Category: Canada

MIL-OSI Canada: Legislation amendments will help people avoid more costs
Legislation is being tightened to allow greater recovery of health-care costs caused by wrongdoers, to further ensure these costs fall on them and not people in British Columbia.

The Health Care Costs Recovery Act, which was brought into force in 2009, allows government to recover the costs of health-care services provided to Medical Services Plan (MSP) beneficiaries who have been injured or have died due to the negligence of a wrongdoer. These changes will ensure that government is able to recoup costs that are otherwise borne by taxpayers.

The act has been largely successful, with financial recoveries varying annually. In the 2023-24 fiscal year, approximately $6.6 million was recovered.

However, some aspects of the act currently prevent government from recovering health-care costs to the fullest extent possible. The proposed legislative amendments aim to address the gaps.

The amendments will:
- narrow the circumstances in which the act does not apply because the beneficiary was injured in the course of their work;
- lengthen the window of time during which a claim can be amended to include a health services claim;
- expand disclosure obligations for defendants and their insurers;
- define who counts as an “insurer” under the act to ensure that self-insured and mutual defence organizations must provide notice to the Province and information needed to assist cost recovery;
- clarify the effect of liability waivers;
- require that the Province be notified when a third-party defendant is added to the legal proceedings, and automatically include a health-care costs claim against the third-party defendant when this happens;
- extend limitation periods to ensure the Province has time to begin legal proceedings after being informed of a claim; and
- allow pre-judgment interest to be collected from defendants.
The Health Care Costs Recovery Act does not apply to motor-vehicle accidents where a wrongdoer is insured by ICBC, to opioid or tobacco-related wrongs or to injuries in the course of work if the beneficiary is entitled to compensation through WorkSafeBC, because these situations are addressed through other legislations.

MIL OSI Canada News –
April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: The ‘morning shed’: a brief history of the sometimes dangerous lengths women have gone to to look beautiful

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Louise N Hanson, PhD in Social and Developmental psychology, Durham University

An advert for the tape worm pills.

In TikTok’s latest viral beauty trend “the morning shed,” beauty influencers “shed” hair and skin products that have been worn overnight. These include hair styling items, skin masks and creams, and physical products such as chin straps and mouth tape, which are intended to help with breathing through the night and keep away the drooping of the jaw that happens with age.

While this trend has come under fire for alleged unsustainability and over-consumerism, it is only the latest beauty fad in a long line of time and money consuming “hacks” that women have been undertaking for centuries. From tapeworms to tuberculosis, women have taken part in a laundry list of beauty hacks in order to meet appearance ideals, many of which have been dangerous, painful and even deadly.

As far back as the ancient Egyptians, women ground up toxic substances to make eyeliner and eye shadow. These were dangerous when inhaled as a powder (such as during the grinding process) and could cause irritation of the skin when applied. And yet somehow, heavy metal poisoning is among the least dangerous of these historic beauty trends.

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In China, foot binding is an example of a painful and life altering treatment first recorded around the 10th century. The feet were usually bound before the arch of the foot had developed (aged four to nine).

The process involved forcefully curling the toes towards the sole of the foot until the arch broke then the foot would be tightly bandaged to keep it in this position. Small feel were coveted at the time. Thankfully, this practice was banned in the early 1900s after almost 200 years of opposition from both Chinese and western sources.

A Chinese woman with bound feet.
Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

In Europe, the Renaissance period saw a new wave of beauty hacks, from arsenic baths (which bleach the skin to a near translucent white) to Belladonna drops (literal poison) used on the eyes to induce an aroused or watery-eyed look. Many women who used these tactics ended up poisoned or blind.

During the reign of Elizabeth I, the “English rose” look was all the rage. Women would blood let for a perfectly pale pallor, or paint their faces with “Venetian ceruse” or “Venetian white” – otherwise known as lead paint. The use of Venetian ceruse is one of the suspected causes of death of Elizabeth I.

In the Victorian era and early 1900s, women often engaged in dangerous practices to achieve the coveted pale skin, red lip and small waist that was the height of fashion. This aesthetic could be achieved by contracting tuberculosis (a lung infection that was often fatal), taking tapeworm pills, consuming mercury to look forever young, or chewing arsenic wafers to make skin pale.

My own research has shown that sociocultural pressures to look a certain way are experienced differently across the world. I found that white western women experience some of the highest appearance pressures, followed by east Asian women. Although these decline a little with age for white western women, they persist in Asian women and never reach the lower levels seen elsewhere. I found the lowest levels of sociocultural pressure and the highest levels of body appreciation in Nigeria.

As the “morning shed” proves, women still go to great lengths to meet culturally shaped standards, particularly under conditions of higher economic inequality – something that is getting worse in many countries. For example, in the United States, cities which have higher economic inequality see higher spend on beauty products and services, such as beauty salons or women’s clothing.

With the advent of social media, especially short-form content like TikTok, Reels and YouTube Shorts, the speed at which beauty trends rise and fall has been expedited and globalised. These trends range from the painful lip suction women undertook to get big lips like the celebrity Kylie Jenner, to the normalisation of botox and fillers, to laser hair removal of every unwanted follicle.

The “morning shed” is just the latest evolution in skin care trends, which started as health-focused, with an emphasis on sun protection and moisturisation. It has since morphed into a study in over-consumption and over-commitment of time and money in the pursuit of staying ever youthful.

Louise N Hanson 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 ‘morning shed’: a brief history of the sometimes dangerous lengths women have gone to to look beautiful – https://theconversation.com/the-morning-shed-a-brief-history-of-the-sometimes-dangerous-lengths-women-have-gone-to-to-look-beautiful-253921

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: As Canada is threatened, it’s urgent to revisit Indigenous sovereignty and nationhood

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Frank Deer, Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba

Early in his second term as president of the United States, Donald Trump began making explicit threats about Canada becoming the 51st American state.

In the midst of his absurd and at times disrespectful rhetoric that’s also included a proposal to acquire Greenland and the Gaza Strip, some have argued Trump’s interest in annexing Canada is an imperialistic impulse.

As a Kanienʼkehá꞉ka educator concerned with Indigenous language education, civic education and reconciliation, I believe it’s important to explore how Canadians should think about Indigenous nationhood with Canada’s sovereignty under threat. I also believe a U.S. annexation of Canada would be devastating for Indigenous Peoples.

Re-asserting Canadian nationhood amid threats

Trump has stated that Canada can be annexed through economic force while others have speculated a military invasion may be part of this conquest attempt.

Although Trump’s threats against Canada seem ludicrous, many Canadians are taking them seriously and regard the ongoing imperialist rhetoric as a threat to Canadian sovereignty.

Read more:
Canada, Greenland, Panama, Gaza and now Ukraine: Wake up, world, Donald Trump is coming for you

Canadian politicians, public intellectuals and members of the public have reacted strongly to this threat in ways that assert Canadian nationhood, sovereignty and identity. Some suggest a sense of national unity has been stoked in Canada for the first time in generations.

However, that sense of unity that many may be feeling in Canada — and could affect how Canadians cast their votes in the forthcoming federal election — conceals the realities of nationhood in Canada. There are several aspects of nationhood in Canada that may merit conversation in terms of unity and the current American threats. But I’m particularly concerned that the nationhood that exists among First Nations, Inuit and Métis may be particularly threatened by an American annexation.

Indigenous Peoples

Canada is a nation state that occupies the traditional territories of many Indigenous nations, representing a broad diversity of cultural and language backgrounds. The Indigenous Peoples of these nations had served as stewards of the territories of North America far longer than the European colonizers who eventually seized control of the territories.

Many of the Canadian government’s colonial and post-colonial activities, abetted by their partners (for example, churches of various denominations), were genocidal in nature.

These colonial actions resulted in Indigenous communities becoming constituent parts one unified nation — Canada. Very little public discourse acknowledges that Indigenous Peoples had already established their own concepts of nation and nationhood. These were displaced by those who established control of the territories.

Read more:
Indigenous people invented the so-called ‘American Dream’

Indigenous nationhood

Indigenous nations have and continue to regard their communal connections and responsibilities through Indigenous nationhood.

There are various key aspects of Indigenous nationhood: sociologist Stephen Cornell, who has worked with Indigenous nations and organizations in North America, Australia and New Zealand, observes five of them, including connections to the land, kinship and community, narratives and history associated with the land and culture, self-governance and collective well-being.

For example, many Anishinaabe consider nationhood as being built on stories and traditions and shaped by relationships and communities. Views like these are enriched by the diversity among Indigenous Peoples.

The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) people share many stories, traditions and language that inform their concept of nationhood and their treaty arrangements (such as the Kaswentha). But the Haudenosaunee also consist of different Indigenous nations — including my own, the Kanienʼkehá꞉ka — with each having their own unique manifestations of Indigenous knowledge, heritage and consciousness.

These different nations functioned in tandem with one another by forming allyships and sharing land.

Canada not a single, homogenous nation

Colonialist incursions by French, British and, later, Canadian authorities have disrupted how Indigenous notions of nationhood may be understood by Canadians.

In ignoring aspects of Indigenous nationhood by exploiting land, dividing families and communities, reconstructing historical narratives, stymying self-governance and emphasizing individual well-being over the collective, the notion of Indigenous nationhood has been marginalized in mainstream public consciousness in Canada.

Instead, the prevailing notion is that Canada is a single and somewhat homogenous nation. This might sound desirable to some and even idyllic, but it’s a myth.

Legal implications, reconciliation journey

Why does Indigenous nationhood have to do with an American president’s threats to Canadian sovereignty?

Indigenous nationhood has not just been a part of Indigenous consciousness and ways of life for centuries, but is now closely tied to established and developing legal and constitutional principles in Canada.

These principles are now, after generations of oversight and subjugation, finally allowing Indigenous nations to explore and enact approaches to self-determination and self-governance.

Trump’s threats imply that existing Canadian legal and constitutional frames would be abolished. They also suggest that the cultural and linguistic mores of Indigenous nations would be endangered even more than they have already been. The reconciliation journey — one that has been informed by the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada — would almost certainly be abandoned.

Treaty relations and 51st state?

More specific concerns about nationhood emerging from Trump’s threats are connected to particular Indigenous nations. For instance, many First Nations have treaty relations with the Crown.

These treaties codify the relationship that these First Nations have with the government of Canada. There is a lot of work being done to better understand treaties in modern times. Treaty arrangements and ongoing efforts to better understand them would be terminated should Canada become the 51st American state.

Read more:
Revisiting the Williams Treaties of 1923: Anishinaabeg perspectives after a century

Much has been achieved by Indigenous Peoples — sometimes in partnership with non-Indigenous people — to enhance their well-being and their place in the world to determine their way forward.

There is, of course, a lot of work still to be done. Poverty, for example, is still widespread among Indigenous Peoples, the languages and cultures of many are endangered and Indigenous women and girls continue to be treated horrifically. But the journey of Indigenous nations toward well-being and self-determination has led to achievements that can make Indigenous Peoples can be proud.

Would this journey continue as a 51st state? I have my doubts.

Frank Deer has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

– ref. As Canada is threatened, it’s urgent to revisit Indigenous sovereignty and nationhood – https://theconversation.com/as-canada-is-threatened-its-urgent-to-revisit-indigenous-sovereignty-and-nationhood-253199

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: 2025 IAM Executive Council and International Officer Elections: Summary of Nominations and Full Nominations by Local

Source: US GOIAM Union

As previously reported, IAM Union members have nominated and elected the incumbent Executive Council members and international officers to a new four-year term, beginning July 1, 2025. Therefore, there are no runoff elections for international officer elections.

Click here for a summary of nominations.

Click here for the full nominations by local.

ELECTED EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS

International President
Brian Bryant (Local S6)

General Secretary-Treasurer
Dora Cervantes (Local 2198)

Canadian General Vice President
David Chartrand, Canadian General Vice President (Local 712)*

U.S. General Vice Presidents
David Sullivan, General Vice President (Local S6)
Richie Johnsen, General Vice President (Local 1781)
Craig Martin, General Vice President (Local 470)
Jody Bennett, General Vice President (Local 2771)
Sam Cicinelli, General Vice President (Local 701)
Robert “Bobby” Martinez, General Vice President (Local 933)

Law Committee
Eric Johnston (Local 235)
Ryan Haehnlein (Local 701)
Teressa Peart (Local 774)
Olu Ajetomobi (Local 1781)
Sal Vasquez (Local 311)

Delegates to the AFL-CIO
E. Michael Vartabedian (Local 264)
Sharon Sugiyama (Local 2339G)
Richard Jackson (Local 751A)

Delegate to the Canadian Labour Congress
Christy Slauenwhite (Local 764)*

*Elected solely by IAM members in Canada.

Nominations were held on Jan. 18, 2025, at every IAM Local throughout the United States and Canada. No candidates other than those elected received enough nominations to hold a full election.

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MIL OSI USA News –

April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Deer Lake — Deer Lake RCMP arrests two people for impaired driving

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Over the weekend, Deer Lake RCMP stopped two drivers, a 40-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman for impaired driving violations.

On Saturday, April 5, 2025, at approximately 3:00pm, Deer Lake RCMP responded to a report of a suspected impaired driver. Officers located the described vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. The driver, a 40-year-old man, showed signs of impairment and was driving while prohibited, stemming from a recent court conviction for impaired driving. The man was arrested and transported to the Deer Lake RCMP detachment where he provided breath samples that were above the legal limit. He is set to appear in court at a later date to answer to charges of impaired operation and driving while prohibited. His vehicle was impounded.

Later that day, at around 4:15 p.m., Deer Lake RCMP responded to a report of a collision between two vehicles on the Trans-Canada Highway near Pynn’s Brook. Police attended the scene and spoke with a female driver, who displayed signs of drug impairment. She was subsequently arrested and a demand was made for blood samples. Police are awaiting lab results from these samples to determine whether charges of impaired operation are appropriate. The investigation is continuing.

Impaired operation of any motor vehicle is a choice that unnecessarily places the driver and all others who share the roadway at an increased level of risk. If you suspect an individual is driving while impaired, please immediately call your local police or 911 to make a report.

MIL Security OSI –

April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: CBSA immigration investigation leads to 20-month conditional sentence and 50K fine for construction manager

Source: Government of Canada News (2)

April 8, 2025 Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada Border Services Agency

On April 2, 2025, Gurwinder Singh Ahluwalia, a resident of Winnipeg, pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized employment of foreign nationals contrary to Section 124 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). Ahluwalia was sentenced to 20-months house arrest and ordered to pay a $50,000 fine.

In August 2023, the CBSA Criminal Investigations Section began an investigation after receiving information about the employment and mistreatment of unauthorized workers at a local construction site. Investigators found paperwork and work permit applications associated to Ahluwalia who was the construction site manager.

In May 2024, CBSA executed search warrants resulting in the seizure of multiple electronic devices and physical documents. The documentation revealed that Ahluwalia lured foreign nationals to Canada to work without authorization and underpaid workers who had valid work permits. On November 26, 2024, CBSA laid charges against Ahluwalia under IRPA.

MIL OSI Canada News –

April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Investigation continues into death following Lethbridge police arrest

Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

On March 23, LPS received a 911 call about an unwanted man at a Lethbridge residence. Officers arrived at the residence at 11:57 p.m. and arrested the man. The man was physically restrained during the arrest and placed in a police vehicle. Shortly after, the man was unresponsive. Emergency medical services arrived and assumed care of the man.

The man was then taken to a hospital. He remained there until his passing on April 2.

ASIRT’s investigation will examine the use of force. No additional information will be released.

As part of its ongoing investigation, ASIRT is continuing efforts to identify people who may have witnessed aspects of the confrontation between the man and police. ASIRT is asking anyone who may have been in the area and may have witnessed these events and/or may have video to contact investigators at 403-592-4306.

ASIRT’s mandate is to effectively, independently and objectively investigate incidents involving Alberta’s police that have resulted in serious injury or death to any person, as well as serious or sensitive allegations of police misconduct.

This release is distributed by the Government of Alberta on behalf of the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team.

MIL OSI Canada News –

April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan Showcased at Food, Fuel, Fertilizer Global Summit

Source: Government of Canada regional news

Released on April 8, 2025

Third Annual Summit Brings Together Business Leaders from Across Canada

Today, Premier Scott Moe delivered the keynote address to more than 300 business leaders and policymakers at the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Food, Fuel, Fertilizer Global Summit in Regina.

“It has never been more clear how vital Saskatchewan is to ensuring food and energy security around the world,” Moe said. “The Food, Fuel, Fertilizer Global Summit emphasizes the province’s critical role in global trade and sustainable development, which is of utmost importance during this time of uncertainty. More and more countries are understanding the value that we bring to the table, realizing that choosing Saskatchewan is not just a good choice, but the right choice.”

The summit explored the global role the province plays, particularly in the sectors of agriculture, mining and energy. Through his keynote, Premier Moe discussed food, and energy security, cutting the carbon tax, the province’s tariff response plan and the importance of diversifying export markets.

“Saskatchewan’s approach to trade and investment has helped position our province as a reliable global partner in food, fuel and fertilizer,” Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce CEO, Prabha Ramaswamy said. “With international engagement offices in 9 countries across the world, Saskatchewan is poised to diversify markets, expand market access for businesses, and supply these vital resources to the world. Events like the Food, Fuel, Fertilizer Global Summit showcase the leadership and resilience that make Saskatchewan a steady and trusted partner in uncertain times.”

In 2024, Saskatchewan’s exports reached over 160 countries, with eight markets that totaled over $1 billion. Last year the province saw international merchandise exports reach $45.4 billion, a top three record for Saskatchewan.

Private capital investment in Saskatchewan increased last year by 17.3 per cent to $14.7 billion, ranking first among provinces for growth. Private capital investment is projected to reach $16.2 billion in 2025, an increase of 10.1 per cent over 2024. This is the second highest anticipated percentage increase among the provinces.

Statistics Canada’s latest GDP numbers indicate that Saskatchewan’s 2023 real GDP reached an all-time high of $77.9 billion, increasing by $1.8 billion, or 2.3 per cent. This ties Saskatchewan for second in the nation for real GDP growth and above the national average of 1.6 per cent.

All of this allows the Government of Saskatchewan to prioritize affordability, health care, education, and safer communities and deliver the services Saskatchewan people need and deserve.

For more information, visit: InvestSK.ca.

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For more information, contact:

MIL OSI Canada News –

April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: This April on nfb.ca, we’re celebrating our culture and marking National Canadian Film Day. First on the agenda: three new docs to be discovered and spark conversations.
Source: Government of Canada News (2)

April 7, 2025 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

April 16 is National Canadian Film Day. Of course, nfb.ca is all about Canadian films all the time, streaming free of charge. Throughout the month of April, viewers can explore three new documentaries on hard-hitting subjects, all made by women directors.
- In Am I the skinniest person you’ve ever seen?, director Eisha Marjara tackles her personal battle with anorexia.
- Seguridad, by Tamara Segura, sees the director explore her father’s troubled past and its connection to the Cuban Revolution.
- A Losing Game, from Jenny Cartwright, examines the ways in which the Quebec electoral system is dysfunctional—a topical film as an election campaign is in full swing.
The themed channel Our Planet in Focus will mark Earth Day, April 22, featuring over 60 films about the environment.

Remember, nfb.ca is home to more than 7,000 streaming films and a collection of over 100 interactive works.

Starting April 7

Am I the skinniest person you’ve ever seen? by Eisha Marjara (Compass Productions/9466-7565 Québec/NFB)
Documentary (24 min 6 s) / Press kit
- In this deeply personal short doc by Quebec director Eisha Marjara, dieting together seems like fun for two sisters—until their project takes a dark turn and Eisha, consumed by anorexia, is pushed to the very brink of death. The film sheds new light on the complex subject of eating disorders.
Starting April 15

Seguridad by Tamara Segura (2024, NFB)
Documentary (76 min) / Press kit
- Once dubbed “Cuba’s youngest soldier” in a militia publicity stunt, Newfoundland-based filmmaker Tamara Segura uncovers family secrets and portrays her troubled relationship with her father. A rare glimpse into the inner lives of Cubans in the post-revolutionary era.
- The film was selected to screen at Hot Docs and won an award at the Atlantic International Film Festival.
- English Collection Curator Camilo Martín-Flórez is publishing a new blog post on April 15. “The Latina-Canadian Gaze” shines a spotlight on the new wave of Latina-Canadian filmmakers who’ve directed NFB-produced films over the past decade, including Segura.
Starting April 24

A Losing Game by Jenny Cartwright (2025, NFB)
Documentary (98 min) / Press kit
- A Losing Game follows three people who ran for office in the 2022 Quebec provincial election, casting a critical eye on this system. For most, the race is over before it even begins. But, thanks to the way the electoral system is set up, the big losers are the rest of us.
- The doc had its world premiere as the opening film of the 2025 Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma.
Marking Earth Day, April 22
- Channel: Our Planet in Focus – NFB
  This channel presents documentaries and animated films on environmental topics, selected from the many fascinating productions about these subjects in the NFB’s collection. Watch recent films like Kevin McMahon’s Borealis or classics like Bill Mason’s Cry of the Wild.
- French Collection Curator Marc St-Pierre’s latest blog post, available soon, takes a look at climate change as depicted in three compelling films. He examines perspectives drawn from Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper’s Metamorphosis (2018), Jennifer Abbott’s The Magnitude of All Things (2020) and Leanne Allison’s Losing Blue (2023).
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Stay Connected

Online Screening Room: nfb.ca
NFB Facebook | NFB Twitter | NFB Instagram | NFB Blog | NFB YouTube | NFB Vimeo
Curator’s perspective | Director’s notes

About the NFB

MIL OSI Canada News –
April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: AI is making elections weird: Lessons from a simulated war-game exercise

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Robert Marinov, PhD Candidate in Communication, Concordia University

A simulated exercise reveals much about the proliferation and circulation of AI-generated content. (Shutterstock)

On March 8, the Conservative campaign team released a video of Pierre Poilievre on social media that drew unusual questions from some viewers. To many, Poilievre’s French sounded a little too smooth, and his complexion looked a little too perfect. The video had what’s known as an “uncanny valley” effect, causing some to wonder if the Poilievre they were seeing was even real.

Before long, the comments section filled with speculation: was this video AI-generated? Even a Liberal Party video mocking Poilievre’s comments led followers to ask why the Conservatives’ video sounded “so dubbed” and whether it was made with AI.

The ability to discern real from fake is seriously in jeopardy.

Poilievre’s smooth video offers an early answer to an open question: How might generative AI affect our election cycle? Our research team at Concordia University created a simulation to experiment with this question.

From a deepfake Mark Carney to AI-assisted fact-checkers, our preliminary results suggest that generative AI is not quite going to break elections, but it is likely to make them weirder.

A war game, but for elections?

Our simulation continued our past work in developing games to explore the Canadian media system.

Red teaming is a type of exercise that allows organizations to simulate attacks on their critical digital infrastructures and processes. It involves two teams — the attacking red team and the defending blue team. These exercises can help uncover vulnerability points within systems or defences and practice ways of correcting them.

Red-teaming has become a major part of cybersecurity and AI development. Here, developers and organizations stress-test their software and digital systems to understand how hackers or other “bad actors” might try to manipulate or crash them.

Fraudulent Futures

Our simulation, called Fraudulent Futures, attempted to evaluate AI’s impact on Canada’s political information cycle.

Four days into the ongoing federal election campaign, we ran the first test. A group of ex-journalists, cybersecurity experts and graduate students were pitted against each other to see who could leverage free AI tools best to push their agenda in a simulated social media environment based on our past research.

Hosted on a private Mastodon server securely shielded from public eyes, our two-hour long simulation quickly descended into silence as players played out their different roles on our simulated servers. Some played far-right influencers, others monarchists to make noise or journalists to cover events online. Players and organizers alike learned about generative AI’s capacity to create disinformation, and the difficulties faced by stakeholders trying to combat it.

Players connected to the server through their laptops and familiarized themselves with the dozens of free AI tools at their disposal. Shortly after, we shared an incriminating voice clone of Carney, created with an easily accessible online AI tool.

The Red Team was instructed to amplify the disinformation, while the Blue Team was directed to verify its authenticity and, if they determined it to be fake, mitigate the harm.

The Blue Team began testing the audio through AI detection tools and tried to publicize it was a fake. But for the Red Team, this hardly mattered. Fact-checking posts were quickly drowned out by a constant slew of new memes and fake images of angry Canadian voters denouncing Carney.

Whether the Carney clip was a deepfake or not didn’t really matter. The fact that we couldn’t tell for sure was enough to fuel endless online attacks.

Easily available and free AI tools can be used to generate and promote misinformation at an overwhelming rate.
(Shutterstock)

Learning from an exercise

Our simulation purposefully exaggerated the information cycle. Yet the experience of trying to disrupt regular electoral processes was highly informative as a research method. Our research team found three major takeaways from the exercise:

1. Generative AI is easy to use for disruption

Many online AI tools claim to safeguard against generating content on elections and public figures. Despite those safeguards, players noted these tools would still generate political content.

The overall quality of the content produced was easy to distinguish as AI-generated. Yet, one of our players noted how simple it was “to generate and spam as much content as possible in order to muddy the waters on the digital landscape.”

2. AI detection tools won’t save us

AI detection tools can only go so far. They are rarely conclusive, and they may even take precedence over common sense. Players noted that even when they knew content was fake, they still felt they “needed to find the tool that would give the answer [they] want” to lend credibility to their interventions.

Most telling was how journalists on the Blue Team turned toward faulty detection tools over their own investigative work, a sign that users may be letting AI detection usurp journalistic skill.

With higher-quality content available in real-world situations, there might be a role for specialized AI detection tools in journalistic and election security processes — despite complex challenges — but these tools should not replace other investigative methods.

However, detection tools will likely only contribute to spreading uncertainty because of the lack of standards and confidence in their assessments.

3. Quality deepfakes are difficult to make

High-quality AI-generated content is achievable and has already caused many online and real-world harms and panics. However, our simulation helped confirm that quality deepfakes are difficult and time-consuming to make.

It is unlikely that the mass availability of generative AI will cause an overwhelming influx of high-quality deceptive content. These types of deepfakes will likely come from more organized, funded and specialized groups engaged in election interference.

Democracy in the age of AI

A major takeaway from our simulation was that the proliferation of AI slop and the stoking of uncertainty and distrust are easy to accomplish at a spam-like scale with freely accessible online tools and little to no prior knowledge or preparation.

Our red-teaming experiment was a first attempt to see how participants might use generative AI in elections. We’ll be working to improve and re-run the simulation to include the broader information cycle, with a particular eye towards better simulating Blue Team co-operation in the hopes of reflecting real-world efforts by journalists, election officials, political parties and others to uphold election integrity.

We anticipate that the Poilievre debate is just the beginning of a long string of incidents to come, where AI distorts our ability to discern the real from the fake. While everyone can play a role in combatting disinformation, hands-on experience and game-based media literacy have proven to be valuable tools. Our simulation proposes a new and engaging way to explore the impacts of AI on our media ecosystem.

Robert Marinov received funding from the Center for the Study of Democratic Citizenship and Concordia University’s Applied AI Institute for this research.

Colleen McCool received funding from the Center for the Study of Democratic Citizenship and Concordia University’s Applied AI Institute for this research.

Fenwick McKelvey receives funding from the Center for the Study of Democratic Citizenship. Research has been supported Concordia University’s Applied AI Institute and the Technoculture, Art and Games (TAG) centre at the Milieux Institute.

Roxanne Bisson receives funding from the Center for the Study of Democratic Citizenship and Concordia University’s Applied AI Institute for this research.

– ref. AI is making elections weird: Lessons from a simulated war-game exercise – https://theconversation.com/ai-is-making-elections-weird-lessons-from-a-simulated-war-game-exercise-253433

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Urges Administration to Support Maine Fire Departments Harmed by Tariffs

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

Published: April 08, 2025

Senator Collins requests fire truck contracts signed by fire departments prior to imposition of tariffs be exempted.

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins sent a letter to Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, urging the Administration to address the hardship that tariffs will impose on fire departments and businesses in Maine, particularly the tariffs imposed on Canadian metals. She is specifically requesting an exemption for fire truck orders that were under contract between Maine fire departments and a Maine manufacturer prior to President Trump’s February 10, 2025, announcement of Canadian tariffs.

“I was recently contacted by K&T Fire Equipment in Island Falls, Maine, a family-owned business that manufactures and sells fire trucks for fire departments in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont,” Senator Collins wrote. “The business begin assembly at its facility in Maine by attaching fire apparatuses to truck chasses before sending the trucks to a metal fabricator in Centerville, New Brunswick, Canada, to complete the steel and aluminum fabrication and assembly. The business has operated this way for more than three decades. K&T indicated to me that the proposed tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum would increase the cost of each truck by $80,000-$90,000.”

“At present, K&T Fire Equipment has contracts for trucks with eight fire departments, with one set to be delivered to the Allagash Fire Department in Allagash, Maine, later this month. K&T’s other contracted departments in Maine include Lamoine, Newfield, Sullivan, Surry, and Somerville. To reduce hardships on fire departments and family-owned companies such as K&T Fire Equipment, I request that the Department of Commerce exempt items that were under contract before President Trump’s announcement on February 10, 2025,” Senator Collins concluded.

Senator Collins has been a longstanding advocate for Maine firefighters and first responders. Through the Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations process, Senator Collins secured nearly $31 million for 24 projects across the state that will support local fire and rescue stations, law enforcement, and emergency response services.

The complete text of the letter can be read here.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Why tax literacy should be a national priority in Canada

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Esteban Vallejo Toledo, PhD Student in Law and Society, University of Victoria

The last time Canada’s political parties campaigned during a tax season was more than a decade ago. This year, taxes are a hot topic, and for good reason. Shortly after the federal election was called, the political parties began rolling out promises of tax cuts to win over voters.

At the same time, although Canada’s consumer carbon tax was scapped last month, debates about the industrial carbon tax are likely to continue.

As the election campaign continues and political parties make more tax-related promises, approximately 3,520 tax clinics and 18,090 volunteers are doing their best to help people file their taxes until April 30. Some of the volunteers are struggling to help as many people as possible.

No candidate has talked about a tax issue that is essential for life in free and democratic societies: tax literacy. If Canada is to maintain an informed, financially responsible and democratic society, tax literacy must become part of the national conversation.

A longstanding idea with modern relevance

The notion of tax literacy has been gaining traction in recent years, but it’s far from a new idea.

One of the earliest advocates for tax literacy and education was Charles Montesquieu, a French judge and political philosopher of the Enlightenment.

Portrait of Charles Montesquieu by an anonymous artist.
(Wikimedia Commons)

In his 1748 book The Spirit of Laws, Montesquieu argued for tax literacy and education for two key reasons.

First, he was convinced that knowledge about taxation was necessary to defend oneself against the corruption and abuse that characterized private tax collectors, known at the time as tax farmers.

Second, he believed education in democratic societies could enhance people’s sense of responsibility for public affairs and help hold authorities accountable for their actions. In his view, tax literacy and education were instrumental in how societies organized themselves for the common good.

More than 275 years later, Montesquieu’s argument remains just as relevant.

Tax literacy is neglected in Canada

In Canada, tax literacy continues to be neglected despite efforts by tax agencies like Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Revenu Québec to promote it.

There are important reasons to treat tax literacy as a national priority. It helps people understand and navigate federal, provincial and municipal taxes, recognize the social importance of taxation and responsibly exercise their rights. It also allows people to manage their financial affairs according to the law.

Tax literacy is also instrumental in contesting economic populism, a political approach that claims to represent the interests of “ordinary people” against perceived elites, often by oversimplifying complex issues like taxation.

It also helps counter the spread of of disinformation, misinformation and malinformation about taxes in the media, online and on social networks.

Read more:
The Canada Carbon Rebate is still widely misunderstood — here’s why

In Canada, recent examples include misleading claims that Canada has the highest taxes in the world, mischaracterizations of climate tax policies, flawed analyses of the carbon rebate’s cost and other misconceptions about the carbon rebate.

Tax literacy vs. financial literacy

While Canada has done considerable work to further financial literacy since 2001, tax literacy has received far less attention from both authorities and scholars.

In fact, only two peer-reviewed studies have examined tax literacy in Canada. Published in 2016 and 2020, these studies analyze tax literacy within the context of financial literacy and mostly in relation to the income tax.

Similar to financial literacy, the authors of these studies define tax literacy as “having the knowledge, skills and confidence to make responsible tax decisions.”

Canada’s federal and provincial governments, as well as non-profit organizations and tax preparers, tend to use a benefit-based narrative to promote tax literacy and encourage tax compliance.

This narrative frames filing income taxes as positive because it allows people to receive direct payments from the government. In Canada, the income tax system is closely linked to the social support system that benefits everyone, particularly low-income people for whom filing taxes is the primary way to access benefits such as the Canada Child Benefit, the GST/HST Credit and the Canada Workers Benefit.

The missing fiscal dimension

While the benefit-based approach aligns with international standards and has clear advantages, it also has drawbacks.

Most notably, it overlooks the fiscal dimension of tax literacy. This dimension highlights the role taxes play in raising revenue to support government programs, promoting collective well-being, regulating economic activity, addressing social inequalities, strengthening democratic institutions and advancing social goals like environmental protection.

Taxes are far more than mandatory payments to government. Recognizing this enables citizens to actively participate in decision-making processes and hold governments accountable.

Read more:
10 things everyone should know about taxation

The fiscal dimension also broadens public understanding beyond the income tax. On one hand, it helps people interact with tax authorities beyond the CRA, including those administered by provinces, municipalities and First Nations.

On the other hand, it helps citizens better understand public budgets and recognize that while income tax is an important source of revenue, it is not the only one.

The fiscal dimension also challenges harmful narratives that attempt to create social divisions by using the terms “taxpayer” and “taxpayer money.” It also counters the spread of wrongful stereotypes of Indigenous people. These narratives are often used in populist rhetoric to undermine democracy by excluding marginalized groups.

What needs to happen now

Tax literacy must become a national priority in Canada, and public institutions must lead this process. To move in this direction, Canada’s public institutions should:

1) Adopt a holistic approach to tax literacy that includes both the fiscal and financial dimensions.

2) Address misinformation and discrimination experienced by Indigenous people regarding tax exemptions. This is essential to honouring the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

3) Offer long-term partnerships and support to teachers and educational institutions to integrate tax literacy into schools.

4) Lead the production of education resources to ensure a holistic approach. Education resources produced or sponsored by the private sector tend to focus on individual responsibility and frame financial choices in moral terms without considering broader social contexts.

5) Ensure tax literacy initiatives serve not only children and youth but adults as well, in line with UNESCO’s vision of education as a lifelong right.

6) Ensure adult tax literacy resources follow the recommendations of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). They should be thorough but easy to understand, offered in multiple formats, concise and supplemented by additional resources. Public authorites should expand podcasts, learning platforms and tax initiatives.

The history of taxes in Canada has been one of important developments but also of social and economic conflicts, wrongful discrimination and colonial racism. It must not also become a history of populism and missed opportunities.

Now is the time for Canada to write a different chapter. By advancing tax literacy, both authorities and society as a whole can strengthen democracy and build a more informed public.

Esteban Vallejo Toledo receives funding from the Law Commission of Canada Emerging Scholars Program. He has previously received funding from SSHRC, LFBC, and UVic.

– ref. Why tax literacy should be a national priority in Canada – https://theconversation.com/why-tax-literacy-should-be-a-national-priority-in-canada-252722

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Canadians need to use the language of freedom in fighting American annexation

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Eric Van Rythoven, Instructor in Political Science, Carleton University

Canadians looking for relief from the trade war launched by United States President Donald Trump are bound to be disappointed. The Trump administration has just announced it’s more than doubling Canadian softwood lumber duties, adding to an already punishing flurry of tariff actions.

These tariffs are designed to squeeze Canada, pressuring us into giving up our sovereignty. And while Trump may have cooled his annexation talk lately — likely because of how it was resurrecting the Liberal Party’s fortunes in the ongoing federal election campaign — we cannot simply pretend this threat has gone away.

Read more:
Amid U.S. threats, Canada’s national security plans must include training in non-violent resistance

In response, Canada must use every tool at its disposal. It should leverage retaliatory tariffs and target trade action at vulnerable Republican districts if Trump targets Canada with more tariffs.

Canadian consumers need to continue boycotting American goods and Canada should ban American firms from bidding on public contracts. It also needs to revitalize trade and diplomatic relationships with reliable allies.

But alone, even these measures will be insufficient.

Public diplomacy like no other

To succeed, Canada needs the most ambitious and energetic campaign of public diplomacy in its history. The target of this campaign should not be the Trump administration, but the ultimate voice of authority in U.S. politics — the American public. Canadian diplomacy should aim to convince
American citizens that the idea of annexing Canada, already unpopular, is a toxic betrayal of U.S. values.

Doing so, however, requires using the right language. Public diplomacy fails when it ignores the values of its audience, and especially when the audience has a strong emotional attachment to those values.

This means that just because something sounds righteous to Canadian ears doesn’t mean it resonates with Americans. Protecting Canadian sovereignty certainly sounds good to Canadians, but this concept is too abstract and distant from Americans’ everyday lives.

Likewise, Canadians are fiercely proud of our identity as “good neighbours,” but most Americans live far from us and do not know us. Nor can we invoke a shared history that the majority of Americans do not remember or have never learned.

The value of freedom

Instead, if Canadians are going to speak to Americans, then they must speak to their culture — and in U.S. culture, no value speaks more loudly than the value of freedom. As American historian Eric Foner writes: “No idea is more fundamental to Americans’ sense of themselves as individuals and as a nation than freedom.”

For American cognitive psychologist George Lakoff, most of contemporary U.S. politics can be read as a struggle over different conceptions of freedom. From the Declaration of Independence launching a newborn United States into a war for its freedom to the bravery of the Freedom Riders during the Civil Rights Movement, there is no other American value that has the broad resonance and emotion appeal of freedom.

If America has a civil religion, in fact, it is almost certainly a faith in freedom.

Canadians need to embrace this language and speak it relentlessly at every opportunity. Americans need to know that Canadians want the freedom to choose their leaders and their laws. They want the freedom to trade without the interference of tariffs. They want the freedom to choose who enters our country.

They want the freedom to speak different languages. The want the freedom to choose what is taught in Canadian schools, for women to choose, to criticize our government, to choose who we are and who we love. And if Canadians don’t have the freedom to say “no thank you” to becoming the 51st state, then they don’t really have any freedom at all.

Read more:
Canada a 51st state? Here’s how American annexation could actually favour Canada

Putting Americans on the defensive

Embracing this language does more than simply signal shared values, it puts advocates of annexation on the defensive. By claiming the mantle of freedom, Canadians can put pro-annexation voices on the back foot by forcing them into defending an unpopular position.

Why should Canadians lose their freedom to elect their own leaders or make their own laws, lose their independence or bend the knee to an American president? Americans would never accept a similar choice.

Advocates of annexation, including members of the Trump administration, need to be relentlessly challenged over why they think Canadians should be deprived of their freedoms and forced to become American subjects.

The Trump administration has spent weeks suggesting Canadians have a stark choice: endure economic pain or submit to annexation. Fortunately, the American public knows that the choice between pain and submission is never a free choice, and that the denial of freedom is profoundly un-American.

Canada needs to tell American citizens that is exactly what their government is doing.

Eric Van Rythoven 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. Canadians need to use the language of freedom in fighting American annexation – https://theconversation.com/canadians-need-to-use-the-language-of-freedom-in-fighting-american-annexation-252366

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Applications Open for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls+ Community Response Fund
Source: Government of Canada regional news

Released on April 8, 2025

Eligible organizations and community groups can now apply to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls+ (MMIWG+) Community Response Fund for projects that advance violence prevention efforts and foster safety for Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit people, their families and communities.

“Our government is proud to fund projects by local, grassroots Indigenous groups and organizations that address issues related to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls,” Minister Responsible for First Nations, Métis and Northern Affairs Eric Schmalz said. “Every initiative supported is a step toward justice, healing and a safer Saskatchewan for everyone.”

Applicants can receive up to $40,000 for projects dedicated to enhancing awareness, safety and empowerment within Indigenous communities.

“Preventing interpersonal violence is critical to supporting the safety and wellbeing of Indigenous women, girls and of all people,” Minister Responsible for the Status of Women Alana Ross said. “By working together as a community, we have the power to create a future where everyone is safe and supported.”

This grant program is open to non-profits such as:
- Local, grassroots Indigenous groups and organizations;
- Non-Indigenous groups and municipalities seeking authentic partnerships with Indigenous communities; and
- Non-Indigenous organizations with Indigenous involvement and whose primary programs/services benefit First Nations or Métis people.
A total of $800,000 is available, with $400,000 provided by Women and Gender Equality Canada.

The application deadline for the first intake is May 31. The second intake deadline is November 10. For full eligibility requirements, to submit an application, or to view a list of previously funded projects, visit: saskatchewan.ca.

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For more information, contact:

MIL OSI Canada News –
April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: US v them: Trump’s tariffs and his economic vision of dominance

Source: The Conversation – France – By Jérôme Viala-Gaudefroy, Spécialiste de la politique américaine, Sciences Po

US President Donald Trump’s April 2 announcement of sweeping new tariffs against numerous countries isn’t just driven by (already questionable) economic reasoning. It reflects the deeply adversarial worldview embraced by the current occupant of the White House.

Since returning to the presidency, Trump has unleashed a new wave of tariffs unprecedented in scope. Traditional allies and strategic rivals are now under the same banner, marking a radical shift in Washington’s trade policy that hardens positions taken in Trump’s first term, amplifying them with an unbridled display of power.

Just as in 2017, when he spoke of “American carnage”, Trump paints an apocalyptic picture of the US, a country he claims has been “looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike”. This dramatic narrative is met with a double promise of “liberation” and the restoration of a new “golden age”.

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Tariffs thus become the weapons of a nationalist crusade, where every import is an attack on sovereignty, and every export a symbolic act of reconquest.

An authoritarian vision of international trade

Trump’s trade doctrine is part of a broader strategy defined by confrontation, centralised executive power and a neo-imperial view of the global economy. His tariff measures go far beyond protecting domestic industry: they aim to reshape the global order according to his own interpretation of national interest. This second act of the Trumpist revolution is not a rerun, but an escalation – one based on authoritarian ambitions, the rejection of multilateralism (as seen in the administration’s utter disdain for the World Trade Organization, and the glorification of raw sovereignty.

The supposed economic logic behind these policies is as flimsy as it is revealing. The chosen calculation method – dividing the bilateral trade deficit by import volumes – is little more than a blunt instrument to go after countries the US runs a deficit with. Officially, it’s about cutting trade deficits, bringing jobs back and raising revenue. But the real agenda runs deeper: consolidating presidential power and replacing global cooperation with a doctrine of economic domination.

Tariffs as tools of power and messaging

Trump’s first term has shown the limits of this strategy. The trade war with China, in particular, triggered price hikes for consumers, disrupted supply chains and severely hurt US agricultural exporters. One study found that US consumers bore the brunt of these costs, with an average 1% increase in the prices of manufactured goods.

Trump doesn’t behave like a traditional head of state operating within a multilateral framework. He acts more like a lone ruler, dispensing rewards and punishments to serve his political – or even personal – agenda. Tariffs, in this context, function as much as media stunts as they do economic instruments. Branded as “reciprocal tariffs”, they construct a simplified and powerful narrative: that of a crusader who corrects the wrongs inflicted on citizens betrayed by free trade.

This message hits home with workers in industries like auto manufacturing. It offers up convenient villains – China, Europe, and the domestic elite who support free trade. Trade policy is no longer about negotiation; it’s about retribution. In this worldview, the spike in tariffs isn’t just an economic manoeuvre – it’s a statement of sovereignty, even of symbolic power.

From personal obsession to state doctrine

Trump’s protectionism is not an overnight development, but part of a long-standing obsession. As early as 1987, he railed against Japan’s trade surpluses with the US and called for steep tariffs on Tokyo. He spoke of the US being “ripped off” and showed a near-paranoid fear of national humiliation or betrayal. At its core, this reflects a deep-seated drive to reassert dominance – to “win” in a world he views as inherently hostile and conflictual. It’s one of the few constants in Trump’s worldview, given his lack of ideological consistency and frequent U-turns on other issues.

Today, everything is reframed as a question of sovereignty: rare earths, strategic minerals, data flows, shipping lanes. This worldview echoes the imperialist pivot of the late 19th century, especially under US president William McKinley (1897–1901) – a figure Trump pointedly invoked in his second inaugural address.

This logic also helps explain some of his most provocative gestures: stating he wants to buy Greenland, putting pressure on Canada in hopes of access to its natural resources, and eyeing Ukraine’s mining potential. The underlying idea is blunt and unmistakeable: resources are finite, and you’d better grab your share before someone else does. In this zero-sum game, where one country’s gain is another’s loss, cooperation gives way to conquest.

The rise of techno-nationalist mercantilism?

In this worldview, competition isn’t seen as a source of innovation – it’s a threat to be eliminated. The aim isn’t to make America more competitive, but to sabotage the competitiveness of others. The US no longer presents itself – even rhetorically – as a democratic nation playing by the rules of global markets. Instead, it acts like a corporation determined to secure monopoly power.

This authoritarian shift resonates with key Trumpist thinkers. Peter Thiel, a mentor to US Vice President JD Vance, famously declared that “capitalism and competition are opposites”, championing monopoly as the ultimate goal. Cuts to the federal government and sweeping deregulation aren’t about unleashing free markets – they’re about consolidating control and asserting dominance.

À lire aussi :
Trump protectionism and tariffs: a threat to globalisation, or to democracy itself?

The aim now is to sidestep global systems, not to integrate them – to build an imperial-style autarky where the US controls a closed sphere of influence, shielded from outside competition. This is mercantilism reimagined for the digital age: instead of gold and silver, the currency is data, infrastructure, dollars and crypto currency. Cooperation gives way to coercion.

Toward an authoritarian international order – or a political disaster?

The April 2 announcement is far more than an economic decision. It’s a bold political statement – a deliberate move toward a new world order rooted in strength and loyalty, rather than law and cooperation.

There’s undeniable continuity with Trump’s first term. But this time, the scale, radicalism and concentration of power represent a decisive escalation. Trump increasingly treats the state as his personal property – or a private business – what some have aptly called “patrimonialism”. He is shaping an authoritarian model in which trade becomes a weapon in a new kind of global cold war, driven by fear of decline and an obsession with control. In this logic, prosperity is no longer a shared national goal – it’s a privilege reserved for those in power.

This trajectory could become politically explosive, especially as Trump faces falling markets and looming inflation – both threatening a weakening of his presidency. If he doubles down despite sinking approval ratings, Republican lawmakers may be forced – under pressure from their voters and donors – to finally push back and reassert their constitutional role. Early signs of dissent within the Republican Party are already surfacing, alongside public anger that remains scattered – but is growing harder to ignore.

Jérôme Viala-Gaudefroy 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. US v them: Trump’s tariffs and his economic vision of dominance – https://theconversation.com/us-v-them-trumps-tariffs-and-his-economic-vision-of-dominance-254096

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Canada’s aging population: The unspoken ballot box issue

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Sunil Johal, Professor in Public Policy and Society, University of Toronto

Canadians are voting in a federal election on April 28, and questions about how to deal with the United States and make Canada’s economy more resilient are dominating public discourse.

The housing crisis, immigration policy and health-care system deficiencies are other top-of-mind concerns. But one issue we likely won’t hear much about from politicians is a trend that’s quietly shaping all of these issues: an aging population.

Canada’s overall population is older than ever. Between 2016 and 2021, the portion of the population aged 65 and older grew to seven million people. By 2040, it’s projected that close to one-quarter of Canadians will be over the age of 65.

That means policymakers need to think more proactively about how they can transform Canada’s existing policies to address the needs of an aging population.

A new report we’ve published at the CSA Public Policy Centre outlines policy pathways for federal and provincial governments to consider as 2040 approaches.

It’s time for Canadians to reimagine where we live as we grow older, transform our understanding of health and health-care services and take a whole-of-society approach to advance cultural change around the experience of aging.

Precarious retirement

As more baby boomers retire in the years ahead, labour productivity is expected to decline and the income tax base that supports core public services will shrink.

At the same time, significant investments will be needed for our already strained health-care system to meet the needs of older adults living with more chronic conditions. The average cost of delivering health care is about $12,000 per person per year for those over 65, compared to only $2,700 for those under 65.

Similarly, in the face of a years-long decline in the quality of Canada’s long-term care system and the preference of Canadians to age at home, a policy shift towards aging-in-place has become a priority.

However, this raises important questions about social isolation, accessibility of Canada’s built environment, suitability of housing options on the market as well as the availability and affordability of necessary services.

Recent polling shows that 95 per cent of Canadians over 45 believe that aging-in-place would maintain their independence, comfort and dignity. Yet only 12 per cent report having the funds available to receive adequate home care.

In the absence of thoughtful policy reform, there is potential for significant disparities in health outcomes, financial security and social inclusion among older adults in the years to come.

Read more:
Wealthier Canadians live longer and are less likely to be dependent as they age, new research finds

Ensuring intergenerational equity

There is a perception that baby boomers are heading into a comfortable retirement with robust pensions and opportunities for leisure. While this may be the case for those who have accumulated or inherited wealth, others are facing the risk of poverty and homelessness.

Data indicates that around 30 per cent of people using shelters across Canada are aged 50 or older, with many others unsheltered, living outdoors or experiencing hidden homelessness.

With limited resources, governments will be challenged to meet the needs of older Canadians while ensuring younger Canadians can also thrive. Young Canadians are facing a housing market that feels out of reach and many are delaying the decision to start a family due to high costs of living.

Fifty-five per cent of Canadians aged 25-44 report that rising prices are greatly affecting their ability to meet day-to-day expenses. Balancing the needs of different generations will require new ways of thinking, strategic investments and systemic cultural change.

A path forward

This means that, in the face of difficult decisions, resources should be allocated to those who need them most. For example, there have been calls to improve the equity of Old Age Security (OAS) — which is expected to cost $96 billion annually by 2027 — and lower income thresholds for eligibility.

Unlike the Guaranteed Income Supplement, which is targeted to low-income Canadians over the age of 65, households with an annual income more than $300,000 may still be eligible for OAS payments.

Similarly, vouchers could be made available to help Canadians pay for costs such as long-term care or home care services. Eligibility for programs like this should be tested against both income and wealth — access to home equity can be a significant factor in one’s ability to maintain their standard of living in retirement.

To ensure equitable outcomes, these decisions should also be guided by meaningful engagement with diverse voices around the table, including those from older and younger generations and different lived experiences. Intergenerational dialogue can help different age groups understand each other’s challenges, collaborate on solutions and ultimately work towards solidarity and a much-needed reimagination of what it means to grow older.

As Canadians prepare to head to the polls, we should all consider the future we want to see for ourselves and our communities as we age. Making strategic investments to improve the quality of life for older Canadians today will also lay the foundation for future generations.

Sunil Johal is the Vice-President, Public Policy with the CSA Group and leads the CSA Public Policy Centre.

– ref. Canada’s aging population: The unspoken ballot box issue – https://theconversation.com/canadas-aging-population-the-unspoken-ballot-box-issue-253300

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Rivers are increasingly being given legal rights

Source: Anglia Ruskin University

The River Ouse in East Sussex, which has been given rights by Lewes District Council

By Oluwabusayo Wuraola, Anglia Ruskin University

A district council in England has passed a motion to grant its local river the rights to flow freely, to be free from pollution and to enjoy its native biodiversity. The move by Lewes District Council in East Sussex to recognise the fundamental rights of the River Ouse is the first of its kind in the UK.

The Ouse (not to be confused with larger rivers of the same name in Yorkshire and East Anglia) flows southwards for 35 miles into the English Channel and suffers from the usual problems afflicting many rivers in the UK: chemical pollution, sewage dumping and so on.

As a legal academic who researches exactly these sorts of rights, I was excited to see the news from Lewes (even if the council’s motions ultimately can’t overrule national laws). But simply granting a river some rights isn’t enough. We now need to think about who will actually defend these rights.

This may mean appointing someone to represent the rights of the river. Who these representatives are, and how they think about nature and conservation, can be as important as the granting of these rights in the first place.

Appointing representatives who care about their own personal and property interests would be a grave mistake, as would appointing anyone who prioritises the rights of humans to a healthy environment over a more intrinsic right of nature (remember: the idea is that the River Ouse has rights in itself and shouldn’t need to demonstrate its worth to humans).

As further rivers, lakes, forests and more are granted rights like the Ouse, we’ll need to train up an army of people willing to represent the rights of nature.

Natural entities should have legal rights

The law professor Christopher Stone pioneered the rights of nature concept back in the 1970s. He argued that natural entities, like rivers or forests, should have legal rights and that a “guardian” or representative should be appointed to defend those rights in court when they are threatened.

Some legal systems have adopted this model. For example, in New Zealand, the Whanganui River was granted legal personhood, and two “human faces” were appointed to act and speak on its behalf. Their duties are outlined in a 2017 act, which specifies that these representatives must have the skills, knowledge and experience needed to effectively advocate for the river’s rights.

But even as rights of nature are being considered in many countries, there is still little consideration of who will represent these rights effectively. For instance, back in 2008 Ecuador became the first country to grant the rights of nature in its constitution. However the constitution states that “all persons” are representatives of the rights of nature. This is simply impractical: we can’t expect every citizen to truly care about the rights of nature.

Efforts to apply the rights of nature in Ecuador have often failed. Legal challenges can become highly politicised and there is little legal infrastructure beyond general constitutional principles.

For example, in a case brought after road builders had dumped material into the Vilcabamba River, plaintiffs claimed to represent nature in court. However, they were not genuinely advocating for the river’s rights – their main concern was protecting their downstream property.

An ecocentric perspective

Ultimately, defending the rights of nature in court will be a struggle if the nature in question – the river, forest or lake – is not represented by someone with an ecocentric perspective. That means prioritising the intrinsic value of nature itself, rather than focusing on how it can serve human interests.

Ecocentric advocates have proved to be the most effective defenders of the rights of nature in many court cases. For example, in lawsuits involving Ecuador’s Los Cedros cloud forest and its marine ecosystems, ecocentric arguments helped secure stronger legal protections and even inspired the courts to grant further rights of nature.

One of the most common legal frameworks involves appointing “all persons”, “a person”, or “a resident” as representatives or protectors. For instance, Uganda’s National Environment Act 2019 states that anyone has the right to bring an action before a court “for any infringement of rights of nature”.

Similarly, the city of Toledo, Ohio, tried to introduce the Lake Erie bill of rights which stated that the city or any resident could act on behalf of the lake’s ecosystem. (The bill was declared unconstitutional by a federal court in 2020 and did not become the law).

Having such broad representation can make these legal protections less effective. This is what Stone, the law professor, envisioned back in the 70s: representatives should be trained to view nature as having intrinsic value – the very reason it is granted rights – and to protect it on that basis.

There are some promising examples. Guardians were appointed to protect the Magpie River in Canada, for instance, after it was granted legal personhood in 2022. Their responsibilities include participating – on behalf of the river itself – in any consultations on projects that might affect the river.

When the River Atrato in Colombia was also granted legal rights, the court required the formation of a commission (with representatives from the state and local communities) to train and oversee the work of the guardians.

Moves to give rights to nature are promising. But from Colombia to Canada to Sussex, we’ll need a whole army of nature protectors to actually enforce those rights.

Oluwabusayo Wuraola, Lecturer in Law, Anglia Ruskin University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The opinions expressed in VIEWPOINT articles are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARU.

If you wish to republish this article, please follow these guidelines: https://theconversation.com/uk/republishing-guidelines

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Hopedale — Hopedale RCMP arrests two impaired snowmobile operators

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Over the weekend, Hopedale RCMP stopped two snowmobile operators, a 27-year-old man and a 26-year-old man, and arrested both for impaired operation.

On Saturday, April 5, 2025, shortly before 9:30 p.m., Hopedale RCMP received a report of theft of a snowmobile. The snowmobile‘s owners located the stolen snowmobile outside of a local store and confronted the driver. Police attended and stopped the suspect who was now walking away from the store. The 27-old man from Natuashish showed signs of alcohol impairment and was arrested for impaired operation and theft of a motor vehicle. He was released from custody to appear in court at a later date. His license was suspended.

On Sunday, April 6, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., Hopedale RCMP observed a snowmobiler operating erratically on Berry Road. Moments later, the snowmobile tipped over. Officers spoke to the operator, a 26-year-old man, who showed signs of alcohol impairment. The man was arrested for impaired operation. He was released from custody to appear in court at a later date. His license was suspended and snowmobile impounded.

Impaired operation of any motor vehicle is a choice that unnecessarily places the driver and all others who share the roadway at an increased level of risk. If you suspect an individual is driving while impaired, please immediately call your local police or 911 to make a report.

MIL Security OSI –

April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI: Wawanesa unveils recipients of Community Wildfire Prevention Grants totalling $150,000+

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — To help Canadians access the resources they need to reduce their risk of wildfire-related loss and damage, Wawanesa is awarding more than $150,000 in Community Wildfire Prevention Grants to 12 locally based organizations.

The initiative is part of the Wawanesa Climate Champions program, which reinforces the insurer’s annual $2 million commitment to building stronger, more resilient communities. The Community Wildfire Prevention Grants will support critical prevention and mitigation efforts, including the creation of a mobile wildfire fuel clean-up unit, installation of campfire spark screens, and programs to clear overgrown plants, brush, or trees.

“With wildfires becoming an ever-growing threat across the country, resilience is key to safeguarding homes, farms, and businesses,” said Jackie De Pape Hornick, Director of Communications & Community Impact at Wawanesa. “We’re proud to partner with these local organizations, helping them to take proactive steps to make the places they live and work safer. After all, as a Canadian owned and operated mutual insurer, we don’t just serve these communities – we’re part of them.”

This marks the third straight year Wawanesa has provided Community Wildfire Prevention Grants, which were developed in collaboration with FireSmart™ Canada and the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction.

“Community involvement is the cornerstone of implementing FireSmart principles,” said Lisa Walker, Director of Resiliency and Partnerships at the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which operates FireSmart Canada. “Actions taken at both the individual and community level will help reduce wildland fire risk for yourself, your family, and your neighbours. No task is too large when communities work together to reduce their shared wildland fire risk.”

“Last year saw the loss of about one-third of the town of Jasper in an aggressive, fast-moving wildfire,” said Paul Kovacs, Executive Director of ICLR. “Many Canadian communities that are at risk of a similar fate are small and have few resources to be able to address the risk effectively. Wawanesa’s Community Wildfire Prevention Grants has helped many of these communities over the last three years deal with this risk by helping to fund key fire mitigation projects.”

A complete list of Community Wildfire Prevention Grants recipients and their projects can be found on wawanesa.com.

About The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company
The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company, founded in 1896, is one of Canada’s largest mutual insurers, with over $3.5 billion in annual revenue and assets of $10 billion. Wawanesa Mutual, with its National Headquarters in Winnipeg, is the parent company of Wawanesa Life, which provides life insurance products and services throughout Canada, and Western Financial Group, which distributes personal and business insurance across Canada. Wawanesa proudly serves more than 1.7 million members in Canada. The company actively gives back to organizations that strengthen communities, donating more than $3.5 million annually to charitable organizations, including over $2 million annually in support of people on the front lines of climate change. Learn more at wawanesa.com.

For more information:
Michel Rosset
Manager, Corporate Communications and Media Relations
The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company
media@wawanesa.com

The MIL Network –

April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI: BexBack Launches Three Exclusive Promotions and Two Innovative Tools to Revolutionize 100x Crypto Futures Trading
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SINGAPORE, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Amid heightened volatility in the global cryptocurrency market, BexBack, a rapidly growing crypto derivatives exchange, today announced the launch of three major promotional offers alongside two innovative trading tools. These initiatives are designed to empower traders with greater flexibility, enhanced capital efficiency, and a superior trading experience.

Three Exclusive Promotions to Maximize Traders’ Potential
- 100% Deposit Bonus
  Users who deposit more than 0.001 BTC or 100 USDT per transaction are eligible for a 100% deposit bonus, instantly doubling their trading margin.
  (Note: The bonus itself cannot be withdrawn directly, but profits earned using the bonus are fully withdrawable.)
- $50 Welcome Bonus
  New users who complete their first trade (open and close a position) will receive a $50 USDT bonus credited to their USDT-M account. The bonus can be used for trading or withdrawal, providing new traders with extra flexibility at the start of their journey.
- No KYC Requirement
  Upholding the spirit of decentralized finance, BexBack allows users to register and trade without any identity verification, offering a faster, more private onboarding experience for traders worldwide.
Two New Trading Tools for a Smarter Crypto Trading Experience
- 100x Leverage Crypto Futures
  Traders can now access up to 100x leverage on Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP), Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), and over 50 additional major cryptocurrencies.
  Whether the market moves up or down, traders can open long or short positions to seize opportunities in any condition, with adjustable leverage settings to suit different risk appetites.
- Free Real-Time BTC to USDT Conversion
  BexBack introduces a zero-fee BTC/USDT conversion feature, enabling users to switch between Bitcoin and USDT instantly at real-time prices, optimizing asset allocation without incurring extra costs.
Why Choose BexBack
- Headquartered in Singapore, Licensed Under U.S. MSB
- Over 50 Major Crypto Futures Available
- Cold Wallet Custody to Protect User Funds
- Zero Deposit Fees and Fast Withdrawals
- 10 BTC Demo Account for Strategy Testing
- 24/7 Multilingual Customer Support
About BexBack?

BexBack is a leading cryptocurrency derivatives platform that offers 100x leverage on BTC, ETH, ADA, SOL, and XRP futures contracts. It is headquartered in Singapore with offices in Hong Kong, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Argentina. It holds a US MSB (Money Services Business) license and is trusted by more than 500,000 traders worldwide. Accepts users from the United States, Canada, and Europe. There are no deposit fees, and traders can get the most thoughtful service, including 24/7 customer support.

Start Trading Smarter Today

Take advantage of the Double Deposit Bonus, the $50 Welcome Bonus, 100x flexible leverage, and start trading without any KYC requirements.
Sign up now at www.bexback.com and unlock your full trading potential.

Website: www.bexback.com

Contact: business@bexback.com

Contact:
Amanda
business@bexback.com

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

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The MIL Network –
April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Royal Navy aircraft carrier in final preparation to lead multinational deployment to Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

Press release

Royal Navy aircraft carrier in final preparation to lead multinational deployment to Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific

Nearly 4,000 British personnel will support the deployment, which will deliver trade events in Singapore, Japan, and India, promoting Britain’s world-leading industry
HMS Prince of Wales

Final preparations are underway for a multinational deployment, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales, reaffirming the UK’s commitment to the security of the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific, while providing an opportunity to promote British trade and industry.

Aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales is scheduled to sail from Portsmouth on 22 April, where it will proceed to join a formation of warships, supply ships, and aircraft off the coast of Cornwall, before departing for the Mediterranean where it will conduct exercises to reinforce European security.

Around 2,500 personnel from the Royal Navy and 592 from the Royal Air Force will be involved in the eight-month deployment, which will see the group sail through the Indian Ocean to conduct exercises and port visits with partners including the US, India, Singapore, and Malaysia. They will be joined by around 900 personnel from the British Army for exercises during the deployment.

The deployment, named Operation Highmast, provides an opportunity for the UK’s Armed Forces to conduct a major global deployment and a chance to exercise complex operations alongside partners and allies in the region, with 12 other nations supporting the deployment with ships or personnel.

The Indo-Pacific is a critical region for UK trade, with imports and exports in the region worth billions of pounds for the UK economy, and the deployment will provide a chance for UK companies to take part in trade events during port visits.

Trade between the UK and Indo-Pacific accounted for 17% of total trade between the UK and all trading partners in the 12 months to September 2024, with the total amount traded in goods and services between the UK and Indo-Pacific standing at £286 billion in the same period.

As the biggest class of ship in the Royal Navy, the flight decks of HMS Prince of Wales and her sister ship are roughly the size of three football pitches and defended by advanced weapons. A maritime strike force of this size is composed of multiple types of ship, frigates, destroyers, submarines, and supply ships to support logistics.

Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, said:

I want to thank the thousands of our Armed Forces personnel involved in the delivery of this immensely complex operation, demonstrating the UK’s world-leading capability to deploy a major military force around the world.

This is a unique opportunity for the UK to operate in close coordination with our partners and allies in a deployment that not only shows our commitment to security and stability, but also provides an opportunity to bolster our own economy and boost British trade and exports.

As one of only a handful of countries in the world able to lead a deployment of this scale, the Royal Navy is once again demonstrating its formidable capability while protecting British values and sending a powerful message of deterrence to any adversary.

Of the 12 other nations supporting the deployment, Norway will provide a warship to support the carrier strike group for the entire duration of the deployment. Canada and Spain are among the other nations providing support to the deployment.

After its compliment of up to 24 Royal Air Force F-35B Lighting fighter jets is embarked on board HMS Prince of Wales, and the departure for the Mediterranean, the group will initially be placed under NATO command as it joins Exercise Neptune Strike – testing the Alliance’s ability to use high-end maritime strike capabilities, including multiple aircraft carrier and amphibious strike groups.

The group will transit though the Indian Ocean, conducting exercises and port visits with partners including the US, India, Singapore and Malaysia, before joining 19 partner nations for Exercise Talisman Sabre near Australia, and then training alongside the Japanese Self Defence Forces and conducting a port visit to India.

Minister for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard MP, said:

Through this deployment of our Carrier Strike Group and 4,000 Service Personnel, we will stand firm with our allies against those who challenge the international order. Reminding the world that the security of the Euro Atlantic and Indo-Pacific are fundamentally indivisible.

This isn’t just about hard power; it’s about building influence and opening new trade opportunities both for defence and other sectors of our economy which will deliver British jobs and growth.

This deployment follows the Prime Minister’s historic commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, demonstrating this Government’s commitment to keep the UK secure at home and strong abroad.

Following the inaugural deployment in 2021, the Carrier Strike Group 2025 highlights the strength of the UK’s leadership in seeking to uphold stability in the Indo-Pacific. This has been bolstered by the Royal Navy’s persistent presence in the region through HMS Spey and HMS Tamar, as well as the landmark Global Combat Air Programme collaboration.

Keeping the country safe is the Government’s first priority and is the foundation of its Plan for Change. The strength, capability and global reach of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, demonstrated through Operation Highmast, is critical to the security and stability of the UK, supporting the delivery of the Government’s five missions.

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Published 8 April 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Trump state visit looking more ridiculous with every passing day

Source: Scottish Greens

08 Apr 2025 External Affairs

Donald Trump is no friend of Scotland. He must not be allowed to visit.

More in External Affairs

The UK government’s proposed state visit for Donald Trump is looking more ridiculous with every passing day, says Scottish Green Co-Leader Lorna Slater, who has urged Downing Street to cancel it.

The call comes as the White House has imposed tariffs on the UK, and while Keir Starmer and other leaders have tried to cozy up to him.

Ms Slater said:

“The proposed state visit is looking more ridiculous and misguided with every passing day. There is nothing to be gained by grovelling to Donald Trump and giving him the trappings and prestige that he desires.

“Time and again he has proven he cannot be trusted and has even inflicted tariffs on the UK. What kind of message does it send if we roll out the red carpet for him at the same time as he is doing that?

“Donald Trump is a danger to human rights around the world and a danger to our climate. He represents the worst of politics and the decisions he’s making are having a terrible impact on migrant communities, women’s rights and on the US economy.

“He is not a friend of Scotland, and is not going to change who he is because the Prime Minister asks him to.”

Ms Slater added:

“Scotland’s future can and must be with a closer Europe. That is where Keir Starmer’s priorities should be.

“We can’t wait silently while Trump does even more damage. We should be looking to build our green economy and reach out to countries like Canada that have also been targeted by the White House.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 9, 2025

MIL-OSI: Enphase Energy Announces Conference Call to Review First Quarter 2025 Financial Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

FREMONT, Calif., April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH), a global energy technology company and the world’s leading supplier of microinverter-based solar and battery systems, announced today that it will host a conference call and webcast on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss its first quarter 2025 financial results for the period ended March 31, 2025. The live webcast can be accessed on the Enphase Energy Investor Relations website at investor.enphase.com, and a recorded version of the call will also be available there approximately one hour after the call.

What:		Enphase Energy’s First Quarter 2025 Financial Results Earnings Conference Call and Webcast
Date:		Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Time:		4:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Live Call:		833.634.5018
International:		+1.412.902.4214
Replay:		United States: 877.344.7529 International: +1.412.317.0088 Canada: 855.669.9658 Replay access code: 9557806

About Enphase Energy, Inc.

Enphase Energy, a global energy technology company based in Fremont, CA, is the world’s leading supplier of microinverter-based solar and battery systems that enable people to harness the sun to make, use, save, and sell their own power — and control it all with a smart mobile app. The company revolutionized the solar industry with its microinverter-based technology and builds all-in-one solar, battery, and software solutions. Enphase has shipped approximately 80.0 million microinverters, and approximately 4.7 million Enphase-based systems have been deployed in more than 160 countries. For more information, visit https://enphase.com/.

©2025 Enphase Energy, Inc. All rights reserved. Enphase Energy, Enphase, the “e” logo, IQ, and certain other marks listed at https://enphase.com/trademark-usage-guidelines are trademarks or service marks of Enphase Energy, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Other names are for informational purposes and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Contact:

Zach Freedman
Enphase Energy, Inc.
Investor Relations
ir@enphaseenergy.com

This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified individual.

The MIL Network –

April 9, 2025

MIL-OSI: Plantro Ltd. Announces Amendments to Terms and Extension to Premium All-Cash Tender Offer to Acquire up to 15% of Class A Limited Voting Shares of Information Services Corporation
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
- Tender Offer expiry extended to April 28, 2025 to allow shareholders more time to consider the Tender Offer
- Amendments and extension, which will benefit ISC shareholders, following constructive engagement with the Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan and the Ontario Securities Commission
ST. MICHAEL, Barbados, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Plantro Ltd. (“Plantro”) today announced amendments to the terms of, and an extension of, its offer to acquire up to 2,777,342 Class A Limited Voting Shares (the “Class A Shares”) in the capital of Information Services Corporation (TSX: ISC) (“ISC” or the “Company”), (the “Tender Offer”) at a price of $27.25 per Class A Share, payable in cash (the “Tender Price”). The amendments and extension, which will benefit ISC shareholders, were made following constructive engagement with the Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan and the Ontario Securities Commission.

Plantro continues to believe the Tender Offer is an opportunity for ISC shareholders to receive an attractive premium, amid volatile markets, for a highly illiquid stock. Plantro was surprised and disappointed at the aggressive and hyperbolic posture adopted by ISC’s board of directors (the “ISC Board”) in response to the Tender Offer. Plantro has made repeated requests to meet with the Chair, other members of the ISC Board and management. However, the ISC Chair, Board and management have not responded, opting instead to have their legal counsel issue hostile letters to Plantro explicitly stating that ISC has rejected the opportunity to meet.

Plantro respectfully urges the ISC Board to reconsider its current approach, particularly regarding personal attacks and mischaracterizations. For example, ISC referenced Dye & Durham, an unrelated company to this matter, in which both Plantro and ISC were shareholders in 2015. At that time, ISC acquired a 30% stake in Dye & Durham for $3.3 million. If ISC had the business acumen and foresight to hold onto and maintain this 30% investment until Dye & Durham’s most recent annual meeting of shareholders, the value of that stake at that time would have exceeded ISC’s entire unaffected market capitalization of approximately $450 million.

In light of the changes made to the Tender Offer for the benefit of ISC shareholders, Plantro strongly encourages the ISC Board to reconsider its recommendation to shareholders.

Important Amendments for ISC Shareholders

The terms of the Tender Offer and related Letter of Transmittal are amended as follows:
- Extended Tender Offer Period – The Tender Offer is now open for acceptance by shareholders of the Company until 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on April 28, 2025 (the “Expiry Time”), unless the Tender Offer is further extended, varied or withdrawn.
- Tender Offer Made to All Shareholders – Plantro is making the Tender Offer to all shareholders of the Company, including shareholders who were not holders of record on March 13, 2025 and the Crown Investment Corporation of Saskatchewan.
- No Longer Acquiring Shares on a First Come First Serve Basis – Plantro will only take up and pay for Class A Shares that are deposited pursuant to the Tender Offer as at the Expiry Time, and not on a “first come, first served” and/or “rolling” basis. As a result, if more than the maximum number of Class A Shares for which the Tender Offer is made are delivered in accordance with the Tender Offer and not withdrawn at the time of take up of the Class A Shares, the Class A Shares to be purchased from each depositing shareholder will be determined on a pro rata basis according to the number of Class A Shares delivered by each shareholder, disregarding fractions, by rounding down to the nearest whole number of Class A Shares.
- Shareholders Have the Right to Opt Out of Voting Tender – Plantro has further amended the Tender Offer to allow Class A Shareholders of record on March 13, 2025, to opt out of appointing representatives of Plantro as their nominees and proxy in respect of such shares owned by a shareholder that are not deposited pursuant to the Tender Offer and ultimately taken up and paid for. For clarity, such opt out right will not apply to Class A Shares of record on March 13, 2025, which are deposited pursuant to the Tender Offer and ultimately taken up and paid for, and the holder of such shares will be required to appoint representatives of Plantro as its nominees and proxy for the Company’s annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 13, 2025 in respect of such shares.
Plantro is relying on the exemption under section 9.2(4) of National Instrument 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations to the circular requirements of applicable Canadian proxy solicitation laws. For further details, please see below under the heading “Information in Support of Public Broadcast Exemption Under Canadian Law”. The Tender Offer is not a formal or exempt take-over bid under Canadian securities laws and regulations. In no event will Plantro (or its affiliates or associates) make any such purchases of Class A Shares that would result in Plantro, together with its affiliates and associates, beneficially owning or exercising control or direction over more than 15% of the outstanding Class A Shares upon completion of the Tender Offer.

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

Plantro’s Advisors

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

About Plantro

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

Shareholder Questions

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

Depositary: Odyssey Trust Company

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

Information Agent: Carson Proxy

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

Information in Support of Public Broadcast Exemption Under Canadian Law

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

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

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

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

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

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

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

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

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

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

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

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

1380-9916-3157

The MIL Network –
April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI: Melissa Celebrates 40th Anniversary as the Address Expert

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif., April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Celebrating an industry milestone, Melissa today announced its 40^th anniversary as the Address Expert. The company is a global leader in data quality and address management solutions, and now marks four decades of innovation and market leadership in data quality, identity verification, and customer address management.

Established in 1985 by Ray Melissa, the company started with a simple ZIP Code data offering aimed at improving address accuracy for mailers. Today, Melissa has grown into a global powerhouse, serving over 10,000 businesses worldwide with a robust suite of solutions that enhance address, email, phone, and identity verification. Melissa’s newly released catalog features a spectrum of integrations, tools, and services supporting customer data quality across key international arenas such as fintech and financial services, healthcare, public sector services, and online commerce.

“For Melissa, 2025 is an incredibly special year,” said company founder Ray Melissa. “It’s gratifying to reflect on our journey—from a small data provider to an industry leader shaping the future of data quality and verification. Operating at the crossroads of customer data, global business operations, and emerging AI-driven platforms, we take pride in empowering enterprises to harness the full potential of clean, standardized data in an increasingly connected world.”

Melissa has long focused on global growth, building partnerships that serve a worldwide enterprise customer base and support data professionals from developers to database managers to data end-users. In 2024 alone, the company introduced new integrations with FedRAMP^®, Shopify, Microsoft AppSource, and Google Workspace, reinforcing its presence in cloud-based data services. Additionally, Melissa expanded its international footprint by opening new offices in Mexico and Brazil, further solidifying its role as a trusted partner across five continents.

Beyond geographic expansion, Melissa has remained at the forefront of technological advancements in data quality. The company recently launched its Melissa Alert Service, a cutting-edge solution designed for continuous data monitoring and automated cleansing. Melissa’s success has also been built on strong collaborations with key postal agencies, technology providers, and recognized authoritative data sources. The company maintains USPS^® CASS™, PAVE™, NCOALink^® Service, and Canada Post SERP^® certifications, ensuring its data solutions meet the highest postal standards worldwide. Melissa is also partnered with ESRI, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, with data integrations that support retailers with optimized address data for smarter ecommerce. Partnerships with Salesforce, Talend, Stripe, Snowflake, and other major platforms continue to enable seamless integrations for enterprise clients.

“Our partnerships have been instrumental in driving Melissa’s reach,” added Melissa. “By working alongside leading global organizations and authoritative data sources, we ensure that businesses have access to the most accurate, up-to-date, and compliant data solutions available. We don’t plan on slowing down and can see a bright future for continued pioneering of smart, sharp data tools to empower business.”

Click here to download Melissa’s 2025 Data Quality and Enrichment Catalog; to connect with members of Melissa’s global intelligence team, visit www.Melissa.com or call 1-800-MELISSA.

About Melissa
Powering clean customer data for 40 years, Melissa is the Address Expert. Providing address validation, address autocomplete, and geo-verified address data for 240+ countries, Melissa supports global businesses with its offices across five continents. Melissa’s suite of data quality, ID verification, and location data tools and services drives better decision-making, reduced costs, increased efficiency, and improved compliance. Our APIs, CRM and ecommerce integrations, and online tools help Melissa’s 10,000 customers worldwide process billions of addresses daily, fully capitalizing on the business value of customer data. For more information, visit www.Melissa.com or call 1-800-MELISSA (635-4772).

Media contacts
Greg Brown
Vice President, Global Marketing, Melissa
greg.brown@Melissa.com
+1-800-635-4772 x1130

MPoweredPR for Melissa
pr@mpoweredpr.com
+1-877-794-6777

The MIL Network –

April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Innovators in Action: How IIT Graduates at SRI-N are Shaping the Future of Technology

Source: Samsung

Meet the next generation of innovators—students from India’s top IITs, who are redefining what is possible at Samsung R&D Institute Noida (SRI-N).

Established in 2007 with the primary focus of mobile software development and testing, SRI-N is actively involved in developing localized and advanced solutions to suit market needs for South West Asia and develop models for Middle East Asia, North America (USA and Canada), Europe & CIS regions.

Nestled in a sprawling lush green campus on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway in Delhi NCR, SRI-N is a launchpad for innovation, where some of the country’s most brilliant young minds come together to push boundaries and bring ideas to life.

(L-to-R) Gajendra Nawal, Subhashish Moitra, Harsh Pratik, Lalit Kumar, and Yash Verma

Take for instance, Lalit Kumar, an engineer in SRI-N’s Android Application team, who always knew he wanted to work at a place that values innovation.

Similarly, Yash Sharma, an engineer working on sensor drivers, said, “The brand value, the research-driven culture, and the hunger for innovation are unparalleled. At Samsung, we don’t just follow trends—we set them.”

Freedom to Create and Execute Ideas
One of the defining aspects of life at SRI-N is the freedom to think, create, and innovate. Interns and young engineers are encouraged to push the boundaries of what is possible. Whether it’s developing new AI-driven smartphone features or working on breakthrough semiconductor technologies, every idea is valued and nurtured.

Harsh Pratik, an Android Application engineer, highlighted the level of support young engineers receive.

Harsh Pratik, an Android Application engineer, highlighted the level of support young engineers receive. “We are completely free to share our ideas, especially when it comes to research and patents. Experienced engineers are always there to guide us, and if an idea has potential, Samsung provides every possible resource to bring it to life,” he said.

“Since day one, I have been part of projects that are dedicated to providing high-quality, innovative solutions. The exposure, learning, and responsibilities keep me motivated to do my best.” – Subhashish Moitra

Subhashish Moitra

This freedom to explore and innovate extends beyond work—it is a mindset that Samsung cultivates in its employees. Shubhashish Moitra, who works in AI and machine learning, believes that Samsung’s encouragement of new ideas makes all the difference.

A Culture of Mentorship and Collaboration
For young engineers, working at Samsung means being surrounded by some of the best minds in the industry. The collaborative work environment ensures that everyone from fresh recruits to experienced mentors is constantly learning from each other. “Every day is an opportunity to learn from incredibly talented individuals who bring diverse perspectives and deep technical expertise,” said Gajendra Nawal, Chief Engineer in the Service Framework team.

“Samsung has always been a hub of innovation, delivering the best and most reliable products worldwide. When I got the opportunity to be part of this culture, I knew I was exactly where I wanted to be.” – Lalit Kumar

Lalit Kumar

The openness of senior engineers and team leaders plays a huge role in fostering innovation. “If we get stuck on an issue, we can always reach out to our seniors. They are welcoming and always ready to help,” said Lalit Kumar.

Patent Culture: Encouraging Young Innovators
Samsung’s commitment to innovation is reflected in its strong focus on patents and intellectual property. The company has dedicated Ideation Teams that help young engineers refine their ideas into patentable innovations. Yash Sharma, who is actively working towards filing a patent, said, “One of the most striking aspects of Samsung’s culture is its approach to patents. Every idea, no matter how big or small, is discussed, evaluated, and supported.”
“For those who have always dreamt of making a mark in the world of technology, this is the perfect place to start. Even engineers who have not worked on patents yet are actively exploring and learning about the process. “I am eagerly going through ideations and learning how to contribute to Samsung’s vast portfolio of innovations,” said Harsh Pratik.

Impacting Millions, One Innovation at a Time
Beyond the technical excellence and mentorship, what truly makes SRI-N special is the impact its engineers create. Every project they work on—whether it is AI-driven smartphone enhancements, advanced semiconductor technologies, or next-gen software solutions—touches millions of lives worldwide.
For young engineers, Samsung is more than just a workplace—it is a platform to dream, build, and lead the future of technology. And, as they continue to innovate, their journey at SRI-N is shaping not only their own futures but also the future of the tech world itself.

MIL OSI Economics –

April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI: O2Gold Announces C$1.5M Non-Brokered Private Placement Financings

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE U.S.

TORONTO, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — O2Gold Inc. (NEX:OTGO.H) (“O2Gold” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it intends to complete best efforts non-brokered private placement hard dollar and flow-through financings for gross proceeds of up to $700,000 and $800,000, respectively (the “Offerings”). The Company anticipates that up to 14,000,000 units (each, a “Unit”) and up to 16,000,000 common shares of the Company will be issued pursuant to the hard dollar and flow-through Offerings at a price of $0.05 per Unit and $0.05 per common share, respectively. Each common share will be issued on a “flow-through basis”. Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company and one common share purchase warrant (each a “Warrant”). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to acquire one additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.10 for a period of 24 months from issuance.

The Company anticipates using the net proceeds of the Offerings for general corporate purposes and to fund the phase one exploration expenses on a 9,000 hectare claim package in southern Abitibi located near the city of Rouyn-Noranda that O2Gold intends to acquire through the purchase of all of the issued and outstanding shares of Quebec Aur Ltd. (the “Acquisition”). The area has recently become attractive to new exploration campaigns by First Mining Gold and Kenorland who both have multi-million dollar exploration plans announced in the area for 2025.

The parties continue to work diligently to complete the remaining legal formalities in relation to the Acquisition, which is now expected to close in April 2025, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions. The Acquisition is more fully described in the Company’s press releases dated April 15, 2024, April 23, 2024, April 24, 2024, May 30, 2024, and August 23, 2024, as well as the Company’s management information circular (the “Circular”) which was mailed to shareholders of record as of August 26, 2024. The press releases and Circular are available under O2Gold’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Closing of the Offerings is expected to occur in April 2025. All securities issued in connection with the Offerings will be subject to a statutory hold period of four-months and one day. Completion of the Offerings is subject to a number of conditions, including all approvals from the TSX Venture Exchange (“TSXV”). Finder’s fees may be paid to eligible finders in accordance with the policies of the TSXV consisting of a cash commission equal to up to 7% of the gross proceeds raised under the Offerings and finder warrants (“Finder Warrants”) in an amount equal to up to 7% of the number of common shares and Units sold pursuant to the Offerings. Each Finder Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.10 per share for a period of 24 months following the closing date of the Offerings.

The launch of the Offerings follows the termination by the Company of its previously announced non-brokered private placement financing of 15 million subscription receipts and 15 million flow-through subscription receipts for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of $1.5 million (the “Initial Offering”), with which the Company decided not to proceed. The Initial Offering is more fully described in the Company’s press release dated October 22, 2024. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act“) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to U.S. persons or in any other jurisdiction in which such offer or sale would be unlawful prior to registration under U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and applicable state securities laws or an exemption therefrom or qualification under the securities laws of such other jurisdiction or an exemption therefrom, respectively.

About O2Gold

O2Gold is a mineral exploration company.
For additional information, please contact:
Scott Moore, Chief Executive Officer
Phone: (416) 861-1685
Email: smoore@miningsm.com

Regulatory Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the Acquisition and the Offering, including the Company’s intended use of proceeds, closing conditions and timing, and other matters related thereto. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved”. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company, as the case may be, to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: receipt of necessary approvals; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; future mineral prices and market demand; accidents, labour disputes and shortages and other risks of the mining industry. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

The MIL Network –

April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI: Abaxx Provides Q1 2025 Corporate Update
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TORONTO, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Abaxx Technologies Inc. (CBOE:ABXX)(OTCQX:ABXXF) (“Abaxx” or the “Company”), a financial software and market infrastructure company, majority shareholder of Abaxx Singapore Pte Ltd., the owner of Abaxx Commodity Exchange and Clearinghouse (individually, “Abaxx Exchange” and “Abaxx Clearing”), and producer of the SmarterMarkets™ Podcast, provides an update on operational milestones and the continued execution of the Company’s business strategy in the first quarter of 2025.

The Company also announces that it plans to host an investor call and presentation on Thursday, April 10th. For more information, see “Q1 2025 Business Update Investor Call” below.

Abaxx Corporate Milestone Highlights

Commercial Development
- Executed the Company’s first trades in Nickel Sulphate and Lithium Carbonate Futures, including the world’s first trade of a non-Chinese, USD-denominated and physically-deliverable Lithium Carbonate Futures contract.
- The Company saw the first OTC LNG cargo trade indexed to Abaxx LNG Futures (see the Company’s press release from March 24, 2025).
- Established active market makers in all three LNG contracts and both carbon contracts across our trading hours.
- A total of six clearing firms, 29 trading firms, and 14 interdealer brokers (IDBs) are now connected to Abaxx Exchange and Clearing, with an additional four clearing firms, 12 trading firms, and 12 IDBs currently in progress.
- Completed the first brand listing under the Lithium Carbonate Futures contract.
- Finalized onboarding with a major global data distribution network expected to expand visibility of Abaxx markets to over 100 million viewers. Added six new market data partners in Q1 2025, bringing the total to six.
- Engaged in exploratory discussions with an external exchange group seeking to use Abaxx Clearing for third-party clearing services, and also engaged in exploratory discussions with external exchange groups based in China to collaborate on cross-jurisdictional (i.e. onshore/offshore) product listing opportunities with Abaxx Exchange and Clearing.
Exchange Product Development
- Launched four new battery metals contracts in Q1 2025, including Nickel Sulphate Futures and three regional physically-deliverable Lithium Carbonate Futures contracts.
- Submitted a 1-kilobar Singapore Gold Futures contract for regulatory review.
- Currently in the final development stage of: (i) a financially-settled copper spread contract to support price transparency in global base metals markets, and (ii) the first contracts in a suite of weather futures.
Risk and Regulatory Development
- Applied to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for recognition as a Foreign Board of Trade (FBOT).
- Completed public consultation on rule amendments to introduce additional currencies as acceptable margin collateral.
- Convened the inaugural meeting of its Risk Advisory Panel and successfully executed a default management fire drill.
Systems and Operations Development
- Expanded system capabilities to support multi-currency settlement and collateralization, with projected completion by May 2025.
- Completed the upgrade of Verifier+ (a digital credentials storage provider) into the Abaxx Trade Registration Platform.
- Continued progress on ISO/IEC 27001 audit for Abaxx Exchange infrastructure, with certification targeted for June 2025.
- Enhanced client onboarding workflows and expanded market data access to support growing participant demand.
Abaxx Console Suite Development
- Rolled out Verifier+ v2.0 with expanded capabilities and integrated the app with Abaxx Exchange to enable passwordless login for the Abaxx Trade Registration Platform (ATRP).
- Advanced Abaxx Messenger into pre-release testing as a member support tool for Abaxx Exchange.
- Reached the initial development milestone for Abaxx Sign, currently progressing through testing and feedback with design partners.
- Initiated development of AbaxxOne, a middleware solution connecting enterprise identity systems (e.g., Auth0, Okta) to ID++ and the Abaxx Console Suite.
Financing Development
- On March 27, 2025, the Company announced it had closed the first tranche of a non-brokered private placement, securing C$22.85 million through the issuance of secured convertible debentures bearing 7.0% annual interest, convertible at C$13.00 per share and maturing in 2028. The Company is currently in discussions for a potential second tranche (see the Company’s press release dated March 27, 2025).
Following the successful launch of Abaxx Exchange and Abaxx Clearing in mid-2024, the first quarter of 2025 marked a period of accelerated growth across product development, commercial engagement, and systems expansion. First trades were executed in the Nickel Sulphate and Lithium Carbonate markets, alongside the first OTC LNG cargo trade indexed to Abaxx LNG Futures, reflecting early adoption of our benchmark contracts.

We launched four new contracts across our battery metals product suite and submitted a 1-kilobar Singapore Gold Futures contract to support Asia’s kilobar market, an offering not currently matched in London or New York. In parallel, we incorporated Abaxx Spot, a separate entity designed to support convergence between futures and physical gold markets. While the gold futures contract will be listed by Abaxx Exchange, Abaxx Spot enables electronic settlement and physical delivery of 99.99% purity kilobars in Singapore through a secure, transparent gold pool. Together, these initiatives advance our vision of building smarter markets for physical gold trading. Onboarding momentum continued through targeted, on-the-ground engagement at commercial events globally.

We also scaled platform infrastructure, enhancing client onboarding workflows, expanding market data access, and progressing toward ISO 27001 certification. Core protocol development advanced with upgrades to the ID++ protocol and Verifier+, the initiation of AbaxxOne middleware, and continued development of Abaxx Messenger.

The following sections provide further information related to these developments across business units and platform initiatives.

Abaxx Exchange and Abaxx Clearing Developments

Risk and Regulatory: Abaxx Exchange submitted its application to the U.S. CFTC for recognition as a Foreign Board of Trade (FBOT). Once granted, this recognition would enable U.S. trading participants to directly access products listed on Abaxx Exchange. In February, the Company completed a public consultation on rule amendments to support the introduction of additional currencies as acceptable margin collateral. These amendments are now under regulatory review, with the final list of approved currencies to be announced in due course.

The Company also convened the inaugural meeting of its Risk Advisory Panel on March 17, 2025 with participation from all three direct clearing members. The Risk Advisory Panel serves as a forum for ongoing collaboration between the clearinghouse and its members to strengthen risk management, transparency, and operational resilience. In late March, Abaxx Clearing conducted its first default management firedrill with member participation, a process which validated its preparedness to manage member defaults and execute crisis response procedures effectively.

Commercial: The Abaxx Commercial team secured market participation leading to the first trades in Nickel Sulphate and Lithium Carbonate Futures during the first quarter of 2025, including the world’s first trade of a non-Chinese, USD-denominated and physically-deliverable Lithium Carbonate Futures contract. The quarter also saw the first OTC LNG cargo trade indexed to Abaxx LNG Futures, reflecting growing confidence in Abaxx’s benchmark contracts. Active market makers were established across all three LNG contracts and both carbon contracts during core trading hours.

Onboarding efforts continued across firm types. Abaxx maintained six active clearing members and non-direct clearing firm connections, with four additional clearers, that include global bank clearers, currently in progress to establish new clearing connectivity. Twenty-nine trading firms comprised of merchant traders and financial trading firms are now fully onboarded to execute Block Trades with twelve additional firms currently in the onboarding process; clients connected to Abaxx continue to be able to access Abaxx markets through the central limit order book. Fourteen interdealer brokers (IDBs) are onboarded with twelve more in progress. The quarter also included the first brand listing under the Lithium Carbonate Futures contract.

Abaxx representatives participated in over 300 high-level meetings across 10 global industry events in Q1 2025. Executives were featured on panels at both E-World and the FT Commodities Global Summit, supporting commercial visibility and momentum. Abaxx was also shortlisted for the World LNG Award for Outstanding Contribution 2024.

To support commercial growth in Asia in Q1, Abaxx expanded marketing efforts in China, including the launch of a dedicated Chinese-language website (https://cn.abaxx.exchange/) and the announcement of a co-hosted Mandarin-language battery metals seminar with Shanghai Metals Market, taking place April 8, 2025. The team also engaged in exploratory discussions with an external exchange group seeking to use Abaxx Clearing for third-party clearing services, and also engaged in exploratory discussions with external exchange groups based in China to collaborate on cross-jurisdictional (i.e. onshore/offshore) product listing opportunities with Abaxx Exchange and Clearing.

To support broader market visibility, Abaxx Exchange launched abaxx.exchange/marketdata to provide access to market data publicly. Abaxx also formally launched its market data program in Q1, with six partners onboarded to date: five subscribers and one redistributor. Progress is underway to onboard multiple data distributors, including the leading global financial data provider currently in technical integration, another with a distribution network expected to extend Abaxx market visibility to over 100 million viewers, as well as additional partners supporting our broader data distribution strategy.

Systems and Operations: Abaxx Exchange and Abaxx Clearing continued to operate reliably with no downtime since launch, supporting stable onboarding and trading. Systems testing is underway to support multi-currency settlement and collateralization, with rollout on track for completion by May 2025. The ISO/IEC 27001 audit for Abaxx Exchange infrastructure is in progress, with certification targeted for June 2025.

The Company continues to enhance client onboarding workflows to ensure a seamless experience for market participants. In parallel, integration work is advancing across major market data vendors to expand access to Abaxx Exchange market data and meet growing participant demand.

Exchange Product Development: Development of the Gold Singapore Futures contract progressed through Stage 3 (Industry Review/Risk/Regulatory), with launch planning underway. Abaxx also advanced a regional copper spread futures contract, a suite of weather derivatives, and carbon market contracts aligned with regional compliance programs, each currently in Stage 3. Certain weather and compliance carbon futures are expected to become the first Abaxx contracts priced in currencies other than U.S. dollars.

Enhancements to the LNG contract suite included updates to the LNG Northwest Europe contract to incorporate Phase 2 compliance requirements under the EU Methane Regulation. Additional research is underway to update the list of eligible ports, including newly commissioned infrastructure. As of April 4, 2025, Calcasieu Pass LNG was added as an Eligible Loading Port under the Abaxx LNG Gulf of Mexico Futures Contract.

Phase 2 work also continued on contract extensions designed to complement Abaxx benchmark products, as well as on meeting regulatory requirements for a suite of physically and financially-settled options.

Additional Corporate Updates

Abaxx Console Apps: The Company released upgrades to the ID++ protocol and Verifier+ in Q1 2025, including integrations with Abaxx Exchange and SmarterMarkets Coffeehouse™. Verifier+ improvements followed its public release on the Apple App Store and Google Play, with enhanced app speed, simplified account recovery, broader device compatibility, and expanded user controls for account editing and deletion. Device-native features such as PIN entry and camera functionality were also upgraded.

Messenger is in its final stages of pre-release testing ahead of deployment as a user support tool for Abaxx Exchange. Feature development for initial release is complete, with improvements to maintaining performance at scale now in testing. These include faster load times for messages, improved performance under load, and interface tools that help support teams manage multiple, ongoing conversations.

Development of AbaxxOne was initiated as a middleware solution connecting enterprise identity systems (e.g., Auth0, Okta) to the Abaxx ecosystem.

Abaxx Sign reached its initial functional milestone and is now progressing through internal testing and design partner feedback cycles.

Integration of PrivacyCode progressed in Q1, with Verifier+ now available as a login option. This marks continued growth in the number of applications and platforms offering Verifier+ as a privacy-enabled authentication method across the Abaxx ecosystem.

SmarterMarkets™: SmarterMarkets™ conducted on-site interviews at key industry events hosted by the Futures Industry Association and Financial Times in Q1 2025, capturing real-time insights from global market participants for upcoming compilation episodes. These conversations contribute to the ongoing dialogue around the future of energy, climate, technology, and finance — conversations that the SmarterMarkets Coffeehouse platform is designed to elevate.

Development also began on the mobile application for SmarterMarkets Coffeehouse™, and contributor onboarding was completed for the first cohort of over 50 thought leaders across energy, AI, digital identity, carbon, and market infrastructure. Early contributors have begun publishing content on the platform. By combining verifiable credentials with tiered levels of access, Coffeehouse is designed to facilitate more open and trusted dialogue than traditional social media environments currently support.

Those interested in joining as commenters or members can join the waitlist at https://smartermarkets.media/waitlist/.

Q1 2025 Business Update Investor Call

The Company plans to host a quarterly business update investor presentation, to provide a business update and respond to investor questions.

The Company will hold the investor presentation via Zoom Meetings on Thursday, April 10th, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time Zone (EST). The Company invites current and prospective shareholders to attend this quarterly business update and Q&A session with the Abaxx executive team. Attendees may email their questions in advance to ir@abaxx.tech.

Registration will be required to access the meeting. Following the presentation, a recording of the session will be made available on the Abaxx Investor Relations website at investors.abaxx.tech.

PRESENTATION DETAILS
DATE: Thursday, April 10, 2025
TIME: 10:00 a.m. EST
LOCATION: Zoom Meeting
To receive the meeting link and passcode, please register here.
QUESTIONS: Please submit questions ahead of the presentation to: ir@abaxx.tech

About Abaxx Technologies

Abaxx is building Smarter Markets — markets empowered by better financial technology and market infrastructure to address our biggest challenges, including the energy transition. In addition to developing and deploying financial technologies that make communication, trade, and transactions easier and more secure, Abaxx is a majority-owner of Abaxx Exchange and Abaxx Clearing, subsidiaries recognized by MAS as an RMO and ACH, respectively.

Abaxx Exchange and Abaxx Clearing are a Singapore-based commodity futures exchange and clearinghouse, introducing centrally cleared, physically deliverable commodities futures and derivatives to provide better price discovery and risk management tools for the commodities critical to our transition to a lower-carbon economy.

For more information please visit abaxx.tech, abaxx.exchange and smartermarkets.media.

For more information about this press release, please contact:
Steve Fray, CFO
Tel: +1 647 490 1590

Media and investor inquiries:
Abaxx Technologies Inc.
Investor Relations Team
Tel: +1 647 490 1590
E-mail: ir@abaxx.tech

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes certain “forward-looking statements” which do not consist of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe Abaxx’s future plans, objectives, or goals, including words to the effect that Abaxx expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as “seeking”, “should”, “intend”, “predict”, “potential”, “believes”, “anticipates”, “expects”, “estimates”, “may”, “could”, “would”, “will”, “continue”, “plan” or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. Since forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to Abaxx, Abaxx does not provide any assurance that actual results will meet respective management expectations. Risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors involved with forward- looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.

Forward-looking information related to Abaxx in this press release includes, but is not limited to: the business plans and objectives of Abaxx; the development of new products, futures contracts, markets and technologies and associated benefits; anticipated receipt of regulatory approvals; closing of a second tranche offering of secured convertible debentures; and onboarding of clearing members and firms. Such factors impacting forward-looking information include, among others: the inability to receive regulatory approvals in connection with financings or inability to finalize transaction documentation; risks relating to the global economic climate; dilution; Abaxx’s limited operating history; future capital needs and uncertainty of additional financing; the competitive nature of the industry; currency exchange risks; the need for Abaxx to manage its planned growth and expansion; the effects of product development and need for continued technology change; protection of proprietary rights; the effect of government regulation and compliance on Abaxx and the industry; acquiring and maintaining regulatory approvals for Abaxx’s products and operations; the ability to list Abaxx’s securities on stock exchanges in a timely fashion or at all; network security risks; the ability of Abaxx to maintain properly working systems; reliance on key personnel; global economic and financial market deterioration impeding access to capital or increasing the cost of capital; and volatile securities markets impacting security pricing unrelated to operating performance. In addition, particular factors which could impact future results of the business of Abaxx include but are not limited to: operations in foreign jurisdictions, protection of intellectual property rights, contractual risk, third-party risk; clearinghouse risk, malicious actor risks, third-party software license risk, system failure risk, risk of technological change; dependence of technical infrastructure; and changes in the price of commodities, capital market conditions, restriction on labor and international travel and supply chains, and the risk factors identified in the Company’s most recent management discussion & analysis filed on SEDAR+. Abaxx has also assumed that no significant events occur outside of Abaxx’s normal course of business.

Abaxx cautions that the foregoing list of material factors is not exhaustive. In addition, although Abaxx has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. When relying on forward- looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Abaxx has assumed that the material factors referred to in the previous paragraphs will not cause such forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release represents the expectations of Abaxx as of the date of this press release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Abaxx undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements and information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and information. Cboe Canada does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

The MIL Network –
April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Individual arrested for charges related to importing prohibited weapons
Source: Government of Canada News

Petrolia, Ontario
OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau | Canada Border Services Agency
April 8, 2025

An individual is facing 24 charges under the Criminal Code (CC) and the Customs Act (CA) after a package was intercepted containing seven prohibited weapons.

On February 27, 2025, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) intercepted a package destined for a location in Petrolia. The package contained seven prohibited weapons. The CBSA’s Ontario Firearms Smuggling Enforcement Team (OFSET) engaged Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) members assigned to the Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) for further investigation.

On March 19, 2025, a warrant was executed by members from BEST, OPP-led Provincial Weapons Enforcement Unit, CBSA-OFSET and Lambton County OPP Community Street Crime Unit at a residence in Petrolia. As a result, investigators seized:
- Brass knuckles
- Two automatic opening knives
- A brass knuckle knife
- A centrifugal opening knife with a thumb stud
- A conducted energy weapon
- Three butterfly knives
Phillip GRENDEL, age 32 of Petrolia, has been charged with the following offences contrary to the CC and CA:
- Attempt to possess a prohibited weapon – seven counts
- Possession of a prohibited weapon – two counts
- Import a prohibited weapon knowing it’s unauthorized – seven counts
- Unauthorized importation of a prohibited weapon – seven counts
- Smuggling prohibited goods into Canada
The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Sarnia on April 16, 2025.

If you have any information about suspicious cross-border activity, please contact the CBSA Border Watch Line at 1-888-502-9060.

MIL OSI Canada News –
April 9, 2025
MIL-OSI: OTC Markets Group Welcomes TDG Gold Corp. to OTCQX

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities, today announced TDG Gold Corp. (TSXV: TDG; OTCQX: TDGGF), a major mineral tenure holder in the historical Toodoggone District of north-central British Columbia, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX® Best Market. TDG Gold Corp. upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink® market.

TDG Gold Corp. begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol “TDGGF.” U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.

Trading on the OTCQX Market offers companies efficient, cost-effective access to the U.S. capital markets. For companies listed on a qualified international exchange, streamlined market standards enable them to utilize their home market reporting to make their information available in the U.S. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.

TDG Gold Corp.’s CEO and Director, Fletcher Morgan, commented, “As TDG continues to grow, so too does our shareholder base. Trading on OTCQX will increase TDG’s visibility, liquidity and accessibility to our current and prospective U.S. and global shareholders.”

About TDG Gold Corp.
TDG is a major mineral tenure holder in the historical Toodoggone District of north-central British Columbia, Canada, with 100% ownership of ~50,000 hectares of brownfield and greenfield exploration ground.

In 2023, TDG defined the 5.5 sq.km Greater Shasta-Newberry exploration target area (news release Jan 25, 2023) which is located directly adjacent to the gold-rich copper porphyry AuRORA1 discovery announced by Freeport McMoran Inc. and Amarc Resources Ltd. (news release Jan 17, 2025).

In 2024, TDG identified new copper-gold target areas over an expanded footprint covering ~53 sq.km known as the ‘Baker Complex’ (news release Feb 28, 2024), including the North Quartz (news release Apr 02, 2024) and Trident (news release Mar 07, 2024) targets. In January 2025, TDG identified an additional porphyry copper +/- molybdenum target at Erebus located within the Bot project (news release Jan 17, 2025). In February 2025, TDG completed the Sofia acquisition, which includes porphyry copper +/- molybdenum +/- gold targets (ARIS Report 41231).

TDG’s other projects include the former producing, gold-silver Shasta and gold-silver-copper Baker mines, which produced intermittently between 1981-2012, and the historical high-grade gold Mets developed prospect, all of which are road accessible, and combined have over 65,000 m of historical drilling. These projects have been advanced through compilation of historical data, new geological mapping, geochemical and geophysical surveys and, at Shasta, 13,250 m of modern HQ drill testing of the known mineralization occurrences and their potential extensions. In 2025, TDG published an updated Mineral Resource Estimate for Shasta (news release Jan 08, 2025), which remains open at depth and along strike.

About OTC Markets Group Inc.

OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Our data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of our three public markets: OTCQX^® Best Market, OTCQB^® Venture Market, and Pink^® Open Market.

Our OTC Link^® Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) provide critical market infrastructure that broker-dealers rely on to facilitate trading. Our innovative model offers companies more efficient access to the U.S. financial markets.

OTC Link ATS, OTC Link ECN, OTC Link NQB, and MOON ATS™ are each an SEC regulated ATS, operated by OTC Link LLC, a FINRA and SEC registered broker-dealer, member SIPC.

To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.

Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed

Media Contact:
OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, media@otcmarkets.com

The MIL Network –

April 8, 2025

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