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  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand, Warren Demand Answers About Trump Administration Cuts to Agencies That Protect Seniors From Frauds And Scams

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
    Americans lost more than $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024
    This week, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, ranking member of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, and Elizabeth Warren, ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, demanded answers from the Trump administration on the impact of federal cuts to agencies that protect seniors from financial frauds and scams. The senators’ letter follows the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report detailing the need to enhance protections against frauds and scams through coordination among federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Treasury Department, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Federal Reserve, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
    Even after the release of GAO’s report, the Trump administration has continued efforts to gut these agencies. For example, in April, the administration fired about 1,500 CFPB employees—or almost 90% of the agency’s staff. The so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) has also attempted to harass public servants throughout the federal government into leaving their jobs, decreasing personnel at the very agencies that GAO agrees are needed to protect older adults.
    “GAO’s report detailed the need to enhance our nation’s response to scams, including through better coordination among federal agencies. Despite that need, President Trump allowed an out-of-touch billionaire to slash the very agencies that protect Americans from scams, including millions of older adults,” the senators wrote. “We ask GAO to examine the impact of these severe cuts on the ability of the federal government to address frauds and scams, and to carry out the recommendations in GAO’s report.”
    American consumers reported losing more than $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024. Older Americans alone lost a record $4.8 billion to scammers last year, according to the FBI.
    The full text of the letter can be found here or below.
    Dear Mr. Dodaro,
    We write today to request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) follow up on its report, Consumer Protection: Actions Needed to Improve Complaint Reporting, Consumer Education, and Federal Coordination to Counter Scams (GAO-25-107088). GAO’s report detailed the need to enhance our nation’s response to scams, including through better coordination among federal agencies. Despite that need, President Trump allowed an out of touch billionaire to slash the very agencies that protect Americans from scams, including millions of older adults. We ask GAO to examine the impact of these severe cuts on the ability of the federal government to address frauds and scams, and to carry out the recommendations in GAO’s report.
    American consumers reported losing more than $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024, and scams can have a particularly devastating impact on the mental and financial health of older adults. Older adults are more likely to have accumulated savings and housing wealth, making them targets for scammers who “steal everything,” and leave the older adults “emotionally and financially ruined.” One older adult testified about a scam that cost her late husband his job, his self-confidence, and forced him to ration his medications – setbacks that contributed to his declining health. Another older adult testified that she could not repair her home, afford air conditioning, and had to turn off her refrigerator and stove after losing $39,000 in a scam. Even as elder scams are devastating, they are also difficult to investigate because of their global nature. Frequently, such scams combine the efforts of overseas criminal organizations with operatives in the United States.
    In April 2025, GAO released a report, Consumer Protection: Actions Needed to Improve Complaint Reporting, Consumer Education, and Federal Coordination to Counter Scams, that highlighted the scope of scams and the weaknesses in the federal government’s efforts to combat them. The report included several recommendations for the federal government, such as the need for the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) to lead an effort to develop a national strategy to counter scams. Many of the recommendations made it clear that agencies such as FBI, the Department of Treasury, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Federal Reserve, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will need to work together to find solutions. The interagency cooperation envisioned by GAO’s report will require federal agencies that are well resourced and staffed with the proper expertise.
    Although there is a need to enhance our nation’s response to scams, President Trump has empowered efforts to decimate the very agencies leading the response. On January 20, 2025, President Trump established the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE). The initial head of the DOGE, Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, does not need to worry about his basic needs and lives a life of unfettered influence and power. Yet, Mr. Musk and his cronies at the DOGE set a goal of cutting $1 trillion from agencies that serve working class Americans, older adults, and people with disabilities. Efforts by the DOGE include attempts to harass public servants throughout the federal government into leaving their jobs. DOGE efforts also include drastic cuts at agencies with a role in addressing scams, such as the CFPB, which has been subjected to mass firings. Consequently, we seek GAO’s assistance in understanding how DOGE’s actions affect key agencies’ efforts to address frauds and scams in general and implement GAO’s report recommendations in particular.
    We understand that the DOGE’s efforts are ongoing and its efforts at the FBI, FTC, CFPB, the Department of Treasury, and the Federal Reserve may not be completed for many months. We also understand that GAO may receive some insight into the impact of DOGE’s actions at the five agencies when the agencies submit an action plan to Congress and GAO as part of the formal “180-day Letter” process that is in place for GAO recommendations to federal agencies. Therefore, we ask that GAO defer any work until it receives and initially analyzes the action plans from agencies that were targeted by the recommendations.
    Once the agency action plans have been received and analyzed by GAO, and the DOGE’s efforts are sufficiently completed, we request that GAO examine and report on the following issues:
    1. In its April 2025 report, GAO identified five key agencies that play a role in addressing frauds and scams. Since January 20, 2025, how has the ability of the five agencies to address frauds and scams been impacted by firings, resignations, buyouts, agency restructurings, and other actions undertaken by the Trump Administration and the DOGE?
    a. What changes have occurred at the five agencies a year or less following the actions taken by the Trump Administration and the DOGE, and what, if any, observable impact have those changes had on efforts to address frauds and scams?
    b. What impacts may the changes have over multiple years on the five agencies and their efforts to address frauds and scams?
    2. GAO’s April 2025 report included 16 recommendations for the federal government to improve its response to frauds and scams. How have the changes implemented by the Trump Administration and DOGE impacted the ability of the five agencies identified in the April 2025 report to implement GAO’s recommendations? Further, if efforts are made to reverse the changes at any of the five agencies, please describe the success of those efforts. Please include any barriers the agencies have faced to restaffing and restoring efforts to combat frauds and scams.
    We appreciate your attention to this request. Should you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Ranking Member Gillibrand’s staff with the Senate Special Committee on Aging or Ranking Member Warren’s staff with the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: FHLBank San Francisco Awards Nearly $50 Million to Help Create Over 2,000 Affordable Housing Units Across Arizona, California and Nevada

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN FRANCISCO, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco) today announced $49.7 million in Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grants from its General Fund and Nevada Targeted Fund to support 31 developments across Arizona, California, and Nevada, creating more than 2,050 units of affordable housing throughout the bank’s three-state region.

    “We continue to make meaningful investments to address the affordable housing crisis across Arizona, California, and Nevada,” said Joseph E. Amato, interim president and CEO of FHLBank San Francisco. “This funding, delivered in partnership with our local member financial institutions, supports housing affordability solutions in urban centers, rural areas, tribal lands, and communities in need. We are helping to expand the housing supply and deliver critical support services to individuals and families who need it most.”

    This year’s AHP General Fund awards will deliver $44.6 million in funding for 26 projects, with 22 in California and four in Arizona, collectively producing over 1,780 affordable housing units across the two states. In addition to the AHP General Fund Awards, the AHP Nevada Targeted Fund will deliver $5.1 million for five projects to create 273 affordable units in Nevada. In total, 16 FHLBank San Francisco member financial institutions will partner with 27 nonprofits and affordable housing developers to create the much-needed affordable housing units. These grants underscore FHLBank San Francisco’s ongoing commitment to addressing the housing crisis in Arizona, California and Nevada – three states facing some of the most severe affordable housing shortages in the nation.

    “Everyone deserves a safe, secure and affordable place to live. But right now, we have a housing crisis that’s impacting families across the nation,” said U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-52). “As we continue to fight for policies that increase our housing supply and lower costs, I’m glad to see investments like this to expand access to affordable housing.”

    According to a report compiled by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the U.S. is experiencing a significant affordable housing shortfall with only 35 affordable and available homes for every 100 extremely low-income households nationwide. In FHLBank San Francisco’s region of Arizona, California, and Nevada, this shortfall is exacerbated. Currently, Arizona and California have only 25 and 24 affordable and available homes, respectively, for every 100 extremely low-income households. Nevada faces the nation’s most severe affordable housing shortage, with only 17 affordable and available homes for every 100 extremely low-income households in need. To address the dire need in Nevada, FHLBank San Francisco launched the Nevada Targeted Fund in 2023, the first targeted fund in the FHLBank System, to specifically fund affordable housing projects in Nevada. Since its inception, the Nevada Targeted Fund has awarded over $19 million in grants to create more than 1000 units of affordable housing throughout the state.

    Grants from the AHP General Fund and Nevada Targeted Fund help finance the development, preservation, and purchase of multifamily and single-family housing for people in need, including the chronically unhoused, low-income families, seniors, veterans, at-risk youth, and individuals living with disabilities and mental health challenges or recovering from substance abuse. These grants are awarded through an annual competitive application process, in which FHLBank San Francisco members institutions partner with nonprofit organizations and affordable housing developers to submit project proposals. AHP-funded projects represent a wide range of strategies and solutions, from historic preservation and adaptive reuse to new construction and rehabilitation.

    Since 1990, FHLBank San Francisco has awarded over $1.4 billion in grants for the construction, preservation, or purchase of nearly 155,000 affordable housing units. Collectively, through the AHP, the FHLBanks are one of the largest sources of private sector grants for affordable housing in the country, providing approximately $8.3 billion in grant funding for affordable housing and helping more than one million households purchase or preserve a home since 1990.

    Highlights of the 2025 AHP funding competition include:

    • More than $10 million awarded to six developments that will incorporate affordable housing with mixed-use spaces for childcare, job training, community-serving organizations and small local businesses.
    • Six new communities that will be developed on underutilized government-owned land, including three that are part of California’s Excess Sites program. These efforts are made possible through partnerships with state and local governments.
    • $10.4 million for Tribal-led projects to create six developments, five in California and one in Arizona, that will create a total of 191 units of affordable housing to serve seniors, the formerly unhoused and low-income families. These developments will also include shared community spaces and access to supportive services.

    Where AHP projects are developed, local economies also get a boost, as these projects create jobs, increase construction and consumer spending, and generate new tax revenues. Learn more about the communities, families, and individuals that have benefited from access to AHP-funded housing and access the complete list of AHP grant winners at the bank’s website, fhlbsf.com.

    About the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco

    The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco is a member-driven cooperative helping local lenders in Arizona, California, and Nevada build strong communities, create opportunity, and change lives for the better. The tools and resources we provide to our member financial institutions — commercial banks, credit unions, industrial loan companies, savings institutions, insurance companies, and community development financial institutions — propel homeownership, finance quality affordable housing, drive economic vitality, and revitalize whole neighborhoods. Together with our members and other partners, we are making the communities we serve more vibrant and resilient.

    Contact:
    Tom Flannigan
    Tom.Flannigan@fhlbsf.com
    415.616.2695

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: FHLBank San Francisco Awards Nearly $50 Million to Help Create Over 2,000 Affordable Housing Units Across Arizona, California and Nevada

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN FRANCISCO, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco) today announced $49.7 million in Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grants from its General Fund and Nevada Targeted Fund to support 31 developments across Arizona, California, and Nevada, creating more than 2,050 units of affordable housing throughout the bank’s three-state region.

    “We continue to make meaningful investments to address the affordable housing crisis across Arizona, California, and Nevada,” said Joseph E. Amato, interim president and CEO of FHLBank San Francisco. “This funding, delivered in partnership with our local member financial institutions, supports housing affordability solutions in urban centers, rural areas, tribal lands, and communities in need. We are helping to expand the housing supply and deliver critical support services to individuals and families who need it most.”

    This year’s AHP General Fund awards will deliver $44.6 million in funding for 26 projects, with 22 in California and four in Arizona, collectively producing over 1,780 affordable housing units across the two states. In addition to the AHP General Fund Awards, the AHP Nevada Targeted Fund will deliver $5.1 million for five projects to create 273 affordable units in Nevada. In total, 16 FHLBank San Francisco member financial institutions will partner with 27 nonprofits and affordable housing developers to create the much-needed affordable housing units. These grants underscore FHLBank San Francisco’s ongoing commitment to addressing the housing crisis in Arizona, California and Nevada – three states facing some of the most severe affordable housing shortages in the nation.

    “Everyone deserves a safe, secure and affordable place to live. But right now, we have a housing crisis that’s impacting families across the nation,” said U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-52). “As we continue to fight for policies that increase our housing supply and lower costs, I’m glad to see investments like this to expand access to affordable housing.”

    According to a report compiled by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the U.S. is experiencing a significant affordable housing shortfall with only 35 affordable and available homes for every 100 extremely low-income households nationwide. In FHLBank San Francisco’s region of Arizona, California, and Nevada, this shortfall is exacerbated. Currently, Arizona and California have only 25 and 24 affordable and available homes, respectively, for every 100 extremely low-income households. Nevada faces the nation’s most severe affordable housing shortage, with only 17 affordable and available homes for every 100 extremely low-income households in need. To address the dire need in Nevada, FHLBank San Francisco launched the Nevada Targeted Fund in 2023, the first targeted fund in the FHLBank System, to specifically fund affordable housing projects in Nevada. Since its inception, the Nevada Targeted Fund has awarded over $19 million in grants to create more than 1000 units of affordable housing throughout the state.

    Grants from the AHP General Fund and Nevada Targeted Fund help finance the development, preservation, and purchase of multifamily and single-family housing for people in need, including the chronically unhoused, low-income families, seniors, veterans, at-risk youth, and individuals living with disabilities and mental health challenges or recovering from substance abuse. These grants are awarded through an annual competitive application process, in which FHLBank San Francisco members institutions partner with nonprofit organizations and affordable housing developers to submit project proposals. AHP-funded projects represent a wide range of strategies and solutions, from historic preservation and adaptive reuse to new construction and rehabilitation.

    Since 1990, FHLBank San Francisco has awarded over $1.4 billion in grants for the construction, preservation, or purchase of nearly 155,000 affordable housing units. Collectively, through the AHP, the FHLBanks are one of the largest sources of private sector grants for affordable housing in the country, providing approximately $8.3 billion in grant funding for affordable housing and helping more than one million households purchase or preserve a home since 1990.

    Highlights of the 2025 AHP funding competition include:

    • More than $10 million awarded to six developments that will incorporate affordable housing with mixed-use spaces for childcare, job training, community-serving organizations and small local businesses.
    • Six new communities that will be developed on underutilized government-owned land, including three that are part of California’s Excess Sites program. These efforts are made possible through partnerships with state and local governments.
    • $10.4 million for Tribal-led projects to create six developments, five in California and one in Arizona, that will create a total of 191 units of affordable housing to serve seniors, the formerly unhoused and low-income families. These developments will also include shared community spaces and access to supportive services.

    Where AHP projects are developed, local economies also get a boost, as these projects create jobs, increase construction and consumer spending, and generate new tax revenues. Learn more about the communities, families, and individuals that have benefited from access to AHP-funded housing and access the complete list of AHP grant winners at the bank’s website, fhlbsf.com.

    About the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco

    The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco is a member-driven cooperative helping local lenders in Arizona, California, and Nevada build strong communities, create opportunity, and change lives for the better. The tools and resources we provide to our member financial institutions — commercial banks, credit unions, industrial loan companies, savings institutions, insurance companies, and community development financial institutions — propel homeownership, finance quality affordable housing, drive economic vitality, and revitalize whole neighborhoods. Together with our members and other partners, we are making the communities we serve more vibrant and resilient.

    Contact:
    Tom Flannigan
    Tom.Flannigan@fhlbsf.com
    415.616.2695

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South Africa: Public Service Committee Welcomes Treasury Reviews, Urges Swift Action to Professionalise and Clean Up Government

    Source: APO


    .

    The Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration today welcomed the announcement by the Minister of Finance, Mr Enoch Godongwana, to institute three critical spending reviews aimed at improving the efficiency, integrity and developmental impact of government expenditure.

    The reviews, announced during the minister’s budget vote debate, will focus on standardising the remuneration of executives and board members of public entities, auditing and eliminating ghost workers and investigating the persistent underspending and delivery failures associated with infrastructure conditional grants at the provincial and municipal levels.

    The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Jan de Villiers, said these reviews are not only welcome but long overdue. They echo the committee’s consistent calls for a professionalised public service, one that is results-based, provides value for public money, and adopts a zero-tolerance approach to corruption, waste and political patronage. “We support the development of a standardised remuneration framework for public entity executives and board members. Salaries must be fair, transparent and directly linked to the entity’s mandate, complexity and performance. There can be no justification for exorbitant pay packages where service delivery is in crisis or entities are failing,” said Mr de Villiers.

    On the issue of ghost workers, the Chairperson reaffirmed the committee’s view that this is not a minor administrative flaw but a form of organised, systemic corruption that siphons off public funds and undermines trust in the state. “These are not invisible names on paper – these are real funds stolen from the public. The committee calls for these audits to lead to consequences. We want to see prosecutions, dismissals and systemic reform. The committee will continue to monitor this process closely, and a joint oversight meeting with Treasury and the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) is scheduled for the third quarter of 2025,” he said.

    The committee also welcomed broader government efforts to professionalise the state, including the digitisation of human resource and payroll systems, the introduction of lifestyle audits and the rollout of skills audits within departments. This followed a briefing by the DPSA and the National School of Government this morning on government’s progress in digitising the public service and aligning training and upskilling with departmental needs.

    “The creation of a professional, merit-based and non-partisan public service is both constitutionally mandated and essential to improving service delivery for all South Africans. Skills audits are particularly critical as they allow us to assess whether departments are staffed appropriately and whether officials have the qualifications and competencies needed to fulfil their mandates,” said Mr de Villiers.

    Responding to this morning’s briefing, the Chairperson said digitisation and upskilling will help empower officials and drive improved service delivery, particularly in under-resourced areas. “We must know not just who is employed in the public service, but whether they are fit for purpose. Skills audits, alongside digital transformation and standardised pay, create an opportunity to reconfigure departments to meet the needs of the public better. Where upskilling is required, it must be supported. Where restructuring is needed, it must be done responsibly,” he said.

    The committee remains committed to actively overseeing these reviews, focusing on results rather than rhetoric. We are planning a joint meeting with the Department of Public Service and Administration and National Treasury in the third quarter of 2025 to obtain further updates, including a detailed progress update on the ghost worker audit, implementation of lifestyle audits and alignment between performance and pay in the public sector, as well as consequence management for those involved in fraud and maladministration.

    “We will not allow these reviews to become another policy gesture. They must be executed with urgency, rigour and public accountability,” the Chairperson said.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI: $HAREHOLDER ALERT: Class Action Attorney Juan Monteverde Investigates the Merger of CARGO Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRGX)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Class Action Attorney Juan Monteverde with Monteverde & Associates PC (the “M&A Class Action Firm”), has recovered millions of dollars for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm in the 2024 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. The firm is headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and is investigating CARGO Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRGX) related to its sale to Concentra Biosciences, LLC for $4.379 in cash per CARGO share, plus one non-transferable contingent value right, representing the right to receive: (i) 100% of the closing net cash of CARGO in excess of $217.5 million; and (ii) 80% of the net proceeds from the sale, license, or other disposition of either (a) CRG-022, a CDRR CAR T-cell therapy, or (b) CRG-023, a CD19/CD20/CD22 tri-specific CAR T therapy, or (c) the Allogeneic Platform, that occurs within 2 years following the closing. Is it a fair deal?

    Click here for more info https://monteverdelaw.com/case/cargo-therapeutics-inc/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    NOT ALL LAW FIRMS ARE EQUAL. Before you hire a law firm, you should talk to a lawyer and ask:

    1. Do you file class actions and go to Court?
    2. When was the last time you recovered money for shareholders?
    3. What cases did you recover money in and how much?

    About Monteverde & Associates PC

    Our firm litigates and has recovered money for shareholders…and we do it from our offices in the Empire State Building. We are a national class action securities firm with a successful track record in trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. 

    No one is above the law. If you own common stock in the above listed company and have concerns or wish to obtain additional information free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com or by telephone at (212) 971-1341.

    Contact:
    Juan Monteverde, Esq.
    MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC
    The Empire State Building
    350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4740
    New York, NY 10118
    United States of America
    jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com
    Tel: (212) 971-1341

    Attorney Advertising. (C) 2025 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC (www.monteverdelaw.com).  Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan Government Strengthens Mineral Exploration Incentive

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on July 9, 2025

    The Government of Saskatchewan is expanding the Targeted Mineral Exploration Incentive (TMEI) to include more early-stage exploration activities to support mining sector growth and investment.

    Launched in 2018, the TMEI program provides financial assistance in the form of a grant to exploration companies that undertake eligible drilling activities. The TMEI program is being expanded to cover a wider range of exploration activities, such as ground-based and borehole geophysical surveys and important pre-sampling tasks like core logging. These changes aim to increase program uptake and enable more exploration for critical and emerging minerals. Specifically, the changes are expected to improve the ability of smaller companies to raise private sector capital to undertake exploration activities.

    “TMEI has been key to diversifying Saskatchewan’s mining sector by promoting drilling on hard rock mineral exploration projects,” Energy and Resources Minister Colleen Young said. “These changes will help us achieve our goals set out in Saskatchewan’s Critical Minerals Strategy, specifically, increasing Saskatchewan’s share of Canadian mineral exploration spending to 15 per cent and doubling the number of critical minerals produced in Saskatchewan, all by 2030.” 

    By recognizing a broader scope of the exploration process, this expansion is supporting new mineral discoveries and the diversification of our mining sector. With continuing advancements in helium, lithium, copper and zinc, and record production in uranium and potash, Saskatchewan is responding to growing global demand for critical minerals. 

    “Expanding TMEI funding to include additional generative, early-stage exploration activities will help identify more drill targets, attracting greater investor interest and capital to Saskatchewan,” Saskatchewan Mining Association President Pam Schwann said. “The collaborative partnership between government and industry exemplifies why Saskatchewan is a premier exploration and mining destination.”

    In 2024-25, 27 exploration projects were approved for $1.9 million in TMEI funding with companies spending a total of $76.5 million on these projects. Since 2018, 96 projects have received $5.9 million in TMEI funding, resulting in 926 exploration drill holes and $172.5 million in total project expenditures.     

    Saskatchewan has 27 of the 34 critical minerals on Canada’s list and is the largest primary producer of critical minerals in Canada. With a suite of competitive incentive programs including TMEI, a predictable and stable regulatory framework, and an abundance of resources, Saskatchewan is one of the best places in the world to invest in resource development. Clear and stable supports like the TMEI program help build Saskatchewan’s resource sector and strengthen the provincial economy which benefits all Saskatchewan people.

    For more information about the TMEI, visit: Targeted Mineral Exploration Incentive.

    To review Saskatchewan’s Critical Minerals Strategy, visit: Securing the Future: Saskatchewan’s Critical Minerals Strategy.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: $HAREHOLDER ALERT: Class Action Attorney Juan Monteverde Investigates the Merger of PB Bankshares Inc. (NASDAQ: PBBK)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Class Action Attorney Juan Monteverde with Monteverde & Associates PC (the “M&A Class Action Firm”), has recovered millions of dollars for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm in the 2024 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. The firm is headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and is investigating PB Bankshares Inc. (NASDAQ: PBBK) related to its sale to Norwood Financial Corp. Under the terms of the proposed transaction, PB Bankshares’ shareholders will have the option to elect to receive either 0.7850 shares of Norwood common stock or $19.75 in cash for each common share of PB Bankshares they own. The election is subject to proration to ensure that, in the aggregate, 80% of the transaction consideration will be paid in the form of Norwood common stock. Is it a fair deal?

    Click here for more info https://monteverdelaw.com/case/pb-bankshares-inc/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    NOT ALL LAW FIRMS ARE EQUAL. Before you hire a law firm, you should talk to a lawyer and ask:

    1. Do you file class actions and go to Court?
    2. When was the last time you recovered money for shareholders?
    3. What cases did you recover money in and how much?

    About Monteverde & Associates PC

    Our firm litigates and has recovered money for shareholders…and we do it from our offices in the Empire State Building. We are a national class action securities firm with a successful track record in trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.

    No one is above the law. If you own common stock in the above listed company and have concerns or wish to obtain additional information free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com or by telephone at (212) 971-1341.

    Contact:
    Juan Monteverde, Esq.
    MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC
    The Empire State Building
    350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4740
    New York, NY 10118
    United States of America
    jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com
    Tel: (212) 971-1341

    Attorney Advertising. (C) 2025 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC (www.monteverdelaw.com).  Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Half-Year Statement on the Implementation of the Liquidity Contract as of June 30, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HALF-YEAR STATEMENT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LIQUIDITY CONTRACT  AS OF JUNE 30, 2025

    Bernin (Grenoble), France, July 9, 2025 – Soitec (Euronext Paris) announces that, under the liquidity contract entrusted to BNP Paribas on July 3, 2023, on the settlement date of June 30, 2025, the following resources appeared on the liquidity account:

    • 72,325 Soitec shares, and
    • €904,901

    During the 1st semester of 2025, a total of:

    • 231,383 shares were bought for €14,129,177 (i.e. 2,855 transactions).
    • 208,969 shares were sold for €12,889,302 (i.e. 2,792 transactions).

    We remind you that:

    1. At the time of the previous half-yearly balance sheet, on the settlement date of December 31, 2024, the following resources appeared on the liquidity account:
    • 51,394 Soitec shares, and
    • €2,009,718
    1. During the 2nd semester of 2024, a total of:
    • 215,838 shares were bought for €19,591,223 (i.e. 3,775 transactions);
    • 197,982 shares were sold for €17,859,326 (i.e. 3,174 transactions).
    1. On July 3, 2023, the day before the start of trading, the following resources appeared on the liquidity account:  €8,000,000.

    Aggregate data for each trading day in the 1st semester of 2025 are given in the appendix to this press release.

    *****

    Agenda

    Annual General Meeting: July 22, 2025.

    First-quarter 2025-2026 revenue: July 22, 2025, after market close.

    *****

    About Soitec

    Soitec (Euronext – Tech Leaders), a world leader in innovative semiconductor materials, has been developing cutting-edge products delivering both technological performance and energy efficiency for over 30 years. From its global headquarters in France, Soitec is expanding internationally with its unique solutions, and generated sales of 0.9 billion Euros in fiscal year 2024-2025. Soitec occupies a key position in the semiconductor value chain, serving three main strategic markets: Mobile Communications, Automotive and Industrial, and Edge and Cloud AI. The company relies on the talent and diversity of more than 2,200 employees, representing 50 different nationalities, working at its sites in Europe, the United States and Asia. Nearly 4,300 patents have been registered by Soitec.

    Soitec, SmartSiC™ and Smart Cut™ are registered trademarks of Soitec.

    For more information: https://www.soitec.com/en/ and follow us on LinkedIn and X: @Soitec_Official

    *****

    Media Relations: media@soitec.com

    Investor Relations: investors@soitec.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: $HAREHOLDER ALERT: Class Action Attorney Juan Monteverde Investigates the Merger of Core Scientific, Inc. (NASDAQ: CORZ)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Class Action Attorney Juan Monteverde with Monteverde & Associates PC (the “M&A Class Action Firm”), has recovered millions of dollars for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm in the 2024 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. The firm is headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and is investigating Core Scientific, Inc. (NASDAQ: CORZ) related to its sale to CoreWeave, Inc. Upon completion of the proposed transaction, each outstanding share of Core Scientific common stock will be converted into the right to receive 0.1235 shares of CoreWeave Class A common stock. Core Scientific shareholders will own less than 10% of the combined company. Is it a fair deal?

    Click here for more info https://monteverdelaw.com/case/core-scientific-inc/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    NOT ALL LAW FIRMS ARE EQUAL. Before you hire a law firm, you should talk to a lawyer and ask:

    1. Do you file class actions and go to Court?
    2. When was the last time you recovered money for shareholders?
    3. What cases did you recover money in and how much?

    About Monteverde & Associates PC

    Our firm litigates and has recovered money for shareholders…and we do it from our offices in the Empire State Building. We are a national class action securities firm with a successful track record in trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. 

    No one is above the law. If you own common stock in the above listed company and have concerns or wish to obtain additional information free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com or by telephone at (212) 971-1341.

    Contact:
    Juan Monteverde, Esq.
    MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC
    The Empire State Building
    350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4740
    New York, NY 10118
    United States of America
    jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com
    Tel: (212) 971-1341

    Attorney Advertising. (C) 2025 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC (www.monteverdelaw.com).  Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: IADC Addresses U.S. Offshore Leasing Program through Comments & Trades Coalition Letter

    Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC

    Headline: IADC Addresses U.S. Offshore Leasing Program through Comments & Trades Coalition Letter

    IADC and fellow associations recently submitted comments on the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program calling for more leasing, exploration, and development of U.S. offshore oil and natural gas resources in all OCS planning areas. This action was taken in response to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) request for information and comments.

    The following associations were involved in the submission:

    • American Petroleum Institute (API)
    • National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA)
    • Offshore Operators Committee (OOC)
    • Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA)
    • U.S. Oil and Gas Association (USOGA)
    • American Exploration & Production Council (AXPC)
    • International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC)
    • EnerGeo Alliance
    • Energy Workforce and Technology Council
    • Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association (LMOGA)

    The comments and an accompanying letter were both submitted to Kelly Hammerle, National Program Manager with BOEM. The letter, which was signed by additional associations and organizations, had a total of 117 signees.

    IADC is committed to continuously advocating for its Members. The Association will continue to encourage fair and sensible regulatory reform and provide the drilling contractor perspective where it is helpful and necessary.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: IADC Addresses U.S. Offshore Leasing Program through Comments & Trades Coalition Letter

    Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC

    Headline: IADC Addresses U.S. Offshore Leasing Program through Comments & Trades Coalition Letter

    IADC and fellow associations recently submitted comments on the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program calling for more leasing, exploration, and development of U.S. offshore oil and natural gas resources in all OCS planning areas. This action was taken in response to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) request for information and comments.

    The following associations were involved in the submission:

    • American Petroleum Institute (API)
    • National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA)
    • Offshore Operators Committee (OOC)
    • Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA)
    • U.S. Oil and Gas Association (USOGA)
    • American Exploration & Production Council (AXPC)
    • International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC)
    • EnerGeo Alliance
    • Energy Workforce and Technology Council
    • Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association (LMOGA)

    The comments and an accompanying letter were both submitted to Kelly Hammerle, National Program Manager with BOEM. The letter, which was signed by additional associations and organizations, had a total of 117 signees.

    IADC is committed to continuously advocating for its Members. The Association will continue to encourage fair and sensible regulatory reform and provide the drilling contractor perspective where it is helpful and necessary.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Biblical Women Ageing Disgracefully: artist Sarah Lightman reimagines characters battling midlife, motherhood and menopause

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dawn Llewellyn, Associate professor of Religion and Gender, Theology and Religious Studies, University of Chester

    What happens when the women immortalised in old master paintings step out of their gilded frames and into the chaos of modern domestic life? That’s the question artist Sarah Lightman tackles, with wit, irreverence and insight, in her exhibition Biblical Women Ageing Disgracefully, now on at Chester Visual Arts, Grovesnor Shopping Centre.

    In works from her Biblical Domestic (2021–2024) and Menstrual Hystery (2024) series, Lightman trades halos for housework, and heavenly glory for the cluttered reality of her own everyday life. Her saints and heroines aren’t meditating in divine serenity – they’re battling menopause, messy kitchens and midlife malaise.

    With humour and intimacy, Lightman probes the distance between the idealised women of religious art and the ageing bodies we’re taught to hide. Her characters, drawn from both the canon of western Christian art and the sacred Jewish texts of her upbringing, are lovingly reimagined through a feminist lens.

    What if Mary hated soft play as much as the rest of us? What if Eve was just trying to get through another basket of laundry? What if biblical women aged in real time?

    With bold colours, absurdist touches and deep empathy, Biblical Women Ageing Disgracefully reframes these archetypes for today – and starts fresh conversations about visibility, care and womanhood.

    Old masters, new messes

    In Fridge Frustrations (2022), Caravaggio’s Judith Beheading Holofernes (1599) becomes a scene of domestic dread. Judith still holds Holofernes’ severed head – but now her crisis is storage, not salvation:

    Judith can’t find anywhere in the fridge for her organic and fresh cut of Holofernes.

    Lightman retains the dramatic composition of the original but shifts its meaning entirely. Her watercolour medium softens the baroque oil intensity, introducing levity without losing emotional depth.

    In The Annunciation of the Menopause (2024), she riffs on The Annunciation by Fra Angelico (1425-26), the early Renaissance fresco where the Virgin Mary receives the angel Gabriel’s news that she’ll bear the son of God.

    Here, Mary’s serene acceptance is swapped for something far more visceral: she sits beside an exam table mid heavy bleed, not in graceful surrender but bodily discomfort. Gabriel is gone, replaced by a gynaecologist in latex gloves. The walls? Tiled not with gold leaf but with packets of Always. This is no divine encounter – just hot flushes, greasy hair and hormonal chaos. No spiritual serenity in sight.

    Instead of youthful grace, Lightman gives us perimenopausal truth: gritty, awkward, real.

    Not a rejection, but a rewriting

    Lightman’s work is unabashedly feminist and unapologetically funny – but it’s also rooted in reverence. Her reinterpretations of women from Hebrew scripture honour the complexity of these figures and draw from the feminist Jewish tradition of midrash: creative interpretation that fills in the biblical silences.

    Lightman isn’t discarding these sacred stories: she’s inhabiting them. She paints the parts we were never told, the thoughts and struggles left out of the male-dominated canon. Her canvases ask: what if we didn’t accept the gaps in these women’s lives? What if we imagined them into our own?

    Context matters – and Biblical Women Ageing Disgracefully is exhibited not in a white-walled gallery but in Chester’s Grosvenor Precinct, having previously shown at Chester’s cultural centre Storyhouse. The location is deliberate. These Madonnas and menopausal saints appear exactly where they live now: among shopping bags, toddler tantrums and the quiet sighs of women holding it all together.

    Meeting Eve, Mary, Bathsheba, Susanna and Lot’s wife in a shopping centre creates a surreal and poignant dissonance. It collapses the sacred and the ordinary, and invites viewers to see their own lives reflected in these ancient figures.

    Messy, mortal and magnificent

    It’s a risk, of course, putting menopause, motherhood, grief, housework and rape culture centre stage. There’s a version of this exhibition that could have been grim. But Lightman’s palette is anything but dour. Her watercolours are vibrant and playful, her titles sharp with satire. These women aren’t tragic martyrs; they’re exhausted, yes, but also knowing, cheeky and in on the joke.

    Lightman treats art history not as a fixed monument, but as a toolkit to be deconstructed and rebuilt. She gives her saints their bodies back – saggy, sweaty, miraculous – and their agency too.

    What makes Biblical Women Ageing Disgracefully so powerful is its embrace of contradiction. It is sacred and silly, sincere and subversive, heartbreaking and hilarious. It is, in essence, a feminist midrash in watercolour: retelling holy stories through the grit and glory of contemporary womanhood, and holding them close even as it pushes them open.

    Biblical Women Ageing Disgracefully is on display at Chester Visual Arts, Grovesnor Shopping Centre until July 13.

    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. Biblical Women Ageing Disgracefully: artist Sarah Lightman reimagines characters battling midlife, motherhood and menopause – https://theconversation.com/biblical-women-ageing-disgracefully-artist-sarah-lightman-reimagines-characters-battling-midlife-motherhood-and-menopause-260522

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: From Kabul to the catwalk – the surprising global history behind fashion’s fur revival

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Magnus Marsden, Professor of Social Anthropology, University of Sussex

    The winter season of 2024-25 marked a resurgence of fur clothing – both faux and real – in fashion across Europe and North America. Shearling jackets and embroidered “Penny Lane coats” featured widely in reports on the latest fashion trends. Vintage fur coats are also back in vogue.

    To many, the resurgence came as a surprise. The anti-fur movement, especially influential in the 1980s, continues to shape perceptions of fur. In the 2010s, cities including New York and Los Angeles banned the use of fur to make clothes. The UK meanwhile banned the farming of fur-bearing animals, and, alongside the EU, has committed itself to legislating against all fur imports.

    Just last year the town of Worthing, in England, debated whether their mayor should wear ceremonial robes trimmed with fur or not. Despite these trends, many young people have embraced the renewed trend of wearing real fur.

    Some clothes made from animal skins became popular during the counter-cultural movement of the 1960s, but historically, fur has mostly marked status, wealth and luxury. Today, many critics interpret fur’s return to fashion as a cultural expression of rightwing politics.

    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.

    Fur is prominent in the “boom boom” fashion trend, which emphasises excess and “male-coded values”. It has been described by fashion journalists as “over-the-top and unashamed about its own greed and lack of wokeness”.

    Fur clothing is a reminder of the moral tensions between need and desire, and luxury and excess. In addition to being inter-generational, these debates are also about gender. For much of the 20th century, fur coats symbolised femininity, erotic power and class position in the west. But by the 1980s, advertising campaigns depicted women who wore fur as either stupid and unthinking or thinking and unspeakably cruel, leading many to jettison it.

    Anti-fur protests were held across the US in 1994.

    Fur’s return to fashion has injected old debates with new significance. Some young people are willing to wear faux fur because it does not involve killing animals. But others argue that, because it is made from synthetic material, faux fur is actually more environmentally damaging and prefer to wear the real thing. They claim that wearing vintage fur is a form of “sustainable consumption” but are challenged by those who argue that this fashion trend ultimately justifies killing animals to make clothes.

    The boom boom trend is said to embody a contemporary expression of 1980s “conspicuous consumerism”, but in an era of economic austerity the adoption of fur by young people suggests the clothes they wear identify their desires rather than their financial reality.

    A global history of fur

    Today, as in the 1980s, the perspectives, interests and experiences of non-Europeans are often unheard in debates around fur. A decline of fur-bearing animal populations in North America and Siberia from the early 19th century, led to a global expansion in fur farming.



    Read more:
    How central Asian Jews and Muslims worked together in London’s 20th-century fur and carpet trade

    From the 1850s, for example, Central Asia supplied furs to Europe and North America. Local artisans cured the pelts of karakul lambs – a native breed – to yield a rich and glossy fur. In central and south Asia, men of high status wore karakul hats; in Europe and America, they were mostly used to make women’s coats.

    After the Russian revolution of 1917, many nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoralists, who raised sheep and other animals, left central Asia and moved with their flocks to neighbouring Afghanistan. The trade in karakul fur grew in the country, and foreign currency reserves came to depend on lambskins sold at auctions in London and New York.

    In the 1960s, sheepskin coats made in Afghanistan – known as “Afghans” – became popular in the west, being worn by stars including Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones. The 1969 British edition of Vogue featured an interview with an icon of “oriental chic”, the “beautiful, dashing, intelligent, adventurous” Afghan socialite, Safia Tarzi, who lived in Paris, and ran a boutique clothing shop in Kabul.

    The Afghan coat enjoyed a resurgence in 2000 having been worn by the character Penny Lane (Kate Hudson) in the film Almost Famous.



    Read more:
    Friday essay: how ‘Afghan’ coats left Kabul for the fashion world and became a hippie must-have

    In the 1980s, the anti-fur campaign contributed to a declining market for karakul. For decades, rumours of Central Asian shepherds extracting lambs from the wombs of sheep to ensure a steady yield of delicate pelts had circulated. Moral opposition to the practice was not confined to the west.

    During my research on globally dispersed activists, intellectuals and merchants from Afghanistan, a man from Afghanistan, now based in London, told me that his father banned his family from wearing karakul hats because sheep and their lambs were treated cruelly.

    In the 1990s, civil war destroyed much of the infrastructure of the karakul industry in Afghanistan, but a trickle of pelts reached auction houses located in Frankfurt, Copenhagen and Helsinki.

    In the 2000s, international development organisations attempted to revive the trade, though sales never returned to anyway near the levels of the 1970s. By the 2010s, families in northern Afghanistan struggling economically opted to send sons to travel illegally to Turkey to find work as shepherds for commercially oriented Turkish farmers.

    Promotional videos of fashion houses occasionally touch on the Penny Lane coat’s ties to Afghanistan, but media coverage of fur fashions rarely address its historical connections to central Asia.

    Magnus Marsden received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council including for the research upon which this article is based.

    – ref. From Kabul to the catwalk – the surprising global history behind fashion’s fur revival – https://theconversation.com/from-kabul-to-the-catwalk-the-surprising-global-history-behind-fashions-fur-revival-256382

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How M&S responds to its cyber-attack could have a serious impact on its future – and its customers

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Aybars Tuncdogan, Reader in Digital Innovation and Information Security, King’s College London

    raymond orton/Shutterstock

    The cyber-attack on Marks & Spencer will lead to an estimated £300 million hit to the company’s profits this year. It now aims to have online shopping at the store back to normal by August, more than three months after IT systems were compromised.

    Fans of M&S clothing and food will be relieved after all of the uncertainty. But that level of uncertainty, as well as the huge cost, is surely a sign that big retailers, which millions of people rely on, need to change how they think about – and invest in – cybersecurity.

    It has to be an absolute priority. After all, few marketing strategies or HR initiatives can save a company £300 million in just six weeks. But perhaps a more sophisticated cybersecurity department could have done just that.

    To be fair, M&S faced a relatively rare, high-impact ordeal. Most cyber-attacks of this nature don’t affect customers so directly, and much of the recovery typically happens behind the scenes.

    But M&S shoppers saw online orders collapse, contactless payments fail and refunds, gift cards and loyalty points not functioning. Disruption in stock-management and warehousing led to empty shelves and food waste.

    On June 27, M&S issued a public apology and a £5 digital gift card to affected customers. But research suggests that the most important element of keeping customers onside is the quality of the recovery process, and whether normal service is eventually resumed.

    To get back to normal service, it is possible that a ransom was paid to the cyber attackers, but M&S has refused to confirm or deny this. (One survey found that many organisations hit by cyber attacks agreed to pay a ransom – and then suffered a subsequent breach, often from the very same culprits.)

    But even when normal service returns, when hackers steal customer data, as they did with M&S, research suggests that this information is often reused by criminals in identity theft and phishing. A study even found that victims of data breaches are more likely to have mortgage applications denied.

    From what we know about the breach at M&S, it seems that the cyber-attackers simply used a phishing technique to get the support desk of a third-party contractor to reset the password of an admin-level account. That said, although in this case the main vulnerability was human, the lesson to be learnt here is that sometimes just one vulnerability can shake the whole system to its core.

    This is why business owners need to think of cybersecurity not just as a tedious and inconvenient IT issue, but as a core function of the business. Otherwise, as the M&S case illustrates, it is simply not possible for the rest of the corporate structure to operate.

    Testing times

    So cybersecurity targets must be incorporated into every department to ensure collective defence. And organisations also need to stress-test the different aspects of their systems.

    That could be checking on human responses, but it should also include technology (like a vulnerability in the web server), physical barriers (a poorly secured server room door) and HR procedures (failure to revoke ex-employee access).

    Lock down your laptop.
    Thapana_Studio/Shutterstock

    These lines of defence have to be stress-tested regularly and from multiple angles, rather than being considered an annual checkbox activity for compliance.

    Scenario-based tests – essentially a cyber fire-drill — such as internal threat simulations and response exercises, can provide useful insights into an organisation’s readiness to detect, respond to and recover from cyber-attacks.

    It’s also important that organisations learn to communicate clearly once a breach occurs. Research into responses to data breaches suggests that any backlash is sharper when the company seems to be trying to hide the breach, which may later be publicised by the criminals instead.

    Consumers should also remember that they are not powerless. We may not be able to prevent a data breach, but all of us can help to stop attackers from infiltrating our online worlds by something as simple as not re-using the same passwords.

    By remaining sceptical, we can prevent attackers from using the information they stole to phish us later. And by thinking carefully about what personal data we share with companies, we can reduce the impact of future breaches.

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

    – ref. How M&S responds to its cyber-attack could have a serious impact on its future – and its customers – https://theconversation.com/how-mands-responds-to-its-cyber-attack-could-have-a-serious-impact-on-its-future-and-its-customers-260429

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How M&S responds to its cyber-attack could have a serious impact on its future – and its customers

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Aybars Tuncdogan, Reader in Digital Innovation and Information Security, King’s College London

    raymond orton/Shutterstock

    The cyber-attack on Marks & Spencer will lead to an estimated £300 million hit to the company’s profits this year. It now aims to have online shopping at the store back to normal by August, more than three months after IT systems were compromised.

    Fans of M&S clothing and food will be relieved after all of the uncertainty. But that level of uncertainty, as well as the huge cost, is surely a sign that big retailers, which millions of people rely on, need to change how they think about – and invest in – cybersecurity.

    It has to be an absolute priority. After all, few marketing strategies or HR initiatives can save a company £300 million in just six weeks. But perhaps a more sophisticated cybersecurity department could have done just that.

    To be fair, M&S faced a relatively rare, high-impact ordeal. Most cyber-attacks of this nature don’t affect customers so directly, and much of the recovery typically happens behind the scenes.

    But M&S shoppers saw online orders collapse, contactless payments fail and refunds, gift cards and loyalty points not functioning. Disruption in stock-management and warehousing led to empty shelves and food waste.

    On June 27, M&S issued a public apology and a £5 digital gift card to affected customers. But research suggests that the most important element of keeping customers onside is the quality of the recovery process, and whether normal service is eventually resumed.

    To get back to normal service, it is possible that a ransom was paid to the cyber attackers, but M&S has refused to confirm or deny this. (One survey found that many organisations hit by cyber attacks agreed to pay a ransom – and then suffered a subsequent breach, often from the very same culprits.)

    But even when normal service returns, when hackers steal customer data, as they did with M&S, research suggests that this information is often reused by criminals in identity theft and phishing. A study even found that victims of data breaches are more likely to have mortgage applications denied.

    From what we know about the breach at M&S, it seems that the cyber-attackers simply used a phishing technique to get the support desk of a third-party contractor to reset the password of an admin-level account. That said, although in this case the main vulnerability was human, the lesson to be learnt here is that sometimes just one vulnerability can shake the whole system to its core.

    This is why business owners need to think of cybersecurity not just as a tedious and inconvenient IT issue, but as a core function of the business. Otherwise, as the M&S case illustrates, it is simply not possible for the rest of the corporate structure to operate.

    Testing times

    So cybersecurity targets must be incorporated into every department to ensure collective defence. And organisations also need to stress-test the different aspects of their systems.

    That could be checking on human responses, but it should also include technology (like a vulnerability in the web server), physical barriers (a poorly secured server room door) and HR procedures (failure to revoke ex-employee access).

    Lock down your laptop.
    Thapana_Studio/Shutterstock

    These lines of defence have to be stress-tested regularly and from multiple angles, rather than being considered an annual checkbox activity for compliance.

    Scenario-based tests – essentially a cyber fire-drill — such as internal threat simulations and response exercises, can provide useful insights into an organisation’s readiness to detect, respond to and recover from cyber-attacks.

    It’s also important that organisations learn to communicate clearly once a breach occurs. Research into responses to data breaches suggests that any backlash is sharper when the company seems to be trying to hide the breach, which may later be publicised by the criminals instead.

    Consumers should also remember that they are not powerless. We may not be able to prevent a data breach, but all of us can help to stop attackers from infiltrating our online worlds by something as simple as not re-using the same passwords.

    By remaining sceptical, we can prevent attackers from using the information they stole to phish us later. And by thinking carefully about what personal data we share with companies, we can reduce the impact of future breaches.

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

    – ref. How M&S responds to its cyber-attack could have a serious impact on its future – and its customers – https://theconversation.com/how-mands-responds-to-its-cyber-attack-could-have-a-serious-impact-on-its-future-and-its-customers-260429

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Lioness Lucy Bronze uses ‘cycle syncing’ to get an edge on her competition — here’s how the practise works

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mollie O’Hanlon, PhD Candidate, Exercise Physiology, Nottingham Trent University

    Bronze has said ‘cycle syncing’ has been important for her performance. Jose Breton- Pics Action/ Shutterstock

    England footballer Lucy Bronze recently said in an interview that “cycle syncing” gives her an edge on the pitch. This practice involves aligning your training schedule to the different phases of your menstrual cycle.

    Cycle syncing has become increasingly popular in recent years – especially among athletes who are looking to get an edge over the competition. Even Chelsea women’s football team have put this new approach to use, tailoring training schedules according to each player’s menstrual cycle.

    For the average person, tailoring your workouts to your menstrual cycle is probably not going to have much of an impact. But for a professional athlete such as Bronze, cycle syncing could be a gamechanging strategy in shaping her elite performance.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    The menstrual cycle begins and ends with menstruation (a period). While the length of the menstrual cycle varies for each person, it’s usually around 28 days.

    The menstrual cycle is underpinned by fluctuations in levels of the female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone. This is why the cycle is divided into three key phases: early follicular, late follicular and the luteal phase.

    The early follicular phase usually lasts around seven days and begins with the start of your period. This is when hormone levels are at their lowest.

    The late follicular phase follows on from the first seven days, and is where ovulation happens – usually around day 14 of the cycle, though this will depend on cycle length. Ovulation is when the egg is released and you’re at your most fertile.

    After that comes the luteal phase (lasting around 12-14 days), when progesterone peaks to prepare the body for pregnancy. If pregnancy doesn’t happen, hormones drop and the cycle begins again.

    It’s no secret that mood and energy levels can shift – sometimes significantly – throughout the menstrual cycle. This is why some female athletes have begun using cycle syncing. By tailoring training schedules to match hormonal fluctuations, women are gaining a deeper understanding of their bodies and the symptoms they experience throughout each phase – empowering them to train smarter, not harder.

    Bronze said the strategy has transformed her performance, saying that during certain phases of her cycle she feels “physically capable of more and can train harder”.

    Despite these testimonials, scientists are yet to reach a definitive conclusion on how the menstrual cycle affects athletic performance.

    Bronze is just one of many female athletes putting ‘cycle syncing’ to the test.
    Christian Bertrand/ Shutterstock

    So far, there’s some suggestion that there may be a slight dip in performance (specifically to strength and endurance) during the early follicular phase. However, these effects are minimal – and highly dependent on the person. It’s also not entirely clear what mechanisms underpin these small performance dips that some women experienced.

    Other research suggests that certain aspects of the neuromuscular system (the network of nerves and muscles that make movement possible) – specifically how our muscles generate force – is altered during the luteal phase. Research has also found that certain muscles may fatigue less quickly during this phase as well.

    This implies that during the luteal phase, there may be changes in signals from the brain and spinal cord to the skeletal muscles. However, no changes in the neuromuscular function have been observed.

    Part of the reason it’s so difficult for researchers to gather enough evidence to draw firm conclusions on the menstrual cycle’s potential effects on athletic performance is because of the huge variability in menstrual cycle characteristics, which makes it difficult to study. Phase length, hormone levels and symptoms can differ widely between women – and even from cycle to cycle.

    The small effects seen in these studies will have little effect on how most of us train or exercise. But for an elite athlete, these minuscule differences could have an effect on their training and competition, which may be why so many are willing to give the practice a try.

    So while it isn’t entirely clear how much influence certain menstrual cycle phases have on performance, how you feel during different phases could certainly affect your ability to train at your best.

    Around 77% of female athletes experience negative symptoms in the days leading up to and during menstruation. Fatigue, feeling less motivated and even experiencing digestive issues such as bloating and nausea, could all affect your ability to train at your best.

    Trying cycle syncing

    If you’re still interested in giving cycle syncing a try to see if it has any effect for you, the best place to start is by tracking your menstrual cycle. This will help you understand your body, how you feel in each phase of your cycle and what effect certain symptoms have on your training.

    It’s recommended you track your cycle for at least three months before making any changes to your training to establish a baseline and spot trends over time.

    For example, if you notice you often feel fatigued when training in your luteal phase, it may help to focus on ensuring you fuel well with carbohydrates before and during workouts. Or on days where you feel more energetic and motivated to train, you might be able to push yourself a bit harder in your workouts.

    Whether you’re playing for England in the Euros or simply working towards your own fitness goals, understanding your cycle can help you train smarter, manage your symptoms better and stay consistent with your training.

    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. Lioness Lucy Bronze uses ‘cycle syncing’ to get an edge on her competition — here’s how the practise works – https://theconversation.com/lioness-lucy-bronze-uses-cycle-syncing-to-get-an-edge-on-her-competition-heres-how-the-practise-works-260153

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: China’s interest in the next Dalai Lama is also about control of Tibet’s water supply

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Harper, Lecturer in International Relations, University of East London

    As the 14th Dalai Lama celebrates his 90th birthday with thousands of Tibetan Buddhists, there’s already tension over how the next spiritual leader will be selected. Controversially, the Chinese government has suggested it wants more power over who is chosen.

    Traditionally, Tibetan leaders and aides seek a young boy who is seen as the chosen reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. It is possible that after they do this, this time Beijing will try to appoint a rival figure.

    However, the current Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India, insists that the process of succession will be led by the Swiss-based Gaden Phodrang Trust, which manages his affairs. He said no one else had authority “to interfere in this matter” and that statement is being seen as a strong signal to China.

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    Throughout the 20th century, Tibetans struggled to create an independent state, as their homeland was fought over by Russia, the UK and China. In 1951, Tibetan leaders signed a treaty with China allowing a Chinese military presence on their land.

    China established the Tibetan Autonomous Region in 1965, in name this means that Tibet is an autonomous region within China, but in effect it is tightly controlled. Tibet has a government in exile, based in India, that still wants Tibet to become an independent state.

    This is a continuing source of tension between the two countries. India also claims part of Tibet as its own territory.

    Beijing sees having more power over the selection of the Dalai Lama as an opportunity to stamp more authority on Tibet. Tibet’s strategic position and its resources are extremely valuable to China, and play a part in Beijing’s wider plans for regional dominance, and in its aim of pushing back against India, its powerful rival in south Asia.

    The Dalai Lama celebrates his 90th birthday as many Tibetans living in China fear talking about independence.

    Tibet provides China with a naturally defensive border with the rest of southern Asia, with its mountainous terrain providing a buffer against India. The brief Sino-Indian war of 1962 when the two countries battled for control of the region, still has implications for India and China today, where they continue to dispute border lands.

    As with many powerful nations, China has always been concerned about threats, or rival power bases, within its neighbourhood. This is similar to how the US has used the Monroe Doctrine to ensure its dominance over Latin America, and how Russia seeks to maintain its influence over former Soviet states.

    Beijing views western criticism of its control of Tibet as interference in its sphere of influence.



    Read more:
    India and Pakistan tension escalates with suspension of historic water treaty

    Another source of contention is that Beijing traditionally views boundaries such as the McMahon line defining the China-India border as lacking legitimacy, a border drawn up when China was at its weakest in the 19th century. Known in China as the “century of humiliation”, this was characterised by a series of unequal treaties, which saw the loss of territory to stronger European powers.

    This continues to a source of political tensions in China’s border regions including Tibet. This is a controversial part of China’s historical memory and continues to influence its ongoing relationship with the west.

    Demand for natural resources

    Tibet’s importance to Beijing also comes from its vast water resources. Access to more water is seen as increasingly important for China’s wider push towards self-sufficiency which has become imperative in the face of climate change. This also provides China with a significant geopolitical tool.

    For instance, the Mekong River rises in Tibet and flows through China and along the borders of Myanamar and Laos and onward into Thailand and Cambodia. It is the third longest river in Asia, and is crucial for many of the economies of south-east Asia. It is estimated to sustain 60 million people.

    China’s attempts to control water supplies, particularly through the building of huge dams in Tibet, has added to regional tensions. Around 50% of the flow to the Mekong was cut off for part of 2021, after a Chinese mega dam was built. This caused a lot of resentment from other countries which depended on the water.

    Moves by other nations to control access to regional water supplies in recent years show how water is now becoming a negotiating tool. India attempted to cut off Pakistan’s water supply in 2025 as part of the conflict between the two. Control of Tibet allows China to pursue a similar strategy, which grants Beijing leverage in its dealings with New Delhi, and other governments.


    Shutterstock.

    Another natural resource is also a vital part of China’s planning. Tibet’s significant lithium deposits are crucial for Chinese supply chains, particularly for their use in the electric vehicle industry. Beijing is attempting to reduce its reliance on western firms and supplies, in the face of the present trade tensions between the US and China, and Donald Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods.

    Tibet’s value to China is a reflection of wider changes in a world where water is increasingly playing an important role in geopolitics. With its valuable natural resources, China’s desire to control Tibet is not likely to decrease.

    Tom Harper 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. China’s interest in the next Dalai Lama is also about control of Tibet’s water supply – https://theconversation.com/chinas-interest-in-the-next-dalai-lama-is-also-about-control-of-tibets-water-supply-255843

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Parental leave in the UK isn’t working – here’s what needs to change

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ernestine Gheyoh Ndzi, Senior Lecturer at York Business School, York St John University

    pikselstock/Shutterstock

    The recent launch of a government review into parental leave and pay in the UK is a hugely welcome development. In order to bring about meaningful change, it must challenge the fundamental issue at the heart of current parental leave laws. They are strongly influenced by, and so perpetuate, gender norms that see women as caregivers and fathers as breadwinners.

    Parents in the UK can take maternity leave, paternity leave and shared parental leave in the first year of their child’s life. While these allowances provide parents with support, the support is disproportionate in how it is split between mothers and fathers. Although gender roles have evolved significantly, UK policies lag behind.

    Mothers and fathers are equal parents and have equal parenting responsibilities. However, mothers are allowed up to 52 weeks of maternity leave, while fathers are only entitled to two weeks of statutory paternity leave.

    The introduction of shared parental leave in 2015 was welcomed as a positive step towards gender equality – but it has failed in this aim.

    There are significant barriers stopping fathers from benefiting fully from the legislation. Parents can share up to 50 weeks of leave between them. But because mothers are entitled to a year of leave, the policy requires mothers to act as gatekeepers. The mother determines if the father can share the leave and how long she is willing to give up for the father.

    Consequently, fathers have no autonomy or independence to take parental leave at a time that is important to them and their babies – and they may be reluctant to deprive the mother of leave she is entitled to.

    What’s more, while maternity and paternity leave is well known and the process relatively straightforward, shared parental leave has been criticised for its complexity. Parents that have explored shared parental leave have found the policy and process incredibly complex because some employers still don’t understand how it works and so are unable to support parents.

    The problems with the policy have affected its uptake. Only 5% of fathers take any shared parental leave.

    Financial implications

    Another problem that affects all three policies is the pay. While the UK has a generous maternity leave allowance of 52 weeks, this is not accompanied by a decent financial allowance.

    Although employers can set more generous terms, the law requires only the first six weeks of maternity leave to be paid at 90% of the mother’s salary. This is followed by 33 weeks at statutory pay of £187.18 and 13 weeks of no pay. The two weeks of paternity leave are paid at the statutory rate of £187.18, or 90% of the father’s average weekly earnings (whichever is lower).

    Taking parental leave can bring financial and career worries.
    christinarosepix/Shutterstock

    And while shared parental leave allows the mother to split 50 weeks of leave with her partner, a significant period of this is unpaid. Out of these 50 weeks, parents can share 37 weeks of pay at statutory rate and the rest of the leave would be unpaid.

    Mothers have returned to work early because financially they cannot afford to stay longer on maternity leave – a problem compounded by the rising cost of living. Fathers sometimes opt to take annual leave rather than paternity leave because of the low pay.

    The same reason applies to shared parental leave because parents cannot afford to both be off at the same time or different times on the statutory rate. While the policies are well intended, there is no financial incentive for parents to take it.

    Finances have a significant impact on parental leave choices. The government review should enhance parental leave pay to encourage and support parents, particularly fathers.

    Impact on careers

    The implications for parents’ careers also need to be considered. While parental leave should not affect the career aspirations or progressions of the parents, my research demonstrates otherwise. Mothers have been bullied, refused opportunities, and have felt forced to leave their jobs.

    Research also shows that fathers have concerns about their careers when considering parental leave. While it is illegal for an employer to discriminate against a parent for taking parental leave, this remains an area of concern.

    My research has demonstrated that some fathers consider shared parental leave as a “luxury” they cannot afford. They feel they need to work hard to demonstrate their commitment to their job. Equal parenting policies would support women’s careers and encourage fathers to take up more family responsibilities without fear of repercussions.

    The last point to consider – and one that often goes overlooked – is that how parents choose to feed their baby may have an effect on their decisions to take parental leave. Babies can be breastfed, formula fed or a mixture of both breast and formula feeding. If the parents make the decision to breastfeed – a choice recommended by the World Health Organisation – this may affect the mother’s decision on how much leave she takes.

    Employers have legal obligations to carry out risk assessments for breastfeeding mothers and make reasonable adjustments on specific health and safety guidelines. However, a general policy that covers the wider needs of breastfeeding mothers and offers them more support at work should be implemented.

    My research shows that mothers may prefer to take more maternity leave to enable them to breastfeed.

    The parental leave review shouldn’t miss the opportunity to introduce breastfeeding policies that ensure mothers are properly supported in the workplace – as well as making sure that both mothers and fathers have the opportunity to prioritise caring and their careers.

    Ernestine Gheyoh Ndzi 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. Parental leave in the UK isn’t working – here’s what needs to change – https://theconversation.com/parental-leave-in-the-uk-isnt-working-heres-what-needs-to-change-209661

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The Story of a Heart by Rachel Clarke is a powerful account of one child’s gift to another

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Leah McLaughlin, Research Fellow in Health Services, Bangor University

    What does it mean to save a life – and what does it cost? In The Story of a Heart, Rachel Clarke answers this not with slogans or sentiment, but with quiet, searing honesty. This book, which won this year’s Women’s prize for non-fiction, is about organ donation, yes, but it’s also about family, grief, love, courage, and the astonishing edges of human experience.

    At its centre are two children: Max Johnson, a healthy, active nine-year-old whose heart suddenly begins to fail, and Keira Ball, another nine-year-old – vibrant, horse-loving, full of life who tragically dies in a car accident. In a moment of unimaginable grief, Keira’s parents donate her organs. Her heart goes to Max.

    A child dies. A child lives.

    That is the simple, brutal, beautiful truth this book never looks away from. But Clarke does more than tell the story of heart. She immerses us in it – every breath, every monitor beep, every unbearable choice.

    I read this as a health services researcher who has spent years working in the emotionally complex, ethically charged, and often hidden world of organ donation. My work explores how families navigate these unimaginable scenarios, particularly in the context of recent legislative change. Clarke’s account captures, with rare precision and compassion, the silences, the emotional labour of clinicians, and the profound weight of choice that families like Keira’s carry.

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    As both a doctor and a mother, Clarke brings sensitivity to every page. We feel Max’s steady decline: the exhaustion, the fear, the silence that descends as even the doctors grow unsure. We witness Keira’s final hours, the heroic efforts to save her, and the moments where unbearable grief oscillates between hope and despair, eventually giving way to a different kind of gift.

    There are no easy heroes in this story, only ordinary people facing the unthinkable with extraordinary grace. Clarke brings them to life with aching clarity: the cardiologist who, in the dim light of a hospital room, sketches Max’s failing heart on a napkin so his mother can understand what words can’t explain; the ICU nurse who stays long after her shift ends, gently brushing the hair of a child who will never wake up; the donation nurse who enters a family’s darkest hour not with answers, but with quiet presence and unwavering care; the surgeon who steadies his hands – and his heart – when every second matters.

    And in the chaos of resuscitation, amid alarms and broken bodies, a teddy bear is tucked beneath Keira’s arm: “Someone in the crash team has seen Keira not simply as a body, inert and unresponsive, but as a vulnerable child in need of compassion.”

    The Story of a Heart is also a book about history. It’s not just about one child’s transplant, but about medicine, surgery, and the heart itself. Clarke weaves in the stories of early transplant pioneers, accidental discoveries, and the scientific stumbles and breakthroughs that built modern practice. She brings it all to life with a storyteller’s flair, making science feel intimate, alive, and deeply human.

    What the heart means

    What sets the heart apart, Clarke reminds us, is not just its function, but its symbolism. No other organ holds such emotional weight. “Hearts sing, soar, race, burn, break, bleed, swell, hammer and melt,” she writes. They are not just organs, they are vessels for our hopes, fears and deepest longings.

    Clarke shows how, across history, the heart was seen as the source of emotion, morality – even the soul – and how that deep humanism still pulses through our language and culture today. We have our hearts broken, wear our hearts on our sleeves, and as Clarke puts it: “When trying to express our truest and most sincere selves, we do so by saying we speak from the heart, or about all that our heart desires.”

    But what makes The Story of a Heart so exceptional is its emotional truth. Clarke never shies away from the pain. Max’s parents watch their son fade, terrified to even touch him. Keira’s father buys her a pink princess dress for her funeral. Max, wired to machines, records a goodbye message; we learn later he even tried to take his own life. And yet, there is light.

    Keira’s sisters climb into bed with her, painting her nails and sliding Haribo sweet rings onto her fingers. Then comes a moment so clear, so quietly astonishing, it takes everyone’s breath away. Katelyn, Keira’s older sister, turns to the doctor and asks, with calm, steady eyes: “Can we donate her organs?”

    This isn’t a clinical decision or a well-rehearsed conversation. It is an unprompted act of extraordinary love. These moments – fragile, generous, profoundly human – are the true beating heart of Clarke’s book.

    From there, we are guided into a world so few know and even fewer ever witness: the quiet choreography that carries a gift of life from one person to another. What Katelyn sets in motion with just five words unfolds with such precision, that reading it feels like witnessing a kind of living magic.

    The aftermath is just as moving. Max recovers quickly, walks again, laughs again. The two families meet. There are no big speeches, just quiet awe. And beyond that: a law is passed. Max and Keira’s Law brings in an opt-out system of donation in England. Two children. One legacy. A country changed.

    And still, Clarke doesn’t let us forget the hard truths. Not every child survives. Not every family gets a miracle. Transplants are fragile. But in that fragility, she shows us, is the real miracle. Max goes fishing with his dad, the sky glows orange – Keira’s favourite colour. That is enough.

    At the moment organ donation consent rates for children are declining in the UK, and there are more children on the transplant wait list than ever before. The Story of a Heart asks us to see the children, the families, and the quiet acts of love behind every donation. It’s a powerful reminder that the greatest gifts are often given in the darkest hours.

    This book will break your heart – and fill it up again. It’s not just essential reading for anyone interested in organ donation and transplant. It’s essential reading for anyone who has ever loved.

    This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

    Leah McLaughlin 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 Story of a Heart by Rachel Clarke is a powerful account of one child’s gift to another – https://theconversation.com/the-story-of-a-heart-by-rachel-clarke-is-a-powerful-account-of-one-childs-gift-to-another-260611

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI: Siili Solutions Plc: Share Repurchase 9.7.2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Siili Solutions Plc       Announcement  9.7.2025
         
         
    Siili Solutions Plc: Share Repurchase 9.7.2025  
         
    In the Helsinki Stock Exchange    
         
    Trade date           9.7.2025  
    Bourse trade         Buy  
    Share                  SIILI  
    Amount             1 200 Shares
    Average price/ share    6,4400 EUR
    Total cost            7 728,00 EUR
         
         
    Siili Solutions Plc now holds a total of 26 328 shares
    including the shares repurchased on 9.7.2025  
         
    The share buybacks are executed in compliance with Regulation 
    No. 596/2014 of the European Parliament and Council (MAR) Article 5
    and the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052.
         
    On behalf of Siili Solutions Plc    
         
    Nordea Bank Oyj    
         
    Sami Huttunen Ilari Isomäki  
         
    Further information:    
    CFO Aleksi Kankainen    
    Email: aleksi.kankainen@siili.com    
    Tel. +358 50 584 2029    
         
    www.siili.com    

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Video: UK Ed Davis begins chamber duties as the next Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod

    Source: United Kingdom UK House of Lords (video statements)

    Ed Davis begins chamber duties as the next Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod today, as his appointment is announced in the House of Lords chamber.

    Black Rod has a range of administrative and ceremonial duties. He is responsible for maintaining order within the House and its precincts, and is perhaps best known for the iconic moment during the State Opening of Parliament when he will knock on the door of the House of Commons to summon MPs to hear the King’s Speech.

    Find out more about Ed Davis’s appointment to the role of Black Rod https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2025/april/ed-davis-confirmed-as-next-black-rod/

    Catch-up on House of Lords business:

    Watch live events: https://parliamentlive.tv/Lords
    Read the latest news: https://www.parliament.uk/lords/

    Stay up to date with the House of Lords on social media:

    • X: https://twitter.com/UKHouseofLords
    • Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/houseoflords.parliament.uk
    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/UKHouseofLords/
    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UKHouseofLords
    • Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/ukhouseoflords/albums
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-house-of-lords
    • Threads: https://www.threads.net/@UKHouseOfLords

    #HouseOfLords #UKParliament

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaXp5KCDV9M

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: US media “fueling” rhetoric about China’s “theft of intellectual property” — Chinese ambassador to Russia

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Moscow, July 9 /Xinhua/ — In recent days, some American politicians and media outlets have once again “heated up” the hackneyed rhetoric about “intellectual property theft” and “forced technology transfer” by China. These accusations not only represent a malicious distortion of Sino-American trade and economic relations, but have also become an ideological tool for the United States to promote trade protectionism, according to an article by Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui published in the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper.

    “The thesis of ‘China’s theft of intellectual property’, which is being inflated by the American side, is essentially a manifestation of arrogance and prejudice, namely the theory of ‘racial superiority in technology,’” the ambassador writes. “The United States considers itself exceptional and technologically superior to the rest of the world, looks down on everyone and claims that China is allegedly incapable of independent breakthroughs in key technologies, and, ignoring the facts, fabricates accusations. It is noteworthy that such American technology giants as Apple, Google and Amazon, clearly stated during hearings in the US Congress that there is no evidence of China stealing technology from American companies.”

    According to the ambassador, China’s technological progress is “a breakthrough through the blockade as a result of hard work in independent development.” In terms of investment in research and development (R&D), China confidently ranks second in the world. China is one of the world leaders in such areas as 5G, high-speed rail, renewable energy and unmanned aerial vehicles. The country is making a successful transition from the largest importer of intellectual property to its creator and largest exporter.

    “China has become the first country in the world to have more than 4 million patents in force domestically, with high-quality patents accounting for 41.5 percent. In 2024, the number of international patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) exceeded 70,000, ranking China first in the world for the sixth consecutive year,” Zhang Hanhui wrote.

    As he points out, the thesis spread by the American side about the alleged “unfair protection of intellectual property” in China actually aims to incite discord and hinder the influx of foreign investment into the Chinese market. In recent years, China has been continuously improving its legal system in the field of intellectual property. There are 30 arbitration courts for intellectual property, 115 national centers for the protection of intellectual property and rapid response centers operating throughout the country. Foreign companies have already effectively “put forward a vote of confidence” through their practical actions.

    The Chinese diplomat cites the following data: in 2024, Apple’s R&D investment in China increased by 22 percent, Pfizer established three research centers in Shanghai, Wuhan and Beijing. Medtronic opened its first digital health innovation base in China. “The accelerated establishment of research centers in China by foreign companies demonstrates the effectiveness of efforts in the field of intellectual property protection,” Zhang Hanhui emphasizes.

    The claims about “forced technology transfer” are a substitution of concepts, the article points out. The American side is trying to present the fact of mutually beneficial cooperation between Chinese and foreign companies as “forced technology transfer.”

    “It must be clearly emphasized: ‘forced technology transfer’ not only does not comply with Chinese law, but also directly contradicts the country’s basic state policy of openness to the outside world,” the Chinese ambassador writes.

    According to him, China has been steadily promoting opening up to the outside world at a high level: the negative list for foreign investment has been significantly shortened, restrictions in the manufacturing sector have been completely abolished, and restrictions on foreign capital participation have been continuously relaxed. These measures have greatly expanded the freedom and choice for foreign companies to invest in China.

    “Meanwhile, the US is forcing three major South Korean battery manufacturers that invest in the US to disclose key technologies, forcing ByteDance to sell TikTok and hand over its operating algorithms — these are true examples of forced technology transfer and outright robbery,” notes Zhang Hanhui –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China-Russia EXPO has become a bright calling card of bilateral relations – Ambassador of China to Russia Zhang Hanhui

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Moscow, July 9 /Xinhua/ — The 9th China-Russia EXPO, which opened in Yekaterinburg, has already become a calling card of bilateral relations, said Zhang Hanhui, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Russia.

    “The EXPO has become a bright calling card of bilateral relations, an important ‘window’ for demonstrating interregional cooperation and has received high praise from the leaders and all layers of society of the two countries,” he noted in an interview published on Wednesday in Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

    According to the ambassador, since the first exhibition was held in 2014, the China-Russia EXPO has already been successfully held nine times. In total, about 10,000 Chinese and Russian companies, as well as 1.05 million entrepreneurs, took part in the previous exhibitions. The total amount of agreements concluded reached almost 500 billion yuan.

    “Within the framework of the EXPO, a number of cooperation results were obtained that have a broad impact and demonstration value. It can be said that the EXPO has become a “big stage” for the development of practical cooperation between the two countries,” the Chinese diplomat stated.

    Zhang Hanhui pointed out the symbolic significance of the 9th China-Russia EXPO. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War. In May, Chinese President Xi Jinping successfully made a state visit to Russia and took part in the relevant commemorative events. “Holding the EXPO is an important practical measure to implement the agreements between the leaders of the two countries,” the ambassador emphasized.

    “Against the backdrop of China and Russia’s joint efforts to promote the construction of an open world economy and bring certainty and stability to global trade, the 9th China-Russia Expo will greatly boost the confidence of regions and enterprises of the two countries in cooperation and promote the high-quality development of bilateral trade and economic relations,” Zhang Hanhui noted.

    The focus on regions and the holding of the 5th China-Russia Forum on Interregional Cooperation is an important feature of this year’s EXPO, he believes. More than 300 enterprises from 18 provinces, municipalities directly under the central government and autonomous regions of China are participating in this year’s EXPO.

    According to the diplomat, the planning and design of the exposition and business events of the current EXPO fully reflect the new features and trends of Chinese-Russian trade and economic cooperation. “The exhibits will cover both traditional areas /mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, agriculture/ and new areas /medicine, digital economy, new energy/,” Zhang Hanhui said. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Technip Energies Advances Mozambique Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNGs) Development, Begins Production in Senegal and Mauritania

    Source: APO

    French engineering and technology company Technip Energies is expanding its presence across Africa’s energy sector, advancing key projects and supporting the continent’s energy transition. The company is set to advance the development of a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) vessel for the $7.2 billion Eni-led Coral Norte project in Mozambique in the short-term period. Following an April 2025 approval by the Mozambican government, Eni will adopt Technip Energies’ FLNG unit with a capacity to produce 3.55 million metric tons of LNG per annum. The project is anticipated to achieve first production by the second half of 2028.

    As part of its commitment to African energy development, Technip Energies is participating as a gold sponsor at African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies, taking place from September 29 to October 3, 2025, in Cape Town. Under the theme Invest in African Energy: Positioning Africa as the Global Energy Champion, the event brings together African stakeholders and global investors to explore opportunities and drive collaboration across the sector.

    Technip Energies is also providing front-end engineering design (FEED) services for ExxonMobil’s 10 million tons per annum Rovuma LNG project in Mozambique under a contract secured in September 2024.

    In June 2025, the company achieved commercial operations for the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel deployed at the bp-operated Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas project offshore Mauritania and Senegal. Built in China, the FPSO is equipped with eight processing and production modules and measures 270 meters in length, 54 meters in width, and 31.5 meters in depth. It is designed to accommodate 140 personnel and process up to 500 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, enabling the production of 2.3 million tons of LNG annually during Phase 1.

    Technip Energies remains committed to local content development and sustainable growth in African energy markets. The company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Namibia’s national oil company, NAMCOR, during AEW: Invest in African Energies 2024 to collaborate on LNG, carbon-free energy, decarbonization, and skills and technology transfer. A separate MoU with the Republic of Congo aims to strengthen the country’s capacities in LNG, zero-carbon energy solutions, and broader energy transition efforts

    Beyond hydrocarbons, the company is also supporting the growth of Africa’s mining value chain through the delivery of a FEED contract for an alumina refinery in Guinea-Conakry. The facility will process the country’s vast bauxite reserves into alumina for electric vehicle batteries and other energy storage technologies.

    AEW: Invest in African Energies will connect Technip Energies with African energy and global stakeholders for deal signing and to discuss and optimize opportunities within the continent’s extractive sector.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

    About AEW: Invest in African Energies:
    AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

    Media files

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    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: H.E. President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea today received H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson & his accompanying delegation

    Source: APO


    .

    H.E. President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea today received H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the @_AfricanUnion Commission & his accompanying delegation that included Deputy Chairperson @DCP_Haddadi & Chief of Staff @souefmo_elamine at the State House in Malabo, ahead of the 7th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting (MYCM) of the AU, RECs, & RMs, scheduled for 10–13 July 2025.

    The Chairperson expressed appreciation to President Obiang for the warm welcome graciously hosting the Meeting & for his continued support for the work of the Union. President Obiang reaffirmed his Government’s full readiness to host the MYCM.

    Convened under the auspices of the AU Commission & the Government of Equatorial Guinea, the Meeting will bring together the AU Bureau, Heads of RECs, senior AUC officials, AU specialized bodies, and institutional partners to advance continental coordination and integration.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Tuberville to ICE Agents Being Violently Attacked: “If you need to defend yourself, shoot back.”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) joined Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss the Radical Democrats who are violently attacking ICE agents.
    Excerpts from Sens. Tuberville and Scott’s interview can be found below or on YouTube or Rumble.
    KUDLOW: “I want to get down to the point. You’ve got people shooting at ICE agents and Border Patrol agents, right? And cops in general. And according to the Daily Caller and according to Axios and some other sources now, the Democratic Party—the people at the bottom and the constituencies and so forth at the grassroots—are urging their leaders to urge this kind of violence. In fact, they’re telling their leaders to take a shot in order to show their resistance to Trump. This is insanity. In America, we don’t shoot cops, Senator Tuberville. What you have to say about this?”
    TUBERVILLE: “Well, first of all, it was a disaster what the Biden administration did for four years—open borders, it was insane. Senator Scott and I went down several times. You can’t put a number on what it is number one, gonna cost the American taxpayers over the next years to get all these illegals back out of the country. But the law and order in this country—and Rick will talk about this too—is vital. You can be educated, you can have money, you can have everything you want as an American citizen—if you don’t have safe streets and neighborhoods, you don’t have anything. And so, we have to take our country back. The Democrats did this on purpose. It was all by design. They want to run over our law and order. They want social justice people running our police departments. That’s not gonna happen. I’m all for ICE. If you need to defend yourself, shoot back. Do not take this from these people. Do not take it from the Democrats. We have to take our country and neighborhoods back.”
    KUDLOW: “Yeah. If you need to defend yourself, shoot back. That has to happen, Senator Scott. And you know, we had Tom Homan on just at the top of the show. A terrific man, really. A great patriot doing the job. We can’t let up. They’re crazy—they’re crazy people shooting now. They’re crazy people who illegally walked into this country. And they’re murderers. And they’re rapists, sex traffickers, drug traffickers. That battle’s not over yet, Senator Scott. We’ve got a lot of work to do. You all just put $175 billion dollars for it into the One Big Beautiful Bill. This has got to change.”
    SCOTT: “But, it’s like who do these Democrats represent? They’re insane. I mean, they represent actual criminals. People that are selling drugs to our kids to kill them. People that have murdered and raped people—[the Democrats are] out trying to make sure they don’t go to jail. And then the people that are trying to put them in jail, they wanna kill them, these ICE agents and Border Patrol. These Democrats have gone crazy, but this is—as Coach Tuberville said—this is all designed by the Democrats. They wanted to change this country by opening up the border to criminals and drug traffickers and terrorists, and they’ve done it. Donald Trump has got his work cut out for him, but he’s gonna do it. We’re gonna clean up this country.”
    KUDLOW: “You know, Senator Tuberville, I got a guy up here in New York. Trump calls him ‘Mamdani the Commi.’ This guy wants the city to run grocery stores. He wants to defund the police, and he’s a tremendous antisemite. Hates Jewish people. He claims he’s not gonna let ICE into his sanctuary city. I mean, he’s a Democrat. Okay? This is insanity. Utter insanity. The Democrats have been the stupid party. This makes them even stupider.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Well, you know, he’s showing his stripes. And I don’t think this will fly, even with the people in New York. You never know. But at the end of the day, the guy is truly a communist. He believes in the government taking care of everybody, and that doesn’t work in the greatest country ever. You can just go to Venezuela, some of the other countries. If he does win, you can sack the bats in New York, Larry. We will take you in Alabama in a heartbeat. We’ll put you a TV studio up, and we’ll let you preach the gospel from the State of Alabama.”
    KUDLOW: “You know I love the gospel, Senator. You got me there. Senator Scott, you know it too. Gentlemen, you’re both terrific. Thank you so much for coming on. Appreciate it very much.”
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to systematic review and meta-analysis on antidepressant withdrawal symptoms

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A systematic review and meta-analysis published in JAMA Psychiatry looks at antidepressant withdrawal symptoms. 

    Dr Susannah Murphy, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, said:

    “People taking antidepressants are understandably concerned about what might happen when they stop, particularly about the possibility of withdrawal symptoms. This study is an important contribution to the field, providing a comprehensive review of the current evidence on antidepressant discontinuation. Its strengths lie in the large amount of data analysed—over 50 studies representing more than 17,000 patients—and the useful comparison it makes between those stopping antidepressants and those in placebo group.

    “The findings suggest that while some individuals may experience symptoms like dizziness, nausea, vertigo, or nervousness, the vast majority do not. This indicates it could be helpful for clinicians to inform patients about these potential effects, while also reassuring them that such symptoms are not common.

    “It’s important to note that the studies included only measured discontinuation symptoms in the first two weeks after stopping medication, so we still need more research to understand how long these effects might last.  The study was also not able to assess the severity of the symptoms, and this is important to consider in future studies”

     

    Prof Katharina Domschke, Full Professor of Psychiatry and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg, Germany, said:

    “The methodologically very robustly collected and analyzed data reported in the study by Henssler et al. (Lancet Psychiatry, 2024) is now supported by the present results published in JAMA Psychiatry, showing only small numbers of antidepressant discontinuation symptoms in some cases. 

    “The study is characterized by an excellent methodological quality being the most comprehensive meta-analysis on the topic to date including 50 studies, 38 of which had an observation period longer than two weeks, the critical time frame during which discontinuation symptoms are expected to occur. With over 17,000 participants, the analysis provides high statistical power. The results are stratified by different antidepressants and specific individual symptoms. Two sub-meta-analyses were conducted: one employing the Discontinuation-Emergent Signs and Symptoms (DESS) scale, which is the most established standardized instrument for assessing discontinuation symptoms; the other using various outcome parameters.

    “An interesting aspect is the breakdown by individual antidepressants, with angomelatine and vortioxetine—the latter unfortunately no longer reimbursed by health insurance in Germany—showing a particularly favorable profile.

    “The present study is very welcome in hopefully correcting worried patients’ impression that antidepressants could cause high rates of withdrawal symptoms as stated by a recent study by Horowitz et al. published in Psychiatry Res. 2025, which, however, is methodologically much weaker than the present one with only 310 patients included in a very specific primary care setting, a very poor response rate of 18% introducing a major bias, and no standardized quantitative outcome measure.

    “It is possible that certain subgroups of patients experience more pronounced discontinuation symptoms than others. Future research efforts should focus on identifying the underlying biological and psychological mechanisms—for example, whether these patients metabolize the medications differently, possess a specific genetic background, or whether comorbidities and concomitant medications might account for these reactions.

    “This new study is extremely welcome in terms of helping to destigmatize antidepressants. Along these lines, in light of the present results in synopsis with the ones reported by Henssler et al in Lancet Psychiatry in 2024, it is high time to stop referring to ‘withdrawal symptoms’ and instead use the term ‘discontinuation symptoms.’ The term ‘withdrawal’ is traditionally reserved for the context of substance dependence, which, in the case of antidepressants, is simply incorrect.” 

    Prof Christiaan Vinkers, Psychiatrist and Professor of Stress and Resilience, Amsterdam UMC, said:

    “This is an important and timely study. The topic of antidepressant withdrawal has generated much discussion and concern, although sometimes more heat than light. This new systematic review and meta-analysis in JAMA Psychiatry brings welcome clarity by using rigorous methods and placebo-controlled comparisons. The findings show that, on average, people who stop taking antidepressants experience about one additional discontinuation symptom, most often dizziness, compared to those continuing treatment or stopping placebo. Crucially, the overall symptom burden remained below the threshold for clinically significant withdrawal syndrome. The study also found no increase in depressive symptoms shortly after discontinuation, suggesting that early mood worsening is not a common withdrawal effect but more likely signals relapse.

    “Importantly, the authors include unpublished trial data and take into account the nocebo effect, which may inflate perceived symptom rates in open-label studies or uncontrolled settings. This helps temper some of the more alarming claims about universal and severe withdrawal. At the same time, the study acknowledges limitations, including short treatment durations and lack of real-world tapering strategies in most included trials. We still need more data on long-term users, individual vulnerability, and best practices for discontinuation.

    “Overall, this is high-quality research that strengthens the evidence base and promotes a more balanced and science-based understanding of antidepressant discontinuation. IIt reminds us that while withdrawal symptoms do occur in a minority of cases, they are on average typically not severe and manageable, especially with proper clinical support.”

    ‘Incidence and Nature of Antidepressant Discontinuation Symptoms, A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis’ by Michail Kalfas et al. was published in JAMA Psychiatry at 16:00 UK time on Wednesday 9th July. 

    DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2025.1362

    Declared interests

    Dr Susannah Murphy: SEM has received consultancy fees from Zogenix, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, UCB Pharma and Janssen Pharmaceuticals and held grant income from Zogenix, UCB Pharma, Janssen Pharmaceuticals and ADM.

    Prof Katharina Domschke: Speaker’s fees by Janssen 

    Member of the Neurotorium editorial board, Lundbeck Foundation

    Prof Christiaan Vinkers: I am involved in publically ZonMW-funded research on antidepressant discontinuation, including the TEMPO and HARMONIE studies. I am affiliated with the antidepressant discontinuation outpatient clinic in Amsterdam (www.afbouwpoli.nl), and I serve as a member of the Dutch multidisciplinary guideline committee on psychotropic drug discontinuation. I have received a speaker’s fee from Tiofarma, but no financial ties to pharmaceutical companies relevant to this work.

    This Roundup was accompanied by an SMC Briefing. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: The toxic management handbook: six guaranteed ways to make your best employees flee

    Source: The Conversation – France – By George Kassar, Full-time Faculty, Research Associate, Performance Analyst, Ascencia Business School

    If performance management is not implemented properly, it can demotivate and drive out employees. PeopleImages.comYuri A/Shutterstock

    Who said that an organization’s main resource and true competitive advantage lies in its employees, their talent or their motivation? After all, maybe your real goal is to empty out your offices, permanently discourage your staff and methodically sabotage your human capital.

    If that’s the case, research in performance management offers everything you need.

    Originally rooted in early 20th-century rationalization methods, performance management has become a cornerstone of modern management. It has evolved to adapt to contemporary HR needs, focusing more on employee development, engagement and strategic alignment. In theory, it should help guide team efforts, clarify expectations and support individual development. But if poorly implemented, it can become a powerful tool to demotivate, exhaust and push out your most valuable employees.

    Here’s how to scare off your best talent. Although the following guidelines are meant to be taken tongue-in-cheek, they remain active in the daily work of some managers.

    Management by ‘vague’ objectives

    Start by setting vague, unrealistic or contradictory goals. Above all, avoid giving goals meaning, linking them to a clear strategy or backing them with appropriate resources. In short, embrace the “real” SMART goals: stressful, arbitrary, ambiguous, repetitive, and totally disconnected from the field!

    According to research in organizational psychology, this approach guarantees anxiety, confusion and disengagement among your teams, significantly increasing their intention to leave the company.

    Silence Is Golden

    Avoid all forms of dialogue and communication. Never give feedback. And if you absolutely must, do it rarely and irregularly, make sure it’s disconnected from actual work, and preferably in the form of personal criticism. The absence of regular, task-focused and actionable feedback leaves employees in uncertainty, catches them off-guard during evaluations and gradually undermines their engagement.

    How your employees interpret your intentions and feedback matters most. Be careful though: if feedback is perceived as constructive, it may actually boost motivation and learning engagement. But if the same feedback is seen as driven by a manager’s personal agenda (or, ego-based attribution), it backfires, leading to demotivation, withdrawal and exit.


    A weekly e-mail in English featuring expertise from scholars and researchers. It provides an introduction to the diversity of research coming out of the continent and considers some of the key issues facing European countries. Get the newsletter!

    Performance evaluation ‘trials’

    Hold annual performance review meetings in which you focus solely on mistakes and completely ignore successes or invisible efforts. Be rigid, critical and concentrate only on weaknesses. Make sure to take full credit when the team succeeds; after all, without you, nothing would have been possible. On the other hand, when results fall short, don’t hesitate to highlight errors, assign individual blame and remind them that “you did warn them!”

    This kind of performance evaluation, better described as a punitive trial, ensures deep demotivation and accelerates team turnover.

    Internal competition, maxed out

    Promote a culture of rivalry among colleagues: circulate internal rankings regularly, reward only the top performers, systematically eliminate the lowest ranked without even thinking of helping them improve, devalue the importance of cooperation and let internal competition do the rest. After all, these are the core features of the “famous” method popularized by the late Jack Welch at General Electric.

    If you notice a short-term boost of motivation, don’t worry. The long-term effects of Welch’s “vitality curve” will be far more harmful than beneficial. Fierce internal competition is a great tool for destroying trust among teammates and creating a persistently toxic atmosphere, leading to an increase in the number of voluntary departures.

    Ignore wellbeing and do not listen, no matter what

    We’ve already established that feedback and dialogue should be avoided. But if, by misfortune, they do occur, make sure not to listen to complaints or warning signs related to stress or exhaustion. Offer no support or assistance, and of course, completely ignore the right to disconnect.

    By neglecting mental health and refusing to help your employees find meaning in their work – especially when they perform tasks seen as meaningless, repetitive or emotionally draining – you directly increase the risk of burnout and chronic absenteeism.

    In addition, always favour highly variable and poorly designed performance bonuses: this will heighten income instability and kill off whatever engagement remains.



    À lire aussi :
    Meditation and mindfulness at work are welcome, but do they help avoid accountability for toxic culture?

    The subtle art of wearing people down

    Want to take your talent-repelling skills even further? Draw inspiration from what research identifies as practices and experiences belonging to the three major forms of workplace violence. These include micromanagement, constant pressure, lack of recognition, social isolation and others that generate long-term suffering. Though often invisible, their reoccurence gradually wears employees down mentally, then physically, until they finally break.

    Obviously, these tips are meant to be taken ironically.

    Yet, unfortunately, these toxic practices are all too real in the daily routines of certain managers. If the goal is truly to retain talent and ensure lasting business success, it is essential to centre performance management practices around meaning, fairness and the genuine development of human potential.

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

    – ref. The toxic management handbook: six guaranteed ways to make your best employees flee – https://theconversation.com/the-toxic-management-handbook-six-guaranteed-ways-to-make-your-best-employees-flee-260733

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: The toxic management handbook: six guaranteed ways to make your best employees flee

    Source: The Conversation – France – By George Kassar, Full-time Faculty, Research Associate, Performance Analyst, Ascencia Business School

    If performance management is not implemented properly, it can demotivate and drive out employees. PeopleImages.comYuri A/Shutterstock

    Who said that an organization’s main resource and true competitive advantage lies in its employees, their talent or their motivation? After all, maybe your real goal is to empty out your offices, permanently discourage your staff and methodically sabotage your human capital.

    If that’s the case, research in performance management offers everything you need.

    Originally rooted in early 20th-century rationalization methods, performance management has become a cornerstone of modern management. It has evolved to adapt to contemporary HR needs, focusing more on employee development, engagement and strategic alignment. In theory, it should help guide team efforts, clarify expectations and support individual development. But if poorly implemented, it can become a powerful tool to demotivate, exhaust and push out your most valuable employees.

    Here’s how to scare off your best talent. Although the following guidelines are meant to be taken tongue-in-cheek, they remain active in the daily work of some managers.

    Management by ‘vague’ objectives

    Start by setting vague, unrealistic or contradictory goals. Above all, avoid giving goals meaning, linking them to a clear strategy or backing them with appropriate resources. In short, embrace the “real” SMART goals: stressful, arbitrary, ambiguous, repetitive, and totally disconnected from the field!

    According to research in organizational psychology, this approach guarantees anxiety, confusion and disengagement among your teams, significantly increasing their intention to leave the company.

    Silence Is Golden

    Avoid all forms of dialogue and communication. Never give feedback. And if you absolutely must, do it rarely and irregularly, make sure it’s disconnected from actual work, and preferably in the form of personal criticism. The absence of regular, task-focused and actionable feedback leaves employees in uncertainty, catches them off-guard during evaluations and gradually undermines their engagement.

    How your employees interpret your intentions and feedback matters most. Be careful though: if feedback is perceived as constructive, it may actually boost motivation and learning engagement. But if the same feedback is seen as driven by a manager’s personal agenda (or, ego-based attribution), it backfires, leading to demotivation, withdrawal and exit.


    A weekly e-mail in English featuring expertise from scholars and researchers. It provides an introduction to the diversity of research coming out of the continent and considers some of the key issues facing European countries. Get the newsletter!

    Performance evaluation ‘trials’

    Hold annual performance review meetings in which you focus solely on mistakes and completely ignore successes or invisible efforts. Be rigid, critical and concentrate only on weaknesses. Make sure to take full credit when the team succeeds; after all, without you, nothing would have been possible. On the other hand, when results fall short, don’t hesitate to highlight errors, assign individual blame and remind them that “you did warn them!”

    This kind of performance evaluation, better described as a punitive trial, ensures deep demotivation and accelerates team turnover.

    Internal competition, maxed out

    Promote a culture of rivalry among colleagues: circulate internal rankings regularly, reward only the top performers, systematically eliminate the lowest ranked without even thinking of helping them improve, devalue the importance of cooperation and let internal competition do the rest. After all, these are the core features of the “famous” method popularized by the late Jack Welch at General Electric.

    If you notice a short-term boost of motivation, don’t worry. The long-term effects of Welch’s “vitality curve” will be far more harmful than beneficial. Fierce internal competition is a great tool for destroying trust among teammates and creating a persistently toxic atmosphere, leading to an increase in the number of voluntary departures.

    Ignore wellbeing and do not listen, no matter what

    We’ve already established that feedback and dialogue should be avoided. But if, by misfortune, they do occur, make sure not to listen to complaints or warning signs related to stress or exhaustion. Offer no support or assistance, and of course, completely ignore the right to disconnect.

    By neglecting mental health and refusing to help your employees find meaning in their work – especially when they perform tasks seen as meaningless, repetitive or emotionally draining – you directly increase the risk of burnout and chronic absenteeism.

    In addition, always favour highly variable and poorly designed performance bonuses: this will heighten income instability and kill off whatever engagement remains.



    À lire aussi :
    Meditation and mindfulness at work are welcome, but do they help avoid accountability for toxic culture?

    The subtle art of wearing people down

    Want to take your talent-repelling skills even further? Draw inspiration from what research identifies as practices and experiences belonging to the three major forms of workplace violence. These include micromanagement, constant pressure, lack of recognition, social isolation and others that generate long-term suffering. Though often invisible, their reoccurence gradually wears employees down mentally, then physically, until they finally break.

    Obviously, these tips are meant to be taken ironically.

    Yet, unfortunately, these toxic practices are all too real in the daily routines of certain managers. If the goal is truly to retain talent and ensure lasting business success, it is essential to centre performance management practices around meaning, fairness and the genuine development of human potential.

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

    – ref. The toxic management handbook: six guaranteed ways to make your best employees flee – https://theconversation.com/the-toxic-management-handbook-six-guaranteed-ways-to-make-your-best-employees-flee-260733

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Huntress Announces Collaboration with Microsoft to Strengthen Cybersecurity for Businesses of All Sizes

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COLUMBIA, Md., July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated every day, with hackers targeting businesses that lack the time, resources, and expertise to defend themselves. Today, Huntress announced a collaboration with Microsoft to address these challenges and empower businesses of all sizes to combat modern threats while maximizing their Huntress and Microsoft security investments.

    Across the globe, more than 300 million organizations depend on Microsoft’s ecosystem, yet don’t always have the resources to tap into the full potential of Microsoft security tools available through Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Defender for Business and Defender AV, Microsoft 365 Business Premium, E3, and E5 licensing. Limited in-house cybersecurity expertise and resource constraints often leave powerful tools underutilized. With seamless integration into Microsoft environments, Huntress’ purpose-built cybersecurity solutions unlock protection for endpoints, identities, and employees. Huntress’ comprehensive suite, featuring Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), and Security Awareness Training (SAT), is continuously reinforced by 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC), effectively combating the latest cyber threats.

    “Huntress was founded to make enterprise-grade security accessible to all businesses,” said Chris Bisnett, CTO at Huntress. “Businesses worldwide trust Microsoft’s ecosystem, but often don’t fully use its potential due to limited resources or expertise. We deliver the technology and integrations needed to unlock the full value of Microsoft’s security solutions, empowering businesses of all sizes to operate securely and confidently in an evolving threat landscape.”

    “With cyberattacks growing in both volume and complexity, businesses face mounting pressure to protect their environments with limited resources,” said Steve Dispensa, Corporate Vice President of Security, Microsoft. “Huntress’ integrations with Microsoft 365 Business Premium and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint empower organizations to not only strengthen their security posture but also fully benefit from their Microsoft security investments. Together, we’re equipping businesses worldwide to prioritize growth and innovation without compromising on security.”

    Additional resources:

    About Huntress
    Huntress is the enterprise-grade, people-powered cybersecurity solution for all businesses, not just the 1%. With fully owned technology developed by and for its industry-defining team of security analysts, engineers, and researchers, Huntress elevates underresourced tech teams whether they work within outsourced IT environments or in-house IT and security teams.

    The 24/7 industry-leading Huntress Security Operations Center (SOC) covers cyber threats for outsourced IT and in-house teams through remediation with a false-positive rate of less than 1%. With a mission to break down barriers to enterprise-level security and always give back more than it takes, Huntress is often the first to respond to major hacks and threats while protecting its partners and shares tradecraft analysis and threat advisories with the community as they happen.

    As long as hackers keep hacking, Huntress keeps hunting. Join the hunt at www.huntress.com and follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

    Huntress Contact:
    press@huntresslabs.com

    The MIL Network –