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Category: CTF

  • MIL-OSI USA: Newhouse Announces Winners of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Dan Newhouse (4th District of Washington)

    Headline: Newhouse Announces Winners of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) announced the winners of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition for high school students in Washington’s 4th Congressional District.

    “I’m pleased to extend my congratulations to Jackeline Arellano of A.C. Davis High School on her winning entry, “Dew Drops of Life,” said Rep. Newhouse. “I look forward to seeing it displayed in our nation’s capital for visitors from across the country to enjoy. I would also like to recognize and thank all the gifted students from Central Washington who contributed their artwork this year.” 

    The winning entry, Dew Drops of Life by Jackeline Arellano, will be hung in the U.S. Capitol alongside winning entries from congressional districts across the country for one year. The winner will be invited to visit Washington, D.C. to attend a reception sponsored by the Congressional Institute, who hosts the annual competition. 

    Rep. Newhouse has invited the second and third place winners, Ivette Valencia Montes (Whispers of the Cascades) of A.C. Davis High School and Ruby Meza-Yanez (The Three Amigos) of A.C Davis High School, to hang their art in the Yakima District Office. 

    The winning entries can be found below, and you can view all of the 2024 submissions here.

    Winner: Dew Drops of Life, Jackeline Arellano, 12th grade, Davis High School 

    Second Place: Whispers of the Cascades, Ivette Valencia Montes, 12th grade, A.C. Davis High School

    Third Place: The Three Amigos, Ruby Meza-Yanez, 11th grade, A.C. Davis High School

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Newhouse Statement on House Agriculture Committee Advancing Reconciliation Legislation

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Dan Newhouse (4th District of Washington)

    Headline: Newhouse Statement on House Agriculture Committee Advancing Reconciliation Legislation

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) released the following statement after voting to advance the House Agriculture Committee’s portion of the One, Big, Beautiful bill with a 29-25 vote. 

    “My colleagues and I on the House Agriculture Committee have delivered common-sense reforms to SNAP and critical pieces of the Farm Bill in this legislation,” said Rep. Newhouse. “When enacted, our portion of the reconciliation package will rein in out-of-control spending and make unprecedented strides in reducing the deficit. Expanding our foreign market access programs has been a top priority of mine, and I am proud that our bill delivers farmers and ranchers the important resources needed to compete in global markets. I thank Chairman Thompson for his leadership as we continue to work hard for the American agriculture industry.” 

    This Friday, May 16, the House Budget Committee is scheduled hold a markup of the full reconciliation package with the Agriculture Committee’s legislation included. 

    ###  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: AutoScheduler Introduces GenAI-Driven Orchestration

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Austin, Texas, May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AutoScheduler.AI, an innovative Warehouse Orchestration Platform and WMS accelerator, is offering an exclusive session where CEO Keith Moore will demonstrate the latest innovation on the AutoScheduler platform: GenAI-Driven Orchestration. The session takes place on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at 10:00 AM CDT.

    “With GenAI-Driven Orchestration, companies can move beyond optimization to create operations that learn, evolve, and unlock new levels of efficiency,” says Keith Moore, CEO of AutoScheduler.AI. “This session will showcase how GenAI-Driven Orchestration helps our customers identify margin gaps, streamline execution, and make smarter, faster decisions that drive measurable impact.”

    At the session, attendees will discover how Generative AI is enhancing warehouse orchestration by enabling:

    • Site accountability and performance tracking to surface margin gaps and drive consistent improvement.
    • Enhanced decision making to reduce manual inputs and maximize throughput.
    • Harmonized visibility to eliminate blind spots and drive smarter, real-time decisions.

    At the recent Gartner® Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo, AutoScheduler and PepsiCo discussed how PepsiCo uses AI and optimization to improve warehouse efficiencies, including an average of 9 – 14% productivity gains per facility.

    “This demonstration isn’t a PowerPoint – it’s a live look at how GenAI is orchestrating real-time warehouse execution at scale,” adds Moore.

    To register for the free event, visit: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/9140815653517074011        

    About AutoScheduler.AI

    AutoScheduler.AI empowers you to take full control of your warehouse with a cloud-based solution that seamlessly integrates with your existing WMS/LMS/YMS or any other solution. We automate critical tasks like labor scheduling, dock management, and task sequencing, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. You’ve already invested in the software to run your warehouse—what we do is provide the orchestration layer that ties it all together to make real-time data driven decisions. With AutoScheduler.AI, you get smart orchestration for a smarter, more agile warehouse. For more information, visit: http://www.autoscheduler.ai.

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

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Climb Credit Supports Student Repayment Outcomes and Improves Enrollment Process with Integrated Deposit Feature

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, NY, May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Climb Credit, a leading student lending platform focused on skills education, today announced the launch of its new deposit collection feature, designed to give career-training schools greater control over enrollment and repayment outcomes—without adding operational overhead.

    The feature enables schools to automatically collect and track student deposit payments through a seamless workflow integrated with the loan process. Once a student is approved for a Climb loan and accepts their offer, they receive an automated prompt to submit their school’s required deposit, with all payment tracking managed in Climb’s School Portal.

    “Deposits are a key signal of student commitment, but schools have traditionally had to manage them separately from the loan process,” said Casey Powers, CEO of Climb Credit. “With this launch, we’ve streamlined deposit collection for schools and simplified the experience for students—reducing friction and accelerating enrollment.

    Initial data from schools collecting deposits shows a 46–48% decrease* in the likelihood of borrower default for lower credit borrowers. This improvement is attributed not only to the upfront financial commitment, but also to a smoother path into auto-pay enrollment. When students submit deposits via bank transfer, those details can be automatically linked to Climb’s loan servicing platform—making it easier to activate auto-pay and receive a 0.25% interest rate reduction.**

    The new feature is fully integrated into Climb’s lending platform, meaning schools no longer need to manually invoice students or track payments across systems. Adjusting individual deposit amounts, verifying funding status, and accessing real-time student-level data can all be done through Climb’s School Portal.

    This launch adds to Climb’s growing suite of products aimed at improving access, outcomes, and operational efficiency for career training providers—particularly in healthcare, skilled trades, and technology.

    *Data calculated through an assessment or repayment performance on loans from 2Q23 to Q12025 with and without a deposit requirement. Assessment included Climb advance loans without a full deferment period and borrower FICO scores below 660. Data was collected across market segments including programs in Computer Sciences, Healthcare, IT, and Trade Schools.

    **The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as a valid bank account is designated for required monthly payments. This discount only applies to interest-bearing products, not 0%interest financing products.

    Climb encourages students to do thorough research in selecting a training program that meets their unique needs. Details provided by Climb are for information purposes only and are not meant to qualify an institution or be relied upon in determining which institution is right for you.

    About Climb Credit

    ​​Climb (NMLS# 1240013) is an innovative student payment platform that makes career-focused education more accessible and affordable. Driven by a mission to empower individuals to unlock their potential – no matter their credit profile – Climb identifies programs and schools that offer skill-based training programs, then provides learners with payment options that are structured to meet the unique needs of those seeking career training. Recognizing the dynamic and diverse nature of a rapidly-changing economy, Climb partners with schools that teach everything from cybersecurity to healthcare training, heavy machine operation to data science, and culinary arts to AI & Machine Learning. While status quo education pathways are struggling to meet the real-world needs of students and prospective employers, Climb and its partner schools are committed to an inspiring practicality that helps bridge the gap between people looking for career training and companies looking to build a skilled workforce.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: EXL named a Leader in 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Finance and Accounting Business Process Outsourcing

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EXL [NASDAQ: EXLS], a global data and AI company, has been named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Finance and Accounting (F&A) Business Process Outsourcing (BPO).

    The Gartner research report evaluated 16 F&A service providers according to a uniform set of criteria, placing companies into four Quadrants: Leaders, Visionaries, Niche Players and Challengers. Gartner defines Leaders as companies that “execute well against their current vision and are well positioned for tomorrow.”

    The report noted: “Enhanced F&A BPO offerings that meet finance’s need for more automated transactional processing focus on providing process transformation expertise, often combined with proprietary or partnered process automation technologies, including the use of AI and machine learning. Buyers benefit from these types of agreements by maturing their processes, adopting technologies that require minimum human intervention, and driving more competitive processing costs.” This is the fourth consecutive year that EXL has been named a Leader in this report.

    “The demands on the modern finance department are steadily increasing, as new accounting and compliance requirements have created a vital need for faster, more accurate flow of information,” said Vikas Bhalla, president and head of AI services and operations. “Our data and AI-led approach is helping clients rise to meet these challenges, while creating new opportunities for optimization and growth.”

    EXL was recognized as a Customers’ Choice in the 2025 Gartner® Peer Insights™ Voice of the Customer for Finance and Accounting Business Process Outsourcing Services. As of May 13, 2025, EXL has an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5 in the Finance and Accounting Business Process Outsourcing market, based on 68 reviews on Gartner Peer Insights™.

    To learn more about EXL finance and accounting services click here.

    Source: Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Finance and Accounting Business Process Outsourcing,  Jan Ambergen, Jeffrin Francis, Miles Onafowora, 14 April 2025

    Peer Contributors, Voice of the Customer for Finance and Accounting Business Process Outsourcing Services, February 2025

    Gartner and Peer Insights are trademarks of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Gartner Peer Insights content consists of the opinions of individual end users based on their own experiences, and should not be construed as statements of fact, nor do they represent the views of Gartner or its affiliates. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in this content nor makes any warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this content, about its accuracy or completeness, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

    Gartner and Magic Quadrant are registered trademarks of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

    Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

    About EXL

    EXL (NASDAQ: EXLS) is a global data and AI company that offers services and solutions to reinvent client business models, drive better outcomes and unlock growth with speed. EXL harnesses the power of data, AI, and deep industry knowledge to transform businesses, including the world’s leading corporations in industries including insurance, healthcare, banking and capital markets, retail, communications and media, and energy and infrastructure, among others. EXL was founded in 1999 with the core values of innovation, collaboration, excellence, integrity and respect. We are headquartered in New York and have approximately 60,000 employees spanning six continents. For more information, visit www.exlservice.com.

    About Palantir Technologies Inc.

    Foundational software of tomorrow. Delivered today. Additional information is available at https://www.palantir.com.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You should not place undue reliance on those statements because they are subject to numerous uncertainties and factors relating to EXL’s operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond EXL’s control. Forward-looking statements include information concerning EXL’s possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of its business strategy. These statements may include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate” or similar expressions. These statements are based on assumptions that we have made in light of management’s experience in the industry as well as its perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate under the circumstances. You should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although EXL believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect EXL’s actual financial results or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors, which include our ability to maintain and grow client demand, our ability to hire and retain sufficiently trained employees, and our ability to accurately estimate and/or manage costs, rising interest rates, rising inflation and recessionary economic trends, are discussed in more detail in EXL’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including EXL’s Annual Report on Form 10-K. You should keep in mind that any forward-looking statement made herein, or elsewhere, speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New risks and uncertainties come up from time to time, and it is impossible to predict these events or how they may affect EXL. EXL has no obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date hereof, except as required by federal securities laws.

    Contacts
    Media
    Keith Little
    +1 703-598-0980
    media.relations@exlservice.com

    Investor Relations
    John Kristoff
    +1 212 209 4613
    IR@exlservice.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Videlio acquires Team Office in Italy and strengthens its european presence

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The Videlio Group, a leading player in audiovisual integration in France and internationally, announces the acquisition of the Italian company Team Office, a recognized integrator in professional and collaborative environments. This acquisition strengthens Videlio’s presence in Italy, where the group is already established through its subsidiary HMS, specialized in audiovisual solutions for the cruise sector.

    With this new acquisition, Videlio reaffirms its ambition to become a top European audiovisual player.

    A shared vision of digital  innovation

    Team Office has solid experience in integrating audiovisual solutions, unified communication, and collaboration for professional environments. Known for its technical expertise and client proximity, the company has been working for over 30 years with the major customer  of the italian territory. 

    By joining Videlio, Team Office gains access to the resources of a well-structured group, positioned across many audiovisual areas and present along the entire value chain—from engineering to maintenance, including managed services.

    Based in Rome and with 55 employees, Team Office’s team and management, led by Alessandra Favella, will aim to accelerate the company’s development with increasingly innovative, sustainable, and immersive projects in line with new audiovisual and digital trends.

    Xavier Renaud, President of Videlio, says:

    “The merger with Team Office is a perfect fit for our European growth strategy. We are delighted and very proud to welcome the Team Office teams, who have skillfully developed their company while maintaining a strong focus on service quality. We share a common vision: to promote excellence in audiovisual experiences with an innovation-driven DNA. We will support Alessandra and her leadership team with the shared ambition of rapidly becoming one of the leaders in audiovisual integration in the Italian market, while asserting ourselves as a key player on the European stage.”

    Alessandra Favella, new CEO of Team Office, adds:

    “Joining the Videlio Group is a fantastic opportunity for our company, our employees, and our clients. For over 30 years, we have built Team Office around ethical values, commitment and reliability. This partnership allows us to preserve our local DNA while opening up to new horizons, with the strength of an internationally recognized group known for its technological expertise, operational excellence, and capacity to lead large-scale projects. This alliance will enable us to expand our solution portfolio, develop our skills, and participate in ambitious projects. It’s a new step in our history, one that we approach with enthusiasm and determination.”

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Change in the holding of WithSecure Corporation’s own shares

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WithSecure Corporation, Stock Exchange Release, 15 May 2025, at 17:30 EEST

    Change in the holding of WithSecure Corporation’s own shares

    WithSecure Corporation has transferred without consideration a total of 52,224 of the company’s treasury shares to the recipients of the Restricted Share Plan (RSP) 2022-2024 reward shares.

    Following the transfer, WithSecure Corporation holds a total of 379,666 of its own shares.

    Contact information:
    Laura Viita
    VP, Controlling, investor relations and sustainability
    WithSecure Corporation
    +358 50 487 1044
    investor-relations@withsecure.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: RegEd Advances Next-Generation AI Capabilities of Its Industry-Leading Advertising Compliance Review Solution

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Raleigh, NC, May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RegEd, the leading provider of compliance solutions for the financial services industry, today announced the release of Version 3.0 of the proprietary AI model that powers its Advertising Review solution. This marks a significant milestone in the evolution of RegEd’s Submission Intelligence suite of capabilities and underscores the company’s leadership in enterprise-grade, AI-enabled compliance technology. 

    Less than a year after being the first to deliver enterprise-ready AI for advertising compliance, RegEd has introduced its third-generation model, setting a new benchmark for precision, efficiency, and data security. The AI 3.0 release achieves more than 90% accuracy in identifying problematic content in advertising and marketing materials, with continuous refinement driven by real-world use across dozens of leading financial services firms. 

    “At RegEd, AI is more than a buzzword,” said Ethan Floyd, Chief Product Officer at RegEd. “Many vendors are using ‘AI’ as a marketing tactic, describing capabilities as “agents” that are not built on AI technology. Because of the value it can bring our customers, RegEd invested in building its own AI technology and development discipline that is in production today. Our model continues to improve because of the level of adoption we have across our customer base, and because we’ve implemented a robust methodology to constantly fine-tune it for maximum utility for the industry.”

    Developed within a closed-loop system, RegEd’s AI ensures complete client data privacy. The model is governed, trained, and deployed exclusively within RegEd’s secure infrastructure, avoiding the security and privacy risks associated with third-party models, or those that are externally trained or managed. 

    Key Enhancements in Version 3.0: 

    • Improved Accuracy: Now exceeding 90% accuracy in problematic content detection, with continued reduction in false positives. 
    • Client-Calibrated Tuning: Firms can now adjust sensitivity thresholds to align the model with internal standards and review preferences. 
    • Consistency Across Review Teams: AI delivers repeatable, scalable identification of red flags, helping teams maintain uniformity across reviewers and workflows. 

    In addition to the enhancements in Version 3.0, RegEd will introduce AI-assisted pre-review later this year. This next-phase capability will enable firms to screen materials for compliance issues before human review, further accelerating review cycles and improving speed to market. 

    RegEd’s ongoing commitment to governance, model validation, and robust testing ensures that each evolution of its solution delivers measurable impact without compromising on security, privacy or compliance effectiveness. 

    To learn more or request a demonstration, visit www.reged.com. 

    About RegEd 

    RegEd is the market-leading provider of RegTech enterprise solutions with relationships with more than 200 enterprise clients that represent more than 35 of the top 50 insurance companies. 

    Established in 2000 by former regulators, the company is recognized for continuous regulatory technology innovation with solutions hallmarked by workflow-directed processes, data integration, regulatory intelligence, automated validations, business process automation and compliance dashboards. The aggregate drives the highest levels of operational efficiency and enables our clients to cost-effectively comply with regulations and continuously mitigate risk. 

    Trusted by the nation’s top financial services firms, RegEd’s proven, holistic approach to RegTech meets firms where they are on the compliance and risk management continuum, scaling as their needs evolve and amplifying the value proposition delivered to clients. For more information, please visit www.reged.com. 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Immunefi Partners with Fuzzland to Bring Advanced AI-Driven Threat Prevention to Magnus

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Singapore, May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Immunefi, the leading onchain security platform protecting over $190 billion in user funds, today announces Fuzzland as the latest strategic partner of its Magnus platform. This partnership marks a significant step toward building a unified, proactive, and intelligent defense system for decentralized protocols, integrating advanced AI-driven fuzzing and real-time threat detection technologies directly into Magnus.

    Fuzzland is recognized for its deeply technical, multi-layered approach to threat prevention. The company has been responsible for identifying 8,291+ vulnerabilities in protocols, rescuing over $33.4 million in assets, and directly preventing over 110 attacks. Its approach goes far beyond threat detection, actively neutralizing vulnerabilities through powerful, automated analysis solutions, including:

    • 24/7 On-Chain Penetration Testing: Utilizes AI-driven fuzzing and formal verification to analyze smart contracts across thousands of transactions per second, identifying vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. 
    • Monitoring Alerts: Instant notifications for suspicious activities across blockchain and infrastructure layers.
    • Mitigation: Proactive and reactive interventions using real-time mempool analysis to prevent exploits.

    Magnus users now benefit from enhanced security intelligence and always-on protection across the entire onchain security stack. The seamless integration of Fuzzland’s advanced technologies enables continuous smart contract monitoring, AI-driven real-time vulnerability detection, and proactive and reactive mitigation of live threats — all from a single command center.

    “We’re excited to partner with Fuzzland and integrate their cutting-edge AI-driven security technology into Magnus. Their innovative approach to proactive threat prevention is a game-changer, and it perfectly complements our mission to protect protocols before threats can even surface,” said Mitchell Amador, Founder and CEO of Immunefi. 

    “For protocols building in today’s high-risk environment, it’s not enough to detect vulnerabilities, you need to outpace them. That’s exactly what this integration enables, and we’re thrilled to join Magnus and contribute to building the future of onchain security. Magnus is exactly what the industry has been waiting for: a revolutionary platform unifying the entire security stack into one integrated solution, transforming how protocols defend themselves,” said Dan Matulula, Ecosystem Lead at Fuzzland.

    The future of decentralized security is collaborative, automated, and relentless — and it’s being built now. Protocols can sign up for early access to Magnus and experience the next generation of onchain security. Sign up now, here.

    About Immunefi
    Immunefi is the leading onchain security platform, working with ground-breaking protocols such as Chainlink, Ethereum Foundation, Optimism, Arbitrum, and many more. Our latest product, Magnus, bridges the gap between security solutions by creating a unified platform for security operations. Allowing protocols to easily launch bug bounties, audit competitions, and proactively stop threats using our automations engine built with the industry’s best vulnerabilities dataset. Our growing community of over 60,000 security researchers protects $190B in user funds and has prevented over $25B in hacks across 500+ protocols. Learn more at immunefi.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: The Southern Banc Company, Inc. Announces Third Quarter Earnings

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    GADSDEN, Ala., May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Southern Banc Company, Inc. (OTCBB: SRNN), the holding company for The Southern Bank Company (the “Bank”), announced net income of approximately $230,000, or $0.30 per basic and $0.30 per diluted share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, as compared to net income of approximately $340,000, or $0.45 per basic and $0.44 per diluted share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. The Company announced that for the nine-month period ended March 31, 2025, the Company recorded net income of approximately $775,000, or $1.02 per basic and $1.01 per diluted share, as compared to net income of approximately $1,177,000, or $1.55 per basic and $1.53 per diluted share, for the nine-month period ended March 31, 2024. The Company’s fiscal year ends June 30, 2025.

    Gates Little, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company stated that the Company’s net interest margins increased approximately $335,000, or 17.92%, during the quarter as compared to the same period in 2024. The increase in the net interest margin before provision for credit losses for the quarter was primarily attributable to an increase in total interest income of approximately $477,000 offset by an increase in total interest expense of approximately $142,000. For the three-month period ending March 31, 2025, the Company recorded a provision for loan and lease losses in the amount of approximately $99,000 as compared to no provision for the three-month period ended March 31, 2024. For the quarter ending March 31, 2025, total non-interest income decreased approximately $53,000, or (27.88%), while total non-interest expense increased approximately $332,000, or 20.70%, as compared to the same three-month period in 2024. The decrease in non-interest income was primarily attributable to a decrease in miscellaneous income of approximately $51,000 and customer services fees of approximately $2,000. The increase in non-interest expense was primarily attributable to increases in salaries and benefits of approximately $289,000, professional service expense of approximately $26,000, and occupancy expense of approximately $8,000 offset in part by a decrease in data processing expenses of approximately $10,000.

    For the nine months ending March 31, 2025, net interest income increased approximately $1,442,000, or 20.17%, as compared to the same period in 2024. For the nine-month period ending March 31, 2025, the Company recorded a provision for loan and lease losses in the amount of approximately $541,000 as compared to no provision for the nine-month period ended March 31, 2024. For the nine-months ended March 31, 2025, total non-interest income decreased approximately $42,000, or (8.53%), while total non-interest expense increased approximately $774,000, or 16.70%, as compared to the same period in 2024. The decrease in non-interest income was primarily attributable to decreases in miscellaneous income of approximately $37,000 and customer service fees of approximately $5,000. The increase in non-interest expense was primarily attributable to increases in salaries and benefits of approximately $630,000, occupancy expense of approximately $21,000, professional fees of approximately $144,000, offset in part by a decrease in data processing expense of approximately $25,000.

    The Company’s total assets on March 31, 2025, were approximately $127.7 million, as compared to $113.1 million at June 30, 2024. Total stockholders’ equity was approximately $16.3 million on March 31, 2025, or 12.73% of total assets as compared to approximately $14.5 million on June 30, 2024, or approximately 12.80% of total assets.

    The Bank has four full-service banking offices located in Gadsden, Albertville, Guntersville, and Centre, AL, and one loan production office in Birmingham, AL that conducts factoring activities. Common stock of The Southern Banc Company, Inc. trades in the over-the-counter market under the symbol “SRNN”.

    Certain statements in this release contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “target,” “plan,” “project,” “continue,” or the negatives thereof, or other variations thereon or similar terminology, and are made on the basis of management’s plans and current analyses of the Company, its business and the industry as a whole. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, economic conditions, competition, interest rate sensitivity and exposure to regulatory and legislative changes. The above factors, in some cases, have affected, and in the future could affect the Company’s financial performance and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements, even if experience or future changes make it clear that any projected results expressed or implied therein will not be realized.

     
    (Selected financial data attached)
     
     
    THE SOUTHERN BANC COMPANY, INC.
    UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
    (Dollar Amounts in Thousands)
     
        March 31,     June 30,
        2025     2024
        Unaudited     Audited
    ASSETS          
    CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS $ 26,537     $ 12,632  
    SECURITIES AVAILABLE FOR SALE, at fair value   38,922       37,912  
    FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK STOCK   125       120  
    LOANS RECEIVABLE, net of allowance for loan losses of $1,605 and $1,160, respectively   58,408       58,199  
    PREMISES AND EQUIPMENT, net   1,025       1,133  
    ACCRUED INTEREST AND DIVIDENDS RECEIVABLE   955       934  
    PREPAID EXPENSES AND OTHER ASSETS   1,763       2,124  
               
    TOTAL ASSETS $ 127,735     $ 113,054  
               
    LIABILITIES          
    DEPOSITS $ 104,249     $ 92,250  
    FHLB ADVANCES   0       0  
    OTHER LIABILITIES   7,227       6,338  
    TOTAL LIABILITIES   111,476       98,588  
               
    STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY:          
    Preferred stock, par value $.01 per share 500,000 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding   –       –  
    Common stock, par value $.01 per share, 3,500,000 authorized, 1,454,750 shares issued   15       15  
    Additional paid-in capital   13,947       13,943  
    Shares held in trust, 44,081 and 46,454 shares at cost, respectively   (762 )     (772 )
    Retained earnings   14,660       13,884  
    Treasury stock, at cost, 648,664 shares   (8,825 )     (8,825 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive (loss)   (2,776 )     (3,779 )
    TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY   16,259       14,466  
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY $ 127,735     $ 113,054  
     
    THE SOUTHERN BANC COMPANY, INC.
    UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
    (Dollar Amounts in Thousands, except per share data)
     
                                                                     Three Months Ended     Nine Months Ended
              March 31,     March 31,
                                 
              2025
    (Unaudited)    		     2024     2025
    (Unaudited)    		     2024
                                 
    INTEREST INCOME:                      
                                 
      Interest and fees on loans $ 2,476   $ 2,108   $ 7,548   $ 6,284
      Interest and dividends on securities   200     182     545     551
      Other interest income   213     122     494     310
                                 
        Total interest income   2,889     2,412     8,587     7,145
                                 
    INTEREST EXPENSE:                      
      Interest on deposits   685     543     2,020     1,392
      Interest on borrowings   0     0     0     0
        Total interest expense   685     543     2,020     1,392
        Net interest income before provision for loan losses   2,204     1,869     6,567     5,753
      Provision for loan losses   99     0     541     0
        Net interest income after provision for loan losses   2,105     1,869     6,026     5,753
                                 
    NON-INTEREST INCOME:                      
      Fees and other non-interest income   30     32     96     101
      Net gain on sale of securities   0     0     0     0
      Miscellaneous income   107     158     344     381
      Total non-interest income   137     190     440     482
                                 
    NON-INTEREST EXPENSE:                      
      Salaries and employee benefits   1,239     950     3,402     2,772
      Office building and equipment expenses   101     93     285     264
      Professional Services Expense   195     169     565     421
      Data Processing Expense   185     195     555     580
      Net loss on sale of securities   0     0     0     0
      Other operating expense   211     192     610     606
          Total non-interest expense   1,931     1,599     5,417     4,643
                                 
      Income before income taxes   311     460     1,049     1,592
                                 
    PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES   81     120     274     415
                                 
        Net Income $ 230   $ 340   $ 775   $ 1,177
                                 
    EARNINGS PER SHARE:                      
        Basic $ 0.30   $ 0.45   $ 1.02   $ 1.55
        Diluted $ 0.30   $ 0.44   $ 1.01   $ 1.53
                                 
    DIVIDENDS DECLARED PER SHARE $ —   $ —   $ —   $ —
                                 
    AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING:                      
        Basic   763,918     759,650     761,050     760,729
        Diluted   768,309     766,093     766,710     767,791

    Contact: Gates Little
    (256) 543-3860

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: EVA AI Launches First Real-Time AI Antivirus for Web3 to Block On-Chain Threats

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EVA AI – a leading provider of decentralized security solutions and one of Q1’s top-performing on-chain projects – has launched EVA Sentinel Extension, the first AI-powered antivirus built exclusively for Web3 users. The browser-based tool operates in real time, auditing tokens, scanning smart contracts, and blocking malicious scripts — all without requiring a wallet connection or compromising user privacy.

    As adoption of decentralized applications (dApps) accelerates, so does the frequency of on-chain threats. In 2024 alone, Web3 users lost over $1.7 billion to scams and exploits, according to Chainalysis – the majority of which began with invisible, malicious code embedded in contracts or websites. EVA Sentinel was designed to stop these threats before users engage with them.

    “EVA Sentinel Extension is our answer to an increasingly hostile Web3 landscape,” said Extiint, Co-founder of EVA AI. “Users deserve better protection, and that starts with full transparency and real-time threat detection, before a wallet is ever connected. Our mission is to deliver first-rate security for Web3 and beyond. DeFi is the future, and we’re committed to building protection that evolves alongside the groundbreaking advancements happening across the space.”

    A New Standard for Web3 Security

    EVA Sentinel Extension is the first tool of its kind to deliver real-time, AI-powered protection without requiring setup, browser changes, or wallet permissions. It activates the moment a user visits a site or interacts with on-chain elements – flagging risks and blocking attacks before any transaction takes place.

    Key capabilities include:

    • Real-Time Token & Contract Audits

    Instantly analyzes any token or smart contract encountered while browsing – offering actionable insights before users approve, sign, or swap.

    • Auto-Blocking of Untrusted Scripts

    Detects and disables malicious code before it can execute – stopping phishing attempts, drainers, and stealth exploits at the source.

    • Ultra Protection Mode

    Preemptively disables all Web3 scripts on uncertified or untrusted websites. Users can whitelist or blacklist sites manually.

    • EVA Logo Risk Indicator

    A color-coded icon (green, yellow, red) appears in-browser to signal the threat level of any webpage at a glance.

    • EVA Widget

    An optional, on-page tool that lets users:

    • View smart contracts loaded on any webpage

    • Audit tokens or contracts instantly

    • Monitor transactions in real time

    • Auto-scan tokens before buying or approving

    • Popup & Ad Removal

    Blocks Web2-originating popups and ads often used to deliver hidden scripts and phishing attempts.

    • P2P Community Trust System

    Every site trusted or blacklisted by users feeds into a shared intelligence network, strengthening threat detection across the entire EVA ecosystem.

    Privacy by Design

    Unlike most wallet-connected security tools, EVA Sentinel is completely wallet-free. It doesn’t manage private keys, request permissions, or store personal data – ensuring robust protection with complete privacy.

    “You shouldn’t have to connect your wallet to know if you’re at risk,” said Cosmo, Co-founder of EVA. “EVA is invisible until you need it, but always watching for threats.”

    Available Now

    EVA Sentinel Extension is now available for Chrome and Brave browsers. Users can install the tool and begin browsing Web3 with full protection in under 60 seconds.

    A more advanced version, EVA Plus, is scheduled for release in June – bringing enhanced AI protections and premium security layers for power users and institutions.

    Download now:

    https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/eva-sentinel/fbemejbekefmhnfhknjdelipddeadofo

    Learn more: www.eva-ai.cloud

    About EVA AI

    Security is the foundation of EVA. From our real-time API – trusted by over 45 on-chain projects – to the EVA Sentinel Extension, we deliver advanced, AI-powered protection for the entire Web3 stack. EVA safeguards users, developers, and protocols with tools that audit smart contracts, detect threats autonomously, and defend against exploits in real time. Whether it’s a dApp, token, or transaction, EVA ensures Web3 is safer for everyone.

    With EVA, security isn’t a feature – it’s the foundation.

    Media contact:

    Eva Team
    cosmo@eva-ai.cloud

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Governor Ulrik Nødgaard: The banks may risk losses on loans to export companies

    Source: Danmarks Nationalbank

    Both company and bank earnings increased through 2024, and there has not been a significant increase in the share of non-performing loans. However, export-sensitive industries, such as manufacturing, transportation and agriculture, will be affected by the global uncertainty associated with the ongoing trade conflict. This is especially true for manufacturing companies, where a significant part of exports goes to the United States, the Governor pointed out in his speech.

    ”With continued high core earnings and good cushioning in the form of capitalisation, the banks have a good starting point for dealing with the economic consequences of the trade conflict”, said Ulrik Nødgaard.

    The banks have significant exposures to the export-sensitive industries. Of the three industries mentioned above, it is especially the manufacturing enterprises that have substantial loans from the large banks, while the agricultural enterprises dominate with the medium-sized banks, see the chart below. However, the direct credit risk on bank lending is limited by the fact that a large part of Danish exports of goods to the US are produced in the US. At the same time, Danish agricultural companies export to a greater extent to the European market and are thus less dependent on the American market.

    Ulrik Nødgaard also emphasised that a major shock to Danish exports and a general global slow-down could have an impact on the Danish economy as a whole and give rise to losses on credit institutions’ lending.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Changes in the Financial Markets and Resolution and Financial Stability Departments

    Source: Czech National Bank

    At its meeting on 15 May 2025, the Bank Board of the Czech National Bank (CNB) approved changes in the bank’s organisational structure with effect from 1 June 2025.

    The Resolution Division will be transferred from the Financial Markets and Resolution Department to the Financial Stability Department. This change is aimed at leveraging synergies in fulfilling one of the CNB’s primary objectives, namely maintaining the long-term stability of the financial system. In connection with this change, the departments concerned will be renamed the Financial Markets Department and the Financial Stability and Resolution Department on 1 June.

    At the same time, the Bank Board decided to appoint Petr Frydrych new Executive Director of the Financial Markets Department with effect from 1 June. Ondřej Strádal will become the Department’s Deputy Executive Director. He will remain in charge of the Reserves Management Division. Daniel Krejčí will head up the Interventions Division.

    Petr Frydrych graduated from the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at Charles University in Prague. He joined the CNB’s Reserves Management Division in 1995, where he held the post of portfolio manager. He was appointed Director of the Reserves Management Division in 2001 and Director of the Interventions Division in 2005, and now serves as Deputy Executive Director of the Financial Markets and Resolution Department. He has long focused on monetary policy implementation in his work.

    Ondřej Strádal graduated from the Institute of Economic Studies of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University and qualified as a Chartered Financial Analyst in 2003. He began his career at the CNB as a money market broker and then worked as a portfolio manager responsible for international reserves management. After that, he worked at the London branch of Goldman Sachs. Between 2016 and 2019, at the decision of the Bank Board, he held the post of Advisor to the Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund in Washington. In 2008–2016 and since 2019, he has served as Director of the CNB’s Reserves Management Division, where he manages a team of portfolio managers.

    Daniel Krejčí graduated from the Faculty of Finance and Accounting at the Prague University of Economics and Business and from the Institute of Economic Studies of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University. In 1995–2007, he worked at ČSOB in various positions, ultimately as director of interest rate and commodity derivatives trading for clients. He joined the CNB in 2007, where he held the post of Deputy Executive Director of the Risk Management and Transactions Support Department responsible for the Risk Management Division until 2019. Since 2019, he has worked as a chief dealer and Deputy Director of the Reserves Management Division at the CNB.

    Jakub Holas
    Director, Communications Division

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Algoa Cabinda Fabrication Services Joins Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2025 as Bronze Sponsor

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

    LUANDA, Angola, May 15, 2025/APO Group/ —

    Oil and gas services provider Algoa Cabinda Fabrication Services has joined the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2025 conference – taking place September 3-4 in Luanda – as a Bronze Sponsor. Algoa Cabinda Fabrication Services is a major supplier of construction, machining, scaffolding, quality control and offshore services for the hydrocarbon industry, and the company’s sponsorship reflects its commitment to supporting the country’s industry growth.

    Algoa Cabinda Fabrication Services completed the construction of the South N’dola wellhead platform in 2025 for the Cabinda Gulf Oil Company – a subsidiary of energy major Chevron. The platform is a fixed-braced structure designed to operate at Angola’s Block 0. It features 12 production wells and utilizes a monobore well deign, connecting to the Mafumeira platform. With the addition and integration of the new wellhead platform, a seamless flow of resources to the Malongo terminal and Angola LNG plant was established. Algoa Cabinda Fabrication Services led the complete fabrication of the platform.

    https://apo-opa.co/4mfRFq7

    https://apo-opa.co/3GPZ67x

    AOG is the largest oil and gas event in Angola. Taking place with the full support of the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas; the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency; the Petroleum Derivatives Regulatory Institute; national oil company Sonangol; and the African Energy Chamber; the event is a platform to sign deals and advance Angola’s oil and gas industry. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

    Prior to developing the South N’dola platform, Algoa Cabinda Fabrication Services supported the development of the Lifua-A project in collaboration with Cabinda Gulf Oil Company and its partners on Block 0. The Lifua-A wellhead platform was also fabricated by Algoa Cabinda Fabrication Services and featured a robust steel jacket foundation engineered to withstand hard marine conditions. The platform – designed to unlock marginal reserves in an economic way – is an instrumental part of Block 0, tapping into the block’s 200 million barrels of recoverable oil reserves.

    https://apo-opa.co/43beHWx

    These projects demonstrate Algoa Cabinda Fabrication Services’ expertise in the industry as well as the company’s role in supporting offshore oil projects. As Angola strives to sustain oil production above one million barrels per day, these services will prove highly valuable. In 2025, Angola will launch an international licensing round – offering up to 10 blocks in Kwanza and Benguela basins. With new exploration campaigns on the way, companies such as Algoa Cabinda Fabrication Services are expected to continue playing an instrumental part in supporting Angolan production.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: United Kingdom (UK) Can Help Africa’s Just Energy Transition

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

    United Kingdom (UK) Can Help Africa’s Just Energy Transition As a continent, Africa has contributed least to causing climate change, yet is suffering most from its impact, while 600 million of its 1.4 billion people still have no or only intermittent access to electricity LONDON, United Kingdom, May 15, 2025/APO Group/ — Lord Oates “To achieve a just energy transition in Africa that reduces energy poverty and accelerate development in a climate-friendly way will require the UK, other high-income countries and multilateral institutions to step up, in partnership with African countries.” Download document: https://apo-opa.co/3H8UzwQ Parliament’s All Party Parliamentary Group for Africa (APPG) publishes today a report highlighting the importance of achieving a just and rapid energy transition in Africa, one that responds to the need for cleaner energy while expanding energy access and enabling more rapid development. In this transition, Britain has an important and constructive role to play. This report has been produced by the AAPPG in partnership with the Royal African Society (“the Society”), which acts as the Secretariat for the APPG. As a continent, Africa has contributed least to causing climate change, yet is suffering most from its impact, while 600 million of its 1.4 billion people still have no or only intermittent access to electricity.  With enormous potential for renewable energy, as well as some of the world’s largest carbon sinks and many of the essential minerals for a clean transition, Africa has a crucial role in tackling climate change. But to enable Africans to mitigate and adapt, faster economic development using increased energy supply and access is crucial. The report, link to doc on RAS website (apo-opa.co/44AMX01): Africa’s Just Energy Transition: How Can the UK Support? is the result of an 18-month inquiry consulting a wide range of witnesses from Africa and beyond. It explores the challenges and solutions to Africa’s energy dilemma, from the use of solar mini-grids and stand-alone systems and clean cooking technologies, to hydro, wind, gas and geothermal energy, and the role of Just Energy Partnerships (JETPs) with South Africa and Senegal. In particular it looks at how the transition can be financed, from traditional grants and loans, through blended finance and private sector investments, to better use of carbon markets.

    It makes nine specific recommendations for action by the British government, covering:

    • The need for the UK to deliver on its existing commitments on climate and finance;
    • Helping African governments mobilise more domestic resources and international funding for the energy sector;
    • Helping African countries create appropriate regulation and a conducive environment for investment;
    • Supporting African innovation and industrialisation, including through the work of BII and PIDG.

    The report is being sent to the British government and circulated widely in Africa and the UK as an input to policy-making and debate on climate and energy issues. All-Party Parliamentary Group for Africa Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Royal African Society. For further information, please contact: The Royal African Society ras_communications@soas.ac.uk Lord Jonny Oates jonny.oates@uamh.org Nick Westcott nw28@soas.ac.uk About The All Party Parliamentary Group for Africa: The UK’s All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Africa is a dynamic cross-party group composed of UK parliamentarians from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The APPG for Africa is dedicated to fostering mutually beneficial relationships between African nations and the UK while actively working to challenge and dispel negative stereotypes about Africa. Established with the support of the Royal African Society in January 2003, the APPG for Africa has grown to become one of the most active and independent APPGs within the UK Parliament, boasting over 200 members. The group’s events and meetings provide a vital platform for UK parliamentarians to engage in meaningful dialogue on policy issues with African policymakers, diaspora communities, civil society organizations, and the private sector. About the Royal African Society (RAS): The Royal African Society (“The Society”) is the secretariat for the APPG for Africa. The Society was founded in 1901 and is the only UK-based non-governmental organisation with a Royal Charter dedicated to increasing knowledge about Africa, is a membership charity that provides opportunities for people to connect, celebrate, and critically engage with a wide range of topics and ideas about Africa today.  Through our events, publications, and digital channels, we share insight, instigate debate, and facilitate mutual understanding between audiences in the UK and Africa, fostering strong relationships and collaboration. We amplify African voices and interests in academia, business, politics, the arts, and education. Our mission is to inform, inspire, and champion African perspectives. To find out more https://apo-opa.co/4j4Oij9 and to join https://apo-opa.co/3GU12Md

    Text copied to clipboard.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Premier’s, ministers’, parliamentary secretary’s statements on Moose Hide Campaign Day

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Premier David Eby has issued the following statement on Moose Hide Campaign Day:

    “Today, the call to end violence against women and children is being heard throughout the country.

    “Moose Hide Campaign Day brings together hundreds of thousands of people to fast, participate in walks and events, and pin small squares of moose hide to their lapels to show their commitment to condemning violence against women, children, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse people.

    “More than a decade ago, the Moose Hide Campaign started in B.C. as an Indigenous-led grassroots effort to engage men and boys in ending violence against women and children. It has since grown to a nationwide movement and has been a powerful force for positive change.

    “Our government is proud to support the campaign as part of our ongoing work to end gender-based violence and work toward true and lasting reconciliation with Indigenous people. This work includes partnering with Indigenous people to increase safety and supports for survivors, uplift Indigenous-led approaches and break the cycle of violence through prevention, healing and accountability. Together, we have made significant progress, but we need to do more.

    “Violence against women and children remains a persistent yet preventable problem throughout the country, and Indigenous women continue to experience violence at a higher rate than non-Indigenous women. We all have a responsibility to take a stand against violence and help create safe homes, workplaces and communities.

    “Today, I will wear my moose hide pin and reflect on what further actions I can take as a father, as a husband and as premier, to make British Columbia a place where everyone feels safe and supported. I encourage everyone to do the same. Together, we can end the cycle of violence and create a brighter future for all.”

    Garry Begg, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, said:

    “Moose Hide Campaign Day is an opportunity for us to come together and work toward meaningful and impactful change for women, children, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse people. Our government is committed to supporting Indigenous-led approaches and healing for survivors and their families and will continue to work to address the underlying causes of gender-based violence.”

    Christine Boyle, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, said:

    “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community. On Moose Hide Campaign Day, we stand together against violence guided by Indigenous tradition, ceremony and leadership. I am proud to wear my moose hide pin and support this essential work.”

    Jennifer Blatherwick, parliamentary secretary for gender equity, said:

    “Indigenous women and girls are more likely to be murdered, assaulted or go missing than any other women in the country. It’s crucial that we persist in tackling the underlying issues of violence, such as colonialism, racism and misogyny. We will also continue to support Indigenous self-determination, safety planning and healing through Indigenous-led initiatives that promote capacity building, and culturally safe approaches and solutions to address gender-based violence.”

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2025: Africa Urged to End Billion-Dollar Gas Flaring with Scalable Infrastructure Solutions

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

    PARIS, France, May 15, 2025/APO Group/ —

    In a continent striving for energy access and industrial development, Africa continues to lose billions of dollars in potential revenue by flaring its natural gas – a practice that remains entrenched largely due to infrastructure shortfalls and outdated economic incentives.

    Speaking at a presentation on “Flare Gas Utilization: The Importance of Mid-Scale Integrated Gas Commercialization Solutions,” Nmesoma Okereke, Sales Manager and Flare Gas Recovery Specialist at Neuman & Esser, underscored the urgency of addressing this paradox through modern, scalable gas monetization strategies.

    “The most important reason for gas flaring is a lack of infrastructure, but also cost inefficiencies,” said Okereke. “In the past, it was more economically feasible to flare gas than develop or commercialize the gas. That is no longer the case with the rise of innovative gas solutions.”

    Three of the world’s top nine gas-flaring countries are in Africa, said Okereke, collectively responsible for an estimated 60% of the continent’s gas flaring. Nigeria alone flared roughly 193 billion cubic feet of gas in 2024, while producing 2.5 trillion cubic feet of gas. That volume of wasted gas represents a market value of $1 billion – at a time when around 40% of the country’s population lacks access to electricity.

    Nigeria’s case study illustrates the dual challenge of wasted resources and unmet energy demand. According to Okereke, Nigeria needs five times its current domestic gas supply to reach its goal of 30 GW of power by 2030.

    With flaring becoming less economically justifiable due to emerging technologies and modular gas utilization options, Okereke emphasized the need to shift toward mid-scale integrated solutions that can bridge the infrastructure gap and bring gas to market more quickly and efficiently.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2025: Experts Call for Hybrid Energy Solutions to Power Africa’s Future

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

    PARIS, France, May 15, 2025/APO Group/ —

    At the Invest in African Energy Forum in Paris, industry leaders emphasized the urgent need for Africa to adopt a diversified and flexible energy mix – combining renewables, fossil fuels and off-grid technologies – to meet the continent’s rising electricity demand and avoid deepening power crises.

    During the panel, titled Revolutionizing Power Generation in Africa: The Role of Energy Mix and Innovation, panelists stated that Africa’s path to universal electrification hinges on embracing a hybridized, context-specific approach that can deliver both stability and sustainability.

    “Energy in Africa needs to be thought of in a long-term view. Renewables are cheap, but they are intermittent and not controllable. It is compatible for fossil fuels to be the baseload [to offset] the intermittency of renewables,” said Jérôme Bertheau, Chief Technology Officer at BW Energy.

    Bertheau pointed to the company’s gas-to-power project in Namibia as a model of scalable, market-aligned development. “We have a project in Namibia where we will produce and transport gas from the Kudu field. The project is phased, so we are developing alongside the growth of Namibia. The first step is a 200 MW viable baseload, but we can increase it as the market grows,” he said.

    He added that the project is progressing rapidly toward FID: “We have submitted our field development plan and finished our conceptual studies, and are entering a phase of appraising the reservoir more. We believe there is potentially more gas and oil. We are drilling the first well this year, and the second one next year.”

    The discussion centered on how to bridge the gap between ambition and practical implementation, particularly in under-electrified regions where national grids are weak and investor confidence hinges on returns and reliability. Panelists stressed that successful models already exist, and that Africa’s energy transition must be guided by both technological and commercial innovation.

    “The first step on the ladder is hybridization – we need to introduce more renewables. That is how we offset costs and get more sustainable,” said Christoffer Ek, Director of Decarbonization Services at Wärtsilä Energy, emphasizing that “Hybridization is key to communities in Africa when it comes to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy.”

    With the continent’s electricity consumption per capita hovering around 500 kWh per year – a fraction of global averages, according to Silvia Macri, Associate Director at S&P Global Commodity Insights – the stakes are high. Over-reliance on a single energy source is a major contributor to Africa’s frequent power outages and unreliable supply.

    “We are seeing a lot of power mixes relying on fossil fuels too heavily, or on one source of power, which is a major risk factor. We have consistent power outages and crises in a lot of markets,” she said, adding, “The power gap is not solved by adding capacity alone.”

    Macri pointed to Kenya as a regional success story, where strategic investment in geothermal energy has led to a significant increase in electricity access. “Kenya doubled its electricity access in less than a decade,” said Macri, highlighting that Africa’s broad access to both renewable and fossil resources gives it a unique advantage if the right mix can be struck.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: “We Don’t Have the Luxury of Time”: Global Energy Leaders Urge Swift Action on Africa’s Resources

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

    PARIS, France, May 15, 2025/APO Group/ —

    In a striking call to action at the closing session of the Invest in African Energy Forum in Paris, Energean CEO Mathios Rigas laid out a bold vision to replicate the company’s Mediterranean success across Africa, urging African governments to accelerate decision-making and prioritize the development of untapped gas resources.

    Rigas’ remarks came during the high-profile panel, The Future of Global Energy Partnerships: Seizing Africa’s Untapped Market Opportunities –sponsored be Energean – which brought together global energy leaders to underscore Africa’s central role in shaping the future of secure, inclusive and sustainable energy systems.

    “We want to bring the same model that worked in the Mediterranean to Africa,” said Rigas. “We don’t have the luxury of time. This is not exclusive [to] renewables or natural gas. To solve energy poverty, affordability and accessibility for the whole continent – we need everything.”

    Energean, which has invested over $3 billion in the Mediterranean over the last five years, is now looking to deploy the same integrated development approach across Africa. But Rigas warned that success depends on bold leadership from governments: “If there are resources being undeveloped, push people to develop them. If they don’t want to, there’s someone else who will.”

    His comments were nuanced by Tim Gould, Chief Energy Economist at the International Energy Agency (IEA), who emphasized the need for a balanced and pragmatic approach to Africa’s energy development.

    “There’s extraordinary untapped potential, given the richness of the renewable resource across many parts of Africa. But we also recognize that the conversation about Africa’s development cannot end with renewables,” said Gould. “For the IEA, energy security is our core mandate. We don’t see security and sustainability at opposite ends of the spectrum.”

    This framing underscored a growing consensus that Africa’s energy mix must be as diverse as its development challenges, with Gould calling for “integrated development of energy systems” that balance affordability, sustainability and sovereignty.

    Namibia’s Petroleum Commissioner Maggy Shino offered a compelling national perspective, highlighting how the country’s nascent oil sector could be a springboard for economic transformation, particularly through the development of specialized skills and long-term industrial capacity.

    “We are going to establish Lüderitz as an energy hub – that’s where we’re putting the infrastructure to evacuate the green hydrogen we will produce in Namibia, as well as the infrastructure for developing the petrochemical industry,” she said.

    Shino emphasized that resource revenues should be leveraged strategically to build the country’s future, not just to meet short-term needs. “We are at a time where Africa should move away from using revenues from resources to address the problems of today. They should be used as seed capital to grow the future.”

    Cheick-Omar Diallo, Leader Task Force Communication and Spokesperson for TotalEnergies on the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, defended the development as a sovereign decision by Uganda and Tanzania, emphasizing the company’s efforts to uphold environmental standards, minimize displacement and ensure local benefits.

    “We want to be a responsible operator – that means producing to the highest standards while addressing biodiversity and community concerns,” said Diallo. “This was not just a TotalEnergies project – it was a sovereign decision by Uganda and Tanzania. Once that decision is made, the question is how to implement it responsibly. We avoided sensitive areas along the pipeline route, and while displacement is never ideal, it is a reality of infrastructure projects.”

    The panel marked a fitting conclusion to the forum, blending urgency, realism and ambition. While global players like Energean and the IEA called for speed and pragmatism, African leaders insisted that the path forward must be driven by national priorities and long-term value creation.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Enagol Joins Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2025 Amid Expansion into Angola’s Upstream Market

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

    LUANDA, Angola, May 15, 2025/APO Group/ —

    Energy services provider Enagol has joined the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) conference – the country’s premier industry event – as a Bronze Sponsor, reflecting its commitment to collaboration and portfolio growth. Operating under a mission to promote the sustainable development of Angola, the company is not only supporting major infrastructure projects but Angola’s goal to sustain oil output above one million barrels per day.

    With over 120 completed projects for national and international clients and 18 years’ experience in the Angolan market, Enagol plays an instrumental role in the country’s oil and gas industry. As an energy services provider, the company is both strengthening and diversifying its offerings, with its expansion into the upstream sector set to support Angola’s production goals. Enagol was one of the non-operator winners in Angola’s 2023 bid round. The country’s upstream regulator the National Oil, Gas & Biofuels Agency announced the results of the bid round in August 2024, with Enagol securing a 10% stake in Block CON 8 and Block KON 19, respectively. In collaboration with major operators including Etu Energias, Effimax Energy and Grupo Simples Oil for CON 8 and ACREP and Afentra for KON 19, the company will explore and develop the blocks.

    Beyond the upstream sector, Enagol has had a hand in several impactful oil, gas and logistics projects in Angola. Enagol also provided support for the Angola LNG Gas Treatment Plant in Soyo. The company provided Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) inspection services, ensuring the integrity of critical infrastructure. Angola LNG is the country’s sole operating LNG facility. Enagol has also provided servies for the TotalEnergies-led Block 17, ensuring the integrity of the FPSOs at the asset.

    The company’s AOG 2025 sponsorship aligns with its ambition to broaden its portfolio and support Angola’s oil and gas ambitions. As the largest event of its kind in the country, AOG 2025 offers various opportunities for networking, engagement and deal-signing. Enagol’s participation not only underscores its commitment to the industry but reinforces AOG 2025’s role as a platform for dialogue and dealmaking.

    AOG is the largest oil and gas event in Angola. Taking place with the full support of the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas; the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency; the Petroleum Derivatives Regulatory Institute; national oil company Sonangol; and the African Energy Chamber; the event is a platform to sign deals and advance Angola’s oil and gas industry. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Development Bank of Nigeria visits African Development Bank to benchmark sustainability and resilience into financing

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

    ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, May 15, 2025/APO Group/ —

    A delegation of eight officials from the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) recently concluded a five-day study visit to the African Development Bank headquarters (www.AfDB.org) in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. The visit, jointly hosted by the Climate Change and Green Growth Department and the Financial Sector Development Department, focused on sharing tools and best practices for integrating climate and sustainability considerations into the institution’s financial operations

    Through the African Financial Alliance on Climate Change (AFAC) (https://apo-opa.co/4dCVDFL), the African Development Bank offers technical assistance to African financial institutions to help them manage climate-related risks and unlock opportunities in green investments.

    Africa remains highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with climate-induced losses projected to reach up to $50 billion annually by 2030, equivalent to as much as 15% of the continent’s GDP. Despite this vulnerability, Africa holds immense potential for sustainable investment, leveraging its abundant natural capital, including land, minerals, and renewable energy resources. Mobilizing domestic capital towards long-term sustainable investments is key to realizing this potential.

    Public development banks are instrumental in steering capital toward priority sectors by de-risking innovative and sustainable investments.

    Batchi Baldeh, Director of Power Systems Development and DBN board member, remarked, “Through targeted investments, the African Development Bank is committed to strengthening institutions such as the Development Bank of Nigeria to foster youth employment and drive resilient and sustainable development.”

    Dr. Anthony Nyong, Director of the Climate Change and Green Growth Department, emphasized the importance of peer learning among African institutions. “The Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy serves as a framework to deepen regional and global partnerships and expand access to concessional financing from mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund. To this end, the Bank provides technical assistance to regional and national financial institutions to create green jobs and build resilience into their operations,” he said.

    Ahmed Attout, Director of Financial Sector Development at the Bank, said: “The Development Bank of Nigeria remains a key strategic partner of the Bank in the implementation of flagship programs that are geared at expanding access to finance for underserved sections of the society, especially Women and Youth in Nigeria. Visits like this reinforce our partnership and strengthen our impact, and we look forward to building on the opportunities identified this week”.

    Jeremiah Dan-Okayi, DBN Head of Strategy and Policy, remarked that this visit was timely for the implementation of its green finance strategy. Beyond technical knowledge, the visit also opened new avenues for collaboration to strengthen our role in building a more resilient and inclusive financial system in Nigeria”, he said.

    The African Development Bank continues to rally partners through the African Financial Alliance on Climate (AFAC) to provide technical assistance to regional financial institutions to increase financing for sustainable investments.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Kenya has a bold new disability law: now to make it work

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Amani Karisa, Associate Research Scientist, African Population and Health Research Center

    Kenya has long recognised the rights of persons with disabilities in law. The 2010 constitution guarantees access, dignity and inclusion for people living with disabilities.

    Two years earlier in 2008, Kenya ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. And Kenya’s 2003 Persons with Disabilities Act formed the legal foundation for promoting the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities.

    But these legal promises remain largely aspirational. Their provisions are rarely translated into everyday realities. Many Kenyans with disabilities still face stigma, inaccessible environments, unequal education opportunities and limited access to employment.

    Many schools remain exclusionary due to inaccessible physical infrastructure. This includes classrooms and latrines that lack ramps or hinder mobility for children with disabilities.

    Public transport is often unusable for wheelchair users.

    Employers continue to overlook applicants with disabilities. Between 2019 and 2023, for instance, persons with disabilities faced higher unemployment rates at around 10.4% against a national average of 5.2%.

    The fact that there are disputes over the number of Kenyans with disabilities is also telling. The 2019 census recorded 2.2% of the population – fewer than 1 million people – as having disabilities. This is far below the World Report on Disability’s estimates of an average of around 15%. This undercount reflects both cultural stigma and systemic gaps in how disability is understood and reported.

    As someone who has spent more than a decade researching disability in Kenya, I have seen how the promise of rights is often undercut by structural and social barriers. This has come through in my own research and that of others.

    The persistent failure to translate rights into tangible outcomes for persons with disabilities created urgency for change.

    The Kenyan government has finally acted. In May 2025, the country’s parliament passed the Persons with Disabilities Act 2025.

    The new law expands the definition of disability to encompass a broader range of impairments. This ensures more individuals are recognised and protected under the law. The law also mandates accessibility across sectors such as education, employment, healthcare and public services, requiring reasonable accommodations and prohibiting discrimination.

    In my view, the new law reflects a broader move from symbolic recognition to legal obligation. But passing a law is just the beginning. Implementation will be the real test.

    What’s been missing

    In my research, and that of others, the question of why the 2003 law did little to shift everyday exclusion has been addressed. A few things were apparent.

    First, employment quotas were suggested but never enforced. Discrimination in hiring and promotions was prohibited in theory, but was common in practice.

    Second, there has been little support for caregivers.

    Third, there was minimal access to assistive technologies (which are tools designed to help persons with disabilities perform tasks and improve their quality of life, such as mobility aids, communication devices and adaptive software).

    Fourth, children with disabilities in Kenya have faced significant barriers to education. Their enrolment and completion rates are consistently lower than those of their non-disabled peers.

    Rather than disability being the problem, it is the lack of accommodation, inclusive policies and public understanding that creates exclusion. This is a core insight of the social model of disability, which views disability as arising from the interaction between individuals and an unaccommodating society. This perspective explains that people are disabled not by their bodies but by barriers in society – like stairs without ramps or employers who won’t adapt.

    What the new law promises

    Some key changes in the new law stand out:

    • Workplace inclusion: public bodies must now ensure that at least 5% of jobs are held by persons with disabilities. This provision, although previously suggested, now comes with clearer oversight requirements. Private employers are both mandated and incentivised to create inclusive workplaces. Reasonable accommodations, such as accessible workstations or flexible hours, can be counted as deductible expenses.

    • Access to public services and spaces: the law requires that buildings, roads and services be made accessible. Hospitals must have trained sign language interpreters. Schools must adapt their admission criteria, curricula and facilities to include learners with disabilities. These requirements signal a move away from treating accessibility as optional or charitable.

    • Tax relief and registration reforms: caregivers can now qualify for tax exemptions. Additionally, persons with long-term disabilities now receive permanent registration, ending the need for repeated reassessments – a process many found tedious, involving hospital visits, missing forms, long delays and limited assessment centres.

    • Stronger institutional framework: the National Council for Persons with Disabilities has been given more robust powers, including enforcement, monitoring and management of disability-related funding. The law also recommends the use of affirming and respectful language in public communication – a subtle but essential step in reducing stigma.

    The law incorporates disability considerations into sector-specific practices. For example, the law requires justice sector actors to consider disability when arresting, detaining or trying someone.

    What needs to happen now

    The government must act swiftly to implement supporting regulations. Funding is needed to retrofit public buildings, hire staff to support individuals with disabilities, and subsidise assistive devices. Without proper budgeting, the law risks becoming another unfulfilled promise.

    Employers and institutions must do more than comply: they must transform their attitudes. Disability inclusion should be built into human resources practices, school policies and service design. Training will be key.

    Public awareness must improve. Many Kenyans still see disability through a medical or charitable lens. There need to be national campaigns on radio, TV and social media that shift public understanding toward inclusion and equality.

    Finally, persons with disabilities must be central to the law’s implementation. Inclusion must be driven by those who live the reality of exclusion. Their insights are essential to making services responsive and respectful.

    The 2025 Act is an important step. But if it is not backed by funding, political will and public education, its potential will remain unrealised.

    The real question is not whether the law is good enough, but whether Kenya’s institutions, communities and leaders are prepared to make it work for those it was designed to serve.

    – Kenya has a bold new disability law: now to make it work
    – https://theconversation.com/kenya-has-a-bold-new-disability-law-now-to-make-it-work-256646

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: 7 queer African works of art: new directions in books, films and fashion

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Gibson Ncube, Senior Lecturer, Stellenbosch University

    Queer African creatives have been making their mark around the world through a range of forms – books, films, fashion, art, music. Their work wins awards, sets trends and is studied by scholars. Most research on African queerness, however, comes from outside the continent.

    University of Johannesburg

    So, we put together a special journal issue to celebrate some of these works that have appeared over the past decade or so. And also to create a space for African and Africa-based scholars to reflect on what’s happening on the continent.

    The contributors don’t only examine what these creative works reveal. They also consider how these artists are experimenting with style, voice, genre and imagery to express queer lived experiences.

    Here we highlight seven works of art discussed in papers in the special issue – from stories of childhood sexual experiences to bold fashion shows, musical films to maverick lesbian novels. They show the complex ways queer people shape their identities and express desire in very different African settings.

    1. Tell Me Your Politik by Nakhane

    Nakhane is a South African singer, writer, and actor whose work examines the meeting place of queerness and blackness. The song Tell Me Your Politik (from the 2023 album Bastard Jargon), presents Black men in a hypermasculine, military-style training environment. But two of them are quietly and tenderly beginning to express desire for each other. This moment of intimacy is interrupted by aggressive military drills led by a white commanding officer. The song’s lyrics insist on the need for ideological alignment (“tell me your politik”) before intimacy. This raises questions about love, politics, and consent.

    In his article, Gibson Ncube argues that the music video for the song uses touch to explore queerness as a form of resistance. Gentle and intimate gestures between Black men challenge dominant ideas of Black masculinity. The contrast between caring and violent touch reveals how queerness disrupts systems of domination. Touch becomes political, offering new ways of being and imagining queer futures.

    2. Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta

    Under the Udala Trees is a 2015 novel by Nigerian writer Chinelo Okparanta. It follows Ijeoma, a Nigerian girl discovering her same-sex attraction during the time of the Biafran War.

    Chinelo Okparanta. FrimousseRoche/ Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    Forced into Bible lessons by her mother to “cure” her queerness, Ijeoma grapples with shame, rejection, and a coerced heterosexual marriage. The novel critiques religious and political oppression. It imagines resilience and queer love in a hostile environment.

    In his article, Wisani Mushwana shows that Under the Udala Trees exposes how Nigerian religious and political leaders weaponise biblical shame to enforce a heteronormative society, inflicting religious trauma in the process.

    Ijeoma’s bold questioning of the Bible challenges traditional Christian teachings and the use of scripture to shame or judge others. The novel highlights the lack of spaces where queer identity can be affirmed. At the same time, it uses the power of storytelling to reclaim agency and reimagine queer liberation.

    3. The Quiet Violence of Dreams by K. Sello Duiker

    The Quiet Violence of Dreams by the late South African novelist K. Sello Duiker was published in 2001. Tshepo is a queer Black man in post-apartheid South Africa. He navigates trauma, identity, and survival. After being raped and robbed, Tshepo finds temporary refuge in a Cape Town male brothel where he explores same-sex intimacy and community.

    NB Publishers

    Ntokozo Wandile Mbokazi and Lucy Valerie Graham think about the novel alongside the controversial South African film Inxeba/The Wound. They argue that the book and film challenge traditional ideas of Africanness. Tshepo’s story is a postcolonial coming-of-age tale which is shaped by disillusionment as the protagonist tries to fit into society.

    Racial and class tensions weaken the solidarity of queer people. This shows the limits of freedom in post-apartheid South Africa and how enforcing traditional masculinity often involves violence.

    4. Lagos Space Programme by Adeju Thompson

    Lagos Space Programme is a Nigerian fashion label created by designer Adeju Thompson. The brand combines west African fabrics and non-binary gender expression to challenge traditional ideas of masculinity. Through fashion, it connects Yoruba beliefs, queer politics, and bold design to celebrate the fluidity of gender.

    Khaya Mchunu and Isaiah Negedu show how the label uses clothing to question to imagine freer, more inclusive futures. Rather than looking for acceptance by fitting in, Lagos Space Programme insists on visibility and creative self-expression. It reclaims African traditions while disrupting fixed social norms.

    5. Nine Pieces of Desire by Idza Luhumyo

    The past decade has seen the publication of several important anthologies of queer African short stories.

    Two stories in particular are given attention in the special issue. Kenyan writer Idza Luhumyo’s 2017 story Nine Pieces of Desire is about 10-year-old Mariam, who lives in a Kenyan Muslim community. It explores her silent rebellion against patriarchal and religious norms after a fleeting same-sex encounter with her friend Grace.

    Read more: Being queer in Africa: the state of LGBTIQ+ rights across the continent

    6. Plums by Kharys Laue

    South African writer and editor Kharys Laue’s 2018 short story Plums recounts Chris’s childhood memory of a tender moment with her friend Gloria on a South African farm. This is contrasted with her adult struggles in a heteronormative and racist society.

    Leila Hall argues that these two stories disrupt the harmful binary of “innocent children/perverse homosexuals” by portraying childhood same-sex desire as natural and consensual, outside of adult coercion. They push back against the false idea that being queer means being dangerous. The young narrators help us see how systems of oppression work in everyday life.

    7. Kanarie by Christiaan Olwagen

    Kanarie is a 2018 South African film by Christiaan Olwagen. It follows Johan Niemand, a young gay man conscripted into the apartheid-era army in the 1980s. Under the racist system, white men were conscripted to help maintain the government’s power. Selected for a military choir, “the Canaries”, Johan deals with his sexual identity within a hypermasculine space. The film blends musical elements and melodrama to explore his inner conflict, his love for pop culture, and a tentative romance with another recruit. All in the face of conservative Christian nationalism.

    Andy Carolin argues Kanarie is more than a coming out story. It uses melodrama to imagine a queer way of being. By merging fantasy with realism, it shatters ideas of good versus evil or right versus wrong.

    – 7 queer African works of art: new directions in books, films and fashion
    – https://theconversation.com/7-queer-african-works-of-art-new-directions-in-books-films-and-fashion-256252

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Virtual churches are popular in Ghana. But what about online safety?

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Theodora Dame Adjin-Tettey, Senior Lecturer, Durban University of Technology/Research Associate, School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University, South Africa, Rhodes University

    Many churches have been holding worship services online via live-streaming platforms in recent times. This is unsurprising since many congregants use digital technologies. The COVID-19 pandemic also pushed churches to swiftly embrace digital platforms. This allowed them to continue with religious activities when physical and mobility restrictions were in place.

    Some churches invest heavily in audio-visual equipment, lighting systems and other gadgets to provide the right conditions for media production and to enhance the worship experience for congregants, online and in person.

    Digital technologies and platforms have become core components of the outreach and evangelistic activities of churches. Some contemporary pastors have a strong online presence with a huge following, mostly in the millions. They actively engage their followers and share different forms of messages with them.

    As the amount of online content generated by churches grows, questions of safety, security and privacy have come to the fore. It is important to look at how churches address these concerns as they rapidly deploy digital platforms to reach and maintain virtual church membership.

    I am a media and communication studies academic and researcher. In a recent paper I worked with my student to examined the concerns of congregants of a church in Ghana over the security dangers that digital church engagement poses.

    Christianity is the religion with the largest following in Ghana. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many churches turned to online services and have continued with them.

    The research revealed that there were no established policies guiding the church’s virtual engagements. The media team relied primarily on their subjective judgement to address any potential ethical dilemmas.

    Beside enhanced privacy measures and access control, we recommend ethical frameworks and guidelines to govern the management of congregants’ personal information in both physical and virtual environments. This must include the inputs of congregants and experts.

    The research also found that word of mouth was still the primary means by which congregants came to learn about the church. This suggests churches cannot abandon the old ways of reaching out to people.

    Digital technology and the church

    Radio, TV and social media are all used to extend invitations to the public, promote and advertise churches, and generally facilitate church activities. The importance of having an online presence has compelled a significant number of churches to have dedicated media teams. They create and distribute content meant for digital platforms. The content includes photos and audiovisual testimonies of church members.

    To ensure that members of online churches have a positive experience during live streaming, most media departments also invest creativity into their videography. On live streams, followers (virtual congregants) react to songs being sung and respond to what the preacher says with comments and the use of emojis and GIFs. This is synonymous with how they might react in the physical church environment.

    But during the streaming of worship services, information about church members is not just shared in the physical church environment but also with a broader online audience. By the nature of live-streaming, there is no control over who has access to the content, how widely it is distributed, and for what and how the content is used by third parties.

    The study and some of its key findings

    Data collection for our study involved 170 survey respondents (congregants) and eight interview participants (videographers, video editors and social media managers from the church media department).

    We asked the congregants how they had first learned about the church; factors influencing their participation in virtual church services; and what safety and security concerns they had around their virtual church engagements.

    The interview participants were asked about the ethical considerations directing their work.

    Our study found that congregants had a range of concerns. Based on the sense of safety, confidence and trust they have in the church, congregants participating in physical church services may divulge personal information. These include prayer requests, personal hardships, or testimonials about their accomplishments. They sometimes do this with the understanding that the information will remain inside the church’s walls.

    Chief among the concerns were:

    • the risk of identity theft

    • the potential misuse of personal data for targeted advertising

    • potential privacy invasion because of their interactions with the church’s digital platforms.

    Some members of the media team admitted that congregants might have privacy and security concerns. However, in the absence of formal guidelines, any attempt to ensure the privacy and security of congregants might be an ad hoc measure. This was demonstrated in the study’s finding that the media team’s privacy and security adherence was largely based on their judgement and sometimes on prodding from congregants.

    What can be done

    Based on concerns raised by congregants, we argue that churches must ensure the privacy of those participating in services by instituting confidentiality and anonymity measures, particularly when sharing their personal or sensitive information.

    In addition, participants in our research held the view that some sensitisation could be useful to cater to those concerns. This could take the form of regular sensitisation of congregants on how they can enhance their online safety and security.

    We believe that because churches sometimes rely on photos, videos and testimonies of members to build their social media profiles, a rule-based system must be put in place. This could involve delayed broadcasting techniques to prevent the airing of sensitive information.

    We suggest that steps be taken to protect sensitive information and content about members that is shared online. An example of how this can be done is being set by a non-denominational prayer movement that has taken over Ghana’s online sphere. To secure the privacy of members who share testimonies, their identities are kept anonymous and certain details, such as names and places, are also protected.

    Finally, the right technology must be put in place to allow for delayed broadcasts. This means live-streamed content can be reviewed and, where necessary, edited so that sensitive content can be removed before the broadcast reaches a wide online audience.

    – Virtual churches are popular in Ghana. But what about online safety?
    – https://theconversation.com/virtual-churches-are-popular-in-ghana-but-what-about-online-safety-255627

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How a toxic seaweed choking Caribbean beaches could become a valuable resource

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Emily Wilkinson, Principal Research Fellow, ODI Global

    Marc Bruxelle/Shutterstock

    Each year, between March and October, large amounts of brown seaweed called sargassum wash up on the shores of Caribbean islands – choking beaches, damaging marine life and threatening tourism and public health. But a number of local entrepreneurs are hoping the seaweed could create an economic opportunity.

    From the coast of west Africa to the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, climate change is warming the temperature of the ocean. Seas are also becoming more acidic as water absorbs carbon dioxide. This all results in more intense growth of sargassum in the tropical Atlantic.

    Small Caribbean nations are among the hardest hit. With 20 million tonnes of this seaweed washing up on the beaches in 2024, sargassum is fuelling an economic and public health crisis.

    The piles of noxious seaweed on the Caribbean islands’ white sandy beaches are putting off visitors to these islands and probably dampening tourism revenues.

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

    The fishing sector is also suffering, with blooms of seaweed getting caught up in fishing nets, often ripping them due to the weight of the seaweed. This makes it hard for fishers to catch fish and make a living.

    The sheer volume of sargassum left to decompose on land produces toxic fumes that have forced people on islands like Guadeloupe to leave their homes. These toxic fumes have been linked to serious health issues including respiratory infections, sleep apnoea and even preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy).

    The sargassum problem is just one of many slow-onset events that are being exacerbated by climate change. But gradual changes get much less attention or resources to address the consequences than, say, alarming wildfires or flash floods.

    Slow-onset events are also much harder to quantify than climate-change-induced extreme weather, such as worsening hurricanes or floods. Our team at ODI Global, a thinktank, recently published a study that estimated the cost of these at US$2,000 (£1,500) per person. Calculating the tourism lost each year due to seaweed inundation is trickier.



    Read more:
    Extreme weather has already cost vulnerable island nations US$141 billion – or about US$2,000 per person

    Despite these challenges, through small-scale, locally developed solutions, as well as government policies that support small businesses including helping them access climate finance, entrepreneurs can find sustainable solutions to help their populations thrive in an era of climate change.

    Legena Henry, a lecturer at the University of the West Indies in Barbados, uses sargassum to produce a biofuel that can power cars. Johanan Dujon, the founder and chief executive of St. Lucia-based Algas Organics sells plant tonics made from sargassum and is trialling methods to convert sargassum into paper.

    Meanwhile, other innovations are helping to minimise the impacts of sargassum in the region.

    Andrés León, founder of SOS Carbon, a spin-off organisation from the mechanical engineering department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has designed a boat-based harvester to collect sargassum at sea to stop it from beaching and causing damage onshore.

    Some islands, such as Jamaica, are using early warning systems, typically used to predict hurricanes, to predict the ocean currents that might bring a bumper arrival of the seaweed to their shores. This could give fishers up to 30 days notice of just how bad the inundation will be.

    Barriers to scale up

    But while small businesses are emerging, turning them into larger enterprises across the region remains difficult. As usual, small island nations struggle to get funding because investors think the projects are too small and won’t make enough money.

    As Legena Henry recently told us on the Small Island Big Picture podcast, spending a few million dollars (as opposed to a few hundred million dollars) can feel administratively cumbersome for funders as they often have limited administrative capacity and large sums of money to manage.

    Another issue is ensuring the benefits from any sargassum solutions flow into the affected Caribbean islands to support local growth and economic development.

    Several opportunities exist for small island nations to generate some income from sargassum. They could, for example, sell licences to permit companies to harvest sargassum within their exclusive economic zones, which can stretch around many islands for hundreds of nautical miles.

    They can also sell licences to businesses trialling or operating new sargassum technologies within their exclusive economic zones — for example, SOS Carbon has a patent pending for technology designed to sink sargassum to the seabed to store carbon.

    Will sargassum continue to be a nuisance, or could it be an important renewable natural resource? It’s not yet clear.

    Ideally, as with other renewable natural resources in developing countries, small island nations that own the sargassum need to find ways to extract a fair share of the value from that ownership, as well as selling to external companies that come in, remove it and profit from it.

    With tax incentives and low-cost finance for domestic innovators, small islands can manage and sell sargassum and then use the proceeds to develop climate resilience measures.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Emma Tompkins received funding for work on sargassum from the Economic and Social Research Council GCRF (Grant number: ES/T002964/1)

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

    – ref. How a toxic seaweed choking Caribbean beaches could become a valuable resource – https://theconversation.com/how-a-toxic-seaweed-choking-caribbean-beaches-could-become-a-valuable-resource-253874

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Supreme Court’s ruling on gender raises serious questions for schools

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jessica Ringrose, Professor of the Sociology of Gender and Education, Institute of Education, UCL

    Shutterstock

    The UK Supreme Court has ruled that when the Equality Act refers to “sex” it means biological sex, not gender identity.

    The Equality and Human Rights Commission has released an interim update on the implications of the UK Supreme Court judgement, which covers public spaces such as toilets.

    Schools in England and Wales must already provide single sex toilets for children aged over eight, and single sex changing rooms for children over 11. Schools in Scotland must provide separate toilet facilities for all pupils. The Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance states that schools must not permit trans girls to use the girls’ facilities, or trans boys to use the boys’.

    The ruling has caused worry for schools. Some teachers are concerned about the impact of potential changes for their pupils, including LGBTQ+ young people, whom they are in charge of safeguarding.

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

    LGBTQ+ charities have pointed out that organisations enforcing toilet use on the basis of biological sex may cause disproportionate harm to trans people, threatening their dignity and rights. For instance, it may lead to the policing of bathrooms on the basis of perceived sex differences and profiling, so that those that do not “look” female or male enough can be targeted.

    The Supreme Court ruling itself notes that enforcing section 29 of the Equality Act must represent “a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim”. Organisations must also, therefore, bear in mind they should not implement policies that can harm trans students.

    Forcing transgender youth to use facilities that don’t align with their gender identity can have harmful consequences, leading to increased isolation and shame and not wanting to attend school.

    In addition, separate facilities only for trans youth may also cause stigma and lead to discrimination. Young trans people may feel that their gender identity is more visible in daily school life, and this may lead to them feeling more unsafe at school.

    The government is expected to publish revised guidance on how schools can support trans pupils in light of the ruling later this year. In the meantime, it is important to remember that schools have a duty of care to safeguard all pupils.

    And this isn’t just about bathrooms. The Supreme Court’s ruling may have left trans and gender diverse young people (those who don’t identify as male or female), already an extremely vulnerable group, feeling more at risk. Research has pointed to schools as a place where trans and gender-diverse young people face significant discrimination from both school staff and their peers.

    A systematic review of research – a study which assesses the findings of a range of scholarly research studies on a particular topic – has estimated that the proportion of adolescents who identify as trans or gender diverse is between 2.5% and 8.4%. The lowest end of that estimate would translate to 27 trans or gender diverse pupils in an average-sized English secondary school. The research also suggests that this proportion is increasing.

    The importance of relationships and sex education

    A key way schools can support trans and gender diverse young people is through the provision of relationships and sex education that addresses LGBTQ+ identities. This should be part of a whole school approach to safeguarding. It is necessary for the wellbeing and safety of all pupils, regardless of sexuality or gender.

    A UCL Institute of Education guide to good practice that I contributed to sets out key principles to ensure high quality relationships and sex education. This includes taking into account the needs and views of all pupils, including trans and gender diverse pupils.

    Comprehensive, inclusive relationships and sex education benefits all pupils.
    LightField Studios/Shutterstock

    Schools should consider how disability, race, culture, age and religion or belief intersect with gender and sexuality. They should be inclusive. This means acknowledging which groups have privilege, and how unequal societal and institutional structures and power relations shape society and schools.

    Schools’ approach should ensure that young people have access to accurate information, health services, advice and knowledge, and encourage positive attitudes towards sexuality and body image while also tackling taboos and shame driven by inequalities. And relationships and sex education should be contemporary, relevant, and flexible.

    It should incorporate the experiences of all young people, including trans and gender diverse pupils, in order to be responsive to changing school populations. Finally, it should be research and evidence driven. This means drawing upon up to date, peer-reviewed academic research evidence, rather than political bias.

    The School of Sexuality Education charity has also offered further strategies for schools to be inclusive and supportive. These include challenging gender stereotypes and transphobic bullying in schools, upholding confidentiality whenever possible, and making sure to share relevant resources, including support services within the school and with parents.

    Overall, high quality relationships and sex education lessons that cover issues of LGBTQ+ sexual health and rights will enable schools to be inclusive environments that prioritise the safety, respect and dignity of all pupils.

    Still, the Supreme Court’s ruling has put schools and teachers in a difficult position. Schools urgently need the government to deliver its guidance on this issue – in a way that addresses schools’ very real concerns about the welfare of their trans pupils.

    Jessica Ringrose receives funding from Arts and Humanities Research Council.

    – ref. The Supreme Court’s ruling on gender raises serious questions for schools – https://theconversation.com/the-supreme-courts-ruling-on-gender-raises-serious-questions-for-schools-255748

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Not every US president gets a free private jet, but the Gulf states have boosted US economic dominance for decades

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Hanieh, Professor of Political Economy and Global Development, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter

    After signing a US$142 billion (£107 billion) arms deal with Saudi Arabia, Donald Trump said the US bond with that country was “more powerful than ever”. He was also reportedly quite pleased with the gift of a private jet from Qatar.

    But these arrangements are just the latest developments in a long history of the Gulf monarchies supporting the architecture of American global power. And while the six Gulf states (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman) have recently started redirecting their energy and trade ties eastward, especially towards China, they remain deeply embedded in the US-led financial order.

    As I explore in my recent book, Crude Capitalism, the Gulf states were instrumental in the rise of American global economic dominance.

    With oil emerging as the dominant fossil fuel through the second half of the 20th century, the Gulf’s nationalised petroleum industries generated vast amounts of income. Much of this was invested back into the US financial markets, particularly treasury bonds (essentially a long-term loan to the US government). This gave the US access to cheap foreign capital and reinforced the global dominance of the dollar.

    Put simply, the Gulf states were not peripheral to the US’s growing financial power – they were an essential contributor.

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    This arrangement also involved a political bargain: US military protection for the Gulf monarchies in exchange for investment flows and energy stability. The result was a web of US military bases across the region and a deep alignment between authoritarian Gulf regimes and western strategic interests.

    But much has changed in the past two decades. China’s rise as a global manufacturing hub has driven a huge increase in oil consumption, shifting the direction of the Gulf’s oil exports away from the US and western Europe towards China and east Asia.

    These energy ties have been accompanied by much deeper trade interdependence and a huge increase in Chinese investments in the Gulf. In 2005, China was responsible for just 9% of the Gulf’s imports. Today, that figure is over 20%, while the US and EU’s share has fallen from 45% to 16%. China has also recently overtaken the US as the largest foreign investor in Saudi Arabia.

    From Beijing’s perspective, the Gulf is a critical energy lifeline. From the Gulf’s side, China’s continuing demand for oil, gas and petrochemicals is a vital part of its economic future.

    For the moment, that economic situation looks pretty robust. In 2024, Gulf countries held around US$800 billion in foreign reserves (foreign currencies and other assets), which is more than India or Switzerland. Their sovereign wealth funds (a state owned investment fund) manage another US$4.9 trillion of assets.

    Private wealth, including that held by ruling families, stood at US$2.8 trillion in 2022, and is expected to reach US$3.5 trillion by 2027.

    Much of this money is invested domestically, in sectors including infrastructure, real estate and renewable energy. But an astonishing amount flows directly into US markets.

    Oil be back

    According to US Treasury data, total Gulf holdings of American securities (bonds, stocks and corporate debt) rose from US$611 billion in 2017 to over US$1 trillion in 2024. Outside of Canada and financial hubs like London and Ireland, the Gulf is now the largest foreign investor in the US stock market.

    Another route through which Gulf wealth flows back into the US is via military procurement. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the Gulf states accounted for 22% of all global arms imports between 2019 and 2023 – more than any other region in the world.

    Riyadh, money to build.
    Kashif Hameed/Shutterstock

    The US supplies the overwhelming majority of these weapons. In this way, Gulf spending supports the American military industry, and in return, these states become more closely tied to the US military’s umbrella.

    These deep military, financial and strategic ties help explain the real focus of Trump’s visit to the Gulf. Much of the discussion will have centred on massive investment pledges made by Gulf states to the US – including Saudi Arabia’s promise to invest up to US$600 billion, and the UAE’s commitment to a US$1.4 trillion investment over ten years.

    And such pledges reflect a broader agenda which involves expanding deals in artificial intelligence, critical minerals, energy infrastructure and advanced manufacturing.

    So Trump travelling to the region is not just about private jets and spectacle. It is about the continuing relevance of a structural relationship essential to American power, and a deepening financial integration between the Gulf and the US.

    For even as the Gulf reorients its energy flows eastward, it remains deeply tied to US finance, the US military industry and US assets. In an era of weakening US global power – and the possible spectre of a deeper clash with China – this is what will define Trump’s visit.

    Adam Hanieh 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. Not every US president gets a free private jet, but the Gulf states have boosted US economic dominance for decades – https://theconversation.com/not-every-us-president-gets-a-free-private-jet-but-the-gulf-states-have-boosted-us-economic-dominance-for-decades-256655

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Philippine elections leaves the Marcos-Duterte family feud still dominating politics

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By John Sidel, Professor of International and Comparative Politics, London School of Economics and Political Science

    With 317 congressional seats and nearly 18,000 local positions at stake, the May 12 midterm election results in the Philippines mean different things to people across the archipelago. But even a few hours after the unofficial results came in, the brute facts had already become clear.

    Local elections for municipal and city mayorships, provincial governorships and congressional seats predictably produced victories for entrenched local “dynasties”. The advantages of incumbency – control over the patronage resources and regulatory powers of the state – ensured reelection for many sitting mayors, governors and congress members.

    Midterm elections in the Philippines also include half of the seats in the nationally elected 24-member Senate. They thus serve simultaneously as tests for presidents halfway through their single six-year terms and previews of the next presidential election, in this case in 2028.

    The latest mid-terms have been notable for their – ultimately ambiguous – implications for a major family feud at the top of the country’s politics. This feud pits the family of current president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. against that of his vice-president, Sara Duterte.

    The elections have failed to strengthen either family decisively, so their bitter rivalry is likely to continue throughout the remainder of Marcos’s term.

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    This family feud dates back to late 2021. At that time, Duterte agreed to run as Marcos’s running mate for presidential elections the following year despite her clear lead in nationwide voter preference surveys.

    The Marcos-Duterte ticket won a landslide victory. They benefited from the endorsement and assistance of the incumbent president, Rodrigo Duterte, whose enduring popularity extended to his daughter Sara.

    But following Marcos’s inauguration in late June 2022, a rift between the two families began to open up. Marcos settled into his presidential role and began to distance himself from the signature policies of his predecessor.

    Instead of cultivating close ties with China, Marcos strengthened relations with the US. And instead of continuing Duterte’s so-called “war on drugs”, Marcos publicly spotlighted corruption in the Philippine National Police (PNP).

    By 2024, Marcos began to signal his government’s willingness to cooperate with the International Criminal Court in its investigation of Duterte’s role in the thousands of extrajudicial killings undertaken in the war on drugs. Then, in March 2025, Duterte was arrested and transferred to The Hague. He is due to stand trial in the coming months.



    Read more:
    Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte arrested for crimes against humanity – a blow against impunity

    Relations between the president and his vice-president have also broken down. Sara Duterte resigned from her cabinet post in 2024 amid corruption allegations, with subsequent months seeing escalating public hostilities between Marcos and herself. These included claims of death threats and assassination plots.

    The House of Representatives voted by a clear majority to impeach Duterte in February 2025, setting the stage for a Senate trial later in the year. Against this backdrop, the midterms served as a kind of pre-trial proxy war between the two families.

    The Dutertes fielded ten candidates for Senate, the so-called “Duterten”. They also endorsed two of the 12 candidates in the Marcos-backed Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas (Alliance for a New Philippines). The campaign was dominated by mudslinging between the two camps in the media and on social media. And the final results have proved decidedly mixed.

    On the one hand, pro-Duterte voters came out in a show of force to support candidates in the slate backed by the former president. This was foreshadowed by Marcos’s declining popularity following the arrest of his predecessor and the impeachment of his vice-president.

    Longtime Duterte lieutenant, Christopher “Bong” Go, won reelection and the most votes of all candidates. Duterte’s former police chief, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, also secured another term with a third-place showing.

    The sixth-placed winner was Rodante Marcoleta, another Duterte-backed candidate. He is a television broadcaster and member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, an independent church whose nearly 3 million members have long been viewed as a single solid voting bloc.

    Two Alyansa candidates, Imee Marcos, the president’s estranged sister, and Camille Villar, daughter of wealthy real-estate mogul and former senator Manuel “Manny” Villar, also won seats with the explicit blessings of the Dutertes.

    On the other hand, the Marcos camp won more seats and some added strength in its battle with the Dutertes for control of the Senate ahead of Sara Duterte’s trial. Erwin Tulfo, a popular television news anchor and Marcos’s former secretary of social welfare and development, won the fourth-place seat.

    He was accompanied by four former senators also affiliated with Alyansa. These included ex-PNP chief Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, longtime television personality Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Pia Cayetano with her base in wealthy Taguig City, and former action film star Lito Lapid.

    But, overall, the mid-terms do not seem to have improved the prospects for the successful conviction of Sara Duterte. Alongside the winning Alyansa candidates, voters also returned two prominent opposition candidates, Paolo “Bam” Aquino and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, to the Senate. They oppose both the Marcos administration and the Duterte camp.

    At the same time, there are questions about the allegiances of several of the 12 senators already seated. This adds an additional challenge in the search for the 16 senators required to secure impeachment.

    Duterte – and her father, just reelected as Davao’s mayor while awaiting trial in The Hague – also still enjoy support among many voters, especially in their southern home base in Mindanao.

    The 24 elected members of the Senate are sensitive to public opinion and their own reelection prospects in 2028 and beyond. So, many of them will probably choose to hedge their bets and see where the winds are blowing as the trial unfolds.

    The family feud dominating the national political scene looks set to remain unresolved over the months and years ahead.

    John Sidel 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. Philippine elections leaves the Marcos-Duterte family feud still dominating politics – https://theconversation.com/philippine-elections-leaves-the-marcos-duterte-family-feud-still-dominating-politics-256383

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Tove Jansson used her Moomins comic strip to humorously critique the financial and creative pressures of being an artist

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Elina Druker, Professor in Department of Culture and Aesthetics, Stockholm University

    In 1954, the Finnish artist Tove Jansson was commissioned by the Evening News in London to draw comic strips about the Moomintrolls. The strip was syndicated by hundreds of newspapers, introducing the Moomins to an international audience and marking a dramatic turning point in her career.

    Between 1954 and 1959, Tove Jansson drew 21 comics, some in collaboration with her brother Lars Jansson, who continued to draw the comic strip until 1975.

    The success of the Moomin in the Evening News brought Tove Jansson economic security and helped her with the mortgage of her studio in Helsinki. However, over time, the assignment also became a burden on her creative work – a time-consuming and demanding obligation.

    Perhaps because of this personal conflict, the comics often explore themes such as the struggle of artistic creation, the role of the artist and the value of art. Jansson had previously created humorous and satirical commentaries on the art world in various artists’ magazines in Finland, but here she places the Moomin at the heart of the creative process.

    Unlike the novels and picture books, the Moomin comic strips were created for adults and can be described as satire. Jansson uses the compact format to comment on society, including the art world. The growing conflict in her own life, between the Moomintrolls and her artwork, is brought into focus in the comic strips.

    This is part of a series of articles celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Moomins. Want to celebrate their birthday with us? Join The Conversation and a group of experts on May 23 in Bradford for a screening of Moomins on the Riviera and a discussion of the refugee experience in Tove Jansson’s work. Click here for more information and tickets.

    The theme of the purpose of art and artistic creation is playfully introduced in one of the first comic strips, Moomin and the Brigands. Here Moomin and his friend Sniff embark on a quest for fortune. They engage in several schemes, including capturing rare creatures and selling them to the zoo, marketing magic rejuvenation potions and creating modern art.

    While visiting a Hemulen (a really uptight counterpart to the Moomintrolls who love rules), Moomin and Sniff accidentally break several precious items in her home. Among the broken objects is a large statue of Rebecca at the Well, which falls from its pedestal and shatters. Rebecca at the Well is a classic biblical motif, which is often portrays a model of feminine virtue, symbolising divine guidance and exemplifying ideals of hospitality and moral character.

    The friends awkwardly attempt to reassemble the statue by gluing it together. The result is a strangely angular and expressive piece of art, referencing fragmented cubist portraits. Cubism, which emerged around 1907 to 1908, aimed to represent reality in a radically new way by bringing together subjects and figures, resulting in objects that appear fragmented and abstracted.

    Sniff immediately sees the potential of the new Rebecca. “She’s more modern now,” he exclaims joyfully. The friends carry the statue to an enthusiastic art dealer who sells it for £500 in his gallery.

    The episode with the deconstructed Rebecca is, of course, a funny caricature of the trend-sensitive art market. But the shattered statue with its intricate shapes was also a commentary on the debates about the “incomprehensible” and “obscure” nature of modernist art in Nordic countries during the time.

    The destruction of the Rebecca can also be seen as an act of iconoclasm – the breaking of icons or monuments – or rather, a parody of it. While usually associated with vandalism, here, the iconoclastic act leads to the creation of something new. This expresses a desire for renewal and a liberation from restrictive conventions. It is, however, worth noting that Rebecca retains her symbol of virtue – the water jug – even after this pivotal encounter.

    Drawing on the work of French philosopher and anthropologist Bruno Latour, iconoclasm can be understood as both destructive and constructive – an ambiguity that also applies to Jansson’s interpretation of the motif.

    Later in the story, the money offered by the modernist Rebecca lures Moomin to the field of the arts. For a brief moment, he assumes the role of a painter and wholeheartedly embodies the romanticised ideal of the poor, misunderstood artist.

    Moomin dons a Rembrandtian black velvet beret, but despite this, appears lost and bewildered in his new role, muttering: “I only want to live in peace and plant potatoes and dream!”

    In a scene of self-parodying metafiction, he is blinded by his oversized beret and ends up tumbling down a cliff, abruptly ending his artistic career.

    Tove Jansson’s Moomin comic strips for the Evening News use satire to explore artistic creation, the role of the artist, and the art world.

    Through Moomintroll’s and Sniff’s pursuit of fame and fortune via the accidental modernist deconstruction of Rebecca, Jansson satirises romantic notions of the artist, the commercialisation of art and the professions surrounding artistic production. These themes are deeply connected to Jansson’s own experiences as an artist and author, constantly balancing between various professional and artistic demands, between children’s books, public obligations and painting.

    Elina Druker is employed as a professor and researcher at Stockholm University, Sweden.

    – ref. How Tove Jansson used her Moomins comic strip to humorously critique the financial and creative pressures of being an artist – https://theconversation.com/how-tove-jansson-used-her-moomins-comic-strip-to-humorously-critique-the-financial-and-creative-pressures-of-being-an-artist-256287

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Nature’s Ozempic: What and how you eat can increase levels of GLP-1 without drugs

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Mary J. Scourboutakos, Adjunct Lecturer in Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto

    GLP-1 is a good example of how it’s not just what you eat that matters, it’s also how you eat it. (Shutterstock)

    Despite the popularity of semaglutide drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy for weight loss, surveys suggest that most people still prefer to lose weight without using medications. For those preferring a drug-free approach to weight loss, research shows that certain nutrients and dietary strategies can naturally mimic the effects of semaglutides.

    Increased intakes of fibre and monounsaturated fats (found in olive oil and avocadoes) — as well as the time of day when foods are eaten, the order that foods are eaten in, the speed of eating and even chewing — can naturally stimulate increased production of the same hormone responsible for the effects of semaglutide drugs.



    Read more:
    Ozempic, the ‘miracle drug,’ and the harmful idea
    of a future without fat

    As a family physician with a PhD in nutrition, I translate the latest nutrition science into dietary recommendations for my patients. A strategic approach to weight loss rooted in the latest science is not only superior to antiquated calorie counting, but also capitalizes on the same biological mechanisms responsible for the success of popular weight-loss drugs.

    Increased intake of monounsaturated fats (found in olive oil and avocadoes) is one factor in naturally stimulating GLP-1 production — the same hormone responsible for the effects of semaglutide drugs like Ozempic.
    (Stevepb/Pixabay)

    Semaglutide medications work by increasing the levels of a hormone called GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1), a satiety signal that slows digestion and makes us feel full. These drugs also simultaneously decrease levels of an enzyme called DPP-4, which inactivates GLP-1.

    As a result, this “stop eating” hormone that naturally survives for only a few minutes can survive for an entire week. This enables a semi-permanent, just-eaten sensation of fullness that consequently leads to decreased food intake and, ultimately, weight loss.

    Nevertheless, medications aren’t the only way to raise GLP-1 levels.

    What you eat

    Fibre — predominantly found in beans, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds — is the most notable nutrient that can significantly increase GLP-1. When fibre is fermented by the trillions of bacteria that live in our intestines, the resultant byproduct, called short chain fatty acids, stimulates the production of GLP-1.

    This may explain why fibre consumption is one of the strongest predictors of weight loss and has been shown to enable weight loss even in the absence of calorie restriction.

    Monounsaturated fats — found in olive oil and avocado oil — are another nutrient that raises GLP-1. One study showed that GLP-1 levels were higher following the consumption of bread and olive oil compared to bread and butter. Though notably, bread consumed with any kind of fat (be it from butter or even cheese) raises GLP-1 more than bread alone.

    Another study showed that having an avocado alongside your breakfast bagel also increases GLP-1 more so than eating the bagel on its own. Nuts that are high in both fibre and monounsaturated fats, like pistachios, have also been shown to raise GLP-1 levels.

    How you eat

    However, the specific foods and nutrients that influence GLP-1 levels are only half the story. GLP-1 is a good example of how it’s not just what you eat that matters, it’s also how you eat it.

    The Mediterranean diet outperformed semaglutide drugs at lowering risk of cardiac events.
    (Shutterstock)

    Studies show that meal sequence — the order foods are eaten in — can impact GLP-1. Eating protein, like fish or meat, before carbohydrates, like rice, results in a higher GLP-1 level compared to eating carbohydrates before protein. Eating vegetables before carbohydrates has a similar effect.

    Time of day also matters, because like all hormones, GLP-1 follows a circadian rhythm. A meal eaten at 8 a.m. stimulates a more pronounced release of GLP-1 compared to the same meal at 5 p.m. This may partly explain why the old saying “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper” is backed by evidence that demonstrates greater weight loss when breakfast is the largest meal of the day and dinner is the smallest.

    The speed of eating can matter, too. Eating ice cream over 30 minutes has been shown to produce a significantly higher GLP-1 level compared to eating ice cream over five minutes. However, studies looking at blood sugar responses have suggested that if vegetables are eaten first, the speed of eating becomes less important.

    Even chewing matters. One study showed that eating shredded cabbage raised GLP-1 more than drinking pureed cabbage.

    Not as potent as medication

    While certain foods and dietary strategies can increase GLP-1 naturally, the magnitude is far less than what is achievable with medications. One study of the GLP-1 raising effects of the Mediterranean diet demonstrated a peak GLP-1 level of approximately 59 picograms per millilitre of blood serum. The product monograph for Ozempic reports that the lowest dose produces a GLP-1 level of 65 nanograms per millilitre (one nanogram = 1,000 picograms). So medications raise GLP-1 more than one thousand times higher than diet.

    Nevertheless, when you compare long-term risk for diseases like heart attacks, the Mediterranean diet lowers risk of cardiac events by 30 per cent, outperforming GLP-1 medications that lower risk by 20 per cent. While weight loss will always be faster with medications, for overall health, dietary approaches are superior to medications.

    The following strategies are important for those trying to lose weight without a prescription:

    • Eat breakfast

    • Strive to make breakfast the largest meal of the day (or at least frontload your day as much as possible)

    • Aim to eat at least one fibre-rich food at every meal

    • Make olive oil a dietary staple

    • Be mindful of the order that you eat foods in, consume protein and vegetables before carbohydrates

    • Snack on nuts

    • Chew your food

    • Eat slowly

    While natural approaches to raising GLP-1 may not be as potent as medications, they provide a drug-free approach to weight loss and healthy eating.

    Mary J. Scourboutakos 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. Nature’s Ozempic: What and how you eat can increase levels of GLP-1 without drugs – https://theconversation.com/natures-ozempic-what-and-how-you-eat-can-increase-levels-of-glp-1-without-drugs-253728

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –