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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI Economics: AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    The AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies is an annual economic policy conference, held in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, organized by the Ministry of Finance of Saudi Arabia and the IMF Regional Office in Riyadh. The conference will convene a select group of emerging markets’ ministers of finance, central bank governors, and policymakers, as well as public and private sector leaders, international institutions, and academia. It will offer a unique platform to exchange views on domestic, regional, and global economic developments and discuss policies and reforms to spur inclusive prosperity and build resilience supported by strong international cooperation.

    The sessions with an asterisk (*) will be streamed live on this page.

    Agenda

    Day 1: February 16, 2025

    09:30-09:40 – Opening remarks by H.E. Mohammed Al-Jadaan (Minister of Finance, Saudi Arabia) and Kristalina Georgieva (Managing Director, IMF) *

    09:40-10:00 – Keynote Lecture: Emerging Markets Amid Structural Shifts in the World Economy

    The keynote address will discuss global trends and their potential implications for emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), as well as the role of international cooperation.

    • Keynote Address: H.E. Pan Gongsheng (Governor, PBOC)

    10:00-10:50 – Emerging Markets: Policy Challenges Amid Structural Shifts in the World Economy

    The panel will delve into EMDEs’ policy challenges in the context of the rising uncertainty and the changing global economic landscape. Specifically, it will cover the implications for EMDEs of (i) more frequent external shocks; (ii) elevated uncertainty; and (iii) structural challenges in the context of high debt, weak growth, energy transitions, and new technologies.

    • Moderator: Jihad Azour (Director, Middle East and Central Asia Department, IMF)

    Panelists:

    • H.E. Olayemi Cardoso (Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria)
    • José De Gregorio (Dean, School of Economics and Business, University of Chile)
    • H.E. Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari (Minister of Finance, Qatar)
    • Jin Liqun (President, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank)

    10:50-11:10 – Coffee break

    11:10-12:10 – High Debt-Low Fiscal Space—Fiscal Consolidation and Multilateral Solutions to Debt Restructuring

    Maintaining or restoring debt sustainability in EMDEs is a challenging task in the context of elevated debt, higher interest rate and weak potential growth, as well as significant spending pressures (e.g., related to sustainable development goals, defense, energy transitions, and economic diversification). The panelists will discuss the pace of the ongoing pivot towards fiscal consolidation and ways to garner support for politically difficult reforms. Potential debt restructuring mechanisms from both creditor and debtor perspectives will also be highlighted.

    • Moderator: Ryadh Alkhareif (IMFC Deputy, Saudi Arabia)

    Panelists:

    • H.E. Mohammed Al-Jadaan (Minister of Finance, Saudi Arabia)
    • Mauricio Cárdenas (Professor, Columbia University, former Minister of Finance, Colombia)
    • H.E. Situmbeko Musokotwane (Minister of Finance and National Planning, Zambia)
    • H.E. Anton Siluanov (Minister of Finance, Russia)

    12:10-13:00 – Lunch

    13:00-14:00 – Monetary Policy and Capital Flows Amid Elevated Uncertainty

    The session will discuss the path of future monetary policy in EMDEs, considering the spillovers from monetary policy in advanced economies and potential swings in global market sentiment, as well as the uncertainty around the implications for inflation, the neutral rate, and capital flows of the changing economic landscape.

    • Moderator: Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas (Economic Counsellor, Director of the Research Department, IMF)
    • Author: Hélène Rey (Professor, London Business School)

    Discussants:

    • H.E. Fatih Karahan (Governor, Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye)
    • H.E. Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput (Governor, Bank of Thailand)

    14:00-15:00 – Resilience of the Financial System in Emerging Markets

    The panel will focus on the implications of the changing global landscape for financial stability in emerging markets, as well as the policy priorities.

    • Moderator: Tobias Adrian (Director, Monetary and Capital Markets Department, IMF)

    Panelists:

    • H.E. Ayman Mohammad Al-Sayari (Governor, SAMA)
    • H.E. Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saoud Al Thani (Governor, Qatar Central Bank)
    • H.E. Taleh Kazimov (Governor, Central Bank of Azerbaijan)
    • H.E. Andriy Pyshnyi (Governor, National Bank of Ukraine)

    19:30-21:30 – Dinner hosted by the Ministry of Finance of Saudi Arabia

    Day 2: February 17, 2025

    09:00-10:00 – Navigating Trade Tensions and Uncertainties

    Against the backdrop of mounting risks and uncertainty, the session will discuss (i) how geoeconomic fragmentation and geopolitical risks are affecting trade and investment globally and in EMDEs; (ii) how EMDEs can adapt to these developments and mitigate risks; (iii) what policies to enhance trade and investment flows; and (iv) what changes to the current global trade system to respond to EMDEs’ needs.

    • Moderator: Indermit Gill (Chief Economist, World Bank Group)

    Panelists:

    • H. E. Adebayo Olawale Edun (Minister of Finance, Nigeria)
    • H.E. Nadia Fettah (Minister of Economy and Finance, Morocco)
    • H.E. Sergii Marchenko (Minister of Finance, Ukraine)

    10:00-11:00 – Productivity in EMDEs: Challenges and Opportunities

    Compared with the pre-pandemic period, the medium-term growth outlook has worsened significantly, including in EMDEs. The projected slowdown jeopardizes income convergence and could also lead to widening income inequality within countries. Against this backdrop, the session will take stock of EMDEs’ growth outlook, including the main headwinds, and discuss the potential challenges and opportunities from shifts in the economic landscape (e.g., AI).

    • Moderator: H.E. Muhammad Al Jasser (President, Islamic Development Bank)
    • Author: Leslie Teo (Director, AI Products, AI Singapore; Former chief economist and head of investment strategy, GIC Singapore)

    Discussants:

    • H.E. Faisal F. Alibrahim (Minister of Economy and Planning, Saudi Arabia)
    • Santiago Levy (Senior Fellow, Brookings)
    • H.E. Federico Sturzenegger (Minister of Deregulation and State Transformation, Argentina)

    11:00-11:20 – Coffee break

    11:20-12:20 – Closing Panel: A Path for Emerging Market Resilience *

    The concluding panel will focus on (i) how EMDEs should deal with shocks in the short term, taking into consideration the persistence of some global shocks; (ii) identifying the main trade-offs for fiscal and monetary policymakers to build resilience, maintain stability and spur growth (“rise strong”); and (iii) how the underlying concerns behind “anti-globalization” pressures can be addressed to revitalize global economic integration.

    • Moderator: Kristalina Georgieva (Managing Director, IMF)

    Panelists:

    • H.E. Muhammad Aurangzeb (Minister of Finance, Pakistan)
    • H.E. Rania Al-Mashat (Minister of Planning, Development, International Cooperation, Egypt)
    • H.E. Fernando Haddad (Minister of Finance, Brazil)
    • H.E. Mehmet Şimşek (Minister of Finance, Türkiye)
    • H.E. Hon. John Mbadi Ng’ongo (Minister of Finance, Kenya)

    12:20-12:40 – Closing remarks by H.E. Mohammed Al-Jadaan (Minister of Finance, Saudi Arabia) and Kristalina Georgieva (Managing Director, IMF) *

    MIL OSI Economics –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: South Africa’s history uncovered: the 1,000-year gap they don’t teach in school

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Peter Delius, Professor emeritus, University of the Witwatersrand

    Were you told that gold mining in southern Africa started after 1852? Or that the export of iron, steel, copper and gold began in the late 19th century? Or that South Africa became integrated into a global trading system only after 1652? Or that the first powerful state in South Africa was the Zulu kingdom?

    If you learned that any of these things were true, you are like most South Africans, who have missed out on at least a thousand years of the country’s history.

    Both radical and conservative historians have focused heavily on colonial history, a story starting at the Cape and playing out within colonial boundaries. As a result, South Africa’s past has been compressed into a shortened timeline and a limited geography. That shorter version is what’s taught at schools and universities.

    If we abandon 1652 – when the first Dutch settlers arrived in the Cape – as the key historical starting point, and go back a thousand years and cast our gaze 2,000km north of Table Mountain, a very different story unfolds.

    Our research is attempting to rethink South African history. As many years of work in the interior show, along with our new focus on a central southern African trading landscape, Thulamela, the formative steps in South Africa’s history began here, along the Limpopo River.

    Early cooperative relationships

    Two thousand years ago, San hunter gatherers were the primary occupants of the region around the Limpopo River valley, an area around the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe rivers that includes Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Contrary to popular opinion, these groups weren’t living in isolated bands. They were connected through regional networks of exchange spanning hundreds, even thousands, of kilometres.

    At this time, South Africa was on the brink of fundamental change. From about 350 AD, Bantu-speaking, iron-using, livestock-owning farmers began to settle the Soutpansberg, south of the Limpopo River. They initially established mainly cooperative relationships with the San, especially in hunting and trading.



    Read more:
    Archaeology shows how hunter-gatherers fitted into southern Africa’s first city, 800 years ago

    These farmers introduced a key innovation into the region – the production of metal tools, weapons, currency and jewellery. These goods were for their own use and for expanding trade networks.

    At the start, iron was the most important metal but over time, copper and gold became more and more significant. The farmers were skilled in locating and extracting these ores, which, in the case of gold and copper, often involved shaft mining. Metal production also demanded pyrotechnical knowledge to smelt ores and to fashion metals into functional and decorative forms.

    Local trade, global connections

    Another crucial development took place in the 7th century AD. The Indian Ocean world connected to the expanding regional trade networks which had linked the coast and the interior. The transoceanic sailors and traders were initially motivated by the growing demand for ivory in Asia and the Middle East.



    Read more:
    South Africa risks losing rich insights into an ancient farming society

    This external demand brought exotic glass beads and cloth deep into the interior, through African traders and rulers. A node in the system was Chibuene, a large coastal trading settlement on the Mozambican coast near modern Vilanculos. From here, beads and cloth travelled south, to the vicinity of Durban in modern-day KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and across the interior, past the Okavango delta to places such as the Tsodilo hills west of the delta’s panhandle in Botswana.

    Between the 10th and 15th centuries, the market for gold boomed – especially in Egypt, Persia, India and China. Southern Africa played an important role in meeting this demand because of the rich gold reserves of the Zimbabwe plateau and the adjacent region of the Limpopo valley.

    So, it is clear that an economic and mineral revolution took place long before Europeans settled South Africa’s Cape. Colonial processes of globalisation and the mineral revolution in the 19th century trailed far in the wake of African involvement in the vast Indian Ocean economy through their hunting, mining, smelting and artisanal skills.

    Rise of states

    Indian Ocean trade contributed to major transformations in the interior. The wealth it generated led to social stratification and the emergence of a distinct ruling class. Leaders’ economic, political and spiritual power intensified. These processes found expression in the establishment in 1220 of Mapungubwe, in the middle Limpopo Valley, and the first state in southern Africa.



    Read more:
    New book on Mapungubwe Archive contests history of South African world heritage site

    Over the centuries that followed, linked but shifting patterns of demand gave rise to major states like Great Zimbabwe, Thulamela, and later the Venda Kingdom, the Pedi Kingdom and the Zulu Kingdom.

    The little-known trading state, Thulamela, was located in the north of what’s now the Kruger Park. From 1250 to 1650 it was a key node of production and exchange. But for many decades the site was ignored. When intensive research finally started in the 1990s it made very limited progress in revealing the form and nature of the state. But renewed and interdisciplinary research at the site and surrounding areas has already produced new insights into the history of Thulamela and promises to generate many more in the near future.

    New windows to a past

    Given this deep history of powerful kingdoms connected by an underlying but dynamic economic system, we have to let go of the idea that the Zulu Kingdom, which formed in the early 19th century, was the first powerful state in what was to become South Africa. In fact, it was a relatively recent example of much deeper and wider transformations.

    It was only in the 19th century that expanding colonial capitalism and settlement fuelled by the “second” mineral revolution penetrated the interior and encountered its kingdoms and trading opportunities.

    The interaction between the two worlds culminated in a hard-fought struggle over trade, land and labour. While the African kingdoms were ultimately defeated and traders and craftsmen were displaced, their impact on the shape and nature of South African society is still felt today.

    A challenge to historians now is to deepen our understanding of this missing millennium, and of pre-colonial transformations.

    Researchers need to pay greater attention to a wider range of documentary sources (beyond those in English) and to oral traditions. Collaboration with scholars working on archaeology, historical linguistics and genetics will also tell us more about the forces that have shaped our present.

    Linell Chewins received funding from the National Research Foundation for her Masters.

    Tim Forssman receives funding from the National Research Foundation.

    Peter Delius 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. South Africa’s history uncovered: the 1,000-year gap they don’t teach in school – https://theconversation.com/south-africas-history-uncovered-the-1-000-year-gap-they-dont-teach-in-school-248244

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Online romance scams: who Nigeria and Ghana’s fraudsters are, how they operate, and why they do it

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Suleman Lazarus, Visiting Fellow, Mannheim Centre for Criminology, London School of Economics and Political Science

    People find love in many ways and through diverse mediums. Online platforms have become popular meeting places for people looking to find intimate partners, making them a prime target for cybercriminals.

    Online romance fraud has become a global phenomenon. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the US, romance scams accounted for losses to about 24,000 Americans, exceeding US$1 billion, in 2022.

    On the African continent, Nigeria and Ghana have emerged as hubs for internet fraud. The “Yahoo Boys” operating in Nigeria and “Sakawa Boys” in Ghana have a reputation for engaging in various fraudulent schemes, including online romance scams.

    Over the past decade, I have researched cybercrime and criminology, focusing on west African online fraudsters. Coverage of romance scams often centres on victim narratives or sensational headlines, leaving offender-focused research largely unexplored.

    In a recent paper, I studied the cases of 50 people convicted of online romance in Nigeria. A separate research study I spearheaded involved interviews with active offenders in Ghana. Rather than relying solely on fragmented media accounts, the two research papers offer a robust, evidence-based understanding of the cultural, economic and historical factors driving cybercriminal behaviour.

    My findings from both papers show that romance fraud offenders frequently present themselves as white and primarily target western societies. In framing fraud as a way to reclaim wealth they believed was unjustly taken during colonial rule, many saw their actions as a civic duty. In the case file study on Nigerian fraudsters, I found that many were driven by “socioeconomic needs”.

    My findings provide insights into offenders’ tactics and motivations. This could be useful for law enforcement officials developing targeted interventions, and for policymakers wanting to frame informed strategies.

    Who, where, how and why

    This article uses “scam” and “fraud”, as well as “scammers” and “fraudsters”, interchangeably. The media, financial institutions, and the public typically use “scams” and “scammers”. Academics often prefer “fraud” and “fraudsters” to emphasise the seriousness of these crimes, as noted in my research.

    I examined case files of 50 individuals convicted of romance fraud in Nigeria following prosecutions by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. In a separate study I conducted interviews with active romance fraud offenders in Ghana.

    My decision to focus on Nigeria and Ghana was based on findings in research done earlier. For example, I co-authored a paper that reviewed 21 years of empirical studies (2000–2021) in which we found that many west African scammers predominantly targeted individuals in the west. Another research study I spearheaded showed how songs by Nigerian artists glamorised the actions of scammers and highlighted their preference for western victims.



    Read more:
    What Nigerian hip-hop lyrics have to say about the country’s Yahoo Boys

    Similarly, the Nigeria case file study found that over half of the romance scam victims (56%) were in the US. My interviews with offenders in Ghana further showed that romance scammers viewed their actions as “legitimate retribution for colonial injustice”. These scammers operate within a historical framework in which colonial subjugation narratives influence their motivations and societal attitudes toward cybercrime.

    Profile of an online fraudster

    The analysis of the case files of the 50 convicted romance scammers showed patterns in offender profiles and strategies. Most were young – 81.7% were under 26. Nearly 60% preferred Apple’s iPhone for their fraudulent schemes. When it came to occupation, 74% were university students.

    Offenders carefully constructed their online personas. Nearly half (46%) posed as white American males, 12% as military personnel, and 10% as white European males.

    The victims they chose were mostly women: 70% of offenders primarily targeted females, 14% targeted males, 10% targeted both genders and 6% did not specify the victim’s gender.

    Facebook was the most commonly used platform, appearing in 46% of the Nigerian cases.

    Some of the Ghanaian scammers said they saw their crimes as acts of service to a greater cause. This included loyalty to their communities or the pursuit of economic justice. They portrayed their scams as efforts to reclaim wealth from nations historically exploiting their regions.

    Policymakers and law enforcement agencies can use these findings to develop more effective prevention strategies and intervention measures.

    Suleman Lazarus 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. Online romance scams: who Nigeria and Ghana’s fraudsters are, how they operate, and why they do it – https://theconversation.com/online-romance-scams-who-nigeria-and-ghanas-fraudsters-are-how-they-operate-and-why-they-do-it-247916

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: As global leaders, Canada and Norway’s co-operation is timely in the face of surging energy demand

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ian H. Rowlands, Professor, School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, University of Waterloo

    In March 2023, Canada and Norway issued a joint statement on bilateral co-operation. Notably, the statement emphasized a commitment to “achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, to promoting research collaboration and to increasing trade and investment in clean technologies and renewables that help enable a green and just transition.”

    Co-operation on energy transitions offers a timely way to strengthen this bond from 2025 onwards, more than ever in light of unfolding events on the global stage.

    Canada and Norway have a long history of strong collaboration: they have had formal bilateral relations since 1942, were founding members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949 and the Arctic Council in 1996 and co-signatories to the Canada-European Free Trade Association’s Free Trade Agreement since 2008.

    Canada’s and Norway’s geographical and socio-economic similarities are striking, and help explain this active kinship.

    An opportune moment

    Unfolding geopolitical developments — Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China’s continued rise and U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term — make it desirable to deepen connections between Canada and Norway.

    As researchers in environmental policy, we argue that this collaboration should focus on advancing the energy transition. Here, both countries are faced with tremendous opportunities, but also difficult decisions that require political gumption. There are national elections that will take place in each country this year, which makes this a particularly opportune political moment to address this concern.

    Both these climate-ambitious petro-powers have great potential to co-create pathways for prosperity. Both could conceivably implement advanced energy transition strategies that focus on the use of fossil fuel reserves judiciously and purposefully to finance climate change goals.

    The National Bank of Canada envisioned something like this in a 2023 report, continuing discussions that date back at least a decade. The report concluded that:

    “Similar to Norway, Canada is well positioned to benefit from both an economic and environmental standpoint if its existing energy resources can be leveraged to finance the transition to green energy.”

    Meanwhile, Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global crossed US$1.7 trillion in 2024, bearing testament to the financial strength the country has derived from the petroleum era.

    Electrification

    The connections between fossil fuel wealth and a climate-friendly transition show much potential. However, too often those advocating for continued exploitation of carbon-based resources fail to acknowledge the accelerated phaseout timetable needed for greenhouse gas emission reductions. The use of natural gas as a transition fuel, for instance, requires a long-term plan for carbon neutrality. Without that, deployment effectively locks in decades of additional emissions.

    We are all for using national resources for wealth creation if they quicken fossil fuel phase-down. But investments that impede this — such as state support for offshore wind development to electrify offshore oil rigs in Norway — are not only counter-productive, but also hypocritical.

    The real promise these countries hold for the energy transition is in the call to electrify (almost) everything. This approach simultaneously uses two pathways: “greening” the electricity grid with low-carbon energy sources, and moving fossil fuel energy demand onto these clean electricity grids.

    Digitalization, which refers to the wider socioeconomic changes inextricably linked to the shift from analog to digital systems, should also be seen as a parallel priority to enable real-time co-ordination of electricity demand and supply across coupled sectors.

    Global leadership

    Both countries already have relatively green grids. In Canada, almost 80 per cent of electricity was generated by carbon-free sources in 2023; in Norway, the equivalent figure was greater than 98 per cent. These figures measure up favourably compared to many other countries: about 60 per cent of the world’s electricity is supplied by fossil fuels, mainly coal and natural gas.

    For context, these green and greener grids have been achieved in an era of relatively flat electricity demand in many parts of both countries. But that is changing: sector demands like mobility, heating and data centres are already proving to be significant, new consumers of electricity. Huge quantities of additional electricity have to be rapidly generated while maintaining system stability.

    Electricity demand is expected to double in both countries by 2050, reaching 1,300 TWh in Canada (more than doubling the 2023 amount of just under 600 TWh), and 260 TWh in Norway (137 TWh in 2023).

    How these two frontrunner states replace existing carbon-fuelled infrastructure and meet the anticipated growth in electricity demand is of global interest.

    Energy strategy

    In policy terms in both Canada and Norway, this strategy to electrify (almost) everything is well underway. Canada’s climate change action plan includes commitment to a green grid by 2050, and implementing Clean Electricity Regulations.

    Norway is closing in on its target of 100 per cent vehicle sales being electric. And this June, the country is hosting the United Nations-supported Internet Governance Forum, which is an area critical to the sustainable energy transition.

    Solar panels in a park in Oslo, Norway.
    (Shutterstock)

    Actions need to follow ambitions, especially in industrial processes like steel-making where deployable solutions appear further down the horizon.

    Stronger bilateral collaboration could also result in positive outcomes in geopolitical developments in the Arctic. Rapidly consolidating trade relations more broadly has rarely been so important from a political perspective. Building this collaboration along energy transition synergies presents advantages that remain gravely underexploited.

    This is likely due to the political and economic status and sway that petroleum incumbents have held. But the twin transition of low-carbon electrification and digitalization offers Canada and Norway a chance to co-operate and lead their global regions into a new era of greener energy.

    Building upon their shared geographies, structures, experiences and values, the time is ripe for collaboration on the sustainable energy transition. This could include government officials, individuals from utilities and regulators, industry representatives, members of civil society and Indigenous organizations, researchers and academics.

    Together, Canada and Norway have the potential to work in tandem to move towards a more prosperous and sustainable global future.

    Ian H. Rowlands is a member of the Board of Directors of Waterloo Region Community Energy.

    Siddharth Sareen has received funding from the Research Council of Norway, Innovation Norway, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020, JPI Climate and JPI Urban Europe programmes of the European Commission.

    – ref. As global leaders, Canada and Norway’s co-operation is timely in the face of surging energy demand – https://theconversation.com/as-global-leaders-canada-and-norways-co-operation-is-timely-in-the-face-of-surging-energy-demand-248283

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: How narrow views of romance inform which marriages are seen as legitimate

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jennifer A. Selby, Professor, Religious Studies and Political Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland

    Legislation and scrutiny of ‘fraudulent marriage’ subtly position romance as a proxy to assess narrow liberal ideals. (Shutterstock)

    Valentine’s Day is sold to us as a moment to celebrate romance: we should buy cards, roses and chocolates. Go for fancy, dimly lit dinners with our significant others. Make loving declarations.

    Romance can enhance our lives. Studies have shown the benefits of romance, from companionship to improving our physical, sexual and mental health.

    However, romance can also be mobilized to judge and surveil relationships, and determine which are valid and which are not. Numerous countries, including Canada, have laws against what they deem as fraudulent marriages.
    To consider the impact of these laws, and to study the colonial legacies within them, I conducted a study of the marriage (and for many, migration) experiences of people of Algerian origin in three contexts: Ghazaouet and Tizi Ouzou in Algeria, a Parisian suburb called Petit-Nanterre and in Montréal from 2011 to 2019. My findings drew on almost 200 personal interviews focused on the marriage partner preferences and ceremonies of my participants.

    I was particularly interested in a comparison between France and Canada, where monitoring romance has served as a way to gauge the sincerity of marriages among migrants for whom citizenship is at stake.

    Laws targeting fraudulent marriage

    In an effort to curb a seeming rise in fraudulent marriages in immigration family sponsorship requests, governments in France and Canada introduced legislation in the 2000s to promote greater surveillance of and penalties for marriage fraud.

    In France, this began in 2008 with a law to curb “love fraud with a migratory aim.” Passed in the same year, Canada’s law centred on impeding “bad faith” marriages.

    Such legislation often comes with penalties. In France, if one is found guilty of being party to a fraudulent marriage, the penalty can be annulment, five to 10 years in prison, fines or deportation. The impetus for such laws is the unquantified sense that a growing number of foreign nationals take advantage of family unification immigration pathways through disingenuous relationships.

    The state’s involvement in France is more acute because the burden of assessment falls primarily on marriage officiants and immigration officers. Civil marriages there must take place in a municipal office and prior to a religious marriage.

    A 2010 directive to French marriage officiants is especially revelatory of this surveillance. Evidence of financial and sexual intimacies act as evidence of a sincere marriage. Romance is seen as a reflection of a spontaneous and uncalculated relationship.

    Of course, there is no evidence that expressions of romance in an early marriage are signs of success; divorce occurs for almost half of marrying couples, whether couples are transnational or not. Figures in Canada indicate a slightly higher divorce rate than in France.

    In Montréal, one can be married outside of a municipal office. Still, my participants in that city shared similar stories of pressures to perform specific sexual politics in the presence of state officials.

    One man whose wife wore a hijab was interrogated by first responders about the husband’s involvement when she fainted, while pregnant, outside a grocery store. Bewildered by the situation, he answered their questions about whether theirs was a forced marriage (it was not). In retrospect, he said he would have declined this line of questioning and focused their attention on his wife.

    Arranged marriages

    One of my notable findings is that many marriages in my sample were quasi-arranged — organized with the assistance of family members (often mothers). Yet, these types of marriages often fall outside idealized ideas of romance, rendering these couples more vulnerable to being accused of fraud.

    I also found that potential scrutiny from immigration officials did not impede interest in a transnational marriage partner. Many of my interviewees liked the idea of a partner of the same religion or culture, and who spoke Arabic or Tamazight. In addition, for many, a cosmopolitan transnational life linking Algeria with France or Québec was appealing.

    Depending on their gender, social class, religiosity, families and personalities, individuals grapple with these politics differently. The social contexts of a Parisian suburb and Montréal further shaped a participant’s sense of longing and belonging. Fewer Algerian women in Montréal were interested in such arrangements. Invariably, however, individuals of Algerian origin in both contexts knew that transnational unions were highly scrutinized.

    Despite the attention granted to curbing marriage fraud, the data suggest that few marriages are annulled. The spectre of this surveillance is greater than its enforcement.

    Unfairly penalizing migrants

    Legislation and scrutiny of marriages seen as fraudulent subtly position romance as a proxy to assess narrow liberal ideals. Some scholars have called this phenomenon a push for a “sexual democracy,” where women’s bodies are subtly expected to remain visible and sexually available as signs of their putative equality.

    Perhaps unexpectedly, niqab bans in both France and Québec further reflect these values. Full-face veils are, tellingly, depicted as lacking sexual agency and individualism, and impeding a cisgender woman’s ability to attract men.

    Narrow views of what kind of romance should be legitimized and celebrated are not limited to governments. Such views also manifest in consumer culture and in the wedding industry, and are desired and performed by many of us, including among my research participants in arranged marriages. Romance’s pervasiveness, desirability and seeming spontaneity mask its politics.

    As we enjoy romantic gestures on Valentine’s Day, we should also consider the cultural specificity of these tropes and their potentially exclusionary politics in determining whose relationships are deemed legitimate. Entrenchments of patriarchal chivalry, monogamy, consumerism and narrow gender roles can run in tandem.

    Jennifer A. Selby receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. How narrow views of romance inform which marriages are seen as legitimate – https://theconversation.com/how-narrow-views-of-romance-inform-which-marriages-are-seen-as-legitimate-247085

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Online brain rot is undermining our ability to tell meaningful stories

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Masoud Kianpour, Senior Research Fellow, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration program, Toronto Metropolitan University

    I teach a course on the relationship between social media and society at Durham College. As part of their assessments, I ask my students to reflect on their social media use.

    A recurring theme is that they cannot be separated from their smartphones. Many admit to spending significant time daily on social media watching short videos without a clear purpose and as a way to procrastinate on more productive activities.

    There is a term for this kind of behaviour and its impact on mental health, one that was recently named Oxford Word of the Year 2024: “brain rot” — the deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially as the result of over-consuming trivial or unchallenging online content.

    For many adults, a diffuse addiction to the internet, or what clinical psychologists call digital drugs (like online shopping, gaming, gambling, pornography), has become a widespread problem, especially since the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    When social media platforms emerged at the beginning of this century, they were welcomed for their potential to empower individuals, facilitate storytelling and connect communities.

    While they do enable these possibilities, they also pose significant challenges to our relationship with truth and trust — two pillars of a functioning democracy. By spreading misinformation and creating echo chambers that polarize communities, social media platforms have become a ground for the rise of “hate and extremism.”

    As a sociologist, I study pop culture. My colleagues and I at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and the University of Ottawa recently published a report on how cultural and identity narratives are evolving amid fast-developing digital technologies.

    In a culture of constant connectivity, many young people are navigating a digital world of idealized images and unrealistic comparisons.
    (Shutterstock)

    Shortened attention spans

    Among younger generations in the United States, the average daily consumption is more than five hours on screens and 237 notifications — about one notification every four minutes.

    In a culture of constant connectivity, many young people are navigating a digital world of idealized images, from beauty influencers who subject them to unrealistic comparisons that often lead to feelings of inadequacy and diminished self-worth to an online bro culture that purveys a toxic form of masculinity as a path to success.

    For cultural theorist Byung-Chul Han, this is a sign of the decline in storytelling. Modern readers have lost the ability to engage deeply with narratives. The “long, slow, lingering gaze” that allows for daydreaming and true distraction has been replaced by a hyper-focused engagement with constant streams of information. As a result, narration is in crisis.

    Recently, a team of researchers at TMU who study workplaces from the perspective of young workers created a two-minute-and-40-second video to engage students on the topic of what young workers want from their work.

    Students couldn’t follow the entire video and felt it was too long. As a result, the team had to edit it into a series of much shorter clips — some as brief as 16 seconds — so they could capture the attention of their audience. Should this come as a surprise?

    Modern media and technology constantly remind us to preserve our memory and protect our history. However, memory is paradoxical in that it involves forgetting and absence with every act of remembrance.

    Online platforms, with their ephemeral content, risk contributing to a cultural memory loss since so much of what’s shared on these platforms is transitory and geared toward superficial engagement rather than meaningful cultural expression.

    Online platforms risk contributing to a cultural memory loss as so much of what is shared on these platforms is geared toward superficial engagement rather than meaningful cultural expression.
    (Shutterstock)

    When brains rot, truth fades

    In his memoir, American writer and naturalist Henry David Thoreau lamented society’s declining capacity for deep thought and intellectual effort, favouring instead simple and superficial thinking.

    In 1854, he wrote in his book Walden:

    “While England endeavors to cure the potato-rot, will not any endeavor to cure the brain-rot, which prevails so much more widely and fatally?”

    Thoreau may have seen a future where the U.S. would be led by a president who not only lacks the capacity for deep thought and self-reflection but also disregards historical facts and moral values.

    Despite his reputation as a pathological liar, Donald Trump exemplifies what philosopher Harry Frankfurt defined as a bullshitter — a person who does not mislead in the way a liar does, by deliberately making false claims about reality, but rather by speaking without any regard for truth at all.

    Bullshitters shift the rules of conversation by making questions of truth and falsehood irrelevant. Lies and the truth simply become tools that can be used to tell their story — regardless of the facts.



    Read more:
    Bullshit is everywhere. Here’s how to deal with it at work

    The bigger picture

    Georg Simmel was one of the first social scientists who expressed concern about the impact of modern life on mental health. In 1903, writing about Berlin, he described blasé attitude as a psychological condition that arises when the brain is subjected to an overwhelming number of stimuli. To cope, it develops a defense mechanism: becoming indifferent to its surroundings.

    One century later, when our online feeds are flooded with endless digital content, it is uncanny to revisit Simmel’s observation. We must move beyond traditional diagnostic digital literacy and competency frameworks. The problem lies not only in the technology itself, but in the broader socio-economic system in which it operates — a consumer-capitalist-digital complex that is eroding our brains and cultures.

    Humans have always been fascinated by stories. We need them to understand ourselves. However, social media’s profit-driven algorithms homogenize experiences and ultimately undermine cultural diversity. We have become storysellers instead of storytellers.

    Masoud Kianpour has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. Online brain rot is undermining our ability to tell meaningful stories – https://theconversation.com/online-brain-rot-is-undermining-our-ability-to-tell-meaningful-stories-248984

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City of London Policy Chairman visits to strengthen business links

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    City of London Policy Chairman visits to strengthen business links

    11 February 2025

    The City of London Corporation’s Policy Chairman, Chris Hayward, was in Derry this week to attend the launch of the MATRIX NI report and a number of engagements to build on the North West’s strong connections with the City of London.

    Matrix, Northern Ireland’s Science and Industry Advisory Panel, supported by the Department for the Economy, launched a new report exploring opportunities for the application of regulatory technologies (RegTech).

    The report finds that Northern Ireland, with its skilled workforce and strong academic institutions, is strongly positioned to help businesses navigate an increasingly complex regulatory environment. This can be achieved by the development of innovative solutions to streamline compliance processes, enhancing transparency, while mitigating any risks in the financial services sector

    Mr Hayward and his delegation were welcomed to the city by the Chief Executive of Derry City and Strabane District Council, John Kelpie, who took the opportunity to discuss shared interests in business, innovation and culture. The significant work being done by the Council and its delivery partners to bring forward an ambitious suite of innovative City Deal projects that will create jobs, attract investment and growth to the region was also discussed.

    Mr Kelpie said it was a great honour to welcome Mr Hayward to the region to talk about the opportunities to promote the RegTech proposition, harnessing the city region’s unique cross-jurisdictional location and collaborative partnerships and to build on existing relationships between the two cities and regions.

    He said: “We have extremely strong links with the City of London and it’s hugely encouraging to see Mr Hayward and his delegation taking time out of their schedule to visit our city and meet with industry leaders to hear about the excellent work that is being done here in terms of attracting global investment and helping home-grown success stories compete internationally. The City of London Corporation is a global financial and professional services capital that drives the UK’s economy and the sector is of huge importance to this region.”

    During his visit, Mr Hayward met with RegTech Supercluster representatives to hear at first-hand about the collaborative work being done on the ground to develop the region’s RegTech offering.

    It was also an opportunity to provide the delegation with an update on the ‘Innovation Challenge’ programme that was launched late last year with the City of London Corporation as a strategic partner, to encourage innovators to develop creative technology solutions to tackle cross border regulatory and compliance challenges.

    A key element of the visit was to discuss with key stakeholders the key findings of the Matrix NI report and how to bring forward its recommendations.

    The launch provided the opportunity for the RegTech Supercluster to discuss how it can support the Department to shape the RegTech proposition and working with key stakeholders generate economic growth and competitive advantage across the region.

    The delegation met with senior officials at the Ulster University to discuss their expansion plans and to receive an update on the work being carried out by the Task Force and key research and development projects.

    Mr Heyward also met with representatives from the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce before taking a tour of the local Seagate plant at Springtown and meeting with Chief Operating Officer with EY, Jonathan Williamson, to discuss their future plans for development at Ebrington Plaza and their wider growth across the region.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: In Khabarovsk, Yuri Trutnev held meetings on the implementation of master plans and met with investors

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Yuri Trutnev held a meeting on the implementation of long-term plans for the integrated socio-economic development of the Khabarovsk urban agglomeration and the urban district “City of Komsomolsk-on-Amur” for the period up to 2030

    February 11, 2025

    Yuri Trutnev held a meeting on the implementation of long-term plans for the integrated socio-economic development of the Khabarovsk urban agglomeration and the urban district “City of Komsomolsk-on-Amur” for the period up to 2030

    February 11, 2025

    Yuri Trutnev inspected the new modular multifunctional sports hall at School No. 9 in Khabarovsk and attended a training session for children’s sports groups in Kyokushin karate and other martial arts

    February 11, 2025

    Yuri Trutnev inspected the new modular multifunctional sports hall at School No. 9 in Khabarovsk and attended a training session for children’s sports groups in Kyokushin karate and other martial arts

    February 11, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    Yuri Trutnev held a meeting on the implementation of long-term plans for the integrated socio-economic development of the Khabarovsk urban agglomeration and the urban district “City of Komsomolsk-on-Amur” for the period up to 2030

    During a working visit to Khabarovsk Krai, Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev held meetings on the implementation of long-term plans for the comprehensive socio-economic development of the Khabarovsk urban agglomeration and the urban district “City of Komsomolsk-on-Amur” for the period up to 2030, on the implementation of major investment projects in the region, and also visited a number of social facilities.

    “In accordance with the instructions of the President of Russia, master plan activities are being implemented in the Khabarovsk agglomeration and Komsomolsk-on-Amur in Khabarovsk Krai. The development plans for the two cities include 48 activities for 414 billion rubles. More than 124 billion rubles have already been allocated from budgets at all levels for the implementation of activities until 2030,” Yuri Trutnev opened the meeting on the implementation of master plans.

    The master plans of the Khabarovsk agglomeration and Komsomolsk-on-Amur were approved by the President of Russia in 2023. Of the 84 objects of the master plans of the Khabarovsk Territory, four have been completed, ten are being designed, 21 are under construction, and 49 are in the planning stage. As part of the implementation of the master plans in Khabarovsk in 2024, 16 trolleybuses and 10 trams were purchased, and preferential financing was approved through VEB.RF for the construction of the Far Eastern bus cluster. New microdistricts with developed social infrastructure and rental housing are being built in the Northern District. Under the Far Eastern concession, projects have begun to build the Far Eastern Art Museum and the Far Eastern Children’s Recreation and Health Center.

    “We will complete the design in the first half of the year. I gave instructions to begin preparing the construction sites. The new museum will open to visitors in the first quarter of 2028. Its halls will display over 15 thousand works of art. The first children’s camp created in the region in the post-Soviet period will be completed in 2027. The company has begun preparing the construction site. Once commissioned, the camp will be able to accommodate over 5 thousand children per year,” said Dmitry Demeshin, Governor of Khabarovsk Krai.

    In Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the reconstruction of the embankment will be completed in March, and the innovative interactive center “Euristics” is planned to be launched. “The long-term plan for Komsomolsk-on-Amur provides for the revitalization of iconic spaces. It was decided to allocate more than 400 million rubles from the regional reserve fund for the restoration of the Stroitel cultural center. The design and estimate documentation is ready. The work will take two years,” the head of the region specified.

    Yuri Trutnev noted the need to complete the construction of social facilities, including a children’s hospital complex and an inter-district oncology dispensary in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, and asked Dmitry Demeshin to pay special attention to them.

    Funds are allocated for the implementation of master plans from the presidential single subsidy. As explained by the Minister for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic Alexey Chekunkov, the Presidium of the Government Commission on the Socio-Economic Development of the Far East supported three events: the creation of the Far Eastern Children’s Recreation and Health Center, the construction of the Far Eastern Art Museum building, and the fifth stage of the construction of the unified embankment.

    The creation of a “Far Eastern quarter” in the Zheleznodorozhny district of Khabarovsk was discussed. The project was developed to support integrated development.

    During a meeting on the implementation of major investment projects in the region, Yuri Trutnev noted that Khabarovsk Krai is one of the leaders in attracting investment in the Far East. “Here, 145 investment projects are being implemented with state support. More than 15.3 thousand jobs have been created, 63 enterprises have been introduced. Our priority task is to ensure the timely and successful implementation of investment projects, providing comprehensive support to investors,” Yuri Trutnev opened the meeting.

    The meeting discussed projects in the fields of mining, logistics, tourism, construction and transport infrastructure. A-Steel presented a project to build a mining and processing plant based on the Milkan iron ore deposit. Amur Minerals, a resident of the priority development area, is building a mining and processing plant at the Malmyzhskoye deposit in the Nanai district. Elga Management Company LLC is creating the Pacific Ocean railway and a sea coal terminal near Cape Manorsky. VB Khabarovsk presented a project to build a high-tech warehouse complex, the implementation of which is planned for the new integrated investment site of the priority development area Khabarovsk – Severnaya. The development of the Kholdomi mountain resort was discussed. The Etalon financial and construction group held a presentation of the Khabarovsk-City project. Projects for the development of port infrastructure were also discussed.

    Yuri Trutnev visited the regional branch of the Voin center. The Khabarovsk branch of the Voin center opened its doors on May 11, 2023 and has already achieved significant success. If in 2023, 1,413 people completed its educational programs, then in 2024 it has already trained 3,067 cadets. Over the entire period of its work, the branch team has held about 200 military-patriotic events in educational institutions of the region, master classes with employees of law enforcement agencies, and exhibitions.

    On the same day, the Deputy Prime Minister inspected the new modular multifunctional sports hall at School No. 9 in Khabarovsk and attended a training session of children’s sports groups in Kyokushin karate and other types of martial arts. The facility is one of six being built in Khabarovsk under the “50 Sports Halls in Far Eastern Schools” program at the initiative of three-time Kyokushin karate world champion Khaid Mantayev together with the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and with the personal support of Yuri Trutnev. The new sports hall is equipped with all the necessary equipment and was built as part of the social development plan for economic growth centers in Khabarovsk Krai using funds from the presidential single subsidy provided by the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East. The modular hall with an area of 360 square meters will be able to accommodate about 30 sports fans at a time. The sports hall will include mini-football, basketball, volleyball, karate, taekwondo and judo. In the future, there are plans to open hand-to-hand combat and gymnastics sections here, as well as install a boxing ring.

    Yuri Trutnev also visited a site in the village of Blagovatnoye where it is planned to create a training ground for UAV operators and conduct classes as part of the development of a system of patriotic education and military-sports training.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Women and Girls in Science: Ministers Fir and Sawhney | Déclaration des ministres Fir et Sawhney au sujet de la Journée internationale des femmes et des filles de science

    “On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we celebrate the brilliance and resiliency of women who are transforming the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Their groundbreaking work pushes innovation and inspires future generations to dream big.

    “Through initiatives like the Women in STEM Scholarship, Alberta’s government supports women and girls in their pursuit of careers in these essential fields. This scholarship provides funding to help women overcome barriers and excel in education and careers where their talents have often been overlooked. Through community grant programs, Alberta’s government is also supporting non-profit organizations that offer programming that gives girls opportunities to explore STEM, like the grant we announced for Western Mechatronics Association to continue their programming that helps young girls engage with robotics and other STEM-related topics.

    “By empowering girls to pursue their passions in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, we unlock their potential and build a future driven by bold ideas.”

    Tanya Fir, Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women

    “Inspiring women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics are leading innovation in Alberta – but there’s more to achieve. On this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, I encourage every girl and young woman to dream big and explore these exciting fields that offer endless opportunities for creativity, problem-solving and leadership.

    “Through targeted supports, we can ensure that every Albertan has the opportunity to pursue a post-secondary education and make their mark on the world.

    “Alberta proudly partners with several organizations that support women and youth in preparing for successful careers. By investing in bright-minded young women, we are making a strategic investment in Alberta’s future.

    “Women in Alberta are not just imagining the future of science – they’re building it. Let’s empower more young women to lead the way. Together, we’re shaping a province that thrives on talent, innovation and limitless potential.”

    Rajan Sawhney, Minister of Advanced Education

    Madame Tanya Fir, ministre des Arts, de la Culture et de la Condition féminine, et madame Rajan Sawhney, soulignent la Journée internationale des femmes et des filles en science.

    « À l’occasion de la Journée internationale des femmes et des filles de science, nous célébrons la brillance et la résilience des femmes qui transforment la science, la technologie, l’ingénierie et les mathématiques. Leurs travaux remarquables stimulent l’innovation et inspirent les générations futures à voir grand. 

    « Grâce à des initiatives telles que la bourse Women in STEM, le gouvernement de l’Alberta soutient les femmes et les jeunes filles dans leur poursuite d’une carrière dans ces domaines essentiels. La bourse aide les femmes à surmonter les obstacles qui s’imposent à elles et à exceller dans les études et les carrières où leurs talents ont souvent été négligés. Grâce à des programmes de subvention communautaires, le gouvernement de l’Alberta soutient également des organismes sans but lucratif dont les programmes permettent aux filles d’explorer les STIM, comme la subvention que nous avons annoncée pour la Western Mechatronics Association, qui permet à l’association de continuer à offrir ses programmes en appui aux jeunes filles qui s’intéressent à la robotique et à d’autres sujets liés aux STIM.

    « En donnant aux filles les moyens de poursuivre leurs passions dans les domaines des sciences, de la technologie, de l’ingénierie ou des mathématiques, nous libérons leur potentiel et bâtissons un avenir animé par des idées audacieuses. »

    Tanya Fir, ministre des Arts, de la Culture et de la Condition féminine

    « Des femmes inspirantes dans les domaines des sciences, de la technologie, de l’ingénierie et des mathématiques sont à la tête de l’innovation en Alberta, mais il reste encore beaucoup à faire. En cette Journée internationale des femmes et des filles de science, j’encourage toutes les filles et les jeunes femmes à voir grand et à explorer ces domaines passionnants qui offrent des possibilités infinies de créativité, de résolution de problèmes et de leadership.

    « Grâce à des programmes d’aide ciblés, nous pouvons faire en sorte que chaque Albertaine ait la possibilité de poursuivre des études postsecondaires et de laisser sa marque dans le monde.

    « L’Alberta est fière de s’associer à plusieurs organismes qui aident les femmes et les jeunes filles à se préparer à une carrière réussie. En investissant dans les jeunes femmes à l’esprit brillant, nous réalisons un investissement stratégique dans l’avenir de l’Alberta.

    « Les femmes de l’Alberta ne se contentent pas d’imaginer l’avenir de la science, elles le construisent. Donnons à davantage de jeunes femmes les moyens de montrer la voie. Ensemble, nous façonnons une province qui prospère grâce au talent, à l’innovation et à un potentiel illimité. »

    Rajan Sawhney, ministre de l’Enseignement postsecondaire

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: CUPE National attacks: Joint statement

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Bank of Canada announces appointment of second external Deputy Governor

    Source: Bank of Canada

    The Board of Directors of the Bank of Canada today announced the appointment of Michelle Alexopoulos as an external Deputy Governor for a term of two years, effective March 17, 2025. Dr. Alexopoulos’ appointment is the result of a public external recruitment process and will bring the size of the Bank’s Governing Council to seven members on an ongoing basis.

    “I am delighted that Michelle Alexopoulos is joining the Bank’s Governing Council and I am looking forward to working with her,” said Governor Tiff Macklem. “She is a top-tier macroeconomist with deep expertise in issues critical to Canada’s economic prospects. I am confident that her knowledge and innovative thinking will contribute importantly to our policy decision making.”

    The Bank’s Governing Council is its policy-making body, responsible for conducting monetary policy and promoting a safe and efficient financial system. Alongside other members of the Council, Dr. Alexopoulos will also be responsible for communicating with Canadians about the Bank’s policy decisions and its outlook for the economy and inflation.

    The Bank created the external Deputy Governor role in 2023 to bring diverse perspectives to its consensus-based policy-making process. The first external Deputy Governor, Nicolas Vincent, was appointed effective March 2023 for a term that has been extended to three years. In October of last year, the Bank announced it would create a second external Deputy Governor position.

    In keeping with the nature of the role, Dr. Alexopoulos will work with the Bank of Canada in a part-time capacity and will maintain her affiliation with the University of Toronto, where she is a professor of economics.

    Dr. Alexopoulos’ research focuses on the business cycle as well as the effects of technical change and uncertainty. She has conducted innovative work in the application of data mining and textual analysis to create indicators for economic modeling and forecasting. More recently, her research has looked at technological change, productivity and central bank communications. She is past president of the Canadian Economics Association and has been a multi-year recipient of the Bank of Canada’s Fellowship Award.

    Born in Toronto, Dr. Alexopoulos received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto, as well as a Master’s and a PhD in economics from Northwestern University.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South Africa’s history uncovered: the 1,000-year gap they don’t teach in school

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Peter Delius, Professor emeritus, University of the Witwatersrand

    Were you told that gold mining in southern Africa started after 1852? Or that the export of iron, steel, copper and gold began in the late 19th century? Or that South Africa became integrated into a global trading system only after 1652? Or that the first powerful state in South Africa was the Zulu kingdom?

    If you learned that any of these things were true, you are like most South Africans, who have missed out on at least a thousand years of the country’s history.

    Both radical and conservative historians have focused heavily on colonial history, a story starting at the Cape and playing out within colonial boundaries. As a result, South Africa’s past has been compressed into a shortened timeline and a limited geography. That shorter version is what’s taught at schools and universities.

    If we abandon 1652 – when the first Dutch settlers arrived in the Cape – as the key historical starting point, and go back a thousand years and cast our gaze 2,000km north of Table Mountain, a very different story unfolds.

    Our research is attempting to rethink South African history. As many years of work in the interior show, along with our new focus on a central southern African trading landscape, Thulamela, the formative steps in South Africa’s history began here, along the Limpopo River.

    Early cooperative relationships

    Two thousand years ago, San hunter gatherers were the primary occupants of the region around the Limpopo River valley, an area around the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe rivers that includes Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Contrary to popular opinion, these groups weren’t living in isolated bands. They were connected through regional networks of exchange spanning hundreds, even thousands, of kilometres.

    At this time, South Africa was on the brink of fundamental change. From about 350 AD, Bantu-speaking, iron-using, livestock-owning farmers began to settle the Soutpansberg, south of the Limpopo River. They initially established mainly cooperative relationships with the San, especially in hunting and trading.

    Read more: Archaeology shows how hunter-gatherers fitted into southern Africa’s first city, 800 years ago

    These farmers introduced a key innovation into the region – the production of metal tools, weapons, currency and jewellery. These goods were for their own use and for expanding trade networks.

    A map showing some of the prominent trading sites in the East African trade network: 1: Kilwa; 2: Tsodilo Hills; 3: Khami; 4: Great Zimbabwe; 5: Initial gold reefs; 6: Chibuene; 7: Schroda, K2 and Mapungubwe; 8: Thulamela and Makahane; 9: Dzata/Venda Capital; 10: KwaGandaganda and Ndondwane (labeled from north to south). Author supplied

    At the start, iron was the most important metal but over time, copper and gold became more and more significant. The farmers were skilled in locating and extracting these ores, which, in the case of gold and copper, often involved shaft mining. Metal production also demanded pyrotechnical knowledge to smelt ores and to fashion metals into functional and decorative forms.

    Local trade, global connections

    Another crucial development took place in the 7th century AD. The Indian Ocean world connected to the expanding regional trade networks which had linked the coast and the interior. The transoceanic sailors and traders were initially motivated by the growing demand for ivory in Asia and the Middle East.

    Read more: South Africa risks losing rich insights into an ancient farming society

    This external demand brought exotic glass beads and cloth deep into the interior, through African traders and rulers. A node in the system was Chibuene, a large coastal trading settlement on the Mozambican coast near modern Vilanculos. From here, beads and cloth travelled south, to the vicinity of Durban in modern-day KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and across the interior, past the Okavango delta to places such as the Tsodilo hills west of the delta’s panhandle in Botswana.

    An aerial view of an ancient residential enclosure in Thulamela. Author supplied.

    Between the 10th and 15th centuries, the market for gold boomed – especially in Egypt, Persia, India and China. Southern Africa played an important role in meeting this demand because of the rich gold reserves of the Zimbabwe plateau and the adjacent region of the Limpopo valley.

    So, it is clear that an economic and mineral revolution took place long before Europeans settled South Africa’s Cape. Colonial processes of globalisation and the mineral revolution in the 19th century trailed far in the wake of African involvement in the vast Indian Ocean economy through their hunting, mining, smelting and artisanal skills.

    Rise of states

    Indian Ocean trade contributed to major transformations in the interior. The wealth it generated led to social stratification and the emergence of a distinct ruling class. Leaders’ economic, political and spiritual power intensified. These processes found expression in the establishment in 1220 of Mapungubwe, in the middle Limpopo Valley, and the first state in southern Africa.

    Read more: New book on Mapungubwe Archive contests history of South African world heritage site

    Over the centuries that followed, linked but shifting patterns of demand gave rise to major states like Great Zimbabwe, Thulamela, and later the Venda Kingdom, the Pedi Kingdom and the Zulu Kingdom.

    The little-known trading state, Thulamela, was located in the north of what’s now the Kruger Park. From 1250 to 1650 it was a key node of production and exchange. But for many decades the site was ignored. When intensive research finally started in the 1990s it made very limited progress in revealing the form and nature of the state. But renewed and interdisciplinary research at the site and surrounding areas has already produced new insights into the history of Thulamela and promises to generate many more in the near future.

    New windows to a past

    Given this deep history of powerful kingdoms connected by an underlying but dynamic economic system, we have to let go of the idea that the Zulu Kingdom, which formed in the early 19th century, was the first powerful state in what was to become South Africa. In fact, it was a relatively recent example of much deeper and wider transformations.

    It was only in the 19th century that expanding colonial capitalism and settlement fuelled by the “second” mineral revolution penetrated the interior and encountered its kingdoms and trading opportunities.

    Pottery is common at Iron Age sites and their decorations are specific to groups and periods. Author supplied

    The interaction between the two worlds culminated in a hard-fought struggle over trade, land and labour. While the African kingdoms were ultimately defeated and traders and craftsmen were displaced, their impact on the shape and nature of South African society is still felt today.

    A challenge to historians now is to deepen our understanding of this missing millennium, and of pre-colonial transformations.

    Researchers need to pay greater attention to a wider range of documentary sources (beyond those in English) and to oral traditions. Collaboration with scholars working on archaeology, historical linguistics and genetics will also tell us more about the forces that have shaped our present.

    – South Africa’s history uncovered: the 1,000-year gap they don’t teach in school
    – https://theconversation.com/south-africas-history-uncovered-the-1-000-year-gap-they-dont-teach-in-school-248244

    MIL OSI Africa –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Online romance scams: who Nigeria and Ghana’s fraudsters are, how they operate, and why they do it

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Suleman Lazarus, Visiting Fellow, Mannheim Centre for Criminology, London School of Economics and Political Science

    People find love in many ways and through diverse mediums. Online platforms have become popular meeting places for people looking to find intimate partners, making them a prime target for cybercriminals.

    Online romance fraud has become a global phenomenon. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the US, romance scams accounted for losses to about 24,000 Americans, exceeding US$1 billion, in 2022.

    On the African continent, Nigeria and Ghana have emerged as hubs for internet fraud. The “Yahoo Boys” operating in Nigeria and “Sakawa Boys” in Ghana have a reputation for engaging in various fraudulent schemes, including online romance scams.

    Over the past decade, I have researched cybercrime and criminology, focusing on west African online fraudsters. Coverage of romance scams often centres on victim narratives or sensational headlines, leaving offender-focused research largely unexplored.

    In a recent paper, I studied the cases of 50 people convicted of online romance in Nigeria. A separate research study I spearheaded involved interviews with active offenders in Ghana. Rather than relying solely on fragmented media accounts, the two research papers offer a robust, evidence-based understanding of the cultural, economic and historical factors driving cybercriminal behaviour.

    My findings from both papers show that romance fraud offenders frequently present themselves as white and primarily target western societies. In framing fraud as a way to reclaim wealth they believed was unjustly taken during colonial rule, many saw their actions as a civic duty. In the case file study on Nigerian fraudsters, I found that many were driven by “socioeconomic needs”.

    My findings provide insights into offenders’ tactics and motivations. This could be useful for law enforcement officials developing targeted interventions, and for policymakers wanting to frame informed strategies.

    Who, where, how and why

    This article uses “scam” and “fraud”, as well as “scammers” and “fraudsters”, interchangeably. The media, financial institutions, and the public typically use “scams” and “scammers”. Academics often prefer “fraud” and “fraudsters” to emphasise the seriousness of these crimes, as noted in my research.

    I examined case files of 50 individuals convicted of romance fraud in Nigeria following prosecutions by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. In a separate study I conducted interviews with active romance fraud offenders in Ghana.

    My decision to focus on Nigeria and Ghana was based on findings in research done earlier. For example, I co-authored a paper that reviewed 21 years of empirical studies (2000–2021) in which we found that many west African scammers predominantly targeted individuals in the west. Another research study I spearheaded showed how songs by Nigerian artists glamorised the actions of scammers and highlighted their preference for western victims.

    Read more: What Nigerian hip-hop lyrics have to say about the country’s Yahoo Boys

    Similarly, the Nigeria case file study found that over half of the romance scam victims (56%) were in the US. My interviews with offenders in Ghana further showed that romance scammers viewed their actions as “legitimate retribution for colonial injustice”. These scammers operate within a historical framework in which colonial subjugation narratives influence their motivations and societal attitudes toward cybercrime.

    Profile of an online fraudster

    The analysis of the case files of the 50 convicted romance scammers showed patterns in offender profiles and strategies. Most were young – 81.7% were under 26. Nearly 60% preferred Apple’s iPhone for their fraudulent schemes. When it came to occupation, 74% were university students.

    Offenders carefully constructed their online personas. Nearly half (46%) posed as white American males, 12% as military personnel, and 10% as white European males.

    The victims they chose were mostly women: 70% of offenders primarily targeted females, 14% targeted males, 10% targeted both genders and 6% did not specify the victim’s gender.

    Facebook was the most commonly used platform, appearing in 46% of the Nigerian cases.

    Some of the Ghanaian scammers said they saw their crimes as acts of service to a greater cause. This included loyalty to their communities or the pursuit of economic justice. They portrayed their scams as efforts to reclaim wealth from nations historically exploiting their regions.

    Policymakers and law enforcement agencies can use these findings to develop more effective prevention strategies and intervention measures.

    – Online romance scams: who Nigeria and Ghana’s fraudsters are, how they operate, and why they do it
    – https://theconversation.com/online-romance-scams-who-nigeria-and-ghanas-fraudsters-are-how-they-operate-and-why-they-do-it-247916

    MIL OSI Africa –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Titan Partners Announces Launch of Equity Research Division, Appoints Boris Peaker as Senior Healthcare Analyst

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Titan Partners Group, a division of American Capital Partners, (“Titan Partners” or “Titan”) is pleased to announce the launch of its Equity Research Division with the appointment of Boris Peaker, Ph.D., CFA, as Managing Director and Senior Equity Research Analyst. Dr. Peaker will lead the firm’s research initiatives in the healthcare sector, focusing on biotechnology.

    Dr. Peaker brings 17 years of experience in healthcare equity research, most recently serving as Managing Director of Biotechnology Equity Research at TD Cowen. Prior to that, he was an Executive Director at Oppenheimer & Co. and worked as a biotechnology analyst at Cowen & Co. and Rodman & Renshaw, LLC. Dr. Peaker has been recognized by multiple industry publications and associations as a top-ranked sector analyst. He holds a Ph.D. in Biophysics from Stanford University and a B.S. in Physics and Chemistry from the State University of New York.

    “The launch of our research platform, spearheaded by Dr. Peaker, marks an important milestone in Titan’s growth,” stated Jason Sands, Co-Founder and Partner at Titan. “Our mission has always been to build a business around fundamentally strong and scientifically compelling stories. Dr. Peaker’s experience and reputation align perfectly with this objective.”

    Ryan Konik, Co-Founder and Partner at Titan, added, “Dr. Peaker’s technical background, combined with his sell-side research experience, makes him an exceptional fit for our platform. His addition underscores our continued commitment to the life sciences sector.”

    About Titan Partners Group

    Titan Partners Group, a division of American Capital Partners, is a boutique investment bank specializing in tailored solutions for emerging growth companies and their investors. Headquartered in New York City, Titan Partners offers a full suite of capabilities, including investment banking, capital markets advisory, and research. Committed to setting the standard for securities transactions in the middle market, Titan Partners combines expertise, trust, and a forward-thinking approach to deliver results and help corporate clients achieve their strategic goals.

    Contact
    Titan Partners Group
    info@titanpartnersgrp.com 
    4 World Trade Center, 29th Floor
    New York, NY 10007
    (929) 833-1246
    www.titanpartnersgrp.com

    The MIL Network –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: King Cosponsors Bipartisan Legislation To Protect Kids from the Harmful Impacts of Social Media

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is cosponsoring bipartisan legislation to help protect youth from the harmful impacts of social media. The Kids Off Social Media Act would enforce minimum age limits to use social media platforms and prevent social media companies from feeding algorithmically-targeted content to users under the age of 17.

    Studies have shown a strong relationship between social media use and poor mental health, especially among children. From 2019 to 2021, overall screen use among teens and tweens (ages 8 to 12) increased by 17 percent, with tweens using screens for five hours and 33 minutes per day and teens using screens for eight hours and 39 minutes. Based on the clear and growing evidence, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory in 2023, calling for new policies to set and enforce age minimums and highlighting the importance of limiting the use of features, like algorithms, that attempt to maximize time, attention, and engagement.

    “Children in Maine and across the country deserve protection from the potential harm posed by social media — especially during their most vulnerable years,” said Senator King. “The bipartisan Kids Off Social Media Act would limit the harmful impacts of social media by establishing reasonable guardrails such as age minimums for new accounts and restrictions on targeting content to children under the age of 17. Our children deserve to grow up in a safe and supportive environment — and that doesn’t define the harsh online tone proliferating on online platforms — so this bipartisan legislation will ensure this protection for generations to come.”

    No age demographic is more affected by the ongoing mental health crisis in the United States than kids, especially young girls. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 57 percent of high school girls and 29 percent of high school boys felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021, with 22 percent of all high school students — and nearly a third of high school girls — reporting they had seriously considered attempting suicide in the preceding year.

    Specifically, the Kids Off Social Media Act would:

    1. Prohibit social media platforms from allowing children under the age of 13 to create or maintain social media accounts;
    2. Prohibit social media companies from pushing targeted content using algorithms to users under the age of 17;
    3. Provide the FTC and state attorneys general authority to enforce the provisions of the bill; and
    4. Follow existing CIPA framework, with changes, to require schools to work in good faith to limit social media on their federally-funded networks, which many schools already do.

      
    Studies have shown a strong relationship between social media use and poor mental health, especially among children. From 2019 to 2021, overall screen use among teens and tweens (ages 8 to 12) increased by 17 percent, with tweens using screens for five hours and 33 minutes per day and teens using screens for eight hours and 39 minutes. Based on the clear and growing evidence, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory in 2023, calling for new policies to set and enforce age minimums and highlighting the importance of limiting the use of features, like algorithms, that attempt to maximize time, attention, and engagement.

    In addition to King, the bipartisan legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Katie Britt (R-AL), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ted Budd (R-NC), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Mark Warner (D-VA).

    Senator King has been a longstanding advocate of protecting children online. He previously cosponsored the Kids Online Safety Act and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act — two pieces of legislation that set safeguards, require transparency reports, and protect children from the non-consensual collection of personal data that could be used to exploit or manipulate them.

    For more information on the Kids Off Social Media Act, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Investment in City Economic Development

    Source: Scotland – City of Dundee

    Investment designed to drive forward economic development in Dundee is set to be discussed by councillors. 

    Funding from external sources would be used to support ongoing initiatives like employment programmes, while it could also assist commercial companies spinning out from biomedical research. 

    A report to be considered on Monday (Feb 17) shows that £2.44 million of funding has been awarded to Dundee City Council from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) for 2025-26. 

    Councillors will hear that over the last three years, the council has used UKSPF to support the delivery of key economic development interventions. 

    These include Discover Work, the Dundee Partnership’s employability programme, and local business support through Business Gateway.   

    To ensure that these services can continue to deliver to clients without interruption, and that staff are retained, it is necessary to confirm the ongoing funding for these projects at the earliest opportunity.   

    Delivery models including Challenge Funds, partnership approaches, procured services and regionally focused initiatives would remain the same as previous years. 

    Meanwhile, a separate report recommends the use of legacy funding from the  Business Loans Scotland scheme to bolster the city’s life sciences sector. 

    Opening of the Dundee Life Sciences Innovation Hub in 2025 creates an imperative to maximise the pipeline of spinout companies and to remove barriers to translating innovative research into commercial opportunity and job creation. 

    Councillors are being asked to give the go-ahead to the reinvestment of the £137,000 legacy funding into a Proof of Concept (POC) Fund Programme in partnership with University of Dundee, with the aim of catalysing life science and healthcare sector spinout companies. 

    They will hear that the pilot phase of the POC scheme has been funded in 2024/2025 by £100,000 from Dundee’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocation matched in kind by Dundee University. 

    Both reports will be considered by the Fair Work, Economic Growth and Infrastructure Commitee at its next meeting. 

    Committee convener Councillor Steven Rome said: “We are determined to improve the economy of Dundee through a range of measures with our partners and these two reports show the efforts we are making. 

    “UKSPF has enabled us to deliver key employability programmes, and city partners are focusing on key issues such as increasing the number of our young people in positive destinations. 

    “This is a crucial initiative for the future of our city. 

    “We also want to see academic innovation translated into commercial success, and the Proof of Concept programme will help fledgling companies to find their way.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Foreign students of the State University of Management opened a “Window to Africa”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On February 9, 2025, the African Culture Festival “Window to Africa” was held at the Moscow House of Nationalities with the support of the Department of National Policy and Interregional Relations of the City of Moscow. It was dedicated to the traditions and art of African countries, as well as cultural exchange between countries. Foreign students of the State University of Management took part in the Festival.

    Cultural cooperation has acquired special significance after the Russia-Africa summit in 2023 and the intensification of bilateral ties. The opening of the Festival was attended by the director of the Moscow House of Nationalities Sergey Anufrienko, the president of the Cameroonian diaspora in Russia “DIASPOCAM” Louis Gouend. The event brought together more than 400 people, including representatives of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, diplomatic missions, other official structures and African diasporas.

    At the Festival, the State University of Management was represented by foreign students from Africa, China, Vietnam, and Syria. SUM students took an active part in the events. They attended national music and dance performances, lectures by Kassae Nygusie Wolde Mikael, professor of the Department of Theory and History of International Relations at the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba, and learned a lot of new information about the history and geography of African countries. SUM foreign students also took part in various master classes on traditional African dances, mastered the skills of braiding African braids with Kanekalons, played African drums, learned the art of wearing an African scarf with a child on the back in a traditional style, and tried the delights of African cuisine. The Festival featured an exhibition of national African clothing, which could be tried on for bright photos.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 02/11/2025

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Vladimir Stroyev took part in the discussion of the Strategy of Russian Education at the State Duma meeting

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On February 11, 2025, the State Duma of the Russian Federation held a “government hour” on the development of the Strategy for Russian Education, in which the rector of the State University of Management Vladimir Stroyev took part.

    The speakers of the discussion were the Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov, the Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov, the head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs Grigory Gurov, the Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Science and Higher Education Sergey Kabyshev and also the leaders of political factions. In addition, the meeting was attended in person and via videoconference by representatives of the rector’s and scientific communities, experts in the field of education from 89 regions of Russia.

    The strategy for the development of the education system in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2036 with a perspective up to 2040 is being developed on the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.

    The head of the Ministry of Education and Science, Valery Falkov, told those gathered about the development of a new list of specialties that corresponds to the changing technological order and modern requirements of the labor market.

    “The world is changing rapidly, and there is a growing demand for fundamentally new specialists. We will respond to this demand with new specialties. Such as, for example, “Design and operation of unmanned mobile systems”, “Additive technologies”, “Design and operation of high-speed traffic systems”, – said Valery Falkov.

    State educational standards will be adapted to the new model of higher education and the list of specialties. The Strategy also implies the convergence of secondary vocational and higher education. The share of practical training will be increased, and the best graduates of secondary vocational education will be given the opportunity to enroll in shortened higher education programs, but only in full-time form. Accordingly, the involvement of employers in higher education will also be increased, for which purpose a bill on educational and methodological associations has been submitted to the State Duma, in whose activities representatives of employers will directly participate.

    The Minister of Science and Higher Education also reported that the most important priority of the new Strategy will be university teachers: “We will focus on social support measures, a system of material incentives, advanced training and, of course, reducing various types of workload.”

    Valery Falkov emphasized that the right to receive educational loans at a rate of 3% will be granted first of all to those applying for specialties that are a priority for solving state problems: future engineers, doctors, teachers and specialists in natural sciences. This initiative has already been supported by Vladimir Putin.

    Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov informed deputies that from September 1, 2026, Russian schools will switch to new state textbooks on subjects such as history, social studies, and the foundations of spiritual and moral culture of Russia.

    The head of the Ministry of Education also drew attention to the need to increase the authority and status of teachers. The new Strategy for Russian Education will reflect the tasks of increasing teachers’ salaries and reducing their workload.

    The head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs, associate professor of the Department of State and Municipal Administration of the State University of Management Grigory Gurov noted that the environment that surrounds children and young people is becoming an important component of educational work.

    “Of course, great attention should be paid to the digital environment, in which young people are now spending more and more time. And of course, the structure of information consumption is inevitably changing. Unreliable information, more frequent cases of bullying in the online space and aggressive behavior require coordinated decisions and joint actions from us,” said Grigory Gurov.

    Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Science and Higher Education Sergei Kabyshev pointed out that the development of the Education Development Strategy is one of the key elements in the implementation of national goals and a special instrument of strategic state planning.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 02/11/2025

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM Members Hone Arbitration Skills at Winpisinger Center

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    IAM activists are always training. The Advanced Arbitration program, which is designed to improve participants’ skills in writing post-hearing briefs and preparing cases up front, recently took place.

    Nine Participants wrote a complete post-hearing brief and worked with actual IAM case studies to develop a theory of the case and opening statements for complex contract interpretation issues.

    Watch the video report here.

    IAM Rail Division Special Representative Juan Estrada was very impressed with the training at the Winpisinger Education Center. 

    “I learned a lot of good tactics and how to prepare for coming arbitration,” said Estrada. “Our Winpisinger Center staff was a tremendous help and I would encourage others to take the class”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Four Future Eye Doctors Meet Their Match

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Four fourth-year UConn medical school students have matched early into their residency training programs in ophthalmology.

    “This is our largest ophthalmology match yet,” shared Dr. Marilyn Katz, assistant dean for Student Affairs, as UConn School of Medicine had three students in 2019 and three in 2020 choose to enter the ophthalmology field.

    Christopher Edwards, 30, of Glastonbury has excitedly early matched to his ophthalmology residency training program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

    “It’s a great relief to know where I’m heading for the next four years. I’m incredibly happy to have matched at Dartmouth,” says Edwards who was inspired to pursue ophthalmology after seeing the profound impact of vision loss on patients’ lives.

    “I was particularly moved by how therapeutic treatments and surgical procedures could restore sight and significantly improve quality of life,” Edwards shares. “I’m looking forward to working alongside the amazing faculty and residents at Dartmouth and continuing to care for the people of New England as an ophthalmologist.”

    Fellow future ophthalmologist Michael Li, 26, of West Hartford is excited and relived to learn of his residency match to Brown University early.

    “I loved my time at UConn and will always be a Husky at heart but I’m excited for my next chapter!” says Li. “It’s definitely a big relief to know early, and I’m excited to see where all of my classmates will be in a month!”

    The rest of the Class of 2025 will learn their residency program destinies together on National Match Day on Friday, March 21 when they rip open their white envelopes for the big reveal in the Academic Rotunda at UConn Health.

    Soon-to-be UConn made doctors and future ophthalmologists: Christopher Edwards, Sarishka Desai, Michael Li, and Margaret Boudreau (February 10 2025/Tina Encarnacion/UConn Health Photo).

    “I always knew that I wanted to pursue a surgical field, but what I love about ophthalmology is being able to follow patients long-term and form relationships as well as having the ability to intervene with precise action when necessary,” Li says who is also excited about taking some well-deserved time off to travel before the start of his residency.

    “Both of my grandmas have been in China waiting to see me for the past 9 years and a reunion is long overdue,” he heartwarmingly concludes.

    Sarishka Desai, 25, of Darien is thrilled to have matched to Tufts/New England Eye Center.

    “I’m incredibly excited to have matched into a fantastic program!” says Desai who was drawn to ophthalmology because of the unique balance between clinical care and surgery, as well as the opportunity to build long-term relationships with her patients.

    “Vision is such an important sense and I’m honored to enter this field. I’ve been fortunate to learn from some of the best mentors, who have not only guided me but also pushed me to become the best medical student and future resident I could be,” says Desai.

    She concludes, “Now, I can’t wait to celebrate with my classmates and cheer them on as they find out where they’re headed next.”

    Maggie Boudreau, 27, of Wilton matched to the University of Virginia, and is also looking forward to celebrating with her classmates as they find out their match results in March on Match Day.

    She’s been inspired to enter ophthalmology thanks to her Clinical Longitudinal Immersion in the Community (CLIC) program experience. This cornerstone of the curriculum gives UConn medical students the unique opportunity to work side by side with physician preceptors across the state in the clinic for three years.

    “I was inspired by my CLIC preceptor. He knew I enjoyed doing procedures and had watched me grow in the clinic, and recommended ophthalmology to me,” says Boudreau. “I am looking forward to meeting my first patients.”

    Boudreau concludes, “I have really enjoyed the past four years. The faculty’s dedication to our learning and success stands out to me every day.”

    Edwards also couldn’t agree more.

    “My experience at UConn School of Medicine has been incredibly educational, thanks to the exceptional faculty members throughout the preclinical and clinical years. I’m very grateful for their guidance and mentorship, which has been invaluable in preparing me for my future medical career,” Edwards said.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Statement from the 11th Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    • English
    • Cymraeg

    Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens chaired the eleventh Tata Steel/Port Talbot Transition Board in February 2025.

    The Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board met on 6 February 2025.

    The Secretary of State for Wales and Chair of the Transition Board, Rt Hon Jo Stevens MP, sought endorsement from the Board to announce £8.2 million for the South Wales Industrial Transition from Carbon Hub (SWITCH). This project will support more than 100 jobs and generate more than £87 million for the South Wales economy, supporting the Government’s Plan for Change and economic growth mission.

    This is the first project to receive funding as part of the growth and regeneration projects in Port Talbot. A collaboration between Swansea University, Cardiff University and the University of South Wales, with industry and public sector partners. The Transition Board funding is in addition to the £20 million from the Swansea Bay City Deal. SWITCH will deliver research to support and join up the decarbonisation transition. The announcement of further growth and regeneration projects are due to follow.

    Today’s release of money is the fourth announcement from the UK Government’s £80m Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board fund which, since last July, has announced £51 million to support individual steelworkers and businesses in Tata Steel’s supply chain to protect jobs and grow the local economy.

    The Board also discussed mental health support, and further information on the interventions being developed to support mental health in the community will be announced at the next Transition Board meeting on 27th of March, following a mental health pilot at the Neath Port Talbot Council Support Hub in Aberafan Shopping Centre.

    The Board also received updates on:

    • Tata Steel UK’s decarbonisation programme;
    • The Department of Business and Trade’s plans for a steel strategy;
    • The Community Union Support Hub for affected workers; and
    • The Transition Board funds that have already been announced, including applications received for the Supply Chain fund, and support being provided from the Employment and Skills fund.

    Those in attendance included: Rt Hon Jo Stevens MP, Secretary of State for Wales; Rebecca Evans MS, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning in the Welsh Government; Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Department; Cllr Steve K Hunt, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council; Frances O’Brien, CEO of Neath Port Talbot Council; Rajesh Nair, CEO of Tata Steel UK; Stephen Kinnock, MP for Aberafan Maesteg; David Rees, MS for Aberavon; Tom Giffard, MS for the region of South Wales West; Luke Fletcher MS for the region of South Wales West; Sarah Williams-Gardener; Anne Jessopp CBE; Katherine Bennett CBE independent members of the Board; Alun Davies, National Officer for Steel & Metals, Community Union and Jason Bartlett, Regional Officer for Unite the Union.

    ENDS

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    Published 11 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why are migrants dying trying to cross into the US? These are the 3 main risks they face

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Marni LaFleur, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of San Diego

    An altar set at the U.S.-Mexico border wall in Baja, Calif., in November 2024 honors migrants who died trying to reach the U.S. Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images

    President Donald Trump closed much of the activity at the U.S.-Mexico border in January 2025, making it impossible for migrants who arrive at a U.S. port of entry to apply for asylum. Trump’s border policies are likely to make it far more difficult and dangerous for migrants trying to reach the U.S. – but won’t deter all people who want to cross the U.S.-Mexico border without legal authorization.

    The number of migrants crossing from Mexico into the U.S. without legal authorization dropped dramatically in 2024. But for a long time, crossing the U.S.-Mexico border by land has been the world’s deadliest migration route.

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection recovered the remains of 10,784 migrants from 1988 through 2024.

    This figure is an estimate of the total number of migrants who have died trying to cross from Mexico into the U.S. – there is no centralized system or organization that tracks migrant deaths, or any federal laws guiding authorities on how to manage the remains of migrants.

    Many other dead migrants are also never found.

    I am a professor of anthropology and have spent the past several years trying to understand how and why migrants die trying to enter the U.S.

    Stranded migrants who are now staying in Mexican border towns and others with plans to still try to illegally cross into the U.S. might pursue increasingly dangerous ways to enter the country.

    Research shows that there are three main reasons why migrants die trying to reach the U.S. from Mexico. First, migrants are often exposed to extreme weather conditions. Second, they drown in rivers or other bodies of water. Third, they could also experience blunt force trauma because of falls or motor vehicle accidents.

    A body of a man is found by the Rio Grande in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on March 28, 2024.
    David Peinado/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Environmental exposure is common and dangerous

    Migrants coming from Central and South America often travel to the U.S. in groups, typically with the help of a guide, called a coyote, they pay to help them.

    They may spend days or weeks walking through remote areas without access to shelter or fresh food and clean water. They might sleep outdoors in very cold weather and walk during extreme heat. This can cause hypothermia or hyperthermia.

    One of those remote areas is the Sonoran Desert, which spans the southwest U.S. into northwest Mexico. It is divided by the U.S.-Mexico border and is one of the hottest places on Earth. Ambient temperatures can soar to or above 118 degrees Fahrenheit, or 48 degrees Celsius.

    As part of the strategy to stop migrants from coming to the U.S., Customs and Border Protection does not place many officers in the depths of the desert along the border. The government’s 1994 migration “prevention through deterrence” strategy explains that because the desert itself poses mortal danger to individuals, it is unnecessary to guard the land.

    With border barriers, video surveillance, bright lights and many patrol agents closer to more populated areas along the U.S.-Mexico border, migrants can view the desert as a viable alternative for entering the U.S. Deterrent practices have been found to not stop migrants from trying to enter the U.S., but they do increase the number of migrants who die trying to do so.

    Even migrants who are near help or are rescued from the desert may not recover from exposure to extreme temperatures. In 2023, for example, a 9-year-old migrant boy died from organ failure after authorities found him along the Arizona border.

    Drowning poses another risk

    Drowning is another leading cause of death for migrants trying to reach the U.S.

    In California, for example, the 82-mile-long All-American Canal runs parallel to the U.S.-Mexico border. Although the canal doesn’t look particularly dangerous, it is deep, cold, fast-moving and has steep concrete edges that are difficult to scale. Migrants might not be able to swim, or others, particularly women and children, are not strong enough to withstand the force of the currents.

    Areas of the Rio Grande, a river that divides the U.S. and Mexico in some areas of Texas, have become hot spots for migrant drownings. Approximately 1,107 migrants died trying to cross this river between 2017 to 2023. The river is fast and deep and is filled with rocks and heavy vegetation that make crossing difficult.

    Additionally, in an effort to further deter migrant crossing at Eagle Pass, an area of the Rio Grande, the Texas National Guard installed more than 100 miles of razor wire along the river’s banks in 2024. They set up a large string of oversized orange buoys in the water, creating what the federal government called a navigation obstruction for migrants.

    These tactics have sparked larger debates on how to handle migration, and which government agency is responsible for preventing people from crossing into the country, or apprehending them when they do so.

    In 2024, a Mexican woman and her two children tried to cross the Rio Grande but struggled to do so. As Customs and Border Protection agents prepared to rescue the distressed and drowning individuals, the Texas National Guard prevented rescue attempts. The family died from drowning, and their bodies were later recovered.

    Blunt force trauma

    Another leading cause of death of migrants is falling from heights or experiencing car accidents.

    At the California border region alone, approximately 20% of migrant deaths were due to blunt force trauma between 2018 through 2023. This rate rose after the 2020 expansion of the border wall, which now spans 741 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. In total, the border is nearly 2,000 miles.

    In one incident in Texas in 2020, a pregnant 19-year-old Guatemalan woman died after falling from the border wall, which ranges from 18 to 30 feet. Medical authorities were unable to save the fetus.

    In Texas, between 2021 and 2023, high-speed chases by immigration officials led to the deaths of 74 people. Some individuals were ejected from moving vehicles, while others were hit by fast-moving vehicles. Another particularly deadly accident occurred in 2021 in Holtville, California, when an SUV transporting 25 migrants collided with a semitruck. Thirteen migrants were killed.

    Migrants from Colombia sleep outside in Jacumba, Calif., after crossing into the U.S. in May 2023.
    Gregory Bull/Associated Press

    ‘Prevention through deterrence’

    For more than 30 years, the U.S. government has tried to prevent migrants from reaching the U.S. through different strategies, like deploying Border Patrol agents or building walls.

    There are many practical and policy-based interventions that would make it safer for migrants to cross through the U.S. and Mexico deserts. For example, water stations along known migration routes of the desert save lives.

    Regardless of how the Trump administration tries to stop migrants from reaching the U.S., people will likely still try to come and embark on unsafe journeys to do so – and I will continue to track their experiences and deaths.

    Marni LaFleur received funding from the National Science Foundation. I am the founder and director of a California registered 501 (c)(3) called Lemur Love (EIN 48-1174852).

    – ref. Why are migrants dying trying to cross into the US? These are the 3 main risks they face – https://theconversation.com/why-are-migrants-dying-trying-to-cross-into-the-us-these-are-the-3-main-risks-they-face-246108

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp Announces State Court Judge and County Solicitor Appointments

    Source: US State of Georgia

    Atlanta, GA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced the following appointments: Mason Rountree to the Paulding County State Court and Melissa Poole as the Solicitor General of Long County.

    Mason B. Rountree is a native Georgian and founding partner of Rountree Law Firm in Paulding County, where he practiced primarily non-domestic civil litigation, misdemeanor criminal defense, and small business law. Rountree graduated from the University of Georgia with a business degree in economics and from Georgia State University College of Law. While attending law school, Rountree interned for Georgia Supreme Court Justices George Carley and Hugh Thompson. Upon graduating with his J.D., he served as the law clerk in the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit for the Honorable Superior Court Judges Arthur Fudger; William A. Foster, III; and Marion Cummings. Rountree joined the law firm of Brock, Clay, Wilson & Rogers in Cobb County in 1996 as a civil litigation associate before forming his law firm in 1999. He also previously served part-time as Judge of the City of Dallas. Rountree and his wife, Ana, have four children, one grandchild, and enjoy spending time on the water looking for wildlife on the Georgia coast and exploring their bat cave in west Georgia.  

    Melissa Poole currently serves as an assistant district attorney for the Atlantic Judicial Circuit and a solicitor for the City of Richmond Hill. Poole received her bachelor’s degree in international studies from Mount Vernon College and her J.D. from Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law. After graduation, she served as a law clerk in the Oconee Judicial Circuit. Poole then joined the firm King & Spalding before joining the District Attorney’s Office in 2001. She has also worked as a certified mediator in the Atlantic Judicial Circuit. Poole has three children and is involved in their schools, including serving on both the parent’s council and the booster club.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Hackers Ramp Up Efficiency, Speed, and Scale in 2024, Targeting Business of All Sizes

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COLUMBIA, Md., Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hackers are getting faster, craftier, and harder to spot. Today, Huntress, the cybersecurity company purpose-built to protect businesses of all sizes, exposes their playbook with the Huntress 2025 Cyber Threat Report, an extensive analysis of hacker activity that draws insights from over three million endpoints across thousands of organizations. The report reveals how threat actors adapted their tradecraft throughout 2024, using sophisticated tools and techniques across industries to maximize efficiency and profits.

    In 2024, the gap between attack sophistication on large and smaller businesses nearly disappeared. Hackers took the methods and strategies tested on larger companies and applied them to organizations of every size. Advanced evasion techniques—once exclusive to advanced persistent threats—became the new normal, including endpoint detection and response (EDR) tampering, bring your own vulnerable driver (BYOVD) privilege escalations, and User Account Control (UAC) bypasses.

    The takedown of major ransomware groups like LockBit and Dharma didn’t slow down attacks either—it opened the door for smaller, more agile groups and rebranded operations. Among them, Lynx—which shares many similarities with and is widely believed to be a rebranding of INC ransomware—RansomHub, a sub-group of LockBit, and Akira all ramped up their activity significantly compared to 2023.

    Over the past year, Huntress tracked ransomware incidents from Lynx, Akira, and RansomHub, with incidents from these groups increasing by 7.9%, 11.6%, and 15.3%, respectively. By giving affiliates higher percentage payouts, often reaching 80–90% of the ransom, and pursuing a quantity-over-quality approach, the three collectively accounted for 54% of all ransomware incidents observed by Huntress in 2024. These groups used ‘smash-and-grab’ tactics, quickly deploying ransomware, demanding payment, and hitting their goals with swift and efficient network infiltration to minimize dwell time and evade detection. While the average time-to-ransom (TTR)—the time from initial access to ransomware deployment—was shy of 17 hours, Akira and RansomHub’s came in around six hours, with Lynx not far behind at seven hours.

    “Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) groups like Lynx, Akira, and RansomHub have industrialized cybercrime, adopting a ‘quantity over quality’ approach to maximize profits. By providing affiliates with streamlined playbooks and toolkits, they’ve made launching attacks deceptively simple and incredibly lucrative,” said Greg Linares, Principal Threat Intelligence Analyst. “The rise of RaaS groups such as these has led to increased attacks on businesses of all sizes with sophisticated techniques, once reserved for attacks on large enterprises, now becoming commonplace.”

    Key trends in the Huntress 2025 Cyber Threat Report include:

    • Education, healthcare, and technology industries were top targets: Education was the most targeted industry by hackers in 2024, making up 21% of all attacks, followed by healthcare (17%) and technology (12%). Hackers used tactics like credential theft, abuse of remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools, and malicious updates disguised as legitimate software to infiltrate educational institutions. Education is often seen as an easy target due to a reliance on shared networks, outdated systems, and lower security budgets, combined with the wealth of sensitive data, like student records and research, that makes these institutions top targets. Beyond that, the potential to disrupt learning processes and administrative functions also puts schools and universities under intense pressure to resolve attacks quickly, often forcing them into ransom payments.
    • Infostealers drove initial access and ransomware attacks: Infostealers accounted for nearly a quarter (24%) of all observed incidents, highlighting their role in harvesting credentials, financial data, and sensitive information. Even adware and other unwanted programs, once seen as harmless infections, now have infostealing features that take sensitive data, contributing to a rise in infostealer incidents. Threat actors like Initial Access Brokers (IABs) regularly use infostealers to sell access to businesses, grouping them based on what gets stolen and increasing prices based on the freshness of the data, type of data (like session tokens), and target. Some IABs cherry-pick high-value data to sell to ransomware groups, earning percentages of ransom payments as a finder’s fee.
    • Hackers maximized efficiency with automation: The majority (87%) of attacks in 2024 were automated or helped by automated tools, with hackers using malware, scripts, and other automated methods to conduct widespread, low-effort campaigns efficiently. Once attackers got access, they moved to more focused hands-on-keyboard (HOK) activity, representing 13% of activity, where manual actions like lateral movement or domain enumeration were executed. HOK activity spiked in February, June, July, and November 2024, with activity most common between 12:00 UTC and 20:00 UTC—aligning with US East Coast business hours. This timing suggests attackers exploit normal business activity as a cover or need active devices and personnel for social engineering tactics.
    • Phishing attacks grew more sophisticated: Phishing is still a key tool for initial access and reconnaissance, with attackers moving towards more sophisticated tactics like QR code phishing and Living Off Trusted Sites (LoTS). QR code phishing—where users are sent an email with a QR embedded that directs to a malicious site—accounted for 8.1% of phishing emails, while 7% involved LoTS, a tactic that abuses legitimate platforms to share malicious documents. These advanced techniques mark a shift toward more targeted and deceptive strategies designed to exploit trust and evade traditional email filters.

    “Hacker tradecraft is evolving fast, with ransomware groups growing bolder, attacks becoming harder to detect, and phishing scams reaching new levels of sophistication,” added Jamie Levy, Director, Adversary Tactics. “To stay ahead, organizations need a well-rehearsed incident response plan, ongoing vulnerability assessments, timely patching, and security awareness training that actually sticks. Key controls like endpoint detection and response, network segmentation, and identity and access management are also critical to minimizing risk. With ransomware deployed within hours of initial access, taking proactive steps now is essential to minimizing the impact of a breach.”

    Additional resources:

    • Get your copy of the Huntress 2025 Cyber Threat Report for insights on ransomware strategies, hacker activity, common tools and techniques, and more.
    • Register for the webinar, “Breaking Down The Huntress 2025 Threat Report” on March 3, 2025, for insights from our experts on the latest cyber trends, shady tactics, and tradecraft we exposed in the Huntress 2025 Cyber Threat Report.
    • Learn how Huntress protects endpoints, identities, and more with managed detection, investigation, and response.
    • Read the Huntress Blog to stay updated on the latest tradecraft and tips to protect your business.

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

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

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

    Huntress Contact:
    Aaron Deal
    press@huntresslabs.com

    The MIL Network –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The Home of St Patrick Festival Returns to Honour our Patron Saint

    Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

    – Armagh is the only city in the world with two cathedrals named in his honour –

    Armagh City – the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland and the only city in the world with two cathedrals dedicated to St Patrick – is gearing up to welcome thousands of visitors for its Home of St Patrick Festival.

    The week-long celebration, taking place from Sunday 09 March to Monday 17 March, will honour the life and legacy of the island’s patron saint with an exciting line-up of music, art, theatre, and cultural experiences that promise to captivate and inspire.

    Steeped in history, Armagh is uniquely connected to St Patrick, who established his first stone church in the city in 445AD. The iconic city provides the perfect backdrop to understand why he brings such meaning to people here, and the profound influence he left on the culture and heritage of this island.

    Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Councillor Sarah Duffy, said,

    “The Home of St Patrick Festival is one of the island’s premier cultural and historical events, and we’re delighted to welcome visitors to Armagh once again. St Patrick began his mission here, and with two cathedrals named in his honour, our city offers an unparalleled connection to him. For local and international visitors looking to connect with Ireland’s heritage, there’s no better place to explore and celebrate the legacy of our patron saint.

    “This year’s festival features an exciting mix of music, art, theatre, film, dance, and local food and drink, all celebrating St Patrick’s profound impact on Ireland and the world. Whether you’re a history enthusiast, interested in local culture, or seeking a family-friendly day out, the festival promises an authentic and immersive experience in the place St Patrick once called his ‘sweet little hill.”

    One of the most significant events in the festival’s programme is the Vigil Walk. The torch-led walk takes place on Sunday 16 March at 7.30pm and connects Armagh’s two breathtaking Cathedrals – St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral and St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cathedral – in a symbolic reflection of St Patrick’s own journey to unite people through Christianity.

    Guided walking tours of the Cathedrals and surrounding areas will also take place throughout the festival and offer insights into why St Patrick chose Armagh to build his first stone church, along with stories, myths, and legends from his time here.

    On St Patrick’s morning, Monday 17 March, Navan Centre and Fort will explore what drew the saint to the area to build his first church as it hosts its Dawn Light event. Through drama and live music, the event will bring to life the ancient story of St Patrick’s arrival, and how he asked the local chieftain, Daire, for the Hill of the Sallows to build a church.

    Organised by the local community, the festivities will culminate with Armagh’s iconic parade on the Monday 17 March. Starting early afternoon, the parade will begin at the Christian Brothers’ School, joyously weaving its way through the city, pleasing onlookers with music, entertainment, and colourful displays.

    The Pilgrim’s Walk, a 132km (82-mile) trail that stretches from Navan Fort in Armagh to Down Cathedral in Downpatrick is a once-in-a-lifetime experience inspired by St Patrick’s time in the area. While this sacred walk is a special feature of the festival, it can also be enjoyed throughout the year, offering visitors the unique opportunity to retrace St Patrick’s steps and connect with the spiritual journey he once made.

    Whilst the festival is very much an ode to and reflection of St Patrick, it is also a celebration of the vibrant and unique cultural spirit of the region.

    Why not make a weekend of it? From Friday 14 March to Sunday 16 March, Armagh’s live Irish music trail will fill the city’s welcoming pubs with vibrant performances by artists like Gary Owen and Eoin Ogs Kelly. The lively atmosphere continues on Friday 14 March with St. Patrick’s Shindig in Market Square, featuring electrifying performances from popular Irish bands The High Stool Prophets, Pure Blarney, and The Reillys. A stunning concert by Malachy Cush at St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cathedral will kick-off the festival on Sunday 09 March. Other events include an enchanting performance by the vocal ensemble SYSTIR at St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral on Saturday 15 March and the contemporary Irish dance show JigJazz on Sunday 16 March, which promises to leave audiences spellbound.

    Sara McGeary, Tourism Manager at Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council said:

    “St Patrick is known around the world, but Armagh is where his story truly began. It was here that St Patrick began his mission and with two cathedrals bearing his name, our city offers an authentic connection to his story. For centuries, Armagh has been a place of pilgrimage and celebration, and our festival proudly continues that tradition. This year’s diverse programme—featuring everything from live music trails to sunrise storytelling at Navan—ensures there’s something for everyone to enjoy, all while honouring St Patrick’s enduring influence.”

    Don’t miss the chance to immerse yourself in the spirit and legacy of St. Patrick in the city where it all began! For full details of the 2025 Home of St Patrick Festival programme click here.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City’s inspirational women honoured as historic plaques unveiled

    Source: City of Leeds

    The names of inspirational women who made their mark on Leeds have been officially etched in history today.

    In a landmark project, plaques honouring the names of six trailblazing women from the city’s past were unveiled in the prestigious council chamber of Leeds Civic Hall.

    Taking their rightful place alongside the names of men who already feature, they have become the very first women to be permanently added to the chamber walls since the building opened in 1933.

    The project is aimed at recognising the extraordinary accomplishments of women in Leeds and the unique contribution they have made to the city’s story.

    Their names were chosen after a public consultation and confirmed by members of the council’s executive board.

     The plaques unveiled today bear the names of:

    • The Barnbow Lasses: These women worked in the Barnbow Munitions Factory, where 35 women and girls were tragically killed in an explosion during the First World War. It remains the single biggest loss of life in the city’s history.
    • Leonora Cohen OBE: A pioneer of the Suffragette movement, born in Leeds. She was famously arrested for smashing a glass case containing a royal insignia at the Tower of London in protest against the government’s position on a woman’s right to vote.
    • Gertrude Paul: A founding member of the Leeds West Indian Carnival and the first black head teacher in Leeds. She also founded the Leeds International Women’s Group, the Afro Asian Organisation and the United Caribbean Association.
    • Alice Bacon MP CBE: The city’s first female MP, as a minister in the Home Office in the 1960s she oversaw the introduction of substantial societal changes, including the abolition of the death penalty, the decriminalisation of homosexuality and the legalisation of abortion.
    • Beryl Burton OBE: Racing cyclist who dominated the sport in the UK and abroad, winning more than 90 domestic championships and seven world titles and setting numerous national records.
    • Ivy Benson: Born in Holbeck, Benson was a saxophonist and bandleader, who led an all-female swing band. Benson’s band were the first entertainers to be invited to perform at the VE celebrations in Berlin in 1945.

    Attending today’s unveiling ceremony was Heather Paul, daughter of Gertrude Paul, who said: “Today is a great day honouring all the women, and a celebration of everyone who worked with Gertrude Paul and those whom she supported. She was a woman who believed in collective action, galvanising young and old to promote equity not only in education but in all public services.  

    “Her strong vision for reform meant she was strategically excellent in making an impact with sustainable projects. She worked tirelessly with voluntary organisations and volunteers beyond the school gate, locally and nationally to ensure that antiracist activism influenced institutional processes and practices.

    “She was particularly influential in raising the bar for student attainment in Chapeltown and South Leeds. Proud of her identity as a Black woman of African Caribbean heritage, arriving as a young, qualified teacher meant that she shared her exceptional talents, her concept of hope and belief in optimism with her community and anyone who shared experiences of discrimination based on skin colour, disabilities, class, gender or being seen as different throughout their lives.

    “It is a proud moment for her name to be added to the council chamber, especially for the diverse groups of people who worked with her collectively. Her vision and impact continue to make a difference to many people generationally.”

    When Leeds Civic Hall was built in 1933, men who had a close association with Leeds or who contributed in a significant way to the history of the city saw their names added to the walls of the council chamber.

    More recently the council has been working to ensure women from the city’s past are also recognised.

    Councillor Debra Coupar, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for resources, said: “The response to this project from the people of Leeds has been so overwhelmingly positive and it’s been clear from the outset that the city wants to see these remarkable women recognised for their accomplishments.

    “Each one of these names has played their own unique role in the story of Leeds, and it’s an honour and privilege for us to add them to the walls of the chamber today.

    “By creating a permanent tribute, we can ensure they continue to inspire future generations of Leeds women and girls and help them to know they can make a difference in their city and that anything is possible.”

    Funding for the project will come through savings from former chief executive Tom Riordan not taking a pay award for a number of years.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: LPL Financial Welcomes Lex Wealth Management

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN DIEGO, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LPL Financial LLC announced today that financial advisors Carmen M. Lex Jr., CFP®, RICP®, and Chris Lex, CRPC®, have joined LPL Financial’s broker-dealer, Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and custodial platforms. The brothers reported serving approximately $630 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets* and join LPL from Corebridge Financial, formerly Valic, a subsidiary of AIG.

    Based in Marlton, N.J., Carmen and Chris have built a reputation for delivering tailored investment strategies and quality service since they teamed up in 2014. They specialize in financial planning, and both have significant experience in pension and social security analysis, including the intricacies of the Public School Employees’ Retirement System. The Lex brothers credit their grandmother and parents as inspiration for their financial journey.

    “We had a lot of people who guided us to where we are today, especially our grandmother who taught us the importance of saving from a young age,” said Chris Lex. “That fueled our drive to help others with important financial decisions. We are committed to educating and empowering individuals and families to take control of their financial futures.”

    Why they made the move to LPL Financial

    After more than 15 years in the industry, Carmen and Chris realized their shared vision for delivering personalized, independent financial guidance. They decided to reshape their approach, prioritize independence and build a firm focused on providing tailored strategies and exceptional client service. This spurred their move to LPL and the creation of Lex Wealth Management.

    “As we work with more clients in the distribution phases, we realized there are more personalized options available to us as independent advisors,” said Carmen. “By joining LPL Financial, we’ll benefit from innovative technology, strategic business resources, a comprehensive product selection and the support of an industry-leading wealth management firm. This move gives us everything we need to be better advisors and do right by our clients.”

    Scott Posner, LPL Executive Vice President, Business Development, said, “We extend a warm welcome to Carmen and Chris and congratulate them on the move to independence. With more freedom and flexibility, financial advisors who choose LPL are able to work more effectively, run thriving practices and create value for the evolving needs of their clients. We look forward to supporting Lex Wealth Management for years to come.”

    Related

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

    About LPL Financial

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

    Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Lex Wealth Management and LPL are separate entities.

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

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

    *Value approximated based on asset and holding details provided to LPL from end of year, 2024.

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

    Tracking #690597

    The MIL Network –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: QuEra Computing Completes $230M Financing to Accelerate Development of Large-Scale Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computers

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — QuEra Computing, the leader in neutral-atom quantum computing, today announced it has successfully completed a financing of more than $230 million. The funds will be used to accelerate the development and production of large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers, reinforcing the company’s position at the forefront of quantum innovation.

    The investment comes from new investors, including Google (previously announced), SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Valor Equity Partners, and others. They join QuEra’s existing investors, including QVT Family Office, Safar Partners, and all other major existing investors, who all participated. Of the $230M, $60 million will be received in the near future upon satisfying a prerequisite funding condition, currently in progress. This financing validates the considerable technical breakthroughs achieved by QuEra in collaboration with Mikhail Lukin, Markus Greiner, and their teams at Harvard, as well as Vladan Vuletic and his team at MIT. This financing was also made possible by QuEra’s commercial progress with major customers such as AIST, as well as the new strategic partnerships the company has cultivated.

    “This round represents a significant milestone for QuEra as we continue to deliver on our promise of scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computing,” said Andy Ory, Interim CEO of QuEra. “Since our last funding round in 2023, we have achieved impressive scientific, technical, and commercial milestones, which have dramatically increased the value of our business. This new investment will fuel our next phase of growth, enabling us to deliver large-scale quantum solutions that address critical business challenges for our customers.”

    “We believe quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize industries, and QuEra is at the forefront of making this technology accessible and transformative,” said Kentaro Matsui, Managing Partner of SoftBank Investment Advisers. “We are excited to support QuEra as it pioneers the next generation of computation, unlocking new possibilities in AI and beyond.”

    “As early backers of QuEra, we are pleased to both significantly increase our investment and to welcome this new group of outstanding investors,” said Arthur Chu, QuEra board member and managing member of QVT. “We believe that this new capital will allow QuEra to extend its technological and commercial leadership in fault-tolerant quantum computing.”

    Takuya Kitagawa, President of QuEra, says, “We are deeply grateful for the continued confidence of our existing investors and excited to welcome new strategic partners who believe in our team and share our long-term vision. Their support strongly advances our mission: to accelerate innovation by building scalable, useful, and fault-tolerant quantum computers.”

    Ed Durkin, CFO of QuEra, added, “We are pleased to announce this very significant and successful financing. All our major existing investors have shown strong support by participating in this transaction, and we are thrilled to welcome such high-quality and knowledgeable new strategic and financial investors like Google and SoftBank Vision Fund, who share our long-term vision. This funding structure, coupled with our growing organic revenue stream, provides flexibility as we hit our development targets and scale production and provides the Company with a very long financial runway over the next several years.”

    With this funding, QuEra will:

    • Accelerate the development of fault-tolerant quantum computer technology.
    • Rapidly expand its team of world-class scientists and engineers, with a focus on technical and scientific talent.
    • Strengthening build and test capacity to scale up and meet growing demand for high-performance neutral-atom computers.
    • Broaden its portfolio of application co-design, cloud, and on-premises engagements with global research organizations, Fortune 500 companies, and government programs.

    QuEra’s continued momentum highlights the growing market demand for fault-tolerant quantum systems, which are poised to revolutionize industries such as finance, pharmaceuticals, logistics, and cybersecurity.

    About QuEra
    QuEra Computing is the leader in developing and productizing quantum computers using neutral atoms, widely recognized as a highly promising quantum computing modality. Based in Boston and built on pioneering research from Harvard University and MIT, QuEra operates the world’s largest publicly accessible quantum computer, available over a major public cloud and for on-premises delivery. QuEra is developing useful, scalable and fault-tolerant quantum computers to tackle classically intractable problems, becoming the partner of choice in the quantum field. Simply put, QuEra is the best way to quantum. For more information, visit us at quera.com and follow us on X or LinkedIn.

    Media Contact
    Merrill Freund
    press@quera.com
    +1-415-577-8637

    The MIL Network –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: InStride Launches Capability Accelerators: Tailored Learning for Talent Development

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LOS ANGELES, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — InStride, a human capital management company providing workforce education solutions, today announced the launch of its Capability Accelerators. This solution, developed in partnership with some of America’s most innovative companies and leading academic institutions, delivers tailored, role-specific learning paths aligned with business strategy. By combining academic rigor with practical application, these cohort-based programs help top talent build skills that directly impact business performance.

    “L&D leaders are searching for education programs that deliver real business outcomes that they can measure,” said Craig Maloney, CEO of InStride. “InStride’s Capability Accelerators are co-designed with employers and academic partners to take employees through cohort- and role-based learning that helps advance their careers as it ties directly to business strategy.”

    Build skills, deliver results

    InStride’s solution addresses critical skills gaps and workforce demands.

    • Contextualized and role-specific academies: Customizable learning tracks built in collaboration with business leaders for specific roles, including first-line managers, manufacturing operations leaders, and early and mid-career healthcare leaders.
    • Interactive, cohort-based learning: Learners collaborate in dynamic, applied scenarios while receiving personalized coaching and feedback delivered by real experts and enhanced by advanced AI tools, ensuring rapid skill application and measurable improvement.
    • University content with real-world relevance: Programs blend rigorous academic insights with practical tools, equipping employees to tackle today’s challenges and drive innovation.

    “InStride is transforming workforce education by building a bridge between rigorous learning and the real-world, corporate context, making these programs highly relevant and impactful,” said Jeff Schulz, VP of Professional Services at InStride. “By focusing on role-specific capabilities and contextualized learning, we’re empowering organizations to build stronger talent pipelines specific to their unique context and prepare future leaders for success.”

    Early success stories

    InStride’s Capability Accelerators are already making strides in reshaping leadership and talent development:

    • Plant Management Accelerator: Created for a Fortune 500 global automotive technology company, this accelerator prepares aspiring plant leaders with skills in financial acumen, manufacturing innovation, and supply chain management, ensuring readiness for critical leadership roles.
    • Healthcare Frontline Leadership Accelerators: Designed for a multi-state health system with 40,000 employees and aimed at high-potential individual contributors and first-line managers, these programs build critical patient-centered leadership capabilities, strengthening manager and team performance, and driving internal talent retention and growth.

    These early examples illustrate how InStride’s customizable Capability Accelerators address businesses’ unique workforce challenges and strategic goals, offering an alternative to off-the-shelf leadership skill training.

    Meeting today’s L&D challenges

    The unique value of these programs lies in their ability to tackle the most common pain points faced by L&D leaders:

    1. Relevance: Programs are contextualized to each organization’s industry and roles, ensuring practical application of skills.
    2. Engagement: Cohort-based learning fosters collaboration and builds a culture of continuous education.
    3. Results: The solution delivers measurable business outcomes, from improved employee retention to faster promotion rates.

    Whether addressing leadership gaps, building manager capacity, developing AI fluency, or enhancing business acumen, InStride ensures that education investments translate into tangible impact for both employees and organizations.

    Learn more about InStride’s Capability Accelerators.

    About InStride
    InStride is a human capital management company that helps organizations retain talent, upskill employees, and fill critical workforce roles through education programs. By breaking down barriers to learning, fostering career growth aligned with organizational goals, and simplifying program management, InStride delivers lasting impact. Partnering with forward-thinking companies like Labcorp, Adidas, and SSM Health, InStride drives meaningful social and business outcomes by providing access to life-changing education. Visit instride.com or follow InStride on LinkedIn for more information and up-to-date news.

    Contact
    Maryam Sohraby, Chief Marketing Officer, maryam.sohraby@instride.com, 908-461-0796

    The MIL Network –

    February 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Learning a new language? Your mindset matters more than ‘having a knack’

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Xijia Zhang, Graduate Student, Department of Psychology, University of Alberta

    Know that every time you manage to learn a new word, or manage to get your message across in the language you are learning and you are improving. (Shutterstock)

    If you stumble when you need to talk to someone in a language that isn’t your native language, do you think: “I just don’t have the knack for languages” or “Maybe I am not cut out to learn another language?”

    Learning and using a language other than your mother tongue can be a daunting challenge. The good news is that everyone is smart enough to learn another language. An important part of that process is developing a mindset that will help you to succeed.

    What is a language mindset?

    We study people’s motivation to learn new languages from the perspective of language mindset theory. Language mindset theory shows that what people believe about aptitude has a role to play in language learning.

    This theory concerns learners’ beliefs about whether they can change their aptitude for learning and using languages, and how different beliefs are associated with different outcomes, including language proficiency.

    If learners think they can improve their ability when learning something hard about a new language, or when they didn’t do well in certain aspects of language learning, they won’t be scared off by thinking that their current level of ability is low.

    Learners may even feel that these difficulties or failures are chances to learn something new and to improve their language ability. They remain hopeful and confident about what they can potentially achieve in language learning. They focus on what they can do to improve their language skills through the learning process, rather than merely surviving the interaction, getting a good grade or doing better than other people.

    A growth or a fixed mindset

    Language mindset theory — pertaining to learners’ beliefs about their aptitude for learning and using languages — can be differentiated into three types of views:

    1. General language intelligence about whether a person believes they can change their ability to use spoken and written language to express themselves and communicate with others;

    2. Beliefs about their aptitude for learning a new language;

    3. Beliefs regarding whether their ability to learn a new language is in any way related to age.

    If a person thinks these three types of language aptitude are something they’re born with and cannot change, they could be classified as a learner with a fixed mindset.

    If they feel they can improve one or more of these aspects of language aptitude, and especially second-language aptitude, they could be characterized as a growth-mindset learner. Ultimately, learners with a growth mindset are likely to become more proficient in the language they are learning than a person with a fixed mindset.

    Our research shows that about 20 per cent of language learners have a growth mindset, another 20 per cent have a fixed mindset and the majority (60 per cent) have a mixed mindset.

    How teachers can help

    Although people are increasingly using digital apps like Duolingo, language courses remain a common way for people to learn languages — and language teachers can help learners develop a growth mindset.

    Teachers have a role promoting having a growth mindset.
    (Shutterstock)

    Teachers can help by reminding learners that they can improve their language intelligence through their efforts. For low-stakes assignments and tests, teachers can encourage learners to take risks and attempt new challenges and use these moments as an opportunity to learn something new.

    Teachers should also provide feedback that focuses on the learning process; for example, what types of learning strategies learners could use, whether they need to work harder and what resources could be helpful for their language learning.

    In this way, teachers convey an important message that it’s OK to make mistakes, and what learners do in the learning process matters more than how proficient they currently are. Even when learners are faced with high-stakes exams, teachers can still help learners connect the content of the exams to using the language in real-life communication.

    If teachers can create a classroom environment that fosters a growth language mindset, learners are more likely to continue learning the language.

    Mindset can shift, aptitude can grow

    If you are a language learner who finds yourself thinking that your language aptitude is fixed, it’s never too late to change your belief.

    Every time you master a new word, or acquire a new aspect of grammar or even just manage to get your message across to another person in the language you are learning, you are improving.

    If you are having a hard time learning a certain aspect of the language, try using a different learning strategy, finding resources that can help you or simply giving yourself more time to practice. Remember, everyone is smart enough to learn a new language.

    Xijia Zhang is affiliated with the University of Alberta.

    Kimberly Noels works for the University of Alberta. She receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. Learning a new language? Your mindset matters more than ‘having a knack’ – https://theconversation.com/learning-a-new-language-your-mindset-matters-more-than-having-a-knack-246825

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 12, 2025
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