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Category: Europe

  • MIL-OSI Canada: The Canada-Poland Nuclear Energy Cooperation Agreement

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    Canada and Poland’s relationship is steadfast, from our mutual commitment to transatlantic and energy security to our common pursuit of a more sustainable planet. Together, we stand united and determined to create a safer and more prosperous world today – and for generations to come.

    Today, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, concluded his trip to Warsaw, Poland, where he signed the landmark Canada-Poland Nuclear Cooperation Agreement alongside the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk.

    Once in force, the Agreement will deepen ties between Canadian and Polish energy sectors, enabling Canadian companies to apply their nuclear expertise to support Poland’s energy transition and enhance energy security for Poland and the region. It will create good well-paying jobs and opportunities for people on both sides of the Atlantic, while reinforcing Canada and Poland’s shared commitment to nuclear co-operation, non-proliferation, safety, and security. This collaboration will help Poland enhance its clean energy sector and accelerate its efforts to phase out coal from its energy mix.

    This Agreement complements other initiatives to strengthen Canada and Poland’s bilateral relationship, including the General Security of Information Agreement (GSOIA), which was signed earlier this month. Once implemented, the GSOIA will enhance information sharing between Canada and Poland and create business opportunities for companies in industries such as defence, security, aerospace, marine, and nuclear.

    Prime Minister Trudeau also held bilateral meetings with his Polish counterparts, including Prime Minister Tusk, the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, and the Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski. As the world marks 80 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp, they agreed on the importance of combatting antisemitism and hate across the globe.

    The leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to transatlantic security and underlined the importance of providing military, financial, humanitarian, and other support for Ukraine as it continues to defend itself against Russia’s unjustifiable war of aggression. Prime Minister Trudeau emphasized that supporting Ukraine will continue to be a priority for Canada, particularly in the context of its 2025 G7 Presidency.

    Prime Minister Trudeau reiterated his thanks to the people of Poland for their hospitality during his two-day visit to the country and reaffirmed Canada’s desire to continue deepening ties with Poland in the years to come.

    Quote

    “By working together to advance nuclear technology, Canada and Poland are pushing innovation forward and accelerating energy security. Once in force, the newly signed Canada-Poland Nuclear Cooperation Agreement will promote Canadian innovators, create good-paying jobs, and combine Polish and Canadian expertise in the sector. It’s a testament to Canada’s commitment to building a more secure future, alongside our closest Allies.”

    Quick Facts

    • In 2023, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and the National Atomic Energy Agency of Poland signed a Memorandum of Understanding on small modular reactors (SMR), paving the way for increased exchanges on best practices and technical reviews related to SMR technology.
    • Poland does not yet generate nuclear power commercially, but it has comprehensive plans to use both large-scale and SMR nuclear technology.
    • Canada expects to be the first G7 country to have the first operational SMR, the GE-Hitachi BWRX-300, by 2029. It is under active development by Ontario Power Generation at its Darlington Nuclear Station, and Poland is watching developments at Darlington closely, as it plans to deploy the same SMR technology shortly thereafter.
    • In 2023, on the margins of the 28th meeting of the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Canada, Poland, and over twenty other nations endorsed a statement calling for the tripling of nuclear energy capacity by 2050.
    • Yesterday in Kraków, Poland, the Prime Minister announced $3.4 million in new funding to combat antisemitism, preserve Holocaust remembrance, and educate against Holocaust denial and distortion in Canada and around the world.
    • Canada and Poland enjoy a close-knit and multifaceted defence partnership. Canada takes pride in being the first NATO country to have ratified Poland’s membership, in 1998. Polish troops are deployed to the Canada-led NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia.
    • Poland is Canada’s largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2023, bilateral merchandise trade between the two countries totalled $4.1 billion.
    • The warm ties between our peoples serve as the foundation of our countries’ strong bilateral relationship. Close to one million Canadians of Polish descent call Canada home.

    Associated Links

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Rereading Rembrandt: how the slave trade helped establish the golden age of Dutch painting

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Caroline Fowler, Starr Director of the Research and Academic Program, Clark Art Institute, and lecturer in Art History, Williams College

    Detail from Rembrandt van Rijn’s painting Two African Men. Sailko/The Mauritshuis/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY

    The so-called golden age of Dutch painting in the 1600s coincided with an economic boom that had a lot to do with the transatlantic slave trade. But how did the slave trade shape the art market in the Netherlands? And how is it reflected in the paintings of the time?

    This is the subject of a new book called Slavery and the Invention of Dutch Art by art historian Caroline Fowler. We asked about her study.

    What was Dutch art about before slavery and what was the golden age?

    The earliest paintings that would be called Dutch were predominantly religious. They were made for Christian devotion. In the 1500s, major divisions in the church led to a fragmentation of Christianity called the Reformation.

    In this new religious climate, artists began to create new types of paintings, studying the world around them. They included landscapes, seascapes, still lifes, and interior scenes of their homes. Instead of working for the church, many painters began to work within an art market. There was a rising middle class that could afford to buy paintings.

    Historically, this period in Dutch economic prosperity has been called the “golden age”. This is when many of the most famous Dutch painters worked, such as Rembrandt van Rijn and Johannes Vermeer.

    Their work was made possible by a strong Dutch economy built on global trade networks. This included the transatlantic slave trade and the rise of the middle class. Although artists did not directly paint the transatlantic slave trade, in my book I argue that it is central to understanding the paintings produced in the 1600s as it made the economic market possible.

    In turn, many of the types of painting that developed, like maritime scenes and interior scenes, are often obliquely or directly about international trade. The slave trade is a haunting presence in these images.

    How did this play out within Dutch colonialism?

    The new “middle class” consisted of economically prosperous merchants, artisans, lawyers and doctors. For many of the wealthiest merchants, their prosperity was fuelled by their investments in trade overseas. In land and plantations, and also commodities such as sugar, salt, mace and nutmeg.



    Read more:
    Slavery, tax evasion, resistance: the story of 11 Africans in South America’s gold mines in the 1500s

    Slavery was illegal within the boundaries of the Dutch Republic on the European continent. But it was widely practised within Dutch colonies around the world. Slavery was central to their trade overseas – from the inter-Asian slave network that made possible their domination in the export of nutmeg, to the use of enslaved labour on plantations in the Americas. It also contributed in less visible ways to Dutch economic prosperity, like the development of maritime insurance.

    What was the relationship between artists and Dutch colonies?

    In the new school of painting, artists would sometimes travel to the Dutch colonies. For example, Frans Post travelled to Dutch Brazil and painted the sugar plantations and mills. Another artist named Maria Sibylla Merian went to Dutch Suriname, where she studied butterflies and plants on the Dutch sugar plantations.

    Both depict landscapes and the natural world but don’t directly engage with the profound dehumanisation of slavery, and an economic system dependent on enslaved labour. But this doesn’t mean that it’s absent in their sanitised renditions.

    Among the sources that I used to think about the presence of the transatlantic slave trade in a culture that did not overtly depict it were inventories of paintings and early museum collections. Often the language in these sources differed from the painting in important ways. They demonstrate how the violence of the system emerges in unexpected places.

    One inventory that describes paintings by Frans Post, for example, also narrates the physical punishment meted out if the enslaved tried to run away from the Dutch sugar plantations. This isn’t depicted in the painting, but it is part of the inventory that travelled beside the painting.

    These moments reveal the profound presence of this system within Dutch painting, and point to the ways in which artists negotiated making this structure invisible in their paintings although they were not able to completely erase its presence.

    How do you discuss Rembrandt’s paintings in your book?

    Historically, studies of the transatlantic slave trade in early modern painting (about 1400-1700) have looked at paintings that directly depict either enslaved or Black individuals.

    One of the points of this book is that this limits our understanding of the transatlantic slave trade in Dutch painting. A focus on blackness, for example, precludes understanding how whiteness is constructed at the same time. It fails to recognise the ways in which artists sought to diminish the presence of the slave trade in their sanitised rendition of Dutch society.

    One painting that I use to think about this is Rembrandt van Rijn’s very famous work called Syndics of the Draper’s Guild. It’s a group portrait of wealthy, white merchants gathered around a table looking at a book of fabric samples.

    Although there aren’t enslaved or black individuals depicted, this painting would be impossible without the transatlantic slave trade. Cloth from the Netherlands was often exchanged for enslaved people in west Africa, for example.

    In my book, I draw attention to these understudied histories to understand how certain assumptions around whiteness, privilege, and wealth developed in tandem with an emerging visual vocabulary around blackness and the transformation of individual lives into chattel property.

    What do you hope readers will take away from the book?

    I hope that readers will think about how many of our ideas about freedom, the middle class, art markets, and economic prosperity began in the 17th-century Dutch Republic. As this book demonstrates, a central part of this narrative that has been overlooked was the transatlantic slave trade in building this fantasy.

    This is in many ways an invention that traces back to the paintings of overt consumption and wealth produced in the Dutch Republic – like Vermeer’s interiors of Dutch homes.



    Read more:
    How we proved a Rembrandt painting owned by the University of Pretoria was a fake

    My aim with this book is to present not only a more complex view of Dutch painting but also a reconsideration of certain dogmas today around prosperity and the art market. The rise of our current financial system, art markets and visible celebration of landscapes, seascapes and interior scenes are all inseparable from the transformation of individual lives into property. We live with this legacy today in our systems built on racial, economic and gendered inequalities.

    Caroline Fowler 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. Rereading Rembrandt: how the slave trade helped establish the golden age of Dutch painting – https://theconversation.com/rereading-rembrandt-how-the-slave-trade-helped-establish-the-golden-age-of-dutch-painting-247918

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Cameroon could do with some foreign help to solve anglophone crisis – but the state doesn’t want it

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Julius A. Amin, Professor of History, University of Dayton

    What began in late 2016 as a peaceful protest by lawyers and teachers in Cameroon’s North West and South West regions quickly turned violent and developed into what’s become known as Cameroon’s anglophone crisis.

    The protest was instigated by perceived marginalisation of Cameroon’s anglophone region, which makes up 20% of the nation’s 29 million people.

    The conflict has resulted in immense destruction and casualties. Cameroon’s military responded to the protest with arrests and torture. Voices that called for complete secession of the anglophone regions from the Republic of Cameroon gained momentum.

    They created a virtual Ambazonia Republic and an interim government in exile, and vowed to fight back. They formed a military wing, Ambazonia Self-Defence Force, which attacked and disrupted economic and social services in the region.

    As of October 2024, over 1.8 million people have needed humanitarian assistance. Over 584,000 have been internally displaced. Over 73,000 have become refugees in next-door Nigeria. Over 6,500 have been killed.



    Read more:
    Cameroon: how language plunged a country into deadly conflict with no end in sight

    And the conflict still rages.

    One possible avenue that could be pursued to end the impasse is mediation, with help from other countries. But the Cameroonian government has repeatedly rebuffed intervention from organisations such as the African Union, arguing that the conflict is an internal affair.

    It also ended a government-sponsored mediation by the Swiss in 2022.

    It is clear to me, as a historian who has studied Cameroon foreign policy for the past three decades, that Cameroon’s leadership will not look to external actors to help solve their crisis.

    Founding leader Ahmadou Ahidjo, and later his successor Paul Biya, did not respond to external pressure to address issues. Cameroon’s diplomatic relations are based on respect of national sovereignty and nonintervention in each other’s internal affairs.

    My research shows that the Cameroonian leadership rejects outside intervention on issues it regards as within its sovereignty and internal affairs.

    Removing Cameroon from aid programmes such as the United States Agency for International Development programme and the African Growth and Opportunity Act has not deterred its leaders.

    An understanding of this background is crucial in the search for solutions to the ongoing anglophone crisis.



    Read more:
    Cameroon spends 90% of Chinese development loans on its French region: this could deepen the country’s divisions

    Use of force

    In the 1960s, Ahidjo used brutal force against a nationalist organisation called the Maquisard. His presidency was characterised by murders, imprisonments and torture.

    Political rivals were imprisoned or forced to go into exile. Biya, who served in Ahidjo’s government, learned that repressive measures work. As president, he used similar tactics against rivals and the opposition.

    But the use of force as a response to the anglophone protest was a miscalculation. The Biya regime failed to see the crisis in its context of changing times, misunderstood the sources of the conflict, and misread the role of social media in protest activities in the 21st century.

    The crisis originated from a series of grievances: poverty, unemployment, political and economic neglect of the anglophone region, failure to treat French and English as equal languages in the country, and disrespect and disregard of English-speaking Cameroonians.

    At the beginning protesters were generally peaceful, but things changed in 2017. Biya stated that Cameroon was being hijacked by “terrorists masking as secessionists” and vowed to eliminate them.

    To anglophone leaders it was a formal declaration of war, and the message spread quickly on social media. The Biya team did little to slow or stop its spread, and anglophones inside and outside the country accepted the message as fact. It mobilised the region. And few took the time to read the full text of his remarks.

    The brutality of the war on both sides intensified. Everything had all happened so quickly, and most did not anticipate the intensity of the violence.



    Read more:
    Cameroon after Paul Biya: poverty, uncertainty and a precarious succession battle

    Resistance to outside intervention

    In its diplomatic relations, Cameroon has a long history of protecting what it sees as its own business.

    One example was in 1992, after the US administration criticised Biya for electoral fraud. The Cameroon government fired back. Biya withdrew Cameroon’s ambassador from Washington DC, and informed the US ambassador that America should stay clear of Cameroon’s internal affairs.

    In 2008, tension erupted again when Biya changed Cameroon’s constitution to eliminate presidential term limits. The US ambassador criticised the move in the Cameroonian press. Again, Cameroonian officials pushed back, asking the ambassador not to interfere in the nation’s internal politics.

    America’s disposition towards the anglophone crisis has been one of non-interference. Other major powers have responded similarly, asking both sides to end the violence.

    The Cameroon government has rebuffed initiatives from Switzerland and Canada, both friendly to the country, publicly stating it asked no nation to mediate.

    The rejection of the Swiss initiative was surprising, given that Biya spends much time in that country. Unlike the Swiss plan, in which conversations began, the Canadian initiative did not even take off.



    Read more:
    Cameroon’s rebels may not achieve their goal of creating the Ambazonian state – but they’re still a threat to stability

    Looking ahead

    Measurable indicators show that the Biya regime is failing to end the anglophone crisis. The killings – including those of law enforcement officers – kidnaps, brutality and ransom demands are now normalised in the anglophone region, especially in rural areas.

    Biya’s Grand National Dialogue and National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism have failed to address the sources of the crisis. Locals dismiss them as a joke.

    People are exasperated by public service announcements about what the government has achieved. Their condition remains much worse than it was in the pre-crisis period.

    Ordinary people are focused on bread-and-butter issues and the desire for dignity and respect. But they don’t see it.

    Young Cameroonians need to see both anglophone and francophone residents at every level of government, on every rung of the business ladder, in every management position, at every school — even on every billboard advertisement.

    Only such a widespread and visible approach can convincingly challenge Cameroon’s pattern of discrimination and exclusion.

    The Biya regime must commit to doing that and not be distracted by supporters urging him to be a candidate in the upcoming presidential election.

    It is important to track and bring to justice the apparent sponsors of the killings in the country. This must be done while government keeps its promises to make things right for those living in the anglophone regions.

    Finally, given China’s investment in Cameroon, it can do more to engage the Biya regime on the anglophone crisis. Like Cameroon, China’s policy also stipulates a policy of nonintervention, but it has repeatedly changed course when its strategic interests are threatened.

    Major power status demands major responsibilities, and showing the will to stop chronic human rights violations remains an important obligation.

    Julius A. Amin 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. Cameroon could do with some foreign help to solve anglophone crisis – but the state doesn’t want it – https://theconversation.com/cameroon-could-do-with-some-foreign-help-to-solve-anglophone-crisis-but-the-state-doesnt-want-it-244770

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Peace in Sudan: a fresh mediation effort is needed – how it could work

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Gerrit Kurtz, Peace and Conflict Researcher, German Institute for International and Security Affairs

    Intense fighting has ravaged Sudan since 15 April 2023. The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and its erstwhile comrades-in-arms, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, has created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. Famine, displacement and mass atrocities are wreaking havoc in the country.

    International mediation efforts have been lacklustre and fruitless. The United Nations security council has been preoccupied with other crises and blocked by its own divisions. The African Union has created diplomatic groups, a high-level panel and a presidential committee, none of which has been particularly active. It has been very slow in tackling the political process it wanted to lead.

    The US and Saudi Arabia convened several rounds of talks, first in Jeddah, then in Switzerland. The Sudanese Armed Forces delegation failed to turn up in Switzerland. The Rapid Support Forces expressed willingness to talk peace, while simultaneously committing sexual and gender-based violence on a massive scale. The Biden administration only lately slapped sanctions on the top leaders of both forces, Abdelfattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (also known as Hemedti).

    I have studied civil wars, mediation and peacebuilding for more than 12 years, with a focus on Sudan, including regular visits to the country and the region in the past five years. Based on this experience I have identified five reasons why mediation has failed. These are: the resistance of the conflict parties based on the dynamic nature of the war; continued military and financial aid by their external sponsors; as well as mediation attempts that were too narrow, not viewed as impartial, and lacking in coherence.

    Clearly, a new approach to mediation is needed, not simply a new mediator. Turkey has recently offered to lead talks between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the United Arab Emirates, the main backer of the Rapid Support Forces, but Egypt, Kenya and several multilateral organisations also keep looking for opportunities.

    Any new initiative will have to have certain components if it’s going to succeed:

    • political parameters, ideally set by a parallel civilian political process, of what might come next for Sudan should guide mediators

    • negotiations should take place in secret so that trust can be established

    • back channel communications networks must be established with potential spoilers without ceding undue legitimacy to them

    • a gender- and youth-inclusive approach

    • more effective international coordination

    • consistent pressure on the conflict parties and their external backers.

    Why previous mediation efforts failed

    Firstly, neither the Sudanese Armed Forces nor the Rapid Support Forces have shown significant willingness to stop hostilities.

    The military fortunes of the two sides has waxed and waned. As long as either side feels successful militarily, they are unlikely to commit to sincere negotiations. Outright military victory leading to control of the whole territory (and its borders) remains out of reach for all.

    Secondly, their respective allies have not shown any particular interest in peace.

    External actors have provided military support to the warring parties, and helped finance them. The UAE is the main sponsor of the Rapid Support Forces. The Sudanese Armed Forces cooperates with Egypt, Eritrea, Iran and Russia, for arms deliveries and training. The UAE promised the US to stop supporting the Rapid Support Forces, but the arms flows continued.

    Thirdly, some conflict management efforts were based on a flawed conflict analysis. There were attempts to organise a face-to-face meeting between Hemedti and Burhan, by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the African Union. But the war is not primarily a contest of “two generals”. Neither Hemedti nor Burhan has full control of their forces. Nor is a renewed military government acceptable to large parts of Sudan’s vibrant civil society.

    Fourth, mediation efforts suffered because some of the parties saw them as lacking impartiality. Sudanese Armed Forces leaders don’t trust Kenya, whose President William Ruto is closely aligned with the UAE and has, until recently, allowed the Rapid Support Forces to conduct meetings and a press conference in Nairobi. Kenya was supposed to lead the Intergovernmental Authority on Development quartet of mediators, which never really got off the ground. Similarly, Sudan remains suspended from the African Union.

    Finally, there was a competition of mediation platforms, allowing the warring parties to shop for the most convenient forum for them.

    What a path to a ceasefire might look like

    International attention is currently focused on Turkish president Recep Erdogan, who has offered to mediate between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the UAE. The Sudanese Armed Forces has harshly criticised the UAE for its support to the Rapid Support Forces. The offer, then, is based on the assumption the UAE might actually cease that support.

    Any new approach should differ from previous efforts.

    • Mediators should provide a broad sense of political parameters for a post-war (interim) order, ideally with strong input from Sudan’s civilian groups. Those could include a conditional amnesty as well as assurances of personal safety for the top military leaders and of some stake in a transitional period, without promising any blanket impunity or renewed power-sharing.

    But international mediators should grant the warring parties political recognition and legitimacy only in exchange for feasible concessions.

    • Negotiations should take place in secret, allowing confidential exchanges between declared enemies. This is particularly important for the Sudanese Armed Forces given the rivalry among its leadership.

    • Back channel communications should be established to all actors with real constituencies in Sudan, without empowering them unnecessarily. Turkey is well-placed to reach out to senior members of the previous (Bashir) regime who have found exile there. They control large parts of the fighting forces on the side of Sudanese Armed Forces and could prove to be a major spoiler. The armed groups in the so-called “joint forces” would also need to feel somewhat included.

    • Mediators should find ways to include a broad array of civilian actors, in particular women and youth groups. Instead of only targeting “men with guns”, a peace process should be gender-inclusive.

    • Any lead mediator should keep other interested parties such as the EU, the UK, Norway, and the other countries and organisations already mentioned, informed and engaged.

    • Pressure should be kept up by the US, UK and EU on external backers of the two main warring parties, and target both military and financial flows. Policies, including further targeted sanctions, should be as aligned as possible.

    Preparing for a window of opportunity

    There’s no guarantee that the violence would cease even if these conditions were met. The main belligerents are likely to continue their current offensives. The Sudanese Armed Forces will try to oust the Rapid Support Forces from central Khartoum completely. The Rapid Support Forces will keep trying to take El Fasher, the only capital in Darfur not under their control.

    The impending re-capture of Khartoum by the Sudanese Armed Forces may provide an opportunity for a new round of talks, if it comes with consistent international pressure. Mediators should be ready to push for an end to the fighting.

    Gerrit Kurtz is also a non-resident fellow with the Global Public Policy Institute and a member of the Forum New Security Policy of the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

    – ref. Peace in Sudan: a fresh mediation effort is needed – how it could work – https://theconversation.com/peace-in-sudan-a-fresh-mediation-effort-is-needed-how-it-could-work-248330

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Conversation between the Minister of Europe and Foreign affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot and his American counterpart, Marco Rubio

    Source: France-Diplomatie – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development

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    Published on January 28, 2025

    Statements made by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs Spokesperson (Paris – January 28, 2025)

    Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot spoke by phone with his American counterpart, Marco Rubio, on January 27.

    During their conversation, the minister congratulated the Secretary of State on his unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate. With the new U.S. administration just taking up its duties, this call gave the ministers a chance to reaffirm their commitment to transatlantic ties and to the strong historic ties between France and the United States.

    The Minister and the Secretary of State discussed several international crises, in particular the war in Ukraine. France and the U.S. share the same goal: a just and lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine. To that end, close coordination between our two countries is more necessary than ever.

    The Minister hailed the U.S. diplomatic efforts that led to a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas. He emphasized France’s desire to help ensure that the next phases of the agreement come to fruition and called for close cooperation between France and the U.S. on the situations in Lebanon and Syria.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: Disclosure of choice of the home Member State and the competent authority for the needs for the Transparency Directive

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Paris, January 28, 2025

    Disclosure of choice of the home Member State and the competent authority for the needs for the Transparency Directive

    In accordance with article 222-1 of the General Regulation of the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), Sfil specifies that its home Member State, according to the Directive 2004/109/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of December 15th, 2004 (the Transparency Directive) modified, is France and that as a consequence, the competent authority for the control of the compliance with its obligations regarding regulated information is the Autorité des Marchés Financiers.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: The value of AI: How Microsoft’s customers and partners are reinventing how they do business today

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: The value of AI: How Microsoft’s customers and partners are reinventing how they do business today

    Organizational leaders in every industry around the world are evaluating ways AI can unlock opportunities, drive pragmatic innovation and yield value across their business. At Microsoft, we are dedicated to helping our customers accelerate AI Transformation by empowering human ambition with Copilots and agents, developing differentiated AI solutions and building scalable cybersecurity foundations. At Microsoft Ignite we made over 100 announcements that bring the latest innovation directly to our customers and partners, and shared how Microsoft is the only technology leader to offer three distinct AI platforms for them to build AI solutions:

    1. Copilot is your UI for AI, with Copilot Studio enabling low-code creation of agents and extensibility to your data.
    2. Azure AI Foundry is the only AI app server for building real-world, world-class, AI-native applications.
    3. Microsoft Fabric is the AI data platform that provides one common way to reason over your data —no matter where it lives.

    All three of these platforms are open and work synchronously to enable the development of modern AI solutions; and each is surrounded by our world-class security offerings so leaders can move their AI-first strategies forward with confidence.

    As we look ahead to what we can achieve together, I remain inspired by the work we are doing today. Below are a handful of the many stories from the past quarter highlighting the differentiated AI solutions our customers and partners are driving to move business forward across industries and realize pragmatic value. Their success clearly illustrates that real results can be harnessed from AI today, and it is changing the way organizations do business.

    To power its industrial IoT and AI platform, ABB Group leveraged Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to create Genix Copilot: a generative AI-powered analytics suite aimed at solving some of the most complex industrial problems. The solution helps customers analyze key functions in their operations —such as asset and process performance, energy optimization and emission monitoring — with real-time operational insights. As a result, customers are seeing up to 35% savings in operations and maintenance, and up to 20% improvement in energy and emission optimization. ABB also saw an 80% decrease in service calls with the self-service capabilities of Genix Copilot.

    Serving government healthcare agencies across the US, Acentra Health turned to Microsoft to help introduce the latest AI capabilities that maximize talent and cut costs in a secure, HIPAA-compliant manner. Using Azure OpenAI Service, the company developed MedScribe — an AI-powered tool reducing the time specially trained nursing staff spend on appeal determination letters. This innovation saved 11,000 nursing hours and nearly $800,000, reducing time spent on each appeal determination letter by about 50%. MedScribe also significantly enhanced operational efficiency, enabling nurses to process 20 to 30 letters daily with a 99% approval rate.

    To ease challenges for small farmers, Romanian agribusiness group Agricover revolutionized access to credit by developing MyAgricover. Built with help from partner Avaelgo, the scalable digital platform utilizes Microsoft Azure, Azure API Management and Microsoft Fabric to automate the loan process and enable faster approvals and disbursements. This has empowered small farmers to grow their businesses and receive faster access to financing by reducing loan approval time by 90 percent — from 10 working days to a maximum of 24 hours.

    Building on its status as a world-class airline with a strong Indian identity, Air India sought ways to enhance customer support while managing costs. By developing AI.g, one of the industry’s first generative AI virtual assistants built on Azure OpenAI Service, the airline upgraded the customer experience. Today, 97% of customer queries are handled with full automation, resulting in millions of dollars of support costs saved and improved customer satisfaction — further positioning the airline for continued growth.

    BMW Group aimed to enhance data delivery efficiency and improve vehicle development and prototyping cycles by implementing a Mobile Data Recorder (MDR) solution with Azure App Service, Azure AI and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). The solution achieved 10 times more efficient data delivery, significantly improved data accessibility and elevated overall development quality. The MDR monitors and records more than 10,000 signals twice per second in every vehicle of BMW’s fleet of 3,500 development cars and transmits data within seconds to a centralized cloud back end. Using Azure AI Foundry and Azure OpenAI Service, BMW Group created an MDR copilot fueled by GPT-4o. Engineers can now chat with the interface using natural language, and the MDR copilot converts the conversations into KQL queries, simplifying access to technical insights. Moving from on-premises tools to a cloud-based system with faster data management also helps engineers troubleshoot in real time. The vehicle data covered by the system has doubled, and data delivery and analysis happen 10 times faster.

    Coles Group modernized its logistics and administrative applications using Microsoft Azure Stack HCI to scale its edge AI capabilities and improve efficiency and customer experience across its 1,800 stores. By expanding its Azure Stack HCI footprint from two stores to over 500, Coles achieved a six-fold increase in the pace of application deployment, significantly enhancing operational efficiency and enabling rapid innovation without disrupting workloads. The retailer is also using Azure Machine Learning to train and develop edge AI models, speeding up data annotation time for training models by 50%.

    Multinational advertising and media company Dentsu wanted to speed time to insights for its team of data scientists and media analysts to support its media planning and budget optimization. Using Microsoft Azure AI Foundry and Azure OpenAI Service, Dentsu developers built a predictive analytics copilot that uses conversational chat and draws on deep expertise in media forecasting, budgeting and optimization. This AI-driven tool has reduced time to media insights for employees and clients by 90% and cut analysis costs.

    To overcome the limitations of its current systems, scale operations and automate processes across millions of workflows, Docusign created the Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) platform on Azure. Using Azure AI, Azure Cosmos DB, Azure Logic Apps and AKS, the platform transforms agreement data into actionable insights to enhance productivity and accelerate contract review cycles. IAM also ensures better collaboration and unification across business systems to provide secure solutions tailored to diverse customer needs. For example, its customer KPC Private funds reported a 70% reduction in time and resources dedicated to agreement processes.

    Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) transformed its manufacturing operations by leveraging a hybrid environment with Azure Arc, Azure Stack HCI and Azure Kubernetes Service. This digital manufacturing platform resulted in 86% cost savings for AI image and video analytics and a 13-fold improvement in AI response times. The seamless hybrid cloud architecture has enhanced EGA’s operational efficiency and agility, supporting its Industry 4.0 transformation strategy.

    EY collaborated with Microsoft to enhance the inclusivity of AI development using Azure AI Studio. By involving neurodivergent technologists from EY’s Neuro-Diverse Centers of Excellence, they improved the accessibility and productivity of AI tools, resulting in more inclusive AI solutions, fostering innovation and ensuring that AI tools unlock the potential of all users. With an estimated 20% of the global workforce identifying as neurodivergent, inclusive AI solutions are crucial for maximizing creativity and productivity. Neurodivergent EY technologists also collaborated with Microsoft developers to make Azure AI Foundry more inclusive and help all users work productively to create innovative AI solutions.

    Colombian household appliance manufacturer Haceb integrated AI to optimize processes, reduce costs and improve service quality. Using Microsoft Copilot Studio and Azure OpenAI Service, the company created a virtual technical support assistant, saving its 245 technicians 5 minutes per visit — a total of 5,000 minutes saved daily. This AI solution has enhanced efficiency and boosted customer satisfaction by allowing for faster issue resolution. Haceb’s AI adoption has also empowered employees, boosted productivity and positioned the company as a leader in AI innovation in Colombia.

    To better serve its global patients, Operation Smile — in collaboration with partner Squadra — leveraged Azure AI, Machine Learning and Microsoft Fabric to develop an AI-powered solution to predict surgical outcomes and optimize resource allocation. This innovation resulted in a 30% increase in surgical efficiency, a 90% reduction in translation errors and improved patient outcomes. Additionally, report generation is now up to 95% quicker, and repeated medical events have decreased by 15%, enabling Operation Smile to provide better care to more children worldwide.

    Ontada — a McKesson business dedicated to oncology data and evidence, clinical education and point-of-care technologies — needed a way to generate key insights across 150 million unstructured oncology documents. Using Microsoft Azure AI and Azure OpenAI Service, Ontada developed a data platform solution called ON.Genuity to provide AI-driven insights into the patient journey, enhance patient trial matching and identify care gaps. The company also implemented large language models to target nearly 100 critical oncology data elements across 39 cancer types, enabling the company to analyze an estimated 70% of previously inaccessible data, reduce processing time by 75% and accelerate product time-to-market from months to just one week.

    As the UK’s largest pet care company, Pets at Home sought a way to combat fraud across its retail operations — particularly as its online business continued to grow. Working closely with its fraud team, it adopted Copilot Studio to develop an AI agent that quickly identifies suspicious transactions. The agent autonomously gathers relevant information, performs analysis and shares it with a fraud agent to enable a manual, data-intensive investigative process while ensuring a human remains in the loop. With this low-code agent extending and seamlessly integrating into existing systems, the company’s fraud department can act more quickly; what used to take 20 to 30 minutes is now handled by the AI agent within seconds. The company is identifying fraud 10 times faster and is processing 20 times more cases a day. Now, the company can operate at scale with speed, efficiency and accuracy — with savings expected to be in the seven figures as it continues to build more agents.

    Revenue Grid, a technology company specializing in sales engagement and revenue optimization solutions, partnered with Cloud Services to modernize its data infrastructure and develop a unified data warehouse capable of handling unstructured, semi-structured and structured data. By migrating to Microsoft Fabric, Revenue Grid can now deliver data-powered revenue intelligence, driven by a unified platform, elastic scalability, enhanced analytics capabilities and streamlined operations. Revenue Grid has reduced infrastructure costs by 60% while enhancing its analytical capabilities to improve real-time data processing, empowering sales teams with accurate and diverse data. 

    To better manage and integrate employee data across diverse regions and systems, UST built a comprehensive Employee Data platform on Microsoft Fabric. In under a year, UST migrated 20 years of employee data with all security measures to enhance data accessibility and employee productivity. The Meta Data Driven Integration (MDDI) framework in Fabric also helped the company cut data ingestion time by 50% so employees can focus more on analysis than preparation. As a result of this implementation, the company has seen an increase in collaboration and innovation from employees, helping put its values into action.

    The Microsoft Commercial Marketplace offers millions of customers worldwide a convenient place to find, try and buy software and services across 140 countries. As a Marketplace partner, WeTransact is helping independent software vendors (ISVs) list and transact their software solutions — and find opportunities for co-selling and extending their reach to enterprise customers through development of the WeTransact platform. Powered by Azure OpenAI Service, the platform is changing the way partnerships are being built by using AI pairing to facilitate a “plug and play” reseller network. More than 300 ISVs worldwide have joined the Microsoft Commercial Marketplace using the WeTransact platform, cutting their time to publish by 75%.

    The opportunity for AI to create value is no longer an ambition for the future — it is happening now, and organizational leaders across industries are investing in AI-first strategies to change the way they do business. We believe AI should empower human achievement and enrich the lives of employees; and we are uniquely differentiated to help you accelerate your AI Transformation responsibly and securely. Choosing the right technology provider comes down to trust, and I look forward to what we will achieve together as we partner with you on your AI journey.

    Tags: AI, Azure, Azure AI, Azure AI Foundry, Azure AI Studio, Azure Arc, Azure OpenAI Service, Azure Stack HCI, Copilot, Copilot Studio, Microsoft Fabric, Microsoft Ignite 2024

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Revisiting the Africa-Paris Declaration: Progress, Challenges and the Road Ahead for African Energy

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

    PARIS, France, January 28, 2025/APO Group/ —

    The Africa-Paris Declaration, forged during the 2024 Invest in African Energy (IAE) Forum in Paris, was a pivotal moment in Africa’s quest for sustainable energy solutions. Aimed at strengthening the continent’s energy transition while addressing the urgent issue of energy poverty, the declaration set ambitious targets for expanding access to clean, affordable and reliable energy. With the 2025 edition of the forum approaching, now is the time to reflect on the progress made since the Africa-Paris Declaration and assess how these initiatives are shaping Africa’s energy future.

    Increased Engagement in Africa

    In the months following the declaration, international investors, development banks and private equity firms have shown a steadfast interest in the African energy market. A key milestone was the launch of the Africa Energy Bank by the African Export-Import Bank and APPO, marking the creation of a first-of-its-kind institution designed to fund and facilitate energy initiatives across the continent. Several final investment decisions were successfully closed, including Shell’s $5.5 billion Bonga North deepwater project. Additionally, strategic partnerships, including new PSCs signed by Panoro Energy in Equatorial Guinea and BW Energy in Gabon, highlight how international collaborations are accelerating energy development and creating new opportunities for exploration and production. This increased engagement is key to addressing the financing gap that has long hindered the growth of Africa’s energy sector.

    Natural gas continues to play a central role in Africa’s energy strategy as a transitional fuel. The Africa-Paris Declaration underscored its importance as a bridge between traditional energy sources and renewable energy. Over the past year, significant strides have been made in natural gas exploration and LNG exports. Notable developments include Senegal’s Greater Tortue Ahmeyim LNG reaching its first gas production, the Republic of Congo’s first LNG exports to Italy from the Congo LNG project, Nigeria’s UTM FLNG receiving its construction license, and Angola’s Sanha Lean Gas Connection project achieving first gas, among others. These initiatives are not only crucial for advancing Africa’s energy transition, but also serve as powerful drivers of economic growth by creating jobs and advancing infrastructure development.

    Meanwhile, countries like South Africa, Egypt and Morocco are at the forefront of wind and solar energy development, with momentum expected to build as they meet renewable energy targets and explore new growth opportunities. These investments are driving a shift toward cleaner, more sustainable energy in Africa, though challenges remain. High costs of renewable technologies and insufficient grid infrastructure continue to hinder expansion, underscoring the need for more investment in off-grid and mini-grid solutions.

    Investment Gaps Persist 

    Despite these advancements, Africa still faces significant investment challenges. The financing gap for large-scale energy projects remains substantial and while the private sector has become more engaged, many projects still struggle to secure the necessary capital. In particular, the cost of financing remains high due to the perceived risks associated with energy investments in Africa. This is where continued efforts to de-risk investments and foster public-private partnerships are critical to unlocking the continent’s full energy potential. Institutional capacity continues to be a challenge for many African countries. While progress has been made in improving regulatory frameworks, there is still a need for clearer policies, streamlined permitting processes and better enforcement of regulations. Governments must continue to strengthen their institutions to effectively implement energy projects and create an enabling environment for both local and international investors.

    With the IAE 2025 forum just months away, industry stakeholders have an opportunity to reflect on the progress made since the Africa-Paris Declaration and determine next steps for the continent’s energy future. The forum serves as a platform for government officials, industry leaders and financial institutions to renew commitments, share success stories and address ongoing challenges. While the road to universal energy access and a sustainable energy future is long, the declaration has set the framework for a collective effort that can lead to meaningful change. With the right investments, regulatory frameworks and political will, Africa can emerge as a global leader in energy innovation and sustainability.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Armenia and Azerbaijan are at loggerheads again – here’s why tensions are rising

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Svante Lundgren, Researcher, Lund University

    Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, has launched a fierce verbal attack on Armenia, which he has called a fascist state. “Fascism must be destroyed,” he said in an interview on local TV networks on January 7. “Either the Armenian leadership will destroy it, or we will.”

    This rhetoric is strongly reminiscent of baseless claims used by Vladimir Putin about Ukraine to justify Russia’s invasion. He has claimed that Ukraine must be “denazified”.

    There are also reports that Azerbaijan’s acquisition of advanced Israeli weapons have increased recently, according to Israeli journalist Avi Sharf, national security, cyber and open source intelligence editor at Israeli news outlet Haaretz.

    Armenia and Azerbaijan have a long history of conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region within Azerbaijan until recently mainly populated by Armenians. The first war between them in the 1990s led to the establishment of a self-proclaimed Armenian republic, which no country recognised.

    Then, after a 44-day war in 2020, Azerbaijan took control over most of the enclave. The rest was conquered in September 2023, prompting Armenians living there (more than 100,000 people) to flee to Armenia.

    In the last few months Aliyev accused Armenia of preparing a “war of revenge”. Since its devastating defeat in the second Karabakh war in 2020, Armenia has taken steps to strengthen its defences. Among other things, it has made significant arms purchases from France. This has also provoked Aliyev to criticise France and its president, Emmanuel Macron.

    But, although Armenia has been trying to reduce Azerbaijan’s military advantage through reforms in the army and arms purchases, the country is still militarily inferior to its neighbour. Any military confrontation is likely to result in an early defeat for Armenia.



    Read more:
    Future of Russian gas looking bleak as Ukraine turns off taps and Europe eyes ending all imports

    The argument from Azerbaijan is clearly that if there is conflict in the region, it will be part of an Armenian “preparation for a war”. Baku suggests that therefore the responsibility for any conflict would lie with Armenia and those who arm the country (in particular, France). It’s possible that this rhetoric is intended to legitimise some kind of military action.

    Because of escalating tension in the past few years, Armenia invited the European Union to monitor the border between the countries. This was to help address Azerbaijani accusations that Armenia was preparing for war, and to monitor, and prevent, shootings along the border.


    Peter Hermes Furian/Shutterstock

    Over the past two years Azerbaijan has denied these unarmed EU observers permission to operate on its territory, so they were only able to work from the Armenian side. It has also strongly condemned the EU for this mission.

    The EU monitors have been in place since February 2023, and should be due to withdraw next month. Armenia has suggested the EU monitors continue but Baku has made clear it wants them removed.

    So, why might Azerbaijan want to reignite tensions with Armenia? One point of contention between them is access to the “Zangezur corridor”, a land connection between Azerbaijan and its autonomous republic, Nakhichevan,.

    Long-running regional conflict

    Azerbaijan has long demanded access to, and control of, this route. The natural corridor runs through Armenia’s Syunik region (in Azerbaijani “Zangezur”, hence the Zangezur corridor). Armenia has declared its willingness to open up transport connections throughout the region – including between Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan – but opposes a corridor through its territory that it does not control.

    The south Caucasus (the region including Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan) has long been an area that Putin sees as part of his sphere of influence. After the break-up of the Soviet Union, Russia tried to keep the region relatively calm, but in 2020 Putin allowed the war to continue until Armenia was defeated, before putting pressure on Aliyev to stop. Three years later, Azerbaijan took what was left of Nagorno-Karabakh while Russian peacekeepers looked on.

    Armenian concern over what it sees as Russian bias towards Azerbaijan has led Yerevan to increasingly turn towards the west. On January 14 2025, a “strategic partnership charter” was signed between Armenia and the US, which includes an economic and defence partnership, but whether the new Trump administration will want to build on, or even ignore, that relationship is not yet clear.

    In what is considered an important symbolic move Armenia is also currently negotiating with Russia over the removal of its Federal Security Service (FSB security service) guards along the Armenian border in an attempt to reduce reliance on Moscow for its security. Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan said in 2024 that the nation would pull out of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization in another move that signals Armenia’s increasingly fragile relationship with Moscow.

    Will there be a war?

    The EU has meanwhile strengthened relations with Armenia.

    While Azerbaijan may have escaped international fallout over the attack on Nagorno-Karabakh in the autumn of 2020, and over the ethnic cleansing of the enclave’s Armenian population in 2023. But if a new war led to a large-scale attack on Armenia it would unlikely to be ignored by the west.

    Despite the west’s minimal reactions to Azerbaijani incursions across the Armenian border in May 2021 and September 2022, in 2025 there is more international focus on the region and on the potential consequences of ignoring what’s going on around Russia’s borders.

    Although military intervention from the west is unlikely, the possibility of sanctions against Azerbaijan could be enough of an incentive for Aliyev to try to maintain the peace.

    Svante Lundgren 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. Armenia and Azerbaijan are at loggerheads again – here’s why tensions are rising – https://theconversation.com/armenia-and-azerbaijan-are-at-loggerheads-again-heres-why-tensions-are-rising-247533

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Omagh bombing: why a public inquiry is being held more than 25 years after the atrocity

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Peter John McLoughlin, Lecturer in Politics, Queen’s University Belfast

    The 1998 Good Friday agreement is commonly seen to have ended what were euphemistically termed “the Troubles” in Northern Ireland. However, just four months after the peace accord was signed, an attack on the town of Omagh resulted in the greatest loss of life in any single incident of the conflict.

    The bombing, on August 15 1998, killed 29 people and injured an estimated 220 more. Among those who lost their lives were nine children and a woman who was pregnant with twins.

    A group called “the Real IRA” claimed responsibility for the atrocity. It was one of the so-called “dissident” republican factions which broke away from the mainstream IRA after its political wing, Sinn Féin, turned toward peaceful politics. The Real IRA’s assault on Omagh was clearly intended to derail the Northern Ireland peace process and destroy the Good Friday agreement.

    It could be argued, however, that the bombing had the opposite effect. The atrocity encouraged Northern Ireland’s politicians to come together and redouble their commitment to the peace process.

    Public outcry over the attack also forced the Real IRA to announce a ceasefire. It later returned to violence, but widespread revulsion against the Omagh atrocity would undermine the support base that any dissident republican faction might draw upon.

    Political representatives of the Real IRA and other such groups have never been able to mobilise electoral support in the way that Sinn Féin was able to, in spite of its association with the IRA.

    The Omagh bombing also aided the ability of Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams and others to steer mainstream republicans towards purely peaceful politics. The atrocity had shown the utter futility of violence.

    Adams’ condemnation of the attack provoked accusations of hypocrisy as he had previously defended IRA violence. Nonetheless, Adams continued to lead republicanism in ways that would cement its commitment to peaceful methods.

    The indiscriminate nature of the Omagh attack also helps explain the galvanising effect that it had on the peace process. People from both sides of the communal divide in Northern Ireland were killed, and from both sides of the Irish border. Two Spanish tourists also died visiting a region which the Good Friday agreement seemed to have made safe.

    The visit of Bill Clinton a month after the attack also brought global attention to Omagh. The US president had first visited Northern Ireland following the paramilitary ceasefires of 1994, receiving a rapturous reception when he turned on the Christmas lights in Belfast.

    But his return was as sombre as his first visit had been joyous. Despite this, the obvious sincerity of Clinton’s words and actions in Omagh would encourage the people and politicians of Northern Ireland to continue their efforts to build a peaceful society.

    Bill and Hillary Clinton visit the site of the Omagh bombing with Tony and Cheri Blair.
    Clinton Digital Library

    Unanswered questions

    More than 25 years on from the attack, they have largely succeeded in this endeavour. However, serious questions remain about the Omagh atrocity. Authorities in both parts of Ireland have been criticised for their response.

    In Northern Ireland, a former policing watchdog has argued that the security services failed to properly act on intelligence that might have prevented the attack.

    In the Irish Republic, where the bomb was constructed, the only person that was ever jailed over the attack would later see his conviction overturned. The latter ruling was also seen to result from the mishandling of evidence, this time by the Irish police.

    This explains why survivors and families of those killed and injured in the Omagh bombing have fought long and hard for an independent investigation into the attack. Neither the British nor the Irish government seemed eager to allow this, but legal action by members of the Omagh families led to a ruling by Belfast’s High Court in July 2021 which found it plausible that the attack might have been prevented by security services. This bolstered support for a public inquiry.

    Finally, in February 2023, the British government acceded and Lord Turnbull, a senior Scottish judge, was appointed to chair the investigation. The Irish government has not followed suit, but has committed to supporting the British inquiry.

    The inquiry officially opened in July of last year, but is only now beginning in earnest with a period of commemorative and personal statement hearings.

    Over four weeks, it will receive testimony from people who were injured, those who responded to the attack, or who were simply witnesses to the atrocity and its aftermath. Each submission will be read by Turnbull, and he has said that they will “inform the direction and approach of the Inquiry”.

    The inquiry begins

    There has, however, been some controversy regarding contributions to the investigation, and specifically that of a former British Army agent who infiltrated republican paramilitaries. This operative took legal action after being refused key status at the inquiry, a role which would have entitled him to make opening and closing statements, and to propose lines of questioning.

    He was instead granted witness status, and the inquiry will naturally be expected to examine evidence relating to information passed on to the police in the time leading up to the bombing.

    As a result, Turnbull has sought to assure those who might doubt the value of the investigation: “My inquiry may be the final opportunity to get to the truth of whether the bombing could have been prevented by the UK state.”

    Survivors and victims’ families will surely hope that this is the last time that that they will have to relive their trauma, and that the end result will indeed establish the truth as to what exactly the authorities knew about the Omagh attack. Then, the families may finally experience some closure, and be able to move on from what remains the deadliest attack in Northern Ireland’s history

    Peter John McLoughlin has received funding in the past from the AHRC, Leverhulme Trust, the Irish Research Council, and the Fulbright Commission. He is a member of Greenpeace.

    – ref. Omagh bombing: why a public inquiry is being held more than 25 years after the atrocity – https://theconversation.com/omagh-bombing-why-a-public-inquiry-is-being-held-more-than-25-years-after-the-atrocity-248192

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Five reasons why vertical farming is still the future, despite all the recent business failures

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gail Taylor, Dean of Life Sciences, UCL

    Don’t believe the tripe. Amorn Suriyan

    Plant factories are failing, with multiple companies closing or going bankrupt in recent months. This includes the largest vertical farm on the planet, in Compton, Los Angeles.

    Owned by San Francisco-based startup Plenty, the farm opened in 2023 to grow salads in partnership with Walmart. It was mothballed at the end of 2024, with the company citing the rising cost of energy in California as a major problem.

    Despite raising over US$1 billion (£802 million) from investors, the company’s value has reportedly plummeted from US$1.9 billion to below US$15 million. It now aims to focus solely on strawberry production in Virginia.

    New York-based Bowery Farming also halted all operations in late 2024, having previously being valued at US$2.3 billion. Fellow American vertical farmers AeroFarms, Kalera and AppHarvest have similarly filed for bankruptcy in the past two years, as has the UK’s Growing Underground, among various others.

    Clearly these are major setbacks. Year-round illuminated greenhouses and stacked, controlled-environment warehouses for producing food have been hailed as a sustainable alternative to traditional farming, promising fresh food close to populations.

    This reduces the need for transportation, which together with other issues in traditional farming such as soil degradation and forest clearing see it contributing around 20% of the greenhouse gases that lead to planetary warming and climate change.

    Multiple new indoor-farming companies sprang into life in the past decade, driven by significant venture capital. They harnessed the latest in LED lighting and hydroponic and aeroponic growing systems, using land and water ten to 100 times more efficiently than in a field and with far fewer pesticides.

    Initially developed to grow leafy greens and microgreens, these farms have more recently turned to higher value produce including herbs, strawberries, tomatoes and grapes.

    Grow, baby, grow.
    Gorodenkoff

    Among the reasons for the business failures are rising energy costs; the fact that traditional farming is cheaper, making it hard to compete on price; and the fact that rising interest rates have made financing more expensive.

    Together with other challenges such as high energy consumption and finding enough skilled labour, many opponents are writing this sector off as a fad that is unlikely to ever make a big impact on food security.

    This ignores success stories, such as JFC and Grow-up Farms, which are regular suppliers to the UK supermarkets. But more broadly, there are various reasons why the critics are likely to be wrong:

    1. We’re still early

    Vertical farming has been proving itself by “learning by doing” for the past decade. Kicked off by Nasa space scientists seeking to grow food in hostile environments with zero gravity and heavy radiation, this field is still highly experimental.

    New technologies like this one often conform to the Gartner hype cycle, where big initial expectations are rarely met, leading to a trough of disillusionment. Following this, the benefits start to crystallise as new players enter the market and mainstream adoption begins.

    Vertical farming is only a very small proportion of total farming, but it looks very likely to flourish given the need to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, and the threats to food security from climate change and population growth. In addition, the costs are likely to be reduced by the arrival of much more renewable energy at cheaper prices in years to come.

    2. Heavy plant demand is coming

    Society stands on the edge of an unprecedented transformation as it shifts away from fossil fuels. We’re going to move to a circular bioeconomy, in which green plants will be central as feedstocks for everything from aviation fuels to alternative proteins to vaccine production to plant-based plastics.

    All this means greater pressure on land resources for food production, and an enhanced need for vertically stacked agriculture that recycles water and nutrients and requires fewer chemicals.

    3. Science is on its side

    Unexpected scientific discoveries continue to drive vertical farming. For example, tunable wavelength LEDs have shown that certain spectral bands can affect crops profoundly.

    Far-red light, which is just beyond visible red light, promotes growth and flowering, raising lettuce yields by 30%, for example. Blue light can improve shelf-life and nutritional quality, even enhancing certain plant chemicals known to help prevent cancers.

    The significance of these discoveries has yet to be fully realised, but by the complete control of the farming environment that indoor farming makes possible, we will be able to more easily tailor food quality for the betterment of people and the planet.

    4. It’s horses for courses

    Growing leafy greens indoors in California, as Plenty did, was always going to be challenging. This is the state where they invented the iceberg lettuce, where wall-to-wall sunshine and even temperatures enable farmers to grow enough salad greens to supply the whole of the US.

    Contrast Singapore, where only 6% of fresh produce is locally grown. This has prompted the government to develop the “30 x 30” goal to supply 30% of nutritional needs by 2030, with vertical farming a key part of the strategy.

    Similarly the United Arab Emirates imports over 90% of its food, and is looking towards a future that includes vertical farming. The UK and much of northern Europe, where the outdoor growing season is short and land is limited, can also benefit from these technologies (and indeed, do already).

    It’s a different story in Singapore.
    PrasitRodphan

    5. Baby and bathwater

    Unlike the cutting-edge LED-illuminated, stacked warehouses, intensive hydroponic greenhouses have been operating commercially for decades. The Netherlands leads the way in supplying year-round fresh produce from these structures, and is now the second biggest food exporter in the world.

    Even in the UK, its common for such greenhouses to supply potted herbs, tomatoes and strawberries all year round.

    These are a half-way house to vertical farming, and are also likely to be in greater demand in the coming decades. They could well extend their reach to supply fresh nutritious food to places where food security may be particularly challenged, such as Africa, south Asia and the Middle East.

    Gail Taylor has received funding for research on vertical farming from the John B. Orr Endowment from the University of California, Davis and gift funding from the company, Plenty. Between 2021 and 2024 she was a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the company Plantible Foods.

    – ref. Five reasons why vertical farming is still the future, despite all the recent business failures – https://theconversation.com/five-reasons-why-vertical-farming-is-still-the-future-despite-all-the-recent-business-failures-248270

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Charges to be introduced at on-street parking bays in St Albans and Harpenden, and a brand new Access Pass for older residents using the Council’s car parks

    Source: St Albans City and District

    Publication date:

    Charges are to be introduced at some limited waiting on-street parking bays in St Albans and Harpenden following an extensive public consultation.

    St Albans City and District Council’s original proposals have been modified in response to feedback from residents, Councillors, businesses and community groups.

    One aim of the proposals is to encourage active travel, such as cycling and walking, where possible, rather than car use, to improve the local environment.

    Another aim is to ensure a greater turnover of premium parking places and improve enforcement by enabling new methods such as Automatic Number Plate Recognition.

    Four new disabled bays are also being created to provide improved parking facilities for motorists with Blue Badges in Harpenden’s town centre. 

    The charges will affect an additional 243 bays in Harpenden and an additional 70 in St Albans, and are due to come into effect on Monday 17 February.

    Motorists will have several payment options, including contactless via pay and display machines with new equipment to be installed at key locations, the mobile phone app PayByPhone and, soon after implementation, by cash or chip and pin at PayPoint outlets.

    The decision to introduce charges required a Traffic Regulation Order authorised by the Council’s Strategic Director for Community and Place Delivery in consultation with Councillor Helen Campbell, Lead for Parking.

    Cllr Campbell said:

    I fully understand that some people will be disappointed at being charged for a service that they have been getting for free.

    In making the decision, we analysed the responses to the consultations and engaged with stakeholders such as ward Councillors and Harpenden Town Council.

    We listened to the feedback and we made some significant changes as a result, such as changing the start of the controlled hours to 9am in Harpenden to help parents dropping off for school, and meeting requests for a longer free period of 30 mins. In addition, we will also be improving access to Harpenden town centre for Blue Badge holders.

    Cllr Campbell added:

    The charges are benchmarked against other local authorities, with many towns of a similar size to Harpenden having long had charges for on-street bays. As with other parking charges, we will monitor the impact of the changes and review if necessary.

    The charges will:

    • Apply from 9am to 6pm in Harpenden and, reflecting local conditions, 8.30am to 6.30pm in St Albans, both Monday to Saturday, with no charge outside these hours.

    • Allow for a 30-minutes free period once a day.

    • Be £1.25 for 30 minutes, so the charge for a one-hour stay will be £1.25 while the two-hour cost will be £3.75, both including the free period.

    • Cover a maximum stay of two hours with no return for two hours.

    Charges will not be considered at bays in York Road, St Albans, as originally proposed, until a wider review of parking in the area takes place.

    Five limited waiting bays in Leyton Green, Harpenden, will be converted into resident parking bays for the benefit of local households.

    Revenue from charges will go towards the Council’s on-street car parking services budget, which is currently running at a deficit, and towards greater levels of parking enforcement.

    Cllr Campbell added:

    The Secretary of State is clear that parking services should be self-sufficient, funded by fees and charges, instead of subsidised by other Council services as is the case at the moment. The revenue generated will help reduce the on-street parking service deficit, which is in the interest of all Council taxpayers as it will ensure we can better protect some of our other services. 

    Should any surplus income arise from on-street car parking, it would have to be kept in a ring-fenced budget and only be invested in parking, highways and environmental improvements.

    ACCESS PASS 

    Alongside these changes to the way on street parking operates, the Council has also approved a brand new Access Pass to help older people who may have difficulties with digital applications. This pass will be made available for purchase from Thursday 13 February and will cover all the District Council car parks. 

    The pass will cost £190 a year and be valid for one visit a day for up to three hours.

    To be eligible for the pass, a person would need to be a resident of the District and aged 70 or over.

    Media contact:  John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer: 01727- 819533; john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.

     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Tea ceremonies, pandas and xiangqi: the Chinese New Year festival in Moscow has begun

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The Chinese New Year in Moscow festival has begun in the capital. It will last until February 9 and will unite two dozen venues, including Manezhnaya, Tverskaya and Bolotnaya squares, Kamergersky and Stoleshnikov lanes, Tverskoy Boulevard, Novy Arbat, VDNKh, Moscow Zoo and others. The festival is held as part of a cross-program dedicated to the mutual Years of Culture of Russia and China.

    The opening ceremony was attended by the Director of the Department of Information and Press, official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Maria Zakharova, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Russian Federation Zhang Hanhui and the Deputy Mayor of Moscow Natalia Sergunina.

    “We invite everyone to celebrate the New Year in Moscow once again, this time according to the Eastern calendar. The January holidays were a great success, and the New Year’s venues welcomed millions of visitors. In the next two weeks, we will also have a rich and interesting program. More than 400 events are planned – theatrical performances, master classes, lectures, film screenings and tea ceremonies. The central streets are decorated with light installations,” noted Natalia Sergunina.

    A bright discovery

    The festival opened with a procession of symbols of the outgoing and incoming year – a dragon and a snake. Participants set off from the monument to Kliment Timiryazev on Tverskoy Boulevard and reached Manezhnaya Square. Here a drum show was organized for the guests.

    “The festival’s events are aimed at getting Russians and Chinese to know each other’s customs and traditions better. Guests can expect a colorful program that will last 13 days. Last year, the festival was held for the first time, but already then it was visited by more than 700 thousand people. I think this year the record will be broken,” shared Maria Zakharova.

    In 2024, the holiday received many positive responses from city residents and tourists. Famous Chinese bloggers attended the event and told their subscribers about it. In total, their videos collected about 45 million views. Reports from the Russian capital were shown on China’s central television channel.

    “In 2024, a large-scale celebration of the Spring Festival was held for the first time in the center of the Russian capital. Russia also brightly celebrated Maslenitsa in Beijing, Xi’an and other Chinese cities, which was to the liking of the Chinese people. The holding of traditional holidays by China and Russia in each other’s countries contributes to further strengthening mutual understanding and ties between us. This year, the Chinese New Year in Moscow festival will be even larger and, I believe, will definitely attract even more Chinese tourists who will share the joy of this holiday with their Russian friends,” Zhang Hanhui emphasized.

    Immersive shows and tea ceremonies

    Manezhnaya Square, the festival’s central venue, will host performances featuring Chinese artists for two weeks. In festive pagoda-style chalets, visitors will be offered traditional cuisine, from Hong Kong waffles to Peking duck. Anyone can also play xiangqi, the Chinese equivalent of chess.

    On Tverskaya Square, Muscovites and tourists can expect tea ceremonies, culinary competitions and oriental music in a modern arrangement.

    At VDNKh, dance master classes will be held on the skating rink and themed excursions. During them, experts will talk about the similarities and differences in celebrating the New Year in Russia and China, about painting styles and the space programs of the two countries.

    The Moscow Zoo invites you to watch immersive shows and documentaries about its inhabitants, including the favorite of the capital’s residents – panda Katyusha. On February 1 and 2, admission will be free for all guests named Ekaterina or in a panda costume.

    More than 120 restaurants in the city will join the event’s gastronomic program. They will present special menus with authentic dishes prepared according to traditional Chinese recipes.

    You can view the event schedule and learn about the conditions for visiting individual venues in the online publication “Russpass-magazine”.

    Traditional lanterns and panda figurines: how the capital was decorated in honor of the Chinese New YearDragon on Ice, Guohua Painting, and Go: VDNKh to Celebrate Chinese New Year

    Guests from China

    Today, China is a confident leader among foreign countries in the number of travelers coming to Moscow. And their number is constantly growing. In just nine months of last year, 335 thousand people from the Celestial Empire visited the capital. For comparison: in all of 2023, 245 thousand Chinese guests came to Moscow.

    Many tourists choose independent travel, their share is up to 83 percent of all guests from China. This provides an additional economic effect, since they spend on average four to six times more than participants in tourist groups.

    In addition, the share of business tourism has more than doubled in five years: now every fifth tourist from China comes to the capital for business purposes.

    Chinese New Year Festival will become part of large-scale project “Winter in Moscow”, which unites over 1.9 thousand sites. City residents and tourists are invited to warm up with tea and hot buns, go skating, skiing and tubing, participate in master classes, watch ice shows and theatrical performances, and show concern for those who need it.

    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/nevs/ite/149448073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The UK urges Israel to ensure that UNRWA can continue its lifesaving operations: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on UNRWA.

    2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government“>

    This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

    I want to offer my condolences again to all UN and humanitarian staff who have been killed in this conflict, including 273 members of your team, Philippe. 

    President, after 15 months of conflict, we now stand at a rare moment of hope for Palestinians and Israelis. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the United States, Qatar and Egypt we have a ceasefire deal that has seen seven hostages returned, reunited with their families and an end to the violence in Gaza that has claimed so many Palestinian lives.

    We cannot and must not forget the suffering that has brought us to this moment. Lives brutally cut short by Hamas. Men, women and children abducted from their families – many of whom are still being held while their loved ones suffer in anguish. 

    This conflict has also seen over 47,000 Palestinians killed. At least 35,000 children are thought to have lost one or both parents. And an estimated 20% of the population has been left with lifelong disabilities. 

    The levels of destruction in Gaza are beyond belief.

    We must turn the page on this cycle of violence. I want to highlight key actions to support this. 

    It is vital that we now see the release of all remaining hostages, and a sustained ceasefire to allow us to move from phase one of the agreement through to further phases. Only then can we achieve a lasting peace.

     We welcome reports that there has been an increase in humanitarian aid into Gaza. This needs to be sustained and complemented by much-needed supplies of commercial goods.  

    To support this vital effort, my Minister for Development has today announced a further $21 million in funding to ensure healthcare, food and shelter reaches tens of thousands of civilians and to support vital infrastructure across the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    However, the implementation of Knesset legislation on UNRWA risks upending this humanitarian response as well as threatening the fragile and hard-won gains made through the ceasefire deal.

    The vital work of UNRWA in ensuring that Palestinians have access to education and healthcare must also be protected in Gaza as well as the West Bank and East Jerusalem. These represent the most fundamental of human rights.

    For this reason, the United Kingdom urges Israel, once again, to ensure that UNRWA can continue its lifesaving operations and provision of essential services across the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    We call on Israel to work urgently with international partners, including the UN, so there is no disruption to this vital work. Israel is obligated under international law to facilitate humanitarian assistance by all means at their disposal. We stand ready to work alongside Israel, the UN and our partners to assist.

    We also call on UNRWA to continue to deliver their commitment to neutrality.  Implementation of reforms to strengthen their neutrality remains critical. We welcome UNRWA’s commitment to fully investigate any allegations against their employees and the continued implementation of the Colonna Report’s recommendations. We have earmarked over $1.2 million of our funding to UNRWA to support their implementation.

    President, the UK will play our full part in the coming days and weeks to seize the opportunity of this ceasefire for a better future. To ensure it leads to a credible pathway towards a two-state solution in which Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Veganuary momentum fades as participants struggle to maintain meat-free options beyond January Academics at the University of Aberdeen have compared attitudes and knowledge around sustainable eating – and willingness to reduce the amount of meat consumed – over a 10-year period. They found that although initiatives like ‘Veganuary’ were helpful in introducing people to alternative diets, this was not sustained in most of…

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    Academics at the University of Aberdeen have compared attitudes and knowledge around sustainable eating – and willingness to reduce the amount of meat consumed – over a 10-year period.
    They found that although initiatives like ‘Veganuary’ were helpful in introducing people to alternative diets, this was not sustained in most of those questioned.
    Overall awareness about the need for sustainable diets has improved since ‘Veganuary’ was introduced in 2013, but the same barriers to sticking to them persist, the researchers at the Rowett Institute found.
    And now they are stepping up efforts to understand why by recruiting volunteers willing to go meat-free a few days a week to take part in a detailed study.
    The report – titled Still Eating Like There’s No Tomorrow – is based on analysis of similar populations to those the team spoke to in 2013 to establish what, if anything, has changed in the last decade.
    They reported in 2023/14 that resistance to the idea of reducing personal meat consumption was common across all sociodemographic groups, with meat being seen as pleasurable, social, and traditional.
    The results from the current study suggest participants had a greater willingness to reduce meat consumption a decade on but that there is disparity in attitudes between socioeconomic groups, with those in areas of high deprivation less willing to reduce meat consumption.
    Emily Cleland, the lead author of the study undertaken by a team from the Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen said: “Many of the barriers described towards reducing meat consumption have not changed over the decade between studies. 
    “This is important because of the urgent need to change diets to meet the targets set by the Climate Change Committee, which advises the UK and devolved governments.
    “With just over five years to go until the Climate Change Committee’s interim targets for a 20% reduction in meat consumption, it is vital to take stock of progress and identify barriers and enablers, which is the aim of this study.”
    Participants reported that campaigns such as ‘Veganuary’ were successful in reducing their meat consumption for a time-limited period but the ability to continue a meat-free dietary pattern throughout the rest of the year was questioned. Other initiatives such as ‘Meat free Mondays’ were deemed more attainable in terms of enjoyment and health, and having environmental benefit.
    “Our study shows that resistance to dietary change persists due to scepticism about how this would benefit the climate, cost concerns and the sensory appeal of meat,” she added.
    “The greater availability of plant-based alternatives to meat and campaigns such as ‘Meat-free Mondays’ show promising opportunities for change, but we require tailored interventions to overcome entrenched cultural and economic barriers.
    “It is therefore necessary to acknowledge the differing experiences and perceived barriers and facilitators from different groups to create interventions that address specific obstacles, making it easier for individuals to adopt more sustainable dietary practices and ultimately contribute to achieving environmental and public health goals.”
    The new study – led by report co-authors Dr David McBey and Dr Ben McCormick – is looking for anyone willing to reduce their meat consumption for three months.
    They will be asked to keep food diaries, fill in questionnaires and be interviewed about their eating habits during the trial period.
    Dr McBey says: “Eating less meat is important to help the planet and save resources, but it can be hard because of habits, traditions, or not having other options. Our study wants to find out what makes it tricky for people, so we can help them make changes more easily.”
    To sign up go to: Screening Questionnaire or contact lessmeat@abdn.ac.uk for more details.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Wednesday weather update28 January 2025 Jersey Met is forecasting persistent rain from around 9am tomorrow, Wednesday 29 January 2025, until around 7am on Thursday 30 January 2025, which could cause localised flooding around the Island. As… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    28 January 2025

    Jersey Met is forecasting persistent rain from around 9am tomorrow, Wednesday 29 January 2025, until around 7am on Thursday 30 January 2025, which could cause localised flooding around the Island. 

    As a precaution the Infrastructure and Environment department has been clearing drains and raising the level of preparedness. 

    Advice to Islanders on how to prepare can be found via: Flooding: how to prepare, cope and clean up (gov.je).

    Stay up to date with weather forecasts at: gov.je/weather.​

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Work poised to start on affordable extra care housing scheme in Leeds

    Source: City of Leeds

    Construction work is set to begin on an extra care housing scheme that will make a hugely-positive difference to life in a Leeds community.

    Leeds City Council’s Middlecross development in Armley will be home to 65 high-quality, energy efficient and affordable apartments providing independent living opportunities for older people.

    The three-storey complex – to be built on brownfield land between Armley Grove Place and Simpson Grove – will also have care facilities and communal spaces, including a 50-seat dining area.

    It is anticipated that construction will get under way in March this year, with completion scheduled for early 2027.

    The scheme – which is being delivered via Leeds’s Council Housing Growth Programme (CHGP) – will regenerate a two-acre site that has been unused following the demolition of Middlecross Day Centre in 2018.

    Its transformation will also support Leeds’s net zero ambitions, with the apartments being built to energy efficient specifications and benefiting from high levels of insulation and the use of ground source heat pump technology. 

    And, by making the new homes available for affordable rent, the council has underlined its commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of all local residents while tackling issues such as fuel poverty.

    The bulk of the funding for the development is being provided by the council’s housing service via Right to Buy receipts and borrowing, with £1.3m of grant support due to come from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Brownfield Housing Fund.

    The scheme is due to be delivered for the council by Morgan Sindall Construction and will benefit the wider community by creating employment, skills and apprenticeship opportunities.  

    Councillor Jess Lennox, Leeds City Council’s executive member for housing, said:

    “We are committed to ensuring that Leeds is a city synonymous with safe, warm and good-quality homes, with the increased provision of affordable housing having a key role to play in that.

    “It’s really encouraging news, therefore, that construction work on the Middlecross scheme is due to begin shortly.

    “At a time when there is a well-documented shortage of affordable extra care housing in Leeds, this development will make a real difference to the lives of its residents.

    “The start of construction will also be another notable milestone for our Council Housing Growth Programme, which is working – with the support of partners – to bring positive and lasting change to communities across Leeds.”

    Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:

    “Our investment in this new site in Leeds will help build more much-needed, high-quality homes.

    “I believe that having a safe and secure place to live is a fundamental right, so it’s only right that we invest vital funds to deliver thousands of homes across West Yorkshire.

    “Together with our partners like Leeds City Council, we’re dedicated to building a greener, more secure region for future generations.”

    More than 350 new homes have been built via the council’s CHGP since 2018. More than 340 homes have also been acquired as part of the programme, with these properties and the new-builds both playing a crucial role in efforts to ease local affordable housing pressures.

    Furthermore, they have – by increasing the number of appropriate properties available to tenants looking to downsize – helped free up some homes that are best suited to larger families.

    The provision of additional social housing stock is seen as a vital way of driving inclusive growth and improving the population’s general health and wellbeing.

    Locations where new housing has recently been delivered by the CHGP include Barncroft Close in Seacroft and Scott Hall Drive in Chapel Allerton as well as a site in Middleton formerly occupied by Throstle Recreation Ground and Middleton Skills Centre.

    The Middleton development includes Gascoigne House, an extra care scheme that won the best purpose-built accommodation prize at last week’s LABC Building Excellence Awards.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government opens discussions with Community Pharmacy England over 2025 to 2026 funding contract

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    The consultation will set the future direction for the community pharmacy sector.

    The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has entered into consultation with Community Pharmacy England (CPE) regarding the 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026 funding contractual framework.

    The discussions will set the future direction for community pharmacy as it plays a vital role in supporting delivery of the reforms set out in the government’s Plan for Change.

    A letter signalling the start of the consultation was sent to CPE on Monday, 27 January 2025.

    Moving the focus of care from hospitals into the community is one of the 3 core shifts outlined in the 10 Year Health Plan, which will be published later this year. The government has previously outlined its ambition to make better use of pharmacists’ skills and training to deliver more services for patients within their local communities.

    Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock said:

    Community pharmacists are at the heart of local healthcare, and they have a vital role to play as we shift from hospital to community, giving patients better access to care, closer to home, through our 10 Year Health Plan.

    We have inherited a sector that is suffering from years of underfunding and neglect, but we recognise the hard work pharmacists undertake every day to deliver for patients.

    I am committed to working closely with Community Pharmacy England to agree a package of funding that is reflective of the important support that they provide to patients up and down the country. I am confident that together we can get the sector back on its feet and fit for pharmacies and patients long into the future.

    Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy England said:

    We are relieved that discussions on the arrangements for community pharmacy are now commencing.

    Community Pharmacy England will consider very carefully if the proposals that the government is putting on the table address the severity of the funding crisis in community pharmacy.

    Everyone in community pharmacy shares the government’s ambition for a vibrant community pharmacy sector, playing a vital role in delivering long term health plans, but this can only be achieved if the sector is put on a sustainable financial footing.

    Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care for NHS England, said:

    The NHS knows just how important pharmacies are to local communities – they offer people convenient care close to home which is a key ambition of the 10 Year Health Plan.

    We recognise that pharmacies are under pressure, and we are committed to working with the sector and government to ensure that patients can continue to receive high-quality care building on the exceptional work of teams over the past few years to develop and expand new services for patients.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: As the ‘digital oligarchy’ grows in power, NZ will struggle to regulate its global reach and influence

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Andhov, Chair in Law and Technology, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    The images of President Donald Trump at his inauguration surrounded by the titans of the global tech industry is a warning of what could come: a global digital oligarchy dominated by a tiny tech elite.

    Companies like Meta, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, X Corp, and OpenAI (all based in the United States) now operate beyond the control of most governments. Countries like New Zealand are increasingly struggling to keep these companies in check.

    In the past decade, New Zealand has taken several measures to curb the influence of powerful tech companies through voluntary agreements and tax legislation.

    But the digital age has fundamentally changed national sovereignty – the right of individual countries to decide the rules within their own borders.

    Big tech companies are gradually taking on functions traditionally reserved for government institutions. For example, these companies have begun to function as the arbiters of speech, controlling the visibility of certain ideas and comments.

    As recently as this month, Meta obscured searches for left-leaning topics including “Democrats”, later blaming the issue on a “technical glitch”.

    And as was widely covered in the media, Amnesty International released a report claiming that Facebook’s algorithms “proactively amplified” anti-Rohingya content in Myanmar, substantially contributing to human rights violations against the ethnic group.

    New Zealand’s attempts to regulate big tech

    A number of governments are now facing the question of how to temper the influence of these companies within their current legal frameworks.

    As New Zealand (among others) has discovered in the past decade, influencing the behaviour of these companies is easier said than done. It has repeatedly found itself struggling to effectively manage big tech’s impact on its society and economy.

    In 2018, for example, New Zealand’s Privacy Commissioner said Facebook had failed to comply with its obligations under the New Zealand Privacy Act. The company told the commission the Privacy Act did not apply to it.

    When the Christchurch terrorist attack was livestreamed on Facebook (owned by Meta), New Zealand authorities found themselves largely powerless to prevent the video’s spread across global platforms.

    This crisis prompted then-prime minister Jacinda Ardern to launch the Christchurch Call initiative aimed at combating online extremism by fostering collaboration between governments and tech companies.

    The goal was to develop and enforce measures such as improved content moderation, removal of extremist material, and the creation of safer online environments.

    While gaining support from more than 120 countries and tech companies, its effect depends on voluntary ongoing cooperation. Recent events suggest this ongoing cooperation is unlikely.

    In January, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to get rid of content moderation in the US and possibly elsewhere. Zuckerberg has also pushed back against European Union regulations, claiming the EU’s data laws censored social media.

    Taxing big tech

    In 2019, New Zealand proposed a 3% digital tax on big tech revenue. A similar measure was introduced by France in 2020 and by Canada and Australia last year.

    While these proposals signify important steps toward holding big tech accountable, their implementation remains uncertain.

    Although the relevant tax provisions have been adopted in New Zealand, the law includes clauses allowing tax collections to be deferred until as late as 2030.

    Meanwhile, big tech continues to push back aggressively against regulation in various ways. These have included threatening reduced services (such as the brief closure of TikTok in the US) to leveraging their relationships with the Trump government against other countries.

    Using competition regulation to rein in big tech

    In December 2024, the Australian government unveiled draft legislation on big tech to level the playing field.

    The proposed law seeks to foster fair competition, prevent price gouging, and give smaller tech and news companies a chance to thrive in a landscape increasingly dominated by global giants.

    The legislation would grant the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission the authority to investigate and penalise companies with fines of up to A$50 million for restricting competition.

    The targeted behaviour includes tactics such as restricting data transfers between platforms (for example, moving contacts or photos from iPhone to Android) and limiting third-party payment options in app stores.

    The proposed law aims to put an end to these unfair advantages, ensuring a level playing field where businesses of all sizes can compete and consumers have more choices.

    Democractic governance in the digital age

    The growing power of tech platforms raises critical questions about democratic governance in the digital age.

    There is an urgent need to reconcile the global influence of tech companies with local democratic processes and to create mechanisms that safeguard individual and national sovereignty in an increasingly digital world.

    Governments need to recognise these platforms are not immutable forces of nature, but human-created systems that can be challenged, reformed or dismantled. The same digital connectivity that has empowered these corporations can become the very tool of their transformation.

    Alexandra Andhov is conducting research on Big Tech Governance, funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark under the Inge Lehmann Programme. The author is grateful for this support and wishes to acknowledge that the research was conducted entirely independently.

    – ref. As the ‘digital oligarchy’ grows in power, NZ will struggle to regulate its global reach and influence – https://theconversation.com/as-the-digital-oligarchy-grows-in-power-nz-will-struggle-to-regulate-its-global-reach-and-influence-247899

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Universal Periodic Review 48: UK Statement on Iraq

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    UK Statement at Iraq’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

    Thank you, Mr President,

    The United Kingdom welcomes the steps taken by Iraq in 2024 to implement the Yazidi Survivors Law, a groundbreaking piece of legislation and an important first step to provide justice for survivors.

    We urge the Government to ensure the protection of freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly, and to strengthen legal protection guarantees for journalists, the media and civil society.

    We recommend that Iraq:

    1. Protects the right to freedom of assembly, including by holding accountable any perpetrators of violence against protestors.

    2. Strengthens the capacity and independence of the judicial system to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of sexual violence, and provide effective and necessary support for victims.

    3. Ensures that amendments to Iraq’s Personal Status Law, including the code to be subsequently developed, are in line with Iraq’s International Commitments on women and children’s rights.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Universal Periodic Review 48: UK Statement on Iran

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    UK Statement at Iran’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

    Thank you, Mr President.

    The United Kingdom welcomes Iran’s engagement with the UPR.

    We have noted President Pezeshkian’s election campaign comments on human rights issues, including the negative implications of hijab enforcement and internet filtering.

    We remain deeply concerned about Iran’s failure to uphold its international legal obligations. In particular, its violent enforcement of mandatory veiling, intimidation of human rights defenders and journalists, and discrimination against minority groups. 

    We recommend that Iran:

    1. Guarantees all individuals, but especially those facing charges carrying the death penalty, a fair trial, consistent with obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Right, including access to a lawyer of their choosing.

    2. Grants access to Human Rights Council mandate holders, including the Special Rapporteur on Iran.

    3. Ratifies the UN Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Reappointment of Ofgem Chief Executive

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Jonathan Brearley reappointed as Chief Executive Officer of Ofgem.

    Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has today (14 January 2025) confirmed the reappointment of Jonathan Brearley as Chief Executive Officer of Ofgem.

    The reappointment will run from 1 February 2025 until 31 January 2030.

    The Secretary of State has also extended the terms of 2 non-executive directors – Myriam Madden to 31 March 2025 and Barry Panayi to 16 March 2027.

    Biographies

    Jonathan Brearley – Chief Executive Officer

    Jonathan Brearley was appointed as an executive member of the Ofgem Board in 2018. Jonathan became Ofgem’s Chief Executive Officer on 3 February 2020. This follows his previous appointment as Executive Director for Systems and Networks in April 2018.

    He has wide-ranging energy sector experience, having led Electricity Market Reform as the Director for Energy Markets and Networks at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

    Prior to this, he was Director of the Office of Climate Change, a cross-government strategy unit focussed on climate change and energy issues, where he led the development of the Climate Change Act. Earlier in his career, Jonathan was a senior adviser in the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit.

    Appointed: 3 February 2020
    Reappointed: 1 February 2025
    Term ends: 31 March 2025

    Myriam Madden – Non-Executive Director

    Myriam was appointed to the Ofgem Board in January 2020. She has held senior executive finance and operational positions in global technology companies, financial services in the UK, US and Europe, as well as the public sector. An experienced Executive Director, Myriam specialised in business transformation, operational restructuring and finance in both the private and public sectors.

    Myriam is a chartered management accountant and a Board member of the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA). She is a Board member of Home Group, chairman of their Scottish subsidiary, a board member of the Traverse Theatre and chairman of their Audit committee.

    Myriam previously served as a non-executive member of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee of BEIS. She was also a Board member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and President of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, both global accounting bodies.

    Appointed: 1 January 2020
    Extended: 1 February 2025
    Term ends: 31 January 2030

    Barry Panayi Madden – Non-Executive Director

    Barry was appointed to the Ofgem Board in March 2020. He specialises in data and digital transformation and has worked in data for the whole of his career. He is currently Chief Data and Insight Officer for John Lewis.

    Prior to John Lewis, Barry spent the majority of his early career at Ernst & Young helping to lead the data and analytics practice and has subsequently headed up data and digital teams in organisations such as Bupa, Virgin and Lloyds Banking Group.

    Appointed: 16 March 2020
    Extended: 1 February 2025
    Term ends: 16 March 2027

    Updates to this page

    Published 14 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Black Blizzard” at the Stanislavsky Electrotheatre

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    “Stanislavsky Electrotheatre” invites you to Denis Azarov’s play “Black Blizzard”.

    The main character of the production based on the play by Anastasia Bukreeva is 40-year-old (give or take) Sverdlov, who is on a business trip and is stuck in Norilsk. The flight to Moscow is cancelled because a bear has chewed through the cable, and the city is expecting a black snowstorm. Sverdlov does not like museums, but has to go to a local history museum, which becomes the meaning-forming space in the play. Inside it, the audience, together with the actors, passes through a variety of pavilions and meets objects of living and inanimate nature.

    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/afisha/event/330035257/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Universal Periodic Review 48: UK Statement on Egypt

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Statement at Egypt’s Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the UK, Simon Manley.

    Thank you, Mr President.

    The United Kingdom recognises Egypt’s progress, including the 2021 National Human Rights Strategy.

    The arbitrary detention of journalists, activists and human rights defenders remains deeply concerning. The continued detention of Alaa Abd El-Fattah, detained for spreading false news, who has now served his five-year sentence including pre-trial detention, is unacceptable.

    We recommend that Egypt:

    1. Releases Human Rights Defender Alaa Abd El-Fattah,

    2. Releases all detainees held for exercising their right to freedom of expression and lifts restrictions on news and social media websites in line with the ICCPR.

    3. Ensures the new Criminal Procedures Code guarantees fair trial standards, and ends the practice of ‘rotating’ detainees in pre-trial detention,

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: CMD Portal Awards 2025: AFL wins ‘Most Improved Bond Issuer’ award

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

                                                                 Press release
    28/01/2025

    CMD Portal Awards 2025: AFL wins ‘Most Improved Bond Issuer’ award

    AFL, the French local government funding agency, is rewarded for the second time by CMD Portal – a network of more than 35,000 bond market experts – and wins the “Most Improved Bond Issuer” prize, the most efficient bond issuer. This distinction reflects the bank’s proven ability to place its debt with a growing and diversified investor base across multiple currencies. Now well established as frequent bond issuer, AFL is on its way to become a significant borrower in the capital markets, offering investors the only diversified exposure to the French local public sector.

    A funding program in full expansion for 10 years

    Created 10 years ago by and for the French local authorities, AFL’s mission is to facilitate access to financing and is among the leading lenders to local governments.

    Since its creation, the bank has been able to maintain its financial strength while expanding its operations. It has doubled its financing program, diversified its issuance currencies, and increased the frequency of both private placements and benchmark transactions with the objective to improve liquidity for investors. AFL’s bond issues are now located nearly on the entire Euro curve, which allows it to broaden its access to the market.

    Ten years after the beginning of its activities, AFL’s balance sheet stands at nearly €11 billion, reflecting the dynamic growth in loan production granted to local authorities since its first bond issue in 2015.

    Issuance of new products and expansion into new international markets

    Since 2023, AFL has had the ability to issue callable bonds. On this segment, the bank has already and successfully completed six transactions of this type in 2024, with an average size of €37 million, totaling €221 million.

    In April 2024, AFL entered the public Swiss Franc (CHF) market with an inaugural transaction of CHF 110 million. This strategic bond issuance broadened AFL’s already diverse investor base, which now spans France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Benelux, the UK, Northern Europe, and Asia.

    The institution now has a base of more than 300 international investors, including banks, private banks, fund managers, insurance companies, pension funds, and a growing number of central banks and official institutions.

    Lastly, in December 2024, AFL issued €50 million of subordinated debt securities, with the aim of enabling it to deploy its business plan while strengthening its equity base.

    2024 constitutes a pivotal year for AFL in two respects:

    • AFL was able to maintain its AA- rating when S&P downgraded France’s sovereign rating from AA to AA- in May 2024, leading the bank to now share the same as the French central government. AFL has thus strengthened its position compared to other public sector banking institutions.
    • Additionally, the HQLA 1 qualification granted by the ACPR in respect of for AFL’s debt on June 21, 2024, following the change in the risk weighting of French local authorities to 0%, has contributed to significantly enhancing the eligibility of AFL’s debt securities in the portfolios of investors, particularly banks.

    Key Takeaways:


    €11 billion in loans     granted over the past 10 years

    3rd largest lender to French local authorities

    Recognized as a public development bank in 2021

    HQLA 1 since June 2024

    AA-/AA- (S&P/Fitch)
    Same credit rating as the French government

    About AFL

    “The Company’s mission is to embody a responsible finance to strengthen the local world’s empowerment so as to better deliver the present and future needs of its inhabitants.”

    By creating our bank, the first one that we own and manage, we, French local authorities, have decided to act to deepen decentralization. Our bank, Agence France Locale (AFL), is not a financial institution similar to any other. Created by and for local authorities, it aims to strengthen our freedom, our ability to develop projects and our responsibility as local public actors. Its culture of prudence spares us from the dangers of complexity and its governance from downward slides of conflicts of interest. The main objective is to provide local world with an access to cost-efficient resources, under total transparency. The principles of solidarity and equity drive us. We are convinced that together we go further. We decided that our institution would be agile, addressing all types of local authorities, from the largest regions to the smallest municipalities. We see profit as a means to maximize public spending, not as an end goal. Through AFL, we support a local world committed to take up social, economic, and environmental challenges. AFL strengthens our empowerment: to carry out projects in our territories, today and tomorrow, to the benefits of the inhabitants. We are proud to have a bank whose development is like us, even more responsible and sustainable. We are Agence France Locale.

    Press contact
    Justine GUIGUES – Press Relation Officer
    justine.guigues@afl-banque.fr
    +33 6 74 94 29 66

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sudan and Eastern DRC: Foreign Secretary’s statement

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Foreign Secretary made a statement to the House of Commons on the situation in Sudan and Eastern DRC on 28 January.

    With permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will make a statement on the situation in Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    The latest conflict in Sudan has now lasted twenty-one months.

    This weekend, the Rapid Support Forces attacked the last functional hospital in the besieged city of El-Fasher, in Darfur.

    The World Health Organisation assess some seventy patients and their families were killed.

    This attack is far from isolated.

    In recent weeks, the RSF shelled the ZamZam camp, where displaced people are trapped outside El-Fasher.

    While there are widespread reports of extrajudicial killings by militias aligned to the Sudanese armed forces in Wad Medani.

    The Government condemns these attacks in the strongest possible terms.

    They show a callous disregard for international humanitarian law and innocent Sudanese civilians.

    Exact figures for those killed and displaced in Sudan are hard to come by.

    But we know aid is being blocked from reaching those in need.

    And this is without a shadow of a doubt one of the biggest humanitarian catastrophes of our lifetimes.

    I saw this for myself, Madam Deputy Speaker, last week in Adré, on the Chad-Sudan border.

    This was the first ever Foreign Secretary to visit Chad.

    I felt it was my duty to confront the true horror of what is unfolding.

    To bear witness.

    And raise up the voices of those suffering, mainly women, so horrendously.

    88 per cent of the refugees at Adré are women and children.

    I met nurses in a clinic, fighting to save the lives of starving children.

    I met a woman who showed me her scars.

    She had been burned.

    She had been beaten.

    She had been raped.

    Turning to DRC, conflict there has gripped the east for over thirty years.

    An M23 rebel offensive at the start of this year had already seized Masisi and Minova.

    This weekend saw them enter Goma, the region’s major city, which M23 last occupied in 2012.

    Brave UN peacekeepers from South Africa, Malawi and Uruguay have tragically been killed.

    And with hundreds of thousands having already fled M23 to Goma, there is potential for a further humanitarian catastrophe.

    I have not yet travelled as Foreign Secretary to meet those fleeing Eastern DRC

    But the reports speak for themselves.

    This is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman or girl with children as young as nine reportedly attacked and mutilated by machete-wielding militias. 

    Around a quarter of DRC’s population are facing acute food insecurity.

    And frequent bombardment of the makeshift camps which shelter those who have fled their homes.

    I regret to say, Madam Deputy Speaker, that Foreign Secretaries updating the House on conflicts in Africa is something of a rarity.

    As I discussed yesterday with African Ambassadors and High Commissioners, the surge of conflict globally includes the number in Africa almost doubling in the past decade.

    This is causing untold damage and holding back economic growth – the bedrock of our future partnership with African countries.  

    But where is the outrage?

    Again and again in Adré, I was asked:

    What is the world doing to help us?

    The truth is, if we were witnessing the horrors of El-Fasher and Goma on any other continent, or, for that matter, seeing the extremist violence in the Sahel and Somalia anywhere else in the world, there would be far more attention across the Western world.

    Indeed, one recent survey of armed conflict in 2024 contained spotlights on Europe, Eurasia, Asia and the Americas, but none on Africa.

    There should be no hierarchy of conflicts, but there is one.

    Every human life is of equal worth.

    The impact of these wars, Madam Deputy Speaker, is clear for all to see.

    You only have to be willing to look.

    I could not see atrocities such as these, and shrug my shoulders.

    However, the House will also understand the UK’s national interest in addressing these conflicts.

    Irregular migration from Sudan to Britain alone increased by 16% last year. 

    Unscrupulous smuggling gangs are looking to profit from the misery in places such as Sudan and DRC. 

    And the longer these wars last, the greater their ripple effects.

    Neighbours like Chad and many others are working hard to manage this crisis alongside others nearby.

    But further escalation only increases instability and the risks of conflict elsewhere.

    With Sudan sitting along the major trade routes of the Red Sea and eastern DRC one of the most resource-rich regions in the world.

    This is something we cannot tolerate.

    This Government therefore refuses to let these conflicts be forgotten.

    Working with Sierra Leone, the UK prepared a UN Security Council Resolution on Sudan to address the humanitarian catastrophe.

    Shockingly, despite support from every other member, including China, Russia wielded their veto.

    But Russian cynicism will not deter us.

    We will continue to use our Security Council seat to shine a light on what is happening and work with our African partners on broader UN reform.

    We have also doubled UK aid, supporting over one million displaced people.

    I saw our impact at the Adré crossing, and announced a further twenty million pounds to support food production and sexual and reproductive services.

    The UK is the third largest humanitarian donor on the crisis, having offered almost 250 million pounds in support this financial year.

    We have been redoubling our diplomatic efforts as well.

    In the spring, I am looking to gather Ministers in the UK to galvanise international support for peace.

    We need to see three things.

    First, the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces committing a permanent ceasefire and protection of civilians.

    Second, unrestricted humanitarian access into and within Sudan, and a permanent UN presence.

    And finally, an international commitment to a sustained and meaningful political process.

    Instead of new and even more deadly weapons entering the conflict, we want to see consistent calls for all political parties to unite behind a common vision of a peaceful Sudan.

    We will engage with all those willing to work on bringing the conflict to an end.

    On DRC, the UK, has also reacted quickly to the current crisis, we now advise British Nationals not to the Rubavu district in Western Rwanda on the border with Goma.

    And we are continuing our humanitarian assistance , having provided 62 million pounds this financial year.

    This enables lifesaving assistance such as clean drinking water, treatment for malnourished children, and support for victims of sexual violence.

    Ultimately however, we need a political solution.

    We know that M23 rebels could not have taken Goma without material support from Rwandan Defence Forces.

    My Noble Friend, Lord Collins of Highbury, and I have been urging all sides to engage in good faith in African-led processes.

    Lord Collins spoke to the Rwandan and Angolan Foreign Ministers last week.

    And in the last few days, I have spoken to both Rwandan President Kagame and South African Foreign Minister Lamola.

    For all the complexities of such a long-running conflict, we must find a way to stop the killing.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, civilians in Sudan and eastern DRC must feel so powerless.

    Power seems gripped by those waging war around them.

    The Government, our partners, cannot simply will a ceasefire into being.

    But this is not a licence for inaction.

    As we have seen in Gaza, it can take hundreds of days of diplomatic failure to reach even the most fragile of ceasefires.

    So for our part, Madam Deputy Speaker, the UK will keep doing all in our power to get the world focused on these conflicts.

    And, somehow, to bring them to an end.

    I comment this statement to the House.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Duchess of Edinburgh opens Sandhurst facility for army musicians

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    A new band facility on the Sandhurst Estate, Surrey has been formally opened by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh.

    HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh talks to some of the musicians during her visit. (MOD Crown Copyright)

    Her Royal Highness opened the facility in her role as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Corps of Army Music (RCAM).

    The new purpose-built band facility – named The Duchess of Edinburgh Hall – houses two distinguished bands from RCAM: the Band of the Coldstream Guards and the Army Engagement Ensemble. The building provides a modern, sustainable acoustic space for rehearsals and performances.

    The RCAM, which performs at State Ceremonial events, has received significant MOD investment under the £5.1 billion Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) Portfolio.

    The facility was delivered by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) contracting to Willmott Dixon, Pick Everard and HLM Architects. It was funded under the DEO Army Programme, which makes up the largest share of the DEO Portfolio, and is delivering a better structured and more sustainable defence estate. This supports military capability and enhances the lived experience of service personnel.

    Major General Richard Clements CBE, Director of Basing and Infrastructure, said:

    The new band facility at Sandhurst will enable army musicians to carry out their supporting state and ceremonial duties and national and international engagement for defence, both today and into the future. It is a fantastic example of the significant investment we are making to deliver benefits for our people, support military training and capability, and build a more sustainable estate.

    Combining modern buildings with the refurbishment of existing infrastructure, the Duchess of Edinburgh Hall comprises a glass-roofed atrium for ensemble performance practice, rehearsal rooms, an instrument store, music library, offices, storage space and a crew room. The design also includes solar panels and air source heat pumps.

    Sherin Aminossehe, MOD Director of Infrastructure and the Senior Responsible Owner for the DEO Portfolio, said:

    DEO is committed to delivering the highest quality buildings that improve the lived experience of our military personnel. This is evidenced in these impressive new facilities being opened today, which not only provide bespoke and very modern spaces for these prestigious bands to train in, but do so in a way that carefully integrates itself within the existing infrastructure to preserve the important history of the site.

    Historic stables dating back to the 1800s have been transformed into modern changing facilities, including the refurbished ‘Sullivan Block’, which is named after Thomas Sullivan who served as Bandmaster at The Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst from 1845 to 1857. He was the father of Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan of ‘Gilbert and Sullivan’ fame. 

    Warren Webster, DIO MPP Army Programme Director, said:

    It’s fantastic to see this excellent new facility being opened by HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh. The different elements of the facility were carefully designed to meet the needs of army musicians and it was a pleasure to see Her Royal Highness’s reaction to them. The musicians have been making great use of the Duchess of Edinburgh Hall since its completion and we look forward to hearing their music fill these spaces for decades to come.

    The Band of the Coldstream Guards is a 54-piece symphonic wind band that supports a variety of high-profile events, including state ceremonies, public duties, commemorative and celebratory events, and repatriations. Additionally, it contributes to the UK’s defence efforts both domestically and internationally through community engagement and events. The Army Engagement Ensemble focuses on recruitment, supporting Recruiting Group and the army’s main effort to attract future soldiers.

    Major Justin Teggarty, Director of Music and Officer Commanding, Band of the Coldstream Guards said:

    This new facility is perfect for the Band’s needs. The quality of the design and finish is highly impressive, and we now have a comfortable, purpose-built, modern building in which to rehearse, collaborate and function to the highest standard. I am particularly impressed with the acoustics in the atrium: it is fantastic to be able to play together in a space that does justice to the talent and professionalism of army musicians.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: France’s military withdrawal presents opportunities and risks to West African states

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Yolaine Frossard de Saugy, PhD Candidate, International Relations, McGill University

    In early January, Côte d’Ivoire announced that French troops would be withdrawing from the country and the military base of Port-Bouët would be handed over to Côte d’Ivoire’s army. The announcement is part of a seismic shift in France’s decades-long presence across francophone Africa.

    It is the latest echo of a larger trend that’s seen French troops withdraw or be expelled from its former sphere of influence, losing diplomatic and military weight in countries France had formerly colonized. Since 2022, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and now Côte d’Ivoire, have terminated defence agreements with France.

    This may present an opportunity for a long overdue assertion of sovereignty by the region’s countries. However, an ongoing threat from terror groups and the eagerness of other entities to step in could instead lead to more instability and a reinforcement of authoritarianism or regime fragmentation.

    France’s withdrawal

    Following the wave of independence in the 1960s, France entered in an array of agreements with its former colonies. These helped ensure France’s continued influence in Western Africa and its international standing.

    In addition to close political and economic ties, which included currency control by France and support to friendly leaders, this also involved the largest permanent military presence by a former colonial power, with troops stationed at various times in Cameroon, Gabon, Senegal, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Djibouti, Chad, Niger, Mali and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as military assistance to others.

    This large military presence has long been controversial. Historically, France was involved in a number of covert or overt military operations with dubious ends, including deadly interventions in Cameroon in the 1960s and support for the Rwandan government during the 1994 genocide.

    More recently, it was criticized for backing of authoritarian regimes and leaders and an inadequate approach to anti-terrorism, including through the Serval and Barkhane missions in Mali and the broader Sahel region — the vast semi-arid region of Africa separating the Sahara Desert to the north and tropical savannahs to the south — between 2012 and 2022.

    Criticism has also been leveraged at the neocolonial intent of France’s policy, especially in the wake of comments such as President Emmanuel Macron’s remark that African countries were not sufficiently grateful for France’s interventions, which many decried as insensitive to the historical context and implications of France’s role.

    Change was therefore long overdue, and over the past three years, a number of developments have seemed to show that France’s star was waning.

    A surge of anti-French sentiment spread across the Sahel and beyond. A series of coups in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso put in power military leaders who were eager to shake off French presence, leading to the departure of French forces from bases there.

    Leaving Côte d’Ivoire’s Port-Bouët was done in a more orderly fashion, and France presented it as part of a voluntary reorganization of its presence.

    Still, it is hard not to read this withdrawal as part of a wider reckoning with the failure of past policies and a rising desire of African leaders to reclaim sovereignty. This was indeed voiced out loud in the cases of Burkina Faso, Chad and Senegal, where a symbolic repudiation of French heritage is also taking place through the changing of street names.

    Risks of foreign influence

    This moment could provide an opportunity for West African states to shake off the remnants of the power imbalance that characterized France’s presence, and reshuffle the cards of military and diplomatic co-operation. This could lead to an era of more equal partnerships and responsiveness to popular aspirations.

    There are signs that such moves are taking place in the economic area, with Mali, for instance, asserting its sovereignty on resource extraction.

    However, the security situation in the Sahel has continued to deteriorate since the French withdrawal. New partners of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Niger — such as the new iterations of the Wagner group, a Russian mercenary corps used as a proxy by the Russian government to widen its influence — have failed to protect civilians or undermine insurgencies.

    In some cases, they have even been accused of taking part in the violence. The military juntas in power have delayed promised democratic transitions, and sometimes turned to the scapegoating of minorities as a litmus test of their anti-western credentials instead.

    This situation is therefore more likely to lead to further instability, especially as Russia is consolidating its involvement in the Sahel, China seeks to make further inroads in the region to strengthen its stance as the alternative to western support, and new nations such as Turkey and even Ukraine are seeking to widen their influence and reach.



    Read more:
    Ukrainian special operations abroad are part of its broader war effort against Russia

    Governments in countries like Chad seem to be turning to multiple new partners for support in maintaining security. This could help them conclude fairer agreements, but it also heightens the risk of regime fragmentation and internal violence if competing forces vie for influence.

    Sudan’s civil war, fuelled by the support of external countries =like Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, offers a cautionary tale of what is at risk when multiple new entities seek access or export their rivalries to the continent.

    Asserting sovereignity

    The political landscape across West Africa is rapidly changing. France seeks new partners outside of its traditional area but sees its influence diminishing across the board. The potential for a more isolationist United States under President Donald Trump is likely to leave a power vacuum in many parts of the world, further opening the door to new forces drawn to Africa’s natural resources and geostrategic importance.

    These trends provide African countries with an opportunity to change longstanding patterns. However, they also come with heightened risks, especially in an emerging multipolar world order where mid-level powers, rising major powers and reconstituting great powers seek opportunities to assert their influence.

    The only potential counterbalance to these dangers is strong regional co-ordination between West African states.

    Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have left the historical regional grouping ECOWAS, whose effectiveness had been hampered by its historical dependence on western funding. They have, however, formed their own alliance and there are now talks of expanding co-operation with neighbours, including Togo and Ghana.

    Whether this can at last provide truly African solutions to the continent’s challenges and offset the centrifugal forces already at play remains to be seen.

    Yolaine Frossard de Saugy 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. France’s military withdrawal presents opportunities and risks to West African states – https://theconversation.com/frances-military-withdrawal-presents-opportunities-and-risks-to-west-african-states-248098

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Charter Market traders offered FREE training in essential business skills

    Source: St Albans City and District

    Publication date:

    Traders at St Albans Charter Market are to be offered FREE training and advice to improve their skills and help their business grow.

    St Albans City and District Council, which runs the market, has teamed up with St Albans Enterprise Agency (STANTA) to make the assistance available.

    To qualify for the 12 hours of free help, a trader needs to be a regular at the Market and have run their business for up to five years.

    They can then apply to have a choice of training and advice modules under the Government-backed Get Enterprising programme delivered by STANTA. This includes:

    • Business advice from an experienced adviser.

    • Assistance with choosing the most suitable business structure.

    • Free workshops with content ranging from business planning, bookkeeping to digital marketing and AI.

    Get Enterprising is funded by the Government with the aim of helping new and fledgling businesses.

    Councillor Paul de Kort, the Council’s Leader and Lead for Economic Development, said:

    This is a great opportunity for some of our Charter Market entrepreneurs to get first class training and advice on a wide range of business matters.

    We want to support our traders who not only create a great atmosphere in the City Centre, but also help the local economy by bringing in visitors and creating jobs.

    This training will assist them, not just in managing their businesses but in growing them as well. A market is a wonderful place to start a business as some of Britain’s leading business people started out that way.

    I am delighted that we are building a strong relationship with STANTA and together in the future we will look io provide more support and training opportunities for our traders.

    STANTA’s Executive Director Steve Bedford said:

    We are delighted to work alongside St Albans City and District Council to make available our business advice and skills workshop services to St Albans Market traders. 

    We have a wide remit in terms of supporting startups, young and small business in the area and look forward to working with the market traders.

    STANTA is an independent enterprise agency which has been active in St Albans, Harpenden and the surrounding area for more than 40 years.

    A not-for-profit service, it has helped local people start, grow and develop successful businesses: https://stanta.co.uk/.

    Charter Market traders will receive details of how to apply to the scheme from the Council’s markets team.

    Photo: the Charter Market.

    Media contact:  John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer: 01727- 819533; john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UKSPF funding boost for local projects

    Source: City of Canterbury

    Home  »  Latest News   »   UKSPF funding boost for local projects

    Sixteen projects and initiative across the district have benefitted from United Kingdom Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) money over the last few months.

    The city council has been awarding the grants having secured this UK government funding for schemes that invest in local communities and spaces.

    Three such projects are Startlab, Arcade Britannia and the Whitstable Beavers and Cubs.

    Startlab (pictured below), which received UKSPF funding of £9,960, is a community arts programme with a focus on inclusion and creativity led by the Canterbury Theatre & Festival Trust.

    It runs across the district and features a wide mix of activities, including a collaborative choral project for primary school children, an all-inclusive community dance project for aspiring choreographers and dancers, and professionally-led comedy workshops for the over 60s.

    Beach Creative (pictured below) in Herne Bay was awarded £8,324 in UKSPF funding for the Arcade Britannia project, a celebration of the central role of amusement arcades in British culture.

    The initiative comprised an exhibition and a variety of events with its centrepiece being an interactive digital recreation of a late 1980s seaside arcade enhanced by stories of the people who worked and played there.

    And a new Whitstable Beavers and Cubs group (pictured top), as part of the 2nd Whitstable Sea Scouts, is thriving following its funding boost of a contributory UKSPF grant of £1,900.

    The group runs from Blean Village Hall, and as well as providing all sorts of fun activities for local children, the project also increases the number of volunteer ‘leaders’ required to grow Beavers and Cubs packs to ensure schemes can continue for years to come.

    Cabinet member for economic development and inclusion, Cllr Chris Cornell, paid a visit to all three projects to hear more about how the UKSPF grants had made such a difference.

    He said: “We’re very proud to have funded schemes for people of all ages across the district through our UKSPF money. It was really inspiring to see that so many people have benefitted from all of these, making new friends and enjoying experiences they otherwise would not have had.

    “When you are making decisions on who and what to fund, you can get a sense of what can be achieved by reading an application, but it’s only through seeing the outcomes with your own eyes that you realise how special that is.

    “I thank everyone involved in all our UKSPF-funded projects for their passion, commitment and support for their local communities.”

    Published: 28 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –