NewzIntel.com

    • Checkout Page
    • Contact Us
    • Default Redirect Page
    • Frontpage
    • Home-2
    • Home-3
    • Lost Password
    • Member Login
    • Member LogOut
    • Member TOS Page
    • My Account
    • NewzIntel Alert Control-Panel
    • NewzIntel Latest Reports
    • Post Views Counter
    • Privacy Policy
    • Public Individual Page
    • Register
    • Subscription Plan
    • Thank You Page

Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI: Linklogis Releases Q3 Results: Transaction Volume Exceeds RMB100 Billion, Hitting a Record High

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Hong Kong, China, Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On October 23, 2024, Linklogis Inc. (09959.HK, “Linklogis”) released its business update for the third quarter of 2024. In the third quarter of 2024, the total transaction volume processed by the technology solutions of Linklogis reached RMB105 billion, representing an 18% year-over-year growth, with the quarterly transaction volume surpassing RMB100 billion for the first time,  setting a new historical record. The company’s core growth driver, the Multi-tier Transfer Cloud, continued to excel, processing a total volume of supply chain assets of RMB47.7 billion, a year-over-year increase of 29%. Additionally, the ABS Cloud regained its growth momentum by launching new products, achieving an impressive 325% growth despite a challenging overall market environment.

    Linklogis is dedicated to high-quality development, prioritizing the enhancement of efficiency and quality in its core business. Linklogis continues to diversify its customer base while strategically optimizing its business structure by reducing low-margin product lines. In the third quarter, Linklogis’ revenue and income from principal activities saw year-on-year growth, accompanied by a notable improvement in gross profit margin.

    Focusing on Core Business Development, ABS Cloud Achieves 325% Growth Against Market Trends 

    In the third quarter of 2024, the total transaction volume processed by the technology solutions of Linklogis reached RMB105 billion, marking an 18% year-on-year increase. Within this, Anchor Cloud processed supply chain assets amounting to RMB64.4 billion, up 13% year-over-year, while FI Cloud handled supply chain assets totaling RMB34.6 billion, a 16% increase. Driven by a focused investment in its core business, the Multi-tier Transfer Cloud within the Anchor Cloud experienced robust growth, processing supply chain assets totaling RMB47.7 billion, a 29% rise year-over-year. Additionally, the ABS Cloud within the FI Cloud successfully launched new products to meet the increasing demand for diversified asset allocation in the current low-interest-rate environment. This initiative expanded services from upstream payable assets to downstream receivable assets, resulting in an impressive transaction volume of RMB22 billion for ABS Cloud in the third quarter, reflecting a remarkable 325% year-over-year growth and achieving success despite market challenges.

    In the third quarter of 2024, Linklogis successfully won bids for the development of the supply chain finance service platform for Yangtze River Industry Investment Group and Genertec Universal Medical Group. Additionally, Linklogis has partnered with several large enterprises and financial institutions, including Shandong Binzhou Urban Construction Group, Huayuan Landport Capital Operation, Hubei Wanchuan State-owned Capital Investment and Operation Group, Changsha Broad Homes Industrial Group, Huaxia Bank, and China Bohai Bank, to collaborate in the supply chain finance technology sector and launch the first batch of multi-tier transfer businesses.

    Linklogis accelerated its high-quality customer acquisition in the third quarter, adding 103 new customers and 184 partners, bringing the total number of customers to 959 and total partners to 2,270. This includes 1,917 anchor enterprises and 353 financial institutions. Notable new anchor enterprise customers include Wahaha Group, Jingye Group, Shanghai Electric Group, Yunnan Provincial Investment Holdings Group, and Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group. Linklogis continues to expand and optimize its customer base, focusing on key industries such as infrastructure, construction, renewable energy, and public utilities, achieving a remarkable customer retention rate of 96%. 

    Acquisition of Bytter to Advance Treasury Development 

    According to the announcement on October 29, 2024, Linklogis has officially signed an equity acquisition agreement with the current controlling shareholder of Shenzhen Bytter Technology Co., Ltd. (“Bytter”) for the acquisition of 29.38% of its shares. Upon completion of the acquisition, Linklogis’s total shareholding will increase to 54.38%, making it the controlling shareholder of Bytter. The two companies will enhance their product offerings by integrating their core strengths in fund management and supply chain finance technology. Together, they aim to support state-owned enterprises as well as large and medium-sized private enterprises in building a world-class financial management platform. Linklogis will combine external mergers and acquisitions with internal growth to embark on a new chapter in the development of smart industry-finance treasury solutions.

    Linklogis is dedicated to enhancing shareholder returns through active share repurchases. As of the end of the third quarter of 2024, the company has repurchased 142 million shares for approximately HK$280 million. Moving forward, Linklogis will continue to monitor market trends, seize growth opportunities, and focus on sustainable high-growth core businesses. Linklogis aims to maintain rapid customer acquisition while steadily advancing in technological innovation and service expansion, striving to create long-term value for both customers and investors.

    Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. Cryptocurrency mining can involve risk. There is potential for loss of funds. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities.

    The MIL Network –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Clean Energy Technologies, Inc. and Exergy International Sign MOU to Promote ORC Heat Recovery Solutions Across the Americas

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Irvine, CA., Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Clean Energy Technologies, Inc. (“CETY”) (Nasdaq: CETY), a clean energy manufacturing and services company specializing in eco-friendly energy solutions, clean fuels, and alternative power for small and mid-sized projects in Americas, Europe, and Asia, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with Exergy International Srl (“Exergy”), a global leading provider of Organic Rankine Cycle (“ORC”) systems, with headquarters in Italy. This strategic partnership aims to drive growth in the field of heat recovery solutions by promoting, selling, and supporting Exergy’s ORC systems across the Americas and potentially other global regions. The collaboration will expand Exergy’s and CETY’s Waste Heat to Power solutions throughout the Americas, enabling CETY to offer small to large-scale ORC systems for industries such as cement, steel, glass, oil & gas, utilities and for power generation from geothermal resources and biomass.

    Leveraging CETY’s established market presence and engineering expertise, coupled with Exergy’s advanced high-capacity ORC systems utilizing the Radial Outflow Turbine, the two companies will offer highly-efficient and competitive waste heat recovery solutions to target specific industry needs for decarbonization.

    “We see a significant growth trajectory ahead,” said Kam Mahdi, CEO of CETY. “With the rising demand for energy-efficient solutions, this partnership provides a scalable platform to tap into a wide range of ORC applications, from waste heat recovery in industrial process heat and biomass projects to geothermal. Together, we’re positioned to make an impact on the waste heat to power landscape, generating strong sales growth and profitability.”

    Luca Pozzoni, General Manager of Exergy, comments: “Exergy views the American market as a key region for the company’s development and growth, a market that we have chosen to focus on in the coming years. I am confident that our collaboration with CETY will allow us to expand our presence, deepen our understanding of the market, and soon establish new ORC references in the region. With over 550 MWe in our portfolio, we are well-positioned to support American industries in their decarbonization journey.”

    This MOU represents a strategic partnership in the waste heat recovery sector and a pathway for scalable global growth. As industries continue to prioritize sustainable energy practices, the demand for ORC solutions is expected to increase. CETY and Exergy are poised to seize the momentum and set a new standard in delivering energy-efficient solutions worldwide.

    About Exergy International srl

    EXERGY INTERNATIONAL Srl is a leading provider of clean energy technologies. We are experts in the design, engineering and manufacturing of Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) systems with the pioneering Radial Outflow Turbine. EXERGY’s proprietary technologies, covered by several patents, allow for highly efficient energy production via the exploitation of heat sources from geothermal, waste heat from industry, biomass and concentrated solar power. The EXERGY portfolio accounts for over 500 MWe and the second largest geothermal binary fleet worldwide. EXERGY is part of the Chinese TICA Group, a leading integrated system and service provider in HVAC. From the headquarters in the north of Italy (Milan), EXERGY exports and implements its technology worldwide with a particular focus on high growth potential markets. Website: https://exergy-orc.com/

    About Clean Energy Technologies, Inc. (CETY)

    Headquartered in Irvine, California, Clean Energy Technologies, Inc. (CETY) is a rising leader in the zero-emission revolution by offering eco-friendly green energy solutions, clean energy fuels and alternative electric power for small and mid-sized projects in North America, Europe, and Asia. We deliver power from heat and biomass with zero emission and low cost. The Company’s principal products are Waste Heat Recovery Solutions using our patented Clean CycleTM generator to create electricity. Waste to Energy Solutions convert waste products created in manufacturing, agriculture, wastewater treatment plants and other industries to electricity and BioChar. Engineering, Consulting and Project Management Solutions provide expertise and experience in developing clean energy projects for municipal and industrial customers and Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) companies.

    CETY’s common stock is currently traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “CETY.” For more information, visit www.cetyinc.com.

    For more information, visit www.cetyinc.com.

    Follow CETY on our social media channels: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

    This summary should be read in conjunction with the Company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2024 and other periodic filings made pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which contain, among other matters, risk factors and financial footnotes as well as a discussions of our business, operations and financial matters located on the website of the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This news release may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the United States Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, with respect to achieving corporate objectives, developing additional project interests, the Company’s analysis of opportunities in the acquisition and development of various project interests and certain other matters. These statements are made under the “Safe Harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements contained herein. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on the Company’s current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of CETY’s business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of the Company’s control. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: “anticipate,” “plan,” “expect,” “estimate,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “will” and similar references to future periods. Any forward-looking statement made by the Company in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

    Clean Energy Technologies, Inc.
    Investor and Investment Media inquiries:
    949-273-4990
    ir@cetyinc.com
    Source: Clean Energy Technologies, Inc.

    Exergy International Srl
    Media contact:
    Sara Milanesi
    s.milanesi@exergy.it
    +39 3666012588

    The MIL Network –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: GDS Announces US$1.0 Billion Equity Raise By Its International Affiliate Led By Prestigious New US Investors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GDS Holdings Limited (the “Company” or “GDSH”) (NASDAQ: GDS; HKEX: 9698), a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in China and South East Asia, today announced that its international affiliate, DigitalLand Holdings Limited (“GDS International” or “GDSI”), which acts as the holding company for GDSH’s data center assets and operations outside of mainland China, has entered into definitive agreements for certain institutional private equity investors (the “Investors”) to subscribe for US$1.0 billion of Series B convertible preferred shares (the “Series B”) newly issued by GDSI.

    GDS International was established in 2022 with its corporate headquarters in Singapore. Its portfolio currently comprises approximately 480 MW of data center capacity in service and under construction and an additional 590 MW held for future development across strategic locations in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia (Johor), Indonesia (Batam), and Japan (Tokyo).

    The US$1 billion Series B investment is mostly comprised of new US investors, led by Coatue Management with substantial participation by The Baupost Group. Together with GDSI’s existing equity, the Series B raise will be sufficient to capitalize the development of up to 1 GW of total data center capacity.

    GDSH has determined not to exercise its pre-emption rights for the Series B equity raise. Post closing and on an as-converted basis, GDSH will own approximately 37.6% of the equity interest of GDSI in the form of ordinary shares. The value of GDSH’s equity interest in GDSI implied by the Series B subscription price is approximately US$1.3 billion, equivalent to approximately US$6.75 per American Depositary Share of GDSH. Post closing, GDSH will no longer consolidate GDSI for accounting purposes and GDSH will no longer have the right to appoint a majority of directors to the Board of GDSI.

    “I am delighted to announce this new capital raising for our international business,” said Mr. William Huang, Chairman and CEO of GDSH and Chairman of GDSI. “Within a short period of time, we have created new markets in and around Singapore-Johor-Batam which are attracting both regional and global hyperscale demand. We see tremendous opportunities for growth in these markets as well as in other new markets which we are currently evaluating. The Series B equity issue benchmarks significant incremental value creation for our shareholders. We look forward to further achievements by our international business as we take it to the next level.”

    “Data centers are mission critical infrastructure to support the future of AI and cloud,” said Philippe Laffont, Founder of Coatue. “We have been very impressed by the management team, and its capabilities to execute and expand the footprint of the business in such a short period of time. We are excited to work alongside management to expand GDSI into a global leading data center platform.”

    “GDSI has emerged as one of the most rapidly expanding data center platforms in the APAC region,” said Robert Yin, Partner at Coatue. “We believe GDSI is strategically positioned to capitalize on demand for future AI and hyperscale solutions, and we look forward to supporting the business in its continued expansion of next-generation infrastructure.”

    “As a shareholder of GDSH, we are extremely impressed with William and his team and GDSI’s ambitious and credible international expansion plan,” said Richard Carona, Partner, The Baupost Group. “We’re pleased to support their growth as part of this Series B financing.”

    The Closing is expected to occur as soon as the closing conditions provided in the definitive agreements are satisfied. It is expected that the Series B issuance will be exempted from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”) pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act regarding transactions not involving a public offering or Regulation S under the Securities Act.

    The Series B shares and the ordinary shares deliverable upon conversion of the Series B shares have not been registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws. They may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any of these securities, nor shall there be a sale of the securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

    GDSI’s financial and legal advisors for this transaction are Morgan Stanley Asia Limited and White & Case, respectively. Latham & Watkins served as the legal advisor for Coatue.

    About GDS Holdings Limited

    GDS Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: GDS; HKEX: 9698) is a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in mainland China and, through an equity investment in its international affiliate, in Hong Kong and South East Asia. The Company’s facilities are strategically located in primary economic hubs where demand for high-performance data center services is concentrated. The Company also builds, operates and transfers data centers at other locations selected by its customers in order to fulfill their broader requirements. The Company’s data centers have large net floor area, high power capacity, density and efficiency, and multiple redundancies across all critical systems. GDS is carrier and cloud-neutral, which enables its customers to access the major telecommunications networks, as well as the largest PRC and global public clouds, which are hosted in many of its facilities. The Company offers co-location and a suite of value-added services, including managed hybrid cloud services through direct private connection to leading public clouds, managed network services, and, where required, the resale of public cloud services. The Company has a 23-year track record of service delivery, successfully fulfilling the requirements of some of the largest and most demanding customers for outsourced data center services in China. The Company’s customer base consists predominantly of hyperscale cloud service providers, large internet companies, financial institutions, telecommunications carriers, IT service providers, and large domestic private sector and multinational corporations.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “future,” “guidance,” “intend,” “is/are likely to,” “may,” “ongoing,” “plan,” “potential,” “target,” “will,” and similar statements. Among other things, statements that are not historical facts, including statements about GDS Holdings’ beliefs and expectations regarding the growth of its businesses and its revenue for the full fiscal year, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as GDS Holdings’ strategic and operational plans, are or contain forward-looking statements. GDS Holdings may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on Forms 20-F and 6-K, in its current, interim and annual reports to shareholders, in announcements, circulars or other publications made on the website of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Hong Kong Stock Exchange”), in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause GDS Holdings’ actual results or financial performance to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: GDS Holdings’ goals and strategies; GDS Holdings’ future business development, financial condition and results of operations; the expected growth of the market for high-performance data centers, data center solutions and related services in China and South East Asia; GDS Holdings’ expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its high-performance data centers, data center solutions and related services; GDS Holdings’ expectations regarding building, strengthening and maintaining its relationships with new and existing customers; the continued adoption of cloud computing and cloud service providers in China and South East Asia; risks and uncertainties associated with increased investments in GDS Holdings’ business and new data center initiatives; risks and uncertainties associated with strategic acquisitions and investments; GDS Holdings’ ability to maintain or grow its revenue or business; fluctuations in GDS Holdings’ operating results; changes in laws, regulations and regulatory environment that affect GDS Holdings’ business operations; competition in GDS Holdings’ industry in China and South East Asia; security breaches; power outages; and fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China, South East Asia and globally, and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in GDS Holdings’ filings with the SEC, including its annual report on Form 20-F, and with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release and are based on assumptions that GDS Holdings believes to be reasonable as of such date, and GDS Holdings does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

    For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

    GDS Holdings Limited
    Laura Chen
    Phone: +86 (21) 2029-2203
    Email: ir@gds-services.com

    Piacente Financial Communications
    Ross Warner
    Phone: +86 (10) 6508-0677
    Email: GDS@tpg-ir.com
    Brandi Piacente
    Phone: +1 (212) 481-2050
    Email: GDS@tpg-ir.com

    The MIL Network –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: On foreign policy, Trump opts for disruption and Harris for engagement − but they share some of the same concerns

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Garret Martin, Senior Professorial Lecturer, Co-Director Transatlantic Policy Center, American University School of International Service

    Who will represent the U.S. better on the global stage? Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

    According to conventional wisdom, U.S. voters are largely motivated by domestic concerns and especially the economy.

    But the upcoming presidential election may be somewhat of an outlier. In a September 2024 poll, foreign policy actually ranks quite high in voters’ concerns – with more Democrats and Republicans combined saying it was “very important” to their vote than, say, immigration and abortion.

    As such, understanding where Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic rival Kamala Harris stand on the significant international issues of the day is important. And we can do so by looking at the records of their respective administrations in the three regions they prioritized: the Indo-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East.

    Donald Trump: Disrupter-in-chief

    In his 2017 inaugural address, Trump painted a dark picture of the U.S. In his telling, his country was being taken advantage of by other nations, especially in trade and security, while neglecting domestic challenges.

    To disrupt this, Trump promised an “America First” approach to guide his administration.

    And in practice, his foreign policy certainly proved disruptive. He showed a clear willingness to buck traditions and undid some of former President Barack Obama’s signature policies, such as the Iran nuclear deal, which exchanged sanctions relief for restrictions on Tehran’s domestic nuclear program, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.

    In so doing, he ruffled the feathers of allies and foes alike.

    Trans-Atlantic relations were tense under Trump, especially because of his hostility toward NATO. After deriding the Atlantic alliance on the campaign trail, Trump stuck to the same tune while in office. He routinely insulted allies at high-level summits and allegedly came close to withdrawing from the alliance altogether in 2018.

    While NATO did make inroads in bolstering its Eastern flank in that period, the alliance was primarily defined by internal turmoil and limited cohesion during Trump’s time in office. U.S. relations with the European Union hardly fared better. In 2018, the U.S. imposed steel and aluminum tariffs on the European Union, citing national security concerns.

    Trump also broke with previous U.S. presidents in his administration’s Asia policy. One of his first moves in 2017 was to abandon the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal negotiated by Obama. Trump’s late 2017 national security strategy also announced a major shift toward China, labeling it as a “strategic competitor” – implying a greater emphasis on containing China as opposed to cooperating with it.

    This hawkish turn played out especially in the field of trade. Trump’s administration imposed four rounds of tariffs in 2018-19, affecting US$360 billion of Chinese goods. Beijing, of course, responded with tariffs of its own. The two countries did sign a so-called phase-one deal in January 2020 that sought to lower the stakes of this trade war. But the COVID-19 pandemic nullified any chance of success, and relations soured further with each Trump utterance of the pandemic being a “Chinese virus.”

    Trump showcased somewhat contradictory impulses toward the Middle East and other issues. He pushed for disengagement and to undo Obama’s major policies. Besides withdrawing from the Paris climate accords in 2017, Trump abandoned the Iran nuclear deal in 2018. His administration also signed a deal to end the U.S. presence in Afghanistan, and it withdrew forces from northern Syria.

    But at the same time, Trump continued the bombing campaign against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq and authorized the killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani in 2020. The latter was consistent with a policy that aimed to pressure and isolate Iran economically and diplomatically. The key example of the diplomatic pressure came through especially via the Abraham Accords through which Trump helped facilitate the establishment of normal diplomatic ties between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco.

    Kamala Harris: Alliance and engagement

    Although not taking a driving role in foreign policy, Harris has been part of an administration that has committed the U.S. to repairing alliances and engaging with the world.

    This came across by undoing some major actions from the Trump administration. For example, the U.S. quickly rejoined the Paris climate accords and overturned a decision to leave the World Health Organization.

    But in other areas, the Biden administration has shown more continuity with Trump than many expected.

    For instance, the U.S. under Biden has not fundamentally deviated from strategic competition with China, even though the tactics have differed a little. The administration maintained Trump’s tariff approach, even adding its own targeted rounds against Beijing on electric vehicles.

    Moreover, it cultivated different diplomatic platforms in the Indo-Pacific to act as a counterweight to China. This included the cultivation of the Quad dialogue with Australia, India and Japan, and the AUKUS deal with Australia and the U.K., both of which attempted to further the Biden administration’s strategy of containing China’s influence by enlisting regional allies. Finally, the Biden administration did maintain some channels of communication with China at the highest level as well, with Biden meeting Xi Jinping twice during his presidency.

    Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy walks alongside Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House compound on Sept. 26, 2024.
    Tom Brenner/Getty Images

    The Biden administration’s Middle Eastern policy displayed significant continuity with Trump’s approach – at first. While it turned out to be chaotic, the U.S. completed the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan in summer 2021, as had been agreed under Trump. The Biden administration also embraced the format and goals of the Abraham Accords. It even tried to build on them, with the goal of fostering Israeli-Saudi diplomatic ties.

    Of course, the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, in Israel completely changed the equation in the Middle East. Preventing the spiral of violence in the region has become an all-consuming task. Since then, Biden and Harris have tried, largely unsuccessfully, to balance support for Israel with mediation efforts to liberate the hostages and to ensure a cease-fire.

    Trans-Atlantic relations, however, are an area where there were marked differences in the past four years. The tone of the Biden-Harris administration has been in sharp contrast with that of Trump, reaffirming frequently its clear commitment to NATO. And once Russia launched its illegal invasion in February 2022, the U.S. placed itself at the forefront of supporting Ukraine.

    Harris has suggested that she would continue Biden’s policy of providing Kyiv with extensive and continuous military support. In conjunction with allies, the White House of Biden and Harris also implemented a broad range of sanctions against Russia. But the U.S. under Biden has not yet been willing to support Ukraine’s immediate entry into NATO.

    What next?

    Based on their records, what could we expect of a Trump or Harris presidency?

    It’s unlikely either candidate will abandon strategic competition with China. But Trump is more likely to seriously escalate the trade war, promising extensive tariffs against Beijing. Trump’s commitment to defending Taiwan is also more ambiguous in comparison with Harris’ pledges.

    U.S. policy toward Europe will largely depend on the results of the election. Harris has frequently underlined her steadfast support for NATO, as well as for Ukraine. Trump, on the other hand, is showing signs that he is unwilling to further aid the regime in Kyiv.

    And for the Middle East, it remains to be seen whether either Trump or Harris would be able to better shape events in the region.

    Garret Martin receives funding from the European Union for the research institute he co-directs, the Transatlantic Policy Center.

    – ref. On foreign policy, Trump opts for disruption and Harris for engagement − but they share some of the same concerns – https://theconversation.com/on-foreign-policy-trump-opts-for-disruption-and-harris-for-engagement-but-they-share-some-of-the-same-concerns-238847

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Trump’s racist talk of immigrant ‘bad genes’ echoes some of the last century’s darkest ideas about eugenics

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Shannon Bow O’Brien, Associate Professor of Instruction, The University of Texas at Austin

    Donald Trump speaks at Madison Square Garden in New York on Oct. 27, 2024. John Salangsang/Invision/AP

    Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has repeatedly denounced immigrants who enter the U.S. illegally and the danger he says that poor immigrants of color pose for the U.S. – often using hateful language to make his point.

    In early October 2024, Trump took his comments a step further when he questioned immigrants’ faulty genes, saying without support that “Many of them murdered far more than one person, and they are now happily living in the United States. You know, now a murderer, I believe this, it’s in their genes. And we got a lot of bad genes in our country right now.”

    It was far from the first time Trump has invoked eugenics – a false, racist theory that some people, and even some races, are genetically superior to others.

    In 1988, for example, Trump told Oprah Winfrey during an interview: “You have to be born lucky in the sense that you have to have the right genes.”

    In 2016, Trump said that his German roots are the reason behind his greatness:

    “I always said that winning is somewhat, maybe, innate. Maybe it’s just something you have; you have the winning gene. Frankly it would be wonderful if you could develop it, but I’m not so sure you can. You know, I’m proud to have that German blood, there’s no question about it. Great stuff.”

    And in 2020, Trump again alluded to his belief that bloodlines convey excellence:

    “I had an uncle who went to MIT who is a top professor. Dr. John Trump. A genius. It’s in my blood. I’m smart.”

    Trump’s repeated and countless comments about white people’s racial superiority to people of color have prompted some comparisons to the Nazis and their ideology of racial superiority.

    The Nazis are indeed the most infamous believers of the false idea that white, blue-eyed, blonde-haired people were superior to others – and that the human population should be selectively managed to breed white people.

    But the Nazis didn’t originate these ideas. In fact, the Nazis were so impressed with many American eugenic ideas that they incorporated them into their racist, antisemitic laws.

    Root of eugenics

    The British scientist Francis Galton, a cousin of the evolutionist Charles Darwin, first developed the theory of eugenics in the 1860s, and it gained a foothold in the U.S. and Britain around this time.

    Eugenics sets racial identity, and especially white identity, as the most desirable and worthy.

    By the dawn of the early 1900s, much of the American eugenics scholarship looked down on American immigrants from any place other than Scandinavia, thus coining the term “Nordicism.”

    In the late 19th and early 20th century, immigration to the U.S. was at its peak. In 1890, 14.8% of people living in the U.S. were immigrants. Many people felt concerned about immigration in the U.S., and there were many prominent eugenicists in America. Two of the most famous were Madison Grant and Lothrop Stoddard.

    Both were avowed white supremacists who advocated for scientific racism. They wrote popular and widely read books that helped shape American and German law in the 1920s and 1930s.

    Grant, Stoddard and other theorists in the U.S. embraced eugenics as a way to justify racial segregation, restrict immigration, enforce sterilization and uphold other systemic inequalities.

    Stoddard attacked the United States’ immigration policies in his 1920 book, “The Rising Tide of Color: The Threat Against White World-Supremacy.” He wrote: “If the present drift is not changed, we whites are all ultimately doomed. … We now know that men are not, and never will be equal. We now know that environment and education can only develop what heredity brings.”

    Another prominent eugenicist was Harry H. Laughlin, an educator and superintendent of the Eugenics Record Office, a now-defunct research group that gathered biological and social information about the American population.

    Laughlin wrote an influential 1922 book, “Eugenical Sterilization in the United States,” which included a chapter on model sterilization laws. The Third Reich used his book and laws as a template when implementing them in Germany during the height of the Nazi period.

    Laughlin also regularly testified before U.S. Congress, with this 1922 testimony representative of his message to lawmakers: “Immigration is essentially and fundamentally a racial and biological problem. There are many factors to consider, but, from the standpoint of the future, immigration is primarily a long time national investment in human family stocks.”

    Eugenicists, including Laughlin, have long been specifically preoccupied with Norwegian genetics – believing that America is under attack when immigration occurs from non-Nordic countries.

    In November 1922, Laughlin said, “Some of our finest and most desirable immigrants are from Norway.”

    In 1924, Congress approved the Immigration Act, which severely limited immigration to the U.S., established quotas for immigrants based on nationality and barred immigrants from Asia.

    It was only following the end of World War II and the Holocaust that eugenics fell out of favor and lost its prominence in American thinking.

    Trump’s recycling of history

    Fears over foreign immigrants weakening the U.S. were popular a century ago, and Trump and many of his followers still embrace them today.

    Trump has promised that he will carry out mass deportations of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, forcibly detaining immigrants in camps and removing 1 million people a year.

    In April 2024, Trump used dehumanizing language to express his apparent belief that immigrants are unworthy of empathy. “The Democrats say, ‘Please don’t call them animals. They’re humans.’ I said, ‘No, they’re not humans, they’re not humans, they’re animals.’”

    Trump has also promoted eugenicists’ obsession with Scandinavia and the superiority of white people.

    In 2018, Trump spoke about immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and Africa, saying “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?”

    In the same meeting, Trump also reportedly suggested that the U.S. should instead draw in more people from countries like Norway.

    In April 2024, Trump again embraced this idea of Scandinavian superiority, saying that he wants immigrants from “Nice countries. You know, like Denmark, Switzerland? Do we have any people coming in from Denmark? How about Switzerland? How about Norway?”

    A dangerous flash to the past

    A person running for president in 1924 would seem more likely than a candidate in 2024 to espouse this now-discredited point of view.

    President Calvin Coolidge ran for election on an “America First” platform in 1924, with the slogan only falling out of favor after groups like the Ku Klux Klan embraced it around the same time.

    The idea of America First, at the time, denoted American nationalism and exceptionalism – but also was linked to anti-immigration and fascist movements.

    When Coolidge signed the heavily restrictive 1924 Immigration Act into law he stated, “America must remain American.”

    One hundred years later, Trump calls to mind an America First mentality, including when he regularly reads the lyrics to a song called “The Snake” during his rallies as a way to explain the dangers of welcoming immigrants into the U.S. The civil rights activist Oscar Brown wrote this poem in 1963, and his family has said that Trump misinterprets the song’s words.

    ‘I saved you,’ cried that woman.

    ‘And you’ve bit me even, why’

    ‘You know your bite is poisonous and now I’m going to die.’

    ‘Oh shut up, silly woman,’ said the reptile with a grin,

    ‘You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in.’

    I have written a book on this and I used many of my citations in Chapter 4 to help develop this piece though I reworded or reframed it.

    – ref. How Trump’s racist talk of immigrant ‘bad genes’ echoes some of the last century’s darkest ideas about eugenics – https://theconversation.com/how-trumps-racist-talk-of-immigrant-bad-genes-echoes-some-of-the-last-centurys-darkest-ideas-about-eugenics-241548

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Cannabis legalization may hit a ‘red wall’ at the ballot box

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By William Garriott, Professor of Law, Politics and Society, Drake University

    Early voting runs from Oct. 21 through Nov. 3 in Florida. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

    Cannabis legalization is on the ballot again this November.

    Voters in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota will decide whether to allow adults 21 and up in their states to use cannabis recreationally.

    Voters in Nebraska will decide whether to allow medical access under a doctor’s care.

    Voters in Arkansas will see a question about medical access on their ballot, but the state supreme court ruled that the votes can’t be counted because the name and title of the measure were “misleading.”

    The results of these ballot measures obviously matter to residents of each state, but they also will be telling for the future of the cannabis legalization movement. That’s because these states are all so-called red states where Republicans dominate state politics. They are part of the legalization movement’s biggest obstacle – what I call the “red wall.”

    And because federal legalization is unlikely in the next few years, red wall states are now the front line of the fight over cannabis reform.

    A bipartisan coalition in the beginning

    Cannabis legalization hasn’t always been so partisan.

    In fact, bipartisanship has been key to the success of the contemporary legalization movement, which began in the 1990s.

    How do I know? Because I’ve been told as much by the people who made it happen.

    Since 2014, I’ve been researching cannabis legalization in the U.S.. I’ve been trying to understand the contemporary legalization movement’s success and what it means for the future of U.S. drug policy. As an anthropologist, my process is to go where the action is and talk to people with lived experience.

    And so I’ve been talking to people in Colorado. In 2012, it became one of the first two states to legalize recreational use of cannabis, also called “adult use.”

    Today, 48 states and Washington D.C. have approved cannabis for some kind of medical use, although 10 of those states have legalized only the limited use of oils containing low levels of THC, the active compound in cannabis. Adult use for anyone 21 and older is now allowed in 24 states and Washington.

    This is a dramatic change that is undoing decades of prohibition.

    Any political movement takes thousands of people to be successful, but it also takes leaders. In Colorado, attorney Brian Vicente and activist Mason Tvert played a pivotal role. With support from the Marijuana Policy Project, they spent most of the 2000s building the movement that made recreational legalization possible in Colorado.

    When I asked Vicente and Tvert how they made it happen, they emphasized the same thing: To be effective, they had to build a new kind of coalition. They had to appeal to people who had no personal interest in consuming cannabis.

    Brian Vicente, left, and Mason Tvert, center, celebrate the passage of medical marijuana in Colorado in 2012.
    Karl Gehring/The Denver Post via Getty Images

    In Colorado, they made the case that marijuana should be regulated like alcohol, with tax money going to schools. The fact that Colorado allowed ballot initiatives was also key. It let activists take the issue directly to voters, bypassing opposition from the governor and other elected officials.

    The strategy worked.

    Liberals liked the social justice arguments. Conservatives liked that it enhanced individual liberty. And a broad cross section of voters liked that it would generate tax revenue and let the criminal justice system focus on more serious threats to public safety.

    These voters made for a powerful coalition. And for years, such coalitions helped legalization measures pass in blue states like Oregon and California, and in red states like Alaska and Montana.

    Hitting the red wall

    But since 2020, legalization has become more partisan.

    Of the 26 states where cannabis remains illegal for adult use, 20 are red states with a Republican trifecta, meaning that Republicans control both chambers of the state legislature and the governor’s office.

    Another four – Kansas, Wisconsin, Kentucky and North Carolina – have Republican-controlled state legislatures and Democratic governors.

    Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation where legislative control is split. Medical cannabis was legalized there in 2016, but recreational use is not allowed.

    And Hawaii is the lone blue state that has yet to legalize recreational cannabis. A slimmer majority of voters support it than in other blue states, and there are unique concerns such as the potential impact on the tourist economy.

    All told, 92% of the states where adult use is still illegal are dominated – if not completely controlled – by Republicans who are much less likely to support legalization than either Democrats or independents. This is true of both elected leaders and rank-and-file party members.

    What’s more, 16 of the 26 states that have not legalized adult use cannabis don’t have a ballot initiative process, so supporters can’t take the issue directly to voters. The states with measures on the ballot this November are part of the minority that do.

    Voters in states without ballot initiatives have no choice but to wait on their state legislatures to act. But most Republican-controlled legislatures have shown little interest in the issue, even when the majority of voters in the state support it – like in Iowa.

    Will the red wall hold this November?

    Could the third time be the charm for recreational pot in North Dakota?
    Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    Based on polling and precedent, the red wall will likely hold during the 2024 election.

    In South Dakota, most voters oppose adult use legalization, so the measure is likely to fail for the third time.

    Voters in conservative North Dakota have also rejected adult use legalization twice before, which makes success this year unlikely. On the other hand, it has more support from Republican state legislators than in other states, and more voters are undecided on the issue.

    The medical measure in Nebraska is likely to pass, but its future is uncertain. It faces an ongoing legal challenge spurred in part by the state’s Attorney General Mike Hilgers who is a staunch opponent of cannabis legalization.

    And even if it survives legal challenge, that does not mean recreational legalization is around the corner. The most recent polling of Nebraskans shows lower support for recreational use than medical use, particularly among Republicans.

    Florida could go either way

    The wild card is Florida. It has already legalized medical cannabis, and supporters have been trying for years to get adult use on the ballot.

    Polling this summer showed a majority of Republicans supported it, but more recent polls show a slim majority now oppose the referendum.

    It still probably has the votes to pass, but it faces a few obstacles.

    First, it must pass with 60% of the vote.

    Second, it has divided party leaders, with the state’s two highest-profile Republicans, Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis, taking different positions on the issue. Trump says he’s voting yes, while DeSantis is a strong no.

    And third, it has drawn the ire of some legalization supporters for potentially giving disproportionate control of the market to a small group of large cannabis companies. The concern is that the amendment as written does not require the state to increase the number of licensed businesses. Only already-licensed businesses would be guaranteed the opportunity to expand into the recreational cannabis market.

    These same companies are the primary funders of the initiative, with Trulieve alone donating most of the more than US$90 million raised by the Yes campaign. The company already runs more than 150 medical dispensaries in Florida and is one of the largest cannabis companies in the U.S..

    Ironically, DeSantis’ No campaign has put concerns about corporate control at the center of its own messaging, creating a potential coalition between people who oppose adult use legalization under any circumstances and those who oppose it when there’s too much corporate control.

    Trulieve, for its part, has filed a defamation suit against the Republican Party of Florida over the claims.

    Where the movement goes from here

    Unless there are significant surprises this November, legalization supporters will need to find a new strategy to appeal to red state voters and legislators. They will need to take concerns over public health and safety seriously, address the persistence of racial disparities in cannabis arrests in legalization states, tackle the growing corporate influence within the movement, and respond to the moral critiques of people like former Alabama Senator and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions who feel that, simply put, “good people don’t smoke marijuana.”

    William Garriott’s research has been funded by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research.

    – ref. Cannabis legalization may hit a ‘red wall’ at the ballot box – https://theconversation.com/cannabis-legalization-may-hit-a-red-wall-at-the-ballot-box-241738

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Israel’s ban on UNRWA continues a pattern of politicizing Palestinian refugee aid – and puts millions of lives at risk

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Nicholas R. Micinski, Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, University of Maine

    The Israeli parliament’s vote on Oct. 28, 2024, to ban the United Nations agency that provides relief for Palestinian refugees is likely to affect millions of people – it also fits a pattern.

    Aid for refugees, particularly Palestinian refugees, has long been politicized, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, or UNRWA, has been targeted throughout its 75-year history.

    This was evident earlier in the current Gaza conflict, when at least a dozen countries, including the U.S., suspended funding to the UNRWA, citing allegations made by Israel that 12 UNRWA employees participated in the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. In August, the U.N. fired nine UNRWA employees for alleged involvement in the attack. An independent U.N. panel established a set of 50 recommendations to ensure UNRWA employees adhere to the principle of neutrality.

    The vote by the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, to ban the UNRWA goes a step further. It will, when it comes into effect, prevent the UNRWA from operating in Israel and will severely affect its ability to serve refugees in any of the occupied territories that Israel controls, including Gaza. This could have devastating consequences for livelihoods, health, the distribution of food aid and schooling for Palestinians. It would also damage the polio vaccination campaign that the UNRWA and its partner organizations have been carrying out in Gaza since September. Finally, the bill bans communication between Israeli officials and the UNRWA, which would end efforts by the agency to coordinate the movements of aid workers to prevent unintentional targeting by the Israel Defense Forces.

    Refugee aid, and humanitarian aid more generally, is theoretically meant to be neutral and impartial. But as experts in migration and international relations, we know funding is often used as a foreign policy tool, whereby allies are rewarded and enemies punished. In this context, we believe Israel’s banning of the UNRWA fits a wider pattern of the politicization of aid to refugees, particularly Palestinian refugees.

    What is the UNRWA?

    The UNRWA, short for United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, was established two years after about 750,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled from their homes during the months leading up to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 and the subsequent Arab-Israeli war.

    Palestinians flee their homes during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
    Pictures from History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    Prior to the UNRWA’s creation, international and local organizations, many of them religious, provided services to displaced Palestinians. But after surveying the extreme poverty and dire situation pervasive across refugee camps, the U.N. General Assembly, including all Arab states and Israel, voted to create the UNRWA in 1949.

    Since that time, the UNRWA has been the primary aid organization providing food, medical care, schooling and, in some cases, housing for the 6 million Palestinians living across its five fields: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, as well as the areas that make up the occupied Palestinian territories: the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

    The mass displacement of Palestinians – known as the Nakba, or “catastrophe” – occurred prior to the 1951 Refugee Convention, which defined refugees as anyone with a well-founded fear of persecution owing to “events occurring in Europe before 1 January 1951.” Despite a 1967 protocol extending the definition worldwide, Palestinians are still excluded from the primary international system protecting refugees.

    While the UNRWA is responsible for providing services to Palestinian refugees, the United Nations also created the U.N. Conciliation Commission for Palestine in 1948 to seek a long-term political solution and “to facilitate the repatriation, resettlement and economic and social rehabilitation of the refugees and the payment of compensation.”

    As a result, UNRWA does not have a mandate to push for the traditional durable solutions available in other refugee situations. As it happened, the conciliation commission was active only for a few years and has since been sidelined in favor of the U.S.-brokered peace processes.

    Is the UNRWA political?

    The UNRWA has been subject to political headwinds since its inception and especially during periods of heightened tension between Palestinians and Israelis.

    While it is a U.N. organization and thus ostensibly apolitical, it has frequently been criticized by Palestinians, Israelis as well as donor countries, including the United States, for acting politically.

    The UNRWA performs statelike functions across its five fields, including education, health and infrastructure, but it is restricted in its mandate from performing political or security activities.

    Initial Palestinian objections to the UNRWA stemmed from the organization’s early focus on economic integration of refugees into host states.

    Although the UNRWA officially adhered to the U.N. General Assembly’s Resolution 194 that called for the return of Palestine refugees to their homes, U.N., U.K. and U.S. officials searched for means by which to resettle and integrate Palestinians into host states, viewing this as the favorable political solution to the Palestinian refugee situation and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In this sense, Palestinians perceived the UNRWA to be both highly political and actively working against their interests.

    In later decades, the UNRWA switched its primary focus from jobs to education at the urging of Palestinian refugees. But the UNRWA’s education materials were viewed by Israel as further feeding Palestinian militancy, and the Israeli government insisted on checking and approving all materials in Gaza and the West Bank, which it has occupied since 1967.

    A protester is removed by members of the U.S. Capitol Police during a House hearing on Jan. 30, 2024.
    Alex Wong/Getty Images

    While Israel has long been suspicious of the UNRWA’s role in refugee camps and in providing education, the organization’s operation, which is internationally funded, also saves Israel millions of dollars each year in services it would be obliged to deliver as the occupying power.

    Since the 1960s, the U.S. – the UNRWA’s primary donor – and other Western countries have repeatedly expressed their desire to use aid to prevent radicalization among refugees.

    In response to the increased presence of armed opposition groups, the U.S. attached a provision to its UNRWA aid in 1970, requiring that the “UNRWA take all possible measures to assure that no part of the United States contribution shall be used to furnish assistance to any refugee who is receiving military training as a member of the so-called Palestine Liberation Army (PLA) or any other guerrilla-type organization.”

    The UNRWA adheres to this requirement, even publishing an annual list of its employees so that host governments can vet them, but it also employs 30,000 individuals, the vast majority of whom are Palestinian.

    Questions over links of the UNRWA to any militancy has led to the rise of Israeli and international watch groups that document the social media activity of the organization’s large Palestinian staff.

    In 2018, the Trump administration paused its US$60 million contribution to the UNRWA. Trump claimed the pause would create political pressure for Palestinians to negotiate. President Joe Biden restarted U.S. contributions to the UNRWA in 2021.

    While other major donors restored funding to the UNRWA after the conclusion of the investigation in April, the U.S. has yet to do so.

    ‘An unmitigated disaster’

    Israel’s ban of the UNRWA will leave already starving Palestinians without a lifeline. U.N. Secretary General António Guterres said banning the UNRWA “would be a catastrophe in what is already an unmitigated disaster.” The foreign ministers of Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and the U.K. issued a joint statement arguing that the ban would have “devastating consequences on an already critical and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, particularly in northern Gaza.”

    Reports have emerged of Israeli plans for private security contractors to take over aid distribution in Gaza through dystopian “gated communities,” which would in effect be internment camps. This would be a troubling move. In contrast to the UNRWA, private contractors have little experience delivering aid and are not dedicated to the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality or independence.

    However, the Knesset’s explicit ban could, inadvertently, force the United States to suspend weapons transfers to Israel. U.S. law requires that it stop weapons transfers to any country that obstructs the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid. And the U.S. pause on funding for the UNRWA was only meant to be temporary.

    The UNRWA is the main conduit for assistance into Gaza, and the Knesset’s ban makes explicit that the Israeli government is preventing aid delivery, making it harder for Washington to ignore. Before the bill passed, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matt Miller warned that “passage of the legislation could have implications under U.S. law and U.S. policy.”

    At the same time, two U.S. government agencies previously alerted the Biden administration that Israel was obstructing aid into Gaza, yet weapons transfers have continued unabated.

    Sections of this story were first used in an earlier article published by The Conversation U.S. on Feb. 1, 2024.

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

    – ref. Israel’s ban on UNRWA continues a pattern of politicizing Palestinian refugee aid – and puts millions of lives at risk – https://theconversation.com/israels-ban-on-unrwa-continues-a-pattern-of-politicizing-palestinian-refugee-aid-and-puts-millions-of-lives-at-risk-242379

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada imposes sanctions as violence in Myanmar escalates

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Burma) Regulations against 3 individuals and 4 entities for supplying weapons and military equipment to the Myanmar military.

    October 29, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Burma) Regulations against 3 individuals and 4 entities for supplying weapons and military equipment to the Myanmar military.

    The sanctions announced today, in coordination with the United Kingdom and the European Union, respond to the ongoing and increasing aerial attacks by the Myanmar military regime. Over the last six months, military airstrikes killed almost 400 civilians, including more than 60 children, and injured more than 750 people

    These attacks are a grave breach of international peace and security and violate the basic principles of democracy and respect for human rights. The conflict has resulted in a worsening humanitarian crisis and increased instability as the regime escalates violence to assert its authority. 

    Imposing these sanctions on individuals and entities under the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA) is in direct response to these actions and to those supplying weapons, military equipment, key resources and revenue to the Myanmar military.

    Canada continues to urge all countries to impose similar measures. We call on the international community to suspend all support to the Myanmar military, including the transfer of weapons, materiel, aviation fuel, equipment, and technical assistance to the Myanmar military.  

    Canada will continue to support the aspirations of the people of Myanmar and those who work peacefully to advance a peaceful, inclusive, democratic future. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Backgrounder – Additional sanctions

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Effective October 29, 2024, Canada is imposing sanctions against the following individuals and entities for supplying weapons and military equipment to the Myanmar military during worsening attacks on civilians.

    Effective October 29, 2024, Canada is imposing sanctions against the following individuals and entities for supplying weapons and military equipment to the Myanmar military during worsening attacks on civilians.

    Canadian measures

    The Special Economic Measures (Burma) Regulations impose on listed persons a prohibition on any transaction (effectively, an asset freeze) by prohibiting persons in Canada and Canadians outside Canada from engaging in any activity related to any property of these listed persons or providing financial or related services to them.

    The specific prohibitions are set out in the regulations.

    Targeted individuals are senior figures in the Myanmar military responsible for such international humanitarian and human rights law violations. The names of the individuals and entities added to the schedule of these regulations are the following:

    Individuals

    1. Charlie Than
    2. Ne Aung
    3. Win Kyaw Kyaw Aung

    Entities

    1. King Royal Technologies Company Ltd.
    2. Royal Shune Lei Company Ltd.
    3. International Group of Entrepreneurs (IGE)Company Ltd.
    4. Swan Energy Company Limited

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Backgrounder: Canada announces $62 million for sustaining livelihoods by protecting biodiversity in developing countries

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Today, during the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP16), the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, announced a total of $62 million in funding for the following projects

    Today, during the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP16), the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, announced a total of $62 million in funding for the following projects:

    Project: Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund
    Partner: Conservation International
    Funding: $20 million for fiscal years 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026

    The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund aims to support the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in 3 biodiversity hot spots: the Cerrado in Brazil; countries in the Indo-Burma region, namely Cambodia, Laos and Thailand; and countries in the Tropical Andes region, namely Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Canada’s contribution will advance gender equality by strengthening leadership skills among women conservationists and enhance locally driven conservation in key biodiversity areas through financial and technical support.

    Project: Biodiversity Ecosystem Restoration for Community Resilience in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh
    Partner: UN Development Programme
    Funding: $12.5 million for fiscal years 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026

    This project aims to strengthen biodiversity conservation and resilient ecosystems in climate-vulnerable and marginalized communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region of Bangladesh. The project will work with these communities to develop and implement community-based biodiversity conservation plans. It will also increase women’s role in decision making and in implementing inclusive biodiversity ecosystem restoration plans with local government agencies, as well as improve the restoration of biodiversity ecosystems by vulnerable households and enhance resilient alternative livelihoods of ecosystem-dependent communities to improve market access and biodiversity conservation.

    Project: Supporting the Protection of Marine Biodiversity Within the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean Through Dark Vessel Detection Technologies
    Partner: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
    Funding: $5 million for fiscal years 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026

    This project shares Canadian technical expertise to assist Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama and Peru in protecting their unique marine biodiversity and supporting coastal communities, specifically women, Indigenous people and Afro-descendants. The project will provide access to innovative Canadian satellite surveillance technology by MDA Space Ltd. to support monitoring and enforcement efforts to reduce the threats posed by illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities.

    Project: Strengthening Marine Law Enforcement in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean
    Partner: WildAid
    Funding: $5 million for fiscal years 2024 to 2025 to 2026 to 2027

    This project will help improve the protection and sustainable use of marine ecosystems in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama and Peru. This will be achieved by strengthening the capacity of national marine authorities and government-endorsed community organizations to reduce the threats posed by illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The project will increase the effectiveness of maritime law enforcement by advocating for compliance through education, outreach and the creation of community-wide benefits.

    Project: Enhancing Indigenous Peoples’ Resilience to Climate Change in Colombia
    Partner: World Food Programme
    Funding: $9.5 million for fiscal years 2023 to 2024 to 2027 to 2028

    This project will help increase the resilience of Indigenous communities in the Amazon. The rich and diverse ecosystems in the southern Colombian Amazon rainforest are highly sensitive to climate change, facing rapid alterations in temperature and water availability. This degradation directly affects the food security and nutrition of forest-dependent communities, particularly Indigenous people and women. The project will focus on climate adaptation, sustainable agriculture and environmental management by combining ancestral practices with modern technology. It will promote sustainable agri-food value chains to improve food security and enhance the role of women in climate governance. Project activities will be carried out in Putumayo, Caquetá and Amazonas.

    Project: Podong Indigenous Peoples Initiative
    Partner: International Union for the Conservation of Nature
    Funding: $7 million for fiscal years 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026

    This initiative is the result of a collaboration between the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Indigenous leaders and the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity. Canada’s contribution will help Indigenous people build their capacity to implement gender-responsive biodiversity conservation actions, build leadership skills to engage in global environmental forums and negotiations, and address the barriers Indigenous peoples face in accessing funding for their self-determined climate and biodiversity priorities and actions.

    This initiative will take place in Guatemala, Nepal, Panama and Tanzania. It advances the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, which emphasizes Indigenous peoples’ right to conservation and protection of the environment and the productive capacity of their land.

    Project: Accelerating Systemic Change for Gender Equality and Biodiversity Conservation Through the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans Accelerator Partnership
    Partner: UN Environment Programme
    Funding: $3 million for fiscal years 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026

    The National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) Accelerator Partnership is a global initiative launched in Montréal at COP15. It provides knowledge, technical and financial support to developing countries for the preparation and implementation of their national biodiversity strategies and action plans. NBSAPs are essential road maps that guide decision making and on-the-ground action to conserve and use biodiversity in a sustainable manner.

    Canada’s support will help Antigua and Barbuda, Comoros, Costa Rica, Eswatini, Tajikistan, Thailand and Togo develop and update their NBSAPs and ensure that they are gender-responsive and inclusive.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Economic, trade policies explained

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau today briefed members of the Trade & Industry Advisory Board on major initiatives related to economic and trade developments in the 2024 Policy Address.

    Mr Yau said that the Policy Address announced a series of initiatives, including a reduction of the duty rate for liquor, to create new impetus for Hong Kong’s economic development.

    Currently, the import prices of about 85% of duty-paid liquor in Hong Kong stand at $200 or below, meaning that such products will not benefit from the duty reduction.

    The commerce chief pointed out that this can avoid providing an incentive for citizens to increase liquor consumption as a result of the duty deduction, adding that the proposal has struck a balance between various policy considerations such as facilitating high-end liquor trade, maintaining healthy public finances and safeguarding public health.

    Mr Yau also briefed the members on the proposal introduced in the Policy Address to build a high value-added supply chain service centre.

    He noted that Invest Hong Kong and the Trade Development Council will set up a mechanism and enhance their interfaces for attracting Mainland enterprises to establish international or regional headquarters in Hong Kong for managing offshore trading and supply chains, and providing one-stop diversified professional advisory services for enterprises in Hong Kong looking to go global.

    Mr Yau also highlighted that the Policy Address rolled out various support measures for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including relaunching the principal moratorium arrangement under the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme, as well as raising the maximum indemnity ratio of the Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation to 95%.

    Separately, the Trade & Industry Department briefed the meeting attendees on the Second Agreement Concerning Amendment to the Mainland & Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement Agreement on Trade in Services (Amendment Agreement II).

    Mr Yau said the series of measures will provide better support for SMEs while further promoting economic and trade developments, thereby enabling the steady advancement of Hong Kong’s economy.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK, EU and Canada impose new sanctions targeting Myanmar military regime and its associates

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The UK, EU and Canada have announced further sanctions targeting the Myanmar military’s access to military material, equipment and funds.

    • The UK, EU and Canada have announced a further round of sanctions to increase pressure on the Myanmar military regime and its associates.  

    • UK sanctions target entities supplying aviation fuel and equipment to the Myanmar military. August 2024 saw the highest number of airstrikes on record by the Myanmar military, killing dozens of civilians.  

    The UK, EU and Canada have announced further sanctions targeting the Myanmar military’s access to military material, equipment and funds.  

    UK action will help to constrain the Myanmar military’s ability to conduct airstrikes on civilians, which amount to gross human rights violations.  

    The latest round of UK sanctions is against six entities involved either in providing aviation fuel to the Myanmar military or in the supply of restricted goods, including aircraft parts. Today’s announcement bolsters previous sanctions against suppliers of aviation fuel to the military in February and March 2023 and arms dealers in October 2023.  

    The UK will continue to work with partners to restrict the sale and transfer of arms and finance to the Myanmar military. Since the coup, the UK has provided more than £150 million for life-saving humanitarian assistance, healthcare, education and support for civil society and local communities in Myanmar.

    Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Catherine West said:  

    The human rights violations taking place across Myanmar, including airstrikes on civilian infrastructure, by the Myanmar military is unacceptable and the impact on innocent civilians is intolerable. 

    That is why today the UK is announcing fresh sanctions targeting the suppliers of equipment and aviation fuel to the Myanmar military. Alongside the EU and Canada, we are today further constraining the military’s access to funds, equipment and resources. 

    These sanctions will increase pressure on the Myanmar military. The UK remains steadfast in our support for the Myanmar people and their aspirations for a peaceful and democratic future.

    On 1 February 2021, the Myanmar military overthrew the democratically elected government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, and installed a military regime. Since then, they have used violence and atrocities to maintain power and suppress any opposition voices. Increasingly brutal tactics have been implemented as the military continue to cling on to power, leading to the highest number of airstrikes on record by the Myanmar military this August (2024), killing dozens of civilians. 

    Over 3.4 million people are now displaced from their homes due to the fighting, over 18 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, and Myanmar is now seeing a proliferation in serious and organised crime. 

    Background  

    Since the coup, the UK has designated 25 individuals and 33 entities under the Myanmar Sanctions Regime. The UK continues to lead international efforts to undermine the regime’s credibility and constrain their access to revenue and arms. 

    Today the UK has sanctioned: 

    1. Asia Sun Group Company Limited – for being owned or controlled by Zaw Min Tun, a Myanmar businessman previously sanctioned by the UK in 2023 for making available economic resources, namely aviation fuel, directly or indirectly to or for the benefit of the Myanmar security forces. 

    2. Swan Energy Company Limited – for being associated with Asia Sun Trading Company Limited and by for making available economic resources (aviation fuel) directly or indirectly to or for the benefit of the Myanmar security forces.  

    3. Myan-Oil Company Limited – for being associated with Asia Sun Trading Company Limited. 

    4. Rich Ray Trading Company Limited – for being associated with Asia Sun Trading Company Limited and by making available economic resources (aviation fuel) directly or indirectly to or for the benefit of the Myanmar security forces. 

    5. Progress Technology Support Company (a.k.a Royal Shune Lei Co) – for being involved in the supply to Myanmar of restricted goods or restricted technology or of material related to such goods or technology.  

    6. King Royal Technologies Company Limited- for being involved in the supply to Myanmar of goods or technology which could contribute to a serious human rights violation or abuse.

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

    Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

    Share this page

    The following links open in a new tab

    • Share on Facebook (opens in new tab)
    • Share on Twitter (opens in new tab)

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/INDONESIA – Appointment of bishop of Surabaya

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Tuesday, 29 October 2024

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Agustinus Tri Budi Utomo, of the clergy of the diocese of Surabaya, Indonesia, until now episcopal vicar for pastoral care, as bishop of the same diocese.Msgr. Agustinus Tri Budi Utomo was born on 12 March 1968 in Ngawi, East Java. After entering the Saint Vincentius a Paulo Minor Seminary in Blitar, he continued his formation at the Saint John XXIII Interdiocesan Major Seminary in Malang, attending the Widya Sasana Philosophical and Theological Institute in Malang, where he was awarded a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in theology.He was ordained a priest on 27 August 1996.He has held the following offices: chaplain for university students (1996), parish vicar (1996-2000) and parish priest (2000-2001) of Saint Mary of the Annunciation in Sidoario, lecturer at Universitas Airlangga (1996-2001), teacher at the Saint Vincentius a Paulo Minor Seminary (1996-2001), director of the Lembaga Karya Dharma social and healthcare Foundation (2001), parish vicar of Infant Jesus in Marau, diocese of Ketapang (2001-2004), parish priest of Saint Charles Borromeo in Tembelina, diocese of Ketapang (2004-2005), parish priest of Saint Pius XI in Blora (2005-2007), president of the Yohanes Gabriel educational Foundation (2006-2007-2012), episcopal vicar for Region IV (2007-2008), lecturer at the Universitas Katolik Widya Mandala (2007-2010), episcopal vicar of Cepu and parish vicar of Saint Willibrordus in Cepu (2008-2011), parish administrator of Saint Mary of the Annunciation in Sidoario (2017-2018), parish vicar of Saint Mary of the Annunciation in Sidoario (2018-2020), parish vicar of the Catheral (2020-2022), and chair of the diocesan Commission for the Family (2020-2022). Since 2011 he has served as vicar general of the diocese of Surabaya and subsequently episcopal vicar for pastoral care. Since 2021 he has been a member of the diocesan Commission for Property and Assets and, since 2022, parish vicar of Sakramen Mahakudus Pagesangan in Surabaya. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 29/10/2024)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/MYANMAR – Appointment of bishop of Myitkyina

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Tuesday, 29 October 2024

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Fr. John Mung Ngawn La Sam, M.F., of the Missionaries of Faith, until now parish priest of Saint Paul Church and head of the Retreat Centre in Shadau, as bishop of the diocese of Myitkyina, Myanmar.Msgr. John Mung Ngawn La Sam, M.F., was born on 27 April 1973 in Moe Gok. He studied law atMyitkyina University and philosophy at Saint Joseph’s Institute of Philosophy in Pyi Oo Lwin. After completing the year of spirituality at the formation house of the Missionaries of the Faith in Rome (2009-2010), he studied theology at the Pontifical Lateran University (2011-2014).He gave his religious vows in the Congregation of the Missionary Fathers of Faith on 8 September and was ordained a priest on 16 January 2016.He has held the following offices: assistant parish priest of the Saint Colombano Cathedral, Myitkyina (2016-2017), and since 2017, parish priest of Saint Paul’s Church and head of the Retreat Centre in the diocese of Myitkyina. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 29/10/2024)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/SOUTH KOREA – A mass in memory of the victims of the Halloween massacre, two years later

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Tuesday, 29 October 2024 youth  

    Photo:Park Sun Hyeok

    Seoul (Agenzia Fides) – Yesterday evening, in the church of the “St. Francis Educational Center” in the Jung Dong district, in the capital of South Korea, a mass was held in memory of the victims of the Halloween disaster in Itaewon, a popular nightlife district where on October 29, 2022, a total of 159 people lost their lives in a stampede, swept away by the crowd of young people who had come for the Halloween party.The Holy Mass was celebrated by Father Marco Inkook Kim together with about 20 diocesan and religious priests, and was attended by at least 200 people, among whom there were also numerous nuns. During the Mass, the names of all the victims were read in the presence of the parents present, who wore purple clothes and sat in the first pews. The father of Sang-eun, one of the victims, took the floor and gave a long speech. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the nuns and priests on behalf of the grieving families for holding our hands, shedding tears and offering us comfort and support,” said Lee Sung-hwan, among other things.The Mass concluded with a performance by the famous artist Shin Sang Og, followed by music to the sounds of the song “Fly me to the moon”.The Catholic Church in Korea will host World Youth Day in 2027. There are many expectations from those involved in organizing this event, which will be an opportunity for the Korean ecclesial community to look with particular attention to the young generations and their situation. (PR) (Agenzia Fides, 29/10/2024)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis announces 2024 Board of Directors election results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis (“FHLBank Indianapolis” or “Bank”) today announced the results of the election of two Indiana Member Directors and three Independent Directors to its Board of Directors (“Board”). The following individuals were elected to the Board and will each serve four-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2025.

    The new Indiana Member Directors are:

    • Dan L. Moore, executive chairman, Home Bank, S.B., Martinsville, Ind. Previously, Moore served as its chairman, president and CEO and director. Moore served on the Board from 2011 to 2022 and was Board Chair from 2019 to 2022. He also served as Chairman of the Council of Federal Home Loan Banks in 2022.
    • Jamie R. Shinabarger, CEO, Springs Valley Bank & Trust Co., Jasper, Ind. Shinabarger also serves on the bank’s board of directors and of SVB&T Corp., the bank’s holding company in French Lick, Ind.

    The new Independent Directors are:

    • Kathryn M. Dominguez, professor of public policy and economics, University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy in Ann Arbor, Mich. She also serves as the school’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and is the co-faculty director of the Center on Finance, Law and Policy. Dominguez was appointed to the Board as an Independent Director to fill a partial term in 2023, and currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Risk Oversight Committee.
    • Charlotte C. Henry, former chief information technology officer for the UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust, Detroit. Henry has been an Independent Director on the Board since 2017. She currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Board’s Security and Technology Committee, and formerly served as the Chair of that committee.
    • Todd E. Sears (Public Interest Independent Director), vice president of development, Cohen Esrey, Indianapolis. Previously, Sears served as chief investment officer and chief financial officer of Valeo Financial Advisors and was executive vice president of research, policy and strategy at Kittle Property Group, Inc., in Indianapolis. Sears previously served as the executive vice president for the non-profit CDFI, Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership. He has served as an Independent Director on the Board since 2021 and previously served on the Board’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council from 2012-2018.

    Annually, the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency determines the size of the Board and designates at least a majority, but no more than 60%, of the directorships as member directorships and the remainder as independent directorships. Independent directors are nominated by the Board after consultation with the Bank’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council and the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

    Media contact:
    Scott Thien, Sr. Communications Lead
    317-902-3103
    sthien@fhlbi.com

    Building Partnerships. Serving Communities
    FHLBank Indianapolis is a regional bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System. FHLBanks are government-sponsored enterprises created by Congress to provide access to low-cost funding for their member financial institutions, with particular attention paid to providing solutions that support the housing and small business needs of members’ customers. FHLBanks are privately capitalized and funded, and they receive no Congressional appropriations. One of 11 independent regional cooperative banks across the U.S., FHLBank Indianapolis is owned by its Indiana and Michigan financial institution members, including commercial banks, credit unions, insurance companies, savings institutions and community development financial institutions. For more information about FHLBank Indianapolis, visit www.fhlbi.com and follow the Bank on LinkedIn, and Instagram and X at @FHLBankIndy.

    The MIL Network –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Royal Malaysian Navy commence Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Malaysia 2024

    Source: United States Navy

    “This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training exercise series, which is a testament to the strength and longevity of the U.S.-Malaysia partnership,” said Capt. John Baggett, deputy commodore, Destroyer Squadron 7 and U.S. head of delegation for the opening ceremony. “Over the past three decades, we’ve built a strong foundation of trust and cooperation that has benefited both of our nations. Exercises like this underscore the excellent partnership between our militaries and emphasizes our respect for one another.”

    CARAT Malaysia 2024 builds on 67 years of close collaboration between the U.S. and Malaysia. It highlights our continued dedication to peace, stability and security in the region. Additionally, CARAT Malaysia serves as a symbol of the U.S. commitment to key Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) partners to reinforce ASEAN Centrality, supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific.

    During the exercise, participants will engage in specialized training across a wide range of disciplines including medicine, legal operations, aviation, and force protection. Naval vessels and maritime surveillance aircraft, and specialized teams (including diving and explosive ordnance disposal units) will conduct high-intensity drills focusing on anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, anti-air warfare, and maritime domain awareness.

    This year, Marine Rotational Force – Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA) personnel will engage in training events and expert exchanges with Royal Malaysian army and naval forces, focusing on amphibious operations planning, medical treatment in maritime environments, legal discussions, and security and cyber operations best practices.

    These events aim to enhance the collective interoperability and proficiency between U.S. and Malaysian forces while cultivating strong relationships as partners.

    “CARAT serves as a vital platform for our armed forces to engage in cooperative operations. It emphasizes our shared dedication to promoting stability and addressing shared challenges in our maritime domain,” said Royal Malaysian Navy First Admiral Hj Muhammad Rohdi bin Ariffin, assistant chief of staff, Joint Force Headquarters and Malaysian head of delegation for the opening ceremony. “We are privileged to host our friends from the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. This exercise showcases the strength of our partnership and the spirit of collaboration… Together we can overcome challenges and ensure a stable future for all.”

    Participating U.S. assets include the Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG 105) and a P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft, staff and personnel from Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, Commander, Task Force (CTF) 72, 73, 75, and 76, Command, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7, and MRF-SEA personnel from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

    Royal Malaysian Navy participating assets include the Kedah-class offshore patrol vessel KD Terengganu (F 174), the Keris-class littoral mission ship KD Rencong (KD 114), a Eurocopter AS 550 Fennec helicopter, an F/A-18D Hornet multi-role fighter, and two Agusta Westland AW139 helicopters.

    As the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed DESRON in Southeast Asia, DESRON 7 serves as the primary tactical and operational commander of littoral combat ships rotationally deployed to Singapore. DESRON 7 also functions as the CTF-76 Sea Combat Commander and builds partnerships through training exercises and military-to-military engagements as the executing agent of Commander, Task Group CARAT.

    U.S. 7th Fleet is the Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts
    and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: The Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre opens call for applications for the Community Support for Sexual Misconduct Survivors Grant Program

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    News release

    The Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre (SMSRC) is committed to improving access to support services for individuals affected by sexual misconduct within the Defence community.

    October 29, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of National Defence

    The Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre (SMSRC) is committed to improving access to support services for individuals affected by sexual misconduct within the Defence community.

    Today, the SMSRC launched its 2024-25 call for applications for the Community Support for Sexual Misconduct Survivors Grant Program. This initiative aims to broaden the availability of support services and strengthen collaboration between community-based organizations and Department of National Defence (DND) and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) service providers.

    Grant Details:

    • One-time project grants: up to $50,000
    • Recurrent grants: up to $75,000 annually for two to three years
    • Application deadline: November 26, 2024, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time
    • Funding anticipated to commence: Spring 2025

    The goal of the Grant Program is to broaden the scope of support services accessible to those affected by sexual misconduct in the wider Defence community and increase the collaboration between community-based and DND/CAF service providers. The SMSRC’s Grant Program was developed based on the request of people in the Defence community affected by sexual misconduct to have access to a broad range of culturally competent, confidential, specialized care and support services.

    The grant program is part of It’s Time: Canada’s Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence (the federal GBV Strategy).

    For further information and to apply, please visit the SMSRC Grant Program website.

    Quotes

    “Improving access to support services for members of the Defence Community who have been affected by sexual misconduct is a top priority for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. By funding projects across Canada, the SMSRC’s Grant Program ensures that our people have access to a broader range of support services. The Defence Community works hard every day to keep Canadians safe and it is our duty to make sure we build an institution where everyone feels respected and empowered to reach their full potential.”

    The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence

    “Survivors and individuals affected by sexual misconduct should be able to access the support services they need when and where they need them. This program helps expand access to critical support services close to home. By investing in community-based organizations, our government is empowering communities to provide the care and resources that survivors and their families can count on.”

    The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence

    “The SMSRC Community Support for Sexual Misconduct Survivors Grant Program is open to receiving applications from community-based service providers. I look forward to establishing grant agreements with organizations across the country to support those affected by sexual misconduct. Together, we can work to make sure that those affected have the support they need.”

    Linda Rizzo-Michelin, Chief Operating Officer, Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre (SMSRC), Department of National Defence

    Quick facts

    • The Grant Program was first launched in the fall of 2022 and currently funds 32 projects in Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan.

    • Eligible organizations include, but are not limited to, sexual assault centres, community support programs and counselling services who have the capacity and expertise to provide support to those that have been affected by sexual misconduct within the wider Defence community.

    • The “wider Defence community” includes current and former CAF members/Veterans, DND public service employees, Cadets, Junior Canadian Rangers, their families, supporters, and caregivers (age 16 and older).

    • The program seeks to support projects that address the needs of diverse populations, women, men, sexually and  gender diverse people; Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and additionally sexually and gender diverse (2SLGBTQI+) people; Indigenous Peoples; Black, Asian and other racialized people; people living with disabilities; religious minorities; those living in an official language minority community; those living in northern, rural and remote communities; others with diverse identity factors; and/or people who cannot access services in person.

    • In addition to funding community support, the SMSRC provides support services to meet the needs of the wider Defence community.

    Associated links

    Contacts

    Media Relations
    Department of National Defence
    613-904-3333
    mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment of the Philippines

    Source: ASEAN

    On his first day in Singapore  attending the 28th ASEAN Labour Ministers’ Meeting, Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, this evening met with Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma of the Philippines’ Department of Labor and Employment. During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on the initiatives led by the Philippines in the ASEAN Labour Ministers’ Work Programme and labour-related priorities and looked forward to working closely with the Philippines during its Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2026.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment of the Philippines appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: How language barriers influence global climate literacy

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mario Saraceni, Associate Professor in English Language and Linguistics, University of Portsmouth

    Creativa Images/Shutterstock

    Our planet is getting hotter at an alarming rate. Climate change is one of the most serious global issues today. Its consequences affect every single human being on Earth. So it seems perfectly logical that scientific publications about global warming are written in the global language: English.

    And yet, it is precisely because it is written in English, that climate science is largely inaccessible to the majority of people globally.

    To explain this apparent contradiction, we need to look at some numbers. Nearly 90% of scientific publications globally are in English. This is a staggering dominance of just one language. But English, often called a global language, is only spoken by a minority of the world’s population.



    Read more:
    Indigenous languages must feature more in science communication

    How do we know that most people in the world don’t speak English? English the main language of society in only a handful of countries: the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The population of these countries, combined, amounts to about 400 million – a very small percentage of the world’s population.

    In many other former British colonies, such as India, Nigeria or Malaysia, English exists alongside other languages. In these contexts English tends to be an elite language, used mostly by urban, middle-class, well-educated people. Elsewhere, English functions as a lingua franca, used mostly in transnational communication.

    Given these diverse scenarios, it is extremely difficult to estimate the number of speakers of English with any precision. About 20 years ago, linguist David Crystal suggested that the number may be somewhere between 1 and 2 billion. Even if we take the upper limit of that extremely large range, we’re talking about only one quarter of the world’s population. This means that three out of four people in the world do not speak English.



    Read more:
    Italian government wants to stop businesses using English – here’s why it’s the lingua franca of firms around the world

    That means at least three quarters of the world’s population do not speak the language in which the science about climate change is disseminated globally. At the same time, languages other than English are marginalised and struggle to find space in the global communication of science.

    So this linguistic inequality creates an imbalance in the distribution of scientific knowledge about climate change. But it also reinforces two other types of existing inequality.

    One has to do with the production of scientific knowledge in general, which is disproportionately emanating from the two main Anglophone countries: the US and the UK. Out of the top 100 scientific journals for impact and prestige, 91 are based in these two countries.

    Out of 100 top scientific journals, 91 are published in the UK and the US.
    Sergei25/Shutterstock

    The other form of inequality has to do with social injustice. Scientific literature is almost exclusively written in English. But this language is virtually unknown by most people, especially in developing countries. And so, societies who suffer more from climate change are precisely those where access to scientific literature about it is severely limited.

    What is the solution? Unesco’s Open Science initiative, is attempting to tackle the problem. It aims to “make scientific research from all fields accessible to everyone for the benefits of scientists and society as a whole”. One of its objectives is to “ensure that scientific collaborations transcend the boundaries of geography, language and resources”.

    Breaking language barriers

    Achieving the objectives set by Open Science is no easy task. One approach is to break the barrier of English monolingualism by promoting multilingualism.

    On the one hand, opportunities must be created for scientists from around the world to communicate their research and their scholarship in languages other than English.

    On the other, the great technological advancement made in machine translation, especially with the advent of AI, should be put to use in order to ensure that content is available in languages other than English. This is precisely the goal of Climate Cardinals, a non-profit organisation whose mission is to “make the climate movement more accessible to those who don’t speak English” by translating information into more than 100 languages.

    These kinds of concrete efforts offer hope for climate literacy and, consequently, for action to lessen the impact of climate change.

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

    – ref. How language barriers influence global climate literacy – https://theconversation.com/how-language-barriers-influence-global-climate-literacy-241867

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Astra Awards Celebrate Grassroots Innovation23 Oct 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Royal Air Force

    The Astra Awards celebrated innovation, challenge, and improvement across the RAF at the RAF Museum in London on 17 October 2024.

    Astra is the RAF’s approach to grassroots innovation, which encompasses bureaucracy challenge and continuous improvement. The Astra Awards recognise some of the most inspirational people, ingenious ideas, and the incredible impact they’ve had on our operational output.

    Award Winners

    Astra Unit Award, sponsored by Fujitsu

    Winner: RAF Lossiemouth

    RAF Lossiemouth showcases the future of the Astra Network at a unit level. Enthusiastically grasping the direction to refocus Astra onto grassroots innovation, the team have already made a significant impact on the innovative mindset across the station. Proactively upskilling the existing Continuous Improvement personnel in unfamiliar areas such as additive manufacturing, computer-aided design, and virtual reality, the small team are already proving highly effective in all aspects of grassroots innovation. Positively impacting on people and the operational output across the unit, they are making best use of every asset and opportunity provided to them. To support their work, the team have created an exciting and engaging Astra Hub; a collaborative, innovative space that will allow the whole force to continue to deliver substantial benefits to RAF Lossiemouth and the RAF.

    Astra Innovation Award, sponsored by PA Consulting

    Winner: Project I2T

    Project IMMERSIVE INSTRUCTOR TRAINING, known as I2T, is designed to enhance the delivery of training to Qualified Helicopter Instructors and Qualified Helicopter Crewman Instructors. Significantly modernising the outdated system, the project delivers training using immersive 360-degree video courseware accessed via virtual reality headsets. Developed by Flt Lt Rich Keeling and Dr Jon Allsop at the Central Flying School, it is being implemented by RAF Shawbury to great effect. It is proving to complement the existing training programme and allows instructors to gain skills through repeatable virtual scenarios and error analysis. It bridges the gap between theoretical and real-world flying in a sustainable manner and helps to ensure effective instructors for future helicopter aircrew.

    Astra Challenge Award, sponsored by Boxxe

    Winner: Sergeant Becky Livesey

    Consistently championing change for the benefit of our whole force, Becky has been a driving force behind a challenge to amend outdated policy to support hundreds of individuals with shared parental responsibility. The previous policy only allowed leave to be shared between serving spouses, which did not reflect the changing nature of families and led to personal difficulties and an unstable environment for the children of Service personnel. Her challenge highlighted the negative impact of the policy and was integral to bringing about a significant change. The updated policy now allows leave to be transferred between serving personnel in all three Services who both have parental responsibility for a child, enabling them to use it for childcare purposes. The resulting increase in stability for Service children and the home environment cannot be underestimated, nor can its impact on retention and morale for our people.

    Astra Improvement Award, sponsored by QinetiQ

    Winner: RAF Brize Norton Air Mobility Force Dispatch Optimisation

    The consolidation of key enablers into a centralised dispatch centre at RAF Brize Norton has greatly enhanced communication, professional relationships, and overall efficiency, saving over 15 minutes for every flight from the busy main operating base. The relocation of the Meteorological Office, Jet Plans, and MSC has reduced unnecessary movement and transportation waste, streamlining workflow. The elimination of ‘nav bags’ and the centralisation of Electronic Flight Bags further minimised motion waste. Additionally, process duplication has been removed, reducing rework, and allowing crews to plan without interruption. Crews also save a further 6-8 minutes by no longer needing to visit Load Control, and aircrew now book transport directly, reducing delays. The project has delivered efficiencies for all stakeholders throughout the process.

    Astra Contribution to Operations Award, sponsored by the RAF

    Winner: F-35 Detachment Toolkit

    Recognising the need for rapid deployability in support of ACE, the RAF Marham team developed and delivered a deployable toolkit in support of the F-35 fleet. Employing Lean Six Sigma analysis and modelling high level tool usage across the fleet, they identified the full requirements to ensure the project would deliver a successful product. The team repurposed tools and test equipment from redundant issue centres, obtained funding for a laser etching machine, and procured mobile support units. Owing to their efforts, the F-35 now has a deployable tool capability that was used for the first time in the Iceland Air Policing operation. The capability has increased the potential operational output of the fleet, allowing it to operate effectively in two different locations with minimal impact to the flying programme.

    Astra Ambassador Award, sponsored by the RAF

    Winner: Chief Technician Martyn Sullivan

    Martyn has consistently demonstrated and embodied innovation, challenge, and improvement. His passion for making RAF Coningsby better through well-structured and benefit-led projects has ensured his small team have delivered a positive and lasting impact at unit level. Their demonstrable output adds value across the board. Alongside his commitment to RAF Coningsby, he actively collaborates with the whole force across the RAF, sharing his knowledge and experience and encouraging others to develop their innovative mindset. He created, organised, and delivered courses that developed an internal grassroots innovation network that spans all professions and sections. Furthermore, his exceptional work with industry partners such as BAE Systems has delivered projects that have improved and enhanced the operational output of the Typhoon fleet at both Coningsby and Lossiemouth.

    Spirit of Innovation Award, sponsored by BAE Systems

    Winner: Chief Technician Neil Hunt

    Wing Commander Williamson collected the award on behalf of Chief Technician Hunt. It will be formally presented on unit.

    Neil has shown significant determination and commitment to improvement. After identifying issues with the transportation of F-35 canopies across unit, Neil, alongside Sgt Richard James, developed the F-35 Canopy Transportation Trolley project, which has now been brought into service at RAF Marham. The innovative improvement project has already saved Defence over £600k. Continuing to engage with the Astra improvement process, Neil has submitted a further 13 ideas over the past two years. This includes the F-35 Ejection Seat Transportation Solution, which has once again delivered an effective solution that has delivered significant benefits, saving Defence £1.75m in the first 3 months by removing potential for damage and increasing resource efficiency.

    Neil’s award was collected by Wg Cdr Williamson on his behalf and will be handed over formally on unit.

    Astra Rising Star Award, sponsored by Frazer-Nash Consultancy

    Winner: Elizabeth Garvin

    Beth is new to the Civil Service and the RAF whole force as the Continuous Improvement Facilitator at RAF St Mawgan, who has taken on the role of Astra Ambassador as well as CI Lead. Always keen to learn, she proactively approached the Headquarters CI Team to secure a place on the Lean Six Sigma training course to further develop her skills. Since completing the course, she has rapidly applied her newfound knowledge and skills to delivering improvements across the unit. She has embraced the Astra ethos and amalgamated innovation, challenge, and improvement across all functional areas on unit, developing a growing innovative mindset and culture. Her creation of a regular drumbeat of collaboration opportunities, where she shares insight into activity in other areas, is already proving popular and igniting ideas in others from every area across the unit. Beth epitomises the values and intentions of Astra and grassroots innovation in the RAF whole force.

    Astra People’s Choice Award, sponsored by Babcock

    Winner: D-State Proforma

    Using the tools and techniques of Continuous Improvement, a full review and redesign of the State Demand form at RAF Coningsby was undertaken. The inefficient process saw at least 12 versions of the same form used on unit, with a significant administrative burden for all involved in submitting the 6000+ forms a year. The process was reviewed end-to-end and redesigned to remove unnecessary steps. Considering the needs of all stakeholders, it has simplified the communication flow and established an effective feedback loop. The project has significantly reduced the rejection rate for state demand forms and the potential misallocation of engineering spares. The redesigned form has also saved over 1600 hours per year just at RAF Coningsby and has also been used repeatedly and proven highly successful in the UK and on Op SHADER.

    Astra Team Award, sponsored by Leonardo

    Winner: Ailidh Leather

    Ailidh Leather has been the lead for Project POST ROOM at RAF Cosford, which uses scanning technology to significantly enhance the experience of the Post Room staff and the hundreds of recipients on station. Several years ago, Ailidh identified how technology could transform how mail is processed. With increasing amounts of parcels due to online shopping and inefficient handwritten ledgers, the post room was being swamped with mail leading to long delays in items reaching their intended recipient. Her persistence, determination, and forward thinking have ensured that the project has reached the position it is in today despite numerous setbacks. Through her tenacity, the project is making a real difference to the lives of personnel at Cosford, with potential to be rolled out wider across the RAF.

    Chief of the Air Staff’s Award, sponsored by Astra

    Winner: Air Specialist Class 1 Ross McGrory

    Ross played a pivotal role in Project GAIA, seamlessly transforming it into a Digital Shadow for a deployed medical centre by connecting multiple devices to a central hub. Proactively learning a new programming language, and dedicating a significant amount of his personal time, he developed a working product that provides a critical capability – 24/7 monitoring for emergency medical items such as blood supplies. Ross’s innovative mindset and skillset ensured that the complex system could easily be used by non-technical staff, which is not an easy task. Additionally, as second in command of RAF Leeming‘s Makerspace, which is an integral part of the Astra Hub, he expanded user engagement. He swiftly solved a persistent station issue in just 4 hours, highlighting his technical expertise and commitment to innovation.

    Hundreds gathered in Sunderland Hall at the RAF Museum for an evening of reward and recognition, showcasing grassroots innovation and sharing ideas. Grassroots innovation activities from the whole force were on display to ignite the innovative mindset of our people and encourage collaboration to bring meaningful change.

    Personnel from across the whole force were joined by international allies from the United States Air Force (USAF), Royal Australian Air Force, and Royal Canadian Air Force. Members of the USAF currently based in the UK also joined RAF personnel in demonstrating grassroots innovation projects in their area. The USAF’s AFWERX team are working closely with the RAF’s Astra Team to encourage collaboration on common problem sets, with the first joint grassroots innovation projects already being planned.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Stopping schemes to illegally access super

    Source: Australian Department of Revenue

    How we are protecting super

    We’re working to protect Australians’ retirement savings from schemes to illegally access super by:

    • raising awareness of the risks and how to address them
    • reviewing and assessing all new self-managed super funds (SMSFs) before they can receive a registered or complying status on Super Fund Lookup (SFLU)
    • working closely with industry partners to strengthen the rollover process.

    These approaches will help prevent the creation of an SMSF for the purpose of illegal access of super.

    Find out more about illegal early release of super.

    SMSF registration process

    The SMSF registration process helps safeguard retirement savings by preventing the inappropriate establishment of SMSFs. It can take up to 56 days before an SMSF is shown on SFLU as a regulated fund.

    Once a new SMSF is displayed on SFLU, it will initially be given a status of ‘Registered’. This status is allocated to all SMSFs on registration and will be updated within 7 days to ‘Complying’ when the SMSF receives its Notice of Compliance.

    An Australian business number (ABN) for the fund will be issued before the election to be regulated is processed. This means that you can use the ABN to establish a bank account for the SMSF.

    If we identify a problem with a new registration, we will immediately contact the authorised contact for the SMSF.

    We have updated SFLU to provide clearer information about the complying and regulatory status of SMSFs and identify SMSFs that we have concerns about.

    SMSF member verification system

    When Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) regulated funds and SMSFs receive a request to rollover their member’s super balance to an SMSF, they must use the SMSF verification service (SVS) to confirm:

    • the ABN in the request is registered as an SMSF
    • SMSF status (complying or regulated)
    • the tax file number (TFN) of the member requesting the rollover is associated with the SMSF
    • the TFN of the member requesting the rollover is not compromised
    • no verified date of death exists for that member
    • SMSF bank details in the rollover request match those held by the ATO
    • Electronic Service Address (ESA) in the rollover request matches that held by the ATO.

    If a fund suspects fraud or illegal early access

    When an APRA-regulated fund receives a transfer or rollover request and they suspect they’re dealing with fraud or illegal early access activity, you should:

    We will investigate all reports of suspicious transactions.

    Depending on the suspicious transaction, you may also have obligations to report to Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC)External Link and relevant law enforcement agencies.

    Keep your SMSF details up to date with us

    Keeping your details up to date with us will help reduce the risk of fraud and illegal early access.

    It’s also important because when someone initiates a rollover request into an SMSF, the SVS will verify the fund and member details. If the SVS indicates the SMSF doesn’t have a ‘registered’ or ‘complying’ status, they will not be able to receive a rollover. If the transferring fund suspects any illegal activity, they will report it to us and may also be required to report it to relevant law enforcement agencies.

    You need to ensure your SMSF membership details are recorded correctly and notify us of changes. This includes your fund’s:

    • bank account
    • electronic service address.
    • trustees
    • directors of the corporate trustee
    • members
    • contact details (contact person, phone, email address and fax numbers)
    • address (postal, registered or address for service of fund notices)
    • fund status.

    Alerts for changes

    To safeguard retirement savings and reduce the risk of fraud, we send an email or text alert (or both) when there is a change to the SMSF’s:

    • financial institution account details
    • ESA
    • authorised contact
    • members.

    If you receive an alert and did not authorise or know about the changes outlined, you should take action immediately.

    Phone us on 13 10 20 between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm Monday to Friday if you’re concerned that without your consent or knowledge:

    • an SMSF has been established, or
    • changes have been made to your existing SMSF.

    Have your TFN or ABN ready to establish your identity before you phone us.

    MIL OSI News –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: AutoScheduler Adds Vice President of Customer Success to Reinforce Focus on Successful Customer Implementations

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AutoScheduler.AI, an innovative Warehouse Orchestration Platform and WMS accelerator, announces that Ian Johnston has joined the company as the Vice President of Customer Success. He will replace Stephen Zujkowski, who is retiring. Ian has over a decade of experience in supply chain operations, logistics management, and strategic leadership. He will use his expertise to help AutoScheduler’s customers gain value and success from deploying AutoScheduler solutions. He will be the face of success for all AutoScheduler’s customers, ensuring the talented implementation team continues delivering exceptional services and fostering true partnerships.

    “As a leader within Amazon, Ian has demonstrated a deep understanding of operational planning and championed many technology implementations that enabled transformative changes within numerous operations,” says Keith Moore, CEO of AutoScheduler.AI. “His rich and diverse experience in leading and supporting innovation and a keen understanding of driving customer excellence make him a perfect fit for this pivotal role at AutoScheduler.AI.”

    “I am looking forward to setting new benchmarks for excellence in customer success with the best project delivery experiences, clear communications, and robust customer relationships, enabling AutoScheduler.AI to be the market leader in warehouse orchestration,” says Ian Johnston, Vice President, Customer Success, AutoScheduler.AI. “I am dedicated to driving value for clients through our innovative solutions and aligning AutoScheduler’s capabilities with customer needs.”

    As Vice President of Customer Success, Ian oversees the strategy, execution, and management of all aspects of customer deployment and satisfaction. He will ensure that customers derive maximum value from AutoScheduler, leading to improved fulfillment, better labor utilization, and lower costs. As the leader in the Customer Success organization, he will drive measurable positive business outcomes, customer satisfaction, retention, and expansion across the customer base.

    Before joining AutoScheduler.AI, Ian served as Director of Supply Chain at Amazon, overseeing North America’s largest heavy bulky logistics network, which included managing demand forecasting, capacity management, and product development for the U.S. and Canada. Ian’s leadership contributed to significant advancements in operational efficiency, including the development of several novel planning products that enhanced forecast accuracy and capacity flexibility, reducing Amazon’s cost to serve and improving delivery speeds. Prior to Amazon, Ian served as a Marine Infantry Officer, where he led combat operations in Afghanistan and deterrence operations in Southeast Asia. He later served at the White House, supporting two administrations and several high-profile events.

    Ian holds an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, a BA in Political Science with a minor in Spanish from The Citadel, and is actively pursuing a Master of Science in Real Estate at the University of San Diego.

    About AutoScheduler.AI
    AutoScheduler.AI orchestrates warehouse activities directly on top of your WMS, optimizing operations for peak performance. Developed alongside industry leaders like P&G and successfully deployed at prominent companies such as Pepsi, General Mills, and Unilever, our AI and Machine Learning platform seamlessly integrates with your existing systems. Focused on labor planning, inventory workflow, human-robotics interaction, and space utilization, we streamline operations, reducing travel and inventory handling while maximizing OTIF rates and labor efficiency. With prescriptive analytics driving insights, our clients harness the power to enhance efficiencies and generate value across their supply chains. Reach out to us at info@autoscheduler.ai for more information.

    Contact:
    Becky Boyd
    MediaFirst PR
    Becky@MediaFirst.Net
    Cell: (404) 421-8497

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/199e4f06-1419-40e1-8665-b27f4eb199cd

    The MIL Network –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: New CINQ by Coinstar™ Digital Wallet Launches Crypto and Stablecoin Capabilities Powered by Zero Hash

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zero Hash, the leading crypto and stablecoin infrastructure platform, today announced its partnership with Coinstar®, LLC, a global financial services leader, to embed crypto payments capabilities within CINQ by Coinstar™, a new digital wallet designed to expand how consumers use and manage their finances. This collaboration allows up to 9,500 of Coinstar’s 17,000+ network of kiosks across the U.S. to facilitate cash-to-crypto transactions.

    Through a partnership with Zero Hash, CINQ by Coinstar has launched with the initial ability to purchase cryptocurrency and stablecoins with cash at more than 9,500 Coinstar kiosks across the U.S., or through the CINQ by Coinstar mobile app. Users of the CINQ by Coinstar app, powered by Zero Hash, can seamlessly move in, out and between cash, stablecoins and crypto. A broader range of digital payment services for the CINQ by Coinstar wallet are expected to follow in 2025 as recently announced by Coinstar.

    The overarching objective of the partnership is to provide a seamless mechanism of dollar digitalization to the large percentage of underbanked and underserved households within the United States. Specifically: 

    • The unbanked who now have access to an electronic cash account
      • 6% of Adult Americans are unbanked; 24.6 million Americans are underbanked (Source: Fed Reserve, 2024)
    • The immigrant remitting money home
      • About half of all remittances are cash-based among the most common users (Source: Visa, 2023)

    “Zero Hash is delighted to partner with Coinstar, a household brand in money transformation for more than 30 years. Its vast network of self-serve kiosks and mobile apps will help further expand access to the underbanked and immigrants looking to remit funds. Upwards of 50% of remittances are cash-based and the multiple “hops” in remittance often mean these transfers incur high fees. Linking this cash infrastructure to the “network of networks” which is crypto and stablecoins, provides a key unlock for cheaper and quicker remittances for example,” said Edward Woodford, CEO and Founder at Zero Hash. “ CINQ by Coinstar has been able to seamlessly embed our regulatory compliant infrastructure to support new ways for cash-preferred customers to move safely and seamlessly between fiat and crypto use cases.”

    Powered by Zero Hash’s identity verification service, every customer is validated before cash can be entered into the kiosk for crypto, stablecoin and fiat transactions. Additional controls include Documentary Verification and Liveness Verification before certain services may be enabled. Users can buy over 25 crypto and stablecoin assets with paper currency at Coinstar kiosks in major grocery stores across North America as well as through the CINQ by Coinstar mobile app. Users can also connect multiple bank accounts, with Zero Hash’s platform facilitating USD deposits via ACH, allowing users to hold balances in cash or crypto and easily manage their financial needs.

    “Zero Hash has been an incredible partner in helping us extend our trusted services into the digital world,” said Kevin McColly, CEO of Coinstar. “Their secure and industry leading crypto and stablecoin infrastructure has allowed us to seamlessly bridge the gap between cash and cryptocurrency, making it easier for our customers to access and manage their finances.” 

    There are two ways to get started buying cryptocurrency through Zero Hash at Coinstar kiosks:

    1. Download the CINQ by Coinstar app, verify your account and visit a Coinstar kiosk with your cash. Or connect your bank account in the app and get started immediately.
    2. Visit a Coinstar kiosk, select cryptocurrency from the options and choose CINQ by Coinstar to get started with your crypto purchase through Zero Hash. Enter your mobile number at the kiosk and last 4 SSN or Date of Birth, then download the CINQ by Coinstar app and complete your account setup.

    To learn more about CINQ by Coinstar and follow along for additional product innovations, visit www.cinqwallet.com, or to find a CINQ by Coinstar enabled kiosk, visit our kiosk finder here.1 

    1: The CINQ by Coinstar wallet is available in all 50 states. However, Zero Hash enabled Kiosks are not currently available in all states, including the state of New York.  Transactional limits may also apply.

    About Zero Hash  
    Zero Hash is the leading crypto and stablecoin infrastructure provider that seamlessly connects fiat, crypto and stablecoins in one platform, enabling a better way to move and transfer money and value globally.

    Through its embeddable infrastructure, start-ups, enterprises and Fortune 500 companies build a diverse range of use cases: cross-border payments, commerce, trading, remittance, payroll, tokenization, wallets and on and off-ramps.

    Zero Hash Holdings is backed by investors, including Point72 Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, and NYCA.

    Zero Hash LLC is a FinCen-registered Money Service Business and a regulated Money Transmitter that can operate in 51 US jurisdictions. Zero Hash LLC and Zero Hash Liquidity Services LLC are licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. In Canada, Zero Hash LLC is registered as a Money Service Business with FINTRAC.

    Zero Hash Australia Pty Ltd. is registered with AUSTRAC as a Digital Currency Exchange Provider, with DCE registered provider number DCE100804170-001.  This registration enables Zero Hash to offer its crypto services in Australia.  Zero Hash Australia Pty Ltd. is registered on the New Zealand register of financial service providers, with Financial Service Provider (FSP)  number FSP1004503.  A FSP in New Zealand is a registration and does not mean that Zero Hash Australia Pty Ltd. is licensed by a New Zealand regulator to provide crypto services.  Zero Hash Australia Pty Ltd.’s registration on the New Zealand register of financial service providers does not mean that Zero Hash Australia is subject to active regulation or oversight by a New Zealand regulator.  Zero Hash Europe B.V. is registered as a Virtual Asset Services Provider (VASP) registration by the Dutch Central Bank (Relation number: R193684).  Zero Hash Europe Sp. Zoo is registered as a VASP by the Tax Administration Chamber of Poland in Katowice (Registration number RDWW – 1212).

    Connect with Zero Hash
    Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Medium

    Zero Hash Contact

    Shaun O’keeffe

    (855) 744-7333

    media@zerohash.com

    Zero Hash Disclosures
    Zero Hash services and product offerings, including the availability of kiosk services, may not be available in all jurisdictions. Zero Hash accounts are not subject to FDIC or SIPC protections, or any such equivalent protections that may exist outside of the US. Zero Hash’s technical support and enablement of any asset is not an endorsement of such asset and is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any crypto asset. The value of any cryptocurrency, including digital assets pegged to fiat currency, commodities, or any other asset, may go to zero. Zero Hash is not registered with the SEC or FINRA. Zero Hash does not provide any securities services and is not a custodian of securities, including security tokens, on behalf of customers. 

    About Coinstar, LLC
    Coinstar® is a global leader in money transformation and the largest physical self-serve financial network with a digital wallet, CINQ by Coinstar. Through its digital wallet, mobile app and network of 24,000 kiosks in North America and Europe, Coinstar offers a wide range of financial services which enable users to transform their physical currency. Its reliable payment solutions offer one-stop shopping experiences at convenient kiosk locations including coin conversion to cash, NO FEE eGift cards and charitable donations as well as account transfer services powered by our bank partners. Users can also move money and transact more seamlessly in the digital world through CINQ by Coinstar with the ability to buy, sell and transfer cryptocurrencies in its initial rollout. For brand advertisers, Coinstar offers adPlanet™ Retail Media Group, which enables lead generation on the interactive kiosk screen and a digital out of home network that delivers advertising via high-definition screens on top of Coinstar kiosks at select retail and grocery locations. For more information on Coinstar, visit www.coinstar.com.

    The MIL Network –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Humans evolved to share beds – how your sleeping companions may affect you now

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Goffredina Spanò, Lecturer in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Kingston University

    Jacob Lund/Shutterstock

    Recent research on animal sleep behaviour has revealed that sleep is influenced by the animals around them. Olive baboons, for instance, sleep less as group sizes increase, while mice can synchronise their rapid eye movement (REM) cycles.

    In western society, many people expect to sleep alone, if not with a romantic partner. But as with other group-living animals, human co-sleeping is common, despite some cultural and age-related variation. And in many cultures, bedsharing with a relative is considered typical.

    Apart from western countries, caregiver-infant co-sleeping is common, with rates as high as 60-100% in parts of South America, Asia and Africa.

    Despite its prevalence, infant co-sleeping is controversial. Some western perspectives, that value self-reliance, argue that sleeping alone promotes self-soothing when the baby wakes in the night. But evolutionary scientists argue that co-sleeping has been important to help keep infants warm and safe throughout human existence.

    Many cultures do not expect babies to self-soothe when they wake in the night and see night wakings as a normal part of breastfeeding and development.

    Concerns about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (Sids) have often led paediatricians to discourage bed-sharing. However, when studies control for other Sids risk factors including unsafe sleeping surfaces, Sids risk does not seem to differ statistically between co-sleeping and solitary sleeping infants.

    This may be one reason why agencies such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the NHS either recommend that infants “sleep in the parents’ room, close to the parents’ bed, but on a separate surface,” or, if bedsharing, to make sure that the infant “sleeps on a firm, flat mattress” without pillows and duvets, rather than discouraging co-sleeping altogether.

    Researchers don’t yet know whether co-sleeping causes differences in sleep or, whether co-sleeping happens because of these differences. However, experiments in the 1990s suggested that co-sleeping can encourage more sustained and frequent bouts of breastfeeding. Using sensors to measure brain activity, this research also suggested that infants’ and caregivers’ sleep may be lighter during co-sleeping. But researchers speculated that this lighter sleep may actually help protect against Sids by providing infants more opportunities to rouse from sleep and develop better control over their respiratory system.

    Other advocates believe that co-sleeping benefits infants’ emotional and mental health by promoting parent-child bonding and aiding infants’ stress hormone regulation. However, current data is inconclusive, with most studies showing mixed findings or no differences between co-sleepers and solitary sleepers with respect to short and long-term mental health.

    Co-sleeping in childhood

    Childhood co-sleeping past infancy is also fairly common according to worldwide surveys. A 2010 survey of over 7,000 UK families found 6% of children were constant bedsharers up to at least four years old.

    Some families adopt co-sleeping in response to their child having trouble sleeping. But child-parent bedsharing in many countries, including some western countries like Sweden where children often co-sleep with parents until school age, is viewed culturally as part of a nurturing environment.

    It’s normal for children to bedshare in many parts of the world.
    Yuri A/ Shutterstock

    It is also common for siblings to share a room or even a bed. A 2021 US study found that over 36% of young children aged three to five years bedshared in some form overnight, whether with caregivers, siblings, pets or some combination. Co-sleeping decreases but is still present among older children, with up to 13.8% of co-sleeping parents in Australia, the UK and other countries reporting that their child was between five and 12 years old when they engaged in co-sleeping.

    Two recent US studies using wrist-worn actigraphs (motion sensors) to track sleep indicated that kids who bedshare may have shorter sleep durations than children who sleep alone. But this shorter sleep duration is not explained by greater disruption during sleep. Instead, bedsharing children may lose sleep by going to bed later than solitary sleepers.

    The benefits and downsides of co-sleeping may also differ in children with conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, mental health disorders and chronic illnesses. These children may experience heightened anxiety, sensory sensitivities and physical discomfort that make falling and staying asleep difficult. For them, co-sleeping can provide reassurance.

    Adults sharing beds

    According to a 2018 survey from the US National Sleep Foundation, 80-89% of adults who live with their significant other share a bed with them. Adult bedsharing has shifted over time from pre-industrial communal arrangements, including whole families and other household guests, to solo sleeping in response to hygiene concerns as germ theory became accepted.

    Many couples find that bedsharing boosts their sense of closeness. Research shows that bedsharing with your partner can lead to longer sleep times and a feeling of better sleep overall.

    Bedsharing couples also often get into sync with each other’s sleep stages, which can enhance that feeling of intimacy. However, it’s not all rosy. Some studies indicate that females in heterosexual relationships may struggle more with sleep quality when bedsharing, as they can be more easily disturbed by their male partner’s movements. Also, bedsharers can have less deep sleep than when sleeping alone, even though they feel like their sleep is better together.

    Many questions about co-sleeping remain unanswered. For instance, we don’t fully understand the developmental effects of co-sleeping on children, or the benefits of co-sleeping for adults beyond female-male romantic partners. But, some work suggests that co-sleeping can comfort us, similar to other forms of social contact, and help to enhance physical synchrony between parents and children.

    Co-sleeping doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all answer. But remember that western norms aren’t necessarily the ones we have evolved with. So consider factors such as sleep disorders, health and age in your decision to co-sleep, rather than what everyone else is doing.

    Gina Mason receives funding from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Foundation (grant #334-BS-24). The views expressed herein are her own, and do not represent the official views of the Academy or any other professional organization with which she is affiliated.

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

    – ref. Humans evolved to share beds – how your sleeping companions may affect you now – https://theconversation.com/humans-evolved-to-share-beds-how-your-sleeping-companions-may-affect-you-now-241803

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Meeting between NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen

    Source: NATO

    Today Secretary General Rutte met with President von der Leyen for the first time since Mr Rutte took office at the helm of NATO.

    Their discussion focused on the importance of a close and strategic partnership between NATO and the European Union. 

    Both agreed that in an increasingly dangerous world, this partnership is vital in order to champion and safeguard peace, freedom and prosperity. 

    Russia’s war of aggression on European soil is the single biggest threat to peace and security on the European continent. 

    Secretary General Rutte and President von der Leyen both emphasised that the deployment of North Korean soldiers in support of Russia’s war of aggression represented a significant escalation of the war against Ukraine as well as a serious threat to European security and global peace.

    They also discussed the growing assertiveness of authoritarian states on the world’s stage. These states challenge our common interests, values and democratic principles, using multiple means – political, economic, technological and military.

    To address these evolving threats and challenges, Secretary General Rutte and President von der Leyen have agreed today to set up a new high-level task force to strengthen the existing NATO-EU cooperation.  Planning for the first meeting of the task force is expected to move forward in the coming weeks.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group leads Task Force 70 surface, air forces into Keen Sword 25

    Source: United States Navy

    Keen Sword is the latest in a series of joint-bilateral field training exercises designed to increase combat readiness and interoperability of Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) and U.S. forces.

    In addition to Carrier Air Wing 5 and the strike group staff, embarked aboard the flagship Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), CTF 70 is represented in the exercise by the expeditionary Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 134, as well as the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70) and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88), both operating under Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15.

    “The George Washington Carrier Strike Group’s presence is crucial in Keen Sword 25,” said Rear Adm. Greg Newkirk, commander of Task Force 70 and the carrier strike group. “In Keen Sword, our strike group rehearses complex, high-end warfighting with the joint force and allies. This type of exercise showcases the range, agility and lethality of our unified force and reestablishes the George Washington Carrier Strike Group in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations with emphasis.”

    George Washington, returning in its second stint as the U.S. Navy’s aircraft carrier forward-deployed to Japan, departed the San Diego area on Oct. 8 to begin operations in the Indo-Pacific.

    The carrier was previously forward-deployed to Yokosuka from 2008 to 2015, and will return there in late fall after completion of its current patrol. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) served as the forward-deployed carrier from 2015 until earlier this year.

    “Keen Sword 25 provides the George Washington CSG an arena to flex its considerable capability in the air, surface and information domains,” said Newkirk. “Not only is the strike group conducting dynamic flight operations and complex expeditionary logistics during this exercise, it is also serving as a hub for tactical decision-making, driving action and reaction among forces throughout the region.”

    The CSG team, with DESRON 15, is coordinating with Lake Erie, operating with allies in the Philippine Sea near Okinawa, as well as Preble, which is in Yokosuka providing a platform for bilateral Tomahawk Land-Attack Missile (TLAM) training with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force specialists.

    Keen Sword is a biennial exercise designed to help promote peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region. This exercise, and others like it, are an opportunity to demonstrate to the world the will of the U.S. and allies to defend Japan, as well as the ironclad nature of the U.S.-Japan alliance, which has stood for more than 70 years.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: NMRTC Twentynine Palms Sailors prepare for Keen Sword exercise in Japan

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    As U.S. forces gear up for the latest iteration of Keen Sword, Navy personnel from across the globe are preparing for one of the largest bilateral military exercises between the United States and Japan.

    Among those participating are Sailors from Navy Expeditionary Medical Facility (EMF) Bravo, currently stationed at Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Twentynine Palms. These Sailors will provide essential medical support throughout the exercise, ensuring operational readiness extends to medical care in the field. Their involvement highlights the critical role that medical teams play in maintaining the health and effectiveness of deployed forces.

    The Oct. 23 to Nov. 1 exercise, aimed at testing operational readiness and strengthening combat interoperability, will bring together key military assets from both nations for a coordinated effort in maintaining regional security.

    Since 1986, Keen Sword has brought together thousands of American and Japanese service members to train for potential real-world conflicts, with a specific focus on joint operations. The exercise serves as a platform for the U.S. military to work alongside Japan’s Self-Defense Forces in a simulated, yet highly realistic, mass casualty environment.

    One of the many Sailors participating in the exercise is Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (HM1) Raymond Black from Colorado City, Arizona, a biomedical equipment repair technician. Black explained that the primary role of his team during the exercise is to set up and maintain a field hospital capable of receiving casualties in the event of an emergency.

    “Much of the operation will be conducted by the Navy on ships, but our role will be setting up the field hospital to be on standby for patient evacs,” said Black. “That way if this were a real-world event, we would be prepared to receive casualties.”

    The medical team participating in Keen Sword includes a wide variety of specialties, bringing together a broad range of medical expertise to support the mission effectively.

    “It’s pretty much anything you’d need,” Black expressed. “We’ve got biomeds like myself. We’ve got radiology. We’ve got preventative medicine. We’ve got a surgical team, admin — we’re going to be basically a full hospital.”

    Black, a seasoned biomed, has extensive experience serving overseas, having deployed to Iraq twice and Kuwait once. His deployments have given him a unique perspective on the challenges of maintaining and repairing medical equipment in a field setting.

    “Trying to perform maintenance and repairs while deployed is significantly harder,” Black said. “You might have to wait weeks for parts, or the equipment could be so old that they don’t make parts for it anymore. That experience helps me prepare for the unexpected challenges we might face in this exercise.”

    Lieutenant Junior Grade Belinda Larche, a patient administration officer originally hailing from Cameroon emphasized the importance of the exercise in evaluating readiness.

    “Keen Sword is designed to assess EMF Bravo’s ability to deploy within 10 days and provide Role III healthcare support in an austere environment,” she said.

    Larche, who has previously served overseas as a medical regulator (MEDREG) in Iraq, believes the skills she gained from her deployments will be critical during Keen Sword.

    “I served in Iraq as the MEDREG of 28 Joint and 9 Coalition Units across the Combined Joint Task Force Area of operations in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM),” Latched explained. “As the MEDREG for Navy Expeditionary Medical Unit Role-2E, I led a team of three medical operations personnel in executing 25 urgent, priority, and routine intra and inter-theater medical evacuations. I believe the skills I honed during that mission will greatly assist me and my team to accomplish Keen Sword successfully.”

    One of the less visible but equally essential roles during the exercise will be filled by Information Systems Technician 3rd Class Christopher Logan from Long Beach, California. Logan’s responsibilities include ensuring communication systems are fully operational, allowing seamless coordination during medical evacuations.

    “I am going to help run the systems, make sure that nothing goes down, and try to maintain network stability as a system administrator,” Logan said. “We’ll also be setting up communications so we can transmit medical information and better coordinate patient care.”

    HM1 Isai Lopez, a surgical technician from Florida, will assist in setting up and maintaining a sterile environment for potential surgeries. Lopez, who has previously served at NMRTC Rota and aboard the USS Essex, emphasized the value of training in realistic environments.

    “In this exercise, we have the privilege of training to receive patients in a mass casualty situation for multiple days to create the stressful environment the medical force may receive in a real-life scenario. This allows us to find ways to be as efficient as possible,” Lopez said. “It’s crucial that this isn’t the first time we’re exposed to these situations. The way this (exercise) becomes most effective is for those attending Keen Sword to share their experience with every Sailor.”

    Black also highlighted the exercise’s value for further bolstering strategic interoperability with Japan.

    “Keen Sword helps us work out problems so we can operate smoothly with our Japanese allies,” he said. “Because, with any operation, the main issue is always communications — who’s doing what, what needs to happen, and when. The goal is to make sure that, if a conflict arises, these questions are already answered to the point that we’re fully ready.”

    Keen Sword, which occurs every two years, reflects the ongoing commitment of the U.S. and Japan to maintain regional stability in the Indo-Pacific. This year’s exercise comes amid growing concerns about the security dynamics in the region, particularly with China’s increasing military presence.

    “We need to be prepared for anything,” Black added. “That’s why exercises like Keen Sword are so important.”

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Brics+ could shape a new world order, but it lacks shared values and a unified identity

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Anthoni van Nieuwkerk, Professor of International and Diplomacy Studies, Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs, University of South Africa

    The last two summits of Brics countries have raised questions about the coalition’s identity and purpose. This began to come into focus at the summit hosted by South Africa in 2023, and more acutely at the recent 2024 summit in Kazan, Russia.

    At both events the alliance undertook to expand its membership. In 2023, the first five Brics members – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – invited Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to join. All bar Saudi Arabia have now done so. The 2024 summit pledged to admit 13 more, perhaps as associates or “partner countries”.

    On paper, the nine-member Brics+ strikes a powerful pose. It has a combined population of about 3.5 billion, or 45% of the world’s people. Combined, its economies are worth more than US$28.5 trillion – about 28% of the global economy. With Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE as members, Brics+ produces about 44% of the world’s crude oil.

    Based on my research and policy advice to African foreign policy decision-makers, I would argue that there are three possible interpretations of the purpose of Brics+.

    • A club of self-interested members – a kind of global south cooperative. What I’d label as a self-help organisation.

    • A reforming bloc with a more ambitious goal of improving the workings of the current global order.

    • A disrupter, preparing to replace the western-dominated liberal world order.

    Analysing the commitments that were made at the meeting in Russia, I would argue that Brics+ sees itself more as a self-interested reformer. It represents the thinking among global south leaders about the nature of global order, and the possibilities of shaping a new order. This, as the world moves away from the financially dominant, yet declining western order (in terms of moral influence) led by the US. The move is to a multipolar order in which the east plays a leading role.

    Read more: Russia’s Brics summit shows determination for a new world order – but internal rifts will buy the west some time

    However, the ability of Brics+ to exploit such possibilities is constrained by its make-up and internal inconsistencies. These include a contested identity, incongruous values and lack of resources to convert political commitments into actionable plans.

    Summit outcomes

    The trend towards closer trade and financial cooperation and coordination stands out as a major achievement of the Kazan summit. Other achievements pertain to global governance and counter-terrorism.

    When it comes to trade and finance, the final communiqué said the following had been agreed:

    • adoption of local currencies in trade and financial transactions. The Kazan Declaration notes the benefits of faster, low cost, more efficient, transparent, safe and inclusive cross-border payment instruments. The guiding principle would be minimal trade barriers and non-discriminatory access.

    • establishment of a cross-border payment system. The declaration encourages correspondent banking networks within Brics, and enabling settlements in local currencies in line with the Brics Cross-Border Payments Initiative. This is voluntary and nonbinding and is to be discussed further.

    • creation of an enhanced roles for the New Development Bank, such as promoting infrastructure and sustainable development.

    • a proposed Brics Grain Exchange, to improve food security through enhanced trade in agricultural commodities.

    All nine Brics+ countries committed themselves to the principles of the UN Charter – peace and security, human rights, the rule of law, and development – primarily as a response to the western unilateral sanctions.

    Read more: South Africa walks a tightrope of international alliances – it needs Russia, China and the west

    The summit emphasised that dialogue and diplomacy should prevail over conflict in, among other places, the Middle East, Sudan, Haiti and Afghanistan.

    Faultlines and tensions

    Despite the positive tone of the Kazan declaration, there are serious structural fault lines and tensions inherent in the architecture and behaviour of Brics+. These might limit its ambitions to be a meaningful change agent.

    The members don’t even agree on the definition of Brics+. President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa calls it a platform. Others talk of a group (Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi) or a family (Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jianan).

    So what could it be?

    Brics+ is state-driven – with civil society on the margins. It reminds one of the African Union, which pays lip service to citizens’ engagement in decision-making.

    One possibility is that it will evolve into an intergovernmental organisation with a constitution that sets up its agencies, functions and purposes. Examples include the World Health Organization, the African Development Bank and the UN general assembly.

    But it would need to cohere around shared values. What would they be?

    Critics point out that Brics+ consists of democracies (South Africa, Brazil, India), a theocracy (Iran), monarchies (UAE, Saudi Arabia) and authoritarian dictatorships (China, Russia). For South Africa this creates a domestic headache. At the Kazan summit, its president declared Russia a friend and ally. At home, its coalition partner in the government of national unity, the Democratic Alliance, declared Ukraine as a friend and ally.

    Read more: When two elephants fight: how the global south uses non-alignment to avoid great power rivalries

    There are also marked differences over issues such as the reform of the United Nations. For example, at the recent UN Summit of the Future the consensus was for reform of the UN security council. But will China and Russia, as permanent security council members, agree to more seats, with veto rights, on the council?

    As for violent conflict, humanitarian crises, corruption and crime, there is little from the Kazan summit that suggests agreement around action.

    Unity of purpose

    What about shared interests? A number of Brics+ members and the partner countries maintain close trade ties with the west, which regards Russia and Iran as enemies and China as a global threat.

    Some, such as India and South Africa, use the foreign policy notions of strategic ambiguity or active non-alignment to mask the reality of trading with east, west, north and south.

    The harsh truth of international relations is there are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests. The Brics+ alliance will most likely cohere as a global south co-operative, with an innovative self-help agenda, but be reluctant to overturn the current global order from which it desires to benefit more equitably.

    Trade-offs and compromises might be necessary to ensure “unity of purpose”. It’s not clear that this loose alliance is close to being able to achieve that.

    – Brics+ could shape a new world order, but it lacks shared values and a unified identity
    – https://theconversation.com/brics-could-shape-a-new-world-order-but-it-lacks-shared-values-and-a-unified-identity-242308

    MIL OSI Africa –

    January 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Autocrats and cities: how capitals have become a battleground for protest and control

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By David Jackman, Departmental Lecturer in Development Studies, University of Oxford

    Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the world’s longest reigning female political leader, fled Bangladesh on 5 August 2024 for the safety of India. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of protesters descended on Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka. The crowds ransacked her official residence, occupied the nation’s parliament and burnt down her family home.

    Hasina, who had ruled the country for more than 20 years in total, had been widely accused of turning autocratic and clamping down severely on any opposition to her rule.

    For many, the Bangladesh revolution offers hope in the context of growing global authoritarianism. It illustrates the power of the youth to confront entrenched leaders, and the fragility of authoritarianism. It also highlights a striking feature of contemporary global politics: how central capital cities are to the political life of nations.

    In our new book, Controlling the Capital: Political Dominance in the Urbanizing World, a diverse range of scholars argue that capital cities are crucial political sites. They’re where governing elites seek to assert and maintain political control, and they are also stages for political contestation.

    The book is focused on sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the two fastest-urbanising regions of the world.

    Authors explore the strategies and tactics used by ruling elites to politically dominate their capital cities in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

    The authors also consider how urban populations have engaged with these efforts. People may resist authority, but they can also cooperate with it in ways that benefit themselves – which sometimes reinforces or supports authoritarian control.

    This is increasingly important in the context of two contemporary trends. First, authoritarianism is growing globally. Just 10 years ago under half of the world’s population lived under authoritarian rule; now the figure is at 71%. The second trend is the ongoing rapid urbanisation of the world’s population, with the majority of us globally now living in urban areas.

    Urban unrest

    Over the past year we’ve seen how capital cities are spaces for contestation.

    Some pro-democracy movements draw from their own histories of struggle and the paths that have been carved by those before them. The template of Bangladesh’s 2024 revolution is ingrained in politics from the ways in which liberation was fought and how later struggles against authoritarian rule were won. The capital city has also been crucial, and students at Dhaka University were key mobilisers in such movements.

    In other contexts, the link between political resistance and urban areas is a relatively new and surprising route to political change. One example is “the struggle” seen in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo and the unseating of the Rajapaksa family, who were perceived as increasingly authoritarian rulers of the country. The Colombo chapter in this volume highlights how such protests emerged in a context where urban unrest had rarely threatened those in power before.

    Even where anti-authoritarian protests have proved futile time and again, urban populations rarely remain quiet.

    In Kampala, Uganda, demonstrations prior to the 2021 elections resulted in a horrifying government crackdown. Inspired by events in neighbouring Kenya, protesters took to the streets once more in July 2024 to demonstrate against corruption.

    Read more: Kenya’s protests happened in every major urban centre – why these spaces are explosive

    The protests that erupted in Nairobi from late June 2024 against tax rises engulfed the capital city. They continued for some time, fuelled by the brutal police response. Similarly, Nigeria’s 2020 #EndSARS protests against police brutality created a powerful movement in cities such as Abuja and Lagos which shook government, and resonated across much of the continent.

    In an age of social media, learning and mimicry across national borders is increasingly common. One of the defining images of Kenya’s 2024 urban uprising was of a group of men with their arms raised and crossed at the wrists – a gesture of anti-authoritarian protest that gained particular resonance several years back during neighbouring Ethiopia’s own uprising.

    As urban protest seems set to continue and spread – often taking intentionally similar forms – techniques of urban authoritarian control are more varied and complex.

    Strategies to dominate and control city populations can be dramatic and repressive – such as the brute force of police violence – and they can also be subtle, deeply ingrained, and sometimes difficult to discern.

    Authoritarian tactics

    Our book argues that authoritarian leaders are increasingly aware of the power of the urban masses. As a result, they are using a range of subtle, and not-so-subtle, tactics to entrench their domination in capital cities.

    We broadly described two types of interventions that elites use.

    The first are policies and favours that actively build support among urban groups. These can range from inclusion in political parties to investments in social provisions or infrastructure to win support. The book’s chapter on Addis Ababa shows how the latter were particularly striking under the previous governing regime in Ethiopia.

    The second are repressive interventions that aim to crush opposition. These are also diverse, and include violent crackdowns, but also surveillance and intimidation.

    In practice, the two types of interventions often overlap. The line also blurs through various forms of manipulation. For instance, misinformation or the delivery of goods in exchange for performances of political loyalty, underpinned by implicit threats of coercion.

    We also highlight the significance of urban geography.

    Ruling elites often seek to divide city populations (for example inner-city dwellers versus the peripheries). This is evident in our book’s chapter on Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Rajapaksas tried to consolidate power by appealing to the new middle class suburbanites through “beautification” projects. But these displaced and excluded the inner-city poor.

    Chapters on Harare and Kampala also show how particular peripheral areas have become central to efforts to build an urban support base by Zanu-PF and the National Resistance Movement. This often plays out through the informal parcelling out of land to supporters.

    Contesting autocratic rule

    Concerns about authoritarian politics are at an all-time high.

    The above Google Ngram highlights the perilous rise in the use of the term “autocratization” in published work over the past decade.

    Meanwhile, the contestation of autocratic rule will continue to erupt in cities, especially in rapidly urbanising parts of the world. In this context, the need to understand how autocracy and urbanisation collide could hardly be more important.

    If pro-democracy forces are to have any hope of prevailing against efforts by authoritarian ruling elites to entrench their position, there is a crucial need to better understand their urban strategies and tactics.

    – Autocrats and cities: how capitals have become a battleground for protest and control
    – https://theconversation.com/autocrats-and-cities-how-capitals-have-become-a-battleground-for-protest-and-control-240377

    MIL OSI Africa –

    January 25, 2025
←Previous Page
1 … 1,411 1,412 1,413 1,414 1,415 … 1,669
Next Page→
NewzIntel.com

NewzIntel.com

MIL Open Source Intelligence

  • Blog
  • About
  • FAQs
  • Authors
  • Events
  • Shop
  • Patterns
  • Themes

Twenty Twenty-Five

Designed with WordPress