NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Global: From barriers to belonging: How supporting inclusivity enhances the well-being of people with disabilities

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Mohsen Rasoulivalajoozi, PhD candidate, Individualized Program, Faculty of Fine Arts, Concordia University

    To create truly inclusive cities, policy-makers and experts need to go beyond minimum standards and critically examine how our urban spaces continue to exclude people with disabilities. (Shutterstock)

    What does it mean for a city to be accommodating to all its citizens?

    This requires understanding how individuals feel included and valued in the places they live, and responding to their needs by emphasizing genuine inclusivity. For people with mobility challenges, it means feeling no different from others. This applies both to navigating urban spaces and engaging in social interactions.

    Despite efforts to improve accessibility in Canada, many urban spaces still fall short, leaving wheelchair users facing subtle but persistent barriers. We wanted to understand the different challenges and barriers people with disabilities face when using mobility aids.

    To do this, we interviewed 12 experienced physiotherapists in Iran to identify gaps in how mobility aid serve the needs of those who use them, and offer recommendations based on their extensive interactions with users.

    Given the universal needs of mobility aid users — emotional well-being, social integration and functional independence — and the common challenges they face accessing health-care systems around the world, our findings can are relevant for many people around the world, including in Canada.

    Inclusive design

    To create truly inclusive cities, it is vital for policymakers and experts to go beyond minimum standards and critically examine how our urban spaces continue to exclude people with disabilities.

    Marketing professors Vanessa Patrick and Candice Hollenbeck have developed the DARE framework — design, appraisal, response and experience — and propose three levels of inclusive design aimed to make spaces more inclusive for people with disabilities.

    Level 1 ensures accessibility through industry regulations, meeting minimum standards. Level 2 fosters engagement and equity, rooted in social justice principles, by validating user experiences and emphasizing empathy. Level 3 aims to minimize mismatches between users and design, promoting human flourishing through seamless interaction among individuals, the design and their environment.

    Our study outlines how people perceive the inclusivity of mobility aids based on the cost, how they are built and how effective they are in different environments.

    We also considered perceptions of trustworthiness, support and contextual factors, including the social interpretations and representations of these devices. We highlight gaps in users’ needs and provide recommendations to address them. Through this analysis, we identified four key themes that offer valuable insights for enhancing inclusivity.

    Financial burden

    For some, mobility aids can be an added financial burden. Financial constraints may limit access to mobility aids, often forcing users to seek alternatives or delay rehabilitation, potentially worsening their conditions. For example, individuals might resort to second-hand mobility aids which may not be fitted correctly for them.

    Globally, only five to 35 per cent of the 80 million people who need a wheelchair have access to one depending on where they live, with high costs being a primary barrier.

    The high cost of advanced electric wheelchairs further restrict access. This marks a gap at the first level of inclusivity in the DARE framework, where market-driven prices fall short of meeting mobility aid users’ needs.

    Initiatives like the European Union’s Rehabilitation Policy Action Framework have called for increased governmental financial support for mobility aid users. This framework offers 48 options across six domains to translate political goals into action, such as reallocating health-care funds to expand rehabilitation and improve inclusivity.

    Mobility aid users, like all individuals, deserve equal consideration in design and planning.
    (Shutterstock)

    Mismatches between users and mobility aids

    In using mobility aids, a user will typically evaluate two aspects: the design features of the aids themselves and how well they function in their environment.

    If the mobility aid is slightly mismatched with their requirements, the user may find alternative solutions, such as adding padding to a wheelchair to relieve pressure. However, severe mismatches can lead to negative outcomes and result in unmet mobility needs. Furthermore, inadequate anthropometric and ergonomic adjustments can lead to discomfort.

    Similarly, environmental mismatches, such as barriers that disrupt navigation, can reinforce negative stereotypes and condescending attitudes. These barriers can hinder a person’s mobility and ultimately deter them from going out and engaging in social activities.

    New developments and technologies can not only address and mitigate certain mismatches but also positively impact users’ psychological and social needs. However, integrating new technologies requires careful consideration, as assistive devices can also attract social stigma.

    Therefore, it is important to identify which technological or esthetic features of mobility aids evoke positive emotions and minimize stigma.

    Mobility aid users, like everyone, deserve equal consideration in design and planning. Programs like Europe’s Design for All (DfA) and Singapore’s Barrier-Free Accessibility (BFA) promote barrier-free design for all abilities and socioeconomic backgrounds.

    Improving trust

    Trustworthiness is a critical factor in the use of mobility aids, particularly in unfamiliar settings where users may feel uncertain.

    To address this, users seek continuous reassurance about the reliability of their aids, often depending on the support of physiotherapists to navigate mismatches between their needs and their surroundings. Such professional support enhances confidence and mental well-being. Physiotherapists, as trusted experts, can remarkably shape users’ perceptions and acceptance of mobility aids.

    Ensuring trustworthy designs is also crucial, as perceived fragility can undermine user trust. Validating experiences, building trust across environments — including trust in physiotherapists and mobility aid products — is essential to alleviating doubts about how effective they might be.

    Sociocultural influences

    Sociocultural context and the causes of a disability play a significant role in shaping perceptions of mobility aids.

    Regardless of users’ personal experiences, others tend to view mobility aids through the lens of prevailing societal attitudes toward disability. For some, mobility aids may reinforce stereotypes about disabilities. This highlights the critical role of esthetics in shaping public perceptions and social interactions.

    For example, incorporating esthetic refinements into the design can help counter negative perceptions. By addressing negative representations and promoting designs that reflect dignity and inclusivity, interventions can align with inclusively goals and enhance positive social engagement.

    Raising public awareness is key to challenging stereotypes and building empathy. To create an inclusive society, design and planning should consider both the physical and social barriers to accessibility. Achieving this requires a multi-disciplinary effort, and the active participation of people who use mobility aids.

    This article was co-authored by Morteza Farhoudi, an inclusive designer specializing in public transportation studies.

    Mohsen Rasoulivalajoozi receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Carmela Cucuzzella receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. From barriers to belonging: How supporting inclusivity enhances the well-being of people with disabilities – https://theconversation.com/from-barriers-to-belonging-how-supporting-inclusivity-enhances-the-well-being-of-people-with-disabilities-249339

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Security Council Press Statement on Recent Developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Christina Markus Lassen (Denmark):

    The members of the Security Council expressed their deep concern over recent developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

    The members of the Security Council reconfirmed their full support for the implementation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the annexes thereto.

    The members of the Security Council urged both entities, the three constituent peoples, and others, and all political actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina to adhere to the provisions of the Dayton Peace Agreement and to the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina and engage in a sincere, open, and constructive dialogue to preserve the country’s unity and political stability.  They emphasized the need to avoid confrontational approaches, and to preserve peace and promote stability to resolve disputes in spirit of consensus.

    The members of the Council also called on all sides to refrain from and renounce provocative, divisive rhetoric and actions.

    The members of the Security Council expressed their support to European Union Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR) Operation Althea acting in compliance with its mandate.

    The Security Council remains unequivocally committed to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina in full accordance with the Dayton Peace Agreement.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 31st Session – UN/CEFACT Plenary

    Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

    Election of the UN/CEFACT Vice-Chair (for the period 2025-2026)

    Election of the new UN/CEFACT Vice-Chair will take place on 3 July 2025. According to the Consolidated UN/CEFACT Mandate and Terms of Reference (ECE/TRADE/C/CEFACT/2017/15), the UN Member States who are physically present at the Plenary meeting will elect a Vice-Chair.

    UNECE is inviting UN Member States to nominate their candidates for elections.

    Each Country can nominate one candidate of its choice, using its own criteria for selection and taking into account criteria such as expertise, leadership, ability, willingness to work and geographic balance. The candidate must be a member of the Country’s delegation. It is at the Country’s discretion whether a nominated candidate if from the Government or the Private Sector.

    The deadline to submit nominations is Monday, 19 May 2025.

    In line with the decisions taken at the 30th Plenary, the term of office of the elected Vice-Chair would exceptionally be for one year, with the possibility of one re-election for a three-year term in 2026 (to align the terms of the Chair and Vice-Chair of the UN/CEFACT Bureau, the Plenary decided (ECE/TRADE/C/CEFACT/2024/2) that the next re-election of the entire Bureau (Chair and Vice-Chairs) will be held in 2026).

    Responsibilities of Vice-Chair

    The elected Vice-Chair will be expected to actively participate in at least three physical meetings per year:

    • UN/CEFACT Forums (twice per year, one in Geneva and another one in a different location)*/
    • UN/CEFACT Plenary (one annual meeting in Geneva)

    The Vice-Chairs together with and the secretariat are responsible for preparing the programme of work for approval by the Plenary, with a view to providing a coherent framework that serves the needs of United Nations Member States and other stakeholders within the context of UN/CEFACT’s mandate and terms of reference. This involves outreach to and collaboration with parties interested in working with UN/CEFACT to achieve common goals and, wherever possible, to avoid duplication of work both within and outside of UN/CEFACT.

    The principal functions of the Bureau are outlined in the Consolidated UN/CEFACT Mandate and Terms of Reference (ECE/TRADE/C/CEFACT/2017/15).

          */ In 2025, there will be only one Forum in Dakar, Senegal on 24-28 November 2025

    Guidance on submitting nominations

    The following documents should be submitted for the candidate. This information must be sent directly from the Permanent Mission in Geneva to the UNECE Secretariat ([email protected]):

    • Candidate’s Candidacy Form with motivational statement
    • Government’s Nomination Form with statement of support
    • Recent Curriculum Vitae (including current roles in other relevant organizations and membership in associations)

    For any questions, please contact Ms. Kamola Khusnutdinova, Secretary  of UN/CEFACT at [email protected]

     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Future Leaders Apply Now for Empire State Fellows Program

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that applications are now being accepted for the Empire State Fellows Program, a full-time, two-year leadership training program that prepares the next generation of talented professionals for careers as New York State policymakers. New Yorkers interested in the 2026-2028 class of this prestigious program should apply by the deadline of June 1, 2025. The incoming class of Empire State Fellows will serve from January 15, 2026, and receive an annual salary of $90,000, plus a generous benefits package.

    “The Empire State Fellows Program has benefited all New Yorkers by attracting some of our brightest minds and leaders to public service,” Governor Hochul said. “I encourage anyone passionate about carrying on this vital legacy to apply and build a career where you can truly make a difference. During a period in our nation’s history when some have diminished the value of public servants, now is a great time to begin a path of brightness, leadership and service to causes greater than oneself by making a positive impact for New Yorkers.”

    Since its inception 13 years ago, the Empire Fellows Program has attracted extraordinary and diverse talent from New York State and across the nation to serve in high-level positions in the administration. Empire State Fellows graduates have advanced to senior roles, including Deputy Commissioner, Deputy Secretary, and Chief of Staff positions throughout State agencies. This is also an opportunity for displaced former federal workers, who are encouraged to apply to the fellowship program. New York State is running the “You’re Hired” campaign to let displaced former federal employees know about career opportunities in New York State government.

    New York State Department of Civil Service Commissioner and Civil Service Commission President Timothy R. Hogues said, “Public service is a noble calling and we’re seeking the next generation of servant-leaders to help New Yorkers all across the state. If you have a fervor for helping others and a desire to make a difference, becoming an Empire State Fellow is a great way to begin a career of service. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, we’re looking for bright, diligent and diverse thinkers to learn and work within the highest levels of state government agencies alongside talented leaders to serve New Yorkers and their communities.”

    State Senator Robert Jackson said, “As someone who has spent a lifetime fighting for justice, equity, and opportunity, I know the power of committed public service. The Empire State Fellows Program opens the door for the next generation of leaders to bring their passion, principles, and lived experience into the rooms where decisions are made. I encourage every New Yorker ready to serve with courage and purpose to step forward—because our government is stronger when it reflects the people it represents.”

    Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato said, “New York State and Governor Hochul are once again stepping up to mentor the next generation of policymakers through the Empire State Fellows Program. This hands-on opportunity to work directly with leaders from State departments and agencies will help shape our State’s future decision makers and help ensure the best workforce for the future of New York!”

    Engagement in the work of the New York State government lies at the heart of the Empire State Fellows Program. The Department of Civil Service will appoint each Empire State Fellow to work directly with a Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, or other high-level policymakers at a New York State agency or authority, or in the Executive Chamber. Work assignments offer Fellows unparalleled experience collaborating with senior officials and participating in the policy-making process.

    While taking part in the work of State government, Empire Fellows will participate in educational and professional development programs that will help them to serve as effective and ethical government leaders. The educational component of the Empire State Fellows Program kicks off with an orientation course in January. Educational coursework will continue on a semi-monthly basis through the first year of the program. Meanwhile, professional development activities, including a mentoring program and regular meetings with Cabinet members and other government leaders, will enhance Empire Fellows’ collaboration with policymakers.

    At the end of the fellowship, the program will identify high-performing Empire State Fellows for opportunities to continue to serve as leaders in New York State government after completing the program.

    Applications opened on April 1 will be accepted through June 1. More information on the program and instructions on how to apply are available here. An online information session is scheduled for interested applicants on April 22 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Interested applicants can RSVP for the information session here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

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

    US Senate News:

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

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

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    GR Developments was eventually dissolved in January 2023. 

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

    Further information 

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New acting chair appointed for Mental Health Review Board

    Joanna Nefs has been appointed for a six-month term as acting chair of the Mental Health Review Board, starting Tuesday, April 1, 2025.

    The review board is an independent tribunal established under the Mental Health Act. The board conducts panel hearings for patients admitted by physicians and detained involuntarily in provincial mental-health facilities in a manner consistent with the principles of fundamental justice and Section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

    Nefs holds a master in public policy degree, 2017-18; a juris doctor, 2008-11; and a bachelor’s degree in political science, 2006-08, all from York University.

    From 2020 until 2024, Nefs was the CEO of AIDE Canada, a national initiative funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada. It focused on delivering information and resources to people with developmental disabilities and diagnosed with autism and their families.

    From 2018 until 2020, Nefs was executive director of the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and at the United Nations, working on projects with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and at the UN Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. From 2012 until 2018, Nefs was the assistant Crown attorney at the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General.  

    From January until May 2018, Nefs taught a course at Osgoode Hall law school about representing clients with mental illnesses and addictions.

    Since 2020, Nefs has been a member and alternate chair of B.C.’s Mental Health Review Board.

    Learn More:

    For more information about the Mental Health Review Board, visit: https://www.bcmhrb.ca/

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan Expands Coverage for Continuous and Flash Glucose Monitors

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on April 1, 2025

    Seniors and Young Adults with Diabetes to Benefit 

    Effective April 1, the Government of Saskatchewan is investing $23 million to expand full coverage for Continuous and Flash Glucose Monitors (Advanced Glucose Monitors) to seniors aged 65 and older and young adults aged 18 to 25, as announced in the 2025-26 Provincial Budget. 

    “Our government remains committed to providing Saskatchewan residents living with diabetes the support they need to live an active lifestyle,” Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said. “We are pleased to expand coverage for these monitors to seniors and young adults with diabetes, helping improve their health and quality of life.” 

    An Advanced Glucose Monitor uses a sensor on the skin to send a glucose level reading to a smart phone or other electronic device to help diabetics track their glucose levels, minimizing the risk and frequency of potentially life-threatening low-blood sugar episodes. The monitor also records trends and patterns. With consent, physicians can remotely access the information, assisting them in making informed clinical decisions. 

    “Diabetes Canada welcomes the Saskatchewan government’s expansion of the program,” Diabetes Canada Director of Government Affairs Joan King said. “These devices are life-changing for many people with diabetes, regardless of age. This expansion will enable more Saskatchewanians to enhance their blood glucose management and reduce their risk of short- and long-term complications, including severe hypoglycemia.” 

    Approximately 9,000 seniors and 700 young adults may be eligible to benefit from the expanded coverage for Advanced Glucose Monitors. 

    Since 2021, the province has provided coverage for these devices at no cost for children and youth under 18 who meet specific medical criteria. 

    Inquiries about qualifying medical criteria can be directed to the Drug Plan at 306-787-3317 (Regina) or 1-800-667-7581 (toll-free).  

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Pamela Bondi Directs Prosecutors to Seek Death Penalty for Luigi Mangione

    Source: US State of California

    Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi released the following statement:

    “Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”

    • As alleged, Luigi Mangione stalked and murdered UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024. The murder was an act of political violence. Mangione’s actions involved substantial planning and premeditation and because the murder took place in public with bystanders nearby, may have posed grave risk of death to additional persons.   
    • Following federal murder charges handed down on Dec. 19, 2024, Attorney General Bondi has now directed Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky to seek the death penalty in this case.
    • This is in line with Attorney General Bondi’s Day One Memo as Attorney General entitled Reviving The Federal Death Penalty And Lifting The Moratorium On Federal Executions

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Attorney General Pamela Bondi Directs Prosecutors to Seek Death Penalty for Luigi Mangione

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    WASHINGTON – Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi released the following statement:

    “Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”

    • As alleged, Luigi Mangione stalked and murdered UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson on December 4th, 2024.  The murder was an act of political violence.  Mangione’s actions involved substantial planning and premeditation and because the murder took place in public with bystanders nearby, may have posed grave risk of death to additional persons.   
    • Following federal murder charges handed down on December 19th, 2024, Attorney General Bondi has now directed Acting US Attorney Matthew Podolsky to seek the death penalty in this case.

    This is in line with Attorney General Bondi’s Day One Memo as Attorney General entitled Reviving The Federal Death Penalty And Lifting The Moratorium On Federal Executions

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    GR Developments was eventually dissolved in January 2023. 

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

    Further information 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Russia to be placed on Foreign Influence Registration Scheme

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    News story

    Russia to be placed on Foreign Influence Registration Scheme

    The Russian state will be specified under the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, as regulations laid in Parliament for implementation.

    Russia is to be put on the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), meaning anyone working for the Russian state in the UK will need to declare what they are doing or risk jail, the government announced today.

    Introduced under the National Security Act 2023, FIRS is a tool to help protect our democracy, economy and society from covert, deceptive or otherwise harmful activities against UK interests. The enhanced tier has been specifically designed to shed light on activities directed by particular foreign powers which pose a threat to the safety or interests of the UK.

    Russia is the second country to be placed on the enhanced tier, following the announcement in March that Iran would be specified. The government will designate all parts of the Russian state – including its president, its parliament, all Russian ministries and their agencies, and the Russian intelligence services. 

    The specification of the Russian state is in response to the significant and persistent threat Russia poses to the UK and our interests, which has only increased in recent years. Russian hostile acts on UK soil have ranged from the use of a deadly nerve agent in Salisbury, malign cyber incidents – which included targeting UK parliamentarians through spear-phishing campaigns – as well as espionage and arson.   

    Less than 4 weeks ago, 3 people living in the UK were found guilty of carrying out espionage activity on behalf of the Russian state, in an operation which police described as “highly sophisticated” and at “industrial scale.” A further 3 members of the same group had already pleaded guilty to espionage charges before the trial.     

    Meanwhile, Russia continues to wage its unprovoked and illegal war against Ukraine, a war which Russia could end by tomorrow by withdrawing its forces. The UK remains committed to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and will continue to exert maximum economic pressure to stop Russia from threatening and undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, and to help ensure Russia pays for the damage it has caused.   

    Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said: 

    For too long, the Kremlin has been responsible for unacceptable threats to our national security – from damaging cyber-attacks, malign attempts to interfere in our democratic processes and attempted assassinations in this country.

    Our new Foreign Influence Registration Scheme gives us the power to take much stronger action against any Russian threat. The new measures will make it harder for Russia to conduct hostile acts against us in future and demonstrate once again this government’s unshakable commitment to keep our country and our people safe, as outlined in the Plan for Change.

    Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said:

    Over the past few years, Russia has pursued increasingly hostile policies against the UK and its interests – harassing British diplomats, attempting to undermine British politics through malign interference and cyber operations, and recruiting spies to undertake acts of arson and sabotage on UK soil.   

    We’ve responded robustly, tightening up our visa laws for the Kremlin’s cronies, and withdrawing the accreditation of several Russian diplomats. We’ve unleashed unprecedented sanctions against the Russian regime following its illegal invasion of Ukraine. Today we’re going even further, holding Russia to account and exposing its shady attempts at interference to sunlight for all to see.

    The UK has already taken strong action to combat Russia’s threats against UK interests, expelling over 20 Russian intelligence officers since the Salisbury poisonings in 2018, revoking the accreditation of several Russian diplomats in response to the harassment and expulsion of British diplomats, removing diplomatic status from Russian properties believed to be used in intelligence activities, and limiting the length of visas granted to Russian diplomats. 

    Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the UK and our international partners have implemented the most severe package of sanctions ever imposed on a major economy. Since March 2022, we have sanctioned over 2,000 individuals and entities, leading the charge against the Shadow Fleet and eroding Russia’s war machine.

    In Parliament, the Security Minister also announced that statutory instruments to enable the wider scheme have been laid, which will enable it to commence on 1 July 2025. This includes regulations to implement the political influence tier of the scheme, which applies to all states; will allow the UK to be better informed about the nature, scale and extent of foreign influence in the UK’s political system; and will strengthen our resilience against all covert foreign influence.  

    The political tier requires the registration of any arrangement to carry out political influence activities in the UK at the direction of any foreign power. 

    Security Minister, Dan Jarvis said: 

    The political tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme will make it easier to identify covert influence and better protect against it.  

    It will also mean that MPs can verify if someone they are considering talking to is acting on behalf of a foreign government, so they can make an informed choice about whether to engage. 

    National security is the foundation of our Plan for Change, and it is our responsibility to protect the safety and interests of the UK. Now is the right time to boost transparency about foreign-directed activities, ensuring we can act swiftly and effectively.

    The tool provides transparency and will have the ability to prosecute individuals for non-compliance. 

    By laying these regulations today, the government will be giving sectors 3 months to help them prepare for the scheme. During that time, the government will work closely with the relevant sectors – including academia and business – to ensure they understand their obligations. Comprehensive guidance to help anyone who may need to register to understand their responsibilities under the scheme has been published online.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Sues Trump Administration for Slashing Vital Health Funding

    Source: US State of New York

    EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 22 other states and the District of Columbia today filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for abruptly and unlawfully slashing billions of dollars in vital state health funding. On March 24, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it was clawing back more than $11 billion in funding previously allocated to states for public health, mental health, and addiction initiatives – including nearly $400 million for New York. The attorneys general argue that these sudden and reckless cuts violate federal law, jeopardize public health, and will have devastating consequences for communities nationwide. Attorney General James and the coalition are asking the court to immediately stop the administration from rescinding the funding and prevent the breakdown of crucial health services.

    “The Trump administration’s illegal and irresponsible decision to claw back life-saving health funding is an attack on the well-being of millions of Americans,” said Attorney General James. “Slashing this funding now will reverse our progress on the opioid crisis, throw our mental health systems into chaos, and leave hospitals struggling to care for patients. My office is taking immediate action to stop this heartless and shortsighted move and ensure these life-saving programs remain intact.”

    In the lawsuit, Attorney General James and the coalition assert that if funding is not restored, key public health programs and initiatives across the country will have to be dissolved and disbanded, and thousands of health care workers will lose their jobs. The terminated funds, which were allocated by Congress at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, include $11.4 billion in funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for pandemic preparedness, overdose prevention, and community health programs, as well as $1 billion from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for addiction treatment, suicide prevention, and crisis intervention programs.

    The attorneys general warn that the revocation of this funding will cause immediate and irreparable damage in communities across the nation. Programs that provide harm reduction services, medication-assisted recovery treatment, and overdose reversal drugs are set to be slashed, just as the nation begins to turn a corner on fighting the opioid crisis and reducing overdose deaths. Funding for crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and community-based mental health care is at risk while the nation is currently facing an unprecedented mental health crisis. Financial support for hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities will be eliminated, exacerbating already devastating staffing shortages. Prevention programs that combat infectious disease outbreaks and future health emergencies are already being gutted.

    In New York, more than $400 million in critical funding has been terminated, including over $300 million for the New York State Department of Health (DOH), Office of Mental Health (OMH), and Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) and over $100 million for New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)’s infectious disease detection and surveillance work. These cuts are already causing devastating, far-reaching consequences. At least 23 public health employees have already been laid off, and further layoffs are likely. More than 200 local organizations statewide have now lost funding for their efforts to address food insecurity, mental health, maternal health, and more. DOH has been forced to halt efforts to address health disparities and shutter programs focused on LGBTQ+ and immigrant health. Funding for school immunization programs has also been cut, which could have disastrous effects on child vaccination rates. Most importantly, New York state’s ability to manage infectious diseases, support vulnerable populations, and maintain critical health infrastructure is now in jeopardy, and there are long-term risks for public health preparedness and equity.

    HHS has tried to suggest that terminating this funding is necessary because the “COVID-19 pandemic is over.” This contradicts both ongoing public health data and the terms of the grants in question. In the lawsuit, the attorneys general assert that many of the eliminated funds were never intended solely for COVID-19 response – they were allocated to support long-term public health infrastructure, future pandemic preparedness, and critical behavioral health services.

    Attorney General James and the coalition argue the federal government does not have the legal authority to unilaterally rescind funding it already allocated, particularly when states have built essential health programs around these commitments. The attorneys general add that the terminated funds are attached to specific congressional allocations, and that by cutting these funds, the administration is undermining Congress’s constitutional power over federal spending. The lawsuit alleges the decision to terminate these funds was made abruptly, arbitrarily, and without any opportunity for public input.

    In addition to preliminary and permanent injunctions, Attorney General James and the coalition are seeking a temporary restraining order to immediately halt the chaos and destruction the administration’s funding cuts are causing.

    “These federal health cuts are not only dangerous, but they undermine public health and will broaden the health disparities we have been working hard to eliminate,” said DOH Commissioner Dr. James McDonald. “It is unprecedented and unacceptable to have funding terminated retroactively without warning or regard for the impact on this important public health work. I thank Attorney General James for taking immediate action, ensuring the health of New Yorkers remains a priority, and working to get these reckless actions during the federal transition reversed.”

    “The removal of these grants will affect prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery services that many New Yorkers rely on, and which have saved thousands of lives throughout the state,” said OASAS Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham. “Amid the ongoing overdose crisis, it is critical that these services remain intact and available for those who need them. We fully support these efforts to ensure that this critical funding continues to go towards these vital addiction services in New York.”

    “The loss of $27 million in federal funding will impact the mental health services and supports provided through our agency, including crisis stabilization and residence programs, Assertive Community Treatment teams and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline,” said OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan. “We are pleased that New York State is challenging these cuts in in an effort to avoid the consequences of losing this critical federal assistance. We look forward to working with the Attorney General and Governor Hochul as they challenge these cuts and fight to preserve funding for these important programs.”

    This is the latest action Attorney General James has taken to protect New Yorkers and the services they rely on from the Trump administration’s illegal attacks. On March 14, Attorney General James and a coalition secured a court order reinstating federal workers subject to mass firings at 18 agencies. On March 13, Attorney General James led a coalition of 20 attorneys general in suing the Trump administration to stop the dismantling of the Department of Education. On March 10, Attorney General James secured a court order blocking the Trump administration from cutting critical grant programs for teachers and on March 6, Attorney General James secured a court order blocking the Trump administration’s freeze of essential federal funds to states. On March 5, Attorney General James and a coalition of attorneys general won a court order stopping the Trump administration from withholding vital funding to the National Institutes of Health. On February 24, Attorney General James led a coalition of attorneys general in securing a court order preventing Elon Musk and members of DOGE from accessing Americans’ private information through the U.S. Treasury and on February 13, Attorney General James and a coalition of attorneys general secured a preliminary injunction stopping the administration’s illegal revocation of birthright citizenship. 

    Joining Attorney General James in this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, as well as the Governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: WTW acquires Michigan-based Global Commercial Credit

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), a leading global advisory, broking, and solutions company, today announced the acquisition of Global Commercial Credit, LLC (GCC) into Willis, a WTW business. This strategic acquisition will accelerate performance by expanding into specialized businesses that align with the company’s technical, industry-structured and expertise-driven growth plan.

    Founded in Michigan in 1995 with a primary focus on developing custom-tailored credit risk management solutions for clients, GCC has developed a strong foundation in specialized products including trade credit and political risk insurance, as well as credit information services. The addition of GCC will enhance Willis’ diversification across industries, further expanding the business’ footprint across targeted, strategic sectors. This acquisition provides geographic expansion in a key growth area of the North American market.

    As part of its acquisition of GCC, WTW will also acquire ProfitGuard, a specialized credit risk management service that is complementary to trade credit insurance and can be scaled to provide added value for Willis’ global clients.

    Scott Burnett, Head of Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions for WTW’s Risk & Broking business commented, “This acquisition is one of the ways WTW is investing strategically to optimize our portfolio and pursue scaled and high-growth broking businesses, accelerating our specialization strategy in selected industries, and expanding our capabilities and reach across the insurance value chain. The acquisition of GCC significantly enhances our scale and growth potential for our credit and political risk business in North America. It also diversifies our client base across industries, strengthens our sales capabilities nationwide and opens opportunities to introduce complementary products to WTW’s global clients. With this deal, Willis will become one of North America’s leading trade credit insurance specialists, with deep financial institution and industry expertise.”

    “GCC is a highly specialized business with a strong trade credit market penetration throughout the nation,” said Evan Freely, WTW’s Global Head of Financial Solutions. “With technical expertise and industry-specific knowledge as the footing for the company’s specialized credit products, GCC’s business strategy aligns perfectly with WTW’s own business plan. This is a very exciting development that will help us accelerate our growth and enhance our footprint in strategic industry sectors. I am delighted to welcome Victor and the GCC team to WTW, and I look forward to the positive impact their expertise will bring to the business.”

    Victor Sandy, President and CEO of GCC, noted, “I am excited about the opportunity to align with WTW and bring our time-tested, integrated credit risk management solutions to a broader market. Effective credit risk management is essential for the success of every company. In an increasingly volatile world, more companies are recognizing the value of timely and reliable credit information and the ability to hedge open credit exposure. WTW and GCC are uniquely positioned to deliver custom-tailored solutions to the US marketplace. We look forward to significant growth.”

    About WTW

    At WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), we provide data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital. Leveraging the global view and local expertise of our colleagues serving 140 countries and markets, we help organizations sharpen their strategy, enhance organizational resilience, motivate their workforce and maximize performance.

    Working shoulder to shoulder with our clients, we uncover opportunities for sustainable success—and provide perspective that moves you. Learn more at www.wtwco.com.

    Media Contacts

    Douglas Menelly
    Douglas.Menelly@wtwco.com +1 (516) 972-0380

    Arnelle Sullivan
    Arnelle.Sullivan@wtwco.com +1 (718) 208-0474

    The MIL Network –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    What about Marion Maréchal? Could she take over?

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

    Will the RN benefit from this verdict or lose voters?

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

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

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

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

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

    David Bornstein conducted this interview.

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

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

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Virtru Data Security Platform Achieves StateRAMP Authorization

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WASHINGTON, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Virtru, a leader in data-centric security, today announced its Data Security Platform has achieved StateRAMP Authorization, reaffirming its commitment to providing state government entities with data security tools that integrate seamlessly with existing collaboration suites like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, making it easy to share sensitive data without sacrificing privacy or control.

    StateRAMP, a nationally recognized risk authorization management program, provides a standardized approach to assessing cloud products. Achieving StateRAMP Authorization demonstrates Virtru’s dedication to meeting the highest security and compliance standards, ensuring the trust and confidence of government agencies and organizations.

    Virtru’s solutions allow agencies to enforce Zero Trust security principles by binding encryption, granular access controls, and policy enforcement directly to sensitive data that is commonly shared via email, file, and application workflows. The Virtru Data Security Platform has been vetted by a Third Party Assessment Organization (3PAO) and the StateRAMP Program Management Office. This achievement reflects Virtru’s unwavering mission to deliver a secure and reliable solution that government agencies can rely on to safeguard the sharing of sensitive data.

    “Achieving StateRAMP Authorization represents a major milestone in our ongoing journey partnering with state-level agencies to protect constituent data” said John Ackerly, CEO and Co-Founder of Virtru. “State and local government agencies handle enormous volumes of sensitive data that must be shared in order to serve constituents. We’re proud to provide an efficient, easy-to-use, and cost-effective data security solution to state and local agencies that need to protect information as it inevitably travels to partners and external collaborators.”

    Virtru is currently trusted by 17 state governments nationwide to efficiently secure their most sensitive information — including Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Utah, Colorado, Virginia, and West Virginia. Virtru is also FedRAMP Authorized at the moderate level. The company’s products make it easy for state employees to share sensitive data without sacrificing the security or privacy of information. Virtru products also help IT leaders in state governments maintain compliance with data privacy regulations including CJIS, HIPAA, and other government standards.

    The authorization applies to all Virtru SaaS products, including:

    Virtru for Google Workspace: Protects emails, files, and sensitive data across Google ecosystem.
    Virtru for Microsoft 365: Protects emails, files, and sensitive data across Outlook, OneDrive and SharePoint.
    Virtru Secure Share: Enables simple and secure file sharing leveraging end-to-end encryption for external collaboration.
    Virtru Gateway: Automatically encrypts emails from users and systems, adding a valuable safety net for data in transit.
    Virtru Private Keystore: Offers enhanced privacy controls for agencies requiring heightened security protocols and must keep data inaccessible to cloud providers.

    All of Virtru’s products feature comprehensive audit capabilities that enable administrators to track who has accessed sensitive data and when, with the ability to revoke access instantly if information is shared in error.

    Government agencies and organizations can confidently rely on Virtru’s StateRAMP Authorization to streamline their evaluations, reduce risk, and enhance data security.

    For more information about Virtru and its StateRAMP Authorization, please visit www.virtru.com.

    About Virtru

    Virtru empowers organizations to unlock the power of data while maintaining control wherever it’s stored and shared. Trusted by over 6,000 global customers, Virtru provides simple, powerful solutions for Zero Trust data-centric security, underpinned by the Trusted Data Format (TDF). Learn more at Virtru.com.

    Press Contact

    Nick Michael

    nick.michael@virtru.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Foreign Influence Registration Scheme implementation

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Oral statement to Parliament

    Foreign Influence Registration Scheme implementation

    Government announces the implementation of regulations of Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, specifying Russia under the enhanced tier.

    With permission Madam Deputy Speaker, I will make a statement on the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.

    The Foreign Influence Registration Scheme – or FIRS – is a fundamental component of the National Security Act, which this House passed in 2023.

    The act was a response to the evolving threat of hostile activity from states targeting the UK.

    Parts 1 to 3 of the act came into force in December 2023 and have been transformative for our operational partners, with 6 charges already brought against those conducting activity for, or on behalf of, foreign states acting within the UK.

    A further 5 individuals involved in these cases have been charged with other offences.

    FIRS provides crucial additional powers to protect our democracy, economy and society. It does 3 things:

    First, transparency – FIRS provides transparency of foreign state influence in the UK.

    Second, disruption – FIRS gives the police and MI5 a critical new disruptive tool, with criminal offences for those who fail to comply with the scheme.

    Third, deterrence – FIRS will deter those who seek to harm the UK. They will face a choice – either tell the government about their actions, or face arrest and imprisonment.

    Given the benefits of the scheme, I can tell the House today that FIRS will go live on the 1 July.

    Political tier

    The political influence tier of the scheme, which applies to all states, will allow the UK to be better informed about the nature, scale and extent of foreign influence in the UK’s political system. It will strengthen our resilience against covert foreign influence.

    The political tier requires the registration of arrangements to carry out political influence activities in the UK at the direction of any foreign power.

    Registrations under this tier will, in most cases, be made available on a public register.

    For the first time, members of this House, will now be able to check if anyone seeking to influence them, is doing so at the direction of a foreign power.

    A move which I am sure will be welcomed right across this House.

    Enhanced tier

    The enhanced tier of the scheme has been specifically designed to shed light on activities directed by those foreign powers or entities whose activities pose a threat to the safety and interests of the UK.

    It enables the government to specify those foreign powers who pose the greatest threat to our society to ensure transparency of a much broader range of activities than just the political tier.

    It will provide an important tool for the detection and disruption of harmful activity against our country.

    Last month, I set out our intention to specify Iran under this tier of the scheme.

    And I can announce today that we will also specify Russia under the scheme. 

    Russia presents an acute threat to UK national security. In recent years, its hostile acts have ranged from the use of a deadly nerve agent in Salisbury, espionage, arson and cyber-attacks, including the targeting of UK parliamentarians through spear-phishing campaigns.

    And clearly Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has highlighted its intent to undermine European and global security.

    To ensure we are responding to the whole of state threat Russia poses, the government intends to specify the head of the state of Russia, their government, agencies and authorities – which will include their armed forces, intelligence services and police forces, parliaments and their judiciaries. 

    We also intend to specify several political parties which are controlled by Russia, including the United Russia Party.

    What this means is that any person – either an individual or an entity such as a company – that is carrying out activity as part of any arrangement with those Russian entities will have to register with FIRS. 

    Should any of these foreign power-controlled entities – such as political parties – carry out activity in the UK directly, they would also have to register with FIRS.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, I hope it will be clear what a powerful tool this is.

    Implementing the scheme

    Turning to implementation. It is clear that FIRS has the potential to provide greater protection for our security, our democracy and our economy, but we must get implementation right.

    In support of the scheme, the government has today laid draft regulations specifying Russia and Iran, introducing new exemptions from the scheme and making provision for the publication of information.

    Both this House and the other place will have the opportunity to consider and debate these regulations, under the affirmative procedure. The government has also laid a further set of regulations in relation to the collection and disclosure of information under the scheme.

    To support the consideration of the regulations and to assist potential registrants and others to better understand their responsibilities under the scheme, the government has published comprehensive guidance online.

    By bringing the scheme into force on the 1 July, the government will be giving sectors 3 months’ notice to help them prepare for the scheme. During that time, the government will work closely with the relevant sectors – including academia and business to ensure they understand their obligations. Taken together, this package will ensure that there is strong compliance with the scheme from day one.

    There will also be a 3-month grace period to register existing arrangements.

    I know that right honourable and honourable members on both sides of the chamber recognise the challenges posed to the UK by foreign interference.

    I hope that all members can support these further steps to keep our country safe.

    Of course, as with all national security issues we must stay agile. As I have said, FIRS will be kept under review and any new announcements will be made to the House in the usual away.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, it is our duty to defend the safety and interests of the UK.

    That is why we are commencing FIRS.

    That is why we are introducing greater protections for our democracy.

    And that is why we are clamping down on the threat from states that conduct hostile activities in and against the UK.

    I commend this statement to the House.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    “Happy Sikh Heritage Month!”

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Celebrating International Women’s Day

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    This International Women’s Day, the ACT Public Service (ACTPS) celebrates the theme: ‘Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress’.

    The ACTPS is a diverse, progressive public service within which 64.6 per cent of employees identify as female.

    Women now comprise 56 per cent of the ACTPS Senior Executive Service.

    A record low gender pay gap

    This increased representation of women in leadership has driven the Service’s narrowing gender pay gap over the last year.

    The ACTPS gender pay gap reached a record low of -0.1 per cent in June 2023. The ACT labour force sits at 10 per cent and the national gender pay gap at 13.3 per cent.

    Employee spotlight

    The ACTPS encourages an inclusive culture by acknowledging and showcasing the contributions of all staff.

    Below, five female employees share their thoughts on International Women’s Day, working for the ACTPS and how they’ve seen the gender landscape change at work throughout their careers.

    Rachael Dawes – Senior Director Urban Treescapes

    Urban Treescapes Senior Director Rachael Dawes

    Senior Director Rachael Dawes manages the Urban Treescapes business unit within City Services. Urban Treescapes is tasked with managing and protecting Canberra’s urban trees.

    “I’m incredibly proud to be a woman working in the ACTPS caring for our urban forest, but particularly proud of the positive results of increased gender diversity in the team,” she said.

    “When you have an inclusive environment, understanding and supporting each other, we can combine these diverse skills and lived experiences to respond to the changing conditions and needs of our environment”.

    “There has been significant advancement in ACT urban forest management in recent years with the release of the Urban Forest Strategy and Urban Forest Act, which could not have happened without the vision and drive of the women in our team,” she said.

    A career change led Rachael into forestry, and she urges women beginning their careers to look beyond perceived traditional career options.

    “Explore your networks, ask questions, take chances and follow your interests and see what career path they can lead you down,” she said.

    Arooj Fatima – Customer Service Operator, Access Canberra Contact Centre

    Arooj Fatima of Access Canberra

    Every day, Access Canberra Customer Service Officer Arooj Fatima assists Canberrans via phone.

    From vehicle registration enquiries to Fix My Street requests, Fatima is the first point of contact on many issues.

    First attracted to the role for its flexibility, she brings to it myriad skills including active listening, empathy, patience and problem solving.

    “There needs to be an acknowledgement and inclusion of women in all aspects of society. Women need to be fully included, supported, and empowered in all fields to contribute to a more prosperous future for all,” she said.

    Arooj says she has seen women make significant progress over the course of her career.

    “Women are serving and being valued at all employment levels i.e., manager, team leaders and administrative roles. They are excelling in every field,” she said.

    “I feel immensely proud to be a woman working for the ACTPS because of the respect, value, and recognition that I get. I feel so comfortable with the work environment, work life balance and flexibility. I feel included and appreciated for every little progress that I make. I am provided the opportunity to undertake various training and roles for my professional development,” she said.

    Katie Smith – Principal, Duffy Primary School

    Principal Katie Smith, right, with Deputy Principal Arilia Abell

    Principal Katie Smith leads an all-female leadership team at Duffy Primary.

    “By setting a strong example of supporting women, Deputy Principal Arilia Abell and I work to create a more inclusive and diverse work environment for future generations. Our presence in the school community showcases the importance of investing in women, inspiring both girls and boys to expect equality and inclusivity in their future workplaces,” she said.

    Katie has seen progress in terms of gender equality during her career.

    “One notable advancement is the increased representation of women in leadership roles such as principals and executive roles. Efforts to promote gender equality in education have led to greater recognition of female educators’ contributions and capabilities,” she said.

    This year’s IWD theme resonates with Katie. “It speaks to our commitment to uplifting and supporting the capabilities of all women in our school community, providing opportunities for growth and success,” she said.

    “For young women starting their careers: believe in yourself, set clear goals, seek mentorship, embrace learning, build a supportive network, speak up, prioritise balance, embrace challenges, stay flexible, and stay true to your values and passions.”

    Rebecca Power, Project Director, CIT Woden Campus – Women in Construction advocate

    Project Director Rebecca Power, third from right

    Project Director Rebecca Power works describes her work as “Celebrating gender diversity, equity and inclusion in construction and on Major Projects Canberra construction sites”.

    “In an industry where gender inclusion is still challenging, Major Projects Canberra strives towards our social objectives to encourage and enable women and girls to reach their potential, contribute to innovation and ideas, and be leaders in their individual fields and professions within our industry,” she said.

    “I’m excited by the opportunity to continue to tell women’s stories in our industry, empower women to achieve and grow their careers while opening up mentoring pathways for women who are just beginning their careers, laying the foundations for a brighter future in infrastructure to inspire real progress. I want to continue to advocate for meaningful change and I am committed to this cause.”

    Rebecca advises women in construction to join the NAWIC ACT Mentoring program.

    “It provides guidance and leadership while empowering women to achieve their goals and aspirations in the construction industry,” she said.

    Janet Zagari, Deputy CEO, Canberra Health Services

    Janet Zagari is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Canberra Health Services.

    With 28 years in the health industry under her belt, her focus is on the service’s strategic direction, looking at cross-government priorities, operational planning and commissioning of new services.

    “We know that diversity in the workforce generates better outcomes,” Janet said.

    “Acknowledging the well-documented barriers that women face to participating in employment and the under representation of women in some industries and at senior levels, investing in women to create greater opportunities and genuinely believing that there is a value add to doing so is key to moving organisations forward.”

    She cites increased representation of women graduating from medical school as a pronounced change in Australia.

    “It is useful to stop and look back over the course of your career to think about what has changed, because it is easy to only see how far we still have to go and not to think about how far we have come,” she said.

    “There are more women in traditionally male dominated areas of clinical practice, and better recognition of the value that women bring.”

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    MIL OSI News –

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

    US Senate News:

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: FLG Partners Announces Andrea Persily as Returning Partner

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALO ALTO, Calif., April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FLG Partners, a leading CFO and CEO consulting practice and Board advisory services firm serving over 500 clients from startups to Fortune 100, has announced the election of Andrea Persily as a Partner in the firm.

    Andrea worked as an FLG Partner from 2017 to 2019 before joining one of her clients in a full-time CFO capacity for over six years. “We are thrilled to welcome back Andrea to FLG,” said Managing Partner Jennifer Cho. “Andrea’s outstanding CFO credentials and deep breadth of financial and operational expertise make her a powerful addition to our already substantial bench of CFO expertise.”

    “I am proud to have this opportunity to return to FLG and rejoin this best-in-class team of top-tier CFOs,” shared Ms. Persily. “I look forward to joining my peers in delivering excellence and elevating the growth of our client partners.”

    Ms. Persily has significant experience as a CFO and COO in the Digital Content, Education, FinTech, Health & Wellness sectors. After beginning her career at Smith Barney, Ms. Persily joined Primedia, where she quickly grew to CFO of the Business to Business Group, overseeing strategy, financial planning, and analysis for a $350M division. She was later tapped to lead Prism Business Media (a subsidiary of Primedia) as COO, overseeing 300 employees. Later, as part of her work as CFO and COO of Spafinder Wellness, she led the spin out Booker.com, a SaaS appointment booking product, into a separate entity for which she helped obtain Series A funding. She also served as the Managing Director of WellTech Funding, a seed fund that invested in health and wellness tech startups. In 2017, Ms. Persily joined FLG Partners, bringing significant experience in M&A transactions, organizational design, and re-engineering while focusing on Media, FinTech, SaaS, and Health & Wellness. She joined FLG client Great Minds, a premier K-12 educational publisher, as a full-time CFO for over six years. There, she oversaw Finance, Accounting, Tax, Treasury, Operations, IT, and HR while converting the company’s organizational structure from a nonprofit to a public benefit corporation, setting up its first option plan.

    Ms. Persily holds a BA in Economics from Cornell University and an MBA in Finance/Strategic Management from The Wharton School.

    About FLG Partners
    Founded in 2004, FLG Partners is the leader in CFO solutions and CEO and Board advisory services in Silicon Valley and nationwide. FLG delivers financial and operational leadership to companies ranging from startups to multi-billion-dollar public and private companies across multiple industry sectors from technology, SaaS, life sciences, to consumer products and manufacturing. FLG Partners’ engagements span interim or permanent CFO and C-suite leadership roles, CFO consulting, board directorships, and board advisory and performance consulting. With a cumulative total of over 950 years of CFO experience, FLG partners bring outstanding expertise, independence and objective leadership and industry best practices to clients in business planning and execution; fundraising and financing; SEC reporting, tax and regulatory compliance; mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; and company turnarounds and restructurings. Throughout their careers, FLG’s partners have completed approximately 350 M&A transactions, 200+ IPOs and secondary offerings, 100+ divestiture transactions, and have raised $19 billion in equity and $12 billion in debt for their clients. For more information, visit flgpartners.com.

    Contact information:

    Melanie LoBue
    melanie@voyagercomms.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b3d8cf5d-8daf-4c9a-9220-d852e4733014

    The MIL Network –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Trailer for ‘Adolescence.’

    Children’s minds

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

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

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

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

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

    Ability to weigh options still developing

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

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

    This is precisely the ability that adolescents are still developing.

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

    Virtual selves and threats

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

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

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

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

    Clueless adults, aware teens

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Why dialogue matters

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

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

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

    Open channel needed

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Belgo-British Conference 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    World news story

    Belgo-British Conference 2025

    The biennial conference saw business, academia, government and civil society debate shared challenges in national security, public health and societal cohesion.

    On Tuesday 25 March, the 25th anniversary edition of the Belgo-British conference was hosted by the Belgian FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation at the Egmont Palace.

    Justice Ministers from both the UK and Belgium, Minister Annelies Verlinden and Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede, gave opening remarks on the topic of Belgium and the United Kingdom: Resilient Partners in a Changing World.

    Theo Francken, Minister of Defence and Foreign Trade, gave a closing speech.

    Professor Alexander Mattelaer and Michelle Haas, moderators from the Egmont Institute, and moderator Sir Robin Niblett, from the UK’s Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), facilitated discussions on national security, public health sector, and bridging generational and societal divides from expert speakers including decision-makers from politics, civil society, business and academia from both the UK and Belgium.

    The Belgian Ambassador to the UK, Jeroen Cooreman, and British Ambassador to Belgium, Anne Sherriff, were present.  

    Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden said:

    Since my appointment as Minister of Justice and the North Sea, I have placed particular importance on our bilateral relationship with the United Kingdom.  Our legal challenges transcend borders. The challenges we face whether at sea, against organised crime or in the fight against climate change are complex and interconnected. But Belgium stands ready to lead and to partner with the UK, with our neighbours and with the world.

    Justice Minister Lord Ponsonby said:

    I am delighted to attend the Belgo-British Conference to discuss the important ways our two great nations can co-operate with each other on security, trade, and innovation. In this uncertain world, it is vital that we work closely with our allies, like Belgium, so we are prepared to face current, emerging, and new challenges as one. We have enjoyed a close relationship for many years, and I look forward to our continued co-operation which will help boost security and growth in both our countries and across Europe.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

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

    Source: City of Leicester

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: US policy report rejected

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today said it strongly disapproved of and rejected the untruthful remarks, slanders and smears against various aspects of Hong Kong in the US’ so-called 2025 Hong Kong Policy Act Report, saying it was apparent the report was compiled to serve the political purpose of maintaining US hegemony.

    By piling up false stories and narratives, they were clearly crafted to serve the political interest of the US in order to suppress the development rights and security interests of others, the Hong Kong SAR Government added.

    In a statement, it strongly condemned the wanton slander and political attacks in the report on Hong Kong where the “one country, two systems” principle is successfully implemented.

    “The Hong Kong SAR is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China, and as a local administrative region that enjoys a high degree of autonomy under the principle of “one country, two systems”, comes directly under the jurisdiction of the Central People’s Government.

    “The US once again told fallacies about Hong Kong by replacing the rule of law with political manipulation and confounding right and wrong, and blatantly interfering in Hong Kong affairs which are entirely China’s internal affairs. The US’ attempt to undermine the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong will only expose its slyness and will never succeed.”

    The statement said that the so-called “sanctions” arbitrarily imposed against the officials of the Hong Kong and the central authorities who perform their duties in accordance with the law by the US at the same time as publishing the report smacks of despicable political manipulation to intimidate the relevant officials safeguarding national security.

    “These grossly interfere in China’s internal affairs and Hong Kong affairs, and seriously violate the international law and the basic norms governing international relations. It once again, clearly exposed the US’ barbarity under its hegemony, which is exactly the same as its recent tactics in bullying and coercing various countries and regions.

    “Despising the ‘sanctions’ by the US and not intimidated by such despicable behavior, Hong Kong will resolutely discharge the duty of safeguarding national security, and its government will make every effort to protect the legitimate rights and interests of all personnel.”

    The statement also broke down in detail its solemn rejection of the report’s slandering remarks.

    As repeatedly stressed by the Hong Kong SAR Government, the laws safeguarding national security in Hong Kong are for safeguarding national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity; and ensuring the full and faithful implementation of the principle of “one country, two systems” under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy.

    “The US Government has vilified the Hong Kong SAR’s legislative work, as well as law enforcement agencies, prosecutorial and judicial authorities, in claiming that fulfilment of their duties constituted an ‘erosion of rights and freedoms’.

    “The fact is that the US has been ignoring the non-interference principle under international law, interfering with other countries’ internal affairs, grooming agents, instigating ‘colour revolutions’, and even creating social unrest and multiple humanitarian disasters through economic and military coercion, causing suffering to people in many countries.”

    Referring to the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL) and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO), the statement noted that they have an extraterritorial effect.

    As the law enforcement department of Hong Kong safeguarding national security, Police are duty bound to pursue the liability of those who have allegedly endangered national security overseas, and those absconders hiding in the US and other Western countries are wanted because they continue to blatantly engage in activities endangering national security.

    Police are duty bound to put the persons concerned on the wanted list in accordance with the law, and it is necessary to take all lawful measures, including the measures specified under section 89 of the SNSO, to strongly combat the acts of abscondment, and such action is fully justified, necessary and legitimate.

    “The extraterritorial effect for the laws safeguarding national security fully aligns with the principles of international law, international practice and common practice adopted in various countries and regions. Quite a number of countries would also impose similar measures on wanted criminals, including cancellation of passports.”

    As regards the electoral system, the statement pointed out that the improved electoral system puts in place legal safeguards to ensure the full implementation of “patriots administering Hong Kong”.

    Noting that keeping political power in the hands of patriots is a political rule commonly adopted around the world, it said that regardless of one’s background in Hong Kong, whoever meets the requirements and criteria of patriots can participate in elections in accordance with the law and serve the public by entering into the governance structure after getting elected.

    Additionally, reforming District Councils (DCs) is an important part of improving district governance, and the DCs have returned to their rightful positioning under Article 97 of the Basic Law as advisory and service bodies that are not organs of political power, and the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong” has been fully implemented, which is of great significance.

    The statement highlighted that the Hong Kong SAR Government safeguards independent judicial power and fully supports the Judiciary in exercising its judicial power independently, safeguarding the due administration of justice and the rule of law.

    The Court of Appeal in an important judgment decided in May 2024 that there are at least three areas where the court would make judgment while giving the executive deference on assessment on national security: first, where a fundamental right of the person affected by the measure is engaged; second, where the requirement of a fair trial is in issue; and third, where the question of open justice is raised.

    The vilification of the US against Hong Kong that the executive influences how the court should interpret laws’ goes completely against the fact, the statement said.

    Saying that all cases concerning offences endangering national security will be handled by the prosecution and judicial authorities of Hong Kong in a fair and timely manner in strict compliance with Article 42(1) of the HKNSL, the statement added that so-called ‘indefinite detention’ does not exist at all.

    “The US’ detention against an individual whom it sees as a ‘terrorist’ for up to 20 years without charge is the real ‘indefinite detention’.” 

    The statement emphasised that the Hong Kong SAR Government steadfastly safeguards the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong people as protected under the law, noting that since Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, human rights in the city have always been robustly guaranteed constitutionally by both the Constitution and the Basic Law.

    The HKNSL and the SNSO also clearly stipulate that human rights shall be respected and protected in safeguarding national security in Hong Kong, and that the rights and freedoms its residents enjoy under the Basic Law and the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social & Cultural Rights as applied to Hong Kong, shall be protected in accordance with the law.

    Just as the case with other places in the world, such rights and freedoms are not absolute. The ICCPR also expressly states that some of them may be subject to restrictions as prescribed by law that are necessary for protection of national security, public safety, public order or the rights and freedoms of others, etc.

    Regarding national education, the statement stressed that it is an important part of the curricula for primary and secondary schools as well as kindergartens with a view to deepening Hong Kong students’ understanding of the country’s national affairs, history and culture, the Constitution and the Basic Law as well as national security.

    “Implementation of national education, including national security education, is the legitimate duty of education authorities all over the world.

    “Different places attach great importance to implementing national security education and developing their students’ sense of national identity, including knowledge of their respective constitution, their own history, culture, geography, etc.”

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Nigeria’s illegal gold trade – elites and bandits are working together

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Oluwole Ojewale, Research Fellow, Obafemi Awolowo University, Regional Coordinator, Institute for Security Studies

    Illegal mining activities in Nigeria are devastating the country’s economy, as well as fuelling violence.

    Strategic minerals mined in the country’s north-west region include granite, gypsum, kaolin, laterite, limestone, phosphate, potash, silica sand and gold.

    The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative has estimated that the legal mining sector contributed N814.59 billion (US$527 million) in 15 years. Earnings were highest in 2021.

    Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, asserted in late 2024 that powerful individuals engaged in illegal mining were sponsoring banditry in the country. Recently, Edo North senator Adams Oshiomhole also alleged that retired military officers coordinated illegal mining activities nationwide.

    In a recent paper I examined the links between banditry, gold mining, violence and elite collusion in two states in the north-west of Nigeria.

    My research involved qualitative interviews with 17 respondents from 11 gold mining communities of Katsina and Zamfara states. The individuals included miners, community leaders, commercial drivers, residents and security agents.

    They told me that bandits colluded with elites to engage in illegal gold mining and undermine peace. The paper also analysed how the elites weaponised access to mineral resources and the impact this had on violence in the region. I looked at the state’s response to illegal gold mining too and offered some reflections on pathways to durable peace.

    The history

    My study shows that for more than four decades, gold mining has been done by wealthy and influential people in communities. Intense competition between the owners of the mine fields led them to hire bandits to guard their mine fields from their competitors.

    This pattern has become entrenched over the past two decades. My study shows that minefield owners today provide bandits with weapons, arms, drugs, food and logistics. In return, the armed groups protect their gold pits.

    A number of the wealthy mine owners wield influence in local politics. Some research participants also said there were miners who were working for politicians and traditional rulers and that a number of politicians had acquired gold mines.

    Interviewees also said that some individuals were employed by influential figures in government or business. They however did not mention names of the influential government figures for safety reasons.

    Violence arises from competition over mining locations, funding of armed groups’ activities, and taking control from civilians.

    With access to funds, bandits can expand their influence, recruit new members and carry out attacks.

    According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data I drew on, 1,615 incidents and 4,201 deaths were recorded due to banditry from 2010 to 2023 in Katsina and Zamfara states.

    Map of Nigeria showing Katsina and Zamfara states. Source: Authors’ design through Google earth software

    How it works

    Generally, gold trading in Nigeria occurs within a network of buyers, sellers and brokers, forming a small ecosystem compared to other commodities. Most participants in the gold market are familiar with each other.

    My study respondents said criminals involved in illegal mining had strong connections in the gold market, both domestically and internationally. The transnational supply chain of the illicit economy extends through Chad, Niger, Libya and Algeria.

    Foreign networks also operate in the criminal supply chain.

    Bandits sell gold to gold merchants and traders. Some of these traders are business elites from other states in Nigeria who typically sell the gold in the Diffa region in Chad, or in Agadez (Niger), Tripoli (Libya) and Algiers (Algeria). Some gold traders transport the mineral to Benin.

    What can be done

    The government’s handling of the illicit gold trade and banditry has consistently fallen short of what is needed. This is clear from the government’s failure to adequately monitor the actions of miners.

    Mining sites are supposed to be overseen by the government, ensuring that only licensed miners and ancillary service providers are active there. But this isn’t happening.

    Based on my findings, I make the following recommendations if there is to be a lasting solution to banditry and the criminal gold mining economy in Nigeria’s north-west.

    Firstly, it requires enforcing the law and strengthening accountability.

    Large areas of north-west Nigeria are ungoverned. The federal government should enhance border policing and law enforcement capabilities by upgrading security and intelligence gathering infrastructure.

    Nigeria should also introduce advanced contraband-detection technologies, such as spectroscopy, at land borders. These techniques analyse the chemical composition of materials. They can identify specific substances and detect trace amounts of contraband.

    And individuals with ties to illegal gold trade and supporting criminal activities must be identified, apprehended and prosecuted.

    Secondly, it requires reforming the gold mining and security sector. The mainstay of Nigeria’s economy is oil production in the country’s Niger Delta. One of the consequences is that other sectors of the economy have been largely neglected. The mining sector is not well regulated and the state doesn’t show much interest in it.

    Thirdly, any steps taken by the government must involve the participation of people living in the affected communities. The security agencies can foster community partnerships to source human intelligence on the activities of bandits, illegal miners and mineral smugglers.

    Lastly, the government should consider tackling elite collusion through targeted sanctions and asset freezing. This could disrupt their ability to finance and perpetuate violence.

    This approach has been used in Nigeria and in South Africa, among other countries in the world.

    – Nigeria’s illegal gold trade – elites and bandits are working together
    – https://theconversation.com/nigerias-illegal-gold-trade-elites-and-bandits-are-working-together-250169

    MIL OSI Africa –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Grappling with informality

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

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

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

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

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

    The history of the urban modernity myth

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Economic exceptionalism

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

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

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

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

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

    The present

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: [UPDATED TIME] – MIFFLIN COUNTY – Governor Shapiro, Secretary Redding to Highlight Efforts to Support Pennsylvania Farmers and Agricultural Innovation in the Face of Economic Uncertainty

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    April 01, 2025 – Reedsville, PA

    ADVISORY – [UPDATED TIME] – MIFFLIN COUNTY – Governor Shapiro, Secretary Redding to Highlight Efforts to Support Pennsylvania Farmers and Agricultural Innovation in the Face of Economic Uncertainty

    Governor Josh Shapiro and Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding will visit Metzler Forest Products in Mifflin County for an announcement on the Administration’s action to support agricultural innovation and discuss how we are standing up for farmers across the Commonwealth. This announcement comes amid growing uncertainty for Pennsylvania farmers and businesses as a result of the tariffs enacted by the federal government.

    Last week, Governor Shapiro and Secretary Redding announced that his Administration is appealing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s unlawful termination of the Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program, which provides funds to Pennsylvania’s farmers who supply local food banks with fresh produce.

    WHO:
    Governor Josh Shapiro
    Secretary Russell Redding, Department of Agriculture
    Kevin Kodish, Mifflin County Commissioner
    Nate Metzler, General Manager of Metzler Forest Products
    Stephanie Phillips-Taggart, Executive Director of Keystone Wood Products Association
    Nick Gilson, Founder and CEO of Gilson Snow

    WHEN:
    Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 12:30 PM
    *This is an updated time.

    WHERE:
    Metzler Forest Products
    26 Timber Lane
    Reedsville, PA 17084
    LIVE STREAM:
    pacast.com/live/gov
    governor.pa.gov/live/

    RSVP:
    Press who are interested in attending must RSVP with the names and phone numbers for each member of their team to ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Y Canghellor yn darparu diogelwch ac adnewyddiad cenedlaethol i Gymru

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Press release

    Y Canghellor yn darparu diogelwch ac adnewyddiad cenedlaethol i Gymru

    Mae’r Canghellor yn addo creu “cyfnod newydd o ddiogelwch ac adnewyddiad cenedlaethol” wrth iddi gyflwyno Datganiad y Gwanwyn i hybu twf economaidd.

    • Mae’r Canghellor yn addo creu “cyfnod newydd o ddiogelwch ac adnewyddiad cenedlaethol” wrth iddi gyflwyno Datganiad y Gwanwyn i hybu twf economaidd, diogelu pobl sy’n gweithio a chadw Prydain yn ddiogel.
    • Ar gyfartaledd, bydd pobl ledled y DU £500 y flwyddyn yn well eu byd erbyn diwedd tymor y senedd hon o’u cymharu ag o dan y llywodraeth flaenorol, gan roi mwy o arian ym mhocedi pobl.
    • Mae twf wrth galon y Cynllun ar gyfer Newid, a gall Prydain ddechrau adeiladu diolch i’r dyraniad gwariant cyfalaf ychwanegol gwerth £13 biliwn, ochr yn ochr â £2.2 biliwn o gyllid ar gyfer amddiffyn y flwyddyn nesaf.

    Ar gyfartaledd, bydd pobl ledled y DU £500 yn well eu byd o 2029, o’i gymharu â rhagolwg yr hydref yr OBR, gan helpu i gyflawni’r Cynllun ar gyfer Newid, wrth i’r Canghellor gyhoeddi Ddatganiad y Gwanwyn heddiw (dydd Mercher 26 Mawrth) sy’n manteisio ar y cyfleoedd sydd ar gael mewn byd sy’n newid.

    Cadarnhaodd yr OBR hefyd fod disgwyl i economi’r DU dyfu’n gyflymach na’r disgwyl o 2026 ymlaen ac y bydd yn uwch na’r hyn a nodwyd yn eu rhagolwg yr hydref erbyn 2029 – gan godi i 9.5% o’i gymharu â 9.2%.

    Nododd y Canghellor sut mae’r llywodraeth yn gwarchod diogelwch gwladol ac yn manteisio i’r eithaf ar botensial sector amddiffyn y DU ar gyfer twf drwy gadarnhau y bydd cynnydd o £2.2 biliwn yng nghyllideb amddiffyn y DU gyfan yn 2025-26.

    Mae Datganiad y Gwanwyn yn cyflawni cynlluniau gwariant Llywodraeth y DU sy’n canolbwyntio ar ei hamcanion craidd, sef dod â sicrwydd a sefydlogrwydd i bobl sy’n gweithio ledled y DU.

    Mae’n dilyn y Gyllideb yn yr hydref lle cyhoeddodd y Canghellor y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn cael setliad o £21 biliwn yn 2025/26 – y mwyaf mewn termau real yn hanes datganoli. Mae hyn yn cynnwys £1.7 biliwn yn ychwanegol drwy fformiwla Barnett, gyda £1.5 biliwn ar gyfer gwariant o ddydd i ddydd a £250 miliwn ar gyfer buddsoddiad cyfalaf.

    Mae’r mesurau a gymerwyd heddiw yn golygu cynnydd pellach o £16 miliwn drwy symiau canlyniadol o dan Barnett yn 2025/26. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i gael dros 2.0% yn fwy y pen na gwariant cyfatebol Llywodraeth y DU yng ngweddill y DU, sy’n golygu £4 biliwn yn fwy yn 2025-26.

    Bydd cyllid grant bloc Llywodraeth Cymru o 2026-27 ymlaen yn cael ei gadarnhau yng Ngham 2 yr Adolygiad o Wariant, sy’n dod i ben ar 11 Mehefin 2025. Bydd Prif Ysgrifennydd y Trysorlys yn cwrdd â’i gymheiriaid o’r llywodraethau datganoledig i drafod eu blaenoriaethau cyn i’r adolygiad gael ei gwblhau.

    Dywedodd Jo Stevens, Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru:

    Mae Datganiad y Gwanwyn heddiw yn mynd ymhellach ac yn mynd ati’n gyflymach i sicrhau twf economaidd, diogelwch cenedlaethol ac adnewyddu ledled Cymru a gweddill y DU.

    Drwy gywiro sylfeini ein heconomi, rydyn ni eisoes wedi dechrau cyflawni’r newid y pleidleisiodd pobl Cymru drosto naw mis yn ôl.

    Mae’r £16 miliwn sydd ar gael heddiw drwy Fformiwla Barnett yn ychwanegol at y setliad mwyaf erioed gwerth £21 biliwn a gyhoeddwyd ar gyfer Llywodraeth Cymru yng Nghyllideb yr Hydref diwethaf, gan roi hwb i wariant ar wasanaethau cyhoeddus fel y GIG, ac mae rhestr aros eisoes wedi bod yn disgyn yng Nghymru.

    Rydym wedi gwneud yn siŵr na fydd unrhyw deulu yng Nghymru’n talu ceiniog yn fwy o dreth yn eu cyflogau ac rydym wedi codi’r isafswm cyflog a’r cyflog byw i hyd at 140,000 o weithwyr yng Nghymru.

    Rydyn ni’n creu degau o filoedd o swyddi newydd drwy Barthau Buddsoddi Cymru, Porthladdoedd Rhydd a drwy brosiectau twf lleol a mewnfuddsoddi. Bydd buddsoddiad heddiw mewn amddiffyn hefyd yn rhoi hwb i’r diwydiant yng Nghymru. Ac rydyn ni wedi darparu bargen well i weithwyr dur Cymru ac, am y tro cyntaf, £25m i gadw tomennydd glo Cymru’n ddiogel.

    Mae’r Datganiad y Gwanwyn hwn yn rhoi hwb i dwf economaidd, yn amddiffyn pobl sy’n gweithio ac yn cadw ein gwlad yn ddiogel.”  

    Amddiffyn

    Rydym yn mynd ymhellach ac yn mynd ati’n gyflymach i warchod ein diogelwch gwladol a manteisio i’r eithaf ar y potensial o dwf economaidd yn sector amddiffyn y DU.

    • Rydym yn cynyddu’r gyllideb amddiffyn o £2.2 biliwn yn 2025-26, gan gynyddu’r gwariant ychwanegol ar amddiffyn i fwy na £5 biliwn ers Cyllideb yr Hydref.
    • Mae hyn yn codi gwariant ar amddiffyn i 2.36% y flwyddyn nesaf a bydd yn cael ei fuddsoddi mewn gosod Arfau Ynni Cyfeiriedig ar longau’r Llynges Frenhinol bum mlynedd yn gynt na’r disgwyl, darparu cartrefi gwell i deuluoedd milwrol a moderneiddio Safle Llynges Ei Fawrhydi yn Portsmouth.
    • Neilltuwyd isafswm o 10 y cant ar gyfer gwariant ar gyfarpar gyda thechnolegau datblygol fel dronau a systemau awtonomaidd, technolegau â defnydd deuol, a galluoedd a bwerir gan ddeallusrwydd artiffisial, fel bod gan filwyr Prydain yr adnoddau sydd eu hangen arnynt i ymladd ac ennill mewn rhyfeloedd modern.
    • Rhoi’r dechnoleg newydd hon yn nwylo ein lluoedd arfog yn gyflymach drwy leihau biwrocratiaeth, gydag uned newydd Arloesi Amddiffyn y DU yn y Weinyddiaeth Amddiffyn yn arwain ymdrechion i ddod o hyd i dechnoleg addawol a sicrhau bod y rhain yn cyrraedd y rheng flaen yn gyflym, gan gryfhau sector technoleg y DU a chynyddu buddsoddiad preifat.
    • Creu prosesau caffael pwrpasol ar gyfer gwahanol fathau o offer milwrol, gan ddysgu gwersi o’n cefnogaeth gyflym i Wcráin i gymell targedau amser cyflymach ar gyfer rhoi tanciau, awyrennau ac offer hanfodol eraill newydd ar waith ar gyfer rhyfela modern.
    • Mae’r llywodraeth hon yn benderfynol o drawsnewid y sector amddiffyn i fod yn beiriant ar gyfer twf drwy ganolbwyntio’r buddsoddiad hwn ar y meysydd hynny sy’n rhoi hwb i gapasiti cynhyrchiol yr economi, fel buddsoddi mewn arloesi a thechnolegau newydd. O ganlyniad i’r cynnydd mewn gwariant ar amddiffyn i 2.5%, mae’r llywodraeth yn amcangyfrif y gallai hyn arwain at GDP o tua 0.3% yn uwch yn y tymor hir, sy’n cyfateb i tua £11 biliwn o GDP yn arian heddiw.
    • Bydd buddsoddiad y llywodraeth mewn amddiffyn hefyd yn cefnogi ei chenhadaeth fwyaf blaenllaw, sef sicrhau twf economaidd. Bydd dinasyddion y DU yn cael eu diogelu rhag bygythiadau gartref ar yr un pryd â chreu amgylchedd sefydlog lle gall busnesau ffynnu, a chefnogi prentisiaethau a swyddi medrus iawn ledled y DU.
    Twf

    Hybu twf economaidd yw prif genhadaeth Llywodraeth y DU, er mwyn i ni allu rhoi mwy o arian ym mhocedi pobl sy’n gweithio ar draws pob rhan o’r DU.

    Mae Llywodraeth y DU eisoes wedi gwneud cynnydd sylweddol yn y cynllun hwn ar gyfer twf yng Nghymru, gan gynnwys cadarnhau ffocws Parth Buddsoddi Wrecsam a Sir y Fflint ar weithgynhyrchu uwch i ddenu gwerth £1 biliwn o fuddsoddiad a chreu hyd at 6,000 o swyddi; a £1.5 biliwn o fuddsoddiad uniongyrchol gan Lywodraeth y DU mewn prosiectau sy’n cefnogi twf ledled Cymru.

    Mae Llywodraeth y DU yn gadarn ei chefnogaeth i’r cymunedau dur. Drwy Fwrdd Pontio Tata Steel Port Talbot, mae’n darparu gwerth £80 miliwn i helpu gweithwyr, y gadwyn gyflenwi, busnesau lleol ac adfywio. 

    Bydd gweithredoedd y llywodraeth hon drwy gydol Cyllideb yr Hydref a Datganiad y Gwanwyn, os cânt eu cynnal, yn arwain at gynnydd o 0.6% yn lefel y GDP go iawn erbyn 2034-25.

    Daeth yr OBR i’r casgliad bod y rheol sefydlogrwydd yn cael ei bodloni o £9.9 biliwn a bod y rheol buddsoddi yn cael ei bodloni o £15.1 biliwn. Mae’r ddwy reol yn cael eu bodloni ddwy flynedd yn gynnar, sy’n golygu mai dim ond benthyca ar gyfer buddsoddi y mae’r llywodraeth o 2027-28 ymlaen ac mae’r ddyled ariannol net yn gostwng.

    Nid yw’r llywodraeth yn fodlon â ffigurau twf tymor byr, ac mae’n mynd ymhellach ac yn mynd ati’n gyflymach heddiw i wella hyn.

    Mae’r Canghellor wedi cyhoeddi buddsoddiad cyfalaf pellach o £13 biliwn dros oes y Senedd er mwyn mynd ymhellach o ran twf, ac mae hynny’n ychwanegol at y cynnydd o £100 biliwn a gyhoeddwyd yng Nghyllideb yr Hydref. Bydd hyn yn cyflawni’r prosiectau sydd eu hangen i ysgogi buddsoddiad preifat, hybu twf ac yn gwthio strategaeth ddiwydiannol fodern y DU yn ei blaen.

    Gyda’i gilydd, mae’r buddsoddiad cyfalaf ychwanegol hwn yn gwrthbwyso’r arbedion bach ar wariant o ddydd i ddydd ac yn golygu y bydd cyfanswm gwariant adrannol yn cynyddu dros y pum mlynedd nesaf, o’i gymharu â’r cynlluniau yn yr hydref.

    Diwygio

    Mae Llywodraeth y DU yn benderfynol o wneud y sector cyhoeddus yn fwy cynhyrchiol ac o wella gwasanaethau ar gyfer pobl sy’n gweithio. Ond mewn byd sy’n newid, mae angen i ni fynd ymhellach a mynd ati’n gyflymach i sicrhau ein bod yn gallu darparu’r gwasanaethau cyhoeddus y mae pobl sy’n gweithio yn poeni fwyaf amdanynt.

    Mae’r llywodraeth wedi dangos ei hymrwymiad i wneud y penderfyniadau anodd sydd eu hangen i sbarduno effeithlonrwydd a diwygio’r wladwriaeth – lleihau aneffeithlonrwydd a dyblygu biwrocrataidd; a rhoi diwedd ar wariant gwastraffus gan y llywodraeth drwy ganslo miloedd o gardiau credyd y llywodraeth.

    Mae cael mwy o bobl i mewn i swyddi hefyd yn ganolog i genhadaeth y llywodraeth o ran twf. Mae’r system les hon wedi methu ac yn siomi pobl drwy ofyn iddynt brofi’r hyn na allant ei wneud, yn hytrach na chanolbwyntio ar yr hyn y gallent ei wneud gyda’r cymorth iawn – mae’n caethiwo pobl oherwydd bod ofn arnynt roi cynnig ar waith, ac oherwydd diffyg cefnogaeth a chymhellion ariannol gwael.

    Bydd y system nawdd cymdeithasol bob amser yn gwarchod y rhai hynny na allant fyth weithio, a dyna pam y mae’r llywodraeth hon yn cynnig premiwm ychwanegol a fydd yn diogelu eu hincwm. A bydd yn dod â diwedd i’r drefn o ailasesu pobl sydd â’r cyflyrau gydol oes mwyaf difrifol i roi urddas a sicrwydd iddynt.

    Helpu mwy o bobl i gael gwaith yw un o nodau canolog y diwygiadau hyn, a dyna pam mae’r llywodraeth yn mynd i’r afael â chymhellion i fod yn segur drwy ddiddymu’r WCA, ail-gydbwyso Credyd Cynhwysol, a buddsoddi mwy mewn cymorth cyflogaeth.

    Byddwn bob amser yn cefnogi’r rheini sydd â chyflyrau iechyd tymor hir drwy’r Taliad Annibyniaeth Bersonol, a fydd yn parhau i fod yn fudd-dal pwysig nad yw’n seiliedig ar brawf modd ar gyfer pobl anabl a phobl sydd â chyflyrau iechyd tymor hir.  Ond bydd y diwygiadau hyn yn gwneud y system yn fwy penodol a chynaliadwy er mwyn sicrhau bod rhwyd ddiogelwch ar gael i’r rheini sydd ei hangen fwyaf.

    Mae’r Canghellor wedi cadarnhau y byddwn yn creu Cronfa Trawsnewid gwerth £3.25 biliwn i gefnogi’r gwaith sylfaenol o ddiwygio gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, manteisio ar gyfleoedd technoleg ddigidol a Deallusrwydd Artiffisial (AI), a thrawsnewid darpariaeth rheng flaen i ryddhau arbedion i drethdalwyr yn y tymor hir.

    Cyhoeddodd y Canghellor hefyd becyn o fesurau i gau’r bwlch treth, gan godi £1 biliwn y flwyddyn erbyn 2029-30. Amcangyfrifwyd fod bwlch treth y DU yn tua £40 biliwn yn 2022-23.

    Edrych Ymlaen

    Mae Datganiad y Gwanwyn yn adeiladu ar Gyllideb yr Hydref a’r penderfyniadau a wnaed ers hynny i sicrhau sefydlogrwydd i economi Prydain a sbarduno twf economaidd.

    Bydd y llywodraeth yn nodi ei chynlluniau ar gyfer gwariant a diwygiadau allweddol i’r sector cyhoeddus yn yr Adolygiad o Wariant a fydd yn dod i ben ar 11 Mehefin 2025.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Nigeria’s illegal gold trade – elites and bandits are working together

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Oluwole Ojewale, Research Fellow, Obafemi Awolowo University, Regional Coordinator, Institute for Security Studies

    Illegal mining activities in Nigeria are devastating the country’s economy, as well as fuelling violence.

    Strategic minerals mined in the country’s north-west region include granite, gypsum, kaolin, laterite, limestone, phosphate, potash, silica sand and gold.

    The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative has estimated that the legal mining sector contributed N814.59 billion (US$527 million) in 15 years. Earnings were highest in 2021.

    Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, asserted in late 2024 that powerful individuals engaged in illegal mining were sponsoring banditry in the country. Recently, Edo North senator Adams Oshiomhole also alleged that retired military officers coordinated illegal mining activities nationwide.

    In a recent paper I examined the links between banditry, gold mining, violence and elite collusion in two states in the north-west of Nigeria.

    My research involved qualitative interviews with 17 respondents from 11 gold mining communities of Katsina and Zamfara states. The individuals included miners, community leaders, commercial drivers, residents and security agents.

    They told me that bandits colluded with elites to engage in illegal gold mining and undermine peace. The paper also analysed how the elites weaponised access to mineral resources and the impact this had on violence in the region. I looked at the state’s response to illegal gold mining too and offered some reflections on pathways to durable peace.

    The history

    My study shows that for more than four decades, gold mining has been done by wealthy and influential people in communities. Intense competition between the owners of the mine fields led them to hire bandits to guard their mine fields from their competitors.

    This pattern has become entrenched over the past two decades. My study shows that minefield owners today provide bandits with weapons, arms, drugs, food and logistics. In return, the armed groups protect their gold pits.

    A number of the wealthy mine owners wield influence in local politics. Some research participants also said there were miners who were working for politicians and traditional rulers and that a number of politicians had acquired gold mines.

    Interviewees also said that some individuals were employed by influential figures in government or business. They however did not mention names of the influential government figures for safety reasons.

    Violence arises from competition over mining locations, funding of armed groups’ activities, and taking control from civilians.

    With access to funds, bandits can expand their influence, recruit new members and carry out attacks.

    According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data I drew on, 1,615 incidents and 4,201 deaths were recorded due to banditry from 2010 to 2023 in Katsina and Zamfara states.

    How it works

    Generally, gold trading in Nigeria occurs within a network of buyers, sellers and brokers, forming a small ecosystem compared to other commodities. Most participants in the gold market are familiar with each other.

    My study respondents said criminals involved in illegal mining had strong connections in the gold market, both domestically and internationally. The transnational supply chain of the illicit economy extends through Chad, Niger, Libya and Algeria.

    Foreign networks also operate in the criminal supply chain.

    Bandits sell gold to gold merchants and traders. Some of these traders are business elites from other states in Nigeria who typically sell the gold in the Diffa region in Chad, or in Agadez (Niger), Tripoli (Libya) and Algiers (Algeria). Some gold traders transport the mineral to Benin.

    What can be done

    The government’s handling of the illicit gold trade and banditry has consistently fallen short of what is needed. This is clear from the government’s failure to adequately monitor the actions of miners.

    Mining sites are supposed to be overseen by the government, ensuring that only licensed miners and ancillary service providers are active there. But this isn’t happening.

    Based on my findings, I make the following recommendations if there is to be a lasting solution to banditry and the criminal gold mining economy in Nigeria’s north-west.

    Firstly, it requires enforcing the law and strengthening accountability.

    Large areas of north-west Nigeria are ungoverned. The federal government should enhance border policing and law enforcement capabilities by upgrading security and intelligence gathering infrastructure.

    Nigeria should also introduce advanced contraband-detection technologies, such as spectroscopy, at land borders. These techniques analyse the chemical composition of materials. They can identify specific substances and detect trace amounts of contraband.

    And individuals with ties to illegal gold trade and supporting criminal activities must be identified, apprehended and prosecuted.

    Secondly, it requires reforming the gold mining and security sector. The mainstay of Nigeria’s economy is oil production in the country’s Niger Delta. One of the consequences is that other sectors of the economy have been largely neglected. The mining sector is not well regulated and the state doesn’t show much interest in it.

    Thirdly, any steps taken by the government must involve the participation of people living in the affected communities. The security agencies can foster community partnerships to source human intelligence on the activities of bandits, illegal miners and mineral smugglers.

    Lastly, the government should consider tackling elite collusion through targeted sanctions and asset freezing. This could disrupt their ability to finance and perpetuate violence.

    This approach has been used in Nigeria and in South Africa, among other countries in the world.

    Oluwole Ojewale 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. Nigeria’s illegal gold trade – elites and bandits are working together – https://theconversation.com/nigerias-illegal-gold-trade-elites-and-bandits-are-working-together-250169

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –