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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI Global: AI could help overcome the hurdles to making nuclear fusion a practical energy source

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tan Sui, Associate Professor (Reader), University of Surrey

    Efman / Shutterstock

    The pursuit of nuclear fusion as a clean, sustainable energy source represents one of the most challenging scientific and engineering goals of our time. Fusion promises nearly limitless energy without carbon emissions or long-living radioactive waste.

    However, achieving practical fusion energy requires overcoming significant challenges. These come from the heat generated by the fusion process, the radiation produced, the progressive damage to materials used in fusion devices and other engineering hurdles. Fusion systems operate under extreme physical conditions, generating data at scales that surpass the ability of humans to analyse.

    Nuclear fusion is the form of energy that powers the Sun. Existing nuclear energy relies on a process called fission, where a heavy chemical element is split to produce lighter ones. Fusion works by combining two light elements to make a heavier one.

    While physicists are able to initiate and sustain fusion for variable periods of time, getting more energy out of the process than the energy supplied to power the fusion device has been a challenge. This has so far prevented the commercialisation of this hugely promising energy source.

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a powerful and essential tool for managing the inherent challenges in fusion research. It holds promise for handling the complex data and convoluted relationships between different aspects of the fusion process. This not only enhances our understanding of fusion but also accelerates the development of new reactor designs.

    By addressing these hurdles, AI offers the potential to significantly compress timelines for the development of fusion devices, paving the way for the commercialisation of this form of energy.

    AI is reshaping fusion research across academic, government and commercial sectors, driving innovation and progress toward a sustainable energy future. For example, it can play a transformative role in addressing the challenges of developing materials for fusion reactors, which must withstand extreme thermal and neutron environments while maintaining structural integrity and functionality.

    By connecting datasets from different experiments, simulations and manufacturing processes, AI-driven models can generate reliable predictions and insights that can be acted on. A form of AI called machine learning can significantly accelerate the evaluation and optimisation of materials that could be used in fusion devices.

    These include the doughnut-shaped vessels called tokamaks used in magnetic confinement fusion (where magnetic coils are used to guide and control hot plasma – a state of matter – allowing fusion reactions to occur). The superheated plasma can damage the materials used in the interior walls of the tokamak, as well as irradiating them (making them radioactive).

    Machine learning involves the use of algorithms (a set of mathematical rules) that can learn from data and apply those lessons to unseen problems. Insights from this form of AI are critical for guiding the selection and validation of materials capable of enduring the harsh conditions within fusion devices. AI allows scientists to develop detailed simulations that enable the rapid evaluation of materials performance and their configurations within a fusion device. This helps ensure long-term reliability and cost efficiency.

    AI tools can help narrow the range of candidate materials for testing, characterise them based on their properties and perform real-time monitoring of those installed in fusion reactors. These capabilities enable the rapid screening and development of radiation-tolerant materials, reducing reliance on traditional, time-intensive approaches.

    Controlling plasma

    AI also offers a way to better control the plasma in fusion reactors. As discussed, a key challenge in magnetic confinement fusion is to shape and maintain the high-temperature plasma within the fusion device, often a tokamak vessel.

    However, the plasmas in these machines are inherently unstable. For example, a control system needs to coordinate the tokamak’s many magnets, adjust their voltage thousands of times per second to ensure the plasma never touches the walls of the vessel. This could lead to the loss of heat and potentially damage the materials inside the tokamak.

    Researchers from the UK-based company Google DeepMind have used a form of AI called deep reinforcement learning to keep the plasma steady and be used to accurately sculpt it into different shapes. This allows scientists to understand how the plasma reacts under different conditions.

    Meanwhile, a team at Princeton University in the US also used deep reinforcement learning to forecast disturbances in fusion plasma known as “tearing mode instabilities”, up to 300 milliseconds before they appear. Tearing instabilities are a leading form of disruption that can occur, stopping the fusion process. They happen when the magnetic field lines within a plasma break and create an opportunity for that plasma to escape the control system in a fusion device.

    My own collaboration with the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) addresses critical challenges in materials performance and structural integrity by integrating a variety of techniques, including machine learning models, for evaluating what’s known as the residual stress of materials. Residual stress is a measure of performance that’s locked into materials during manufacturing or operation. It can significantly affect the reliability and safety of fusion reactor components under extreme conditions.

    A key outcome of this collaboration is the development of a way of working that integrates data from experiments with a machine learning-powered predictive model to evaluate residual stress in fusion joints and components.

    This framework has been validated through collaborations with leading institutions, including the National Physical Laboratory and UKAEA’s materials research facility. These advancements provide efficient and accurate assessments of materials performance and have redefined the evaluation of residual stress, unlocking new possibilities for assessing the structural integrity of components used in fusion devices.

    This research directly supports the European Demonstration Power Plant (EU-DEMO)
    and the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) project, which aim to deliver a demonstration fusion power plant and prototype fusion power plant, respectively, to scale. Their success depends on ensuring the structural integrity of critical components under extreme conditions.

    By using many AI-based approaches in a coordinated way, researchers can ensure that fusion systems are physically robust and economically viable, accelerating the path to commercialisation. AI can be used to develop simulations of fusion devices that integrate insights from plasma physics, materials science, engineering and other aspects of the process. By simulating fusion systems within these virtual environments, researchers can optimise reactor design and operational strategies.

    Tan Sui would like to acknowledge funding from the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering under the Industrial Fellowships programme.

    – ref. AI could help overcome the hurdles to making nuclear fusion a practical energy source – https://theconversation.com/ai-could-help-overcome-the-hurdles-to-making-nuclear-fusion-a-practical-energy-source-247608

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Pakistani media misses stories about solutions during smog season

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rabia Qusien, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Alliance for a Sustainable Future, George Washington University, George Washington University

    It isn’t just hazy — it’s suffocating. During smog season in Lahore, Pakistan, something as simple as breathing can become a major health risk. People keep their windows shut to protect themselves, yet they can smell smoke even indoors.

    When we speak to family and colleagues in Pakistan by phone, they often have to break off, unable to speak because they are coughing and gasping due to the smog and particulate-laden air.

    This is normal for residents of many major cities in Pakistan. The smog has worsened in recent years. Fine particulate air pollution known as PM2.5 increased by 25% in 2024 compared to 2023.

    Smog started engulfing all major cities in Punjab, bringing life to a halt in major metropolitans. In November 2024, 129,229 patients visited hospitals due to respiratory diseases.

    Pakistan is the fourth most polluted country in the world, thanks mostly to the smog that descends on cities such as Lahore and Sheikhupura every winter. Conditions are so bad that life expectancy in these cities is seven years shorter than when World Health Organization’s air quality guideline are met.

    Our research into media representations of climate issues shows that the media has an important role in informing the public about the dangers and causes of smog. But often, the reporting leaves out the human toll and ignores the impacts on health and lifestyle.

    Clouded narratives

    We analysed 356 news stories related to smog in Pakistan during 2017 and 2019, which appeared in six newspapers. We found that the public health implications of smog were discussed in only 15% of stories – that includes any mention of precautionary measures such as wearing masks, moisturising skin (to build a barrier effect against environmental substance), eating a balanced diet (to maintain a healthy immune system), and reducing time spent outdoors when smog is heavy.

    Our research highlights how Pakistani media treats smog as a seasonal inconvenience, rather than a major public health emergency requiring urgent and sustainable attention.

    As we collected data, we found that news articles related to smog started appearing after the issue intensified in both English and Urdu newspapers. Most news editors, especially in Urdu newspapers, only seemed interested in smog-related stories during smog season which is from October to February, though haze hangs in the sky throughout the year.

    Pakistani media tended to attribute smog to local factors, including urbanisation, industrialisation, vehicle emissions, and the burning of waste or crops. The media remained critical of government efforts to reduce smog impacts but did not mention many sustainable policy options.

    There are other regional issues at play here, too. Given the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict, the Pakistani media blames smoke from stubble burning on the Indian side of the border for smog outbreaks, irrespective of the direction of prevailing winds.

    The media often covers the disastrous effects of smog, such as the strain on the economy, closure of schools, transport delays and utility supply disruptions. More than 20% of news reports in each newspaper were about such effects.

    However, the media published far fewer stories about the knock-on effects on human health and about communities that were vulnerable to smog, such as daily wage labourers working outdoors and inhaling toxic air.

    Smog through a solutions lens

    By adopting a more human-centred and solutions-journalism approach (rigorous reporting that’s focused on responses to particular social and environmental challenges), the media landscape in Pakistan could become much more comprehensive.

    Solutions-focused reporting of smogs should ideally cover environmental justice by showcasing how vulnerable communities are more affected by smog. With more human-centred story angles, the media can explain the health implications of smog.

    Linking routine actions, such as burning fossil fuels, crops and waste, to major health issues, such as respiratory disease is essential. Powerful storytelling can emphasise how mitigating those effects can benefit human health.

    Burning of crops to clear stubble after the harvest contributes to air pollution.
    Haani Pasha/Shutterstock

    Media coverage of sustainable solutions could be increased. Currently, the media focuses mainly on stories about short-term policy actions. That includes emphasising the ban on outdoor activities and holidays in schools or publishing stories about the number of registered cases against farmers burning crops. Stories might also cover tickets issued to smoke-emitting vehicles, industrial units sealed during smog season and the temporary pause to development projects to control smog.

    The 2019 media coverage we analysed highlighted sustainable solutions in just 12 instances. That included stories about tree planting, rooftop gardening and urban forestry. Although people mostly read and understand Urdu, the number of stories based on solutions journalism in Urdu newspapers is lower than in English newspapers.

    Solution-focused journalism can help demonstrate how stern policy action reduces environmental challenges and creates opportunities. For example, using crop stubble for cement production and knowing which trees are best for reducing air pollution.

    The road to improving public understanding of smog starts with increasing the scientific and environmental literacy of journalists in Pakistan. Once reporters and editors are more comfortable with the science, they will feel better equipped to craft solutions-focused narratives that engage their audiences in powerful stories about what is happening to air quality in Pakistan and other developing countries.

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

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Rabia Qusien receives funding from Dublin City University.

    David Robbins is affiliated with the Green Party of Ireland/Comhaontas Glas.

    – ref. How Pakistani media misses stories about solutions during smog season – https://theconversation.com/how-pakistani-media-misses-stories-about-solutions-during-smog-season-246084

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Brics: growth of China-led bloc raises questions about a rapidly shifting world order

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gabriel Silva Huland, Teaching Fellow, School of International Studies, University of Nottingham

    Brics has emerged as a significant international force since 2009 when it was established at a summit in Russia. What began as a five-member group encompassing Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is now expanding with the integration of five new members and eight new partner countries. Even more countries may be joining in the next few years.

    This growth raises essential questions about whether Brics will challenge the leadership of traditional powers such as the US, UK and the European Union.

    But analysts are also questioning how united the bloc really is and whether a perceived lack of unity constitutes an obstacle to the bloc’s expansion. Brics is undoubtedly diverse. Iran and Saudi Arabia compete as regional powers in the Middle East, Egypt and Ethiopia have had different conflicts around the Nile’s governance, and the skirmishes between China and India are well known.

    Yet, the bloc’s strength may reside in its capacity to integrate this diverse array of countries that are not fully aligned. Building loose international organisations might be the key to navigating international politics in these times of increasing polarisation.

    The rise of Brics must be contextualised within the ongoing competition between the US and China. The rivalry between the world’s two largest economies is likely to intensify in the coming years, shaping the contemporary global order. China’s announcement of a record US$1 trillion (£804 billion) trade surplus for 2024 and its solid 5% economic growth have bolstered the narrative that its development model represents an alternative to the US-sponsored neoliberal policies that have dominated much of the world in the past four decades.

    Political leaders and economic elites worldwide are closely observing the US-China competition – and most countries strive to maintain an equidistant approach. Countries traditionally within the US sphere of influence, including Brazil and Peru, have been cautiously moving towards China, attracted by the economic opportunities the Asian giant offers. Others previously in China’s orbit, like Vietnam, are working to maintain or expand their ties with the US.

    Brics countries represent 45% of the world’s population and about 35% of global GDP.
    Sunflowerr/Shutterstock

    China is unquestionably the driving force that holds Brics together. Without China, it wouldn’t have come into existence. All Brics countries share two key characteristics. They are global south countries that do not belong to the traditional group of hegemonic powers. And they have significant economic ties with China, especially through trade relations.

    Belt and road

    The official Brics narrative emphasises multilateralism, cooperation and fair global development. But in fact the group serves primarily as an instrument for China to project its power and influence. China achieves this through a combination of rhetoric and by using the bloc as a special trade platform linked to the “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI).

    Brics seeks to position itself as an alternative to US hegemony, promoting free trade and multilateralism. In times of political turbulence and the growth of illiberal forces, this narrative serves as a powerful legitimising tool for the group globally. But the group’s diversity also poses significant challenges to its rise as an alternative to the US-led global order. It is unlikely that Brics will evolve into a unified military alliance like Nato or a free trade area like Asean or the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA – formerly Nafta). The group’s diversity prevents it from acquiring these characteristics.

    Aware of this, China strategically uses Brics to increase its business opportunities and international influence. It maintains a fine balance between a loose bloc and a more solidified military or economic alliance. Contrary to the Cold War era, when the two superpowers, the US and the Soviet Union, had well-defined spheres of influence, the current world order appears to be shaped by loose, interconnected international blocs.

    Many of Brics member states are also partners with China in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
    Net Vector/Shutterstock

    China’s prominence within Brics is clear and unlikely to change. It accounts for two-thirds of both the group’s GDP and intra-Brics trade. The country is the primary trade partner for Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Iran. China also holds significant investments in these nations. Russia is the largest recipient of Chinese foreign direct investment within the Brics with an accumulated stock of more than USU$10 billion.

    Most Brics member states are also directly or indirectly involved in BRI. While the major BRI projects may not be located within Brics countries – they are primarily in central, south and southeast Asia – Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Iran also host BRI initiatives. Though not an official BRI member, Brazil has become a key partner due to its role as a central food supplier to China.

    These figures highlight that expanding Brics is one of China’s foreign policy priorities. The country uses the group to project both economic and ideological influence. Donald Trump’s plans to impose trade tariffs on several countries, including China, is likely to prompt China to intensify this policy. It is a distinct possibility that the recent episode with Colombia, where the US president reportedly threatened to impose tariffs if Colombia continued to push back against deportation flights, could encourage more countries to seek closer trading relationships with China.

    Strategic friendships

    Some analysts correctly claim that Brics is divided between anti-western states and those that prefer to remain nonaligned. While the anti-western group, led by Russia, advocates for a confrontational stance towards the US, the nonaligned countries – including India and Brazil – favour a more nuanced approach.

    Analysts argue that the US should try to develop closer relations with non-aligned countries to influence internal Brics debates. But this overlooks the fact that China is not only the de-facto leader of Brics but also has an unequivocal strategy of favouring a nuanced approach towards the west, based on multilateralism and free trade. So, despite what Russia may want, it’s unlikely that Brics will assume a confrontational stance towards the west.

    China knows that a non-confrontational approach is the best way to attract more countries and solidify the Brics as a loose bloc that advocates for more democratic global governance.

    So far, this strategy appears to be working.

    Gabriel Silva Huland 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. Brics: growth of China-led bloc raises questions about a rapidly shifting world order – https://theconversation.com/brics-growth-of-china-led-bloc-raises-questions-about-a-rapidly-shifting-world-order-248075

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Victorian melodrama turned the sweet music of gothic into something dark and sinister

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Emma McEvoy, Senior Lecturer in English Literature, University of Westminster

    In 1764, Horace Walpole published the first gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto, set in a labyrinthine castle surrounded by woods. The novel features the supernatural, with a dark secret from the past at its core. Today, 260 years later, gothic is still with us in the form of “contemporary gothic” plays, fiction, films, music and computer games.

    Central to the popularity of gothic is the way it affects its audiences. It is supposed to unsettle, to make the flesh creep and provoke feelings of claustrophobia. Soundtracks for gothic films are integral to creating such effects, building suspense and unease while amplifying the visceral impact of sudden jump scares.

    Alejandro Amenábar’s soundtrack for The Others (2001), for example, weirds its listeners out. The hollow but reverberant timbre of brushed piano strings evokes the spaces of the house, conjuring up the old-fashioned alienness of the place. Action, set and music sympathetically resonate.

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    The soundtrack for The Substance (2024) shrieks with the strings and sudden dissonances of The Nightmare and Dawn (taken from Bernard Herrmann’s score for Hitchcock’s 1958 masterpiece, Vertigo). Then, it deepens the sense of disquiet with the sinister incantations and medieval-sounding harmonies of Swedish composer Anna von Hausswolff‘s Ugly and Vengeful.

    Both soundtracks impressively succeed in doing what we expect gothic music to do: provoke unease, create suspense and drive home the horror elements.

    But has the music of the gothic always been called upon to unsettle and scare? Has it always sounded so, well, gothic? These are questions I explore in my new book The Music of the Gothic 1789–1820.

    Over the last few years, I’ve been rummaging through archives in London, Oxford and Dublin searching for settings of songs from novels and music associated with gothic plays such as The Mysteries of the Castle (1795). I uncovered many treasures, some of which probably haven’t been performed for a couple of centuries.

    Thanks to a grant from the British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust, I was able to bring some of this music to audiences once more with the help of a group of wonderful musicians, headed by Seb Gillot, who performed the tracks you can hear in this article. You can see them performing live below.

    The gothic novels and plays of the 1790s were populated by sweet-singing heroines and heroes. Among the music I encountered was a song by the composer and singer Harriet Abrams (c. 1758-1821), in which a woman imprisoned in a madhouse sweetly pleads with her cold-hearted jailer.

    I also found music for gothic plays by the Northumbrian William Shield (1748-1829) and the Irish tenor Michael Kelly (1762-1826), who wrote songs about jolly mariners , comic poachers_ and young peasant girls on their way back from market.

    None of this material sounded remotely what we would now describe as gothic. Even the music accompanying the entrance of a blood-covered ghost in The Castle Spectre (1798) was warm and stately – and singularly unterrifying.

    I realised that none of the music from the 1790s – a period when gothic was phenomenally popular – was intended to scare. On the contrary, it was called upon to provide relief from the scare. In late 18th-century gothic plays such as The Italian Monk (1797), music was associated with romance, comedy and sublime religious experience, but not horror or terror.

    At what point then did the kind of gothic music we know today come into being? The evidence can be found in books such as Remick Folio of Moving Picture Music (1914) which contains music for silent film accompanists. With names like Mysterioso, or Forboding and Wind Storm, or Hurry, they were evidently designed for scenes of suspense and mystery.

    Such music is indebted to the music of Victorian melodrama, but what I wanted to know was when melodrama acquired its distinctive gothic sounds.

    Digging into the past of gothic

    Very often in research you discover that things happen gradually. There is trial and experiment, a series of influences, a slow accumulation of examples, and then a tipping point. But when it comes to gothic music, that is not the case. There is a definite date when a specific kind of music erupted onto the entertainment scene. The date was 1802, and the occasion a new dramatic production – a “melo-drame” or musical drama called A Tale of Mystery with music by Thomas Busby.

    Busby’s music was conceptualised very differently to the music of the 1790s. For a start it was intended to add to, not to provide relief from, the gothic elements of the play.

    Most crucially, it was not part of the imagined world of the drama. The fictional characters did not sing it – they did not even “hear” it: Busby’s music was directed at the audience. Instrumental music calculated to disturb, it was chaotic and unnerving, with lots of fast, disjointed short phrases, disturbing chords and cliffhanger endings.

    Instantly recognised as new and revolutionary, it caused a sensation. After audiences had a taste of the new gothic in A Tale of Mystery, music on the page and on the stage soon became something darker and more troubling.

    The older kind of music didn’t disappear overnight, of course, but melodrama took hold and the music of gothic was transformed. Not just on stage but also on the page. Gothic music was no longer uplifting but sinister.

    As seen in The Woman in Black (2012), there’s nothing like a music box in a deserted house to terrify audiences. And who doesn’t thrill to the sound of the diabolically thundering organ in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera?

    Emma McEvoy received a research grant from the British Academy and Leverhulme Trust for the project “The Music of Gothic Literature and Theatre 1790-1820”.

    – ref. How Victorian melodrama turned the sweet music of gothic into something dark and sinister – https://theconversation.com/how-victorian-melodrama-turned-the-sweet-music-of-gothic-into-something-dark-and-sinister-246797

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Meeting of the Academic Council of the State University of Management: preparations for the 2025 admissions campaign begin

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    On January 28, a meeting of the Academic Council was held at the State University of Management.

    The meeting traditionally began with a congratulatory part. Rector of the State University of Management Vladimir Stroyev presented the medal of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation “For impeccable work and distinction” to Associate Professor of the Department of Management in International Business and Tourism Industry Elena Frolova, honorary certificates of the Ministry of Education and Science “For significant merits in the field of education, scientific activity and conscientious work” to Associate Professor of the Department of Advertising and Public Relations Galina Dovzhik and Senior Lecturer of the Department of Project Management Artem Geokchakyan.

    The rector also presented a first-degree diploma of the international startup competition “Business Generation 2024” to 3rd-year students of the Institute of Economics and Finance Victoria Kostikova and Yulia Popova and their consultant, professor of the Department of Theory and Organization of Management at the State University of Management Nadezhda Psareva.

    In addition, Vladimir Stroyev presented a Letter of Gratitude from the IEF for providing humanitarian aid in the conditions of the SVO, after which he congratulated the birthday people of the month.

    Director of the Institute of Marketing Gennady Azoev made a report on the activities of the Institute of Marketing in 2024 and on development prospects for 2025.

    “We exceeded the recruitment plan for the 2024 admission campaign, in 2025 it will be a bit more difficult, since both the control figures and the cost of education are higher, but still more profitable than competitors. This year we will participate in the network program “Development and Marketing of Digital Products” together with the Mari State University. I would also like to note the high interest of foreign students in the tournaments and competitions for bachelors and masters held by the institute, it is worth expanding this area,” shared Gennady Azoev.

    Also, at his suggestion, a new educational program, “International Marketing and Brand Management,” taught in English, was approved.

    Vice-Rector Pavel Pavlovsky spoke about the successes of work in the field of educational activities and proposed opening a Center for the implementation of projects in the social and humanitarian profile at the State University of Management.

    “We closely cooperate with centers engaged in the development of key traditional values and ways of communicating them to young people. One of them is the Digoria Center. The Ministry of Education and Science proposes to place part of this project on the territory of the State University of Management. Our university has long had the right to be called the ideological center of the state agenda, let me remind you that all the heads of Rosmolodezh are connected with the State University of Management in one way or another. Today, the issues of educating the younger generation and interacting with young people are extremely important for the country, and we can help in this direction,” concluded Pavel Vladimirovich.

    The Academic Council also considered issues of assigning recommendation stamps to educational publications, assigning employees to departments to prepare candidate dissertations, approving the Russian language as the language of education at the university, and other working issues.

    At the end of the meeting, Vladimir Stroyev recalled the start of work within the framework of the 2025 admissions campaign.

    “A new admission campaign has begun and everyone needs to actively participate. The work is not easy every year, the number of applicants will increase and we need to prepare properly so that as many children as possible come to GUU. To strengthen this work, we have created an entire operational headquarters that will make decisions collectively. I am personally present there and have already seen that it was not created in vain, since there are moments that require coordinated actions and systematic work that we can improve,” the GUU rector concluded.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 01/29/2025

    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 –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministry of Tribal Affairs Wins Best Tableau Award in Republic Day Parade 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Ministry of Tribal Affairs Wins Best Tableau Award in Republic Day Parade 2025

    Honouring Bhagwan Birsa Munda and the Spirit of ‘Janjatiya’

    Posted On: 29 JAN 2025 4:26PM by PIB Delhi

    The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has been awarded the Best Tableau from Central Ministries/Departments at the 76th Republic Day Parade 2025 for its inspiring and culturally rich tableau based on “Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh”, commemorating the 150th birth anniversary year of Bhagwan Birsa Munda. The tableau beautifully depicted the tribal ethos with a majestic Sal tree, symbolizing strength, sustainability, and the deep connection between tribal communities and nature. The central theme, “Jal, Jungle, Jameen”, showcased the timeless wisdom of India’s tribal heritage and their invaluable contributions to the freedom struggle and nation-building.

    The vibrant performance of Paika dance from Jharkhand and the rhythmic beats of Nagada from Chhattisgarh mesmerized the audience, embodying the call for Atmanirbhar Bharat and the spirit of Shreshtha Bharat. On this historic achievement, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Shri Jual Oram, expressed his gratitude, stating: “This honour is a tribute to the legacy of Bhagwan Birsa Munda and the rich cultural heritage of India’s tribal communities. The Ministry remains committed to empowering tribal communities through initiatives like PM-JANMAN, Dharti Aaba Abhiyan, and Eklavya Schools, ensuring their holistic development. This recognition reaffirms our vision of a Viksit Bharat where every tribal voice is heard and celebrated.”

    Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Shri Durga Das Uikey, emphasized the significance of the award, saying: “This award recognizes the invaluable contributions of tribal communities to our nation. Their legacy will continue to inspire generations, and we remain dedicated to preserving and promoting their cultural heritage.”

    Shri Vibhu Nayar, Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, lauded the team’s efforts, saying:
    “Winning the Best Tableau award is a moment of immense pride for the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. The tableau captured the essence of Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh, reflecting the resilience and contributions of our tribal communities. This recognition further strengthens our resolve to preserve and promote rich tribal art, culture and heritage on a national and global scale.”

    Ministry of Tribal Affairs extends heartfelt thanks to the people of India for their overwhelming support and encouragement. This honour belongs to every tribal community whose stories, struggles, and triumphs continue to inspire generations.

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Vice-President to visit Chennai (Tamil Nadu) on 31st January, 2025

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Vice-President to visit Chennai (Tamil Nadu) on 31st January, 2025

    VP to be the Chief Guest at the 3rd National Conference of the Deaf-Blind on Advocacy for Education, Accessibility and Well being

    Posted On: 29 JAN 2025 12:56PM by PIB Delhi

    The Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, will be on a tour of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on 31st January, 2025.

    During his visit, the Vice-President will preside as the Chief Guest at the 3rd National Conference of the Deaf-Blind on Advocacy for Education, Accessibility and Wellbeing, being organised by the National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (Divyangjan), Chennai, an organisation under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India.

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister of Textiles Shri Giriraj Singh inaugurated Handloom Conclave –Manthan at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre Janpath, New Delhi

    Source: Government of India

    Union Minister of Textiles Shri Giriraj Singh inaugurated Handloom Conclave –Manthan at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre Janpath, New Delhi

    Handloom Sector should target premium niche market through confluence of modernity with tradition, innovative designs and focussed market strategies: Shri Giriraj Singh, Union Minister of Textiles.

    Union Minister of Textiles appealed to all the Stake holders at “Handloom Conclave: Manthan” to make Handloom sector ‘Atmanirbhar’ by changing conventional mind set and making handloom weaving self-sustainable through innovative technological solutions and create a brand image for handloom products in global market.

    Union Minister of Textiles highlighted that the Textile Ministry is a perfect example of PM Modi’s vision of women empowerment as all the key functionaries of the Ministry are women and majority of artisan/weavers employed in the textile industry are also women.

    Union Minister of Textiles Shri Giriraj Singh launched Handloom Weavers E-Pehchaan portal and Online module for Handloom Awards.

    Posted On: 29 JAN 2025 11:30AM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister for Textiles Shri Giriraj Singh emphasized that there is a strong need to create massive awareness regarding sustainable & eco-friendly nature of handloom product, benefits of natural dyeing, organic fibers and uniqueness of designs of Handloom products to target emerging E-commerce market, which is expected to become 325 Billion dollar market by year 2030.

    Union Minister of Textiles also urged organised/corporate sector working Textile industry to develop a model to provide sustainable livelihood ensuring social security and fair remuneration for Handloom weavers. An Award will be started by Textile Ministry for corporates/producer companies/Start-ups, which will create such a model for Handloom industry and provide sustainable employment to handloom weavers for minimum 300 days/year.

    Union Minister of State for External Affairs & Textiles Shri Pabitra Margherita addressed the event and emphasized that Handloom products are living testament of cultural heritage of our country. He also highlighted the importance of rejuvenating Handloom industry as a vibrant sector, which provides fair earnings to attract the younger generation.

    Secretary/Textiles while addressing the event highlighted that the ‘Conclave-Manthan’ is a ‘Chintan Shivir’, which is an effort of Ministry to establish “Samvaad’ with stakeholders to address concerns regarding availability of marketing avenues and attrition of youth from Handloom weaving. She also emphasized upon creating a synergy between modern education and traditional knowledge.

    Key highlights of the Event:

    • In the Conclave 03 technical sessions were organized:
    1. Support for start-up eco system in Handloom Sector.
    2.  Handloom Marketing Avenues and strategies.
    3. Modelling Handloom Sector for Young Weavers: Approach and Strategy.

    The key deliverables of the technical sessions are:

    1. Focussing on Niche products.
    2. Attractive packaging as an important value proposition. 
    3. Promote viable employment opportunities in handloom sector to attract youth.
    4. Curriculum for training courses to be designed in such a manner that it incorporates soft skills, IT knowledge and presentation skills.
    5. Customers buy story behind the product, story behind making of product may be highlighted to attract customers.
    6. To incorporate handloom weaving as a part of formal education.

    ***

    Dhanya Sanal K

    (Release ID: 2097218) Visitor Counter : 27

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: English rendering of PM’s speech at the opening ceremony of 38th National Games in Dehradun, Uttarakhand

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 28 JAN 2025 9:36PM by PIB Delhi

    Long live Mother India! 

    Governor of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand Gurmeet Singh Ji, young Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami Ji, my cabinet colleagues Ajay Tamta Ji, Raksha Khadse Ji, Speaker of Uttarakhand Assembly Ritu Khanduri Ji, Sports Minister Rekha Arya Ji, President of Commonwealth Games Chris Jenkins Ji, President of IOA P.T. Usha Ji, MP Mahendra Bhatt Ji, all the players from across the country who have come to participate in the National Games, and other dignitaries!

    Today, Devbhoomi has become more divine with the energy of youth. With the blessings of Baba Kedarnath, Badrinath ji, Maa Ganga, the National Games are starting today. This year is the 25th year of the formation of Uttarakhand. In this young state, thousands of youth from every corner of the country are going to show their capabilities. A very beautiful picture of Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat is visible here. This time too, many indigenous traditional games have been included in the National Games. This time’s National Games are also Green Games in a way. Environment-friendly things are being used a lot in it. All the medals and trophies received in the National Games are also made of e-waste. A tree will also be planted here in the name of the medal winning players. This is a very good initiative. I wish all the players the best for their excellent performance. I congratulate Dhami ji and his entire team, every citizen of Uttarakhand for this wonderful event.

    Friends, 

    We often hear that gold becomes pure after being tested. We are also creating more and more opportunities for players so that they can further improve their capabilities. Today, many tournaments are being organized throughout the year. Many new tournaments have been added to the Khelo India series. Due to the Khelo India Youth Games, young players have got a chance to move forward. University Games are giving new opportunities to university students. The performance of para athletes through Khelo India Para Games is achieving new things. Just a few days ago, the fifth edition of Khelo India Winter Games started in Ladakh. Last year itself, we organized Beach Games. 

    And comrades,

    It is not that only the government is doing all these works. Today, hundreds of BJP MPs are organizing MP sports competitions in their areas to bring forward new talent. I am also an MP from Kashi. If I talk only about my parliamentary constituency, then every year in the MP sports competition, about 2.5 lakh youth in the Kashi parliamentary constituency are getting a chance to play and flourish. That is, a beautiful bouquet of sports has been prepared in the country, in which flowers bloom in every season, and tournaments are held continuously.

    Friends,

    We consider sports as a major medium for the all-round development of India. When a country progresses in sports, the credibility of the country also increases, the profile of the country also increases. Therefore, today sports are being linked to the development of India. We are linking it to the self-confidence of the youth of India. Today, India is moving towards becoming the third largest economic power in the world, it is our endeavor that sports should have a major part of the economy in this. You know, not only a player plays in any sport, there is a whole ecosystem behind it. There are coaches, trainers, people who focus on nutrition and fitness, doctors, equipment. That is, there is scope for both service and manufacturing in it. India is becoming a quality manufacturer of these different sports equipment used by players from all over the world. Meerut is not very far from here. There are more than 35 thousand small and big factories manufacturing sports equipment there. More than three lakh people are working in them. Today the country is working towards creating these ecosystems in every corner of the country.

    Friends,

    Some time ago, I had the opportunity to meet the Olympic team at my residence in Delhi. During the conversation, a friend gave me a new definition of PM. He said that the country’s players do not consider me as PM or Prime Minister, but as their Param Mitra. This belief of yours gives me energy. I have full faith in all of you, in your talent and capabilities. We are trying our best to increase your capabilities and improve your game. Look at the last 10 years, we have constantly focused on supporting your talent. The sports budget that was there 10 years ago has more than tripled today. Under the TOPS scheme, hundreds of crores of rupees are being invested on dozens of players of the country. Under the Khelo India program, modern sports infrastructure is being built across the country. Today, sports have been mainstreamed even in schools. The country’s first sports university is also being built in Manipur.

    Friends,

    We are seeing the results of these efforts of the government on the ground, it is visible in the medal tally. Today Indian players are flying their flag in every international event. Our players have performed so well in the Olympics and Paralympics. Many players from Uttarakhand have also won medals. I am happy that many medal winners have come here to this venue today to encourage you.

    Friends, 

    The old glory days of hockey are returning. Just a few days ago, our Kho-Kho team won the World Cup. The world was surprised when our Gukesh D. won the World Chess Championship title. Koneru Humpy became the Women’s World Rapid Chess Champion, this success shows how sports in India is no longer just an extra-curricular activity. Now our youth are considering sports as a major career choice. 

    Friends,

    Just like our players always move ahead with big goals, our country is also moving ahead with big resolutions. You all know that India is making all efforts to host the 2036 Olympics. When the Olympics will be held in India, it will take Indian sports to new heights. Olympics is not just an event of a game, in whichever country of the world the Olympics are held, many sectors get a boost. The sports infrastructure that is built for the Olympics also creates employment. Better facilities are created for the players in the future. New connectivity infrastructure is built in the city where the Olympics are held. This strengthens the construction related industry, and the transport related sector progresses. And the biggest benefit is to the tourism of the country. Many new hotels are built, people from all over the world come to participate in the Olympics and watch the games. The entire country benefits from this. Like this National Games is being organized here in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. The spectators who come here from other parts of the country will also go to other parts of Uttarakhand. This means that a sports event not only benefits the players, but the economy of many other sectors also grows due to it.

    Friends,

    Today the world is saying that the 21st century is the century of India. And after visiting Baba Kedarnath, it suddenly came out of my mouth, from my heart – this is the decade of Uttarakhand. I am happy that Uttarakhand is progressing rapidly. Just yesterday, Uttarakhand became the state of the country that implemented the Uniform Civil Code, I sometimes also call it Secular Civil Code. Uniform Civil Code will become the basis for the dignified life of our daughters, mothers and sisters. Uniform Civil Code will strengthen the spirit of democracy, the spirit of the Constitution will be strengthened. And today I am here in this sports event, so I also see it connected to you. Sportsmanship takes us away from every feeling of discrimination, the mantra behind every victory, every medal is – Sabka Prayas. Sports inspires us to play with team spirit. The same spirit is there in Uniform Civil Code also. No discrimination against anyone, everyone is equal. I congratulate the BJP government of Uttarakhand for this historic step. 

    Friends,

    For the first time in Uttarakhand, such a national event is being organized on such a large scale. This is a big deal in itself. This will also create more employment opportunities here, the youth here will get work here. Uttarakhand will have to create more new ways for its development. Now the economy of Uttarakhand cannot depend only on the Char Dham Yatras. Today the government is continuously increasing the attraction of these Yatras by increasing facilities. The number of devotees is also making new records every season. But this is not enough. It is also important to encourage winter spiritual journeys in Uttarakhand. I am happy that some new steps have been taken in Uttarakhand in this direction too. 

    Friends, 

    Uttarakhand is my second home in a way. I also wish to be a part of winter travel. I would also like to tell the youth of the country to definitely visit Uttarakhand in winter. At that time, the number of devotees was not that much. There is a lot of scope for adventure activities for you here. All you athletes should also definitely find out about them after the National Games and if possible, enjoy the hospitality of Devbhoomi for more days. 

    Friends,

    All of you represent your respective states. In the coming days, you will compete fiercely here. Many national records will be broken, new records will be made. You will give your 100% according to your full potential, but I also have some requests for you. These National Games are not just a sporting competition, it is also a strong platform for Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. This is an event to celebrate the diversity of India. You should try to ensure that your medals also reflect the shine of India’s unity and superiority. You should go from here with better knowledge of the language, food, songs and music of different states of the country. I also have a request regarding cleanliness. Due to the efforts of the residents of Devbhoomi, Uttarakhand is working hard towards becoming plastic free, trying to move forward. The resolution of plastic free Uttarakhand cannot be fulfilled without your support. Do contribute in making this campaign a success.

    Friends, 

    All of you understand the importance of fitness. That is why today I want to talk about a challenge which is very important. Statistics say that the problem of obesity is increasing rapidly in our country. Every age group of the country, and even the youth, are being badly affected by it. And this is also a matter of concern because obesity increases the risk of diseases like diabetes, heart disease. I am satisfied that today the country is becoming aware of fitness and healthy lifestyle through the Fit India Movement. These national games also teach us how important physical activity, discipline and balanced life are. Today I would like to tell the countrymen to definitely focus on two things. These two things are related to exercise and diet. Every day, take out some time and do exercise. From walking to working out, do whatever is possible. Secondly, focus on your diet. Your focus should be on balanced intake and the food should be nutritious. 

    There can be one more thing. Reduce unhealthy fat and oil in your food. Now in our normal homes, ration comes at the beginning of the month. Till now, if you used to bring home two liters of cooking oil every month, then reduce it by at least 10 percent. Reduce the amount of oil we use every day by 10 percent. We will have to find some ways to avoid obesity. Taking such small steps can bring a big change in your health. And this is what our elders used to do. They used to eat fresh food, natural things, and balanced meals. Only a healthy body can create a healthy mind and a healthy nation. I will also ask the state governments, schools, offices and community leaders to spread awareness about this, all of you have a lot of practical experience. I want you to continuously spread the information about correct nutrition to the people. Come, let us all together create a ‘Fit India’, with this call. 

    Friends, 

    Although it is my responsibility to start the National Games, today I want to do it by involving all of you. So for the inauguration of these games, turn on the flash lights of your mobiles, all of you. All of you turn on the flash lights of your mobiles. Everyone’s mobile flash lights should be turned on, everyone’s mobile flash lights should be turned on. Together with all of you, I declare the start of the 38th National Games. Once again, best wishes to all of you.

    Thank you !

    DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Belgium: UZ Leuven gets support from EIB for modernisation and expansion

    Source: European Investment Bank

    UZ Leuven to benefit from €230 million lending agreement between KU Leuven and the European Investment Bank (EIB), to finance its infrastructure plans up to 2031. The works will cover an overhaul of the main Health Sciences campus Gasthuisberg in Leuven. A well-planned layout of medical departments and supporting services will allow for optimised patient- and workflows.

    UZ Leuven’s “Health Sciences Campus 2.0” masterplan foresees works on the intensive care units, operating theatres, imaging, nuclear medicine and ambulatory care facilities such as endoscopy and dentistry, as well as works on the pharmacy.

    The European Investment Bank will support UZ Leuven 2022-2031 investment plan with a €230 million loan to the Catholic University Leuven (KU Leuven). The hospital will use the financing to support its masterplan of adapting the infrastructure on existing campuses to current research and medical care requirements.

    The financing supports UZ Leuven’s “Health Sciences campus 2.0” masterplan, which will further transform its campus into an innovation ecosystem, in-line with Flanders’ ambition to support and develop its knowledge economy, in close collaboration with the KU Leuven. The intensive care units and operating theatres will benefit from new facilities to substitute aging buildings, allowing also to better connect and integrate them with other parts of the care site, including the new construction featuring, hospitalisation facilities and the extension for oncological care.

    The loan will also be used to finance research facilities for nuclear medicine, the tissue and biobank facility, as well as a new production site for the hospital pharmacy in Leuven. Next to the investments in the expansion, modernisation and renovation of parts of the Gasthuisberg campus, the EIB loan will also support further renewal of UZ Leuven’s rehabilitation campus Pellenberg, for both hospitalisation and one-day care.

    EIB Vice-President Robert de Groot said: “UZ Leuven’s plans will not only help the hospital cater for profound changes to existing care models, it will also further integrate the facilities in the knowledge and innovation ecosystem that Leuven is creating. This is the EIB’s second financing for Leuven’s hospital campus, showing the commitment of the EIB in supporting social infrastructure and financing projects that have a positive impact on citizens.”

    “UZ Leuven and KU Leuven greatly appreciate the essential support from EIB. This financing allows us, together with VIPA resources and internal funding, to establish state of the art facilities for both our top patient care programs as well as our research and innovation infrastructure. This way, as a university hospital, we can continue to push boundaries for our patients.” said UZ Leuven CEO prof. dr. Paul Herijgers.

    Background information:

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the EU institution for long-term loans. Its shares are held by the 27 EU Member States, with 5.2% owned by Belgium. The EIB makes long-term financing available for sound investments that contribute towards the EU’s policy objectives. In 2023 the EIB provided over €2.1 billion in financing for Belgian projects.

    UZ Leuven is affiliated with KU Leuven university and is the largest tertiary care university hospital in Belgium, tracing its origins to the Sint-Pieter Hospital, established in the heart of the City of Leuven in 1080. Consisting of the Gasthuisberg, Pellenberg and Sint-Rafaël (city) campuses, it’s one of the leading university hospitals in Europe, providing more than 1,800 beds which are served by almost 10,000 employees. Gasthuisberg is the main campus and contains all the highly specialised services, connected to the biomedical facilities of KU Leuven.

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Improving lives for people with learning disabilities

    Source: Scottish Government

    Fund to support third sector organisations.

    People with learning disabilities will be supported to reach their full potential through a £1.6 million fund.

    The Learning Disability Support Fund will be available to third sector organisations to enable them to promote equality and inclusion and improve access to health services and social activities for people with learning disabilities.

    The fund will run for 30 months from October 2025, with a total of £325,000 available for the first year and £650,000 per year for the following two years. Organisations can apply for grants of between £75,000 and £250.000.

    Minister for Wellbeing, Social Care and Sport Maree Todd said:

    “The last 30 years have seen enormous changes in how people with learning disabilities are supported in society, however we recognise there is more work to be done.

    “We know the third sector plays a crucial role in improving the lives of people with learning disabilities and this fund will support organisations to enable those they work with to lead fulfilling, independent, and active lives as equal citizens.

    “The grants will be used to provide people with education and information on matters such as accessing health services and developing safe relationships.

    “In developing the fund, we have taken into account the views expressed by people with learning disabilities in recent consultation and research and we will work closely with the third sector to ensure it makes a difference.”

    Celia Tennant, Chief Executive Officer at Inspiring Scotland said:

    “We are pleased to be managing the application process for the new phase of the Scottish Government’s Learning Disability Support Fund.

    “We know from the past few years managing the Inspiring Inclusion fund the positive impact that empowering third sector organisations can have to deliver support for people in Scotland with learning disabilities to lead happy, healthy lives and create a more inclusive society.”

    BACKGROUND

    The Learning Disability Support Fund replaces the Inspiring Inclusion Learning Disability Fund.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Waldencast Announces Participation in the 2025 IMCAS World Congress

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Waldencast plc, (NASDAQ: WALD) (“Waldencast”), a global multi-brand beauty and wellness platform, today announced its participation in the 2025 International Master Course on Aging Science (IMCAS) World Congress, which will be held in Paris from January 30, 2025 to February 1, 2025.

    The IMCAS World Congress is one of the most highly anticipated events in the dermatology, plastic surgery, and aging science community. It gathers industry leaders and executives to discuss the latest breakthroughs, innovations, and business opportunities.

    Michel Brousset, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, will participate in a capital markets roundtable where he will discuss the future of medical grade skincare and the overall beauty and aesthetics industry.

    Additionally, Dr. Suzan Obagi, Chief Medical Director at Obagi Medical, will participate in two sessions at the event. The first is a lecture titled “Pairing Skincare with Procedures to Enhance Results and Minimize Complications,” which will focus on the complications of energy-based devices and how to minimize the effects. The second is a scientific committee symposium focused on hyperpigmentation.

    About Waldencast
    Founded by Michel Brousset and Hind Sebti, Waldencast’s ambition is to build a global best-in-class beauty and wellness operating platform by developing, acquiring, accelerating, and scaling conscious, high-growth purpose-driven brands. Waldencast’s vision is fundamentally underpinned by its brand-led business model that ensures proximity to its customers, business agility, and market responsiveness, while maintaining each brand’s distinct DNA. The first step in realizing its vision was the business combination with Obagi Skincare and Milk Makeup. As part of the Waldencast platform, its brands will benefit from the operational scale of a multi-brand platform; the expertise in managing global beauty brands at scale; a balanced portfolio to mitigate category fluctuations; asset light efficiency; and the market responsiveness and speed of entrepreneurial indie brands. For more information please visit: https://ir.waldencast.com/.

    About Obagi Medical
    Obagi Medical is an industry-leading, advanced skincare line rooted in research and skin biology, refined with a legacy of 35 years’ experience. First known as leaders in the treatment of hyperpigmentation with the Obagi Nu-Derm® System, Obagi products are designed to diminish the appearance of premature aging, photodamage, skin discoloration, acne, and sun damage. Backed by science and trusted by professionals, Obagi empowers individuals to achieve healthy, beautiful skin. More information about Obagi is available on the brand’s website, https://www.obagi.com.

    About Suzan Obagi, MD
    Suzan Obagi, MD Obagi is an Associate Professor of Dermatology and Plastic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and serves as the director of the state-of-the-art UPMC Cosmetic Surgery and Skin Health Center. Dr. Obagi’s academic commitments include clinical research, training residents in dermatologic surgery & cosmetic dermatologic surgery, and in her role as the director of the cosmetic dermatologic surgery fellowship.

    Dr. Obagi has worked on various committees with the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, has formerly served as vice president of the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery and the President of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, and is a past president of the Cosmetic Surgery Foundation. In addition, Dr. Obagi trains physicians from around the world on the latest in cosmetic and laser surgery.

    Contacts

    Investors
    ICR
    Allison Malkin
    investors@waldencast.com

    Media
    ICR
    Brittany Fraser/Alecia Pulman
    waldencast@icrinc.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sobyanin: Construction of a school on the territory of the Tushino airfield has been completed

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    A school has been completed on the territory of the former Tushino airfield. The building on Volokolamsk Highway has created a comfortable and safe space for 825 children to study. This was reported in his telegram channel written by Sergei Sobyanin.

    “Universal and specialized classrooms were created for teachers and students, as well as a creative space similar to a university campus with laboratory and research complexes. The central element of the school is the atrium, which can be used as an assembly hall or an event venue. The building’s design is the winner of the 2023 Moscow Architecture and Urban Development Award in the educational facilities category,” said Sergei Sobyanin.

    Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s Telegram channel @mos_sobyanin

    The construction of a new school building at 75v Volokolamskoe Shosse began in May 2022 and was completed in January 2025. It was built at the expense of the investor, Asterus, the developer of the Ália residential complex, which is implementing a project to create a modern residential area with an educational hub on the territory of the former Tushino airfield.

    In addition to the school building, it will include children’s educational routes and a Coastal Park, organized according to the concept of a forest school, where adults and young city residents will be able to gain a variety of experiences interacting with living nature.

    The investor will donate the new educational building to the capital’s education system free of charge; it will become part of the complex of School No. 58.

    School with atrium

    The building was constructed according to the design of an architectural bureau that won the 2023 Moscow City Prize in architecture and urban planning in the nomination “Best Architectural and Urban Planning Solution for a School”.

    The building has four floors and one underground floor. Its area is more than 12 thousand square meters. It has created a comfortable and safe space for studying for 825 schoolchildren of grades 1-11, including a barrier-free environment for children with disabilities.

    The school building fits harmoniously into the surrounding landscape. Visually, it consists of two blocks – for primary and secondary schools. The facades with panoramic windows were made in yellow, white and gray colors to emphasize the features of the complex volumetric composition and highlight large elements in the structure of the building, assembled like a construction set.

    The design of the classrooms differs depending on the age of the students: a more formal design was created for older students and a brighter one for younger students. The walls of the school are decorated with images of function graphs, chains of molecules and diagrams of sound waves. Cryptograms were used in the design of the corridors, which facilitate navigation around the building.

    The central element of the building is the atrium — a multifunctional and multi-light space with increased ceiling height. It can be used as a lecture hall, an assembly hall or a venue for events. In addition, the atrium can serve as a comfortable space for relaxation. In fact, it will become a kind of heart of the school. At the same time, special acoustic panels will absorb possible noise, so neither loud music nor children’s laughter in the atrium will interfere with classes in the classrooms.

    In addition to 33 universal and specialized classrooms, students and teachers will have access to a creative space similar to a university campus, including laboratory and research complexes. The building also houses a media library, creative workshops, gyms, and much more.

    A sports core was set up on the school grounds: circular and straight running tracks, playgrounds for playing sports (basketball, football, volleyball), as well as recreation areas with a playground for students in grades 5-11, where a shade canopy and small play equipment were installed. In addition, an educational and experimental unit with greenhouses was located next to the school.

    The new school is scheduled to accept its first students on September 1, 2025.

    “Mathematical vertical” and pre-professional classes

    The new educational space will feature a combination of classical programs of in-depth training in the academic model of specialized education with practice-oriented engineering and technical classes, which the school implements jointly with partners (STEM approach) in the context of integrated support from a strong psychological service. Close attention will be paid to the involvement of children in sports, the use of available sports infrastructure, and the development of a school sports club.

    The school’s partners in developing the engineering and technical direction will be the state corporation Rostec and leading technical universities: Bauman Moscow State Technical University, MIREA – Russian Technological University and Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University).

    The school plans to open classes with a mathematical and natural science focus as part of the city project “Mathematical Vertical” for students in grades seven through nine, as well as pre-professional classes (10th and 11th) as part of the city projects “Engineering Class in a Moscow School” and “IT Class in a Moscow School”.

    The focus on practical tasks and project work will be a special feature of the profile training of schoolchildren. The educational process provides for an individual approach to the children.

    Thus, the plans include introducing students to advanced professions in the field of engineering and motivating them to master professions that are in demand in the metropolis labor market. It is also planned to implement practice-oriented training based on additional pre-professional training courses, partnerships with universities and employers as part of the Rostec state corporation. In addition, it is planned to involve children in project and research activities in the field of modern engineering. Excursions, guest classes, master classes and the like will be held for schoolchildren, for example, off-site classes at the enterprises of the Rostec state corporation, as well as scientific events.

    Graduates of the school who have completed pre-profile engineering classes are planned to be considered as a priority for further training within the framework of targeted programs of the Rostec state corporation, such as Wings of Rostec, Code of Rostec, Rostec. Biotechmed.

    Medalists and winners of the Olympics

    School No. 58, created in 2019, currently includes two educational buildings on Tvardovskogo and Letnaya streets — a school building and a preschool building. It has 741 students, including 598 schoolchildren and 143 preschoolers. The workforce consists of 82 employees, including 60 teaching staff.

    The system of additional education includes programs of various focus areas: natural science, technical, physical education and sports, and social and humanitarian. The coverage of students by additional education is 95 percent.

    In the 2023/2024 academic year, 71 eleventh-graders graduated. Of these, 23 people (32 percent) were awarded the federal medal “For Special Achievements in Studies” (gold and silver), 11 people (15 percent) – the Moscow medal “For Special Achievements in Studies”. Based on the results of the Unified State Exam, 31 graduates (44 percent) received 250 points or higher in three subjects. Two graduates scored 100 points in English and mathematics.

    Last academic year, 60 children were also awarded diplomas of winners and prize winners of the municipal stage of the All-Russian School Olympiad. 34 students took part in the regional stage, of which 10 people became prize winners. Eight children received the title of prize winners of the Moscow School Olympiad. Teams of 10th and 11th grades became winners and prize winners of programming Olympiads (for example, PROD) and various hackathons.

    New schools and kindergartens

    Since 2011, 648 educational facilities have been built in Moscow, including 450 kindergartens and 198 schools. Of these, 327 were financed from the city budget and 321 from extra-budgetary funds. Plans call for the construction of about 200 new educational facilities by 2027.

    Sergei Sobyanin spoke about the development of the territory of the former Tushino airfield

    Program “My District”. Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo

    Program “My area”, developed on the initiative of Sergei Sobyanin, is the largest project for the comprehensive improvement and development of urban areas. Its goal is to create comfortable living conditions for Muscovites, regardless of their place of residence.

    More than 67 thousand people live in Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo, located in the North-West Administrative District. In recent years, much has been done here to improve the quality of life of the townspeople.

    The ground metro has arrived here — the second Moscow Central Diameter with the stations Trikotazhnaya, Tushinskaya and the city stations Shchukinskaya and Streshnevo. Convenient approaches and approaches from residential buildings have been arranged to them. At Shchukinskaya and Tushinskaya, you can transfer to the Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya metro line, and from Streshnevo — transfer to the station of the same name on the Moscow Central Circle.

    The reconstruction of Volokolamskoe Shosse with a radical upgrade of the interchange on the Moscow Ring Road has been completed. As a result, traffic has accelerated on one of the busiest outbound highways, and it has also improved on the northwestern section of the Moscow Ring Road. And thanks to the new U-turn overpass on Volokolamskoe Shosse towards Shchukino, it has been possible to significantly reduce the excess mileage of vehicles. In addition, Volokolamskoe Shosse has been improved – it has turned into a highway with comfortable transfers with convenient stops and pedestrian crossings.

    Seven new ground transportation routes were organized in the district. More than 50 modern bus stops were installed.

    Three charging stations of the Energy of Moscow project have been equipped for electric vehicles. Fans of cycling can use 44 bicycle parking areas and three city bike rental stations.

    The Skhodnya River Bank Park was improved, where water obstacles for rowers to train were installed on the territory of the rowing base. The Khimki River Valley Park, the embankment along the Skhodnensky Canal (left bank) from the Western Bridge to the Moscow Canal, as well as the squares near the Gzhel Moscow State Academic Dance Theater and in front of the S.G. Stroganov Russian State University of Art and Industry were put in order. In addition, 43 courtyards were improved.

    Water obstacles for slalom have been installed at the rowing base in the Skhodnya River Bank ParkMajor improvement works on Volokolamsk highway completed

    A large and significant project was the development of the natural and historical park “Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo”. During the work, the idea of its conditional division into several functional zones was implemented. Thus, a natural, ecological and educational, leisure and recreational, sports and historical and cultural parks appeared. The main and central part of “Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo” remained a natural reserve zone, and the places of active recreation were moved closer to residential areas and transport highways. In the park, the outdated infrastructure was updated and new infrastructure was created for a comfortable and safe stay of city residents, including the arrangement of 16 playgrounds, 23 sports areas, 16 gazebos for picnics.

    In the historical and cultural part of the park, the restoration of the estate ensemble is currently underway. The regular garden has been recreated, the facade work on the main house, the greenhouse and the fence with turrets has been completed, and the interiors are being restored. All elements of the architectural ensemble will be carefully restored using archival photos and drawings and adapted for modern use.

    Parquet flooring to be recreated in Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo estate

    An important event for the development of healthcare was the opening of a new treatment and diagnostic complex of the Infectious Diseases Clinical Hospital No. 1. These are three buildings with Meltzer boxes, which have no analogues in the country in terms of equipment and level of comfort.

    Sergei Sobyanin announced the imminent opening of a new complex of infectious diseases hospital No. 1The new complex of the Infectious Diseases Hospital No. 1 will become the best specialized hospital in Russia – Sergei Sobyanin

    As part of the modernization of the outpatient sector, a comprehensive reconstruction of the main building of Children’s Clinic No. 94 (Vishnevaya Street, Building 20, Building 2) has been completed and work is underway in Branch No. 3 of Clinic No. 115 (Dolgov Street, Building 1, Building 4).

    The multifunctional sports complex “Chkalov Arena” is popular with the city residents. It houses an ice arena, a universal sports hall, choreography halls and other areas where professionals and amateurs train. The new physical culture and health complex on Tushinskaya Street (house 16a) is also in demand among the residents of the district.

    Completed a comprehensive renovation of the sports and fitness complex on Gabrichevsky Street with modern sports equipment. They plan to build a multifunctional Sports Palace with an ice arena, a swimming pool, a multi-purpose hall and a gym at the address: Volokolamskoe Shosse, Building 71/10.

    For communication, leisure and creativity of the older generation, the Moscow Longevity Center of the Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo district was opened at the address: Svobody Street, Building 8/4, Building 1. Routine repairs were carried out at Children’s Libraries No. 232 (1st Tushinsky Proezd, Building 4), No. 236 (Bolshaya Naberezhnaya Street, Building 15) and Library No. 234 (Gabrichevsky Street, Building 8).

    Renovation in Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo

    In Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo, 48 buildings are included in the renovation program; about 8.3 thousand Muscovites will move into new modern apartments. The stages of resettlement have been determined:

    — first stage (2020–2024) — three houses have been resettled and demolished (the task has been fully completed);

    — the second stage (2025–2028) — resettlement of another 25 houses (eight of them are in the process of resettlement);

    — the third stage (2029–2032) — resettlement of 20 houses.

    Eight territories have been selected for resettlement of residents. Residential complexes have already been built on two of them. Design and urban planning documentation is being prepared for another six sites.

    Sergei Sobyanin included nine new sites in the renovation programA house will appear in Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo under the renovation program

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/mayor/tkhemes/12326050/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Tell us about your experience of home educating

    Source: City of Plymouth

    We’re looking to get a better understanding of local families’ experiences of home educating and the reasons they chose to do so.

    We’re working with researchers at the University of Plymouth to better understand how schools can meet the diverse needs of families, while recognising the various reasons they may choose home education.

    We would like to know what is going well for you when educating at home, what you are finding difficult, and what could be done to support you if your child(ren) want to return to school.

    Questionnaires have been designed to give both parents and children the opportunity to share your views of home education.

    Complete the survey

    Please select the appropriate survey, for:

    All information collected will be anonymised and will only be used for the purposes of this research project.

    The survey is open until 14 February.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Joint Statement: Colombia-Sweden Bilateral Partnership

    Source: Government of Sweden

    At the invitation of Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs Luis Gilberto Murillo, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard is making an official visit to Colombia on 28–29 February 2025.

    “In a conversation I had with Ms Malmer Stenergard last November, we agreed to hold the first High-Level Dialogue between Colombia and Sweden during her visit to Colombia, thereby putting the Bilateral Partnership established by President of Colombia Gustavo Petro and the Prime Minister of Sweden in June 2024 into practice. During this meeting, we will identify this Partnership’s concrete benefits for our populations, and we will task our teams with implementing the lines of action to continue moving forward as partners,” said Mr Murillo. 

    In view of the above and in the framework of Ms Malmer Stenergard’s official visit, the first High-Level Dialogue between Colombia and Sweden is taking place at the San Carlos Palace, chaired by Colombia’s Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Paola Vásquez and with more than 30 institutions from both countries present. 

    Sweden and Colombia are partners for peace. Colombia is grateful for Sweden’s invaluable support for its efforts for peace with a territorial emphasis. Both countries share the values of democracy and respect for human rights, and we reaffirm the importance of multilateralism, international cooperation, respect for international law and support for the UN Charter.

    For the implementation of the Colombia-Sweden Bilateral Partnership, a High-Level Dialogue was agreed between the two Governments, in accordance with the declaration signed during Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s visit to Sweden on 12–14 June 2024 and as part of the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. 

    This first High-Level Dialogue will result in a report on progress of the thematic working groups that form a part of the Agreement, namely: (i) cooperation for peace (with a territorial emphasis), human rights, human security and strengthening institutions; and (ii) economic opportunities, science, innovation and sustainable development. 

    The progress includes:   

    1. Sweden’s addition of USD 1 million to the agreement with UN Women to strengthen collaboration with the private sector for women’s economic empowerment and the implementation of the Action Plan on women, peace and security.
    2. The addition of SEK 2 million to the ongoing agreement with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to promote its work in Colombia. With this addition, Sweden’s contribution totals SEK 49 million. These efforts emphasise the protection of leaders in conflict-affected areas, the Ethnic Chapter’s accompaniment of the peace agreement with the FARC, reconnaissance activities and responsibilities in the framework of the conflict, etc.
    3. The addition of SEK 6 million to the regional agreement with the Nonprofit Enterprise and Self-Sustainability Team to identify, accompany and help accelerate the work of small businesses that can create green and sustainable jobs in the most vulnerable and conflict-affected areas in Colombia.
    4. The launch of the ‘legacy’ project that was initiated at COP16 in Cali with a contribution of USD 5 million with the Colombian NGO Fondo Acción, to support the implementation of the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development’s restoration plan in the Colombian Pacific region. This agreement also supports local Colombian organisations to ensure sustainability of protected areas through conservation and sustainable management of natural resources.
    5. The funding of a study to produce and create a biogas value chain for the transport sector in Bogotá. Sweden has completed the first phase of the study with an investment of USD 700 000, and the second phase will begin during the first half of 2025, with a value of USD 800 000, making a total of USD 1.5 million. This project is financed by Swedfund.
    6. An investment of more than USD 80 million by EQT, a Swedish investment organisation, and Zelestra, which will lead the development of the ‘Wimke’ solar photovoltaic project in San Juan del Cesar in the La Guajira department. ‘Wimke’ joins the ‘La Unión’ and ‘La Mata’ projects, with capacities of 100 MW and 80 MW respectively, strengthening Zelestra’s presence as a leader in the Colombian solar photovoltaic generation sector and its commitment to sustainability and energy transition.
    7. The realisation of the Memorandum of Understanding on law enforcement cooperation between the Colombian Ministries of Defence and Justice and the Swedish Government.
    8. In the area of sustainable mining, Colombia is part of the ‘MARS’ programme for responsible and sustainable mining, a form of cooperation between Sweden and the Latin America and Caribbean region to promote sustainable and responsible mining.  USD 1.3 million is being allocated for a Colombian component of this programme. 
    9. The implementation of a sustainable transport model for the small-scale fishing supply chain in Guapi, in the Cauca department, by the National University of Colombia, the Royal Institute of Technology and Lund University.

    Ms Malmer Stenergard was accompanied by a large business delegation, with the opportunity to discuss and develop the socio-ecological transition portfolio in Colombia and identify the many opportunities for Swedish investors.

    Ms Malmer Stenergard is also visiting Chocó, joined by Vice-Minister for Women at the Colombian Ministry of Equality and Equity Tamara Ospina and others, which will be an opportunity to hold meetings with civil society organisations and the general public, as well as to reaffirm support to initiatives and projects to promote peace and gender equality with territorial impact.  

    Bogotá, 28 January 2025 

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic University develops artificial skin for robots

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    Scientists from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University have created a prototype of a tactile sensor for industrial robots. The development will help robots better sense objects during gripping and other manipulations. Data from the “artificial skin” sensors will allow industrial robots to sense the structure of objects and control the force of compression. The work was carried out with the support of the Priority 2030 strategic academic leadership program.

    Every year, the number of industrial robots is steadily growing. Manipulators assemble cars and weld parts, sort goods in warehouses of large marketplaces, mix compounds in chemical laboratories, and even help surgeons perform complex robot-assisted operations. Engineers are constantly improving the robot’s skills. One of the areas of such improvements is the creation of an analogue of human systems that will minimize the operator’s participation in the robot’s work.

    Polytechnic University scientists have developed a prototype tactile sensor for industrial robots. Essentially, it is an “artificial skin” that allows the machine to sense the structure of objects and the force of its impact on them, making them more versatile and accurate than their counterparts.

    The sensor consists of an elastic material that can be deformed and sensitive elements embedded in it. During the project, sensitive elements and the skin material itself were selected, the parameters of the elements were selected to obtain a stable sensor response, and a system was developed that analyzes the data received from the sensor, which can be used to form the robot’s movement, – noted Alexander Markvart, PhD in Physics and Mathematics, Associate Professor of the Higher School of Applied Physics and Space Technologies at SPbPU.

    The development of such sensors is currently being carried out all over the world. The peculiarity of the approach proposed at the Polytechnic University is the use of fiber-optic sensitive sensors that are not susceptible to electromagnetic interference, radiation exposure, and have increased survivability in aggressive external conditions. According to the project manager, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Higher School of Applied Physics and Space Technologies of SPbPU Nikolay Ushakov, the use of fiber-optic sensors is of particular interest in such areas as medicine, the oil and gas sector, and the nuclear industry. Such sensors also simplify the manufacturing technology of the final product and reduce the cost.

    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 –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Storm Éowyn – information and advice

    Source: Northern Ireland Direct

    Date published:

    There is information about public services affected by Storm Éowyn and drop-in centres for those without water or power. Also, advice on food safety, the dangers of carbon monoxide and damaged electricity equipment or power lines. Keep a close eye on neighbours and support them in whatever way you can.

    Emergency numbers

    You should note the following numbers in case of emergency:

    • emergency services – 999 or 112
    • Northern Ireland Electricity Networks – 03457 643 643
    • NI Gas Emergency Service – 0800 002 001
    • Northern Ireland Water Waterline – 03457 440 088
    • Flooding Incident Line – 0300 2000 100
    • Housing Executive – 03448 920 901

    Damaged electricity equipment or power lines

    Do not approach any damaged electricity equipment or broken power lines.

    Be extra careful around fallen trees, as they often take electricity poles and wires with them as they fall.

    Be aware that electricity can jump gaps. 

    Report anything that looks dangerous to NIE Networks on:

    • phone: 03457 643643

    Reporting a power cut or damaged power line

    If your power is off or you’ve found a damaged power line, you can report it or get more information – contact NIE Networks or visit their website:

    • NIE Networks Customer Helpline: 03457 643 643
    • Power cuts

    Electricity supply

    You can information about electricity supply, including an updated list of areas affected by power cuts, on the NIE Networks website.

    Local councils information and community assistance or drop-in centres

    There is information about community assistance or drop-in centres at this link – NIE Networks representatives will be at a number of these venues:

    You can find your local council area information, including about community drop-in centres, at these links:

    Water supply

    If there are difficulties with water supply and sewerage, you will get the most up-to-date information on areas experiencing disruption and what is being done on the NI Water website. This includes a full postcode search facility. 

    You can also phone Waterline 24 hours a day/ 365 days a year on:

    • 03457 440088

    Older people, people with a serious medical condition, or people who need extra help for any other reason can join the NI Water customer care register to get a range of free extra services.

    Carbon monoxide dangers

    If you’re without electricity, using equipment such as kerosene heaters, charcoal grills (BBQs) and portable generators indoors can cause carbon monoxide levels high enough to result in carbon monoxide poisoning.

    Only equipment designed to be used indoors should be brought inside the home.

    For any fuel-burning equipment indoors:

    • there must be good ventilation
    • it must be used with a carbon monoxide alarm

    Always follow the manufacturer’s guidance.

    There is further advice at this link: 

    Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches, nausea, breathlessness, dizziness, collapse, and loss of consciousness. 

    If affected, you should:

    • open doors and windows for ventilation and go outside into the fresh air
    • go to your GP or nearest Emergency Department
    • if it’s urgent, call 999
    • call the relevant emergency advice line
      • Gas Emergency Service (24 hours) 0800 002 001
      • Oil (OFTEC) 0845 65 85 080

    Food safety advice

    If a power cut has affected your home and you have no electricity supply, it’s important you continue to store and prepare food safely. 

    You can find advice at this link: 

    If your water supply is cut off, it is recommended using alcohol-based hand sanitiser for cleaning your hands before touching food.

    Report a fallen tree or blocked road

    You can report a fallen tree or blocked road at the following link:

    Roads information

    Work is ongoing to remove obstructions. Road users are advised to use caution, as there is debris on some roads and roadsides. 

    You can get the latest updates about roads at this link:

    Where roads are closed, follow road signs and any diversions in place.

    Public transport

    For the latest information on bus and train services, go to the Translink website.

    School closures

    You can find information about schools affected by the bad weather at this link:

    MOT and driving tests 

    Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) testing services resumed as scheduled on Saturday 25 January.

    There is some disruption for vehicle tests anticipated at Armagh and Omagh, and driving tests at Altnagelvin.

    DVA will contact affected customers.

    Unless you receive a notification from DVA, you should arrive for your appointment as scheduled. 

    Public libraries

    All public libraries are open, with free Wi-Fi, power outlets, and seating.

    Find out more about the services available at: 

    Jobs and Benefits offices and Department for Communities offices 

    All Jobs and Benefits offices and Department for Communities offices are open, except for the Foyle Jobs and Benefit Office due to some storm damage.

    Temporary closure of Foyle Jobs and Benefits office

    Information for benefits customers:

    • Foyle Jobs and Benefits office is currently closed due to storm damage
    • staff working remotely are providing a normal service
    • while the office is closed, benefit payments due will still be paid by the date due
    • Universal Credit customers can use the online service and journal as usual
    • telephone calls will be handled by staff working remotely
    • Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) signing at Foyle Jobs and Benefits offices is excused
    • staff will contact affected customers for telephone or alternative in-person appointments
    • customers in need of urgent in-person support can contact another Jobs and Benefits office

    Forests, country parks, nature reserves and angling

    Safe public access at all sites by the storm will be reinstated as soon as possible.

    Birdkeepers

    Birdkeepers are reminded to be extra vigilant during the clean-up following the storm.

    Flooding or damage to hen houses can increase the risk of an avian influenza incursion.

    Health services

    Urgent and emergency care services are open as normal.

    Use the Phone First service for your local Health and Social Care Trust before travelling to an Emergency Department.

    However, call 999 if you or someone you care for is experiencing a life-threatening emergency.

    You can find information from the Trusts at these links:

    Financial help if your house floods

    If your home is flooded due to the weather, contact the local council and ask about their emergency payments scheme.

    More useful links

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Friendship and love, victories and defeats: winter animation show by HSE students

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    Polina Campioni, Head of the Animation specialization in the direction “Animation, illustration, computer graphics” at the HSE School of Design, animation director, animator: “The session just ended and yielded a large harvest of excellent films. As part of the screening, you will be able to see the newest films created by students of the School of Design over the past six months. These include social videos that have gone beyond just being commissioned and have become full-fledged films, and reflections on the topic of love and breakups, and simply crazy, bold works by students who were not afraid to dive headlong into the world of animation.”

    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 –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: How to Stop Consuming Kitsch and Develop an Aesthetic Sense

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    Average culture and the habit of shallow perception

    In modern society, culture has become an object of mass consumption, and many works of art are created with one purpose in mind – for profit. Of course, kitsch plays a primary role here – it generates a strong emotional response caused by a pile of familiar images (here it is, the “rich chandelier”), and not a deep intellectual and aesthetic perception. TV series, blockbusters, pop music use standard, easily digestible formulas to attract as many consumers as possible.

    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 –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health – Increase in Closed Books No Surprise to General Practice Owners – GenPro

    Source: General Practice Owners Association (GenPro)

    The increasing number of general practices closing their books to new patients is no surprise to the General Practice Owners Association (GenPro).

    New research from Victoria University of Wellington, published in the Journal of Primary Health Care, found that more general practices than ever are closing their books, with 36 percent of the country’s GPs turning away new patients last year.

    GenPro Chair Dr Angus Chambers says GenPro has been warning for years that patients are facing restricted access due to full or partial closing of books to new enrolments, reduction in services such as cancelling after-hours services, or practices closing.

    “One of the key reasons that general practices are turning away new patients is that government funding for general practice has not kept pace in real terms with the cost of running a general practice, the ageing population, and the changing health needs of New Zealanders,” Dr Chambers says.

    “The funding shortfall creates these and other downstream problems which make a bad situation worse. We are seeing insufficient training of new doctors, GPs leaving New Zealand, and more demand on already squeezed emergency departments.”

    Dr Chambers is encouraging people who can’t enrol, especially in worst hit areas such as Northland, the central and lower North Island, and Canterbury, to approach their local Member of Parliament.
     
    “MPs must urge the new Health Minister to support a complete overhaul of the arcane funding and regulated pricing model imposed on general practice, a model which is driving general practices to the wall. The current model is more than two decades old and no longer fit for purpose.

    “Changing the Minister won’t make much difference unless there is meaningful action such as theming this year’s Budget as a Health Budget to reverse the dangerous decline in primary healthcare availability,” Dr Chambers says.

    GenPro members are owners and providers of general practices and urgent care centres throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. For more information visit  www.genpro.org.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Coventry honours Holocaust Memorial Day and marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau

    Source: City of Coventry

    The people of Coventry came together this week (27 January) to honour the annual Holocaust Memorial Day, which this year fell on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

    The event was held at the Belgrade Theatre, and a large audience heard from city leaders and guest speakers, as well as schoolchildren and students from the city. 
     
    Cllr Abdul Salam Khan, Deputy Leader of Coventry City Council, hosted the service, with speeches from Lord Mayor, Cllr Mal Mutton and Council Chief Executive, Julie Nugent.  
     
    The main speaker was Lesley Urbach, from Generation 2 Generation, a Holocaust education charity, who told the story of her mother Eva Urbach and aunt Ulli Adler, who escaped to Britain and Argentina in 1938 and 1939.  
     
    The talk focused on what happened to their parents left behind in Germany, who were murdered at Auschwitz. 
     
    There was also a performance by actors from Time Will Tell Theatre, who enacted first-hand accounts of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen, which will also mark its 80th anniversary this year. 
     
    The audience also heard music from Coventry Music Brass Quintet and Bluecoat School Choir, readings from students from the University of Warwick, and pupils from Cardinal Newman Catholic School talked about their personal experiences of conflict and the importance of learning about the Holocaust. 
     
    A candle was lit as the city remembered the victims of the Holocaust and other genocides including Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Darfur, Afghanistan and Syria. 

    This year’s theme was ‘For a Better Future’, and Cllr Khan told the audience: “It is something our city works for continually, both here at home, and around the world, and it is a call for action that we can all be a part of. 

    “There are many things we can do to create a better future. We can speak out and stand up for others and we can challenge prejudice. We can learn from our past and from the Holocaust, genocides, and wars, and we can tell our stories and remember those we have lost to hatred and prejudice – as we do today. 
     
    “If we can all leave here with the determination to take one action or change one thing, then together, we can make a difference and help to build that better future.” 
     

    To learn more about HMD, visit the website. 

    Wednesday, 29th January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Mikhail Mishustin appointed Yulia Dyakova director of the Kurchatov Institute Research Center

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    Order of January 28, 2025 No. 132-r

    Document

    Order of January 28, 2025 No. 132-r

    Yulia Dyakova has been appointed the new director of the National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute” for a term of five years. The order to this effect was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

    Yulia Dyakova is an engineer-physicist, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences.

    She was born in the village of Komsomolsky (Vorkuta, Komi ASSR) in 1985. She graduated from the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (State University), after which she worked at the A.V. Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

    She joined the Kurchatov Institute in 2017, becoming deputy head and then head of the Kurchatov Complex of NBICS-nature-like technologies.

    Since 2018, Yulia Dyakova has been Deputy Director for Research at the Kurchatov Institute National Research Center, and in 2021 she took the post of First Deputy Director for Research.

    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 –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic University is now accepting applications for the online course “Digital Twins of Products”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering” has opened a new recruitment of students for the first unique online course in Russia “Digital Twins of Products”, dedicated to the development and application of digital twins of products in the high-tech industry.

    The online course was prepared jointly with the SPbPU Open Education Center as part of the implementation of the Priority 2030 strategic academic leadership program. Training will begin on February 3, 2025, on the national educational platform Open Education.

    SIGN UP FOR TRAINING

    The online course program is aimed at developing understanding, knowledge and skills on the following relevant topics:

    the main approaches and options for defining the term “digital twin of a product”; the basics of developing, verifying and validating mathematical, computer and digital models; the procedure for forming a multi-level system of requirements and target indicators of a high-tech product; the basics of conducting digital (virtual) tests of a product, including digital tests using digital (virtual) test benches and testing grounds on a software and technology platform (digital platform); features of ensuring two-way information links between a digital twin and a product.

    The online course lectures cover general theoretical principles that ensure the creation and application of a digital twin of a product, elements of digital twins and key terms in this area. The program is aimed at studying the main provisions GOST R 57700.37–2021 “Computer models and modeling. DIGITAL TWINS OF PRODUCTS. General provisions”, intended primarily for use in the high-tech mechanical engineering industry and related industries.

    The online course “Digital Twins of Products” consists of 16 topics, combined into 4 modules. Each topic contains a video lecture lasting 7-15 minutes and materials for independent study by students:

    presentation (5-10 slides); notes (10-15 pages); glossary (5-15 terms and definitions); additional literature (2-5 sources).

    The training intensity is 72 academic hours (approximate duration of training is 16 weeks with classes of 4-5 academic hours per week).

    The authors of the course are the main developers of the national standard of the Russian Federation GOST R 57700.37–2021 “Computer models and modeling. DIGITAL DOUBLES OF PRODUCTS. General provisions”.

    Course Authors:

    Borovkov Aleksey Ivanovich, Vice-Rector for Digital Transformation of SPbPU, Professor, Head of the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering”, World-Class Scientific Center “Advanced Digital Technologies” of SPbPU, Competence Center of NTI SPbPU “New Production Technologies” and Engineering Center “Computer Engineering Center” (CompMechLab®) of SPbPU, Technology Transfer Center of SPbPU; Ryabov Yury Aleksandrovich, Head of the Department of Technological and Industrial Foresight of the Engineering Center “Computer Engineering Center” (CompMechLab®) of PIS SPbPU “Digital Engineering”; Martynets Ekaterina Romanovna, Leading Specialist of the Department of Technological and Industrial Foresight of the Engineering Center “Computer Engineering Center” (CompMechLab®) of PIS SPbPU “Digital Engineering”; Shcherbina Lyudmila Aleksandrovna, Deputy Director for Information and Analytical Work of the Engineering Center “Computer Engineering Center” (CompMechLab®) of the SPbPU PISh “Digital Engineering”.

    The specialists will share their competencies and knowledge within the course Advanced engineering school of SPbPU “Digital engineering”, NTI Competence Center SPbPU “New Production Technologies”, Engineering Center “Computer Engineering Center” (CompMechLab®) SPbPU, with many years of successful experience in carrying out R&D based on the technology of developing digital twins for high-tech industry enterprises in such knowledge-intensive sectors as engine building, power engineering, nuclear, oil and gas, petrochemical and special engineering, aircraft manufacturing, rocket and space technology, automotive engineering, shipbuilding, shipbuilding and marine engineering, instrument making, medical engineering, high-performance sports and others.

    Who will benefit from the online course “Digital Twins of Products”:

    systems engineers, research engineers, calculation engineers, design engineers, process engineers, operating engineers, developers of complex high-tech products in various industries; senior and middle managers responsible for the development and implementation of digital transformation strategies, changing business processes and business models of enterprises through the introduction of digital technologies; students, postgraduates and teachers of technical universities; a wide range of people with higher professional education (starting with a bachelor’s degree), interested in theoretical and practical issues of developing advanced digital and production technologies.

    A complete list of areas of training for masters, specialists and postgraduates who may be interested in the online course “Digital Twins of Products” is given below.

    The new intake is already the sixth since the course was launched. The fifth intake completed its training in December 2024. Based on the results of all the intakes, 5,609 students from 6 countries and 223 cities in Russia and neighboring countries registered for the course.

    These are employees and students of engineering specialties from 169 research centers and universities, as well as specialists from 54 high-tech companies. As their areas of activity, the students noted mechanical engineering, finite element modeling, energy, electrical engineering, oil production, construction and BIM technologies, polymeric materials, programming, pedagogy, regulatory control and others. 1,717 people successfully completed the training, as a result of which they received a certificate of advanced training from SPbPU and / or an electronic certificate of the national educational platform “Open Education” on completion of the course.

    According to the results of surveys conducted after each release, 93% of students are ready to recommend this course to their friends and colleagues. They noted the depth of development and high-quality design of the training materials, the accessibility of the information. The video lecture format was recognized as very successful, allowing training at a convenient time without interrupting work.

    Feedback left by students following the fifth launch of the course:

    I found answers to questions that had been bothering me for a long time, namely, I understood what a “digital twin” is. The topic is very well covered. I also liked that many terms were given in English. An excellent high-level overview of digital twin development tools. I feel proud that our country is actively moving in such a promising direction as “digital twins” and offers competitive solutions. I really liked the whole course. Useful and interesting. Thanks to all the creators and organizers.

    Upon successful completion of the midterm and final testing on the national platform “Open Education”, a certificate of completion of the online course and/or a certificate of advanced training from SPbPU is issued.

    SIGN UP FOR TRAINING

    Areas of training for masters and specialists who may benefit from the online course “Digital Twins of Products” (in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia dated 12.09.2013 No. 1061, as amended on 13.12.2021 No. 1229). View the list of destinations.

    Scientific specialties of postgraduate students who may benefit from the online course “Digital Twins of Products” (in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia dated 02/24/2021 No. 118). View list of directions.

    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 –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: WHO in Africa: three ways the continent stands to lose from Trump’s decision to pull out

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Lawrence O. Gostin, University Professor; Founding Linda D. & Timothy J. O’Neill Professor of Global Health Law, Georgetown University

    President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization (WHO) will be keenly felt across the globe, with profound implications for health in Africa.

    In the executive order putting the withdrawal process in place, Trump also paused the transfer of US funds, support and resources to the WHO.

    Trump’s executive order is his second attempt to pull the US out of the agency. He has also complained that the US financial contribution to the international organisation is “onerous”.

    The biggest impacts will come from the loss of US funding. The US is by far the WHO’s largest state donor, contributing approximately 18% of the agency’s total funding.

    The WHO’s funding is split into two tranches.

    There are assessed contributions: countries’ membership fees, to which all WHO members agree and over which the WHO has full control. The US accounts for 22%, or US$264 million of these, for the current 2024/25 budget. The US is yet to pay the WHO its assessed contributions for 2024 and 2025. Withdrawing from the organisation without paying these fees would violate US law and must be challenged in the US courts.

    Then there are voluntary contributions: donations by member countries, foundations and other sources, usually earmarked to that donor’s priorities. The US contributes 16%, or US$442 million, of all voluntary contributions.

    In the case of the US, these priorities include HIV/AIDS, polio eradication and health emergencies.

    As experts in global health law, we are deeply concerned about the impacts of this order, which will be far reaching.

    The US withdrawal from the WHO threatens core health programmes in Africa. It will weaken the ability of African countries to respond to health emergencies, and could lead to increases in death and illness on the continent.

    It will also have broader implications for leadership and governance in global health.

    Impact on core programmes

    Trump’s decision to withdraw comes at a time when the WHO’s health priorities in Africa were already underfunded. Eight of 12 areas were funded less than 50% earlier this year.

    Twenty-seven percent of all US funding through the WHO for the African region goes to polio eradication, 20% supports improved access to quality essential health services, and much of the balance goes to pandemic preparedness and response.

    The WHO/US partnership has long supported the HIV/AIDS response in Africa, but the redirection and reduction in funds could reduce the availability of prevention, testing and treatment programmes across the continent. This threatens progress to end AIDS by 2030.

    The funding gap will also have an impact on programmes designed to increase access to quality essential health services, including the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis and malaria, and child and maternal health services.

    If the WHO is forced to cut back on these services due to a lack of financing, it could lead to increases in mortality and morbidity in Africa.

    European countries filled the financing gap in 2020 when Trump last withheld US funding from the WHO. But it is unlikely that they will be able to do so again, as countries across Europe are facing their own geopolitical and financial challenges.

    The WHO’s budget was already thinly spread, and its mandate keeps growing.

    Through its new investment round, the WHO raised US$1.7 billion in pledges, and is expecting another US$2.1 billion through partnerships and other agreements. Yet even before the US president’s executive order, this left a funding gap of approximately US$3.3 billion (or 47%) for the WHO’s 2025-2028 strategy.

    If the gap left by the loss of US funding cannot be filled from other sources, it will fall to African nations to fund health programmes and services that are cut, placing a greater strain on governments reckoning with limited fiscal space.

    Weakened response to health emergencies

    Trump’s decision comes at a pivotal moment for health in Africa, which is experiencing major outbreaks.

    The US has been a key actor supporting WHO-led emergency responses to outbreaks.

    Last year, the US partnered with the WHO and Rwanda to rapidly bring a Marburg outbreak under control. The Marburg virus continues to threaten the continent. Tanzania has just confirmed an outbreak.

    Earlier in August 2024, the WHO and Africa Centres for Disease Control each declared mpox on the continent to be a public health emergency.

    The Biden administration delivered 60,000 vaccines, pledged 1 million more, and contributed over US$22 million to support capacity building and vaccination.

    But now US health officials have been instructed to immediately stop working with the WHO, preventing US teams in Africa from responding to Marburg virus and mpox.

    Even before these outbreaks, the US supported WHO-led emergency responses to COVID-19, Ebola and HIV/AIDS. The US withdrawal could lead to increased transmission, sickness and death in vulnerable regions.

    Similarly, strong partnership between the WHO and the US has helped build health system capacities in Africa for public health emergencies.

    US experts have supported nearly half of all WHO joint external evaluation missions to assess countries’ pandemic preparedness and response capacities under the International Health Regulations. This is a binding WHO agreement to help countries prepare for, detect and initially respond to health emergencies globally.

    The US withdrawal from the WHO risks eroding these efforts, though it may also accelerate a regionalisation of health security already underway in Africa, led by the African Union through the Africa CDC.

    Restructuring of governance

    The US was instrumental in establishing the WHO and shaping WHO norms and standards, in particular driving amendments to the International Health Regulations adopted in June 2024. This included improved obligations to facilitate the rapid sharing of information between the WHO and countries.

    The US has also been a key figure in ongoing negotiations for a new international treaty, a Pandemic Agreement. This would create new rights and obligations to prevent, prepare for and respond to pandemics with elements that go beyond the International Health Regulations. These include obligations on the equitable sharing of vaccines.

    Trump’s executive order would prevent these instruments from being implemented or enforced in the US.

    This would only entrench inequitable dynamics when the next global health emergency breaks out, given the concentration of global pharmaceutical companies in the US.

    The order also pulls the US out of the Pandemic Agreement negotiations. This will inevitably create new diplomatic dynamics. Optimistically, this could provide enhanced opportunities for African nations to strengthen their position on equity.

    The US departure from the WHO will create a leadership vacuum, ushering in a restructuring of power and alliances for global health.

    This vacuum could cede influence to US adversaries, opening the door to even greater Chinese influence on the African continent.

    But it also presents opportunities for greater African leadership in global health, which could strengthen African self-reliance.

    Trump has directed the US to find “credible and transparent” partners to assume the activities the WHO would have performed. And yet there is no substitute for the WHO, with its worldwide reach and stature.

    For more than 75 years, the WHO has been, and remains, the only global health organisation with the membership, authority, expertise and credibility to protect and promote health for the world’s population.

    For this reason, the African Union, among scores of other bodies and leaders, has already urged Trump to reconsider.

    It is now time for the global community to stand up for the WHO and ensure its vital health work in Africa and beyond can thrive.

    – WHO in Africa: three ways the continent stands to lose from Trump’s decision to pull out
    – https://theconversation.com/who-in-africa-three-ways-the-continent-stands-to-lose-from-trumps-decision-to-pull-out-248237

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Blasts Trump Admin for Illegally Blocking Funding for Communities, Comments on Latest OMB Update & Continued Chaos Nationwide

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Murray: “In a brazen and illegal move, the Trump administration is working to freeze huge chunks of federal funding passed into law—by Republicans and Democrats alike.  Now, not even 24 hours later, they are issuing new guidance trying to clean up the massive mess they have made, saying: ‘Wait, we don’t actually know what we are doing….’ but still leaving needless uncertainty about what actually is happening—and they are still—let me make that clear: still—withholding approved funding all across government.”

    ***VIDEO HERE***

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Senate Democrats’ weekly press conference and discussed the Trump administration’s unprecedented and illegal directives to withhold vast chunks of federal funding that were signed into law by Republicans and Democrats alike. She also touched on the recent update the Trump administration sent on its orders, as well as Senate Democrats’ resolution condemning President Trump’s pardons for violent insurrectionists.

    Earlier today, Senator Murray joined colleagues in raising the alarm on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo issued by the Trump administration last night directing agencies to withhold federal funding and creating mass chaos and confusion in the process.

    Last night, Senator Murray and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro sent a letter to Acting OMB Director Matthew J. Vaeth raising the alarm on President Trump’s unlawful executive orders and the new memoranda issued by OMB on Monday directing agencies to withhold vast swaths of approved federal funding.

    A fact sheet on the issue of the impoundment is available HERE.

    Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

    “Every one of us in this building owes a huge debt to our Capitol Police. Considering all they sacrifice to keep us safe, we should be able to say—with one voice—that if you violently assault a Capitol Police officer, you should not get a pardon. You should not get off scot free. I will have more to say later on the floor—but from Trump pardoning violent insurrectionists to issuing blatantly unconstitutional executive orders to lawlessly blocking bipartisan funding, we have a lot more ground to cover. And today I want to talk about the OMB guidance the Trump administration issued in the dead of night.

    “In a brazen and illegal move, the Trump administration is working to freeze huge chunks of federal funding passed into law—by Republicans and Democrats alike.

    “Now, not even 24 hours later, they are issuing new guidance trying to clean up the massive mess they have made, saying: ‘Wait, we don’t actually know what we are doing….’ But still leaving needless uncertainty about what actually is happening—and they are still—let me make that clear: still—withholding approved funding all across government.

    “Meanwhile, this chaos is already hurting people, causing confusion, and causing devastating delays. I mean where do we start here? There are a lot of urgent questions but precious few answers—and the answers keep changing.

    “What about grants for public safety? Grants for firefighters and for police departments, or that prevent violence against women—those aren’t direct to individuals—are they still halted?

    “Or health care? What about community health centers that millions rely on—including in rural areas?

    “Or money fighting the opioid crisis—grants that go to states, communities, and non-profits? Are they stopping funding for addiction treatment and prevention?

    “Or clinical studies. Scientists at the University of Washington and Washington State University are deeply alarmed—this is not theoretical; research projects will collapse and staff will be furloughed or laid off.

    “Tribes in my state are deeply alarmed that they will see severe cuts across health care, education, law enforcement, housing—practically every aspect of daily life on Indian land.

    “And of course, what about disaster relief that could be derailed? In Eastern Washington, in my home state, $44 million to help Spokane County rebuild after wildfires—money that was announced weeks ago—is that still on pause? Last week Trump visited communities in North Carolina and California still reeling from disaster; now he is throwing the aid those communities need into chaos.

    “Schools that need Title I payments are worried they may not get the funds that Congress has allocated and voted on.

    “Suddenly, we don’t know: How will Meals on Wheels feed seniors who depend on them? Or what this means for homeless veterans we are working to get housed?

    “Entire budgets and payrolls across the country are carefully hinging on these resources—we’re talking about small towns, cities, rural America, school districts, universities, and much more.

    “And look—saying, ‘just kidding’ not even 24 hours later—is not a solution.

    “You can’t pretend you had no idea it would cause chaos despite all the warnings. That is not believable, and even if it was true, it’s not a good reason for the damage caused.

    “Even despite what we’ve heard from the administration in the last hour or so, they are still illegally withholding funding owed to all of our states—that basic truth has not changed.

    “So I am urging my fellow Republicans to open your eyes to just how bad this is and will be for your states and your communities and speak out. I know reports say the White House is trying to silence members who have done that—but stand up. We are talking about your constituents.

    “And specifically, I am urging my Republican colleagues on the Senate Budget Committee to vote against Russ Vought’s nomination. Republicans should not advance this nomination out of committee until the Trump administration follows the law. 

    “And I am warning the Trump Administration—the law is the law. You need to reverse course, follow the requirements of the law, ensure the nation’s spending laws are implemented as Congress intended, and avoid this pointless, damaging chaos.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Trump Illegally Firing EEOC Commissioners and NLRB Members

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement on the illegal firings of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Commissioners Charlotte Burrows and Jocelyn Samuels and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Member Gwynne Wilcox, as well as the firing of EEOC General Counsel Karla Gilbride and NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo.

    “I am extremely alarmed by the unprecedented firings of EEOC Commissioners and NLRB Members without cause—these are yet more lawless actions by a president who thinks he is above the law and clearly could not care less about the rights of workers.

    “Congress intended for the EEOC to be bipartisan, for commissioners from both parties to work together to defend workers’ rights and create fairer workplaces—and the NLRB plays an absolutely vital role in safeguarding employees’ rights to organize for better wages and working conditions, and preventing unfair labor practices. These brazen firings undermine not only the will of Congress but these agencies’ critical work fighting on behalf of workers across the country.

    “President Trump has been in office barely a week and already he is taking an axe to longstanding civil rights protections—from illegally firing EEOC commissioners and NLRB members to dismantling a 60-year agency charged with protecting federal contract workers from illegal discrimination. Trump and Republicans are hell-bent on launching an all-out assault on working people and their rights—they’re just hoping we don’t notice.”

    Throughout her career, including as the top Democrat on the Senate Labor Committee from 2015-2022, Senator Murray has championed the vital work and mission of the EEOC and the NLRB, including working to quickly confirm Jocelyn Samuels to the EEOC and Gwynne Wilcox to the NLRB, and promptly considering and advancing out of committee Kalpana Kotagal’s nomination to the EEOC.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Kim, NJ Non-Profits Warn of Severe Disruptions to Vital Community Services Following Trump OMB Guidance

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    NEWARK, NJ –– This afternoon, Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) joined New Jersey non-profit service providers to warn of the immediate and tangible negative effects the Trump-Vance administration’s January 27 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memorandum will have on communities across the Garden State.

    Requiring all executive departments and agencies “to identify and review all Federal financial assistance,” OMB’s memorandum pauses all grant, loan, and other congressionally apportioned financial assistance programs to municipalities and critical service providers across the country, including funding for veterans’ assistance groups, police, firefighters, and local first responders, early childhood education centers, older adult service providers, and domestic violence survivor organizations. 

    Condemning these pauses, Senator Cory Booker, Senator Andy Kim, and local and state-wide service providers warned:

    “Once again, President Trump has made clear his willingness to inflict pain upon communities across the country, including at home in New Jersey. OMB’s latest guidance has produced immense uncertainty across our state’s municipalities and critical service providers. My office has heard from veterans’ assistance groups, local first responders, and domestic violence survivor organizations, and they’re all telling us the same thing. Their operational integrity and the wellbeing of those they serve are in jeopardy. These are the actions of a callous president––one wholly unconcerned by the day-to-day realities of the majority of Americans and New Jerseyans. While President Trump continues to ignore families who want to see actions that lower costs and make their lives better, I’ll continue to work to guarantee New Jerseyans––from Sussex County to Cumberland County and everywhere in between––have the resources they need to get ahead,” said Senator Cory Booker.

    “President Trump and his administration continue to serve their own power first, not caring that local communities are the collateral damage to their incompetence. OMB’s decision disregards the basic functions of our federal government and how it meets critical needs in communities across our country. We want Donald Trump to know exactly what these decisions and loss of funding could mean for New Jersey: it places independent living centers on the brink, risks vital Meals on Wheels for our seniors, and threatens crucial Head Start services for our families. These are just a couple examples from the calls and messages coming into my office today.  At a moment of such distrust between people and their government, this isn’t simply a disregard for our Constitution, this is a cruel attack hurting families all across this nation. We will look at all possible actions to force the Trump administration to honor Congress’ power of the purse and ensure these funds reach our communities,” said Senator Kim.

    “The new executive order pausing the release of federal grant funding impacts sexual violence services, putting individuals who have been assaulted and their loved ones at greater risk. With reduced funding, service providers face the challenge of maintaining critical support systems, including the availability of advocates to answer hotlines, provide accompaniments to forensic exams, navigate the court system, and offer counseling and other critical services.  Often, there is no duplication of services supporting survivors, and our data show that there are already existing waitlists for them. Interruptions in funding will only exacerbate an already strained system and delay access to care. This increase in wait times will not only heighten the immediate danger of further harm but also prolong the impact on survivors’ healing,” said Robert Baran and Denise Rodriguez, Co-Directors, New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

    “We have worked with Senator Booker countless times to be sure we have secured these much needed dollars to Fire Departments across New Jersey. These dollars have offset costs for manpower, training, and equipment. All of which have provided a safer workplace for our members while we protect the residents and visitors of our great State. We urge the President to release these funds Congress has appropriated for AFG and SAFER grants,” said Eddie Donnelly, President, New Jersey State Firefighters’ Mutual Benevolent Association (FMBA).

    “A pause in federal funding of any length will impact our ability to serve our homeless veteran population. This is not just the case for our program but for similar programs throughout the nation. The effects of this pause will be immediate and grave. For example, they will imperil the support families enrolled in the VA’s Support Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) programs receive, including rental assistance. And, as rents come due in a matter of days, this raises the specter of evictions and increased veteran homelessness. Additionally, a pause in the federal funding we receive will immediately affect our ability to purchase and prepare food for our 100+ housed veterans, prevent us from taking in, and providing services, for additional homeless veterans in New Jersey, halts our ability to pay leases on vehicles used for support services, and jeopardizes the jobs of nearly 200 employees dedicated to serving our nation’s veterans, many of whom are veterans or were once unhoused veterans themselves. While we will continue to provide those who rely on us with the dignity and care they deserve, OMB’s memorandum seriously endangers the wellbeing of an already vulnerable population,” said Bruce Buckley, Chief Executive Officer, Soldier On.

    “The recent pause in funds has produced considerable concern across the Rutgers University community, which prides itself on the federally supported research and service it carries out to promote the common good and serve the national interest. The federal government is a critical partner to Rutgers, with federal funding for student aid, research, and public service initiatives accounting for about $1 billion of the university’s $5.6 billion budget. As we work across the university to understand the impact of the federal pauses and to provide guidance to our community during these uncertain times, Rutgers remains profoundly committed to our public mission of research, teaching, and service, and to our students’ success,” said Jonathan Holloway, President, Rutgers University.

    “A freeze to the release of federal funds will impact all victims and survivors of domestic violence. The vast majority of our 33 domestic violence providers in NJ rely on federal funding to ensure that every county has a domestic violence shelter, legal advocacy, counseling and other critical services that survivors need. A freeze in funding will increase barriers for survivors seeking safety, and will cause many to stay in abusive situations, increasing the danger and harm they will experience. The federal government must act accordingly, and not hastily, to ensure victims and survivors have the services they need in their community when they need them” said Adrienne Gantz and Nicole Morella, Co-Executive Directors, New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence.

    “Just a few days into their term, the Trump-Vance Administration has imposed an unprecedented freeze on federally funded programs, including programs that benefit more than 578,000 New Jerseyans, who rely on community health centers for vital, cost-efficient and life-saving care. For a majority of our state’s community health centers, this freeze in federal funding will cause them to shutter, leaving hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans without access to healthcare. These freezes come asemerging public health risks––like bird flu and other infectious diseases––continue to pose dangers to our communities. Our health centers are already struggling financially, and many are facing the likelihood of not making payroll in the next few weeks, dealing a death blow to centers that are already having difficulty in retaining an adequate workforce for the services they provide,” said Selina Haq, Ph.D., President/Chief Executive Officer, New Jersey Primary Care Association.

    “Boys & Girls Club of Newark has six funding sources that may be impacted by the federal spending freeze. These funds represent more than 10% of our annual budget of $5M and could affect funding for 35-50 team members in direct service with youth. The kinds of programs that could be affected are meal service at our after-school programs, food distribution to families, mentorship for at-risk youth, and critical funding related to safety at our facility. We believe these services are of vital importance to the work we do in our community. Our hope is to see funding restored to ensure our constituents can receive these services that they rely on for their well-being,” said Ameer Washington, Chief Executive Officer, Boys & Girls Club Newark.

    “The freeze in federal funding, which has been imposed, will undoubtedly have a devastating impact on Centers for Independent Living throughout the country. These centers provide crucial support and assistance to individuals with disabilities, allowing them to live independently and fully participate in their communities. With this ban in place, these centers may be forced to put vital services on hold, leaving many individuals without the necessary resources and support they rely on. Furthermore, the ban may also result in significant financial strain for these centers, potentially leading to payrolls being put on hold and difficulty paying rent. This could ultimately jeopardize the ability of these centers to continue operating and providing essential services to those in need. The impact of this ban will not only be felt by the centers themselves, but also by the individuals they serve, creating a ripple effect throughout the disability community. It is essential that this ban be reconsidered and alternative solutions be explored to ensure that Centers for Independent Living can continue their important work without interruption,” said Carole Tonks, Executive Director, Alliance Center for Independence – Edison, NJ.

    “This order to halt federal funding will have devastating consequences for millions of New Jerseyans, including many that New Jersey Citizen Action directly serves. Federal grants enable many organizations like ours to help New Jerseyans to save themselves from foreclosures, afford first-time homebuyer loans, protect themselves from housing discrimination, file their taxes for free, navigate essential social safety-net programs, and achieve financial stability. These key investments have allowed New Jersey to build stronger communities and healthier, thriving families. The order would also affect the entire New Jersey nonprofit sector dedicated to serving our state’s most vulnerable populations.  These include organizations that provide services for seniors, people with disabilities, children, women, victims of domestic violence, and organizations in the field of mental health. It’s unconscionable that the Trump administration should halt these investments—which have already been approved by Congress—for American taxpayers while considering further tax cuts for billionaires and corporations,” said Dena Mottola, Executive Director, New Jersey Citizen Action.

    “The work that we do along with other nonprofit public health agencies is vital to the health of our communities. We know that maternal child health is critical to the health of our nation and limiting or cutting funding that states, agencies and programs like ours receive will have negative long-term consequences on the women, children and families that we serve,” said Robyn D’Oria MA, RNC, APN, Chief Executive Officer, Central Jersey Family Health Consortium. 

    Additional programs and initiatives adversely impacted by OMB’s memorandum include but are not limited to:

    Head Start

    Click here for a state-by-state table of FY 2024 funding for Head Start, which funds comprehensive early childhood education, or here for state-by-state fact sheets that use the same funding data.  

    VAWA Grants

    Click here for state level totals of FY 2024 grant funding from the Office of Violence Against Women.    

    Community Health Center

    Click here for a 2023 table of state-by-state Section 330 grant funding for community health centers, which provide affordable care for millions of Americans. 

    IDEA and Other Department of Education Grant Programs

    Click here for a state-by-state table of IDEA Grants (which help children with disabilities) from FY 2023, and data on other grant programs through the Department of Education that could be impacted by the freeze.  

    COPS Grants

    The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program is a Department of Justice grant program for law enforcement. More info here, and many of the links include state-by-state fact sheets. This link here includes FY 2024 grant amounts for the COPS Hiring Program (CHP). These are divided up by state but you may have to calculate your state’s total separately.  

    State Opioid Response Grants

    Click here for total state awards from FY 2024 for the State Opioid Response Grantsprogram, which funds addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery services.  

    SBA Loans to Small Business

    Click here for a dashboard of approved SBA loans by state for recent fiscal years including FY 2024. State totals for both the 7(a) program and 504 program are available. Copying values from the dashboard does not always work, but the Download Data option is a good other way to access the numbers.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: GUU expert in the Public Chamber: professor took part in the meeting of the Commission on Interethnic Relations

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    A professor from the State University of Management took part in an extended meeting of the Commission on Interethnic, Interreligious Relations and Migration, which was held in the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation.

    The event was opened by the Chairman of the Commission, Professor Vladimir Zorin, who presented a report on the work done in the previous year and outlined priority tasks for 2025.

    Professor of the Department of Public Administration and Political Technologies of the State University of Management, member of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation on Interethnic Relations and the Public Council under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia Vladimir Volokh spoke at the meeting. He emphasized that the effective solution of issues of state national and migration policy requires close interaction of state authorities with civil society institutions, the scientific community, socially responsible business, and various public organizations.

    Vladimir Volokh also expressed the opinion that at the current stage of development, it is necessary not to update the Concept of the state migration policy of the Russian Federation, but to develop and approve by the Head of State the Strategy of the state migration policy of the Russian Federation in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation. This, in his opinion, will ensure a more systematic and long-term approach to managing migration processes.

    The meeting was also attended by members of the commission, experts and invited guests, including: Director of the Department of National Policy of the Domestic Policy Directorate of the Presidential Administration of Russia Tatyana Vagina; State Secretary – Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs of Russia Anna Kotova; 1st Deputy Chairman of the Commission Vladimir Lagkuev; Deputy Secretary General – Head of the General Secretariat of the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly Svetlana Smirnova; Director of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “House of the Peoples of Russia” Anna Polezhaeva; Commission expert, Director of the ANO “Resource Center in the Sphere of National Relations” Evgenia Mikhaleva; Head of the Department for Work with Government Structures of the Synodal Department for Church-Society Relations and the Media Pavel Lebedev and others.

    During the work, it was noted that since the beginning of 2024, a number of regulatory legal acts have been adopted aimed at improving migration policy, creating a more effective system for combating illegal migration and forming a legislative basis for combating illegal actions. These measures include the introduction of a regime for the expulsion of illegal migrants, the creation of a register of controlled persons who do not have the right to be in the country, limiting the number of SIM cards sold, including by illegal immigrants, tightening requirements for concluding contracts for the provision of communication services, including the collection of biometric data, as well as the adoption of a law aimed at combating fictitious marriages and adoptions.

    One of the important areas of the Commission’s work remains work with youth. The meeting participants noted that in the context of destructive influence from abroad, the main areas of activity are called upon to solve the problems of strengthening interethnic unity, improving migration policy and ensuring religious harmony.

    The members of the commission unanimously supported the proposal of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to create a Center for Migration Issues under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 01/29/2025

    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 –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: GUU helps Anapa: university volunteers fight fuel oil spill on the coast

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    On December 15, 2024, two tankers sank in the Black Sea. Several tons of fuel oil ended up in the water and were later washed up on the coast. Rescuers have been fighting the consequences of the accident for over a month. The coast is being cleaned, among other things, by specialists from the All-Russian Student Rescue Corps. On January 16, a group of 18 volunteers joined the liquidators, including representatives of the State University of Management. There is still a lot of work to do, but there are already great results. 35 days after the tankers sank in the Kerch Strait and the fuel oil spill, the main beaches of Anapa are almost cleared. This was reported by the head of the Moscow city branch of the VSKS, director of the Educational and Training Center for Actions in an Emergency and Basic Military Training of the State University of Management Maxim Dzhetygenov and a second-year master’s student Matvey Ulyanov.

    As noted by the university representatives, the work is well-coordinated and productive, but is complicated by weather conditions. Strong winds are raging on the coast of Anapa, which is why rescuers are working in shifts to avoid hypothermia.

    “There is plenty of work now. The sea is rough, yesterday we were cleaning the beach area, and today we arrived and discovered that the waves had washed up fuel oil on the shore again. The guys have to get back to work and clean familiar places from new pollution,” said Maxim Dzhetygenov.

    To ensure the safety and effectiveness of the volunteers, a mutual aid headquarters called “We Are Together” has been created. Two people are on duty there 24 hours a day, giving everyone personal protective equipment. Before starting work, all rescuers undergo safety training and receive instructions on how to perform specific tasks for the day. And there are really many who want to help. As Matvey Ulyanov noted, about 7,000 volunteers participate in the cleanup every day, including local residents and representatives of various organizations.

    “Many local residents come. They bring fuel, food, water. That is, everything that we, in principle, need. We also supply civilians who want to help with personal protective equipment. These are overalls, gloves, glasses, respirators. And we involve them in our work,” said Matvey Ulyanov.

    Volunteers make an invaluable contribution to cleaning the coast. It is worth noting that their work is not limited to this. All the guys are “universal soldiers”. When the weather does not allow continuing rescue operations, volunteers help ecologists. They build structures for cleaning and rehabilitating injured birds, install barriers designed to collect fuel oil. This work is carried out indoors, which allows work even in bad weather.

    “The guys also insulate special houses, where electricity is later installed, lamps are hung to keep it warm, sand is brought in there, and it is also placed on the insulation so that the birds can undergo rehabilitation in more comfortable conditions,” noted Maxim Dzhetygenov.

    Volunteers working on the beach first collect a mixture of sand and fuel oil in bags. Then special equipment comes to the rescue: a tractor with a bucket, which drives up to the collection site and loads the bags. After that, the cargo is transferred to KAMAZ dump trucks, which take the waste to the landfill. During the day, rescuers collect an average of 150-170 bags.

    The situation is now much better than it was in the first days after the accident. This is confirmed by Maxim Dzhetygenov.

    “As the chief of staff, I drive around our area of responsibility along the coastline every morning and inspect it. I can say that there are no large deposits of fuel oil now. But a small “crumb” of oil product is still thrown out,” noted Maxim Dzhetygenov.

    And this once again emphasizes the importance of work to restore the ecology of the Anapa coast. The efforts of volunteers with the support of local residents inspire hope for the successful completion of the work and the restoration of the ecological situation. We will add that on January 24, representatives of the State University of Management will return to Moscow.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 01/29/2025

    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 –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Vitamin B6 is essential – but too much can be toxic. Here’s what to know to stay safe

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vasso Apostolopoulos, Distinguished Professor, Professor of Immunology, RMIT University

    Kim Kuperkova/Shutterstock

    In recent weeks, reports have been circulating about severe reactions in people who’ve taken over-the-counter vitamin B6 supplements.

    Vitamin B6 poisoning can injure nerves and lead to symptoms including numbness, tingling and even trouble walking and moving.

    In some cases, those affected didn’t know the product contained any vitamin B6.

    So what is vitamin B6, where is it found and how much is too much? Here’s what you need to know about this essential nutrient.

    What is vitamin B6?

    Vitamin B6 (also known as pyridoxine) is a group of six compounds that share a similar chemical structure.

    It is an essential nutrient, meaning we need it for normal body functions, but we can’t produce it ourselves.

    Adults aged 19–50 need 1.3mg of vitamin B6 per day. The recommended dose is lower for teens and children, and higher for those aged 51 and over (1.7mg for men and 1.5mg for women) and people who are breastfeeding or pregnant (1.9mg).

    Most of us get this in our diet – largely from animal products, including meat, dairy and eggs.

    The vitamin is also available in a range of different plant foods, including spinach, kale, bananas and potatoes, so deficiency is rare, even for vegetarians and vegans.

    The vitamin B6 we consume in the diet is inactive, meaning the body can’t use it. To activate B6, the liver transforms it into a compound called pyridoxal-5’-phosphate (PLP).

    In this form, vitamin B6 helps the body with more than 140 cellular functions, including building and breaking down proteins, producing red blood cells, regulating blood sugar and supporting brain function.

    Vitamin B6 is important for overall health and has also been associated with reduced cancer risk and inflammation.

    Despite being readily available in the diet, vitamin B6 is also widely included in various supplements, multivitamins and other products, such as Berocca and energy drinks.

    Most people get enough vitamin B6 from their diet.
    Tatjana Baibakova/Shutterstock

    Should we be worried about toxicity?

    Vitamin B6 toxicity is extremely rare. It almost never occurs from dietary intake alone, unless there is a genetic disorders or disease that stops nutrient absorption (such as coeliac disease).

    This is because all eight vitamins in the B group are water-soluble. If you consume more of the vitamin than your body needs, it can be excreted readily and harmlessly in your urine.

    However, in some rare cases, excessive vitamin B6 accumulates in the blood, resulting in a condition called peripheral neuropathy. We’re still not sure why this occurs in some people but not others.

    Peripheral neuropathy occurs when the sensory nerves – those outside our brain and spinal cord that send information to the central nervous system – are damaged and unable to function. This can be caused by a wide range of diseases (and is most well known in type 2 diabetes).

    The most common symptoms are numbness and tingling, though in some cases patients may experience difficulty with balance or walking.

    We don’t know exactly how excess vitamin B6 causes peripheral neuropathy, but it is thought to interfere with how the neurotransmitter GABA sends signals to the sensory nerves.

    Vitamin B6 can cause permanent damage to nerves. Studies have shown symptoms improved when the person stopped taking the supplement, although they didn’t completely resolve.

    What is considered excessive? And has this changed?

    Toxicity usually occurs only when people take supplements with high doses of B6.

    Until 2022, only products with more than 50mg of vitamin B6 were required to display a warning about peripheral neuropathy. But the Therapeutic Goods Administration lowered this and now requires any product containing more than 10mg of vitamin B6 to carry a warning.

    The Therapeutic Goods Administration has also halved the daily upper limit of vitamin B6 a product can provide – from 200mg to 100mg.

    These changes followed a review by the administration, after receiving 32 reports of peripheral neuropathy in people taking supplements. Two thirds of these people were taking less than 50mg of vitamin B6.

    The Therapeutic Goods Administration acknowledges the risk varies between individuals and a lot is unknown. Its review could not identify a minimum dose, duration of use or patient risk factors.

    But I thought B vitamins were good for me?

    Too much of anything can cause problems.

    The updated guidelines are likely to significantly lower the risk of toxicity. They also make consumers more aware of which products contain B6, and the risks.

    The Therapeutic Goods Administration will continue to monitor evidence and revise guidelines if necessary.

    While vitamin B6 toxicity remains very rare, there are still many questions about why some people get peripheral neuropathy with lower dose supplements.

    It could be that some specific vitamin B compounds have a stronger effect, or some people may have genetic vulnerabilities or diseases which put them at higher risk.

    So what should I do?

    Most people don’t need to actively seek vitamin B6 in supplements.

    However, many reports to the Therapeutic Goods Administration were of vitamin B6 being added to supplements labelled as magnesium or zinc – and some weren’t aware they were consuming it.

    It is important to always check the label if you are taking a new medicine or supplement, especially if it hasn’t been explicitly prescribed by a health-care professional.

    Be particularly cautious if you are taking multiple supplements. While one multivitamin is unlikely to cause an issue, adding a magnesium supplement for cramping, or a zinc supplement for cold and flu symptoms, may cause an excessive vitamin B6 dose over time, and increase your risk.

    Importantly, pay attention to symptoms that may indicate peripheral neuropathy, such as pins and needles, numbness, or pain in the feet or hands, if you do change or add a supplement.

    Most importantly, if you need advice, you should talk to your doctor, dietitian or pharmacist.

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

    – ref. Vitamin B6 is essential – but too much can be toxic. Here’s what to know to stay safe – https://theconversation.com/vitamin-b6-is-essential-but-too-much-can-be-toxic-heres-what-to-know-to-stay-safe-248443

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –