come forward first in their group. 

    David Foley, Interim Chief Executive of IBCA, said:

    Every single compensation claim is unique with complex circumstances. That is why we started with a small number of people making the first compensation claims, building and improving the claim service as we go.

    We’re continuing that approach as we open up our service to more people with a range of different types of claims, so we can get a better understanding of their circumstances and design the service with everyone’s needs in mind.

    As we have already tested the service for those who are infected and registered with a support scheme, we will also accelerate the number of claims we’re processing in this group.

    We asked community members for their views, as it is only by understanding the needs of each person applying for compensation and working with the community that we’re able to open our service to more and more people. We are confident that starting small and testing as we go will deliver compensation for everyone eligible more quickly overall, and I’m pleased that we are now able to increase claims further in 2025.

    Members of the infected blood community, and those who represent them, were asked for their views on the order in which different groups could claim. IBCA also reviewed feedback received through a range of channels including email, letters, calls and social media.

    Where possible, IBCA took those views onboard and will now widen the claim service in stages to begin paying compensation to more people as soon as possible.

    IBCA was set up in May 2024, and the first set of regulations allowing us to make payments came into force in August 2024. While designing and building a new organisation and a claim service, we invited the first claims in October 2024 and made the first compensation offers in December 2025. In January 2025, compensation offers totalled more than £13 million, and more are being processed every week.

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: IBCA Community Update, 10 February 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Infected Blood Compensation Authority’s update that was circulated on 10 February 2025

    Documents

    IBCA Community Update, 10 February 2025

    HTML

    Details

    Infected Blood Compensation Authority’s update that was circulated on 10 February 2025

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 February 2025

    Sign up for emails or print this page

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Celebrating Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on February 10, 2025

    February 9 to 15, 2025, is Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week in Saskatchewan. The week recognizes the many contributions of teachers and staff in Saskatchewan schools who embody the qualities reflected in this year’s theme “Heroes of Education.” 

    “We are pleased to proclaim Teacher/Staff Appreciation week to celebrate teachers and staff and their commitment to Prekindergarten to Grade 12 education,” Education Minister Everett Hindley said. “From providing skills and knowledge in the classroom to supporting student activities, teachers and school staff provide the foundation for lifelong learning.”

    Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week has been celebrated across Canada for 38 years and is supported by the Saskatchewan Association of School Councils (SASC).

    “As we celebrate Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week across the province, we would like to recognize teachers and school staff for their ongoing commitment and dedication to the students and families they serve,” SASC Director Joy Bastness said. “We thank them for all that they do and continue to do to achieve successful student outcomes.” 

    School divisions, schools and school community councils will be celebrating Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week with activities throughout the week. 

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    Media Relations
    Education
    Regina
    Phone: 306-533-6391
    Email: mediaed@gov.sk.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Homeless Venezuelan alien asks to be taken into ICE custody

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    February 10, 2025Detroit, MI, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

    DETROIT – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a homeless, 23-year-old Venezuelan illegal alien in Detroit Feb. 6 when he entered the agency’s lobby and asked to be taken into custody, stating that if ICE did not arrest him, he would go out and commit crimes.

    “We’re grateful that this individual self-reported and turned himself over to ICE before going out and threatening public safety,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Detroit Field Office Director Robert Lynch.

    The Venezuelan national will remain in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings.

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

    Learn more about ICE Detroit’s mission to increase public safety in our Michigan and Ohio communities on X at @ERODetroit.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Italian Government Authority Censures Eyewear Giant Luxottica for Failing to Uphold Fair Union Organizing Standards in U.S. Operations

    Source: Communications Workers of America

    A report by the OECD’s Italian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct (NCP), has exposed global eyewear giant Luxottica for violating workers’ rights during union organizing efforts by the Communications Workers of America at the company’s Atlanta, Georgia logistics center in 2021. Despite publicly embracing its obligations under the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, Luxottica failed to rectify these violations and undermined collaborative efforts to address them under the good offices of the NCP’s conciliation mechanism.

    The report concludes a multi-year process initiated by a formal complaint from IUE-CWA, AFL-CIO, IndustriALL, and UNI labor unions regarding Luxottica’s egregious anti-union tactics and failure to uphold internationally recognized labor standards at its U.S. facilities.

    In its Final Statement on the case, published in late December 2024, the Italian authority found that Luxottica rejected the NCP conciliator’s recommendations on fair union organizing by workers in the United States. The Final Statement confirmed the conciliator’s conclusion that the breakdown of the conciliation process was caused by Luxottica’s refusal to recognize the validity of the Guidelines, and the company’s insistence on U.S. law as the only relevant standard.

    Key Findings from the Italian NCP’s Report

    1. International labor standards, and not domestic law, govern any OECD Guidelines proceeding.

    2. Luxottica failed to engage constructively in the conciliation process, in contrast to the union’s efforts.

    3. As per the conciliator’s instructions, Luxottica should have remained neutral regarding union organizing efforts by its workers.

    IUE-CWA President Carl Kennebrew issued the following statement on the Italian NCP’s findings in the case:

    “Luxottica has deliberately violated OECD Guidelines for Responsible Business by interfering with its employees’ freedom of association and collective bargaining rights. Although Luxottica publicly claims adherence to these guidelines, its actions tell a different story, as the company undermined workers’ attempts to organize at its Atlanta facility.”

    “Luxottica global management has made a fundamental mistake by following the advice of its anti-union American lawyers instead of the conciliator’s recommendations. Luxottica’s failure to live up to its obligations under the OECD Guidelines creates reputational and financial risk for the company and its investors as it seeks to expand its global footprint in North America and other regions.”

    “There is still time for Luxottica to rectify its refusal to adopt the Italian conciliator’s recommendations. We urge Luxottica to return to the table with IUE-CWA for agreement on management neutrality and other fair rules for organizing. Many firms have adopted such neutrality agreements with their union, most recently Microsoft and General Electric. Many other companies have reached global framework agreements with unions promising to respect workers’ organizing and bargaining rights worldwide.”

    “If trade unions are unable to reach an agreement with Luxottica on fair rules for union organizing, we will explore other avenues to persuade Luxottica to halt its violations of international standards on workers’ freedom of association in the United States. These include increased engagement with socially responsible investors, and the enforcement of U.S. and European due diligence laws on human rights in Luxottica’s supply chain. But the solution is really simple: Luxottica can apply the same standards of good faith and respect for trade unions that it maintains in Italy to its operations in the United States.”

    IndustriALL General Secretary Atle Høie issued the following statement on the Italian NCP’s findings:

    “This case exposes what the OECD considers actions taken by Luxottica in violation with the OECD guidelines on multinational companies. The conclusions clearly denounce anti union behavior put in place by companies during organizing. Such union busting tactics are not uncommon in the US, but have now been unequivocally condemned by the OECD contact point in Italy. We demand that Luxottica follow the recommendations, take a neutral stance in future organizing activities and invite CWA back to the table.”

    UNI Global Union General Secretary Christy Hoffman issued the following statement on the Italian NCP’s findings in the case:

    “It is shameful that companies operating in the US routinely believe that they can violate international standards with impunity. The NCP in this case did not back down from calling this out as a violation of the Guidelines. The NCP also took a clear decision that the Italian management was responsible for anti-union actions of its US subsidiary, another good precedent. The company should reverse course, follow the rules on which we all depend, and go back to the table with CWA. An end to this kind of union-busting is long overdue.”

    Background and Details

    The report comes at the end of a six-month conciliation process held from September 2023 to March 2024 under the aegis of the National Contact Point (NCP), which is an authority constituted by the Italian Government’s Ministry of Businesses, following the NCP’s review of the unions’ complaint that Luxottica created a “climate of fear” which destroyed an organizing effort by American workers at Luxottica’s North American logistics hub in McDonough (Atlanta), Georgia in 2021.

    Italy-based Luxottica (EssilorLuxottica following its 2017 merger with global French-based lens producer Essilor) is a major employer in the United States, which is its largest single market, with operations in eyewear retail, vision insurance, ophthalmic labs, and lens and frame manufacturing.

    The IUE-CWA, joined by the AFL-CIO and global unions IndustriALL and UNI, complained that management’s aggressive anti-union tactics violated workers’ organizing rights under the OECD Guidelines.

    Luxottica blatantly disregarded these labor principles in 2021 despite its obligations under the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct which call on multinational companies to respect core labor standards, including the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

    Instead, as workers at its Atlanta logistics center sought to unionize for better health protections and fair wages during the COVID-19 crisis, Luxottica launched an aggressive anti-union campaign.

    American management at the Georgia center forced employees into “captive-audience” meetings in which managers and anti-union consultants vilified trade unions as swindlers who only want workers’ dues payments, and told employees they could lose pay and benefits if they support the union. Management repeated the same insults and threats in an anti-union website and in text messages, workplace posters, and TV screens throughout the plant. Luxottica interfered with organizers’ access to the workers. The climate of fear and intimidation became so severe that IUE-CWA ultimately withdrew its organizing effort.

    Such actions would be unthinkable in Italy, where unions have long enjoyed collective bargaining relationships with Luxottica management based on good faith and mutual respect. Italian unions joined the call for Luxottica to apply these same principles when workers in its American facilities exercise rights to freedom of association.

    CWA Union representatives were optimistic about reaching an agreement with Luxottica in the NCP conciliation process when it began with a meeting in Rome in September 2023 under guidance of conciliator Enzo Cannizzaro, a prominent Italian international law professor at the University of Rome and at Columbia Law School. The unions hoped to reach an agreement with Luxottica based on the conciliator’s recommendations, which included measures for management neutrality, union representatives’ access to facilities to meet with workers, and other measures adhering to international labor rights standards under the OECD Guidelines.

    The union accepted the conciliator’s recommendations. But, advised by its American anti-union lawyers, Luxottica management refused even to respond to the conciliator’s recommendations. The conciliator closed the proceeding in April 2024 without a resolution to the dispute.

    The Unions contend that Luxottica failed to engage in good faith during the OECD’s six-month conciliation process. Rather than seeking a resolution, the company obstructed the process and ignored opportunities provided to rectify its transgressions.

    In its Final Report, the Italian NCP makes clear why the process failed.The NCP also reiterated the Conciliator’s recommendation as to how the Company should honor the principle of non-interference moving forward:

    “The owners and the management of a Company … should refrain from expressing their opinion on matters of unionisation, under the principle on non-interference, in order to contribute to a fair and equitable framework for industrial relations, as also pursued by the OECD Guidelines.”

    The NCP concluded its Final Report with

    “regrets that it has not been possible to resolve the issues raised by applying the Guidelines,” stressing that “settling the case on the basis of the Guidelines’ provisions, rather than by applying the national law, alone, would have ensured a balanced, constructive and long-lasting solution. Indeed, the Guidelines themselves refer to principles and standards of international law.”

    Final Considerations and Next Steps

    The Italian NCP’s findings put Luxottica at a crossroads. IUE-CWA, AFL-CIO, IndustriALL and UNI union confederations demand that Luxottica adopt a fair framework that guarantees neutrality and non-interference in future organizing efforts across the U.S. By doing so, Luxottica can begin to repair the damage caused by its anti-union practices and demonstrate its commitment to the workers who drive its business forward.

    As pressure mounts, IUE-CWA remains resolute in its fight for fair labor standards and urges Luxottica to make a decisive shift toward responsible business conduct worldwide. The union will continue to monitor the situation closely and advocate for vision workers’ rights at every turn.

    For more information on the NCP Final Statement and its implications for Luxottica’s labor practices, contact CWA Communications at +1 (202) 434-1168 and comms@cwa-union.org

    ###

    About National Contact Points for RBC

    “National Contact Points for Responsible Business Conduct (NCPs for RBC) are agencies established by governments. Their mandate is twofold: to promote the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and related due diligence guidance, and to handle cases (referred to as “specific instances”) as a non-judicial grievance mechanism. To date, 51 governments have an NCP for RBC. Also see: https://mneguidelines.oecd.org/ncps/

    All 51 governments adhering to the OECD Guidelines have the legal obligation to set up an NCP. Today, NCPs make up a network and a community of practitioners, dealing with a wide array of impacts involving companies either through their operations or their supply chains. In 2020, NCPs celebrated 20 years as non-judicial grievance mechanisms. Find out more about NCPs | Browse resources on NCPs”

    The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental organization with 38 member countries from Europe, North America, South America and Asia-Pacific, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. It originates from the organization set up to manage US Marshall Aid to post-WW2 Europe. The United States is one of its founding members. It is headquartered in Paris.

    About CWA

    The Communications Workers of America (CWA) represents working people in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, manufacturing, tech and other fields. IUE-CWA is the Industrial Division of the CWA, it represents manufacturing and industrial workers in a wide range of industries including automotive, aerospace, furniture, and appliances, and vision.

    About AFL-CIO

    Headquartered in Washington DC, USA, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is the democratic, voluntary federation of 60 national and international labor unions that represent more than 12.5 million working people in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

    About IndustriALL Global Union

    IndustriALL Global Union is a global union federation, founded in Copenhagen on 19 June 2012. IndustriALL represents more than 50 million working people in more than 140 countries, working across the supply chains in mining, energy and manufacturing sectors at the global level. The Global headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland.

    About UNI Global Union

    UNI Global Union, formally Union Network International, is a Global Union Federation for the skills and services sectors, uniting national and regional trade unions. It has affiliated unions in 150 countries representing 20 million workers. The Global headquarters is in Nyon, Switzerland.

    About EssilorLuxottica

    EssilorLuxottica was created through the 2017 merger between French multinational corporation Essilor and Italian multinational corporation Luxottica, with Essilor headquartered in France and Luxottica in Italy. EssilorLuxottica is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of ophthalmic lenses, frames and sunglasses. With over 200,000 employees across 150 countries, 650 operations facilities and 18,000 stores, in 2023 the Company generated consolidated revenue of Euro 25.4 billion. EssilorLuxottica is home to advanced lens technologies including Varilux, Stellest and Transitions, eyewear brands including Ray-Ban and Oakley, luxury licensed brands and world-class retailers including LensCrafters and Sunglass Hut. EssilorLuxottica shares are traded on the Euronext Paris market and are included in the Euro Stoxx 50 and CAC 40 indices. Codes and symbols: ISIN: FR0000121667; Reuters: ESLX.PA; Bloomberg: EL:FP. www.essilorluxottica.com.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Xia Baolong inspects tech park

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    CPC Central Committee Hong Kong & Macao Work Office Director and State Council Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office Director Xia Baolong visited the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science & Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone on February 9.

    This was followed by a tour of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Co-operation Zone.

    During his inspection, Mr Xia hosted a discussion session in Qianhai, where he was briefed by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government on its work plans on the economy and financial services.

    During the morning visit to the Hong Kong Park, Mr Xia, accompanied by Acting Chief Executive Chan Kwok-ki and Financial Secretary Paul Chan, listened to presentations by Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn on the overall planning and development overview of the Northern Metropolis as well as by Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong on the park’s latest development progress and the key focus of work.

    Mr Xia also inspected the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Co-operation Zone and hosted a discussion session where the Financial Secretary introduced the Hong Kong SAR Government’s work and focus in 2025 to advance the economy.

    During the four-hour session, there were also in-depth discussions on how Hong Kong could further understand, respond to and embrace changes under the new circumstances, accelerate reforms to foster progress, enhance Guangdong-Hong Kong co-operation, and better integrate into the Greater Bay Area (GBA).

    At the discussion session, Mr Xia recognised the work of the Hong Kong SAR Government under the Chief Executive’s leadership and expressed hope the Hong Kong SAR Government would thoroughly implement the spirit of the important speeches by President Xi Jinping in Macau and the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, and continue to be bold in reform, dare to break new ground and to innovate continuously.

    Mr Xia also wished for more reciprocal co-operation and collaborative development within the GBA.

    The finance chief stated that under the Chief Executive’s leadership, the Hong Kong SAR Government team will firmly uphold the principle of “one country” while leveraging the advantages of “two systems”, and the Government team is determined to undertake reforms, dare to be innovative, and actively integrate into the national development and align with national development strategies.

    In the face of a complex external environment, Hong Kong will co-ordinate development and security, maintain financial and economic security, whilst promoting the acceleration of economic progress.

    As the country further deepens reforms, promotes high-quality development and advances high-level opening up, Hong Kong will leverage its unique advantages and functions of connecting with both the Mainland and the world as well as its strong international character. 

    Hong Kong will reinforce traditional advantageous industries such as financial services, trade and shipping, while also exploring new development areas. At the same time, Hong Kong will focus on nurturing new quality productive forces and new economic growth points and continue to make systematic investments in innovation and technology.

    The Financial Secretary added that Hong Kong will harness platforms such as the above-mentioned co-operation zones, and strengthen collaboration with sister cities in the GBA, seeking to play to the comparative strengths of the cities and elevate their economic development.

    The session was attended by Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang, Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui, Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau, Ms Linn, Prof Sun, Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan and Acting Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Raistlin Lau.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Romania and Netherlands set up joint investigation team into theft of precious historic art from Dutch museum

    Source: Eurojust

    10 February 2025|

    Judicial and law enforcement authorities in Romania and the Netherlands have set up a dedicated joint investigation team (JIT) into the theft of four pieces of precious historic Romanian art from the Dutch Drents Museum, last month. The JIT has been set up with active support from Eurojust, which will provide operational, logistic and legal assistance to the investigators on the case.

    Four pieces of major Romanian cultural heritage, including the historic golden crown of Coţofeneşti, were stolen from the museum in Assen in the north of the Netherlands in the early hours of Saturday 25 January. The perpetrators used massive force and gained access by means of an explosion, in order to steal the crown and three ancient golden bracelets, which were all exhibited on loan from the Romanian National Museum of History. In the meantime, three suspects have been arrested in the Netherlands and are currently still being held in custody.

    At the request of the Romanian authorities, within the same week after the museum heist, Eurojust organised a coordination meeting at its premises to discuss the judicial follow up of the cultural theft and enable cooperation between the investigators involved. In order to cooperate further and more closely, a special dedicated JIT has now been set up between Romania and the Netherlands.

    A JIT not only facilitates closer cooperation in specific cases, but also arranges for a more rapid and seamless exchange of information between the authorities involved. In view of the ongoing investigations, Eurojust will not be able to provide further information at this stage.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Analog’s Timechain Revolution: Pioneering Proof-of-Time with $ANLOG Major Exchange Listings

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Analog is set to become the gateway to blockchain’s future, powered by Timechain — a decentralised, boundary-breaking Layer-0 network. With the simultaneous listing of its native token, $ANLOG, on KuCoin, Bitget, MEXC and Gate.io, Analog takes a bold step forward in reshaping blockchain connectivity and expanding $ANLOG’s reach across the ecosystem.

    The $ANLOG token will be listed for trading on February 10th at 11 AM UTC with an ANLOG/USDT trading pair. Deposits and withdrawals will also go live at this time. Public sale and Airdrop participants can trade their $ANLOG tokens or use them within Analog’s growing ecosystem, while all users can acquire the token on the open market.

    Analog is led by a team of blockchain and DeFi experts with over 150 years of combined experience. The project has attracted major partners and investors including key players such as Tribe Capital, Near Foundation, Black Label Ventures, Wintermute, GSR, and DeSpread. These collaborations attest to the industry’s confidence in Analog’s potential to address the long-standing challenges of blockchain connectivity.

    As a multi-purpose utility token, $ANLOG supports transaction validation, staking, and governance participation. The token is used to secure the Timechain, a layer-0 blockchain that enables seamless cross-chain data and transaction flow, addressing one of the most critical bottlenecks in blockchain technology today. Analog’s suite of products, including the Watch SDK and GMP protocol, further distinguishes it from competitors, offering accessible solutions for developers to build interoperable decentralized applications without limitations.

    Analog’s ecosystem is expanding rapidly, with 50+ projects across DeFi, AI, NFTs, and gaming building on its technology. At the core of this growth are ecosystem dApps like Zenswap and Pixelport, which are deeply integrated into Analog’s infrastructure. Zenswap is revolutionising cross-chain swaps, enabling seamless asset transfers across multiple networks, while Pixelport is redefining NFT trading and digital ownership in a truly omnichain environment. Beyond these flagship dApps, a diverse range of projects — including Frax Finance, XYO, StationX, and Parami Protocol — are leveraging Analog’s Watch, GMP protocols, and automation tools to enhance cross-chain interactions, decentralised AI, and real-time data sharing.

    Analog continues to solidify its leadership in blockchain through the innovative proprietary Proof-of-Time (PoT) consensus mechanism. This cutting-edge protocol — validated by two officially approved patents. These patents highlight Analog’s commitment to pioneering solutions that overcome the limitations of fragmented blockchain ecosystems. Proof-of-Time is designed to enhance security and scalability by leveraging verifiable delay functions (VDFs), ensuring accurate data flow and secure operations across diverse chains. Although still under development, this mechanism exemplifies Analog’s forward-thinking ethos, positioning it as a transformative force in Web3’s future.

    Interest in Analog has been solidified by significant engagement on its testnet, which has attracted over 380,000 participants globally which have been verified through their innovative Proof-Of-Humanity system. The growing support, both on-chain and in the demand for its recent public token sale, reflects the industry’s enthusiasm for Analog’s approach to solving blockchain’s primary fragmentation challenges. The project is now positioned as a leading force in the $2 billion blockchain interoperability market which is poised for exponential growth as Web3 adoption soars.

    Analog’s innovations have broad appeal. From retail investors and blockchain developers to validators, DeFi enthusiasts, and those exploring decentralized science (DeSci), the potential impact is immense. Analog’s innovative solutions also hold significant promise for AI projects, enabling seamless cross-chain communication for data sharing and computation. Even communities centered around memecoins can benefit from a unified blockchain ecosystem, unlocking new possibilities for token utility and connectivity. With such a wide range of use cases, Analog is a compelling proposition for anyone interested in the future of interconnected blockchains.

    Analog’s focus on cross-chain interactions is critical as the space becomes increasingly fragmented. By enabling communication and transaction flow between different networks, Analog lays the groundwork for new levels of scalability, efficiency, decentralization, and connectivity across the broader Web3 and DeFi.

    The debut of $ANLOG on leading exchanges will enhance liquidity levels while making it easier for any user to access the token which will power Analog’s ecosystem and suite of products.

    About Analog

    Analog is the ultimate gateway for seamless blockchain connectivity, empowering developers to create dApps that work effortlessly across every network. Built as a natively chain-agnostic protocol, Analog redefines the multi-chain experience, enabling dApps and users to break boundaries and unlock new possibilities across blockchain ecosystems.

    Learn more: https://www.analog.one/

    Media Contact

    Name: Jaime Ekner
    Email: jaime@analog.one

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by Analog. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider. The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Please conduct your own research and invest at your own risk.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/504de97e-ceee-4511-a31d-fef40b6eea78

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: National University of Singapore wins 20th ICC Mediation Competition

    Source: International Chamber of Commerce

    Headline: National University of Singapore wins 20th ICC Mediation Competition

    Taken place on Saturday 8 February 2025 in the historic Émile Boutmy Lecture Hall of Sciences Po University in Paris, the students gathered one last time to watch the two teams tackle the final mock mediation problem. Authored by Rissiane Goulart, a Strategic Commercial and Dispute Resolution Attorney at Goulart & Associados, the scenario focused on unauthorised logging in protected timber harvesting zones. The session was mediated by Andy Rogers, Director of Communications and Mediator at the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution. 

    The National University of Singapore reached the semi-finals of the Mediation Competition in 2024, while the University of New South Wales had reached the final rounds in previous editions, and won the Competition in 2018 and 2016. Mervyn Lin and TianAo Li represented the National University of Singapore on stage, while teammates Joan Goh and Taesha Tan and coaches Seth Tay and Melvin Loh supported from the audience.  
     
    Mr Lin said: 

    “This week has been a rollercoaster of emotions. We have a huge culture of mediation at our school and we are so excited that we could use everything we have learned during this competition. The final session was intense, we had to really stretch our knowledge because of the strength of the other team, which made it all the more enjoyable. We didn’t expect the win and I want to congratulate the Australian team on their strong performance.”  

    The ICC Mediation Competition is one of the biggest educational competitions worldwide dedicated exclusively to international commercial mediation. Hosted in Paris from 3-8 February,  the 20th edition of the competition this year saw 48 university teams from 32 countries compete to resolve international business disputes through mediation. Guided by professional mediators and administered under the ICC Mediation Rules, over 75 mock mediation sessions took place. In total, over 300 students and professionals took part. 

    From left to right: Melvin Loh, TianAo Li, Joan Goh, Mervyn Lin, and Seth Tay – all representing the National University of Singapore

    The judges for the final were Raffaella Maria Pileri, Joanna Campos Carvalho, David Lutran, Jody Sin, and Ido Kleinberger.  

    Mr Kleinberger said: 

    “This competition is an amazing opportunity for me as a professional and for the students. As mediators, we aspire to look at the problems together instead of looking at each other. The teams did an extraordinary job in trying to find an agreement together while striking the balance to ensure your company’s interests are defended. The session was very true to life: The teams encouraged each other to speak, establishing an open relationship. The call was very close but in the end the Singapore team deserved the win.”  

    The trophy was awarded by Alexander G. Fessas, Secretary General of the ICC International Court of Arbitration Secretary and Director of ICC Dispute Resolution Services.  

    He said:  

    “Mediation is a sign of an advanced level of civilisation and understanding of each other. In ancient Greece, mediation was a way to find a fair solution for each other. Sometimes we forget the lessons of the past to understand the world today. Openness in dispute resolution, but also in trade, is central to understanding how the world operates. Through mediation, we can overcome our differences peacefully.”  

    The runner-up team from the University of New South Wales consisted of Lihara Delungahawatte, Kyla Rivera, Lina Zaioor, Rhea Baweja, and coaches Anvi Kohli and Steve Lancken.  

    Ms Delungahawatte said: 

    “We already have some experience in similar student competitions but this week was really special to us. Not only are we incredibly proud to make it to the final round, the ICC Mediation Competition pushed us to our limits, enabling us to reach our maximal potential. The nights were often short, the mock mediation problems challenging, and the sessions intensive but in the end it was all worth it.” 

    Re-live all the highlights of the ICC Mediation Competition on X  and  Facebook by following the official event hashtag, #ICCMW2025. A recording of the final session is also available on the ICC Official YouTube channel @ICCWBO1919.  

    For more information on ICC mediation services, visit the ICC International Centre for ADR.  

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Video: The Week at State – Week of February 3

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

    This week at State, @SecRubio traveled to countries in our hemisphere: Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic. In each country, he discussed the illegal mass migration crisis and ways to expand regional economic opportunities.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tf0AZTNpmQ

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Helping small businesses go global

    Source: World Trade Organization – WTO (video statements)

    In today’s interconnected world, small businesses have the potential to reach global markets, but they often face significant challenges, from scalability issues to complex trade regulations. Mohammed Amine Sabibi from the Marrakech-Safi Regional Investment Center shares how businesses can overcome these obstacles through streamlined processes, aggregation programmes and specialized financing solutions designed to support international growth.

    Download this video from the WTO website:
    https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/webcas_e/webcas_e.htm

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPhfRT7JlSg

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Labour are “plumbing new depths” with filmed immigration raids

    Source: Green Party of England and Wales

    Responding to the news that Labour are now publishing videos of police immigration raids, Green Party Co-Leader, Carla Denyer MP, said:

    “This Labour government are plumbing new depths with their plan to broadcast footage of people being detained and deported. Those involved should be searching their consciences to ask if such breath-taking cruelty is really worth it all for the sake of aping the rhetoric of Reform. The bitter irony is that following Reform to the right on migration won’t win Labour any support – it will only lend legitimacy to Reform’s extreme views. It’s time this government showed a bit of backbone and told the truth – that migration is good for this country.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Healthcare in Africa on brink of crisis as US exits WHO and USAid freezes funds: health scholar explains why

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Catherine Kyobutungi, Executive Director, African Population and Health Research Center

    US president Donald Trump has taken a series of decisions that have delivered body blows to the global management of health. He has announced that the US will leave the World Health Organization. And a 90-day freeze has been placed on money distributed by the US Agency for International Development (USAid) pending a review by the US State Department. This includes funds for the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar). The decisions have triggered alarm in the global health sector.

    Catherine Kyobutungi, executive director of the African Population and Health Research Center, outlines which countries are most at risk and which health programmes will suffer the most damage.

    What does the US exit mean for Africa?

    The US exit from the WHO and the freeze announced on USAid funding are devastating moves that will have drastic effects on the health of millions of people in Africa.

    The US is by far the WHO’s largest state donor, contributing approximately 18% of the agency’s total funding.

    US development aid is used to run large-scale health programmes on the continent. For example, Nigeria received approximately US$600 million in health assistance from the US, over 21% of the 2023 health budget.

    The WHO is a global health body that synthesises scientific research and develops guidelines that countries in Africa rely on to shape their own policies and practices.

    The biggest loss for Africa under the USAID umbrella will be funding for Pepfar, which is used for HIV-related programmes including prevention, testing and treatment. Through Pepfar, the US government has invested over US$110 billion in the global HIV/Aids response.



    Read more:
    WHO in Africa: three ways the continent stands to lose from Trump’s decision to pull out

    What’s going to be lost?

    A range of capabilities.

    Firstly, technical guidance. The WHO provides technical guidance to countries on issues ranging from TB management to cost-effective malaria control.

    Secondly, the ability to mobilise resources. The WHO has the mandate and mechanisms to assemble experts from across the globe to evaluate new therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccines. They can evaluate new evidence on emerging patterns of new bugs, resistance to current treatments, and so on.

    Thirdly, the WHO has tools and mechanisms that have been key to African countries’ health policy decisions. These include:

    • the WHO’s list of Essential Medicines to inform decision-making on critical drugs

    • a similar mechanism to evaluate new vaccines, resulting in guidance that makes regulatory approval faster and easier in African countries which don’t have strong systems.

    Fourth, the WHO also provides resources for emergency response, as in the event of disease outbreaks such as Ebola and COVID-19. The WHO is able to quickly mobilise experts and funds and to coordinate emergency responses.

    Fifth, the WHO provides evidence-informed guidelines. It does this by gathering and sharing information like the causes of outbreaks, while monitoring signals of potential outbreaks and coordinating efforts to develop new technologies, such as vaccines and medical devices.

    Sixth, the WHO’s ability to support critical programmes in tuberculosis prevention and emergency response will be reduced.

    Seventh, the withdrawal of US citizens working in these global agencies – and the orders to stop sharing data – mean the US is essentially excluded from global information-sharing mechanisms that keep us all safe. It will be harder to share information about emerging health threats in the US with the rest of the world and vice versa.

    Which countries will be most affected?

    Many African countries are heavily reliant on the support provided by Pepfar and USAID to fund programmes in the health sector and for humanitarian assistance.

    Countries which will be most affected are those with a high burden of HIV, TB and malaria and those with large populations of refugee and internally displaced people.

    Currently the top eight USAid recipients in Africa are: Nigeria, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Kenya, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    Without funds being rapidly mobilised to fill the gap left by the US withdrawal, the effect on the health of millions of Africans is at stake. Failure to prevent new infections, and the threat of drug resistance developing because of disrupted treatment, will have far-reaching consequences.

    In Uganda, where about 1.4 million people are living with HIV/Aids, 60% of the spending on its HIV/Aids programme was from Pepfar, and about 20% from the Global Fund (partly funded from Pepfar).

    A drastic reduction in funding will be devastating for patients and the greater health system.

    The Pepfar programme, a lifeline for millions of Africans, has been under threat since before the most recent aid freeze. In 2024, the American congress only gave a one-year authorisation instead of the typical five-year funding authorisation.

    A conservative backlash against this programme has been growing for years with concerns that some funds may be used to fund abortion. The current authorisation expires in March 2025 and falls within the 90-day aid review period. With the current approval expiring next month, and in light of the current atmosphere, it is very likely that it may not be renewed.



    Read more:
    How US policy on abortion affects women in Africa

    What steps should African countries be taking?

    There has a been a lot of discussion around jobs and lives lost, but not much around what happens next: how African governments are planning on mitigating shortfalls in their health budget in the short term and foreseeable future.

    Therefore we need to ask our governments what that means for us and how they are planning to ensure that we do not reverse the gains made so far. This includes preventing millions of HIV infections, improved testing and provision of life-saving antiretroviral treatment.

    The sudden and drastic decisions taken by the Trump administration have been hailed by several commentators as the wake-up call the continent needs – to wean itself off dependency on a flawed “development aid” system that is admittedly a tool for geopolitical influence.



    Read more:
    US health funding cuts: what Nigeria stands to lose

    The disbelief and chaos in the global health sector should be rapidly mobilised into citizen action, for governments to invest in a critical sector that has depended on foreign assistance for too long. In the absence of sustained investment, the gains in the health sector may be lost, reversing decades of progress in global health.

    Lastly, Africans, especially scientists and academics, need to stand up to the worrying anti-science trend that underlies some of these drastic policies. The growing mistrust in science and scientific institutions will not abate unless it is challenged.

    It is ridiculous that a continent of 1.3 billion people is reliant on the whims of one man many kilometres away; on his signature on a single document.

    The world needs to wake up. We need to wake up.

    Catherine Kyobutungi works for the African Population and Health Research Center which receives funding from the National Institutes of Health, Wellcome, and the Gates Foundation

    – ref. Healthcare in Africa on brink of crisis as US exits WHO and USAid freezes funds: health scholar explains why – https://theconversation.com/healthcare-in-africa-on-brink-of-crisis-as-us-exits-who-and-usaid-freezes-funds-health-scholar-explains-why-248906

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Central African Republic: listening to people’s stories about foreign forces could help bring peace

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Tim Glawion, Senior research fellow at the Arnold Bergstraesser Institut, Freiburg, Germany, University of Freiburg

    Since it became independent in 1960, the Central African Republic has grappled with poverty, instability and governance challenges.

    A decade into former president François Bozizé’s corrupt rule, a rebellion broke out and toppled the president in 2013. What followed was a devastatingly violent civil war with thousands of people killed and a fifth of the populace displaced.

    To halt violence against civilians, numerous international actors intervened, including the African Union, the United Nations, the European Union and France. From 2014 onward they put thousands of boots on the ground and pushed rebels from most towns, while protecting and supporting the interim administration.

    But by 2016 all actors had retreated, save the United Nations (UN). The mission – Minusca – was not able to contain a resurgence in rebellion, and the newly elected president Faustin-Archange Touadéra turned to Russian paramilitaries to stabilise his rule in 2017.

    These paramilitaries started out only as “trainers” but took on more prominent and direct combat roles as the years passed, making the country a geopolitical playing field. The Russian paramilitaries and national army again pushed the rebels out of most towns and into the countryside.

    I have studied the Central African Republic’s politics for over a decade, conducting research in towns across the country. I wanted to find out why some areas were more affected by violence than others and how people locally lived together. I believed that in such local stories we might find missing links as to why all the actors involved failed to provide the protection from violence and provision of services that people desired.

    To study people’s expectations of peacekeepers, I used a method I call the “qualitative” survey. This type of survey asks open questions, for example “what do you expect of international actors?”. This leaves space for people to say things that researchers might not have expected. It also included more typical closed questions like “how safe do you feel, on a scale from 1 to 5?”.

    With a team of Central African researchers, I conducted these surveys in four places in 2019 and in two places in 2023 and 2024. At this stage respondents had experienced foreign peacekeeping missions and Russian paramilitary presence.

    We found that peacekeeping missions were losing popular support because they were not fulfilling the expectations of people in the Central African Republic.

    People wanted peacekeepers to confront armed actors. When peacekeepers failed to do so, they criticised them, even requested them to leave.

    Russian paramilitaries offered the forceful response that autocratic regimes and many locals wanted. However, they provided a too simplistic answer to people’s demands, based only on the present. People also had future expectations: they wanted armed actors to be kicked out so that people might be treated fairly and witness the return of a caring state in the near future.

    Thus, while peacekeepers frustrated initial expectations and Russian paramilitaries might fulfil them, the Central African state and their Russian paramilitary allies were not building the future people expected.

    Expectations

    The overall results of the survey showed that people had the most confidence in local institutions, while harbouring high expectations for the state (when it returns), and being broadly disappointed by international peacekeepers.

    The results varied strongly according to local experiences with the state and international actors. Most intriguingly, respondents did not necessarily feel safest in those localities that had the fewest violent incidents. I call this the “security paradox” and it has much to do with unmet expectations for which we need to dig into individual responses.

    Take the example of a middle-aged woman in the Central African Republic’s north-eastern and long rebel-held town of Ndélé, who made two points in early 2019. First, the United Nations peacekeeping mission, Minusca, was inactive in the face of aggression. Second, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were doing a good job:

    Partner organisations such as Minusca who reside among our population do not seem to be there to ensure our protection, as we hear on the radio. A person may well be raped, and they do not even react to rescue the person in danger, even if they know about it. On the other hand, the NGOs are doing a very good job, and it is thanks to them that Ndélé is doing well today.

    However, my own analysis showed that, objectively speaking, both peacekeepers and aid organisations were doing a mediocre job. Under the peacekeepers’ watch few violent incidents occurred and the aid organisations were only covering a fraction of local needs, much less than in other studied localities.

    The difference in perception, I argue, stems from the fact that local people have certain expectations for security and different expectations for service provision in the Central African Republic.

    Security in the Central African Republic is marked by an abundance of armed groups threatening people’s livelihoods. Dozens are currently active, of which a handful have been roaming for more than a decade, controlling trade routes and resources, as well as wielding local political power.

    Services like schooling, health and electricity are almost entirely absent in many areas outside the capital; not even the state provides them.

    Thus, in the security sector, people expect confrontation of armed actors by either the UN peacekeeping mission or the Russian paramilitary, whereas in services they want NGOs to substitute for government failings. Or in the words of an Ndélé trader:

    The international actors can help us during these absences of state authority.

    However, Minusca was not ready to forcefully oppose armed actors as they pursued an approach based on negotiating peace agreements and pursuing voluntary integration or disarmament. What my study shows is that doing too little in the eyes of the population can quickly turn the rumour mill, as this woman in Ndélé suggested:

    As for Minusca, we do not see its work in favour of our well-being, and we even want it to leave since we have seen that it is the cause of our current division and suffering.

    But would confrontation have brought more popular support to Minusca? Well, it did to another actor that stepped in, as a national staffer of an aid organisation stated in early 2022 in Bambari:

    Minusca patrols do not have the confidence of the population. Because in front of Minusca forces, the rebels kill the population. For seven years, Minusca was unable to secure the town. Within minutes, the Central African Armed Forces and their Russian allies managed to dislodge them from the town of Bambari, which is now secure.

    Reality

    I did not judge whether people’s expectations of interventions were realistic.

    Given the state’s history in the Central African Republic, it was surprising how many people wanted a state and army to return.

    However, people were hoping for a “benevolent” state return. This has not happened.

    And as for the Russian “allies”, as they are called in the Central African Republic: their confrontational approach has caused heavy collateral damage and has failed to stabilise former rebel areas. Rebellion is again on the rise.

    My study shows how important it is to analyse expectations in-depth, and to take them as a starting point of intervention policy. Not understanding people’s expectations is what caught peacekeepers by surprise when people started demonstrating in front of their bases and even calling for their withdrawal.

    While there might be good reasons not to pursue a forceful approach against rebels, interveners must be aware that they thereby deceive public expectations and should thus proactively listen to and engage the population about their demands.

    The dilemma is that fulfilling people’s initial expectations does not automatically lead to the future they desire. So there must be difficult and open discussions about what is and what is not feasible in peacekeeping.

    Tim Glawion receives funding from the public German Science Foundation (DFG, project number: 437386574).

    – ref. Central African Republic: listening to people’s stories about foreign forces could help bring peace – https://theconversation.com/central-african-republic-listening-to-peoples-stories-about-foreign-forces-could-help-bring-peace-247834

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Healthcare in Africa on brink of crisis as US exits WHO and USAid freezes funds: health scholar explains why

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Catherine Kyobutungi, Executive Director, African Population and Health Research Center

    US president Donald Trump has taken a series of decisions that have delivered body blows to the global management of health. He has announced that the US will leave the World Health Organization. And a 90-day freeze has been placed on money distributed by the US Agency for International Development (USAid) pending a review by the US State Department. This includes funds for the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar). The decisions have triggered alarm in the global health sector.

    Catherine Kyobutungi, executive director of the African Population and Health Research Center, outlines which countries are most at risk and which health programmes will suffer the most damage.

    What does the US exit mean for Africa?

    The US exit from the WHO and the freeze announced on USAid funding are devastating moves that will have drastic effects on the health of millions of people in Africa.

    The US is by far the WHO’s largest state donor, contributing approximately 18% of the agency’s total funding.

    US development aid is used to run large-scale health programmes on the continent. For example, Nigeria received approximately US$600 million in health assistance from the US, over 21% of the 2023 health budget.

    The WHO is a global health body that synthesises scientific research and develops guidelines that countries in Africa rely on to shape their own policies and practices.

    The biggest loss for Africa under the USAID umbrella will be funding for Pepfar, which is used for HIV-related programmes including prevention, testing and treatment. Through Pepfar, the US government has invested over US$110 billion in the global HIV/Aids response.

    Read more: WHO in Africa: three ways the continent stands to lose from Trump’s decision to pull out

    What’s going to be lost?

    A range of capabilities.

    Firstly, technical guidance. The WHO provides technical guidance to countries on issues ranging from TB management to cost-effective malaria control.

    Secondly, the ability to mobilise resources. The WHO has the mandate and mechanisms to assemble experts from across the globe to evaluate new therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccines. They can evaluate new evidence on emerging patterns of new bugs, resistance to current treatments, and so on.

    Thirdly, the WHO has tools and mechanisms that have been key to African countries’ health policy decisions. These include:

    • the WHO’s list of Essential Medicines to inform decision-making on critical drugs

    • a similar mechanism to evaluate new vaccines, resulting in guidance that makes regulatory approval faster and easier in African countries which don’t have strong systems.

    Fourth, the WHO also provides resources for emergency response, as in the event of disease outbreaks such as Ebola and COVID-19. The WHO is able to quickly mobilise experts and funds and to coordinate emergency responses.

    Fifth, the WHO provides evidence-informed guidelines. It does this by gathering and sharing information like the causes of outbreaks, while monitoring signals of potential outbreaks and coordinating efforts to develop new technologies, such as vaccines and medical devices.

    Sixth, the WHO’s ability to support critical programmes in tuberculosis prevention and emergency response will be reduced.

    Seventh, the withdrawal of US citizens working in these global agencies – and the orders to stop sharing data – mean the US is essentially excluded from global information-sharing mechanisms that keep us all safe. It will be harder to share information about emerging health threats in the US with the rest of the world and vice versa.

    Which countries will be most affected?

    Many African countries are heavily reliant on the support provided by Pepfar and USAID to fund programmes in the health sector and for humanitarian assistance.

    Countries which will be most affected are those with a high burden of HIV, TB and malaria and those with large populations of refugee and internally displaced people.

    Currently the top eight USAid recipients in Africa are: Nigeria, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Kenya, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    Without funds being rapidly mobilised to fill the gap left by the US withdrawal, the effect on the health of millions of Africans is at stake. Failure to prevent new infections, and the threat of drug resistance developing because of disrupted treatment, will have far-reaching consequences.

    In Uganda, where about 1.4 million people are living with HIV/Aids, 60% of the spending on its HIV/Aids programme was from Pepfar, and about 20% from the Global Fund (partly funded from Pepfar).

    A drastic reduction in funding will be devastating for patients and the greater health system.

    The Pepfar programme, a lifeline for millions of Africans, has been under threat since before the most recent aid freeze. In 2024, the American congress only gave a one-year authorisation instead of the typical five-year funding authorisation.

    A conservative backlash against this programme has been growing for years with concerns that some funds may be used to fund abortion. The current authorisation expires in March 2025 and falls within the 90-day aid review period. With the current approval expiring next month, and in light of the current atmosphere, it is very likely that it may not be renewed.

    Read more: How US policy on abortion affects women in Africa

    What steps should African countries be taking?

    There has a been a lot of discussion around jobs and lives lost, but not much around what happens next: how African governments are planning on mitigating shortfalls in their health budget in the short term and foreseeable future.

    Therefore we need to ask our governments what that means for us and how they are planning to ensure that we do not reverse the gains made so far. This includes preventing millions of HIV infections, improved testing and provision of life-saving antiretroviral treatment.

    The sudden and drastic decisions taken by the Trump administration have been hailed by several commentators as the wake-up call the continent needs – to wean itself off dependency on a flawed “development aid” system that is admittedly a tool for geopolitical influence.

    Read more: US health funding cuts: what Nigeria stands to lose

    The disbelief and chaos in the global health sector should be rapidly mobilised into citizen action, for governments to invest in a critical sector that has depended on foreign assistance for too long. In the absence of sustained investment, the gains in the health sector may be lost, reversing decades of progress in global health.

    Lastly, Africans, especially scientists and academics, need to stand up to the worrying anti-science trend that underlies some of these drastic policies. The growing mistrust in science and scientific institutions will not abate unless it is challenged.

    It is ridiculous that a continent of 1.3 billion people is reliant on the whims of one man many kilometres away; on his signature on a single document.

    The world needs to wake up. We need to wake up.

    – Healthcare in Africa on brink of crisis as US exits WHO and USAid freezes funds: health scholar explains why
    – https://theconversation.com/healthcare-in-africa-on-brink-of-crisis-as-us-exits-who-and-usaid-freezes-funds-health-scholar-explains-why-248906

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Power vacuum in west Africa’s Sahel: 3 ways China could fill the gap as west exits

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Abdul-Gafar Tobi Oshodi, Faculty member, Department of Political Science, Lagos State University

    With France fast losing its influence in west Africa’s Sahel region and an unpredictable US president in power, will China fill the vacuum?

    The Sahel region covers 10 countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, The Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal.

    French troops have been expelled from three of these – Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger – after military coups. Chad, Senegal and Ivory Coast have also expelled French troops. The troops were there because of the security threat from extremist groups like Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province.

    Niger also ended an agreement to keep about 1,000 US troops involved in a counter-terrorism mission. Niger’s military government described the US as having a “condescending attitude”.

    While it has been rightly argued that the presence of the western powers did not resolve the security challenges of the region, their withdrawal creates a vacuum.

    I am a political science and international relations researcher who has been studying China-Africa relations for over a decade.

    I argue that Beijing could take advantage of the vacuum in the Sahel in at least three ways: expansion of investments in critical minerals; resolution of the Ecowas crisis (when Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali exited the regional bloc); and increased arms sales.

    This is especially so as China is not new to the Sahel region of west Africa. For instance, China is constructing a US$32 million headquarters for Ecowas in Abuja, Nigeria.

    Three ways China could benefit

    First, China could expand its influence – and the next four years hold enormous opportunities in this regard.

    US president Donald Trump’s likely transactional and unpredictable approach to international relations may force African countries to look to China. For instance, they may need China to help fill the void created by the US decision to dismantle USAID and freeze international development aid.

    Nigeria joined Brics as a partner country a few days before the inauguration of Trump. Brics is a group of emerging economies determined to act as a counterweight to the west and to whittle down the influence of global institutions. It was established in 2006 and initially composed of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. This decision by the largest economy in the Sahel is an expression of its commitment to China – with potential implications for other Sahelian countries.

    The vacuum offers Beijing the opportunity to strengthen its investment and position as a top beneficiary of the critical minerals, such as gold, copper, lithium and uranium, in the Sahel region.

    In 2024, west African gold production was estimated to be 11.83 million ounces. Ghana, Burkina Faso, the Republic of Guinea and Mali were the major contributors.

    Second, China is in a unique position to push for a resolution of the Ecowas crisis.

    Following military coups, the Ecowas regional economic bloc sanctioned Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Ecowas even threatened Niger with a military invasion. The three countries then decided to leave Ecowas to form the Alliance of Sahel States.

    As a neutral actor whose non-interference policy accommodates both civil and military regimes, Beijing is in a position to bring Ecowas and the Alliance of Sahel States into negotiation before the final departure date of 29 July 2025.

    If it succeeds, China would look more like a peaceful power, an image that is contested by others.

    Building on its soft power projects like the Confucius Institutes and scholarships, China would look like the “saviour” of Ecowas integration.

    This is what it did in the case of the Tazara railway project, where China supported Tanzania and Zambia to build a railway line together. It supported the African countries when the US and Europe had failed, were reluctant or were not interested.

    Third is Chinese arms sales.

    Chinese arms are already in the Sahel. In 2019, Nigeria signed a US$152 million contract with the China North Industries Corporation Limited (Norinco) to provide some of the weapons needed to fight the Boko Haram terror group. Since then, Chinese drones and other equipment have become a feature in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism response.

    The Chinese arms market could receive a major boost beyond Nigeria with the withdrawal of western countries from the Sahel. Western countries are likely to be reluctant to sell arms to the countries that have evicted their military.

    Sanctions on Russia have also increased the likelihood of Chinese arms in the Sahel.

    For example, a few months after France and the US left the region, some reports suggested that Russian mercenaries in the Sahel region were using Chinese weapons. Norinco – China’s top arms manufacturer and seventh largest arms supplier in the world – has opened sales offices in Nigeria and Senegal.

    In June 2024, Burkina Faso received 100 tanks from China. Three months after, Mali signed an agreement with Norinco to bolster its fight against terrorism.

    Bumpy road ahead

    China’s non-interference can accommodate both civil and military governments in the Sahel. This is an advantage for Beijing in some ways. But it could also have unexpected impacts.

    There are competing local interests in the Sahel and Beijing’s deepening involvement could be (mis)interpreted as supporting one over the other.

    This could make Chinese interests a target in the violence.

    It is also unclear if China is capable or willing to fill the vacuum created by the evicted western powers. But it looks as though China can benefit from the situation in the Sahel in the short term.

    Abdul-Gafar Tobi Oshodi has previously received research funding or travel support from organisations like the KU Leuven, Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Social Science Research Council (SSRC), Centre of African Studies at the University of Edinburgh, Lagos State University, Chatham House (i.e. Robert Bosch Stiftung), Centre for Population and Environmental Development (CPED), Think Tank Initiative, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Coimbra Group Scholarship Programme, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TetFund), Global Challenge Research Fund (GCRF), American Council of Learned Societies’ African Humanities Program (ACLS-AHP), Merian Institute of Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA), Development Studies Association (DSA) UK, Collective for the Renewal of Africa (CORA), Ford Foundation, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), and Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS). However, I must clearly and strongly state that none of these funders have at any time sought to influence or influenced my writings or public engagement. Thus, this article is one of my many expressions of my academic freedom.

    – ref. Power vacuum in west Africa’s Sahel: 3 ways China could fill the gap as west exits – https://theconversation.com/power-vacuum-in-west-africas-sahel-3-ways-china-could-fill-the-gap-as-west-exits-248353

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Central African Republic: listening to people’s stories about foreign forces could help bring peace

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Tim Glawion, Senior research fellow at the Arnold Bergstraesser Institut, Freiburg, Germany, University of Freiburg

    Since it became independent in 1960, the Central African Republic has grappled with poverty, instability and governance challenges.

    A decade into former president François Bozizé’s corrupt rule, a rebellion broke out and toppled the president in 2013. What followed was a devastatingly violent civil war with thousands of people killed and a fifth of the populace displaced.

    To halt violence against civilians, numerous international actors intervened, including the African Union, the United Nations, the European Union and France. From 2014 onward they put thousands of boots on the ground and pushed rebels from most towns, while protecting and supporting the interim administration.

    But by 2016 all actors had retreated, save the United Nations (UN). The mission – Minusca – was not able to contain a resurgence in rebellion, and the newly elected president Faustin-Archange Touadéra turned to Russian paramilitaries to stabilise his rule in 2017.

    These paramilitaries started out only as “trainers” but took on more prominent and direct combat roles as the years passed, making the country a geopolitical playing field. The Russian paramilitaries and national army again pushed the rebels out of most towns and into the countryside.

    I have studied the Central African Republic’s politics for over a decade, conducting research in towns across the country. I wanted to find out why some areas were more affected by violence than others and how people locally lived together. I believed that in such local stories we might find missing links as to why all the actors involved failed to provide the protection from violence and provision of services that people desired.

    To study people’s expectations of peacekeepers, I used a method I call the “qualitative” survey. This type of survey asks open questions, for example “what do you expect of international actors?”. This leaves space for people to say things that researchers might not have expected. It also included more typical closed questions like “how safe do you feel, on a scale from 1 to 5?”.

    With a team of Central African researchers, I conducted these surveys in four places in 2019 and in two places in 2023 and 2024. At this stage respondents had experienced foreign peacekeeping missions and Russian paramilitary presence.

    We found that peacekeeping missions were losing popular support because they were not fulfilling the expectations of people in the Central African Republic.

    People wanted peacekeepers to confront armed actors. When peacekeepers failed to do so, they criticised them, even requested them to leave.

    Russian paramilitaries offered the forceful response that autocratic regimes and many locals wanted. However, they provided a too simplistic answer to people’s demands, based only on the present. People also had future expectations: they wanted armed actors to be kicked out so that people might be treated fairly and witness the return of a caring state in the near future.

    Thus, while peacekeepers frustrated initial expectations and Russian paramilitaries might fulfil them, the Central African state and their Russian paramilitary allies were not building the future people expected.

    Expectations

    The overall results of the survey showed that people had the most confidence in local institutions, while harbouring high expectations for the state (when it returns), and being broadly disappointed by international peacekeepers.

    The results varied strongly according to local experiences with the state and international actors. Most intriguingly, respondents did not necessarily feel safest in those localities that had the fewest violent incidents. I call this the “security paradox” and it has much to do with unmet expectations for which we need to dig into individual responses.

    Take the example of a middle-aged woman in the Central African Republic’s north-eastern and long rebel-held town of Ndélé, who made two points in early 2019. First, the United Nations peacekeeping mission, Minusca, was inactive in the face of aggression. Second, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were doing a good job:

    Partner organisations such as Minusca who reside among our population do not seem to be there to ensure our protection, as we hear on the radio. A person may well be raped, and they do not even react to rescue the person in danger, even if they know about it. On the other hand, the NGOs are doing a very good job, and it is thanks to them that Ndélé is doing well today.

    However, my own analysis showed that, objectively speaking, both peacekeepers and aid organisations were doing a mediocre job. Under the peacekeepers’ watch few violent incidents occurred and the aid organisations were only covering a fraction of local needs, much less than in other studied localities.

    The difference in perception, I argue, stems from the fact that local people have certain expectations for security and different expectations for service provision in the Central African Republic.

    Security in the Central African Republic is marked by an abundance of armed groups threatening people’s livelihoods. Dozens are currently active, of which a handful have been roaming for more than a decade, controlling trade routes and resources, as well as wielding local political power.

    Services like schooling, health and electricity are almost entirely absent in many areas outside the capital; not even the state provides them.

    Thus, in the security sector, people expect confrontation of armed actors by either the UN peacekeeping mission or the Russian paramilitary, whereas in services they want NGOs to substitute for government failings. Or in the words of an Ndélé trader:

    The international actors can help us during these absences of state authority.

    However, Minusca was not ready to forcefully oppose armed actors as they pursued an approach based on negotiating peace agreements and pursuing voluntary integration or disarmament. What my study shows is that doing too little in the eyes of the population can quickly turn the rumour mill, as this woman in Ndélé suggested:

    As for Minusca, we do not see its work in favour of our well-being, and we even want it to leave since we have seen that it is the cause of our current division and suffering.

    But would confrontation have brought more popular support to Minusca? Well, it did to another actor that stepped in, as a national staffer of an aid organisation stated in early 2022 in Bambari:

    Minusca patrols do not have the confidence of the population. Because in front of Minusca forces, the rebels kill the population. For seven years, Minusca was unable to secure the town. Within minutes, the Central African Armed Forces and their Russian allies managed to dislodge them from the town of Bambari, which is now secure.

    Reality

    I did not judge whether people’s expectations of interventions were realistic.

    Given the state’s history in the Central African Republic, it was surprising how many people wanted a state and army to return.

    However, people were hoping for a “benevolent” state return. This has not happened.

    And as for the Russian “allies”, as they are called in the Central African Republic: their confrontational approach has caused heavy collateral damage and has failed to stabilise former rebel areas. Rebellion is again on the rise.

    My study shows how important it is to analyse expectations in-depth, and to take them as a starting point of intervention policy. Not understanding people’s expectations is what caught peacekeepers by surprise when people started demonstrating in front of their bases and even calling for their withdrawal.

    While there might be good reasons not to pursue a forceful approach against rebels, interveners must be aware that they thereby deceive public expectations and should thus proactively listen to and engage the population about their demands.

    The dilemma is that fulfilling people’s initial expectations does not automatically lead to the future they desire. So there must be difficult and open discussions about what is and what is not feasible in peacekeeping.

    – Central African Republic: listening to people’s stories about foreign forces could help bring peace
    – https://theconversation.com/central-african-republic-listening-to-peoples-stories-about-foreign-forces-could-help-bring-peace-247834

    MIL OSI Africa –