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Category: European Union

  • MIL-OSI Global: What is the AfD? Germany’s far-right party, explained

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Léonie de Jonge, Professor of Research on Far-Right Extremism, Institute for Research on Far-Right Extremism (IRex), University of Tübingen

    In the weeks ahead of the German election, the far-right party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) consistently polled around 20%. For the first time, the AfD poses a challenge to mainstream parties’ longstanding strategy of isolating the far right.

    The rise of the AfD is striking, given the country’s history of authoritarianism and National Socialism during the 1930s and 1940s. For decades, far-right movements were generally stigmatised and treated as pariahs. Political elites, mainstream parties, the media and civil society effectively marginalised the far right and limited its electoral prospects.

    The AfD’s breakthrough in the 2017 federal election shattered this status quo. Winning 12.6% of the vote and securing 94 Bundestag seats, it became Germany’s third-largest party — unlocking viable political space to the right of the centre-right party CDU/CSU for the first time in the postwar era.

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    The AfD was founded in 2013 by disaffected CDU members. This included economics professors Bernd Lucke and Joachim Starbatty, and conservative journalists Konrad Adam and Alexander Gauland. It began as a single-issue, anti-euro party advocating Germany’s exit from the Eurozone.

    Dubbed a “party of professors”, it gained credibility through the support of academics and former mainstream politicians, lending it an “unusual gravitas” for a protest party. While nativist elements were arguably present from the start, the AfD was not initially conceived as a far-right party.

    When it first ran for the Bundestag in 2013, its four-page manifesto focused exclusively on dissolving the Eurozone. At the time, the party advocated political asylum for the persecuted and avoided harsh anti-immigrant or anti-Islam rhetoric, cultivating more of a “bourgeois” image.

    This helped the AfD build what political scientist Elisabeth Ivarsflaten has called a reputational shield — a legacy used to deflect social stigma and accusations of extremism.

    Initially, the AfD distanced itself from far-right parties in neighbouring countries. However, successive leadership changes between 2015 and 2017 saw the party adopt a more hardline position, particularly on immigration, Islam and national identity. By 2016, its platform had largely aligned with those of populist radical right parties elsewhere.

    Far-right views

    Today, the party can unequivocally be classified as far right. This umbrella term captures the growing links between “(populist) radical right” (illiberal-democratic) and “extreme right” (anti-democratic) parties and movements. Ideologically, the far right is characterised by nativism and authoritarianism.

    Nativism is a xenophobic form of nationalism, which holds that non-native elements form a threat to the homogeneous nation-state. In Germany, nativism carries a historical legacy. “Völkisch nationalism” was one of the core ideas of the 19th and early 20th centuries that was broadly adopted by National Socialism to justify deportations and, ultimately, the Holocaust.

    Völkisch ideology is based on the essentialist idea that the German people are inextricably connected to the soil. Thus, other people cannot be part of the völkisch community.

    The AfD has evolved into a far-right party by continuously radicalising its positions. It acted like a Trojan horse, importing völkisch nationalist ideology into the parliamentary and public arena, which used to be blocked by the gatekeeping mechanisms of German democracy.

    The AfD carved out a niche for itself by advocating stricter anti-immigration policies. This came in response to the so-called “refugee crisis”, when then-Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed more than a million asylum seekers into Germany. At its campaign kickoff rally in January 2025, AfD’s chancellor candidate Alice Weidel vowed to implement “large-scale repatriations” (or “remigration”) of immigrants.

    The party advocates a return to a blood-based citizenship, insisting that, with very few exceptions for well-assimilated migrants, citizenship can only be determined by ancestry and bloodline rather than birthright.

    Additionally, the party upholds the white, nuclear family as an ideal and has pledged to dismiss university professors accused of promoting “leftist, woke gender ideology”. The party also calls for the immediate lifting of sanctions against Russia and opposes weapons deliveries to Ukraine.

    In recent years, the party has embraced the far-right strategy of flooding the media and public discourse with controversy, misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric, to dominate attention and transgress traditional political norms.

    A striking example is former AfD-leader Alexander Gauland’s 2018 claim that the 12 years of Nazi rule were “mere bird shit in over 1,000 years of successful German history”. With this remark, he sought to reframe modern Germany as a continuation of its pre-1933 history, while downplaying the significance of the Nazi era.

    Normalising the AfD

    Until recently, the far right was consistently excluded by mainstream political parties. It was a founding myth of the old Federal Republic of Germany that democratic forces do not cooperate with the far right. At least on the parliamentary level, this worked quite well as a part of Germany’s “militant democracy”.

    However, the political firewall — the Brandmauer — has started to crumble. The AfD has since celebrated the election of its first mayors at the local level.

    The success of the AfD has especially been fuelled by the narrative of a “refugee crisis” in Germany. Harsh political rhetoric about migration has contributed to the party’s electoral success, as well as mainstream adoption of some of its positions.

    Oddly enough, the AfD is especially successful in rural, remote areas with low levels of migration. It is weak in more globalised, university-oriented urban areas.



    Read more:
    German party leaders are united against immigration – but there is little evidence for a key part of their argument

    Ahead of the 2025 elections, Friedrich Merz, the lead candidate of the CDU, broke a longstanding political taboo when his proposal to tighten asylum policies narrowly passed in the Bundestag with backing from the AfD. Meanwhile, German media have increasingly treated AfD representatives as legitimate political contenders.

    Once marginalised in political debates, they are now regularly invited to talk shows. And they have received international legitimacy from figures such as US vice-president J.D. Vance, and X owner Elon Musk.

    This election may give an indication of how far the AfD’s normalisation will go and how it will affect Germany’s political future. Beyond electoral success, the main question will be to what extent mainstream parties will incorporate far-right ideas in their political agenda.

    What is already clear, however, is that the political landscape has shifted. The boundaries that once kept the far right at the margins are no longer as firm as they once were

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

    – ref. What is the AfD? Germany’s far-right party, explained – https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-afd-germanys-far-right-party-explained-250218

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Your pupils change size as you breathe – here’s why this new discovery is important

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Martin Schaefer, Postdoctoral Researcher in Cognitive Neuroscience and Behavioral Psychology, Karolinska Institutet

    sruilk

    You have probably heard the saying that the eyes are the windows to the soul, but now it turns out that they are also connected to how we breathe. Scientists have long studied the size of our pupils to understand attention, emotion and even medical conditions. But now, new research has surprisingly revealed that they change size in sync with our breathing.

    Our pupils are never static; they constantly adjust in response to both external and internal factors. The most well known is that they control how much light enters the eye, just like a camera aperture.

    You can easily test this yourself: look into a mirror and shine a light into your eye, and you’ll see your pupils shrink. This process directly affects our visual perception. Larger pupils help us to detect faint objects, particularly in our peripheral vision, while smaller pupils enhance sharpness, improving tasks like reading.

    Indeed, this reflex is so reliable that doctors use it to assess brain function. If a pupil fails to react to light, it could signal a medical emergency such as a stroke.

    Doctors will check patients’ pupils to see if they’ve had a stroke.
    Doodeez

    However, it is not just light that our pupils respond to. It’s also well established that our pupils constrict when focusing on a nearby object, and dilate in response to cognitive effort or emotional arousal.

    As the German pupil-research pioneer Irene Loewenfeld once said: “Man may either blush or turn pale when emotionally agitated, but his pupils always dilate.”

    For this reason, pupil size is often used in psychology and neuroscience research as a measure of mental effort and attention.

    The fourth response

    For many decades, these three kinds of pupil response were the only ones that scientists were sure existed. Now, myself and our team of researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands have confirmed that breathing is a fourth.

    In what will now be known as “pupillary respiratory phase response”, pupils tend to be largest during exhalation and smallest around the start of inhalation. Unlike other pupil responses, this one originates exclusively in the body and of course happens constantly. Equally uniquely, it covers both dilation and constriction.

    There had in fact been anecdotal hints of a connection between breathing and our pupils for more than 50 years. But when the team reviewed past studies the evidence was inconclusive at best. Given how widely pupil size is used in both medicine and research, we realised it was crucial to investigate this further.

    We confirmed through a series of five experiments with more than 200 participants that pupil size fluctuates in sync with breathing, and also that this effect is remarkably robust. In these studies, we invited the participants to our lab and recorded their pupil size and breathing pattern while they were relaxing or performing tasks on a computer screen.

    We systematically varied the other key pupil-response factors throughout the study – lighting, fixation distance and mental effort required for tasks. In all cases, the way that breathing affects the pupils remained constant.

    Whichever way you breathe, the effect on pupil size remains the same.
    LuckyStep

    Additionally, we examined how different breathing patterns affected the response.

    Participants were instructed to breathe solely through their nose or mouth and to adjust their breathing rate, as well as slowing it down and speeding it up. In all cases, the same pattern emerged: pupil size remained smallest around the onset of inhalation and largest during exhalation.

    What now

    This discovery changes the way we think about both breathing and vision. It suggests a deeper connection between breathing and the nervous system than we previously realised. The next big question is whether these subtle changes in pupil size affect how we see the world.

    The fluctuations are only fractions of a millimetre, which is less than the pupil response to light, but similar to the pupil response to mental effort or arousal. The size of these fluctuations is theoretically large enough to influence our visual perception. It may therefore be that our vision subtly shifts within a single breath between optimising for detecting faint objects (with larger pupils) and distinguishing fine details (with smaller pupils).

    In addition, just as the pupillary light response is used as a diagnostic tool, changes in the link between pupil size and breathing could be an early sign of neurological disorders.

    This research is part of a broader effort to understand how our internal bodily rhythms influence perception. Scientists are increasingly finding that our brain doesn’t process external information in isolation – it integrates signals from within our bodies, too. For example, information from our heart and gastric rhythms have also been suggested to enhance or hinder the processing of incoming sensory stimuli.

    If our breathing affects how our pupils change, could it also shape how we perceive the world around us? This opens the door to new research on how bodily rhythms shape perception – one breath at a time.

    Martin Schaefer is affiliated with Karolinska Institutet.

    – ref. Your pupils change size as you breathe – here’s why this new discovery is important – https://theconversation.com/your-pupils-change-size-as-you-breathe-heres-why-this-new-discovery-is-important-250435

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Keir Starmer may gamble on increasing Britain’s defence spending

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Peter Bloom, Professor of Management, University of Essex

    leshiy985/Shutterstock

    Amid rising tensions around the world, the UK government faces pressure to increase defence spending. External threats and uncertainty over the nature of peace talks with Russia over Ukraine have been in the spotlight. But there are also broader political and economic interests shaping these decisions.

    The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, must navigate commitments to Nato, expectations from allies and the influence of the defence industry. All the while, the squeeze on domestic spending and public scepticism loom large.

    The UK’s total military spending for 2024-2025 is expected to be £64.4 billion, with a rise to £67.7 billion in 2025-26. This is equal to 2.3% of the entire UK economy (GDP). It would continue the trend of making the UK one of the highest military spenders in Europe. But it’s still not enough as far as the US president, Donald Trump, is concerned.

    In 2023-2024, the UK’s Ministry of Defence spent its budget across several key areas. Around one-third went towards investment in things such as equipment, infrastructure and technology. Another big area of spending was personnel costs, accounting for around one-fifth of the spend.

    In recent years, UK military spending has fluctuated, reflecting a balance between modernisation, deterrence and operational readiness. One of the most significant areas of investment has been in the UK’s nuclear deterrent (Trident).

    At the same time, cyber defence has become a growing focus, with £1.9 billion allocated to counter threats such as increased cyber attacks and misinformation campaigns from foreign governments and political extremists. The UK has also committed to expanding its next-generation air capabilities.

    Britain’s recent escalation in defence investment mirrors a global surge in military spending. In 2024, worldwide defence expenditures reached an unprecedented US$2.46 trillion (£1.95 trillion), marking a 7.4% real-term increase from the previous year.

    This trend is particularly pronounced in Europe, where nations are bolstering their military capabilities in response to geopolitical tensions such as the war in Ukraine. Germany’s defence budget experienced a significant 23.2% real-term growth, making the country the world’s fourth-largest defence spender.

    In the UK, Labour has pledged to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, aligning with Nato expectations. It also serves as a response to concerns about the country’s military readiness. This could require several billion pounds more annually, raising questions about how this would be funded.

    Publicly, the party presents this commitment as a necessary investment in the UK’s global standing and ability to deter aggression. However, you can argue that there is more at play.

    Political and economic pressures

    Starmer’s government inherited a complex set of geopolitical challenges, from European security concerns to the UK’s international relationships post-Brexit. Nato commitments remain a significant driver of defence spending, particularly as European allies anticipate shifts in US foreign policy under the second Trump presidency.

    The UK must also respond to regional tensions beyond Europe, due to its military alliances in the Indo-Pacific and its arms trade relationships with Middle Eastern states.

    Domestically, Labour’s commitment to raising defence spending is not just about security – it is also a political calculation. Starmer wants to dispel any perceptions that Labour is weak on defence.

    However, it comes at a time of fiscal constraint. Any new defence commitments must compete with demands for public investment in healthcare, education and infrastructure. Without additional taxation or significant budget cuts, Labour may struggle to meet its defence spending targets without compromising other commitments.

    Beyond geopolitical necessity, increased military spending benefits the UK’s powerful military-industrial complex (the relationship between the country’s military and its defence industry). Major defence contractors such as BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and Lockheed Martin UK secure billions in government contracts.

    The so-called “revolving door” between government and defence firms frequently sees former military officials and politicians taking on lucrative roles in private-sector defence companies.

    The cross-party consensus on expanding Britain’s defence industry, now embraced by trade unions and political commentators, reflects a narrow vision of economic security that overlooks more sustainable alternatives.

    The sector’s 200,000 jobs are frequently claimed to justify increased military spending. But investment in renewable energy infrastructure and domestic energy production could both boost employment and address fundamental security challenges exposed by the Ukraine crisis.

    The reliance on foreign energy sources can be weaponised by adversarial states, as reflected in the continued reliance of EU countries on Russia for their energy needs. By investing in domestic renewable energy infrastructure, the UK can insulate itself from geopolitical energy threats. Stable energy supplies can underpin both economic resilience and military readiness.

    But there is a disconnect between strong government protection for arms manufacturers and relatively limited support for green technology development. This, even as climate change poses an escalating threat to national stability.

    Labour faces a difficult balancing act. Increasing defence spending helps solidify the party’s credibility on national security. But domestically, it risks alienating voters who favour investment in social welfare over military expansion.

    Additionally, higher military expenditure could make tax hikes or borrowing necessary. Both pose political hazards. And there is a real risk that increased spending will disproportionately benefit corporate defence giants rather than the public.

    Starmer hopes increased defence spending will show that he is serious about European security.
    Fred Duval/Shutterstock

    Internationally, Starmer aims to signal Britain’s continued reliability as a Nato ally amid uncertainties about the US commitment to European security. This positioning becomes especially significant given the UK’s post-Brexit need to demonstrate its global relevance and military capability.

    Labour’s drive to increase defence spending is also shaped by economic imperatives that extend beyond immediate security needs. The party faces pressure to expand a major sector of British manufacturing. At stake are not just defence capabilities but jobs, regional development and industrial strategy.

    The government now finds itself caught between competing pressures. The commitment to military expansion reflects not just geopolitical imperatives but also domestic political calculations and economic concerns, which appear to be equally influential. And it raises fundamental questions about how national security priorities are truly determined in an era of multiple challenges.

    Peter Bloom 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. Why Keir Starmer may gamble on increasing Britain’s defence spending – https://theconversation.com/why-keir-starmer-may-gamble-on-increasing-britains-defence-spending-250447

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A Palestinian film is an Oscars favorite − so why is it so hard to see?

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Drew Paul, Associate Professor of Arabic, University of Tennessee

    Directors Basel Adra, left, and Yuval Abraham on stage at the 62nd New York Film Festival on Sept. 29, 2024. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

    For many low-budget, independent films, an Oscar nomination is a golden ticket.

    The publicity can translate into theatrical releases or rereleases, along with more on-demand rentals and sales.

    However, for “No Other Land,” a Palestinian film nominated for best documentary at the 2025 Academy Awards, this exposure is unlikely to translate into commercial success in the U.S. That’s because the film has been unable to find a company to distribute it in America.

    “No Other Land” chronicles the efforts of Palestinian townspeople to combat an Israeli plan to demolish their villages in the West Bank and use the area as a military training ground. It was directed by four Palestinian and Israeli activists and journalists: Basel Adra, who is a resident of the area facing demolition, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Ballal and Rachel Szor. While the filmmakers have organized screenings in a number of U.S. cities, the lack of a national distributor makes a broader release unlikely.

    Film distributors are a crucial but often unseen link in the chain that allows a film to reach cinemas and people’s living rooms. In recent years it has become more common for controversial award-winning films to run into issues finding a distributor. Palestinian films have encountered additional barriers.

    As a scholar of Arabic who has written about Palestinian cinema, I’m disheartened by the difficulties “No Other Land” has faced. But I’m not surprised.

    The role of film distributors

    Distributors are often invisible to moviegoers. But without one, it can be difficult for a film to find an audience.

    Distributors typically acquire rights to a film for a specific country or set of countries. They then market films to movie theaters, cinema chains and streaming platforms. As compensation, distributors receive a percentage of the revenue generated by theatrical and home releases.

    The film “Soundtrack to a Coup D’Etat,” another finalist for best documentary, shows how this process typically works. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024 and was acquired for distribution just a few months later by Kino Lorber, a major U.S.-based distributor of independent films.

    The inability to find a distributor is not itself noteworthy. No film is entitled to distribution, and most films by newer or unknown directors face long odds.

    However, it is unusual for a film like “No Other Land,” which has garnered critical acclaim and has been recognized at various film festivals and award shows. Some have pegged it as a favorite to win best documentary at the Academy Awards. And “No Other Land” has been able to find distributors in Europe, where it’s easily accessible on multiple streaming platforms.

    So why can’t “No Other Land” find a distributor in the U.S.?

    There are a couple of factors at play.

    Shying away from controversy

    In recent years, film critics have noticed a trend: Documentaries on controversial topics have faced distribution difficulties. These include a film about a campaign by Amazon workers to unionize and a documentary about Adam Kinzinger, one of the few Republican congresspeople to vote to impeach Donald Trump in 2021.

    The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, of course, has long stirred controversy. But the release of “No Other Land” comes at a time when the issue is particularly salient. The Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing Israeli bombardment and invasion of the Gaza Strip have become a polarizing issue in U.S. domestic politics, reflected in the campus protests and crackdowns in 2024. The filmmakers’ critical comments about the Israeli occupation of Palestine have also garnered backlash in Germany.

    Locals attend a screening of ‘No Other Land’ in the village of A-Tuwani in the West Bank on March 14, 2024.
    Yahel Gazit/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

    Yet the fact that this conflict has been in the news since October 2023 should also heighten audience interest in a film such as “No Other Land” – and, therefore, lead to increased sales, the metric that distributors care about the most.

    Indeed, an earlier film that also documents Palestinian protests against Israeli land expropriation, “5 Broken Cameras,” was a finalist for best documentary at the 2013 Academy Awards. It was able to find a U.S. distributor. However, it had the support of a major European Union documentary development program called Greenhouse. The support of an organization like Greenhouse, which had ties to numerous production and distribution companies in Europe and the U.S., can facilitate the process of finding a distributor.

    By contrast, “No Other Land,” although it has a Norwegian co-producer and received some funding from organizations in Europe and the U.S., was made primarily by a grassroots filmmaking collective.

    Stages for protest

    While distribution challenges may be recent, controversies surrounding Palestinian films are nothing new.

    Many of them stem from the fact that the system of film festivals, awards and distribution is primarily based on a movie’s nation of origin. Since there is no sovereign Palestinian state – and many countries and organizations have not recognized the state of Palestine – the question of how to categorize Palestinian films has been hard to resolve.

    In 2002, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rejected the first ever Palestinian film submitted to the best foreign language film category – Elia Suleiman’s “Divine Intervention” – because Palestine was not recognized as a country by the United Nations. The rules were changed for the following year’s awards ceremony.

    In 2021, the cast of the film “Let It Be Morning,” which had an Israeli director but primarily Palestinian actors, boycotted the Cannes Film Festival in protest of the film’s categorization as an Israeli film rather than a Palestinian one.

    Film festivals and other cultural venues have also become places to make statements about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and engage in protest. For example, at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017, the right-wing Israeli culture minister wore a controversial – and meme-worthy – dress that featured the Jerusalem skyline in support of Israeli claims of sovereignty over the holy city, despite the unresolved status of Jerusalem under international law.

    Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev wears a dress featuring the old city of Jerusalem during the Cannes Film Festival in 2017.
    Antonin Thuillier/AFP via Getty Images

    At the 2024 Academy Awards, a number of attendees, including Billie Eilish, Mark Ruffalo and Mahershala Ali, wore red pins in support of a ceasefire in Gaza, and pro-Palestine protesters delayed the start of the ceremonies.

    So even though a film like “No Other Land” addresses a topic of clear interest to many people in the U.S., it faces an uphill battle to finding a distributor.

    I wonder whether a win at the Oscars would even be enough.

    Drew Paul 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. A Palestinian film is an Oscars favorite − so why is it so hard to see? – https://theconversation.com/a-palestinian-film-is-an-oscars-favorite-so-why-is-it-so-hard-to-see-249233

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From ancient emperors to modern presidents, leaders have used libraries to cement their legacies

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Myrsini Mamoli, Lecturer of Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology

    The Library of Celsus was a famous landmark in its time – and today. Myrsini Mamoli

    Here in Atlanta, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum has been part of my daily life for years. Parks and trails surrounding the center connect my neighborhood to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park downtown and everything in between.

    At the end of December 2024, thousands of people walked to the library to pay their respects to the former president as he lay in repose. The cold, snow and darkness of the evening were a stark contrast to the warmth of the volunteers who welcomed us in. Our visit spiraled through galleries exhibiting records of Carter’s life, achievements and lifelong work promoting democracy around the world.

    U.S. presidents have been building libraries for more than 100 years, starting with Rutherford B. Hayes. But the urge to shape one’s legacy by building a library runs much deeper. As a scholar of libraries in the Greek and Roman world, I was struck by the similarities between presidential and ancient libraries – some of which were explicitly designed to honor deceased sponsors and played a significant role in their cities.

    Trajan’s library

    The Ulpian Library, a great library in the center of Rome, was founded by Emperor Trajan, who ruled around the turn of the second century C.E. Referenced often by ancient authors, it could have been the first such memorial library.

    Trajan’s Column now stands at the center of Rome.
    AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito

    Today, someone visiting Rome can visit Trajan’s Column, a roughly 100-foot monument to his military and engineering achievements after conquering Dacia, part of present-day Romania. A frieze spirals from bottom to top of the column, depicting his exploits. The monument now stands on its own. Originally, however, it was nestled in a courtyard between two halls of the Ulpian Library complex.

    Most of what scholars know about the library’s architecture comes from remains of the west hall, an elongated room almost 80 feet long, whose walls were lined with rectangular niches and framed by a colonnade. The niches were lined with marble and appear to have had doors; this is where the books would have been placed. Writers from the first few centuries C.E. describe the library having archival documents about the emperor and the empire, including books made of linen and books bound with ivory.

    Trajan dedicated the column in 113 C.E. but died four years later, before the library was complete. Hadrian, his adoptive son and successor, oversaw the shipment of Trajan’s cremated remains back to Rome, where they were placed in Trajan’s Column. Hadrian completed the surrounding library complex in 128 C.E. and dedicated it with two identical funerary inscriptions to his adopted parents, Trajan and Plotina. Scholars Roberto Egidi and Silvia Orlandi have argued that Trajan’s remains could later have been transferred from the column into the library hall.

    Memorial model

    Either way, I would argue that Trajan’s decision to have his remains included in the library complex, instead of in an imperial mausoleum, established a model adopted by other officials at a smaller scale. In the eastern side of the Roman empire – what is now Turkey – at least two other library-mausoleum buildings have been identified.

    One is the library at Nysa on the Maeander, a Hellenistic city named for the nearby river. Under the floor of its entry porch is a sarcophagus with the remains of a man and a woman, possibly the dedicators, that dates to the second century C.E., the time of Hadrian’s reign.

    The ruins of the library at Nysa on the Maeander.
    Myrsini Mamoli

    Another is the Library of Celsus, the most recognizable ancient library today, found in the ancient city of Ephesus. Named after a regional Roman consul and proconsul during the reign of Trajan, the building was founded by Celsus’ son, designed as both a place of learning and a mausoleum.

    The library’s ornate, sculpted facade contained life-size female statues, making it an immediately recognizable landmark. Inscriptions identify the statues as the personifications of Celsus’ character, elevating him into a role model: virtue, intelligence, knowledge and wisdom.

    Upon entering the room, the funerary character of the library became quite literal. The hall was designed like the Ulpian Library, but a door gave access to a crypt underneath. This held the marble sarcophagus with the remains of Celsus, the patron of the library. The sarcophagus itself was visible from the hall, if one stood in front of the central apse and looked down through two slits in the podium.

    An endowment covered the library’s operational expenses in ancient times, as well as annual commemorations on Celsus’ birthday, including the wreathing of the busts and statues and the purchasing of additional books.

    The life-size statues on the facade of the Library of Celsus.
    Myrsini Mamoli

    Power and knowledge

    These two provincial libraries highlight how sponsors hoped to be associated with the virtues a library fosters. Books represent knowledge, and by dedicating a library, one asserted his possession of it. Providing access to learning was an instrument of power on its own.

    Beyond the handful of memorial libraries, many other ancient Roman public libraries were great cultural centers, including the Forum of Peace in Rome, dedicated by Emperor Vespasian; the Library of Hadrian in Athens; and the Gymnasium in Side, a city in present-day Turkey.

    The most magnificent libraries combined access to manuscripts and artworks with spaces for meetings and lectures. Several had great leisure areas, including landscaped sculptural gardens with elaborate water features and colonnaded walkways. Literary sources and material evidence testify to the treasures that were held there: busts of philosophers, poets and other accomplished literary figures; statues of gods, heroes and emperors; treasures confiscated as spoils of war and exhibited in Rome.

    A model of how Hadrian’s Library may have looked, complete with a landscaped courtyard.
    Joris/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    Like the Ulpian Library itself, they continued the long tradition of Hellenistic public libraries, established by the most famous library of antiquity: the Library of Alexandria. Founded and lavishly endowed by the Hellenistic kings of Egypt, the Ptolemies, the building was meant to portray the king as a patron of intellectual activities and a powerful ruler, collecting knowledge from conquered civilizations.

    In ancient Greece and Rome, anybody who could read had access to public libraries. Rules of use varied: For example, literary sources imply that the Ulpian Library in Rome was a borrowing library, whereas an inscription from the Library of Pantainos in Athens explicitly forbid any book to be taken out.

    But these buildings were also meant to shape their sponsors’ legacies, portraying them as benevolent and learned. Presidential libraries in the United States today follow the same principle: They become monuments to the former presidents, while giving back to their local communities.

    Myrsini Mamoli 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. From ancient emperors to modern presidents, leaders have used libraries to cement their legacies – https://theconversation.com/from-ancient-emperors-to-modern-presidents-leaders-have-used-libraries-to-cement-their-legacies-248423

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Making sex deadly for insects could control pests that carry disease and harm crops

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Bill Sullivan, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University

    In the toxic male technique, genetically engineered male insects would implant semen containing toxic venom into the female insects during mating. Madugrero/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    Insects do a lot more harm than ruining picnics. Some insects spread devastating diseases, while others cause staggering economic losses in agriculture. To control some of these pests, scientists are developing males that make sex a deadly event.

    The stakes are high. Mosquitoes carry viruses such as dengue, West Nile and Zika, as well as parasites that cause malaria. Researchers estimate that mosquitoes have caused the deaths of 52 billion people overall – nearly half of all the humans that have ever lived.

    Other insects cause major crop damage, jeopardizing the food supply and driving up prices. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 20% to 40% of global crop production is lost to pests annually at a cost of US$70 billion.

    Pesticides have been the front-line defense against insects, but many bugs have evolved resistance to these chemicals. Some pesticides can indiscriminately kill beneficial insects, harm the environment and endanger human and animal health. Some researchers worry that certain pesticides can cause cancer or have damaging effects on human nervous and endocrine systems.

    I’m a microbiology researcher studying infectious disease. New solutions that do not harm humans and the environment to control disease-carrying insects and agricultural pests could lead to fewer people contracting dangerous diseases. In the past few years, a variety of genetic engineering approaches have emerged as promising tactics to combat problematic insects.

    Genetically modified insects

    To avoid the problems associated with pesticides, scientists have devised new approaches that genetically alter the insects themselves in ways that cause their population to crash or render them incapable of transmitting disease – a strategy called genetic biocontrol.

    Genetic biocontrol entails genetically modifying insects to curb their populations.

    The idea to suppress an insect population by flooding it with sterile males has been around for decades. Since the 1950s, scientists have been using radiation to create infertile male mosquitoes. These sterile males mate with females but produce no offspring. Since females are engaged in a lot of unproductive mating, the overall population tends to decline.

    In the past two decades, genetic engineering has been used to introduce dominant lethal genes into insect populations. In this approach, the offspring of genetically modified males inherit a gene that kills them before they reach reproductive age. A field trial in Brazil found that this strategy reduced the target mosquito population up to 95%. Another approach on the horizon involves releasing insects genetically modified to be poor carriers of pathogens that cause disease.

    Despite these advances, a key shortcoming to current genetic biocontrol methods is that they take time. At least one generation needs to be born before the population suppression begins. This means the female insects continue to be a disease vector or agricultural pest until they die a natural death. An ideal technique would neutralize the females immediately, especially during outbreaks.

    A faster approach

    Biologists Samuel Beach and Maciej Maselko at Macquarie University in Australia sought to solve this dilemma by genetically engineering male insects to make poisonous semen. The poisonous semen would kill the female quickly, reducing the population faster than previous biocontrol methods.

    To test this idea, the team used fruit flies called Drosophila melanogaster, which are easy to genetically modify and study in the lab.

    The Brazilian wandering spider, Phoneutria nigriventer.
    Rodrigo Tetsuo Argenton/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    The researchers transferred venom genes from the Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria nigriventer) and the Mediterranean snakelocks sea anemone (Anemonia sulcata) into the genomes of fruit flies.

    The genetically modified fly produces and stores venom proteins in its male accessory gland – a fly’s prostate – along with other seminal fluid proteins. Upon mating, the fly deposits the venomous semen into the female’s reproductive tract. The researchers named this approach the toxic male technique.

    The Mediterranean snakelocks anenome, Anemonia viridis.
    Diego Delso

    After mating, the seminal toxins seep into the female’s body and attack her central nervous system. The toxins bind to proteins called ion channels on cellular membranes, which nerve cells use to communicate with one another. This quickly leads to paralysis and respiratory arrest. You could say these genetically engineered Romeos literally take her breath away.

    The lifespan of female flies that mated with toxic males decreased – up to 64%. A computer simulation of the toxic male technique for Aedes aegypti, a mosquito that transmits several viruses, predicted that this approach could work better than current methods.

    Safety and effectiveness

    While promising and innovative, there are some important challenges that researchers developing the toxic male technique will need to overcome. For example, the technique has been shown to work only in fruit flies. Whether it will work in mosquitoes or other insect pests remains an open question.

    In addition, the technique reduced the female lifespan by only 37% to 64%. To improve the rate of killing, the researchers suggested that other venom formulations might work better. Researchers could try thousands of venom genes from spiders, snakes, scorpions and centipedes. Each new venom they try will require tests to ensure the modified males tolerate them – if they become weak, unmodified males may outcompete them for mating opportunities.

    As with all genetic biocontrol methods, this technique may be too expensive to implement for low-income countries. Nations would need to finance the costs of breeding and deploying the mosquitoes safely.

    Insects also pollinate plants and serve as food sources for other animals, such as bats. If these insects vanish, the ecosystem could face unforeseen adverse effects. Monitoring these potential effects on the environment will also be expensive.

    Other researchers are experimenting with using venom toxins to control parasites that female insects spread through biting. Called paratransgenesis, this technique alters an insect’s gut bacteria to produce a toxin that kills the parasite, leaving the insect unharmed. Since the insect population remains unaltered, paratransgenesis may pose less risk to ecosystems.

    Insects tend to adapt quickly to the methods humans use to control them, so it is advantageous to have multiple strategies at our disposal. The toxic male technique may one day become a valuable new weapon in the arsenal to combat insect pests.

    Bill Sullivan receives funding from the National Institutes of Health.

    – ref. Making sex deadly for insects could control pests that carry disease and harm crops – https://theconversation.com/making-sex-deadly-for-insects-could-control-pests-that-carry-disease-and-harm-crops-248723

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City food business and director ordered to pay more than £11,000 following rat infestation

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    Environmental health officers investigated Sweet Elohim Afro Market in Lichfield Street after a member of the public contacted them with concerns.

    Officers discovered rat droppings throughout the store, which was selling fruit and vegetables in open boxes as well as other food in packets, tins and jars.

    Evidence of the significant infestation was also found where the open food was handled and ready to eat packaged food was stored.

    Officers immediately closed the premises, and it was only allowed to re-open once it was determined that the immediate risk to health had been removed.

    Georgina Konadu, director of Sweet Elohim Afro Market, pleaded guilty to 2 breaches of The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 at Dudley Magistrates Court on Wednesday 12 February, 2025.

    The same charges were brought against the business, and guilty pleas were also entered. The offences took place in November, 2023.

    The business was fined £2,680, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £1,072 and £4,584 in costs. Konadu was fined £1,000, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £400 and £1,500 in costs.

    Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for resident services at City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “Our residents should be able to trust that the places where they buy food have the highest standards of hygiene and cleanliness.

    “In this thoroughly unpleasant case, evidence of the rat infestation was found throughout the premises. This caused a risk of significant illness in customers, and we had no choice but to close the premises until it was deemed safe.

    “We do not take the decision to prosecute or close a business lightly. It is however necessary when public safety has been compromised and I hope it serves as a strong reminder to other businesses that these issues are taken seriously.

    “We are grateful to the member of the public who contacted us and enabled our environmental health officers to swiftly close the premises. If any residents have concerns about food businesses in the city, please report details to us at environmental.health@wolverhampton.gov.uk.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Stop notice served to prevent further unauthorised works at Earlsdon property

    Source: City of Coventry

    The Council has taken the action to serve a Stop Notice and Enforcement Notice to prohibit further works being undertaken on the site of a former Natwest Bank in Earlsdon.

    The Council’s Planning Enforcement Team served a Temporary Stop Notice (TSN) following unauthorised demolition of 34-36 Earlsdon Street at the beginning of January.

    Since then, the Local Authority has been listening to the concerns of local residents and working hard with ward cllrs to find a solution.

    The existing TSN required all unauthorised works of construction / development and / or demolition to cease immediately. The legislation only permits a TSN to have effect for a maximum period of 56 days and consequently the Notice expires at midnight on Tuesday 25 February 2025.

    Unfortunately, to date no valid planning application has been received for the rebuilding of 34-36 Earlsdon Street and so the Council considers it necessary to take the further action to ensure that no further unauthorised works happen on site until planning permission has been the granted.

    This is the first time in around 20 years that the Council has served a Stop Notice.  

    Legislation does not permit a further TSN to be served which is why the Council has therefore served a Stop Notice and Enforcement Notice to prohibit further works being undertaken on site.

    Andrew Walster, Director of City Services at the Council, said: “We have been listening to the concerns of residents and working with ward councillors to find a solution, but so far, we have not received any future plans from the property owners.

    “This is frustrating for everyone concerned and we are determined to find a way forward. That’s why we have taken the step of servicing a Stop Notice.

    “The Earlsdon area was designated a conservation area, and the demolition work carried out so far has had a serious impact on the character of the neighbourhood.”

    Friday, 21st February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Speed limit changes21 February 2025 Starting the week of Monday 24 February, several speed limit reductions will be implemented across the Island. This work has been part of the Island Speed Limit Review for St Mary and in partnership… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    21 February 2025

    Starting the week of Monday 24 February, several speed limit reductions will be implemented across the Island. This work has been part of the Island Speed Limit Review for St Mary and in partnership with the Roads Committees of St Mary, St Peter, and St Lawrence. 

    Reduced from 40mph to 30mph 

    La Grande Rue, La Rue Rondin and leads into Le Mont de Ste Marie, La Rue de la Frontière which leads into St Lawrence’s Les Chanolles des Six Rues. 

    Reduced from 40mph to 20mph

    The estate known as St Mary’s Village which includes Le Clos de I’Arsenal.

    Roads given Green Lane status 

    • La Chève Rue 
    • The northern end of La Grande Rue by The Priory
    • La Rue à Georges
    • La Rue Bechervaise
    • La Rue du Douet 
    • La Rue ès Boeufs
    • La Rue ès Viberts (in both St Mary & St Peter)
    • La Rue du Couvent (in both St Mary & St Lawrence) 
    • Le Jardin du Couvent 
    • Le Clos des Buis 
    • Le Mont Remon (St Peter) 
    • La Verte Rue (St Lawrence).

    These adjustments aim to improve safety and reflect the Island’s commitment to responsible traffic management. ​

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: The medical humanitarian needs in Ukraine remain as urgent as ever

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    • The strength of the Ukrainian healthcare system in the face of extreme violence is clear.
    • But as the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, the need for sustained medical and mental health support is greater than ever.
    • MSF continues to work in Ukraine, close to the frontlines and further afield, but more support is required.

    Kyiv – Three years after Russian forces invaded Ukraine, dramatically escalating an international armed conflict that began in 2014, people continue to bear the burden of the war’s devastation as seen through their lost lives, lost limbs, and lost homes. The resulting medical humanitarian needs are clearer than ever. The strain on Ukraine’s medical services has only increased, exacerbated by frequent attacks on hospitals, ambulances and medical structures.

    Since 2022, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has seen more patients with war-related trauma in need of early rehabilitation, namely post-amputation physiotherapy. There is also an increase in the number of patients requiring treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. In areas close to the frontlines, daily shelling means that some of the most vulnerable, including older people and people with chronic conditions, have extremely limited access to medical care.

    Inna Didych, MSF physiotherapist, is working with Andrii, a 27-year-old patient who is preparing for prosthetics after sustaining injuries during fighting on the frontlines in Ukraine. Andrii lost his right arm, leg, and nearly all of his vision. Ukraine, October 2023.
    Pavlo Sukhodolskyi/Voice if America

    MSF runs an early rehabilitation project with centres in Cherkasy and Odesa, where people receive early post-operative physiotherapy, mental health support and nursing care following incidents of violent trauma. MSF treated 755 patients in 2023 and 2024. From one year to the next, there was a 10 per cent increase in the number of patients requiring post-operative care for leg amputations.

    In 2024, half of all patients in the project were diagnosed with either post-traumatic stress disorder, or depression. The need for mental health support in Ukraine is significant. In addition to the centres in Cherkasy and Odesa, MSF has established a project focused on post-traumatic stress disorder in Vinnytsia.

    “The ferocity of this war has not diminished, and the medical humanitarian needs have only grown more complex,” says Thomas Marchese, MSF’s head of programmes in Ukraine. “Even if the war were to end tomorrow, hundreds of thousands of people would require years of long-term physiotherapy, or counselling for post-traumatic stress disorder. Ensuring this care requires an ongoing humanitarian commitment.”

    Inessa Bondarenko attends group activities and sessions organised by MSF in Ndamyanka. She is from Kharkiv. Her husband stayed there but she fled. Her daughter is a refugee in Germany. She lives with two cats in a shelter in Ndamyanka, which MSF helped to build. Ukraine, October 2023.
    Nuria Lopez Torres

    Today, Ukraine’s healthcare system faces immense pressure, balancing emergency responses with the ongoing needs of patients affected by the war. For three years, drone and missile attacks have been a daily occurrence, in some cases striking cities more than 1,000 kilometres from the frontline. Medical facilities and systems have been forced to adapt to treating patients in bunkers or basements, as well as to frequent power cuts from attacks on energy infrastructure.

    In response to this, MSF operates ambulances, transferring patients from overburdened hospitals near the frontline to medical facilities in central and western Ukraine with greater capacity. Over the past three years, MSF ambulances have transferred more than 25,000 patients, more than half of whom had injuries caused by violent trauma.

    In 2024, MSF mobile clinic and ambulance teams working near the frontlines saw a significant increase in referrals for patients with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular issues, diabetes, and cancer. In 2023, these cases accounted for 24 per cent of all referrals, rising to 33 per cent in 2024. However, regular shelling and strikes mean that the access of MSF’s teams is not guaranteed. Many of those living with chronic conditions are older, and less mobile, in some areas, people have begun living in their basements or in bunkers, due to the intense shelling.

    View of a destroyed hospital ward in Vysokopilla town, Kherson Oblast. Ukraine, January 2023.
    Colin Delfosse

    “For some of the most vulnerable people, relocating isn’t an option,” says Marchese. “Not everyone is able to leave their homes and start their life again, but the continued fighting means that these people are frequently cut off from medical care, just as MSF medical teams are sometimes unable to travel to certain areas due to ongoing shelling.”

    As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, MSF’s teams witness how the medical humanitarian crisis deepens every day. The strength of the Ukrainian health system in the face of extreme violence is clear, but the need for sustained medical care and mental health support is greater than ever.

    Even if the war were to end tomorrow, the long-term effects on people —physical and psychological— will linger for years to come. Ukraine’s infrastructure has also sustained staggering damage, with hospitals coming under direct attack. Hundreds of thousands of people will require ongoing care, rehabilitation, and therapy for trauma long after the last bomb falls. MSF continues to work in Ukraine, close to the frontlines and further afield, but more support is required.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Amnesty International responds to B.C. court ruling in Indigenous land defenders’ trial

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Amnesty International will consider prisoner-of-conscience designations in the cases of three Indigenous land defenders in Canada whose convictions were upheld by a British Columbia court.

    Sleydo’ (Molly Wickham), a Wing Chief (Cas Yikh house) of the Gidimt’en Clan of the Wet’suwet’en Nation, Shaylynn Sampson, a Gitxsan woman with Wet’suwet’en family connections, and Corey “Jayohcee” Jocko, a Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk), had asked the court to void their convictions on constitutional grounds. They argued that their arrests during – and detention after – a highly militarized November 2021 police raid on unceded Wet’suwet’en territory violated their rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

    On Tuesday, a British Columbia judge ruled that the conduct, including anti-Indigenous racist statements, of some Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)/Community Industry Response Group (C-IRG) members during the raid did indeed violate the defenders’ Charter rights. The ruling validates both the experiences of these land defenders and the broader experience of colonial violence that Indigenous Peoples have faced for more than 100 years from the RCMP. However, the judge refused to stay all charges against the defenders and said he would instead consider reduced sentences.

    Amnesty International is reviewing the implications of Tuesday’s decision. Should they receive a sentence that arbitrarily deprives them of their liberty, Amnesty will designate the affected land defenders as prisoners of conscience.

    “We are heartened by Justice Tammen’s stern condemnation of the racist and violent treatment Sleydo’, Shaylynn Sampson and Corey ‘Jayohcee’ Jocko endured during their arrests. Unfortunately, the systematic racism that led to their arrests remains unaddressed”

    -Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada’s English-speaking section

    “We are heartened by Justice Tammen’s stern condemnation of the racist and violent treatment Sleydo’, Shaylynn Sampson and Corey ‘Jayohcee’ Jocko endured during their arrests,” said Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada’s English-speaking section. “Unfortunately, the systematic racism that led to their arrests remains unaddressed. B.C. and Canada must take immediate steps to stop the criminalization of Indigenous land defenders in the first place. No one should be intimidated, harassed, or arrested, let alone convicted in a criminal court case, for exercising their constitutionally protected rights and protecting the natural environment we all share.

    France-Isabelle Langlois, general director of Amnistie internationale Canada francophone, declared: “Peaceful actions were taken by the Indigenous land defenders with the aim of protecting natural ecosystems that lessen the impacts of climate change. In this global context of the climate crisis, to punish them is preposterous, to say the least, no matter how small the sentence. These actions need to be widely applauded rather than scrutinized by the Court.

    “The Court’s decision to uphold the convictions of the three land defenders is part of a broader context of shrinking civic space in Canada, where Indigenous land defenders, environmentalists, and human right defenders are frequently the victims of political or police repression,” she added. “It is disappointing that we must remind the country and its institutions of their obligations under international law since Canada prides itself on being a leader in human rights.”

    “Peaceful actions were taken by the Indigenous land defenders with the aim of protecting natural ecosystems that lessen the impacts of climate change. In this global context of the climate crisis, to punish them is preposterous, to say the least, no matter how small the sentence. These actions need to be widely applauded rather than scrutinized by the Court”

    -France-Isabelle Langlois, general director of Amnistie internationale Canada francophone

    Amnesty International has vehemently condemned the criminalization of Wet’suwet’en and other land defenders opposed to the construction of Coastal GasLink (CGL) liquefied natural gas pipeline through the Nation’s unceded, ancestral territory. Construction on the 670-kilometre pipeline began without the free, prior and informed consent of the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs, on behalf of their clans. This violates Canadian and international human rights law and standards, including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which was legislated into Canadian law on June 21, 2021.

    Based in part on witness testimony of four large-scale RCMP raids on Wet’suwet’en territory, Amnesty’s 2023 report ‘Removed from our land for defending it’: Criminalization, Intimidation and Harassment of Wet’suwet’en Land Defenders found that Wet’suwet’en land defenders and their supporters were arbitrarily detained for peacefully defending their land against the construction of the CGL pipeline and exercising their Indigenous rights and their right to peaceful assembly.

    In June and July 2022, the B.C. Prosecution Service (BCPS) charged 20 land defenders, including Sleydo’, Sampson and Jocko, with criminal contempt for disobeying an injunction order to stay away from pipeline construction sites, an order that unduly restricted the human rights of the land defenders and the Indigenous rights of the Wet’suwet’en Nation. Seven of the 20 land defenders pleaded guilty because of restrictive bail conditions, as well as the familial, psychological and financial impacts that the criminal proceedings imposed on them. Five other defenders had their charges dropped, and five more are awaiting trial.

    “This whole process has been a violation of my rights and responsibilities as an Indigenous person and my responsibility to the health and wellness of future generations and the Yintah,” Sleydo’ said during a news conference after the decision was handed down on Tuesday afternoon. “The colonial courts are not where our ability to live out our laws and ways of life should be determined. And yet here we are, over three years later, in a showdown between Wet’suwet’en law and colonial law after years of police violence and repression by the C-IRG, with no accountability. I refuse to allow the colonial courts to dehumanize and criminalize me. I belong to my land, my ancestors, and my people.

    “I am a mother, a daughter, a sister, an auntie, a good friend, and a leader. I am a singer, a hunter, a teacher, and a revolutionary. I am following the footsteps of my ancestors, and I carry their teachings with me in everything that I do.”

    “This whole process has been a violation of my rights and responsibilities as an Indigenous person and my responsibility to the health and wellness of future generations and the Yintah. (…) I refuse to allow the colonial courts to dehumanize and criminalize me. I belong to my land, my ancestors, and my people”

    -Sleydo’

    If Amnesty International names Sleydo’, Sampson and Jocko prisoners of conscience, it will be the second time the organization has applied that designation to a person held by Canada. In July 2024, Amnesty declared another Wet’suwet’en land defender – Likhts’amisyu Clan Wing Chief Dsta’hyl – a prisoner of conscience after the British Columbia court sentenced him to 60 days of house arrest. Like Sleydo’, Sampson and Jocko, Chief Dsta’hyl was charged and later convicted for allegedly violating the terms of the B.C. court injunction banning land-defence actions near the CGL pipeline, including in areas of the Wet’suwet’en Nation’s territory.

    “If the Canadian state decides to unjustly criminalize and confine Sleydo’, Shaylynn, and Corey, Amnesty International will not hesitate to designate them as prisoners of conscience,” said Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International. “Canada is on the sadly long list of countries in the Americas where land defenders remain at risk for their essential work.”

    “If the Canadian state decides to unjustly criminalize and confine Sleydo’, Shaylynn, and Corey, Amnesty International will not hesitate to designate them as prisoners of conscience. Canada is on the sadly long list of countries in the Americas where land defenders remain at risk for their essential work”

    -Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International

    The criminalization of Wet’suwet’en land defenders has sparked an international outcry and calls for Canada to respect Indigenous rights. Last year, Sleydo’, Sampson and Jocko were a featured case in Write for Rights, Amnesty International’s annual global letter-writing campaign. Since the fall, thousands of people around the world have sent letters and signed petitions calling on Canada to drop the charges against the three defenders.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Appeal to identify three men in connection with fatal stabbing in Hackney

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Detectives investigating the murder of 20-year-old Jason Romeo in Hackney have named and released images of three men they urgently need to speak to.

    Jason was stabbed to death outside an address in Bodney Street, E5 on Tuesday, 18 February at 17:59hrs.

    Following extensive enquiries, officers have named three men they need to trace in connection with his murder.

    They are Raynolph Asante, aged 22, Rhamyah Bailey-Edwards, 21, and Travis Mitchell, also 21. They are known to frequent the areas of Hackney, Walthamstow and Deptford.

    Detective Superintendent Kelly Allen, leading the investigation, said:

    “Our team is working tirelessly to identity those responsible for Jason’s murder. We now need the public’s help to trace Asante, Bailey-Edwards and Mitchell. I would urge anybody with information about their whereabouts to contact us immediately by calling 999.

    “Once again I would like to thank the local community in Hackney for their support. Officers have conducted increased weapons searches, reassurance patrols and will carry out house-to-house enquires this weekend. This can be intrusive and disruptive, however it’s essential, and your patience is appreciated.”

    If anyone sees Asante, Bailey-Edwards or Mitchell please do not approach them. Instead, contact the police on 999 as soon as possible, quoting 5635/18Feb.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Solar power set to boost energy levels at city’s leisure centre

    Source: City of Norwich

    Work to install more than 600 solar panels over the car park and on the roof of Riverside Leisure Centre will begin on Monday 24 February, thanks to a project backed by Sport England.

    The initiative, which received planning permission last year, will enhance the centre’s long-term sustainability while minimising its environmental impact.

    By producing renewable energy on-site, the project is set to reduce the electricity bills of the building by 33 percent and cut 75 tonnes of carbon emissions a year. These financial and carbon savings will help secure the future of this venue, as well as supporting Norwich City Council’s efforts to reach net zero. New trees will also be planted in the carpark area to further boost these eco credentials.

    The venue, which has been run by Places Leisure on behalf of the city council since 2013, received 350,000 visits last year.

    As part of the project, the centre’s car park will be closed for six weeks to facilitate essential construction. While there will be some short-term disruption, these efforts are aimed at future-proofing the centre and significantly reducing its carbon footprint. Blue-badge spaces will be made available from Tuesday 25 February, so only unavailable for one day. Places Leisure have contacted members and customers directly.

    The new energy system is expected to start producing power from April, with full project completion anticipated by this summer. From April onwards, disruption should be minimal, ensuring that visitors and members can continue enjoying the facilities with ease.

    Funding of £520,000 has been secured from the government and Sport England’s £60m Swimming Pool Support Fund, while the remaining £375,000 is being paid for by the city council.

    At the time funding was awarded, Councillor Emma Hampton, cabinet member for climate change, said:

    “I’m delighted that we have been able to secure funding to install such a large solar array at Riverside Leisure Centre, future proofing the venue by reducing emissions and ensuring that we can continue to provide these much-loved community facilities for years to come.

    “By placing solar panels on the roof and in the car park, we’re putting that empty space to good use – something we should aim to do more and more across the city as we work towards a net zero Norwich by 2045.”

    This project underscores the city council’s dedication to sustainability, ensuring a more energy-efficient future. We appreciate the patience and support of both users of the centre and residents living nearby during this time.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Executive Body Meeting of the South and West Asian Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (SWARBICA) held at India International Centre

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 5:11PM by PIB Delhi

    The two-day Executive Body Meeting of the Heads of Archives of the South and West Asian Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (SWARBICA) was inaugurated by Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister for Tourism and Culture, Government of India, on 20thFebruary 2025, at the India International Centre, Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi. The event was hosted by the National Archives of India.

    Representatives from the National Archives of Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka attended both the inaugural and business sessions. The National Archives of Pakistan participated online, while the National Archives of Iran could not attend due to visa issues.

    The Chief Guest emphasized the shared cultural and religious heritage of SWARBICA member countries and underscored the importance of exchange programs, training in digital preservation, and archival conservation to strengthen collaboration. Shri Arun Singhal, Director General, National Archives of India, and Treasurer of SWARBICA, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the digitization of archival records undertaken by the National Archives of India. This SWARBICA meeting was convened after a gap of eight years, following the last meeting held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2017.

    In addition to the Executive Body Meeting, the National Archives of India will host a seminar titled “Using AI for Digital Preservation in Archives” on 21st February 2025. The seminar will explore the role of AI in digital preservation, highlighting its significance and applications. Experts from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and SAMHiTA (International Research Division, India International Centre, New Delhi) will participate as resource persons.

    The South and West Asian Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (SWARBICA) is an international umbrella organization for archival institutions. It provides a platform for archivists across the region to collaborate, strengthen professional relations, and enhance archival preservation. The idea to establish SWARBICA was conceived in 1973 at an Executive Committee Meeting of the International Council on Archives in Brussels, Belgium. It was officially formed on 11th December 1976 in a ceremonial event at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

    ****

    Sunil Kumar Tiwari

    pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com

    (Release ID: 2105300) Visitor Counter : 82

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India’s intervention in Employment Working Group (EWG) in First G20 Employment Working Group Meeting under South African Presidency

    Source: Government of India (2)

    India’s intervention in Employment Working Group (EWG) in First G20 Employment Working Group Meeting under South African Presidency
    Secretary (L&E) outlines India’s achievement in leveraging technology and presented case studies on NCS and e-Shram portal as global best practices

    Bilateral held with ILO & OECD to expedite the feasibility study on International reference Classification of Occupations and Skills

    Bilateral held with Germany on collaboration in the field of AI and its impact on Jobs, OSH related knowledge exchange and strengthening labour administration under Joint Declaration of Intent

    Bilateral held with Netherlands on living wages and its alignment with India’s Multidimensional Poverty index

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 4:22PM by PIB Delhi

    The first G20 Employment Working Group (EWG) Meeting under South African Presidency concluded today on 21st Feb, 2025 at Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The EWG priorities (i) Inclusive Growth & Youth Empowerment and (ii) Social Security & Digitalisation for an Inclusive Future of Work, as was discussed in the working sessions of EWG meeting.

    During the four-days, delegates of G20 Members and invited states made interventions and presentations on key focus areas of the G20 Labour & Employment track.  Ms. Sumita Dawra, Secretary (Labour & Employment) led the Indian delegation and made interventions from Indian side on both the priorities. Secretary took an evidence-based approach on increased social security coverage in India, rising workforce in employment, as well as presented case studies on NCS and eShram to emphasize harnessing of technology by India for labour welfare.

    Secretary Labour highlighted India’s transformative use of technology to (i) onboard workers in unorganised sector and build a national database on EShram, and further utilise the portal for building access of workers to various social security schemes; (ii) Use of National Career Service (NCS) Portal to bridge the supply-demand in labour market through convergence of various stakeholders- employers, job-seekers, counselling and skilling services, etc. Case studies were presented on both EShram and NCS, both of which drew much interest of delegates of G20 member states on India’s strides in harnessing technology for the labour market.

    Case Study 1: eShram Portal

    India presented the eShram Portal as a case study, showcasing its role as a comprehensive national database for unorganized and platform workers, for ensuring seamless access to social security benefits as a ‘one-stop-solution.’ Available in 22 languages and powered by Bhashini, the portal assigns a Universal Account Number (UAN) to each worker, enhancing transparency and accountability. Further, the platform workers’ module, launched on December 12, 2024, enables aggregators to onboard workers and share engagement details, facilitating intelligent mapping to their employers. This initiative strengthens last-mile delivery of social security benefits, empowering millions in the informal sector and exemplifying India’s commitment to leveraging technology for inclusive welfare.

    Case Study 2: National Career Service (NCS) Portal

    India’s effort on leveraging technology to bridge the Jobs-Skills gap was presented through case study on NCS Portal. The Portal had mobilized over 440 million vacancies and registered 4 million employers, bridging the gap between job seekers and employers. NCS is also integrated with the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH). Upskilling initiatives in green jobs, AI, and the platform economy were prioritized to meet future workforce demands. The QS World Future Skills Index 2025 recognized India’s strength in ‘ready-to-recruit’ markets for digital, AI and green jobs.

    Bilateral with ILO, OECD

    Follow-up on India’s G20 2023 Presidency with respect to developing an international framework for mutual recognition of skills and qualifications has been prioritised by the delegation. Accordingly, on the side-lines of 1st G20 EWG meeting, India held bilateral discussions with ILO, OECD and Germany regarding skill gap mapping feasibility study, its work plan and time-lines.

    Secretary briefed on the latest updates regarding funding, status of agreement with ILO to complete the study, and collaboration with concerned stakeholders. It was agreed that feasibility study will focus on three key sectors: IT, Green Jobs, and Care-related roles.

    Given India’s demographic dividend, and the projection of India to increasingly meet incremental global workforce requirements over the next decade, this study assumes great significance for facilitation of international mobility of qualified Indians.

    Bilateral with Netherlands

    A bilateral discussion was held with the Netherlands, focusing on India’s Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) and its alignment with global efforts to address poverty through the concept of ‘Living Wages,’ thus improving living standards. Collaboration with the Netherlands and the ILO was highlighted as critical to advancing living wages, with proposals for exchange of best practices and technical discussion on estimation of living wages. India reiterated its dedication to collaborating with international partners to advance decent work, sustainable wage systems, and enhanced livelihoods for workers.

    Bilateral with Germany

    During bilateral discussion with Germany, the importance of the Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) entered by India with Germany in the month of October 2024 was highlighted. The JDoI is important for enhancing cooperation in work in global supply chains, human-centric AI and its impact on Jobs, developing Gig economy, a global skills referencing framework, etc. India reaffirmed its commitment to deepening collaboration with Germany, fostering innovative projects and a shared vision for an inclusive and equitable future of work.

    *****

    Himanshu Pathak

    (Release ID: 2105272) Visitor Counter : 148

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India Expands Collaboration with UK in Key Areas of Telecom, AI, and Emerging Technologies

    Source: Government of India (2)

    India Expands Collaboration with UK in Key Areas of Telecom, AI, and Emerging Technologies

    C-DOT and SONIC Labs Join Hands to Drive Open RAN Innovation

    Roundtable on Telecoms & AI: Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary T highlights India’s leadership in the telecommunications sector and its rapid advancements in next-generation network technologies

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 1:45PM by PIB Delhi

    The Secretary (Telecom) of India visited the United Kingdom to engage with the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), UK and explore opportunities for collaboration in next-generation telecommunications, artificial intelligence, and space technology, further strengthening Indo-UK ties in these critical areas.

    The Secretary (Telecom) met with Mr. Chris Johnson, National Scientific Adviser, and Mr. Dave Smith, National Technology Adviser of DSIT. The discussions centred on emerging technologies and their applications in 5G, 6G, digital infrastructure security.

    The Secretary also met with Mr. Geoff Huggins, Director, Digital Directorate, Govt of Scotland, to discuss collaborative efforts in digital transformation through telecom, telecom security, and emerging telecom technologies.

    Secretary (Telecom) held a field visit at one of the six Federated Telecom Hubs (FTH) in the UK, specializing in Cloud and Distributed Computing (CHEDDAR). This hub leads cutting-edge research in 6G distributed cloud, AI for 6G, green 6G, and advanced sensing technologies.
    Furthermore, the Secretary met with Ms. Jean Innes, CEO of the Alan Turing Institute, for discussions on potential collaboration in digital twins, AI for telecom security, ethical AI, and fostering an AI innovation and startup ecosystem.

    Additionally, the Secretary visited Scotland’s 5G Centre at the University of Strathclyde and the 6G Research Centre at the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering. These visits facilitated discussions on collaboration in 6G innovation, future sensing technologies, the exchange of technology such as the 5G stack, and student exchange programs to foster academic and industrial partnerships.

    Scotland  5G Center                                                                    Demonstration of remote dental surgery at 6G research Center

    UK-India Telecom Roundtable & MoU Signing

    Building on the strong foundation of the UK-India Technology Security Initiative (TSI), where telecom remains a key priority, a roundtable discussion was convened with key UK stakeholders from DSIT, leading business entities such as BT and Ericsson, and innovation hubs and centres, including SONIC Labs, UK Telecom Labs, TITAN, JOINER. Representatives from the UK Space Agency, European Space Agency, Innovate UK, and the UK Technology Innovation Network (UKTIN) also participated, exploring avenues for mutual cooperation. The roundtable was organized by the High Commission of India (HCI) in partnership with UKTIN. Dr. Neeraj Mittal highlighted India’s leadership in the telecom sector and its rapid advancements in next-generation network technologies.

    Following the roundtable, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between SONIC Labs and the Centre for Development of Telematics (CDOT). The agreement focuses on Open RAN-related policy and technical matters, including 5G Open RAN and Artificial Intelligence in 4G/5G

    Other key areas of collaboration which have been identified during the deliberations with various stakeholders on the telecom ecosystem of UK :

    • Establishment of a Joint Centres of Excellence focusing on telecom cybersecurity, AI in telecom, and digital twins.
    • Collaborative initiatives with British telcos to leverage mobile phone data for infrastructure planning, building upon India’s success in using such data for metro route planning.
    • Joint contributions to ITU for the development of 6G standards (IMT 2030).
    • Mutual recognition of testing labs and the establishment of new testing facilities.
    • Collaboration on Digital Twins, including standardization frameworks, privacy-enhancing technologies, and cross-sectoral data applications.
    • Advancing quantum communication solutions and submarine sea cable security.
    • Promoting the Indigenous 4G/5G telecom stack developed by CDOT.
    • Collaboration on space technology communication (TN-NTN) between the UK and India’s Bharat 6G Alliance.

    This visit underscored the shared commitment of India and the UK to drive innovation in telecom and digital infrastructure, paving the way for enhanced collaboration in next-generation connectivity solutions. It also reflects India’s proactive approach to shaping global telecom policies, fostering AI-driven innovations, and strengthening international partnerships for a digitally inclusive future.

    About C-DOT

    C-DOT is the premier research and development centre of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India. It is dedicated to developing indigenous telecom technologies, including 4G/5G solutions, AI-driven network management, and cybersecurity frameworks, to enhance India’s telecom ecosystem and contribute to global standardization efforts.

    About SONIC Labs

    SONIC Labs (SmartRAN Open Network Interoperability Centre) is a world-leading innovation programme and R&D facility based in London, funded by the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). Co-delivered by Digital Catapult and Ofcom, SONIC Labs drives global technology development in Open RAN, aiming to create a diverse and competitive telecom supply chain.

    About The Alan Turing Institute, UK

    The Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s national institute for data science and AI, drives world-class research, fosters AI innovation, and collaborates with academia, industry, and policymakers to address global challenges. With a network of 13 partner universities and an open collaboration model, it plays a pivotal role in advancing AI-driven solutions, shaping public policy, and developing future skills. The Institute supports global AI initiatives, where AI is a key driver of economic growth and societal transformation.

    About CHEDDAR

    The Communications Hub for Empowering Distributed Cloud Computing Applications and Research (CHEDDAR) is a pioneering research hub advancing next-generation computing, Edge Computing, and AI-driven systems. Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) – UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) via the Technology Missions Fund (TMF), CHEDDAR serves as a critical platform for collaboration across academia, industry, and the global community. Led by Imperial College London, with core partners including Cranfield, Durham, Glasgow, Leeds, and York universities, CHEDDAR focuses on integrating future communication systems with cloud and AI technologies. With 6G standards on the horizon, CHEDDAR aims to drive research in secure, sustainable, and intelligent communication infrastructures, ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of technological innovation.

    ****

    Samrat/Dheeraj/Allen

    (Release ID: 2105225) Visitor Counter : 87

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 2.20.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    Feb 20, 2025

    Sacramento, California –Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Mayumi Kimura, of Temecula, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Woman Veterans at the California Department of Veterans Affairs. Kimura has been the Founder and Director of Warriors Insight Therapy since 2022. She was a Readjustment Counselor at Lowell Vet Center from 2019 to 2022. Kimura was a Program Director at Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, Housing Unit for Military Veterans from 2018 to 2019.  She was an Emergency Services Clinician at Riverside Community Care from 2017 to 2018. Kimura was a Social Services Clinician at Butler Psychiatric Hospital from 2016 to 2017. She was a Psychosocial Manager/Hospice Social Worker at Bayada Hospice from 2013 to 2017. Kimura served in multiple roles for the United States Navy from 2001 to 2010, including Active-Duty Operations Specialist, Petty Officer First Class, and Active Reserves. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $154,860. Kimura is a Democrat.

    Justin Turner, of Sacramento, has been appointed Chief Counsel at the California Department of Conservation. He has been Assistant Chief Counsel at the Department of Conservation since 2015 and Attorney III from 2008 to 2015. Turner was a Contract Attorney at the California Department of Public Health from 2005 to 2008. He was a Contract Attorney at Update Legal in 2004. Turner earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco, and a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Spanish from the University of Oregon. This position does not require Senate confirmation and compensation is $208,440. Turner is a Democrat.

    Anthony “Tony” Marino, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Director of Energy at the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety. Marino has been the Deputy Director of the Underground Infrastructure Directorate at the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety since 2022. Marino was the Executive Officer of the Underground Safety Board at the Department of Foresty and Fire Protection from 2017 to 2021. He served as Consultant on the Subcommittee on Gas, Electric, and Transportation Safety in the Office of Senator Jerry Hill from 2012 to 2017. Marino held multiple positions in the Office of Assemblymember Jerry Hill from 2010 to 2012, including Legislative Aide and Science Fellow. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Chemistry from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of the Arts degree in English and Chemistry from Davidson College. This position does not require Senate confirmation and compensation is $175,512. Marino is registered without party preference.  

    Travis Nichols, of Sacramento, has been appointed Cyber Incident Response Manager at the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Nichols has been an Operations Officer/Defensive Cyberspace Weapons Officer with the United States Marine Corps Reserve since 2010. He was a Consultant at Level9 Group in 2023. Nichols was a Cyber Security Operations Architect at Smith & Nephew from 2022 to 2023. He was an Information System Security Officer/Engineer at Defense Microelectronics Activity from 2021 to 2022. Nichols was a Systems Administrator – Server/Network Team Lead at Blackwatch International from 2019 to 2021. He was a Systems Administrator – Tier III – Team Lead at Cincinnati Bell Technical Solutions from 2018 to 2019. Nichols was a Service Support Engineer at Pathforward IT from 2016 to 2018. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $137,616. Nichols is a Democrat.

    Lynda Hopkins, of Sebastopol, has been appointed to the California Air Resources Board. Hopkins has been the Fifth District Supervisor on the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors since 2016. She was a Co-Owner at Foggy River Farm from 2008 to 2020. Hopkins was a Reporter at the Sonoma West Times & News from 2009 to 2013. She was the Executive Director at Sonoma County Farm Trails from 2008 to 2010. Hopkins was a Head Teaching Assistant at the Stanford University Earth Systems Program from 2005 to 2007. She is a member of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Hopkins earned a Master of Science degree in Earth Systems, a Bachelor of Science degree in Earth Systems, and a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Creative Writing and Poetry from Stanford University. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Hopkins is a Democrat.

    Dawn Ortiz-Legg, of San Luis Obispo, has been appointed to the California Air Resources Board. Ortiz-Legg has been the Third District Supervisor on the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors since 2020. She was a Right of Way Agent at Pacific Gas and Electric Company from 2018 to 2020. Ortiz-Legg was a Project Manager & Public Affairs Liaison at First Solar from 2010 to 2018. She was North American Sales and Marketing Manager at PTEC Corporation from 1999 to 2010. Ortiz-Legg is a member of the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District. She earned her Master of Public Policy degree in Climate Change and Technology Policy from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Organizational Communication from Pepperdine University. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Ortiz-Legg is a Democrat.

    Tina Thomas, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the Wildlife Conservation Board. Thomas has been Of Counsel at Downey Brand LLP since 2023. She was Founding Partner at Thomas Law Group Sacramento from 2012 to 2023. Thomas has held multiple positions at Remy, Thomas, Moose, and Manley, LLP from 1982 to 2011, including Counsel and Managing Partner. She was an Associate Attorney at Remy and Associates from 1979 to 1982. Thomas is a Board Member at the Steinberg Institute, Sacramento Federal Judiciary Library, and Meristem, and Member Emeritus at the Sacramento Food Bank. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Diego, and a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Sociology and Political Science from Stephens College. This position does not require Senate Confirmation, and there is no compensation. Thomas is a Democrat.

    Frances “Fran” Pavley, of Agoura Hills, has been reappointed to the Wildlife Conservation Board, where she has served since 2018. Pavley has been the Environmental Policy Director at the University of Southern California Schwarzenegger Institute since 2018. She served as a Senator in the California State Senate from 2008 to 2016. Pavley served as an Assemblymember in the California State Assembly from 2000 to 2006. She served as Mayor/City Councilmember for the City of Agoura Hills from 1982 to 1998. Pavley earned her Master of the Arts degree in Environmental Planning from California State University, Northridge, and her Bachelor of the Arts degree in Social Science from California State University, Fresno. This position does not require Senate Confirmation, and there is no compensation.  Pavley is a Democrat.

    Travis Clausen, of Garden Grove, has been appointed to the Underground Safe Excavation Board. Clausen has been Regional Construction Manager – Aviation and Defense at Sully-Miller Contracting Company since 2025, where he was Senior Operations Manager from 2015 to 2025. Clausen was a Project Manager at OHL USA from 2014 to 2015 and at Sully Miller Contracting Company from 2006 to 2014. Clausen served in the United States Army from 1995 to 1998. He earned a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Business Administration – Finance from California State University, Fullerton. This position does not require Senate Confirmation and there is no compensation. Clausen is a Republican.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Feb 19, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Andrew “Andy” Nakahata, of San Francisco, has been appointed Chief Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer at the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank….

    Feb 19, 2025

    News What you need to know: A court has denied the city of Norwalk’s request to dismiss the state’s lawsuit against the city for its unlawful ban on homeless shelters.  NORWALK — Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement in response to a court decision…

    Feb 19, 2025

    News What you need to know: Steve Jobs, a visionary of global scale, has been nominated to represent California on the American Innovation Coin. The coin, which will be minted by the U.S. Mint, highlights U.S. innovations and innovators, including California’s legacy…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Foreign Direct Investment in 2023: Key Highlights

    Source: International Monetary Fund – IMF (video statements)

    Inward direct investment grew by $1.75 trillion, rising 4.4% to reach a record $41 trillion by year-end!

    Largest Gains:
    Singapore: +$307 billion (+15%)
    United States: +$227 billion (+4.4%)

    Largest Declines:
    The Netherlands: -$282 billion (-9%)
    Germany: -$141 billion (-3.7%)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHyR9MY4Q3Q

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: At a Glance – State aid assessment: Final judgment on Apple – 21-02-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    In September 2024, a Court of Justice (ECJ) judgment, rendered in appeal, concluded a 10-year State aid procedure on Ireland’s past tax rulings relating to Apple. The ECJ judgment did not go as anticipated. In addition, the over €13 billion in aid to be recovered from Apple eclipsed the grounds for the decision, which derive from the specific historical structure of the business and national provisions.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – The death of three minors at the Bulgarian border – E-000665/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000665/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Jaume Asens Llodrà (Verts/ALE), Ilaria Salis (The Left), Estrella Galán (The Left), Per Clausen (The Left), Rima Hassan (The Left), Marie Toussaint (Verts/ALE), Maria Ohisalo (Verts/ALE), Mounir Satouri (Verts/ALE), Sebastian Everding (The Left), Diana Riba i Giner (Verts/ALE), Catarina Martins (The Left), Isabel Serra Sánchez (The Left), Irene Montero (The Left), Mimmo Lucano (The Left), Marco Tarquinio (S&D), Markéta Gregorová (Verts/ALE), Damien Carême (The Left), Ana Miranda Paz (Verts/ALE), Tineke Strik (Verts/ALE), Erik Marquardt (Verts/ALE), Cecilia Strada (S&D), Saskia Bricmont (Verts/ALE), Mélissa Camara (Verts/ALE), Pernando Barrena Arza (The Left), Vicent Marzà Ibáñez (Verts/ALE), Brando Benifei (S&D), Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D), Konstantinos Arvanitis (The Left), Francisco Assis (S&D), Cristina Guarda (Verts/ALE), Benedetta Scuderi (Verts/ALE), Lynn Boylan (The Left), Thijs Reuten (S&D), Leire Pajín (S&D), Hana Jalloul Muro (S&D)

    According to a recent report[1], Bulgarian border police failed to assist three unaccompanied Egyptian minors in distress, despite repeated alerts from human rights defenders. Attempts to rescue them were blocked by the Bulgarian authorities, resulting in the minors’ deaths.

    For years, human rights monitors, journalists and Frontex officers have documented systematic violations by the Bulgarian border authorities. Attacks on defenders of migrants’ rights have escalated, with Bulgarian authorities shifting responsibility for these deaths onto them. These abuses coincide with Bulgaria’s full accession to the Schengen area and significant EU funding for migration management.

    This raises serious concerns under Article 2 (right to life) and Article 3 (prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment) of the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as under the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.

    • 1.What steps will the Commission take to investigate Bulgaria’s responsibility for these deaths, ensure accountability (under Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union), and prevent further abuses in the context of its Schengen accession?
    • 2.How will the Commission ensure that EU funds for Bulgarian border management are not used to support pushbacks, obstruct humanitarian aid or contribute to human rights violations?
    • 3.What measures will the Commission implement to protect human rights defenders from criminalisation under the EU Facilitation Directive and ensure they can operate without interference?

    Submitted: 12.2.2025

    • [1] https://bloodyborders.org/reports/frozen-lives-an-investigation-into-how-bulgarian-authorities-put-the-lives-of-people-on-the-move-at-risk-of-death/.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: FOREX.com to Exhibit at Invest Cuffs Conference in Krakow

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    KRAKOW, Poland, Feb. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FOREX.com, a subsidiary of StoneX Group Inc. (“StoneX”; NASDAQ: SNEX), is proud to announce its participation in the upcoming Invest Cuffs conference as the official Chillout Zone Partner. The event will take place in Krakow on March 28-29, marking FOREX.com’s inaugural presence at one of Poland’s most prominent investment gatherings.

    Invest Cuffs has been a cornerstone of financial education and investment discourse in Poland for over a decade, drawing thousands of attendees to explore a wide range of investment opportunities, from real estate to cryptocurrencies. The event serves as a platform for financial professionals, investors, and industry leaders to share insights, strategies, and market perspectives.

    With over 120 exhibitors participating, FOREX.com’s presence at Invest Cuffs will provide a unique opportunity to engage with both local and international financial experts. As a leading trading services provider, FOREX.com is committed to fostering investment awareness in the region.

    Representing FOREX.com at the event will be Marcin Tuszkiewicz, CEO of Squaber.com and an experienced FOREX.com trader with over 15 years of market expertise. Tuszkiewicz will be one of the featured speakers, delivering a session on price action analysis and investment psychology on Saturday, March 29.

    Invest Cuffs promises to be an engaging event, offering valuable networking opportunities and thought-provoking discussions on the future of investing. FOREX.com welcomes all attendees to visit its booth in the Chillout Zone to learn more about its trading solutions.

    About StoneX Group Inc.

    StoneX Group Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates a global financial services network that connects companies, organizations, traders and investors to the global market ecosystem through a unique blend of digital platforms, end-to-end clearing and execution services, high touch service and deep expertise. The Company strives to be the one trusted partner to its clients, providing its network, product and services to allow them to pursue trading opportunities, manage their market risks, make investments and improve their business performance. A Fortune 100 company headquartered in New York City and listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (NASDAQ:SNEX), StoneX Group Inc. and its more than 4,500 employees serve more than 54,000 commercial, institutional, and payments clients, and more than 400,000 retail accounts, from more than 80 offices spread across six continents. Further information on the Company is available at www.stonex.com.

    About FOREX.com

    FOREX.com, a wholly owned subsidiary of StoneX Group Inc, is a leading online trading provider offering access to a wide range of markets. With award-winning platforms, competitive pricing, and a commitment to transparent execution, FOREX.com supports +1m traders worldwide in achieving their financial goals.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Climate change could make more turtles female – but some are starting to adapt

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mollie Rickwood, PhD Researcher, Marine Conservation, University of Exeter

    A loggerhead turtle nesting. Mollie Rickwood, CC BY-NC-ND

    Rising global temperatures are a particularly acute threat for the world’s sea turtles. That’s because the temperature of a turtle’s nest controls the sex of their offspring.

    Coming ashore onto a beach (often the beach from where they hatched), sea turtles use their flippers to carefully scoop out the sand and create flask-shaped nests in the sand in which they lay their eggs. There is no maternal care for these nests – their success depends solely on the environment. Hotter nests will produce more female hatchlings, but fewer babies will survive into adulthood once temperatures rise above a critical threshold.

    Unless sea turtles find a way to counteract rising nest temperatures, climate change could produce an increasing number of females and fewer offspring – a frightening scenario for sea turtle biologists like us.

    Fortunately, we were pleased to discover that green and loggerhead turtles that breed in North Cyprus are arriving earlier in the year to offset some of the impacts of rising incubation temperatures.

    Since the early 1990s, the Society for the Protection of Turtles and our team at the University of Exeter have been working together to monitor and protect the green and loggerhead turtles that nest on the beaches of North Cyprus.

    Every summer, a team of dedicated volunteers patrols nesting beaches to record every nest that has been laid. They place temperature data-loggers into these nests and tag every female they encounter. The result is a unique database of over 1,300 individual female turtles for whom the date, location and hatching success of her nests is known.

    Using this database, we were able to show that, since 1992, green and loggerhead turtles in North Cyprus are nesting more than half a day earlier each year (greens 0.61 days, loggerheads 0.78 days). Before the mid 2000s, no turtles had been recorded nesting before June, but now we expect to see quite a few nests from the start of May.

    Do the seasons feel increasingly weird to you? You’re not alone. Climate change is distorting nature’s calendar, causing plants to flower early and animals to emerge at the wrong time.

    This article is part of a series, Wild Seasons, on how the seasons are changing – and what they may eventually look like.

    If temperatures keep rising at current rates, we estimated that to maintain current sex ratios, the loggerhead turtles would need to keep nesting half a day earlier each year. To prevent a decrease in hatching rates, they’ll need to nest 0.7 days earlier each year.

    This means that, for the time being, our loggerheads are shifting their nesting dates early enough to maintain current incubation temperatures and, therefore, sex ratios and hatching success. Good news.

    Though our study in loggerheads offers cause for optimism, there is no guarantee that the females will continue to nest earlier and earlier each year. To try to understand if this might be the case, we wanted to understand whether temperature was the main factor driving this earlier nesting.

    Temperature isn’t everything

    For individual green turtles, we confirmed that the temperature is an important factor in causing them to nest earlier. In fact, we found that individual females will nest 6.47 days earlier for every degree celsius increase in sea temperature.

    However, we also showed that how many times a female has bred before and the number of times she lays eggs in a breeding season explain an equal amount of the variation in her lay dates. These observations have important effects when we think about what is happening to the green turtle population as a whole.

    As a result of conservation measures such as protecting the nests from predation and relocating nests laid too close to the high water line we have seen a big population increase in the green turtles at our study site in North Cyprus. Since 1992, numbers have grown from 55 nests per year to over 400.

    Understanding the current trend of earlier nesting is complicated. But, for now, we can be assured that sea turtles are doing just enough to counteract the negative effects of climate change – which is fantastic news.

    The turtles are doing their bit. Now, it is up to us to ensure the continued conservation and long-term monitoring of this charismatic ocean ambassador to give them the best chance of survival in our changing world.

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

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

    Annette Broderick receives funding from the Darwin Initiative, MAVA Foundation, Natural Environment Research Council and the Royal Society

    Robin Snape is affiliated with The Society for the Protection of Turtles (SPOT).

    Mollie Rickwood 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. Climate change could make more turtles female – but some are starting to adapt – https://theconversation.com/climate-change-could-make-more-turtles-female-but-some-are-starting-to-adapt-249619

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Woman attempts to import £13,000 of cocaine21 February 2025 A 39-year-old woman has been sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment for attempting to import cocaine into the Island, with a street value of £13,000. ​Emma Louise LLEWELLYN (born 20/11/1985),… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    21 February 2025

    A 39-year-old woman has been sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment for attempting to import cocaine into the Island, with a street value of £13,000.

    ​Emma Louise LLEWELLYN (born 20/11/1985), from Stoke-on-Trent, appeared before Jersey’s Royal Court yesterday afternoon (Thursday 20 February 2025). LLEWELLYN arrived in the Island on a flight ​from Liverpool on Friday 8 November 2024 and when questioned by Jersey Customs and Immigration Officers stated that she was visiting the Island for the weekend, to see a friend.

    A search of her baggage was conducted during which several swabs were taken, which proved positive for cocaine.​

    LLEWELLYN initially denied drug use but later admitted to using cocaine the previous week.

    Following a search of LLEWELLYN’s person she was found to have concealed a wrapped package containing 52 grams of cocaine.

    When interviewed she admitted attempting to import the drugs for which she would have received £1,000 in payment. She also stated that she owed £350 to the individual who had given her the drugs to import.

    ​Paul Le Monnier, Senior Manager at Jersey Customs and Immigration Service, said: “Individuals will be offered payment or the ability to clear debts by attempting to import drugs, on behalf of others, but the huge risks involved, and the sentencing handed out by the Courts should be a clear deterrent”.

    Anyone with information on drug smuggling can report it anonymously via 0800 735 5555. 

    ​

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE workshop enhances protection of soft targets, public events, in Kyrgyzstan

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: OSCE workshop enhances protection of soft targets, public events, in Kyrgyzstan

    Participants in a workshop on protecting soft targets, such as public events, from terrorist attacks in Bishkek, 18 February 2024. (OSCE) Photo details

    Protecting soft targets, such as public events, from terrorist attacks was the focus of an OSCE workshop held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from 18 to 20 February. The event, bringing together 30 government officials, was organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek. 
    “Project PROTECT offers us a unique opportunity to engage in tabletop exercises and share international perspectives on vulnerable targets protection. By learning together, we create a powerful synergy—gaining new skills, exchanging lessons, and strengthening our global approach,” highlighted Adylbek Kadyraliev, Deputy Director of the Anti-Terrorism Center of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic.
    Participants discussed pre-event security planning tasks notably the delineation of roles and responsibilities between private and public stakeholders, assessing risk, managing traffic and ensuring human rights and privacy considerations. This theoretical knowledge was then tested in a full-day scenario-based exercise which encouraged rapid, practical and co-ordinated decision-making by participants.
    “The protection of soft targets is a cornerstone of comprehensive security strategies. By addressing vulnerabilities in these high-risk areas, authorities not only reduce the likelihood of destructive attacks, but also contribute to building public trust and maintaining social and economic stability,”  said Ambassador Alexey Rogov, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, in his opening remarks.
    Participants included experts and practitioners from the State Committee for National Security, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Education, Osh City Hall, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Prosecutor General’s office, Ministry of Culture, Bishkek City Hall and Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic as well as from the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism.
    This workshop is part of Project PROTECT, which enhances national approaches to protecting vulnerable targets from terrorist threats and other hazards in a manner that integrates compliance with human rights. The event was organized with the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek and funded partly by Germany.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: Notice of the annual general meeting of Tryg A/S

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The annual general meeting of Tryg A/S will be held on Wednesday 26 March 2025 at 15:00 CET at the company’s Head Office, Klausdalsbrovej 601, Ballerup, Denmark.

    The agenda is as follows:

    1. The Supervisory Board’s report on the company’s activities in the past financial year
    2. Presentation of the annual report for approval and granting of discharge of the Supervisory Board and the Executive Board
    3. Resolution on the appropriation of profit in accordance with the adopted annual report
    4. Indicative vote on the remuneration report for 2024
    5. Approval of the remuneration of the Supervisory Board for 2025
    6. Resolutions proposed by the Supervisory Board
      1. Decision on reduction of share capital
      2. Reduction and extension of the existing authorisation to increase the share capital, cf. Articles 8 and 9 of the Articles of Association
      3. Reduction and renewal of the existing authorisation to acquire own shares
      4. Adjustment of the decision on indemnification
      5. Approval of remuneration policy
      6. Expanding the number of members of the Supervisory Board
      7. Election of members to the Supervisory Board
      8. Appointment of auditor and sustainability auditor
      9. Authorisation of the chair of the meeting
      10. Miscellaneous

        11. For further details, please see attached notice of the annual general meeting (AGM).

        Attachment

      The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: January 2025 Transaction Data

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    January 2025 Transaction Data

    This data provides information about the number and types of applications that HM Land Registry completed in January 2025.

    NicoElNino/Shutterstock.com

    Please note this data shows what HM Land Registry has been able to process during the time period covered and is not necessarily a reflection of market activity.

    In January:

    • HM Land Registry completed more than 1,886,710 applications to change or query the Land Register 
    • the South East topped the table of regional applications with 422,822

    HM Land Registry completed 1,886,714 applications in January compared with 1,511,662 in December 2024 and 1,883,137 last January 2024, of which: 

    • 301,500 were applications for register updates compared with 272,715 in December
    • 1,083,311 were applications for an official copy of a register compared with 803,687 in December
    • 194,671 were search and hold queries (official searches) compared with 184,798 in December
    • 86,227 were transactions for value compared with 59,822 in December
    • 15,425 were postal applications from non-account holders compared with 13,961 in December

    Applications by region and country 

    Region/country November applications December applications January applications
    South East 435,883 340,271 422,822
    Greater London 365,053 288,481 358,032
    North West 216,160 172,475 216,304
    South West 185,863 145,843 182,912
    West Midlands 168,918 125,505 161,218
    Yorkshire and the Humber 155,460 120,797 148,308
    East Midlands 146,092 114,380 137,568
    North 95,129 73,201 94,663
    East Anglia 87,995 63,919 79,465
    Isles of Scilly 103 57 78
    Wales 86,328 66,654 85,239
    England and Wales (not assigned) 117 79 105
    Total 1,943,101 1,511,662 1,886,714

    Top 5 local authority areas 

    January 2024 applications

    Top 5 local authority areas January applications
    Birmingham 29,125
    City of Westminster 25,842
    North Yorkshire 21,453
    Leeds 21,149
    Buckinghamshire 19,779

    December 2024 applications

    Top 5 local authority areas December applications
    Birmingham 22,940
    City of Westminster 20,436
    Leeds 17,616
    North Yorkshire 16,263
    Manchester 15,723

    Top 5 customers 

    January 2024 applications

    Top 5 customers January applications
    Infotrack Limited 182,999
    Enact 34,670
    O’Neill Patient 30,717
    Landmark Information Group Ltd 27,624
    Orbital Witness Limited 24,259

    December 2024 applications

    Top 5 customers December applications
    Infotrack Limited 153,623
    Enact 28,823
    O’Neill Patient 25,493
    Orbital Witness Limited 25,485
    Avail AI Ltd 18,924

    Access the full dataset on our Use land and property data service.

    Next publication 

    Transaction Data is published on the 15th working day of each month. The February 2025 data will be published at 11am on Friday 21 March 2025.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Ireland’s AI Advisory Council Report to Government: “Helping to Shape Ireland’s AI Future”

    Source: Government of Ireland – Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation

    21st February 2025

    The AI Advisory Council today 21st February announced the release of its latest report, “Ireland’s AI Advisory Council Recommendations – Helping to Shape Ireland’s AI Future (February 2025).” This comprehensive report outlines key opportunities and strategic policy recommendations aimed at accelerating AI adoption in Ireland while safeguarding the nation’s economy, competitiveness, workforce, and society.

    The report delves into six critical areas:

    1. AI and the Future of Skills and Work: Improving our understanding of the transformative impact of AI on the labour market and promoting proactive policies to navigate the uncertainty ahead.
    2. AI Ecosystem: Strategies to lead in applied AI: supporting start-ups and SMEs, accelerating funding, leveraging and expanding existing testbed initiatives, and unifying vision for growth.
    3. AI Literacy and Education: Emphasising the importance of AI literacy training for educators and ensuring equitable access to AI tools in education.
    4. AI Sovereignty and Infrastructure: Recognising the value of sovereign data and highlighting the importance of investment in energy infrastructure to our future participation in the AI economy.
    5. Biometrics and the Public Service: Providing recommendations for the responsible use of AI powered Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) in public services.
    6. AI and Ireland’s Creative Sector: Exploring the transformative impact of AI on the creative sector and proposing measures to protect creators and address AI misuse.

    Dr Patricia Scanlon, Chair of the AI Advisory Council said: 

    “This report lays out actionable recommendations to ensure Ireland remains competitive in the global AI arena while fostering an inclusive, ethical, and sustainable future. 

    “We look forward to collaborating with the Government to further explore these opportunities and stimulate a forward-thinking dialogue that aligns Ireland’s AI development with best practices and ethical standards, ultimately securing long-term benefits for our economy and society.”

    The Council presented the advice papers to Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke and the new AI and Digital Transformation Minister of State, Niamh Smyth. The advice was also sent to the Taoiseach.

    Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke said:

    “The Council have emphasised that Government must take decisive and informed action to deliver a vision for AI in Ireland. These are all important issues that have been raised by the Council and I will ensure that their views and expert advice is considered by Government.”

    Minister of State for Trade Promotion, AI and Digital Transformation, Niamh Smyth said: 

    “The Council’s advice is very much welcomed and will be given full consideration. I look forward to working with the Council and with Government colleagues over the coming months as we continue our focus on implementing the National AI Strategy”. 

    The AI Advisory Council will continue to provide insights and refine its recommendations over the coming year, ensuring that Ireland remains agile and well-prepared to navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape and remain globally competitive.

    Three supplementary advice papers provide more in-depth analyses on three specific thematic areas. The High-Level Recommendations report serves as the main document, while additional deep-dive analyses on the Creative Sector, Education, and Biometrics (FRT) further elaborate on these subjects. More detailed examinations of other thematic areas are planned for release over the coming year.

    Read the AI Advisory Council Advice Papers.

    Notes for Editors

    About the AI Advisory Council:

    The AI Advisory Council is an independent body established to provide expert advice to the Irish Government on all aspects of Artificial Intelligence. The Council comprises leading experts from academia, industry, and civil society.

    The Council’s mandate also includes public engagement to continue to build confidence in the use of trustworthy AI. Since January 2024, the Council members have participated in hundreds of events, interviews, panels, and other engagements.

    See the membership of the AI Advisory Council.

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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three house searches in German cold case after information from the public

    Source: Europol

    The cold case revolves around a brutal murder that occurred in Dümmerlohausen, Germany, on 8 August 1996. The victim, a male national from the former Yugoslavia residing in Hamburg at the time, was involved in criminal circles and known to law enforcement for his involvement in burglaries in northern Germany. Local hunters had found him shot dead next to a…

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Essential reforms to pave the way for clean power by 2030

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Essential reforms to pave the way for clean power by 2030

    Ambitious reforms to the government’s flagship renewables scheme will pave way for more projects to come online for clean power 2030 – helping to build an energy system that can bring down bills for households and businesses for good.

    • Government sets out proposals that pave the way for more homegrown, clean energy projects in the UK
    • consultation on flagship Contracts for Difference scheme includes proposals to remove planning barriers, bringing clean power online faster  
    • changes ensure auction remains fit for purpose and drives investment and growth, enabling government’s mission for clean power 2030 as part of Plan for Change 

    Building on the success of last year’s AR6 round, which delivered a record-breaking 128 projects with 9.6GW of capacity – enough to power around 11 million homes – the government is today (Friday 21 February) consulting on proposals to provide greater certainty to investors and a better deal for consumers, including:  

    • relaxing the eligibility criteria on planning consent for fixed-bottom offshore wind, helping to speed up new offshore wind farms coming
    • changing how offshore wind budgets are set and published, enabling funding to be invested more efficiently
    • increasing the Contracts for Difference contract term beyond the current 15 years, making renewables contracts more cost effective

    The UK is already home to the three largest operational offshore wind farm projects in the world, but the UK must secure even more to deliver clean power by 2030. Today’s reforms set out plans to secure the additional offshore wind the UK needs at a good price, delivering value for money to UK bill-payers. 

    Electricity generated by renewables will be the backbone of the clean power system by 2030, and the Contracts for Difference scheme is vital to deploying enough renewables that will deliver the capacity targets set out in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan. This will get the UK off the rollercoaster of global fossil fuel markets while creating good jobs and driving economic growth. 

    The UK already has 30.7GW of offshore wind either installed or committed, with a further 7.2GW of capacity consented, against a target capacity range of 43-50GW needed for clean power by 2030. These reforms will enable the UK to go further and faster to secure its position as a clean energy superpower. 

    Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: 

    Last year, we celebrated delivering the most successful auction round in history – now we want to go even further.  

    British families and businesses are bearing the cost of the reliance on petrostates and dictators who set the price of gas on the global market. 

    Our bold new reforms will give developers the certainty they need to build clean energy in the UK, supporting our mission to become a clean energy superpower and bring down bills for good.

    These proposals are the latest actions taken by the government to deliver clean power by 2030 and support growth. The government announced the launch of the Clean Industry Bonus, incentivising offshore wind developers to invest in cleaner supply chains and create jobs in industrial communities.  

    The consultation on reforms to the Contracts for Difference scheme is open for four weeks until 21 March, with a government response expected ahead of the AR7 round. 

    Notes to editors  

    Full list of proposed reforms being consulted on include: 

    • relaxation of eligibility criteria on planning consent for fixed-bottom offshore wind
    • changes to the way budgets for offshore wind are set and published, including allowing the government to view bid information in anonymised form
    • increasing the CfD contract term beyond the current 15 years
    • enabling CfD support for repowered onshore wind projects
    • extending phasing to floating offshore wind (FLOW) projects
    • increase the Target Commissioning Window (TCW) for solar projects from 3 to 6 months
    • removing the ability of existing CfD generators to apply surrendered capacity from previous allocations rounds into AR7

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: CSPL – local government standards roundtable

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    CSPL – local government standards roundtable

    The Committee hosted a roundtable on 20 February with local government experts, practitioners and academics.

    The Committee hosted a roundtable on 20 February with local government experts, practitioners and academics to inform its submission to the government’s consultation on strengthening the standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England.

    The Committee has a long-standing interest in local government and made recommendations in its 2019 report for more robust safeguards to strengthen a locally determined system. The report’s recommendations were widely supported by the sector.

    The Committee’s submission to government will be informed by evidence and views heard at the roundtable.

    A non-attributed note of the session will be published shortly.

    We would like to thank all those who participated in our roundtable.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –