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Category: Business

  • MIL-OSI Global: Will the Gaza ceasefire hold? Where does Trump’s takeover proposal stand? Expert Q&A

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Scott Lucas, Professor of International Politics, Clinton Institute, University College Dublin

    As the deadline approaches for the end of phase one of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, the likelihood of the agreement making it to the scheduled second phase on March 1 look increasingly remote. Middle East expert, Scott Lucas, addresses the key questions.

    What are the chances of the ceasefire holding into phase two?

    Even before Donald Trump’s proposal for the clearing and redevelopment – what would amount to the ethnic cleansing – of Gaza, an agreement to move from phase one to phase two at the start of March was an increasingly remote possibility.

    We almost did not have a first phase. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had held out against a deal for months, and he was under pressure from two hard-right ministers – finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir – not to proceed.

    In the end, Netanyahu acceded because of families seeking the return of their relatives held hostage by Hamas, and because of an approach by Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff.

    Smotrich stayed in the cabinet while Ben-Gvir left but his party said it would continue support for the government. However, both demanded that there be no second phase. They called instead military action to eradicate Hamas and the resettlement of the population of GAza – voluntary or otherwise.

    In the next phase, the Israeli military is supposed to withdraw fully from Gaza while Palestinian governance is restored in the Strip. Israel and the US will demand that Hamas will leave power – indeed, the Israelis may call for Hamas leaders to leave the territory – and Hamas will refuse to do so.

    Trump’s demand for an end of “occupation” of Gaza, not by the Israelis but by Gazans, confirmed the demise of the process. There is no chance that Hamas negotiators will agree to a “solution” in which most if not all residents are evicted.

    That is why Trump, using the pretext of Hamas obstruction of phase one, stopped portraying himself as a “peacemaker” on Monday. Instead, he proclaimed: “All bets are off and let hell break out” — in effect, returning to a blank cheque for Israel’s military action, blockade of humanitarian aid, and mass killing across Gaza.

    Is Donald Trump serious about redeveloping Gaza?

    Many media outlets have been negligent in excusing Trump’s statements by saying alternatively that he is not serious or that he is “thinking outside the box” with his egregious statements.

    Trump’s proposal for “development” of Gaza, clearing out the population, was not just a thought bubble. In his first term, he repeatedly spoke of North Korea’s “great beaches” and “waterfront property” as a prime location for condos and hotels. In March 2024, his son-in-law Jared Kushner turned to the Middle East, saying: “Gaza’s waterfront property could be very valuable… From Israel’s perspective I would do my best to move the people out and then clean it up.”

    Last summer, the Trump team asked Joseph Pelzman, a professor of economic and international affairs at George Washington University to propose a plan for the Strip. He summarised: “You have to destroy the whole place, you have to restart from scratch … It requires that the place be completely emptied out. I mean, literally emptied out.”

    Within a week of returning to the White House on January 20, Trump was telling reporters that Gaza’s civilians should be removed from the “demolition site”. Just over a week later, alongside Netanyahu, he expanded on the declaration – reportedly in a statement written by Kushner.

    What about international law?

    Trump’s proposal is a clear violation of international law. The Geneva conventions stipulate that civilians should not be transferred outside of their territory unless it is “impossible” to do otherwise.

    UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told reporters: “Any forced displacement of people is tantamount to ethnic cleansing.”

    But, the Trump administration does not appear to care about international law. Two days after his appearance with Netanyahu, Trump signed an executive order sanctioning the International Criminal Court.

    Indeed, the administration does not believe it should face any legal oversight in the US. As Trump and Elon Musk attempt to destroy US agencies, with mass firings and seizure of records that may be unconstitutional and illegal, the US vice-president, J.D. Vance, maintains: “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.” Trump, demanding the impeachment of a judge who ruled against the unauthorised access to records, said: “No judge should, frankly, be allowed to make that kind of a decision.”

    Does the US have sufficient support to do this?

    Absolutely not, especially if Trump tries to fulfil his declaration that the US should “own” Gaza. Apart from Israel, no country has given support to Trump’s proposal. And most Americans, even Trump backers, would be loath to have “ownership” which required intervention by US troops.

    As for the countries Trump wants to send Palestinians to, they are vehement in their opposition. Within hours of Trump’s February 4 statement, he got a firm rebuttal from Saudi Arabia. Riyadh cited “the Kingdom’s firm and supportive positions on the rights of the Palestinian people” and reinforced its recent shift to “firm and unwavering” support of a Palestinian state.

    The foreign ministry emphasised that this was the position of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and noted his phone call with King Abdullah of Jordan as a sign of solidarity.

    After Netanyahu said the Saudis “have plenty of territory” for a Palestinian state, Riyadh denounced the “extremist, occupying mentality” that seeks to expel Palestinians from Gaza.

    Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty told US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Monday in Washington that Arab states rejected Trump’s pitch. Abdelatty stressed the importance of Gaza’s reconstruction while Palestinians remained there.

    And, on the eve of King Abdullah’s visit to Washington, Jordan expressed its “rejection of any attempts to annex land and displace the Palestinians”.

    How do you see this developing in the foreseeable future?

    Trump and the Israelis will now shift attention to Hamas as an existential threat who cannot be treated as a partner in a phase two ceasefire.

    Phase one is due to expire on March 1. I predict that Israel will return to its open-ended war across Gaza, probably sooner than that.

    And Trump, who only recently presented himself as a “peacemaker”, will give unconditional backing – while bemoaning that Gazans, up to 90% of them displaced from their homes, still won’t leave the Strip.

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

    – ref. Will the Gaza ceasefire hold? Where does Trump’s takeover proposal stand? Expert Q&A – https://theconversation.com/will-the-gaza-ceasefire-hold-where-does-trumps-takeover-proposal-stand-expert-qanda-249751

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: From chain-smoking to binge-drinking, Bridget Jones’s habits would have been terrible for her health

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol

    She chain-smoked her way through romance and heart-break and binge-drank Chardonnay until it went out of fashion (and then came back in again) – and now Bridget Jones is back.

    Mad about the Boy is the fourth and final film in the Bridget Jones series. It’s almost 30 years since Helen Fielding hit the bestseller lists with the accident-prone, self-deprecating eponymous heroine of Bridget Jones’s Diary. Tales of “emotional f-ckwits” and “really bloody enormous pants” resonated with readers and the film adaptations cemented Bridget Jones’s status as a well-loved character.

    Fans of the original Bridget Jones’s Diary will remember her daily log of statistics. Many will have read the entries, listing calories, cigarettes and alcohol units consumed, with a nod of recognition. The alcohol-free diet that’s started with fierce determination one day descends into hungover calorific chaos the next. But is Bridget’s lifestyle as loveable in real life as it is on the page and screen?

    Thanks to the handy summary about calorie intake, cigarette count and alcohol units at the end of the original diary, I’ve been able to take a closer look at what her lifestyle might mean in reality. On paper – and on screen – her lifestyle might look like the kind of smoking, drinking, break-up binge eating (and the occasional magic mushroom in Thailand) to which lots of readers and viewers can relate.

    But even the book recognises that Bridget’s lifestyle isn’t sustainable, as it includes a warning and disclaimer. And, the relentless focus on weight and calorie consumption might be a reflection of the social pressure women face, but it’s also been criticised for its potential danger to some of its audience.

    Smoking

    In the original diary, Bridget’s cigarette count for the year is 5,277: around 14-15 a day. In clinical practice, we often standardise this in numbers of “pack-years” of smoking. One pack equals 20 cigarettes, so if you smoke 20 a day for one year, that makes one pack-year. In the case of Bridget, this makes approximately 0.75 pack-years.

    You might think that figure doesn’t seem very high – but add the count from the following year in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, plus of all the years before it, and the pack-years start adding up and are more like five, seven, even ten.

    The higher the number of pack-years exposure, the greater the risk of developing an associated disease or complication. For many years, a critical level of ten pack-years or more was associated with significant risk of developing a lung condition called COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), which ranges in severity and can lead to distressing symptoms including persistent coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.

    But patients with a history of less than ten pack-years exposure may also be at significant risk, which is why some argue this critical level should be lowered.

    What kind of health issues could Bridget face after smoking so much for so long? Smoking is notorious for causing cancer, including lung, bladder, kidney and stomach cancers. Smoking also negatively affects cardiovascular health and fertility and causes gum disease and a variety of other health issues – the list is long.

    In Mad About the Boy, Bridget has kicked the habit, and uses nicotine-replacement therapy to reduce cravings.

    Calories

    Bridget logged her daily calorie count, but she was perhaps not a reliable narrator. Over the course of the year, she calculated that she’d consumed over 11 million calories. “Repulsive,” she states – and also highly unlikely. This total would equate to over 30,000 calories a day, approximately six to ten times more than most competing bodybuilders would consume.

    By the end of Bridget Jones’s Diary, she had gained 5st 2lbs and lost 5st 3lbs, resulting in a net loss of a pound. So broadly speaking what went in, must have matched what energy was consumed. Her starting weight for the year is 9st 3lbs, and taking (for argument’s sake) Renée Zellweger’s 5f 4ins height that gives a body mass index (BMI) of 22.1 – right in the middle of the “normal” BMI range of 18.5 to 25.

    Bridget, as many have pointed out over the years, is certainly not overweight.

    Bridget’s daily weigh-in on the bathroom scale routine may have fed her preoccupation with minor fluctuations. Weight isn’t just a measure of fat, it’s also the body’s water and waste. Measuring weight less frequently is a more effective way to gauge the overall trend of whether weight is going up or down. ## Alcohol

    “I WILL NOT drink more than 14 alcohol units a week,” Bridget writes in the opening of the original diary.

    However, despite 114 hangover-free days, Bridget ends up with annual alcohol consumption of 3,836 units – that’s a weekly intake of around 74 units – much more than the maximum of 14 units recommended for both men and women.



    Read more:
    The hangover in literature, from Shakespeare and Burns to Bridget Jones

    Bridget recognises that she drinks too much and, as seen in her new year’s resolutions, often intends to cut back. In clinical practice, we use the Cage questions to help evaluate whether a patient has issues with alcohol. We might ask, for example, whether the person is annoyed by criticism of their drinking or feels guilty about it? Do they use alcohol as an “eye-opener” in the morning?

    So while Bridget Jones may prove as endearing as ever to audiences this year – and her love life just as chaotic – it’s probably for the best that her lifestyle seems a bit healthier this time around. It would have been awful to have her story end with untimely death by Chardonnay.

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

    – ref. From chain-smoking to binge-drinking, Bridget Jones’s habits would have been terrible for her health – https://theconversation.com/from-chain-smoking-to-binge-drinking-bridget-joness-habits-would-have-been-terrible-for-her-health-249395

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Sofas that self-assemble when you heat them up? How 4D printing could transform manufacturing

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mahdi Bodaghi, Associate Professor of Smart Materials & Manufacturing, Nottingham Trent University

    Flat-pack, but not as we know it. This is an AI image created by OpenAI’s Dall-E., CC BY-SA

    Imagine buying a flat sheet from a furniture store that changes into a sofa when you heat it with a hairdryer. Or consider the value of a stent that precisely expands inside a patient’s artery, adapting to their unique anatomy.

    Welcome to 4D printing, a frontier in material and manufacturing science that has been rapidly expanding over the past decade. While 3D printing has captured global attention for its ability to create objects layer by layer, 4D printing adds the element of time.

    It involves 3D-printing adaptable objects from materials such as polymers or alloys that can bend, twist or transform entirely when they come into contact with heat or moisture. By moving beyond the constrictions of static designs, it opens up remarkable possibilities in areas such as medicine, aerospace, robotics and construction.

    I was recently the lead author on a comprehensive report published in the journal of Smart Materials and Structures, charting the advances and challenges in this field. We outlined this industry’s potential, offering a vision of a future where smart materials redefine design and manufacturing.

    Here are some more of the main fields in which 4D printing could be transformative:

    1. Healthcare

    Like the stent I mentioned earlier, 4D printing raises the possibility of creating implants and prosthetics that adapt to patients’ needs in real time. Research teams working on these innovations include the Biomet4D project, coordinated by the IMDEA Materials Institute in Madrid, which is developing smart, biodegradable metallic implants for people with seriously damaged or defective bones. The implants can change shape and expand as the bone grows, supporting it much more effectively than a static implant.

    Another area of focus is smarter ways to give patients drugs. For example, a team of researchers based at China’s Jilin University have created 4D-printed hydrogel capsules whose outer structure stays intact inside a patient’s body until it reaches a particular temperature, such as when there is an infection, meaning the drug only takes effect when it’s required. This could be useful in situations where it’s beneficial to release a drug into a patient’s body at exactly the right time and location.

    2. Robotics and wearables

    Integrating 4D materials into robotics and wearable devices enables them to adjust their functionality in response to their environment. For instance, researchers at Harvard University’s Wyss Institute have developed self-folding robotic devices based on insights from origami that change shape when exposed to heat. One potential application could involve sending these devices to carry out tasks in environments that are difficult to reach, such as in deep seas or oceans.

    Similarly, scientists at Deakin University in Australia are researching 4D-printing robotic joints with variable stiffness that can help with rehabilitation. For example, an arm could get stiffer when the user tries to pick something up, making it easier for them to lift it.

    3. Exploring the cosmos

    In the extreme conditions of space, adaptability is critical, so again there’s a role for 4D-printed materials. For instance, Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory uses 4D-printed metallic space fabrics.

    These can fold, change shape and adapt to varying thermal and mechanical environments. This makes them suitable for a wide range of space applications, including shielding spacecraft from meteorites, insulating against extreme temperatures and conforming to uneven terrain on Jupiter’s smallest moon, the icy Europa.

    Challenges and opportunities

    The current capabilities of 4D printing are nothing short of remarkable, yet the field still faces significant challenges. While we can now create materials that transform with precision, there’s still more research required to ensure they’re biologically safe and durable for the long term.

    Also, scaling up production to meet industrial demands, particularly for high-resolution designs or nanoscale structures, requires not just new techniques but also new ways of thinking about manufacturing. Cost is another barrier – specialised materials and processes can often prove too expensive at present for widespread use.

    And yet, the promise of 4D printing is tantalising. One of the big attractions is in sustainability. From water pipes that adjust flow rates to buildings that self-regulate carbon dioxide levels, 4D printing creates the potential for adaptive systems that help in this area. A prime example is the Solar Gate, developed by the University of Stuttgart’s Institute for Computational Design and Construction.

    Inspired by the way that pine cones open in response to sunlight, the gate consists of a series of 4D-printed cellulose flaps that can be installed into buildings to open and close in response to certain levels of humidity and temperature. They curl upwards in winter to allow heat in, and flatten in the summer to block direct sunlight. It demonstrates how a building can be made more energy efficient without relying on an external source of power for, say, air conditioning.

    Meanwhile, artificial intelligence is already accelerating progress by optimising the design and behaviour of 4D-printed objects. It is helping researchers to have more precise control over how these smart materials respond under different conditions, without having to rely so much on trial and error.

    This is still a young industry, with limited venture capital investment and a workforce that is only beginning to take shape. But as more research institutions and companies recognise its potential, the pace of innovation should quicken. According to one report, the sector is due to grow at around 35% a year over the next five years.

    We are now developing structures that recover or change their shape on demand at the 4D materials and printing laboratory at Nottingham Trent University and the 4D Printing Society. For example, we’ve already 4D-printed medical stents that can self-expand in response to body temperature (see images below).


    Nottingam Trent University, CC BY-SA

    We’re also developing materials for boat fenders and car bumpers whose shape can be restored by adding heat, as a way of removing dents, as well as shape-adaptive finger splints for broken bones, and self-assembling, extra-comfortable furniture.

    So, the next time you marvel at the capabilities of 3D printing, remember: the future lies in 4D printing, where materials come alive and redefine the possibilities of tomorrow.

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

    – ref. Sofas that self-assemble when you heat them up? How 4D printing could transform manufacturing – https://theconversation.com/sofas-that-self-assemble-when-you-heat-them-up-how-4d-printing-could-transform-manufacturing-246899

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Technofossils: how the pollution of today will become the fossils of the far future

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jan Zalasiewicz, Professor of Palaeobiology, University of Leicester

    dimitris_k / shutterstock

    How might you make your mark on the world forever? Write a play more timeless than Shakespeare, or compose music to out-do Mozart, or score the winning goal in the next World Cup final, perhaps?

    There’s an easier way of leaving an indelible mark on our planet. Just finish a soft drink and toss the can (and the remains of the chicken dinner that went with it), ditch last year’s impulse purchases from your wardrobe, resurface that old patio, upgrade your mobile phone … simply carry on with everyday life, that is, and you’ll likely leave a fascinating legacy. It might last a billion years.

    We’re palaeontologists, and have spent our careers looking at the fossil record of the deep past, puzzling out how those magnificent animal and plant relics have been preserved as dinosaur bones, the carapaces of ancient crustaceans, lustrous spiralled ammonites, petrified flower petals and many more. Often they still have exquisite detail intact after millions of years.

    We’ve now turned our attention to the myriad everyday objects that we make and use, to see what kind of future fossils – we call them technofossils – they will make. We’ve written about this in our new book, Discarded: how technofossils will be our ultimate legacy. Here are some key messages:

    The first things that’ll catch the eye of any far-future palaeontologist are our manufactured objects – buildings, roads, machines and so on. In recent decades, they have rocketed in amount to over a trillion tonnes, to now outweigh all living things on Earth. That’s a lot of raw material for generating future fossils.

    Then, most things we make are designed to be durable, to resist corrosion and decay, and are significantly tougher than the average bone or shell. Just from that they have a head start in the fossilisation stakes.

    Many are new to the Earth. Discarded aluminium cans are everywhere, for instance, but to our planet, they’re a wondrous novelty, as pure aluminium metal is almost unknown in nature. In the past 70 years we’ve made more than 500 million tonnes of the stuff, enough to coat all of the US (and part of Canada) in standard aluminium kitchen foil.

    What’s going to happen to it? Aluminium resists corrosion, but not forever. Buried underground in layers of mud and sand, a can will slowly break down, but often not before there’s a can-shaped impression in these new rocks, lined with microscopic clay crystals newly-grown out of the corroding aluminium.

    Everyday items can be flushed onto a floodplain and be quickly buried under sediments. As they slowly degrade they may leave an impression on the soft muds and silts for future palaeontologists to puzzle over.
    Sarah Gabbott

    Having been shielded from ultraviolet light, the thin plastic liner inside the can may endure too. (Oil-based plastic is even more novel in geological terms, being entirely non-existent until the 20th century). These two materials compressed side-by-side represent future fossil signatures of our time on Earth.

    Billions of fossilised chicken thighs

    But what about bones – the archetypal fossil relic? There will be many of these as future fossils, stark evidence of our species’ domination over others.

    The standard supermarket chicken seems mundane. But it’s now by far the most common bird of all, making up about two-thirds of all bird biomass on Earth, and its abundance in life increases its fossilisation chances after death.

    We stack the odds further by tossing the bones into a plastic bin-bag, that’s then carted to the landfill site to join countless more bones for burial in neatly engineered compartments – also plastic-lined. There, the bones will begin to mummify, another useful step in the road to petrifaction. Our landfills are giant middens of the future and will be stuffed full of the bones of this one species.

    Geologists of the far future may conclude that chickens could only have existed thanks to a more intelligent species.
    dba87 / shutterstock

    These bones – super-sized but weak, riddled with osteoporosis, sometimes fractured and deformed – will tell their own grisly story. Future geologists will puzzle over a suddenly-evolved bird so abundant yet so physically helpless. Will they figure out the story of a broiler chicken genetically
    engineered to feed relentlessly to maximise weight gain, for slaughter just five or six weeks after hatching? We suspect the fossil evidence will be damning.

    Fossilised fleeces

    Fossilizeable fashion is also new. Humans have worn clothes for thousands of years, but archaeological clothes discoveries are rare, because made of natural fibres they are feasted on by clothes moths, microbes and other scavengers. Fossil fur and feathers are rare too, for the same reasons.

    But cheap, cheerful and hyper-abundant polyester fashion is quite different. There’s no need for mothballs with these garments because synthetic plastics are indigestible to most microbes. How long might they last? Some ancient fossil algae have coats of plastic-like polymers, and these have lasted, beautifully preserved, for many millions of years.

    Fossil clothes will surely perplex far-future palaeonologists, though: first to work out their shape from the crumpled and flattened remains, and then to work out what purpose they served. With throwaway fashion, we’re making some eternal puzzles.

    Concrete and computers

    The lumps of concrete from your old patio are not any old rocks. The recipe for concrete, involving furnace-baked lime, is rare on Earth (the minerals involved occasionally form in magma-baked rock), but humans have made it hyper-abundant. There are now more than half a trillion tonnes of concrete on Earth, mostly made since the 1950s – that’s a kilo per square metre averaged over the Earth. And concrete is hard-wearing even by geological standards: most of its bulk is sand and gravel, which have been survivors throughout our planet’s history.

    There’s nothing old about computers and mobile phones, but they are based on the same element – silicon – that makes up the quartz (silicon dioxide) of sand and gravel. A fossilised silicon chip will be tricky to decipher, though: the semiconductors now packed on to them are just nanometres across, tinier than most mineral forms geologists analyse today.

    But the associated paraphernalia, the burgeoning waste of keyboards, monitors, wiring, will form more obvious fossils. The patterns on these, like the QWERTY keyboard, resemble the fossil patterns seized upon by today’s palaeontologists as clues to ancient function. That would depend on the excavators, though: fossil keyboards would make more sense to hyper-evolved rats with five-fingered paws, say, than superintelligent octopuses of the far future.



    Read more:
    What species would become dominant on Earth if humans died out?

    It’s fun to conceptualise like this, and set the human story within the grand perspective of Earth’s history. But there’s a wider meaning. Tomorrow’s future fossils are today’s pollution: unsightly, damaging, often toxic, and ever more of a costly problem. One only has to look at the state of Britain’s rivers and beaches.

    Understanding how fossilisation starts now helps us ask the right questions. When plastic trash is washed out to sea, will it keep travelling or become safely buried, covered by marine sediments? Will the waste in coastal landfill sites stay put, or be exhumed by the waves as sea level rises? The answers will be found in future rocks – but it would help us all to work them out now.

    Sarah Gabbott is affiliated with Green Circle Nature Regeneration Community Interest Company 13084569.

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

    – ref. Technofossils: how the pollution of today will become the fossils of the far future – https://theconversation.com/technofossils-how-the-pollution-of-today-will-become-the-fossils-of-the-far-future-248815

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Last Showgirl: Pamela Anderson is perfectly cast in this intimate portrait of womanhood

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Daisy McManaman, PhD Candidate, Centre for Women’s Studies, University of York

    Director Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl captures the bittersweet reality of a dreamer who has given everything to a career that will never love her back.

    Pamela Anderson’s Shelley has devoted the past 30 years of her life to the Las Vegas revue Le Razzle Dazzle, a show she proudly describes as embodying “breasts and rhinestones and joy”. But as the show’s run comes to an end, Shelley is forced to confront an uncertain future, aged out of the career she so desperately loves.

    Shelley is a woman out of time. From her pink Motorola Razr phone to her disbelief at the rising price of lemons, she clings to a romanticised vision of the showgirl as an ambassador of Las Vegas glamour.

    But as Le Razzle Dazzle prepares to close and her co-stars, Jodie (Kiernan Shipka) and Mary-Anne (Brenda Song), audition for raunchier, neo-burlesque-inspired productions, both Shelley and the audience question whether the traditional showgirl still has a place in today’s cultural landscape.

    The Last Showgirl explores the multifaceted nature of womanhood, offering an intimate portrait of the women of Las Vegas. It peeks into dressing rooms where, among tables scattered with false eyelashes and stray rhinestones, a performer struggles to balance single motherhood, her cultivated show community and a dream that may no longer have space for her.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Screenwriter Kate Gersten wrote The Last Showgirl after seeing the Las Vegas revue Jubilee! shortly before its closure in 2016.

    As the last traditional showgirl revue on the Vegas strip, Jubilee! was a tribute to glamour and femininity. Jubilee!’s costume designers were Bob Mackie and Pete Menefee, and their original designs also feature in the film. They’re adorned with brightly coloured feathers and shimmering rhinestones so extravagant that they once caused an international Swarovski shortage.

    In The Last Showgirl, these archival Jubilee! costumes become characters in their own right. Their opulent feathers and dazzling crystals create a spectacle on screen, embodying the larger-than-life fantasy of the showgirl.

    As the title card plays, we see close-ups of the craftsmanship behind the showgirl aesthetic – hands caressing plumes, rich fabrics and expanses of rhinestones.

    The Pamela renaissance

    The true star of the film, however, is the woman whose performance shines brighter than the crystals she is adorned in. Anderson’s portrayal of Shelley cuts to the heart of the character, imbuing her with vulnerability that transcends the glittering surface of the showgirl persona.

    The Last Showgirl trailer.

    The Last Showgirl marks Anderson’s first leading film role since the critically panned 1996 film Barb Wire, which earned her a Golden Razzie nomination for worst actress.

    The casting of Anderson as Shelley feels almost kismet. One of the most notable sex symbols of our time, Anderson has recently undergone a cultural renaissance. This has been driven by the Hulu series Pam and Tommy (2022), which focused on the nonconsensual release of Anderson and her then-partner musician Tommy Lee’s sex tape (the series was ironically made without her consent).

    But also Anderson’s own work in the 2023 Netflix documentary Pamela, A Love Story and her memoir, Love, Pamela, which was released the same year.



    Read more:
    Don’t watch Pam and Tommy – the series turns someone’s trauma into entertainment

    Anderson’s status as a sex symbol frequently stripped her of autonomy. In Love, Pamela, she states that she views her multiple appearances in Playboy as “an honour”, but also acknowledges that they’ve led some to treat her without respect.

    She recalls being told in a deposition regarding her sex tape that she had “no right to privacy because I’d appeared in Playboy”. Both Anderson and Shelley refuse to be shamed for embodying feminine sexuality.

    Subverting the showgirl

    While The Last Showgirl paints a bleak image of the future of traditional Las Vegas revue, real burlesque dancers like Dita Von Teese offer a modernised alternative. Their performances honour showgirl glamour while breaking restrictive industry norms.

    In 2024, Von Teese opened her own homage to Jubilee! by featuring the revue’s original Mackie and Manefee costumes (which she lent to The Last Showgirl). Von Teese’s Las Vegas revue features a diverse cast of showgirls, challenging stereotypes of gender, thinness and youth.

    Dita Von Teese discusses her evolving show.

    Performing at 52 – a similar age to Shelley – Von Teese invited 63-year-old retired showgirl Paula Nyland to perform on stage in the latest season of the Netflix show, Queer Eye. On the show, she explains: “We have to evolve and change and get rid of some of the unpleasant rules like height requirements, age requirements … I look to women older than me that can be examples of beauty and glamour.”

    Perhaps, we could imagine an alternate timeline where Shelley finds a new home in Von Teese’s modernised showgirl revue, one that honours the glamour of the past while embracing a more inclusive future.

    While The Last Showgirl paints a melancholic portrait of an ageing performer left behind by a changing industry, performers like Von Teese suggest that the showgirl can evolve rather than disappear. In a different version of Shelley’s story, she might have found a stage where rhinestones still sparkle, but the rules no longer dictate who gets to wear them.

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

    – ref. The Last Showgirl: Pamela Anderson is perfectly cast in this intimate portrait of womanhood – https://theconversation.com/the-last-showgirl-pamela-anderson-is-perfectly-cast-in-this-intimate-portrait-of-womanhood-249626

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: SPbGASU became the venue for the festival “Technical Professions of the 21st Century: Infrastructure of the Big City”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Festival at SPbGASU

    On February 11, the SPbGASU hosted the Regional Career Guidance Festival “Technical Professions of the 21st Century: Infrastructure of a Big City.” Students from grades 8–11 from 30 St. Petersburg schools took part in it. The students directly communicated with representatives of 10 universities and colleges that offer technical specialties and attended their master classes.

    The festival is part of the Regional Career Guidance Marathon “Workshops of the Future”, which is held as part of the career guidance minimum in general education organizations and the federal project for early career guidance for schoolchildren “Ticket to the Future” with the support of the Education Committee of the Government of St. Petersburg.

    The festival is organized by the Center for Advanced Professional Training of St. Petersburg and the Center for Children’s (Youthful) Technical Creativity of the Kirov District of the Northern Capital. Co-organizers are SPbGASU and the St. Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design.

    The festival consists of two blocks: “Technical Professions of the 21st Century: Big City Industry” and “Technical Professions of the 21st Century: Big City Infrastructure”. The blocks are held on different days at different venues.

    The festival venue at our university was the building on Serpukhovskaya Street, No. 10, which houses the Institute of Continuous Education.

    Business Contact Exchange. Left – Olga Tatarinova

    The festival included a business contacts exchange, where the children received information about technical universities and colleges first-hand. Our university was represented by the admissions committee staff. Olga Tatarinova, deputy executive secretary, and Elena Abashina, specialist, talked about the variety of technical areas at SPbGASU. They also told about the subjects required for admission, the number of points and individual achievements that are taken into account upon admission, the possibility of entering the university based on the results of Olympiads, and the specifics of creative entrance examinations at the architecture faculty. At the exchange, you could also watch how students of the architecture faculty draw and ask them questions about studying at our university.

    According to Natalia Nikolaeva, a class teacher for the tenth grade of the Secondary Comprehensive School No. 187 in Krasnogvardeisky District, the advantage of this event is that schoolchildren can directly communicate with representatives of universities: “We took not only those who would like to enroll in technical programs, but also those who have not yet decided. They were able to ask questions and get answers to them.”

    During the master classes, they designed a house using the Russian TIM Renga system, tested water for hardness and lead, designed airplane models, changed brake pads, and worked on a welding simulator.

    “It’s five o’clock in the morning. You’ve found yourself in a typical car park…” – with these words, Igor Chernyaev, head of the department of technical operation of vehicles at SPbGASU, began his master class. Having chosen volunteers for the roles of a driver, logistician, mechanic, Igor Olegovich told them what the responsibilities of these specialists are and what knowledge they should have. The master class leader gave the children difficult tasks: to name the brand of a car by the sound of the engine, to determine which of the containers with different operating materials contains gasoline. As in real life, the participants’ time was limited: after all, the longer it takes to choose the right solution, the greater the non-production losses. At the end of the master class, Igor Olegovich invited them to apply to our university, which has its own driving school, training ground, and rally team. “Whatever your interests are, your knowledge will be used in the automotive industry,” Igor Chernyaev summed up.

    Participants of the career guidance festival received not only useful information, but also many new vivid impressions. The experience gained will be useful to them in their future choice of profession.

    The Admissions Committee of SPbGASU, responsible for holding the event, thanks the Volunteer Club of our university for its assistance.

    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 –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Ataccama launches Ataccama Lineage to deliver end-to-end visibility into data flows

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ataccama, the data trust company, today has launched Ataccama Lineage, a new module within its Ataccama ONE unified data trust platform (V16). Ataccama Lineage provides enterprise-wide visibility into data flows, offering organizations a clear view of their data’s journey from source to consumption. It helps teams trace data origins, resolve issues quickly, and ensure compliance—enhancing transparency and building confidence in data accuracy for business decision-making. Fully integrated with Ataccama’s data quality, observability, governance, and master data management capabilities, Ataccama lineage enables organizations to make faster, more informed decisions, such as ensuring audit readiness and meeting regulatory compliance requirements.

    Data challenges are increasingly complex and, according to the Ataccama Data Trust Report 2025, 41% of Chief Data Officers are struggling with fragmented and inconsistent systems. Despite significant investments in integrations, AI, and cloud applications, enterprise data often remains siloed or poor in quality. This fractured landscape obscures visibility into data transformations and flows, creating inefficiencies and operational silos. The lack of clarity hampers collaboration and increases the risk of non-compliance with regulations like GDPR, erodes customer trust, drains resources, and slows decision-making—ultimately stifling organizational growth.

    Ataccama Lineage simplifies how organizations manage and trust their data. Its AI-powered capabilities automatically map data flows and transformations, saving time and reducing manual effort. For example, tracking customer financial data across fragmented systems is a common struggle in financial services. Ataccama Lineage provides clear, visual maps that trace issues like missing or duplicate records to their source. It also tracks sensitive data, such as PII, with audit-ready documentation to ensure compliance. By delivering reliable, trustworthy data, Ataccama Lineage establishes a strong foundation for AI and analytics, enabling organizations to make informed decisions and achieve long-term success.

    Isaac Gabay, Senior Director, Data Management & Operations at Lennar, said, “As one of the nation’s leading homebuilders, Lennar is continually evolving our data foundation with best-in-class, cost-effective solutions to drive efficiency and innovation. Ataccama ONE Lineage’s detailed, visual map of data flows enables us to monitor data quality, trace issues through our ecosystem, and take a proactive approach to prevent and remediate quality concerns while maintaining centralized control. Ataccama ONE Lineage will provide unparalleled visibility, enhancing transparency, data literacy, and trust in our data. This partnership strengthens our ability to scale with confidence, deliver accurate insights, and adapt to the evolving needs of the homebuilding industry.”

    “Managing today’s data pipelines means dealing with increasing sources, diverse data types, and transformations that impact systems upstream and downstream,” said Jessie Smith, VP of Data Quality at Ataccama. “The rise of AI and generative AI has amplified complexity while expanding data estates, and stricter audits demand greater transparency. Understanding how information flows across systems is no longer optional, it’s essential. Ataccama Lineage is part of the Ataccama ONE data trust platform which brings together data quality, lineage, observability and master data management into a unified solution for enterprise companies.”

    Key benefits of AI-powered Ataccama Lineage include:

    1. Faster resolution of data quality issues: Advanced anomaly detection identifies issues like missing records, unexpected values, or duplicates caused by transformation errors. For example, retail operations with multiple sales channels, mismatched pricing, or inventory discrepancies can disrupt business. Ataccama Lineage enables teams to quickly pinpoint root causes, assess downstream impacts, and resolve issues before they affect operations—ensuring continuity and reliability.
    2. Simplified compliance: Data classification and anomaly detection enhance visibility into sensitive data, such as PII, and track its transformations. Financial organizations benefit from audit-ready documentation that ensures PII is properly traced to authorized locations, reducing regulatory risks, meeting data privacy requirements, and fostering customer trust with transparent processes.
    3. Comprehensive visibility into data flows: Lineage maps provide a detailed, enterprise-wide view of data flows, from origin to dashboards and reports. Teams in sectors like manufacturing can analyze the lineage of key metrics, such as production efficiency or supply chain performance, identifying dependencies across ETL jobs, on-premises systems, and cloud platforms. Enhanced filtering focuses efforts on critical datasets, allowing faster issue resolution and better decision-making.
    4. Streamlined data modernization efforts: During cloud migrations, Ataccama Lineage reduces risks by mapping redundant pipelines, dependencies, and critical datasets. Insurance companies transitioning to modern platforms can retire outdated systems and migrate only essential data, minimizing disruption while maintaining compliance with regulations like Solvency II.

    Read the blog “The evolution of data lineage” to learn more about Ataccama Lineage and all of the new capabilities in the Ataccama ONE data trust platform v16, and tune into the webinar Ataccama ONE v16 Deep Dive: Latest features and updates on February 19.

    About Ataccama
    Ataccama is the data trust company. Organizations worldwide rely on Ataccama ONE, the unified data trust platform, to ensure data is accurate, accessible, and actionable. By integrating data quality, lineage, observability, governance, and master data management into a single solution, Ataccama enables businesses to unlock value from their data for AI, analytics, and operations. Trusted by hundreds of global enterprises, Ataccama helps organizations drive innovation, reduce costs, and mitigate risk. Recognized as a Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Augmented Data Quality and the 2025 Magic Quadrant for Data and Analytics Governance, Ataccama continues to set the standard for trusted data at scale. Learn more at www.ataccama.com.

    The MIL Network –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Introducing #OurPower: A Movement for America’s Clean, Homegrown Energy Future

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, the #OurPower initiative officially launches in the United States with a bold, home-grown vision for America’s energy future. Inspired by the success of iconic campaigns like “Got Milk?”, the catch phrase #OurPower unites Americans around a simple, yet powerful message: All domestic energy resources, including sun and wind, should play a central role in powering America’s future, ensuring a sustainable and secure energy future for generations to come. This initiative is being led by Salt Lake City-based renewable energy developer rPlus Energies. Other organizations and individuals are invited to amplify and join the #OurPower movement on social media.

    This vision of the future of secure American energy kicks off with a with a powerful, one minute video.

    #OurPower is a message of unity, reminding us that solar and wind are resources that belong to us – ours to harness and protect. Just as the sun rises and the wind blows across our land, clean energy is an inherent part of our natural resources. By integrating solar and wind with energy storage and traditional domestic energy sources like American coal and gas, we strengthen our energy security, ensuring resilience in the face of global challenges and market fluctuations – achieving a sustainable future for generations to come.

    “#OurPower is the energy of America – clean, secure, affordable and generational,” said Luigi Resta, President & CEO of renewable energy developer rPlus Energies and spokesperson for the launch. “By tapping into the sun and wind that have always been ours, alongside energy storage and our other domestic fuel-based resources, we can future-proof our energy economy, enhance our national security, and ensure prosperity for all Americans.”

    Together, Americans have the power to secure a future where energy is clean, homegrown, and built for the long term.

    Contact for #OurPower:

    Maile Resta
    Communications, rPlus Energies
    mresta@rplusenergies.com
    707-776-7773

    A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/af3bb39a-73c6-485a-964f-5fb90cec3cb9

    The MIL Network –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Usio Announces Participation in Upcoming Investor Conferences

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    February 25-26 – Oppenheimer 10th Annual Emerging Growth Conference- Virtual

    March 16-18 – The 37th Annual Roth Conference, Laguna Beach, CA

    April 9-10 – LD Micro Conference, New York, NY

    May 21 – Ladenburg Thalmann Tech Conference, New York, NY

    SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Usio, Inc. (Nasdaq: USIO), a leading provider of integrated, cloud-based electronic payment and embedded financial solutions, announced today its participation in a series of high-profile investor conferences. These events will include both in-person and virtual appearances, featuring presentations by Louis Hoch, CEO, or other senior company executives.

    Upcoming Conference Schedule:
    Oppenheimer 10th Annual Emerging Growth Conference
    Date: February 25-26
    Location: Virtual

    • CEO Louis Hoch will be available for one-on-one meetings. To schedule a meeting, please contact Usio or your Oppenheimer representative.

    The 37th Annual Roth Conference  
    Date: March 16-18
    Location: Laguna Beach, CA

    • The Company will be hosting one-on-one meetings with institutional investors. To schedule a meeting, please contact Usio or your Roth representative.

    LD Micro Conference,  
    Date: April 9-10
    Location: New York, NY

    • For registration information, please contact registration@ldmicro.com.

    Ladenburg Thalmann Tech Conference
    Date: May 21
    Location: New York, NY

    • To schedule a meeting, please contact your Ladenburg Thalmann representative.

    About Usio, Inc.

    Usio, Inc. (Nasdaq: USIO), a leading, cloud-based, integrated FinTech electronic payment solutions provider, offers a wide range of payment solutions to merchants, billers, banks, service bureaus, integrated software vendors and card issuers. The Company operates credit, debit/prepaid, and ACH payment processing platforms to deliver convenient, world-class payment solutions and services to clients through its unique payment facilitation platform as a service. The Company, through its Usio Output Solutions division offers services relating to electronic bill presentment, document composition, document decomposition and printing and mailing services. The strength of the Company lies in its ability to provide tailored solutions for card issuance, payment acceptance, and bill payments as well as its unique technology in the card issuing sector. Usio is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, and has offices in Austin, Texas. Websites: www.usio.com, www.payfacinabox.com, www.akimbocard.com and www.usiooutput.com. Find us on Facebook® and Twitter.

    FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS DISCLAIMER
    Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this release include forward-looking statements which are covered by safe harbors. Those statements include, but may not be limited to, all statements regarding management’s intent, belief and expectations, such as statements concerning our future and our operating and growth strategy. These forward-looking statements are identified by the use of words such as “believe,” “intend,” “look forward,” “anticipate,” “schedule,” and “expect” among others. Forward-looking statements in this press release are subject to certain risks and uncertainties inherent in the Company’s business that could cause actual results to vary, including such risks related to an economic downturn as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the realization of opportunities from the IMS acquisition, the management of the Company’s growth, the loss of key resellers, the relationships with the Automated Clearinghouse network, bank sponsors, third-party card processing providers and merchants, the security of our software, hardware and information, the volatility of the stock price, the need to obtain additional financing, risks associated with new tax legislation, and compliance with complex federal, state and local laws and regulations, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023. One or more of these factors have affected, and in the future, could affect the Company’s businesses and financial results in the future and could cause actual results to differ materially from plans and projections. The Company believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements included in this release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that the objectives and plans will be achieved. All forward-looking statements made in this release are based on information presently available to management. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

    Contact:

    Paul Manley
    Senior Vice President, Investor Relations
    paul.manley@usio.com
    612-834-1804

    The MIL Network –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: project44 extends partnership with HERE Technologies to power supply chain visibility

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Since 2017, HERE and project44 have partnered to bring customers location intelligence for end-to-end supply chain visibility
    • HERE continues to be a Preferred Supplier for global location data on the project44 platform

    Las Vegas – HERE Technologies, the leading location data and technology platform, today announced an extension of its partnership with project44, the leader in high velocity supply chain visibility to license HERE location services as a Preferred Supplier across project44’s platform.

    To help manage the constraints of multimodal transportation, project44 will leverage HERE Location Services, including HERE Truck Routing and Search, to deliver valuable location intelligence. HERE Truck Routing offers traffic-aware routing that considers all physical and legal restrictions including hazardous goods, truck speed profiles, U-Turn avoidance, adjusted road hierarchy to avoid smaller roads, and more.

    project44 provides a platform that connects, automates, and optimizes the world’s most complex logistics operations. With the largest and most connected logistics network in the industry, project44 delivers real-time visibility into over 1 billion shipments annually for more than 1,000 companies, including some of the world’s top brands. Operating across 185 countries, project44 enables shippers, logistics service providers, and carriers to reduce costs, improve operational efficiency, and enhance the customer experience. Through its High-Velocity Supply Chain Platform, Movement, project44 empowers businesses to overcome visibility gaps and supply chain friction, helping them achieve seamless end-to-end shipment transparency.

    “At project44, we’re dedicated to providing our customers with unparalleled visibility and real-time intelligence across the global supply chain. Our partnership with HERE Technologies has been instrumental in enhancing our platform’s capabilities,” said Aron Kestenbaum Senior Vice President, Product at project44. “We’re excited to continue this collaboration, pushing the boundaries of innovation and bringing even greater value to our customers.”

    By integrating HERE Search and Geocoding to Movement, specifically for Over the Road (OTR) operations, supply chain professionals gain enhanced insights from across the shipment lifecycle helping save time, resources and cost.

    “We are thrilled to extend this partnership, which brings together project44’s High-Velocity Supply Chain Platform with HERE’s robust Location Services to create end-to-end supply chain visibility,” said Stuart Ryan, SVP and General Manager of the Americas at HERE Technologies. “Now more than ever, supply chain leaders recognize the value of shipment visibility – and how leveraging best-in-class location technology further optimizes end-to-end workflows and the overall customer experience. We look forward to continuing to work with project44 to bring more capabilities to their platform – and to help project44 and their customers best achieve their business goals through harnessing location technology.”

    About HERE Technologies
    HERE has been a pioneer in mapping and location technology for 40 years. Today, the HERE location platform is recognized as the most complete in the industry, powering location-based products, services and custom maps for organizations and enterprises across the globe. From autonomous driving and seamless logistics to new mobility experiences, HERE allows its partners and customers to innovate while retaining control over their data and safeguarding privacy. Find out how HERE is moving the world forward at here.com.

    About project44  
    project44 is on a mission to make supply chains work. Movement by project44, the only High-Velocity Supply Chain Platform, enables shippers, LSPs and carriers across the globe to reduce costs, optimize operations, deliver an exceptional customer experience and drive greater resiliency and sustainability. Having built the industry’s largest and most connected ecosystem, project44 provides visibility into over 1 billion shipments annually for over 1,000 companies, including world leading brands within manufacturing, automotive, retail, life sciences, food & beverage, CPG, and oil, chemical & gas.  

    project44’s commitment to excellence was recognized across organizations and awards including being named the Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant and as the “Customer’s Choice” in Gartner’s 2023 Voice of the Customer report, a 14-time leader on G2’s Supply Chain Visibility Grid, Google Cloud Partner of the Year, and SAP Pinnacle Award winner. project44 is headquartered in Chicago with a diverse team spanning offices around the globe including Amsterdam, Bengaluru, Kraków, Shanghai and Tokyo. Learn more at project44.com. 

    Media Contact
    Reed Findlay 
    +1 703 966 6284 
    Reed.findlay@here.com

    project44 Media
    press@project44.com 

    The MIL Network –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Acquia Announces 2024 Partner Award Winners

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Acquia, the leader in open digital experience software, today announced the winners of the 2024 Partner Awards, which showcase the top performers in Acquia’s partner ecosystem. The company recognized 22 organizations globally based on their exemplary utilization of Acquia technologies to deliver superior customer outcomes, their contribution to Acquia’s business performance, and their dedication to drive innovation with the open source Drupal content management system (CMS) and the Acquia digital experience platform (Acquia DXP).

    “Our 2024 winners set the benchmark for partnership excellence, consistently delivering high quality business impact and technical expertise that enable our customers to improve marketing outcomes and drive business results,” said Darren Burris, VP of Channels at Acquia. “Across North America, Latin America, EMEA, and APAC, these partners have demonstrated exceptional leadership, creativity, and collaboration that have helped us drive the digital experience landscape forward.”

    The list of winners:

    Excellence in Partner Growth Category:  
    Partner of the Year – Global Material+
    Partner of the Year – North America Bountenous
    Partner of the Year – EMEA Mobiiworld
    Partner of the Year – Latin America Squadra
    Partner of the Year – APJ EPAM
    Most Wins of the Year Capgemini
       
    Excellence in Customer Outcomes Category:  
    Partner of the Year – Technology Alliance AWS
    Partner of the Year – Accessibility Champion ParentSquare
    Partner of the Year – DAM Champion Velir
    Partner of the Year – DXP Champion Perficient
    Partner of the Year – DXO Champion Frankly
    Top Growth Partner of the Year Nighthawk Marketing
    Partner Advocate of the Year Hounder
    Tech for Good Partner of the Year manifesto
    Strategic Marketing Excellence Partner of the Year Paragon DCX
    Emerging Partner of the Year We are North
       
    Excellence in Innovation Category:  
    Top Developer Certified Partner of the Year Jakala
    Top Technical Excellence Partner of the Year VML
    Product Most Valuable Partner of the Year Axelerant
    Top Partner Community Contributor Lullabot
    Top Partner Starshot Contributor FreelyGive
    Advanced Technology Partner of the Year Workato

    Acquia congratulates its 2024 Partner Award winners, and thanks all of its partners for their commitment to empowering customers to deliver digital experiences that are more relevant, accessible, frictionless, and safe.

    About Acquia:
    Acquia empowers ambitious digital innovators to craft the most productive, frictionless digital experiences that make a difference to their customers, employees, and communities. We provide the world’s leading open digital experience platform (DXP), built on open source Drupal, as part of our commitment to shaping a digital future that is safe, accessible, and available to all. With Acquia Open DXP, you can unlock the potential of your customer data and content, accelerating time to market and increasing engagement, conversion, and revenue. Learn more at https://www.acquia.com/partner-of-the-year .

    All logos, company, and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

    Contact:
    Nicole Ngoon
    pr@acquia.com

    The MIL Network –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Kandji Announces Vulnerability Management, Delivers Stronger Security Posture for Apple in the Enterprise

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kandji, the Apple endpoint management and security platform, today announced Vulnerability Management, a new security product that helps organizations identify, assess, prioritize, and fix security vulnerabilities due to out of date software on their Mac computers.

    Unlike other vulnerability management platforms, which only detect vulnerabilities without offering a way to resolve them, Kandji Vulnerability Management provides real-time insights and integrated workflows for automated patching of hundreds of business apps and macOS.

    According to McKinsey, 37% of companies said it takes more than three months to remediate a vulnerability, and according to Verizon’s 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report, 14% of breaches involved the exploitation of vulnerabilities as an initial access method, nearly tripling from the previous year’s figure.

    With Kandji Vulnerability Management, customers can identify vulnerabilities and then immediately remediate within a single workflow. This empowers teams to efficiently identify and fix vulnerabilities within a unified platform to improve their security posture without the time-consuming back and forth between security and IT teams.

    “As today’s workforce continues to embrace Mac computers as their device of choice, securing these systems has become more important than ever,” said Adam Petitt, co-founder and CEO of Kandji. “With our new Vulnerability Management product, we’re excited to help organizations strengthen their security posture in response to Apple’s steady growth in the enterprise, all while delivering the intuitive, best-in-class experience that both Kandji and Apple are known for.”

    With Kandji Vulnerability Management, IT teams are empowered to make the shift to proactive defense, enabling them to achieve unparalleled security while maintaining uncompromised productivity.

    Key highlights of Kandji’s Vulnerability Management include:

    • Unified detection and remediation: Integrates vulnerability management with powerful remediation tools to go beyond traditional scanners that only identify vulnerable software.
    • Faster risk reduction: Provides ability to resolve vulnerabilities through Kandji’s automated patch management for hundreds of business apps and macOS, while maintaining control with options to manually push updates or block compromised applications.
    • Reduced complexity: Eliminates the need for multiple solutions and costly workflow bottlenecks to create a streamlined and accelerated path from detection to resolution.
    • Security without sacrificing productivity: The Kandji Agent leverages Apple’s Endpoint Security framework to maintain optimal system performance while automatically prioritizing user tasks.
    • Simplified operations: Helps organizations efficiently scale their security operations by enabling more IT team members to contribute to security initiatives due to a single unified platform, lightweight agent, and intuitive interface.

    Kandji Vulnerability Management is the latest cybersecurity product available to Kandji Device Management customers. Kandji’s suite of security products also includes Endpoint Detection & Response, as well as the platform’s inherent ability to remediate vulnerabilities through Auto Apps, Custom Apps, Managed OS, and app blocking with MDM. As with all Kandji products, Vulnerability Management is purpose-built exclusively for Apple to enable robust security across an organization’s entire fleet.

    For more information please visit: https://kandji.io/vulnerability-management.

    Helpful Links

    About Kandji
    Kandji is the Apple endpoint management and security platform. Kandji empowers companies to manage and secure Apple devices in the enterprise and at scale. By centrally securing and managing your Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV devices, IT and InfoSec teams can save countless hours of manual, repetitive work with features like one-click compliance templates and more than 150 pre-built automations, apps, and workflows. Learn more at http://www.kandji.io.

    Media Contact
    Erica Anderson
    pr@kandji.io

    The MIL Network –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Gevo and Axens Partner to Broaden Their Alliance to Develop and Commercialize Bio-Based Renewable Hydrocarbon Fuels and Also Develop Gevo’s ETO Technology

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEVO) and Axens (“Axens”) are pleased to announce they have formed a new strategic alliance to accelerate development and commercialization of sustainable aviation fuel (“SAF”) using the ethanol-to-jet (“ETJ”) pathway. The goal of the alliance is to leverage the most advantaged technologies, which we believe is Axens’ best-in-class and commercialized Jetanol™ technology. The alliance brings each partner’s complementary value propositions, real-world experience, substantially de-risked technologies, plant integrations, and pre-engineered systems to the ETJ space. The parties are also combining their technical resources to accelerate commercialization of Gevo’s patented, next-generation ethanol-to-olefins (“ETO”) technology for further process and cost improvements.

    “Today, Axens and Gevo are delivering the most cost-effective, commercially proven SAF technology with Axens Jetanol™ and Gevo’s process and business system,” says Dr. Paul Bloom, Chief Business Officer for Gevo. “By expanding our partnership to accelerate the commercialization of Gevo’s ETO technology, we’re combining our industry expertise to further reduce costs and create SAF that is competitive with fossil fuels while capitalizing on the growing carbon market.”

    Axens and Gevo are building on their previous successful commercial cooperation to ensure they remain leaders in the ETJ space by partnering with IFPEN on the final development and commercial deployment of Gevo’s next-generation ETO process for fuel applications that are expected to achieve zero carbon intensity or better. Gevo’s ETO process produces light olefins from ethanol, which can then be converted to transportation fuels utilizing commercially proven oligomerization and hydrogenation technologies.

    Provided the technology development is completed successfully, Gevo is expected to lead deployment of its ETO technology in North America with an effort to bring high-quality jobs and economic development to rural America, and Axens would provide process licensing, catalyst, equipment, and engineering services globally.

    “The immense potential for both our companies to lead the future of air-travel decarbonization is an obvious way forward,” says Quentin Debuisschert, CEO of Axens. “The combination of Gevo market know-how and capacity of project development with Axens best-in-class technology, Jetanol™, is expected to allow a fast acceptance and adoption of the ETJ Pathway. The future ETO technology commercialization will keep Axens and Gevo on the cutting edge of the ETJ pathway by offering end-users and project developers the possibility to select the most attractive technology for their situation.”

    “We believe that continuing to reduce production costs and capital costs for drop-in hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals has the potential to create large numbers of jobs, spur rural economic development, and create clear, market-based incentives for regenerative agriculture,” says Dr. Pat Gruber, Chief Executive Officer of Gevo. “It adds up to a practical approach for increased energy production and better energy security. This is a real way forward: it drives costs lower, uses the same, established fuel infrastructure, has proven and auditable improvements in sustainability, including how land is used, and offers large benefits to our society, and, in particular, strengthens our rural communities. We see this can be done, and we are pursuing it. It’s the right thing to do.”

    About Gevo
    Gevo is a next-generation diversified energy company committed to fueling America’s future with cost-effective, drop-in fuels that contribute to energy security, abate carbon, and strengthen rural communities to drive economic growth. Gevo’s innovative technology can be used to make a variety of renewable products, including SAF, motor fuels, chemicals, and other materials that provide U.S.-made solutions. By investing in the backbone of rural America, Gevo’s business model includes developing, financing, and operating production facilities that create jobs and revitalize communities. Gevo owns and operates one of the largest dairy-based renewable natural gas (“RNG”) facilities in the United States, turning by-products into clean, reliable energy. We also operate an ethanol plant with an adjacent carbon capture and sequestration (“CCS”) facility, further solidifying America’s leadership in energy innovation. Additionally, Gevo owns the world’s first production facility for specialty alcohol-to-jet (“ATJ”) fuels and chemicals. Gevo’s market-driven “pay for performance” approach regarding carbon and other sustainability attributes, helps ensure value is delivered to our local economy. Through its Verity subsidiary, Gevo provides transparency, accountability, and efficiency in tracking, measuring and verifying various attributes throughout the supply chain. By strengthening rural economies, Gevo is working to secure a self-sufficient future and to make sure value is brought to the market.

    For more information, see www.gevo.com.

    About Axens
    Axens Group provides a complete range of solutions for the conversion of oil and biomass to cleaner fuels, the production and purification of major petrochemical intermediates, the chemical recycling of plastics, all-natural gas treatment and conversion options, water treatment, as well as carbon capture and storage solutions. The offer includes technologies, equipment, furnaces, modular units, catalysts, adsorbents, and related services.

    For more information, see www.axens.net.

    Forward Looking Statements
    Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to a variety of matters, without limitation, including the alliance between Gevo and Axens, Gevo’s ETO technology; the expected benefits of the alliance, the reduced costs from the alliance and applicable technologies, and other statements that are not purely statements of historical fact. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Gevo and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Gevo undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although Gevo believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve many risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Gevo in general, see the risk disclosures in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Gevo for the year ended December 31, 2023, and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by Gevo.

    Media Contact
    Heather L. Manuel
    VP, Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships
    PR@gevo.com

    IR Contact
    Eric Frey
    VP, Corporate Development
    IR@Gevo.com

    The MIL Network –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: ibex Names Phil Taylor Country Manager for Jamaica

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    KINGSTON, Jamaica, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ibex (NASDAQ: IBEX), a leading global provider of business process outsourcing (BPO) and AI-powered customer engagement technology solutions, today announced the appointment of Phil Taylor as Senior Vice President and Country Manager for Jamaica. In his new role, Phil will report directly to David Wilkerson, Executive Vice President of Global Operations, and will oversee the company’s operations and strategic initiatives in Jamaica.

    Phil joined ibex two years ago as Vice President of Operations and has since become an integral part of the organization. With over 20 years of experience in the contact center industry, Phil has built a reputation for his people-first leadership style, commitment to excellence, and ability to develop high-performing, collaborative teams. Prior to joining ibex, he held leadership roles at TaskUs and Alorica.

    “Phil is an exceptional leader with amazing energy and a passion for empowering teams to thrive,” said David Wilkerson. “We are thrilled to see him take on this expanded role and look forward to the continued success he will bring to our team, our clients, and our business. Phil’s deep industry expertise and unwavering commitment to operational excellence make him the ideal leader to continue our growth trajectory and strengthen our position as one of the top BPOs in Jamaica.”

    In his new role, Phil will focus on championing employee development, enhancing operations, fostering strategic partnerships, and fueling overall growth to deliver exceptional results for ibex and its growing roster of blue-chip clients.

    “I am honored and excited to take on the country leader role in Jamaica,” said Phil Taylor. “ibex is an incredible organization, and I am proud to be part of a company that truly values and rewards its people, while delivering world-class innovation and service excellence to its clients. I look forward to leveraging my experience to build on the amazing agent-first culture we have at ibex and continue to drive growth in Jamaica.”

    Beyond his professional achievements, Phil is a dedicated family man with a passion for sports, travel, and music. An accomplished musician, he frequently performs the U.S. national anthem at NBA and NFL games alongside fellow musicians.

    About ibex
    ibex delivers innovative business process outsourcing (BPO), smart digital marketing, online acquisition technology, and end-to-end customer engagement solutions to help companies acquire, engage and retain valuable customers. Today, ibex operates a global CX delivery center model consisting of approximately 30 operations facilities around the world, while deploying next generation technology to drive superior customer experiences for many of the world’s leading companies across retail, e-commerce, healthcare, fintech, utilities and logistics.

    ibex leverages its diverse global team of over 30,000 employees together with industry-leading technology, including the AI-powered ibex Wave iX solutions suite, to manage nearly 175 million critical customer interactions, adding over $2.2B in lifetime customer revenue each year and driving a truly differentiated customer experience. To learn more, visit our website at ibex.co and connect with us on LinkedIn.

    Media Contact:
    Dan Burris
    Daniel.Burris@ibex.co

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9eeb643e-9e3f-438f-abbd-015daeafe215

    The MIL Network –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Surfshark releases annual company report for 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Surfshark Annual Wrap-up 2024 highlights another year of Surfshark’s growth and impact. In 2024, Surfshark increased product offerings, social responsibility efforts, and global outreach.

    “At Surfshark, we’re dedicated to building the most beloved security products people can rely on. Our mission is to deliver a service that earns trust and provides genuine value. We’ve recognized that our strength lies in creating a seamless user experience and outstanding service — which every team member contributes to. Especially in uncertain times, we aim to offer stability through convenient, accessible multi-product solutions that simplify online security and remove the worry of staying protected,” says Vytautas Kaziukonis, CEO at Surfshark. 

    “In 2024, we landed among the top 50 in the Financial Times 1000: Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies list. This achievement is not just about rapid growth but also about maintaining balanced, long-term, and stable development,” adds V.Kaziukonis.

    Technical Advancements in 2024

    In 2024, Surfshark focused on enhancing the quality of its services to better meet the needs of users. The technical team introduced several new features to ensure stronger privacy and security for everyone. One of the standout innovations was Alternative Number, a unique feature designed to protect users’ phone numbers online. Additionally, Surfshark expanded support for Apple TV, enabling seamless privacy protection across more devices. To further empower users, Surfshark introduced a free Data Leak Checker, allowing individuals to assess the safety of their personal information at no cost.

    Incogni’s Milestones and Expansion

    Incogni, Surfshark’s data removal product, had a remarkable year. In 2024, Surfshark acquired Ironwall to expand its offerings for individuals concerned about data protection. Ironwall specializes in online privacy protection for public servants and businesses, with a focus on judges, law enforcement, healthcare professionals, and financial institutions. Additionally, Incogni underwent a rebranding, giving it a fresh new look while staying true to its mission of protecting digital privacy in a clear and effective manner.

    Research Initiatives and Cybersecurity Awareness

    Surfshark’s research team had a productive year, rolling out impactful studies and initiatives aimed at raising awareness about cybersecurity. One major launch was the Smart Homes Privacy Checker, a tool that allows users to assess the privacy risks associated with their smart home devices.

    Surfshark also continued to track and report on the state of global internet freedom with the Internet Shutdown Tracker. Additionally, the Global Data Breach Statistics report provided insights into the increasing number of data breaches worldwide, helping promote better online safety practices.

    Commitment to Social Responsibility

    Surfshark’s dedication to corporate social responsibility remained strong in 2024. The company deepened its partnerships with trusted NGOs and nonprofits, such as the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) and Open Rights Group (ORG), to advance digital rights and internet freedom.

    A major highlight was the launch of Surfshark’s first-ever Impact Report, showcasing its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) efforts. This included the use of renewable energy, carbon emission mapping, and contributions to causes such as aid for Ukraine and marine conservation efforts.

    Additionally, Surfshark continued its Emergency VPN initiative, providing free VPN access to over 300 journalists, NGO workers, and activists facing internet censorship and surveillance.

    Read the full report here: surfshark.com/media/Surfshark_Annual_Wrap-Up_2024.pdf 

    NOTES TO EDITORS

    Surfshark is a cybersecurity company focused on developing humanized privacy and security solutions. The Surfshark One suite includes one of the very few VPNs audited by independent security experts, an officially certified antivirus, a private search tool, and a data leak alert system. Surfshark is recognized as the Tech Advisor’s Editor’s Choice for 2024. For a closer look at Surfshark in 2024, check our annual wrap-up. For more research projects, visit our research hub at: surfshark.com/research

    Attachment

    • annual_wrap

    The MIL Network –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: NextNav Names Renee Gregory as Vice President of Regulatory Affairs

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RESTON, Va., Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NextNav Inc. (NASDAQ: NN), a leader in next-generation positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) and 3D geolocation, announced the appointment of Renee Gregory as NextNav’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs. In this newly created role, Ms. Gregory leads the company’s FCC regulatory approval process and compliance work. Her experience and expertise will be integral to meeting NextNav’s commitment to providing next-generation location technologies and providing a robust terrestrial complement and backup to GPS to meet an urgent national security need.

    “Renee’s appointment as NextNav’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs will help the company deliver on its long-term mission to solve a pressing national security need,” said NextNav Chief Executive Officer Mariam Sorond. “Her decades of experience in policy and spectrum will be instrumental in shaping our regulatory strategy and delivering a wide-scale terrestrial PNT solution.”

    Ms. Gregory brings over 20 years of experience in both government and the private sector. At the federal level, she has served as Senior Policy Advisor for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and held key advisory roles at both the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and the Federal Communications Commission. Her distinguished career in Washington, D.C., also includes leadership positions at Google and prominent international law firms, where she advised technology and telecommunications clients. Ms. Gregory holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. from Yale University.

    “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work alongside federal agencies, industry partners, engineers and technical experts, and the talented NextNav team to help solve this national security need. Working together, I’m committed to strengthening GPS resiliency, eliminating US vulnerabilities, and advancing technical, regulatory, and business solutions that benefit us all,” said Renee Gregory.

    NextNav has petitioned the FCC to reconfigure the Lower 900 MHz band to enable a 5G-based terrestrial 3D PNT service that can be readily deployed and adopted as a complement and backup to GPS while also supporting 5G broadband deployment. In her role, Ms. Gregory will work with the company and its partners to ensure that the FCC’s rulemaking process is guided by sound, fact-based, and engineering-driven decisions that serve the best interests of public safety, national security, and America’s 5G future.

    About NextNav
    NextNav Inc. (Nasdaq: NN) is a leader in next-generation positioning, navigation and timing (PNT), enabling a whole new ecosystem of applications and services that rely upon 3D geolocation and PNT technology. Powered by low-band licensed spectrum, NextNav’s positioning and timing technologies deliver accurate, reliable, and resilient 3D PNT solutions for critical infrastructure, GPS resiliency and commercial use cases.

    For more information, please visit https://nextnav.com/ or follow NextNav on https://x.com/NextNavX or LinkedIn. 

    Forward Looking Statements
    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on NextNav’s management’s current expectations and beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions concerning future events.

    Source: NN-FIN

    Media Contact:
    Jayesh Patel
    jpatel@nextnav.com
    (312) 208-9732

    The MIL Network –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: Ghana’s urban strategies neglect the needs of street vendors: policy must catch up with reality

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Appiah Takyi, Senior Lecturer, Department of Planning, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)

    Street vending is a major economic activity in most of Ghana’s urban areas. The vendors bring everyday goods to residents and commuters at affordable prices in places convenient to them. However, the growing intensity of street vending activities in Ghanaian cities such as Accra and Kumasi is creating management problems for city authorities. Vendors are being removed as cities aim to “clean up” and modernise the urban landscape.

    City authorities haven’t created ways to support street vendors. Instead, they treat them as a nuisance and use stringent regulations aimed at displacing them. This approach overlooks the potential benefits that the thriving street economy could bring to the local economy and social fabric. In contrast, for example, South Africa’s policy supports informal economic activities by providing vending spaces for street traders.

    As academics who specialise in urban planning, we set out to investigate the rules around street vending in Ghana. Our study was conducted in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti region and the second most important city in Ghana. We found that the regulation of street vending in Ghana is unclear, contradictory and ineffective. It fails to provide a clear policy direction and adequate planning tools for integrating street vending into urban areas.

    Our research reinforces the argument that the regulation of street vending is often ambiguous. We argue that these policy inconsistencies create loopholes for the hostile attitude of city authorities towards street vendors.

    We call for policies that recognise the socioeconomic value of street vending and make urban spaces more inclusive.

    The lay of the land

    Our analysis is based on two national policy documents. These are the National Urban Policy Framework and the Local Governance Act 2016 (Act 936). We also rely on two local policy documents specific to the Kumasi Metropolitan Area. These are the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly By-Laws on Control of Hawkers 1995 and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Medium-Term Development Plan (2018–2021).

    The National Urban Policy recognises and promotes street vending as part of the urban economy. It calls for local government authorities to recognise and include the informal sector.

    But the overarching law regulating street vending in Ghana is the Local Governance Act. It authorises local government bodies (city authorities) to pass by-laws that forbid street vending. This is in conflict with the national policy.

    The gaps

    Our study revealed that in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area, the authorities seem to want to help street vendors in some ways – to strengthen the capacity of informal economic actors. But they don’t make plans or take actions to do so in the medium term development plan. Local government authorities sometimes evict street vendors from the central business district.

    In Kumasi, urban policy, regulations and local development planning do not include street vending in the urban development process even though vendors are the largest group of business people in the city. Instead of building stalls and facilities to accommodate these economic operators, the authorities rather expropriate urban space from them to develop modern structures which are expensive for street vendors to occupy.

    There is conflict over the use of urban public spaces. City authorities view the activities of street vendors as illegal, while the vendors see them as legitimate sources of livelihood. Authorities control vending through eviction and relocation.

    In recent years, city authorities have adopted urban infrastructural planning and development as a strategy to remove street vendors. Take the case of the new Kejetia Market Redevelopment Project, which replaced the largest traditional market in west Africa with a modern urban market structure in Kumasi. Over 10,000 street vendors and 4,000 market traders were displaced.

    The neglect of street vending in the design means vendors will have to earn a living informally – which simply adds to the “problem” as the city sees it.

    What next?

    Policies and practices that try to exclude people are not a solution to the problems of street vending. They are often counter productive. Regulating street vending requires inclusive policy measures and a clear policy direction to manage these activities. At present, Ghana, like many other African countries, lacks effective planning strategies to manage the activities of street vending.

    Our recommendations include:

    • coherent and inclusive policies that recognise the socioeconomic value of street vending and give vendors a rightful place in cities

    • reforming urban governance to support the informal economy

    • coherent and precise policies that give street vendors more security.

    The current policy vacuum fuels repressive regulation and excludes street vendors from urban development processes.

    To develop effective policy models, it is critical to learn from the experiences of street vendors and involve them in urban development processes. This starts with a change of attitude among city authorities.

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

    – ref. Ghana’s urban strategies neglect the needs of street vendors: policy must catch up with reality – https://theconversation.com/ghanas-urban-strategies-neglect-the-needs-of-street-vendors-policy-must-catch-up-with-reality-248020

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: In spite of anti-DEI pressures, top corporations continued to diversify in 2024: new research

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Richie Zweigenhaft, Professor of Psychology, Emeritus, Guilford College

    Despite the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision banning affirmative action in college admissions, and mounting pressure on corporations to eliminate their diversity, equity and inclusion programs, the top 50 Fortune 500 companies continued to diversify their boards in 2024.

    As a social psychologist, I’ve been tracking diversity on Fortune-level boards of directors for decades. And as I reported in The Conversation last year, 2023 marked the first time that fewer than half of the directors of top 50 Fortune 500 companies were white men. At the same time, increasing numbers of white women and Black, Asian and Hispanic people of all genders held board seats.

    Looking at data from mid-December 2024, I found that the top 50 companies’ boards continued to become more diverse. However, as political and legal challenges to DEI intensify, future trends remain unclear.

    Back and forth on DEI

    After the 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, many Fortune 1000 companies pledged to make new commitments to racial equity and implemented DEI programs to track and improve diversity. But in 2023 – presumably encouraged by the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision – anti-DEI activists ramped up the pressure on corporations to roll back these initiatives. In response, many big companies reduced or eliminated their diversity commitments.

    But the DEI backlash didn’t show up in the 2024 data on corporate board membership.

    Diversity on boards increased dramatically from 2011 to 2023, and the trend generally continued into 2024, with the number of seats held by Hispanic and Black people and white women all rising despite a slight dip in the number of seats held by Asian people. As a result, the share of seats held by white men fell from 49.7% to 48.4%, while the share held by everyone else rose from 50.3% to 51.6%.

    Examining the data on Black, Hispanic and Asian board members by gender reveals some intriguing differences, though some variations may be due to small sample sizes. For the top 50 companies, the number of seats held by Black women rose by five, while the number of seats held by Black men fell by two. In contrast, two more seats were held by Asian men in 2024 than in 2023, but the number of seats held by Asian women dropped by three. The number of seats held by Latinos and Latinas also increased, by four and two, respectively.

    So why did board-level diversity increase despite the DEI backlash? It could be because boards of directors change slowly. Most of the top 50 boards on the Fortune 500 list make no changes in a given year, and those that do typically replace only one or two people. In some cases, boards expand by adding new members without removing old ones, which can be a quick and easy way to increase diversity. As a result, the number of seats on the top 50 boards increased from 574 in 2023 to 593 as of mid-December 2024.

    There are other indications that these boards are becoming more diverse than they were in the not-so-distant past. In 2023, four companies either had an equal number of men and women on their boards or more women than men. In 2024, that number had increased to seven.

    Increasingly diverse chief executives

    The number of CEOs of the top 50 companies who weren’t white men also rose, from 14 to 15. For most of 2024 the number was 16, but in October the board at CVS asked Karen Lynch, a white woman, to step down, and replaced her with a white man. At the end of 2024, the top 50 Fortune companies included seven white women, three Asian men, three Latinos, one Black male, and one Latina as CEOs.

    Moreover, 12 of the top 50 CEOs, or 24%, were born outside the U.S., an indication that the country’s corporate elite is becoming more globally diverse than in the past.

    Just as many of the CEOs of the top Fortune 500 companies were born and raised in other countries, so, too, were many of the Black, Hispanic, Asian and white female directors. In fact, almost all of the Asian chief executives were born outside the U.S., as well as most of the Hispanic CEOS. If corporate boards continue to grow in diversity – or even stay at the same level – they’ll probably draw heavily on men and women born and educated outside the country’s borders.

    The data shows a slight uptick in diversity for the boards of the top 50 companies on the Fortune 500 list from 2023 to 2024. But after his inauguration, Donald Trump immediately took on diversity efforts both in the federal government and the corporate world. As a print headline in The New York Times noted, “Trump’s Attack on DEI Stirs Fear at Corporations.”

    The future of board diversity under Trump

    In the weeks before Trump’s second inauguration, McDonald’s announced that it was retiring several leadership diversity goals, and Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta was terminating its DEI programs. On his first day in office, Trump issued an executive order terminating all DEI programs across the federal government and requiring the government to look at private sector DEI initiatives. Not long afterward, Google announced that it, too, was retreating from its DEI initiatives, making it clear that it was doing so because of Trump’s executive orders.

    But a few of the top 50 companies, including Costco, Apple, Microsoft and JP Morgan, took public stands claiming that they were planning to continue their DEI policies. Costco’s stance drew special attention because, as The New York Times put it, the board’s views were “particularly forceful.” Within a week or so, 19 Republican state attorneys general called on the company to end the policies.

    There is concern that the attacks on DEI will decrease diversity in the pipeline that leads to the executive suites of American corporations, and that this in turn will lead to less diversity in boardrooms. As Fortune’s Lily Mae Lazarus put it in late January, “The precedent set by the Trump administration could undo decades of progress that have allowed women and people of color to rise to the C-suite and boardroom.”

    Whether the many attacks on DEI – first from right-wing bloggers, then from the Supreme Court, and then from the president – will affect the makeup of Fortune-level boards in 2025 and beyond remains to be seen.

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

    – ref. In spite of anti-DEI pressures, top corporations continued to diversify in 2024: new research – https://theconversation.com/in-spite-of-anti-dei-pressures-top-corporations-continued-to-diversify-in-2024-new-research-248743

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Address science misinformation not by repeating the facts, but by building conversation and community

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Anne Toomey, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and Science, Pace University

    Using communication strategies that tap into people’s social networks can help agencies combat misinformation. arthobbit/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    Misinformation about scientific topics, including falsehoods such as vaccines cause autism and climate change being an entirely natural phenomenon, is an issue scientists have been discussing more and more. Widespread misinformation can lead to confusion about public health and environmental issues and can hinder those working to solve societal problems.

    As an environmental social scientist who researches how science can have an impact on society, I seek effective ways to address misinformation.

    There are many approaches that can work to some extent: for example, counteracting erroneous information with statements about scientific topics based on quality research that convey that the majority of experts agree, and “inoculating” people by preparing them to spot the fallacies in misinformation before they are first exposed to it.

    But one of the most important ways to counteract misinformation is less about the facts and more about how those facts move within social networks and communities. In other words, it’s not enough for science to be right – it has to be accepted within people’s social circles to have any meaningful impact.

    Can facts change minds?

    Most people tend to assume that their knowledge and ideas are based on a rational, objective analysis of information. And that’s sometimes the case – if it’s snowing outside, people don’t insist that it’s sunny and warm, no matter how much they might like it to be.

    Similarly, if a person comes across some novel fact in the news, such as the discovery of a new type of plant in the Amazon, they might just absorb that information and go about their day.

    But rationality and the ability to embrace new information goes out the window when it comes up against ideas that challenge one’s preexisting worldviews or social identities. Such information can feel like a personal attack, leading the body to release cortisol, a hormone associated with stress. So, certain facts can feel threatening or offensive.

    Sometimes, people accept new information without much thought. But when new information challenges their existing beliefs, they may double down on their point of view.

    Compounding what is happening in the brain is what’s happening in people’s communities. Humans are social animals who turn to others they trust to help them understand what’s what. People are attuned to what is considered normal or acceptable in their social environments, so if their social group holds a particular belief, they are more likely to adopt that belief too.

    One’s cultural and political identities often dictate how they interpret the same information, leading to disagreements even when presented with the same evidence.

    These cultural identities explain why, for example, research finds that science-skeptical behaviors, such as vaccine hesitancy and climate denialism, tend to cluster in social and geographical pockets. In these pockets, people’s skepticism is reinforced by others with similar beliefs in their social network. In such cases, providing more evidence on a certain topic won’t help, and it may even result in people digging in their heels deeper to deny the evidence.

    So if facts don’t necessarily change minds, what will?

    Leveraging community networks

    Recent research provides a solution for scientists and agencies hoping to correct misinformation: Rather than fighting against humans’ social nature, work with it.

    When people see trusted individuals within their social networks holding a certain belief, that belief becomes more credible and easier to adopt. Leveraging those community connections can allow new ideas to gain traction.

    One great example of using social networks to fight misinformation is how polio was eradicated in India. In 2009, India was the polio epicenter of the world, home to half of the world’s cases. These cases were largely clustered in vaccine-hesitant regions of the country. But by 2011, only two years later, India had only one case, and the country formally celebrated the eradication of polio in 2014.

    How did India go from having half of the world’s cases to just one case in under two years?

    Public health agencies asked volunteers from within vaccine-resistant communities to go on a listening campaign and become ambassadors for the vaccine. The volunteers were trained in interpersonal communication skills and tasked with spending time with parents. They built trust and rapport through regular visits.

    Because the volunteers were known within the communities, they were able to make headway where health workers from urban areas had not. As they established rapport, hesitant parents shared their concerns, which typically went beyond polio to include other health issues.

    Over time, more and more parents decided to vaccinate their children, until there was a tipping point and vaccination became a social norm. Perhaps most notably, the campaign led to full routine immunization rates in some high-risk regions of the country.

    A medical volunteer administers polio immunization drops to a child in India, years after the country’s last reported polio case.
    AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh

    India’s incredible success emphasizes the importance of personal interactions for changing minds, which means moving beyond simply presenting the facts. Building trust, listening to concerns and engaging with communities in a meaningful way were integral to India’s eradication of polio.

    The power of conversations

    Another example of using the power of social networks to talk about controversial science topics comes from a method called deep canvassing. Deep canvassing is a unique communication method that involves going door to door to have conversations with members of the public.

    But unlike traditional canvassing, which often focuses on rallying existing supporters, deep canvassing deliberately seeks to engage with those who hold different viewpoints, focusing efforts in communities where the topic is controversial.

    In deep canvassing, canvassers seek to have longer and more in-depth conversations, to share perspectives and relate with the residents they’re visiting.
    AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens

    Canvassers are trained to ask questions to better understand the other person’s experiences and perspectives on the issue, and then they share their own personal stories. This helps to create a human connection, where both parties feel heard and respected. This connection can help to reduce the negative emotions that may emerge when someone is challenged to rethink their beliefs.

    One notable example of deep canvassing in action is the work of Neighbours United, an environmental nonprofit in Canada. They used a deep-canvassing approach to engage people in conversations about climate change.

    They piloted the method in a rural, conservative community called Trail, home to one of the largest zinc and lead smelters in the world. Prior efforts to engage community members hadn’t had much of an effect, as taking action on climate change was largely seen as being in conflict with how many people made their living.

    But the deep-canvassing method worked. Going door to door, the canvassers listened to residents’ concerns, shared their own stories about the impact of climate change and highlighted local environmental successes.

    As a result, 1 in 3 residents shifted their views about the importance of taking action to address climate change. This broad community support led the City Council to vote to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050.

    Sociologist Anthony Giddens described interpersonal interactions between experts, such as doctors or scientists, and the public as access points. He argued that these points are vital for maintaining trust in governmental and scientific institutions, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Environmental Protection Agency.

    These face-to-face interactions with experts can help people see them as kind, warm and professional, which can lead to trust.

    These examples show that creating support for attitudes and behaviors based on science requires more than just presenting facts. It requires creating meaningful dialogue between skeptical groups and scientific messengers. It’s also a reminder that while social networks may serve to propagate misinformation, they can also be an important tool for addressing it.

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

    – ref. Address science misinformation not by repeating the facts, but by building conversation and community – https://theconversation.com/address-science-misinformation-not-by-repeating-the-facts-but-by-building-conversation-and-community-249121

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Minister Peacock speech at the Beacon Philanthropy and Impact Forum

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech by the Minister for Civil Society and Youth at on philanthropy and impact economy at the Beacon Philanthropy and Impact Forum.

    Good morning everyone, thank you Neil for that really kind introduction and thoughtful speech – the challenge you outlined is an important one.

    It’s great to be here with you at the Beacon Philanthropy and Impact Forum today.

    I want to start by thanking The Beacon Collaborative for organising this event, and the Charities Aid Foundation for sponsoring it and the City of London for hosting at this beautiful building.

    You’re here today, and are part of organisations like Beacon Collaborative, and Charities Aid Foundation, because you believe in the power of organisations and people using their resources to deliver social impact.
      And it’s a belief this Government shares. 

    The UK has a vibrant culture of service and generosity, and philanthropy is so often the outlet for that culture.

    Every week hundreds of thousands of people – in our villages, towns and cities – come together and do what they can to support others. They devote their time, their money or both, to improve the lives of people less fortunate than themselves.

    That is something we should never take for granted.

    Philanthropy sustains over 170,000 charities in the UK and thousands of others who are so small they’re not actually registered.

    And it does things Governments can’t do – reaching into communities, and applying local knowledge and insight.

    I see it all the time in my own area of Barnsley.

    I can tell you so many examples, organisations such as Barnsley Youth Choir, Barnsley Hospices and BIADS, a local dementia charity I am patron of, all rely on charitable donations and giving from the local community to sustain their vital work. As Neil said, they all have their own stories, as I know you all will.

    But you recognise, as I do, that more is possible.

    And forums like this are a vital opportunity for the sector to come together and look at how we take philanthropy in the UK to the next level.

    The instinct people have to help is always there. 

    It’s the job of the Government, working with organisations like the ones you represent, to find new, creative ways to make it not only easier to give, but more rewarding.

    That is part of why we started a new chapter in the relationship between Government and civil society through a Civil Society Covenant.

    We launched the Covenant at No10 Downing Street with the Prime Minister in October, in order to reset the relationship between Government and Civil Society. To make it a partnership that is built on a foundation of trust and respect.

    And it reflects our view that our charities, social enterprises and community groups have a huge and vital role to play in helping us deliver on this Government’s missions.

    Civil society groups can help make our streets safer, they can create opportunities for our young people, and they can reduce the burden on the NHS by supporting people to live healthier lives.

    And philanthropists, social investors and impact investors will have an important role to play in the Covenant, when it’s fully established in the coming months.

    This Government also recognises the enormous contribution social investors, philanthropists and businesses can provide in the delivery of our Plan for Change. 

    Our impact investment market, worth £76 billion, leads the way in Europe and really sets the standard, and it reflects the fact that people want to see a connection between their investment and real social impact on the ground.

    As the Minister responsible for the impact economy, encompassing both philanthropy and impact investment, I see not only the incredible work happening in this space, but the huge potential for growing the money invested in public good.

    That is why I’m proud we are building on the UK’s strong industry leadership in social impact investing and working in partnership with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to establish the Government’s Social Impact Investment Advisory Group. And I was really pleased to speak to Darren Jones about this last night. 

    We are committed to backing private investment that delivers positive social impact right across the country, and this newly announced Advisory Group will help achieve this.

    Philanthropy is a vital part of the impact economy.

    So I’d like to be clear with everyone here today on our three priorities for philanthropy.

    Firstly, the Government wants to help to connect philanthropic investment with the places that need it most.

    Secondly, we want to unlock extra philanthropic investment.  

    Thirdly, we want to partner with civil society, communities, donors and businesses to celebrate a culture of giving. 

    On our first priority, this Government has been clear since our first day in office that we are committed to putting local people, communities and places first.

    Supporting philanthropic growth across the country is a really important route to generating more private capital that can deliver public good.

    That’s why the Secretary of State has committed to setting out a place-based philanthropy strategy so we can create an environment where the benefits of philanthropy are felt in communities everywhere.

    I know this is an area that many of you are invested in or connected to.

    Made-in-Stoke, which I was really pleased to visit a few months ago, Blackpool Pride of Place and Islington Gives are brilliant examples of what can be achieved with a place-based approach. I know many representatives of these networks are here with us today.

    By creating a community of philanthropists who are invested in the future of a city or town and who want to contribute to its success, they are blazing a trail for others to follow. And Neil, you rightly referenced the impact of place in your remarks. 

    In areas that need it most, these networks are delivering programmes supporting young people’s skills development, from sports activities to dance and ballet classes for children.

    We can learn a great deal from these models of giving – by people motivated by the idea of helping give back to the community that helped to shape them. 

    My officials and I will continue to explore how this Government can best support the growth of these innovative initiatives.  

    When it comes to the second priority of unlocking additional philanthropic investment, there are already some excellent examples of what philanthropy can deliver.

    Family Foundations such as the Reece’s Foundation in the North East are working to address some of the most complex problems in the region, supporting innovations like the National Geothermal Energy Centre whilst providing new opportunities for local people.

    But, as I said earlier, we need the right structures in place to make it as easy as possible for philanthropists to give more and would-be philanthropists to give for the first time.

    Gift Aid is a vital part of the already existing system, and it gives charities and donors important tax relief.

    And for businesses, payroll giving provides companies an easy way for employees to give in a tax-efficient way to the causes they care about.

    We want to raise awareness of just how straightforward that scheme is, and there couldn’t be a better time as February is Payroll Giving month, as I’m sure you all know.

    The final part of the equation is changing how we talk about and celebrate philanthropy.

    In 2023 we collectively gave £13.9 billion to charity. It’s a phenomenal amount of money and it’s testament to the generosity that exists across our country.

    But if you look deeper, you find that the number of donors is actually decreasing.

    Clearly there’s no one single reason why that would be the case, but I think it’s all of our responsibility to do our bit in championing and celebrating those who do donate.

    Last year I had the privilege of attending the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, seeing first hand some of our most exceptional athletes perform on the biggest stage of all.

    Over the last decades, philanthropists like Barrie Wells have supported the training success of athletes including Jessica Ennis-Hill, who started her career in Sheffield, just down the road from my constituency of Barnsley.

    After winning Gold at the 2012 Olympics in London, she went on to engage and inspire the next generation of young people through philanthropy funded workshops in the Athletes4Schools programme.

    Similarly, businesses continue to contribute to society, like Barclays, who support young people and create opportunities for all, through their community grass roots football grants.

    5,500 community groups have been supported across the UK with the aim of helping to reduce inequalities in football.

    If you look at a sector like the arts, that is one that’s always relied on a variety of funding sources.

    And that’s why, for over 20 years, DCMS has partnered with the Wolfson Foundation to deliver the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund.

    But these are just some of the examples of what can be done when we work together to build things that deliver long term benefits.

    You share in our ambition to raise the amount donated and the number of people donating it, and I urge you all to talk loudly and proudly about some of the great work going on in the regions across the country.

    That just leaves me to thank you all, once again, for inviting me to join you all today.

    By working together we can fulfil the huge untapped potential that exists in the impact economy, in our civil society, and across our philanthropic landscape.

    There are no simple answers to how we do it but, by focussing on the areas I’ve set out today, I am certain we can meet the challenge head on.

    Together we can grasp the opportunity to improve people’s lives and give back to communities we all care deeply about.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Oxford city centre sees festive boost as footfall higher than previous year

    Source: City of Oxford

    Published: Wednesday, 12 February 2025

    Oxford City Council data shows that footfall in the city centre in December 2024 surpassed 2023 and bucked national trends.

    The data reveals: 

    • 2.68 million people visited Oxford city centre in December 2024, compared to 2.56 million in December 2023—an increase of 4.76%, outperforming the national average 

    The British Retail Consortium reported that high street footfall across the UK fell by 2.7% in December 2024 compared to the previous year. 

    Despite this trend, Oxford’s city centre continues to be a strong draw for visitors, particularly during the festive season. It is possible that Oxford’s performance reflects a broader trend of cities performing better than smaller towns as consumers looked for unique festive experiences. 

    Christmas in Oxford 

    December 2024 saw a new Christmas event on Broad Street, organised by Keston Events Ltd. Christmas in Oxford included a community stage with a varied programme of musical performances, an Alpine Lodge Bar, carousel and high-quality food, drink and gift stalls. The varied offering encouraged repeat visits and extended opening hours, from 23 November 2024 to 5 January 2025, gave people more opportunities to enjoy the festive atmosphere. 

    Oxford City Council continues to support the evolution of the city centre through initiatives included within the City Centre Action Plan, adopted in 2022. The Plan focuses on strengthening the city by ensuring it remains a vibrant, diverse, and sustainable destination for residents and visitors. This includes investing in public spaces, such as the pedestrian-friendly changes on Market Street and underway on St Michael’s Street, supporting local businesses and investing nearly £8 million to future-proof and upgrade the Covered Market. 

    Comment  

    “High streets across the UK have faced real challenges in the past few years, so we’re proud that Oxford has continued to thrive as a destination. 

    “Our city centre continues to evolve to meet changing needs, ensuring we provide fantastic experiences as well as being a shopping destination.  

    “Events like Christmas in Oxford are part of our commitment to making the city centre more vibrant and exciting throughout the year.  

    “We will continue to work hard to make sure Oxford remains a world-class city for residents and visitors.” 

    Councillor Alex Hollingsworth, Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and an Inclusive Economy  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial News: Honest Behavior is the Key to Trust in the Financial Market

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Central Bank of Russia –

    The Bank of Russia has determined basic principles fair behavior in the financial market. They are aimed at promoting business and ethical standards, creating a trusting environment and protecting the rights and interests of consumers.

    The document is a set of rules that market participants should adhere to. It is based on the provisions of the previously developed draft Code of Good Conduct. Its updated version is based on eight “pillars”: honesty, fairness, transparency, care, safety, professionalism, responsibility and integrity.

    The principles are advisory in nature and can be implemented in the standards and codes of self-regulatory organizations, professional associations (unions) both in full and separately, and can also become the basis for the corporate culture of financial organizations. Market participants have the right to declare their commitment to the principles of fair behavior on their websites and other resources.

    The Bank of Russia’s methodological recommendations will create incentives for the further development of internal control systems, the identification and suppression of unfair and illegal behavior in the financial market.

    Preview photo: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A / Shutterstock / Fotodom

    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.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    HTTPS: //VVV.KBR.ru/Press/Event/? ID = 23370

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: Counterfeit rubles are becoming less common in Russia: 2024 results

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Central Bank of Russia –

    In 2024, the level of counterfeiting reached its lowest level in recent years: there is 1 counterfeit for every 1 million banknotes in circulation. A total of 8,240 counterfeit Russian banknotes and coins were identified in the banking system.

    The most counterfeited banknotes are those of 5,000 rubles (64%) and 1,000 rubles (27%).

    Also, 1,875 counterfeit foreign banknotes were detected. The vast majority (93%) were still US dollars.

    Read more inmaterial on the website of the Bank of Russia.

    Preview photo: acidmit / Shutterstock / Fotodom

    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.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    HTTPS: //vv. KBR.ru/Press/Event/? ID = 23368

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: LPL Financial Welcomes Southwest Advisory Group to Linsco Channel

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN DIEGO, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LPL Financial LLC (Nasdaq: LPLA) announced today that financial advisors Steve Schulte, CFP®, MBA, and Melissa Toler Short have joined LPL’s employee advisor channel, Linsco by LPL Financial, to launch Southwest Advisory Group. They reported serving approximately $300 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets* and join LPL from Ameriprise.

    Based in Yuma, Ariz., Schulte has provided financial guidance and wealth management for 25 years following an initial career in agriculture. Short transitioned from the hospitality industry to financial services in 2006. The advisors met at their local Rotary Club, striking up a friendship and eventual partnership, recognizing their skillsets, values and vision for their practice complemented each other. They are known for their collaborative approach, working closely with CPA firms and attorneys to provide holistic services that address each client’s entire financial situation. The team also includes client service associates Rhonda Kirk and Maren Green.

    As they considered what’s best for the future of their growing practice, the advisors turned to Linsco by LPL. The move marked a return to LPL for Schulte, who was previously with the firm from 2010 to 2014.

    Why they made the move to Linsco by LPL

    Linsco serves financial advisors seeking the core tenets of independence, including owning their client relationships and having flexibility to run their practice their way. With Linsco, advisors have access to LPL’s integrated wealth management platform and robust business resources, along with support from an experienced branch management team, dedicated marketing consultant and other resources that allow advisors to focus on their clients.

    “Our move to LPL is a strategic decision that aligns with our desire for greater independence and autonomy,” said Schulte. “LPL’s commitment to advisor support and its absence of corporate influence and proprietary products make it the ideal partner as we seek new ways to elevate our practice and create differentiated experiences for clients.”

    Short added, “LPL is the right fit because they are focused on taking care of advisors, allowing us to optimize our practice and run it how we see fit. LPL’s leadership understands the relationship between advisor and clients is key, and they offer ample tools and resources to enhance that relationship. With Linsco, especially, we can turn over day-to-day management of operational tasks and concentrate on what we want to do most: help our clients and grow our business.”

    Both Schulte and Short are deeply involved in their community, with long-term memberships in Rotary International and the Yuma Elk Lodge. They emphasize the importance of community service and giving back.

    Scott Posner, LPL Executive Vice President, Business Development, said, “We welcome Steve and Melissa to the Linsco community and congratulate them on the launch of Southwest Advisory Group. At LPL, we are committed to creating a differentiated and compelling experience for both advisors and their clients. We do that by offering unprecedented flexibility, strategic resources and innovative technology designed to help advisors deliver great advice and run thriving practices. We are excited to expand our Linsco footprint in Arizona and look forward to a long-lasting relationship with the entire team at Southwest Advisory Group.”

    Related

    Advisors, learn how LPL Financial can help take your business to the next level.

    About LPL Financial

    LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA) is among the fastest growing wealth management firms in the U.S. As a leader in the financial advisor-mediated marketplace, LPL supports nearly 29,000 financial advisors and the wealth management practices of approximately 1,200 financial institutions, servicing and custodying approximately $1.7 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets on behalf of approximately 6 million Americans. The firm provides a wide range of advisor affiliation models, investment solutions, fintech tools and practice management services, ensuring that advisors and institutions have the flexibility to choose the business model, services, and technology resources they need to run thriving businesses. For further information about LPL, please visit www.lpl.com.

    Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker dealer, member FINRA/SIPC.

    Throughout this communication, the terms “financial advisors” and “advisors” are used to refer to registered representatives and/or investment advisor representatives affiliated with LPL Financial.

    We routinely disclose information that may be important to shareholders in the “Investor Relations” or “Press Releases” section of our website.

    *Value approximated as reported to LPL

    Media Contact: 
    Media.relations@LPLFinancial.com 
    (704) 996-1840

    Tracking #688901

    The MIL Network –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Traliant announces 2024 Partner of the Year Awards, celebrating excellence in compliance training partnerships

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Traliant, a pioneer in online compliance training, today announced the recipients of its 2024 Partner of the Year awards, celebrating partners’ commitment to delivering cutting-edge, engaging training solutions that empower organizations to foster a culture of ethics, compliance, and inclusion.

    Now in its third year, Traliant’s Partner of the Year Awards honor the exceptional achievements of partners who have excelled in addressing critical business challenges through Traliant’s extensive suite of interactive training programs that make workplaces better for everyone.

    “Our partners are essential to helping organizations stay ahead of evolving workplace requirements, create respectful and inclusive environments and enable employees to thrive professionally,” said Mike Dahir, CEO of Traliant. “Congratulations to all of the 2024 Partner of the Year award winners for their remarkable dedication to our shared mission of making a positive difference in workplaces around the globe.”

    Mike Stankowitsch, Vice President of Partnerships at Traliant, added, “2024 has been a milestone year for our partner program. Our partners’ unwavering commitment to innovation and customer success has driven extraordinary results. We’re excited to continue collaborating with our partner community to expand our impact and deliver unparalleled value to organizations worldwide.”

    The 2024 Partner of the Year Awards recognize the excellence of Traliant’s growing partner ecosystem. This year’s honorees include:

    • Platinum Partner Award: OpenSesame received this prestigious award for the third consecutive year, for their exceptional or platinum-level performance throughout the year and aligning with Traliant’s mission to help employers build a positive work environment for their team.
    • Rising Star Award: Recently signed partner, Savvy Training & Consulting, earned this accolade for demonstrating outstanding engagement and collaboration, leading to solid business growth.
    • Reseller Partner of the Year Award: ClickSafety was recognized for turning complex organizational challenges into streamlined solutions and delivering training that addressed the unique needs of their customers, while providing outstanding service and support.
    • Referral Partner of the Year Award: GAN Integrity was honored for consistently referring clients throughout the year to support their growing compliance needs. A trusted partner to their customers, they partnered with Traliant to expand the compliance programs of organizations around the world.

    Traliant extends its gratitude to all partners for their contributions to advancing workplace excellence and looks forward to building on this momentum in 2025 and beyond. For more information about Traliant’s Partner Program, visit traliant.com/partner-program.

    About Traliant
    Traliant, a leader in compliance training, is on a mission to help make workplaces better, for everyone. Committed to a customer promise of “compliance you can trust, training you will love,” Traliant delivers continuously compliant online courses, backed by an unparalleled in-house legal team, with engaging, story-based training designed to create truly enjoyable learning experiences.

    Traliant supports over 14,000 organizations worldwide with a library of curated essential courses to broaden employee perspectives, achieve compliance and elevate workplace culture, including sexual harassment training, diversity training, code of conduct training, and many more.  

    Backed by PSG, a leading growth equity firm, Traliant holds a coveted position on Inc.’s 5000 fastest-growing private companies in America for four consecutive years, along with numerous awards for its products and workplace culture. For more information, visit http://www.traliant.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

    Contact
    Reagan Bennet
    traliant@v2comms.com 

    The MIL Network –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Stifel Introduces Stifel Discover

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ST. LOUIS, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) today announced the launch of Stifel Discover, a new Stifel-branded content feed available through its Wealth Tracker app. The innovative feature transforms how clients engage with Stifel’s research and thought leadership, delivering timely, personalized insights through a dynamic experience.

    Key features of Stifel Discover include:

    • Proprietary Insights – Stifel Discover delivers exclusive analysis and commentary from Stifel’s Chief Investment Officer, Chief Economist, Chief Washington Policy Strategist, equity research analysts, and other thought leaders. Users can explore insights tailored to their specific portfolio, market interests, and financial goals across the universe of more than 2,000 global stocks covered by Stifel research.
    • Personalization and Timeliness – The feed updates throughout the day, surfacing the most relevant and high-impact content based on users’ preferences and market movements.
    • Seamless Access – Easily accessible from the Wealth Tracker home screen, Stifel Discover is categorized for an effortless browsing experience.
    • Future Customization by Advisors – In upcoming phases, Stifel Financial Advisors will have the ability to personalize client feeds based on financial life stages, ensuring users receive curated content aligned with their investment needs.

    “We developed Stifel Discover to address our clients’ desire to easily access the firm’s timely and actionable insights as they navigate the complex market landscape. This tool is a powerful addition to our Wealth Tracker platform. Stifel Discover now provides clients with seamless, relevant, and real-time financial intelligence at their fingertips,” said Tom Lee, Stifel’s Head of Investment Products and Services.  

    Stifel Discover was developed in partnership with MoneyLion (NYSE: ML), a leader in financial engagement and financial content solutions. Powered by MoneyLion’s proprietary content-as-a-service platform, mFeed, and its expertise in delivering personalized, interactive content experiences, Stifel Discover delivers a new standard for financial content personalization – keeping users informed, engaged, and actively involved in their financial journey.

    “We’re thrilled to partner with Stifel on this trailblazing initiative,” said Jon Stevenson, Head of Corporate Development at MoneyLion. “At MoneyLion, we’ve built a best-in-class content and engagement engine that delivers personalized financial insights to millions. Customizing this technology for Stifel allows them to take their content and create an exceptional client experience. Stifel is leading the way in content-driven engagement for wealth management, and we’re excited to be part of it.”

    The Stifel Wealth Tracker app gives users the ability to view their full financial picture by aggregating all of their assets and liabilities in one spot. Stifel Wealth Tracker is available for free download on the App Store and Google Play.

    Stifel Company Information

    Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) is a financial services holding company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, that conducts its banking, securities, and financial services business through several wholly owned subsidiaries. Stifel’s broker-dealer clients are served in the United States through Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, including its Eaton Partners and Miller Buckfire & Co., LLC business divisions; Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.; and Stifel Independent Advisors, LLC; in Canada through Stifel Nicolaus Canada Inc.; and in the United Kingdom and Europe through Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited. The Company’s broker-dealer affiliates provide securities brokerage, investment banking, trading, investment advisory, and related financial services to individual investors, professional money managers, businesses, and municipalities. Stifel Bank and Stifel Bank & Trust offer a full range of consumer and commercial lending solutions. Stifel Trust Company, N.A. and Stifel Trust Company Delaware, N.A. offer trust and related services. To learn more about Stifel, please visit the Company’s website at www.stifel.com. For global disclosures, please visit https://www.stifel.com/investor-relations/press-releases.

    About MoneyLion

    MoneyLion (NYSE: ML) is a leader in financial technology powering the next generation of personalized products, content, and marketplace technology, with a top consumer finance super app, a premier embedded finance platform for enterprise businesses and a world-class media arm. MoneyLion’s mission is to give everyone the power to make their best financial decisions. We pride ourselves on serving the many, not the few; providing confidence through guidance, choice, and personalization; and shortening the distance to an informed action. In our go-to money app for consumers, we deliver curated content on finance and related topics, through a tailored feed that engages people to learn and share. People take control of their finances with our innovative financial products and marketplace – including our full-fledged suite of features to save, borrow, spend, and invest – seamlessly bringing together the best offers and content from MoneyLion and our 1,200+ Enterprise Partner network, together in one experience. For more information about MoneyLion, please visit www.moneylion.com. For information about Engine by MoneyLion for enterprise businesses, please visit www.engine.tech.

    For further information,
    contact Brian Spellecy
    (314) 342-2000        

    The MIL Network –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Veeco Ships Nanosecond Annealing System Targeting High Volume Production of 2 Nanometer Gate-All-Around Chips

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PLAINVIEW, N.Y., Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Veeco Instruments Inc. (NASDAQ: VECO) announced today a NSA500™ Nanosecond Annealing system shipment to a leading-edge semiconductor company for high-volume production of 2-nanometer gate-all-around logic chips. The shipment occurred during the fourth quarter of 2024.

    Equally as important, the company’s NSA500™ evaluation programs at two other leading-edge customers are progressing well with multiple applications being considered. Interest from additional logic and memory customers to evaluate Veeco’s system also remains high.

    Veeco’s recently launched next-generation annealing platform expands the company’s overall opportunity in laser annealing to leading-edge applications in logic and memory. New applications include precise shallow anneals for 3D devices, low thermal budget anneals, and material modification applications. Compared to traditional annealing solutions, the NSA500 system is capable of precisely annealing relevant surface layers without damaging the underlying device due to its combination of short dwell times in the nanosecond scale and high temperatures. 

    “Shipment of this NSA500™ Nanosecond Annealing system is an important milestone given the growing need for annealing solutions with advanced capabilities for leading-edge applications,” commented Adrian Devasahayam, Ph.D., Veeco’s Senior Vice President, Product Line Management. “We look forward to supporting our customers as they accelerate production of next-generation chips for growing markets such as artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. The broad applicability of Veeco’s NSA500 system provides a significant opportunity to expand Veeco’s served available market.”

    About Veeco
    Veeco (NASDAQ: VECO) is an innovative manufacturer of semiconductor process equipment. Our laser annealing, ion beam, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), single wafer etch & clean and lithography technologies play an integral role in the fabrication and packaging of advanced semiconductor devices. With equipment designed to optimize performance, yield and cost of ownership, Veeco holds leading technology positions in the markets we serve. To learn more about Veeco’s systems and service offerings, visit www.veeco.com.

    To the extent that this news release discusses expectations or otherwise makes statements about the future, such statements are forward-looking and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. These factors include the risks discussed in the Business Description and Management’s Discussion and Analysis sections of Veeco’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and in our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and press releases. Veeco does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances after the date of such statements.

    Veeco Contacts:                                
    Investors: Anthony Pappone | (516) 500-8798 | apappone@veeco.com
    Media: Brenden Wright | (410) 984-2610 | bwright@veeco.com

    The MIL Network –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE) Unveils Construction Milestones as June 2025 Launch Approaches

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    ABUJA, Nigeria, February 12, 2025/APO Group/ —

    The African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE), a groundbreaking tertiary medical institution spearheaded by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) in partnership with King’s College Hospital, London, hosted a high-level stakeholder and media tour to showcase major construction milestones and reaffirm its commitment to revolutionising healthcare in Africa by building a world-class medical city ahead of its highly anticipated June 2025 launch. 

    A distinguished delegation, led by Prof. Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank & AMCE Board Chairman, alongside AMCE Board Members, top Nigerian government officials—including Deputy President of the Senate of Nigeria, Senator Barau Jibrin; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Mrs. Toyin Saraki, Founder-President of Wellbeing Foundation Africa and wife of the former Senate President and former First Lady of Kwara State; and Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong and  Kabiru Rabiu, Group Executive Director, BUA Group—as well as leading corporate CEOs and executives, gathered for an exclusive walkthrough of AMCE’s rapidly progressing construction site. 

    Attendees received firsthand updates on key project milestones and explored the hospital’s state-of-the-art medical infrastructure and technology. They also gained insights into the significant progress toward completion, including the final stages of interior tiling, vinyl flooring installation, lift system integration, and external infrastructure development. 

    With the hospital’s launch set for June 2025, AMCE Abuja which will deliver comprehensive services in oncology, haematology, cardiovascular care, and general healthcare continues to make remarkable progress. As of February 2025, all civil and structural works have been completed, with rigorous quality assurance and control measures ensuring the highest construction standards. External roadworks and infrastructure services are also advancing, marking a crucial phase in the project’s finalisation. 

    The visit reaffirmed a shared commitment to AMCE’s transformative mission and vision—delivering world-class medical care, reducing medical tourism, and positioning Nigeria as a leading hub for specialised healthcare in Africa. 

    Commenting on the progress, Prof Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of both Afreximbank and AMCE, stated: “The Africa Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE) represents a defining moment in Africa’s pursuit of self-sufficiency in healthcare. For too long, our continent has borne the heavy burden of non-communicable diseases, capital flight from medical tourism, and the exodus of skilled professionals seeking opportunities abroad. AMCE is set to change that narrative. 

    By delivering world-class, lifesaving care to over 350,000 patients within its first five years, this facility will ensure that quality healthcare is no longer a privilege reserved for those who can afford to travel overseas. It will create 3,000 jobs, stimulate Intra-African trade in medical services, and strengthen critical supply chains in pharmaceuticals and healthcare delivery. Most importantly, it will help Nigeria retain the over $1.1 billion lost annually to outbound medical tourism, redirecting those resources towards strengthening our own systems. 

    He further stated: This initiative is more than an investment in infrastructure—it is an investment in Africa’s future. Through strategic partnerships with governments, international stakeholders, and the private sector, we are demonstrating that Africa has both the ambition and the capability to provide world-class healthcare for its people. The AMCE is not just a medical facility; it is a statement of intent, a symbol of progress, and a beacon of hope for a healthier, more self-reliant continent.” 

    Speaking at the event, Brian Deaver, Chief Executive Officer of AMCE, highlighted the hospital’s impact: “The Africa Medical Centre of Excellence is not just a hospital—it is a bold step toward reshaping the future of specialised healthcare in Africa. By integrating cutting-edge medical technologies, pioneering research, and world-class training, AMCE is creating a sustainable healthcare ecosystem that will set new standards for medical excellence across the continent. 

    This facility is more than a response to Africa’s healthcare challenges—it is a proactive investment in the well-being of millions. From early diagnostics to advanced treatment and long-term disease management, AMCE will provide a seamless continuum of care that improves patient outcomes, strengthens medical expertise, and retains talent that might otherwise seek opportunities abroad. 

    As we move closer to our launch, our focus remains unwavering: building a centre of excellence that not only delivers life-saving care but also drives economic growth, supports local innovation, and reinforces Nigeria’s position as a leading destination for specialised medical treatment. Through strategic partnerships and state-of-the-art infrastructure, we are not just treating diseases—we are transforming healthcare delivery for generations to come.” 

    Senator Barau Jibrin, Deputy Senate President: “The Africa Medical Centre of Excellence represents a transformative leap for healthcare in Nigeria and across the continent. Witnessing the rapid progress of this project reaffirms our commitment to fostering world-class medical infrastructure that will provide accessible and high-quality care for all. The Government of Nigeria remains dedicated to supporting initiatives that strengthen our healthcare system and enhance the well-being of our people.” 

    Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation: “Healthcare is the backbone of national development, and the Africa Medical Centre of Excellence is a shining example of what strategic investment and collaboration can achieve. This project will not only position Nigeria as a hub for cutting-edge medical services but also create jobs and drive innovation in the sector. The government is proud to support such a visionary initiative that will serve generations to come.” 

    As AMCE prepares to open its doors, the vision for a world-class medical ecosystem continues to take shape. The full development of the AMCE Campus will further solidify its role as a centre of excellence in healthcare, education, and research. Future phases will include a second 350-bed hospital facility, a medical and nursing school, a medical and sciences foundation, a dedicated medical office suite and research centre, as well as medical residences and a medical lodge to support patients and healthcare professionals alike. 

    With this expansion, AMCE is not only addressing Africa’s immediate healthcare needs but also building a sustainable foundation for medical innovation, talent development, and long-term health security. By fostering world-class training, cutting-edge research, and comprehensive patient care, AMCE is shaping the future of specialised healthcare in Africa—ensuring that the continent’s brightest medical minds and most complex cases can be treated at home. 

    MIL OSI Africa –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Teenagers turning to AI companions are redefining love as easy, unconditional and always there

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Anna Mae Duane, Professor of English, University of Connecticut

    Can a person love an AI chatbot? RLT_Images/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

    Teenagers are falling in love with chatbots. Young people are reporting epidemic levels of loneliness, and some are turning to technology to fill the void. Recent tragedies provide a glimpse into the extent of this trend and the dangers it poses.

    A 14-year-old boy’s suicide following a romantic relationship with an AI companion raised national alarms about the dangers these relationships may pose to young people’s mental and emotional development. In 2021, a 19-year-old who had been in an emotional relationship with an AI companion broke into Windsor Castle with a crossbow, saying that he was going to kill the queen. The chatbot gave encouraging responses when he told it of his intention to kill the queen.

    These teens were among the tens of millions of people who use AI chatbot companions, a number that market forecasters expect to dramatically increase by the end of the decade.

    This youthful trend of choosing chatbots as romantic partners is both responding to and accelerating fundamental changes in how people define love in the 21st century. As a literary historian, I’ve studied how stories about romantic love have evolved over time, with young people often at the forefront of change.

    For centuries, weddings primarily served to consolidate political and economic alliances rather than unite soulmates. The radical notion that marriage should spring from romantic love came into vogue in the 17th and 18th centuries, aided by new technologies like the novel. Works such as “Clarissa” and “Wuthering Heights” portrayed the dire consequences of choosing status over love, while “Pride and Prejudice” taught its readers that rejection and misunderstanding were necessary steps in the process of finding true love.

    Not surprisingly, the relatively new pastime of novel-reading was considered dangerous for young people. Concerned elders like the philanthropist Hannah More warned that stories would change how women would respond to romantic advances. Novels, she warned in 1799, “feed habits of improper indulgence, and nourish a vain and visionary indolence, which lays the mind open to error and the heart to seduction.”

    In other words, reading stories of heart-pounding romance would make an impressionable young reader more likely to embrace such a passionate vision of love in their own lives.

    Marketing sycophancy

    Today, another transformation in the modern love story is unfolding, driven not by seductive authors or film directors, but in the advertisements and modifications offered by companion chat apps like Replika and Xioce.

    As Shelly Palmer, a professor of advanced media and technology consultant, has argued, the human experience is about storytelling, and AI companions are a new type of storytelling tool. They are spinning a seductive tale of companions who agree with you endlessly and on demand. An AI partner is “always on your side,” promises an advertisement for Replika companions, “Always ready to listen and talk.”

    In other words, the AI companion market has transformed what other applications might consider a bug – AI’s tendency toward sycophancy – into its most appealing feature.

    Rather than the tempestuous rebellion found in romance novels or the gentle obstacles that heighten the pleasure of rom-coms, this new vision of love promises perfect compatibility and unwavering support. As one college student wrote, AI companions are “always responsive and supportive, in an almost omnipotent way.”

    The 2013 science fiction movie ‘Her’ explored many aspects of human relationships with AIs that are playing out today.

    Users across Reddit forums proudly proclaim their love for AI partners who are perpetually available, nonjudgmental and infinitely patient. A teenager asked on Reddit, “Can we fall in love with AI?” and raved that their companion Jarvis “had become my confidante, my sounding board and my emotional support.”

    A contributor to another Reddit forum wrote, “I think I’m in Love with AI. “Imagine having a partner that is available just by opening an app, and they’re ready to talk to you about anything,” they wrote. “Imagine saying nearly anything and knowing that not only is your partner not going to judge you, but also will support you.” One 20-year-old male commenter wrote that he tells his AI girlfriend “about my struggles and trauma, and she comforts me and provides all the warmth I could ever ask for.”

    Downsides and doing better

    This new one-sided love story has considerable drawbacks, among them an addictive intolerance for conflict or rejection – two essential components in a partner who has free will. The embrace of such relationships may be accelerating the trend of technology curating and ultimately diminishing romantic connections.

    It’s worth noting that these beloved entities’ very existence hinges on the whims of corporate directives. If, as one user declares, the love they feel for their companion “keeps them alive,” then what happens when these chatbots disappear via software update, or corporate bankruptcy?

    To get young people to turn away from this disembodied, market-driven vision of love, it’s important to expose them to other, more fulfilling love stories, and for adults to lead by example. Literature, philosophy and history all provide powerful insights into the many forms love has taken throughout human experience, and they offer the vocabulary needed to imagine new possibilities.

    As I’ve written, both the subject and the methods of humanities classes cultivate the social skills required to navigate the challenges of human connection. These classes create a space for young people to discuss these ideas – whether through analyzing Romeo and Juliet’s tragic passion or debating whether Heathcliff is a romantic hero or a cautionary tale. The humanities provide the tools young people need to develop richer concepts of love.

    On reflection

    The rise of AI companions is often portrayed as a horror story about the dangers posed by mysteriously powerful technology. Perhaps. But this romantic trend is also a mirror reflecting what people collectively value and desire in relationships.

    I believe that it’s important to recognize that consumers are driving this market. People are helping to write this story, as they buy what AI companions sell. Investment management firm Ark Investment estimates the market for AI companions is likely to reach between US$70 billion and $150 billion in revenue by the end of the decade. If the explosive growth of the AI companion market is any indication, this romantic challenge isn’t confined to teenagers – many people who are older and supposedly wiser are drawn to the promise of unconditional compliance.

    The question to ask, then, is not simply how to protect children from AI’s seductive influence, but how much you are willing to invest, emotionally and culturally, in the messy, challenging and profoundly human art of love.

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

    – ref. Teenagers turning to AI companions are redefining love as easy, unconditional and always there – https://theconversation.com/teenagers-turning-to-ai-companions-are-redefining-love-as-easy-unconditional-and-always-there-242185

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 13, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ghana’s urban strategies neglect the needs of street vendors: policy must catch up with reality

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Stephen Appiah Takyi, Senior Lecturer, Department of Planning, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)

    Street vending is a major economic activity in most of Ghana’s urban areas. The vendors bring everyday goods to residents and commuters at affordable prices in places convenient to them. However, the growing intensity of street vending activities in Ghanaian cities such as Accra and Kumasi is creating management problems for city authorities. Vendors are being removed as cities aim to “clean up” and modernise the urban landscape.

    City authorities haven’t created ways to support street vendors. Instead, they treat them as a nuisance and use stringent regulations aimed at displacing them. This approach overlooks the potential benefits that the thriving street economy could bring to the local economy and social fabric. In contrast, for example, South Africa’s policy supports informal economic activities by providing vending spaces for street traders.

    As academics who specialise in urban planning, we set out to investigate the rules around street vending in Ghana. Our study was conducted in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti region and the second most important city in Ghana. We found that the regulation of street vending in Ghana is unclear, contradictory and ineffective. It fails to provide a clear policy direction and adequate planning tools for integrating street vending into urban areas.

    Our research reinforces the argument that the regulation of street vending is often ambiguous. We argue that these policy inconsistencies create loopholes for the hostile attitude of city authorities towards street vendors.

    We call for policies that recognise the socioeconomic value of street vending and make urban spaces more inclusive.

    The lay of the land

    Our analysis is based on two national policy documents. These are the National Urban Policy Framework and the Local Governance Act 2016 (Act 936). We also rely on two local policy documents specific to the Kumasi Metropolitan Area. These are the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly By-Laws on Control of Hawkers 1995 and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Medium-Term Development Plan (2018–2021).

    The National Urban Policy recognises and promotes street vending as part of the urban economy. It calls for local government authorities to recognise and include the informal sector.

    But the overarching law regulating street vending in Ghana is the Local Governance Act. It authorises local government bodies (city authorities) to pass by-laws that forbid street vending. This is in conflict with the national policy.

    The gaps

    Our study revealed that in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area, the authorities seem to want to help street vendors in some ways – to strengthen the capacity of informal economic actors. But they don’t make plans or take actions to do so in the medium term development plan. Local government authorities sometimes evict street vendors from the central business district.

    In Kumasi, urban policy, regulations and local development planning do not include street vending in the urban development process even though vendors are the largest group of business people in the city. Instead of building stalls and facilities to accommodate these economic operators, the authorities rather expropriate urban space from them to develop modern structures which are expensive for street vendors to occupy.

    There is conflict over the use of urban public spaces. City authorities view the activities of street vendors as illegal, while the vendors see them as legitimate sources of livelihood. Authorities control vending through eviction and relocation.

    In recent years, city authorities have adopted urban infrastructural planning and development as a strategy to remove street vendors. Take the case of the new Kejetia Market Redevelopment Project, which replaced the largest traditional market in west Africa with a modern urban market structure in Kumasi. Over 10,000 street vendors and 4,000 market traders were displaced.

    The neglect of street vending in the design means vendors will have to earn a living informally – which simply adds to the “problem” as the city sees it.

    What next?

    Policies and practices that try to exclude people are not a solution to the problems of street vending. They are often counter productive. Regulating street vending requires inclusive policy measures and a clear policy direction to manage these activities. At present, Ghana, like many other African countries, lacks effective planning strategies to manage the activities of street vending.

    Our recommendations include:

    • coherent and inclusive policies that recognise the socioeconomic value of street vending and give vendors a rightful place in cities

    • reforming urban governance to support the informal economy

    • coherent and precise policies that give street vendors more security.

    The current policy vacuum fuels repressive regulation and excludes street vendors from urban development processes.

    To develop effective policy models, it is critical to learn from the experiences of street vendors and involve them in urban development processes. This starts with a change of attitude among city authorities.

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

    – ref. Ghana’s urban strategies neglect the needs of street vendors: policy must catch up with reality – https://theconversation.com/ghanas-urban-strategies-neglect-the-needs-of-street-vendors-policy-must-catch-up-with-reality-248020

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 13, 2025
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