NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Security: Middlesex County Man Charged for Making False Statement About Terrorist Organization Association on U.S. Citizenship Application

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

    NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury in the District of New Jersey returned a two-count indictment against a New Jersey man for falsely stating on an application for naturalization that he had never been associated with a terrorist organization, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced. 

    Gafur Abdudzhamilovich Aliev, 44, of Edison, New Jersey, is charged with one count of making a false statement on an application for naturalization and one count of perjury. Aliev is scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor via videoconference. 

    According to the indictment, between in or around January 2018 and in or around January 2020, Aliev was a moderator and/or member of numerous channels on a social media application with encryption features that targeted members, associates, supporters, and potential recruits of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (“ISIS”).  On or about August 7, 2020, Aliev told Individual-1, in substance, that he previously sent money to ISIS for the purchase of weapons, and on or about August 16, 2020, Aliev additionally told Individual-1, in substance, that sending even a small amount of money ($100 to $400) to ISIS was “ok.”  On or about September 28, 2020, Aliev further told Individual-1, in substance, that those who commit jihad in the name of Allah should commit jihad financially and physically and that without financial support, jihad could not be performed, as money was needed to purchase equipment to conduct jihad.

    On or about December 26, 2020, Aliev, under penalty of perjury, falsely stated in his application for naturalization that he had never been a member of, or in any way associated with, a terrorist organization.

    The false statement on a naturalization application count carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  The perjury count carries a maximum potential penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

    U.S. Attorney Giordano credited special agents of the FBI and task force officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, deportation officers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Field Office Director John Tsoukaris, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, and the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas Bryan, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanks U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for its assistance with the case. 

    The government is represented by Joyce M. Malliet, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Unit, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.

    The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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    Defense counsel: Naz Ahmad, Esq.

                               Linda Foster, AFPD, Esq.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Congressman Dan Goldman Reiterates Continued Warnings About Trump’s Third-Term Ambitions

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    Goldman Introduced Resolution in November Reaffirming 22nd Amendment’s Clear Prohibition on Third Trump Term 

      

    Read Goldman’s Statement on Most Recent Trump Comments Here 
    Washington, DC – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) once again condemned Trump’s most recent comment alluding to a third term in office, where he stated unequivocally that he was ‘not joking’ about running for a third term. Back in November, Congressman Goldman saw Trump’s ‘jokes’ for what they were – trial balloons. In response, Goldman introduced a House Resolution urging his congressional colleagues to reaffirm the 22nd Amendment’s plain prohibition on any president serving beyond two elected terms in office. 

    With Trump now openly planning his fourth presidential run, Goldman’s urgent call for people to take Trump’s comments seriously is more relevant than ever. 

    March 31, 2025 

    Amending the constitution to run again would require 2/3rds approval by Congress and ratification by 38 states. Democrats are sounding the alarm. 

     

    Congressman Dan Goldman saying, ‘this is yet another escalation in his clear effort to take over the government and dismantle our democracy.’ 

    New York Times: As Trump Refers to Third Term, Democrat Wants to Leave No Constitutional Loophole 

    November 13, 2024 

     

    Mr. Goldman’s resolution is an early indication of how Democrats may try to hold Mr. Trump accountable and defend democratic institutions with Republicans headed toward full control of Congress and few guardrails remaining to rein him in. Introducing the measure allows Mr. Goldman to draw public attention to Mr. Trump’s statements, which he calls “anti-democratic and authoritarian. 

    CBS News: Trump says he’s looking for ways to serve a third term as president 

    March 30, 2025 

     

    “This is yet another escalation in his clear effort to take over the government and dismantle our democracy,” said a statement from Rep. Daniel Goldman, a New York Democrat who served as lead counsel for Trump’s first impeachment. “If Congressional Republicans believe in the Constitution, they will go on the record opposing Trump’s ambitions for a third term.” 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement From Congressman Dan Goldman on Trump’s Latest Indication That He Will Attempt to Seek a Third Term

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    New York, NY – Congressman Dan Goldman today released the following statement after Donald Trump told NBC’s Kristen Welker that he was in fact ‘not joking’ about attempting to serve a third term as President.

    “As I said in November, Donald Trump was never joking about trying to serve an unconstitutional third term, which he confirmed today.

    “This is yet another escalation in his clear effort to take over the government and dismantle our democracy.

    “If Congressional Republicans believe in the Constitution, they will go on the record opposing Trump’s ambitions for a third term.”

     

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ciscomani Ranked Most Effective Lawmaker from Arizona in the 118th Congress

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Juan Ciscomani (Arizona)

    “I was sent to Congress by my constituents to deliver common sense, lasting results for the people of Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, and that is exactly what I’m doing.”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani was one of the most effective members of the House of Representatives during his first term in the 118th Congress, according to new report by the nonpartisan Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL). 

    The two-term congressman from Tucson was the most effective member of Arizona’s Congressional delegation, the 15th most effective lawmaker in the House, and ranked third amongst Freshman Representatives “Exceeding Expectations”. 

    “It’s about getting the job done,” said Ciscomani, who serves on the House Appropriations and House Veterans’ Affairs committees. “I was sent to Congress by my constituents to deliver common sense, lasting results for the people of Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, and that is exactly what I’m doing. Being recognized as one of the most effective lawmakers in the House during my freshman term is an honor and a reflection of that mission.” 

    The Center for Effective Lawmaking is a joint partnership between the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy in the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University. In announcing the report on March 27, Vanderbilt noted that the most effective lawmakers “were able to find ways to get their initiatives passed into law despite deep political disruptions in 2023 and 2024, and despite widespread public perception of gridlock in the nation’s Capitol.” 

    Ciscomani credited a “don’t take no for an answer” approach as the key to his ability to advance policy proposals that work for the residents of southeastern Arizona. 

    Whether it’s pushing legislation to secure the border, support our veterans, safeguard Arizona’s water, or protecting our seniors, I don’t take no for an answer,” he continued. “I am proud of what my office and I were able to accomplish for our constituents in my first term, and I am keeping my foot on the pedal to do even more for our district in my second term.” 

    CEL ranks every member of Congress based on 15 metrics, including how far their bill made it in the legislative process and how substantive the bill is. 

    According to CEL, Ciscomani introduced 24 pieces of substantive legislation. Moreover, six of Ciscomani’s bills passed the House of Representative and two bills were signed into law. He was most effective on issues related to defense, the budget, energy, public safety, and border security. 

    Background: 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Elisapie’s Juno-winning album: Promoting Inuktitut through music

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Richard Compton, Professor, Department of Linguistics, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

    Singer Elisapie’s fourth album, Inuktitut, was nominated for adult alternative album of the year and album of the year at the 2025 Juno Awards, and won best adult alternative album at the Juno Awards Gala, March 29.

    The album features covers of 10 pop and classic rock songs, including the Rolling Stones’s “Wild Horses” and Metallica’s “The Unforgiven,” re-imagined in Inuktitut. Inuktitut is the first language of 33,790 Inuit in Canada, according to the 2021 Census.

    Elisapie’s nomination offers a good opportunity to reflect on the situation of Inuktitut and how creative work, including music, helps promote it.

    Our work touches on the inter-generational transmission of Inuktitut. We share perspectives as a Qallunaaq (non-Inuk) linguist (Richard) and as an Inuk school teacher (Sarah) in Nunavik, with Sarah’s personal experiences in the community highlighted.

    Together, we have co-taught courses for Inuit teachers in Puvirnituq and Ivujivik. We are also both affiliated with a research group focused on Indigenous education based at Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

    Elisapie’s ‘Isumagijunnaitaungituq’ (The Unforgiven)

    Music in Inuktitut

    Sarah notes that:

    I was amazed that [Elisapie] could make the long words in Inuktitut fit with the rhythm of the music; she did it so precisely. It took me back to the 1980s, when I was growing up. It would have been nice if songs like these had been interpreted back then. It’s been a long time coming, but it shows that nothing is impossible. The songs sound so natural in Inuktitut.

    On the day we talked about this story, Sarah remembered:

    I was at the Snow Festival yesterday [in Puvirnituq], and some of the teenagers knew all the words to her songs and were singing along. We didn’t have that when I was growing up.

    She remembers first seeing Elisapie sing in the early 1990s at one of the first snow festivals in Puvirnituq.

    Elisapie’s album has also sparked interest outside of Canada, with stories in such venues as Rolling Stone, Vogue and Le Monde.

    Beyond how Elisapie beautifully interprets the songs, creative choices like using throat singing on the first track, “Isumagijunnaitaungituq (The Unforgiven),” and stunning music videos showcasing life in the North brings the language to a wider audience.

    The album’s cover art features the word Inuktitut, ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ, in syllabics — a writing system originally use for Cree and adapted to Inuktitut, where the individual symbols represent consonants and the way they point represents vowels.

    Elisapie’s ‘Taimangalimaaq’ (Time After Time)

    Diversity of the Inuit language

    The word Inuktitut itself means “like the Inuit,” and is the name for part of a wider language continuum spoken across the North American Arctic. This language continuum includes Iñupiaq in Alaska, Uummarmiutun, Sallirmiutun and Inuinnaqtun in the Western Canadian Arctic, Inuktitut in the Eastern Arctic, Inuttut in Labrador and Kalaallisut in Greenland.

    This abundance of names reflects a diversity of varieties, each with their own pronunciations and differences in grammar and vocabulary stretching across Inuit Nunangat, the Inuit homeland.

    Speakers in each community look to their Elders as models of how the language should be spoken. While this multiplicity of dialects poses challenges for translation and creating teaching materials, each variety marks local identity and links generations.

    This diversity also fascinates linguists, as each variety attests to a different way of organizing the unconscious rules of grammar in the human mind.

    For instance, Inuktitut has a rich system of tense markers on verbs, signalling events that just happened, happened earlier today, before today or long ago. Inuinnaqtun, to the west, lacks most of these tense markers, but instead allows more complex combinations of sounds.

    A role model for youth

    Sarah stresses the importance of Elisapie’s music for the language:

    It’s so impressive that people like Elisapie are doing such amazing things with the language. She grew up around the same time as me and when I was in school there were so few teaching materials in Inuktitut, and we focused more on speaking than reading and writing. Even if her main goal might not have been to promote the language, she’s doing it, because kids listen to her. More teenagers are willing to sing in Inuktitut now because they have role models like her and Beatrice Deer.

    Deer is an Inuk and Mohawk musician from Quaqtaq, Nunavik, who also sings in Inuktitut, as well as English and French.

    Indigenous language education rights

    In Canada, all levels of government have failed to provide adequate access to education in Indigenous languages, even in regions where Indigenous Peoples form the majority.

    In Nunavik, where Elisapie is from, 90 per cent of the population (12,590 out of 14,050) identifies as Inuit and 87 per cent (12,245 out of 14,050) report Inuktitut as their first language. And yet Inuktitut is only the primary language of instruction up until Grade 3.

    About promoting Inuktitut, Sarah says:

    We’re lucky that in most of the villages in Nunavik, the language is still strong. But it’s still concerning that some people have started speaking in English to their kids. What we really need to promote it is to have school in Inuktitut from kindergarten to the end of high school [secondary 5 in Québec]. That’s why a group of Inuit teachers, including me, visited Greenland to learn more about their education system. They’ve had schools in their language for almost 200 years. We just started in the ‘50s.

    While bilingualism may bring economic benefits, the lack of support for Indigenous languages often results in a situation where bilingualism robs children of the chance to fully develop in their first language.

    Right to education in Indigenous language

    In addition to violating Indigenous Peoples’ inherent right to get an education in their language (see the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples), current education policies also go against recommendations of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

    UNESCO recommends that Indigenous minority languages be taught as the primary language in school for the first six to eight years, as this has been shown to contribute to children’s well-being and self-esteem.

    Unfortunately, Canada’s official language laws continue to place the two colonial languages of English and French above Indigenous languages, particularly in education funding.



    Read more:
    Ancestral languages are essential to Indigenous identities in Canada

    New challenges have also emerged for maintaining and extending the domains in which Inuktitut is used. Once cut off from high-speed internet, new satellite technology has brought access to more Inuit communities, along with new economic opportunities.

    However, this connectivity also brings an avalanche of English content, from viral videos and streaming platforms to social networks and mobile games.

    Vital for promoting Inuktitut

    It is in this changing linguistic and media landscape where Inuktitut language and cultural production, like Elisapie’s album, are vital for promoting Inuktitut.

    Children and teenagers need content that speaks to them — things they see as new, fun, cool and representing their generation. This includes music, comic books, novels, video games and even Hockey Night in Canada in Inuktitut.

    So whether Elisapie’s music is being played in community radio stations, featured in an episode of CBC’s North of North or streamed as a music video on social media, it serves the added role of taking up a little more space for Inuktitut in people’s daily lives.

    This is an updated version of a story originally published on March 28, 2025. It clarifies Elisapie was nominated for two awards and won best adult alternative.

    Richard Compton receives funding in the form of research grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. He holds the Canada Research Chair in Transmission and Knowledge of the Inuit Language.

    Sarah Angiyou 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. Elisapie’s Juno-winning album: Promoting Inuktitut through music – https://theconversation.com/elisapies-juno-winning-album-promoting-inuktitut-through-music-251774

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Governments must ensure caregivers have support to keep doing their vital work

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Heather Aldersey, Professor and Canada Research Chair (Disability Inclusive Development), Queen’s University, Ontario

    People with disabilities and their families often have an even greater need for support over time, especially if a disability is progressive or family members experience their own health challenges. (Shutterstock)

    April 1 marks National Caregivers Day in Canada. The day is meant to recognize the carers who provide vital care and support to those in need.

    We all need care and support to navigate challenges in life. Help can come from formal support (paid professionals and government programs), and from natural support networks (family, friends and neighbours).

    People with disabilities and their families often have an even greater need for support over time, especially if a disability is progressive or family members experience their own health challenges due to aging.

    The Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence (CCCE) released its National Caregiving Strategy on Feb. 18, stating that caregiving is the next frontier in Canadian public policy. As the CCCE’s executive director, Liv Mendelsohn, said: “Millions of Canadians are navigating caregiving with minimal support, and it’s simply unacceptable.”

    This article’s co-author, Donna Thomson, is a caregiver, author and educator. She is the mother of two grown children, one who has severe cerebral palsy and medical complexity. Thomson also helped care for her mother who lived with dementia until she passed away in the summer of 2018 at the age of 96.

    Family caregivers often need support themselves in order to keep working both inside and outside of the home. Parents of adult children with developmental disabilities in Canada are hardly ever asked: “What do you do for your son or daughter that paid helpers cannot?” Even less often, that question might be followed by: “Wow, that’s a lot. Would you like some support to continue doing those things?”

    With a federal election on the horizon, Canadians can call on their governments to improve support for caregivers.
    (Shutterstock)

    Importance of natural caregivers

    Our research recognizes that both formal and informal supports are essential in enabling people with disabilities and their families to live their best lives. We want to understand how individuals, families, organizations and communities can best come together to get people with disabilities and their families the types of supports they need and want, when they need and want them.

    Over the course of our research, we conducted a document and literature review, alongside interviews and focus groups with people with disabilities, family members and formal disability support providers. We identified that family or friend caregivers often support a person they care for with a sense of love and commitment to a depth that is rare in formal support relationships.

    Unbound by professional obligations, safety standards or employer/funder priorities, these natural supporters can often be vocal advocates for the best interests of those they are supporting.

    However, sometimes finding and sustaining natural support in the community doesn’t come easily for people with disabilities and their families. In those instances, organizations and facilitators (formal supports), can help broker the creation and maintenance of natural support networks.

    Community organizations offering formal supports and supporting the creation and maintenance of natural supports can sometimes be beholden to funder obligations. This can limit the flexibility and adaptability required to best meet the needs of those they support.

    Additionally, organizations are often constrained by safety considerations, aversion to risk or the challenges posed by overly bureaucratic systems. Sometimes, this can mean the support provided to a person or family does not directly respond to what the individual or family needs. Even more frustrating is that waiting times can be so long to access formal supports that identified needs or priorities change in the meantime.

    Sometimes, finding and sustaining natural support in the community doesn’t come easily for people with disabilities and their families.
    (Shutterstock)

    CCCE’s caregiving strategy

    The CCCE strategy is a recognition that care work makes all other work possible. It echoes our research findings that both paid and unpaid caregivers need financial support as well as targeted programs and services.

    The strategy calls upon the Canadian government to make caregiving a priority while ensuring a sustainable care provider workforce.

    Supports are also a provincial issue. For example, in Ontario, the Ministry for Children, Community and Social Services has published a framework that offers a long-term vision for transforming developmental services so people with developmental disabilities fully participate in their communities and are supported to live their lives.

    Care and support can also be a gender issue, given that in Canada and around the world the majority of both formal and informal support is being provided by women and girls.

    Missing perspectives

    Our research also highlighted a notable gap in the research landscape. Research on natural support in Canada is often not explicit about or does not incorporate understandings of natural support from the perspectives of Indigenous, Black, rural, LGBTQ+ and other marginalized groups.

    People belonging to these groups may have their own needs and experiences that relate to navigating natural and formal support systems in Canada. Future-focused research agendas into natural supports, such as those proposed in the CCCE strategy’s recommendations, must intentionally seek to understand support and care experiences from these perspectives.

    At the Global Disability Summit taking place this week in Berlin from April 2-3, we will join voices from around the world to call on national leaders and decision-makers to ensure disability policies translate into tangible actions and inclusive practices.

    Our research shows the deep, important impact of federal and provincial policy and funding both for formal and natural supports to flourish. With a federal election on the horizon, Canadians can call on their governments to improve support for caregivers, ensure support systems are in place and flexible enough to respond to individual and family needs, and enable natural support networks to flourish.

    This is important, because the care we give to each other, regardless of age or ability, is what will sustain us as families.

    This article was co-authored by Donna Thomson, a caregiver, author and educator.

    Heather Aldersey receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Universities Canada, and the Mastercard Foundation.

    – ref. Governments must ensure caregivers have support to keep doing their vital work – https://theconversation.com/governments-must-ensure-caregivers-have-support-to-keep-doing-their-vital-work-249829

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Violent attempt to set fire to Muslim woman in Ajax exposes persistent Islamophobia in Canada

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Nadiya N. Ali, Assistant Professor, Sociology, Trent University

    The National Council of Canadian Muslims’ senior advocacy officer Fatema Abdalla read the survivor’s statement about what happened at a news conference last week. ‘I don’t feel safe for my daughters,’ the statement reads, ‘all of whom wear hijab.’ NCCM/Instagram

    A 25-year-old woman recently attempted to set a Muslim woman on fire in Ajax, Ont.

    Afterwards, the survivor provided a statement, which was read for her at a news conference. In it, she described her visit to her “favourite quiet corner of the library” as ordinary and routine. This ordinary moment, however, turned nightmarish and extraordinary in an instant.

    According to the survivor, the attacker attempted to yank her hijab off. She hurled objects at her head, including scissors and a metal object. The attacker then poured an unknown liquid on her hijab and flicked her lighter several times, allegedly attempting to light the fabric ablaze. Library staff and security intervened before any more harm could take place.

    Afterwards, the survivor, a mother of two girls, explained that she’s unable to quell her terror. She said: “I can’t stop thinking: what if the lighter had worked? What if my hijab had caught fire?” But most of all, she’s terrified for her hijab-wearing daughters’ safety in public spaces.

    No one should feel unsafe in public spaces. However, for racialized people, public space in North America is fraught with heightened risks. It’s shaped by a deep undercurrent of white anxieties propping up the racial order of society.

    This incident is not an isolated act of violence. It is situated within a broader social climate that normalizes the policing of how racialized people “should” enter and occupy public spaces.

    We are two scholars and community organizers who have long been working on issues related to Islamophobia and racism. The traumatic event in Ajax highlights the persistent and deeply ingrained nature of gendered Islamophobia in Canada and beyond.

    Whether through horrific displays of public violence like this one, or legislative action like Bill 21 in Québec, the bodies of Muslim women have long been battlegrounds for white supremacist anxieties and ideologies.

    White panic

    While we don’t yet know the attacker’s affiliations or what inspired her to commit this act of terror, this incident echoes racist aspirations for “purity.”

    Racial anxiety about the inflow of multiple generations of Muslims is integral to the way Islamophobia channels white supremacist panic over the growing population of Muslims in Canada — and the attack in Ajax is no exception.

    White supremacist anxieties about demographic changes are articulated most clearly and directly in the “Great Replacement Theory” (and variations of it) that vilifies racialized people, asserting a drive to preserve “white innocence,” tied to eugenic fantasies of purifying North America and Europe.

    Muslims, in this racist ideology, figure as foreign invaders, a demographic threat and as “provocateurs” who are trying to overtake the white population through immigration and reproduction — or as some white supremacists call it, “baby Jihad.”

    The changing demographics of Ajax

    Over the past decade, Ajax — in Durham region east of Toronto — has seen significant demographic changes, with an overall growth rate of about 15 per cent. The town is home to more than 125,000 people and about 14 per cent of them are Muslim.

    The growth of Muslim communities is situated within a broader shift. A substantial portion of the population increase has been driven by a diverse group of racialized communities so that now, 65 per cent of the total population of Ajax would be considered racialized.

    The new population has infused new life to Ajax, and the Durham region more broadly. It seems, however, that not everyone is happy about this growth.

    Gendered Islamophobia

    The bodies of Muslim women have long been objectified, serving as a site where white racial anxieties are projected and enacted. Taken up as a sort of Trojan horse, their perceived ability to give birth and reproduce culture is weaponized against them. After all, they hold the power to propagate this “dangerous other,” and dislodge the order of whiteness.

    Jasmin Zine, a critical Muslim studies scholar, has used and developed the term “gendered Islamophobia” to explain the way the bodies and practices of Muslim women are produced as racial problems. Muslim women in public spaces are constructed as hazardous cultural contaminants, polluting the public square and threatening the purity of the (white) nation with their very existence.

    The responses to this perception of contamination take multiple forms. In Québec, for instance, Muslim women are being aggressively foreclosed from participation in public spaces and institutions with laws like Bill 21 and Bill 94.

    ‘Unprovoked attack:’ Racism in public life

    The Durham Police are calling this an “unprovoked attack.” But the provocation is precisely what needs to be named. Of course, the victim did not actively provoke the attacker. But it’s important to ask how our social arrangements prime and sustain the currents that produce Muslim women as provocations on sight.

    This phenomenon of “unprovoked” attacks on visibly Muslim women in public spaces is far too common in Canada. These have ranged from a devastating physical assault in a mall parking lot in Edmonton to a knife attack on the TTC in Toronto, the fatal act of terror in London, Ont. against a family simply taking a walk together to this recent attack in Ajax. Muslim women around the country are rightly asking if public spaces are safe for them.

    Racialized individuals must navigate what Black studies scholar George Lipsitz describes as “privileged moral geographies.”

    For instance, the frame of “disorderly conduct” often serves as a common tool to mark the “wrong ways” in which racialized individuals assert their presence in public settings. This includes the regulation of what foods are deemed appropriate for public consumption, the enforcement of norms around personal space, noise and loitering.

    The catch, however, is that when you are already racialized as a “cultural pollutant,” “conduct” merely fuels the racist climate that already marks you as an improper subject by sheer existence.

    Have another samosa?

    Standard sociological contact theory says greater exposure to diversity breeds opportunity for intergroup contact, which is presumed to foster tolerance.

    Canadians like to believe in our multicultural country — that another samosa party or heritage night is all we need to confront intolerance and prejudice.

    However, what contact theory frames get wrong is the assumption of the public as a neutral site of engagement where people all have equal access to participation.

    Public space is already and always infused with racial logic that neutralizes and naturalizes certain bodies while amplifying and bloating other bodies with objectifying scripts. This perpetually and always produces them as out of place — and as problems that disrupt the order of the public square.

    Until we confront the entrenched racialized ideas that govern public space, creating a landscape where some are seen as natural occupants while others are made alien, true inclusivity and safety will remain out of reach.

    Kaley-Ann Freier, age 25, of Ajax has been charged with assault with a weapon for the attack.

    Nadiya N. Ali has received funding from The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)

    Nadia Hasan receives research funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

    – ref. Violent attempt to set fire to Muslim woman in Ajax exposes persistent Islamophobia in Canada – https://theconversation.com/violent-attempt-to-set-fire-to-muslim-woman-in-ajax-exposes-persistent-islamophobia-in-canada-253002

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New learning pathway to a career as a truck driver

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    Starting April 1, drivers are required to complete Class 1 driver’s licence training through the new made-in-Alberta Class 1 Learning Pathway, which uses a flexible, apprenticeship-style approach to training. The complete Class 1 Learning Pathway includes up to 133 hours of instruction, including air brake training, offering more hands-on skills and safety training than the former 113-hour Mandatory Entry Level Training Program. Enhanced in-cab training will provide learners with more hands-on experience and practical, competency-based learning.

    Budget 2025, if passed, invests $54.1 million over three years in the Class 1 Learning Pathway grant program to support training and transferability, and to attract and retain new commercial drivers in Alberta. The new grant program uses an employer-driven and industry-led model that will help employers invest in their workforce and build capacity in the transportation industry to address challenges related to the commercial driver shortage in the province.

    “Alberta needs more truck drivers. With this historic investment, we are ensuring Albertans get the training they need to become highly skilled commercial drivers, increasing safety on our roads, and helping them build long-lasting careers.”

    Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors

    “Alberta relies on its commercial truckers to deliver goods from one corner of the province to the other, representing a crucial component of our economy. This investment will ensure that Alberta continues to attract and retain reliable, safe and educated commercial truckers that have the right training and skills to continue driving our province forward.”

    Rick Wilson, MLA for Maskwacis-Wetaskiwin

    The competency-based Class 1 training includes content specific to the unique terrain, weather, cargo and equipment in Alberta’s commercial driving industry. Safety, wellness and responsibility are also foundational to the new Class 1 training curriculum, with additional content focused on personal health and well-being, workplace safety and incident response.

    The Class 1 Learning Pathway also focuses on improving safety on Alberta’s roads through enhanced accountability to increase consistency in how licensed driver training schools, carriers, instructors and examiners meet training, examination and operational standards. The new accountability framework includes oversight measures, as well as a progressive discipline policy for cases where one of these entities is not providing training to an acceptable standard. 

    “The new learning pathway will not only develop new Class 1 drivers but also strengthen industry-specific training, preparing them for diverse employment opportunities. Equipping drivers with the skills needed for Alberta’s transportation demands, this program will support a more resilient commercial driving workforce.”

    Darryl Addison, general manager, SATO Canada Inc.

    “The new Class 1 Learning Pathway establishes a clear path for those new to the industry to receive regulatory and employable skill training that leads them to economically secure commercial driving careers. As a result, this pathway will help put more women behind the wheel, helping ensure Alberta’s economy keeps rolling. Women Building Futures is grateful for the government’s collaborative approach in the pathway design and looks forward to a continued partnership.”

    Carol Moen, president and CEO, Women Building Futures

    A total of $30 million over three years is allocated for the Employment Pathway Grant which provides funding for eligible employers in the commercial driving industry to cover the costs of training and onboarding for new and future Class 1 drivers, leading to the direct employment of new Class 1 drivers in Alberta’s commercial transportation industry.

    The Industry Advancement Grant will provide $24.1 million over three years in funding for eligible projects from organizations in the commercial transportation industry to support industry-driven solutions to increase employment, attraction and retention. These projects will provide solutions while improving employer hiring practices and building partnerships with Indigenous communities. This funding also includes $1.5 million over three years for education grants to support Class 2 and Class 4 school bus driver competencies.

    “Alberta’s new Class 1 Learning Pathway and grant program mark a significant step forward for the province’s commercial transportation industry. This is a great opportunity for Alberta to develop a highly skilled workforce, create jobs and enhance road safety while making commercial driving more accessible and affordable.”

    Carmela Gennaro, president/general manager, Gennaro Transport Training, Gennaro Express Lines Ltd.

    “Alberta is an economic engine in this country, and our economy depends on the safe, efficient delivery of goods. Through this enhanced focus on training, oversight and improved road safety, the province is taking an important step forward to ensure the commercial trucking sector will thrive and grow. The additional financial support for new commercial drivers will help incentivize employment and create new opportunities for drivers in this important profession.”

    Tim Morrison, director of government relations western and pacific, Insurance Bureau of Canada

    Additionally, Alberta’s government is increasing access to training and testing for Class 1 commercial drivers’ licences and Class 6 motorcycle drivers’ licences through a reciprocal agreement with the Northwest Territories. The agreement allows for reciprocal training and testing for Class 1 (including air brake) and Class 6 drivers’ licences starting April 1, 2025. Northwest Territories residents who take Class 1 driver training and testing in Alberta will also be licensed in the Northwest Territories. Albertans can also take Class 1 driver training and testing in the Northwest Territories and be licensed in Alberta.

    Budget 2025 is meeting the challenge faced by Alberta with continued investments in education and health, lower taxes for families and a focus on the economy.

    Quick facts

    • Application intake for the Employment Pathway Grant will open on April 1. This program will:
      • reimburse eligible employers for up to $10,000 for their training costs for new Class 1 drivers
      • offer an onboarding incentive of up to $10,000 for hiring new Class 1 drivers with less than two years of experience in a Class 1 driving position
      • provide an additional $5,000 for Class 1 driver professional development to ensure Alberta’s commercial drivers are the best on the road
    • The Industry Advancement Grant launches April 15, with the 2025 call for expressions of interest closing May 16.  
      • Eligible industry projects targeting Class 3 commercial driving are included in this grant stream as Class 1 drivers often begin their careers driving Class 3 trucks (vehicles which have three or more axles).
      • An education grant of $500,000 is included in this program to support Class 2 and 4 school bus driver competencies.
    • There are more than 149,000 licensed Class 1 drivers in Alberta, yet only 31 per cent are employed as truck drivers.
    • According to Statistics Canada, there are 4,260 commercial truck driver vacancies in Alberta (Quarter 3, 2023) which accounts for 20 per cent of the vacancies in Canada.
    • As of the end of January 2025, we have 19,431 commercial carriers:
      • operating federally: 6,782
      • operating only in Alberta: 12,649

    Related information

    • Class 1 Learning Pathway

    Related news

    • New learning pathway for Class 1 drivers (March 27, 2024)

    Multimedia

    • Watch the news conference

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Jackson condemns Trump’s attack on diversity in Europe

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jonathan Jackson – Illinois (1st District)

    As a member of the United States Congress and a lifelong advocate for civil rights and social justice, I strongly condemn the recent attempts by the U.S. administration to impose restrictions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within European companies. These heavy-handed and misguided actions—threatening legal consequences for European firms that promote workplace inclusion—are not only a diplomatic affront but also an unlawful overreach that undermines global progress toward equality.

    It is particularly disturbing to see these efforts unfold in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which reaffirmed that diversity is a compelling interest of the United States government, particularly in our military and other institutions vital to national security. The decision recognized that diversity strengthens our armed forces, ensuring cohesion, readiness, and operational success. If DEI is essential to the strength of our military—the very institution charged with defending American democracy—then the same principles hold true across all sectors of our society and economy.

    The current administration’s attempt to dismantle DEI programs through executive fiat contradicts established legal precedent and violates federal anti-discrimination laws. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination, and dismantling DEI initiatives aimed at ensuring compliance with these laws is, in itself, unlawful. These efforts are not just politically motivated; they are legally indefensible.

    France’s forceful rejection of this overreach is commendable. French Foreign Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin and Gender Equality Minister Aurore Bergé have made it clear that their nation will not bow to pressure that runs counter to their values of inclusion and equal opportunity. The United States should take a lesson from its allies rather than attempt to export regressive policies that undermine human rights and economic advancement.

    Let me be clear: attacks on DEI initiatives are not just attacks on progressive ideals—they are attacks on the very legal foundations of equal opportunity in the United States and abroad. These policies are not just moral imperatives; they are legal obligations. I call on my colleagues in Congress, the business community, and international leaders to resist these unlawful and counterproductive efforts. We must ensure that America leads by example in championing diversity, equity, and inclusion, rather than engaging in reckless policies that harm our standing in the world and violate our own laws.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM meeting with President Stubb of Finland: 31 March 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street

    Press release

    PM meeting with President Stubb of Finland: 31 March 2025

    The Prime Minister welcomed the President of Finland Alexander Stubb to Downing Street this afternoon.

    The Prime Minister welcomed the President of Finland Alexander Stubb to Downing Street this afternoon.

    They discussed the successful Coalition of the Willing meeting in Paris last week, noting the strong momentum from European leaders to keep Ukraine in the fight and increase the pressure on Putin to agree a peace deal.

    The Prime Minister then updated the President on his ongoing work to strengthen the UK’s relationship with the European Union across a number of areas including defence and security, trade and economic growth. The President warmly welcomed the progress made so far.

    As fellow NATO and JEF members, they agreed that the UK and Finland share a close and unique partnership which they will continue working to strengthen in the coming months.

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp: U.S. DOJ Dismisses Biden-era Lawsuit Against SB 202

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today welcomed the announcement that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi directed the Department of Justice to dismiss its Biden-era lawsuit challenging SB 202 – the Georgia Election Integrity Act of 2021.

    “Despite the lies and misinformation from Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams, and their allies, Georgia is one of the top states in the country for early voting and experienced record voter turnout in multiple elections since the passage of the Elections Integrity Act,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “I am grateful that under the leadership of Attorney General Pam Bondi and President Trump, the DOJ has followed the truth: in Georgia, it’s easy to vote and hard to cheat!”

    In the 2024 General Election, a record 5.29 million Georgians turned out to vote with no significant issues or complications, breaking the previous record set in the 2020 General Election. The 2024 General Election continued the successes of the 2022 Midterm election, where a federal report a federal report ranked Georgia as the No. 2 state in the country for early voter turnout.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Ballerina Misty Copeland: Unlocking potential and a leader’s most ‘vital’ role

    Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

    How can we recognize potential and unlock it?

    Misty Copeland was the first Black woman to be promoted to principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. But as a child she almost quit after her first class – until an early teacher convinced her to return. Misty talks to Meet The Leader about the ways dance changed how she navigated life and how it taught her key skills such as resilience, empathy and curiosity.

    She shares how she uses her perspective and experience to found the Misty Copeland Foundation and develop a free afterschool program that reinvents how dance is taught to bridge diversity gaps while also teaching key leadership skills. She shares why these skills and approaches are vital to driving future change and what any leader can learn about elevating others.

    This interview was recorded in January 2025 at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

    About this podcast:
    Misty Copeland Foundation: https://www.mistycopelandfoundation.org/
    Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/misty-copeland-ballet-leadership-skills

    The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.

    World Economic Forum Website ► http://www.weforum.org/
    Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/
    YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/wef
    Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/worldeconomicforum/ 
    Twitter ► https://twitter.com/wef
    LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-economic-forum
    TikTok ► https://www.tiktok.com/@worldeconomicforum
    Flipboard ► https://flipboard.com/@WEF

    #WorldEconomicForum

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNwmJJMRt4o

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Marston’s agree to pay arbitrator’s fees and costs

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Marston’s agree to pay arbitrator’s fees and costs

    Marston’s agreed to pay 100% of an arbitrator’s fees and costs in a Pubs Code arbitration after failing to identify the relevant costs provisions in their submissions to the arbitrator.

    What happened?

    The PCA appointed an alternative arbitrator to determine a dispute in relation to a Rent Assessment Proposal in 2023. The arbitrator ordered the tenant to pay 35% of the arbitrator’s costs, despite not finding the referral to be vexatious. The PCA’s view is that the arbitrator did not have the power to make this order.

    The PCA’s view is that, in Pubs Code Arbitrations, the pub-owing business must pay the reasonable fees and expenses of an arbitrator (in both MRO and non-MRO disputes), except if the arbitrator decides that the referral was vexatious, in which case they can require the tenant to pay some or all of those costs.

    This provision is within s51(6) of the Small Business Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 in relation to costs for non-MRO disputes and for MRO disputes this is provided for in regulation 3 of the Fees Regulations. These provisions are explained in the PCA’s tenant factsheet What Tied Pub Tenants Need to Know about Pubs Code Arbitration Disputes.

    The PCA has legal powers to request information or documents from an arbitration for regulatory purposes. The PCA reviewed Marston’s submissions to the arbitrator on costs and found that Marston’s had failed to reference s 51(6) of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act.

    What did the PCA do?

    The PCA contacted Marston’s to express concern about this failure. The PCA met with Marston’s, who did not provide an adequate explanation for this failure on the part of lawyers instructed to act on their behalf. Following discussions with the PCA, Marston’s agreed to pay 100% of the arbitrator’s costs and not recoup them from the tenant.

    In August 2023, Ciarb wrote to all panel arbitrators at the request of the PCA to remind them of the PCA’s position as to the relevant costs provisions which apply to Pubs Code arbitrations.

    The PCA’s expectations of pub-owning businesses in Pubs Code Arbitrations

    The PCA wishes to promote conduct in arbitrations that supports the process to reach an outcome on the proper application of the regulations in a timely manner and which upholds the core Code principles.

    The PCA expects all pub-owning businesses to have a thorough understanding of the Pubs Code legislative framework, as well as information contained in guidance, advice and other material published by the PCA. The PCA further expects pub-owning businesses to be transparent in arbitrations and be clear where they are taking a different view of the law to the PCA, and to inform the PCA in advance if they apply a different view of the application of the Code on which the PCA has published advice or guidance.

    The PCA office can be contacted at office@pubscodeadjudicator.gov.uk

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Dstl to tackle emerging health threats

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    Dstl to tackle emerging health threats

    A new collaboration between The Pandemic Institute (TPI) and Dstl, is set to fund vital research into emerging infectious diseases.

    Researchers from both organisations aim to strengthen the UK’s ability to detect, understand and combat known and emerging pathogens.

    Bringing together experts in infectious diseases and pandemic research from different organisations is essential for improving the UK’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from these threats.

    This collaboration will support several research projects drawing on the expertise of both organisations. This includes developing new diagnostic tests, evaluating new therapeutics and using cutting edge technology to better understand viral pathogens.

    There are 9 projects in total. One of which will use artificial intelligence (AI) to predict virus-host interactions, aiding the development of new diagnostics and therapeutics.

    Professor Tom Solomon CBE, Director of The Pandemic Institute, emphasised the importance of the collaboration:

    “The recent global health crises have shown us that we must be proactive rather than reactive when dealing with infectious threats. This collaboration with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) will ensure that we are at the forefront of scientific innovation, developing tools that could be crucial in preventing future pandemics.”

    Dr Stuart Perkins, Programme Manager at Dstl stated:

    “This joint programme encourages and supports our scientists to work within national multidiscipline teams and will allow Dstl to access novel tools and products, being developed within academia, that could be utilised within the defence and security arena.

    “It generates value for money and ensures cohesion across defence and academic research.

    “The programme strengthens Dstl’s mission to ensure our armed forces maintain operational effectiveness at all times, even in the event they were exposed to infectious agents.”

    This partnership represents an exciting step forward in pandemic preparedness, and helps the UK remain at the cutting edge of infectious disease research.

    Find out more about Dstl’s work and funded projects at TPI.

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Judiciary Releases Workplace Conduct Report and Employee Survey Results

    Source: United States Courts

    The federal Judiciary today released the results of its first-ever employee survey exploring workplace issues, along with a new report containing recommendations for improvements aimed at achieving the Judiciary’s goal of fostering an exemplary workplace.

    The survey results show that the overwhelming majority of Judiciary employees are satisfied with their workplaces. Eighty-four percent responded that they are satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs and 80 percent said they would recommend their court or employing office to others.

    The survey was conducted by the Federal Judicial Center for the Workplace Conduct Working Group, a group of judges and court executives who have been working on workplace conduct issues since early 2018 at the request of the Chief Justice. It was sent to nearly 28,000 employees in 2023, and the response rate was a statistically impressive 50 percent.

    The results provided a wealth of data that the Judiciary is using to gain a deeper understanding of employees’ experiences and to guide continued efforts to foster an exemplary workplace for all employees. The Working Group used the survey results as a basis for nine new recommendations in a report to the Judicial Conference of the United States, which was also released today. 

    The recommendations are designed to build on the substantial steps taken over the past seven years. Most respondents who indicated experiencing wrongful conduct did not avail themselves of employment dispute resolution (EDR) procedures. Two priority areas that the Working Group has targeted for improvement are reducing potential barriers to reporting misconduct and increasing employees’ confidence in using available resolution procedures. 

    “These results tell me and my colleagues on the Working Group that we have done a lot, but we have more work to do to address the reluctance of employees to seek help or report wrongful conduct. And that work begins immediately, with a new set of recommendations for the Judicial Conference to consider,” said Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr., the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

    The recommendations include the following:

    • Review current definitions and guidance on abusive conduct and assess whether greater clarity can be provided on the distinctions between inappropriate behavior. Abusive conduct is a workplace protection unique to the Judiciary that goes beyond current statutory protections.
    • Extend and clarify procedural rights, remedies, and obligations under the Model Employment Dispute Resolution (EDR) Plans, including clarifying that modifications to local plans cannot diminish or curtail rights or remedies under the model plan; ensuring that consideration of interim relief for complainants occurs consistently and at the outset of an investigation, incorporating additional monetary remedies for victims of misconduct, and removing the procedural requirement that employees first use assisted resolution prior to filing a formal complaint.
    • Establish standards for the qualification and selection of EDR coordinators and enhance existing training.
    • Promote the use of trained investigators in EDR assisted resolutions and in informal investigations at the local level.
    • Ensure the appearance of impartiality of presiding judicial officers (PJOs) in formal complaint proceedings by appointing PJOs from outside a complainant’s district or circuit, ensure that PJOs appoint trained investigators, and develop additional resources for PJOs. 
    • Expand feedback and information about EDR by ensuring that follow up occurs with employees who report wrongful conduct, developing uniform standards for the redaction and publication of EDR decisions in formal complaint proceedings, developing a publicly available source of published EDR decisions and relevant Judicial Conduct and Disability Act opinions, and augmenting data collection.
    • Continue to incorporate workplace conduct training into orientation programs for all judges and employees.
    • Clarify distinctions between inappropriate behaviors and abusive conduct in training programs for judges and employees.
    • Provide continuing education for leaders at all levels of the Judiciary, including management training on listening, communication, building trust, and effective response to both inappropriate workplace behavior and allegations of wrongful conduct.

    Learn more about workplace conduct initiatives in the federal Judiciary. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How to talk to children about the Canada-U.S. tensions

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jean-François Bureau, Professor, School of Psychology, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

    Mainstream public discourse in the first months of 2025 have been dominated by tensions between Canada and United States. These include references to Canada becoming annexed as the 51st American state and the trade war, with threats and the application of tariffs by the U.S. and counter-tariffs by Canada.

    While this political climate brings uncertainty at an international level, it comes with fear of job loss for many Canadians at a time when the cost of living is already straining many families’ finances.



    Read more:
    Canadians are feeling increasingly powerless amid economic struggles and rising inequality

    These topics may appear to be concerns for adults, but children may also feel the effects. As psychology researchers studying parent-child relationships and child mental health, we believe it is important to consider children’s potential fears and anxiety in the current political climate.

    Here, we explain why it’s important to address this topic with children, and how parents can do so in a reassuring and informative manner.

    Children’s concerns and emotions

    While the economy and politics could seem like topics that children would not really care about, recent research suggests that many children and youth actually worry about these topics.

    Back in 2020, American parents of children aged six to 17 years old were asked to rate their child’s anxiety about political news, in terms of voting issues covered in media since the 2016 election. According to the study by psychology researcher Nicole E. Caporino and colleagues, 36 per cent of children worried about the U.S. getting into war, and 37 per cent worried about their family’s finances.

    Studies suggest children worry about issues affecting their families.
    (Shutterstock)

    Similarly, studies elsewhere suggest children and youth worry about issues affecting their families. Based on these numbers, we can assume that many Canadian children also worry about the current Canada-U.S. political climate.

    Of course, it’s worth remembering not all families experience political and economic events in the same way. For example, children whose families face economic precarity are likely already living with stressors affecting their households like unemployment or food insecurity. Current tensions may also exacerbate children’s existing concerns.

    Given that children may be concerned and worried, some parents may intuitively seek to avoid the topic with children to avoid provoking more distress. However, discussing a stressful event can actually decrease the distress felt towards it.

    When children are able to talk about what concerns them with their parents, they learn important emotional regulation and coping skills. For example, they learn how to identify and understand their emotions, and how to regulate those emotions. Discussions between parents and children also help foster a climate of trust, in which children feel like they can rely on their parents in moments of need.

    Noticing, tackling children’s anxiety and fears

    Children may not always have the words to articulate their concerns in the same way that adults do. Parents should watch for anxiety symptoms in their children, which may manifest in various ways, including having mood changes, being more irritable or sad, having difficulty sleeping, being more clingy than usual, or withdrawing from activities. There are also signs that may be harder to spot.

    We present five ways to address the situation with your children:

    1. Use direct questions to understand how children feel. Direct questions can help understand how children feel. For example, you may ask: “What have you heard about what’s happening?” or “How do you feel about it?” These questions can help understand what specifically is scary to them.

    Children could be worried about no longer seeing family in the U.S., or some may even fear a military clash.
    (Shutterstock)

    This is especially important given that children tend to worry about different things than adults. For example, younger children with family in the U.S. may worry they will no longer be able to see their family members anymore. Older children may be worried about a parent losing a job, the country’s economic instability or environmental impacts. Some children may even fear a military clash.

    2. Be sensitive to how the conflict is presented. In the media, it is common to refer to the diplomatic and economic tensions as a “trade war.” While adults understand that trade wars do not involve military attacks, this concept is much more abstract for children.

    Hearing the word “war” may trigger difficult images for them, including armed soldiers, weapons and devastation. This is especially true for children with lived experience of war, political conflict or displacement.



    Read more:
    Coronavirus isn’t the end of ‘childhood innocence,’ but an opportunity to rethink children’s rights

    It’s important to reframe the conflict in ways that children can understand. For example, parents can compare the conflict between two children. Parents might say: “You know when there are two children upset with each other at school, and they have a big disagreement. Sometimes it can take a lot of time to find a solution that works for everyone. The conflict between Canada and the U.S. is a bit like that. It could take a lot of time and trouble to find a solution.”

    3. Avoid misinformation. When discussing these topics, parents should seek to clarify any misinformation and provide reassurance. They should also help ensure children receive information from credible sources rather than social media or peers, who may sensationalize or misinterpret events. Providing factual but age-appropriate explanations is a key ingredient in mitigating fear and uncertainty.

    4. Focus on co-operation and opportunities instead of boycotting.

    Many Canadian families are choosing to boycott American products. In order to ease the emotional burden on children, it can be helpful to reframe the boycott as an opportunity for co-operation. For instance, parents can highlight how they are trying to support local businesses.

    Similarly, for families with resources to travel, changes in travel plans can be framed as a way to discover new places. A parent might frame it as: “This year, instead of going to the beach, we’re going to be exploring some incredible places closer to home. We’re going to have so much fun trying new things!” This approach creates curiosity and control, not anxiety. It can also be beneficial for children’s development to learn to be more flexible with change.



    Read more:
    When Canadian snowbirds don’t flock south, the costs are more than financial

    5. Create a sense of normalcy and routine. As important as it is to validate children’s fears, it is equally important to help them maintain a sense of normalcy. Families should strive to balance discussions about the trade war and its potential ramifications with more light, mundane topics. Similarly, limiting the time that children watch the news or when it is audible can help limit further concerns from developing.

    Routines are also beneficial for children’s development and well-being. Maintaining a predictable schedule, such as a bedtime routine, can help children feel safe and less anxious. Focus on adding fun and soothing activities to the daily routine. This lets children know life goes on.

    Navigating turbulent times

    As the trade war with the U.S. plays out, parents should consider how it may impact their children’s emotions and sense of safety. Even serious conflicts such as this one don’t last forever, and solutions will come.

    In the meantime, parents can help children cope with these challenging times by offering age-appropriate explanations and encouraging resilience.

    Jean-François Bureau receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Consortium National de Formation en Santé.

    Audrey-Ann Deneault receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Centre de recherche universitaire sur les jeunes et les familles.

    – ref. How to talk to children about the Canada-U.S. tensions – https://theconversation.com/how-to-talk-to-children-about-the-canada-u-s-tensions-252435

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: HSE awarded finalists of NTO in computer game development

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    © Higher School of Economics

    On March 28, the HSE Cultural Center hosted a ceremony to award prize winners and winners of the Computer Game Development profile among schoolchildren in grades 8–11 National Technology Olympiad (NTO). More than 60 people took part in the final. The profile is organized by the National Research University Higher School of Economics in partnership with the Ninsar.Games studio, the National Cyber-Physical Platform “Berloga”, VK Play and VK Education.

    In the finals, which took place at the HSE from March 24 to 29, schoolchildren, united in teams, solved real engineering problems. They developed a game prototype according to the specified technical requirements and guidelines – a game simulator in the setting of the National Cyber-Physical Platform “Berloga”.

    At the award ceremony, the finalists were greeted by Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Olga Petrova. “The Olympiad is not just a competition, but an entire ecosystem that selects the best of the best. I am proud of each of you. You have passed a colossal selection and received knowledge that has made you stronger, wiser and more experienced. Trying yourself, going beyond the usual school curriculum – these are the competencies that will often be required of you in life. Learn, dare, dream and do not stop there! Remember that our country is a country of colossal opportunities, and everything is in your hands!” said Olga Petrova.

    The winners in the special nomination from the Berloga platform were announced by its leader, President of the Association of Participants of Technological Circles Alexey Fedoseyev. He presented prizes to representatives of three teams, as well as acceleration certificates.

    “We will be glad to work with you, to bring the games not just to publication, but to implementation in educational environments, to receive feedback not only from those who download and play them on the Internet, but also from teachers, from people who can influence their further promotion. I hope that you will get unique products,” Alexey Fedoseyev emphasized.

    The diplomas to the winners of the Olympiad were presented by Alexander Egorov, head of the VK Play Indie division, and Egor Sechinsky, founder of Ninsar.Games, responsible developer of the “Computer Game Development” profile.

    According to Alexander Egorov, the games created by the Olympiad participants help solve certain problems, which is better than just “walking in the dark and trying to find some kind of light.” “I sincerely believe that you will soon be able to enter the market, gather your first fan base and open a franchise, and sometime in the future, raise enough capital to make the games of your dreams,” he said.

    Egor Sechinsky recalled that the NTO in the field of “Development of Computer Games” is being held for the sixth time and that the projects that were this year surprised him again. He recommended the finalists not to abandon their developments and bring them to such a level of readiness that they could “put them on the shelf in their portfolio”. “We in the industry are ready to help you, promote you and make sure that new young talented teams appear,” he concluded.

    The winners in the individual competition were congratulated by Dmitry Kaisin, Deputy Rector for Development at University 2035, and Yaroslav Paunov, Director of the Human Resources Development Division of the Young Professionals division of the ASI.

    Dmitry Kaisin said that he himself had once participated in the final of a similar competition, saw how quite young people came out on stage to congratulate the winners, and wanted to become like them. He recommended that schoolchildren do what they love — make a hobby their job, and also make friends with equally passionate colleagues.

    Yaroslav Paunov noted that the peculiarity of NTO is “tasks from the market and for the market, their practical applicability.” “You don’t just solve and invent something, contributing to your development and, perhaps, to future admission to such a top university as HSE, but you prepare for the market while still in school,” he believes.

    The difference between NTO and many other Olympiads is that, in addition to the individual standings, there is a team standings. In the profile “Development of Computer Games”, the winner in the team standings was the team “Paradigma”, consisting of four people: Yaroslav Reznikov (Simferopol), Olesya Polischuk (Sevastopol), Gleb Shakhanov (Moscow Region) and Artem Reus (Sevastopol). Yaroslav also won in the individual standings, Olesya, Gleb and Artem became prize winners. In addition, the team was among the winners of a special nomination from the platform “Berloga”.

    The awards were presented to the team members by Olga Petrova and the Vice-Rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, the responsible secretary of the NTO organizing committee Dmitry Zemtsov.

    “When we conceived this profile, we hoped that it would include its own geniuses and stars who would create games that would change the world. I have no doubt that such people are among the finalists of the anniversary, tenth season of the National Technology Olympiad. For example, I remember the very young Egor Sechinsky, who today already acts as the founder of the Ninsar.Games gaming studio and the organizer of the Computer Game Development profile of the NTO, selecting the best Olympiad participants for his team, with whom he creates popular games,” said Dmitry Zemtsov.

    In an interview with the Vyshka.Glavnoye news service, members of the Paradigma team said that they had developed a game called Arktos (the ancient Greek name for the Ursa Major constellation). The idea of the game is that bears crash in space, end up on an uninhabited planet, and solve OGE problems there, with each problem bringing them closer to returning home to their den. Thus, exam preparation is built into the exciting game.

    The team had clearly defined roles: Yaroslav was the captain and main programmer, Olesya was a tester, Gleb was a graphic artist, and Artem was a game designer. Olesya also acted as a manager — she negotiated playtests, and in particular, she managed to organize playtests at Sevastopol Gymnasium No. 1. “We collected a huge amount of feedback, and it really helped us,” she said.

    Work on the project lasted for six months, and the team’s mentor, ITMO first-year student Vladimir Mikhnev, played an important role in it. “At the finals at the HSE, I came to them every evening and told them what they had succeeded in doing and what needed to be corrected,” he says. “The guys discussed my proposals together, agreed with some, rejected others. Of course, winning the Olympiad is, first and foremost, their merit, their hard work.”

    All team members are considering the possibility of entering various universities in Moscow and St. Petersburg, including HSE, MIREA, MAI, ITMO. They plan to develop professionally in the IT field, including in the field of computer game development.

    The 2024/25 academic year is the tenth anniversary season of the National Technology Olympiad. It is held under the coordination of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education together with the federal project “Russia – Country of Opportunities” of the national project “Youth and Children” with the support of the “Movement of the First”, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives and the ANO “NTI Platform”. The Olympiad project office is located at the HSE with the methodological support of the Association of Participants of Technology Circles (NTI Circle Movement).

    This academic year, NTO set a new record: almost 220,000 students applied to participate in the tracks of the largest engineering competitions. More than 2,000 schoolchildren and students from 72 regions of Russia and three other countries: Belarus, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan reached the finals.

    Winning in the Computer Game Development profile, as in most other NTO areas, will give schoolchildren the opportunity to receive 100 USE points in one of the subjects or enter a university without entrance examinations. NTO results are accepted by more than 100 Russian universities.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: UK What do the Deputy Speakers do?

    Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)

    The House of Commons has three Deputy Speakers, who fill in for the Speaker in the Chamber and have a range of parliamentary duties. For the first time in history all of the Deputy Speakers are women. We accompanied them and their private secretary, Abi, to see what a day for them looks like.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R97C76aqvVM

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Joint Declaration by the Foreign Ministers of the Weimar +

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Joint Declaration by the Foreign Ministers of the Weimar +

    Joint Declaration by the Foreign Ministers of United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Spain as well as the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in Madrid (31st March 2025)

    30/03/2025. Madrid, Spain. Foreign Secretary David Lammy poses for family photo ahead of Weimar+ meeting. Picture by Ben Dance / FCDO

    Three days after the anniversary of the Bucha massacre, we reiterate our unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, building on our Warsaw Declaration of 19 November, our Berlin Declaration of 12 December and our Paris Declaration of 12 February.

    Ukraine has shown its strong commitment to peace, also by agreeing to a full ceasefire without preconditions. However, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has not ceased. Instead of imposing new conditions and launching continued attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure that cause more and more victims, Russia must now show it is serious about ending its war.  We call on Russia to stop its delaying tactics and reciprocate by agreeing without delay, as Ukraine has done, to an immediate unconditional ceasefire on equal terms and implementing it fully. We need to see progress within a clear timeframe.

    Building on the recent meetings in Paris and London, we took forward the discussion on how best to support a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, which is vital for Ukraine, for Europe and for the whole international community.

    We remain committed to further political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support for Ukraine, together with our international partners. To this end, we will strengthen Ukraine through significant short and long-term military support, also in the framework of Capability Coalitions and the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, which will hold its next meeting on 11 April. Many European partners, including the members of this group, have made substantive additional pledges to support Ukraine militarily and are planning similar commitments in the future.

    We also stand ready to apply further pressure on Russia using all tools available, including by adopting new sanctions, to hinder its ability to wage its war of aggression and to ensure Ukraine is placed in the best position possible to secure a just and lasting peace. We reiterate that Russia’s assets should remain immobilized until Russia ceases its war of aggression against Ukraine and compensates it for the damage caused.

    We are also strongly committed to ensuring full accountability for war crimes and the other most serious crimes committed in connection with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The progress made on establishing a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, within the framework of the Council of Europe, is an important step.

    A credible pathway to peace must include humanitarian relief efforts, notably the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilians and the return of all Ukrainian children and other civilians unlawfully deported and transferred to Russia and Belarus.

    We support efforts for a ceasefire that can lead to the establishment of a just and lasting peace. We welcome recent progress to define the essential elements for a viable and sustainable ceasefire, including a clear framework of monitoring and verification.

    Peace must be sustainable, backed by effective guarantees to prevent further acts of aggression. Real, robust and credible security guarantees for Ukraine are an indispensable element of a just and lasting peace, based on Ukraine’s sovereign right to determine its security relationships with its partners, and on the duty of the international community to prevent future Russian aggression. We stand ready to play a leading role in this regard.

    Peace must be just, and Russia’s war of aggression cannot end with a reward to the aggressor. There can be no agreement that compromises on Euro-Atlantic security and the independence, sovereignty territorial integrity of Ukraine. We will not accept any agreement that restricts Ukraine’s military and defence industry or the military presence of partner countries in Ukraine.

    We stand ready to do our share in order to achieve this peace. Europe now provides almost two thirds of all support to Ukraine, and 60% of military aid. We reiterate our ironclad commitment to NATO as the bedrock of Euro-Atlantic security and commit to take on greater responsibility for the future of the security and defense of the European continent, aiming at a significant result at the summit in The Hague.

    We reiterate the inherent right of Ukraine to choose its own destiny and to defend its democracy. Ukraine’s future is in Europe and in the European Union, and Ukraine’s future is crucial for the security of Europe. Europe must be fully involved in the negotiations and will make its own decisions.  

    We remain committed to supporting Ukraine’s repair, recovery and reconstruction, in coordination with international partners.

    We reaffirm our commitment to our democratic values, and to further engage with our global partners in order to promote together a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, based on the universal principles of the United Nations Charter.

    We reaffirm that Europe must assume more responsibility for its own security and become better equipped and deal with immediate and future challenges.

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Strengthening rural health care facilities

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    To further these goals, Budget 2025’s new Rural Hospital Enhancement Program will improve rural health care facilities to better address rural health challenges and provide greater access to essential health services. If passed, Budget 2025 will provide $15 million to support project planning, which includes conducting facility and functional assessments of rural hospitals to determine what capital planning solutions and services are required to maximize each facility’s potential and better meet the needs of rural communities.

    “Rural Albertans should be able to access the health care services they need close to home. The new Rural Hospital Enhancement Program will ensure we are continuing to make data-driven decisions, and that resources are being appropriately deployed to address the areas with the greatest need.”

    Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health

    Once project plans for each facility are developed, they will be used to inform future capital planning discussions and funding decisions for new projects. This program will expedite the time between planning and construction, so projects are completed sooner to support rural communities.

    “As an MLA from rural Alberta, I know first-hand how important it is to have access to high-quality health care facilities close to home. This investment in projects in rural communities across Alberta will enhance care and strengthen our communities. I cannot wait to get to work on these critical projects.”

    Martin Long, Minister of Infrastructure

    Alberta’s government is also supporting existing capital programs and projects that will maximize the potential of rural health care facilities and enhance health care for rural Albertans. These investments will ensure that rural patients can receive care in the communities where they reside, reducing the need for long-distance travel to urban centres for essential medical services. By enhancing infrastructure and expanding services, the province aims to improve access to timely and high-quality care. These efforts will help alleviate pressure on larger hospitals and support the overall well-being of Albertans living outside major cities.

    “Our government is investing in health facilities and programs to ensure we are meeting the needs of rural Albertans. This includes much-needed planning funds to replace the Cardston Health Centre, one of the oldest health facilities in the province.”

    Justin Wright, parliamentary secretary for rural health (south)

    Through Budget 2025, Alberta’s government is continuing to support capital projects that will deliver value to and maximize benefits for rural Albertans. These projects include:

    • $25 million to complete projects approved under the Rural Health Facilities Revitalization Program
    • $20 million in planning funds for primary care centres in rural, remote and Indigenous communities
    • $80 million to develop the La Crete Maternity and Community Health Centre
    • $1 million in planning funds for the Cardston Health Centre
    • $18 million to fund furnishings, equipment and information technology infrastructure for the Mountview Health Complex in Beaverlodge
    • $170 million in capital lease costs for the Mountview facility

    “More Albertans are choosing to live in rural communities, and we’re improving their access to health care services while planning for the future. We’re making major investments in northern Alberta, including in La Crete and Beaverlodge where residents travel too far to access care.”

    Ron Wiebe, parliamentary secretary for rural health (north)

    “Budget 2025 enables Covenant to continue partnering with the Alberta government in refocusing the health care system. We are grateful for the opportunity to develop plans to complete capital projects at our rural facilities and expand access to quality health care for every Albertan.”

    Patrick Dumelie, CEO, Covenant

    Through Budget 2025, Alberta’s government will continue to improve health care facilities across the province to ensure that all Albertans can get the care they need, when and where they need it.

    Budget 2025 is meeting the challenge faced by Alberta with continued investments in education and health, lower taxes for families and a focus on the economy.

    Quick facts

    • More than 18 per cent of Albertans live in rural and remote communities.
      • Alberta’s rural population is expected to grow by 20 per cent, from 1.06 million in 2023 to 1.27 million by 2051.
    • The first phase of planning under the Rural Hospital Enhancement Program will evaluate 20 facilities across the province:
      • Myron Thompson Health Centre in Sundre
      • Whitecourt Healthcare Centre
      • Brooks Health Centre
      • Hinton Healthcare Centre
      • William J. Cadzow – Lac La Biche Healthcare Centre
      • St. Joseph’s General Hospital in Vegreville
      • Drumheller Health Centre
      • Slave Lake Healthcare Centre
      • Edson Healthcare Centre
      • Killam Health Care Centre
      • Drayton Valley Hospital and Care Centre
      • Pincher Creek Health Centre
      • Athabasca Healthcare Centre
      • Valleyview Health Centre
      • Barrhead Healthcare Centre
      • Northwest Health Centre in High Level
      • Peace River Community Health Centre
      • Central Peace Health Complex in Spirit River
      • Lacombe Hospital and Care Centre
      • Milk River Health Centre
    • The Rural Health Facilities Revitalization Program was created in 2021 with total funding of $140 million to execute 44 projects in rural communities across the province.
      • The $25 million in 2025-26 will complete the remaining projects being supported by this program.

    Related information

    • Budget 2025 Capital Plan
    • Rural Health Action Plan

    Related news

    • Refocusing emergency services (March 10, 2025)
    • Budget 2025: Increasing hospital capacity | Budget de 2025 : Augmenter la capacité d’hospitalisation | alberta.ca (March 6, 2025)
    • Delivering care close to home in La Crete (Feb. 25, 2025)
    • Enhancing health care services in Beaverlodge (Nov. 25, 2024)
    • Improving health care in rural and remote Alberta (Oct. 3, 2024)

    Multimedia

    • Watch the news conference

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan Contributes $100,000 to the Queen Elizabeth Scholars Program

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on March 31, 2025

    The Government of Saskatchewan is investing in the next generation of global leaders by contributing $100,000 to the Queen Elizabeth Scholars program. This funding will support educational exchange opportunities and real-world experiences for students.

    “Our government is proud to invest in initiatives that support a strong and collaborative global community and enhance opportunities for our students,” Advanced Education Minister Ken Cheveldayoff said. “This program provides valuable research-based global education and leadership experiences that will benefit Saskatchewan students, post-secondary institutions and communities.”

    The Queen Elizabeth Scholars program is led by the Rideau Hall Foundation in collaboration with Universities Canada. It provides funding for students to participate in educational exchange programs, offering them the opportunity to gain invaluable experiences that will help shape their futures as global leaders.

    Approximately 227 students from the University of Regina and University of Saskatchewan have benefited from the program since its inception in 2012. 

    “We are honoured to have the Province of Saskatchewan invest in the Queen Elizabeth Scholars program,” Rideau Hall Foundation President and CEO Teresa Marques said. “This investment means more students from the province’s colleges and universities will benefit from global learning experiences, while attracting talent from abroad into Saskatchewan as well – all of which positions the province for success in the global economy.”

    For more information on the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship, including how to apply, visit: https://queenelizabethscholars.ca/.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE marks water supply milestone

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong today held a ceremony to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the supply of Dongjiang water to Hong Kong.

    Speaking at the ceremony, Chief Executive John Lee said the country has been providing the city with a reliable and stable supply of Dongjiang water, which accounts for about 70% to 80% of Hong Kong’s fresh water consumption.

    “Dongjiang water supports the sustainable economic development of Hong Kong, and nourishes the citizens, allowing them to live and work in a better place.”

    It is not only a water engineering project, but also an epitome of the strong blood ties between the country and Hong Kong, he added.

    A lighting ceremony for the Dancing Water Drops Exhibition was also held at the event. The exhibition will run until June 13 at Tamar Park and the Central & Western District Promenade (Central Section).

    Additionally, a series of celebration activities have been held since September last year, including a roving exhibition, thematic talks and Mainland study tours. Upcoming activities include the International Water Pioneers Summit scheduled for tomorrow.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Downing Street opens doors to Adolescence creators for vital discussion on protecting our children

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Downing Street opens doors to Adolescence creators for vital discussion on protecting our children

    The Prime Minister met with Adolescence creators, charities and young people to discuss the issues raised in the series during a meeting focused on rethinking adolescent safety today.

    • Prime Minister convenes conversation on rethinking adolescent safety and how to prevent young boys being dragged into “whirlpool of hatred and misogyny”
    • Downing Street welcomes Adolescence creators, charities and young people to listen to experiences of children today
    • Backed by the Prime Minister, students to watch Netflix drama Adolescence for free in secondary schools across the country

    Today the Prime Minister met with Adolescence creators, charities and young people to discuss the issues raised in the series during a meeting focused on rethinking adolescent safety.

    Joined by Adolescence co-writer Jack Thorne and producer Jo Johnson, the group met to discuss the challenges facing children and parents today. It also looked at how the Government can work in collaboration to ensure young people have the right tools, support and environment to learn about healthy relationships.

    The meeting comes as Netflix makes the drama free to all secondary schools across the country through the Into Film+ schools streaming service and backed by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons. The series will help students better understand the impact of misogyny, dangers of online radicalisation and the importance of healthy relationships.

    Giving children the best start in life, making our communities safer and preventing young people falling into crime are central to this government’s Plan for Change.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    As a father, watching this show with my teenage son and daughter, I can tell you – it hit home hard.  

    It’s an important initiative to encourage as many pupils as possible to watch the show. As I see from my own children, openly talking about changes in how they communicate, the content they’re seeing, and exploring the conversations they’re having with their peers is vital if we are to properly support them in navigating contemporary challenges, and deal with malign influences.

    This isn’t a challenge politicians can simply legislate for. Believe me, if I could pull a lever to solve it, I would. Only by listening and learning from the experiences of young people and charities can we tackle the issues this groundbreaking show raises.

    At the meeting, the Prime Minister set out how this issue is personal to him. After years spent working as the Director of Public Prosecutions, he has seen the devastation that misogyny and violence leaves behind, and how it tears through families and communities.   

    Charities invited to Downing Street include the NSPCC, Movember, Beyond Quality, Children’s Society as well as a young person who shared their own experience of becoming immersed in similar online content.

    The Prime Minister was also joined by Netflix and Tender charity who have provided resources and guides for parents, carers and teachers on the issues explored in Adolescence, as well as Into Film, the charity enabling the free viewing in schools via its Into Film+ schools streaming service.

    Jack Thorne, Adolescence Co-Writer, said: 

    We made this show to provoke a conversation. We wanted to pose the question – how do we help stop this growing crisis. So to have the opportunity to take this into schools is beyond our expectations. We hope it’ll lead to teachers talking to the students, but what we really hope is it’ll lead to students talking amongst themselves.

    Anne Mensah, Netflix VP UK Content, said:

    Adolescence has captured the national mood, sparking important conversations and helping articulate the pressures young people and parents face in today’s society.

    We’re incredibly proud of the impact the show has made, and are delighted to be able to offer it to all schools across the UK through Into Film+. As part of this, healthy relationships charity Tender will create resources for teachers and parents to help them navigate the important topics the show explores.

    The Government has taken action to ensure it is protecting children from the issues raised in the series.

    The Online Safety Act’s illegal content duties have come into force targeting the most harmful material including extreme pornography.

    From the summer, platforms will also have to ensure children have an age-appropriate experience online preventing them from seeing dangerous content which includes abusive and hateful misogyny and violence.  

    The Online Safety Act is not the end of the conversation but the foundation. As the Prime Minister has done so today, the Government is committed to listening and will not hesitate to strengthen the law further where necessary.  

    The Government is also reviewing the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance, following a consultation that closed last summer. It is closely looking at the consultation responses, engaging with stakeholders and considering the relevant evidence before setting out next steps to take the guidance forward. 

    Maria Neophytou, NSPCC Director of Strategy & Knowledge said:

    The debates around the Netflix series Adolescence, and the themes within it, are both disturbing and important. Today’s meeting with the Prime Minister was a critical milestone for young people and for the NSPCC; a chance to come together and discuss what we can do to ensure young people are growing up in healthy, happy and safe environments.

    The online world is being polluted by harmful and misogynistic content which is having a direct impact on the development of young people’s thinking and behaviours. This cannot be allowed to continue.

    It is vital young people have access to high-quality, age-appropriate lessons in school about healthy relationships and understand why misogyny is so harmful and has no place in our society. And that parents have guidance and support around how to keep their children safe online. But we can’t expect teachers and parents to do all the heavy lifting.

    Tech companies must now put the wellbeing of children first, as demanded by the Online Safety Act. They have a responsibility to ensure their platforms and sites are safe by design for young users: that age limits are enforced, that children’s privacy is respected, that algorithms are not targeting and bombarding them with harmful content, and that there are clear and simple ways for young users to complain about what they are experiencing online and seek support.

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Birmingham City Council declares major incident

    Source: City of Birmingham

    Published: Monday, 31st March 2025

    Birmingham City Council has today declared a major incident to address the impact of the waste service industrial action.

    The council has a contingency plan using our limited resources to collect from all properties in the city once a week, but actions on the picket line have prevented us from doing this.

    The daily blocking of our depots by pickets has meant that we cannot get our vehicles out to collect waste from residents. Often, we can only get one vehicle out per hour.

    This has meant that to date around 17,000 tonnes of waste remains uncollected across the city.

    This has led to rising concerns of risks to public health and damage to our environment.

    The council is already working to an emergency plan; declaring a major incident will initially allow the council to:

    • Quickly increase the availability of street cleansing and fly-tip removal with an additional 35 vehicles and crews around the city.
    • Work with partners to better manage the risks the city is facing, including health and fire risks and allow for increased data and intelligence sharing. Initially this will be focussed upon support to allow our vehicles to safely exists and enter our depots on time.
    • Allow the council to explore what further support is available from neighbouring authorities and government to assist us in managing the situation.

    Councillor John Cotton, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “It’s regrettable that we have had to take this step, but we cannot tolerate a situation that is causing harm and distress to communities across Birmingham.

    “I respect the right to strike and protest, however actions on the picket line must be lawful and sadly the behaviour of some now means we are seeing a significant impact on residents and the city’s environment.

    “Unless we declare a major incident and deploy the waste service’s contingency plan, then we would be unable to clear the backlog of waste on the streets or improve the frequency of collections.

    “I want to thank residents for their continued patience under difficult circumstances and the community groups who have been working hard within their communities to help with clear-up.

    “I would reiterate that we have made a fair and reasonable offer to our workers which means none of them have to lose any money and I would urge Unite to reconsider their position.”

    The council usually deploys around 200 vehicles over 8-hour daily shifts. Our contingency allows 90 vehicles per day but because of pickets blocking depots they are deployed much later and therefore for shorter working periods.

    Normally we would make well over 500,000 collections per week. Our strike contingency would mean 360,000 but due to the blockade of depots we are doing far below this.

    • Our waste collection rate against our reduced service plan (one single collection per property / week) has declined from 87% in the week of 10th March, to 64% in the week of 17th March, to 17% in the week of 24th March. 
    • The daily rate of accumulation of uncollected waste in the city has increased from 483 tonnes per day in the week of 10th March, to 655 tonnes per day in the week of 17th March, to almost 900 tonnes per day in the week of 24th March. 
    • We estimate there are now over 17,000 tons of uncollected rubbish in the city.

    Notes to editors –

    Our contingency arrangements include:

    • We are now running a significantly reduced service to maintain a single weekly collection to each property in the city to maintain public health and safety.
    • We have suspended recycling, green waste, bulky waste and paused the introduction of food waste collection.
    • We have increased the opening hours of our household waste recycling centres. We will now look to increase these hours further to increase capacity.
    • We have increased the availability of our Mobile Household Waste collection vehicles from five to seven days a week.
    • We are increasing caretaking capacity for BCC tower blocks to avoid the build-up of refuse and improve fire safety.
    • We have established a multi-agency response with key partners including police to share information and ensure we can deploy our vehicles on time from our depots
    • We have increased the opening hours of our household waste recycling centres. We will now look to increase these hours further to increase capacity.
    • We have increased the availability of our Mobile Household Waste collection vehicles from five to seven days a week.
    • We are increasing caretaking capacity for BCC tower blocks to avoid the build-up of refuse and improve fire safety

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wildlife Oral Rabies Vaccination Program Begins to Help Protect North Carolinians and Their Pets

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Wildlife Oral Rabies Vaccination Program Begins to Help Protect North Carolinians and Their Pets

    Wildlife Oral Rabies Vaccination Program Begins to Help Protect North Carolinians and Their Pets
    jwerner

    The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is working in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services to prevent and eliminate the spread of rabies. Starting this week, Wildlife Services will be distributing the annual oral rabies vaccine for raccoons in Western North Carolina. This oral rabies distribution program typically takes place annually each fall but was delayed in 2024 due to Hurricane Helene.

    “Rabies is a deadly but preventable disease, and this program plays a critical role in protecting both public health and animal populations across North Carolina,” said Carl Williams, DVM, State Public Health Veterinarian. “By vaccinating wildlife like raccoons, we create a barrier that helps stop the spread of the virus — keeping people, pets and communities safer.”

    Beginning April 2, 2025 , baits containing the oral rabies vaccine will be aerially distributed in the following counties: Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga and Yancey. Additional hand baiting will take place in Buncombe County April 3-9, weather depending.

    The baits consist of a sachet, or plastic packet, containing the oral rabies vaccine. To make the baits attractive to raccoons, the packets are sprinkled with a fishmeal coating or encased inside hard fishmeal–polymer blocks about the size of a matchbox. When a raccoon bites into a bait, the vaccine packet is punctured, and the animal is exposed to the vaccine. This activates the animal’s immune system to produce antibodies that provide protection against rabies infection. 

    Anyone who comes in contact with the liquid vaccine should wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and call the phone number listed on the bait for further instructions and referral. While the oral rabies vaccine will not harm  domestic dogs and cats, it is only approved for use in raccoons and coyotes. Rabies vaccinations for your pets should be administered by a veterinarian. In North Carolina, domestic pets must be vaccinated against rabies by four months of age and routinely thereafter in accordance with state law. 

    In North Carolina, rabies is most commonly found in wild animals. People and their domestic animals may be exposed when they encounter infected wildlife. If you or your pet are bitten by a wild animal, please seek medical attention for a rabies risk assessment. If you are exposed to rabies, prompt administration of post exposure prophylaxis will prevent infection and disease. This disease is almost always fatal in mammals, including people, once symptoms develop. Increasing the number of vaccinated animals in the population helps establish a buffer to stop the spread of the disease to other wildlife, pets and people.

    The NC Wildlife Resources Commission appreciates the assistance of the public in reporting sick or dead wild animals to the NC Wildlife Helpline at 1-866-318-2401 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) or anytime via email at HWI@ncwildlife.org.  

    Baiting should be completed by the end of April 2025. The USDA’s Oral Rabies Vaccination program, originally implemented in the 1990s, helps prevent the raccoon rabies epizootic from moving west of the Appalachian Mountains, where raccoon rabies does not exist. The program has been successful in that regard and the vision is to gradually move the vaccine barrier east until raccoon rabies is eliminated.

    For more information, please visit the National Rabies Management Program webpage. To learn more about rabies, visit the NCDHHS Division of Public Health website.

    El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte está trabajando en colaboración con los Servicios de Vida Silvestre del Departamento de Agricultura de EE. UU.  para prevenir y eliminar la propagación de la rabia. A partir de esta semana, los Servicios de Vida Silvestre distribuirá la vacuna oral anual contra la rabia para mapaches en el oeste de Carolina del Norte. Este programa de distribución oral de la rabia generalmente se lleva a cabo anualmente cada otoño, pero se retrasó en 2024 debido al huracán Helene.

    “La rabia es una enfermedad mortal pero prevenible, y este programa desempeña un papel fundamental en la protección tanto de la salud pública como de las poblaciones de animales en Carolina del Norte”, dijo Carl Williams, DVM, veterinario de salud pública estatal. “Al vacunar a la vida silvestre como los mapaches, creamos una barrera que ayuda a detener la propagación del virus, manteniendo a las personas, las mascotas y las comunidades más seguras”.

    A partir de abril 2 de 2025, los cebos que contengan la vacuna oral contra la rabia se distribuirán por vía aérea en los siguientes condados: Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga y Yancey. El cebo de manos adicional se llevará a cabo en el condado de Buncombe del 3 al 9 de abril, dependiendo del clima.

    Los cebos consisten en un sobre, o paquete de plástico, que contiene la vacuna oral contra la rabia. Para que los cebos sean atractivos para los mapaches, los paquetes se espolvorean con un recubrimiento de harina de pescado o se encierran dentro de bloques duros de polímero de harina de pescado del tamaño de una caja de fósforos. Cuando un mapache muerde un cebo, el paquete de vacunas se perfora y el animal se expone a la vacuna. Esto activa el sistema inmunológico del animal para producir anticuerpos que proporcionan protección contra la infección por el virus de la rabia.

    Cualquier persona que entre en contacto con la vacuna líquida debe lavar bien el área afectada con  jabón y agua y llamar al número de teléfono que aparece en el cebo para obtener más instrucciones y remisión. Si bien la vacuna oral contra la rabia no lesionará a perros y gatos domésticos, solo está aprobada para su uso en mapaches y coyotes. Las vacunas contra la rabia para sus mascotas deben ser administradas por un veterinario. En Carolina del Norte, las mascotas domésticas deben vacunarse contra la rabia a los cuatro meses de edad y de forma rutinaria después de acuerdo con la ley estatal.

    En Carolina del Norte, la rabia se encuentra con mayor frecuencia en animales silvestres. Las personas y sus animales domésticos pueden estar expuestos cuando se encuentran con animales silvestres infectados. Si usted o su mascota son mordidos por un animal silvestre, busque atención médica para una evaluación del riesgo de rabia. Si está expuesto a la rabia, la pronta administración de la profilaxis posterior a la exposición evitará infecciones y enfermedades. Esta enfermedad casi siempre es mortal en los mamíferos, incluso para las personas, una vez que se desarrollan los síntomas. El aumento del número de animales vacunados en la población ayuda a establecer un amortiguador para detener la propagación de la enfermedad a otras especies silvestres, mascotas y personas.

    La Comisión de Recursos de Vida Silvestre de Carolina del Norte agradece la ayuda del público al reportar sobre los animales silvestres enfermos o muertos a la Línea de Ayuda de Vida Silvestre de Carolina del Norte al 1-866-318-2401 (de lunes a viernes, 8 a.m. a 5 p.m. o en cualquier momento por correo electrónico a HWI@ncwildlife.org.

    El cebado debería estar concluido a fines de abril de 2025. El programa de vacunación oral contra la rabia del USDA, implementado originalmente en la década de 1990, ayuda a evitar que la epizootia de la rabia de los mapaches se mueva al oeste de las Montañas Apalaches, donde no existe la rabia de los mapaches. El programa ha tenido éxito en ese sentido y la visión es mover gradualmente la barrera de la vacuna hacia el este hasta que se elimine la rabia del mapache.

    Para obtener más información, visite la página web del Programa Nacional de Manejo de la Rabia. Para obtener más información sobre la rabia, visite el sitio web de la División de Salud Pública del NCDHHS.

    Mar 31, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: UK Foreign Affairs Committee Livestream – Disinformation Diplomacy

    Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)

    The Foreign Affairs Committee will hold an evidence session hearing from the Fifth President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, at 14.00, on Tuesday 1 April.

    This session will help to inform the Committee’s inquiry into disinformation, and the threat that disinformation poses to democracies worldwide. Ms Zourabichvili will appear virtually.

    This session will focus on disinformation in the context of Russian interference and the disputed October 2024 Georgian election.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi_Stz6-giI

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Condemns the Termination of Union Rights for Federal Employees

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Florida 20th district))

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) condemned the recent executive order that eliminates the collective bargaining rights of over 1 million federal government employees. 

    “This Executive Order strips protections from the hard-working men and women who care for our veterans, keep our communities safe, ensure our national security, and provide other essential services that Florida families depend on. These public servants give their everything to make sure that our government functions and meets our communities’ most basic needs. 

    “I’m proud to represent a district that is home to over 9,000 federal workers — from the nurses at the West Palm Beach VA helping our warriors recover when they come home from war, to those at the Social Security Administration ensuring our seniors retire with dignity. 

    “Collective bargaining rights strengthen America’s workforce. I’ll always stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in labor and defend their fundamental rights.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study on association between postpartum hormonal contraceptive use and risk of depression

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in JAMA Network Open looks at postpartum hormonal contraceptive use and depression risk. 

    Dr John Reynolds-Wright, NES/CSO Clinical Lecturer in Sexual & Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, said:

    “This retrospective registry study indicates an association between use of hormonal contraception in the first year post-partum with either being prescribed an anti-depressant or being labelled with a discharge diagnosis of depression in the Danish national healthcare electronic records.

    “It does not demonstrate causation of depression by hormonal contraception.

    “When examining the absolute risk of being prescribed an anti-depressant (or receiving the discharge diagnosis of depression), these risks are small and comparable for users (1.54%) and non-users (1.36%) of hormonal contraception in the twelve months following a first live birth in this cohort.

    “The study excluded women who had given birth previously and did not consider previous history of depression (or anti-depressant prescription) longer than 2 years ago. Considering both of these aspects may have altered the findings of the study.

     “The authors conclude that “the incidence of depression post partum may be inflated by routine HC initiation, which is important information to convey at postpartum contraceptive counseling” however this study has not convincingly shown that incidence of depression is higher – anti-depressants may be prescribed for a range of indications, not only depression – and so changing advice about postpartum contraception is not supported.

     “Further, any small increased risk (0.18% higher of being prescribed an anti-depressant or being diagnosed with depression), needs to be balanced against the benefits brought by post-partum contraception to allow women to space births, which improves their and their baby’s health in multiple ways, and gives them reproductive freedom in their lives.

     “We must cautiously interpret the recommendations and findings of this study, particularly given the current global political climate, where reproductive rights are continually under threat.”

    ‘Postpartum Hormonal Contraceptive Use and Risk of Depression’ by Søren Vinther Larsen et al. was published in JAMA Network Open at 16:00 UK time Monday 31 March 2025.

    DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.2474

    Declared interests

    Dr John Reynolds-Wright:

    –              Associate Editor, BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health

    –              Evidence Advisor, British Society of Abortion Care Providers

    –              I have received research funding from HRA Pharma (Perrigo) and Exelgyn (Nordic Pharma)

    –              I have received support to attend international conferences from Gedeon Richter (travel, hotel, conference registration)

    For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Have your say on bus stop improvements for faster, more reliable and more accessible bus travel in Portsmouth

    Source: City of Portsmouth

    Portsmouth residents are being invited to share their views on plans to improve bus stops across the city.

    These proposals follow Portsmouth City Council’s 2024 bus stop accessibility survey, where members of the public were asked what changes they would like to see to make bus stops more accessible for everyone. Bus drivers were also asked to contribute and share their thoughts on where improvements could be made. This is part of efforts to speed up bus journey’s and make taking the bus better for all.

    This project is funded by the Portsmouth Bus Service Improvement Plan, £52 million of government investment designed to improve bus services in Portsmouth.

    Improvements have been suggested at bus stops across the city, including, Oakwood Road, Doyle Avenue, Knox Road, Angerstein Road, Kings Theatre, College Park, Hayling Avenue, St Luke’s Church, Milton Road, Copythorn Road and Charles Dickens Birthplace.

    Proposals at these stops include making changes which will speed up bus journey times and help buses to get out of stops easily, as well as changes to pathways and stops to make bus stops easier for people to get on and off with a pram or in a wheelchair.

    Encouraging more people to choose the bus not only reduces traffic congestion, but it also contributes to better air quality, creating a healthier environment for everyone. This is one of the many initiatives the council is implementing to support bus travel including: a new bus bus ticket range, fare free days, and improvements to bus services such as more frequent buses, and 24-hour bus routes.

    Councillor Peter Candlish, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “Making bus travel accessible for everyone is a key part of our efforts to improve transport in Portsmouth. These proposed bus stop upgrades will help ensure that everyone can access buses with ease and comfort, while also reducing congestion and improving our city’s air quality.”

    How to get involved

    Residents are encouraged to provide their feedback by 5pm on Friday 11 April. To have your say, email citytravel@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or write to BSIP Team, Floor 2, Portsmouth City Council, Civic Offices Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 2AL

    Once the feedback has been collected, the council will review all views before making a decision. If the improvements move forward work is expected to begin later this year.

    More information about the proposed improvements can be found on the council website travel.portsmouth.gov.uk/bsip-schemes/bus-stop-improvements/

    More information about the Portsmouth Bus Service Improvement Plan

    The Portsmouth Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) is Portsmouth’s visionary delivery scheme aligned with the government’s National Bus Strategy and aims to dramatically improve bus services in Portsmouth and to encourage passengers back to the bus.

    This programme is managed by an enhanced partnership between local bus companies Stagecoach South, First Solent and Portsmouth City Council. With a £52 million grant from the Department for Transport (DfT) the Portsmouth BSIP aims to increase bus usage in Portsmouth by engaging with the local community and transforming the bus network in the city so that it is faster, more reliable, and more affordable.

    The Portsmouth BSIP has already funded early morning travel, and later night services, tap on tap off technology, fare free weekends to encourage residents to try the bus, Christmas Day bus services and much more, with even more exciting developments planned for 2025.

    According to the latest Department for Transport (DfT) figures, Portsmouth has seen a 20% rise in bus passengers in 2024 and is recognised as the top city for bringing people back to bus travel, with over 12 million bus journeys taken. These achievements were recognised at the UK Bus Awards in 2024, with Portsmouth winning gold in the Partnership for Excellence category.

    More information can be found on our website: https://travel.portsmouth.gov.uk/bsip/

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: Fake employees of the Bank of Russia offer to close the “international account”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Central Bank of Russia (2) –

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

    Categoris24-7, Central Bank of OF Russia, Miles, Russians Banks, Russians savings, Russians finance, Russians Language, Russian economy, Russian banks

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    Fraudsters have begun to use a new fraudulent scheme involving the Bank of Russia. They send potential victims an email with the regulator’s logo, which includes the person’s last name, first name, and patronymic.

    In the letter, the scammers report that the person allegedly has an active account in a European financial institution. They demand to close an “international account” with a large sum of money and offer to withdraw it while preserving the interest income. The scammers claim that to do this, you need to use your Russian bank account, which has the most money. To get more detailed instructions, the person should reply to the letter or contact its senders via instant messengers. Some letters include a phishing link to a site where you are asked to enter personal data and bank details, allegedly for identification and closing the account.

    Refusal to close the account, according to the scammers, threatens a significant fine, seizure of property or forced collection from wages. In the future, the scammers can use this information to steal money or arrange loans and credits.

    In addition, the link may contain malicious software that is automatically installed on the user’s device and provides attackers with remote access to banking applications.

    Be vigilant and do not respond to such letters: do not follow links in the message, do not provide personal or financial information. Real employees of the Bank of Russia do not call people and do not send them copies of any documents, do not request personal or bank information, do not offer to perform any transactions with the account. If possible, install an antivirus program on your devices and update it regularly. If you have any doubts, call your bank yourself at the number indicated on the back of the card or on the credit institution’s website.

    MIL OSI Russia News –