NewzIntel.com

Category: European Union

  • MIL-OSI: ASUS to Unveil First-Ever Zenbook Ceraluminum Signature Edition at Milan Design Week 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, March 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ASUS today announced plans to unveil four Signature Edition Zenbook S models globally at the “Design You Can Feel” exhibition during Milan Design Week 2025. This exclusive release transforms the Zenbook S into a narrative of nature’s splendor through four Ceraluminum™-crafted, nature-inspired finishes, each a tribute to Earth’s dynamic landscapes. At the same time, it reinforces the Zenbook S legacy of combining high-performance technology with refined, functional aesthetics.

    Ceraluminum™- Inspired by Nature, Engineered for a Sustainable Future

    At the core of this collection is ASUS’ patented Ceraluminum™ technology—a revolutionary material that redefines durability and sustainability. Used in both the Zenbook S series and Zenbook A14, Ceraluminum™ combines the lightness of aluminum with the resilience of ceramic. The process involves ceramizing aluminum, resulting in a lighter material with fracture toughness three times higher than anodized aluminum. By eliminating conventional chemical processes, Ceraluminum™ is 100% environmentally responsible. This breakthrough delivers an exceptional aesthetic that celebrates nature’s diversity and underscores ASUS’ commitment to eco-friendly innovation.

    The Make of Ceraluminum™ | ASUS Zenbook 

    Zenbook S– Where Art Meets Advanced Engineering 

    The Signature Edition series is rooted in the heritage of the iconic Zenbook S line, combining high-performance technology with refined, functional design. Built with the robust internals of the Zenbook S Copilot+ PC, it features state-of-the-art CNC milling, an ultra-slim chassis, a dedicated Windows Copilot key, and an immersive ASUS Lumina OLED display. Powered by the latest AI-enabled Intel® Core™ Ultra processor, it ensures swift performance, reliable multitasking, and enhanced efficiency—all in an ultra-quiet, cool operating environment.

    Ceraluminum™ Signature Edition elevates the legacy of the Zenbook S by transforming premium technology into a sensory-rich experience resonating with untapped nature’s wonder.

    ASUS Zenbook Design Why and How 

    An Immersive Journey into Design and Innovation 

    The “Design You Can Feel” exhibition in Milan invites visitors to embark on an immersive journey where technology, craftsmanship, and nature converge. Alongside interactive installations by Studio INI, attendees can experience firsthand the tactile beauty of Ceraluminum™ and the refined elegance of the Signature Edition Zenbook S. This dynamic showcase reinforces ASUS’ commitment to crafting products that resonate emotionally, perform flawlessly, and set new standards for sustainable innovation.

    Design You Can Feel

    Galleria Meravigli

    Via Gaetano Negri 6, 20123 Milano, Italy

    April 8 to 13, 2025

    10:00AM to 6:00PM daily

    For more information about the exhibition in Milan Design Week 2025:

    ASUS Zenbook series “Design You Can Feel”

    NOTES TO EDITORS

    More on ASUS at the Milan Design Week: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/content/zenbook/

    ASUS Zenbook: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/laptops/for-home/zenbook/

    ASUS ProArt: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/proart/

    ASUS Vivobook: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/laptops/for-home/vivobook/

    ASUS LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asus/posts/

    ASUS Pressroom: http://press.asus.com

    ASUS Canada Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asuscanada/

    ASUS Canada Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asus_ca

    ASUS Canada YouTube: https://ca.asus.click/youtube

    ASUS Global X (Twitter): https://www.x.com/asus

    About ASUS

    ASUS is a global technology leader that provides the world’s most innovative and intuitive devices, components, and solutions to deliver incredible experiences that enhance the lives of people everywhere. With its team of 5,000 in-house R&D experts, the company is world-renowned for continuously reimagining today’s technologies. Consistently ranked as one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies, ASUS is also committed to sustaining an incredible future. The goal is to create a net zero enterprise that helps drive the shift towards a circular economy, with a responsible supply chain creating shared value for every one of us.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/642d63f7-478b-4c04-8892-7372a635bfdc

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Global Drone Services Market Size Predicted to Surpass Around $555 Billion By 2034

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., March 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – The drone services worldwide market has been growing substantially in recent years and is projected to continue into the several years to come. According to a report from Precedence Research, the global drone services market size accounted for USD 24.56 billion in 2024, grew to USD 33.55 billion in 2025 and is predicted to surpass around USD 555.58 billion by 2034, representing a healthy CAGR of 36.60% between 2024 and 2034. The North America drone services market size is calculated at USD 8.84 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at a fastest CAGR of 36.78% during the forecast year. The report said: “North America held the highest share of the global drone services market in terms of value. This is due to major service providers’ presence and early adoption of high-end drone technologies. Furthermore, the region’s market is driven by increased demand for aerial photography in the real estate and construction sectors. The US is a significant market for drone services in North America, accounting for a large share of the region’s market.   Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. Large drone service providers exist in APAC countries such as China and Japan. Limited regulation on commercial drone use and price drop drive market demand. Furthermore, the rise is attributed to increased government and OEM investments in drone services propelling the market. The rising demand for industry-specific solutions and the increasing demand for time-efficient delivery are driving the growth of the drone service market… Along with this, the growing initiative from governments and regulatory bodies to develop drones propels the market forward.”   Active Companies in the drone industry today include ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), EHang Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: EH), AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (NYSE: UAVS), Unusual Machines (NYSE: UMAC), ParaZero Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: PRZO).

    Precedence Research continued: “Due to the widespread availability of low-cost drones, photography has become well-known for applications requiring high-resolution cameras. Aerial photography offers new perspectives on innovative city projects, large township projects, and multi-story building projects. Mini drones are also becoming popular for wedding photography and videography. Furthermore, the real estate and infrastructure industries also see increased demand for drones. Drones are used for various commercial purposes, including agriculture, transportation, mapping, aerial photography, and videography. Drones increase productivity and improve farming methods. The growing demand for precision farming propels the agricultural industry and expands the drone services market. Precision farming has the potential to increase crop productivity.”

    ZenaTech (NASDAQ:ZENA) Signs Seventh LOI to Acquire a Land Survey Company in Southeast Region Contributing to Drone as a Service Strategy – ZenaTech, Inc. (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) (“ZenaTech”), a technology company specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drone, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS and Quantum Computing solutions, announces that it has signed an LOI (Letter of Intent) to acquire a seventh land survey engineering company located in Florida, marking the fourth LOI in the Southeast Region. The company has closed one acquisition in this region to date so upon completion, this would be the second closed acquisition in the Southeast Region. Having two locations in this region will serve as a launchpad to further regional development and ZenaTech’s national DaaS business model bringing the speed and precision of AI drone solutions in a convenient subscription or pay-per-use business model to commercial and government customers.

    “Florida is strategic to our Drone as a Service strategy as it offers year-round flying conditions, a favorable innovation environment including consistent state-wide regulations, and existing government drone use for public safety, disaster response, and transportation monitoring. With growing commercial sector interest in agriculture, real estate, construction, and industrial inspection applications, we see multiple growth paths to help customers use drones to drive extraordinary efficiencies,” said CEO Shaun Passley, Ph.D.

    ZenaTech’s Drones as a Service or DaaS model is similar to Software as a Service (SaaS), but instead of providing software solutions over the Internet, the company will offer ZenaDrone solutions and services on a subscription or pay-per-use basis. Customers can conveniently access drones for manual or time-consuming tasks achieving more insight and precision, such as for surveying, inspections, security and law enforcement, or precision agriculture applications, without having to buy, operate, or maintain the drones themselves.

    The DaaS business model offers customers such as government agencies, real estate developers, construction firms, farmers or energy companies reduced upfront costs as there is no need to purchase expensive drones, as well as convenience, as there is no need to manage maintenance and operation. The model also offers scalability to use more often or less often based on business needs and enables access to advanced drone technology sensors or attachments like spraying, without the need for specialized training.

    Accurate land surveys are essential for the planning, designing, and executing roads, bridges, and building projects for cities, commercial, and residential projects, and are required for legal purposes. Remotely piloted drones with an array of sensors and cameras, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), and GPS systems for capturing high-resolution pictures and data are revolutionizing the land survey industry gathering aerial data across expansive terrains in a matter of hours instead of weeks or months using more traditional photogrammetry methods.   Continued… Read this full release by visiting: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-zena/

    Other recent developments in the drone industry include:

    EHang Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: EH), the world’s leading Urban Air Mobility (“UAM”) technology platform company, recently announced its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2024. Mr. Huazhi Hu, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EHang: “We are thrilled to have concluded 2024 with a series of achievements that have propelled us closer to the widespread commercial adoption of eVTOLs. As a pioneer in the UAM industry, we achieved our highest-ever quarterly and annual eVTOL deliveries, driving revenues to record-high levels and delivering our first year of non-GAAP profitability. This underscores the accelerating adoption of our pilotless eVTOL solutions. We worked on our production capacity expansion, deepened ecosystem partnerships for infrastructure and talents, and advanced our footprint in Asia, Europe and South America. Looking ahead to 2025, our focus remains on driving innovation, expanding our operational network, and scaling production to meet increasing demands and unlock the full potential of UAM. We are confident in our ability to lead the transformation of aerial transportation and deliver long-term value to our stakeholders.”

    AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (NYSE: UAVS), a leading provider of best-in-class unmanned aerial systems (UAS), sensors and software solutions for customers worldwide in the commercial and government verticals, recently announced the recent completion of a successful four-day proof-of-concept demonstration with France’s Directorate General for Maritime Affairs, Fisheries, and Aquaculture (DGAMPA) testing eBee VISION’s advanced capabilities.

    AgEagle CEO Bill Irby commented, “This successful demonstration underscores the potential of the eBee VISION for enhancing maritime security and environmental protection efforts. Multiple flights were carried out in diverse conditions, both day and night. Our eBee VISION demonstrated outstanding performance, operating within a 20 km range and temperatures as low as 5°C, as well as landing smoothly on sand. Throughout the trials, various observation scenarios were tested for maritime control and surveillance, all of which were completed with positive results. This success not only highlights the robust performance of our technology but also validates the potential for growth across various markets.”

    Unusual Machines (NYSE: UMAC), a leading provider of NDAA-compliant drone components, recently announced that its Fat Shark Aura FPV Camera has been added to the U.S. Defense Department’s Defense Innovation Unit’s (DIU) Blue UAS Framework. It is the only camera on the Blue UAS list purpose-built for first person view (“FPV”) applications, providing a high-performance, NDAA-compliant option for defense and government users.  

    This approval marks another step forward in Unusual Machines’ mission to supply NDAA-compliant FPV components for both commercial and defense applications. The Fat Shark Aura FPV Camera joins the Rotor Riot Brave F7 Flight Controller and Brave 55A ESC, both of which have already been approved under the Blue UAS Framework.

    ParaZero Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: PRZO), an aerospace company focused on safety systems for commercial unmanned aircrafts and defense Counter UAS systems, recently announced that is has received its first order from the strategic partnership that the company recently announced that it entered into with ABOT, one of France’s largest drone distributors of advanced drone solutions for various industries. This partnership, announced earlier this month, was established as part of the company’s effort to expand the availability of its cutting-edge SafeAirTM parachute recovery systems in the French market. Under this new collaboration, ABOT will become an official reseller of ParaZero’s SafeAir products in France, with the two companies jointly launching a new brand, ABOT-PZ SafeAir, to align with local market preferences.

    ParaZero’s SafeAir system is a state-of-the-art drone safety solution designed to enable safe and legal drone operations in urban and high-risk environments. The system features an autonomous parachute deployment mechanism, real-time monitoring and advanced failure detection, ensuring a controlled descent in the event of an emergency. SafeAir provides a critical safety layer for commercial drone operations, supporting compliance with global aviation regulations.

    About FN Media Group:

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    DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM has been compensated fifty one hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by ZenaTech, Inc. by the Company. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

    This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

    Contact Information:

    Media Contact email: editor@financialnewsmedia.com – +1(561)325-8757

    SOURCE: FN Media Group

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Environment Agency and Oxford City Council act on Government calls to unlock growth

    Source: City of Oxford

    The Environment Agency and Oxford City Council have acted on Government calls to unlock growth.

    • Partnership unlocks 18,000 new homes whilst ensuring high standards of environmental protection
    • A new solution to development follows Government calls to unlock growth
    • Environment Agency won’t seek a planning condition and Oxford City Council can now determine planning applications with benefit of increased confidence in, and oversight of, waste water treatment scheme

    A partnership between the Environment Agency and Oxford City Council has secured the infrastructure needed to allow the development of around 18,000 new homes in and around Oxford, delivering change in the area in line with the Government’s ambition to unlock growth.

    The move follows Government calls for growth-boosting measures and the delivery of homes and investment for local communities. It could form the blueprint to unlock a number of projects around the country where the right wastewater infrastructure is needed before development can go ahead.

    The EA had previously challenged planning applications for new housing over concerns about sewage treatment capacity which posed a risk to water quality if developments had gone ahead as planned.

    Following a rigorous process to find a solution to unlock the new homes, the EA, Oxford City Council and Thames Water have now agreed a scheme which can provide the capacity needed at the Sewage Treatment Works to allow for the occupation of development from 2027, in line with local plans.

    Technical experts at the EA have ensured that Thames Water has now presented a clear, fully costed and funded programme of work, providing the confidence and certainty that water quality will be protected and communities in the area will have the water services they need, while allowing projected growth to come forward.

    The EA will shortly be writing to Oxford City Council and other affected Local Planning Authorities with their revised advice.

    “After a rigorous process, we have secured the water services and environmental protections which communities in Oxford need to thrive in their new homes. Oxford City Council now have everything they need to decide if the development goes ahead.

    “The Environment Agency believes that protecting the environment and sustainable development can go hand in hand, now and into the future. This kind of powerful partnership working is exactly what’s needed to unlock homes and jobs whilst protecting nature.”

    Philip Duffy, Chief Executive at the Environment Agency

    “I am delighted that the joint working between Oxford City Council and the EA has got us to this point. This is a great example of collaborative working to help solve a major issue for the city and the surrounding area.

    “We look forward to receiving the EA’s letter, so we can determine our next steps as Local Planning Authority and work at pace to unlock the growth and new homes currently stalled across the city.”

    Councillor Susan Brown, Leader Oxford City Council

    “This Government is determined to go further and faster to kickstart economic growth through our Plan for Change and put more money in people’s pockets. This work to unlock housing and commercial development in Oxford is just the kind of action that will unleash the potential of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor and grow our economy.”

    Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves

    Notes to Editors

    • Ahead of a full upgrade in 2031, Thames Water will introduce an interim scheme in 2027 to provide wastewater capacity. The scheme has been reviewed and modelled by the Environment Agency, who will use their regulatory grip, working alongside Defra and Oxford City Council to ensure that Thames Water deliver against the agreed timeline.
    • Oxford City Council, as lead planning authority, will now make the final planning decision to determine if the proposed development goes ahead.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK, France and Switzerland announce new anti-corruption alliance

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    UK, France and Switzerland announce new anti-corruption alliance

    UK, France and Switzerland announce new alliance to tackle bribery and corruption threat 

    The UK’s Serious Fraud Office, France’s Parquet National Financier (PNF) and the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) today affirmed their shared commitment to tackling international bribery and corruption at an event in London.   

    The agencies also founded a new taskforce to strengthen collaboration.  

    All three countries have wide-reaching anti-bribery legislation with jurisdiction to prosecute criminal conduct that occurs overseas, if there is a link to the prosecuting country.   

    The taskforce will strengthen existing ties between these countries and lead to greater joint working on cases, as well as sharing of insight and expertise.   

    The statement can be seen here.

    Nick Ephgrave, Director of the Serious Fraud Office, said:

    The commitment we have made today reaffirms our individual and collective commitment to tackling the pernicious threat of international bribery and corruption, wherever it occurs. 

    We will make use of every power and partnership available to confront this criminality. This taskforce is an important step forward in our approach.

    Jean-François Bohnert, Head of the Parquet National Financier, said:

    I am delighted that ten years of operational cooperation between the PNF, SFO and OAG are developing today into the setting up of a prosecutorial taskforce.

    This taskforce will definitely strengthen our current cooperation in order to fight more efficiently against bribery and corruption in individual cases.

    Stefan Blättler, Attorney General of the Swiss Confederation, said:

    Within the framework of this cooperation, we will be able to help ensure that fraud and crime can be better combated in the future.

    This task force is of great importance for Switzerland.

    Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said:

    I welcome the SFO’s commitment to working even more closely with their French and Swiss partners, including setting up this new taskforce to tackle international bribery and corruption.

    Through strong international partnerships, we will be able to robustly tackle cross-border economic crime and protect our future prosperity.

    Press Office

    Email news@sfo.gov.uk

    Out of hours press office contact number +44 (0)7557 009842

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: St Albans Museums Shortlisted for National Award Following Award Wins at Hertfordshire Association of Museums

    Source: St Albans City and District

    Publication date:

    St Albans Museums has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award following a number of award wins locally at Hertfordshire Association of Museums. 

    The Catching the Chain exhibition, which explores the history of criminal justice, and is on display at St Albans Museum + Gallery until 21 April, has been nominated for Temporary or Touring Exhibition of the Year at the 23rd annual Museum + Heritage Awards. 

    The awards celebrate the very best of museums, galleries, and cultural and heritage visitor attractions. The ceremony to reveal the winners will take place on the evening of Thursday 15 May 15 2025 at Hilton Park Lane, London. 

    Other shortlisted museums across the 18 categories include the British Museum, the Natural History Museum, and Horniman Museum and Gardens.

    More locally, the Museums Team have picked up awards for two Arts Council England funded projects at the Hertfordshire Association of Museums awards. The team won the Creative Health Award for their year-long Community in Residence programme with Hertfordshire M.E. / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Support Group. 

    Learning and Engagement Officer Danielle Cavender-Handley and Archaeologist Tom Lucas each received a Heritage Hero award for their work on Digitising the Park, including the Tread the Past trail around Verulamium Park, Voicing Verulamium in the Hypocaust and the Roman Town House project with Passport to Leisure.

    Councillor Paul de Kort praised the museums team as part of the Leader’s Announcements in this week’s St Albans City and District Strategy and Resource Committee meeting. 

    Councillor Anthony Rowlands, Lead for Museums, echoed Cllr de Kort’s sentiments and said:

    It is wonderful to see the hard work of the museums team being recognised both regionally and nationally. From year-long community focussed programmes to exhibitions and projects which bring history to life, the variety and breadth of what our museums can offer is something to be proud of. We thank Arts Council England for their generous NPO funding which has made each of these projects a possibility.

    Photo above: Danielle Cavender-Handley, right, and Tom Lucas, left, receiving their awards.

    Notes to Editors

    About St Albans Museums

    • St Albans Museums is an award-winning local authority funded museum service which manages and operates two museums, a number of heritage sites and Ancient Scheduled Monuments and cares for the City’s nationally significant collections.
    • Amongst its portfolio, the museum service’s key sites include the city-centre venue St Albans Museum + Gallery and Verulamium Museum, a specialist Roman museum located in a much-loved local park.
    • The Museums operate as part of St Albans City and District Council (SADC) and receive core funding as part of the Community and Place delivery directorate.
    • In April 2023, the Museums Service was awarded just over £1m in funding from Arts Council England as part of its National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) programme. The NPO status has seen the Museums embark on an ambitious programme of events and activities which will be delivered between April 2023 and March 2026.
    • Follow @stalbansmuseums on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for latest news and updates.
    • St Albans Museums’ collections comprise a wide range of artefacts relating to the development of St Albans over the centuries, from a market town to the modern City we see today.
    • For more information about what is on, visit www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/whats-on where you can view full listings.
    • St Albans Museum + Gallery is free to visit and open to the public every day 10am – 4pm.
    • Verulamium Museum is a charged-for museum and is open to the public every day 10am-4pm

    About Hertfordshire Association of Museums

    The Hertfordshire Association of Museums is a dynamic and active network supporting all people who work for or volunteer in our museums with the aim of increasing awareness and raising professional standards. Each year, the association delivers a programme of training, network events and meetings plus an annual awards event.

    About Museums + Heritage Awards

    The global awards celebrate the very best in the world of museums, galleries, and cultural and heritage visitor attractions.

    Full shortlist and more information available here: https://awards.museumsandheritage.com

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Hertfordshire’s councils and OPCC submit joint response to Government on local government reform

    Source: St Albans City and District

    Publication date:

    All 11 councils in Hertfordshire and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) have agreed a joint interim response to the Government outlining a number of initial options for the reorganisation of local government structures in the county.

    Hertfordshire is what’s known as a two-tier area with the county council responsible for services such as libraries, highways and transport, adult social care and children’s services, and 10 district and borough councils providing services such as bin collections, street cleaning, environmental health, leisure and housing. The Police and Crime Commissioner is responsible for the oversight of policing across the county.

    As part of its plans to reshape local government, on 5 February the Government invited councils in all two-tier areas to submit an interim plan by 21 March for moving to a single tier of unitarity councils providing all services.

    Hertfordshire’s councils and the OPCC’s shared priorities are ensuring any changes benefit residents and businesses, excellent local government services are maintained, residents are kept safe, and strong democratic accountability is available to communities across the county.

    All 11 councils and the OPCC worked together to produce the interim submission which has been shared with elected members at each individual organisation and Hertfordshire’s MPs.

    The submission sets out a number of options for further consideration, ranging from one to four unitary councils providing all services. 

    It also includes early thinking on how each option could support devolution, improve services, deliver value for money and maintain strong links to communities. 

    While a joint submission has been agreed, councils have differing views on the options set out and no decisions are being made at this stage. 

    Councils and the OPCC will continue to collaborate over the coming months to collate and analyse further evidence for each option. 

    The Government will provide feedback on the interim submission which will also inform the development of final proposals to be submitted to the Government by 28 November 2025 for a decision by Ministers.

    The views of residents, businesses, local government partners, colleagues, and other stakeholders across the public and private sectors will be essential as proposals develop. All councils and the OPCC are committed to providing updates throughout the process.

    Councillor Paul de Kort, Leader of St Albans City and District Council, said: 

    There is still considerable work to be undertaken before a decision should be made on the best option for restructuring local government in Hertfordshire.

    We are keeping an open mind until we consult with our residents as well as important stakeholders such as local businesses, other public agencies, parish councils,  voluntary groups and charities. Their views must be heard and taken into account.

    There is also a need for much more guidance from the Government about many crucial aspects of the restructuring they are demanding.

    We need to gather all this information, discuss and analyse it, before we can throw our weight behind one particular option. 

    The last reorganisation has lasted more than 50 years and this current one may well do the same, so it is vital we get this right and do not rush any decision.

    Notes to Editors:

    Interim Submission: Local Government Reorganisation in Hertfordshire will appear here: https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/local-government-reorganisation

    The statutory invitation from the Government received on 5 February to submit proposals for the reorganisation of local government structures in the county.

    The English Devolution White Paper: English Devolution White Paper – GOV.UK

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Palestinian City chosen for City of Friendship

    Source: City of Preston

    Preston City Council Members have chosen the city of Hebron in Palestine to explore the possibilities of an informal friendship agreement between the two cities. 

    The city council announced last year that it was keen to strike up a friendship with a town or city in the Palestinian territories that had a shared interest with Preston.

    The alliance would form a friendship to promote lasting peace, understanding and solidarity across the miles.  

    Hebron is considered one of the oldest cities in the Middle East, located in the southern part of the Occupied West Bank, 30 kilometres (19 miles) south of Jerusalem.

    It has a population of more than 201,000 and is believed to have lots of commonalities with Preston including a multi-cultural and diverse population.  

    Hebron is a chief commercial and industrial centre in the region with its main trade in limestone from nearby quarries and with a local reputation for grapes, figs, ceramics, plastics and pottery.  

    The City of Derby signed an agreement as a Sister City Relationship between themselves and the City of Hebron (Al Khalil), Palestine in January 2014, in recognition of their friendly ties.

    Councillor Nweeda Khan, Cabinet Member for Communities and Social Justice at Preston City Council said:

    We are working with Derby City Council, which is formally twinned with Hebron to learning from them and their positive experience of a successful friendship agreement with this progressive Middle Eastern city. We are looking forward to progressing our friendship plans and are supported by the Friendship of Palestine organisation. 

    Mukhtar Master, Muslim Representative on the Preston Faith Covenant said:

    Hebron, also known as Al-Khalil, would be an excellent choice by Preston City Council.  

    The mosques of Preston made the formal approach to the council to establish a twinning or friendship arrangement with a Palestinian city. Hebron (Al-Khalil) is the resting place of the Prophet Abraham, hence it has immense significance, not only for Islam, but also for Christianity and Judaism.

    Councillor Matthew Brown, Leader of Preston City Council said;

    This is a friendship arrangement that could have mutual benefits for both cities, promoting peace and understanding throughout both ours and Hebron’s multi-cultural communities. I welcome the friendship between the two cities, as a symbol of solidarity between all faiths and communities, one that will foster communication, inclusion and tolerance.

    Preston City Council would consider friendship alliances with other towns and cities around the world on request from Preston-based communities, including Jewish Faith Covenant representatives and a similar friendship organisation to form a future friendship arrangement with a town or city in Israel.  

    Additional Information

    Preston City Council actively applies and prioritises the principles of Community Wealth Building wherever applicable and appropriate. Community Wealth Building is an approach which aims to ensure the economic system builds wealth and prosperity for everyone. 

    Image source – from the Welcome to Palestine website.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PR Cruise Ships and Manche Iles Express 2025 Thursday 20 March 2025

    Source: Channel Islands – States of Alderney

    Press Release
    Date: 20th March 2025

    Alderney is getting ready to welcome 9 luxury cruise ship visits this summer.

    The Island’s special brand of welcoming hospitality will also be in full swing for several visits of the France-based ferry company Manche Iles Express.

    “This is a great opportunity to showcase Alderney’s famous warm welcome,” said Visit Alderney’s Caroline Gauvain. “Although the cruise ship guests are here for only a short time, we are confident they’ll enjoy our hospitality and our unique island and want to come back for a longer stay next time.”

    The scheduled cruise ship visits are:
    • Tuesday April 29 – Ocean Nova (morning)
    • Wednesday July 2 – MS Hamburg (morning)
    • Sunday July 13 – MS Hamburg (morning)
    • Wednesday August 6/Thursday 7 August – Hebridean Princess (overnight 8.30pm-1pm)
    • Saturday August 9/Sunday 10 August – Hebridean Princess (overnight 1pm-8am)
    • Sunday August 31 – Island Sky (all day)
    • Monday September 1/Tuesday 2 September – Hebridean Princess (overnight 5pm-1pm)
    • Sunday September 7 – Island Sky (all day)
    • Tuesday September 9 – MS Hamburg (afternoon)

    The full schedule is available at www.harbours.gg/cruiseships.

    Scheduled visits by Manche Iles Express from Dielette are:
    Sunday 4 / Friday 23 / Sunday 25 May
    Sunday 6 /Sunday 20 July
    Monday 4 / Monday 18 August
    Sunday 7 September

    They will also be running from Alderney to Diélette for the French Exchange on 7 June, with a return sailing on 8 June evening. Information: www.manche-iles.com/en

    End

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Leeds brown bin service resuming from next week

    Source: City of Leeds

    Fortnightly garden waste collection service restarts from Monday 24 March

    The latest sure sign that spring has arrived comes with the announcement that brown bin collections in Leeds will restart next week.

    Alongside visible signs of the change of season such as daffodils appearing in bloom at the roadside, the annual resumption of garden waste collections in the city after their winter hiatus will encourage all those in Leeds with green fingers to begin venturing out into their gardens once again.

    For all Leeds residents who receive a brown bin garden waste collection the fortnightly service will restart from Monday (24 March). All collection dates by property can be seen at www.leeds.gov.uk/mybinday while reminders can also be sent directly to smartphones by downloading the popular Leeds Bins app.

    Leeds City Council delivers the largest garden waste collection service by any council in the UK, annually collecting more than 31,000 tonnes of garden waste from 220,000 households across the city. All garden waste collected by the council is composted locally and used in farming, horticulture and local land restoration projects.

    As a reminder Leeds City Council, unlike other local authorities, does not charge households to receive a garden waste collections service. It is there to assist households in managing their garden waste and to reduce the amount of such waste that was historically going in the black bin, rather than accommodating all garden waste produced by all sizes of gardens.

    Larger amounts of garden waste produced by bigger gardens or any excess garden waste can be taken for free to any of the council’s eight household waste and recycling centres, which are all open all year round, seven days a week. Details for these can be seen at www.leeds.gov.uk/recycling.

    Those with gardens or greenspace are also encouraged to consider other environmentally beneficial ways to use or dispose of garden waste. These include leaving grass cuttings on lawns, reusing garden waste by composting or creating piles for insects, birds and other local wildlife, which will help both the eco-system and the garden itself.

    For those interested in starting to home compost to help the environment, hints, tips and specially-discounted composters are available via www.leeds.gov.uk/composting.

    Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space, Councillor Mohammed Rafique said:

    “With signs of the weather now slowly warming up and visible evidence of new life and spring appearing in fields and green spaces around the city, we are pleased to be restarting the brown bin garden waste collections service again.

    “We are very proud of being able to continue to offer the largest garden waste collection service of any council in the UK at no charge, and would encourage everyone to do their bit by thinking about what they can do to help the environment in their own garden or green space or wider local community.”

    ENDS

    For media enquiries please contact:

    Leeds City Council communications and marketing,

    Email: communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk

    Tel: 0113 378 6007

     

     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s phone call with Putin fails to deliver a full ceasefire – here’s what could happen next

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham

    After more than two hours on the phone on Tuesday, March 17, the US president, Donald Trump, and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, agreed only to confidence-building measures, not a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. The two leaders came away from the call having agreed on a limited prisoner exchange, a suspension of attacks on energy infrastructure, and the creation of working groups to explore further steps towards a ceasefire and ultimately a peace agreement, a proposal which Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky has since agreed to in his call with the US president.

    A less charitable way of looking at the outcome of the second call between the two presidents since Trump returned to the White House would be that the ball is now back in America’s court. Putin made it crystal clear to Trump that he is not (yet) in the mood for any compromise.

    This is hardly surprising given recent events.

    The US has pressured Ukraine mercilessly into accepting a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, which Trump hoped Russia would also agree to. But apart from a vague statement by Trump that he might consider sanctions against Russia, he has so far seemed unwilling to contemplate putting any meaningful equivalent pressure on Putin.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    On the ground, Russia has gained the upper hand in the Kursk region where Ukrainian troops have ceded most of the territory they captured after a surprise offensive last summer. Once Putin’s forces, assisted by thousands of North Korean soldiers, have succeeded in driving the Ukrainians out of Russia, Kyiv will have lost its most valuable bargaining chip in negotiations with Moscow.

    Meanwhile, Russia has also made further gains on the frontlines inside Ukraine especially in parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. These are two of the four regions (the other two are Donetsk and Luhansk) that Putin has claimed for Russia in their entirety since sham referendums in September 2022, despite not yet having full control of them.

    If Russia were to capture yet more Ukrainian territory, Putin would probably find it even easier to convince Trump that his demands are reasonable. The fact that Trump already hinted at a “dividing of assets”, including the nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia – Europe’s largest before its forced shutdown in September 2022 – is a worrying indication of how far the Russian president has already pushed the envelope.

    Ukraine war: territory occupied by Russia as at March 18 2025.
    Institute for the Study of War

    But a deal solely between Russia and the US is not going to work. In that sense, time is not only on Putin’s side but also on Zelensky’s.

    The Russian readout of the call between the two presidents claimed that they had discussed “the complete cessation of foreign military assistance and the provision of intelligence information to Kyiv” as a key condition for moving forward – something that Trump subsequently denied in an interview with Fox. This means that, for now, Kyiv is likely to continue to receive US aid.

    Europe at the ready

    Perhaps more importantly in the long term, Europe is also doubling down on support for Ukraine. While Trump and Putin were discussing a carve-up of Ukraine over the phone, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, left no doubt on where the EU stands.

    In a speech at the Royal Danish Military Academy foreshadowing the publication of the commission’s Readiness 2030 white paper on bolstering European defences, she recommitted to developing European “capabilities to have credible deterrence” against a hostile Russia.

    A few hours later, the German parliament passed a multi-billion Euro package that loosens the country’s tight borrowing rules to enable massive investments in defence. This follows announcements of increased defence elsewhere on the continent, including in the UK, Poland, and by the EU itself.

    Meanwhile, the UK and France are leading efforts to assemble a coalition of the willing to help Ukraine. Representatives of the 30-member group gathered in London on March 15 for further talks.

    Afterwards, the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, released a statement saying that Ukraine’s western partners “will keep increasing the pressure on Russia, keep the military aid flowing to Ukraine and keep tightening the restrictions on Russia’s economy”.

    Undoubtedly, these measures would be more effective if they had Washington’s full buy-in – but they send a strong signal to both the Kremlin and the White House that Ukraine is not alone in its fight against Russia’s continuing aggression.

    Putin’s options

    Putin, meanwhile, may have time on his side in the short term – but he should take note of this. Russian manpower and firepower may dwarf that of Ukraine, but it would be no match for a Ukraine backed by such a coalition of the willing.

    Putin’s apparent plan to drag Trump into the minutiae of negotiating a comprehensive deal may eventually backfire in more ways than one. For a start, really detailed discussions will test the US president’s notoriously short attention span.

    But this will also buy time for Ukraine and its supporters to strengthen Kyiv’s position in future negotiations. And it will continue to strain – but not immediately break – Russia’s economy.

    For now, Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine have stalled. He is attempting to broker a complex ceasefire deal that involves separate agreements with Kyiv and Moscow, pressure on Nato allies, and an attempt to drive a wedge between Russia and China. It’s not clear how this will succeed or indeed where it will end.

    The only certainty is that they are not bringing a just and stable peace for Ukraine any closer.

    Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

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

    – ref. Trump’s phone call with Putin fails to deliver a full ceasefire – here’s what could happen next – https://theconversation.com/trumps-phone-call-with-putin-fails-to-deliver-a-full-ceasefire-heres-what-could-happen-next-252417

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Tyrannical leader? Why comparisons between Trump and King George III miss the mark on 18th-century British monarchy

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Carla Gardina Pestana, Professor and Joyce Appleby Endowed Chair of America in the World, University of California, Los Angeles

    Are there legitimate comparisons between President Donald Trump and King George III? Rebecca Noble/Getty Images; Kean Collection/Getty Images

    George III, king of Great Britain and its colonies at the time of the American Revolution, has been maligned unfairly.

    During both the first and now the second term of President Donald Trump, commentators in the U.S. have invoked the king’s misdeeds to criticize Trump. When the president bypassed Congress to create a new government agency, appointed its head and stopped payment of millions of dollars of allocated federal funds, his critics noted that he assumed the role of Congress, a power grab that supposedly made him similar to George III. According to this criticism, the president engaged in tyranny, just as the founders accused George of doing.

    As a scholar of early America, I believe, however, that George III has gotten a bad rap. He was not the all-powerful monarch that Trump allegedly aspires to be.

    In the 1770s, the power of the British king was limited by the authority of Parliament. In that system, which Americans and others praised at the time as balanced, the king and the legislature each had specific duties and powers so that neither could control the government alone.

    George III was not an absolutist monarch, to use the language of the day for a power-hungry ruler. The English had struggled in the previous century over the extent of the king’s power. After fighting two civil wars, executing one king, and, eventually, forcing the monarch to agree to rule with Parliament rather than on his own, they believed their liberties were safeguarded.

    This system, known as limited monarchy, was the pride of Great Britain. It was also admired by the American founders. As late as 1774, in his Summary View of the Rights of British America, Thomas Jefferson praised the “free and ancient principles” of the British constitution in which “kings are the servants, not the proprietors of the people.”

    Trump has been compared with King George III by many writers and commentators; the White House on Feb. 19, 2024, issued the fake magazine cover of Trump crowned like a king.
    Various

    No kingly tyranny

    Britons, whether in Great Britain or the colonies, did fear a tyrant, a controlling and abusive leader.

    Some fears came from their study of political theory, which taught that government worked best when composed of various branches that represented the concerns of the different political classes.

    As this theory went, an unbalanced government would descend into tyranny with a too-powerful monarch; oligarchy under a dominant aristocratic class; or anarchy with the people out of control. They believed these perils could be avoided only by maintaining balance.

    Even though the British did not fear imbalance or a tyrant king in their own case, they could see the danger threatening elsewhere in Europe.

    France represented a worst-case scenario. Its absolutist kings had ruled without France’s legislature – the Estates General – for more than a century and a half at the time of the American Revolution. British poet Robert Wolseley’s often reprinted poem declared: “Let France grow proud beneath the tyrant’s lust, While the rackt people crawl and lick the dust. The mighty Genius of this isle disdains Ambitious slavery and golden chains.”

    Within a few years, Anglo-American criticism of kingly tyranny in France would be validated: That country descended into a violent revolution that resulted in decades of warfare and political violence, including the execution of the entire royal family.

    This experience confirmed for the British and Americans that a balanced system was best and that they should count their blessings.

    Why revolt?

    A list of grievances held by the American Colonies against King George III, set down in Thomas Jefferson’s first draft of the American Declaration of Independence, which ultimately included 27 grievances against the king.
    MPI/Getty Images

    If the American revolutionaries admired the British system and sought to copy it in the United States, why did they reject the link to Britain and revolt in the first place?

    Americans did not revolt against the nature of British government. Rather they objected to their changing place within the British Empire. The revolutionary crisis had a number of roots, but most of them arose out of changes in the management of the relationship between the American Colonies and the imperial center.

    From the 1760s, the British government took a more activist role in its American Colonies, limiting their geographical expansion and imposing taxes directly on the population. In the past, Colonists had been free to move west, challenged only by the indigenous residents who fought to defend their lands.

    Now the British government, aiming to put an end to these wars, blocked expansion. At the same time, to pay down the debt accrued in recent war with France – and fought in part in North America – the government levied taxes not via the Colonial legislatures, as it had before, but directly on residents. This change sparked revolt and, eventually, revolution.

    Turning on the king

    American Colonists pull down a statue of King George III in New York City during the American Revolution.
    Corbis via Getty Images

    Before 1776, the Colonists believed that George III would come to their rescue and halt these changes imposed by Parliament. They thought initially that he did not realize how the new policies affected them.

    Only in 1776 did they accept that George III supported the policy changes and would not defend their rights. It was in that context that they turned on him and declared him tyrannical, blaming him for the new policies and calling for a break with Britain. As the Declaration of Independence said: “The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.”

    Although they complained about the tyranny of George III, their true objection was that their subordinate position within the empire gave them little leverage when opposing policies that king and Parliament agreed to impose on them.

    Once independent, the founders created a system that imitated the British model of mixed governance and created barriers – the powers of Congress and the oversight of the Supreme Court – that they hoped would safeguard their liberties against the threat of renewed tyranny.

    Carla Gardina Pestana 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.

    – ref. Tyrannical leader? Why comparisons between Trump and King George III miss the mark on 18th-century British monarchy – https://theconversation.com/tyrannical-leader-why-comparisons-between-trump-and-king-george-iii-miss-the-mark-on-18th-century-british-monarchy-251869

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Data Storage Corporation to Participate in the 2025 iAccess Alpha Virtual Conference

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MELVILLE, N.Y., March 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Data Storage Corporation (Nasdaq: DTST) (“DSC” and the “Company”), a leading provider of multi-cloud hosting, managed cloud services, disaster recovery, cybersecurity, and IT automation, that integrates with AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud,  today announced that its management will be participating in the iAccess Alpha Virtual Best Ideas Spring Investment Conference 2025 being held March 25 and 26, 2025.

    Why Investors Should Tune In:

    • Gain insight into DSC’s expanding footprint in cloud hosting and IT modernization.
    • Learn about the Company’s scalable, secure, and high-performance cloud solutions.
    • Understand how DSC leverages partnerships with AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud to drive innovation.

    Chuck Piluso, CEO of Data Storage Corporation, and Chris Panagiotakos, CFO of Data Storage Corporation, will be presenting at 10:00 a.m. ET on March 25, sharing insights into DSC’s business strategy, growth trajectory, and market opportunities. Management will also participate in one-on-one meetings with investors on March 26. The live webcast of the Company’s presentation will be available at https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/3083/52117, and a replay will be accessible afterward. The presentation will also be available on the company’s website under the “News & Events” tab, https://www.dtst.com/news-events/ir-calendar.

    For more information about the iAccess Alpha Virtual Best Ideas Spring Investment Conference 2025, or to register and schedule a one-on-one meeting with Data Storage Corporation, please visit the conference website at: https://www.iaccessalpha.com/home.

    About Data Storage Corporation
    Data Storage Corporation (Nasdaq: DTST) through its subsidiaries is a leading provider of multi-cloud hosting, fully managed cloud services, disaster recovery, cybersecurity, IT automation, and voice & data solutions. Recognizing that data migration is a critical step in transitioning from on-premises systems to the cloud, DTST provides comprehensive migration services to ensure seamless, secure, and efficient data transfer, minimizing downtime and optimizing performance.

    Through its CloudFirst platform, built on IBM Power Cloud infrastructure, DTST delivers high-performance, scalable, and secure cloud solutions with interoperability across its infrastructure partners, AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.

    With data centers supporting cloud platform deployments across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, DTST provides mission-critical cloud services to a diverse clientele, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, educational institutions, and healthcare organizations.

    As a leader in the multi-billion-dollar cloud hosting and business continuity market, DTST is recognized for its expertise in cloud infrastructure, IT modernization, and data migration, enabling clients to transition to the cloud with confidence and operational continuity.

    For more information, please visit www.dtst.com or follow us on X @DataStorageCorp.

    Safe Harbor Provision

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created thereby. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “projects,” “estimates,” “plans” and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “should,” “would,” “may” and “could” are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts, although not all forward-looking statements include the foregoing. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations and assumptions from those set forth or implied by any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include the Company’s ability to grow its presence in Europe. These risks should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read together with the other cautionary statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was initially made. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.

    Contact:
    Crescendo Communications, LLC
    212-671-1020
    DTST@crescendo-ir.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: NordProtect becomes a stand-alone service and includes online fraud coverage

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NordVPN’s identity theft protection solution, NordProtect, is now available as a stand-alone service and offers protection against a broader range of cyber incidents.

    LONDON, March 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NordProtect, an identity theft protection service created by NordVPN, is now available to users in the United States as a stand-alone product. This will allow users to benefit from identity theft protection without purchasing a NordVPN Prime plan, as they have until now.

    In addition, NordProtect now includes online fraud coverage, which provides support for victims of a variety of online scams or fraud. This coverage compensates users for financial losses incurred through various online scams and criminal activities, such as romance scams, marketplace fraud, QR code scams, fraudulent credit card charges, and many other prevalent tactics used to swindle money today.

    “Criminals are constantly finding new ways to extort money from people, and our mission is to provide relevant and reliable tools to protect internet users. Online fraud is rapidly growing, with numerous variations leading to significant financial losses. To address this, we’ve expanded our existing services, which now include better monitoring of personally identifiable information as well as reimbursement for certain online fraud incidents, ensuring our customers receive support when they need it most,” says Tomas Sinicki, managing director of NordProtect.

    NordProtect customers may be eligible for a reimbursement of up to $10,000, excluding investment scams. After the latest improvements, NordProtect customers now enjoy a comprehensive range of ID monitoring services and are insured from a number of ID theft, cyber extortion and online fraud incidents

    With identity recovery and restoration, victims of identity theft can be reimbursed up to $1M for expenses incurred in restoring their identity, such as legal costs or lost wages. NordProtect connects victims with an identity restoration case manager to help them recover from identity theft. NordProtect’s cyber extortion protection offers $50,000 to cover expert assistance and payments in response to cyber threats to delete or release victims’ information or restrict access to their data or smart devices.

    Secure credit monitoring ensures that customers receive an individual monthly credit score and are notified about any suspicious credit activity. 24/7 dark web monitoring alerts if information associated with a customer’s email address, phone numbers, SSNs, or other identity assets have been leaked.

    Currently, NordProtect is available only to users in the United States. For customers in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, France, Sweden, Germany, and Italy, NordVPN offers cyber insurance benefits as part of its service bundles. These benefits include scam loss recovery and online shopping fraud recovery.

    About NordProtect

    NordProtect is a comprehensive identity theft protection service designed to keep users’ identity safe. With features like 24/7 dark web monitoring, credit activity tracking and security alerts, users can stay informed about potential threats and take action to protect themselves right away. Additionally, NordProtect helps users to get financial help and expert support if they fall victim to identity theft, cyber extortion or online fraud. For more information: www.nordprotect.com

    More information: egidijus@nordsec.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: AGNICO EAGLE ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT IN CARTIER RESOURCES INC.

    Source: Agnico Eagle Mines

    Stock Symbol:  AEM (NYSE and TSX)

    TORONTO, March 20, 2025 /CNW/ – Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE: AEM) (TSX: AEM) (“Agnico Eagle”) announced today that it has agreed to subscribe for 20,770,000 units (“Units”) of Cartier Resources Inc. (“Cartier”) in a non-brokered private placement at a price of C$0.13 per Unit for total consideration of C$2,700,100 (the “Private Placement”). Each Unit is comprised of one common share of Cartier (a “Common Share”) and one common share purchase warrant of Cartier (each, an “Offering Warrant”). Each Offering Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one Common Share at a price of C$0.18 for a period of five years following the closing date of the Private Placement, subject to acceleration in certain circumstances. Closing is expected to occur on or about April 10, 2025 and is subject to certain conditions.

    Agnico Eagle currently owns, or exercises control and direction over, an aggregate of 97,022,944 Common Shares and 7,000,000 Common Share purchase warrants entitling Agnico Eagle to acquire 7,000,000 Common Shares (the “Existing Warrants”), representing approximately 26.6% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on an undiluted basis and 28.0% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a partially-diluted basis (assuming the exercise of the Existing Warrants). On closing of the Private Placement, assuming that 39,432,000 Common Shares are issued by Cartier in connection with the concurrent “best efforts” private placement offering announced by Cartier, Agnico Eagle will own 117,792,944 Common Shares, 20,770,000 Offering Warrants and 7,000,000 Existing Warrants, representing approximately 27.7% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on an undiluted basis and approximately 32.2% of the Common Shares on a partially-diluted basis (assuming the exercise of the Existing Warrants and Offering Warrants held by Agnico Eagle).

    Agnico Eagle and Cartier were party to an amended and restated investor rights agreement dated May 20, 2022 (the “Existing Agnico IRA”), pursuant to which Agnico Eagle was entitled to certain rights (subject to maintaining certain ownership thresholds), including: (a) the right to participate in certain equity financings by Cartier in order to acquire up to a 19.97% ownership interest in Cartier; and (b) the right to nominate one person (and in the case of an increase in the size of the board of directors of Cartier to 10 or more directors, two persons) to the board of directors of Cartier. In addition, Agnico Eagle Abitibi Acquisition Corp. (successor to O3 Mining Inc.), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Agnico Eagle, and Cartier were party to an investor rights agreement dated April 21, 2022 (the “Existing O3 IRA”), pursuant to which Agnico Eagle Abitibi Acquisition Corp. was entitled to certain rights (subject to maintaining certain ownership thresholds), including: (i) the right to participate in certain equity financings by Cartier in order to maintain its then-current ownership interest in Cartier; and (ii) the right to nominate one person to the board of directors of Cartier.

    Immediately prior to entering into the subscription agreement in respect of the Private Placement, the Existing O3 IRA was terminated and the Existing Agnico IRA was amended and restated in order to, among other things: (a) increase the ownership interest ceiling in the participation right and top-up right from 19.97% to the greater of Agnico Eagle’s pro rata ownership interest in Cartier at the applicable time and 32%; (b) amend the nomination right to permit Agnico Eagle to nominate between one and three individuals to the board of directors of Cartier (based on certain ownership thresholds and the size of the board of directors of Cartier); and (c) grant Agnico Eagle demand registration and piggy-back registration rights in respect of the potential sale of Common Shares by Agnico Eagle.

    Agnico Eagle is acquiring the Common Shares and Offering Warrants for investment purposes. Depending on market conditions and other factors, Agnico Eagle may, from time to time, acquire additional Common Shares, common share purchase warrants or other securities of Cartier or dispose of some or all of the Common Shares, Offering Warrants, Existing Warrants or other securities of Cartier it owns at such time.

    An early warning report will be filed by Agnico Eagle in accordance with applicable securities laws. To obtain a copy of the early warning report, please contact:

    Agnico Eagle Mines Limited
    c/o Investor Relations
    145 King Street East, Suite 400
    Toronto, Ontario M5C 2Y7
    Telephone: 416-947-1212
    Email: investor.relations@agnicoeagle.com

    Agnico Eagle’s head office is located at 145 King Street East, Suite 400, Toronto, Ontario M5C 2Y7. Cartier’s head office is located at 1740, chemin Sullivan, bureau 1000, Val d’Or, Québec J9P 7H1.

    About Agnico Eagle

    Agnico Eagle is a Canadian based and led senior gold mining company and the third largest gold producer in the world, producing precious metals from operations in Canada, Australia, Finland and Mexico, with a pipeline of high-quality exploration and development projects. Agnico Eagle is a partner of choice within the mining industry, recognized globally for its leading sustainability practices. Agnico Eagle was founded in 1957 and has consistently created value for its shareholders, declaring a cash dividend every year since 1983.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    The information in this news release has been prepared as at March 20, 2025. Certain statements in this news release, referred to herein as “forward-looking statements”, constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and “forward-looking information” under the provisions of Canadian provincial securities laws. These statements can be identified by the use of words such as “may”, “will” or similar terms.

    Forward-looking statements in this news release include, without limitation, statements relating to the expected closing of the Private Placement (including the expected closing date), Agnico Eagle’s ownership interest in Cartier upon closing of the Private Placement and Agnico Eagle’s acquisition or disposition of securities of Cartier in the future.

    Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Agnico Eagle as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, known and unknown, could cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Other than as required by law, Agnico Eagle does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements.

    View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/agnico-eagle-announces-additional-investment-in-cartier-resources-inc-302406980.html

    SOURCE Agnico Eagle Mines Limited

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Green Party announces new CEO in “pivotal year for Green politics”

    Source: Green Party of England and Wales

    The Green Party of England and Wales has today announced the appointment of Harriet Lamb as the party’s new CEO. Harriet joins from the global environmental action NGO ‘WRAP’ where she currently serves as their CEO.  

    The announcement comes just weeks before “pivotal” local elections where the party hopes to build on its record-breaking number of councillors and maintain momentum after last year’s record-breaking result in the General Election.  

    From June, as CEO, Harriet will head up the party’s staff team and its day-to-day operations. 

    Welcoming Harriet to the role, Green Party Co-Leader, Adrian Ramsay MP, said,  

    “I am delighted to welcome Harriet to the Green Party. She brings a wealth of experience leading and scaling up organisations centred on bringing about environmental and social justice. She evidently has the experience and passion to play a central role in growing our party and our impact towards our core mission.   

    He continued, “The Green Party is on a roll. In the last few years we have quadrupled our number of councillors, entering administration on over 40 councils, and last year we saw a record General Election vote. With two party politics having broken down and people looking for alternatives, the Green Party’s positive vision for a fair, liveable future is needed more than ever. I look forward to working closely with Harriet in driving the party’s growth and impact to the next level.”  

    Commenting, Harriet Lamb said, 

    “I am super excited to be joining the Green Party and I am really looking forward to helping deliver the Party’s ambitious plans. I have spent my life working for charities driving social and environmental change – to end low pay, support refugees, nurturing peace in conflict-ridden countries, create the circular economy and most notably building the Fairtrade movement in the UK and globally – all values and issues dear to the Green Party and its agenda for positive change.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Middle East: Foreign Secretary statement, 20 March 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Oral statement to Parliament

    Middle East: Foreign Secretary statement, 20 March 2025

    The Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, has provided an update to the House of Commons on the conflict in Gaza.

    With permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will make a statement about the conflict in Gaza.

    In January, I outlined to the House the deal agreed between Israel and Hamas. It was a moment of huge hope and relief.

    In the weeks that followed, hostages cruelly detained by Hamas were reunited with their families and aid blocked by Israel finally flooded into Gaza. A path out of this horrendous conflict appeared open.

    It is therefore a matter of deep regret to have to update the House today on a breakdown of that ceasefire and yet more bloodshed in Gaza.

    On the night of 18 March, Israel launched airstrikes across Gaza. A number of Hamas figures were reportedly killed.

    But it has been reported that over 400 Palestinians were killed in missile strikes and artillery barrages, the majority of them women and children.

    This appears to have been the deadliest single day for Palestinians since the war began. This is an appalling loss of life and we mourn the loss of every civilian.

    Yesterday morning, a UN compound in Gaza was hit. I can confirm to the House that a British National was amongst the wounded. Our priority is supporting them and their family at this time.

    Gaza has been the most dangerous place in the world to be an aid worker.

    I share the outrage of UN Secretary-General Guterres at this incident. The Government calls for a transparent investigation and for those responsible to be held to account.

    The UK is now working closely with partners such as France and Germany, to send a clear message.

    We strongly oppose Israel’s resumption of hostilities. We urgently want to see a return to a ceasefire. More bloodshed is in no-one’s interest. Hamas must release all the hostages and negotiations must resume.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, diplomacy is the only way to achieve security for both Israelis and Palestinians.

    The House will know that the ceasefire in Gaza had lasted for almost two months, the result of dogged efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the United States.

    The deal reached in January saw the nightmare of captivity end for 30 hostages and the bodies of 8 further victims of Hamas returned to their loved ones.

    We all remember the joy of seeing Emily Damari reunited with her mother and family, and the desperately-needed aid had begun to flow back into Gaza – food, medicines, fuel and tents.

    Children in Gaza had respite from relentless fear. The severely injured could cross the border again for treatment. Palestinians had begun to return to their homes and consider how to rebuild their lives.

    In the first days of the ceasefire, the UK moved swiftly to invest in the peace.

    We released £17m in additional emergency humanitarian funding for the promised surge in aid, bringing our total support this year for Palestinians across the region to £129m.

    We accelerated work on the pathway to reconstruction, supporting our Arab partners’ very welcome recent initiative.

    We worked at every level to support negotiations for a permanent ceasefire and the return of every single hostage and backed an extension to phase one of the current deal.

    But negotiations have been gridlocked for several weeks.

    Hamas has been resisting calls for the release of further hostages in return for a longer truce and Israeli forces did not begin to withdraw from the Philadelphi corridor as agreed.

    On 2 March, the Israeli government announced it was blocking all further aid deliveries until Hamas agreed to its terms.

    For weeks now, supplies of basic goods and electricity have been blocked, leaving over half a million civilians once again cut off from clean drinking water and sparking a 200% surge in the price of some basic foodstuffs – a boon to those criminals who use violence to control supplies.

    As I told the House on Monday, this is appalling and unacceptable.

    Ultimately, of course, these are matters for the courts, not governments, to determine but it’s difficult to see how denying humanitarian assistance to a civilian population can be compatible with international humanitarian law.

    Though it’s important to say I could have been a little clearer in the House on Monday, our position remains that Israel’s actions in Gaza are at clear risk of breaching international humanitarian law.

    The consequences of the ceasefire’s breakdown, Madam Deputy Speaker, are catastrophic.

    For the family and friends of the remaining 59 hostages, including Avinatan Or, the agony goes on.

    Hamas’ kidnapping of these people, their treatment of them in captivity, the cruel theatre of their release, depriving them of food and basic rights, these are acts of despicable cruelty.

    Hamas must release them all now.

    And Palestinian civilians, who have already endured so much, now must fear a rerun and a return to days of death, deprivation and destruction. 

    Civilians have once again been issued with evacuation orders by Israel.

    Only 4% of the UN Flash Appeal is funded – not even enough to get through to the end of this month.

    Health centres have had to close, even as the devastated Gazan health service has to treat another surge of those wounded in strikes.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, Hamas can have no role in Gaza’s future.

    A collapsed ceasefire will not bring the hostages home to their families.

    An endless conflict will not bring long term security to Israel. 

    And a deepening war will only set back the cause of regional normalisation and risk further instability – shortly after the Houthis resumed their unacceptable threats to shipping in the Red Sea.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, since the renewed outbreak of hostilities, I have spoken to Secretary Rubio, to EU High Representative Kallas, to UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher. And I will shortly speak to my Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa’ar and Palestinian Prime Minister Mustafa.

    We and our partners need to persuade the parties that this conflict cannot be resolved by military means.

    We want Israel and Hamas to re-engage with negotiations.

    We continue to condemn Hamas, of course, for their actions on October 7th, their refusal to release the hostages, and their ongoing threat to Israel.

    But we are also resolute in calling on Israel to abide by international law and to lift the unacceptable restrictions on aid and demand the protection of civilians.

    Many months ago, only weeks into office, I concluded that there was a clear risk of Israel breaching international humanitarian law in Gaza.

    It was this risk that I first set out to this House in September which meant that the Government suspended relevant export licences for items for use by the IDF in military operations in Gaza.

    The actions of the last three weeks only reinforce that conclusion.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, in the days and weeks ahead, we will redouble our efforts to restore a ceasefire.

    But we will also continue to work with our partners on the security, governance and reconstruction arrangements. Those issues are not going away.

    There remains no military solution to this conflict. A two-state solution remains the only path to a just and lasting peace.

    At this dispatch box in January, I called the ceasefire deal a glimmer of light in the darkness. It feels like the darkness has returned.

    Former British hostage Emily Damari said the resumption of fighting left her heart “broken, crushed and disappointed”. I am sure she speaks for the whole House.

    But we must preserve hope. For the sake of the remaining hostages and their loved ones, for the people of Gaza, for the future of two peoples that have suffered so much for so long, we will keep striving for a return to the path of peace.

    I commend this statement to the House.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australia’s PBS means consumers pay less for expensive medicines. Here’s how this system works

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bonny Parkinson, Associate Professor, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University

    The United States pharmaceutical lobby has complained to US President Donald Trump that Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is damaging their profits and has urged Trump to put tariffs on pharmaceutical imports from Australia.

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended the scheme, saying Australia’s pharmaceutical subsidy scheme was “not up for negotiation”. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said he would also protect the PBS, which was the “envy of the world”.

    But what exactly is the PBS, and why does it matter?

    How did the PBS start?

    In the early 1900s, Australians had to pay for medicines out-of-pocket. Some could get free or cheap medicines at public hospitals or through Friendly Society Dispensaries, but otherwise access was restricted to those who could afford to pay.

    At the time, few effective medicines were available. But the development of insulin and penicillin in the 1920s made access to medicines much more important.

    The Constitution gave the federal government limited powers in the provision of health and welfare, which were largely the responsibility of the states. After World War II, the federal government wanted to expand these powers but it encountered several constitutional roadblocks.

    A rare successful referendum in 1946 changed that, enabling the National Health Act 1953 to pass. This established the PBS as we know it today.

    How does the PBS work in practice?

    The PBS covers the cost of medicines prescribed by doctors. Most are dispensed at community pharmacies (such as treatments for heart disease, the pill and antibiotics), but some more expensive ones are available at public hospitals or specialist treatment centres (such as chemotherapies and IVF medicines).

    In 2023–24 there were 930 different medicines and 5,164 brands listed on the PBS, costing the government $17.7 billion.

    The government negotiates the price of each medicine with the pharmaceutical company. Pharmacies then buy these medicines from wholesalers or companies.

    When a patient fills a prescription at a pharmacy, they pay a co-payment. The government pays the difference between the agreed price and the co-payment to the pharmacy – costs that may amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

    There are two co-payments: one for concession card holders ($7.70) and one for the general consumer ($31.60). When a patient hits the annual spending limit (safety net threshold), the co-payment falls to $0 for concession patients and $7.70 for the general consumer.

    Overall, patients contribute 8.4% to the total cost of the PBS, while the government pays the rest.

    How are medicine prices set?

    The PBS is split into two categories:

    – F1: new, patent-protected medicines with no competition

    – F2: medicines with multiple brands, including generics.

    F1 medicines

    To be listed on the PBS, a new medicine goes through the following process:

    1. It’s evaluated for safety, efficacy and quality.

    2. A panel of experts (including doctors, pharmacists, epidemiologists, health economists, health consumer advocates and a pharmaceutical industry representative) recommends which medicines should be listed on the PBS, based on effectiveness, safety, cost-effectiveness and the total cost on the budget of the medicine versus alternative treatments.

    3. If the panel recommends a medicine, the price and details of the listing may be further negotiated with the government. (If the panel rejects a medicine, companies may revise their application and re-submit.)

    4. Finally, the health minister, and subsequently the Cabinet, formally approves or rejects the panel’s recommendation. If approved, the medicine is listed on the PBS.

    F2 medicines

    Generic medicine companies may apply to list another brand on the PBS after a medicine loses patent protection. When this happens, the medicine moves from F1 to F2. Immediately, it incurs a mandatory price discount.

    Generic medicine companies may offer pharmacists discounts on the PBS list price (for example, ten for the price of nine). Pharmacists then encourage patients to switch to the cheaper medicine.

    Companies must disclose these discounts to the government, resulting in further price reductions.

    Is the PBS system unique?

    Australia is not special. Many countries use similar assessments to determine whether governments should subsidise new medicines, including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the United Kingdom, Canada’s Drug Agency, and Pharmac in New Zealand.

    Small differences exist, including whether the list of medicines is a positive (and they’re subsidised) or negative (meaning they’re not subsidised), whether the lists are established at the central level (such as the PBS in Australia) or local level (such as by province in Canada) or a mixture, and how co-payments are set.

    Generic medicine companies in Australia may offer pharmacists discounts on their products.
    National Cancer Institute/Unsplash

    The biggest outlier is the US. Similar to its health system, the medicines system is a complex and decentralised mix of public and private organisations, including government agencies, independent organisations, health-care providers and payers such as health insurers.

    What are the benefits of the PBS?

    The PBS ensures all Australian patients have access to highly effective medicines. This contributes to a high life expectancy, while keeping health-care costs low relative to other developed countries.

    This has been achieved by keeping prices down for both F1 and F2 medicines. By doing so, it creates room in the government budget to fund other new medicines.

    Without the PBS, either taxes or co-payments would have to increase, or fewer medicines funded.

    Other benefits include having a level playing field for all medicines, while maintaining flexibility to fund highly effective medicines for patients with unmet needs.

    What are the drawbacks of the PBS system?

    No system is without its drawbacks and risks. The PBS’s drawbacks include:

    • limited patient involvement in the process
    • the high frequency of re-submissions and delays to PBS listing
    • companies being unwilling to submit off-patent medicines for PBS listing due to high costs and low rewards
    • the ongoing lack of high-quality clinical evidence about medicines to treat rare diseases and certain patient populations, such as children.

    Another issue is medicine shortages. When PBS-listed brands aren’t available due to supply chain issues, other non-PBS listed brands may be available at full cost to the patient. Increased medicine costs can discourage patients from filling necessary prescriptions, which can have longer-term impacts on health and health expenditure.

    Finally, companies have argued Australia’s small market size plus low PBS prices can make it financially unviable to bring new medicines to Australia.

    The PBS is a crucial part of Australia’s health system, making essential medicines affordable, while keeping costs down. Like any system, it has its challenges and there is ongoing debate about whether and how the system should change.



    Read more:
    Will the US trade war push up the price of medicines in Australia? Will there be drug shortages?

    Bonny Parkinson receives funding from the Australian government to conduct evaluations of medicines to be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. She also supervises students funded by PhD scholarships (received by the student, not Bonny Parkinson), including the Macquarie University Research Excellence Scholarship and Macquarie University Australian Pharmaceutical Scholarship, with support from six pharmaceutical companies: Amgen Australia, Janssen Australia, MSD Australia, Pfizer Australia, Roche Australia, and Abbvie Australia.

    – ref. Australia’s PBS means consumers pay less for expensive medicines. Here’s how this system works – https://theconversation.com/australias-pbs-means-consumers-pay-less-for-expensive-medicines-heres-how-this-system-works-252736

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: VATICAN – Cardinal Tagle consecrates Bishops Sangalli and Sarrió Cucarella: Like Saint Joseph, be ‘silent’ heralds of the Word of God

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Wednesday, 19 March 2025

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – Bishops are called to be “silent” heralds of the Word of God. They do their work well when, without being protagonists, they become humble “guardians of the active presence of God in his Church”. And if their projects do not progress, it is better to “sleep” like Saint Joseph and “dream the dreams of God,” said Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle in an address to Samuele Sangalli and Diego Ramón Sarrió Cucarella during the liturgy of their episcopal ordination in the Vatican Basilica on the afternoon of March 19, the Solemnity of Saint Joseph.Samuele Sangalli, Adjunct Secretary and Head of the Administration of the Dicastery for Evangelization (Section for First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches), was appointed Archbishop and Titular Bishop of Zella by Pope Francis on February 6 (see Fides, 6/2/2025). Diego Ramn Sarrió Cucarella, former President of the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI), of the Missionaries of Africa, was appointed by the Pope as the new Bishop of Laghouat, Algeria, on January 25.More than 30 bishops and Cardinals participated in the solemn ordination liturgy at the main Altar in St. Peter’s Basilica. Cardinal Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Missions and Principal Consecrator, had as co-consecrators Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio of Lombardy and Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization (Department for First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches).On the Solemnity of Saint Joseph and exactly 12 years after the solemn inauguration of Pope Francis’s Petrine Ministry (“for whose complete recovery we pray”), Cardinal Tagle turned his attention to the Spouse of Mary in his homily to offer the two new bishops valuable inspiration for their new journey as Successors of the Apostles. According to the Second Vatican Council, they are called “to care for the flock of which they are shepherds in God’s place, as teachers of doctrine, priests of worship, and ministers of the government of the Church”, and “to be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with the blood of his own Son,” as Saint Paul says. “Beautiful teachings,” remarked the Filipino Cardinal, “which make even bishops tremble. How can a bishop live up to such a great responsibility? Surely only by the grace of God.””Saint Joseph too,” Cardinal Tagle emphasized, “accepted God’s call in faith.” Faith “is the source of Joseph’s courage and creativity, who always subordinates his project to God’s, even when it is incomprehensible and uncomfortable.” Similarly, the ordained ministry of priests and bishops must be “rooted in a response of faith in God and exercised as a response of faith.” Often, Cardinal Tagle noted, “we plan and expect God to carry out our plans.” In reality, however, “we are not the planners, and God is not the executor of our plans.” And “if your vision and your plans do not seem to be moving forward,” he added, addressing the new Bishops, “sleep like Saint Joseph.” For “when we sleep, we are vulnerable, have less control, and are therefore more receptive and open. Sleep and dream the dreams of God. Wake up to realize the dreams of God with obedience and zeal.”Saint Joseph, according to the Pro-Prefect of the Missionary Dicastery, is also considered a “silent saint.” Not a single word of his is recorded in the Gospels. Nevertheless, “he accompanies, nurtures, and preserves the Word of God, made flesh in Mary’s womb, the most important Word.” And “every thought, every heartbeat, and every action of Joseph speaks of one Word: Jesus. It is the only thing that matters. His own words pale before the greatest Word. He can remain silent.” Following in the footsteps of Saint Joseph, “deacons, priests, and bishops must also remain ‘silent’ when proclaiming the Word of God.” For “it is not our word that counts and must be preserved for posterity, but the Word of God.” And “if our thoughts, plans, decisions, and actions do not speak of Jesus, we could be “like resounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”Furthermore, Saint Joseph is “a reliable guardian of Jesus.” And while carrying out his mission to guard the Son of God, “Joseph knows that Jesus belongs to his Father’s house. Joseph’s house in Nazareth has value only if it remains a shadow of the Father’s house, from which he must draw light.” Along these same lines, Cardinal Tagle noted: “Deacons, priests, and bishops are also called to be guardians of God’s active presence in his Church.” Because “bishops are not substitutes for the eternally living God nor competitors of the Redeemer.” And like Saint Joseph, they are called to be “authentic signs of God’s presence in the Church” with a “discreet visibility of the shadow that depends on the light.”Precisely, imitating the “sober and essential style of Saint Joseph,” at the end of the solemn liturgy, Archbishop Sangalli read a few simple “words of thanks.” They were addressed primarily to the “Providence of God, which has granted this afternoon full of grace” and to Pope Francis, “who has called us to be bishops and to whom we renew our affection and our prayers for a complete recovery as Head of the Church.”The new bishop’s thanks were also directed to the three consecrators, “who truly express the universality of the Church, and to all the other concelebrating cardinals and bishops, for whose service we were admitted to the College of Bishops through the gift of the ‘Spiritus principalis,’ the Spirit who governs and guides the Church.” This Spirit, Archbishop Sangalli added, “I received from the Church” and “from the good example of my dear parents, who today are already in eternal Life.” Finally, the new Archbishop’s thanks also went to the “brothers and family members who have accompanied, supported, and encouraged my journey,” as well as to the clergy and “the Ambrosian people of Lecco and the Seminary of Milan, with my former companions.”Archbishop Sangalli also thanked “the communities and associations I served, not least the Sinderesi Foundation,” as well as the academic communities of the Pontifical Gregorian University and the various universities where Sangalli was a student and professor.The gratitude of the new Archbishop was also expressed towards the Dicastery of Bishops, where Sangalli served for 20 years and lived “in contact with the vibrant heartbeat of the building of the local Churches and the election of their pastors.” The new Archbishop’s final words of thanks went to “the great family of the Dicastery for Evangelization, which opens the whole world to the richness of different traditions and cultures, each capable of sharing and transmitting the Gospel in its own singular way.” (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 19/3/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UN Human Rights Council 58: UK Statement for the General Debate Under Agenda Item 4

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    UN Human Rights Council 58: UK Statement for the General Debate Under Agenda Item 4

    UK Statement for the General Debate Under Agenda Item 4. Delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, Simon Manley.

    Thank you, Mr Vice President,

    Just yesterday, we heard in this hall the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine conclude, for the first time, that enforced disappearances committed by Russia amount to a crime against humanity. And that Russian authorities arbitrarily detain civilians, torture and execute prisoners of war and civilians, steal and indoctrinate Ukrainian children. There must be accountability and a just and lasting peace that ensures Ukraine’s sovereignty and security.

    China continues to persecute and arbitrarily detain Uyghurs, Tibetans, activists, lawyers and journalists like Sophia Huang. In Hong Kong, the sentencing of 45 activists and former politicians under the Beijing-imposed National Security Law, and the ongoing prosecution of Jimmy Lai, underline how rights continue to be eroded. Once again, we call for their release. 

    In Iran, women, girls and minorities face sustained repression. Freedom of expression is curtailed, journalists silenced. Executions have reached appalling levels. 

    Finally, we urge all parties to return to the Gaza ceasefire talks. All hostages must be released. Aid must restart. The recent civilian casualties are appalling. Our thoughts are also with the victims and families of those killed and injured in the UN compound yesterday. The Israeli and Palestinian people deserve a peaceful and secure future based on a two-state solution.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: TRA initiates transition review into glass fibre from Egypt

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    TRA initiates transition review into glass fibre from Egypt

    The TRA has initiated a transition review of a countervailing measure on imports of Continuous Glass Fibre from Egypt.

    The TRA has initiated a transition review of a countervailing measure on imports of Continuous Glass Fibre from Egypt.

    The TRA will be reviewing the measure transitioned from the EU to determine whether it is still suitable for the UK’s needs. This measure is due to expire on 26 June 2025.

    Glass fibres are used in the creation of wind turbine blades and in such industries as transport (automotive, marine, aerospace), building and construction and electric/electronics, as well as the manufacturing of various consumer goods.

    Last year, the UK imported around 27 million kg of continuous glass fibre, with products from Egypt accounting for around 10% of that volume.

    Businesses that may be affected by this measure can register their interest through our public file by 2 April 2025. Interested parties that register after this date may not be able to participate fully in the review.

    Notes to editors

    • The Trade Remedies Authority is the UK body that investigates whether new trade remedy measures are needed to counter unfair import practices and unforeseen surges of imports.
    • Trade remedy investigations were carried out by the EU Commission on the UK’s behalf until the UK left the EU. A number of EU trade remedy measures of interest to UK producers were transitioned into UK law when the UK left the EU and the TRA has been reviewing these to assess whether they are suitable for UK needs.
    • The goods to be reviewed are described as:
      • chopped glass fibre strands, of a length of not more than 50mm, or
      • glass fibre rovings, excluding glass fibre rovings which are impregnated and coated and have a loss on ignition of more than 3% (as determined by the ISO Standard 1887).

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Manchester tech companies shut down for suspected monthly direct debit scam

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Manchester tech companies shut down for suspected monthly direct debit scam

    Consumers appeared to be signed up for monthly payments without their consent

    • Concerns were raised that tech companies Affinity Technology Solutions Limited and RCSR Tech Limited were operating a direct debit scam 

    • Monthly payments of around £30 were made without customers’ knowledge or permission, complainants said 

    • Both companies have now been shut down in court following investigations by the Insolvency Service 

    Two connected tech companies which claimed to protect people online and enhance their social media image have been shut down following concerns they were running a direct debit scam.  

    Manchester-based companies Affinity Technology Solutions Limited and RCSR Tech Limited were both wound-up at the High Court in Manchester on Tuesday 18 March. 

    Affinity claimed to offer a service called IDSafeGuard which protected their customers’ online identity.  

    RCSR claimed to provide a service called ReportCurve which it said boosted a person’s online and social media footprint, making them more attractive to would-be employers and improving their eligibility for financial products. 

    However, individuals reported that they had monthly subscription fees of around £29.99 removed from their bank accounts for services they had never subscribed to. 

    The unwanted subscription services appeared to have been set up as part of an online loan application through an affiliated marketing company’s website. 

    Complaints were also made that the two companies would not cancel the unwanted subscriptions or offer refunds to customers. 

    David Usher, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: 

    Numerous complaints were made that Affinity and RCSR were tricking consumers into monthly subscriptions for products they did not want or were entirely unaware of. 

    Indeed, from our investigations, it is not clear that either company provided any of the services to their unwitting customers. 

    Both Affinity and RSCR completely failed to co-operate with our investigations, leaving us with no option but to take this robust action to stop the companies from trading in the future and protect the public from further financial harm.

    Affinity and RCSR were incorporated within two days of each other in February 2020. Both were described on Companies House as providing business and domestic software development. 

    Insolvency Service investigations concluded that the companies were linked through the same controlling force who was not listed as the official director. The registered office for both companies was also the same address on Wilmslow Road in south Manchester. 

    Investigators contacted the official directors of both Affinity and RSCR as well as the individual believed to be in actual control of the companies. All of them failed to comply with the investigation. 

    Both companies also failed to file accounts at Companies House as they were required to do. 

    The Official Receiver has been appointed as liquidator of Affinity Technology Solutions Limited and RCSR Tech Limited. 

    All enquiries concerning the affairs of both companies should be made to the Official Receiver of the Public Interest Unit: 16th Floor, 1 Westfield Avenue, Stratford, London, E20 1HZ. Email: piu.or@insolvency.gov.uk. 

    Affinity is not linked to a number of companies with similar names. 

    Further information 

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: A new Greater Norwich Council gets official endorsement as one of Norfolk’s three unitary councils

    Source: City of Norwich

    Local residents will soon be invited to give their views on proposals being submitted to Government to create three new unitary councils to cover Norfolk.

    This proposal would see the current eight local councils across the county replaced with three larger ones – ensuring residents continue to get all their vital local services delivered locally by those who know their own communities better than anyone else.

    Two reports endorsing a three-unitary model – one being a Greater Norwich Council – were last night given formal backing by the city council’s decision making body, cabinet.

    As a result, the proposals for how local councils should be structured in Norwich and the wider county will be submitted to the Government tomorrow (Friday 21 March).

    Mike Stonard, leader of Norwich City Council, said: “Greater Norwich is unique within Norfolk. It is the economic and cultural capital of the region and it drives growth.

    “These are just two of the reasons why a Greater Norwich Council needs its own single unitary council – a place where people who live and work here, who understand the city, and who really know their local communities, can represent the best interests of their residents.

    “Over the past few months, we have worked closely with our district council colleagues to shape a vision that isn’t just about structures and governance. Instead, it is about how we deliver for the people and businesses of our city, and wider county, as well as how we secure Norwich’s place at the heart of regional and national growth.”

    This work led independent experts, Deloitte, to confirm that a three-unitary model for Norfolk is the strongest option – with a Greater Norwich Council being one of the three unitary councils for our county.

    Deloitte’s three-unitary option scored the best because it:

    • Is firmly rooted in an understanding of the places of Norfolk, in that it reflects and prioritises the three main historic urban centres (Norwich, Great Yarmouth and King’s Lynn) which act as the main civic and economic hubs for Norfolk
    • Will drive the delivery of improved outcomes for the people of Norfolk
    • Creates a singular focus for Norwich as the economic driving force and powerhouse of Norfolk
    • Creates more opportunity for delivering economic growth
    • Ensures areas will have appropriate place identities
    • Is based on local relationships between existing districts with a track record of successful collaboration and delivering highly effective, cost effective services
    • Provides a strong base for devolution alongside a Norfolk and Suffolk Strategic Authority
    • Better maintains effective local engagement due to the number of smaller authorities which can build on highly successful methods of community and stakeholder engagement employed by each of the districts.

    The city council will continue to develop the three-unitary model, including a Greater Norwich Council, for final submission to the Government on 26 September 2025. This will include a full business case and fully worked up boundaries.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Energy Security & Critical Infrastructure Protection Conference

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    World news story

    Energy Security & Critical Infrastructure Protection Conference

    Experts from Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria and the UK met in Athens to discuss energy security and how to best protect critical national Infrastructure.

    Last month, British Embassy Athens, British Embassy Sofia and British High Commission Nicosia, in collaboration with the Office of the Greek National Security Advisor, organized a two-day conference (February 24-25, 2025) that focused on energy security and the protection of critical national infrastructure, held at the Security Studies Centre of the Ministry of Citizen Protection.

    Εxperts from ministries, other state authorities and the energy sector from Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria and the UK exchanged views, as well as best practices, related to legal and operational challenges, criticality assessments, critical maritime and subsea infrastructure, resilience policy, incident response, interoperability models, defence strategies and international cooperation.  A cross-government UK delegation from the Cabinet Office, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ministry of Defence and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office shared lessons learned, both domestically and internationally.

    In her address, British Deputy Head of Mission Susan Geary referred to the constantly changing security environment and welcomed regional efforts to transform the Eastern Mediterranean into an energy hub that contributes to EU and NATO resilience by diversifying energy supply routes:

    Protecting Critical National Infrastructure is a complex endeavour that requires cross-government coordination. Both the public and private sectors have a role to play in assessing the criticality of infrastructure, identifying cross-sector dependencies, and developing best practices for managing vulnerabilities to common risks. Having the right structures, protocols and capabilities in place is vital.

    In his address, National Security Advisor Dr. Thanos Dokos noted, among other things:

    Dealing with hybrid threats and protecting our critical infrastructure have become tasks of rapidly increasing importance for our security. And resilience and preparedness are now part of the daily vocabulary of security professionals. As countries in the Eastern Mediterranean start preparing for the protection of underwater and other critical infrastructure, it is important to cooperate with other EU and NATO countries and learn from each other’s experience and expertise.

    Enhancing energy security, mitigating risks and preventing disruptions are key priorities for all involved. Delegates agreed to explore ways to further collaborate going forward.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Islamic State in Somalia: the terrorist group’s origins, rise and recent battlefield defeats

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Stig Jarle Hansen, Professor of International Relations, Norwegian University of Life Sciences

    The Islamic State in Somalia is an affiliate of the transnational jihadist group Islamic State, known in short as ISIS. Based in the semi-autonomous northern Somalia territory of Puntland, the terrorist group was the target of the first foreign combat operation of the Trump administration in February 2025. Previously, the group has been linked to planned terror attacks on the Vatican and on the Israeli embassy in Stockholm. Stig Jarle Hansen, a researcher and author of several books on jihadism in Africa, examines its origins, rise and recent battlefield defeats in the mountains of Puntland.

    1. The rise of the Islamic State

    Before the establishment of the Islamic State in Somalia in 2015, the Somali jihadist group al-Shabaab had established itself in the north. The small group had extensive connections to smuggling networks. It later split into two and the future leader of the Islamic State in Somalia, Sheikh Abdulqader Muumin, emerged from one of the splinter groups.

    In Somalia, clans define the relationship between people and all actors in the society. The connections of the new group to the Ali Suleiban sub-clan enabled it to profit from the clan’s links to smuggling and maritime piracy groups.

    Puntland is the hub of communication and maritime trade between Somalia and Yemen, as well as the wider Middle East. Smuggling has gone on in the region for centuries. The rugged terrain is ideal for piracy, illegal smuggling and insurgents.

    Puntland has been more or less autonomous from the rest of Somalia for more than three decades, and the Somali government has little influence there today.

    2. The jihadist behind the Islamic State in Somalia

    Muumin lived in Sweden through the 1990s and early 2000s and later moved to the UK. Back in Somalia, he joined al-Shabaab and became a prominent figure in the group’s jihadist videos. Such videos aim to maintain morals, attract new recruits and create sympathy for the group.

    In 2015, Muumin defected to lead the Islamic State in Somalia. His second-in-command was another Ali Suleiban clansman, Mahad Moalim. In 2016, the first video of the group was circulated through Islamic State media outlets.

    A milestone for the group followed its 2017 suicide bombing of the Juba Hotel in Bosaso, Puntland’s commercial capital and sea port. This enabled the Islamic State in Somalia to pressure Bossaso-based businesses to pay it protection money, the single most important source of income. In 2017-2018, the group is believed to have been behind as many as 50 assassinations in central Somalia. The killings were a forceful tool to generate protection money.

    On 27 July 2018, the Somali group was officially designated as a full province by the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. The Maktab al-Karrar regional office was based in the small Puntland chapter, giving it global responsibilities.

    The Somali group was made responsible for the central African and the Mozambique provinces of the Islamic State. Money flowed to the group from the Islamic State, as did extortion money from Bossaso, other northern Puntland cities and more infrequently from Mogadishu.

    In the first half of 2022, the US Treasury claimed that the organisation generated US$2.3 million from extortion payments, related imports, livestock and agriculture. The regional office and Muumin emerged as key financial players in east Africa, and even outside it, from their base in Buur Dexhtaal in Bari Puntland. Indeed, unnamed US officials claimed in 2023 that Muumim had been made the transnational leader of the Islamic State.

    3. An overblown reputation

    The Islamic State’s reputation in Somalia is often overstated. The group has never captured or held large territories. Its numbers in 2024 were estimated to be between 600 and 1,600. That pales in comparison to al-Shabaab in the south of Somalia.

    Its links to a planned attack on the Israeli embassy in Stockholm 2024 were probably weak and failed to hold up in court. And the jihadist linked to a planned attack in the Vatican 2018 seems to have left Islamic State prior to the planning.

    It is also doubtful that Muumin is the global leader of the Islamic State as claimed by some. That’s for two main reasons. First, an Islamic State leader has to be drawn from a tribe related to the prophet (Qureshi). Muumin is not. Second, the Islamic State in Somalia is the smallest of the Islamic State provinces in Africa. It is likely that a leader of a stronger province would have ranked higher.

    Although the income-gathering capacities of the Puntland-based group give it prominence in the Islamic State media, the Islamic State in Somalia does not rank higher than the Islamic State in the Sahara and Mozambique.

    4. Down but not out

    The Puntland authorities launched a relatively successful counter-offensive against the Islamic State in January 2025. This was combined with air support by the US and the United Arab Emirates.

    Puntland won important battles in January and February, including an attack in which it killed 70 Islamic State fighters.

    By late February, the morale of the Islamic State fighters seemed to break. With the fall of Buur Dexhtaal, the main base, in March, all the larger known bases had fallen. Many of the fleeing foreign fighters were captured.

    But the Islamic State is not defeated. The terrain enabled some of the fighters to hide. Neither Muumin, who is in his 70s, nor his second-in-command Abdirahman Fahiye have been reported killed. There are at least several hundred fighters left.

    If the Islamic State is still able to extort money from the northern business community, it could recruit from the large numbers of Oromo Ethiopian refugees in and around Bosaso, as well as locals who need jobs.

    – Islamic State in Somalia: the terrorist group’s origins, rise and recent battlefield defeats
    – https://theconversation.com/islamic-state-in-somalia-the-terrorist-groups-origins-rise-and-recent-battlefield-defeats-252303

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Public called on to help identify Summer Disorder suspects

    Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council

    A national policing operation is working with the BBC’s Crimewatch Live to help identify those suspected of committing criminal offences during last summer’s disorder. 

    ACC Ian Drummond-Smith of Operation Navette will appear today (Thursday 20 March) to highlight some of the worst cases of criminal behaviour caught on camera during these incidents, and to appeal to the public to help forces locate those involved. Specifically, this edition of the programme will examine incidents that occured in Manchester, Staffordshire, and Bristol.

    Anyone with information about any of these individuals can contact the police via a special crime reporting portal: https://www.police.uk/disorder-appeal. 

    ACC Ian Drummond-Smith of Operation Navette, the national policing response to the summer disorder, previously said:

    “I’m grateful for the support shown by everyone at BBC Crimewatch Live in seeing this appeal come to fruition. We have selected the most violent and serious offences to feature in the program, alongside a larger gallery of wanted people published today on our website. Partnership work like this is a great example of how the public can help us to progress investigations and ensure that offenders face justice.

    “I would urge everyone to watch these episodes of Crimewatch Live, and to carefully explore our website to see if you recognise any of the suspects.  We know some people travelled great distances to take part in the disorder, so I’d urge you to review the images even if there was no disorder in your area.

    “Working with the CPS, and others in the criminal justice system, we are committed to bringing these offenders to justice keep our communities kept safe”.

    Earlier this month, representatives from Operation Navette and policing featured on an episode of Crimewatch Live that kickstarted series 21 of the famous documentary programme. Their segment on that particular episode – which featured suspects from Merseyside, Humberside, Cleveland, and Northumbria – can be watched back here:

    As always, those who wish to remain anonymous can report information via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or give information online.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Islamic State in Somalia: the terrorist group’s origins, rise and recent battlefield defeats

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Stig Jarle Hansen, Professor of International Relations, Norwegian University of Life Sciences

    The Islamic State in Somalia is an affiliate of the transnational jihadist group Islamic State, known in short as ISIS. Based in the semi-autonomous northern Somalia territory of Puntland, the terrorist group was the target of the first foreign combat operation of the Trump administration in February 2025. Previously, the group has been linked to planned terror attacks on the Vatican and on the Israeli embassy in Stockholm. Stig Jarle Hansen, a researcher and author of several books on jihadism in Africa, examines its origins, rise and recent battlefield defeats in the mountains of Puntland.

    1. The rise of the Islamic State

    Before the establishment of the Islamic State in Somalia in 2015, the Somali jihadist group al-Shabaab had established itself in the north. The small group had extensive connections to smuggling networks. It later split into two and the future leader of the Islamic State in Somalia, Sheikh Abdulqader Muumin, emerged from one of the splinter groups.

    In Somalia, clans define the relationship between people and all actors in the society. The connections of the new group to the Ali Suleiban sub-clan enabled it to profit from the clan’s links to smuggling and maritime piracy groups.

    Puntland is the hub of communication and maritime trade between Somalia and Yemen, as well as the wider Middle East. Smuggling has gone on in the region for centuries. The rugged terrain is ideal for piracy, illegal smuggling and insurgents.

    Puntland has been more or less autonomous from the rest of Somalia for more than three decades, and the Somali government has little influence there today.

    2. The jihadist behind the Islamic State in Somalia

    Muumin lived in Sweden through the 1990s and early 2000s and later moved to the UK. Back in Somalia, he joined al-Shabaab and became a prominent figure in the group’s jihadist videos. Such videos aim to maintain morals, attract new recruits and create sympathy for the group.

    In 2015, Muumin defected to lead the Islamic State in Somalia. His second-in-command was another Ali Suleiban clansman, Mahad Moalim. In 2016, the first video of the group was circulated through Islamic State media outlets.

    A milestone for the group followed its 2017 suicide bombing of the Juba Hotel in Bosaso, Puntland’s commercial capital and sea port. This enabled the Islamic State in Somalia to pressure Bossaso-based businesses to pay it protection money, the single most important source of income. In 2017-2018, the group is believed to have been behind as many as 50 assassinations in central Somalia. The killings were a forceful tool to generate protection money.

    On 27 July 2018, the Somali group was officially designated as a full province by the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. The Maktab al-Karrar regional office was based in the small Puntland chapter, giving it global responsibilities.

    The Somali group was made responsible for the central African and the Mozambique provinces of the Islamic State. Money flowed to the group from the Islamic State, as did extortion money from Bossaso, other northern Puntland cities and more infrequently from Mogadishu.

    In the first half of 2022, the US Treasury claimed that the organisation generated US$2.3 million from extortion payments, related imports, livestock and agriculture. The regional office and Muumin emerged as key financial players in east Africa, and even outside it, from their base in Buur Dexhtaal in Bari Puntland. Indeed, unnamed US officials claimed in 2023 that Muumim had been made the transnational leader of the Islamic State.

    3. An overblown reputation

    The Islamic State’s reputation in Somalia is often overstated. The group has never captured or held large territories. Its numbers in 2024 were estimated to be between 600 and 1,600. That pales in comparison to al-Shabaab in the south of Somalia.

    Its links to a planned attack on the Israeli embassy in Stockholm 2024 were probably weak and failed to hold up in court. And the jihadist linked to a planned attack in the Vatican 2018 seems to have left Islamic State prior to the planning.

    It is also doubtful that Muumin is the global leader of the Islamic State as claimed by some. That’s for two main reasons. First, an Islamic State leader has to be drawn from a tribe related to the prophet (Qureshi). Muumin is not. Second, the Islamic State in Somalia is the smallest of the Islamic State provinces in Africa. It is likely that a leader of a stronger province would have ranked higher.

    Although the income-gathering capacities of the Puntland-based group give it prominence in the Islamic State media, the Islamic State in Somalia does not rank higher than the Islamic State in the Sahara and Mozambique.

    4. Down but not out

    The Puntland authorities launched a relatively successful counter-offensive against the Islamic State in January 2025. This was combined with air support by the US and the United Arab Emirates.

    Puntland won important battles in January and February, including an attack in which it killed 70 Islamic State fighters.

    By late February, the morale of the Islamic State fighters seemed to break. With the fall of Buur Dexhtaal, the main base, in March, all the larger known bases had fallen. Many of the fleeing foreign fighters were captured.

    But the Islamic State is not defeated. The terrain enabled some of the fighters to hide. Neither Muumin, who is in his 70s, nor his second-in-command Abdirahman Fahiye have been reported killed. There are at least several hundred fighters left.

    If the Islamic State is still able to extort money from the northern business community, it could recruit from the large numbers of Oromo Ethiopian refugees in and around Bosaso, as well as locals who need jobs.

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

    – ref. Islamic State in Somalia: the terrorist group’s origins, rise and recent battlefield defeats – https://theconversation.com/islamic-state-in-somalia-the-terrorist-groups-origins-rise-and-recent-battlefield-defeats-252303

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Widening access to university education

    Source: Scottish Government

    Rise in students from most deprived areas.

    Access to higher education at university for Scottish students from the most deprived areas has increased to a near record high, official figures have shown.

    The latest Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) figures for 2023-24 show that 16.7% of full-time first degree entrants to Scottish universities came from the nation’s 20% most deprived areas. This marks an increase from 16.3% the previous year.

    The figures also show an increase overall in the number of Scottish-based students at Scottish universities to 173,795, as well as a rise in full-time Scottish first degree entrants.

    However, non-EU international student numbers have seen a decline in 2023-24 following changes by the UK Government to the immigration system, such as ending the inclusion of family members on student visas.

    Minister for Higher and Further Education Graeme Dey said:

    “These figures show the significant progress of Scotland’s universities in making higher education not only more inclusive, but also attracting a rising number of Scots overall.

    “The number of Scots from the most deprived backgrounds entering university on full-time first degree courses is now up 37% since the establishment of the Commission on Widening Access by this Government.

    “This means many more people, no matter their background, have the opportunity to prosper in their lives.

    “We recognise the issues raised by the sector around a decline in international student numbers and damaging UK migration policies which is why we have proposed a ‘Scottish Graduate Visa’ which would allow us to retain international students after they graduate from Scottish institutions.”

    Background

    Higher Education Student Statistics: UK, 2023/24 | HESA

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Intermap’s Insurance Business Starts 2025 With Strong Growth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Year-to-date insurance awards surpass $1.1 million

    Two new strategic partnerships with major insurance customers

    DENVER, March 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Intermap Technologies (TSX: IMP; OTCQB: ITMSF) (“Intermap” or the “Company”), a global leader in 3D geospatial products and intelligence solutions, today announced that its global insurance business is off to a strong start in 2025 with awards surpassing $1.1 million from new client subscriptions and multiple renewals.

    Intermap is pleased to announce a new, large multiyear subscription with a major bank-insurance group operating in five European countries. Serving retail, private banking, SME and mid-cap clients, the group has adopted the latest generation of Intermap’s Aquarius RMA solution for natural hazards and climate change risk quantification. Using AI-powered modeling and continually updated 3D terrain data, the solution delivers precise risk assessments throughout the policy lifecycle—from underwriting to claims adjustment—empowering the group to deploy innovative, data-driven strategies for climate and sustainability challenges.

    Intermap also recently secured a major partnership with PREMIUM Insurance Company Limited, which adopted Intermap’s next-generation Aquarius RMA natural hazard solution. This collaboration marks a significant step forward for flood risk management in Europe, ensuring that homeowners and businesses in these markets benefit from more informed and reliable insurance decisions.

    “Providing property insurance in the Czech Republic and Slovakia without high-quality flood maps and robust risk assessment would be increasingly time and labor-intensive,” said Marek Benko, Member of the Board of Directors at PREMIUM Insurance. “By integrating Intermap’s advanced mapping solutions, we are enhancing our underwriting precision, building greater trust with our reinsurers, and ensuring our clients receive the most sustainable coverage possible.”

    “We are seeing increased demand for our applications and solutions in our insurance vertical, driving record revenue early in the year,” said Patrick A. Blott, Intermap Chairman and CEO. “Our data products are one of a kind, making our subscriber base sticky with de-minimis churn.” Mr. Blott continued, “Insurance companies are increasingly leveraging 3D geospatial data to enhance risk assessment and evaluate property vulnerabilities such as flood or wildfire exposure with greater precision. Building upon our 3D foundation data, Intermap incorporates artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques into our NEXTMap solution to create globally available digital elevation models at resolutions as fine as a single meter, offering our insurance clients and other verticals the ability to make unparalleled, data-driven decisions. We look forward to updating the market as we build upon these new wins and execute against our current pipeline of insurance industry opportunities.”

    Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results and Conference call

    As a reminder, Intermap will report its fourth quarter and full year 2024 results on Thursday, March 27, 2025 at 5:00 pm ET. The Company’s CEO Patrick Blott, CFO Jennifer Bakken and COO Jack Schneider will host a live webinar to review the results, provide Company updates and answer investor questions following the presentation.

    CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS

    Date Thursday, March 27, 2025
    Time 5:00 pm ET
    Link Register
       

    Learn more about Intermap’s global insurance solutions at intermap.com/insurance.

    Intermap Reader Advisory 
    Certain information provided in this news release, including reference to revenue growth, constitutes forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate”, “expect”, “project”, “estimate”, “forecast”, “will be”, “will consider”, “intends” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Although Intermap believes that these statements are based on information and assumptions which are current, reasonable and complete, these statements are necessarily subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Intermap’s forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties pertaining to, among other things, cash available to fund operations, availability of capital, revenue fluctuations, nature of government contracts, economic conditions, loss of key customers, retention and availability of executive talent, competing technologies, common share price volatility, loss of proprietary information, software functionality, internet and system infrastructure functionality, information technology security, breakdown of strategic alliances, and international and political considerations, as well as those risks and uncertainties discussed Intermap’s Annual Information Form and other securities filings. While the Company makes these forward-looking statements in good faith, should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary significantly from those expected. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that the Company will derive therefrom. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to Intermap or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements made herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities law.

    About Intermap Technologies 
    Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Intermap (TSX: IMP; OTCQB: ITMSF) is a global leader in geospatial intelligence solutions, focusing on the creation and analysis of 3D terrain data to produce high-resolution thematic models. Through scientific analysis of geospatial information and patented sensors and processing technology, the Company provisions diverse, complementary, multi-source datasets to enable customers to seamlessly integrate geospatial intelligence into their workflows. Intermap’s 3D elevation data and software analytic capabilities enable global geospatial analysis through artificial intelligence and machine learning, providing customers with critical information to understand their terrain environment. By leveraging its proprietary archive of the world’s largest collection of multi-sensor global elevation data, the Company’s collection and processing capabilities provide multi-source 3D datasets and analytics at mission speed, enabling governments and companies to build and integrate geospatial foundation data with actionable insights. Applications for Intermap’s products and solutions include defense, aviation and UAV flight planning, flood and wildfire insurance, disaster mitigation, base mapping, environmental and renewable energy planning, telecommunications, engineering, critical infrastructure monitoring, hydrology, land management, oil and gas and transportation. 

    For more information, please visit www.intermap.com or contact:
    Jennifer Bakken
    Executive Vice President and CFO
    CFO@intermap.com
    +1 (303) 708-0955

    Sean Peasgood
    Investor Relations
    Sean@SophicCapital.com
    +1 (647) 260-9266

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The PKK says it will lay down its arms. What are the chances of lasting peace between Turkey and the Kurds? Podcast

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gemma Ware, Host, The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation

    For over 40 years, the Kurdistan Workers Party, the PKK, has waged an armed insurgency against Turkey, fighting for Kurdish rights and autonomy.

    But in late February, Abdullah Öcalan, the PKK’s imprisoned founder, called for the group to lay down its arms and dissolve itself. Days later, the PKK, which is labelled as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, Europe and the US, declared a ceasefire with Turkey.

    In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we speak to political scientist Pinar Dinc about what’s led to this moment and whether it could be the beginning of a lasting peace between Turkey and the Kurds.

    Despite being imprisoned in solitary confinement since his capture in 1999, Öcalan has remained a central figure in the Kurdish movement, both in Turkey and across the region.

    His call for the PKK to abandon its armed struggle came months after the leader of a Turkish ultra-nationalist political party launched an initiative to bring an end to the conflict.

    Over the past few decades, previous rounds of peace talks between the PKK and Turkey, most notably in 2009 and 2013-15, have collapsed.

    But Pinar Dinc, an associate professor of political science at Lund University in Sweden, says that since the Hamas-led October 7 attacks on Israel and the war in Gaza, the situation in the Middle East has rapidly changed. “It’s mutually beneficial to put an end to this war,” she says. “Both groups recognise the necessity of addressing regional tensions.”

    Dinc says international support for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in north-eastern Syria, and its Rojava revolution, means that Turkey has been forced to recognise a new “Syrian Kurdish reality”. At the same time, she says, the Kurdish movement has also reached a limit in what it can achieve in an era of modern warfare.

     Turkey has a huge army. It’s one of the biggest armies of Nato. Now we see increased use of drones surveillance and advanced weaponry, and I think the PKK guerrillas in the Qandil mountains, what they refer to as the medya defence zones, they’re also realising that this is getting more and more difficult.

    Limited discussions began in March between the Turkish government and Kurdish political parties on a way forward in peace negotiations. Dinc says this is a real opportunity for a broader reconciliation process, but there will be real challenges in the detail of what it means for Turkey’s Kurdish population.

     The PKK is an outcome of structural problems arising from the longstanding oppression and marginalisation of Kurds in Turkey, and addressing these root causes is essential for achieving lasting peace.

    Listen to the conversation with Dinc on The Conversation Weekly podcast.

    This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Mend Mariwany. Sound design was by Eloise Stevens and theme music by Neeta Sarl. Gemma Ware is the executive producer.

    Newsclips in this episode from AP Archive, AFP News Agency, Sky News, Med TV, Gazete Duvar, DW News, Al Jazeera English and France 24 English.

    Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our RSS feed or find out how else to listen here.

    Pinar Dinc is the principal investigator of the ECO-Syria project, which receives funding from the Strategic Research Area: The Middle East in the Contemporary World (MECW) at the Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University, Sweden.

    – ref. The PKK says it will lay down its arms. What are the chances of lasting peace between Turkey and the Kurds? Podcast – https://theconversation.com/the-pkk-says-it-will-lay-down-its-arms-what-are-the-chances-of-lasting-peace-between-turkey-and-the-kurds-podcast-252646

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: UK Lords marks 75th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights

    Source: United Kingdom UK House of Lords (video statements)

    Find out more and see who’s taking part https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2025/march/75th-anniversary-of-the-european-convention-on-human-rights-in-the-spotlight/

    Catch-up on House of Lords business:

    Watch live events: https://parliamentlive.tv/Lords
    Read the latest news: https://www.parliament.uk/lords/

    Stay up to date with the House of Lords on social media:

    • X: https://twitter.com/UKHouseofLords
    • Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/houseoflords.parliament.uk
    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/UKHouseofLords/
    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UKHouseofLords
    • Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/ukhouseoflords/albums
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-house-of-lords
    • Threads: https://www.threads.net/@UKHouseOfLords

    #HouseOfLords #UKParliament

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCgqK5H3Hvw

    MIL OSI Video –