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Category: Academic Analysis

  • MIL-OSI Global: From headaches to addiction: the risks of overusing nasal decongestant sprays

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dipa Kamdar, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University

    voronaman/Shutterstock

    Nasal decongestant sprays are a popular remedy for relieving nasal congestion caused by colds, allergies and sinus infections. These sprays provide quick relief allowing for easier breathing. However, while they can be effective in the short term, overusing nasal decongestant sprays can lead to serious health issues.

    In April 2025, ITV news reported on people who became dependent on nasal sprays. Many others went on to share similar experiences on social media platforms like TikTok.

    Nasal congestion happens when the lining inside the nose and sinuses becomes irritated, often due to allergens, viruses, or pollutants. In response, immune cells release inflammatory chemicals that cause swelling and increased mucus production. This swelling can block airflow, making it difficult to breathe and often disrupting sleep.

    Most decongestant sprays contain medications like oxymetazoline, xylometazoline, or phenylephrine. These drugs target adrenergic (adrenaline-sensitive) receptors in the blood vessels of the nasal lining, causing the vessels to constrict. As a result, the nasal lining becomes less swollen, opening up the airways and providing almost instant relief.

    This fast-acting benefit is precisely why so many people reach for these sprays. But the convenience can come at a cost.

    Rebound risks

    Withdrawal from nasal decongestant sprays can be a deeply uncomfortable experience for some. Common symptoms include headaches, nasal stuffiness, dryness and even anxiety.

    One of the most concerning side effects of overusing nasal sprays is a condition known as rebound congestion, or rhinitis medicamentosa (RM). This occurs when the nose becomes reliant on the spray to stay open. Over time, the effectiveness of the medication wears off – a phenomenon known as tachyphylaxis. As a result, users may apply the spray more frequently or in higher doses to get the same relief, creating a vicious cycle.

    Some symptoms of rebound congestion, such as constant stuffiness and red, irritated nasal passages, can resemble those seen in cocaine misuse. A US study estimated that up to 9% of patients visiting ear, nose and throat clinics present with RM. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to estimate how many people are affected in the UK, especially since nasal sprays are sold over the counter at pharmacies and supermarkets, often for as little as £3. With long wait times for doctor appointments, many people choose to self-medicate.

    Prolonged use of nasal decongestants can lead to chronic sinusitis: persistent inflammation and infection of the sinuses. The repeated narrowing of blood vessels can also reduce blood flow to nasal tissues, leading to thinning of the lining, chronic dryness, nosebleeds and, in some cases, nasal septal perforation: a hole in the nasal septum.

    Additionally, overuse can damage the turbinates – tiny bone structures inside the nose that help filter, warm and humidify the air you breathe. This can cause them to become swollen or inflamed (turbinate hypertrophy), worsening congestion. Overuse can also impair the function of cilia, tiny hair-like structures responsible for clearing mucus and allergens from the nose.

    Beyond physical symptoms, many users experience psychological dependence. The fear of not being able to breathe without the spray can cause significant anxiety, making it harder to stop using it even when symptoms worsen.

    If you find yourself relying on nasal sprays, it’s important to begin tapering off gradually to minimise withdrawal symptoms. In some cases, doctors may recommend steroid nasal sprays like beclomethasone to reduce inflammation during the withdrawal process. For severe cases, surgical intervention may be necessary. The good news? Many people recover within a week of stopping the spray with the right treatment plan.

    Safer alternatives

    So, what can you use instead? Saline nasal sprays or rinses can help flush out irritants and moisturise the nasal passages without causing rebound congestion. Oral antihistamines and oral decongestants may be more appropriate for allergy-related congestion but can have their own side effects. Antibiotics may be prescribed for sinus infections with severe congestion.

    If you’re using a nasal decongestant spray, it’s important not to exceed three to five days of use – seven days at most, according to experts. Always read the label and follow dosage instructions carefully.

    Nasal decongestant sprays can offer rapid relief, but overusing them can lead to serious consequences, including rebound congestion, tissue damage and psychological dependence. Use them sparingly, and if nasal congestion persists beyond a week, consult a healthcare professional.

    With safer alternatives and medical guidance, you can breathe easier – without the long-term risks.

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

    – ref. From headaches to addiction: the risks of overusing nasal decongestant sprays – https://theconversation.com/from-headaches-to-addiction-the-risks-of-overusing-nasal-decongestant-sprays-254830

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Both novelty and familiarity affect memory – how to make use of this when preparing for exams

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Judith Schomaker, Assistant Professor, Department of Health, Medical and Neuropsychology, Leiden University

    gonzagon/Shutterstock

    When getting ready to take exams, it can sometimes feel as though there’s no way all the information you need to remember is going to fit in your brain. But there are ways to create the right conditions to make your studying as efficient as possible.

    My research into the science of memory shows that both novelty – new experiences – and familiarity can affect memory. You can use novelty to prime yourself for learning, and familiarity to organise your memory and retain knowledge.

    To start with, this might mean going for a walk in an unfamiliar part of your neighbourhood or looking at some art for the first time – in person or online – before you even start studying.

    In the lab, colleagues and I have observed that chances are higher that you will remember new information if you just visited an unfamiliar place.

    In a typical experimental set-up, participants came to the lab to familiarise themselves with a virtual environment on a PC or with a virtual reality headset. This consisted of a fantasy island with unexpected elements, such as streetlight-sized candy canes. We invited our research participants to come back on two other occasions. During these sessions, they explored the same – now familiar – virtual environment, and one they hadn’t seen before.

    After each round of virtual exploration, the experiment participants were presented with a series of words to try to commit to memory, which we then tested them on after a completely different “distractor” task that consisted of solving simple maths problems. Interestingly, the participants who had explored a new environment typically remembered more words than those who had explored a familiar one. This suggests that novelty may prepare the brain for learning.

    After you’ve prepared your brain with a foray into the unknown, it’s time to harness familiarity.

    Why the familiar is important

    Learning entirely new information is often very challenging. Students sometimes report reading several pages, but having no recollection of what they read.

    There may be several reasons for this, but a common one is that it is difficult to memorise something if it is very different from anything you have learned before.

    The brain likes to categorise and label information, and our memory is organised in semantic categories. For example, if I mention “swivel chair”, “computer”, and “filing cabinet”, the overarching term “office” may pop to mind.

    Memory associations like these are crucial during memory retrieval, as linked information can work as a memory cue. In memory research we sometimes refer to these interlinked concepts as “memory schema”.

    When you have to learn something new, your brain will try to categorise that novel information. If a link can be made with something you already know, this information can more easily be integrated into an existing memory schema.

    Based on research, we would predict that studying for a test is more effective if you already know something about the topic, as it allows you to put novel information in your existing memory schema, and allows you to retrieve that information more easily at a later point in time.

    For example, imagine eating a yellow kiwi for the first time. Your previous experience with green kiwis will allow you to recognise the fruit. The novel experience of eating this slightly sweeter kiwi is easy to integrate in your existing knowledge of kiwis, including what they look, feel and taste like.

    Making connections

    But studying for exams often means learning abstract concepts. The related memory schemas are underdeveloped for less concrete information, which makes new information hard to remember.

    In a biological psychology course I teach, students have to learn about the transfer of information between brain cells. One of the crucial aspects of this topic is the change in chemistry of the neuron, from when it is at rest to when it is firing, and the potassium and sodium chloride ions involved.

    Exam results showed that students found these processes hard to remember. One year, I decided to introduce a simple visual memory aid: an image of a banana with a container of table salt on top.

    Memory aid to help students remember ions involved in neural transmission.
    Judith Schomaker, CC BY-NC-ND

    Most students know that bananas are rich in potassium, while table salt is sodium chloride. This simple picture shows the situation of a neuron at rest: A lot of potassium on the inside, and a lot of sodium chloride on the outside of the cell. But when the neuron is firing, ion channels open, and due to laws of diffusion, potassium will flow out, and sodium chloride into the cell.

    After I introduced this memory aid, the performance of students on the exam question about this topic increased significantly. In fact, last year it was labelled as “too easy” by our exam monitoring tool, because so many students got it right. The image made integration of novel knowledge into an existing schema easier because it linked new, abstract information to well-known elements – the banana and the table salt.

    When preparing for an exam, then, it can be helpful to think about how the new information you are trying to memorise relates to things you already know, even if this information is not directly relevant for the exam. Knowing that bananas are high in potassium, for instance, is not a learning objective of a biological psychology course.

    And if you go for a walk somewhere new first, even better. Hopefully these tips will help you turn difficult exam material into lasting memories.

    Judith Schomaker receives funding from NWO, LUF and LLinC.

    – ref. Both novelty and familiarity affect memory – how to make use of this when preparing for exams – https://theconversation.com/both-novelty-and-familiarity-affect-memory-how-to-make-use-of-this-when-preparing-for-exams-254722

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Game change Canadian election: Mark Carney leads Liberals to their fourth consecutive win consécutive

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Fiona MacDonald, Associate Professor, Political Science, University of Northern British Columbia

    Canada’s 2025 federal election will be remembered as a game-changer. Liberal Leader Mark Carney pulled off a dramatic reversal of political fortunes after convincing voters he was the best candidate to fight annexation threats from United States President Donald Trump.

    “We are over the shock of the American betrayal; we have to take care of each other,” he told cheering supporters in his victory speech in Ottawa.

    “Together we will build a Canada worthy of our values. Canada strong, Canada free, Canada forever, vive le Canada!”

    Canadians gave the Liberals their fourth mandate since 2015, although the race against the Conservatives was much closer than polls predicted.

    Nonetheless, only four months ago, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre had a 25-point lead in public opinion polls and a fairly secure path to victory.

    Yet Poilievre’s lead soon vanished due to shifting voter sentiments defined less by the official campaign period and more by the months that preceded it. Justin Trudeau’s early January resignation announcement and Carney’s confirmation that he was officially in the Liberal leadership race dramatically changed the political landscape.



    Read more:
    After stunning comeback, centre-left Liberals likely to win majority of seats at Canadian election

    Within a matter of weeks, Liberal support surged when Carney became party leader and Trump continued to make threats about Canada becoming a 51st American state — and to levy punishing on-again, off-again tariffs against the country.

    The party went from being 20 percentage points behind the Conservatives to overtaking them, putting the party on track to secure its fourth consecutive victory. A shift described by longtime pollster Frank Graves as “unprecedented.”

    Poilievre’s messaging

    The emerging “Canada Strong” and “Elbows Up” narratives, linked to the widespread anti-Trump sentiment, proved a major advantage for the Liberals, who made the most out of this political gift.

    This shift, alongside Carney’s elimination of the carbon tax, left Poilievre on the back foot as his longstanding messaging on Trudeau and his “axe the tax” slogan became largely irrelevant. Poilievre also lost his Ottawa-area seat to a Liberal.



    Read more:
    Who really killed Canada’s carbon tax? Friends and foes alike

    The impact of these shifts in electoral fortunes extended beyond the two main parties. As the election became increasingly a two-party race between the Liberals and Conservatives, the smaller parties struggled for relevance.

    Election campaign polling and early results indicated steep losses for the NDP, with Jagmeet Singh losing his own seat in Burnaby, B.C. and then resigning as party leader. This could be due to voters on the left responding to calls to vote strategically to prevent Conservative victories in various ridings.

    The Bloc Québecois also lost ground, as did the Green Party of Canada and the People’s Party of Canada (PPC). Neither the Greens nor the PPC fielded full slates of candidates or participated in the leaders’ debates and therefore played comparatively limited roles in this election.

    Advance voting in a gendered election

    Another notable feature of this election was the record advance voting turnout, which surged to 7.3 million Canadians, up sharply from 5.8 million in 2021.

    Early voting has now become a central part of party campaign strategy, with campaigns “getting out the vote” at every opportunity, not just on Election Day. This trend raises questions not only about whether overall turnout will rise, but also whether party platforms remain as influential given so many votes were cast before all parties released their platforms.

    While many Canadians take in elections with a focus on party leaders and seat counts, there are other important ways to contemplate election outcomes in terms of inclusion and voice. What does this election tell us about gender and diversity representation in Canada’s Parliament?

    This was a deeply gendered election. The major party leaders are all men, with the exception of Elizabeth May, the Green Party co-leader.

    Preliminary candidate data showed a decrease in the number of women candidates compared to 2021.

    The NDP nominated the highest proportion of women candidates — the majority of its candidates are women — and fielded the most diverse slate of candidates in terms of Indigenous people, Black people, racialized people and LGBTQ+ candidates. But the party’s dramatic losses mean these gains will not translate into more diverse representation in Parliament.

    Furthermore, one of Carney’s first actions as prime minister was to eliminate the sex-balanced cabinet and to reduce the size of the cabinet. He eliminated the Ministry of Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) as well as ministerial portfolios focused on youth, official languages, diversity, inclusion, disability and seniors.

    These decisions reverse previous efforts taken to institutionalize gender and diversity leadership in Canada’s Parliament.

    Party platforms also reflected diverging approaches when it came to women. The Conservative platform only mentioned women four times, and three of those mentions were in the context of opposition to transgender rights.



    Read more:
    Pierre Poilievre’s ‘More Boots, Less Suits’ election strategy held little appeal to women

    The role of young working-class men

    Polling also revealed intersections of generation, gender and class are increasingly relevant. Like the last federal election, young working-class men are increasingly drawn to the Conservatives. This trend appears to be driven less by fiscal conservatism and more by concerns about rapid social change, a trend also observed in the 2024 American presidential election.

    Many of these young men are expressing frustrations over housing affordability and job security, and what they view as the Liberal and NDP’s “woke culture,” which they regard as eroding traditional values that have traditionally benefited men. In contrast, Canadian women of all ages continue to favour parties they view as more progressive — the Liberals and the NDP.

    Theoretical explanations for this include young men feeling left behind by the Liberals, while the Conservatives have seemingly figured out a way to connect with them.

    This may reflect campaign rhetoric about returning to traditional expectations and values around gender roles and men’s rights to well-paying jobs, an affordable home and taking care of their families.

    Electoral reform needed?

    In the aftermath of the election, there are avenues through which current gaps in representation can be addressed. Organizations like the United Nations’ Inter-parliamentary Union and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, as well as gender and politics scholarship, propose various reforms to continue to strengthen diversity in Parliament.

    These reforms are understood to be essential for enhancing the legitimacy, responsiveness and effectiveness of Canada’s parliamentary system. Research on gender-and diversity-sensitive parliaments consistently shows that when legislative bodies reflect the diversity of the societies they govern, they are more likely to produce policies that are equitable, inclusive and trusted by the public.

    Overall, this Canadian election was characterized by transformative twists and turns that shed more light on important ongoing questions about representation and the potential need for democratic reform if Canadians want to avoid a two-party system.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Game change Canadian election: Mark Carney leads Liberals to their fourth consecutive win consécutive – https://theconversation.com/game-change-canadian-election-mark-carney-leads-liberals-to-their-fourth-consecutive-win-consecutive-253721

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ghana’s citizens have a right to protest: what does the law say about restricting it?

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Justice Tankebe, Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Cambridge

    Ghana’s attorney general and minister of justice dropped charges against members of Democracy Hub, a civil society group, in February 2025, after four months of prosecution. The group had organised a protest in September 2024 against the widespread destruction and contamination of the country’s water bodies by persons and gangs engaged in illegal artisanal mining.

    Media reports alleged police harassment and use of excessive force during the three-day protest. The actions of the police and the courts were the latest in a history of suppression of the exercise of the right to protest. They are based on a military-era law that the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional three decades ago.

    The situation highlights the tension between the right to protest and lawful interference with those rights. As a criminologist and an expert in constitutional law, we argue that the tension can be minimised by considering four factors:

    • location and time

    • rights of others

    • target of protest

    • intentions of protesters.

    Right to protest in Ghana

    Ghana’s 1992 constitution guarantees the right to protest. However, as is standard practice in democracies, the constitution also allows these rights to be restricted on specified public interest grounds. Restrictions must be “reasonably required” in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public health or the running of essential services.

    The challenge democratic societies face is managing the apparent tension between people’s fundamental rights to protest and the need, sometimes, to interfere with those rights in the larger public interest.

    While Ghana’s Supreme Court ruling in 1993 forbids any action that would deny protesters their right to protest, it had grey areas. For example, it did not offer clear guidance on what would make a restriction “reasonably required” and “reasonably justifiable in terms of the spirit of the constitution”.

    Ghana is a former British colony, and its law and legal system continue to be influenced by UK legal principles. So the UK can offer guidance. In 2021, in the case of Director of Public Prosecutions v Ziegler and others, the UK Supreme Court pronounced certain principles and factors that police, prosecutors and judges must consider.

    Location and time

    The UK court reasoned that the right to protest includes the right to choose when and where to hold the protest. The location or path of a protest will determine whether its message is received by the intended target and what impact it will have.

    The Ghanaian police and courts have often violated this principle when a protest is stopped because the location is a so-called “security zone”. The basis for this categorisation is not clearly specified or defined in law. The Ghana constitution specifies that any restriction of the right to protest must be contained in “a law”.

    Rights of others

    Ghanaian law does not allow protesters to obstruct traffic, cause confusion or disorder, or violate the rights and freedoms of other members of the public. But protests almost always do cause some interference with the rights of others.

    That’s not sufficient reason to interfere with the right to protest. According to the UK Supreme Court, the police and courts must establish the extent of the actual violation of citizens’ rights – such as how many people were likely to be inconvenienced.

    Target of protests

    Where there is obstruction, there must be evidence that it was not connected to the reasons for the protest. One accusation against the Democracy Hub protesters was that they blocked the entrance to a health facility. Had they blocked access to, say, an authority responsible for granting licences for artisanal mining, the police would not have been justified in arresting them. The police must also show that no alternative routes were reasonably available to the inconvenienced public.

    Intentions of protesters

    This factor requires the police and courts to consider whether a protest is intended to be peaceful. Cooperating with the police, such as notifying them about the intended protest, signifies a peaceful intent. The UK court notes that where a protest is intended to be peaceful and is, indeed, peaceful, protesters will have the right to resist police arrest.

    A fair hand

    The checklist is not exhaustive, but it puts an important obligation on the police and the courts not to interfere unreasonably with the fundamental rights of citizens. While the right to protest is not absolute, it remains fundamental in a democracy. Therefore, a restriction of the right cannot be absolute either. The restriction must be reasonable and proportionate.

    In short, the restrictions attached to the right to assemble and to protest are designed to do no more than restrict (limit or constrain), within reasonable limits, how, where and when the right may be exercised. They are not meant to destroy or undermine protesters’ ability to exercise that right to achieve their desired goals.

    Current Ghanaian police and judicial practice must change, along the lines of the UK Supreme Court’s ruling, to ensure the right to protest is not treated as less valuable or less important than the restrictions that may be applied to limit it.

    Henry Kwasi Prempeh, who co-authored this article, is a Ghanaian lawyer and educationist, and the current executive director of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development.

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

    – ref. Ghana’s citizens have a right to protest: what does the law say about restricting it? – https://theconversation.com/ghanas-citizens-have-a-right-to-protest-what-does-the-law-say-about-restricting-it-248049

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Cyberattacks: how companies can communicate effectively after being hit

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Paolo Antonetti, Professeur, EDHEC Business School

    In its latest annual publication, insurance group Hiscox surveyed more than 2,000 cybersecurity managers in eight countries including France. Two thirds of the companies in the survey reported having been the victim of a cyberattack between mid-August 2023 and September 2024, a 15% increase over the previous period. In terms of potential financial losses, Statista estimated that cyberattacks cost France up to €122 billion in 2024, compared to €89 in 2023 – a 37% rise.


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    The main forms of cyberattacks on French businesses, the recommendations for how companies can protect themselves, and the technical and legal responses they can adopt are well documented.

    However, much less is known about appropriate communications and public relations responses to cyberattacks. The issues at stake are critical. When a company is the target of a cyberattack, should it systematically accept responsibility, or can it instead claim to be a victim to protect its reputation? A wrong answer can aggravate the situation and undermine the confidence of customers and investors.

    Positioning as a victim

    Our recent research questions the assumption that accepting causal responsibility should be the norm after a cyberattack: we show that positioning oneself as a victim can be more effective in limiting damage to one’s image – provided claims of victimhood are deployed intelligently.

    There is evidence that firms need a strategy to present themselves effectively as victims of cybercriminals. Some firms, such as T-Mobile and Equifax, have in the past paid compensation to consumers while refusing to accept any responsibility, essentially presenting themselves as victims.

    Similarly, the large French telecommunications operator Free presented itself as a victim when communicating about the large-scale cyberattack that affected its operations last October, which may have had an impact on its image. The UK’s TalkTalk initially framed itself as a victim of a cybercrime but was later criticized for its inadequate security measures.

    Victimhood and sympathy

    Clumsily declaring itself as the sole entity to blame or the sole victim of a cyberattack – which is what interests us here – can be risky and backfire on a company, damaging its credibility rather than protecting its reputation.

    When companies present themselves as victims of cybercrime, they can elicit sympathy from stakeholders. People tend to be more compassionate toward businesses that depict themselves as wronged rather than those that deny responsibility or shift blame. In essence, this strategy frames the organization as a target of external forces beyond its control, rather than as negligent or incompetent. It leverages a fundamental social norm – people’s instinctive tendency to support those they see as victims.

    But claims of victimhood must align with public expectations and the specific context of the breach. They should not be about shirking responsibility, but about acknowledging harm in a way that fosters understanding and trust. The following approaches and choices can help.

    • align with public perception

    The reactions of stakeholders often depend on their understanding of the situation. If the attack is perceived as an external and malicious act, it is crucial for a company to adopt a consistent stance by emphasizing that it itself has been a victim. But if internal negligence is proven, claiming victim status could be counterproductive. The swiftness of a company’s response, the level of transparency and the relative stance taken are all part of a good strategy.

    • express support for stakeholders

    Adopting a position of victimhood does not mean denying all responsibility or minimizing the consequences of an attack. The company must show that it takes the situation seriously by expressing empathy and commitment to affected stakeholders. It must pay particular attention to those affected inside the organization: a claim of victimhood should be part of an apology or a message expressing concern. An effective message must be sincere and oriented toward concrete solutions.

    • consider reputation

    We find that it is easier for companies to claim victimhood persuasively if they are perceived as virtuous. This reputation can be due to a positive track record in terms of corporate social responsibility or because they are a not-for-profit institution (e.g. a library, a university or a hospital). Virtuous victims generate sympathy and empathy, and this is also reflected after a cyberattack.

    • highlight the harmfulness and sophistication of the attack

    The results of our study also show that public acceptance of victim status is more effective when the cyberattack is perceived to be the work of highly competent malicious actors. It is also important for a company to persuade the public that the attack harmed the company, while keeping the main focus of the response on the public.

    • don’t complain

    It is essential to distinguish between legitimate claims of victim status and communication that could be perceived as an attempt to exonerate oneself. An overly plaintive tone could undermine a company’s credibility. The approach should be factual and constructive, focusing on the measures taken to overcome the crisis.

    • test reactions before communicating widely

    Companies’ responses to a cyberattack can vary depending on the context and the public. It is best to assess different approaches before embarking on large-scale communication. This can be done through internal tests, focus groups or targeted surveys. Subtle differences in the situation can cause important shifts in how the public perceives the breach and what the best response might be.

    Our study sheds light on a shift in public expectations about crisis management: in the age of ubiquitous cybercrime, responsibilities are often shared. Poorly managed communication after a cyberattack can lead to a lasting loss of trust and expose a company to increased legal risks. Claiming victim status effectively, with an empathetic and transparent approach, can help mitigate the impact of the crisis and preserve the organization’s reputation.

    This article was written with Ilaria Baghi (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia).

    Paolo Antonetti ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

    – ref. Cyberattacks: how companies can communicate effectively after being hit – https://theconversation.com/cyberattacks-how-companies-can-communicate-effectively-after-being-hit-255061

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: US-China trade war could hurt Nigerian entrepreneurs: why, and how they should prepare

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Tolu Olarewaju, Economist and Lecturer in Management, Keele University

    As China and the United States lock horns in a trade war, slamming tariffs on each other, entrepreneurs in Nigeria are vulnerable to the fallout. In 2024, 27.8% of imports into Nigeria came from China. In the same year, US exports to Nigeria reached US$4.2 billion. Economist and entrepreneurship researcher Tolu Olarewaju unpacks what could happen if Chinese products destined for the American market were diverted to developing economies, including Nigeria.

    What dangers do the tariff tensions pose to Nigeria’s entrepreneurs?

    China is the world’s biggest manufacturing nation, producing far more than its population consumes domestically. It is already running an almost US$1 trillion goods surplus, meaning it exports more goods than it imports.

    China is often producing those goods at below the true cost of production due to domestic subsidies and state financial support, like cheap loans for favoured firms.

    If the goods it currently exports are unable to enter the US because tariffs have made them too expensive, Chinese firms could seek to divert them to other countries. This could be beneficial for some consumers. But it could undercut entrepreneurs who make competing products in these countries and threaten jobs and wages.

    Looking at the past profile of Chinese exports to Nigeria, these are some Nigerian goods that could be replaced by cheaper goods from China:

    Textiles and garments: Nigeria is the largest producer of textiles in west Africa. The Nigerian textile, apparel, and footwear sector contributed 2.97% to Nigeria’s GDP in 2023 and contracted by 1.75% in the first quarter of 2024. Locally made fabrics, garments and leather goods can easily be replaced by Chinese products, especially in the low-cost and mass-market segment. This is because China is one of the sector’s largest producers globally and can export at low cost.

    In 2024, the US was the top destination for China’s textiles exports.

    Furniture and home décor: Nigerian artisans are skilled at producing wooden furniture, home décor items, and other interior products. However, China is a global leader in furniture manufacturing. It offers mass-produced, inexpensive items. The wide variety and affordability could displace Nigerian furniture makers. The furniture market in Nigeria is expected to generate revenue of US$5.11 billion in 2025 and experience an annual growth rate of 2.93% between 2025 and 2029.

    Footwear: The Nigerian footwear market is valued at US$2.57 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow annually by 9.83%. The Nigerian footwear industry produces around 50 million pairs of shoes annually and employs over 500,000 people. China is one of the largest producers of footwear. In the US, 61.9% of all shoes are imported from China. Nigerian shoe manufacturers may find it difficult to compete with the flood of affordable Chinese-made footwear.

    Beauty, cosmetic, and skincare products: The Nigerian soap market is growing. It generated revenue of US$660.5 million in 2024 and is expected to reach US$1.07 billion by 2030. With a population of over 200 million, the demand for soap products is increasing. China is a major supplier of inexpensive, mass-produced beauty products.

    What are the biggest challenges holding back Nigerian entrepreneurs?

    Weak infrastructure: Frequent power outages make it difficult for businesses to operate and distribute their products. This is a significant barrier, especially in the age of digital technologies, machine learning and artificial intelligence. Poor road conditions also make it difficult to transport goods.

    High inflation: Nigeria’s headline inflation rate on a year-on-year basis stood at 24.48% in January 2025, and 29.90% in January 2024. High inflation raises the cost of raw materials, fuel, utilities and transport.

    Inflation also means a reduction in the purchasing power of consumers. While inflation should make Nigeria a less attractive market, Chinese goods are typically cheaper than local or western alternatives, even when inflation affects import costs.

    Interest rates for business loans are high in Nigeria. This reduces profit margins and makes it harder to maintain affordable prices for consumers.

    A poor business environment: Nigeria’s unpredictable political and economic landscape, characterised by shifting policies, and inconsistent regulations, makes it difficult for entrepreneurs to plan. They need to be able to forecast expenses, set pricing strategies or invest in long-term projects.

    Corruption also increases the costs of doing business and makes the business environment more uncertain.

    While it might seem logical for the government to protect the domestic business environment with blanket tariffs as suggested by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a more strategic approach is needed, one that focuses on targeted tariffs and investing in sectors with strong growth potential.

    Limited access to finance and high interest rates: Access to finance is a major barrier due to high interest rates and unreasonable collateral requirements for business credit.

    Currency depreciation and exchange rate volatility: The Nigerian naira has depreciated against foreign currencies in recent years. Entrepreneurs who rely on imports for raw materials or equipment have been hit hard by fluctuating exchange rates. Rising import costs can lead to even higher production costs. For businesses looking to export, this volatility can reduce the profitability of foreign sales, discouraging expansion into international markets.

    What should Nigeria’s entrepreneurs do to prepare for any potential fallout from the China-US trade war?

    Identify niche market needs: They should identify a market need that is not being met or that is under-served and cannot easily be met by Chinese goods.

    Focus on customer service: This way, entrepreneurs can build customer loyalty and reputation despite the influx of cheap goods.

    Embrace innovation: Nigerian entrepreneurs should be open to new ideas and technologies that can help them create new products and services, increase efficiency and reduce costs.

    Diversify supply chains: Relying heavily on imports from one country, especially raw materials, machinery, or electronics, can lead to shortages and price hikes if trade tensions escalate. Businesses should identify alternative suppliers, explore local sourcing options, and build stockpiles of essential inputs.

    Explore new export markets: Nigerian entrepreneurs should exploit regional trade agreements like the African Continental Free Trade Area for easier access to African markets.

    Adaptability and value creation: Businesses that focus on value creation are best positioned not just to survive but to thrive amid global shifts. Raw material exporters (for example, cashew and cocoa) may be vulnerable to price shocks. Value-added products offer better margins and greater market protection. Entrepreneurs should consider investing in light manufacturing or local processing, such as turning cocoa into chocolate.

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

    – ref. US-China trade war could hurt Nigerian entrepreneurs: why, and how they should prepare – https://theconversation.com/us-china-trade-war-could-hurt-nigerian-entrepreneurs-why-and-how-they-should-prepare-254840

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: South Africa’s frogs and reptiles get their own list of names in local languages

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Fortunate Mafeta Phaka, Senior Postdoctoral Researcher of herptile-human interactions, North-West University

    Naming all the creatures and plants in nature is no small task. Fortunate Phaka is a zoologist who has conducted the first comprehensive analysis of naming and classification of frogs and reptiles in nine South African cultures. The list includes 136 frog and 407 reptile species that have been scientifically described. He explains why it’s important to record all the species names that people use in their own languages.

    Why did you study the indigenous names of frogs and reptiles?

    I am interested in the interactions between wildlife and people. These interactions include, for example, how people use wildlife in figures of speech, harvesting of wildlife for consumption, and of course how animals are assigned names.

    If everyone’s names for things are known and shared, the ideas behind the names can also be shared, appreciated and valued.

    Conservation planning is improved by consideration of different wildlife perspectives, which is revealed partly by the names that different people give wildlife.

    Knowing local names can provide assurance that people from different cultural backgrounds are talking about the same species.

    In South Africa, for example, there are 11 official spoken languages and scientists use Latin names for species. Most people aren’t familiar with the scientific names.

    That’s why we extended the list of scientific, Afrikaans and English names of South African frogs and reptiles to include names in the country’s other nine official languages.

    How did you go about it, and what did you find?

    The project started as a pilot study in 2016, carried out in the Zululand area of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, where frog biodiversity is high and Indigenous cultural practices are still part of everyday life. Results of the pilot were published as a book in 2017 and as a scientific publication in 2019.

    Following the success of the pilot study, I collected responses from 287 South African Indigenous language speakers (aged between 25 and 57) using an online questionnaire and in-person interviews while on field trips, and reviewed 18 scientific articles, dissertations and books to study naming practices even further.

    The study shed light on the way people group animals (folk taxonomy) and how that compares with the way scientists group them (scientific taxonomy).

    It became clear that Indigenous language names were often assigned based on unique features of frogs or reptiles, such as the sound they make, how they move or where they are found. Most of these names group several species together based on their similarities. This meant most frog and reptile species did not have Indigenous language names that were unique to them. For example, zoologists have named eight different Reed Frog species from South Africa but these eight species were assigned one Indigenous name that groups them together.

    Male Painted Reed Frog (Umgqagqa opendiwe in IsiZulu) calling.
    Fortunate Phaka, Author provided (no reuse)918 KB (download)

    The organised way of assigning Indigenous names to animals has some similarities to how scientists assign names that are unique to each species. For example, the Grass Frog species are grouped together under the scientific genus Ptychadena, and in IsiZulu the same species are grouped under the name Uvete. These similarities meant we could combine scientific naming practices with Indigenous naming practices to give each species a unique name in multiple languages.

    To ensure the unique Indigenous names remained familiar to speakers of respective languages, we added descriptive terms to the existing general Indigenous names to make them specific, instead of coining an entirely new name. For example in IsiZulu the general name Umgqagqa (used for all Reed Frogs) became Umgqagqa opendiwe (specific name for the Painted Reed Frog). And several other descriptive terms were added to Umgqagqa to distinguish between the eight Reed Frog species of South Africa.

    Why does it matter to record the Indigenous names of species?

    Conservation hasn’t been doing a good job of being inclusive. Knowing Indigenous names and the local perspectives behind those names is a good way to start being aware of the multiple other perspectives. Conservation should ultimately be to everyone’s benefit.

    For a long time wildlife guidebooks have had very few Indigenous language names in them. With increased recording of Indigenous names, any South African would be able to open a wildlife guide and read a name in any of our 11 official spoken languages. Hopefully one day we can have more books like the Bilingual Guide to the Frogs of Zululand (IsiZulu version: Isiqondiso Sasefilidini Esindimimbili Ngamaxoxo AkwelaKwaZulu) that make it possible for you to read about your favourite wildlife in your preferred language.

    Has this been done for other groups of animals or plants?

    Birds and plants are two groups that have received this kind of attention.

    A recent scientific publication has worked on IsiZulu names for all South African birds and another publication studied the morphology of IsiZulu bird names. There has also been work on IsiXhosa insect names, and there has been a SeSotho animal word list published online. Indigenous names for African wildlife have received sporadic attention in the past, but with the recent increases in calls for consideration of Indigenous knowledge there has been increasing focus on understanding these names and using them.

    Do you have some favourite names?

    I have a lot of favourites but there are some names that stand out, like Senana (Sepedi general name for Rain Frogs) and Lebololo (Sepedi name for Puff adder). These names have the same root word or sound throughout most of the Indigenous South African languages and I am curious about how this happened. Rain Frogs are also called Senanatswidi in Sepedi and tswidi is an onomatopoeic reference to the whistling sound that Rain Frogs make.

    Fortunate Mafeta Phaka receives funding from National Research Foundation/South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity.

    – ref. South Africa’s frogs and reptiles get their own list of names in local languages – https://theconversation.com/south-africas-frogs-and-reptiles-get-their-own-list-of-names-in-local-languages-254643

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Stage 0 cancer is often overlooked — but it could be your earliest warning sign

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Justin Stebbing, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University

    Beyonce and her mother, Tina Knowles in December 2024 DFree/Shutterstock

    At 71, Tina Knowles – the fashion designer, businesswoman, and mother of Beyoncé – made headlines not for her career, but for a deeply personal revelation: her breast cancer diagnosis. In 2023, a routine mammogram uncovered two tumours in her left breast, one benign and the other malignant. Diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer, she underwent surgery and is now cancer-free.

    Knowles had initially hesitated to share her story, even considering leaving it out of her upcoming memoir Matriarch. A private person by nature, she ultimately chose to speak out to educate and inspire others – especially women balancing busy lives – about the critical importance of regular screenings.



    Read more:
    Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer – so why is breast screening attendance still a problem?

    Knowles candidly revealed that her cancer might have been caught even earlier, at stage 0, if she hadn’t missed a mammogram during the COVID pandemic. Like many, she delayed rescheduling, and it wasn’t until nearly four years later that she returned for screening.

    Her sister, a breast cancer survivor herself, reminded her that if she had stayed on schedule, doctors might have detected her cancer before it had begun to invade surrounding tissue.

    Thankfully, Knowles’ tumour was small and slow-growing. Still, the experience shook her and reinforced a message she now shares widely: early detection saves lives.

    Knowles’ story opens the door to an important medical conversation: what exactly is stage 0 cancer, and why does it matter?

    Stage 0, often called “carcinoma in situ”, is the earliest form of cancer. The Latin phrase in situ means “in its original place”, and that’s exactly where these abnormal cells remain – they haven’t yet spread to nearby tissue or other parts of the body. In breast cancer, the most common type of stage 0 is ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), where abnormal cells are confined to the milk ducts.

    Because stage 0 cancers rarely cause symptoms or lumps, they’re usually detected through screening – most often, a mammogram. In fact, the breast is where stage 0 is most commonly diagnosed, thanks to the effectiveness of these screening programs.

    But stage 0 cancer is not unique to the breast. Similar early, non-invasive changes can be found in other organs, such as the cervix (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia) or the colon (certain types of polyps).

    There’s a growing debate in the medical community about whether stage 0 cancers should be labelled as “cancer” at all. Some experts argue that terms like “precancer” or “non-invasive cancer” might better reflect the low risk posed by these abnormal cells. Others caution that, while not invasive yet, some stage 0 cancers can become dangerous over time, especially if left untreated.

    Research suggests that up to 40% of untreated DCIS cases may eventually develop into invasive breast cancer, although the risk in any given year is relatively low at around 3%. Because we currently lack a reliable way to predict which cases will progress, most doctors recommend treatment such as surgery to remove abnormal cells.

    Treatment for stage 0 cancer is typically less aggressive than for more advanced stages, but it’s still personalised. In breast cancer, options often include:

    • Lumpectomy – surgery to remove only the affected area
    • Mastectomy – removal of the entire breast
    • Radiation therapy – often recommended after lumpectomy to reduce the risk of recurrence
    • Hormone therapy – for cancers that have hormone receptors, medication may be used to lower future risk.

    However, some experts are exploring a different approach: active surveillance. This strategy involves closely monitoring low-grade lesions without immediate treatment. While promising for some patients, it’s still controversial since there’s always a risk the cancer could progress silently.

    The prognosis for stage 0 cancer is overwhelmingly positive. The five-year survival rate for stage 0 breast cancer approaches 99% and most people diagnosed at this stage will never experience a recurrence.

    This remarkable outcome is a testament to the power of early detection and effective treatment. However, the rise in stage 0 diagnoses also raises questions about so-called over-diagnosis and over-treatment and whether this means some people are undergoing unnecessary procedures for abnormalities that might never have caused harm.

    Despite its early stage, a diagnosis of stage 0 cancer can carry a heavy emotional toll. There’s comfort in knowing the cancer was caught early but also anxiety about what might have happened if it hadn’t. Many patients struggle with the uncertainty of whether treatment was necessary or whether watchful waiting would have been safe.

    Knowles, for instance, spoke of disbelief, fear and the emotional rollercoaster that followed her diagnosis. She credits her daughters and friends for getting her through, providing love, laughter and perspective in a frightening time. Her openness underscores how vital it is to have a strong support system and a healthcare team that encourages open dialogue.

    Mammograms and other screening tools like colonoscopies are vital for catching cancers at the earliest, most treatable stages. While the increase in stage 0 diagnoses has fuelled debate about over-treatment, it’s clear that early detection gives people options and a chance at a cure before cancer becomes more aggressive.

    My research team is working to develop more effective methods for distinguishing which early abnormalities truly require treatment and which can be safely monitored. Until those tools are widely available, public health experts continue to stress one clear message: stay up to date with recommended screenings.

    Knowles’ story is more than a celebrity health headline, it’s a powerful reminder that prioritising routine care can change the course of your life. Stage 0 cancer represents a rare window of opportunity: a chance to intervene early, often with excellent outcomes. But it also requires careful decision-making, emotional resilience and support.

    The message is simple and urgent: take care of yourself. Reschedule that appointment. Get screened. It might just save your life.

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

    – ref. Stage 0 cancer is often overlooked — but it could be your earliest warning sign – https://theconversation.com/stage-0-cancer-is-often-overlooked-but-it-could-be-your-earliest-warning-sign-255460

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From shrinking bladders to severe stomach pain: survey reveals the painful realities of ketamine addiction

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rebecca Harding, PhD Candidate, Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, UCL

    Ketamine’s rising popularity has created a paradox. While it’s hailed by some doctors as a breakthrough psychiatric treatment, it’s also driving a surge in addiction and harming people’s health. To better understand people’s experience of ketamine and how it might be best used in medical treatment, we surveyed hundreds of people who self-identify as struggling with ketamine addiction.

    Ketamine is gaining recognition as a promising, rapid-acting intervention for mental health conditions for many. Phase three clinical trials are now underway for its use with people with alcohol problems. A ketamine-based nasal spray, Spravato, has also been approved as a standalone therapy for treatment-resistant depression,

    But for others, particularly recreational users in their 20s, ketamine use can lead to more harm than healing.

    Once seen as a fringe party drug, ketamine – also known as “K” – has now entered the mainstream, gaining popularity as a nightlife narcotic and reports of widespread use in Hollywood. But with its rise have come warnings: several high-profile deaths, including actor Matthew Perry and drag artist The Vivienne, have sparked public concern.

    Medical ketamine is a regulated drug used in hospitals and clinics under professional supervision. Illegal ketamine, often used recreationally, is unregulated, may be contaminated and carries higher risks of overdose, addiction and health complications due to unknown purity and unsafe use.

    To better understand the experience of ketamine addiction and to help inform improved treatments, our research team at the University of Exeter and University College London surveyed 274 people with self-identified ketamine addiction from Europe, North America and Australia**. We believe the results offer the most in-depth data of its kind to date.

    While ketamine is chemically distinct from opioids, some users described its emotional and social toll as equally devastating. One participant described it as “the heroin of a generation”.

    This stark characterisation underscores the growing number of people seeking treatment – not only for addiction, but also for physical health complications that can follow heavy, prolonged use.

    Sixty percent of respondents reported bladder problems – a side effect well known among long-term ketamine users, but rarely discussed outside specialist circles. Many also described intense psychological symptoms such as cravings, low mood, anxiety and irritability.

    While these experiences probably reflect heavier users than the average recreational consumer, they highlight the serious harms experienced by those who become dependent.

    Alarming statistics

    Alarmingly, over a third of our respondents had never sought treatment. Among those who had, only 36% were satisfied with the care they received. One person noted: “I think they need to research drugs or options that fight K bladder, K kidneys and K stomach cramps. Ketamine can make your lifespan much shorter.”

    A recurring theme throughout the survey responses was frustration at the lack of awareness – among peers, educators, healthcare providers and even addiction specialists – about ketamine’s risks.

    “No one even understands what ketamine is or what it does,” said one participant. They added: “It shouldn’t be our job to explain the science. It should be taught. People need to be educated. There’s so much less information out there compared to drugs like cocaine.”

    Most participants had first encountered ketamine in recreational settings. Only four participants first encountered it through prescription, primarily in the United States, where at-home ketamine therapy is becoming more common. In contrast, the UK restricts ketamine use to clinical supervision.

    Crucially, the doses reported by participants were far higher than those used in medical settings. Rapid tolerance development and escalating use were common concerns.

    New treatment strategies

    To support those struggling with ketamine addiction, our findings point to the urgent need for new treatment strategies. These include pharmacological options to address physical complications like “K cramps” (severe abdominal pain often described as excruciating) and improved understanding of how ketamine causes bladder and kidney damage.

    Equally vital is improving education – both for the public and for healthcare professionals – about the risks of ketamine use and the realities of addiction. We hope our survey offers a platform for those with experience to be heard and for their voices to shape future research, clinical care and public health messaging.



    Read more:
    Ketamine: what you need to know about the UK’s growing drug problem

    This survey comes at a crucial time in ketamine’s evolving story. In response to rising recreational use and recent fatalities, the UK government is reportedly considering reclassifying ketamine as a Class A drug. However, when ketamine was reclassified from Class C to Class B in 2014, use among 16–24-year-olds increased by 231%, suggesting that harsher penalties do little to curb demand.

    Instead of relying on punitive measures, we must focus on expanding treatment access, reducing stigma and investing in prevention. Our study shows the urgent need for more research into what makes ketamine addictive, how to prevent its physical harms and, most importantly, how to help people recover and reclaim their lives.

    Celia Morgan receives funding from National Institute of Health Research (UK), Medical Research Council (UK), Economic and Social Research Council UK; Medical Research Foundation; Wellcome Trust; Awakn Life Sciences.

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

    – ref. From shrinking bladders to severe stomach pain: survey reveals the painful realities of ketamine addiction – https://theconversation.com/from-shrinking-bladders-to-severe-stomach-pain-survey-reveals-the-painful-realities-of-ketamine-addiction-255197

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The world needs climate change leadership – it’s time for China to step up

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Yixian Sun, Associate Professor in International Development, University of Bath

    The second Trump administration has announced various anti-climate policies under its “America first” strategy. Leaving the Paris agreement, kicking off a trade war, shutting down USAid and drilling for more oil and gas will not only undermine the US’s international reputation but will undermine the global effort to combat climate change.

    With the US in retreat from climate action and Europe preoccupied by security challenges, new leadership is urgently needed. China may be poised to fill this gap.

    The country is already dominant in most clean technologies, and its top leaders say climate action can help the country fulfil its responsibilities as a major power. The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, reiterated this message at a recent closed-door meeting of heads of state, organised by the UN secretary general to discuss the climate crisis.

    After nodding to the Trump-initiated global economic shock, Xi said China “will overcome the headwinds and steadily move forward global climate governance”.

    But to take on this leadership, Beijing must first strengthen China’s domestic policies along with its support for climate action in the global south. The country has made remarkable progress on clean energy and its carbon emissions may peak this year.

    But more than 60% of the electricity generated in the country still comes from coal, and it remains unclear how fast the government plans to phase out fossil fuels. Meanwhile, some provincial governments are still issuing permits to add new coal-fired power plants.

    Coal storage in Ningbo, China.
    Alex Tao Wang / shutterstock

    There are things China can do almost immediately to show its commitment to climate action and rebuild international confidence in the Paris agreement. First, it must set very ambitious pledges to reduce its emissions for the coming decades ahead of this year’s UN climate conference (Cop30) to be held in November in Belém, Brazil.

    China was one of the many countries that missed a February deadline for submitting its targets (only 15 countries were on time). Until now, Beijing’s strategy has been to “wait and see” given the turbulence caused by the new Trump administration.

    What China ends up pledging will have a profound impact on global ambition. An ambitious target might mean reducing its emissions from their peak level by at least 30%. This is still achievable if the country can maintain its current progress in renewables.

    Despite the missed deadline, there are some positive noises coming from Beijing. In a recent high-level meeting organised by the UN secretary general, Xi announced that China’s next set of emission reduction targets, covering the period up to 2035, will cover all economic sectors and all greenhouse gases.

    This will be a major progress compared to China’s previous pledges, which only covered carbon dioxide (China is the world’s biggest emitter of the potent greenhouse gas methane, for instance) and did not integrate national targets into individual sectoral policies.

    More support for developing countries

    China has also been instrumental in bridging gaps between developed and developing countries in recent international talks. This was especially the case during negotiations at Cop29 last year in Baku, Azerbaijan, for a new global climate finance goal.

    Climate finance, in this context, refers to providing developing countries with the resources to help them reduce their emissions and adapt to climate change. China still has developing country status in the UN’s climate change convention and, as such, has no official obligation to provide international climate finance.

    Despite this, it has already provided or helped raise around US$24.5 billion (£18.32 billion) for clean energy, disaster recovery and other climate actions in developing countries. That makes it the world’s fifth-largest climate finance donor according to some estimates.

    But for this investment to have a lasting impact, Beijing needs to be more transparent about where its funding goes and how projects are financed. It should also get local people more involved in designing and implementing the projects it funds.

    Reform the system

    China should also play a major role in reforming the global financial system to make it aligned with the Paris agreement. As a strong supporter of green finance, it can influence upcoming international talks such as the Financing for Development conference in Seville, as well as the UN’s negotiations on international tax cooperation. As co-chair of the G20’s sustainable finance working group, China also has the opportunity to push for more funding to support net zero.

    China is by far the world’s biggest producer of renewables, batteries, electric vehicles and many other clean technologies, and is in a unique position to supply them affordably.

    While it has already exported lots of these products, many developing countries still don’t have the know-how or the basic infrastructure to make the most of them (solar farms are of limited use if you don’t have a battery capable of storing the electricity they generate, for instance). China can address this by partnering with other governments in the global south to share technologies and invest in manufacturing.

    With global climate leadership at risk, China has the chance to step up. As an emerging superpower with advantages in clean technologies and a leadership that recently reaffirmed their commitment to climate action, the country is well positioned. The world is watching to see if China will follow through.

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

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

    Yixian Sun receives funding from UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship (grant number: MR/X035956/1).

    – ref. The world needs climate change leadership – it’s time for China to step up – https://theconversation.com/the-world-needs-climate-change-leadership-its-time-for-china-to-step-up-252698

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: My Cypriot grandfather was one of millions of foreign servicemen who fought for Britain. Now I’m telling their stories

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Christiana Gregoriou, Professor in English Language and Stylistics, University of Leeds

    The second world war veteran community is far more ethnically diverse than many people realise, with over 3 million foreign servicemen serving with the British armed forces during the conflict.

    Second world war memoirs are vital records of how these servicemen remembered the war. They offer insights into their relationship to trauma and resilience and their search for meaning in life.

    May 8 2025 is the 80th anniversary of VE Day. As we mark it, it’s important that we celebrate this ethnic diversity and highlight how much this community’s memoirs can teach us about the joy of making sense and finding lessons, however challenging life may be.

    My research into second world war memoirs uses original archival materials including the memoir of my grandfather, Cypriot sergeant Phylactis Aristokleous (British Army). He was a prisoner of war (PoW) and one of the thousands of colonised Cypriots who volunteered to serve in the army’s Cyprus regiment at the time.

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    My colleague George Rodosthenous is currently adapting my grandfather’s memoir into a theatrical monologue. It will form the basis of a lecture-performance which will tour Yorkshire heritage sites in May as part of a week commemorating VE Day. All are welcome to attend.

    Though his story is one of deprivation and difficulty, Aristokleous’ war experience was also one he took huge pride in. He believed his time had been beneficial and felt a strong need to share his story with others.

    Memoirists are narrators of the history they bore witness to. Though their stories appear to be individual and personal, they are in constant dialogue with their readers, and with each other, informed by experience that is rich, historic and detailed.

    The stories in these memoirs are part of a web of experiences shared with and influenced by others. Read collectively, a culturally dominant story emerges of survival and determination.

    The war experience

    My grandfather believed that serving in the allied forces and writing about his experiences in his memoir shaped the rest of his life. He claimed that his war experiences determined his outlook and prepared him for the life he led after service. All the while, he was aware that his time had also split his sense of self into parts – some of which he left “behind”.

    Even though this positivity might well be more of a feature of his character rather than the war experience itself, it is nevertheless telling. Aristokleous selected many individual incidents to write about, and my analysis of his memoir focuses on them. He acknowledged that only some of them were incidents he had witnessed firsthand; the rest were stories that others had shared with him.

    The authenticity of the stories he shared tended to be driven by his belief that collectively, and in the war specifically, groups of people from the same nations behaved in the same sort of way.

    In one instance, for example, he accepted the authenticity of a story about Australians being courageous only on the basis of him witnessing a random Australian being courageous at a different point in time entirely. The story concerned two Australians who – after killing a German guard – shot each other so they would not be arrested. He believed this story because of an incident he witnessed himself – an Australian PoW who avenged the killing of an innocent British PoW by killing the German guard responsible, only to then be killed himself.

    Even though my grandfather’s stories were compellingly told and retold over the course of several decades, writing them down helped him organise and conceptualise them into a narrative life-story. In so doing, he added unlikely connections between incidents across his life and PoW journey. He made sense of incidents that happened at one point in place and time by linking them to another place and time entirely.

    In one chapter, for example, he talked about winning bread in a raffle, a moment he linked back to having previously asked God for forgiveness for having given a hungry British sergeant dry biscuits that were not his to give away. He deemed his winning a response to prayer.

    He also drew on analogies for the prisoner experience found in the natural world, which speaks to his dehumanisation during that time. There’s the story of a prisoner’s pet-crow, Jack, for example, who hid cheese the PoWs gave him in the snow for when he needed it. From this, he suggested that the PoWs needed to do the same themselves. These connections helped him to construct sense and rationale around what he went through, and even find closure and catharsis.

    Analysis of his many anecdotes also reveals a tendency to dissociate, by using “we” instead of “I”, for instance. He also distanced himself from what was happening by using direct quotes from others in mostly foreign languages. This lends his stories an air of authenticity.

    The memoir also uses proverbs specific to his Greek Cypriot culture. This enabled him to find another purpose to his stories – to turn them into life lessons for others, particularly his own children and grandchildren.

    An enduring legacy

    Most of the second world war veteran community is no longer with us. But their experience in the form of memoirs is, and so is the enduring legacy they left behind.

    The most cynical of us may argue that life is chaotic, futile and devoid of meaning, but what these memoirs, and my grandfather, may teach us is that we can craft ourselves a narrative to help make sense of it.

    Perhaps most importantly, this multicultural veteran community serves as a powerful reminder that, despite the global conflict they endured, it was through diverse nations uniting across ethnic lines, that they were able to defend their freedom, lives and livelihoods from those who sought to destroy them.

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

    – ref. My Cypriot grandfather was one of millions of foreign servicemen who fought for Britain. Now I’m telling their stories – https://theconversation.com/my-cypriot-grandfather-was-one-of-millions-of-foreign-servicemen-who-fought-for-britain-now-im-telling-their-stories-252697

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What magic reveals about the brain – and how magicians sometimes fool themselves

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Radoslaw Wincza, Lecturer in Behavioural Sciences, University of Central Lancashire

    FOTOKITA/Shutterstock

    Magicians have long been masters of mind games, turning our brain’s quirks and blind spots into moments of pure astonishment. But magic isn’t just for show – it’s become a powerful tool in the cognitive science of unlocking the mind’s hidden limitations.

    The science of magic has grown into a serious field of study, showing us how unreliable our intuitions and self-perceptions can be. However, a new study shows that magicians may be wrong about why their tricks work.

    From psychology and artificial intelligence to education and mental health, magic is inspiring fresh approaches to some of today’s biggest challenges. Today, scientists and magicians are teaming up, bringing sleight-of-hand into the lab to reveal surprising truths about how we think, see and behave.

    For example, misdirection is a key conjuring principle used to manipulate what we see, and scientific research on misdirection shows just how easily our attention can be hijacked. Other techniques such as “forcing,” involve subtle ways to steer our decisions without us even noticing. These illusions expose the gap between what we think we’re aware of and what’s actually happening in our minds.

    Magicians are masters of mind control – using techniques like misdirection to guide your attention to one thing while something else slips by unnoticed. Take English illusionist Derren Brown. He claims that, with the right mix of gestures and phrases, he can get you to think of a card he’s already predicted. Sounds wild, right?

    According to research, it actually works. Well, kind of. Not 100% of the time, but around 20%. That might not sound like much, but consider this: the chance of randomly naming a specific card from a deck is less than 2%, and even lower if we account for biases (like people often picking the Ace of Spades). So, bumping that chance up tenfold is pretty impressive.

    What does this tell us? That our decisions – what we choose, what we notice – are heavily influenced by what’s going on around us, even if we have no clue it’s happening.

    And this doesn’t just apply to magic. For example, as you are doing your weekly shop, you might think you pick your favourite brand of toilet paper because it’s the best. But research shows that people often choose whatever is placed at eye level, or in the centre of a shelf. Supermarkets know this. That’s why the most profitable products get prime shelf space – to gently (but powerfully) sway your choices.

    We love to believe we’re rational thinkers. But the truth is, we’re often guided by invisible hands – and not just the magician’s.

    Magicians were tapping into the secrets of the human mind long before scientists caught up. For decades, they’ve been using intuition to craft tricks that play perfectly on our mental blind spots. But even seasoned professionals can be fooled by their own assumptions.

    Here’s a standout example: in the magic world, it’s commonly believed that if a spectator names a card out loud (like “Queen of Hearts”), that choice is freer and less influenced by a magician than if the spectator had physically picked a card from the deck the magician is holding. Sounds reasonable, right? Except – it’s the opposite.

    Actions v thoughts

    In our recent study, we interviewed nearly 140 people after taking part in a magic trick where they either named or physically picked a card. On average, people felt more in control when they physically selected a card, and less influenced by the magician – despite what the magic community might expect.

    These findings reveal something fascinating: our sense of control is split. We feel more ownership over our actions – what we do – than over our thoughts. In other words, we trust our hands more than our heads.

    The human brain isn’t as rational as we think.
    Everett Collection/Shutterstock

    But it doesn’t stop there. Another long-held belief among magicians is that a trick feels more impossible and impressive – and creates a stronger emotional punch – when it happens in the spectator’s hands.

    Think about it: if a card magically swaps places with another while you’re holding them that should blow your mind more than if the same trick happens, say, under a box on the table.

    Surprisingly, that’s not what the research shows. In our study, participants were shown two versions of the same trick – in one version, a freely selected card changed in the hands of the participant, while in the other version, the card changed underneath a box.

    We found that people’s reactions to this kind of trick didn’t significantly change based on where it happened. Whether the cards swapped places in their hands or under a box, their sense of amazement was the same. The only difference? When it happened in their own hands, they felt more confused – but not more astonished.

    Why? We think it’s because the trick itself, just like many others out there, is already packed with emotional punch. No matter where the magic takes place, the effect is still jaw-dropping. So, it turns out, the “where” doesn’t matter as much as magicians had thought. It’s the “what” – the impossibility of the effect – that really leaves people stunned.

    So, why are some magicians wrong about this stuff? Honestly, we don’t have a definitive answer yet. But what we do know is this: even with years of experience, our perceptions can still lead us astray. That’s why it’s so important to test our assumptions – not just trust our gut. Magic gives us a powerful reminder of this by turning our mental shortcuts into moments of surprise.

    And this lesson goes way beyond card tricks. In everyday life, we carry beliefs and assumptions – about people, situations, even ourselves – that might feel true but are built on shaky ground. Sometimes, it’s just a harmless mistake. Other times, it can lead to stereotyping, misunderstandings, or missed opportunities.

    So next time you catch yourself making a snap judgement, pause and ask: How sure am I, really? A little curiosity could save you from an awkward moment – or even help you connect with someone you might’ve otherwise dismissed.

    Because if there’s one thing magic teaches us, it’s this: the mind is full of surprises – and we’re all a little easier to fool than we’d like to admit.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. What magic reveals about the brain – and how magicians sometimes fool themselves – https://theconversation.com/what-magic-reveals-about-the-brain-and-how-magicians-sometimes-fool-themselves-255236

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Co-working spaces aren’t just about convenience – they bring a whole range of benefits for employees and communities

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mariachiara Barzotto, Senior Lecturer in Management Strategy and Organisation, University of Bath

    Master1305/Shutterstock

    When you think of co-working spaces – where workers from different industries come together to share a convenient workplace – you might picture a group of young freelancers hunched over laptops. But today’s co-working spaces have evolved into something more powerful – particularly in a world still reshuffling office work practices in the wake of the COVID pandemic.

    As workplaces adapt to new ways of operating, from hybrid to “digital nomadism”, co-working spaces can do more than simply offer flexibility. They can support workers’ wellbeing and work–life balance by enhancing a sense of community, building trust and new friendships, and encouraging continuous learning.

    Research I undertook with colleagues shows these spaces may also play a role in addressing societal challenges. They can provide support for workers with family or caring responsibilities and enhance digital connectivity in under-served areas by offering faster, stable internet access. They can also encourage knowledge-sharing around new technology – while reducing the need for long commutes, which brings environmental benefits.

    Other research shows that co-working staff tend to report higher levels of job satisfaction and wellbeing, particularly compared with those working at home. There are various reasons for this.

    The ability to choose how and where to work, to exchange knowledge with others on-site, and to avoid long commutes all contribute to better mental health, happiness and wellbeing.

    Productivity can also be boosted by, for example, the social support and interactions encouraged by open architecture and flexible workstations, as well as by a workplace that is much closer to home.

    Some co-working spaces have gone a step further, integrating childcare, wellness programmes and even care for older dependants. One example is COWORCare, a European initiative linking co-working spaces with family support such as kindergartens and elderly-care services. This helps parents (especially mothers) participate more fully in the labour market.

    Workers often need to update their skills to stay competitive. While informal learning happens in traditional offices too, co-working spaces can offer advantages by connecting professionals, entrepreneurs and freelancers across industries. This encourages knowledge-sharing between sectors.

    Many also host training sessions, workshops and networking events, making it easier to develop skills than when working from home or in more homogeneous office settings.

    Some of these spaces also create opportunities, both formal and informal, for young people to learn from more skilled and experienced workers. They can also help youngsters who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) into the workforce.

    This all matters because the shift to greener and more digital economies – known as the “twin transition” – is creating both opportunities and risks. Many workers, especially in rural and older populations, could be left behind without access to training or digital infrastructure. Co-working spaces specifically for older people are ideally placed to address this.

    Such spaces can act as “infrastructures of care” by helping workers feel like part of a community. Perhaps one of the most underrated benefits of co-working is how it can combat loneliness and boost morale for staff who might otherwise be working from home or face a long commute to their employer’s office.

    Remote working can be lonely – and people in the early stages of their career can miss out on chances to learn from more experienced workers.
    fizkes/Shutterstock

    During the pandemic, many people realised how much they missed casual chats and social interaction. Co-working can bring that back – even for remote workers. In fact, co-working spaces can create the kind of “light-touch” community that encourages inclusion without being overwhelming.

    Left-behind places

    Co-working isn’t just for buzzing city centres. Some of the most exciting developments are happening in small towns and rural areas.

    Governments across Europe are supporting this shift. Ireland’s Connected Hubs scheme has built a national network of remote-working hubs, aiming to revitalise rural communities and reduce the urban-rural divide.

    These hubs can provide better internet than workers may have at home, and keep talented young people in the region. They can also spark local entrepreneurship, especially when paired with funding and mentoring. For example, the Youth Re-Working Rural project across Norway, Italy, Spain, Greece, Latvia and Slovenia supports youth and creative industries through co-working and digital training.

    But these spaces aren’t a silver bullet. Our research also shows they are most effective when public investment simultaneously targets specific areas.

    This could be extending high-speed broadband to rural areas, improving transport connections and providing vocational and digital skills training. Policies that support back-to-work programmes – for example, mentoring for unemployed people, parents returning after career breaks, or those who have lost jobs reintegrating into the labour market – are crucial, alongside access to affordable housing.

    Co-working spaces can be part of the solution to making work better – not just more convenient and efficient, but more human. They can improve wellbeing, encourage new skills, and bring life back into places that have been left behind after traditional local industries declined.

    Rethinking the future of work in the face of multiple transitions – digital, green and demographic – means also thinking about the kind of spaces that make learning, connection and wellbeing possible.

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

    – ref. Co-working spaces aren’t just about convenience – they bring a whole range of benefits for employees and communities – https://theconversation.com/co-working-spaces-arent-just-about-convenience-they-bring-a-whole-range-of-benefits-for-employees-and-communities-255281

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: RFK Jr. said many autistic people will never write a poem − even though there’s a rich history of neurodivergent poets and writers

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Bradley J. Irish, Associate Professor of English, Arizona State University

    Scholars today believe Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw was probably on the autism spectrum. Bettmann/Getty Images

    U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently declared autism a national “epidemic,” calling it a “preventable disease” that is growing at an “alarming rate.”

    He went on to cast autism as an “individual tragedy” that “destroys families,” while stating that many autistic people will “never pay taxes, they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never play baseball, they’ll never write a poem, they’ll never go out on a date.”

    The remarks drew widespread criticism from researchers, advocacy groups and autistic people. They objected to these scientifically unsound characterizations of autism, along with the broad strokes with which Kennedy described autistic people, who exist on a vast spectrum.

    As an autistic English professor who studies literature and neurodiversity, I was especially unnerved by Kennedy’s contention that many autistic people will never write poetry.

    It couldn’t be further from the truth.

    Working poets

    There’s a remarkable corpus of poetry written by autistic people, who have also written novels, plays and virtually any kind of literature imaginable. The Autism Books by Autistic Authors Project catalogs 133 collections of poetry authored by autistic individuals, which represents only a fraction of the work created by autistic poets throughout history.

    One of the most well-known contemporary autistic poets is David Miedzianik, who in 1986 also wrote one of the earliest autistic memoirs. He’s published his poetry in the books “I Hope Some Lass Will Want Me After Reading All This,” “Taking the Load Off My Mind: Autobiographical and Other Poems” and “Now All I’ve Got Left is Myself: Autobiographical Poems, 1993-1996.”

    Adam Wolfond is another celebrated autistic poet. Wolfond, who is nonspeaking, has released several books of poetry, including “In Way of Music Water Answers Toward Questions Other Than What Is Autism” in 2019, “The Wanting Way” in 2022 and “Open Book in Ways of Water” the following year. And Traci Neal is an autistic poet, advocate and spoken-word artist whose work has been featured in Newsweek and NPR’s Poetry Moment.

    Autistic poets write about many topics. But their work is particularly poignant when discussing how they fit into a world that often labels them broken, incomplete or something less than human.

    In writer and poet Tito Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay’s 2010 poem “Misfit,” the speaker of the poem notes that other people often ostracize him for his differences. But he doesn’t care: 

      My hands, as usual, were flapping
  The birds knew I was Autistic;
  They found no wrong with anything.

    Poets from the past

    Beyond living writers, readers and researchers have also explored the possibility that poets from the past may have had autistic characteristics, even before autism came to be formally theorized by clinicians in the mid-20th century.

    Of course, it’s important to exercise caution when categorizing people from the past, since they lived in worlds without those terms. At the same time, there have always been people whose minds and bodies worked in ways we’d now describe as autistic. So most literary scholars believe it is perfectly reasonable to discuss it as a possibility, as long as these historical figures aren’t given a formal, authoritative “diagnosis.”

    In 2010, for example, literary scholar Julie Brown suggested that renowned American poet Emily Dickinson had characteristics – such as sensory issues, social quirkiness and a savant’s command of language – that align with those of some individuals on the autism spectrum. More recent readers have agreed.

    In fact, many historical poets, novelists and playwrights have been tentatively associated with autism or other kinds of neurodivergence, such as William Wordsworth, Lewis Carroll, Hans Christian Andersen, George Bernard Shaw and Virginia Woolf.

    Unique voices, unique perspectives

    Of course, there are countless autistic people who write poetry who aren’t famous and haven’t published books. Neurodivergent poet and educator Chris Martin, who works with autistic people around the world, helps his students discover how to express themselves in poems.

    He describes this work in “May Tomorrow Be Awake: On Poetry, Autism, and Our Neurodiverse Future,” a book that’s part memoir of Martin’s own journey and part poetry anthology of his students’ poetry.

    Autistic poet and educator Chris Martin and autistic poet Adam Wolfond, who is nonspeaking, participate in a reading in 2023.

    Martin describes the “remarkable reciprocity poetry shares with autism or autistic minds or autistic ways of moving through the world.”

    “Time and again,” he adds, “I have watched my students … grasp the hand of poetry and begin dancing like they’ve been doing it their whole lives.”

    In fact, he argues that “poetry’s patterned structure uniquely serves neurodivergent thinking.” Because many autistic people seek patterns with a “combination of knack and urgency,” reading and writing poetry, which is anchored in patterns of words, images, sounds and forms, is particularly well suited for their way of thinking.

    In a recent interview with the magazine Mother Jones, autistic poet, educator and attorney Elizabeth R. McClellan said, “I know so many poets with various kinds of neurodivergence and that adds to the way that we see the world in our unique way, and that adds to our unique voice as poets.”

    In other words, autistic people are able to expand the possibilities of poetry itself.

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

    – ref. RFK Jr. said many autistic people will never write a poem − even though there’s a rich history of neurodivergent poets and writers – https://theconversation.com/rfk-jr-said-many-autistic-people-will-never-write-a-poem-even-though-theres-a-rich-history-of-neurodivergent-poets-and-writers-255367

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: No whistleblower is an island – why networks of allies are key to exposing corruption

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kate Kenny, Professor of Business and Society, University of Galway

    Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen speaks at a conference in 2022. Kimberly White/Getty Images for SumOfUs

    Whistleblowers – people who expose wrongdoing within their organizations – play a crucial role in holding governments and corporations accountable. But speaking up can come at a cost. People who report misconduct often face retaliation, job loss or legal threats, making whistleblowing risky and challenging. And when legal protections for whistleblowers are weakened, the risks only grow.

    That’s exactly the situation many workers face today.

    In the U.S., a Trump administration executive order threatens to effectively strip thousands of federal workers’ rights to whistleblower protection. The executive order is part of a larger effort to reclassify civil servants as “at-will” workers who can be sacked at any time for any reason. While federal workers have enjoyed protection against whistleblower reprisal for decades, those safeguards are now under threat. And this comes as private-sector whistleblowers have increasingly faced reprisal, too.

    Yet while the risks are real, whistleblowing isn’t impossible. Indeed, after researching whistleblowing for over 10 years, I’ve observed that insiders who successfully sound the alarm often do so with help − by partnering with allies who can amplify their message and help shield them from retaliation.

    Meet the ‘regulators of last resort’

    My new book, “Regulators of Last Resort: Whistleblowers, the Limits of the Law and the Power of Partnerships,” tells the stories of whistleblowers from Facebook, Amazon, Theranos, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers and Ireland’s public electricity service. In each case, the worker suffered reprisal and was aggressively silenced. In each case, they persisted, and allies emerged to help.

    For Facebook employee Frances Haugen, finding an ally meant teaming up with Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, a specialist in tech who had been writing about Facebook’s misdeeds for some time. When Haugen decided to go public about the social media platform’s knowing exploitation of teenagers and its awareness of the violence incited by poorly regulated non-English versions of its site, Horwitz was pivotal in orchestrating when and how the newspaper articles would appear, helping maximize their impact and granting Haugen control over how her story was told.

    This partnership was no accident; Haugen chose the reporter and tech expert carefully. “I auditioned Jeff for a while,” she later told a reporter. “One of the reasons I went with him is that he was less sensationalistic than other choices I could have made.”

    Indeed, many whistleblowers disclose with the wrong journalist, leaving themselves open to attack.

    At Theranos – a multibillion-dollar biotech company that turned out to be a fraud – a lawyer “friend of a friend” gave whistleblower Erika Cheung critical advice about disclosing to a regulator. This was a lifeline for the recent graduate, who feared for her career and safety after being threatened by bosses and lawyers and warned to stay silent and obey her nondisclosure agreement. Meanwhile, Cheung had no money for formal legal representation. It was that call to the lawyer that made all the difference, Cheung told me. “He said, ‘You can whistleblow.’”

    Her contact explained that if she disclosed to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, she could avail of whistleblower protection and break her NDA. She would have to do it right and focus on the details: to highlight Theranos’ “regulatory noncompliance” and demonstrate the firm was violating the rules for proficiency testing. But all it would require of Cheung was a simple email to the right organization.

    Finally, my research also detailed the many colleagues at Amazon who supported whistleblowing manager Chris Smalls in disclosing risks to life and health during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York. When Smalls was fired for speaking out and subject to racist language in internal memos about the incident that were later leaked, his close colleague Derrick Palmer described his response. “I was appalled,” Palmer said. “I just knew that they wanted to – pretty much – silence the whole effort. Anyone speaking out. That was how they were going to treat them, moving forward. Including myself.”

    Labor leader Chris Smalls speaks during a conference in Chicago, Ill., in 2022.
    Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    This strengthened Palmer’s determination to help Smalls. Meanwhile, the leaked memo prompted letters of support and emails “from people from all over the country – Amazon workers, non-Amazon workers, that just want to help advocate as well,” as Smalls put it. In the days and weeks after, workers held demonstrations at Amazon facilities all across the U.S., with banners declaring solidarity with the New York warehouse whistleblowers.

    No whistleblower is an island

    These allies often go overlooked when the media focuses on whistleblowers. But their support is critical, particularly in an era when protections for workers who speak up are coming under increasing threat worldwide.

    Organizing whistleblowing allies involves strategy, and some nonprofit and civil society groups have become experts in this domain. Leading the way is the U.S. Government Accountability Project and its “information matchmaking” approach. The idea is simple: Whistleblowers need a whole team of other people – from experts to members of the public – on their side. And this takes planning.

    For years, lawyer-activists like those at the Government Accountability Project have been treating whistleblower protection and support efforts as holistic campaigns that entail a media operation and networking effort, as well as a legal defense.

    Take the example of Dawn Wooten, a former nurse at the Irwin County Detention Center – a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement contractor – who encountered and disclosed medical misconduct and critical failures. Dana Gold at the Government Accountability Project supported her whistleblowing with other activists, enlisted civil society groups and politicians in the cause, helped land newspaper articles in The Guardian and The New York Times, and even arranged a New Yorker podcast in which Wooten told her story.

    The information went viral, and multiple investigations ensued. Within a year, the Department of Homeland Security directed ICE to formally end its contract with the Irwin County Detention Center, citing the revelations made public by Wooten and some of the detained women.

    None of this is straightforward. In most whistleblowing disputes, the organization holds the balance of power. It has the files, the witnesses and the money to pay good lawyers. I’ve found that whistleblower allies must work with whatever limited resources they can marshal to give themselves an advantage. This means engaging influential people who might help, including pro bono lawyers, specialists who can give evidence, concerned regulators and beat journalists. In short, what is necessary is experts across all domains who are interested in the story and willing to help. And it’s the collective effort that matters.

    Even with this support, however, whistleblowers don’t have it easy. In many high-profile cases where a disclosure is made public and a whistleblower is clearly vindicated and recognized as a courageous truth-teller, they can suffer afterward. Potential employers can balk at the prospect of hiring a whistleblower, even a celebrated one. And vindictive organizations can and do continue retaliating, even years after a story has dropped off the front pages.

    Whistleblower allies and their strategies don’t offer a magic bullet. But they can help tip the balance of power, bringing public opinion to bear on an employer bent on reprisal or a government intent on coddling the powerful.

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

    – ref. No whistleblower is an island – why networks of allies are key to exposing corruption – https://theconversation.com/no-whistleblower-is-an-island-why-networks-of-allies-are-key-to-exposing-corruption-250721

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Florida panthers and black bears need a literal path for survival – here’s how the Florida Wildlife Corridor provides it in one of the fastest-growing US states

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Thomas Hoctor, Research Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, University of Florida

    Florida panthers are a federally endangered species. Carlton Ward Jr./Wildpath

    Imagine a Florida panther slinking its way 400 miles (645 kilometers) from the Big Cypress Swamp, in the southwest part of the state, to Okefenokee Swamp, on Florida’s northern border with Georgia, without ever being spotted by a human.

    No one has yet documented a panther making this journey. But evidence suggests it happens.

    Florida panthers were once distributed throughout most of the southeast U.S., but now their number is tiny – maybe 200 or so – and their known breeding range has greatly shrunk, now concentrated in southwest Florida.

    They do show up in north Florida and Georgia on occasion when young males travel north looking to escape social pressure from adult males. Biologists have found their tracks not far south of Okefenokee. One panther made it almost to Atlanta before it was shot by a hunter.

    Large mammals such as the Florida panther and black bear literally need room to roam in order to hunt, breed and thrive. Such journeys across the state of Florida are possible thanks to the Florida Wildlife Corridor, a statewide system of interconnected wildlife habitat that turns 15 this year.

    The Florida Wildlife Corridor built on conservation efforts that date back to the 1980s and 1990s, when researchers from the University of Florida, including the two of us and our mentor Larry Harris, created maps of existing and proposed conservation areas that interlinked across the state.

    A family of Florida black bears scratches on a log in the dry season.
    Carlton Ward Jr./Wildpath

    Today, the Florida Wildlife Corridor spans 18 million acres – about half of the state.

    Ten million of these acres are protected from development. They are either local, state, regional or federal public conservation lands or they are private conservation easements. These easements restrict the landowners’ uses of the land to activities compatible with wildlife conservation, such as ranching, timber production and other sustainable activities.

    The other 8 million acres are the focus of state-funded land protection efforts to close the unprotected gaps. For now, these lands could be converted to intensive residential, commercial or industrial development.

    The corridor is an ambitious conservation project. It provides sufficient habitat to sustain healthy wildlife populations while also protecting Florida’s key ecosystem services, including water quality and flood storage. Ecosystem services refers to the benefits that ecosystems provide humans.

    The corridor is also a unique example of how conservationists can combine science with public education and outreach to protect important natural habitats – even in regions like Florida that face burgeoning population growth.

    Florida’s population boom

    Until the early 20th century, Florida was the most remote and undeveloped state on the East Coast.

    After World War II and the introduction of affordable home air conditioning, Florida transformed from a sleepy winter holiday destination to the third-most-populated state in the nation.

    Currently, about 300,000 new residents move to Florida each year.

    With this population growth came a rapid loss of natural habitat and rural landscapes. Using federal land use data, we calculate that approximately 60,000 acres of Florida habitat are lost each year.

    Florida’s development was initially concentrated along the coasts, especially in areas with extensive beaches. With the opening of tourist attractions such as Disney World near Orlando in 1971, central Florida also became a hub of rapid growth.

    It became clear to concerned Floridians that virtually all land not protected by permanent conservation designations could eventually be lost to urban and suburban sprawl.

    Responding to these concerns, Florida became a leader in land protection, which has generally been popular and bipartisan in the Sunshine State.

    Since the 1970s, Florida has protected millions of acres of conservation lands through programs including the Florida Preservation 2000 Act of 1990, the Florida Forever acquisition program that replaced it in 2001, and the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, also created in 2001.

    The authors estimate that approximately 60,000 acres of Florida habitat are lost each year to development.
    Carlton Ward Jr./Wildpath

    Scientists identify key areas to protect

    Wildlife biologists since the 1930s have observed how birds and mammals use wooded fencerows, hedgerows, streamsides and other natural corridors to travel through agricultural regions in the U.S. and Canada.

    When corridors are protected, they allow animals to travel safely across landscapes and they can save animals from extinction. They also provide people with ecosystem services such as clean water and flood protection.

    Since 1995, the Florida Ecological Greenways Network, or FEGN, has identified a statewide system of large, intact natural areas and connecting green spaces. It is now part of the state-legislated Florida Greenways and Trails System, a statewide network of recreational trails and ecological corridors.

    As conservation scientists who are deeply involved with the FEGN, we were able to make use of the state’s early investment in geographic information systems. GIS produces digital maps and other high-quality data on the locations of wildlife habitat and other conservation priorities.

    The Florida Wildlife Corridor covers nearly 18 million acres of Florida. A little over half of the acres, pictured in dark green, are conserved lands while the rest, pictured in light green, are considered opportunity areas for future conservation.
    University of Florida Center for Landscape Conservation Planning

    We continue to work with state agencies and other partners to continually update the FEGN as land use changes and as better data and tools become available to identify conservation priority areas.

    Getting the public on board

    While the FEGN proved fundamental for supporting state conservation programs, it was not widely known by Floridians or visitors to the state.

    In 2010, conservation photographer Carlton Ward and colleagues proposed a simple, unified map and a public campaign to promote protection of the top-priority lands in the Florida Ecological Greenways Network.

    Ward called it the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

    He organized a team of photographers, videographers and scientists who trekked across large swaths of the corridor to document Florida’s natural ecosystems and native species that were threatened by development.

    The expeditioners highlighted species like the Florida panther, Florida black bear and Florida grasshopper sparrow. They raised awareness about the corridor’s connection to water conservation, lands managed by ranchers and foresters, and recreational opportunities. And they produced documentary films, media and social media coverage, and public talks and events to educate the public on the importance of protecting the corridor.

    Photographer Carlton Ward Jr. paddles to set up cameras at a site in the Fakahatchee Strand in southwest Florida.
    Carlton Ward Jr./Wildpath

    Bipartisan support continues

    In June 2021, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act into law. The legislation, which had unanimous support from the state Legislature, officially recognized the corridor’s critical role in Florida’s economy, cultural and natural heritage, and protection of imperiled species and ecosystems.

    The law also reenergized legislative support and funding to acquire land directly for conservation and to establish conservation easements on private lands.

    Ranchers with the Seminole Tribe of Florida steer cattle through wooden sorting pens at the Big Cypress Reservation in southern Florida.
    Carlton Ward Jr./Wildpath

    The 2025-2026 Florida budget, which is still under negotiation, earmarks US$300 million to $450 million for land protection programs.

    And on April 23, 2025, the Florida Senate passed a resolution to proclaim April 22 as Florida Wildlife Corridor Day. The resolution affirmed the corridor’s importance as “a unique natural resource” that is essential for “preserving the green infrastructure that is the foundation of this state’s economy and quality of life.”

    There is a lot of land protection work left to be done in a race against a burgeoning human population. But Florida has proved ready to implement science-based strategies and work with willing landowners to protect a statewide wildlife corridor as a key element of Florida’s future.

    The Florida Wildlife Corridor is also a potential model for other states and regions that want to protect viable wildlife populations and ecosystem services.

    Uplands and wetlands east of Fort Myers, in the core of Florida panther territory, are part of the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
    Carlton Ward Jr./Wildpath

    Thomas Hoctor receives funding from state government related to working on the science and planning associated with the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

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

    – ref. Florida panthers and black bears need a literal path for survival – here’s how the Florida Wildlife Corridor provides it in one of the fastest-growing US states – https://theconversation.com/florida-panthers-and-black-bears-need-a-literal-path-for-survival-heres-how-the-florida-wildlife-corridor-provides-it-in-one-of-the-fastest-growing-us-states-251790

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The ‘sacramental shame’ many LGBTQ+ conservative Christians wrestle with – and how they find healing

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Dawne Moon, Professor of Social and Cultural Sciences, Marquette University

    Not all LGBTQ+ Christians belong to congregations that support that aspect of their identity. D-Keine/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    Kai found Jesus as a teenager. A person of white and Hawaiian descent, Kai now goes by gender-neutral pronouns and identifies as “māhū,” the traditional Hawaiian term for someone in-between masculine and feminine. But when they first became Christian, the high-schooler identified as gay – and was committed to celibacy.

    Kai – a pseudonym to protect their privacy – embraced their church’s “welcoming but not affirming” teachings about LGBTQ+ people, agreeing that same-sex intimacy was incompatible with being Christian. It felt good to be sacrificing for the Lord, Kai recalls. But they eventually realized they were harming themself.

    “I found myself unconsciously shutting down connection,” Kai told us. “Inside, I was crumbling in every moment because I was so fervently policing myself.”

    Kai believed – and their church taught – that God’s own love is a gift, freely given. Nevertheless, they still felt that to be worthy of that love, Kai had to “surrender” their orientation and need for emotional connection, even with friends.

    “It took me a long time to be able to look back on that and say, ‘Those were days when I hated myself,’” Kai said. “I hated myself for the sake of demonstrating how much I loved God.”

    Kai began to reflect on what it meant to be Christian and concluded that Jesus didn’t have a problem with same-sex marriage, or gender beyond clear ideas of “male” and “female.” Christian “friends” quietly cut Kai out of their lives.

    As a sociologist and a philosopher, we’ve worked together to understand the experiences of LGBTQ+ conservative Christians. Kai’s story illustrates a dynamic that in our 2025 book, “Choosing Love,” we call “sacramental shame.”

    In Christianity, the word “sacrament” often refers to a particular rite, like baptism, that provides a tangible sign of God’s presence. Many of the LGBTQ+ Christians we spoke with felt that conservative congregations expected them to demonstrate shame for their identity to prove they hadn’t turned their backs on God – that God was still present in their lives.

    Weight of shame

    Some Protestant denominations fully affirm LGBTQ+ identities, same-sex marriage and gender transition, and other churches are split.

    Two women at a church in Suffolk, England, on Dec. 17, 2023, after blessings for same-sex couples were approved for Church of England services.
    Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Images

    But when we learned that LGBTQ+ people and their allies were advocating for change in conservative churches, we wanted to hear their stories.

    In interviews and fieldwork, LGBTQ+ evangelicals told us that their churches often treated being cisgender and straight as though it were more important than the Ten Commandments. In some congregations, being LGBTQ+ is treated as an especially grave sin. But since people can’t change their sexual orientation or gender identity at will, treating these things as sins creates an experience of endless shame.

    In the “sacramental shame” dynamic, churches require LGBTQ+ people to feel and display shame as the sign that they have not rejected God. Their churches, families and friends more or less require them to act as though their very capacity to love others, and to recognize the truth about themselves, is a danger to the people they love.

    As one person recalled, “there were a lot of [friends] that I cut off. And I thought I was endangering them. I thought that I was going to poison them.”

    Feeling unworthy of the love of God and other people can make people feel like their lives are not worth living. We heard about countless struggles with addiction, depression and suicide attempts – and sometimes even physical symptoms, like unexplained asthma attacks or autoimmune disorders that developed as LGBTQ+ people wrestled with the stress of trying fervently to be worthy of love.

    Queer Christians of color

    Sacramental shame isn’t easy for anyone, but often it can be more complicated for Black or Indigenous Christians and other Christians of color. In part, that’s because centuries-old racist tropes often depict minority groups in a sexualized way, as “promiscuous” or “exotic.” Not wanting to affirm those stereotypes can make it harder for LGBTQ+ Christians of color to navigate life.

    Kai, like many Christians, was drawn to the faith’s message of love and justice for the oppressed. Religion can offer support and strength for dealing with the realities of racism. But that can sometimes turn into a pressure to disprove racism by behaving as “respectably” as possible.

    LGBTQ+ Christians who are people of color sometimes feel added pressure.
    bojanstory/E+ via Getty Images

    A Black, bisexual pastor we’ll call Imani grew up in a church that quietly supported LGBTG+ people, but she never knew it. As a young person, Imani worried that her own sexuality might cause trouble for her mother, who had already been through a lot:

    I was scared of embarrassing my mother. … All I could think about was the swirling doom that would be, if people found out. … I never even thought for a second that it was an option.

    Some white respondents, too, feared that coming out would embarrass their parents. But for Imani, silence about her sexuality seemed necessary to protect the Black community’s respectability, as well as her family’s belonging in the church.

    We also met Darren: a Black, gay man who was urged to try to fight being gay. His pastor’s ideas about how to “fix” Darren involved having him live in an out-of-state church building for four years, sleeping on the altar and fasting two days a week.

    It ended when Darren heard Christ telling him to stop hiding from life. So he went home, and his pastor told the church not to talk to him.

    Shifting views

    Some conservative Christians, including allies who aren’t LGBTQ+, are starting to change the conversation – and their own views.

    In 2024, New Testament scholar Richard Hays and his son Christopher Hays drew ire from some fellow evangelicals by publishing a book arguing that God’s mercy creates room in the church for LGBTQ+ people. Before them, evangelical leaders such as Tony Campolo, David Gushee and James Brownson had also changed their minds.

    Leaders or laypeople who have rethought the issue often pointed out to us that Jesus said all of the Ten Commandments come down to loving God and your neighbor. Some said their views began to shift when they remembered to exercise humility, realizing that they might not know everything about gender, sexuality and God’s plan.

    In interviews, many Christians talked about the power of humility.
    Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Images

    For example, the Book of Genesis says that God created male and female; it also says God created day and night, and sea and dry land. But as transgender Bible scholar Austen Hartke writes in his 2018 book “Transforming,” recognizing night and day doesn’t preclude sunsets. The fact that there are seas and dry land doesn’t mean marshes are abominable.

    As Kai tried to share God’s love with other LGBTQ+ people, Kai came to realize that their church’s expectation for all LGBTQ+ people to be celibate “wasn’t just hurting me; it was hurting other people.” Kai decided that “As holy as this feels, it’s not the spirit of the Jesus I fell in love with when I became a Christian.”

    Humility is not the opposite of pride; it is a realistic awareness of your gifts and your limitations. When LGBTQ+ people celebrate pride, they are celebrating the often hard-won knowledge that they are human beings, worthy of love.

    Dawne Moon received funding for this project from the Templeton Religion Trust, the Association for the Sociology of Religion, the Louisville Institute, and Marquette University. In the course of conducting research for the project this draws from, she served from 2015-2017 on the board of the Center for Inclusivity.

    Theresa Tobin received funding from the Templeton Religion Trust and Marquette University.

    – ref. The ‘sacramental shame’ many LGBTQ+ conservative Christians wrestle with – and how they find healing – https://theconversation.com/the-sacramental-shame-many-lgbtq-conservative-christians-wrestle-with-and-how-they-find-healing-248961

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Almost Zion: Remembering a short-lived Jewish state in New York

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Adam L. Rovner, Director of the Center for Judaic Studies, University of Denver

    Twin bridges spanning the Niagara River lead from Tonawanda to Grand Island, New York — the proposed site of ‘Ararat.’ Kevin Menschel/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    At dawn on Sept. 15, 1825, a burst of cannon fire shook the ramshackle buildings of Buffalo, New York. Families raced down the main street to witness a grand ceremony, following a parade of soldiers, clergymen, Freemasons, musicians and Seneca tribesmen, including their venerable chief, Red Jacket. All surged toward St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the frontier town’s only grand edifice.

    Inside, a crowd of Christians, Jews and Native Americans were already packed together to witness the founding of Ararat, a tract of land on nearby Grand Island that was intended to be the first autonomous Jewish city-state in almost 1,800 years.

    Ararat’s 400-pound cornerstone, engraved with a central Jewish tenet of faith from the Bible’s Book of Deuteronomy, rested inside the church. When the swell of the organ died down, former diplomat, political power broker and playwright Mordecai Manuel Noah – the man who had dreamed up Ararat – rose to his feet.

    Today, this marker is one of the few surviving signs of the proposed settlement.
    Adam Rovner

    Described as a “stout … gentleman, with sandy hair, a large Roman nose, and … red whiskers,” Noah had draped himself for the ceremony in fur-trimmed robes borrowed from a theater. He triumphantly announced the reestablishment of “the Government of the Jewish Nation … under the auspices and protection of the constitution and laws of the United States of America.”

    Noah also welcomed Native Americans, whom he – like many Americans at the time – mistakenly believed were “the descendants of the lost tribes of Israel.” In addition, he granted equal “rights and religious privileges” to the “black Jews of India and Africa,” disclosing a rare-for-his-time sensitivity toward Jews of color.

    A portrait of Mordecai Noah by 19th-century painter John Wood Dodge.
    Smithsonian American Art Museum via Wikimedia Commons

    But Noah’s utopian ark sank with barely a trace. Not a single Jew heeded his call to settle Ararat. Noah himself abandoned ship when his calls for a Jewish republic were rebuffed by religious leaders. All that he left behind was the cornerstone.

    As a scholar who scours archives to trace connections between literature and history, I’ve seen how Noah’s efforts to found a Jewish statelet have fascinated students of both American and Zionist history.

    Noah was only the first of many modern thinkers to propose establishing Jewish territories far from the biblical land of Israel. In the 20th century, organizations seeking a humanitarian solution to Jewish persecution considered carving out enclaves the world over, including lands in today’s Kenya, Angola, Madagascar, Tasmania and Suriname.

    ‘City of refuge’

    Noah wielded considerable influence in early 19th-century America through his roles as a political party boss, helming various daily newspapers, and as a popular playwright. But he was also a marginalized outsider at a time when there were fewer than 500 Jews in Manhattan, the young republic’s largest city.

    Noah used his press pulpit to demand equality for Jews, even proposing himself as a presidential candidate. He remained one of few high-profile American Jews throughout his life, urging other citizens to acknowledge that one’s faith and patriotism need never be at odds. Yet antisemitic slurs dogged him throughout his career.

    After witnessing the persecution of Jews in Europe during his diplomatic travels, Noah hoped Ararat would be a territorial solution to religious oppression.

    ‘Noah’s Ark,’ by 19th-century American painter Edward Hicks.
    Philadelphia Museum of Art via Wikimedia Commons

    In some ways, his efforts hearkened back to the origins of America itself. Instead of the Mayflower, Noah invoked the symbolic ark of his biblical namesake – “Ararat” is the biblical name of the mountain where the ark came to a rest after the flood. In the role of the Puritans, he cast European Jewry. And instead of Plymouth Rock, he landed on Grand Island. As the cornerstone of Ararat proclaimed, the settlement was to be a “city of refuge for the Jews” – one that Noah hoped would grow to become a state and be admitted to the American republic.

    In his speeches, Noah imagined that Ararat would allow European Jews to escape persecution while simultaneously fulfilling America’s need for immigration, industry and financial capital. He also believed that his purchase of 2,555 acres of Grand Island would prove a lucrative personal investment: The recently completed Erie Canal, he reasoned, would make Buffalo a major port.

    Failure to launch

    At the time of Noah’s proposal, the Zionist movement – the modern political program for Jewish national self-determination – had not yet coalesced. Most Jews at the time believed that founding a Jewish state in the land of Israel was a pipe dream, or worse. God had expelled their ancestors from the Holy Land in 70 C.E., they believed, so taking matters into their own hands and rebuilding a Jewish state there would be blasphemy.

    Noah hoped to sidestep those theological objections by locating a Jewish polity in the promised land of America, not the biblical promised land. Nonetheless, Jewish leaders dismissed his vision as contrary to God’s will. The chief rabbis of England and France publicly condemned Noah’s plan, and the September 1825 ceremony in Buffalo proved Ararat’s high point.

    Though ridiculed in the press for Ararat’s failure, Noah took a philosophical view:

    I … stand as the pioneer of the great work, leaving others to complete it. … When sneers and mockery shall have had their day … then my motives and objects will have been duly estimated and rewarded.“

    The front page of one of Mordecai Noah’s books, published in 1819.
    Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons

    Birth of Zionism

    Noah quickly resumed his career as a journalist and emerged as a kind of ambassador, penning articles and delivering speeches that linked Jewish and Christian America. To Christians, he explained Jewish practices. To his brethren, he demonstrated the fundamental compatibility between the ideals of Judaism and the United States, assuring them that America “is the country which the Almighty has blessed,” a land in which Jews “may repose in safety and happiness.”

    Yet Noah never abandoned his plans for Jewish self-government and ultimately advocated national repatriation to areas of Palestine, then under Ottoman control. In 1845 he published a short book, “Discourse on the Restoration of the Jews.” A young journalist whom he had befriended, Edgar Allan Poe, praised Noah’s proposal for a Jewish return to the biblical land of Israel as “extraordinary [and] full of novel and cogent thought.”

    Noah did not live to see his dreams fulfilled. After his death in March 1851, nearly 50 years passed before another playwright and journalist resurrected the idea of Jewish political autonomy: Theodor Herzl.

    Herzl’s vision laid the groundwork for the establishment of the state of Israel. Today, he is considered the father of Zionism, with his image paraded on Israeli Independence Day.

    Paradoxically, Noah is remembered today thanks only to the spectacular failure of his American Zion.

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

    – ref. Almost Zion: Remembering a short-lived Jewish state in New York – https://theconversation.com/almost-zion-remembering-a-short-lived-jewish-state-in-new-york-253534

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Spider-Man’s lessons for us all on the responsibility to use our power, great or small, to do good

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By George Tsakiridis, Senior Lecturer of Philosophy and Religion, South Dakota State University

    A large statue of Spider-Man at a mall in Dubai. Giuseppe Cacace AFP via Getty Images

    As a child, I watched reruns of the 1967 Spider-Man cartoon on television. I was drawn to the action and colors and, of course, the catchy tune. This was my early introduction to Spider-Man, as it was for many children who grew up in the 1960s-’80s.

    Spidey, as he is affectionately called, was a huge part of popular culture. The Spider-Man story was first released in 1962 as part of another comic book, Marvel’s Amazing Fantasy (192) #15. A year later he became his own title character, branching out into cartoons, merchandising and feature films. In other words, Spider-Man became ubiquitous.

    With the advent of films featuring him in 2002, however, Spider-Man reached an entirely new level of influence, so much so that academic interest in him increased. I edited a 2021 book in which I wrote a chapter about Spider-Man’s creeds – his main sets of beliefs, or one might say his religion: “Theology and Spider-Man.”

    A phrase that has appeared in various forms in Spider-Man lore – “with great power comes great responsibility” – is an example of such a creedal statement. I examine how this one phrase can resonate with readers and viewers to such a degree that it shapes their everyday lives and makes Spider-Man a moral exemplar to many of us.

    More broadly, however, I believe that as a moral exemplar, Spider-Man exemplifies the struggle for virtue that most of us face every day.

    Spider-Man is relatable

    Moral exemplars are figures who transcend the average human experience, achieving extraordinary feats in pursuit of virtue. They serve as models for others to follow. They can be historical figures or people we interact with every day.

    A 2017 study led by educational psychology scholar Hyemin Han states moral exemplars influence others because their stories seem relevant and attainable. The study shows evidence that people are more likely to respond to a peer’s example of good behavior and be motivated by that. This means that role models who feel relatable to our daily lives tend to have the greatest impact.

    I would argue that Marvel superheroes and the films they have inspired are popular because we see ourselves in these stories. These characters are the sort of moral exemplars that can influence our behavior because we identify with them so closely.

    Spider-Man particularly fits this bill. Peter Parker is a teenager who unexpectedly gains superhuman power. In this transformation, he is forced to struggle with moral behavior on a higher level because he now has newfound abilities to do things normal humans cannot. He can use his powers for good or selfish ends, and the effects are much more damaging than for a normal person.

    Spider-Man is popular because many people identify with him closely.
    Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

    Moral exemplars are connected in a fundamental way to virtue ethics – a framework of behavior based in core virtues such as honesty, bravery and kindness. Virtue ethics focuses on building character within versus following a set of rules.

    Moral exemplars are the people who represent virtue ethics in its purest form. They are the most virtuous in their character, displaying what all humans should aspire to when practicing virtue ethics. The virtuous hero is the one we emulate and build our own character around, being a representative of a virtuous life.

    Spidey is a perfect moral exemplar because he is relatable. He is one of us. He has limitations but invites us to work beyond them.

    Morality is Spider-Man’s strength

    In the 2021 film “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Spidey is confronted with the choice of using his power for good or for revenge. As a portal opens to other dimensions, he encounters a number of villains from past films, including the Green Goblin from the 2002 film.

    In contrast to the Green Goblin, Spidey chooses to use his power for good. Green Goblin kills Aunt May because he wants Spidey to embrace the power he has and use it for selfish means. Aunt May serves as a moral foundation for Peter Parker, and with her gone, perhaps the Goblin sees an opportunity for Spidey to embrace power for power’s sake. He tells Spidey, “Morality is your weakness.”

    Spider-Man must struggle with the temptation to kill the Goblin in a fit of revenge – exactly the kind of self-serving thinking that the Green Goblin himself encourages. Green Goblin is the anti-moral exemplar. He embraces power and vice, while Spidey embraces doing good for others. Earlier in the film, the Goblin states, “Gods don’t have to choose; we take.” For the Goblin, there is no real morality. His power entitles him to any action.

    On the contrary, Spider-Man sees his power as a gift to be used – “with great power comes great responsibility.” Spider-Man continually sacrifices the joy in his life – his relationships, his health and his family – in order to fight villains and protect the innocent. This is practicing virtue ethics at a high level, one that reaches the status of a moral exemplar.

    Spidey’s determination to use his power for good arises out of his origin story in the original narrative found in Amazing Fantasy #15. Spider-Man feels a strong sense of guilt and responsibility due to his uncle’s death, which he feels is the result of his inaction. Thus he is committed to using his power for good.

    At first, he uses his abilities to make money wrestling or finding fame on television. In the aftermath of a television appearance, however, he allows a thief to escape because he doesn’t feel morally responsible to stop him. As the thief escapes, Spidey states, “From now on I just look out for number one – that means – me!” Soon after, he finds that same thief has killed his uncle.

    It is out of this origin story that is born his adoption of the phrase “with great power comes great responsibility.” His uncle’s death was necessary for his moral tranformation.

    Spider-Man shows us that moral responsibility does not go away just because one has power. It is in this lesson that Spider-Man exemplifies morality for us. He becomes a moral exemplar.

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

    – ref. Spider-Man’s lessons for us all on the responsibility to use our power, great or small, to do good – https://theconversation.com/spider-mans-lessons-for-us-all-on-the-responsibility-to-use-our-power-great-or-small-to-do-good-248529

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Whooping cough is making a comeback, but the vaccine provides powerful protection

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Annette Regan, Adjunct Associate Professor of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles

    Infants can get vaccinated against whooping cough starting at 6 weeks of age. Hill Street Studios/Corbis via Getty Images

    Whooping cough, a bacterial infection that can be especially dangerous for babies and young children, is on the rise. Already in 2025 the U.S. has recorded 8,485 cases. That’s compared with 4,266 cases during the same period in 2024.

    Like measles, which is also spreading at unprecedented levels, whooping cough, more formally known as pertussis, can be prevented by a safe
    and effective vaccine. But with anti-vaccine sentiment increasing and cuts to immunization services, vaccination rates for whooping cough over the past two years have declined in children.

    The Conversation asked epidemiologist Annette Regan to explain why pertussis has become so prevalent and how families can protect themselves from the disease.

    What is pertussis and why is it dangerous?

    Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Researchers in France first identified the B. pertussis bacterium in 1906. The first recorded epidemic of pertussis is thought to have occurred in Paris in 1578.

    Infection can cause an acute respiratory illness characterized by severe and spasmodic coughing spells. The classic symptom of pertussis is a “whoop” sound caused by someone trying to breath during a bad cough. Severe complications of pertussis include slowed or stopped breathing, pneumonia and seizures. The disease is most severe in young babies, although severe cases and deaths can also occur in older children and adults.

    Some doctors call pertussis “the 100-day cough” because symptoms can linger for weeks or even months.

    The World Health Organization estimates that 24.1 million pertussis cases and 160,700 deaths occur worldwide in children under 5 each year. Pertussis is highly contagious. Upon exposure, 80% of people who have not been previously exposed to the bacterium or vaccinated against the disease will develop an infection.

    Fortunately, the disease is largely preventable with a safe and effective vaccine, which was first licensed in the U.S. in 1914.

    Whooping cough causes violent fits of coughing that can make it difficult to inhale.

    How do cases last year and this year compare with past years?

    During the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2022, pertussis cases were lower than usual. This may have been a result of limited social contact due to social distancing, masking, school closures and lockdown measures, which reduced the spread of disease overall.

    In the past two years, however, pertussis cases have surpassed figures from before the pandemic. In 2024, local and state public health agencies reported 35,435 pertussis cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – a rate five times higher than the 7,063 cases reported in 2023 and nearly double the 18,617 cases reported in 2019 prior to the pandemic.

    Between October 2024 and April 2025, at least four people in the U.S. have died of pertussis: two infants, one school-age child and one adult.

    Why are pertussis cases rising?

    Although vaccines have resulted in a dramatic decline in pertussis infections in the U.S., incidence of the disease has been rising since the 1990s, except for a brief dip during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Before the start of routine childhood vaccination for pertussis in 1947, its rates hovered between 100,000 and 200,000 cases per year. With vaccines, rates plunged under 50,000 annually by the late 1950s and under 10,000 per year in the late 1960s. They reached a low of 1,010 cases in 1976.

    Starting in the 1980s and 1990s, however, the U.S. and several other countries have been seeing a steady resurgence of pertussis cases, which have exceeded 10,000 cases in the U.S. every year from 2003 to 2019. They dropped again during the pandemic until last year’s resurgence.

    There is no single explanation for why cases have been rising recently, but several factors probably contribute. First, pertussis naturally occurs in cyclic epidemics, peaking every two to five years. It is possible that the U.S. is headed into one of these peaks after a period of low activity between 2020 and 2022. However, some scientists have noted that the increase in cases is larger than what would be expected during a usual peak.

    A public health worker processes blood samples during a whooping cough outbreak in Ohio in December 2010.
    National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

    Some scientists have noted that this apparent resurgence correlates with a change in the type of vaccine used in children. Until the 1990s, the pertussis vaccine contained whole, killed B. pertussis bacteria cells. Whole-cell vaccine can stimulate a long-lasting immune response, but it is also more likely to cause fever and other vaccine reactions in children.

    In the 1990s, national vaccine programs began to transition to a vaccine that contains purified components of the bacterial cell but not the whole cell. Some scientists now believe that although this partial-cell vaccine is less likely to cause high fevers in children, it provides protection for a shorter time. Immunity after whole-cell vaccination is thought to last 10-12 years compared with three to five years after the partial-cell vaccine. This means people may become susceptible to infection more quickly after vaccination.

    Vaccination rates are also not as high as they should be and have started falling in children since 2020. In the U.S., the percent of kindergartners who are up to date with recommended pertussis vaccines has declined from 95% during the 2019-20 school year to 92% in the 2023-24 school year. Even fewer adolescents receive a booster dose.

    How can people protect themselves and their families?

    Routine vaccination for children starting in infancy followed by booster doses in adolescents and adults can help keep immunity high.

    Public health experts recommend that children receive five doses of the pertussis vaccine. According to the recommendations, they should receive the first three doses at 2, 4 and 6 months of age, then two additional doses at 15 months and 4 years of age, with the aim of providing protection through early adolescence.

    Infants younger than 6 weeks are not old enough to get a pertussis vaccine but are at the greatest risk of severe illness from pertussis. Vaccination during pregnancy can offer protection from birth due to antibodies that pass from the mother to the developing fetus. Many countries, including the U.S., now recommend that women receive one dose of pertussis vaccine between the 27th and 36th week of every pregnancy to protect their babies.

    To maintain protection against pertussis after childhood, a booster dose of pertussis vaccine is recommended for adolescents at 11 to 12 years of age. The CDC recommends that all adults receive at least one booster dose.

    The pertussis vaccine’s protction wanes over time, so public health experts recommend a booster around age 11 or 12.
    SELF Magazine via flickr, CC BY

    Because immunity declines over time, people who are in contact with infants and other high-risk groups, such as caregivers, parents and grandparents, may benefit from additional booster doses. When feasible, the CDC also recommends a booster dose for adults 65 years and older.

    Vaccine safety studies over the past 80 years have proven the pertussis vaccine to be safe. Around 20% to 40% of vaccinated infants experience local reactions, such as pain, redness and swelling at the vaccination site, and 3% to 5% of vaccinated infants experience a low-grade fever. More severe reactions are much less common and occur in fewer than 1% of vaccinated infants.

    The vaccine is also highly effective: For the first year after receiving all five doses of the pertussis vaccine, 98% of children are protected from pertussis. Five years after the fifth dose, 65% of vaccinated children remain protected.

    Booster vaccination during adolescence protects 74% of teens against pertussis, and booster vaccination during pregnancy protects 91% to 94% of immunized babies against hospitalization due to pertussis.

    Families can talk to their regular health care providers about whether a pertussis vaccine is needed for their child, themselves or other family members.

    Annette Regan receives funding from the National Institutes of Health, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Global Vaccine Data Network.

    – ref. Whooping cough is making a comeback, but the vaccine provides powerful protection – https://theconversation.com/whooping-cough-is-making-a-comeback-but-the-vaccine-provides-powerful-protection-254647

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Trump promotes a radical, unscientific theory about sex and gender in the name of opposing ‘gender ideology extremism’

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ina Seethaler, Associate Professor and Director of Women’s and Gender Studies, Coastal Carolina University

    Sexual diversity has been documented in every species in the animal kingdom, including among humans. smartboy10/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

    The Trump administration claims to be rooting out “gender ideology extremism” and “restoring biological truth” in the United States.

    In a January 2025 executive order, President Donald Trump decreed that there are only two genders – male and female – and that anyone who believes differently denies “the biological reality of sex.”

    Yet as a gender studies scholar, I know what the science really says about gender and sex.

    Most researchers in my field, as well as those in other disciplines such as sociology and biology, agree that biological sex is vastly more complicated than solely the two variants of male and female. Sexual diversity has been documented among all animals, including humans.

    Trump’s claim otherwise is itself a gender “ideology” – that is, a set of beliefs and values about gender.

    Sex and gender are not the same thing

    Experts in many disciplines have shown how gender is different from sex. Sex refers to bodily attributes such as genitals, hormones and chromosomes; gender is made up of the norms, roles, behaviors and expectations people are supposed to comply with based on the culture and society they live in.

    As such, gender is socially constructed – that is, defined by a community’s beliefs and rituals. In other words, gender does not follow biology. Instead, people have what’s called a “gender identity” – an internal sense of themselves as masculine, feminine or somewhere in-between.

    There are many ways in which gender and sex don’t necessarily line up.

    Among humans, a conservative estimate by the United Nations suggests that up to 1.7% of the world’s population are intersex, meaning their bodies vary from what has been labeled typical combinations of chromosomes, hormones and genitals.

    Intersex rights advocates have long pushed for medical treatment that reflects this fact, rather than common expectations of the human body. Recognition of gender and sex diversity can significantly reduce the stigma and trauma of being an intersex person.

    In the animal kingdom, female spotted hyenas have a penis. Male seahorses get pregnant.

    It took biologists a long time to figure out that some male animals do things that defy socially determined understandings of masculinity. But once they did, groundbreaking insights into the complexity of evolutionary processes have emerged.

    By labeling the concept of gender identity as an “ideology,” the Trump administration has reduced all people – but especially transgender and nonbinary people – to a belief system, ignoring their complex human identities.

    Don’t tell this dad he can’t give birth. A seahorse couple at the New England Acquarium’s 2009 Pregnant Male Seahorse exhibit.
    Matt Stone/MediaNewsGroup/Boston Herald via Getty Images

    What is gender ideology, really?

    Trump’s executive order on gender is itself based on a gender ideology called “biological determinism” – the belief that there are only two genders and that the sex assigned at birth permanently determines one’s role in society.

    This ideology dismisses research and data that document the complexity of human life. This can have serious social consequences.

    Because adherents of biological determinism see sex and gender as one and the same, they generally want to ban puberty blockers, hormone therapy and other gender-affirming health care for trans youth. These are important and sometimes lifesaving treatments; the Trump administration and other adherents of their ideology dismiss them as medical malpractice.

    The executive order also claims that enforcing a rigid male-female divide will keep women and girls safe because bathrooms and domestic violence shelters become dangerous for women when transgender people are allowed to use them.

    Research has consistently debunked this notion. Privacy and safety problems have not increased due to the legal recognition of transgender individuals. There is no evidence that cisgender women – that is, those assigned female at birth – should fear violence committed against them by transgender women.

    Biology is not destiny

    Much of my academic work has focused on how societies rooted in biological determinism tend to be patriarchal. They are designed by men for the benefit of men, and men hold most positions of authority.

    Patriarchal countries, including the U.S., tend to value masculinity over femininity. Political and religious leaders, the media and social norms suggest women are weaker than men, more emotional and better suited for care work. As a result, they portray women as less effective leaders than men.

    Historically, these societies have limited women’s sphere of influence to the household. That, in turn, prevented them from widespread access to, and success in, economic, religious and political leadership positions, just to name a few.

    U.S. feminists in the 1960s and 1970s protested the idea that a person’s body should dictate what they can and cannot do with their life. Back then, patriarchal beliefs restricted women’s participation in sports – they weren’t allowed to run marathons – and jobs, with fields such as practicing law and surgery essentially off-limits.

    Women in the U.S. also lacked full bodily autonomy for much of the 20th century. Access to contraception was limited, and terminating a pregnancy was illegal.

    By the 1980s, women had succeeded in convincing much of U.S. society that they had the same abilities and should enjoy the same rights as men. By the early 2000s, they had made great strides toward attaining equality in education, career choice and reproductive freedom, among others.

    Trans people began making similar progress in the 2010s.

    Moving backward

    As the Trump administration reverts to a simplistic interpretation of sex and gender, public debate on these basic social and political rights is reemerging.

    There is legislation at the state and federal level banning transgender women athletes from participating in sports, bills that would make it a crime to identify as transgender and challenges to women serving in combat roles in the U.S. military.

    Abortion, established as a constitutional right in 1973, had that constitutional protection reversed in 2022. Abortion is now outlawed in 12 states; others severely limit the ability to get the procedure.

    Trump signs the ‘No Men in Women’s Sports’ executive order barring transgender women from women’s sports on Feb. 5, 2025. It was his third order targeting transgender people.
    Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

    To enforce Trump’s “gender ideology” executive order, the Department of Veterans Affairs is phasing out gender-affirming health care. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention temporarily scrubbed data about women’s health that has been vital in raising public awareness and fueling ongoing research into aspects of women’s health, such as safe forms of contraception.

    The administration’s policies and ideas are ingrained in a gender ideology that predates the feminist movement of the mid-20th century.

    When asked in court during proceedings in lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of Trump’s executive order, lawyers representing the Trump administration have repeatedly failed to define what exactly the administration is referring to with the term “radical gender ideology.”

    One lawyer, when prompted by a judge, replied that he was “loathe to speculate” what the president means by the phrase.

    In my assessment, the administation’s inability to define “gender ideology” is a meaningful signal. The Trump administration is pursuing, in essence, its own gender ideology masked as anti-gender ideology.

    Ina Seethaler serves on the boards of the Palmetto State Abortion Fund and the Family Justice Center of Horry and Georgetown Counties.

    – ref. How Trump promotes a radical, unscientific theory about sex and gender in the name of opposing ‘gender ideology extremism’ – https://theconversation.com/how-trump-promotes-a-radical-unscientific-theory-about-sex-and-gender-in-the-name-of-opposing-gender-ideology-extremism-250552

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From cats and dogs to penguins and llamas, treating animals with acupuncture has become mainstream in veterinary medicine

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Joe Smith, Assistant Professor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee

    Kevin, a King Charles spaniel, receives acupuncture treatment at a Washington, D.C. animal hospital. Alastair Pike/AFP via Getty Images

    A perentie lizard in Dallas, an African penguin in Boston and an Oberhasli goat in Chicago are just a few recent examples of animals at zoos and aquariums benefiting recently from acupuncture therapy. As acupuncture has gained wide use in human medicine in the U.S., it also has become increasingly common in veterinary practice, especially for pain management.

    The Conversation U.S. interviewed University of Tennessee Assistant Professor of Veterinary Medicine Joe Smith, a specialist in farm animal medicine and veterinary clinical pharmacology, about this trend. He describes acupuncture’s current uses for treating many species, from household dogs and cats to large animals like horses, cows and llamas:

    Is veterinary acupuncture modeled on the traditional Chinese version?

    There are two schools of thought about veterinary acupuncture. The original form of acupuncture, which has been practiced for thousands of years, follows principles of traditional Chinese medicine. It views the patient through a lens of five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water.

    Each element is associated with a different type of energy. Practitioners work to maintain balance between those energies, which they believe is essential for a healthy body to function.

    Another approach focuses on anatomical effects on the body. Practitioners place needles to achieve specific effects by stimulating muscles or nerves.

    Both versions of acupuncture can help veterinary patients. They use very small, flexible needles, about two-tenths of a millimeter wide – less than one-hundredth of an inch. The needles are placed at various parts of the body to elicit specific responses from connective tissues, muscles and nerves.

    The needles can be used by themselves, or with low levels of electrical current – a process called electroacupuncture. Both approaches are effective, but research suggests that benefits from electroacupunture last longer.

    Veterinary acupuncturists can treat nearly any animal, from a bear to a porcupine, a dog or a sea turtle.

    What does research show about using acupuncture on animals?

    Acupuncture and electroacupuncture both increase the body’s levels of compounds called endogenous opioids. These are pain-relieving substances that the body produces naturally. They work similarly to pharmaceutical opioids, such as fentanyl and morphine.

    Acupuncture increases these compounds so dramatically that the effect can be reversed with opioid antidotes, such as Narcan.

    Studies in small animal medicine show that using acupuncture can speed up healing from nerve injuries, such as spinal cord damage from herniated disks. This is a condition in which material from the disks in between the vertebra of the spinal cord is damaged, and puts pressure on the spinal cord and other parts of the nervous system.

    Herniated disks can be very painful for animals. A 2023 study found that when dogs with this condition were treated with acupuncture, nearly 80% recovered, compared with 60% of animals whose cases were managed conservatively without acupuncture. Acupuncture can also make other techniques, such as epidural nerve blocks, more effective when both methods are used together.

    Many vets are using acupuncture creatively for other purposes, such as increasing sick animals’ appetites, improving their digestion and accelerating healing from injuries.

    How does your veterinary medicine group use acupuncture?

    Our practice at the University of Tennessee has used acupuncture most extensively to help rehabilitate animals recovering from conditions like radial nerve paralysis and femoral nerve injury. We can use acupuncture to stimulate muscles or to provide pain relief, either by itself or combined with other therapies.

    In our Farm Animal Hospital, we regularly use acupuncture for recumbent or “down” animals. That’s a veterinary term for animals that have been unable to stand for extended periods of time.

    With acupuncture, and occasionally electroacupuncture, we can stimulate muscles and nerves that aren’t functioning normally. This help to prevent atrophy, or wasting and thinning of muscle mass.

    For every day that a large animal is down, its muscles atrophy and fluid builds up around injured limbs or joints. These effects can prolong their recovery, or even make it less likely that they will recover.

    By using acupuncture to stimulate atrophied muscles, veterinarians can start to reverse this process. We have used acupuncture extensively on large animals, including cattle, horses, llamas, alpacas, sheep, goats, pigs and even camels.

    One example is goats that have spinal cord injuries caused by parasite migration – a condition called cerebrospinal nematodiasis, or “meningeal worm.” Worm larvae that normally are parasites of white tail deer infect goats through the animals’ digestive tracts, then migrate to the spinal cord and nervous system. They get lost and die there, causing inflammation that can do significant damage.

    We use acupuncture and electroacupuncture to stimulate the goats’ large and accessory spinal nerves and the muscles in the animals’ legs and backs. This gives the goats more muscle function when the inflammation clears, and we believe it helps reduce their pain.

    We’ve also had good results with acupuncture treatment for llamas and alpacas, which are widely used in Tennessee’s Smokey Mountains to carry tourists’ gear up- and downhill. As large animals like these age, they can develop osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease that’s incredibly painful and debilitating for them. Acupuncture and electroacupuncture can help keep them moving.

    Our equine services mainly use acupuncture for rehabilitation, helping horses recover from injuries.

    One advantage of acupuncture and electroacupuncture in large animals is that they don’t have many adverse effects. Drugs can have side effects such as nausea and diarrhea, and may cause potentially serious complications. An acupuncture needle placed by a trained veterinarian has few to no adverse effects when it’s done correctly.

    A crow and an opossum at the Nashville Zoo receive acupuncture treatment for mobility issues.

    Can pet owners be confident if their vet recommends acupuncture?

    If there is a nerve or muscle involved, there is probably a veterinary treatment option using acupuncture or electroacupuncture. New studies regularly add to our understanding of the neurology and biochemistry that underlie these therapies.

    Although we’re still learning, if your vet recommends acupuncture for an aging dog or cat – especially for chronic pain – you can be confident that it’s not a fringe treatment. As long as the person treating your pet is a licensed veterinarian, and is certified by a professional organization like Curacore, Chi University or the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture, acupuncture should make your pet more comfortable and improve its quality of life.

    Joe Smith has attended attended Curacore Inc’s Medical Acupuncture for Veterinarians course.

    – ref. From cats and dogs to penguins and llamas, treating animals with acupuncture has become mainstream in veterinary medicine – https://theconversation.com/from-cats-and-dogs-to-penguins-and-llamas-treating-animals-with-acupuncture-has-become-mainstream-in-veterinary-medicine-226451

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Labor maintains clear lead in all polls and is likely to win election

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne

    Labor leads by between 52–48 and 53–47 in four new national polls from Resolve, Essential, Morgan and DemosAU. While Labor’s vote slumped from a high 55.5–44.5 in Morgan to 53–47, such a slide hasn’t been seen in any other poll. Labor remains the likely winner of the election this Saturday.

    A national Resolve poll for Nine newspapers, conducted April 23–28 from a sample of 2,010 by online and telephone polling, gave Labor a 53–47 lead, a 0.5-point gain for the Coalition since the mid-April Resolve poll. Telephone polling by Resolve appears to only be used for their final polls before a federal election.

    Primary votes were 35% Coalition (up one), 31% Labor (steady), 14% Greens (up one), 7% One Nation (up one), 8% independents (down four) and 5% others (steady). The 53–47 two-party result was achieved whether preferences were allocated as at the 2022 election or by respondents.

    In this poll, Resolve is using seat-specific candidate lists, which Morgan and YouGov are now also doing. This resulted in a drop in the independent vote, as not all seats have viable independents.

    Here is the graph of Labor’s two-party share in national polls. There was a 2.5-point drop for Labor in Morgan, but no other poll this week has had such a large change. Although Labor is slightly down, they are likely to win Saturday’s election. This graph does not include the DemosAU poll.

    Anthony Albanese’s net approval in Resolve was steady at +1, with 45% saying he was doing a good job and 44% a poor job. Peter Dutton’s net approval slumped six points to -24. Albanese maintained a 47–31 lead over Dutton as preferred PM (46–30 previously).

    The change in voting intentions and leaders’ ratings since the late February Resolve poll is dramatic. The February poll had given the Coalition a 55–45 lead by respondent preferences. Albanese’s net approval was -22, Dutton’s was +5 and Dutton led Albanese as preferred PM by 39–35.

    The Liberals led Labor on economic management by 37–29 (36–31 previously). On keeping the cost of living low, the Liberals led by 31–28 (tied at 30–30 previously).

    Final Essential poll: Labor leads by 52.1–47.9

    The Guardian reported Tuesday that the final Essential poll, conducted April 23–27 from a sample of 2,241 gave Labor a 52.1–47.9 lead by respondent preferences with undecided removed, from primary votes of 34% Coalition, 32% Labor, 13% Greens, 10% One Nation, 2% Trumpet of Patriots and 9% for all Others,

    In Essential’s usual methods that include undecided, Labor led by 49.6–45.6 (50–45 in mid-April). Primary votes were 32% Coalition (steady), 31% Labor (steady), 12% Greens (down one), 9% One Nation (steady), 2% Trumpet of Patriots (steady), 9% for all Others (steady) and 5% undecided (up one). By 2022 election flows, Labor would lead by about 52.5–47.5.

    Albanese’s net approval was steady at -3, with 47% disapproving and 44% approving. Dutton’s net approval dropped three points to -12, a record low for him in this poll. By 52–31, voters thought Australia was on the wrong track (50–33 previously).

    A total of 81% rated cost of living one of the top three most important issues, including 49% who rated it the top issue. By 68–32, voters did not think the elected government would make a meaningful difference on cost of living.

    Morgan poll: Labor drops to a 53–47 lead

    A national Morgan poll, conducted April 21–27 from a sample of 1,524, gave Labor a 53–47 lead by headline respondent preferences, a 2.5-point gain for the Coalition since the April 14–20 Morgan poll.

    Primary votes were 34.5% Coalition (up 0.5), 34% Labor (down 0.5), 13% Greens (down 1.5), 7.5% One Nation (up 1.5), 1.5% Trumpet of Patriots (up one), 2% teal independents and 7.5% for all Others. By 2022 election flows, Labor led by 54–46, a 1.5-point gain for the Coalition.

    By 52.5–34, voters thought the country was going in the wrong direction (48–34 previously). Morgan’s consumer confidence index was down 2.1 points to 83.4, its lowest for more than six months.

    DemosAU poll 52–48 to Labor with low major party primary votes

    A national DemosAU poll, conducted April 22–23 from a sample of 1,073, gave Labor a 52–48 lead after a forced choice question for the 14% who were initially undecided.

    Primary votes after forcing were 31% Coalition, 29% Labor, 14% Greens, 9% One Nation, 7% independents and 10% others. DemosAU used seat-specific polls, reading the candidate list as it appears on the ballot paper. Other pollsters get higher primary votes for the major parties as those parties are listed first on seat-specific polls.

    Albanese led Dutton by 43–34 as preferred PM.

    DemosAU poll of outer metro Brisbane seats

    DemosAU collectively polled the five seats of Longman, Dickson, Petrie, Bonner and Forde on April 18–23 from a sample of 1,053 for The Financial Review. The Liberal National Party led Labor by 53–47 (53.4–46.6 to the LNP across these five seats at the 2022 election).

    Primary votes were 40% LNP, 27% Labor, 13% Greens, 7% One Nation, 2% Trumpet of Patriots and 11% for all Others.

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

    – ref. Labor maintains clear lead in all polls and is likely to win election – https://theconversation.com/labor-maintains-clear-lead-in-all-polls-and-is-likely-to-win-election-255426

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Election Diary: Albanese will be encouraged by ‘Trump’ effect in helping Canadian Liberals to victory

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

    Labor will be encouraged by the Liberals’ victory in Canada’s election, undoubtedly much helped by US President Donald Trump.

    Trump’s extraordinary attack on the United States’ northern ally, with his repeated suggestion Canada should be the 51st American state, galvanised voters. Former banker Mark Carney, seen as best able to deal with Trump, won the internal race to succeed Justin Trudeau as PM, and now has clinched the election. The Conservatives, favourites a few months ago, couldn’t compete.

    The Trump factor is not so dramatic in our election, but it is present and working for Labor. In a time of instability, some potential swinging voters are more inclined to opt for the status quo.

    Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday, “Mark Carney has stood for Canada’s national interests, just as I stand up for Australia’s national interest”.

    Australians don’t like Trump or his policies. A recent Lowy poll found people’s trust in the US to act responsibly in the world has dropped 20 points in a year, although they were nearly equally divided on whether Albanese or Peter Dutton would be better to handle the US and Trump.

    After initially thinking Trump’s election could assist the Coalition, Dutton has not been able to shake off the “Trump factor” since it became clear it was a drag.

    Meanwhile, Dutton was having another difficult day on the campaign trail on Tuesday. His electorate office had been vandalised (again) in the early hours. Then, when he visited a sporting ground in the highly marginal seat of Gilmore on the NSW south coast, three local unionists, outfitted in protective gear, turned up to play for the cameras at finding a spot for a nuclear reactor.

    In Gilmore former NSW transport minister Andrew Constance is making another run, after being narrowly pipped by Labor at the 2022 election.

    Dutton had planned to hold his news conference at the ground, but cancelled it and moved on. When the press conference finally happened, it was short but not sweet. Both leader and press pack were, by that stage, tetchy.

    Unlike his unfortunate experience on Sunday with the price of eggs, Dutton did pass the test when asked the inflation rate. He quickly answered 2.7%. This is not the headline rate, which is 2.4%, but it is the trimmed mean rate. That’s the rate preferred by the Reserve Bank, so he would get a tick from Governor Michele Bullock, even if his choice caused some confusion in the media. On Wednesday we get the March quarter CPI figures.

    How the leaders’ debates rated

    Nine won by a whisker the “ratings” contest among TV stations in the leaders’ debates, followed by the ABC. These are considered high figures for election debates. What we don’t know is how many viewers watched all four debates. Now that took some stamina!

    How voters rate former PMs

    Essential Research’s latest poll has an interesting table of people’s ratings of former prime ministers, with John Howard and Bob Hawke filling the first two spots.

    Howard, 85, remains in demand for Liberal campaigning. Speaking to The Conversation, he reels off quite a round of seats he’s visited, including Curtin, Tangey, Bullwinkel and Hasluck in Western Australia (all in a day and a half); Wentworth, Mackellar, Robertson, Warringhah and Bennelong (his old seat) in NSW, and Bruce in Melbourne. He agrees the campaign cycle is faster these days, but he obviously still relishes the smell of the political grease paint.

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

    – ref. Election Diary: Albanese will be encouraged by ‘Trump’ effect in helping Canadian Liberals to victory – https://theconversation.com/election-diary-albanese-will-be-encouraged-by-trump-effect-in-helping-canadian-liberals-to-victory-255387

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Did ‘induced atmospheric vibration’ cause blackouts in Europe? An electrical engineer explains the phenomenon

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian, Professor of Electrical Engineering, School of Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology

    The lights are mostly back on in Spain, Portugal and southern France after a widespread blackout on Monday.

    The blackout caused chaos for tens of millions of people. It shut down traffic lights and ATMs, halted public transport, cut phone service and forced people to eat dinner huddled around candles as night fell. Many people found themselves trapped in trains and elevators.

    Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has said the exact cause of the blackout is yet to be determined. In early reporting, Portugal’s grid operator REN was quoted as blaming the event on a rare phenomenon known as “induced atmospheric vibration”. REN has since reportedly refuted this.

    But what is this vibration? And how can energy systems be improved to mitigate the risk of widespread blackouts?

    How much does weather affect electricity?

    Weather is a major cause of disruptions to electricity supply. In fact, in the United States, 83% of reported blackouts between 2000 and 2021 were attributed to weather-related events.

    The ways weather can affect the supply of electricity are manifold. For example, cyclones can bring down transmission lines, heatwaves can place too high a demand on the grid, and bushfires can raze substations.

    Wind can also cause transmission lines to vibrate. These vibrations are characterised by either high amplitude and low frequency (known as “conductor galloping”), or low amplitude and high frequency (known as “aeolian vibrations”).

    These vibrations are a significant problem for grid operators. They can place increased stress on grid infrastructure, potentially leading to blackouts.

    To reduce the risk of vibration, grid operators often use wire stabilisers known as “stock bridge dampers”.

    What is ‘induced atmospheric vibration’?

    Vibrations in power lines can also be caused by extreme changes in temperature or air pressure. And this is one hypothesis about what caused the recent widespread blackout across the Iberian peninsula.

    As The Guardian initially reported Portugal’s REN as saying:

    Due to extreme temperature variations in the interior of Spain, there were anomalous oscillations in the very high voltage lines (400 kV), a phenomenon known as “induced atmospheric vibration”. These oscillations caused synchronisation failures between the electrical systems, leading to successive disturbances across the interconnected European network.

    In fact, “induced atmospheric vibration” is not a commonly used term, but it seems likely the explanation was intended to refer to physical processes climate scientists have known about for quite some time.

    In simple terms, it seems to refer to wavelike movements or oscillations in the atmosphere, caused by sudden changes in temperature or pressure. These can be triggered by extreme heating, large-scale energy releases (such as explosions or bushfires), or intense weather events.

    When a part of Earth’s surface heats up very quickly – due to a heatwave, for example – the air above it warms, expands and becomes lighter. That rising warm air creates a pressure imbalance with the surrounding cooler, denser air. The atmosphere responds to this imbalance by generating waves, not unlike ripples spreading across a pond.

    These pressure waves can travel through the atmosphere. In some cases, they can interact with power infrastructure — particularly long-distance, high-voltage transmission lines.

    These types of atmospheric waves are usually called gravity waves, thermal oscillations or acoustic-gravity waves. While the phrase “induced atmospheric vibration” is not formally established in meteorology, it seems to describe this same family of phenomena.

    What’s important is that it’s not just high temperatures alone that causes these effects — it’s how quickly and unevenly the temperature changes across a region. That’s what sets the atmosphere into motion and can cause power lines to vibrate. Again, though, it’s still unclear if this is what was behind the recent blackout in Europe.

    Atmospheric waves can sometimes be seen in clouds.
    Jeff Schmaltz/NASA

    More centralised, more vulnerable

    Understanding how the atmosphere behaves under these conditions is becoming increasingly important. As our energy systems become more interconnected and more dependent on long-distance transmission, even relatively subtle atmospheric disturbances can have outsized impacts. What might once have seemed like a fringe effect is now a growing factor in grid resilience.

    Under growing environmental and electrical stress, centralised energy networks are dangerously vulnerable. The increasing electrification of buildings, the rapid uptake of electric vehicles, and the integration of intermittent renewable energy sources have placed unprecedented pressure on traditional grids that were never designed for this level of complexity, dynamism or centralisation.

    Continuing to rely on centralised grid structures without fundamentally rethinking resilience puts entire regions at risk — not just from technical faults, but from environmental volatility.

    The way to avoid such catastrophic risks is clear: we must embrace innovative solutions such as community microgrids. These are decentralised, flexible and resilient energy networks that can operate independently when needed.

    Strengthening local energy autonomy is key to building a secure, affordable and future-ready electricity system.

    The European blackout, regardless of its immediate cause, demonstrates that our electrical grids have become dangerously sensitive. Failure to address these structural weaknesses will have consequences far worse than those experienced during the COVID pandemic.

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

    – ref. Did ‘induced atmospheric vibration’ cause blackouts in Europe? An electrical engineer explains the phenomenon – https://theconversation.com/did-induced-atmospheric-vibration-cause-blackouts-in-europe-an-electrical-engineer-explains-the-phenomenon-255497

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Game change Canadian election: Mark Carney leads Liberals to their fourth consecutive win

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Fiona MacDonald, Associate Professor, Political Science, University of Northern British Columbia

    Canada’s 2025 federal election will be remembered as a game-changer. Liberal Leader Mark Carney pulled off a dramatic reversal of political fortunes after convincing voters he was the best candidate to fight annexation threats from United States President Donald Trump.

    “Together we will build a Canada worthy of our values,” he told cheering supporters in his victory speech in Ottawa.

    Canadians gave the Liberals their fourth mandate since 2015, although the race against the Conservatives was much closer than polls predicted.

    Nonetheless, only four months ago, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre had a 25-point lead in public opinion polls and a fairly secure path to victory.

    Yet Poilievre’s lead soon vanished due to shifting voter sentiments defined less by the official campaign period and more by the months that preceded it. Justin Trudeau’s early January resignation announcement and Carney’s confirmation that he was officially in the Liberal leadership race dramatically changed the political landscape.



    Read more:
    After stunning comeback, centre-left Liberals likely to win majority of seats at Canadian election

    Within a matter of weeks, Liberal support surged when Carney became party leader and Trump continued to make threats about Canada becoming a 51st American state — and to levy punishing on-again, off-again tariffs against the country.

    The party went from being 20 percentage points behind the Conservatives to overtaking them, putting the party on track to secure its fourth consecutive victory. A shift described by longtime pollster Frank Graves as “unprecedented.”

    Poilievre’s messaging

    The emerging “Canada strong” and “elbows up” narratives, linked to the widespread anti-Trump sentiment, proved a major advantage for the Liberals, who made the most out of this political gift.

    This shift, alongside Carney’s elimination of the carbon tax, left Poilievre on the back foot as his longstanding messaging on Trudeau and his “axe the tax” slogan became largely irrelevant.



    Read more:
    Who really killed Canada’s carbon tax? Friends and foes alike

    The impact of these shifts in electoral fortunes extended beyond the two main parties. As the election became increasingly a two-party race between the Liberals and Conservatives, the smaller parties struggled for relevance.

    Election campaign polling and early results indicated steep losses for the NDP, with Jagmeet Singh losing his own seat in Burnaby, B.C. and then resigning as party leader. This could be due to voters on the left responding to calls to vote strategically to prevent Conservative victories in various ridings.

    The Bloc Québecois also lost ground, as did the Green Party of Canada and the People’s Party of Canada (PPC). Neither the Greens nor the PPC fielded full slates of candidates or participated in the leaders’ debates and therefore played comparatively limited roles in this election.

    Advance voting in a gendered election

    Another notable feature of this election was the record advance voting turnout, which surged to 7.3 million Canadians, up sharply from 5.8 million in 2021.

    Early voting has now become a central part of party campaign strategy, with campaigns “getting out the vote” at every opportunity, not just on Election Day. This trend raises questions not only about whether overall turnout will rise, but also whether party platforms remain as influential given so many votes were cast before all parties released their platforms.

    While many Canadians take in elections with a focus on party leaders and seat counts, there are other important ways to contemplate election outcomes in terms of inclusion and voice. What does this election tell us about gender and diversity representation in Canada’s Parliament?

    This was a deeply gendered election. The major party leaders are all men, with the exception of Elizabeth May, the Green Party co-leader.

    Preliminary candidate data showed a decrease in the number of women candidates compared to 2021.

    The NDP nominated the highest proportion of women candidates — the majority of its candidates are women — and fielded the most diverse slate of candidates in terms of Indigenous people, Black people, racialized people and LGBTQ+ candidates. But the party’s dramatic losses mean these gains will not translate into more diverse representation in Parliament.

    Furthermore, one of Carney’s first actions as prime minister was to eliminate the sex-balanced cabinet and to reduce the size of the cabinet. He eliminated the Ministry of Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) as well as ministerial portfolios focused on youth, official languages, diversity, inclusion, disability and seniors.

    These decisions reverse previous efforts taken to institutionalize gender and diversity leadership in Canada’s Parliament.

    Party platforms also reflected diverging approaches when it came to women. The Conservative platform only mentioned women four times, and three of those mentions were in the context of opposition to transgender rights.



    Read more:
    Pierre Poilievre’s ‘More Boots, Less Suits’ election strategy held little appeal to women

    The role of young working-class men

    Polling also revealed intersections of generation, gender and class are increasingly relevant. Like the last federal election, young working-class men are increasingly drawn to the Conservatives. This trend appears to be driven less by fiscal conservatism and more by concerns about rapid social change, a trend also observed in the 2024 American presidential election.

    Many of these young men are expressing frustrations over housing affordability and job security, and what they view as the Liberal and NDP’s “woke culture,” which they view as eroding traditional values that have traditionally benefited men. In contrast, Canadian women of all ages continue to favour parties they view as more progressive — the Liberals and the NDP.

    Theoretical explanations for this include young men feeling left behind by the Liberals, while the Conservatives have seemingly figured out a way to connect with them.

    This may reflect campaign rhetoric about returning to traditional expectations and values around gender roles and men’s rights to well-paying jobs, an affordable home and taking care of their families.

    Electoral reform needed?

    In the aftermath of the election, there are avenues through which current gaps in representation can be addressed. Organizations like the United Nations’ Inter-parliamentary Union and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, as well as gender and politics scholarship, propose various reforms to continue to strengthen diversity in Parliament.

    These reforms are understood to be essential for enhancing the legitimacy, responsiveness and effectiveness of Canada’s parliamentary system. Research on gender-and diversity-sensitive parliaments consistently shows that when legislative bodies reflect the diversity of the societies they govern, they are more likely to produce policies that are equitable, inclusive and trusted by the public.

    Overall, this Canadian election was characterized by transformative twists and turns that shed more light on important ongoing questions about representation and the potential need for democratic reform if Canadians want to avoid a two-party system.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Game change Canadian election: Mark Carney leads Liberals to their fourth consecutive win – https://theconversation.com/game-change-canadian-election-mark-carney-leads-liberals-to-their-fourth-consecutive-win-253721

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What Liberal Mark Carney’s election win in Canada means for Europe

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Katerina Sviderska, PhD Candidate in Slavonic Studies, University of Cambridge

    Just months ago, Canada’s Conservatives were leading the polls, surfing the wave of radical right ideas and rhetoric sweeping across the globe. But with the election victory of Mark Carney’s Liberal Party, Canada now stands out as a liberal anchor in a fractured West.

    This election may not only shape Canada’s domestic trajectory, but also carries significant implications for its international partnerships amid rising geopolitical uncertainty.

    As some European countries and the United States head towards isolationism, authoritarianism and turn to the East — even flirting with Russia — Canada’s continued Liberal leadership reinforces its position as a key ally for the European Union. Carney’s centrist and pro-EU attitude provides stability and relief for Europeans.

    From defence to trade and climate, Canada and the EU share deep economic and strategic ties. With a Liberal government, these connections will strengthen, offering both sides what they need the most: a reliable, like-minded partner at a time of transatlantic unpredictability.

    What does Carney’s victory mean specifically for the Canada-EU relationship?

    Trade as a strategic anchor

    Carney’s election offers new momentum for Canada-EU collaboration. His “blue liberalism” brings Canada ideologically closer to Europe’s current leadership — from Emmanuel Macron’s centrist France to the Christian Democratic Union-led coalition in Germany — providing fertile ground for pragmatic co-operation.

    Trade remains the foundation of the Canada-EU relationship, and both sides should aim to build on it. At the heart of this partnership is the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which has increased EU-Canada trade by 65 per cent since 2017.

    European Council President António Costa has called the deal a success story providing clear proof “trade agreements are clearly better than trade tariffs.”

    As the U.S. speeds toward toward economic nationalism, CETA has become more than a commercial agreement — it’s a strategic anchor in the global liberal order. One of the Liberal government’s early priorities is likely to consolidate and strengthen CETA. In doing so, Canada can position itself as an ambitious partner, ready to seize new opportunities as European countries seek to reduce their reliance on the American market.

    Climate and energy: A balanced agenda

    Climate and energy, too, offer new opportunities for co-operation. Both Canada and the EU are navigating the tensions between pursuing ambitious decarbonization goals and managing economic and inflationary pressures. After scrapping Canada’s carbon tax on his first day in office, Carney has already hinted at a more pragmatic environmental stance.

    While pledging to maintain key climate policies — including the emissions cap on oil and gas — Carney’s government may recalibrate Canada’s approach to energy. This would mirror shifts among some European allies’ climate policies.

    This evolving transatlantic consensus — less about abandoning climate goals, more about making them economically viable — paves the way for closer co-operation based on a common goal: bolstering economic competitiveness while maintaining environmental credibility.

    Both Carney and the EU view the investment in new technologies as the path forward.

    As Europe accelerates its green agenda and implements new sustainability rules, only countries with strong environmental standards qualify as long-term partners. Canada, provided it stays the course on climate policies, is well-positioned to be a key partner in Europe’s green transition.

    Transatlantic defence co-operation

    Beyond trade and energy, defence co-operation between Canada and the EU is expected to surge. A key priority for the new Liberal government is to finally reach NATO’s benchmark of spending two per cent of gross domestic product on defence, a longstanding commitment that has eluded previous administrations.



    Read more:
    What does Donald Trump’s NATO posturing mean for Canada?

    This signal of rearmament reflects not only alignment with NATO expectations but also a broader understanding that liberal democracies must be prepared to defend themselves. Nowhere is this more pressing than in Ukraine, the epicentre of Europe’s geopolitical storm.

    Canada has been among the most reliable supporters of Ukraine since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion, aligning itself with Europe’s most committed nations — France, Poland, the Baltics and, increasingly, Germany.

    But as threats evolve, the battlefield also extends beyond Ukraine’s frontlines. Hybrid attacks — cyber, disinformation campaigns and foreign interference in democratic processes — now wash up on all shores. Canada’s National Cyber Threat Assessment 2025–26 identifies state-sponsored cyber operations as one of the most serious threats to democratic stability, particularly from Russia and China.



    Read more:
    Foreign interference threats in Canada’s federal election are both old and new

    In strengthening its defence collaboration, Ottawa is hoping to get a seat in the fight against autocracies. The question is no longer whether to engage, but how to lead in this era of layered and compounding threats coming from rivals like Russia and China — and now from the U.S., a historical Canadian ally.

    Under Carney’s leadership, Canada is likely to pursue a pragmatic and globally engaged liberalism definitively aligned with Europe. As Canada and the EU are both looking for reliable allies to weather the storm, this renewed western alliance could solidify around Ottawa and Brussels — anchored in shared democratic values and pragmatic leadership.

    Katerina Sviderska receives funding from Fonds de Recherche du Québec and the Gates Cambridge Foundation.

    Leandre Benoit receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. What Liberal Mark Carney’s election win in Canada means for Europe – https://theconversation.com/what-liberal-mark-carneys-election-win-in-canada-means-for-europe-254775

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: India and Pakistan are on war footing. Can they be brought back from the brink?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University; and Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Fellow, Victoria University

    India and Pakistan are once again at a standoff over Kashmir. A terror attack last week in the disputed region that killed 26 tourists – mostly Indian – has brought the two nuclear-armed South Asian rivals close to a devastating conflict.

    India claims the incident was an act of cross-border terrorism supported by Pakistan and has vowed to hunt down and punish the perpetrators. In retaliation, it has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty to deprive Pakistan of water from the Indus River, which runs through the Indian-controlled region of Jammu and Kashmir.

    Pakistan has condemned India’s action as an “act of war”.

    Both sides have put their forces on alert as low-level clashes have broken out along the “Line of Control”, the de facto border established in the region following the first Indo-Pakistan war in 1947–48.

    Pakistan’s defence minister now says a “military incursion” by India is imminent. Can all-out war between the two sides be averted?

    A long-simmering dispute

    At the time of the painful partition of British India in the 1940s, the country’s Muslim minority were given the option of joining the newly created state of Pakistan. Kashmir’s Hindu ruler initially wanted independence for the region, but in fear of invaders from Pakistan, decided to join India.

    This laid the foundations for an enduring, bitter dispute over control of the Muslim-majority region. Attempts at a resolution have been hard to come by.

    The dispute has also become intrinsically linked to the political and strategic postures of the two protagonists.

    New Delhi has vehemently opposed any nationalist demands for independence in Jammu and Kashmir. It fears this would set a precedent for many other minorities who want autonomy in multi-ethnic India.

    Initially, the region was given a special autonomous status under Article 370 of the Indian constitution. But since 2014, the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has forcefully sought to bring Jammu and Kashmir under New Delhi’s control.

    In 2019, it revoked Article 370 and isolated the region from the rest of India and the outside world.

    Modi’s government argued this was necessary to bring progress and prosperity to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. In reality, it was aimed at squashing separatist movements and easing the way for more Hindus to move to the territory.

    Pakistan condemned the scrapping of Article 370, exacerbating the tensions between the two regional powers.

    New Delhi has also accused Pakistan of involvement in cross-border terrorist acts over the years. Islamabad has refuted New Delhi’s claims and castigated it for human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir and for denying the people their right to self-determination.

    Nuclear deterrence has been effective

    India and Pakistan fought two wars in 1965 and 1971, the latter resulting in the dismemberment of Pakistan and creation of the state of Bangladesh.

    In 1999, the two rivals came very close to a nuclear exchange in the limited Kargil War in Kashmir, but pulled back from the brink. As I wrote at the time, the consequences of a nuclear war played a crucial role in both sides eventually backing down.

    This is also the main reason the protagonists have not fought another all-out war in five decades, notwithstanding periodic clashes along the Line of Control and the Kargil conflict. And nuclear deterrence may once more prove effective in preventing the two sides from escalating the current conflict.

    Pakistan is also going through a very politically, economically and socially fragile period in its history.

    The country has been in political turmoil since the ousting and arrest of popular Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2023. The economy is in the doldrums. And the government faces a renewed threat from the Pakistani Taliban, amid growing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

    The main force holding Pakistan together is the military and the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.

    India is facing its own challenges, despite being in a more stable position. The Modi government’s Hindu nationalism has marginalised minority groups, in particular the country’s Muslim population. And income inequality is growing, with the richest 1% of the country holding 58% of the wealth.

    Neither country can afford a war right now – particularly one with potentially catastrophic consequences.

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

    – ref. India and Pakistan are on war footing. Can they be brought back from the brink? – https://theconversation.com/india-and-pakistan-are-on-war-footing-can-they-be-brought-back-from-the-brink-255504

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Tempted to turn on the aircon? Science says use fans until it’s 27°C

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Federico Tartarini, Senior Lecturer, School of Architecture Design and Planning, University of Sydney

    New Africa, Shutterstock

    Many Australians struggle to keep themselves cool affordably and effectively, particularly with rising electricity prices. This is becoming a major health concern, especially for our most vulnerable people such as the elderly, pregnant women and people with cardiovascular diseases.

    Air conditioning is often seen as the only solution to this problem. But relying too heavily on aircon has major downsides. These include hefty electricity bills, increased greenhouse gas emissions, strain on an already weak electricity grid, and dumping heat from buildings to the outside – further heating the outdoor air.

    Our latest research, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, highlights a simple yet effective solution: a “fan-first” cooling approach.

    The approach is simple: use electric fans as your first cooling strategy, and only turn on air conditioning when the indoor temperature exceeds 27°C.

    Fan-First Cooling: The Smart Way to Beat Australia’s Heat Crisis (Federico Tartarini)

    The solution: ‘fan-first’ cooling

    Electric fans can make you feel more comfortable on a hot day simply by moving the air around you. This helps our body release heat in two ways: improving the transfer heat from your body into the air, and increasing the evaporation of sweat from your skin.

    A gentle breeze can make you feel up to 4°C cooler, even when the weather is very hot and humid.

    This allows you to increase the aircon set-point (the temperature at which cooling turns on) from 23-24°C to 27-28°C. This simple change can significantly reduce the amount of time your aircon is running, leading to substantial energy savings.

    For example, in our previous research we showed raising the office air conditioning set-point from 24 to 26.5°C, with supplementary air movement from desk and ceiling fans, reduced energy consumption by 32%, without compromising thermal comfort.

    Don’t fans still use electricity to run?

    Yes fans still use electricity, but it’s as little as 3% of the electricity used to run air conditioning. That means you can run more than 30 fans with the same amount of energy it takes to run a single aircon unit.

    A basic pedestal fan is cheap to buy (A$20 to $150), requires no installation and minimal maintenance, and can be easily moved around to keep you cool in any part of your house. Simply turn on the fan as soon as you start feeling slightly warm.

    Fans cool you, whereas aircon cools the whole space, which is less efficient.

    We also previously showed that using fans rather than airconditioning is a more effective emissions reduction strategy than switching from old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs to LED lighting.

    The problem with over-reliance on aircon

    Globally, the use of air conditioning is rapidly increasing. Aircon units sales have tripled since 1990 and are projected to triple again in 2050. It is becoming the go-to solution to heat management.

    Aircon is effective but is expensive to buy, run and maintain.

    A recent survey showed while most people have aircon, two thirds did not use it due to cost concerns.

    Beyond the financial burden, the environmental impact of aircon is substantial. In Australia, electricity mainly comes from burning fossil fuels, creating greenhouse gas emissions. Even with the growth of renewable energy, the sheer demand for aircon cooling could strain the transition and the grid.

    Furthermore, the refrigerants used in most aircon units are potent greenhouse gases. It will also take time to replace older and less efficient aircon units.

    Aircon units also release heat into the outdoor environment, worsening the urban heat island effect – the phenomenon where cities are significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas.

    Finally, over-reliance on aircon might reduce our ability to cope with heat. If we constantly keep our indoor temperatures very low, our bodies may not acclimatise to warmer summer conditions, making us more vulnerable during power outages.

    Annual sales of air conditioning units have more than tripled globally since 1990.
    aapsky, Shutterstock

    Using fans safely and effectively

    While fans offer numerous benefits, it’s important to use them correctly, especially in very hot indoor conditions.

    There’s a common misconception that fans should be turned off above 35°C because they might blow hot air onto the skin. This ignores the crucial role fans play in evaporating sweat.

    We have established safer and more accurate temperature thresholds for fan use by conducting laboratory studies. Just remember to check the temperature indoors, not outdoors.

    Electric fans can be safely used in indoor temperatures up to:

    • 39°C for young, healthy adults.
    • 38°C for older adults.
    • 37°C for older adults taking anticholinergic medications (which can impair sweating).

    Above these indoor temperatures, fans could worsen heat strain by increasing cardiovascular strain and core body temperature. In such situations, alternative cooling strategies such as wetting the skin, moving to a cooler place, or turning the aircon on are essential.

    Below these thresholds, we have proven, in laboratory studies, that there’s no reason to switch fans off, because they provide further thermal comfort and reduce heat stress.

    Climate change means many people are experiencing hotter summers.
    Zhuravlev Andrey, Shutterstock

    Take action now

    Based on our field and lab research, we suggest five simple steps to using fans for managing heat at home:

    1. consider buying pedestal or ceiling fans

    2. point the fan at your body and adjust the speed to your liking

    3. wear light clothing and stay hydrated

    4. if you have aircon, increase the set-point to 27-28°C

    5. enjoy a reduced energy bill and increased comfort.

    You may also want to ask your employer to install fans at your workplace and share this “fan-first” cooling strategy with family and friends.

    Let’s work together towards a more sustainable future by reducing our reliance on energy-intensive air conditioning. This will lead to lower electricity costs, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and increased resilience to heat.

    Federico Tartarini is affiliated with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

    Angie Bone is a Board Member of Doctors for the Environment Australia.

    Ollie Jay receives funding from National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and Wellcome Trust (UK).

    – ref. Tempted to turn on the aircon? Science says use fans until it’s 27°C – https://theconversation.com/tempted-to-turn-on-the-aircon-science-says-use-fans-until-its-27-c-252018

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Game change Canadian election: Mark Carney projected to lead Liberals to their fourth consecutive win

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Fiona MacDonald, Associate Professor, Political Science, University of Northern British Columbia

    Canada’s 2025 federal election will be remembered as a game-changer. Liberal Leader Mark Carney is projected to have pulled off a dramatic reversal of political fortunes after convincing voters he was the best candidate to fight annexation threats from United States President Donald Trump.

    Only four months ago, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre had a 25-point lead in public opinion polls and a fairly secure path to victory.

    Yet Poilievre’s lead soon vanished due to shifting voter sentiments defined less by the official campaign period and more by the months that preceded it. Justin Trudeau’s early January resignation announcement and Carney’s confirmation that he was officially in the Liberal leadership race dramatically changed the political landscape.



    Read more:
    After stunning comeback, centre-left Liberals likely to win majority of seats at Canadian election

    Within a matter of weeks, Liberal support surged when Carney became party leader and Trump continued to make threats about Canada becoming a 51st American state — and to levy punishing on-again, off-again tariffs against the country.

    The party went from being 20 percentage points behind the Conservatives to overtaking them, putting the party on track to secure its fourth consecutive victory. A shift described by longtime pollster Frank Graves as “unprecedented.”

    Poilievre’s messaging

    The emerging “Canada strong” and “elbows up” narratives, linked to the widespread anti-Trump sentiment, proved a major advantage for the Liberals, who made the most out of this political gift.

    This shift, alongside Carney’s elimination of the carbon tax, left Poilievre on the back foot as his longstanding messaging on Trudeau and his “axe the tax” slogan became largely irrelevant.



    Read more:
    Who really killed Canada’s carbon tax? Friends and foes alike

    The impact of these shifts in electoral fortunes extended beyond the two main parties. As the election became increasingly a two-party race between the Liberals and Conservatives, the smaller parties struggled for relevance.

    Election campaign polling and early results indicated steep losses for the NDP, with Leader Jagmeet Singh’s own seat in Burnaby, B.C., under threat. This could be due to voters on the left responding to calls to vote strategically to prevent Conservative victories in various ridings.

    The Bloc Québecois also lost ground, as did the Green Party of Canada and the People’s Party of Canada (PPC). Neither the Greens nor the PPC fielded full slates of candidates or participated in the leaders’ debates and therefore played comparatively limited roles in this election.

    Advance voting in a gendered election

    Another notable feature of this election was the record advance voting turnout, which surged to 7.3 million Canadians, up sharply from 5.8 million in 2021.

    Early voting has now become a central part of party campaign strategy, with campaigns “getting out the vote” at every opportunity, not just on Election Day. This trend raises questions not only about whether overall turnout will rise, but also whether party platforms remain as influential given so many votes were cast before all parties released their platforms.

    While many Canadians take in elections with a focus on party leaders and seat counts, there are other important ways to contemplate election outcomes in terms of inclusion and voice. What does this election tell us about gender and diversity representation in Canada’s Parliament?

    This was a deeply gendered election. The major party leaders are all men, with the exception of Elizabeth May, the Green Party co-leader.

    Preliminary candidate data showed a decrease in the number of women candidates compared to 2021.

    The NDP nominated the highest proportion of women candidates — the majority of its candidates are women — and fielded the most diverse slate of candidates in terms of Indigenous people, Black people, racialized people and LGBTQ+ candidates. But the party’s dramatic losses mean these gains will not translate into more diverse representation in Parliament.

    Furthermore, one of Carney’s first actions as prime minister was to eliminate the sex-balanced cabinet and to reduce the size of the cabinet. He eliminated the Ministry of Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) as well as ministerial portfolios focused on youth, official languages, diversity, inclusion, disability and seniors.

    These decisions reverse previous efforts taken to institutionalize gender and diversity leadership in Canada’s Parliament.

    Party platforms also reflected diverging approaches when it came to women. The Conservative platform only mentioned women four times, and three of those mentions were in the context of opposition to transgender rights.



    Read more:
    Pierre Poilievre’s ‘More Boots, Less Suits’ election strategy held little appeal to women

    The role of young working-class men

    Polling also revealed intersections of generation, gender and class are increasingly relevant. Like the last federal election, young working-class men are increasingly drawn to the Conservatives. This trend appears to be driven less by fiscal conservatism and more by concerns about rapid social change, a trend also observed in the 2024 American presidential election.

    Many of these young men are expressing frustrations over housing affordability and job security, and what they view as the Liberal and NDP’s “woke culture,” which they view as eroding traditional values that have traditionally benefited men. In contrast, Canadian women of all ages continue to favour parties they view as more progressive — the Liberals and the NDP.

    Theoretical explanations for this include young men feeling left behind by the Liberals, while the Conservatives have seemingly figured out a way to connect with them.

    This may reflect campaign rhetoric about returning to traditional expectations and values around gender roles and men’s rights to well-paying jobs, an affordable home and taking care of their families.

    Electoral reform needed?

    In the aftermath of the election, there are avenues through which current gaps in representation can be addressed. Organizations like the United Nations’ Inter-parliamentary Union and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, as well as gender and politics scholarship, propose various reforms to continue to strengthen diversity in Parliament.

    These reforms are understood to be essential for enhancing the legitimacy, responsiveness and effectiveness of Canada’s parliamentary system. Research on gender-and diversity-sensitive parliaments consistently shows that when legislative bodies reflect the diversity of the societies they govern, they are more likely to produce policies that are equitable, inclusive and trusted by the public.

    Overall, this Canadian election was characterized by transformative twists and turns that shed more light on important ongoing questions about representation and the potential need for democratic reform if Canadians want to avoid a two-party system.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Game change Canadian election: Mark Carney projected to lead Liberals to their fourth consecutive win – https://theconversation.com/game-change-canadian-election-mark-carney-projected-to-lead-liberals-to-their-fourth-consecutive-win-253721

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –