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  • MIL-OSI: American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB) Regains Compliance with NASDAQ Listing Standards as of February 10, 2025.

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Nashville, Tennessee, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB) (“American Rebel” or the “Company”), creator of American Rebel Beer (americanrebelbeer.com) and a designer, manufacturer, and marketer of branded safes, personal security and self-defense products and apparel (americanrebel.com), is pleased to announce that it has regained compliance with the periodic filing requirement under NASDAQ’s listing rules.

    “Maintaining our NASDAQ listing is of utmost importance to our Company and our stockholders. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to our internal and external accounting teams for their tireless efforts in ensuring our ability to file our FY2024 3rdQuarter financials that allowed American Rebel to regain compliance with NASDAQ’s listing rules.” Andy Ross, CEO of American Rebel, further commented, “The dedication and hard work of Darin Fielding, CFO of our wholly owned subsidiary, Champion Safe Co., who emerged as our regulatory lead due to his previous auditor experience was instrumental in the coordination between our independent auditors, GBQ and Eventus Advisory Group’s seasoned team of public company accounting professionals.”

    Timeline of NASDAQ Compliance Efforts
            

    November 14, 2024 FY2024 3rd Quarter 10Q due
    November 22, 2024 Company notification by NASDAQ that it no longer met the perioding listing requirement due to the inability to file the FY2024 3rd Quarter 10Q
    January 21, 2025 Deadline for American Rebel Holdings, Inc. to submit a plan to NASDAQ to regain compliance with the listing requirements
    February 7, 2025 American Rebel Holdings, Inc. files Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2024.
      Revenue for the three (3) months ended September 30, 2024 of $2,337,786.00
      Revenue for the nine (9) months ended September 30, 2024 of $9,637,016.00
    February 10, 2025 American Rebel Holdings, Inc. is notified by NASDAQ Staff that with the February 7, 2025 filing of the 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2024, that the Company is deemed compliant with the NASDAQ Listing Rules.

    In the coming weeks, the Company is planning on providing a brief stockholder update from its CEO, Andy Ross, detailing the progress made in our business units throughout last year. This update will highlight the rapid growth and success American Rebel has experienced in our American Rebel Beverage business unit responsible for American Rebel Light Beer and the positive impacts of the reorganization and streamlining of our product offerings and processes at Champion Safe Co. (www.championsafe.com).

    About American Rebel Holdings, Inc.

    American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB) has operated primarily as a designer, manufacturer and marketer of branded safes and personal security and self-defense products and has recently transitioned into the beverage industry through the introduction of American Rebel Light Beer. The Company also designs and produces branded apparel and accessories. To learn more, visit www.americanrebel.com and www.americanrebelbeer.com. For investor information, visit www.americanrebel.com/investor-relations.

    American Rebel Holdings, Inc.
    info@americanrebel.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. American Rebel Holdings, Inc., (NASDAQ: AREB; AREBW) (the “Company,” “American Rebel,” “we,” “our” or “us”) desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words “forecasts” “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “is likely,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements primarily on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, and financial needs. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements include benefits of marketing outreach efforts, continued compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements, our ability to effectively execute our business plan, and the Risk Factors contained within our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

    Company Contact:
    Corey Lambrecht, COO
    Corey.lambrecht@americanrebel.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: SMX Announces Acquisition of cBEYONData

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HERNDON, Va., Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SMX, a leader in next-generation mission support, digital transformation, and IT solutions, today announced the acquisition of cBEYONData. cBEYONData is a provider of implementation, design, and managed service capabilities, as well as a proprietary portfolio of budget management and financial analytics solutions that provide real-time data visibility and transparency to customers within the Department of Defense (DoD) and federal civilian agencies. Together, SMX and cBEYONData (collectively the “Company”) are well-positioned to support customers across the public sector, helping them achieve enhanced visibility, operational efficiency, and financial transparency, each key priorities of Congress and the new administration.

    The acquisition creates a leading provider of differentiated digital transformation capabilities, offering a tailored set of solutions that help government customers manage their increasingly complex financial, planning, and analytical needs. Expertise spans across top financial platforms like Oracle, SAP, and Momentum, while ensuring enhanced scalability, flexibility, and security driven by the Company’s strong relationships with leading cloud infrastructure providers such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.

    Combined, the Company’s deepened capabilities provide meaningful growth and cross-selling opportunities across its base of complementary customers driven by its end-to-end portfolio of specialized enterprise data and system solutions. One example is CFO Control Tower®, a software suite designed to seamlessly integrate with government ERP systems and provide real-time financial data analytics, robust budget planning capabilities, and enhanced collaboration and automation tools. cBEYONData also offers cBEYONDLab®, a cloud-hosted demonstration environment that allows federal agencies to perform continuous exploration of ERP and ERP-enabled solutions prior to making major software purchases, saving substantial costs associated with process realignment and technology initiatives.

    In recognition of cBEYONData’s breadth of solutions, as well as its multi-decade history serving prominent customers including the U.S. Army, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and other high priority federal agencies, cBEYONData will continue to operate with its current leadership team under a newly established horizontal business unit within SMX—Enterprise Systems and Solutions (ESS)—led by SMX President, Sandeep Dorawala.

    In welcoming cBEYONData, SMX CEO Peter LaMontagne stated, “cBEYONData brings valuable scale and technical expertise to our strategic growth plan to expand our work supporting the business of government. cBEYONData’s successful solutions at the ‘nexus of data and dollars’ is particularly relevant today as government executives and senior military leaders focus on financial transparency and accountability.”

    cBEYONData CEO Dyson Richards commented on the transaction, “In SMX we have found the right partner to accelerate our growth into new areas while embracing our client and employee focused culture. SMX is a great fit for us based on their corporate philosophy and digital transformation acumen, and we see a very bright future together.”

    Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. cBEYONData was a portfolio company of Bluestone Investment Partners (“Bluestone”). KippsDeSanto & Co. and G Squared Capital Partners served as financial advisors, and Holland & Knight as legal counsel to cBEYONData and Bluestone. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP served as legal counsel to SMX.

    About SMX
    SMX is a leader in next-generation cloud, C6ISR, and advanced engineering and IT solutions operating in close proximity to clients across the U.S. and around the globe. SMX delivers scalable and secure solutions combined with the mission expertise needed to accelerate outcomes for the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, Public Sector, Fortune 1000, and other public and private sector clients. For more information on our services, please visit https://www.smxtech.com/.

    About OceanSound Partners
    OceanSound Partners is a New York-based private equity firm that pursues control investments in technology and technology-enabled services companies serving government and enterprise end-markets. OceanSound employs a partnership approach, working closely with founders, entrepreneurs, and executives of middle market businesses to drive transformational growth. For more information, visit www.oceansoundpartners.com.

    About cBEYONData
    cBEYONData improves the business of government by understanding the overlapping relationship between data and dollars. We diagnose, design, and implement processes, technology platforms, and the tools and methodologies that help government operate effectively. We believe the right mix of advice, technology, and implementation expertise allows our clients to do right by the budgets, the people, and the mission so that the business of government runs at its very best.

    For inquiries about this press release, please contact us at communications@smxtech.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Morris State Bancshares Declares Special Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUBLIN, Ga., Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Morris State Bancshares, Inc. (OTCQX: MBLU) (the “Company”), the parent of Morris Bank (the “Bank”), has declared a one-time, special dividend of $0.15 per common, to be paid on March 21, 2025, to all shareholders of record as of February 15, 2025.

    “We’ve demonstrated financial strength and resilience, enabling us to reward our shareholders while well-positioned to capitalize on strategic opportunities,” said Spence Mullis, Chairman and CEO. “This special dividend underscores our confidence in the Bank’s trajectory and our ability to generate value through both earnings and dividends.”

    Forward-looking Statements

    Certain statements contained in this release may not be based on historical facts and are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may be identified by their reference to a future period or periods or by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “will,” “would,” “could” or “intend.” We caution you not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this news release, in that actual results could differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including, among others, the business and economic conditions; risks related to the integration of acquired businesses and any future acquisitions; changes in management personnel; interest rate risk; ability to execute on planned expansion and organic growth; credit risk and concentrations associated with the Company’s loan portfolio; asset quality and loan charge-offs; inaccuracy of the assumptions and estimates management of the Company makes in establishing reserves for probable loan losses and other estimates; lack of liquidity; impairment of investment securities, goodwill or other intangible assets; the Company’s risk management strategies; increased competition; system failures or failures to prevent breaches of our network security; changes in federal tax law or policy; the impact of recent and future legislative and regulatory changes; and increases in capital requirements. We undertake no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date of this news release.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitdeer Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Earnings Conference Call for February 25, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQ: BTDR) (“Bitdeer” or the “Company”), a world-leading technology company for blockchain and high-performance computing, today announced that it has scheduled its fourth quarter and full year 2024 earnings conference call and webcast for Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at 8:00 AM EST. During the call, Bitdeer management will discuss the preliminary and unaudited financial and operational results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2024, followed by a question-and-answer session.

    Bitdeer will release its fourth quarter and full year 2024 preliminary and unaudited results before the call at approximately 7:00 AM EST on February 25, 2025. A copy of the earnings release will be available on the Company’s Investor Relations website at https://ir.bitdeer.com.

    Conference Call Information:

    • Date: February 25, 2025
    • Time: 8:00 AM EST / 9:00 PM SGT
    • Participant Call Links:
      • Live Webcast: Link
      • Participant Call Registration: Link

    Participants wishing to join the conference call by phone should register using the Participant Call Registration link provided above. After completing the registration, the participants will receive an email with the necessary details to access the call including dial-in number, passcode, and PIN. To ensure a timely start, the Company encourages all callers to connect about 5 minutes before the scheduled time.

    A live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Investors section of Bitdeer’s website at https://ir.bitdeer.com.

    About Bitdeer Technologies Group

    Bitdeer is a world-leading technology company for blockchain and high-performance computing. Bitdeer is committed to providing comprehensive computing solutions for its customers. The Company handles complex processes involved in computing such as equipment procurement, transport logistics, datacenter design and construction, equipment management, and daily operations. The Company also offers advanced cloud capabilities to customers with high demand for artificial intelligence. Headquartered in Singapore, Bitdeer has deployed datacenters in the United States, Norway, and Bhutan. To learn more, visit https://ir.bitdeer.com/ or follow Bitdeer on X @ BitdeerOfficial and LinkedIn @ Bitdeer Group.

    Investors and others should note that Bitdeer may announce material information using its website and/or on its accounts on social media platforms, including X, formerly known as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Therefore, Bitdeer encourages investors and others to review the information it posts on the social media and other communication channels listed on its website.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans, and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “anticipate,” “look forward to,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including factors discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Bitdeer’s annual report on Form 20-F, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in Bitdeer’s subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof. Bitdeer specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether due to new information, future events, or otherwise. Readers should not rely upon the information on this page as current or accurate after its publication date.

    For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

    Investor Relations
    Orange Group
    Yujia Zhai
    bitdeerIR@orangegroupadvisors.com

    Public Relations
    BlocksBridge Consulting
    Nishant Sharma
    bitdeer@blocksbridge.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Delinea Enhances Enterprise Security by Giving Greater Visibility and Control Over All User Identities

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Delinea, a pioneering provider of solutions for securing human and non-human identities through centralized authorization, has introduced new capabilities on its leading cloud-native platform, including credential and password support for workforce and business users, intelligent identity lifecycle management and behavioral analytics spanning all identity types. These new features will enable enterprises to comprehensively manage the full identity lifecycle across all users from any access point while automating management and entitlements as users evolve. Additionally, with the new Delinea Platform App, the power of the platform is now available on iOS and Android devices, enabling administrators to manage access from anywhere.

    Identity has become a critical pillar of cybersecurity strategies, with over half of organizations allocating 20% or more of their IT budget to identity and access management technology and processes, according to recent Delinea research. As identity-based attacks continue to surge, the latest enhancements to the Delinea platform are aimed at helping enterprises create an all-encompassing security environment to make it easier to manage all identities, enforce access policies, and respond to security threats.

    “The complexity of managing digital identities is only increasing, and organizations must overcome mounting challenges related to security visibility, access control, and automation,” said Jeremy Weiss, executive security strategist, GSSO at CDW. “The new additions to the Delinea Platform will enable our customers to address these challenges head-on with agile, intuitive, and scalable solutions that strengthen security and improve organizational efficiency.”

    Increase visibility with Delinea Credential Manager
    Delinea Credential Manager simplifies and secures credentials while providing IT administrators and security leaders with comprehensive visibility and control over access for every identity. The enterprise-grade vault reduces risk, boosts security policy adoption with a simplified experience, and ensures seamless user access across any device, anywhere. Administrators gain centralized oversight of all credentials and user activity across the entire workforce, while business users benefit from a user-friendly interface that makes credential access both frictionless and secure.

    Administrators also gain real-time visibility into all identities and can simplify credential management, minimizing shadow IT and credential fatigue. Unified access controls remove vulnerabilities business users present from disjointed credential use, improving productivity while maintaining strict security protocols.

    Intelligently automate access provisioning with Identity Lifecycle Management
    Identity Lifecycle Management (ILM) provides agile, centralized control over all identities, making it easy to automate joiner-mover-leaver (JML) processes and reduce the risk of overprovisioned or orphaned accounts. With the average onboarding process taking over four days, ILM drastically reduces the manual workload, providing efficient, secure, and auditable identity provisioning and de-provisioning across the organization. IT and security teams can use ILM to reduce administrative overhead, enforce security protocols, and automate key workflows that improve both efficiency and compliance.

    Reduce risk with Platform Analytics
    The Platform Analytics feature empowers IT and security teams to stay one step ahead of potential threats by continuously monitoring and analyzing users’ digital behaviors. By establishing a baseline for each user’s behavior, Platform Analytics detects deviations and automatically triggers customized actions to address abnormal actions in real-time.

    Anywhere, Anytime Access with Delinea Platform App
    The Delinea Platform App offers administrators full visibility and control over their organization’s identity security environment, no matter where they are. With this secure mobile app, administrators can monitor and manage all identities, view behavior insights, configure security workflows, and respond to access requests, ensuring privileged access is continuously monitored and protected.

    “Enterprises today are facing a different kind of identity crisis in the age of AI, as they must now contend with an explosion of human and non-human identities to manage and provision,” said Phil Calvin, Chief Product Officer at Delinea. “In adding these new capabilities and mobile app to the Delinea Platform, we’re enabling our customers to be more agile. We’re constantly innovating to make it even easier to secure all identities, prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data, and streamline the management of user credentials, all while minimizing user friction.”

    To learn more about the Delinea Platform, visit: https://delinea.com/products

    About Delinea
    Delinea is a pioneer in securing identities through centralized authorization, making organizations more secure by seamlessly governing their interactions across the modern enterprise. Delinea allows organizations to apply context and intelligence throughout the identity lifecycle across cloud and traditional infrastructure, data, and SaaS applications to eliminate identity-related threats. With intelligent authorization, Delinea provides the only platform that enables you to discover all identities, assign appropriate access levels, detect irregularities, and immediately respond to identity threats in real-time. Delinea accelerates your teams’ adoption by deploying in weeks, not months, and makes them more productive by requiring 90% fewer resources to manage than the nearest competitor. With a guaranteed 99.995% uptime, the Delinea Platform is the most reliable identity security solution available. Learn more about Delinea on delinea.com, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.

    Media Contact
    Justin Ordman
    Corporate Communications Director
    justin.ordman@delinea.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d824fd94-e074-4f61-a7ab-3951dbbc0d72

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A music expert’s tips on making an unforgettable mixtape (or playlist) for your Valentine

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Glenn Fosbraey, Associate Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Winchester

    There’s something about tangible music that the digital world simply can’t touch. Whether that’s putting a new record on the turntable, popping a shiny CD out of its jewel case or clicking a tape into place on a cassette deck.

    I still remember a time when cassette was king – when the ultimate Christmas present was a pack of blank tapes, and recording your favourite songs from the radio without the interference of the DJ’s voice was a skill to be proud of.

    Then, of course, there was the mixtape. Lovingly compiled over weeks, dubbed from CDs, other cassettes, the radio or LPs, the track listings would be written on the back in your neatest handwriting. When the time was right, you passed it on to that special someone.

    The process wasn’t without risk, of course. Critic Christopher Partridge has noted that, for many of us, popular music is central to the construction of our identities and sense of self. That means that creating something so personal often felt like giving up a section of our diaries.

    A practical guide to making a physical mixtape.

    Handing it over to the wrong person and having your taste ridiculed was a surefire way to spend the next few days wallowing in self-pity, eating multipacks of crisps and listening to The Smiths. Handing it over to the right person, though, and seeing them share your love for those most precious of songs was a certain way to take a relationship to the next level.

    Cassette tapes and players are having a second lease on life. They can be bought online for as little as £30, or even cheaper if you get lucky in a charity shop.

    So, this Valentine’s Day, why not do something that really shows how much you care, and go old school instead of just sending over another Spotify link? Here are five top tips from a seasoned mixtape maker.

    Looking for love this Valentine’s Day? Whether you want to improve your relationship with others or with yourself, The Quarter Life Glow-up can help.

    This six-week newsletter course from The Conversation will 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.

    1. Be honest

    Romantic mixtapes are supposed to be an opportunity for you to share the tracks that you love; a chance to say “this is a piece of me – what do you think?” If you’re choosing tracks simply because you think they’ll make you look current, deep or edgy, therefore, you’re not being true to the process. Pick the songs that mean something to you and don’t overthink how they may look to someone else.

    2. Be considerate

    Writing on your CD or cassette can add an extra personal touch.
    Isabela Donô Peixoto/Dupe

    If you know the recipient of your mixtape quite well, chances are you might also know a little something about their music tastes.

    Tip one still applies in such an instance, but that’s not to say you should force-feed them Metallica, for example, if they’ve previously said they hate heavy metal. Doing so would either show you to be someone who doesn’t listen (bad), or someone who listens, but doesn’t care (worse).

    So, be considerate, but don’t spend the whole time thinking “Oh God: will they hate this?” They might do, of course, but if they haven’t given you a clue either way, it’s a risk you’ll have to take.

    3. Don’t be cringey

    Mixtapes, especially Valentine’s mixtapes, are not about vicariously displaying your feelings for someone through the voice and lyrics of others. Instead, they are about showing that you trust someone enough to share the songs that are important to you.

    If you own vinyl records, try playing them while recording with a blank cassette.
    Cora Pursley/Dupe

    To that end, please, no Let’s Get It On or J’taime… Moi Non Plus. Not least because it may make the object of your affection cringe, which (hopefully) won’t be your desired reaction.

    Also, try to avoid cringey behaviours when presenting the mixtape, whether that’s saying, “oh, you’re going to LOVE this,” followed by winks and elbow nudges, or, on the flipside, being almost apologetic: “You’re probably going to hate it … but here it is anyway.”

    Instead, just go with something like, “I made you this,” hand it over, and let the music do the rest of the talking.

    4. Sequencing

    When it comes to deciding the running order of your mixtape, it can be looked upon like the sequencing of an album.

    Joy Division and New Order’s Peter Hook says that a tracklist should “build up … slow down” and then have a “big finish”. Taylor Swift says she never likes to put two happy songs in a row or two of the same kind of sadness in a row. Adele swears by leaving the biggest and boldest track to the end. And Elbow’s Guy Garvey likes to include a short post-script of song after the record sounds like it’s ended, which feels like extra kisses at the bottom of a letter.

    Unfortunately, our modern attention spans may also need to be taken into consideration. Radio expert Kelli Fannon admits that she can only get through the first three or four songs of an album (or mixtape) before the phone rings, someone asks a question, or she has a meeting to run to. And she’s not alone.

    So, if there are a few songs you really want your lover to hear, ignore the sequencing advice of the stars, and make sure you put those tracks first.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    5. Variety is the spice of life

    I’ll never forget my wife’s face when she came to the end of Satan Rejected My Soul by Morrissey, which I’d inexplicably and inadvisably put on the mixtape I’d made for her a few weeks after we’d met.

    Sure, I sulked for a bit (how could she not like it?) but we moved past it, and 20 years on I just know not to play Morrissey within her earshot. It’s unlikely the recipient of your tape is going to love every track and, so long as they let you down respectfully, all is well.

    With hindsight, I can’t think of an instance where Satan Rejected My Soul should ever be on a mixtape. So do yourself (and your love interest) a favour and leave that one off.

    Glenn Fosbraey 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. A music expert’s tips on making an unforgettable mixtape (or playlist) for your Valentine – https://theconversation.com/a-music-experts-tips-on-making-an-unforgettable-mixtape-or-playlist-for-your-valentine-249240

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Camp Hill virus explained: what are the risks of a henipavirus outbreak in America?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Shirin Ashraf, Postdoctoral Researcher, MRC-Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow

    A new pathogen, called Camp Hill virus, was recently discovered in Alabama, drawing attention to a group of viruses known as henipaviruses. This is a big deal because other viruses in this group are linked to serious, often fatal, disease, and this is the first time one of them has been found in North America.

    Camp Hill virus was discovered by looking at tissue samples from short-tailed shrews that were collected in 2021. It’s a new species of virus that’s related to other dangerous viruses such as Nipah and Hendra, which have caused serious outbreaks in other parts of the world. It’s also distantly related to the measles virus.

    The first known henipavirus, Hendra virus, was identified in Australia in 1994. There have been just seven cases of humans getting infected – four of them were fatal.

    Nipah virus, discovered in Malaysia in 1998, is much more deadly. It has caused 30 outbreaks in south-east Asia, infecting over 600 people, with death rates as high as 100% in some cases.

    These viruses usually cause fever and other serious symptoms, such as brain swelling and difficulty breathing. They are thought to be carried by bats and can spread to humans through their saliva or urine. Horses are also thought to be carriers.

    Thanks to new technology that allows scientists to study the genetics of viruses, they’ve now found nearly 20 species of henipaviruses around the world. These viruses have been found on every continent except Antarctica, including places like Ghana, China, Australia and Brazil. This shows that henipaviruses are probably common in nature, and new ones could pop up almost anywhere.

    For example, in China, a virus called Mojang virus was linked to the deaths of three workers who were exposed to it in a mine. Another virus, Langya, spread by shrews, caused an outbreak in which 35 people got sick – although they all recovered.

    So far, other henipaviruses haven’t caused human infections, but the potential is there.

    The rapid growth in our understanding of these viruses comes from improvements in technology and global efforts to study diseases. But it also reminds us that viruses can suddenly jump from animals to humans in unpredictable ways.

    Whether a virus can harm humans depends on how well it can infect human cells, and how badly it affects the body. Some viruses cause mild symptoms, while others can lead to life-threatening diseases. Studying these viruses requires scientists to look closely at their genetic code and run laboratory tests to understand how they work.

    Henipaviruses can infect many animals, including bats, horses, monkeys, dogs, cats and even rodents. This means they are more adaptable and have a higher chance of jumping from animals to humans in different ways. In comparison, a virus like measles can only infect humans, which makes it less likely to spread to other species.

    No drugs or vaccines … yet

    There is no cure for henipavirus infections, but researchers are working on a vaccine for Nipah virus. Some new treatments, such as monoclonal antibodies, are also being developed but aren’t ready for use yet. This makes Nipah and Hendra viruses major public health concerns. The World Health Organization has called for more research to help fight them.

    While there’s no evidence that Camp Hill virus has infected any humans yet – and the chances of it doing so are low – its discovery in North America is a reminder that viruses can emerge anywhere. Even though shrews usually live in forests and don’t come into much contact with people, the potential for the virus to spread remains a worry.

    The more we learn about these viruses, the better we’ll be at creating vaccines that can protect us from both known and new threats. Keeping up with research and staying prepared is crucial to protecting global health from future outbreaks.

    Shirin Ashraf 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. Camp Hill virus explained: what are the risks of a henipavirus outbreak in America? – https://theconversation.com/camp-hill-virus-explained-what-are-the-risks-of-a-henipavirus-outbreak-in-america-249183

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Five ways that illustrations can tell climate justice stories

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Andi Misbahul Pratiwi, PhD Candidate, School of Geography, University of Leeds

    Climate change is often communicated through scientific reports, statistics and policy discussions. However, these technical approaches can be inaccessible to the public, failing to capture the experiences of those most affected.

    Climate narratives structured as stories that involve emotional engagement and personal anecdotes are more effective at mobilising communities, influencing policy and promoting pro-environmental actions across diverse audiences. By blending art with storytelling, illustrations can make complex environmental issues, such as climate justice, much more accessible to the general public.

    Illustrations are not just artistic expressions. They can amplify the voices of affected communities and help make the case for climate justice. In an era where climate action is urgent, harnessing the power of illustration can be transformative. It can challenge dominant narratives while creating more inclusive and participatory ways of understanding climate action.

    I have been collaborating with Puspita Bahari, an Indonesian fisherwomen’s movement to develop ways to communicate the effects of tidal floods and the importance of feminist solidarity. For my PhD research, I spent seven months carrying out fieldwork in three coastal villages in Demak, Central Java, Indonesia. This involved interviews, observations and creative workshops with the community.

    By drawing on 38 women’s firsthand experiences, we have published an illustrated book: Tidal Floods: Women, Fisheries, and Climate Crisis in Indonesia (2024). This story about Indonesia’s fisherwomen explores the intersections of gender, environmental change, activism and the future of the country’s coastal regions. Here are five ways that collaborative illustrations can be used to tell female-led climate justice stories:

    1. Intersectional narration

    The effects of tidal flooding on Indonesian women vary depending on location, livelihood, age and disability status. Along the coastline, women in Indonesia are involved in selling fish, processing seafood and fishing at sea, alongside domestic work.

    This book does not depict women as having a single, monolithic identity. Instead, the images portray their varied realities. These shape how they experience climate injustice and how pre-existing inequalities reproduce new climate injustices.

    Intersectional narration is storytelling that captures how different aspects of identity overlap to shape people’s experiences in complex ways. Using this, various issues such as economic hardship, domestic violence, sexual reproductive health, physical and mental health can be better represented.

    The image below illustrates these challenges. A woman with a disability is unable to use her wheelchair because the village is sinking. A pregnant woman struggles to access healthcare facilities. Fisherwomen face declining incomes due to environmental and economic pressures.

    2. Body maps

    To understand the complexity of climate impacts, I worked with women to draw body maps. As they annotated each picture, fisherwomen shared their embodied experiences of living with tidal floods as an everyday disaster.

    Body mapping is an intimate cartographic process that involves tracing the body and visually exploring one’s lived experience. This method goes beyond textual and oral narratives. It helps women recall and record body memories that might otherwise remain unspoken.

    Their body maps are not just research artefacts. They have been translated into powerful visuals so their personal stories can be shared in this book. The picture above illustrates one fisherwoman’s daily struggles, physical and physiological burdens – so the image reveals the complex, gendered, and intersectional effects of tidal floods.

    3. Historical context

    Certain pictures show how the coastal landscapes are rapidly changing and how villages are sinking at an alarming rate. This historical context is not only drawn from women’s oral narratives but also from past photo albums shared by the community.

    The picture below illustrates the landscape change over 20 years, from rice fields to tidal floodwaters.

    4. Movement and agency

    Beyond documenting vulnerabilities and the social, ecological and economic effects of climate change on women, this book shows how these women have agency. This manifests in various ways, from small acts of resilience to broader feminist solidarity.

    When they work together as a community, women can adapt through collective action. This includes planting crops, building cooperatives and holding demonstrations. Stories can play a role in moving beyond positioning women not just as victims but as people with valuable knowledge and the ability to assert their agency and drive sustainable climate action.

    5. Reflection and collective ownership

    In an era defined by uncertainty and rapid change, the ability to pause and reflect on climate justice is more valuable than ever. Certain images actively encourage readers to reflect on more tech-driven and infrastructure-focused responses to the climate crisis.

    The final pages include questions that prompt critical thinking about the links between gender, climate justice and activism. For example, “what do you think will happen if we do not address the climate crisis?”

    Rather than extracting knowledge from women, especially those in Global South countries, this book is co-created. Fisherwomen’s voices and narratives are central to the storytelling process. By reclaiming conversations about climate change that are often dominated by international forums, we can hear and learn from the people who are most affected. And hopefully inspire more climate advocacy and grassroots action.

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

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

    The creation of this book was funded by the GENERATE Project as part of a United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship at the University of Leeds: www.generateproject.org.

    – ref. Five ways that illustrations can tell climate justice stories – https://theconversation.com/five-ways-that-illustrations-can-tell-climate-justice-stories-249104

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Podcasts are a great tool for political persuasion – just ask this 18th century thinker

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Katie East, Senior Lecturer in the History of Radical Ideas, Newcastle University

    Podcasts have been around for more than two decades, but the last few years – and particularly their influence in the 2024 US election – have solidified their role in the media landscape.

    Some of the most popular podcasts in the US and UK (such as The Joe Rogan Experience and The Rest is Politics) have a conversational format. They typically include two or more people discussing topics in an unstructured, uncensored way. The hosts and guests are unencumbered by word counts or TV timeslots. Such podcasts are a viable medium for political persuasion.

    There is some debate as to whether podcasts are simply an extension of the echo chambers formed in other media. But as a researcher of intellectual history and political discourse, I believe that conversational podcasts offer a uniquely valuable way to unpick political questions – and change the listener’s point of view.

    To understand the value of conversation as a means of communication, I suggest looking to writing from 18th-century Britain. This period saw a shift away from monarchy towards parliamentary government, along with the explosion of print culture. Popular engagement with political issues grew, and discussion of politics became a notable pastime.

    The rapidly expanding public sphere produced countless works on the art of conversation. Traditionally, they have been interpreted as indicative of the Georgian fascination with civility and politeness, instructing the reader in the proper behaviour for civilised discussion.

    However, the work of the Independent minister Isaac Watts (1674-1748) reveals a different view. Watts achieved prominence as a writer on education and as a philosopher. He engaged with key Enlightenment debates concerning reason, dogmatism and freedom of thought.

    Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.

    Sign up for our weekly politics newsletter, delivered every Friday.

    In 1741, Watts published The Improvement of the Mind, which outlined the most effective ways of acquiring and creating useful knowledge. Among these was conversation.

    Watts viewed conversation as a tool for persuasion. This was not in the sense of compelling someone to your view – he explicitly warned against approaching conversation with a dogmatic mindset – but rather as a collective endeavour to reach the truth of a matter. Ultimately, this is a much more enduring form of persuasion.

    The appeal of conversation

    There is a logic to the appeal of conversational podcasts in a world of increasing isolation and division. Even the supposed great connector – social media – offers only a facade of conversation. While social media connects people more than ever before, the natural flow and deep engagement of a conversation is difficult to replicate online. Exchanges are rarely immediate, numerous voices are vying for position and tone of voice or expression is obscured behind faceless avatars.

    Conversation, Watts argued, offers a greater clarity of understanding of an opposing position than a one-way interaction like reading (or scrolling). A person can explain their meaning in different terms if it is not initially clear. If questions arise, the speakers can unpack the nuances before becoming hostile.

    Moreover, Watts argued, encountering a different perspective can draw the conversation closer to “evidence and truth” in unexpected ways.

    This supports the idea that conversation is the best forum for better understanding a different stance from your own. Such a view paves the way for the kind of “agreeable disagreement” celebrated by The Rest is Politics.

    Even listening to an conversation can help you understand a stance different from your own.
    Yuri A/Shutterstock

    It was not only that the nature of conversation facilitated better mutual understanding, in Watts’ view, but also that it offered unique creative possibilities in the pursuit of truth. The act of conversation demanded more active engagement of the mind and the “secret chambers of the soul,” drawing forth ideas which might otherwise have remained lodged deep in the recesses of the mind. Not only could hidden thoughts be revealed, but entirely new ones could be created through the process of conversing.

    Watts likened two people in conversation to flints being struck together: in motion working together they could produce fire, but stationary and solitary nothing could be created. In solitude “our souls may be serene,” Watts wrote, “but not sparkling”.

    Conversation and disagreement

    Watts recognised that caution was needed to avoid the most likely pitfalls of conversation: the echo chamber and the risk of hostility.

    He was emphatic that conversation with those whose opinions differed from your own was necessary. If knowledge and truth were to be discovered, then new ideas had to be considered. As noted, he also warned against dogma, advising patience regarding a firm and unalterable proposition until you have grounds for it.

    Most interestingly, he warned against bothsidesism, or arguing a question pro and con for the sake of it. This, he argued, would embed confrontation in the conversation and prevent the mind from being in the proper position to uncover the truth.

    Today, the polarisation resulting from avoiding views different from our own, and from deliberately seeking out binary positions for the sake of confrontation is all too apparent.

    Yet the popularity of conversational political podcasts indicates the appetite for a different approach to political discussion. Though they didn’t have podcasts in the 18th century, conversation was a public endeavour, performed at coffee houses and replicated in print so the audience could also learn good practice and understand – so listen on.

    Katie East 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. Podcasts are a great tool for political persuasion – just ask this 18th century thinker – https://theconversation.com/podcasts-are-a-great-tool-for-political-persuasion-just-ask-this-18th-century-thinker-245213

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Struggling with money? Here are 5 tips for growing your income from a financial expert

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Lisa Kramer, Professor of Finance, University of Toronto

    Whether you are just starting or looking to advance your financial skills, there are steps you can take to improve your financial situation. (Shutterstock)

    Personal finance can often feel overwhelming, with many Millennial and Gen Z individuals struggling with student loans, the high cost of living, housing market challenges and a general sense of financial anxiety. But just as any challenge can be overcome through skill development and persistence, so can your finances.

    Whether you are just starting or looking to advance your financial skills, there are steps you can take to improve your financial situation. From basic recommendations to more advanced strategies, here are some ways to get yourself on the path to financial stability.

    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.

    1. Create a budget

    The first step to mastering your finances is working out where your money is going. You may discover, as my now-husband realized when he was a graduate student, that you’re spending a third of your food expenditures on coffee.

    Once you determine where your money is going, you can reign in some of your expenses and ensure some money is left over each month to devote to debt repayment or savings. Creating a budget is essential for doing this.

    The Government of Canada has an online budget planner tool available, as does the United States Federal Trade Commission and the United Kingdom government’s Money and Pensions Service.

    Once your budget is made, you can focus on reducing discretionary costs and redirect those savings toward your financial goals.

    Create a realistic budget that aligns with your financial goals.
    (Shutterstock)

    2. Boosting your income

    It can be difficult to reduce expenses in an inflationary environment — especially when the cost of basic needs like food and shelter are becoming increasingly expensive in Canada, the United States and elsewhere.

    But you can still find ways to boost your income without necessarily getting a second or third job.



    Read more:
    Maths that will help you as an adult: from baking a cake to asking for a pay rise

    It can be daunting to ask your employer for a raise, but you’re much more likely to get one if you ask. Arm yourself with quantifiable evidence about your productivity and work ethic. Then, rehearse your request with a mentor who is further along on your career path.

    If you don’t succeed on your first try, use the experience to understand how to secure a raise in the future. Another way to get a raise? While still employed — and on your own time, not company time — look for a new job, get an offer and use it as leverage to politely negotiate a raise. If you’re still unsuccessful, it may be time to move on to that new job.

    3. Build your pension

    Older generations are more likely to have worked in jobs that came with defined-benefit pensions, a type of pension plan that provides someone with a stream of income after they retire.

    These days, jobs are less likely to come with such perks. A recent World Bank report found about half of gig workers worldwide have no retirement plan; in some countries, that figure is as high as 75 per cent.

    It’s important to check if your current employer offers a defined contribution pension plan, which involves you and your employer contributing to a saving account that grows over time.

    Even if you don’t have access to such a plan, consider using a robo-advisor to replicate one of its key features by setting up an automatic monthly contribution to an investment account. Then, you can increase the amount you contribute every time you get a raise.

    You should also consider allocating that investment to a well-diversified stock index, or to a blend of stocks and bonds if you are relatively risk averse. An exchange-traded fund, also known as an ETF, is a low-cost way to do this compared to buying mutual funds. While the value of your investment may go up and down over the short term, it is likely to perform well over the long term.

    Talking to a financial advisor is always a good idea if you feel stuck.
    (Shutterstock)

    4. Steady does it

    Once you have set up automatic contributions and established a routine of increasing them over time, you will see your investment account balance start to grow. Even if you can put away only small amounts each month in the beginning, you’ll develop good financial habits.

    Your next task should be avoiding the temptation of timing the ups and downs of financial markets by actively trading. To dodge this common pitfall, avoid examining the balance of your investment account on a month-to-month basis and keep contributing, regardless of whatever may be happening in financial markets.



    Read more:
    If you have money anxiety, knowing your financial attachment style can help

    Ironically, overconfident investors often underperform the market when they try — and fail — to outperform by frequently trading their investment holdings. Successful investors understand the most reliable path to wealth accumulation is paved with a buy-and-hold mentality, meaning you should purchase investments with the intention of keeping them long-term rather than frequently buying and selling.

    5. Imagine the future

    When you’re young, it can be hard to identify with an abstract future version of yourself in retirement. Your golden years may be decades in the future, and it can seem like you have ages to prepare for whatever life will bring you at that stage in life.

    However, research shows that the clearer you can mentally picture your future self, the more motivated you will be to make sensible saving and retirement planning decisions for your future self.

    Try imagining what your life will be like when you’re retired, or what you will look like. Will you have grey hair or wrinkles? How will you spend your time? Picture your future self in retirement and the kind of life you would like to have.

    Meet the challenge head-on

    If you still find yourself overwhelmed by these tips and don’t know where to begin, consider contacting a fee-only financial advisor to analyze your situation and provide you with personalized advice.

    Remember, no matter what financial challenge you may face, it’s simply a new opportunity to overcome. With the right strategies and support, you’ll be able to tackle any financial hurdles and work toward a more secure future for yourself.

    Achieving financial stability is a journey that requires ongoing effort and dedication. Each milestone you reach brings you closer to your ultimate goal.

    Lisa Kramer has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Securities Institute Research Foundation.

    – ref. Struggling with money? Here are 5 tips for growing your income from a financial expert – https://theconversation.com/struggling-with-money-here-are-5-tips-for-growing-your-income-from-a-financial-expert-234623

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: SOAR Team at WORK! | U.S. Army

    Source: US Army (video statements)

    About the U.S. Army:

    The Army Mission – our purpose – remains constant: To deploy, fight and win our nation’s wars by providing ready, prompt & sustained land dominance by Army forces across the full spectrum of conflict as part of the joint force.

    Interested in joining the U.S. Army?
    Visit: spr.ly/6001igl5L

    Connect with the U.S. Army online:
    Web: https://www.army.mil Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USarmy/ X: https://www.twitter.com/USArmy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usarmy/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/us-army
    #USArmy #Soldiers #Military #SOAR

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f4Y6deXfUc

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Procurement Regulations coming into force – information for suppliers

    Source: City of Coventry

    Organisations that work with Coventry City Council are being reminded of new changes to public procurement regulations.

    On the 24 February 2025, the Procurement Act 2023 introduces changes to public procurement regulations.

    All organisations that supply goods, services or works to Coventry City Council will need to know about these changes.

    Here are a few key points:

    The Central Digital Platform: This new electronic platform will be a central repository for procurement information, simplifying the process for suppliers by allowing them to enter information once and then reuse it in multiple tenders. Suppliers will need to be registered on the Central Digital Platform in order to bid/tender for Council opportunities. The Central Digital Platform will be open to supplier registration on 24 February 2025. You can get ready for registration by viewing the How To videos and guides available on the dedicated GOV.UK supplier page.

    Enhanced Transparency: The Act increases transparency by requiring the Council and many other public sector organisations to publish more notices about their procurements.

    Competitive Flexible Procedure: This new procurement procedure gives the Council and many other public sector organisations more flexibility to design procurement processes to fit their needs – potentially including stages such as dialogue, negotiations and product demonstrations.

    Procurement Review Unit (PRU): The PRU will monitor compliance with the Act and investigate patterns of non-compliance.  While it doesn’t provide direct remedies, it offers an affordable avenue for complaints.

    Exclusion and Debarment Regime: The Act introduces a new central debarment list managed by the PRU. The list can exclude suppliers from bidding for public contracts for up to five years for reasons such as tax evasion or poor contract performance. The list will also exclude certain suppliers from bidding for public contracts owing to acts committed by their connected persons and key subcontractors.  Suppliers have the right to appeal against proposed debarments.

    Open Frameworks: These are a series of framework contracts awarded successively on similar terms – thus allowing new suppliers to join and therefore bid for opportunities during the lifetime of the series. This promotes competition and prevents suppliers from being locked out of opportunities.

    Contract Management Provisions: These will require the Council and many other public sector organisations to pay undisputed invoices within 30 days.  These organisations will also have to agree key performance indicators (KPIs) with suppliers for new contracts worth at least £5,000,000 and publication of Contract Performance Notices where applicable.

    Evaluation Criteria: Tender evaluation will now be based on the ‘most advantageous tender’ rather than the ‘most economically advantageous tender’. This change emphasises that contracts do not need to be awarded based on the lowest price. Factors such as quality and social value may also be considered, an approach already taken by the Council.

    Contract Award Process: Instead of standstill letters, suppliers will receive detailed assessment summaries explaining why their bids were successful or not. The tender standstill period has been adjusted from ten calendar days to eight working days. Standstill will now commence on the publication of the Contract Award Notice.

    Performance Transparency: Contracts worth at least £5,000,000 will require the publication of the contract itself and its most important key performance indicators (KPIs). This will enhance transparency but may also pose reputational risks for suppliers.

    If you want to sell to the Council after 24 February 2025 and bid for contracting opportunities, we recommend you look at the following guides and videos published by the Government Commercial Function, which is part of the Civil Service and the Cabinet Office:

    The Procurement Act 2023 – a short guide for suppliers

    Transforming Public Procurement – GOV.UK

    Knowledge Drop for Suppliers Part 1 of 3

    Knowledge Drop for Suppliers Part 2 of 3

    Knowledge Drop for Suppliers Part 3 of 3

    If your organisation is a small and medium sized enterprise (SME) and/or a voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE), we also recommend you watch these videos:

    Knowledge Drop for SME VCSE Suppliers Part 1 of 3

    Knowledge Drop for SME VCSE Suppliers Part 2 of 3

    Knowledge Drop for SME VCSE Suppliers Part 3 of 3

    These videos and guides explain the key changes to the current public procurement regulations.

    Contracts awarded or tenders commenced prior to 24 February 2025 will be subject to the requirements of the previous legislation, namely the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and Concession Contracts Regulations 2016.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government ramps up efforts to end HIV transmissions in England

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Over 20,000 self-testing and self-sampling kits will be made available to help end HIV transmissions by the end of the decade.

    • Public health campaign to end HIV transmissions in England by 2030 given £1.5 million fund from government
    • Funding will increase testing, reduce stigma, tackle health disparities and raise awareness
    • The Prime Minister became the first serving G7 leader to have an HIV test on camera

    Over 20,000 self-testing and self-sampling kits will be made available to help end HIV transmissions by the end of the decade.

    The packs are part of a public health campaign to end the virus transmissions in England by 2030 and has been backed by £1.5 million in government funding.

    To mark National HIV Testing Week, the government has also announced it will extend the national HIV prevention programme – HIV Prevention England (HPE) by a year.

    The campaign, delivered by the Terrence Higgins Trust and local partners, carries out vital work to increase testing for groups disproportionally affected by HIV and reduce stigma, as well as raise awareness of ways to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

    The Prime Minister has given his backing by becoming the first ever serving leader of a G7 nation to take a self-testing HIV test on camera, demonstrating that getting a test is quick, easy, free, and confidential.  

    After undertaking a test, the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said:

    It is really important to do it, and I am pleased to have taken part too. It’s easy, it is quick, and during Testing Week you can get a test free – so it is a great time to also take part.

    If people test, they will know their status, it is better that people know and that is a good thing because you can then get treatment to help meet our target to end new HIV transmissions by 2030.

    Speaking in the House of Commons, Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

    Getting tested for HIV is quick, free and confidential and I would like to pay tribute to the leadership of my Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister, for becoming the first in history to take a HIV test, the first leader in the history of the G7 to take a HIV test.

    As a former member of the independent HIV commission, I’m determined that this government will deliver our commitment to end new transmissions of HIV in England by 2030 and we’ll set this out shortly in our new Action Plan.

    It comes as polling by YouGov, on behalf of HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust, has found that more than 80% of adults in England are unaware it is possible to test for HIV at home. However, when prompted as an option, at-home testing was the most popular way to know your HIV status, with 44% of people saying it would be their preference.  

    Since the introduction of self-testing kits, home testing has increased in popularity, especially among women and some ethnic minorities who are less likely to test through their local sexual health services.

    They can be ordered this week by anyone in England from www.startswithme.org.uk to use at home.

    The funding follows on from £27 million announced by the Prime Minister to extend the NHS England innovative opt-out HIV testing in emergency departments, announced ahead of World Aids Day.

    The move supports the government’s Plan for Change by ensuring people can get timely access to diagnostics and care if they need it, while supporting the shift from sickness to prevention. It precedes the new HIV Action Plan, which is expected later this year.

    Speaking at the House of Commons today, Public Health and Prevention Minister Ashley Dalton said:

    Increasing HIV testing is a vital step towards meeting our goal and will be a core element of our new HIV Action Plan published later this year.

    That’s why we are investing over £4.5 million to deliver a national prevention programme.

    And that’s why today, I can announce that we will extend the programme for a further year to March 2026, backed by an extra £1.5 million.

    Richard Angell OBE, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust said:

    National HIV Testing Week is an award-winning campaign and we are so pleased that it will be back next year. The continued success of this partnership between Terrence Higgins Trust and the Department for Health and Social Care delivers 25,000 HIV at-home tests across England and is crucial in our joint mission to end new HIV cases by 2030.

    England can be the first country in the world to end the epidemic, but we are not yet on track to do so. A new HIV Action Plan for England will turbo-charge those efforts. We are delighted that Sir Keir Starmer and Wes Streeting are leading from the front in this mission.

    Testing can also take place in community settings, not just at-home or at sexual health services.

    The UK Health Security Agency has published its community testing survey results today, which show in 2023, testing in community settings – such as nightclubs, festivals, and voluntary sector premises – increased by 7% compared to 2022.

    The report also found nearly a quarter of all tests were reported among individuals being tested for HIV for the first time. It also highlights the impact of National HIV Testing Week, noting that there was a 22% increase in the number of tests carried out in this time compared to 2022.

    Dr Tamara Ðuretić, Head of HIV Section at the UK Health Security Agency, said:

    HIV can affect anyone, no matter your gender or sexual orientation. It’s good to see HIV Testing Week once again highlighting the hugely important role regular testing plays in helping to prevent new infections, alongside condom use.

    Testing allows people to have access to free prevention interventions such as PrEP (HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis) and, should you test positive, ensures timely access to treatment that saves lives and prevents the virus being passed on.

    NHS Chief Executive, Amanda Pritchard, said:

    Increasing the early detection and diagnoses of HIV, enables the NHS to provide people with better access to the latest and most effective life-saving medication, which can prevent long-term health issues and reduces the chance of unknown transmissions to others.

    Boosting opportunities to test for HIV, including through home testing and the highly successful NHS emergency department testing programme, is crucial. We would encourage anyone who could be living with HIV to order a test and get checked.

    Further information:

    • During National HIV Testing Week this week, anyone in England can order a free HIV test from www.freetesting.hiv to do at home.
    • Alongside free postal test kits being available during National HIV Testing Week, there are also testing events and drop-ins happening across England. A variety of online, postal and face to face testing is also available year-round through local authority commissioned sexual and reproductive health services.
    • The government is also supporting the international effort to ending HIV/AIDS, a further £37 million, announced in November 2024, will go to towards increasing access to vital sexual and reproductive health services and support for vulnerable and marginalised people across the globe.
    • This is in addition to the government’s ongoing contribution to international efforts to tackle HIV/AIDS, totalling at least £497 million in 2023, which works to tackle stigma and improve testing, enable greater access to HIV prevention pill PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and better post-diagnosis support.
    • All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 2071 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 29th – 30th January 2025.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

    Updates to this page

    Published 11 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Welsh and UK Government Ministers visit GE Aerospace to Highlight Support for Welsh Aerospace Sector

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Wales Office Minister Nia Griffith MP and Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy Rebecca Evans MS, met with engineers, apprentices, and senior management to discuss ambitions of both Welsh and UK Governments to drive innovation and sustainability in the aerospace sector. 

    Wales Office Minister Nia Griffith MP with GE Aerospace apprentices.

    Wales Office Minister Nia Griffith MP today visited GE Aerospace’s world-class maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility in Nantgarw, to reaffirm the UK Government’s commitment to supporting high-skilled jobs, cutting-edge innovation, and economic growth in Wales as part of its forthcoming Industrial Strategy.

    Joined by Rebecca Evans MS, Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Ministers met with engineers, apprentices, and senior management to discuss how GE Aerospace’s investment in its MRO capabilities aligns with the broader ambitions of both Welsh and UK Governments to drive innovation and sustainability in the aerospace sector. 

    With more than 1,300 employees, GE Aerospace’s Nantgarw site is one of the largest and most advanced engine MRO facilities in the world, servicing engines for global airlines, including the GE90 and CFM56, and playing a key role in supporting sustainable aviation. With Welsh Government financial support, Nantgarw will also be home to the GE9X engine upon int entry into service.

    As part of its long-term commitment to Wales, GE Aerospace recently announced a multi-million-pound investment in its Nantgarw MRO facility, further strengthening its capabilities and ensuring it remains a global leader in engine maintenance and repair. The investment is part of GE Aerospace’s global, multiyear $1 billion MRO spending surge that was announced last Autumn.

    The visit follows the Chancellor’s recent Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) funding announcement, which provides significant UK Government support for research into next-generation aviation technologies, reinforcing the UK’s leadership in the industry.

    Dame Nia Griffith MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales said:

    The UK’s aerospace sector is a cornerstone of our economy, and Wales plays a critical role in its success. 

    Our Industrial Strategy is a vital part of achieving our number one mission of growing the economy, and we are committed to seeing that companies like GE Aerospace get the support and investment they need to remain at the forefront of innovation in a highly competitive sector, in order to help us achieve that economic growth.

    The recent ATI funding announcement further demonstrates our commitment to developing greener, more efficient aviation technologies while securing high-quality jobs for the future.

    Steve Edwards, Managing Director at GE Aerospace’s site in Wales said:

    The Wales team is proud to provide world-class MRO services for our global airline customers. While we continue to focus on safety, quality, delivery and cost in that order, we are equally excited about the future. Looking ahead, our site will become the new overhaul home for the GE9X engine, the largest the most powerful commercial aircraft engine ever built. 

    Government support, including initiatives such as the Aerospace Growth Partnership along with long term funding for the Aerospace Technology Institute, will continue to provide companies such as GE Aerospace the confidence to grow, invest and mature new technologies and capabilities in the UK. 

    Rebecca Evans MS, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning said:

    Wales is a centre of excellence for aerospace-related manufacturing and maintenance activities, and this world-leading facility by GE Aerospace is another feather in the cap for our thriving aerospace sector.

    Our £5m funding contribution has helped equip the facility and the current workforce to upskill, while developing the next generation of aircraft engineers through training and apprenticeships. This means high-value employment opportunities for people living in the surrounding communities.

    The visit underscored the strong partnership between industry and government in driving innovation and investment, ensuring that companies such as GE Aerospace and the wider aerospace sector remain at the forefront of the UK and Welsh Governments’ industrial strategies.

    Updates to this page

    Published 11 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Suspected E. coli cluster probed

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) today said it is looking into a suspected Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection cluster involving three doctors at Princess Margaret Hospital’s Oncology Department.

    One of the doctors passed away on February 7.

    After receiving notification from the hospital yesterday, the CHP, together with representatives from the hospital and Hong Kong University Chair of Infectious Diseases Prof Yuen Kwok-yung, inspected the workplace of the Oncology Department and other facilities of the hospital this morning.

    Initial investigations revealed that the three doctors developed symptoms on February 4, 6 and 10, CHP Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Albert Au said.

    “Symptoms included fever, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

    “One of them, who had the onset of symptoms on February 4, was admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital for treatment on February 6 and passed away the following day. The other two affected individuals had mild symptoms.”

    Preliminary test results showed that the stool specimen from one of them tested positive for STEC, while those of the other two, including the deceased patient, tested negative.

    “Taking into account the clinical and epidemiological information, the CHP tentatively believed that the cluster may be associated with STEC infection.”

    While the CHP’s epidemiological and environmental investigations are ongoing, it will continue to collaborate with the Hospital Authority and the University of Hong Kong’s Department of Microbiology to trace the potential source of infection.

    Meanwhile, Princess Margaret Hospital has strengthened the monitoring of the gastrointestinal symptoms among its staff and requested that any staff with relevant symptoms report immediately for laboratory tests. It has also arranged a comprehensive disinfection of the oncology office area.

    Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau expressed profound sadness over the passing of the oncologist.

    Prof Lo said: “I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the doctor’s family on behalf of the Health Bureau, and the Hospital Authority will make every effort to assist them.”

    The young doctor had been working for the Hospital Authority since graduation from medical school to serve Hong Kong citizens.

    Prof Lo pointed out that the doctor, having just obtained a specialist qualification in oncology, was still taking care of patients in the ward right before the onset of symptoms.

    “I am deeply moved by the doctor’s professionalism, passion for work and care for patients. The doctor is genuinely a role model for colleagues of the healthcare profession.”

    In general, STEC infections are usually associated with the consumption of contaminated food or water, such as raw or undercooked meat products, contaminated fruits and vegetables, and unpasteurised dairy products. Direct person-to-person transmission through the faecal-oral route can also occur.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Saving Lives, Delivering the Future: Heroes in Uniform and Scrubs

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    Story by: Chiara M. Caputo

    U.S. Navy Medicine and Training Command (USNMRTC) Sigonella highlights the accomplishments of three remarkable physicians who have dedicated their lives to serving both their patients and their country. These leaders in military medicine embody the values of innovation, resilience, and selfless service.

    Through their tireless efforts, these physicians have not only advanced medical care within the Military Health System but have also paved the way for future generations of leaders in medicine and the armed forces. Each of their stories highlights a profound commitment to excellence and a passion for making a difference, whether on the battlefield, in clinics, or through groundbreaking research.

    We honor their contributions and celebrate their unwavering dedication to health care, military service, and the pursuit of a healthier, stronger future. Through their stories, we hope to inspire future generations and showcase the unwavering commitment of these women in uniform and in diverse roles in Navy Medicine.

    Brandi L Sakai, MD
    Commander, USN
    Board Certified Emergency Medicine Physician

    Born in Welsh, Louisiana, on June 6, 1981, Cmdr. Sakai grew up with a passion for science and the ocean. After graduating from the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts in 1998, she pursued marine biology, studying diverse ecosystems from the marshes of Louisiana to Scotland’s marine mammals and the vibrant reefs of the Virgin Islands. Her work at the Roy L. Schneider Hospital’s barometric pressure chamber sparked her drive to combine science with service, graduating cum laude with a B.S. in Biology.

    In 2005, she commissioned in the Navy through the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) and began medical school at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Hurricane Katrina hit during her training, and Commander Sakai worked tirelessly in pop-up clinics, providing care and vaccinations to displaced communities. This experience shaped her dedication to serving others in times of crisis.
    Her Navy career has been marked by leadership and innovation. From integrating Marine medical services in Japan to creating advanced training programs for shock trauma care, she has consistently raised the bar for military medicine. As the Senior Medical Officer in Okinawa and later the Department Head of Emergency Medicine in Guantanamo Bay, she improved operations, ensured top-tier care, and earned recognition for her commitment to excellence.

    Beyond her professional achievements, Commander Sakai is a certified Emergency Medicine Diplomate and a devoted wife and mother of two. When she’s not scuba diving, sailing, or baking, she’s embracing projects that reflect her passion for problem-solving and innovation.

    Reflecting on her career, Cmdr. Sakai shared, “I had many jobs that many would consider a career. I was a PADI scuba instructor and manager of the storefront of a tour operation in St. Thomas US Virgin Islands (USVI). If you took a cruise to the island, you walked past our store on the docks. We may have said hello two decades ago! After doing the job for 5 years, I felt that I had learned all that I could, and there was no chance for advancement based on performance, so I knew that I needed something new and challenging. After getting my degree in Marine Biology and presenting environmental research to the Senate on USVI fisheries and the impact of hotel expansion, I realized that I enjoyed talking and educating people one-on-one, and speaking to rooms and presenting posters wasn’t going to make me happy. I volunteered at the local Emergency Department, and the variety and mental challenge of solving a puzzle on every patient kept me coming back. I decided to turn it into a career, but I also hated to stay in one place (there was a big wide world to explore), so I joined the Navy and never looked back. I did a General Surgery internship, and the Chaplain and I were the only Naval Officers in my first duty with the Marines in Iwakuni, Japan for 3 years. Being part of the Marines for 3 years to start my career really shaped me and set the tone for all my OCONUS tours since. My husband was an Ombudsman and found a great career as a financial educator that allows him to work virtually. If you need advice on mainland Japan, Korea, Okinawa, or Guantanamo Bay, or love medicine and want to explore your options give me a ring.”

    Meagan G. Chauvin, MD, FACOG
    Lieutenant Commander, USN
    Director of Medical Services/Staff Attending OBGYN

    A Houston, Texas native, Lt. Cmdr. Meagan Chauvin has built a remarkable career in military medicine. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with Distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2010, she completed her Medical Doctorate at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston in 2014. She completed her Obstetrics and Gynecology residency in 2018 at Naval Medical Center San Diego.

    Her first assignment as a staff OB/GYN took her to Naval Hospital Guam, where she led the OB/GYN Clinic as Department Head and earned Board Certification in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Later, at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital in Virginia, she became Department Chief of the Women’s Health Clinic, further demonstrating her leadership and dedication to women’s health.

    Now serving as the Director of Medical Services at Naval Hospital Sigonella in Italy, Lt. Cmdr. Chauvin continues to lead with excellence. Among her awards are the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

    Lt. Cmdr. Chauvin is also a proud wife to Matthew Gerard Chauvin and mom to three children—EJ, Madeline, and Ellie—balancing her professional success with a fulfilling family life. Reflecting on her career, LCDR Chauvin shared, “I was inspired to become an OBGYN, because I loved taking care of women across their lifespan and developing long-term relationships with my patients. In addition, I love welcoming babies into the world and being part of helping patients grow their families. I joined the Navy after being inspired by classmates from high school who also went to service academies. The Naval Academy was an amazing experience that led me to the most important job I can imagine, supporting Navy women and families as an OBGYN. I am proud to follow in the Navy tradition of my great grandfather, who served on a troop transport ship in WWI, and my grandfather, who joined via the Navy V-12 program during WWII.”

    Kristen Shafer, MC
    Lieutenant, USN
    Emergency Medicine Attending

    Born in New York, New York, Lt. Shafer discovered her passion for science and outreach early in life. After earning her bachelor’s degree in chemistry pre-medicine at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2014, she brought the wonders of chemistry to life for local elementary students through her self-created Chemistry Magic Show.

    In 2015, she pursued her Master of Science in Space Physiology and Health at King’s College London, where her thesis explored visual function and impairment in dynamic environments. She collaborated with the United Kingdom space program’s Mission X initiative, blending her love of science with public engagement.

    Lt. Shafer joined the Navy through the HPSP program and earned her Doctor of Medicine from Stony Brook University in 2020, graduating early to assist with the initial surge of COVID-19 patients in New York. She went on to complete her Emergency Medicine Residency at USNMRTC Portsmouth in 2024, where she expanded Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) outreach programs, inspiring over 300 high school students annually.

    Now an Emergency Medicine Attending at USNMRTC Sigonella, Lt. Shafer continues her commitment to both medicine and mentorship. As Emergency Response Committee Chair, she oversees emergency preparedness, and as a liaison to local DoDEA schools, she is developing a mentorship program to introduce students to healthcare careers and military opportunities.

    With a passion for outreach and academic medicine, LT Shafer embodies the Navy’s mission to serve both on and off the field, inspiring the next generation of leaders. Reflecting on her career in emergency medicine, Lt. Shafer said, “In emergency medicine, we need to be ready for whatever comes in the door at any time. Military medicine lets me practice that medicine and be comfortable providing care not just at any time, but any place in the world and to a population that is dedicated to serving others and making a difference.”

    USNMRTC Sigonella is one of The Defense Health Agency’s Overseas Military Treatment Facilities (MTF). The staff are comprised of active duty service members, General Service (GS), contractors, and Local Nationals. It ensures maximum readiness by providing high-quality, safe patient and family-centered care to maximize force health protection for all beneficiaries, to included NATO and transient DoD forces in the U.S. Fifth Fleet and U.S. Sixth Fleet areas of operation.

    The U. S. Naval Academy (USNA) offers a variety of academic curriculums that prepare their graduates for a rewarding military career. Graduates of the USNA will accept a commission for 5 years of active duty service in the U.S. Navy or Marine Corps. For more information regarding the USNA visit: https://www.usna.edu/homepage.php.

    If you are already in or plan to attend school to be a physician, dentist, optometrist, physician assistant or clinical psychologist, the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) will pay your educationally based tuition and fees for up to four years of school and provide a monthly stipend paid directly to you. After graduation, you’ll join the Navy’s active duty team as a commissioned officer. In return, you agree to serve a minimum of 2 years on active duty or year for year of scholarship, whichever is longer.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Phobos Ransomware Affiliates Arrested in Coordinated International Disruption

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WASHINGTON — The Justice Department today unsealed criminal charges against Roman Berezhnoy, 33, and Egor Nikolaevich Glebov, 39, both Russian nationals, who allegedly operated a cybercrime group using the Phobos ransomware that victimized more than 1,000 public and private entities in the United States and around the world and received over $16 million in ransom payments. Berezhnoy and Glebov were arrested yesterday as part of a coordinated international disruption of their organization, which includes additional arrests and the technical disruption of the group’s computer infrastructure.

    From May 2019, through at least October 2024, Berezhnoy, Glebov, and others allegedly caused victims to suffer losses resulting from the loss of access to their data in addition to the financial losses associated with the ransomware payments. The victims included a children’s hospital, health care providers, and educational institutions.

    According to court documents, Berezhnoy, Glebov, and others operated a ransomware affiliate organization, including under the names “8Base” and “Affiliate 2803,” among others, that victimized public and private entities through the deployment of Phobos ransomware.

    As part of the scheme, Berezhnoy, Glebov, and others allegedly hacked into victim computer networks, copied and stole files and programs on the victims’ network, and encrypted the original versions of the stolen data with Phobos ransomware. The conspirators then allegedly extorted the victims for ransom payments in exchange for the decryption keys to regain access to the encrypted data by, among other things, leaving a ransom note on compromised victim computers and separately reaching out to victims to initiate ransom payment negotiations.

    As alleged, the conspirators also threatened to expose victims’ stolen files to the public or to the victims’ clients, customers, or constituents if the ransoms were not paid. The conspirators are further alleged to have established and operated a darknet website where they repeated their extortionate threats and ultimately published the stolen data if a victim failed to pay the ransom.

    After a successful Phobos ransomware attack, criminal affiliates paid fees to Phobos administrators for a decryption key to regain access to the encrypted files. Each deployment of Phobos ransomware was assigned a unique alphanumeric string in order to match it to the corresponding decryption key, and each affiliate was directed to pay the decryption key fee to a cryptocurrency wallet unique to that affiliate.

    The charges unsealed today against Berezhnoy and Glebov follow the recent arrest and extradition of Evgenii Ptitsyn, a Russian national, on charges relating to his alleged administration of the Phobos ransomware variant.

    In parallel with today’s arrests, Europol and German authorities have announced an international operation involving the FBI and other international law enforcement partners to disrupt over 100 servers associated with this criminal network.

    Berezhnoy and Glebov are charged in an 11-count indictment with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse, three counts of causing intentional damage to protected computers, three counts of extortion in relation to damage to a protected computer, one count of transmitting a threat to impair the confidentiality of stolen data, and one count of unauthorized access and obtaining information from a protected computer. If convicted, Berezhnoy and Glebov face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each wire fraud-related count; 10 years in prison on each computer damage count; and five years in prison on each of the other counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office, made the announcement.

    The FBI Baltimore Field Office is investigating the case. The Justice Department extends its thanks to international judicial and law enforcement partners in the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Spain, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, France, Thailand, Finland, and Romania, as well as Europol and the U.S. Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center, for their cooperation and coordination with the Phobos ransomware investigation. The Justice Department’s National Security Division and Office of International Affairs also provided valuable assistance.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan for the District of Maryland and Senior Counsel Aarash A. Haghighat of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) are prosecuting the case. Former CCIPS Trial Attorney Riane Harper and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky and Jeffrey J. Izant for the District of Maryland provided substantial assistance.

    Additional details on protecting networks against Phobos ransomware are available at StopRansomware.gov, including Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Advisory AA24-060A.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mercer County, W.Va., Disaster Recovery Center closed Feb. 11 due to forecast inclement weather

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Mercer County, W.Va., Disaster Recovery Center closed Feb. 11 due to forecast inclement weather

    Mercer County, W.Va., Disaster Recovery Center closed Feb. 11 due to forecast inclement weather

    Mercer County, W.Va., Disaster Recovery Center closed Feb. 11 due to forecast inclement weatherCHARLESTON, W.Va.– Due to forecast inclement weather, the FEMA Mercer County Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Princeton will be closed on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. The DRC is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. Additional changes based on weather conditions may occur. Please check FEMA’s DRC locator at fema.gov/drc for up-to-date information. The center is located at: Disaster Recovery CenterLifeline Princeton Church of God250 Oakvale Road Princeton, WV 24740 Hours of operation through Feb. 14, 2025:Tuesday, Feb. 11:  ClosedWednesday to Thursday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Friday: 9 a.m. to 12 noonDRCs are accessible to all, including survivors with mobility issues, impaired vision, and those who are who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.Please note: The deadline to apply for FEMA disaster assistance was Feb. 7, 2025. The DRC operations were extended through Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, to provide Mercer County residents the opportunity to speak face-to-face with staff about their disaster assistance applications.Survivors do not have to visit a DRC to check on the status of their FEMA application. You can call 800-621-FEMA (3362). The toll-free telephone line operates seven days a week. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service. You can also register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or through the FEMA App on your phone. For more information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit emd.wv.gov, West Virginia Emergency Management Division Facebook page, www.fema.gov/disaster/4851 and www.facebook.com/FEMA.###FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during and after disasters. FEMA Region 3’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.Follow us on X at x.com/FEMAregion3 and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/femaregion3.Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 833-285-7448. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages).
    kelly.magarity
    Tue, 02/11/2025 – 01:38

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sols 4447–4449: Looking Back at the Marker Band Valley

    Source: NASA

    Earth planning date: Friday, Feb. 7, 2025
    We are continuing our merry way alongside “Texoli” butte, heading toward the boxworks feature in the distance, our next major waypoint. This is a series of large-scale ridges, which appear from orbital data to be a complex fracture network.  
    Of course, we don’t actually expect to get there until late fall 2025, at the earliest. Our drives are long right now (the weekend plan has a 50-meter drive, or about 164 feet) but we are still taking the time to document all of the wonderful geology as we go, and not just speeding past all of the cool things! 
    As Conor mentioned in Wednesday’s blog, power is becoming a challenge right now. Those of us in the northern hemisphere might be thinking (eagerly anticipating!) about the return of Spring but Mars is heading into colder weather, meaning we need to use more power for warming up the rover. However, we are also in a very interesting cloud season (as Conor mentioned), so the environmental theme group (ENV) are keen to do lots of imaging right now. This means very careful planning and negotiating between ENV and the geology theme group (GEO) to make the most of the power we do have. Luckily, this plan has something for everyone. 
    The GEO group was handed a weekend workspace containing a jumble of rocks — some layered, some not. None of the rocks were very large but we were able to plan APXS and MAHLI on a brushed rock surface at “Aliso Canyon” and on a small, flat unbrushed target, “Bridge to Nowhere,” close to the rover. ChemCam will use the LIBS laser to shoot three bedrock targets, sampling regular bedrock at “Newcomb,” some cracked bedrock at “Devore” and some of the more layered material at “Rubio Canyon.” Mastcam will document the ChemCam LIBS targets. In addition to the cloud imaging, we have lots of other imaging in this plan. We are in position right now to look back down at the “Marker Band Valley,” which we first entered almost a thousand sols ago! Before we go too much further along the side of Texoli butte and lose sight of the Marker Band Valley for some time, both ChemCam and Mastcam will take advantage of this to image the Marker Band Valley and the “Marker Band.” Other images include ChemCam remote images of cap rocks in the distance and two Mastcams of near-field (i.e., close to the rover) troughs.
    Written by Catherine O’Connell-Cooper, Planetary Geologist at University of New Brunswick

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mount Everest from Space

    Source: NASA

    Crew aboard space shuttle Columbia captured this image of Mount Everest on Nov. 30, 1996, during the STS-80 mission. STS-80, the final shuttle flight of 1996, was highlighted by the successful deployment, operation, and retrieval of two free-flying research spacecraft.
    See more photos from this mission.
    Image credit: NASA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Awards Launch Service Task Order for Pandora Mission

    Source: NASA

    NASA has selected SpaceX of Starbase, Texas, to provide the launch service for the agency’s Pandora mission, which will study at least 20 known exoplanets and their host stars to find out how changes in stars affect our observations of exoplanet atmospheres.
    The selection is part of NASA’s Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract. This contract allows the agency to make fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity awards during VADR’s five-year ordering period, with a maximum total value of $300 million across all contracts.
    During its one-year primary mission, Pandora will observe each exoplanet 10 times, observing for 24 hours each visit. It will capture critical data about the planet and its host star during transits, an event where a planet crosses in front of the star it orbits.
    The satellite will use an innovative 17-inch (45-centimeter)-wide all-aluminum telescope to simultaneously measure the visible and near-infrared brightness of the host star and obtain near-infrared spectra of the transiting planet. This will allow scientists to cleanly separate star and planetary signals, knowledge that will enhance observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and future missions searching for habitable worlds, like the agency’s Habitable Worlds Observatory.
    Pandora is a joint effort between NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. The Astrophysics Pioneers program, from the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, funds Pandora and other astrophysics science missions using smaller, lower cost hardware and payloads. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, manages the VADR contract.
    To learn more about NASA’s Pandora mission, visit:

    Pandora

    -end-
    Tiernan DoyleHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600tiernan.doyle@nasa.gov
    Patti BiellingKennedy Space Center, Florida321-501-7575patricia.a.bielling@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Station Science Top News: Feb. 7, 2025

    Source: NASA

    Measuring water loss from space
    This study showed that the International Space Station’s ECOSTRESS instrument estimates of evapotranspiration (transfer of water to the atmosphere from Earth’s surface and plants) are comparable to ground-based reference values. This finding suggests space measurements could provide guidance for improved water management on large scales.
    Worsening droughts due to climate change require better water management. Evapotranspiration is a critical part of the hydrologic cycle, but data are lacking on local water conditions and demands. California’s Eastern Municipal Water District uses the ground-based California Irrigation Management Information System to track evapotranspiration, but it has limited spatial coverage and consistency. Space-based estimates could be better and more consistent.

    Four-legged robotic retrievers
    Space station crew members successfully located and retrieved an object in a simulated Mars environment using a remotely controlled four-legged robot, Bert. Legged robots could provide the ability to explore and survey different extraterrestrial surfaces on future missions.
    On uneven lunar and planetary surfaces, robots with legs could explore areas inaccessible to wheeled rovers. Surface Avatar, an investigation from ESA (European Space Agency), evaluated remote control of multiple robots in space, providing information on how human operators respond to physical feedback (such as feeling a bump when a robot arm makes contact) and identifying challenges for orbit-to-ground remote operation of robots. The German Aerospace Center is developing Bert.

    Technology supports atmospheric studies
    Researchers found that the Compact Thermal Imager (CTI) on the space station produced scientifically useful imagery of atmospheric phenomena, including gravity waves, clouds, and volcanic plumes. This technology could change current practices and instrument design for remote sensing of Earth from space.
    The CTI is mounted on hardware for Robotic Refueling Mission 3, which tested technology for the robotic transfer and storage of cryogenic fluids in microgravity. The station’s orbit provides near-global coverage and CTI has reduced size, energy use, and cost. Its images can measure fires, ice sheets, glaciers, and snow surface temperatures on the ground and the transfer of water from soil and plants into the atmosphere.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Winter Weather Threat This Week: Get Ready Now

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Winter Weather Threat This Week: Get Ready Now

    Winter Weather Threat This Week: Get Ready Now

    CHICAGO – With the threat starting midweek of heavy snowfall and cold temperatures across much of the upper Midwest, FEMA’s Region 5 office in Chicago encourages everyone to prepare now. “The forecast this week is an important reminder that winter isn’t over just yet,” said acting FEMA Region 5 Regional Administrator Michael S. Chesney. “Now is the time to check local weather forecasts and warnings, learn the risks for your area and take precautions to stay safe.”Follow the instructions of state and local officials and listen to local radio or TV stations for updated emergency information.Gather supplies in case you need to stay home for several days without power. Keep in mind each person’s specific needs, including medication, and don’t forget the needs of your pets. Fully charge your phone and other electronic items before the storm in case you lose power.Avoid non-essential travel. If you must go out, make sure your vehicle is in good working condition and fill your gas tank before the storm hits. Check that your car’s emergency supply kit is fully stocked before traveling.Limit your time outside. If you need to go outside, wear layers of warm clothing. Watch for signs of frostbite and hypothermia.Heat your home safely. Remember to keep space heaters at least three feet away from items that can burn and plug them directly into the wall. Never use a gas stovetop or oven to heat your home. When using a generator, always keep it outdoors and at least 20 feet away from windows, doors and attached garages.Find even more valuable tips to help you prepare for severe winter weather by visiting #WinterReady | Ready.gov. 
    kimberly.keblish
    Mon, 02/10/2025 – 20:49

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Office of the Governor — News Release — Maui Wildfires Settlement Will Move Forward According to Hawai‘I Supreme Court Decision

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    Office of the Governor — News Release — Maui Wildfires Settlement Will Move Forward According to Hawai‘I Supreme Court Decision

    Posted on Feb 10, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom, Office of the Governor Press Releases

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI 
    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI 
     
    JOSH GREEN, M.D. 
    GOVERNOR
    KE KIAʻĀINA 
     

    MAUI WILDFIRES SETTLEMENT WILL MOVE FORWARD ACCORDING TO HAWAI‘I SUPREME COURT DECISION 
     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    February 10, 2025

    HONOLULU – In a unanimous decision today, the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court ruled against insurance companies and in favor of the state, to allow the $4 billion dollar Maui wildfires litigation settlement to move forward.

    Insurance companies had refused to enter into a settlement with the defendants, claiming that they had the right to make claims against the defendants, including the state of Hawaiʻi, to recoup what was paid out to the fire victims, a process referred to as subrogation.

    All five Hawai‘i Supreme Court justices said in their written order that the exclusive remedy, under HRS 663-10, is for the property and casualty insurer to request the money paid out to be reimbursed by the insured. The settlement monies from the defendants will go directly to fire victims rather than to the insurance companies.

    “As Governor of Hawai‘i, I welcome the state Supreme Court’s unanimous decision to uphold the $4 billion Maui wildfire settlement. We reached this historic settlement for the wildfire survivors on Maui through a collaborative effort to do what is right (pono), for our people, consistent with our values,” said Governor Josh Green, M.D. “The settlement came exactly one year after the fire occurred, when most felt it could take five years or more to reach agreement. Today’s decision will help our people heal much sooner, as we continue to rebuild and recover.”

    Governor Green went on to say, “Going forward I will continue to work with all parties, including those who opposed the settlement, to expedite our critical recovery as a people and a state.”

    “We are very pleased that this hurdle to resolving the claims of the fire victims has been cleared,” said Attorney General Anne Lopez.

    The case was remanded to the Circuit Court of the Second Circuit for further proceedings. The Supreme Court decision can be found here.

    # # # 

    Media Contacts:   
    Erika Engle
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Governor, State of Hawai‘i
    Phone: 808-586-0120
    Email: [email protected]

    Makana McClellan
    Director of Communications
    Office of the Governor, State of Hawaiʻi
    Cell: 808-265-0083
    Email: [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California launches dashboard to track LA recovery, adds new services finder to connect firestorm survivors with resources

    Source: US State of California 2

    Feb 10, 2025

    What you need to know: The state continues to upgrade CA.gov/LAfires to provide more resources and information for firestorm survivors. 

    LOS ANGELES – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced new efforts to provide accountability with ongoing Los Angeles firestorm recovery efforts and support firestorm survivors.

    California launched a new dashboard on the CA.gov/LAfires website to track recovery efforts for Los Angeles – including data on people helped, debris removal, schools, water systems and air quality. Additionally, the state launched a new recovery services finder tool that helps survivors and businesses connect with state and federal resources, including housing, individual assistance, personal document replacement, employment, and more. 

    The new features build on the CA.gov/LAfires website, which was rapidly launched in the days following the start of the firestorms, and soon after was significantly overhauled to better integrate with in-person Disaster Recovery Centers. 

    Since its launch, there have been over 550,000 visits to the website. This latest update means impacted Californians can access all of the same resources offered at Disaster Recovery Centers – completely online.   

    We’re moving faster than ever to ensure survivors of these firestorms have all the resources they need to recover. And for the first time, survivors can access all the services available at in-person centers completely online. Not only that – we’re now tracking recovery efforts in real-time to hold ourselves and all levels of government accountable for delivering for Angelenos.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Governor Newsom directed the Government Operations Agency, in collaboration with the California Department of Technology and the Office of Data and Innovation, to improve the digital experience after hearing directly from survivors on the ground about their needs.  

    “I commend the dedicated teams at CDT and ODI for coming together, creating a plan and executing the launch of this survivor resource,” said Government Operations Agency Secretary Amy Tong. “The outcome of this was solely focused on how to get survivors what they need, and the team was laser focused on making the new site work for them.” 

    Historic recovery and rebuilding efforts — faster than ever before 

    • Cutting red tape to help rebuild Los Angeles faster and stronger. Governor Newsom issued an executive order to streamline the rebuilding of homes and businesses destroyed — suspending permitting and review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act. The Governor also issued an executive order further cutting red tape by reiterating that permitting requirements under the California Coastal Act are suspended for rebuilding efforts and directing the Coastal Commission not to issue guidance or take any action that interferes with or conflicts with the Governor’s executive orders. The Governor also issued an executive order removing bureaucratic barriers, extending deadlines, and providing critical regulatory relief to help fire survivors rebuild, access essential services, and recover more quickly.
    • Providing tax and mortgage relief to those impacted by the fires. California postponed the individual tax filing deadline to October 15 for Los Angeles County taxpayers. Additionally, the state extended the January 31, 2025, sales and use tax filing deadline for Los Angeles County taxpayers until April 30 — providing critical tax relief for businesses. Governor Newsom suspended penalties and interest on late property tax payments for a year, effectively extending the state property tax deadline. The Governor also worked with state– and federally-chartered banks that have committed to providing mortgage relief for survivors in certain zip codes.
    • Fast-tracking temporary housing and protecting tenants. To help provide necessary shelter for those immediately impacted by the firestorms, the Governor issued an executive order to make it easier to streamline construction of accessory dwelling units, allow for more temporary trailers and other housing, and suspend fees for mobile home parks. Governor Newsom also issued an executive order that prohibits landlords in Los Angeles County from evicting tenants for sharing their rental with survivors displaced by the Los Angeles-area firestorms.
    • Mobilizing debris removal and cleanup. With an eye toward recovery, the Governor directed fast action on debris removal work and mitigating the potential for mudslides and flooding in areas burned. He also signed an executive order to allow expert federal hazmat crews to start cleaning up properties as a key step in getting people back to their properties safely. The Governor also issued an executive order to help mitigate risk of mudslides and flooding and protect communities by hastening efforts to remove debris, bolster flood defenses, and stabilize hillsides in affected areas. 
    • Safeguarding survivors from price gouging. Governor Newsom expanded restrictions to protect survivors from illegal price hikes on rent, hotel and motel costs, and building materials or construction. Report violations to the Office of the Attorney General here.
    • Directing immediate state relief. The Governor signed legislation providing over $2.5 billion to immediately support ongoing emergency response efforts and to jumpstart recovery efforts for Los Angeles. California quickly launched CA.gov/LAfires as a single hub of information and resources to support those impacted and bolsters in-person Disaster Recovery Centers. The Governor also launched LA Rises, a unified recovery initiative that brings together private sector leaders to support rebuilding efforts. Governor Newsom announced that individuals and families directly impacted by the recent fires living in certain zip codes may be eligible to receive Disaster CalFresh food benefits.
    • Getting kids back in the classroom. Governor Newsom signed an executive order to quickly assist displaced students in the Los Angeles area and bolster schools affected by the firestorms.
    • Protecting victims from real estate speculators. The Governor issued an executive order to protect firestorm victims from predatory land speculators making aggressive and unsolicited cash offers to purchase their property.
    • Helping businesses and workers get back on their feet. The Governor issued an executive order to support small businesses and workers, by providing relief to help businesses recover quickly by deferring annual licensing fees and waiving other requirements that may impose barriers to recovery.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Feb 10, 2025

    News What you need to know: The state and federal government are working at record-pace to remove debris from the Los Angeles area firestorms. LOS ANGELES – The State of California, in coordination with federal and local partners, is rapidly advancing wildfire cleanup…

    Feb 10, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom is sponsoring new legislation to allow homeowners who receive insurance payments for lost or damaged property to receive the interest accrued rather than lenders.  LOS ANGELES — As part of the state’s ongoing efforts to…

    Feb 7, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Khalil “KC” Mohseni, of Sacramento, has been appointed Commissioner of the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, where he has been the Chief Deputy Director…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Murder investigation launched in Ealing

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A murder investigation has been launched after a fatal stabbing in Ealing.

    Police were called at approximately 22:30hrs on Tuesday, 10 February, to reports of a man found with stab wounds outside an address in Oaklands Road, Hanwell.

    Officers and London Ambulance Service crews attended, but despite their best efforts, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

    Although formal identification has yet to take place, officers believe the victim was in his 30s.

    A post-mortem examination will be carried out in due course.

    DCI Alison Foxwell, from Major Investigation Team 12, said:

    “Our thoughts today are with the victim’s family and friends in light of this truly tragic event.

    “Local residents will see an increased number of officers in and around Hanwell while our investigative work is carried out. I want to thank residents for their patience while this continues. I would ask anyone who was in the area of Oaklands Road, who may have seen or heard anything suspicious, to come forward to us.”

    Anyone with information is asked to call 101, quoting crime reference CAD7176/10FEB25.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: UK Approved KK MINER Launches Best Free Cloud Mining for Bitcoin (BTC) and Dogecoin (DOGE)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Traditionally, cryptocurrency mining requires large capital investments, complex technical setups, and high energy consumption. However, KK MINER is changing the industry by providing accessible, cost-effective cloud mining solutions for Bitcoin (BTC) and Dogecoin (DOGE). As a UK-approved platform, KK MINER democratizes mining by removing the barriers of expensive hardware and technical expertise. With its advanced security, seamless user experience, and guaranteed daily payouts, KK MINER stands out as one of the most promising cloud mining platforms in the crypto ecosystem.

    Features of KK MINER
    KK MINER is designed to provide a safe, efficient and profitable mining experience for users of all levels. Some of its main features include:

    • Enhanced Security: KK MINER integrates McAfee® and Cloudflare® protection to ensure that user data and mining activities are protected from potential cyber threats.
    • Zero Management Fees: Unlike many other platforms that charge hidden fees, KK MINER operates with complete transparency by eliminating unnecessary fees.
    • 100% Uptime Guarantee and 24/7 Technical Support: Users can enjoy continuous mining operations without downtime, ensuring continuous earnings.
    • Multiple Cryptocurrency Support: KK MINER supports mining more than six cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Dogecoin, etc.
    • Daily Payouts and Instant Signup Bonus: New users can get a $10 signup bonus, earn $1 for free every day, and start mining immediately without upfront investment.

    How to start free cloud mining with KK MINER
    KK MINER provides an easy and hassle-free introduction to cloud mining. Users can start mining in just three simple steps:

    Step 1: Choose a cloud mining provider
    KK MINER offers a $10 free mining plan that simplifies the mining process without the need for expensive mining hardware. This free plan allows users to earn $1 in passive income per day for free without taking any financial risk.

    Step 2: Register an account
    The account creation process is very smooth and only requires an email address. After registration, users can immediately access KK MINER’s mining dashboard to monitor their earnings in real time.

    Step 3: Select a mining contract
    KK MINER offers a variety of contract options to meet the needs of different investment levels. Each contract guarantees a fixed return and predictable daily payouts, ensuring a transparent and profitable mining experience.

    Why KK MINER stands out in cloud mining

    Easy access
    KK MINER is designed for both beginners and experienced miners. The user-friendly interface ensures that even people who have no knowledge of cryptocurrency mining can seamlessly participate and earn rewards.

    Profitability and Flexibility
    Unlike traditional mining setups that require long-term commitments and large investments, KK MINER offers flexible contract terms and guaranteed returns. Users can withdraw earnings daily, reinvest for higher returns, or exit at any time.

    Worry-free experience
    KK MINER handles all technical issues of mining, including equipment maintenance and energy costs. This allows users to focus on maximizing their earnings without having to worry about the complexity of the operation.

    Will KK MINER be the next big thing in the cryptocurrency space?
    The rise of cloud mining platforms like KK MINER marks a change in the way users participate in cryptocurrency mining. Several factors contribute to its potential to become a game changer in the industry:

    1. Regulatory Approval and Compliance As a UK-approved platform, KK MINER offers legitimacy and trust, addressing one of the key issues associated with cloud mining – security and reliability.
    2. Sustainable Mining Model Through energy-efficient cloud mining solutions, KK MINER mitigates the environmental impact of traditional mining methods, making it an attractive option for environmentally conscious investors.
    3. High Adoption Rate and Market Potential An increasing number of retail and institutional users are exploring passive income opportunities in crypto mining, suggesting that platforms like KK MINER are likely to see widespread adoption in the coming years.
    4. Competitive Advantages over Traditional Mining Unlike traditional mining, which requires expensive ASIC miners and high electricity consumption, KK MINER offers a cost-effective alternative that lowers barriers to entry while ensuring profitability.

    Final Thoughts
    KK MINER’s innovative approach to cloud mining promises to reshape the industry, making cryptocurrency mining more convenient, safer, and more profitable. With zero-cost onboarding, guaranteed daily payouts, and a user-friendly experience, KK MINER offers an attractive opportunity for those looking to earn passive income through Bitcoin (BTC) and Dogecoin (DOGE) mining.

    As the cryptocurrency space continues to grow, KK MINER could become a key player in the cloud mining space, offering an attractive alternative to traditional mining setups. Whether you are a beginner exploring cryptocurrency mining for the first time, or a seasoned investor seeking a low-risk, high-return opportunity, KK MINER is worth considering as the next big thing in the cryptocurrency space. Visit the official website: https://kkminer.top/

    Contact:
    KK MINER
    Email: info@kkminer.top
    Website: https://kkminer.top/

    Disclaimer: This press release is provided by KKMiner. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the sponsor and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in cloud mining and related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2d91f593-be07-4bf7-a401-d5042b902cb6
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1cfa8316-a13a-437d-a29d-fb7525b9712d
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/463e5de5-b7f1-443d-8ab6-7f9a55a30fcc

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Thales and Bharat Dynamics Ltd Agree on Initial Supply of Man Portable Air Defence systems to India

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: Thales and Bharat Dynamics Ltd Agree on Initial Supply of Man Portable Air Defence systems to India

    • Thales and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) will provide a first supply of Laser Beam Riding MANPAD (LBRM) Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) Missiles and launchers to the Indian Ministry of Defence. This is a major success, following on from the signing of the Partnership Agreement in 2021 between Thales and BDL to work on the LBRM, with the support of the Indian and UK Governments.
    • This agreement will improve India’s Air Defence capabilities to enable them to enhance their national security with a highly accurate and countermeasure-resistant up-to-date technology.
    • LBRM, manufactured up to 60% in India, are short-range, man-portable, air-defence systems and optimised to provide defence against air threats, including fixed-wing Fighter Ground Attack aircraft and late unmasking Attack Helicopters, as well as drones.
    ©Thales

    Bengaluru, 10 February 2025: Thales and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) are proud to announce the signing of an initial supply of Laser Beam Riding Man Portable Air Defence systems (LBRM) in response to a requirement set out by the Indian Government to support India’s air defence capabilities.

    This initial supply of High Velocity Missiles (STARStreak) and launchers will be delivered this year and represents the first time that India has received this latest VSHORAD capability. This step confirms the foundation of a long-term collaboration and manufacturing partnership between Thales and BDL. In the spirit of the ‘Make in India’ initiative, this partnership will serve the current and future requirements of the Indian Ministry of Defence.

    Thales, together with BDL, is committed to the transfer of technology (ToT) of battle proven capabilities to India to equip the Indian Armed Forces.

    This contract represents the first major agreement since the establishment of the United Kingdom’s Defence Partnership-India, a bespoke programme office breaking down barriers to trade and offering government-to-government contracting, where appropriate, further solidifying the defence and security relationship between the two nations. This contract also reflects Thales’ long-term partnership of 70+ years with India, serving as a testimony to its continued growth.

    A production partnership with India will also increase UK production at the Thales Belfast site, where LBRM is designed.

    Lord Vernon Coaker, Minister of State for Defence, said: “This exciting collaboration is just one of the ways that we are growing our defence relationship and partnership with India. While supporting India’s air defence capability and global security, this agreement also demonstrates defence as an engine for growth and delivers on the government’s Plan for Change.”

    “This is a momentous occasion for all the stakeholders involved in the development of LBRM Air Defence solutions. It signifies the beginning of an exciting chapter in our collaboration with BDL, contributing to the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision. The UK-India strategic partnership finds renewed strength through this contract, which is poised to make a significant impact in the domain of air defence in India.” declared Pascale Sourisse, President & CEO, Thales International.

    “We are pleased to take our collaboration with Thales to this next significant step, enhancing our contribution to the defence ecosystem and our ability to support existing and future LBRM Air Defence customers. This initiative aligns perfectly with our Government’s ‘Make in India,’ ‘ease of doing business,’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ programmes, giving a major boost to the local industry through partnerships with global organisations like Thales.” said Cmde A Madhavarao (retd.), Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Dynamics Limited.

    “The signing of this contract with BDL and Thales to support India’s air defence capability is a huge stride forward in strengthening our partnership with India. I am proud to see that Thales’ expertise in the domain of Air defence will bring vital, battle proven capabilities to India.” said Phil Siveter, CEO of Thales in the UK.

    About LBRM

    High Velocity Missiles (STARStreak) are a truly versatile, complex weapon system. Designed for very short-range air defence, they are the fastest missiles in their class at Mach >3.0. They are best suited to address late unmasking threats such as fixed and rotary wing targets, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and pop-up attack helicopters.

    Thales is a world leader in the provision of Air Defence solutions and in particular of complex weapon systems and has been a trusted partner of forces in this field for more than 60 years.

    About Thales

    Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies specialized in three business domains: Defence & Security, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital.

    It develops products and solutions that help make the world safer, greener and more inclusive.

    The Group invests close to €4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key innovation areas such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, cloud technologies and 6G.

    Thales has close to 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2023, the Group generated sales of €18.4 billion.

    About BDL

    BDL, right from its inception in the year 1970, has been in the forefront of Defence Technology to manufacture state of the art, cost-effective Missile systems, underwater weapons and allied defence equipment to the Indian Armed Forces. With the domain expertise, BDL participates in the indigenously developed missile programs by DRDO, ToT from Foreign OEMs or co-developed using in house R&D and manufactures the world class products for the domestic and international market.

    About Thales in India

    Present in India since 1953, Thales is headquartered in Noida and has other operational offices and sites spread across Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai, among others. Over 2200 employees are working with Thales and its joint ventures in India. Since the beginning, Thales has been playing an essential role in India’s growth story by sharing its technologies and expertise in Defence, Aerospace and Cyber & Digital markets. Thales has two engineering competence centres in India – one in Noida focused on Cyber & Digital business, while the one in Bengaluru focuses on hardware, software and systems engineering capabilities for both the civil and defence sectors, serving global needs.

    PRESS CONTACTS

    Bharat Dynamics Ltd

    Homnidhi Sharma

    +91 94939 84976

    bdlbd-pr@bdl-india.in

    Thales, Group Media Relations

    Defence

    Camille Heck

    +33 6 73 78 33 63

    camille.heck@thalesgroup.com

    Thales, Communications in India

    Pawandeep Kaur

    +91 9990098828

    pawandeep.kaur@thalesgroup.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Island to host apprenticeships, careers and jobs fair 11 February 2025 Island Futures and the Isle of Wight Council will be hosting an Apprenticeships, Careers and Jobs fair in February.

    Source: Aisle of Wight

    Island Futures and the Isle of Wight Council will be hosting an Apprenticeships, Careers and Jobs fair in February to support the local community to develop aspirations and explore career opportunities.

    The event, taking place on Tuesday the 18th of February at 1Leisure’s Medina site in Newport, will offer valuable opportunities for job seekers of all backgrounds. Attendees can meet employers and discuss job openings, whether they are looking for full-time, part-time, or apprenticeship roles. Experts will also be available to provide advice on CV writing, interview techniques, and career planning.

    The event is free and open to everyone. It’s a chance to gain insights from industry professionals and connect with potential employers. Some of the exhibitors that will be there on the day include both local and national businesses such as Biscoes Solicitors, Creative Island, the Isle of Wight NHS Trust and Southern Railway. You can see the full list of potential employers attending the event, waiting to meet you, on our website! 

    Event details:

    Date: Tuesday, 18 February 2025

    Time: 9am to 1pm

    Location: 1Leisure Medina, Fairlee Road, Newport, PO30 2EW

    Find out more here: Island Futures Events

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Patrushev: Agricultural trade turnover between Russia and India increased by more than 60% in 2024

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Dmitry Patrushev held a working meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to the Russian Federation Vinay Kumar

    February 11, 2025

    Dmitry Patrushev held a working meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to the Russian Federation Vinay Kumar

    February 11, 2025

    Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to the Russian Federation Vinay Kumar

    February 11, 2025

    Dmitry Patrushev held a working meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to the Russian Federation Vinay Kumar

    February 11, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    Dmitry Patrushev held a working meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to the Russian Federation Vinay Kumar

    Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Patrushev held a working meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to the Russian Federation Vinay Kumar. The meeting participants discussed the possibilities of cooperation between the two countries in the field of agriculture.

    “Trade in agricultural products and food between Russia and India is growing rapidly. Thus, last year, the turnover of agricultural products increased by more than 60%. We are interested in further development of mutual trade,” said Dmitry Patrushev.

    The Deputy Prime Minister added that Russia is ready to increase exports to India of vegetable oils, livestock and fish products, wheat and legumes and, in addition, is interested in importing Indian agricultural products, including fruits and vegetables.

    The meeting also discussed possible additional growth points for the development of bilateral cooperation.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –