NewzIntel.com

Category: housing

  • MIL-OSI Africa: How do coconuts get their water?

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Gaston Adoyo, Lecturer and researcher, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology

    Coconut trees are iconic plants found across the world’s tropical regions. They’re called “nature’s supermarket” or the “tree of life” in several cultures because every part of the coconut tree is used. Its leaves can be used to thatch homes, its heart can be eaten and its roots have medicinal uses.

    The refreshing liquid found within a young green coconut is a highly prized component of the coconut palm. Coconuts are unique in the world of fruits because they have a large internal cavity filled with water. Other fruits typically store water within individual cells or pulp.

    I’m a food scientist who has carried out research on the properties of coconuts.

    All coconut palms produce water, though some, like tall varieties, will produce more than others, like dwarf varieties. The water is sourced from the trees’ immature, green coconuts. As the coconut matures, the developing white flesh absorbs the water, resulting in less liquid in a fully ripe brown coconut.

    So, how is this water reservoir created, and what factors influence it?

    A coconut’s structure

    To better understand how coconut water is formed, it is essential to grasp its anatomical structure. The coconut fruit is classified as a drupe, meaning it has three layers: the exocarp (the smooth, green outer layer seen in unripe coconuts), the mesocarp (a fibrous husk beneath the exocarp), and the endocarp (the hard, woody inner shell that protects the white flesh inside).

    Kerina yin/Shutterstock

    Within the endocarp, there are two components: the flesh (endosperm, a soft, jelly-like material in immature coconut that hardens as it matures) and the clear coconut water that fills the cavity. This water is a nutritive fluid nourishing the developing seed and is formed naturally during the development of the coconut fruit.

    The water is a filtered sap that’s drawn up from the roots and transported through the tree’s vascular system (its water and nutrient transport system), specifically the xylem tissue.

    The coconut tree’s extensive root system, ranging from 1 to 5 metres deep, absorbs groundwater – with dissolved nutrients – from the surrounding soil. The absorbed water is then transported upwards through the trunk and branches and finally to the fruit.

    The fruit retains this water, stored in the cavity of the coconut. The accumulated water, with its rich nutrients, provides food to the developing endosperm (white flesh).

    Therefore, coconut water is neither rainwater nor seawater stored inside, but carefully filtered and nutrient-rich clear liquid formed by the tree itself.

    What is coconut water made of?

    About 95% of coconut water is simply water, making it an excellent hydrating fluid.

    The rest of the water is made up of various components, which are useful for us too.

    Minerals (like sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium) nourish human nerves and muscles; proteins (amino acids and enzymes) can help in metabolism in both the tree and humans; sugars (fructose and glucose) are responsible for the light sweetness and there are trace amounts of vitamins (vitamin C and B vitamins).

    Read more: Is coconut water good for you? We asked five experts

    Coconut water levels

    Many factors can influence the amount and quality of water in a coconut.

    The age of the coconut is a critical determining factor. Immature, green coconuts (six to eight months) are usually full of water: between 300 millilitres and 1 litre. Mature coconuts (12 months and older) have low water levels as the liquid is partially absorbed by the endosperm.

    High rainfall encourages greater accumulation of water, while drought conditions reduce the amount of water that can be transported to the fruit.

    Healthy soils packed with minerals lead to high-quality and nutrient-rich coconut water. Poor or salty soils, lacking in minerals that can travel up the coconut tree to the fruit, will lead to low quality water.

    Finally, unhealthy or diseased trees produce smaller-sized coconuts with little water.

    Protecting coconuts

    Coconut trees and coconut water are important to tropical economies across south-east Asia, the Pacific, and the Caribbean Sea territories, as well as the coastlines of central America and Africa.

    Conserving the trees and their environment is therefore essential.

    Sustainable farming practices, like soil management – including soil testing and organic composting – should be implemented to maintain the proper nutrient profile, which results in high-quality coconut water.

    Read more: The end of coconut water? The world’s trendiest nut is under threat of species collapse

    Additionally, protecting freshwater aquifers from saltwater intrusion along coastlines where coconuts grow is crucial for preserving the quality of this refreshing fluid. Drip irrigation and mulching can help maintain soil moisture for the required coconut water production.

    Pest and disease management techniques (like intercropping coconuts with bananas or legumes), as well as integrated pest management, can contribute to healthy trees that produce large coconuts with ample water.

    – How do coconuts get their water?
    – https://theconversation.com/how-do-coconuts-get-their-water-252673

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Introduce Honor Farmer Contracts Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    April 01, 2025
    Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said today they have joined Senate colleagues to introduce legislation that would release funding illegally withheld by the Trump administration for all contracts and agreements previously entered into by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). 
    “The unlawful freezing of federal funding has inflicted chaos on nearly every part of our lives, and this funding can make the difference between whether farms in Oregon and nationwide can stay in business or not,” Wyden said. “Agriculture plays a huge part in Oregon’s economy, and it’s absolutely essential for the federal government to fulfill its end of the deal with farmers’ promised reimbursement. The Honor Farmer Contracts Act would reverse the Trump administration’s reckless actions and ensure farmers can trust that the federal government won’t stiff them.”
    “The USDA’s failure to honor its commitments is hurting farmers and rural communities in Oregon and across the country,” said Merkley. “The Honor Farmer Contracts Act is about restoring trust and ensuring farmers get the Congressionally authorized funding they were promised. The Trump Administration’s illegal federal funding cuts violate contracts, jeopardize livelihoods, and weaken our food system. It’s time to restore critical funding and support the farmers who feed our communities.”
    Trump’s Agriculture Department has refused to make reimbursement payments to fulfill signed contracts, without any indication of when or whether farmers will be paid the money they laid out and are owed. Farmers and the organizations that serve them operate on tight margins and cannot be left waiting for weeks and months without funding they rightfully planned for and need to keep operating. Similarly, farmer-serving organizations—which farmers rely upon to connect to local markets and implement practices that make them more productive and less resource intensive—are facing imminent funding crises from not being reimbursed for completed or in-progress contracted work. This legislation would require the USDA to pay farmers all past due payments as quickly as possible to prevent them from having to shut down their operations. 
    The Honor Farmer Contracts Act would:
    Require USDA to unfreeze all signed agreements and contracts;
    Require USDA to make all past due payments as quickly as possible;
    Prohibit USDA from cancelling agreements or contracts with farmers or organizations providing assistance to farmers unless there has been a failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the agreement or contract.
    Prohibit USDA from closing any Farm Service Agency county office, Natural Resources Conservation Service field office or Rural Development Service Center without providing 60 days prior notice and justification to Congress.
    The Honor Farmer Contacts was led by U.S Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J. In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Peter Welch, D-Vt., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Angus King, I-Maine, Tina Smith, D-Minn., Ed J. Markey, D-Mass., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., will introduce companion legislation in the House.
    The full text of the bill is here.
    To see the full list of organizations endorsing the Honor Farmer Contracts Act, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Cheshire builder sentenced after taking payments from customer for work he did not complete

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Cheshire builder sentenced after taking payments from customer for work he did not complete

    The director took pre-payments from his victim despite knowing his company was on the brink of insolvency

    • Gary Roberts accepted payments from a customer for a home extension in Cheshire which he should have known he was not going to be able to fulfil 

    • Roberts persuaded his victim to pay £17,000 but left a large section of the rear of her house knocked down, with rubble in the garden 

    • His company, GR Developments 1 Ltd, was in financial difficulties at the time, which Roberts knew as he sought professional advice on placing the company into liquidation just weeks later 

    • Roberts also transferred more than £11,000 of company money to his own personal bank account 

    A Cheshire builder who left a woman with a gaping hole where her kitchen once stood has been handed a suspended jail sentence. 

    Gary Roberts told the victim to pay more than £17,000 for new windows and a rear extension in 2021 which he never completed. 

    The 60-year-old also paid himself more than £11,000 in funds from his GR Developments 1 Ltd company at the time it was entering liquidation. 

    Roberts, of Old Spot Way, Winsford, was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years, at Chester Magistrates’ Court on Monday 31 March. 

    He was also ordered to complete 20 days of community rehabilitation activity, pay £1,000 in costs, and a £154 surcharge. 

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

    Gary Roberts left his victim in a state of utter desperation after wrecking her home. He never should have even signed a contract with her, as he knew his company was in financial trouble.

    The back of the victim’s house was completely exposed to the elements, having been knocked down from the kitchen. Roberts and his company also left a huge mess in her garden, with debris and rubble everywhere.

    Protecting the public from rogue traders such as Roberts is something the Insolvency Service takes extremely seriously. Fraudulent behaviour which causes clear financial harm to innocent people will be thoroughly investigated by the agency.

    Roberts signed a contract with his customer at the start of May 2021, promising to complete an extension to the rear of her property. 

    Within one week, the victim had paid Roberts £10,000 as a deposit. A further payment of £7,000 was made at the end of June in that year. 

    However Roberts never finished the project. The victim completed her extension in April 2022 after employing other tradesmen and lost out on the £17,000 she had handed over to Roberts. 

    In May 2021, just weeks after signing the contract with his victim, Roberts received advice from professionals about placing GR Developments into liquidation. 

    He also paid himself £11,513 in company money during May and July 2021 when he knew that GR Developments was insolvent. 

    GR Developments was eventually dissolved in January 2023. 

    Roberts was subsequently banned as a company director for 10 years for his misconduct at GR Developments, with the disqualification in place until February 2034. He was also ordered to pay his victim more than £10,000 in compensation.

    Further information 

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont Announces CT Home Funds: A $30 Million Investment to Incentivize and Increase Homeownership Opportunities in Connecticut

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Housing Commissioner Seila Mosquera-Bruno today announced that the Lamont administration and the Connecticut Department of Housing are making a $30 million investment to launch CT Home Funds, a series of three housing programs designed to preserve, incentivize, and increase homeownership opportunities across Connecticut.

    “Homeownership is key to stable, healthy communities where people want to live and raise a family,” Governor Lamont said. “We are creating these programs to help current and future homeowners with the costs of making necessary home improvement projects, including those that make homes more energy efficient.”

    “We hear constantly from residents and developers that high costs and affordability are a barrier to build, maintain, or purchase homes,” Commissioner Mosquera-Bruno said. “Smaller developers, which oftentimes are locally based, cannot rehabilitate or retrofit a property and then sell at an affordable price. We designed these programs to help our residents now, and in the future, to improve their homes and help developers who want to do the right thing without compromising quality.”

    The three programs contained in CT Home Funds – the Connecticut Home Improvement Program, the Time to Own – Rehabilitation Program, and the Homeownership Construction Program – are being administered by Capital for Change and the Housing Development Fund.

    Connecticut Home Improvement Program

    Administered by Capital for Change, the Connecticut Home Improvement Program is being seeded by $8.5 million, which will be used to provide low-interest loans directly to homeowners to make energy improvements and related housing code repairs that make homes more energy efficient.

    Loans for non-energy-related rehabilitation include:

    • Roof repair/replacement
    • Remediation of environmental health hazards, such as septic systems/sewer tie- in, air quality, and other environmental issues that may be deemed an unhealthy living condition
    • Minor accessibility rehabilitation and repairs
    • Other home improvements, such remodeling bathrooms or kitchen, replacing flooring, etc., will be determined on a case-by-case basis and availability of funding

    Time To Own – Rehabilitation Program

    Also administered by Capital for Change, the Time To Own – Rehabilitation Program is being seeded by $10 million that will be used to help new homeowners who received assistance under the state’s Time To Own Program with forgivable loans to help with the costs of repairs and improvements on their new homes. This can include replacing a well or septic tank, a new roof, or improvements to plumbing and electrical systems.

    Homeownership Construction Program

    The Homeownership Construction Program is being seeded by $11.5 million that will be used to provide grants of up to $150,000 per home for smaller developers and nonprofits to help cover the costs of new construction or rehabilitation of up to ten affordable homes. The new homes will be income-restricted long-term to drive stability and eventually allow the household to build equity and sell in the future. Both Capital for Change and the Housing Development Fund will administer these grants.

    The Connecticut Department of Housing is reserving $2 million of this funding for a pilot program that will be based in Hartford and in which the City of Hartford is providing an additional $2 million in matching funds.

    “These investments are a game-changer for Hartford,” Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said. “Homeownership is one of the most powerful tools we have to build wealth, stabilize neighborhoods, and strengthen our city’s future. By investing in home rehabilitation and affordable housing development, we’re creating opportunities for Hartford families to live and thrive in the state’s capital city.”

    For more information about Capital for Change, visit www.capitalforchange.org/consumer-lending-options, email lending@capitalforchange.org, or call 855-656-5500.

    For more information about the Housing Development Fund, visit hdfconnects.org/multifamily-developer. First time homebuyers and developers can call 203-969-1830 to be connected to a team member who can assist with next steps.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Cheshire builder sentenced after taking payments from customer for work he could not complete

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Cheshire builder sentenced after taking payments from customer for work he could not complete

    The director took pre-payments from his victim despite knowing his company was on the brink of insolvency

    • Gary Roberts accepted payments from a customer for a home extension in Cheshire which he should have known he was not going to be able to fulfil 

    • Roberts persuaded his victim to pay £17,000 but left a large section of the rear of her house knocked down, with rubble in the garden 

    • His company, GR Developments 1 Ltd, was in financial difficulties at the time, which Roberts knew as he sought professional advice on placing the company into liquidation just weeks later 

    • Roberts also transferred more than £11,000 of company money to his own personal bank account 

    A Cheshire builder who left a woman with a gaping hole where her kitchen once stood has been handed a suspended jail sentence. 

    Gary Roberts told the victim to pay more than £17,000 for new windows and a rear extension in 2021 which he never completed. 

    The 60-year-old also paid himself more than £11,000 in funds from his GR Developments 1 Ltd company at the time it was entering liquidation. 

    Roberts, of Old Spot Way, Winsford, was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years, at Chester Magistrates’ Court on Monday 31 March. 

    He was also ordered to complete 20 days of community rehabilitation activity, pay £1,000 in costs, and a £154 surcharge. 

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

    Gary Roberts left his victim in a state of utter desperation after wrecking her home. He never should have even signed a contract with her, as he knew his company was in financial trouble.

    The back of the victim’s house was completely exposed to the elements, having been knocked down from the kitchen. Roberts and his company also left a huge mess in her garden, with debris and rubble everywhere.

    Protecting the public from rogue traders such as Roberts is something the Insolvency Service takes extremely seriously. Fraudulent behaviour which causes clear financial harm to innocent people will be thoroughly investigated by the agency.

    Roberts signed a contract with his customer at the start of May 2021, promising to complete an extension to the rear of her property. 

    Within one week, the victim had paid Roberts £10,000 as a deposit. A further payment of £7,000 was made at the end of June in that year. 

    However Roberts never finished the project. The victim completed her extension in April 2022 after employing other tradesmen and lost out on the £17,000 she had handed over to Roberts. 

    In May 2021, just weeks after signing the contract with his victim, Roberts received advice from professionals about placing GR Developments into liquidation. 

    He also paid himself £11,513 in company money during May and July 2021 when he knew that GR Developments was insolvent. 

    GR Developments was eventually dissolved in January 2023. 

    Roberts was subsequently banned as a company director for 10 years for his misconduct at GR Developments, with the disqualification in place until February 2034. He was also ordered to pay his victim more than £10,000 in compensation.

    Further information 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How do coconuts get their water?

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Gaston Adoyo, Lecturer and researcher, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology

    Coconut trees are iconic plants found across the world’s tropical regions. They’re called “nature’s supermarket” or the “tree of life” in several cultures because every part of the coconut tree is used. Its leaves can be used to thatch homes, its heart can be eaten and its roots have medicinal uses.

    The refreshing liquid found within a young green coconut is a highly prized component of the coconut palm. Coconuts are unique in the world of fruits because they have a large internal cavity filled with water. Other fruits typically store water within individual cells or pulp.

    I’m a food scientist who has carried out research on the properties of coconuts.

    All coconut palms produce water, though some, like tall varieties, will produce more than others, like dwarf varieties. The water is sourced from the trees’ immature, green coconuts. As the coconut matures, the developing white flesh absorbs the water, resulting in less liquid in a fully ripe brown coconut.

    So, how is this water reservoir created, and what factors influence it?

    A coconut’s structure

    To better understand how coconut water is formed, it is essential to grasp its anatomical structure. The coconut fruit is classified as a drupe, meaning it has three layers: the exocarp (the smooth, green outer layer seen in unripe coconuts), the mesocarp (a fibrous husk beneath the exocarp), and the endocarp (the hard, woody inner shell that protects the white flesh inside).

    Within the endocarp, there are two components: the flesh (endosperm, a soft, jelly-like material in immature coconut that hardens as it matures) and the clear coconut water that fills the cavity. This water is a nutritive fluid nourishing the developing seed and is formed naturally during the development of the coconut fruit.

    The water is a filtered sap that’s drawn up from the roots and transported through the tree’s vascular system (its water and nutrient transport system), specifically the xylem tissue.

    The coconut tree’s extensive root system, ranging from 1 to 5 metres deep, absorbs groundwater – with dissolved nutrients – from the surrounding soil. The absorbed water is then transported upwards through the trunk and branches and finally to the fruit.

    The fruit retains this water, stored in the cavity of the coconut. The accumulated water, with its rich nutrients, provides food to the developing endosperm (white flesh).

    Therefore, coconut water is neither rainwater nor seawater stored inside, but carefully filtered and nutrient-rich clear liquid formed by the tree itself.

    What is coconut water made of?

    About 95% of coconut water is simply water, making it an excellent hydrating fluid.

    The rest of the water is made up of various components, which are useful for us too.

    Minerals (like sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium) nourish human nerves and muscles; proteins (amino acids and enzymes) can help in metabolism in both the tree and humans; sugars (fructose and glucose) are responsible for the light sweetness and there are trace amounts of vitamins (vitamin C and B vitamins).



    Read more:
    Is coconut water good for you? We asked five experts

    Coconut water levels

    Many factors can influence the amount and quality of water in a coconut.

    The age of the coconut is a critical determining factor. Immature, green coconuts (six to eight months) are usually full of water: between 300 millilitres and 1 litre. Mature coconuts (12 months and older) have low water levels as the liquid is partially absorbed by the endosperm.

    High rainfall encourages greater accumulation of water, while drought conditions reduce the amount of water that can be transported to the fruit.

    Healthy soils packed with minerals lead to high-quality and nutrient-rich coconut water. Poor or salty soils, lacking in minerals that can travel up the coconut tree to the fruit, will lead to low quality water.

    Finally, unhealthy or diseased trees produce smaller-sized coconuts with little water.

    Protecting coconuts

    Coconut trees and coconut water are important to tropical economies across south-east Asia, the Pacific, and the Caribbean Sea territories, as well as the coastlines of central America and Africa.

    Conserving the trees and their environment is therefore essential.

    Sustainable farming practices, like soil management – including soil testing and organic composting – should be implemented to maintain the proper nutrient profile, which results in high-quality coconut water.



    Read more:
    The end of coconut water? The world’s trendiest nut is under threat of species collapse

    Additionally, protecting freshwater aquifers from saltwater intrusion along coastlines where coconuts grow is crucial for preserving the quality of this refreshing fluid. Drip irrigation and mulching can help maintain soil moisture for the required coconut water production.

    Pest and disease management techniques (like intercropping coconuts with bananas or legumes), as well as integrated pest management, can contribute to healthy trees that produce large coconuts with ample water.

    Gaston Adoyo 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. How do coconuts get their water? – https://theconversation.com/how-do-coconuts-get-their-water-252673

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Harbour Breton — Harbour Breton RCMP arrests man for uttering threats and discharging firearm in Belleoram

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Harbour Breton RCMP responded to a residential disturbance that happened on a property in Belleoram on March 30, 2025. A firearm was discharged. The investigation led to the arrest of 27-year-old Trent Poole.

    Shortly after 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, Harbour Breton RCMP received the report of a disturbance where one man reported being threatened by another. While police were responding, further information was received stating that a firearm was discharged outside on a residential property.

    Poole was arrested without further incident and a firearm was seized. No one was injured.

    Poole attended court on Monday, charged with the following criminal offences:

    • Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
    • Careless use of a firearm
    • Discharging a firearm with intent to wound an individual
    • Failure to comply with a condition of a release order

    He was released by the court on a number of conditions and is set to appear in court at a later date.

    The investigation is continuing.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Woodward County Residents Resolve Allegations of Submitting a False Claim for COVID Funded Emergency Rental Assistance to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Housing Authority

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    OKLAHOMA CITY – BREANNA PARADA and MONICA MONTES of Woodward, Oklahoma, have agreed to resolutions to resolve civil claims stemming from allegations that Parada submitted a false claim for COVID funded Emergency Rental Assistance to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Housing Authority, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.

    In a Consent Judgment entered by the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma (United States v. Parada, Case No. CIV-25-00136-JD), Parada admitted that she submitted an application for COVID funded Emergency Rental Assistance to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Housing Authority in which she falsely represented she was renting a home when she in fact owned it. In support of her application, she submitted a fraudulent lease agreement signed by her and Montes, fraudulent eviction notices related to the same home, and delinquent utility payment notices for the same home. Based on the submission of the false claim, Parada received $5,564.84, and Montes received $200.00, in Emergency Rental Assistance funds to which they were not entitled.  To resolve the claims, Parada agreed to the entry of a Consent Judgment against her in the amount of $19,025.00, and Montes settled the claims against her by paying the United States $1,000.00. By entering into a Settlement Agreement, Montes did not admit liability, and the United States did not make any concessions about the legitimacy of the claims.

    The Consent Judgment and Settlement Agreement allows the parties to avoid the delay, expense, inconvenience, and uncertainty involved in litigating the case.

    Investigative assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General, and Office of Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gallegos prosecuted the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Marine Le Pen verdict ‘represents an effort to make democracy better’ in France – interview

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Luc Rouban, Directeur de recherche CNRS, Sciences Po

    Marine Le Pen, the figurehead of France’s far-right National Rally (RN) party and a three-time presidential candidate, has been found guilty of misappropriating public funds and sentenced to four years’ imprisonment and five years of ineligibility for public office, with immediate effect. Despite her decision to appeal, the March 31 ruling in a Paris court will probably eliminate her from the 2027 presidential race. Political scientist Luc Rouban analyses this major political development in an interview with The Conversation France.

    The Conversation: Marine Le Pen’s sentence of immediate ineligibility came as a surprise and a shock. Some legal experts had imagined that a heavy sentence would fall but doubted that the judge, under pressure, would take the logic of ineligibility to its conclusion – despite the fact that it is enshrined in the law.

    Luc Rouban: Yes, it’s a surprise and I don’t think the RN was expecting this decision. For the rule of law, it’s a form of revenge on a certain style of political life that, for decades, operated on the basis of arrangements, on the basis of the inner circle. That’s what we were used to during the Jacques Chirac and François Mitterrand periods, when there were dangerous links between politicians and certain members of the business class. It also brings to mind – of course – the more recent Nicolas Sarkozy affair. Today we are witnessing a historic turnaround. Marine Le Pen was no doubt expecting a suspended sentence, a slightly symbolic sentence. But this sentence is not symbolic at all. She is no longer part of the old style of political life.

    Is this ruling a good thing for democracy, with a judge who applies the law without trembling? Or is it a problem, as RN president Jordan Bardella, right-wing members of parliament Eric Ciotti and Laurent Wauquiez, and left-wing political leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon have said – and as Elon Musk, Viktor Orban, Geert Wilders, Matteo Salvini and the Kremlin have also said?

    Luc Rouban: This ruling represents an effort to make democracy better. Reaffirming the rule of law is absolutely essential and legitimate. The French democratic system is very fragile, much more so than in other European countries. Public confidence in politicians and the justice system is very low and needs to be restored. One way of doing this is to ensure that the law is applied to public figures who embezzle millions of euros, not just to supermarket cashiers who are fired and prosecuted for stealing a chocolate bar. The conviction of Marine Le Pen is undeniable progress for our democracy: it’s a sign that the relationship with politics is changing, that politics has become a professional activity like any other, subject to regulations and laws.

    Of course, there will be attacks on the judiciary, we will have the Trumpist argument of “government by judges”. But it’s important to remember that judges simply apply the law. We must also remember that the figures, including Marine Le Pen, who are criticising ineligibility penalties, had applauded the Sapin 2 law, which passed unanimously in 2016 following the Cahuzac affair (editor’s note: ex-budget minister Jérôme Cahuzac was ruled guilty of tax fraud in a Paris court).

    What does the future hold for Marine Le Pen and the RN? Is Jordan Bardella capable of replacing her?

    Luc Rouban: Barring the uncertain scenario of a favourable ruling on appeal before the presidential election, Marine Le Pen is likely to hand over her position as RN candidate to Bardella. But is Bardella capable of replacing her? That’s the question.

    Internally, he hasn’t really managed to establish himself within the party, particularly in terms of renewing the leadership and structuring the movement. As soon as Marine Le Pen was absent – which was the case after the death of her father (editor’s note: Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of the National Front) – the party seemed to collapse.

    What’s more, Bardella is Marine Le Pen’s heir apparent. The party’s “normalisation” could involve a form of “de-lepenalisation”. The Le Pen family has totally structured the party, which is very vertical, very organised around itself and its immediate entourage. This oligarchic model and this verticality are obviously going to be called into question. Will Bardella suffer as a result? Other RN leaders, such as Sébastien Chenu or Jean-Philippe Tanguy, who have established themselves in the media, may try to overtake him in the presidential race. However, this would require a break with Marine Le Pen in a party where dissidents are quickly excluded. The likelihood of such a challenge therefore remains low.

    What about Marion Maréchal? Could she take over?

    Luc Rouban: I don’t believe so because Maréchal (editor’s note: Marine Le Pen’s niece, who was elected to the European Parliament in 2024 on the ticket of the far-right Reconquest party, to which she no longer belongs) plays the Trump card and makes the RN feel uncomfortable. The RN electorate is too attached to France’s sovereignty, and has evolved toward a form of labour rights that is far removed from hard-line liberalism. The Reconquest electorate is more middle-class, older, better educated and wealthier than that of the RN.

    Will the RN benefit from this verdict or lose voters?

    Luc Rouban: It is possible that some abstentionist voters whose backgrounds are similar to those of RN voters will express their dissatisfaction with Marine Le Pen’s conviction by choosing to vote for the future candidate of the RN.

    But among the right-wing, upper middle classes who voted RN in the 2024 legislative elections, the vote could shift back to Les Républicains (editor’s note: the historic French right-wing party).

    Furthermore, for whoever becomes the future candidate of the RN, there will be a problem of support. To win a presidential election, you need to have support in the business world. But dragging around a party whose main leaders have been convicted of criminal offences is not a good look. Fundamentally, the RN was already isolated from the social elites. It could be even more so tomorrow.

    How might public opinion react to this major event, which deprives millions of voters of their candidate? Should we expect large-scale responses, possibly violent ones?

    Luc Rouban: As far as society in general is concerned, there may be hostile reactions for a while, isolated incidents, but I don’t think there will be mass movements like in the 1930s. The lack of enthusiasm for political life is obvious: who is going to take physical risks and engage in violent action to defend a political party and its representative? Not many people, I think.

    David Bornstein conducted this interview.

    Luc Rouban ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

    – ref. Marine Le Pen verdict ‘represents an effort to make democracy better’ in France – interview – https://theconversation.com/marine-le-pen-verdict-represents-an-effort-to-make-democracy-better-in-france-interview-253551

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Attorney general’s statement on Sikh Heritage Month

    Niki Sharma, Attorney General, has released the following statement in celebration of Sikh Heritage Month: 

    “April marks Sikh Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the rich history of Sikhism.

    “The values of Sikhism echo perfectly those that Canadians and British Columbians hold dear, from the belief that all people are created equal to understanding the importance of serving one’s community. These are the beliefs that the first Sikh migrants to B.C. in the early 1900s brought with them, and they are what have defined the contributions that Sikhs have made to this province.

    “Today, nearly 300,000 Sikhs call British Columbia home, making it one of the largest Sikh populations outside of Punjab, India. Even in the face of exclusionary policies and systemic racism, Sikhs have shown resilience and have built thriving communities. They are staunch advocates for justice, compassion and inclusivity, especially in times of crisis. From health care and agriculture to business and politics, today, Sikhs are leaders in all areas of our society.

    “The challenges faced by Sikhs in B.C. have changed over the years. Some of the most pressing concerns right now are anti-immigration sentiment, negative stereotyping associated with religious symbols and systemic barriers to accessing services. Our government is committed to fighting back, through investment in community-led initiatives and implementing legislation like the Anti-Racism Act.

    “The best way we can eradicate hate and bigotry is by learning about each other’s cultures, highlighting our similarities and celebrating our differences. This Sikh Heritage Month, I encourage all British Columbians to explore the festivities in your communities and learn about Sikh culture and traditions.

    “Happy Sikh Heritage Month!”

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Everything you can do with your nature strip

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Nature strips help create Canberra’s “garden city” character.

    Nature strips, otherwise known as street verges, help create Canberra’s “garden city” character.

    On most streets, nature strips include footpaths for people walking and cycling. Meaning there are certain things a nature strip can and cannot be used for.

    Looking after verges is a responsibility shared by the ACT Government and residents, and there are lots of ways Canberrans can use them.

    Before you do anything to your nature strip, read the Nature Strip Guidelines in detail.

    Here are some of the things you can do to your verge that don’t require approval.

    Plant a veggie garden

    You can use your nature strip to plant a vegetable garden with seasonal produce of your choosing.

    Fiona Buining of Ainslie Urban Farm says that a verge garden can be planted in less than two hours.

    Read Fiona’s tips on planting a vegetable garden on your nature strip.

    Plant grass, groundcover or shrubs

    Read up on which plants you can use and avoid spiky plants and any weeds or plants that have been declared pest plants. Natives are a great place to start, especially if you are new to landscaping – but if you prefer an exotic grass, a dryland blend is the go-to in Canberra’s climate.

    Remember to keep all plants below 50 centimetres (or 20 centimetres if you live in a bushfire prone area ).

    Install compacted gravel

    Adding gravel to your nature strip can help capture water runoff and improve the quality of stormwater.

    There are some limits on the amount and size of gravel you can use so be sure to do your research.

    Use organic mulch

    When adding organic mulch like pine bark to your verge, please ensure it is free of stones, soils and other contaminants.

    Keep a 50 millimetre clearance from tree trunks and remember to rake it flush with surrounding levels.

    Erect temporary protective fencing

    If you’ve just planted grass or plants and you want to protect your newly refreshed nature strip, you can erect temporary fencing made of rope or string, supported by stakes.

    The fencing can be up for a maximum of 13 weeks. It mustn’t pose a safety hazard to the public.

    Install garden edging

    You can install garden edging on your verge if it’s made of stone, brick or timber.

    The edging can have a maximum height of 150 millimetres, and a depth of 100 millimetres below the surface of the nature strip.

    Always remember to contact Before you Dig – 1100, before you start work.

    Things you can do to your nature strip that require approval:

    • erect bollards to prevent parking on the nature strip
    • modify an existing driveway or construct a new driveway
    • store landscaping materials for longer than two weeks
    • store a skip or construction material.

    Things that are unlikely to be approved for your nature strip:

    • ponds
    • water fountains
    • permanent fencing
    • retaining walls
    • letterboxes
    • shipping containers
    • chicken runs
    • play equipment
    • boulders
    • pavers or concrete paths
    • new trees.

    Parking on the nature strip is prohibited and remember that if you live in a heritage precinct – like some areas of Ainslie, Braddon, Reid and parts of the inner south – you may not be able to make changes to the nature strip in front of your home.

    For more information, read the Nature Strip Guidelines.

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ICON grant helps pro cyclist launch business

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Chloe and her husband launched Hosking Bikes in February 2023.

    In 2023, Canberran Chloe Hosking made the switch from pro-cyclist touring around Europe to launching her own bike company here in Canberra with the help of an ICON grant.

    “I never set out to start a bike company, just like I never intended to become a professional cyclist, I came home with a lot of ideas,” Chloe said.

    “With my husband Jack’s experience in start-up software companies and all of my industry connections, we launched Hosking Bikes in February 2023 and had bikes in market by June.

    “Most business owners will know that capital raising is often one of the hardest parts of starting a business, so the grant was a huge help,” she said.

    Chloe received $30,000 in matched funding last year from the ICON grant program. This enabled her to develop prototypes and help with marketing activities.

    ICON grants are currently open and close 16 April 2024.

    The ICON grants are delivered by the Canberra Innovation Network (CBRIN), which receives funding from the ACT Government to support entrepreneurs, innovators and start-ups, like Hosking.

    Chloe wanted to create a bike tailored to the needs of women.

    “Over the years, I felt I wanted to change the lack of female representation in the industry,” she said.

    “When you look at the top five cycle brands, only 13 per cent of the executive and board are women. And a recent study showed that 50 per cent of the women in the industry are thinking about leaving.

    “The only way to change that is to have people in the room to change the narrative.”

    Wanting to see more women on bikes, Hosking Bikes is one way she’s making it more accessible.

    “Cycling has given me so much, and I want women to experience the joy that I got and get from cycling. Even if they don’t go pro.

    “Creating a brand like Hosking Bikes that champions getting more women on bikes is the way to do that. We’ve also created a bike that’s half the cost of other bikes and we’re very focused on building an inclusive community to support more women into the sport,” she said.

    Chloe has some wise words for any women looking to start a business.

    “Believe in yourself 100 per cent. As an athlete you learn that you lose a lot more than win, but you keep working toward success, even if it’s not a race.

    “But also, don’t let them doubt you! They will, but ignore them!” she said.

    Previous ICON grant recipients include Future Swirl and Your Season.

    For more on ICON grants, visit the CBRIN website.

    Be the first to know about grants and funding to support Canberra businesses – subscribe to the CBR Business update e-newsletter.

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Schumer, Democratic Senators Urge AG Bondi To Appoint A Special Counsel To Investigate Trump Administration Signal Chat National Security Breach

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    April 01, 2025
    The Senators wrote: “These shockingly reckless breaches of security protocols for safeguarding sensitive and classified information clearly warrant an investigation into whether any of the government officials involved violated federal laws”
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and 29 Senate Democrats sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi urging her to appoint a Special Counsel to thoroughly and impartially investigate whether any of the government officials involved in the Signal chat security breach violated federal criminal law. On March 24, The Atlantic’s editor in chief reported that President Trump’s National Security Advisor Michael Waltz had included him in a group text chain with several high-ranking national security officials where highly sensitive, classified, or controlled information was shared and discussed over Signal—an unsecure commercial messaging app.
    “In addition to the reckless inclusion of a journalist in the chat, we are deeply concerned about this serious breach in the proper handling of such information and deliberations,” the Senators wrote.“Appointment of a Special Counsel is appropriate where the Department may have a conflict of interest or extraordinary circumstances are present, a criminal investigation is warranted, and it is in the public interest to appoint an outside Special Counsel to investigate the matter. Such circumstances are clearly present here.”
    The Signal chat group started by Mr. Waltz included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, among at least 18 other high-ranking government officials. In addition to discussing the sensitive foreign policy implications of military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, these officials proceeded to discuss key operational information regarding the precise timing of the planned attacks, the types of military aircraft and munitions to be used, and the targets and results of the strikes as they occurred. An unprecedented security breach of this magnitude involving top senior government officials presents the kind of extraordinary circumstances clearly contemplated by the Special Counsel regulations.
    “These officials conducted a highly sensitive discussion, including of clearly classified or controlled information, over the commercial messaging app Signal, including in some instances on personal devices and while traveling in foreign countries, rather than using the secure U.S. government channels and facilities that are designed and required for the sharing of such information. Despite subsequent claims to the contrary by you, President Trump, and several of the officials involved, including in testimony before Congress, some of the information they shared and discussed over Signal would almost certainly be considered classified or, at a minimum, controlled, prior to and in the immediate aftermath of an impending strike,” the Senators wrote.
    In the letter, the Senators raised concerns if the Signal chat violated federal law. For example, gross negligence in handling national defense information may violate the Espionage Act. Importantly, other laws, including the Federal Records Act, require the preservation of certain government records. Destruction of government records or property may constitute a violation of various criminal statutes. Subsequent statements to Congress and testimony before the House and Senate Intelligence Committees by several of the officials involved raise additional concerns about potential violations of federal criminal laws that prohibit making false statements to Congress, committing perjury in testimony to Congress, inducing another person to commit perjury, or conspiring to commit any of the foregoing actions.
    “During your confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, you assured the American people that everyone will be held to ‘an equal, fair system of justice’ if you were confirmed as Attorney General, and that ‘no one is above the law.’ As the individuals most seriously implicated in this incident include senior officials at the highest levels, including several of your fellow cabinet members, appointment of a Special Counsel is necessary to ensure that the investigation and any ensuing prosecutions are fair, impartial, and independent and that no official, regardless of seniority or political affiliation, is above the law. The people of this country deserve the assurance that this matter will be taken seriously and addressed swiftly. To do so, we urge you to appoint a Special Counsel immediately,” the Senators concluded.
    Along with Durbin and Schumer, today’s letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Peter Welch (D-VT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Chris Coons (D-DE), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), John Fetterman (D-PA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY),  Ed Markey (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), and Gary Peters (D-MI).
    Full text of today’s letter is available here and below:
    March 31, 2025
    Dear Attorney General Bondi:
    On March 24, The Atlantic’s editor in chief reported that President Trump’s National Security Advisor Michael Waltz had included him in a group message chain with several high-ranking national security officials where highly sensitive, classified, or controlled information was shared and discussed over Signal—an unsecure commercial messaging app. In addition to the reckless inclusion of a journalist in the chat, we are deeply concerned about this serious breach in the proper handling of such information and deliberations. Given the extraordinary circumstances of this shocking incident and the significant public interests at stake, it is imperative that you immediately appoint a Special Counsel to thoroughly and impartially investigate whether any of the government officials involved violated federal criminal law.
    Appointment of a Special Counsel is appropriate where the Department may have a conflict of interest or extraordinary circumstances are present, a criminal investigation is warranted, and it is in the public interest to appoint an outside Special Counsel to investigate the matter. Such circumstances are clearly present here.
    The Signal chat group started by Mr. Waltz included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, among at least 18 other high-ranking government officials. In addition to discussing the sensitive foreign policy implications of military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, these officials proceeded to discuss key operational information regarding the precise timing of the planned attacks, the types of military aircraft and munitions to be used, and the targets and results of the strikes as they occurred. An unprecedented security breach of this magnitude involving top senior government officials presents the kind of extraordinary circumstances clearly contemplated by the Special Counsel regulations.
    These officials conducted a highly sensitive discussion, including of clearly classified or controlled information, over the commercial messaging app Signal, including in some instances on personal devices and while traveling in foreign countries, rather than using the secure U.S. government channels and facilities that are designed and required for the sharing of such information. Despite subsequent claims to the contrary by you, President Trump, and several of the officials involved, including in testimony before Congress, some of the information they shared and discussed over Signal would almost certainly be considered classified or, at a minimum, controlled, prior to and in the immediate aftermath of an impending strike.
    These shockingly reckless breaches of security protocols for safeguarding sensitive and classified information clearly warrant an investigation into whether any of the government officials involved violated federal laws pertaining to the proper safeguarding and preservation of such information. For example, gross negligence in handling national defense information may violate the Espionage Act. Importantly, other laws, including the Federal Records Act, require the preservation of certain government records. Signal allows users to schedule messages for deletion after certain time periods and Mr. Waltz appears to have set the chat messages to delete initially after one week and then later in the chat changed the setting to delete messages after four weeks. Destruction of government records or property may constitute a violation of various criminal statutes. Subsequent statements to Congress and testimony before the House and Senate Intelligence Committees by several of the officials involved raise additional concerns about potential violations of federal criminal laws that prohibit making false statements to Congress, committing perjury in testimony to Congress, inducing another person to commit perjury, or conspiring to commit any of the foregoing actions.
    Even prior to his first Administration, President Trump campaigned for the need to prosecute and “lock up” individuals who allegedly “bypass government security” or “sent and received classified information on an insecure server.” Further, as an avowedly loyal and zealous advocate for the President, you echoed these same sentiments prior to your confirmation. Given the extraordinary nature of this security breach by senior Trump Administration officials, the likelihood that these actions needlessly endangered American lives and our nation’s security, the importance of putting our nation’s security before partisan political interests, and the range of federal criminal laws that may have been violated, it is imperative that the Department of Justice conduct a thorough investigation to assess the extent of the damage and determine whether any criminal charges are warranted against any of the government officials involved.
    During your confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, you assured the American people that everyone will be held to “an equal, fair system of justice” if you were confirmed as Attorney General, and that “no one is above the law.” As the individuals most seriously implicated in this incident include senior officials at the highest levels, including several of your fellow cabinet members, appointment of a Special Counsel is necessary to ensure that the investigation and any ensuing prosecutions are fair, impartial, and independent and that no official, regardless of seniority or political affiliation, is above the law.
    The people of this country deserve the assurance that this matter will be taken seriously and addressed swiftly. To do so, we urge you to appoint a Special Counsel immediately.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘Adolescence’ on Neflix: A painful wake-up call about unregulated internet use for teens

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Martina Calçada Kohatsu, PhD Candidate in Educational Psychology, McGill University

    In ‘Adolescence,’ a communication abyss that separates Gen X from Gen Z gives way to calamity. (Netflix)

    This story contains spoilers about the Netflix series ‘Adolescence.’

    In the Netflix series Adolescence, we have no idea why Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) is arrested at the beginning of the first episode. The tension from seeing a helpless 13-year-old boy escorted to a police station and interrogated holds us to the screen. Every minute of the one-hour episode, shot in a single continuous take, makes us feel like we are in the police station with the Miller family, viewing things through his parents’ disorientation.

    As the plot unfolds, we are given clues to explain the inexplicable, but we can’t fully appreciate the show’s magnitude until the very last scene, a dramatic moment where we see the boy’s father (Stephen Graham) cry over his son’s teddy bear while asking it for forgiveness.

    From an educational psychology angle, the show is ripe for analysis. One could comment on the premature sexualization of young girls and boys or the obsolete sense, for parents, that they can assume kids are safe when they’re at home in their rooms.

    However, as a doctoral student in educational psychology, I am mostly concerned with human learning — both the cognitive development that must accompany successful learners, and how children and youth understand the world through relationships.

    The state of Jamie’s cognitive development and of teenagers in general may help us understand his frame of mind — or the “why” that detective Luke Bascombe (Ashley Walters) pursues.

    For parents, this show raises serious questions about the crisis in parent-child communication and how the internet is shaping children’s behaviour and minds. I suggest turning to the practice of dialogue as a way for parents to strengthen their communication with their children and learn about each other and the world.

    Trailer for ‘Adolescence.’

    Children’s minds

    According to the government of Canada, “any human being below the age of 18” is defined as a child. Children can’t be recruited to join the Armed Forces, sign legal contracts, drive, vote, marry, drink alcohol and so on. As adults, we understand that these prohibitions not only protect them but also us.

    Setting aside ethical reasons why children shouldn’t do any of these things, the major reason is due to the developmental state of their minds.

    To better understand this, we must consider executive function, also called cognitive control. Executive function refers to the unconscious cognitive processes of abstract thinking, inhibition, impulse control and planning that allow us to consciously control and direct our thoughts to goals, actions and emotions.

    Think of executive control as interconnected paths in the brain. In an adolescent’s brain, these paths resemble more of a labyrinth, with difficult and sometimes non-working passages.

    Children and adolescents’ cognitive development are in “sensitive periods” in which their brains are more plastic and susceptible to environmental influences. Besides not having full control of their thought processes, research has also shown that abstract and more “neutral” cognitive skills develop earlier than those that involve motivated or emotionally charged actions.

    Ability to weigh options still developing

    Adolescents might be mature enough to solve complex math problems, but still feel helpless when needing to be polite to someone they believe offended them (not an easy task for adults either). In such a case, one would need to “step back” from the situation, and weigh options to respond.

    An adult might think “maybe I misinterpreted what this person said” or “if I offend them back, I risk losing my job/friendship/reputation.” By dwelling on different course of actions, they don’t act impulsively.

    This is precisely the ability that adolescents are still developing.

    Adolescent brains have not fully matured in ways that enable them to calculate risk.
    (Netflix)

    Virtual selves and threats

    When adolescents engage with social media, they can be exposed to a threatening environment where they must assert their virtual selves and deal with bullying and inappropriate content, while lacking full control of their thought processes.

    Yet, as American social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has chronicled, our society has allowed adolescents to take part in this at grave risk. With maturing cognitive capabilities, teens are at risk in an online environment that thrives on extreme views and hijacks emotions.

    As a victim of cyberbullying, Jamie was probably not equipped with the cognitive abilities to step back from the situation and seek help. Instead, he responds to cruelty he experienced with cruelty he knew.

    With unregulated internet use, in terms of both content and unrestricted time spent online, communication with parents atrophies. At its core, Adolescence is a painful wake-up call to the effects of unregulated internet usage in teens, and how the communication abyss that separates Gen X from Gen Z gives way to calamity.

    Clueless adults, aware teens

    Nowhere in the show is this distance more evident than when police detectives move cluelessly through Jamie’s school trying to understand his motives, while the students seem cynically aware of what really happened.

    The detective’s son clues him into interpreting signs of incel subculture.
    (Netflix)

    In a typical moment reflecting contemporary intergenerational dynamics in which the Gen Zs explain stuff to their analog parents, Bascombe’s son is the one to enlighten him about incel subculture and what certain emojis represent.

    It becomes clear that pop-cultural references mean different things to a younger generation. For example, “red pill” was appropriated from The Matrix and is now used for those who “see the truth” and reject feminism.

    Generations are comfortable communicating in different ways. Teens, for example, are clever texters. They use images, edit reels and create memes to convey subtle and often complex feelings.

    In contrast, teens’ discomfort with face-to-face conversations is explicit in the last episode of Adolescence, when the Miller family drives to a hardware store. The parents play a song from their prom and reminisce. The oldest daughter is with them, but not present, focused on her phone and only sporadically joining the conversation.

    Why dialogue matters

    Parents and their children may find direction through dialogue. This ancient practice is based on the view of the world as becoming, with infinite internal and external contradictions that must be overcome so that new understandings of reality may emerge.

    Dialogue was famously advanced as an educational practice by philosopher of education, Paulo Freire.

    Freire believed people must come together to share their meanings of the world, and through this push and pull of ideas, reasons and opinions, conceptualize new forms of understanding. For parents, this means that without trying to understand what teens are saying and, importantly, how they are saying it, we can’t possibly create a better future for all of us.

    Open channel needed

    Engaging in dialogue involves two things: asking and answering questions. It is not a matter of merely extracting information (although knowing what children are doing is important), but rather of mutually sharing interests and letting it guide discovery.

    When parents and children find a channel, communication opens and for as long as the mutual interest is there, they can steadily build meaningful connections that transform how they see the world and their relationships.

    With renewed urgency, dialogue that validates the interests and knowledge of both parents and children can offer a way out of the polarization created between them by long hours spent online.

    Martina Calçada Kohatsu 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. ‘Adolescence’ on Neflix: A painful wake-up call about unregulated internet use for teens – https://theconversation.com/adolescence-on-neflix-a-painful-wake-up-call-about-unregulated-internet-use-for-teens-253068

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Fly-tipper prosecuted and ordered to pay £1.500

    Source: St Albans City and District

    Publication date:

    A fly-tipper has been ordered to pay £1,500 after allowing a large amount of waste to be dumped in a rural road in St Albans District.

    St Albans City and District Council’s Environmental Enforcement team launched an investigation after alerted to the fly-tip and traced it to a restaurant in Central London.

    Enquiries revealed that Taoufik Kouki had been hired by the business to dispose of the waste.

    Interviewed under caution, he said that he had gone to a waste and recycling centre in Brent but was refused access.

    He said he was then approached by two men who agreed to dispose of the waste in return for a £160 payment.

    Kouki said he followed them in his van to St Albans before putting the waste on their vehicle.

    He said he had been surprised to find it had been dumped on the roadside of Barley Mow Lane, near Colney Heath.

    Kouki, of Hanover Road, London, denied failing to check that the waste carriers he employed had the necessary licence, a duty of care offence under the Environmental Protection Act.

    He was found guilty after a trial by District Judge Aneeta Borwick at St Albans Magistrates Court on Thursday 20 March.

    Kouki was fined £300 and told to pay a victim surcharge of £120 along with a contribution to the Council’s legal costs of £1.080.

    Chris Traill, the Council’s Strategic Director for Community and Place Delivery, said after the hearing:

    I am pleased that our Environmental Enforcement team traced and successfully prosecuted another fly-tipper.

    It is a further demonstration of our commitment to take action against fly-tippers and deter others from carrying out this crime.

    Fly-tipping is an antisocial criminal offence and there is no excuse for it. Fly-tips are not only unsightly but are a potential health hazard and are costly to clear up.

    Once again, we would also warn people who are clearing a house or other property that they must ensure their waste carrier has a proper licence and obtain a receipt. You leave yourself open to a duty of care offence if you don’t do that.

    Photo: the Barley Mow Lane fly-tip.

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

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: 10 FREE egg-citing activities for secondary school-aged kids this Easter

    Source: City of Portsmouth

    The Spring Sessions programme runs from Monday 7 April, to Saturday 19 April, at multiple locations across Portsmouth, ensuring activities are easily accessible.

    Spring Sessions is an extension of HAF Fun Pompey (HAF), which can now offer free food and activities to all 11 to 16-year-olds from low-income families in PO1 to PO6 thanks to funding from the Household Support Fund.

    The funding allows secondary school children in the city who don’t qualify for free school meals or HAF, but may still need support, to enjoy free activities and a hot meal during school holidays.

    There are loads on offer to suit lots of personality types, including:

    • Trampolining at Flip Out
    • Finding calm through music, art and yoga
    • Professional musical theatre workshop
    • Skate and scooting at Pitt Street Skate Park
    • Football at Goals
    • Laser quest, archery & adventure activities at Fort Purbrook.

    Cllr Nicholas Dorrington, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education, said: ” We know that school holidays can be a tough time for families, which is why I’m so pleased we can use some of the funding from the household support fund to offer these free sessions to kids 11 and over in the city. It’s a great opportunity to get out, meet new people, and learn something new over the holidays, and it doesn’t cost a thing! Get involved!”

    Booking is required, and spaces are limited. eequ.org/portsmouthcitycouncilsessions

    Any questions? Phone 07901 100537 or email eptengagement@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

    The activities available are:

    Flip out
     Monday 7 & Wednesday 9 and 16 April, 6pm to 9pm

    Go beyond bouncing with stunt boxes to jump off, trampolines and hoops to play slam ball, soft foam pits to flip into and so much more at Flip Out Portsmouth. There are three hours of fun to be had, plus a delicious meal.

    Book now


    Music, art & yoga
    Friday 11 April, 11.30am to 3pm

    If high-action sports aren’t for your tweens & teens, they can try out the newest Session activity – Creative Calm at The Base in The Guildhall. They can learn to find their zen with yoga, arts & crafts, music and pizza.

    This activity is perfect for those looking for a more peaceful way to spend their school holidays, or anyone looking for a way to find calmness through creative outlets!

    Book now

    Professional musical theatre workshop
    Thurs 10 April, 11.30am to 3pm

    Discover the magic of musical theatre with a day of singing, dancing, and acting in a fun and supportive space! No experience? No problem. Build confidence, make new friends, and find out more about the BASE, the free creative space for young people in Portsmouth.

    Book now

    Skate, scoot & pizza party

    Enjoy a free skate session at Pitt Street Skatepark, Portsmouth’s first indoor space of its kind. All kit is provided, but if you want to bring your own skates, board or helmet you can. Even if you’ve never been on a board or skates, this session is the perfect opportunity to learn something new.

    Book now

    Football & pizza party
    Tuesday 8 & 15 April, 10am to 1pm

    Whether you can bend it like Beckham or are completely new to the game, come along to Goals to play five-a-side on the best small-sided football pitches in Portsmouth. When it’s time for a breather, there’ll be free pizza, burgers and drinks. Goals’ top coaches will also be running skill sessions on the cutting-edge, all-weather surfaces and you’ll then have the chance to use your new skills in matches with your friends.

    Book now

    Laser quest, archery & adventure activities
    Saturday 19 April, 11-2pm

    Get down to the Peter Ashley Activity Centre to join in on free Laser Tag, Archery, Bouldering, Air Rifle shooting, with a free lunch included in the beautiful and historic location of Fort Purbrook.

    Book now

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council to review historic conservation area

    Source: City of Leicester

    PEOPLE can give their views on how the special character of one of Leicester’s 25 designated conservation areas should be preserved or enhanced.

    Leicester City Council has launched a public consultation inviting comments on a new draft character appraisal and management plan for the Evington Village conservation area.

    The Evington village conservation area is centred on the historic Evington village, stretching from Evington Park in the north to Shady Lane in the south. It contains several listed buildings, including the Gothic-style Baptist chapel on the High Street, the War Memorial on Main Street and the church of St Denys, which dates from the 13th century.

    There is also a scheduled ancient monument in the area. Known as Piggy’s Hollow, this is the remains of a medieval manor house, also dating back to the 13th century. The area’s distinctive name is thought to come from a local farmer who lived in Church Road and kept pigs in the hollow.

    The city council is proposing to introduce a new character appraisal and management plan for the area. A character appraisal is a document that defines the special qualities of a conservation area, and is used to help preserve and enhance the area’s character and appearance.

    The new character appraisal will mean all 25 conservation areas in the city have an appraisal document for the first time, with work ongoing to revise versions for various other conservation areas in the city.  

    Linked to the new management plan, the council is also consulting on potentially introducing a new Article 4 Direction. This would give the council more powers to help protect the distinctive character of properties in the area.

    Deputy city mayor Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, who is responsible for heritage and conservation, said: “Evington Village conservation area is a real asset to our city. The buildings, archaeological features and unique character of the area need to be protected for everyone to enjoy, now and in the future. This is why we’re seeking views on our character appraisal for the area, and on whether we should increase our powers to preserve this heritage.

    “We know that many local people are interested in Evington’s fascinating history, and we look forward to hearing everyone’s views in our consultation.”

    People can comment on the proposals by visiting www.leicester.gov.uk/consultations

    A public drop-in event will also be held on Wednesday 30 April from 5-8pm at St Denys Parish Centre on Church Road, where people can find out more. Council staff will be available to answer questions and there will be a presentation from 6pm.

    The council has also recently confirmed new Article 4 Directions for the conservation areas in Braunstone and Knighton villages, introduced after similar consultations and as part of new management plans for these areas, which were published last autumn. A range of other enhancement works to those areas has been completed, including new signage, removal of street clutter, fencing repairs, new planting and other improvements. 

    The consultation runs until Monday 12 May at www.leicester.gov.uk/consultations

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Zimbabwe’s economy crashed – so how do citizens still cling to myths of urban and economic success?

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Kristina Pikovskaia, Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh

    It is common for nations to have myths, or narratives, that form the basis of their nationalism, or their ideas of themselves as a political community. Such popular narratives are often rooted in a romanticised or idealised view of the past. This is certainly the case in Zimbabwe, where national myths about its urban modernity and economic exceptionalism have stood the test of time in contrast with the reality.

    The idea of urban modernity has its roots in colonial times. At the time of independence in 1980, following a liberation war from 1965 to 1979, Zimbabwe’s economy was looking strong. Urban residents, especially, could think of themselves as modern: they had middle- and working-class lifestyles, social protection, social mobility opportunities and fixed working hours. Urban modernity meant order, steady employment, education.

    Zimbabwe’s economy was exceptional in sub-Saharan Africa: diversified and robust.

    However, rapid socio-economic changes followed in the 1990s and 2000s. Zimbabwe was hit by a series of economic, financial and political crises. This led to the collapse of urban middle- and working-class modernity and the rise of visible informal economic activities in the urban space. By 2004, over 80% of people had informal livelihoods in Zimbabwe.

    My PhD thesis (2021) examined Harare’s shift to informality and the impact of this on people’s everyday experiences of citizenship. The respondents in interviews carried out between 2016 and 2018 included vendors, cross-border traders, manufacturers, residents’ associations, informal sector organisations, local authorities and urban planners.

    These interviews also form the basis of my recent research paper. My analysis sought to examine how people deal with the fact that current circumstances don’t support their myths of urban nationalism.

    During a crisis, people rethink old ideas and adjust them to fit their new situation. As they do this, their notions of urban modernity and economic exceptionalism change. At the same time, they remember a past when their country was economically successful. This memory shapes how they think about the country’s future – and it also makes them question the government, which hasn’t lived up to those past ideals.

    So, what do the myths of urban modernity and economic exceptionalism mean in Zimbabwe today? Some people cling to the early postcolonial notions nurtured by the government. Others reluctantly accept economic informality while seeking to upgrade the idea of the informal sector. But there are others who challenge altogether the view that street vending is not modern and formal enough.

    The prevalent informality was seen as a temporary phenomenon which would end soon. Then the country would return to having a modern urban lifestyle and strong economy.

    Grappling with informality

    To many of the respondents in 2016-2018, “working” and “having a job” meant being employed and having regular wages, job security and social protection.

    At the same time, people also reluctantly accepted economic informality and some of the changes it made to their lives, while seeking to upgrade the idea of the informal sector. Some informal sector associations, for example, attempted to teach their members to see their activities as businesses and themselves as business people, as I reported in another paper.

    Read more: How informal sector organisations in Zimbabwe shape notions of citizenship

    Some respondents drew a line between economic activities that were acceptable in the city centre and those that were not. These were similar to the early postcolonial notions enforced by the government. They suggested, for example, that street vending had no place in the city centre. It should only occur in limited designated spaces, and in residential areas.

    Some street vendors, though, defied the notion of street vending not being modern and formal enough. They dressed smartly to emphasise that street vending could also be done in a “modern” way and be a part of the mainstream economy.

    The history of the urban modernity myth

    At the beginning of colonial rule in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the colonisers planned for the cities to remain “white”. Unless Africans lived in their employers’ facilities, they were required to live in dedicated areas.

    At the same time, the colonial administration introduced and enforced the concept of “order” in Salisbury, now Harare, the capital. It punished poor, marginalised and homeless people. The same with economic and social activities it deemed undesirable.

    Today, over 32% of Zimbabweans live in urban areas.

    The establishment in the 1930s of the African middle class was an important part of the urban modernity project. Those who sought to belong to it largely used education as their primary social mobility tool.

    Read more: Education in Zimbabwe has lost its value: study asks young people how they feel about that

    After independence in 1980, the cities were deracialised. Everyone was free to enter and use the urban space. But the new government still held tight control and dictated who had the right to the city.

    Numerous operations were conducted from the 1980s to clear the street of “undesirable” people and activities. For example, informal settlements were removed. Many women were arrested on the pretext of clearing the city of prostitution. The most notorious clean-up operation was the 2005 Operation Murambatsvina. It effectively punished all those considered “unproductive” and not deserving to be in the city.

    Read more: Dogs in the city: on the scent of Zimbabwe’s urban history

    Those high and, frankly, brutal standards of urban modernity have a long history in Zimbabwe and became a part of its urban nationalism.

    Economic exceptionalism

    Colonial and early postcolonial Zimbabwe had an exceptional and diversified economy with strong mining, agricultural, and industrial sectors. Zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector contributed 25% to GDP by 1974.

    Despite the economic decline, it is still a common narrative that Zimbabwe’s industrial sector was second only to South Africa’s in sub-Saharan Africa and that Zimbabwe was “the breadbasket” of Africa.

    Zimbabwe launched the ZiG currency in April 2024 to tackle sky-high inflation and stabilise the floundering economy. Jekesai Njikizana/AFP via Getty Images

    However, manufacturing in colonial Zimbabwe benefited a small number of white industrialists. Black Zimbabweans did not have the opportunities. They could not own profitable manufacturing businesses or access finance.

    After independence, the government made considerable efforts to deracialise the economy and public services.

    The present

    The early postcolonial ideas about urban modernity and economic exceptionalism were severely undermined in Zimbabwe. But people try to give new meanings to these ideas in the changed social and economic circumstances. There is ongoing reluctance to accept that informality altered Zimbabwe for good. And many of my respondents wanted to find ways that the myths of modernity and economic exceptionalism could keep their meaning in the changed circumstances.

    Continuity and change in the myths of urban nationalism also raise the questions of legitimacy. In this case, it is about legitimacy of informal economic practices and legitimacy of the government that did not uphold the myths.

    Ideas can be very powerful in explaining people’s understanding of the political community they belong to. And when such ideals cannot be upheld, people will find new meanings in their material reality that let them hold on to old ideas or reinterpret them.

    – Zimbabwe’s economy crashed – so how do citizens still cling to myths of urban and economic success?
    – https://theconversation.com/zimbabwes-economy-crashed-so-how-do-citizens-still-cling-to-myths-of-urban-and-economic-success-247114

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Funding plans announced to support Salford residents with the cost-of-living

    Source: City of Salford

    • Funding period: Round seven (part one) of the Household Support Fund will be available from Tuesday 1 April 2025 to Tuesday 30 September 2025.
    • Eligibility: Open to Salford residents who need financial support with the cost-of-living, specifically to cover cost for food, fuel and energy, regardless of benefit status.
    • How to apply: Residents who need support can apply directly for funding online www.salford.gov.uk/hsf or call Salford’s Household Support Fund helpline on 0800 011 3998.

    Salford City Council have unveiled plans for the allocation of the Government’s extension of the Household Support Fund (HSF) for the period Tuesday 1 April 2025 to Tuesday 30 September 2025. This funding provides critical support to households facing cost-of-living pressures, particularly those struggling to afford essential items such as food, energy, and fuel.

    In the previous funding round covering October 2024 to March 2025, the council received 6,000 applications for support and provided over 17,000 holiday food vouchers to families and children during school holidays.

    Councillor Tracy Kelly, Lead Member for Housing and Anti-Poverty at Salford City Council, said: “The Household Support Fund is a vital resource for our community. Our commitment in Salford is to make sure vulnerable residents are supported in the best way possible and ensure that every resident facing financial challenges receives the necessary support. This latest funding round reinforces our ongoing effort to build a fairer, more inclusive society.”

    The funding will be distributed by Salford City Council’s Salford Assist team. The funding will be awarded via shopping vouchers and fuel meter top ups to those who meet the eligibility criteria. Salford residents do not need to be in receipt of benefits to apply for the Household Support Fund and can apply for the scheme if they are also in receipt of other benefits and pension credits, all applications will be considered.

    The allocated funding will be used to:

    • Provide direct financial support to eligible residents to cover essential costs.
    • Issue holiday food vouchers to children eligible for Free School Meals.
    • Enable Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) partners to deliver food banks, food clubs, and food schemes.
    • Support additional council services including housing and adult social care.

    Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett added: “This fund has been instrumental in providing essential assistance to our residents, helping with critical costs such as food and heating, and ensuring children do not go without food during school holidays. I urge any resident facing financial difficulties to explore the support available through the Household Support Fund.”
     
    This support forms part of Salford’s wider Tackling Poverty strategy which aims to make Salford a fairer and more inclusive place where everyone can live prosperous and fulfilling lives free from poverty and inequality. The funding has come from the Department for Work and Pensions. 
     
    To learn more about this funding and how to apply visit Salford City Council’s website: www.salford.gov.uk/hsf.

    Share this

    Date published
    Tuesday 1 April 2025

    Press and media enquiries

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Zimbabwe’s economy crashed – so how do citizens still cling to myths of urban and economic success?

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Kristina Pikovskaia, Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh

    It is common for nations to have myths, or narratives, that form the basis of their nationalism, or their ideas of themselves as a political community. Such popular narratives are often rooted in a romanticised or idealised view of the past. This is certainly the case in Zimbabwe, where national myths about its urban modernity and economic exceptionalism have stood the test of time in contrast with the reality.

    The idea of urban modernity has its roots in colonial times. At the time of independence in 1980, following a liberation war from 1965 to 1979, Zimbabwe’s economy was looking strong. Urban residents, especially, could think of themselves as modern: they had middle- and working-class lifestyles, social protection, social mobility opportunities and fixed working hours. Urban modernity meant order, steady employment, education.

    Zimbabwe’s economy was exceptional in sub-Saharan Africa: diversified and robust.

    However, rapid socio-economic changes followed in the 1990s and 2000s. Zimbabwe was hit by a series of economic, financial and political crises. This led to the collapse of urban middle- and working-class modernity and the rise of visible informal economic activities in the urban space. By 2004, over 80% of people had informal livelihoods in Zimbabwe.

    My PhD thesis (2021) examined Harare’s shift to informality and the impact of this on people’s everyday experiences of citizenship. The respondents in interviews carried out between 2016 and 2018 included vendors, cross-border traders, manufacturers, residents’ associations, informal sector organisations, local authorities and urban planners.

    These interviews also form the basis of my recent research paper. My analysis sought to examine how people deal with the fact that current circumstances don’t support their myths of urban nationalism.

    During a crisis, people rethink old ideas and adjust them to fit their new situation. As they do this, their notions of urban modernity and economic exceptionalism change. At the same time, they remember a past when their country was economically successful. This memory shapes how they think about the country’s future – and it also makes them question the government, which hasn’t lived up to those past ideals.

    So, what do the myths of urban modernity and economic exceptionalism mean in Zimbabwe today? Some people cling to the early postcolonial notions nurtured by the government. Others reluctantly accept economic informality while seeking to upgrade the idea of the informal sector. But there are others who challenge altogether the view that street vending is not modern and formal enough.

    The prevalent informality was seen as a temporary phenomenon which would end soon. Then the country would return to having a modern urban lifestyle and strong economy.

    Grappling with informality

    To many of the respondents in 2016-2018, “working” and “having a job” meant being employed and having regular wages, job security and social protection.

    At the same time, people also reluctantly accepted economic informality and some of the changes it made to their lives, while seeking to upgrade the idea of the informal sector. Some informal sector associations, for example, attempted to teach their members to see their activities as businesses and themselves as business people, as I reported in another paper.



    Read more:
    How informal sector organisations in Zimbabwe shape notions of citizenship

    Some respondents drew a line between economic activities that were acceptable in the city centre and those that were not. These were similar to the early postcolonial notions enforced by the government. They suggested, for example, that street vending had no place in the city centre. It should only occur in limited designated spaces, and in residential areas.

    Some street vendors, though, defied the notion of street vending not being modern and formal enough. They dressed smartly to emphasise that street vending could also be done in a “modern” way and be a part of the mainstream economy.

    The history of the urban modernity myth

    At the beginning of colonial rule in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the colonisers planned for the cities to remain “white”. Unless Africans lived in their employers’ facilities, they were required to live in dedicated areas.

    At the same time, the colonial administration introduced and enforced the concept of “order” in Salisbury, now Harare, the capital. It punished poor, marginalised and homeless people. The same with economic and social activities it deemed undesirable.

    Today, over 32% of Zimbabweans live in urban areas.

    The establishment in the 1930s of the African middle class was an important part of the urban modernity project. Those who sought to belong to it largely used education as their primary social mobility tool.



    Read more:
    Education in Zimbabwe has lost its value: study asks young people how they feel about that

    After independence in 1980, the cities were deracialised. Everyone was free to enter and use the urban space. But the new government still held tight control and dictated who had the right to the city.

    Numerous operations were conducted from the 1980s to clear the street of “undesirable” people and activities. For example, informal settlements were removed. Many women were arrested on the pretext of clearing the city of prostitution. The most notorious clean-up operation was the 2005 Operation Murambatsvina. It effectively punished all those considered “unproductive” and not deserving to be in the city.



    Read more:
    Dogs in the city: on the scent of Zimbabwe’s urban history

    Those high and, frankly, brutal standards of urban modernity have a long history in Zimbabwe and became a part of its urban nationalism.

    Economic exceptionalism

    Colonial and early postcolonial Zimbabwe had an exceptional and diversified economy with strong mining, agricultural, and industrial sectors. Zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector contributed 25% to GDP by 1974.

    Despite the economic decline, it is still a common narrative that Zimbabwe’s industrial sector was second only to South Africa’s in sub-Saharan Africa and that Zimbabwe was “the breadbasket” of Africa.

    However, manufacturing in colonial Zimbabwe benefited a small number of white industrialists. Black Zimbabweans did not have the opportunities. They could not own profitable manufacturing businesses or access finance.

    After independence, the government made considerable efforts to deracialise the economy and public services.

    The present

    The early postcolonial ideas about urban modernity and economic exceptionalism were severely undermined in Zimbabwe. But people try to give new meanings to these ideas in the changed social and economic circumstances. There is ongoing reluctance to accept that informality altered Zimbabwe for good. And many of my respondents wanted to find ways that the myths of modernity and economic exceptionalism could keep their meaning in the changed circumstances.

    Continuity and change in the myths of urban nationalism also raise the questions of legitimacy. In this case, it is about legitimacy of informal economic practices and legitimacy of the government that did not uphold the myths.

    Ideas can be very powerful in explaining people’s understanding of the political community they belong to. And when such ideals cannot be upheld, people will find new meanings in their material reality that let them hold on to old ideas or reinterpret them.

    This research is partly funded by the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship (ECF-2022-055) and University of Oxford.

    – ref. Zimbabwe’s economy crashed – so how do citizens still cling to myths of urban and economic success? – https://theconversation.com/zimbabwes-economy-crashed-so-how-do-citizens-still-cling-to-myths-of-urban-and-economic-success-247114

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Hoyle Ranked as One of the Most Effective Freshman Members of 118th Congress

    Source: US Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04)

    April 01, 2025

    For Immediate Release: March 31, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C.  –  Last week, Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04) was ranked as one of the most effective first-term lawmakers in the 118th Congress (2023-25) by the Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL). Rep. Hoyle was the second highest ranked Democratic freshman and eighth highest ranked freshman overall.

    “Since my time in the Oregon State House, I have prided myself on being an honest and effective broker who can bring people together from across the aisle to find solutions while still holding true to my values,” Rep. Hoyle said. “Effective lawmaking usually doesn’t make headlines, but it should always make life easier for working people and that is exactly what I came to Congress to do. I am humbled to be recognized by the Center for Effective Lawmaking for meeting that mark last congress, and I look forward to building on that work.”

    The CEL also issued this statement alongside the award announcement: “Our analysis found that Representative Hoyle ranked as one of the most effective freshman lawmakers in the entire House. We congratulate the Representative for her hard work and setting an example for promoting the importance of effective lawmaking.”

    Background

    • Every Congress, CEL ranks the most effective House Members and Senators, and freshman Members in both houses.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cuban National to Spend Nearly a Decade in Federal Prison for Human Smuggling

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    EL PASO, Texas – A Cuban national was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso to 111 months in prison for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, conspiracy to harbor aliens, and sexual assault of an alien.

    According to court documents, Humberto Yosvany Arriola-Rivero, 30, assisted in the harboring of illegal aliens and managed a stash house in El Paso. He also was an occupant in a vehicle that fled law enforcement that was transporting more than a dozen illegal aliens in April 2023. An investigation revealed that Arriola-Rivero sexually assaulted one of the illegal aliens at the El Paso stash house. Arriola-Rivero was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 17, 2023 and was arrested Sept. 7, 2023. He pleaded guilty Aug. 27, 2024.

    “It’s important to note that Arriola-Rivero is being held responsible not only for the significant role he played in human smuggling operations, but also for his abhorrent decision to further dehumanize and sexually violate one of his victims,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman. “This sentence makes it clear to smugglers in El Paso and across the southern border, that if you engage in alien smuggling in our district, you will be held accountable.”

    “Justice was served today for a stash house operator who organized the smuggling of hundreds of illegal aliens and sexually assaulted one of them, all while cramming individuals into tractor-trailers in the sweltering Texas heat,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge for El Paso, Jason T. Stevens. “HSI is committed to aggressively targeting human smugglers and smuggling organizations that continuously exploit individuals for profit. We will relentlessly pursue these criminals who prey on vulnerable people, ensuring they are held accountable for their actions.”

    HSI investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Maris-Tech Enters Into Distribution Agreement with Thrikasa Technologies to Expand Presence in India

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Thrikasa Technologies will serve as key local distributor, strengthening Maris-Tech’s reach in the Indian defense markets

    Rehovot, Israel, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Maris-Tech Ltd. (Nasdaq: MTEK, MTEKW) (“Maris-Tech” or the “Company”), a global leader in video and artificial intelligence (“AI”)-based edge computing technology, today announced that it has entered into a new distribution agreement with Thrikasa Technologies (“Thrikasa”), a veteran Indian supplier of computing solutions for rugged environments. Pursuant to the agreement, Thrikasa will serve as a key distribution partner for Maris-Tech’s solutions across India.

    With its headquarters in Hyderabad, Thrikasa brings deep experience in delivering advanced technology to defense, aerospace, and critical infrastructure clients across the region. The collaboration will include joint marketing, exhibition participation and coordinated sales efforts, which Maris-Tech expects will allow it to better serve Indian customers with localized expertise and support.

    “We are excited to announce this agreement with Thrikasa, a highly respected participant in India’s defense technology ecosystem,” said Israel Bar, Chief Executive Officer of Maris-Tech. “We believe that Thrikasa’s technical knowledge and trusted relationships make them an ideal collaborator, as we continue to establish our presence in India and bring our advanced edge computing and AI video solutions to the Indian market.”

    About Maris-Tech Ltd.

    Maris-Tech is a global leader in video and AI-based edge computing technology, pioneering intelligent video transmission solutions that conquer complex encoding-decoding challenges. Our miniature, lightweight, and low-power products deliver high-performance capabilities, including raw data processing, seamless transfer, advanced image processing, and AI-driven analytics. Founded by Israeli technology sector veterans, Maris-Tech serves leading manufacturers worldwide in defense, aerospace, Intelligence gathering, homeland security (HLS), and communication industries. We’re pushing the boundaries of video transmission and edge computing, driving innovation in mission-critical applications across commercial and defense sectors.

    For more information, visit https://www.maris-tech.com/

    Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the “safe harbor” created by those sections. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe the Company’s future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believe,” “expect”,” “may”, “should,” “could,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “estimate,” “anticipate” or other comparable terms. For example, the Company is using forward-looking statements when it is discussing: the anticipated benefits of the distribution agreement between the Company and Thrikasa and the Company’s expansion of its advanced edge computing and AI video solutions  in the Indian market. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of the Company’s control. The Company’s actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause the Company’s actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: its ability to raise capital through the issuance of additional securities; its planned level of revenues and capital expenditures; belief that our existing cash and cash equivalents, as of December 31, 2024, will be sufficient to fund our operations through the next twelve months; its ability to market and sell our products; its plans to continue to invest in research and development to develop technology for both existing and new products; its plans to collaborate, or statements regarding the ongoing collaborations, with partner companies; its ability to maintain our relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, and other partners; its ability to maintain or protect the validity of our intellectual property; its ability to retain key executive members; its ability to internally develop and protect new inventions and intellectual property; its ability to expose and educate the industry about the use of our products; its expectations regarding our tax classifications; its qualification as an emerging growth company or a foreign private issuer; interpretations of current laws and the passages of future laws; general market, political and economic conditions in the countries in which the Company operates including those related to recent unrest and actual or potential armed conflict in Israel and other parts of the Middle East, such as the multi-front war Israel is facing; and the other risks and uncertainties described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on March 28, 2025, and its other filings with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

    Investor Relations:

    Nir Bussy, CFO
    Tel: +972-72-2424022
    Nir@maris-tech.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: 10 More MLSs deploy Restb.ai advanced AI features

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DALLAS, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Restb.ai, the real estate industry’s leader in AI-powered computer vision technology, continues its rapid expansion by serving 10 additional Multiple Listing Services (MLSs) throughout the US. With these new integrations, over 45,000 thousand more real estate professionals will gain access to AI-driven tools that enhance property listings, streamline compliance, and improve the home search experience. Restb.ai technology reaches more than 800,000 agents and brokers across North America.

    “These MLSs are embracing artificial intelligence to deliver real, tangible value to their members,” said Dominik Pogorzelski, President, MLS at Restb.ai. “By deploying AI-powered solutions, they are reducing manual work for agents and ensuring more complete, accurate, and searchable property listings – benefits that directly impact both agents and consumers.”

    MLSs that are bringing for the first time advanced Restb.ai technology to their members/subscribers include:

    Mid-America Regional Information Systems, Inc. (MARIS)
    Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Mid-America Regional Information Systems (MARIS) is a regional MLS in the heart of the Midwest with a mission of providing an orderly marketplace of cooperation and compensation for participants through a common database of real estate information. Established in 1995, MARIS supports over 15,000 subscribers in 14 Associations covering 67 counties.

    MIBOR Broker Listing Cooperative®
    The MIBOR Broker Listing Cooperative® (BLC) is the engine that powers the local real estate market. By providing best-in-class listing services to members in 17 counties throughout central Indiana, the BLC empowers REALTORS® to facilitate transactions with timely, accurate, and reliable listing information, which creates an efficient marketplace. Owned by the MIBOR REALTOR® Association, founded in 1912, MIBOR proudly represents more than 10,000 real estate professionals in central Indiana.

    All Jersey MLS (formerly CJMLS)
    ALL JERSEY MLS, formerly known as Central Jersey MLS, is New Jersey’s most comprehensive real estate resource, with statewide listing services covering the entire state of New Jersey. All Jersey MLS provides premier business solutions to appraisal and real estate professionals statewide.

    Maine Listings
    Maine Listings, a subsidiary of the Maine Association of REALTORS®, is the state’s official Multiple Listing Service, providing over 6,900 real estate professionals with comprehensive property data, compliance tools, and advanced listing solutions to enhance accuracy and market transparency.

    Montana Regional MLS
    Montana Regional MLS serves real estate professionals covering Central and Western Montana from the Rocky Mountains to the Idaho state line. With the most up-to-date, accurate, and complete information on real estate for sale in Montana, the Montana Regional MLS is REALTOR® owned.

    Capital Area Technology & REALTOR®Services (CATRS – Tallahassee Board of REALTORS®)
    CATRS is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Tallahassee Board of REALTORS®. It serves real estate professionals in the state’s capital and surrounding area by providing resources and opportunities to support their success.

    Bryan-College Station Multiple Listing Service
    The Bryan-College Station MLS, wholly owned by the Bryan-College Station Regional Association of REALTORS®, serves as the primary MLS for the region with approximately 1,800 subscribers and over 3,000 listings on the market.

    Vail Multi-List Service (VMLS)
    The Vail Multi-List Service serves real estate professionals throughout Colorado’s entire Vail Valley market. VMLS is recognized as the most accurate source for local real estate data and market analysis tools and provides relevant technology and accurate accessible data to its members.

    St. Augustine & St. Johns County Board of REALTORS®
    Founded in 1964, the St. Augustine & St. Johns County Board of REALTORS® is a member of the National Association of REALTORS®, whose core purpose is to help its members become more profitable and successful. The association provides its members access to a wide range of value-added offers as well as significant savings on products and services they use daily.

    Longview Area Association of REALTORS®
    The Longview Area Association of REALTORS® (LAAR) has been a cornerstone of professionalism and integrity in the East Texas real estate industry since its formation. LAAR is committed to supporting its members with cutting-edge tools, expert guidance, and strong advocacy for private property rights.

    “MLSs adopting AI aren’t just improving efficiency. They’re setting the foundation to power future real estate technology,” said Nathan Brannen, Chief Product Officer at Restb.ai. “This expansion is another step toward a smarter, more streamlined industry where AI helps agents focus on what they do best: serving home buyers and sellers.”

    More information about Restb.ai MLS software solutions is here – restb.ai/customers/MLS.

    About Restb.ai
    Restb.ai, the leader in AI-powered computer vision for real estate, provides image recognition and data enrichment solutions for many of the industry’s top brands and leading innovators. Its advanced AI-powered technology automatically analyzes property imagery to unlock visual insights at scale that empower real estate companies with relevant and actionable property intelligence. Its proprietary artificial intelligence technology transforms property imagery into actionable insights, helping clients unlock new value from visual data and providing deep insight into each of the 1 million property photos uploaded daily.

    For more information on Restb.ai, visit its website. For Restb.ai-related media inquiries, please contact Maya Makarem at contact@restb.ai or maya@restb.ai or Kevin Hawkins at 1-206-866-1220 or kevin@wavgroup.com.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b657c390-46bc-4a81-8845-a02d7a1223d2

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e24dad74-069d-4ae1-9c37-7f3d5b486563

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: It’s a New Day for Healthcare Providers as Viventium Delivers Innovation and Industry-Specific Expertise to Address Workforce Management Challenges

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J., April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Viventium, who offers an industry-leading payroll, HR, and compliance platform purpose-built for healthcare providers, has unveiled a refreshed brand identity as the company introduces new capabilities to its cloud-based software platform, reaffirming its commitment to home-, facility-, and community-based care providers.

    Viventium is on a mission to simplify workforce challenges for healthcare providers with a customized suite of payroll, HR, compliance, and other solutions designed to reconnect care staff to their purpose and joy. Today, Viventium is the workforce management partner to healthcare organizations across all 50 states, supporting more than 500,000 care staff nationwide.

    Through a software platform that’s tailor-made to address the unique workforce management challenges that healthcare providers face today, Viventium provides solutions to help companies hire and retain care staff, maintain compliance, and create true measurable value. Viventium’s newly refreshed branding reflects the company’s unique and compelling mix of future-focused technology and everyday humanity that embodies why they have become a long-standing and trusted industry ally.

    “At Viventium, we understand the unique challenges healthcare providers face because we live and breathe this industry,” said Navin Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, Viventium. “Our solutions are designed to simplify complex administrative tasks so care staff can focus on what matters most—delivering exceptional care and rediscovering joy in their work.”

    Staffing shortages, employee retention challenges, care staff burnout, and redundant manual processes remain an unfortunate reality across the healthcare industry. To help solve these challenges for skilled nursing facilities and senior living communities, Viventium recently announced the launch of its Open Shift Management feature within its Scheduling software.

    This proprietary workforce software streamlines scheduling processes, reduces the stress of last-minute staffing gaps, and enhances employee satisfaction with innovative technology features like real-time updates, mobile access, and flexible shift options. Designed by industry experts for skilled nursing and senior living professionals, the software ensures compliance with industry standards and promotes a balanced approach to improving workforce management.

    Viventium also recently released advanced logic to simplify compliance for home-based care agencies, with complex compensation models like Per Visit Pay, Blended Rate Overtime, and California Piece Rate. Home-based care agencies can now complete payroll with a single click, saving hours each week. The detailed pay stub also builds trust and confidence with caregivers by ensuring clear and accurate compensation, promoting job satisfaction that will further aid recruitment and retention efforts.

    This sentiment was further emphasized by Gupta: “The need to effectively locate and engage talent is now more important than ever. However, the work does not stop there. Once hired, companies must properly onboard, manage, schedule, and compensate their teams. Failing to do so can have devastating impacts on an organization, its quality, and its reputation.”

    Enhancing care staff satisfaction is one of the main pillars of improving retention, especially in healthcare segments where retention is a major issue. Research from Viventium’s upcoming report on workforce management decisions in healthcare found that 94% of home-, facility-, and community-based care administrators reported that they are currently experiencing a staffing shortage or anticipate a shortage (research conducted by TSC, 2024).

    “We know that every day, our clients go to work and face challenges,” said Bernadette Bressler, Chief Marketing Officer, Viventium. “As a company, our brand reflects who we are and reinforces our commitment to positively impacting the lives of healthcare providers, their staff, and the patients, clients, and residents they serve. It’s a new day at Viventium, and a new day for healthcare providers. Our goal is to make sure that every day starts with our clients feeling confident and supported in all that they do.”

    For more information on Viventium’s products and resources, visit viventium.com.

    About Viventium
    Viventium is healthcare’s trusted ally for payroll, HR, and compliance, combining innovative solutions with deep expertise in the healthcare industry. Its purpose-built cloud-based platform is designed to tackle the complexity and compliance challenges healthcare providers face, simplifying the workday, every day. Viventium helps organizations hire and retain care staff, improve the employee experience, and drive measurable value. Serving clients in all 50 states and supporting over 500,000 healthcare employees, Viventium enables organizations to focus on what matters most: providing compassionate care. It’s a new day, with Viventium.

    For more information, visit viventium.com.

    For More Information:
    Jeff Petescia
    jpetescia@viventium.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How to engineer microbes to enable us to live on Mars

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Samuel McKee, Associate Tutor and PhD Candidate in Philosophy of Science, Manchester Metropolitan University

    Alones/Shutterstock

    A field known as synthetic biology has become one of the most highly anticipated in science. Its outputs range from golden rice, which is genetically engineered to provide vitamin A, to advances stemming from the Human Genome Project, which successfully mapped the entire human genome. Prominent voices in biotechnology have heralded it as the next wave of the future of innovation.

    Synthetic biology is the use of genetic engineering and other advances in biotechnology to generate new organisms or manipulate existing ones to produce the effects you desire. It is what the British biologist Jamie A. Davies calls “the creation of new living systems by design”.

    What is perhaps less obvious is that it may even be useful in space exploration. We might eventually use microbes to detoxify Mars – helping humans to one day live on the red planet.

    Synthetic biology has transformed many lines of technological breakthrough in biology already. Thanks to technologies such as the Nobel-winning genomic “scissors” Crispr Cas9, gene editing is now cheap, fast and accurate, as is gene sequencing.

    All this means genomics can be done in the field and even in space thanks to new technology – such as the MinION by Oxford Nanopore Technologies, which allowed Nasa astronaut Kate Rubins to sequence the genomes of microorganisms on the International Space Station with a handheld device.

    Structural biology has also been revolutionised by breakthroughs in cryo-electron microscopy (enabling us to view large molecules in a solution), and more recently by the Nobel prize-winning protein-folding program “AlphaFold” by Google’s DeepMind.

    We can now know the structure and sequence of organisms at speed and with tremendous accuracy – and at low cost. Ultimately, this also presents an opportunity to make accurate changes to sequences and structures.

    This has important implications for space exploration, according to the Mars Society, Nasa and the Royal Society. Specifically, advances in synthetic biology are opening up new avenues for exploring and colonising Mars.

    So, how can we engineer microorganisms to make Mars habitable? Here are a few possibilities.

    Eating radiation

    Microbes could help us with the damaging radiation on Mars. We know there are bacteria and other single-celled organisms known as archaea living in some of the most hostile places on Earth. For example, Thermus Aquaticus thrives in extremely high temperatures, and psychrophiles live in extreme cold.

    The tardigrade genome, for example, is a rich source of information, explaining how these microorganisms can survive in the vacuum of space. Extremophiles that can digest radiation and toxicities are already used to clean up everything from oil spills to the fallout of radioactive sites.

    This means we could engineer microbes that are resistant to freezing temperatures and high levels of radiation. Such synthetic microorganisms could then be put to use on Mars in a variety ways to help shield us and our habitats from these extremes – or to develop crops with resistance.

    The Milnesium tardigrade.
    wikipedia, CC BY-SA

    For example, it is now well known that the Martian soil is full of perchlorates, which are toxic to humans. Nasa has several ideas of how this can be dealt with, including synthetic biology.

    Fixing atmospheric gases

    Long ago on ancient Earth, cyanobacteria flourished. They filled an ecological niche which transformed Earth’s atmosphere by enriching it with oxygen. We owe our existence in large part to this fertile bloom.

    Could they do the same for us on Mars? The atmosphere on the red planet is extremely thin and primarily made of carbon dioxide. The cyanobacteria would need a lot of help, which we could provide with synthetic biology. Theoretically, microorganisms could be engineered to survive the Martian environment and in turn pump out oxygen and nitrogen.

    Warming the surface

    Visions of terraforming the red planet (altering it to make it habitable for humans) often involve putting space mirrors in orbit to heat up Mars and melt its ice. This would cause a runaway greenhouse effect that would transform the planet into a more Earth-like state.

    But synthetic biology could (theoretically) skip this stage, which has been proposed to take at least 200 years at the very best estimate. Some five years ago, scientists proposed planetary engineering using synthetic biology to engineer microbes for ecological transformation.

    Given that microbes helped make Earth habitable, we could use synthetic biology to engineer microbes to speed up a similar process for Mars. Finding organisms that reduce greenhouse gases, remove toxicity and exhale helpful substances could help remove higher levels of greenhouse gases on Earth, too.

    Seeding new life on Mars

    We are not yet sure there is no life on Mars. The question of how ethical it is to engineer new life and then spread it to other bodies in the Solar System for our own ends is deep and complex. But these conversations need to happen.

    However, it certainly seems that synthetic biology may be our best technological bet to becoming an interplanetary species – and a lot of space and biotech agencies are taking it very seriously.

    According to recent research from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia: “From a holistic point of view, the ultimate synthetic biology approach to make the most of plant-based food on Mars would be to develop multi-biofortified crops with improved nutritional properties and enhanced quality traits (e.g., extended shelf life and reduced allergenicity).”

    Among emerging technologies, it may be that using synthetic biology improves our future more than any other factor – on Earth and beyond.

    Samuel McKee 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. How to engineer microbes to enable us to live on Mars – https://theconversation.com/how-to-engineer-microbes-to-enable-us-to-live-on-mars-253456

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘Putin’s brain’: Aleksandr Dugin, the Russian ultra-nationalist who has endorsed Donald Trump

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Kevin Riehle, Lecturer in Intelligence and Security Studies, Brunel University of London

    Aleksandr Dugin, sometimes referred to as “Putin’s brain” because of his ideological influence on Russian politics, endorsed the policies of Donald Trump in a CNN interview aired on March 30. Dugin said Trump’s America has a lot more in common with Putin’s Russia than most people think, adding: “Trumpists and the followers of Trump will understand much better what Russia is, who Putin is and the motivations of our politics.”

    Dugin made his name by espousing Russian nationalist and traditionalist – including antisemitic – themes, and publishing extensively on the centrality of Russia in world civilisation. So, this endorsement should be a warning of the disruptive nature of the Trump White House. It implies that Dugin believes Trump’s policies support Russian interests.

    Dugin began his career as an anti-communist activist in the 1980s. This was less because of an ideological antipathy for communism than his rejection of the internationalism that the Communist Party of the Soviet Union espoused. He also criticised the party for breaking from traditional – especially religious – values.

    Dugin proposes what he calls a “fourth political theory”. The first three, he claims, are Marxism, fascism and liberalism – all of which he thinks contain elements of error, especially their rejection of tradition and the subordination of culture to scientific thought.

    Dugin’s fourth political theory takes pieces from all three and discards the elements with which Dugin disagrees, especially the dwindling importance of traditional family and culture. The culmination is a melange of ideas that sometimes appear Marxist and sometimes fascist, but which always centre on the criticality of traditional Russian culture.

    His founding philosophy is traditionalism, which he views as a strength of Russia. Thus, he has become a strong supporter of the country’s president, Vladimir Putin, who emphasises traditional Russian values. Dugin and Putin align in their criticism of liberalist anti-religious individualism, which they claim destroys the values and culture on which society is based.

    Dugin has value for Putin because he advances the president’s objectives. Putin’s security goals are in part founded on the principle that political unity is strength and political division is weakness. If Russia can maintain political unity by whatever means necessary, it retains its perception of strength. And if a state opposed to Russia is divided internally, it can be portrayed as weak.

    The Russian government claims complete political unity inside Russia. Its spokespeople reinforce that claim by declaring, for example, the Russian electorate was so unified behind Putin that the 2024 Russian presidential election could have been skipped as an unnecessary expense. They also push a strained claim that the Russian population is unanimously behind the Ukraine war.

    Dugin energises voters behind Putin, basing his support on the philosophy of Russian greatness and cultural superiority, and the perception of Russian unity. His influence has been felt throughout the Russian government and society. He publishes prolifically, and lectures at universities and government agencies about the harms of western liberalism. He also served as an advisor to Sergey Naryshkin, currently director of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) of the Russian Federation.

    Dugin’s views support an expansionist Russia, especially in the direction of Ukraine. He questions the existence of Ukraine and promotes Russia’s war there wholeheartedly. But his support for the war led to an attempt on his life. On August 20 2022, a bomb exploded in a car owned by Dugin, killing his daughter, Darya, who was driving it back from a festival of Russian traditional art.

    Divide and conquer

    Russia applies the same principle of “unity equals strength” to its adversaries, but in reverse. Many Russian political thinkers try to emphasise political divisions in unfriendly states. They work hard to broaden existing disagreements and support disruptive political parties and groups.

    Such operations give the Russian government the ability to denigrate the foreign powers that Russia considers adversaries by making them look weak in the eyes of their own people – and more importantly, in the eyes of the Russian population.

    Dugin lays a philosophical foundation for foreign parties that oppose the European Union and western liberalism, and that disrupt political unity. His views have been adopted by far-right political groups such as the German National Democratic Party, the British National Party, Golden Dawn in Greece, Jobbik in Hungary, and the National Front in France.

    Dugin’s interview in which he endorsed Trump’s policies is likely to have been directly authorised by the Kremlin. He pushes a Kremlin-sponsored endorsement of Trump’s divisive – and thus weakening – effect on US politics.

    But Dugin’s extreme Russian nationalist rhetoric at times clashes with Putin’s attempts to include all peoples of Russia in a strong unified state, rather than only ethnic Russians. As it is a multi-ethnic state, Russian ethnic nationalism can obstruct Putin’s attempts at portraying strength through unity. The label “Putin’s brain” is only accurate sometimes.

    The Russian government uses Dugin when he is useful and separates itself from him when his extremism is inconvenient. Dugin is a tool who says many of the right things and facilitates Kremlin goals. His endorsement of Trump should be seen in its context: Russia attempting to strengthen itself at the expense of the US.

    Kevin Riehle 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. ‘Putin’s brain’: Aleksandr Dugin, the Russian ultra-nationalist who has endorsed Donald Trump – https://theconversation.com/putins-brain-aleksandr-dugin-the-russian-ultra-nationalist-who-has-endorsed-donald-trump-253466

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The dark side of psychiatry – how it has been used to control societies

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Caitjan Gainty, Senior Lecturer in the History of Science, Technology and Medicine, King’s College London

    In his new book, No More Normal, psychiatrist Alastair Santhouse recalls an experience from the 1980s when he was a university student in the UK helping deliver supplies to “refuseniks” – Soviet citizens who were denied permission to leave the USSR. These people often faced harsh treatment, losing their jobs and becoming targets of harassment. Some were even diagnosed with a psychiatric condition called “sluggish schizophrenia”.

    By the time Santhouse encountered this diagnostic category, sluggish schizophrenia had been kicking around psychiatry in the Soviet Union for some time. It first entered the diagnostic lexicon in the 1930s, coined to describe cases in which adults diagnosed with schizophrenia had displayed no symptoms of the disorder in childhood.

    This notion of a symptomless disorder gave it tremendous value to Soviet officials in the 1970s and 80s, who wielded it ruthlessly against those who suddenly suffered from delusions of wanting a better society or hallucinatory desires to emigrate.

    But they weren’t the only ones to wield psychiatry to repress and control. “Punitive” or “political” psychiatry has proven to be quite a useful tool in many parts of the world. One well-known case is that of Chinese political activist Wang Wanxing, who marked the third anniversary of the 1989 pro-democracy student protests in Tiananmen Square by unfurling his own pro-democracy banner on that same spot.

    He was immediately arrested, jailed, and then diagnosed with “political monomania”: a “condition” characterised by the irrational failure to agree with the state. For treatment, he was confined for 13 years in a psychiatric hospital, part of the Ankang (“peace and health”) network of psychiatric institutions where dissidents like him were forcefully medicated and subjected to “treatments” such as electrified acupuncture.

    More recent applications of punitive psychiatry pop up periodically in our news feeds and disappear just as quickly. Some women who removed their headscarves or cut their hair as part of anti-government protests in Iran in 2022 were diagnosed with antisocial behaviour, forcefully institutionalised and subjected to “re-education”.

    Women in Iran who protested against wearing hijabs were sent for re-education.
    Alexandros Michailidis/Shutterstock

    In 2024, in Russia, an activist’s choice of T-shirt, bearing the slogan “I am against Putin”, was considered so problematic that it required the summoning of a “psychiatric emergency team”.

    As in the Soviet Union, the advantages of punitive psychiatry were not a little Orwellian: diagnosing a citizen with a mental illness made it easier to isolate their ideas, cut them off physically and discourage similar behaviour.

    Not just authoritarian regimes

    While authoritarian regimes certainly seem to wield it with the most abandon, punitive psychiatry has not been absent in the west. Indeed, at the height of the civil rights movement in the US, black activists protesting generations of racial prejudice and injustice were subjected to much the same diagnostic regime.

    One example was the pastor and activist Clennon W. King, Jr. who was arrested and confined to a mental institution in 1958 after he attempted to enrol at the all-white University of Mississippi for a summer course. It was an act so inconceivable that the state of Mississippi thought he must be insane.

    And, according to his FBI record, the militant civil rights leader Malcolm X was a “pre-psychotic paranoid schizophrenic”: a diagnosis made based on his activism and protest speech. As Jonathan Metzl has shown, the descriptors used to “diagnose” Malcolm X were later enshrined in the American Psychiatric Association’s 1968 updated definition of schizophrenia. Dissent in the US was as potentially pathological as dissent anywhere else.

    Though each of these cases undoubtedly constitutes a gross misuse of psychiatry, the practice of making distinctions between what constitutes normal and abnormal behaviour is fundamental to the discipline. And, as Metzl’s account of the shifting definition of schizophrenia implies, psychiatric disorders are especially sensitive to social change.

    Unlike most physical illnesses, psychiatric illnesses often have few physiological signs. Whereas a broken bone on an X-ray can be declared unambiguously broken, psychiatric problems are diagnosed in terms of constellations of symptoms, written on but not in the body, and recounted by patients in conversation with their therapist, or via a listing of these symptoms on one of the many diagnostic questionnaires that make up the psychiatric diagnostic arsenal.

    Psychiatry’s bible

    These are then matched to symptom clusters listed in psychiatry’s bible, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). Though in the everyday practice of mental health, there is much more to this process, in theory, the closeness of this match designates the absence or presence of disease.

    That psychiatric diagnoses are unusually socially responsive is by and large unavoidable. Our mental health is itself socially specific, so much so that some have argued that something as apparently universal as depression, for example, is actually an illness specific to western or even just anglophone cultures.

    Whether that hypothesis is true or not has no bearing on whether depression is in fact real. It only suggests what psychiatry intrinsically acknowledges already: that mental health has a critically significant social component.

    As the use of psychiatry for these punitive purposes makes clear, this necessary malleability lends itself to abuse. The radical psychiatrists of the 1970s certainly believed so when they re-examined the very notion of normal, exposing its role in policing society and enforcing categories of exclusion. It’s how homosexuality ended up as a diagnosable psychiatric illness in the 1952 edition of the DSM – a pathology built by and for the norms of the American mainstream.

    But it’s a malleability that can also lead to change in the opposite direction, where society – we, you and I – revisit and change these boundaries. Homosexuality was removed from the DSM in 1973, not because of any new scientific information, but because of a targeted gay rights activist campaign and, more indirectly, the slow shift over the intervening decades toward greater social inclusion.

    In his book, Santhouse reflects on where we are now in psychiatry, at a time when there is, to quote his clever title, “no more normal”. Though the definition of normal is always in a state of flux, ours is a moment of diagnostic surfeit, in which mental health clinicians have had to cede space to a superabundance of resources that allow us – even encourage us – to diagnose ourselves.

    And that makes this an interesting moment: one in which we explicitly see our vision of mental health being remapped onto the shifting politics of identity and inclusion that permeate now. Insofar as this forces us to reckon with the social aspects of our mental health in a more explicit way than we are used to, perhaps this is no bad thing.

    Caitjan Gainty has received funding from the Wellcome Trust.

    – ref. The dark side of psychiatry – how it has been used to control societies – https://theconversation.com/the-dark-side-of-psychiatry-how-it-has-been-used-to-control-societies-248493

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why being ‘lazy’ at work might actually be a good thing

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Katrien Devolder, Director of Public Philosophy, Professor of Applied Ethics, University of Oxford

    Ground Picture/Shutterstock

    If you’re a young person today, you’ve probably felt the sting of being called lazy, or caught yourself wondering if you are. Do you sometimes feel guilty when not being productive, or find yourself pretending to be busy?

    You’re not alone. Self-doubt about productivity is very common and no wonder: we’re immersed in a culture that expects constant achievement. The perception of Gen Z (and Millennials) being “lazy” or “entitled” persists, making it easy to internalise these criticisms.

    Particularly in the era of working from home, it can be hard to shake the feeling of guilt when not being “productive”. Articles with titles like Am I Depressed or Lazy? reveals how commonly people (even highly successful ones) worry about being lazy.

    Laziness is not only seen as a personal shortcoming but also a moral one. This is the case across different cultures – references to the “badness” of laziness can be found in texts of all major religions. This moral dimension explains why being called “lazy” feels so much worse than being called “distracted” or “slow” — it implies a character flaw.

    But judging someone (or oneself) as lazy also reinforces a harmful myth that emerged from the Protestant work ethic and was further entrenched by capitalist values: that constant effort and productivity are the only paths to achievement and self-worth.

    This sustains a culture where everyone must always be trying harder, leading to anxiety, burnout and discrimination against those who work differently, or can’t keep up.

    Ready to make a change? The Quarter Life Glow-up is a new, six-week newsletter course from The Conversation’s UK and Canada editions.

    Every week, we’ll bring you research-backed advice and tools to help improve your relationships, your career, your free time and your mental health – no supplements or skincare required. Sign up here to start your glow-up at any time.

    These harms don’t affect everyone equally. If you’re from certain ethnic backgrounds, have a chronic health condition, or are struggling with homelessness or unemployment, you’re much more likely to be labelled “lazy”.

    Research shows that children from minority groups are more likely to be thought of as lazy in school, resulting in punishment instead of help. Employees with obesity are promoted less often due to assumptions about their “laziness”, and those who can’t take on extra work because of caring duties are often seen as not committed enough and miss out on professional development.

    What does it mean to be lazy?

    Given the serious consequences of labelling someone as lazy, we’d better make sure we understand what laziness is.

    What often seems implied by the judgement “you’re lazy” is: “You could achieve more if you tried harder”. But we can almost always achieve more by putting in more effort. If not always giving it our all is enough for laziness, then we’re all being lazy most of the time.

    The research I’m conducting aims to better understand and redefine “laziness”. I first explored how people commonly understand laziness, and then used philosophical analysis to identify which everyday understanding makes most sense. In doing so, I drew on various areas of philosophy that discuss the value of effort, virtue, and to what extent we can be blamed for behaving in a certain way due to lack of willpower.

    My analysis reveals that what is crucial for laziness is that you lack a good reason – a justification – for not trying harder, for limiting your effort.

    Consider these scenarios:

    • You do less than your role requires because you can’t be bothered,
    • You spend your weekend doing very little so that you’re ready for the week ahead,
    • You limit how hard you try because of a chronic health condition.

    On my understanding, only the first scenario involves true laziness. In the others, what might appear to be laziness is actually justified effort management: you have good reasons to rest or genuine limitations on how much effort you can exert.

    Laziness or strategy

    In my view, what truly matters isn’t how hard you try, but whether your efforts efficiently achieve what’s important to you. The following scenarios might look lazy, but are actually reasonable strategies for doing just that:

    • You resist pointless tasks to create time for deep thinking,
    • You set boundaries at work to avoid burnout,
    • You say “no” to tasks outside your role to resist the idea that we should always be striving to produce more,
    • You automate repetitive tasks to free up time for creative tasks.

    The tendency to judge others as lazy often stems from overvaluing effort, long hours and constant busyness. What’s really important is that our effort is directed at the right goal, recognising that it is a limited resource.

    What may look like laziness can actually be reframed as justified effort management.
    Rachata Teyparsit/Shutterstock

    Learning to distinguish between truly lazy behaviour and justified effort management can be liberating. It can allow you to more confidently resist the pressure to be constantly productive – and to do so without guilt.

    I’m not suggesting we should only think about what matters to us personally. Fulfilling responsibilities to colleagues, family and community is important. But within those boundaries, you can question the common idea that more productivity and trying harder is always better.

    And before labelling someone as lazy, consider whether there might be good reasons for their approach. Perhaps they’re making strategic choices about their energy, dealing with invisible challenges or prioritising differently.

    Sometimes, taking it easier isn’t laziness — it’s wisdom.

    Katrien Devolder 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 being ‘lazy’ at work might actually be a good thing – https://theconversation.com/why-being-lazy-at-work-might-actually-be-a-good-thing-248955

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/CAMEROON – Bishops propose a code of conduct in view of the presidential election

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Yaoundé (Agenzia Fides) – “Integrity, humility, modesty, and moral leadership qualities.” These are the qualities that the bishops of Cameroon believe the ideal candidate for the upcoming presidential elections in October should possess.The pastoral Letter, presented at a press conference by Msgr. Paul Nyaga, Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, also emphasizes that the future Head of State “must not use his power to enrich himself” and “must be able to travel throughout the country, visiting each region at least once during his term.” In this way, he will be able to “understand the needs and desires of the Cameroonian people.”In their pastoral Letter, the bishops recall that although “the electoral process in Cameroon is regulated by the Constitution and the 2012 Electoral Code, opposition parties and civil society in our country continue to criticize the electoral process for its lack of transparency, justice, and fairness.” “We ourselves have long emphasized the need for reform of the electoral system and campaign financing,” the bishops state.The bishops also point to problems that have already arisen in previous elections: “violence during campaigns; candidates who were not welcome in some constituencies; falsified electoral rolls; vote buying and selling.”To put an end to this situation, the bishops propose a “Code of electoral conduct,” “a set of rules and practices designed to contribute to creating favorable conditions for the organization of fair, free, credible, and transparent elections.” At the beginning of the year, the Cameroonian Episcopal Conference raised the alarm about the excessive tax burden, which places a heavy burden on citizens without providing adequate basic services from the state, such as roads or healthcare (see Fides, 15/1/2025).Cameroon has been governed since 1982 by President Paul Biya, who, born in 1933, is the oldest African Head of State. Biya, whose health caused some concern between September and October (see Fides, 16/10/2024 and 22/10/2024), has not yet announced whether he will run again in the next elections. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 1/4/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –