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  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Tornado Watch 234

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL4

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 234
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    135 PM CDT Tue May 6 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Louisiana
    East Texas

    * Effective this Tuesday afternoon and evening from 135 PM until
    900 PM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A few tornadoes likely with a couple intense tornadoes possible
    Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts
    to 75 mph possible
    Isolated very large hail events to 2 inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…A line of thunderstorms with embedded supercells will
    spread eastward over east Texas into Louisiana this afternoon and
    evening. Main threats will be tornadoes and severe/damaging winds. A
    strong tornado or two will be possible with any supercell that can
    persist along/ahead of the ongoing thunderstorms. Isolated large
    hail may also occur.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 90 statute miles
    north and south of a line from 10 miles west southwest of Lufkin TX
    to 25 miles northeast of Alexandria LA. For a complete depiction of
    the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS
    WOU4).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 231…WW 232…WW 233…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 65 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 24035.

    …Gleason

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW4
    WW 234 TORNADO LA TX 061835Z – 070200Z
    AXIS..90 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF LINE..
    10WSW LFK/LUFKIN TX/ – 25NE ESF/ALEXANDRIA LA/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 80NM N/S /10W LFK – 35NE AEX/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..65 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24035.

    LAT…LON 32489491 32969200 30359200 29879491

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU4.

    Watch 234 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Mod (40%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Mod (30%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Mod (30%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Mod (30%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (80%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NREL Researcher Craig Turchi Brings Small Business Experience to Big Concentrating Solar Projects

    Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    Turchi’s Years at a Tech Startup Gave Him a Savvy Outlook on Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Systems Analysis and Innovation

    NREL researcher Craig Turchi soaks up the sunshine along the banks of the Gunnison River in Colorado. Turchi is the manager of the Thermal Energy Science and Technologies group in NREL’s Center for Energy Conversion and Storage Systems. His love for nature led him to work in solar technologies after completing his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at North Carolina State University. At NREL, his work has focused on a range of issues in concentrating solar technologies, from systems analysis to reducing water use at concentrating solar power plants in desert environments. Photo from Craig Turchi

    Honesty is the best policy, and from his early days at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Craig Turchi embraced that policy in his work as a chemical engineer in concentrating solar power (CSP).

    In fact, fresh out of his Ph.D. program and working at his first job, he was not afraid to tell the U.S. Department of Energy the truth about a solar detoxification reactor his team was working on: Based on the reaction rates he had modeled, it was not going to work—at least, not as currently planned.

    It was his first CSP project at the laboratory in the early 1990s, when NREL was called the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI). The reactors used sunlight concentrated from parabolic mirrors into fluid-filled tubes to break down contaminants in water, using titanium dioxide as a catalyst. Concentrating the sunlight sped up reaction rates, but for this chemistry, it also reduced the reaction efficiency. Turchi knew the efficiency results meant the cost would not add up. The team pivoted.

    “We followed the science,” he said. “You’re initially pursuing things based on hope in many cases, but when the data come in, you have to follow the science.”

    This first research result at SERI earned him a reputation as a straight shooter that stayed with him for 35 years as he built a career in CSP and thermal energy science.

    “That scientific integrity is something everyone looks up to,” said Guangdong Zhu, CSP subprogram lead at NREL and Thermal and Hybrid Energy Systems group manager. “As researchers, we should focus on simply assessing the results based on scientific justification. For Craig, this comes naturally. His evaluation is never going to be influenced by any other factors.”

    Turchi now serves as the Thermal Energy Science and Technologies group manager in NREL’s Energy Conversion and Storage Systems (ECaSS) Center, and he led NREL’s CSP subprogram from 2022 until 2024, when he passed the baton to Zhu. He also serves as the partnership director for the Heliostat Consortium, a U.S. Department of Energy consortium led by NREL and Sandia National Laboratories in partnership with the Australian Solar Thermal Research Institute.

    His leadership extends beyond his work at the laboratory. An avid outdoorsman, Turchi is known around NREL for leading paddling trips on Colorado’s and Utah’s scenic rivers. He and his wife, Jeannette, along with their daughter also help run a food bank at their church through Food Bank of the Rockies, where they serve 150–200 people once a month.

    “I find that very fulfilling, and it’s a nice counterpoint to writing reports at a computer to go out and physically do something and see the immediate benefit happening in your community,” he said. “I think it’s very important to give back.”

    Bringing Small Business Experience to Systems Analysis Research

    Turchi returned to NREL in 2008 after working at two small technology companies. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL

    Turchi started working at SERI in 1990 but left in 1996 for a position with a startup that did not fully launch. He then joined a small company called ADA Technologies, where he served as a principal investigator and program leader for 10 years.

    At ADA, Turchi obtained his first patents. He was particularly proud of a product he created to separate amalgam for dental offices. At the time, when dentists placed or removed silver fillings, which are nominally 50% mercury, tiny bits of the filling would get suctioned out and end up in city sewer systems—where the mercury could eventually be released. His system trapped the amalgam bits at the dental office for recycling, keeping mercury from accumulating to harmful levels in bays and estuaries.

    Upon his return to NREL in 2008, he found that his time in the startup world translated well at the laboratory. He had honed his proposal-writing skills when working at ADA. He also brought new experiences when he returned, including an eye for innovation and a keen business sensibility. That outlook, paired with his truth-seeking ethos as an engineer, helped him build a robust research program in CSP systems analysis. The program allowed NREL to fill a niche that had been missing in the industry.

    “NREL started doing a lot of systems analysis,” said Mark Mehos, an emeritus NREL researcher who hired Turchi back to NREL in 2008. “And the U.S. Department of Energy really appreciated the robustness of Craig’s analysis. He was very thorough, he was very honest, and he didn’t hold back. If the analysis seemed to show that this was the right path or the wrong path, Craig didn’t have any qualms about sharing that.”

    CSP is a flexible technology. It can be used to generate electricity, create thermal energy for long-duration energy storage, or create thermal energy for a range of industrial processes that require heat, such as those used in food processing or desalination. That flexibility means there are a lot of factors to consider when analyzing costs, and making an honest assessment is crucial. As early-career researchers joined Turchi’s team, they learned from his rigorous approach to research and analysis.

    “He’s the real CSP guru—Craig keeps things grounded with his practical mindset,” said Judith Vidal, Building Thermal Energy Science group manager. Vidal got her start at NREL as a postdoc for Turchi in CSP. “His advice stuck with me: Always approach things with economic sensibility.”

    Vidal’s research emphasis is no longer in CSP, but those lessons still apply.

    “Since many of our projects are applied research, you always have to keep cost-effectiveness in mind,” she said. “But I also learned from him that sometimes, simply saying ‘This is too expensive’ pushes you to think differently in the lab—to optimize, to explore new directions. It challenges you. This is how Craig shaped me as a young researcher.”

    Craig Turchi received the NREL Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Performance on April 2, 2015. Turchi has won other awards at NREL as well, including one for his strategic guidance on advancing thermal systems research and development in 2015 and one for bringing $10 million in funding to NREL for Generation 3 CSP research in 2018. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL

    Applying a New Power Cycle to CSP

    In addition to his main body of work in systems analysis and related topics, Turchi was looking for brand-new areas of research when he returned to NREL. A power cycle that was becoming popular in nuclear energy circles, but not solar, caught his attention: the supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) power cycle.

    “There was a renaissance in this power cycle development after a study came out that showed it could be valuable at nuclear power plants,” Turchi said. “It’s a type of power cycle development that had been looked at decades ago, and it kind of got stuck on a back shelf. No one really looked at it.”

    Turchi saw potential for supercritical CO2 power cycles to replace the steam turbines in traditional CSP systems, potentially unlocking greater efficiencies.

    This initial curiosity about supercritical CO2 for CSP has grown into a major path forward for the CSP industry—Generation 3 CSP. In Gen 3 CSP, arrays of mirrors called heliostats concentrate sunlight onto a central receiver to collect and store heat at high temperature (over 700°C). This heat is transferred to supercritical CO2 to generate power in a closed-loop Brayton cycle. Sandia National Laboratories now has a Gen 3 Particle Pilot Plant at its National Solar Thermal Test Facility to study supercritical CO2 as the working fluid in a plant with particle energy storage.

    Turchi won two NREL awards for his work on the supercritical CO2 power cycle for CSP. But nowadays, he is more focused on elevating other researchers’ work.

    “As you progress in your career, you either remain an expert in some area, or in my experience, you broaden out into what the interesting areas are in your field, and you help others develop,” Turchi said. “I think as a group manager, that’s your role. It’s very rewarding when you see those people succeed.”

    Learn more about NREL’s concentrating solar power research.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Tornado Watch 235

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL5

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 235
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    510 PM CDT Tue May 6 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Northeast into Southeast Louisiana
    Southwest into Central Mississippi

    * Effective this Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning from 510
    PM until 100 AM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A couple tornadoes possible
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible
    Scattered large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…Scattered to numerous thunderstorms are forecast to
    develop and move into the Watch area this evening into the early
    overnight. A few supercells and line segments will likely focus the
    severe thunderstorm and tornado risks. A couple of tornadoes are
    possible with the more intense thunderstorms, as well as damaging
    gusts and large hail.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 60 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 60 miles east northeast of Monroe LA to
    75 miles south southwest of Mc Comb MS. For a complete depiction of
    the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS
    WOU5).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 233…WW 234…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 24035.

    …Smith

    SEL5

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 235
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    510 PM CDT Tue May 6 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Northeast into Southeast Louisiana
    Southwest into Central Mississippi

    * Effective this Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning from 510
    PM until 100 AM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A couple tornadoes possible
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible
    Scattered large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…Scattered to numerous thunderstorms are forecast to
    develop and move into the Watch area this evening into the early
    overnight. A few supercells and line segments will likely focus the
    severe thunderstorm and tornado risks. A couple of tornadoes are
    possible with the more intense thunderstorms, as well as damaging
    gusts and large hail.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 60 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 60 miles east northeast of Monroe LA to
    75 miles south southwest of Mc Comb MS. For a complete depiction of
    the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS
    WOU5).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 233…WW 234…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 24035.

    …Smith

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW5
    WW 235 TORNADO LA MS 062210Z – 070600Z
    AXIS..60 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    60ENE MLU/MONROE LA/ – 75SSW MCB/MC COMB MS/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 50NM E/W /52ENE MLU – 26SE BTR/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1.5 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24035.

    LAT…LON 32849004 30178995 30179195 32849211

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU5.

    Watch 235 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Mod (40%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (20%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Mod (40%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Low (20%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Mod (40%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Low (20%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (70%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 236

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL6

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 236
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    800 PM CDT Tue May 6 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    South Texas
    Coastal Waters

    * Effective this Tuesday night from 800 PM until Midnight CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 3
    inches in diameter possible
    Isolated damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible

    SUMMARY…A few supercells are forecast to develop this evening and
    pose mainly a threat for large to very large hail.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 55
    statute miles east and west of a line from 25 miles north of
    Beeville TX to 25 miles west southwest of Mcallen TX. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 234…WW 235…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    3 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
    few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 600. Mean storm motion vector
    29030.

    …Smith

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW6
    WW 236 SEVERE TSTM TX CW 070100Z – 070500Z
    AXIS..55 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    25N NIR/BEEVILLE TX/ – 25WSW MFE/MCALLEN TX/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 50NM E/W /51NNW CRP – 66W BRO/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..3 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 600. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 29030.

    LAT…LON 28739676 26049772 26049949 28739858

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU6.

    Watch 236 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low ( 2 inches

    Mod (40%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    Mod (60%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: North Dakota Development Fund Invests Nearly $2.3M in Q1 Projects

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    The North Dakota Department of Commerce announced today that four companies were approved for a total of $2.35 million in loan funds through the North Dakota Development Fund Inc. during the first quarter of 2025.

    “These investments reflect our ongoing commitment to fostering economic growth, meeting community needs, and creating jobs across North Dakota,” said Commerce Deputy Director – Economic Development & Finance / Head of Investments and Innovation Shayden Akason. “Through the Development Fund, we’re proud to support businesses that are moving the state forward.”

    Loan highlights:

    • After School Latch Key Program Inc., doing business as TL Childcare, received a $247,500 loan to purchase a building and expand its child care operations.
    • Valor Victoria Ltd. was approved for a $500,000 loan for working capital.
    • Charge On Together Center LLC in Jamestown received a $600,572 loan for building renovations to expand its child care operations.
    • Small Wonders Preschool Childcare Center Inc. in Fargo was approved for two $500,000 loans to support renovations and construction of new child care facilities at two separate locations.

    Established in 1991, the North Dakota Development Fund provides flexible financing for new or expanding businesses. The fund also manages the Child Care Loan Program, which supports providers addressing critical workforce needs.

    For more information about the Development Fund, visit belegendary.link/North-Dakota-Development-Fund.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “We are facing changes in sanctions and counter-sanctions procedures”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    Higher School of Economics launches new DPO program “The State and Business in the Age of Sanctions: Strategies for Successful Development”, where training is provided by leading experts in the field of analysis of sanctions risks and trends from relevant government agencies, businesses, and academies. Its students will be able to study in detail the risks for Russian companies and their foreign partners, including those related to export restrictions.

    The additional professional education program “State and Business in the Age of Sanctions: Strategies for Successful Development” was presented during the scientific and practical seminar “State and Business in the Age of Sanctions: Trends and Risks of 2025”, organized within the framework of the HSE Academic Personnel Reserve project “New World Order”.

    Seminar moderator, leading research fellow at the Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies (CCEIS) at the National Research University Higher School of Economics Leo Sokolshchik said that it is intended for those who work with foreign counterparties and are interested in forming customized strategies for successful development. The program will study key sanctions trends and risks of 2025, their impact on business, the economy and political strategy of states.

    Leo Sokolshchik

    The training program includes a survival guide for Russian businesses, information on legal ways to work with foreign partners and the formation of sustainable international business partnerships in the context of sanctions risks. The sanctions policies of the US, EU and China, as well as Russia’s response measures, will be examined in detail.

    At the same time, the program is practice-oriented: the training structure involves immersion in real cases and situations that one may encounter in professional activities. Studying on the course will not only increase the level of professional competencies, but will also allow you to expand your network of professional contacts.

    The teachers of the continuing education program include leading experts and practitioners in the field of international restrictions and export control: Ivan Timofeev, Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council; Dmitry Kiku, Deputy Director of the Department for Control over External Restrictions of the Ministry of Finance of Russia; Maria Roskoshnaya, Head of Export Control and Support of Foreign Economic Activity at Yandex; Vladimir Morozov, Leading Advisor of the Department of International and Regional Cooperation of the Accounts Chamber; Vasily Kashin, Director of the Center for Cemistry and International Studies, an expert on China and its relations with foreign partners; Yegor Prokhin, a visiting lecturer at HSE and a practitioner who has worked in international business with China and the countries of Southeast Asia for over 10 years; Inna Yanikeyeva, a lecturer at the National Research University Higher School of Economics and a specialist in cyber sanctions.

    At the seminar, the program’s teachers held their master classes. RIAC Director General Ivan Timofeev presented a master class on the topic “Trends in Anti-Russian Sanctions in 2025: the Split of the West and New Risks.” He noted that it should be remembered that sanctions are a foreign policy instrument that is implemented non-linearly; escalation and normalization do not mean their immediate strengthening and weakening. Now, for the first time in three years, a window of opportunity has opened, allowing us to talk about a probable easing of sanctions, but risks remain. In his opinion, one should be cautious about forecasts about a possible agreement, since the negotiations are taking place behind closed doors. If they fail, escalation is possible.

    Ivan Timofeev noted: currently, most of the bills on sanctions in the US Congress are aimed against China and Iran, but if any of the initiatives against Russia is adopted, this will strengthen the regime of anti-Russian sanctions. Escalation is also possible along the EU line, but most likely, it will be accompanied by seizures and quotas on some types of products.

    At the same time, voluntary control or self-regulation in advanced industries is increasing. Thus, in recent years, there has been a noticeable rapprochement between representatives of the regulator and business. The Alliance of AI Companies, together with the FSTEC of Russia, created and signed the Declaration on the Responsible Export of Artificial Intelligence Technologies and Software Based on Them. The Declaration establishes ethical principles and standards of conduct that developers should follow when exporting their own civil AI solutions. The standards include general principles and rules and specific recommendations on interactions with foreign counterparties and authorized government agencies.

    Maria Roskoshnaya drew attention to changes in the work of specialists. Previously, it was enough for them to know their niche and work algorithm, but now, due to the frequent emergence of new challenges, they have to regularly monitor changes in the export control of key partners. For example, when implementing a deal with China or the UAE, it is mandatory for experts to analyze the export control legislation of these countries. In addition, it is important to monitor innovations in counter-sanction regulation, including bans on the purchase of certain products, as well as on making payments in certain countries.

    “We are facing changes in sanctions and counter-sanction procedures. It is important to expand the range of knowledge, not limited to technical details and knowledge of the final recipients and final destination of the goods. For businesses, this means finding optimal logistics routes, opportunities for making payments without restrictions, combining the interests of logisticians, lawyers and financiers,” the expert said.

    She noted that difficulties may arise when continuing to interact with companies that left Russia after 2022. These aspects are currently monitored by counter-sanction compliance services, when it is necessary to justify and argue for continued cooperation with companies from unfriendly jurisdictions.

    At the master class “EU Sanctions in 2025: Strategies for Russia”, Vladimir Morozov explained that the possibility of using sanctions as a tool for achieving foreign policy goals is embedded in the legal foundations of the EU. They can be used for a wide range of reasons – from accusations of violating international law to the goals of protecting human rights. He called an important feature of EU sanctions their adoption at the supranational level with national supervision of their implementation, which gives rise to contradictions and certain difficulties in their implementation. The diversity of regimes, as well as national legislation and law enforcement practices, makes it difficult to navigate EU sanctions.

    Europe often seeks to counteract secondary sanctions from other countries, including the United States, by allowing restrictions against third countries, individuals and companies to be ignored. However, European companies often seek to take into account sanctions risks and implement “overcompliance” in this area, not wanting to lose the American market and the ability to make payments in dollars.

    Photo: iStock

    Since 2022, the European Commission has been playing an increasingly important role in introducing restrictions, and national institutions are experiencing increasing pressure from supranational institutions, including in tightening penalties for violating sanctions. If administrative liability was previously possible, now it is regarded as a criminal offense. The expert drew attention to the difference in approaches to punishments and investigations. The largest number of them is noted in Poland. The largest number of prison sentences is in the Netherlands, but for a short or suspended term. In Germany, the number of sentences is small, but the terms reach 7 years, and in Finland there are many successful investigations, but the punishments are mainly limited to a fine of 11,000 to 15,000 euros.

    The current stage of the EU sanctions policy development is characterized by gradual de-targeting of sanctions, i.e. the desire to inflict maximum damage, as well as active coordination of its own measures with partners, primarily with the United States. If in 2014-16 the EU measures lagged behind the American ones, then since 2022 they have been mostly synchronized. Another trend in European policy has been the active use of the secondary sanctions mechanism. In particular, in 2024 an amendment was adopted, according to which restrictions are imposed against companies and individuals from third countries who worked with Russian sanctioned persons and companies.

    Vladimir Morozov named the EU’s readiness to maintain the priority of political goals over economic feasibility as key factors and risks of the continuation, strengthening and, on the contrary, easing of sanctions, given that Europe has suffered greater losses than the US during the sanctions war with Russia.

    Egor Prokhin, in his master class “Formation of Sustainable Business Partnerships in the Context of Sanction Risks,” noted that over the past decades, sanctions have achieved their goals in about one third of cases. According to him, the greatest success was achieved against small states with insufficiently diversified and import-dependent economies.

    Sanctions, along with challenges, also open up new opportunities, noted Yegor Prokhin. The loss of sales markets in Europe and other Western countries has become an incentive to reorient towards developing markets in Asia.

    In conclusion, he emphasized that in order to establish successful cooperation with foreign companies on the Russian market, it is necessary to adapt business strategies taking into account the current sanctions restrictions. In his opinion, such an approach should be comprehensive and include: analysis of companies, their beneficiaries and legal relations for sanctions risks; assessment of industry and territorial sanctions applicable to the planned cooperation; development of solutions and tools for optimizing commercial interactions under restrictions.

    Additionally, he recommended creating “road maps” for partners to manage sanctions risks and developing alternative action scenarios aimed at minimizing the potential negative impact on business partnerships.

    If the parties manage to reach a truce, American businesses will influence the administration to soften the sanctions, without officially lifting them, but introducing certain exceptions for transportation restrictions and bans on bank transactions.

    “For a number of industries, the easing of sanctions will have a positive effect on their development, while for others, on the contrary, it will have a negative effect,” Ivan Timofeev noted. He is confident that if the negotiations are successful, the process of easing sanctions will be long and may take more than a decade. Lev Sokolshchik emphasized that the lifting of sanctions may turn into a risk for certain sectors of the domestic economy.

    Maria Roskoshnaya held a master class “Export control: instructions for use. How not to break the rules and not lose markets.” She noted that export control is now considered more broadly than in the traditional sense – in particular, advanced industrial developments and even luxury goods are now subject to special supervision. The range of transactions subject to regulation is also growing – in addition to the usual tangible exports, experts often deal with supervision of the export of technology and software. The share of intangible exports is also growing, especially in high-tech industries, and the forms of transactions are also unusual. For example, it is often necessary to identify open source software or software, access to which is provided under the SaaS model. The state can regulate and restrict, and sometimes prohibit the export and international exchange of know-how, industrial products or raw materials, the lack of which can negatively affect the domestic market.

    Russia continues to participate in the development and modification of framework legislation at the international level, since it is a member state of all regimes except the Australian Group (our country has observer status there). It should be understood that each member state of the international export control regime forms a national control system, harmonizing it with the international base. Now we can observe a tendency to strengthen non-proliferation control precisely in the area of finalizing national legislative measures and initiatives.

    At the same time, voluntary control or self-regulation in advanced industries is increasing. Thus, in recent years, there has been a noticeable rapprochement between representatives of the regulator and business. The Alliance of AI Companies, together with the FSTEC of Russia, created and signed the Declaration on the Responsible Export of Artificial Intelligence Technologies and Software Based on Them. The Declaration establishes ethical principles and standards of conduct that developers should follow when exporting their own civil AI solutions. The standards include general principles and rules and specific recommendations on interactions with foreign counterparties and authorized government agencies.

    Photo: iStock

    Maria Roskoshnaya drew attention to changes in the work of specialists. Previously, it was enough for them to know their niche and work algorithm, but now, due to the frequent emergence of new challenges, they have to regularly monitor changes in the export control of key partners. For example, when implementing a deal with China or the UAE, it is mandatory for experts to analyze the export control legislation of these countries. In addition, it is important to monitor innovations in counter-sanction regulation, including bans on the purchase of certain products, as well as on making payments in certain countries.

    “We are facing changes in sanctions and counter-sanction procedures. It is important to expand the range of knowledge, not limited to technical details and knowledge of the final recipients and final destination of the goods. For businesses, this means finding optimal logistics routes, opportunities for making payments without restrictions, combining the interests of logisticians, lawyers and financiers,” the expert said.

    She noted that difficulties may arise when continuing to interact with companies that left Russia after 2022. These aspects are currently monitored by counter-sanction compliance services, when it is necessary to justify and argue for continued cooperation with companies from unfriendly jurisdictions.

    At the master class “EU Sanctions in 2025: Strategies for Russia”, Vladimir Morozov explained that the possibility of using sanctions as a tool for achieving foreign policy goals is embedded in the legal foundations of the EU. They can be used for a wide range of reasons – from accusations of violating international law to the goals of protecting human rights. He called an important feature of EU sanctions their adoption at the supranational level with national supervision of their implementation, which gives rise to contradictions and certain difficulties in their implementation. The diversity of regimes, as well as national legislation and law enforcement practices, makes it difficult to navigate EU sanctions.

    Europe often seeks to counteract secondary sanctions from other countries, including the United States, by allowing restrictions against third countries, individuals, and firms to be ignored. However, European companies often seek to take into account sanctions risks and implement “overcompliance” in this area, not wanting to lose the American market and the ability to make payments in dollars.

    Since 2022, the European Commission has been playing an increasingly important role in introducing restrictions, and national institutions are experiencing increasing pressure from supranational institutions, including in tightening penalties for violating sanctions. If administrative liability was previously possible, now it is regarded as a criminal offense. The expert drew attention to the difference in approaches to punishments and investigations. The largest number of them is noted in Poland. The largest number of prison sentences is in the Netherlands, but for a short or suspended term. In Germany, the number of sentences is small, but the terms reach 7 years, and in Finland there are many successful investigations, but the punishments are mainly limited to a fine of 11,000 to 15,000 euros.

    Photo: iStock

    The current stage of the EU sanctions policy development is characterized by gradual de-targeting of sanctions, i.e. the desire to inflict maximum damage, as well as active coordination of its own measures with partners, primarily with the United States. If in 2014-16 the EU measures lagged behind the American ones, then since 2022 they have been mostly synchronized. Another trend in European policy has been the active use of the secondary sanctions mechanism. In particular, in 2024 an amendment was adopted, according to which restrictions are imposed against companies and individuals from third countries who worked with Russian sanctioned persons and companies.

    Vladimir Morozov named the EU’s readiness to maintain the priority of political goals over economic feasibility as key factors and risks of the continuation, strengthening and, on the contrary, easing of sanctions, given that Europe has suffered greater losses than the US during the sanctions war with Russia.

    Egor Prokhin, in his master class “Formation of Sustainable Business Partnerships in the Context of Sanction Risks,” noted that over the past decades, sanctions have achieved their goals in about one-third of cases. According to him, the greatest success was achieved against small states with insufficiently diversified and import-dependent economies.

    Sanctions, along with challenges, also open up new opportunities, noted Yegor Prokhin. The loss of sales markets in Europe and other Western countries has become an incentive to reorient towards developing markets in Asia.

    In conclusion, he emphasized that in order to establish successful cooperation with foreign companies on the Russian market, it is necessary to adapt business strategies taking into account the current sanctions restrictions. In his opinion, such an approach should be comprehensive and include: analysis of companies, their beneficiaries and legal relations for sanctions risks; assessment of industry and territorial sanctions applicable to the planned cooperation; development of solutions and tools for optimizing commercial interaction in the context of restrictions.

    Additionally, he recommended creating “road maps” for partners to manage sanctions risks and developing alternative action scenarios aimed at minimizing the potential negative impact on business partnerships.

    All opinions presented in the material are exclusively the personal position of the seminar participants and the author.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Regulatory Standards Bill promotes transparent principled lawmaking

    Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

    Regulation Minister David Seymour has today announced the next steps in the Government’s plan to improve the quality of regulation, as the detailed proposal to pass a Regulatory Standards Bill has progressed through Cabinet. 
    “New Zealand’s low wages can be blamed on low productivity, and low productivity can be blamed on poor regulation. To raise productivity, we must allow people to spend more time on productive activities and less time on compliance,” says Mr Seymour.  
    “To lift productivity and wages, the ACT-National Coalition Agreement includes a commitment to pass a Regulatory Standards Act. I will be taking the proposed Bill to Cabinet on the 19th of May for approval to introduce it.  
    “In a nutshell: If red tape is holding us back, because politicians find regulating politically rewarding, then we need to make regulating less rewarding for politicians with more sunlight on their activities. That is how the Regulatory Standards Bill will help New Zealand get its mojo back. It will finally ensure regulatory decisions are based on principles of good law-making and economic efficiency. 
    “The Bill will codify principles of good regulatory practice for existing and future regulations. It seeks to bring the same level of discipline to regulation that the Public Finance Act brings to public spending, with the Ministry for Regulation playing a role akin to that of the Treasury.  
    “It requires politicians and officials to ask and answer certain questions before they place restrictions on citizens’ freedoms. What problem are we trying to solve? What are the costs and benefits? Who pays the costs and gets the benefits? What restrictions are being placed on the use and exchange of private property? 
    “Where inconsistencies are found, the responsible Minister must respond to justify deviation from principles.  
    “People affected by bad laws will be able to appeal to a Regulatory Standards Board, made up of people who understand regulatory economics. That board will be able to make non-binding recommendations on whether the law was made well, turning up the heat on bad lawmaking. The findings, reasons for any inconsistency, and relevant documents will be made publicly available to ensure transparency.
    “If we raise the political cost of making bad laws by allowing New Zealanders to hold regulators accountable, the outcome will be better law-making, higher productivity, and higher wages.   
    “Under the proposed Bill, government agencies will also have duties to review their regulatory systems.  
    “Ultimately, this Bill will help the Government achieve its goal of improving New Zealand’s productivity by ensuring that regulated parties are regulated by a system which is transparent, has a mechanism for recourse, and holds regulators accountable to the people. 
    “The law doesn’t stop politicians or their officials making bad laws, but it makes it transparent that they’re doing it. It makes it easier for voters to identify those responsible for making bad rules. Over time, it will improve the quality of rules we all have to live under by changing how politicians behave.   
    “In a high-cost economy, regulation isn’t neutral – it’s a tax on growth. This Government is committed to clearing the path of needless regulations by improving how laws are made.” 
    Particular acknowledgements go to Dr Bryce Wilkinson, whose book “Constraining Government Regulation” laid important groundwork for this Bill. Special thanks also go to Dr Graham Scott, Jack Hodder KC, and other members of the Regulatory Responsibility Taskforce, who refined the Bill in 2009.  
     

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: MSF – Israel’s New INGO Registration Measures Are a Grave Threat to Humanitarian Operations and International Law – 55 Organisations Say

     Source: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) – Doctors Without Borders

    The undersigned 55 organisations operating in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) call for urgent action from the international community against new Israeli registration rules for international NGOs. Based on vague, broad, politicised, and open-ended criteria, these rules appear designed to assert control over independent humanitarian, development and peacebuilding operations, silence advocacy grounded in international humanitarian and human rights law, and further entrench Israeli control and de facto annexation of the occupied Palestinian territory.

    For over a year and a half, humanitarian organisations have continued operating despite unprecedented constraints. In 2024, they reached millions of people across the oPt with essential services – from food and water to mobile clinics, legal aid, and education. The new registration rules now threaten to shut this work down. These measures go beyond routine policy. They mark a serious escalation in restrictions on humanitarian and civic space and risk setting a dangerous precedent.

    Under the new provisions, INGOs already registered in Israel may face de-registration, while new applicants risk rejection based on arbitrary, politicised allegations, such as “delegitimising Israel” or expressing support for accountability for Israeli violations of international law. Other disqualifiers include public support for a boycott of Israel within the past seven years (by staff, a partner, board member, or founder) or failure to meet exhaustive reporting requirements. By framing humanitarian and human rights advocacy as a threat to the state, Israeli authorities can shut out organisations merely for speaking out about conditions they witness on the ground, forcing INGOs to choose between delivering aid and promoting respect for the protections owed to affected people.

    INGOs are further required to submit complete staff lists and other sensitive information about staff and their families to Israel when applying for registration. In a context where humanitarian and healthcare workers are routinely subject to harassment, detention, and direct attacks, this raises serious protection concerns.

    These new rules are part of a broader, long-term crackdown on humanitarian and civic space, marked by heightened surveillance and attacks, and a series of actions that restrict humanitarian access, compromise staff safety, and undermine core principles of humanitarian action. They are not isolated but part of a wider pattern that includes:

    Blocking or delaying aid through arbitrary bureaucratic restrictions, logistical obstacles, and complete sieges, denying essential lifesaving supplies to Palestinians.
    Killing more than 400 humanitarian workers in Gaza, injuring and detaining countless others, and repeatedly attacking marked and notified humanitarian premises, facilities or convoys.
    Passing legislation aimed at curtailing the operations of UNRWA, the largest provider of essential services for Palestinians.
    Advancing legislation to impose a tax of up to 80 per cent on foreign government funding to Israeli NGOs, while barring them from seeking recourse through the Israeli court system – including organisations that serve as partners for INGOs to deliver assistance and uphold protections in communities facing displacement, demolitions, or settler violence.
    Suspending work visas for international staff and revoking permits for Palestinians residing in the West Bank to access Jerusalem, severely disrupting operations.

    And now, making INGO registration conditional on political and ideological alignment, undermining the neutrality, impartiality and independence of humanitarian actors.

    Under international humanitarian law, occupying powers are obligated to facilitate impartial humanitarian assistance and ensure the welfare of the protected population. Any attempt to condition humanitarian access on political alignment or penalise organisations for fulfilling their mandate risks breaching this framework. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to allow unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza in three legally binding provisional measures orders in 2024. Yet, these new rules expand and institutionalise existing barriers to aid.

    We call on States, donors, and the international community to:

    • Use all possible means to protect humanitarian operations from measures that compromise neutrality, independence, and access – including staff list requirements, political vetting, and vague revocation clauses.
    • Take concrete political and diplomatic action beyond statements of concern to ensure unhindered humanitarian access and prevent the erosion of principled aid delivery.
    • Support INGOs and Palestinian and Israeli civil society organisations through legal assistance, diplomatic support, and flexible funding to help mitigate legal, financial, and reputational risks. Donors must defend principled humanitarian and human rights work.

    The undersigned 55 organisations stress that engagement with the registration process to preserve critical humanitarian operations should not be misinterpreted as endorsement of these measures.

    These 55 organisations remain committed to the delivery of humanitarian aid, along with development and peacebuilding services and activities that are independent, impartial, and based on need, in full accordance with international law and the humanitarian principles derived from it. INGOs stand ready to engage with Israeli authorities in good faith on administrative processes but cannot accept measures that penalise principled humanitarian work or expose staff to retaliation. These measures not only undermine assistance in the oPt but also set a dangerous precedent for humanitarian operations globally.

    1. Act Church of Sweden
    2. ActionAid
    3. Alianza / ActionAid Spain (ApS/AAS)
    4. American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
    5. Anera
    6. Asamblea de Cooperación Por la Paz (ACPP)
    7. Asociación Paz con Dignidad
    8. CARE International
    9. CESVI
    10. Children Not Numbers
    11. Christian Aid
    12. CIDSE – International family of Catholic social justice organisations
    13. Cooperazione Internazionale Sud Sud (CISS)
    14. COSPE
    15. DanChurchAid (DCA)
    16. Danish House in Palestine
    17. Diakonia
    18. Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe
    19. forumZFD
    20. Global Communities
    21. HEKS/EPER
    22. Humanity First UK
    23. Humanity & Inclusion – Handicap International
    24. IM Swedish Development Partner
    25. International Media Support (IMS)
    26. Islamic Relief Worldwide
    27. Japan International Volunteer Center (JVC)
    28. KURVE Wustrow
    29. MedGlobal
    30. Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)
    31. Médecins du Monde (MdM) France
    32. Médecins du Monde (MdM) Spain
    33. Médecins du Monde (MdM) Switzerland
    34. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
    35. medico international
    36. Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA)
    37. Movement for Peace (MPDL)
    38. Muslim Aid
    39. Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)
    40. Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA)
    41. Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)
    42. Oxfam
    43. Pax Christi International
    44. Plan International
    45. Polish Medical Mission Association (PMM)
    46. Première Urgence Internationale (PUI)
    47. Relief International (RI)
    48. Save the Children International (SCI)
    49. Secours Islamique France (SIF)
    50. Terre des Hommes (Tdh) Italia
    51. Terre des Hommes (Tdh) Lausanne
    52. The Center for Mind-Body Medicine
    53. War Child
    54. Weltfriedensdienst e.V. (world peace service)
    55. West Bank Protection Consortium (WBPC).

    MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF has been working in Haiti for over 30 years, offering general healthcare, trauma care, burn wound care, maternity care, and care for survivors of sexual violence. MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: University Research – Vape shops cluster around schools – UoA

    Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

    Almost half of New Zealand schools are within a short walking distance of a specialist vape retailer, despite a law aimed at preventing vape stores near schools.

    Embargoed to NZT 1201AM Wednesday 7 May: Almost half of schools across Aotearoa New Zealand have a specialist vape store within a 10-minute walk, despite recent legislation aimed at preventing this.

    New research, which overlays vape stores on school locations, shows 44 percent of schools have a vape store within a one-kilometre radius and 13 percent have a dedicated store within 300 metres.

    “That means a lot of our young people are getting multiple exposures on a daily basis to vape stores and vape marketing, to the attractive window displays and to the omnipresence of vaping, as a constantly available and easy thing to engage with,” says Ronan Payinda, a fourth-year medical student at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, who led the study.

    Payinda says he saw the explosion of vaping while he was at school in Northland and felt that, as a society, Aotearoa New Zealand was failing to grapple with its potentially serious health effects.

    Since 2020, it has been illegal to sell vapes to people under 18.

    However, in 2021, more than a quarter (26 percent) of secondary school students reported having vaped in the previous week.

    In 2023, the government passed legislation banning specialist vape stores from opening within 300 metres of schools and marae: however, existing vape shops were allowed to continue operating.

    The law was a response to reports of teens, parents, schools and teachers struggling with the epidemic of vaping.

    Payinda says this study, published today [NZT 7 May] in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health shows that stronger regulations are needed. Read the study. [Goes live 7 May, PDF available]

    “We are not putting the right protections in place to ensure that a whole new generation of young people aren’t chained to addictions for the rest of their lives,” Payinda says.

    The study looked only at specialist vape stores, whereas corner stores, petrol stations and other outlets, which sell a more limited range of vapes, are more popular with young people who reported no great difficulty making the illegal purchases.

    Further, the researchers found inequity in the location of vape stores.

    “We stratified these results by the level of deprivation of each community and found that there was a strong association between the level of poverty a community was suffering and the proximity of the vape stores to their schools.

    Among the most affluent fifth of schools, seven percent had a specialist vape store within a 300-metre radius. Among the poorest quintile, 40 percent of schools had a specialist vape store within 300 metres.

    Research in the US has found exposure to e-cigarette marketing via retail stores increases the likelihood of vape use among middle and high-school students.

    The long-term health effects of youth vaping are not yet known, but strong associations are emerging, Payinda says.

    The American Heart Association (AHA) says, in a statement, vapes can impair sleep quality, may affect mental health and may lead to nicotine dependence.

    Available studies suggest adolescents who vape may have lower lung function and be susceptible to respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and pneumonia.

    Smoking cigarettes can lead to heart disease. So, while comparable long-term data for vaping are lacking, the AHA report raises concerns about the possibility of heart disease in later years.

    The number of stores selling vapes within one kilometre of schools shows there is a need for more rigorous vaping policy, Payinda says.

    “We need to implement regulations to prevent young people from not just being exposed to vaping products but also accessing them and becoming addicted to them in the long term,” Payinda says. “We need to get more serious about protecting our young people.”

    About the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
    “Vape shops on the way to school: geographical analysis of the proximity of Specialist Vape Retailers to New Zealand schools” will be published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health at 12:01am 7 May 2025.
    Please credit the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health as the source of the research. 
    The Journal is the official publication of the Public Health Association of Australia.
    All articles are open access and can be found here: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/australian-and-new-zealand-journal-of-public-health

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: DynaResource Inc. to Present at the Metals & Mining Virtual Investor Conference May 7, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    IRVING, Texas, May 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DynaResource Inc. (OTCQX:DYNR), operating the San Jose de Gracia Gold Mine located center of the Sierra Madre Occidental geological zone in Mexico, today announced that Rohan Hazelton, President & CEO, will present live at the Metals & Mining Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on May 7, 2025.

    DATE: May 7, 2025
    TIME: 3:00 PM EDT
    LINK: REGISTER HERE
    Available for 1×1 meetings: May 8-9, 2025

    This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

    It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.  

    Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

    About DynaResource
    DynaResource is a junior gold mining producer trading on the OTCQX under the symbol “DYNR”. DynaResource is actively mining and expanding the historic San Jose de Gracia gold mining district in Sinaloa, Mexico.  

    About Virtual Investor Conferences®
    Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

    Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access.  Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

    CONTACTS:

    Virtual Investor Conferences
    John M. Viglotti
    SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access
    OTC Markets Group
    (212) 220-2221
    johnv@otcmarkets.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: STATEMENT: CanREA is encouraged by British Columbia’s Clean Power Action Plan

    Source: – Press Release/Statement:

    Headline: STATEMENT: CanREA is encouraged by British Columbia’s Clean Power Action Plan

    Building on the success of the most recent call for power, the Government of British Columbia centres new renewable power procurement in its plan for economic growth.

    Victoria, B.C., May 5, 2025—The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) welcomes the Government of British Columbia’s Clean Power Action Plan, announced by Premier David Eby today, which includes a new call for power by the provincial utility, BC Hydro, of 5,000 gigawatts-hours per year of clean energy, including wind and solar.

    The call is expected to be issued by BC Hydro this summer, with electricity purchase agreements targeted to be awarded in early 2026.

    “The BC Hydro 2024 Call for Power resulted in economic development and job creation opportunities for communities across the province,” said Evan Wilson, CanREA’s Vice-President of Policy – Western Canada and National Affairs. “CanREA members are excited by today’s announcement of the new 2025 Call for Power. Judging by the success of the 2024 call, this next call will result in affordable power and clean investment opportunities throughout British Columbia.”

    The Clean Power Action Plan strengthens energy security, accelerates economic growth and reinforces Canada’s leadership in renewable energy. By investing in large-scale clean-power projects and fostering partnerships with Indigenous communities, B.C. is setting a precedent for sustainable development that benefits all Canadians.

    BC Hydro’s 2025 Call for Power builds on the success of the 2024 Call for Power, which saw ten new renewable energy projects go forward, each with First Nations asset ownership of 49% to 51%, with five CanREA member companies representing nine of these ten projects.

    The new Clean Power Action Plan prioritizes new investments in renewable energy, including wind, solar and hydroelectric projects, while supporting Indigenous-led initiatives and local economic development. These efforts will drive innovation, create jobs, and secure a resilient energy future for British Columbians.

    Other highlights include:

    Opening up the opportunity to explore B.C.’s power potential: The province will seek proposals for capacity and baseload electricity projects to meet peak demand and support renewable energy integration. CanREA will work to clarify the role of battery storage in this opportunity.

    Ushering in an expanded era of energy efficiency: Innovators will be invited to propose demand-side management technologies that help businesses and households save energy and reduce costs.

    Investing an additional $12 million in made-in B.C. Clean Technology: The province is also looking to invest more in the B.C. Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) fund.

    Streamlining connections to B.C.’s grid: Efforts will be made to streamline grid connections so homes and businesses can access clean electricity more quickly and affordably.
    “By investing in large-scale clean power projects and fostering partnerships with Indigenous communities, B.C. is setting a precedent for sustainable development that benefits all Canadians,” said Patricia Lightburn, CanREA’s Policy Director for British Columbia.

    “CanREA looks forward to working alongside the province and industry partners to ensure these transformative initiatives deliver the greatest benefits to Canadians, drive innovation, create jobs and secure a resilient energy future.”

    Quotes

    “The BC Hydro 2024 Call for Power resulted in economic development and job creation opportunities for communities across the province. CanREA members are excited by today’s announcement of the new 2025 Call for Power. Judging by the success of the 2024 call, this next call will result in affordable power and clean investment opportunities throughout British Columbia.”
    —Evan Wilson, CanREA’s Vice-President of Policy – Western Canada and National Affairs

    “By investing in large-scale clean power projects and fostering partnerships with Indigenous communities, B.C. is setting a precedent for sustainable development that benefits all Canadians. CanREA looks forward to working alongside the province and industry partners to ensure these transformative initiatives drive innovation, create jobs and secure a resilient energy future.”
    —Patricia Lightburn, CanREA’s Policy Director for British Columbia

    For media inquiries or interview opportunities, please contact:

    CommunicationsCanadian Renewable Energy Association613-227-5378communications@renewablesassociation.ca

    About CanREA

    The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) is the voice for wind energy, solar energy and energy storage solutions that will power Canada’s energy future. We work to create the conditions for a modern energy system through stakeholder advocacy and public engagement. Our diverse members are uniquely positioned to deliver clean, low-cost, reliable, flexible and scalable solutions for Canada’s energy needs. For more information on how Canada can use wind energy, solar energy and energy storage to help achieve its net-zero commitments, consult “Powering Canada’s Journey to Net-Zero: CanREA’s 2050 Vision.” Follow us on Bluesky and LinkedIn. Subscribe to our newsletter here. Learn more at renewablesassociation.ca. 
    The post STATEMENT: CanREA is encouraged by British Columbia’s Clean Power Action Plan appeared first on Canadian Renewable Energy Association.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Landsat at Work: Satellites Help with Complex Crop and Water Issues

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Landsat at Work: Satellites Help with Complex Crop and Water Issues

    California faces challenges in trying to produce so much of our food

    In just one example of the benefits of monitoring, growers in a 100,000-acre area of California—an area about the size of Bakersfield—saw a 13% reduction in groundwater pumping in the first year of using information derived from Landsat and other sources. That resulted in savings of roughly $40 million. 

    Supplies of groundwater for irrigation are more predictable than surface water, which can fluctuate with drought, but groundwater is not infinite. If too much groundwater is pumped out, wells can go dry and land can sink, leading to infrastructure issues. Monitoring groundwater use can help prevent problems like these.

    ‘Users of Landsat on a Daily Basis’

    Many types of crops grow in California, which supplies more than a third of the country’s vegetables and three-fourths of its fruits and nuts, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

    Using remote sensing data like Landsat to map crops field by field reveals how many acres are growing. That lets various commodity boards such as the Almond Board of California and the California Walnut Board estimate the volume of crop that’s available to market to the world. And using remote sensing to know how much water those crops are using helps growers optimize groundwater use, management and regulatory compliance. 

    “We are significant users of Landsat on a daily basis,” said Joel Kimmelshue, founding partner and principal soil and agricultural scientist at Land IQ. 

    This Land IQ map of California shows a large number of crop types throughout the Central Valley and other areas. Courtesy of Land IQ

    Land IQ maps more than 50 California crops on 15 million producing acres of land with a very high (97+%) degree of accuracy. The company also provides monthly crop water consumption estimates, with Landsat and other satellite information as a fundamental starting point coupled with data-driven models. An extensive ground data collection system helps calibrate and validate the satellite results. 

    Background photo: This is an irrigated pistachio grove near Chowchilla, California. California produces most of the pistachios in the United States, with 488,000 acres in 2024. USDA photo taken November 9, 2018, by Lance Cheung.

    Nearly 40 groundwater sustainability agencies and irrigation districts use Land IQ’s crop water use estimates, including the Mid-Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency (MKGSA) in the San Joaquin Valley.

    Several years ago, MKGSA made the difficult decision to put restrictions on groundwater use in reaction to sustained drought and a new California state law. MKGSA needed a way to measure growers’ groundwater usage, but under a tight deadline, there wasn’t nearly enough time to install water meters to monitor 65,000 acres of irrigated cropland. 

    So MKGSA turned to Land IQ to estimate the total amount of water used by crops, which is based on evapotranspiration (ET), a combined loss of water through evaporation and plant transpiration. 

    MKGSA growers were initially given 2.5 acre-feet of groundwater per acre of land in 2022—enough to cover each acre with 2.5 feet of water—beyond precipitation or surface water that their crops also use. Every month, they can check their groundwater consumption for the previous month on a dashboard to see how their “water budget” is going and what they have left for the rest of the year. If they don’t use all their allocated groundwater in one year, the unused amount remains available for them in the future.

    ABOVE: This panel of three images shows the same area of central California, near Tulare and Visalia southeast of Fresno, in July 2024. Left: A Landsat image, one of the satellite sources of information for Land IQ’s mapping. Middle: A Land IQ monthly map of crop types, which also includes wheat at a more muted fuchsia. Right: A Land IQ monthly map of evapotranspiration, which ranges from red at no evapotranspiration through orange, yellow and green up to blue, with the highest level. This area of California has a number of dairies as well, which can be seen in some of the areas that do not have a color-coded crop type. The middle and right images are courtesy of Land IQ.

    “Without the Land IQ data, farmers couldn’t plan. They were just doing what they used to do, what their grandfathers did, what their great-grandfathers did. And that wasn’t working. We were overdrafting the groundwater system. They had to make a change,” said Aaron Fukuda, interim general manager of the MKGSA and general manager of the Tulare Irrigation District, which is a member of the MKGSA. 

    “At the core of all of it is the ET data. Pull that out, and the heart of the system falls apart.” – Aaron Fukuda

    MKGSA’s growers have four years of Land IQ data to look back on now. In addition to keeping track of their water budgets, they can find the average of how much water is used by a certain tree crop, like almonds, or another perennial crop. “They’re fine-tuning their irrigation to get to the optimum yields based on water availability, yields and commodity pricing,” Fukuda said.

    For growers of annual crops such as corn or wheat, once they know how many acre-feet of groundwater each crop type needs, they can plan out what to plant in each field based on how much water they have to “spend.” 

    MKGSA’s plan, a revision from an earlier plan rejected by the state, is paying off. In a comparison of two drought years—2021 to 2022—groundwater pumping went down 13%, saving 20,000 acre-feet of water and roughly $40 million, based on a drought-year value of water at $2,000 per acre-foot, Fukuda said. In other words, that’s 6.5 billion gallons, enough water to supply a city like Santa Barbara for more than a year and a half.

    Plus, because the revised plan met the state’s requirements, MKGSA is being considered to avoid a “probation” period in which the state would take over the sustainability planning. That would cost growers tens of millions of dollars in fees annually, Fukuda said.

    “Because we’ve implemented the allocation system, because we’re cutting back, we’re making the hard decisions; because we’re monitoring and we are showing results, we are hoping to avoid probation.” 

    One reason Landsat is so valuable to companies like Land IQ and customers like the MKGSA and its growers is because the data is offered to the public at no cost, said Diya Chowdhury, Land IQ spatial sciences team lead. “That allows us to pass that cost savings down to our clients. There’s a limited budget, and it allows us to work within that.” 

    Chowdhury estimates that overall, Land IQ includes Landsat data in 90 percent of its crop mapping and ET projects, which also include Arizona, Australia and Mexico.

    Landsat’s annual value in 2023 was calculated to be $25.6 billion for myriad uses, including the agriculture industry. Landsat is a partnership that began between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and NASA more than 50 years ago, by far the longest-running Earth observation satellite program in the world. The data are made available through the USGS.

    Some Land IQ projects need to look at imagery from decades ago. “Landsat is considered to be the industry standard due to the historical record of data,” Chowdhury said. 

    The two current satellites collect fresh imagery of every spot of land on Earth every eight days, a benefit to Land IQ. “It gives us a time series of data to work with,” she added. “We’re looking at crops, which is a dynamic system. You need to consider how things are evolving and changing over time.” 

    Landsat Next is planned with three satellites that would collectively capture a new view of the Earth’s surface every six days.

    The company uses artificial intelligence (AI) methods—specifically machine learning—to be able to incorporate all of the remote sensing and ground data into its work.

    Looking ahead, Landsat’s role is expected to grow as technology evolves.

    AI methods will continue to be useful as plans for the next generation of Landsat satellites include even more remote sensing data. A trio of satellites is planned to launch in late 2030/early 2031 as Landsat Next, capturing far more detail about features of the Earth’s surface more frequently than current Landsat satellites, including more information about crop conditions.

    Landsat is crucial for Land IQ’s work, Kimmelshue said, and “for the people that use those ground-validated results. That’s the real critical part: for them to manage the short water that we have in many places in the western United States.”

    Disclaimer: This web page contains hypertext links to information created and maintained by other organizations. USGS is not responsible for the content of any off-site pages. Reference herein to any specific commercial products, processes, or services by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement or recommendation by the United States Government. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: CREDIT AGRICOLE S.A. ANNOUNCES REDEMPTION OF ¥105,500,000,000 Japanese Yen Callable Senior Non-Preferred Bonds issued on June 4, 2020 (ISIN: JP525022AL60)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

                                                     Montrouge, May 6, 2025

    CREDIT AGRICOLE S.A. ANNOUNCES REDEMPTION OF

    ¥105,500,000,000 Japanese Yen Callable Senior Non-Preferred Bonds

    issued on June 4, 2020 (ISIN: JP525022AL60)*

    Crédit Agricole S.A. (the “Issuer”) announces today the redemption (the “Redemption”) with effect on June 4, 2025 (the “Redemption Date”) of all of its outstanding ¥105,500,000,000 Japanese Yen Callable Senior Non-Preferred Bonds – issued on June 4, 2020 (ISIN: JP525022AL60) (the “Bonds”) pursuant to Condition 7 (4) (Redemption at the option of the Issuer) of the Conditions of the Bonds (the “Conditions of the Bonds”), at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount together with interest accrued to and including the date fixed for redemption (the “Redemption Amount”).

    On the Redemption Date, the Redemption Amount shall become due and payable and, in accordance with Condition 6 (3) of the Conditions of the Bonds, unless the Redemption Amount is improperly withheld or refused, each Bond shall cease to bear interest on the Redemption Date.

    The holders of the Bonds will receive formal notice of the Redemption in accordance with the Conditions of the Bonds.

    For further information on Crédit Agricole S.A., please see Crédit Agricole S.A.’s website: https://www.credit-agricole.com/en/finance.

    DISCLAIMER

    This press release does not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell the Bonds in the United States of America, Canada, Australia or Japan or in any other jurisdiction. The distribution of this press release in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this announcement comes are required to inform themselves about, and to observe, any such restrictions

    No communication or information relating to the redemption of the Bonds may be distributed to the public in a country where a registration obligation or an approval is required. No action has been or will be taken in any country where such action would be required. The redemption of the Bonds may be subject to specific legal and regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions; Crédit Agricole S.A. accepts no liability in connection with a breach by any person of such restrictions.

    This press release is an advertisement; and none of this press release, any notice or any other document or material made public and/or delivered, or which may be made public and/or delivered to the holders of the Bonds in connection with the redemption of the Bonds is or is intended to be a prospectus for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council dated 14 June 2017 (as amended, the “Prospectus Regulation”). No prospectus will be published in connection with the redemption of the Bonds for the purposes of the Prospectus Regulation.

    This press release does not, and shall not, in any circumstances, constitute an offer to the public of Bonds by Crédit Agricole S.A. nor an invitation to the public in connection with any offer in any jurisdiction, including France.

    * The ISIN number is included solely for the convenience of the holders of the Bonds. No representation is being made as to the correctness or accuracy of the ISIN number either as printed on the Bonds or as contained herein and the holder may rely only on the identification numbers printed on its Bond.

    モンルージュ、2025年5月6日

    クレディ・アグリコル・エス・エー

    第7回期限前償還条項付非上位円貨社債（2020）

    （2020年6月4日発行、1,055億円（ISIN: JP525022AL60）*）の

    期限前償還を公表

    クレディ・アグリコル・エス・エー（「発行会社」）は、2020年6月4日に発行したクレディ・アグリコル・エス・エー第7回期限前償還条項付非上位円貨社債（2020）（ISIN: JP525022AL60）（「本社債」）の1,055億円全額について、本社債の要項（「社債要項」）第7項（4）（発行会社による任意償還）に基づき、2025年6月4日付（「償還期日」）で、本社債の金額の100％に償還期日（その日を含む。）までの経過利息を付して（「償還金額」）期限前償還（「本償還」）することを本日公表いたしました。

    償還期日に償還金額の支払期限が到来し、社債要項第6項（3）に基づき、償還金額の不当な留保又は拒絶がなされない限り、償還期日をもって各本社債にかかる利息の付与が停止されます。

    本社債の所持人は、社債要項に従い、本償還に関する正式な通知を受ける予定です。

    クレディ・アグリコル・エス・エーの詳細については、クレディ・アグリコル・エス・エーのWebサイト（https://www.credit-agricole.com/en/finance）をご参照ください。

    免責事項

    本プレスリリースは、米国、カナダ、オーストラリア、日本またはその他の法域において、本社債の購入の申込みまたは売却の申込みの勧誘を構成するものではありません。一定の法域においては、本プレスリリースの配布が法律によって制約される場合があります。本プレスリリースを入手した者には、かかる制約について自ら調査し、遵守することが要求されます。

    登録義務または承認が要求される国においては、本社債の償還に関するコミュニケーションまたは情報を公に配布してはなりません。かかる措置が要求される国において、いかなる措置も講じられておらず、または講じられる予定もありません。本社債の償還は、一定の法域において、特定の法律および規制上の制約を受ける可能性があります。クレディ・アグリコル・エス・エーは、かかる制約に対するいかなる者の違反についても、一切責任を負いません。

    本プレスリリースは広告にすぎず、本プレスリリース、または本社債の償還に関連し本社債の債権者に対し公表および／もしくは交付された、または公表および／もしくは交付される通知その他の文書または資料は、2017年6月14日付欧州議会および理事会の規則（EU）第2017/1129号（その後の改正を含み、以下「目論見書規則」）上の目論見書ではなく、かかる目論見書を意図したものでもありません。目論見書規則の適用上、本社債の償還に関して目論見書は発行されません。

    本プレスリリースは、いかなる場合においても、クレディ・アグリコル・エス・エーによる本社債の公募を構成するものではなく、またフランスを含むいかなる法域における申込みに関連しても、勧誘を構成するものではありません。

    * ISIN番号は、本社債の債権者の便宜のためにのみ付されたものです。本社債に印刷されたまたは本プレスリリースに記載されたISIN番号の正しさまたは正確性を表明するものではなく、債権者は、本社債に印刷された識別番号にのみ依拠することができます。

    CRÉDIT AGRICOLE S.A. PRESS CONTACT

    Alexandre Barat                             + 33 1 57 72 12 19                                      alexandre.barat@credit-agricole-sa.fr
    Olivier Tassain                               + 33 1 43 23 25 41                                      olivier.tassain@credit-agricole-sa.fr

    Find our press release on: www.credit-agricole.com – www.creditagricole.info

      Crédit_Agricole   Groupe Crédit Agricole   créditagricole_sa

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: CREDIT AGRICOLE S.A. ANNOUNCES REDEMPTION OF ¥5,800,000,000 Japanese Yen Callable Subordinated Bonds issued on June 4, 2020 (ISIN: JP525022CL68)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

                                                     Montrouge, May 6, 2025

    CREDIT AGRICOLE S.A. ANNOUNCES REDEMPTION OF

    ¥5,800,000,000 Japanese Yen Callable Subordinated Bonds

    issued on June 4, 2020 (ISIN: JP525022CL68)*

    Crédit Agricole S.A. (the “Issuer”) announces today the redemption (the “Redemption”) with effect on June 4, 2025 (the “Redemption Date”) of all of its outstanding ¥5,800,000,000 Japanese Yen Callable Subordinated  Bonds – issued on June 4, 2020 (ISIN: JP525022CL68) (the “Bonds”) pursuant to Condition 7 (5) (Redemption at the option of the Issuer) of the Conditions of the Bonds (the “Conditions of the Bonds”), at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount together with interest accrued to and including the date fixed for redemption (the “Redemption Amount”).

    On the Redemption Date, the Redemption Amount shall become due and payable and, in accordance with Condition 6 (3) of the Conditions of the Bonds, unless the Redemption Amount is improperly withheld or refused, each Bond shall cease to bear interest on the Redemption Date.

    The holders of the Bonds will receive formal notice of the Redemption in accordance with the Conditions of the Bonds.

    For further information on Crédit Agricole S.A., please see Crédit Agricole S.A.’s website: https://www.credit-agricole.com/en/finance.

    DISCLAIMER

    This press release does not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell the Bonds in the United States of America, Canada, Australia or Japan or in any other jurisdiction. The distribution of this press release in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this announcement comes are required to inform themselves about, and to observe, any such restrictions

    No communication or information relating to the redemption of the Bonds may be distributed to the public in a country where a registration obligation or an approval is required. No action has been or will be taken in any country where such action would be required. The redemption of the Bonds may be subject to specific legal and regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions; Crédit Agricole S.A. accepts no liability in connection with a breach by any person of such restrictions.

    This press release is an advertisement; and none of this press release, any notice or any other document or material made public and/or delivered, or which may be made public and/or delivered to the holders of the Bonds in connection with the redemption of the Bonds is or is intended to be a prospectus for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council dated 14 June 2017 (as amended, the “Prospectus Regulation”). No prospectus will be published in connection with the redemption of the Bonds for the purposes of the Prospectus Regulation.

    This press release does not, and shall not, in any circumstances, constitute an offer to the public of Bonds by Crédit Agricole S.A. nor an invitation to the public in connection with any offer in any jurisdiction, including France.

    * The ISIN number is included solely for the convenience of the holders of the Bonds. No representation is being made as to the correctness or accuracy of the ISIN number either as printed on the Bonds or as contained herein and the holder may rely only on the identification numbers printed on its Bond.

    モンルージュ、2025年5月6日

    クレディ・アグリコル・エス・エー

    第7回期限前償還条項付円貨社債（劣後特約付）（2020）

    （2020年6月4日発行、58億円（ISIN: JP525022CL68）*）の

    期限前償還を公表

    クレディ・アグリコル・エス・エー（「発行会社」）は、2020年6月4日に発行したクレディ・アグリコル・エス・エー第7回期限前償還条項付円貨社債（劣後特約付）（2020）（ISIN: JP525022CL68）（「本社債」）の58億円全額について、本社債の要項（「社債要項」）第7項（5）（発行会社による任意償還）に基づき、2025年6月4日付（「償還期日」）で、本社債の金額の100％に償還期日（その日を含む。）までの経過利息を付して（「償還金額」）期限前償還（「本償還」）することを本日公表いたしました。

    償還期日に償還金額の支払期限が到来し、社債要項第6項（3）に基づき、償還金額の不当な留保又は拒絶がなされない限り、償還期日をもって各本社債にかかる利息の付与が停止されます。

    本社債の所持人は、社債要項に従い、本償還に関する正式な通知を受ける予定です。

    クレディ・アグリコル・エス・エーの詳細については、クレディ・アグリコル・エス・エーのWebサイト（https://www.credit-agricole.com/en/finance）をご参照ください。

    免責事項

    本プレスリリースは、米国、カナダ、オーストラリア、日本またはその他の法域において、本社債の購入の申込みまたは売却の申込みの勧誘を構成するものではありません。一定の法域においては、本プレスリリースの配布が法律によって制約される場合があります。本プレスリリースを入手した者には、かかる制約について自ら調査し、遵守することが要求されます。

    登録義務または承認が要求される国においては、本社債の償還に関するコミュニケーションまたは情報を公に配布してはなりません。かかる措置が要求される国において、いかなる措置も講じられておらず、または講じられる予定もありません。本社債の償還は、一定の法域において、特定の法律および規制上の制約を受ける可能性があります。クレディ・アグリコル・エス・エーは、かかる制約に対するいかなる者の違反についても、一切責任を負いません。

    本プレスリリースは広告にすぎず、本プレスリリース、または本社債の償還に関連し本社債の債権者に対し公表および／もしくは交付された、または公表および／もしくは交付される通知その他の文書または資料は、2017年6月14日付欧州議会および理事会の規則（EU）第2017/1129号（その後の改正を含み、以下「目論見書規則」）上の目論見書ではなく、かかる目論見書を意図したものでもありません。目論見書規則の適用上、本社債の償還に関して目論見書は発行されません。

    本プレスリリースは、いかなる場合においても、クレディ・アグリコル・エス・エーによる本社債の公募を構成するものではなく、またフランスを含むいかなる法域における申込みに関連しても、勧誘を構成するものではありません。

    * ISIN番号は、本社債の債権者の便宜のためにのみ付されたものです。本社債に印刷されたまたは本プレスリリースに記載されたISIN番号の正しさまたは正確性を表明するものではなく、債権者は、本社債に印刷された識別番号にのみ依拠することができます。

    CRÉDIT AGRICOLE S.A. PRESS CONTACT

    Alexandre Barat                             + 33 1 57 72 12 19                                      alexandre.barat@credit-agricole-sa.fr
    Olivier Tassain                               + 33 1 43 23 25 41                                      olivier.tassain@credit-agricole-sa.fr

    Find our press release on: www.credit-agricole.com – www.creditagricole.info

      Crédit_Agricole   Groupe Crédit Agricole   créditagricole_sa

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Alzheimer’s: certain combinations of prescription drugs may slow progression of the disease, says mice study

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Silvia Maioli, Associate professor and Principal Researcher, Neurobiology, Karolinska Institutet

    Certain prescription drugs combinations had different effects on the mice. roger ashford/ Shutterstock

    Millions of older adults take five or more prescription drugs every day to manage chronic illnesses. While polypharmacy is often necessary, this practice has also been linked to many negative health outcomes in older adults – including memory problems, increased risk of falls and greater frailty.

    The most common prescription drugs involved in polypharmacy are those used to treat conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and depression. Importantly, these same conditions are also known risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease.

    This raises an important question: could polypharmacy have any influence on the progression of Alzheimer’s disease?

    Our recent research in mice suggests that certain prescription drugs combinations might actually have a positive effect on memory and signs of Alzheimer’s disease. However, these effects appeared to differ depending on whether the mouse was male or female.

    To better understand how polypharmacy may affect Alzheimer’s disease, we designed an experiment using mice that were genetically altered to develop Alzheimer’s-like brain changes. These mice had amyloid plaques – clumps of protein in the brain that, with time, are linked with memory loss and considered a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease .

    We tested two different combinations of five commonly prescribed drugs, including: analgesics (painkillers), antithrombotics (to prevent blood clots), lipid-modifying agents (such as statins, which lower cholestrol), beta-blockers (which help controlling arrythmias and hypertension) and Ace inhibitors (used to treat cardiovascular conditions), as well as antidepressants.

    Both groups of mice were given paracetamol, aspirin, an antidepressant, a statin and a blood pressure drug. The only differences between the two groups were the specific types of statin and cardiovascular drugs used. The first group were given simvastatin and metoprolol, while the second group was given atorvastatin and enalapril.

    We gave these prescription drug combinations to both male and female mice. We then tested their memory, examined their brains for signs of disease and analysed blood samples for disease-related markers.

    Our findings showed that polypharmacy has both positive and negative effects on Alzheimer’s disease progression. The effects largely depended on which specific drug combinations were used as well as the sex of the mice.

    The first drug combination had beneficial effects in male mice. These mice showed better memory, reduced signs of Alzheimer’s pathology in the brain (such as the number and size of amyloid plaques) and fewer signs of the disease in their blood. This suggested that polypharmacy delayed the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

    In females, however, the same combination had very little to no effect on signs and symptoms of the disease.

    But for the mice in the second combination group, the results were different. The benefits previously seen in males disappeared. In female mice, their memory worsened.

    Certain drug combinations reduced signs of Alzheimer’s disease in the male mice’s brains, such as the size and number of amyloid plaques.
    nobeastsofierce/ Shutterstock

    We also looked at what happened when some of the drugs were taken on their own. In some cases, they had beneficial effects for the female mice – improving memory and signs of Alzheimer’s disease in the brain. For instance, the statin simvastatin improved memory and reduced signs of brain inflammation in female mice when the drug was taken on its own.

    Polypharmacy and brain health

    These results show how complex the effects of polypharmacy can be, especially in the context of a brain disease such as Alzheimer’s. They also suggest that men and women may respond differently to certain drug combinations.

    This is not surprising. Biological sex is known to influence how drugs are absorbed and metabolised and their effect on the body. When it comes to polypharmacy, these differences can become more pronounced, having an even stronger effect on drug safety and efficacy.

    This could partly help explain why the same drug combinations had very different effects in the male and female mice in our study. Other possible explanations for why certain drug combinations only improved signs and symptoms of the disease in male mice include sex differences in hormone levels and differences in immune responses that may influence how drugs work in the brain. Understanding these mechanisms will be key to tailoring safer and more effective treatments for the disease.

    Our study confirms that current, universal prescribing approaches for older adults may not be ideal.

    It’s also worth noting that older women are more likely to be polypharmacy users compared to men. This highlights the importance of understanding the effects of polypharmacy that are specific to men and women, and developing more personalised prescribing approaches.

    Future translational studies (from mice to humans) looking at how drug combinations affect Alzheimer’s in males and females are also warranted to help reduce risks and improve healthcare in the ageing population.

    The global population is continuing to age, which means that an even greater number of people are going to be at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This is why it’s so important we understand all of the causes of the disease and how it can be prevented.

    Silvia Maioli receives funding from The Swedish Research Council, Alzheimerfonden, King Gustaf V:s and Queen Victorias Foundation, The private initiative “Innovative ways to fight Alzheimer´s disease – Leif Lundblad Family and others”, Margaretha af Ugglas Foundation, The regional agreement on medical training and clinical research (ALF) between Stockholm County Council and Karolinska Institutet, Gun och Bertil Stohnes Stiftelse, Stiftelsen Gamla Tjänarinnor

    Francesca Eroli received funding from Stiftelsen För Gamla Tjänarinnor and Gun och Bertil Stohnes Stiftelse.

    – ref. Alzheimer’s: certain combinations of prescription drugs may slow progression of the disease, says mice study – https://theconversation.com/alzheimers-certain-combinations-of-prescription-drugs-may-slow-progression-of-the-disease-says-mice-study-254243

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Derry Schools Swing into Jazz with Live Music Now

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Derry Schools Swing into Jazz with Live Music Now

    6 May 2025

    As Derry enjoys its annual Jazz and Big Band Festival this weekend, the sound of swing is echoing through local schools thanks to a vibrant outreach programme funded by Derry City and Strabane District Council, delivered by Live Music Now. The initiative aims to ignite a passion for jazz in the next generation, ensuring the festival’s legacy resonates with young people across the city.

    Aisling McCallion, Festival Co-ordinator with Derry City and Strabane District Council, explained more: “Inspiring and providing opportunities for new talent is one of our main priorities at the City of Derry Jazz Festival and we want its legacy to filter down through the generations. Our local schools really support the festival and the Live Music Now programme provides a wonderful experience for all those who take part. The pupils have the opportunity to enjoy the unique experience of a live performance and to learn from some of our most talented local musicians.

    This year’s programme featured two key components. Firstly, “Jazz Labs” brought the infectious energy of jazz to seven schools. Professional jazz musicians Neil Burns, Victoria Geelan, Meilana Gillard and John Leighton delivered 19 engaging performances, introducing pupils to the fundamental elements of the genre and sparking their curiosity about the upcoming festival.

    Secondly, the “School of Jazz” programme provided a more intensive experience for aspiring young musicians in two local schools. Students at St Patrick’s and St Brigid’s College and St Joseph’s Boys School were honing their skills in improvisation and performance under the guidance of our seasoned jazz professionals. This immersive programme was designed not only to develop their musical talents but also to sow the seeds for future careers in music.

    The culmination of the “School of Jazz” was held within each school with a “Mini Jazz Festival “. These showcases will provide a platform for the young musicians to demonstrate their newfound skills, sharing the stage with their professional mentors and celebrating the vibrant sounds of jazz.

    St Patrick’s and St Brigid’s hosted their showcase on Thursday 1st May followed by St Joseph’s Boys School on Friday 2nd May. Head of Music at St Patrick’s and St Brigid’s College, Gareth Doherty said. “We had a great week working with Meilana and John. They gave an excellent concert workshop to our Year 9 pupils introducing them to jazz. Our GCSE music students and school band members had a great experience getting coached in performance skills and musicianship to perform together and showcase a number of songs to our own Year 8 pupils. Meilana and John were very encouraging and helped our students to perform and improvise with confidence. They have really flourished from the experience.”

    “This project is about more than just introducing jazz to schools,” says Margaret Kelly, Project Manager from Live Music Now Northern Ireland, “It’s about igniting a lifelong love of music, fostering creativity, and providing young people with the opportunity to connect with professional musicians. We hope to inspire the next generation of jazz artists and ensure that the City of Derry’s rich musical heritage continues to thrive.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Coventry City Council launches ground-breaking on-road test of Novel Modular Light Rail Track System

    Source: City of Coventry

    The Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR) project has achieved a significant technical milestone with the construction of a 220-metre single-track demonstrator in the city’s heart.

    Installed along Greyfriars Road and Queen Victoria Road, this trial represents the first time CVLR’s innovative modular track form has been embedded within a live urban corridor.

    The 50 %+ completion milestone follows the appointment of the Principal Contractor in mid-February 2025. Delivery has progressed swiftly to the completion of laying and aligning all Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) slabs and the alignment, welding, and fastening of the grooved rails. With full slab bedding now also complete, the result is a structurally sound and installation-complete track form, ready to accept the CVLR vehicle.

    Over the coming weeks, the team will finalise the installation of the structural health monitoring system, rail drainage, and rail-to-pavement interface components before embedding rails in asphalt pavement. The team targets completion of the construction phase by early May 2025.

    Dr Christopher Micallef, CVLR track programme lead at Coventry City Council, said: “This milestone represents a step-change in the technology readiness level of the novel CVLR track system. Having progressed through concept design, laboratory testing, and a series of increasingly complex pilot installations in controlled environments, we are now proving the system in a dense, operational urban corridor for the first time.”

    Councillor Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration, and Climate Change at Coventry City Council, said: “This is a significant step forward for the CVLR project and how cities like Coventry can rethink public transport infrastructure. We are not just piloting technology, we are building confidence in a scalable model that puts climate, community, and cost-effectiveness at the heart of urban mobility. And I’m pleased to say that this innovation has been born out of our manufacturing skills in this city and the wider region. The green economy is growing, and CVLR is at the heart of that here.”

    A Technically Complex Urban Demonstrator

    The track alignment was chosen to test real-world challenges typical of dense city centres. It traverses a longitudinal gradient between 1.5% and 3.5%, incorporates a 30-metre radius curve, and applies a continuous cant to facilitate compatibility with existing road geometry.

    Construction was undertaken within a strictly constrained corridor, maintaining continuous access across an active junction. Crucially, no full road closures or traffic diversions were required — a key goal in demonstrating CVLR’s ‘LITE footprint’ on the public realm.

    The route also interfaces with all primary below-ground services, including water (clean and foul), gas, electricity, and telecommunications. The track form’s shallow 300mm excavation depth and integrated utility access chambers enabled installation without major service relocation — a fundamental advantage over traditional tram systems.

    Iain Anderson, Managing Director, Colas Rail UK, said: “This trial installation demonstrates how innovative rail infrastructure can be delivered in real city environments with minimal disruption. Our teams worked closely with Coventry City Council to adapt to complex site conditions in real time, showing what’s possible when engineering meets digital responsiveness.”

    Enabling a Step Change in Light Rail Construction

    CVLR’s approach is underpinned by enabling technologies to overcome the traditional barriers to light rail deployment in the UK. These include:

    • The use of UHPC slabs as the core structural element — offering exceptional strength at approximately 100 mm thickness. This enables the construction of the track superstructure without requiring the typical concrete foundation.
    • A digitally integrated construction platform that ensures rapid design adaptation and data capture.
    • A live structural health monitoring system, embedded into the infrastructure, to validate long-term performance in real-world conditions.

    Together, these technologies enable a radically simplified, utility-friendly track form that is scalable and repeatable across various urban contexts.

    Real-Time Monitoring for Long-Term Insights

    The track section has a state-of-the-art, high-frequency structural health monitoring system. This includes strain gauges embedded within the UHPC slabs, asphalt strain gauges, accelerometers, pressure sensors, relative movement sensors, and AI-enabled camera systems.

    This system enables engineers to study the infrastructure’s behaviour under ambient conditions, CVLR vehicle loads, and general road traffic over the short and long term. The data will feed into a digital twin of the track form, allowing predictive modelling, lifecycle assessment, and future specification refinement.

    Digital Construction: Adaptable and Transparent

    Another innovation showcased in this phase is using a digital construction management platform, which enables real-time communication of on-site as-built survey data directly to the design team. This capability has proven essential during milling operations, where conditions such as out-of-spec shallow utilities and historic cobblestone layers require fast redesign and decision-making.

    The platform also generates a high-resolution, fully traceable record of the as-built infrastructure, which can be accessed using augmented reality technologies. This significantly enhances transparency, quality assurance, and long-term asset management.

    Looking Ahead

    Following the completion of construction on the test track, the CVLR vehicle will be brought into Coventry city centre to commence a period of public engagement and trial running on the newly installed infrastructure. These demonstrations will allow stakeholders and the public to experience the system first-hand and provide valuable feedback to inform future development.

    Once the trial runs conclude, the site will be returned to regular highway use, but it will continue to serve as a long-term testbed. Regular road traffic will contribute live loading to the track form, providing essential data to validate the system’s performance over time. This ongoing monitoring is critical to demonstrating the durability and lifecycle behaviour of the CVLR track form under mixed-use conditions.

    The programme will then progress towards delivering the first integrated transport system utilising the CVLR infrastructure, which will be part of the following primary phase. This work is being delivered as part of a dedicated research and development programme fully funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) through the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to create a scalable and sustainable urban mobility solution for the future.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: VATICAN – Conclave: More and more Cardinals from the countries entrusted to the Dicastery for Evangelization gather in the Sistine Chapel

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Tuesday, 6 May 2025

    Foto d’archivio

    by Fabio BerettaVatican City (Agenzia Fides) – With the image of Christ and the Last Judgment painted by Michelangelo on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel, the Cardinals are gathering in Conclave to elect the successor of Peter. An election in which an increasing number of cardinals from the countries under the jurisdiction of the Dicastery for Evangelization – Section for the First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches – are participating.To date, a total of 1,123 ecclesiastical districts (i.e., Archdioceses, Dioceses, Territorial Abbeys, Apostolic Vicariates, Apostolic Prefectures, Missions sui iuris, Apostolic Administrations, and Military Ordinariates) are subject to the Dicastery for Evangelization. Most of them are in Africa (525) and Asia (481), followed by the Americas (71) and Oceania (46).The Conclave of June 1963When John XXIII died on June 3, 1963, 82 Cardinals were still alive, all of whom had the right to participate in the election of the Successor of Peter. The rule that today prohibits Cardinals over the age of 80 from participating in the Conclave was introduced by Paul VI in 1970. Thus, the College of Cardinals that elected Pope Paul VI included Cardinals over the age of 80.Nevertheless, only 80 of them entered the Sistine Chapel. Two Cardinals did not come to Rome: the Hungarian József Mindszenty (the communist regime forbade him from leaving the country) and Carlos María Javier de la Torre, Archbishop of Quito, Ecuador (absent due to health reasons). A total of 29 nations were represented.A total of seven cardinals from the territories then under the jurisdiction of the Congregation Propaganda Fide participated in the Conclave that year: Peter Tatsuo Doi (Japan, Archbishop of Tokyo, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan), Valerian Gracias (India, Archbishop of Bombay, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India), Laurean Rugambwa (Tanzania, Bishop of Bukoba), Thomas Tien Ken-sin (China, Archbishop of Beijing, Apostolic Administrator of Taipei), and Norman Thomas Gilroy (Australia, Archbishop of Sydney, Primate of Australia, Grand Prior for Australia-New South Wales of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem).The Conclaves of 1978Paul VI was the first Pope to expand the boundaries of the College of Cardinals by appointing numerous non-European cardinals. After the death of the Pope (on August 6, 1978), who decided to exclude Cardinals over eighty from voting with the Motu Proprio “Ingravescentem Aetatem” of 21 November 1970 and modified some norms of the Conclave with the Apostolic Constitution “Romano Pontifici Eligendo” of 1 October 1975, a total of 111 cardinals were eligible to vote.At the conclave in August 1978, however, only 108 people entered the Sistine Chapel: Valerian Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, John Joseph Wright, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, and Bolesław Filipiak, Dean Emeritus of the Roman Rota, were all absent from the Conclave for health reasons.A total of 18 cardinals from the so-called mission territories took part in the election of John Paul I, including one cardinal who works in the Roman Curia and one French cardinal who heads an archdiocese in North Africa: Bernardin Gantin (Benin, President of the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum”), Lawrence Trevor Picachy (India, Archbishop of Calcutta, President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India), Justinus Darmojuwono (Indonesia, Archbishop of Semarang), Joseph Marie Anthony Cordeiro (Pakistan, Archbishop of Karachi), Stephen Kim Sou-hwan (South Korea, Archbishop of Seoul, Apostolic Administrator of Pyongyang), Thomas Benjamin Cooray (Sri Lanka, Archbishop of Colombo, President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Sri Lanka), Joseph Marie Trinh-nhu-Khuê (Vietnam, Archbishop of Ha Noi), Maurice Michael Otunga (Kenya, Archbishop of Nairobi, President of the Episcopal Conference of Kenya, Military Vicar for Kenya), Victor Razafimahatratra (Madagascar, Archbishop of Antananarivo, President of the Episcopal Conference of Madagascar), Dominic Ekandem (Nigeria, Bishop of Ikot Ekpene, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria), Hyacinthe Thiandoum (Senegal, Archbishop of Dakar, President of the Episcopal Conference of Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau), Owen McCann (South Africa, Archbishop of Cape Town), Laurean Rugambwa (Tanzania, Archbishop of Dar-es-Salaam) Emmanuel Kiwanuka Nsubuga (Uganda, Archbishop of Kampala), Paul Zoungrana (Burkina Faso, Archbishop of Ouagadougou), Joseph-Albert Malula (Democratic Republic of Congo, Archbishop of Kinshasa), Pio Taofinu’u (Samoa, Bishop of Samoa and Tokelau), Reginald John Delargey (New Zealand, Archbishop of Wellington, President of the New Zealand Bishops’ Conference).In 1978, a second Conclave took place just over a month after the first, as John Paul I died after only 33 days of pontificate. During this brief period, there were no Consistories, and when the cardinals met again in the Sistine Chapel in October of that year, the cardinals were the same ones who had met a few weeks earlier. They all held the same offices. Forty-six nations were represented in both Conclaves.The 2005 ConclaveThe first Conclave of the third millennium began with the reform of the conclave, which John Paul II initiated in 1996 with the Apostolic Constitution “Universi Dominici Gregis.” That year, the cardinals were accommodated for the first time in the new guesthouse Casa Santa Marta (instead of in the halls of the Apostolic Palace), which had been built specifically for this purpose. In the conclave that led to the election of Benedict XVI, 117 Cardinals were eligible to vote. A total of 115 entered the Sistine Chapel: Adolfo Antonio Suárez Rivera (Archbishop Emeritus of Monterrey, Mexico) and Jaime Lachica Sin (Archbishop Emeritus of Manila, Philippines) were unable to travel to Rome for health reasons.At the time of John Paul II’s death, the eligible Cardinals came from 52 nations on all continents. In total, there were seventeen cardinals from countries entrusted to the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, some of whom headed dicasteries and bodies of the Holy See: Wilfrid Fox Napier (South Africa, Archbishop of Durban), Gabriel Zubeir Wako (Sudan, Archbishop of Khartoum), Telesphore Placidus Toppo (India, Archbishop of Ranchi), Armand Gaétan Razafindratandra (Madagascar, Archbishop of Antananarivo), Bernard Agré (Ivory Coast, Archbishop of Abidjan), Emmanuel Wamala (Uganda, Archbishop of Kampala), Christian Wiyghan Tumi (Cameroon, Archbishop of Douala), Frédéric Etsou-Nzabi-Bamungwabi (Democratic Republic of Congo, Archbishop of Kinshasa), Francis Arinze (Nigeria, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments), Peter Seiichi Shirayanagi (Japan, Archbishop Emeritus of Tokyo), Michael Michai Kitbunchu (Thailand, Archbishop of Bangkok, President of the Thai Bishops’ Conference), Stephen Fumio Hamao (Japan, President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People), Anthony Olubunmi Okogie (Nigeria, Archbishop of Lagos), Ivan Dias (India, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples), Julius Riyadi Darmaatmadja (Indonesia, Archbishop of Jakarta, Military Bishop of Indonesia), Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Mân (Vietnam, Archbishop of Ho Chi Minh), Peter Turkson (Ghana, Archbishop of Cape Coast).The 2013 ConclaveWhen Benedict XVI announced to the world his resignation from the Petrine Ministry during a Consistory in February 2013, 117 eligible cardinals were present, but only 115 entered the Sistine Chapel. Julius Riyadi Darmaatmadja (Archbishop Emeritus of Jakarta, Indonesia) and Keith Michael Patrick O’Brien (Archbishop Emeritus of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland) were absent for health reasons.During the conclave that led to the election of Pope Francis, 17 Cardinals from the territories entrusted to the Missionary Dicastery arrived in Rome. As in previous Conclaves, several of these cardinals served in the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia: Peter Turkson (Ghana, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace), Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don (Sri Lanka, Archbishop of Colombo), Robert Sarah (Guinea, President of the Pontifical Council ‘Cor Unum’), George Alencherry (India, Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly), Oswald Gracias (India, Archbishop of Bombay), Polycarp Pengo (Tanzania, Archbishop of Dar-es-Salaam), John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan (Nigeria, Archbishop of Abuja), John Njue (Kenya, Archbishop of Nairobi), Wilfrid Fox Napier (South Africa, Archbishop of Durban), Gabriel Zubeir Wako (Sudan, Archbishop of Khartoum), Telesphore Placidus Toppo (India, Archbishop of Ranchi), Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya (Democratic Republic of Congo, Archbishop of Kinshasa), John Tong Hon (China, Bishop of Hong Kong), Théodore-Adrien Sarr (Senegal, Archbishop of Dakar), Anthony Olubunmi Okogie (Nigeria, Archbishop of Lagos), Ivan Dias (India, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples), Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Mân (Vietnam, Archbishop of Hô Chí Minh).The 2025 ConclaveAt the time of Pope Francis’s death, there are 252 cardinals alive, of whom 135 arepotential electors for the Conclave that begins on May 7. Of these, 133 will enter the Sistine Chapel, as two of them, Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera, Archbishop Emeritus of Valencia, and Cardinal John Njue, Archbishop Emeritus of Nairobi, are absent for health reasons.It will be a Conclave with Cardinals from 66 nations. Among them are 34 from the territories under the jurisdiction of the Dicastery for Evangelization. Some of them come from other countries but exercise their ministry in these mission countries, just as some are active in the Roman Curia: Giorgio Marengo (Italy, Apostolic Prefect of Ulan Bator, Mongolia), Virgílio do Carmo da Silva (East Timor, Metropolitan Archbishop of Dili), Dieudonné Nzapalainga (Central African Republic, Metropolitan Archbishop of Bangui), Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla (South Sudan, Metropolitan Archbishop of Juba), Jean-Paul Vesco (France, Metropolitan Archbishop of Algiers), Soane Patita Paini Mafi (Tonga, Bishop of Tonga), Anthony Poola (India, Metropolitan Archbishop of Hyderabad), Ignace Bessi Dogbo (Ivory Coast, Metropolitan Archbishop of Abidjan), Protase Rugambwa (Tanzania, Metropolitan Archbishop of Tabora), Fridolin Ambongo Besungu (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Kinshasa), Stephen Chow Sau-yan (China, Bishop of Hong Kong), Antoine Kambanda (Rwanda, Metropolitan Archbishop of Kigali), Tarcisius Isao Kikuchi (Japan, Metropolitan Archbishop of Tokyo), William Goh Seng Chye (Singapore, Archbishop of Singapore), John Ribat (Papua New Guinea, Metropolitan Archbishop of Port Moresby), Stephen Brislin (South Africa, Metropolitan Archbishop of Johannesburg), Désiré Tsarahazana (Madagascar, Metropolitan Archbishop of Toamasina), Filipe Neri Ferrão (India, Metropolitan Archbishop of Goa and Damão), Cristóbal López Romero (Spain, Archbishop of Rabat, Morocco), Lazarus You Heung-sik (South Korea, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy), Sebastian Francis (Malaysia, Bishop of Penang), Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo (Indonesia, Metropolitan Archbishop of Jakarta), Arlindo Gomes Furtado (Cape Verde, Bishop of Santiago de Cabo Verde), Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij (Thailand, Archbishop Emeritus of Bangkok), Thomas Aquino Manyo Maeda (Japan, Metropolitan Archbishop of Osaka-Takamatsu), Charles Maung Bo (Myanmar, Metropolitan Archbishop of Yangon), Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson (Ghana, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences), John Atcherley Dew (New Zealand, Archbishop Emeritus of Wellington), Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don (Sri Lanka, Metropolitan Archbishop of Colombo), Philippe Nakellentuba Ouédraogo (Burkina Faso, Archbishop Emeritus of Ouagadougou), Jean-Pierre Kutwa (Ivory Coast, Archbishop Emeritus of Abidjan), Joseph Coutts (Pakistan, Archbishop Emeritus of Karachi), Robert Sarah (Guinea, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments), Peter Ebere Okpaleke (Nigeria, Bishop of Ekwulobia). (Agenzia Fides, 6/5/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Sullivan’s Island Plays Key Role in Navy’s ‘Southern Lightning’ Event

    Source: United States Navy

    NIWC Atlantic and NSWC Crane’s “Southern Lightning,” supported by Sullivan’s Island (Mayor O’Neil), tested unmanned systems communications for a hybrid fleet. Part of Silent Swarm, it integrates manned/unmanned systems. Testing used vehicles supported by the USS Cole and SC National Guard. The island’s environment advances communication capabilities.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to trial of online dialectical behavioural theory for emotion dysregulation in people with chronic pain

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Results from a trial published in JAMA Network Open looks at online dialectical behavioural theory for emotion dysregulation in people with chronic pain.

    Dr Whitney Scott, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Health Psychology, IoPPN, King’s College London, said:

    “This is an interesting trial that further highlights the importance of psychologically-based treatments to support the well-being of people with persistent pain. The online delivery format builds on a growing trend towards digital therapeutics to address significant challenges with treatment accessibility.

    “This is a relatively small trial that provides support for a larger study. It’s great to see that a larger trial is planned which can help to further understand the impact of the intervention, including in the longer-term. At present, while promising, there is a limit to what we can conclude from this study in terms of its impacts on future practice.

     “If the larger trial shows similar results, this will add to an established body of evidence showing the efficacy of psychologically-based treatments for people with pain. For example, there is already moderate quality evidence from a number of randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) that cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) improves distress in people with pain when compared to treatment as usual. The current RCT also uses a treatment as usual control group.

     “It’s also important to say that the iDBT-Pain treatment overlaps with elements of traditional CBT and other cognitive-behavioural approaches (mindfulness-based stress reduction, ACT). These treatments have already been widely studied and used in clinical practice to support people with persistent pain to respond more effectively to emotions. So, iDBT very much builds on the tools we already have to support people with pain.

     “The study reported good effects for emotion dysregulation, depression, and pain intensity that were maintained at 21-week follow-up. However, effects for anxiety and sleep problems were not maintained. No significant improvements were observed for pain interference with daily life. This is another key outcome in the pain field and one that is often the target of cognitive-behavioural treatments for people with persistent pain.

     “The online delivery format has the potential to increase accessibility for many people. However, this may not be true for everyone. It’s plausible that people with very high levels of emotion dysregulation, the key target of this intervention, may struggle with the remote format and may need an in-person format. Notably, people with ‘personality disorders’ were excluded which may represent individuals that particularly struggle with emotion dysregulation.”

     

    Dr Franziska Denk, Reader in Neuroscience, King’s College London, said:

    “To my mind, this paper will not significantly change our understanding of how to treat people with pain.

    “It has faced the same challenge faced by almost all behavioural intervention trials: how to placebo control effectively.

    “As it was carried out, this study ends up comparing apples and oranges: in the treatment group, we have people who are being listened to, affirmed and guided by medical professionals and their peers as part of an intensive 8-week treatment programme; in the ‘placebo’ group, we have people to whom nothing happens (as that is what ‘treatment in the community’ basically means). Obviously, the ones who are being cared for actively will fare better.”

     

    ‘Online Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Emotion Dysregulation in People
    With Chronic Pain    ’ by Nell Norman-Nott et al. was published in JAMA Network Open at 16:00 UK time on Tuesday 6th May. 

     

    DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.6908

     

     

    Declared interests

    Dr Whitney Scott:I have received research funding from the International Association for the Study of Pain and National Institute for Health and Care Research for projects investigating online delivery of psychological treatment (specifically acceptance and commitment therapy) for people with persistent pain. I have received funds for travel to conferences where I have presented on some of this work. I also provide teaching on psychosocial aspects of persistent pain management as part of my paid employment.

    Dr Franziska Denk: I have no conflicts in relation to this paper.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Silver Tiger Metals Inc. to Present at the Metals & Mining Virtual Investor Conference May 7th

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, May 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Silver Tiger Metals Inc. (TSXV: SLVR, OTCQX: SLVTF), based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, focused on Developing Production at the El Tigre Silver Mining District in Sonora Mexico, today announced that Glenn Jessome, President & CEO will present live at the Metals & Mining Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on May 7th.

    DATE: May 7th
    TIME: 1:00 – 1:30 pm ET
    LINK: REGISTER HERE
    Available for 1×1 meetings: May 7th, 8th, and 12th

    This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

    It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.

    Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

    About Silver Tiger and the El Tigre Historic Mine District

    Silver Tiger Metals Inc. is a Canadian company whose management has more than 27 years’ experience discovering, financing, and building large hydrothermal gold and silver mines in Mexico. Silver Tiger’s 100% owned 28,414 hectare Historic El Tigre Mining District is located in Sonora, Mexico. Principled environmental, social and governance practices are core priorities at Silver Tiger. 

    Silver Tiger commenced work on its El Tigre Project in 2017. El Tigre intends to build an open pit and underground mine. Silver Tiger has drilled over 150,000 meters at the El Tigre Project, with 119,000 meters completed since 2020. Silver Tiger has completed several MREs, a maiden MRE in 2017 and MRE updates in 2023 and 2024. The PEA for the El Tigre open pit was released in November 2023. 

    The October 2024 PFS for the El Tigre open pit delivered robust economics. The PFS projects an After-Tax NPV of US$222 million at a 5% discount rate, an After-Tax IRR of 40.0%, and a payback period of 2.0 years. This open pit operation is expected to have a 10-year mine life. The El Tigre project delivers a life of mine undiscounted After-Tax Cash Flow of US$318 million, with initial capital costs of $86.8 million (including $9.3 million in contingency). Operating cash costs are projected at $973/oz AuEq and $12/oz AgEq, with AISC at $1,214/oz AuEq and $14/oz AgEq. The economics of the Project have been evaluated based on a discounted $26/oz silver price and gold price of $2,150/oz. 

    Silver Tiger is now drilling from underground drill pads, focusing on the high-grade silver Veins, Sulphide and Shale Zones. A PEA for the permitted underground mineral resource is expected to be released in the first half of 2025.

    About Virtual Investor Conferences®
    Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

    Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

    CONTACTS:
    Silver Tiger Metals Inc.
    Devin Devarennes
    VP Corporate Development & Investor Relations
    902-233-3656
    Devin@silvertigermetals.com

    Virtual Investor Conferences
    John M. Viglotti
    SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access
    OTC Markets Group
    (212) 220-2221
    johnv@otcmarkets.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Lodging a general purpose financial statement

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Lodging a general purpose financial statement (GPFS) is a crucial step for various entities in Australia. Under section 3CA of the Taxation Administration Act 1953 , you’re required to submit a GPFS if you are:

    • a corporate tax entity (that is, a company, corporate limited partnership, or public trading trust) for the income year
    • a country-by-country reporting entity for the income year
    • an Australian resident or a foreign resident operating an Australian permanent establishment (PE), at the end of the income year.

    If you’re a subsidiary member of an accounting group, but not a member of a tax consolidated or multiple entry consolidated (MEC) group, you may still have an obligation to lodge a GPFS even where your parent entity may have already lodged.

    However, if you lodge a trust or partnership tax return, there’s no obligation under section 3CA to lodge a GPFS.

    To ensure your GPFS meets the necessary standards, your entity must prepare it in accordance with applicable accounting standards. It’s important to note that we don’t accept special purpose financial statements (SPFS) as GPFS.

    Entities must lodge their GPFS by the company tax return due date, unless they’ve already lodged with ASIC. To avoid penalties, lodge your statements on time, and in the approved form. Penalties are considerably higher for significant global entities.

    For more information, see Guidance on providing general purpose financial statements.

    Keep up to date

    We have tailored communication channels for medium, large and multinational businesses, to keep you up to date with updates and changes you need to know.

    Read more articles in our online Business bulletins newsroom.

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    • fortnightly Business bulletins email newsletterExternal Link
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    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: $20,000 instant asset write-off for 2024–25

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Have you purchased or are you purchasing a business asset this financial year? The instant asset write-off limit is $20,000 for the 2024-25 income year.

    If your business has an aggregated annual turnover of less than $10 million and uses the
    simplified depreciation rules, you may be able to use the instant asset write-off to immediately deduct the business part of the cost of eligible assets:

    • The full cost of eligible depreciating assets costing less than $20,000 that are first used or installed ready for use for a taxable purpose between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025.
    • New and second-hand assets can qualify; although some exclusions and limits apply.
    • If you claimed an immediate deduction for an asset’s cost under the simplified depreciation rules in an earlier income year, you can also immediately deduct the first improvement cost for that asset if it is incurred between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025 and less than $20,000.
    • The $20,000 limit applies on a per-asset basis, so you can instantly write off multiple assets as long as the cost of each asset is less than the limit.

    The usual rules for claiming deductions still apply. You can only claim the business part of the expense, and you must have records to prove it.

    Remember, it’s important to keep good records to help you or your tax professional work out your claim. For more information, see Record keeping for small business.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New SES features: Team accounts and ATO-initiated requests

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    We’ve introduced two new features in the Super Enquiry System (SES) to improve how you manage fund requests.

    Team Accounts

    You can now create a team account in SES, linked to a shared mailbox. This allows multiple employees within your fund to receive and view request notifications.

    An individual user will have to login as per the current process to lodge a request. SES users can then share the request with the Team account and a notification email will be sent to the mailbox linked to Team account notifying all members.

    ATO-initiated requests

    For certain issues, we will send ATO-initiated requests through the SES instead of via email.

    If we send you a request:

    • You’ll receive a notification email in your Team account’s mailbox.
    • Log in to SES, locate the request under ‘ATO-initiated’, and respond before the due date.

    If we don’t receive a response, we’ll follow up with your nominated contact person.

    For more information on how lodge an enquiry via SES, see Accessing and using the Superannuation enquiry service.

    Looking for the latest news for Super funds? – You can stay up to date by visiting our Super funds newsroom and subscribingExternal Link to our monthly Super funds newsletter and CRT alerts.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: African women at higher risk of pre-eclampsia – a dangerous pregnancy complication

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Annettee Nakimuli, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Makerere University

    Pre-eclampsia is a danger to pregnant women. It’s a complication characterised by high blood pressure and organ damage, arising during the second half of pregnancy, in labour or in the first week after delivery.

    It plays a major role in about 16% of the deaths of pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa.

    And it’s on the rise: between 2010 and 2018, the incidence of pre-eclampsia in Africa jumped by around 20%.

    Pre-eclampsia usually occurs in young mothers during a first pregnancy. Girls under the age of 18 years are most at risk. The probability that a 15-year-old girl will die from complications of pregnancy is one in 150 in developing countries, versus one in 3,800 in developed countries, according to the World Health Organization.

    Not only does pre-eclampsia pose a serious health threat to women, it also harms babies. It contributes to stillbirth, preterm birth and low birth weight.

    Yet we still do not know enough about pre-eclampsia. This gap has driven my research into the disease.

    I conducted the first genetic case-control study on pre-eclampsia among African women in comparison to European women over a decade ago for my PhD research.

    My work revealed that both African and European populations have a gene (KIR AA genotype) that increases the chance of pre-eclampsia. However, African women are at greater risk of pre-eclampsia than other racial groups. This is because they’re more at risk of carrying a fetus with a C2-type HLA-C gene from the father. African populations have a higher frequency of this gene, which raises the likelihood of risky mother-fetus combinations.

    An additional finding from my research is that genetic protection from pre-eclampsia works differently across populations – and African populations carry unique protective genes. However, even with these additional protections, African women are at greater risk of developing severe pre-eclampsia due to the other challenges, like access to healthcare and socio-economic constraints.

    There’s inequality in the treatment of the condition too. In my experience, wealthier and better-educated African women often receive the necessary diagnosis and treatment. Poorer and less-educated African women too often do not.

    Pre-eclampsia research, especially in Africa, requires a lot more funding, as does broader research related to the maternal health of African women.

    Pre-eclampsia in Uganda

    Around 287,000 women worldwide die during pregnancy and childbirth every year. Shockingly, 70% of these are African women.

    Most of these deaths are preventable. For example, around 10% are the result of high blood pressure-related conditions during pregnancy.

    Uganda’s Ministry of Health recorded in 2023 that out of 1,276 maternal deaths reported, 16% were associated with high blood pressure.

    Hospitals are being overwhelmed by patients with the illness. For example, Kawempe National Referral Hospital in Kampala receives around 150 patients with the condition every month. It has set up a special ward to treat them.

    The maternal mortality rate (death due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth) in Uganda is 284 per 100,000 live births. In Australia it is 2.94. The neonatal mortality rate (death during the first 28 completed days of life) is 19 per 1,000 live births in Uganda against 2.37 in Australia. Infant mortality (death before a child turns one) is 31 per 1,000 live births in Uganda versus 3.7 in Australia, according to the WHO’s Global Health Observatory.

    This stark contrast highlights an enormous gap in care that the two countries’ pregnant mothers and babies receive.

    Part of the problem in Uganda, as in many developing countries, is persistent challenges in healthcare infrastructure. There are shortages of healthcare workers, medical supplies and facilities, particularly in the rural areas.

    Early detection is key

    As a clinician and researcher working at the centre of Uganda’s healthcare system, I witness mothers arriving at hospitals already in a critical condition, with limited options to treat the complications associated with pre-eclampsia. It is heartbreaking.

    The condition is both preventable and treatable if caught early. My research focuses on identifying biological signs of the likelihood of complications during pregnancy, using data analysis informed by Artificial Intelligence.

    These predictive biomarkers, as they are called, enable us to categorise patients based on their risk levels and identify those most likely to benefit from specific treatments or preventive measures.

    The precise causes of pre-eclampsia are not certain, but factors beyond genetics are thought to be problems with the immune system and inadequate development of the placenta. But much of what researchers know comes from work done in high-income countries, often with a limited sample size of African women.

    Consequently, the findings may not apply directly to the genetics of sub-Saharan African women. My research addresses this knowledge gap.

    Building on my findings about genetic determinants, I am leading a research team at Makerere University to design interventions tailored to specific prevention and treatment strategies for African populations.

    Raising pre-eclampsia awareness

    Research alone is not enough. There is an urgent need to bridge the gap between research and practice.

    During my fieldwork, I have witnessed first-hand how many Ugandan women are not aware of pre-eclampsia’s warning signs and miss out on vital prenatal care. These warning signs often include headache, disturbances with vision, upper pain in the right side of the abdomen and swelling of the legs.

    But we can develop screening algorithms so that healthcare professionals can rapidly diagnose women at higher risk early in their pregnancy. Timely intervention, including specific treatment and plans for delivery, would reduce the risk of adverse outcomes for both mother and baby.

    In my capacity as a national pre-eclampsia champion appointed by Uganda’s Ministry of Health, I am spearheading initiatives to raise awareness and improve access to maternal healthcare services.

    Through community outreach programmes and educational campaigns, we want to empower all women, rich and poor, with knowledge about the condition and encourage them to seek medical assistance at an early stage.

    More resources must be allocated to genetics research to realise our goals of prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of pre-eclampsia and its associated complications.

    This investment will drive the development of predictive technology for precise diagnosis, and enable timely intervention for at-risk mothers.

    Moreover, investigating the genetic roots of pre-eclampsia could lead to novel therapies that reduce the need for costly medical procedures or prolonged care for those affected.

    This would reduce the strain on already overburdened African healthcare systems.

    – African women at higher risk of pre-eclampsia – a dangerous pregnancy complication
    – https://theconversation.com/african-women-at-higher-risk-of-pre-eclampsia-a-dangerous-pregnancy-complication-249222

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: African women at higher risk of pre-eclampsia – a dangerous pregnancy complication

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Annettee Nakimuli, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Makerere University

    Pre-eclampsia is a danger to pregnant women. It’s a complication characterised by high blood pressure and organ damage, arising during the second half of pregnancy, in labour or in the first week after delivery.

    It plays a major role in about 16% of the deaths of pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa.

    And it’s on the rise: between 2010 and 2018, the incidence of pre-eclampsia in Africa jumped by around 20%.

    Pre-eclampsia usually occurs in young mothers during a first pregnancy. Girls under the age of 18 years are most at risk. The probability that a 15-year-old girl will die from complications of pregnancy is one in 150 in developing countries, versus one in 3,800 in developed countries, according to the World Health Organization.

    Not only does pre-eclampsia pose a serious health threat to women, it also harms babies. It contributes to stillbirth, preterm birth and low birth weight.

    Yet we still do not know enough about pre-eclampsia. This gap has driven my research into the disease.

    I conducted the first genetic case-control study on pre-eclampsia among African women in comparison to European women over a decade ago for my PhD research.

    My work revealed that both African and European populations have a gene (KIR AA genotype) that increases the chance of pre-eclampsia. However, African women are at greater risk of pre-eclampsia than other racial groups. This is because they’re more at risk of carrying a fetus with a C2-type HLA-C gene from the father. African populations have a higher frequency of this gene, which raises the likelihood of risky mother-fetus combinations.

    An additional finding from my research is that genetic protection from pre-eclampsia works differently across populations – and African populations carry unique protective genes. However, even with these additional protections, African women are at greater risk of developing severe pre-eclampsia due to the other challenges, like access to healthcare and socio-economic constraints.

    There’s inequality in the treatment of the condition too. In my experience, wealthier and better-educated African women often receive the necessary diagnosis and treatment. Poorer and less-educated African women too often do not.

    Pre-eclampsia research, especially in Africa, requires a lot more funding, as does broader research related to the maternal health of African women.

    Pre-eclampsia in Uganda

    Around 287,000 women worldwide die during pregnancy and childbirth every year. Shockingly, 70% of these are African women.

    Most of these deaths are preventable. For example, around 10% are the result of high blood pressure-related conditions during pregnancy.

    Uganda’s Ministry of Health recorded in 2023 that out of 1,276 maternal deaths reported, 16% were associated with high blood pressure.

    Hospitals are being overwhelmed by patients with the illness. For example, Kawempe National Referral Hospital in Kampala receives around 150 patients with the condition every month. It has set up a special ward to treat them.

    The maternal mortality rate (death due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth) in Uganda is 284 per 100,000 live births. In Australia it is 2.94. The neonatal mortality rate (death during the first 28 completed days of life) is 19 per 1,000 live births in Uganda against 2.37 in Australia. Infant mortality (death before a child turns one) is 31 per 1,000 live births in Uganda versus 3.7 in Australia, according to the WHO’s Global Health Observatory.

    This stark contrast highlights an enormous gap in care that the two countries’ pregnant mothers and babies receive.

    Part of the problem in Uganda, as in many developing countries, is persistent challenges in healthcare infrastructure. There are shortages of healthcare workers, medical supplies and facilities, particularly in the rural areas.

    Early detection is key

    As a clinician and researcher working at the centre of Uganda’s healthcare system, I witness mothers arriving at hospitals already in a critical condition, with limited options to treat the complications associated with pre-eclampsia. It is heartbreaking.

    The condition is both preventable and treatable if caught early. My research focuses on identifying biological signs of the likelihood of complications during pregnancy, using data analysis informed by Artificial Intelligence.

    These predictive biomarkers, as they are called, enable us to categorise patients based on their risk levels and identify those most likely to benefit from specific treatments or preventive measures.

    The precise causes of pre-eclampsia are not certain, but factors beyond genetics are thought to be problems with the immune system and inadequate development of the placenta. But much of what researchers know comes from work done in high-income countries, often with a limited sample size of African women.

    Consequently, the findings may not apply directly to the genetics of sub-Saharan African women. My research addresses this knowledge gap.

    Building on my findings about genetic determinants, I am leading a research team at Makerere University to design interventions tailored to specific prevention and treatment strategies for African populations.

    Raising pre-eclampsia awareness

    Research alone is not enough. There is an urgent need to bridge the gap between research and practice.

    During my fieldwork, I have witnessed first-hand how many Ugandan women are not aware of pre-eclampsia’s warning signs and miss out on vital prenatal care. These warning signs often include headache, disturbances with vision, upper pain in the right side of the abdomen and swelling of the legs.

    But we can develop screening algorithms so that healthcare professionals can rapidly diagnose women at higher risk early in their pregnancy. Timely intervention, including specific treatment and plans for delivery, would reduce the risk of adverse outcomes for both mother and baby.

    In my capacity as a national pre-eclampsia champion appointed by Uganda’s Ministry of Health, I am spearheading initiatives to raise awareness and improve access to maternal healthcare services.

    Through community outreach programmes and educational campaigns, we want to empower all women, rich and poor, with knowledge about the condition and encourage them to seek medical assistance at an early stage.

    More resources must be allocated to genetics research to realise our goals of prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of pre-eclampsia and its associated complications.

    This investment will drive the development of predictive technology for precise diagnosis, and enable timely intervention for at-risk mothers.

    Moreover, investigating the genetic roots of pre-eclampsia could lead to novel therapies that reduce the need for costly medical procedures or prolonged care for those affected.

    This would reduce the strain on already overburdened African healthcare systems.

    Annettee Nakimuli receives funding from the Gates Foundation, GSK and the Royal Society.

    – ref. African women at higher risk of pre-eclampsia – a dangerous pregnancy complication – https://theconversation.com/african-women-at-higher-risk-of-pre-eclampsia-a-dangerous-pregnancy-complication-249222

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: SDTX Continues Efforts to Protect the Border with 259 More Charged in Immigration-Related Crimes

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

    HOUSTON – A total of 256 cases have been filed from April 25-May 1 in matters aimed at securing the southern border, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. 

    As part of the cases, 83 face allegations of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, firearms, sexual or violent offenses, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 160 people face charges of illegally entering the country, while 13 cases allege various instances of human smuggling with the remainder involving other immigration-related crimes.  

    Those charged by criminal complaint include three Mexican nationals found in the McAllen area who are alleged to be here illegally. The charges allege Luciano Ojeda had been sentenced to two years for robbery before his removal, while Sergio Salazar-Gonzalez and Maria Del Carmen Gutierrez-Perez have convictions for driving while intoxicated (3rd offense) and injury to child/elderly/disabled persons with intent of causing bodily injury, respectively, before they were removed from the United States.

    In addition to the new cases filed, two adult Guatemalan citizens were indicted for making false statements about their age in their juvenile immigration cases. Tadeo Pedro Torres and Marvin Ixcoy-Ajqui claimed they were unaccompanied minors after they entered the United States illegally. As a result, they were allegedly transferred to juvenile shelters contracted to provide care for children in the United States for whom there is no parent or legal guardian with the ability to provide custody. However, the charges allege they were adults and had provided a false date of birth and age.

    A Houston federal jury also convicted a conspirator involved in transporting aliens shot en route. Mailon Almendares-Martinez recruited conspirators who picked up the aliens near the border. On the way to Houston, individuals believed to be a part of a rival alien smuggling organization had shot at them, resulting in gunshot wounds to the arm and leg. After the shooting, Almendares-Martinez told the co-conspirators to return to Houston and not seek medical attention for the two wounded aliens. He now faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

    “This case demonstrates—like so many cases before it—that human smuggling is an inhumane, dangerous, and sometimes fatal business,” said Ganjei. “Those that smuggle human beings for profit deserve prosecution, and those that would willingly place themselves in a situation to be smuggled need to think twice. Stay home, stay safe.”

    In Corpus Christi, Louis Dante Anthony received a 30-month sentence for smuggling three dozen illegal aliens in an 8 by 4.25-foot false compartment. The illegal aliens had no access to air, could not be heard from the outside and were unable to get themselves out of the compartment. All were from the countries of Ecuador, Colombia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico.

    In Laredo federal court, an illegal alien pleaded guilty to assault of an officer, admitting he struck the agent’s body and face repeatedly while attempting to flee. A Border Patrol (BP) agent had transported Marco Cupil-Hernandez to a local hospital for emergency care after he had waded across the Rio Grande River. Once cleared, the agent attempted to assist him into the vehicle. Cupil-Hernandez then forcefully pushed him away and attempted to flee, resulting in a struggle on the concrete during which Cupil-Hernandez elbowed the agent’s face. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

    Also announced this week was the sentencing of two felons in McAllen for illegally reentering the United States. Porfirio Martinez-Santos, Mexico, was ordered to serve 42 months, while Juan Esteban Zelaya-Hernandez, Honduras, received 21 months. The investigation revealed Zelaya-Hernandez had been ordered removed in August 2024 after serving a federal prison sentence for possession of a firearm by a felon and illegal reentry. Martinez-Santos was removed in 2023 and had previously served a 37-month sentence for illegal reentry.

    Another Mexican citizen with a felony criminal history was sentenced for illegally reentering the United States after eight previous removals. Julio Cesar Corona-Corona will now serve 37 months in federal prison. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that despite prior court warnings not to do so, Corona-Corona was determined to unlawfully reenter the United States, as evidenced by his repeated encounters with immigration authorities. He was first removed from the United States in January 2014 and returned illegally eight times between 2014 and April 2020. In fact, authorities had removed him six times alone between 2017-2018.

    In Brownsville, a 42-year-old man from Aldamas, Tamaulipas, Mexico, was also sentenced for illegal reentry into the United States. Alfredo Balderas-Rivera was first removed in 2016 with a subsequent removal in 2018 and 2023. However, authorities found Balderas-Rivera in Cameron County March 30, 2024. He had been in custody for allegedly committing fraud and assault and bodily injury. He received a 50-month sentence in Brownsville federal court.

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: TopLine Financial Credit Union Receives Statewide Recognition for Adult Financial Education Efforts

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MAPLE GROVE, Minn., May 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TopLine Financial Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based member-owned financial services cooperative, was named winner of the Desjardins Financial Education Award. The award, sponsored by the Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN) recognized credit unions for superior adult financial education programs benefitting the credit union’s members and communities. The Desjardins award is named after credit union pioneer Alphonse Desjardins and emphasizes the movement’s longtime commitment to financial education.

    TopLine was awarded in the Desjardins Adult Category for the credit union’s Certified Credit Union Financial Counselors (CCUFC) designation. 37% of all TopLine employees have received their Certified Credit Union Financial Counselors (CCUFC) designation through Credit Union National Association’s (CUNA) Financial Counseling Certification Program (FiCEP). This supports TopLine’s commitment in providing financial expertise, guidance and resources that meet members’ individual needs to improve their financial wellness, creating a dynamic point of differentiation for the credit union.

    In addition, TopLine partnered with Knowledge of Financial Education (KOFE), a financial resource vendor to create an online, self-help Financial Learning Center that provides free resources, tools and financial guidance, which includes videos, downloadable publications, budgeting tools, live chats with financial counselors, calculators, webinars, podcasts, interactive courses, games and more.

    “We are honored to receive recognition for our dedicated efforts in providing financial education opportunities that enhance the financial well-being of our members and communities,” stated Mick Olson, President and CEO of TopLine Financial Credit Union. “Our commitment remains steadfast in assisting consumers by fostering sound financial habits through enhanced financial wellness guidance.”

    The Minnesota Credit Union Network is the statewide trade association that works to ensure the success, growth and vitality of Minnesota credit unions. For more information, visit www.mncun.org.

    TopLine Financial Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based credit union, is Minnesota’s 9th largest credit union, with assets of over $1.1 billion and serves over 70,000 members. Established in 1935, the not-for-profit financial cooperative offers a complete line of financial services from its ten branch locations — in Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Champlin, Circle Pines, Coon Rapids, Forest Lake, Maple Grove, Plymouth, St. Francis and in St. Paul’s Como Park — as well as by phone and online at www.TopLinecu.com or www.ahcu.coop. Membership is available to anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school or volunteers in Anoka, Benton, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Pine, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Washington and Wright counties in Minnesota and their immediate family members, as well as employees and retirees of Anoka Hennepin School District #11, Anoka Technical College, Federal Premium Ammunition, Hoffman Enclosures, Inc., GRACO, Inc., and their subsidiaries. Visit us on our Facebook or Instagram. To learn more about the credit union’s foundation, visit www.TopLinecu.com/Foundation.

    CONTACT:
    Vicki Roscoe Erickson
    Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
    TopLine Financial Credit Union
    verickson@toplinecu.com | 763.391.0872

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fd3055e5-ac8f-4e5d-98be-c6e08644938c

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Ultimus Enhances Comprehensive Private Credit Fund Administration to Support Investment Managers

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CINCINNATI, May 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ultimus Fund Solutions® (Ultimus®), a leading provider of comprehensive fund administration solutions, is pleased to announce it has expanded its comprehensive private credit fund administration services capabilities to address the evolving needs of private credit managers and increased demand in today’s dynamic investment landscape.

    With private credit strategies gaining significant traction, managing the intricate workflows and lifecycle of loans can present a complex series of challenges without the appropriate infrastructure. Recognizing these hurdles, Ultimus delivers an advanced solution designed to provide efficiency and oversight of private credit investments.

    “Our clients benefit from our best in class, fully integrated infrastructure that enables them to achieve their investment goals without being hindered by operational complexities,” remarked Gary Tenkman, Chief Executive Officer. “Ultimus delivers a powerful combination of expertise, technology, and precision to effectively support private credit management.”

    The Ultimus private credit team specializes in post-trade workflows, with deep expertise in tracking both syndicated and private loans. With the ability to facilitate the setup of various credit instruments, Ultimus’ accounting platform automates data flow from clients, agent banks, and third-party vendors for seamless integration and complete transparency. The private credit team collaborates closely with lenders, clients, and agent banks to accurately track loan positions, empowering credit managers to focus on broader investment goals without operational concerns.

    Ultimus’ private credit fund administration encompasses a wide range of solutions to meet the rigorous demands of credit managers, including trade capture, credit lifecycle activity, reconciliation, bank resolution, profit and loss (PnL) reporting, and advanced investment manager reporting.

    Key Services Provided by Ultimus Include:

    • Data Integration & Workflow: Trade capture, security master setup, credit facility position confirmation, and pricing via leading systems like FIS® Virtus, Xceptor and S&P Global.
    • Investment Manager Reporting: Custom reporting and flexible data analytics via FIS® Hedge Fund Portfolio Manager (HFPM) and other tools.
    • Accounting System: HFPM integrates security master services, transaction processing, position/cash reconciliation, PnL calculation, and pricing/reference data management to provide a streamlined accounting workflow.
    • Auxiliary Workflows: Document management, credit ratings, and classification services to maintain comprehensive operational oversight.

    These services are further enhanced by Ultimus’ ability to scale workflows efficiently and leverage data across its extensive client network. Ultimus also maintains strong industry relationships and access to real-time information, ensuring delivery of enriched data points to alleviate operational workloads for client teams.

    “As credit managers face increasing complexities in managing their loan portfolios, Ultimus brings scalability, precision, and a commitment to operational excellence,” said Jim Cass, President at Ultimus. “Our solutions are designed to streamline workflows, enhance data accessibility, and free up resources so our clients can focus on growing their portfolios. We are already seeing increased interest and demand for our tech-driven solutions.”

    Ultimus’ extensive track record and expertise in private credit fund administration provide private credit managers with the confidence to take on complex credit strategies. The advanced platforms and workflows are designed to empower clients to scale their portfolios while maintaining operational clarity and precision.

    About Ultimus
    Ultimus Fund Solutions (Ultimus) is a leading provider of full-service tech-enhanced fund administration, accounting, middle office, and investor solutions to support the launching and servicing of registered funds, private funds, and public plans. The company also offers customized structures designed for the unique needs of pensions, endowments, foundations, and other large institutions. Ultimus’ deep commitment to excellence is achieved through investments in best-in-class technology, compliance programs, organization-wide cyber security efforts, and hiring seasoned professionals.

    Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, with offices in other major cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Denver, and Omaha, Ultimus employs more than 1,100 seasoned accountants, attorneys, paralegals, application developers, fund administrators, compliance specialists, and many others with years of experience in the financial services industry. Servicing over 2,100 total traditional and alternative funds, Ultimus helps investment managers and fund families flourish in today’s increasingly sophisticated and dynamic investment landscape. For more information, visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com.

    CONTACT: Marketing@UltimusFundSolutions.com

    COD00000679 5/5/2025

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Abundance Energy, sonnen, and Energywell Unite to Develop Residential Battery-Enabled Virtual Power Plants in Texas

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga., May 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Abundance Energy, sonnen, and Energywell Technology Licensing, LLC (“Energywell”) are joining forces to power the future of energy through the development of behind-the-meter, battery-enabled Virtual Power Plants (“VPP”) in Texas.

    The collaboration empowers Abundance Energy customers to use their sonnenConnect home batteries to support grid stability, ensure reliable energy delivery, and lower electricity costs while driving the development of smart, sustainable energy solutions.

    Optimized through the integration of Energywell’s Proton platform with sonnen’s advanced Virtual Power Plant battery control technology, each battery is continuously managed in response to market price signals, customer usage, and solar generation. Networked together, these batteries create a VPP, dynamically balancing energy supply and demand to maximize value for both the grid and the customer.

    “Our mission is to empower homeowners with smarter, more sustainable energy solutions,” said Thomas Mandry, CEO of Abundance Energy. “By combining sonnen’s best-in-class battery and Virtual Power Plant technology, Energywell’s market expertise through its Proton platform, we are delivering an innovative VPP model that benefits both customers and the Texas grid.”

    sonnen’s VPP technology intelligently manages energy supply and demand, ensuring stored solar or grid energy is strategically deployed when needed most. “Our VPP solutions enable customers to actively participate in the energy market while maintaining resilience in their homes,” said Blake Richetta, Chairman and CEO of sonnen. “With Abundance Energy, and Energywell, we’re setting a new standard for residential energy management.”

    Energywell’s Proton platform provides advanced forecasting and optimization tools to ensure batteries are dispatched in alignment with market opportunities. “The Texas energy landscape is evolving, and this partnership exemplifies the future of distributed energy,” said Michael Fallquist, CEO of Energywell. “By optimizing stored energy, we are reducing reliance on fossil fuels and lowering carbon emissions, building a smarter, cleaner, and more flexible grid.”

    This VPP initiative aligns with Texas’ growing demand for resilient, customer-driven energy solutions and paves the way for further innovation in the residential energy sector.

    About Abundance Energy

    Abundance Energy is a digital-native Retail Electric Provider (REP) startup licensed for operations in Texas. Abundance’s products include transparent fixed-rate residential plans and multi-meter Continuous Service Agreement plans for vacant property management with a built-to-purpose CSA customer platform. Abundance is part of the Quext family of companies that includes next-generation LoRaWAN proprietary IoT thermostats and smart locks for the multifamily market. Visit abundanceenergy.com for more information.

    About sonnen

    sonnen is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of smart energy storage systems for residential applications, and a pioneer of the residential battery based virtual power plant. The sonnen VPP is nationally recognized as a blueprint for the decentralized, digitalized, decarbonized energy system of the future. sonnen is one of the most experienced and fastest growing VPP energy storage companies in the world. sonnen has received many internationally recognized awards celebrating our technological achievement. sonnen products and services are used by the sonnenCommunity, a collection of visionaries around the world who share our vision of clean and affordable energy for everyone. In Texas, sonnen partners with SOLRITE Energy to bring their flagship Virtual Power Plant Power Purchase Agreement (VPA), to provide solar panels and home battery systems at no upfront cost.

    sonnen’s offices are located in Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, and the USA. sonnen is a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell. Learn more at: https://sonnenusa.com/en

    About Energywell

    Energywell is an energy technology company powering the sustainable energy transition. Energywell combines the financial strength of funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. and capital and commodities expertise from Hartree Partners L.P. with proprietary technology and a seasoned team of energy industry veterans. Visit Energywell.com for more information.

    About Proton

    Energywell’s Proton platform delivers real-time energy insights and seamless device integration, empowering businesses and customers to optimize energy more sustainably. Proton uses cloud-native, event-driven architecture to ensure energy solutions scale quickly while maintaining the highest standards of security, including SOC 2 Type 2 compliance. Proton is available for licensing for third parties looking to accelerate their own energy management capabilities. Visit Energywell.com/proton for more information.

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