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Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Media accreditation now open for the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting

    Source: Government of Canada News

    April 14, 2025

    From May 20 to 22, Canada will host the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting in Banff, Alberta.

    Media representatives who wish to cover this meeting must obtain media accreditation.

    The media accreditation process is open to journalists (print, radio, television, news agencies and online media) who are on assignment with a bona fide media organization.

    Individuals performing journalistic functions who do not work for a media organization and are unable to provide a letter of assignment will have to provide proof of recent publications under the applicant’s by-line that can be readily found in the public realm and under a bona fide media organization.

    Government officials, representatives, or observers will not be accredited as media.

    To apply, please complete the form here https://accreditationcanada.gc.ca/Registration-Enregistrement/, and be sure to upload all documentation, as requested in the form. The registration code for media is: 6EJr?x$uH94d.

    Only applications that include all requested information will be considered. 

    The application period will close on May 9, 2025. Please note that accreditation does not guarantee access to all events. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: AFSCME’s Saunders: 911 dispatchers deserve respect, not defunding

    Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union

    WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement recognizing National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, which runs from April 13-19:

    “AFSCME members do lifesaving work every single day as 911 dispatchers and emergency phone operators. They run command centers around the clock, fielding thousands of calls, helping first responders get where they need to go and keeping people calm in the face of life-threatening emergencies.

    “This Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, we can thank them for all they do by fighting to protect their work. Congress is pursuing damaging budget cuts that would slash federal funding to states, cities, and towns, leaving 911 dispatchers with fewer resources and staff to respond to emergencies. If this extremist plan passes, it could mean longer wait times — or worse, unanswered calls from the public — in situations where every second counts.

    “AFSCME members nationwide are getting organized to protect federal funding for public safety and stand in solidarity with our nation’s 911 dispatchers. We’re sending a clear message to Congress: We won’t allow you to gut public services to pay for billionaire tax cuts.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: United States Department of Justice Transfers 13 Mexican Nationals with Drug Convictions to Mexico Pursuant to the U.S.-Mexico International Prisoner Transfer Treaty

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs with the assistance of the Department’s Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) transferred 13 Mexican nationals, serving prison sentences for drug distribution-related convictions in the United States, to their home country on Friday.

    “Friday’s transfer of 13 federal inmates to correctional authorities in Mexico has saved the United States over $3 million by eliminating the need to pay incarceration costs for the 75 years remaining on their combined sentences,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department’s International Prisoner Transfer Program, which is administered by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, enhances offender rehabilitation, reduces incarceration costs, and relieves overcrowding in federal prisons. The transfer is pursuant to the Treaty between the United States of America and the United Mexican States on the Execution of the Penal Sentences.”

    All 13 inmates transferred today were serving sentences relating to the distribution of controlled substances, including cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. The inmates will complete the remainder of their sentences in Mexico pursuant to the treaty. The inmates requested to be transferred to their home country, and the governments of both the United States and Mexico approved these transfers.

    The U.S. Congress enacted legislation authorizing the International Prisoner Transfer Program in October 1977, which also set the requirements of the transfer program. The United States signed its first transfer treaty with Mexico in 1976, which entered into force in November 1977, and since that time has entered into 10 additional bilateral transfer agreements and two multilateral transfer conventions. These international agreements give the United States transfer treaty relationships with more than 85 countries.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs’s International Prisoner Transfer Unit (IPTU) administers the program. Under the program, approved foreign national inmates in federal and state prisons are permitted, under certain circumstances, to complete their prison terms in their home countries’ prisons.

    This is the 184th such transfer since the treaty entered into force in 1977. The last transfer prior to today, which took place in December 2024, transferred nine inmates to Mexico pursuant to the treaty. To learn more about the International Prisoner Transfer Program, visit: https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-oia/iptu 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lankford, Steube Protect Charities from Government Overreach

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford

    OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and Congressman Greg Steube (R-FL) introduced the Safeguarding Charity Act to protect the independence of our nation’s tax-exempt organizations. It safeguards churches, nonprofits, and private schools from a perilous line of litigation in federal courts that could subject them to burdensome federal regulations.

    “Tax-exempt organizations should not live in fear of federal control every day because courts want to redefine the meaning of tax-exempt status. Tax-exempt status is not the same as receiving federal funding, and it should not be used as political leverage against the nonprofits in Oklahoma and across the nation,” said Lankford. “We should be focused on enabling the work of these organizations—not burdening them with unnecessary and costly federal requirements.”

    “Radical judges do not have the authority to twist federal law and force religious institutions to choose between their convictions and compliance,” said Steube. “The Safeguarding Charity Act reaffirms that tax-exempt status does not mean an organization is receiving federal financial assistance. This bill is about protecting churches, religious schools, and charities from federal overreach. I’m grateful to Senator Lankford for his leadership on this important effort in the Senate.”

    “Charities and other nonprofits provide invaluable services to their communities,” said Greg Baylor, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Senior Counsel. “In part to recognize their critical work, nonprofits are tax-exempt so that they can devote scarce resources to serving those in need. Until recently, no one really thought that their tax-exempt status was the sort of “federal financial assistance” that triggered the application of several burdensome federal statutes and regulations. But some courts have embraced this unfounded view, and Congress needs to set things straight. Let’s be clear: a nonprofit’s tax-exempt status should not be considered government funding and thus should not trigger multiple burdensome federal laws under which charities and other nonprofits could lose their tax-exempt status. ADF commends Sen. Lankford and Rep. Steube for introducing the Safeguarding Charity Act to protect nonprofits from these financially crushing burdens so that nonprofits can continue to serve their communities free from unfair and unexpected government overreach.” 

    “ACSI commends Senator Lankford and Congressman Steube for their leadership in introducing the Safeguarding Charity Act,” said P. George Tryfiates, VP for Public Policy and Legal Affairs at the Association of Christian Schools International. “This legislation is critical to set the record straight: an organization’s nonprofit status is not the receipt of federal financial assistance. It never has been. It is not now. Politically motivated lawsuits based on this false premise must stop, or else all nonprofits will be at risk. We urge every member of Congress to support the Safeguarding Charity Act.” 

    “Agudath Israel of America is pleased to support the ‘Safeguarding Charity Act (SCA),’ introduced by Senator James Lankford and Representative Greg Steube,” said Rabbi Abba Cohen, VP for Government Affairs of Agudath Israel of America. “This legislation is vitally important to nonprofits across the country, including synagogues, religious schools and charities within the Jewish community.  It will enshrine into law that which has generally been understood that ‘tax-exempt status’ does not constitute ‘federal financial assistance.’” 

    Background

    The legislation is also supported by Philanthropy Roundtable, Seventh-day Adventist Church, ERLC,  American Association of Christian Schools, Association for Biblical Higher Education, Family Research Council, Citygate Network, Christian Employers Alliance, and National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.

    Lankford first introduced the legislation with Congressman Steube in 2024.

    In 2023, Lankford also introduced the Charitable Act to incentivize giving to America’s nonprofits. The bill would expand and extend the expired non-itemized deduction for charitable giving that would ensure Americans who donate to charities, houses of worship, religious organizations, and other nonprofits of their choice are able to deduct that donation from their federal taxes at a higher level than the previous $300 deduction.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study on projected lifetime cancer risks associated with Computed Tomography (CT) imaging in the US

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    April 14, 2025

    A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine looks at CT scans and lifetime cancer risk in the USA. 

    Lynda Johnson, Professional Officer for Clinical Imaging and Radiation Protection, The Society and College of Radiographers, said:

    “The Society and College of Radiographers (SoR) welcomes research into the harmful effects of ionising radiation and recognises the importance of balancing benefit and risk information to patients and the public.

    “This paper articulates the complexities of large-scale dose estimation and acknowledges the many variables which influence an individual’s likelihood of developing cancer at some point in their lifetime. In the UK, the use of ionising radiation is governed by The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017 (The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2018). Central to the legislation and UK radiographic practice, as this paper rightly concludes, are the principles of justification and optimisation. Justification means that any exposures to ionising radiation for medical purposes must be demonstrated to provide a greater benefit than risk to the individual. Once justified, the exposure must be optimised, meaning that it is as low as reasonably practicable to provide the intended outcome, or answer the clinical question.

    “Computed Tomography (CT) scans are undertaken by highly trained radiographers and nuclear medicine technologists who have met the educational and professional standards required to ensure all CT scans are appropriately justified and optimised. Considering the increased use of CT as an invaluable diagnostic tool, it is imperative that the risk of harm from potential misuse,  poor quality referrals, or inappropriate exposure parameters continues to be managed effectively. This is achieved by safeguarding standards of education, training and practical experience, compliance with the regulations, and applying best practice quality standards such as The Quality Standard for Imaging.

    “It is particularly important to recognise, as this paper highlights, the increased risk to children from unjustified CT exposures. Staff are trained to give special consideration to the justification and optimisation of CT scans for children and will assess the benefits and risks of using CT against alternative techniques that do not involve ionising radiation such as MRI and Ultrasound.

    “Accurate communication around the benefits and risks of CT is essential to protect the public from harm. Focussing on risk alone is not helpful and, in some cases, might prevent a person from attending a scan that could provide early diagnosis of cancer. Anyone undergoing a CT scan must be provided with balanced, accurate and relevant information to enable them to understand what it means to them as an individual in terms of their diagnosis, treatment and potential long-term care.

    “The UK Health Security Agency is responsible for undertaking dose audits and producing National Diagnostic Reference levels (NDRLs) for computed tomography. These inform local practices and employers must ensure their organisational doses do not consistently exceed the NDRLs. They are publicly available here alongside helpful dose comparisons here and benefit and risk information for patients here.”

    Dr Doreen Lau, Lecturer in Inflammation, Ageing and Cancer Biology at Brunel University of London, said:

    “This is a well-conducted modelling study using robust data from US hospitals and established methods for estimating cancer risk from radiation exposure. It provides a timely reminder that while CT scans are often life-saving and essential for diagnosis, they do come with a small but real potential risk of contributing to cancer over a lifetime, especially when used repeatedly, in younger patients, or when not clinically necessary.

    “The findings don’t mean that people should avoid CT scans when recommended by a doctor. In most cases, the benefit of detecting or ruling out serious illness far outweighs the very small risk of harm. What this research highlights is the need to minimise unnecessary imaging and use the lowest dose possible, particularly in settings where CT usage is high. Where appropriate, clinicians may also consider alternative imaging methods that do not involve ionising radiation, such as MRI or ultrasound—especially for younger patients or when repeat imaging is anticipated.

    “CT scan rates are much higher in the US than in the UK, where imaging is used more conservatively and with stricter clinical justification. That means the estimated risks in this study are likely to be much lower in the UK context, though the message about appropriate use still holds.

    “Importantly, this study models estimated cancer risk from radiation exposure. It does not show a direct causal link between specific CT scans and individual cancer cases. These are projections based on population-level data and assumptions about radiation risk, not observed cancer rates. Although the model estimates a small increased risk with each scan, it does not prove that any one scan causes cancer. Other factors such as underlying health issues and clinical decision-making, may also influence who gets scanned and how often.”

     

    Prof Stephen Duffy, Emeritus Professor of Cancer Screening, Centre for Cancer Screening, Prevention and Early Diagnosis, Queen Mary University of London, said:

    “This paper reports on a very high quality numerical modelling exercise, estimating the likely number of cancers occurring in the USA as a result of 93 million CT examinations. The authors estimate that just over 100,000 cancers are predicted to occur as a result of radiation from these CT examinations. This amounts to around a 0.1% increase in cancer risk over the patients lifetime per CT examination. When we consider that the lifetime risk of cancer in the general population is around 50%, the additional risk is small. Doctors do not order CT examinations unless they are necessary, and it seems to me that the likely benefit in diagnosis and subsequent treatment of disease outweighs the very small increase in cancer risk.

    “I would also remark that the estimates, while based on the best models available to the authors, are indirect, so there is considerable uncertainty about the estimates.

    “Thus I would say to patients that if you are recommended to have a CT scan, it would be wise to do so.”

    Dr Giles Roditi, Consultant Cardiovascular Radiologist and Honorary Clinical Associate Professor of Radiology, University of Glasgow, said:

    “CT scanning is a powerful diagnostic tool and has become a bedrock of modern radiology departments, particularly for emergency department imaging. However, the paper by Smith-Bindman et al. is a timely reminder that with great power comes great responsibility.  The paper makes the case that the rise in the utilisation of CT scanning is now at such a scale that its projected use could lead to scenario in which CT-associated cancer eventually accounts for 5% of all new cancer diagnoses annually in the USA.  What should we do with this information and how does this translate to and inform practise in the UK ?

    “Firstly, the evidence base is sound and there is little new as regards the basic assumptions that the paper is based upon but the authors have updated this with more modern dose estimates and data on the utilisation of CT scanning not only across different age groups but also stratified by gender and the exposure of different organs that have different sensitivities to ionising radiation induced damage. The authors are to be congratulated in the detailed breakdown of CT utilisation across these categories and how lifetime risk of cancer impacts across age and gender etc.  as well as the modern dosimetric approach used plus accounting for multiphase CT examinations that inevitably entail higher dose.

    “With all medical endeavours there is an element of risk.  Risk is generally defined as a situation involving exposure to danger or the possibility that something unpleasant will occur.  Furthermore, the use of the word risk often implies an element of chance, uncertainty or unpredictability.  However, risk can often be well defined in any particular context as – 

Risk = (probability of an event) x (impact of event) 


    “Risk is thus different for ‘well’ versus ‘sick’ patients with the latter deriving greater benefit.  This paper helps us better define risk at a population level by updating knowledge on the probable incidence of later CT-associated cancer.  A potential limitation that could be levelled at the paper is that not all the risks associated with CT are included, only those related to later development of cancer diagnoses.  For example, other relevant factors as a demerit to CT scanning could include the very small risks of anaphylaxis related to the use of contrast medium, used now in a large proportion of scans in Western medicine.  Similarly, the small but potential other risks such as cataract acceleration are not mentioned.

    “On the other hand, while the authors mention that ‘CT is frequently lifesaving’ they have not in my opinion really put the information in full relevant context.  The authors context is that this is approximately 5% of new cancer diagnoses could be attributable to CT i.e. a figure of 100,000 cancers in the USA is where there were 1,777,566 new cancer cases reported in 2021 and 608,366 people died of cancer in 2022 (the latest CDC data available). This is because the natural incidence of cancer induction is 1 in 2 for adults. Hence, an alternative way of looking at this would be that although the figure of 100,000 cancers is alarming this is only a small additional risk over and above an individual’s lifetime risk of developing cancer i.e. a risk rising from about 50% to 52.5%. The authors also do not address how many of these cancer will be fatal although we presume based upon CD data it would be approximately one third.

    “The main issue, however, is that the benefits of CT scanning are not more explicitly stated.  This is likely because the benefits of most medical imaging in terms of morbidity & mortality have been very difficult to quantify with surprisingly little published in the literature. This is mainly because imaging has too often only been part of an overall therapeutic strategy where the main treatment outcomes depend critically upon the imaging but the imaging itself is not tested (e.g. treatments for stroke and cancer).  However, there have been recent trials that provide some context, for example SCOT-HEART was probably the first major trial in which diagnostic CT was shown to save lives.  In SCOT-THEART the patients were randomised to a conventional treatment pathway without CT scan or an investigative arm in which the standard care pathway was simply supplemented by a CT scan of the coronary arteries.  This trial showed clear benefit for those patients that had CT with a significantly lower mortality rate and this has been shown to persist now up to 10 years following the end of the trial. Similarly trials of lung cancer screening have now shown positive benefit from CT scanning in the detection of early, treatable stage lung cancer in high risk patients.

    “So how does this translate into the situation in the UK ? Firstly, there are significant differences in practise due to both cultural and legislative environments.  In the UK we operate under the precepts of the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations last updated in 2017 which mandates that we apply the ALARA/ALARP principles and should opt for diagnostic imaging tests with the lowest radiation dose, or preferably an imaging test with no ionising radiation exposure (e.g. ultrasound or MRI) where this answers the clinical question.  Culturally in the UK we also regard all requests for imaging as just that, requests that can be questioned through discussion. In the USA clinicians order scans and radiology departments have little room to manoeuvre when it comes to not performing or changing these orders, particularly since the imaging fees that accompany the scanning activity are the lifeblood of the department. Another issue in the USA in addition to the overuse of CT mentioned in the paper is the repeat imaging that is often performed in a fragmented healthcare system where it is easier (and more profitable) for an institution to simply repeat a scan on a patient referred in from elsewhere rather than seek out and transfer the original scans.

    “In the NHS we have systems that allow image transfer between institutions and of course unlike the USA we are very capacity limited and often have long waiting times for scans. One side effect of this is that it tends to reduce demand such that tests unlikely to influence clinical decision-making are less likely to be requested. On the downside is that the CT scanner base in the UK is aging and we know that older scanners inevitably expose patients to higher radiation doses than modern systems for the same type of scan, often with less good image quality. Indeed, on modern generation systems with advanced iterative reconstruction algorithms and AI enhancements in the imaging chain then CT scans can be acquired at doses similar to (or little more than) conventional x-rays. These advances have largely been spurred by the drive to reduce dose in coronary CT scans but the benefits potentially reduce doses across all CT scanning. The paper by Smith-Bindman et al. reminds us that we must advocate more strongly to upgrade our CT scanners for the benefit of our patients.

    “So what would I say to a UK patient scheduled to have a CT scan and worried by this paper ? In general terms I would strongly advise them not to worry as they are highly likely to benefit from a well indicated scan, this is particularly so in those who are unwell and in older patients (those > 55 years). For younger patients, particularly those of child-bearing age where the breasts and/or reproductive organs would be included and for those who are physically well then if concerned they can always ask to discuss the merits of alternative scans such as ultrasound and MRI. For example, in our own practise we image all our altruistic potential living kidney donors with MRI rather than CT since our own (unpublished) estimates indicate that if we used CT then 1 in 526 of these well people would have a fatal induced cancer, a risk eliminated by using MRI.”

    Prof Richard Wakeford, Honorary Professor in Epidemiology, Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health (COEH), University of Manchester, said:

    “Although it is not unreasonable to reiterate guidance on the potential risks to health arising from exposures to low levels of ionising radiation, such as the x-ray doses received from CT scans, considerable caution is required in providing quantitative estimates of the effects produced by such exposures. This is largely because of the substantial assumptions that must be made in applying risk models derived from epidemiological studies of populations briefly exposed to moderate and high doses, primarily the Japanese survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to low-level exposure circumstances. For example, for the purposes of radiological protection, it is prudent to assume that the size of the additional risk is directly proportional to the dose received, with no threshold dose below which the risk is zero, and this is the assumption made by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in making its recommendations. However, ICRP notes that these assumptions “conceal large biological and statistical uncertainties”, and cautions against risk projections based on large numbers of people receiving low doses.

    “The direct epidemiological investigation of cancer incidence among patients who have been examined by CT is a worthwhile exercise, but substantial care is required in the interpretation of results – as with all medical diagnostic procedures, people are examined because they are ill, have been ill, or are suspected of being ill, and such selection for exposure leads to difficulties in obtaining reliable conclusions about the effects of radiation exposure from these studies.

    “The “bottom line” of the paper is that ~103,000 cases of cancer (which does not include cases of non-melanoma skin cancer, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma) are estimated to result from CT scans conducted in the USA in 2023, an estimate that must be viewed with circumspection. This estimate of ~103,000 cases of cancer is, on the face of it, rather alarming, but it is also uncertain, to an extent that extends (well) beyond the uncertainty limits presented in the paper. ICRP emphasises that all medical exposures must be justified as doing more good than harm, and the potential risk from radiation exposure during a diagnostic examination clearly needs to be factored into clinical judgement about the need for a specific diagnostic procedure. The level of potential risk posed by exposure to low doses of radiation should be taken into account in reaching a balanced decision on whether or not a CT scan is clinically desirable, but this judgement should not be unduly influenced by large, but uncertain, projected numbers of cancers.”

    ‘Projected Lifetime Cancer Risks From Current Computed Tomography Imaging’ by Rebecca Smith-Bindman et al. was published in JAMA Internal Medicine at 16:00 UK time on Monday 14 April 2025.

    DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.0505

    Declared interests

    Prof Stephen Duffy: I have no conflict of interest.

    Dr Giles Roditi: Prof Roditi is a Past-President of the British Society of Cardiovascular Imaging/Cardiovascular CT, a Past President of the Society of Magnetic Resonance Angiography and a member of the SCOT-HEART investigators.

    Prof Richard Wakeford: “I am, or was, a member of a number of national and international expert committees addressing radiation risks, such as ICRP, UNSCEAR and (previously) COMARE, SAGE, etc.. Details can be found at: https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/richard.wakeford

    “I am a member of the Technical Working Party of the Compensation Scheme for Radiation-Linked Diseases (http://www.csrld.org.uk/), for which I receive a small consultancy fee. I also receive small payments for lecturing in academic and various professional courses (e.g., https://www.oecd-nea.org/jcms/pl_27505/international-radiological-protection-school-irps-at-stockholm-university). Otherwise, I am formally “retired” from employment, although I seem to be as busy as ever!”

    Dr Doreen Lau: no financial or conflicts of interest related to this study.

    For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gomez Demands Accountability for Closure of Key HHS Offices, Including San Francisco

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)

    Brutal Cuts compromise the health of 166 million Americans, other impact includes long delays and skyrocketing caseloads 

    WASHINGTON, DC – Representative Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) joined House Ways and Means Committee Democrats in demanding answers from the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the closure of half of all HHS Regional Offices. These Regional Offices (RO) have collaborated with state and local communities to ensure that nursing homes and childcare centers are safe, local fraud is rooted out, federal law is followed, and state and local communities have a voice in federal policies for over 50 years. The closure of these offices will profoundly endanger communities across America.  

    The affected ROs were in Boston, New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle. This gross act of retribution will not only compromise the health of 166 million Americans, but also put remaining ROs under even more stress, with long delays and skyrocketing caseloads because of the brutal cuts.   

    “Since 1974 when the Nixon Administration created the 10-region structure to facilitate efficiency and collaboration at a local level, ROs have partnered with state and local communities to ensure that nursing homes and child care centers are safe, local fraud is rooted out, federal law is followed, and state and local communities have a voice in federal policies,” Gomez and lawmakers wrote. “Eliminating these functions in half of the country will harm the health and safety of local communities and risks inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars by eroding oversight over programs like Medicare and Medicaid.”   

    The lawmakers continued, “Staff in these offices work on essential functions to improve quality and reduce waste, fraud, and abuse in federal health care programs and ensure human service programs support vulnerable children and families—the value these offices bring to all of our communities cannot be overstated.”  

    Finally, the Gomez and his colleagues wrote: “Simply put, they make our communities healthier and safer for us all.”   

    Read the full letter HERE. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Maine PUC Observes National Safe Digging Month in April

    Source: US State of Maine

    April 14, 2025

    Hallowell, Maine – The Maine Public Utilities Commission (Commission) is joining other utility regulators, public safety advocates, and industry professionals across the country in recognizing April as National Safe Digging Month. Governor Janet Mills has officially proclaimed April as Safe Digging Month in Maine, urging homeowners, contractors, and excavators to always call 811 before starting any outdoor digging projects.

    Calling 811 before digging can prevent damage to underground utility lines, avoid costly repairs, and most importantly, help keep people safe.

    “The Commission is committed to public safety and urges all residents and businesses to make the call to 811 before digging,” said Philip L. Bartlett II, Chair of the Maine Public Utilities Commission. Safe Digging Month is a reminder that protecting underground infrastructure is a shared responsibility. Taking just a few minutes to contact 811 before digging can prevent accidents and ensure a safer Maine.

    Whether planting a tree, installing a fence, or undertaking major excavation work, calling 811 at least 72 hours in advance is a free and necessary step that helps locate and mark underground utility lines. Striking gas, electric, water, or communication lines can cause serious injuries, service outages, and expensive repairs.

    To ensure a safe and smooth digging process, homeowners should follow these key steps:

    1. Plan Ahead: Determine the scope and location of your project before calling 811.

    2. Call 811 Before You Dig: Contact Dig Safe by dialing 811 at least 72 hours before digging to have underground utilities marked.

    3. Wait for Utility Markings: Professional locators will visit your property to mark underground utility lines using paint or flags. Each color represents a different type of utility.

    4. Respect the Marks: Avoid digging within 18 to 24 inches of marked utility lines to prevent accidental damage.

    5. Dig with Care: Use hand tools when working near utility marks and proceed cautiously.

    6. If You Hit a Utility Line, Stop Immediately: Leave the area and call 911 if there is a gas leak or other hazard.

    Report any damage to the appropriate utility company. Calling 811 before digging is free, required by law, and helps protect both people and infrastructure. For more information about safe digging practices, visit www.DigSafe.com or www.maine.gov/mpuc.

    About the Commission

    The Maine Public Utilities Commission regulates electric, telephone, water and gas utilities to ensure that Maine citizens have access to safe and reliable utility service at rates that are just and reasonable for ratepayers and utilities, while also helping achieve reductions in state greenhouse gas emissions. Commission programs include Maine Enhanced 911 Service and safety programs. Philip L. Bartlett II serves as Chair, Patrick Scully and Carolyn Gilbert serve as Commissioners.

    The Damage Prevention section of the Commission’s Consumer Assistance and Safety Division (CASD) is charged with enforcing Maines underground facilities damage prevention law, called the Dig Safe Law (23 M.R.S. 3360-A). This law is intended to prevent damage to underground utility facilities such as gas lines, water lines, or underground telecommunications and electric cables resulting from excavation.

    Learn more about the Commission at www.maine.gov/mpuc

    CONTACT: Susan Faloon, Media Liaison CELL: 207-557-3704 EMAIL: susan.faloon@maine.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Department of Justice Transfers 13 Mexican Nationals with Drug Convictions to Mexico Pursuant to the U.S.-Mexico International Prisoner Transfer Treaty

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs with the assistance of the Department’s Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) transferred 13 Mexican nationals, serving prison sentences for drug distribution-related convictions in the United States, to their home country on Friday.

    “Friday’s transfer of 13 federal inmates to correctional authorities in Mexico has saved the United States over $3 million by eliminating the need to pay incarceration costs for the 75 years remaining on their combined sentences,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department’s International Prisoner Transfer Program, which is administered by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, enhances offender rehabilitation, reduces incarceration costs, and relieves overcrowding in federal prisons. The transfer is pursuant to the Treaty between the United States of America and the United Mexican States on the Execution of the Penal Sentences.”

    All 13 inmates transferred today were serving sentences relating to the distribution of controlled substances, including cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. The inmates will complete the remainder of their sentences in Mexico pursuant to the treaty. The inmates requested to be transferred to their home country, and the governments of both the United States and Mexico approved these transfers.

    The U.S. Congress enacted legislation authorizing the International Prisoner Transfer Program in October 1977, which also set the requirements of the transfer program. The United States signed its first transfer treaty with Mexico in 1976, which entered into force in November 1977, and since that time has entered into 10 additional bilateral transfer agreements and two multilateral transfer conventions. These international agreements give the United States transfer treaty relationships with more than 85 countries.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs’s International Prisoner Transfer Unit (IPTU) administers the program. Under the program, approved foreign national inmates in federal and state prisons are permitted, under certain circumstances, to complete their prison terms in their home countries’ prisons.

    This is the 184th such transfer since the treaty entered into force in 1977. The last transfer prior to today, which took place in December 2024, transferred nine inmates to Mexico pursuant to the treaty. To learn more about the International Prisoner Transfer Program, visit: https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-oia/iptu 

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE, ATF capture fugitive wanted for murder in the Caribbean

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    SAVANNAH, Ga. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the capture of a fugitive wanted for murder who escaped custody twice in the Caribbean. Orville Andrew Pernell, a 32-year-old Jamaican citizen was apprehended by ICE Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives special agents in Savannah, Georgia following an extensive investigation and multinational manhunt April 4.

    Pernell, is accused of committing a brutal murder in St Lucia in 2020 and had been a fugitive for several years. He escaped from custody in St Lucia during his murder trial and fled to Jamaica. In 2021, he was arrested in Jamaica and escaped from custody there as well. U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered Pernell on Dec. 7, 2022, near San Ysidro, California, after he attempted to enter the United States using a fake identity. He was paroled into the country and given a notice to appear.

    In July of 2023, Pernell was arrested by the Clayton County Sheriff in Clayton County, Georgia for the possession of a stolen motorcycle and attempting to evade arrest. During the arrest, police discovered a stolen 9mm handgun.

    “We are committed to tracking down fugitives who pose a serious threat to public safety, no matter where they may try to hide,” said ICE HSI Special Agent in Charge Atlanta Steven N. Schrank, who also covers Georgia and Alabama. “This operation highlights our ongoing work to dismantle criminal networks and bring violent individuals to justice. We are thankful for our local, state, and international law enforcement partners who helped us secure this arrest.”

    ICE HSI, working alongside the ATF, located and arrested Pernell after their investigation led them to the Savannah area. He was taken was taken into custody without incident. Pernell faces charges for being an alien in possession of weapon and after he is extradited back to St Lucia he will stand trial for murder.

    ICE HSI Caribbean, Bridgetown and Kingston provided significant contributions to the investigation and were instrumental in the success of the operation. ICE HSI prioritizes the apprehension of fugitives involved in violent crimes, particularly those who have fled to the U.S. to evade justice.

    The public is encouraged to report any information regarding fugitives or illegal activity to the ICE Tip Line by dialing 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why the meteorites that hit Earth have less water than the asteroid bits brought back by space probes – a planetary scientist explains new research

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Patrick M. Shober, Postdoctoral Fellow in Planetary Sciences, NASA

    This image overlays over 100 fireball images recorded between 2016 and 2020. The streaks are fireballs; the dots are star positions at different times. Desert Fireball Network

    Much of what scientists know about the early solar system comes from meteorites – ancient rocks that travel through space and survive a fiery plunge through Earth’s atmosphere. Among meteorites, one type – called carbonaceous chondrites – stands out as the most primitive and provides a unique glimpse into the solar system’s infancy.

    The carbonaceous chondrites are rich in water, carbon and organic compounds. They’re “hydrated,” which means they contain water bound within minerals in the rock. The components of the water are locked into crystal structures. Many researchers believe these ancient rocks played a crucial role in delivering water to early Earth.

    Before hitting the Earth, rocks traveling through space are generally referred to as asteroids, meteoroids or comets, depending on their size and composition. If a piece of one of these objects makes it all the way to Earth, it becomes a “meteorite.”

    From observing asteroids with telescopes, scientists know that most asteroids have water-rich, carbonaceous compositions. Models predict that most meteorites – over half – should also be carbonaceous. But less than 4% of all the meteorites found on Earth are carbonaceous. So why is there such a mismatch?

    In a study published in the journal Nature Astronomy on April 14, 2025, my planetary scientist colleagues and I tried to answer an age-old question: Where are all the carbonaceous chondrites?

    Sample-return missions

    Scientists’ desire to study these ancient rocks has driven recent sample-return space missions. NASA’s OSIRIS‑REx and JAXA’s Hayabusa2 missions have transformed what researchers know about primitive, carbon‑rich asteroids.

    Meteorites found sitting on the ground are exposed to rain, snow and plants, which can significantly change them and make analysis more difficult. So, the OSIRIS‑REx mission ventured to the asteroid Bennu to retrieve an unaltered sample. Retrieving this sample allowed scientists to examine the asteroid’s composition in detail.

    Similarly, Hayabusa2’s journey to the asteroid Ryugu provided pristine samples of another, similarly water-rich asteroid.

    Together these missions have let planetary scientists like me study pristine, fragile carbonaceous material from asteroids. These asteroids are a direct window into the building blocks of our solar system and the origins of life.

    The carbonaceous chondrite puzzle

    For a long time, scientists assumed that the Earth’s atmosphere filtered out carbonaceous debris.

    When an object hits Earth’s atmosphere, it has to survive significant pressures and high temperatures. Carbonaceous chondrites tend to be weaker and more crumbly than other meteorites, so these objects just don’t stand as much of a chance.

    Meteorites usually start their journey when two asteroids collide. These collisions create a bunch of centimeter- to meter-size rock fragments. These cosmic crumbs streak through the solar system and can, eventually, fall to Earth. When they’re smaller than a meter, scientists call them meteoroids.

    Meteoroids are far too small for researchers to see with a telescope, unless they’re about to hit the Earth, and astronomers get lucky.

    But there is another way scientists can study this population, and, in turn, understand why meteorites have such different compositions.

    Meteor and fireball observation networks

    Our research team used the Earth’s atmosphere as our detector.

    Most of the meteoroids that reach Earth are tiny, sand-sized particles, but occasionally, bodies up to a couple of meters in diameter hit. Researchers estimate that about 5,000 metric tons of micrometeorites land on Earth annually. And, each year, between 4,000 and 10,000 large meteorites – golf ball-sized or larger – land on Earth. That’s more than 20 each day.

    A fireball observed by the FRIPON network in Normandy, France, in 2019.

    Today, digital cameras have rendered round-the-clock observations of the night sky both practical and affordable. Low-cost, high-sensitivity sensors and automated detection software allow researchers to monitor large sections of the night sky for bright flashes, which signal a meteoroid hitting the atmosphere.

    Research teams can sift through these real-time observations using automated analysis techniques – or a very dedicated Ph.D. student – to find invaluable information.

    Our team manages two global systems: FRIPON, a French-led network with stations in 15 countries; and the Global Fireball Observatory, a collaboration started by the team behind the Desert Fireball Network in Australia. Together with other open-access datasets, my colleagues and I used the trajectories of nearly 8,000 impacts observed by 19 observation networks spread across 39 countries.

    By comparing all meteoroid impacts recorded in Earth’s atmosphere with those that successfully reach the surface as meteorites, we can pinpoint which asteroids produce fragments that are strong enough to survive the journey. Or, conversely, we can also pinpoint which asteroids produce weak material that do not show up as often on Earth as meteorites.

    The Sun is baking the rocks too much

    Surprisingly, we found that many asteroid pieces don’t even make it to Earth. Something starts removing the weak stuff while the fragment is still in space. The carbonaceous material, which isn’t very durable, likely gets broken down through heat stress when its orbit takes it close to the Sun.

    As carbonaceous chondrites orbit close, and then away from the Sun, the temperature swings form cracks in their material. This process effectively fragments and removes weak, hydrated boulders from the population of objects near the Earth. Anything left over after this thermal cracking then has to survive the atmosphere.

    Only 30%-50% of the remaining objects survive the atmospheric passage and become meteorites. The debris pieces whose orbits bring them closer to the Sun tend to be significantly more durable, making them far more likely to survive the difficult passage through Earth’s atmosphere. We call this a survival bias.

    For decades, scientists have presumed that Earth’s atmosphere alone explains the scarcity of carbonaceous meteorites, but our work indicates that much of the removal occurs beforehand in space.

    Going forward, new scientific advances can help confirm these findings and better identify meteoroid compositions. Scientists need to get better at using telescopes to detect objects right before they hit the Earth. More detailed modeling of how these objects break up in the atmosphere can also help researchers study them.

    Lastly, future studies can come up with better methods to identify what these fireballs are made of using the colors of the meteors.

    Patrick M. Shober received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 945298. Patrick M. Shober currently receives funding from the NASA Postdoctoral Program.

    – ref. Why the meteorites that hit Earth have less water than the asteroid bits brought back by space probes – a planetary scientist explains new research – https://theconversation.com/why-the-meteorites-that-hit-earth-have-less-water-than-the-asteroid-bits-brought-back-by-space-probes-a-planetary-scientist-explains-new-research-252456

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Africa’s healthcare funding crisis: 3 strategies to manage deadly diseases

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Francisca Mutapi, Professor in Global Health Infection and Immunity. and co-Director of the Global Health Academy, University of Edinburgh

    The increasing trend of reducing foreign aid to Africa is forcing the continent to reassess its approach to healthcare delivery.

    African countries face a major challenge of dealing with high rates of communicable diseases, such as malaria and HIV/Aids, and rising levels of non-communicable diseases. But the continent’s health systems don’t have the resources to provide accessible and affordable healthcare to address these challenges.

    Historically, aid has played a critical role in supporting African health systems. It has funded key areas, including medical research, treatment programmes, healthcare infrastructure and workforce salaries. In 2021, half of sub-Saharan Africa’s countries relied on external financing for more than one-third of their health expenditures.

    As aid dwindles, a stark reality emerges: many African governments are unable to achieve universal health coverage or address rising healthcare costs.

    The reduction in aid restricts healthcare services and threatens to reverse decades of health progress on the continent. A fundamental shift in healthcare strategy is necessary to address this crisis.

    The well-known maxim that “prevention is better than cure” holds not just for health outcomes but also for economic efficiency. It’s much more affordable to prevent diseases than it is to treat them.

    As an infectious diseases specialist, I have seen how preventable diseases can put a financial burden on health systems and households.

    For instance, each year, there are global economic losses of over US$33 billion due to neglected tropical diseases. Many conditions, such as lymphatic filariasis, often require lifelong care. This places a heavy burden on families and stretches national healthcare systems to their limits.

    African nations can cut healthcare costs through disease prevention. This often requires fewer specialist health workers and less expensive interventions.

    To navigate financial constraints, African nations must rethink and redesign their healthcare systems.

    Three key areas where cost-effective, preventive strategies can work are: improving water, sanitation, and hygiene; expanding vaccination programmes; and making non-communicable disease prevention part of community health services.

    A shift in healthcare delivery

    Improving water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure

    Many diseases prevalent in Africa are transmitted through contact with contaminated water and soil. Investing in safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure is an opportunity. This alone can prevent a host of illnesses such as parasitic worms and diarrhoeal diseases. It can also improve infection control and strengthen epidemic and pandemic disease control.

    Currently, WASH coverage in Africa remains inadequate. Millions are vulnerable to preventable illnesses. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2020 alone, about 510,000 deaths in Africa could have been prevented with improved water and sanitation. Of these, 377,000 deaths were caused by diarrhoeal diseases.

    Unsafe WASH conditions also contribute to secondary health issues, such as under-nutrition and parasitic infections. Around 14% of acute respiratory infections and 10% of the undernutrition disease burden – such as stunting – are linked to unsafe WASH conditions.

    By investing in functional WASH infrastructure, African governments can significantly reduce the incidence of these diseases. This will lead to lower healthcare costs and improved public health outcomes.

    Local production of relevant vaccines

    Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective health interventions available for preventing infection. Immunisation efforts save over four million lives every year across the continent.

    There is an urgent need for vaccines against diseases prevalent in Africa whose current control is heavily reliant on aid. Neglected tropical diseases are among them.

    Vaccines can also prevent some non-communicable diseases. A prime example is the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which can prevent up to 85% of cervical cancer cases in Africa.

    HPV vaccination is also more cost-effective than treating cervical cancer. In some African countries, the cost per vaccine dose averages just under US$20. Treatment costs can reach up to US$2,500 per patient, as seen in Tanzania.

    It is vital to invest in a comprehensive vaccine ecosystem. This includes strengthening local research and building innovation hubs. Regulatory bodies across the continent must also be harmonised and markets created to attract vaccine investment.

    Integrating disease prevention into community healthcare services

    Historically, African healthcare systems were designed to address communicable diseases, such as tuberculosis and HIV. This left them ill-equipped to handle the rising burden of non-communicable diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. One cost-effective approach is to integrate the prevention and management of these diseases into existing community health programmes.

    Community health workers currently provide low-cost interventions for health issues such as pneumonia and malaria. They can be trained to address non-communicable diseases as well.

    In some countries, community health workers are already filling the service gap. Getting them more involved in prevention strategies will strengthen primary healthcare services in Africa. This investment will ultimately reduce the long-term financial burden of treating chronic diseases.

    A treatment-over-prevention approach will not be affordable

    Current estimates suggest that by 2030, an additional US$371 billion per year – roughly US$58 per person – will be required to provide basic primary healthcare services across Africa.

    Adding to the challenge is the rising global cost of healthcare, projected to increase by 10.4% this year alone. This marks the third consecutive year of escalating costs. For Africa, costs also come from population growth and the rising burden of non-communicable diseases.

    By shifting focus from treatment to prevention, African nations can make healthcare accessible, equitable and financially sustainable despite the decline in foreign aid.

    Francisca Mutapi is affiliated with Uniting to Combat NTDs

    – ref. Africa’s healthcare funding crisis: 3 strategies to manage deadly diseases – https://theconversation.com/africas-healthcare-funding-crisis-3-strategies-to-manage-deadly-diseases-253644

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Robert Garcia Statement on Attempted Unauthorized Entry by Homeland Security Agents at Los Angeles Elementary Schools

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Garcia California (42nd District)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) released the following statement after unauthorized Homeland Security agents attempted to enter two Los Angeles Unified School District elementary schools without a warrant.

    “We should all be deeply angered and concerned by the attempt of Homeland Security agents to access two elementary schools in Southeast Los Angeles,” said Congressman Garcia. “Both schools are in my congressional district and part of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

    I commend the principals and staff at both schools who refused to allow the agents to enter without a warrant, and I’m grateful to Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho for working to protect all students across Los Angeles.

    It’s outrageous that Homeland Security would target children, and as a member of the Homeland Security Committee in Congress, I’m demanding answers immediately from Secretary Noem and the Trump Administration. We will not allow our students and their families to be intimidated or harmed.”

    Congressman Garcia remains committed to reforming our immigration system, creating fair pathways to citizenship, and treating immigrants with respect and dignity. In July 2024, Congressman Garcia introduced the SHIELD Act, which allocated grants through the Attorney General and the Department of Justice to local and state governments to support the recruitment of staff and attorneys to ensure that immigrants receive quality, affordable representation in immigration court. Last Congress, Congressman Garcia led investigations into fundamental integrity and credibility issues within the DHS, including identifying what actions have been taken to address the threat of domestic violent extremism within the DHS. Congressman Garcia has also defended humane immigration procedures and condemned extreme rhetoric on immigration and border security that dehumanizes migrants legally seeking asylum. Congressman Garcia has also investigated the use of inappropriate language and behavior among Border Patrol agents within ICE toward immigrants following reports from the Huffington Post. Congressman Garcia also continues to champion legislation that increases resources and efficiencies for vital government departments and agencies.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Africa’s healthcare funding crisis: 3 strategies to manage deadly diseases

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Francisca Mutapi, Professor in Global Health Infection and Immunity. and co-Director of the Global Health Academy, University of Edinburgh

    The increasing trend of reducing foreign aid to Africa is forcing the continent to reassess its approach to healthcare delivery.

    African countries face a major challenge of dealing with high rates of communicable diseases, such as malaria and HIV/Aids, and rising levels of non-communicable diseases. But the continent’s health systems don’t have the resources to provide accessible and affordable healthcare to address these challenges.

    Historically, aid has played a critical role in supporting African health systems. It has funded key areas, including medical research, treatment programmes, healthcare infrastructure and workforce salaries. In 2021, half of sub-Saharan Africa’s countries relied on external financing for more than one-third of their health expenditures.

    As aid dwindles, a stark reality emerges: many African governments are unable to achieve universal health coverage or address rising healthcare costs.

    The reduction in aid restricts healthcare services and threatens to reverse decades of health progress on the continent. A fundamental shift in healthcare strategy is necessary to address this crisis.

    The well-known maxim that “prevention is better than cure” holds not just for health outcomes but also for economic efficiency. It’s much more affordable to prevent diseases than it is to treat them.

    As an infectious diseases specialist, I have seen how preventable diseases can put a financial burden on health systems and households.

    For instance, each year, there are global economic losses of over US$33 billion due to neglected tropical diseases. Many conditions, such as lymphatic filariasis, often require lifelong care. This places a heavy burden on families and stretches national healthcare systems to their limits.

    African nations can cut healthcare costs through disease prevention. This often requires fewer specialist health workers and less expensive interventions.

    To navigate financial constraints, African nations must rethink and redesign their healthcare systems.

    Three key areas where cost-effective, preventive strategies can work are: improving water, sanitation, and hygiene; expanding vaccination programmes; and making non-communicable disease prevention part of community health services.

    A shift in healthcare delivery

    Improving water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure

    Many diseases prevalent in Africa are transmitted through contact with contaminated water and soil. Investing in safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure is an opportunity. This alone can prevent a host of illnesses such as parasitic worms and diarrhoeal diseases. It can also improve infection control and strengthen epidemic and pandemic disease control.

    Currently, WASH coverage in Africa remains inadequate. Millions are vulnerable to preventable illnesses. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2020 alone, about 510,000 deaths in Africa could have been prevented with improved water and sanitation. Of these, 377,000 deaths were caused by diarrhoeal diseases.

    Unsafe WASH conditions also contribute to secondary health issues, such as under-nutrition and parasitic infections. Around 14% of acute respiratory infections and 10% of the undernutrition disease burden – such as stunting – are linked to unsafe WASH conditions.

    By investing in functional WASH infrastructure, African governments can significantly reduce the incidence of these diseases. This will lead to lower healthcare costs and improved public health outcomes.

    Local production of relevant vaccines

    Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective health interventions available for preventing infection. Immunisation efforts save over four million lives every year across the continent.

    There is an urgent need for vaccines against diseases prevalent in Africa whose current control is heavily reliant on aid. Neglected tropical diseases are among them.

    Vaccines can also prevent some non-communicable diseases. A prime example is the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which can prevent up to 85% of cervical cancer cases in Africa.

    HPV vaccination is also more cost-effective than treating cervical cancer. In some African countries, the cost per vaccine dose averages just under US$20. Treatment costs can reach up to US$2,500 per patient, as seen in Tanzania.

    It is vital to invest in a comprehensive vaccine ecosystem. This includes strengthening local research and building innovation hubs. Regulatory bodies across the continent must also be harmonised and markets created to attract vaccine investment.

    Integrating disease prevention into community healthcare services

    Historically, African healthcare systems were designed to address communicable diseases, such as tuberculosis and HIV. This left them ill-equipped to handle the rising burden of non-communicable diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. One cost-effective approach is to integrate the prevention and management of these diseases into existing community health programmes.

    Community health workers currently provide low-cost interventions for health issues such as pneumonia and malaria. They can be trained to address non-communicable diseases as well.

    In some countries, community health workers are already filling the service gap. Getting them more involved in prevention strategies will strengthen primary healthcare services in Africa. This investment will ultimately reduce the long-term financial burden of treating chronic diseases.

    A treatment-over-prevention approach will not be affordable

    Current estimates suggest that by 2030, an additional US$371 billion per year – roughly US$58 per person – will be required to provide basic primary healthcare services across Africa.

    Adding to the challenge is the rising global cost of healthcare, projected to increase by 10.4% this year alone. This marks the third consecutive year of escalating costs. For Africa, costs also come from population growth and the rising burden of non-communicable diseases.

    By shifting focus from treatment to prevention, African nations can make healthcare accessible, equitable and financially sustainable despite the decline in foreign aid.

    – Africa’s healthcare funding crisis: 3 strategies to manage deadly diseases
    – https://theconversation.com/africas-healthcare-funding-crisis-3-strategies-to-manage-deadly-diseases-253644

    MIL OSI Africa –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Leads Bicameral Letter to USDA, HHS, EPA: MAHA Commission Stance on Crop Protection Tools Would Hurt America’s Food System

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Deb Fischer (R-NE), with Congressmen Randy Feenstra (R-IA-04) and Mark Alford (R-MO-04), led a bicameral group of colleagues in sending a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin. In the letter, the members call for the use of sound science and risk-based analysis as the MAHA Commission finalizes its work, particularly on crop protection tools and food-grade ingredients. The letter states:

    “We write to express our strong appreciation for your leadership and interest in working with each of you to ensure America has the healthiest people in the world. In recent decades, chronic illness rates have risen. This warrants our careful scrutiny to support better health outcomes. It is essential that policies supported by sound science and risk-based analyses are used to accomplish this goal.”

    “We have concerns that environmentalists are advancing harmful health, economic, or food security policies under the guise of human health,” the letter continues. “Despite insinuations to the contrary, regular testing by FDA and USDA finds that more than 99% of all pesticide residues meet extremely conservative limits established by EPA according to the best available science.”

    In addition to Ricketts and Fischer, other signatories include Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Jim Justice (R-WV), Jim Risch (R-ID), Todd Young (R-IN), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Mike Rounds (R-SD).

    The letter was also signed by members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including Mike Flood (R-NE-01), Don Bacon (R-NE-02), Adrian Smith (R-NE-03), Michael Baumgartner (R-WA-05), Jack Bergman (R-MI-01), Mike Bost (R-IL-12), James Comer (R-KY-01), Troy Downing (R-MT-02), Jake Ellzey (R-TX-06), Gabe Evans (R-CO-08), Mike Ezell (R-MS-04), Randy Feenstra (R-IA-04), Mark Alford (R-MO-04), Vince Fong (R-CA-20), Michael Guest (R-MS-03), Dusty Johnson (R-SD-AL), David Kustoff (R-TN-08), Darin LaHood (R-IL-16), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01), Frank Lucas (R-OK-03), Tracy Mann (R-KS-01), Mark Messmer (R-IN-08), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-01), Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04), Mike Rogers (R-AL-03), Derek Schmidt (R-KS-02), Austin Scott (R-GA-08), Jefferson Shreve (R-IN-06), Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24), David Valadao (R-CA-22), and Ann Wagner (R-MO-02).

    Read the full letter here or below:

    Dear Secretary Kennedy, Secretary Rollins, and Administrator Zeldin:

    We write to express our strong appreciation for your leadership and interest in working with each of you to ensure America has the healthiest people in the world. In recent decades, chronic illness rates have risen. This warrants our careful scrutiny and to support better health outcomes. It is essential that policies supported by sound science and risk-based analyses are used to accomplish this goal.

    We also urge you to safeguard the work of the Make America Healthy Again Commission (Commission) from activist groups promoting misguided and sometimes even malicious policies masquerading as health solutions. The influence of these groups in the Commission would result in shoddy science; a less abundant, less affordable food supply; greater reliance on foreign adversaries for our food; diminished U.S. agricultural production and manufacturing; and, ultimately, poorer health outcomes.

    President Trump recently stated environmental activists were holding the economic prosperity of our country hostage. We now have concerns that they are seeking to influence the work of the Commission to advance their agenda. For decades activist groups have tried to ban safe, well-regulated agricultural inputs by any means necessary. Without these products, yields and quality are negatively impacted by otherwise avoidable insects, fungus, weeds, and other pest pressures. This drives up food prices for American consumers and forces reliance of food imports.

    The same groups have seized upon the Commission’s work as an opportunity to misrepresent the science on common food and feed categories or ingredients, such as plant-based oils. These inputs are subject to a robust, risk-based regulatory system which focuses on protecting human health. Unfounded accusations harm the U.S. farmers who grow our food, upend food and feed supply chains, and significantly increase grocery food prices – all without public health benefit.

    We have concerns that environmentalists are advancing harmful health, economic, or food security policies under the guise of human health. Despite insinuations to the contrary, regular testing by FDA and USDA finds that more than 99% of all pesticide residues meet extremely conservative limits established by EPA according to the best available science.

    We applaud the Commission’s desire to improve the health and well-being of Americans. We implore you to ensure policy decisions are grounded in sound science and risk-based analyses. With unity, we can protect American agricultural producers from environmental activists’ attacks on proven-safe inputs critical to their profitability and long-term viability while promoting positive health outcomes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: International Summit on the Future of Energy Security Partners

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    International Summit on the Future of Energy Security Partners

    Government welcomes Official Partners of International Summit on the Future of Energy Security.

    • The Official Partners sponsoring the International Energy Agency and UK Government’s energy security summit are Iberdrola/ScottishPower, National Grid, SSE and Urenco 

    • Ministers and industry leaders from around the world will gather in London in April to discuss the future of energy security 

    • Summit will be hosted by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and International Energy Agency Executive Director Dr Fatih Birol

    The government has today (Monday 14 April) announced the four Official Partners sponsoring the upcoming summit marking a new era for energy security.  

    Energy ministers and key energy sector decision makers from around the world will convene at the UK Government and International Energy Agency’s Summit on the Future of Energy Security, co-hosted by the Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and IEA Executive Director Dr Fatih Birol, at Lancaster House, London, on 24-25 April.   

     Sponsorship from Iberdrola/ScottishPower, National Grid, SSE and Urenco will help deliver the summit at a lower cost to UK taxpayers and demonstrates their ongoing commitment to delivering clean energy and energy security in the UK and around the world.   

    In recent years, energy security has risen up the global agenda as countries act to respond to today’s challenges and protect themselves from future energy shocks. The summit is an opportunity to cooperate on rising to the challenges the world faces on energy security and seizing the opportunities to act. It comes as the UK sets a global example by accelerating to a new era of clean electricity by 2030.  

    The Official Partners  

    Iberdrola/ScottishPower   

    Iberdrola is the largest utility in Europe, with a market capitalization of £85 billion, and serves 100 million people worldwide thanks to a diversified portfolio of businesses across the electricity value chain in the UK, the US, Spain, France, Germany, Brazil and Australia. In the UK, Iberdrola is investing £24 billion up to 2028 through ScottishPower, mainly in transmission and distribution networks and offshore wind. Overall, the Group is dedicating around 70% of its investments to power networks to accelerate electrification as a way to increase energy security and competitiveness, create new industries and jobs, and improve sustainability. Around two thirds of Iberdrola’s global investments are allocated to the UK and to the US   

    Iberdrola Executive Chairman Ignacio Galán said:  

    Energy security is the first step towards overall security. Digitalization, big data, AI and the industries of the future rely on a secure power supply, driving demand growth not seen for decades, and network infrastructures are the backbone of a resilient power system.  Driven by the UK Government’s clear and stable energy policies, Iberdrola is investing £24 billion to 2028 in the UK in transmission, distribution and offshore wind to guarantee energy security, growth and competitiveness. We welcome the IEA and UK Government bringing together key policy makers and energy companies to analyse how best to enhance energy security globally.

    National Grid  

    National Grid is investing £60 billion in energy networks over the next five years in the UK and the northeastern United States. This represents nearly double the investment of the previous five years. Its commitment will unlock significant economic growth, create thousands of new jobs, reduce energy bills in the long term, increase energy security, and support an increasingly decarbonised, electrified economy.  

    National Grid Chief Executive Officer John Pettigrew said:   

    National Grid is investing £60 billion in energy networks to 2029, boosting energy security, driving economic growth, and supporting 60,000 more jobs across the UK and US. Innovation and investment will be essential to unlocking the benefits of the energy transformation for customers and communities; it is essential that events like this exist to enable the sector to collaborate and drive progress forwards.

    SSE  

    SSE is a UK-listed and headquartered company investing £20 billion over five years to 2027 in renewable energy, electricity networks, and flexible power generation. Harnessing some of Europe’s best renewable resources with projects like Dogger Bank – the world’s largest offshore wind farm – SSE generates homegrown clean energy, protecting billpayers from overdependence on imported fossil fuels. It also builds and operate vital transmission and distribution grids to connect and transport more secure power to homes and businesses. At the same time, through its fleet of flexible generation and storage assets across hydro, batteries and efficient gas-fired power stations, it provides the balance required to ensure an increasingly renewable energy system is not only cleaner but more secure.  

    SSE Chief Executive Officer Alistair Phillips-Davies said:   

    It has never been clearer that energy security equates to national security – and achieving it requires countries to focus both on developing their own homegrown energy sources and on international cooperation to ensure increased flexibility and resilience. This principle is at the heart of the UK Government’s Clean Power Mission, and we are proud to be playing our part in delivering mission-critical investments across renewables, networks, and system flexibility. But there is more we can and must do, and we are therefore thrilled to be partnering with the UK Government and the IEA to advance this crucial agenda.

    Urenco  

    Urenco is a global uranium enrichment company, fuelling nuclear power plants to ensure a secure, reliable, and low carbon supply of energy. With four facilities in different countries within the Western world, it is providing customers with choice of where to receive their supply from and are rapidly ramping up capacity to meet increased demand.  

    Urenco Chief Executive Officer Boris Schucht said:  

    There are now well-established drivers for an enhanced role of nuclear power: the need to meet climate change goals; and the need for countries to have a secure and independent energy supply. As a long-standing and integral part of the global nuclear industry, Urenco sees it as our responsibility to make a valuable contribution to meeting world-wide energy needs, complementing other low carbon sources through a 24/7 supply which is cost effective over the lifetime of a reactor. We will continue to collaborate with partners across the energy sector and beyond to help ensure the reliable, clean energy system our world needs are achieved.

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    Updates to this page

    Published 14 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Southern District of Texas Charges More Than 200 Persons for Immigration and Border Security Offenses This Week

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    HOUSTON – A total of 229 cases have been filed in border security-related matters from April 4-10, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. 

    As part of those cases, 80 face allegations of illegally reentering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, firearms or sexual offenses, or prior immigration crimes. A total of 126 people face charges of illegally entering the country, 18 cases involve various instances of human smuggling with others relating to firearms, false statements and other immigration matters.  

    One such case alleges Victor D. Perozo-Zarraga committed fraud and misuse of a visa after authorities found him in possession of fraudulent legal permanent resident and Social Security documents. He indicated he had legal status to be in the United States, which he does not, according to the complaint. 

    Other relevant matters this week include a Mexican visa holder who attempted to bring child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and drugs across the border. Christian Christopher Rodriguez-Lopez was ordered to serve 151 months after attempting to enter the United States from Mexico. Upon inspection, law enforcement located approximately five kilograms of cocaine in his vehicle. Further investigation following his arrest resulted in the additional discovery of CSAM on his cell phone. His visa has since been revoked. 

    “Mr. Rodriguez-Lopez is a perfect example of why our more aggressive approach to border security is so critical,” said Ganjei. “Neither these drugs, nor this defendant, have any place in our communities. Due to the excellent work of our law enforcement partners, this cocaine will never make it to the streets and this offender will spend the next decade in federal prison.”

    Also announced was a 29-year-old Mexican national with a felony criminal history who was sentenced for illegally entering the country without authorization. Joaquin Hernandez-Reyes has felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as assault of a public servant and possession of a controlled substance. He was first removed from the United States in 2016 and returned illegally several more times. He received a 72-month sentence. 

    A Mexican national who illegally resided in Roma has been ordered to federal prison for 37 months for human smuggling. Allan Eduardo Mar-Uballe was driving a Ford Expedition with the back seats and seatbelts removed. Inside the vehicle were 18 illegal aliens, including two unaccompanied minors. Authorities attempted to stop the vehicle, but he evaded at a high rate of speed and drove erratically, disregarding stop signs and other vehicles, before crashing into a ditch. Several inside the vehicle sustained injuries. 

    Another human smuggler was sentenced to 46 months. On Dec. 23, 2024, Felipe Montez attempted to transport seven illegal aliens. He was driving a vehicle waiting by the Rio Grande River near Escobares as the individuals ran from the river towards him. Upon the sight of law enforcement, they all attempted to flee, but authorities apprehended them. Further investigation revealed Montez was involved in four previous alien smuggling events which involved attempts to evade law enforcement. His crimes have involved a total of 41 illegal aliens.

    In a case out of the Corpus Christi office, the court found Hosmel Vences responsible for organizing the smuggling of at least 75 illegal aliens between Aug. 16 – Dec. 17, 2023, and ordered him to serve 48 months. The investigation revealed Vences recruited many different drivers from all over South Texas to drive to Brownsville and Raymondville for the purpose of transporting illegal aliens further into the United States.

    Authorities also arrested a former Texas National Guard soldier for alien smuggling. Mario Sandoval was allegedly deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border with the Texas National Guard as part of Operation Lonestar. The charges allege that following his service in that capacity, Sandoval remained in the Rio Grande Valley and participated in alien smuggling from July 11-23, 2024. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. 

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

    The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. 

    An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: G20 Development Working Group meeting to get underway

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The South African Presidency of the Group of Twenty (G20) is this week convening the second Development Working Group (DWG) meeting in the Western Cape.

    “The G20 DWG plays a pivotal role in shaping global development priorities, focusing on reducing inequalities, promoting sustainable growth, and strengthening international partnerships,” the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation said.

    Starting on Monday, 14 April and ending on Wednesday, 16 April, the meeting will serve as a platform for in-depth discussions on key development challenges and cooperative solutions.

    The G20 is an international forum of both developing and developed countries, which seeks to find solutions to global economic and financial issues. 

    South Africa’s G20 Presidency commenced on 1 December 2024 and will run until 30 November 2025. 

    The gathering will bring together representatives from G20 member states, invited countries, and international organisations to deliberate on policies that foster inclusive economic growth and sustainable development. 

    In alignment with the theme of Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability, the discussions will focus on three high-level priorities:
    •    High-Level Principles on Global Public Goods and Global Public Investment.
    •    Mobilising Finance for Development and Means of Implementation.
    •    Building Resilience through Universal Social Protection Floors.

    The G20 members represent around 85% of the global Gross Domestic Product, over 75% of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.

    It comprises 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, United Kingdom, and United States) and two regional bodies, namely the European Union (EU) and African Union (AU).

    The three-day meeting is taking place at the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset. –SAnews.gov.za
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: President Ramaphosa appoints Mcebisi Jonas as Special Envoy to the United States

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed former Deputy Finance Minister, Mcebisi Jonas, as his Special Envoy to the United States.

    In his new role, Jonas will serve as the official representative of the President and the government of South Africa.

    “In this capacity, Mr Jonas is entrusted with the responsibility to advance South Africa’s diplomatic, trade and bilateral priorities. He will lead negotiations, foster strategic partnerships and engage with US government officials and private-sector leaders to promote our nation’s interests,” President Ramaphosa said in a statement on Monday. 

    The Head of State described Jonas as an eminent South African leader, who served as one of four Presidential Investment Envoys that he appointed in 2018 to facilitate investment into South Africa. 

    “As a former Deputy Finance Minister of South Africa, Mr Jonas brings extensive governmental experience to his new diplomatic role. Concurrently, he holds the position of Independent Non-Executive Chairman of the MTN Group, a role he will maintain alongside his responsibilities as my Special Envoy,” the President said. 

    In addition, the President believes that this appointment underscores his distinguished career and continued commitment to advancing South Africa’s national and economic interests.

    “For decades, South Africa and the United States of America have maintained a historical and strategic relationship. In the interest of our country, our region and the rest of our continent, I remain committed to rebuilding and maintaining this relationship for more decades based on mutual respect, recognition of each other’s sovereignty and benefit for our respective peoples,” he added. 

    Meanwhile, a delegation of senior officials, led by South Africa’s Group of 20 (G20) Sherpa and the Director-General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Zane Dangor, recently met with United States officials to clarify the country’s expropriation and equity laws.

    During the visit, the delegation engaged with their counterparts in Washington, including senior officials at the White House and the State Department, to address key bilateral priorities. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon Who Possessed a Gun Sentenced to Over Three Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    A convicted felon who unlawfully possessed a handgun was sentenced April 8, 2025, to more than three years in federal prison.

    Torion Tamaz Byrd, age 25, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 1, 2024, bench trial where he was found guilty of one count of felon in possession of a firearm

    Evidence at trial showed that Byrd was found in possession of a handgun when Waterloo police officers stopped a car Byrd was driving.  During the traffic stop, officers arrested the passenger in the car who was wanted for failing to appear for a state court hearing.  Officers saw a loaded handgun with an extended magazine in the glove box.  Byrd’s DNA was eventually found in three places on the handgun.  

    Byrd was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Byrd was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    Byrd is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.  

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 24-CR-2016.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Plantro Ltd. Files Amended and Restated Offer Documents in Respect of Premium All-Cash Tender Offer to Acquire up to 15% of Class A Limited Voting Shares of Information Services Corporation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Offer Documents relate to amendment and extension of the Tender Offer, which were previously announced on April 8, 2025
    • Tender Offer is an opportunity for shareholders to de-risk their investment in ISC for an attractive all-cash premium in the face of ongoing business and dilution risks, and the lack of trading liquidity of the Class A Shares
    • Plantro believes Board refreshment is necessary to unlock ISC’s potential to allow it to become a made-in-Saskatchewan success story

    ST. MICHAEL, Barbados, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Plantro Ltd. (“Plantro”) today announced that it has filed amended and restated offer documents in respect of its offer (the “Tender Offer”) to acquire up to 2,777,242 Class A Limited Voting Shares (the “Class A Shares”) in the capital of Information Services Corporation (TSX: ISC) (“ISC” or the “Company”) at a price of $27.25 per Class A Share, payable in cash. The amendments and extension, which will benefit ISC shareholders, were previously announced on April 8, 2025, and were made following constructive engagement with the Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan and the Ontario Securities Commission.

    Shareholders depositing Class A Shares pursuant to the Tender Offer should utilize the amended and restated Letter of Transmittal filed today. Any deposits of Class A Shares utilizing the prior form of Letter of Transmittal must be resubmitted using the amended and restated Letter of Transmittal to be accepted as valid.

    Plantro’s Premium Offer Provides Shareholders a Rare Opportunity for Cash Liquidity in a Company With ‘Upside Down Economics’

    Plantro believes that the economics of ISC are ‘upside down’ and do not benefit long term shareholders. Since ISC’s IPO in 2013, there has been a clear troubling trend, expense growth has consistently outpaced revenue growth. When expenses consistently outpace revenue, it sets the stage for serious financial challenges over the long term.

    The Risk of Shareholder Dilution

    On April 10, 2025, despite recommending against the Tender Offer as “highly undervalued”, ISC filed a $275 million preliminary short form base shelf prospectus with the Canadian securities regulators (the “Prospectus”). Plantro believes it is impossible for ISC to fund its ‘buy-to-grow’ strategy to meet its 2028 revenue and Adjusted EBITDA targets through cash flow generation or without incurring significant new debt, and would have to sell equity. Plantro is concerned that the Prospectus provides ISC flexibility to issue up to $275 million in equity – more than half of its current market capitalization, which would massively dilute ISC shareholders.

    Board Refreshment Will Drive Shareholder Returns

    Plantro believes that the board of directors (the “Board”) must be refreshed, so that it can drive accretive growth for shareholders and derive true operating leverage and economies of scale. Plantro believes the Board requires an infusion of relevant skills and experience, and directors that can hold management accountable and drive operational execution. The interests of the directors, who collectively own little stock, differs from that of other shareholders. The Board has little incentive to prioritize shareholder returns and avoid unnecessary equity dilution.

    The Opportunity for a Made-in-Saskatchewan Success Story

    As a first step, a refreshed Board should fulfil ISC’s true potential to be a made-in-Saskatchewan success story. Saskatchewan has developed a business-friendly tech ecosystem and ISC should take full advantage of these benefits. However:

    The number of employees ISC has based in Saskatchewan appears to have steadily declined since its IPO1.

    Today, most of its remaining workforce, which make up the majority of ISC employees, is concentrated in high-cost global hubs, such as Toronto and Dublin, Ireland, where it appears new positions continue to be added.

    Plantro believes that a refreshed Board should commit to relocating at least 100 of these positions back to Saskatchewan over the next year.

    This move would establish a “center of excellence”, in Saskatchewan, driving enhanced operational performance and enabling opportunities for margin expansion. Plantro believes this would deliver significant near-term value to both the Company and its shareholders. Centralizing and repatriating jobs to Saskatchewan is just good business sense.

    The Board Should Engage with Plantro and Stop Attacking Constructive Shareholders

    From the outset, Plantro has made every effort to resolve these matters confidentially, in good faith, and behind closed doors. Unfortunately, the ISC Board has chosen a different path—pursuing public litigation of these matters and resorting to inappropriate personal attacks and mischaracterizations in the media.

    Despite the path chosen by the ISC Board to date, Plantro hopes to accomplish the refreshment of the Board through constructive engagement, and has not nominated individuals for the 2025 annual meeting of shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”). Plantro continues to make repeated requests to meet with the Chair, other members of the Board, and management. Unfortunately, all such outreaches have been ignored to date. If the Board does not engage constructively, and continues its current approach, Plantro may withhold votes, including those acquired through the Tender Offer, from the Board at the Annual Meeting, and it reserves all of its rights as a shareholder to take action in the future.

    An Opportunity for Long Term Shareholders to Receive an Attractive Risk-Adjusted Cash Premium

    Since the Class A Shares are so illiquid, even long term shareholders have no prospect of being able to sell stock without meaningfully affecting the price of the Class A Shares. The changes outlined above will take time, and for shareholders who been in the stock for many years, this is a unique opportunity – if they so choose.

    Important Amendments for ISC Shareholders

    The amendments to the terms of the Tender Offer include, among other things:

    • Extended Tender Offer Period – The Tender Offer is now open for acceptance by shareholders of the Company until 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on April 28, 2025 (the “Expiry Time”), unless the Tender Offer is further extended, varied or withdrawn.
    • Tender Offer Made to All Shareholders – Plantro is making the Tender Offer to all shareholders of the Company, including shareholders who were not holders of record on March 24, 2025 and the Crown Investment Corporation of Saskatchewan.
    • No Longer Acquiring Shares on a First Come First Serve Basis – Plantro will only take up and pay for Class A Shares that are deposited pursuant to the Tender Offer as at the Expiry Time, and not on a “first come, first served” and/or “rolling” basis. As a result, if more than the maximum number of Class A Shares for which the Tender Offer is made are delivered in accordance with the Tender Offer and not withdrawn at the time of take up of the Class A Shares, the Class A Shares to be purchased from each depositing shareholder will be determined on a pro rata basis according to the number of Class A Shares delivered by each shareholder, disregarding fractions, by rounding down to the nearest whole number of Class A Shares.
    • Shareholders Have the Right to Opt Out of Voting Tender – Plantro has further amended the Tender Offer to allow Class A Shareholders of record on March 24, 2025, to opt out of appointing representatives of Plantro as their nominees and proxy in respect of such shares owned by a shareholder that are not deposited pursuant to the Tender Offer and ultimately taken up and paid for. For clarity, such opt out right will not apply to Class A Shares of record on March 24, 2025, which are deposited pursuant to the Tender Offer and ultimately taken up and paid for, and the holder of such shares will be required to appoint representatives of Plantro as its nominees and proxy for the Company’s annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 24, 2025 in respect of such shares.

    In addition to the above amendments, the size of the Tender Offer has been reduced by 100 Class A Shares to reflect that Plantro has acquired such number of shares in the market, all in compliance with the terms of the Tender Offer.

    Plantro is relying on the exemption under section 9.2(4) of National Instrument 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations to the circular requirements of applicable Canadian proxy solicitation laws. For further details, please see below under the heading “Information in Support of Public Broadcast Exemption Under Canadian Law”. The Tender Offer is not a formal or exempt take-over bid under Canadian securities laws and regulations. In no event will Plantro (or its affiliates or associates) make any such purchases of Class A Shares that would result in Plantro, together with its affiliates and associates, beneficially owning or exercising control or direction over more than 15% of the outstanding Class A Shares upon completion of the Tender Offer.

    Full details of the Tender Offer are included in the Offer Documents and are available online on the Company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Plantro’s Advisors

    Plantro has engaged Goodmans LLP as its legal advisor, Carson Proxy as its information agent, Odyssey Trust Company as depositary, and Gagnier Communications as its strategic communications advisor.

    About Plantro

    Plantro is a privately-held company, with an established track record of making successful investments in undervalued and high quality legal, financial, and information services businesses.

    Shareholder Questions

    Shareholders who have questions with respect to the Tender Offer, or who need assistance in depositing their Class A Shares, please contact the depositary and information agent for the Tender Offer:

    Depositary: Odyssey Trust Company

    Toll Free (US & Canada): 1-888-290-1175
    Calls (All Regions): 587-885-0960
    Email: corp.actions@odysseytrust.com

    Information Agent: Carson Proxy

    North America Toll Free: 1-800-530-5189
    Local and Text: 416-751-2066
    Email: info@carsonproxy.com

    Information in Support of Public Broadcast Exemption Under Canadian Law

    Plantro is relying on the exemption under section 9.2(4) of National Instrument 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations to make this public broadcast solicitation. The following information is provided in accordance with corporate and securities laws applicable to public broadcast solicitations.

    This solicitation is being made by Plantro, and not by or on behalf of management of ISC. The information agent will receive a fee of up to $250,000 for its services as information agent under the Tender Offer, plus ancillary payments and disbursements. Based upon publicly available information, ISC’s registered and head office is located at 300 – 10 Research Drive, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4S 7J7, Canada. Plantro is soliciting proxies in reliance upon the public broadcast exemption to the solicitation requirements under applicable Canadian corporate and securities laws, conveyed by way of public broadcast, including press release, speech or publication, and by any other manner permitted under applicable Canadian securities laws. In addition, this solicitation may be made by mail, telephone, facsimile, email or other electronic means as well as by newspaper or other media advertising and in person by representatives of Plantro. All costs incurred for such solicitation will be borne by Plantro.

    A registered shareholder who has given a proxy under the terms of the Letter of Transmittal may, prior to its Class A Shares being taken up and paid for under the Tender Offer, revoke the proxy by instrument in writing, including a proxy bearing a later date. The instrument revoking the proxy must be deposited at the registered office of ISC at least 48 hours, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, preceding the date of the meeting or an adjournment or postponement thereof, or with the Chair of the meeting on the day of the meeting, or in any other manner permitted by law, provided that, in each circumstance, a copy of such revocation has been delivered to the depositary, at its principal office in Toronto, Ontario, Canada prior to the Class A Shares relating to such proxy having been taken up and paid for under the Tender Offer.

    A non-registered shareholder may revoke a form of proxy or voting instruction form given to an intermediary at any time by written notice to the intermediary in accordance with the instructions given to the non-registered shareholder by its intermediary. Non-registered shareholders should contact their broker for assistance in ensuring that forms of proxies or voting instructions previously given to an intermediary are properly revoked.

    None of Plantro nor, to its knowledge, any of its associates or affiliates, has any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the commencement of ISC’s most recently completed financial year, or in any proposed transaction which has materially affected or will materially affect ISC or any of its subsidiaries. None of Plantro nor, to its knowledge, any of its associates or affiliates, has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter to be acted upon at any upcoming shareholders’ meeting, other than as set out herein.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

    This press release may contain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Specifically, certain statements contained in this press release, including without limitation statements regarding the Tender Offer, taking up and paying for Class A Shares deposited under the Tender Offer, and the expiry of the Tender Offer, contain “forward-looking information” and are prospective in nature. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward looking terminology such as “plans”, “targets”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “an opportunity exists”, “is positioned”, “estimates”, “intends”, “assumes”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate” or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might”, “will” or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved”. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking statements.

    Statements containing forward-looking information are not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and projections about future events and are therefore subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the future outcomes expressed or implied by the statements containing forward-looking information.

    Although Plantro believes that the expectations reflected in statements containing forward-looking information herein made by it (and not, for greater certainty, any forward-looking statements attributable to the Company) are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Material factors or assumptions that were applied in formulating the forward-looking information contained herein include the assumption that the business and economic conditions affecting the Company’s operations will continue substantially in the current state, including, without limitation, with respect to industry conditions, general levels of economic activity, continuity and availability of personnel, local and international laws and regulations, foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates, inflation, taxes, that there will be no unplanned material changes to the Company’s operations, and that the Company’s public disclosure record is accurate in all material respects and is not misleading (including by omission).

    Plantro cautions that the foregoing list of material factors and assumptions is not exhaustive. While these factors and assumptions are considered by Plantro to be appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances as of the date of this press release, they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of Plantro and there is no assurance that they will prove correct.

    Important facts that could cause outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information include, among other things, actions taken by the Company in respect of the Tender Offer, the content of subsequent public disclosures by the Company, the failure to satisfy the conditions to the Tender Offer, general economic conditions, legislative or regulatory changes and changes in capital or securities markets. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if the opinions, estimates or assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results or future events might vary materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Although Plantro has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other risk factors not presently known to Plantro or that Plantro presently believes are not material that could also cause actual results or future events to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking information.

    Statements containing forward-looking information in this press release are based on Plantro’s beliefs and opinions at the time the statements are made, and there should be no expectation that such forward-looking information will be updated or supplemented as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise, and Plantro disclaims any obligation to do so, except as required by applicable law. All of the forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements.

    1405-7479-8102

    1 Based on 2014 Annual Information Form vs. 2025 Annual Information Form and current LinkedIn Data.

    The MIL Network –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Claim 100% Deposit Bonus and $100 Trading Bonus with 100x Leverage & No KYC – Only on BexBack

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global cryptocurrency derivatives exchange BexBack has launched two powerful bonus programs designed to give traders a significant edge in the volatile crypto market. With up to 100x leverage, zero slippage, and no KYC requirements, BexBack continues to attract both novice and professional traders across 200+ countries.

    Two Independent Bonus Promotions

    To further support user growth and trading activity, BexBack is now offering two separate bonus campaigns that can be used for trading and profit generation.

    1. 100% Deposit Bonus

    This bonus matches your deposit amount 1:1 — double your trading power instantly.

    How to Claim and Use:

    • Available to all users, including new and existing accounts
    • Bonus is automatically credited after a qualifying deposit
    • Bonus is non-withdrawable but fully usable for leveraged trading
    • Profits generated from the bonus are withdrawable
    • Details: https://www.bexback.com/activity/deposit-bonus

    2. $100 Trading Bonus

    Earn up to $100 in trading bonus through qualifying deposits.

    How to Claim and Use:

    • $50 Bonus: Deposit over 0.001 BTC or 100 USDT in a single transaction
    • $100 Bonus: First-time deposit over 0.01 BTC or 1000 USDT
    • Bonuses can offset losses and increase position size
    • Bonuses cannot be withdrawn but profits can
    • Details: https://www.bexback.com/activity/deposit-bonus-first

    Why Trade 100x Leverage Futures on BexBack?

    BexBack enables traders to multiply their exposure and opportunities through 100x leverage — a single winning trade could grow your account 10x or even 100x in just one day. Whether you’re swing trading or scalping, this level of margin access creates unmatched potential in both bull and bear markets.

    Key Advantages of BexBack

    • 100x leverage on top cryptocurrencies
    • 100% Deposit Bonus + Welcome Bonuses
    • No KYC — sign up and trade instantly
    • Zero slippage and tight spreads
    • 24/7 customer support
    • Licensed MSB in the U.S.
    • Beginner-friendly UI and Demo Mode with 10 BTC test funds

    Who is BexBack?

    Headquartered in Singapore with operational offices in Hong Kong, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Argentina, BexBack is a rapidly growing crypto derivatives exchange. It serves over 500,000 users globally, offering secure, fast, and transparent futures trading. As a regulated Money Services Business (MSB) in the U.S., BexBack combines global trust with local access.

    Ready to Multiply Your Crypto Trading?

    Don’t miss your chance to claim 100% deposit bonus or up to $100 in trading bonuses. Trade smarter with BexBack’s 100x leverage and take control of your financial future today.

    Sign up on BexBack now, claim your exclusive bonus and start accumulating more BTC today!

    Website: www.bexback.com

    Contact: business@bexback.com

    Contact:
    Amanda
    business@bexback.com

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by BexBack The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.

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    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6545edce-37fd-406f-9976-01796f7492d9

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9b73bcce-5548-4d38-8250-3fd22e9ee7df

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/03d1fedb-6653-4574-b0e3-05592c3244e1

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0d4ad990-1de6-4d77-903b-18e5524a2b74

    The MIL Network –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: MNP Consumer Debt Index Rebounds (+9 Pts) as Canadians Take Steps to Safeguard their Finances Amid Economic Uncertainty

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As Canadians take steps to safeguard their finances amid ongoing economic uncertainty, the MNP Consumer Debt Index—conducted quarterly by Ipsos—has rebounded to 88 points this quarter, marking a nine-point increase from the previous quarter and signaling a more optimistic outlook on personal finances. Reflecting Canadians’ shift toward financial caution, three-quarters (74%) say they have cut back on spending due to uncertainty, with women (77%) and those aged 35-54 (81%) being the most likely to have reduced spending. Around the same proportion (73%) say they are delaying major purchases or investments.

    “The improvement we are seeing in Canadians’ feelings toward their personal finances follows two Bank of Canada interest rate cuts this year. And while uncertainty remains around U.S. tariffs, their on-again, off-again nature may be providing Canadians with some optimism for the future—especially since these tariffs have yet to make a full impact on household budgets,” explains Grant Bazian, president of MNP LTD, the country’s largest insolvency firm.

    Lower Interest Rates Offer Relief, but Many Remain Concerned

    The proportion of Canadians concerned about the impact of rising interest rates remains near the highest level on record (60%, +1pt). However, thanks in part to the interest rate reductions this year, overall concerns about the broader impact of interest rates have declined. Fewer Canadians this quarter are worried about their ability to repay debts, even if rates decrease (43%, -7pts). Nearly a quarter (24%, +4pts) now feel better equipped to absorb a one-percentage-point rate increase, while the percentage (21%, -6pts) who feel less prepared has decreased. More than half (52%, -5pts) continue to worry about falling into financial trouble if rates rise, and nearly two in five (38%, -8pts) fear that rising rates could push them toward bankruptcy.

    “Lower interest rates, along with the budget adjustments Canadians have already made, seem to be providing some breathing room,” says Bazian.

    A majority of Canadians (81%) say the current economic uncertainty has made them more cautious about taking on new debt – a sentiment that is consistent across genders, age groups, regions and income levels. A higher proportion this quarter believes they will be able to cover living expenses in the next year without needing more credit (58%, +9pts) and fewer regret the amount of debt they have taken on (43%, -6pts).

    “In comparison to the previous quarter, the results suggest that Canadians are taking proactive steps to reduce spending and lessen their reliance on credit as they brace for potential financial challenges on the horizon,” says Bazian.

    He points to the fact that Canadians’ net personal debt rating (positive minus negative) has rebounded 14 points from last quarter’s all-time low. Additionally, fewer Canadians (43%, -7pts) report being just $200 or less away from financial insolvency, unable to meet their bills and debt obligations each month. This is due to significantly fewer saying they are already insolvent (26%, -9pts).

    “Four in ten Canadians still report being on the brink of insolvency, and more than a quarter have no financial cushion, no flexibility, or wiggle room in their budgets. Individuals without a safety net will likely face economic hardship when faced with rising costs and housing expenses, or a potential loss of income,” says Bazian.

    Well over half (58%) of Canadians express heightened concern about their ability to pay off debt due to ongoing uncertainty. This concern extends to broader financial stability, with about two in five worried about the possibility of someone in their household losing their job (38%, -3pts).

    Canadians Bracing for Increased Housing Costs

    Two in five (44%) Canadians say they are bracing for an increase in housing costs within the next year. Renters have a higher expectation of rising costs than homeowners, with two in three (65%) expecting their housing costs to increase within the next year, and nearly one-third of homeowners (30%) agreeing their housing costs will rise. Lower income earners may be impacted the most, with half (52%) of those earning under $40,000 expecting an increase, compared to one-third (34%) of those earning $100,000 or more. Younger Canadians under the age of 55 are more likely to expect an increase compared to those 55 and older.

    “More than four million mortgages—roughly 60% of all outstanding mortgages in Canada—are set to renew by the end of 2026 at potentially higher rates. This is just one example of the rising expenses, compounded by ongoing economic uncertainty, that those teetering on the edge can’t afford,” says Bazian.

    Bazian says that there is help for those struggling to manage debt repayment, missing monthly payments or simply unable to make ends meet.

    “Licensed Insolvency Trustees provide unbiased advice to help Canadians make informed decisions to address both short-term pressures and long-term debt management, especially during times of financial instability,” says Bazian.

    Licensed Insolvency Trustees play a vital role in helping Canadians navigate financial challenges and make decisions about managing their debt. As the financial landscape remains unpredictable, seeking guidance from a Licensed Insolvency Trustee can provide individuals with a clear understanding of their debt-relief options, including debt consolidation, consumer proposals, and bankruptcy.

    MNP’s extensive network of Licensed Insolvency Trustees provides free consultations across more than 200 offices nationwide, offering Canadians personalized, local support to help them explore debt relief options.

    As a result of the uncertain economic environment, half (50%) of Canadians say they are relying more on financial advice and planning.

    About MNP LTD

    MNP LTD, a division of the national accounting firm MNP LLP, is the largest insolvency practice in Canada. For more than 50 years, our experienced team of Licensed Insolvency Trustees and advisors have been working with individuals to help them recover from times of financial distress and regain control of their finances. With more than 240 Canadian offices from coast-to-coast, MNP helps thousands of Canadians each year who are struggling with an overwhelming amount of debt. Visit MNPdebt.ca to contact a Licensed Insolvency Trustee or use our free Do it Yourself (DIY) debt assessment tools. For regular, bite-sized insights about debt and personal finances, subscribe to the MNP 3 Minute Debt Break Podcast.

    About the MNP Consumer Debt Index

    The MNP Consumer Debt Index measures Canadians’ attitudes toward their consumer debt and gauges their ability to pay their bills, endure unexpected expenses, and absorb interest-rate fluctuations without approaching insolvency. Conducted by Ipsos and updated quarterly, the Index is an industry-leading barometer of financial pressure or relief among Canadians.

    Now in its 32nd wave, the Index has rebounded to 88 points, up nine points since last quarter. Visit MNPdebt.ca/CDI to learn more.

    The data was compiled by Ipsos on behalf of MNP LTD between March 11 – 14, 2025. For this survey, a sample of 2,000 Canadians aged 18 years and over was interviewed. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ±2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadian adults been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

    Provincial data is available upon request.

    CONTACT

    Angela Joyce, Media Relations

    p. 1.403.681.9286
    e. angela.joyce@mnp.ca

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d64985f7-0b02-45ea-a904-ae2b56c256ab

    The MIL Network –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘Cross-border commuters’: the women who risk the dangerous crossing between Venezuela and Colombia each day

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Valentina Montoya Robledo, Senior Researcher in Gender and Mobility, University of Oxford

    Many people cross the border between Venezuela and Colombia each day – but they are not migrants. These people live on the Venezuelan side because they cannot afford rent or utilities in Colombia.

    The vast majority are women, many of whom are single mothers solely responsible for their children’s subsistence and care. They cross the border on foot, often with their children, because it is their only option for survival.

    High inflation in Venezuela has made many staples unaffordable, while many other essential items are either unavailable or poor quality. But rent is cheaper in their home country, so they are known as “cross-border commuters”.

    Because they are moving within the border zone, the law does not require them to have their passports stamped each time. On the Colombian side, they buy goods – products that are cheaper there — to sell in Venezuela. They find ingredients to make cakes and pastries, or hair dye for their clients. Others cross to attend the doctor or give birth.

    Some women take their children to school in Colombia. In Venezuela, public schools currently operate only two days a week, while across the border they run for the full five-day school week and welcome children from Venezuela. Some women used to take their little ones to nursery in Colombia – but not any more, since the recent USAID cuts removed funding for these nurseries.

    In the few hours without their children, the women find work in Colombia’s “gig economy”: recycling garbage, selling coffee, standing at traffic lights selling fried plantains, or even their bodies.

    When I asked a public official in the Colombian border city of Cúcuta about the women coming in from Venezuela each day, he told me: “The good ones cross over the bridge [legally], and the bad ones go underneath [bypassing border controls].”

    In fact, what brings these women into Colombia, and which route they use to arrive each day, is much more nuanced than that official suggests.

    Neither government understands

    Despite the Colombian government having set up education, health and employment programs for receiving and including Venezuelan migrants, these women are not traditional migrants. Neither government has much understanding of what it means for them to seek a livelihood in Colombia to survive and support their children.

    For the most part, neither government maintains updated statistics on how many women there are, the circumstances they face, why they cross over or under the bridge, the reasons or characteristics of their movements, and why they do not settle permanently in Colombia. These questions, among others, are what I have set out to research.

    Some women walk back and forth across one of the bridges over the Tachira river, which runs along the border between the two countries. Others, when returning to Venezuela carrying bundles of goods, cross on motorcycle taxis.

    But crossing the bridge is not always easy. Some women report that Venezuelan border guards search their bags and confiscate part of what they carry. Other times, they must pay – not just official taxes but bribes too.

    One woman told me how a guard asked for guava-paste sweets in exchange for letting her pass. Depending on the day and which guards are patrolling the crossing, often they have to present a legally required exit permit for their children, signed by the father. “What father? That man abandoned me when my child was born, and I haven’t heard from him since,” one woman told me.

    Without a permit, legally crossing the border into Colombia with their children becomes almost impossible. And there is no authority they can turn to for help.

    Under the bridge

    Then there are those who cross under the bridge every day, because they dare not risk being asked for a permit for their children.

    The Tachira river dries up and swells depending on the season, with multiple informal crossings known locally as “trochas”. When the river is low, people walk across on logs placed like makeshift bridges, or hop from stone to stone. When the water rises, they use small, self-built rafts.

    These crossings may be informal, but they can also be very dangerous. The women told me of clashes between armed groups on both sides of the river – some of them had been caught in the crossfire with their children in tow.

    Others described cases of sexual violence. They were particularly afraid for their daughters, because one of the men guarding the trocha may “set his sights on them” – meaning he might take a sexual interest.

    One woman told me cell phones are not allowed by the people who guard the trochas – who supposedly guarantee their safety. It adds to their sense of vulnerability. People generally pay to cross – if not with money then with their bodies. These are the unspoken rules of these pathways.

    As a result, every day the women fear for their safety and that of their children. But if something happens to them in the trochas, they mistrust the government and fear reporting these crimes.

    The women are vulnerable. They are neither “good” for crossing over the bridge, nor “bad” for crossing under it. Most make the decision on a day-to-day basis depending on their resources and time available, the papers they have, the goods they need to carry, and what they consider best for their children.

    As they say in Colombia, for these mothers “each day brings its own hustle”.

    Valentina Montoya Robledo receives funding from the John Fell Fund from the University of Oxford. She directs the transmedia project Invisible Commutes.

    – ref. ‘Cross-border commuters’: the women who risk the dangerous crossing between Venezuela and Colombia each day – https://theconversation.com/cross-border-commuters-the-women-who-risk-the-dangerous-crossing-between-venezuela-and-colombia-each-day-253552

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: AGNICO EAGLE LAUNCHES NEW PODCAST SERIES – THE ARCTIC EDGE

    Source: Agnico Eagle Mines

    New podcast showcases stories from Canada’s frontier and the unique identity of Nunavut

    April 14, 2025, Toronto, ON – Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (Agnico Eagle) is proud to introduce a special podcast series, The Arctic Edge: Stories from Canada’s Frontier. The trailer is live, and listeners can subscribe now to be notified when the first two episodes drop on May 1, 2025. Hosted by award-winning journalist, Hannah Thibedeau, the podcast focuses on a series of engaging stories and insightful interviews that explore Nunavut’s, and the broader Canadian North’s, social, economic and environmental opportunities and responsibilities, highlighting the importance of sustainable change.

    “As the Arctic region grows in strategic importance, not only for Canadians, but for many of our neighbours, it is vital that we come together as a nation to implement a comprehensive Arctic vision and strategy,” says Sean Boyd, Chair of the Board, Agnico Eagle. “Our goal is that listeners of The Arctic Edge will leave with a deeper appreciation for the North’s rich heritage and its immense potential.”

    “Agnico Eagle is deeply honoured by the opportunity to help share stories from Canada’s North to a broader audience,” says Ammar Al-Joundi, President & Chief Executive Officer, Agnico Eagle. “The stories shared on this podcast are engaging, insightful and moving. I am confident the podcast will spark curiosity and pride across Canada and beyond.”

    Nunavut is a land of immense potential, stunning landscapes and rich cultural heritage. While the future holds great promise, challenges remain that need to be addressed. Through this podcast, Agnico Eagle aims to foster meaningful discussions, and believes it is essential to ensure that Inuit voices are heard and respected.

    Special guests that will be heard throughout the series include:

    • Kono Tattuinee, President of Kivalliq Inuit Association
    • Peter Tapatai, President of Peter’s Expediting Limited
    • Dennis Patterson, Former Senator for Nunavut
    • Mads Qvist Frederiksen, Executive Director, Arctic Economic Council
    • Scott Clancy, Former Director General for the Royal Canadian Air Force
    • Sean Boyd, Chair of the Board, Agnico Eagle

    Listen to the trailer and subscribe to The Arctic Edge so you don’t miss the first two episodes dropping on May 1, 2025, by visiting: https://thearcticedge.ca/.

    The podcast will be available in English wherever you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The podcast will also be available in Inuktitut, date of release to be announced.

    About Agnico Eagle

    Agnico Eagle is a Canadian-based and led senior gold mining company and the third largest gold producer in the world, producing precious metals from operations in Canada, Australia, Finland and Mexico, with a pipeline of high-quality exploration and development projects. Agnico Eagle is a partner of choice within the mining industry, recognized globally for its leading sustainability practices.

    For further information regarding Agnico Eagle, contact:

    Natalie Frackleton
    Director, External Communications, Agnico Eagle
    Email: natalie.frackleton@agnicoeagle.com

    For media enquiries, contact:

    Taylor Jantzi
    Global Public Affairs
    Email: tjantzi@globalpublic.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: NSF launches new sexual assault crisis helpline for research community

    Source: US Government research organizations

    The U.S. National Science Foundation today launched a 24/7 crisis intervention helpline for members of the NSF research community who have experienced sexual assault, sexual harassment, or stalking.

    The NSF Safer Science Helpline is an anonymous and secure helpline available to NSF awardees, grantees, scientists, contractors and those affiliated with supporting the mission of NSF, including all those supporting NSF’s mission throughout Antarctica and the Arctic.

    “NSF is committed to ensuring a culture free from sexual assault, sexual harassment and stalking,” said Renée V. Ferranti, special assistant to the director for NSF Sexual Assault and Harassment Prevention and Response Program Office (NSF SAHPR). “The NSF Safer Science Helpline will give members of the NSF research community a safe way to access support and resources and help foster an environment free from sexual violence.”

    Helpline support specialists provide live, confidential, one-on-one crisis intervention and emotional support, as well as information for reporting channels and helping connect victims of sexual harm to additional support resources.

    Victims and survivors can access resources through phone, online chat and SMS text support mechanisms. All services are anonymous and secure, providing NSF community members with the help they need, anytime, anywhere. Services are trauma-informed and survivor-centered, aligning with NSF’s goals of ensuring confidentiality, safety and comprehensive care for victims and survivors.

    Individuals can access the NSF Safer Science Helpline in the following ways: 
    Phone number: 833-673-1733
    Number to text: 202-932-7569
    To chat or to find other resources available: NSFSaferScienceHelpline.org

    The NSF SAHPR launched the NSF Safer Science Helpline, operated by RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization.

    For information about the NSF SAHPR visit nsf.gov.
    For questions about the NSF Safer Science Helpline email saferscience@nsf.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: APA Corporation Announces Executive Leadership Updates; Ben C. Rodgers Promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Operational Leaders Added to Support Key Priorities

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — APA Corporation (Nasdaq: APA) today announced key updates to its executive leadership team.

    Ben Rodgers has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective May 12, 2025. In this role, he will oversee all financial activities and departments, including Accounting, Audit, Investor Relations, Planning, Tax and Treasury. Rodgers joined APA in 2018 and previously served as SVP, Finance and Treasurer. He also served as CFO of Altus Midstream and later as a director on the board of Kinetik Holdings Inc. He currently serves on the board of Khalda Petroleum Company, a joint venture between APA subsidiary Apache Corporation and Egypt Petroleum Company.

    Steve Riney will continue in his role as president, overseeing asset development and operations. As part of Steve’s team, the company has added two key executives to help oversee operations.

    Shad Frazier has joined as senior vice president, U.S. Onshore Operations, effective immediately. Shad has nearly 30 years of industry experience, most recently as vice president, Production Operations at Endeavor Energy Resources, LP. Previously, he held various leadership positions at Legacy Reserves and SandRidge Energy. He holds a petroleum engineering degree from Texas Tech University and a master’s degree in business administration from Oklahoma University.

    Donald Martin will also be joining the company as vice president, Decommissioning, effective May 26, 2025. Donald has 20 years of operations and decommissioning portfolio experience, most recently as the head of decommissioning & projects at Spirit Energy E&P. He has also managed decommissioning at Canadian Natural Resources E&P. Donald holds a master’s degree with distinction in major programme management from Oxford University.

    “I am pleased to welcome Ben to our executive leadership team. He has done a tremendous job and will bring valuable expertise to our financial operations,” said John J. Christmann, APA Corporation CEO. “I am also excited to welcome both Shad and Donald to the team. Their extensive experience and leadership will be instrumental in driving our operations forward.”

    About APA

    APA Corporation owns consolidated subsidiaries that explore for and produce oil and natural gas in the United States, Egypt and the United Kingdom and that explore for oil and natural gas offshore Suriname and elsewhere. APA posts announcements, operational updates, investor information and press releases on its website, www.apacorp.com.

    Contacts
    Investor:  (281) 302-2286
    Media: (713) 296-7276  
    Website:  www.apacorp.com 
       

    APA-G

    The MIL Network –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: April 14, 2025 MCIC News Release Draft

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    AGOURA HILLS, CALIFORNIA, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MultiCorp International, Inc. (OTC Markets PINK: MCIC) Multicorp International, Inc. is pleased to announce the execution of a Quadripartite Agreement on March 26, 2025 and the currently pending $2,000,000,000 credit transfer from a top 10 European Bank to Neoforma Inc.’s domestic bank to access immediate liquidity.

    Multicorp International, Inc.’s alliance with 40 Brightwater LLC’s Global Financial Consortium inclusive of Neoforma Inc. and now Airavata Developers Corporation has expanded immediate access to greater liquidity, which will be added to the previously announced financings from Edwards Capital N.A. correspondent bank.

    In turn, Neoforma Inc. will provide a line of credit to MultiCorp International, Inc. in an amount of up to $1,800,000,000 (one billion eight hundred million USD), to be utilized to execute all transactions previously announced with Global X Cryptocurrency Stablecoin Tokens (GBP-pegged), Bitcoin, and gold-backed Cryptocurrency Tokens, as well as to perfect the newly-targeted acquisition of a mineral property in Michigan and to cover all required corporate expenditures.

    About MultiCorp International, Inc. :

    (https://multicorpinternational.com/)

    MultiCorp International, Inc., a diversified leader in health, energy, and agriculture, announces a series of strategic initiatives aimed at accelerating its growth and expanding its market presence. The company is actively pursuing joint ventures and acquisitions, is fortifying its organizational infrastructure, and is preparing for significant advancements in the stock market.

    About Neoforma Inc. :

    www.neoforma.co

    Neoforma Inc. is a Minnesota based privately held corporation and a global leader in Software & Technology. The company has now diversified into International finance including private equity and has operations globally, including India, the UAE, the UK, Mexico and the United States and serves clients globally. Its client base includes numerous global corporations as well as government entities.

    About Airavata Developers Corporation:

    Airavata-corp.com

    Airavata Developers Corporation is a prominent international construction firm that has carved a niche for itself in the design and construction of commercial and industrial infrastructure. With a commitment to excellence, we specialize in a wide array of services that encompass every phase of the construction process, including comprehensive pre-construction planning, meticulous project management, and effective general contracting. Each of these services is tailored to meet the specific needs and demands of our diverse clientele, ensuring that we not only meet but exceed their expectations.

    At the helm of our organization are the highly respected Principal Partners, Alan Khara, who serves as the Chief Executive Director and Chairman, and David D. Brannon, the Executive Financial Director. Together, they bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the company. Their unwavering dedication extends beyond just business; they are passionately committed to fostering community excellence. This commitment is demonstrated through substantial efforts in promoting global economic development while simultaneously focusing on job creation within the communities we operate. Their leadership style emphasizes ethical practices, innovative thinking, and a deep responsibility toward societal well-being.

    Airavata Developers Corporation has set forth an ambitious goal: to emerge as the global leader within this ever-evolving and dynamic construction industry. To achieve this vision, we place a strong emphasis on delivering exceptional service that stands out in a competitive marketplace. This is complemented by our proactive approach in integrating cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art materials into our projects. By continually investing in the latest advancements in construction techniques and environmental sustainability, we ensure that our infrastructure not only meets current industry standards but also anticipates future demands.

    Our commitment to quality, sustainability, and innovation drives every project we undertake, ensuring that we consistently remain at the forefront of industry trends and client expectations.

    David Brannon Chief Financial Director/ Partner

     About 40 Brightwater LLC:

    40 Brightwater LLC is a private holding company focusing specifically on acquiring private entities and merging its holdings with public companies by leveraging its financial network and resources through its Managing Member, President & CEO Shannon Newby.

    Disclaimer: This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicit an offer to buy, nor will there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction where such an offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful before registration or qualification under applicable securities laws. Any offer will be made only through a prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus as part of an effective registration statement.

    Contact Information: J. A. Coleman, J.a.coleman1512@gmail.com.

    This press release is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice or a solicitation to purchase securities. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. These statements are based on current expectations and could differ materially from actual events

    The MIL Network –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: ASUS Announces ExpertBook P1, P3 and P5 Now Available in Canada

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ASUS today announced that the new ExpertBook P1 (P1403 and P1503) laptop models are now available in Canada through the ASUS Store, selected retailers, and B2B channels. These additions join the high-performance ExpertBook P5 (P5404), already available online on the ASUS Store, Amazon, Canada Computer, Costco, Memory Express, Staples, and Walmart, and precede the upcoming ExpertBook P3 (P3405), set to be available for order later this May.

    Designed to meet the evolving needs of professionals and SMBs with limited IT support, the new ExpertBook P series combines sleek portability, enterprise-grade security, and robust AI collaboration tools. Each device is MIL-STD-810H military-grade tested1, features Windows Secured-core PC compliance, and includes a one-year subscription to McAfee+ Premium with Smart AI™ for 24/7 protection, identity monitoring, and privacy tools.

    All three series also feature ASUS-exclusive AI ExpertMeet2, a powerful productivity suite offering real-time translation, multilingual transcription, AI-generated meeting summaries, speaker differentiation, and on-screen watermarks — all processed locally for enhanced security.

    ExpertBook P1: Practical Performance for Everyday Business

    The ASUS ExpertBook P1 series is built for professionals who value reliability and essential performance. Available in 14-inch and 15-inch Full HD options and weighing as little as 1.4 kg3, the P1 is powered by up to 13th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 processors, with support for up to 64 GB RAM4 and 1 TB of dual-SSD RAID storage for enhanced data speed and reliability. 

    A refined, durable design ensures it can handle commutes and daily use, while thoughtful security touches like TPM 2.0, BIOS-level protections, and BIOS setting recovery tools ensure peace of mind. Designed for organizations seeking affordable yet powerful solutions, the P1 balances performance and durability for professionals on the move.

    ExpertBook P3: Versatile and Ready for Hybrid Work

    Designed for hybrid professionals and SMBs, the ExpertBook P3 blends portability and performance in 14-inch sizes starting at 1.36 kg5. It’s equipped with up to an Intel® Core™ i7-13620H processor, 64 GB of DDR5 memory, and dual PCIe 4.0 SSDs for smooth multitasking.

    With an optimized layout, spill-resistant keyboard, optional IR camera, and exclusive ASUS ExpertCool thermal system, the P3 ensures comfort, performance, and quiet operation all day long. It’s an ideal choice for flexible work and learning environments where reliability and privacy matter.

    ExpertBook P5: Advanced AI Power for the Future of Work

    At the top of the lineup, the ExpertBook P5 is designed for high-demand professionals who require cutting-edge AI performance. Featuring up to the Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 processor (Series 2) with 47 TOPS of NPU performance, the P5 delivers up to 3X faster AI capabilities than previous generations.

    A sleek 1.29 kg6 aluminum chassis houses a 2.5K 144 Hz display, advanced cooling, and a workspace designed for productivity and comfort. With support for NIST-compliant BIOS, a five-year BIOS update policy, and a focus on sustainability (featuring 50% recycled materials), the P5 is engineered for forward-thinking businesses that want speed, security, and style.

    ASUS Business Support

    Understanding the critical needs of modern professionals, ASUS Business Support is not merely a warranty — it’s a comprehensive service package that includes on-site repairs, dedicated technical assistance and 24/7 customer support. This robust support framework ensures that every ExpertBook user experiences minimal downtime and receives personalized solutions to their technical issues.

    AVAILABILITY & PRICING

    The ExpertBook P1 is now available on the ASUS Store, selected retailers and through B2B channels, with detailed specifications below.

    The ExpertBook P5 is already available online on the ASUS Store, Amazon, Canada Computer, Costco, Memory Express, Staples, and Walmart with different configurations available below.

    The upcoming ExpertBook P3 is set to be available for order later this May in different configurations on the ASUS Store and selected retailers.

    For detailed specifications, availability, pricing, and where to buy links, please see below.

    Please contact your local ASUS representative for further information.

    SPECIFICATIONS

    ExpertBook P1 (P1503CVA and P1403CVA)

    Model P1503CVA-H716512-CA P1503CVA-H716512-CB P1503CVA-H516512-CA P1503CVA-H516512-CB
    Operating system Windows 11 Home
    Processor Intel® Core™ i7-13620H Processor
    2.4 GHz (24MB Cache, up to 4.9 GHz, 10 cores, 16 Threads)    		 Intel® Core™ i5-13420H Processor
    2.1 GHz (12MB Cache, up to 4.6 GHz, 8 cores, 12 Threads)
    Graphics Intel® UHD Graphics for Intel® Core™ with 64-bit memory populated
    Memory SO-DIMM: 16 GB DDR5 5200 MHz

    2x SO-DIMM, up to 64 GB DDR5 5200 MHz
    Storage 512 GB M.2 PCIe® 4.0 SSD

    1 x M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe® 4.0, up to 1TB PCIe® Gen4 SSD
    1 x M.2 2230 NVMe PCIe® 4.0, up to 512GB PCIe® Gen4 SSD
    Display 15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080) TN, 16:9, 60Hz, wide view, Anti-Glare, 250 nits, 45% NTSC
    I/O ports 2 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C® (PD, DP)
    2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A
    1 x HDMI® 1.4b
    1 x 3.5 mm Combo audio jack
    1 x Kensington® nano lock slot
    1 x RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet
    Camera HD camera, webcam shield
    Wireless WiFi 6 (802.11ax) (Dual band) 2*2 + Bluetooth® 5.2 Wireless Card
    Audio 2 x speaker with Dirac technology support
    2 x Array microphone
    ASUS AI Noise-Canceling Technology
    Weight 1.65 kg (3.64 lbs)
    Dimensions (WxDxH) 35.95 x 23.22 x 1.99 ~ 1.99 cm (14.15″ x 9.14″ x 0.78″ ~ 0.78″)
    Battery 50 Wh-3 cell, Li-Polymer
    Security Nano Kensington® lock slot
    Fingerprint Sensor (combo touchpad)
    Webcam Shield
    TPM 2.0
    Keyboard and touchpad Full-size keyboard with 1.35 mm key travel / spill-resistant to 66cc*

    *Quantity used during testing, with duration of 3 minutes
    Keyboard English Bilingual English Bilingual
    Featured software ASUS Control Center (optional), MyASUS, ExpertMeet
    AC adapter 65 W AC Adapter, USB Type-C® (Output: 20 V DC, 3.25 A, 65 W / Input: 100-240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal)
    Product Availability ASUS ASUS ASUS

    CDW

    		 ASUS
    Model P1503CVA-P516512-CA P1503CVA-P516512-CB P1403CVA-P516512-CA P1403CVA-P516512-CB
    Operating system Windows 11 Pro
    Processor Intel® Core™ i5-13420H Processor
    2.1 GHz (12MB Cache, up to 4.6 GHz, 8 cores, 12 Threads)
    Graphics Intel® UHD Graphics for Intel® Core™ with 64-bit memory populated
    Memory SO-DIMM: 16 GB DDR5 5200 MHz

    2x SO-DIMM, up to 64 GB DDR5 5200 MHz
    Storage 512 GB M.2 PCIe® 4.0 SSD

    1 x M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe® 4.0, up to 1TB PCIe® Gen4 SSD
    1 x M.2 2230 NVMe PCIe® 4.0, up to 512GB PCIe® Gen4 SSD
    Display 15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080) TN, 16:9, 60Hz, wide view, Anti-Glare, 250 nits, 45% NTSC 14″ FHD (1920 x 1080) TN, 16:9, 60Hz, wide view, Anti-Glare, 300 nits, 45% NTSC
    I/O ports 2 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C® (PD, DP)
    2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A
    1 x HDMI® 1.4b
    1 x 3.5 mm Combo audio jack
    1 x Kensington® nano lock slot
    1 x RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet
    Camera HD camera, webcam shield
    Wireless WiFi 6 (802.11ax) (Dual band) 2*2 + Bluetooth® 5.2 Wireless Card
    Audio 2 x speaker with Dirac technology support
    2 x Array microphone
    ASUS AI Noise-Canceling Technology
    Weight 1.65 kg (3.64 lbs) 1.43 kg (3.15 lbs)
    Dimensions (WxDxH) 35.95 x 23.22 x 1.99 ~ 1.99 cm (14.15″ x 9.14″ x 0.78″ ~ 0.78″) 32.45 x 21.44 x 1.97 ~ 1.97 cm (12.78″ x 8.44″ x 0.78″ ~ 0.78″)
    Battery 50 Wh-3 cell, Li-Polymer
    Security Nano Kensington® lock slot
    Fingerprint Sensor (combo touchpad)
    Webcam Shield
    TPM 2.0
    Keyboard and touchpad Full-size keyboard with 1.35 mm key travel / spill-resistant to 66cc*

    *Quantity used during testing, with duration of 3 minutes
    Keyboard English Bilingual English Bilingual
    Featured software ASUS Control Center (optional), MyASUS, ExpertMeet
    AC adapter 65 W AC Adapter, USB Type-C® (Output: 20 V DC, 3.25 A, 65 W / Input: 100-240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal)
    Product Availability ASUS

    Amazon

    CDW

    		 ASUS

    Amazon

    		 ASUS ASUS

    ExpertBook P5 (P5404)

    Model P5405CSA-P73-CB P5405CSA-DH71-CA P5405CSA-P53-CA P5405CSA-CH51-CB
    Operating system Windows 11 Pro Windows 11 Home Windows 11 Pro Windows 11 Home
    Processor Intel® Core™ 7 Processor 258 V 32 GB 1.8 GHz (12 MB Cache, up to 4.8 GHz, 8 cores, 8 Threads); Intel® AI Boost NPU up to 47 TOPS Intel® Core™ 5 Processor 226 V 16 GB 1.6 GHz (8 MB Cache, up to 4.5 GHz, 8 cores, 8 Threads); Intel® AI Boost NPU up to 40 TOPS
    Graphics Intel® Arc™ 140 V GPU (16GB) Intel® Arc™ 130 V GPU (8GB)
    Memory 32 GB LPDDR5X-8533 MOP 16 GB LPDDR5X-8533 MOP
    Storage 1 x 1 TB M.2 PCIe® 4.0 2280 SSD (Upgradeable to 2 TB)

    1 x M.2 2230 SSD, up to 1 TB PCIe® 4.0 SSD User upgradeable

    		 1 x 512 GB M.2 PCIe® 4.0 2280 SSD (Upgradeable to 2 TB)

    1 x M.2 2230 SSD, up to 1 TB PCIe® 4.0 SSD User upgradeable
    Display 14.0″ 2560 x 1600 Anti-Glare, 100% sRGB, 400 nits
    I/O ports 2X Thunderbolt™ 4, USB 3.2 Gen2, support wide range 5–20 V

    1 x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen2, support BC1.2

    1 x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen2

    1 x HDMI® 2.1

    1 x Audio combo jack

    1 x Kensington® Nano lock slot
    Camera 1080p FHD IR camera, Webcam Shield
    Wireless WiFi 6E (802.11ax) (Dual band) 2*2 + Bluetooth® 5.3 Wireless Card
    Audio 2 x speaker

    2 x multi-array microphone with intelliGO beam forming

    Smart amp technology

    Dolby Atmos certified
    Weight 1.65 kg (3.64 lbs)
    Dimensions (WxDxH) 31.2 cm x 22.3 cm x 1.645 cm (12.28” x 8.78” x 0.65”)
    Battery 63 Wh, 3-cell, Li-polymer
    Touchpad ASUS ErgoSense touchpad

    Smart gesture touchpad

    Silent touchpad technology
    Keyboard Full-size keyboard with 1.5 mm key travel; backlit, spill-resistant 78 cc
    Keyboard Bilingual English English Bilingual
    Featured software ASUS Control Center (optional), MyASUS, ExpertMeet
    AC adapter 65 W non-wall mount Type-C® power jack, Input : 100–240 V AC, 50 / 60 Hz universal
    Product Availability ASUS

    Amazon

    Insight

    Memory Express

    		 ASUS

    Amazon

    CDW

    		 ASUS

    Amazon

    CDW

    Memory Express

    		 ASUS

    Costco

    ExpertBook P3 (P3405)

    Model P3405CVA-H7321-CA
    Operating system Windows 11 Home
    Processor Intel® Core™ i7-13620H Processor
    2.4 GHz (24MB Cache, up to 4.9 GHz, 10 cores, 16 Threads)
    Graphics Intel® UHD Graphics for Intel® Core™ with 64-bit memory populated
    Memory SO-DIMM: 32 GB DDR5 5200 MHz

    2x SO-DIMM, up to 64 GB DDR5 5200 MHz
    Storage 1 TB M.2 2280 MVMe™ PCIe® 4.0 SSD

    Includes 1x M.2 2230 PCIe 4.0 for extension
    Display 14″ WQXGA 2.5K (2560 x 1600), 16:10, 144Hz, Anti-Glare, 250 nits, 45% NTSC
    I/O ports 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A

    2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C support display / power delivery

    1x HDMI 2.1 TMDS

    1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack

    1x RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet
    Camera 1080p FHD camera with IR function to support Windows Hello

    With webcam shield
    Wireless Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) (Dual band) 2*2 + Bluetooth® 5.4 Wireless Card
    Audio Audio by Dirac

    Smart Amp Technology

    Built-in speaker

    Built-in array microphone
    Weight 1.39 kg (3.06 lbs)
    Dimensions (WxDxH) 31.51 x 22.68 x 1.79 ~ 1.80 cm (12.41″ x 8.93″ x 0.70″ ~ 0.71″)
    Battery 63WHrs, 3S1P, 3-cell Li-ion
    Security Nano Kensington® lock slot
    Fingerprint Sensor (combo touchpad)
    Webcam Shield
    TPM 2.0
    Keyboard English
    Featured software ASUS Control Center (optional), MyASUS, ExpertMeet
    AC adapter 65 W AC Adapter, USB Type-C® (Output: 20 V DC, 3.25 A, 65 W / Input: 100-240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal)
    Product Availability ASUS (available later in May)

    NOTES TO EDITORS

    Where to buy links:

    ASUS ExpertBook P1: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/laptops/for-work/expertbook/expertbook-p1-p1503/where-to-buy/

    ASUS ExpertBook P3: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/laptops/for-work/expertbook/asus-expertbook-p3-p3605/

    ASUS ExpertBook P5: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/laptops/for-work/expertbook/expertbook-p5-p5405/where-to-buy/

    ASUS ExpertBook P1 (P1503): https://www.asus.com/ca-en/laptops/for-work/expertbook/expertbook-p1-p1503/

    ASUS ExpertBook P1 (P1403): https://www.asus.com/ca-en/laptops/for-work/expertbook/expertbook-p1-p1403/

    ASUS ExpertBook P3 (P3405): https://www.asus.com/ca-en/laptops/for-work/expertbook/asus-expertbook-p3-p3405/

    ASUS ExpertBook P5 (P5405): https://www.asus.com/ca-en/laptops/for-work/expertbook/expertbook-p5-p5405/

    ASUS ExpertBook laptops: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/business/laptops/expertbook/

    ASUS Business website: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/business/

    ASUS LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asus/posts/

    ASUS Business LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/asus-business/

    ASUS Pressroom: http://press.asus.com

    ASUS Canada Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asuscanada/

    ASUS Canada Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asus_ca

    ASUS Canada YouTube: https://ca.asus.click/youtube

    ASUS Global X (Twitter): https://www.x.com/asus

    About ASUS

    ASUS is a global technology leader that provides the world’s most innovative and intuitive devices, components, and solutions to deliver incredible experiences that enhance the lives of people everywhere. With its team of 5,000 in-house R&D experts, the company is world-renowned for continuously reimagining today’s technologies. Consistently ranked as one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies, ASUS is also committed to sustaining an incredible future. The goal is to create a net zero enterprise that helps drive the shift towards a circular economy, with a responsible supply chain creating shared value for every one of us.

    1 The testing regime includes the requirements of both military-grade standards and ASUS quality tests, and varies depending on device. MIL-STD-810H testing is conducted on selected ASUS products only. Note that the MIL-STD-810H testing helps to ensure the quality of ASUS products but does not indicate a particular fitness for military use. The test is performed under laboratory conditions. Any damage caused by attempts to replicate these test conditions would be considered accidental, and would not be covered by the standard ASUS warranty. Additional coverage is available with ASUS Premium Care.
    2 For the full AI feature experience, 12 GB of memory is required.
    3 Weight may vary according to configuration.
    4 Memory is upgradable up to 64 GB.
    5 Weight may vary according to configuration
    6 Weight may vary according to configuration

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/55d33a2c-870a-49ca-be18-b986e1500401

    The MIL Network –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Utilities choosing coal, solar, nuclear or other power sources have a lot to consider, beyond just cost

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Erin Baker, Distinguished Professor of Industrial Engineering and Faculty Director of The Energy Transition Institute, UMass Amherst

    A turbine from the Roth Rock wind farm spins on the spine of Backbone Mountain behind the Mettiki Coal processing plant in Oakland, Md. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    The Trump administration is working to lift regulations on coal-fired power plants in the hopes of making its energy less expensive. But while cost is one important aspect, utilities have a lot more to consider when they choose their power sources.

    Different technologies play different roles in the power system. Some sources, like nuclear energy, are reliable but inflexible. Other sources, like oil, are flexible but expensive and polluting.

    How utilities choose which power source to invest in depends in large part on two key aspects: price and reliability.

    Power prices

    One way to compare power sources is by their levelized cost of electricity. This shows how much it costs to produce one unit of electricity on average over the life of the generator.

    The asset management firm Lazard has produced levelized cost of electricity calculations for the major U.S. electricity sources annually for years, and it has tracked a sharp decline in solar power costs in particular.

    Coal is one of the more expensive technologies for utilities today, making it less competitive compared with solar, wind and natural gas, by Lazard’s calculations. Only nuclear, offshore wind and “peaker” plants, which are used only during periods of high electricity demand, are more expensive.

    Land-based wind and solar power have the lowest estimated costs, far below what consumers are paying for electricity today. The National Renewable Energy Lab has found similar levelized costs for renewable energy, though its estimates for nuclear are lower than Lazard’s.

    Upfront costs are also important and can make the difference for whether new power projects can be built, as the East Coast has seen lately.

    Several offshore wind farms planned along the Northeast were canceled in recent years as costs rose due to inflation and supply chain problems during the pandemic. Construction costs for the two newest nuclear generators built in the U.S. also rose considerably as the projects, both in the Southeast, faced delays.

    Reliability and flexibility matter

    But cost is not the whole story. Utilities must balance a number of criteria when investing in power sources.

    Most important is matching supply and demand at every moment of the day. Due to the technical characteristics of electricity and how it flows, if the supply of electricity is even a little bit lower than the demand, that can trigger a blackout. This means power companies and consumers need generation that can ramp down when demand is low and ramp up when demand is high.

    Since wind and solar generation depend on the wind blowing and the sun shining, these sources must be combined with other types of generation or with storage, such as batteries, to ensure the power grid has exactly as much power as it needs at all times.

    Combining renewable energy and battery storage or both wind and solar can smooth out power supply dips and spikes. The Pine Tree Wind Farm and Solar Power Plant in the Tehachapi Mountains north of Los Angeles do both.
    Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    Nuclear and coal are predictable and run reliably, but they are inflexible – they take time to ramp up and down, and doing so is expensive. Steam turbines are simply not built for flexibility. The multiple days it took to shut down Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant after an earthquake and tsunami damaged its backup power sources in 2011 illustrated the challenges and safety issues related to ramping down nuclear plants.

    That means coal and nuclear aren’t as helpful on those hot summer days when utilities need a quick power increase to keep air conditioners running. These peaks may only happen a few days a year, but keeping the power on is crucial for human health and the economy.

    In today’s energy system, the most flexible generation sources are natural gas and hydro. They can quickly adjust to meet changing electricity demand without the safety and cost concerns of coal and nuclear. Hydro can ramp in minutes but can only be built where large dams are feasible. The most cost-effective natural gas technology can ramp up within hours.

    The big picture, by power source

    Over the past two decades, natural gas use has risen quickly to overtake coal as the most common fuel for generating electricity in the U.S. The boom was largely driven by the growing use of fracking technology, which allowed producers to extract gas from rock and lowered the price.

    Natural gas’s low price and high flexibility make it an attractive choice. Its rise is a large part of the reason coal use has plummeted.

    But natural gas has its challenges. Natural gas requires pipelines to carry it across the country, leading to disruptive construction. As Texas saw during its February 2021 blackouts, natural gas equipment can also fail in extreme cold. And like coal, natural gas is a fossil fuel that releases greenhouse gases during combustion, so it is also helping to cause climate change and contributes to air pollution that can harm human health.

    Nuclear power has been gaining interest recently since it does not contribute to climate change or local air pollution. It also provides a steady baseload of power, which is useful for computing centers as their demand does not fluctuate as much as households.

    Of course, nuclear has ongoing challenges around the storage of radioactive waste and security concerns, and construction of large nuclear plants takes many years.

    Coal is more flexible than nuclear, but far less so than natural gas or hydropower. Most concerning, coal is extremely dirty, emitting more climate-change-causing gases, and far more air pollution than natural gas.

    Solar and wind have grown rapidly in recent years due to their falling costs and environmental benefits. According to Lazard, the cost of solar combined with batteries, which would be as flexible as hydropower, is well below the cost of coal with its limited flexibility.

    However, wind and solar tend to take up a lot of space, which has led to challenges in local approvals for new sites and transmission lines. In addition, the sheer number of new projects is overwhelming power system operators’ ability to evaluate them, leading to increasing wait times for new generation to come online.

    What’s ahead?

    Utilities have another consideration: Federal, state and local governments can also influence and sometimes limit utilities’ choices. Tariffs, for example, can increase the cost of critical components for new construction. Permitting and regulations can slow down development. Subsidies can artificially lower costs.

    In our view, policies that are done right can help utilities move toward more reliable and cost-effective choices which are also cleaner. Done wrong, they can be costly to the economy and the environment.

    Erin Baker receives funding from NSF, DOE, and Sloan Foundation

    Paola Pimentel Furlanetto receives funding from NSF and Sloan Foundation

    – ref. Utilities choosing coal, solar, nuclear or other power sources have a lot to consider, beyond just cost – https://theconversation.com/utilities-choosing-coal-solar-nuclear-or-other-power-sources-have-a-lot-to-consider-beyond-just-cost-254337

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Social Security’s trust fund could run out of money sooner than expected due to changes in taxes and benefits

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Dennis W. Jansen, Professor of Economics and Director of the Private Enterprise Research Center, Texas A&M University

    A closed entrance to the Social Security Administration headquarters sits empty in Woodlawn, Md., on March 20, 2025. Wesley Lapointe/The Washington Post via Getty Images

    Social Security is one of the federal government’s biggest programs.

    Roughly 67 million Americans, most of whom are 65 or older, received Social Security benefits in 2023. An estimated 183 million workers paid the Social Security payroll taxes that provided the bulk of the nearly US$1.4 trillion in benefits that year, which consumed 21% of the total federal budget.

    But within a decade, Social Security could run short on funds to pay the full benefits Americans are counting on.

    The retirement and disability program has been running a cash-flow deficit since 2010. The $2.7 trillion held in its two trust funds may seem immense, but those reserves are diminishing as the number of Americans getting benefits grows. Social Security’s trustees, a group that includes the secretaries of the departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services, as well as the Social Security commissioner, projected in 2024 that both of its trust funds would be completely drained by 2035.

    Under current law, when that trust fund is empty, Social Security can pay benefits only from dedicated tax revenues, which would, by that point, cover only about 79% of promised benefits. Another way to say this is that when that trust fund is depleted, the people who rely on Social Security for some or the bulk of their income would see a sudden 21% cut in their monthly checks in 2036.

    As an economist who studies the Social Security system, I am alarmed that Democratic and Republican administrations alike have failed for more than three decades to take the actions necessary to keep its funding on track, either by raising taxes or cutting benefits. Instead, Congress has only made the program’s funding outlook worse. And now, the Trump administration is reducing the program’s staff, sending confusing signals about changes it intends to make, and undercutting the quality of service for the people who are eligible for these benefits.

    But I do believe there are strategies that could help.

    Taking steps backward

    This gloomy outlook was clear to experts at least 32 years ago. In 1993, the Social Security trustees projected that the assets of the systems’ trust funds would be depleted in 2036.

    Rather than resolve this now more imminent problem, Congress passed a law in December 2024 that could accelerate the crisis.

    Called the Social Security Fairness Act, President Joe Biden signed it into law in early January. This measure ended the government’s prior practice of paying reduced Social Security benefits to retired teachers, firefighters and others who had pensions from their years of public service and who had not paid Social Security tax on much of their income. Now, these retirees will get full Social Security benefits. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this change will cause the trust fund to be depleted six months earlier than previously expected.

    President Donald Trump, for his part, wants the tax reform legislation Congress is working on to exempt all Social Security benefit payments from federal income taxes. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, has reintroduced a bill that would do that.

    The University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Wharton Budget Model finds that should this new exemption take effect, it could make the trust fund run out of money two years earlier than the model currently predicts, hastening the day the Social Security program is forced to cut benefits.

    In addition, Social Security already had record-sized backlogs of what it calls “pending actions,” according to a report from its own inspector general in August 2024.

    And yet, despite this need to process paperwork faster, the agency is now less able to carry out its mission due to staffing cuts attributed to billionaire and Trump adviser Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency.

    Principles for successful reform

    Social Security is funded by a payroll tax of 12.4% on wages, which is split equally between workers and employers. Self-employed people pay the entire 12.4%. This payroll tax only applies to earnings up to $176,100 for 2025. The government increases this cap annually based on wage increases and inflation.

    The program also receives about 5% of its revenue from interest generated by its trust funds and about 4% of its revenue from the tax that Trump wants to repeal.

    The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan nonprofit that focuses on fiscal policy, provides an online interactive tool to help people see for themselves what specific measures might do to shore up Social Security. Examples include increasing the retirement age by one month every two years and increasing the cap on income subject to the payroll tax that funds Social Security so it covers more of the highest-earners’ income.

    The Brookings Institution, a centrist think tank, has presented its own bipartisan blueprint for making the system solvent. The Social Security Administration itself has pooled what it sees as good ideas from outside experts.

    Three main principles characterize the approaches supported by the policy analysts and researchers who have considered which reforms to Social Security might strengthen its finances and long-term continuing viability:

    1. The program should be self-funded in the long run so that its annual revenues match its annual expenses.

    2. The reform burden should be shared across generations. Current retirees can share the burden through a reduction in the cost-of-living adjustment. Today’s workers can share the burden through an increase in the cap on income subjected to Social Security taxes. Gradually increasing the retirement age to keep pace with anticipated longevity gains would also be borne by current workers and young Americans who haven’t gotten their first job yet.

    3. The government should make sure that Social Security benefits will be adequate for lower-income retirees for years to come. That means reforms that slow the benefit growth of future retirees would be designed to affect only payments to higher-income retirees.

    Ideally, in my view, any changes to Social Security should also help constrain the future growth of federal spending, given the current and projected growth in the budget deficit.

    Past reform efforts

    The last time the government made big changes to Social Security was in 1983, during the Reagan administration.

    Back then, the government enacted reforms that slowly reduced benefits over time. These changes included raising the full retirement age, a change that is still being phased in. Because of those changes, workers born in 1960 or later cannot retire with full benefits until age 67 – two years later than the original retirement age.

    The 1983 reforms also gradually increased the Social Security payroll tax rate from 10.4% to 12.4% by 1990, and for the first time levied federal income taxes on higher-income retirees’ benefits. Workers bore the burden of the payroll tax increases, and higher-income retirees bore the burden of the tax on benefits.

    Those changes bolstered the program’s finances. One of those measures could potentially end if Trump manages to end the taxation of retirees’ Social Security benefits.

    Today, about half of the Americans getting Social Security benefits pay some federal income taxes on that income, contributing revenue that helps finance the program as a whole. Taxpayers with annual income of at least $205,000 pay income tax that claws back about 20% of their benefits. That percentage is smaller for taxpayers with lower incomes. Individuals who get Social Security benefits and have incomes of less than $25,000 and couples making no more than $32,000 pay no income taxes on their Social Security benefits at all.

    The most recent bipartisan effort to preserve the system’s solvency was in 2001. The Commission to Strengthen Social Security, during the George W. Bush administration, tried – and failed – to get Congress to enact reforms to shore up the program’s finances.

    More than 20 years later, Americans and their elected representatives still seem unwilling to have a serious debate on these issues.

    I believe waiting any longer is unwise.

    Any solutions that might be introduced gradually today will no longer be viable in 2035 if the trust fund has been completely hollowed out. That would leave millions of older adults with lower incomes than they were counting on, plunging many of them into poverty.

    Portions of this article were included in another piece published on June 1, 2023.

    Dennis W. Jansen 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. Social Security’s trust fund could run out of money sooner than expected due to changes in taxes and benefits – https://theconversation.com/social-securitys-trust-fund-could-run-out-of-money-sooner-than-expected-due-to-changes-in-taxes-and-benefits-253508

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    April 15, 2025
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