The UK Supreme Court’s decision on the definition of a woman under the Equality Act 2010 has significant implications for gender rights across the UK, although the Act applies in GB but not in Northern Ireland. This ruling sparks concerns about increased discrimination against transgender individuals.
“The Green Party in Northern Ireland stands firmly in support of transgender rights,” said Mal O’Hara, Party Leader. “We are wary of efforts to define womanhood, as these have historically been used to restrict and marginalise women. It is telling that such scrutiny is rarely applied to definitions of manhood.”
We must continue to advocate for inclusive policies and laws that protect all individuals, regardless of their gender identity. Let’s stand together against discrimination and for a society that values equality, justice, and inclusivity for all.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Representatives Mike Quigley (IL-05) and Rob Menendez (NJ-08) led a letter signed by 39 House Democrats to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem condemning the fear and confusion inflicted on Ukrainians living in the U.S. legally who received an erroneous email falsely revoking their protections under the Uniting for Ukraine (“U4U”) program. In light of this error, the letter demands answers from the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) as to the future of the U4U program.
“Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, millions of Ukrainians have been displaced. In the face of Russia’s horrific violence, many Ukrainians have found safety and stability on American shores,” said Congressional Ukraine Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Mike Quigley. “The Trump administration’s capitulation to Putin has already caused fear in this community which was compounded by this unacceptable error. With their homeland still under assault, Ukrainian refugees deserve certainty about their future. The administration owes Ukrainians an explanation and clarity about the Uniting for Ukraine program.”
“Millions of Ukrainians have been displaced from their homes because of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of their country, and the Uniting for Ukraine program has served as a lifeline for so many of those families,” said Rep. Rob Menendez. “After years of suffering and anxiety in the Ukrainian community, made worse by President Trump’s recent cooperation with Russia, this email was a terrifying shock to Ukrainians in my district and across the country. DHS must make clear what caused this error and what their plans are for the future of the U4U program.”
The April 4 email followed the Trump Administration’s misguided decision to pause all applications, petitions, and benefit decisions under the U4U program in January. It not only directed recipients to immediately leave the United States, but also threatened law enforcement actions, criminal prosecution, civil fines, and additional penalties for failure to self deport within seven days. It also notified recipients of the rescission of benefits associated with parole such as work authorization. Immediately following this notification, Members of Congress received concerned inquiries from Ukrainians across the country who were under the impression that they must leave the country. The notice was retracted later that day.
End-of-Mission press releases include statements of IMF staff teams that convey preliminary findings after a visit to a country. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF’s Executive Board for discussion and decision.
The Nigerian authorities have taken important steps to stabilize the economy, enhance resilience, and support growth. These reforms have put Nigeria in a better position to navigate the external environment.
The macroeconomic outlook is marked by significant uncertainty. Elevated global risk sentiment and lower oil prices impact the Nigerian economy.
Macroeconomic policies need to further strengthen buffers and resilience, reduce inflation, and support private sector-led growth.
Washington, DC: An International Monetary Fund team, led by Axel Schimmelpfennig, IMF mission chief for Nigeria, visited Lagos and Abuja on April 2–15 to hold discussions for the 2025 Article IV Consultations with Nigeria. The team met with Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Wale Edun, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Abubakar Kyari, Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Yemi Cardoso, senior government and central bank officials, the Ministry of the Environment, the private sector, academia, labor unions, and civil society. At the end of the visit, Mr. Axel Schimmelpfennig, issued the following statement:
“The Nigerian authorities have taken important steps to stabilize the economy, enhance resilience, and support growth. The financing of the fiscal deficit by the central bank has ceased, costly fuel subsidies were removed, and the functioning of the foreign exchange market has improved. Gains have yet to benefit all Nigerians as poverty and food insecurity remain high.
”The outlook is marked by significant uncertainty. Elevated global risk sentiment and lower oil prices impact the Nigerian economy. The reforms since 2023 have put the Nigerian economy in a better position to navigate this external environment. Looking ahead, macroeconomic policies need to further strengthen buffers and resilience, while creating enabling conditions for private sector-led growth.
“The authorities communicated to the mission that they will implement the 2025 budget in a manner that is responsive to the decline in international oil prices. A neutral fiscal stance would support monetary policy to bring down inflation. To safeguard key spending priorities, it is imperative that fiscal savings from the fuel subsidy removal are channeled to the budget. In particular, adjustments should protect critical, growth-enhancing investment, while accelerating and broadening the delivery of cash transfers under the World Bank-supported program to provide relief to those experiencing food insecurity.
“A tight monetary policy stance is required to firmly guide inflation down. The Monetary Policy Committee’s data-dependent approach has served Nigeria well and will help navigate elevated macroeconomic uncertainty. Announcing a disinflation path to serve as an intermediate target can help anchor inflation expectations.”
U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF)
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Drew Schumann, a public affairs specialist with the 127th Wing, Michigan Air National Guard, poses with members of Armed Forces Liberia, Staff Sgt. Matthew Kakaris, broadcaster from Armed Forces Network Europe, Sembach, Germany, and Maj. Joe Legros, a public affairs officer from U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, Vicenza, Italy, following a public affairs workshop in Monrovia, Liberia, Jan. 23, 2025. Organized by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), and as part of the State Partnership Program (SPP), three U.S. public affairs specialists took part in a military-to-military PA workshop from Jan. 19-24, 2025, bringing together a diverse team from across the military public affairs domain. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Drew Schumann) (Photo Credit: Tech. Sgt. Andrew Schumann) VIEW ORIGINAL
MONROVIA, Liberia — Arriving in Liberia for my first visit to the African continent, I was unsure of what to expect. However, I knew my purpose—to share my expertise as a public affairs specialist and state partner in the Michigan Air National Guard with the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL).
Organized by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), and as part of the State Partnership Program (SPP), I had the privilege of participating in a military-to-military workshop from Jan. 19–24, 2025. This mission brought together a diverse team from across the military public affairs domain.
Joining me were U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Kakaris, a broadcaster from Armed Forces Network Europe in Sembach, Germany, and U.S. Army Maj. Joe Legros, a public affairs officer currently assigned to SETAF-AF in Vicenza, Italy. Together, we provided public affairs training to a select group of AFL soldiers at a military training center in Mambah Kaba, Liberia.
Our lead partner, Maj. El Dorado Jebboe, AFL public affairs officer, guided a motivated and dedicated group of soldiers through the training. We covered topics such as media relations, photography, interviewing techniques and command messaging strategies—skills essential to telling their story and connecting with the Liberian public.
Although we were there to teach, the mission quickly became a collaboration. The AFL soldiers brought valuable perspectives and shared challenges, demonstrating a passion for building trust and transparency through public affairs.
One standout moment occurred during an interview exercise to practice strategic communication. As the soldiers applied their newly learned skills, their confidence grew with each response. By the end of the training, their progress was evident, showcasing an eagerness to learn and strengthen their communications capabilities.
“This training builds enthusiasm with our members to take on further missions,” said Maj. Jebboe. “With upcoming events such as Liberian Armed Forces Day and field training exercises, the skills learned here during this public affairs training will help sell the image of Armed Forces Liberia.”
His words highlighted the broader goal of our mission: not just teaching technical skills but fostering a foundation for lasting communication between the AFL, the Liberian public and the world audience.
The mission aligned seamlessly with the objectives of the U.S. Defense Department’s SPP, which pairs U.S. National Guard units with foreign military organizations to foster long-term relationships, enhance interoperability, and support regional stability.
As part of the Michigan National Guard’s partnership with Liberia—active since 2009—this mission underscored the enduring strength of the bonds we’ve built over the years.
Over the course of this partnership, Michigan and Liberia have collaborated on numerous initiatives, including disaster response training, medical readiness exercises and leadership development programs. These engagements have not only enhanced the AFL’s capabilities but have also created lasting friendships and mutual understanding. For example, previous missions focused on engineering and infrastructure development have helped Liberia improve its logistical networks and emergency preparedness, further strengthening the country’s resilience.
Managed by the National Guard Bureau, the State Partnership Program supports more than 100 partnerships worldwide. It leverages the expertise of National Guard members to build enduring connections and promote mutual understanding between the United States and partner nations.
However, the program is more than military training. It is about fostering relationships built on trust, cooperation and mutual respect.
For me, this mission underscored the importance of our role as public affairs professionals. It’s not just about capturing photos or writing stories—it’s about empowering others to share their narratives and foster meaningful connections.
In Liberia, I witnessed the power of these connections firsthand. I am proud to have contributed to strengthening the AFL’s capacity to communicate and engage with the public.
Returning to Michigan, I carry with me a deep appreciation for the AFL’s dedication and a renewed sense of purpose in my work. This mission was a powerful reminder of the value of partnerships and the impact of shared knowledge.
About the State Partnership Program
The Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program has been successfully building relations for more than 30 years and now includes 106 partnerships with 115 nations around the globe.
Current partnerships in U.S. Africa Command’s area of responsibility include:
Benin, Ghana, Togo | North Dakota National Guard (2004, 2014)
Botswana, Malawi, Zambia | North Carolina National Guard (2008, 2024, 2024)
Burkina Faso | District of Columbia National Guard (2018)
Cabo Verde | New Hampshire National Guard (2021)
Djibouti | Kentucky National Guard (2015)
Gabon | West Virginia National Guard (2024)
Kenya | Massachusetts National Guard (2015)
Liberia, Sierra Leone | Michigan National Guard (2009, 2024)
Morocco | Utah National Guard (2003)
Niger | Indiana National Guard (2017)
Nigeria | California National Guard (2006)
Rwanda | Nebraska National Guard (2019)
Senegal | Vermont National Guard (2008)
South Africa | New York National Guard (2003)
Tunisia | Wyoming National Guard (2004)
.About SETAF-AF
U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.
SINGAPORE, April 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As Bitcoin continues to trade below $85,000 and analysts predict that the crypto market will remain volatile, holding spot positions may not generate short-term profits. Recent economic shifts, including policy announcements such as President Trump’s tariff decisions, have brought some stabilization, but the volatility remains. For investors seeking to maximize returns in these uncertain times, BexBack Exchange offers a powerful solution. With 100x leverage, a 100% deposit bonus, and a $50 welcome bonus for new users, BexBack empowers traders to seize market opportunities. And with no KYC requirements, it provides a seamless and efficient way to trade.
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Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
The traditional Donor Day was held at the State University of Management.
Dozens of children came to donate blood to give a chance for recovery to those who especially need it.
The traditional voluntary action of the State University of Management to collect donor blood has been held at our university since 2013.
Before the break due to safety measures during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the event was held twice a year and consistently attracted between 50 and 200 people at different times.
Since the pandemic, the campaign has been held once a year, excluding extraordinary collections related to emergency situations.
GUU thanks everyone who responded on this day. Together we helped people who vitally needed it!
Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/18/2025
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
On April 18, 2025, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation announced the winners of the first competition of student design bureaus, including the State University of Management.
“Today, there are 676 student design bureaus in Russia, which employ more than 100 thousand students, postgraduates and young scientists. They have the opportunity to design their own solutions, register patents for inventions in priority areas of scientific and technological development, and also decide on employment,” said Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Chernyshenko.
The competition was held in two areas: “Student Design Leadership” and “Creation and Development of a Student Design Bureau”. The winners will receive grants of 20 and 5 million rubles, respectively.
178 applications from 101 cities in 81 regions of Russia were submitted to the selection round. 115 of them passed the expert assessment. 30 made it to the finals for in-person defense. 15 successfully defended and won grants.
“The Interuniversity Student Design Bureau of the State University of Management has been accepting and successfully fulfilling orders for several years now. One of our main customers is the leading engineering center of Russia in the field of transport engineering “TMH Engineering”. At the same time, GUU is the head university of the design bureau and not only carries out complex technological work, but also manages the system of commands from other universities,” said GUU Rector Vladimir Stroyev.
The State University of Management won in the category “Creation and development of a student design bureau” and will receive a grant of 5 million rubles for the creation of new and development of existing sites, including the purchase of modern equipment.
The areas of activity of the selected design bureaus cover key strategic areas for the country – unmanned systems, robotics, microelectronics, prototyping, cybersecurity, reverse engineering, electronics and electrical engineering, VR technologies, computer modeling and design, mechanical engineering and instrument making, bioengineering systems, engine building, nuclear and energy technologies, materials science, space technology, ground transport systems.
We congratulate our scientists on their victory and wish them further development of the inter-university design bureau and interesting orders!
Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/18/2025
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
GUANGZHOU, April 18 — In spite of intensified trade protectionism and geopolitical tensions, China’s products and market are still appealing to foreign business people.
A record-breaking 65 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders are participating in the ongoing fifth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in the tropical island province of Hainan in south China.
Meanwhile, the Canton Fair, which kicked off on Tuesday in Guangzhou, south China, drew 64,530 overseas buyers on its opening day, an 8.9 percent year-on-year increase and a record high for the first day. This event in Guangdong Province features major international retailers, including Walmart and Target from the United States, Carrefour from France, Tesco and Kingfisher from the UK, and Germany’s Metro.
According to Niu Huayong, a professor at the International Business School of Beijing Foreign Studies University, the success of this year’s CICPE and Canton Fair highlights that trade and cooperation remain key drivers of global development. All countries benefit from globalization, he said.
Amid current global trade turbulence, international buyers attending the Canton Fair still consider Chinese products highly attractive and even irreplaceable.
Dinova, a retail company headquartered in France which finds most of its suppliers at the Canton Fair, has made China the core of its global sourcing strategy, according to its general manager Sonia Ben Behe.
“We have explored alternative countries, but no other region matches China’s maturity for our product category. That’s why, as part of a global sourcing strategy, China remains at the core,” she said.
According to Chris Arthan, an exhibitor from the United States, despite the impact of tariffs, China’s role in the global supply chain remains crucial and widely respected.
In addition to the strong appeal of Chinese products to global buyers, international brands also have confidence in China’s consumer market. For this year’s CICPE, top producers from around the world eagerly flocked to Hainan.
The UK, as the guest country of honor at the 2025 event, is occupying an exhibition area of more than 1,300 square meters, displaying 53 brands across the fashion, beauty, homeware, health and jewelry industries, and doubling its 2024 presence.
“I have seen the tremendous innovation and growth taking place within China’s economy in recent years, not least in digital technologies, life sciences and green energy,” said Douglas Alexander, minister of state of the British Department for Business and Trade, while also emphasizing the UK’s commitment to deepening economic ties with China.
Notably, the expo has managed to draw an array of top-tier global luxury brands. Richemont’s TimeVallée debuted as an independent exhibitor, while LVMH and Kering Group brands made appearances — reflecting confidence in China’s premium consumption growth.
“Luxury consumers in China are significantly younger than those in many overseas markets, and that presents a major opportunity for us,” said Nancy Liu, president of luxury travel retailer DFS China. The company has introduced tailored services to cater to the expectations of emerging consumer groups.
Global trade uncertainties and growing supply chain disruptions have not prevented foreign investors from remaining optimistic about the Chinese market. China’s market size, rising consumer demand and supportive policies continue to offer unique and strong appeal, helping to retain investor confidence.
According to Yao Zhenguo, global senior vice president of Siemens Energy, the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port is unlocking new opportunities for openness. He noted that Siemens will continue to strengthen collaboration across the full industrial chain, drive innovation, and support Hainan Free Trade Port’s international, green and law-based growth.
Yao said Siemens has deeply felt the momentum of China’s reform and opening up, a view echoed by many exhibitors. They believe that amid a challenging global economic climate and rising trade protectionism, China’s firm commitment to high-standard opening up delivers much-needed stability and certainty, injecting confidence into the world economy.
China’s total goods imports and exports in yuan-denominated terms expanded 1.3 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2025, demonstrating stable growth and strong resilience despite external headwinds, customs data showed.
U.S. tariff increases on Chinese products will exert some pressure on China’s trade and economy in the short term, but won’t alter the Chinese economy’s long-term positive trajectory, said Sheng Laiyun, deputy director of the National Bureau of Statistics.
Zhang Yansheng, an economist with the Academy of Macroeconomic Research, told Xinhua that based on the trade events in Guangzhou and Hainan, the resilience of China’s foreign trade against the backdrop of growing protectionism in the world is evident. “We can see that foreign business people continue to seek opportunities in China.”
“China is a country with a large population, a big economy and a huge scale of opening up,” he continued. “At a time when the sentiment of anti-globalization grows, China will stick to the path of opening up at a high level, and promote economic globalization, as well as trade and investment liberalization.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, April 18 — Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang met with Russian Minister of Energy Sergei Tsivilev in Beijing on Friday.
Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that cooperation in the energy sector is an important cornerstone of practical cooperation between China and Russia, providing strong support for the high-level development of bilateral relations.
He said that China stands ready to work with Russia, following the important consensus reached by the two heads of state as the fundamental guideline, to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation on energy, steadily advance major projects, actively expand new areas for cooperation, and bring tangible benefits to the two countries and two peoples.
He called on the two countries to strengthen coordination and interaction under multilateral mechanisms and promote the establishment of a fair, just, balanced and inclusive global energy governance system.
Tsivilev said the Russian side fully supports the multilateral initiatives proposed by China, always regards China as a reliable partner, and is willing to promote in-depth and substantive energy cooperation to further contribute to the high-level development of Russia-China relations.
Source: The White House
President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held their first official meeting yesterday in Washington, D.C., where they confirmed their resolve to promote a mutually beneficial relationship and further strengthen the U.S. – Italy strategic alliance across security, economic, and technological issues.
U.S.- Italy Cooperation for SecurityThe U.S. and Italy underscore that the war in Ukraine must end, and fully endorse President Trump’s leadership in brokering a ceasefire and delivering a just and lasting peace. The U.S. and Italy reiterate the unwavering commitment to NATO and to the principle of developing their collective and individual capacity to contribute to the Alliance’s goals. We therefore commit to ensuring our national security and defense are aligned and funded to meet the challenges of today, and critically, the risks of tomorrow. Our defense cooperation must rely on a deep and extensive transatlantic supply chain. We are facing a complex security environment, and we are ready to further increase defense equipment and technology cooperation, including co-production and co-development that strengthen U.S. and Italian defense industrial capacity and protect it from foreign adversaries. The U.S. and Italy reaffirm their shared commitment to counter illegal immigration and to ensure that legal migration is used as a tool to benefit our nations and not to create a security problem for our citizens. We will step up our common efforts to eradicate international organized crime groups engaged in migrant smuggling and human trafficking. The U.S. and Italy confirm their joint effort to fight the production, distribution, and sale of illicit synthetic drugs, especially synthetic opioids and the criminal networks trafficking these drugs, which collectively damage the health, security, and well-being of our citizens and people around the world.
U.S. – Italy Cooperation for Shared ProsperityThe United States and Italy agree to work to ensure that trade between the United States and Europe is mutually beneficial, fair, and reciprocal. We highlight the importance of information technology to enabling free enterprise across the Atlantic. We agreed that a non-discriminatory environment in terms of digital services taxation is necessary to enable investments from cutting-edge tech companies. We welcome American investments in AI computing and cloud services in Italy to maximize the opportunities of digital transformation and support Italy as the key regional data hub for the Mediterranean and North Africa. Developing a workforce that can deliver on the needs of our economies is vital. The United States and Italy are proud partners in industrial endeavors that will benefit employment in both countries, playing a vital role for each other’s supply chains and strengthening our industrial bases. Italy will contribute to the maritime renaissance of the U.S. shipbuilding sector, while the U.S. will look into the investment opportunities offered by the increasingly positive Italian business environment, including through the incentives granted by the new Single Special Economic Zone (SEZ) established in Italy. The U.S. and Italy cooperate to strengthen energy security by further encouraging the diversification of Italy’s energy supply source and by increasing exports of U.S. liquefied natural gas to Italy in a mutually beneficial manner. The U.S. and Italy will work together to develop the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor, one of the greatest economic integration and connectivity projects of this century, connecting partners by ports, railways, and undersea cables and stimulating economic development and integration from India, to the Gulf to Israel, to Italy, and onward to the United States. Following the example of the President Trump’s successful Abraham Accords approach, the U.S. and Italy will cooperate on crucial infrastructural projects and consider leveraging on the Mattei Plan’s potential.
U.S. – Italy Cooperation for TechnologyThe United States and Italy recognize the need to protect our national critical and sensitive infrastructure and technology, which is why we commit to using only trusted vendors in these networks. There is no higher trust than our strategic alliance, which is why there can be no discrimination when it comes to U.S. and Italian vendors. We are proud to partner on Space Technology, including through two Mars Missions in 2026 and 2028, and lunar surface exploration on future Artemis missions. As we transition to and innovate on the technologies of the future, such as 6G, AI, quantum computing, and biotechnology, we also commit to exploring opportunities for enhanced partnerships in these critical industries that protect our data from adversaries that would exploit it.
Invitation to Visit ItalyPresident Trump accepted Prime Minister Meloni’s invitation to pay an official visit to Italy in the very near future. There is also consideration to hold, on such occasion, a meeting between U.S. and Europe.
The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, met today with the Vice President of the United States of America, JD Vance, at Palazzo Chigi.
[Remarks by President Meloni and Vice President Vance]
Leading cybersecurity company Surfshark is celebrating its 7th anniversary. For that occasion, it offers users a limited-time birthday deal.
As part of its birthday celebration, Surfshark is offering special pricing across its suite of privacy plans (until April 30th, 2025, at 08:59 AM EDT):
Surfshark Starter: $1.99/month
Surfshark One: $2.49/month
Surfshark One+: $3.99/month
Each plan includes a range of privacy and security tools:
Surfshark Starter includes the company’s award-winning VPN, the ad-blocking feature CleanWeb, and Alternative ID, a tool for masking personal email and information.
Surfshark One builds on that by adding Antivirus, Alert (a data breach detection service), and Search, a private search engine.
Surfshark One+ includes all of the above, plus Incogni — Surfshark’s data removal service that helps users erase personal data from data broker databases.
Surfshark milestones: 7 years of enhancing online security
Since its founding in 2018, Surfshark has grown rapidly and earned international recognition for its innovative privacy tools. Some key highlights from the past seven years include:
2018: Surfshark is founded, offering its first product, a virtual private network (VPN).
2020: Within two years, Surfshark becomes one of the top 3 most popular VPN services globally.
2021: Surfshark created Incogni, a data removal service that helps individuals automatically request the removal of their personal information from data broker websites. In the same year, Surfshark merged with Nord Security.
2022: After raising the number of servers over the years, Surfshark reached the milestone of 3,200+ servers in 100 countries.
2023: Surfshark and Nord Security secure a $100M investment from global investor Warburg Pincus, doubling their combined valuation from $1.6B to $3B.
2024: Surfshark is recognized by the Financial Times as one of Europe’s 50 fastest-growing companies, ranking 47th overall and 8th in the IT & Software category in the FT1000 list.
ABOUT SURFSHARK
Surfshark is a cybersecurity company offering products including an audited VPN, certified antivirus, data leak warning system, private search engine, and a tool for generating an online identity. Recognized as a leading VPN by CNET and TechRadar, Surfshark has also been featured on the FT1000: Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies ranking. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Surfshark has offices in Lithuania and Poland. For information on Surfshark’s operations and highlights, read our Annual Wrap-up. For more research projects, visit our Research Hub.
Nearly every country in the world has a central bank – a public institution that manages a country’s currency and its monetary policy. And these banks have an extraordinary amount of power. By controlling the flow of money and credit in a country, they can affect economic growth, inflation, employment and financial stability.
These are powers that many politicians – including, currently, U.S. President Donald Trump – would seemingly like to control or at least manipulate. That’s because monetary policy can provide governments with economic boosts at key times, such as around elections or during periods of falling popularity.
The problem is that short-lived, politically motivated moves may be detrimental to the long-term economic well-being of a nation. They may, in other words, saddle the economy with problems further down the line.
In fact, monetary policymaking that is data-driven and technocratic, rather than politically motivated, has since the early 1990s been seen as the gold standardof governance of national finances. By and large, this arrangement, in which central bankers keep politicians at arm’s length, has achieved its main purpose: Inflation has beenrelatively low and stable in countries with independent central banks, such as Switzerland or Sweden – certainly until the pandemic and war in Europe began pushing up prices globally.
In comparison, countries such as Lebanon and Egypt, where independence was never extended, or Argentina and Turkey, where it has been curtailed, have experienced more bouts of high inflation.
As political economists, we are not surprised to see politicians try to exert influence on central banks. Monetary policy, even with independence, has always been political. For one thing, central banks remain part of the government bureaucracy, and independence granted to them can always be reversed – either by changing laws or backtracking on established practices.
If monetary policy is such a coveted policy tool, how have central banks held off politicians and stayed independent? And is this independence being eroded?
Broadly, central banks are protected by laws that offer long tenures to their leadership, allow them to focus policy primarily on inflation, and severely limit lending to the rest of the government.
Of course, such legislation cannot anticipate all future contingencies, which may open the door for political interference or for practices that break the law. And sometimes central bankers are unceremoniously fired.
However, laws do keep politicians in line. For example, even in authoritarian countries, laws protecting central banks from political interference have helped reduce inflation and restricted central bank lending to the government.
Around the world, appointments to central bank leadership are political – elected politicians select candidates based on career credentials, political affiliation and, importantly, their dislike or tolerance of inflation.
But lawmakers in different countries exercise different degrees of political control.
A 2025 study shows that the large majority of central bank leaders – about 70% – are appointed by the head of government alone or with the intervention of other members of the executive branch. This ensures that the preferences of the central bank are closer to the government’s, which can boost the central bank’s legitimacy in democratic countries, but at the risk of permeability to political influence.
Alternatively, appointments can involve the legislative power or even the central bank’s own board. In the U.S., while the president nominates members of the Federal Reserve Board, the Senate can and has rejected unconventional or incompetent candidates.
Moreover, even if appointments are political, many central bankers stay in office long after the people who appointed them have been voted out. By the end of 2023, the most common length of the governors’ appointment is five years, and in 41 countries the legal mandate was six years or longer. Powell is set to stay on as Fed chair until his term expires in 2026. The Fed chair position has traditionally been protected by law, as Powell himself acknowledged in November 2024: “We’re not removable except for cause. We serve very long terms, seemingly endless terms. So we’re protected into law. Congress could change that law, but I don’t think there’s any danger of that.” But Trump’s firing of leaders of other independent federal agencies has set up a legal challenge that could affect the Fed, too.
In the 2000s, several countries shortened the tenure of their central banks’ governors to four or five years. Sometimes, this was part of broader restrictions in central bank independence, as was the case in Iceland in 2001, Ghana in 2002 and Romania in 2004.
The low inflation objective
As of 2023, all but six central banks globally had low inflation as their main goal. Yet many central banks are required by law to try to achieve additional and sometimes conflicting goals, such as financial stability, full employment or support for the government’s policies.
This is the case for 38 central banks that either have the explicit dual mandate of price stability and employment or more complex goals. In Argentina, for example, the central bank’s mandate is to provide “employment and economic development with social equity.”
Conflicting objectives can open central banks to politicization. In the U.S. the Federal Reserve has a dual mandate of stable prices and maximum sustainable employment. These goals are often complementary, and economists have argued that low inflation is a prerequisite for sustainable high levels of employment.
Since 2000, at least 23 countries have expanded the focus of their central banks beyond just inflation.
Limits on government lending
The first central banks were created to help secure finance for governments fightingwars. But today, limiting lending to governments is at the core of protecting price stability from unsustainable fiscal spending.
History is dotted with the consequences of not doing so. In the 1960s and 1970s, for example, central banks in Latin America printed money to support their governments’ spending goals. But it resulted in massive inflation while not securing growth or political stability.
Yet over the past two decades, almost 40 countries have made their central banks less able to limit central government funding. In the more extreme examples – such as in Belarus, Ecuador or even New Zealand – they have turned the central bank into a potential financier for the government.
And since mid-2021, major central banks have struggled to keep inflation low, raising questions from populist and antidemocratic politicians about the merits of an arm’s-length relationship.
But chipping away at central bank independence, as Trump appears to be doing with his open criticism of the Fed chair and implicit threats of dismissal, is a historically sure way to high inflation.
This is an updated version of an article that was originally published by The Conversation on June 14, 2024.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Christina Erickson, Associate Dean in the College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines, University of North Dakota
_Nearly a half-century after the Supreme Court ruled that school spankings are permissible and not “cruel and unusual punishment”, many U.S. states allow physical punishment for students who have misbehaved.
Christina Erickson, an associate dean and professor of social work at the University of North Dakota, wrote a book on the subject: “Spanked: How Hitting Our Children is Harming Ourselves.” She discussed the scope of the practice and its effects with The Conversation.
What spanking legislation exists worldwide?
Around the world, 68 countries have banned the hitting of children in any form, including spanking. This movement began in 1979 with Sweden’s ban on all forms of physical punishment, including spanking in any setting, and including in the family home.
Each state in the U.S. has its own child abuse laws, and all states, tribes and territories aim to protect children from abuse. But all state laws also allow parents to hit their children if it does not leave an injury or a mark.
A typical example is Oklahoma’s definition of child abuse and neglect. It includes an exception that permits parents to use ordinary force as a means of discipline, including spanking, using an implement like a switch or a paddle. However, leaving evidence of hitting, such as welts, bruises, swelling or lacerations, is illegal and considered child abuse in all states.
Parental spanking of children is considered unique from other physical violence because of the relational context and the purpose. Laws entitle parents to hit their children for the purpose of teaching a lesson or punishing them to improve behavior. Children are the only individuals in society who can be hit by another person and the law does not regard it as assault.
Spanking’s impact on a child is unfortunately similar to abusive hitting. Spanking has been labeled as an “Adverse Childhood Experience,” or ACE. These are events that cause poor health outcomes over the span of one’s life.
Some school districts require permission from parents to allow disciplinary paddling in school, while others do not require any communication. State law does not assure agreement between parents and school districts on what offenses warrant a paddling. Parents may feel they have no alternative but to keep their child in school, or fear reprisal from school administrators. Some students are old enough to denounce the punishment themselves.
In this school district, physical punishment is used only when parents give written permission.
Is spanking considered the same as hitting?
The term spank conceals the concept of hitting and is so commonplace it goes unquestioned, despite the fact that it is a grown adult hitting a person much smaller than them. The concept is further concealed because hitting a child’s bottom hides any injuries that may occur.
Types of hitting that are categorized as spanking have narrowed over the years but still persist. Some parents still use implements such as tree switches, wooden spoons, shoes or paddles to “spank” children, raising the chances for abuse.
Most spanking ends by the age of 12, partly because children this age are able to fight back. When a child turns 18, parental hitting becomes the same as hitting any other adult, a form of domestic violence or assault throughout the U.S.
There is a lack of a consistent understanding of what constitutes a spanking. The definition of spanking is unique to each family. The number of hits, clothed or not, or using an implement, all reflect geographical or familial differences in understanding what a spanking is.
How do US adults view spanking?
People in the United States generally accept spanking as part of raising children: 56% of U.S. adults strongly agree or agree that “… it is sometimes necessary to discipline a child with a good, hard spanking.” This view has been slowly changing since 1986, when 83% of adults agreed with that statement.
The laws worldwide that protect children from being hit usually begin by disallowing nonparental adults to hit children. This is happening in the U.S. too, where 31 states have banned paddling in schools.
With the slow but steady drop of parents who believe that sometimes children need a good hard spanking, as well as the ban of paddling in schools in 31 states, one could argue that the U.S. is moving toward a reduction in spanking.
What does research say about spanking?
Spanking’s negative influence on children’s behavior has been documented for decades. Spanking seems to work in the moment when it comes to changing or stopping the immediate behavior, but the negative effects are hidden in the short term and occur later in the child’s life. Yet because the spanking seemed to work at the time, the parent doesn’t connect the continued bad behavior of the child to the spanking.
No studies have shown positive long-term benefits from spanking. Because of the long-standing and expansive research findings showing a range of harm from spanking and the increased association with child abuse, the American Psychological Association recommends that parents should never spank their children.
What are some resources for parents?
Consider these questions when choosing a discipline method for your child:
Is the expectation of your child developmentally accurate? One of the most common reasons parents spank is because they are expecting a behavior the child is not developmentally able to execute.
Can the discipline you choose grow with your child? Nearly all spanking ends by age 12, when kids are big enough to fight back. Choose discipline methods you can use over the long term, such as additional chores, apologies, difficult conversations and others that can grow with your child.
Might there be another explanation for your child’s behavior? Difficulty of understanding, fear or miscommunication? Think of your child as a learner and use a growth mindset to help your child learn from their life experiences.
Parents are the leaders of their families. Good leaders show strength in nonthreatening ways, listen to others and explain their decisions. Don’t spoil your kids. But being firm does not have to include hitting.
Practicing calm when with your children will help you be calmer at work and in your other relationships. Listening to and speaking with a child about challenges, even from a very early age, is the best way to make it part of your relationship for the rest of your life.
Choose a method that allows you to grow. Parents matter too.
Christina Erickson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
This week I’ve seen Disney’s latest bingeable series, The Stolen Girl, variously described as a “posh-house drama”, “the equivalent of an airport novel” and “enjoyably preposterous” – so what’s not to like?
One episode in, I’m lapping up the lavishly immaculate interiors and clipped tones of rich people who call everyone “darling”. And I always enjoy the hilariously shonky portrayal of journalists and the way dramatists think they speak to each other. Local hack Selma to her (extremely mild and unbothered) boss: “I’m sorry I missed the deadline! I was focused on the background story, it’s important.” Boss, rolling his eyes: “Can’t you put an alert on your phone or something?” Selma: “Next time I will, I promise!”
The fact that no newsroom boss has ever spoken like that to a reporter who missed a deadline is neither here nor there. This twisty-turny thriller grabs you by the lapels and doesn’t let go. Private-jet stewardess Elisa and criminal lawyer Fred are horrified to find their daughter Lucia has vanished, after a hastily arranged playdate-turned-sleepover with a new schoolfriend turns out to be a meticulously planned abduction.
But why their daughter? Is there more to Elisa and Fred and their perfect life than meets the eye? From leafy Cheshire to the south of France, their secrets and lies play out, unravelling their once-happy lives. Like the recent Netflix hit Adolescence, social media is a factor in facilitating the crime – but crucially, through the investigations of Selma, also an instrument of solving it.
The Stolen Girl is streaming on Disney now.
Painting and pain
A decade in the making, the National Gallery’s take on the most exciting 50 years of Siena’s artistic production showcases an astonishing array of works. Art history expert Louise Bourdua describes Siena: The Rise of Painting 1300-1350 as “a pleasure for the eye and commendable for its ability to make medieval religious art accessible”.
The exhibition focuses on so much more than the pre-eminent painters Duccio, Simone Martini and brothers Ambrogio and Pietro Lorenzetti. On show is a wealth of Siena’s visual culture represented in illuminated manuscripts, reliquaries (containers for holy relics), sculptures, gold and enamel work, rugs and silks.
Showstoppers include Duccio’s stunning gold-painted Crucifixion triptych, Pietro Lorenzetti’s five-panel altarpiece from the church of Santa Maria della Pieve in Arezzo, and the beautifully carved head of Christ by Lando di Pietro – identified as the creator of the work by the personal handwritten prayers concealed within the sculpture, also on display.
The child of immigrant Jamaican parents growing up in the turbulent Britain of the 1970s and ’80s, Donald Rodney’s artistic expression was shaped by his experience of a socially and racially fractured environment.
His first retrospective exhibition in more than 15 years, Donald Rodney: Visceral Canker at London’s Whitechapel Gallery, is a chance to see the remarkable work of an artist who died at just 36 from sickle-cell anaemia. Described by the Jamaican cultural theorist Stuart Hall as an “emblematically black disease”, it would eventually claim Rodney’s life and that of three of his siblings.
Encapsulating painting, drawing, pastels, photography, sculptural assemblages, installations and computer-generated art, the show reveals an artist who was angry, ambitious and audacious; who meshed his experience of racism with his illness to draw the poisonous connections of slavery and colonialism to a childhood blighted by anti-immigrant sentiment, the rise of the far right, and pain.
But as contemporary art specialist Richard Hylton explains, by the late 1970s and early 80s, these children of black immigrants were becoming adults, and new forms of British cultural identity were being explored – including a whole new wave of artistic expression that saw young black British artists rail against the idea of black youth as the public enemy. Rodney’s work endures as an invitation to look beneath the surface of images and society, to better understand the pernicious workings of inequality and racism.
Capturing an early 1970s charged with political unrest, anti-war sentiment and media saturation, the new documentary One to One: John & Yoko is a revealing exploration of John Lennon’s post-Beatles life and activism with his Japanese partner, Yoko Ono.
Often dismissed as a pop-star WAG, here Ono is firmly positioned as an artist in her own right. More crucially, we see the influential role she played in nudging Lennon into more radical territory beyond the political songs that emerged in the late-era Beatles. Musically and socially, the pair aimed to galvanise a generation disillusioned by the failure of 1960s “flower-power” to create any kind of genuine social change.
As a researcher of Ono’s performance art, Stephanie Hernandez found the film compelling in its portrayal of Ono’s avant-garde flair and Lennon’s energetic rock‘n’roll style as complementary forces driving their own brand of pop activism.
Since 2020, almost half of the 100 biggest tracks have been collaborations. John has done his fair share of musical hook-ups, with luminaries such as Little Richard, Aretha Franklin, George Michael, Eminem and even Luciano Pavarotti. Now his first post-retirement album with the Grammy-winning Carlile has just reached the top spot in the UK album charts.
John has described the making of the album as “one of the greatest musical experiences” of his life. So what is it about this collaboration that has so “utterly revitalised” the 78-year-old showman? Is he not quite ready to leave the limelight? Or is he seeking a challenge across new genres, in hitching his piano to a much younger star from a different part of the musical universe? Glenn Fosbraey, an expert in pop music and performance, explains why John (and many other music legends) won’t let the sun go down just yet.
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What place do graduates of technical fields of education occupy in the labour market? What salary can a young engineer expect? To what extent does his success in the labour market depend on the field of study, are all young engineers equally in demand in the labour market? In which regions is there a greater demand for graduates? The answers to these and other questions are provided by a study by HSE scientists, presented at the round table “Graduates of Engineering Specialties in the Russian Labour Market: Myths and Reality” within the framework of XXV Yasinsky (April) International Scientific Conference.
The report was given by the Vice-Rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Head of the Labor Market Research Laboratory Sergey Roshchin. He noted that today the labor market in Russia is in a situation of demographic compression and that this situation will persist in the long term. At the same time, the national priorities in the field of technological leadership already defined by the country’s leadership impose additional requirements for the training of specialists who could ensure such leadership. Therefore, the characteristics of the labor market for graduates of engineering training areas and the level of young engineers represented in this market are of particular interest and importance.
As Sergey Roshchin noted in his report, engineering and technical sciences are the most widespread group of graduates. In total, from 2018 to 2024, 27.9% of all graduates were enrolled in higher education programs (bachelor’s, specialist, master’s) in the field of engineering, technology and technical sciences. This is more than in other areas of higher education. But it is not only the number of specialists being trained that is important, but also their quality. If we divide universities that train engineering personnel by the quality of training based on the average Unified State Exam score required for admission to programs at these universities, then 50% of engineering graduates graduate from low-selective programs and universities where 59 or fewer Unified State Exam scores are enough for admission, and this largely determines the quality of engineers we have at the end. “And only 40% of the training of engineers can we consider as sufficiently high-quality, taking into account who comes [to study] and what quality is provided by certain universities,” Sergey Roshchin explained.
An interesting phenomenon has emerged in the training of engineers: students who studied on fee-paying places receive, on average, a higher starting salary than graduates who studied on budget places. This is explained by the fact that studying at a selective university provides its graduates with a high level of income: the salary of graduates of the most selective universities is almost 2 times higher than the salary of those who graduated from the least selective universities.
And families are ready to pay for quality education in more selective universities. Only 10% of fee-paying places are concentrated in the low-selectivity group of universities, while 20% are concentrated in the most selective group. It is not important what type of funding a student receives – fee-paying or state-funded, but what university he or she attends in terms of the quality of training.
“The most important criterion is the form of study: part-time or full-time. Oddly enough, engineering training in the form of part-time study is represented by a solid number. A third of those who graduate are part-time students,” says Sergey Roshchin. Having cited precise statistics on different areas of training, form (full-time and part-time), as well as the level of study (bachelor’s and master’s degrees), he drew attention to the fact that the prospects in the labor market for graduates of full-time and part-time forms of study are different. “Part-time students enter the labor market with starting salaries slightly higher than those of full-time students, but then they remain stagnant. Already in the horizon of two to five years, full-time students are ahead in terms of salary growth, in terms of promotion to more in-demand jobs, and part-time students remain where they were,” the vice-rector explained.
Another observation was that more than half of engineering graduates are concentrated in three key industries: manufacturing; information and communications; and scientific and technical activities. Among the industries with the highest salary levels are mining, information and communications, finance, and insurance.
The most alarming fact, according to Sergey Roshchin, is that 41% of bachelor’s degree graduates and 20% of master’s degree graduates are employed in jobs that do not require higher education according to the OKZ (All-Russian Classifier of Occupations) classification. “In essence, higher education is only needed to occupy positions such as manager and top-level specialist,” the vice-rector comments. “In lower positions, higher education is usually not required. And this is a big question, how the market sees engineering education, whether there is really a need for so many engineers with higher education. Or, perhaps, it is the quality of higher education that does not allow one to occupy positions corresponding to this level.”
Sergey Roshchin also touched upon the topic of regional differentiation. “In general, from all our previous works, reports, and analyses, we know that graduates are very mobile,” he notes. “40% of graduates who have received higher education move to another region.” The most popular for moving were Moscow (29%), Moscow Region (10%), St. Petersburg (8%), KhMAO (5%), and Krasnodar Krai (3%). At the same time, the average salary of those who left the region of study is 110.8 thousand rubles, and those who remained in the region of study – 90.4 thousand rubles. But for the interaction of engineering education and the labor market from a regional point of view, something else is important. The main (45%) training of engineers is conducted in six regions: Moscow, St. Petersburg, the republics of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan, Sverdlovsk and Rostov Regions. And these same territories are the main consumers of engineering personnel. In the labor market of engineers, there is a regional balance of labor and education markets in the main core of training. At the same time, of course, if we consider individual regions and areas of training, certain disproportions exist.
The report allows us to conclude that there are areas of absolute inefficiency in the training of engineers. These are areas such as technosphere safety, light industry technologies, and food technologies. Graduates of these areas look like outsiders in the labor market compared to other engineers.
In conclusion, Sergei Roshchin noted “that the answers to technological challenges associated with the tasks of ensuring technological leadership probably lie not in increasing the number (including through government procurement), but in changing the structure and quality of training engineers.”
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.
Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
On April 18, in honor of the International Day of Monuments and Historic Sites, Bashneft Oil Company (part of Rosneft) presented the tourist automobile project “Routes of Victory,” dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
The presentation of the project took place at the Bashneft petrol station in Ufa. Representatives of the company and the expert tourism community told motorists about unique and memorable places located near the company’s petrol stations in Bashkortostan and dedicated to the history of the Great Patriotic War.
“Victory Routes” cover 15 significant sites in different cities and districts of the republic, each of which keeps a unique story about the feat of our people during the Great Patriotic War. Thus, in the center of Ufa, on Sovetskaya Square, there is a majestic monument to Major General Minigali Shaimuratov, the legendary commander of the 112th Bashkir Cavalry Division. In the village of Verkhneyarkeevo, there is a unique museum of Musa Gareyev, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, an outstanding pilot. In Ishimbay, above the Belaya River, there is a monument to oil workers who died in battles for the Motherland. In the city of Oktyabrsky, there is a memorial ensemble “Thoughts of a Soldier”, opened in 1995. A memorial complex dedicated to four Heroes of the Soviet Union – Makhmut Aktuganov, Ishmay Ishkinin, Stepan Kazakov and Yegor Orsayev, as well as the national hero Gazi Zagitov, who on April 30, 1945, as part of an assault group under enemy fire, was one of the first to raise the Red Banner on the Berlin Reichstag, was opened in the village of Mishkino. Granite steles symbolizing banners have been installed along the central alley of the Ufa Victory Park, on which the names of 278 Heroes of the Soviet Union and 39 Full Cavaliers of the Order of Glory from Bashkiria are carved in gold letters.
Roll-ups installed at Bashneft petrol stations will tell you about memorable places that you can visit in the Republic of Bashkortostan. They are located next to monuments, museums and other objects related to the history of the Great Patriotic War. To build a route to a memorable place in the navigator, you just need to point the camera of your mobile phone at the QR code. Drivers can fill up with high-quality fuel at Bashneft petrol stations and go to a historical site located next to the petrol station.
Rosneft actively supports initiatives to develop domestic tourism and aims to create comfortable conditions for motorists. The development of roadside service and the improvement of the level of customer services provided at Rosneft and Bashneft filling stations is one of the Company’s priority areas of activity.
Reference:
ANK Bashneft is one of the oldest enterprises in the oil and gas industry of the country, operating in the extraction and processing of oil and gas. OOO Bashneft-Roznitsa is the operator of PAO ANK Bashneft for managing 540 filling stations in 14 regions of Russia. The company’s filling stations offer high-quality fuel produced by the Bashneft Oil Refinery – Euro-5 and Euro-6 gasolines, its own ATUM gasoline brands, and diesel fuel.
Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft April 18, 2025
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council is prepared to step in to ensure essential improvements to the city’s school buildings reach completion as part of the hand back process for its Private Finance Initiative.
The council is set to fund a “backstop” position of up to £3.5 million to fund works that may not be completed by the PFI contractor, Transform Schools Stoke Ltd (TSSL), and other identified work.
The money – which would come from an existing capital reserve that is no longer needed for schools growth – signals the council’s firm commitment to ensuring works get done, and that all children are provided with good school environments where they can thrive.
It comes as the 25-year contract draws to a close and is intended to give all parties security and confidence to move forward together and bring this chapter to a close
The council intends to enter a further agreement with TSSL to agree a final programme of hand back works is completed that prioritises timely delivery of the most important works.
That would allow the contractor additional time, where justified, beyond the current contract end date of 25 October to complete outstanding or overrunning works, and to satisfactorily resolve any quality issues.
Stoke-on-Trent’s schools PFI contract is the biggest in the country covering the delivery of maintenance services to 88 school buildings. It was one of the first such PFI deals to get off the ground in the country – and as such it gave the council fewer levers and controls than the contracts which were to follow.
Nevertheless, the council is determined to make sure the transition is as robust and as smooth as possible as the contract comes to an end and is working collaboratively with TSSL to achieve a successful handover.
Councillor Alastair Watson, Cabinet Member for Financial Sustainability and Corporate Resources at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “The priority here is to work with schools and trusts to ensure they get the safe, warm and dry works they are expecting, and to the standard we all require for our city’s children.”
The Create in India Challenge (CIC) Season 1, launched as a flagship initiative under the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), is gearing up for a spectacular finale at the Jio World Centre, Mumbai, from 1st to 4th May 2025. With registrations now officially closed for all 32 challenges, CIC has achieved a significant milestone, receiving nearly 1 lakh registrations, including over 1,100 international participants. The challenges have attracted entries from over 60 countries, reflecting the global appeal and reach of this pioneering initiative. From this exceptional pool of talent, 750 finalists will be given the opportunity to showcase their creative skills and outcomes at Creatosphere, a specially curated platform featuring innovation across animation, comics, AI, XR, gaming, music, and more, as part of WAVES 2025. The winners of these challenges will be conferred the prestigious ‘WAVES Creator Awards’ in a grand red carpet ceremony on Day 2 of the event.
The Creatosphere at WAVES will witness remarkable global participation, with 43 international finalists showcasing their talents, adding a truly international dimension to this celebration of creativity. These finalists represent over 20 countries, including Argentina, Nepal, Germany, Bermuda (BOT), the United States, Greece, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Laos, Thailand, Tajikistan, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Russia, Maldives, Malaysia, and Japan. Notably, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Tajikistan each contributes 6 finalists, followed by 5 each from Indonesia and Maldives, and 4 from Mauritius. The United States is represented by 2 finalists, while Russia, Canada, Argentina, Laos, Malaysia, Bermuda, Egypt, Thailand, and the United Kingdom each have 1 finalist. This diverse international presence underscores the global appeal and growing reach of the Create in India Challenge.
In India, the challenges saw enthusiastic participation from across all 28 states and 8 Union Territories, underscoring the truly national footprint of the initiative. The list of finalists across the challenges reflects remarkable regional representation, with participants hailing from across the country from Assam and Meghalaya in the East to Gujarat in the West and from Himachal Pradesh in the North to Kerala in the South.
Celebrating the energy of youth, the Create in India Challenges are overwhelmingly driven by young creators predominantly in their 20s, reflecting a vibrant ecosystem of college students, early-career professionals, and teen innovators. With the youngest finalist just 12 years old and the oldest at 66, the initiative showcases a truly inclusive creative platform that transcends age.
The Create in India initiative champions grassroots innovation while celebrating diversity in purpose and participation. From making education accessible through the Innovate 2 Educate Challenge to reviving India’s textile legacy with “Make the World Wear Khadi,” the challenges span tradition and technology. “India: A Bird’s Eye View” captures the nation’s spirit through breathtaking aerial visuals by filmmakers and Drone Didis, using drone technology for storytelling and community empowerment.
As excitement for WAVES 2025 reaches its crescendo, the Create in India Challenge has emerged as a powerful expression of India’s creative ambition, unlocking new opportunities for talent and reaffirming the nation’s rising leadership in the global media and entertainment landscape. With its vibrant mix of Indian and international participation, the Create in India Challenge has grown into a dynamic global platform, empowering voices across regions and generations, and truly embodying the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision that “WAVES should reach every home and every heart.”
Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh concluded a two-day visit to London from April 16–17, 2025, leading a high-level Indian delegation for the annual bilateral defence dialogue with the United Kingdom. During the visit, he co-chaired the 24thIndia-UK Defence Consultative Group meeting with Mr. David Williams, Permanent Under Secretary of State for Defence.
Both sides reviewed the evolving regional and global geopolitical landscape and reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening defence ties. The discussions were held in the context of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership announced in 2021 and the Roadmap to 2030, which continues to steer cooperation between the two nations. The Defence Secretary also interacted with the UK’s National Security Adviser, Mr. Jonathan Powell, with talks focused on expanding tri-service military engagements and strengthening collaboration between the two countries’ defence industries.
Addressing participants at the India-UK Defence Industry Roundtable, organised by the UK India Business Council, Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh highlighted the growing capabilities of Indian start-ups across key defence domains such as naval systems, drones, surveillance, defence space and aviation. He encouraged UK companies to explore partnerships with these agile innovators, noting their potential to deliver cost-effective and cutting-edge solutions.
The Defence Secretary also said that India is working closely with the UK Ministry of Defence to develop an Industrial Cooperation Roadmap to guide future industry engagement. He invited UK firms to invest in India’s dedicated Defence Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, where they can take advantage of state-level incentives and a rapidly evolving defence manufacturing ecosystem.
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
The third one was held at SPbPU festival “Polytechnic graduates – to students” organized by the Center for Fundraising and Work with Alumni. The new meeting brought new emotions: the speakers shared memories of their studies and first work experience, gave valuable advice to the younger generation, entertained them with quizzes and gave gifts for correct answers.
The meeting was opened by Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Communication Technologies Maxim Pasholikov.
“Today’s festival brought together graduates from 2006 to 2024, many of whom are active members of the Polytechnic Ambassadors community,” said Maxim Pasholikov. “It is important for students to communicate with the ambassadors as with senior colleagues who have already established themselves in their fields of activity, but are still quite young and have not yet reached the heights of their careers. Each such meeting brings new useful acquaintances, some of the students find a place for a future internship or work. Graduates, from the height of their experience, can draw the attention of the guys to knowledge and skills that are especially relevant when applying for a job and at work. Graduates are also interested in watching and listening to each other. This is how joint projects, ideas and undertakings are formed, which unite different people under the auspices of the Polytechnic.”
This time, the students had ten guests — ten interesting speakers with their unique stories of professional development in various fields of activity — from work in government agencies to their own business. For example, shipbuilding was represented by the head of the production preparation bureau of the chief technologist department of the Kronstadt Marine Plant, a 2014 graduate Dmitry Gomonov and project manager at Severnaya Verf, 2017 graduate Georgy Kremlev.
Also connected with this area is the work of 2016 graduate Evgeniya Lastochkina – she is an engineer in the laboratory “Metal Science of Steels with Special Physical Properties” of the scientific and production complex “Structural Steels and Functional Materials for Marine Engineering” of the Central Research Institute of Structural Materials “Prometey” of the National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”.
“Polytech was my first step on my adult life path,” said Evgeniya. “It was Polytech that contributed to the fact that I now work in such a cool company. I thank the university for giving me the opportunity to gain knowledge that I apply in production. And the best way to practice communication skills is… on business trips.”
Evgeniya continues her studies – now in postgraduate studies in the field of “Materials Technology”. In science, she deals with low-magnetic steels, but she tries to develop not only in this area, for example, she tried herself as a lecturer during thematic shifts for high school students, which are organized by the Kurchatov Institute.
Yaroslav Velikiy, a 2024 graduate and senior engineer at the Setl Stroy testing laboratory of the Setl Group holding, is also studying in the Polytechnic’s postgraduate program. He got a job in 2022 and simultaneously studied for a master’s degree. Having told the guys about his company, Yaroslav told them how to get an internship there.
The IT sphere was represented by Kirill Vasiliev, Head of the New Business Projects Practice “Corporate Entrepreneur” of Gazpromneft – Information Technology Operator, 2011 graduate, and Ksenia Saitova, IT recruiter of Positive Technologies, 2020 graduate. Speaking about her career experience, Ksenia emphasized that it was her active student life at the Polytechnic that helped her find a job, write a resume, solve various cases and write projects.
“It seems to me that my generation was less conscious in choosing a university, then there was propaganda that a diploma was not so important, but I can say that this is not entirely true. It is not so important to get an education in the right field, the foundation that the university provides is important,” Ksenia believes. “The Polytechnic University has a lot of opportunities, many student organizations, where some guys then come to work. I graduated from the Humanities Institute, the Advertising and Public Relations program, received relevant modern knowledge, we were given the opportunity to do an internship in large companies. As far as I know, the university still holds a Career Forum, this is also very helpful.”
Denis Lykov, Class of 2014, Lean Manufacturing and Supply Chain Manager at H
Head of the Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Instrumentation and Automation Systems Sector of the Operations Department of the Restoration and Storage Center (RSC) “Staraya Derevnya” of the State Hermitage Museum Kirill Tambovtsev introduced himself as a “Polytechnic graduate of 2004, 2006, 2011 and 2023.” This is not his first time participating in the festival, and he structured his current performance in the form of questions and answers. The quiz was well received by the audience, as it allowed some of them to show off their knowledge (or intuition) and win prizes.
While most of the speakers talked about their careers in hired work, 2007 graduate Andrey Sharkov and 2014 graduate Alexander Kiyanitsa shared their entrepreneurial experience. Andrey Sharkov is known as the founder of a chocolate manufacturing company, and now he has a new business – glamping.
No matter what anyone says about the importance of education and each discipline, until you encounter real tasks, it will be an abstraction. Therefore, you need to start some activity as soon as possible to understand how these disciplines work in real life, and not in theory. Then you will be able to make a conscious focus on those disciplines that are most important to you, interesting and in demand by the market, – Andrey believes.
Unlike Andrey, who started doing business while still a student, engineer Alexander Kiyanitsa first graduated with honors from the electromechanical faculty of the Polytechnic University, then worked for a company for hire for several years, and only in 2017, in partnership with several colleagues (also Polytechnic students), he founded a company for the development and production of household electrical appliances-electricity storage devices VOLTS. Having analyzed and systematized his experience, he shared with students his conclusions that will help future entrepreneurs avoid mistakes. For example: start working for hire as early as possible in the field in which the student plans to do business. This really helped me get a feel for this industry, understand where I want to develop, in what specific context, and where to move next, – says Alexander.
The second is to fight the inner perfectionist. Time is fast now, and speed greatly affects the final result. We fell into the trap when we wanted to make the most perfect product possible, we were afraid to bring it to the market. This is a typical mistake. The faster you bring the product, the faster you will understand whether the market needs it.
Third, look for investors at exhibitions. Exhibitions helped us, especially international ones, in which we actively participated, exhibited the product, and this helped us attract money. Once at an exhibition in Helsinki, we invited a representative of the Emirates Fund, and we were invited to the Emirates, we opened a representative office there, received investments, and now it is a fairly powerful hub for work on the world market.
Fourth, be patient and move step by step systematically towards the goals you set for yourself.
This year, the Polytechnic University Graduates to Students festival had a new host — a first-year student of the GI (jurisprudence), a member of the youth council of the Dobro.Center “Harmony” Artem Kuzmin. He coped with the task perfectly and later shared his impressions: By the will of fate, I became the host of the festival, which I did not know before. And I am happy that I was able to meet such outstanding graduates, who were also students not long ago and achieved such heights. I got an exceptional experience and heard living motivational stories that inspire. I was simply charged with success and study, thanks to the organizers.
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.
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
The 2nd All-Russian scientific and practical conference with international participation “BioTech-2025” was held at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.
Guests from Kazan, Ulan-Ude, Tambov, Yekaterinburg, Kaliningrad and the Republic of Belarus gathered at the Higher School of Biotechnology and Food Production of the Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology. An excursion to the SPbPU History Museum was organized for them.
The participants were greeted by the Director of the Institute of Biotechnology and Biotechnology Andrey Vasin, who noted that biotechnology is one of the priority areas of scientific and technological development of the country, therefore the specialty of biotechnologist is very popular among applicants.
The Chairperson of the Organizing Committee, Director of the Higher School of Biotechnology and Food Production Yulia Bazarnova emphasized that the exchange of experience and knowledge between young specialists will accelerate the development of innovative solutions and technologies, and that such meetings contribute to the birth of new ideas and projects.
Leading researchers in the field of food security, biomedicine and environmental biotechnology, as well as representatives of the conference partners, the companies Alkor Bio and Partiya Eda, spoke at the plenary session.
Oksana Pavlova, associate professor of Grodno State University, spoke about the long-term cooperation between Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University and Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno. She noted that the long-term experience of interaction confirms the high efficiency in the development of the international educational space and indicates significant potential for further expansion of scientific and pedagogical exchange formats.
Irina Cheglakova, Head of the Department for the Development of Biologically Active Supplements at Alkor Bio Group of Companies, presented the development prospects for one of the areas of the modern food industry and medicine — the creation and production of dietary supplements. Irina Potoroko, Professor at the South Ural State University, gave a report on food security.
Several final reports were made by SPbPU scientists. Professor of the Higher School of Social and Economics Marina Karpenko spoke about the various effects of manganese, which is toxic, but at the same time a vital microelement for human health and development. Prospects and methods of using microalgae to solve environmental problems were presented by Professor of the Higher School of Social and Economics Natalia Politaeva. She spoke about a method for obtaining biohydrogen from spent microalgae, which were previously used to purify wastewater from the food industry. According to experts, this approach will simultaneously provide access to renewable environmentally friendly fuel and reduce the impact of industrial wastewater on the environment.
In conclusion, leading technologists of the Food Party company, graduates of the Higher School of Business and Food Safety Vladimir Gnilitsky and Kristina Bogdanova shared their experience in the development of new dishes and the introduction of the latest methods of processing products to preserve their freshness.
In addition, meetings of the sections “Food Systems and Nutrition”, “Molecular and Cellular Biotechnology”, “Biotechnology for Plant Growing”, “Methods of Molecular Diagnostics and Environmental Biotechnology” were held.
The conference moderator, senior lecturer at the Higher School of Business and Public Policy Anna Sevastyanova, emphasized that the event provides a unique opportunity for young scientists to get acquainted with the experience of experienced researchers – professors, associate professors and leading employees of various scientific organizations.
It was interesting to listen to the reports on various problems related to biotesting of different environments: air, water and soil. After the presentations, it became clear that microalgae are a certain “favorite” in this topic. The use of biotechnology to increase crop yields and product quality also aroused keen interest. I would like to thank the organizers for the opportunity to exchange experiences, – shared 4th year student Andrey Voynov.
Based on the results of the conference, a collection of materials will be compiled.
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.
Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE
Headline: OSCE-Led Training Enhances Ammunition Management Capacity of the Ministry of Defense of the Kyrgyz Republic
Participants of the training learn safe ammunition handling techniques from German Bundeswehr experts. (OSCE) Photo details
From 1 to 11 April 2025, eighteen specialists from the Ministry of Defense of the Kyrgyz Republic completed a training course on safe storage, surveillance and transportation of ammunition. The course was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, in collaboration with the Ministry of Defense of the Kyrgyz Republic and with support from the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Germany.
This 2-week intensive training course, led by experts from Bundeswehr Verification Center (BwVC), equipped participants with in-depth technical knowledge and practical skills in handling ammunition safely in line with international standards. The training adhered to globally recognized frameworks, including the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG), the UN “Orange Book,” the Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR), and OSCE best practice guides.
Throughout the course, participants gained hands-on experience and insights into the safe storage, surveillance, and transportation of ammunition, all of which are crucial for enhancing national security and ensuring compliance with international regulations. By following the best international practices, the training reinforced the Kyrgyz Republic’s commitment to improving ammunition safety management, contributing to the country’s overall security infrastructure.
This session marked the final phase of training delivered so far by the German Armed Forces from 2023 to 2025. Throughout this period, a total of 65 personnel from the Ministry of Defense were successfully trained.
**This initiative is part of an ongoing series of activities within the extra-budgetary project “Improvement of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and Conventional Ammunition (CA) Life-Cycle Management Capacity of the Ministry of Defence of the Kyrgyz Republic,” supported by Austria, France, Germany, Norway and Switzerland.
Ukraine and the United States signed a memorandum on minerals deal on Thursday, Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.
“Ukraine and the United States of America signed a Memorandum, which attests to the constructive collaboration of our teams and the intention to finalize and conclude an agreement that will benefit both our peoples,” Svyrydenko wrote in a Facebook post.
According to the post, the document was signed by Svyrydenko in Kiev and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington.
Svyrydenko said the two countries will finalize the text of the minerals agreement and sign it in the near future, adding that the agreement will be subject to “ratification by parliaments.”
Earlier on Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump said the agreement could be signed next week.
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
The Polytechnic University has completed training for employees on the Astra Linux Special Edition 1.7 OS program, designed for novice users of the domestic operating system and those who are switching to it from Windows OS. The organizer is the Directorate of Continuing Education and Industry Partnership of SPbPU.
More than 1,100 Polytechnic employees took part in the program, which confirms the high interest and relevance of the topic of transition to domestic software.
The training has become a significant step in the digital transformation of the university. We strive to provide high-quality training for employees so that they can work confidently in the new conditions. In the near future, a second stream of training is planned, courses on Russian office packages and other opportunities within the framework of the Corporate Academy of the University project, – noted Vice-Rector for Continuing and Pre-University Education Dmitry Tikhonov.
The training was conducted online with a flexible schedule for each participant. The course materials included interactive presentations, videos demonstrating processes in the system, as well as practical tasks and simulation cases.
The Department of Multimedia Systems and Import Substitution actively supports the initiative of the Directorate of Continuing Education and Industry Partnership on the digital transformation of the Polytechnic University using domestic software.
In parallel with the online course, we have created a special platform for practical training of skills in real conditions. Users can connect to remote workstations with the pre-installed Astra Linux operating system. This allows you to consolidate the acquired knowledge in an environment as close as possible to real professional activity and contributes to more effective mastering of domestic software, – emphasized the head of the Department of Multimedia Systems and Import Substitution Alexey Chernetsov.
The transition to Astra Linux is connected with the implementation of the state strategy to ensure technological sovereignty and reject imported solutions. For universities, this is especially important not only as users, but also as scientific and educational organizations that shape the digital culture in the country. Mastering the new operating system allows employees to work in a safe, modern environment that meets the requirements for information protection and digital independence.
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.
Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The ceremony of laying the first pile of the Multifunctional Cultural Center took place in the administrative center of the Botuobuyinsky nasleg of the village of Tas-Yuryakh in Yakutia. The agreement on financing its construction between PJSC NK Rosneft and the Republic of Sakha was concluded within the framework of the IX Eastern Economic Forum.
The head of the Sakha Republic, Aisen Nikolaev, took part in the ceremonial event and thanked the oil company for its assistance in implementing a project that is significant for the Republic.
Rosneft actively supports social initiatives aimed at creating favorable living conditions in the regions of its presence. The company pays great attention to cultural and educational projects.
The center will become an object of social and cultural life of the village. The building with the area of 1,533 sq. m. will have a cinema and concert hall with ergonomic chairs and modern sound, light and video equipment. The center will also house an exhibition hall, a library, a reading room, a billiard room, and offices for creative and folklore sections. A universal sports hall for basketball, volleyball, mini-football and other activities is provided.
The project also provides for equipping the building with modern engineering systems for heating, water supply and ventilation. The architectural appearance of the building combines modern solutions with national traditions.
Rosneft pays great attention to supporting educational, social, cultural and educational projects in Yakutia. In the village of Chapaevo in the Khangalassky District, a new building of the Small Academy of Sciences with a boarding school for 100 people was opened, which was built and equipped by Rosneft. The Academy has become a hub for research and project activities for schoolchildren throughout the Far East. A training center, the Factory of Full Cycle Oil and Gas Processes, was created at the Regional Technical College in the city of Mirny for practical training of specialists in the oil and gas industry.
In the village of Tas-Yuryakh, oil workers are creating a comfortable environment for local residents – the school’s robotics rooms, 3D modeling rooms, and the school press center have been renovated. In addition, the school has been equipped with a television studio, a language laboratory, a local history museum with an exhibition and educational exposition, and a modern school stadium and a children’s playground have been built.
Reference:
In Yakutia, Rosneft is represented by the Taas-Yuryakh Neftegazodobycha enterprise, which is developing the Srednebotuobinskoye oil and gas condensate field. The enterprise is one of the three largest production assets of Rosneft in Eastern Siberia, and is developing 11 licensed areas, including the Central Block and the Kurungsky licensed area of the Srednebotuobinskoye oil and gas condensate field.
Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft April 18, 2025
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Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –
The future is now more difficult for researchers to predict, and events that are less predictable are becoming increasingly important. But there is good news: scientists are convinced that humanity will adapt to any changes. This was discussed at the conference that was launched as part of XXV Yasinsky (April) International Scientific Conference International Symposium “Foresight in a rapidly changing world“.
Rapid technological progress, alarming climate change, rapid digitalization, rising inflation and stagflation are causing major changes. “The world is becoming more complex and less predictable,” said a leading expert Foresight CenterISSEK HSE University Yulia Milshina. According to her, rapid changes cause nervousness and depression among the population. Some researchers associate their emergence with the development of digital technologies and a sense of insecurity.
“The digital transformation of education and labor systems is not keeping up with the times, creating a mismatch between human capital and market demands,” says Yulia Milshina. Demographic statistics are also alarming. “The increase in the age of the population, in contrast to its size, in developed countries poses a threat to the pension and health care systems,” she adds.
At the same time, there has been an exponential growth in the number of scientific publications devoted to the so-called wild cards (random factors) recently. These include poorly predictable events that may prove to be extremely important. An early warning system for such random events is important in order to formulate approaches to reducing the negative consequences of the implementation of wild cards, explained Yulia Milshina. If in 2022 there were more than 50 such events, then in 2025 there will be more than 300.
The global financial crisis has served as a trigger for the research community to take low-probability, high-impact events more seriously, she stressed. Unpredictability makes traditional forecasting difficult. “Despite increased awareness, we remain vulnerable to unforeseen circumstances,” the expert notes. The new social world requires integrated strategies that can adapt to rapid developments. Therefore, more sophisticated tools are being developed “to anticipate, assimilate and adapt to such disruptive changes.”
Senior Research Fellow Laboratories of Innovation Economy HSE ISSEK Alena Nefedova spoke about the system ifora — an intelligent platform for analyzing big data and megatrends, developed by the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge.
Among the megatrends that will influence the future, Alena Nefedova named climate change, increased attention to the physical and psycho-emotional state of a person, the transformation of the education system, and global changes in the labor market. At the same time, the development of interdisciplinary research is becoming very important in science itself, she emphasized.
“Universities began interdisciplinary research in the mid-20th century in collaboration with industry. By the 1970s, interdisciplinarity was recognized as vital to strengthening universities as key players in innovation ecosystems,” Alena Nefedova noted. Digitalization is also increasingly influencing scientific activity. “We have virtual forums, we have virtual labs, we have international projects, we have an open science project, and this helps to exchange scientific data and developments,” she added.
Fabienne Goux-Bodiment from the Research Center for the Future (France) noted that the world has changed dramatically. “One of the catalysts for these changes is carbon. We see that large-scale use of carbon leads to global warming and climate change. Another catalyst is silicon. Thanks to silicon, we have generative artificial intelligence, and it can compete with humans,” she said. And finally, the third important trend that is currently observed, according to Fabienne Goux-Bodiment, is general chaos. In particular, it is noticeable in the economy and geopolitics. But change is “not some kind of anomaly, it is a natural process of human evolution and, in fact, life in general,” she reassured. Society is thus evolving, and technology accelerates this evolution. We can move, “make a quantum leap into a completely new state,” the researcher is sure. “One world essentially dies, and a new world appears, albeit not immediately,” says Fabienne Goux-Bodiment. But because we have resistance to change, this process slows down. However, we are still entering an era of acceleration.
The world will not be as we know it now, but this transition does not mean the end of humanity, says the futurologist. “First, it is not the first time that humanity has gone through major changes. Second, the human race as a whole adapts quickly. In addition, this time we know what is happening. We are aware of it. This means that we can do something,” Fabienne Goux-Bodiment reassured.
Now, according to the researcher, a new mentality is being formed. “More and more people recognize that the way we think, manage and produce goods no longer meets the requirements of the times. This is not just some unnoticeable change. The younger generation is not just asking themselves what they want to do, but thinking about what kind of world they would like to create together with their like-minded people. “Pessimism is not a solution. We must experiment, create new formats,” Fabienne Goux-Bodiment is sure.
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.
From left to right: Col. Gerald Kellar, Maj. John Eads, and Maj. Luis Pow Sang collect waste water from sewers at the Counter Insurgency, Terrorism, and Stability Operations Center during Exercise Justified Accord. (Photo Credit: Courtesy ) VIEW ORIGINAL
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U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF)
NAIROBI, Kenya – The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research – Africa conducted disease surveillance in support of Justified Accord 2025 from Feb. 10–21, in Kenya.
Justified Accord is U.S. Africa Command’s largest exercise in East Africa. The 2025 iteration involved more than 1,500 participants from 20 countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Somalia, Morocco, Tunisia and the United Kingdom. The exercise is designed to strengthen multinational cooperation as well as regional security.
WRAIR-Africa supported the exercise by identifying pathogens in the environment and coordinating with medical personnel to ensure appropriate protective measures. The team conducted daily vector surveillance, collecting mosquitos, sandflies and ticks for pathogen testing, as well as analyzing wastewater samples.
Maj. Eads and his team identify larvae of the Anopheles mosquito, the vector for malaria parasites, near the Justified Accord cantonment area. (Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL
During the exercise, WRAIR-Africa identified nine major pathogen threats including the bacteria that causes Q fever, the bacteria that causes epidemic typhus, jingman tick virus, and norovirus. The findings were shared with Role 1 medical assets and health protection personnel to mitigate risks to participating service members.
“By telling the force health protection (FHP) and health service support (HSS) personnel that the pathogen is in the environment, you can keep the soldiers safe,” said Maj. John Eads, Chief of Entomology at WRAIR-Africa. “Something like norovirus is a particular threat–that’s the pathogen that takes out cruise ships all the time because of how easily it spreads. Identifying it before it spreads is essential to getting preventative measure in place and keeping service members healthy.”
Maj. Eads reviews tick specimens collected by the WRAIR-Africa Entomology team. (Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL
WRAIR-Africa’s role in the exercise was essential to protecting force health, but it also provides a second major benefit: an opportunity to learn.
In addition to surveillance, WRAIR-Africa used the exercise as an opportunity to assess support needs for large-scale combat operations. This included evaluating the effectiveness of tools such as rapid diagnostic tests that don’t require cold-chain storage, which can be limited in austere environments.
Maj. Luis Pow Sang, Military Chief of Microbiology, performs initial validation and testing of BioFire film array for use in real-time exercise support. (Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL
“Participation in Justified Accord embeds us with the warfighter so we can see where there are gaps,” said Eads. “During and after the exercise, we ask: what products are necessary in large-scale combat operations? It’s an opportunity to determine how WRAIR-Africa can further support force health protection and Health Service Support.”
Following the exercise, WRAIR-Africa compiled a report to inform future surveillance operations and refine its support strategies for forward-deployed environments.
About Justified Accord
Justified Accord is U.S. Africa Command’s largest exercise in East Africa. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), and hosted in Kenya, Djibouti and Rwanda, this year’s exercise will incorporate personnel and units from 23 nations and five observer countries. This multinational exercise builds readiness for the U.S. joint force, prepares regional partners for UN and AU mandated missions, and increases multinational interoperability in support of humanitarian assistance, disaster response and crisis response.
Justified Accord content can be found on the official Justified Accord DVIDS feature page.
About SETAF-AF
SETAF-AF provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
On April 17, 2025, a seminar dedicated to the Day of United Actions in Memory of the Victims of the Genocide of the Soviet People by the Nazis and their Collaborators during the Great Patriotic War was held at the Institute of Economics and Finance of the State University of Management.
This memorable date is celebrated throughout the country on April 19. It was on April 19, 1943 that the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was issued “On measures of punishment for German-fascist villains guilty of murder and torture of the Soviet civilian population and captured Red Army soldiers, for spies, traitors to the homeland from among Soviet citizens and for their accomplices.” This decree became the legal basis for investigative actions to establish the crimes of the Nazis against citizens of the Soviet Union.
The Extraordinary State Commission for the Establishment and Investigation of the Crimes of the Nazi Invaders collected 250,000 testimonies about the occupiers’ crimes and compiled 56,000 reports on them. It was calculated that the enemy destroyed 1,710 cities and towns, burned more than 70,000 villages, and destroyed about 6 million buildings, thus depriving 25 million people of shelter. The damage to the national economy of the USSR amounted to 679 billion rubles.
Today it is especially important to preserve the memory of the victims of that war, in order to prevent the development of neo-fascism. For this purpose, the IFE held a thematic seminar in the form of reports by first-year students on the eve of the memorable date. A total of nine reports were made at the seminar.
The first of them was dedicated to the unofficial symbol of fascist atrocities against the civilian population – the village of Khatyn, burned down along with all its inhabitants. In her report “Khatyn: An Unhealed Wound of the Belarusian Land”, student Alla Korobkova spoke about the terrible events of the spring of 1943. Each time, talking about the tragedy of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War, the students also recalled modern events, because exactly 81 years after the Khatyn tragedy, on March 22, 2024, a terrible terrorist attack occurred in the Crocus City Hall.
The echo of modern times was also heard in the report by Elizaveta Kotova and Diana Popova, “The Feat of Youth in the Fight against Genocide of the Peoples of the USSR.” In their report, the girls told about the feat of the Young Guard. Krasnodon, where the guys lived and fought the fascists, is still in the frontline zone today. Diana Popova noted after the seminar: “The event dedicated to the victims of genocide makes us think about the heroism and responsibility of the Soviet people. Its unity and endurance should still find a response in the hearts of people and especially the younger generation.”
Mikhail Semakov Mikhail in his report “Babi Yar Concentration Camp: Symbol of Nazi Terror in the Occupied Territory of the USSR” spoke about the terrible tragedy of 1941, when the Nazis and local collaborators shot about 150 thousand people, with more than 30 thousand people killed in the first two days of mass shootings.
Anna Feshchenko and Anna Evtyukhina in their report drew attention to the living conditions of civilians in the occupied lands: hunger, terror and deprivation. During the discussion of the report, the children recalled the Salaspils children’s concentration camp – a blood factory, where about 3,500 liters of blood were pumped out of children kept in inhumane conditions over three years.
In addition to stories about the atrocities of the fascists, the children noted the fortitude and heroism of the Soviet people. Thus, Nikolai Stroyev in his report “Resistance and Survival: How Soviet Citizens Fought Genocide During the Great Patriotic War” noted the fact that genocide did not break the Soviet people, but on the contrary, raised them to fight the invaders.
Dmitry Kamchatov and Diana Mikhailova spoke about the trial of fascist ideologists at the Nuremberg Trials. Diana Mikhailova noted: “The students conveyed important historical information with dignity, awakening deep respect for the past. The event left a strong impression and emphasized the need to preserve the memory of tragic events.”
The seminar continues the series of events held by the IEF for the 80th anniversary of the Victory. Students noted the importance of the meetings. Dmitry Kamchatov said: “Events of a social and educational nature are in demand more than ever. The very fact of holding such meetings shows the involvement of students in cultural programs. During today’s meeting, speakers and listeners mastered important material on the topic. It is worth noting the active participation of the IEF Directorate in the discussion and coverage of this topic in the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland.”
Let us recall that last week we celebrated the Day of Liberation of Prisoners of Nazi Concentration Camps.
The crimes committed by the fascist occupiers have no statute of limitations, and we have no right to forget them.
#Scientific regiment
Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/18/2025
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –
Industrial policy is becoming one of the important instruments of structural change in the world to increase the competitiveness of national economies. In order to assess what kind of state support certain sectors receive, Yuri Simachev and Anna Fedyunina from Center for Structural Policy Research HSE University has developed an index of economic complexity of state financial support. The study is presented at XXV Yasinsky (April) International Scientific Conference.
The conference included a round table discussion entitled “New Industrial Policy: Between Technological Sovereignty and International Cooperation”. Experts from universities and research centers discussed the report by Anna Fedyunina and Yuri Simachev entitled “Priorities and Instruments of Modern Industrial Policy: Subsidies for a Complex Economy”.
The study notes that attention to the implementation of active industrial policy has increased significantly worldwide, which has become an important tool for increasing the competitiveness of national economies. Thus, references to industrial policy in the media have increased 8 times since the 2000s. The authors note that the most important prerequisites for increased attention to industrial policy instruments are increased competition between developed and developing countries in the markets for complex products, regionalization and expanded use of trade protection instruments, and strengthening of the tasks of technological sovereignty.
Scholars define modern industrial policy as an attempt by the state to facilitate the flow of resources into specific sectors that the state considers important for future economic growth. In addition, industrial policy aims to improve the business environment and/or the structure of economic activity by sector, technology, and should ensure that, through intervention, the prospects for economic growth and public good are better than those without such intervention.
It is important that developed countries, contrary to popular belief, also actively use industrial policy. The share of such measures in trade policy increased in developed economies from 11% in 2010 to 53% in 2022, and in emerging market and developing countries — from 9 to 22%. Subsidies have become the key instrument of industrial policy; today, they account for about half of all measures formalized in regulations. Moreover, subsidies are used more often by developed countries, since they have greater financial resources. OECD countries spend an average of 1.4% of GDP on grants and tax breaks and an additional 1.8% of GDP on financial instruments: loans, guarantees, and investments (of which 1.1% of GDP is accounted for by export financing programs).
Yuri Simachev and Anna Fedyunina developed an index of economic complexity of state financial support (IESFS), which reflects the complexity of product groups/activities receiving state support: the higher the IESFS, the more technologically complex the sectors supported. The study showed that, in general, those countries with a more complex economy tend to provide more assistance to relatively simple (within the country’s economy) sectors for the purpose of equalization and greater sustainability, while those countries with a simpler (less competitive) economy are more motivated to develop more complex sectors.
Russia is characterized by the highest relative complexity of state support (which is comparable with Vietnam and China) in the group of countries with similar economic complexity. Iran, under sanctions, has placed its bets on developing its own technologies. Mexico and Malaysia are among those lagging behind in the “complexity” of state support, since their economies are connecting and use the effects of friend-shoring (transfer of production activities from other countries). For the United States, with its leadership in economic complexity, support for relatively simple sectors that provide employment (for example, metallurgy) is politically significant.
“Developed countries are redistributing the rents of technological leadership to achieve sectoral convergence, while emerging market countries are trying to find new sectoral and technological opportunities for rapid growth to escape the middle-income trap and reduce the distance with leading countries,” the researchers conclude.
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